Deck The Halls

Well, its officially only one week left until Christmas! I have finished all the decorating, shopping, and wrapping. Now just have to do the grocery shopping (which I dread the most)! I hope you are all well on your way or done as well.

I have been obsessed with the Country Christmas channel on Sirius! I heard "Somebody Snitched On Me" today....I had forgotten about that one! Colton is getting a little annoyed with me singing in the car....he is growing up for sure (I'm starting to embarrass him)!

Here are a few pics of our Christmas decor. Please excuse some of the photo quality, I am trying to learn to use the manual mode on my camera and it is rather tricky (any tips are greatly appreciated). I wish I had more time to spend really learning it.

This little ceramic tree was made by my aunt, and is as "antique" as I am :) but I love it to pieces!

I didn't make any additions to the village this year, it is already getting pretty cramped in its spot. We may need a new home for it next year.

Our stockings were hung by the chimney with care.

Our tree is VERY traditional, and I was thinking about changing it to a cool trendy color. Truth is I can't imagine giving up all of my sentimental ornaments which are a mix match of our entire lives.

90% of these ornaments where made or given to us, and all have a "story". That to me is what makes a true Christmas tree!

Do you prefer a designer tree or a traditional tree?

Happy 12-12-12

via

So today is the last consecutive date we will see in our lifetime. 12 seems to be a pretty popular number if you think about it.......how many things can you think of that come in 12's?

Eggs
Dishes 
Soda/Beer
Socks 
Donuts 
Roses 
Jury members 
Apostles 
Disciples 
Days of Christmas 
Months 
Drummers drumming
Inches in a foot
Signs of the zodiac
Face cards (jacks, queens and kings) in a deck of card
Animals in the Chinese cycle of years

Happy 12-12-12 Ya'll!

Our Christmas Card

For those of you that did not get the mailed version, here is our Christmas postcard from Minted.

Merry Christmas!

Elf on a Shelf-Recap

We are so lucky with Colton being 8 that he is still a "believer", and it hasn't been spoiled yet. I wonder how many years we have left? I just hate that he is growing up......LOOK-OUT....pre-teen is next...heaven help us! He has been so into the Elf on a Shelf, but I'm not sure if its more fun for him  or the us....lol Anyways, here is just a little recap of a few things our pesky elf "Rex" has been up the last few weeks.

Rockcrawlin'

T.P.'n

Bubble Bathin'

Hole Punchin'

Booby Trappin' (colton is in there still asleep)

Sleigh Ridin'

Target Practicin'

2 more weeks to go, any other ideas are greatly appreciated! Have a great weekend!

A Healthier Me

As most of you know, I started using the Beachbody products last year. They give amazing results! You just have to put in the work and commitment to succeed! Nothing is easier than walking into the living room and pushing play. Not getting in the car, driving to the gym, and so on. It works perfect for busy lifestyles. Don't get me wrong, I still have to "schedule" my workouts, but it takes half the time not having to go anywhere.

I had been "on the fence" about becoming a coach, but finally made the plunge. It just made sense even if I never had any customers for me to get the discount myself. I am still writing my journey, but have done Turbo Jam, Insanity, and just started Turbo Fire this week. I also drink the Shakeology and P90x recovery drink.

Here is the breakdown on costs/savings per month:
As a Beachbody Coach you will save 25% on all Beachbody products. For some customers, becoming a Coach just for the discounts is a smart decision. If a customer is drinking Shakeology on a regular monthly basis, or ordering the P90x recovery drink, P90x protein bars, the Derm Exclusive skin care products, or any other Beachbody product on a regular basis, it makes sense to become a Coach and save money with the 25% discount. The minimum cost to be a Coach is $15.95 a month, so if your monthly savings are greater than $15.95 a month, it’s worth it.

Shakeology retails for $120, with the Coach’s 25% Shakeology discount, the cost is only $90. So as a Coach, you are saving $30 a month on your Shakeology alone.

This is not something I got into to make money, I still have my normal job. I just enjoy talking to people about what motivates me to be a healthier me. I signed up originally as a Beachbody Coach for the discounts, but to still have the opportunity to make money by recommending Beachbody products to my family, friends, coworkers, and associates.  I can market my Beachbody business passively when it comes up in everyday conversation, which seems to happen quite frequently. If you’ve done P90x, Turbo Fire, Insanity, or any of Beachbody’s other workouts, you know they get results and you can’t seem to stop yourself from talking about them. And, once you start seeing results, other people will notice and will be asking you what you’ve been doing to get in such great shape.

I plan to stay on top of my progress through these crazy holidays, if you are interested in my honest opinion or any of the products. Feel free to contact me here or visit my website at
http://www.teambeachbody.com/strongerwoman

Forever Dance

Last weekend the hubby and I had a chance to go out dancing with the family. It had been too long since we had gone, boy are we out of shape.....lol (ready for a new workout...its on the way...stay tuned for updates) Dancing is one thing that has always been a huge part of our lives, its how we met and fell in love :) We should really make ourselves do it more often.

Then yesterday I was going through some old photos, (I am thinking of getting some new editing software) and I found these. They were taken at a friends wedding in 2007.

The photographer really captured some great moments, I wish I knew who they were to give them credit! I just love looking back at old photos, these have made my day! Happy Friday everyone!

Our First Thanksgiving @ Home

Well, I'm back from a much needed break from everything. I didn't touch the computer for over a week! I couldn't even if I had wanted to since Colton has discovered Minecraft, he has taken it over. Things are back to the normal routine this week (what ever that is).

This was the first year we have had a Thanksgiving dinner at our house. Terry smoked the turkey and ham and everyone brought a side or dessert, so it made it fairly easy.

But you know me I was more wrapped up in the table scape than the food anyway :)

I didn't spend much, which was nice. I didn't have anything at the start of this year except my jumping off point, the gold flatware, given to me by my Nana. The largest purchase I made was on the dinner plates. I didn't want a set where everything matches, but want more of a "collected over the years" feel. So I went to the Dillard's outlet and scored these Mikasa Metallics Rings plates (originally $26 ea...I got for $3 ea) SCORE!

The napkins, I got on clearance at World Market for $1.50 ea. I debated on the top piece for a while, but never really found "IT".  I wanted something whimsy and more "ranna-esk" :) I finally found these elk plates at Target. Even though they are melamine, they were exactly what I was looking for, and for $3, if I don't like them in a few years, no problem.

I had bought this pumpkin at Hobby Lobby a few years ago. I also mixed the glasses, all given to me by family for that more "collected" feel. Oh...and the gold charges were recycled from my friends 40th bday that I had here....bonus.

For the foundation, I just used plastic tablecloths (easy clean up/maybe I will get real ones next year) and paper napkins unfolded as the placemats (that is one of my secrets) You can get them on clearance at HomeGoods all the time. They give a lot of pattern and punch with not a lot of money! I used my Kohl's cash for the mercury glass candle holders and hit up the dollar spot at Target for the other decorative items.

I think everyone had a great time, and we have started a new tradition for our family. Next year I think I will need to add another table :) 

I hope you all had a nice turkey day....now ramping up for Christmas!