This Mommy Thing

I wish I could explain the strange connection I have to Little Man.

I assume that most other mothers have the same kind of connection to their children.

It's strange.

And wonderful.

And terrifying.

And I wouldn't change it for the world.

Too Close for Comfort

Guys, it's happening.

The thing that I thought would never happen, is happening.

I am within 15 lbs. of my goal.

I am fitting into most of my old clothes.

And I am getting complacent.

Not that I haven't given myself allowances before, but I was at my goal weight before.

Now, I am not.

I am 15 lbs from my goal weight.

Which is still about 20 lbs. higher than any of the 6 ft. 2 America's Next Top Model contestants.

But I have been watching The Biggest Loser...

And being thankful that I am only 15 lbs. away from my goal weight.

So I am slacking off.

Case in point, I didn't go running this weekend.

Case in point, I let myself have a 4 day vacation from exercise of any (real) kind.

I may not have eaten too unhealthy (only 1 bowl of ice cream and some baked apples with whipped cream as far as the desserts go....)

But I am frustrated with myself. 

Because I didn't stick to my diet.

I didn't exercise.

I didn't work hard enough.

Especially not hard enough for someone whose goal was to be 12 lbs. lighter 4 weeks from now.

So what to do now?

Wallow in it?

Kick myself for not running when the weather was nice (albeit, uber windy) instead of this disgusting rain?

Well, I'll tell you...

My plan of attack is pretty drastic....

Ready for it???

I am going to keep doing what I have been doing.

Mindblowing, right?

It's worked so far.

25+ lbs. don't lie....

I am going to make myself do the things I hate the most (i.e., 30 Day Shred, anyone???)

I am going to work just as hard as I did when I first started. 

I am going to run.

I am going to eat right. 

WHEN I CAN.

I am going to enjoy holiday parties.

I am going to live my life.

And be healthy and thoughtful about it.

So, how about you?

How'd you do this holiday weekend?

Did you stick to your goals?

Did you cave and eat a bowl of ice cream?  (Jillian keeps Ben and Jerry's in her freezer.  I saw it on Entertainment Tonight.  And I believe everything I see on ET!!!!)

What's your game plan for the upcoming holiday season?

Anyone? 

Hello???

Is anyone still reading this?

*Sigh* 

Oh well....

Good thing I enjoy talking to myself...

Sweet Shutterfly...bum bum bum...good times never seemed so good!

For all those avid bloggers out there, here's a promo you just can't miss.

My friend, Roberta, made sure that I didn't miss it. 

And since I am nice, sweet, humble, the-best-friend-you-will-ever-have, euphoric over my Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, possibly feverish from THE BUG, etc., I am sharing it with you.

Ever used Shutterfly?

I may have.

Just a time or 2 bazillion.

And this year, I have been daydreaming about sending out Christmas cards like no other year ever.

You know. 

The photo cards.

The ones that ensure that my shining face will be seen on someone else's fridge for years to come because no one can stand to throw a photo away. 

(I litterally have photo cards from like 3 years ago on my fridge...seriously.  3 YEARS, people!  It's time to LET GO!)

But seriously, Shutterfly has some of the stinking cutest cards ever! 

Seriously.

If I change my name to Henshaw, can I make this my Christmas card?  Pretty please?

Family Wall Red

Or maybe Hager for this card???

With Love Chartreuse

I love all things Chartreuse.  ALL.THINGS.
And can I even talk about how easy their gift tags would make my life?

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I have been known to have "a thing" for Mister Penguin and Beary Merry this time of year.

It's a big problem.

And I might just have to have them. 

Techy will understand, right?

RIGHT???

So, once Christmas themed ideas are used up, how about a birthday???
i.e., That Little Man in my life whose birthday is quickly approaching???

i.e., The one who will forever hate me for delivering him 3 days after Christmas?

Yeah, you can expect to see one of their personalized invites in your mailbox soon.  (Hopefully.  IF I can get my act together soon...)

Blue Star...UH-dorbs!

Pop Blocks Blue  (um, YES, please!)

Betcha can't tell what mommy's favorite colors are???

Or maybe what colors I like to see Little Man framed in....

Just saying.

Now, just to top it off, did you know that if you have a blog, Shutterfly (i.e., the most amazing company ever) is willing to give you 50 free Christmas cards?

That's right.

Just follow this link, sign up, and get ready to order your faves!!!!

Thanksgiving - A Recap

As you may have seen, we did survive Turkey Day as well as Black Friday, but you should know, it was not without a few tears.

Yes, the meal was delish. 

Yes, the turkey was beautiful.

Yes, we all gorged ourselves.

No, I did not exercise one minute after midnight on Wednesday.

