What is your favorite holiday? What is your favorite food during that holiday? Any plans to change menu or recipes for that holiday in the future to make it healthier?
Christmas is my favorite too. I love decorating, and baking, and just being together with family. We have christmas eve at our house, all our family, and my best friend and her family, so 21 of us now, and I do a buffet style, but we always fill up on tons of appetizers and don't have much room for dinner, which is usually chicken,brocolli, ziti, or lasagna. I do have a big fruit platter, which the kids love, and a salad, but the rest is not so healthy, but as with everything, anything is ok in moderation. My favorite holiday food is swedish spritz cookies my mother always made. They're an almond flavored butter cookie you use a cookie press for. I can remember her always baking them, and she made them in s and o shapes, and we'd love to sample while she baked, and lick the bowl. She made a ton, and as adults, whenever we'd go over her house, we'd have some, and she'd bring a tin to my house.

My brother and I each make them now, and we make more holiday shapes, but always have the s and o shapes too. Funny, they were only made for christmas, and I made some for michael's first communion, but otherwise, I feel like we'll keep them a christmas tradition.
Actually, we were just looking at our christmas dvd's the other night, and we have 19 of them, so we are going to start watching some this week, and hope to get them all in.
Hi ladies. I'm sorry that I've been MIA the past few days. For some reason, I was just very anti-computer this weekend. The process of giving up the caffeine made me feel impossibly tired on Friday and I turned into a sugar monster. Saturday, I was a total bum and still a sugar monster which did absolutely nothing for my run this morning. But, I made it thru the run and I've a had a MUCH better day today. And, yes, there is a ton of candy in the house right now, but I am honestly just not interested. For the moment, anyway.
Anyway... I'm off to bed. Y'all have a great week!!

I had a very similar weekend, but I had my caffeine and chocolate all day saturday.

Hang in there, with the caffeine free, hopefully you'll be over the hump soon. I did better yesterday after a run, and today the candy will be gone.
I'm up and showered. DH just got up so now I can finish getting myself ready for work before the kids start getting up. I must admit I'm a little nervous this morning and I hadn't been up to this point. I have also recommitted to my diet plan and so has DH. Today is the day to make big changes in our lives since this job will in and of itself make changes for us. All is good.
Good luck at the new job today!! Love your pirate family. That house is amazing. We have a neighbor who goes all out too, and it is awesome to see.
IWe ran 10 miles yesterday and I am very happy to say--only minor stomach issues!!! Hopefully I have found something that works. We looked at houses yesterday afternoon and we went out last night. We just weren't in a handing out candy mood.
Glad your run went well yesterday. 10 miles is awesome!!!
Dona, feel free to vent!! I know exactly how you feel. One year my FIL objected to our scheduled time for Thanksgiving dinner but that's the time that fit our schedule, my 2 SIL's schedules and still left time for me to bring our kids to my parents and my SIL to bring her kids to her in-laws... he wanted 6 PM, we were adamant that the time had to be 3PM ...well, my FIL - who was bringing the rolls - decided that he would just show up at 5PM. Yup. At 3PM we called - no answer ...tried to keep the food hot...still keeping food hot at 3:45...then at 4PM we gave up and said we would just eat. But of course, several items were dried out by now. And we had no rolls! We were just finishing up when he walked in, expecting us to fix him plate (and dutiful little Italian girl as I've been brought up, damn it - I did!). Since then, my SILs and I have vowed that dinner is served on time and if you're not there ...well, you get the picture!! Just wanted to let you know that you're not alone!!!
Lots of trick or treaters here...hoping my 20 bags of candy hold up or I'll be dipping into the kids stash....
Unbelieveable how some people can behave. I can't imagine doing something like that.
I just got an email from one of my sis in law. She is having Thanksgiving this year. I have cooked Thanksgiving for my in laws at least 4 out of the last 5 years and the only reason I didn't do it that one year was it was my mother's birthday on Thanksgiving. The email didn't even ask if I minded it just said that she and another sis in law decided to do it at this other house. NO askking if I minded. NO saying you have done so much we think you should take a break. Just she is doing Thanksgiving.
What has really hurt not only myself and my dh is that my in laws stove does not work. I have cooked everything at my house and brought down 45 minutes away to their house because my mil is too frail to travel. When did this change?


