December Healthy Living Thread

[marcy]

Hi everyone. Can you believe this is the last month of 2010? I sure can't. This year has zipped by for me.

This month we'll be faced with parties and many holiday treats. Remember moderation is the always the key. If you completely deny yourself some of your favorite treats it may lead to overindulging in something worse later. Walk the extra block, run the extra mile, shovel the extra drift; all of it will help during this tempting, fun and festive season.

How will you handle the holiday treats and temptations?

We went to supper tonight and then did some shopping. Our company always does some kind of community support for Christmas and this year we got one of the local high schools. Since I am very interested in photography I snagged a tag where the girl wanted an inexpensive digital camera. We looks at several stores; the inexpensive cameras were really bad cameras. The next price range would need batteries all the time so we got a Kodak with rechargeable batteries. I also got a camera case, a photo album and a micro chip with a SD converter so she can use it in the camera and a phone. I hope I am giving her a fun and new hobby she'll enjoy for many years.

Have a great weekend. We are going to have a snowy weekend. Maybe we'll put up our Christmas tree and some lights outside. Our tree out front is way to tall for us to decorate now. I suggested Marty get on top of the 5th wheel and "leap" over to the tree but for some reason he didn't like my idea.

Marcy

 

[somethingshiny]

Marcy~ Re November thread, totally agree about the Kindle's lack of page numbers! I've stayed up way past my bedtime because I convince myself that 20% left isn't much! I forget that I'm reading a 600 page book!

My Holiday How-To:

Get lots of rest. Being overly tired makes me extra hungry especially for rich foods. Everyone seems to get stressed and is running around like crazy so you have to be diligent in shut eye!

Stay hydrated. With all the Holiday Festivities of rich food and drinking, staying hydrating keeps you feeling good. Also makes your skin look gorgeous for when you're around all your friends and family. Oh, and helps your breath to drink lots of water--for the mistletoe!

Don't dismiss the Christmas Cookie. Denying yourself three or four times equals giant cookie extravaganza eating. Better to just have the cookie to begin with than to chow down 8.

Take stock of your blessings. It lifts your mood instantly which also prevents some of the overeating at the Holidays.

Plan meeting times with your friends between meals. Tea and scones is a wonderful little treat to have with the ladies and doesn't kill your healthy lifestyle.

Get outside and enjoy the snow! Making memories with family building snowmen, having snowball fights and making snow angels is a great way to spend a sunny afternoon. For those of you who don't get snow, MOVE. lol. I lived in TX for several years as a kid and couldn't believe all the fun I missed in the Winter!


I got 2 great compliments today. One from DH when I put on a new MISSY size sweater! And, one from a woman whom I've never met who literally thought I was lying when I told her I had a 4.5 mo old baby! Woot!

DH found out his back problem is caused from his lack of flexibility. He can't sit with his legs at a 90 degree angle if he doesn't have support under his legs and behind his back. Apparently his hamstrings are so tight, he doesn't have the full range of motion in his legs which is causing his spine to overcompensate and that's creating the pain. He has a list of exercises and physical therapy twice a week for 2 months. It's always been weird for me to see his lack of flexibility because I can fold in half. I thought it was weird and inconvenient but had no idea it could actually cause a severe problem.

JT and Lily are awesome. Lily is a chunky monkey and growing so quickly! Sleeping through the night great and starting a good daytime schedule. JT is so excited about Santa he can't stand it. (I threatened to take his stocking down for misbehaving. It worked. )

DH accepted a new job today FIRST SHIFT!! I think this will help his lifestyle a lot. Sleeping at night, eating sit down meals with the family instead of leftovers or the ever popular bag o popcorn for supper, and spending time with his kids. I'm hoping it'll give me a regular exercise schedule too. I would REALLY like that! One of the perks of the new job is an on site gym! I don't know what they have for equipment or if I'd actually be able to get there but it's a possibility I'm excited about.

Sorry for the super long post. I'm trying to recommit myself to my healthy lifestyle before the upcoming temptations!


Hope you're all doing well and I miss you!

 

[marcy]

Somethingshiny, I do that too with the Kindle. Great ideas for surviving the holidays - enjoy some treats but plan ahead on how to cope with temptation. Congratulations to you DH for moving to day shift. Marty worked swings and mids for a few years; it is hard to have normal meals when part of the family is working during dinner. Glad to hear Lily is sleeping through the night and I am sure her brother adores her. What a fun Christmas you will have planning surprises for them. I hope the therapy and exercise helps your husband's back. It is good they found out what was causing it so he can work on preventing further problems.

