Curse Count: Two

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Random little fact about me:  I’m a curser.  I try not to curse on the blog, of course.  But in real life, I have a potty mouth.

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I’m trying to stop cursing because it’s not a very lady-like habit.  So far, I’ve cursed two times today. Not a great curse count, but better than normal, though!

 

How can I make clean language a habit?  Any tips?

 

In other news, I was stuck in a parking lot for an hour with nothing to do, no one to talk to on the phone, and a dead laptop, so I listened to the radio and played with my lip gloss collection.  It was fun.

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We had groceries in the trunk.  I rummaged around and found this yummy pumpernickel loaf.  The end is the best part.

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And tonight, the Husband cooked this amazing stand-out dinner!

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In the mix:

 

  • Red cabbage and kale cooked in the wok with Apple Rosemary dressing from the Biltmore Estate
  • Brown rice
  • Leftover grilled tofu
  • Raw cherry tomatoes

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Thumbs up, Husband!

 

And a Cadbury cream egg that Sophie brought over from England:

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So, lots of people asked about my nail polish… It’s Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Lilac. 

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I like fun colors.  🙂

{ 141 comments }

 

  • Heather @ Health, Happiness, and Hope March 21, 2011, 8:07 pm

    I think the old “pay your hubby/signficant other/friend/family member every time your curse” break the habit (and the bank!) pretty quickly! 😉

    Oh, the things we find when we have extra time on our hands. I’m such a lip gloss girl too! Hooray for fun nail colors!

    • Parita @ myinnershakti March 21, 2011, 8:15 pm

      I was just about to suggest this! It worked for me back in college when I was trying to kick a bad habit. 🙂

      • Beth @ 990 Square March 21, 2011, 8:37 pm

        I charge my husband for cursing! It seems to work some!

        My BFF is getting married this summer and she’s having dreams about not having any lip gloss during the ceremony/reception. I told her it’s my job as maid of honor to make sure she has lip gloss!

        • Baking 'n' Books March 21, 2011, 9:14 pm

          I should do this myself. For like alot of things – not just cursing 😉

          I’d save a lot of nickels that way…

  • AJ @ Flowing to Fifty March 21, 2011, 8:14 pm

    Good luck with the swearing plan. Tough gig. Love the polish, and lilac is perfect for spring. Hoping to see some soon.

  • Clarissa March 21, 2011, 8:18 pm

    Good luck with the no cursing! I definitely do it a lot but have tried replacing my favorite word with “effing” instead. It’s probably the same, but it sounds a bit softer 🙂

    The fun thing when you give up cursing is that you can be creative and appear as though your vocabulary has expanded! Since swearing was not allowed in my house growing up, we had to get creative!

  • Kristin @ FoodFash March 21, 2011, 8:19 pm

    I would have never pictured you having a potty mouth in a million years – too funny!

  • Deanna March 21, 2011, 8:22 pm

    Isn’t that the WORST when technology runs out of juice and you are left with just nothing?! But — it’s a good reminder to stop and look around and enjoy the quiet 🙂

  • Michele @ Healthy Cultivations March 21, 2011, 8:28 pm

    I’ve certainly been known to curse more than I should. When I started making a concerted effort to cut it out, I replaced the curse words with more descriptive words. That’s really what we’re doing when we curse — expressing strong feeling about the thing. So instead of the $#%&@ thing, it’s the thing that makes me mad because… Precisely descriptive words are the way to go.

    • Caitlin March 22, 2011, 9:06 am

      I just need to break out my English skillz, you’re right.

  • Cindy March 21, 2011, 8:29 pm

    I have a horrible potty mouth. I tried giving swearing up for Lent a few times, and never made it past day 1.

    Love the nail polish!

  • Clare @ Fitting It All In March 21, 2011, 8:29 pm

    OOF I’m a curser too! It’s so unattractive. I’ve given it up for Lent but it’s still hard!

  • Holly @ Couch Potato Athlete March 21, 2011, 8:30 pm

    I’m not a big curser so I don’t have that problem — but I know my brother in law stopped cursing so much when he had a kid — he is super careful to not say any f-words in front of my niece!

  • Faith @ lovelyascharged March 21, 2011, 8:30 pm

    I have a really bad potty mouth too…but it’s one of the things I’ve accepted. I know some people find it unattractive but for some reason I’ll probably never identify I don’t find it all that bad of a habit!

  • Cathy K March 21, 2011, 8:30 pm

    haha, i was just going to say, “love your nails!” thanks for answering my question before i asked it (i haven’t read the comments to the last post, although i did read the last post!)
    love bright and wild nail polish, too – recently tried fake nails for the first time – went with turquoise blue with white flower nail art. they were fabulously fun!
    good luck with the swearing! you + potty mouth? never woulda guessed it, caitlin!!

    • Caitlin March 22, 2011, 9:06 am

      I want nail art!!!!!!!

      • Reenie March 22, 2011, 10:30 am

        I have on “Speedy Sunburst” (#470) Sally Hansen Insta-dri polish on. It’s a great spring/summer color too!

