Month: December 2015

I just reread my post titled, 2015, Bring it!. It was a recap of my 2014, and my plans and goals for 2015. After reading that post, I realize that 2014 was a really great and busy year and 2015 was really boring. Here is a recap. Hopefully the pictures make it seem a little more exciting than it was.  January I made the following goals for myself, and posted them at the end of each blog post for most of the year. This is What I Will Accomplish in 2015 I Will Choose One Occasion Per Month for Social Drinking I will go no more than two days in a row without some sort of exercise. (unless I’m sick) I will track every single day for the entire year.  I will RUN in a minimum of six 5K’s I skipped the alcohol in January, and then again for 30 […]

Are you ready for 2016? Have you had time to reflect on 2015? I hope it was a great year for everyone. The older I get, the more I enjoy reflecting on the past year, then planning for the upcoming year. I love change and I love a fresh start. It’s an opportunity to set new goals and challenge myself. It’s going to be a great year! The last few days of 2015 have been nice and quiet. I don’t take down my Christmas decorations until after New Year’s, so I’ve been enjoying the last few days of lights and stockings and candles and the fireplace. I met a friend for lunch yesterday, and today, I’m treating myself to a movie, which means I need to get myself dressed. Have a great day! I ate well yesterday, but I didn’t count points. Here are yesterday’s eats… Breakfast Veggie Hash with […]

After posting yesterday’s blog, and thinking about what a wonderful Christmas we had, and how happy I was that Tess and Manuel made it home safely to Dallas, I felt completely selfish for not acknowledging in my blog post the fact that so many people around the country experienced tradgedy over this holiday season with the winter storms. Please know that we are all thinking of those affected by the storms and that we have you all in our thoughts and prayers. Now, we did end up getting some snow in Kansas City yesterday, but not much. First, freezing drizzle, then a little snow. Thank goodness the kids are still out of school on Winter Break, and at least some accidents were avoided with less traffic on the roads. I, myself, never left the house. I tossed out groceries from the holidays that crept into the house, I organized my chaotic desk that became […]

I’m pretty certain, that every year of my entire life, I’ve said…..”Now THAT was the best Christmas ever.” And each year, I mean it. They just get better and better, and the more the family grows, the more people we have to share it with. My Mother-In-Law thought it would be nice if we could all go to Christmas Mass together this year. I’ll be honest, we don’t go to Christmas Mass every year, but it was a pretty easy gift to deliver, so as many of us went as could, and I know that she loved having us all sit together on Christmas Eve. After Mass, most of us slipped into pjs, then we had a houseful for food and presents. I always save the stockings for the end. Yes, Santa did bring the grandsons Fart Powder to put in their stockings. (Sometimes, I’m just a small child.)   […]

Okay…..keeping it short. My kiddo is laying in bed with me right now and I want to spend as much time as possible with her! I’m not proofreading or anything. It’s Christmas! Yay! The house feels cozy and I’m looking forward to filling it up with family today and having a Very Merry Christmas! The Entry   What you see when you walk in the front door.   On my desk…   Simple Center Piece on the dining room table.   The Santa pitcher and mugs have been passed down to me from my grandma on my mom’s side, and I usually put them on top of the old piano from my grandma on my dad’s side.   One of my favorite parts of the house right now.   Ready for a full house. Feels so good.   The Manger that my dad built of out sticks from our backyard when […]

This year, for some reason, about every three days or so, another string of lights goes out on the tree. I just keep adding new strands of lights without taking any ornaments off! That’s no easy task!! Last night, more lights out. Egads. It’s starting to look a little ridiculous if you get real close. Un-Decorating is going to take forever this year! I’ll add more lights to my tree today, because I want it to be perfect for tonight! Guess who’s coming home tonight? Yep! My kiddo! Tess and her boyfriend, Manuel, are coming in on the late late fight tonight, and I am so excited. They will be here until the late late flight on Sunday night, so we get to spend all sorts of time together! I’ll blog tomorrow morning before anyone wakes up, then enjoy Christmas with my family. I hope you all have a wonder Christmas […]

Have you tried the pancakes yet that only use 2 Eggs and 1 Banana for the batter? It took me a few times making these before I actually figured out all of the tricks, but now that I know what I’m doing, I really like these. Combine the eggs and the banana. Add in any extra’s of your choice. Cinnamon, Vanilla, Pumpkin Pie Spice? I added 1/2 tsp of Cinnamon to this batch. Give them a try!   “love the life you live, live the life you love”

I’m really enjoying this whole “I’m done shopping” thing. Yesterday was a great day that started with a hot yoga class, then breakfast with Mike, watching the KC Chiefs win…again, and then spending a little time in the kitchen making sure we are prepared for the week. I feel organized and ready for Christmas. However, would you believe that EIGHT of my gifts that I ordered from one store online, (on December 4th!), still haven’t arrived? According to an email I received, they are scheduled to arrive on Christmas Eve. Ug. Go figure. So much for planning ahead. Here is a little planning ahead that I can control, food prep for the week. Our biggest food challenges this week will be Sweet Treats that find their way into our house when we host Christmas Eve, and a Chili Dinner with Cheese and Crackers and Cookies and Pumpkin Bread on Christmas night […]

Yesterday was a pretty relaxing Saturday for being the Saturday before Christmas. I had a quiet morning. Tucker and I ran a few errands….. I bought these napkins, and because my bangs are pretty much white, this made me giggle.   I took both dogs on a short walk…..   Later, Tucker and I took a longer walk and it was gorgeous outside. (White Bangs….) I was showered and in my pjs before dinner. We had movie night on the couch (Southpaw with Jake Gyllenhaal) and we went to bed before 11:00. Ahhhhhhhh Here are yesterday’s eats…. Breakfast – 8 SP Breakfast Hash…again. Zero Point Veggies, Sweet Potato, Chicken Apple Sausage, Eggs, Black Coffee   Lunch – 5 SP 5 oz Tuna (1 SP!) mixed with mustard, salt and pepper, celery, 1 tsp lemon infused olive oil and cherry tomatoes Banana with 1 T. Almond Butter. Dinner – 14 SP I really […]

Guess who I got to spend the afternoon with yesterday? Little grandbaby Char wasn’t feeling so great, so I picked her up from Day Care and we played all afternoon, then took a cozy nap. She was mesmerized with the ornaments. She spent a good 30 minutes taking them off, then putting them back on (well, she tried to put them back on). I love that little girl so much. Yesterday mornings Weight Watcher meeting went great, and I am feeling good about the changes that Mike and I have made in our daily menu since doing the Whole30 in October. Lately, I have been craving a Cheat Meal. Since completing the Whole30, I’ve had a few dairy items, a few grain items and a few sugar items, but I’ve kept them in small quantities, and pretty infrequent. Yesterday, I wanted to go out to dinner, order something I haven’t had […]