Angie's Spot

Pom Pom Princess

2012-01-30T20:48:00.002-05:00

When my 2 girls were just glimmers in my eye, there were a lot of things that I dreamed of for them. I imagined them being the perfect blend of outdoorsy and girly. Girls that love to dress up and play sports. Girls that love to play with dolls as much as they love to build things. And I have definitely ended up with all of those qualities in my girls! However, there is one thing that I never imagined a daughter of mine doing.....CHEERLEADING.

It's not that I have anything against the sport, it's just not something that I ever thought my girls would be interested in. My oldest has no interest, but my younger daughter is all about it. And she looks so darn cute in her uniform, how could I say no? See!

This was a performance of her Pom Squad last weekend at a school basketball game. She had a blast and I have to say that I was beaming from ear to ear while watching her. My little cheerleader!

Fat Ass Friday

2012-01-29T20:28:00.002-05:00

I'm a little late posting this week, but better late than never, right?! Let's get right to it!

Starting Weight: 218.7 lbs

Last Week's Weight: 222.0 lbs

This Week's Weight: 222.0 lbs

+Gain/-Loss This Week: 0 lbs

+Gain/-Loss Overall: +3.3 lbs

So, things that I'm happy about this week.

1. I didn't gain!

2. I took my last steroid pill. Goodbye meds and goodbye shingles!

3. I've been drinking a lot more water.

4. I made a big decision about my weight loss program for the next few months. I'll talk more about that next week.

5. I found out that my childhood bestie is going to run the Color Run with me in March. Yippee!

Despite the fact that the needle on the scale isn't moving in the direction I would like, I'm in a really good place and I'm happy and I'm incredibly optimistic about what the next few months is going to produce!

I dreamed a dream

2012-01-25T20:31:00.002-05:00

Yeah, I'm still on the Les Miz high. However, I'm also on a Disney high. Actually, I'm not sure I'm ever NOT on a Disney high but I've been pricing vacations almost every day for a couple of weeks now. And I stumbled upon a pretty great deal. And now, I'm on a mission to mark another thing off my 101 Things List.

So, today begins the push to fill up this box so we can create some new Disney memories in May! Wish us luck. And all donations will be happily accepted!

Broadway Baby

2012-01-21T00:00:00.000-05:00

Timing is everything and I have to say that my timing wasn't exactly spot on with the opportunity to go see a Broadway show that I've been wanting to see for about 20 years.

A few months ago, my bestie told me about a traveling ensemble that would be performing Les Miserables about 90 minutes from our hometown. She & her hubby were all about going, so hubby & I decided to tag along and make it a fabulous double date! Tickets were purchased and we have been waiting patiently. And then I got shingles 5 days before the show.

It was touch & go in deciding whether or not to go ahead and risk being miserable for hours, out of town no less. A game time decision was made that I was going to suck it up and make the trip because when was I going to get another opportunity like this? And I'm so glad I sucked it up.

Despite the fact that I almost fell asleep twice during the 1st act (thanks a LOT, damn medication), I really enjoyed the show and thought the cast did an amazing job bringing life to the music and story. I reminisced about singing "Master of the House" as a teenager with my friend who first introduced me to this musical and imagined myself singing "I Dreamed a Dream" alone on a stage. It was awesome. A new memory that I'll not soon forget.

Fat Ass Friday

2012-01-20T18:14:00.002-05:00

Another week, another weigh in. Here's the skinny (I wish) on this last week.

Starting Weight: 218.7
Last Week's Weight: 220.2
Current Weight: 222.0
+Gain/-Loss This Week: +1.8 lbs
+Gain/-Loss Overall: +3.3 lbs

The good news is that my shingles are much better and my meds are tapering off. The bad news is that the steroid that I'm on causes weight gain, which isn't helped by the fact that Aunt Flo's visiting this week. Sigh. Kick me while I'm down, damn mother nature. But, my attitude is good and I've been drinking lots more water and drinking far less soda. Progress is progress! I'm looking forward to getting off my meds in another week and hopefully start to see the scale tip in the other direction for a change.

Fat Ass Friday

2012-01-13T14:27:00.002-05:00

This was a tough week, mostly because I knew I wasn't feeling like myself, which culminated in a doctor's diagnosis of shingles. It's painful and the meds have been incapacitating. So, I was none too surprised to get the crappy results today that showed up. And here they are.

Starting Weight: 218.7 lbs

Last Week's Weight: 218.7 lbs

Current Weight: 220.2 lbs

+Gain/-Loss this week: +1.5 lbs

+Gain/-Loss overall: +1.5 lbs

So, I'm not off to a resounding start, but at least I can hopefully put shingles on the list of things that is in my past and not in my future. I'm going to continue to work lots of water back into my diet and I'm going to try and start my running schedule this week.

What rhymes with Jingle Bells?

2012-01-11T21:41:00.003-05:00

Shingles Hell.

As my hubby so eloquently put it yesterday, "Just because you & Shannon are best friends, doesn't mean you have to share everything." For those who don't follow her blog, you can read about her fun with this affliction here.

The good news is that it could be much worse. The pain, so far, is tolerable. The meds, so far, haven't made me wacky or loopy. The bad news is that it's cost me 2 days of work, which sucks when you're an hourly employee. It also sucks that wearing a bra right now causes excruciating pain because of where my blisters are.

So, the upside is that I'm not supposed to be around people for a few days, so now I can walk around bra-less for a good reason. Doctors orders!

Author, author

2012-01-09T00:00:00.000-05:00

Something that I recently marked off my 101 Things list was printing my blog in book form. This is something that I've been wanting to accomplish for a while, but kept stumbling over the cost of the endeavor. So, I decided to start small. I priced out printing just my 2011 entries (which was sad and pathetic, but far less costly) and found a winner! For around $20, I finally have in my hands, my 2011 Blog Entries! Please, hold the applause.

Isn't it shiny and red and pretty? Please excuse the crappy photography. My point & shoot camera needs to be retired & I was too lazy to pull out my big camera. This picture doesn't do the justice of the really nice printing that was produced.

There's a table of contents and everything! I feel like a real, legitimately published author.

The entries are published by date and like I said, the photography really came out great. Almost as good as some of the photobooks that I've produced on Shutterfly.

So, if you're in the market to print your blog in book form, I give 2 thumbs up to Blog2Print. This isn't a paid review, just me sharing about something that I like.

Camera Critters - The Truth About Cats & Dogs

2012-01-07T14:42:00.003-05:00

Roman (our German Shepherd) & Leaf (our cat)

I have some really affectionate animals and for that, I feel very lucky! It amuses me greatly that they love to cuddle with me in bed and have no issues with being close to each other. They certainly show that in some instances, cats & dogs can be good friends.

For more Camera Critters, go here!

Fat Ass Friday

2012-01-06T13:38:00.000-05:00

I'm picking Brandy's link up again this year because I need some sort of accountability. I have a lot of fitness goals for this year, but I've already listed many of them on my 101 Things list. Thanks to my bloggy friend, Cerise, I have found a 5k that I am going to do this year. It's called The Color Run and it looks like something that will be a ball! I'm shooting for the Atlanta run on March 31st, which means I need to get back on my couch to 5k program ASAP. I've been inspired to get back into running by several friends who are currently at Disney World running the half-marathon this weekend. Wow, I wish I were there!

My goals for this week are to start back on the couch to 5k program and to cut out the Coke consumption again. I need to reintegrate my water drinking. Here are the starting stats!

Starting Weight: 218.7

Last Week's Weight:

Current Weight: 218.7

+Gain/-Loss this week:

+Gain/-Loss overall:

Good luck with your weight loss/fitness goals this year!

101 Things in 1,001 Days: Update 7

2012-01-03T00:00:00.000-05:00

In April 2010, I came up with a list of 101 things that I want to accomplish in 1,001 days. I feel like I’m making decent progress with this project. This post is more for me than anyone else because I've already done several update posts, but I need to be able to see it all in 1 place. It's my OCD. My most recent updates are in BLUE.

Home Improvement Goals
1. Decorate my house - This particular goal was pretty broad, so I’m going to own this one by calling it complete as of Dec 2011. I finally managed to decorate my entire house for the holidays and it felt great!
2. Clean desk - I cleaned it in Dec 2010. Now let’s see if I can keep it clean.
3. Keep desk organized for 3 months
4. Finish remodeling the kids bathroom - I think I’m marking this one complete by default. I wrote this with my old house in mind and since that house is under contract with potential new owners, I don’t see us making any additional improvements. At my new house, the kids bathroom is in great shape, thank goodness!
5. Change the living room paint colors and window treatments -Completed in June 2010 at old house
6. Get a window treatment for the kitchen window
7. Create a manageable house cleaning schedule - I accomplished this in April 2011 and had hubby laminate it for me and everything. I should have added that I need to implement the schedule on a regular basis.
8. Have fresh flowers on the kitchen table every week for a month -Completed December 2010 and plan to keep this up because I loved having flowers on the table
9. Decorate inside & out for Christmas - Completed December 2010 and loved every minute of it

Hobby Goals
10. Enter a photography contest
11. Make a quilt
12. Read 100 books - I rounded out the year with reading “The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer” and “The Help”. (2011 book count - 10; Overall book count - 18) In order to reach my goal, I have to read 82 books in 12 months. That’s 7 books a month. Almost 2 books a week. I’m a fast reader, but even I don’t have that kind of free time on my hands. So, I’m just going to give it my all and read as many books as I possibly can!
13. Go to a book signing - My BFF Shannon & I went to see our FAVE author, Jen Lancaster at a book signing in Atlanta in May 2011. It was AWESOME!
14. Read all of the Harry Potter books - I have finished books 1 through 4 and am currently reading book 5.
15. Join a book club - I joined an online book club on Goodreads in October 2011, and I am so psyched!
16. Learn to knit or crochet
17. Knit or crochet a blanket
18. Craft with friends at least once a month - Got together with friends on several occasions to craft but not with consistency each month
19. Finish my Wreck This Journal
20. Learn how to use my sewing machine
21. Sew a dress for each of my children
22. Learn a new language
23. Finish the cross stitch piece I started for my wedding
24. Enroll in a pottery class
25. Print my blog in book form - After pricing this project out, I discovered that printing a year of entries at a time was my best bet. So, I’ve ordered the book form of 2011 (it should be here in a couple of days) and am working my way backwards. I should have the beginning (2008) through 2011 by the end of the year!
26. Enroll in a cake decorating class
27. Take a photography class & learn how to use my camera
28. Blog twice a week
29. Cross stitch the Rainbow Bridge poem
30. Finish a heritage scrapbook for my mom
31. Finish a heritage scrapbook for my dad

Health & Exercise Goals
32. Get a massage - Completed August 2010
33. Stop biting my fingernails - Completed August 2010
34. Take a cooking class
35. Start a skincare routine - Completed August 2010 (but need to do a better job of keeping up with it regularly)
36. Exercise 5 days a week for a month
37. Run a 5k
38. Treat myself to a massage after losing 30lbs total
39. Treat myself to a massage after losing 60lbs total
40. Enjoy a new wardrobe after meeting my weight loss goal
41. Donate all of my old clothes after meeting my weight loss goal
42. Get down to 120lbs
43. Maintain my goal weight of 120lbs for at least 3 months
44. Go on a horseback ride that involves galloping
45. Take my dog to the dog park once a week
46. Take my dog on a walk twice a week
47. Play in a disc golf tournament
48. Go 7 days without eating junk food snacks - Completed September 2010
49. Eat 5 things that I've never tried before - I tried zucchini for the first time in August 2011 and it was ok.

Outdoors Goals
50. Go camping
51. Grow an herb garden - Bought an herb garden in May 2010 and managed not to kill it for a month which is progress. Plan to actually plant an herb garden at our new house eventually.
52. Start a compost pile in the backyard
53. Landscape my front yard - Completed in June 2010 at old house
54. Build a flower box & plant flowers in it

Personal Goals
55. Get a tattoo
56. Get a professional bra fitting
57. Get my passport
58. Volunteer at an animal shelter - I took my Daisy Girl Scout troop to a local animal shelter in October 2011 and we made food toys for the cats and dogs. It was awesome!
59. Become a published author - I’m totally claiming a win here since I printed my blog in book form and it’s professionally bound and pretty with a dedication page and table of contents and the whole nine yards. That’s not too much of a stretch, right?!
60. Throw a dinner party - Completed November 2010 when we hosted Thanksgiving here for some wonderful friends who are like family
61. Watch Gone with the Wind
62. See Josh Groban in concert - Completed in June 2011 and he was GREAT!
63. Start a review blog - Completed in April 2010
64. Take singing lessons
65. Move to a bigger house - Completed in July 2010
66. Finish my will
67. Inspire someone else to make their own list - Completed in April 2010
68. Learn to drive a stick shift
69. Go whale watching
70. Ride in a limo
71. Go to see 2 concerts - Went to see Kings of Leon with my BFF Shannon in November 2010 and August 2011; Went to see Bon Jovi with my friend Valerie in May 2011
72. Volunteer in my community - I have been volunteering a TON with my kids school, so I totally think this counts.
73. Stay organized for 3 months
74. Watch a movie at a drive-in theater
75. Buy a pair of boots
76. Learn to wear/walk in heels
77. Buy a watch & actually wear it - I bought a cheap watch at Target, in June 2011, and I’ve been wearing it pretty faithfully. So much so that it’s almost on it’s last leg. I think it might be time to fix my nice watch.
78. Go to Disney World with my hubby & kids
79. Get the interview with my grandparents converted to DVD
80. Book a trip to London
81. Assist in growing our Kindermusik program by 100% - I helped accomplish growing our program significantly before I left in August 2011. It was a tough decision to leave, but the best for me & my family.
82. Apply to be on the Amazing Race
83. Play my own lottery numbers - Completed in May 2010
84. But a ticket for a dream home giveaway
85. Sing karaoke at a bar/club
86. Use my bread maker
87. Send my grandma a card once a week
88. Be debt free (except for the house)
89. Apply for membership with the DAR
90. Own a minivan - I am the proud owner of a Toyota Sienna as of August 2011!!
91. Dye a blue streak in my hair
92. Go 3 days without getting online - Completed in July 2010
93. Go an entire day without watching tv - Completed in July 2010
94. Have a professional photo shoot done of just me
95. Buy myself a Dooney & Bourke purse
96. Go on a horse drawn carriage ride with my family - We took a carriage ride together in Charleston, SC in July 2011.
97. Play miniature golf - Completed in November 2010 when hubby & I played the new "Glow Golf" course in town and had a blast
98. Take dinner to a friend - Completed in May 2010
99. Give a compliment to a complete stranger - I told the drive-thru barista at Starbucks that his glasses looked nice, in November 2011.
100. Save all of my coin change for 3 months & deposit it into my kids savings accounts
101. Write a new list of 101 things in 1,001 days at the end of this project

So, I've completed 36 of 101 tasks in 21 months and made progress on another 3 tasks. I’m 36% complete with the rest of this year to make some serious headway. The exciting thing for me is knowing that I have this whole year to make some serious improvements to my life, which will enable me to mark many things off this list. I’m very optimistic about what 2012 will mean for me!

