Happy New Year! I went for a run outside tonight and it was such a nice time to quietly reflect on the past year. Not only 2009 but the past 10 years since we are about to usher in a new decade! It's especially sentimental because 10 years ago tonight I was on my first date with my husband. We thought it might be our last with all the Y2K talk! Lol. I can hardly look back without turning into a puddle of tears at how the Lord has guided us over the past ten years. Three amazing boys who light up our lives every single second of every day. Three painful miscarriages, one at 13 weeks when we lost our little Luke and two and a half years of infertility. We have been busy. :) There is so much more though between family members passing on, moving to different states, changing jobs and seeing each other expand and change in ways we never expected!:) Time goes so fast doesn't it? As my friend Bobbi says, He shows us he is truly Jehovah-Jirah: God who provides.
As I told my friend Debbie tonight;
God bless you as you celebrate the New Year. May it be a time of renewal and a reminder that God is in control of each second, each day, each hardship and happiness. The God who was, and is, and is to Come. Praise his name forever! May you feel his presence as we start a new decade.
"With all creation I sing,
praise to the King of kings
you are my everything, and I will
adore you."
The Flip came today, hooray! It's so easy to record and upload, all the reviews and endorsments were right! I just posted a quick video about a new mom planner on The Mom Squad blog. In my excitement I actually skipped a few features that I wanted to touch on (in the planner) but that's okay.:) Click here for the vid!:)
Vacation is so much fun!:) This is the first time that I can remember that we've been on vacation but haven't left town. It's nice. We've had a good mix of relaxing (yay for sleep), cleaning and catching up on laundry, etc. and doing little fun things here and there. Oh, and the SALES! Oh my word, Jim and I should not get each other gifts until December 26, you get so much bang for your buck with the clearance items! Speaking of which, I have to share a few of the fun finds from the past few days.
For Christmas, Jim got me a Flip camcorder. It should arrive tomorrow. It's so easy to shoot, record, and upload directly to the blog or You Tube. With Jim's family in Georgia this will be a great tool! Plus I am sure it will come in handy for blogging too.:) You can actually personalize your own Flip with a family photo or customized pic. We tried but couldn't find the right picture to use, plus I wanted the underwater case and the personalized Flip (Mino) is not compatible with the kind that uses the underwater case so...Ultra HD it was.
My other two exciting purchases came from Sephora. When I got a facial last year, the esthetician recommended getting at home chem peel pads, or micro pads. I especially need it because my skin is prone to breakouts and it not only combats that, but supposedly makes your skin have more of a "glow". Anyway, I found it to be true! I normally order the pads from Avon but my rep (aka...my mom) Lol skipped an order and I have been out. I really notice a difference in my complexion (even though I didn't use it every day) so I am trying this:
The lady at Sephora said it is the #1 choice and the price was right so...we'll give it a go! It's Philosphy Microdelivery Mini Peel Pads, and they should last a good two months (hopefully).
There are two things I can say have dramatically impacted my make-up life (Lol, it's true). The first was Bare Escentuals. I started using it about 5 years ago and I can't imagine my cosmetic life before it! It's been so great and light and easy to use. The second thing is primer. Unfortunately, giant pores are in my genes. Primer is like preparing a canvas and it smooths the pores and creates a nice surface for the foundation. It goes on better, stays on longer, and helps perfect your skin in all lights. I used Smashbox for a long time but have decided to try something new. It's "Makeup Forver HD Primer". Sephora lady said most primers are actually the same, it consists of a few ingredients and the rest is the brand name. This was a bit cheaper than Smashbox so I had to go that route, and she said it is another award-winner so I'm trusting her choice!:)
Well, I think that's about it. We are enjoying the snow and it's a blessing to have this weather while we can enjoy it from indoors and not have to drive in it.:) Happy last few days of 2009!
Hoping you had a safe, happy, blessed Christmas day! Here are a few pictures and a quick recap.
Getting ready to leave for Christmas Eve mass. Santa is just hours away!:)
On Christmas Eve I was out shopping and ran into a couple who said at one point they had 43 kids over (their sons football team). Now he is grown and in college and the house is empty and quiet. He was tearing up telling me and I was tearing up listening! I was grateful he shared that though because it was another reminder of how fast the time goes and how important it is to cherish the memories. Christmas morning was fun for all! Here are a few highlights:
Grant's Wii game he requested! We had fun playing this although I cannot get higher than 3rd place the Figure Skating competition! Frustrating. Lol.
