Crock Pot ... and other things

You know you're going to be blown away by a post entitled "Crock Pot", right? Maybe I should add "and other things." There, that's better. Now I need to put other things in this post too.

Anywhosit-whatsit, my mom got me this crock pot warmer thing for Christmas and I was all, hmm, will I use this thing? Seems kind of gitschy. But it turns out YES.

It has this separate bowl thing that has a top and you can store that in the refrigerator with your leftovers (both times I used it for soup, but I think anything should work, I'll report back after I've used it with other things) and then when you need them, you drop the bowl into the crock pot warmer and plug it in. It's amazingly fast and tastes like you warmed it on the stove instead of the microwave. Two thumbs up.

Let's see, what else do I love?

These bluetooth headphones. I got them for Christmas and they are fantastic. The battery lasts forever and you can use them in a pinch to talk on the phone if you're in the middle of a walk when your mother calls to talk about your sister's pregnancy and bloodwork results.

This Karl Marx money bank. I just found it amusing, ordered it on a whim (because I needed a money bank anyhow) and yes, it makes me smile everytime I look at it and drop a few coins in. Good ol' Karl holding onto my money for me, for the betterment of society. Or some crap like that.

Books read: December 2015

I ended the year having read 145 books. Not too shabby, especially considering my slow start. So many good books this year. I made a Goodreads goal of 140 for 2016 just so I have a goal, but I don't worry too much about my reading goals these days. I'm reading. Here's what I read in December:

December

reread:

new: 

131. The Nature of the Beast - Louise Penny 

132. See Jane Run - Hannah Jayne

133. After You - Jojo Moyes

134. Cruel Beauty - Rosamund Hodge

135. Second Life - SJ Watson (this one was abandoned halfway through - I just couldn't.)

136. Gilded Ashes - Rosamund Hodge

137. The Husband's Secret - Liane Moriarty

138. The Perilous Sea - Sherry Thomas

139. The Immortal Heights - Sherry Thomas

Walk on Earth a Stranger - Rae Carson (finished from an earlier month so no number)

140. The Beautiful and the Cursed - Page Morgan

141. Career of Evil - Robert Galbraith

Fitness 2016

So this is something that is a little embarrassing to post this way, but apparently here is the only way to keep myself accountable (without snapping at my husband when he “helps”)

Here are my fitness resolutions, by way of backstory.

I have always been the “big girl” among my friends. I don’t eat too terribly and I don’t sit on my butt that much, so I just assumed that was my size. I hated it, but that’s what it was. Then in 2011 I made promises to myself that I would “get in shape”. I overhauled our diets and ran regularly and lost 42lbs. I fit in a size small. SMALL. In some (admittedly vanity) sizing, I fit a size FOUR pants. I hadn’t been that small since I was in seventh grade. And I didn’t look sick! I was healthy! I wasn’t not eating. I was healthy and I felt amazing.

But then 2012 I stopped running for some reason, and I didn’t get back into it. I ran once or twice every couple months but couldn’t make it a habit. I added white flour into our diets because Henry is the pickiest eater that ever picked.

Here it is 2016 and I’ve gained half the weight back. Granted, it could be worse. I have tried to take care of myself, but also, not. I’ve equated “self-care” with “cookies at bedtime”. I’ve gone from “life’s too short not to have a glass of wine” to “pass the bottle and also, where’s the gin?”

So while I’m not posting my starting weight here, X is my starting weight.

Here are my starting pictures (sigh).

(as an aside, I had Spencer take these pictures. “Mom, why am I taking pictures of you almost naked?” Let’s hope he doesn’t repeat that at school.)

For the month of January, I’m doing something along the lines of Whole30 (no I didn’t read the book, I found the website condescending and I didn’t want to see any more of their words on what they personally would “let” me eat.) No dairy, no grains, no sugar, no alcohol. The jury is still out on beans/peanut butter/soy, but I’m not actively eating it at this time. I’m not counting calories, but I’ve found I can only eat so much meat and I get bored. I think I need to be bored with food for awhile. I love food. I need to do more with the “food as fuel” and less “food as an experience” for a bit. Not for always, but for a bit.

