Monday, November 29, 2010

The Random Ramblings of Another Monday

Let me start off by saying.. I am only 3 post away from 100 post! I am excited to reach that 100th post... And after todays post I will only be 2 post away. However I am so busy over the next few weeks, I may never get there, lol. Just kidding, I will probably make that 100th post tomorrow!

However, over the next 5 weekends, I am booked solid... Which is so exciting because it is all things for my girlies, and they are going to love everything we have going on... And, I am trying to fit more into the weekends and it isn't so easy.

On the flip side... Thanksgiving is over, which means I got to rest up some this weekend, which was awesome!

Tonight at girl scouts we are going to be making stockings for the Christmas Parade Float... Which I am excited about, because I am sure the girls will have fun doing it... Although, it will be messy, which I am not so excited about :) I just know they will have glitter everywhere! I went ahead and premade mine this morning, so it could dry before the meeting tonight (I always premake a craft so the girls can see a completed project). Here is mine:


And even though I have a lot more to talk about (such as jell-o shots!) I just realized I have way to much to do before 2, so I have got to cut this post short and get going. YIKES!

Peace, loves and reeses pieces,
Lissa Lou

Saturday, November 27, 2010

WOW... The first cake I ever baked...

So, I was going through a few boxes this week and came across a picture of the very first cake I ever baked and decorated... I would like to say I have came a long ways since then... But I haven't! Here is my work of art (hahaha! I totally didn't how how to color frosting very well back then):

Friday, November 26, 2010

My little People

I have been baby-sitting both of my nephews today so I *tired* getting a picture of all 4 of the kids together... Not a great success! Here are a few pictures from today.



I have given my thanks, and now it is time for a little cheer!

Thanksgiving is now over... sure, I still have about 30 lbs of leftovers in my fridges but generally Thanksgiving is gone for another 364 days and I sent 25 days giving thanks... So, I am officially start my Christmas cheer! This weekend I am going start decorating my house, and all of that fun stuff. I will be starting on my Christmas cards this weekend as well... Normally I have them finished and mail them out on Black Friday but I just couldn't find the time to do that this year.

As of today I am officially in the Christmas spirit zone! :) Bring on the thoughtfulness, caring, baking, crafts, Christmas tree, stockings, smells and lots of smiles!

Jupee!

Willow got a new dog two night ago... He is a young bichon frise (who is full sized, housebroke, and loves kids!), and the first male dog I have even had... Which I am getting used too because he is trying to mark his territory and I keep having to fuss at him for it. Willow on the other hand is loving her new dog! His name is Jupee and he sleeps in Willows room... And that is just want she wanted! She had been asking for a dog for months now that could sleep in her room with her, so when a close friend needed to find a home for this doggie, we decided "Why not?"

Thursday, November 25, 2010

25 Days of Thanksgiving!

My 25 Days of Thanksgiving Day # 25:
Today is Thanksgiving, and the last day of my 25 days of Thanksgiving... So, what to be thankful for today? I have already named all of the most important things to me... So, I will end this with I am thankful for everything... Yea, kinda lame to say I am thankful for everything... But I really am. I am thankful for having awesome children, I am thankful for my husband, I am thankful for my family, I am thankful for our house, I am thankful for my cars, my pets, food, friends, music, dance, etc... Today is a day of Thankfulness and I am Thankful!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I am wishing each of you a blessed day with lots love and happiness!

Remember to be thankful for all things today... Both big and small. If you are cooking lunch or dinner today stay safe! I always seem to get burnt... Honestly, I have been cooking Thanksgiving dinner since I was 14, and I have gotten burnt every single year!

On a side note, I asked my girls before I put them to bed what they were thankful for and these are the answers I got...

Clover (5): "I am thankful for the kitty you are going to get me, I am thankful for my mommy, daddy, sister, jupee, and me... I am thankful for me too! I am thankful for everything. I am thankful for everybody!"

Willow (3): "I am thankful for having a puppy at my house!"

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

It is finished!!!

My buffet is finished... YAY! I am excited. I was worried it would not be finished in time for tomorrows Thanksgiving lunch, but it is! It is still in my basement so I have to get it moved up to my dining room, but that shouldn't be a problem because I already made my brother-in-law agree to come over tomorrow morning to help get it up here!

