Shutterfly Deal

You can get 75 free 4x6 prints from Shutterfly until Wednesday!

Enter promo code: UDVX-3N7W-ZHWG-AYJAE9

Thanks to Katie for the info!

Love This

" No doubt about it- a woman on fire for God is a force to be reckoned with."

So, so true.

Here We Goooo...

"Here we go, one more time, everybody's feeling fine, here we go now..."

I couldn't resist the NSYNC lyrics. They are my all time favorite boy band. :) Okay, maybe favorite band in general. I know. I am pathetic. But proud. If they did a reunion tour, I would so be there. I even wore my "No Strings Attached" concert T-Shirt to school this year.

Now to the real meaning of this post.

This week begins training for half marathon number two! I am so ready. Not sure why, but I can't wait to start. I feel so much better when I run. I have kept up being able to run 6 miles so I am not worried about being able to do this. Which is so nice. Considering last time when I hoped I would be able to finish in 3 1/2 hours. I even planned on walking some. I didn't walk and I finished in 2:10.

So basically, bring it on Crossroads of Indiana Half Marathon!

Not sure what my goal is. I would like to shave a bit off my time, but considering this training is taking place during softball season, I'm not sure how much time I will be able to devote to make sure my speed increases. I just enjoy the run, not really the idea of getting quicker. It's the whole exercising and taking care of my body thing that I run for. I have no plans or ambitions of winning. :) So maybe I will shoot for 2:09ish.

High hopes, right? I think so.

Tomorrow's a busy today- Menu for next week

Since I probably won't have time to write this tomorrow, and right now I don't feel like working, here's this week's menu:

Sunday: We will be at a friends for football, so no need for dinner. We are taking "Ooey Gooey Cookies".

Monday: Spinach Quiche from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Spinach-Quiche/Detail.aspx.

Tuesday: Waffles and fruit. If you like whole wheat pancakes or waffles, this recipe is awesome! We use it all the time. We replace some of the butter with applesauce and replace two of the eggs with egg whites. It's really good with applesauce on top too! http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Whole-Wheat-Pancakes/Detail.aspx

Wednesday: Chicken and Wild Rice soup from the freezer.

Thursday: Spaghetti

Friday: Burger, homemade hamburger buns, sweet potato fries, corn

Saturday: Slow cooker Chicken (new recipe for us to try), green beans, rolls (freezer), and mac n' cheese! http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Baked-Slow-Cooker-Chicken/Detail.aspx

I feel like I have been in the kitchen all day today- despite the 3 hr. Starbucks trip to plan lessons. I have baked three batches of Oreo brownies, cookies, and 3 dozen muffins. And I. Am. Exhausted.

Next week is restock week. Meaning I have to stock back up on bread, rolls, and granola bars!

It's Stinkin' Cold

Our heater is out for the third time since we moved in. Tonight's windchill- negative 10. But I think it will be fixed by lunch!

"Be Fabulous- God spared no enthusiasm when He created you."

Something Sweet

Teaching is tough. And sometimes I wonder why I want to spend my day with self-absorbed teenagers (not all of them). And then one does something sweet, and it's suddenly okay.

This is what a student brought to me this morning:

Yum.

And might I add that she brought them for no reason. She was at the store and thought about how much I love chocolate (this may be a bad sign) and so she thought she would buy a bag.

How sweet. And much needed.

Menu for the Week

Sunday: Turkey, Cranberry Sauce, Garlic Pull-apart Rolls from the freezer, asparagus

Monday: Easy Garlic Chicken, Corn, Fruit, Whole Wheat Rolls (freezer)

Tuesday: Spaghetti and sauce, garlic bread

Wednesday: Eggs, sausage, toast, fruit

Thursday: Salmon, green beans, rice (and the hubbs will have hot dogs..)

Friday:  Pizza! Haven't decided if we will do french bread for the crust or make regular pizza crust.

Saturday: Vegetarian Lasagna- a delicious pampered chef recipe!

The bread for this week is already made, which will make everything so much easier!

But I told you in person... isn't that enough?

I know when you get married two families collide. Two different ways of eating, vacationing, worshipping, arguing...really two different ways of doing everything. Today I am focusing on one difference- Thanking.

Yep, the acceptable way to let someone know you are thankful for their gift.

Growing up I wrote thank you notes for graduation gifts, some birthday gifts (depending on whether or not the person was there), and of course, wedding gifts. But that's it.

Chris, on the other hand, was taught to write thank you notes for everything.

So, which was is right and which way is unacceptable?

My family believes in simply saying thank you and meaning it. You get a gift, you open a gift, and you say thank you. Done. Everyone is happy. This is our common practice for Christmas and birthdays. When I started dating Chris I realized that his family expected thank you notes for all gifts given- not just weddings and graduations. I do my best to be a good addition to the family and I write my thank you notes so I don't upset anyone. I am by no means saying there is anything wrong with expecting thank you notes, but it got me thinking about what we will teach our kids.

