Friday, December 28, 2007

Moving on up

Well, I think I'm going to make the switch to Wordpress. I'm going to take the rest of the year off to get my new digs ready and then sometime in early 2008 (WHAT?!?), I'll unveil the new site.

Who am I kidding. I'm sure I'll post again in the next few days. 'Cause, you know, I can.

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Thursday Thirteen

I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday and that you got everything your little heart desires. Here's what was left under my Christmas tree this year. I'm quite happy...

  1. iPod Nano
  2. a BodyGlove Case for my iPod Nano
  3. iTunes gift certificate to load my iPod Nano
  4. 2 Starbucks travel coffee mugs (miscommunication on my part, I'm going to keep the ohe with the handle because it's so heavy it could double as a weapon. it's beautiful.)
  5. 2 Starbucks gift certificates
  6. Deceptively Delicious Cookbook
  7. A Joann's gift certificate
  8. A Royal Copenhagen plate.


  9. A Ticketmaster gift certificate
  10. A Simple Scrabooks subscription
  11. Some new pot holders and dish towels
  12. A new sudoku book
  13. And the coolest thing of all...2 packages of Butterfinger Fun Size bars.
Check out other lists at Thursday Thirteen.

Just in case you were wondering...

Evidently, if anyone needs to know the answer to the question "Was Harry Potter's mother a mogel person?", I'm the one you need to see...

LW 08 - Week 14

Oh my word. Seriously, I'm still full from yesterday. I don't feel like eating. And if I never see another Christmas cookie (or peppermint pretzel) again it will be too soon. I'm up a pound this week but I'm still below that 160 mark. I will be happy when the holidays are over and things start to settle down a bit...no more "Christmas treats" coming into the house...the kids back to school...a little more time to exercise...

It will happen. Patience is the key. Plus, my Fitness finally started coming so I'm really looking forward to doing that!

Visit Tales from the Scales to check out other people's progress!

12/19/07 weight: 158.5
12/26/07 weight: 159.5
This week's goal - To reevaluate the choices I've been making. I feel like I'm constantly playing catchup so I think I need to take a breather and start fresh.

Winning Outcome for Lose Weight in 2008 Challenge

“I will to maintain my weight between 154 lbs and 157 lbs throughout this challenge. I will increase weight training to 2 times a week. I will continue to do cardio work for 3 or 4 days a week. I will walk between 8,000 and 10,000 steps a day EVERY DAY.”

Wordless Wednesday - Yellow Ornament

We are back! All the presents are open, most of the trash has been trashed, and now we begin the great 2007 Toy Dig-Out. I haven't had a chance to download any new pics so here's another ornament shot. How long do you think I can milk this ornament thing for?? I hope everyone had a great holiday!!


Check out WW or 5 Minutes for Mom for more pics.

Friday, December 21, 2007

Fall Into Reading 2007 - Wrap up

I didn't quite get to finish everything on my list. I'm only halfway through my last book. The schedule of the season just caught up with me. Here's what I thought of what I was able to finish.

An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England (Brock Clarke) - This book was just quirky. I ended up feeling bad for the main character...he was just so simple. While it wasn't the best book on my list, it wasn't that bad. I'm not sure I would see out another book by this author, though.

Up High in the Trees (Kiara Brinkman) - This was a very quick read. It's written from the perspective of an 8 year old and it was beautiful. Some pages were only a line or two long, just quick thoughts. The story follows the boy and his family after the mother dies in a car accident. It's just a very well written look into the grieving process from every angle. I would definitely recommend this book .

When Crickets Cry (Charles Martin) - I think this might tie with Nineteen Minutes for my favorite book on this list. I was hooked on the book from the very beginning and would fall asleep while I was reading it because I just didn't want to put it down. It's heartbreaking and uplifting all at the same time...it definitely tugs on your heart strings.

The Other Mother (Gwendolen Gross) - I'm only about halfway through but I'm liking what I'm reading. One of the major pluses? The main character's name is Thea. I love that name!

Nineteen Minutes (Jodi Picoult) - I will definitely be readinf Jodi Picoult again very soon. As a matter of fact I already went to the library and got another of her books to take with me when we head out of town for the several days. She's a great writer and I gasped out loud when I got to the twist at the end. This was a great, great book.

The Blessing of a Skinned Knee (Wendy Mogel) - I didn't really like this book at all. I felt like I was being preached too about Judaism vs. Christianity and I didn't like the tone. I agreed with the concept of "learn from your mistakes" and such...but I didn't like the approach.

A Life's Work : On Becoming a Mother (Rachel Cusk) - Another one I wasn't so keen on. I actually only ended up skimming the book because the language was too flowery for me. I enjoy a good dose of Parenting Cynicism, but this was just downright negative. One of the reviews mentioned "laugh out loud", which I never did.

The Read-Aloud Handbook (Jim Trelease) - I think the next book list might involve a little more research. This is a great book if you need to be convinced why it's important to read to your kids...which I already know the benefits of. I thought this would be a little more "how to" then "why". The book list at the back did give me a lot of great book ideas for Jake, though, so it wasn't a complete loss.

Charlotte's Web (E.B. White) - We got about a third of the way through this and Jake said he didn't want to read it anymore because "there were too many words". I think I may have jumped the gun a little bit on getting him to read chapter books. We started the Arthur series instead and I think I might start him on Harry and Mudge soon...although he still loves his Dora books.

See how other readers fared at Callapidder Days.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

LW 08 - Week 13

O.K. So I jumped on the scale and this is what I saw: 158.5 . Now, I'm leaving for a few days so everyone have a great holiday. My kids lift you a message...

Visit Tales from the Scales to check out other people's progress!


12/12/07 weight: 159

12/19/07 weight: 158.5

This week's goal - Carry journal with me everywhere I go (instead of writing stuff down after I get home) and complete Week 1 of a new 8 week walking routine (from WW Magazine).



Monday - .5 mile in 10 minutes (did .6 mi in 12 min)

Tuesday - .75 mile in 13 minutes (did .8 mi in 15 min)

Wednesday - .75 mile in 15 minutes

Thursday - 1 mile in 20 minutes

Friday - 1 mile in 17 minutes

Saturday - .5 mile in 10 minutes

Sunday - rest
Total miles - 4.5



Winning Outcome for Lose Weight in 2008 Challenge

“I will to maintain my weight between 154 lbs and 157 lbs throughout this challenge. I will increase weight training to 2 times a week. I will continue to do cardio work for 3 or 4 days a week. I will walk between 8,000 and 10,000 steps a day EVERY DAY.”

Wordless Wednesday - Merry Christmas!

We are headed out of town for a few days and I don't expect to be back online until after Christmas, so I leave you with this going away message. Have a Merry Christmas, everyone!