My 25 Days of Thanksgiving Day # 24:
I am thankful for my cousin Chelsey! She makes me smile and is like my little sister!!!

Turkey # 1 is marinating! *recipe*

I officially have one of our turkeys marinating for tomorrow.... I hope it turns out well, as this is the first Cajun turkey have had made over the years.

It should be a spicing turkey too, which if all goes accordingly, most of the people coming over for our Thanksgiving dinner will enjoy, because they are all about hot/spicy foods (even Willow!).

Here is what I used to make my marinate (I came up with this on my own... even though I do not eat spicy foods, so I have no idea how it will turn out!).


Lissa's Lou Cajun Turkey Marinate:
* 2 cups butter
* 1/4 cup of onions
* 1/4 cup of garlic powder
* 1/4 cup of hot sauce (pick your favorite)
* 1/4 cup of Worcestershire sauce
* 2 tablespoons ground black pepper
* 1 teaspoon crushed red peppers
* 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
* 1 can of beer


I melted the butter in a skillet and then added the onions and fried until they were tender... Then I mixed in the garlic powder, black pepper, crushed red peppers, and cayenne pepper.... Then mixed it up well... Removed the skillet from the heat, and added the can of beer, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce and mixed it up well.

Then I put my turkey (this one was 14.5 lbs) into a large oven bag and added the mixture to the bag and put the bag into a canning kettle and stuck it in the fridge where it will sit overnight (for nearly 24 hours).

Tomorrow morning (before the sun is up!) I will take the turkey out and rub it down with a mixture I came up with and stick it in the oven...

Lissa Lou's Cajun Turkey rubdown:
* 4 teaspoons of salt
* 4 teaspoons of onion powder
* 2 teaspoons of black pepper
* 1 teaspoon of crushed red peppers
* 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper


Then about an hour and a half into cooking it I will inject it with another Cajun liquid mixture, and let it finish up cooking.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

25 Days of Thanksgiving!

God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say "thank you?" ~William A. Ward

My 25 Days of Thanksgiving Day # 23:
I am thankful for time... Every second of every day... I am thankful for the time I have had to see my children grow up, I am thankful for the time I have to read books to my girls, or do crafts, I am thankful for the time I have got to spend with my husband over the years, I am thankful for time... Weather it be yesterday, this second or tomorrow!

Nosebleeds

Ironically I just found a freebie sample for these stop nosebleeds things and thought they would be awesome in my first aid kit since both of my girls play sports... I haven't got the sample yet, but now I can't wait to get it! Willow, my 3 year old, woke up this morning face covered in dry blood and large amounts of dried blood in her nose, so I quickly freaked and then realized she had a nosebleed in her sleep. A short time after waking up this morning she had another one. so, I have a feeling this sample will quickly be put to use! If you missed the post click here! :)

I just hope its a one time thing with her because I had major nosebleeds as a kid and they were huge pains in my bum! I would get them at school and end up with blood all over my clothes... I would get them on the bus and have no tissues... I would get them sleeping... I would get them doing just about everything!

Monday, November 22, 2010

Getting somewhere....

As of a few mins ago I officially have my first coat of paint on my buffet! I will have to put another coat on tomorrow, and then stain part of it but I am excited this much is done because I was getting worried that it would not be finished Thanksgiving! YAY! I will post pictures as soon as I am finished with it.

My 25 Days of Thanksgiving Day # 22:
I am thankful for creative and imagination. With them this world we know would be a lot duller and lets face it... My life is boring enough as is!

Sunday, November 21, 2010

25 Days of Thanksgiving!

My 25 Days of Thanksgiving Day # 21:
I am thankful for animals. I love animals... I am a total animal person! Without my pets, I would have missed out on so much... My horses, dogs, goats, etc. I love my pets!

Weekend Projects

I finally got around to doing two of my three Thanksgiving projects... My girls made their turkey centerpieces this weekend and I made my banner to hang up. I still have a sewing project to go before Thursday but I do not feel it will take more than an hour or two to complete so I am not to worried about getting it finished.

