A Year in Review: Chicks, Movies, Books and More

I recently listened to 's third installment of the Bridget Jones' series, Mad About The Boy, which I highly recommend. I always loved how Bridget started and ended her day with tallies so I thought I'd follow her format and review 2013 similarly

So What'd You Get Volume II (with throne picture)

  Not too much has changed in the year since I wrote this post but I believe it still rings true.  At our house Instagram truly meant instantly reliving their friends' Christmas gift exchanges.  I'm a bit of a Grinch as there were no phones out around our tree. And you'll never guess what I got!!

Bells Instead of Tears & the #Marines #SalvationArmy

Like in many other homes Christmas at our house has moments of sadness entwined with those of joy. This year I chose to embrace my loss and turn it into a celebration with a new tradition.

Will He Be Home for Christmas? #Marines #Stress

     Christmas is just over a week away.  I'm pretty much on track with the exceptions of my cards, which are connected to this lovely little interlude our holidays are taking.  In just under 36 hours from now our son's future will be decided.  

Take Howie Mandel's Fibs or Facts Quiz #stroke

     Howie Mandel is the National Stroke Association's spokesperson.  He's campaigning to educate people with a Fibs or Facts Quiz and help raise $25,000. (Don't worry it won't cost you a penny)

Losing Fat Loving Food Friday: Putting My Money Where My Mouth Is

     Having been stagnant on my weight loss journey for a while I needed something to kick my butt in gear. Receiving my Weight Loss Hero pack from Weight Watchers certainly helped but I needed something a little more drastic and thanks to a Twitter friend I believe I found it.

Rant: What I Do Not Post on FaceBook

I've been holding this post, or at the least the concept of writing this post, back for a while.  It is a rant, which I know you love.  But it is one of those rants that will certainly have you falling into one of two distinct categories. You will either strongly agree with me (as well you should)  or think I am not only wrong but mean, cruel, stupid and judgemental.  Here's hoping you're in the first category.

I Love Weight Watchers

If you have been reading my blog for a while you know that Hubby and I have been following the Weight Watchers program since June of last year.  My weight is down almost 65 pounds since then and we've made healthy changes in our lifestyle.  

How Did I Become A Human Drama Magnet?

I understand people have bad days.  Why though does it seem they always seem to find me?  Or is it simply me?

We've Started a New Project

I've said it before and I'll say it again ~ Blame It On Pinterest I don't know how things work in your house but here in my World the simple idea of starting one project starts a great domino reaction.

Beans Beans and more Beans

Fall has officially arrived in Florida so I thought I'd share how things fared in our mini urban farm.

Trying to Come Back

What a weird title for a blog post right? I do believe it correctly and fully describes where I am right now, not only with my blog but aspects of my life as well.

Losing Fat Loving Food Friday #weightwatchers September 27th

After weeks of frustration I turned to my glorious leader June for advice. 
I also have some incredible people for you to check out. 
And oh yeah ~ I have a new bead!!

You've Got Mail #Hallmark

     Outside of Christmas Cards and maybe your birthday when was the last time there was a pretty envelope sitting in your mailbox? Remember the days of getting a card from a friend just to say hi! Well I am part of a campaign to bring those mailbox smiles back.

Hurry to the Movies NOW #wizardofoz3d

In celebration of its 75th Anniversary Warner Brothers is releasing a digitally remastered Wizard of Oz in 3D only in IMAX theatres for one week, September 20-September 26th.

The Ducks Have Officially Taken Over #duckdynasty

    If you had told me 4 years ago when I sent my Opera singing, sports hating daughter to Alabama for college she'd be in love with camo and these guys with beards I would have tested you for drugs.  If onto top of that you said my entire family would follow her and love Duck Dynasty I would have committed you on the spot.

Losing Weight Loving Food Friday September 13th

Well it has been one of those weeks.

♚Had to visit the local Vampire Den♚ Tried some new recipes♚
♚Couldn't get motivated♚Weighed in♚

Warning:This post has numerous Rabbit Trails.

We Are Foster Parents

Our family just continues to grow. Sometimes quite unexpectedly as with our newest member ~ Jodie

Losing Fat Loving Food Friday ~ Pizza Dough Recipe #weightwatchers

That's right this week's post has a new Pizza Dough Recipe.  I also have a revelation to share so let's just dive on into it~

Loving Calvin and Hobbes once more

I realize it is Friday and you're expecting my weekly Weight Watchers post.  However I discovered this incredible creation from Zen Pencils and had to share it with you.   I have never re-blogged some one's post before so you that this is beyond great.

