Bye Bye Christmas!

I get tired of Christmas pretty quickly, usually before the blessed day actually arrives. Christmas songs are nice for a few days, then my blood starts boiling everything I hear the Carpenters or that STUPID Christmas shoes song!

You know the one I mean!

The Christmas I was pregnant that song came on and started a 60 minute bawling session that was both irrational and pathetic . . . aka hormonal ;)

Anywho, THIS year I moderated the Christmas music, stayed organized and focused on family time. I can honestly say I'm a little sad to see it all go. I even let the decor stay up a few days longer than usual, but not into the New Year because that would be a SIN!

Happy New Year!

The good thing today: Work called: "Would you mind if we call you off tonight?"

"Oh yeah!"

Teresa

Dissatisfied

I've taken stock of my life and found it lacking in some important areas.

I could get all personal but I'm sure you have some idea of where I'm going with this.

I'm turning 30 in 2 years and I have this vision of a 30 year old Teresa that is unstoppable, confident, EXTREMELY good looking and satisfied. I figure by the time a woman is 30 she knows what she wants, she's been there and done that and still young enough to enjoy it all.

I want to be:

I could be delusional but I've never been known for simple goals ;)

I swore off New Year's resolutions a few years ago, but I'm bringing them back this year!

What's your New Years resolution?

The good thing today: this picture makes me smile, don't tell me boys. ;)

Teresa

No domestic goddess here

You can laugh, in fact I laughed at my self a little today too.

I LOVE putting on my cute little apron and baking in my kitchen. I like to pretend I'm her:

Perhaps it's left over from when I used to play dress up as a little girl and play princess. Well I like to play: Domestic Goddess! Then I get baking and clean.

Only by the time I was done working in the kitchen today I had ugly cookies, a broken plate, not enough cheese log, a sink full of dishes and VERY sore feet. Because my kids were unsupervised you can only imagine what the rest of my house looked like! Ugh!

Please tell me I'm not the only one with reality issues here. Now I'm going to attempt to save the cookies and scratch the rest!

The good thing today: my Santa cookies may be green, but they are yummy!

Teresa

Lights in Utah!

We love looking at Christmas lights and Utah has some AWESOME displays for the whole family!

Here are my all time favorites, we make sure to visit them every year.

Lights at Thanksgiving Point

Cost: $8 per car

It's a drive through light show, takes about 15 minutes and they have their own dedicated radio station with Christmas music.

Visit the Emporium to meet Prancer and Santa.

Zoolights at Hogle Zoo

Cost: Adults $6

Kids $4

Walk the zoo, enjoy the lights and the animals.

We also make time for the train.

Also a great place to visit Santa and his Reindeer!

My favorite:

Temple Square!

The lights are stunning and truly elegant.

They have a nativity on the pond, and another one near the visitor center.

It's free and makes for a nice walk.

We make a night out of it by riding the TRAX downtown and topping it off with hot cocoa.

It's always an adventure, but well worth it!

The good thing today: I don't have to pay the electricity bill for THESE lights!

Teresa

Cutest tights ever!

It could be because I'm cheap or creative but I have a hard time tossing skirts and shorts in winter just because it's cold!

Kids cost a fortune to keep clothed so if it fits, wear it ;)

Walmart sells knit tights in the winter.

Only $2.99 a pair.

That makes me happy and my wallet happy.

Don't you wish you had some!?

I do!

The good thing today: her hair is long enough to hold a REAL ponytail!

Teresa

Decked Halls Part 2

For years I was anti-fake tree, but then I had a fake tree.

Umm, they are AWESOME!

They are easy to put up, they don't have to be thrown away, they are prelit and perfect!

I usually swirl a ribbon around the tree but skipped it this year.

I love vintage santas. A little more "Father Christmas" than "Santa Clause"

I bought these at Hobby Lobby last year,

in fact I bought EVERY vintage santa ornament I could find!

Many people neglect the under side of the tree, but it doesn't make sense to me!

Would you wear a skirt without underwear?! Okay maybe YOU would, but I wouldn't!

Until the presents pile up you MUST make it presentable. We have a train, a little family of penguins and a "trunk cover" (My own personal invention)

Buy one of those popcorn metal containers (a pretty one). Eat all the poporn. Cut the bottom out of the tin and slip it over the trunk befor you place it into the tree stand.

Voila! No more unsightly tree trunk!

The good thing today: I got my new tree skirt 50% off at Hobby Lobby! (can you tell I LOVE that place!)

Teresa

Decked Halls Part 1

If you know me, you know I love old things and all things Victorian!

My goal is to have a "Victorian Christmas" living room with lots of gold and deep reds.

