Best Football Movies Ever

Today, I accused my husband of not loving me...

Have no fear! This is my dramatic way of saying, "You need to pay me more attention."(I know you are all shocked to find out that I am in fact a self proclaimed DRAMA QUEEN!) Does that mean he hasn't been giving me the proper amount of attention? To the contrary...he has been doing

overtime duty as a father and a husband. Busting his tail, doing double duty as a parent seeing as I can't pick up or bathe our little one yet, getting the girls ready by himself in the morning,taking them to daycare, school, dance, and gymnastics, preparing meals, laundry, laundry and more laundry.

Luckily he understands my strange, sometimes crazy Drama Queen language, because what I meant to say is, it is time for some US time. However seeing as THAT to is out of the question for about 4 more weeks,I thought we could try some good old conversation for a little while. Conversation that does not involve diapers or baby food or grades or ...anything having to do with the girls.

Anyway, as we were scanning through the channels and stumbled upon Remember the Titans, which I then proclaimed as the best football movie EVER (said as if being proclaimed over a loud speaker in a stadium as it reverberates off the walls). Brian disagreed saying there were others that were better. Hmmmm...I sense a conversation coming on. And what is more perfect than the two things we both love the most: him-football and me-movies.

So without further ado, here is are our top football movies (the order is still up for debate):


Remember the Titans
Rudy
The Blind Side
Varsity Blues
Friday Night Lights
Any Given Sunday
We are Marshall

What would be on your list?

30 Day Mom Challenge

Some days I am lazy. Granted given my recovery those days have been quite frequent lately. In fact, yesterday I realized I had not tucked my children into their beds in over a week. That is AWFUL! I know I just had 2 organs removed, but there is no excuse for this! How long will it be before I am crying because they don't want me to love on them or because their bed is no longer in my house but off at college some where. Needless to say, I went to bed feeling very guilty and did not miss the opportunity and privilege of tucking my darlings into their beds tonight.

So as I was perusing my latest addiction of Pinterest today, I found the 30 Day Mom Challenge from imom.com Not sure when they posted it but it was definitely pinned today for ME!The way it works is whatever day of the month it is you start on that day and just continue on until you have completed all 30 challenges. What I question now is...why is it considered a challenge? Is it because it is hard to love our kids? Is it because it is hard to focus on our munchkins with all of the craziness in our lives? More likely, I think, it is a challenge because it is just hard to remember to each thing on each day. I am going to print it out and put it on my fridge. I will get back to you in 30 days to let you know how it went!

No Scalpels in 2012

Every year I make many New Year's Resolutions, most of which are forgotten about by January 15th (don't know why that day, probably because it is the 2 week mark). I have different resolutions each year but there is always an underlying theme: LOSE WEIGHT AND GET IN SHAPE.

Luckily, due to wanting to have a super somewhat hot body for the cruise I have already accomplished the whole losing weight thing. Plus, due to the fact that I am laid up in the bed post hysterectomy, I think the whole get into shape resolution will have to wait a little while to even get started.

So I am left to think about what kind of resolution to make. I know which one my husband would

like me to make: I resolve to spend less much less money in 2012 thereby not purchasing any items of clothing for myself or munchkins, especially munchkin number 3 who has 2 sets of hand me downs coming to her. And seriously not purchasing any more shoes of which I have a serious fetish for. I will therefore only pin things that I would like to purchase via a fabulously addictive invention called Pinterest instead of pinning them down with my wallet.

However, given my current situation, laid up in bed post hysterectomy,I can think of another more pressing resolution that needs to be made: NO SCALPELS IN 2012. You might think this a strange resolution and to the average passerby it may be, but let me reflect upon the year of 2011 in order to better acquaint you with our surgeryprocedure-fest which was 2011.

In February, Brian had his second knee surgery in 2 years. I swear the boy doesn't seem to understand that he is not 18 years old and playing basketball with said 18 year olds can be detrimental to one's health.

In May, we welcomed baby girl number 3 into the world via a somewhat painful birth supplemented by an episiotomy. I know a little TMI, but you needed to understand that there was in fact a scalpel involved in order to understand the desperate need for this resolution.

In June, it was determined that my deteriorating vision which was thought to be due to pregnancy

but was then determined to be due to a macular bulge, which normally does not happen to those under the age of 50 but which made an exception for me (YAY!)And of course the only way to fix such bulge before it causes my retina to detach was by undergoing eye surgery. Not fun at all given the fact that you are slightly awake as they stab your eye and are then made to look like a pirate (arghhh!) for a few days. And made even worse since I could not pick up my then 8 week old.

