My Princess

Let me first say that I have a great daughter! I truly do. She is funny, fairly outgoing, imaginative, good natured, curious and oh, so, cute! But occasionally, like all of us, she has one of "those" days. One of those days where she doesn't listen to me, she does the opposite of what I ask, she whines and cries about everything I say to her.....I really try to be patient and talk her through these trying times but sometimes my patience is tried.

Today we went out shopping with my mother in law, Bug's grandmother. We had a few stops to make before hand at various places. All Bug wanted was popcorn chicken at Wal-Mart! So her patience level was short at all the places stopped before. She nearly knocked over a big stand of toys at the Pharmacy because she would stop touching like I asked, she almost fell and busted her head because she would stop running around on the wet floors at the vet - then once we were at Wal-Mart she ate her chicken while we shopped but that didn't last long enough so she proceeded to open up her Grandma's yogurt! Lol! All I could do was shake my head. I'll admit it, I believe in spanking. I do. I believe that children need a spanking sometimes but for the most part I really do try to make that the last resort. And when we are out in public I try not to cause scenes - I see WAY too many of those! So I do my best to talk Bug through her misbehavior and explain to her WHY we have to behave. Bug seems to respond better to instructions when they are explained to her - we can't mess with the toys because if we knock them all over that causes a big mess and it upsets the staff at the store, we can't run on the wet floor because we'll bust our head and then we go to the dr. ( THAT'S A BIG FEAR!), we can't open the yogurt because then it makes a mess in the bag and gets everywhere. Etc.



But ultimately at the end of the day, after all is said and done, she is my little princess. She dresses up and waltz's around in her high heels and pretty dresses and she is my sweet, adorable baby girl. I sat watching her tonight and I just couldn't believe how big she is now. She's so tall and so "grown up" and it made me a little sad. Her 4th birthday is fast approaching, she's starting "school" next year....as exciting as it all is if I really think about it my heart aches.

You Know You're An Adult....

.....when you get pretty pumped up about grocery shopping! Lol! Yeah, this morning I got up and worked out and then got Bug and I ready to go meet my mother in law. For those of you who don't know my mother in law runs a cattery. She breeds high dollar Himalayans like Gypsy. I help her - in lots of random ways! But I'm kinda her go-to person when she needs help running errands, carting cats to the vet, etc. And she pays me here and there, whenever she can. Usually as a commission off a cat sale because I do help her promote her site online so that she gets more sales. Anyway, today she "paid" me by taking me grocery shopping and helping me get "stocked" up! And it was so much fun and such a HUGE blessing. I am getting ready to start back on my Insanity diet and that takes a good bit of food. The Insanity diet is basically eating clean and eating small actual meals throughout the day. It's actually a good bit of food that you consume daily but it's all healthy and "clean". No sugar, no white flour, no fried or processed foods, etc. Whole grains, limited carbs, fruits and veggies and lean protein and low fat dairy. It takes a lot of preparing and a good bit of time in the kitchen but I feel GREAT when I'm on it and it's the only time I actually actively lose weight. I have about 10lbs I really would like to see go before summer hits. I want to feel tight, toned and fit by the time we open up our pool and it's time for sundresses, bathing suits and shorts! I've really put a lot of effort into my work outs this week and I like the way I'm feeling already - tighter! This started out being about losing weight (and it still is to some point) but now I want to fit and healthy. And it's a way I motivate myself too. Sometimes I feel a lack of motivation in somethings and when I put my whole heart into this I feel good about myself and it makes me feel a little more motivated in other areas of my life!

I can't believe that tomorrow is the last day of 2010! How crazy is that. We are celebrating by going out to dinner at our favorite restaurant, Outback Steakhouse, with the in-laws. We both have gift cards and so it's a perfect time out! I'm excited, we haven't been in awhile and it'll be fun to get out! I'm really looking forward to it....

I also start back piano lessons tomorrow. I've had three weeks off and I've honestly slacked way too much. But I'm ready to get back at it. I'm actually a wee bit nervous! Haha! Kinda like I was the first day I started.....but I have missed lessons and the "structure" in my week of practicing and learning new things.

Happy New's Year Eve eve, people!

And so it begins....

