I Have A Black Belt In Shopping: Lesson #1 - Comparison Shopping Online Is Your Friend (And So Is Your Tailor)

FYI, from time to time I'll include links in a post that take you to whatever it is I'm talking about.  I may get compensated if you purchase something from clicking the link.  My blog is purely for my personal amusement, but if you make a purchase because of something I said, well, it's cool to get something back from the provider. 


If you've been with me from the beginning, you may have noticed that I've gained and lost a significant amount of weight several times (ugh, I refuse to be categorized as a yo-yo dieter - there were ten years between Weight Watchers® Episode I and Episode II, and three years between Episode II and Episode III; that's a long-ass yo-yo string.  Still, the amount of weight between 1994-2014 was an astounding 95 pounds which is like the equivalent of a Backstreet Boy or a 2-month-old horse - take your pick). You may have also noticed that each time I lost weight I was thrilled about all the cute clothes I could wear.

Yes, I am a Shopper.  

If you'd have known me in my youth, this would stun you. Pretty much through high school my method of dressing was scanning the floor for jeans and a sweatshirt and putting on whatever was clean-ish.  When I got to college, I spent my freshman year feeling sophisticated by wearing a whole bunch of red, black, and white - so much so that when my sorority (another thing about me that would stun those who knew me in my youth) had a Dress As Your Roommate Dinner my three roommates all wore red, black, and white.

During the summer of 1980-something I worked for a bit at Union Bay.  I'd spend much of my lunch break in a fugue of boredom, shopping in the company store.  That was about the time that Color Me Beautiful came out - this was a revolutionary concept that your skin tone/hair color/eye color would put you in one of four 'seasons', and each 'season' has 'your' colors that make you look awesome.  Believe me, it was all the rage and to this day I hear women referring to themselves as a 'summer' or a 'winter' (back in the day I was a winter but I think I've become a summer). Anyhow, I became somewhat obsessed with 'my colors' which were predominantly jewel tones. And boy howdy were jewel tones in.  So I spent a summer collecting deep, bright colors: wild patterns, and solids that would pick up on a color in the pattern.  OMG I could not be ignored in the clothes I started wearing.

And so began my love of clothing.  Yeah yeah, unless you're a nudist everyone loves clothing.  But I mean I loooove clothes.  I love finding the right colors (and I'm old enough to know now that it's not so much a color that makes you look good but a SHADE of color - I look great in mustard yellow and lemon yellow but look like death warmed over in a golden yellow). I love fabric (that took awhile, mostly because I was poor for so long I could only afford polyester). And thanks to shows like What Not To Wear (I miss Stacy London with her white streaked hair, and Clinton Kelly's snark, and Nick Orrojo's amazing hair makeovers) I got into silhouettes.  Big hips = wide legs!!!  Big belly = flowy peasant and tunic tops!!!

I'm far from a fashion trend setter, but if I wear the same outfit in a four-week period I freak out a bit. I never want anyone to know what to wear at the next Dress As Boopsandbugs Dinner other than 'amazing' clothes. They say no one is paying attention to stuff like that.  I'm here to tell you:  I AM PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT YOU ARE WEARING.  And how frequently you wear it. And I am silently giving you the Stacy/Clinton treatment in my head.

I digress.

So there's a little chink in my clothes-shopping armor: I anxiety-sweat in dressing rooms. For years as a big gal I'd go into a dressing room and hope to gawd I didn't get stuck in a too-tight something and have to call for help.  Or hear that awful ripping noise as a seam gave way. And I'd feel like a failure if nothing fit/looked good (and really, what would the sales person think? <-- yes I know that's ridiculous but I still haven't quite gotten past that). Aside from getting stuck in a too-tight something, there's nothing worse than emerging from a dressing room looking like you've just climbed out of a swimming pool.  Except maybe having a sales person poke her head into the dressing room to find you standing there, drenched in sweat like you've been doing step aerobics for three hours.  Alas this has happened too many times.  It's gotten better now that I'm smaller again, but I'm still scarred for life.

Enter the computer! Online shopping is my jam. 

I always start with The Google.  Of course this works better the more specific you can get your search to be. You can Google green sweaters and get lost in pages of search results, or you can Google Vince Camuto green cotton oversized sweater.

