Pins & Needles

No, I'm not talking about your Christmas tree sheddings.

Obviously I've been a bit absent the last week on the blog and I'm sure you've been sitting on these awaiting the next post, right? I knew it. And I'm sorry...to be honest, I have no real spectacularly good excuse as to why I haven't been posting since we got back from Thanksgiving weekend in Orlando...I just plain haven't had anything to write about. And I most certainly didn't want to bore you with a lot of blah blah nothingness...I aim to please...even though I'm certain many a post of mine may have been a snore...but that's beside the point.

Blogging is a funny thing, you know. I read so many blogs regularly and I've been seeing all sorts of wonderful posts on Christmas decor {the kind that put me to shame}, Christmas party attire and Christmas wish lists. But who would I be kidding to bust out an extravagant Christmas list right now? I'm saving for a new baby, becoming a SAHM and to be honest, I've just been too busy and on the go to even sit down and think about anything I want this year. And forget about Christmas party attire! This growing bump is making just getting dressed for work a huge chore. Not to mention, this lady can't have any "Christmas Cheer" {read: alcohol}, so I doubt we'll be attending any Christmas parties this year. Don't I sound like a Scrooge? Bah, humbug.

No, but seriously, I love the holiday season. Not to sound too cliche, but there really is something magical about it. However, this year, with the pregnancy, I only mustered up the energy to get our tree up and decorate the mantel and a couple of console tables. Normally, I do lights and pretty garland outside on the porch, but all I can think about is how I'll be even bigger when it comes time to take it all down and ain't no prego got time fo' that. You're probably thinking, "duh, that's what your husband is for!" but seriously, he wouldn't do it right {am I right, ladies?} and I'm OCD to a fault. And to imagine how he would take it all down later and stuff it away without care just nearly sends me into convulsions. So the easiest best route to take was no lights outside this year. Though my three-year-old is particularly enamored with Christmas lights this year, so I may be making myself snap out of it and put up at least a string or two this weekend. We'll see. The things we do for those little people's happiness, I tell you. But I'm not all bad, you have seen the tree, right? And I even went for a larger one this year.

Anyway, it's not all bad...I'm headed to NYC in a week from today! My mom and I are going for 5 days to enjoy some shopping and tourist-y fun. It will be my first time to the Big Apple and I'm so excited. So I guess I will create my Christmas wish list as I go and just purchase it along the way while I'm there! Unfortunately, due to my current medical condition, I won't be purchasing many clothing items, but I do plan to build up my boots, scarves and accessories collection! I can't wait to see this big, beautiful tree:

We plan on seeing the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular, and hopefully getting into the live audience of Live with Kelly & Michael. Can't wait to share about the trip with you when I get back!

I'm also excited for our upcoming gender reveal party! Maybe it's just me, but I'm really feeling it's a girl this time around...Hubby just thinks I'm in denial about having three boys...but we shall see. We find out in exactly two weeks from today! Speaking of pregnancy, I haven't shown you a bump update in a little while, unless you follow me on Instagram. Here I am the other day at just about 17 weeks {I am 17 weeks exactly today}:

My outfits are OK most days...I had to order some sweaters from Motherhood Maternity since I've never been pregnant in the winter before, at least not where I was showing. Above I'm wearing one of those sweaters, some black leggings from Forever 21 and my Minnetonka Moccassin boots. As you can see, I'm definitely progressing! Lord knows I will be on the Insanity workout train starting a month after delivery. I am not wasting any time getting back to feeling normal again!

Anyway, I hope you are all having a wonderful holiday season thus far!

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Thursday Randomness

Ah yes, finally getting closer to that weekend now...I can feel it! Happy Thursday, y'all! Not much going on around these parts...we decorated Easter eggs last night {and Breckin only managed to break ONE!}

Also, if you haven't read them already, I suggest you hop on over to Skinny Mom and view my latest posts on dehydration, and also calf-toning exercises {hey, summer is on the way, and you need to be ready!} If you don't already follow Skinny Mom, I suggest you start - there are a lot of great mommy bloggers on there posting all sorts of articles on fitness, health, fashion, food and more. I'm so proud to be a part of it. You don't even have to be a mom to gain some good info from this site!

I feel like I'm finally on a roll getting things organized and projects done around the house. I've posted lately about our pantry makeover, the kids' art area, the organized bathroom vanity cabinet and even starting to get Tanner's room finished - see his upholstered bulletin board and his monogram art. I plan on revealing the boys' rooms soon, but I reeeeaaaalllly would love to paint them first, however, I don't know if that will happen in the next couple of months, so I may just have to post them as-is and then update once I finally am able to get them painted. Speaking of paint, we are finally going to paint our kitchen and living room a light gray...this was my final thing needed to call the kitchen makeover complete. The plan is to do it the weekend after Easter.