 

[deegee]

Yay! Matt bought a new router and got everything running this morning. I have internet again!!!

marcy - there are 2 nice jewelry stores within walking distance of my office, so I'm heading to one of them when I have my stone reset. I had to send my ring back to WF once, and it is a huge PITA!!! I still haven't bought a car yet, but I did go test driving this past Sunday after my nieces went home. I was all set to buy the Acura RDX, but before signing papers I asked Matt to test drive it just to be sure. He fit fine on the passenger side, but the driver's side was a different story. He looked so funny trying to drive, all cramped up with his knees rubbing the door and the center console. Sunday we drove the Acura MDX, which is much larger and way more comfortable. My goal is to have one by the end of the year. Your community project sounds cool. Employees at Matt's company buy gifts for kids at one of the local schools. It's in a very poor, rural area of WV and the teachers sign kids up who need things. We hooked our kid up with toys, shoes, clothes and a coat. You have to take the tags off of everything because, sad to say, many of the parents try to take the stuff back to get money. Shame on them.

shiny - poor DH! I have very little flexibility, but that's from an injury to my spine. If I'm going to be sitting for a while, I have to prop my feet up as high as I'm sitting. I have a stool under my desk at work for my feet and a cushion for my back. If I don't prop them up, my back swells and I have a hard time moving. Flying on a long trip is lousy! I was in PT for a long time and have at home exercises, but I still have to prop. I feel for your hubby! And I agree about the kindle. I was determined to finish the last 10% of my book the other night, and it took much longer than I though it would. Hubby kept asking, "aren't you done yet?" Your tips for surviving the holidays were great! And woo-hoo for the compliments!!!!

Matt and I are heading out to get a Christmas tree as soon as the ballgame he is watching is over. It's snowing and 28 degrees out, but that just makes it feel all the more Christmas-y. We go to a farmers market in Charleston where there are lots of different vendors. They always have hot cider and hot chocolate for you as you shop, one of the shops inside has the most beautiful poinsettias around, and we eat at one of our favorite local restaurants afterward. I look forward to this every year! I did so bad with food last week, but got back on track this week. I'm almost at 1 year of maintaining my 65 pound weight loss, so I'm really proud of myself. Yay! Have a great weekend everyone.

 

[marcy]

Hi. It is a chilly morning in my neck of the woods. I ran a few errands this morning and made mini meatloaves for lunch. Tomorrow I think I’ll made homemade soup. We thought of putting up lights outside but it is way too chilly. I got my gifts wrapped for work and think I’ll start on Christmas cards today. Sadly that means I have to get busy and write a poem. It’s my version of the annual form letter.

Deegee, glad to hear the new router is working. Have fun visiting the neighborhood jewelry stores. It sounds like you and Matt have the same problems finding cars as we do. Poor Marty is often crammed in the driver’s seat too and these days you want to make sure the car is comfortable for both of you. We generally have younger kids to get gifts for but I am okay doing things for high school kids too. Last year I had a younger girl and got her all sorts of pink things - a pink coat, hat, mittens, boots, sweater and some Barbie clothes. I never thought about the parents returning the gifts to get money. Grr. That makes me angry to even think about that. The girl at work arranging this is getting the tags from the school’s social worker. They are doing a food drive for them too. The farmer’s market sounds like a blast! Congratulations and a major WOO HOO for being on maintenance for a year now. What a great accomplishment.

Marcy

 

[somethingshiny]

NINE INCH SNOW!

That's what we woke up to this morning. We all have new snow boots so everyone had fun. JT even brought snow in the house for Lily!

I replenished my frozen veggies after so long of fresh from the garden--I'm sure I'll get used to them again, but .

Glad you girls are doing well and yay for getting up Christmas decorations!!!

It's unfortunate that our HLT has fallen in numbers, but thanks to Marcy, we'll always have a home.

 

[deegee]

shiny - 9 inches of snow? Holy Cow! We only have about 4 and that' s plenty. The roads are nice and clear today. My parents were planning to head to St. Louis tomorrow to visit my gmother, but I think they've decided to postpone the trip.

marcy - how's the poem coming along? I don't send many Christmas cards anymore. Pretty much immediate family and good friends only. I have zero creativity, so a poem or letter is definitely out of the question! I used to teach in a very poor district in Ohio where the kids and parents received lots of charitable donations. It always amazed me to see many kids receive new winter coats and clothes only to never wear them. If asked, they would tell you that their parents sold them or took them back. It broke my heart. I guess you have to give in good faith, and hope everything works out.