2011 ~ A Year in Review

2012-01-02T00:00:00.002-05:00

I did this meme for 2010, courtesy of inspiration from a blog that I enjoy very much called Playgroups Are No Place for Children. So, I thought it would be fun to at least do this for a 2nd year in a row and see if maybe I can turn this into an annual tradition. And we're off...

1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?
I went to Disney World for a 10 day trip with my BFF and another close friend of ours! One of these days I'll actually recap that trip, because it was fantastic.

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions and will you make more for next year?
I successfully marked some things off the 101 Goals list that is ongoing, but I've stopped making resolutions for the most part. Something about setting myself up for failure has grown tiresome.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My oldest friend (meaning that I've known & loved her for over 30 years now) gave birth to her first child this past March. He is a doll and I wish I got to visit with them both more often!

4. Did anyone close to you die?
I made several visits to the funeral home this year, but the 1 that affected me the most was the passing of my, just mentioned, oldest friend's dad. That funeral was heartbreaking because I know how close they were and he was someone that has been in my life since I was a teenager. He will truly be missed by many.

5. What countries did you visit?
The USA didn't get rid of me even once this year.

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
More financial stability and dedication. De-ja-vu anyone?

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
August 19th because it was my birthday and I had started my new job at the kids school. This was the first time in my entire life that I was "in school" on my birthday. The principal announced my birthday during the morning announcements and hubby & the kids decorated my office with a huge card, flowers and presents. It meant so much to me!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Finally buying a minivan and actually loving to drive it!

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not making the dent in our debt snowball that I was hoping to make. That effort is going to be seriously ramped up in 2012.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
My bulging disc gives me trouble every now & then, but aside from that, things have been pretty darn good.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
My minivan.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My hubby for finally relenting and going to the dr to have his back problem addressed. It resulted in surgery, but we're all feeling much happier now that he's healthy again.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Our local school board who continues to make decisions based on their own personal agendas rather than the betterment of the community they supposedly represent.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Medical Bills, eating out way too much and wow, I have nothing to complain about.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
The first was seeing Kings of Leon in concert with my BFF for the 3rd time and the second was landing a fantastic job that I'm actually happy to go to each and every day!

16. What song will always remind you of 2011?
"Good Life" by OneRepublic

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a)happier or sadder; b)thinner or fatter; c)richer or poorer?
I am happier, fatter and poorer.

18. What do you wish you had done more of?
Exercise and eating better.

19. What do you wish you had done less of?
Telling my kids what to do rather than showing them.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
We started with Christmas Eve dinner & presents at my parents house, then spent Christmas morning at home opening gifts and then I fixed breakfast for us and my parents who came over. It was a lazy and fabulous day!

21. Did you fall in love in 2011?
If you can count falling in love with a minivan as something, then yes, 100%.

22. What was your favorite tv program?
I discovered a couple of new shows that are at the top of my favorites list. They are Justified, Once Upon A Time and Downton Abbey.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
There are people I strongly dislike, but I don't hate anyone. And nobody new for sure.

24. What was the best book you read?
"If You Were Here" by Jen Lancaster.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
My deep and abiding love for Adele has grown incredibly strong. I'm also a new fan of Mumford & Sons.

26. What did you want and get?
A minivan.

27. What did you want and not get?
To book a trip to London for 2012.

28. What was your favorite film of 2011?
I really enjoyed Crazy Stupid Love (and Ryan Gosling's abs). Ahem.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 36 this year and aside from the awesomeness that hubby & the kids did in my office, that was pretty much it. It was definitely a memorable bday, but I'm still holding out for a surprise party one of these years.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
I really wish we could have sold our old house, but at least we got it under contract with the hopes of completing the sale sometime in the next few years. In the mean time, we have some fantastic renters!

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept of 2011?
Oversized and black.

32. What kept you sane?
Some great music and some great books!

33. What political issue stirred you the most?
I keep my political ire pretty close to the vest, but this year, the nonsense that is Rick Perry was hard to ignore. What a putz.

34. Who did you miss?
I miss my brother and how close we used to be. Now that he lives 10 hours away from me and has a family of his own and a successful job, we just don't talk anymore. I need to make more of an effort to be a better communicator.

35. Who was the best new person you met?
My office mate, our school bookkeeper, is a fantastic lady and I'm so glad I have a wonderful person to share an office with!

36. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.
First impressions generally don't mislead. Trust your instincts from those impressions.

37. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
"Oh, this has gotta be the good life, this has gotta be the good life, this could really be a good life, good life" - Good Life by OneRepublic

Happy New Year everyone!!

Welcome 2012!

2012-01-01T00:00:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year!

I used to think my grandma was full of it when she said repeatedly that "the older you get, the quicker time moves." She was right.

How is it possible that it's 2012 already? It seems like just yesterday, I was sitting in a classroom, tuning out a teacher, daydreaming about how old I would be in 2000 and how that seemed so far away. My, my, how time flies.

I'm excited about what this new year will bring to me and my family. I have a lot of hopes and wishes and plans and am very interested to see just how much of it I can make happen.

I'm not going to throw out a list of resolutions because there's already a list of things that I'm working on, which I'll update throughout the year. My deadline to complete as much of that list as I can is December 30th. The race is on!

Ready.......Set.......GO!

Happy Holidays from my family to yours!

2011-12-04T21:01:00.004-05:00

Snowman Giftwrap Holiday

Create your holiday cards online at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

101 Things in 1,001 Days: Update 6

2011-11-08T21:03:00.002-05:00

I know. Holy crap...she blogged! I can't even express how much I've missed posting here. Just about every day, I sit down and think, "I should write a post" and then my mind strays and well, here I am. So, I'm jumping in with a long one. An update to my ongoing, big project.

In April 2010, I came up with a list of 101 things that I want to accomplish in 1,001 days. I feel like I’m making decent progress with this project. This post is more for me than anyone else because I've already done a couple of update posts, but I need to be able to see it all in 1 place. It's my OCD. My most recent updates are in BLUE.

Home Improvement Goals
1. Decorate my house
2. Clean desk
3. Keep desk organized for 3 months
4. Finish remodeling the kids bathroom
5. Change the living room paint colors and window treatments -Completed in June 2010 at old house
6. Get a window treatment for the kitchen window
7. Create a manageable house cleaning schedule - I accomplished this in April 2011 and had hubby laminate it for me and everything. I should have added that I need to implement the schedule on a regular basis.
8. Have fresh flowers on the kitchen table every week for a month -Completed December 2010 and plan to keep this up because I loved having flowers on the table
9. Decorate inside & out for Christmas - Completed December 2010 and loved every minute of it

Hobby Goals
10. Enter a photography contest
11. Make a quilt
12. Read 100 books - So far this year, I’ve read “The Actor & The Housewife, 4 of the Harry Potter books, “It’s Not Me, It’s You”, “If You Were Here” and “Am I There Yet?”. (2011 book count - 8; Overall book count - 16)
13. Go to a book signing - My BFF Shannon & I went to see our FAVE author, Jen Lancaster at a book signing in Atlanta in May 2011. It was AWESOME!
14. Read all of the Harry Potter books - I have finished books 1 through 4 and am starting book 5. I’m finally over the half-way hump!
15. Join a book club - I joined an online book club on Goodreads in October 2011, and I am so psyched! I’m starting my 1st book with the club this month.
16. Learn to knit or crochet
17. Knit or crochet a blanket
18. Craft with friends at least once a month - Got together with friends on several occasions to craft but not with consistency each month
19. Finish my Wreck This Journal
20. Learn how to use my sewing machine
21. Sew a dress for each of my children
22. Learn a new language
23. Finish the cross stitch piece I started for my wedding
24. Enroll in a pottery class
25. Print my blog in book form
26. Enroll in a cake decorating class
27. Take a photography class & learn how to use my camera
28. Blog twice a week
29. Cross stitch the Rainbow Bridge poem
30. Finish a heritage scrapbook for my mom
31. Finish a heritage scrapbook for my dad

Health & Exercise Goals
32. Get a massage - Completed August 2010
33. Stop biting my fingernails - Completed August 2010
34. Take a cooking class
35. Start a skincare routine - Completed August 2010 (but need to do a better job of keeping up with it regularly)
36. Exercise 5 days a week for a month
37. Run a 5k
38. Treat myself to a massage after losing 30lbs total
39. Treat myself to a massage after losing 60lbs total
40. Enjoy a new wardrobe after meeting my weight loss goal
41. Donate all of my old clothes after meeting my weight loss goal
42. Get down to 120lbs
43. Maintain my goal weight of 120lbs for at least 3 months
44. Go on a horseback ride that involves galloping
45. Take my dog to the dog park once a week
46. Take my dog on a walk twice a week
47. Play in a disc golf tournament
48. Go 7 days without eating junk food snacks - Completed September 2010
49. Eat 5 things that I've never tried before - I tried zucchini for the first time in August 2011 and it was ok.

Outdoors Goals
50. Go camping
51. Grow an herb garden - Bought an herb garden in May 2010 and managed not to kill it for a month which is progress. Plan to actually plant an herb garden at our new house eventually.
52. Start a compost pile in the backyard
53. Landscape my front yard - Completed in June 2010 at old house
54. Build a flower box & plant flowers in it

Personal Goals
55. Get a tattoo
56. Get a professional bra fitting
57. Get my passport
58. Volunteer at an animal shelter - I took my Daisy Girl Scout troop to a local animal shelter in October 2011 and we made food toys for the cats and dogs. It was awesome!
59. Become a published author
60. Throw a dinner party - Completed November 2010 when we hosted Thanksgiving here for some wonderful friends who are like family
61. Watch Gone with the Wind
62. See Josh Groban in concert - Completed in June 2011 and he was GREAT!
63. Start a review blog - Completed in April 2010
64. Take singing lessons
65. Move to a bigger house - Completed in July 2010
66. Finish my will
67. Inspire someone else to make their own list - Completed in April 2010
68. Learn to drive a stick shift
69. Go whale watching
70. Ride in a limo
71. Go to see 2 concerts - Went to see Kings of Leon with my BFF Shannon in November 2010 and August 2011; Went to see Bon Jovi with my friend Valerie in May 2011
72. Volunteer in my community - I have been volunteering a TON with my kids school, so I totally think this counts.
73. Stay organized for 3 months
74. Watch a movie at a drive-in theater
75. Buy a pair of boots
76. Learn to wear/walk in heels
77. Buy a watch & actually wear it - I bought a cheap watch at Target, in June 2011, and I’ve been wearing it pretty faithfully. So much so that it’s almost on it’s last leg. I think it might be time to fix my nice watch.
78. Go to Disney World with my hubby & kids
79. Get the interview with my grandparents converted to DVD
80. Book a trip to London
81. Assist in growing our Kindermusik program by 100% - I helped accomplish growing our program significantly before I left in August 2011. It was a tough decision to leave, but the best for me & my family.
82. Apply to be on the Amazing Race
83. Play my own lottery numbers - Completed in May 2010
84. But a ticket for a dream home giveaway
85. Sing karaoke at a bar/club
86. Use my bread maker
87. Send my grandma a card once a week
88. Be debt free (except for the house)
89. Apply for membership with the DAR
90. Own a minivan - I am the proud owner of a Toyota Sienna as of August 2011!!
91. Dye a blue streak in my hair
92. Go 3 days without getting online - Completed in July 2010
93. Go an entire day without watching tv - Completed in July 2010
94. Have a professional photo shoot done of just me
95. Buy myself a Dooney & Bourke purse
96. Go on a horse drawn carriage ride with my family - We took a carriage ride together in Charleston, SC in July 2011.
97. Play miniature golf - Completed in November 2010 when hubby & I played the new "Glow Golf" course in town and had a blast
98. Take dinner to a friend - Completed in May 2010
99. Give a compliment to a complete stranger - I told the drive-thru barista at Starbucks that his glasses looked nice, in November 2011.
100. Save all of my coin change for 3 months & deposit it into my kids savings accounts
101. Write a new list of 101 things in 1,001 days at the end of this project

So, I've completed 31 of 101 tasks in 19 months and made progress on another 3 tasks. This winter is going to be big in getting some stuff accomplished, especially Winter Break from school. I can’t wait for my next update!!

Happy 4th of July

2011-07-04T00:00:00.000-04:00

Last night, my family & I attended a huge fireworks show on the river. My girls were captivated by the beautiful light display. I enjoyed being there in that moment with my loved ones. And I actually teared up when I got home and realized that I had FINALLY captured a decent fireworks picture with my camera!

Today, I am counting my blessings to be a citizen of the U.S.A.! And I'm also thankful that I finally outsmarted my camera.

Happy 4th of July!

Movie Reviews: Bad Teacher and Larry Crowne

2011-07-02T22:11:00.004-04:00

I love movies!! This was a particularly great Saturday because not only did I get to check out 2 movies that I've been wanting to see for a while, but I got to go with 2 of my favorite people! Let's review!

Bad Teacher stars Cameron Diaz as a self-absorbed slacker who has 1 thing on her priority list and that is finding a rich guy to take care of her. In the meantime, she is biding her time as a horrible middle school teacher that is at odds with the perky teacher across the hall. Enter Justin Timberlake. Justin plays a nerdy substitute teacher who comes from a wealthy family and is the object of affection of both Cameron and the perky teacher.

Overall, my best friend & I laughed a LOT during this flick. The writing is funny and completely irreverent. Cameron is totally believable in her character. Jason Segel provides some fantastic supporting character zingers. However, Justin Timberlake was woefully miscast in this film. I love Justin and he's proven his comedic chops on Saturday Night Live, but this film did him no favors.