I am however worried that my buffet will not be complete by Wednesday night! My buffet is an older buffet that my dad made... It was given to me as a child (I think when I was in the 8th grade), so I have had it for many years... But have never used it! It was in my grandma's basement for years and ended up with some water damage, but I just could not bare to trash it, so I decided I would restore it! Long story short... Restoring furniture is a lot of work! We have been sanding on it for a few weeks now (off and on in our spare time), and as of right now (a little past 6 pm on Sunday afternoon) it still needs a little sanding... Then I can start the premiering, painting and staining! All of which must be completed by Wed! On top of that I am working 24 hours over the next two days, so getting everything fit in, just might be impossible!

Here is a picture of the turkeys my monkeys made :) I spent less than $8 on the supplies to make these and have a ton of stuff left over for another project. The Turkey's heads started off white but the girls painted them so much they ended up black! My girls don't see paint that often these days, since the little bedroom carpet incident, so they get carried away when they get to paint.




Here are the girls working on their turkeys... Over look the mess, I set up a little area in our basement b/c I was working on the buffet too... And we have not cleaned up the fall leaves on that end yet (2 HUGE oak trees, and a wooded area make for a long clean up, so we keep putting it off):





And the banner I made (with my girls help... They colored!):


Saturday, November 20, 2010

Finally... It's Saturday!

It is finally Saturday morning and as soon as my girls are finished with their breakfast I am headed to town to do all of my grocery shopping (normally and Thanksgiving)... Then I am coming home and doing a craft with my girls, and then I will start my long to do list (cleaning and what not).

I am just excited I can finally do some crafts with my monkeys!

My 25 Days of Thanksgiving Day # 20:
I am thankful for stars! I love stars... They are amazingly beautiful and I am thankful I get to see them.

Friday, November 19, 2010

25 Days of Thanksgiving!

My 25 Days of Thanksgiving Day # 19:
I am thankful they are people in this world that like to do things that I hate to do... Such as trashmen, plumbers, powerline workers, etc... And I am thankful that they are people in this world who are smart enough and focused enough to go to school to become doctors and dentist... Let's face it I HATE the dentist... Actually I love my dentist... She is awesome! But I hate everything she does! I hate those chairs, I hate having people poking all in my mouth, etc. So, I am thankful she loves her job and can fix my teeth!

Thursday, November 18, 2010

25 Days of Thanksgiving!

My 25 Days of Thanksgiving Day # 18:
I am thankful for being able to see and hear... They are so many people in this world who cannot see all of life's beauty, or hear all of the amazing things that I can hear everyday (such as music, your child's voice, etc).

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Only 8 days!

Only 8 more days until Thanksgiving and I am so not ready! I still need to get my buffet sanded down (finished sanding it down anyways) and painted, I need to finish my crafts, and clean! And I won't be getting anything done tomorrow or Friday!

Oh and on an exciting note, I will find out in 6 more days if I am having a niece or nephew! I can't wait to find out. I am hoping for a niece since I do have 2 nephews and this baby will be my last niece or nephew (although you never know, they could be more, but at this point I am told no, they will not be more!!!).

I am too tired and with this headache I can't really think of anything good right now... Yep, I am making another boring post! But I did want to post something along with my 26 Days of Thanksgiving thought. I think I am going to go prep a craft right now, for me and the girls to work on after school tomorrow... So, if I can get it finished look for a crafty post tomorrow :)

My 25 Days of Thanksgiving Day # 17:
I am thankful for science! Without it we would not have many of the things we have and need to survive. Heat, power (okay we don't need power, but dang it is nice!), medicines, medical advances,etc.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Dance your butt off!

I have never been into exercise, exerise... I loved to run in high school, but wasn't allowed to join the track team because of my heart defects... But I have always loved to dance! Dance is an awesome exercise too, so I can't complain! I only wish my high school had a dance team when I was there (they got one 2 years after I left!). So, I am just going to dance... Non stop! I will dance when I wash dishes, I will dance in the shower, I will dance sweeping the floors... I will dance my butt off! :)

Speaking of Dance my girls have their dance classes on Tuesday and here is a photo of them getting ready to head out the door (it was raining today so they were in rainboots).



My 25 Days of Thanksgiving Day # 16:
I am thankful for knowing what love is! I think they are many people out there they do not know what real love is... They have visions in their head and they seek out what they think is love and rush into things without being in love, and do not realize this until it is to late. I am thankful I found love early in life, and was blessed to know how it feels to love and be loved.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Monday is over so maybe...

just maybe, I can fit in a little craft time tomorrow. I need to sew up a few things for my Thanksgiving dinner... I told the girls we could make Turkey centerpieces together so I need to prep the supplies for those and I need to make a banner... WOW, I need to do a lot of stuff!