BEG - how did snowboarding go? And your interview? Your workouts sound KILLER!!

We had a great time last night at the farmers market. We bought a beautiful tree that was covered in snow when we picked it out. While they were getting it ready for us, we went to the restaurant that is inside the market and had a delicious dinner. When the server brought our food, Matt tried to bet him $5 that I couldn't eat all of mine. The server told Matt that I looked like a lightweight and he'd lose the bet. Ha-ha...the server said I looked like a lightweight. I wanted to hug him! The portions are so huge there that I'd say not many people can finish. I ate about 1/3 of my meal and ordered dessert - white chocolate bread pudding. It was awesome, but such a huge piece that Matt and I finished less than half of it. The tree is up, the house smells wonderful, and we're getting ready to head to the mall to take advantage of the late holiday hours to get some shopping done. Have a wonderful day tomorrow everyone!

 

[marcy]

Happy Sunday! I got so much accomplished today. I got my Christmas poem written last night so I printed it out this morning and printed my Christmas labels. I sat down at the dining room table thinking I’d get one sheet of labels done and I just kept going. They are all in the mail now. Sweet.

I made homemade beef noodle soup which is one of my favorites.

Somethingshiny, 9 inches of snow? Oh no! We didn’t even get an inch of snow here. I am glad you guys had fun playing out in the snow. It is hard to adjust to frozen veggies and canned fruit this time of year. It just isn’t as good. Awe, thank you so much for the nice compliment. I hate to see our thread fall in numbers too but I love to post here and see how everyone is doing. Maybe after the new year we’ll see some newbies and some of our long time members come back.

Deegee, I got my poem done late last night. I had Marty proof read it for me this morning then printed that baby out. I should go to few Christmas cards too; it sounds like a great idea anyway. That really stinks about people’s charitable donations being used that way. I hope the schools wise up and have them open things at school and remove all tags, boxes, etc. Of course that won’t stop the parents from selling them but they at least can’t return them as new, Some people, huh? Your evening sounds divine and how wonderful to get a nice compliment that you are a “lightweight”. That is awesome. I bet your tree if pretty. I hope your had fun shopping.

I am off to my Kindle.
Marcy

 

[Skippy123]

I just had to pop in and say hi and congratulations to Deegee for being on maintenance for a year now!!! It is a great feeling; you are awesome!!!

Marcy, love the new stone!

SS, yay for looking fab and just having a baby!!!!

All is going super well on my end. Happy Holidays to the Healthy team!!!

 

[marcy]

Hi Skippy! I am so glad to hear from you. Glad all is well on your end.

We have some light snow going on tonight. I ran out to get gas after supper and it was so pretty.

I am driving the extended cab full bed F250 tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Laters,
Marcy

 

[deegee]

Hi!

Thanks for the congrats skippy! I can't believe it's already been a year since I reached my goal. I continued to shrink some, but now I think it's safe to have my rings resized . . . or reset! Glad all is well with you.

marcy - good luck driving tomorrow. And I thought Matt's SUV was a ginormobile!

We ended up getting home kind of late tonight. We had ham and veggies, and then took our walk. It was 17 degrees out and windy, and we made it 2 miles before calling it quits. My face is still kind of stinging. I had on long johns, jeans, turtleneck, hooded sweatshirt, 2 pairs of socks, a scarf around my face, 2 pairs of gloves, a hat and a coat - and I was still miserable! Snow kept accumulating in my eyelashes so visibility was squat. It's going to be worse tomorrow. Boooo!!!!! I no likey winter. Have a great tomorrow everyone!

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

Hi guys! Missed this thread the first time around!

The roads are SO icy lately. I nearly slipped and fell in the parking lot three times today - and I was wearing my Uggs. Not even heels.

I got a new car!!!!!! It's a AWD SUV - a Rav4. Plus, the AWD is SO amazing on the roads - it's been truly awful lately. The backroads especially - ugh.

Deegee - I didn't get to go snowboarding! My BFF came down with both strep AND a viral infection. So we canceled. It's ok - I ended up going over to CV's Saturday night and had a VERY good night, which also ended up becoming a very late night...I would've been dead on my feet if we had left as planned at 7:30 AM on Sunday morning. BUT I am going no matter what this weekend. CV says he definitely is and I am welcome to come with him, even if my BFF and her husband can't go for whatever reason.

