Day 31 {Shopping?}

Day 31

There are all of our bags from 3 of us. I say we didn't do any shopping! ;)

If you want to see more pics from our adventures, read the post below!

Bellywings Loose in the Cities!

Ok, only a couple of my readers will get the title and I'm debating whether or not to explain the meaning.  I guess I will.  I bought a Quickutz Owl Die to use with my Quickutz Revolution and the feathers on the tummy Jessi called Bellywings.   Thus we call eachother Bellywings.    We went up to the cities on January 31 and I took a bunch of pictures.  I can't even think about posting them all here, so here is a link to that set on my flickr account.

http://flickr.com/photos/gamerbabe360/sets/72157613997222203/

Please take a peek at the pics.  Some are just hilarious!!!!   I had a blast and can't wait to go again with my bellywings!

For those of you who don't know Flickr, you can click on the small image in the link above and then can view a larger image and my description.  

Day 30 {Not what I bought this for}

Day 30

Is this good use of a treadmill? Clothes rack, sewing machine holder, and shoe holder? I think I should be walking on it instead. What do you think?

Aweigh we go! {Weigh in}

This week I have lost 2 pounds.   That is 0.76% of my starting weight I do believe.  

This week was a rough one for me since I got sick.  I'm not going to make any excuses or anything, but I know I sat on my bum all week and slept a ton trying to get better.  I didn't step on the treadmill once.   I did watch what I ate and did track my food the majority of the days.  When I did eat, I watched my potion size.   That is a great step in the right direction.    

I look forward to next week when I hope I can get on the treadmill and get some exercise.

Good luck to everyone else doing this!!

Day 29 {Mini Figs!}

Day 29

I bet you don't have this many Star Wars Lego Mini-Figs in your house!! And the thing is this is only part of them. I love being married to a man who still loves toys. It's the best. <3

Day 28 {Medicine Woman}

Day 28

For Christmas Ma gave me a book called "Homemade". In it, there was a recipe for a gargle to make that will help sore throats. It has helped some.

Day 27 {Love}

Day 27

One of the many, many, many reasons why I love Jason is because he does the dishes. It's the little things that count.

Day 26 {In Bed Sick}

Day 26

This is how I spent most of my day today. In bed reading and trying to get better. I hate being sick.

Pumpkin Ice Cream

This recipe is for Jessi. She came over one Friday night and I fed her pumpkin ice cream and she wanted the recipe. I finally looked for it today and found it. Here you so Jessi! Enjoy!

Pumpkin Ice Cream

1/2 gallon New York Vanilla ice cream, softened
1 can pumpkin (15 ounce)
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine the pumpkin, sugar, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix until well blended. Add ice cream and stir until well mixed. I used my Kitchen-Aid for the mixing and it worked PERFECT. I'm a Kitchen-Aid snob though. :)

This recipe is so simple to make and so yummy. It reminds me of Coldstone's Pumpkin ice cream. So very yummy.

Aweigh challenge, week 1

Today is the first day of the Aweigh challenge, hosted by Cool Zebras. 

I weighed myself this morning and am not happy at all with my weight.  Grrrr.   And to think that I was doing so good before when I was doing SparkPeople.  I lost 50 some pounds on there.   I NEED to get back to that.   I'm basically starting over again.  But now is the time to do it.  I think that the accountability, motivation of prizes (call me shallow, I know!) and support of others will really help.  I need to take a starting picture still.  I'm so not doing that today since I'm sick, but I will.

Heather posted some a question for us to answer.

Q:  What are you going to change this week to help you lose weight?

A:  Be sick?  Wait, that doesn't count, that's not a healthy way to lose weight!  I'm going to start tracking all my food again via SparkPeople and be completely honest about what I eat even if I have an off or bad day.  I'm going to try to curb some of the snacking that I do when I'm home.  I do fine when I'm work but not at home.   My goal before getting sick was to do at least 3 days a week on the treadmill.  If I get better, I will do that.  But for now, I think that's a hopeful one.  I don't think it's a good idea to exercise when your coughing, have no voice and a runny nose.  

