My Outside Voice

House Update - Basement Work Room/Wine Closet

2012-02-15T05:59:00.000-06:00

We have been working on the basement for almost a year now. While we in New York and Connecticut at this time last year, our basement flooded. We came home to five inches of water in the basement. We were really bummed because we had just started using the basement. We had bought a tv for the basement over the holidays and we were in the process of making it cozy. We had celebrated G & G's birthday in January last year and we were really enjoying the space. We still have a lot left to do, but we have been making progress. These are some before pictures from when we moved in (or right before).

The point of origin, for all of the damage in the basement, started in this corner in the boys work room, the sump pump. While we were in CT and NY last February, it had warmed up, thawed and then it snowed 14 inches. They think that something got caught in the sump pump, blocked it, and it stopped working. We had about 5 inches of standing water in the basement. Once the boy had a look at the sump pump, jiggled it a bit, it started working again, no problem.

We had everything ripped out of the basement, all the way down to the cement floors and walls. In May, when we had some major storms and tornadoes, we came home from the movies to more water coming into the basement, this time, not from the sump pump, but other areas. Granted it was a big storm and overwhelmed our gutters, but we still had to figure out where the water was coming in from. Between the boy and my dad they got things sealed up. They had already put so much time and effort into hanging sheet rock and drywall, new framing as well as redoing electrical stuff. We also had damp walls from the landscaping, so we spent a good part of the summer fixing that as well. My dad and the boy did use some kind of special paint to seal the walls as well.

Then, in July, when we took off for a weekend at the lake (one of only two weekends at the lake last summer) we had another big storm. Thank goodness this time no water problems. . .or so we thought. That Monday, I went to work from sister J's for the day and then off to dinner with the girls. The boy got home from work that day. . . to a flooded basement. This time the sump pump, which seemed to run all the time, was finally dead. The boy called my dad and they jimmyrigged something to work until we could get a plumber out the next day to install a new pump. This time we decided to go with a super duper pump with a battery back-up and an alarm. It cost a pretty penny, but knowing the kind of damage we could have, we decided it was well worth it.

In the back room, the boy and my dad decided to make two rooms. A work room for the boy, and another room which will eventually be a room for the boy. A library, a study, whatever he wants it to be. (sorry these pictures aren't that great, I have such a hard time with my point and shoot)

A couple of months ago, the boy and my dad finished off the two rooms. The boy painted the floor in his work room, and the best part, put a wine "cellar" closet in for me. We bought the wine rack off of Craigslist for $25. The boy secured it to the wall so that it holds really steady. He also put shelves in to hold our wine glasses for our wine events. We also have quite a bit of Summit, helps to have volunteer duty there. I LOVE my wine closet and even though there are some empty spots, I hope to fill them soon!

Some before shots.

And Afters. . .

The boy has since filled his work room up, with work room stuff. . . and he is working on projects while continuing to work on the basement. The main room is getting closer to being done. I am hoping to have a reveal on the main room soon.

Real Chicks Getting Fit Challenge - Week 6

2012-02-14T17:11:00.001-06:00

Last week was a complete bust for me. I was sick in bed from Sunday afternoon basically until we left for Foodie Fest on Saturday, and I am still not feeling great but went into the office for a half day today. While I was under my calorie count every day, I did not get any exercise and I really missed it, but I just haven't had the energy. The crud that I had just really knocked me down for the count.

I am down 1 lb. . . not a huge deal but at least I didn't gain.

So let's check in on my goals. . .

1. NSV (Non Scale Victory) - I am not expecting to see too much change here, at least not until the end, at least for me.

Fit into jeans that will fit into my boots
Fit into my Lilly capris that I love to wear in the spring and summer
Learn to adjust to a new schedule that includes regular exercise and eating times

2. Nutrition Parameters and track using a tool (Spark People, My Fitness Pal, WW). I am on My Fitness Pal, username jillyinmn. I am also going to start using a Fitbit - I have worn my Fitbit every day and logged every morsel into My Fitness Pal, so I am doing pretty good there. I have also been trying to keep it to 1200 calories and have not gone over too often. Water, not a problem there. Eating out, in the past week, that has not been a problem either since I haven't left the house :). I have also been trying to keep the snacks to fruits for the most part as well.

1200 Calories Daily
4 Full Tervis Tumblers of water daily
What will I limit - eating out? Or at least making healthy choices when we eat out. Realistically we eat out probably three to four times per week whether it is lunch or dinner, usually on the weekends more than anything else.
Keep healthy snacks at work. Cheez-its are my go to, so find something that is salty and good for me. Nuts perhaps?

3. Exercise Parameters - I know that this is sometimes hard to squeeze into my days, and I am sure I will need to get off to a slower start, but if I can commit to 3 times a week to start and work my way up to 5, I think that is realistic for myself. - This did not happen last week. Hoping to get some energy up this week to get a couple of workouts in.

Wii (Fit, Dance, Yoga)
Walk
Yoga

4. Commit to Blogging at least twice a week, once to check in with a complete update on my progress, the other to include insights, results of weekly challenges or just check in and let others know how I am doing. - Ugh, well, I have been blogging at least once and commenting on other blogs. . .does that count?

5. Commit to support, both giving and receiving, commenting as much as I can. - I have been commenting!

I think that these are all very achievable and realistic goals. I just need to make sure that I am making this a priority. Seems like there are some great people that are a part of this challenge, I think that will be the best part!

I am going to be keeping my goals the same for the next 7 weeks. I think this is realistic and achievable for me.

Meal Plan Monday - Week 7

2012-02-13T10:03:00.001-06:00

We had an okay weekend. I am still fighting the crud and haven't been able to smell or taste anything. We had the Foodie Fest on Saturday and we went, but I probably shouldn't have. Yesterday was spent in bed sleeping and trying to recover. We probably should have just gone for a little bit, but of course once we got there we stayed.

I am still home today, but hoping to feel better later and just duck out for a movie and come home.

Monday
Plans - After being home all last week, and missing this movie not once, but twice, we are finally going to see a screening of This Means War. . . I REALLY want to see this!
Dinner - Out

Tuesday
Plans - Valentines' Day - We don't have plans yet, we do have movie passes for a screening of Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, we missed this a couple of weeks ago and I would really like to see it.
Dinner - Up in the air

Wednesday
Plans - Movie Screening Act of Valor
Dinner - Flame - salad bar

Thursday
Plans - JLM Neighborhood meeting - our house
Dinner - People are bringing appetizers, drinks and dessert

Friday
Plans - Winos & Foodies Event - Wine & Chocolate - our house
Dinner - Lots of good stuff, I am making the cocoa rubbed tenderloin and a savory chocolate fondue.