Each year I get to add a little more to my Christmas decorations and this year I bought REAL stocking hangers . . .

Candlesticks . . . (note the hint of glitter!)

and SANTA!!! (also note the glitter on his beard!)

Hobby Lobby inspired me to put hay in my Nativity this year,

what do you think?

It was messy to put out, but so far my kids haven't made me regret it.

Yet.

I also collect S&P Shakers, mostly couples.

My collections wouldn't be complete without Mr. and Mrs. Claus!

The Nativity I literally drooled over as a kid,

and now my kids drool over it too

Each year I paint a couple little houses to add to my village . . .

I have to keep up with the broken ones!

Stay tuned tomorrow for the tree!

The good thing today: baby gates and spray bottles! Gate for the toddler and spray bottle for the cat. Bring it on!

Teresa

Be a happy mother!

One of my favorite movies of all time is "The Trouble With Angels."

One part in particular struck me the last time I watched . . .

it's about being a mother.

While I DO want to die wealthy I don't want to die young ;)

My favorite line is when Mother Superior is hugging the crying elderly woman and she says:

"Be happy. That's the greatest gift a mother can give her children"

I think it's easy to be hard on ourselves, and heaven knows many of us are plagued with body image issues and low self esteem.

You must remember children are sponges and you are the role model they will emulate.

Be happy for them.

Be confident.

Love yourself.

Smile.

No mother wants to pass along her insecurities to her children, but you will.

When you have a minute read "A Mother Heart" by Julie Beck

The good thing today: my son said he likes my soft tummy.

(In my head I said "well that makes one of us!" but I thanked him anyway)

Teresa

Being Fat Finally Pays Off!

I took a good tumble down some cement stairs. It was one of those long falls that allows for thinking along the way. My self dialogue included:

I don't have time for this

Did I just break my leg?

Please don't let me break my wrist, my job would be impossible

I can't take my 3 kids with me to the ER for x-rays

I finally landed on the ground and the nurse in me noted:

I didn't lose consciousness

I can feel my body

I don't think I broke anything

The girl in me dusted myself off as fast as I could to make it look like nothing happened!

Just like Miss USA!

After assessing the damage and the big purple leg I concluded the only reason I didn't snap my leg in half is because it is SO well padded (fat) it absorbed the shock and preserved my bone.

The good thing today: enjoyed a slice of pumpkin pie with whipped cream and didn't feel a BIT guilty!

Teresa

Farewell Friend

I am pretty sure the world would stop without cell phones, okay may be that's a bit dramatic but could you go a week without yours?!

I couldn't!

My cell phone is an EnV3

This week she passed away, I think it was one too many drops onto the concrete,

or was it the glasses of water poured on her,

the drop into the toilet,

the baby slobber,

the teeth marks,

the rollerblade tires,

the little sword stuck in here holes,

or was she simply loved to death.

A mom's phone puts up with extra abuse and EnV finally had enough,

goodbye dear friend, you will be missed!

The good thing today: An extra flip phone in my nightstand. Not as good as EnV but free!

Teresa

Stairwell Makeover!

My stairwell is dark, plain and the walls are usually

covered in little brown hand prints.

I needed a cheap way to decorate without darkening, so here's what I came up with:

BEFORE stairwell. I added the vinyl bird family on a branch and the leaf is just here to fill space during the fall. Don't mind the stuff at the bottom of the stairs ;) But DO notice the electrical panel on the wall.

I gathered old frames from all over my house. I'm sure you have them, the ones you bought because they were cheap, the wrong color, dented, ect.

Spray panted them with ivory gloss paint. I left the varnish on because I life the distressed look and that did it for me . . . aka no sanding

Filled them with pictures and hung in an asymetrical pattern. Notice they are just high enough so little fingers can reach them

I used double sided craft tape to cover the electrical panel with a picture. I'm planning on replacing it with a hinge.

I loved this idea because it keeps the stairwell light and adds uniformity to the pictures while keeping the price WAY down!

The center wall will still need to be fixed. I was going to leave the birds, put that white cornice above them and top it off with a gorgeous mirror! what do you think?

The good thing today: Double sided tape! REALLY, because what else would i do with that nasty panel in my stairwell?!

Teresa

Big Macs are on Sale!

I'm working out HARD twice a day and eating healthy and recording everything on

Spark People.

I feel stronger and for the most part have more energy, but Big Macs are 2 for $3 right now!

Oh baby! My mom can sing the whole song that accompanies this burger, yes it has it's own song!

I had to give in and indulge, but I also had to write it down and take it out of my calories for the day . . . there wasn't much left ;)

In case you were wondering here is the nutrition info for a big mac!

