Yummy Cookie Recipe

Last month, Tim was looking through my Rachael Ray magazine, and came across and ad for Craisins...and there were the yummiest looking cookies...along with a recipe. So I gave them a try. And they were deeeeee-lish! I would highly recommend this yummy recipe!

OATMEAL CRANBERRY WHITE CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES


INGREDIENTS:

2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 6-ounce package Ocean Spray® Craisins® Original Dried Cranberries
2/3 cup white chocolate chunks or chips


DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter or margarine and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mixing well. Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt in a separate mixing bowl. Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition. Stir in dried cranberries and white chocolate chunks.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack.

Makes approximately 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

A New Year....A New Me!

My friend Gayle sent this to me today....

'Twas the week after Christmas and all through the house,
Nothing would fit me not even a blouse.
The cookies I'd nibbled, the eggnog I'd taste
At the holiday parties had gone to my waist.
When I got on the scales there arose such a number,
When I walked to the store (less a walk than a lumber).
I'd remember the marvelous meals I'd prepared,
The gravies and sauces and beef nicely rared.
The wine and the rum balls, the bread and the cheese,
And the way I'd never said, "No thank you, please."
As I dressed myself in my husband's old shirt,
And prepared once again to do battle with dirt.
I said to myself, as I only can,
"You can't spend the whole winter disguised as a man!"
So away with the last of the sour cream dip,
Get rid of the fruit cake, every cracker and chip.
Every last bit of food that I like must be banished,
Till all the additional ounces I've put on have vanished.
I won't have a cookie, not even a lick.
I'll want only to chew on a long celery stick.
I won't have hot biscuits, or corn bread, or pie,
I'll munch on a carrot and quietly cry.
I'm hungry, I'm lonesome, and life is a bore,
But isn't that what January is for?
Unable to giggle, no longer a riot.
Happy New Year to all and to all a good diet!

The past 3 weeks, weight wise has been horrible...although I have had a wonderful holiday, enjoying many tasty treats and drinks, I am sad to say I have gained about 5.5 lbs UGH! I know it is my own fault, no will power over the holidays...The new Weight Watchers slogan is "It's a New Day!"...and it's a new year...and I'm ready to get to a "new me!"

So, starting tomorrow - I am going to track every BLT (bite, lick or taste), drink lots of water and get back to exercising. And hopefully soon, I'll get back to where I was at....and then finally get to goal. It's further away now...but I can see it....and I will get there!

sens*i*tiv

Dictionary.com defines the word "sensitive" as:
1. Capable of perceiving with a sense or senses. (√)
2. Responsive to external conditions or stimulation. (√)
3. Susceptible to the attitudes, feelings, or circumstances of others. (√)
4. Quick to take offense; touchy. (√)
5. Easily irritated: sensitive skin. (√)
6. Readily altered by the action of an agent: film that is sensitive to light.
7. Registering very slight differences or changes of condition. Used of an instrument.
8. Fluctuating or tending to fluctuate, as in price: sensitive stocks.
9. Of or relating to classified information: sensitive defense data; holds a sensitive position in the State Department.

Well, I've got the first 5 down. I wish as a 32 year old woman that I would stop being so sensitive. I take things seriously...I take things the wrong way...I get upset over things that are said...or a lot of times, not said. Today has been one of those days...and I've done a bit of reading up on how to stop being over-sensitive.

E-How.com says:
1) Learn how to take comments less seriously. Generally overly sensitive people get hurt easily when they feel someone said something to them in a 'wrong way'. Most of the time, whatever is said is not really rude or critical or even directly towards you, the person could be having a bad day, or their words are taken out of context.

2) Raise your level of confidence. Having confidence does not happen overnight as it take take time, maturity and practice to be sure of oneself. If someone makes a comment about you and you are either, ready to burst into tears or feel incredibly sad, respond back with a simple comment and do not overanalyze it. Think that it is not anything personal against you and take it in stride.

3) Stop with the 'I care so much about what everyone thinks of me' attitude. For starters, a caring attitude is a great quality and definitely needed in this world, but putting everyone else opinion of you above your own create problems. You have to build self-value in yourself and do not let a person's words ruin your whole day. Look at it this way, their words flies out their mouth, so at the end, they probably would not remember what they said. So if they do not care, why should you?

