Halloween

I am trick or treating tonight with my son. Yes, I am dressing up. He doesn't want me to, but hey, it's the price you pay for needing a chaperone. Nothing too elaborate, I found the most adorable Halloween apron at Pier 1, so due to my birthday yesterday, I treated myself and am wearing it tonight.
Getting my sister interested in a retreat. Mainly it's for myself, but I know I cannot do anything for myself. I found a locket today on etsy "I Am Enough". I wrote it in my notebook-I want to believe it.

Birthday Wishes To Me

So the birthday is almost over. I have tomorrow off also. Just need the time for myself. Another day to prepare myself for the mirror before I get ready for work. Do I look older? Maybe not, but definitely mroe inner retrospecting. What am I doing? Have I done enough. And believe it, the definition word of the day: thanatopsis, a view or contemplation of death. Well, I'm done!
I'm planning party favors for the "You've Been Gobbled" gifts I'll send out. Definitely apple or pumpkin butter. Some scone mix. Candies wrapped in a cone. But looking for that really special thing. I will think of it, I'm sure, but it's frustrating that I don't have the answer now to get started on this. And then wrap in a decorated drink holder, which I love becasue you can fit so much inside and can be decorated any way.
That's the plan.
For Christmas I already found the two Christmas trees I will send to my sisters for "You've Just Been Ho Ho Ho'd". I'm just so damn clever.

Remembering Alex

Thinking of You today Alex. Miss you much!
Take care of the dogs for me.

Lazy Sunday

Today I watched football (Vikings, sad) and made cookies:

And also played in Piknik. It's how I learn. Anyway there aren't many cookies left. But that's the point.
The hot weather is getting me down. I have a birthday in a week. All I want is a nice snowstorm, the HEAT IS REDUNDANT!

Me First

I've decided that I am going to attend a retreat next year. I bought Migle magazine because of all the lovely stories about women getting away and relaxing, sharing, all that girly stuff I never do. I don't know how I am going to pay for it because I just don't make the kind of money to have any extras. But I am putting it out there and praying that I can somehow come up with the funds to do something like this. It would be the GREATEST GIFT TO MYSELF EVER!   Or shall I say only gift to myself. Example: When people give me gift cards as gifts, I always use them to purchase for other people or just give them away. Example: When we have any extra money (I'm talking in the tens of dollars) I help people at work or give it to my kids for lunch/snacks after school, etc etc etc.
I really want to take a trip and I want it to be for me. Sleeping in, or staying up late without anyone needing anything from me. I may delete all this because I am already feeling the guilt for saying this OUT LOUD!  You know the saying, "If one women told the truth about herself, the world would explode."
Tru DAT!

It's the Little Things

I'm going to start a photo/journal of my pets. It will be clever and cute and full of their personality. Even go so far as to show how to scan a cat. Very cute by the way. I'm sure I've mentioned it before. I need to do it before she gets all self-conscious. The creative genius, I call my Muse, is working overtime. I cannot sleep but for all the ideas swimming around in my head. I try to write them down at night, but writing while not disturbing my husband and it turns out like Onash i begsoh hdhodzs. True!
So, I either need the cool astronaut pen on Seinfeld, with a light attachment, or sleep in another room? Yeah, that'll work. I tell you the greatest obstacle to my creative genius- my job! How can I do anything fun, how can I get all these ideas to fruition how can I create and still support my family? Arrh, tis a puzzlement.
But I am not giving up hope (Thank you, Mary Poppins) and 10 points to the one who can name that reference.
Okay enough blogging. I still have some time to do some last minute goodie bags (before the candy mysteriously disappears, Burp!) and some candy pumpkin bracelets and finish my sister's Boo Basket that I am sending to Texas. (Photo tomorrow) I am working in the dark alongside the cats who wish not to be disturbed by a flashing light bulb. (But it's perfectly okay to walk across my keyboard or sit on one of my creations) 
By the way, have you seen the pics of Gerard Butler over at Lisa Leonard's Blog

He is holding one of her new designs for the new Gerard Butler movie. Check him it out and her lovely jewelry. There is also a giveaway for $50 towards her designs at TT&J. Everyone wins on his one, a beautiful blog, TT&J and Gerard. Like I said, it's the little things.
Have a Beautiful Night

