Calling for Christmas Blog Post links!!
Ok, that's it. Christmas is next weekend and and I'm not even freakin' close to being in the spirit.
I haven't listened to any holiday music that has not come from Ender singing. Like Jingle Bells on a loop last night for about 25 minutes and a few rousing renditions of Rudolph, "They never let poor Rudolph *Rudolph* join in any reindeer games *like Monopoly!*".
Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Monday, December 12, 2011
March 14 - Steak & BJs?
I just found out through the Scary Mommy forums that March 14 is designated as Steak and BJ day for men. Why have I never heard of this? I was both intrigued and annoyed when I made the discovery because (a) how did something like this escape my notice; and (b) was there an equivalent day for women*?
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| Image via Wikipedia |
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Holiday Fitness Challenge - Update
Well, it's been over a week since I promised myself that I would not gain any weight over the holidays and it's time for an update.
If you missed my post outlining the challenge, you can find it here.
Food
My son used to attend an all-day daycare where his lunch was provided and I also had 4 extra hours in my day to take care of all the things on my to-do lists. Yes, lists is plural. Yes I have multiple lists. I am a lister. Shut up!
Anyhoo - I guess 4 extra hours alone gave me the time to make myself a good healthy breakfast and lunch without really thinking about it. Because now that E is home by 12:30 every day I find I am rushing through meals, ie grabbing a cereal bar for breakfast (horrible for you) or making a peanut butter sandwich for lunch (bread makes you fat, mkay?).
E also takes a home-packed lunch to school now and I make sure he has a good, healthy variety of lunch foods each day. One of the best things I did was get him a Planet Box. It's the coolest, most useful lunch kit I've ever seen. The plastic or tupperware ones are fine but the metal Planet Box is a step above. It's also a higher price tag, but worth it, in my opinion.
As I was packing his box the other morning with blackberries, greek yogurt, carrot sticks and bunny grahams I thought to myself, "Self - you're a complete idiot. You take the time to shop for and pack a healthy lunch for E and then you eat like shit because you're in a hurry. PACK TWO LUNCHES, BRAINIAC."
Yep. That's how I'm going to provide myself with good midday food - packing two lunches instead of one. That way when it comes time to eat it will all be ready and laid out and actually a time-saver.
Exercise
How do you fit in a workout when you are slammed with preparing for the holidays? Here is my pro tip for those of you in warm climates with a park nearby: Go there. I know right? I'm brilliant. Look - getting to the park once every day or two has a multitude of benefits.
You get fresh air, you get a break from the tedium of whatever else you were doing and your kids will love it. You can get exercise by climbing, sliding and pushing the swings along with the little ones. Sure it's not an epic workout, but it's better than sitting on the couch eating Santa chocolates.
If you are really into it there are lots of exercises that you can do while your kids are playing in the playground.
1. Park benches are usually the ideal height for doing squats. Tap your butt, don't sit.
2. Do walking lunges around the play area.
3. Do incline pushups on the benches.
4. Do dips on the benches.
5. If there is an appropriately clean spot, you can do crunches on the ground.
6. Do a standing ab workout.
6. Sit on the bench and do your kegels, ladies.
7. Plank. Your kids will think it's hilarious.
If you are saying to yourself, 'But my kids are 4-legged and hairy!' try doing most of this stuff at the doggy park.
Pop in a workout DVD or find one on Netflix. Even Hulu has some yoga and whatnot. Or just go for a walk. If it's cold, bundle up and cruise through your neighborhood (on foot!) with the kids to check out some holiday lights.
Cheats - The Holidays Made Me Do It
Results
Actually dropped a couple of pounds since the beginning of the month but that was likely due to having 'lady bloat' then. So basically I've had some cheat foods but I'm maintaining the status quo.
How are you doing? Are you keeping your journal? Getting exercise? Anyone have good quick exercise tips for those of you covered in winter snow (besides shoveling the driveway, heh heh)?
If you missed my post outlining the challenge, you can find it here.
Food
My son used to attend an all-day daycare where his lunch was provided and I also had 4 extra hours in my day to take care of all the things on my to-do lists. Yes, lists is plural. Yes I have multiple lists. I am a lister. Shut up!
Anyhoo - I guess 4 extra hours alone gave me the time to make myself a good healthy breakfast and lunch without really thinking about it. Because now that E is home by 12:30 every day I find I am rushing through meals, ie grabbing a cereal bar for breakfast (horrible for you) or making a peanut butter sandwich for lunch (bread makes you fat, mkay?).