I'm hoping that these small, steps will help.   I'm praying that they will.

Day 25 {Untitled}

Day 24 {Happy Birthday!}

Day 24

Happy Birthday to me! It's my birthday today. I'm a whole 26 years old. Last year for some reason I had a hard time with 25, but this year, I'm fine with it.

Anyway, these are the birthday cards that I have received! LOVE all of them! :)

Day 23 {Buttons!}

Day 23

I have fond memories of going through Grandma's button box when I was a kid. I loved to look at all the different buttons.

Jessi and I went to Mills End Textiles today and spent over an hour going through this huge display of buttons. We had so much fun and didn't want to stop going through them.

Day 22 {Milk & Cookies}

Day 22

Jason hasn't been feeling the best lately and I asked him if he wanted me to make him anything special. He said that soft chocolate chip cookies would make him feel better so of course I had to make them for him!

Day 21 {Gamer Chick}

Day 21

Played some more Gears of War 2 with Jason. I'm really loving the horde mode in that game. So much fun. Plus it's fun playing video games with him. Especially since I keep doing stupid things and it's hilarious.

Day 20 {Sprinkles}

Day 20

I love sprinkles! They are so fun and just make me happy. It's the little things.

I'm not fond of this picture though. But I guess that's what I get when I take a couple pictures of one thing and then don't get to editing them days later.

Day 19 {Laundry Soap!}

Can you identify what this is?!?!

It's Felsnaphtha soap all shredded up to make laundry soap. I think it kinda looks like cheese.


Day 19

Last year sometime I found a recipe online to make laundry soap and have been wanting to try it ever since. We are finally almost out of laundry soap and I made it today with Jason's help!

It was so SIMPLE! I'm shocked! I can't wait to let it set up for 24 hours and then try it out! I'm so excited because it was easy and cheap!


Made some laundry soap today! I can't wait to let it set the 24 hours and then try it out!

Day 18 {Goodies}

Day 18

I went to Michael's today and picked up two pieces of their Friendly Forest line. I really need to stop buying so much scrapbooking stuff.

Picture update!

I know, I know, I screw everyone up when I get behind on uploading my pictures. I date them on the day that they were taken, since that is easier for me. So if you would like to see them, I uploaded them starting on January 12, 2008. Scroll back to that date if you wish to see. I have to say that my January 12 picture might be one of my favs.

Aweigh Challenge

I follow coolzebras on Twitter and she is doing a weight loss challenge on her blog. Since I need to lose weight, plus the added support will be awesome, and the incentive as well, I thought I would join. I have really been struggling lately with this, so I'm hoping this will work. I look forward to participating in this! It's going to be fun! So from January 26-May 1, expect some weight update related posts. Who knows, I might blog about it more than that!!

Day 17 {Get Well Card}

Day 17

I'm sorry to do another card for my picture, but it's one of the couple I took today! Eek! I need to get better at that.

A simple Get Well card for a friend. It was all made out of scraps. The Butterfly is a Quickutz Die.

Day 16 {Shade Tea}

Day 16

I call this Shade Tea. In the summertime I make sun tea, but in the winter it's too freaking old, but I still love my ice tea. I have these two carafes that I picked up at a garage sale for a quarter each, put my tea bags in, a bit of sugar, and hot water. Let it sit on the counter until it's the right color and then toss it in the fridge to chill. Yummy. It works perfect for me!

Day 15 {Scrap Paper}

Day 15

I'm a paper addict. I mean, scrapbooker. I have a hard time tossing my scraps if they are of usable size. I have them in these two bins, one for cardstock and one for patterned paper. I need to get something bigger to store them in since these little containers are over flowing.

I started taking a scrap your scraps class at the local scrapbook store. LOVE that class. It's offered once a month and you use your scraps and get a layout done and a card! AWESOME!

