I got a Paperwhite for Xmas & am surprised at how much I LOVE it.

Less than a fortnight until I fly to the States. I've traveled a lot, but my last trip was over 6 years ago. What has changed? Any advice of what to bring / not bring to make the trip easier? We are flying AKL-HNL-JFK, so 2 really long (8-10 hr) flights each way. I'm looking forward to traveling for the first time in over 2 decades without children. Dd & I will depart in 11 days, with my boys following a fortnight later. Any advice for them as this will be their first trip without me. The last time each of my boys traveled overseas they were 10/11 years old. They will only have carry-on luggage as they are staying for only 2 weeks. We have a history of overpacking, to this trip we are all aiming to travel light. Modern technology & the fact none of my dc are littlies helps a lot. Any advice is appreciated. TIA,

Dd (22) loved dolphins, nature, & anything to do with the sea. She now has a degree in Marine Biology & is 3rd mate on a tall ship working with teenagers. In her free time she sails, hikes, & volunteers on eco projects locally. Dd played the flute for years & still takes it with her on most voyages, along with her penny whistle. She has organised several jam sessions on the ship. Ds#1(20) competed in gymnastics for 10 years. He no longer competes because of working full time, but he does still train 2-3 days a week. Ds#1 played the drums for a number of years, but no longer plays now. Ds#2 (16) has played hockey since he was 4 years old & still plays year round. He currently plays for 4 teams, including the provincial rep team. He also coaches hockey. He has sailed since he was 8 years old & still sails during the summer. He played violin & guitar for a number of years, but due to other interests taking up more of his time, he no longer plays. All 3 dc are / were involved in scouting. Dd is now a scout leader. Ds#2 is a venturer. Ds#1 still helps out occasionally with scout regattas, etc. As a family we have been involved in sea scouts for the past 15 years in the same group where dh was a cub / scout / venturer many years ago. When our dc were young (ages 3-10ish) we attended church/sunday school weekly. As they got more involved in scouts/sports, our priorities changed. Life is made up of seasons, each with their own special focus. Enjoy each season for what it offers. Do not place value only on what lasts long-term. Sometimes what has most value lasts just a very short time, but has the most impact. JMHO

After months & months of research & debating about which tablet to get, I finally bought it today. I wanted one for my up-coming overseas trip. I leave 3 weeks from today, so was running out of time. When I got home dh told me that when he checked out lotto tickets this morning he found that we had won almost the exact amount that the tablet cost ! :hurray: I was having 2nd thoughts about my purchase on the way home, but this made me feel much better about my purchase. I spent about an hour in the shop debating between the LG 8.3" G-Pad & the new Samsung 8.4"TabPro. I ended up getting the TabPro as I felt it was more future-proofed as it was on kitkat & had a bit faster processor. I'm in the "get to know" stage with my tablet & haven't yet downloaded any apps or loaded on anything. What apps have you found good? I was surprised that it linked with my calendar on my iMac as I thought that these 2 devices wouldn't talk to each other at all. I'd welcome any advice about getting the most out of my TabPro as I'm a complete beginner with these devices. My boys aren't much help as they like their iPods, etc., but don't have experience with androids. TIA

We're flying HA next month AKL-HNL-JFK. This will be our first trip in over 6 years & our first with HA. I'm looking forward to transiting through HNL instead of LAX. As my boys are flying a fortnight later than dd & I, I am trying to get things ultra-organised for them. This will be their first solo overseas trip. Has anyone flown HA recently, especially the AKL-HNL or HNL-JFK routes? What meals are provided free of charge? Are pillows & blankets still provided free of charge? Will standard head phones from home work or do we need the 2 prong airline adapter? Are there USB charging points in the economy seats? Are there places to charge tablets, kindles, etc in HNL? What is the best transport for 4 people from HNL to Waikiki? (we have a 24 hr lay-over on our return journey) My boys (20yos & 16yos) are traveling solo. Do we need to send any extra documentation with them other than their passports? My boys are only planning on taking carry-on luggage on there way over as they will only be away 2 weeks & plan on doing some shopping while there, so don't want to bring a lot of unnecessary baggage. Will they get extra questions when going through immigration, etc. ? Any other things we should be prepared for? We are experienced travellers, but haven't flown in the past 6 years. TIA,

anyone???

