The Holiday Edition

Welcome to the holiday edition of the blog! In today's installment, I feel the need to be snarky and criticize some holiday lights. Let's begin...

What is this mess? It can best be described as Al Gore's holiday nightmare. Can you imagine what their electric bill will be like? And really...do you have to put up EVERY strand of light that you have? Sometimes less really is more. I'm just sayin'...

But sometimes less is just less. Moderation is good, but do it with some style...

Hmm...did they just give up? Was this the most creativity that they could muster? I think at this point they should have just admitted that they didn't feel like decorating and left it all in the attic.

I'm going to keep an eye out for a lovely happy medium. These two were just wrong!!

In other news, I am really glad it's Friday. Oh, and how about them Cowboys? Sorry for all you Packers fans. I think we broke your QB. Oops!

Everyone have a good Friday!

Target = Grinch

I love Target. It's one of my favorite places to shop! But I had a very unpleasant dealing with Target that has soured me a bit, and as a consumer I feel compelled to share.

David and I bought a new Christmas tree last year, and we saved it (still in the box) for this year. We got ready to decorate for Christmas and when David put the tree together we discovered about a 12 inch gap with no branches and no place for branches. Clearly a manufacturer's defect. So naturally, we called Target to see about exchanging. We explained to Customer Service what the issue was, and even told them we'd be happy to upgrade our tree and spend a little more money. We got a big fat no. They told us that since it was past 90 days, there was nothing they could do. So we spoke with the store manager, who was rude and just as uncooperative. Now, I totally understand store policy. But with a holiday item like this, you would think they would grant some leeway. Do you open a Christmas tree a year in advance to make sure it looks okay? Well, we didn't and I never would think to do that. I trust Target to sell me good merchandise. So the store manager gives us the number to their corporate office and David calls them. Although they were more pleasant, we got the same deal - sorry we sold you something we won't stand behind. We couldn't get hold of anyone at the manufacturer, so here is my advice: Don't buy a tree from Target. If you do, assemble it in the store and make sure it looks like it is supposed to. Or at least make sure you assemble it right away and then return it immediately (with the receipt!) to make sure you don't get screwed. We did! Bah Humbug on Target!

So anyhow, the rest of our weekend was good in spite of the tree issue. We have a new tree that's BETTER than the old one and it's all decorated and festive. I'll have to post a picture of our beautiful tree. We're going to go to the Neiman's Christmas Store to pick out a special ornament to celebrate our first Christmas as a married couple! (Feel free to gag...I know some of you are right about now.)

Today my super awesome husband is out getting new tires, an alignment, an oil change, and new wipers for my car. It was getting bad! (And I didn't have to go do that! It's nice to have him take care of that!)

Everyone have a wonderful Tuesday!

Victory in the Face of Adversity

We all have our demons. The holidays can really bring them out for some people. Maybe for some it's dealing with family, for some it's getting through the holidays and not reverting to bad habits. I fall in the latter category. (I have great family, so that's not a holiday issue for me.) My demon is food. It's been a struggle for me as long as I can remember. I vaguely remember not having a weight issue in elementary school, but even toward the end of that I began to gain weight. Now that I am 35 I have decided that I won't let that control me any more, and just to make my point, I managed to lose 3 pounds this week, even through 2 Thanksgiving meals!! That's a total of 15.2 pounds now! So am I feeling good about this? You better believe it! That gives me the strength to know I can keep this up. It's hard to make smart choices when your mother in law makes Paula Deen's Corn casserole (which starts with a whole stick of butter in the recipe!). But you know, I had a teaspoon of it, and it was good and I moved on! I think I impressed myself with my inner strength. I forget it's there sometimes. But it really is, and I think I reminded myself of that today. I know a lot of people that don't deal with weight/food issues might not understand this particular victory, but it's a very big deal for me. I am working to have 25 pounds off by Christmas. This I can do, but I will need to work for it. I am ashamed to say my workouts were few this past week, but that will change next week. That's what I love about WW...every week is brand new and I can do better than the week before. So here's to a new week and new successes!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! Brace yourselves...the holidays are truly upon us!

Meet Madeline aka Maddie!

This is mom and dad's newest household edition! Isn't Maddie adorable?

Tomorrow we are going to start the turkey day preparations! I'm keeping this short so I can get a few things done. Everyone have a great day!

I Forgot To Post!

