It's good to have it back!

I think I literally went an entire year without crafting. I was okay with it too, since I picked up a few other "hobbies" along the way. My creative juices are flowing again, and it feels so good! Some friends and I have combined efforts to build Embellished Living. I have always wanted to participate in a craft show. It's just one of those "bucket list" things. I knew I physically couldn't do it alone, so this opportunity arose and I jumped on it. We have a couple of events coming up soon and I'm very excited to see where this will go! Please take a minute to "like" us on Facebook, and visit our blog by clicking the Embellished Living button on my sidebar.

Spinning wheels & weekly highlights

I hear the sounds of cars attempting to leave the neighborhood for their destination. Lots of crunching and spinning. It's a snow day...again. All the plans I had for the day are tossed aside and put off until tomorrow, or the next day, or the next day. I've had enough already, really. My refuge was a zumba class this morning. Guess what? Yep, cancelled. The man is home from work today, sick with what he thinks is the flu, so now all of the weekend plans are put on hold until he feels better. But it doesn't bother me too much. Luckily I have a project or two for these idle hands.

Here's a summary of our week:

- Monday: NO SCHOOL! I took Bryce to have two of his baby molars pulled due to crowding issues. We were both really nervous about this (so much that I almost rescheduled the appointment), but it turned out to be no big deal. He slept most of the afternoon and went off to school the next day. Oh, and the tooth fairy was VERY good to him for being so brave!

- Tuesday: My first kid-free day in almost a month. I worked at our church for a couple of hours, putting together bags for our F.U.E.L program. These bags go home with children from Cason Lane Academy and Scales, providing them with food for the weekend. It did me some good to put aside all of my selfish needs and help out people in our community that are in need.

- Wednesday: Got to the gym at 8:31 for a spin class that started at 8:30. All of the bikes were taken. I tried to suck it up and spend as much time as possible on the elliptical.

- Thursday: I did some much needed "grooming"! Colored my hair, waxed my brows (meant to work in a manicure, but put it off for another day). It was nice just to sit at home and enjoy the peace and quiet.

Enter to WIN!

I found a wonderful blog that I wanted to share! Mix & Match Fashion.

I follow "LOFT" on Facebook and one day in my news feed popped up some photos of outfits that blog readers had put together. I was instantly drawn to Tara's style and creativity. She's been a HUGE inspiration to my wardrobe since reading my blog and I'm proud to share it with you.

She's also hosting a giveaway on her blog. Check my sidebar for more info.

Waiting on Monday

I am now officially at the opposite end of the spectrum from December 16th.  I was ready for Christmas break...anxiously awaiting the arrival of "all day pj day" and sleeping in.  Today, it's over.  I need a normal schedule.  The KIDS need a normal, structured schedule.  They are sick of being here with each other and the fighting has begun.  I, myself reached my breaking point, when after all day on my feet, finally sat down to read a book...and "MOM!!" exploded from upstairs.  I had enough.  Mom had a Grade A, certified Hissy Fit!  It's another looong day for me since Chris won't be home until almost 7pm.  These days seem to be the hardest, especially after working my tail off the past couple of weeks.  I feel better just letting it out, and I'm going to try my best to enjoy the weekend.  Time is precious, I know.  I've said it myself, but I have lots of things I've been trying to focus on.  Monday will be welcomed here by all :)

Blowing the dust off the sewing machine

This beauty finally arrived in my mailbox yesterday.  It's "12 Days of Christmas" Moda jelly roll (and 2 yards of coordinating fabric).  I really wanted to make the family some new stockings this year, but with the hustle and bustle of the holidays I thought it would be a better project to put off until after Christmas.  The stockings I have in mind are quilted.  Some like these and these.  I'm a little nervous about how they'll come together, since the only quilting project I've done has been a rag quilt (and matching pillow) like the one below.

I can't wait to get these started...especially if they turn out the way I anticipate!  Promises from me to you to post stocking progress on the blog.  The fabric is washing and I'm ready to quilt this weekend!