I’m also doing 30 days of running. SOME sort of running. I’ve been starting out slow – Saturday was 1.6miles and a lot of it was walking, Sunday was 1.9 miles and even more of it was walking. But there’s intention there. I will get there. And a workout a day separate from running – I’ve got a 30-day crunches and push-up calendar and on the rest days I will do yoga.

And water. I am no good at water, so it’s on my list too. 64 ounces. I can do that, right?

My year goals are mostly related to running – six 5ks, two 10ks, 1 half. This will keep me running.

After January, I will reassess the food situation and possibly add in some grains and some cheese. Life is too short to go without cheese. But for 30 days, I can do it. 2016. Let's do this.

End of Year 2015

I usually do some form of one of these year in review posts every year, and this time I thought I'd borrow from A'Dell. So thanks, A'Dell!

1. What did you do in 2015 that you’d never done before?

I sent my youngest to kindergarten. I got addicted to audiobooks. I went to a women in business conference and found it was not a bunch of stupid hooey. Went to see a movie by myself.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

Here is last year's - it doesn't appear I made any - so success! (again!) I do have a complex resolution system this year that I'll outline in a different post. So yes. This year, there will be resolutions.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

A couple friends had babies, but I didn't visit any babies in the hospital this year.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

C's Nana passed this year. We hadn't been close to her in a long time but we used to be very close. Also Eli passed, and that was and continues to be completely traumatic. Babies should never be allowed to die.

5. What countries did you visit?

Just the good ol' US of A, again. One day, man. 

6. What would you like to have in 2016 that you didn’t have in 2015?

I'd really like to get moving on a new house and selling this one (ideally I'd like someone to do it for me). 

7. What dates from 2015 will be etched upon your memory, and why?

August 1, 2015 - Francine joined our family. 

August 26, 2015 - Henry's first day of kindergarten

October 20, 2015 - I successfully got myself off all my anxiety meds 

8. What was your biggest achievement of this year?

I find that every year that I get all the way through it is a big acheivement. I just looked at last year's and survival was the big acheivement last year too. Must be the 

9. What was your biggest failure?

I honestly can't think of any major failure.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Nope, no major illnesses or barftastic times or injuries. I'm pretty healthy.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

My duvet. New deck furniture.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

It's been a roller coaster this year, but I'd say that both my kids at one time or another would be on that list - other times they are on the list below but I'm refusing to put them there.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Oh, I'm going to have to go with A'Dell's answer and say my mailman is high up there. My mail never ends up in my mailbox on time.

14. Where did most of your money go?

Kids, Bills, Disney, Amazon. So much to Amazon.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

The Seattle Blathering in April, NYC girls' trip in June, NYC with Sarah in August, DC with the family in October, Delaware to visit my BFF in November. Lots of trips. I love trips.

16. What song will always remind you of 2014?

Oddly, Christmas songs and Taylor Swift are still there - but now it's Spencer who is obsessed w/ Taylor Swift. Also Best Day of My life and Fight Song. My kids sing these songs ad nauseum.

17. Compared to this time last year: a) better hair or worse hair? b) more organized or less organized? (This question used to be happy/sad, thin/fat, rich/poor, and I think those are boring so I changed it this year.)

I chopped all my hair off in November and I haven't decided if it's better or not. It's hair, it grows back, right? Or maybe I need to cut it all off in a super short pixie. Who knows, it might happen.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Exercise.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Yelling - this is always my answer, unfortunately.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

We had all the grandparents over for breakfast and presents and then spent the afternoon/early evening at my inlaws' house.

21. What was your favorite TV program?

Do Rays games count? I haven't watched television in over a year and I'm no good at watching new shows on Netflix or Prime or anything. So my answers are the same as usual - Veronica Mars, Gilmore Girls, Buffy, Bones. I'm rewatching Criminal Minds right now ...

21a. (New question!) Tell us about your favorite podcasts.

I listened to Serial last year but I don't as a rule listen to podcasts. I think that will change this year though. I am on a mission.

22. What was the best thing you learned?

I went on a tangent learning about Charles Lindbergh last week. It was really interesting.