My vote is 2.5 stars out of 4.

My name is Angie and I adore Tom Hanks. Hubby & I went to check out this movie because as he said, "Tom Hanks rarely lets us down". And he was so right. Larry Crowne stars Tom as a recently terminated middle-age divorcee who decides that going to college is going to give him a leg up in the job market. Julia plays his Speech Class teacher. With the help of a fantastic supporting cast of unique characters, we grow to appreciate the tangential relationships that blossom, as well as the one centered between Tom & Julia. We really enjoyed this movie!

My vote is 3.5 stars out of 4.

Have you seen any good or bad movies lately?

Friday Fragments

2011-07-01T13:43:00.002-04:00

Hey there friends! I know it's been a while. Time just seems to move faster these days and by the time I get to end of the day, I'm so tired that I just can't muster up a blog post. But, in the spirit of getting back on track (again, I know) I'm making a big effort to blog most days in July. So, this week I'm participating for the first time in Friday Fragments, which is hosted by Mrs4444 at Half-Past Kissin' Time. I also want to give a shout out to my bloggy friend Julia, who brought this link up to my attention.

I had a job interview this week for a position that I honestly thought I had very little chance of being offered. So, when they called me 24 hours later to offer it to me, I almost cried. VERY EXCITING!! I start it in August and couldn't be happier!
My hubby had back surgery last week and I am so relieved that he's finally free of pain. Herniated discs are zero fun.
In related news, we're heading to the beach next week and hubby isn't thrilled that he can't get in the pool or ocean while we're vacationing. But hey, at least he's not in excruciating pain anymore! Gotta look for that silver lining...always.
I spent 3 hours cleaning my house yesterday and now I don't want anyone to touch anything. Am I the only one who gets that way with a clean house?
We're going to my very first drive-in movie tonight. I'm almost as excited about this as I am about our beach trip! I love movies.
I had a house full of girlfriends over last night for a party and it was so great! I love having parties. It gives me a good excuse to clean my house. LOL!

Happy 4th of July weekend! We're looking forward to enjoying some fabulous fireworks displays this weekend. Hope you get to do the same!

101 Things in 1,001 Days: Update 5

2011-06-09T23:02:00.001-04:00

In April 2010, I came up with a list of 101 things that I want to accomplish in 1,001 days. I feel like I’m making decent progress with this project. This post is more for me than anyone else because I've already done a couple of update posts, but I need to be able to see it all in 1 place. It's my OCD.

Home Improvement Goals
1. Decorate my house
2. Clean desk
3. Keep desk organized for 3 months
4. Finish remodeling the kids bathroom
5. Change the living room paint colors and window treatments -Completed in June 2010 at old house
6. Get a window treatment for the kitchen window
7. Create a manageable house cleaning schedule - I accomplished this in April 2011 and had hubby laminate it for me and everything. I should have added that I need to implement the schedule on a regular basis.
8. Have fresh flowers on the kitchen table every week for a month -Completed December 2010 and plan to keep this up because I loved having flowers on the table
9. Decorate inside & out for Christmas - Completed December 2010 and loved every minute of it

Hobby Goals
10. Enter a photography contest
11. Make a quilt
12. Read 100 books - Since last update, read "One Day", "I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell" and a Dave Barry compilation of his Year in Review lists (Read 8 books in 2010) So far this year, I’ve read “The Actor & The Housewife, 2 of the Harry Potter books, “It’s Not Me, It’s You” and “If You Were Here”. (2011 book count - 5; Overall book count - 13)
13. Go to a book signing - My BFF Shannon & I went to see our FAVE author, Jen Lancaster at a book signing in Atlanta in May 2011. It was AWESOME!
14. Read all of the Harry Potter books - I have finished books 1 & 2 and am currently reading book 3. Yay, me!
15. Join a book club
16. Learn to knit or crochet
17. Knit or crochet a blanket
18. Craft with friends at least once a month - Got together with friends on several occasions to craft but not with consistency each month
19. Finish my Wreck This Journal
20. Learn how to use my sewing machine
21. Sew a dress for each of my children
22. Learn a new language
23. Finish the cross stitch piece I started for my wedding
24. Enroll in a pottery class
25. Print my blog in book form
26. Enroll in a cake decorating class
27. Take a photography class & learn how to use my camera
28. Blog twice a week
29. Cross stitch the Rainbow Bridge poem
30. Finish a heritage scrapbook for my mom
31. Finish a heritage scrapbook for my dad

Health & Exercise Goals
32. Get a massage - Completed August 2010
33. Stop biting my fingernails - Completed August 2010
34. Take a cooking class
35. Start a skincare routine - Completed August 2010 (but need to do a better job of keeping up with it regularly)
36. Exercise 5 days a week for a month
37. Run a 5k
38. Treat myself to a massage after losing 30lbs total
39. Treat myself to a massage after losing 60lbs total
40. Enjoy a new wardrobe after meeting my weight loss goal
41. Donate all of my old clothes after meeting my weight loss goal
42. Get down to 120lbs
43. Maintain my goal weight of 120lbs for at least 3 months
44. Go on a horseback ride that involves galloping
45. Take my dog to the dog park once a week
46. Take my dog on a walk twice a week
47. Play in a disc golf tournament
48. Go 7 days without eating junk food snacks - Completed September 2010
49. Eat 5 things that I've never tried before

Outdoors Goals
50. Go camping
51. Grow an herb garden - Bought an herb garden and managed not to kill it for a month which is progress. Plan to actually plant an herb garden this year at the new house.
52. Start a compost pile in the backyard
53. Landscape my front yard - Completed in June 2010 at old house
54. Build a flower box & plant flowers in it

Personal Goals
55. Get a tattoo
56. Get a professional bra fitting
57. Get my passport
58. Volunteer at an animal shelter
59. Become a published author
60. Throw a dinner party - Completed November 2010 when we hosted Thanksgiving here for some wonderful friends who are like family
61. Watch Gone with the Wind
62. See Josh Groban in concert - Completed in June 2011 and he was GREAT!
63. Start a review blog - Completed in April 2010
64. Take singing lessons
65. Move to a bigger house - Completed in July 2010
66. Finish my will
67. Inspire someone else to make their own list - Completed in April 2010
68. Learn to drive a stick shift
69. Go whale watching
70. Ride in a limo
71. Go to see 2 concerts - Went to see Kings of Leon (again) with my BFF Shannon in November 2010; Went to see Bon Jovi with my friend Valerie in May 2011
72. Volunteer in my community - I have been volunteering a TON with my kids school this year, so I totally think this counts. We’re building an outdoor classroom this summer that I’m super excited about!
73. Stay organized for 3 months
74. Watch a movie at a drive-in theater
75. Buy a pair of boots
76. Learn to wear/walk in heels
77. But a watch & actually wear it
78. Go to Disney World with my hubby & kids
79. Get the interview with my grandparents converted to DVD
80. Book a trip to London
81. Assist in growing our Kindermusik program by 100%
82. Apply to be on the Amazing Race
83. Play my own lottery numbers - Completed in May 2010
84. But a ticket for a dream home giveaway
85. Sing karaoke at a bar/club
86. Use my bread maker
87. Send my grandma a card once a week
88. Be debt free (except for the house)
89. Apply for membership with the DAR
90. Own a minivan
91. Dye a blue streak in my hair
92. Go 3 days without getting online - Completed in July 2010
93. Go an entire day without watching tv - Completed in July 2010
94. Have a professional photo shoot done of just me
95. Buy myself a Dooney & Bourke purse
96. Go on a horse drawn carriage ride with my family
97. Play miniature golf - Completed in November 2010 when hubby & I played the new "Glow Golf" course in town and had a blast
98. Take dinner to a friend - Completed in May 2010
99. Give a compliment to a complete stranger
100. Save all of my coin change for 3 months & deposit it into my kids savings accounts
101. Write a new list of 101 things in 1,001 days at the end of this project

So, I've completed 24 of 101 tasks in 14 months and made progress on another 2 tasks. This summer is going to be big in getting some stuff accomplished. I can’t wait for my next update!!

It's ON!!!

2011-04-13T21:16:00.004-04:00

Guess where I'm going for 10 days, beginning in late August?

Oh...yeah.

Let the countdown begin!

And speaking of countdowns, Shannon & I have started a new blog focused entirely on our goals of losing weight before we leave on our Disney trips. Check us out at Dieting 4 Disney!

Piano Man

2011-03-24T00:00:00.002-04:00

Because it's Thursday.

Because I haven't had a Robert Pattinson post here in a while.

Because a guy that can play the piano is incredibly sexy.

Closet Dejavu

2011-03-23T00:00:00.002-04:00

I'm not big on clothes shopping. Never have been. Even when I had the ability to walk into pretty much any store and choose adorable things off the rack and not have to worry about whether they would fit or not.

So, these days, I usually end up picking up an item or 2 for myself when I'm shopping for clothes for my girls. Which means that most of my clothes come from Old Navy. And I love Old Navy with a serious passion. But, I've noticed an alarming trend in my closet that needs addressing.

Allow me to present a random assortment of my favorite shirts.

Umm, does anyone notice a pattern here? I mean, aside from the fact that I need to put "color safe detergent" on my shopping list.

Yes, believe it or not, all 4 of these shirts are indeed the color black. And I'm sad to say that there are at least 4 others in differing styles that I didn't even pull out of the closet. Clearly I have an issue here.

I guess I gravitate towards black because it matches everything and it's supposed to be slimming. Sorry but there's no black shirt that can work aesthetic magic like some mad photoshop skills. Note to self: Invest in photoshop ASAP.

And so, with Spring temperatures finally arriving and warm summer days not far behind, at least I can look forward to pulling out my favorite summer dress to punch up my wardrobe.

Ahem.

If you need me, I'll be at Old Navy. Just look for the aisle with the black clothing.

Random Tuesday Thoughts: Cupcakes and Flowers and Travel, Oh My!

2011-03-22T00:00:00.000-04:00

Let's get ready to RAAAAANNNNDOOOOOMMMMMM!

I love Stargazer Lilies. And white roses.

This is the simple arrangement that's on my kitchen table now. I'm forced to buy flowers for myself since hubby refuses. He used to bring me flowers all the time when we were dating. And then it stopped. He says it's because I expect them. Whatever.

It seems like everyone I know is either at Disney World or going there sometime this year. I'm insanely jealous. I'm officially in high gear, figuring out which organ to sell, so we can go too. If only I could've gotten some change for that bum gallbladder I got rid of a couple of years ago.

I must have been bitten by some kind of travel bug last week because, while at the post office, I picked up a passport application. And actually filled it out. Were it not going to cost me $135, I might actually turn the form in. I just can't justify getting a passport when I have no foreign plans booked. Only serious dreaming.

This week is Spring Break for my kids. So far, I'm really enjoying having them home. I suspect that tide to turn tomorrow when I introduce them to the fun game of "let's clean up your filthy rooms". I'm actually more than a little afraid of what I might find in there. And somewhere, my mother is laughing because I got not 1 but 2 kids who are "just like me".

Speaking of kids, I've had baby fever here lately for some obscure reason. Hurry, someone pass me a newborn quick, so I can get this out of my system already!

Since I'm obsessed with cupcakes, I've been watching that show DC Cupcakes on TLC. I'm seriously stunned to see the line down the block when they show the occasional exterior shot of the store in Georgetown. My brother assures me that it's no joke. He's driven by the store and people literally line up to get these cupcakes. Those cupcakes would have to be AMAZING for me to stand in line. I think I'll go get a delicious cupcake tomorrow at my local bakery, where I don't have to stand in line.

What kind of random do you want to throw in this week? And check out more randomness at The Un Mom.

Let's go to the movies...yet again

2011-03-21T00:00:00.001-04:00

It's been a while since I've done a movie post and since I've had lots of tv reruns to contend with, I've seen a lot of films in their place. Here's what I've seen lately.

Julie & Julia - This is a precious movie! I can't believe it took me this long to watch it. Amy Adams is darling and Meryl Streep proves yet again why she is a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood.

Love Happens - I really like Jennifer Aniston. And I think Aaron Eckhart is very dashing. I really wanted this movie to work, but despite it's sad theme and decent performances, it just seemed to drag on and on. Such a bummer.

My Sister's Keeper - I've been avoiding this one for a while because I really wanted to read the book first. But, it was on HBO recently and I figured, why not. I really liked this movie. I mean really. The subject matter is depressing, but the acting is great. And wow, Jason Patric is still HOT. Check this one out.

The Town - I was less than enthused about seeing this movie for a couple of reasons. First, I'm not a fan of Ben Affleck. Second, I'm not a fan of major violence in movies. However, I'm really glad that I put those hesitations aside and saw this movie because it was FANTASTIC. See it. The writing was great. The acting was great. Everything about this was just great. Oh, and Jon Hamm is in this. Mmmm, mmmm, good.

Get Him to the Greek - I have 2 words for you...Judd Apatow. The man is comic genius. Add to that the hilarity that is Russell Brand, the dry comedic timing of Jonah Hill and a performance from Puff Daddy that almost made me pee my pants. Loved this one.

Never Let Me Go - This is not the movie to rent if you're in the mood for a British romance. It's also not the movie to rent if you're feeling the least bit down...about anything. It's well written and the scenery is beautiful, but the story is heartbreaking and the actors do an amazing job of bringing you into their world.

The King's Speech - Shannon & I have been chomping at the bit to see this one since it came out. And I'm here to tell you that all the hype and accolades were 100% deserved. This movie was FABULOUS. Colin Firth is AWESOME. Geoffrey Rush is AMAZING. Now what are you waiting for? Go see this movie.

Easy A - The writing was awesome. Emma Stone is a great actress and she has some great supporting roles in Stanley Tucci & Thomas Haden Church. Anyone who lived through the high school experience is going to find humor in this movie, especially if you loved any John Hughes flicks. I enjoyed it! (the movie...not high school) And for the record, "Can't Buy Me Love" is my fave teen angst flick of all time. Patrick Dempsey, SIGH.

Have you seen any movies lately?

Attention to Detail

2011-03-10T12:00:00.000-05:00

Little A is in a fabulous Pre-K program at one of our local magnet schools. Every Monday, they have a homework sheet that's based on their letter of the week. It includes working on letter formation and coloring pictures of items that begin with that letter.

