My Most Watched YouTube Video of 2011

No, I've never watched the Rebecca Black video for "Friday, Friday".... which was YouTube's most watched video of 2011.  I'm thinking I'll keep it that way, too.

You know, I've posted a few videos this year and this is my most watched.  Enjoy.... again.....

Blog Headers 2011

As we wind down 2011, let's take a little look down memory lane.......

As you can see, I'm not terribly creative when it comes to blog headers.

I changed my blog name mid-year....... I'm glad I did it.  Now, I just need to change it all over to my domain Steve bought for me.  

As of right now, I don't have a header for January 2012 yet..... but it will come to me, I'm sure since I need to do a Christmas recap..... my holiday was out of the ordinary and I need to write about it because even I can't believe it..... and although I'd like to forget it, it must be journalled.  

A Look Back at 2011- Month by Month

Let's take a look back at 2011 with my favorite photos of each month.......

January......

..... I didn't even take this picture, but it's my favorite from the month.  This was what Toomer's Corner looked like on January 11th..... the day after my Auburn Tigers won the National Championship game in football.  Isn't it beautiful?

February......

.... here Elizabeth and I are before the start of the Mercedes Half-Marathon 2011.  Good times, for sure!

March......

...... I started my first garden.

April.....

..... we had an extra Spring Break and a few of us moms took our kids to the beach for a few days and had a great time.  I think we need a few more kids... don't cha think?  Scarily, we spent one day worried sick about our husbands and friends when some tornadoes hit the state of Alabama.  But it was a still a fun trip.

May......

...... someone was inducted in the National Junior Honor Society.  Yep, she's a smarty pants.

June.......

...... we went to the beach and watched a few sunrises and caught a shark.  OK, the second, I'd like to forget.

July....

..... I had dinner with the super cute Daphne from Flip Flips and Pearls.

August.....

.... Elizabeth fell in love with a new sport.

September.....

....... Elizabeth celebrated her 14th birthday with an Auburn football game with two of her best friends.

October.....

...... Elizabeth and I spent another day in Auburn.

November.....

...... we spent Thanksgiving in Disney World.


December.....

..... we celebrated the birth of our Savior.

Merry Christmas

.... from our family to yours.  

Thanks for reading this year.

The Elves

Tired of making the elves do something every night?

Do you wake up in a panic because you're not sure if the elves are having enough fun and mischief at your house?

Kids complaining that their elves aren't as much fun as their friends' elves?

Are you constantly on Pinterest looking for new ideas for them?

Do you pray for Christmas to arrive soon so the elves go back to Santa and you can sleep peacefully once again?

Are you Googling to find out who came up with the idea for the elves to come visit and you daydream of ways to maim that person?

Well, one day it will end.... and you will sleep soundly not trying to come up with new things for the damn elves to do.

Because our elves have been hanging here since Saturday........



...... and Elizabeth doesn't even care anymore.

I promise the day will come...... and you will be sad..... rested, but sad.

A Very Merry Retail Christmas

For 10 Christmases I worked at a clothing store in the mall.  

Here's a few notes about men shopping at Christmastime.......

1.  Men were easy sales..... for the most part they liked to get in and out of the mall quickly and just wanted something in the bag to give as a gift.  And they liked complete outfits..... with accessories.

2.  I'd say 99% of the men I waited on when asked what size their wife, girlfriend, daughter was they would say, "About your size.  So, a small?"  I smiled at the compliment ever single time.

3.  They would usually shop on their lunch break and I knew many were appreciative of the help they received from me.  Many came back year after year and would ask for me.

4.  I worked in a store that didn't wrap gifts.  So, I always offered to wrap a gift if they ran down the mall and purchased wrapping paper.  And I really offered that to any customer, not just men, but it was mostly men who took me up on it.  

5.  I wonder if those men ever missed me now that I've been out of retail for 14 years.  

A Gift to Yourself

Not long ago, I was looking at some old pictures.