E also takes a home-packed lunch to school now and I make sure he has a good, healthy variety of lunch foods each day. One of the best things I did was get him a Planet Box. It's the coolest, most useful lunch kit I've ever seen. The plastic or tupperware ones are fine but the metal Planet Box is a step above. It's also a higher price tag, but worth it, in my opinion.
As I was packing his box the other morning with blackberries, greek yogurt, carrot sticks and bunny grahams I thought to myself, "Self - you're a complete idiot. You take the time to shop for and pack a healthy lunch for E and then you eat like shit because you're in a hurry. PACK TWO LUNCHES, BRAINIAC."
Yep. That's how I'm going to provide myself with good midday food - packing two lunches instead of one. That way when it comes time to eat it will all be ready and laid out and actually a time-saver.
Exercise
How do you fit in a workout when you are slammed with preparing for the holidays? Here is my pro tip for those of you in warm climates with a park nearby: Go there. I know right? I'm brilliant. Look - getting to the park once every day or two has a multitude of benefits.
You get fresh air, you get a break from the tedium of whatever else you were doing and your kids will love it. You can get exercise by climbing, sliding and pushing the swings along with the little ones. Sure it's not an epic workout, but it's better than sitting on the couch eating Santa chocolates.
If you are really into it there are lots of exercises that you can do while your kids are playing in the playground.
1. Park benches are usually the ideal height for doing squats. Tap your butt, don't sit.
2. Do walking lunges around the play area.
3. Do incline pushups on the benches.
4. Do dips on the benches.
5. If there is an appropriately clean spot, you can do crunches on the ground.
6. Do a standing ab workout.
6. Sit on the bench and do your kegels, ladies.
7. Plank. Your kids will think it's hilarious.
If you are saying to yourself, 'But my kids are 4-legged and hairy!' try doing most of this stuff at the doggy park.
Pop in a workout DVD or find one on Netflix. Even Hulu has some yoga and whatnot. Or just go for a walk. If it's cold, bundle up and cruise through your neighborhood (on foot!) with the kids to check out some holiday lights.
Cheats - The Holidays Made Me Do It
- two Oreo cookies
- a bar of dark chocolate
- a gingerbread latte
- two home-made gingerbread cookies
- half a churro
Results
Actually dropped a couple of pounds since the beginning of the month but that was likely due to having 'lady bloat' then. So basically I've had some cheat foods but I'm maintaining the status quo.
How are you doing? Are you keeping your journal? Getting exercise? Anyone have good quick exercise tips for those of you covered in winter snow (besides shoveling the driveway, heh heh)?
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Why we don't have an Elf on the Shelf this year
It seems like everyone is doing the Elf on the Shelf again this year. The blogosphere and twitter are full of the sightings, antics and locations of local elves who are all delighting their respective child targets. I say targets because while the elves are most definitely there to amuse and provide a bit of Christmas magic, they are also there as overseers in Santa's Army of Naughty or Nice.
You're thinking that I am going to go on a big rhetorical discussion of the rights and wrongs of using toys to frighten and trick your children into good behavior. Well you're wrong! Haha!
I am 100% behind using any ammo a parent can get to teach good from bad, or 'naughty from nice'. Elves are inherently the perfect wingman for parents during a season that tends to bombard our children with sugar, flashing lights, parties, music and joy. Not that there is anything wrong with those things - they just tend to make our kids explode in a dizzying whirlwind of glee and destruction.
However (yep, here it is) the Elf on the Shelf is not part of our arsenal here in the Scribblesaurus house. For we have a tradition of three invisible elves that sit in trees, perch on fences and come in every night after Ender's bedtime for a report on his behavior that day.
E's Christmas wish list hangs in the balance - for a day of good behavior he gets a star on his Santa chart, for every bad day he gets an 'X'. Let's face it, there aren't many actual Xs that make in on the chart. As we get nearer to Christmas the stars must outnumber the Xs if he wants the elves to deliver his list to Santa and recommend fulfillment.
Our elves are named Stinky, Guts and Babybutt. They were first discovered and named by my niece and nephew. Originally it was just Stinky and Guts, but when Ender came along they needed a third cohort to head over to our place to keep an eye on E. And since E was mostly a naked little monkey who refused to wear pants (or should I say 'is' - we're working on that) his elf was christened 'Babybutt'.
This year, since my niece and nephew are older and kind of know that Santa is *gasp* fictional, all three elves have come south for the winter. Needless to say, E is on his best behavior and when he slips I have only to mention the three spies and he shapes right up.