I went to the early morning zumba today since I was already up from dropping my mom off at work. It was much slower - all but 2 others were 60+ years old. I was going to go to yoga right after but it turns out it was canceled I am so excited for tomorrow night's yoga/zumba. My favorite instructor teaches both.

Marcy, that's so cool that you wrote a Christmas poem! I want to read!

Somethingshiny - holy crap that's a lot of snow, especially in one night!! I want some of that at the end of this week so we have powder on the slopes. I want something soft to fall on! And ouch about your DH. Poor guy. Yoga?

I am not an athletic person at all, but flexibility is definitely something I can do (I used to be a cheerleader back in high school, and while I can't do toe touches or stunts probably anymore, I can still do kicks!). I was sitting propped up in the hot tub the other night (this was at CV's) with my feet on the cover - I guess I was sitting in a V position. CV is NOT flexible at all - he was like, That can't be comfortable. I told him that was nothing

 

[deegee]

BEG - aw, that stinks that you didn't get to go snowboarding - but I hope your friend is on the mend! And YAY for a new car!! AWD is one of the things I really love about my car. Be safe zipping around town in it. I bought my niece a pair of UGGs for Christmas. I hope she likes them, but they look so huge!!

Today was a super busy day at work. I went in early and had planned leave for the day at lunchtime because my back is acting ugly, but ended up staying late instead. Ugh! And then Lily knocked me down the porch stairs when I went out to turn the Christmas lights on this evening, so my back is acting extra ugly. I'm on the couch with my feet propped up and I might stay home tomorrow. Depends on how poofy my back and leg get overnight. We stopped on the way home for dinner because I was being too lazy to cook tonight, and I had half a piece of chocolate cake with vanilla bean icecream afterward with the intention of taking our walk tonight to help me stay within my points for the day. No walk tonight with my ugly back, but you know what? Sometimes a person just needs some chocolate cake. I'm not going to stress over it. Have a great day tomorrow everyone!

 

[marcy]

Hi everyone. I went to work 30 minutes early so I could leave 30 minutes early. I didn’t have any problems coming home in our gnormous pickup and I even parked it pretty well. Woo hoo!

Work was quite busy today. I have to start working on performance appraisals for this year and got 2 started today. I am on vacation again so need to get them going in case they are due when I get back.

Marty had a business dinner tonight so I had leftovers. I brought home 1/2 of a sandwich last weekend so I fixed that and had some slow churned ice cream.

Deegee, you walk last night sounds pretty but chilly. I love snow except for the cold and icy part. I am so sorry to hear you fell and that your back and leg are bad. I hope you are doing better tomorrow. Stay home and rest if you still hurt. Don’t worry about some chocolate cake; you deserve it.

B.E.G., it’s good to hear from you. Be careful on that awful ice. Your Rav 4 sounds great. You’ll enjoy that this winter. AWD are amazing on snow and ice. Rats that your friend got sick; I hope she is better. Have fun at class tomorrow night.

Take care.
Marcy

 

[deegee]

marcy - I have gotten pretty good at parking Matt's ginormobile. I have to parallel park when I go to get my hair cut, and I did such a fine job parking that thing that I almost took a picture to show Matt. I have been driving his SUV instead of my scrunchy car, so I have really gotten used to being up higher and having better visibility. I love it! Glad to hear you got around okay in Marty's truck. Our performance appraisals were due October 31, so I'm done with those and they're in the director's hands for final approval. I still have vacancies in my department, so I didn't have too many appraisals to do. I hope you have a great vacation! Are you going anywhere? I'm planning to take at least the last week of this month off, as long as I can get lots done between now and then. I only have 1 more Sue Grafton book to read, so I downloaded a Stephanie Plum book.

I decided stay home today because my back and leg were screaming. I stayed on the couch across from the Christmas tree, all bundled up in blankets, reading all day. I'm not feeling any better even though I broke down and took some of my strongest pain medicine a few hours ago. I have too much to do to miss work again tomorrow, so I'll be there bright and early. For dinner I made a 1-dish meal that is actually pretty tasty and light. It consists of turkey smoked sausage, au gratin potatoes, broccoli, carrots, and onion. Sounds odd, but it goes together pretty well. Afterward we went to TCBY for a treat and then drove around a little bit to look at Christmas lights. Matt is heading to Cincinnati tomorrow to visit his folks since our Thanksgiving visit was cut so short due to us avoiding his brother. I'm not making the trip, so it's just me, Lily, and the cat we call The Evil One for the next few days. I'm sure I'll be getting into that Stephanie Plum book! Have a great day tomorrow!!