I really didn't sleep much, either.

But let's just say that a very small bug - let's call him the Puke Bug - may have struck a couple times.

And let's just say, we are all on pins and needles to see if/when he will strike again.

He may have totally ruined any chance of getting our Christmas Card photos done this weekend.

If you haven't entertained the Puke Bug at your house this year, then lucky you. 

He's already been to my house twice this year.

Very unwelcome visitor that he is.

Rude at that - unannounced arrival and all...

And on a holiday, no less!!!

But such is life.  Especially my life.

I am very disappointed in my lack of exercise this weekend. 

Even if I did work out half a dozen times on Wednesday and did not gain a pound over the weekend.

I do assume that shopping for 9 hours straight counts as some type of cardio, especially considering my heart rate was up the entire time.  (What can I say, good deals get my blood pumping!)

But that doesn't keep me from being disappointed in my lack of exercise. 

Especially when I read this post.

Yeah. 

Thanks, Happy Runner.

Just what I needed to twist the knife today.

At this rate, I won't reach my goals for another 3 months....

Guess it's time to climb back on the horse, er...elliptical.  Whatever.

Anyway, all that to say, I certainly hope your Thanksgiving weekend was smoother than mine was, even if I did get several amazing deals!

The Viking Inside

We pillaged.

We plundered.

And now we sleep.

Happy Black Friday, Ya'll!!!

Dear World

I survived.

The bird didn't.

It wasn't pretty. 

But I won.

Boy-cotting

For the next few days, I may be a little busy. 

Please pardon me if I don't send a Helpful How-To or My Honest Opinion post your way.

Just look at the down time as investigative research for amazing posts next week.

Good luck to all you fellow cooks and shoppers! 

I expect to hear updates!

Hugggs!  (Not to be confused with UGG's which I have on good authority are already at BF sale price over here...)

Dancing Queen

I may well be the worst dancer in history.

Rivalling even Elaine from Seinfeld.

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I blame this on my background.

You know the Baptist in me that just won't quit.

And yet, I love to dance.  As in, boogie my face off all the time. 

This morning, while I was humming a tune and boogyin' in the shower, I had a faint rememberance of my first experience with dancing.

I was about 16.  (I know.  SO.LAME.)

I had been asked to help out at a wedding reception for a friend of mine.  She was Pentecostal....  And let me tell you, Pentecostals know how to PAR-TAY!  The sheltered little Baptist in me had never seen a reception the likes of this party.  E-V-A-H!

Once my job was done, I sat down at my assigned seat and started to enjoy my meal. 

And that's when it happened. 

The only other person between the ages of 7 and 27 in the room found me.

And asked me to dance.

I could have died.

Maybe because I was afraid my mother would find out. 

And maybe because I had never danced any more than in my bathroom while singing into a hairbrush.

Maybe.

Suffice it to say that I thoroughly embarrassed myself that day.

But I danced (poorly) alot. 

My one redeeming quality from that day was that I could hold my own on the karaoke machine.

Yes.  Amazingly classy fun with the karaoke machine at this wedding.

I happen to do an amazing imitation of Leann Rhimes.

Well, old school, teenage Leann Rhimes.  Yodelling and all.

I made my mark that day.

And fell in love with dancing.

And I will honestly attend any wedding just for the prospect of dancing.

I may or may not have gotten into a huge fight with my husband over it at a good friend's wedding.

And I may or may not have made him leave because of how heated it got.

Just to spice things up, I found this video taken at a wedding last year, that proves that even 9 months pregnant, I love dancing.



It may also prove that my skill is no better now than it was then.

It may also prove how much Techy secretly enjoys to dance to skeevy rap songs from the early 90's.

P.S.  Sick of the videos yet?

Loverboy...

I thought I had another 13 Years before this happened....

UGH.  Looks like a long road....

Just in the Nick of Time

This arrived to my cubicle today.

And we're off! 

I just marked off several KNOWN names on my list.

What a relief!

I was about to break a sweat.

And that's never pretty.

Investigative Research and Holiday Shopping

I just made my Christmas list.

a la the Target lady's tip #6, I triple checked it.

And suddenly, I am panicked. 

For several reasons.

1.  I have NO IDEA what to get Techy for Christmas.  (For reference sake, among his most memorable gift requests were a "comb" and a "big cup" - this man is IMPOSSIBLE)

2.  We have yet to draw names for my family.  Meaning that my Christmas list still has an unknown on it!  How am I supposed to plan for the unknowns!?!  ohmyword.

and

3.  Did I mention that someone in my house is turning 1 a mere 3 days after Christmas?

As in, what was I thinking when I had a baby 3 days after Christmas?!!?!

Who let this happen?????