Besides having our own personal squad of tattle-tales there is one more reason why we have no Elf on the Shelf. That reason has a name - it is 'Kyssa'. Kyssa the dog. Kyssa the ninja. Kyssa the force behind a hundred methodically annihilated stuffed toys. Kyssa who can find her victim in the middle of the night from hiding places she should never even imagine.
The last thing I need is for her to use her super powers to pin down our Elf, pluck out both eyes and his nose and disembowel him with cold precision, leaving his ragged empty sack of a body sprawled in a mountain of sucked on stuffing in the middle of the living room floor for Ender to discover upon waking.
Could you imagine? How would we even begin to explain that? No, the risk is far too great. For this year, while the terror of the night wanders our house and our invisible elf detachment peek through our windows, we will remain one of the few households without the magic of the Elf on the Shelf.
I will enjoy the Elf's antics from afar, through your posts and pictures and tweets. May your Elf make it to Christmas morn.
 |
| Cover of Elf on the Shelf |
You're thinking that I am going to go on a big rhetorical discussion of the rights and wrongs of using toys to frighten and trick your children into good behavior. Well you're wrong! Haha!
I am 100% behind using any ammo a parent can get to teach good from bad, or 'naughty from nice'. Elves are inherently the perfect wingman for parents during a season that tends to bombard our children with sugar, flashing lights, parties, music and joy. Not that there is anything wrong with those things - they just tend to make our kids explode in a dizzying whirlwind of glee and destruction.
However (yep, here it is) the Elf on the Shelf is not part of our arsenal here in the Scribblesaurus house. For we have a tradition of three invisible elves that sit in trees, perch on fences and come in every night after Ender's bedtime for a report on his behavior that day.
E's Christmas wish list hangs in the balance - for a day of good behavior he gets a star on his Santa chart, for every bad day he gets an 'X'. Let's face it, there aren't many actual Xs that make in on the chart. As we get nearer to Christmas the stars must outnumber the Xs if he wants the elves to deliver his list to Santa and recommend fulfillment.
Our elves are named Stinky, Guts and Babybutt. They were first discovered and named by my niece and nephew. Originally it was just Stinky and Guts, but when Ender came along they needed a third cohort to head over to our place to keep an eye on E. And since E was mostly a naked little monkey who refused to wear pants (or should I say 'is' - we're working on that) his elf was christened 'Babybutt'.
This year, since my niece and nephew are older and kind of know that Santa is *gasp* fictional, all three elves have come south for the winter. Needless to say, E is on his best behavior and when he slips I have only to mention the three spies and he shapes right up.
Besides having our own personal squad of tattle-tales there is one more reason why we have no Elf on the Shelf. That reason has a name - it is 'Kyssa'. Kyssa the dog. Kyssa the ninja. Kyssa the force behind a hundred methodically annihilated stuffed toys. Kyssa who can find her victim in the middle of the night from hiding places she should never even imagine.
 |
| BEHOLD! And that's an industrial strength dog toy. Imagine what she could do to a squishy elf! |
The last thing I need is for her to use her super powers to pin down our Elf, pluck out both eyes and his nose and disembowel him with cold precision, leaving his ragged empty sack of a body sprawled in a mountain of sucked on stuffing in the middle of the living room floor for Ender to discover upon waking.
Could you imagine? How would we even begin to explain that? No, the risk is far too great. For this year, while the terror of the night wanders our house and our invisible elf detachment peek through our windows, we will remain one of the few households without the magic of the Elf on the Shelf.
I will enjoy the Elf's antics from afar, through your posts and pictures and tweets. May your Elf make it to Christmas morn.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
31 days of holiday food destined to destroy your waistline?
December is a nightmare in terms of nutrition. It's one of the times of year that I am very glad that I no longer head in to the firm 5 days a week.
Gift baskets, home-made cookie exchanges, candy bowls, chocolate and thank-you treats passing by my desk as well as the unrelenting barrage of peppermint, eggnog, gingerbread and pumpkin lattes at the coffee shop downstairs and on the walk to work are impossible to dodge.
That, coupled with holiday parties filled with delectable food and amazing drinks, would normally instigate a good 5 pound jump on the scale, not to mention sugar comas and caffeine highs.
This year is going to be different baby. I'm going to get in BETTER shape this December. I don't really need to lower my number on the scale - in fact I would like to add some muscle tone and definition so my number might actually go up.
But if there is anything that I have learned over the years with my two fantastic trainers it's that the scale doesn't mean shit. It's an indicator but that's it. Total body fat, your appearance, how you feel, your health and how your clothes fit are, or should be, more important to you.
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