life

Quitting Diet Coke 3.7

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This past weekend, I had a Dr. Pepper. Last week I had a Squirt. I think since I’ve quit Diet Coke, I may have had an additional Squirt and a Root Beer and perhaps another soda here or there I’m forgetting. This has been over the course of the past seven weeks, since I’ve had my last sip of Diet Coke.

The reason I bring this up is because this weekend, when I was drinking the aforementioned Dr. Pepper, my husband mentioned that he thought I shouldn’t have it since I was quitting Diet Coke and that I wasn’t as completely void of it as I’d been saying.

Hmmm….

He made me pause alright. And think. Was there any validity to what he was saying? I wondered.

See, for me, I’ve never had a problem with soda per se. My addiction exclusively lies in Diet Coke. It is that drink specifically that I not only crave but enjoy every minute of each sip. Once I have a Dr. Pepper, I’m good for months. I have no desire to have another and another and then another.

I thought about this, though. Do I want to be completely soda free?

I don’t think its that important to me to be. Since I could maybe have a handful of sodas during a whole year, that would never even last me a weekend if it was Diet Coke.

So, no, honey, I don’t believe there’s anything wrong with having a random soda every now then. It just can’t be Diet Coke. I’ve proven to myself I’m not capable of limiting it. Sprite, though? Eh, maybe on an airplane but for my everyday thirst needs, I’ll stick to sparkling water with lemon.

54 days and counting….

#quittingdietcoke

Thanksgiving

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Happy Thanksgiving to all!

I am thankful for each and every one of you. And I appreciate you reading and following along with me here on Life As I Know It.

If you are a rerun junkie like me, I’ve included a link to a list I put together of my favorite Thanksgiving Day-themed TV show episodes. Number three is probably my absolute favorite :)

Thanksgiving Day TV show episodes. 

Be safe and enjoy!

 

(photo is via Pexels.com)

 

Quitting Diet Coke 3.6 – a holiday special

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The holidays have a way of making it easy to indulge. From the treats and sweets that seem to appear during those times, to the drinking and eating events that multiple from November to December.

Yes, I’m generalizing but overall, in some form, people tend to splurge during the holiday season and many times it has to do with food and drink.

It’s already happening to me. I’m seeing Diet Coke everywhere and preparing myself for being offered it and having to turn it down, more than normal.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have thoughts of drinking an ice-cold DK with a turkey sandwich the day after Thanksgiving.

But no, I tell myself, no.

I must be strong when the temptation is great and though I know it will be easy to slip, I am determined not to.

Stay tuned…

#quittingdietcoke

Quitting Diet Coke 3.5

/ christinaparisi / 6 Comments

Hello.

My name is Christina and I’m a Diet Coke addict.

It’s been six weeks since I’ve had my last drink of the dark stuff.

And you know what? I feel pretty damn good. The cravings still come and go but I control them with ease now as opposed to six weeks ago when I thought I’d slap someone for even mentioning the soda in front of me. (God, I’m lucky my husband is a patient, loving man…!)

I was in Mexico recently and my husband and I are VIP members for a hotel chain, which allows us some perks like a concierge lounge. Well, inside that lounge among the chips and cookies were FREE Diet Cokes! Ice cold and ready to be consumed. It took everything out of me not to grab six and run to my room in ecstasy with a bucket of ice swinging from my hand. Actually, I envision myself skipping rather than running but I digress…

The point is I didn’t do it. I didn’t drink any. Not one. 

And I was quite proud of my will power.

So, okay, six weeks. 42 days and counting…. I feel good about this!

And a BIG THANK YOU for all those who have come along for the ride with me and continue to give me support!

#quittingdietcoke

 

Family Weekends

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This past weekend has been a bit of a blur. My whole family was (mostly) all together from Friday to Sunday since my sister was in town.

I know family means different things to different people but at its core, to me, it means a deep connection among a group of people, often associated with a blood relation though not exclusively.

Growing up in an Italian-American (Sicilian) household, I was first generation born in the states. Both cultures were always mixed in our family and still are. It means a great deal to me to keep the traditions of the past alive while developing new ones.

Whomever one determines their family to be, weekends of togetherness are oh so important, are they not? What better way to deepen the connections, air grievances, laugh together while knowing one another’s peccadillos and psyches? Few people in one’s life will have the type of history you do with your family members… perhaps it is this concept that connects family more than anything else.