So some of my readers know (others don't because you are new to following my little blog!)that back in August 2009 I started a journey towards getting fit. Or at least getting fitter! I had watched myself slowly gain weight after having my daughter and before I knew it I had packed on almost 30lbs since her birth. I was uncomfortable, insecure and extremely moody because of it. So in July of 2009 I decided I was done with feeling that way - I was going to work hard and start feeling better about myself. I had seen commercials for P90X on TV and it looked hard. They said it was hard and I knew that's what I needed. If a fitness commercial claims to be "easy" or quick or just a few minutes a day it won't work. Period! P90X claimed to be one of the hardest work out programs put on DVD and I needed something I could do at home. Being a stay at home mom I didn't have the time or the resources to travel all the way to gym every day. Not to mention the I lacked the motivation to truly push myself at a gym by myself. So I ordered it....and so began my journey!



After completely two rounds of P90X I ordered Insanity, another intense work out program from Beach Body. I LOVED it! Over 8 months and these two programs I managed to lose all the weight I had gained and tone up! You can go HERE and check out my before and "after" pictures! Over the past year and almost a half I have continued to work out 5-6 times a week, attempt to eat right (!!!) and strive towards getting fitter. I slacked off during the Holidays, I'll be honest, I pretty much at anything I wanted to and I slacked a bit on working out as well. Even when I did work out I wasn't really pushing myself. The result was gaining a few pounds back and that sucked!


So as of yesterday I am back on track. I'm doing P90X right now and finishing up my SlimFast diet. I'll complete that this week and start Insanity and the Insanity diet on January 3rd. It's not a New Year's resolution, I've been working at this for awhile now! It's just re-motivating myself and working hard again. Yesterday was the first day I really pushed hard in awhile when it came to my work out and this morning I am SORE! It always makes me feel good because it means I pushed myself!

So I won't be torturing you with my fitness endeavors every day but I'll probably be posting a little more regularly about my journey towards becoming fitter then I am now!

Do you have tips to share with me? Your own journey or experience with getting fit? So many of the blogs I follow are by moms like me and I see they are all fit after having babies and I wonder if it's something they work at daily or if it's just luck and good genes on their side!!! So tell me how you got where you are now! I'd love to hear your story!

Happy Times!

So I can't believe the Holidays are behind us. I dread taking down my Christmas tree and decor tomorrow. I always hate to see Christmas go. We anticipate it for so long and then it's here and gone before we can breathe it seems! We have enjoyed the snow and we've enjoyed the extended weekend. We've had such a lovely time just hanging out and spending time with each other. I just wanted to share a few of my favorite gifts this year....I was truly blessed and I was so pleased with everything everyone got me!


The GREATEST gift. EVER. My iPod Touch from my hubby! Love Love Love


This beautiful Owl necklace from my sis, D!


My lovely red Toms!


My mother bought me diamonds for Christmas!!! LOVE!

The snow has been incredible and I'm glad that it didn't affect the roads too much - I like snow, I hate ice! But we have enjoyed how beautiful it was - it's starting to melt a little today, everything is drip, drip, dripping. It'll be gone before we know it.


Is it not beautiful? It sparkled in the sunlight....


Fun in the snow - making a snowman!


My sweet Christmas cutie!

It's hard to believe the New Year is right around the corner. I've bought my 2011 calendar and it's ready to hang on the wall. I'm trying to gear up my mind to start writing 2011 now instead of 2010. It's almost time to get ready for Valentine's Day and of course, Bug's 4th birthday!!! Time is just flying by and I'm trying so hard to hold on to every moment and throughly relish it!

Merry Christmas to all!

We had a WONDERFUL Christmas Day! Truly, it couldn't have been much better. So peaceful, fun and relaxing. We didn't go anywhere or do anything other then enjoy each other's company, exchange gifts, eat and relax! My in-laws came over for a bit and helped us eat Pot Roast and Chocolate cake. And they brought us an iTunes card! Of course, that is the perfect gift for the Hubs and I - we LOVE music and we always have long lists of albums to acquire. We had several iTunes gift cards so we are super excited about buying up some great music. And I'm even more excited because my hubby completed surprised and shocked me by buying me a brand new iPod Touch!!! I couldn't believe it when I opened the box!!! And hot pink ear phones too, how perfect! Bug was pleased with all her gifts, especially her new bike - she couldn't really try it out today because it snowed, and snowed, and snowed! We have like 4 or 5 inches on the ground. It's beautiful and made this Christmas even more perfect. A White Christmas - haven't had one of those in who knows how long. Bug said that all her gifts were from Santa except her bike and she told her Grandma, "That one was from Daddy, he got it at Wal-Mart!" Ah, three year olds - aren't they hilarious?!! But all in all this has been a great holiday season, I hope yours was just as wonderful! I can't believe the holidays have come and are almost gone now. The New Year is fast approaching. I can't say I have any "resolutions" but I do have some goals and things I will be working towards - we have lots of things coming up in this next year. Changes for Bug and our whole family hopefully! But those I will share in another blog. For now I'm wishing you all a Merry Christmas to all....and to all a good night!