 

[deegee]

Hi!
I spent another day at home on the couch by the Christmas tree. I tried to get in to see my chiropractor this morning, but he's only in for a couple of hours on Thursday mornings and he was booked, so I can't go until tomorrow. The temperature was nearly in the single digits this morning so I was quite okay with not going out. Lily and the evil cat have been keeping me company all day. They must know I don't feel well because they haven't fought all day! Matt doesn't leave for Cincinnati until later tonight, so he'll be home for the tasty grilled pork chops, noodles & veggies I'm making for dinner. Well, I'm off to read. Have a great day tomorrow!

 

[marcy]

Hi everyone.

Deegee, I sure hope you are feeling better today. I am glad you got to enjoy your Christmas tree while you were laying around the house. I bet the chiropractor helped too. It sounds like you are a pro at driving Matt’s SUV. I need to just get around and drive Marty’s truck more often. I drove my dad’s truck in high school and college and it never bothered me. Of course it wasn’t an extended cab, diesel or as large as the F250 is. I might start my first Sue Grafton book tomorrow. I was up late last night finishing another Michael Connelly book. It is always a good feeling to get performance appraisals done. I have 5 to do this year. Most of them will be easy since my team generally does a great job. Is it warmer there yet? We are in the teens tonight. I hope Matt has a safe trip to visit his family. We are staying home for our vacation but will go visit Marty’s parents next month sometime because they said they would take me over to the Tucson gem show. Won’t that be a blast for me? I am sure they will be bored but I’ll enjoy the heck out of it.

Thursday night is our date night so after we had supper we stopped at the Verizon store. I wanted to pick out my new phone which I was actually available to get until today. We were so stunned - when we walked in to the store we were next in line. That never happens. I finally picked the HTC Incredible and was going to have them hold one for me to pick up today but he asked his supervisor and so they let me have it that night. I spent a great deal of time Thursday night playing with it.

Last night I stayed up till about 12:30 finishing a Harry Bosch book and then I couldn’t sleep thinking about it. The story was about a 12 year old boy who they found buried in the hills outside of town that had been murdered about 20 some years ago.

Today I was going to get my grocery shopping done including what I need to bake Christmas cookies but I got engrossed in a few movies so only worked on laundry. I watched “Terminator Salvation” and “Leap Year”. Tonight we went to an office Christmas party. They were watching the big UFC match and I was so grossed out by it; one guy’s eye was awful. I started reading on my phone instead of watching it. It was a fun evening other than that.

Tomorrow Marty said we could go to breakfast and then he’d help me get groceries. Monday we have eye appointments and the rest of the week will be flexible. I want to do some Christmas shopping and need to bake cookies for our family get together.

Take care.
Marcy

 

[marcy]

Hi. We went out to breakfast today and then did some shopping. I bought my ingredients for Christmas cookies and made some today. I ate a little bit of dough and 2 hot cookies. I don't feel so hot right now. Next batches will be no dough and one cookie. I am not used to that much sugar and rich food anymore.

We looked at some Christmas trees while we were out but didn't buy one. We have a 11 or 12 ft. artificial tree already but we haven't put it up for a few years because it takes so much room. I think we can work it in the living room now that we don't have the sectional anymore. I miss my ornaments.

Deegee, I hope you are feeling better today. Are you getting any of this big blizzard there?

Speaking of this big blizzard I hope those of you living in that area are home safe and sound. That was something about the Viking's dome collapsing because of snow.

Take care.
Marcy

 

[deegee]

Howdy! Matt got home from Cincinnati last night. We went to eat and then took advantage of mall holiday hours. I am not up for much walking around, so it was kind of a quick shopping trip. He has a cold and I'm still quite achy, so we hung out at the house for most of the day. We tried a new pizza place about a mile from our house for dinner. They just opened up on Monday so they don't have everything running smoothly just yet. It took an hour to get our pizza and salad! Afterward we did some quick grocery shopping and then drove around a bit to look at lights. It was really cold today and we're supposed to get a bunch of snow the next few days. Yuck.

