New Years Resolutions...better late than never

I can not believe January is almost over, It seems like it just begun! This year I made some New Years  resolutions a couple weeks late! I always make more than one that way if I fail, I can focus on
 another one. LOL

 

Loose weight:

I think every single person in the World makes this a resolution. After the week I have had this one is not going well at all! No need to explain. 

Be more like Jesus:

I preach and preach and preach this but so many times I don't follow it myself! If we could all do this the world would certainly be a better place. 

Be More Social: 

As people who know me know, I am not the most social person in the world. I love spending time with my family and close friends but beyond that I could take it or leave it.
Appreciate the small things more:
If there is one thing that I have realized is that its hard to appreciate the things in our life, especially the little ones, until we no longer have them. I really want to implement this resolution!

My hope is that I can be successful in at least a few of these. If not there is always next year!

My diet plan

During the cold months of winter I always tend to gain weight, and I always have! I think my metabolism just simply slows down because there is nothing I really do different. This year I am seriously trying to nip it in the bud now because if I wait till spring I will just be depressed! I also don't need extra weight with health risks and all.

This week I am implementing the plan I know works for me, its not going to be easy but with me its the only way to loose weight!

I have found with me its not as much what I eat as much as how much and when. Yes, there are things I stay away from but its not a cold turkey thing. My diet has to be a realistic one and one that I can live by when i'm not trying so hard to loose. I also have low blood sugar issues so I can NOT skip meals! I already know the first several weeks will not be easy and I may get a little mean at times but that will pass. LOL

Please realize this is my way of loosing and has been approved by my doctor who has known me for almost 9 years. 

OK, now that my disclosure is out of the way, here is my diet plan. 

My Goal is 25 lbs to start. (its important for me to make my goal realistic.)

1,000 to 1,200 calories a day on average but I can go as high as 1,500 on occasion.

Its important to have an app. to help you keep track of your daily calories and such. I like to use the Livestrong website. Its a free great way of keeping track and it has lots of built in meals already with calories, fat, etc. It also has an exercise calculator to help figure how many you have burned and tons more helpful things as well.

 You will set how many pounds you want to loose in a week. I think the max is 2 pounds that you can choose. I have always found the slower it comes off the longer you keep it off because its not just water weight. I usually loose more than that the first weeks then I slow down a lot! 

My biggest hurdles will be:
My coffee and creamer intake

My sweet tooth

My love for eating out
My hate for exercising


So tomorrow is my start date! I will give you an update on my progress once a week although don't be surprised if I bitch about it more than that!!! If anyone wants to join me or has any questions please feel free to ask! 

The Blizzard of 2016 in Pa

Well, as my earlier post said on Saturday, pa was having a blizzard. We ended up with, the news said, an official reading of 37''. I don't know how you correctly measure it because of the blowing and drifting snow but I have no doubt we got that much. Whats crazy about this area is that by tomorrow everyone will be back to work like it never happened. See i'm use to Maryland, where we lived before, even though its only one hour north, somehow they are way more equipped here to handle a big snow!

We don't own a snowblower as Jim never wanted to have one. He liked the idea of getting a workout while shoveling. This is the last year he will be without one of those! He is in super shape but being now in his 50's I worry myself to much and with the size of the driveway and sidewalks even with help from the kids its TO MUCH WORK and worry.



Saturday during the snow we made homemade hot chocolate in the crock pot, apple crisp, and a pot roast. We also played family games by the fire and just hung out together watching the snow. By around 10 pm it stopped and Jim and Cory did some shoveling.

Sunday we woke up to the sun shinning and 15 degrees with a lot of work ahead of us digging out!
Its amazing how even at 15 degrees the sun starts melting things.

The kids made a tobogganing path down our back yard and everyone has had a ball on it. Mitchell is working on an igloo and we just got the call that school is off today.

I love the snow because there is just something about everyone being snowed in together that brings a family together to do the simple fun things.

 Hope you enjoyed your weekend as much as we did!

Thankful in the blizzard

As I woke up this morning and looked out the window I wasn't surprised at the 15 inches that fell overnight as the Blizzard of 2016 is in full swing! After its all said and done we are suppose to have 2 to 3 feet!

As I sit here in the warmth of my home I realize there are policemen, firefighters, nurses, paramedics, doctors etc. that have to be out in these conditions. There are also people in the hospitals alone because their loved ones can't get there to be with them.

Being in the PICU with Taylor last February during a snow storm, to them it was business as usual. I was amazed that there was NO talk of the weather or how the nurses and doctors got there, they were just there doing there job. I believe these are the people who SHOULD be making the big money, the ones that risk their lives to be at work and put your mother, father, sister, brother, or child as the focus not the weather. If you have ever had to rely on any of these people for you or your family you know what i'm talking about.