On a side note, I cried so hard tonight watching "The Big C". I love that show, but the ending was so sad and sweet all at the same time. Do any of you watch it?

My 25 Days of Thanksgiving Day # 15:
I am thankful for the rain! (it's raining here today) Without it we could not grow veggies and fruit, we wouldn't have all of our beautiful nature, nor would I be able to dance in it!

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Mid-November Randomness...

Today has proven to be even busier than yesterday.... And this upcoming week is going to be insane, but after this week I will get a short break. Which I am looking forward too! :)

Monday I will be working 10 hours and then heading to a Girl Scout Troop Meeting.
Tuesday I have two doctor appointments (one for me and one for Willow), need to clean the house, do laundry, run errands or whatnot, and then Dance classes for both girls.
Wednesday I will be attending my daughter's fieldtrip (as a chaperone), that last 8-3.
Thursday I am working another 10 hour day.
Friday I am working 12-13 hours.
Saturday & Sunday I will be shopping for Thanksgiving food, cleaning house, and painting my buffet.

And I just remembered I need to fit in some crafts for Thanksgiving! Hmmm, not sure when or where I will be fitting those in but I will post about them as I fit them in :) So, stay tuned for Thanksgiving crafts.

My 25 Days of Thanksgiving Day # 14: I am thankful I have the opportunity to do all of my girls. I am able to be at home when I need to, when they have the sickies, take them to the dance classes, be a GS Troop Leader, go on school fieldtrips, volunteer for the school and more. I am truly Thankful I am able to spend this time with my children and show them I am there for them and they are important! I am thankful I do not have to work a typical M-F 8-5 job that would take all of this away and would leave someone else to the caring of my girls or let someone else see all of their accomplishments, adventures, smiles, etc. I am thankful I do get to see them at all of these things and don't miss it! Even when my job gets over stressful, I know I am lucky to have it, and I am blessed to be able to set my own schedule. Because before I had children I always said "I want to be the one raising my children, I don't want a daycare or before/after school care or other parents to do. I want to be there! And I know many people CAN'T do it because with the economy we have right now jobs are not easy to find, and many houses have 2 working parents. And we really are blessed I have been able to stay at home because with our oldest daughter having Autism it would have been impossible for me to work when she was younger. Plus me being the one that cared for her has been a blessing beecause I knew how to teach her and now she is doing so well in school that it is just amazing!

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Busy Day!

I have been busy today... And am finally starting to feel better so I haven't just been laying around, hence the lack of post today. Sorry blog world :)

Anywho, I still wanted to post My 25 Days of Thanksgiving Day # 13:
I am thankful for happiness! I am thankful people get to expereince happiness. I am thankful people know what happiness is, and can work toward their own happiness. I am thankful we can make others happy! I am thankful my daughters know what happiness is, and I am able to make them happy and see their happy little faces! Happiness is a wonderful thing, and I am thankful for it!

Friday, November 12, 2010

I am such a Music lover!

I listen to music non-stop... I love all music and find that music really is a huge part of my life. So, this morning when I went to get in the shower I turned on my cheapo 10+ year old radio and the antenna just broke... I was so upset, that I turned off the shower water and quickly started brainstorming up ideas on how I could fix it. The first thing that popped in my head was... PAPERCLIPS!

I run into the kitchen and dig through my 'junk drawer' and find the box of big paperclips and a tiny metal bracelet too! So, this is what I came up with:




I think it will serve the propose until I get to Walmart to get a new radio for my bathroom :)

Since I am on my music thoughts I will move on to
My 25 Days of Thanksgiving Day # 12:
I am thankful for music, and dance! As you know from above I love music, but I also love to dance! I love to dance with my daughters, I love to dance in the shower, I love to dance in the rain, I love to dance in behind locked doors... I just like to dance! I am thankful for these things because they make me happy... They make my daughter's happy! And without them life just wouldn't be the same

Thursday, November 11, 2010

25 Days of Thanksgiving!

My 25 Days of Thanksgiving Day # 11:
I am thankful for my vehicles! Without them I would never get anywhere. I live in the country and have to drive 22 mins just to get to town, 25 to the dance studio, and over an hour to go good shopping (we just have a walmart!)... So that would be a long walk! I am constantly on the go and if it wasn't for my vehicle I would never get half the things on my to do list off and that would drive me batty!