In an unusual turn of events, Little A finished her homework with grandma Monday night while hubby & I were at the E.R. with my ankle issue. So, we didn't look closely at it before she turned it in. However, we had a good laugh when her homework was returned in her folder.

The picture is crappy, so let me translate.

Both of my girls pay a lot of attention to details in their drawings. Striving for authenticity, Little A looked at our oven at home and wrote "FRIGIDAIRE" on the picture. Her teacher loved it and so do we!

The Magical Healing Properties of Chocolate

2011-03-09T20:30:00.003-05:00

It's been a tough few weeks around the old homestead. Mondays in particular have been especially crappy. Every Monday has brought more bad news and we're pretty over it at this point.

For those who follow me on Facebook, you've already heard about my new fashion accessory.

I love blue, but this is a little ridiculous.

I rolled my ankle pretty badly on Monday evening, so I've spent the last couple of days on bedrest. Not fun. It's swollen and hurts and today started turning a lovely shade of purple.

So, today, my BFF showed up at my house unexpectedly with a "cheer up" gift. A Death by Chocolate cupcake. My FAVORITE.

I am so appreciative of friends who go out of their way to make someone else's day brighter with just a simple gesture.

Shannon, you made my day! I'm so thankful that you're my friend.

And my sweet tooth thanks you too.

Fat Ass Friday (on Tuesday!)

2011-03-08T14:13:00.002-05:00

I'm running a bit behind on last week's progress. Better late than never!

I did a pretty decent job of getting in 5 glasses of water each day. I did fall off the Coke wagon and ended up enjoying a few of those and wow, did they taste SO GOOD. I got in zero workouts, which was disappointing, but I'm not going to beat myself up over it. I reactivated my Sparkpeople account and I've been hit/miss on entering my food intake. However, I've been much more conscious of my portion sizes, which is a WIN.

My goals for this week changed since I wrote this post yesterday. I'm striving to keep up with the 5 glasses of water per day and to keep a close eye on my portion control for the rest of this week. The workouts are on hold now because I seriously injured my left ankle last night. It's not broken, but it might as well be, apparently. I really wish my gym had an indoor pool right about now.

Now, drumroll please...

Starting Weight: 222.7

Previous Weight: 222.5

Current Weight: 221.4

I lost 1.1 lbs in the last week and I've lost 1.3 lbs overall. Yay for progress!!

Random Tuesday Thoughts

2011-03-01T00:00:00.001-05:00

My thoughts are a scary place to be today. Proceed with caution.

I'm beginning to think that I'm living in the Twilight Zone with the crazy effin weather we've had for the last few months. We've had record snowfalls and 2 tornadoes, just to hit the highlights. If I see locusts, I'm getting the hell out of here...quickly.

Speaking of crappy weather, mother nature is just trying to piss me off now by cutting the power to my DVR for the better part of a whole day. So far, I've missed Oprah's Post-Oscar show and the next to last episode of The Bachelor, among other things that I wanted to tape today. And the electric company had the nerve to give me attitude when I called to inquire as to when I could expect to have lights again. BIG mistake. BIG. HUGE. (name that movie)

And why is it that I lose power for an extended period of time the day after I make a big grocery run? Damn it.

I finally broke down and had a Coke to drink. First one in almost 2 weeks. Man, am I going to have a serious headache tomorrow. That is if I ever unwind and get to sleep tonight thanks to this massive caffeine high.

I watched the Oscars last weekend and my overall impression was Pffffttttttt. James Franco would've been hard pressed to show any less interest in being there. Anne Hathaway (who I think is precious) just seemed like a giddy schoolgirl, in way over her head. And how could they leave Corey Haim out of the "In Memoriam" tribute? A load of crap. However, I was happy about most of the winners.

Wow, this week's thoughts have a decidedly negative, bitchy tone. Yikes. I'd better stop here before things get really ugly. See ya next week. Same bat time...same bat channel.

Fat Ass Friday

2011-02-25T10:00:00.000-05:00

Wow, 2 weeks in a row! I'm off with a bang! Let's see how this past week went.

I had a goal to drink 4 glasses of water every day and I'm ecstatic to say that I did it! And even better than that, I haven't had any carbonated drinks in a week. Go me!

I hoped to get in 2 workouts in the last week and I accomplished this one as well! Last year, I purchased "The Biggest Loser" Wii game, so I brushed the dust off it and started again. Back to having animated Jillian yell at me. Yay. I did 2 Biggest Loser Wii workouts and they totally kicked my ass. Mostly because I foolishly decided that I could tackle the Intermediate workouts and leave the Beginner workouts in the dust. Heh. I need to have my head examined.

My final goal was to only eat out twice. I blew this one, but I did make better choices when eating out, which is progress.

My goals for this coming week are:

1. Drink at least 5 glasses of water each day

2. Get in at least 3 workouts

3. Reactivate my Sparkpeople account and start tracking my food intake

Starting Weight: 222.7

Current Weight: 222.5

Total Loss: .2 lbs

Oh well, you have to start somewhere...right?

Thanks to Brandy for hosting the weekly link-up! If you want to jump on the bandwagon with us, click on the button at the top.

She Went To Brazil

2011-02-24T00:00:00.003-05:00

One of the coolest things about Big A being in Kindergarten is that she's reading now and starting to write her own notes and stories.

One afternoon, she & I had a disagreement about something and she stomped off to her room and slammed the door. (and she's only 6. sheesh.)

When she emerged about 40 minutes later, she had this note in her hand and a very solemn look on her face.

Translation: On Monday I'm leaving and I'm going to Brazil. I'm going to miss you. I love you.

Translation: When I go, keep white baby safe at home. (white baby is her most prized teddy bear that she's had since she was an infant)

And this is the picture of the bus driver taking her to Brazil. (of all the places she could choose, Brazil? really?)

I have to applaud her creativity and I must admit that hubby & I had a good chuckle at what appears to be her first "I'm running away from home" letter.

However, it did make me a little sad that at the tender age of 6, she's already considering leaving us. Oh my, we're in for a long adolescence with this one, I fear!

Spring has Sprung

2011-02-23T00:00:00.003-05:00

Recently, I joined forces with Brandy to participate in her Cheer Up Swap so we could all get happy about the impending arrival of Spring. I love swaps because I love to get surprise packages in the mail and I love to make new bloggy friends. I was so excited when I was paired up with Cerise!

I've gotten to know Cerise and I'm here to say that she's way cool! She & I have a lot in common and so I literally squealed with joy when the postman delivered my swap package from her today.

I love opening a box and seeing bright colors!

Look at all of this stuff!

And then I spent 10 minutes unwrapping each item and giggling with delight. I love every single thing that she picked out for me! There were scrapbooking supplies, an adorable embellished magnet, a decoration that I've already put on my living room mantle and some adorable post-it notes adorned with A's. And then there were a few things that were my favorites.

I absolutely love this frame and the quote inside is AWESOME. It says "I've never seen a smiling face that was not beautiful."

And then, I wept with joy when I saw that not only did she send me chocolate treats, but they're (wait for it) from Britain!

My new friend. You are the best!

My many thanks to Brandy for taking on the hosting duties and to Cerise for being such a great partner! And not only did I come out of this swap with a great box of goodies, but 2 brand new friends. What a great way to start Spring!

Random Tuesday Thoughts

2011-02-22T00:00:00.002-05:00

It's time for more Tuesday randomness. If you want to play along, go check out The UnMom Blog and link up.

My youngest, after months of deliberation, has finally decided that she wants to have a skating party for her 5th birthday. This might be the most excited I have ever been about 1 of my kids parties. I'm feeling a little nostalgic, to say the least.

My oldest has lost 3 teeth in the last 2 weeks. Currently, she looks like an extra from "The Fighter".

I got very excited last Saturday when our mail arrived. Ticketmaster finally delivered my Bon Jovi concert tickets! My friend Valerie is going with me in May, and to say that we're excited might be the understatement of the decade.

After looking at my day-runner over the weekend, I realized that I'm going to be spending a lot of time in Atlanta over the next few months. I'm going to a concert, 2 book signings, shopping with some girlfriends and to the birth of my best friend's baby boy. And that's just the stuff that I already have on my calendar!

And finally, I have found another song to obsess over. It's the Glee version of Robin Thicke's "When I Get You Alone" and it's fabulous. Enjoy.

Monday Morning Eye Candy - It's a Bird, It's a Plane!

2011-02-21T00:00:00.000-05:00

I can always count on my issue of Entertainment Weekly to have at least 1 picture that brings a smile to my face. Imagine my extreme happiness, when I opened my mailbox and found Mr. British Dreamboat staring me back in the face.

Last week, it was announced that one of my fave hotties, Henry Cavill, will be the new Superman.

Now that's a super-hero smile that I can get behind.

Oh my. Henry, you're MY kryptonite.

Happy Monday y'all.

Fat Ass Friday - The Inauguration

2011-02-18T08:03:00.003-05:00

I hear you guys already. Yes, I'm back on the weight loss bandwagon...again. My new blog friend, Brandy, hosts FAF each week and I'm signing on for some motivation because I like her style.

So, I had an eye opening visit with my Wii this morning. Let's recap.

It told me that my last visit was 372 days ago. Sheesh. And it said it with a snarky tone too. What a jerk.

It then told me that since my last visit, I've gained 8.6 lbs. Wow. I suppose I shouldn't be TOO surprised, seeing as I've been sustaining the payroll at my local Panera Bread for at least a year now. As a matter of fact, I have a lovely Asiago Cheese bagel (or 2) toasting in the oven right now. But I digress...

I've noticed that over the past few months, I've really started becoming an emotional eater. If I'm upset or stressed, I've been turning to food to self-soothe A LOT. Obviously. And unfortunately, I've had a lot to be upset and stressed about, which has given me ample opportunities to stuff my face.

So, today begins a new journey where I'm going to try to figure out new ways to deal with my issues. I have to stop using food as a filler because the only thing it's filling is a larger jean size (very soon if I don't stop now).

Starting Weight: 222.7

Goals for this week:

1. Drink 4 glasses of water each day

2. Get in 2 workouts

3. Only eat out twice

Are you having struggles with weight loss? Head over to Brandy's for some hilarious inspiration and support from others in the same boat!

Cat in the Box

2011-02-16T00:00:00.002-05:00

You would think that after being with my hubby for the last 16+ years, that I would know better than to give him a building project assignment.

Assignment: Bring home a box that will adequately contain our 8lb, extremely docile, house cat while we transport her to the vet.

I now present what must fall under the category of "be careful what you wish for".

I should probably build him an Etsy site next. We might as well start making money on his sense of humor.

Random Tuesday Thoughts

2011-02-15T00:00:00.002-05:00

It's Tuesday...which means it's time for some random.

I went to the eye doctor last week. And for the first time, in 27 years of eye doctor appointments, I was told 2 things that are mind-boggling to me. First, my eyesight actually improved in the least year. HUH?!?! And to further creep me out, now both eyes have the same prescription. I think the doctor was high when he read my results because things just don't seem quite right now. Sigh.

The Dooney & Bourke Disney edition purse that I've been coveting for the last year is on sale...finally. Anyone want to loan me $200 so I can buy it? Anyone? Bueller?

Did anyone catch the first Arcade Fire performance on the Grammy's last Sunday? I found myself thinking "what the hell was that all about?" I believe that's what my grandfather would've referred to as noise. Wow, am I getting old or what?

Speaking of the Grammy's, I always delight in seeing who wins the "Best New Artist" category. However, this might be the first time EVER than an artist I've NEVER HEARD OF actually won. Esperanza who?

So, my contract with my cellular provider just ran out (praise be!) and I'm really having a hard time trying to decide who to switch to. I've been lusting after the iPhone for years, but I'm increasingly wary about it. I'm either going with Verizon or T-Mobile. Does anyone have any feedback on what phones they love and/or hate?

For My Valentine

2011-02-14T00:00:00.001-05:00

Valentine,

It's hard to believe that this is our 17th holiday together. There have been many ups and downs, but I can't imagine taking that journey with anyone but you. Thank you for being the incredible person that you are and for loving me just as I am.

One of my favorite songs is by Brandi Carlile and it's called "The Story". Her lyrics express pretty accurately how I feel about you and our adventure.

Love you always and forever,

The Story

by Brandi Carlile

All of these lines across my face

Tell you the story of who I am

So many stories of where I've been

And how I got to where I am

But these stories don't mean anything

When you've got no one to tell them to

It's true, I was made for you

I climbed across the mountaintops

Travel across the ocean blue

I cross over lines and I broke all the rules

And baby I broke them all for you

Oh because even when I was flat broke

You made me feel like a million bucks

You do, I was made for you

You see the smile that's on my mouth

It's hiding the words that don't come out

All of the friends who think that I'm blessed

They don't know I'm in this mess

No they don't know who I really am

And they don't know what I've been through

Like you do and I was made for you

All of these lines across my face

Tell you the story of who I am

So many stories of where I've been

And how I got to where I am

Oh but these stories don't mean anything

When you've got no one to tell them to

It's true, I was made for you

Oh yeah, and it's true that I was made for you

Random Tuesday Thoughts

2011-02-08T00:00:00.002-05:00

It's time for some more randomness.

Was it just me or were the Superbowl commercials this year very underwhelming? There were only a few that I really enjoyed.

A fifth cupcake bakery opened in my town recently. And it's only 3 minutes from my house. Is this some one's idea of a cruel joke?

I keep having a recurring dream that I've won the lottery. Now if I could just see those winning numbers in that dream just once!

Speaking of winning the lottery, I have an idea for a business that I think I would tackle. It's a casual dining cafe that has plenty of outlets for laptops, WiFi, onsite childcare at very reasonable rates and a 1 screen movie theater that shows films during school hours especially.

Book Review: The Actor and the Housewife

2011-02-06T22:24:00.003-05:00

I pick most of my books from reviews in some of my favorite magazines (People & Entertainment Weekly) and from friends. My buddy, Kat, told me about this book last year and on my recent trip to DC, I read this whole book on the plane rides. It was THAT good!

The Actor and the Housewife, by Shannon Hale, is the story of a Utah housewife named Becky who writes a screenplay and ends up in L.A. trying to sell her work. She achieves the dreams of many women when she meets her movie star crush in person! That meeting sets off a sequence of events that is a wild ride and will keep you guessing where this relationship is going.