How do you get to the point where you can do an awesome Google? Well, if you've lost (or gained) some weight but are incredibly attached to something that's no longer your size - BOOM! You know exactly what to look for.  It's also super-helpful if you know the style number and/or style name (style numbers are usually on a tag somewhere on the garment, and often if you Google the style number the style name will also pop up). So before you let go of that beloved piece of clothing take a picture of the tag so you know what to look for.

If you're just looking for something you have but doesn't fit, YOUR TAILOR CAN BE YOUR BEST FRIEND.  It's usually a lot less expensive to alter something than buy it again.  Or maybe what you love is a million years old and there's no way you'll ever find it online, YOUR TAILOR CAN BE YOUR BEST FRIEND. Or maybe you buy something that's beyond-awesome but the sleeves are too long, or the waist is too big, or the legs need a little more tapering, YOUR TAILOR CAN BE YOUR BEST FRIEND. Obvi, it's easier to eliminate fabric than add to it, so this is usually an option best for new clothes or too-big clothes.  But a really gifted tailor can be magic.  True story: I used to lay my clothes out on the bed before I hopped in the shower in the morning, but my late great first cocker spaniel had a habit of nibbling on those clothes.  She ate the armpit out of the cutest navy-with-white-polka-dots dress (sidebar: polka dots make people happy; this is a fact).  I took it to a tailor who added a navy patch and voila I was back in business and really I don't care if my armpit wasn't polka dotted.  Anyhow, I've got a couple great tailors - hems ✅, waistbands ✅, taking in the sides ✅, munched armpits ✅. The thing that appears most difficult is a baggy seat.  Maybe it's because your nether regions are awkward for pinning? Anyhow, I've learned that if a pair of pants is baggy in the seat there is nothing I can do to save it.

OK, we've covered what to do when you need to re-size or basic-alter something you have (TAILOR!) but otherwise you start with the Google. OR the dreaded dressing room. But if you know how a brand fits you and what size you are you can usually skip the dressing room.

One of the things that has broken my heart this year is the pain of having tossed all the cute clothes I wore in 2003 and 2014 but thought I'd never fit into again. Usually I'm all for tossing what doesn't fit - ha, I was so excited this year to drop the weight and wear the old clothes again but was crushingly disappointed to find out a) they were no longer in style (darn you, shoulderpads!) or b) my butt had disappeared and wide legs looked like clown costumes or the seats were too baggy.  Anyhow, there were a few dresses I loooooooooooved that I tossed - simple, inexpensive cotton sheaths from Target.  Waah. (sidebar:  I tithe at Target). So I did the Google - cotton sheath dress in coral (and in burgundy). Click on Images and voila, you can spend hours chasing down a variety of  clothes until you see something(s) you like.

To recap thus far: if you haven't tailored an existing piece, you've done a Google to find where the clothes you're looking for exist. 

Let the comparison shopping begin!!! What you want may be on sale at one retailer but not another.  Maybe a retailer offers free shipping or no tax - MAKE SURE YOU TAKE THIS INTO ACCOUNT. A $25 dress can be $35 with tax and shipping (yes a $25 dress can be super-cute). And a $30 dress with no tax/free shipping can be more affordable than that $25 dress with $10 in tax and shipping.  Ya feel me?

And let's not forget the secondary market. Sometimes you can find a brand new thing on eBay or Poshmark (and if you sign up and use the code gravityl you'll get $5 off your first purchase). Heck, if you're cool with pre-owned garments your shopping world will expand.  There's also a ton of sites that specialize in pre-owned luxury brands - too many to list them all but one of my personal faves is Ann's Fabulous Finds.

Great - you've found what you like (either via sweaty dressing room or Google) and you've comparison-shopped. Before you hit that PURCHASE button, CHECK THE RETURN POLICY!!!! Some stores have awesome return policies (Nordstrom, Costco - yes I buy clothes from Costco and no I don't look like I live below the poverty line in the Appalachian meth trade), some stores will charge you for return shipping (ouch), others will only offer store credit, and others no returns at all. If there's any doubt about whether the clothes will fit, or if the color will flatter, make sure you can return for free.  Few things suck as much as getting something you'll never wear and not being able to get your money back.

A little more about Nordstrom and why I love them even though they can be pricey. Probably most locations offer personal shoppers at no cost - before you leave the house, give them a call or ping them on social media to confirm.  In 2014 after I'd lost 60 pounds I had no idea what size I was or what would look good.  The personal shopper I worked with was a genius.  Without looking at me, just on a phone conversation, she'd picked a ton of clothes for me to try.  I'd never have picked them on my own, some were sizes I thought would be too small or too big but when it's someone else picking them out it doesn't matter so much.  As I culled what she'd selected, she learned what I liked and didn't like and was able to grab more things for me to try. It.  Was.  Awesome.