Loving 2011

Yeah, so I know it's the 4th already.  Gotta start somewhere!  So far, 2011 has been a FABULOUS year.  The boys just woke me up about 30 minutes ago (that would be...ahem...8:30!).  I can't remember sleeping this late, ever, since they have been born.

Okay, so on to resolutions....

Did I make any?  Nah.  Not officially.

I have so many dreams and aspirations for my life as a whole, that I don't know what will be achieved in this year - or the next - or the next.  I decided that I view "resolutions" as a to-do list of sorts, thinking of them as just something else to cross off my list.  I don't want the stress.

I did sit down and think about 2010.  The good, the bad, and the ugly.  Was there anything I didn't want to repeat in the years to follow?  The answer is YES!

*First of all, I am going to remind myself that I am a working mom.  (I have 154 hours on my time sheet to prove it!)  I consider myself more of a full-time housewife since I am home everyday, so the burden of all the cleaning-laundry-cooking stuff falls on my shoulders in addition to work.  I decided to delegate, or just chill out.  So what if I don't have a spotless house every day?  Who sees it besides us?

That leads to the second area I want to improve in.....

*Savoring every moment with my husband and kids.  I am seeing quickly from B how soon all the kisses and cuddles become "uncool", so it's time to quit fretting all the unimportant, monotonous, day-to-day crap that I have been so focused on and enjoy my life!

This proves my point.  This post is from 2006.  Look at my to-do list!  I could put almost 90% of that same crap on a list today.  Just goes to show that I will be doing these same chores for the rest of my life.  The boys are only little once.

It's kind of ironic that I'm blogging about this since I just finished my "hit list" for this week. Yes, I need a plan. I need guidance. I need an organized way to utilize my time or I'll waste it. I need lists to stay focused. It just seems like I have so many random thoughts going through my head that if I don't write them down, I'll forget. You know how when you're walking through the house and you see something that needs attention (cleaning, moving, etc), well for some reason, if I don't write that stuff down I'll just forget. So, here are a few things on my list:
-put up Christmas tree and decorations
-address Christmas cards
-order more gifts online
-wrap presents
-clean out my purse
-get my class stuff organized
-find some outfits for upcoming parties
-pay bills
-fold laundry and put away
-work out
-color my hair
-print out titles for the store
-shop for all of these babies that are coming in the next few months!
-return clothes to Carter's

So for 2011, I am living for myself.  I will be doing things that make me happy.  It's in my blood to be a people pleaser & a control freak, so it will be a hard transition backing off from the responsibilities I have piled on my plate.

***edited to add - I tested this out today!  The 2010 me would've set my alarm (on Christmas BREAK) to make it to spin class this morning (especially since I told the instructor I would be there).  I let it go!  No alarm.  The boys were my alarm.  We woke up, cuddled, had breakfast, watched Nick Jr together and then started on another Lego set together while I enjoyed a cup of coffee :)

Good Times

Today we had some great company.  This is Libby, Kerri and Julie.  My good friends from high school.  I see Libby and Julie a bunch, but I can't remember how long it's been since I've seen Kerri!  Maybe 6 or 7 years!?!  We were very close friends especially our Senior year of high school.  We had a lot of the same classes together, and then after h.s. we both went two semesters to VolState and were carpool buddies.  I still remember her purple Prelude!  Loved that car :)

Anyway, Kerri is now an army wife so her and her husband and kids move around bunches and she always has tons of family that want to see her when she's in town.  I'm just glad it all worked out and we were able to visit with each other today and let OUR kids play together!

This is little Zane - Julie's son.  Beautiful hair and looong eyelashes!

This is Kerri's newest addition - Aliza.  She'll be very well protected by her two older brothers :)

These are the rest of the kids having lunch, minus baby Philip who was napping.

It was so good to catch up today and it made me realize I should make more of an effort with ALL of my friends to get together more often - with and without kids. 

Christmas 20Ten

What a wonderful Christmas, but aren't they all?  I adore the holidays and I was very excited that we hosted ALL of the festivities this year.  It was just a *little* stressful planning and delegating, but much less than if we would have  packed, unloaded and repacked to go visiting.