Check out more pics at Wordless Wednesday or 5 Minutes for Mom

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Talk About Tuesday - New Nativity



When I was growing up, my mom had a Nativity that I really liked. All the pieces were made of felt and Styrofoam, so it was light and easy for me to handle (and Mom didn't care if I played with it). When she started getting the Christmas decorations out, she would set the Nativity pieces out on a low table covered in a white sheet...all except for the Baby Jesus. He would always be hidden away somewhere close by.

My mom sang in the church choir, so we usually went to the Midnight Mass because that's when the choir sang. At one point in the service, they would always turn off the lights and everyone in the church would have a lit candle. It was beautiful. Once the service was over, we would head home to get ready for bed. But since it was after midnight (and therefore Christmas Day), it would be my job to go get the Baby Jesus and put him in the manger.

Last year for Christmas, my mom gave me a box of fabric. Being that I don't sew AT ALL I was really confused. She explained that she was going to make me a Nativity just like hers, but she didn't have time to get it done. The fabric was what she was going to use to make it, so I needed to give it back to her. So I did, and then quickly forgot about it.

Last week, my mom shows up at my house with a box. I asked her what it was and she said it was my Christmas gift from last year. I had no idea what she was talking about so when I opened it, I was really surprised to see the Nativity she had made...and it looked exactly like the one I played with when I was growing up.

After she had gone, I found a low table and covered it with a blanket. I put it near the tree and set up all the pieces...except for the Baby Jesus. That'll be Jake & Emma's job come Christmas Eve.



Here's a picture of the complete set. That Baby Jesus is there purely for the picture. He is currently tucked away in a hiding spot, waiting for Jake and Emma to put him to bed on Christmas Eve. There are 3 Wise Men, 1 Shepherd (complete with white lamb tucked under his arm,) Mary, Joseph (and his pipe cleaner staff), and of course the manger and Jesus. The whole things weighs about a pound since it's all felt, Styrofoam, and pantyhose to cover the heads. The straw in the manger is just yarn glued to a piece of cardboard.


And here's a closeup of Baby Jesus!

Visit The Lazy Organizer for more Talk About Tuesday

Monday, December 17, 2007

The honeymoon is over

When I started this silly little blog, I chose blogger because...well...I didn't know anything else existed. I lived in a lovely state of ignorant bliss, but that feeling is starting to wane a little bit now that I've gotten my feet a little wet.

Blogger is simple enough to use, but there are some things that are definitely lacking. My biggest thing is that it doesn't have an auto-post feature. I really would like to have that. Cause sometimes I don't want to wait around 5 days to put my "day specific" posts up. My Wordless Wednesday drafts are piling up, I tell ya.

So, I'm thinking of moving to Wordpress. But I don't know much about it either. So it's time for you to chime in, my loyal readers.

What platform do you use? What do you love about it? What do you hate about it?

Help me, PLEASE!!

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Thursday Thirteen - Ornaments

I love Christmas ornaments. We have made it a family tradition that we all get a new Christmas ornament every year and then Santa leaves us each an ornament in our stockings. I also get some as gifts and have gotten the ones I had as a child from my mom. I'm not so big on the kinds of trees that have all the same ornaments or a theme. The way I figure, it's the history and the mish-mash of ornaments that give a tree it's character. Here are some of my favorites.


Big Bird Christmas Ornament

This is one of the first ornaments I received as a gift. I picked it out myself at our annual church craft bazaar and all my brothers and sisters got ornaments from the same booth that year. I think I was about 6.

Christmas Ornament

I just love this one, it's fancy without being gawdy.

Danish Christmas Star Ornament

My mom gave me this one last year. Either she or my grandmother made it. It's very small and is basically starched string. I'm sure the type of handiwork has a name, I'm just not sure what it is...

Handprint Christmas Ornament title=

This is Jake's first handmade school ornament. Emma should be making one this year, too.

Snowmen Sled Christmas Ornament title=

Dave and I received this the year we got married.

Felt Joy Heart Christmas Ornament title=

I love how simple this one is. The picture's not all that great, but it's a green felt heart with the word "joy" stitched on the front.

Hallmark Boy's First Christmas Ornament

Jake's first Christmas ornament from his first Christmas.

Angel Seashell Christmas Ornament title=

I really like how delicate this little angel is.

Swarovski Crystal Snowflake Christmas Ornament title=

We got this Swarovski Crystal ornament from our good friends. It's beautiful when you put it right in front of a bulb and how the light plays with it.

Hallmark Girl's First Christmas Ornament

Emma's first Christmas ornament from her first Christmas.

Peanuts Snoopy and Woodstock Skating Christmas Ornament title=

We love the Peanuts Gang in this house! This one is only about an inch tall so it can easily get lost amongst the bigger ornaments, but it makes me smile every time I look at it.

Angel Bell Christmas Ornament title=

This is another one I got when I was really young. It has a little bell hanging off of it and has my name etched into it.

Pewter Angel Believe Christmas Ornament title=

Merry Christmas!!

To see other's lists, be sure to visit Thursday Thirteen!

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

LW 08 - Week 12

This week, I am up a pound (again), but strangely enough I'm not all that upset about it. I'm not where I want to be and my jeans are a bit snug, but here is how I know it's going to be O.K.
  • In past years, I just stopped caring over the holidays. I knew I was going to gain, so it became a self-fulfulling prophecy. One more cookie, one more piece of pie, one more serving of _______. This year I care. I'm up, but I'm only up a pound (instead of 5), and I know it'll come off once things calm down.
  • I can't gain weight because then I will have no clothes to wear. I got rid of all my clothes in bigger sizes so that I wouldn't allow myself to gain the weight back. Now that a little has creeped back on, it's a reminder that I can't go any higher because I would have to go naked. Noone wants that.
  • Within 2 or 3 lbs, I have been at the same weight for 1 year. That's gotta count for something! I'm pretty darn proud of that, thank you very much!
  • Once my schedule calms down (the holidays are really throwing me for a loop this year), I will have time to get back to the gym. Besides me, the schedule we've been keeping is really getting to Jake. We're to the point that if we don't HAVE to leave the house, we don't. We've been on the go so much, we all need a little breather. Things will calm down after the first of the year.
  • My Fitness magazine will start coming soon. I hope.

Visit Tales from the Scales to check out other people's progress!

12/5/07 weight: 158
12/12/07 weight: 159

This week's goal - Breathe and sleep

Winning Outcome for Lose Weight in 2008 Challenge
“I will to maintain my weight between 154 lbs and 157 lbs throughout this challenge. I will increase weight training to 2 times a week. I will continue to do cardio work for 3 or 4 days a week. I will walk between 8,000 and 10,000 steps a day EVERY DAY.”