What many people don't realise is that holding dual citizenship doesn't mean you are half one & half the other. When my children are in the States, they are 100% American. When they are in New Zealand, they are 100% NZer. If we are in a 3rd country, the passport we enter that country on is the nationality we have chosen to claim in that country. As Laura said, people who hold multiple citizenships have all the rights & responsibilities of those citizenships. We had to register ds#1 for the selective service (draft) even though he was born in NZ & lived most of his life outside of the States.

or what tablet would you suggest???

We had these worries with dd. She was born in the US, but has spent most of her life overseas, thus is unable to pass on her American citizenship to any future children. She has NZ citizenship through decent (from DH), but would have not been able to pass on that citizenship either, had we not gotten her made a naturalised citizen when I was granted my NZ citizenship. If she ever went to Australia to live (a very common occurrence here) & had a child out of wedlock, that babe would have been w/o citizenship as Australia requires one of the parents to be a citizen before granting Aussie citizenship to a babe. My boys are NZ born citizens, so will be able to pass on their NZ citizenship. They are Americans by decent (from me), but will most likely never be able to pass on that citizenship to any future children. Multicultural families & an expat life style has lots of stresses that are not commonly known.

I'm still researching what tablet to get for my up-coming overseas trip. I had just about decided to get a Samsung Note 8.0 when the man at the local shop suggested the LG G-Pad. When I went home to read a few reviews, as the G-Pad is all new to me, I read about the Tab Pro that has just been released. Has anyone actually used the Tab Pro? What I want / need in a tablet is: *something to read email, surf the net, etc. *an 8" or similar size *the ability to add extra memory with a microSD card *wifi only *something that won't be out-dated overnight (I'm aiming for 5+ years of use, if possible) *the ability to read USB flash drives (an adapter is OK) What I don't need in a tablet is: -ability to play games (other than Solitaire) -a cellular connection (I want wifi only) -a cheap tablet (I'd rather pay a little bit more if I'll get more years of happy use) I have a Kindle Paperwhite that I got with my Xmas $ that I love for reading & we just replaced our 2004 desktop, so any heavy duty computer work can be done on that. My cellphone doesn't even have a camera, etc. so any tablet I get will be a learning curve. What are your suggestions?

I was planning on getting the Galaxy Note 8.0 I'd been wanting for a while, but the salesman showed me the LG G Pad that is the same $ & he thinks is better. Has anyone used the LG G Pad? I'm wanting something to use for emails, surfing, etc. I don't do gaming, so that isn't important. Music & movies would be an extra benefit that I would use only very seldom. I'm needing something that won't be outdated real fast, something that is portable (~ 8" size), something that can read USB flash drives, & from a brand that has good customer service. I won't look at ACER due to a nightmare trying to get my dc's netbook fixed a few years back. I'm wanting to get my tablet before mid-May, so that I can use it on my up-coming overseas trip. What do you recommend? TIA

After hitting a plateau over the holidays, losing & gaining the same 3 pounds since before Christmas, I hit a new lowest low this week. :coolgleamA: Since April 2013 I have lost a total of 42.7 lbs, over 25% of my starting weight. I continue to do 4:3 or ADF as it works for me. I'm finally in the healthy weight range for the first time in almost 20 years. Exercise still remains a challenge (time-wise), but I find that without all the excess weight I am feeling fitter as well. I'd like to lose another 5-10 pounds, but realise that at this point in my weight loss journey any progress will be really slow. Obese to healthy weight in less than a year without feeling deprived or paying $$$.

