Only Four More Sleeps Till Christmas

It's a tad early but to quote my favorite Christmas song:

"There's magic in the air this evening
Magic in the air
The world is at her best, you know
When people love and care
The promise of excitement is one the night will keep
After all there's only one more sleep till Christmas

The world has gotta smile today
The world has gotta glow
There's no such thing as strangers
When a stranger says "Hello"
And everyone is family, we're havin' so much fun
After all there's only one more sleep till Christmas

'Tis the season to be jolly and joyous
With a burst of pleasure we feel it all right
It's a season when the Saints can employ us
To spread the news about peace and to keep love alive"

I'm really trying to LIVE these song lyrics this week. I'm rocking an updated ticker:

 

But it doesn't make me feel good. I still feel fat but fake it since I feel like I'm supposed to be overjoyed.  But I'm trying.  I'm trying because of people like YOU.  I have been SO blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life that cheer me on, motivate me, listen patiently, and are just beautiful people inside and out.  They believe in me even when I can't bring myself to.  Never taking for themselves, they just give and give.  I have never met such beautiful women in all my life.  It's the kind of beauty that inspires others to be better people.

They ARE Christmas.  The feelings of joy, love, peace, and hope that surround us all.

Merry Christmas.  Happy Hanukkah.  Feliz Navidad.  Joyeux Noel.  Shalom.  

Thank you.

Day Zero ~ 101 Things in 1001 Days

If you haven't heard of the Day Zero Project, you should definitely check it out.  I'm excited for it.

http://dayzeroproject.com/

Almost as excited as I am about Christmas.  Almost. Speaking of Christmas, my husband saw my eyes light up at Lowe's this weekend when I caught sight of a pretty, white, metal, tree with lights for outside.  I have one that's done it's duty for almost ten years and needs to retire due to rust.  My cat approves of the colored lights. (we had to try it out) Heck, I approve of the colored lights.  Those led ones are pretty nifty.

ANYWAY.  Day Zero Project.  I'm doing it.

Here is my list:

1    Run a 5k race for time

2    Identify 100 things that make me happy

3    Learn a poem by heart

4    Make a custom recipe book

5    Get to my goal weight and maintain

6    Go on a picnic

7    Learn to say "I love you" in 10 languages

8    Learn to write with my left hand

9    Keep the kitchen spotless for 30 days

10  Be proficient in conversational French

11  Take a photo of the same place every month for year and then turn it into a calendar for the next year

12  Build a piece of furniture I'll want to pass on to my children

13  Be able to play a full Christmas song, by heart, on the piano

14  Make a pie on Pi day

15  Make soap

16  Answer the "50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind"

17  Make a list of the top 5 people who have positively influenced me and write them letters

18  Keep my room tidy for a month

19  Create a painting worthy of hanging in my house

20  Have a new list of 101 Things written before my 1001 days are done

21  Have a monthly game night for a whole year

22  Make a quilt

23  Serve dinner by candlelight every Friday during the dark of winter

24  Read 10 books by local authors

25  Learn to juggle 3 balls

26  Build a gingerbread house

27  Do at least 1 project a month off of Pinterest

28  For one year, pick one person a day and honestly compliment them

29  Do a charity bicycle ride

30  Make a souffle that my husband likes

31  Make a simple household chores chart and stick with it

32  Send 101 postcards via postcrossing.com

33  Draw at least once a week for a year

34  Make a pillow for the bed

35  Go ice skating

36  Read the bible and make a list of bible verses that touch me

37  Sew an apron

38  Take time for a coffee break once a week

39  Do all basic maintenance on my truck for 6 months

40  Lay in the grass and just watch the clouds go by

41  Make homemade pickles

42  Make a last name photo collage from my own pictures

43  Host a non-holiday party

44  Develop a daily stretching routine

45  Do 1 random act of anonymous kindness a week

46  Make mozzarella in my own kitchen

47  Grow my own mushrooms and cook with them

48  Make 10 random babies smile

49  Say "I love you" to my husband. Every day

50  Take 10 minutes a day to just sit and think about non-pressing things

51  Change someone's life for the better

52  Take a day trip to a state park

53  Wear nail polish and keep it looking nice for a month

54  Play a round of golf with my husband

55  Re-learn to cross-stitch and make something useful

56  Make my own candles

57  Study 6 different cultures per year; have a themed weekend for each with food, music, culture and geographical info for the family