Wordless Wednesday - Self-Portrait


Check out WW or 5 Minutes for Mom for more pics.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Talk about Tuesday

After months of talking about it, we have finally booked our next Adults Only vacation! And while it's not Hawaii, it ain't too shabby!

From May 18th - 25th, 2008, we will be sailing the ocean blue on our 3rd Royal Caribbean cruise. We are sailing out of Los Angeles for a 7 night cruise on the Mexican Riviera. We will be stopping in Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta.

Now, if I can just get through the next two weeks...then I'll be able to switch my focus to beaches. And water. And fruity drinks with umbrellas. And room service.

And of course, buffets!

Monday, December 10, 2007

Um...

I just couldn't think of a clever title. My brain hurts. I've got so much on my plate over the next week and a half that I can't even begin to right a post on anything in particular. So revel in these random happenings of the past weekend and marvel at our upcoming schedule...

  • Jacob is old enough this year to participate in this year's Christmas pageant at church. It was this past weekend (dress rehearsal on Friday, performance on Saturday, and performance on Sunday). I was one of the 2 helpers that blindly volunteered to lead the preschool group for the performance. Dave taped parts of the show and there are a lot of cute shots of the kids and my butt while I try to keep the kids from running willy nilly on the stage.
  • Our church youth program has a fundraiser every year called Stop, Drop and Shop. It was on Saturday morning. You drop your kids off at the church for 4 hours and they babysit while you go out and shop....or get a massage like my friend did. Whatever.
  • We spent 45 minutes of that 4 hour chunk in line at the post office to correct the fact that they had stopped our mail almost 2 weeks before i told them they needed to. Great fun when you are expecting Christmas presents in the mail.
  • I went to the grocery.
  • Today was lunch with Santa. Well, actually, it was lunch with the parents and then after lunch Santa came and read everybody a story and passed out presents to all the kids. As soon as Jake heard he was going to get a present, he said "Will it be my color-by-numbers??" which is the ONLY THING he has asked for for Christmas. He got a puzzle.
  • Barring any snow delays, we have school on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
  • On Friday, we have rehearsal for our choir cantata.
  • On Saturday, we are going out to dinner and going to see Sweeny Todd.
  • On Sunday, we have our choir cantata in the early evening immediately followed by cookies and caroling at the church.
  • Monday and Tuesday involves packing and we leave on Wednesday for Illinois for Christmas
  • We get back to Ohio on Christmas Eve day and then sing at church at 8pm (after a 7 hour car ride).

Friday, December 7, 2007

Crossing the line...

O.K. I will be the first to admit that I have crazy hair. I've always had crazy hair. I will continue to have crazy hair for the rest of my life. Unless I shave it off which I would never do because if it's crazy now...God only knows how it would grow back.

It's thick. It's coarse. Some parts are curly, some parts are straight. And overall, it's pretty unruly. I know that, which is why I'm pretty comfortable making fun of myself as far as my hair is concerned. I can't find any right now, but I'm sure that somewhere there are pictures of me when I had long hair and I would do my Cousin It impression...

The Addams Family - Cousin It

Now it's a running family joke that whenever I wake up in the morning with particular bad bedhead that everyone must be sure to tell me that I have "Craaaaazy Hair". Another fun one is when people lose things and they come check to see if it got lost in my hair. Just the other day Jake was looking at a picture of my nephew (who happened to have long, curly hair in the shot) and said "Look, he's got Mommy Hair". And it's all in good fun. Like I said...I admit it, I have crazy hair.

But this morning, while we were watching Doodlebops, Jake said. "Rooney doesn't wear a wig, he just has crazy hair like you Mommy. Deedee and Moe wear wigs, though."

Doodlebops - Rooney Doodle

O.K. At what point did my hair turn into blue foam????

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Thursday Thirteen

I know I sounded like a Scrooge when I said I didn't like Christmas music. But after having choir practice tonight, I realize that there are some songs that I do really love to hear...just not a gabillion times over a 3 month span.

  1. O Holy Night
  2. Go Tell It On the Mountain
  3. Carol of the Bells
  4. Oh Come All Ye Faithful
  5. Here Comes Santa Claus (my mom has a music box that plays this and I've already told her that I want it left to me in her will...ain't I sweet??)
  6. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
  7. What Child is This
  8. Hallelujah Chorus
  9. Christmastime is Here
  10. Jesus, Jesus Rest Your Head (O.K. so I couldn't come up with 13, this answer is from Jacob)
  11. Jingle Bells (from Emma)
  12. Away in a Manger (Jacob again)
  13. Holy Baby, Holy Child
Visit other Thursday Thirteeners!

LW 08 - Week 11

You know what? I've been messing with the same pound for a few weeks now, but in the grand scheme of things, do you know how awesome that is? Considering the time of year and all the temptations that are around, I'm really, REALLY proud of myself for maintaining this week. I had 2 birthday parties and a staff Christmas party to go to and I still didn't gain. How can I be disappointed in that??

...Still no Fitness Magazine...the wait continues...the next best thing? I'm off to shovel snow!! Yippee.

Visit Tales from the Scales to check out other people's progress!

11/28/07 weight: 158
12/5/07 weight: 158

This week's goal - Journal my food before putting it in my mouth

Winning Outcome for Lose Weight in 2008 Challenge
“I will to maintain my weight between 154 lbs and 157 lbs throughout this challenge. I will increase weight training to 2 times a week. I will continue to do cardio work for 3 or 4 days a week. I will walk between 8,000 and 10,000 steps a day EVERY DAY.”

Wordless Wednesday - Tree Skirt

These crack me up. Who knew a tree skirt could be so much fun? Jake looks like some sort of folk dancer that you would see it an international Christmas festival... There is one of Dave, too, (where'd you think they got the idea?) but I'm afraid it will never see the light of day...


Check out WW or 5 Minutes for Mom for more pics.

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Who's that girl?

Have you ever heard a song on the radio that took you back to a time in your life that you never really think about until you hear the song?

I've got one. And those who know me (and even those who don't) might find it a strange choice for a song that conjures up good memories. It's Closer by Nine Inch Nails. I never really liked the lyrics, but the song was good to dance to at the "club" I used to go to a long, LONG time ago. I use the term "club" loosely because this wasn't your typical college campus, meat market, everybody knows about it type of place. To say this place was on the fringe would be putting it mildly.

If there was any color other than black that was worn in the place, it would be the electric blue of the lint that showed up on your black shirt as you walked under the black light at the door. Things were displayed at the bar that make me blush just thinking about it (hot candle wax anyone?), but I really liked the music. It was music you could dance to without the implication that you were only there to find a date. It was just a place to go and hang it with your friends...who were all dressed in black and laid claim to several different body piercings.