I pray none of us ever have get help from these people in a bad situation, but if we do its so nice to have them and know they are there. Please keep all of these people in your thoughts and prayers during these times as you never know when you will be relying on them!

Keep safe everyone!

Snow snow snow

Blizzard of 2010 in our front yard. 

The forecast is predicting a blizzard here in central PA starting this evening through Sunday! I am so excited, I'm like a kid! I love being snowed in, the more snow the merrier! I can say that because I'm not the one who shovels the driveway and I don't have to be anywhere. I know it's late but I will be running out this morning searching for boots for Mitchell who has just informed me that his are too small. I'm sure every other person in our town will be out doing the same or just buying milk, bread, and toilet paper! LOL

We have a built-in sleigh ride hill on the side of our backyard that was made just for that. When the house was built, the people who built it built one side of the backyard up higher for sledding as they had four kids themselves who loved to sled (coincidentally they had a son named Mitchell too who is exactly the same age as our Mitchell). All our kids, even the older ones that still live at home, love to sleigh, tube, and snowboard down our hill. I'm excited to see Jaxson going down this year, I know he will love it!

So our shelves are stocked, our outside is blizzard proofed. and we are ready for this storm! Now to have the shovels ready to keep a path shoveled for the dachshunds who HATE the snow!

Thrift store treasures

Happy Hump Day!!!

As you know I grew up a bit spoiled and would have never ever dreamed of going into a thrift store. I was young and dumb then never realizing the treasures you can find especially if you like name brand things for super cheap.

 I like to drop by our local Salvation Army store and see what I can find. I swear its either hit or miss.(We donate dozens of bags of clothing, shoes and coats to them per year ourselves which have included many name brand things still with tags) I usually spend a lot of time searching through every item to find what i'm looking for. I never have luck much in the woman's section. I think because woman's fashions change so often that it goes out of style before it gets to the store. My girls, especially Taylor, love to look through the T-Shirts and sweats and have found some good college ones or even Vineyard Vines T's.

My favorite place to look is the men's department. In a shirt my husband is usually a tall or maybe a XL if its a really nice brand and cut roomy. He likes to wear Ralph Lauren, Brooks Brothers, Chaps or JoS. A. Bank which he says are more comfortable but are not cheap. Last month I hit the Jackpot and found three brand new Ralph Lauren XL tall dress shirts. They were both colors he didn't have and they were only $6.99 and 1/2 off because it was Wednesday! This past week I stopped in and looked around and scored a brand new Brooks Brothers XL dress shirt that still had the tags on them that said $140!!!

He also wears a size in pants that is a little harder to find as well. He is a 38/34. I don't have as much luck in the pants department but have found them on occasion.

I always swing by the purses also. I am really not a huge purse person but if I see I deal I will grab it! My daughter Kaylee, found a Coach purse there last year for a steal so I always look with no luck! Well  Last month I scored this Dooney & Bourke purse for $40. Its just my style and my price!

 I'm not a cheap person I just like nice things and don't want to spend more than they are really worth. What deals have you found lately???

This Weekends Bushel Basket Project

This weekend was a super relaxing weekend.  I got a lot done around the house, planned meals and went grocery shopping. I even had time for a project I have been wanting to do for some time.

I belong to an online yard sale site through facebook.  In Sept. I scored a bunch of bushel baskets for next to nothing. I loved decorating with them in the fall and I gave some to Jessica who used them as well. I still have a lot that aren't being used so I decided to put them to good use in the laundry room and our pantry for storing things. I focused on the laundry room this time.

I began by picking the size basket  I wanted to use and cleaning them out really good. Then I had to decide what colors I wanted to use. That was the hardest for me because I wanted them to match but still be some cute colors. I decided on using Krylon Cover Max Spray paint with primer. I got cherry red, seaside green, and a blue ocean breeze.

Next I had to find a good place to spray that was covered from the weather because of course it was snowing today! I set up under our deck which is mostly covered. The red and green took three coats, the blue took like four and I ran out because it soaked in the paint like a sponge. I want to put one or two more coats on it when I can run out and get more. They dried super fast and within two hours they were inside ready for the mini chalkboards to be attached.

I used a hot glue gun to attach the chalkboards to the baskets. Then I used a chalk marker to write what I wanted on them. They work great and now i'm hooked on them!

 Here's the end result. I placed them on the shelf above the table in the laundry room. I think they turned out adorable! The entire project, since I already had the baskets, cost about $20.
Next I want to put some in the pantry for lunch bags and boxes and other misc. things.

My daughter Savanna got creative with the markers and wrote on the chalkboard we have in the kitchen. I think these chalk markers are going to be a big hit in our house.

Have a great Monday 

 LET IT SNOW!!!