marcy - Thanks for thinking of me. I went to work on Friday, but probably shouldn't have. Apparently I looked really bad because I got lots of gentle hugs from coworkers. I kept thinking I'd leave early, but things just kept coming up. It seems like I'm doing a little worse each day. I'm hoping it's the weather, and that this extra pain will go away and leave me with the pain level I'm used to! We're getting together on Friday at my sister's for candy making. I remember making myself a little sick last year snacking on the dough! I don't do much cooking or baking, so my job is to remove wrappers from the Hershey kisses, Reese miniatures, & rollos, chop the nuts, and dip the peanut butter balls, buttercream balls, and chocolate covered cherries. A kid or two usually helps me with the dipping. My sisters and mom handle the cookies and fudge. I think my family intends to cut back this year since mom had all those heart troubles and she has herself and dad on a diet. Yay for getting a new phone!!! I bet you've figured out the whole thing! I love your new avatar picture.

 

[marcy]

Deegee, I sure hate to hear you are not feeling any better yet. Of course getting knocked down on top of already hurting will probably take awhile to recover. Hugs to you. Your evening sounds great - pizza, shopping and enjoying some Christmas lights. Stay safe and warm from the snow heading your way. The candy making project with your family sounds like great fun. I used to bake cookies and fudge with a girl friend but she moved to Pennsylvania. It was always a fun day - we often said we were baking fools or fools baking. Either way probably worked. I am getting used to my new phone. Today I used the bluetooth on my new phone and old phone to transfer my photos and a few ring tones. Who needs cords to transfer data these days? Thanks for the comment on my avatar. I started the Sue Grafton book - A is for Alibi. I like it so far.

I took care of my first batch of cookies. I made far too many for this round but I will use some for work and our astronomy club meeting. I mixed up 4 batches of chocolate chip dough but put in Christmas M&M’s. Half were plain and half were peanut. (Boy and girl cookies LOL). My dad called me back tonight after my mom told him I started baking cookies to see if I’d made his favorites - sour cream sugar cookies. I am sure he’d been knocking on our door if I said yes. I will get those made later this week. I have 3 more kinds to make and one kind of fudge.

Well, I’d best get ready for bed. We have eye appointments in the morning. After that we are free most of the week including no work. Woo hoo!

 

[marcy]

I had a fun day not going to work. Yippee for vacations.

We had eye appointments this morning. Both of us needed new prescriptions but we are both just getting new lenses for our current glasses. I have a second pair so I was able to turn in my frames but Marty will have to have them put in his lenses when they come in. They have a new machine that tracks how your eyes move to help customize your lenses to your eyes and brain. They said it costs about the same so I'll see if these lenses are much different than what I have now. I knew I needed new lenses; I keep looking at tiny things under my glasses. I haven't worn my contacts if about 6 months (gas perms) so I think I am going to just quit wearing them. My eyes are just too dry anymore and they stick to my eyes.

I made my 2nd batch of Christmas cookies today. I am already sick of cookies. I have 2 more types to go. I want to get them done by Wednesday so the rest of my vacation I can be lazy.

We had leftovers for supper. Temps got to almost 60 here today. Strange for December for us. It must be all the cold is being sucked out by the major blizzard in other parts of the U.S.

Deegee, I am about 1/3 done with A is for Alibi. I like the book so far.

Take care.
Marcy

 

[deegee]

marcy - I'm jealous of your 60 degrees! It snowed all day and was 17 when I left work, and it's going to get down to 8 tonight. Brrr!!!!! I used to wear gas perm lenses, but switched to daily disposables a few years ago. I love them! It's like looking at life in HD - fresh, clean, new lenses every day. I have eye allergy issues which doesn't work well with contacts, so my choices were daily disposables, lasik surgery (I'm a chicken), or glasses full-time. But dry eyes is a whole different issue than eye allergies. Too bad you're already sick of cookies. Or maybe that's not a bad thing - depends on how you look at it. I like a cookie every now and then, but Matt has a serious thing for them. He'll eat 5 or 6 warm cookies fresh out of the oven, and then he can't stop himself from going back for more until he makes himself a little sick. I hope you're really enjoying your vacation. Yay for no work! I'm so looking forward to my week off after Christmas. Matt is taking off beginning this Friday through the end of the year. I may have to stay home an extra day or so to keep him company.