Saturday
Plans - Woo Hoo! 5th Annual Mink Night, cannot wait, limo, girls, furs, food and fun!
Dinner - Meritage

Sunday
Plans - laying low, Mink Night is always a big night out
Dinner - take out I am sure

For more meal plans and links to recipes, check out the Orgjunkie.

29 Day Organizational Challenge - 1st Progress Link Up

2012-02-10T13:15:00.002-06:00

So, here we go with my progress report for my 29 Day Organizational Challenge. I have not made a ton of progress (I have been sick in bed since Sunday), but I am in the process of creating my organizational plan. I started by answering these questions.

1. What do I want the purpose of my room or area to be?
My office where I work 3ish times a week, a place to go to unwind, check email, blog, write thank you notes, work on projects, read, watch a favorite show, have a glass of wine and read my mail. My place, my space, where I can get away from it all and be productive.

2. What do I need in or near the room to serve that purpose?
Desk, laptop, printer, comfortable chair, tv, bookshelves, storage, candles.

3. What can I remove from the room?
Not sure yet, but I am hoping to figure it out during this process. . .

4. What problems do I see with the room?
I have too much stuff in here and it is not organized. I have empty picture frames that need to be filled and I need to update pictures. I need one drawer just for mailing prep, which includes stamps, different types of envelopes, stationary (I have a ton of stationary so maybe two?).

5. What organizational tools might solve those problems?
I need to find a better solution for filing.

6. What habits need to change to solve the organizational problems?
Don't just dump mail and papers. Come up with a filing system so that I can store papers simply and file them once a week, even once every other week.

7. What kind of a budget do I have to create the organized room of my dreams?
The room is close to being done, I need a couple of pictures for the wall and I would love to have the crown molding up. No budget though really. I think this is more about just organizing and purging.

8. What kind of a timeline is necessary to organize the room?
I am ready to be done with the room by the end of the month. 29 days.

9. What is my plan of action?
I need to take time to come up with a filing system and I need to get rid of some stuff.

10. Who can I ask to help me with this?
Hmmmm, the boy has done the majority of the heavy lifting, painting and such. It is up to me to do the rest.

Here are some pictures of areas I need to focus on. . . and figure out how to purge or file.. . I really need to make my book case and book shelf look nice. They are nice pieces, but they need to LOOK nice! I need to find some pictures to frame and get a proper filing system in place.

Here is to hoping that I feel well enough to get some of this tackled this weekend. I would really like to find a picture to put up . . . maybe I have something already. . . and I would also like to get to my bookshelf.

Droid or iPhone?

2012-02-09T12:21:00.000-06:00

I think these are two different worlds and you are either a Droid person or an iPhone person. . . the boy and I both have Droid phones and we love them, but we don't have any of the Apple products really. We both have iPods, but we don't use them a ton. I do love how the Droid phones integrate so seamlessly with Google and gmail as well.

In June, I am do for an upgrade. I have my eye on a new Droid phone, but I am not ruling out the iPhone either.

All in all there are some fabulous apps out there, I thought I would share some of my favorites with you.

Foursquare
This is by far my go-to app. I really only am connected to my close friends and I love watching where everyone is checking in. On more than one occasion we have run into people that we know because we have checked in together. Just last week we were at Seven for dinner and noticed that another friend had checked in as well. I commented on his checkin and he joined us for a pre-dinner cocktail. Without Foursquare we would not have even known we were in the same place. The boy and I also are in a war over who is Mayor of our house. For the longest time I was, and then with all of my traveling I lost my mayorship. I just regained it this past weekend, only to lose it because I have been stuck at home since Sunday with the crud. I will get it back. . . .

Evernote
I LOVE this app. I am a very heavy One Note user. Before my Droid I had a Windows phone which was "okay" but was not all that powerful. One Note was not even able to integrate with my One Note on the cloud, so it was a bit frustrating. Evernote has alleviated so much paper for me. All of my notes, thoughts, Ta-Da lists, reminders, even blogs or news articles that I want to save and read later I can save to it. The great thing is that they also have a web and desktop client, and they all sync seamlessly. So if I am on my work pc, I can save stuff there, if I am on my home pc I can save stuff there and I have it all in one place on the go, on my phone. There are a lot of features I probably don't use, but one of the things that I love is that I can take a picture of something and add it to my Ta-da list or grocery list. Really helps keep me organized.

Camera360
There are a lot of different camera apps out there, but think this one works the best for me. It has a lot of different effects and some fun things to add to your pictures. It also takes better pictures than the default photo app. (I also love that it automatically uploads all of my photos to Picasa).

MyFitnessPal
You guys have probably heard me go on and on about this one enough. But I do love this app and just how it syncs so seamlessly with the fitbit. Great app for tracking food and nutrition.

Shazam
This is a fun one. When the boy and I are driving in the car, sometimes while we are listening to the radio in the car, we won't know who sings a song, but we might want to download it later. This app helps listen and gives you the name and artist of the song, just by listening to it, and also can give you the lyrics. Fun app.

Wordswithfriends
Yep, I am a junkie. I don't play often, and lately, most of my games have been played with my 11 year old nephew who has been my biggest challenge yet! Alec Baldwin put them on the map! I am jillyinmn if you ever want to play!

Foodspotting
I love this app. Sometimes when we are running errands on the weekends, we need to stop and grab some lunch, or maybe we are out and about at a movie and we want to grab some dinner. Or even if we are at a new restaurant, what kinds of recommendations do people have. With this app you can look at restaurants that are near you and people post pictures of the dishes they have had. I have posted quite a few of my favorites.

Gasbuddy
We don't always remember to use this one, but you can literally save up to .20/gallon sometimes, we have.

Fandango
We are always looking up movie times and locations. This app helps us compare from theater to theater which movies and times will work for us.

IMDb
Along those same lines, since we do love the movies, after we have seen something, or maybe even at dinner or lunch before or after, if we get to talking about a movie or an actor/actress we will sometimes try to remember other things they have been in or look for more information, this comes in handy. I love that the information is right at our fingertips.

Opentable
Since we do eat out quite a bit, when we are on the go running around, this really helps with making reservations.

SugarSync
I recently added this app and what I love about this, a lot like dropbox, but I use it for all of my pictures.

WorkoutTrainer
This has some great workouts for when you are on the go and traveling. Plenty of workouts you can do right in your hotel room!

Are you a Droid or an iPhone person? What are some of your favorite apps? Anything you can't live without?

