Friday, November 28, 2008

Redmption and Consumption

I had a good feeling about Thanksgiving this year. The past few years something has gone awry and marred my perfect Thanksgiving spread. Last year I accidentally used kosher salt (and too much of it at that! NEVER MEASURE SALT OVER THE PIE FILLING!) in my pumpkin pie. I ate it, but Matt said it was too salty and inedible. The year before that I had a major migraine while cooking my pies and I forgot that my crust recipe made 2 crusts, but my pie filling only made 1 pie. It tasted good, but they were only half the size they were supposed to be!

This year I was bound and determined redeem myself and get that darned pumpkin pie right (especially since I pride myself on my pie skills, and it's supposed to be one of the EASIEST pies to make, and I have done it successfully before). My pecan pies have turned out fine for me every year, but this year I wanted to try a black bottom pecan pie with a layer of chocolate on the bottom.

Both pies were a success! The chocolate/pecan was a good combo, but I think Matt and I both prefer it without. I also have to admit that I had a nice sized serving of each pie and didn't feel one bit bad about it! It was nice after being on sugar block for 3 weeks!



Our friends Erin and Christian came over. She brought some stellar homemade rolls, cranberry sauce, a lemon meringue pie, and a vegetarian lasagna for Christian.

Matt brined and took care of the turkey and the gravy (if I had to do be in charge of the bird, we'd just not have turkey!! Preparing a whole bird is just too much for this ex-vegetarian to handle!). We've had problems in the past with the drippings burning, so this year we sprang for a good roasting pan. It worked! No burning drippings. No smoke. We didn't have to add broth to the bottom of the pan to keep it under control. It was great.

I made the aforementioned pies, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and dressing. I've made a different dressing recipe every year for the last 5 years and I think this one was one of my favorites. I need to write down what I did some time soon so I don't forget it! I got general amounts from this recipe, but kinda just winged the seasonings and added two eggs. Doesn't Matt's plate just look like the perfect Thanksgiving plate?!

Dean especially loved Erin's rolls and cranberry sauce! While he ate some, he wasn't so sure about the dressing, green beans or mashed potatoes.


Right after dinner it was Dean's bedtime (such great timing!) so I took about 10 min. and put him down. After that the 4 adults played Rockband for a couple hours. It was a lot of fun.

Also, here's a glimpse at the current project that is consuming my time: a patchwork Christmas tree skirt. I have been working on the blocks the last couple weeks, but I just finished the top tonight. Now I just have to sandwich and quilt it (I am going to attempt to free motion machine quilt...I might be crazy!!!!!), cut out the opening for the tree, and bind it. I got the idea from Crazy Mom Quilts' tutorial. We have a small tree so I reduced the size a bit. It's coming together nicer than I thought it would...
I should also mention that Matt's vacation time this week has been consumed by upgrading our light fixtures. We now have all matching lights. All of the ugly brassy-gold fixtures were tossed out and replaced by nice brushed nickle fixtures. Not only that, we also have all new brushed nickle door handles through out the entire house. Yay! I love upgrading.

Extending the challenge check-in

I was just thinking...if people were traveling for Thanksgiving, they may not have a chance to check in by tonight. So, the check in for the healthy eating challenge is extended to Monday Dec. the first.

Check in on my other post, though.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Picturing my Thanks

One goal I have for tomorrow is to say one prayer of pure thanksgiving, asking nothing and giving praise to God for the blessings he has bestowed upon me and my family.

My friend Emily did something like this on her blog and I loved the concept.

I'm grateful
for a husband who loves me and provides for our family...

for the opportunity to be with my favorite little boy all day, every day...

for the chance to visit family and for a reliable car to get us there...

for the chance for grandparents to visit...

and for a Prophet that gives us guidance in troubled times.
I'm also thankful
for evenings I have to craft...
and cook

and to keep in touch with friends!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Healthy Eating Challenge: Day of Reckoning

Ok ladies! The goal day is here. Yesterday was the last day of the three week challenge and today we report in! Tell me how it went, what you did to make it, and if you think it helped in the long run. Even if you didn't make your goal, I'd love to hear how you did, what went wrong, and how far you got (if you're willing to share).

Here's one little thing I didn't tell you.