I heart Freebies! (freebie links)

I love freebies! I am always taking samples when offered, not because I am cheap... which I am, lol, but because they are super handy! Most come in small little packets that you can throw in a drawer for those just in case times (you run out of something and don't want or can't make the trip to the store), or you can use them in a first aid kit, or even throw them in the dash of your car! Plus, it is always fun to get something in the mail that isn't asking for your money! :)

Like this free sample for Prilosec OTC heartburn relief. This would be great to throw in a drawer, in your car or in a first aid kit! And it is totally free! Again I love free things :) I spend way to much money on have to have things so when I can get something I need for free, it always makes me happy!

And this is a free vinyl bag... Which would be perfect for using to make a first aid kit, giving to the kids to store toys in or for small craft things (which is what I would probably do with it).

And do you ever really have enough towels? I don't! They randomly seem to disappear or I end up using them for "cleaning towels". If you are like me, then here is a freebie for you! Towel Freebie!

Oh and another good thing about samples is they really are great for "try before you buy"! Because I did order the following sample earlier this year and I thought it was gross... But most healthy things are (to me) so you might love Emergen-C even though I didn't. I was super excited when I saw it at the store and nearly bought a full box but didn't that week and then saw the sample and was super tickled for it to come in the mail so I could try it... After all the flavors sounded GREAT! But I got it, mixed it up and was like... OMGOSH, I cannot drink this. Which means if I had bought the full box then I would have wasted money... that could have been used somewhere else. But again just because I didn't like it doesn't mean you won't, so give it a try! :)

As some of you might know, I am a Girl Scout Leader so I have more than one First Aid bag (one for home and one for scouting), so you will notice I like first-aid bag stuff :) The next sample is normally not found in a first-aid kit, but I think it is an awesome thing to have in one! Especially if you have kids that play sports! Or just a kid like me who had random nosebleeds all of the time. What is it you might be asking... It is by Nasal-cease to stop nosebleeds

I am always surprised to see calendars in a store for $10-$20 when you can get them for free at a ton of places... Like Pillsbury! :) And who wouldn't want a cute Pillsbury calender for their kitchen? I love calendars and need them! I fill them up with all of my crazy appointments!

I know this is only a few freebies, but I promise I will post more later! :)

Peace, Love & kissy faces,
~Lissa Lou

Don't do that... Don't do it!... Ok the monster will eat you!

I have always been a firm believer in there isn't just one correct way... in most cases anyway, but with every rule there are always exceptions! But back to the point... Ever since I was in middle school I knew that most teacher only taught one way... But not everyone in the classroom got it that way. Which always made me think? Shouldn't the teacher be doing more? So, what if it is unorthodox methods? After all, "If children cannot learn the way we teach them, then we must teach them the way they can learn."

That just happens to be one of my all time favorite quotes, and I am a huge fan of quotes! I truly believe that if what you are doing is not working, then it isn't the child... Its you and your methods. Another favorite quote of mine "If you tell a child 1000 times they cannot do something and they still do it, then it isn't the child that is slow!" Which is true! Think about it, if you are telling your child repeatedly not to do something and they keep doing it... They are smart enough to know you are just going to tell them not to do it again but they can, so they will keep doing it! It is all about learning what works and what doesn't for your child (or children). Just see below! :)

A mom keeps telling her daughter not to throw the ball in the house.


Does it work? No!


The mom tells her daughter for the 10th time not to throw the ball... Think it will actually work this time?


Heck no! After telling her 9 other times, did the mom really think it would work? If so, then who is the one not learning?


But something does happen... Finally! A light-blub turns on and the mom realized her ways are not working so she changes things up a bit!


Granted now her daughter is going to be scared to death to go to bed tonight, she didn't throw the ball anymore! :)


Side note: I in no way support scaring your children to death with the use of monster threats! :) However, it just might work! And no, I will not confirm nor deny that I have ever done this! (actually I haven't, but hmmm, its a thought!). This was all in fun, and my super lame way of trying to get you to to smile (yes, I know my little cartoon drawings are lame! but they are copywrite by me none the less) and get my point across all at the same time.