But anyway, one of the songs that was played quite regularly was Closer, and it makes me smile and start to dance in my seat a little bit whenever I hear it on the radio. It just brings back this feeling of youthfulness...memories of a time when being home by 1am was early and the only person you had to worry about was yourself and where you parked the car.

On Monday, Dave and I had a parent/teacher conference at Jake's preschool and one of the things we discussed with them were the pros and cons of all day Kindergarten. We decided we needed to visit the classroom before registration in March so we can weigh the full-day curriculum against the half-day's program. We then went out to lunch where we finalized our travel plans for Christmas so that we could make a stop in Indianapolis to visit the children's museum there. And on the way to pick up the kids from the bad spellers is when I heard Closer.

How can these two lives both belong to me????

Monday, December 3, 2007

There's something in The Mist

Stephen King's The Mist

Dave and I went to our favorite theatre over the weekend to see The Mist. I have never read a single Stephen King book or novella, but I really liked The Green Mile and The Shawshank Redemption so I was hoping that I wouldn't spend the movie with my face buried in my hands.

No such luck.

This was one of the most gruesome movies I've seen in a long, long time.

That being said, I can't say that I didn't enjoy it. It was not a fun movie. It was not at all a happy movie. And I would never watch it again if given the opportunity (purely because I'm a big scaredy cat), but all in all...the movie was really good.

The premise of the movie is that after a big storm in Maine, a town tries to pick up the pieces the next day. As the day begins, however, a strange mist starts rolling in off the nearby mountain and across the lake. And, as they say in the movie...There's something in The Mist. And it's not very nice.

The majority of the drama (and I do mean DRAMA) plays out in the town grocery store where people are trapped once The Mist rolls in. The movie takes the very best and the very worst of the human condition and throws them into the fire together to see which side makes it out on top. Neither side does very well, though. And although I hated Marcia Gay Harden's Mrs. Carmody with every fiber of my being, she really deserves some kind of award for that role. Andre Braugher (who I loved in Glory and City of Angels) is totally wasted in the movie.

The lead was played by Thomas Jane and he was awesome, as was the little boy who played his son...although I kept wishing someone would give the poor boy a Kleenex. They WERE in a grocery store for goodness sake. Couldn't someone have just popped over to aisle 3 and helped him out? Anyway...

The end of the movie had me crying as we left the theatre. Not in a good "I feel better now" kind of way...but in a "I feel totally violated" kind of way. Not necessarily a bad thing as far as things go, just not what I was expecting for my date night.

Bottom line...if you like horror movies, definitely go see it. The movie was really well done and very well acted. If you don't like horror movies, wait for it to come out on DVD and then watch it with the lights on. And pray that it's not foggy the next day.

Friday, November 30, 2007

In pursuit of the perfect car ride

As the kids' arm spans grow, so does our desire to get a new car.

Right now, we have 2 cars: a Hyundai Santa Fe (which I we use to cart the kids around and has become their mobile sparring ring) and a Hyundai Elantra (which Dave uses for work and when one of us has the glorious chance to go someplace without the kids....and date nights). We have been making noise about getting rid of the Santa Fe and getting a minivan for almost a year now, and the end of the year is the best time to buy.

But, minivans? Yeah. They are expensive. And there are so many to choose from. We love the Hyundais...they have been really good to us and they have great warranties. So now that they have a minivan, the Entourage was the first car we looked at.

But I keep getting seduced with terms like Dodge and Grand Caravan and Stow 'n' Go.

And Dave doesn't want to get a used car because he "doesn't want to inherit someone else's problems". Which is fine with me because, I got problems of my own.

And as my problems' arm spans grow, so does our desire to get a new car.

So I ask all of you loyal readers, what kind of car do you drive? Do you like it? What would you change about it? If you hate it but it's still running, can I just have it?

That'd be swell. Thanks!

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Thursday Thirteen

Dave and I are still trying to plan a vacation for sometime next year. We were originally thinking about Hawaii...but I don't think that's going to happen. We've decided to take another cruise and are just trying to hammer out a date. I'm getting pretty anxious because, well, I wanna be on vacation. Because vacations are pretty cool. Especially when there are no diapers to change and the only food I'll be cutting is my own.

I've already shared 13 places I would travel to if I had unlimited resources...here are 13 vacations I've actually been on...

Stratford, Canada - This was in my senior year of high school. They play host to the annual Stratford Shakespeare Festival and our drama club took a "field trip" up there. Talk about some good theatre... We saw The Mikado, A Midsummer Night's Dream (in the round... extraordinary), and The Importance of Being Earnest. Those last two shows became and have stayed 2 of my favorite stage shows.

Southern Caribbean Cruise - Our first cruise ever, and we loved it. We took the Royal Caribbean Adventure of the Seas. We sailed from San Juan, Puerto Rico and our ports of call were Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas...Philipsburg, St. Maarten...St. John's, Antigua...Castries, St. Lucia...and Bridgetown, Barbados. Despite the tropical storm that passed us off the coast of St. Maarten (it was a tad windy that day), we had a great time.

Western Caribbean Cruise - Cruise #2, once again with Royal Caribbean, this time on Explorer of the Seas...which made us realize we could become quite accustomed to this whole cruising thing. This time, we left from Miami, Florida and sailed to Labadee, Haiti...Ocho Rios, Jamaica...George Town, Grand Cayman(we'd go back here in a heartbeat)...and Cozumel, Mexico.

Tokyo & Hiroshima, Japan - Dave was doing so much work over there that when he got word that he might not be going back for a while, we booked me a ticket to go with him. It was unbelievable. I experienced my first earthquake, ate Sweet & Sour Squid, navigated the Tokyo subway system by myself without getting very lost, and saw sights like this in Miyajima.

San Diego, California - This would mark Jake's first...and to date, only...plane trip. Those two facts are not a coincidence. He was 18 months old and...let's just say that neither Dave or I deal well with strssed out, cranky kids. My brother was able to fly down from San Francisco for a few days while we were there, so that definitely made it worthwhile.

Cancun, Mexico - We took an all-inclusive Apple Vacation and have been forever spoiled. There's nothing like swimming in a pool with a drink in your hand. We couldn't get over how blue the water was. It was beautiful.

San Francisco, California - I consider this to be my first "adult" trip. I went out there with a friend from high school and it was just the two of us. We stayed with my brother for a few days and then went on to stay with her aunt for a few days. There's nothing more exhausting than walking across The Golden Gate Bridge only to find out that the only way back across...is to walk. That was fun.

New York City, NY - A weekend full of shows with Dave and 3 of our best "couple friends". Good times were had by all. We saw The Music Man (and I had my picture taken with Robert Sean Leonard), Les Miserables, and Our Sinatra.

Washington, DC - We had an exchange student my senior year of high school, and we wanted her to see the nation's capital so away we went. I remember nothing from this trip, except for a sign by the exit of a Smithsonian cafeteria that read "Do you have: your keys, your wallet, your purse, your kids". I always thought it was kind of funny that they listed kids last.