 This is me on Christmas Eve.  I thought I had an overwhelmed look on my face.  A little forced smile if you will.  I had a horribly busy night at work just before the madness began.  Not much sleep for me but I pushed through!

We exchanged gifts with my family on Christmas Eve.  Thankfully my mom didn't get them anything humongous this year.  The past few years she has (think Kota, powerwheels, etc), but it was the year of the packing peanuts!  You can only imagine what the boys did with those.  It looked like a snowstorm in the living room!

I must've been a very good girl this year!  Here's me with my new Coach bag!!!  Yipee!  I also got a Pandora bracelet & charms, Brighton's jewelry, Loft and Francesca's gift cards, new dishes from Pier 1 and a cookbook.

Christmas Morning!!!

The aftermath!

 happy, but sleepy :)

All of the gifts are gone now, and I think Bella is the only one happy about it!

The best sugar cookies you'll ever make!

I found this recipe last Christmas and made the best homemade sugar cookies I've ever had.  It's a very time consuming recipe and a bit of a pain, but it's Christmas after all.  Gotta have the cookies.

Here are the tips on her blog, and I couldn't agree more.  Follow these and you'll be set.

1. Do not overbake. When the cookies start lightly browning around the edges, remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack immediately to keep them from baking any more.
2. CHILL YOUR DOUGH!!!! This is probably the most important thing to remember so that your cookie holds it's shape. It will also keep you from having to use too much flour while rolling the dough out, leaving you with a "too-much-flour" taste in your mouth. I usually make my dough the day before I need it and let it chill overnight.

1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 cup vegetable shortening (Crisco)
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp salt
3 Tbsp milk
6 cups all-purpose flour

• Cream the butter and shortening in a mixing bowl until smooth.

Add the sugar and cream until fluffy.

• Add one egg at a time, beating between each addition.
• Add the baking powder, extract, salt and milk all at once. Mix well.
• Add the flour, one cup at a time.

• Chill overnight.
• When rolling out your dough, do not roll too thinly. Use as little flour as possible when rolling.
• Do not overcrowd your cookie sheet. Give these cookies room to expand a little without fear of bumping into a neighbor.
• Preheat your oven to 375*. Make sure it's been heated through (about 30 minutes).
• Make sure you rotate your cookie sheets when they're in the oven. Swap to a different shelf so you get even baking. I've even tried baking these on convection and have had uneven baking, so keep a watchful eye on these babies.
• Cookies will be done baking between 7-10 minutes. Pull from the oven just when the edge start looking slightly brown. Don't be afraid if they look too blond. That means they'll be perfectly soft!
• Allow to cool completely on a cooling rack. Can be held in an air-tight container for 3-4 days (unfrosted), and up to 3 months in the freezer.
• Frost. I use a buttercream frosting vs. royal icing. Use whichever you prefer.

Buttercream frosting

1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
6 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp lemon extract
1 tsp butter extract
4-5 Tbsp half and half or cream (cream is preferred)

Cream butter and shortening until smooth. Add the extracts, mix. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, alternating with cream until it pulls together. If the frosting is too thick, add more cream. Tint with coloring paste and use a spatula or piping bag to decorate your cookies.

I had heard that you don't need to use any flour if you roll out your dough between two sheets of parchment paper.  It did work, but we would've been there all night.  I like to roll it all out on the counter and start cutting it out!

Shamefully, I didn't get any pictures of the finished product.  I guess that's what happens when baking meets wine.  I am pretty sure my sister took a few with her phone, so if I get those from her I'll add them.  They turned out so cute!

Makin' bacon!

So, this is totally not a "cooking" blog, but I feel like I've been doing SO much cooking lately that I might as well share some recipes!

My boys LOVE bacon.  I hate cooking bacon.  That was a problem.  It stinks up the kitchen, makes a greasy mess on the stove and the scent of bacon lingers in my hair all day.  I gave up pan frying bacon a long time ago.  We went the microwave route for awhile, but it just didn't cook up right.  Then, one day on the Rachael Ray show, she did a segment on "baking" bacon.  You put it on a broiler rack (pan below, duh) and bake almost 45 minutes.  Well, we tried it on the weekend.  It was pretty darn good, but who has that much time in the mornings before school?  Not to mention the mess it made on the pan.