Sir Garrett is ready for battle!:)
Gabriel reading a book from his leather bound Charles Dickens collection. The 'stache is a nice touch! That is from his spy kit. Lol.
A special/fun gift for Jim. It's a disappearing Civil Liberties coffee mug! For the person who is frustrated and believes our freedoms are slowly going away...this is the perfect (subtle) statement piece! Lol.
Jim and the boys bought me a new watch which I really needed and that was probably my highlight. Jim also gave me a book about the history of ancient Rome...which I am happy to add to my nightstand stack.:) Overall it was another amazing year. The basics are all that matter (a warm home, the fact we are all together) and everything else is just icing on the cake....thank you Lord!
Poor Clementine! She has to wear this after having her cherry eye surgery. In the movie "Up" it's referred to as "the cone of shame", something that was not lost on the boys! As soon as they saw her sporting it they remembered that instantly. I feel so bad though, she really DOES look ashamed! Lol. She seems so dejected...poor thing.
It's been a while since I posted a Clemmie pic and you might notice her protruding under bite. This gal has quite a profile! She might not win any beauty pageants but she sure a sweetie.:)
Well, in case I don't post tomorrow...Merry Christmas! From our family to yours.
A new song that we've added to the Christmas playlist this year is called "How Many Kings" by Downhere. The lyrics are beautiful. Like this: "How many Gods have poured out their hearts To romance a world that has torn all apart? How many fathers gave up their sons for me? Only one did that for me". From beginning to end this song hits the mark and offers a wonderful opporunity to meditate on the birth of Christ and his ultimate sacrifice. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.:)
P.S. Surgery went well today. I had diagnostic laparoscopy for endometriosis this morning. I hear it's pretty common and it helped to get advice from friends who have had it done too. They did find a problem area and were able to clear it out which is good. I am laid up on the couch while Jim and the boys are out shopping. I was going to catch up on some reading but I just found Steel Magnolias on TV! The books will have to wait, this is a must-watch!:)
We have snow! It was a nice way to kick off vacation, the boys scattering all of their snow items throughout the house in a rush to get outside. Lol! We don't have a mudroom and our space is so cramped that I am always trying to find ways to maximize what we have. I think it's high time we invest in one of these:
It's a boot tray and Jim said they have some nice ones at Home Depot. I think we need to get a few! They are only about $9.00 which is nice. Hopefully that will help eliminate the puddles from the melting snow when the boys leave their boots on the rug.
We have had a productive, fun start to vacation though. I tried to have a plan in place and so far it's been smooth. We had Lisa Henedy on the morning show a few weeks ago and she had some "Advent activity" tips. One of them was to clear out old toys and donate them to Goodwill as a way to not only make way for the new toys, but to offer gifts to other children too. We ended up with about 4 giant hefty bags full of toys! It kept everyone busy, we worked together, and we ended up clearing out a few toy-cluttered areas at the same time. Whew!
Well I am off to unplug. I promised the boys I would only be online once a day because I usually do so much show prep and work from home. I am on a computer diet and I'm happy to feel out of the loop for a little while! Wednesday morning I am also having surgery so if you would include me in your prayers I would be humbly grateful. It's minor, and I should be back to blog before Christmas. Enjoy the blessings of this week!:)
A few months ago I cleared off my nightstand and tried to keep only the most important books nearby (i.e. my Bible). Well, I guess that didn't last long!:) I am reading several books at once and it's probably not the most efficient way to do it. For some reason I do great at digging into a book at first, but I often don't finish. I drift about halfway through and then start another one and do the same thing. I wonder why that is? Maybe if I tried just one at a time that would help! Lol. The nightstand books include: The Bible A Better Freedom: Finding Lives as Slaves of Christ by Michael Card Guilt-Free Motherhood: Parenting with Godly Wisdom Grace and Gifted by Kimbely Hahn The Handbook for Catholic Moms by Lisa Henedy (available in February)-still loving this! Mother Angelica's Private and Pithy Lessons from the Scriptures-another amazing read Magnificat Advent Reflections The Complete History of Catholicism The Love Dare