quoting myself I hit a new lowest low of 127 lbs this month. Over the past month my weight has stayed stable between 127-130 lbs. I'm still fasting 3 days a week following the 5:2 diet. Even though my weight loss has slowed down significantly, I am still losing inches. My size 8 jeans are now quite loose & I think I'll need to get the size 6 jeans I bought shortened soon. I haven't had much luck adding in regular exercise as I have been subbing all but one day since school opened the end of January. I depart for the States in just over 2 months, so if I'm going to reach my goal of 115 before then I'll need to focus even more than I do now. I'm currently reading "Fast Exercise" by the same author of "The Fast Diet" & aim to make time daily for implementing the plan.

Read "The Fast Diet" by Dr. Michael Mosley &/or "The 5:2 Diet Book" by Kate Harrison. Both these books go into the science behind this way of eating. It takes 72 hours with NO food at all to trigger the starvation mode. Both Dr. Mosely & Kate Harrison recommend eating up to 500 calories on your fast days. The fasting diet isn't really a true, no food fast; but instead it's really a low, low calorie day. Because you aren't eating a very restrictive diet every day, your body doesn't need to store your fat. That is why it is very important to eat about 2000 calories on your "feast" days. It's the difference between your fast & "feast" days that is key to the success of this way of eating. As far as needing food to take vitamins, etc. I take my vitamin with dinner on my fast days. If you need food for meds you could take the meds with milk & count those calories in your 500cal. HTH,

I do 4:3, meaning I fast (<500cal) 3 days a week & eat normally 4 days a week. Usually I fast MWF, leaving my weekends free. If I have a commitment on one of those days that would make fasting inconvient, I swap my fasting days (maybe T/TH/Sat or what ever works best) but I never fast 2 days in a row & usually never "feast" for more than 2 days in a row. Wednesday was a fasting day. I drank lots of water or hot water w/lemon all day. At 5:30pm I ate my big dinner salad (lettuce, grated carrot, yellow bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, red onion, grated cheese, a hard-boiled egg, & a small steak cut-up & tossed in carmalized onion dressing.) It was YUM & very filling. Yesterday I had a busy start to my day & did not eat until noon. I had a Double Cheeseburger medium combo from McDs as I was out & about. That added up to 914 calories, but it is less than half of the 2000 calories The Fast Diet recommends for "Feast" days. As it was a crazy day all around, dinner was Dominos pizza. Four pieces of pepperoni = 732 calories + a Coke (153 cal) while watching ds#2's hockey game = 885 calories for dinner. That gives me a total of 1799 calories for the day. Not every "feast" day looks like this. I usually eat at home & eat a healthy range of foods, but this shows that you can eat junk & still stay within your 2000 calorie limit. The key to weight loss success with a fasting diet is the difference between fasting & "feasting" days. Many find that if they eat too little on "feast" days they don't lose. it's better IMHO to add an extra day of fasting (doing 4:3 instead of 5:2) than to eat low cal on your non-fast days. After yesterday's diet of fast food & junk, you'd think I would have regained what I lost fasting Wednesday + a lot more, but surprisingly my weight is exactly the same as yesterday morning. I'm looking forward to another big dinner salad plate tonight, but this time with chicken tossed in caesar dressing. Often I find I eat better & enjoy my food more on my fast days as I plan what I'm going to have rather than just grab what is handy. HTH,

I am continuing with the 5:2 diet I began April last year. I began at 168.5 lbs that put me at obese for my height (4'11") Today I hit a new lowest low at 127.6 lbs. Another 1.4 lbs off & I've lost 25% of my starting weight. My first goal is 125 lbs, but I'd ideally like to get to 115 lbs before my overseas trip in May. I know I'll want to enjoy all the American food from my childhood, so giving me a bit of leeway is my goal. My exercise goal is to exercise 30+ minutes every other day at least. This week I've just managed one 45 minutes brisk walk when I dropped ds#2 off for his hockey game. I have just got "The Fast Exercise" book by the same author as "The Fast Diet" book. I need to read that & make an exercise plan. His diet has worked wonders for me, so I pray his exercise plan will have the same result.

