Scrappin'

This past weekend I was supposed to go to Scrap for a Cure in Illinois. Unfortunately, I was not able to financially swing it since this year I have decided to focus on being better with my money. So, yes in reality I could have slapped the trip on the credit card and gone, but I didn't and a year ago I would have. There was however an online challenge to go along with the crop, so I participated in that.


Challenge 1: Was a page map challenge.





Challenge 2: Use stars, buttons, arrows and circles. (the buttons can't count as your circles.)





Challenge 3:  Create a holiday event with traditional and non traditional colors. I had it in my head paper instead of color when I did this so I used tiger paper on a Halloween page.





Challenge 4:  Use black and white with a splash of color, use ink and ribbon.





Challenge 5:  I didn't get to this one


Challenge 6:  Make a layout with pink, orange, scallops and ribbon.





Challenge 7: Use plenty of white space.





Challenge 8: Create a layout with an animal, real or stuffed.

Hello Sugar My Old Friend

I was on a total stress diet for a week and a half and then bam, the sugar craving are back. I cannot seem to get enough peeps, chocolate, cookies, what have you. I have lost all self control. Maybe by putting it out there I can get a handle on it. 

While I was on my stress, not want to get out of bed, so screw running or any exercise pre-spring break, I, um, didn't do anything. I started running again last week, outside, and while it is hard to get back in the motions, it has been great to be outside. I also borrowed from the library Jillians Banish the Fat Boost the Metabolism and Shred it with Weights. I've always liked BFBM it is a great cardio workout. It is about 50 min long and some how I always forget how many circuits there are until she says we have 2 more circuits til the cool down. At this point I always swear,  think didn't we just do 5 circuits, and suck it up. Shred it with Weights is a whole other level of torture. It is supposed to be a kettle bell workout, but you can use a hand weight, which I do. I did level one for the first time last week. I thought this isn't so bad, I whipped through the 25 min and felt like I had worked out, but not beaten down. Well, that is until the next day, my hamstrings were so sore. I ran a day and took a day off and said lets try level two. I again whipped through that baby, except for the inverted push ups, they are killers, and thought well, that wasn't so bad. Yeah, not so bad until about 3 hours later when my quads were so sore I could barely walk down the stairs. I sat at work yesterday, hoping that the rain/sleet/ice/snow crap would let up and I could possibly get a run in, but the wind was crazy so I decided to be too and did level two again. Yes, my quads were still screaming from the day before and I had to really suck it up to get through some of it, but I did it, and cursed every time I had to go up or down stairs the rest of the night. Still sore this a.m., I think, maybe I'll take a day off, but I don't because I'm on this sugar bender and need to burn some calories so I do the 50 min of BFBM.  It loosened up my muscles, but it wiped me out. Hopefully I can get a run in tomorrow, but it is pretty icy out there and even though I can go to the Y and use the treadmill, I would rather not. I am stuck in the spring fever of running is now done outside, yet Mother Nature says, not so fast, I've got more snow and ice for you. Hopefully she'll be done soon.

As Time Flies By

Time has been cruising by. There has been a lot of chaos in our lives as of late. I will do a quick catch up. Peanut Butter went to one of her friend's birthday party. She had a blast bowling.

With J moving to first shift, some days are tough of PB. We have to get her up and to daycare by 5:30am they days we both work. By the time she gets home she is running on empty and in an attempt to stay awake she will try to eat us out of house and home. Sometimes sleep gets the better of her. 

I decided to put my cricut to work for valentines day and made these:

And in case your are wondering, Bazzil Bling paper doesn't cut very well in the cricut. I tried to make glittery brown owls and had to settle with non glittery ones.

We are registered for Kindergarten, and for the first time, I am having doubts about sending her. I have no idea what is going to happen with public schools and with a huge cut pay cut we are taking, we cannot afford a private/parochial school. I am concerned about class size and am afraid that PB might get lost if class sizes are too big. We were going to try and send her to one of the elementary schools that was capping class size, but with the proposed budget that is being cut.

I've also decided to ignore start another blog. There are days I want to vent and get a little political and don't want it to disrupt my happy little Where's Jelly.  If you care to read my "leftie whining" you can catch me over here.

Disney on Ice

I know, I know, it has been awhile. I keep meaning to post, haven't, and then our lives get more chaotic, but that is another post. I took a break from our chaos and took Peanut Butter to Disney on Ice. She loved Princesses on Ice last year so when I got an email last October I jumped on the $10 tickets for opening night. Peanut Butter and I arrived at the Resch Center in Green Bay and any other money I had was instantly drained, a $12 sno-cone in a flounder cup, $7 box of popcorn and a $3 soda.
I think the girl had fun:



They did Lion King



Little Mermaid



Lilo and Stitch



And Peter Pan



Peanut Butter had fun it was a decent show, Peter Pan seemed to drag, maybe because I'm not as familiar with the songs and such. And we couldn't leave without a $14 dollar photo with Flounder and Sebastian.