If you had a brain lapse moment and put a piece of candy in your mouth, or took a bite of cake, etc. but you realized your mistake and quickly corrected your behavior, I'm still going to count you as achieving your goal. If you said, "Ah, to heck with it" after realizing, then I will not count the lapse as ok, and you will be disqualified from the drawing.

The drawing:
All those who report in by Friday as having achieved their goal will be entered into a drawing for a prize. The winner can either have Betty Crocker's Healthy Home Cooking Cookbook or your choice of an item listed on my homemade gifts sidebar sent to you. I'll just have to get your preference and mailing address when it's all said and done.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

My Reputation Precedes Me

I am continually amazed at the number of people who call me for piano lessons. Two of my students are dropping after Christmas because of monetary reasons, but I already have 4 kids on my waiting list. Additionally, tonight I had a dad call me (someone I didn't know) wanting 2-3 of his kids to start. Onto my list he goes. He told me that one of my student's (well, technically 3 of my students' since they're siblings) parents had HIGHLY recommended me and that I was an excellent teacher. It's nice to be appreciated. Word of mouth really is the best form of publicity.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Gifting Regrets

I really love to make my Christmas gifts. It doesn't happen for everyone every year, but if I can think of something I'm in love with (and think the recipient might love too), I'll make it. One problem with this is that I often have gifting regrets after the fact. When you buy a gift and someone doesn't love it, it's not that big of a deal. They can just re-gift it or return it and get what they really want. If you make something they don't like, there's no returning it!

When we got married someone gave us some doilies they had lovingly made. Doilies? I thought. What in the world am I supposed to do with doilies?? You see, I'm about as far from doilies as a person can get. I didn' t know what else to do with them, so I gave them to DI. I feel bad, but I thought it silly to keep them boxed up forever and ever.

A couple years ago I made my sister a Family Home Evening chart. It was a little rough, but I was pretty proud of it. It was before all the vinyl charts were mainstream and easily accessible, so I did the lettering by hand. I felt pretty happy with the end results at the time. Now that I'm more crafty and am better able, I kind of cringe at my rough first attempt. I hope she still likes it...

Past homemade Christmas gifts I've given include: a cookbook compilation that took me months, crocheted scarves, bracelets, Families are Forever boards (I definitely wonder about those...probably in a back closet now. I now realize it doesn't fit everyone's decor.), a blanket I sent to Matt on his mission (he still uses it!), and quilts. I go through crafting phases, so whatever I'm into at the moment is usually what is given.

Despite any regrets I have had, I'm still giving a lot of homemade gifts this year. I can't help but feel like I'm giving a little part of me along with the gift, and I like that thought.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

less than 1 week left!

Well, challengers, there's less than 1 week left of the healthy eating challenge. The last full day of the "no this or that/ more this and that" is next Tuesday! (Three weeks is feeling much longer than I anticipated!) On Wed. we'll report how we did, but it does not have to be included in the challenge. I figure most of us will be cooking away, and I know it's hard for me not to taste as I go!

Good luck and keep up the good work!

Monday, November 17, 2008

The Countdown Can Commence

The pattern book: 12 days of Christmas: Art to Heart by Nancy Halverson
The dark border fabric: metro green goes blue by Michael Miller
The other fabrics: Sorry, didn't look!

Finally! Last night I finished my countdown to Christmas quilt hangings. It ended up being a much bigger production and money drain than I'd ever have imagined. It was fun, and I'm very glad I did it, but I am ready to move on to a new project!



If I were to sell this set, I'd honestly charge $200+ for it. That would break down to:
  • $10 per quilt block (Matt says that wouldn't be enough for all the hours I put in)
  • $24 for the stupid metal hanger that I ended up buying (I figured after all the time I put into it, it needed to be properly displayed! I tried to jimmy rig something, but it just didn't do it justice.)
  • $20 for the book (it has tons of patterns in it I love, though, so I imagine I'll be using it for more Christmas projects down the road.)
  • $30 or more for fabric. It's expensive to get good fabric, but I am beginning to be converted for "heirloom" projects. It's so much better quality and beautiful, vibrant prints I just can't resist any more.