Royalty May Not Be Enough for My Delusions

Ask anyone that knows me, even slightly, I really hold dear to my self proclaimed delusion of Royalty.  I play in my own happy world and no one gets hurt.  Lately though there have been moments when I believe my delusions could be put to better use elsewhere.Maybe this really isn't my fault.  You see we have been to the movies quite a bit this year, 30 times to date (see the list here).  So maybe all those alternate realities are just too tempting. Maybe my meds need adjusting, that is if I were prescribed any meds. Anyway today I introduce you to ....

Losing Fat Loving Food Friday August 23

It would take 120 smurfs, or a bushel of wheat, or 3 spare tires or a punching bag to equal how much healthier I have gotten.  In other words....

Tell Me What You Think ~

For the last few months I have been doing quite a bit of research on Eating Disorders and Body Dysmorphia.  What I've discovered is very thought provoking. Tell me what you think:

Peeps on Parade

I know it has been a while since I've written about the Peeps, it certainly isn't due to the lack of material.  Their personalities are becoming more and more distinct.  Which also means more and more ways for me, and hopefully you, to be entertained.

Losing Fat Loving Food Friday August 16th #WeightWatchers

OK I know I've been a bit MIA these past Fridays, sorry. I have started something new and wanted to see how it was working before sharing with you here.

Glorious People You Should Know

Here in my World I have the privilege of rubbing elbows with some pretty talented people and I realized that unless you are one of my Twitter followers (@Lady_Bren) you have probably never heard of them.

Our Neighborhood Bully and His Wife

Florida has what is considered by many as the strongest Anti-Bullying Laws protecting our children in school and on the Internet.  What happens though when the Bully isn't a child but a grown adult?

Losing Fat Loving Food Friday July 26

The end of July already! Is summer really almost over?   Am I avoiding the topic? Maybe...

Losing Fat Loving Food Friday July 19th

As you know I start writing my LFLF posts on Thursdays before weigh-ins. I'm not really sure how tonight's going to go as most days this week were filled with me being tired and sore ~thanks Chronic Fatigue.  Despite knowing better I munched my way through the middle of the night achy moments.  But there is good to share and a NEW RECIPE that is gonna knock your socks off...

The Pile of Dresses

     I could never relate to the women portrayed on screen getting dressed for an event.  It didn't matter if it was a bowling date or a formal event these women always accumulated piles of clothes that didn't suit their needs.  Maybe it is because I've never really owned oodles of clothes to simply ponder my options or because I usually just decide on my outfit early on.  Until last week...

Losing Fat Loving Food Fridays July 12th

Well there was no Weight Watchers last week due to the July 4th holiday so last night was the results of two weeks.  I was hoping to break even.  Between an unplanned vacation with glorious meals and a week of eating the holiday food I had bought previous to our unplanned trip I definitely  didn't remain inside my point allowance. ***Sorry I forgot to hit the publish button which is why this is posting on Monday!

I've Got What?!?!?!

Growing up I had most of the common childhood ailments.  The three biggies were rememberable mostly due to their timing; Chicken Pox for the start of 5th grade, Mumps for Christmas and Measles for Easter.  Scarlett Fever, Fifth Disease, Hand and Foot Disease, Whopping Cough I know all about those as my kids' have had them.  But Punctum Crocodilius aka P.C. nope that's a new one by me.

Unplanned Trip

     Hi all I know it has been a bit over a week and I am so sorry.  It isn't that I haven't thought about you or have had things to share.  In reality it has been just the opposite.  I've had experiences, smiles and tears that I've been wanting to share but for some reason getting them from the dusty corners of my mind and onto this blog has been a bit of a struggle.  I have tried to write at least a dozen or so times and what winds up on the screen is simply gibberish, boring slosh.  However, today I am determined to get at least something here that is worthy of your time. 

Getting some Rants out of the Way

It has been a while since I've stood on top of my soap box.  I've stored up 4 rants covering movies, Facebook, and Triberr.  So grab a drink and get ready to fight the good fight, well at least in our little royal world.

The Peeps are Producing

Life with the Peeps has definitely been similar to a roller coast ride.  Eggs, attacks, coops, lots of happenings means lots to share.