Movie Reviews

2012-02-08T18:29:00.003-06:00

Still home with the crud. Missing out on a lot. Missed Lenny last night, so bummed about that and I know I disappointed sister J, but this crud has me down and out for the count. I was supposed to get together with a friend from JLM tonight, that is not happening. The boy could have seen Safe House last night, tonight we have passes for Act of Valor. . . but I am stuck at home with this crud.

In the past couple of weeks, we have seen some really good (and not so good) movies. Thought I would share some of them with you.

The Grey
I was not a huge fan of this one. Lots of death, gore and scary wolves. But in the end, there was some nice scenery and it was a survival story. But if you are not a fan of blood, gore and scariness, then skip it. Liam Neesen is very good in it though. I guess Bradley Cooper was slated for the role, but they thought he was too wimpy.

The Vow
I really liked this movie a lot. It is based on a true story which I think is really interesting. The story was wonderful and had so many ups and downs and wonderful moments.

Man on a Ledge
LOVED this movie. Great suspense, wonderful action. It really did keep you on the edge of your seat, and I love Elizabeth Shue.

Big Miracle
Loved this movie as well. It had a great tie back in to Minnesota and you really did fall in love with the whales, although I don't think I could ever live in Alaska.

The Iron Lady
This was on our Academy Awards list. We have not been getting through our list like I have wanted to, but between a busy schedule and now being sick, it just hasn't happened. I thought Meryl Streep was incredible, you could not even tell it was her at first. The story, ahh, not so much. I would have liked to have seen them follow more of what Margaret Thatcher did in her role and not as much about her demise of her mind in her later years. I do think that Streep deserves not only the nod for the award bus possibly the award.

The Woman in Black
I walked out. It was too much for me. Too scary, too gross. Too scary. Didn't want to have nightmares. The boy really enjoyed it, me? I went for a walk and got some errands done. . .

Beginners
We ordered this one On Demand, another one off of our Academy Awards list. Eh. . . it was okay. Kinda slow moving, but it was okay.

Real Chick Challenge - Week 5

2012-02-07T08:45:00.000-06:00

This past week has not been too bad, I was able to get three 30 minute workouts in, one 60 minute (Wii Just Dance 2, I love it!) and lots of mall walking as well as a good walk downtown. The Fitbit is really helping both the boy and I as far as tracking sets of stairs climbed, steps, miles and calories burned.

We have tracked all of our food through My Fitness Pal as well, love that app, works so well when you use the smartphone app bar code reader, so easy to add food.

I have lost more since last week, another three pounds. So I am at a total loss of 11 which isn't too bad. Figure an average of 2 lbs per week which I think is healthy considering that the boy and I are just making ourselves more aware of what we are eating and trying to stay within some calorie parameters and adding exercise.

I have come down with a terrible head cold, which has now moved into my chest. I am already on day three of this and while I don't have an appetite and haven't eaten much, I am not getting any exercise and there are a ton of calories in apple juice. I am really hoping to feel better by tomorrow.
So, hopefully when I check in next week I will be at about 15 for a loss which would be awesome because that would be the halfway mark and halfway through my goal for the 12 weeks.

The boy thinks we need one cheat day. I think everything in moderation, and I try to bank calories if I know we are going out at night, I won't have much for breakfast or lunch and light snacks. Or I will make sure I get a good workout in. So far that seems to be working pretty well. The other thing is, because of our schedules and activities, we do eat out quite a bit, but we are both making better choices, looking at menus before we go out so that we have a good idea of some healthy options and even when we are deciding where to go, we look at the restaurants near by and compare menus.

Really hoping to feel better if not later today by tomorrow so that I can get some good exercise in this week because as of now I don't have the energy for much.

This weeks challenge is all water. I haven't been able to do that because of not feeling well, I have already had hot apple juice, apple juice and ginger ale, but I will definitely do this next week in addition to the next challenge.

Meal Plan Monday - Week 6

2012-02-06T21:41:00.000-06:00

We had a really nice weekend, which ended with me being down for the count with a nasty head cold or flu bug. Really knocked me down though and I spent yesterday afternoon napping, all day in bed sleeping on and off and trying to recoup. Tonight instead of catching a movie and dinner, I am still curled up under a blanket hoping to feel better by tomorrow.

This week is a busy one, I am really hoping to feel better by tomorrow.

Monday
Plans - Home recuperating on the couch - catching up on Revenge with the boy, LOVE that show!
Dinner - have zero appetite and haven't eaten much for a couple of days, but the boy brought me some WonTon soup home and I was able to get a cup down

Tuesday
Plans - I am really hoping to feel better, I have been looking forward to seeing Lenny Kravitz with sister J for a while.
Dinner - Out somewhere before the show

Wednesday
Plans - Cocktails with a friend from JLM
Dinner - Out at Bacio

Thursday
Plans - Movie Screening (we missed this last week because dinner ran over and we didn't want to rush) This Means War
Dinner - Out somewhere, not sure where yet. . .

Friday
Plans - We had to cancel last Friday, dinner and a show with the boys parents, due to his mother being sick, hoping to reschedule for this Friday.
Dinner - Vic's hopefully!

Saturday
Plans - It is our 3rd Installment of Foodie Fest at our friend M's. Can't wait!
Dinner - All of the nummy food that people make all day!

Sunday
Plans - No plans yet, probably clean the house and get ready for the week.
Dinner - Salmon and rice

We went to Costco this past weekend as well as Trader Joe's and picked up a few things for lunches and dinners. We had new fridge delivered for the basement on Friday, SO nice to have the normal freezer space again. We bought some tuna steaks, mahi mahi and salmon as well as two rotisserie chickens for quick dinners and to make a soup or two out of. Even some chicken enchiladas would be good.

Looking for more meal plan ideas or recipes, check out the orgjunkie.

29 Day Organizational Challenge - Week 1

2012-02-01T22:03:00.000-06:00

I have been in the process over the last couple of months of purging and organizing areas in our house, but I still have a long way to go. SO, in order to hold myself accountable, I am linking up with the Orgjunkie for the 29 Day Organizational Challenge. I figure I hold people accountable all day at work, I need to start doing the same with myself.

I am supposed to pick one area of my house to organize. I have several, but I have been working a lot on my office over the past few weeks, and I would really like to see this room finished by the end of the month.

I have a new (new to me) glass door book case that I kind of just threw in there when the boy got done painting it (it was a dark brown Billy bookcase from IKEA that we bought off of Craigslist for about $80). I knew that I wanted to go through and organize it and make the shelves look nice, but I just wanted to get it in there and get some stuff off of the floor and out of the way.

I also have another bookcase that we worked on back here. It looks like this at a moment, and I know it could look a lot better.