Whew! I can't wait to blog about "The Love Dare" but I need to actually finish that one before recapping the journey. I will say, I HIGHLY recommend it if you are married. I started it because it's the latest book club selection from a group I am in and I was honestly pretty half-hearted about it because I didn't think we "needed" any assistance. Wow, what an eye-opener. It's been a powerful experience, a positive and introspective look at myself and my countless shortcomings, and what I can do to improve. Good stuff. I wish there was more time in the day, or that I had the ability to read for hours without my eyelids getting droopy! Lol. Better go, this is my window to get lost in the pages...hmm, what book will it be tonight?!:)
The other day I was watching QVC and fell into a hypnotic stupor when this cake was showcased. It is "Paula Deen's 3-1/4lb Holiday Peppermint Layer Cake". Oh glory! Not only do they describe the cake in amazing detail, but then they actually cut a piece, slowly savor each bite and zoom in on the mouthwatering goodness that is just one easy-pay away! Ha ha. I am a browser though, (and rarely a buyer) and I just could not imagine paying the $28.35 to order it. Still, a day went by and I could not stop thinking about it! I tried to find the recipe online to mimic but it was futile. Oh the frustration! Well, I think I may have found a substitute. In the latest "Good Housekeeping" they have a recipe for Chocolate Layer Cake that has "wowed readers and reappeared countless times since 1927". Tried and true! I like chocolate better anyway so I think I will make this, add a touch of peppermint extract in the frosting, sprinkle a little candy cane garnish and see what happens. It can't hurt!:)
I don't know what it is with the over-the-top dessert cravings lately. In reality, I'm actually doing pretty good with my eating (better than I have in a long time. My sweets consumption is way down and I have been loading up on fruits, veggies, and even fiber gummie vitamins. When Jim lost over 60 pounds and told me that the hardest part of any diet is the third week. Over the years that was ALWAYS the time that did him in. He says something happens and your mind and body just resist at that time, unless you are prepared for it. So I am thinking maybe I am in week 3?! Lol. I don't remember the day I started the diet change. By the way, the "Wave" workout (by the Firm) has been great too! I have actually stuck to it...wohoo! Slow but sure, it's not easy but at least it's an effort.
Time to wrap up for today. I can't believe Christmas is almost here and there is still so much to do! I am still not done sending out Christmas cards (evidently I'm too busy thinking about cake) Lol. Better get to it!:)
What a weekend! I'm definitely not fully recovered but thankfully it was all fun stuff. Saturday was our Mom Squad luncheon! After months of planning, praying, and driving my husband up a wall (lol) the big day arrived. THANK YOU to all 500+ ladies who attended and spending your afternoon at Hartville Kitchen. I was talking to my friend Darlene and we agreed it was the best one yet! We laughed, we cried, we praised God and I hope walked out rejuvenated and re-focused on the season. A full recap and slide show is posted on the Mom Squad blog. I hope you'll check it out and be sure to come to our next event.:)
Friday night was Gabriel's Christmas concert at school. If you listen to the morning show, you probably heard my little dilemma about his costume. He was to play the Gingerbread man and needed to dress accordingly. I froze when I heard the news! Lol. I am not crafty in the slightest (you know this if you've read my blog for a while) and I can't really sew (unless it's a sock or a patch). Anyway, I was lamenting to Len off the air and he decided to open up the phone lines to get advice on how to make a gingerbread costume. We received a call from Chris, whom I have now dubbed "my gingerbread angel":) She offered to make the costume! I felt a little like that was cheating because I should probably learn this lesson but hey...if someone offered .....wouldn't you do that too?!:) So anyway, we were delighted and thankful when we saw the final product. Here is how it turned out:
Thank you so much to Chris in Cleveland for taking pity and helping my poor son!:) She did such a great job. Plus, now I have great photo to break out when Gabe is a teenager and gets too big for his britches. I can pull this little picture out! Lol.
One more quick note. On Sunday we baked Christmas cookies and I tested out the "Peppermint Meltaway" cookie recipe (below). They are delicious! In addition to being craft-challenged, I am also the worst cookie maker for some reason (they always turn out flat). So I was excited when these actually looked like the picture! If you need a fresh recipe, this one gets a thumb's up!
