Ok I Lied!

I have been looking at old pictures of me and I have decided it is time to get back into shape and I am going to blog about it! Hooray!

{Before}

{Now}

New drive and encouragement! The goal; to be back in a size 4 pant by summer time! As of tonight I am giving up;

• soda
• chips
• cookies
• ice cream
• pizza
• corn dogs
• fast foot
• french fries
• fish sticks

These foods make me sick and unhealthy! Here is what I will eat instead;

• carrots
• yogurt
• oatmeal
• milk
• apples
• whole grains
• salad

I want to be healthy again so bad. And I can do it! We will see how it goes...

Why Stay At Home Moms Rock!

I have heard a lot lately why being a working mom is so great and I think it's about time someone says why staying at home is great. I am not saying working moms are horrible and should stay home. I understand that it is an individual choice. I am just sharing why I love staying home with my kiddos.
I love being at home with my daughter. We have so much fun together. I am not the perfect mom. Here is a list (and they are all true) of why I love staying at home with my kids:

• I can stay in my comfy warm jammies all day (I do this more than I like to admit).
• I can nap when baby naps.
• I always have time for crafts.
• More time to clean the house.
• I can help out others more.
• I get to greet my hubby home for lunch and after work!
• I get to see Little Miss achieve all her big and small milestones.
• I get to raise her the way we want and not hope she learns what I want from a daycare.
• No one can care and love my baby like me which makes me feel good when I am stressed.
• I can cook and bake all day long.
• I get to chat with people who I would otherwise have little time to talk to.
• I can focus on my family more.
• Even when money is tight, we are happier for me being at home taking care of things.
• I actually have more me time and can develop myself as a person.
• No work stress!
• No commute.
• No work drama.
• I can kiss and soothe baby's ouchies.
• I am covered in "baby-loving"
• I am relearning how to see the little wonders in life.
• I get a workout just carrying baby.

There are 100s of reasons why being a stay at home mom rocks! I think we need to validate stay at home moms who sacrifice their wants for their children. Again I am not saying working moms are selfish or horrible but I do think we should praise both sides of the fence. I grew up with my mom working. She had to help provide for our family while my dad went back to college. She sacrificed what she wanted to take care of our family. It was hard growing up with her gone and exhausted all the time but she still loved me and taught me many invaluable lessons. Being a mom is tough period. Any mother who puts her wants aside to care for her family should be acknowledged. Thanks to all the moms who have influenced my life; working or staying at home, you guys are great!

Out Fishing

Ok I haven't been out fishing but I have been dealing with a very cranky daughter and a husband getting ready for military stuff plus add in all the holiday decorating, card sending, picture taking and you have my life right now. I am also working on a wall hanging quilt as my present to my husband. Here it is all laid out ready to be sewn:

{Bet you can't tell what colors our room are!}

Pajama Time!

Little Miss and I both have colds so today we are having pajama day! A day we lounge in our warm jammies and watch movies, read books, eat, and nap! Feel free to join us. This is how I look:

Source: google.com via Laura on Pinterest

Ok THAT is how I wished I looked. I am more along this line except add a hoodie and pink fleece pants. :P I'm a mom, that's my excuse and I am sticking to it!

Source: google.com via Laura on Pinterest

REMINDER: Last day to enter my giveaway! I will be drawing tomorrow! Enter before it's TOO LATE!

Christmas Before Thanksgiving

**Make sure to enter My First Giveaway which runs through November 28th!**

Source: adventuresofabettycrockerwannabe.blogspot.com via Laura on Pinterest

Every year we hear the same argument of whether we should celebrate Christmas before Thanksgiving is even over. I read my friend's opinion on it at Karina's Challenge and wanted to add my two cents but realized (1) my opinion would make one long comment and (2) I have my own blog for a reason! So here are my two cents;
I love Christmas! It is by far my favorite holiday. As I posted in an earlier post, I love everything about it. Right now I have a hard time with Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving was always a big holiday growing up. In fact it always meant lots of family.

{My family Christmas 2010. Only missing our two boys, Little Miss was in my belly & my dad was taking the picture.}

Fast forward to last year. Last year was my first Thanksgiving away from this tradition of relatives-overload. And guess what! I found I hated it. Therefore, as this time of year came around I have been less than enthusiastic about the up coming holiday. In fact I would skip it (not because I'm not thankful but I believe you should be thankful every day not just one day, however that is another story), but my husband wants to celebrate it.
Now some of you probably are thinking "Why not just go home for Thanksgiving if spending it with family means so much to you?" Good question. Anyone in the military want to answer? In the military (like probably other workplaces) you only get so many days off. True we get more than the average bear (name that movie!), but once we use them there is no getting them back (right away) and going without permission or without pay like some. We opt to go home for a longer stretch for Christmas.

