Gobble, Gobble

I hope you all had an enjoyable Thanksgiving. I ate too much and had killer heartburn for three days but at least I didn't break with tradition. It was so nice to have 5 days off in a row. It was also very nice to celebrate and catch up with friends we only see about once a year. It's great to know that even though you don't see or talk to lifelong friends all the time, the minute you all get back in the same room, time stands still. It was not so nice to go bed way past my bedtime (5am!) and have to wake up with a baby that doesn't quite grasp the concept of hangovers.

Biggest C-U-Next-Tuesday

Last night I was flipping through the channels and came across The Biggest Loser. It was a part where skeletor-faced Jillian Michaels is berating the contestants into working out. So this newly svelte woman is on the leg press (you know, the one where you sit and push the weights up with your legs). The camera zooms in on her huffing and puffing to get the weight up, sweat on her brow, eyes focused and alert. You can hear Jillian in the background barking orders in her man voice. Then the camera pans back and you see Jillian actually sitting on the weights.

And she pulls shit like this too She's a human torture device.

She's all, "I'm so skinny you can lift me too." I would punch her in the face and that would be the end of my short BL experience.

On that note, I hope you all eat your weight, and that of Jillian Michaels, in turkey and stuffing tomorrow.

Advent-ures in Crafting

Did you have advent calendars when you were a kid? I can only really remember having one. It was kind of a nightmare because my siblings and I fought the entire month about whose day it was to open the little door and get the nasty chocolate. I think that may have been our first and last foray into advent calendars.

I've always wanted to make one modeled after one I saw in a Pottery Barn catalog (it's not sold anymore.) A couple years ago, I found a little white shelf at a yard sale. I taped the photo from the PB catalog to the back so I'd remember why I bought the shelf in the first place. 3 years later, I finally got around to doing something with it. Unfortunately the shelf only contains 18 squares so I had to use the top too. Oh well, perfection is not always the name of the game.

I also saw this blog post and thought it was a great idea to treat an advent calendar as a holiday warm up. So I took some origami paper I had (points for using things on hand) and wrote 24 different tasks on it for cultivating the holiday spirit. I didn't have the patience to make little gift boxes, maybe next year. Also, since its a calendar (I should have numbered the holes- note for next year), you can use it to plan out your month. For instance I included:

• Design and send Christmas cards. (I always do this the first week in December.)
• Pick out the Christmas tree and decorate it. (We usually do this the first weekend in December.)
• Bake Christmas cookies. (I put that one in the day before the Cookie Party I go to every year.)
• Buy toys for tots . (These are due on Dec. 8th, so I put that for the Saturday before.)
• Play hooky and go to the movies. (Cory and I started this tradition a couple of years ago. We usually go at the beginning of the Christmas week. It's a nice break from the holiday madness.)
• Make gifts for neighbors and deliver. (I usually do this the day before Christmas Eve.)

Other ones are a little looser in terms of a time frame, so if you can't get to them that particular day/night, you could always just postpone it for a better time:

• Go see Christmas lights. (We've never really done this before. Well, I haven't as an adult or sober.)
• Empty piggy banks for Salvation Army kettles. (Beatrice is not going to like this one. She has recently become obsessed with putting coins into her piggy bank. She'll shake down anyone who comes into her bedroom by jangling the piggy and flashing her little doe-eyed smile.)
• Watch Christmas movies. (We've never done this before... what are some good holiday movies? )

I really like the idea of family traditions. I think this might be one we can keep up. And it should only get better as Beatrice gets older and more into it.

If you don't have a shelf, you could always just take strips of paper and make an advent 'chain.' You rip off each day and do the task.

What are some of your holiday traditions?

10 Worst Toys

Good list to take a look at before heading out for that holiday shopping. (Thanks, Erica.)

Speaking of toys, that's Beatrice's latest word obsession. She pretends that someone is calling on the phone, she answers it, and when you ask her who it is, she'll respond with a variety of friends or family members' names. Usually it's been Uncle Matt. Then you ask her what they want and without fail, she enthusiastically responds, "Toys." Like she's expecting me tell her, "Find out what kinds of toys they want and we'll go the store and buy them. And OK, you can play with them until we have time to wrap and bring them over to their house."

