Life Lessons {Halloween edition}

Oh, hey there...it's been awhile, hasn't it? 

Despite my lack of enthusiasm for blogging lately, life is marching along and things are going quite well.  Like the rest of the Internet (well, the northern-hemisphere set of it anyway, I guess?), we are enjoying fall, pumpkins, and slightly cooler temperatures.  No pumpkin spice lattes here, though.  I do not share in the popular affinity for all things pumpkin-flavored.  Pumpkins are only for carving and decoration in my house.

Speaking of pumpkin carving, that's a fall activity that was a first for our family this year.  I realized Jeremy and I had never carved one together, and that the girls had really never even seen a real jack-o-lantern up close.  (We always do the pumpkin patch and have them around, but usually they just sit on the porch and look pretty.  One year we let the girls paint pumpkins, which was...messy.)

So, about two weeks ago, I picked up a good-sized pumpkin that looked about right for a smiling jack-o-lantern, and we got to work.  As we began the process, Jeremy proved to be quite clueless about the whole process, and admitted he didn't think he'd had a carved pumpkin, EVER.  I have not verified this fact with his mom yet, so we'll see what she says about that.  That husband of mine 'misremembers' things pretty often.

I drew out a simple face and J got to work with the kitchen knife.  No fancy carving tools here (and yes, it shows).  We ended up with a passable jack-o-lantern, not bad at all for our first try!  A & M were thrilled, of course, and had many questions about each step of the process.  They enjoyed digging their hands into the pumpkin guts and cheered when we lit the candle.

One thing I forgot (or 'misremembered', maybe?) about carving pumpkins?  It's best to wait until a couple of days before Halloween.  Our two-week-old pumpkin is currently collapsing into a pile of mold and ooze on the front porch railing.  Jack-o-lantern fail.

On top of that Halloween misstep, rain and thunderstorms are predicted for tomorrow night.  Our neighborhood is a prime spot for trick-or-treaters, so we have stayed home the last few years and enjoyed handing out candy to the crowds of kids that come by.  I gave the girls a choice of staying home and handing out candy or doing a little trick-or-treating of their own this year.  Of course they chose trick-or-treating, and have been rather excited about it.  I'm still not at all sure what we'll do since it's likely to be pouring rain, but I have begun preparing them for a bit of disappointment.

At least their pink rain boots will match the Batgirl costumes!

The State of Affairs: September 2013

We have been dreaming of September for months and months, for one simple reason:  VACATION.  (Well, Jeremy has been dreaming of it for something like eight months, for another reason:  college football.  But I digress.)

This year's annual visit to Gulf Shores was every bit as fantastic as we hoped.  We had a solid week full of the beach, pool, naps, food (and more food), shopping, and just being together.  There was not one rain cloud in the sky during our entire vacation, and it was just about a picture-perfect trip.  I have lots of pictures to share, but none on this computer, so that will have to wait.

Beach naps are the best!

Other than our trip, September was relatively low-key.  Football season began, which means it's officially fall in the South, regardless of what the calendar or the thermometer says.  That makes me think of this passage from Rick Bragg's All Over but the Shoutin', that has resounded through my head for weeks now:

Before the hot, wet air even begins to give way to the odd cool breeze, before the oaks and maples have begun to turn even the slightest bit red and gold, football banishes summer and announces, with crashing cymbals and an earth-quaking "Roll Tide", that it is now, officially, fall.

 So yeah, fall has been here for awhile, even it is only just beginning to feel like it.

Books read: 4

Pretty much all of these were read on our trip, at least in part.  I kind of had a little reading slump after that, but I'm back on a roll again now.

Perfect Match, by Kristan Higgins--A rather cute romance that was (sorry, bad pun intended) the perfect match for my first few days at the beach.  It's a series centered around a family of three sisters, apparently, but each can stand alone.  I won't be rushing out for the others, but I wouldn't necessarily turn them down, either.

