I have given up.
Given up candy that is.
"For the rest of your life?", you may ask.
Heck no! Are you kidding me! I would never do something that idiotic. That would suck the life out of life!
Just until Halloween.
Why?
To lose a little weight? To save a little money? Mostly because I want to prove to myself that I will not die without candy.
April- October. Those are the chosen months of torture.
But I didn't just choose these months willy-nilly. Nope. They were strategically chosen.
How?
You see, April-Oct are the "no-good-candy-anyway" months.
There are no Coconut Cream Dove eggs in May. You don't see Cherry Cordial Hershey's Kisses in June. No-one randomly makes and gives you a plate of homemade candy in July. No mint flavored M&Ms in August nor will there be any heart shaped candy boxes knocking on your door in September.
October-April contain the holidays Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Years Eve, Hubs' birthday, Valentines Day and Easter, not to mention six out of the seven birthdays in our family fall between the months of October and April.
So, will the Candy-Fast of 2017 be hard? Heck yes!
But it could be worse.
Friday, May 26, 2017
Saturday, April 15, 2017
Things I've learned...
...dyeing Easter eggs.
1. 5 kids x 6 eggs each= too many hard boiled eggs.
2. I can never boil a full batch of eggs without at least one shell breaking in the water.
3. Who knew dyeing eggs could be so complex. Now you can dye them normal, tie dye, metallic, glittery, with crayons, with tape, stickers. Just..wow.
4. No amount of newspaper will protect your wood table from that bowl of dye that is guaranteed to spill. No worries. It comes off after about a month of scrubbing.
5. What do you get when you dip the egg in every color? A really ugly egg that is called "so pretty" because it was made by your child.
6. Why do we hide these eggs? No-one gets excited about finding the boiled eggs...I mean, really.
7. Once they are boiled, dyed, hidden, and found...there is no way that shell is coming off the egg without a fight.
8. It is the ONLY time when it's okay that the egg whites are now blue, green, purple, and metallic brown (thanks to that "pretty egg").
9. Deviled eggs, potato salad, and salad topping: There's only so much you can do with a hard boiled egg. What in the heck do I do with the other 20 eggs? No, really. What??
10. Boiled eggs make for a smelly weekend. You know what I'm talking about. I have 4 boys. and with gas coming out both ends....Let's just say Easter has its own distinct smell.
Happy Easter to you all!!
1. 5 kids x 6 eggs each= too many hard boiled eggs.
2. I can never boil a full batch of eggs without at least one shell breaking in the water.
3. Who knew dyeing eggs could be so complex. Now you can dye them normal, tie dye, metallic, glittery, with crayons, with tape, stickers. Just..wow.
4. No amount of newspaper will protect your wood table from that bowl of dye that is guaranteed to spill. No worries. It comes off after about a month of scrubbing.
5. What do you get when you dip the egg in every color? A really ugly egg that is called "so pretty" because it was made by your child.
6. Why do we hide these eggs? No-one gets excited about finding the boiled eggs...I mean, really.
7. Once they are boiled, dyed, hidden, and found...there is no way that shell is coming off the egg without a fight.
8. It is the ONLY time when it's okay that the egg whites are now blue, green, purple, and metallic brown (thanks to that "pretty egg").
9. Deviled eggs, potato salad, and salad topping: There's only so much you can do with a hard boiled egg. What in the heck do I do with the other 20 eggs? No, really. What??
10. Boiled eggs make for a smelly weekend. You know what I'm talking about. I have 4 boys. and with gas coming out both ends....Let's just say Easter has its own distinct smell.
Happy Easter to you all!!
Wednesday, March 15, 2017
Spark
"Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain" by John J. Ratey M.D.
Goodreads Summary:
Did you know you can beat stress, lift your mood, fight memory loss, sharpen your intellect, and function better than ever simply by elevating your heart rate and breaking a sweat? The evidence is incontrovertible: Aerobic exercise physically remodels our brains for peak performance.
In SPARK, John J. Ratey, M.D., embarks upon a fascinating and entertaining journey through the mind-body connection, presenting startling research to prove that exercise is truly our best defense against everything from depression to ADD to addiction to aggression to menopause to Alzheimer's. Filled with amazing case studies (such as the revolutionary fitness program in Naperville, Illinois, which has put this school district of 19,000 kids first in the world of science test scores), SPARK is the first book to explore comprehensively the connection between exercise and the brain. It will change forever the way you think about your morning run---or, for that matter, simply the way you think.
