Christmas is coming!!!!!!!!

So.....I just made myself sick on homemade gingerbread. ...which I have never tried before. IT'S SO GOOD! Gingersnaps and gingerbread cookies PALE in comparison to this soft, brownie-like treat. ...and this recipe is perfect...it doesn't have that super ginger-y aftertaste that gingersnaps from the store have. It's just...perfect.

IT FINALLY SNOWED! ...it's not supposed to stick around for Christmas...but I'll take it when and where I can get it! ...and on the first day of winter. How perfect is that?!?!

(yeah... ... ... I'm not gonna get a damn thing done at work today)

My Christmas shopping is almost done! Just Ma, another thing or two for Steve, and one more thing for Dad and I'm done! BEFORE Christmas Eve! That hasn't happened in a LONG time, if ever. Well....I guess I better not count my chickens before they hatch. My plan is to get it done today and tonight. Then........a baking and cooking extravaganza! I've got LOTS of new stuff to try and make this year:

*sugar cookies with homemade frosting
*gingerbread
*pecan brittle
*homemade, from scratch, cinnamon rolls!
*I'm gonna experiment with the pumpkin cake recipe...I'm gonna switch out the pumpkin for apple pie filling and use apple pie spices! ...just trying to figure out a homemade frosting that would go good with it. Just vanilla buttercream, maybe?

Not to mention other staples:
*chocolate chip cookies (maybe chocolate chip cookie bars)
*BISCOCHITOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Friday's Ma and I's baking day! There will be LOTS of cookies when we're done!

Tonight is breakfast for dinner! Egg and sausage scramble and hashbrowns on the side!

(Did I mention our weight loss and diet plan for after the New Year...yeah, it'll be pretty aggressive...so I'm gonna fuckin' EARN that mother fucker!)

99% of this post was about food. Lol

I'm SO giddy and excited for the four day weekend! I'm in a super good Christmas-y mood and can't wait to relax and bake and visit family and friends! YAY!!!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ahhhh

I missed this. Blogging. I'm back...and I'll probably be here to stay. I'm sure I won't consistently post every two days, but I'll certainly do once a week! ...but until I get caught up on all the things I want to catch you all up on, there'll be a lot!

Party time tonight!

*Janae and Tara's Christmas party

*Goin' out to Steve's show tonight for the first time since Halloween! I better hit the 'Bucks on my way out tonight! Ha ha!

Oh, did I mention it's FRIDAY?! Sweeeeeeeeeet.

There's an app for that!

Apparently, there's a Blogger app! This is way better than emailing or txting! D, have you tried this??? (side note: After writing this post, I'm not convinced I love this app...either I just don't understand how to use it to its full potential, or it sucks. My first impression...meh)

Well, now that I'm here, I might as well post!

Sunday was the third class in a series I'm taking through Integrated Wellness at The Academy of Yoga. The class is called The Life Changing Program. This can either be done one on one twice a week for...6 months I think? However, that came with the hefty price tag of $900! Or...you can do the once-a-month group sessions for 9 months for $200. Score!

The class is centered around the seven chakras of the human body. From our workbook Chakra Balancing by Anodea Judith, "The Chakra System is a map for the journey through life. Its seven rainbow colors represent the full spectrum of human possibility that stretches from the ordinary to the extraordinary, from Earth to heaven, forming a bridge and describing the steps between them. This map is an archetypal formula for wholeness that addresses the full spectrum of human possibility. To navigate its territory is to take an exciting journey of awakening - in body, mind, and spirit."

Now, don't freak out...I'm not going total freaky yoga pose doing, meditating, home-made hat wearing, Subaru driving, San Francisco hippie on ya. (side note: I realized after I wrote this I realized that that almost describes Carrie. Ha ha!!!) I've tried diets, I've tried cleanses, I've tried personal trainers. I do really good for up to two months then I lose all motivation and the new regime goes to shit. So, I'm trying a different approach. Kind of like from-the-inside-out approach. A lot of stuff is mind-over-matter, so...maybe using the power of the mind will unleash the motivation. I'm excited for the fresh outlook and I've always wanted to learn about the practice of yoga and the chakras! I'm going to continue striving for more activity and healthy, clean eating (although that's proving to be BEYOND challenging during the holidays!) and slowly add the suggestions/practices I learn from class. It will be an interesting journey, at least!