Window of Opportunity

Jiggly Butt

I'm linking to The Blue Zoo because she's funny and her blog '5 Tips To A Healthier You' just makes sense. I keep looking for that miracle pill, potion, water, mix-in, add-on (add-on?), you name it. Finally, someone with an ounce of sense who just makes sense. Yeah, be honest with yourself, totally watch portion sizes. I have a tendency freakish obsession   to make myself believe that I am doing OK on any given day and yet I know that I am lying to myself because why else would I have just pulled through McD's? Unless we're talking sugar coma, NOT, then I made that choice myself. You know, aside from feeling dreadfully ill after lunch, I realized that the people there at McD's are not even nice. So I can get sick and get treated like crap? Hoo Yeah, count me in again tomorrow.
So my lesson today is to be nice to myself. Take the extra time in the morning to actually plan food that will make me feel healthy. No extremes, no macrobiotic, unless I think that is the answer. (But truthfully, I just ate junk food-there's a big separation from fast food to macro!)
1) Be nice to myself, for one day, just try it.
2) Read portions on food and measure out ONE portion.
3) Look at what I'm eating (how very zen of me, I know, but I read during lunch and don't look up until I realize there is an empty fork going into my mouth!)
4) Be grateful for bloggers like Stephanie @ The Blue Zoo who make it real
5)It's called "setting myself free of the chub",

I copied this from Life Or Something Like It. Read it-you'll laugh and know you are not alone!
Love to All***

Baby Giraffe

I am stealing this photo from Flip Flops and pearls for two reasons. One it is just too cute and the other because it remings me of San Francisco Giant Brandon Belt who is nicknamed Baby Giraffe. Ah, don't get me started on the long, long wait I have before Spring Training starts in February. I am obsessed  love my Giants and know it's going to be a long winter. In the meantime, however, I will enjoy this photo, and will add a Panda, a Gazelle and all the other zoo animals associated with my team. I may just post "The Beard" sans BeWeeze! Just for the smile.

Be well this off-season. I will be sending good, healing thoughts to all of you. See you in February.

Back to Basics

Falling Off A High Heeled Life has a great giveaway for people like me wwho love the Art of Letter Writing and receiving handwritten letters in return. I can't think of a better giveaway than the one above, filled with fantastical goodies to indulge this Lost Art.
Check out her Blog! It's like a breath of fresh air.

Things I have learned...

"Remembering to drink water. I can’t overstate how much of a MIND BOGGLING DIFFERENCE drinking heaps of water makes to my energy levels. It is such a basic thing that it’s easy to brush off as something that can’t possibly have that much affect, but it does!" from Lissa who seems to speak from the heart, especially when I am in my own dilemna with my weight. Hey, maybe I should try a glass of water! Like Dr Phil Says, "Obviously what you're doing now isn't working." Yeah, maybe I should just try a glass.

Things To Love

I found this on FFFFOUND. Sweet!

Also, this on same post:

Somethings just make me smile. Also check out CatScans. Yes, people scanning their cats. Lots of chub out there. But lots of squishy cats too.

Day What?

This has been a difficult weekend. I realize that I need to take care of myself. And I mean, stop obsessing about everything. The weight, the job, family. I can control what I eat, what I do, where I end up. There are always obstacles, but it's how I go around those obstacles that determine where I go from any given point. So I am going to relax, learn to love myself (gulp) and appreciate what I have now in my life and not worry about what might happen. Because I don't know what will happen tomorrow, but right now I can love what I have, look around (at the craft hoard) and love where I am right now.

Day 6 Sugar Blues

OMG I started out so well this morning. I just don't have an eating plan. I think that I can get through the day without eating, then 10 am hits, I'm ravenous. I even think that I won't need lunch. Ha! When have I passed up a meal? Really Not eat lunch?
I must sit myself down and create the menu plan that works for me. Not something out of a magazine because while that sounds good, I just don't like that food. I'm very picky and picky eaters mean snackers.
So on to crafting. It's the only thing that calms me, since baseball as I know it is over until Spring Training. There's always Brian WIlson commercials. Hoo Ya!

Day 4 WTH?

I've done this before but sugar has taken over my life in the form of a Payday candy bar. Why am I eating candy again? I thought that was over. Grrrrr. Get a grip and get on with it. I think though it may have something to do with my thyroid imbalance. Or maybe too much stress (Gee ya think?) I am looking forward to Day 5. I will get this thing!

Day 4 Appreciation is in the Little Things

I did not have to do anything for Appreciation month today. I worked all night however on my presentation for tomorrow. Sneak peak here! I got the downloads for the flowers from Skip To My Lou. One bouquest says 'Thank You' and the other says "Great Job". I think they turned out fabulous. (I tend to use that word a lot) How about Fantastical! I'm sure everyone will be happy tomorrow to get a little appreciation.

