Welcome Back Old Man Winter

It's Tuesdayyyyy
only 14 days til Christmas!
I always get confused with count down... do you count today, do you count the day you are counting down til?
Who knows... that shit's creeping up on me
end of story.
I'm still working on our Christmas Eve box.... any motivation is currently being accepted.

This weeks link up is winter related, and seems to have perfect timing.
There's only 3 link ups left so make sure you hop around to the other blogs
We have some great ladies who participate!!

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                                           Fashionable snow boots, practical snow boots

Fashionable AND pratical. BOOM 

I just saw these boots... and I need them... like yesterday

           

BecauseofJackie

                                                      
                                                                                                          Hat or ear muffs 

I hate ear muffs. I am not 6 and they are not attractive on anyone. 
I wear those cheap hats you buy for like 3 bucks that never stay down over your ears, and make you look like you are trying to be gangsta 

     Snowed in or playing out in the snow 

Playing out in the snow. I love days where it's still warm, but 3 feet of fresh snow on the ground.

      Sledding or snow tubing 

Honestly I am kinda of terrified of both. I don't love being out of control and gaining speed down a hill on something without breaks. Especially since around where we live whats waiting to stop you at the bottom is usually a stone wall.  

      Almost winter or Winter’s almost over

Winter's almost over.
I don't love the cold.
I bear it because I love New England.
I also hate mud season which follows winter for you southern folk, who only know hot and chilly.
All that beautiful snow we get?
It melts, and turns into mud, like I get stuck in my own driveway mud. 

That's it ladies!! So blog hop find some new friends!
See you tomorrow for some workout challenges!!

Biggest Loser Half Way

This past Saturday was my half way point in the biggest loser comp.

I weighted EXACTLY the same. 

I busted my fricking ass last week. 

I ate like 99% clean, I worked out every day. 

I gave it my all at the gym... I'm STILL sore. 

I was so excited to weigh in, while my goal was 2 pounds I was hoping for one. 

When I saw the exact same number as last week, I wanted to cry. 

I know its a journey, and it's not over yet. 

I know I should be proud of my NSV just as much as my number on the scale. 

I was really upset. 

I have never gotten upset over the number on the scale before. 

EVER. 

I have been upset with the way I look and the way I feel, but I have never felt the way I did on Saturday. 

I was sick of working out and I wanted to eat whatever I wanted. 

This was a wake up call for me, because honestly I love going to the gym. 

I love eating clean and healthy and the way I feel, but that stupid little number made me resent that, and start doubting myself. 

I texted some of my friends hoping they would wallow in my pool of self-pity with me, but they wouldn't. 

Bitches.

They told me to not get discouraged and keep going. 

To remember how far I've come 

Found this GEM on our old camera.

This weekend was jam packed with Christmas stuff, and on the way to weigh in Mabel asked me if we could listen to Christmas music. 

I never really get into the holiday spirit, but all of a sudden I was overcome with excitement and happiness that I have my own little family to start traditions with and enjoy the spirit of Christmas. 

Then I weighed in...

Every thing changed. 

I hated the world, and I was so angry. 

This mood didn't go away all weekend. 

Looking back I feel horrible. 

I should have been happy and living in the moment, moments that I will never get back, but instead I was stuffing my face with poptarts (pumpkin pie flavored which are bomb btw). 

Then I felt as horrible as I was acting, which just made it even worse. 

GAH I'm getting angry at myself as I'm writing this!

SO I'm breaking up with the scale for a little while. 

Until after the holidays. 

I don't need that negativity in my life right now, I need some lovins on my kids. 

I love going to the gym, and I don't want to resent my morning workouts. 

Next weekend we are going to visit my mom, and I'm going to make healthy choices the entire time. 

Not because I'm worried about gaining, but because they make me feel better. 

I also took halfway progress pictures this weekend. 

I see a difference which just proves that I need a break from the scale even more. 

As far as the weekend that I wasn't fully present for, the kids saw Santa...

Chip hated it.

Mabel loved it

We got our tree

I won with a brown and gold, glittery animal print ornament. 

We played in the snow (which is still coming down).

And I almost died at the grocery store.

I hope everyone is safe and warm today! Tomorrows theme for This or That has perfect Timing. 

Fashionable snow boots, practical snow boots?

Hat, ear muffs?

Snowed in, playing out in the snow?

Sledding, snow tubing?

Almost winter, Winter’s almost over?

Just call me Half Pint Please

I'm pretty sure I said this every day for a good portion of my childhood.

Then in college I got Scarlet Fever 

Because I have awesome luck

And while I was practically dying in the hospital the nurses joked that they hadn't heard of actual cases of scarlet fever only on tv

Then they started calling me half pint...

