Lately there have been a couple TLC shows catching my interest. I love planning parties, so I can easily get caught up in Masters Of Reception. But I’m really excited to check out tonights premiere of the Ultimate Cake Off. I love the food challenge shows, and this one promises to have artistry and drama all wrapped up together. So at 10pm tonight I’m taking control of the TV!

If you like cake decorating you’ll love the Ultimate Cake Off website. You can check out audition tapes, and find out how to audition yourself. You can also check out some wonderful cakes (and get ideas for your own cakes if you’re a decorator, shh!).

My favorite part of cake decorating challenge shows is checking out the finished cakes, so I can dream that some day I might be able to make a cake like that.

Images courtesy of TLC

Post from: Blisstree

TLC’s Ultimate Cake Off Premieres Tonight!

I love to decorate cakes myself, although I’m not near the level of these competitors. I think that makes it even more exciting to watch them go through their trials, and mistakes and after 9 hours come out with gorgeous cakes. I sit on the edge of my seat worrying with them about whether their cake is going to hold, or crumble.
Each episode pits three  cake artists against each other. The three competitors meet with their client, who sets the scene for the cake they’re going to create. Events range from the opening of a new shark exhibit at the Long Beach Aquarium to Legoland’s 10th birthday to the July 4th Celebration at the Reagan Library. The competitors only have nine hours to complete their cakes. The cakes must be at least five feet tall.

The cakes must also be creative enough to wow  the client and take the prize. The contestants also face two mini-challenges – a skills test and a taste test. The winner of the challenges could gain the ultimate advantage: being able to sit out another team for 30 minutes.

TLC held a sneak peak at the Ultimate Cake Off on August 3rd, and the show will premiere in it’s regular weekly timespot on Monday, August 31st at 10pm EST.

Here’s a short Ultimate Cake Off teaser if you missed the August 3 premiere.

Images courtesy of TLC.

Post from: Blisstree

TLC’s New Ultimate Cake Off

1. When you are hungry – EAT. (Instead of starving all day and then gorging at night or skipping meals to conserve calories. I don’t do this anymore, but did for about 10 years, not to lose weight as much as save money.)
2. Eat foods you LIKE. (Naturally thin people eat hamburgers, chips and chocolate they just don’t binge on it. This includes cutting out low-fat sour cream and salad dressing.) 
3. Eat Consciously. (No watching television, surfing the net or reading. You have to focus on your food. You have to eat slowly and with intention. Chewing instead of scarfing. Breathing. Swallowing. Put your fork down or your sandwich on the plate between bites. Make eating your food a meditation.) 
4. When you think you might be full – STOP eating. (If you are scarfing your food down like it’s the end of a famine while watching television sitting at your computer you probably got full 10 minutes ago and were too busy to notice. If you slow down and focus on tasting and enjoying your food you’ll be able to hear your stomach say, “I’m full.” You should stop eating when you hear that. You’ll get to eat again – 3 times a day, at least. It’s not as though this is your last chance.)

I’ve plateaued on the weight loss and would like to lose about 20 more pounds. I DO NOT WANT TO DIET!!! Recently, I’ve been making bargains with my body, “If I can still snack you can stay this size and I’ll keep exercising to prevent getting bigger. Deal?”I’m going to try Paul McKenna’s Golden Rules, because I do scarf food while watching TV. I have a strange sense of deprivation and lack about food. I have been feeling this compulsion to snack that is so severe that I recently told a friend I would give up meals if it meant I could eat snacks all day long.  For two days or so I’ve been trying to consciously eat and I’ve not finished my plate. I even went to dinner at my grandma’s and didn’t stuff myself to illness. All of my fat cousins made fun of me for giving up our time-honored family tradition, but once they see how thin Paul McKenna makes me, they might put their forks down and think about their food while chewing too. No. Calories Needed says he’ll be trying it too. Another blogger who is losing weight is Jenn from Less is More To Love. It’s worth trying. Wanna come?

Post from: Blisstree

Paul McKenna Can Make Me Thin?