I found the writing to be captivating and the story is a wonderful balance of humor and drama. Any book that can actually make me cry in public is a winner in my mind. And for the record, if this were ever made into a movie, I can totally see Daniel Craig & Rachel Weisz in the lead roles. Check it out!

Let's go to the movies...again

2011-02-05T22:40:00.001-05:00

We're in the midst of awards season, which has me ramped up to see as many movies as I can. Here are a few I've seen in the last month.

The Social Network - This is a great flick! As someone who is an avid user of Facebook, I found it extremely interesting to get a glimpse of the personalities behind the story. Jesse Eisenberg did a fantastic job portraying Mark Zuckerburg. And there's a new British cutie that I have my eye on. Hello Andrew Garfield!

Temple Grandin - This one is based on the real life of our title character. I enjoy true stories, especially ones about people overcoming disabilities dealt to them. The story is compelling and Claire Danes proves that she is a phenomenal actress. I give this movie 4 stars!

Planes, Trains & Automobiles - I might be the only person on the planet who had never seen this classic comedy. Hubby was persistent about us watching this the other night and I'm so glad we did. Steve Martin & John Candy were a great comedic duo and any movie that can make me literally cry with laughter gets 2 thumbs up from me.

Clash of the Titans (2010) - The cast list of this movie is full of European stars, which you would hope bodes well for a good film. However, hubby says it just didn't live up to the original. I'll have to take his word for it because I never saw the original and don't plan to. The special effects were pretty cool and Sam Worthington is nice eye candy. Other than that, the film was just ok.

Inception - The cinematography was nausea-inducing. The storyline was incredibly hard to follow. And I am reminded, yet again, that Christopher Nolan is my least favorite director & writer of all time. I didn't care for this one but apparently I'm in the minority.

I'm on the hunt to see as many 2011 Best Picture Oscar nominees as I can before the ceremony on the 27th. So far, of the 10 nominees, I've seen 3. The Social Network, Inception and Toy Story 3.

What's a movie you've seen lately? Or one that you want to see? Are you an Oscar fan?

Random Tuesday Thoughts

2011-02-01T12:44:00.003-05:00

I, like my buddy Shannon, have been meaning to do a Random Tuesday Thoughts post for quite a while. Lord knows if I'm anything, it's random.

The high temp on Sunday was 68. Tomorrow it will be 42. My sinuses are NOT amused.

I'm catching up on my DVR recordings and I'm currently plodding through Oprah's Australian Adventures. What is it about that woman surprising her ultimate fans that turns me into a blubbering mess? Every...single...time.

My daughters are heavily focused on foreign languages at the moment. I noticed, not too long ago, that even though I can't speak Spanish fluently, I've been thinking in Spanish, not English. I know a lot of vocabulary but my grammar sucks. So, I'm thinking in Spanglish I guess.

Now, more than ever, I've been very anxious to hop on a plane and head to England for a holiday. The motherland is calling me. (That one's for you, Angela, LOL!)

Cheer Up!

2011-01-30T14:10:00.002-05:00

It's no secret that the weather in my neck of the woods has been a little dreary to say the least. Don't get me wrong, I love snow. However, when you live in a part of the country that only gets a serious snow about every 10-15 years, you are reminded of how frustrating it is to be trapped in your house for a week with cabin fevered children.

And so, I was delighted to find out that Brandy is hosting a "Cheer Up" swap to celebrate the impending arrival of Spring! Today is the last day to sign up, so head over to her place if you would like to participate.

Camera Critters: The Snow Dog

2011-01-22T21:30:00.000-05:00

This is my first time participating in Camera Critters. I'm a huge animal lover and take every opportunity to show off our German Shepherd, Roman.

A couple of weeks ago, we had the largest snowfall that my city had seen in 18 years. It was 8 inches deep in our front yard and Roman couldn't have been happier. (He must have been a snow dog in a previous life)

Here are a couple of shots of him in our front yard, having a blast with a couple of his "people".

If you would like to participate in Camera Critters, check them out here!

The Wild Blue Yonder

2011-01-22T12:03:00.004-05:00

I'm on the road this weekend.

I love to travel. Flying especially.

I'm not sure why flying in a plane is such a rush for me, but it definitely is.

I love the hustle & bustle of meandering through the airports. Seeing other travelers and wondering where they are going.

I love the taxi down the runway as we pick up speed and reach towards the skies.

I love the time sitting and getting lost in a book while clouds rush by.

Do you enjoy flying? If you could hop a plane to anywhere today, where would you go?

My Golden Globes Recap

2011-01-17T00:00:00.000-05:00

This year, I watched the Golden Globes with my BFF, who thankfully shares my opinions on fashion and entertainment. We had a blast shredding the horrible dresses & gaudy jewelry and dissing the winners that we didn't think were deserving. It was a good time.

However, the most important thing that I took away from this show, was the discovery of 3 exceptionally good looking actors that I was unaware of up until now. Allow me to introduce...

Matt Bomer

Garrett Hedlund

Edgar Ramirez

Welcome Back, Monday Morning Eye Candy.

Oh, how I've missed you.

Roller Derby

2011-01-11T00:00:00.003-05:00

We tried to do a lot of fun things with the kids during Winter Break. One activity at the top of their list was roller skating. Since this was their first time, it was definitely a 2 man job.

Hubby was such a good sport and didn't blink an eye when he laced up those skates. Thankfully he has a good sense of balance because those girls were like newborn deers...on skates.

We all had a fun time and they've been talking about going back ever since we left. I guess I know at least 1 thing we'll be doing on Spring Break!

Let's go to the movies

2011-01-10T17:00:00.000-05:00

I've seen a few flicks lately, thanks to a fabulous thing called Winter Break!

The Boys Are Back - This film from 2009 stars Clive Owen as a recent widower left to raise his young son after being a largely absentee father. While the premise is pretty depressing, the movie has some redeeming factors. First, the scenery is gorgeous as this "inspired by true events" story is set in Australia. Second, Clive Owen is definitely easy on the eyes and that British accent is lovely. Third, it's nice to see how the relationship between the father and his 2 sons (an older son from a prior marriage enters the picture also) evolves over the course of the movie. This was a bit of a snooze in parts, but overall, I'm glad I saw it. I'm also intrigued to check out the book by Simon Carr that the movie was based on. I would give this film 2 out of 4 stars.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightening Thief - I really wanted to see this movie in the theater last summer but it just didn't happen. The special effects are pretty awesome and the story is great! It's based on the book series by Rick Riordan. Greek mythology was one of my favorite subjects in school, so I'm really thinking of checking out the books. Oh, and did I mention that the film features Kevin McKidd in a traditional gladiator costume?

Adventureland - As I told my husband last night (after we watched this movie), there are 3 things that I now know. First, I'm pretty sure that Jesse Eisenberg & Michael Cera were separated at birth. Second, Kristen Stewart's incessant lip chewing is almost annoying enough to avoid any future movies of hers. Finally, any movie that takes place in 1987 and features Falco's "Rock Me Amadeus" is a winner in my book.

The Runaways - I was extremely skeptical about watching this one, mostly because it stars Kristen Stewart (who I detest). However, to quote my friend Lisa: "it didn't suck". This was definitely indie and had some serious eye-opening moments, but I have to give props to Kristen. She did a great job with her part and the always fabulous Dakota Fanning was tremendous.

Angels & Demons - This is another one that I really had no interest in seeing, but hubby convinced me to watch and I'm so glad that I did. First, Tom Hanks is wonderful! Second, I haven't read any of Dan Brown's books, but I'm now very intrigued to check them out. Third, I really want to go to Italy. The architecture and rich history are something that really become a character of their own in any film.

Have you seen any movies lately?

Hawaii Five-Oh My!

2011-01-06T00:00:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since we've had any celebrity eye candy in the house.

Hubby & I have recently started watching the new version of Hawaii Five-O. Actually, hubby has started watching the show. I've been watching Alex O'Loughlin.

Why HELLO there!

That Hawaii really does have some great scenery.

Following in my footsteps

2011-01-05T00:00:00.001-05:00

It seems to me that with each passing day, Big A is becoming more and more like me. This is a good and bad thing, but I'm focusing on the positive here.

She received a scrapbook for her 6th bday last Fall and we finally had the chance to sit down and actually put it together over the Christmas break. It was amusing to me to see her enthusiasm for an activity that I love too. And she's got a great eye for design!

I've also noticed that she shares my love of music. She comments in the car about songs that she likes. (She's a big fan of the Black Eyed Peas & Katy Perry apparently) I like that she appreciates a song with a great beat! And she has the memory of an elephant.

One evening, we were sitting in my classroom playing when she suddenly stopped and said, "Mommy, listen. It's the searching in the night song." We both got quiet and I listened to the piano lesson that was happening in the room above mine. And sure enough, the student was playing "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey.

This might be an indication that I play the Glee soundtrack WAY too much.

Sharing War Stories

2011-01-04T00:00:00.004-05:00

There are a few experiences from my childhood that I hoped to never share with my girls. Unfortunately, Big A had different plans.

Her first (and hopefully last) black eye.

I got my first (and hopefully last) black eye when I was in Kindergarten too.

However, I have a much sillier story as to how I received mine. My big girl was bumped by our huge dog into a table. My black eye involved a baton, bicycle and a chain link fence...and my best friend when I was 5.

It makes me sad that she's hurting and has this nasty mark on her face that everyone keeps commenting on. But, I'm a little happy that from now on, we have this thing in common. I only wish I had a picture of my shiner. I heard it was a beauty!

Quite a pair

2011-01-03T00:00:00.003-05:00

This picture makes me smile for a lot of reasons.

First, I love that my oldest reminds me often that a smile can light up a room.

Second, I love that hubby loves the fact that his 2 daughters completely dote on him.

Finally, I love that silliness is a mainstay in our family. We share a lot of laughs together and I hope that never changes.

Pure Happiness

2011-01-02T00:00:00.002-05:00

I absolutely love this picture of my girls.

This was their first time sledding and their squeals of joy as they slid down our backyard hill just warmed my heart.

The smiles on their faces remind me to find joy in the smallest things in life.

Let it Snow

2011-01-01T00:00:00.004-05:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2011 is going to be a great year and I want my first picture to remind me of the feeling of joy that I had this past Christmas when we awoke to a beautiful blanket of snow.

This holly tree stands right outside our bedroom window and I immediately thought of a greeting card when I saw the snow on the leaves.

Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it SNOW!

A Year End MeMe

2010-12-31T19:00:00.000-05:00

I saw this meme on a blog that I enjoy very much called Playgroups Are No Place for Children and thought I would take a stab at it. As if I haven't already spouted enough about my thoughts on this year and next. Let's go!

1. What did you do in 2010 that you'd never done before?
I went to a chiropractor (against my better judgment) and, not surprisingly, had a horrible experience. I'll stick with M.D.'s from now on.

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions and will you make more for next year?
I successfully marked some things off the "to do" list for the year, but am not making a concrete list for 2011 aside from my 101 Goals list that is ongoing.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My younger brother & his wife had a baby boy in November and I am so excited about meeting him next month! They live 10 hours away, which is a major bummer.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No.

5. What countries did you visit?
I didn't leave the good ole USA this year.

6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
More financial stability and dedication.

7. What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
June 29 because that's when we closed on our new home that I plan to retire in!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Buying & moving into our new home.

9. What was your biggest failure?
A lapse in judgment in my personal life that was nearly catastrophic.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I ended up with a bulging disc in my lower back that caused serious pain for almost 8 weeks. I am SO glad that's better!

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Our new house.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Both of my daughters teachers who never cease to amaze me in their dedication to making the learning environment as comfortable and warm as I could ever hope for them.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
A parent in one of my daughters classes who used private information to try and advance his personal agenda with the school system. That was the first time in a LONG time that I had to exercise extreme amounts of self-control to avoid going postal on someone.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Bills, bills, bills and eating out way too much.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Going to see the Kings of Leon in concert for the 2nd time in a year and going celebrity stalking with my girlfriends when Robert Pattinson was in town shooting "Water for Elephants".

16. What song will always remind you of 2010?
"Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a)happier or sadder; b)thinner or fatter; c)richer or poorer?
I am happier, fatter and poorer.

18. What do you wish you had done more of?
Exercise, by far.

19. What do you wish you had done less of?
Fussing at my kids.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
I was at home with hubby & the kids enjoying our new home and the first White Christmas in 40+ years in my town!

21. Did you fall in love in 2010?
If you can count falling in love with a house as something, then yes, 100%.

22. What was your favorite tv program?
I love GLEE and Grey's Anatomy equally.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
There are people I strongly dislike, but I don't hate anyone. And nobody new for sure.

24. What was the best book you read?
"My Fair Lazy" by Jen Lancaster.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Florence & the Machine. She's absolutely fabulous!

26. What did you want and get?
Our new house.

27. What did you want and not get?
A minivan.

28. What was your favorite film of 2010?
I really enjoyed the 3rd Twilight film, Eclipse. I know...HUGE surprise.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Nothing very memorable for turning 35. I've officially given up hope of ever having another bday party besides the one when I turned 8.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Being able to sell our house and use the money for new home improvements. But on the other hand I'm seriously thankful that we found a great renter for our old house.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept of 2010?
Frumpy. Comfy but frumpy.

32. What kept you sane?
Music. Thank heavens for my iPod.

33. What political issue stirred you the most?
I keep my political ire pretty close to the vest, but this year, the debate over universal health care really got under my skin. And I'm not going to say which side I'm on.

34. Who did you miss?
I really missed my friend Jess who moved away a couple of years ago. Thank god for Facebook.

35. Who was the best new person you met?
I can't narrow it down to 1 because I was excited to meet all of my new Kindermusik students. I feel so lucky to have them and their parents in my life!

36. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010.
Most of the time, it's better to leave the past in the past and just look towards the future. The past is in the rear view for a reason.

37. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
"Happiness hit her like a train on a track" - "Dog Days Are Over" by Florence and the Machine

Happy New Year everyone!!

2011: Looking at the year ahead

2010-12-31T00:00:00.000-05:00

I've been giving a lot of thought to making a new "to do" list for 2011. As much as I would love to do this, I think 2011 needs to have a different focus. As I mentioned in my 2010 wrap up, I think that my focus for the new year is going to be U.F.O.'s.

Otherwise known as "Un-Finished Objects".