Mt. Washington, New Hampshire - I went, I climbed, I cried, I ate. Good trip.

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina - I remember nothing about this trip except for the tacky tourist gift shops and the huge miniature golf courses that seemed to exist on every single corner.

Orlando, Florida - I've never been a huge Mickey Mouse fan, but I have enjoyed my trips to Disney World. But did you know that there are other theme parks, there? I thoroughly enjoyed getting my hair singed off on the Jaws ride at Universal Studios.

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic - This was our honeymoon. Another all-inclusive. It was a new resort just recently cut out of the jungle. Which might explain why I ended up with over 80 mosquito bites the first night and why we both ended up in the doctor's office to get antibiotics just in case the mosquito bites got infected. Not to mention the unbearable humidity. And the bug that Dave got just before we left from getting some of the the local water in his mouth. Fun, fun, fun. It was a wonderful way to start a marriage!!

Visit Thursday Thirteen for other people's lists!

LW 08 - Week 10

I am up one pound this week, which I am totally cool with. Considering the mass quantities of food on Thanksgiving, being sick, and Jake being sick, I think I did pretty well. I've been on the treadmill a lot more in the past week than I have been in a while. I tried doing some light weights, but my hand is still a little sore when I lifted so I'll still have to take it slow.

I ordered myself Fitness magazine several weeks ago, but I haven't started getting it yet. I'm really anxious for it to come because I came up with what I think will be a workable plan. One of my problems is that I get bored really easily when it comes to working out. I figure if I stick to the workout in the magazine, I'll have a new routine every month. Hopefully that'll work for me, but I won't know until I start getting the magazine!!

Visit Tales from the Scales to check out other people's progress!

11/21/07 weight: 157
11/28/07 weight: 158
This week's goal - Post to my own blog before visiting others.

Winning Outcome for Lose Weight in 2008 Challenge
“I will to maintain my weight between 154 lbs and 157 lbs throughout this challenge. I will increase weight training to 2 times a week. I will continue to do cardio work for 3 or 4 days a week. I will walk between 8,000 and 10,000 steps a day EVERY DAY.”

Wordless Wednesday - Leaves


Check out WW or 5 Minutes for Mom for more pics.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Christmastime is here!

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

The tree is up (in a new location this year...I think we finally found a permanent home for it on the 3rd try)...

...complete with ornaments that Emma helped hang. It's hard to tell from this picture, but she felt the need to hang all of the ornaments we gave her on only 3 branches...

...and the stockings are hung...

...and the nativities are out...



O.K. Now it feels like Christmastime!!

See what everyone else has to say on Talk About Tuesday!

Monday, November 26, 2007

Silent Night

I have a confession to make. And it may make you hate me. But I have to get it off my chest and I refuse to feel ashamed for it...

I don't like Christmas music very much.

I like a good song every once in a while and there are definitely ones that make me cry every single time I hear them. Really, you haven't heard "O Holy Night" until you've heard Christine sing it in a candlelit church without a sound coming from the congregation. Gets me every time.

And I enjoy listening to A Charlie Brown Christmas (performed bye the wonderful Vince Guaraldi Trio) because I like the Vince Guaraldi Trio....not just because it's Christmas.

But to sit down and just have Christmas music playing in the background? It makes me want to get up and put in a different CD or change the radio station. We have one radio station in town that starts playing continuous Christmas favorites in mid-October. Or maybe it just feels that way, but they do play them for a REALLY long time.

I like to listen to music because I actually like the performer or band, not just because it's a certain season.

Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas....just not the "continuous Christmas favorites". So I am resigned to wait patiently until December 26th when the world returns to it's regularly scheduled programming.

Oh, and Bah Humbug.

Friday, November 23, 2007

Making a list and checking it twice

To all of you crazy sleep deprived determined folks out there who got up at last night to go shopping, I commend you. I don't really understand you, but I commend you. That takes courage.

I have my shopping list almost all done, except for Emma. I just don't have her figured out yet. She doesn't play with toys really, but she loves her some stuffed animals. I hate to spend her budget all on Care Bears though, so we might have to do some serious thinking on that one.

Serious thinking is not my strong suit. So maybe Care Bears aren't so bad. Or a Cabbage Patch Kid with red hair....oooh...I'm liking that idea.

Anyway, once I have my shopping list totally done, I'll hopefully be able to get everything I need on Amazon. Gotta love free shipping...and not having to leave the house to face all the crazy sleep deprived determined folks out there hitting the stores.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Thursday Thirteen

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! Today's list is terribly unoriginal and I have a feeling that it will be one you see a lot today! Here are 13 foods that will be on our Thanksgiving table. Evidently, if you like stuffing or dressing, my house is the place to be!


  1. Turkey

  2. Stuffing

  3. Stove Top Dressing (not to be confused with stuffing if you ask my husband)

  4. Some muffin thing made from stuffing (or dressing) that my sister is bringing. I have no idea what to expect from this one. She likes Rachel Ray so it might be this Apple and Onion and Stuffin' Muffin

  5. Cranberry Sauce (probably with the ridged lines from the can still on it)

  6. Corn

  7. California Vegetable Bake

  8. Mashed Potatoes

  9. Mashed Sweet Potatoes

  10. Oriental Ramen Salad (that is some good stuff. I'll have to watch myself on this one)

  11. Pumpkin Pie

  12. Apple Pie

  13. Duncan Hines Spice Cake with Lemon Icing (to celebrate my mom's birthday which is also tomorrow)

And the only part I'm making is the Stove Top and the spice cake. Gotta love it when all my stuff comes from a box!


See other people's lists here!

LW 08 - Week 9

First things first. Can I just say how excited I am that weigh-in is the day BEFORE Thanksgiving? Not that I'm going to blow it, but still. That's some great planning.

I did pretty well this week. I'm down a pound, which I'm very happy with considering everyone has been sick. But the Whooping Cough never reared it's ugly head so that's another thing to be very happy about. And before last night, I didn't have a single piece of Halloween candy. But really, what is it about the day before a weigh in (no matter what day the weigh in is) that leads me to overeat? I don't get it and it's still something that I struggle with.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Good luck on the choices that you make! And if those choices are bad ones, just pick up and start again on Friday. You can do it!!

Visit Tales from the Scales to check out other people's progress!

11/14/07 weight: 158
11/21/07 weight: 157

This week's goal - 2 Dairy Servings Every Day and not overeating on Tuesday nights.

Winning Outcome for Lose Weight in 2008 Challenge
“I will to maintain my weight between 154 lbs and 157 lbs throughout this challenge. I will increase weight training to 2 times a week. I will continue to do cardio work for 3 or 4 days a week. I will walk between 8,000 and 10,000 steps a day EVERY DAY.”