Oh the way the world works.

If you aren't getting any of these references you should stop here 

We also can't be friends

Okay I guess we can but a good potion of our friendship will consist of me updating you on the ways of 

Little House on the Prarire.

The. Best. Show. Ever.
I've seen every episode twice and I loved it til the very end... even through Alberts morphine addiction.

Why am I not embarrassed to admit my undying obsession with this show?

Probably because little 6-10 year old super super nerdy abnormal child had way more shows to be embarrassed about. 

So today I bring you

5 shows I'm extremely embarrassed to admit I've seen every episode.

Let me preface this by saying i totally believe in reincarnation because there is no other explination as to why a little girls tv line up would look like this...

1. Quantum leap 

I would still watch this show if it was on. Obviously from my LHotP obsession I wanted to live in another time and this show he time traveled so it was a total win win. 

2. Highlander

This one totally makes sense for an 8 year old...oh wait..nope cutting peoples heads off with swords to steal their power isn't quite 8 year girl material 

3. Beauty and the Beast

Not the normal kid movie that I should have enjoyed the creepy fucking tv show about the underground people who live in sewers and a deformed guy in love with a girl from above ground.

4. Scarlett the Gone with the Wind TV mini series

This movie was my favorite and I watched it over and over on my VHS tapes holla! So when they came out with the continuation on a mini series I have my first tv heart attack and set every alarm clock in my house to press record at the perfect time. WHERE WERE YOU DVR?!

5. Stairway to Heaven 

I had a thing for Michael Landon and my first AIM screen name was LandonMic87 and now I'm officially embarrassed...

Now before you get all hoity toidty and tell me how these shows were on before my time... you've heard of re-runs right.
Get over it.
It was new to me ya heard.

Yeah I know I was awesome. I'm even going to include these gems so you can get a full visual of my childhood.

Thats Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade for ya.
Apparently I had a fear of forgetting which one was me....

Have a good week everybody, and cross your fingers I lost some weight somewhere this week!!

Christmas Traditions To Come

I almost didn't do this link up

Two reasons

We don't really have any traditions

And my mind was focused on some more important things today like this 

...yeah I'm not going to go details cause it really just goes downhill from there. 

Any who back to the point 

We don't have any traditions
I mean we do the whole Santa pictures... so I guess there's that.

I also never had any traditions growing up.

Don't feel bad cause I don't! 

I had two households as a kid and sometimes I was at my moms Christmas Eve and my dad's Christmas Day and sometime vise versa 

That makes it a little hard to have traditions.

I'm sure my husband had loads of them because his familys like that 

You know perfect and shit.

Just kidding...kinda.

So I wasn't going to do this link up until I realized I'm starting a tradition this year! 

Thank goodness my kids can't read because this would sure spoil it. 

Also hubs stop reading here.

Just kiddin he never reads this.

This year I'm starting the tradition of a Christmas Eve box.

I am making by hand matching pj bottoms for the whole family as well as appliqués tops.

Personalized hot chocolate mugs,

And filling the box with hot chocolate marshmallows, cookies, two Xmas books and a movie. 

Now everyone pray I get all that shit done in time.

This is the fabric for the boys 

And this is for the girls

I'm now taking suggestions for a good movie! 

Just Hit 100

This is my 100th post.

I am shocked I am still here to be honest. 

I have met so many wonderful people and found so much inspiration through this blog that I ain't going anywhere!

I have been thinking about how I could give back and how I could help someone else get motivated just the way I did. 

I think I have a little plan. 

I am in the process of getting a few blog friends together and we are planning a huge giveaway in January. 

A "New Year for a New You" giveaway. 

It's going to be big and going to be awesome so make sure you follow me so you'll know when shit goes down. 

This morning I absolutely killed it in the gym. 

Like I was crying sweat. 

I'm sure I've mentioned it before but the key to cardio for me is getting sucked into a good series. 

I've been watching Once Upon a Time and I can't stop. 

This morning the whole time I was lifting I was thinking about my run after so I could start the next episode. 

Sometimes I even extend my run so I can finish watching. 

I promise it helps. 

My girl Skinnymeg has been doing a Workout Wednesday for awhile but I'm not to hot with graphics, so I haven't linked up, but I figured I would give it a shot today. 

Here is my leg day... don't blame me if you can't walk. 

Only go as heavy as you can while still finishing all your reps. 

I don't always understand fancy terms like sets supersets, reps blah blah so I told you what I do in human talk. 

wow this looks like a 2nd grader did it....

If you try it let me know what you think. 