...more updates will follow and I will share what I'm learning, how it applies to me, course of action, and results!

Almost Done!

We did our last during-the-day Christmas gig today! Thank GAWD! I cannot tell you how stressful it is for me when I have to do a gig in the middle of the work day. My entire schedule is screwed: I have to get up WAY earlier than normal to get all dolled up, pack a suitcase's worth of crap to work (I'm exaggerating), and change in the bathroom, which I've hated as long as I've been alive. Then, I get to spend the rest of the day in my hair and make up unless I want to take an extra 45 min to go home and re-do my face and hair.

But...I see the light at the end of the tunnel and it is a glorious, warm, inviting light. It calls to me from my frazzled state, slumped in my office chair, "You're almost done, Becci! Soon, it will be Christmas weekend and you'll be spending your days with family, friends, and your wonderful Hubbs, baking delicious goodies and making scrumptious meals to celebrate the holiday."

Oh, my beloved Light At The End Of The Tunnel, how I love you so! See you soon!

Whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine

In other news...I'm REALLY sick of having allergies.  They're year 'round and I'm so over it!  If I could change ONE thing about my body...anything at all...it would be to not be allergic to ANYTHING in any way, shape, or form! 

 

Rawr!  

Snow!

FINALLY!  It's December 13th and this is the first snow we've seen actually stick!  I'm totally "dreaming of a white Christmas" over here!  Thanksgiving was a joke, weather-wise.  It was warm and sunny.  Seriously?!  Can we at least have and overcast, cold day on Dec 25th?!  A fresh, thick blanket of snow would be AWESOME.

 

I've got a post in the works about my class I took on Sunday!  Loving it so far...it's SO interesting!  I'm hoping to finish it up tonight after work.  Yay blogging!  I love it, I really do.  I'm hoping these new outlets for getting my posts published will motivated me to post more. 

 

=D 

 

You Should Start Blogging Again

"You should start blogging again."

This was an email D sent me. I completely agree! So, now that one of my roadblocks (being able to hang out with Steve while blogging...yay iPhone!) has been cleared, how do I clear the other one? How do I open the dam between the thoughts floating around in my mind and my keyboard (or voice). I've never been good at this. I have so many ideas. So many thoughts, opinions, stories, and rants just soaking the dam trying to get through. Well... here's their chance. Coincidentally, while Carrie was finishing up National Novel Writing Month (She wrote OVER 50,000 words with an entire day to spare...yay!!!), she told me, "I want YOU to do this with me sometime!!! I think you'd be one hell of a writer if you let yourself." 

Hmmm...

But let's start with easy stuff...

*Three more gigs and a day full of Christmas grams and the Tonettes 2011 Christmas is complete! I love Christmas music and I love singing with these girls, but MAN am I ready for a break. We had more quality gigs this year instead of just quantity...and still I'm exhausted! 

* Tomorrow is the third class in a series I'm taking at the Academy of Yoga through Integrated Wellness. More on that later...

*There are all sorts of posts that need to be written to catch you guys up!!! 

     Steve and I are eating at home more        and cooking all sorts of fun stuff.

     The exercise routine I've wanted to start remains but an idea and "clean eating" hasn't been in my daily activities for quite awhile. WHY is this so hard?!

     Update on my depression, which has added an element of anxiety to itself. Greeeeaaaat. 

     I'm getting better at my job...but learning an entirely new form of stress.

     It's December 10 and I haven't even made my Christmas shopping list, let alone started it. =P

     I need to start a list somewhere of stuff I want to talk about and posts I wanna write. I'll need two blogs!!!

Ok, gotta hop in the shower, go buy some hairspray, and get down to CMU by 5:00. Lates!

     

*Note: This is my first post (after some tests to make sure it worked) via email sent from my iPhone! Very cool and super convenient!!!