Okay, back to the point though... I really do think that children want to be taught, they want to be encouraged, they want to be pushed to do the right thing... Even if they do not act that way, when they get older they will fully love you for your efforts. I for one didn't have anyone to push me or encourage me growing up... I never had to bring good grades home, nor did I have anyone asking me if I had homework. Now, I am older and wiser, I can honestly say I wish I had that growing up! My children will be pushed! Even if they hate me for it now, they will know later on I love them and only wanted the best for them.

Another side note: No, I am not a crazy who overly pushes their children past their limits... I only push them to be the best they can be, and fully encourage their dreams. Winning is not important, it is the learning that happens during the process of whatever they are doing.

Again I got sidetracked from my point... The point is, if you child is not learning with the way they are being taught, keep trying new things! One of those new things might just be the key to a whole new world for them.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Pillsbury Toaster Strudels (giveaway)

My rambling is going to lead to information about a giveaway so stay tuned! :) Willow (3), loves Pillsbury Toaster Strudels! The kid wants them every morning. And she will eat 2 of them! She prefers the bacon, egg and cheese ones, which is awesome b/c she wouldn't eat all of that individually. We buy two boxes every week and she actually looks for them when we are putting away the groceries.

So, when I saw a blog post titled "Pillsbury Toaster Strudel & The A Million Morning Smiles" I was immediately intrigued and had to go see what they were saying about Toaster Strudels... And to my surprise, it was a giveaway!

I love giveaway... And yes, I want to win this one! Why? Because my daughter loves Toaster Strudels and because I really want that Pillsbury doughboy! I love those things and have since I was a kid.

Oh but I do what to point out the funny part about me making so many Toaster Strudels.... I don't even own a toaster! I always use the oven to make them... Which does take a lot more time... I should really get a taoster, huh? Maybe that will be on my Black Friday shopping list... They normally have them for less than $10 anyways, and since I wouldn't use it for anything other than Toaster Strudels a cheap one would work out well.

Now, go check out the post and see for yourself how awesome this giveaway is!

25 Days of Thanksgiving!

My 25 Days of Thanksgiving Day # 10:
I am thankful for TV today... Yes, as sad as that sounds, I am thankful for TV/cartoons! I now have the fever, congestion, stuffy/runny nose, pressure, etc stuff AND a stomach virus! FUN/FUN let me tell you! Anywho TV has been a great assistant to me today and kept Willow quite and happy... Normally I would not have the TV on and we would do projects, crafts, etc... But today I can't do anything but sit here in my comfy PJ's and recliner! So YAY for TV/cartoons... I am thankful for you today!

The Sky is Falling...

Oh wait it is just leaves and acorns!

{follow me wednesday} What is your diet breaker?

Oh diet, diet, diet of mine... You are always on my mind! Why must weight be such a hard thing to maintain?

What is your hardest food to avoid when you are dieting? Mine is chips... I love chips. I would eat them all day every day if I could. Oh, crunchy, salty, awesome potato chips how you have my stomach in the palm of your fatty hand!

I also like pickles, fruit and anything with a lot of carbs! Hmmmmmmmm, see why I said I don't even really like food? Everything I do like is bad for me and I don't like anything else and I have a odd ball stomach that will not handle foods very well so I can't eat a lot of foods. Yea, this diet of mine is so going to suck.



Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Day 9 of my 25 days of Thanksgiving

short, sweet and to the point :)
My 25 Days of Thanksgiving Day # 9:
I am thankful for medicines. After waking up this morning sick but still having a long to do list... I am thankful for cold meds! I am thankful for for the meds that make my girls feel better when they are sick (Clover just missed 2 weeks of school due to being sick). I am thankful for my heart meds that keep me going, and my BP meds that keep my BP under control. I am thankful for my stomach meds that help my GERDS and my ulcers. I hate the idea of putting so much chemicals into my body but they are much needed, and I am thankful someone was smart enough to invite them!

Monday, November 8, 2010

Movie junkie

I recently became a movie junkie... I never really went to the theaters to see movies before (a few times my whole life)... But this year I have been more times than I have my whole life put together! Now there are 3 movies I want to go see this month! Well that is my random short and sweet thought of the day :)

now on to My 25 Days of Thanksgiving Day # 8:
I am thinking for having a roof over my head! They are so many people in this world who do not have something that many of us take for granted. I am thankful for the heat in the winter and the a/c in the summer. I am thankful for my bed... Even if its super uncomfy and I am in need of another one! I am thankful my children have a safe place to call home!