Day 14 {Surgery}

Day 14

I had to perform surgery on a stapler today. It was VERY sick and need invasive surgery to be fully functioning again. Despite the remedial equipment used (Pliers with a screw driver one flat and one phillips on the end, a paper clip, and a paint can opener, all found in the Surgeons purse since the operating room did not have any tools at all available) the surgery was successful and the stapler has since been sent home and is heard to be performing all activities normally.

New Song!

Well it's not really a new song, but I love it! Growing up both Ma and Dad used to listen to Steve Earle quite a bit. Ma loved blaring some of his songs. I remember Ma singing along to Sweet Little '66, Copperhead Road, and Guitar Town. In fact I have a few songs by him in my itunes library.

I absolutely love the movie P.S. I Love You. If you need a good cry, that movie will do it for you. So will the book. I had to read the book with a box of kleenex sitting by me. Anyway, I was looking for songs from the movie, and the one I really wanted I found out was Galway Girl by Steve Earle! I am now obsessed with that song.



If you haven't heard this song before you must crank it up and listen to it. It's best heard loud.

Red Hot Fusilli

Red Hot Fusilli

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup freshly minced parsley
4 cups ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon oregano leaves, crushed or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
ground red pepper or cayenne pepper to taste
8 oz. uncooked fusilli pasta (4 cups cooked)
1/2 lb. cooked chicken breasts, diced into 1/2-inch pieces (3/4 lb. raw) (optional)

1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan. Sauté garlic and parsley until golden.

2. Add tomatoes and spices. Cook uncovered over low heat 15 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently. Add chicken and continue cooking for 15 minutes until chicken is heated through and sauce is thick.

3. Cook pasta in unsalted water. Drain.

4. To serve, spoon sauce over pasta and sprinkle with coarsely chopped parsley. Serve hot as a main dish and cold for the next day's lunch.

Yield: 4 servings--Serving Size: 1 cup

Nutritional Information:
Fat: 6.3g
Carbohydrates: 30.2g
Calories:311.7
Protein: 33.3g

Recipe from www.SparkRecipes.com

I don't always use fresh tomatoes, I have used canned and this turns out just great! I absolutely love this recipe. It's so fresh and yummy and very filling!

I'm ______ happy!

I seen this on Facebook and it really bothered me. Now I know that this is geared for teens and not an adult like myself, but I have issues with this. Read this "Survey" here to determine your amount of happiness.

I'm ______ happy!

[] You have a gf/bf
[] You have your own laptop
[] You own a cell phone.
[] You have an ipod/ mp3 player
[] Your parents are still together
[] You have a best friend
[] There is a swimming pool in your backyard
Total:

[] You dress how you want to.
[] You hang out with friends more than once a week
[] There is a computer/ laptop in your room
[] You have never been beaten up.
[] you NEVER cry more than twice a month.
[] You are allowed to listen to the music you want to.
[] Your room is big enough for you.
Total:

[] You have over 50 friends on facebook
[] You have pictures on facebook
[] Your parents let you have a facebook
[] You get allowance
[] You collect something normal
[] You look forward to going to School
[] You don't wish you were someone else.
[] You play a sport.
[] You do something after school
Total:

[] You usually don't fight with your mom
[] You are happy with your appearance MOST of the time
[] You have never gotten a failing grade on your report card
[] You have friends
Total:

[] you own a car
[] You know what is going on in the world
[] You care about many people.
[] You know more than one language.
[] You have a screen name.
[] You own/owned a pet.
[] You know the words to more than 5 songs.
[] You don’t have many enemies.
[] You are a generally nice person.

Grand Total:

Multiply by three, put number as title I'm __ happy

So having your own computer in your room, having a swimming pool in your back yard, and having a cell phone and mp3 player define your happiness? Can we say materialism?

If this is what teens think make them happy, they have a rude awakening coming. Objects don't make you happy. Material items and even a boyfriend/girlfriend or husband/wife don't necessarily make you happy. You have to look within YOURSELF to find happiness. Don't count on others or objects to make you happy.

