If you don't know what challenge I am talking about, read this.

I survived the first month with no permanent damage. Other than the cheesecake incident I mentioned in my original challenge post, I have lived a dessert-free existence. Only 11 more months to go!

As I mentioned when I have done these challenges before, once I make the decision to say no, it comes quite easily for the most part. There were no difficult moments where I almost gave in.

I have been eating a lot more dry cereal though. I am a bored eater all the way, so instead of popping chocolate in my mouth to keep it busy, I have been munching on Crispix! It's been my favorite non-sugar cereal since I was a kid. It's awesome with or without milk.

I do think the next couple of months will be the most difficult part of the year for me. Easter is right around the corner, and the stores are already selling Cadbury cream eggs and other delicious things. Easter is when all my favorite seasonal chocolate comes out, and has always been a very big impulse-control issue for me. This year I intend to survive Easter with nary a chocolate egg entering my system!

Everyone remembers READ posters right? Famous people pictured with books related to their fields or the books turned into the movies they acted in. I always thought they were so much fun. This is the one I really want to buy right now.

Recently at work they had every staff member in our building pick their favorite book for their very own READ poster. It was a big project, because our building is a joint-use facility shared by an elementary school, public library branch and parks and recreation center. But we finished and they are all up in the commons. Yay!

It was a huge internal struggle for me to narrow it down to just one book. I finally picked the book I did because it isn't as well known as say The Hunger Games, plus it has a great cover and I loved reading it. The book is Fire by Kristin Cashore.

So here is my finished READ poster:

So back in May, I set a couple of deadlines here.

One of them is still on schedule, but the other deadline has passed and the goal remains unfulfilled. I've been living with my parents since I moved back to Omaha over a year and a half ago. It was supposed to be temporary, but I haven't really been able to afford to move out. The goal I set for myself was to be out of my parents' house and in my own place by the end of the summer.

At this point though I am still living with my parents. Let me tell you why. This summer there were two things in my life that I was unhappy about. One was living with my parents again, and the other was working at Chili's (and really just waiting tables in general). I felt really trapped because I needed that second job if I wanted to move out.

So I reached a point where I had to step back and decide what was bothering me most. And guess what won?! Chili's did. I decided I was just too tired and burned out waiting tables to do it anymore. I had gotten to a place where I truly hated my job, and I could not have cared less about the people I was serving (Though I was still mostly nice, I promise). It was bad. I finally gave Chili's my two weeks' notice back in July.

It was a hard decision to make, but I am so glad I did it. I miss the people I worked with there, and I still get together with my favorite Chili-heads now and then for food and margaritas, but I don't miss anything about the job. Well, maybe always having cash on hand, but that's it. I am so much happier now. I do still feel frustrated living at home, especially at my age, but I get along with my parents and it does save me money.

I am looking for a second job, but I admit I am being somewhat lazy about it. I can't remember the last time I only had one job; it's nice. Plus I did just start grad school this month. But that is why I didn't meet my deadline. I decided leaving my job was a bigger priority. But believe me, moving out is still important to me. I am ready to feel like a grown up again.

I've probably never blogged about it, but I love quotes. I am not always as diligent about capturing them as I could be, but I still love them. Who doesn't love to laugh at the silly things people say or take inspiration from the ones who get it right?

Recently, through my BEDA buddy Nicola, I found a great new site: quotabl.es.com.

From what I understand it's a big, search-able database of quotes. You can create an account and keep a list of the quotes you love, and add ones you see that are missing. I joined it today and started adding some of my favorites. I'm finding it quite addicting. This is the first quote I added:

"What if there is no tomorrow? There wasn't one today!" - Bill Murray in Groundhog Day (See it on Quotabl.es here.)

And here are a few of my other favorite quotes. Some of them are from Quotabl.es and some are from my own collection.

"You won't feel normal until you find a group of people who you can be abnormal around and be happy about it." - Not That Kind of Girl, a blogger I follow

"Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony." - Monty Python and the Holy Grail (on Quotabl.es)

"Outside of a dog, a book is your best friend, and inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx (on Quotabl.es)

"It is better to be alone, she figures, than to be with someone who can't see who you are. It is better to lead than to follow. It is better to speak up than stay silent. It is better to open doors than to shut them on people. She will not be simple and sweet. She will not be what people tell her to be." - E. Lockhart, The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

"Fairy tales are more than true. Not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be defeated." - G.K. Chesterton (on Quotabl.es)

So definitely check this site out; it's fun.

