The Liebster Award

Angie over at Health Not to Health Nut (also of My-So Called Chaos) nominated me for The Liebster Award! I've never been nominated for an award before so this was pretty exciting! Plus I've been having a little bit of a rough couple weeks so this was a nice pick me up. 

This award is given to new or up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers ...the award is then passed along to other bloggers in the same category to help spread the word and support one another. 

The rules are as follows:

1. Each blogger should post 11 random facts about themselves.

2. Answer the questions the tagger has set for you, then create 11 new questions for the bloggers you pass the award to.

3. Choose 11 new bloggers (or with less than 200 followers) to pass the award to and link them in your post.

4. Go to their page and tell them about the award

5. No tag backs.

11 Random Facts About Me:

1. I'm kind of a pack rat. If there is a memory attached to something I have a HUGE problem letting go....which made Project Life great for me, because now I have a place to stick tickets, flyers, stickers and any other flat object.

2. I am terrified of forgetting...anything. Part of the reason I take thousands of pictures every year is because I am so scared that one day I won't remember any of it...Another great reason for me to do PL :o)

3. I have 3 cats and a dog...all of them rescues. There are so many pups and kitties out there that have sad stories and no homes...if we ever have room for another pet it will be a rescue. 

4.  I never get lost. I go on adventures. Makes it much more fun when you take a wrong turn.

5. I am never...EVER on time. For anything. 

6. I only feel truly at peace when I am near the ocean or large body of water. 

7.  Sometimes I don't blog, because I'm not sure anyone will be interested in the subject I 

want to write about. I really, REALLY need to get over that. 

8. My least favorite chore to do is dishes. I would rather clean out the litter box than touch the dishes. No idea why. 

9. I do NOT drive on highways, tollways or freeways...unless I have absolutely no other choice. I get super panicky and feel the urge to stop, get a pack of cigarettes and smoke the whole pack. (I haven't been a smoker in SIX years...)  I can and will find back roads to get almost anywhere. It may take longer, but it's usually more interesting. 

10. I am almost positive that I have never slept through the night. Never, as in, since the day I was born. I'm much better at napping than actually sleeping. 

11. I love flying. During the moment the plane lifts off the ground, my eyes are closed picturing the place I'm headed and I usually have a huge grin on my face.  I haven't flown in a long while and I really miss it.

11 Answers to 11 Questions:

1. What is your number one hope for 2013?
To find myself again and be really happy with who that person is.

2. What changes are you making for yourself this year?
My husband and I got back on a healthy eating track and I've stepped up my fitness. I'm also doing some slow, but major spring cleaning and organizing. I operate well in complete chaos, but I'm a lot happier when things are organized and ready to go.

3. What inspires you to keep blogging?

When I receive a sweet comment on a blog I feel like someone is reading and it keeps me writing. Sometimes life events and the crafts I create. :o)

4. Who do you blog for?

Funny question. I don't have many readers, so I mostly blog for myself I guess and anyone who is interested in reading. I blog to remind myself of events, to keep track of craft projects I complete, to motivate myself and hopefully others (with Fat Ass Friday.) I also have really come to love the blogging community, I have "met" some really wonderful people out there in the blogging world. 

5. Where do you see your blog in 5 years?

Ha...I was always awful at answering this question when my bosses asked me at work. I'm relieved that my current bosses don't bother (mostly because at 2 and 4 they can't currently comprehend 5 years in the future.) In five years I would like to see my posts be more consistent. It would be nice to have more readers too. It's mostly a personal blog, but it's nice to have company!

6. When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Indiana Jones. Basically anyway. The dream started with Indy...then my family visited Cyprus when I was 9 or 10 and we visited some ruins. At the time there was no money to pay archaeologists to excavate so there were pieces of ancient pottery all over the place. It seemed like a grand dream to go back one day and study those sites. Then after high school I actually met a couple of archaeology majors and the dream kinda got crushed. Turned out for the best though. I still love reading about the history of places and get a thrill out of visiting, but being a stay at home mother is what I was meant to do. 

7.  What is your greatest accomplishment?
I would say deciding to make a major life change and start being healthy for my kiddos. It hasn't been an easy journey, and there has been some back sliding, but I am a lot happier than I was before I started. At the moment I'm down 60 pounds from my heaviest and I'm pretty proud of that. 