I lost 1.8 pounds for a total of 12.2 pounds gone now! I am one excited girl, and I am well on my way to having 20 pounds off by Christmas! (That's my first goal)

Mom and Dad adopted a rescue kitty this weekend, and she is adorable! She is a precious dark marmalade tabby with beautiful almond shaped eyes. She is a year old, and we've named her Madeline, but we are calling her Maddie. I'll post pictures very soon! She is a snuggler, and mother is in love with this little precious baby!

David and I got all the nieces and nephews Christmas presents bought and wrapped, so I am about halfway done with my Christmas shopping. This is a first for me, as I am always out there at the last minute trying to get it all done! We bought beautiful wrapping paper and bows and tags at Target, and I had a blast getting them all wrapped and ready. Now we just have to put up the tree! (Which we won't do until AFTER Thanksgiving!)

So that's it for now. Everyone have a great Monday!

End of the Week

I am glad the week has gone by fast. David comes home Saturday night, and I am excited about that. So it's quiet around here. I did get two new pairs of shoes Wednesday courtesy of David! I got a pair of cool new boots and a great pair of flats. I got some gorgeous brown leather dress heels Tuesday that I love, so I am doing well in the shoe department! I had my annual "well-woman" exam yesterday. (Ugh!) Now that I am 35 I get to go have a mammogram. I don't mind except that now I just feel old! But I am all for taking good care of myself and making sure I am not at risk for breast cancer. After Christy's mom won that battle last year, I know how real it is. (And Pam has been clean for a year now!!) So while I am losing weight and trying to eat healthy, I will be making sure that the "girls" are healthy, too.

Tonight I am going to sort through our wedding pictures. Mom and I need to decide which ones we are going to order so that we get the 25% discount on the prints. I am excited, as the pictures really turned out very well. It's so fun to look through them! Mom and Dad came over last night and Mom and I got the menu figured out for Thanksgiving. We made our shopping list and we'll be buying everything tomorrow. (Trying to keep out of the stores as much as possible this week!) David and I are doing the Christmas shopping for the nieces and nephews on Sunday so that we can get our trip to Toys R Us out of the way ASAP! (Not my favorite shopping trip!) I know what I am getting David, and I'll buy that at the end of the month. (He knows he is getting a Zune mp3 player!) I think he'll be getting a Wii for his birthday. He was torn whether he wanted that for Christmas, but he decided on the Zune, so I'll do the Wii at the end of January. Maybe I can get a good post-holiday deal on one!

I think that's it for today. I hope everyone has a wonderful Friday!

It's the 500th Post!

This is my 500th post! I can't believe it's been over two years ago when I started this blog and that it's still going! Lots of things have changed in two years...some stuff is the same. (Still battling my weight!) My life has taken so many twists and turns, but it's all good and things have worked out well for me. It's a good life! :)

No huge news here. Actually, not even small news. Oh, except that this is David's last week of major travel until next year! This is a big deal for me! I haven't had a Saturday with him since our honeymoon! It will be nice to actually have two days in a row with him without one of us having to go to work. :) I think we'll have to uncork the champagne we brought back with us from Jamaica for this! (We were going to pop it open on our 1 month celebration of marriage, but he was on antibiotics)

It's a quiet day here at work. I am listening to BBC Radio 1 on my headphones. If you haven't listened online, it's interesting to hear the radio station in London. David and I are going for a week before Christmas next year...I can't wait!

So I think that's about it. Everyone have a great Tuesday!

Yes, I Am A Loser!

And it's a good thing! I lost another 3.2 pounds for a grand total of 10.4 pounds gone! Yes folks, it's the real deal and I am regaining my rock star status. :) (I'm rejoining the ever so fabulous Kim in the rock star world of weight loss and fitness!) And I even went to the Melting Pot this week! Yeah, I think I'm getting my ducks in a row, people. And it feels good!

Today is a very exciting day of housecleaning. But I am going to take a break mid day to go to the gym and the grocery store. I found a WW recipe for phyllo-wrapped salmon, so I'll review it tomorrow and post the recipe if I like it.

I was super lame last night and pretty much came home, made dinner, and fell asleep. hey, it's been a long week and I actually had to think this week! Those two days of consultative sales training whooped my booty.