  • Jen March 21, 2011, 8:31 pm

    Hubby says I swear like a truck driver. Somehow I am able to not swear at school in front of the jr high kids!!!

    I love the lilac color! I have the same one. 🙂

  • Alexa @ The Girl In Chucks March 21, 2011, 8:32 pm

    1) No advice on cursing…I use the f-word more than any other word in my vocabulary, unfortunately. Oops?…

    2) I am also having red cabbage and kale for dinner!

    3) I just bought that nail polish! 😀

  • Jenny (Fit Girl Foodie) March 21, 2011, 8:33 pm

    Lol this so relates to me. My bf says I curse like a sailor and I honestly can’t help it anymore. Even when we’re in public, I need to control myself lol Love that nail polish btw gorgeous! 😀

  • Jen G. March 21, 2011, 8:34 pm

    I can’t remember the name of the website, but I’m sure someone on here knows it. There’s a website which can work like a negative piggy bank — if you break your commitment, you give so much money to a charity you don’t like. For example, I’m a very liberal Democrat, so if I were trying not to swear, I would set it up so that every time I said a dirty word, I’d commit to giving a dollar to a Tea Party group. It requires accountability, but it’d stop me from swearing like that!

    • Cara March 21, 2011, 8:48 pm

      I like this one! I don’t know the website but it should do the trick. Or like Heather mentioned above, give your hubby cash every time you slip up. I have been raised mormon so cussing was def not allowed in my household. Rarely do I cuss in front of people but I have a potty mouth in my head and have no problem writing dirty words, which btw has gotten me in the dog house from family members via fb lol

      • Caitlin March 22, 2011, 9:07 am

        Oh man, this might actually work on me…. If I had to donate to the opposite political party, I might keep my mouth shut.

  • Sana March 21, 2011, 8:37 pm

    make up funny bad words! Poopy-pants, shizpuppies, frakin’ hippo….. hheeheh

  • Lauren March 21, 2011, 8:38 pm

    I definitely try to watch my cursing now. Teaching and being around kids has a lot to do with that and I try to knock the habit now before my husband and I decide to have kids. I definitely don’t want that in my house when the kids come.

  • Jazz March 21, 2011, 8:39 pm

    I never curse so I guess I have no advice other than think before you speak… Mmm we have cadburry cream eggs in Canada, you don’t in the US?? I LOVE them!

  • Gabriela @ Une Vie Saine March 21, 2011, 8:41 pm

    I’m a curser too. It’s so bad, though I’m actually really good at keeping it under control around people I don’t know. A lot of friends have told me to replace the bad words with funny ones…like fudge, fiddlesticks, shebang, crud, etc. Not sure if it would be helpful when I’m REALLY pissed, but it’s definitely a fun alternative to dropping the F-bomb when you’re just a little riled up about something.

  • Zo March 21, 2011, 8:41 pm

    I find I curse more when I’m reacting without really thinking which makes me talk faster (I’m sure a lot of people do this..). If I want to clean up my speech in any way (for example, not peppering a work conversation with “likes,” and “y’knows”) I slow my speech down a little…which helps me choose my words more carefully …so I think with cursing if you can try to go into “professional speaking” mode (I’m sure you don’t curse when you’re giving a presentation), it will help you be more aware and cut down.

    Of course, if you curse a lot when you’re by yourself…that’s a little tricker!

  • amber March 21, 2011, 8:45 pm

    LOVE the nail polish! And the Burt’s Bees! I adore the pomegranate one…with a passion!!

  • Rebecca March 21, 2011, 8:48 pm

    We were never a cursing family (like most of the families at church…), but I have picked up the habit of subbing in a word (frick instead of f-bomb is the most common one for me) or a random noise (gah, etc) when I want to swear. Like Saturday at work. I was having trouble with shelving (stupid shelves didn’t want to go in properly) and I caught myself almost swearing many times. Like, too many times to count. =\

    And granted, filling in with another word basically makes that filler word the curse word, but… it’s not as annoying as the actual curse word. 😛

    • Judy March 21, 2011, 9:14 pm

      True, but resorting to things like “dirty rats” and “great great big dirty rats! gets as boring as using the actual “ahh F—k it! 🙂

      • Judy March 21, 2011, 9:16 pm

        On the other hand, sometimes, “aahh, f–k it! will only suffice, even if you only think it 🙂

        • Caitlin March 22, 2011, 9:08 am

          My mother says something really odd like “Peter fiddlesticks” LOL

    • Katie March 22, 2011, 12:23 pm

      A 8 year old girl at a museum once told me she says “sugar honey ice tea!” because it’s a sneaky way of cursing ( because of what the letters spell….)

      • Rebecca March 22, 2011, 11:16 pm

        LOL! Wow, what a child… 😛
        A guy in my French class always said “shiiii-take mushrooms!” Hahaha.

  • Jessica @ Jessica Balances March 21, 2011, 8:48 pm

    I bought that nail polish a few weeks ago and have yet to use it — good to know it looks awesome! You’ve inspired me to use it. I kinda curse a lot too… not around family, though! They wouldn’t think that was very lady-like of me. 🙂

  • Lesley March 21, 2011, 8:48 pm

    I’m going to steal Alexa’s idea and count this off, lol.