In July, our 4th procedure of the year! After having to take care of all 3 girls by himself, Brian decided that he was good with his 3 darlings and in no need of trying for number 4. With

this decision he made an appointment for a vasectomy. This was by far our least invasive procedure but as any woman who has dealt with her man after undergoing one knows a very sensitive one, where one must be babied for a few days.

At this point we thought we were good. Done with procedures and surgeries and, for sure, births. But then in September my pains returned. These were the pains that I had prior to getting pregnant that were discovered to be caused by ovarian cysts. These were the pains that put me out of commission for hours after the onset of an attack. After another round of meds and ultrasounds it was determined that the problem wasn't my ovaries but my uterus, and due to the fact that I no longer needed it (revisit procedure number 4), it was decided that it should just come out.

And this is where I sit now. A week out of a surgery that took my uterus and left ovary due to the fact that they were both eaten up with endometriosis, which is strange seeing as I had never had a problem with it. I could definitely think of worse things than never having to worry about birth control again and never having to purchase tampons again (see I AM trying to save money).

That being said, I would really like for my family to avoid all "procedures" in 2012. Let's just have a surgery free year. So my resolution for this New Year is No Scalpels in 2012!

So Long Farewell...

The Sound of Music is one of my all time favorite movies, and now it is one of my girls' all time favorites. In fact, it is one that they have become obsessed with as of late. It is the movie of choice when we travel lately, and boy has there been some traveling lately.

We have visited our parents who live about an hour away from us several times this holiday season. In fact you could say that we have burned the road up between here and there because in a 2 week period we made the trip 3 times. Therefore we are frequently singing one of our favorite songs from The Sound of Music...So Long Farewell...During these travels we have celebrated four different Christmases. Luckily both of our parents are stilled married otherwise it could have been a lot worse.

Then we added to our travels with a cruise. Just us, no kids. And it was wonderful. To be able to get on a boat and not have to think about what we were going to do or where we were going to go or what we were going to eat was absolutely wonderful. Plus, I am a little fancy, so I really enjoyed being able to get dressed up every night.

We had a great time, but I was ready to get home. I missed my munchkins immensely. 5 nights was a little much. All I wanted to do was to get home and snuggle in my bed with the 3 of them and not sing that famous song again for a very long time.

Stupendous Squash Casserole

This is my most requested casserole to bring to Christmas, Thanksgiving,and Easter gatherings. It is a twist on traditional squash casserole.

Ingredients:
7-8 big squash (more if it is smaller)
1 cup light mayonnaise
1 can of cream of mushroom
1 cup shredded cheddar
1 cup shredded parmigiana cheese
Garlic salt
Chicken buyon
1 sleeve of Ritz crackers (crushed)
1/4 cup butter

Slice squash and put in pot to steam with water and buyon cube. Steam for about 10 minutes. Drain squash thoroughly. I even use the pot to push the water out of the squash while it is in the strainer. In a big bowl mix together mayonnaise, cream of mushroom soup, both types of cheeses, and garlic salt to taste. Stir in squash and mix well. Then pour all into 9 x 13 greased pan. Sprinkled crushed Ritz crackers on top of casserole and then drizzle butter on top.Bake for 30 minutes at 350.

In All My Glory

So over the last few months I have put forth a valiant effort to lose weight. I have exercised every day most days, normally 5-6 days a week. I have eaten extremely very pretty healthy.

Then I kicked it up a notch when deciding to go on a cruise over Christmas break. I exercised longer and harder, and I really started being careful about what I ate. Both of these are extremely hard for me, because I hate to exercise and I love to eat: a lethal combination for any weight loss plan.

When I got serious about losing weight in September, I weighed 160. Yep! There I said it. I put it out there...on the Internet. I mean who are we hiding this from. Some of you will look at say, "Wow! I can't believe she had gotten that big!" While others will say, "Are you kidding me? Where you started is my goal weight. I would give my left boob to be that size!" Of course we must remember that we are all different sizes and all have different goals. (I vow to remember this statement the next time my ridiculously skinny sister-in-law starts complaining about how big she has gotten, again.)

Anyway, I wanted to give it one last push to the finish line this week, seeing as we leave on Sunday. I scoured the Internet for all kinds of ideas of how to lose weight quickly. I kepT coming across the concept of doing a "cleanse". I read all kinds of crazy stuff from cayenne pepper, to nothing but lemon water, to disgusting shakes, to just water. There was no way in H I was doing anything like that. Did I mention that I like food?

So I settled on a cleanse that I felt confident I could stick to: The Fruit and Vegetable Cleanse. It was pretty simple. You eat nothing but fruit and vegetables. All you want, but that is it. I could definitely do that.