Speaking of the weekend after Easter, I've got the Cooper River Bridge 10K coming up that Saturday morning. For those of you not familiar, this is a crazy-popular race. It draws in over 40,000 participants. Last year, my time was 1:12, and it was my first-ever 10K...I had never run that distance all at once in my life before that. Since then, I had started training for a half marathon, and actually got to where I was running over 6 miles without a race to push me {this is big progress for me!} I fell out of training during the holidays, so I am not quite in the running shape I'd like to be, but I'm still hoping I can clock a faster time this year. Check out this craziness:

I just love participating in local races.

I am definitely in need of some new running shoes though. I'm thinking these:

{source}

or these {mostly because they are fun, but also supposed to be good}:

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But, I'm willing to take suggestions on any great running shoes y'all might have to recommend!

Soooo glad we're getting closer to the Easter weekend - we've got a lot of fun planned for the kids and some family coming to visit. Plus, we'll finally be graced with some nice weather after this crazy late March cold front we have been experiencing {so odd for Charleston}! xoxo

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And So The Holidays Are Over...

Are any of y'all just a teensy bit relieved the holidays are over? {Minus New Year's of course.} Don't get me wrong, I love the holidays {though truthfully I could do without Thanksgiving} and all the fun events leading up to, but it is a LOT of work, especially with two little boys to do it up right for.

 

But I am glad to say good-bye to all the gift-shopping, the obligatory children's events, the holiday baked goods, the candy, the decorations that have been overtaking my home {took those down yesterday!} and just get back to life as normal...and start a new year.

 

 

 

 

Bright and early this morning, I drove to the airport and said goodbye to my mom who had been visiting since a couple days before Christmas. It's always sad to see her go because it is way too long between visits for us. But with that being the official end of the holidays at my household, I decided to start the day off right by getting the house cleaned up before my munchkins awoke and then after breakfast, we all went to the gym. {Hubby is back at work already, but I am off until January 2nd.} It felt so good to be back in there, I have been too lax the last couple months, aside from my running. And when you add in all the holiday calorie-filled delights and wine, well, that scale needle is now leaning a little too far to the right for my comfort. Both hubby and I have resolved to get our asses back in gear.

 

 

 

 

So I'm spending the next six days off of work enjoying my boys and playing with them and their new toys, getting some things in my house cleaned and organized, hitting the gym every day and getting some distance run training in {that half marathon is fast-approaching...and I am not quite ready...}

 

It will be good to get a lot of things back on track before getting back into the daily grind next Wednesday.

 

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I'm Dreaming of a PINK Christmas...

Pink and green is a very trendy Christmas color combo...there are so many shades of pink to play with...light baby pink hues to deep magentas. Here are some inspiring pink and green Christmas decor ideas:

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU AND YOURS!

Photos Courtesy: http://www.bhg.com/

Easy Thanksgiving Centerpiece Ideas

Thanksgiving is a week away, so by now most of you have made your plans. Some of you are lucky enough to be invited as a guest to someone else's home, likely leaving a lot of the work off your shoulders. Maybe you are hosting your family and friends this year for the first time, or for the 20th time...either way, here are some Thanksgiving centerpiece ideas you may want to try to add some decorative flair to your table setting:

Add a non-traditional splash of color - I love this one because it takes the color blue (a personal fave), which is not normally thought of for an autumn holiday, but makes it work by adding natural browns with the use of pecans. You can make this your own by finding glass bottles or vases and using any type of nut:





Create the illusion of a table runner using pumpkins and ribbons with little berry sprigs. You could make it your own by collecting leaves from outside and sprinkling them along the sides of the ribbon in a whimsical fashion:

I adore the use of pumpkins in this centerpiece. Placing them at different levels using candleholders, etc. keeps it interesting to the eye. You can get pumpkins in white, orange and yellow to keep it colorful. Another thing I thought that I would add to this centerpiece would be name placards at each place setting using a tiny pumpkin stabbed in the top with a toothpick and a name card taped to it. You can either print up the names using the computer, or if you have lovely handwriting, make it even more personal!

Add a golden glow to your table by using dried kernels of corn in a round vase with a lit candle. Candles make the home feel more cozy and what could be better than feeling even more cozy and intimate around those you love?

Another brilliant use of the pumpkin - I am a fan of pumpkins as decor in the fall! Here it is paired up with a candle and some lovely sprigs. Simply carve a place in the top of the pumpkin that the candle can sit in. Use your own decor such as leaves, corn, sprigs, berries, etc. to make it your own!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Photos Courtesy: www.bhg.com

The Holiday Rut

The holidays are officially killing me.

Since Thanksgiving, I have not been to the gym ONCE. WTF????!!! To my credit, I have done a 5K (Reindeer Run) and a few days worth of Insanity workouts, but seriously, that just does not cut it for me because I know that tiny efforts such as those will never get me where I want to be in terms of fitness. I feel like a slob...laziness, lack of motivation, eating junk...seriously, who IS this person? It's not me. I worked way too hard to get where I am after two kids - so why am I seemingly throwing it all away?