8. What advice would you give someone trying to get healthy?
You have to be ready...really ready. It's not enough to know you SHOULD be healthy or be told that you need to lose weight. You actually have to want it and YOU have to need it AND you have to be willing to make a life change. It's also important to remember NOT to beat yourself up if you aren't healthy ALL the time. We all need a piece of chocolate cake or a glass of wine...or a lazy day watching movies in our pajamas. 

9. What's your fondest childhood memory?
Adventures with my father. We would go on trips into the city...New York, London...sometimes for a drive. We usually had a place or two in mind, but it always seemed to turn into much more. He taught me to read maps and explore and search for new and exciting places. I'll always be grateful for that. 

10. Do you have a favorite pair of shoes?  If so what are they?
Probably my brown knee high boots. There is only a very short window I can wear them in Dallas and I adore them. Although, my new black boots are a very close second!

11. What is one health trend you wish would just disappear?
"Magic" weight loss pills. There is no magic easy way to lose weight...and if there is you won't magically keep it off. I suppose this isn't really a health trend though...those pills rarely seem healthy.

My Nominees - This was supposed to be 11, but I actually had a hard time coming up with 11 small blogs that I follow...and I kept stalling, until I realized that while it would be nice to have 11, there is no reason it HAS to be 11.
Crandallation
Lavender + Pink
Made by Firenze

My 11 Questions for these Nominees:
1. What ONE word would you use to describe your past year?
2. What is your favorite way to de-stress?
3. If you had 24 hours completely to yourself, what would you do?
4. You are asked to bring a dessert to a party. What do you make?
5. What is your favorite way to get fit?
6. Tell me about the last book you read.
7. What color is a majority of your wardrobe?
8. When is the last time you sent a letter, just because? Who did you write to?
9. If you could take a vacation to a fictional place, where would you go and why?
10. Coffee or Tea?
11. What is your favorite time of day?

Project Life: Week 20 of 2012

I might be all over the place on my PL for a little while. I'm still trying to get myself caught up on 2012. I started off months behind and was determined to do the whole year. I still am. While I'm working on getting caught up, I'm also trying to stay caught up with 2013. I've got a majority of the pictures printed. Just need to work on getting the journaling done...hopefully that won't take forever. 

Here is week 20:

Page One:

 Munch helped with the dinosaur journaling card and took the pictures of the hubby and I...including that very silly one of Daddy. I love that I can include so much of the kids in this album!! This week marked 6 months that we had been living in our house. 

Page Two:

I included a picture of a letter to Munch's penpal. He LOVES having someone to write to. It's so nice to find a letter in the mail. People (including me) should write more to each other. I also included some foreign money I found while going through boxes. I'm sure it's not worth anything anymore, but it was a fun find :o)

I believe both the filler cards I used were freebies that Becky Higgins offered on her site. 

As usual I will be linking up with The Mom Creative!

FAF: Week 4

Linking up with Angie!!

2013 Starting Weight: 165

Last Weigh In: 164

Current Weight: 162

Lost This Week: 2

Total Lost: 3

Yay! This week is the first week in a while I've been happy with myself. I feel like I've finally hit the grove again. I'm okay taking a rest day here and there and working myself hard the rest of the time. I am sore and tired today, but so happy with the results. I can feel my hard work paying off and that is exactly where I want to be and want to stay. 

Once again I didn't stick with a mile a day plan...but still managed a total of almost 11 miles. We have had a few amazing weather days and we made sure to take advantage of it. 

 
I love that my kiddos love going on walks as much as I do. Nox got really fed up with the stroller, so I gave in and let him get a work out too.

2013 miles as of last week: 42.42

Miles logged this week: 10.91

Total Miles: 53.33

I've decided I want to make a mileage goal. Maybe see if I can "walk" from Dallas to Galveston...or something...I've been thinking it would make a fun challenge for myself. 

Have to start working on the meal plan for the next week. This week we tried this Italian Vegetable Soup. We used water instead of beef broth, but it was still amazing. We will definitely be making it again. 

Have a healthy and happy week!

Project Life: The Process and Week One

Pretty photo heavy post this time, but I thought it would be fun to do a post of my process.

