Just for 'Kicks'

I have a tendency to have these 'kicks' where a certain task or project captures my full attention and I have to explore it from top to bottom before letting go of it. If you've read this blog more than a few times, you've witnessed a few of them.

Sometimes I try new things that are supposed to be hard just to see if I can. There is little consequence for failure so why not try? I like the low-stress nature of the challenge- but still a challenge which I seem to need.

Having measurable, attainable goals is one of the big things I 'miss' from my old career days. I still take on big challenges outside the home through the non-profit and political work I do (I'm not a total societal slacker) but that's a whole different post that will never be posted because of this- gotta keep myself and my motivations firmly in check which means I don't blog about that stuff.

And so I create little domestic challenges for myself instead, too bad for my spouse keeping a spotless house has never been one of my 'kicks'.

My Pettiskirt phase is the most obvious crafting/ sewing 'kick' in the last year. I mostly took that project on because I loved having to research it and figure out exactly how to do it. The learning and planning that go into a new skill are a huge part of the draw for me. Of course the full-freak out my girls did over the pettiskirts certainly helped encourage it. I've now taught two pettiskirt construction classes locally and have one more next Saturday. I'm totally OVER the pettiskirt 'kick' which is unfortunate because I've got 10 pettiskirts to sew this month for my little sister's Jr. High Ballroom Dance Team. Yeah. Seriously. I hate it when the 'kick' wears off before the obligations I've made during it do! Still, it will be fun to watch the kids do their Swing number in January with the ruffle fluff flying.

All the Granddaughters from my side of the family in Pettiskirts

I also went through a Cake Ball/Bite phase last year. Both cake bites and pettiskirt word searches bring a surprising number of people to my blog (gotta love the keyword search feature in StatCounter). I'm done with the 'cake bite' kick too.

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake Bites- Yum!

My new 'kick' is cooking/baking which goes perfectly with the present season. I've got some fun goodies planned- some which I've never made before so it should be interesting. And yes, I realize this is totally at odds with the 'I need to lose weight' thing. That's how I am. A walking contradiction. My Christmas macarons are all in the freezer, though I still have some fillings to make so I'm well on my way to getting my baking done this season.

Colorful and tasty little macarons lined up in my freezer like tin soldiers, just waiting for Holiday gift giving.

I always make the dessert for Thanksgiving and I seriously LOVE pie in any form. Expect to see some food posts coming up this week because I've graduated from 'Craft Season' to 'Cooking Season'. It's so weird to realize I'm wired this way!? I never really SAW it before I started blogging. My first attempt at mini-pies for Thanksgiving last year. This is the BEST way to do pie for a crowd, everyone gets to sample a few different flavors and it's easy to divide up leftovers to send home with family. I plan to 0ne-up these for this year's feast. I want them to not only taste great but LOOK great.

Oh- and since my first gingerbread house turned out so well last year, we're pulling out all the stops this year. I think. What I've got in mind for that is a pretty big challenge, I'm actually a little a-skeered about whether or not we could really pull it off. Stay tuned to find out because even if it becomes a disaster, it will still be entertaining. Assuming, of course, you find watching trainwrecks in action interesting and this year's house will either succeed BIG or FAIL BIG.

Last year's gingerbread house

If food doesn't interest you (GASP!), fear not, I'll be over this 'kick' at some point too and moving on to the 'next shiny object'. It's just who I am I guess. The Hubs said just the other day he wondered what my next 'kick' would be. Good news Sweet Pea, it gonna be stuff you can eat!

Does anyone else get on compulsive little 'kicks' like me or am I even weirder than I suspected?

Holiday Preparedness Challenge- Come Join Us!

Now that Halloween Season is out of the way, it's time to begin preparations for the Holiday Season- including Thanksgiving since most of us will have preparations for that holiday too. As has been discussed on my blog ad nauseum, I am a hardcore procrastinator. The idea behind this challenge is to have a little weekly accountability for what you've accomplished during the week to be ready for the holiday season.