Source: everythingfab.com via Laura on Pinterest

Which brings us to another reason I like to celebrate Christmas early; once I get home I don't get to enjoy Christmas. When we go back we are so busy trying to see all the family and more importantly trying to spend as much time as we can with our boys, we don't get to sit back and soak in Christmas.
This is why my tree is already up and decorated and why I listen to Christmas music and don't mind the overshadowing of Thanksgiving. I miss family more during this time of year then any other time. I am looking forward to introducing Little Miss to mash potatoes, pureed turkey, and some pumpkin pie without the crust. And I do hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving! I will be looking forward and grateful for it almost being time to go home for Christmas and see our boys!

It's What Time!?! And You're Still Awake!!!

I am sure all parents have said that to their children but how often do we have to say it to ourselves? Well I do. I have insomnia and pretty sure it's chronic too since I have had sleeping issues since I was a kid. (I know I am a whole heaping of weird!) So here I am in the middle of the night blogging! (I must be devoted!)
Why can't I sleep? Good question. Some times I feel like God forgot to give my brain an off switch. My mind goes over anything and everything (this is one time being self-aware does NOT pay off). I think all I need to do, want to, have done, hope to do, am afraid to do, wish I could do... Well you get the picture. So why am I blogging all this? What can you take away from all this? Well hopefully you can think "I am so glad I am not her and sleep like a log!" Or maybe you can say "Hey I am not alone! Here is someone else who is secretly a superhero with amazing amounts of energy waiting to be tapped into when the world is in crisis!"
And before I get a million comments (slight exaggeration) on how I can get sleep, here are things I have tried and do use;

• Tylenol PM (I hate taking it though due to the Tylenol but it works!)
• Visualization (Thinking of a relaxing spot and visualizing it)
• Ambien (I didn't do well with it and probably spelled it wrong)
• Trazadone (I REALLY didn't do well with it and had every side affect not considered a allergic reaction)
• Relaxation (Relaxing every part of your body)
• Hot shower
• Hot bath (Along with lavender bath scent)
• No caffeine
• Getting out of bed and doing something else (Doing that right now!!!)
• Making lists of everything in my head
• Visually "wiping out my brain thoughts" (Brain thoughts? Oh boy lack of sleep is becoming apparent)

So just a few things! Oh I forgot to mention I have been to see a professional sleep person doctor thing... She told me I had all the tools and not more she could do for me. And what is there to take when the only thing that works is Tylenol PM? Plus I am on night duty with a baby. I am not discouraged or even frustrated by not being able to sleep. Maybe it's the lack of sleep or maybe I just have not known what it is like to be able to sleep at night at a decent hour like a normal human being. Who knows? I do know there are lots of others out there like myself who don't sleep for one reason or another. And I bet they are reading this in the middle of the night while counting the hours down till they figure they can wiggle some sleep in. Hopefully this will at least entertain you and maybe give you an idea you haven't tried.
Bytheway, when does the greeting go from Good Night to Good Morning? It's 2 AM. Just some food for thought.

My Bucket List (This Is For You Karina!)

My friend Karina from Karina's Challenge is huge on bucket lists. So I am finally giving in and starting my bucket list. So here we go...

• Pay off car with tax return
• Save 100 dollars a month
• Get out of debt
• Begin a ranch
• Become self-reliant (aka grow our own fruit, veggies, meat, and eggs)
• Finish redoing my kitchen decor
• Have more kids
• Build the house of our dreams
• Home-school our kiddos
• Be sealed in the temple
• Bless our Little Miss
• Go back to school
• Spend more time with our boys
• Make a quilt
• Learn to knit socks, etc
• Make more homemade food
• Learn how to be even more frugal
• Grow my hair out
• Learn new ways to do my hair
• Buy more books (I believe you can never have too many books)
• Read to Little Miss every day
• Talk to my sisters more
• Learn new recipes
• Learn how to play the piano
• Have a craft room
• Go to Prince Edward Island, Canada
• Learn Spanish

That is all I can think of right now. UPDATE on the tree... It is up! Hubby gave in and said yes. Looks fabulous! And Little Miss is sporting her Thanksgiving shirt (see we are celebrating it too). Here are some pictures of the tree and Little Miss!

To Put Up Or Not To Put Up... That Is The Question!