4)Change your thoughts and you will receive positive feedback. Reflections of own selves tend to bounce back on others so if you are super sensitive about everything in life, there will be people who will seem 'critical' of you. Improve your thoughts about yourself first and you will amaze that anyone's word will not stick like glue.

5)Embrace your sensitivity. There is nothing wrong with being sensitive, it shows you have concern for others but learn how to balance your sensitivity and have a thicker skin. Remember, every human who once lived on this Earth and those living in it presently has experienced a few folks that was not pleasant with their words, or had the tendency to say things without regards for other people feelings. While you cannot change these people way of thinking, take control of your own feelings and the way you express it. Also these types you should stay a distance from to keep negative energy away from you.

So, I'm going to try and work on these things...I'm tired of being the sensitive one. Though, at times, it can be a good thing (like #5 says above)...the majority of times, it's just a bummer.

Birthday Rules:

Stay Cute. Wish Big. Never Let Anybody Count Your Candles!

Today is my 32nd birthday! It feels quite good to be a woman in her 30’s. I think that something happens when you reach 30 and the more into this self-assured decade I get, the more clear I become on what I am after in my world, and perhaps even more importantly, what is no longer worth putting energy into.

I found this quote a while ago, that really rang true to me..."There comes a time in life when you have to let go of all the pointless drama & the people who create it & surround yourself with people who make you laugh so hard you forget the bad and focus solely on the good. After all, life is too short to be anything but happy"

On that note - I had a wonderful birthday weekend "surrounded with people who make me laugh so hard (("La-who-ness..WHO?")) - my wonderful friends and family made this birthday weekend super special.

Friday night, I hosted a Stella & Dot Trunk show. It was so much fun - 17 ladies came over and were able to try on Stella & Dot's beautiful jewellery...and enjoy some snacks and drinks. I had such a great time with some truly awesome ladies....and my children, who were so wired by the activity that they partied til 11 with us.

Saturday was filled with family activities - dance classes for HoneyPie, a 1st birthday party for my adorable cousin "N", some shopping...and a surprise sleepover for my kiddies at my in-laws. We dropped them off at about 530, quickly grabbed a bite to eat, snuggled up on the couch and caught up on some of our PVR'ed shows - Later we went over to our neighbours (K & D's) and had a hilarious night (we sure missed you, G & P) We drank way too much, ate too many salty snacks, played Rummoli (which I'd never played before...but LOVED, you were right, MOM...it's sooo fun!) and laughed til the wee hours of the morning...

DH and I were so excited to sleep in...even if it was only til 930 - it was far better than 6:30/7. We chilled for a while and then did some shopping - some new Christmas decorations from Pier 1...a new scrapbooking desk for me...I am so excited! DH surprised me with a Cricut Expression for my birthday and I CANNOT wait to start scrappin' again! It's been ages and I have so much to do! We picked up the kids around 4 and headed to our friends (D & K) for dinner. Was a fun night, even though I think I experienced my first mild migraine while on the way there...it was so awful!

And so....we come to my actual birthday! 32! OH MY! Overall, it was a pretty awesome day - my kids and the daycare kids were pretty well behaved today, maybe knowing to let me have one stress free day (LOL) After the kids left, DH, HoneyPie, Buddaroo and I met my parents, my sister and her boyfriend, my in-laws, my brother-in-law and his girlfriend and DH's grandpa for dinner at East Side Mario's. Definitely not a fancy restaurant but one of my favourites...had a great dinner and then headed back here for some yummy cupcakes made by my sister.
Boy, were those cupcakes delish! I'm not really sure if I even got to make a wish - the kids were so fast to help blow out the candles. They were so excited to help.

And as I leave this post, which has turned into a short novel...I leave you with this:

Each birthday is a new beginning, full of promise and opportunity and the chance to make dreams come true.

HAPPY HALLOWE'EN

It's been about 10+ years since I've dressed up for a Hallowe'en party...DH and I went to a rockin party on Saturday night as:



And here are our little trick-or-treaters...Woody and Rapunzel



Was a fantastic Hallowe'en weekend.

Good Friends Are Like Stars....

You don't always see them, but you always know they're there.

They are there at a moment's notice. They know that they can be brutally honest with me and I will love them just the same. They are my support, my strength, my sisters, my sanity. They are my BFFs.

My husband is my best friend in the world, but there is something girlfriends can give you that even your husband can't.

