This and That

It's Christmastime, and life is busy. So much is happening, for me and for those around me. That means - even moreso than usual - that my mind is constantly running at high speed. Here are a few things I'm thinking of right now:

1. One of my lifelong friends is expecting a baby any day now. Actually, she was expecting him or her a whole week ago. I am impatiently awaiting this little one's arrival - what an exciting time of year to be having a baby! I can't wait to know: boy or girl? Blonde or Brunette? Name? Ahhh, I'm excited!

2. There are no more food-related holiday parties for me until Christmas. Will I finally get my eating back on track? Or will I devour the whole carton of candy cane ice cream that appeared in my fridge?

3. I'm hitting up the gym today, and going to focus on cardio - wish my the best of luck, because last week I was hurting in this area! I miss running without struggling!

4. On Friday, I set out to the mall to spread Christmas cheer through Random Acts of Kindness. It was an epic fail. I think I will make a separate post about this later.

5. My blog friend, Katie, had her Christmas wish come true a little early this year. You could call it a "special delivery" from the Father of Christmas. After going through so much heartache in her life, she deserves this. Read about her most special gift here.

Have a great week, everyone. And stay away from the malls - those places are scary right now!

P.S. How cool is this tree? I want to do one like it some day:

Long Time No LinkUp

It's been awhile, but I've finally decided to participate in another LINK UP!!! This one is about Christmas, so I just couldn't resist. I love the holidays! Besides, Jennifer

is helping host, so how could I not join in? I adore her!

Without further ado, may I present...

Favorite Christmas song.
- Sleigh Ride (the instrumental version!) A close second is Burl Ives' version of "Holly Jolly Christmas" (but you have to picture him as a Claymation snowman while listening to it)...or maybe "Christmas in Kilarney"...

Christmas song you can’t stand.
- Anything sad. Like the "Christmas Shoes" one. The holidays can be hard enough for some people without music out there to further depress them!

Favorite holiday movie.
- This is a tough one. Last year I discovered "Miracle on 34th Street", and I think that one is winning right now...

Real or artificial tree?
- I love real trees, but we have artificial

White or colored lights?
- I like both!

All matching ornaments or more random personal ornaments?
- Random and eclectic for SURE

Favorite ornament.
- I honestly don't think I can pick a favourite. I have so many that are special to me. Some of the most special ones involve memories made with my young children.

Angel or star tree-topper?
- We have a fairly boring star!

Does Santa wrap presents or leave them unwrapped?
- He wraps them, unless there is something large, like a dollhouse. Actually...come to think of it, I think there is usually one unwrapped...you know, to distract the children and prevent them from going completely wild while they wait to open the rest...

Favorite childhood memory.
- Seriously, how do you pick just one? Basically, anything that involved my grandparents. I can still see my Grandpa sitting in our family room, having waited for us to come downstairs and open gifts. And it was always exciting to visit my Nana and Papa and get to experience a second Christmas celebration with them - we even had our own stockings there!!!

Coffee, hot chocolate, or eggnog?
- Um, hot chocolate. Those other two things are gross.

Christmas morning at home or do you travel?
- HOME! I never want to travel at Christmas ever again!

Traditional holiday meal or something unconventional?
- We do a traditional meal on Boxing Day. But honestly, I could take it or leave it. Turkey doesn't excite me.

Personalized photo Christmas cards, store bought cards, e-cards, or “ain’t nobody got time for that”?
Photo cards!

Have a great day!

Hear the Bells RINGS!!!

On Sunday, we got together with my sister-in-law and brother-in-law to have an early little Christmas celebration. And since one of my gifts for them was a homemade project that is no longer a secret, I can now share it with you!

Behold:



I actually made the red one for me, and the green one for them. But now that I'm looking at it, they look so good together...I should have made two of each!!!

I got the idea of Pinterest, and just tweaked it a little bit to suit my needs. Here is the original "pin":



I love the original, but the ones I made were just what I wanted. I do like taking an idea and altering it just a bit to make it my own. It feels a little bit more personal that way :)

I hope that you are enjoying seeing some of projects. It's nice to share another side of me that isn't just about fitness and my horrible eating habits!

Phew!!!

I am happy and RELIEVED to tell you that I think I am FINALLY over being sick! Sheesh, that took three weeks!

And let me tell you...three weeks off of working out has had an effect on my level of fitness! I didn't think it could happen that quickly, but it did. For example, I could only run for 30 seconds on the treadmill at a fast pace that I can usually do for 2 minutes or more. And as far as weight-lifting goes...well, let's just say that things are feeling heavier than usual! But I will not dwell on that, because there is nothing I can do but move forward! I hit the gym Saturday and today, and am hoping to do so again tomorrow. Plus MAYBE I'll sneak in an early morning run soon...I say "maybe" because darn it, I do love sleep...

As I mentioned before, this last month was tough for me. Since I didn't feel well and couldn't exercise, I used it as an excuse to throw healthy eating out of the window. I should not have done that. I am not enjoying the weight gain. On Friday, I weighed in at 167 - a full ten pounds up from a month before. It's starting to come down, but my eating has still been pretty crazy. Christmastime is a tough time to re-start a weight-loss plan. But...that's not an excuse to not try, right? RIGHT!

My goal is to get down into the 150s before Christmas (might be tough!) and then just maintain my weight until New Year's. Let's see how I do with that!

Fat Free Frida and Elf on the Shelf

So, I may have gained 10lbs in a month. Ooops. The good news is that I feel in a much better mindset today, and I'm ready to get this weight off. Now, let's move on...

On December 1st, our elf, Bernard, returned to our house fresh from the North Pole. He is already causing all sorts of shinanigans, and giving my kids lost of laughs. Here are just a few things we've found him up to so far:

1. Cross-dressing elf...


2. Hallowe'en:1, Christmas: 0


3. Soaring...


Do you have an elf? What has he been up to?

Getting Crafty

As promised, here are some pictures of projects that I have worked on recently. Remember, there are many that I can't share right now as they are Christmas gifts...but I will make sure to let you all see in the New Year!

Feast your eyes...

1. I learned to crochet, so I made this outdoorheadband...you know, to keep my ears warm during those early-morning runs...(hence how horrid I look)


2. I love wreath-making. This is the first year I attempted a yarn wreath, and I love the result!




3. Decided to do a little bit of sewing...




4...and a little more crocheting...


Interested in making any of these projects? Let me know, and I'll either post a tutorial, or link you up to the one I used. I love creating things, but thank GOODNESS I got this all done before the Christmas season hit...otherwise I'd be doomed!

Back at it?

Today, for the first time in 2/12 weeks, I am going to try to make it to the gym.

I am going to take it easy, but I hope that I can get in at least a half decent work out.

Wish me luck...I'm still sick, but I'm even more sick of sitting around doing nothing.

Sorry that I don't have a better post today. Next time I'll try to include some photos of stuff I've been working on!