Does anyone else have issues with this list? Or am I the only one?

Day 13 {John Hardy's BBQ}

Day 13

My favorite restaurant is John Hardy's BBQ. There is no BBQ better in my opinion. After we finish eating, no matter what restaurant we go to, I always stack up our plates so they can grab them in one trip. Numerous times I have had the wait staff stop and say thank you and ask if I'm a waitress. Nope, never have been. Though I do believe I picked this up from Ma, who has been a waitress before.

Day 12 {Ice}

Day 12

We have been having FREEZING weather this week. With temps anywhere from 0 to -30 below zero and that is without the windchill. BRRRR. This lovely weather has produced a lot of ice combined with the snow that we have been getting on and off.

Day 11 {Puzzle}

Day 11

Jason pulled out and started a puzzle on one of the tables in my scrapbooking room. I sat down for the first time this evening to work on it. It was so relaxing. I'm happy that he pulled a puzzle out again.

Day 10 {Flowers}

Day 10

Spent a bit of time organizing my scrapbook room. I have lots more to do, but I made good progress.

Day 9 {Owl Thank You Card}

Day 9

An owl thank you card that I made. I took a couple other pictures today but didn't like how they turned out, so this is my picture for today.

Day 8 {Notebooks}

Day 8

What I carry with me everyday. My planner, a notebook for work related things, and a notebook for home related things. And of course I need a pen for each one!

Texas Caviar

Texas Caviar
2-14.5 oz cans black eyed peas, drained
1-15.5 oz can white hominy, drained
2 med tomatoes chopped
2 garlic cloves finely minced
1 med bell pepper, seeded, and chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, and chopped (use gloves)
½ cup onion chopped
½ cup chopped parsley (I often use cilantro)
1-8 oz Italian dressing.

Combine all ingredients, except Italian dressing. Mix well. Pour salad dressing, over mixture, over and marinate 2 hours in fridge. Drain and serve with corn or tortilla chips. Makes 7 cups.

I LOVE this recipe. I think I need to make some soon. Wish I could make it tonight.

Day 7 {Paint Samples}

Day 7

Jessi, Amber and I are going to paint the naughty room at the scrapbook store! Lots of green paint samples! I can't wait to paint. It's going to be a blast!!!

Journal Jar

I made 5 of these journal jar's for Christmas gifts this year. I forgot to take pictures of them, so this is courtesy of my friend Jessi who received one!

What I did was type up a ton of journaling prompts/questions, printed them on fun colored paper, cut and folded them, and tossed them in a jar.

When they run out of something to blog about, they can take a prompt from the jar and then blog about it.

Or you could also give the jar with a journal and they can just paste the question in the journal and write their answer.

I made one for myself, but never finished it. I just have all my questions in the jar but not decorated.

Realization

I have known that I've been putting weight on again and that I'm out of shape, btu I guess I didn't realize just how out of shape I am.

I decided to hop on the treadmill today and do 2-15 minute increments since I'm off today.  I just got off of my first 15 minute increment and boy was that a workout.  I do one of the pre-programmed programs, with walking up to 3.5 MPH and up to an incline of 5.   After 15 minutes I burned 93 calories and walked .68 miles.  I felt that it just about killed me.   I gotta keep at it though.  Now to catch my breath and get my other 15 minutes in.   

Day 6 {Shipping Mess!}

Day 6

Jason has been packing and shipping stuff for eBay. This time around he's been selling some of his Star Wars Transformers. It cracks me up what a mess this looks like, but it's actually an organized mess!

Round

Guess what?!?!  I'm in shape.   Round is a shape. :P

My Final Word*

*For now anyway. I reserve the right to change my word when and if I decide to and find a more perfect word or phrase that fits.

Home Made Simple keeps coming back and almost haunting me. That is what I'm choosing despite it's name for a magazine/website. Hopefully there is no copy right infringement by me choosing this phrase as my "word" to live by for the next year.