I learned a couple things on this project.
  • When leaving a hole to turn it right side out, don't leave it on a corner! Start and end in the middle of a straight edge.
  • When you're working with 1/4 in. seam (something I never do!) it's nearly impossible to do the hidden stitch for the end closing.
  • You have to be much more precise in sewing when you're working with a real patchwork pattern!
  • Fabric selection can be extremely difficult and timely process.
  • A good, large cutting mat is essential. I had a small one, but I wanted one that would measure up to a yard for proper squaring. I ended up getting one at Michael's with a half-off coupon.
  • If you're not an expert at blanket stitching by eyeballing, start on a straight line, not a curve. I started on zero and I seriously almost want to take it out and redo it. But I won't. My stitching improved greatly from the first block (zero) to the last block (santa).

Sunday, November 16, 2008

It's the little things that make motherhood so fun.

You know, as exciting as it was to have a brand new baby, I have to say that it really didn't sink in that we had added a new member to our family until about month 4.

Up until then, it often felt like I had a really needy doll.

Don't get me wrong. I have always loved the little guy. I just love him more every day and every month! He is definitely not a little toy doll! He's got pizazz and personality and he learns new things every day. It is very exciting to see this young little human learn new things.

Sure new challenges will arise as he gets older.

For instance, he's recently acquired discriminatory taste buds. At least I think that's what is happening. He's decided he's anti-veggie at the moment. (It may just be the aforementioned molar teething since he hasn't been too into food in general recently, but I don't think so.) One day he loved peas and green beans. The next, no thanks! He has honed his ability to spit out (and fish out with his finger) food he does not love. Mac and Cheese with peas: hold the peas please! He'll put a handful of food in his mouth and then fish out anything green. Too bad buddy! You're going to get it on your plate whether you like it or not!

He also loves to drop food on the floor when he's done with eating or doesn't like it. Not only that, but I once found him stuffing the end of lunch into his mini-raisin box! HAHA!! What a clever and dexterous little boy. Sneaky, but clever (and cute).


And while he won't eat his veggies, he sure has no problem eating the non-edible berries off our bushes in front! I can't tell you how often I say, "Spit that out right now, Dean!"

He's also learning fun and new things every day it seems.

He now will fold his arms for the prayer. Today at church he even folded them at the appropriate time without being prompted by me! He heard the prayer start and he immediately folded them.

He has claimed the drawer in our coffee table and a drawer under our oven as his own. I will often find toys, remotes, nail clippers, and other random items stuffed in his drawers.

He's learning to climb and use things as step stools. Fun, but ACK! Have I bolted everything to the wall?? I need to get on that...

He pretends to talk on the phone. He'll put it up to his ear (usually backwards) and say, "Heo. Ha."

He can "blow his nose" into a tissue.

Just today when I was blowing on his hot food, he finally blew with his mother rather than sniffed with his nose!

He loves to sniff my flowers outside, though he usually picks them all first.

He loves to play "chased by the monster". I'm the growling monster; however, he also growls as he runs away.

If I ask him to get a diaper, he'll get one and bring it to me and then run away as fast as he can. hahaha. I occasionally have to pin him down with my knees to change him. You can better believe we abandoned the changing table months ago!

He loves to carry his dirty diapers to the "yuck" (trash) for me.

He doesn't hate baths anymore. Thank heavens!!

The first thing he asks for when he wakes up is music. He often doesn't even want me to get him out of his crib until I turn some on!

He finally discovered his tongue. I was so worried after the surgery because he'd never even attempt to stick his tongue out. Finally 6 months later he's figuring it out. I know some mothers discourage this, but I really was afraid he'd have speech problems later on because of it.

I love my little boy. I'm so glad I have a little boy instead of a toy doll.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

The antithesis of my beautiful morning

Dean woke up at 6:30 this morning. Not bad.

He's been whining and crying ever since.

He wouldn't eat his oatmeal (which he usually loves).

He wouldn't eat the banana he kept asking for (only took a bite).

I'm guessing it's probably the bottom molars that are close to coming through, but I couldn't handle it anymore!

I would have taken him jogging (my usual fall back for whiny mornings), but it's quite windy out and the yahoo weather says it's 41*. Not freezing, but pretty cold for a baby without a stroller cover. I need to make me one of those...

I usually let Matt sleep in as long as he wants on Saturdays, but I was so tired of listening to this whiny baby I plopped Dean on the bed (where Matt laid with his head covered by my pillow) and said, "Your turn!" and left to go read blogs and hear only the distant screams of my child.

I guess that just means there's a whole lot of room for improvement for today. Right?

Friday, November 14, 2008

Oh what a beautiful morning!