Needless to say, when I left the grocery store last weekend I had a buggy full of fresh fruits and vegetables. When I got home, I stocked the fridge to the point that my husband complained about there not being any room (and we have 2 refrigerators). I started each day off with a berry smoothie. For lunch the first day I had salad, the next day watermelon and a tangerine, and the next day cucumbers, carrots, and kiwi. For supper I had a sweet potato, asparagus, and squash the first night, baked onion, zucchini, and broccoli the second night, and the next night...well I didn't make it that far.

By the end of the third day when I finished working out, I thought I was going to die. I had no energy and could barely walk. I needed protein. I needed fat. I needed energy. So I tried just nibbling on a little cheese but that opened the flood gates and one little piece turned into half a block. I mean it was inevitable. And after I found out that I had lost absolutely no weight, I was totally over this whole "cleanse" thing!Now granted, my stomach is now flatter than it has ever been.

So here I sit at 141 having lost 19 pounds in a few months. I am proud of myself. I am far from supermodel status and will still be striving to lose more weight after Christmas, but I think I look pretty hot. And I plan to weAR a bikini on my cruise with no shaMe. Just me In All My Glory.

Delicious and Nutritious

I have been making this smoothie for years but have just started drinking it again during my cleanse. It is so yummy, so I wanted to share.

1 bag of frozen berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries)
2 bananas

1 cup orange juice

Put everything into the blender in order and blend until smooth. Add more OJ if it is too thick. I sometimes add kiwi or pineapple.

It is a great way to get in your fruits!

Kindle Love

For my Mother's Day gift last year, I finally gave in and purchased a Kindle. I had been holding off because in my twisted mind I thought that buying a Kindle would indicate to the world that I was not a lover of books, which I am! I love to read! Love, love, love, love it! I love the smell of books, love the feel of books, and love the feeling of drifting away into another time, world, life.

But last year, I started having some issues with my vision. One of my eyes had a macular bulge (a-whole-nother blog) and my vision deteriorated to the point that it was hard to be able to read my beloved books. I started researching e-readers and found that I could adjust the font and enlarge it so that I could read it. So I gave in and purchased the Kindle with advertisements for $119 (of course now it is $79 after the release of the Kindle Fire).

I love it for so many reasons! I can adjust the font to whatever level I want in order to make it easier to read and not strain my poor, special eye. I always have a plethora of books at my fingertips. When a new book comes out, I can have it on my Kindle in less that 2 minutes. But the reason I love my Kindle the most, is the free books Amazon has. Why are they free? I don't know. Mostly, I think it is that they are self-published books by unknown authors and they are just trying to gain readers. Some of the free ones are the first book in a series and after you get hooked on the first books the others cost to buy. But normally they are no more than $;5.

I thought I would list some of my favorite books that I have read in the last 6 months. Most of these you will have never heard of because they are from self-published or unknown authors. But they are easy reads with great stories and are oh so good. In no particular order, here are a few of my favorites:

1. Ethereal (Celestra Series Book 1) by Addison Moore- This is the first in a series of (as of right now) 6. It is young adult fantasy. I read the first 4 in less than a week.
2. The Bride's Baby (Harlequin Romance)by Liz Fielding- I haven't read a Harlequin in a long time. I forgot what an easy read they are and how the stories are always good. This one is not nearly as trashy as some of those I have read previously. In fact, it is not trashy at all. Just a good story.
3. Making Waves: A Novel (Lake Manawa Summers) by Lorna Seilstad- This is young adult historical fiction. It is a great story of young love. I really enjoyed it and am looking for others like it.
4. Disaster Status (Mercy Hospital)by Candace Calvert- This was the first free book I read. It is a romance with a Christian undercurrent. It is a great story of love and faith.
5. One True Love by Barbara Freethy- A romance that begins with tragedy. This was hard

for me to read because I had a newborn at the time, but it is such a great read and proof of how true love can conquer all and is our greatest source of strength.
6. Sleight: Book One of the AVRA-K by Jennifer Sommersby- This is my favorite self-published book that I have read. I am eagerly awaiting the release of another book in this series. It is such an imaginative and suspenseful read. It is young adult fantasy and is one of the best books I have read in a long time. I can not wait until she releases another.
7. Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley- This was an entrancing story. It is a mixture of

historical fiction, realistic, and science fiction. I absolutely love The Outlander series and this book is very reminiscent of that series.
8. The Gifts (Vol 1 - The Gifts: Trilogy)by Patria Bunn-Rowe- This is another young adult fantasy. It is the first in a trilogy. I read all 3 in a week and at the end wished that the series would continue on.