Alas these were the clothes that were too big by the time I shrunk enough to try them on again four years later.  What did I do? I did the Google and found smaller replacements for just about everything.

And that wonderful return policy? If you find something you like at Nordstrom, buy it.  DO NOT TAKE THE TAGS OFF.  DO NOT WEAR THESE CLOTHES FOR THE LONGEST TIME. Do the Google when you get home.  On a recent foray, I found what I'd bought at Nordstrom at other retailers at lower prices.  Boom - new purchase online, return originals to Nordstrom. Happy Boopsandbugs. Or wait for it to go on sale at Nordstrom and ask for a price adjustment. Happy happy. But don't be a shit and wear clothes and try to return them after. Anywhere.  That's just not cool.

Does this comparison shopping take a lot of time? Heck yeah. But a cost-benefit analysis shows the investment of time is soooo worthwhile.

My next Shopping Lesson will be on stacking. I'll also have a Shopping Lesson on negotiating - yes, you can negotiate in a department store. I may even do a Shopping Lesson on re-homing.

In the meantime, start flexing your comparison shopping muscles!  Happy Googling!

My Weight Loss Journey - Part II

FYI, from time to time I'll include links in a post that take you to whatever it is I'm talking about.  I may get compensated if you purchase something from clicking the link.  My blog is purely for my personal amusement, but if you make a purchase because of something I said, well, it's cool to get something back from the provider. 

Picture this...it was Sicily, 1927...  Kidding.  That's from one of my favorite shows, The Golden Girls (note: if you, too, like The Golden Girls, you can get shot glasses and play drinking games whilst watching reruns).

Okay, for real.  Picture this... it was Sydney, Australia, October 2001.  You don't really have to picture it because I've done it for you:

I'd started off in Texas in 1994 at 130ish pounds, and by October 2001 I was up about 50 pounds from that. Yes, 50 pounds.  I stunned myself, really. That's the kind of weight gain you read about in magazines.  Or blogs.

Anyhow, what's 50 pounds amongst friends, right? I didn't let it stop me from a bucket list vacation to Australia, where a friend and I climbed the Sydney Harbor Bridge, went to the aquarium (where I learned that male platypi are deadly - they have a claw on their hind flippers that is full of poison; I swear everything in Australia is trying to kill you), the Taronga Zoo (got to hang out with koalas in their eucalyptus-filled enclosure; did you know Hugh Jackman used to dress up as a kangaroo, and that I harbor a massive fangirl crush on Hugh Jackman? More on Hugh Jackman later), the Sydney Opera House (where I slept through a beautifully-staged opera, yay jetlag), Manly Beach (got shit upon by a seagull, that rat bastard) and Bondi Beach.

It was a great trip (despite being shat upon) but I was wearing Eddie Bauer jeans in a size 12 and I remember distinctly telling my friend at Sydney Harbor I needed to take an escalator instead of the stairs because my jeans were too tight.  Ugh.

And despite feeling fat and uncomfortable, I kept getting bigger and found myself three months later at 186 (have I told you I'm only 5'2"?). I don't know what prompted me (was it the Duchess of Pork commercials?) but for the first time I joined Weight Watchers®. By then the low-fat thing had passed, but they had 'points'! I could go to their website and log what I was eating - each food had a 'point' value and it was like a game to see if I could stay in my 'point' budget.  I was also supposed to track the number of servings of fruit/vegetables, glasses of water, and servings of calcium - more games to challenge myself with! And you could 'earn' a few 'points' for working out which meant...drumroll please...eating more!

The whole gamification thing was perfect for me: I'm abnormally competitive (THAT'S a long story, but suffice to say Mama and Papa Boopsandbugs had high expectations of their children) and I love-love-loved meeting the various daily and weekly challenges. And lo and behold it worked! The weight melted off, and I loved the way I felt, the way I looked and what clothes I could wear.

I returned to Australia in October 2002, going to Cairns (The Great Barrier Reef) all by myself.  I'd alternate a day tour on the water with a day tour in the rainforest.  It.  Was.  Awesome.  I weighed 162 then.  Thank you, Weight Watchers®!

