Guess What I Found?

The Tiana dress that Peanut Butter wanted so badly. I am a little relieved I don't have to figure out how to recreate it. Whoo hoo to Target for having it, it was a little more than I wanted to spend, but having a gift card made it that much easier. She is going to take it with her when she goes on the airplane to the North Pole to see Santa along with her "packback."

PhotoStory Friday: I'll Show You

Hosted by Cecily 

Somebody got a little mad at Mama. Somebody threw one of their best tantrums and still didn't get anywhere. Somebody said fine, "I go away." and took her Dora chair downstairs slammed it open in the living room to pout.

  

 

Somebody fell asleep like that.

  

 

 

A Few of My Layouts From the Weekend

And So It Goes

It is amazing sometimes how fast life just keeps moving on. I am on my last day of five days off and wonder where did the time go. I go some scrapbooking in at a friends house this weekend. It is nice to just sit without any worries except what paper to use and how to lay it out and again be surprised when hours have passed without even realizing it. I managed to stay up to 1:30 am both nights and am still feeling the effects today. I did get quite a bit done and it got me to clean up some of my scrapbook room. I am now going to try and work on making some cards for Operation Write Home. A friend of my who hosts a crop in March is hoping to collect 1000 cards to send; I'm going to do my best to help her. I'm not the best at cards, but it is a great cause and something is better than nothing. Hopefully I can clear out a bunch of my paper scraps. I'm going to try and remember to take some photos of my layouts and post them.

I have gone 3 weeks with out a diet Coke. I have noticed I don't crave the sweets all day long like I used to, so I think I am eating less. This is probably why they say to keep a food journal. I have tried to get back into attempting to run again. I have been doing circuits on the treadmill where I will walk at 3.7-3.8 for 2 min and run at 6.2 for a minute to a minute and a half. I was hoping to go to the Y this morning, but we didn't roll out of bed until it was too late to get there in time for child watch. I did the Biggest Loser Last Chance workout: toning arms and legs instead and man I can feel it. I have been trying to eat better, but seriously, I love pizza and it probably isn't the best. I did have quite a few meals of black beans with long grain rice and eggs last week. This is one of my new favorites, though I don't know if anyone else in the house is too hot on it. Peanut Butter will eat the beans and rice. I also love cookies, so I have at least been trying to make them myself so I know what is in them and I try to use half or more of whole wheat when making them. I also don't use any enriched bleached flour. I have to read some more of Jillian's book, but it can be a bit dry and the reiteration to eat only organic gets monotonous especially when I really wish I could, but it is a bit of a reach on the budget I have and unless I drive at least 30 min not very readily available.

Photo Story Friday

Hosted by Cecily and Michelle

Any boy that will sit and look at the Princess and the Frog book with you may be a keeper. Especially when he shares his goldfish crackers too.

My Push Winners

Yeah, I was only going to give 1 copy away, but I wasn't going to hang on to the other copy I have either. I was going to post it on paperback swap. I'd rather give it to someone I know. My Winners are Michelle and Kristi. If you want to email me your addy's at meanmean at sbcglobal dot net. I will get them off in the mail.

 

PhotoStory Friday: Obsessed

Hosted by Cecily

My dear Peanut Butter has become a bit obsessed with the Princess and the Frog. Everything is Princess and the Frog, I even gave in to a new Princess and the Frog packback as PB calls it. I told myself I would not give in to the mass marketing that is wearable character items, but I have. I am hoping with the packback she will haul her own stuff to The Boy's basketball tournaments. Peanut Butter has another request:

"Mama, I wanna dess just like the boo one." Sure Peanut Butter. She had to pick probably the hardest dress from the movie to have recreated. I may have my hands full trying to make it, but everytime she sees the blue dress, she comments on how badly she wants it. Wish me luck.

Starting Anew

I didn't really make any New Year's resolutions, since I rarely follow through on that. Before the new year began, I decided I needed to make some changes. I have not been happy with my body image. I plateaued last year and then fell off the need to eat better wagon. I am again trying to make a conscious effort to watch what I am eating and I made the big leap of giving up Diet Coke. I love Diet Coke, love it, but studies have shown that diet sugar products actually can increase weight gain by making you want more sugar. I started to notice I really amped up the candy/cookie consumption with Diet Coke when I made an effort to pay attention to it. I had been steadily exercising for quite a while, but I was on a two week hiatus during the holidays and now need to get back on track. As much as I think the shred is an awesome workout, I don't think it is enough for me. I bought the Biggest Loser Last Chance Workout and so far enjoy that. I also went to the gym today to get back on the treadmill. I think I need more cardio. I am going to make a really effort to run more. I am going to try and incorporate more running intervals in my walking. I liked how it worked for me today. I am also considering doing a trainer session like Michelle did. I think it might be helpful. Hopefully by putting this in writing I can keep myself accountable.

Lemonade Stand Awards

I was awarded this little gem from Michelle at Curls, Spunk, and Monkey Chunk. Make sure to check out her Photography

The award is passed on to "bloggers who demonstrate great attitude and gratitude" and must be passed on to 10 others.

I will try to come up with 10 first off these bloggers Michelle picked too, but I like them also so they get one from me too.
Fishsticks and Fireflies
Story of Us
Never A Dull Moment

And then I will add
The wonderful J at In the Gutter, I think we are raising girls that could be twins. 
Mary at Happenings Today, she has the cutest boys. 
Cecily at My Chaos My Bliss, one Mom who has a toddler with more curiosity than mine along with 2 other great kids.
Kelli at Gohn Crazy make sure to check out her Etsy store too. 

Canadian Mama, she has saves a lot Sundays and much more.


 

Anyone Want to Read Push?

I happened to receive 3 copies of the book Push: A Novel by Sapphire for Christmas. It is the book that the movie Precious, which is getting a lot of buzz, is about. I have a new copy I am willing to part with. I have read it already and it was a good quick read. I will warn you that it can be quite graphic at times and is written as someone speaks, so at times it says Ax instead of ask and such. Working where I do it wasn't too hard for me to get through. I will pick at random on January 17th from any one who comments that they might be interested.

PhotoStory Friday: Cookie Dough

Hosted by Cecily and Carrie

I will admit I am a cookie addict. I can't think of a cookie I do not like, ok oatmeal raisin, but I will pick out the raisins and still eat that cookie. Peanut Butter does not eat cookies. She will eat chips, pretzels, peppers, cucumbers, and tootsie rolls, but no cookies. She will however

eat the dough. She will eat half a stick of butter before you get the batter going if you don't keep an eye on her. She will eat the butter/sugar/egg mix; she will eat just flour. She digs in and says, "mmmm Mama that's gooood." As soon as that dough has been put in the oven, it is no longer gooood, it is yucky. She will take a cookie, sniff it, give me the yuck mouth face and say, "yucky." Then the cookie is usually tossed, to my dismay, to the dog.

Photostory Friday: Walking on Snow

Peanut Butter wanted to make a snowman the other day. She didn't realize that she would have to walk in the snow in order to complete this task. Peanut Butter does NOT walk on snow., apparently it hurts when she does. She cried and moaned and ask us to go make her a snowman. I told her she had to walk on the snow to help us make one, she wasn't having it. J grabbed her by the hand and took her down the stairs bound and determined to get her to walk on the snow.

Yeah, she is still in her PJs, but hey it's vacation.

She clings on to the small bare spot unwilling to budge, but J takes her across the driveway a couple of times and voila:

Peanut Butter is walking on snow. I have no idea how long this will last, but she did get a small snowman out of it.