Yeah, Like That Worked!

So my End Of Year Resolution didn't quite make it past day two.

So here is my next idea for New Year's Resolutions.

I got this in an email and had to share!

Words for Women to Live By

1. Aspire to be Barbie - the bitch has everything.

2. If the shoe fits - buy them in every color.

3. Take life with a pinch of salt... A wedge of lime, and a shot of tequila.

4. In need of a support group? - Cocktail hour with the girls!

5. Go on the 30 day diet. (I'm on it and so far I've lost 15 days).

6. When life gets you down - just put on your big girl panties and deal with it.

7. Let your greatest fear be that there is no PMS and this is just your personality.

8. I know I'm in my own little world, but it's ok. They know me here.

9 Lead me not into temptation, I can find it myself.

10. Don't get your knickers in a knot; it solves nothing and makes you walk funny.

11. When life gives you lemons - buy some Coronas. (Not really me, but maybe for you!)

12. Forget about the perfect man - he's living in San Fran with his boyfriend.

13. Keep your chin up, only the first 40 years of parenthood are the hardest.

14. If it has tires or testicles it's gonna give you trouble.

15. By the time a women realizes her mother was right, she has a daughter who thinks she's wrong. ( Yay! I have a boy!)

End of year resolution

I've always bailed on traditional New Year's Resolutions. I guess the Christmas season comes and goes so quickly, that January is all of a sudden there and I hadn't had time to even think about a resolution. So instead of stressing about it, I just don't resolve to do or not do a single thing.
This year I'm trying something different. I'm calling it an End of the Year Resolution.
It will start December 1st. As I write this post, it is less than 30 minutes from being December first. Still kind of last minute, huh?
Anyway, I figure if I get the hang of this resolution by the time January hits, I've got it IN THE BAG!!
What do I resolve?
I resolve to track every morsel I put in my mouth. Every bite, lick and taste. ( thank you Weight Watchers)
I also have a "cleaning schedule" in my calendar so I do one or two things a day. Sometimes nothing is scheduled, but then I'm not stuck with hours of cleaning on the weekend. I've kind of gotten away from that.
I resolve to do the chores on the day I've scheduled them and not let them pile up.

Do you make N.Y. Resolutions?





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Location:State of Insanity

FreeCycle

Have you heard of freecycle.org?

I love it!! It's a great concept. Here's a bit of their history.

I have found some really great things on it and have helped folks get some things they need as well!

One of the many things I've found, and it never occurred to me that I would, was friendship.

There was a gal on there who was posting a lot of stuff. Lots of kids stuff, so I was keeping my eyes peeled for anything for Josh. The reason I remember her is that her name is Stephanie. Great name!!
Anyway, I went to her house to pick some things up a few times. Turns out she lives just 3 blocks away. Easy and on the way to the park so Josh and I can multi task!

One day we decided we really need to get our boys together for a play date. Her son, Logan, will be 3 next month and mine just turned 2.
They ADORE each other!
Josh will wake up from a nap and when he used to say Dada or Mama he now says "Gogan?? Gogan??" He really likes playing with Logan!

Steph and I have a great time together too!
Back in May, Steph and her sister Jen ( I know, it's too weird right?) started walking and biking a 3 mile route every other day. Biking one day and walking the other.
I met Steph in mid August I think. They had each lost a considerable amount of weight from this. I'm so shy, I just blurted out, " Can I come too?"
They didn't mind at all and their duo became a trio.
Neighbors along the route commented that they were multiplying. Cool that people noticed. They really HAD walked every day!

It's been getting cooler out and darker earlier so we've been discussing getting a gym membership.
Cha ching!!! Bells and whistles going off in my brain. Good news is that we found a gym with a super decent fee and at the time of our enrollment ( a week ago today) there was zero enrollment fee!! Sweet!

We had a physical evaluation with a trainer. After answering a ton of questions and getting some measurements, I was informed that to get to an average body composition I would need to lose 49 pounds. I was floored!! He wasn't telling me I had to lose 100 pounds!! whoo hoo!! I have had a goal weight in my head for a long time now. Not a small number, but I remember looking good and feeling good at that weight. Losing 49 pounds now would bring me 10 pounds away from achieving that!