My back did a little better today at work, but I was definitely ready to leave well before it was time to go. I'm moving a little faster, but I'm still walking around like a little old lady. These flare ups really make me feel decrepit and I can't take my pain medicine during the day because it always makes me fall asleep. They probably would frown on that at work. Matt made chili & grilled cheese tonight, which was perfect on a night like tonight. Plus I didn't have to cook! I haven't been able to take my walk in a week, so I'm feeling pretty bummed about that. I have a Yoga video for people with injured spines, but I never could get the poses down without falling over. I should probably give that another try. Have a great day tomorrow!

 

[marcy]

Deegee, it sounds very cold and snowy there. Stay warm. Sorry to hear you are still hurting so bad. Does something like tylenol or advil help any during the day? Matt's supper sounds perfect for a cold and snowy day. Tell him I am jealous he is off for the rest of the year. We are off this week, then will have two 4 day work weeks because of the holidays. Are you guys doing anything special the week after Christmas when you are both on vacation? I tried the soft lenses for awhile but my astigmatism was so bad they couldn't correct for it. I am glad they work for you. I am also a bit chicken about lasik. I seem to be allergic to most of the solutions they have for contacts but I did find one that worked for me. I could see so well with the contacts but since my eyes are so dry I think I'll just give them up. I am sad though because I have 2 pairs of Ray Ban sunglasses I will never get to wear anymore. I should give them to my mom; she's never spent more than $10 on a pair of sunglasses in her life. I never did either until Marty got a pair of Ray Ban; I tried them on and was astonished at the difference in them. Next time he was out of town for work I was at the mall buying Ray Bans and Clinque. That'll teach him to leave me at home, alone, bored and with a shopping mall nearby. The yoga sounds interesting; I had to kind of laugh though because I could just see myself trying that and falling flat on my face or behind. I am rather klutzy.

 

[marcy]

Hi everyone.

I am getting SICK of cookies. One more kind to go. Woo hoo!

We ran around quite a bit today too. We met a friend of mine for lunch then went searching for a artificial Christmas tree. We have one already that is 11.5 feet tall but it really takes over our living room. We used to have a couch and 2 recliners when we used it so we'd just move one of the recliners out of the living room and it worked fine. Then we had a sectional so we put it up in the computer room one year but it was hard to get around to the desk and closet with that up. So the last few years we just used a mini LED tree. Now we have a couch and love seat so we have room in one corner for a trim tree to so we picked up a 7 ft tree today and got it put up tonight. Yay, I missed my tree the past few years.

I picked up a few stocking stuffers today and some gift cards for my employees. Tonight I ran a big bag of cake pans and assorted other cake decorating things to the place where I took classes. I told her to give them to students who need them. They were just collecting dust in our garage.

Food has been bad this week with vacation and baking. At least most of our Christmas celebrations will be over by Sunday. I can safely say I've walked a lot this week.

Take care.
Marcy

 

[deegee]

marcy - yay for getting at tree! A friend of mine was too stressed this year to put up her big tree so she bought a 3ft table top tree, and she's really missing her big tree. We have the perfect place in our family room for a big tree, right beside the fireplace and in front of the French doors leading to the deck. We never use those doors in the wintertime, and the tree looks so pretty there. We don't even have to move furniture! And yay for almost having your baking done. Do you make trays of cookies for people? Matt would be your best friend. And the yoga thing? I can't do it because I get the giggles trying to get in the positions. I keep falling over and then picturing what I must look like. Hee-hee!

Today I took my staff out for our Christmas luncheon. I bought them gift cards too. I tried really hard to think of something different this year, but in the end...it was gift cards. They bought me a big dog-mom basket with a book about training and working with dogs, a blanket with dogs on it, and a bunch of treats and toys for Lily. I know its hard to figure out what to get someone who doesn't need anything, so the Lily basket was perfect. Lily thought so too!! We got home really late because I had a hair appointment, so dinner was a quick-fix spaghetti and salad. It's going to be a long day at work tomorrow unless we get the ice storm they're predicting. In that case, we're heading out before it hits. Unfortunately Matt has to travel to Columbus on Thursday, but I told him he wasn't allowed to if the ice comes our way. Have a great day tomorrow!

 

[somethingshiny]

HI! Sorry I haven't been around. Christmas is all consuming around here!

JT was shaking a present under the tree and said, "What's in this box!?" I answered, "bricks." "GREAT. I LOVE bricks!" lol

JT and Lily both have colds. Snot everywhere! JT blows his own nose but I have to beg him to do it. Poor Lily has the crusties. Luckily I've avoided it thus far.

