Day 5

List seems better (newest first):

3 supermans (15 sec)
30 push ups (10-10-10)
10 kicks (15 sec kick, 5sec rest)
70 crunches (20-30-20)

5 days, so far so good.

Almost forgot - day 4

Okay, so I almost went to bed without adding to my torture ... I mean, continuing with my exercise challenge. So I was pretty lame tonight, I did the 30 push-ups, 10 sets of 15 second kicks, and instead of adding a new exercise I upped my crunches (20-30-20). At least I didn't talk myself out of it. Goodnight!

A day in pajamas ...

A great day is one where you wake up, feed the boy feed yourself, watch cartoons, shower and change into a new pair of pajamas. I have had a couple of these days lately!

Uh-oh

I don't do my work out today. I know what you are thinking ...slacker ... But in reality I went over and hour working in the garden today. I figured that digging, raking wet dirt, covering in newspaper, covering newspaper with mulch, sliding in mud = ouch! It hurts to blog. I think today definitely counts. I think I need to do more gardening. It's cheaper than therapy and you get tomatoes :)

Day 2

Success - 2 days in a row!

Tonight I did the same 10 sets of about 20-35 kicks. I also did 50 crunches (20-15-10-5). I am going to do the same thing tomorrow, but also add another exercise too. And then three sets of 10 push ups - yes, they were grandma pushups, and it took a while because Xman thought it was time to play! But I am done and I am thinking I need to time those kicks, maybe 15-20 on then 5 seconds off ... Now time to give the little man his bath! We are so off schedule!

My crafty Christmas presents

I got both of these ideas from pinterest and both were a big hit. For my mom I had to improvise some. I saw pictures put behind glass tiles then magnets on the back so they could be put on the fridge - so cute! But I couldn't find glass tiles except for online - and I didn't have time for shipping. So I found wooden tiles at hobby lobby and I live them. I may need to do some more for me!

Then for my mother in law I found this idea for a Christmas plate. If course his foot was supposed to be centered and the border should have been even ... you know me!

Baby steps

New idea re-vamped. Tonight I did 10 sets of about 20-35 kicks. I also did 50 crunches (20-15-10-5). I am going to do the same thing tomorrow, but also add another exercise too. And add to that the next day. That's the plan, but I am only looking at one day at a time. My butt has been attached for the couch for about 10 years - or at least that is what it feels like.

Everything is reversible - so lets rewind it!

Christmas presents/projects

We cleaned our garage! Robert cleaned out all the garage sale stuff from September, so he can get his car back in the garage. And I cleaned off my workbench - things had been piling up for a while. Ever time I walk out to the garage, or drive in or out of the garage it is so amazing to like what I see. Best Christmas project!

We also got a storage unit - it has 9 squares and you can put those canvas covered drawer-like things in it. Amazingness! We are using it as a toy chest for Xman. I still need to trade out the fabric drawers for a different color, then almost all the toys should be accessibly but out of sight when not in use! I can only dare to dream!!

I'll add pics during daylight hours.

Cooking marathon

I feel like I have been cooking for a week straight ... I am not complaining, I love it. Before school was out we had to take snacks so I made sugar cookies, peanut butter cookies, snicker doodles and oatmeal-craisin-walnut cookies.

Then we had a party at Xman's daycare, do I made a ton of cakeballs. Dark chocolate brownie, dark chocolate, devils food cake,carrot cake, lemon, peanut butter and dark chocolate-orange. Each kiddo/mom got one of each, I sent some with Robert to the school he was working at and took the rest to the teachers lounge.

Then that night I had the girls over for an ornament exchange so I marquess, black beans, tea, and Robert bought us del taco tacos and burritos. Jill brought pizza rolls, Lisa brought a snack mix, Jamie brought sausage balls, Chonte' brought lemon brownies ... Oh, lemon brownies ... I had so much fun! So much!

Then I started experimenting. I made caramel corn - best thing ever. Then a moose munch knock off - not as impressive. Peanut butter Cheerio treats- not impressive. I also made guacamole salsa and added too much lime, but it was still good on the spicy dr pepper pulled pork I made that Monday.

I made an appetizer buffet for moms Christmas. As always, she made the menu and I put it together. I made spinach crostini (so yummy), cilantro- green chili pinwheels, salsa, 7-layer dip, queso, chicken tenders, pizza rolls, lil smokies in grape jelly and mustard (yes it sounds gross, but it tastes so good). We had a veggie tray and ranch dressing. Chelsea brought candy, lemon poppy seed cake and cinnamon raisin bread. And Stacy brought ham delights. There was so much food left over! But it was all tasty, and I fed it to my in-laws for lunch.

The next morning I made pumpkin pancakes and sausage for the in-laws. Then we had a day of shopping (complete with lunch out). Then I made meatloaf, scalloped potatoes, brussels sprouts and green beans.

We also made sugar cookies to decorate - but the decorating never happened. I also made baklava, which was a big hit. Then sausage balls. Then Loreli and I made strata for breakfast for Christmas morning. Mine had spinach, bacon and Swiss. Hers had cheddar and sausage. Next time I need to make it in a bowl and stir it often so that I like it better. The bottom was really eggy, but the top was good.

Then snacks and chicken salad for lunch.

Then the best dinner ever: bakes spaghetti, roasted veggies (broccoli, asparagus, and zucchini), and garlic knots. Even the little man had spaghetti that night and again for left overs.

Now I have a few days of nuking leftovers before I have to cook again ... but I have shrimp in the freezer ready for me to make scampi...