AND

Shouldn't I have planned my baby's birthday party BEFORE I started working on my Christmas list?

Techy and I have consistently argued about the 1st birthday party.  He wants it big, I want it small.

But at this rate, if I want it at all, I better get to work on it soon!  I mean, seriously.  Invites should have gone out like today.

By the way, when you have a baby whose birthday is 3 days after Christmas AND you plan to send out Christmas cards as well as party invites, you should probably invest in a couple bazillion forever stamps. 

Because that kind of stampage alone could break the bank. 

Especially at the current rate of change in our postal system.

Nevermind the other 236 things we send out every year. 

The race...You know you wanna know...

You may have heard something about a little race this weekend?

Totally me.  Totally 5 minutes before it started.  Totally had just finished watching my friend Carrie rock the 10k.  Totally shaking in my boots.  Err, Adidas's.  Whatever.

Again, totally just before race.  Totally trying to psych myself up.  "I think I can, I think I can!"

Confession time:

Part of me feels so lame.  I mean, 3.1 miles is so JUST 3.1 miles.  But I finished it. 

I ran the entire time.

Even on the hills.

And my music selection was better than ever.

As in, I started the race to "Boom, Boom, Pow", and finished to "Break Your Heart" by Taio Cruz.  Um, YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

Thank you, Pandora. 

My time wasn't great, but better than any of my other times.  33:52. 

Which I think equates to something like a 10:55 mile.  Not great.  But faster than my previous times.  And that was WITH hills.  (My training was all VERY, VERY flat.)  I actually shaved 37 seconds off of my previous time....  Not too shabby....

(That's me in the blue, behind the 2 middle aged ladies...don't ask how that made me feel...)

My time probably would have been better, but I spent a little time hamming it up for the camera's.

(That's my friend Carrie in the orange behind me.  This is totally the only picture of us together.  LAME-O)

What can I say?  The camera loves me and so did the crowd. 
And now is the time for me to come clean.

You guys all thought this race was part of my weight loss goals.

Helping me get the weight off faster.  Yada, Yada, Yada.

And don't get me wrong, it totally helped.

But the reality is, I was training for something much bigger.

And thanks to Amanda, who posted the video below this morning, now I can share the truth with you.



I think I am ready now....

How about you?

Invisible Inadequacy

Every now and then, you have the opportunity in your life to experience something you have always dreamed of, but have rarely gotten to experience for yourself. 

And I am not just talking about my race....

I am talking about something just a bit bigger.

It's been an amazing couple of months at our church. 

God has been using our pastor in amazing ways. 

Speaking to hurting hearts like you cannot even imagine.

Yesterday, I was again reminded that despite my best efforts to follow and do and be what God has called me to be, I continue to fail. 

And yet, He still allows me to serve.  And He still chooses to use me.

Yesterday morning, by the grace of God, I, along with my friend Kristen, had the opportunity to lead a teenage girl to the Lord.

I was stunned by her simple admission of need.

I mean really, how often do teenagers ask how to become a child of God?

How often do they readily admit their sin?

How often do they willingly accept that Christ died for those sins?

And how often are they willing to confess their sin to the God of Mercy, and accept the eternal gift that He provided?

Let's just say, I have lived almost 30 years on this earth and I have only seen it a handful of times.

And I am more thankful than ever for the opportunity to witness it again.

And I'm humbled that despite my continued failure, He chose to use me.

I mean, really, when He has the power to use the rocks and trees to bring Himself glory, why use someone as faulty as me?

I have alot to be thankful for this week.

In Honor of my First 5k Tomorrow

I will be Carb Loading* tonight.

A la Michael Scott



Let's hope I don't end up like this




*I won't really be carb loading tonight, however, I will be having a REASONABLE portion of spaghetti for dinner.  And I didn't really plan it that way at all....

Word Vomit

One of my finer, but more annoying characteristics is that I am a sharer. 

A helper.

I have eluded to it a bit on here.  (i.e., Helpful How-To's and My Honest Opinions came from SOMEWHERE, right?)

It's pretty annoying, I'm sure.

It usually goes something like this:

Complete Stranger: "Cute outfit."  Me: "Thanks!  I got it at Kohl's for $2.99.  Did you know they have a 30% off sale right now?  And I had a 20% coupon for using my Kohl's card.  Amazing deal!  You should go!"

Um, can you say, annoying?!?!

Friend:  "My inlaws are coming to town this weekend and we are planning to take them out to dinner."
Me:  "Oh how have you heard of (insert restaurant name)?  It's amazing.  When we went, I had steak and Techy had a Pasta dish.  Their hors d'oeuvres are delish!  And you can probably get a coupon online!  You will love it.  They will too!"

