Tag: Morning Meanderings

Good morning!  Day two of vacation!  I drank nothing but tea for the past few days…no idea why – but the coffee is back on today. 😀 

Yesterday I spent much of my time writing and prepping my notes.  It was a productive day.  When I took a break in the afternoon I spent my time on a little project I have been tossing around in my head….

Because I want to work out more intentionally going into (and throughout) 2012 and BECAUSE there are a group of you who feel the same way I present…

Team Kickin It

(Insert SQQQUUUEEEEEE here) I am actually a little excited about the above adventure so please allow me a little gushing here. 😛  Team Kickin It will be a blog for the work out side of those who care to venture in.  I hope to create a space where we can share tips, ideas, healthy recipes, goals, etc… your input and ideas are welcome. 

No matter what is going on in my life I want to create a healthy balance between that and taking care of me.  Feel free to join me by going to Team Kickin It and clicking on the follow by email button.  This will ensure you receive an email every time the site is updated. 

Oh and currently… there are no comments as this is the big unveiling, so I hope a few of you can pop in over there and help me welcome in new habits to 2012!!!  😀

In bookish news… I have a review coming later of Folly Beach by Dorothea Benton Frank.  I am working in a bakery within the pages on Henry’s Sisters…. I am enjoying an awkward invite to Thanksgiving dinner in Boo, arguing with Patch in Crescendo, and searching the train compartment by compartment in the delightful audio of Murder On The Orient Express. 

I hope your day starts off wonderfully and continues to gain momentum from there 😀

Good morning!

Is anyone else getting pumped up for the New year?  I really am!  I have my first book of the year all picked out (that… is another post 😉 ) and I am ready to jump into a clean Where Are You Reading Map… but mostly I am looking forward to getting back in fighting shape and hopefully kicking a little booty in 2012.

I used to blog quite a bit about my work outs and what I was doing to keep fit.  Through emails and comments many of you let me know how much you appreciated that and how motivating you found it to be.  Of course, that just inspired me to write more.  😀

Then after I got hurt in June, I stopped two things I love – Group Power (weight lifting) and Kick Boxing.  I still had bike rides happening so I was doing a little something… but that all stopped in September and I have been pretty much stagnate since.  Not cool. 

I really want to make 2012 exceptional.  I completed a lot of bike rides (one 50 mile one in a cast) and hope to do even more this coming year.

So training for me…. starts right away. And of course, you are invited to join me.  😛  I will be updating you here each Tuesday morning going forward with calories burned, and what I did to shake it up.  I will be linking my post over at Mari’s Checkpoint meme at Bookworm With A View.  Mari is someone who inspires me so I am hoping between what I am doing here and what she is doing there will keep me on track. 

So what am I working for?  Many things…regained strength, muscle tone, and weight loss.  My big challenge will be May 19th.  Myself and three of my good friends are signed up for this:

😯

Yup.  I have work to do….

If you are interested in staying motivated to be sure to sign up over at Mari’s Bookworm With A View Checkpoint meme/  You can also leave me a comment here letting me know you are interested in keeping up with goals and posts…. I have an idea brewing but need to think it through a bit more.  😀

 I blew the 20,000 calorie challenge but am starting again in January….

Good morning!  Happy After Christmas!  (Really though… isn’t it?)  I mean the rush is over….  no more shopping for that (hopefully) perfect gift.  The parties, the gift exchanges, the food (oh – dont get me started on the food…. “Hello gym membership?”  :razz:)

I for one am happy to be basking in the aftermath… enjoying a snow free (SSQQQQUUUEEE!!!!) winter so far here in Central Minnesota, enjoying the down time of the season and some good reading time.  😀

Besides my lovely Cricut and cartridges from my hubby, I also received an assortment of gift cards to some of my favorite stores.  I have a lovely coffee mug from Caribou Coffee, a gorgeous engraved wine stopper, a beautiful friendship sign, gloves, a book safe, and of course…

books.

My College son plucked a couple titles off my wish list on this blog and under the tree I found this:

I have so much to do these last few days of 2011… my year in review post will go up with week (it has been a good reading year!)  Recap of the challenges… the good, the bad, the ugh…. the two challenges I am hosting as well as….

a fun third one too 😀  Hint… it will work well with Mari at a Bookworm With A View‘s new weekly Checkpoint.  😀

Good morning! 