Wordless Wednesday

For more pics, visit WW or 5 Minutes for Mom

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Children of Eden

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Last Tuesday, I had mentioned that I was auditioning for a part in our church's yearly musical. For Dinner Theatre 2008, we are putting on Children of Eden.

Act 1 is a the story of Adam, Eve, Cain and Abel. Act 2 is about Noah and the flood.

I got cast as Eve. The songs are written for a soprano. I'm an alto. And I sing in 12 songs in Act 1 alone. In Act 2, I'll become a member of the chorus.

I'm freaking out a little bit because, well, I'm an alto and the songs are for a soprano. Did I just say that? If I did, it bears repeating. Because I'm an alto. Not a soprano. I'm just saying. Also, one of my best friends is playing Adam. And I have to kiss him.

And I'm not sure if you know the story of Adam and Eve, but they spend the first part of time in Eden...naked. We'll see how the costumers are going to pull that one off.

I'm anxious to get the music and script and get going with rehearsals. We'll start rehearsing in January and the show will be in March. But it'll be here before I know it.

Monday, November 19, 2007

A Time That Changed Me

When I was in grade school, it became very apparent that I was going to need braces at some point. My teeth were beyond crooked, my jaw "clicked" every time I ate, and my sister yelled at me almost nightly to chew with my mouth closed. It was obvious things were not growing the way they were supposed to, so we made the appointment with the orthodontist.

Little did my parents and I know what a huge ordeal we had just undertaken. The orthodontist hinted very early on that I may need oral surgery. He said he would give my braces four years to do their job and that we would reevaluate when those two years were up. I got my braces on in the spring of my 8th grade year. I remember that my class was taking a field trip to a nearby high school to watch their "student performance" of their spring musical. I missed the first act because I was getting my braces on. I wished I had missed the 2nd act so that I could go home and tear my teeth out.

Over the course of the next four years, I made my monthly visits to the orthodontists' office. In that time, I even had to go get an adult tooth extracted because it was not coming in. But when the four years was up, the changes that needed to occur to avoid oral surgery didn't happen. So we scheduled the surgery. I would have my top and bottom jaw broken and pinned back together in 4 places. I would be wired shut for at least 6 weeks, during which time, my diet would be limited to anything I could suck through a straw or otherwise get around my clenched teeth.

I had the surgery the summer between my junior and senior years of high school and spent my 17th birthday with my jaw wired shut. I had countless follow up visits. My parents had to rearrange the living arrangements at our house because I wasn't allowed to sleep by myself in case I started choking or had to be sick. My equilibrium was thrown completely off kilter because of the swelling and how close the surgery had been to my sinuses. I had to learn to talk and articulate without moving my jaw. My sister and I joked that I had turned a major corner when I was able to pronounce "Philip's Milk of Magnesia". I wouldn't let my mom take pictures of me because of how hideous I felt I looked with all the bruising and swelling. To this day, I ask my husband, Dave, to check my chin for spilled food because I never regained full feeling there.

And through it all, my mom and dad showed me what it was to be a parent. If it weren't for them, I'm not sure how I would have made it through that surgery and the two more surgeries that became necessary. From rolling me over in bed when I didn't have the energy to do it myself, to picking me up from the bathroom floor because I had fainted yet again, to putting Peanut Butter Cream Pie and vanilla ice cream in blender to celebrate my 17th birthday, they exemplify what it means to love.

As you prepare this week for your Thanksgiving holiday, don't forget to take the time to remember those people and times in your life that have changed you. Without those experiences, whether good or bad, you would not be who you are today.

This is an entry into Scribbit's November Write-Away Contest.

Friday, November 16, 2007

Whoopdidoo!!

For the past 2 or 3 weeks, there has been a Whooping Cough outbreak in our school district. The majority of the cases are in the high schools (49 out of the 55 reported cases) with the other 6 scattered throughout the rest of the district.

I haven't really been too concerned about it because the preschool Jake and Emma go to is actually in another district. On top of that, I think we are the only people at the preschool from our district so I didn't really think about "cross-contamination" or anything like that.

Because I live in a bubble...and it burst yesterday

The preschool has had 2 reported cases of Whooping Cough in the last 3 days. Just to give you an idea of how that might affect us: there are 4 rooms in the preschool (basically, it's one hallway of our church). Jake's and Emma's classes occupy the rooms on the left side of the hall. The kids who are sick are in the classrooms on the right side of the hall. Because Jake is in the 4 year old class, he actually gets to switch rooms once a day with the class...across the hall.

Have I ever mentioned I'm a hypochondriac? If I get a hangnail, I'm convinced that in a week I'll drop over dead of pneumonia (which I found out yesterday our pastor has). Evidently hypochondria crosses generational lines because know i just "KNOW" that Jake and Emma will both have Whooping Cough within the week. Never mind that they don't actually have to go back to school next week because of Thanksgiving. I just "KNOW" that they are going to get it.

Did you know that Whooping Cough has a 9-21 day incubation period? And that it can last for 2-10 weeks? And that it sounds like this? And that it can cause cracked ribs and pneumonia?

Even anyone has any spare surgical masks and Lysol that you could send my way, I would be most appreciative.

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Thursday Thirteen

Between my hand, the kids, and the weather (we seem to have skipped fall and gone straight to winter in Ohio), I seem to have found myself in the middle of a pessimist streak. As I was sitting here thinking of what I was going to do for my Thursday Thirteen, I decided I needed to do something positive....

Here are 13 things that make me laugh out loud:
1. Emma smacking herself in the head. I know it sounds cruel, but when she sits at the dinner table and does it for 5 minutes straight, it gets to be kind of funny.
2. My 67 year old father's hysterical laughter caused by the first two minutes of the following clip:

3. Most any segment of Who's Line Is It, Anyway? Here's a particularly good one...

4. Listening to Dave trying to do an English accent. French he can do. English...not so much.
5.
6. When Dave tries to teach me whatever dance move he has to learn for any show he's in.
7. The fact that (even though I'm an alto) I was just cast in a show...as a soprano. This should be good.
8. Jacob's dancing. That boy's got moves.
9. Sitting around eating Chinese food (Crab Rangoon, anyone?) with my two best friends talking about who has more gray hair.
10. Baby Blues comic strip.
Baby Blues
11. Quite often, my own stupidity.
12. Jake and Emma laughing. Together. Because they're playing nicely.
13. It's violent, but it makes me laugh every time...


Check out other people's lists at Thursday Thirteen

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

LW 08 - Week 8

My hand is doing a lot better this week and I even went bowling today without much pain (although I did wear my brace) so I'm feeling pretty good about life. And after last Saturday when i had had 2 huge bowls of Life Cereal and a fun size Snickers Bar...by 9:30am...I decided I need to make some changes.