Borderline crazy.

Coworker:  "You look really skinny today."
Me:  "It's the jeans.  Did you know that these jeans hold in all the fat without squeezing you in 2?  They are Levi, you HAVE to try them.  I got them on sale for next to nothing.  I had a coupon."

OH.MY.GOSH.

Sister: "You're doing so good on your diet!"
Me: "It's just Weight Watchers.  Have you ever tried weight watchers?  It's amazing.  I can eat whatever I want and still stick to my diet.  I love it.  You should try it."

Hello?!?!!?!  More than slightly offensive.

I am dying inside.

Coming to this realization is so embarrassing to me.  But I generally think it has alot to do with wanting to share what I wish someone would share with me rather than being totally obnoxious. 

Of course, there's always the option of complete obnoxiousness....

It may be helpful to note that at this point, it's like word vomit...I can't stop it from coming out even if I wanted to. 

It also may be helpful to note that I, apparently, do not know how to take a complement.

So next time you see me, and I do this to you, please try not to get too offended.

Weight Update #8: Curve ball edition

Don't panic, it hasn't been 2 weeks yet. 

But since I absolutely won't want to weigh myself next Friday (I obviously will be a little preoccupied next Friday), I figured I would rearrange the schedule just a bit and weigh myself this morning. 

That's not to say I will get off the hook next week.  I am sure we will weigh in at work on Wednesday, but by Friday, I probably won't want to see the damage I have done over the giant bird holiday.

So without further ado, here's this week's poundage:

That's right folks.

That's a 1-4-9, or if you talk trucker talk it's a 1-4-9er.

Either way, it's awesome!


And yes.  Those are really my feet. 

You can tell by the chipped nail polish toesies that have been in every weigh in pic thus far.

And I don't know if you can do the math or not, but that's 3.4 lbs since my last weigh in, just last week.  That's more than I have lost in most 2 week segments.

And I am really happy. 

Only 12 lbs. from the pre-preggo weight.

That feels good. 

And that's before the race tomorrow.

Let's be honest, between weight loss posts and man-sick posts, have I beat a dead horse or 2 this week? 

You decide.

And I will just keep on smiling.

The Panic Button

Something strange has happened. 

My world just got shook up.

In a world where I only cook to eat, I just found out that I will be hosting Thanksgiving dinner at my house.

Strange isn't it?

Me, a former Home Ec major, frozen in panic at the idea of cooking a turkey?

I am mentally preparing the list of things needed to make a Thanksgiving Dinner complete.

1. Turkey
2. Gravy
3. Mashed Potatoes
4. Stuffing
5. Green Beans
6. Broccoli Casserole
7. Mac n Cheese
8. Sweet Potatoes
9. Pumpkin Pie (I happen to despise Pumpkin Pie)
10. Apple Pie (did I stutter?)
11. For some reason, I am very tempted to try this....

If anyone wants to help me prep or give me some advice, it is MORE THAN WELCOME!

Otherwise, Boston Market, here I come!

My Honest Opinion: Disinfecting Spray

I am a germ freak.

You should know that by now.

What?  Aren't you convinced?

Fine, I will drive it home with a story, IF YOU INSIST....

During Little Man's 1st month (or maybe more, who's keeping track...), we kept a sign on our front door that looked a little something like this....

Germ Freak/Paranoid.  Potato/Potahto....

*Shrugging shoulders* 

What can I say?

I am not a friend of germs.

There is no sickness that comes or goes in my home without me having germ killer on hand.

Ask me how often I use it, and I will tell you pretty stinking often.

I'm a little like the old lady in "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken" - "...and they used BON AMI!"

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As though it's a miracle cleaner or something.

But I totally get her. 

Because that's how I am about my Lysol.

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It's somewhat of a wonder to me that I didn't have any on hand this weekend when Techy was sick.

Because I seriously use this stuff all the time.

Despite Dwight Schrute's opinions on health and hygeine:



Yeah, I don't go that route.
 
Clean a shower.  Spray it down with Lysol.

Clean a toilet.  Spray it down with Lysol.

My kitchen sink gets a spray like every other day. 

My trash can needs a spray more often than it gets it....

When we first moved into our house, I refused to use the bathrooms until I had sprayed down every square inch with the stuff.

Now, I have not performed any scientific experiments to PROVE the germ killing power of the stuff other than spraying down Techy's pillow and then sleeping on it with my mouth open, while drooling, and not getting sick.

But that's good enough for me.

I mean, seriously, if I can drool on a pillow that he wallowed all over with his man-sick-self and not catch the dreaded disease, then something's gotta be working, right?

Just sayin'....

I like me some Lysol. 

And that's all there is to it!