Being able to stick with it long-term was key to my success. January 2013 I decided that I needed to do something about my weight, etc. I decided to eat healthy, cut out Coke, & exercise 3+ times a week. I stuck with it until life became crazy mid-February. During that time I lost 6 pounds (I'm sure of this as I weighed daily & graphed the results) & always felt deprived as I didn't ever eat the foods I craved. I was very committed to this diet & didn't cheat, but just couldn't stick with it long-term. Fast forward to 29 April 2013. I had regained double the weight loss in January. I was disgusted with how I looked in dd's 21st pictures & knew something needed to change. I had read somewhere about the 5:2 diet & figured it was worth a try. Week 1 I lost 6.5 lbs & didn't feel deprived at all. I had decided I'd take it one fast at a time & see how it went. By week 12 I'd lost 20 lbs & moved from obese to simply overweight. My weight loss has slowed down, but over the past 9 months it is a pound a week loss on average. Some people lose more weight, but less inches, others lose inches, but the weight loss is slow. Rate of success seems to be affected by how much you have to lose, your age/health, & whether you are currently on a diet. 5:2 won't work for everyone, but if nothing else has worked, it may be worth a try. JMHO

Some common side effects of a fasting diet is feeling cold on fast days, headaches for the first few fasts (may be as you detox from caffine/sugar or dehydration or lack of salt). Eating protein, rather than fruit or carbs, seems to help you feel full longer. Losing weight & having your clothes become way to big too wear is a common side effect for some as well ;)

I've been following this way of eating since 29 April 2013. In the past 9 months I have lost 40 lbs (25% of my starting weight) & where a size 16 was getting too tight, I now wear a loose size 10. I have done 4:3 (fasting 3 days a week) as it seems to fit better in my lifestyle. I never have 2 fast days in a row & seldom have more than 2 "feast" days in a row. There is a 5:2 FB page that is great support. When I began my fasting days looked like this: ***drink lots of water & herbal tea as desired*** 2pm---low calorie cup-a-soup 4pm---apple, cut up & dusted with cinnamon 6pm---big dinner salad: lettuce, carrot, bell pepper, tomato, red onion, a tiny bit of grated cheese + some lean protein (egg, chicken, steak, etc.) dessert---a cup of fresh fruit (kiwifruit, berries, grapes, mandarin, etc.) As the weeks went by I found that I wasn't hungry for the fruit, so I dropped that. Then I found I didn't really need the apple mid-afternoon, so I dropped that. Then I began drinking hot water with lemon instead of the herbal tea & I found I didn't need the cup-a-soup, so I dropped that. Now I drink lots & lots of water or hot water w/ lemon all day & have a big dinner salad plate in the evening. I don't count on my "feast" days & still enjoy the occasional McD lunch, etc. I find I am naturally eating less on non-fast days & making better choices. I no longer crave the carbs & soda that I never thought I could do without. I do keep my fast days carb/sugar free, but I eat what I want on my non-fast days. Don't give up as it does take a few weeks to adjust to this way of eating. I weigh myself daily & my weight goes up & down, but the overall trend has been downward. I've averaged a pound a week loss over the 9 months, but some weeks I've stayed the same, others I've lost heaps, & others I've even gained a bit. 5:2 isn't a quick fix, it needs to be seen as a long-term way of eating. Now that there's a lot less of me & exercise is more comfortable, I've begun to add in a bit of exercise to firm up what is left of me.