I can't believe Thanksgiving is creeping up so fast! Mom and I are starting to plan what to make, and we're trying to cut back on how much we cook since we always have way too much food left over. We're doing the big meal at my Grampa's this year and mom and I will do the cooking. I'm excited about it! I have some yummy and healthy recipes to make so I am planning to lose weight for the holidays...I can do this! :)

Okay...time to get rockin' on the house work. It will be nice for David to come home to a clean house! Everyone have a good weekend! (Hope yours is more exciting than mine!) :)

TGIF!

Yay! It's Friday! I am so glad, too. It's been a busy week. I have been in training for the last two days, so it's nice to be back at my desk and doing my thing. I went to dinner with mom last night, and we chowed down at Subway. I swear, I love that place! I am addicted to the turkey on honey oat bread. I may have another one for dinner tonight! I am going to work out after I get home from work, and I am looking forward to it. Mom and I were out and about and she was very generous and bought she and I both some new workout clothes, so I have to go try them out tonight! :) After that and dinner, it's bubble bath city for me. I am looking forward to the down time. I have my weigh in tomorrow, and I am thinking it should go well! :) I'll post here tomorrow morning and let everyone know for sure.


Tomorrow is going to be a day of housecleaning. I want David to come home to a clean house. (Who sounds like Suzy Homemaker??) That, and the house needs a good cleaning. With three cats, we have cat hair everywhere so I need to vacuum and dust and wash sheets and all that stuff. We're still figuring out where to put some of our wedding gifts! We got a lot of wonderful stuff and we're a little limited on space. We'll figure it out!

Oh, I'd like to introduce my newest blog link! Check out Carmen in Sin City! I found her through the Blonde's blog, and Carmen is another fun gal about town. She's a poker player and her blog is lots of fun! (And her Vegas pool reviews are very helpful!)

Yes, it's shaping up to be a quiet weekend. Oh, I didn't even get to share that our wedding pictures are in! It's so exciting to look at them, and I really love the pictures!! Here's me with my absolutely gorgeous bridesmaids:



I love this picture! I think each of these ladies is amazing. My 12 year old cousin is in the middle on the left side, and she's going to grow up to be a strong woman. I won't let it be any other way!

So anyhow...I hope everyone has a wonderful Friday! Send me some skinny thoughts in the morning!

It's Just As I Suspected

My legs HATE me today. Walking down the stairs at my apartment this morning was very painful. It seems that my trainer did just as I asked, and she worked me over good yesterday! So I will smile through the pain and know that I am on my way to a smaller, healthier me! :) Tomorrow I can complain about my arms since Susan and I are working arms today. Great...tomorrow I won't we able to walk or lift anything. What a pain!

Man, it was windy last night! The wind just howled outside the bedroom window all night long. I was surprised when I left this morning that it wasn't colder than it was, but it was definitely chilly! I put on my jacket and scarf in the hopes that winder was on it's way but it seems that we have a little bit longer before it truly gets cold. Heck, it's going to be 80 degrees this weekend! (We don't even know how to dress this time of year!)

I don't really have any other news. Tonight it's girl's night at the Melting Pot, so I am meeting Kim and Mia for dinner. This poses a challenge with WW, but I have a plan to stay on track. I'm eating carefully all day and will be very careful tonight. I think I can do this! :)

Have a great day everyone!

Extra Hour of Sleep = Happy Me!

I love this time change! I actually feel refreshed when I wake up, and it's much easier to get out of bed on time. (I am a habitual snooze button pusher!) However, I still managed to doze a little this morning, but I wasn't late to work, so it's all good. :)

It's been a nice Monday. Nothing exciting, just a quiet day. David and I did our budget planning this weekend and the outlook is very good! We've got an aggressive savings plan and we'll be credit card debt-free by the end of 2007! (you read it right...thats THIS year!) I am one happy gal! :) I am taking all the credit cards out of my wallet and tucking them away untl we actually need them. (And really...when do we actually NEED credit cards?) So we are excited about our plan to save money. Next major purchase? A house, but not for a while. We're saving up and when the time is right we'll be homeowners! :) I love it!

No other news, really. I am still going through wedding withdrawal, but hopefully my proofs will be in this week and I can start going through pictures. I'm ready to see them! Kim has been kind enough to share what she has, and they were so great to look through!

I think that's it. I am going to be getting my a** kicked by my trainer in 30 minutes. We're doing legs today, and I actually told her not to have mercy on me. What the hell was I thinking? If I live, I'll report in tomorrow. Otherwise, I died at the hands of my trainer, who only did what I told her to do. I believe I might be insane.

