I have been feeling badly since yesterday about my bragging remark.  I just want to clarify.  I mostly feel uncomfortable with it myself.  That’s not to say that I never will share something about my kids, my husband, or even myself that has made me proud.  I just have to be really excited to toot my own horn.  It’s called personality, and mine tends to be a little neurotic in certain departments.

As for others, bragging only bothers me when it is constant and is never shared alongside any of life’s realities.  Life is not always a bag of chips and a soda.  Sometimes it’s scorching hot coffee and a burnt cinnamon roll, right?  And as for those Christmas “brag letters”…I tend to disagree with my friend in Oregon who cannot stand them.  I approach the mail box with childish enthusiasm as I anticipate each and every one at Christmas (except for the four-page, single-spaced, shoot-me-now one whose author shall remain unnamed!).

So, all of the above said, I want to talk now briefly about new year’s resolutions.  I thought a lot about mine while beaming at the colorful explosion of fireworks over our downtown the other night.  I am keeping my goals pretty simple this year.  First, I resolve to be a better mom and wife.  I recently ran across “A Child’s Ten Commandments to Parents.”  It is now posted on my fridge and serves as a set of good reminders for my parenting.  I especially try to pay attention to the “commandments” regarding nagging of kids and letting housekeeping wait.  These are two of my biggest challenges when it comes to mothering.

Second, I want to run a half-marathon this year.  I have decided that saying I want to lose weight or lose x-number of pounds isn’t working.  Hopefully the weight loss will come with working toward the race.  I am so tired of avoiding cameras and going through a million outfits, trying to find the one that makes me feel the least overweight, when I get ready to go out.  But why the half-marathon in particular?  I have always wanted to run and never had the confidence.  I am ready to prove to myself that this uncoordinated goof can be a little bit athletic.  You could say it’s part of my bucket list.

Anyhow, I’ll leave my post today with a photo of my mom’s Christmas tree platter that she made for a gathering.  I found a picture of one on Pinterest, and she replicated it.  I think it turned out very cute!  (See!  I CAN brag!)

I am still trying to get back to normal after a house full of company.  It was wild and wonderful all at once with my parents, sister, brother-in-law, and their two children (1 and 3 years) here.

I am ready to hibernate now that the snow is finally beginning to fall.  My family helped rearrange the front room in such a way that I now have a clear view of the woods from my couch.  All I want to do is sip coffee and watch for deer!  Not quite possible in this active home, but it’s my desire nonetheless.

When I have had a few moments to myself, I’ve started to research Valentine’s Day treats and activities.  Thinking of ways to make this holiday special always seems to get me through the post-Christmas slump.

I scooted my (extra-large) butt out the door to the gym this morning and restarted the Couch to 5K program.  We’ll see how long this morning business lasts.  It’s hard to find the motivation to get up at 5:30 now that my usual partner is out of commission.  She has been in physical therapy for about three (maybe four?) weeks now.  I refuse to find out how many pounds I’ve put on since then!

Anyhow, this morning I ran/walked 2.44 miles and shed 232 calories.  There.  Public sharing is supposed to be a self-motivator.  Hmph.  I refuse to be public about it on Facebook though.  Don’t want to either A) look like a loser because my distance and calories burned don’t measure up to others’ or B) look like a braggart.  I am finding in my older age that I highly dislike bragging and thus try not to do it too much myself.  Very few people (including myself, lately!) visit this little, overly unattended blog, so I am more comfortable sharing here.

Here is a glimpse of my Christmas.

Christmas Eve service with older cousin (on right).

Kids had to share bed to make room for family.  Here they are in their Christmas pj’s on Christmas Eve.

And here is one of my favorite parts of Christmas…my sister and me trying out the sock bun!  We watched a youtube video after stumbling upon it through Pinterest, and then we had to try it as well.  It was worth MANY laughs, and I know she’ll kill me for posting this lovely photo.  Oh well.  I’ll try to survive!

Anyhow, I am preparing for a progressive dinner that some friends and I are hosting tomorrow night.  My dessert ideas came from that fabulous aforementioned site.  Too bad that not all of my end products aren’t totally fabulous too! But they’ll have to pass.

I started with witch hats and broomsticks.  The hats are from Betty Crocker. They are composed of Keebler Fudge Stripe cookies turned over and topped with an unwrapped Hershey’s Kiss.  I had a lot of trouble with my store-bought cookie frosting and tubes of gel.  In the end, I wish I hadn’t bothered to make these cookies.  Not a lot of bang for my buck.