The Moon and More, by Sarah Dessen--Ms. Dessen is almost always a win for me, and I was looking forward to reading this, her latest book.  Unfortunately, it did NOT have the Dessen magic for me.  The small-town coastal setting was near perfect, as always, but something was missing.  I also pretty actively disliked the main character and thought she made some pretty boneheaded decisions.  Not liking this book made me a little sad, but I will hope for better with Dessen's next venture.

And When She Was Good, by Laura Lippman--This book, on the other hand, I LOVED.  The main character is a professional escort who has built a fairly successful business, not usually the kind of character I would find absolutely charming, but I confess that I did.  I appreciated that she was never characterized as someone we should be pitying...though she'd been through a lot, she was shown as a woman who did whatever it took to survive.  I loved it; you should totally read this one.

When Will There be Good News?, by Kate Atkinson--I had this book sitting in a TBR pile for quite some time, and I nearly quit on it during a particularly slow part.  Kate Atkinson is an outstanding writer, though, so I stuck it out and was rewarded with a much-improved second half.  Fantastic characters.

Notables
I celebrated 15 lbs lost!   I ran more miles than ever before in any previous September, I can guarantee that. 

Addison & Mackenzie are really enjoying the 4-year-old class at MDO.  I can see much more of a preschool-type focus this year.  Their class is working on writing skills, and both the girls have come so far since late August.  A & M are constantly talking about something new they have learned or heard at school (mostly good things, but a few less-than-desirable behaviors...newsflash:  4-year-olds can be gross).  They have never been happier to go to school, and I'm so thankful for that, especially this last year before "real" school begins.

And now, all of a sudden, it's October.  Pumpkins, fall mums, Halloween...like every other person on the internet, I love it all. 

Happy Fall, y'all!

The Slimdown: An Update

Since I started Weight Watchers and the Biggest Blogging Loser back in June, I have lost fifteen pounds.  My ultimate goal weight, which seemed so far away just three months ago, is well within reach.  I am five pounds above that goal weight, and I'll be honest, it feels pretty darn good.

I try not to get too caught up in the actual number on the scale--although it definitely needed to be smaller than what it was and I am liking where it's headed--or the size in my clothes, which is better too, of course.  Instead, I try to focus on the way my clothes fit and how I am feeling.  I am at the same weight I was when I settled out from having the girls (130 lbs.), about ten pounds less than I weighed when I got pregnant.  But this time, because I have done it through eating right and exercising, and because I'm not two months out from birthing twins, my stomach is much flatter, I am smaller all over, and I just feel a lot (A LOT) happier with the way I look.

My backside is still incredibly flat (a lifelong problem for which there seems to be no exercise or solution), my chest is still quite large (I'm more okay with this one, most of the time), my hips are still narrow, I still have little to no definable waist, and though it is several noticeable inches smaller, I will never bare my stomach to anyone outside my immediate family (thanks for the stretch marks, kids!)...but overall, I am very satisfied these days.  My legs are stronger and more muscular than ever before, I can run a mile without stopping and without feeling like I am going to die, and my pants fit perfectly.  That is, the NEW pants I bought when I couldn't wear the old ones fit perfectly--the old pairs are gone, gone, gone.

I'll have to get a full-body picture soon...this is the best I could do for now!

As most of us have realized over the years, there is no secret formula or quick and easy way to manage our weight.  That holds true here--there is no magic exercise that helped me shed the pounds, and I certainly didn't do it with a super-special smoothie mix.  (Smoothies generally make me want to throw up.  I will never, EVER be able to drink a smoothie or a shake and call it a meal...I'm just not wired that way.)

Before getting serious about my weight back in June, I had already implemented a lot of changes in the way our family eats.  I felt pretty good about most of the things we were eating.  Upon starting Weight Watchers, I realized that the important change for me would be the amount I was eating.  On the Weight Watchers plan, I started paying a lot more attention to the little things that can add up during the day--creamer in my coffee (which counted for at least 1 of my daily points--I became very stingy very quickly and cut out the creamer as a non-necessity.  Who knew I could learn to like black coffee?), afternoon squares of chocolate, cheese added to a salad, the handful of crackers or single cookie I would grab when fixing a snack for the girls, etc.  All those things were negating a lot of the good I was doing with a balanced meal and an evening run.