So I have journaled everything that has gone into my mouth for the past 4 days and I am back up to 7500 - 8500 steps a day on my pedometer. I still can't really do any weight lifting with my right hand, so that'll have to wait...but I'm down 1.5 lbs this week. I'm pretty excited about that.

Visit Tales from the Scales to check out other people's progress!

11/7/07 weight: 159.5
11/14/07 weight: 158
This week's goal - No Halloween candy

Winning Outcome for Lose Weight in 2008 Challenge
“I will to maintain my weight between 154 lbs and 157 lbs throughout this challenge. I will increase weight training to 2 times a week. I will continue to do cardio work for 3 or 4 days a week. I will walk between 8,000 and 10,000 steps a day EVERY DAY.”

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Wordless Wednesday - Corn Maze




I know this last one is green, but we were in a green tent. Just look at the size of that head of cabbage!!

For more pics, visit WW or 5 Minutes for Mom

Audition Time!

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
In my effort to find all things bad in my life, I totally forgot to mention that I had an audition on Sunday!

Every year, my church puts on a full scale musical (usually 30-40 people involved on stage alone) and this year we are doing Children of Eden. The auditions were on Sunday and again tonight and I should know sometime this week (hopefully) if I got a part.

I kind of fumbled the auditions because they changed the format at the last minute and I didn't realize it was changed. And then I left my audition music at home...which means I had to sight read a piece of music I had never seen before. Good fun!

I think I did O.K., but we'll see when the cast list comes out!

For more Talk About Tuesday, visit Lara at The Lazy Organizer!

Monday, November 12, 2007

The glass is just EMPTY!

I was sitting here today thinking about what I was going to blog about, because I had "writer's block". My first actual thought was:

"I've got nothing to blog about...nothing bad has happened..."

Can anyone say ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT?

For tomorrow's installment, maybe I'll do something crazy and blog about how WELL everything is going.

I know, it'll be a stretch.

Christmas Giveaways!

Christmas Giveaway 2007 Sweepstakes

5 Minutes for Mom is at it again with the giveaways! Click on the button above and it will take you to the post that lists all the giveaways they are hosting until 11/25. Check it out!

Friday, November 9, 2007

Taking a breather...

Thankfully, my hand is feeling much better today so I thought I'd try to write a post with substance...and type with 2 hands. It's the little things in life, really...

The last few weeks, I have not been paying very much attention to my calendar when it comes to scheduling new things. This is everything I've had to do this week:

Sunday: Sang at 9:30am service, home by 11:00 and back out the door by 11:05 to go to the grocery. Got home by 1pm, out the door by 2:15pm to take Jake to Christmas Pageant rehearsal, back home to make dinner, after dinner made a snack for monthly Mom's group get together on Monday morning. I made enough to hopefully last 2 or 3 days at our house (Jake loves him some muffins).

Monday: Went to Mom's group from 9:15am to 11:15am. Relaxed (read: blogged) in the afternoon. Made dinner and then went to another meeting Monday night.

Tuesday: Took Jake to school and then ate an unbelievably unhealthy a really good breakfast in the car. I shopped at Wal-Mart for nearly 2 hours then picked the only self-checkout lane that was broken. I picked Jake up from school, took both kids to the bad spelling daycare, so I could go to the doctor about my hand. I called my parents once I got to the doctor to ask them if they could pick the kids up from the bad spelling daycare because the doctor was 45 minutes behind. I waited 45 minutes for them to tell me that I have tendinitis and a possible chipped bone in my hand. On the way to the x-ray facility, I stopped and ate an unbelievably unhealthy a really good lunch in the car. I waited 30 minutes to get x-rays and then went to the pharmacy to pick up an ungodly sized pill bottle and wrist brace. While picking up my prescription, I remembered that I was supposed to bring snack for bowling on Wednesday and picked up an unbelievably unhealthy a really good cinnamon pound cake and grapes. I called Dave to ask him to pick up an unbelievably unhealthy a really good dinner on the way home (hey, at least I was sitting at a table this time).

Wednesday: I took the kids to school and went to bowling...even though I couldn't bowl. I ate too much unbelievably unhealthy really good cinnamon pound cake and grapes. I came home and had lunch and then put the kids down for naps. I tried to read and comment on blogs while trying to mouse and type only using my left hand. I finally had a decent meal for dinner and headed off to choir practice until 9pm. Come home and had ice cream.

Thursday: Took Jake to school and came home with Emma to...do nothing. I finally started feeling a little normal with my hand. Got a call to confirm that our furniture will be arriving between 9:30am and 1:30pm tomorrow. Got another call to confirm that our microwave will be repaired between 1:00pm and 5:00pm tomorrow. Got another call to confirm that the kids have to be at the doctor at 10:00am tomorrow. Got some stuff done around the house and remembered that I was supposed to bring snack for the preschool board meeting that night. Since the first batch of muffins didn't make it past Tuesday, I made more muffins, hopefully to last 2 or 3 days at our house (Jake really loves him some muffins). I went and had an unbelievably HEALTHY lunch with Dave and the kids. Relaxed (read: blogged) in the afternoon. Ate dinner and headed off to preschool meeting where 2 other people also thought it was there turn to bring in snack. I had 1 brownie, 2 muffins, 2 cookies, and 3 pieces of Halloween candy...then tried not to explode during the meeting.

Friday: In light of the furniture being delivered at the exact same time that the kids had to be at the doctor, Dave had to work from home this morning. I Took the kids to the doctor and came home. The furniture was delivered 30 minutes after I got home, and we realized the furniture showroom must be much more spacious than our sunroom because the chairs look huge. We wiped the half chewed carrots off the brand new chairs because Emma spits a little when she talks with carrots in her mouth. I put Emma to bed late because the microwave repair guy got there right when I would normally be putting her down. I paid the microwave repair guy and thanked heaven that one of the two parts that broke had a 5 year warranty (instead of 1 year like the rest of the microwave) and actually costs more than the microwave itself. I put Jake down for his nap and realize that I REALLY want to type something...anything...with two hands and put up an insanely long rambling post...

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

LW 08 - Week 7

This'll be a short post...my hand is pretty sore today. Weight stayed the same this week. I did average about 7k steps a day last week so that's a definite improvement. This week, I would honestly be happy if I maintain. I'm pretty bummed about my hand so I don't feel like doing much of anything...

Visit Tales from the Scales to check out other people's progress!

10/31/07 weight: 159.5
11/7/07 weight: 159.5

This week's goal - Maintain

Winning Outcome for Lose Weight in 2008 Challenge
“I will maintain my weight between 154 lbs and 157 lbs throughout this challenge. I will increase weight training to 2 times a week. I will continue to do cardio work for 3 or 4 days a week. I will walk between 8,000 and 10,000 steps a day EVERY DAY.”