I saw this documentary about the Dionne Quintuplets and thought there were some relevant similarities between them and one of Discovery’s reality shows, Jon & Kate plus 8.

According to The Free Dictionary:

The Dionne Sisters were born in 1934, and were the first quintuplets ever to survive their infancy. The odds were one in 57 million.

Two days after Annette Lillianne Marie, Cécile Marie Emilda, Emilie Marie Jeanne, Marie Reina Alma Dionne, and Yvonne Edouilda Marie were born in a Canadian village their father, Oliva, was approached by fair exhibitors.

Reluctantly, after speaking to his wife, Elzire, he signed a contract. Already the parents of five children, he made a deal with the Century of Progress Exposition, a World’s Fair being held in Chicago, to use the money to feed and clothe his family.

Public outcry over this apparent exploitation of Oliva and Elzire’s newborns led swiftly to widespead condemnation of the parents, particularly Oliva. Soon, the Ontario government interfered. The custody of the five babies was withdrawn from their parents by the Ontario government, originally for a guardianship of two years. Ironically, although the children were removed from their parents’ legal custody to protect them from exploitation and to ensure their survival into healthy toddlers, the government quickly realized the massive interest in Cecile, Annette, Marie, Yvonne, and Emilie, and proceeded to exploit them for financial gain. The girls were made the wards of the provincial crown until they reached the age of 18.

Across the road from their birthplace, the Dafoe Hospital and Nursery was built for only the five girls and their caregivers to live in. The observation gallery, where thousands of people watched from meshed screens as the children played twice a day, became part of “Quintland,” a theme-park like atmosphere showcasing and selling Quintuplet merchandise.

Approximately 6,000 people per day visited the observation gallery to view the Dionne sisters. Close to three million people walked through the gallery between 1936 and 1943^[2]. In 1934, the quintuplets brought in about $1 million, and they attracted in total about $51 million of tourist revenue to Ontario. Quintland became Ontario’s biggest tourist attraction of the era, at the time surpassing Niagara Falls.

It’s so much easier to indulge our voyeuristic impulses by watching Jon & Kate plus 8 from our own living rooms, don’t you think? 

Thanks TLC.

Post from: Blisstree

Dionne Quints & J&K+8

The whole time they are bashing her I’m thinking, what a great idea, except that it’s too permanent if you goof up.

Truth be known sometimes I stare at women for long enough to make them uncomfortable. It’s embarrassing, but really I’m just trying to figure out how they got their eye liner to look so good. Frankly, liquid eye liner is their secret most of the time, but I just do not have a steady hand and end up looking like a raccoon. Or a five-year-old who got hold of mommy’s eye liner. So usually I settle for a line of eye shadow or cream liner or go with just shadow and mascara, but I always wish I were more accomplished with the dramatic smoky eye.

Enter Stacy London’s new show Shut Up, It’s Stacy London on TLC. I love TLC and I generally watch What Not To Wear when there is not much else to watch. Secretly, I always kind of expect to see myself on the show, or at least be reported by one of my friends. This is probably because when they are trashing (literally throwing all of the victim’s clothes in the trash can) someone’s clothes I usually am wondering, hey what’s wrong with a faux fur coat with brass buttons straight from 1972? I love mine!

So, I’m working out and watching Stacy manufacture a party-like atmosphere for her new fashion talk show.  And out pops this:

Eye Definer Felt-Tip Eye Marker by Physicians Formula

It’s really a Sharpie as eye liner! I figure the Universe must be granting my wish. So, the next time I’m at the drug store I hid the new eye liner between the teething gel and the tampons and spend $6.99 on my new eye liner. I know, I deserve eye liner, but it always feels like less of an extravagance if I sandwich it between two necessities that I must buy. I still feel incredibly guilty if I just buy a new, risky product by itself.

It totally works just like liquid eye liner! It’s as simple as a felt tip marker and you can fix errors with a spit-on Q-Tip. I bought ultra-black and I’m going back for the brown next time I need shampoo or toothpaste.

You should try it.

p.s. Unfortunately I received no compensation from Physicians Formula for this blog entry.

Post from: Blisstree

Felt Tip Marker