58  Wear a sexy halloween costume

59  Make a family tree

60  Learn how to take a compliment

61  Have my make-up done at a make-up counter

62  Learn how to play the harmonica

63  Find a four leaf clover

64  Climb a tree and take a photo of the view

65  Have a Halloween party

66  Decorate my bedroom

67  Find a hat I don't look silly in

68  Write a poem

69  Go to a drive-in movie

70  Make a list of things I'd like to see before I die

71  Develop a signature entree that will one day be what grandchildren compare all other foods to

72  Design and build a vertical garden

73  Learn to love myself even just a little bit

74  Make a pretty calendar of some sort to keep track of birthdays and other special events

75  Decorate the family room properly

76  Teach 6 people to appreciate Christmas

77  Get rid of all clothes in my closet that do not and never will fit

78  Enter something for competition at the Sioux Empire Fair

79  Detail my truck's interior and keep it that way with weekly maintenance

80  Bring back kissing under the mistletoe

81  Get recertified at CPR

82  Make a time capsule to be opened on our 20th anniversary

83  Hit 50 lbs weight loss goal

84  Learn to be comfortable naked

85  Write a list of songs that I want played at my funeral

86  Watch the sunrise and sunset on the same day

87  Knit a blanket

88  Spend a weekend living like it's the 1800's. No electricity, no internet, just old fashioned entertainment

89  Spend an evening watching a meteor shower

90  Develop 5 new soup variations

91  Pick 3 things that are stereotypically "man activities", and learn to do them well

92  Get confident enough to once again sing in the presence of someone else

93  Scan old family pictures and make a book or books of them with proper labels

94  Make 5 new family traditions

95  Sew a week's worth of outfits

96  Learn to do a fancy braid to my own hair

97  Complete the P90X workout system

98  Go on 6 day trips to places I've never gone in my area

99  Sew a patchwork tablecloth that's pretty for any season

100 Combat my negative self talk with positive self talk. Daily

101 Teach my niece something that only I can do 

 

It's a handful but I think if I challenge myself I can do it.  If you'd like to follow me on the Challenge site:

http://dayzeroproject.com/user/KickMeImAnna

It's Christmas in July!

I've been busting my butt all weekend doing chores.  Here is what I did in lieu of a conventional workout:

• I spent hours weeding the garden
• The mower's auto feature broke so I got to push it while mowing the lawn
• I moved a couch, 2 tables, 2 heavy chairs, an ottoman, and a monopoly table.
• I steam cleaned the carpet in the den/my gym.
• I helped my husband with the "attic" we're building.
• I used the stairs 17 times during regular chores like laundry and running my husband refreshments

It was Christmas for a while yesterday.  We went to Border's bookstore.  They're liquidating so I got some awesome deals on yoga and pilates dvds.  I've been wanting to try them to see what all the fuss is about.  I also got a really nice digital food scale and a Misto that were both in the clearance section.

So now it's Sunday night and I've caught myself watching the QVC shopping television channel.  I've never bought anything off of there, but I just can't resist when they're featuring Christmas items.  They are doing a big Christmas in July sale and it's gotten me thinking about the holidays.  Specifically about gifts.

 I'm really lucky and have some people in my life who love to buy gifts.  Especially at Christmas time.  Problem is, I can never come up with things to put on a wish list and this causes me to get harassed for weeks.  This year, I want to have a nice list so that no one is stressed.  Wanna help me? The only thing I have on my wish list is a Bissell carpet steamer/cleaner thus far and that's not going to cut it.  It's not that there aren't things I want, I just forget them.  Gifts aren't really all that important to me. I'd be just as happy if someone just sent me a lovely card.  I just like being thought of.   BUT.  That doesn't fly.  Especially with my mother-in-law.  She wants a list, so that is my task.  There have to be some health/fitness related things that I can put on there.  Hey!  Maybe a nice weight set?  But which one?ortant to me.

All suggestions welcome!