There was a little song my mom often sang that went:
Oh what a beautiful morning,
Oh what a beautiful day.
I've got a wonderful feeling
Everything's going my way.
And that's how I feel right about now. I didn't wake up until 7:15! That means I slept through Matt's alarm going off at least 4 times. That NEVER happens! I don't know how long Dean had been awake (he's still been working on the time change and will usually wake up between 5:45-6:30. I just don't go in to him until 6:30 at the earliest.) because he was sitting up awake in his crib just hanging out!

He was not fussy at all this morning.
He had a good nursing session (20 min. after we finished nursing I was getting dressed into exercise clothes. When he saw the boobs he just had to have another "ink"! I had to laugh. Guess it's about time to wean when he can ask for it...)
He ate his 1/2 of a banana and piece of corn bread for breakfast like a champ.
We finally got the tires on the jogging stroller aired up.
We went jogging (without jackets) on this Bea-U-tiful morning of 67*.
He didn't complain once while we were out.
He played well when we got home.
He went down for his nap effortlessly.

Who knows what the rest of the day holds, but the outlook is good.

Also, I am nearly done with my count down to Christmas quilt hangings and I can't wait to post the final product. I have more projects I'm itching to start. Like fabric Christmas tree ornaments (so Dean can take them off the tree without me worrying about anything breaking), and a vintage fabric gift. I also need to make cards sometime, but I just haven't been in a paper mode recently.

Oh, and I'm going to try a new way of making a tag blanket. Instead of using two flannel pieces and batting, I'm going to use a flannel panel and fleece. That will eliminate the need for batting and "tie stitches". I'll tell you how it goes.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Ode to Anne (with an "e")

Well, I've never read the whole Anne of Green Gables series, so I thought it was about time. I read the first two books and went back to the library to check out the third. To my dismay that they do not have the third book!!! Ack! So, if anyone in my area has the series and would let me borrow them, I'd appreciate it.

I also wanted to say that I now think of "kindred spirits" all the time and how grateful I am for them. It's always fun to find an unexpected kindred spirit. I love being able to attend Relief Society and enrichment activities because it offers the opportunity to find friends you'd never have come in contact with otherwise. (We had a really fun enrichment and I got to know some sisters I didn't really know.)

So, thank you Anne for reminding me how great people are.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Winterizing

We've actually had a delightful fall. While it's not really winter here, the current rainstorms have given a new chill to the air. So when I went to Old Navy to try and get a nice dress coat on their half off sale, I couldn't pass up this hat/glove combo for Dean. Just 2 bucks! I doubt he'll have to use them here, but we'll pack them when we go to Snowflake for Christmas!

Tell me he isn't the cutest little guy and I'll tell you you're lying...


Unfortunately I did not find myself a coat.

Sunday, November 09, 2008

Blessed are ye: a svithe

While I expressed some concern after the election, I have to say that I am not bitter that Obama is now our President. I have actually felt pretty peaceful that we are where we need to be. What does that mean exactly? I'm not sure. I know it doesn't mean life will be all roses and no thorns. I have a feeling that both good and bad things will come. All I know is that what comes will come (good or bad), and we should worry most about the things directly in our control. What is in our control? Our hearts. Our words. Our actions.

This svithe is actually inspired by my cousin's 8 year old daughter. My cousin posted that the other night in prayers her daughter said,
"We are thankful for President Monson (the leader of our church) and for President Obama. Please bless him, and bless us that we will like him soon..."
From the mouth of babes! I think she hit the nail on the head. President Obama is the President of the United States and he needs our prayers.

Luke chapter 6 also holds some very pertinent lessons for those of us who weren't quite elated at the election outcome.

vs. 27 "Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you."
vs. 28 "Pray for them which despitefully use you."
vs. 30 "And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise."
vs. 36 "Be ye merciful"

Another verse I thought was relevant to the outburst and protestation of Prop 8 and The Church.

vs. 22 "Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall separate you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake."

My cousin pointed me to an amazing talk given by Neal A. Maxwell way back in '78. I swear it could have been written yesterday!

"Make no mistake about it, brothers and sisters, in the months and years ahead, events are likely to require each member to decide whether or not he will follow the First Presidency. Members will find it more difficult to halt longer between two opinions."

"In short, brothers and sisters, not being ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ includes not being ashamed of the prophets of Jesus Christ!"

