I 'heart' cheap goodies....

I took a box of things to Goodwill today and couldn't resist a quick look around! Usually I don't find much but today I kind of went a little crazy...

Let me give you a closer look... first up, I was thrilled when I saw all this tassle - if you read The Nester, and you saw my recent post HERE then you'll know why ;-) These were only $2.99 each bundle.


I picked up two frames for $1.99 each. My goal is to collect a few nice frames, paint them all black and make a nice 'collage' of photos up the stairs.

next I picked up these two items... again I plan to paint them black and then I'll find a home for them somewhere around the house. I think the 'pedestal' will hold a very fat candle I have.

and lastly I couldn't resist some motivation for my 'eating healthy' plan... at $3.99 each, these books were a steal.


OK, so back to packing for me.... what are you up to today?

Shape up....

it starts today... yes, my new year resolution is to get back to eating healthy and start 'moving' more! So today, no chocolate, no junk food.... I need to clear up all the Christmas stuff, and that includes the foods and sweets all over the kitchen table. I don't know what I'm going to do with it, but one thing for sure, I won't be eating it!

Yesterday I went out and bought myself a pair of Shape-ups! I wanted some motivation to get back to walking, so I thought this would do it. They come with a dvd that I haven't had a chance to watch yet, but I'll do that today and at some point I'll be trying them out and having a quick brisk walk around the neighborhood.

First though, I have to take down the Christmas decorations, and clean up a messy kitchen. I seriously don't know how it gets so messy, but usually it happens when the dishwasher is full of clean dishes (that I haven't had a chance to unload) and the sink starts filling up with dirty ones.

We had fun at our neighbors last night, stayed up til after midnight, but then Kristen got really sleepy so we came home at 12.30am. I was using my new camera but still trying to get used to it, so unfortunately a lot of the pictures are blurry:( I'll try to post a few later today. Right now I need to jump off here and go clean house!

Hope you all have a great first day of 2010.

To all our family and friends, we wish you all the very best for 2010. Have a safe and happy new year's eve.

xxxx

Plans for New Year

The new year is fast approaching, only 2 more days to go. Wow, 2010! It sounds so 'futuristic' doesn't it? What are your plans for New Years Eve? We will be going next door to celebrate with our great neighbors and her family. Cheryl's boys Connor and Justin left on Dec 20th to spend this Christmas with their Dad in Atlanta GA, they also (unbeknown to them at the time) were going to drive to Disney World the next day and drive back to GA on Christmas Eve). We've all missed them so much, especially Kristen who plays with Connor every day, and we can't wait til they arrive home on Thursday afternoon - just in time for the New Year celebrations.

I always call my family back home in England on New Years Eve. What's funny about it is I call at 6pm, or just a few minutes after, and it's already midnight there :-) It's strange hearing everyone laughing and shouting 'happy new year' to me when it's only 6 o'clock and I'm usually just starting to get ready for the evening, but it's fun too. This year Cheryl has decided to have a 'Martini Party' so we girls are going to dress up in our fancy gear and mix up yummy 'tinis'. I think the idea started with my 'Snowtinis' that I made at my bookclub Christmas party, and the fact that Cheryl bought me a cocktail shaker with some martini glasses for Christmas (a long with lots of other goodies too) because I didn't have one and had to use my plastic smoothie shaker! Should be fun, but I will be sure not to have too many - they're way too potent for me!

So, what are your plans for New Year? Will you even stay up til midnight to 'see the New Year in'? I know some friends can't even stay awake that long ;-)

Here's a few more pics to share today... I took these using my new Nikon Coolpix camera I got for Christmas. It's nice and small and can fit in my purse so I can take it with me much easier than my other 'chunky' one I have!

I cut in to my yummy 'Christmas Cake', it is delicioius :-)

Here's Kristen on her new bike from Santa....

A New Year Approaching....

Throughout the year I'm always conscious of my weight and I try to make healthy eating choices most of the time, I'm always trying to feed Kristen healthy things too, but a lot of the time I feel like I could do much better. We seem to get totally off track during the months of November and December, what with Kristen's birthday and Thanksgiving and then of course Christmas with all the yummy baking, and candy. But with the New Year approaching my resolve to get back to healthy eating kicks in full force. That's why I was happy to hear this week that General Mills announced a commitment to further reduce the sugar in their cereals. Jason and I want to cut way back on the sugar we have, and that means Kristen should too. One of the ways I like to start off my healthy living is to start with a healthy breakfast.