I have a ton of stacks of paper all over the place, and I know I need to be better about organizing those, and I have bought the tools, in fact someone seems to have stolen one of them.

I also have this credenza which is stuffed to the gills and I need to go through it and make sure that what is in it is organized and will be useful. We bought this credenza off of craigslist as well a while back, I think I paid about $120. I really like the way that it turned out. Here are the before and afters.

I know a lot of people have craft rooms and offices. Mine is more of a combo, so I have a lot of bins like this stored all over.

It would be great if I could store some of them in my closet in this room. However, this closet is also my main clothing closet since the boy has the walk-in in our Master (don't get me wrong, I have every other closet in the house, so it really is fair).

I would like to get some new pictures framed, a new rug for the floor, and maybe a new printer that I don't have to spend so much money on ink.

The chair and ottoman are a recent purchase from a couple of weeks ago from an estate sale ($95 and in perfect condition and the perfect color for this room, how could I go wrong). The chair swivels and rocks, and the ottoman rocks and I LOVE it. I picked up the blanket at Home Goods shortly after. Stella likes it too!

The little table we purchased the same day at a different sale for $20. The boy painted it the same pink as the walls. I needed a little table for writing thank you's and also to have my work laptop on. So far so good.

Another place where we need some room for improvement, I think my bulletin board might be a little small. Maybe something bigger on this wall? The Lilly Chinese lantern was a Christmas present from my sister, I recently bought a pink cord cover for it which should be here shortly.

I also think I need a picture for over my chair, not sure what though. . .oh, and behind the chair is storage. . .I think I need to do something about that. I have about 10 years worth of receipts, how far back do I need to go?

I have all of this "stuff" under my credenza. Yearbooks, old laptops. . . old work stuff. Not sure what to do with this yet either.

This will be a work in progress, but I am REALLY excited about having a timeline and a goal!

Real Chicks Getting Fit Challenge - Week 4

2012-01-31T16:40:00.000-06:00

I am really enjoying this challenge. I am sorry I didn't get to check in last week, the week literally got away from me. Between a busy work week, plans with the boy and then working in time for walks and planning meals, well, the week just got away from me.

The boy is doing this along with me which is also a lot of fun. We did really well last week. I have lost almost 6 pounds since starting this. We have gotten a few tools to help us out on this endeavor. We bought a new scale which seems to be very accurate and measure down to the 1/10 of a pound, every little bit counts, right? We are both using Myfitnesspal.com on both our smart phones and pc's. I absolutely love this app for a few reasons. First, from our phones, if you are eating something and it has a bar code reader which you can scan the item with, that works fabulously, it is so easy to just add a yogurt in the morning that way. It also syncs and integrates with my new favorite toy, the fitbit.

The fitbit is awesome, it tracks your weight loss, your steps, stairs climbed, calories burned, miles, and also gives you an active score as well as tracking your sleep patterns. What is also nice is that the boy is wearing one too, so it tracks our progress side by side and even makes us a little competitive with one another which is kind of fun.

I added some new exercise last week. Starting with some mall walking. We were at the movies last week a few times which were in malls, so we would make sure that we got some walking in. I also added some Wii Just Dance I and II to the routine. I only did it twice, but I do live it and it definitely burns some calories so that I can budget for a dinner out or something.

So, overall I feel like I have been pretty successful in tracking what I am eating every day, every morsel that goes into my mouth, good or bad (the wine kills me, but I am trying to keep it just to the weekend), adding exercise little by little, and tracking calories burned. Hey, even losing 6 pounds!

As far as the challenges go, I am not much of a sweet eater, so no sugar was pretty easy. We even went to a movie screening last week where they had cupcakes from one of my favorite places with the most amazing frosting you have ever tasted, well, I took one, took one bite and threw the rest away. I guess it helped that the boy was right there to tsk tsk tsk me. . . nice to have someone hold you accountable. As far as adding new exercise, added the mall walks and the Wii, which is more than we have done in a long time. Also, with the fitbit, it has a goal of 10 sets of stairs a day, I try to make sure I can squeeze those in as well.

This week the challenge will be easy. I RARELY have any caffeine due to migraines I have had since I was little. No coffee, no soda only an occasional tea or a little chocolate here or there, but when I do feel a bad headache coming on, I will slam a mountain dew.

Really enjoying the challenge though!

Meal Plan Monday - Week 5

2012-01-30T15:25:00.002-06:00

I seriously do not know where January went. . .POOF! And it is gone just like that!

We had a really good week last week, got in a bunch of movies, got together and did some fun things with friends and stuck to our meal plan schedule. I know that might not sound like a huge accomplishment since I didn't really cook last week, but we did stick to our food plans and ate well, even while eating out, which I think is a huge accomplishment.

This week, we have another really busy week, so not a lot of cooking again. Although I am so glad that we have soup, chili and fresh fruits and veggies at home for lunches.

Monday
Plans - Work dinner. We have co-workers in from out of town.
Dinner - Crave - I am excited about this because I can have sushi which is relatively low in calories and fat and I love it!

Tuesday
Plans - Movie Screening The Woman in Black
Dinner - We haven't decided yet, but it may be Poor Richards, just need to check the menu to see if there is stuff on there that would work. The other nice thing is that this is in a mall, so I can get a mile or two of walking in.

Wednesday
Plans - Movie Screening This Means War. Excited to see this one, I love Reese Whitherspoon!
Dinner - Seven downtown. I have an Opentable Spotlight certificate that is going to expire. This restaurant has a Steak dining room and a sushi dining room. I chose the steak dining room as I know the boy is not a fan of sushi. I am sure we will find something.

Thursday
Plans - Movie Screening Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Dinner - this screening is in Uptown and there are a few new restaurants I have been wanting to try, but I am going to leave this up in the air at the moment.

Friday
Plans - Birthday plans with the boys parents. We are taking them to dinner and a show.
Dinner - Vic's, one of our favorite places and this will definitely be a steak night.

Saturday
Plans - Birthday plans with my niece and nephew, G & G. We are all going bowling and having a pizza party. Should be fun. Later that evening the boy and I are going to the Opera which I am really excited about. We are seeing Werther, which will be subtitled. I cannot wait! We went two years ago, but have not gone since. We will have to decide on somewhere for dinner which may be tricky since the St. Paul Winter Carnival is going on, and the theater is right in the midst of the activity.
Dinner - out, somewhere!

Sunday
Plans - we still have a few movies we need to cross off of the list for the Oscars, so we are going to try to catch one or two of those. Then we are off to the boys aunt and uncle's for the big game. Still trying to decide what to make. . . .
Dinner - Appetizers and munchies during the big game!