1. Get a couple binders, planner and large variety pack of Project Life Page Projectors. 

I use Recollections binders I got at Michaels a couple weeks ago. Couldn't pass up buy one get one! The planner is  from Paper Coterie a half off + gift card buy. I use the planner to jot down notes about the day as it happens or at the end of the day.)

2. Separate protectors and make new Project Life themed table cloth. (kidding) 

I have extras of Design F cause I LOVE to use them for big weekend events.  I also ordered a We R Memory Keepers multi pack to play with)

 3. Throw protectors into two albums...mostly at random.

4. Label each week with the dates and week numbers.

I used my Silhouette to cut the numbers using Karla Dudley's  Everyday Life Number Circles, available at the Silhouette store. 

 5. Edit and Organize your photos for the week in progress. (Most are already edited...so this isn't a long process.)

6. Sticky note it up. I have to add notes on where the pictures will go, where I want journaling/filler cards. 

This is also when I make sure I have my memorabilia for the week organized.

  7. Pick up mass order of pictures...or have your hubby do it, because he gets to go out with his pals afterwards ;o)

I have boycotted my local Walgreens for almost two years and finally broke down, because they had a good deal on prints. I was SO SO happy with my order. ALL the pictures were cut exactly to 4x6 and NONE were crazy dark. SO happy. Also...this is mostly 2012, which I'm still catching up on. Making some great progress though!

 8. Distract adorable boys with Legos....and get to work!

9. Step back and admire a job well done!

week one layout

My journaling didn't show up well in the pictures, the paper I went with is pretty crazy.  I decided to include my 2013 Resolutions and a couple pieces of art the boys did. 

Thank goodness for instagram...cause that is ALL I used this week. 

I am linking up with The Mom Creative!

FAF 2013: Week 3

Linking up with Angie! Come join in!!

2013 Starting Weight: 165

Last Weigh In: 164

Current Weight: 164

Lost This Week: Nada

Total Lost: 1

Blah. Last weekend was a mess. I had a mother son date with Mr. Munch. We went to see Rise of the Guardians...they have STARBUCKS at the theatre (it's been a while since I went to the movies, so if this is the norm I am WAY out of the loop.) We had popcorn...with butter. Okay...mostly Munch had popcorn, but I helped. We went out to eat. I was not good. 

The rest of the weekend wasn't much better and I completely skipped working out. So, yeah...that was fun.

Monday, I was completely back on track, meals were planned and I worked out everyday. I started my mile a day streak over. 

2013 miles as of last week: 33.3

Miles logged this week: 9.12

Total Miles: 42.42

I'm glad my bad weekend didn't turn my week into a mess. I got a couple runs in... officially on week 4 of my do over on C25K. I'm due for a run today, but tomorrow is supposed to be gorgeous, so I'm debating waiting till then. Either way, I will be getting some miles in today. We've pretty much got our meals organized for next week, which is nice. Hopefully this weekend will go well. 

Have a happy and healthy week!

Gang of Crocodiles

Friday was an extraordinarily gorgeous day here. The boys and I were very excited to go for a long walk and enjoy the warm sun. 

On our way to the duck pond, we were attacked. There was lots of screaming and poor Kaiser raised his furry ridge looking around desperately to find the monster he needed to protect us from. 

Munch spotted them first. Three crocs, in an empty field, laying in wait for a imaginative boy to pass by. 

We got away, just barely. 

As soon as we got home, Munch rushed to sketch the gang. They are pretty terrifying; don't let their disguises fool you.

Crocodile in a Santa Hat

Crocodile dressed in a bat costume.

And the most fearsome of all: Crocodile in a pumpkin costume.

If you see this gang of crocs, all I can suggest is to scream and then do some crazy running. It worked for us. 

Week Two in Pictures

I'm still working hard on Project Life. I have a HUGE order I need to make this week. Until I get them, here are some shots from the past week.

1.7

My Batboys were disappointed with The Irish the other night so they decided it was time to save the world instead of watching the game.  

1.8

 Munch has recently decided he loves mazes. He was so pleased with himself when he discovered he could make his own maze out of ABC block.

1.9

 I took advantage of some nice snuggle time and took a picture for Aleida's Challenge. If you haven't heard of it, go check it out. It encourages mothers to take pictures with their children and honors the memory of a beautiful blogger. Seriously, go check it out.