For most of the summer, I followed Weight Watchers very strictly.  I measured everything to get used to portion sizes, I added up the total points in recipes, and I ate the heck out of all the delicious summer fruits and vegetables (most of which are "free"--zero points).  I also stuck to a legitimate exercise plan for the first time in my life.  I have been pretty consistent for the last several months, on a schedule of running at least 2-3 times a week and doing a mix of different yoga programs at least twice a week.  Seriously, this is the longest I have stuck with planned exercise, EVER.

Once I got the hang of eating less (and not starving, which was somewhat of a surprise to me!), the combination of fewer calories and exercise began to have an effect.  The scale moved, and more importantly, I could feel my body changing.  It was a great feeling, and an inspiring one...the changes just made me want to push harder.

Months later, I'm still here, and still pushing.  I have eased up on a few things--I haven't actually tracked my daily points in a couple of weeks, but I know the value of most foods I eat on a daily basis.  If I go outside the norm, I count again to be sure I'm not getting too far off track.  My portions have changed drastically, and my snacking is under control.  I might have an evening snack, if I really feel like I need it, and popcorn night with my girls is still non-negotiable (though I limit myself to only a small handful of their M&Ms).  We typically eat out at least twice on the weekends, and for at least one of those meals, I pretty much order whatever I want.  And it usually includes ranch dressing, which is still my absolute favorite.  But the other 90% of the time, I'm on track, and that balance has worked well for me.

Above all, I think the best thing Weight Watchers has taught me is to listen to my body.  Adjusting my portion sizes showed me that it takes a lot less to fill me up than I previously thought.  And if I eat the right things for my body, I will stay fuller much longer than I often expect.  I try to recognize when I am full, and I am working on training myself not to eat when I'm not hungry.  Novel concept, I know.  But those snacks and extras that were hindering me before weren't happening because I was hungry; they were just something I did out of habit. 

The challenge now is to stick with these new habits, both the eating habits and the exercise habits.  For me, it's the combination that works best.  I am happier than I was three months ago...not just because I'm down a couple of pants sizes, but because I feel better all around.  I have more confidence and way more energy.  I am super pleased with where I am right now, and my goal is to still be this positive three months, six months, a year from now. 

Mission:  Almost Accomplished.

The State of Affairs: August 2013

It was a struggle to remember much of what happened in August.  I know we were busy at times, but it was a lot of little things--meetings here and there, finishing up grades from my summer class and getting prepared for fall, getting the girls ready to go back to school--the usual everyday life stuff.

Jeremy and I took an overnight trip to Atlanta to celebrate our anniversary.  We went to two Braves games and stayed in a swanky Buckhead hotel.  When we arrived back at our hotel around midnight on Saturday night, there were fire trucks everywhere and all the guests were outside (many in pajamas--ha!).  Apparently, there was some sort of small electrical fire in the lobby, so of course we all had to be out while they cleared the entire 30-ish story building.  The fire alarms went off two or three more times in the night, as they worked on resetting the system.  Obviously, it was not the most restful night ever.  I was just very glad we didn't have the girls with us to deal with during the middle-of-the-night fiascoes.  The hotel more than made up for our troubles by refunding our entire stay, not charging for valet parking, and giving us an outstanding buffet breakfast the next morning (which they normally charge $19/person for).  So really, it turned out to be a very inexpensive trip to ATL, and I will definitely try the swanky hotel again.

The girls headed back to preschool in late August, for their last year there.  (Sniff, sniff.)  They are excited to be the "big kids" at school, and seem to be having a fantastic year so far.