I've reserved this term in the past to refer to craft projects that have been started with a bang and then left to languish in Rubbermaid containers and closet shelves until I come across them on a whim, 3 years later. And while I have several of those that I want to give attention to, I also have UFO's in my personal life that need to be dealt with. My weight loss journey and our family financial planning being the major ones.

So, without naming specific goals, I'm going to focus my energy in 2011 in cleaning up the UFO's in my life and trying not to create new ones. As I work on these tasks, I have a feeling that several items on my 101 Goals List will be marked off.

What are your hopes for the new year? Do you make resolutions?

101 Goals in 1,001 Days: Update #4

2010-12-30T11:20:00.000-05:00

Back in April, I came up with a list of 101 things that I want to accomplish in 1,001 days. It sounded like a pretty attainable goal back then, so I want to take a look and see how much progress I made on the list this year. This is more for me than anyone else because I've already done a couple of update posts this year, but I need to be able to see it all in 1 place. It's my OCD.

Home Improvement Goals
1. Decorate my house
2. Clean desk
3. Keep desk organized for 3 months
4. Finish remodeling the kids bathroom
5. Change the living room paint colors and window treatments - Completed in June 2010 at old house
6. Get a window treatment for the kitchen window
7. Create a manageable house cleaning schedule
8. Have fresh flowers on the kitchen table every week for a month - Completed December 2010 and plan to keep this up because I loved having flowers on the table
9. Decorate inside & out for Christmas - Completed December 2010 and loved every minute of it

Hobby Goals
10. Enter a photography contest
11. Make a quilt
12. Read 100 books - Since last update, read "One Day", "I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell" and a Dave Barry compilation of his Year in Review lists (Read 8 books in 2010)
13. Go to a book signing
14. Read all of the Harry Potter books
15. Join a book club
16. Learn to knit or crochet
17. Knit or crochet a blanket
18. Craft with friends at least once a month - Got together with friends on several occasions to craft but not with consistency each month
19. Finish my Wreck This Journal
20. Learn how to use my sewing machine
21. Sew a dress for each of my children
22. Learn a new language
23. Finish the cross stitch piece I started for my wedding
24. Enroll in a pottery class
25. Print my blog in book form
26. Enroll in a cake decorating class
27. Take a photography class & learn how to use my camera
28. Blog twice a week
29. Cross stitch the Rainbow Bridge poem
30. Finish a heritage scrapbook for my mom
31. Finish a heritage scrapbook for my dad

Health & Exercise Goals
32. Get a massage - Completed August 2010
33. Stop biting my fingernails - Completed August 2010
34. Take a cooking class
35. Start a skincare routine - Completed August 2010 (but need to do a better job of keeping up with it regularly)
36. Exercise 5 days a week for a month
37. Run a 5k
38. Treat myself to a massage after losing 30lbs total
39. Treat myself to a massage after losing 60lbs total
40. Enjoy a new wardrobe after meeting my weight loss goal
41. Donate all of my old clothes after meeting my weight loss goal
42. Get down to 120lbs
43. Maintain my goal weight of 120lbs for at least 3 months
44. Go on a horseback ride that involves galloping
45. Take my dog to the dog park once a week
46. Take my dog on a walk twice a week
47. Play in a disc golf tournament
48. Go 7 days without eating junk food snacks - Completed September 2010
49. Eat 5 things that I've never tried before

Outdoors Goals
50. Go camping
51. Grow an herb garden - Bought an herb garden and managed not to kill it for a month which is progress. Plan to actually plant an herb garden this year at the new house.
52. Start a compost pile in the backyard
53. Landscape my front yard - Completed in June 2010 at old house
54. Build a flower box & plant flowers in it

Personal Goals
55. Get a tattoo
56. Get a professional bra fitting
57. Get my passport
58. Volunteer at an animal shelter
59. Become a published author
60. Throw a dinner party - Completed November 2010 when we hosted Thanksgiving here for some wonderful friends who are like family
61. Watch Gone with the Wind
62. See Josh Groban in concert
63. Start a review blog - Completed in April 2010
64. Take singing lessons
65. Move to a bigger house - Completed in July 2010
66. Finish my will
67. Inspire someone else to make their own list - Completed in April 2010
68. Learn to drive a stick shift
69. Go whale watching
70. Ride in a limo
71. Go to see 2 concerts - Went to see Kings of Leon (again) with my BFF Shannon in November 2010
72. Volunteer in my community
73. Stay organized for 3 months
74. Watch a movie at a drive-in theater
75. Buy a pair of boots
76. Learn to wear/walk in heels
77. But a watch & actually wear it
78. Go to Disney World with my hubby & kids
79. Get the interview with my grandparents converted to DVD
80. Book a trip to London
81. Assist in growing our Kindermusik program by 100%
82. Apply to be on the Amazing Race
83. Play my own lottery numbers - Completed in May 2010
84. But a ticket for a dream home giveaway
85. Sing karaoke at a bar/club
86. Use my bread maker
87. Send my grandma a card once a week
88. Be debt free (except for the house)
89. Apply for membership with the DAR
90. Own a minivan
91. Dye a blue streak in my hair
92. Go 3 days without getting online - Completed in July 2010
93. Go an entire day without watching tv - Completed in July 2010
94. Have a professional photo shoot done of just me
95. Buy myself a Dooney & Bourke purse
96. Go on a horse drawn carriage ride with my family
97. Play miniature golf - Completed in November 2010 when hubby & I played the new "Glow Golf" course in town and had a blast
98. Take dinner to a friend - Completed in May 2010
99. Give a compliment to a complete stranger
100. Save all of my coin change for 3 months & deposit it into my kids savings accounts
101. Write a new list of 101 things in 1,001 days at the end of this project

So, I've completed 17 of 101 tasks in 8 months and made progress on another 4 tasks. I need to kick it into high gear in 2011 and make some serious progress, which I know I can do! My biggest triumph though is moving into our new house this year which is a HUGE accomplishment and something that I didn't expect to achieve until the end of this project. Yay!!

The 2010 Year in Review

2010-12-30T00:30:00.000-05:00

Wow, I can't believe we almost have another year in the books! I was stunned to realize that it's been almost 3 months since I've posted anything. Yikes. That's pretty much a testament to how busy life has been this year. There have some really big highs and some really big lows, but no matter what, I've pressed ahead and tried to get some things accomplished.

As I've mentioned (ad nauseum), I'm an obsessive list maker. It's a gene that was passed down from both my parents families, so my girls are doomed to follow in my footsteps. This year I published a couple of lists that I'm trying to make some progress on. I'll talk about the first one in this post and the other list in a post later today. So, let's recap the progress from my "to do" list of 2010.

Family Finances
1. Construct a budget and post it on the computer cabinet monthly - I had some great moments of triumph with this one. Consistency will be the key in the new year.
2. Get debt snowball plan created and posted - I created it and posted it and then promptly deviated from it. Perhaps for the new year, I should add "sticking to it" to the list.
3. Get emergency fund completed - We did complete the emergency fund and thanks to the expense of purchasing a new home, it was depleted. Guess what's showing up on the 2011 list?
4. Get plan together for next year's Christmas - I did this and it was immensely helpful. This was the first low stress Christmas that we've had in a LONG time.

Hobbies
1. Finish the Patten Chapel cross stitch - This has almost become a running joke amongst my friends. Our 15th wedding anniversary is next November. Guess who has a new target completion date?!
2. Finish the Bambi cross stitch - Epic fail on this one. However, I'm optimistic that we'll turn this around in the new year.
3. Finish the 2008 Disney Album - WIN! I did it and am so glad that it's done! Now we have to go back so I can put another album on the "to do" list.
4. Keep family album up to date - This wasn't a good year for this. I took far fewer pics this year than I have in years past which curtailed my desire to scrapbook. I made up for this in the last month which means I need to put the next 3 weeks off from work to some good use.
5. Try to read a book each month - While I didn't read a book a month, I did read a lot more this year than in years past. And by the looks of the HUGE pile of books on my "to be read" shelf, I would say that the new year is going to be great for reading.

Blogging
1. Get my review blog up & running - I did this and had a lot of fun with it until I got completely side-tracked with the new home purchase. I'm hoping to get back on track in the new year.
2. Save up to redo my primary blog - I had a change of heart on this because I want to get back into blogging full time before I redo the layout.
3. Post at least 4 times per week - Yeah, maybe this should've been 4 times per quarter.
4. Be a better commenter on others blogs - I've fallen down on this one too. I'm narrowing down my google reader list and trying to focus on blogs that I can consistently and meaningfully comment on.

Personal Goals
1. Get in 3 workouts per week - Nope. And my health issues this year reflected it.
2. Do weekly meal planning - I didn't do this consistently but will vastly improve on this in the new year.
3. Shoot for a size 6 jeans by December 1st - Not even close. Bummer.
4. Spend more time outdoors with the kids - While I did improve on this, I definitely want to spend even more time with the kids outdoors in the new year.

So there were some definite triumphs that I'm proud of and I can see all kinds of room for improvement in 2011. The new year is definitely going to have a theme to it. And that theme is U.F.O.

More on that later...

Book Review: I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell

2010-09-30T00:00:00.002-04:00

**Warning: This post contains a lot of bad language. If you're easily offended, skip this entry.

I can't think of any time in my reading history that I've ever been completely embarrassed to be seen in public with a specific book. Apparently there's a first time for everything.

"I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell" is Tucker Max's memoir of drinking to excess, amusing one-liners, and lots of one-night stands. I really can't even say why I picked this book up, but honestly, I'm not sorry that I did.

Tucker is a self-admitted asshole and after reading this book, I have to completely agree with him. I've never been so aghast at the behavior of one person and yet so completely in awe of him. Tucker is the kind of guy who will not only insult you mercilessly, but he will do it so articulately that all you can do is stand there and stutter. It's infuriating.

Tucker is not a stupid guy. He's well educated and a great writer, which is very evident in his storytelling. It's the content of those stories that will be a major turn off to people. Guys are predictably his main audience, but there is a small portion of women (like me) who actually find his stories to be hilarious.

My favorite quote from the book is this: “Ladies, let me give you some advice. You can throw all your stupid fucking chick-lit, self-help, why-doesn’t-he-love-me books out, because this is all you need to know: Men will treat you the way you let them. There is no such thing as “deserving” respect; you get what you demand from people. Let a guy fuck you in the ass, come on your back, drink all your beer and then leave, and he’ll do it. But if you demand respect, he will either respect you or he won’t associate with you. It really is that simple.”

This would be the "tough love" version of "He's Just Not That into You".

To sum things up, I loved this book. I thought it was funny, well-written and frankly, I'm looking forward to reading his new book that just came out yesterday. However, there are a few things I should note.

- If you are easily offended, you will not like this book.
- If you are not easily offended, you still might not like this book.
- If you are a female, you probably won't like this book.

And if you want to be added to my waiting list of friends who have already asked to borrow my copy, let me know. I promise I won't tell a soul.

8 is Great

2010-09-29T00:00:00.000-04:00

Shannon has tagged me for a meme and since I love these types of lists, let's do this! Here are the questions that I'm supposed to answer.

What was the 1st car you drove? My first car was a Dodge Colt Station Wagon. Behold the coolness. Not. I ended up totaling that car 10 months into my driving career when I made a stupid left hand turn right in front of an enormous Cadillac. I'm really lucky that my brother & I weren't killed in that accident because it was pretty rough.
Who is your favorite author? Jen Lancaster, without hesitation. The woman is brilliant, snarky, bitchy and incredibly articulate. I worship the ground she walks on.
Do you collect anything? If so, what? Oh geez, where to begin. I have what I would describe as a "hoarding personality", but thankfully I keep a pretty tight rein on it. Things that I collect include books, scrapbooking supplies, music, Disney figurines and flip flops.
What is your favorite vacation destination? If we're talking the United States, it's a dead tie between Coastal Maine and Disney World. I love each equally and firmly believe that if I ever win the lottery, I will have a vacation home in each place. Outside the U.S., it would have to be England.
What season is your favorite? What is it about that season that you like best? Fall is my absolute favorite season! One of the advantages of living where I do is that we have 4 distinct seasons. Fall bring the colors changing, all sorts of great festivals and my 3 favorite holidays: Halloween, Thanksgiving & Christmas!
What song can you listen to over and over and never get tired of hearing? Here lately, it's "Revelry" by Kings of Leon. Actually, that's been at the top of list for months now. I just love that band.
At what age did you receive your 1st kiss? Wow, I really had to think hard about this one and pull from the archives of my brain. If I remember correctly, I had my first kiss at age 11, while at a class party at our local roller skating rink. Sadly, the skating rink is now a self-storage facility. No clue what happened to the guy. Couldn't care less. I do miss the skating rink though!
What fast food restaurant is your favorite? I would have to say Panera Bread even though I don't really consider them to be fast food. Their Asiago Cheese Bagels are "to die for"!

So, I'm supposed to tag 8 people and give them 8 questions to answer, but I'm awful at tagging and since I've probably lost most of my readers over the last year, let me throw this out there. If you want to do this meme, leave me a comment and I'll send you 8 questions to answer. Or you can answer these same questions.

Table Topics Tuesday: Work of Art

2010-09-28T00:00:00.000-04:00

This week, Shannon asks...

what is your favorite work of art?

This is a tough one for me because honestly, I'm not an art connoisseur. However, I do have a favorite artist and his name is Claude Monet. I'm sure you've heard of him, ha ha.

Monet has several famous works of art, but my favorite piece is one called "Houses of Parliament". Yeah, big surprise, I know.

This particular piece is of a very famous landmark in London, which isn't the only reason that I love it. The colors are very appealing to me. I think it really captures the London that I picture in my mind. It's dark and overcast, but there are glimmers of light that open many avenues of possibility and excitement.

Do you have a favorite artist or work of art?

Table Topics Tuesday: I'm sick!

2010-09-21T00:00:00.001-04:00

This week, Shannon asks:

what makes you feel better when you're sick?

Well, I can tell you what it used to be. Remember the bed that I talked about here? Well, every time I was sick, I would curl up under our down comforter and let the pillowtop mattress swallow every ache and pain that I had until I felt better. And it worked a lot of the time.

Thankfully, I haven't gotten sick since we've moved, so I'm not sure what I'm going to turn to now. However, that super comfy overstuffed chair in the living room looks like it has a lot of potential!

Wanna play along this week? Head over to Shannon's!