"This new irreligious imperialism seeks to disallow certain opinions simply because those opinions grow out of religious convictions. Resistance to abortion will be seen as primitive. Concern over the institution of the family will be viewed as untrendy and unenlightened. "

"If people, however, are not permitted to advocate, to assert, and to bring to bear, in every legitimate way, the opinions and views they hold which grow out of their religious convictions, what manner of men and women would we be?"

"If the challenge of the secular church becomes very real, let us, as in all other relationships, be principled but pleasant. Let us be perceptive without being pompous. Let us have integrity and not write checks with our tongues which our conduct cannot cash."

Amen.

Thursday, November 06, 2008

Let the Challenge Begin

Ok Ladies. We have 13 takers for the challenge (including me). Excellent! I'm excited. So, do your best to stick with it and I'll make another post on the 26th to check in to see who made it!! (I started on Monday and it's already helping. Without the sweets I've found I drink more water, eat more fruit, and snack on almonds.)

1. Kristeee: WW points and 14 exercize points.
2. Holly: No sugar treats.
3. Leethie: No sweets and drink more water.
4. Erin: No sweets or fast food.
5. Juls: No sweets except FHE treat on Mondays.
6. Stephanie: 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day.
7. Erin: 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day.
8. Jodi: Up veggie servings to 5 a day. No chips or french fries.
9. Randa Joy: 80 oz. water, Social treats only. At home restrictions include sugar cereals, chocolate milk and 8oz limit on fruit juice/day. Eat 3 meals a day.
10. Marzy Dotes: No sweets except on Fridays.
11. Melanie: No soda.
12. Rolyndia: No sweet treats.
13 Me: No sweet treats period.
14. Laura: No sweet treats

Wording my thoughts

For journaling's sake I figure I ought to record my thoughts on the history that's in the making.

On the first black president:
This is a great milestone. It's pretty awesome. I honestly thought (and would have preferred) it to be Colin Powell, though. However, I have been a little frustrated with the media, in regards to race this election. They kept asking people if they knew people not voting for him because he's black. They never once asked voters if they knew people voting for him just because he's black. I mean, I don't know how much it really affected the outcome, I just found it a little frustrating.

I think it would have been more interesting for me to see Colin Powell run as the Republican nominee and Hilary Clinton to run as the Democrat nominee. I think then we'd really see how much race matters since the African American population is predominantly democrat.

I hope that it all works out. I'm not concerned about his blackness one bit. I am more concerned about his socialistic tendencies. I am a pretty staunch capitalist. I know there are a lot of people in America that think that capitalism isn't working and that it keeps rich people rich and poor people poor. I am constantly amazed at how different I view life and the American way than a lot of people. One particular thing that made me shudder when I read it was (from one of Matt's friends), "I think there is nationwide agreement that our federal government should provide some benefits, some programs for us — programs that you could call "Socialistic." And that we should impose taxes on ourselves to provide these benefits or programs or whatever." The last line really got to me. Plus, all the shoulds and oughts of government...too much burocracy and too many loopholes exist that government slows down a lot of progress if they're involved. The uber rich and educated know the loopholes and it's the regular person that gets screwed.

Also, I hate the "How many plumbers do you know that make $250K?" line. It doesn't matter what they do. If they worked hard for their money, they shouldn't have to give 50% of it to the government to then redistribute in health care or whatever else.

On the government's role in my life:
I believe the government should protect and defend our lives, liberties, pursuits, not provide them. They should balance the budget and set a good example for not living beyond your means. I am really scared that the rising generation feels very entitled to the amenities of life and have no idea about their responsibility in obtaining those amenities. That's partially due to parents just giving their children everything without ever requiring them to work. It's also partially due to the government telling people that they deserve a house even when they can't afford to pay the mortgage.

On the Triple D Threat:
I wouldn't be quite so worried about Obama's governmental views if he didn't have a Democrat House and Senate in his pocket. There's a whole lot more chance for changes with this set up. Some say it's about time. I say, I hope it turns out ok.

On guns:
Last night on the news we heard that guns sales surged yesterday. At first I wasn't sure why. Then I thought about it...oh yeah, Dem.s are usually opposed to the second amendment and the peoples' right to bear arms. Matt said he'd actually been thinking about getting some guns before anything too drastic occurs.