    1) That dinner looks awesome.
    2) That really is a cool color polish that I wish would look good on me, but pale purple and pale skin don’t mix – I’ve tried!
    3) Since you’ve mentioned chocolate from England is > than US chocolate I have to wonder if that is also true for Cadbury creme eggs? 🙂
    4) I feel your lip gloss collection and raise it by about 10-15. I know.
    5) One of my bff’s is very bothered by cursing, so I always try not to swear around her. It’s haaard. It’s even harder the more alcohol is involved. To me lady-like is not cursing in front of children, so my standard of success is pretty low….I say thumbs up to 2 a day!

    • Caitlin March 22, 2011, 9:09 am

      Yes, Cadbury creme eggs taste much better when they are brought over from the UK!

      • Samantha Angela @ Bikini Birthday March 22, 2011, 9:23 am

        …or Canada. Just sayin’

        • Kristina March 22, 2011, 3:28 pm

          I’ve never had an American creme egg, but the ones here in Canada really are delicious, and addicting, and awful little devils for those reasons. I wonder if they tastes the same as UK or US ones?

      • Lesley March 22, 2011, 5:50 pm

        I’m not sure whether to be disappointed that I have no UK/Canada superior Cadbury hook-up or relieved. I’m already addicted to those wonderfully evil Reese’s eggs. One Easter candy habit is enough for me!

  • Kim @ Kim Lives Healthy March 21, 2011, 8:50 pm

    I’d make a curse jar, and make the money go towards something that perhaps the husband wants that you wouldn’t benefit from (like a guy’s night out or one of his favorite beers) – hypothetically something to help him take his mind off his potty-mouthed wife lol 😉

  • Natalia - a side of simple March 21, 2011, 8:54 pm

    CADBURY! It’s the official Easter season now 🙂 I had my very first Cadbury egg last year in Ireland! Granted, it wasn’t England, but it was pretty epic!

  • Kristy@RunTheLongRoad March 21, 2011, 8:54 pm

    I got a potty mouth too. Although I don’t think I could give up cursing – I like it too much 🙂 I try and keep it clean for the blog too. But then I feel like it’s not the real me!

  • Kacy March 21, 2011, 8:55 pm

    I have a terrible potty mouth. It’s bad. I’m able to control it when I need to but it can be pretty bad. Good luck taming yours!

  • Carin March 21, 2011, 8:56 pm

    Oh babe, you’re the best – LOVE that you swear! We do too – I think it’s from working in radio in the UK where it was DEFFO the norm – in fact, my husband now drops Fs and Cs on purpose to check out the reaction and see whether we’e in “polite” company – or whether everyone’s as bad as us? I think the Brits swear more than Americans anyway – and here in NZ and in Aus, nobody’s really all that bothered.

    Don’t you get Creme Eggs in the US? The NZ ones are not as good as UK ones (different choc)but hey, when it comes to Creme Eggs, I’m not that fussy…. I had one for breakfast today after finding it in the car! It was supposed to be post half-marathon reward on Sunday, but I forgot about it – can you imagine that?!

    • Caitlin March 22, 2011, 9:09 am

      We get them here, but they just aren’t as good.

      Congrats on your half marathon!

  • Allie (Live Laugh Eat) March 21, 2011, 8:56 pm

    Love the nail polish color…’tis the color of my BLOG! 🙂

  • Judy March 21, 2011, 8:56 pm

    O.K. Caitlin, this totally works. When I had my daughter, Katie, my cursing was out of control. Every effort to “do better” was just not making it. So I started censoring my thoughts. I found that I thought cursed. When I thought a curse word, I would mentally correct myself and rethink the thought with the words I would have preferred to use. Years later I discovered that I no longer even think curse. More recently I’ve fallen back into the think cursing mode, so I know potty mouth is edging it’s way back into my life.

  • Stephanie March 21, 2011, 9:01 pm

    When he’s spent too much time with his military buddies, my husband’s cursing can get out of control. I remember being at the bus stop once while he dropped f-bombs and an old lady with a plastic hair cover and a rolling cart glared at us.

    Good luck curbing your swearing habit!

  • Judy March 21, 2011, 9:02 pm

    BTW, you’d be surprised how much more creative you become when you replace the curse words with the words that actually fit what you meant to convey.

  • Lindsay McAlester March 21, 2011, 9:12 pm

    Is it wierd that I had you pegged as a potty mouth?! 🙂 I guess because I am sometimes I just figure most people are too! Ooops!

  • chelsey @ clean eating chelsey March 21, 2011, 9:14 pm

    I’m not really a curser so I can’t really think of any advice for you. The only thing I’m usually saying is that my dog is a “little sh*t” 🙂

  • Baking 'n' Books March 21, 2011, 9:15 pm

    LOVE that color!

  • Hannah March 21, 2011, 9:20 pm

    I really hate your reasoning for not cursing —
    As someone who is supposed to represent a strong, independent, feminist-minded thinker, why would you succumb to societal expectations that women must act all prim and proper? That logic is disgusting and is only perpetuated by these kinds of statements.