Lovely overalls and short hair, right?  I thought that would hide the baby weight I was still carrying.  I guess I was wrong.  And I always heard if you want to look thinner, put a baby on your hip.  That wasn't working either.  Or maybe the 10 pounds the camera adds was counter-balanced by Elizabeth as a baby on my hip.  Either way, none of it was working.

But what I really noticed and want to take a minute to discuss are my eyebrows.  Wow, they are huge, right?  Back then, all I did was pluck the strays underneath and between them.  This was obviously before I had them professionally shaped.

About 10 years ago, I finally wised up and got them shaped.  And they look so much better now.

(I'm in a beachy mood and would like to be at the beach, so I went back and found a beach picture to show you...... man, I'm not a fan of the cold....)

I knew my big, bushy eyebrows always bothered me and with the gene pool Elizabeth was coming from hers would bother her too.... one day.

Last year when Elizabeth mentioned wanting to do something about her brows, I knew I needed to take action.  So, first we just took care of the strays, but I knew she was wanting more.  So, a few months ago I asked her if she would like to go to my brow girl and get hers shaped.  She jumped at the chance.

I called, made the appointment and now she loves her brows......

I love how our brows look so neat now..... and they frame our faces.... and they aren't the first things you notice anymore.

We are not big makeup girls.... I don't wear much at all and Elizabeth very rarely wears it.  So, getting our brows done are the one little "happy" we do for ourselves.

What's one little "happy" you do for yourself?

Three Things

1.  Ten days until Christmas?  Really?  How has the time flown by?  I'm wondering if it's because I was ready before Thanksgiving for the most part with my shopping and I've only been tying up some loose ends since then.

I remember when I was growing up how slowly it seemed for Christmas to arrive.  Mom would decorate the house, wrap the presents and put them under the tree and then we just had to wait....... and wait...... and wait.   Waiting is so hard...... but that's what Advent is all about, right?

I am really excited for Elizabeth to open her big gift.  I think that's going to be my big gift... her expression when she opens it.  I almost feel like I did when I was a kid..... the waiting is the hardest part.

2.  Two things happened today.... first I got a private comment from a reader putting me in my place regarding a recent post.  Second, I read this post about staying positive.

I do try to keep it pretty positive around here and find the humor in the things I do complain about, although I was not being funny about the topic at hand.  Usually, if I complain it's way after the fact and share the looking-back-and-laugh moments of life.  Perhaps I didn't leave enough time to write my thoughts with this one and I'm sorry if it sounded like I was making a blatant judgement.

I know people do need help getting around, I know people do have heath issues, I know people do want to escape.  Sorry, if I offended anyone.

By the way, I have read some snarky blogs where moms only complained about their job as a mom in post after post after post..... I didn't like them and moved on.  I hope my readers do find my everyday life pretty funny and not so complain-y.  For the most part, I laugh at myself for many of my faults...... and there are many.  Just ask Steve or Elizabeth, they'll tell you the brutal truth, I'm sure.

3.  Half-marathon training started last weekend for us.  I'm going to quote Forrest Gump- "That's all I have to say about that."

Christmastime Mystery

This package was delivered to our house on Saturday.  

It's addressed to Steve.  

I was told not to mess with it.  

So, I'm assuming it's a Christmas gift for me.

It's now Wednesday evening.  

Is it going to sit there until Christmas morning?  

Is it going to get wrapped?

Should I wrap it myself?

Is It a Judgement or an Observation?

Last month, when I was at Disney World, I couldn't help but notice something.

It's really bothered me ever since I returned home.

And maybe I'm a little sheltered in my little world here in Alabama and don't really notice it on a daily basis.

We're a fat, lazy nation.

Now, don't get me wrong, I know I have a little weight to lose.  The muffin top is jumbo, in my opinion.  Steve knows he has some weight to lose, too.  Elizabeth?  Not so much.... she's adorable, but thinks she could lose some weight, too.  Ahhh, she'll look back to photos of her and think to herself "what was I thinking?  I'm adorable" in the same way I do when I see photos of myself back in the day and had the same thoughts as she does.

Everywhere I looked I saw people that were very large.... much larger than my family.... and wondered how they rode rides.  How they fit in a seat on the bus.  How they just managed on a daily basis carrying that much weight around.