My broomsticks were made with peanut butter cookie dough, and they were inspired by Diana’s Desserts.

Here is my version of the hats and broomsticks.

Next, I was going to make chocolate-covered Oreo bat pops from The Party Animal.  They would have MAYBE looked something like this:

However, they turned into chocolate-covered Oreos with a Halloween candy plunked on top.  I was getting tired…

Finally, I made some delicious pumpkin cookies found over at House of Hepworths.  Her recipe makes quite a few cookies; be prepared to bake for quite some time if you choose to take these on!  Otherwise, I think they are a wonderful (and not too challenging) alternative to chocolate treats to make at this time of year.

Here is a peek at some of my finished delights.

Up next…pumpkin topiaries.  I made them a few weeks ago, but I am bound and determined to share them before Halloween arrives.  (Yes, I know that I only have three days left!)

Here is my pumpkin veggie tray.

The curly-cues on top are green onion tops, and you can see that I used whole black olives and broccoli to complete the jack-o-lantern face and pumpkin stem. I even had a request for broccoli from one of the 4-year-olds while I was at the party; that about knocked my socks off!

One of my favorite crafts to do with my students when I was teaching was a decoupaged tile.  We made them for Mother’s Day, Christmas, etc.  Now I sometimes make them with my mommy friends.  I worked on a batch recently at a meeting, and I think everyone went away happy with their products.

For this craft, you simply purchase a cheap, neutral-colored tile.  (Mine was .77 at Lowe’s.)  Then you Modge Podge the front surface of the tile with a sponge brush.  Next, lay down a paper copy of your favorite photo, starting from one edge and smoothing as you move toward the other.  Keep the bubbles out!  Finally, brush on another layer of Modge Podge over the entire front surface of the tile.

After you’ve added your photo, you can embellish with all sorts of things!  If your trims, etc. are light-weight, you can use your Modge Podge to adhere them.  Otherwise, wait for the glue to dry and whip out your glue gun.  I would love to see someone who knows how to ink edges give this craft a whirl.  I think you could use all sorts of interesting techniques with this project!

Here is a simple finished tile that I will pull out every Halloween from now on.

An easy and cheap way to make a stand is to purchase a package of curtain pins — the one that contains five-pronged metal pieces (the center prong is more like a hook).  Then use a pair of pliers to bend it like this:

Voila!  Happy crafting!

When we got to the end of our drive (going beyond is usually taboo for them), it was as if we were launching ourselves into a different world. We meandered through neighbors’ front yards and along the side of the road. Every new leaf was like discovering gold. “LOOK, Mommy! I found a RED one!” We must have walked an entire block — a new house record for these critters — before we decided to take our treasures home.  (Note: we do walk and ride bikes with the kids, but not often in our neighborhood because of blind curves and hills and impatient drivers.)

Now here’s a confession from this real housewife: I had no idea what we might do with these leaves upon return. I had only known thirty minutes beforehand that if I didn’t get the kids out of the house, happy hour was going to start much earlier than what was deemed socially acceptable.

When we got back home, I bought some thinking time by having the kids sort their leaves — first, according to color, and next, according to shape. They loved this!

Then I pulled out crayons, construction paper, scissors, and glue.

First, I showed the kids how to make leaf rubbings. “It’s like magic, Mommy!”  They cut out their rubbings and glued them to a piece of paper along with some of their leaves. The result was nothing spectacular, but the kids were delighted with their artwork.

Then I had them trace their favorite leaves, add veins, and paint them with watercolors. Again, nothing fancy.  But to a three and four-year-old, it was the next best thing to sliced bread.

So my kids learned how to rub leaves and spell fall, and they honed their sorting and cutting skills. Their mom learned that it doesn’t take a fabulous art project to satisfy preschoolers. They are such an eager and forgiving audience.

Now, most importantly, we have yet another great memory tucked into our back pockets and a gorgeous, fall-inspired refrigerator. Take that, Martha!

P.S.  Grandparents — The pink hair is for breast cancer awareness.  It is nothing permanent and should not be any cause for heart damage.  Hubby is just glad it’s not a beloved feather.

The good news is that despite the horrific cold I fought last week, I have been pretty happy with all of the goings-on. A good friend, some other moms, and I have been tirelessly working on a library and dramatic play area at our kids’ school. It’s coming along quite nicely! And I am working on two projects for the hospital — another tree for a brunch and some ornaments to sell for the Foundation at Mistletoe Market. I have been getting to work with another close friend on the ornaments as well as a grant we just submitted for the children’s museum. I always enjoy working with her.