The goal is to be completely ready for Thanksgiving a few days in advance (except things which must be cooked that day) and prepared for Christmas by the first week of December so that you can spend the rest of the month ENJOYING rather than rushing. I will post a thread every Friday (yeah, I know today is Saturday- I've already procrastinated! LOL!) with a specific challenge for the upcoming week OR just post what you accomplished- I'm not picky. The key is knowing you'll have to account for what you did.

This challenge is prompted by the events that transpired at our Family Thanksgiving Celebration LAST year. I had a meltdown. I usually do quite well under pressure (as do most procrastinators) but it simply overwhelmed me and I completely humiliated myself. I am not one given to public histrionics so it was REALLY embarrassing. That is NOT going to happen this year! I may repost the "Thanksgiving Debacle" post from last year so all may laugh at my dorkiness again. The good news is that I have reached the point where I can laugh about it but it took awhile!

So, with that little introduction, on to the challenge!

Holiday Preparedness Challenge #1- FOOD

1. Prepare your list for the Thanksgiving meal which includes a shopping list for ingredients and andanything you need for the meal or for your 'food assignment'. Gather recipes/supplies and determine how much time will be needed to prepare the food. Create a 'hit list' as to which order things must be prepared. For example, mashed potatoes CAN be made a few days in advance and simply reheated on Thanksgiving. Determine how much can be done in advance in order to reduce stress on the actual holiday then create a plan as to how you'll do it.

2. Since we're working on food for Thanksgiving, it may be a GREAT time to fit in some baking for Christmas while you're at it. As a sort of 'bonus challenge', determine how much baking you WANT to do this holiday season and prepare lists and recipes for that. Can any of your baked goods be made in advance and frozen? November would be the perfect time to get this out of the way.

Anyone want to join in? If I were more 'with it', I'd make a cute button you all could post on your blogs but since the point is simplifying, that's what I'm gonna do so no button! If you want to take part, just post in the comments. You can post your progress on the next "Holiday Preparedness Challenge" post which will magically appear on my blog next Friday.

No Go Go In My Mojo

Last year I was on a TEAR losing weight. Okay, 'tear' might be a little extreme since I was losing the weight SLOWLY but, for me, it was a big accomplishment. I did a couple of posts about it, Things That Weigh 20 lbs. and Things That Weight 30 lbs. I was looking forward to posting the next instalment at the 40 lb. mark. I did make it all the way to 35 lbs.- but then sort of lost momentum.

We got Swine Flu in July and I had a few other life 'excuses' that broke my exercise habit. I thought I'd get back to it whens school started. And I did, for a week. Then more life excuses came into play. By the time the temp job was over, my mojo was GONE. Fortunately, when you lose weight slowly, the habits seem to be more ingrained and slower to evaporate (at least for me), but they still eventually evaporate- and most of mine have.


I told myself I was on the "Sprint and Coast" weight loss plan- work really hard when motivated and then MAINTAIN when I am not. Most of us have lost the same 20 lbs. over and over again. I figured if I could just lose a DIFFERENT 20 lbs. each time then maintain it, I'd get there eventually. So, in the spirit of maintenance, I gave myself a 5 lb. 'window' to operate within and if I ever got to the top of the window, I HAD to kick it in gear again.


As you've probably guessed, I just hit the top of my 5 lb. "maintenance window". Even if I never lose another pound, I simply can't go back to where I was. I can't wait until I'm feeling like hitting it hard again- I just have to do it EVEN THOUGH I'm not feeling motivated.


As I thought about it over the candy-filled weekend, I realized that I don't have to have any motivation at all to get going again. That emotional high (or low) that usually pushes us to do hard things is NOT a requirement. I know what to do. I simply have to do it. And like all forms of faith, faith is built by DOING what must be done under whatever circumstances exist rather than waiting (or praying) for the perfect scenario to magically appear.


