Shirley Jump's Blog: Eating My Words, page 2
April 4, 2014
BLOG HOP: Spring Slim Down Tips
I admit, I just ate a pizza. Crazy bread. Marshmallow Peeps. And a hollow chocolate bunny. I love Easter candy and treats, LOL. So when I saw Susan Meier’s blog post about Spring Slim Down, I had to read it and post it. Maybe it’ll get me motivated to get back on track again. BEFORE bathing suit season. Of course, I live in Florida, so it’s always swimsuit season, LOL.
Spring Slim Down by Susan Meier
Most of my life, I’ve enjoyed the status of being at the same weight/size. Then suddenly I gained 40 pounds. Rather than slim down, I bought a bigger size bathing suit last summer. LOL! Not quite cheating but sort of.
This year, I don’t want to buy a bigger size. In fact, I’d like to fit into a few of my smaller suits. So I’ve joined the ranks of those doing the spring diet. Or maybe better said, spring slim down…because I’m not good with diets but I love exercise.
I have every DVD known to mankind except P90X. One look at that infomercial and I knew I wouldn’t survive it. The Zumba tapes looked like so much fun on TV that I bought them immediately. Never took them out of the box. But my daughter’s friend did use them. I loved Tae Bo in the 90’s so I bought the “classic” edition, thinking I’d get the routines I’d loved. But not quite. Either that or my added years and weight made the workouts beyond my abilities.
Luckily, I hired a personal trainer last year. She also teaches a much simpler form of Zumba. More like dancing. J I also bought the Hip Hop Abs DVDS and love them.
So now I get up in the morning and do a half-hour Hip Hop Abs routine. Then I work/write until noon. Wednesdays and Fridays at noon I workout with my trainer. Tuesday night, Thursday night and Saturday morning I do Zumba with Cindy.
I may not lose a ton of weight but by vacation I hope to at least be tucked in!
How about you? Are you a Spring Slim Down person?
Chat with Susan about your Spring Slim Down Tips, and don’t forget to enter our Rafflecopter for this awesome prize! a Rafflecopter giveaway
April 1, 2014
Blog Hop: April Showers Bring May Flowers
Today’s guest is the awesome Samantha Hunter! Remember to enter the contest at the bottom, too!
April Showers Bring Spring Flowers! by Samantha Hunter
Well, it’s still spitting snow and cold here in Syracuse, but I am dreaming of my gardens, sorting through my seeds, and reading (and re-reading) my garden magazines, thinking about this year’s vegetables and so forth. But that’s getting ahead of the game. First, there will be the Spring flowers, and the best thing about those is that they come along on their own, with little help from me.
Tulips, Daffodils (called Jonquils in the southern US, which I didn’t know until friend Anna Adams informed me) and Hyacinths, but also Crocuses and Grape Hyacinths, and tons of ephemerals that bloom all over our yard, even in the grass, and I’m not always sure of their names. A bit later, the Irises.
It’s impossible for me to choose a favorite, I love them all, perhaps especially so after the long, stark stretch of white. Our White Star Magnolia will bloom, and that’s always a treat (and so fragrant!) though I’ll have to chase away the squirrels who rip the blossoms off and throw the petals like confetti. They also used to eat my tulips – I can’t tell you how many times I would go out to find all of my tulips, on the edge of bloom, completely beheaded! While I try not to use too many sprays or chemicals in the garden, I bought Deer-Off and now I enjoy my flowers every spring.
Which ones are you looking forward to the most? Do you have any pests that get after them, and how do you deal with them?
Sam
Don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter to win this awesome prize! a Rafflecopter giveaway
March 31, 2014
RELEASE DAY! And Day One of Blog Hop!
A totally exciting week. For one, my new book, THE SWEETHEART RULES, is in stores today! You can buy it at major booksellers and all online booksellers. Also, if you send me a picture of the book or you with the book, I’ll send you a limited edition water bottle!
THE SWEETHEART RULES picks up where THE SWEETHEART BARGAIN left off, but this time, telling the story of Diana, Olivia’s sister, and Mike Stark, the man who broke her heart months ago.
About the book: The Sweetheart Sisters are ready to give some old-school lessons in love…
Rescue Bay veterinarian Diana Tuttle is a great single mom, but she has a harder time taking care of herself. Having been burned in the past by her son’s noncommittal father, the last thing she wants is a man who isn’t in it for the long haul—until a foolish one-night stand from her past walks back into her life.
Coast Guard Lieutenant Mike Stark has never wanted to settle down. But when his ex-wife leaves their two small children on his doorstep, he is forced to become a family man in a hurry. His return to Rescue Bay, Florida and fatherhood isn’t easy, but reconnecting with Diana makes the challenge all the more worthwhile. Except becoming the long-term lover she has in mind may be one commitment too many…
Luckily, when Diana’s and Mike’s pasts begin to threaten their future, the Sweetheart Sisters have the perfect scheme to make this second chance last a lifetime.
The reviewers have loved THE SWEETHEART RULES (I’m so stoked by that!): ”Jump’s second Sweetheart Sisters contemporary (after The Sweetheart Bargain) brings together two flawed yet appealing single parents searching for love…Diana and Mike lurch toward love, slowly learning that perfection is not a prerequisite for being a parent, in
this heartwarming and charming story. — Publishers Weekly
“I wish Ms. Jump’s books weren’t so darn addictive, because I just have to read them all! THE SWEETHEART RULES is snappy, seriously sensitive and delightfully delicious, just like bananas foster on fire!” – Romance Junkies
Okay, enough sales pitch The next six weeks is going to be a super fun, super awesome Blog Hop with lots of fabulous authors! Look for this sign:
And then enter our Rafflecopter to be entered to win this FABULOUS PRIZE with lots of great books from your favorite authors!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Shirley