For more meal plans, check out the Orgjunkie!

Meal Plan Monday - Week 4

2012-01-23T21:45:00.001-06:00

We had a busy weekend, more on that later. Trying to get a few more things done here tonight before we get a good nights sleep.

Monday
Plans - Home, laundry
Dinner - Porterhouse steaks grilled, green beans, sauteed mushrooms

Tuesday
Plans - Movie screening "The Grey"
Dinner - Osaka (sushi)

Wednesday
Plans - Movie Screening "The Vow"
Dinner - Chipotle or Potbelly

Thursday
Plans - Movie Screening "Man on a Ledge"
Dinner - Ruby Tuesday

Friday
Plans - Out with friends
Dinner - Pittsburgh Blue

Saturday
Plans - Movie Screening "Big Miracle", JLM Duets Wine and Restaurant tasting
Dinner - JLM Event

Sunday
Plans - Home, catching up on house stuff and relaxing
Dinner - Pork chops. . .not sure what else yet, we will need to shop on Sunday

This is going to be a hard week to stay on track, but the boy and I have talked about it, and even though we are out every night this week, even when we are eating out, we can still look ahead at the menus and make smart choices.

For more menus, and some great recipe links, check out the orgjunkie!

Meal PlanMonday - Week 3

2012-01-16T22:49:00.000-06:00

This week is a travel week, so not a lot of meal planning going on. Instead of even posting the whole week, I am just going to post the days that I will be at home, and can actually prepare meals.

Friday
Plans - Winter White Event at sister J's
Dinner - appetizers and such. I am not sure what I am making yet.

Saturday
Plans - Working on the house
Dinner - Out

Sunday
Plans - Movies, we have a few we need to catch before the Oscar's are announced
Dinner - We attended a cooking class last week, more later, but we made a short rib gnocchi soup that I am going to try. They are supposed to email the recipes,so I am hoping we get it in time.

I was going through some pictures from the last couple of months. I have a few things to share, so I am hoping to get to those this week.

Real Chicks Getting Fit - Week 3

2012-01-12T14:26:00.000-06:00

So, I know it has only been a few days, but I thought I would check in on how my Spring Chick Challenge is going. So far okay. I am doing a good job of tracking everything that goes into my mouth on My Fitness Pal either on my pc or on my phone. I love how handy dandy that is. I have only had one piece of chocolate or something sweet since Monday, zero sugar since then. But I guess that is not a huge accomplishment since I have more of a salt tooth than a sweet tooth.

Most days I have been able to stay on track with my calories. On Tuesday I went home and made a pot of healthy black bean soup before going to my JLM meeting. And no wine for me at JLM. Last night we were out with co-workers who were in town for the week and I went over. I know there are going to be good days and bad days and I just have to get through them. If I beat myself up for the bad days then I won't have the self-esteem to keep this up, so I just have to push through those and realize that there will be good and bad days. I am trying to curb the wine, so far I am okay there. We have a cooking class tonight, so I know that it is going to be another tough night. Tomorrow night I think I can cook something healthy at home for us, and then Saturday we have couples Bunco night, so that is going to be another hard night, but I just need to do my best and make good choices.

Next week I am planning on adding exercise to the plan. I figure if I can just make changes, little by little, it might be easier for me to adapt than wham, bam changing everything. I am traveling for work next week, so another challenge, but I will see what I can do!

The boy is tracking his calories on My Fitness Pal as well. He wants to lose a few too, of course it will probably be easier for him, but we will see how it goes. I am really excited about this though!

Movie Review - Joyful Noise

2012-01-10T22:13:00.002-06:00

Last night the boy and I caught a screening of Joyful Noise with Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah. It was definitely a feel good movie. The singing was wonderful, I was really surprised and impressed with the younger kids too.

Mixed reviews in the audience regarding the movie, the boy thought it was so-so, others thought it was horrible.

If you want a feel good movie, with an uplifting light hearted message and some wonderful singing, then I would go see it. When was the last time Dolly Parton was even in a movie? Oh yes, Straight Talk 1992.

Spring "Chick" Challenge 2012

2012-01-09T11:06:00.002-06:00

Okay, getting off to a little bit of a late start on this one, but it is something that I want to do this year. My sister has lost a ton of weight over the last year and gotten herself back on a regular exercise plan. Now that I have switched jobs and decided that I definitely need time for myself, I need to make sure that I am focusing on the things that are right for me. The Spring "Chick" Challenge 2012 will definitely help with that. I found this via a great blog from Meal Plan Monday, and thought, well, there is no time like the present.

Over the past few years, I have steadily gained weight, and I need to get it down to more manageable pounds for myself. First there was the switch to working solely from home, and becoming more sedentary and dealing with some very long cold winters. Then came the shoulder surgery and having months of pain and very limited movement and depression. I need to get back to myself, and I think that this is going to be a great way of achieving that.

1. NSV (Non Scale Victory)

Fit into jeans that will fit into my boots
Fit into my Lilly capris that I love to wear in the spring and summer
Learn to adjust to a new schedule that includes regular exercise and eating times

2. Nutrition Parameters and track using a tool (Spark People, My Fitness Pal, WW). I am on My Fitness Pal, username jillyinmn. I am also going to start using a Fitbit

1200 Calories Daily
4 Full Tervis Tumblers of water daily
What will I limit - eating out? Or at least making healthy choices when we eat out. Realistically we eat out probably three to four times per week whether it is lunch or dinner, usually on the weekends more than anything else.
Keep healthy snacks at work. Cheez-its are my go to, so find something that is salty and good for me. Nuts perhaps?

Wii (Fit, Dance, Yoga)
Walk
Yoga

4. Commit to Blogging at least twice a week, once to check in with a complete update on my progress, the other to include insights, results of weekly challenges or just check in and let others know how I am doing.

5. Commit to support, both giving and receiving, commenting as much as I can.

I think that these are all very achievable and realistic goals. I just need to make sure that I am making this a priority. Seems like there are some great people that are a part of this challenge, I think that will be the best part!

Meal Plan Monday - Week 2

2012-01-09T09:17:00.001-06:00

We had a nice low-key weekend. Friday we had the boys car in the shop and then went and ran errands. The boy needed to exchange a pair of slippers that I bought for him as well as a pair of boots. We also hit up some of the good sales going on at J Crew, Williams Sonoma, Restoration Hardware and such. We wound up grabbing dinner on the way home, kind of late, but we stopped in at Pairings. That place never fails to disappoint. Grabbing a nice bottle of wine, and two steak dinners that were delicious!