Then I got out my trusty Pampered Chef bar pan, which I use for everything...

I found this awesome good nitrate free bacon

Crank the oven anywhere from 375-400 (I usually go low and slow).  At 375 my bacon was perfect after 20 minutes.

I removed it from the pan right after taking it out of the oven and placed it on some paper towels to drain the grease, plus...it will continue to cook on the stone even after it's out of the oven.

Give it a try~

I love it!

I think I must have the *best* uncle a girl could ask for!  I am always up for doing some home improvements, so I thought to see if my uncle would be interested in tiling my backsplash.  As you can tell from the link, this is not his day job, but rather what he does as a hobby.  He's very good at it too!  We went with travertine tile for the backsplash, and believe it or not we coordinated it all via our smartphones!  We texted pictures back and forth (me at Lowe's, while he was at a tile outlet in Georgia) and luckily it worked out to match everything perfectly!  I couldn't have asked for a better job!

As you can see in the bottom picture, it was his creative idea to run the tile down to the baseboard.  I had never seen it done that way and never even thought about that as an option.  I'm smitten with my new tile!  Oh, and the best part....it was FREE!  His Christmas gift to our family.  <----My jaw is still on the floor about that!

Photo HEAVY

Just wanted to share some of the crafty things I've been making the past month or two.

 Wine gift bags with paper flowers.

 Christmas Countdown blocks.  These have been the best EVER!  Now that we have a table saw I can really crank these out.

 "Believe" banner - found here

Frosted glass blocks.  I really enjoyed making these as teacher's gifts.  It took a little playing with technique, but I am very happy with how these turned out.

Tile coasters (for my mom).  She needed some for year round usage, and now that it's so close to Christmas (just my luck) I found an adorable tutorial to make some Christmas ones.  There's always next year!

Lastly, I want to add some ornaments to my book wreath to make it a little more festive!

How about a little hug?

These "pretzel hugs" may be the death of me.  They've definitely been my diet downfall this Christmas season.  First of all, they are SUPER easy to make, and secondly...well, they're just delish!  I love sweet + salty and this hits it.  Experiment with all the different types of candies if you want.  It's a great way to use up what you may have laying around.  My favorite was the candy cane Hershey Kisses!  I also used plain kisses and Andes mints.  If you have a chance, MAKE THESE.  You won't be let down (but the scale won't go down either, so beware).



Here's the recipe:

Ingredients Directions

1 pound (1 bag) of mini round pretzels - 14 ounces (1 bag) of Hershey's Kisses or Hugs - 17 3/5 ounces (1 bag) of M&M candies Preheat oven to 200°. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or waxed paper. Place as many pretzels on the cookie sheet as will fit. Top each with a Hershey's Kiss or Hug. The Hugs chocolates melt faster than Kisses. Place in oven and remove when candy begins to soften just enough to press an M&M candy or decoration into softened candy. Top each with a holiday M&M or decorative candy of choice. Allow to cool completely and then place in freezer for 15 minutes to firm up chocolate. Remove from freezer, place pretzel candies in airtight container and store in freezer until ready to use. *Any small shaped pretzel can be used, such as square, waffle-shaped or round. *Serve for any holiday or event by changing the color of the M&M candies to colors consistent with the celebration. I didn't need to store my hugs in the freezer.  Once they were set, I just stored them in a decorative tin with all the other goodies.  They didn't last long!

It's not easy being Santa!

This is Bryce's "WOW" item for Christmas this year.  The kid is a Star Wars FREAK, and he has been wishing for this since he first spotted it in a toy catalog before Thanksgiving.  I really don't know how I feel about Legos.  We've s-l-o-w-l-y introduced them into our house with the small sets, and I am still finding little pieces scattered here and there.  It makes me crazy, not for stepping on them or getting them sucked up in the vacuum, but because I am a person who believes in "everything has a place, so put everything in its place".  I can only imagine how I will feel when he opens all 500+ pieces of this.