23. What was the best book you read?

I read a few really fun and enjoyable series, like Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carringer (and really her other two series Prudence and Soulless), Red Rising by Pierce Brown, Shadow and Bone by Leigh Barduga, the Armand Gamache series by Louise Penny (audiobook, the narrator was just fantastic), Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas, and every Lindsay Buroker book I read (God, I love her). I also listened to the audiobook of The Martian and that was delightful.

25. What was your greatest food discovery?

toasted brioche with fresh ricotta (or TJ's whole milk ricotta) and marmalade. Try it. 

26. What did you want and get?

I wanted a piece of jewelry with my kids' names on it, and I got it (okay, I bought it myself). I wanted and got some Wick Habit candles (although they are pretty much gone already so I need to reorder). 

27. What did you want and not get?

I can't think of anything that I didn't get. World Peace.

28. What was your favorite film of 2015?

Crud, what came out? I saw The Intern and that was amusing. Oh! Pitch Perfect 2! That was wonderful. If I add in Minions we've now covered every movie I've seen this year. Oops.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I was 35 this year. I can't remember what I did though it looks like we went to disney the day before. I do remember having a day date with C for our joint birthdays and we went the the Dali Museum.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept of 2015?

I finally embraced leggings as pants. I'm sorry.

32. What kept you sane?

My pocket friends, always.

33. What political issue stirred you the most?

the Trump. God, such an ass.

34. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2015.

Be compassionate to yourself and it will spread.

36. Show us one of your favorite photos from the year. 

I couldn't pick one.

What I read September, October, November

In 2015 I read 155 books. I know that sound like a lot, but really it didn't FEEL like a lot. I was going through a lot of depressive/anxiety issues and escapism was high on my list. This year I watched a lot of tv (abnormal, although albeit a lot that I had already seen) and got off to a slow start. I've certainly been reading a lot though, even though I didn't realize. I count novellas as numbers as well because I also have 500page books in there too. But anyhow. I don't need to justify my lists to anyone now do I? I won't hit 155 again this year but I'll be much closer than I thought I'd be.

Here's September through November:

September

reread

new:

98. The Royal We - Heather Cocks

99. PS I Still Love You - Jenny Han

100. Axbridge - Sasha L Miller

101. A Rule Against Murder - Louise Penny

102. Magic Shifts - Iliona Andrews

103. The Brutal Telling - Louise Penny

104. A Trick of the Light - Louise Penny

105. The Errant Prince - Sasha L Miller

106. Bury Your Dead - Louise Penny

October

reread

3. I am Number Four - Pittacus Lore

4. What Alice Forgot - Liane Moriarty

new: 

107. Heroes are my Weakness - Susan Elizabeth Phillips

108. The Power of Six - Pittacus Lore

108. The Rise of Nine - Pittacus Lore

110. The Fall of Five - Pittacus Lore

111. The Revenge of Seven - Pittacus Lore

112. Funny Girl - Nick Hornby

113. Walk on Earth a Stranger - Rae Carson expired before finishing, waiting for it again to finish

114. The Beautiful Mystery - Louise Penny

115. The Nightingale - Kristin Hannah

116. The Scorpion Rules - Erin Bow

November

reread:

new:

117. The Appearance of Annue van Sinderin - Katherine Howe abandoned

118. How the Light Gets In - Louise Penny

119. The Long Way Home - Louise Penny

120. Carry On - Rainbow Rowell

121. Queen of Shadows - Sarah J Maas

122. The Burning Sky - Sherry Thomas

123. Her - Harriet Lane

124. The Assassin and the Pirate Lord - Sarah J. Maas

125. Luckiest Girl Alive - Jessica Knoll

126. The Assassin and the Desert - Sarah J. Maas

127. The Assassin and the Underworld - Sarah J. Maas

128. The Assassin and the Empire - Sarah J. Maas

129. Under the Ice Blades - Lindsay Buroker

130. Raptor - Lindsay Buroker

Adventing

Apparently 7 days in a row is too much for me on the blogging front and then I need a month to recover, eh? Anyhow. Back now. I have a lot to say, actually, but for now I’ll amuse myself talking about our Advent Calendar.