Losing Fat Loving Food Friday June 28

     Well we all know that last week was not the best of times for me and Weight Watchers.  Before I type another word I want to say THANK YOU so very much for the incredible support it helped so very much.  Onto this week.  I'd like to say that I recovered from that set back and plowed ahead.  Reality was I pretty much threw program to the wind for 48 hours.  So what happened this week?

Had a MAJOR Meltdown at Weight Watchers

I absolutely lost it last night at Weight Watchers.  I feel like a complete fake.

Losing Fat Loving Food Friday June 21st

So the big question of the week is ~ Did I reach my goal of losing 52 pounds in my first year of WW?    Plus this week I did something a bit scary, which I am hoping will not backfire on me.  On top of that I have the yummiest recipe that I've been dying to share with you.  Lots to share this week.....

The Cosmic Dimmer Switch

     Do you ever have one of those days when for no reason what so ever you just start winding down? All of a sudden you can feel your body reacting slower, your interest waning, you simply can no longer connect to what's going on around you?  

Your Laziness is now my Treasure :)

It absolutely infuriates me how here in America we'll throw away just about anything.  If an item isn't perfect or the newest we simply toss it out and replace it.   Whatever happened to fixing things?         Whatever happened to putting things in the attic for future use?   and finally 

Whatever happened to donating your item to the charity store not even 5 minutes from your door?

Losing Fat Loving Food Friday, June 14th

      Summer has officially hit and I've officially hibernated.  It was so hot and humid this week I was barely outside at all.  Going to have to change that if I want to keep the scales heading on a downward slope.

How does your garden grow?

We had such high expectations when we started our garden earlier this year.  I'll admit is hasn't gone as well as expected but we are having some results.  We're trying some new things as well.

Losing Fat Loving Food Fridays June 7th

     I was incredibly nervous walking into Weight Watchers.  Remember we got rid of our scale so I really had no clue as to how I did.  I did track every thing that I ate and I stayed within my points.  My WW 1 year anniversary is but 2 weeks away and I have 3.8 pounds to go.

May 2013 Book Challenge Update

I was disappointed with the number of books I read this month however when I realized the 5 books contained over 2,100 pages I was actually a bit proud.

Bring It ~ I Dare You

    Stress is something I have been very concerned about since my stroke in February 2011.  The doctors believed that stress was a major contributor to my having a stroke as I didn't present with any of the other normal indicators.  I've continued to see a stress therapist regularly since then and lately she's been a bit worried that I was getting over-loaded.  Then this week happened....

Losing Fat Loving Food, Friday May 31st

     (Wed afternoon) I'm starting this post a bit early this week, knowing which way the scale is going to move.  I am a stress eater and let me tell you this week was stress-packed.  Started off great with celebrating Hubby's birthday, then he spent 3 days in the hospital, as if that wasn't enough while he was in there our son thought he was unexpectedly shipping out with the Marines.  Subs, pastries and packs of cookies were my comfort.

The Marines are playing with our lives like a yo-yo

     I completely understand that my son's decision to join the military is his and his alone.  I understand that the phrase on his ID card "property of the United States Marine" actually refers to him and not the card.  I know it is a recruiter's job to simply find bodies to fill slots.  What I do not appreciate is this game they are playing with our lives.

Losing Fat, Loving Food Friday May 24

   It has been a rough two weeks, sorry for the spotty posts this month (see explanation here). Only one more weigh in for the month of May.  My goal date is looming. 

50,000 Page Views~ I Never Thought This Would Happen

We Now Return You to the Regularly Scheduled Program

     Well I guess you can't describe me as consistent. Yet if you've been visiting for a while you know there are times I just disappear ~ but I always come back.  My last post wasn't even really a me post ~ though I do love sharing what I'm reading.  Life is well life and sometimes it just gets in the way and sometimes is just rolls right over you.  These past few weeks have been a bit of a combination.  Hell these past 9 months have felt that way.

April and March's Update 2013 Book Challenge

     Here it is almost two weeks into May so I thought it would be time to post my April (and March) Book Challenge updates.  As you'll see I've been quite the book reading beaver.

Not All Flowers and Kisses

     I originally posted this for Mother's Day 2 years ago. I felt an overhwhelming need to share it again. Not sure if it is me who needs to re-read it or maybe someone else needs to know they're not alone..I debated whether or not to write this blog.  How would it be received? Does it sound like a pity party?  Are there maybe others out there with similar situations that this might help?
     Simply put Mother's Day is two sided.  It is a day when we celebrate the woman who was a mother to us and if you're blessed you are being celebrated by those you are a mother to.   What side do you fall on?  What side is more important?