1.10

 

I've been trying to teach the boys patience, which is impossible for me, because I have ZERO patience myself. Munch is MUCH better than I am though. We brought out Nox's new puzzles and Munch started teaching Nox how to do them. It was kind of a proud moment for me. 

1.11

(Picture by Munch)

 70 degrees...and AMAZING...for ONE day. We took advantage of the weather and went for a walk to go visit the ducks...who were all swimming, so we said hi to the geese instead. 

1.12

 Munch and I haven't had a whole lot of one on one time since....well...pretty much since Nox was born. (awful, I know) Anyway, it was WELL past time, so I decided to take him to the movies. We saw Rise of the Guardians and we both ADORED it. We also had fun saying hello to Gandalf.

1.13

Nox discovered the point and shoot. (An Olympus Tough. I HIGHLY recommend it.) His cute little fingers get in the way, but he is so determined to learn. He was really pleased with himself and there were some long joyous minutes where our house was filled with his adorable giggles.

Hoping to have some finished pages to share next week. Cross your fingers. :o)

Linking up with The Mom Creative. 

FAF 2013: Week 2

Linking up with Angie over at:

 

Last Weigh In: 165

Current Weight: 164

Lost: 1

 

I'll take it!  

 

I broke my mile a day streak. :o/ When I started running a couple years ago my right hip started bothering me. At first the pain would go away before my next run...and then if I took a running break for a few days it would, but recently the pain hasn't been going away...it's been getting worse. Tuesday, I could barely get off the couch...it was awful having to climb our stairs...I really didn't want to move. However, I did get to the rec center (we got our memberships last weekend) and went for the stationary bike instead of the treadmill (which turned out to be an awesome work-out even though it didn't feel like it at the time.)

 

I also called the doctor to set up an appointment. If you know me, you know I almost have to be on my death bed to agree to see a doctor. I've been yelled at (by my doctor) because of this. Anyway, THAT is how much pain I was in. I ended up getting anti inflamitories, x-rays and instructions to call in a month if the pain was still present. Thankfully, nothing showed up on the x-rays. So, we'll see where we are in a month.  

created using Pants Won't Be Tight by Nerdy Scrappers Studio

Miles logged at last FAF: 7.08
Miles logged this week: 26.22
Total 2013 miles: 33.3

I skipped my mile a day on Wednesday and yesterday I was back on the bike...still taking it easy on my hip. It's a little tender today, but I did manage a 3 mile walk with the boys and pup this morning. It's so beautiful outside, I couldn't pass up the chance for some fresh air. 

 

I'm not starving as much as I was before. Which is AWESOME. I hate the first week of tracking and now it's over. We did really well keeping to our meal plan so I'm hoping we can stick to it for next week to. Just need to make one!

Have a happy and healthy week!!



Project Life: 2013 Title Page

I still have a TON of work to do on my 2012 album, but I didn't want to be behind on 2012 AND 2013, so I decided to get to work.

My title page won't be completely digital, but I haven't ordered prints yet and I wanted to post what it will basically look like.

I used Take Note kit by WM designs squared.

A quote card from Elise over at Enjoy It.

2013 dangle template from Girl Boy Girl Designs.

The pictures are from a photo shoot my sister (Lavender + Pink) did for us back in November.

 

It seems like everyone is picking words for the year. While, I'm not taking a class or anything it did seem like my resolutions were a little about me discovering myself again...so DISCOVER is my word for 2013. This Mark Twain quote seemed to fit perfectly, so I added it too.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did so. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

 

I'm linking up with The Mom Creative. Super excited to work on another year of Project Life.



On the 12th Day of Christmas

I finally finished editing Christmas photos. A little late, but I figure since we ended up with 5 days of celebrations this Christmas, it's okay.

Here are some of my favorites.

(Late in the night, after Santa had made his rounds)

(My sweet boys and I on Christmas morning)

(The ONLY thing Munch was set completely on was a Lego Eagle from Santa. He was SO happy when it appeared under the tree.)

(Nox and Kaiser on Boxing Day...just love how happy they both are in this picture.)

(My sweet handsome little men, ready to go over to Grand-mommy's)

(Nox and John. I just can't resist that face Nox is making. I just want to hug him.)

(John and I have too few pictures of just the two of us, I was worried this one would come out a little goofy, but I love it.)