Note:  Since Lysol knows nothing about me or my post, I can honestly say, I use the off brand version and have found it to work just as well for about $.60 less.  I can also admit that I don't walk around my house calling it the "can of Great Value disinfecting spray".  I call it "Lysol" even though it isn't the real stuff.  Know what?  Everyone still knows what I am talking about.

Helpful How-To: Dealing with the Man Sickness

If you recall, earlier in the week, I posted about a certain someone's bout with Man-Sickness.

Thankfully, my friend, Ceej provided her 2 cents worth....

I promise, you'll get a laugh.  Especially if you are a female with a male in your life.



After having been married for nearly 5 years,

And after having observed Techy being sick all of 4 times in 5 years,

I have learned that he doesn't cope well with being sick. 

After having talked to several of my friends, most the males in their lives don't cope well either.

And since we are only on the brink of Cold and Flu season, I figured I would provide you with some helpful hints for dealing with someone suffering from Man-Sickness

1.  Coping is the name of YOUR game. 
The idea here is to get through it without hurting anyone.  I would recommend carrying around a pillow to scream into, if necessary. 


2.  Be as nice as possible to the sicky.
There is nothing worse than a sick man.  Except perhaps an UPSET sick man.  Remember the golden rule, Treat him as you would want to be treated.  (Even though, you and I both know that there is no chance that he will clean up your sick messes once it's your turn.)  Remember the goal is just to survive the man-sickness. 


3.  Whatever you do, DO NOT give that man a bell.

And you probably shouldn’t be calling him bunny either.  This is for the sake of your own sanity.  You should probably take away all mobile devices as well.  As in the case of my 2 dozen texts in 30 minutes or less.  It’s just safer for you, and safer for him. 

4.  Keep your distance.


The last thing you want to do is to catch Man-Sickness!  If it is necessary for you to sleep on an mattress in YOUR baby room, then so be it.  If you need to carry one of these around

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Then, so be it.   You will thank yourself in the end!


5.  Try to love him anyway.

Believe it or not, he has no idea how pitiful, miserable, and difficult he is being.  In a few days, he WILL return to his normal, wonderful, handsome, loveable self.  And you may still have your sanity.

In the meantime, be strong, be brave, and be ready!

See ya!

And you thought you were the crazy one....

I am so stinking excited about Black Friday.

As in, really, really excited!

As in, I am having dreams about Black Friday.

Nightmares, really. 

I have already determined what my big ticket item will be.

And I am already wanting it.

Dreaming about it. 

Dreaming that I WON'T get it. 

I woke up at 3 a.m. in a panic about it. 

Something is definitely wrong with me....

What a difference a month makes

Are you sick of the weight loss posts???

Sorry. 

It's the bright spot in my life right now.

See this picture?

It was taken on October 2.

Just a little over a month ago.

I don't look like that anymore....

As evidenced by this scary picture:

There is a distinct lack of cheek and chinnage.

This pic was taken October 2nd as well....

As I discussed in my earlier post, there are a few less characters in my life since this picture.  Like a D or 2.

And as you can see from this post, my arms may be a little smaller as well....

Just sayin'....

The Little Things

One thing about weight loss...

When you go from this

To this

To this

To this*

Some things are going to get lost in the shuffle.

Like, cough *the girls* cough.

If you don't have any idea what I mean, then I officially hate your guts.

Let me explain to you what happens when you go from having the 36DD's of pregnancy/nursing to the flat tires of this next phase.

It goes something like this:

Your stomach ends up bigger than "the girls" for a lot longer than you hoped.

Meaning that for months AFTER your baby has arrived, you end up getting asked questions about when you are due. 

However, it should be noted that my belly is officially smaller than "the girls" now.

Time to celebrate! 

Cake, anyone?


*that was 10 lbs ago!!!  Holla!!!

On the upside...

Considering that I have already whined my face off complained about my weekend, I figured I would take a minute and tell you the upside of my dark weekend.

1.  I got all of my grocery shopping done early. 
Very early.  Remember when I said I woke up at 4 a.m.?  Well, after laying in bed for an hour and trying to go back to sleep, I finally decided that Wal-Mart was the place to be.  The shelf stockers, LOVED me.

2.  I got to go to Target.
Techy and I had a coupon to the mall.  Of course by the time we showed up, it was no longer valid...creepy mall scams....  But do I care?  No.  Because I got to go to Target!  YAY!!!!  And I got to meet Baby Maelynn, who happened to be out on her first shopping spree! 

3. I may have gotten a craft or 2 done.
And when I say may, I mean I did.  And when I say "a craft or 2", I mean 6 or 7.  What can I say, cabin fever is not for me!