Sunday, November 7, 2010

living in the moment!

I realized something today... I don't want to get older and I freak out about the thought of getting old... Yet I find myself wishing my days away. Hoping the week passes faster just so I can get to the weekend (mostly because my weekdays are so stressful/busy!). Or wishing away a month to get to vacation quickier. But, wishing away all of this time is really only making me older! So, my new goal is to stop wishing time away from me! To start living in the moment... Each and every moment! I do have to point out I am super excited for Thanksgiving though! So, if I can make it past Thanksgiving without wishing any time away, I will be doing well.

My 25 days of Thanksgiving, Day # 7:
I am thankful for my nephews (I have 2)! They are a big part of my life and I love those boys to death! They make me smile and my girls adore their cousins!

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Vodka, Friends, Turkeys, and more!

First let me start off by saying... I am not a drinker! I can't drink. The combination of ulcers and the fact that I have never drank (other than socially back in the day) means a shot or two would put me on my bum. However, I just came across this really cool idea for vodka and I have to say, I want to try it! What cool idea is making me want to take up drinking? Skittles Vodka! I have to admit, I am really wanting to try this out with my friends... Will I? Highly doubtful. After all I am a nerd.

But speaking of friends brings me to My 25 days of Thanksgiving, Day # 6 thought:
I am thankful for my friends! I have insanely crazy, fun, got your back through thick and thin friends, who I love dearly! And I am thankful for having them in my life!


Now on to the turkey part of my thoughts... I need to find 4" honeycomb turkeys! I was going through the massive amount of totes in my basement earlier and found four 4" turkey table decorations with little tags sticking out from them and I decided... Hey, I can use these for Thanksgiving! The only problem is I bought them years ago (heck, I have no idea when) at Big Lots (and I haven't been there in at least 5 years) for only 79 cents though. I need at least 26 more of them, and have no idea if I can find them. Here is a picture of one of the ones I have:


I am wanting to have enough of these little turkeys for everyone that will be attending our Thanksgiving dinner. The only thing is Big Lots is well over an hour away and I would hate to make the trip and not be able to find them.

I had a small yardsale this morning (mostly just clothes the girls have outgrown) and made $72! Which is going into my savings jar for Black Friday sales (I think I already said this... which shows how fried my brain is).

Friday, November 5, 2010

Rain rain go away, we want to go out and play!

Tonight we were supposed to go to a fall festival but it is raining right now (yes it is still early... only 5am early!) so I am thinking we won't get to make it since the weather is yucky out and it will probably be to cold tonight.

My 25 days of Thanksgiving, Day # 5:
I am thankful for my camera! Even though I have gotten slack on my photo for every day of the year project, I love photography and I love the fact that photos capture a moment in time that could easily be forgotten.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Oh where can I find time?

I cannot find the time to make it to the gym and I am really bummed about it. I said I was going yesterday and I meant it! Then yesterday I spent all day going through boxes, totes, etc. that was in my basement to get out the things we no longer need or use and put them into my yardsale pile, so we can have a yardsale this Saturday. For one I just really needed this stuff out of my basement and for two extra money is always good... Whatever money we make from this yardsale is going to the side and I will be spending it on 'Black Friday' I am sure (hoping for good sales!)

Then I worked all day today... Until 7:35 tonight. and tomorrow is Friday (if you know me, you will know Fridays are my crazy day). And I need to go to the gym! I need to burn calories! I need to make my heart stronger! I need to lose weight, healthily! So many needs and no time to reach them. Which of course stresses me out, and stress is a big issue since stress is a huge trigger for my ED issues. so, it is a never ending cycle of my overly busy life getting in the way of making me healthy again.

My 25 Days of Thanksgiving Day # 4:
I am thankful for my awesome grandma! She is always there for me and a wonderful role-model. Thank you grandma! I love you.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Day 3 of my 25 days of Thanksgiving

25 days of Thanksgiving Day # 3:

I am thankful for smiles! Yes, as odd as that is, I am thankful for smiles! I love to see people smile... Especially my daughters!