Books read:  3 (ish)

It was a depressingly slow month, book-wise.  I had to spend a lot of free time grading final assignments and working on my fall courses. I am determined to make up for it in September.

My Life Next Door--Pretty good YA fiction.  The main character's mother is just a plain horrible person, which was almost downplayed a little bit in the book, but this was a great late-summer read.

The Panopticon--Reviewed here.

All Over But the Shoutin'--This is a memoir by Rick Bragg, a Pulitzer-Prize-winning journalist who grew up within an hour or two of where I live.  I have been meaning to read this for years, and finally got to it this summer.  I am so glad I did!  It's an immensely readable memoir, full of stories about Bragg's upbringing in rural Alabama at about the same time my mom was growing up just a few towns over.  Really, really good book!

Coming up in September:  VACATION!!  We are all more than ready for a week away.  Also, football and the return of our favorite tv shows.  September is one of my favorites.

How was your August?

The Panopticon, by Jenni Fagan

I must admit, it took me forever to get around to starting this book.  I am not sure why I kept putting it off, either.  I have been in a general reading slump for the last few weeks, which is particularly distressing because I've read some great things this summer.  Lately, when everything is finally done for the evening and I can sit down to read for awhile, I just feel so completely wiped out that I can't even face concentrating on any book, no matter how good it might be.  Thankfully, I feel like the slump is lifting and I have a few things I'm excited to get started on.  Plus, we have a week at the beach quickly approaching, where I am hoping for plenty of quality reading time in the sun!

When I did finally get started on The Panopticon, I was surprised at how quickly I became interested in the story.  I had heard it was dark and gritty, and somewhat violent, and I think I was sort of prepared to not like it so much. It didn't take long to become invested in the story, however, and I found myself quite attached to Anais by the end of the second chapter.  I was so consumed by the story that I even quickly began to read over the Scottish dialect without having to think about it for too long.  (Unfamiliar dialect can really detract from a story sometimes, when I am constantly having to stop and figure out what's really being said.  That was not so much the case here, after a few pages.)

Anais Hendricks, nearly sixteen, has been in the foster care system for her entire life.  When we meet her in this story, she is on her way to the Panopticon, a home for chronic young offenders, after being accused of assaulting a policewoman.  We are quickly given a brief insight into the difficult life Anais has lived, being shuffled around in the system, with very few people who ever looked out for her best interests.

Anais is as tough as she is pitiable, and she quickly forms a bond with some of the other kids at her latest "home".  The other kids come from a variety of backgrounds, many as harsh and depressing as Anais's.  They all have their own stories, each as compelling as the next.  (Okay, I'll admit it, Isla's was the one that got to me the most; oh, how I just want to love that girl!)  At its heart, The Panopticon is the story of these children of the system, most particularly Anais, but the others as well, and how they keep fighting in a world that just wants to discard them. 

There was a surprisingly happy twist at the end of this book, one I'm not sure I can completely trust.  (After all, much of the story is told from Anais's drug-addled point of view and we know she makes up elaborate stories about her past.)  But you know what?  I'm going with it--I am choosing to believe she got that happy ending and that Anais is living just as simply and happily as she always dreamed she might. (I loved the ending, honestly.)

I should note, as have many others, that this book is not for the faint of heart.  There is no shortage of violence, terrible language, drug use, and sex...but it's all part of the institutional setting of the story.  Even though it was distressing and a bit hard to read at times, I am grateful to this book for putting me back in the mood to curl up and read at the end of the day!

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I received a copy of this book for review via TLC Book Tours and the publisher.  All opinions expressed are entirely my own.  For more reviews, check out the full tour post.

Lucky Seven

Last week, Jeremy and I celebrated seven years of marriage.  I can't help but think how very young we were seven years ago, and even more so eleven years ago when we started dating.  We have been through so much together--though, thankfully not nearly as much as some people we know--and we have done a lot of growing up together.

Just look at us!  We were babies.  This picture was taken on our first Christmas together, in 2002.