The new 5:2 (Fasting) diet is the only thing that has ever worked for me to lose weight. I've lost 25% of my starting weight since changing my eating habits 29 April 2013. I've gone from obese to normal weight without feeling deprived, with no change in exercise habits. Exercise is great for me to get fit, but exercise hasn't made any difference when my main goal was to lose weight. JMHO

I like the planners (diaries) at Tinyme.com . They are much cheaper than $75 & can be personalized to a point. You can choose full-size (A4) or half-size (A5) & there are 3 formats to choose from. I like the grid format as I can more easily keep track of individual schedules, while keeping an eye on the total family picture. They are spiral bound & there's an optional felt cover. They do have 3-4 contact/address pages, but you could paste your baseball schedules, etc. on top of those pages. The front has 6 pages of monthly calendars followed by weekly pages. In the back are the 6 address pages & 6 notes pages. You can get calendar year planners (diaries) or mid-year to mid-year (US school year) planners. This year I got an A5 diary labeled with our family names + a row for bills due. I also got an A4 diary with the 6 rows labeled: Menu, Weekly Jobs, Cleaning Zone, Bills, Appointments, & DH's work. This I use as my "control journal" Fly Lady style. http://www.tinyme.com/personalized-diaries

This is on my To Do list for tomorrow as dh & my father headed off for a 2 week tour of the South Island (giving me that time to declutter, etc. without anyone asking me "are you sure you won't need _________?") I plan to sort into 2 piles initially (what fits & what doesn't fit) I've lost 25 % of my starting weight since 29th April & my wardrobe is full of clothes that no longer fit the new & improved me. I'm adapting the Project 333 to my current lifestyle. I'll choose no more than 33 items (not including underwear, loungewear/PJs, exercise clothes, uniforms, & formal wear) & limit myself to those for each school term. During the 2 week term breaks I'll review my choices & change as necessary for the next ten week term. I'll initially box up what fits & may be options for future terms, while I'll donate what doesn't fit. During my term breaks I'll donate what I didn't wear from the current 33 items & keep a running wishlist of items to watch for that my fit my new way of dressing. I'm heading to the States mid-May & plan to do a bit of shopping while there, so would like to have a better handle on what I really want to buy. Tomorrow I'll list what are my summer 33 items.

I have gone from a tight size 16 to a loose size 10 since late April. I was lucky in some ways that I had put off (for years) decluttering my wardrobe, so I began to wear items that haven't fit for over a decade when my regular wardrobe was literally falling off. Even those now are too big as I have lost 40+ pounds. Somewhere under the house is a trunk with clothing from before dd was born, but it is too much hassle to get to it as we are in the middle of renovations. Instead I got 2 pair of jeans from a clearance store in town. One was a dressier pair that I loved, but was a bit too long. They had a pair in a size too small, so I grabbed that too & had both pairs shortened. Now I am all set for when I need smaller pants again. I do have a pair of yoga pants & a pair of sweatpants that have drawstrings, but those are not good for me to wear to work. Shirts are quite a bit looser than they were back in April, but I'm putting off replacing those until I go to the States in May. Having a couple pair of jeans that fit & a couple skirts that don't fall off is enough for this transitional stage. JMHO

Week 1: $370.40 Gas = $96.46 Grocery = $162.67 Eat Out = $5.30 misc. = $99 (ds#2 needed new running shoes, these were 50% off) $7 dvd rentals Week 2: 8/1 = $18.30 lunch out for dd & I $ 55.17 groceries 9/1 = $128 (dd needed new Teva sandals for work, these were 20% off) 10/1 = $10 groceries (milk & ginger) 11/1 = $32 (lotto) $219.25 groceries (I stocked up on some cleaners that we're running out of) For some reason this January isn't as successful as last January on cutting down of our out-goings. We do have my father visiting from the States, so I'm a bit reluctant to serve some of our more frugal meals & we are buying things (like juice, etc.) that are normally only for special times. I am a bit more successful on keeping to our menu & shopping our pantry/freezer first. This has helped to stop unnecessary waste. Hopefully the rest of the month is a bit less.