I kept up with Weight Watchers® for about six months after this trip, and got down to about 155 and a size 8 for a hot minute. And I mean HOT. I looked and felt great, was wearing the cutest clothes, and then took a business trip to NYC in January 2003.  All of a sudden it was restaurants every meal for ten days.  And there was a crippling snowstorm (like, over a foot of snow - the drifts were taller than me), so not a lot of walking around the city to burn off what I was eating.  I was also away from a computer (back in the days of desktops!) so I couldn't track my food really well.  And there wasn't a ton of time to use the hotel gym. And blahblahblah excuses upon excuses.  The weight started creeping back.

In May 2003 I went to Cancun for the first time.  I'd re-gained about 10 pounds, but I felt great.  I played in the pool and the ocean, I went jet skiing, snorkeling with squid, snorkeling in Cozumel. I wore swimsuits and shorts and dresses, I danced on the bar in some club... Life was good.  Who needs Weight Watchers®!

But going to Cancun with a friend that looks like THAT does awful things to one's self-esteem.  I remember her delight in finding a Zara, and my crushing despondence that even at this relatively-low weight I STILL couldn't fit into their clothes. By the time I returned to Texas I'd chucked all pretenses of tracking what I ate, I stopped going to my personal trainer, my new boss was stressing me out, and by February 2004 I was close to the weight I started at two years prior.  Who needs Weight Watchers®? Apparently I did.

Gah. It was another ten years before I got control of my weight again.  But that's another story.

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things - The Squatty Potty and the Bidet Attachment

FYI, from time to time I'll include links in a post that take you to whatever it is I'm talking about.  I may get compensated if you purchase something from clicking the link.  My blog is purely for my personal amusement, but if you make a purchase because of something I said, well, it's cool to get something back from the provider. 

Even though we may not know each other so well, let's talk about pooping.  We all 💩, so really there's no need to be shy, right? Right.

No one likes to spend a lot of time on the toilet.  (OK, TBH I have a relative who I swear spends 2 hours on the toilet twice a day.  I don't know what's going on for 2 hours but it can't be comfortable, can it? I mean, even if you're reading a good book surely there are more comfortable places for that. But I digress.) If you're spending a lot of time on the toilet there is something going wrong there. Really horrible things can happen - I mean, remember Gigi from The Sopranos??? (I still miss this, BTW.)  

Full disclosure: seven years ago I had cancer (that's a whole nother blog) and it was soooo not like the movies.  My hair didn't come out in clumps at the dinner table, I didn't lose weight, and I never barfed or even get nauseous (ok, I barfed once but that was from food poisoning while I was having radiation and I barfed and sharted at the same time which I think should get me some sort of trophy...but again, I digress).  What I did get was a horrid case of insomnia and constipation from the steroids. So yeah, I became a little obsessed with good pooping.

Enter the Squatty Potty.  Funny name, serious benefits. Basically, the Squatty Potty is a footstool for your toilet, and when you rest your feet on it your knees are raised so you're in a squatting position. I've got a friend who just stacks phone books (remember those?) on either side of her loo and it does the same thing, but somehow the stacking thing doesn't seem too stable and I don't want to get injured.

Anyhow, this is how the makers of the Squatty Potty illustrate why it's the best thing since sliced bread when it comes to pooping:

My beloved Squatty Potty

I am here to testify that this simple product is life-changing.  My business is incredibly efficient, no matter how little fiber I may be getting in my diet. I will confess, however, that as a short-legged person I have yet to find a graceful way to get into position particularly when I'm wearing leggings or tight jeans.  The Squatty Potty creates a 4-5 inch semicircle around the base of your toilet so I have three choices:

1. Stand in front of the SP, pull down my pants and kind of fall back on to the seat.  This is kind of scary because I don't like the falling sensation plus my aim is unreliable and I'm more likely than not to miss the bullseye and fall over and then who's around to call 911 because my dogs lack opposable thumbs?
2. Slide the SP forward into position, stand on the SP and pull my pants down and take a seat. I'm not sure what the weight limit is on the SP but I'm not taking any chances.  My level of gracefulness is somewhat less than the gazelle and I'm not interested in risking having my feet slip out from under me and falling backwards and cracking my skull on the tank. Again, my dogs lack opposable thumbs so there's no one to call an ambulance and there I'd lie with a cracked skull and my dogs would need to eat me and that's no good.
3. Straddle the combined toilet+SP, and maneuver my pants past the front of the seat without ripping any seams, have a seat and then slide the SP forward into position with my feet.