Let me know if you want more. 

If you are nervous about getting into lifting weights and aren't sure what to do in the gym...you are going to want to enter my giveaway (hint hint).

Secret Selfies at work!

Happy Wednesday friends now go hump some people!

This or That Link Up

So this weeks theme is Make Your House a Home.

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When I was thinking about the questions and how I was going to answer them I decided to ask my husband the same questions

He answered them so quickly like rapid fire 

He didn't even think or explain his answers

Men!

I asked him how the hell he just knew each one and he said

"I thought you were asking me where I would rather have sex"

.....

Well that explains it. 

I figured I would have a little fun with it this week and answer the questions my way AND his way. 

The dirty answers are in red!

Wrap around deck or screened in porch 

I would love both of these! A wrap around with a screened in section. I love being outside and decks are my favorite besides I love a good deck joke

"Have you seen my husbands deck it's so big!"

Screened in porch it gets cold up here. 

Big luxurious bathtub or Walk in Closet

If I choose walk in closet do that mean I magically get enough clothes to fill it? Right now I barely fill up my regular closet. 

I also don't really love cooking myself in a bath so I'll pass on that.

I'm goin to have to say walk in closet again besides if I have enough cloths for a walk in I'll probably have some boas or leather in there....

Kitchen with an Island or Kitchen with a Breakfast Bar

Growing up my best friend's kitchen had an island AND a breakfast bar. To this day when I picture my dream kitchen I picture hers. If I had to choose though I would probably say an island, with hooks over it so we can hang our pans like they do in the movies. 
Island.... a breakfast bar would be too high.

Big Front Yard, or Big Back Yard

Our house has a big front yard but our house isn't parallel to the road so it's kind of a side yard? Does that even make sense. In normal terms I would have to say big back yard, it's more private and when the kids are playing out there you don't have to worry about them being right next to the road.
Back yard, because we when are playing out there we don't have to worry about being right next to the road... 

Bountiful garden or nearby grocery store

Garden hands down. 

Again garden hands down...I'm not into that public shit. 

El Loser Grande Numero Cuatro

That's a little ESPANOL for you folks.

Nice and early on a Monday morning after a long weekend to get your brain moving. 

I skipped out on Blogging for quite a few days last week, but I did NOT skip out on my diet. 

I did really well on Thanksgiving. 

I did indulge but I did NOT over indulge. 

I felt good.

I also got to the gym the day before and the day after. 

The day of  I did my run to my MIL's house and let me tell you, 

That shit was cold. 

I dressed warm but the wind cut right through my pants and I felt like I was running in just a thong. 

The route I run take me right down some of the busiest streets in our town, which normally I hate

On Thanksgiving though I love it

I get a lot of honks and waves, and thumbs up. 

It helps me stay motivated. 

The smells of turkey coming from everyone's house doesn't hurt either. 

Saturday I had my weigh in for week #4 and since I was up .5 last week I was really nervous about this week. 

I had some pie, I had some beers. 

I was sure I gained and I wasn't sure if I was ready to face another gain two weeks in a row. 

The two friends I'm doing this challenge with felt the same way, and while talking to Lauren 

we both decided it would be good for us if we went. 

It could be a shock, or a slap in the face. 

Either way we could use either outcome to motivate us for the next three weeks until Christmas. 

She stayed exactly the same 

and I am down .05

So overall in the last 4 weeks I have lost 5.3 pounds and I'm pretty damn proud. 

We are going to visit my mom in two weeks and that is my next short term goal. 

No cheats for two weeks. 

No dairy, because apparently it makes me feel like shit

No booze....womp womp

No sweets, except my creamer which I can't live without and I vow to measure it with actual measuring spoons instead of pouring until my coffee turns to milk....

Oh SLAM...but not true...at all. 

I also want to burn 500 calories a day. 

I usually do this at the gym, but sometimes I don't get all 500 in the time I have so I will do a second workout at night to make up for it. 

I hope to be down 4 pounds by the time we visit my mom, but we shall see! 

If you are looking for some more inspiration go check out my homegirl Alicia at BrewMama

She just did a 30 day challenge and she seriously rocked it. 

I'm trying to talk her into training for a half at the same time Jodi and I train. 

I'm breaking her down little by little I know it. 

Tomorrow is our This or That link up and here are the questions. 

The theme is Make Your House a Home. 

Screened in Porch or Wrap Around Deck

Big Luxurious Bathtub, or Huge Walk in Closet

Kitchen with an Island, or Kitchen with a Breakfast Bar

Big Front Yard, or Big Back Yard

Bountiful Garden or Nearby Grocery Store

See you tomorrow dolls!