I Ain't Got Nuffin'

I have 3 posts in draft right now.  I also just deleted a 3 paragraph post about 10 seconds ago.

I am blocked.  There is nothing that I feel really compelled to write about except for one thing.  The problem is that it's the one thing that I can't share... right now.

I think we are all careful what we write sometimes, good or bad.  It's not an easy thing though because sometimes the one the thing you can't right about is the biggest thing going on.

Like I said, I keep trying to write something but it feels fake.  It feels forced.  So, I just keep going back to the drawing board.

I promise I'll be back.  I promise I'll fill you in and won't be so vague.  I promise that sometime soon I'll have something to write that I'm allowed to write about.  Soon.....

But for now I'll leave you with a funny website that you'll hopefully find as hilarious as I did!  http://damnyouautocorrect.com/

Midnight Snack?

There were times in college that I'd be studying for a big test and I would fall asleep right there on my books.  I would always hope that I absorbed some knowledge through osmosis but my test results would disprove this theory.

Abby, on the other hand, may be on to something.  She loves books and even asks for a book when she goes to bed.  How cute, right?

Well, I recently discovered that she has a very nontraditional way of getting her knowledge as well.

Does ingesting a book make you really smart?  

Spring Cleaning

Homeownership has definitely been a learning experience.  We had the mouse incident a while back.  Then recently we learned that our two upstairs toilets were not installed properly, hence the rock I felt every time I sat down.  Now that the weather is nicer, we tried to install the screens we have in the basement only to find out that only two of them fit our current windows.  Then the normal stuff, like all the extra cleaning that two floors of living space entails.

Oh, and need I forget the painting.  When I originally came up with my vision of paint colors, Dan said no problem.  He found painting relaxing.  I believe "zen" was the word he used.  So we went big... paint the walls, trim, the bedroom would have this fancy stencil work that I saw on Color Splash, and even refinish the bedroom furniture.  By the time we got to the living room, Dan's definition of zen had changed.  He no longer finds it relaxing and the hallway is where the re-do ends for now.

I'm not complaining though because I LOVE our new home.  It's just been an interesting ride these past few months.  There has been a lot to learn.  A lot of things to worry about that we never had to before.  It's kind of fun to take care of a home that we actually own.

Now, we're on to the outside since Abby's birthday is next month and we are hoping the weather is nice enough to have a barbecue.  Let me say, gardening is not my strong point.  More specifically, being around bugs is not my strong point.  I have been trying to be brave since we have a mounds and mounds of leaves.  The past few days we've been spending lots of time outside chipping away at the work.

That's when I saw the one bug that I can handle.  The one bug that makes me think of Spring whenever I see it.  I love it so much that I actually decorated Abby's room with them.

Ladybugs!!  I was so excited to point it out to Abby when I saw it.  She loved watching it crawl around on the wood.  Than she tried to sit on it!  Haha!  We spotted it 2 days ago and she's been looking for every day since.

Hope your seeing signs of Spring outside your home too!

The Strangest Thing

I so one of the strangest things I have every seen yesterday while I was hiding from my family.  My hiding spot of choice is the stairs leading up to the deck.  As I was sitting there reading the comics, I saw a Sheriff pull up across the street.

I'm nosy, so I made sure I had a good view.  I watched as the Sheriff jumped out the cruiser and started making his way up to the house.  Then, I realized he was holding something.  So, I moved a little to see what it was.

At first, I was in shock.  He was holding Bambi's daddy's head by the antlers!!!  He walked up the steps and right inside the home.

I ran in the house to tell Dan what I had seen.

Me:  I just saw the strangest thing....

Dan:  Ya, me too!  I saw him pull up and opened the window so I could hear what was going on.

Me:  I came inside for a better view!

Ha!  I guess we're both nosy neighbors.  It's so nice to be reminded that we have things in common!

Abby's New BFF

I can handle my little beast of a dog barking at everything from people to inanimate objects.

I can handle my little beast of a dog going to the bathroom in my house because he's over excited or because he's mad at me.

I can handle my little beast of a dog acting like a crotchety old man when I do something he doesn't like.

I can't handle my little beast of a dog acting that way to Abby.  I wish that after almost 2 years he would have warmed up to her.  She loves him unconditionally and would do anything if it meant he would give her the time of day.  Normally, the only time he wants to be even remotely close to her is when she's eating and she'll happily sacrifice her entire meal.

My in laws were visiting this past week and they brought their dog, Tessy, with them.  Tessy couldn't be more different from my overgrown rat, JR.  Tessy loves Abby and will tolerate all forms of abuse without so much as a snarl.

There is nothing cuter than a kid with a dog.  She actually pointed to Tessy at one point and said "Tessy, I love you."  They left yesterday and Abby has been asking for her all morning.

Is it wrong to want to exchange your dog for a better model for Abby's sake?

I LOL....

Every time I turn my computer on and see this:

Seriously, this guys commercials crack me up.  A special thank you to my husband who created this image!

No More Yo Yo... I Mean It!

When Dan was in Iraq, I got a job working for LA Weight Loss.  A job that I was sure I was too heavy for... I just kept thinking why would anyone want to take weight loss advice from me when I need to lose more than a few pounds?  Well, they hired me anyway and I was so excited to start because I couldn't wait to learn how to eat healthy and then help other people who were just like me... struggling to eat good food and still lose weight.  

The job was not a success for me for many reasons but the diet was.  I lost about 30 lbs and felt great!  I kept the weight off for a few years, fluctuating up and down here and there.  Then, I got a job in an office as opposed to retail.  Then, I got pregnant.  Then, I got depressed.  

Now, I'm right back where I started so many years ago.  Now, the obstacles are different since I'm a stay at home mom.  Now, I can't really afford to pay a weekly membership to have someone monitor my food diary or for the special food that makes the diet tolerable.

And now, my husband is following my lead.  He went to the doctor today and was told his blood pressure is too high.  No doubt because of our fantastic ability to always be out during lunch or dinner resulting in a lovely fast food meal.

Now, after all this time of mentioning losing weight, I'm dedicating myself to actually doing it.  I'm tired of feeling uncomfortable in my own skin and would love to have more energy.  We've been making little tweaks here and there but have a terrible habit of rewarding ourselves with food.  

Next week will be rough though.  Dan's parents are coming this Friday and visiting for a week which means lots of day trips and probably lots of eating out.  My first goal is to plan and make some healthy desserts.  My second goal is to eat a salad because I just learned that salads can actually taste good.  They can, I SWEAR!  

I never knew it, but I like spinach way more than I like lettuce.  To me, lettuce was just a filler for a salad and did nothing for me.  Spinach, on the other hand, is yummy!  Especially with strawberries, feta cheese, almond slices and balsamic vinegar... delish!

I know a lot of people are probably just like me and have a hard time finding meals that are simple, tasty and healthy.  During one of my many searches, I came across an awesome site.  Gina's Skinny Recipes contains recipes for just about everything, only they are healthier versions.  Her goal is to make weight watcher friendly meals, so it's great for anyone out there who counts points.

Most importantly, everything I have tried so far has been fabulous!  Tonight we had the Turkey and Black Bean Enchilada and I loved it so much that I'm substituting it for the lasagna I was going to make next week.  I'm an Italian girl, so that definitely says something!

I am desperately hoping that I'm strong enough to stick with my plans for next week because this extra fluff needs to go.  With that, I leave you with a joke I heard on Facebook today:

I figured out why I'm so fat! The shampoo I use in the shower that runs down my body says "for extra volume and body". I'm going to start using Dawn dish washing soap. It says "dissolves fat that is otherwise difficult to remove."