4.  I may have fallen in love with a new show - Outsourced - which is just what my DVR needed/wanted.  Hey DVR, don't blame me....  Blame yourself for having a significant lack of shows to meet my "hubby is sick and needs entertainment" demands!

5.  I got caught up on my laundry.
Or as "caught up" as I will ever be.  2 loads still need to be folded and put away, but they all got washed!

6.  I ran a 5k!!!
Ok, so nothing official, but I ran 3.15 around my development this weekend in preparation for my race next week.  My time was WAY slow, but I finished which was all that was important to me.  I know I CAN do it, if I can just bump my time up! 

Weekend Schmeekend

Ever had one of those weekends that made you thankful for Monday morning?

Yeah.

I'm still recovering. 

Let's just say I woke up at 4 a.m. on a Saturday. 

And at 6 a.m. on a Sunday.

And it had nothing to do with the baby.

Except maybe on Sunday.

Because I was sleeping on an air mattress in his room.

Techy came down with something on Saturday afternoon/evening.

This is where I explain that Techy doesn't get sick often, but when he does, he's miserable.  As in miserable to be around AND miserable.

He gets man-sick.

Please tell me you understand that terminology???

I am a little fuzzy on the details, but my assumption is that because he is so used to being the strong one, that when he has to be the weak one, he milks it.

As in, he calls me 3 times in 10 minutes to find out when I will be able to go to the store for medicine.

As in, he calls me 3 times in 20 minutes to find out how long until I am home with the medicine.

And then when I get him his medicine, he tells me he "can't take that kind" and asks for the stuff that we had at home.

But then, I gave him a sleeping pill.

And crashed to sleep on the air mattress in the babies room. 

But only after Little Man caused a little lot of drama.

You see, occasionally, Little Man will wake up in the middle of the night.  And occasionally, he will sit up and talk to himself for a few minutes before rolling over and going back to sleep.

However, I learned this weekend, that if he realizes Mommy is in his room, forget about it! 

Ensue Crying.

Ensue Screaming.

Ensue Nashing of teeth.  (all 3 of them)

And me, being all, I must get him to quiet down and go back to sleep so he doesn't wake Techy up!  But wait, if I hold him, aren't I letting him win??? 

It's a vicious cycle.

Finally, he did go back to sleep, though.  And Techy was completely unaware of the situation (other than a grunt or two - remember I gave HIM a sleeping pill....)

Now, you may ask, why on earth was I in the baby room when I have a perfectly good guest room right down the hall?

So glad you asked!  

Because, as luck would have it, Techy's sister is coming to visit this week. 

And she is staying in the guest bedroom. 

And I had just washed the sheets on the bed and cleaned it specifically FOR her. 

Why would I ruin that with any potential germs that I could be carrying?

Anyone have a guess as to what this week's MHO post will be about?

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I'll give you a hint.   It's the one thing I couldn't have left the drugstore without.  Even if it did mean walking out of the checkout line because I forgot it on my first trip around the store. 

Which may or may not have happened....

Hopefully, your weekend was more restful than mine.

And hopefully, next weekend's will be better for me.  Especially since next weekend is my first 5k!


*Note: Things are looking up!  Someone at work just told me I look "skinny" today.  See...Monday's aren't that bad, after all...

Weight Update #7: Another 2 weeks down

I love to make you anticipate it.

But since I know you don't care nearly as much as I do.

And probably feel like crying your eyes out when you see anyone but yourself lose weight. 

Or maybe that's just me.... 

Biggest Loser is a total sobfest for me....

And I usually end up mumbling, "I love f-f-f-f-at people!" at some point during the show.

Techy will vouch for this. 

Every episode.

But wait, that's not what we are here to talk about! 

So, the results are in....

That's not quite 3 lbs. from the last weigh in.  More like 2.4 lbs.

Which is above my normal 2.  So I am happy.

But that's not all the big news for today.

Remember this post about getting back into a size 10.

It was so unofficial. 

It was dress pants. 

Dress pants are so forgiving.

All stretchy and loose....

But jeans....

That was a battle I had not conquered.

Until today.

Now, I am not saying that there isn't a muffin top.

But I am saying it is comfortable. 

As in not cutting me in 2. 

And yes, my bedroom is a total mess at all times.  Including but not limited to socks in the floor next to my scale as seen here or my belt in the floor as seen here...

Or the basket of laundry and messy dressers seen here....

I have a very good reason for this....

It's called, I clean my room in 20 minute intervals.  And I haven't had 20 minutes this week.

So yeah, I should have 20 minutes tomorrow, and maybe I will take a picture or maybe not.

In the meantime, judge me for my messy room and not my weight.  

Because I am only 15.4 lbs. from pre-preggo and 17.4 from my goal. 