We did a few of the same things we always do (Christmas movie watching FTW) and a few new things. There have been a few Christmas festival busts (I refused to even look for a parking space on Saturday when the line to get into one was wrapped around a shopping center 30 minutes after it opened) but there have been a couple of winners.

Family board game nights-

Even though this isn’t intrinsically Christmas-y, the kids have adored these nights. I’m going to try to keep it up every couple of weeks post-Christmas, but for the season I was able to fit two of these nights onto the calendar and they were a big hit. Just an hour of family time. Score.

One of the Christmas festivals we went to was kind of a dud bc there were a ton of people and not much to do, but the kids played in snow (after standing in line) and we adults thought it was lame but they had a good time.

Have a Christmas treat-

This is one of my filler activities when I know we won’t have much time. Have a treat! See also, have hot chocolate (although the little one doesn’t like hot anything so he gets ice cubes in his hot chocolate). We also gave up on “make Christmas cookies” this year, and inserted “have Christmas cookies” that day too. Win.

Ice skating –

This was NOT on our list, but we bailed on that festival above with the giant line to get in and went to the mall for Christmas shopping. We got no shopping done, but spur of the moment I let S ice skate for the first time and he loved it so very much that I think it will be on future calendars.

Color Reindeer masks –

I usually pick up a self-contained craft or two at Joann’s and hand them over. This was the first day on the calendar this year, and they were $1. Color cheap wood masks. Happiness abound.

Decorate a gingerbread tree - 

I nixed the gingerbread house this year and bought a mass produced gingerbread tree kit and it was excellent forethought. There's no balancing of parts so we could just decorate star pieces and then stack, decorate the outside and done! Fun and not at all frustrating. It isn't much to look at, but really what is? This will be our centerpiece for Christmas breakfast.

 The Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights – 

This was not an advent activity but it was important for us for Christmassing. We are dropping our Disney passes this spring so this will be the last everything we do (also it's the last year for the Osborne lights!). We went Thanksgiving weekend but I’m hoping to fit it in at least one more time.

We still have a lot to do, and honestly I think this is the biggest week for us. I’m tired. But we have the annual Rockapella Christmas concert, which I’m jazzed about, and the Night in Bethlehem event with friends. Saturday we’re going to spend the day at Epcot and see the candlelight processional (and we have reservations to eat at Garden Grill, which the kids have asked for three years to eat at). Tonight we are making presents for teachers (phoning it in this year, I’m having the kids make cards).

So that’s our adventing. Anything we should add for next year?

Day seven - I made it, I made it!

So I've made it a whole week of posts! It's a gen-u-wine miracle, I tell you.

Saturday my husband let me sleep in and he kept the kids quiet for me and I got up at 9am. NINE. I felt hung over from the meds the night before so I took a shower and did my makeup before even acknowledging my family. C even made breakfast for the kids, which never happens. Usually whenever I emerge from bed is when the family eats, which I'm fine with but I was just dead. He made them scrambled eggs and toast and I drank my coffee and ate an oatmeal thingie in relative peace.

I made an appointment with the animal clinic for Francine's nails to get trimmed and holy heck, that's the best $8 I ever spent. She was done before I finished filling out her new patient paperwork.

She was not particularly happy with me though.

I came home and made myself a scrambled egg and brie sandwich and hung out on the back deck listening to my audiobook and coloring for awhile while the kids played out front with the neighbor boy. It was super nice and relaxing. And chilly. Shut up.

I made lunches for the kids for the baseball tournament and headed to the field for the day. The kids had an awesome game. so much fun and tried so hard (they tied).

After the game we had linner at Red Robin and Spencer spent most of the time watching the replays on my phone until it went dead. We walked around the mall a little, tried out new bats at Dick's and let the kids play in the germ-ground.

Later, at home, I downloaded TwoDots and played until I got bored. No, I'm not likely to play again. I just don't care much about phone games. It was amusing for a bit though.

And Henry snuggled with me while I did a mask. The kids took showers and read and went to bed at 8:30, and I tried to go to bed shortly thereafter (I was listening to my audiobook to cool down and relax) but then the coach called me at 10pm about the scorebook for the tournament and Sigh. Sleep desired. Sleep around 10:45pm. Busy day, busy week! But it was a good one.