Good News!

I weighed in this morning and lost 4.8 pounds this week! What a great first weigh in! I'm so excited and really motivated to keep up the hard work. My goal this week is to add in one more workout. I was going to get in 5 this past week but fell a little short. So I will get in 5 this week! :)

That's my big news! I had dinner at Applebee's with my friend Anne last night and we had a really good time. I am about to go to the grocery store to pick up stuff for lunches next week and for dinner tonight and tomorrow. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

A Piece of Peace

It's all quiet in my homestead. David is out of town until tomorrow night, so I am taking advantage of the alone time. I am having dinner with my friend Anne, and we're going to catch up. Tomorrow I have my first weigh in, and I am ready! I think I have done really well this week and I except good things to happen on the scale. :) Then I am going to get to visit with Angela for a bit during the early afternoon. It will be nice to get caught up. She and I have had very opposite schedules and we finally found some time to get together. Sunday I am going to a "purse party". Not sure what to expect, but we'll see! Maybe I'll find a purse I love!

I am looking forward to David coming home...it really does get a little lonely when he's gone, and the kitties miss him, too. I need to think of something creative to make for dinner on Sunday for David. I have been enjoying the WW recipes we've had so far, so I will try to find something good for Sunday night. Shouldn't be hard! I am dying for some Mexican food, so I will see what I can come up with! :)

Have a good Friday, and I'll post the results of my first weigh in tomorrow morning! Send me some skinny vibes, please!

Housetrained

Yes, I am slowly being domesticated. We are making great efforts to eat at home more, so we are cooking more. Yes, I am channeling Betty Crocker. (Except healthier!) Last night I made a recipe for lemon caper tilapia, and it was divine! We steamed some red potatoes and asparagus and had some raw snow peas and it was all really good! We were celebrating our one month-a-versary, and were going to toast with champagne but since David is on antibiotics we toasted with fruit juice. :) I made black bean soup last week, and I even have a recipe for balsamic chicken with mushrooms for tonight. We've really gotten into cooking at home and I am loving it! Another reason? Brace yourself for the same old song and dance: I have rejoined WW. (Try not to groan and roll your eyes.) Why will this time be different? Because I got put on high blood pressure medication. I am not happy about that. My doctor says that with weight loss I can get right off it, so I am no longer in it for the vanity reason. I hate being on medications, so I am seriously busting my butt to get off the medication. So all these awesome recipes? Yep. They're WW recipes. I put myself on the plan on the 20th, but didn't actually go to a meeting until the 27th. However, in that week of working on my own I did lose 2.5 pounds! So I am very serious this time. (Really, I swear!) It's all about being healthy now, and not just looking cute in a pair of jeans.

Since we live in an apartment we don't typically get trick-or-treaters, even though in past years I have put out signs and bought candy. This year we are not buying that junk. We're going to dinner with Grampa! :) (I'd much rather do that anyhow!) I'm looking forward to seeing him tomorrow night. Now that everything is slowing down, I feel like we have a lot more time to get back into our routines, and having our weeklies with Grampa is a very important and very enjoyable routine.

Kevin is back from his honeymoon and we had lunch today to get caught up. I'm so glad he's back! It sounds like he and Samantha had a wonderful honeymoon, and I couldn't be happier for them!

So no other news for now. David heads out on Thursday, so I still have a little more time with him. I hope everyone has a wonderful Tuesday!

I've Been Married For One Month Now!

Wow...time flies! One month ago I was getting ready for my wedding, and now the dress is stored in the closet, the flowers are all gone, and the cake has been eaten. It's sad to think it's all over, and I won't get another day like it again. It really was wonderful! I got to watch a little bit of the reception that my sister in law taped, and it was fun to see everyone mingling and having fun. Thank goodness there wasn't any footage of me and the girls getting our groove on...nothing good could come of that! :)

Tonight David and I are making dinner and then opening the champagne we brought back from Jamaica to celebrate. I found a healthy recipe for lemon caper tilapia, so we're giving it a try. Hope it's not a disaster! (You know me and cooking...it's usually fine but there have been occasional mishaps)

Kevin and Samantha were scheduled to return from their honeymoon yesterday. He gets back to work tomorrow so I am eager to say hello and hear about their trip. I hope they got to see the shuttle launch!