March 23, 2014
Dolphins, Imagination and Writing
This weekend, I took my son to the Clearwater Aquarium, where Dolphin Tale was filmed. We talked about how radically different the movie was from the real story, and how creative the film crew got with a simple story of a rescued dolphin.
Although I disagree with calling a movie that departs radically from the truth “a movie based on a real story”, I did think it was a best example of how your imagination can transform the simple into the bigger. That’s what writers do, after all. We take the simple and make it something big enough to carry a whole book (or a whole movie). We expand the what ifs to become a battle of good versus evil (which was a major fabricated plot point in the movie version of Winter the Dolphin’s story).
Let your imagination fly this week (and use the exercises from the Members Only section of www.JumpStartWritingInstitute.com) to make and take your story to a new level. Don’t just see the simple tale before you. Make it more. Make it a story that MATTERS. That’s what creates the stories that become novels we share with our friends and movies that we rush to see. Just don’t call it based on a real story when only a whisper of the real story remains
Shirley
March 13, 2014
A Fan Girl Moment and a Little Dose of Iron
First, the cool news. I was featured on the Another Mother Runner blog today as a “Follow This Mother” mother runner. Since I totally love Sarah and Dimity and their books (Run Like a Mother, Train Like a Mother) and went all fan girl when I got to meet them, I was pretty stoked to be featured. Take a peek if you want to see me suffering through a race, LOL. I talk about how writing and running are so similar.
Second, a little running thing that I learned from Sarah and Dimity, a lesson I keep on forgetting. I was running last summer and REALLY struggling. It wasn’t just the humidity and heat of Florida that was killing me, it was the run itself. I was just ready to DIE. On one such run, I was listening to their podcast and they talked about low iron levels and how that can affect your run.
It was a DUH moment for me. I’ve always been that girl who barely passed the little drop of blood in the liquid test thing because my iron was so low. Never low enough to make a doctor prescribe something, but low enough to make me tired and drained, particularly during strenuous exercise. Like running. I went out and got some iron, and some Vitamin C (you’re supposed to take them together), and within days felt better. So, for months, I take them faithfully. Then I miss one here, miss one there. I blame it on my breakfast–I normally have cereal or Greek yogurt for breakfast and you can’t take iron with dairy products, so I’d take my other vitamins and set the iron aside for later. Except I’d forget later. Day one turned into two, three, four, five…
And then I had a really crappy run. Like barely be able to run a half a mile without wanting to stop kind of run. I walked about six times during five miles, and seriously thought about quitting about a zillion times. I thought back to when I last felt that horrible during a run.
Duh. Last summer. Just before I started taking iron. I went home, filled up my little daily vitamin dispenser thing, adding the iron, and took some that day. Today’s run?
Incredibly better. Even running into gusts of 27mph, with a steady wind of 15mph, I felt strong and good. My time was a good 30 seconds per mile faster today, and for two miles, more than a minute faster per mile than yesterday. I finished feeling good, which was also totally different from yesterday. So if you’re having trouble with your runs and with energy in general, get your iron levels checked. Maybe it’ll be just the thing to get you running like the wind–or running into the wind like I did today
Shirley
Candies you must try
People ask me why I run. It’s pretty simple, really. I like all the things that are bad for me–pasta, cheese, candy. (Is it any surprise I wrote a whole series of romantic comedies that featured those very things?
Here are my two newest finds. They were uber-delicious and tasted exactly as the package promised.
First up, my two all-time favorite candies in one. Butterfingers and Reese’s. They had me at Hello.
I mean, birthday cake and M&Ms? That’s the kind of brilliance that Nobel Peace Prizes are made of. .
And, yes, I have tried multiple packages of both. It’s…research. For the blog.
February 26, 2014
Zoo Adventures and Characters
Every week, over at the JumpStart Writing Institute, I share a little “Monday Motivation,” along with writing exercises for members only. I thought it might be nice to give my loyal blog readers a little peek into that, in case any of you are writers. I talk about books, running, writing, pretty much anything, and then relate that back to working with words.
As a side note on the running part, there’s a ZooZoom race this weekend, but I will be at a board meeting and unable to do it Next year, for sure! In the book news world, I have some cool news that I can’t wait to share, but wait I must, for a few weeks. Soon, I promise!
We went to $6 entry day at the zoo today. An insane decision because there was about ten zillion people here to see the baby elephants and penguins.
It got me thinking about chaos and characters. The best novels thrust characters into chaos, whether physical or emotional. That’s what forces them to change and grow.
Look at the books you have read, shows you have watched. Chaos is what changes the characters’ directions. They’re going along, happy as clams, and wham, detour or major problem. It’s Peter Parker being bitten by the spider, Ray Romano taping over his wedding video, Juliet meeting Romeo.
Take a look at your book and see what kind of chaos you can throw at your characters. Then use this week’s writing prompts (available to members at the JumpStart Writing Institute) to make the most of the insanity!
Tell me, do you love zoos? What’s your favorite animal? (I’m an aquatic animal fan, like those lovely and peaceful manatees)
Do you like chaos in books and movies?
Shirley
February 2, 2014
3rd Half Marathon and Best Damn PR!

