Thirty Day Challenge-Day 2

Something you love about yourself

This isn't an easy one. But I guess I would have to say I'm love that I'm a good listener. I'm always here when my friends need someone to vent to. I think that is an important quality in a friend. Sometimes you don't need to even say anything....just got to get things off your chest. I always try to see both sides of any situation (unless it applies to me, then I have to "phone-a-friend").

I think to often people have "friends" that either try to "one up them" or talk about when they were in the situation. Sometimes you just really need someone to shut up and listen and that's what I do. Don't get me wrong, you ask for my opinion and you will get it.

I can think of countless times my sister-in-law calls me and this is how the conversation goes down...

SIL: Hey, I just need to vent got a minute?

ME: always

SIL: proceeds to tell the story or rant and rave...whatever suits her at the moment.

ME: yeah...ok...uh huh

SIL:Thanks for letting me get that out, bye!

And that's how it goes. So if you need a good listener...program me in, I'm always around.

Thirty Day Challenge-Day One

I just started following a new blog, Canadian Blogger Girl, and I LOVE her blog. She is doing a 30 day challenge to a better you and I thought I would jump on the band wagon. I might even find out something about myself I didn't realize (that is scary). Oh, and check her out...you might like her too.

Something I hate about myself

I have a clutter problem. I don't understand why really. If I go to someone else's house or office, I have no problem helping them clean and de-clutter the area. Somehow, I can not apply that to myself. I have little piles everywhere. On my desk right now, there are 5 different piles of paperwork. I honestly (in my own head) scream at myself "just get to the bottom of at least one of these damn piles today". Crazy I know. At home, there is a pile of mail and misc. paperwork on the kitchen counter. There is more junk on the breakfast table. Then in my room there is a pile of stuff in the corner by my bed that I just need to go through and put up. There are three boxes in the closet of stuff I clearly don't use but for some reason can't seem to part with. Life really...where is all this stuff getting me? I vow every morning to go through a pile at home, but life gets in the way and I just don't seem to get to it. I would say if I had a day to myself I could do it all...but I know I wouldn't, that's just me.

That is totally something I hate about myself. FML!

Hump Day

Hope everyone is enjoying their Wednesday. Happy Hump Day! Unfortunately I have to work this Saturday, but whatev.

Tonight....I'm going to see Carrie Underwood! Pretty exciting. My dear friend, Jeanne, invited me. We go to at least one concert a year since we met. We will be in a suite so I'm pretty pumped about the free alcohol!!!! Hope everyone else enjoys their night.... Here's to an awesome girls night!!

Fat Tuesday

Here we are again...Tuesday. Last Tuesday I had good intentions. The neighbor and I walked about a mile. I thought I would throw exercise in the mix. But.....fate had other plans. Sadly, that was the only day I walked. Wednesday my mother-in-law was over, Thursday I had a migraine and Friday I went to my sister-in-law's for dinner. But, to redeem myself, Saturday I did a 3 mile walk for the cure (later post). I'm not going to lie, on my off days I haven't been eating "great". Sunday night, I finished a bottle of wine....by myself and ate my weight in fried potatoes. I know.....bad choices on my part. To date I've lost a total of 5 pounds since I started the 3 day diet. I'm not so much worried about how much I weigh but what it looks like. I am pleased to say that my pants are fitting SO much better. I am starting to feel much better about myself. I am not on the 3 day diet this week. The odds were stacked against me and I just decided to watch what I eat this week and watch my portions and pray that the diet gods have sympathy for me. It is my intention to get on the treadmill tonight....not so sure if that will actually happen or not. I'm staying positive...I'm seeing results. Until next week.....

I'm not Betty Crocker

On September 24 I made my very first cake....from scratch, icing included! It was kind of a last minute thing. I think Sabrena mentioned it on Thursday and we made it the next night. I'm not going to lie, I was scared (for a few reasons). I've never made a cake (or anything) from scratch before, I'm a box kind of girl, and I'm ok with that. But, Sabrena assured me I could do and promised to hold my hand.....that's the other reason I was scared. See, Sabrena is my pastry chef friend. She makes the most delicious sweets that could ever grace your mouth! It wasn't until I met Sabrena that I had even heard of "cake flour"....I truly was a novas.

So we put on our aprons...I was taking this shit for real. To Sabrena...this was just another cake. To me....I was making history in my house. Clearly Sabrena knew I didn't know what the hell I was doing because she provided most of the ingredients. I started making the batter. I was pretty impressed. Plus, I've never "seen" anything made from scratch.

The batter was ready and I poured it into the cake pan.

And then popped that baby into the oven!

Now to make the icing while the cake was baking. You stand FOREVER with the mixer. Serious arm muscle now. While mixing Sabrena asks me if I have any store bought icing in the pantry. Wait...what? I thought I was making icing. Then she says "I'm not going to lie, butter cream icing is usually hard and it doesn't always turn out". Really? You made me make a "hard" icing. So then I got stressed and started felling like I couldn't do it. But I talked a big game, lol. I said "oh no, this is going to turn out". I was secretly praying to the bakery gods the whole time (I wonder if she noticed). We even added some Malibu Rum to give the icing an extra little kick.

Still mixing!

Let me first say, I'm not totally proud that my first cake was a penis cake. But, the cake was an inside joke for our friend, Stepanski, and I did think it was pretty cool that my first cake was for our first "girls night slumber party". Go me!

That's right...it turned out perfect! And tasted pretty good too (we shaved off the underneath so we could do a taste test).

That's right! My icing turned out and it was the bomb!

Sabrena couldn't get enough of it! Thank you again to my dear friend, Sabrena, for helping me make my first cake from scratch!

Preggers

When I got to work this morning I was greeted with some wonderful news. A co-worker, who has wanted another child forever, finally got pregnant. I was so unbelievably happy for her. I know just how she feels. It took me over a year to get pregnant! Being pregnant later in life helps you appreciate all the little things I think. With my first pregnancy I wad very young and naive and didn't think much of it really. With my last pregnancy I took it all in. Plus I had been raising my other kids so you are more conscious about the "miracle of life" inside you. I loved being pregnant!

So, to my Dear friend "C"...enjoy every moment, take it all in (the good and the bad). You and "J" created a perfect little person to show the world your love for one another. "D" will be an awesome big brother, just wait and see! Here's to your next chapter in life....

Going for a walk

Tomorrow I will do something I haven't done in a long time....walk the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Walk. After my grandma died I did the walk 2 or 3 years in a row and then just stopped, not sure why. This year I wanted to do it again and sent out an email. I have a friend and my sister-in-law doing it with me and we are taking my baby and my nephew. I am making us some super cute shirts. I bought some "vivid" pink shirts from Hobby Lobby and in cheetah print on the front will read "Save the Tatas!". Cute, huh! I'm even going to make the boys one. Should be fun. I'm taking my camera and will blog about it. Last time I did this I got emotional during the closing ceremonies. All the survivors cheering and hugging each other....very moving.

Hope everyone enjoys their weekend! Do something that matters, no matter how small it is.