That's it for today. I hope everyone has a happy Monday! :)

Trying To Get Back Into The Routine

Yes, I have been a lazy blogger. Truthfully, there hasn't been much news to blog about lately. The wedding and honeymoon have come and gone, Kevin's wedding has come and gone, and now I'm getting back to regular life. David is on the road again, so I may walk around the house tonight in my veil and tiara just for fun. :) We had dinner with Grampa last night, and it was a great visit! It's the first time I have had a chance to get to see him since the wedding, and we are getting back on track with our weekly visits. I am going to try and get my social security card changed today. I can't do much in the way of a name change until I do that. I am dreading standing in line and waiting to do that. I looked and can't do it online, and I don't like sending in my marriage license even though they are supposed to send it right back to me. Oh well. I'll go stand in line!

My cousin Craig just went to Germany - how cool is that?? Hope you had a good time, cuz! :) I am ready for another trip to Europe. Wish it was cheaper to travel! Kim and I had so much fun in Paris a couple of years ago. I can't believe it was June of 2005...seems like it was just yesterday! It was so great to wander the streets (yes, because of my map reading skills we did a lot of wandering the streets!). I am dying to go to London and spend time there, too. We barely had a day there, and it was wonderful!

So I guess that's it for now. I hope everyone is having a good week!

Man, Time Flies!

I can't believe I haven't posted in a week! I've been in training pretty much all this week, and last weekend was super busy! Kevin's wedding was just beautiful and special, and I was so honored to be a part of everything. Samantha looked so pretty, and of course Kevin looked wonderful! I started to cry the minute she came down the aisle. The other groomsmen told me I gave groomsmen a bad name because I'm a crier! :) I don't care...one of my best friends got married!!

No real big news this week. David is traveling and will be home tomorrow, and tonight Mia and Joseph are coming over for dinner. Just a very quiet, laid back evening. I am making grilled pork chops, veggies, salad, and mixed fresh fruit. I haven't seen Joseph since the wedding, and I am looking forward to spending time with him. Mia might be bringing Brian, but she may be coming solo. Either way, it's going to be a nice evening.

Tomorrow will be busy...I have a massage schedule with Mia, and a Halloween Tea at Wendy's in the afternoon. Somewhere in there I am making soup and cornbread for dinner for David. I pick him up from the airport around 6-ish, and I will be happy to see him! :)

Everyone have a great weekend!

The Rehearsal

Nope, not mine! It's Kevin and Samantha's rehearsal and dinner tonight, and I am so excited for them! It's such a big deal! David is going to take pictures...something I wish we had done for our own rehearsal (that we have no pictures of, darnit!). I am looking forward to the evening, and I feel so honored to be standing up for Kevin as part of the groom's party. Tomorrow is going to be a special day, as Kevin has done the right thing and waited for his perfect person to come along. They are truly a special couple and I know God is smiling down on them.

In other blissful news, my coordinator from the City Club got engaged on 10/1/07, and she sent me pictures. She and her fiancee are so adorable! She wants to get together and have lunch, and I am more than happy to get together with her! She is wonderful and I look forward to enjoying a friendship with her. :)

Here's a picture of Heather and her fiancee on the night of their engagement:

So that's my wonderful news for today. Everyone have a wonderful weekend! :)

It's Not About Me Anymore

The reality has set in that my wedding has come and gone. Seriously, I can't begin to tell you how much fun I had that day! I'd love to go relive it just once more...it was wonderful! The only picture I have from that day is of my friend Wendy and me.

I'll have more pictures soon, I hope. My professional pics won't be available for a little while, and no one has indicated that they have any pictures! :( The day was such a blur, I am dying to see pictures of anything!

I've been back at work for a day and a half now. I am working on my new job, and I like it so far! I am getting used to having more freedoms at work, and it's really nice!

So that's it for now. Kevin is getting married this weekend, and I am happy to be a part of the groom's party. I'll have pictures of that, for sure!

Home From Paradise

We are home from Ocho Rios, and we had a blast!! We were lazy slugs the whole week and did very little besides snorkeling and walking around the resort. (I highly recommend Sandals!) We had a wonderful time, and I will share more about it later. For now I am going to eat a piece of wedding cake and call it a day. :)

So here is me in all my sun kissed (translation: sunburned) glory at the resort. I'll share more pics soon!