My Review:
I loved the information from this book. I really don't think we understand the various ways and the amount of benefit that our bodies get from exercising. I know that I had no idea the effect exercise had on testing, depression, mental health, and ADHD. I loved this book. It really is a book for everyone, young and old, the fit and the unfit, the energetic and the depressed. Read it. It's a good one.
Goodreads Summary:
Did you know you can beat stress, lift your mood, fight memory loss, sharpen your intellect, and function better than ever simply by elevating your heart rate and breaking a sweat? The evidence is incontrovertible: Aerobic exercise physically remodels our brains for peak performance.
In SPARK, John J. Ratey, M.D., embarks upon a fascinating and entertaining journey through the mind-body connection, presenting startling research to prove that exercise is truly our best defense against everything from depression to ADD to addiction to aggression to menopause to Alzheimer's. Filled with amazing case studies (such as the revolutionary fitness program in Naperville, Illinois, which has put this school district of 19,000 kids first in the world of science test scores), SPARK is the first book to explore comprehensively the connection between exercise and the brain. It will change forever the way you think about your morning run---or, for that matter, simply the way you think.
My Review:
I loved the information from this book. I really don't think we understand the various ways and the amount of benefit that our bodies get from exercising. I know that I had no idea the effect exercise had on testing, depression, mental health, and ADHD. I loved this book. It really is a book for everyone, young and old, the fit and the unfit, the energetic and the depressed. Read it. It's a good one.
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
A Man Named Ove
"A Man Name Ove" by Fredrik Backman
Goodreads Summary:
A grumpy yet loveable man finds his solitary world turned on its head when a boisterous young family moves in next door.
Meet Ove. He's a curmudgeon, the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him the bitter neighbor from hell, but must Ove be bitter just because he doesn't walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?
Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove's mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents' association to their very foundations.
My review:
I loved this book. Who doesn't like grumpy old men? They say what they think without much filter. I love how this book was written. The more we read Ove's story, the more we know of Ove and Ove is not who he appears to be. Underneath his hard shell, there is a lot to love. This is definitely one of my favorites so far this year. Ove stole my heart.
Goodreads Summary:
A grumpy yet loveable man finds his solitary world turned on its head when a boisterous young family moves in next door.
Meet Ove. He's a curmudgeon, the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him the bitter neighbor from hell, but must Ove be bitter just because he doesn't walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?
Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove's mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents' association to their very foundations.
My review:
I loved this book. Who doesn't like grumpy old men? They say what they think without much filter. I love how this book was written. The more we read Ove's story, the more we know of Ove and Ove is not who he appears to be. Underneath his hard shell, there is a lot to love. This is definitely one of my favorites so far this year. Ove stole my heart.
Monday, March 6, 2017
Things I've learned...
...loving good Mexican food.
There is no Mexican food like 'New Mexican' Mexican food.
Chips and salsa are more than just an appetizer. They are addictive.
Some dishes require milk to enjoy properly.
The best restaurants are usually located next to a laundry mat.
If they don't ask "Do you want red or green?" you should just stand up and walk out.
The Breakfast Burrito. Enough said.
If you don't know what green chili is, you haven't lived.
Not all beans and rice are made equal.
TexMex is not Mexican food.
Free sopapillas are a restaurant's way of giving you a tip.
There is no Mexican food like 'New Mexican' Mexican food.
Chips and salsa are more than just an appetizer. They are addictive.
Some dishes require milk to enjoy properly.
The best restaurants are usually located next to a laundry mat.
If they don't ask "Do you want red or green?" you should just stand up and walk out.
The Breakfast Burrito. Enough said.
If you don't know what green chili is, you haven't lived.
Not all beans and rice are made equal.
TexMex is not Mexican food.
Free sopapillas are a restaurant's way of giving you a tip.
Saturday, March 4, 2017
Ashwend's Day
"Happy Ashwend's Day!!" he said when I answered the phone.
"Happy what?" I asked wondering if this was a day I should know about.
"Today is Ashwend's Day!" he repeated.
"Who is Ashwend?" I thought out loud. Maybe he is some Irish saint that everyone knows about and what an idiot I was for not knowing who Ashwend was.