    You might have other reasons for not wanting to curse, and there are certainly good reasons, but you didn’t list any others. I am very disappointed.

    • Caitlin March 22, 2011, 7:41 am

      Hannah:

      I do not feel that desiring to have manners suited for a educated, classy woman is anti-feminist. I also think cursing is un-gentleman-like.

  • Kristina March 21, 2011, 9:21 pm

    That dinner is so colorful, I love it!!!!!! I’ve been wanting to use that color purple on my nails but am waiting til easter (we’ve got snow in the forecast so i’m not feeling springlike yet)

  • Emma (Namaste Everyday) March 21, 2011, 9:23 pm

    sometimes I tell my students that if they say a “bad word”, they have to write a note to someone using 3 “kind words”. Maybe you could try that! Like you have to tweet at someone every time you curse, using a few positive words!

    • Caitlin March 22, 2011, 9:11 am

      I like this idea 🙂

  • Averie (LoveVeggiesAndYoga) March 21, 2011, 9:24 pm

    Red cabbage and kale cooked in the wok with Apple Rosemary dressing = omg that is beautiful and looks like my perfect meal. With tomatoes. I eat 1 tomato per day, at least.

    And I am an f-bomb girl all the way. Not on my blog, but I want to most days. lol But in real life..for sure.

  • Maryea {Happy Healthy Mama} March 21, 2011, 9:28 pm

    How funny I never would have pegged you as a curser. I cringe when I hear swear words. I think because I grew up in a no-swear household and if my brothers ever accidently swore it was a huge, huge deal. My husband was a curser when I met him, but slowly he’s changed his choice words. (At least in front of me…) It can be done!

  • Laura Ann March 21, 2011, 9:33 pm

    My advice to you: don’t quit cursing! It’s quite the lovable trait in my book. Be loud, be proud, and curse!

    • Caitlin March 22, 2011, 9:12 am

      Heheh maybe only at the bar.

  • Mary @ Bites and Bliss March 21, 2011, 9:36 pm

    I definitely let a few slip, too. Sometimes it’s just hard to help!

  • Kara March 21, 2011, 9:36 pm

    I’m married to a Marine and I curse more than him, so I don’t have any good advice for you. I’m positive my baby’s first words will be “Damn it dog!” because that’s my most commonly said phrase.

  • Melissa (MelissaLikesToEat) March 21, 2011, 9:37 pm

    I’m a curser too. I love the f bomb. 🙂 The only thing that got me to cut down on the bad words was having kids. 🙂

  • Miranda March 21, 2011, 9:38 pm

    I should really try and kick the cursing habit, it’s so hard!

  • Emily March 21, 2011, 9:41 pm

    I love that you edit your cursing out of your blog 🙂 For me I find that cursing very very rarely gives it much more impact; Oh sh*t, Em’s mad! But hey, whatever works 🙂 Good luck!

  • Julie (A Case of the Runs) March 21, 2011, 9:41 pm

    I only swear when I’m alone (mostly driving!). I had to learn not to swear at home because I have younger sisters. And then I just was known as a non-swearer, so it felt awkward to curse in front of others. I swore a few times during my marathon yesterday, but that was it. My boyfriend swears every now and then, often enough to know this and less often enough so that I get scared a little.

    My suggestion is to play with substitute words. I know it’s lame and maybe isn’t taking away from the cursing issue, but it works for me. My favorites are:

    – fiddlesticks
    – holy moleballs (over “what the he**; okay, so that’s not clean, either)
    – oh geez! (over “oh $###!”)
    – fuh-jeebus
    – fudge
    – idiot (over other bad words you can use toward a person and is pretty satisfying)
    – freaking
    – no way! (seems to be a good sub for times an F-bomb could be dropped)

    Maybe these are lame enough to make cursing seem silly and help you break the habit.

  • Steph March 21, 2011, 9:48 pm

    with some words, i have to pay my sister $1 everytime i use it.

    other times i use suggestions like that ^^

    i’ve developed a potty mouth recently though too i need to stop haha

  • Carly March 21, 2011, 9:58 pm

    I love cream eggs soooo much! I have will power when it comes to any candy, except those babies. I may go dig into my not so secret stash of them right now….

  • Christine @ Bookishly Boisterous March 21, 2011, 10:02 pm

    I swear ALL the time, and your comment about not swearing in the blog got me thinking, since occasionally I drop some four letter words on mine. Your blog is your business, just as I definitely wouldn’t curse at the high school where I teach (although I want to… constantly). My blog is just a fun little hobby that makes me zero dollars and has no advertisers to answer to. I think it’s really interesting from a social and linguistic perspective how we modify our vocabulary. Good luck with the potty mouth 😉

    • Caitlin March 22, 2011, 9:13 am

      It is interesting how we clean up our language for certain things but not others 🙂 I agree!

