"Barbie Dream House"

I have the nicest kindest kid in the world, she is going to flip her lid when she sees this in the morning! Her prayer tonight "Dear God, thank you for giving us Seu Seu, Merry Christmas and amen."

I love you Lorelai, the greatest joy in my life is making your dreams come true!

High Five Friday

1. Ok, this isn't high five worthy... I skipped the entire week of c25k. Ugh. But, in my defense I am sick with death and on antibiotics for a sore throat... I'm not sure running would have hurt me but it probably would have been more miserable than necessary. So, I'm a week behind... if goals were easy and a guaranteed success I guess it would be called a 'to do' list instead (I got that little nugget of wisdom from my running book). I'm only including this on the top of the list to keep myself accountable; accountability is sortof high five worthy, right?





2. I've only had one Butterfinger bell in the past three days, and I've got two bags of them in a bowl on my coffee table that I bought before I started eating clean... I am a candy-a-holic so this is big for me.





3. Two of my favorite yoga students from this summer were college kids, so naturally in the fall they shipped off... but they came back for my class this week since they're home. They said they missed it, and it's super nice to be missed. High five little yogis, I missed y'all too! Oh, and I also substitute taught an extra class last night, maybe that makes up for skipping c25k?





4. I dropped my iPhone in a toilet Tues. morning (my hands shake sometimes, but that is a post for another day). I was able to get an iPhone at the Apple store on Wed. night, I was only without a phone for 30 hours, but it seemed like twice that long. High five, I'm connected again!!





5. Jackson has a high kill animal shelter, they perform euthinasia twice a week if the shelter is full. I have been on the lookout for a dog (I really do think Lorelai needs one) so I always check the Facebook page of adoptables. Well, yesterday morning my news feed was lit up with posts of TWELVE dogs needing homes. It was the last day before they were closing for Christmas, and euthinasia was scheduled for 1 PM. My heart was so heavy for those little faces, so I piled Lorelai in the car and we raced over to be a puppy's Christmas miracle, I wanted so badly to make room in my inn for one of them. But, when we got there, ALL the dogs had been saved, euthinasia was cancelled!!! It's ok that we didn't get to bring a dog home, one day the timing will be right for us... high five for no euthinasia on Christmas Eve at the pound!!!

Wordless Wednesday

Clean Eating, day 1

Ok. I bought Tosca Reno's "The Eat Clean Diet Recharged", I would have happily bought the uncharged original version but I didn't see it on my bookstores shelves. I'm really impressed with the book so far and have already breezed through the first 115 pages, go me, high five this is off to a great start.

I'm feeling so good about this that I want to go buy a bike too, maybe I'll checkout Goodwill this afternoon.... which also happens to be another resolution of mine, to shop thrift stores first and foremost. I love the exhilaration of a great deal, and the creativity that goes with repurposing something!

Resolutions

I know its a bit of a fatty thing to have diet and exercise resolutions, but so is driving through Krystal after eating pizza buffet and I did that this weekend, so whateves. I picked up an Oxygen mag this weekend and there is a lot of focus on "clean eating", I'm inspired. I think I am going to commit to a short window of clean eating to kick off the new year. If I like it hopefully I'll stick with it. If anyone has any suggestions for clean eating, please share!!

Does anyone have their resolutions ready? I'd love to hear them and steal them for my own! I am also going to strive toward two morning gym classes a week, and setting a more solid routine for me and little L. (I've actually been way better about a stricker schedule this year than ever before, but there is always from for improvement.)

Safari Christmas

Lorelai's Godfather Paul joined us for his first trip to The Tennessee Safari Park! (If you've never been and you live close, go, it's quite an experience.) They were having a Christmas event, and this is certainly one of those places that is better during the day and in warmer weather, but it was still fun! I wish I had taken more pictures, I've got to do better with this... the older Lorelai gets the less pictures I have taken even though my camera equipment is a zillion times better.

Mall Santa

Lorelai and I did some shopping this afternoon and took a trip through the ridiculously long Santa line, they said no cell phone pics but I snuck these anyway. Santa gave me the side eye for this, eh, put me on the naughty list old man.

High Five Friday

1. My C25K training is in the last stretch. I only have two more weeks until I'm done. I ran for 25 minutes straight two times this week, and this afternoon I will go for another solid 25 minutes to complete week 7. High Five! I think it's working, I feel slightly more toned. That's something, right? Even if my scale won't budge, running is ridiculously hard for me and I am embarrassingly slow, so I'm still high fiving myself for sticking with this.