Boo-YEAH!

It's a Comeback

Well, well, well...

What have we here???

It's been so long since I saw it that I had completely forgotten it even existed....

That, my friends, is a collarbone.

AKA. Clavical.

My collarbone.

AKA. Clavical.

And I was so excited to see it that I had to grab the nearest camera just to share it with you.

All 17 of you who will read this tomorrow can be very excited for me.

Meanwhile, I will be weighing in first thing in the morning.

Wish me luck.

The goal is at least 3.

I don't know if I will make it over my 1 lb. per week mark that I have stayed at for oh, the last 27 weeks.

But here's hoping!

Wish me luck ya'll.

See you tomorrow, when the results are in!

My Honest Opinion: 1979 Subaru Station Wagon

Unable (read: unwilling) to keep my sarcasm at bay for much longer, I felt compelled to make my MHO post a story instead of an actual review.

Imagine yourself.

Newly graduated from college.

Newly dating the man of your dreams.  (Who happens to be living some 1,000 miles away from you)

Living at home and working 2 jobs to pay off college debt.

And trying to find friends to hang out with in the mean time.

(You know, the 2 hours a week when you aren't at work.)

Imagine the realization that you cannot afford a car payment.

(You can barely afford your cell phone.)

And your mom generously offers to let you use her clunker that she scored for $500 last winter.

That looks like this on the outside.

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Only with a little more gold speckle.

And looks like this on the inside.

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Only with a lot more foam and a lot less fabric.

That runs like a tanker truck.

Even in the snow.

Even in foot high snow.

And imagine that you just learned how to drive a manual.

And now you are going to be driving a manual everywhere.

Everyday.

And my honest opinion of the ugly beast that was older than I was?

That car was better than any timex watch ever could be.

"Takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'" doesn't even touch what we put that car through.

It took alot to kill that car. (much to my dismay)

Like 2 years worth of running it on empty.

Lots of embarrassment.

Lots of stalling out.

Lots of cruising through the snow.

In the car that you could hear coming from a block away.

And no one riding with me - EVER.

But we got every bit of our $500 out of it.

And I got like 30 something miles to the gallon. 

And you know what? 

It was a really, really good car.


Because it was a great car, despite it's complete ugliness.

And it ran like a dream, even with 270,000+ miles on it. 

Some days, I really miss that car.

 
But not today.
 
Today I am really thankful for a car that has air conditioning and covered seats.

I Interrupt This Regularly Scheduled Broadcast...

To say a very big THANK YOU to all our service men and women around the world.

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It's because of you that we still have the right to paint our barns any which way we want to paint them.

And I am very thankful for that.

All joking aside.

Thank you for serving.  Thank you for sacrificing.  And thank you for keeping us safe.

We owe you!  BIG TIME!

The Happy Dance

So last night, after my hardcore elliptical workout of 5 minute intervals, I came upstairs and found Techy.

Doing much the same thing as he has been doing for the last 3 months. 

Working.

At his computer.

It's getting old. 

But I digress....

He took one look at me and said, "You look skinny!"

And I did this.

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No, I haven't hit the goal. 

But I am getting closer. 

And Techy is noticing...which says ALOT.

And if you missed it on Facebook, I signed up for my first 5k.  One week from Saturday.

Still not sure what I was thinking.

But for kicks and giggles, today was another running day. 

I hit the park on my lunch break.

And ran 2.6 miles in 28:20. 

About a 10:45 mile and my longest distance to date. 

(Well, this time around, anyway...)

I think I could probably run the 3.1 now. 

That's my goal for Saturday.

Anyone wanna come with?

Helpful How-To: Craft Your Heart Out!!!

This week, you will notice something extremely different in this week's Helpful How-To. 

A distinct lack of sarcasm.

That's right. 

This week, I may actually have a how-to that you would be interested in hearing about!

Be excited....

My new friend Roberta asked for a tutorial on the wreaths that I posted from my weekend, thus making this week's HHT extremely easy for me. 

You remember these girls, right?

Yeah, it's been less than a week, but I think it's love. 

They have taken up semi-permanent residence in my home. 

The burlap wreath (up top) took about 2 hours total to make and way less fabric than  you would ever think.  Maybe 1/2 a yard of burlap....

Anyway, I made it using this tutorial (because, let's face it, why would I type it out, when someone else already did?)

You may notice the adorable little flower pinned on it????

You didn't?  Ok, look again....

Yes.  The brown blotch at the bottom of the wreath....

It's a FLOWER pin.  Yes, I know, it doesn't really LOOK LIKE A FLOWER.  But you can blame that on the crappy cell phone picture.  Because it totally does in real life. 