Losing Fat Loving Food Friday, May 10

     So sorry I missed last week.  I was completely under the weather and didn't even make it to WW to weigh in.  These past two weeks have held a bit of self-realization moments so let's get right into it.

We've Got Worms II

     I was so busy educating you about our worms yesterday that I didn't share any of their squirmy gloriousness with you!  How Rude was that? So without further ado for your viewing enjoyment I present the first Royal Colony of Worms. 

We've got Worms!

    That's right we have worms and we're proud!  How often do you hear that sentiment?  First let me lay your worries to rest neither of the puppies have worms, they're healthy as always.  As far as I know chickens don't get worms, they do eat them but they don't get sick with worms.  Guess how many worms we have?

We Did IT!! We've got Taters

  WOO HOO we have potatoes!  It truly doesn't take much to get me excited, but you know that by now don't you.

Losing Fat Loving Food Friday 4/26

Weight Loss Comments - Glitter Graphics

So can you guess what happened at weigh-in last night? That's right I lost another 2.4 pounds!! Bringing my total weight loss to 46.2!!
Do you like the graphic?  The wonderful people at sweetcomments.net made it for me!! Which proves it never hurts to ask, the worse anyone can say is no.  Please check out their site, all of their graphics are FREE!!

New meaning to Children Should Be Seen but Not Heard

     The phrase Children Should Be Seen and Not Heard dates back to 1450.  This opinion was actually recorded in a collection of homilies attibuted to an Augustian clergyman in Mirk's Festival:
A mayde schuld be seen, but not herd.
Who would imagine over 600 years later this concept would still be continued? IF I had not seen it multiple times in play this past weekend I wouldn't believe it myself.

Victoria and Albert Part Two

Welcome back to part two of our wonderful evening at Disney's Victoria and Albert's Restaurant.  In case you missed Part One check it out here.  As before I suggest you have something nearby to eat and drink while reading this and be thankful pictures don't contain calories :)

Losing Fat Loving Food: Friday April 19th

 

  Last night I got to see the results of my newly added activity of daily walking.  I saw the effect that had on my goal of 52 pounds before June 21st.  After two weeks of watching the scale stay still I finally saw it move, and in the right direction!!

Victoria and Albert Part 1

     After four months of anticipation we dined at Victoria and Albert's this past Saturday.  Unlike most moments of expectation in my life I was beyond thrilled with every experience the evening brought. I am going to try to do the very best I can to recreate our glorious evening for you.  Warning: You may want to have a snack and drink nearby as your mouth will be watering.

Losing Fat Loving Food Friday 4/12

     Well I did it again! Remember last week: Someone needs to explain to me how your weight can stay exactly the same?  I somehow consumed the exact amount of calories that I burned?    This week I am incredibly psyched with the scale's non-movement.  I even cheered at my weigh-in when Pam told me this week's result.

Losing Fat Loving Food Friday 4/5

     Someone needs to explain to me how your weight can stay exactly the same?  I somehow consumed the exact amount of calories that I burned?  Well pin a rose on my nose as I must be a calorie-math-magician.  I was hoping for at least one pound with my glorious dinner at Victoria and Albert's this Saturday>>>>>>>>TOMORROW!!!  But let's talk about this week.

Don't Blame ME~ I Saw It on Pinterest

     When my husband arrived home from work the other night the last thing he expected to see was our front yard piled high with Crepe Myrtle branches.  He knew they couldn't have come from our trees especially there were close to over hundred 8' and longer branches piled high and wide.  After climbing over the mess blocking the garage and trying to figure out what the four different piles I had of various cut branches could possibly mean I smiled and told him "It's for a project I saw on Pinterest!" 

Fred and Ginger

     What images do the names Fred and Ginger conjure?  If you're over the age of 20 it should create visions of two incredible dancers from the days of Hollywood royalty and big production numbers. If you are under the age of 20 and you don't know who these people are yell at your parents for they truly dropped the ball. Though my daughter's first response was the Harry Potter twins as one is named Fred and they are Gingers (red-heads).

3,000 Chicks and I Didn't Buy Any!

              Gator Family Tractor Supply in Starke has an annual Chick Day. This year they were receiving 3,000 chicks.  I have been planning on attending this event since learning about it last month.  The plan was to be there at 9am so we could experience the chick craziness the owners told me about.  Hubby said the only thing I could bring home was pictures.