Rounding that last turn to the finish line!
Yesterday, I ran my 3rd half marathon at the super-awesome Best Damn Race in Safety Harbor, FL. It was a smaller event than my 2nd half and a lot of my friends were running, so that made it even more fun. I ran with a couple friends of mine, but had said before the race that I had a certain time goal in mind, and so a little after mile 2, I headed forward on my own. Had a ton of trouble getting my headphones to stay in my ears (I swear, I have unnaturally shaped ears, LOL), so new headphones are on my to-buy list for sure!
Just ignore my oh-so-sexy compression socks My Achilles has been complaining a bit lately, so I ran in those today. I need a cuter pair, LOL.
My time goal was 2:20, after running a 2:27:33 half in my last half (the Women’s Running half in St. Petersburg in November). I had been doing a training plan from the Train Like a Mother book (the Own It half marathon plan) and it incorporates lots of speed work, and I’d done all the workouts, only missing one run when I was sick. But I was still nervous.

Ringing the PR Bell
I started off running with the 2:15 pace group and even though the guy went out WAY too fast (running a sub-10-minute mile when it should have been a 10:20 mile), I stayed with that group until about mile 11. Then a crowded water station and a turn knocked me back a bit, and I slogged through the end of that mile and the beginning of mile 12.
Then I could see the finish line, and some awesome music came on my iPod, and I started speeding up for the last bit. I NAILED the time I wanted, finishing in 2:15:54 and a few seconds. NAILED it. Super proud of myself

Finish Line Mimosas!
Two post-run highlights–getting to ring the PR (personal record) bell and having mimosas with the fabulous Running for Brews Group.
It’s always awesome to celebrate with friends and even better if there’s champagne involved!

After the Warrior Dash!

Before the Warrior Dash!
Then my family and friends piled into our cars and headed out to the Warrior Dash (yes it is insane to run two races in one day!). To be honest, I was more worried about this race, because I am terrified of heights and it’s an obstacle course. I’m proud to say I only skipped two obstacles (out of 12) and though I couldn’t complete one (a monkey bars kind of thing), I did all the others. And got VERY VERY VERY muddy. It was sooooooo much fun. We devoured some turkey legs afterwards, and totally scarfed the free beers.
Have you ever run a half marathon? Ever done a mud/obstacle race? Would you do either?
Shirley
January 29, 2014
Sometimes it pays to cook from scratch
Yesterday, I figured I’d get the old slow cooker out and make pulled pork sandwiches for dinner. I’d had a coupon for Campbell’s Slow Cooker Apple Bourbon BBQ sauce and picked up a packet.
Even the name of it sounded yummy. I thought it might be easier and yummier than my usual pulled pork recipe, which is really just a throw together whatever barbecue sauce and seasonings I have on hand and dump it in the pot kind of thing.
I made an apple cole slaw to go with it (cole slaw blend, chopped apple, 1/2 cup of mayo, 1-2 tablespoons of white vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon of celery seed).
It smelled yummy all day. I even bought fancy (meaning expensive) slider rolls from the bakery. In the end, the sauce was just meh. Nobody raved about it. I wasn’t all that thrilled with it and ended up tossing out the last bit of my dinner and grabbing some Cheez-its.
So, not a win in my house. Ah well, not every dinner is a masterpiece.
Have you tried any of those slow cooker sauces?
Any success? Any you’d suggest or stay away from?
Shirley
December 11, 2013
Easy Peanut Butter Cup Fudge
I needed a reason to make fudge. Okay, I didn’t really NEED a reason–more like an excuse
I can’t eat an entire platter of fudge myself (well, I can and uh, I have, but I SHOULDN’T). So when this recipe for Peanut Butter Cup Fudge with Reese’s came up, I couldn’t resist. I shared it on Facebook, found a couple friends who wanted some, and there was my excuse
It was for my friends, I swear![image error]
I made two batches. One for home and one for friends (hey, I should taste it first, and make sure it’s a winning recipe before giving to my friends, right?_. And I’ve already had like thirty pieces. Should have just made one batch! But that just means there’s more to go around (and more for me to eat!).
And FWIW, I had nothing to do with that stolen truckload of Hershey’s in Florida. Not. A. Thing.
Excuse me while I dispose of some candy wrappers
Shirley
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