There are many more books that I have discovered through my Kindle but my munchkins' and husband's patience for my morning blogging period is waning. So I must bring this entry to an end. The moral of this story: Don't hold out on getting an e-reader because you think it will indicate that you are snubbing books. To the contrary, it will make you the lover of many more books that you never would have discovered without it!

The Best Feelings in the World

The other day I made the statement, "Oooohh...this is the best feeling in the world." Get your mind out of the gutter. That was totally not what I was doing. Although, without a doubt, I have made the exact same proclamation in a totally different situation much to the satisfaction of my husband (pun definitely intended)!

No...what I was doing was using a Q-tip to clean my ear( I know, TMI). Now, for some people, this does not feel so good, but for me...it is ahhhmazing! I don't know why it feels so good, but it does. I have to make myself move on in the morning.
This led me to think about all of the things that feel Oh So Good!! So with the help of my Bunco group and others, I came up with the following list of The Best Feelings in the World. Have no fear! There is nothing sexual on this list. That would be for a totally different kind of blog.

Cleaning out your ear with a Q-Tip
Having someone play with your hair
A hot shower
Finally taking those heels off
Finally taking that bra off
Getting your back scratched

Getting into a bed that has just been made with clean sheets
A manicure or pedicure
When you are walking some where and that little, tiny, soft hand reaches up to grab yours
Napping on the beach
Getting to pee after you have been holding it for forever
A body slamming hug from a toddler
That first sip of a cold beer on the beach
Reaching that spot that itches oh so bad
Coffee in the morning
When you write that last check that pays off your car, house, etc.
When your skinny jeans finally zip back up
Dancing in the rain

The excitement of Christmas
The first bite of your favorite...meal, dessert, etc.
Coming home to a clean house that you did not have to clean
That first kiss
That nap after Thanksgiving lunch

A massage shoulders, back, foot...

What else can you think of? What are your Best Feelings in the World?

These Boots are Made for...

So I am completely and totally addicted to www.polyvore.com It is like paper dolls for grownup girls! It is too much fun and I am quite sure I am wasting way too much time creating dream outfits. But I am thoroughly enjoying living in the dream world where I wear things like this!

These Boots are Made for... by elizabeth-pinkston-hill featuring kate spade handbags

My sister and I are even making a game out of it. We are going to pick one item that we both have to use and then see who can create the best outfit! We are thinking of it as a lot like Iron Chef America but with a great hat or a pair of red boots instead of lobster or pomegranates as the secret ingredients!

He Has Lost His Mind!

Last night I began the buying for Christmas. Now as someone who loves to shop, you would think this would be something I would enjoy. Alas, someone poisoned my happiness. This someone is the person who is always thinking about the funds. The someone who has created an Excel workbook including every small aspect of our family's financial life. The same someone who held off on proposing to me for 2 years (driving me to the point of insanity with guessing when he was going to pop the question) so that we could be "financially stable"!

Don't get me wrong! I appreciate him more than anyone, including himself, could ever know. Lord knows where we would be if I and my ADD self was in charge of our finances. I am quite sure our electricity would be frequently turned off and I would probably not be sitting here blogging because our Internet service bill would not have been paid. That being said, he is such a dadgum buzz killer when it comes to shopping!

I am pretty much in charge of the Christmas shopping. And when I say pretty much, I mean that I do it all with very little input from him. Yet, inevitably, he will have complaints about the amount of money that has been spent on Christmas. Of course, these complaints always seem to come after everything is wrapped and under the tree. And some have even come at the exact point that we are acting like little elves and helping "Uncle Bob" put out his gifts. At this point, we are tired, cranky, thinking about the long day ahead which will no doubt start extremely early, and trying our hardest to be quiet, and all his questioning does is cause me to slip into crazy psycho mode!

So in an effort to avoid the aforementioned drama, I decided to include him ahead of time. I mean its not fair that I am put in charge of making all of these decisions only to be scrutinized in the end like a tiny bug on the sidewalk being burned with the sun through a magnifying glass. He should have to be apart of these decisions, too!

Well...it did not go well. Everything I added to the list caused his jaw to start clinching and his breathing to speed up. Look its not my fault that our 7 year old is the only one we know without a Nintendo DSi and she asked for one. Its not my fault that the stupid things are $159 or that its cheaper to buy a bundle deal including the console, case, and 3 games for $189. Its not my fault that Santa (Uncle Bob) would never just bring her one thing.

I mean I did tell the girls about the e-mail I received from Santa asking if we would be willing to ask for only 3 gifts because due to the population explosion he was having difficulty getting gifts to all of the children in the world. Heck, 3 gifts was good enough for Jesus and that is all my children need,too. They were good with that. As long as one of those gifts is a Nintendo DSi.

