Tag Archives: Quick Takes

Friday….bring the thunder

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Fun Friday, Folks.  You know what that means…..well since Jen is a leetle busy post-birth and all and spending her days trekking it to and fro to the NICU for baby Joseph, she’s handed this weeks QTs off to Grace.

  1. Day 7 of  clean Eating, people.  Day 7.  Proud to say I’m toeing the line.  The whole planning thing really panned out this week.  And I’m feeling good!!!
  2. Week 1 of my gym’s 6 week Challenge and……..I worked out one day this week.  Totally need to re-group on the exercise deal is I plan on winning.  The whole life-getting-in-the-way ain’t gonna bring home the 2K, you know?!?
  3. I’ve been doing lots of praying this week.  For gals in labor, babies in the NICU, parents in the ICU,  those suffering from cancer, their loved ones, the struggles go on and on and sometimes it’s a little overwhelming all this suffering in the world and then I was reminded of this by Ann Voskamp….because I am a “fixer” and like to make things right and suffering frustrates me because I’m helpless and yet:Screen shot 2013-04-12 at 6.30.27 AM
  4. Back on the upswing….we bought our beach pass and have used it.  Twice.  Two weekends in a row.  Don’t hate.  Man I love the beach.  Love.

    Riding her cruiser!!

    Riding her cruiser!!

  5. I’m running out of things to say.
  6. Really I’m running out of time, because I need to get ready for work!
  7. In reply to Grace’s query of kitchen furniture and the like….we have a super hutch/dresser/furniture, thanks to some super awesome friends!  Sadly time is limiting me from finding the picture!!!

go check out the rest of the crew and jump on in so Jen has plenty of reading material in the NICU and keep those prayers coming, people!

Quick Takes…quickly….

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I’ve been MIA for the last few Fridays with various activities and blah, blah, blah, but I’m here for this one….super quick…I hope….otherwise go visit Jen @ Conversion Diary for a look at a Domestic Monastery and various Quick Takes from all over the world!

1)  Heading into Advent and the holiday pace is picking up quickly….small moments of panic and overload, making “quiet time” even more important=less blogging. for me.

2)  With the Christmas season of shopping, parties, baking, etc. I decided that I need to work in exercise DAILY and really focus on what I’m eating so I can keep it in check and not head into 2013 one size larger…however, this weekend IS baking for my annual cookie swap.  Hey, balance, balance, balance!

3)  My cardio=P90X and walking, however…..before you think I’m psycho cray  with P90…let me assure you, I call it my “20 minutes with Tony”..I work up a good glisten, I’m sore for  a few days and I haven’t stressed myself over how to fit it in…maybe I’ll graduate past 20 minutes eventually; at this time, 20 minutes is working for me and I’m good with that!

4)  Oatmeal, raisins and flax seed for breakfast and chicken and spinach for lunch…a little boring and repetitious, however, tasty and both seem to keep me pretty full and satisfied keeping the Oreo intake WAAAAAAY down.

5)  Sick kid (again??!! thought she kicked this 2 weeks ago!!) and Hubby’s back is out—tho’ slowly getting better, therefore  the boys will be on Attic duty and ladder duty for operation Christmas decoration this weekend, bring on the lights!!

6)  Christmas cards are mailed out which means I can mentally begin shopping and decorating and enjoying Christmas…I don’t know, OCD?!?!  I just can’t do anything until they are sent out.  Period.  End.

7)  Santa’s in the house….our youngest just handed me her letter to review and it melted my heart.  We can safely resume Friefel…our elf on the shelf.

I’m out.  It’s late.  I’ve got a date with Tony before work….y’all have a great weekend!!

Quick Takes, Mom Guilt, Exercise and MORE!

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Time again for the weekly wrap up, seems that’s my most consistent day to blog…probably because it’s a quick summary and I can knock it out before the household is up and roaring along and/or I can start it up before I go to bed…Work really gets in my way of blogging, however, since it allows for the basic necessities I suppose I’ll zip it.  So you can join in and be sure to check in on Jennifer Fulwiler, the new Catholic reality star….(now THAT is an untouched niche in reality TV!!) and her weekly buddies with 7 Quick Takes and see how their week is shaking down!  AH, but THIS week QT is hosted by the hilariously funny Grace @ Camp Patton…she is completely addictive, don’t say I didn’t warn YOU!!

1.  As I mentioned earlier this week, I’ve joined in with Clare et al. @ Peak313 for her 5 week challenge.  Basically a great accountability challenge with a Christian theme focused on spirit (see below for her super cute cutout reminder for memory verse #1), mind (wrapping mine around treating my body as the temple it IS instead of waiting for the fit-fairy to show up…she’s late apparently…), and body (exercise videos, workout suggestions and inspirational success stories)….the whole package.  She has mentioned prizes which has whetted my competitive spirit ( a little), but I really like the whole idea and she’s just so perky and encouraging…

Memory verse week 1 from Peak313 challenge! It’s not too late to join….

2.  Along those lines of building healthy minds AND bodies in this house, a friend recommended this documentary on Netflix (instant queue!!) America the Beautiful 2:  The Thin Commandments.  With 2 teenage boys in the house and one girl walking the line of puberty and the other totally immersed in the cheer life, it’s a message that can’t be touted enough.  In words.  Actions.  Example.  Man, this parenting stuff is tough!!