So yeah, I'm a straddler.  It's awkward, but the results are worthwhile.

Fun fact: for some cultures this squatting thing isn't as revelatory as it is in the US.  If you watched An Idiot Abroad on BBC (this was a hilarious reality show where Ricky Gervais sent a not-well-traveled friend to far-flung places to film this guy's bemusement upon encountering new cultures), there was one episode where Karl went to rural China and had a startled reaction to public toilets which are basically holes in the ground with foot pads on either side for positioning guidance.  And some villagers took their own chairs to the public toilet, marching down the street with their poop chairs with absolutely zero shame (Karl: "Look at him.  Everyone knows where he's going.").  Anyhow, it was hilarious. The whole series was hilarious but you can also find just that China episode which really was one of the funniest eps.  

And it's not just China.  A friend was on an international flight and went to the lav w.hich he thought was unoccupied because the door wasn't locked but when he opened the door there was a lady in a sari perched over the toilet like a gargoyle.

Moving on.

After a good 💩 you want to be all shiny and new.  What better way to get that feeling than a bidet!  I'll admit, traditional bidets confuse me.  Like, you're supposed to crab-walk from the toilet to the bidet? Why would you squirt water on your hiney when you've just used TP - you'll just need to dry yourself off and then you've got to crab-walk BACK to the toilet?  I just don't get the mechanics of that whole process.

Which is why I dig my bidet attachment so much! Instead of installing a whole second piece of porcelain furniture (and really, who has the space even to do that?  My master bath toilet is in, like, a closet) this is something you just attach to your existing toilet.  Or you have your handyman attach it.  I'm not mechanically inclined enough to tackle that.  

Anyhow, when you're done with your bidness you turn the knob on the attachment and you get a squirt of clean tank water just where you need it.  Voila - all shiny and new!  Just be careful to turn the knob slowly - it's a pretty powerful blast and no one's butt needs that much of a power washing.  I think.

I never - and I mean NEVER - turn the knob past the first dot.
I don't want to injure myself.
Yes, that's how powerful the blast can be

🎶 These are a few of my fav-o-rite things 🎶

Movie Review - Bohemian Rhapsody

FYI, from time to time I'll include links in a post that take you to whatever it is I'm talking about.  I may get compensated if you purchase something from clicking the link.  My blog is purely for my personal amusement, but if you make a purchase because of something I said, well, it's cool to get something back from the provider. 

Let's get one thing straight - I love Queen.  I first became taken by Freddie Mercury in elementary school, when I spied a poster in my friend's older sister's room.  I was transfixed, and asked my friend's sister, "Why is that man in his underwear?" She explained it was a rock group, Queen.  I thought that was odd that a bunch of men would be called Queen instead of King.  Try as I might I can't find that particular poster online but it would have been the mid-1970s and this pic reminds me a bit of what my memory holds.

Anyhow, I've loved Queen ever since then.  So I was geeked to see Bohemian Rhapsody.  But I think I'm the only person on the planet who didn't like it.  Felt the same way about Ray so apparently I don't know anything.

What I liked: a peek behind the scenes to how the group came together and how key songs came to being (loved the Night at the Opera at the farmhouse part). And it showed that truly Freddie Mercury was a born showman and musical genius.

What I didn't like: too many unanswered questions: When did Freddie start singing (since he was a virtuoso before he joined the band)? Did his father encourage or discourage his singing? Why does John Deacon not speak? Why was there no mention of the Barcelona Olympics theme song or the Flash Gordon soundtrack? (Aside: the Google Pixel commercial with the Flash theme song makes me laugh every time.) I felt like it was 'then this happened, then this happened, then this happened...' without dimensionalizing HOW it happened.

I've had the Greatest Hits CD for years, but I'm considering getting the Greatest Hits "We Will Rock You" Edition simply because it's got I'm In Love With My Car.

My Weight Loss Journey - Part I

FYI, from time to time I'll include links in a post that take you to whatever it is I'm talking about.  I may get compensated if you purchase something from clicking the link.  My blog is purely for my personal amusement, but if you make a purchase because of something I said, well, it's cool to get something back from the provider. 

January 2017 at 225 pounds vs October 2018 at 156 pounds

Let's talk about weight, baby, let's talk about weight and me, let's talk about all the best things and the worst things we can be.