Wordless Wednesday - Goggles


For more pics, visit WW or 5 Minutes for Mom

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Medically necessary blogging break

You know it's been a bad day when you come home with a bottle like this...

that's actually as big as your hand...


which now has to wear one of these 12 hours a day:


After a week and a half of wrist pain, I finally went to the doctor today. After ordering an x-ray and determining that there was no break, I've been diagnosed with tendinitis in my wrist so I'll be taking the rest of the week off save for a few short posts...using the mouse and typing with your left hand is a lot harder than it sounds!

Monday, November 5, 2007

My Growing Boy

I think we are in the midst of a pretty major growth spurt for Jacob. It remains to be seen, though, if it will manifest itself in some serious weight gain or some serious inches gained. And at 4 years old, he's got pounds and inches to spare on most of his peers.

As of today, he's 3' 8.5" and weighs 48.5 pounds. That's 94th % and 93rd % respectively. And he just started wearing size 6 clothes. For the first time at Target, we had to cross the aisle. Honestly, we probably could have crossed 6 months ago, but my son is only 4 and I had a hard time wrapping my mind around that.

The other day for lunch he had 3 hot dogs, a yogurt, fruit, and 2 glasses of milk. Yesterday, it was 2 sandwiches, yogurt, fruit and pretzels. He finishes what used to be a full meal, and then promptly asks for more.

I'm not sure I can keep up with him at this rate. I might just have to start showing him how to cook, because Dave and I can't keep the food coming fast enough for him.

Oh wait. I guess someone needs to show me how to cook first...

Friday, November 2, 2007

We have 2 winners!

Well, the Fall Y'all Giveaway is officially over...at least on this blog, and we have 2 winners!

The winner of the $25 Ticketmaster G.C. was Amy at Home for Them.

The winner of $30 worth of Organizing Bags was Helene at The Sun-Kissed Home

Congratulations, ladies, and thanks to all of you who entered!

Thursday, November 1, 2007

Thursday Thirteen

It's official. My mind is total and complete sludge today. Ain't a whole lot going on upstairs so I'll need to do a super simple Thursday Thirteen list. Here are 13 songs that are on my iPod:

  1. A Piece of Eight - Children of Eden soundtrack
  2. So Much to Say - Dave Matthews Band
  3. You're All I Need to Get By - Marvin Gaye
  4. Nightingale - Norah Jones
  5. Life, in a Nutshell - Bare Naked Ladies
  6. Little Miss S - Edie Brickell and The New Bohemians
  7. Marry the Man - Guys and Dolls Soundtrack
  8. Sweet Baby James - James Taylor
  9. Inside Out - Phil Collins
  10. Only in Dreams - Weezer
  11. Shadows of the Night - Pat Benetar
  12. Waterloo - Abba
  13. When Tomorrow Comes - The Eurythmics
Visit Thursday Thirteen for more lists!

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

LW 08 - Week 6

Seriously? Up 2.5 pounds? I'm not buying it. I know that's what the scale says, but I'm not buying it. But just in case it's right, here are the reasons why:

1. I'm not doing any weights.
2. I'm not doing any cardio.
3. I have been averaging around 3500-4000 steps a day.
4. I've been feeling a little off in my digestive region.
5. My portion sizes are astronomical.

Go. Me. Although I did manage to not eat anything after 9pm this whole week. Go! Me!

Visit Tales from the Scales to check out other people's progress!

10/24/07 weight: 157
10/31/07 weight: 159.5

This week's goal - Walk 10 minutes, 3 times a day

Winning Outcome for Lose Weight in 2008 Challenge
“I will maintain my weight between 154 lbs and 157 lbs throughout this challenge. I will increase weight training to 2 times a week. I will continue to do cardio work for 3 or 4 days a week. I will walk between 8,000 and 10,000 steps a day EVERY DAY.”

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Wordless Wednesday - Pumpkins



For more pics, visit WW or 5 Minutes for Mom

TV Time

Dave was in a show over the weekend (he played one of the brothers in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat) and while he was gone for rehearsals over the last 4 weeks, I fell into a familiar trap...

Jake and Emma have been watching WAY too much TV. And I completely recognize that it's totally my fault.

I just got finished reading The Read Aloud Handbook and the last chapter talks about the role TV plays in kids development and school performance. It talks about a couple electronic devices you can buy to monitor and administer TV time. But I'd like to think that there's another solution.

How do all of you handle TV (or Screen) Time in your house? What suggestions and advice can you offer. I'm up for anything (well...almost anything) at this point!

Fall Ya'll Giveaway - Organizing Bags


And so it continues....Day 2....

Shannon (from Rocks In My Dryer) is hosting The Fall Y'all Bloggy Giveaway this week over at her other site, Bloggy Giveaways. You heard it right, this WHOLE WEEK! Woohoo!

Basically, I post something to give away (as in "totally free to you"). You leave me a comment telling me that you want it. I choose a random commenter on Friday, November 2nd. That person wins! Sounds simple enough, right? Right. You don't even need a blog to win! (But please make sure you leave me a way to get in touch with you.)

Today, I am giving away some Organizing Bags designed by Lara over at The Lazy Organizer. Simply, click on the "Organizing Bags" link in my sidebar. Leave me a comment on what size bag you like best and what you could use the bag for. The comment that's chosen as the winner will receive any combination of bags you choose, but the total value cannot exceed $30.

I will close comments for this drawing at 3:00PM Eastern Time on Friday, November 2nd. All duplicate entries will be deleted before the drawing and winner will be picked randomly from all entries that remain.

Thanks for stopping by and GOOD LUCK!

Monday, October 29, 2007

Fall Ya'll Giveaway - Ticketmaster G.C.


It's here! It's here!

Shannon (from Rocks In My Dryer) is hosting The Fall Y'all Bloggy Giveaway this week over at her other site, Bloggy Giveaways. You heard it right, this WHOLE WEEK! Woohoo!

Basically, I post something to give away (as in "totally free to you"). You leave me a comment telling me that you want it. I choose a random commenter on Friday, November 2nd. That person wins! Sounds simple enough, right? Right. You don't even need a blog to win! (But please make sure you leave me a way to get in touch with you.)

I am giving away a $25 Ticketmaster Gift Certificate. Use it on yourself or give it as a Christmas or birthday present to someone you love! This contest is open to anywhere Ticketmaster serves (including all you "international" folks), so please double check your area before you enter the contest.

I will close comments for this drawing at 3:00PM Eastern Time on Friday, November 2nd. All duplicate entries will be deleted before the drawing and winner will be picked randomly from all entries that remain.

Thanks for stopping by and GOOD LUCK!