Calories 540

Fat 29

Sat Fat 10

Carbs 45

Protein 25

Sodium 1040

The good thing today: would it be bad to say I thought it was worth every bite?

Teresa

Nasty!

WARNING this is mostly a rant blog!

Why do toddlers eat out of the garbage can?!?!?!?!

The second they are tall enough to reach they start pulling stuff out . . . and of course they MUST put it in their mouths!

I bought a lidded garbage can, she opens it and plays with it.

I put in on my kitchen counter, but now I have nasty germs on my counter.

After 3 kids, those nasty pieces of garbage in their mouths doesn't even phase me.

I figure she has lived this long despite the garbage can, this piece of rotten strawberry probably won't kill her either.

I course she will make me chase her down and pry it out of her tight fingers first ;)

If you don't have kids . . . just wait! I swear it's coming!

The good thing today: Eating out of the garbage can exposes these kids to germs and strengthens their immune systems, so they won't die later. Smile/grimace

Teresa

I actually had to crawl up my stairs!

I have a weight problem, a big one. Despite that I thought I was pretty strong. I lift grown men and run for 12 hours straight at work, that's not easy BTW.

Part of my weight loss plan is working out with a big focus on cardio, and in my travels I came across this:

You won't find any new age stuff, no yoga or Tai Kwan Do. Just good old fashioned workouts and Jillian's constant pushing.

I worked every major body muscle while doing cardio at the same time.

Yes, I wanted to puke but she certainly knows how to maximize her 20 minutes.

When all was said and done, I was gasping for air, sweaty and had to crawl up the stairs.

Granted I'm fatter than most of you, but good heavens that was a good workout!

I'm doing it for 30 days with a low calorie diet based on this pyramid

I'll let you know how it goes!

The good thing today: ibuprofen, LOTS of ibuprofen! Thank you Costco for selling it in bulk ;)

Teresa

While making my way through Washington I visited Cat Tales outside of Spokane. It's a refuge for big cats and believe me there are a LOT of BIG CATS!

This is Zamba the Lion, in case you can't tell . . . he's huge!

What I love best about this guy is: he was a MGM lion (the one who roars at the beginning) then one day he decided he was all grown up and wouldn't roar on command anymore = retired!

For a measly $10 I got to feed Zamba a bag of meat, he was really excited and so was I!

See how big he is!?

Next time you pass Spokane stop by and feed the kitty!

The good thing today: Plexi Glass. So when Zamba gets made he won't pee all over me ;)

Teresa

Brothers

I'm the only girl in my family and the oldest so these guys took a LOT of crap from me and still do!

Here's to little brothers:

the sword fights

wrestling in the backyard

water fights

long car trips

silent eye rolling

and all the other things horrible things we did to each other ;)

Thanks for showing my boys how to be good brothers.

The good thing today: we didn't fight, scream or cry while taking this picture. We've grown up a bit you know!

Teresa

Halloween Traditions

Halloween is a big deal at our house.

We have 3 small children which means EXTRA fun during the month of October.

If your kids are like mine they talk about Halloween costumes all year and their decision changes by the minute. Here we have a Ninja, Fairy and Grimm Reaper!

The parties started 2 weeks early this year. YIKES!

I LOVE kid Halloween parties and all the little games: Cake walk, pin the nose on the Jack-lantern, hide-n-seek in the dark and my favorite . . . bobbing for apples!

The other tradition? Pappa Murphy's Jack-O-Lantern Pizza!

We eat this before heading out to trick or treat.

Serve with green or orange kool aide and win extra cool mommy points!

What are your traditions?

The good thing today: We've done enough Halloweens now that we can piece together old costumes to create new ones!

Teresa

Kids on the farm

FYI: This is mostly going to be a picture post.

We drove up to Logan and took the kids to the old family farm where I remember running around with my little brother and usually coming home muddy and covered in hay!

Yes, her hand is all the way inside the calf's mouth, YUCK!

The loved my husband, but apparently the girl looked a bit dangerous ;)

Smart horses!

The good thing today: Soap and water! Between cow saliva, pig poop and bird feathers this nurse was grateful for good old soap!

Teresa

The boys' room!

My boys are 5 and 7 and LOVE pirates! Argh!

They wanted pirates everywhere and water . . . so this is what I came up with.

We bought them captains beds, which I love because of the under drawers.

The large pirate ship was bought here and attached to the wall.

Pirate Decals bought here

Bucket for shoes because I'm SO tired of tripping over them.

Blue curtains with a view of their tree house

"Pirates life for me" and vinyl sea creatures by Kimerlesu at Ransom Made

The good thing today: because I cleaned this room and locked the door it actually STAYED clean for a few hours! YAY!

Teresa