My Favs

Well, thanks to my daughters Jessica and Kaylee, I am hooked on Vineyard Vines and ivory ella clothing. I received some of their shirts and sweatshirts for Christmas and oh my gosh, how comfortable they are! If there is one thing you should know about me, I am a comfortable dresser way before fancy but like to look cute and put together. When i'm home its yoga pants or sweats and out yoga pants or jeans with a sweater, sweatshirt or casual shirt. I just need to be comfortable!!!



 My shoes consist of boots, UGG slip ons (three pairs of which i almost always wear this time of year), and one pair of tennis shoes. I do have dressier shoes but almost never wear them unless I have to. In the summer I have Birkenstocks which I pretty much live in daily! I am a simple dresser, yes I like the nice things but don't need a lot of them to be happy.

As far as pajamas I love plaid and absolutely LOVE these that  I got for Christmas this year from Victoria's Secret.




I hope everyone one has a terrific weekend, as for me I will be hanging out in my college sweatpants with my favorite Vineyard Vines or Ivory ella top relaxing and thinking of my next decorating project!

Our crazy cat story

Happy Friday...
I can't believe its Friday already and the middle of January! My mom always said the older you get the faster time goes and it is so true!

I know I have shared with you some crazy stories of our big family's adventures over the years. I thought I would share another one today. When you have a big family it seems something is always up.


It was the middle of January several years ago. Jessica and we were on our way to take Mitchell to preschool. As we drove I thought I heard a cat meow a couple of times. I didn't think much of it because I thought it was Mitchell in the back making noises. After a couple of minutes I said asked Jessica if she heard it and she said no. I opened the window and heard it even louder. At that moment I was like, "Oh my gosh, there is a cat somewhere in our car but I couldn't imagine where it could be.

 Our cats were indoor ones so it couldn't be them, plus I keep my car in the garage, so it couldn't be a stray...Oh did I mention that it had began to snow fairly hard on our way there. When we arrived at his school I told Jessica to take Mitchell in and I began to look in the back area of the truck underneath. I could hear the cat meowing, but I couldn't see it. Finally I spotted OUR white cat way up underneath but every time I reached for him he backed further in. At this point it was snowing like crazy and I was up under the truck getting dirty and wet and must have looked like I was nuts! Suddenly I heard a mans voice asking if I needed help. There was an older gentleman dressed in his formal army suit. He said he was on his way to a funeral but wanted to help me. He spent a good 20 minutes trying to get the cat out but then had to leave with no luck.


After talking with Jim on the phone we decided that I would carefully and very slowly drive home in hopes that when we are parked back in the garage, maybe he would feel safe and come out. So we proceeded home very very slowly. When we pulled in the garage I quickly closed it and we opened the door to the house and quick as lightening the cat dashed out from under the truck and ran into the house. Just like that the cat was inside safe and sound and I was still dripping wet, greasy, dirty and still in shock and fear of him getting away or badly hurt!

We still have no idea how he got out in the garage long enough to hide where he did, we were just thankful he was OK.

Anyone else have any crazy animal stories?

Decorated for Winter house tour

So my focus this past weekend was to decorate a little for winter. I always hate how empty the house looks after you take all the Christmas decorations down so I have my stash of winter ones that way its still warm and inviting when its 10 degrees outside.

My favorite to decorate is, of course, the mantel. I kept it simple but pretty and of course added white lights just for the winter.

 I put greens on the mantel with red berries to make it show up more and give it some color. I used white lights to make it warm and inviting.

 This cute little silver tree I got this weekend at Yankee candle and was exactly what I was looking for and it was 60% off! 

 The two lanterns are the same colors and are on both sides for the mantel  I put some lights inside of them to make them look lite.

 These two little sleigh riders were my moms and I remember them as a kids They are adorable to put just about anywhere you want.

This picture I got last year for Christmas and I love to keep it up all year. At Christmas I put it over the TV then I move it to over the fireplace for the winter. 

I also decorated the little cabinet net to the fireplace with berries, greens and various snowmen.

These were also my moms wooden cut out snowmen that I remember her buying at a craft fair. 

This Yankee candle wax burner I got for Christmas from Savanna and absolutely love! It burns little plastic filled wax smells that are easy to change when you get sick of the same smell then pop the top on and use it again.

My dining room decorated for winter. I keep some lite greens over the china closet and have the same centerpiece with greens and berries. Some winter plates and teapot add to the winter theme.

The Kitchen  table runner is an adorable tapestry snowman theme. Its great for Christmas or winter. The centerpiece matches and has the winter greens to add to it.

 Over the kitchen cabinets I kept my houses up since they have the winter theme. They are so cute and add so much life to the kitchen and from the floor you can't tell some are decorated for Christmas. 

DONE with the winter decor on the first floor.I haven't gotten around to taking pictures of the other decorations upstairs and down.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Thursday!