Cutie Patootie!


So many gifts!


Bug got a bike this year!


Can't go wrong with Stephen King!


Best. Gift. Ever. New iPod Touch! Thanks, babe!


Merry Christmas from the Carroll's


Our beautiful tree and Ms. Gypsy


It's been snowing all day - we had a White Christmas!

Merry Christmas EVE!

We've had a good Christmas Eve - kinda low key and nothing fancy but just enjoying our time with each other. Bug has spent the day playing dress up - her aunt and uncle bought her a trunk of dress up clothes for Christmas which included a full fairy outfit, full ballerina outfit and a full Princess outfit. Pretty much every moment that we are hope she is in those dress up clothes! I'm kinda surprised, when she got the gift I figured she'd pay it very little attention but boy, was I wrong!!! Lol! The hubs and I have been trying to get the house and things in order so that we wouldn't have to worry about it for the rest of the weekend. Cleaning, picking up, organizing, getting wood chopped and ready, gifts wrapped, last minute grocery shopping, etc. I think we got everything done we needed too. I'm making pot roast tomorrow - I haven't had one in forever and I love the homey feeling that pot roast gives me. It's hearty, flavorful and fairly easy to fix. Add some good rolls and a good dessert and you are pretty set (thanks to my sis, C, for giving me the pot roast idea - she does it for her and her hubby at Christmas time too!). I'm making my "famous" Perfectly Chocolate cake. It's so rich and so good - I used to make it every year for my dad's birthday. I'm not doing much more then that really. I spent most of my time on Thanksgiving cooking and then cleaning up. Luckily my sis was there to help out. But I decided for Christmas I wanted to keep it fairly simple and easy.

We are doing the whole "Santa" thing this year - I'm not against Santa in any way, shape or form but we just have never done that. I don't want Bug getting all stuck on the idea to be honest. But she has kinda started it this year. Claiming present are going to be from Santa and asking about leaving him cookies and stuff like that. So we figured we'd play it up a bit this year. There are presents under the tree but none for her - she's asked! Lol! I keep telling her Santa is bringing hers so we'll see - Beej is really excited about playing it up too, eating the cookies later and putting her gifts out once she's in bed. We got her the one thing she has asked over and over and over for - I'll share later what it is, I just hope she's totally excited about getting it!

Have a wonderful Christmas Day, everyone! Can't wait to see pictures, hear stories and all that from my fellow bloggers! And I can't wait to share all the holiday festivities and excitement with my wonderful readers.....here are a few pics I snapped today. Enjoy!


Gandalf found a new spot to camp out in!


Ms. Chubs!



Bug is in love with dressing up right now - she is rarely in her own clothes lately!


Merry Christmas Eve, peeps!

It's The Holiday Season!

I know, I know! I'm SO behind when it comes to blogging and updating. Believe you me, I've thought about it lots of times but just haven't had a moment to spare lately. Or so it seems. After we got in from a wonderful weekend in Gatlinburg, TN with the family my mom came up for a few days and I spent pretty much every moment with her before she headed back to Bama. I was able to finish up Christmas shopping for Bug and the Hubs. Everything is wrapped and ready now! But we did have a great time with family in TN - it's kinda chaotic at times but overall we have a great time! Here are a few pictures to "hold you over" until I can get my thoughts and everything in order enough to truly blog well. Enjoy and since I may or may not have a chance to blog again before Christmas - MERRY CHRISTMAS, everyone!!!


Frosting cookies!


Playing "pool" at the cabin


Look out Taylor Swift!


My sis and her hubby, J.


Me and my new Toms!


Mom and Mr.G sporting their reindeer antlers!


My wonderful parents - breakfast at Flapjacks


Our lovely little tree at the cabin


Cousins


Out in Gatlinburg!

Happy Saturday!