This week General Mills announced a commitment to further reduce sugar in cereals advertised to kids under 12 to single digit grams of sugar per serving. The company has already been reducing sugar in cereals while increasing key nutrients, such as calcium and vitamin D, and providing whole grain.





Did you know that ready-to-eat cereal eaters consume less fat, less cholesterol and more fiber than non-cereal eaters? Cereals also deliver important vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients, making cereal a top source of key nutrients in children´s diets.

Other cereal benefits:

• Ready-to-eat cereals, including presweetened cereals, account for only 5% of sugar in children´s diets.
  
• Ready-to-eat cereal is the No. 1 source of whole grains in a child´s diet today.
  
• More frequent cereal eaters tend to have healthier body weights and lower Body Mass Index measures.

Studies also demonstrate the benefits of eating breakfast. A 1998 study showed that children who eat breakfast tend to perform better at school. Compared to children who skip breakfast, children who eat breakfast score higher on tests, are less likely to miss class or be tardy, have fewer reported discipline problems, and make fewer trips to the office.

For more information about kids and cereals, please visit Cereal Health and Wellness.

Right now if you visit here you will find a $1 off coupon for one of four General Mills cereals.

I'd like to thank General Mills and MyBlogSpark for sending me complimentary coupons and allowing me to provide this information to you.

Another Christmas Over...

Farewell Christmas 09, you were wonderful and we had lots of fun, I'm rather sorry to see you go, but we look forward to a great New Year. I hope you all had a great Christmas too. Here's a few photos from the past couple of days.... we actually got snow on Christmas eve afternoon here in Central Texas! It was just little flakes for about 10 minutes or so, never stayed on the ground, but it was lovely to see.

Kristen used some of her birthday money this year to buy gifts for me, Daddy, Grandma and Papa. She wrapped mine without my help... in a plastic box with tissue inside! It was a Winnie The Pooh tree ornament which I just loved. Her nursery was all Winnie the Pooh stuff, she knows how much I love him ;-)

Here's Kristen throwing reindeer food out on Christmas Eve, just before bedtime...


and setting out milk and cookies (with carrots for the reindeer) before heading to bed.


She woke us up at 7am on Christmas morning, which wasn't too bad....

Santa brought a new bike :-) and a new Nintendo DSi, Webkinz Timber Wolf, Zhu Zhu Pets, and lots of other goodies....

later in the afternoon we all opened 'stockings'. This is a new tradition I've just started this year. Jason and I have never filled stockings for each other, but I thought it would be fun if we did, so I also did one each for Grandma and Papa and Kristen waited to open her stocking from Santa with us all. It was a ton of fun... Jason spoiled me and bought more presents (and candy) than would fit in my stocking, including a new Flip Camcorder which was a huge surprise to me :-)

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas too. We'll be celebrating New Year next door with our neighbors..... what will you be doing?

Busy... but fun!

Still finishing up a few things around the house this week for Christmas.... ran up to Target this morning, then called in to the library to get the book I'd ordered for our first Book Club read of 2010 (Same Kind of Different As Me). I actually read this book last year but wanted to browse through it again before our meeting. I really enjoyed it the first time I picked it up, but not sure I can read it all the way through again, it's not often I can do that with a book, but I do want to read some of it.

Thought I'd share a few photos of what we've been up to this week.... after school finished on Friday, Kristen couldn't wait to decorate her gingerbread house -

We packaged up the Doggy Treats that we baked last week for our furry friends.... Boo gave these 4 paws up so I'm sure his friends will love them.

I took part in an ornament exchange with some of my online buddies and was sent this beautiful Jim Shore angel. I've never had any of his figures before but love seeing the Christmas ones, I think I might have to start me a collection :-) Thank you my 'secret sister'... you know who you are ;-)


and just this afternoon I put the icing on my cake. I can't wait to cut in to it. I know a lot of people over here don't like fruit cake, but 'Christmas cake' as we call it in England is a very traditional thing, and I for one just love the smell and taste of it. Baking it a few weeks ago made me feel like I was back in my Mam's kitchen, and when I take that first bite (I'll probably cut it on Christmas Eve) I'll be transported back in time once again. Oh how I wish I could really be there sharing the cake together.

The decorating is nothing fancy, but Christmas cake isn't Christmas cake without almond paste and icing :-)