So, not only is he getting this Lego set, we also got him the fireboat, airplane and another Star Wars ship.  Annnnd my mom had to top all of that by getting him the Lego AT-AT walker.  Yep, all 1,137 pieces of it.  That must make our grand total of Lego pieces up in the millions by now!  

Chris and I have been tossing around the idea of how to store all these gagillion pieces.  He's from the school of "toss them all into a bucket", and I'm opposed.  I would rather keep all the sets separate.  We're open to suggestions on storage ideas, so if you see any pass them my way!

Measuring Up

I sucked it up, finally, and went to another Weight Watchers meeting. After going OVER and OVER everything in my mind of WHY I kept losing/gaining/losing/gaining the same 4-5 pounds, the only thing that is different this go around is that I haven't been attending meetings. I've been trying to do it on my own. Yep, patting my own back when I have a loss for the week, and completely ignoring the fact that some weeks I have a gain...you know.....pretending that it didn't happen?

I saw a couple of ladies from church at the center, so hopefully that will be some additional accountability. I will have to hand it to WW, even though the price hasn't gone up, they have made some positive changes that I really like. The best thing is "Weight Watchers Weekly". It's a weekly newsletter about a particular topic/struggle, and this week's included a recipe (not sure if they all do, but super plus if so!).

Two topics stood out to me from this newsletter. (1) Portion Control, (2) Red Light Foods

I really get lax from time to time when I'm on program. Sort of in a routine, I guess. I will mindlessly grab a handful of this or that and "guess-timate" how many points I just consumed. I have a really good feeling that I'm off the mark by several points in doing things this way. I'm going to measure or weigh everything from now on. I mean, as long as I'm at home and have these tools available, there's really no excuse!

RED LIGHT FOODS! Do you have those? I know I do. Really, it depends on the time of day/week/month what my "red light food" is. I do have a thing for granola bars. No kidding, I could eat 3-4 of them in one sitting and pretend like it never happened. NO FREAKIN' WONDER! I just have to find my trigger foods and keep them FAR, FAR AWAY from my reach!

So, to sum it all up.....Wednesday's I will be going to a meeting.

every.single.wednesday.

You will find me keeping a seat warm in that room. It's almost bikini time!

Day 1!!!!

Today was Day 1 of Level 1 of Jillian's 30 Day Shred! OMG! I workout....on a pretty regular basis, but this kicked my butt! I knocked out the abs and cardio, but I really struggled with the shoulder presses and front raises. The lightest weights I have are 5 pounders, so I stuck with those for the entire workout on all the weighted sets. I'm going to feel this tomorrow!

I'll be going to zumba tonight at 5:15 too just to boost my cardio a little....swimsuit season is right around the corner!!

Here we go!

Do you ever just *feel* smaller? That's me today. I have literally zumba'd my butt off lately and it's been the BEST! I'm missing my strength training, but I also needed to take a break from it for a bit.

Things are just really clicking with me in the weight-loss world. The one SINGLE thing that helps me the most is PLANNING my MEALS in advance. Oh my goodness. I can' t tell you the days I've counted points, thinking I would be good, and then come up short when it's dinner time.

Here's the pattern I follow.....

~first, I take into consideration any exercise planned for the day, and when I may do it (because I earn extra points for exercising, although I rarely use more than 3 of them)

~I start with breakfast, making sure to include a carb and some form of protein

~Then I decide on what's for dinner.

~Fill in lunch next - This is what I do....I pick out one or two weight watcher recipes for the week. Last week was a 'California Wrap'. I prep everything as far in advance as possible, and usually for only a couple of days ahead. I had really struggled with lunch in the past, and making my lunch in advance has been so beneficial. It's something I never had done as a stay-at-home mom.

~Last, I calculate how many points are left (usually 6 or so) and I plan on 2-3 snacks for the rest of the day.



I wanted to share a delicious recipe that I cooked for the family last week. I served this with a side of collard greens for a complete meal.



Chicken Sausage & Apple Skillet


Cooking Spray
6 (3oz) chicken-and-apple sausages (such as Al Fresco)
1 small onion thinly sliced
3 McIntosh apples, each cut into 12 wedges
1/4 cup apple juice
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray Add sausages; cook 7 minutes or until done. Remove from pan. Cut each link into 4 diagonal slices; keep warm.