Hi Peeps! I haven't had much of a chance to blog or even upload my pictures yet.....we did our Christmas gift exchange last night and Bug totally wracked up!!! But my favorite gifts of all were from my dear Nana, she bought me, the Hubs and Bug all Toms Shoes for Christmas!!! I couldn't be more excited, as most of my readers have figured out by now I absolutely adore Toms Shoes and I love what they do for children around the world. It makes me feel good to know that not only is my shoe obsession being fed when I purchase a pair but some needy child has an awesome pair too!!!! So needless to say I'm thrilled! We are going to spend today out in Gatlinburg, I think we are going to have one of those funny old fashion photos made. We've done one before but our family has grown quite a bit since our last one - we've now added my two cousins, my hubby, my daughter and now my sister's husband! So we needed an updated picture! Later tonight we'll do a BIG dinner - all the men fix different meats and everyone votes and someone wins! The ladies do sides and desserts. It's alot of fun and amidst all the chaos and sometimes arguments there is the joy of the Christmas spirit and that's why I look forward to this every year!

Hopefully I'll get my pictures uploaded and edited soon so that I can share them with all of you!!! Happy Holidays!

Gatlinburg!

Hello Blogger Dears! We made it to Gatlinburg, TN! We weren't sure how the roads and weather would be but we made it without a hitch - well, except one of the roads we were supposed to take was closed because it was iced over. But we found a better, safer route and made it to the cabin with no problems. We are still waiting on a good bit of the family to arrive. All in all we'll have about 17 people staying here in the cabin over the weekend. The presents are piled under the little tree, the cabin is all cozy and warm, it's raining outside (better then ice! Lol!) and we are looking forward to a wonderful weekend! I may not get a chance to blog until we get home - hopefully that won't be the case but I'm not making any promises. I borrowed my mother in laws camera since mine is on the fritz right now so I can take lots of fun pictures to share with you guys!!! I hope everyone has a wonderful, safe weekend!

Much Love -

Catching Up!

I didn't have much of a chance to blog yesterday. Unlike I swore to myself I didn't get to stay home all day. It was SO cold out and I didn't want to take me or Bug out in it but Gandalf still wasn't well so we took him back to the vet. They ended up keeping him because he was jaundice and they needed to check his liver and gallbladder. We are still waiting on more blood work this afternoon before they tell me exactly what has to be done for him.....so we are waiting. *sigh*

But after I ran a couple of errands I did make it home by lunch time and got my work out in (yay for me!), I always feel so much better about my day if I get a work out in. I pushed really hard and felt kinda shaky afterwards. Usually a little low fat chocolate milk after a workout helps me not to feel burnt out and shaky. But I never could shake this and then my throat started feeling all scratchy. And next thing I know I'm SICK! What the crap?! But despite not feeling the greatest I still seemed to have a good bit of energy so we tackled wrapping a few gifts and I started working on my headbands, finally! Gypsy gave me a bit of a "hand" through out the day - first with laundry and then wrapping gifts! It's fun to have a kitten around - she's so playful and funny!



This is the first and only one I've done so far....it turned out like I wanted pretty much. I want it to have a rugged, homemade look and feel. I've still got to work on perfecting a few aspects but I think for the first one it turned out pretty nice! I'm going to work on a few different versions, I may take my stuff with me to TN and get a little help from my crafty mother! She tends to know how to execute things a little better then I do!


It has been oh, so cold the past couple of days. We've been building big roaring fires trying to keep the house warm. I'll be honest, the past couple of days have been the first time that I've really and truly missed our apartment. It was so cozy, easy to heat - we were in between units so that helped and our apartments were brick which helped insulate them so well. Keeping this big, drafty house heated has been quite a task. Unlike most people/women I have never had the desire to own a home. Truly. I love apartment living. I think ultimately I'd like to live in a nice large condo. I hate the added responsibility and pressures that come with owning a home. Anything breaks or goes wrong and it's all your problem! With an apartment there is always someone to call and it's their responsibility to fix it! I know, it's "throwing away money" to rent but I loved it! And I like the feeling of other people being close by even if you don't know them that well.....


I'm off to run more errands....they never seem to end! Bundling up again because it's super cold outside. Holding my breath that the weather won't be as bad as they predict for Thursday since we're going to be out driving in it. Icy rain is what they are calling for....great. Hopefully we can make it up there safely and enjoy a fun weekend!!!

I'll update on Gandalf tonight once we know what's up!

Good day, all my blogger lovelies!