Monday Morning Eye Candy

2010-09-20T00:00:00.002-04:00

Because it's Monday.

Because I haven't done one of these posts in a long time.

Because I am very excited about today.

Today, my bff & I are heading to Birmingham to party down (for the second time in 11 months) with a little band called Kings of Leon.

We adore them. We love their music. And frankly, there are a couple of boys in this band that are pretty easy on the eyes. Let's review.

First, we have the delicious Caleb Followill. The lead singer. The bad boy. Wow, can this boy sing. I could seriously listen to him croon for hours on end.

And my personal favorite is Jared Followill. The bassist. The youngest brother. He is just so adorably cute. Oh, and he plays the piano. Oh my swoon!

Happy Monday everyone!

Book Review: One Day by David Nicholls

2010-09-19T22:17:00.000-04:00

I just finished reading "One Day" by David Nicholls and I literally had to catch my breath. Mostly because I typically don't like these types of story endings, but for some reason, this one I was ok with. No spoilers here!

The story is set in Britain, where we meet Emma Morley & Dexter Mayhew as they have just graduated from university. After, what appears to be a one night stand on July 15th, 1988, these 2 individuals manage to stay in touch. Each chapter in the book is a snapshot at what is going on in these characters lives on July 15, every year after their original rendezvous. We see their relationship evolve through job changes, life changes, ups and downs.

Personally, I really liked this book. It took me about 3 chapters to become sincerely invested in the characters, but once I was, I hated to put this book down. I yearned to know what would happen next to Em & Dex. Sometimes I found myself rooting for them to get together and other times, I couldn't imagine them spending another moment in life together.

I didn't find this to be a predictable story and I found it very engaging. I'm excited that it's movie adaptation is being filmed right now and I'm so glad they're keeping the story in Britain!

I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

I Love to Laugh

2010-09-16T22:08:00.005-04:00

Dry wit & sarcasm are brands of humor that I appreciate tremendously.

Many years ago, I worked with a guy who had what many would call an air of pessimism about him. He rarely smiled and usually had a snarky remark about whatever the conversation at hand was about. I was one of the few people who really appreciated his wit and got to know what a great person he really was once you pulled back the layers of the onion exterior.

One of the funniest websites that he introduced me to was Despair.com. This site specializes in "de-motivational" posters; the opposite of those inspirational posters that you often see in offices everywhere. And I cry with laughter every time I check out this website. Here are a few of my favorites.

TRADITION: Just because you've always done it that way doesn't mean it's not incredibly stupid.

REGRET: It hurts to admit when you make mistakes - but when they're big enough, the pain only lasts a second.

PROCRASTINATION: Hard work often pays off after time, but laziness always pays off now.

PRIORITIES: Hundreds of years from now, it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove... But the world may be different because I did something so baffingly crazy that my ruins become a tourist attraction.

POSSIBILITIES: With focus, dedication, and steroids, men can achieve impossible dreams, like breaking a world record, or growing their own breasts.

WISHES: When you wish upon a star, your dreams can come true. Unless it's really a meteor hurtling to the earth which will destroy all life. Then you're pretty much hosed no matter what you wish for. Unless it's death by meteorite.

You are my obsession

2010-09-15T00:00:00.000-04:00

I've mentioned here numerous times about how music is such an integral part of my life. I breathe it. I love to hear about new artists. I love to find new favorite songs. I love to connect deeply with a tune and blare it through my car speakers. Here are a few of my current loves.

Florence + The Machine: Dog Days are Over

This video is way out there but this is my FAVORITE song right now. I love, love, LOVE her voice.

_________________________

Katy Perry - Teenage Dream

This song inspired me to write a great scene in a book I've been working on for a while. It's actually inspired me to finally finish this manuscript!

_________________________

Glee Cast: To Sir With Love

This one brings me to tears almost every time. And not just because I'm a Gleek. The meaning behind the lyrics is really touching, especially if you've had a teacher in your life that made a serious impact on you.

What's your favorite song right now? What are you listening to on your iPod?

Table Topics Tuesday: My Reality

2010-09-14T00:00:00.001-04:00

This week, Shannon's question is this:

what reality TV game show would you most like to be a contestant on?

This one is a cinch for me.

The Amazing Race.

It combines my love of travel, my highly competitive spirit, and my obsession with reality tv.

And here's a couple of reasons that I just can't get enough of this show.

This is the funniest episode I have ever seen. Who knew that cheese rolling could be so hilarious?

And this is just one of the reasons that I can't wait for the new season to start. (And she's ok, by the way.)

Is it wrong that I am reduced to major tears of laughter every time I watch this clip?

Yeah, I thought so.

Table Topics Tuesday: My Top 5 Hotties

2010-09-07T00:00:00.001-04:00

Shannon is hosting our weekly roundtable discussion, where this week's question is...

Who is in your top 5?

Oh, the humanity of having to pore over the hundreds of picture of cute guys to determine which 5 are my favorites! After a lot of thought and drooling, I present you with my top 5.

#5 Daniel Craig: This guy looks so smokin' hot in a tux. And I really love him as James Bond. I'm really hoping they movie studios can get their act together and put him back in the 007 driver's seat.

#4 David Beckham: I have a thing for really talented soccer players. Who are blonde. (ahem...hi hubby!) David is beautiful to look at but when he talks, it's over with. Not even the wonderful British accent can save his silly voice. Thankfully my hubby has a lovely voice. Now if I could just get him to work on his British accent.

#3 Johnny Depp: Oh my, I have been lusting after this guy since my teenage years. A very long time, in other words. And a guy who is musically inclined...OY! Love a guy that can play the guitar.

#2 James McAvoy: The dark horse in this race. I totally fell for him in "Atonement" and went completely gaga with his stint in "Wanted". He's mysterious and a bit of a recluse, which makes him that much more appealing. Swoon.

#1 Robert Pattinson: Are we really surprised?

So, who is in YOUR top 5?

101 Goals in 1,001 Days: Update #3

2010-09-06T15:00:00.002-04:00

It's been a busy summer, but I've made a little bit of progress on my list!

#12: Read 100 books - Since my last update, I've read "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen and "Love the One You're With" by Emily Giffin. This brings my total to 5 books since I started this list in May. Making headway!

#18: Craft with Friends Once a Month - I had a blast hanging out with my best girlfriends last weekend and managed to complete 2 baby blankets for showers coming up. Yay!!

#32: Get a Massage - Thanks to a wonderful gift from hubby for my bday last month, I went to my favorite day spa and got a Hot Stone Massage which was FABULOUS!

#33: Stop Biting My Fingernails - I have finally conquered this bad habit! This was a hard one for me to kick, but I'm so glad I finally have.

#35: Start a Skincare Routine - Thanks to a reconnection with an old friend, I'm finally on a skincare regime that is going so well and it's so easy to do! I need simple in my life and I've been able to stick with this one for several weeks now.

#48: Go 7 Days without eating junk food snacks - Thanks to the ultimatum that my doctor gave me last month, I quit junk food cold turkey and went almost 3 weeks without any junk food. And now I don't crave it anymore, which is a miracle. I still have a sweet tooth, but I've learned to substitute things and I'm hoping to eventually wean myself so that I only enjoy sweets on occasion.

How is your list going? Have you achieved a goal recently that you're proud of?

The Classics

2010-09-05T22:08:00.005-04:00

I am a self-proclaimed movie addict. It started at an early age with viewings of Star Wars, The Wizard of Oz and my all time favorite, The Sound of Music. However, hubby & I were just discussing our favorite movies growing up and it got me thinking about classics that I have never seen before. Let's take a look at a few majors on the list.

The Graduate - I think Dustin Hoffman is great and Anne Bancroft is just fabulous! I'm more than a little surprised that I haven't managed to see this one yet.

Psycho - I was recently berated by some good friends over not having seen this one. I don't do horror movies and have always associated Hitchcock with classic horror films. Apparently I have been wrong this whole time. This one is on the list of films I need to see now.

The Philadelphia Story - I had never heard of this movie until I saw a clip of it in an episode of Gilmore Girls and just had to know what it was. The premise seems like classic romantic comedy/drama, which is right up my alley. I just need to get over my fear of black & white films.

Gone With the Wind - Alright, I heard the collective sigh from here. I know. How can I even call myself a southern girl?

Casablanca - I know, another shocker. I think my aversion to this film is that I dated a guy who was obsessed with the movie, which I just didn't get. So, I successfully avoided it all of this time. Perhaps I need to give it another shot.

Breakfast at Tiffany's - Of all the Audrey Hepburn films, I think either this one or "My Fair Lady" would probably be most appealing to me. Yeah, I haven't seen that one either. I know. How can I call myself a movie addict?

Now that I've unloaded this embarrassing secret (ha, ha), I'm a woman on a mission. I'm taking on AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies list. I love lists and AFI is an organization that I highly respect when it comes to cinema. So, I'll be updating you guys every month or so as to what new films I've checked off their list. Wish me luck!

What movie classics are among your favorites? What ones have you not seen so that I don't feel so alone here under this rock?

The King and I

2010-09-04T23:03:00.002-04:00

I've never considered myself a person who becomes emotionally attached to furniture or home furnishings of any kind, really. I don't get misty-eyed when a couch moves on to a new home or a lamp just doesn't fit the space anymore. However, things changed drastically when we moved into our new home this summer.

Meet my old bed. It no longer resides in the master bedroom. It is now awaiting our first overnight guests in this new house, in our first guest bedroom. And I'm broken-hearted.

You see, this old bed that has served us well for over 7 years is too big for the new master bedroom. (How we managed to end up with the smallest bedroom in the house is still a mystery to me. We have 6 bedrooms for crying out loud?!) This classic sleigh bed is King sized and has one of the most comfy mattresses that I've ever slept on. But, it just won't fit. So, we had to downsize. To a full size bed. Which sucks. Royally.

Making the transition from the huge bed to the matchbox has been tough, but we're finally used to it. But for me, it's more than just the transition from roomy, to not-so-roomy. It's trading in a whole lot of memories for our future. That bed provided comfort in really tough times, a great place to snuggle in the mornings with the kids and a fabulous place to enjoy a lazy Sunday morning.

I'm excited about our new house and all of the memories that we will make here and I'm trying hard to give this new bed a chance. That's only fair, right?

Is it just me? Do you have a piece of furniture that you would hate to lose?

I am GLEE-ful

2010-09-03T16:12:00.004-04:00

Ok, I feel like I've been doing nothing more than complaining a whole lot around here, so let's talk about something that makes me very happy.

GLEE. I big red puffy heart that show and cannot wait for the new season to start.

In the meantime, I've been watching the opener from the Emmy's this past weekend. Jimmy Fallon...I big red puffy heart you too now because of your inspired show opener. Y'all enjoy!

Expectations

2010-09-02T21:46:00.004-04:00

Today was one of those days when I felt like I needed to put my "parenting fail" t-shirt on and parade around town. It had started out so wonderfully. I had a fun morning of sharing music with other families and then scored a great deal on a couple of gorgeous dresses for my girls. After a leisurely lunch at home, I arrived at school to pick up my younger daughter first.

Her teacher took me aside and told me that Little A was completely withdrawn today, which is very unusual. Neither she nor her assistant could get anything out of Little A as to what the problem was, so it was now left to me to get to the bottom of the issue. No amount of gentle prodding was getting me any answers, so I let it go. We picked up Big A and headed to a local toy store for Big A's music lesson.

On our way home, Little A started crying and told me that she was very upset with me because during sharing time at school today, all of her classmates had photos of their bedrooms to share with the class, except for her. And then my heart broke. I had taken the photos and not had a chance to develop them yet and totally forgot about it.

I put a lot of pressure on myself to live up to a certain standard as a full-time mom. There are so many things that I try to make happen and at the top of that list is to make sure that my kids never feel left out of a situation, especially in the classroom. I really let her down this time and it's so painful.

I know that she's probably already over it and I've got her pictures ready for class tomorrow, but it'll be a long time before I forget the look on her face and that little voice cracking as she expressed her disappointment in me. These are the moments of parenting that I'm glad are few and far between.

Thank goodness tomorrow is a new day with a clean slate and the opportunity to live up to my own expectations.

Water for Elephants - Book Review

2010-09-01T20:32:00.004-04:00

In an effort to get back into blogging full time (because I miss it terribly) I am participating in NaBloPoMo this month. This is a site that gives you writing prompts and message board support from other bloggers. The theme for this month is ART, which I plan to use in many instances.

I just finished reading "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen. I had read several glowing reviews about this book, but after reading the jacket cover a few times, I was convinced that I would not like this book. The story just didn't grab me. That is until I discovered that my favorite guy would be starring in the movie version of the book. And so I decided to give the book a chance, at least. I much prefer reading a book before I see the movie version anyway. I am SO GLAD I gave this book a chance!

This is a depression-era story that revolves around Jacob Jankowski, who is a young man on the verge of collapse due to tremendous personal tragedy. He finds temporary solace in a traveling circus, full of rich personalities and animals in need.

I quickly became caught up in the drama that unfolds throughout the book and loved the back & forth between Jacob as a young man and Jacob as an elderly man.

This is great storytelling and keeps you invested from beginning to end. And for the record, I cannot wait for the movie to come out! And it's not just because Jacob will be played by my guy. I'm really intrigued to see these characters come to life on the big screen!

What are you reading? Do you have a book recommendation?

A Spoonful of Perspective Helps the Medicine Go Down

2010-08-06T10:20:00.001-04:00

It's been a very exciting week around my neck of the woods. And before you ask the question that has been plaguing me for almost a week now, let me just get that out of the way. NO. I didn't meet him. I'm not going to meet him. I've stopped trying to meet him. Now, let's back up a step shall we.

For those of you who know me "in real life" or have been following this blog for more than a year, you are well aware of my intense admiration of a one Robert Pattinson. He's talented. He's tall. He's brooding. He's British. Oh my, swoon!

Suffice it to say that when I discovered that his latest movie, Water for Elephants, was going to be shooting scenes about 15 minutes from my house, well, my heart stopped for a moment. Could it be? Was I actually going to have the opportunity to see my crush in person? NO WAY!!

And then I started to hatch my plan. It involved guilting a couple of wonderful girlfriends into stalking the poor guy with me on 2 separate evenings. And they were such good sports. And I really appreciate them indulging my teenage fantasy, despite the fact that we came up empty handed with no Rob in sight.