I decided to do a little research on what is socially acceptable by today's standards.

Emily Post says, "A thank you note is always appreciated, but a note isn’t needed if you’ve thanked someone in person for a gift—the most personal thanks of all. If you receive gifts from family members that you won’t see to thank in person, write them a thank you note, both to let them know their gift arrived and that you liked it. Remember that relatives from ‘the old school’ may still expect a written note even if thanks were given in person."

Dempsey and Carroll says, "Every gift deserves a thank-you note..."

Even Etiquette for Dummies says, "...writing a thank you note is necessary. Just saying 'thank you' isn't enough."

I looked at many other sites and found many mixed opinions. Obviously no one really knows. It seems to be what many call a "dying art." Seriously? I feel that thank you notes can be special but I prefer a hug or a call. Don't waste money on a stamp and cards. Definitely not a form of art.

But again, I grew up with a family who did not expect nor want thank you notes, so I struggle with the idea.

The 'experts' do tend to say that thank you notes should be sent immediately- I guess I should get on that. Is a month too late? ;)

The Real Test

I didn't realize how much I relied on cable. Holy moly.

Sunday was our first day without cable. It was totally fine, so I decided that life without cable was going to be fine. And it has been. But now I have a snow day.

What do I want to do on a snow day? Watch lifetime movies and mindless tv. That's what.

Lazy? Yes. Ashamed? Not one bit.

So, since I have no cable to mindlessly watch, and a movie doesn't sound awesome, I have cleaned my closet, made a loaf of bread, got everything out to make dessert for tonight, did laundry, and went to the gym.... and it's 11:10.

Eeek. Did I get anything done before Sunday?

I am realizing that this summer will be hard..... long days with no tv.

I guess I will have to read. ;)

What's for dinner this week?

Sunday: Dinner with Hailey. :)

Monday: Chicken Caesar Wraps

Tuesday: Italian Breaded Pork Chops, Roasted Asparagus, Whole Wheat rolls(already made and in the freezer). The rolls are from http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/.

Wednesday: Pizza and fruit (the fruit makes it healthy, right?)

Thursday: Chicken, Cheese Quesadillas with onion and black beans. We have some cheese that needs to be used.

Friday: We will be at a friends. Our dinner contribution will be a Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball and Graham Crackers.

Saturday: Turkey (frozen from Thanksgiving), Cranberry Sauce (also frozen), the rest of the asparagus, and corn meal muffins (also from http://www.thefrualgirl.com/).

Sunday: Red Beans and Rice and the corn meal muffins.

There it is. My menu.

Bring it on, 2011

I am not one for New Years Resolutions because I feel they don't last. For example on the Monday after New Years I went to Body Pump Class as usual. Normally there are about 20 of us, but on Monday there were about 40. I was not excited (because I am selfish and they cramped the room...), but knew they wouldn't last. I was right, and on Wednesday they were gone. No newbies.

I think it's funny to watch the work-out clothes, diet foods, and organization 'stuff' go on sale the first few weeks of the new year. Is that the only time people set goals/ make resolutions?

So here I go being hypocritical, though I will say these are things I was doing or planning to do before the new year- and I call them goals, not resolutions. Maybe the word change will bring success? ;)

Goal #1: Make my own bread and buy very little from the store. The reasons behind this is money and health. Chris buys "good" bread for his lunch. By baking my own we save about a dollar a loaf and I know exactly what's in the bread. Which I am a fan of... I have already made sandwich bread for the past two weeks, dinner rolls, garlic bread, and hamburger buns. All with the help of my new Kitchenaid, of course.

Goal #2: Run two half marathons before Christmas of next year and a 10K. I have one scheduled for April, and hopefully will the others scheduled when we figure out where we will be living.

Goal #3: Make menu's for the week. This will prevent last minute trips to the grocery store, wasting food, and hopefully save money. I figure if I am proactive in what we eat there will be no more food that goes bad (without my knowledge). It will also keep the stress down and during softball season Chris will be able to help with dinner more (we had frozen pizza at least 4 times a week last spring.)

Goal #4: Go a year without cable. This is already in progress. Today is day number 1. I have had cable my entire life and am a tad scared at the thought, but I know it will be good. I can already feel the productivity coming!

Goal #5: Read my Bible more. Much more. Because I slacked this year. Bad. I am aiming for 4 times a week at first.

Goal #6: Go through all of the recipes from TheFrugalGirl.com- because they're awesome and budget friendly. You should try it.

I have been big on setting goals this past year, and it worked. I planned to run a half marathon and become healthier minded- and I have. I can't wait to see the success that 2011 brings.

What are your goals for the coming year? How are you keeping track of your progress?

"You have let me experience the joys of life and the exquisite pleasures of your own eternal presence. " Psalm 16:11