It's the Christmas cookie season and I can't wait to make these little dandies! They are "Peppermint Meltaways", yum. Here is the recipe. Jim also found a limited edition combination from Toll House, it's mint chips mixed with dark chocolate chips and a recipe on the back for "Scrumptious Chocolate Mint Layer Bars". Doesn't that sound delicious?! Lol. I am hoping to have a baking day where we make a few different kinds of cookies. Garrett likes to bake with me so hopefully we can carve out some time to get that done before Christmas. The hard part is not eating them all in the process!:)
Today is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and I have been singing "Ave Maria" and "Salve Regina" for two days. I can't get this version out of my head from Sister Act. It's such a fun arrangement and I can always remember my mom and I turning this up and belting it out!:) I think this movie (and Sister Act 2) has to be among my favorite movie soundtracks. If you've never seen this before, give it until about 1:10 until the tempo change. Go sisters!:)
Yippeee, the book I have been waiting for has arrived! This was an exciting Monday, I feel like a kid on Christmas morning!:) Lisa Henedy and her website Catholic Mom have been a source of inspiration to me and a place I have gone for information and motivation as a Christian mom. I have gotten tips, wisdom, recipe ideas and more at that website. So when I saw that Lisa was coming out with her own book I was thrilled. It's called "The Handbook for Catholic Moms" and will be released in February. Thanks to Lisa and her publicist Amanda for the advance copy I am chomping at the he bit to pour over the pages! Here is a quote from Heidi Hess who endorsed the book: " Every mom needs a few good tools in her belt, to help her handle life’s challenges and The Handbook for Catholic Moms belongs on your short list of indispensable resources." Sounds good already! Here is the link if you would like to pre-order.
While we are on the topic of "mom" things, the Mom Squad luncheon is coming up this Saturday! I am excited, nervous, a even a little frazzled as the date approaches. It really is like planning a wedding in a lot of ways. As with that, I am trying not to sweat the small stuff but it's hard because I want to make sure all 500+ women feel blessed, loved, and lifted up by the end of the event! At some point though I know I just need to let go and trust that the Holy Spirit will take over. If you are going (and I hope you are) please check out the Mom Squad blog for all the info and last minute details.
I ran across a website recently that has given me a major boost in my quest to eat healthier. It's called The Daily Plate. You just punch in your goal, if you want to lose 1 or 1.5 pounds a week, or perhaps if you need to even gain a few pounds. It then calculates how many calories you need daily to achieve that goal. What I like about it is how easy it is. I am not necessarily trying to lose weight (although I wouldn't miss a few pounds if I lost them) my main goal is to be healthier and more mindful of what I eat. The first few days I was horrified! Lol. I never realized how many calories I was consuming without even realizing it. They add up so fast! Today I am 19 cals over my goal (ahhh, that blasted choc chip cookie)! It was a good wake up call though. The show "The Biggest Loser" has been an inspiration and it always seems to jolt me back to the reality of how food decisions can influence health. I have learned so much already just in being more aware of the calories. Click here for the Daily Plate website. I am off to do my Wave by the Firm. Hopefully that will offset my indulgence!:)
I am dragging a little bit today. We were up past 11pm on Friday...I am not used to that!:) We had a memorable evening at Outback Steakhouse and then at Cleveland Playhouse. The radio station had a contest where we would escort a winner to dinner and then to the performance of "A Christmas Story". Sue from Parma was the champ! We met her and her family, including daughter Kim who was celebrating a birthday....along with Jim! That was fun. Anyway here we are getting ready for a scrumptious meal courtesy of Outback.
Here is the dreaded pink bunny costume that Ralphie had to wear. Gabriel has the mortified expression down!:)
Grant's turn!
Family picture time (minus our Gare bear who was with grandpa and gram)
The lobby was lined with gorgeous trees and it was quite a sight for the boys. I love this time of year where events like this make the season extra magical. I highly recommend taking the family to A Christmas Story. It's in it's final year and runs until December 20. This was only the second time the boys saw a stage production and I think I enjoyed watching them, as much as seeing it for myself. They were so "wowed" by the whole experience and seeing a film come to life on stage. It's definitely a good one to introduce theater to kids. I am just waiting for a Red Ryder BB Gun to be added to their lists!:)
If you are looking for unique, fun gifts for the smarty pants in your life, you must check out ThinkGeek! We got the Christmas gift catalog in the mail this week and we all had fun pointing and laughing at the innovative items. We ordered this for a certain someone in our family (who shall remain nameless and whom I've banned from looking at my blog until Christmas)!:) Anyway, this person is a database administrator and a total computer techie. We ordered this Wi-Fi detector shirt for him:
It displays the current wi-fi signal strength with glowing bars on the front of the shirt that change as the surrounding wi-fi signal strength fluctuates.
Haha. The person has a great sense of humor and we usually exchange pretty offbeat gifts anyway so we had to go for it.
For a stocking stuffer, Gabriel has his sights set on an authentic "KGB Disappearing Ink Pen". Made from Russia and high quality for only $14.99. What boy would not love that?! Lol.
Anyway, if you check out the website, be sure to click on the "customer action shots" with the various items being used by the buyers. Some things are off color (just to warn you) but most of it is fun and fantastically geeky...in a good way of course.
On the other hand, if you want to go a more crafty route, check "50 Homemade Gift Ideas". Great list.