Losing Fat Loving Food Friday 3/29

     Another month gone??  Really where is 2013 going?  Spring is here (well for most of the US) and the bikinis are in the stores.  I am no where ready for either.  Winter allows us to hide inside baggie clothes... BUT I have less of me to hide than this time last year!!

Not your modern stone aged family

   Come on admit it, you just started humming the theme song from The Flintstones.

Well I promise you will find more Flintstones further in this post however the family I'm talking about is The Croods.

Look what I got!

OK I know it is a little boastful but I just received an award ~ yeah.  

Big thanks to Carica at Proper Honey

We've Gone Meatless

     You read it right we have gone Meatless, on Mondays that is.  We're joining the Meatless Monday movement.  I'm shaking up our weekly menus.

Losing Fat Loving Food Fridays 3/22:It's getting harder

So how much do I have left of the 14 pounds I want to lose before April 6th?  14 pounds. You didn't think I was giving up on this after last week's post now did you? Well in all honesty the reason the number didn't change is I didn't make it to WW's tonight and I am not going to rely on my scale at home.  That doesn't mean I don't have things to share so read on ~

How Long Can We Keep It Clean?

    Right now my house is pretty clean ~ as in you could call and I'd say come on over.  I'm not saying that my home is a pigsty.  I'm also not the person who claims their house is a mess because the magazines are no longer alphabetized.  With those two extremes as 1 and 10 respectfully I'd say my family hovers around a 5. So yeah right now I'm pretty stoked with how my house looks.

Irish Eyes are Smiling!

     Happy St. Patrick's Day!! I have to admit I just love this holiday.  It is so much fun and there's so many things you can do with it.

Losing Fat Loving Food Friday 3/15

     Well we are officially done with 2 1/2 months of 2013 and so far I have lost 8 pounds. I am a bit disappointed that I will not be able to attain my goal of losing 20 pounds by April 6 however that is life and I am not on a race to reach a goal but rather trying to create a lifestyle that will last longer than the newest iPhone.

Tragedy Hits Our Mini Farm

     I "know" that the whole circle of life is no more evident than on a farm.  What I didn't 'know is how devastating losing a chicken would be.

Walking for My Freedom ~ Join Me

    What are you doing this Sunday at 4:30 pm EST?  Why not walk with me and thousands others for 100 minutes?

2013 Book Challenge Update for February

         Here's February's update for the 5 Book Challenges. I didn't do as much as I hoped or hit as many unique needs for the challenges.  I have a plan for March and definitely going to be knocking some requirements out.

Plants and Peeps Update March 3

     It is hard to believe that February is gone and in just a few short weeks Spring will officially be upon us.  I thought I would update you on what's been happening both in and out of the Greenhouse;  Plants and Peeps.

Losing Fat Loving Food Friday 3/1

     Do you have a ritual that you follow on the days you weigh-in?   I do and I am very certain many, many others do as well.  Whether it is the best idea or not I tend to eat little more than breakfast before I hit the scales Thursday @ 5:30.  We changed our near 20 year ritual of having pasta on Wednesday nights, at the suggestion of our Weight Watchers leader, due to its effect on weigh-ins.  I have a selection of dresses, all very similar, that I wear.  No headband, no Pandora bracelet and definitely no shoes.  And I always visit the restroom once we arrive at the meeting.  My thought is by keeping things as similar as possible any movement on the scale is all me and I can't put it off to "my jeans or sweater"  which also means no excuses.  So with all of that the scale this week went down 1.4 pounds ~ yeah!!

The Sequestor, 20% and our Life

     We are a Dept of Defense family, have been for 24 years.  We've moved to a new state in 1995 due to base closures.  We've held our breath hoping that hubby's name wouldn't be on the list being sent to support the troops in the middle of conflicts numerous times.  We've watched our benefits dwindle.  We've had no cost of living pay increases in over two years.  We are now being told that unless Congress can actually do their job and create a budget we are looking at a 22 week sequester.

Poor Peeps!!

     I had planned on writing a post today about the Peeps as we are in the process of building a "half-way" house for them. They are getting bigger by the hour it seems and they really need more room than their current lodgings provide. I never expected the Peep's first night outside would be traumatizing!