Saturday I was back at Summit Brewery for tour duty. I took the last quarter of last year off. After leaving my last job, starting my new job and the holidays, I knew that I was going to need some down time. Even though it is only one Saturday a month, and realistically only about 2 1/2 hours out of the day, it is a further drive since we moved, and it does eat in to the weekend. I am not sure how much longer I will continue, it has been about 4 1/2 years at this point, and while I love some of the perks that come with it, the events, free beer (even though I am not a big beer drinker, it is always nice to have it on hand for others) and the people, I am going to have to start picking and choosing my volunteer activities.

We had more errands to run Saturday. For some reason, I was having a hard time calling my parents from my cell phone. It appeared to just be a problem with my phone, I could call them from our home phone, and from the boys phone, just not from my own phone. The Sprint store that is close to our house has great customer service and we were able to get in and out of there and they got the problem fixed, I was so happy! A couple other stops for groceries at Trader Joe's and a swing through Lands End (great for basics and it is an inlet, so they always have wonderful deals), a stop into Panera for lunch and we were off to catch a movie.

In preparation for this years pre-Oscar Night Bash, we are trying to get through our list of movies that we think have some Oscar potential. Saturday night we saw Moneyball with Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill and Philip Seymour Hoffman. We LOVED it. Realistically if you like baseball (which we both do) what is not to love. It was very well done and I can see both Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill getting an Oscar nod.

Sunday we took down all of the holiday decorations and cleaned the house. After the house was in pretty decent shape, we decided to catch another movie off of our list from On Demand. Crazy, Stupid, Love. It was a pretty funny movie, and we both enjoyed it as well. There were some unexpected twists and turns which really added to the movie.

This is what remains of the list. The nominations do not come out for another two weeks, so this list may change, but based on the Oscar buzz that we have heard, this is our best guess of what we have left from what we have not seen yet.

My Week with Marilyn

Carnage

Young Adult

Midnight in Paris

50/50

The Artist

Hugo

We Need to Talk About Kevin

Albert Nobbs

The Iron Lady

The Adventures of Tin Tin

Cars 2

Puss N Boots

Rango

Drive

A Dangerous Method

Beginners

W.E.

Pretty decent list, and I am sure we can get through it before the party and show.

This week is a busy one. I guess that is par for the course now that the holidays are over!

Monday

Plans - Movie Screening Joyful Noise

Dinner - Chinese out

Tuesday

Plans - Junior League Meeting (need to put together wine basket for silent auction)

Dinner - Black Bean Soup

Wednesday

Plans - co-workers in town, Summit tour, HH

Dinner - Out

Thursday

Plans - Cooking Class

Dinner - Whatever is on the menu

Friday

Plans - Home

Dinner - Take out most likely

Saturday

Plans - Bunco with 7 other couples

Dinner - Appetizers and such, I am going to make BLT Dip and probably a few other things as well.

Sunday

Plans - Clean the house, errands, pack for work trip

Dinner - Sour Cream and Cumin Pork with rice and green beans

Even though I don't have a lot of cooking going on this week, I still like to plan everything out and the boy and I will have our lunches for the whole week which is nice. Just yogurt and fresh fruit for me for breakfasts. I love my yogurt!

For more meal planning, check out the orgjunkie!

Movie Reviews

2012-01-03T17:29:00.001-06:00

We have been able to catch up on some movies over the holidays, which we love. Here are some movies we have seen and enjoyed over the past couple of weeks.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
I am probably the only person that has not read this book, or any of the books. I have it on my Nook, but it started out so slow that I never really got into it. We saw this movie with a big group of seven of us, most had read the books, and even seen the Swedish version of the films. I really enjoyed the movie even though it was dark. I thought it had some wonderful characters, the story held my interest and I am looking forward to the other movies (I hope they make them). I did tell the boys mother that I didn't think that his dad would be able to follow it. The reason for that is that his hearing is not that great, and some of the accents can be hard to hear from time to time. Other than that I would highly recommend the film and I am pretty sure we will see some Oscar nods.

The Descendants
I loved this film, and I think that it is one of the best films I have seen Clooney in for a while. Although I did like him in Ides of March, I thought that was Ryan Goslings film. The story in this film, while heart-wrenching, was well told and I loved the way that the relationships between the father and daughters developed. It also made me think about what I would do or how I would feel in that situation. The scenery was fabulous, I have never been to Hawaii and I definitely want to go. Highly recommend this film, and I do hope that Clooney gets an Oscar nod.

War Horse
My favorite out of all of the films I have seen this year. This is an epic film, one I will always remember, never forget and even at 2 1/2 hours, I would pay to go and see this in the theater again. The cinematography is amazing, the story well-told, touching and beautiful. The horse is really the star of the film, and it is amazing to me that they were able to get a horse to do the things that it did. I had every emotion through this film, and while it is a war story as well, the messages in this film are delivered so well. I would not recommend this film to my niece. At almost 11, and her love of horses, I just don't think that she would be able to follow it and I think that some of it would just make her way too sad. If you have not seen this film, go see it, I loved it!

We Bought a Zoo
Awesome family film. Great storyline, Matt Damon is a goof, but for some reason I also thought it was a little unrealistic that he had a 14 year old, but I do realize it is not that unrealistic. Although hooking up with Scarlett Johanson maybe was the unrealistic part? Not sure. Great animals, cute story, feel good family film. I don't see any awards coming out of this one, but we did enjoy it with the boys parents (even though his dad slept through most of it :)).

We have some films coming up that we will be screening in January (Joyful Noise, Man on a Ledge, Act of Valor so far), and a few that we have missed and need to catch that I am sure will be up for awards. I really want to see Moneyball and My Week with Marilyn, those are on the list for this weekend I think.

Meal Plan Monday - Week 1

2012-01-02T20:32:00.002-06:00

Off to a so-so start for week one of 2012. I came down with one of those great colds that I am trying to fight. But we did have a wonderful New Years Weekend.

Friday, instead of having family friends, we had our neighbors over for an impromptu happy hour which was a lot of fun. Some wine, some cheese and some crackers and cookies.

Saturday we ran some errands and then got ready for a night out with friends for a fabulous dinner which was a wonderful way to ring in the new year.

Sunday we met up with the boys parents for lunch and "We Bought a Zoo". Great movie, wonderful story. By the time Sunday evening rolled around I was feeling this cold and ready for a good nights sleep.

Not sure what this week is going to bring, so meal plan is a little sketchy. . .

Monday
Plans - Home, taking care of this cold.
Dinner - The boy picked up a couple of pot pies.