  • Lisa March 21, 2011, 10:05 pm

    Canadian cream eggs are the same. We also sell Cream Egg Mcflurries, and like mini cake/brownie cream eggs. Those are like a packaged brownie with a cream egg baked in the middle.
    Personally, I don’t like cream eggs but, everyone that does gets both lots during Easter season:)
    Gives you a reason to make a trip North:)

  • Lisa March 21, 2011, 10:08 pm

    I swear like a sailor. I have no problem with it either. 🙂

    I don’t swear much on my blog because I don’t think it’s professional but sometimes it’s needed. 🙂

  • Anna Crouch March 21, 2011, 10:12 pm

    Someone gave me this great idea, because I had an issue with complaining. They said fill a jar with marbles (or paperclips, packing peanuts…something like that) and every time you complain, remove a marble from the jar. The object is to keep it as full as possible. You could replace the complaining with swearing! Also, at my bachelorette party, my bridesmaids made me put a piece of bubblicious gum in my mouth every time I said “Justin,” (my husband’s name). That was a big motivator not to say his name!!!! lol 1 piece of that gum is massive!!

  • Sarah March 21, 2011, 10:32 pm

    Have fun- everytime you curse you have to place a coin in a jar. The goal is to reduce the amount of coins you put in the jar each week.

    Also, come up with silly works to use instead- like “DUDE THAT VACCUMS” or ” OH PINEAPPLES”.

    • Deva (Voracious Vorilee) March 22, 2011, 7:37 am

      This is brilliant! I would crack up so much, which I guess is the point!

      • Caitlin March 22, 2011, 9:16 am

        I’m going to say “dude, that vaccums” from here on out.

        • Deva (voracious vorilee) March 22, 2011, 9:19 am

          ‘It’s a Hoover’ is one of my preferred terms of frustration, lol.

  • kate March 21, 2011, 10:34 pm

    My cursing was actually so bad that my friend told me that I end up sounding a lot harsher than I intend to. Sooo, I made a deal (and told my friend…the more incentive to keep it, the better) that I would put $.25 towards a charity every time I curse. A week or so later and I’ve almost kicked the habitual swearing (I think I’m down to like once a day, and it’s at more meaningful times). You just have to learn to RECOGNIZE when you do it, and from there on out it just gets easier. 🙂

  • kate March 21, 2011, 10:35 pm

    Oh yeah, and you start by using replacement words! I find using funny ones can actually be kind of amusing – for me and the listener!

  • Catherine @ Running Beginners March 21, 2011, 10:40 pm

    I’m so glad to see someone else with a lipgloss collection to rival my own – although mine is still a little worse lol – but that’s because I have some moisturising/conditioning ones, some glossy ones, some coloured and some not. Pretty much something for any occasion hehehe.

    On the swearing front. Imagine there are children present all the time. I used to work in childcare and even the worst potty mouths never slipped up in front of the kids, because they didn’t want to ‘corrupt them’ lol. So if you convincingly imagine to yourself that you can’t swear because there are children present it’ll eventually become second nature to watch what you’re saying. Maybe back that up with a swear jar system as a second layer of protection lol

    • Caitlin March 22, 2011, 9:17 am

      Imagining kids around at all times is a good one… I would never curse in front of my GOTR girls!

  • Ash @ Good Taste Healthy Me March 21, 2011, 10:41 pm

    omg I am such a curser too. My fiance always tells me I swear way too much. I’ve been trying sooo hard to change my ways. It’s been working. I don’t even have any tips for you, unfortunately. I somehow “switch it off.”

  • Julie @ Lettuce Choose Healthy March 21, 2011, 10:47 pm

    the end is definately the best part of a loaf!

  • Amykinz @ Foodie 4 Healing March 21, 2011, 10:47 pm

    I, too, have heard of having to put money in a glass jar everytime you curse & then donate it to charity or a church. It also helps me, when trying to break a new habit, to make a list of all the reasons WHY I want to do it… real, passionate & motivating reasons. I put them on an index card & carry them around w/me for the first month or so. Lastly, never underestimate the power of prayer!

  • dee March 21, 2011, 10:49 pm

    I can curse like a sailor when provoked. Lol. And I get provoked. A lot. 😉 During the past 4 Lents I’ve been able to give up cursing. And I do well, but once the 40 days are over, I go back to my cursing habit. I guess to try to give it up cold turkey? It’s what worked best for me. Although I’ve never made it stick for more than 2-3 months.

  • Sarena (The Non-Dairy Queen) March 21, 2011, 10:50 pm

    I have the worst potty mouth. I am worse than my husband. I only say it around my house or people I know that talk like I do. It’s bad though. Good luck getting rid of it. I can’t seem to figure out how to stop.

  • Jessica @ Dishin' About Nutrition March 21, 2011, 10:51 pm

    Ok, the day I come home to my BF cooking tofu…I might just die. That is so awesome that your hubby shares the same passion for health food. My boyfriend is catching on (slowly) but it’s like pulling teeth to try to get him to try anything he doesn’t recognize (oh and he said absolutely NO WAY to tofu…) Lucky girl you are!

  • Cara March 21, 2011, 11:00 pm

    Love Cadbury eggs! And the nail polish color!