Hope you enjoyed the little peek into our Christmas. I was going to take our tree and all our decorations down today, but it will probably be a slow process throughout the week. Please tell me I'm not the only one.

Fat Ass Friday: 2013 Edition - Week 1

Linking up with Angie over at Health Not to Health Nut. Go over and join or just support the lovely bloggers that are linking up :o)

 

2013 Starting Weight: 165

 

Weight GAIN 22 pounds from last March when I made it to 80 pounds lost. SIGH. It's okay though. I'm starting over, moving on. Last year was a rough year, emotionally for me. This year WILL be different.

 

Yesterday, I started tracking my food over at Spark People again. (I'm Rencherry if ya want to come join!) I felt hungry all day, but I expected that after the the insane way I've been eating.

 

I'm going to continue my mile a day. 

Miles traveled so far: 7.08

 

I restarted C25K last month and am on week 3 now. It feels so good to be getting back into my grove.

I've already signed John and I up for two 5K runs this year.

The Firefly Run in March

The Color Run in April (check out my post on last year's run HERE.)

Hopefully we'll be adding more to the list. Only fun runs, nothing serious...we are all about fun here :o)

 

Have a happy and healthy week!



2013 Resolutions

1. Blog more. I've gotten really bad about only blogging once...MAYBE twice a week. I'm hoping that this year I'll be blogging much more.

2. Find the girl I was in February and March of 2012. I'm going to start tracking my food again tomorrow and on Friday I will officially start up my Fat Ass Friday posts again, whether or not there is a linky party to join. John and I are getting a 3 month/winter membership to the rec center so we can use their gym and have NO excuses for not working out. Rain and cold will not stop me from reaching my goals!

3. I really want to craft more this year. I seemed to have fizzled out sometime after April and never got my crafting mojo back. Well, I'm hitting my overflowing Pinterest boards and I'm going to start crafting again.

4. Continue with mile a day. Technically, I think it was supposed to end on New Years Eve...but I find that posting it on instagram has almost given me a boost in motivation. So I'm going to see how long I can go. Started 2013 off with 3.4 miles and it felt great!

5. PROJECT LIFE! I've been working hard to catch up on 2012. Snapfish has a few more hours left on there 99 for 99 cent deal and I'm trying to talk advantage. The big variety pack is due to hit Amazon on Friday and I have my planner ready to go. I'll have more on how I've set up for this year next week. I should have the title page and first week done by then. I love LOVE this project...and I adore looking over the pages I've completed. It feels so great to have all those memories recorded and so many photos printed. Before they were just sitting on my computer where no one could see them.

6.  Read these books and then read some more. Currently on my nightstand:

• A Feast for Crows - George R.R. Martin My 2nd or 3rd time reading this series. Cannot wait for the next book to come out!
• Caught - Harlan Coben My mother gave me this book. It takes place in the same area of NJ I spent my tween/teenage years.
• Switch Bitch - Roald Dahl Accidental find at Half Price Books. I'll read anything Roald Dahl, can't wait for this one!
• Start Something That Matters - Blake Mycoskie My sister's close friend Flo (Made by Firenze hosted an amazing giveaway last month and I won a pair of TOMS...on top of also giving money to a charity in my name she also included this book. (Such a wonderful, generous surprise!) I am really looking forward to reading it. I love the TOMS One for One program.
• Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade - Diana Gabaldon This is a spin off of her Outlander novels. I really enjoyed the first Lord John and am looking forward to sinking my teeth into this one.
• Game of Thrones: Graphic Novel Volume One - George R. R. Martin Technically this is my husband's book, but if he isn't done with it by the time I'm finished with the rest of my list, I'm gonna snag it.

7.  Sit down and actually learn how to use my camera. I got it in 2011 to use for my Munch's birthday and then my In-Law's officially gifted it to me that Christmas...still don't know how to use it to it's full potential. John got me some filter lenses for it and I am determined to learn how to use everything.

8. Cook up a Feast of Ice and Fire. There are some really fantastic recipes in here. They are mostly Medieval recipes with quotes from the books naming their locations. Some recipes even have modern versions. We thought about having a Game of Thrones premier party, but I'm just not sure how that would work with the munchkins.

And that's my 2013 game plan. It looks like a lot, but I don't think I went overboard.

Wishing EVERYONE a happy and healthy 2013.