When we married, neither of us knew much about keeping a house, beyond the very basics, and the meals cooked in our kitchen were few and far between.  We managed to keep ourselves clothed, clean, and fed, but it felt like a struggle at times.  I contrast that to now, when we work as a decent team to keep our household going.  We manage to get dinner on the table every night, and not only take care of ourselves, but of two little people as well.  (We still have some things to work on in the housekeeping department...it seems this may very well be a lifelong struggle of ours!)  When I have to be away from home, I have absolutely no doubt that Jeremy will keep things running and take excellent care of the girls without batting an eye (and vice versa, of course).  That fact alone tells me how far we have come. 

And one from this year, for comparison.

Seven years feels like a long time...you know, "seven-year itch" and all that jazz.  But really, I feel more settled, more complete, more satisfied than ever.  I think J and I consistently act more and more like a team, a united front, and I love that I have such a fantastic partner to experience this life with me.

I love that instead of a fancy vacation and expensive gifts, we took a short anniversary trip to Atlanta and took in two Braves games.  We keep it simple around here, and that's the way we are both happiest.  I love the life, the family, and the home that we have built, that we continue to build, and I look forward to so many more good things to come in our future.

Happy anniversary, my love!  You're my best good buddy, and I'm still thankful you're mine. 

Hungry, by Darlene Barnes

I don't read a lot of memoirs, but if more were written like this book, I would gladly become a devoted fan of the genre.  I loved Hungry because I loved Darlene Barnes's writing.  Her voice made the book for me.  She is funny, straightforward, and very relatable.  She's someone I would totally want for a friend, but I'd be careful to stay on her good side!

Hungry: What Eighty Ravenous Guys Taught Me About Life, Love and the Power of Good Food is the story of the author's experiences as a cook for the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity at the University of Washington in Seattle.  After relocating to Seattle with her husband, Barnes is eager for a career of her own in the food industry, and she takes on a job that most "serious food professionals" would never consider.  The job with Alpha Sigma Phi brings unexpected challenges, as well as unexpected rewards.

Having been in a sorority in college, and having married a fraternity boy, I could relate to many of Darlene's struggles, as well as her stories.  One of the things I appreciated most about this book is that she presented a fair picture of Greek life as I experienced it.  Yes, there are parties and pranks, and there is privilege and competition, both in and among organizations.  But there are also real, true relationships being forged, friendships and connections that can last a lifetime.  Darlene did a great job of portraying all that here, even if it wasn't the focus of the book.  Her "guys" were familiar to me--they were just like many of my own college friends--and Alpha Sig reminded me a lot of my husband's fraternity. 

As for the food part of the book, I found it fascinating as well.  Barnes was a believer in "real food" from local sources, long before such things were trendy.  Naturally, she faced an uphill battle, both from fraternity boys happy to live on Easy Mac and from her traditional food distributors who couldn't seem to understand why she cared so much about where the chicken originated.  I loved Darlene's no-bull attitude and admired the way she took charge of the fraternity kitchen as well as the boys who sought her out for guidance.  The humorous and poignant stories are the heart of Hungry, but the discussion of food is woven seamlessly throughout the narrative, along with recipes at the end of each chapter.

I enjoyed every bit of this book, from cover to cover.  Whether you're interested in the foodie aspect or the behind-the-scenes look at life in a fraternity (from a female point of view, nonetheless!), there's a lot to love about Hungry. 

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Want to read Hungry: What Eighty Ravenous Guys Taught Me About Life, Love, and the Power of Good Food?  

Leave a comment on this post to be entered to win a copy for yourself!  If you want, tell me if you were a part of the Greek system in college.

(Giveaway is open to U.S./Canada residents only.  The giveaway will close on Monday, August 12, at 10:00 p.m.  Please leave a contact email if I don't already have yours.)

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I received a copy of this book for review via TLC Book Tours and the publisher.  All opinions expressed are entirely my own.  For more reviews, check out the full tour post.