    I know last year when my roommate was working on stopping her cursing, she put a coin or $ bill in a jar (each word depending on how much she said it before the challenge received a different value) and when the jar was getting full she donated it to a charity.

  • Ashley @ Feeding Ashley March 21, 2011, 11:08 pm

    I like fun colors too. I paint my nails different bright colors weekly.
    I have no tips sorry. But I like Sarah’s tips! #54

  • Ashley @ Nourishing The Soul March 21, 2011, 11:27 pm

    I had tried many times in my past to 86 my cursing habit. All that I found that worked was spending more and more time at work – where it would be really inappropriate to do so! Now I rarely curse, which has the added benefit of really getting others attention when I mean business!

  • Danielle C. March 21, 2011, 11:34 pm

    I did this last year…it helps to just be AWARE of when you do it. I was cursing so much that it was second nature.

    I asked my bf to call me on it when he heard me swear. I’m not perfect but usually I have to get pretty flustered to curse now whereas f-bombs used to be a regular word in most sentences.

    I worked on it for the same reasons…I didn’t want to be reflected on like that by others and that it’s not very ‘lady like’ and really I don’t like it from others anymore either.

  • Ellie@fitforthesoul March 21, 2011, 11:45 pm

    interesting question! Hmmmm well~I hear that it is a proven fact that most habits (excluding nicotine, etc.) take at least 21 days of “fasting” it for it to dissipate or completely go away! So~like many others said, perhaps pay up for at least 21 days? or just for the good sake of it, just stop it completely for 21 days and see what happens! haha. And although this is lame~sub those words for encouraging words!! If you feel crappy about something, perhaps turn it around and say a genuine encouragement to someone else instead? 😛

  • Ashley March 22, 2011, 12:07 am

    I like fun colors, too! I don’t paint my nails nearly enough – I should do them more often!

  • khushboo March 22, 2011, 12:24 am

    Haha I so can’t picture you being a curser! I used to curse too much before but have improved a lot! When I’m p’d off though, its a different story..I can’t control myself and the f-word is all over the place! :-/

  • ashley @ ashley's adventures in alaska March 22, 2011, 12:27 am

    It’s sooooo hard to stop cursing! I’ve cut it down to maybe once or twice a day, but it was a tough few months to get it there. I had to reaaaaaally watch what I said before I said it- which has been good for me all around. 🙂 Super cute nail polish! I need to do something with my poor nails. They’re feeling pretty neglected.

  • Jess March 22, 2011, 12:31 am

    I have a potty mouth, too. I try not to worry about it too much unless I’m around my parents, or children. I feel like they’re just words, right? And I love that nail color!

  • erin March 22, 2011, 12:44 am

    I have an absolutely filthy mouth in real life. In fact, I swore (we don’t really say ‘cursed’ or ‘cussed’ in Aus!) so much on my blog that I had to put a disclaimer in the side bar letting people know that I do indeed come equipped with an acid tongue. I try not to use curse words against people, though. I’ll say that a situation is f-ed or scream out ‘motherf-er!’ when I do something silly, but I hope to avoid using my words as weapons.

    The regularity with which I refer to my best friend as a “cbombty miss” (rhymes with punty miss) is probably a bit alarming to hear from the outside, mind you.

  • Val March 22, 2011, 12:54 am

    I had a professor say to me (while getting my teaching credential), “There’s no such thing as bad language, there’s only inappropriate use of language.” That’s always stuck with me. Personally, I love a good f-bomb. There are inappropriate times and there are completely appropriate times. It’s like anything else, everything in moderation! 😉

  • Carin March 22, 2011, 1:12 am

    I often use the abbreviation FFS (for F…’s sake) when I’m feeling particularly frustrated – I thought about getting it printed onto a Tshirt, just to see whether anyone would ask what it meant.

    • Caitlin March 22, 2011, 9:19 am

      I like FFS! Does that count as not cursing? LOL

  • Kalyn March 22, 2011, 1:46 am

    Caitlin,

    I gave up cursing for Lent– it’s not going so well, ha! If you figure out any good tips, let me know 🙂

  • Maggie March 22, 2011, 1:52 am

    Our lip gloss collection looks similar–I LOVE the Neutrogena one because it has SPF. I don’t have quite as many Burt’s Bees, though! 😉

  • Maggie March 22, 2011, 1:52 am

    Our lip gloss collection looks similar–I LOVE the Neutrogena one because it has SPF. I don’t have quite as many Burt’s Bees, though! 😉

  • Robin March 22, 2011, 4:16 am

    I also gave up cursing for Lent. A couple of slips, but I am more focused about what I say!

  • Jumanah @ Healthy Living in the Middle East March 22, 2011, 5:35 am

    I never would have thought you have a potty mouth! I use to curse alot, but after hearing my daughter drop something then curse like I usually do, it made me stop really fast.

