My Last Rant...

...of 2012 is this - people who feel the need to say Happy New Year from 1pm onwards on New Year's Eve. What is that all about?  Can they not stay up till 12 am? Are they too busy partying to update their status? Busy snogging their partners with wild care free abandonment? Not likely given that most people I know barely get intimate with their other halves let alone snog the faces off them.  The amount of Happy New Year's I've seen on facebook (its 7.05pm here in the UK) has been prolific.  I'm sure these people will be staying up - maybe they'll say it again Sam. I just think they're in the same category as the "let's get the xmas decs up on 1 December" brigade. They simply can't wait. Won't wait. They're like a bunch of excited little puppies. They bring everything forward and rarely just enjoy the here and now its on to the next thing quick! Soon they'll be talk of summer holidays and the like. Live in the present.

They could actually just say it tomorrow if any of the above applies? One of my friends expressed her horror that I didn't get up on Xmas day until 8.30 am - the time the kids woke up.  I should have woken them. Should I fuck. I'm 39 not 9! Look if my kids weren't up at the crack of dawn there's no way I was going to wake them from a deep slumber now was I?

I also received a carefully worded Happy New Year text with all the niceties but knowing it was sent on mass to every contact in their phone kind of looses its impact don't you think?  It just has maximum impersonal effect and the words..well they're just words with very little meaning.

Anyhow, back to New Year's Eve. I will be staying up and I will wish people I know a Happy New Year. I won't get too drunk as I like to have a clear head on New Year's Day to get the decs down and get the house straight. I have had many a day lost on New Year's Day and truth be told its much nicer not being massively hung over even more so with 3 children in tow. 

Resolutions? Well I'm not a big fan of them - although when I was much younger I always used to make a list of this that and the other. I'm more realistic these days - they're more of a 'things to do list'. Having said this if you can't be optimistic at the start of a New Year and take the opportunity to have a mental clear out then when can you? So, my things to do list are as follows:-

Get hair cut (January)
Get bikini line done (January)
Get new glasses (February)
Get on my bike (January)
Exercise 5 x a week (on going - even if means getting up 6am - this is a new addition. It came to me the other day sometimes I can't fit it in in the day and I don't do exercise in the evening - genius or what?)
Lots of daytime cuddles with buddy - this could be the last year he snuggles up with me for ages and ages  (ongoing)
Lose 3 stone (ongoing realistic target of 7lbs by first week of Feb)
Go to Las Vegas in November for my 40th
Read all the books I got for Xmas and read more in general
Continue with my ancestry
Be me

So nothing ground breaking but all achievable and all realistic. With that I bid you.......at 12 am....

A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

In other news.. my new cushions love them!

My Christmas

Hello all! Hope you all had a lovely Christmas and if you didn't..well...there's always next year. Everyone is due a shit Christmas at some point in their life.  My friend had a memorable Christmas one year whereby she ate the total sum of 4 Pringles as unfortunately her marriage imploded on that day.  I had a rubbish one (circa 1997) when I had a row with my
ex-boyfriend in our flat - alarm bells did start ringing the moment we set up home. Anyhow, to cut a long story short we had a huge row after another incident of him drinking himself stupid on Christmas Eve which carried on into Christmas Day. I ended up driving to my parents and then driving back as my idiot boyfriend was threatening to commit suicide - when I did reach our flat he was sitting on the floor in his boxers, munching snacks and watching the DVD box set I'd bought him.

I've had a good Christmas this year which is quite apparent by my bathroom scales, which, I have not stepped on since the day after Boxing Day.  I had put on 4lbs up to that point - I'm hoping its stabilised as I haven't been back on them since. I did Wii Dance this morning for 10 songs which made me feel better and most of the treats are now gone and it'll be soup tonight. 

The Goose naturally from Aldi - £20 and tasted just fine

I had some lovely presents including The John Lennon Letters book which I've even managed to read 50 pages of and a guide to Las Vegas - whoop whoop we plan on going for my 40th so I am very excited about that. 


 

This jumper was £16 from peacocks and was a bit snug I have to say - still I wore it Xmas Eve to much ridicule on facebook and the like

Kids mince pie making

My retro Xmas cake I made - just like your nan would have made - it was sadly a tad dry - shit recipe of course!