And for that I used this tutorial.  Which I LOVE. 

Have I ever told you that Jone's Design is by far, my favorite blog ever? 

Maybe even more than PW....  *Gasp*  Wait...Am I allowed to say that?  Sorry, blogworld.

Moving on.

The second wreath took a little more time.  But is so worth it.  And again, I totally stole it straight from High Heels and a Hammer.  Because that's how I roll!

Unoriginal ideas.  HERE I COME!

Be on guard though, cause I have another wreath form or two, and I am pretty sure that I MUST have one of these beauties before Christmas!

I am beginning to wonder how many wreaths one can have in their house without people questioning your sanity. 

Also wondering if these would make acceptable Christmas gifts.  Because 'tis the season.

What do you think? 

Do you enjoy the less sarcastic side of me?

Or did you even notice the lack of sarcasm?

Do tell!  Do tell!!!

The Meat of It All

I grew up in a home of hunters.

And every year, around this time, we could expect to come home and find a deer hanging from our deck. 

Yes.  It was bizarre.

But we didn't know that.

We actually looked forward to it.

Because it meant something special to us.

It meant another winter with meat stocked in the freezer.

It meant another year of deer jerkey.

And it meant alot of deer burgers and vegetable soup.

And I loved it. 

So you can imagine my joy when I got a call from my brother in law asking me if I wanted to split a deer with him....

Followed quickly by a text from my brother who also killed his first deer of the season yesterday.

I haven't had deer meat in like 4 years.

And now I have plenty of it coming to a freezer near me.  (A.K.A. In my garage....) (A.K.A. The one seen HERE)

I haven't smiled this big since the week that I lost 5 lbs. 

Oh wait, that never happened....

YET.

Oh well.

But you get it...

It's the simple things in life....

Really, simple.

Some days

Some days I feel fat.

Some days I feel crazy.

Some days I feel like my head is going to explode.

Some days I feel like I don't do enough.

Some days I feel like I do too much.

Welcome to today.

Just another crazy day in my world.



But here are a few references to the things going on in my your worlds:

Carrie is anxiously awaiting her new neice and celebrating a future sister in law.
Jill is enjoying a great day at WVU.
 
Christine is telling people off on the train.
 
Roberta is recycling old coupons and holding a shoe funeral.
 
Thanks for helping me keep my head on and straight with your entertaining posts!

A Runner's Worst Nightmare...

It's a dirty little 4 letter word that scares the crap out of me.

S-N-O-W

And for some reason, I just realized it can and (if last year is any indication) most likely WILL happen. 

And it's getting closer every day.

Meanwhile, I am just picking up my running steam. 

Barely getting the wind under my sails.

Just in time to be slapped back on my rear end in front of the TV watching "Biggest Loser" and being so depressed that I don't even want to move.

I heard you.  Yes, you in the back.  I heard you.

And your remark about the treadmill.

And yes, I do have one. 

But it I am pretty sure it is possessed.

As in, I'm be-bopping along at a steady 5.0 pace and next thing you know, the creature from you-know-where machine speeds up to 8.9 and I go flying into my basement wall like rubber bands flew in my 8th grade geometry class. 

If that isn't enough for you, just about the time I catch up to the speed and figure out that I actually can run at 8.9 mph speeds, it slows down to a 2.2 and I feel like I am stuck behind a granny at the mall. 

So yeah.

My treadmill.

Pretty much useless.

Looks like I will either be bribing begging Santa, or I will be hitting up Craigslist yet again....

You know, if I ever want to see my size 8's again....

Weekend Blog Bust

I make alot of empty promises....

Like the ones about halloween socks and weekend blogging....

I have alot of grand thoughts and notions.

But I lack follow through.

I blame time.

There are just not enough hours in the day.

Only this weekend, I can't really complain because I got an EXTRA hour this weekend, and stilll didn't manage to reach all my grand goals.

The things on my list that DID get accomplished this weekend:

I finally saw this little gem:

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And cried my eyes out.  But loved it.  Every second of it. 

And I may have squeezed in a craft.

Or two...

I also may have cleaned out my closet:

Woah!  How did that get in there! 

I may or may not have showered on Saturday.  Which may or may not be the reason my ponytail has wings and feathers.

A trip to the outlets with my girls.

An impromptu weigh-in that resulted in another pound lost.

A (very slow) 2 mile run.

And I most definitely did SOME laundry.  No, not all.  But definitely some.

The things that did not get done:

Obviously, bloggy time.
Photo editting of Little Man's first Halloween.
ALL the laundry.
Healthy eating.
A quick 3 mile run.
Saving money.

I may not have been totally successful in my goals this weekend, but man, was it a good weekend!
If I do say so myself.

(And I do)