First let's start by defining the words.

{Definitions adapted from www.m-w.com}
home•made
made in the home, on the premises, or by one's own efforts

sim•ple
Not involved or complicated
Being without additions or modifications
Free of secondary complication
Of Humble origin or modest position
Free from elaboration

This year I want to get back to basics.
I want to grow my own veggies in my garden.
I want to use a clothesline.
I want to get better at sewing.
I want to be a wife that my husband is proud of.
I want to do more home cooking.
I want to use products that I made out of simple, basic ingredients.
I want to simplify and get rid of things we no longer need.
I want to "unplug" more.
I want to read more.
I want to learn more.
I want to enjoy the simple things in life.

I want to continue on the path that I started last year. A path that I feel like I should be proud of.  I think with "Home Made Simple" I will be able to do that.   Who knows it might take me in an even better direction.

I look forward to living 2009 as Home Made Simple.

Quote of the Day

“No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted.”

~Aesop

Day 5 {Books}

Day 5

I got 2/3 of my Amazon order today! Love getting new books!!!!

2009 Word of the Year Thoughts

Ali Edwards, a Scrapbooking Celebrity has been choosing one word to focus on for an entire year.

Here is an excerpt from her blog:

The idea behind the one little word concept is to give yourself something to focus on throughout the year. As I stated in my newsletter back in January 2007, "A single word can be a powerful thing. It can be the ripple in the pond that changes everything. It can sharp and biting or rich and soft and slow."

To find out more about it, please visit her blog.

You can read my previous blog entry for what my word was for 2008. This year I'm having a hard time narrowing down my words.

I thought about keeping the word cultivate, but that seemed to be cheating. It fit me so well last year and I think it would fit this year as well.

Then I thought about using the word continue thinking that I could continue what I have started last year.

That lead me to grow or growth. Meaning continued growth in myself, as a wife, as a person, and also my garden.

I also tossed around the word believe. I can't remember exactly why now, but now that I think about it, that word doesn't seem to fit, especially since I can't remember why that was one of my choices!

The word enjoy also came to me. Enjoy life. Enjoy time. Enjoy friends. Enjoy Family. Enjoy the simple moments.

I also thought about the word nourish. Nourish me. Nourish life. Nourish those who need it. Nourish my garden.

Then I thought about Home Made Simple. Simplify, do more home made stuff, make life simple and enjoy it. I love this one, but it bugs me that it's the name of a magazine.

Now the one I'm leaning towards is Back to Basics. I want to get back to basics in life. Make the little things matter. Get rid of clutter. Simplify. Spend time on what matters. Be a country girl in the city. Back to basics to me means look back on past generations and going back to some of that. Home made, home cooked meals. Canning. Gardening. Sewing. Learning. Drying clothes on the clothes line. Eliminate excess.

I haven't made my final decision yet, but I think I'm really leaning towards Home Made Simple or Back to Basics. I realize it's not one word, it's a phrase, but I think that's what I want to focus on.

I'm going to mull over it for a while and decide.

Now I CHALLENGE YOU to choose a word or phrase to focus on during the year. Ali has some wonderful lists on her blog.

Some of the words or phrases that really stuck out to me are:
I'm Okay.
Journey
Lucky
Still (As in God tells us to Be Still...)
No new, make do.
Ten. (As in her friend always asks this person how they are feeling and she also says nine. This is going to be her ten year.)
Unplug
This is my year.

Once you choose your word I would love to know what it is. I'd love it if you would blog about it and link me to your blog, or if you would leave your word in a comment here and why you chose it.

Also, if you have any suggestions on a word that fits what I'm trying to say up there about Home Made Simple and Back to Basics I would LOVE the suggestions. Those don't seem quite right. And I can't place the word or phrase that I'm trying to get at.