Last year I packed 2 coolers, 1 hot and one cold. Two crock pots, at least 2 grocery bags of food and some other things. I often laughed that if I got into a accident I would have enough food to feed all the police who would come.
I would be angry but dh is so angry that I don't have to be. I am very hurt that they never even asked. I do a lot for in laws and this lack of consideration is very hurtful.

Wow, dona, dh's family is unbelieveable. You do so much for them, and are so underappreciated. It's so nice that dh is such a big support for you and sees how they are too. You should not make or bring anything to thanksgiving this year, and let them do everything. So rude of them not even to include you in the planning, when you do it all most years. Arrrgh. come on people.
WHY DID I JUST EAT THAT STUFF???????
Hi, my name is Kathy, I'm an overeater, and I said the same thing many times this past weekend. You are not alone Tracey.
Thanks to those of you who volunteered to help with coaching next week. I'm trying to put together a coach-of-the-day rotation for that week -- I have the first few days, Friday 11/5, Saturday 11/6, Sunday 11/7 and Monday, 11/8 covered. I can cover the other three days but if someone else wants to take a shot at coaching one day, please PM me. Thank you!
Thanks so much for keeping this all organized for us.
Just wanted to check in and say hello. I know TOM is right around the corner because I am miserable, want to eat everything, and have no motivation. I am really getting tired of feeling like this every 3 wks. I always had PMS before but it seems over the past year it is just getting worse. Im not sure if its because I am eating healthier and now I just notice the symptoms more or what. Anyway....this has been a really busy and fun filled weekend. We had trick or treat here on friday and last night went with friends to a halloween party and trick or treating around there development. Needless to say we have tons of candy now in the house. I have dipped my hand in the bucket way to many times.....Im not at all happy with myself about it.
Friday night nicholas my 3 year old came to my bedroom door at 3 am. I opened it and was startled. He apparently came down with croup and was barking like a dog and sounded like he was breathing through a tiny straw. He was fine all day yesterday which I know is normal but we decided to take he trick or treating anyway. About 1/2 hour into it the bark started again and we carried him the rest of the way back to the car. Last night was even a little worse. I slept with him a few times on the bathroom floor. We would steam up the bathroom really good. It seemed to help him for a few hours and then he would get up again coughing. We are suppose to go to the halloween parade today but I am not sure if we should take him. He has no fever and seems to be acting fine. So we still have to decide what to do.
I have not gotten a run in now since monday. I am feeling horrible about it.



Hang in there, Lindsay. I hope ds is feeling better soon. It's so hard to juggle all you have going on with the kids, work, holidays, and to fit the time in for the runs too. I think you'll be fine and won't lose your stamina if you can't run for a week or two. I think I read you don't lose much, if you have to take up to 3 weeks off. Don't be too hard on yourself, you will get running again when life lets you.
Another slow moving day in my house...not that I mind.
We are hosting a small get-together after Trick-or-Treating and since my dad had to visit him mom, my mom and I are the lucky ones planning his party.
Really, no big deal. We did it last year because it happened spur of the moment. Actually, if I think about it, we are ahead of the game this year.
That sounds like fun, and we actually did the same thing last night. A couple of michael's friends and siblings and mom's came over before trick or treat, and we had wine, cheese and crackers, and ordered pizza for the kids, so it was nice, and then we went trick or treating. The kids loved going all together, but since it was a school night, they all went home right after trick or treat. Hope your party was fun!!
Just a quick post to say hello and that my DH's work is collecting Halloween candy tomorrow to send to the troops in Afganistan. What a great idea! We get rid of the candy and it goes to some deserving people. Have a great day everyone!
This is a great idea. There's a local dentist who collects candy and pays the kids for it, and then sends it to the troops too.
Happy Monday everybody!! I'm working today, and took tomorrow off since there's no school, so looking forward to it. We will run in the morning. Michael and I are going to do a 5k on thanksgiving morning! It will be his first, and he is getting excited for it. He will run occassionally with me, for short bursts when we are at the track, but now he wants to work a little harder and get ready for the race. It's around a lake in Wakefield, and we ran/walked is before sigining up and it took us just under an hour and we didn't rush at all. It's a chip timed race, and it's timed for one hour, so he wants to be able to get an official time. I'm very excited to do this with him. So tomorrow he want to try and do 2 miles with me.
Have a great monday everyone!!!