So we've been using the treadmills and elliptical and the weights. They have free day care for your first child at the gym as well. Yes!! I can work out in the morning some days!! Josh loves the play room too! It's a huge win win!!

I weighed myself today. I know it's a few days from "that time of the month" and I haven't lost a single pound, but I am not discouraged. I have 2 new friends who double as work out buddies and one of my neighbors has been using a guest pass
for a few days at the gym and might join as well. We are filling another neighbor in on the idea of joining the gym and it's possible I could have 4 work out buddies soon!

I really needed to get some inspiration to lose weight. Steph and Jen are it. Between the two of them, they have lost more than 60 pounds since May. Steph and I are getting to be pretty good friends as well.
God does answer prayers. It killed me to not have any friends down here. The people I did meet were always working or busy with family life.
That really made me miss my Green Bay friends.

Thanks Freecycle!!!

Hey Ladies...

Is it just me? After a long day, is there anything better than that moment when you take your bra off and all the stress of the day seems to come off with it???
Ahhhhhh!



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Frustration gets the best of me.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (for pure convection, adjust accordingly; I used 310 F on convection). Grease cookie sheets, or line them with parchment paper or use a Silpat (which is what I did).

Sift the flour, salt and baking soda and set aside.

Mix the sugars and butter just until thoroughly mixed, then add egg, yolk and vanilla and mix until creamy. Add the sifted ingredients and mix until just blended.

Stir in the chocolate chips/chunks, then drop dough 1/4 cup at a time on a cookie sheet, about 3 inches apart, and bake for 15-17 minutes. Leave them on the cookie sheet to cool a bit when removed from the oven (this is important… they fall apart if you move them too quickly). Once they cool a few minutes, remove the cookies to a cooling rack to finish cooling. Or eat them right away, with milk!

Hair Ordeal. Part 3

So here I go again.
In limbo waiting for the next hairstylist to drop into my lap.
I'm thru with hunting. I am beyond frustrated.

About 3 or 4 months after my class reunion, I was getting anxious for a new "do".
I mentioned this to Julie and she told me she needed to try this new place that was in town. ( Her town, not mine. We live about 20 min. or so apart.) Scott's HQ Salon.
She tried it. When I saw her hair I thought it was the BOMB!!! :-)
I thought that I could give that guy a shot with my straight, fine, boring hair.
When I called, I of course wanted to be seen that day or the next.
Scott said he didn't have any openings, but one of his gals did. Ana.
He promised she was great.
Boy was she ever!!
She asked me what I wanted to do. I told her to have fun. I wanted it shorter and I was bored with the color. The rest I left up to her. This is before.


And this, my friends, is after! My hair has NEVER been this cute! This is "Rena worthy" hair! ( great friend who always has great hair dos! )

Ana, you are amazing!!
So I've been to see her a couple of times now. I'm still in that 4-6 month mindset.
My hair still rocks. I think it was about 3 or 4 weeks after one of my visits to Ana, some lady came up to me as church was being let out. I have no idea who this woman is. We have a very large congregation. I hardly know anyone. :-)
Anyway, she came right up to me and said, "I just had to tell you that I just love your hair! Everything about it, the cut the color, everything!"
Wow! That really made my day!!! I thanked her a few times I think!

I was pleased to know that after 3 weeks, I could still style it so it looked great!!
So you'd think my story was over. That would be too easy.

My little family was visiting Julie's family and she said, " Oh yeah, Scott's HQ is moving. Well at least Scott is." Something about the rent being increased.
I just about freaked out. No no no no no!! This can't be happening!!!!

She said that he was taking one girl with him to the new place where he would be renting a chair for awhile. She wasn't sure, but thought it was Ana.
I just called today and left a message to find out for sure. I may be needing a hair cut in the next 2 or 3 months and I'd just like to know.

So when I find out, you'll find out.