So what is his solution to counteract the ridiculous amount of money we are having to spend on just one of our 3 children? We spend no money on the baby. Absolutely none! We go upstairs into the attic and pull clothes out of the 9 month box and wrap them up, and then find other toys that our children have forgotten about and put them out. That or go to the dollar section at Target, which I am quite sure does not contain items suitable for a 6 month old.

I swear he has lost his mind, and he is causing me to lose mine. Most wonderful time of the year....hmph... we'll see!

Kicking It Up a Notch

With 5 weeks until we launch (see previous post), I feel the need to Kick It Up a Notch on the weight loss spectrum!

I have now lost over 15 pounds since I started on this weight loss trek at the end of August. The majority of it coming off in the last month, seeing as the first month was really more of a roller coaster ride of losing and gaining. It took me really getting serious and discovering Zumba for the pounds to start coming off and my body to start changing.

Now my arms are quite tone and have departed from the stage where my tricep flab shakes when I moving my arm. My stomach is actually hard in places, and I have depleted almost all of the cellulite on my thighs and bottom.

But there is still much to be done. Especially now that we have 35 days until we go on our cruise. On Tuesday, my dress arrived. When I say dress, it is with a tone of much reverence because it is the most expensive dress I have bought since getting married. It wasn't ridiculous but it was still much more than I would ever spend on an item of clothing.

I love it! It is sparkly and revealing and very, very sexy. It hugs all of my curves. My newly toned booty, my curvy tatas (which were bought just so ya know!), and my not so toned belly. The top part of my tummy is all tight and hard. However the baby making part appears to be resistant to all of the toning and crunching and slimming attempts. Plus it is causing the dress to lack about 1/2 an inch from zipping all the way up.

So after asking around, a friend of mine suggested getting a waist trimmer. It is a simple little device sold at your local Wal-Mart in the workout section. The one I bought was made by Gold's Gym. You warp it around your waist while you are working it out. It helps you remember to tighten your abs but most importantly it causes you to sweat out all of the water weight from that area.

I admit that I was skeptical. I mean come on how much difference can it make. I bought it Thursday afternoon and wore it during Zumba that night. When I was finished, I could feel the sweat pooling at my belly. It was so gross when I took it off. Sweat was dripping from me and the belt. I looked in the middle and it did in fact look flatter and when I weighed myself the next morning I had lost a pound in one day!

Since then I have used it every time I have worked out and my tummy continues to look more and more trim. Maybe this was the key to Kicking It Up a Notch. A belt and some serious carb and calorie watching and Zumba partying!

Fashionably Four

I do up some birthday parties! I try not to go overboard but inevitably it happens anyway. It could be my obsessive personality that believes if you are going to do something you should go all out or go home.

Anyway, birthday parties have become a thorn in my husbands side. I plan and order and make and create and decorate for weeks before. He thinks I do to much and that it causes unnecessary stress. He just doesn't understand! Yes it is stressful, but I also love doing all of it.

This year we put on a Fashionably Four birthday party (I love alliterations!). It was perfect for my little DIVA!

We have a plethora of dress up clothes as does my sister-in-law who has two little girls. So we

set up a "dressing room" by lining every hangable item with dress up clothes.














In the living room, we set up stations. There was a station for getting your nails painted. There was a makeup station and a hair station. There was also a section for accessorizing, complete with boas, crowns, jewelry, and shoes.

After dressing and accessorizing, we had a fashion show complete with a runway that I made out of a folded up gymnastics math and covered with a black sheet. And the paparazzi went crazy over the new models we unleashed into the world.

We even had fashionable cupcakes and fruit.

The whole party was relatively easy. The Dollar Tree provided cheap accessories and I got Fancy Nancy gift boxes from Celebrate Express.Everyone also took home a crown and boa so they could be fancy and fashionable away from the runway. It was so much fun!

Scrumptious Shrimp Pasta

2 lbs shrimp (I use frozen from Sam's and just thaw it out)
1 box of linguine
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
8 oz sour cream (I use fat free)
1 cup mayonnaise (I use fat free)
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
4 tablespoons sherry
1 cup shredded shredded cheese

Cook pasta following instruction on box. Place pasta in bottom of a 9x13 pan. Put shrimp on top of pasta. Mix everything but cheese in a bowl and pour over top of shrimp and spread it out. Cover with tinfoil and cook for 25 minutes at 350. Uncover and sprinkle cheese over top and back for another 5 minutes.

*Freezes well just prepare up to the point of putting in the oven and then cover and freeze.