So, in the new year I hope to drop a few pounds through playing video games like Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero, etc. The idea is to be more active while playing and to actually burn a few calories. That means standing up and playing games, so playing games in the recliner will be a no no.

I will need to look up some information on how many calories are burned when at rest, asleep, and exercise. DDR will keep track of how many calories you are burning, so for less active games I will burn less calories. Hopefully I can guesstimate an amount that will be conservative but close to the actual calories that will be burned.

Before the new year gets here, it’s just another thing I need to do to make sure we get off on the right track with our weight loss plan.

Usually every Christmas my husband and I buy each other a writing pen. It doesn’t have to be an expensive one, sometimes we even give some advertising pens that we have accumulate through the year that the other one really likes. This year we completely forgot about the pen stocking stuffer.

I have found one pen this year that I really enjoy writing with. Hopefully I will remember before the Christmas season is over to pick up one for my husband so that our little tradition doesn’t become a thing of the past.

I always go way overboard with spending in December. One purchase I am proud of is Boogie for the PS2. I’m hoping the game will fit into my fitness revolution plan for 2008. I have already begun buying some exercise equipment just in case the pounds do not drop off with a video game regime.

I’m hoping to use my PS2 dance pad with Boogie, although I’m not sure it will work. It doesn’t say it is compatible, but I thought I might try just to see if I could use it. I noticed that Dancing with the Stars is compatible with the PS2 dance pad and might be a future purchase that I will make.

Tuesday begins my first day on my made up program. Hopefully I can lose a pound a week by watching what I eat and doing fun exercises.

Just in time for Christmas, I received a very nice shelf system for review. This little unit packs a lot of punch since it plays DVDs, CDs, FM tuner, and more.

We had been using our PS2 as a DVD player, so it’s nice to have a ‘real’ DVD player with a remote since the PS2 remote just doesn’t work properly. The shelf system produces a nice sound, which makes me hope that we can also run the TV and video systems through the speakers. Then all we’ll need are some home theater chairs to have a phenomenal living room set up with great seating and entertainment.

No more countdown to Christmas. It’s finally here! Last night opening just one present turned into opening them all. So, today is all about Raegan’s gift, which is fine.

I got a lovely digital picture frame. It seems to do everything except play games. I got my husband a stylus/tablet that he had been wanting. So overall it’s a great Christmas.

The temp is suppose to be a little warmer today and just a gorgeous day. Hope it’s a Merry Christmas for everyone!

I’ve decided to slowly start my diet today instead of waiting for the new year. Why? Well last night we had our family Christmas at my parents’ house, so basically all of the sweets should be less of a temptation from this point forward. We do have Christmas with my husband’s family but won’t be traveling until after the big day, so there will be less sweets.

Since I plan to begin today, I need to do some sort of exercise. I will probably do some in home walking with my Christmas mix of music I bought on Amazon. I am still coming up with fun ways to exercise.

I enjoy hitting the golf ball around although I wouldn’t call myself a golfer. I just ‘window shop’ at Mizuno golf for golfing equipment, so I’m not serious about taking it up as a hobby just yet. But I’m not sure golf really counts as exercise.

Sure, you get outdoors and walk around but at a leisurely pace. You do burn more calories than just sitting inside, so on some level it is exercise but maybe not intense enough for weight loss.

So, for now I will not add it to my list of fun exercises I will be doing as part of my weight loss plan.

Drew of The Ben Spark has a fantastic Christmas games link list that will definitely help pass the time until Christmas and will serve as today’s game link in our countdown to Christmas.

It’s hard to believe that Christmas is almost here! Are you ready? Tonight is my side of the family’s Christmas get together. It should be loud, have lots of food, and a lot of presents. And I will be completely exhausted when it’s over.

Linkit - A Christmas Carol is a puzzle matching game featuring hand drawn art from one of the most beloved Christmas stories - A Christmas Carol. Sit back and match mahjong-like tiles and then watch the story unfold on your PC screen.

My husband wants a Bluetooth headset for gaming. Apparently a friend of ours has a set that he uses to play Guitar Hero after his wife goes to bed. This way he can enjoy his favorite game while not disturbing her.

My husband likes the Bluetooth technology since it’s wireless and therefore gives you must more freedom to roam around. I think he wouldn’t mind a headset for his phone either, but Santa can only fill one wish at a time. The gaming headset sounds like a great idea since my husband loves to play games and this way when I go to bed he can continue to play. So, it’s a gift for me as much as a gift for him, which are the best gifts of all.

One of the first appliances I buy my Sims is one of those espresso machines. Why? Because it can boost their energy level. Be warned, though, that drinking an espresso will mean a sooner trip to the restroom. With the Sims there was an espresso machine that was hacked. When downloaded and used by your Sim would max out all of their stats. So, it would take care of their hunger, social, and hygiene all with a single cup. It was a fun Sims cheat, especially when your Sim was low on just about every stat and no foreseeable way to get back into the green.

So, when you can afford it, buy an espresso machine for your Sims as it is a great energy boost especially when you are about to head to work or to a party. Watch the hygiene as drinking an espresso does a number on the Sims bladder.