2. Reheat pan over medium-high heat. Add onion; saute 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add apple; saute 2 minutes. Add sausages and remaining 3 ingredients; simmer 2 minutes or until liquid evaporates.

Yield: 6 (1cup) servings

173 cal/ 5.7 fat/ 2.7fiber (2 points)

Still in the game!

I'm hanging in there! Weight loss has been slow, but definitely in the right direction. I'm at 2.7lbs and 2.3 inches lost for the month of February. I'm dealing with the monthly "bloat" and I just feel so gross and icky.

I have had the best workouts last week, and this week will only be better. I made a conscious effort to go to more zumba classes, even if they were in the evening. I just burn SO many calories that it's crazy to get on the treadmill anymore!

I took today off as my rest day, but here are my eats....

B - muscle milk, banana

S - 1 egg + 3 whites, arnold sandwich thin, coffee w/skim milk

L - California Wrap

S - grapes, string cheese, diet coke

D - teriyaki pork stir fry

S - apple, pb

Tuesday's Stats

BMR + Calories Burned = (1637 + 0 ) = 1637

Calories Consumed = 1492

Calorie Deficit = (145)

Ratios: 25.8% protein, 53.5% carb, 20.7% fat

Water consumed = 8 cups

Hours of Sleep = 9!!

Yesterday was my rest day from the gym and I really needed it. Heck, I could take another rest day today as well, but I better get back at it. There are lots of abs in my routine this week and that's where a majority of my soreness has been. I dropped another 1.5 inches this week!! The scale really has me confused though. My weight fluctuates so, so much it's ridiculous. I weighed Thursday morning and I was down 2.3 pounds from the week before. I weighed again yesterday morning, and I was back up 4 pounds. Grr! I know it's impossible to gain that much weight in that short of time with my eating and workouts. I guess I really hold on to my water!

Here's my progress so far. I like the tape measure WAY more than the scale!

Chest	Waist	Hips	Thigh	Bicep
41.8	37.2	49.5	27.8	13.8
41.5	37	49	27.2	13.5
40.5	36.2	48	26.5	13
41.2	36.8	48.5	27	13.2
40.5	36.2	48	26.5	13
40	36	47.5	26	13
39	35	47.2	24.2	12
38.6	34.8	47	24	11.8
38.6	34.5	47	23.5	11.5
38.2	34	46.8	23.2	11.2

So, 8 pounds by the end of February?

I think I can do it?!?

That's my goal. Two pounds a week is reasonable....I think. Although I did choose the shortest month of the year to complete this challenge in. Oh well.

So, I had my RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate) tested yesterday. Basically it tells how many calories your body burns while it's at rest. My metabolism is normal. I just haven't been eating enough. I followed weight watchers to a "T", but with all of the exercise I've been doing, it's creating too much of a deficit. I couldn't make myself consume the Activity Points and Weekly Points that Weight Watchers allows, and I'm really not sure why. My calories at 24 points ranged from 1050-1300 a day, when some days I was burning 800 calories working out. I get it now. My trainer and I decided we would slack off on the intensity of my workouts until I get back into weight loss mode again. I'm watching my heart rate closely and taking longer breaks in between sets.

So, I'm trusting science for the month of February. I'll be posting lots of numbers here for the next month. Let's see if it works.

It takes a deficit of 3500 calories to lose a pound, so if I want to lose 8 lbs this month, I need a deficit of 28,000 calories.

Here's how it'll look:

WTD (weekly) Calorie Deficit:
MTD (monthly) Calorie Deficit:

Beginning Month Weight: too much!

2/5 Weigh-in:
2/12 Weigh-in:
2/19 Weigh-in:
2/28 Weigh-in:

EOM Weight:
EOM Weight Goal: -8 pounds

****************************

BMR + Calories Burned = (1637 + ) =
Calories Consumed =
Calorie Deficit = ( )
Ratios: % protein, % carb, % fat
Water consumed = cups
Hours of Sleep =