Social Butterfly

My friends, if there are any out there, I am a home body. J is out at a bowling tournament for work and was begging me to go, but I just don't want to hang out with drunk people from work. Yes, I was one of those drunk people from work back in the day, but I cannot do it anymore. I would rather sit here on the computer or finishing up season 3 of Supernatural up in my scrapbook room making cards from Operation Write Home. J is a social butterfly as well as Peanut Butter. I on the other hand struggle with small talk and would rather stick hot pokers in my eyes sometimes. Once I get to know someone it is all well and good, I can find a common ground to talk, but the whole initial conversation thing kills me, which is probably why I was that drunk coworker, just be able to talk. J gets upset when I don't want to do the bar scene anymore, and has told me people think I'm antisocial, well, that may be, and honestly when I want me time away from being a mom, I would rather spend it by myself in silence sometimes. I don't want to have to drink a six pack to be able to talk. I do wish there were other social outlets for me to get over my insecurities, but I guess one would need to make friends to be able to do that, which requires that dreaded small talk. I don't know, I guess I'll just be the quiet antisocial one. 

I've Gone Cuckoo

As I am "focusing" on my running and getting to the point I would no longer be considered to be a contestant on the Biggest Loser, I get talked in to craziness. A friend of mine at work, with whom I discuss working out and such, said, "Hey would you be interested in doing this obstacle course run with me and another co-worker?"  I said, yeah why not. Um yeah, I haven't signed up yet, and the time slot that they are running in is full so I'd be on my own doing the Warrior Dash. If this wasn't enough, they want to do the Madison Mud Run, which is 5 miles of hell in May. I have yet to run 5 miles, let alone through an obstacle course, but I for see it happening before May, since I am going to have to do this bad boy. I did do 4.68 miles Monday, but I probably walked about half a mile of that cooling down. But I did it in 55 min so, I should be able to get in before the 2.5 hour cut off. The only thing is, the other two want to run together and help each other through, but I have this feeling that once the thing starts, my competitiveness may take over and I'll want to go, go, go. 

Word Up

Over at Mom's Sippy Cup the idea of summing up what you want 2011 to be or what you want to focus on in one word. I have thought long and hard over this and mulled over quite a few words none quite working. I then decided on "focus." I need to focus on what is important to me. I need to focus on cleaning things up in my life. I need to focus on getting better with money, I need to focus on long term vs. short term. Yes, this is a cute shirt for PB, but that $10 should be put to better use or saved for the list of big items I want but have nickeled and dimed them out of my hands like a Wii or a trip to Disney for PB. I need to focus on less is more for a bit. Though folks I am going on a trip with my Mom, that is happening no ifs, ands, or buts. Hopefully my tax return will cover that.

I need to focus on keeping up with trying to "eat less, move more" as Cathy Z is continuing this year. I am going to try like her to document it and keep myself focus on the end game. I also want to focus on improving my running. I had a rough holiday season since I got sick right after Christmas and hadn't run in over a week, but I got on the treadmill and did three miles. Yes, I had to stop to blow my nose a couple times, but I ran much better than I had expected and may actually be getting used to the torture device called the treadmill. I am focused on getting back out on the streets weather permitting and I am hoping to focus on a 10k this year or do part of a marathon relay in my hometown. I also need to focus on not snacking the entire time I sit in what I have dubbed my crack den, my scrapbook room, where I stash good chocolate and m&ms and then hide away as I devour the stuff as I attempt to get something done.

I need to focus on me. I need to let go sometimes. I get so frustrated and pissed off very quickly sometimes and just blow up. I need to focus and take a breath and move forward instead of flying off the handle, but this is easier said than done. I need to focus on whether or not I should take some classes. I would really like to have a different job, however, after doing what I do for 15 years it doesn't build any real skills. I have been flopping back and forth what I should do and with a new governor in charge who wants to break our union and cut wages, well, I'm thinking I might have to do something.

I need to focus on my marriage. We had a pretty tough twenty-ten. I really want to work to get back what we started. We need to focus on some us time. We need to find something we enjoy together to do.

I need to focus on PB and make sure I'm raising a healthy, smart, good, confident girl.

I'm sure there are more things I need to focus on, but that is what I'm working on right now.