I've been a big girl pretty much all my life (I'm in my 50s...not quite sure how THAT happened but it's better than the alternative).  My mother is fond of telling me how my pediatrician referred to me as a "real chowhound" when I was a baby. She was also sure to tell me when a neighbor said I had "a weight problem" (I was in junior high). Of course I look at pictures from my teenage years and wish I was that 'fat'.  

I was a size 12 going into college. I gained the obligatory Freshman 15 (and then some), spent the summer working out, returned a size 12...lather, rinse repeat x4. I'd start the school year looking good at size 10 or 12 and finish the year size 14. When I graduated college I moved to New York City.  There's a lot of walking when you live there, so I did a pretty good job of staying size 10 or 12. 

Despite the walking, there was also a lot of great pizza and an abundance of bars and restaurants and food carts.  I'd gotten up to 150 pounds on my short frame (I'm 5'2" on a good day) and my 12s were getting uncomfortably tight. (During the work week, on the 6-block walk from the subway to the office I'd hit up a food cart for breakfast which was either a ginormous bagel with a schmear or 2-3 donuts; lunch was usually a massive deli sandwich unless the gyro cart showed up and dinner was often delivery Chinese, pasta or a grilled cheese sandwich.  Weekends were for bagels, brunches and bars.  Oh, and I was smoking a pack a day.)

The first time I remember trying to learn how to lose weight was during these NYC years, after reading Susan Powter's "Stop the Insanity".  That was in the early-1990s and Powter's story got a ton of attention - she'd lost a bazillion pounds, shaved her head and became an aerobics instructor or something. She was all about cutting fat out of your diet and getting your body moving. That a gram of fat had twice the calories as a gram of carbs or protein was mind-blowing. For real!

So I started counting fat grams. And I stopped eating donuts, cream cheese on the bagel, cheddar and roast beef in the deli sammies, slices of pizza.  I switched to fat-free salad dressings and lower-fat margarines.  I joined a gym, going 3-4 times a week and mixing cardio with weight machines.

And 20 pounds melted away.  At 130 I looked awesome! And then I moved to Texas.

NO ONE WALKS IN TEXAS! It's too freaking hot TBH. I joined a gym, but without the extra walking the weight started creeping back up.  My low-fat-no-more carb-tastic diet was also doing me no favors. I spent the late-1990s bouncing between 150-160.  And just past Y2K I found myself at 186.

It got worse before it got better. Sit tight, and Part II will be here before you know it.

Please allow me to introduce myself

Bugs and Boops wishing I would stop typing and start administering treats

Greetings, friends.  Allow me to introduce myself - I'm boopsandbugs.  

I'm a middle-aged gal who has all the maturity of a 12-year-old.  I've been thicc most of my life, but after a year of making smart choices I find myself at my smallest in all my adult life.  I'm kind of evangelical about getting healthy in mind and body.  I can't speak to my mind but I can tell you how I've lost 33% of my body weight without suffering, sacrifice or surgery.

So why Boopsandbugs? I wanted a fun username for a popular weight loss forum, I couldn't come up with anything sassy on the spot, so I looked around for inspiration and there were my two dogs.  

Boops is the black one. She's spaniel-adjacent.  Not really sure what spaniel and what else she's mixed with.  She has a tail that wags a lot. She is the most well-behaved dog in the universe.  She is a Good Girl.

Bugs is the blonde one, and as they say blondes have more fun.  Bugs is 100% cocker spaniel and has just about no tail (did you know it's illegal to dock tails in Europe?). She has all the sass in the world.  She's an inveterate mischief-maker, garbage can tipster, door dasher, squirrel chaser, guardian of the front window and back yard.

As they say, dogs are a reflection of ourselves.  So, yeah, I'm part Good Girl, part Mischief Maker.

But enough about me.

If you're here, you're probably interested in one or more of the following:

• Losing weight, perhaps an enormous amount, and/or maintaining a healthy weight
• Eating like a champ, despite the desire to wear cute clothes
• Looking like a queen despite zero fashion, hair and makeup skills
• Paying the least amount while getting what you want, what you really really want
• Discovering Boopsandbugs' favorite things (kind of like that mega-celebrity's favorite things but for real people)
• Bad jokes
• Cocker spaniels, polar bears and other cool animals
• Random thoughts of someone you'll probably never meet

So welcome, new virtual friends.  Pleased to meet you.  Hope you guess my name. Not really though because that would be stalkerish.