Losing Fat Loving Food Friday 2/22

 
     My last update was 3 weeks ago on 2/1.  I can honestly tell you is has been three weeks of losing.... everythinng but weight.  First I lost my member booklet, the one that has your weekly updates and such.  I was really bummed about that.  I liked seeing my progression stars and I had made notes next regarding the good or bad of the previous week in there also.  Then I lost my Active Link.  While I'll admit to not be the most consistent user I did like the feed back that I received from the reports.  I really shouldn't be surprised as it kept slipping off my bra but most times it remained on my person.  I lost it sometime while visiting Em in Mobile so that puppy is long gone.  Onto my weight...

Two Years of Lady Bren

    Saturday, February 19, 2011 Lady Bren was created.  I am not talking about the blog but rather my alternate personality, Lady Bren.  You see it was two years ago today that I had a stroke.

Ain't like the old days...

     Every now and then we get reminders of how much things have changed so quickly in our lifetime.  This past week I had one of those "aha" moments while being sick in bed.  Let me take you back in time.

My Craigslist War and the Peeps

   I have no issue with Craigslist, just one particular seller.  As in every situation there are two sides to the story.  In this case there is my side and the side of the evil, totally in the wrong seller.

How Do You Pin?

     After losing yet another night to Pinterest it amazes me that there are still some people out there just clueless about how to properly pin item.  Pinterest has a page dedicated to Pin Etiquette, I just thought I would take it a bit further and add my own two cents:

Lady Bren and the Peeps

     So tell me what thought came to mind when you read the title of this post.  Did you think that I was having an issue with the marshmallow Easter candy? ?  Or maybe you thought I started a jazz band.  Neither guess is even close!  There are actually six peeps in this story and while they are "musical" at times we are not touring any jazz clubs any time soon.  Merida, Sloane, Bambi, Monk, Spot and Carlotta are the 6 latest addition to our ever growing family and they're all chicks.

When Celebs start hawking everything

     How much influence do some people think they have?  Why should fame automatically translate into your endorsement on products outside of your expertise knowledge?  How clueless have we turned American consumers into that people will simply buy a product because there's a familiar smiling face on it?

2013 Book Challenge Update January

         Here it is my first 2013 Book Challenge Update.  considering I only joined these last week I think I did OK.  What about you, how'd you do?  Which Challenge did you decide to participate in? Well here's how I finished up January with my 5 Challenges.

Losing Fat Loving Food Friday 2/1

     Happy February!  Can you believe a month of 2013 is gone already? 31 days and 5.6 pounds are history!! That's right folks I lost 4 pounds this past week (insert celebratory dance here).  My total to date weight loss is 35 pounds.WOO HOO

Breakfast for Dinner 1/29 & the collateral damage

     Tuesday nights are Breakfast for Dinner in my house.  It gets difficult sometimes finding new and exciting things to cook without simply relying on Eggs and Bacon or Pancakes.  Every now and then just by happenstance I stumble onto something yummy and did that ever happen today.

Are You a Waver?

     I'm not asking anything difficult, Waver is not a new phrase for anything nor does it refer to some beach sport you're unaware of.  Are you one of people who wave when you pass others?

Do you Compost?

     The answer should be yes if you do any type of gardening.  Why pay for what you can create for free.  I think most people have the same misconceptions about composting that I did before we started.
My hope is that by sharing our experiences you'll try composting yourself.

Losing Fat Loving Food Friday 1/25

     Of course the week that I really really want to be extra good there was a three day weekend.  Despite that holiday I remained on track.  I actually worked my tail off in the garden those days as you know.  So this week the scale was my friend and I lost 2 pounds WOO HOO

Look What Else We've Done

     I told you yesterday we were getting serious about growing our vegetables. Like many of you I've spent way more time than I'd like to admit on Pinterest adding things to my boards.  There is one project on my gardening board (check it out)  that I have been wanting to try and I finally convinced the hubby it was worth it.   So the day after we built our greenhouse (OK assembled our greenhouse) tried our hands at growing potatoes

Are You Up To Joining Me On a Challenge?

     Come on you know you want to join me!  You have an entire year to do it.  It will be fun and possibly enlightening.  So what is this challenge?  Why a book challenge.  In fact I am going a couple of them ~ see which fits your fancy.

Watch Out We're Getting Serious

It is no more fun and games in my house when it comes to gardening. This past weekend we decided to make a serious investment with both our money and time. We've been playing with the idea for a while, considered building our own, did research so we finally bit the bullet and bought a greenhouse.