"Not Ashwend's Day. It's Ash Wednesday."
Someone needs to tell that guy that the space between the words ASH and WEDNESDAY is really important!
If not, someone might end up feeling like an idiot.
"Happy what?" I asked wondering if this was a day I should know about.
"Today is Ashwend's Day!" he repeated.
"Who is Ashwend?" I thought out loud. Maybe he is some Irish saint that everyone knows about and what an idiot I was for not knowing who Ashwend was.
"Not Ashwend's Day. It's Ash Wednesday."
Someone needs to tell that guy that the space between the words ASH and WEDNESDAY is really important!
If not, someone might end up feeling like an idiot.
Friday, March 3, 2017
Shallow
He seemed to be the man of my dreams.
As far as my "Future Husband Must-Haves" list went, he had it all.
Sense of Humor
Handsome
Athletic
Religious
Hard working
Kind
Musical
Fun
Check. Check. Check.
He was the Ultimate Future Husband material.
And he liked ME!
I was going to school full time plus working 2 jobs and didn't have much time to date, but he made every effort to spend time with me whenever I was available. He even straight up told me he wanted to get to know me better. He would walk me to campus. He would hang out while I was studying. We would stay up late playing card games.
I liked him. A lot.
But he had this jacket....
It was a longer plum colored jacket that had an elastic gathering at the waist. Oh, and it had a hood. A really big hood.
So?
So, it bugged me to no end. I know it sounds so shallow. Who judges a book by it's cover, or in my case a man by his jacket?
Me, that's who.
Now, don't get me wrong. It didn't stop me from seeing him. It didn't stop me from being seen with him. But it was like someone scratching a blackboard with their fingernails every time I saw him in it. And you can't really consider marrying someone who wears something that causes that kind of reaction inside you.
Can you?
No, really. That's an honest question.
I don't know what it was about that jacket that bothered me. Was it the color? I mean I don't know too many guys who have a plum jacket. So maybe but I don't think so. Was it the fact that he paid for a jacket that had elastic at the waist? It is a little weird, but then again so were tight rolled jeans but we all wore them. Was it the huge hood? Could have been. To be honest, I don't know why I hated that thing, but I still remember it, 20 years later.
In the end, things didn't work out with the guy.
I would like to think it was that we just weren't compatible or that our goals just didn't align. But I am a little scared to admit that maybe the jacket played a much larger role in that relationship than it should have.
So there. I admit it. Out loud. On a public forum. To the world.
I am shallow.
As far as my "Future Husband Must-Haves" list went, he had it all.
Sense of Humor
Handsome
Athletic
Religious
Hard working
Kind
Musical
Fun
Check. Check. Check.
He was the Ultimate Future Husband material.
And he liked ME!
I was going to school full time plus working 2 jobs and didn't have much time to date, but he made every effort to spend time with me whenever I was available. He even straight up told me he wanted to get to know me better. He would walk me to campus. He would hang out while I was studying. We would stay up late playing card games.
I liked him. A lot.
But he had this jacket....
It was a longer plum colored jacket that had an elastic gathering at the waist. Oh, and it had a hood. A really big hood.
So?
So, it bugged me to no end. I know it sounds so shallow. Who judges a book by it's cover, or in my case a man by his jacket?
Me, that's who.
Now, don't get me wrong. It didn't stop me from seeing him. It didn't stop me from being seen with him. But it was like someone scratching a blackboard with their fingernails every time I saw him in it. And you can't really consider marrying someone who wears something that causes that kind of reaction inside you.
Can you?
No, really. That's an honest question.
I don't know what it was about that jacket that bothered me. Was it the color? I mean I don't know too many guys who have a plum jacket. So maybe but I don't think so. Was it the fact that he paid for a jacket that had elastic at the waist? It is a little weird, but then again so were tight rolled jeans but we all wore them. Was it the huge hood? Could have been. To be honest, I don't know why I hated that thing, but I still remember it, 20 years later.
In the end, things didn't work out with the guy.
I would like to think it was that we just weren't compatible or that our goals just didn't align. But I am a little scared to admit that maybe the jacket played a much larger role in that relationship than it should have.
So there. I admit it. Out loud. On a public forum. To the world.
I am shallow.
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