2008 Word of the Year

At the beginning of 2008 I chose the word cultivate to define my year. This is what I wrote back then about my word.

cultivate

Yes, it's not your typical word that you would chose to define your year by. But I have come to the realization that I'm not your typical woman anyway. It seems to fit.

{Definition adapted from www.thefreedictionary.com}
cul·ti·vate
To improve and prepare
To grow or tend
To nurture; foster
To form and refine
To seek the acquaintance or goodwill of; make friends with.

That was the perfect word for my year. It encompasses so many things. Last year I sought help for my depression. I nurtured and improved myself by doing that. I'm much happier, which makes me a better wife. I've refined myself.

Cultivate also has a sort of gardening feel to it. I grew my very first garden last year. It was a success and I'm planning on one this year.

The one part of cultivate that I knew I would struggle with was making new friends. I have a very hard time making new friends and letting others get close to me. I am thrilled to say that I have found some of the most wonderful friends. Jessi and Amber. I have a feeling that this year was only the beginning and I look forward to getting to know them in 2009. Jessi and Amber "get" me. Jessi and I are somehow finishing each others sentences. They make me laugh so hard that I cry. We rib on each other just have a blast. My Friday nights just aren't the same when I don't go cropping and get my Jessi and Amber fix. Those Friday nights are my sanity savers.

I have so much more in me that I know what I want to say, but I just can't get it out. Let's just say that 2008 was a great year for me. I am blessed beyond measure. I am happy that I realized just how blessed I am over the last year.

Day 4 {M&M's}

Day 4

Jason eating his M&M's with a spoon. Cracks me up. I love that man.

Day 3 {Pout}

Day 3

Jason pouting because he doesn't want his picture taken because the flash is so bright. Taken right before bed. I love his goofy faces. It just cracks me up.

Day 2 {Fabric}

Day 2

The other day I was at Joann's looking at stuff and wandered through the fabric area mainly because I seen so many clearance signs. I was originally looking at fabric to make something for my mom. I couldn't find anything I liked that suited Ma, but once I seen the middle fabric I had to have it. It is just so me. I decided that I'm going to make a quilt out of it. I thought that the different textures would look good together.

Wreath

Back in November Ma sent us this beautiful wreath! She made it herself. I was so surprised and thrilled when I opened the box. It was on our front door for all through the holiday season. I'm sad to take it down, but it will be going up again next year.

Idea

I was reading "The Real Photography" blog that I have followed for a long time and seen the most awesome idea!

Click here to see it! {You have to scroll down about 3/4 of the way.} Displaying fabric in embroidery hoops. I'm thinking that I could do something similar to this to display the Flour Sack Dish towels that my grandma and Jason's grandma have embroidered. I will never use them and want to display them somehow. I'm thinking I could simply pin the backs together so the fabric doesn't drape. Best part is they are super cheap at Hobby Lobby and I love the look!!!

Day 1 {No More Christmas}

Day 1

All of the Christmas decorations got taken down today and put away. I love Christmas so much and will miss them. I look forward to putting them up next year.



This is one thing that I will miss most now that Christmas is over. Our advent calendars on the door and all of the Christmas cards that we got on there as well.

The sad little wreath in the center was put up there as a joke this year and stayed up the entire season.

Unfinished Project....Now Finished!!!

It only took me 5 years. There's a bit of history behind this blanket. Way back in 2003 Jason choose the fabric for a fleece tie blanket that I was supposed to make him for Christmas of 2003. Our first Christmas together as a married couple. I never got to it that year, I think I was busy making a scrapbook of Cassidy for Janell and Kris, but I'm not positive.

Anyway the fabric got moved upstairs and I soon forgot about it. Jason would give me a hard time every now and then about if he would ever get his fleece blanket. This summer I came across the fabric again and moved it down to my scrapbooking room. I was going to get it done and wrap it up and put it under the Christmas tree as a present for Jason. Well it didn't quite get done. I sat down and got it done on New Years Eve. I can't tell you how awesome it is to have it done after all these years!

Now I'm waiting for Jason to finish making my wedding present. ;)