*BIG gulp from COFFEE Cup*

If you have followed me down this crazy count down to Christmas through the Morning Meanderings you may have noticed a few anti- Christmas bread crumbs…

I had not purchased any gifts.  Lost in a “I don’t know what to buy” mode… I struggled with the fact that College Son wanted car tires (too big to go under a tree) and hubby has always been difficult in the gift department being more of the “just being together” family he has never fully understood my annual frenzy with gift giving.

I had not put up the tree.  Yes, for the first time in my entire life…. we were close to going treeless.  College son and I usually do this honor Thanksgiving weekend, but a hectic schedule at that time made it impossible and he returned to College and even though the tree sits in storage… I just never worked up the gumption to put it up.  Then…. I justified this thinking my gift was already on the table from hubby – The Cricut which I picked out myself, tires for College son, and Navy son will not be here until the second week of January…. why bother?  There will be nothing under it.

I am not the best Christmas person anyway.  Holidays are hard for me.  We have had a lot of loss in our family at early ages and honestly – doing the holidays without parents on either side, or siblings… can be downright depressing. 

AND then…. after many Christmas parties these last couple of weeks, and baking for our office party…. slowly (ever so slowly…) I started to feel it.  Earlier this week… I went shopping and accomplished all of it in the matter of a few hours.  Justin (College son) had lunch with me yesterday and then we went and bought our groceries for the weekend, planning out movies we want to watch, board games we wanted to play.  We actually went to Target looking for a new game but so many needed 4 or more players we started laughing and saying “stupid small family!” as there will be just the three of us and board games are not always Al (hubby’s) thing so it is usually just Justin and I.

The fact is though…. I was laughing and starting to plan.  We went back to the Christmas department and I picked up a little three foot tree… lights already on it.  We had decided this late in the game we were not going to put up the big 6 footer, decorate it to the hilt and then take it down in the next couple of days, so I went small.  And it is a tree.  😀

So all that said – in honor of Alyce’s Saturday Snapshot, here are my pictures I present today. 

Last night my friend Heidi and I went to the Last Turn and heard a local musician play some great music.

We had some time to spare in the checkout line at Wal-Mart so we decorated our tree with all our purchases while we waited.  😛

…and yes this morning I wrapped my gifts and put them under the tree which I threw on a few of our ornaments. 

In a couple of hours Justin will be here for the weekend.  SSSQQUUUEEEEE!!!!   Today we will bake and hang out…. I have forewarned him we may listen to a little of Ready Player One on audio because I think he will love it.  (I finally got him to read Hunger Games. 

I need to put the finishing touches on a review I meant to go live yesterday but it did not happen!  😀 Then I am going to take a quick run to the store (I know.. I know) and just be sure we are ready.

Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays Everyone!!!!!

Good morning!  😀

I woke up to a powdered sugar dusting across our lawn.  Yes, even as I type, I can look out the window and see it continuing…

yes…. snow. 

I knew it was inevitable… however, looking at the weather forecast, it will be nothing more than this and then back to the mid 30’s and sunny throughout the weekend….

As much as I am LOVING this… I know many of my friends are not as thrilled with the lack of snow…  they are itching to get outside and kids want to go sledding and make snow men… for their sake (and man… I can’t even believe I am saying this) I hope they get it soon. 

Ok that’s the snow part of this post and enough of that!  I found a few books when I was checking blogs earlier that I would say are wish list worthy!

It’s a Waverly Life has such a fun cover and Danielle’s review of it over at Chick Lit Reviews and News sealed the deal for me!

Alison’s reviews (Alison’s Book Marks) usually impress me, so I wasn’t really surprised when her review of A Monster Calls by the wonderful Patrick Ness had me adding this one to the MUST be read.  Seriously… you have to read her review. 

Honestly, I find many reads at Helen’s Book Blog.  When she reads books like these my mouth usually drops open as I wonder how she discovers these treasures!

Today I need to wrap some gifts, I am having lunch with College son, and need to pick up a few items for the weekend.  It will just be the three of us, myself Al, and Justin for Christmas but I like small gatherings.  We will make pumpkin rolls, watch movies, play board games, eat good things, and just enjoy one another.  😀

What are your Christmas weekend plans?  Any books in the mix?