I signed up for another month at the gym (I will only do monthly passes). Yesterday I worked out hard for 55 minutes and was so happy to see I haven't lost ALL of the physical gains I got through working out consistently for many months. I also learned where 'mojo' comes from- it comes from that exercise high you get after a great workout! I'm heading off to the gym again now to get this darn habit re-established. I actually LIKE to work out, it's just hard to get myself out the door to do it.


Still, I seem to find the "willpower" (I hate that word) when the specter of public humiliation hangs over me. And thus this post. I won't drive everyone crazy with my talk of diet and exercise but I am committing to finally be able to post the "Things That Weigh 40 lbs." post by the end of the year, Christmas Season or not! That gives me about 8 weeks to make the magic happen. 1 1/4 lbs. per week on average. A nice slow pace which seems to be the only 'weigh' I can actually lose.


Anyone else got no 'go go' in their 'mojo'?

The Halloween SEASON is Over!

When I was a kid, Halloween was simply a holiday. A cool holiday where you dressed up and got some candy, maybe picked out a pumpkin to carve from the pile at the grocery store. We'd race about Trick-or-Treating and the really GOOD houses gave out mini-candy bars. Whoa! We'd also have an in-class party and costume parade at school. When I became a teenager, an annual trip to a 'Haunted House' with friends was added to the line-up and we called it a holiday.

Logan and the "Nerd Herd" (twins next door) at Trunk-or-Treat. This is BEFORE he lost half his costume!

Helping with Anna's Class Party

Logan marches in the costume parade at school. This photo is AFTER he lost half his costume and I had to run to Walmart to try and find replacement 'glasses' for the ones he ruined. Sadly, he looks like a cross between a nerd and Elvis now. Oh well!

Times have changed! Halloween is now a marathon season running for days on end with multiple costume parties and days/ways to Trick-or-Treat. Halloween has become a highly commercialized venture with MANY different options for entertainment and higher expectations by both kids and parents. It's no longer 'enough' to simply get a grocery store pumpkin. No, we must go to a pumpkin patch in coordinated clothing so that the perfect moment can be fabricated and preserved. I've done that and I'll bet most of my blog friends have to. There aren't just 'Haunted Houses' anymore either. Now we have Corn Mazes and Witch Displays and Scarecrow Festivals all calling for our attention- AND cash.

The family (except Dad didn't wear a costume) participates in the annual Trick-or-Treat festivities at Greg's office- leaving with an embarrassment of riches (aka chocolate) from his generous co-workers. And yes, fellow employees, the kids WERE on a serious sugar high for hours after- Thanks! LOL!

The full arsenal of Grandkids assembled into a writhing mass at Grandma's Halloween Party.

I LIKE Halloween. I'm a freak about sewing our costumes and doing it up right- and even I am glad it's over. After 3 full days of festivities, I fell into bed exhausted Saturday night. The last time I can remember being that bone tired was December 25, 2008! In terms of social opportunities, Halloween is sort of a 'Pre-Christmas'- minus the higher symbolic meaning, of course! Despite my whining, it's a fun time of year and we certainly made the most of it.

Bethany aka "Punk Rock Chick" marches in the school parade. I even marched in the parade with to help herd the 1st Grade students and did my witch cackle- got lots of high 5's with that (and probably embarrassed the heck out of my kids too).

Since I had sewn pettiskirts in the summer, I didn't have to do a lot of sewing for my family this year. However, I put in a fair amount of time helping my neighbor transform himself into Michael Jackson. Taylor is SERIOUSLY into Halloween and is well known for his amazing costumes and characters. He was pretty intent on pulling off a good Michael Jackson because he lost 40 lbs. to ensure he'd look just right! Man, I wish I could find something that would motivate ME to get 40 lbs. off!

I told you he was serious! Pretty authentic, No?

It took us quite a few hours just to sew the arm brace but I think the effort paid off- he looked pretty authentic. He even learned some of Michael's dance moves to perform for others and danced at the opening showing of "This is It" for a crowd of happy Michael fans. Now THAT is serious commitment to celebrating Halloween.