Xmas muffins made for the teachers

 

The weather here is so rubbish its been raining or drizzling nothing much in between so getting out has been a tad difficult.  I hope you all have a Happy New Year and see you for the next installment of The 1970's Diet....

 

Happy New Year!

 

Monday Weigh In..

..on a Tuesday. Zero. I worked out (moderately) 3 x last week.  I ate more on Saturday and during the week I also consumed two of my xmas muffins that I like to make.  This week has been okay on the food front (well it should really given that its only Tuesday!) but getting in exercise this week is not going to be easy. I'm hoping to do some tomorrow and most definitely Thursday.

Go to the doctors (groan) - I've had a rash on my neck for about 3 months now. I think its eczema  who knows but its an hour out of my day that I won't get back. I want to get in a workout tomorrow but I also need to get bits and pieces, wrap presents and make muffins (presents for the teachers) and make pastry in readiness for our mince pie making at the weekend.  All the little faffy xmas bits are creeping up.  I also have nagging cracker issues - for a week now I keep thinking "I need to get Christmas crackers, I need to get Christmas crackers." This is Xmas for you - the little things that can actually tip you over the end and make you go insane. We are having a quiet Christmas at home just the core family so its not like I should be under any pressure but the crackers have got to me this year!



This is a bit blurry good job really as just had the facial - now how snug is this gown?! A medium if you please - no we need large gowns for a spa

I may, just may, have to sign off until after Xmas as I doubt I'm going to have much time to blog. On the chit chat front I had a lovely day Saturday with Cath at our Pamper Spa day. It was good even if the robes only came in 'medium' and mine was a tad snug. Silly that isn't it - if you're going to order one size why not a large? By all accounts the men have the same robes! I had three treatments 1) hot stones massage - I'm going off massages though they seem to press hard these days and my left shoulder feels bruised 2) anti-ageing facial - that was wonderful and now I look like I'm 25. Not! and 3) a strange pedicure whereby they had set up the nail, feet and hair in one room. I had the sound of a hairdryer for 30 minutes of my pedicure blaring away. I did, eventually get 50% back, after explaining that no I didn't want a glass of champagne or 10% off my next treatment - not likely to go back anytime soon.  They had this stupid argument that as I paid for my treatment I couldn't have a refund! I pointed out that if I wanted to get my feet done with a load of noise in the background I could have stayed at home.  Also who's brain child was it to shove the pedicures in this noisy room. I suggested they might want to get their feet done in their and I'd switch on a hairdryer. I got my refund.

I have managed to wrap some more presents tonight so only got the kids left to do.  See you soon....

Beware of The Christmas Card Slacker

They are out in full force around this time of year (clue in the title).  I like Christmas cards. I don't mind spending a few hours writing them and I like receiving them. I do have trouble picking out the card which will represent us as a family (see this post I wrote last year about all the little faffy bits at Xmas) but asides from that its not the worst Christmas chore. That, without a shadow of a doubt, has to be awarded to wrapping presents. 

I hate wrapping presents.  I don't get all christmasy wrapping them - I get pins and needles in my feet and I am fully aware I will never ever get the 6 hours it takes (not in one sitting mind) back again.  My wrapping is below par. I don't bother with bows, strings or think carefully about whether or not the size of the paper will actually fit the present. I cut a piece and hope for the best. A tag on the present which invariably falls off is about as much as I can rustle up. I don't care if the cellotape is clear or got that yellow tint to it. Who notices this? Some do - including my husband. As I type I am putting off making a start on my wrapping duties. It is beginning to disturb me now. I have wrapping issues.

Back to Christmas cards. Yes, there are some people that do and some people that don't. I used to always write cards to the ones that don't. I thought I will not lower my standards. I am thoughtful and I will send a card to someone that can't be arsed. A few years ago I thought actually I am going to lower my standards and be really childish and play tit for tat. I like this game much better. Wouldn't it be great if everyone did this. I'm sure the Christmas card slackers like to receive cards don't they?  What if they never got any cards one year? Would they have a re-think of their can't be botheredness?

A Christmas card is a nice gesture. It means you've taken 5 minutes out of your 'hetic' year to put pen (remember that?) to paper to wish tidings of good joy. I send a card to my deceased grandad's siblings - I don't ever see them but I want them to know they are thought of. I also send cards to my mother's cousins in America - again, I know they enjoy receiving a card from across the pond.