The kids are sassy and tall. Maggie is starting to write words. We did a project with leaves the other day and I helped her write “FALL” on the artwork. Now she’s brainstorming all of the other “ALL” words and is constantly writing notes to Bret and me.

Walt is more active than ever. He walks his dad to the front door every morning and tells him to “make good choices.” I don’t know where he’s heard that… We got his first behavior note from the teacher two weeks ago. Bret asked if I was going to keep it. Of course! But we both know that there will be plenty more.

Well, I better go hop in the shower. I just got home from walking in the cold, and my out of shape body was quick to heat up under the multiple layers I wore. I’m sure that I smell lovely!

Mondays are my day from you-know-where. Here’s hoping for a good one!

Today…wait for it…I wore a bathing suit IN PUBLIC.  AT A BEACH!  And I went in the water!!!  My friend, who was up to her ears in toddlers and tantrums, called me this morning and asked (begged?) me to accompany her to the beach.  So the kids and I packed up and spent the better part of the day at the edge of Lake Michigan.

My friend and I talked about everything and nothing (this is a nod to Heather Lende), and we even cracked open a few magazines.  The kids (I think) secretly had a contest: Who could coat his/her body with the most sand?

At the end of the day, we looked at each other and wondered out loud, “Why haven’t we been doing this all summer?”

My friend with a new baby dropped two of her kids off, and another close friend brought her three over.  It was chaotic!  The kids played in a blow-up pool and ran through sprinklers coming out of an over-sized beach ball.

Then in the afternoon my kids and I hopped in the car to attend a Great Start Family Picnic, and the following conversation ensued:

Maggie: “Mom, you don’t look like my mom.”
Me: “Really? Why?
Maggie: “Because you look pretty.”
Me: (After dumbfounded pause) “What do you mean?”
Maggie: “You’re dressed up. You did your hair, put on makeup, and you’re wearing sunglasses.”
Me: Nothing. Trying to decide whether to laugh or cry.
Maggie: “Mom?”
Me: “Yes?”
Maggie: “I wish you looked that way every day.”

Perhaps I should give those folks over at “What Not to Wear a Call.”  Can you turn yourself in?  If not, I am sure that Maggie will do the honors.

Once I got over the shock of what my daughter said, we got to the beach and had a nice visit with other families.  I got to talk with a few other moms about back-to-school shopping and dreams of a girls’ weekend involving an outlet mall.  Bret stood by with another dad and talked fishing while the kids ran in and out of the water, played with driftwood, and generally coated themselves with sand.

After five years of living here, my toes are finally getting used to living near a beach.  It’s about time!

The night ended in a quintessential summer-in-a-small-town way.  Bret and I threw the kids in the shower when we got home, dressed them in pajamas, and headed to a movie in the park.  The town sheriff  and other volunteers were showing “Toy Story 3″ in the band shell.  We snuggled in with blankets, popcorn, and candy and watched the flick under the stars.

The kids lasted until just before the dump scene.  It’s scary, so we packed up and went home for a good night’s rest.

I know that I tired out those kiddos yesterday because it’s nearly eight a.m., and I’ve now had two cups of coffee in silence.  How we will top all of that today?

Bret and I just finished meeting with someone regarding drawing up a will. Any zing I had left in me today is now officially gone.  That was soooooooooo not uplifting.  (Responsible just doesn’t feel good right now.)

So I am going to wander back in my stacks of photos and recall some table settings that I have done with/for my friend Doris as well as at my house a time or two.  Table settings cannot be taken too seriously, and I need a dose of not-serious right now.

A summer dinner by Doris’s garden…

A Mexican-themed dinner on my deck (food by Doris)…

A more formal Mexican-themed dinner in Doris’s garden…

A fall dinner in Doris’s dining room…

.

Back to spring…

Decor traveled from my living room to Doris’s dining room to Linda’s table…

Finally!  I entertained in my dining room with the help of Doris’s fabulous meal planning and cooking skills…

A table set for January birthdays (Annual Capricorn Dinner)…

A spring table set with butterflies and flowers for a special friend’s birthday, complete with party favors hung on each chair…

A summer gathering in 2011 proving that sometimes people actually eat at these tables…

Cheers!