Since my kids had been Trick-or-Treating TWICE before the actual holiday (Trunk or Treat AND Dad's Work), we decided we'd have to raise the bar Halloween night to actually make it special rather than anti-climatic. And so our friends next door came up with the brilliant suggestion of serving up Hot Chocolate and Scones. We set up a 5 gallon cooler of Hot Chocolate and the neighbor's camp stove for the scones and cooked up some fun.

Let the REAL Trick-or-Treating begin!

Getting everything prepared for the "rest stop" for kids and parents on their Trick-or-Treat excursion. And forget Hot Cocoa- I needed Diet Coke. This was a full-caffination required event.

Our little 'rest stop' was a BIG hit and proved to be a great place for neighbors and strangers alike to take a break, chat and warm up. We had initially thought we'd set up a fire pit too for people to warm themselves but then had visions of some body's costume going up in flames and decided we'd better just stick to hot chocolate! I'd highly recommend it as a way for adults to get more fun out of Halloween Night. It's lots more fun than just answering the door every 3 minutes.

Michael Jackson even showed up to dance for us all!

The Great Corn Maze Debacle

Alternately titled "A Herd of Cub Scouts + Corn Maze = Nightmare!"

I'm trying to decide how best to do this post because I don't want to offend my neighbors and you simply never know who reads your blog. Still, it was way too hideous/ hilarious NOT to post about it so please just know this post is in good fun. I love my little cub scouts- even when I want to throttle them!

We have a huge scouting program in our ward/neighborhood. I love that there are so many kids for mine to play with but it does present some logistical challenges when we want to do fun activities with the Scouts. The 'Corn Maze' activity has been planned for a couple months but we canceled it Tuesday because of the snow- which also means cold and mud and we didn't think we'd want to deal with all of that yesterday.


At the last minute, a couple groups decided to take their kids, which was the beginning of the debacle.


We had a few different issues that conspired against us. It WAS cold. One group didn't go which made the kids in that group feel excluded and sad- I felt bad too. We'd set the expectation by planning the activity in the first place so I think it was one of those 'damned if you do, damned if you don't' situations. When we finally got there- it was almost dark and there WAS a lot of mud. Greg and I also brought our girls along because, hey, it's not enough of a challenge with just 8, 8-9 year old boys now, is it?

In the 'things that went right' column would be bringing my spouse along to help- a move he later regretted immensely and puts me firmly in the 'must repay with, ahem, favors' category. Our leader is in Italy enjoying a vacation with her spouse so I had to recruit some extra hands to pull off this activity (she owes me! LOL!) We also got the large group discount. That's about it. It was all downhill from there.

I'd like to say it started off well- but it didn't. It was a giant pain trying to keep all the kids together before starting into the maze. Once we started down the path, kids took off running in various directions and I started visualizing myself having to explain to the City Search and Rescue team how it was that I lost some kids. Fortunately, after some yelling, we got them all back in the same wiggling mass. Greg decided that manging this group was just like herding cats!



Greg came up with the ingenious plan of having a 'leader' that got to choose the groups direction and then trading off. His plan ALMOST worked. Well, it DID work- right up until it didn't. Now we had to contend with kids hollering about WHO got to be the leader and failing to remain in the line we stupidly thought we could keep them in.

There was A LOT of whining. Mostly from my girls I must admit. Anna was cold and Bethany was claustrophobic and just wanted to get out! Logan whined too- I'm not sure why but that's probably because he was just one voice in a chorus. Greg did NOT whine but I think it was only because he was too shell shocked to say much of anything. He did manage to shake his head at me and say "How do you always get me into these things"? Sadly, with a wife like me, he has to say that a lot. And that's just my people. There were other complaints too.

One kid lost his scarf part way through the maze and insisted we all go back searching for it in the dark. Ugh, no freaking way am I hauling this unruly mob BACKWARDS in search of a scarf! And so he cried through half the corn maze while dressed like Randy from "A Christmas Story" and I'm pretty sure he couldn't put his arms down- but at least he was warm.



Other kids whined because it was dog dang COLD. I may have whined about that myself.