Everywhere I looked I saw people in those little motorized scooters.  Bumping into them, looking at their frustrated faces as they tried to navigate around "the world."  I thought, wouldn't it just be easier to walk?

Now, don't get me wrong, I know there are reasons for people to be in such scooters..... but I think the majority of them are just lazy.

I know, that's a judgement...... maybe it's more of an observation.

But, I looked at my parents who are around 70 and they walked around...... with two young boys..... very busy boys..... and I have to say, I admire them for even tackling the task of taking three of their grandkids to Disney World for 4 days.  And I looked at other people.... my age and older...... riding motorized scooters.  Sure, some were older..... others just overweight.  And I noticed the tags were from rental places around Disney...... they certainly weren't owned by the people...... so did they have them at home and use them on a daily basis?  Probably not.

As we walked around EPCOT many days, I wanted to ask the people from the counties we were visiting what they thought of us as Americans.  Did they see the same thing I was seeing?  Do they think we're a nation full of fat, lazy people?  Because that's what I would think.

I know I've heard that other countries think we are fat and lazy.... but for the first time I really saw it with my own eyes.

When we were eating in Italy one day for lunch, I asked our waiter if the delish eggplant parmesan I was enjoying was as good as his moms.  He politely said no.... which is what I had expected him to say.  He went on to tell us that they don't have chicken parm in Italy and some other things..... and I so badly wanted to ask him my questions..... but chickened out.  I guess if I had had a second glass of the sangria they were serving I would have.......

So, here's to my parents who are older and probably wanted a scooter.... but braved the crowds on their feet..... and the others like them.  And to parents like me and Steve whose feet hurt every single night from all the walking (and we're runners!).

And seeing first-hand what America really looks like had made us want to exercise a little more and take care of ourselves...... because one day we'd like to take our grandkids to Disney..... and not scooter around.

10 on the Weekend of the 10th

Hi!  How was your weekend?  

I forgot to do 10 on the 10th.... again.  So, you're getting what I got.... starting Friday..... how's that?

Friday, I broke out the best Christmas t-shirt......

..... EVER.  Charlie Brown rocks!  And why do my teeth look green?  

All is calm.......

.... all is bright........

On to Saturday......

We went on a family run.......

.... we drove to the running trail, well I drove, and I forgot to take off my sunglasses..... so I ran in them.  I'm not a fan of running in sunglasses.... they get all steamy. 

We went to church Saturday night.......

... and I had to snap a picture of the nativity in front of our church.  A few years ago, someone stole Baby Jesus.  The news covered it and it was returned just in time to celebrate Christmas Mass.  

Now.... on to Sunday...... are you still here? 

We lit the third candle on our Advent wreath......

.... it's pink... er, rose as Suzette pointed out to me...  and joyful.  

I love clementines......

.... I love them even more in a basket on the counter.

I baked a few cookies......

..... and now my kitchen smells like this......

.... without lighting it.... but I like it lit, so it stays lit while baking, too.  

And I made a little hot cocoa station in my kitchen.....

.... wanna stop by and sip on some hot cocoa and sit by the fire while we watch "Elf".... or "Love Actually"?  I'd love that.

And finally, for those wondering who won my Christmas CD giveaway, the time has come to announce who.......

....... congrats HiTechDirtGuy!  I'll get your CD's to you this week!  

Thank you all for entering my giveaway!

Check out other 10 on 10th's here.........

A Little Christmas Happy

I got a Christmas happy from a parent at school.

Cute, right?

I like how it gives a little Christmas boost to St. Francis in the kitchen.  

Don't you?

Also, I like to get wine as a happy..... just in cases anyone is wondering.
(what movie is "just in cases" from?)

*****

Look who helped with dinner without being asked.  It could be classified as a Christmas miracle.

If you're looking for something for dinner, I suggest you try this soup and these breadsticks.

You're welcome.

*****

If you haven't entered my Christmas CD giveaway, it's not too late..... you have until 6pm Sunday.