In our many years as friends, we have shared in some of the happiest days of our lives, celebrated births, mourned the death of friends and family. We have shopped our asses off and spent way too much money. We have told many secrets and laughed until we peed.

These women are better than therapy. I couldn't live without them!

No, I won't loan them out. They are mine. But if you don't have your own BFFs, you need to find some!

If This Doesn't Make You Teary....

Tonight, while DH was looking at digg.com, he came across a real feel-good story linked to www.asylum.com:

Ike Ditzenberger is a 17-year-old high school student with Down syndrome and a player on Snohomish Panthers football team in Seattle.

Ditzenberger made the news recently with what his teammates call "The Ike Special," an touchdown run designed especially for him.

The Vikings were up 35–0 with seconds to go, when the Panthers quarterback made the hand-off to Ditzenberger. The Vikings sluggishly allowed the Panthers' offensive line to shove them aside, as Ditzenberger sprinted 51 yards to the end zone.

The score now 35-6 as time expired, Ditzenberger performed a touchdown dance with his adoring teammates. Check below for the newly released video of the whole thing, including the tear-jerking screams of excitement from the crowd as soon as they realize what's happening.



One last bit from this story, in case you aren't already bawling (in a manly way, of course). Ike's mother, Kay Ditzenberger, told the media that she couldn't have been prouder of the other players: "They redefined worth. Players often are defined by their scores on the board, but they showed he was worth their effort and time." by: Brian Fairbanks www.asylum.com

As we watched, I sat there and cried. I have a very special place in my heart for children with special needs/disabilities. This story really warmed my heart. There ARE some really great kids out there...I don't even really know what to say...the story was just so sweet...just....amazing!

8 Years Ago Today

T: I love you for your thoughtfulness ~ Your understanding way ~ And for the countless little things you do for me each day ~ I love you for the hopes and dreams You've helped to make come true ~ But most of all I love you, just for being you! Happy Anniversary to the love of my life!!!!

One Happy Girl

My awesome DH bought me an iPhone4 - Wow, what a huge surprise. Was so excited and have been playing on it all weekend. And now...I am no longer envious. Thank you, hun for the wonderful surprise.

First Time Lulu Shopper Is Now Addicted

Christmas 2006 - my brother-in-law, Dennis and his then girlfriend (now wife), Cassandra, gave me a gift card for Lululemon. I was always intrigued by the store as they had both made some pretty great purchases from there. So, I decided I would put the card away as I was still trying to lose the last of my HoneyPie-weight....and then I got pregnant with Buddaroo, and have been working at the weight loss since then....so the gift card was safely tucked away..and was finally used last Thursday. I thought - enough is enough, it is silly to save it for any longer...so...

I had a shopping and dinner date with some great friends and off we headed to Lululemon. I must admit, when I first walked in, I was a little overwhelmed - so much selection, so many different and vibrant colours.

I had no idea where to start. I knew I wanted to get a pair of pants - but man, there are so many choices. I tried on a whole whack of them...Astro...Still...and the ones I decided on ~ Groove. I loved the way they looked and had heard about how great Lulu pants make your bum look ;) (no complaints in that department from DH) I got them hemmed and couldn't wait to pick them 5 days later. They are so incredibly comfortable - I LOVE THEM!

Next - I looked at tank tops. Wow, did they ever have a massive selection. The colours were amazing - so many different choices. I wanted something light and airy for when I am on the treadmill. So I grabbed a Cool Racerback Tank in a beautiful green...and loved it. It was light and super comfy (and perfect for hot yoga, I tried it out on Monday and it was GREAT!)

So, I figured I was just about done - I had tried on a couple little jackets/hoodies and wasn't sold on any of them. I liked them, but didn't love them...My friend Deb, suggested I try on this Sevasna Wrap OMG! I loved it. I thought it looked so cute and trendy with a pair of jeans. I was SOLD! It's comfortable and adorable! I tried it on last night with my Groove Pants and didn't love the look as much - with jeans, I think it looks much better.

So, I walked in with a $75 gift card and walked out with $288 worth of clothes....and a new love for comfy, colourful athletic wear....and guess where I'm going again tonight? My friend and I are heading back to grab a couple more tanks...and who knows...maybe another pair of pants to please my butt-loving husband - I'm sure he won't mind ;)