Then I had a different kid attempt a 'stomp off' and deliberately head the opposite direction of everyone else because he was mad he didn't get enough chances to be the leader. As the youngest kid in the group, he didn't get the respect he wanted from the older boys. LUCKILY, the boy in question did NOT quietly stomp off (I wouldn't have seen that and we'd be back to the search and rescue thing again).

No, he ramped up to the stomp off with a soliloquy worthy of Shakespeare about the gross injustices done to his person. This gave me a little warning but I still had to literally chase him down. I was rather shocked that he wouldn't return to the group when told to and beyond being the placating Mama at that point. I simply demanded in my authoritarian voice that he turn around and go back. However, inside I was seriously worrying what I would be able to do if he didn't? You can't just throw someone else's child over your shoulder. Times like this are when you realize it can be a BAD thing to be responsible for other people's kids.

Oh- and all the time we walked, one kid was sweet and quiet and uncharacteristically docile. Then came the "I feel sick". Of course, of course someone had to be sick! So I also got to worry we had a puker in our midst. Thank goodness he did NOT puke but it was a close call! Another kid had to pee part way through the maze- I HOPE that kid managed to hold it but I wasn't going to check~!

There were number signs through the maze that we were supposed to find and use the attached punchy to mark them off cards they gave us- cards I surreptitiously stowed in my purse before the kids ever saw them! That was probably the only smart thing I did all night because it meant that we got the whole ordeal over with more quickly.

When we FINALLY got out, the kids wanted to go through the HAUNTED maze adjacent to this one (we were told we could do both). Are you kidding me? There was absolutely no way! All I wanted to do at that point was get the hey out of there. The Stomp Off kid then told me he HATED me and that I was the meanest woman ever. Nice. At least none of the parents chewed me out (unlike some of the other leaders who were not so lucky). Scarf Boy's Mom was great about the lost scarf and the rest of the parents of my kids simply seemed glad THEY didn't have to do it! A few kids even said "Thank You". Whew!

Next time, the Scouts can KEEP their extra mile. It seriously does NOT pay to attempt it. I think can safely check 'Go to Corn Maze' off my seasonal 'must do activities' list- probably for the rest of my life. Gah!

Since I've Got No Place To Go, Let It Snow!

The first snow of the season is falling outside in flakes that melt almost on contact with the ground. It's my favorite kind of snow- it looks so lovely as it's falling, but doesn't overstay it's welcome!

I love how I can cozy up in my home and kitchen while the whole world slows down out there. Home. Alone. In the quiet. Having all the kids in school is amazing! I can just be still and hear myself think. Soon enough there will be book bags and homework and lessons. There will be friends and fights and general clamour as the children rush outside to search for those last unmelted patches of precious first snow.

But for now, it's just me and the gentle hum of the dishwasher (and if I'm being totally honest a bit of racket in the dryer from the change I obviously missed in a pocket) and a feeling of complete and utter contentment.

I love snow days because I have no where I have to be except here, making life a little easier for my family. HERE to make hot cocoa for cold hands and warm bread that is raising on top of the oven even as I type. I've been baking macarons this morning too! I'll pop them in the freezer then pull them out just in time for Christmas. Oh so prepared!

Praline Pecan Macarons which will be sandwiched with Dulce' de Leche'. Aren't you all hoping to be on my Santa list?

The Hubs and I cleaned out and organized the pantry over the weekend so I can actually FIND the things I need to cook up whatever suits my fancy and I'm amazed at how much more enjoyable it makes working in my kitchen. The house is reasonably clean too- which is no small thing in and of itself! All of this means I'm feeling totally on top of my job as The Mom today- an all too rare a thing and due in no small measure to the excellent organizing ability of my spouse (though I'd really love to claim full credit).

Yes, I know it's pathetic to post a photo of my perfectly organized panty but THIS is what constitutes success in my life these days!