Day 3-Who Brought In the Cookies?

Honestly,  this sugar habit is getting harder and harder to break. In the morning meeting, freshly baked cookies. In the afternoon, one of the lovely ladies went home on her lunch hour. made cookies, and brought them back still warm from the oven! There is no way I'm passing that up. So I again look forward to another day dawning. (BTW, I might have sneaked a handful of candy corn from my dresser when I got home. Not saying I did, but the dish seems conspicuously empty. And since I'm the only one in the house who eats candy corn...)
Tomorrow, tomorrow Really, it feels like entrapment.

Day 3-Appreciation

So, this was my contribution to Cashier Appreciation Month. It was a Football Raffle. Everything was dirt cheap, I got the bucket at Goodwill and everything else was less than $1 each. So not bad. And the winner loved it! I'm glad I could do it. Next project, the Thank You Lollipop Tree.

Day 2-Sugar Free

What? Did I just not decide to go sugar free. Is it the most impossible month to choose with all the Halloween candy staring at me? Okay, so starting on a weekend, a weekend spent doing Fall events and Home Shows and gift baskets for work... Tomorrow for sure. I even have a zero Powerade left over from Saturday. (Of course, I do. I drank soda all day!) Monday, yeah because Monday's aren't stressful at all at work, just my manager yelling at me, telling me I'm worthless and that if I don't act immediately...blah blah blah. Geez, Mondays are not fun. But no candy, no sugar, no soda. I can do this. Yes, yes yes. I do it for me. To be beautiful. To be graceful, to not buy my clothes in Husky Town!
Tomorrow will be a fabulously, wonderful day. And I'll tell you all about it then.

Day 2 Appreciation

Ah, a day off from work. But htat doesn't mean that I haven't appreciated anything today. My husband and I went thrift store shopping. (I didn't tell him about my foray from the other night without him). Slim pickings today. He found some electronics stuff. I found a good bag of yarn that I am going to make a pom pom scarf out of. (yes, ending a sentence with a preposition is a bad thing). The morning was fun, and we decided not to purchase the Gumby Snuggie. But it would have been good for laughs, especially living in Tucson. I mean, when would I ever use it?
So, I appreciate my husband, my day with him, my afternoon with my son (who went to the Home Show with me), the cooling wind and possibility of rain and coming home to a peaceful house laundry!!!

Sugar Free (Again)

Hey guess what? My birthday's coming up and I want to be healthy, look totally hot, and feel good, too. So I'm giving up sugar and sugar related products. Of course, I've  done this before, the last time was for 2 months. I felt really goodd, I lost a few pounds, clothes were looser and my blood pressure went down, not to mention the lack of heartburn for two months. Then I had a really bad day and went to McDonald's for lunch. Believe me when I tell you that the last place you want to eat when giving up sugar is McDonald's-read the nutrition label.
So anyway, today is day 1. And I started out with tea and sugar free creamer. Perfect. Then I moved on to my son's Hostess brumb cake! Super. I had an event to go to and packed some sugar free sports drink. Didn't eat all day. AND IT WAS FRICKIN' HOT!!! So much for the beautful fall weather WE ARE NOT HAVING. So I finally went to eat lunch and had a Pepsi, yeah, regular, And a refill. Then I came home and ate some candy corn I used for a raffle. Another plus.
Needless to say, I am not feeling so hot right now, meaning, totally gross! And my son wants to know what's for dinner. I say, "Whatever you're makin', dude". Yeah, that went over well. I try to get them to feed themselves, I really try. And they see me here and it's  Mom this and Mom that. Hey, I didn't sign up for the emal plan. There's no menu to choose from. So if you're hungry I suggest that nice grilled cheese calling to you, or quesadilla, or PPJ, or ramen, that's why I buy this stuff!

30 Days of Appreciation

My company recognizes this one department once every year to show their appreciation for their hard work all year long. I am involved with this because I can't keep my big mouth shut and offered some suggestions to help appreciate these associates for the month of October. So day one, I was not involved and I wasn't at work, at least for regular work ( I was involved in another project today).  But I do have some craftsy things coming up for the month which I will share. It also made me think that, although these people are being appreciated for the month and that's fabulous, I also think we should show a little bit more kindness to everyone all year long. Is that so hard? And it doesn't cost anything. So I will do my part and tell people at work, and family how much I appreciate them every day-and not wait an entire year to say it!