  • Sarah (Running To Slow Things Down) March 22, 2011, 6:24 am

    Your nail colors are so fun and full of spring! Love it. 😀

    As for cursing, I honestly never really cursed. I think I cursed once in my life, and that was by accident as a little kid (true story.) I do, however, overuse the word “like” which is just as bad, in my opinion. 😉

    Telling people that I was trying to stop certainly helped. It made me more conscious of it, but it did get slightly annoying when people would constantly tell me that I was using “the” word again..ha.

  • Erica March 22, 2011, 7:28 am

    I used to be a big curser! The way I stopped (or at least decreased my cursing) was to give myself other things to say instead of swearing. So now I say “shut the front door” and “flippin'” for f-word phrases. The other thing I did was to tell people that I was trying to stop, and that they should tell me if I swore. It helped.

  • Bridget March 22, 2011, 7:39 am

    Love your nail polish color!

    I stopped cursing out loud, but on IMs, I still let words fly. Hmm.

    I thought of you today, because I’m getting involved with 2nd Harvest Japan. Earthquake stress is why I haven’t been around–I’ve missed your blog. Can’t wait to catch up on it.

  • Sherri March 22, 2011, 7:47 am

    Hey Caitlin – to stop cursing, try to find fun/silly ‘curse replacements’. Like instead of the f-bomb, say ‘fudge’, instead of shut the f up, ‘shut the front door’, instead of ‘sh*t’, ‘sugar’, etc. The sillier the better. Have fun with it!

  • Amy March 22, 2011, 7:50 am

    I’ve never been a curser (though I like to use it in fiction writing, which is fun) so I guess I don’t have any advice. I’m just curious to know why you were stuck in a parking lot for an hour! That’s so random! I’m glad you found entertainment. 🙂

  • Laura March 22, 2011, 8:02 am

    I used to be a huuuuuuge curser. I pretty much dropped the f bomb in every single sentence I said…sometimes twice in one sentence. But, last year for Lent I have up cursing. It was pretty much the hardest thing I have ever done. I slipped once…but I was drunk…so I said it didn’t count. But, ever since giving up cursing for Lent last year, I’ve found that I rarely curse anymore….except during sporting events. But, just like when drinking, that doesn’t count either 🙂 So I think when you are done this challenge you’ll notice a significant difference in the amount that you curse!

  • MIchelle (Minding our Peas and Carrots) March 22, 2011, 8:21 am

    Just have kids….or borrow someone else’s! You learn pretty quickly to clean up your mouth, since you don’t want your three year old dropping the f-bomb. Since I have two under 5, I resort to “ball” jokes, or other slightly inappropriate humor, which they totally don’t get yet 😉

  • megan @ blackberries for jam March 22, 2011, 8:27 am

    When I lived in New York, I used to curse like a sailor! Working as a lawyer definitely contributed to that! Moving out of the city helped tremendously, but until I have kids I don’t think I’ll give it up completely. Good for you for cleaning up your vocabulary!

    Also, I heart Burt’s Bees!

  • Michelle March 22, 2011, 8:27 am

    I gave up cursing for Lent one year because it was out of control. I worked at a vet and when the animals don’t care what you have to say… its easy to walk around cursing up a storm. Now I work with kids and cursing is a big no-no!

  • Melissa March 22, 2011, 8:53 am

    I’m secretly glad that you curse. Makes me feel better about my potty mouth. (Guess I’m not so secretly glad now, right?)
    So, are the eggs from England better than the ones here?
    LOVE the nail polish. I just found THE BEST polish with fun colors that stays on forever and I can’t stop myself from buying up fun colors!

  • Mandy March 22, 2011, 9:00 am

    Well-behaved women seldom make history — Ulrich

  • Colleen March 22, 2011, 9:02 am

    My best advice is to stop listening to music with curse words, and rock out to the edited versions instead. This is hard to do, but the connection between what you listen to and what you say is amazing! Garbage in, garbage out.

  • Dori March 22, 2011, 9:18 am

    I am actually trying to curse more.

  • Cindy Robinson March 22, 2011, 9:24 am

    Hi Caitlin. My son is 2 1/2 and is picking up and repeating words instantly, so my cursing has gotten way better. I’m very cautious in front of him….perhaps you could pretend that you’re surrounded by your Girls on the Run team when you feel like cursing? Good luck 🙂

  • Michelle @ Turning Over a New Leaf March 22, 2011, 9:40 am

    I just read your tweet about how people are thinking you’re anti-feminist for wanting to stop cursing. I think that’s silly. Of course, I come from a different culture as well.

    Example. I have several guy friends. One of these friends (Kris) has told me in the past that he (and “all guys”) have a side they never show women. This side is vulgar, crass, bigoted, and perverted, and is only expressed around other men. Well yesterday I happen to stumble in upon on of these conversations. I don’t know if they were conscious I was still in the hallway or that I could hear EVERYTHING, but the moment Kris walked out and it was like night and day. Without missing a beat or seeming stunned to see me, he was immediately gentle, thoughtful, and sincere in his interactions with me. It was like I was in the twilight zone!

    I shared this with another guy friend of mine (Justin) and he said it was likely a cultural thing. Justin grew up in the Northwest, where he said guys are vulgar, crass, bigoted, and perverted no matter who is in their company. Kris grew up in the South, largely in Texas, where Justin observes many, if not most, men are more “gentlemanly” around women.