You know how the longer you stay away from working out, the easier it gets to talk yourself out of doing it each time? Well, I've gotten in this rut of working from 6am to 3pm (which is reason enough to be tired!) and then instead of going to the gym after work as planned, I've had a mental battle with myself on the drive home after work each day over how I don't have time to go to the gym (even though just that morning, it was my main intent - gym bag in the car and ready to go) because I've got motherly/wifely/housekeeping duties that simply must be tended to, and with the holidays, those duties are practically double when you add in all the social events (and preparation), holiday shopping, etc etc etc...so I've been guilty of making that my excuse to not go...then I'll tell myself, well, I'll just get all of that done first, then I can do an Insanity workout after the kids go to bed... Oh, this has got to STOP. And I'm going to get ahead of the game and get started RIGHT NOW and not do what most of the world does, which is sacrifice their bodies by giving in to all the holiday madness and wait until the New Year to get it together.

So tonight, mark my words, I WILL be hitting the gym after work. And hard. I need to get myself through one good session to remember how good it feels and how much I love it...to get my motivation back.

What about you? Are you in a workout rut due to the holiday rush? What are you doing to keep motivated?

Be sure to check in on January 2nd, 2012 when I introduce the first weekly edition of Mommalicious Mondays. This will be a great meme to be a part of - there will be a weekly workout challenge, opportunities to share your posts with progress pictures, updates and stories of your personal workout journey. It is also an opportunity to gain a support group. It does not matter where you are in your journey at the start of this meme. I look forward to this new portion of my blog. (You do not have to be Mommalicious to join, you can be I-Have-No-Kids-alicious too.) :-)

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It's Here...

The candy that is.

Tanner had his school Halloween party today. And then he and Breckin both had their daycare parties too. I got home today and Jake had their buckets of goodies just sitting on the table...why hadn't he hid them yet? (From Tanner, not me...ok, mostly from me.)

But I'm going to keep my word from the previous post. No Halloween candy for me! I'm going to start off this holiday season right. (It's going to be seriously hard...sugar is my weakness.)

Now just to make it through the carnival tomorrow and the actual trick-or-treating...

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Not This Year, Candy Corn

If you know me, I mean truly know me...then you know candy corn is my favorite candy.

It really sucks because it comes out at just the time of year when the holiday season kicks in...and you know that candy-wise, it's all downhill from there. My fall (and I mean the actual act of defeat, not the season - no pun intended) begins with candy corn.

But not this year. No sir, not me! I will not even so much as look at a piece of candy corn. I've been working so hard since having Breckin and doing a good job at it so far...I just can't let this holiday season take all of that away. I won't.

Beginning today, I am officially just saying no to candy. I'm going to make it through Christmas...that means all of my favorites - candy corn, Tanner's trick-or-treat stash, Christmas M&Ms, Hershey's Kisses and candy canes. Not this year... No sir. NOT me.

The idea is, if I can make it through the holidays, then I can make it through the year...because we all know that the holidays are the hardest. It's a good thing candy corn is seasonal (as long as I keep telling myself those little 99-cent bags of it at the pharmacy year-round don't exist. So far, that has been working.)

Happy Fall, Y'All!

Valentine's Day - What's the Big Deal?

I do not care for (read: hate) Valentine's Day.

It used to be that when I would say this, my friends would think that it was only if I happened to be single when the day came around. But I'll tell you, this will be my 7th Valentine's Day with my husband and I still feel the same way about the holiday.

Don't get me wrong, I love flowers, thoughtful gifts and being "wined and dined". But I like these things more when I get them on a random Tuesday (or Wednesday, Thursday, etc.) To be taken aback with total surprise. I don't want my husband to shower me with love and affection because he feels obligated to since every other coupled-up man is doing it for his woman. It just means a lot more when he does it because he gave himself the idea to do so - because for some reason, he was just eager to let me know how much I mean to him.

Now as a mother, I have even more reason to dislike the holiday. Just as we're getting over the hoopla of the Christmas season and every last bit of holiday candy/food is out of the house, Tanner gets a whole new load of chocolates and sweets. (Not to mention, just before that, we had finally gotten through all of the Halloween candy.) And I'm sure these "Valentines" will last until Easter. And then begins another cycle. And I'll let you in on a little secret - though I am obsessed with being healthy and fit, my weakness is sweets and I have to keep them out of reach or it gets completely out of hand! This is the last thing I need at 6 months postpartum with beach season right around the corner.

