Dandelion Fluff In The Wind...

Today's article is going to be short, but oh, so sweet!


With the introduction of the new weekly blog In the Lab with a Girl Named James, it has become apparent that the Girl Named James is developing into an entire brand. So I am pleased to announce the construction of a full web suite incorporated into the domain girlnamedjames.com!

Stay tuned for further information! The winds are picking up quickly around here! In the meantime, click on the above link to see our first experiment!

The Countdown Begins...

I am really going full-steam-ahead with my new weekly blog, In the Lab with a Girl Named James. I am going to be updating everyone daily as the construction continues. Please see the announcement below for the initial post, and click on the link to see the awesome layout and design. It is going to be a super-fun project, and I hope you will enjoy and support it as much as you do this blog. Please spread the word, and remember to subscribe to both feeds so you never miss a thing!

Welcome to my lab!

The official start date for this blog is Monday, February 14, 2011. However, you have been selected for a special preview of what’s coming! Bookmark this link:

In the Lab with a Girl Named James

The purpose of this blog is to conduct lifestyle experiments in order to make informed decisions about health and fitness. I will then be able to make recommendations based on the results of each study.

*Spoiler Alert!*

My initial experiment is coffee-related! Subscribe to the feed or email alerts and follow the blog now so that you can be the very first to see my findings!

You will thoroughly enjoy the supplemental section entitled, “Mr. Blurbie Says,” where my young laboratory assistant (my son) will provide his own unique observations. If you choose to follow the blog, please indicate in the body of your message whether you are following because of a Girl Named James or if you are actually following Mr. Blurbie!

Another exciting feature of this new blog will be the Reviews. I will be testing products, services, web sites, etc. and providing insightful reviews and links. If you have merchandise or services that you would like to have reviewed on this blog, please feel free to contact me using the email address above.

If you have a comment, question, or suggestion about this blog, please feel free to use the Comments area. I will always respond to your comment. So tell all your friends and stop by often! Everyone is welcome in the lab with a Girl Named James!

The first day that I ever finished something I started.

This is the maiden post on my new blog. Actually, I only decided to start this blog about four hours ago. Just like this web page, I am under construction--rather, under renovation. I am nervous, and excited, and bubbling over with so many subtle and obvious and trivial and not altogether benign things to share with the world. But since I have to pick up my son from school in a half-hour, I will simply introduce myself.

My name is James, and I am halfway healthy. What I mean by this is:

I used to be morbidly unhealthy, and

I wish to be extremely health-conscious

But I am only halfway there

And I refuse to cheat

So what makes this blog any different from the countless others chronicling this path to lifestyle enlightenment or that road to bodily contentment? What difference does it make? If you are reading this post, then you voraciously plow through every piece of information and/or misinformation you can find on the subject of healthy living, just as I do. So enjoy this journey with me. Stop by often, leave a comment, link, follow, whatever suits you.

My journey begins with what I truly believe to be the greatest obstacle to being my personal best. All of my health concerns, all of my perceptions of failure, all of my excuses for not having the "time" to accomplish my goals, boil down to one uncomfortable fact:

I need to wake up earlier.

It seems so basic, doesn't it? So silly on the surface, but if you go a little deeper into my past, into patterns of success and perceptions of failure (my favorite new expression, which I will abuse profusely. I never admit to actual failure--that word is so permanent, so conclusive, so presumptuous--as if success weren't just as possible, which it absolutely is). If I slumber a little longer, I am caught in a whirlwind of daily activities and unpredictable outcomes that make it so easy to put off what I should have been doing rather than sleeping in. Late night--forget about getting anything done then. I need to GET UP!

So I found this method for waking up automatically that seems truly promising. This is going to be the first obstacle that I overcome. I don't want to rewrite the article, so check it out for yourself: 

How to get up right away when your alarm goes off

I have planned my first practice session for this afternoon, so be sure to check back for the results. I will also be accomplishing such milestones as: breaking free of my coffee drinking habit, renovating my body composition, maintaining a regular workout schedule, and whatever else I choose to improve in order to be my best self ever. Of course, I will also be keeping up with my favorite blogs!

How I got halfway here: A Shout Out to Nutrimirror

I have not lost a miraculous amount of weight or inches--in fact, I have gained back some of the inches and weight that I lost. However, by using the tools on Nutrimirror, I did lose weight and inches (and got super  healthy). By not using the tools on Nutrimirror, I regained weight and inches (and went halfway back to my old unproductive habits). What does that mean to you? Don't ask me, just go to the web site and start using it. You will be eating right, you will not need to take vitamin supplements, and you will see big payoffs for doing whatever exercising you choose to do. It's free, so try it. Visit the Nutrimirror free online food and exercise tool that will help you gain the control you need to make the improvements you want in your lifestyle. Before you know it, you'll be half as healthy as I am. Click Here to Get Started with Nutrimirror.