I am super excited! We finally have our very own Christmas tree! Hooray! I have been wanting one forever but we always go to Utah for Christmas. So getting a tree seemed unneeded. However last year I realized we spend more than half the month here at home! It just didn't feel like Christmas because of that.
I was determined to change that and fabulous Wal-mart (about the only time I will ever say I like Wal-mart) had fake trees for as low as 20 bucks! AND it was blessedly 6 feet (I am not a fan of smaller trees). And when you get a tree you must get ornaments to go with it! This leads us to the current dilemma.
Do we up the tree now or wait till after Thanksgiving? We have one against celebrating holidays till the one coming up has been dutifully celebrated (that would be my wonderful hubby) and one of us who is impatient and after all Christmas is my FAVORITE time of year!
I love everything about Christmas! The lights, the smells, the tastes, the snow (yes there should always be snow), the sights, the songs, the feeling! People are suddenly kind and courteous. Kids are excited and good. Decorating the tree and house. The FOOD! (Need I say more) I love giving gifts! I usually could care less if I get anything. I rather spoil everyone else! And I love decorating. Here are some examples from pinterest of what my dream Christmas would look like!

Source: tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com via Wesley on Pinterest

Source: delightfulorder.blogspot.com via Wesley on Pinterest

Source: centsationalgirl.com via Wesley on Pinterest

Source: piperclassics.com via Wesley on Pinterest

Source: starrfam.blogspot.com via Wesley on Pinterest

Source: wmcraftgoodies.blogspot.com via Wesley on Pinterest

Source: myantiqueattic.blogspot.com via Wesley on Pinterest

These are just a few I love! To see more click on Wesley and follow my boards!

What I Am & What I Am Not

Lately I have been giving a lot to who I am as a person and who I am not. And figured it was time to strike for independence from all these other blogs (though I enjoy many of them)! That is the first thing I am NOT...

• I am not like other bloggers. I have no clue what I am doing. I don't know I really want to make my blog "profitable". I just want my voice to be heard and make sure I am not alone in this great big universe!
• I am not complicated. I always have been an open book. I am blunt, can't take hints (hardly), and avoid conflicts at almost all costs.
• I am not a thin as I use to be. I'll admit it. I use to be a size 2-4. I am now a size 10-12. And I am PROUD of that fact. I am not a model. I am not a runner (anymore).
• I am not the type of girl who fixes her hair in beautiful crazy ways. Nor am I the type who does her nails or can make any outfit looks amazing.
• I am not very crafty. I cannot come up with all these wonderful ideas and actually execute them!
• I am not popular. I have social anxiety and am completely shy.

Those are some of the things I am not. Here is some things I am;

• I am unique. I am pretty sure there is no one else out there like me. Which means I am the only one with these thoughts and ideas. Though I do believe this applies to all of us and sometimes we choose to go with what we think we are SUPPOSE to be rather than who we ARE.
• I am old-fashioned and simple. My attitude is if it was good enough for my grandparents it's good enough for me. (Note this doesn't apply to everything in life... Moderate!)
• I am a mother and am too busy trying to keep up with my kiddos and making our home a place people want to be rather than be away from. I am healthy and that is more important to me than how I look. Besides my husband likes me as I am!
• I am a pony tail wearing, jeans and t-shirt type of girl. I don't do my nails because I am too busy using my hands (please note that I am not saying you can't do your nails and be productive. I just don't know to do both for myself).
• I am good at some crafts and appreciate (and buy) the craftiness of others. I think I am good at working with wood and I enjoy cross-stitching. I am too practical minded to really be artistic.
• I am a good cook and enjoy baking.
• I am frugal and know how to stretch money.
• I am loving, kind, and loyal. I am always willing to help others and will do anything for those I love.

This is ME. I am what I am and I accept that. My blog will be different from now on because I am going to be true to myself. I will write without fear of no one reading. This is my blog of the attempt to reach my dreams and enjoy life as is along the way!

Tasty Thursdays: Confessions

I haven't been feeling great today and haven't cooked anything up. Nor do I feel much like posting a recipe. I would however like to confess a few things about myself...

• I have favorites when it comes to food and usually struggle eating anything else. I tend to have one thing I want to eat every day and then I will switch.
• I have a long list of foods I will not eat. Including mushrooms, seafood (I am finding I don't like even fish), artichokes, raspberries, blackberries, red onions, olives, spaghetti, Chinese food, a lot of Italian food, etc.
• I am horrible about eating vegetables and sometimes fruit.
• I am allergic to the weirdest things. Like tomatoes (especially if I get the juice on my skin but I can get away with eating it with other things like in a salad or sandwich) and sweet condensed milk. Those are the food items outside food I am allergic to metals (BIG time can't even wear my wedding ring), medical tape, silicon, and latex.
• I love fast food and junk food. I am trying hard to be good and eat healthier.
• I am not a huge fan of eating. I eat because I know I need to survive but I have to make myself do it sometimes. (I guess this problem is more common then people think).

So there is my confession. Now you know a bit about my bizarre self and what goes on in my head! Let me know what odd food habits you have by leaving a comment!