Tuesday
Plans - Hopefully still at home taking care of this cold
Dinner - Leftover Lamb Curry

Wednesday
Plans - Cleaning up from Christmas
Dinner - Leftovers

Thursday
Plans - L & J and sister J for dinner
Dinner - this menu - From Sandra Lee

Friday
Plans - catch up on a couple of movies we have been wanting to see
Dinner - hoping for sushi, but not holding my breath

Saturday
Plans - Organize basement with holiday stuff
Dinner - Probably steaks on the grill. . .

Sunday
Plans - Organize my office
Dinner - Black Bean Soup

For more meal plans (probably much better than mine) and links to some great recipes, check out the orgjunkie.

Highlights from 2011

2012-01-02T09:16:00.000-06:00

January - The boy finished my office, which I love (we still have a couple of things left to do, but I do need to do a whole post on this room). We hosted a wonderful wine event, chili and chilean wines, so much fun!

February - Trip to Connecticut and New York with the boy. Found out friends J & K from CT were pregnant! Our basement also flooded while we were gone and changed our whole plan for the house for a while. Attended Foodie Fest number one!

March - For my birthday, we hosted a murder mystery party. Everyone came in character and it was a ton of fun! I would love to do another one!

April - Stella came home with us Easter weekend and changed our lives for the better. She has changed our house into a home and we absolutely love spending time with her.

May - The boy, along with my dad's help and my purchases, finished the Guest Room in May, just in time for our friend K from CT to come for a visit from NYC. We threw a little baby shower for a her and enjoyed spending some time with her.

June - We attended some great wine events, did a lot of grilling and saw a couple of movies. We also did some work on the yard. We had a lot of yard work that needed to be done this year, so we spent a good part of the summer whipping it into shape.

July - 4th of July was a lot of fun on the deck. We hosted a BBQ for friends and enjoyed some fireworks.

August - We spent some time with friends up at the lake, took a cooking class and had a few BBQ's on the deck.

September - Realized that my job was really not right for me and that I was no longer contributing fully in my life, so I needed to make a change for the better. Left my job and took a week off. Helped my mom with Junk Bonanza and had a blast.

October - Attended and hosted some wonderful wine events. Caught up with friends. Worked on organizing the house and getting it back in shape from the basement flooding. Started my new job, started traveling for the new job, loved getting to participate more in my own life and not have to focus so much on work. Attended our second foodie fest for the year!

November - Hosted our first Thanksgiving. Worked on the house. Traveled for work more than I wanted to. . . but still love having more time for the boy, my family and my own life!

December - Hosted our annual holiday party, which is always a ton of fun! Had a great holiday with our family and the boy. Spent some quality time with friends and family!

Looking forward to 2012!

Checking up on 11 in '11

2011-12-29T06:00:00.000-06:00

As we get ready to head into a new year, I thought maybe I would check in on 11 in '11. Some good, some not so good, but I still and always will, believe in setting goals. Looking forward to 12 in '12 too!

1. I want to cook at home more. We go out to eat quite a bit, but I want to cut that back to once a week. This of course depends on our schedules, but I think this is something I can give a go. I have wonderful tools, great pots and pans, wonderful appliances, access to great grocery stores. This is a must. One of the things that I love about the boy and I is that we both love to bring our lunches from home, and we do so every day. One thing that is going to help with this though is getting a freezer for home. While I love our fridge, our freezer is TINY and if I want to freeze soup, stock or sauce, it is impossible.

Well, good and bad here. With the basement flooding in February, we still have not bought a freezer. I have cooked quite a bit and I have tried quite a few new recipes. I have also had some epic fails of course too. The boy and I continue to bring our lunch from home on a regular basis, rarely eating out, which I think is good. This will be something I will always continue to work at, eating at home more.

2. I want to try a new recipe at least once a week. I have a ton of cookbooks and this will help with number one. The boy and I are signed up for a cooking class later this month and I cannot wait.

While I am not sure if I have succeeded at a new recipe every week, I definitely made a good dent, came up with some great menus for dinner parties and have even added some new recipes to the repertoire which I will keep!

3. A regular exercise routine. Now that my shoulder is stronger, this is something that just needs to happen. But, I need to make sure that I come first so that I have more time for this. I also need to schedule this. I have a Wii which I love, and I recently bought a pair of the Avia Avi-Motion shoes, which I wasn't too sure about, but just wearing them around the house, you cannot believe how much I can feel it! LOVE them!

UGH. This has NOT happened. BUT, I am definitely in a better place. I just need to keep working on this one. I am going to blame the basement a little on this one, the Wii was not hooked up for months on end, my job played into things, but I have some relief now, and I can definitely feel the tide changing.

4. A trip. The boy and I are so over due for a trip it is not even funny. This is a must. Maybe even two trips.

We managed this one. Good and bad on this one, but more on the bad. It was great to see my old stomping grounds and to show the boy around. However, I wound up terribly sick most of the trip and we can back to a flooded basement and months of a huge headache.

5. Read more. I have this great color Nook now, I need to put it to good use. I also own a million books that I still want to read. My friend set a goal of a book a month, I think that is very attainable. But there is so much I want to read. . . .

I so wish that I would have accomplished this one. This is one that I will definitely keep on the list for next year.

6. Schedule our home projects so that we can complete them on a more realistic schedule. Next up is my office, we bought the paint and the curtain rods this past weekend. My mirrors are painted, now it is just pulling to all into the room, getting it organized and done. This past week alone I think I spent over 70 hours in my office, so this is something I am REALLY looking forward to!
January - Jilly's Office (almost done - one thing left, still need to photograph this one)
February - Guest Bathroom - done (maybe not in February due to the basement situation, but it is done)
March - Guest Bedroom - done (again, not on schedule, but its done and I love the way it turned out)
Everything else is on the list for next year
April - Master Bedroom
May - Media Room
June - Kitchen
July - Living Room
August - Dining Room
September - Basement Bathroom
October - Wine Bar in Basement
November - Storage Room in Basement
December - Done?

7. De-clutter, organize, donate, store and file. We still have about 20 boxes to go through, and I want to get rid of things and get organized. One thing that needs to be organized and tagged is the wine collection that is growing (not quite as fast as I can drink it, but it would be nice to have it all in a database so I knew exactly what I have where.I also own a trillion magazines, and I have a hard time parting with them and finding the time to read them. Now I can get the majority of them on my Nook. I am going to continue to do so and go through the ones I have and get rid of them. I have been making a good dent in them this weekend alone!

I have made progress here, but there is still a ways to go. I have gotten rid of a ton of magazines, but the boxes are still in the garage. We have also made several trips to Goodwill, so we are getting there.