My Hair Ordeal. Part 2

So off to Illinois I go!!
I dread looking for new stylist!!! I had last seen Cindy in April. Just before my wedding.
Now keep in mind that I am used to going every 6-8 weeks.
That would put me somewhere in June.
Well, by the time I came to terms with the fact that Cindy's schedule ( now Tuesday through Thursday ) and my weekend trips of Friday through Sunday were never going to accommodate a hair cut. I decided to start looking for salons.
Did I mention it's October? 6 months!!! not 6 weeks! I have been living in "hair hell"!


Well I found this nice little shop up in Antioch. I drive to Antioch for church and Keith's brother and sister in law live up there. It's a really quaint little downtown area.
I went in thinking I want to have a perm so I can grow it out. Then I wouldn't need to come in so often. Which would work out especially well if this gal turned out to not be so great. I hate telling stylists that I want a perm. You'd think you were asking them to
give you a mullet!
So I just kept my mouth shut about that and told myself to let this gal do what she thought was best. Well to a certain dollar amount!

So after looking at my hair and touching it she suggested a texture wave.
Texture wave? What on earth is that???? Some new fangled thing?
So I asked her if it was anything like a perm. She leaned over and whispered " we don't call them that anymore." It was sort of like we were at some big soiree and she was instructing me on who to talk to and who not to talk to and that I shouldn't belch in public.

I was relieved though. She actually told me that I should get what I wanted and I hadn't even told her!
Sweet! Things went well, she was fun and my hair looked great!
I booked a trim for December.

I was in the grocery store when they called to confirm. But they told me the name of
some other gal. I said no, not Summer ( or what ever they said) but with Lisa.
Well, Lisa was no longer with them. Kill me now! I found a great stylist right off the bat and she was ripped away from me just like that??? Forget it!!

I told the gal on the phone I really wanted to see Lisa and as that wasn't going to happen I cancelled my appointment.
I wasn't able to get any info on where she went or if she was even doing hair anymore.
I was bummed!

Well it's February. I get an email. It's from Lisa! She's opened her own shop!!
Yay!!
I booked right away! If you remember, it had been October since my last cut. I was doing better, 4 months instead of 6.

Again, fabulous job. I booked another appointment.
I called in March to see if I could change my appointment around a little.
They were glad I called. Lisa was no longer there. Well they said a temporary leave of absence.
I calmly cancelled my appointment and sat at my desk, dumbfounded.

I needed to get in before Easter. The good news is I was headed to Green Bay and I'd be there on Thursday before Easter. I called my mom to see if she could bribe Cindy to get me in that day.
We have a winner folks!! 3 pm!! I think she normally leaves at 3, but I can't say for sure. Yay yay yay!!

So I'm good again for awhile til I find someone else!!

I was introduced to a colleague of Keith's the summer before we had Josh.
Julie. She had just had a baby in March. Her first as well.
Julie and her hubby and Keith and I got together a few times.
Julie's hair is always awesome. So I asked her where she goes. She told me his name is Alex. I'd never had a guy do my hair before. Can't hurt right? I mean really, what could be worse than "bomb scare hair"?

So Julie and I booked back to back appointments. Our hubbies were home with our boys. We were out doing girly things. It was like heaven!

Alex did a super job!! Oh and that guy at the shampoo bowl? He really knows how to massage a scalp!! Bliss!!!

I continued to see Alex. By now I'd gotten used to going about 3 times a year.
Alex moved from his current salon to one in Barrington. That's about 30 minutes from my house, but so is everything else. So I headed out to Barrington.

It's July. I need help!!!


Alex saves the day!




And I'm good again for awhile. I called him in August and told him my 20 year class reunion was in September and I want it colored and highlighted or whatever. I just wanted to look great! He told me that he'd call me back the following week to book it.
Never did.
I was bummed again!! So I didn't nothing exciting with my hair for the big event.
Keith and I actually left early. Very early :-)

So back to square one finding a stylist.
I guess I should stop now and give you a part three soon!!

Yes, the saga continues!