    So, could be a regional/cultural thing. Personally, I never picked up a cursing habit. It wasn’t in my parents’ vocabulary, so it never really made it into mine.

  • Annie@stronghealthyfit March 22, 2011, 9:44 am

    It’s interesting that you said you consider swearing to be un-lady-like. Is it gentlemanly, then? I think it can be crude for anyone to swear a lot, but I don’t think it should be particularly so for women. There’s something going on with women feeling as though they have to be nice, pleasant, and polite all the time.

    • Michelle @ Turning Over a New Leaf March 22, 2011, 10:05 am

      I’d agree. I really don’t enjoy hearing anyone swear, men or women. I just feel like there are so many more creative things to say, and swearing is just plain distracting.

  • Haleigh March 22, 2011, 9:48 am

    Absolutely in love with that nail polish!

  • Sabrina March 22, 2011, 10:07 am

    What worked for me when I stopped cursing was to come up with something else to say instead. f-bomb = fudge monkeys or something silly like that. That way you’re retraining yourself to say something different instead of trying to change your speaking patterns.

    Good luck! It’s totally worth it to stop — then when you do curse people know you really mean business 😛

  • Sean March 22, 2011, 10:18 am

    No advice on quitting cursing – they’re just words. I think the interview panel with Frank Zappa on Crossfire (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ISil7IHzxc) says it best… yeah it’s from 1986. 😉

  • Saima March 22, 2011, 10:19 am

    i feel ya…..working with children on ‘their’ speech has forced me to clean up mine 😛 i have also reduced my ‘like’ count as well to be taken seriously as a professional when conversing with parents! Hope you figure something out that works for you!!

  • kristin March 22, 2011, 10:26 am

    oh man when you find something that works please let me know because i NEED to stop cursing!!!

  • Cinemarie March 22, 2011, 10:41 am

    Ha ha I’m a French Canadian and in Quebec (the French province of Canada) its considered better to say f*** (which has no meaning in French…) than to use a French swear word. So it was interesting to see people being uncomfortable around me when I moved to an English province because I said f*** all the time thinking it came across like if I was saying ‘drats!’ LOL. I fixed the problem by saying ”f*** – oops I mean – ‘zut alors’ ” for years – it eventually worked. So maybe try to swap it for something silly and less offensive whenever you have the urge to say it (or whenever you say it by mistake:)

  • Amber K March 22, 2011, 12:35 pm

    While I watch what I say around others, I have no qualms about saying whatever I like when I’m alone or if it’s just my husband and I. Sometimes only the real word will do 😉

  • Erin March 22, 2011, 12:39 pm

    There are certainly inappropriate times to use curse words. But it’s not an un-ladylike habit! They’re just words.

  • Caitlin @ The Caitie Experiment March 22, 2011, 12:51 pm

    I have a serious potty-mouth in real life, too, and I’ve been trying to work on it for the past few months! As a result, I can make entire bus that couldn’t have cared less if I’d dropped an f-bomb burst into hysterics by a well-placed, “RATS!” Also fond of, and coworkers have caught me screaming at the copier: “CURSES!” and “MOTHERLOVER!”

  • Laura March 22, 2011, 12:59 pm

    I need to break the habit too. I have young kids and I’ve VERY careful of what I say around them, but really, you’re right it is not polite at any time!
    I love that nail color!

  • Heather March 22, 2011, 1:30 pm

    I think cursing is very unlady like, and being from the south too i think even more so I was taught it was rude. I have been known to unfollow people on twitter for repeatedly saying the F word, so don’t let it make you lose followers :0)

  • Savannah March 22, 2011, 1:57 pm

    I couldn’t read through all 107 comments so I don’t know if anyone suggested this yet, but maybe spend more time with kids. When I first started working with children I was terrified I was gonna accidentally drop and f-bomb but after 5 years it has still yet to happen. Somehow something inside of you just cleans up as a grown up in front of kids. I bet you don’t curse (or at least not as much) or your Girls on the Run events.
    But, P.S I think the fact that you curse is endearing!

  • Kiran March 22, 2011, 2:56 pm

    I just unfollowed someone who kept dropping the f*** bomb on twitter. So not cool 🙂

  • Jolene (www.everydayfoodie.ca) March 22, 2011, 11:17 pm

    I remember you mentioning that once before on your blog, and I thought, “I knew it! Caitlin is badass” 🙂

  • Sam @ the neurotic yogini March 23, 2011, 1:41 pm

    I’m right there w/ you on the cursing thing! I try so hard to keep tabs on my language.. it’s just difficult! Good luck with your potty mouth and i’ll try to watch mine too! 🙂

    That nail polish is just the perfect spring color, isnt it?! LOVE IT!

  • Alina March 23, 2011, 9:15 pm

    Heyy! Some of my friends curse, and one of them got out of the habit by having a curse jar, or a ribbon they wore around their wrist, so when they were about to curse, they would see the ribbon, and not swear. Another thing is to hang out more with people who don’t curse, it really works.

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