8. Get back to entertaining. We did quite a bit over the holidays. Family friends for a party, my family for Christmas eve and a going away send off for some friends we met through the wine club. I have a few more get togethers I would like to get on the books. We have a chili cook-off paired with Chilean wines in January for the wine club which should be fun as well.

We have done quite a bit more on the entertaining front. Small dinner parties, deck parties and wine events. Even though the basement flooded in February, and we had to cancel the Oscar party, we did go on to have some great events this past year. Very memorable.

9. Plant a vegetable and herb garden. Now that I have a great yard, I am looking forward to growing some wonderful veggies and herbs. I always grow herbs, but this year, I am going to do a TON of them and in the fall, make herb infused oil and vinegars to use as gifts for friends. Planning ahead for the holidays will really help as well. I have my mom and dad's pepper plant and rosemary that I am babysitting for them while they are gone for the winter in AZ. That fresh rosemary is seriously going to come in handy!

This I did accomplish, for the most part anyway. We had some great fresh herbs all summer and fall. I did not make any herb infused oils or vinegars. BUT, I will give it a go again next year! LOVED all of my fresh herbs, tomatoes, zucchini and cucumbers!

10. Participate in the arts at least once a month. Whether it is a trip to a museum, a play, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra or the MN Orchestra, a play, a musical, whatever it might be. We are fortunate enough to live in a great metropolitan area which has a wonderful arts program.

Nope. Hasn't happened. The job got in the way for the most part. We did a lot of fun stuff and we maybe made three or four events, but we need to step it up this year.

11. Be happy. I usually am, but sometimes I don't always appreciate what I have and look inside. This year I have set myself up with some tools to help accomplish this goal. I want to do this at home, work, the Junior League, with my family and my friends. I am going to try to track this here as the year goes by.I love having fresh flowers in the house, and I love arranging them. I have a whole shelf devoted to vases and flower containers. This is one I did for New Years Eve, I love the bright cheery colors. It just makes me smile!

I have come a long way on this one. Quitting my job and starting a new one made a HUGE difference. This one is always a work in progress though, but there have been a lot of flowers in my life!

Can't wait to see what 2012 has in store!

Mom and Dad

2011-12-28T20:07:00.001-06:00

Left for Arizona this morning. . . or tried to. . . they left at 5:30 this morning, good early start. Forty minutes into their trip, a coach bus traveling in front of them, lost two tires. Unfortunately my parents car found one. They drive a mid-size SUV that literally went over it and completely took out the undercarriage of their car. All four airbags went off and my dad was able to get it to the side of the road.

My dad had it towed to a dealership not far from my house. They gave them a rental car and my parents spent the day at my house on the phone with insurance, family and friends and the dealership. Ultimately the car was completely totaled and they had to head out and purchase a new vehicle. They had dinner with the boy and I and went back home to get a good nights rest before getting on the road once again tomorrow.

I always miss my parents when they go away for the winter, but there have been a lot of "what ifs" running through our minds today. I am so happy that everything worked out okay and that my parents are now home safe and sound tucked in. I hope they have a wonderful time down there, and a very safe trip of course, but I am hoping the worst is past them!

Here they are with their rental car for the day, a little different than the SUV they are used to driving. My dad called it his roller skate.

Meal Plan Monday - Week 52 (LAST WEEK OF THE YEAR!)

2011-12-27T14:15:00.000-06:00

Lots to catch up on here! I have lots of posts that I need to get to! But here are our plans for the week!

Monday
Plans - Brunch at the boys parents with his sister and the kids
Dinner - I made two egg bakes to take to his parents, both were very good, this is the recipe I used for one, Holiday Brunch Bake, the other one I sort of made up as I went along but it was really good, salsa, eggs, milk, sour cream, cheese, green pepper, red pepper and bacon. Both were really good though.

Tuesday
Plans - Home, catch up on the house, laundry
Dinner - Standing rib roast, sauteed spinach, company hashbrowns (this was our Christmas dinner that never happened)

Wednesday
Plans - L & J and sister J for dinner
Dinner - Leg of Lamb, rosemary roasted potatoes, green beans

Thursday
Plans - Home, finish laundry, work on house
Dinner - Pairings maybe?

Friday
Plans - friends J & L for dinner
Dinner - crown roast of pork, risotto, cauliflower or broccoli

Saturday
Plans - Out with friends to Ruths Chris
Dinner - NUMMY!

Sunday
Plans - Home
Dinner - Beef Tenderloin, Roasted Potatoes and a veggie, just not sure what yet. . . . .

Lots of posts to catch up on this week. . . .

Meal Plan Monday - Week 51

2011-12-20T08:34:00.001-06:00

I cannot believe there are only two weeks left this year. And Christmas is approaching at lightening speed and I have a million things left to do of course. We have a busy, but fun, week ahead of us. I would like to spend the week at home just doing things I would like to do, instead of having to work, but oh well!

Monday
Plans - Screening of Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Dinner - The theater where we are seeing the screening, in the VIP area, has a wonderful cocktail lounge with fabulous food.

Tuesday
Plans - BUNCO! So excited that it got switched this month so that I could attend!
Dinner - something quick and easy so that I can head out the door to BUNCO!

Wednesday
Plans - My parents and their very good friends for dinner, probably the last time I will get to spend any social time with my parents before they leave for the winter. They are going to be gone longer this year too, we will really miss them, but I know they have so much fun down in AZ. I call it sleep away camp for Senior Citizens!
Dinner - everyone likes my spaghetti and meatballs, so that is what we are serving!

Thursday
Plans - the last of our cards should be arriving by today, the plan is to get them addressed and ready to go out the door, SO LATE this year, not happy about that!
Dinner - Sakana take-out

Friday
Plans - the boy is taking the day off, I will work a 1/2 day from home. SO, last minute shopping, cleaning, wrapping and food prep! Oh, and a pedicure for me!
Dinner - Angeno's pizza in Maple Grove (we have a Groupon that expires the 24th, should work out nicely!)

Saturday
Plans - Christmas Eve! We are hosting again, still working on finalizing the menu, but I know my mom will be bringing her chicken and wild rice soup!
Dinner -

Sunday
Plans - Brunch at mom and dad's with everyone still in pj's but the boy (he does not understand leaving the house in his pajamas), then the boy and I will hit the movies and then home for a nice quiet dinner together. We are still trying to decide between leg of lamb or standing rib roast. . . I have a few menus that I need to post, so I will get back to that later this week!

For more meal plans, check out the Orgjunkie!

Finishing Cards

2011-12-17T21:52:00.000-06:00

Stationery card

View the entire collection of cards.