Resoluting

Ginger saying "Oh, wow!" on Christmas morning.

It's New Year's Eve, a natural time to think about starting over. I have been thinking about 2010 over the past few days, and my main conclusion is that I refuse to feel guilty about the things I didn't do. I did so many good things that being negative is just silly. For example, I wanted to loose 40 pounds. I could be really upset by the fact that I didn't, or I could be thrilled with myself that I lost a little over 30.

Last year, I was very specific about things I wanted to accomplish. I did pretty well. Our scripture study as a family rose and fell, and then rose and fell again. I was 2 sizes smaller in Sun Valley. It felt good. We are eating out a lot less. Usually less than once a week. I don't always like that. I didn't finish an entire quilt each month, but I did finish a lot of sewing project. Plus, I did 3 different craft shows. My little Lena got quite a workout. And Cinnamon Roll Monday? No thank you. I found out that I would eat half a pan to myself for "quality control." Ha. For the sake of my waistline, I had to let that one go.

This year I have a lot I want to do. My list is a little overwhelming. I need to think about it a little more and then get back to you. A list of 12 things is a little unrealistic, wouldn't you agree?

Anyone Out There?

Hi! Remember me? I used to blog here. I've been hitting the diet hard. Can you tell? We've had a lot going on this week. It was Christmas at our house. Our kids were so excited, yet still able to line up on the stairs and smile real pretty.
We spent some time with cousins. Ginger especially enjoyed sitting at the table with Manny.
I made 2 birthday cakes. The first one tasted like cardboard and looked like the grey sky over Pittsburgh. This one was delicious and looked pretty darn cute.
Mini-me has been asking for a birthday party for the last few years. Today, I made all her wishes come true. We had lots of friends over to play Barbie, Polly Pocket, and Zoobles. I'm pretty sure she had a good time.
So enough about me. How are you doing? Let's not go so long between posts next time, okay? Kay.

Birthday Week

It started with this:

And ended with this:

My girls are one year older.

And now it is Christmas.

Amen.

Say What?

Christmas is how many days away? 12, you say? Gadfrey Daniels, that's not much time! I must get off the computer and get to work. I have zero presents sewn for the kids. And let's not forget Curly's t-shirt quilt. He's only been asking for one for the past 3 years. If I don't get it done, I'll surely have coal in my stocking come Christmas morning.

TGIF

When we were younger, we used to love watching TGIF. The only two shows I really remember are Family Ties and Full House. My sister and I looked forward to Friday night TV all week. I tried to watch an episode of Full House recently. Let's just say the show hasn't aged well. (Oh, mylanta! Did I do that? Have mercy!) Once December is through, so are our Friday nights with Curly home. He'll be doing another show at the dinner theater come January. We've loved the extra family time, but we also love paying bills. I stopped by the Red Box this morning and picked up the new Shrek movie. We'll watch it and have popcorn as a family tonight. TGIF, indeed.

I can't believe I forgot to post on Wednesday. Hello, holiday stress! Glad you could join us. I was able to lose my Thanksgiving pound, which made me extra thankful. At the store yesterday I had to resist getting more peppermint bark. I think the first ingredient in it is crack. Patch has also discovered its deliciousness, and Curly discovered my hiding place. It's probably a good thing I didn't eat the whole box by myself. Maybe.

Today's Gratitude: Curly will be home on a Saturday!! I don't remember the last time that happened. Maybe I can sleep in until 8.

The Laughingstock of the North Pole

Ah, Ginger. She didn't quite know what to think of our family gathering this past weekend. We took a family picture wearing "I {heart} NY" shirts, antlers, and blinking red noses. It was chaotic in that family-get-together-and-take-a-picture kind of way. Mini-me kept her antlers and nose on most of the weekend. At lunch on Sunday, she lamented, "I'm the laughingstock of the North Pole!" Apparently we have watched Rudolf, The Red Nosed Reindeer a few times too many.

The craft show on Saturday was another success. It was a festive atmosphere, and the sales were great. I have only a few things leftover, which I have listed in my etsy shop. Go on, don't be shy! If you order 2 or more things, you will be automatically upgraded to Priority Mail shipping.

Hey!

Patch is not capable of looking you in the eye for long. It's pretty hilarious. I find myself saying, "Hey! I'm over here!" quite a bit.

Our tree is trimmed and almost all the decorations are up. I love Christmas!!

Weight Loss Wednesday

So I gained a pound over Thanksgiving. That pound will be gone in no time. Weight Watchers unveiled its new program this week. The basic gist of it is that calories are out. Now points are based on a formula calculating fat, protein, fiber, and carbohydrates. It's a little confusing, but I think it's going to be great, once I get the hang of it. One of my Christmas presents is the new membership pack, which includes a calculator, dining out guide, all food guide, and a cookbook. I made a WW recipe last night -- fried rice. Instead of oil, you use cooking spray and you omit the bacon. It was tasty.

I went to Zumba yesterday. One of my December goals is to make exercise a priority. Class was awesome. I wiggled my hips and danced until I couldn't dance any more. Ginger did great in the playroom. I was able to sneak out and left her playing happily. When I came back, she was in a high chair having her snack. She took one look at me and started to melt down. She cried so hard, she threw up. The staff was so glad we came back! We're taking the day off today. I'm sore, it's pouring down rain, Ginger is exhausted, and Mini-me has a check-up at the doctor. There is a Zumba class tomorrow, so we'll go the YMCA then. I love living across the street from our gym. It's so convenient.