Another thing I have to deal with is that I too now feel obligated to get something sweet and meaningful for my husband to in return show him how much I love him. But we just got over Christmas, then a month later was his birthday...let's face it, by Valentine's Day, I'm plum out of ideas for things to get him. He is the hardest person to shop for as it is and within a 6-week span, I have 3 big occasions to get him gifts for. EVERY year. For the rest of our lives. And he doesn't make it easy on me or anything. No hint-dropping...or even any answer when I flat out ask him what he would like!

I'm pretty much screwed because as usual, I tell him not to go overboard or really do much at all (there are so many more things we could better use our money for), but he insists he can't do that. I guess I should just revel in the fact that I have a wonderful husband who loves me. If only he would realize that's enough for me.

Oh yeah, it's Valentine's Eve and I am still without a gift (or so much as a clue) for him. Damnit.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Holiday 5Ks!

I ran the Turkey Day 5K and the Reindeer Run 5K this year with my dog, Dakotah. I am really starting to love running. I used to really hate it. I suppose my relationship with it is still more or less a love/hate relationship, but the past couple weeks I have been trying to run every evening or in the early AM in my neighborhood. I have to say, I feel like I'm getting addicted. I guess what everyone has always told me is true: at first you hate it, but then you get addicted (the runner's high) and start to really love it. Here are some pics from the 5Ks:

Allison, Tessa and I enjoying a beer after the Turkey Day 5K:

Dakotah & me in our reindeer attire for the Reindeer Run:

The Thanksgiving Three Thousand...

I was watching Regis & Kelly today and Kelly spilled out a nice article about the calories we consume in an average Thanksgiving meal. If you are one of those ignorance-is-bliss types, you may want to stop reading now. (However, I must admit, my post title has pretty much given it away. Oops.)

Here you have it ladies and gents, the average calorie-consumption in your run-of-the-mill Thanksgiving feast:

3493

Holy moly!!! That's just about how many calories you need to burn to lose 1 pound! (And good Lord, we know how tough that can be.)

And just for kicks - here's a list of some individual Thanksgiving staples and their calorie counts:

1/8 of an Apple Pie: 400 cal
1/8 of a Pumpkin Pie: 350 cal
2 glasses of red wine: 250 cal (who has just TWO glasses?)
1 cup stuffing: 358 cal
1/2 cup gravy: 80
2 slices canned cranberry sauce: 110 cal
1 cup sweet potato dish: 315 cal
1 dinner roll: 150 cal

Thanksgiving is my husband's FAVORITE holiday. (If you know my husband, I'm sure that's no surprise.) It is my least favorite holiday. I absolutely dread Thanksgiving. It's like the kickoff to all the holiday eating and bad choices. And this year I'm still working on dropping my pregnancy pounds, so I can't exactly call it a cheat day. That meal would be the equivalent of a cheat week. I don't want to end up with an extra 5 lbs to RE-lose. And I'm also working to avoid all the Christmastime goodies as well. So I've been coaching myself (well, brainwashing myself) into thinking of all the casseroles and desserts as disgusting...telling myself I don't even want them. I guess we'll see how I do. At least I'm running the Turkey Day 5K in downtown Charleston that morning...so I can feel a little less guilty about what I do eat. It may even lead me to make better food decisions (exercise has a way of doing that.)

Well, Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! Try not to think about the calories too much and just enjoy your loved ones and some football.

'Tis the Season for Giving...

It is November and the holiday season is upon us yet again. A time of loving, laughing, togetherness and of course, giving and receiving. Our children know how to receive things, but do they know how to give?

Tanner is turning 5 this Saturday and I thought this would be a great year to really teach him about giving to those much less fortunate than him. We have always tried to keep Tanner aware of how blessed he is to have so much and that there are so many young children in the world without anything at all. We don't want him to become spoiled or take for granted all he has. But this year I want to do something different with him - I want to really show him what I'm talking about. I'm thinking I may even take him to help serve at a soup kitchen this year. But here is my plan for teaching him how to give to other children less fortunate this season:

Starting this week, and each week until the end of the year, I am going to ask Tanner to pick out something specific of his that he has loved (gently), that he would like to give to another child to enjoy. The week of Christmas, we are going to take all of the items to a local children's charity.

Week 1 (Nov 1-7): A toy
Week 2 (Nov 8-14): A book
Week 3 (Nov 15-21): A blanket
Week 4 (Nov 22-28): A stuffed animal
Week 5 (Nov 29-Dec 5): Another toy
Week 6 (Dec 6-Dec 12): Another book
Week 7 (Dec 13-Dec 19): Another blanket
Week 8 (Dec 20-Dec 26): Another stuffed animal

Of course, if he is willing to offer more than just the one item each week, I will let him. But I figured this list was doable and he will get to handpick each item himself.

I encourage you to have your children do the same this year. It is important that we raise our children to be thoughtful and generous towards others. Show them how happy they can make one child just with one small gesture...and also make them realize how truly blessed they really are.

Happy Holidays ♥