3.  For some inspiration, check out Lizzie Velasquez and her book, Be Beautiful, Be You.  What a strong message for my girls (and boys) both ways….on judging AND disregarding what others think of you.  Rise above???  She is soaring.

4.  The opposite of inspirational…..I won the “Loser Mom” award this week.  Despite having my daughter’s 5th grade teacher conference in my phone AND on my work calendar, I still managed to completely space it.  To make matters worse, it caused my DD to be late to her after school music practice and she didn’t get enough time and…..<sigh> won’t be playing the water drum this year, only the hand drum.  Which she played last year.  Ugh.  Dagger to the heart.  To ice the cake…..THIS is what I was doing when I could/should have been at the conference:

Yup. That’s me…resting in my car at lunch. Enjoying the 80 degree weather and breeze whilst reading a book. Niiiiiice.

**disclaimer, I usually do conferences in the a.m. because our work schedule is so hectic in the afternoons that it’s too crazy to leave.  Still.  I hang my head.  DD is over it, but this will live on in my Mom guilt “hall of shame”….

5.  This week our Saturday sports consist of 2 HOME games.  Let the angels sing!!!  We will be done by 1.  My feet are doing the happy dance.

Also on Saturday.  We will welcome a second TEENAGER into the house.  YIKES!!!  How is this happening?!?!?!?  I’m just not old enough for this.  Our nutty boy.  Our sensitive boy.  Our competitive boy.  Our smart boy.  Our driven boy.  Who is 5’8”!!  WHAT?!?!?  What happened to my fuzzy little hair boy with the infectious smile and laugh who made his entrance on the heels of a hurricane mid-evacuation of half the state?  He’s a big boy with an infectious smile and laugh.    someone slow this train down!!

Crazy boy bringing out my inner nut…

6.  In WWW. news this week, I’ve been venturing further into Twitter…mainly because I feel cut-off from the world during the day and it’s a great source for news, however, I’m also enjoying keeping up with various bloggers and podcasters and famous people I admire throughout the day as well.  I tweet a little, but nothing like some of the people on there…WHOA!  crazy, I tell you.  You can follow me if you want, maybe I’ll get over 24 followers….wooooooo…or follow me here and boost me out of the 70s….double woooooo.

I also had a Pinterest success this week with PB and Nutella Crescent rolls.  I blogged about it earlier this week.  It was enough of a hit that I may possibly feel inspired to tackle something bigger this weekend; perhaps that herb garden or the back porch project….hmmm.  Stay tuned…

7.  It’s Friday.  So that means.  I think I can, I think I can, I think I can make it through this day!  I usually take above mentioned boy to McDonald’s for a McCafé on Fridays before school (his teachers love me).  I’ll hit the gym at lunch.  And the weekend (for me) starts @ 5:30 p.m. If you are in Dubai…it started yesterday 😉

Time to get rockin’ people.  Have a great weekend!!

Redemption through a Pot Roast…

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and other weekly synopses with Jen Fulwiler (soon-to-be-reality-documentary-diva) and pals…

It’s been a short week with Labor Day hogging up my Monday (LOVE me a 4-day work week…it just messes up my, “what-dayis-it?” for the week).  And yet HALLELUJAH, here it is FRIDAY!  Can I get a WOOP WOOP???  And since I need to get kids up and dinner prepped this is going to be quick-ish:

  1. I made ham and northern bean soup the other night for dinner.  It sucked.  the beans didn’t soak and/or cook long enough.  Without fear, they are frozen and will be delectable for round 2, however, I DID make a mean pot roast last night and totally redeemed my cooking skilz…as my Hubby says, “you can’t go wrong with a pot roast”..phew, cuz I was thinking I was losing my touch…

    Even the picky kid had seconds…yep, THAT good!

    2.  Had a needlestick a work last Friday.  A dirty needle.  First time ever.  In 20 years.  So here’s to strong prayers for a better day today!!  Fortunately, all blood tests (mine and source patient) are clean, I’ll just go for a 6 month check up and be done.  Talk about nerve-wracking…ugh..

    3 hours in my local ER on a Friday afternoon isn’t really my idea of a good time…

    3.  Enjoyed a smokin’ hot football game on Saturday with my girls.  90+ temps and a 31-0 win.  Check out our set-up….And yes, people were hating on me…they would be the ones in the bleacher seats and no umbrella…go ahead and hate, people, go ahead…

    Totally worth the effort of twitching biceps from carrying all that swag 1/2 mile from the parking lot…

    4.  Dad and the boys hit the Zoom Air course with Hubby’s bestie (can guys have BFFs??)…maybe I should say best bro’….either way, it was a 3-hour blast!!

    A view of one of the courses….

    5.  I’ve been working in the exercise this week and took the girls for a walk (they bladed) a couple of times…prepping for next week’s Peak 313 challenge...

    A re-enactment…AWWW, they really DO like each other….

    6.  Another walk/blade sesh brought us to the local park and we were able to see some ducks settling in for the night and almost a mama duck nipping off a little dog’s nose for messing with her babies.  Well.  That’s what you get when you mess with mama’s babies…..

    Settling those teenagers down….

    7.  On Labor Day I cleaned out the “junk drawer” and updated the chore board…happy to report 4 days later…the drawer is still clean-ish and the board changes have been noted and followed…mostly…

    Wet erase board+vibrant markers+initial magnets=peace (mostly)

    Have a great weekend, y’all!!