Midnight Mass

Midnight Mass is one of my favorite things during Christmas. Everyone else is home in bed and we are in church. Couple of problems ... several of my family members are big babies about the smell of the incense. I left my husband at home because he is the biggest baby about the smell. But I took Samantha who I didn't know was going to be competing with Robert to complain the most. Then we were both exhausted, and Samantha kept trying to lay on my shoulder and sleep.

Thank goodness that the homily caught my attention. At first it was the frequent use of the word flock by our Nigerian priest ... doesn't quite sound like flick when he says it. Then he told a great joke. (warning: most don't agree with me that it's a great joke).

A couple is headed home after a Christmas party and see the red and blue lights in the rear view. So the husband slouches down in his seat, and puts his seatbelt on as he is pulling over to the side of the road. So the cop comes to the window and says "do you know why I pulled you over?" the man says "no". The cop asks again "do you know why I pulled you over?". The man again answers no. The cop says "you didn't have your seatbelt in.". The man replies "I have it on now and you can't prove otherwise. You can even ask my wife, she will tell you I had it on.". The cop looks at the lady and says "was your husband wearing his seatbelt!". She looks at her husband and then the. Op and says "sir, there is one thing I have learned in the past twenty years of marriage. Don't argue with him when he's drunk."

Insert laughter - you are welcome!

Christmas movies ...

Each year from Thanksgiving to Christmas I usually make it through all my Christmas movies at least once ... This year Cars 1-2X/day is really Putting a crimp in my movie time. I am trying a plan an advent calendar/December bucket list for next year (and it to be a tradition for us to build upon. So I am sharing my rough draft with you so I can refer back to it next year!

Movies:
Christmas Vacation
The Santa Clause
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Elf
The Family Stone
Family Man
Deck the Halls
Christmas with the Cranks
The Holiday
(last holiday? Which I thought I has)
Die hard
You've Got Mail

12 movies ... I thought I had more.

Activities:
Put lights on the house
Put out nativity
Put out advent wreath
Put up & decorate tree
Take Christmas picture for cards
Make christmas cookies and goodies!
Decorate mantle & hang stockings
Go to midnight mass

I am sure there are many things I am missing, but I have a list started! Any suggestions are welcome!

Cooking from Pinterest: Goose Crunch

I have a couple of more parties coming up so I thought I would try a couple of recipes I saw on pinterest. If you haven't found pinterest yet, you are so missing out! I made Cheerio treats and Goose Crunch. The first step of Goose Crunch is to make caramel corn - I am blogging so that the other steps can happen ... It is amazing caramel corn!!!! While the caramel corn was cooling I decided to also try the Cheerio snacks ... Mainly Cheerios and peanut buttere in enough sugar to make the mixture harden like candy. Mine are still soft, but still a little warm - definitely not as impressive as the caramel corn. Maybe I should have left the sugar boil a little longer, or cut back on the peanut butter a bit.

Check out the recipes at the following sites:

Caramel corn and Goose Crunch

Cheerio Treats

Christmas decorations are complete!

I have finally finished the mantle! And I already have a project for next year .... homemade, washable tree skirt - and of course it has to be super colorful and cute!!!

Necessity ...

Mother of invention

Breakfast: Hashbrown Pancakes

I am home with a sick boy today ... do I had time to make breakfast instead of choking down on a granola bar in the way to work.

Hashbrowns + eggs + sausage + cheese = yummy goodness

I don't measure but I make sure there is enough hash browns to make the mixture look like there isn't any egg there - I don't like eggs ... actually I don't like breakfast ... Anyway, dump it into a skillet with warm oil or butter,. Push the mixture together to make a potato pancake. Cook until the top looks cooked or at least thawed - you have to be able to flip it. It at least needs to be together enough to slide out on a plate and flip the plate back into the pan. And cook until nice and crusty on outside.

How does this happen?

Croup

Note to self ... When he sounds like a barking seal - its croup. Xman is a sick little boy today. His daddy took him to the doctor after he woke us up at 130am. So we are now doing breathing treatments, antibiotics and steroids. He has to be bark-free before we head back to daycare ... he just barked again, as if he knew knew what I was typing. I bet I have to call in tomorrow.

He went from laying on the couch like he was going to sleep (right after his breathing treatment) to playing peekaboo and "exploring the house" (my new term for getting into everything) in a matter of moments.

I am still hoping ... dreaming ... of sleep , but I would trade another night of sleep for a boy who is well. Poor baby!

More Christmas decorating

I have been working on the mantle and fireplace ... I have a picture frame and ornaments that I am loving and I have one stocking up and the other 2 to finish. Here are a few more photos.

Mommy posts

I had a "friend" (ex-coworker) unfriend me on Facebook because I had too many posts about my kid. I find this amusing since most of her actual status updates (not shared links) we about her pregnancy. I don't know why we were Facebook friends to begin with. It is really her loss - she will miss out on the amazingness of Xman!

Quote of the day (yesterday)

Life of a slug:

First your homeless
Then people pour salt on you
Then you die

Decorating for Christmas!

I finally have a white tree! Never in my life had I considered a white tree until the first year in our house, when I put up my green tree next to my sassy grass green walls - it was horrible! I have continued the green wall-green tree thing for years, waiting until I could get a larger tree also. This year I finally just bought a white tree that is the same size as my green one. What a difference!

It was lots of fun last night to put the tree up while Xman was hiding the beaches from me .... Once he went to bed I started putting ornaments on. I love going through the ornament box, because there are always a few that I forget about. It's a little like opening presents!

Last night I also went through all the Christmas balls I had for various other projects (a wreath for a friend that was never even started, a wreathe of mine that kept falling apart ...) and hot glued all the tops on. Then this morning I got up and laced them along a piece of ribbon to make a garland or ornaments. Check out the pics! I love it ... Just needed a few more!