When we got to day 3 of the "search for Rob", I even enlisted my husband into the quest for an autograph. And he reluctantly went on his mission, probably more so I would shut the hell up about this guy already. Mission failed. No autograph obtained.

As day 4 arrived, I really started to think about this whole quest and how silly I was beginning to feel. I was unwilling to go look for Rob by myself and I had to ask myself "why". I started to have flashbacks about the time that I met another object of my affection. I had lusted after the actor, River Phoenix, for most of my tween/teen years when he arrived in town for a benefit concert. And he wasn't leaving town without my meeting him and getting an autograph, which I did. And he was a jerk. And it completely burst my bubble. Did I really want the same outcome with my latest crush?

The final straw came when a friend of a friend actually did meet Rob while he was here. And she was so disappointed. And I breathed a huge sigh of relief that my bubble was still intact. The dream is still alive. And I can still admire the pictures, enjoy the movies and imagine him just like this.

Yeah, I can live with that. And I'm sure Rob would like it that way too.

Sugar, oh how I'll miss you

2010-08-04T11:39:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was not a great day for me. I had my annual check up with my favorite doctor and she decided to give me a whole lot of tough love. I absolutely adore my doc, but yesterday, I really wasn't feeling it.

I actually went to her and asked her to put me on mood stabilizer meds. Yep, the girl who gets in a tizzy about even taking a Tylenol for a headache actually begged for some hardcore medication. My head just hasn't been in a good place for a really long time. I think it all started with untreated postpartum depression (from both deliveries) and has just gotten worse from there.

She told me something that another friend of mine has been emphasizing for a long time. All of this weight that I'm carrying is causing way more harm than I even realize. And I think deep down that I do realize it, but just don't know how to deal with it anymore.

My weight has been a major issue for me as far back as I can remember. In high school, I worked out a lot and played volleyball and still hated my body. I would compare myself to my girlfriends who I always thought were so gorgeous and thin, not even realizing that I was not fat. I look back at pictures from myself at that age and am horrified that I thought I was overweight.

Now, I have the opposite problem. I've been overweight for so long now that I've found a level of comfort with my size. And that really bothers me. When I look in the mirror, I see that small girl from high school with the cute face. It's not until I see pictures of myself at this size that I am aghast at the person looking back at me. The one thing that hasn't changed is that I'm still incredibly self-conscious in public. I do NOT like people looking at me.

So, my doctor refused to give me meds. While she agreed that I definitely have some mental things that need to be addressed, she really feels like if I face my food addiction first and get it under control, then other things might start to work themselves out.

Since sweets are my worst vice, she told me to eliminate sugar from my diet for 3 months. And then I cried. Ok, not really, but I sure wanted to. Chocolate, ice cream, cookies and all those wonderful bits of junk food goodness are what I turn to when I can't deal with what's going on around me. And now I have to let it go. And frankly it scares me. I have to find another coping outlet to deal with my emotions, so I'm really trying to focus on writing again and hitting the gym. At least then, I might have a lot of great things to show for the 3 months of hell that I'm about to go through.

So, I would expect to see a lot more blog entries from me for the next few months. And I've started writing again. This time it's a whole different story. A story that's more autobiographical. A story that is heading into uncharted territory. A story whose ending has yet to be written, but one that I'm really looking forward to seeing.

101 Goals in 1,001 Days: Update #2

2010-07-19T06:00:00.000-04:00

It's been a productive couple of months for the goal list!

#5 - Change the living room paint colors & window treatments: This was 1 of those things that I ended up having to do to get our house ready to sell. It was sad to see the old colors go, but liberating to paint an entire room (and ceiling) almost all by myself! My new living room has a great paint color already and a window treatment that I can live with for now.

#53 - Landscape my front yard: Another thing that we had to do in order to get our house ready to sell. This is something that we had been putting off for a really long time. Hubby worked really hard and I'm so proud of what he accomplished! Our new place needs very little work in the front yard, but we do have a list.

#65 - Move to a bigger house: We moved in on July 1st and it's awesome!!

#92 - Go 3 days without getting online: Well, it wasn't pretty and I was forced into it thanks to my local provider who couldn't get our service moved timely, but yes, I actually went 3 days without getting online. And it sucked.

#93 - Go an entire day without watching tv: Again, thanks to the local provider who couldn't move our service timely. However, as much as I didn't enjoy it, I didn't miss it nearly as much as I thought I would.

For those of you out there who are working on your own lists, how are things going?

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

2010-07-18T22:39:00.004-04:00

Have you missed me? I am stunned that it's been 2 months since I've written anything. At least I have a pretty good excuse. What's that song lyric about "life is what happens while you're busy making other plans?"

As I posted here, I started the project of 101 things in 1,001 days earlier this year. One of the big things on my list was to move my family into a bigger home. It's actually #65 on my list. Well, as of June 29th, I marked that one as complete!

It was CRAZY how quickly the home buying experience went. I mean, we went from not actively looking AT ALL, to stumbling upon this house, making an offer 4 days later and closing on it within the month. Talk about a whirlwind. And then there's this little issue with our old house not selling yet, but let's not go there in this post.

We are beyond excited about our new home. It's more than double the size of our old place. My girls have plenty of room to run & play. I now have a home that I can entertain in and be thrilled to invite friends over to. I'm already envisioning holiday memories and decorations that I've always dreamed of creating. And although we are not quite 3 weeks into our new place and still swimming in packed boxes, this place already feels more like home to me than my old place ever did.

I promise to have pics up this week and to get back on the blogging train. I've missed it. And I've missed you.

Emotional Overload

2010-05-19T13:21:00.002-04:00

GAH, I need to vent. Sometimes I really despise my propensity for getting overly emotional about a situation. I think it stems from years and years of bottling emotions as a child because now, it takes virtually nothing to get my tears flowing and then I can't shut them off.

Today was the last day of teaching for my Spring semester of Kindermusik and it's sad because I get so attached to the infants & toddlers (and parents) in my classes. It breaks my heart that in some instances, this might be the last time I see them because they either move on to a different teacher or they leave the program totally. It's the 1 aspect of teaching that I will never be happy about. So, I'm already emotional about that fact this week.

And then, last night I received a call from the woman who will be Little A's Pre-K teacher in the Fall at her new school. And it broke my heart. It wasn't the teacher that I requested and to say that I'm upset about this turn of events would be the understatement of the year. It's not that I have anything against this new teacher, but her classroom decor leaves a LOT to be desired, especially compared to the classroom that Big A has been in this year. And Little A was so excited about having Big A's teacher as her own.

After the crappy year that Little A has had at her old preschool, I feel like she is yet again getting the short end of the stick and it makes me so angry. And the worst part about it is that I'm pretty sure there's not a damn thing I can do about getting her teacher changed. Man, I hate all of the drama surrounding school issues. I don't know how my parents survived it.

Table Topics Tuesday: Honesty is the best policy?

2010-05-18T00:00:00.003-04:00

This week's topic is:

is it harder for you to speak kindly
or honestly?

I really had to think about this question because I strive to be both kind AND honest when speaking to others. However, I guess when it boils down to it, it's probably harder for me to speak honestly. I would imagine it has something to do with how I was raised.

It might sound like a cliche, but I think that people in the South are inherently taught to sweeten everything that we say (good and bad). Many times, I have been known to not say a word to someone who just annoys the hell out of me because my grandma always said "if you can't say something nice, then just don't say anything at all."

Honesty might be the best policy, but sometimes I would rather keep my true feelings to myself rather than intentionally hurt someone with some unkind words.

So, which is harder for you?

101 Goals in 1,001 Days: Update #1

2010-05-17T00:00:00.001-04:00

So, it's been nearly a month since I started this project and as with most new projects in my life, I've started off with a bang! Let's check in on what I can cross off my list so far.

#12 Read 100 Books (I have read 3 books so far. Lost & Found, A Three Dog Life, The Fey)

#18 Craft with friends at least once a month (We got together in April to scrapbook. I finished our Disney Family Trip album from 2008. Yay!)

#51 Grow an herb garden (Ok, so technically it was already started in the pot that I purchased, but I have to get credit for not killing it yet. Right now I've got basil, thyme, rosemary, & oregano)

#63 Start a review blog (And you can check it out here)

#67 Inspire someone else to make their own list (And you can check out my buddy Shannon's list here)

#83 Play my own lottery numbers (This was fun! I try not to put a whole lot of thought into stuff like this, so I just chose some numbers that had significant meaning to me and played them. I didn't win a thing.)

#98 Take dinner to a friend (My friend, Diana, had a baby boy last week and she requested my homemade lasagna. It was so thrilling getting to see her new baby!)

I'm off to a great start, I think and I'm excited to see what kind of progress I make in the next few weeks!

Have you started a list? How is it going?

24 Hour Giveaway Announcement

2010-04-30T00:22:00.002-04:00

Please go check out my 24 hour giveaway on my review blog. There's opportunity to enter 123 different giveaways that range from jewelry to books to giftcards. Great stuff!!

It's time to come clean

2010-04-23T17:10:00.003-04:00

I read a LOT of blogs out there, but among my favorites is one written by Happy Hour Sue. This week, Sue talked about her affinity for Facebook (a site that I waste entirely too much time on) and the fact that she's the member of a group called "Things I'm Embarrassed to Admit I Like." Which got me thinking.

And so I present you with Things I'm Embarrassed to Admit I Like.

Hoarders on A&E

16 and Pregnant

My incredibly ugly black Crocs

Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood

Robert Pattinson (in any role)

Pajama Jeans (however, I haven't ordered any yet)

ABBA

Dog the Bounty Hunter

Smitty from Imagination Movers (for all the wrong reasons)

Judge Judy

Reruns of Beverly Hills 90210, Gilmore Girls, & worst of all The Golden Girls

Farmville on Facebook

The Millionaire Matchmaker

The Real Housewives of New York, the OC & New Jersey

Rap Music

The Girls Next Door

Perez Hilton

Ok, I feel better now. What are you embarrassed to admit liking?

I promise, no judgement here.

Meet the Queen

2010-04-20T22:02:00.002-04:00

I am so happy to announce that a project I've been working hard to realize has finally become a reality! Today, I'm pleased to announce the launch of Queen of the Castle Reviews.

This new site is going to be my forum for honest product & service reviews and will also have a money saver/couponing component to it eventually.

I'm kicking things off with a giveaway over at my new site. If you are interested in a $25 Amazon.com shopping spree, head over to Queen of the Castle Reviews to find out how to enter. And thanks for helping me launch this new site!

Table Topics Tuesday: Shop til You Drop

2010-04-20T00:00:00.000-04:00

This week's topic is:

if you could win unlimited shopping from one store,
which one would it be?

Well, if we consider online merchants as well, then it would be Amazon, hands down! I mean, what can't you buy on there?! And speaking of Amazon, I have very exciting news about a giveaway that is coming up within a week. The giftcard is already in my hands, I'm just waiting on the last few details to materialize. Yay!!

Back to our question. If we're talking about actual store fronts, then it would be Target, hands down! Again, you can get just about anything there and I big puffy heart that place.

So, where would you do your shopping spree? Click over to Shannon's to link up your entry!

Table Topics Tuesday: A Meal Fit for a Queen

2010-04-13T00:00:00.000-04:00

This week, my best bud Shannon has a very appropriate topic for me:

if you had to eat one meal for the rest of your life,
what would it be?

I didn't have to think about this one too hard, which is a bit surprising because I have several favorites on my list. However, I also am a creature of habit and find myself eating the same things over and over again. So, here's my answer.

My beverage for the meal would be a steaming pot of PG Tips Black Tea. Lots of sugar, no cream. (anyone care to guess where this tea hails from? anyone? Bueller?)

The appetizer would be a lovely bowl of Baked Potato Soup from Panera Bread. I've had this kind of soup in many restaurants and no one else does it better, in my opinion.

The main course would be Baked Breaded Chicken, Au Gratin Potatoes, Cottage Cheese & Yeast Rolls.

The dessert would be Angel Food Cake with Mayfield Chocolate Marshmellow Ice Cream on the side.

Thud.

Sorry, carb overload.

So, what would you meal consist of? If you would like to play along, head over to Shannon's to link up your entry!

Caffeine is the devil

2010-04-07T09:11:00.002-04:00

When I was a younger chick, I used to worry about the lasting effects of alcohol consumption on my mind & body functions.

My, how times have changed.

Now, apparently I need to worry considerably about how much iced tea I drink with dinner.

3 glasses of tea = Wired until 4am

Good news: I came up with a brilliant idea for the theme of my review blog and worked out 90% of the details for the designer.

Bad news: Spirit Airlines would charge me for the baggage I'm carrying under my eyes this morning.

Hope you day is full of far fewer yawns than mine!

Table Topics Tuesday: Dumb da-dum dumb

2010-04-06T00:00:00.002-04:00

My best bud, Shannon, hosts this every week. The topic for today is "What's the dumbest argument that you've ever had?"

I had a really hard time with this one. Not because I think that all of my arguments have been merit worthy, but I guess because I've managed to let go of the really dumb ones. (either that or I've simply blocked them out due to sheer embarrassment) So let's see if I can come up with at least one. Oh yes, here we go.

The dumbest argument that I've ever had is one that I have no idea what it was about. However, it's my most memorable one because of what it cost me. It ruined a friendship that I had with someone whom I love dearly and ended up fracturing several other friendships as collateral damage.

While I'm sad that I missed out on many years of friendship and major life events with this friend, I'm so thankful that we've found each other again and it's as if we picked up right where we left off.

Maybe time does heal all wounds. One thing that I know for sure is that a true friend is someone who knows everything about you (good AND bad) and loves you anyway. While we certainly can't make up for lost time, we are definitely not missing out on any more time!

So, what's your dumbest argument? Head over to Shannon's to link up your story!

Happy Birthday, My Baby

2010-04-05T00:00:00.000-04:00

My sweet baby girl.

Four years ago today, you fluttered into my life with the grace of a butterfly.

During your first year, your spunky personality began to show itself.

As your second year came to a close, your love of polka dots became apparent.

At the end of your third year, your cautious independence was very real.

And now as you have reached your 4th birthday, you have become a little girl almost overnight.

I am so lucky and proud to be your Mommy and count each day as a blessing that I get to watch you grow up into this amazing little person.

Happy Birthday to my baby! No matter how old you are, you will always be my baby.

Love,
Mommy