Tonight the whole family will sit up to the table with a bowl of Baked Potato Soup and conversation. It won't be a perfect scene because we aren't the kind of folks who can do perfect (note the change in the dryer thing above) but it will be as close as it gets. And I'm going to enjoy it because, let's face it, we (which means me) don't get nearly enough of those kinds of days! Stay tuned for tomorrow when I report how my present snow-day induced fantasy went terribly awry because it's bound to happen!

Anyone else enjoying a rain/snow day?

Oh- and this is a P.S. for my sister, Nicki:

You can stop teasing me now everytime you come over- the infernal beeping is gone! Tee Hee! I stopped hearing that noise a long time ago but appreciated your laughing (at my expense) reminders. See? I really AM on top of it today! LOL!

Thoughts Deeper Than I Intended

It's been a strange week. There have been some highs and lows and all of it has made me think more deeply on the importance of family.

On Friday, we attended an-all-too-short graveside service for our friend. His Mother's ward made sure it happened because his siblings certainly wouldn't have. None of them brought so much as a flower or bothered to say a kind word about him. There was nothing in his service about HIM as a person and it left me thinking that even with so many family members- none of them ever bothered to 'know' him and therefore they simply didn't know what to say. There's more to it than that but I'd better leave it there.


I have a judgement against them (as you can tell) but the reality is, I don't know the family dynamic. It's hard for me to conceive of what our friend could have possibly done, even though he had an addiction there at the end, to deserve such coldness. But, again, I don't really know the story nor is it my place to know. It just made me feel so much worse for him- no wonder he couldn't cope. I did notice the siblings didn't have much to say to each other and certainly not to their parents so instead of judging them harshly, I really should just feel sorry for all of them for the love they obviously missed out on in their family of origin and all the pain that's come as a result.

However, I had a little epiphany that I can apply to my own life. I realized that in order for 'tough love' to work, there has to be an established foundation of REAL love first. The only reason noticing the negative in the situation matters is for me to learn something from it that changes ME for the better.

It has caused me to ask myself if I'm doing all I can to establish a strong and loving foundation for my own kids? I hope I NEVER need to apply the 'Tough Love' concept to one of my children but if it comes to that, have I established a strong enough relationship with each of them as individuals that it will be meaningful rather than punitive? Do I truly KNOW them and, more importantly, do THEY feel that I know them as unique individuals?

By contrast, on Saturday we celebrated my Grandmother's 85th Birthday. All my sisters and their families were there. It was chaos and mayhem and fun and more chaos. My Grandmother has had great struggles in her life but she has endured them and found a way to be happy in spite of them. My Dad didn't have the easiest childhood either (similar to the family above) except that he and most of his siblings chose joy instead of bitterness, love instead of anger.

If those two individuals had CHOSEN differently, it's possible our family could be just as fractured as the one I witnessed the day before. The situations were similar but one had a dramatically different outcome- the main difference was hearts willing to forgive rather than nurse a grudge.

I have been guilty of nursing grudges. I'm a pretty laid back person and tend to be rather forgiving of simple offenses. However, when I'm really hurt, I have a hard time letting go of it and tend to dwell on things beyond that which is useful.


Lately I've been bothered by an old hurt. We all have them. Things we think we're 'over' then something changes and it sends us back to 'Start'- without collecting $200 of course! It's not a BIG life-altering hurt, but one that still has a sting. I've let it eat at me and undermine my peace- even though that doesn't really serve any purpose. I've been full of judgement over things that honestly don't matter anymore and my mind has circled around and around the issue. Circling because there is no 'answer' that changes anything and wondering if I'd really want it any different anyway? It is what it is- or more importantly WAS what it WAS.

I feel like I've reached a crossroads where I need to chose whether to continue with the 'Bitter Betty' attitude or just finally let it go. I know what the right choice is because I've had good examples. I am a happy person by nature and I really don't like how allowing this to bother me is changing me. I guess 'letting go' just means CHOOSING to not allow the situation any more air time in our minds- to just stop dwelling and cross-examining. Some things can't be solved or changed, they just have to be accepted.

Is there an old hurt you're hanging on to? What do you think will help you let it go? Have you succeeded in letting go of an old judgement? What helped you reach that point?