On propositions:
So, we didn't have any propositions to vote on here. It's pretty amazing that the props in AZ, FL, and CA all passed to ban gay marriages. Conservatives sighing in relief. Gay activists protesting at the LA temple. Ok people. Lets be honest here. Mormons aren't the only people who voted for prop. 8. I highly doubt that we make up 52% of CA's voting population.

I'm pretty disappointed that prop. 4 in CA failed. I didn't really hear much about it leading up to the election (probably because prop. 8 dominated), but it's really crazy to me. Basically, prop. 4 would require minors to tell their parents 48 hours in advance that they'd be getting an abortion. It wasn't even getting permission. It was just informing them. I can't believe that kids need parent permission to take a sex ed. class in CA, but they can abort an unborn child without their parents even knowing. Sick and wrong.

On parties
I wish there was an overhaul in political parties. Why is it that Republicans are always put down about education? I value education a lot. Most of the Republicans I know do too.

I think that John Stossel was right that some people really shouldn't vote. Uninformed voters really should not vote. We could take a little test before voting. Who is the current president and vice president? Who currently has majority in the senate? In the house? How many states are in the US? Nothing difficult. Just basic stuff. If they don't pass the test, their votes shouldn't count...

On the electoral college
Now, I know there are reasons for it, but I've yet to be convinced that we need an electoral college any more. I think it should be straight popular vote. Everyone should be required to go electronic for sake of ease and accuracy of calculations.

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

So long my little surfer boy

I had several people comment on Dean's hair on Sunday. Most said he looked like a little surfer boy. We've been wanting to cut his hair for awhile, but we were waiting till he turned 1. These were the last photos of the long haired surfer boy, taken on Sunday Nov. 2nd. We're cutting his hair in stages since he won't sit still for more than 5 seconds. I trimmed the hair out of his eyes first. The next cut was the back mullet. After that we cut off the side curls. We now just need to trim a little more of the back and we'll be done for a while. It's not short, short, but it's shorter than it was. (The "angry" looking picture is his smelling face. He was sniffing flowers just prior.)




Tuesday, November 04, 2008

Possibly the Cutest Halloween Costumes Ever

I'm sending you to my sister-in-law's blog so you can see their awesome homemade costumes. I believe my mother-in-law made both the turkey outfit and the batman outfit. She's just so amazing!

Sunday, November 02, 2008

Healthy Eating Challenge

Ok. I was the winner of my friend Laura's exercise challenge last month. We were supposed to set our own mileage goal for a 5 week period and those who accomplished it were entered into a drawing for a prize. My goal was 75 miles and I ended up getting 80. I know I would not have come close to running that without the issued challenge because it's just too easy to make excuses.

I've really been having a weakness for treats recently and it is not helping my month long battle with candida. Therefore, I've decided I need a new challenge.

I've decided to pay it forward while I'm at it. I am issuing a challenge and will enter all who accomplish their goal into a drawing for a prize. You will have a choice of prizes: Betty Crocker's Healthy Home Cooking Cookbook or a homemade gift like you see linked on my left sidebar.

Just to be clear:
You don't have to make up your own challenge if you win.

You don't have to know me or live near me.
You can be male, female, old, young. Whatever.

The Challenge:
  1. Set a healthy eating/drinking goal for yourself. Make it realistic, but it has to be a challenge for you!!
  2. (It will last from Thurs. November 6th to Wed. November 26th. 3 weeks.)
  3. Post your goal in the comments section by Wednesday the 6th to be eligible to be entered into the drawing for the prize.
  4. Check back on Wed. November 26th for a follow up post. If you accomplish your goal and leave me a message saying so, you will be entered for the prize. (It will probably be easiest to remember if you are subscribed to my blog since I'll make the follow up post.)
Examples of Challenges: (Remember, you are not limited to this list. This is just to get ideas rolling.)
  • No sweet treats period. (Or no specific treat that is a weakness).
  • Drink X cups of water every day.
  • No chips or other snack foods that seem to plague you.
  • No fast food.
  • Eat 5 full servings of fruits and veggies.
  • Certain WW point goals or specific amt. of calories if you're a counter
Reminder: This challenge ends the day before Thanksgiving, so you will not have to miss holiday goodness.

Down with DST!

Oh, wait. Didn't I already do this post?

Stupid Day Light Savings. My kid is suffering because of you.