2. I posted last Saturday about Lorelai shopping all by herself in the children's Christmas store at our local farmer's market. She picked out her gifts, told the person helping her wrap the presents how to spell her name "Lrelai" (I'm pretty sure she said the "o" but I will admit that it can be difficult to understand if you don't know her), and she told the gift wrapper who each present was for. Only one name got messed up... the wrapper must have confused "Auntie" with Annie, so that is how your gift is addressed.... adorable! There were gifts bought for Mimi, Grandpa, Daddy, Mommy, Godfather Paul, Uncle Derek, and Annnie. So far, and in this order Paul, Rusty, my dad, and I have all broken down to her sweet pleas to open her gifts early. (I got a bracelet, my dad got tools, Rusty got work gloves, and Paul got a travel mug). High five for a baby with a giving spirit, the thing I am most thankful for at Christmas and all year round!

3. My office Christmas party is this afternoon, it is at an awesome local Southern buffet restaurant. I'm taking Lorelai, and she is thrilled to be indulging in fried chicken, mac & cheese, and sweet tea. This kid was clearly born in the South.

4. Lorelai was super sick earlier this week. It was so sad to see her so tired, and worn out. There was lots of time just laying in bed watching movies. And, the best one requested by Lorelai? My all time favorite Christmas movie, Christmas Vacation!!!! Ha!! I'm not sure what it says about me as a parent but I'm certain it earns me a high five that my four year old not only likes Christmas Vacation, but that she also remembered her favorite scene from last year ("little full, lotta of sap"). Hahahahaaa.

5. I made mix cds for my yoga class students (technically my dad did all the manual labor, thanks dad) of some of the songs I use in my class. I've handed them out at the past three classes, and I think they LOVED them. I know mixed cd's are a bit passe, but teaching this class has been the biggest blessing to me this year and I really wanted to do something nice for them. Just a little Christmas happy! Just in case you are reading this and take my class, I think of the reverse prayer position as being a little yoga high five to yourself ;)

A MUST Read

30 Things to Stop Doing To Yourself, thanks to my dear mini friend for sending this.

http://www.marcandangel.com/2011/12/11/30-things-to-stop-doing-to-yourself/

Wordless Wednesday

Christmas 07

I can't find Lorelai's first Christmas card picture, but here she is at just 8 weeks and 5 days old. I love this picture of us!

Princess Card

Everything in our home has always been centered around little miss Lorelai, but perhaps this year more than ever. She LOVES her pink Santa dress, and she even picked out the Disney Princess card, I pulled up a few options online but I should have known she'd go right for this one. Love it!

Christmas Card & Out Takes

This was the final shot. I LOVE IT! My cards should have made it to the furthest distances and I think it's safe to post on here without ruining the surprise for anyone. If you didn't get a card in the mail, and you'd like one I'd LOVE to add you to my list. My internet friends are some of my favorites, and I'd love to exchange cards with y'all! Please send your address to carolinecb @ gmail.com












Gorgeous and FOUR years old, it's shocks me each time I realize how fast the time is flying by. This is her FIFTH Christmas card. Yowzas. Then again I can't remember a time without her, what I thought was funny, what did I possibly shop for, or how I filled my weekends? If I can find all my old cards I'll put them on here for y'all!


















I really, really wish I had included this as an insert in the card. I wish you could also see that he isn't wearing socks. Ha, I was going to have Rusty sit in the chair and we were going to pose over here but we were trying to snap the picture quickly before he had to go to work one night and he just slipped on his suit in a hurry, when I was setting the self timer I realized the fashion faux pas. As I'm typing this I'm wondering why he bothered with shoes at all. The things that make you go "hmmm." Maybe one year I'll splurge on professional pictures, the frustration of the self timer isn't as funny to Rusty as it is to me. Also notice I had to do some re-arranging and move Seuss' portrait so she could be included? This is the first year she hasn't actually appeared in the picture, and I think that was the best Christmas gift I could have given her, ha.


















The out takes of the Chistmas card pictures are always way better and more entertaining than the real deal.

Santa Rampage

Merry Christmas

Lorelai is shopping (as I type) in the childrens' Christmas shop (no adults allowed and free gift wrapping) what a cute idea and she can feel SO included that she picked out presents all by herself!

Wordless Wednesday

Blog of the Day

http://www.fromdatestodiapers.com/50-rules-for-dads-of-daughters

McCarty

Who wants to come over for a giant party?! I'd love to serve something on my new McCarty platter!