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

25 days of Thanksgiving!

25 days of Thanksgiving Day # 2:
I am thankful for my supportive husband... Who walks through my hells with me and never lets our crazy life overcome our love! He is always by my side and has been for over 12 years. He is an amazing dad and has an amazing heart that only beats for us and I can say that because his actions shows me that! I am so thankful for faith putting us together.

Confessional

I have always been go all in or go home kinda person... Which has often led me to problems. I over work, over extend myself and put an unreal amount of stress on myself.

When I start something I go all in... Even if it is not the best or smartest choice... And normally it isn't. Like when I decided to go back to college, once again, this semester. I knew how busy I was going to be between work, my children, being a wife (cooking, cleaning, etc), and volunteering... Yet what did I do? I signed up for a full load of classes! I have no idea why I did that to myself because it has done nothing but caused me endless stress and I am currently behind in my work... Which I do plan on catching up today and tomorrow... Oh wait, shouldn't I be doing that now instead of blogging? Yea, probably but hey, I have been slacking at my blogging and if I don't do it while my mind is on it I will not do it today.

Each of us has a method of handling stress and dealing with life in general... Some of us has found great methods of handling it... Other of us not the greatest.... And which of these do I fall in? I don't think I would fall into either of them! I think I am in the middle. I recently came out of denial and admitted to myself that I have an eating disorder, and have for well over 12 years now, it took me a few days to fully take it in and then I admitted it to my husband and talked to him about it.

If you looked at me, you would never think she has an ED, which is probably why I am in the spot I am in today. I was bulimic for 2.5 years when my husband figured it out (we were only dating at the time), and helped me 'overcome' my issues... The funny thing is I actually thought I had. I was eating... I wasn't vomiting! I was over my 'bad' eating habits. The only thing is I spent the last 10+ years not better at all. I am a compulsive over eater now... The great thing is no one thinks anything of that! Over eating so unhealthy is okay? Ironically I actually hate to eat... I hate food! They are only a few foods I like to eat! Yet, when I become stressed, nervous, bored, or sometimes just walk into a kitchen it sets off this uncontrollable force to eat... And I do! For a long time I stayed at a very healthy weight doing this... But for the last 3 years, I have been at a very unhealthy weight and couldn't lose it no matter what I tried... Because of my uncontrollable eating habits! The this weekend I decided to google "weight gain after overcoming bulimia" and boom... There was my answer! I still have an eating disorder and it never registered. From the list of things to look for in someone who compulsively over eats to the point of it being considered an eating disorder I answered 'yes!' to every question besides one... and once I read up on it more, I realized I have a problem and I need help!

I happened to already have a doctors appointment today for normal me stuff... meaning a check up on my heart and to make sure my current meds are doing their job. So, I talked to the doctor today about my ED. I got tips and I am not doing monthly weigh-ins with him, and after 3 months if I haven't reached the goal he set for me, then I have to go into therapy (his orders). Wish me luck. I need it! I need a way of dealing with my stress without the urge to eat, yet I am worried I won't find that method. "It's so hard when I have to, and so easy when I want to." And I HAVE to do this, so I am looking at a long hard road in front of me once again!

Monday, November 1, 2010

The 25 Days of Thanksgiving!

So I am getting older... I hate it but that is life, right? Anywho, the older I get the more I am thankful for Thanksgiving! I love taking the time out to really think about all of the things I am and should be thankful for!

However, I have noticed that after Thanksgiving means the start of "Christmas craziness" for a lot of people, forgetting to take the time out and really enjoy Thanksgiving. This makes me sad. I mean, yes, I have started Christmas shopping already but I have not start to put out Christmas decorations, or even shop for Christmas decor! Nor am I listening to Christmas music or any of that. Yet, everytime I turn on the TV I see something Christmas related (Santa must bring this toy to your house for Christmas commercials, Christmas sales, Christmas movies, etc). What about a good Thanksgiving movie?

Because of this I have decided to *try* (we all know I can't seam to find the time to keep up with blogging lately) to do a 25 days of Thanksgiving.... Meaning every day from today until Thanksgiving I will post one thing I am thankful for.

25 Days of Thanksgiving Day # 1:
I am truely thankful for my children. They are true miracles and I am blessed to have each of them in my life! I couldn't live without them!