Get the DVR Ready

My obsession with 16 and Pregnant has been documented here. Starting in December, MTV will air Teen Moms. I love follow-up shows.

Did She Really Just Say That!?!?

Watch this clip from an nterview on The View with the chick from Modern Family. No she did...n't.

How To Blow Your Nearly 2 Year Old's Mind

Beatrice has been less interested in her basic toys lately and more interested in pretend play. I ordered her a kitchen online. Shockingly, it didn't come fully assembled.















3 hours (and a whole lotta cussin') later... voila!















The Little Miss was quite excited when she woke up. (Do you love that she won't put that doll down for anything. From the moment she wakes up, baby is under her arm.)

Have a Good Weekend

For the first time in a long time we don't have a jam packed weekend. We do have Annual Pub Night tonight. I have to go get my flair together, a la T.G.I. Fridays. Speaking of which, have you ever been on that website. Wow.

On Sunday we're meeting with Cory's aunt and uncle to discuss renovating our house. Seeing as I am completely spatially challenged it will be a lot to wrap my head around architectural plans. Maybe they'll bring a diorama to help me.

I hope you have a great, relaxing weekend.

Pillow Talk

Conversation last night as I fell asleep and Cory was in the living room watching TV.

Me: "Cor, please DVR the Real World/Road Rules Ruins for me at 10."
Cory: "You have problems."

Marley and Me

Last night we ordered Chinese food and watched a movie. I was so bored with it being a Tuesday, I decided to pretend it was a Friday instead. Actually it was like a Friday for Cory because he didn't have work today. My company doesn't care about veterans though, so I am here working hard.

We watched Marley and Me. It was cute. We are so NOT dog people but it was good nonetheless. I'm sure it would be hard for people to watch if they ever had to put a dog down. (Oops, hope that wasn't a spoiler.)

While watching some of the close-ups in the movie, I became a bit obsessed with Jennifer Aniston's face. Something ain't right with that girl. I think she's had some major work done. Do you agree? Look closely in the eye area.

The Monthly Give- November 2009

For this month's give, I'll be collecting items to donate for Thanksgiving dinners. If you are interested in helping out, please email me or leave a comment. I can't believe we are in mid-November already!

Thinking about Thanksgiving has me thinking about food. Yum, I love Thanksgiving dinner. Not the turkey but all the fixins'. This year, we are going to my family's for dinner. My family puts on a better Turkey Day feast than Cory's (no offense.) But Cory's family does put on a better dessert so everyone wins.

Rawrrrr

Soccer girls are total bitches. Them New Mexico ho's are crazy. (You have to watch the annoying commercials first but it's worth the wait.)

It's In Our Jeans

Our wonderful nanny does our laundry. (I know, I am completely spoiled.) I'm not one of those people that gets weirded out by someone else handling their undergarments. In fact, earlier this week, before running out of the house, I popped my head into the living room to tell her something. We had a 5 minute conversation before I realized she was folding my underpants. We are tight like that.

She even goes the extra step to separate our clean laundry and put it in the appropriate rooms. For instance, she leaves my clothes in our bedroom because that's where my closet is while she leaves Cory's stuff in the office because that's where his closet is. (We've covered this before.)

A couple of times now I've noticed that she's left his jeans in my pile. My ass is big and my man's is not so it's an honest mistake. Question: Should I be more embarrassed about the snafu or should Cory?

It's Over

We finished The Wire this weekend. I am honestly a little sad inside knowing that we don't have our episodes to look forward to anymore. It was by far one of the best shows on television (along with Lost and 6 Feet Under.) I watched the last 10 minutes of the final episode with a little bit of a pit in my stomach, kind of like the feeling you get on the last day of vacation. Sigh.

Meal Planning

Monday- Nanny's

Tuesday- Homemade chicken soup

Wednesday- Breakfast for dinner

Thursday- Stuffed peppers (Thanks for the recipe Kristen!)

Friday- I think I'm meeting gals for dinner