And here are all my BEDA buddies blogging about their favorite quotes: Nicola, Uncultured Critic, Christina, Becky.

What are some of your favorite quotes?

Well we did it everyone. July is officially over, which means sweets are back in. Woot!

Christina celebrated at midnight with a delicious-sounding dessert I have never heard of. She describes it here. She did great this month; I know of several instances where she resisted some very strong temptations. I am very proud of her and glad she joined me. I am sure she will talk about her experience on her blog soon.

I know Chelsea did great too. Other than her birthday (and no one expected her to withhold then), she stayed firm all month. Here is her statement:

The month of July, no desserts – I must say it was a bit difficult in the beginning, but as all things, once you start to get the hang of it, you start to do a bit better – I’m actually thinking I’m going to try to continue this into August, I don’t want to go crazy now that July is over, so I’m going to slowly bring myself back to desserts.

Congratulations ladies! You can happily return to the land of chocolate and candy. Thank you so much for doing this with me.

As for me, I did great (If I do say so myself). However, am not letting dessert back in the door just yet. I will tell you why on my next post, I promise. Welcome to August.

And then there were three.

My BEDA buddy Christina has bravely agreed to take on the NO DESSERT JULY challenge. I have great faith in her. This is going to be great! She talks about it here on her blog. She actually agreed July 1 when she read my blog, but I've been slow to post it here. Sorry.

Her solemn vow:

I, Christina "Sti" Hicks, decree that no sweet processed by man (or woman) shall pass my lips until August the First 2010 A.D. Two notable exceptions are to be allowed. Exception the First on July the Fourth (henceforth "the 4th"). Exception the Second to be chosen for a worthy dessert at some point as yet unknown.

It's not too late to join us. In fact it's easier now, because you have less of July to restrain yourself. (And your vow doesn't have to be as awesomely written as Sti's. Mine isn't.)

I have decided that it's that time again. Time for me to take a break from sweets. I've done it before with great success, and I found that declaring it here on my blog made me more accountable and therefore more successful.

There are many good reasons why I do this. Obviously, it's healthier to cut out the junk food, but more than that it is a willpower/self-control exercise, which is something I definitely struggle with sometimes.

So for the entire month of July, I will not be having any sweets/dessert of any kind. I am allowed a maximum of 2 exceptions, while on vacation with my family.

The best part about this challenge is that one of my very best friends, Chelsea, is going to do this with me. Yay! So we can help keep each other accountable. She is allowed an exception for her birthday next week. And Chelsea, I can put a declaration on here for you too if you wish.

Anyone else want to join us?

Well, a $ to be specific. I made my first bet ever this sports season, and apparently the Lakers won last night, which means I won ... $1. Woot!

I am not what you would call a sports enthusiast. I enjoy attending games live occasionally with friends or family. I do understand how all the major sports are played and scored, enough to follow along without feeling like an idiot at least. And I have name recognition for a lot of major teams. But that's where it stops. I don't care enough to follow any specific teams or pay attention to any championships.

Several months ago I was talking to a big sports fan I work with at Job #2. He had a couple of real bets going with some of our other co-workers that the Lakers would not win ... something. The championship I guess; I didn't really pay attention. Anyway, just to be contrary I told him I would bet him $0.20 that they would win. I figured why not.

He took my bet and we ended up settling on $0.25. A couple of weeks later I asked him if they'd won yet. He said it would be awhile because they weren't even in the championships (or whatever) yet, so it would be awhile. He was so confident they would lose that he offered me 4:1 odds. So if the Lakers won he owed me a $1, and if they lost I owed him $0.25. Score.

So pretty much every time I saw him after that I asked him if they'd won yet, because I truly didn't know. He just kept laughing at me and telling me not yet. But my dad told me this morning that they won the big ... thing. So it was my first sports bet, and I won! I am going to see this guy tonight, and he had better pay up because I took this as a serious bet. I would have coughed up my $0.25 if they lost.