I'm not doing too well with eating or exercising, but I'm maintaining my weight so that's good. I still have two pieces of homemade cheesecake in my fridge. So, I know I won't be on track for at least two more days! I need to start baking for Christmas but haven't started because I know I'm having a major sweet tooth right now and I need to avoid having dozens of cookies at hand.

I did something crazy on my ball just to see if I could. I put my knees on it with my hands on the ground, then put my hands up on the ball, then just balanced on my knees with my back straight and hands up. WOW, was that a workout! My whole body was shaking.

DH is feeling much better with his back.


Deegee~ I hope you're feeling well today! Gift cards are never a bad thing, I'm sure they appreciated them. Hope you avoid the ice!

Marcy~ Your cookies sound wonderful! I would love to see pics of your enormous tree all decorated and yay for a more manageable size!

BEG~ Sorry you didn't get to snowboard. Yay for a new car!! lol about your hot tub pose!

That's all for now. I really should be cleaning right now, in-laws for supper tonight. I mean they're invited to supper, I'm not cooking them or anything...

 

[deegee]

Hi shiny! I hope the kids get over their colds quickly. Good for you for maintaining your weight. I'd have a hard time with cheesecake in the fridge!

marcy - hope you got finished with your baking. Matt can't wait until my family gets together to bake this weekend. He has already talked to my mom to make sure his favorites are still on the menu. Oh, and I read the Stephanie Plum book today. I liked it, so I downloaded the second one!

I got up this morning and decided to take a pain pill and go right back to bed. I went to the chiropractor later in the day and it helped. He told me to take the rest of the week off, but I have people scheduled for interviews tomorrow so I really can't miss. I'll go back for another treatment on Friday, and hopefully I'll be on the mend. I made hamburgers and french fries for dinner, but didn't feel like going out for ice cream so I had a beer instead. I'm not supposed to take my walk for a few more days, which is fine since it's still so cold and icy outside. If it doesn't warm up, I'm going to have to unbury the treadmill and fire it up! Have a great day tomorrow.

 

[marcy]

Hi everyone. I am very excited - I am finished with my Christmas cookies. Woo hoo! I was going to make the last ones first thing this morning while Marty ran in to work but I forgot to leave out butter and he came home about then so we went shopping. We were looking for stocking stuffers for each other and gifts for his employees but we bought clothes for ourselves instead. Too funny. We did pick up a non stick pan and put it under the tree.

I spent a few hours at my parents house tonight. I talked them in to switching phone service providers so they can have free long distance any time. After they got everything set up my mom’s dialup modem wouldn’t connect to their internet provider. I spent about 15 minutes on the phone with her phone company, about 30 minutes on the phone with her internet provider and neither one of them could figure it out. I finally called Marty who directed me to the right to the problem and voila she was up and running.

Marty made homemade spaghetti sauce tonight and it smells yummy. We weren’t hungry enough for him to cook supper so he made the sauce and cook spaghetti and meatballs for us later this week.

Deegee, it is funny how out of sorts you feel if you don’t put up a Christmas tree. I am very happy we put ours up. Your tree in front of the deck doors by the fireplace sounds picture perfect. What a great place for it. We could to that too but we still cook on our gas grill even in the winter. I will make up a few cook trays for the family Christmas and then I give a few trays to some friends. I am well known as a cookie baker. Tell Matt I’d share with him too. Sounds like we’d be good yoga parents - more laughing and falling over than anything else. How nice of you to take your employees out for lunch plus giving them gift cards. The gift for Lily is a terrific idea. I am sure Lily was very happy too. I hope Matt doesn’t have to go out on ice tomorrow. I hope a few trips to the chiropractor helps you feel better. Can you call in for the interviews? Take it easy.

Somethingshiny, too funny JT likes bricks. It’s tough have delicious cookies around. We each had some warm ones then they go in the freezer. I plan on sending them all home with the family after our Christmas get together. Your ball workout sounds amazing. I would kill myself on one of those. Glad to hear your husband is doing better with his back. I hope the kids get over their colds soon. That is wonderful to hear you are maintaining your weight with all the temptations around this time of year. I was going to post a picture of our new tree but I will have look to see if I have one of our big tree.

Take care.
Marcy

 

[marcy]

Here is the tree and our favorite little decorations.

 

[canuk-gal]

Howdy doodie people!

I managed to get to the pool and work it this week and once last week. And of course I have seen shovelling snow...

I have been eating some of my baking--but have taken a bit to work and letting others enjoy the calories ......

Hope everyone is feeling good and not stressed....keep well!

cheers--Sharon