“The past could be jettisoned . . . but seeds got carried.”
― Joan Didion, Where I Was From

Time moves fast. My advice. Make time for your family and what better way than a weekend all together?

 

(Also, If I may, I’d like to share a guest post I wrote for Write Naked, where I interviewed the lovely Director of Publicity, Caroline Sun. I hope you enjoy!)

Quitting Diet Coke 3.4

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It’s been a month since I’ve had a Diet Coke.

The past couple weeks have been easier than the first ones but damn, these cravings still hit me like a ton of bricks.

And I almost caved today. Almost.

I had just finished an interview for a writing assignment I have when I decided to stop at my fast food go-to, El Pollo Loco. For me, Diet Coke goes hand-in-hand with my Wing Lovers meal so when the cashier asked if I wanted to add a drink, I debated it in my head and tried to find a way to rationalize just one… But when I noticed she was getting a bit impatient (and also probably wondering what the hell I was doing), I blurted out a ‘no thanks’ and asked for a water cup.

30 days and counting…

#quittingdietcoke

(And a quick plug since it’s the day after Halloween – my latest article on Blasting News is about things to do with your leftover candy!)

Five things restaurant servers wish they could tell you

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I wrote another piece for Blasting News and this one offers a little insider information from a server’s POV to all who dine out :)

I promise I won’t always link to my articles but as a newbie writer for this site, all the views I can get will help me right now.

And come on… aren’t you a little bit curious about what a server would tell you before dining out? And if you are a server, well, this one’s for you!

Five Things Restaurant Servers Wish They Could Tell You

Happy Friday and thanks for reading!

 

 

Writing for Blasting News

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I am now writing for Blasting News, a global social news site, and for my first article I opted for something on the lighter side.

I shared my recipe for Italian Wedding Soup.

This soup has always been a favorite of mine, though in my Sicilian household, we called it “soup with meatballs.” Over the years, I’ve taken what I learned from my mother and grandmother and outside recipes and created my own version of Italian Wedding Soup.

For me, it’s the perfect soup for colder weather, not to mention it goes great with a grilled cheese sandwich.

So without further ado, please visit the link below to check the recipe out. And I’d love to hear thoughts from anyone who tries it. Please share!

My Italian Wedding Soup Recipe on Blasting News :)

Quitting Diet Coke 3.3

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It’s been two weeks since I had my last Diet Coke and I’m feeling good about it.

I still get the random intense craving for a cold can over ice but those are much less than the one’s I had the first few days and I can fight them back with ease now.

Sparkling water (flavored) has been my savior. I truly don’t know if I could have done it without my bottles of Arrowhead Lemon or Orange sparkling or my inhouse SodaStream but thankfully, I don’t have to find out.

Oh wait, there’s someone else….

If this were the Academy Awards, I would be thanking my husband right now alongside my sparkling water. He has been so amazing to me. Whether it was going out to get me a fun drink so I could forget the dark stuff I love so much or dealing with my mood swings that first week with nothing but love, I am eternally grateful for having such a supportive partner.

And thank you to all who came along for this with me. I will write again when I hit three months. Till then….

#quittingdietcoke

11 Things Restaurant Servers Do Better Than Most

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It’s interesting that restaurant servers often get a bad rep.

I once had someone actually say to my face that with all the odd jobs she had to do, she never had to wait tables. And she said this proudly. When I looked at her incredulously and asked, why the hell not, because after all, she lived in Los Angeles where servers pretty much make $30-$50 an hour, she shut her mouth and said no response except for the one her face gave away, which was shock.

I suppose the bad rep comes from the label of “server” because let’s be honest, most people don’t want to serve others. But the reality of it is so different. It’s the hustle bustle of a living organism. It’s a show put on nightly that always has issues and yet manages to go on. It’s performance art, through both food and service. And yes, it varies in degrees.

As I was thinking about all this on my drive home, I started realizing there are some traits servers have that many others don’t. At least, not as skillful in my opinion…

11 Things Restaurant Servers Do Better Than Most

1. Open bottles of wine.

2. Multi-task spontaneously in a loud environment.

3. Pretend you don’t hear someone trying to get your attention.

4. Look cool while wearing an apron.

5. Eat standing up.

6. Play things by ear.

7. Dine out.

8. Talk to people when they are hungry and angry about it.

9. Look at someone without them knowing it.

10. Calculate percentages without a calculator.

11. Bite their tongue and smile.

 

Any other servers out there want to add their own?? Please do!