Simple Smile Saturday 1/19/13

  Do you ever take a moment and look back on your week?  If you're anything like me you're constantly rehashing most moments and coming up with a better rewrite.  However there are those glimpses, discoveries that make you smile.  I guarantee even in the worst of times those moments exist. So begins my new weekly, or at least I hope it to be, series of simple smiles.  Considering how easy it is to entertain me you won't be surprised at some of my discoveries.

Losing Fat Loving Food Fridays 1/18

     So how do you think I did?  Let's see I tracked all of my food and stayed within my weekly allotted points.  I gained .4 pounds~ ugghh.  The only thing I can see that I did wrong last week is my water consumption.  Usually that is no problem for me whatsoever but a couple of times this week I was actually very thirsty.  After reviewing my week with the staff they all agree that it is probably the water or the possibility that I may be coming down with something,  I'm not sure if they jinxed me but I have had the worse sore throat the last hour or so.

It is that simple....

     Today's post is short, sweet and simple.  Go hug your child.  That's right go hug them right now or as soon as possible.  We know what blessings they are- make sure that they know it too.

~~This post is in honor of my friend Crystal who beyond an incredible miracle will be making funeral arrangements for her 17 yr old son this time next week.

Today I Crushed My Son's Dream

     Monday was a rough parenting day period paragraph.  I had the glorious experience of shooting down one of my son's dreams.  Whoever thinks parenting toddlers are rough have no clue what teenagers/young adults are like.
     It is hard parenting your child when they are officially no longer a child yet not really an adult.  Sure they can vote at the age of 18 and buy a gun but really what other power do they really have?  (OK not the best examples) The over whelming majority are not only living at home but are still dependent on their parents in some way or another.  They are out in the world where opportunities abound and like most in that age group believe themselves to be invincible.  Finding our role as parents in that world isn't easy.

So Sad Monday

     We are a bit behind everyone, in fact we're even late by our own standards.  Today the kids and I packed away the final remnants of Christmas decorations.  Why does this simple  task leave such a sense of gloom over the house? I can't imagine we are the only ones who feel this way.

Feelling kinda clueless

     I had to take two computer programming classes while in college back in the early 1980s.  The classes were related to statistics and truly we wrote lots of 1s and 0s.  When we purchased our first computer in 1998 I sat down and taught myself the basics.  How is it 15 years later I feel so clueless?

Money in 2013

     Have you noticed the trends in articles surrounding the New Year?  First it was all about setting and trying to keep your New Year's Resolution.  Then it became a bit more focused with the subjects trending on weight and fitness.  Now it seems we are entering a phase where the focus is money,
     No matter where you live in the world today the economy is on everyone's mind.  We are all looking for ways to stretch our budget.  Admittedly I am not the best resource on this topic.  I don't think we do anything more creative than the next person.  I have however found a couple of interesting things that I wanted to share with you.

The Scale Went Up and I'm OK

     Well I bravely faced the scale last night at Weight Watchers and as expected I did indeed gain weight.  In the five weeks since my last visit to WW I gained........ 0.8 pounds.  That's right I gained less than what the average cup of coffee weighs at Starbucks!! 

Returning with my head held high

 It is Thursday so you know what I'll be doing tonight?  What you don't remember?? I'm so wounded NOT.  Thursday night is Weight Watchers. Bring on the scale baby because I'm ready.

Ladies... this is for you

     All right ladies I don't know how we missed making sure everyone got this lesson growing up but I am on a mission to rectify it.
TREAT THE PUBLIC RESTROOMS AS YOU WOULD YOUR OWN GRANDMOTHER'S
     I am one of those people who have a bladder smaller than a walnut so unfortunately I am a regular user of public restrooms.  What I have seen would scare even Chuck Norris.  There is absolutely no reason whatsoever for this so here are basic instructions:

Suffering from PDSD #PDSD

     You read that correctly. I'm suffering from PDSD  not PTSD (well I am but that's not what this post is about).  Post Disney Sadness Disorder I believe will soon become a household phrase for any family returning home after visiting "The Happiest Place on Earth"
***Notice my hash marks to get this trending !!
     While it is never easy to return home from any fun vacation there is a certain feeling associated with knowing that you're not going to be in Disney again any time soon.  The thing that makes it so different than other vacation is you experience this feeling not only after your first visit but even after your 20th.  I would guess that possibly those that own an Annual pass might not suffer as deeply as others.  However I would venture that at some point they were truly overwhelmed with PDSD or they would never have become pass holders in the first place.