1. Have you tried Maybelline’s Baby Lips? I am one of those girls who refuses to leave home without something on my lips and have even remarked in the past that lipstick would definitely be one of those necessity items if I’m ever forced to live on a deserted island! The problem is, I hate how thick lipstick feels and lip gloss isn’t much better. Baby Lips is pretty much tinted lip balm that feels so smooth on, but gives you just enough color. Peach Kiss is my favorite! And because of the tinted look, they are light enough that Ella can wear them and feel like a big girl without looking like a pageant queen.
2. Speaking of big girls… Sophie called me at work yesterday to tell me that she used the potty! That is twice in one week, friends. I know she’s not quite there yet, but I’m so glad to see some progress. I’m ready to be diaper free for awhile… at least until the baby fever kicks in again.
3. I am not pregnant. I’m not even thinking about getting pregnant… yet. I just wanted you to know that in light of the baby fever comment above.
4. I finally took down the remainder of my Christmas decor last weekend. Epic fail. The worst part is that the interior decor had been down for weeks. It was the outdoor Christmas wreaths and snowman that I finally eliminated. I’m gonna do better next year. Cross my heart.
5. SD & I haven’t started working on our taxes yet. Like, haven’t even opened the envelope that contains the W2 form. I hate all things money, tax and IRS related. Sigh.
6. We have officially booked our Disney trip for this year. Officially. Dates are set in stone, rooms are reserved and paid for. Wheels are turning. Once again, we have an extremely generous aunt to thank for the donation of her time-share this year. We are staying here again. It is beautiful and right off of the Disney parkway. The anticipation of knowing for the next 10 months that we are going is killing me. The knowledge of how AWESOME that surprise will be on Christmas morning is helping me keep my sanity.
7. Josh is headed off to Connecticut again soon and I’m jealous. He’ll be only an hour and a half away from the city AND the Shake Shack. I already asked him if he’ll Fed-Ex me some cheese fries. I think the answer was a resounding no. Instead he’s been looking at Knicks tickets online. Oh, how I wish I could go back with him.
8. Instead I’ve been planning our trip to Dallas this September. Flights are picked out and the hotel is being booked this week. There is a very cute pair of red & white chevron print shorts on their way to my house today. Let’s all say a prayer together that they fit. Is it insane that I’m planning a game day outfit seven months in advance?
9. So, about my diet. It’s going well. I really use the term diet loosely. I don’t mean some sort of deprivation or list of things I can have, I mean a way of life. I am on the third week of reducing my calorie intake by about 750 a day. That’s insane. I have splurged some and gone over a little bit a few other days, but mostly I’m coming in right around 1400 calories a day or less. We are cooking more at home, I’m drinking TONS more water and I haven’t had fast food in almost 3 weeks.
10. Did you catch that? THREE WEEKS, people. We had Chick-fil-A after the circus on January 28 and that was it. My kids have only requested a happy meal once since then and weren’t even that upset when I told them no. I’ve read other bloggers who say fast food is a rare treat for their family or that they only indulge a few times a year. I used to think that was crazy, but I’m quickly changing my perspective. I’m not saying we’ll never eat it again. We might even eat it every month. I am saying, however, that we have no business eating it on a weekly (or multiple times a week) basis. It isn’t healthy, it encourages me to drink 32 ounces of soda and it never really leaves me feeling good when it’s all over. We have had Chipotle once and Subway once, but I don’t feel nearly as guilty about those kinds of places. I can see the ingredients and can be really picky about what goes into my mouth. I’m trying.
11. I’m exercising a lot these days. Sometimes, I’m going to the gym in the mornings and running at night. It’s like a calorie-burning festival at my house! I’m about to begin week 3 of Couch to 5K and I’m actually enjoying the running. My endurance and speed have increased and I’m really getting into a rhythm. Here’s what my week looks like: Mondays – 35 minutes on the elliptical/run 30 minutes after work, Tuesdays – 35 minutes on the elliptical, Wednesdays – 35 minutes on the elliptical/run 30 minutes after work, Thursdays – rest, Fridays – 35 minutes on the elliptical, Saturdays – run 30 minutes at least once, sometimes twice, Sundays – rest. It’s a lot, but I’ve actually managed to keep up the pace for over two weeks and I’m loving it. I took before pictures and measured every stinking circumference of my body and put the scales where I cannot reach them. I’ll look at them again in March. Maybe.
12. We are 5 weeks into Crazy Love in my small group. Have I told you our group’s name is Agape? I love that. CL is a hard book to read. It is really forcing me to evaluate my spiritual life. I’m stretching and growing. I’m having to evaluate how I describe myself in relation to God’s commands to be obedient. Does that even make sense? This week, Chan encouraged us (via the video session) to really read the Bible for ourselves and consider if everything we “know” about Christ is because someone else taught it to us. I’m starting with the gospels. I read about a quarter of Matthew this morning and I’m writing down all of the things it says about Jesus. How he felt, what he did and what he asks of me. I’m planning to be surprised. What would we believe about Jesus if all we had to go on was his word? Reading it with a fresh perspective and no preconceived notions is hard, but I’m giving it a shot.
13. My friend Beth, encouraged me yesterday with her cute “day in the life” post. I’ve got one of those in store for you guys on Monday. Because of President’s Day, I’ll be at home with my girlies and thought it was a good day to document life. I also have a few cute videos from the past few weeks that I’ll share.
14. Survivor started last night and I was thrilled to have it back. Does anyone else watch? That is seriously my favorite show on television and Josh & I love watching together. They are divided up into women vs. men tribes and I hate that. The girls are mostly stupid and making themselves dependent on the men already. It’s frustrating and I’m guessing I’ll find myself rooting for the men before long.
15. Our offices are under construction and it seems like everytime I try to go to the restroom their are men in their finishing sheet rock. I keep having to take an elevator to a different floor. Yesterday they were sanding walls while I warmed up my lunch in the kitchen.
16. All of our plans for the weekend have been cancelled, so we’re attempting to plan a last minute dinner/movie date. We want to see Safe House and I’m thinking yummy Italian food is in my future. Helloooooo, goat cheese.
17. Last Friday, before bed, I set my alarm for 12:05 a.m. I sat up in bed and reserved Breaking Dawn on RedBox and was back asleep by 12:07 a.m. I learned while on maternity leave last year, that nobody thinks to rent new releases in the middle of the night (when I was up nursing the baby). It is much easier to reserve your movie while everyone else is fast asleep. I don’t want to buy them until they are all out in a box and I have the previous ones on DVR anyway. We watched it Saturday night after the girls were in bed and I loved it just as much as the first two times I saw it. Josh… notsomuch. He thought it was way too slow and only finished it because I made him. What a good sport.
18. We’ve been cooking steaks in the oven for dinner and they are de-lish. T-bones are about $8 each at Publix and just as good in my kitchen as they are in a restaurant. We sear them in a screaming hot cast iron skillet and then throw them in the oven for about 5 minutes on 400*. Put them on a plate covered in foil for 2 more minutes and resist the urge to cut them. Yum. Add butter and it is on.
Okay, I guess 18 random items is enough. Have you got any random things to share? If so, sound off in the comments section. Have a great weekend and we’ll be back next week with a play by play of our day at home together and a glimpse at the Valentines treats Ella made for her friends!