You've trotted down to the post office, put the correct postage, popped on the little xmas stamp and posted a little bit of thoughtfulness.  I can hear my sister shouting at this - yes there has been a few occasions I guessed the postage. In my defence I still think first class is 30p and forget about the card size thing - my sister has had to pay to receive her birthday card from me.

Anyway, quickly glossing over that, if you are going to send Christmas cards they should be posted. I hate them kicking around at the bottom of my bag or worse someone giving them to you to give to the person that you're going to see. Invariably you forget or the person forgets to take them home with them. You then become the custodian for someone else's Christmas cards.  Post them people. Post them.

I like cards. I like them hitting the doormat. Some say its a waste of paper it only goes into the recycling. Its better to just give the money to charity.  What the total amount of about £6 to charity? What about all the tons of wrapping paper? Why wrap presents then? Oh, yes please lets not wrap presents! It only goes into the recycling - in fact, why buy presents at all? That's by far a greater waste of money.  This is all just bullshit. If you don't send Christmas cards it is, quite simply, because you can't be bothered.

On the diet front - I have been hungry all this week what with the cold and all. Its Wednesday and I've worked out twice this week. The Biggest Loser and Your Shape today albeit for 20 minutes. Tomorrow I am walking and will do the Wii Dance and, just maybe, start that wrapping.....!

Until next time...





 

Monday Weigh In

-lb off. That's a 1lb off when I thought I'd put on 3lbs and didn't weigh myself last week so in theory it could have been more if you can work that out. I worked out 5 x last week so was really chuffed with myself and its amazing the difference it has made.  The reason its only 1lb is that I was out on Friday night with the PTA ladies and sank about 8 vodka tonics and a set meal (salmon, turkey and a brownie). I felt mighty rough the next day it has to be said. I haven't touched a drop of alcohol for weeks and thought I was being sensible by not having wine or mixing my drinks plus the fact that when you drink vodka from a pub there never seems to be much alcohol content. Obviously there was as I spoke so much I lost my voice during the course of the evening!
 
I got home about 12.30 am - we had frequented a nightclub above the restaurant we had eaten in. It was one of those establishments, that when you go home you hug your partner, as you are so grateful that you're with someone. Anyone. I think I was easily one of the youngest in there and I can only describe it as where the divorced go to die.  The others went onto a much more lively place but my feet were throbbing - heels and wearing them only once a year are not a good idea. My headache eventually passed at about 5pm the following night.  That was after attending our annual panto with my cousin, her 2 children, my aunt, cath her husband and her two kids.

I had a bacon sandwich in the morning, no lunch and then a HUGE portion of fish and chips followed by some chocolates on Saturday. Not exactly diet food but it sorted my hang over out and I've lost weight so I can't really complain.  I have no other nights out planned this side or on the other side of Xmas so all being equal weight loss should continue.  I have to make sure I don't follow Sainsbury's current adverts for having "Christmas days" i.e eat lots of shit leading up to Xmas. I hate adverts like this - like I hate all the sale adverts on Boxing Day - you just know in a couple of weeks every single advert will be some diet, low cal adverts from the same companies that wanted you to pig out before and during the festive season. Wankers.

Today, I have not exercised. My husband is currently fitting a downstairs shower and all the floorboards are up etc and buddy had his first nativity play at his pre-school and I've got this stupid cough that the kids have had for weeks.  I need to get in 5 x workouts by the end of the week so wish me luck.

Until next time...

My bear head out on the town with the gorgeous mums on the PTA. My friend on the far left lost 3 stone just through diet and exercise!

My Mojo has been restored

Well for this week in any event following on from my jean scare earlier in the week.  Its amazing that even after one workout this week I felt better afterwards. So my friends, I have worked out four times this week.  I am aiming, like my friend Cath (healthy bit of competition going on here I feel), to work out 5 x a week. I need to do another workout on Sunday which will be the Wii dance as it means I can get the kids involved too.

There has been mitigating circumstances that could have made me shy away from this exercise 1) snowy weather even though you're exercising inside it does make you want to just sit down and have a cuppa 2) buddy has been up 3 times this week with a rotten cough so I am very tired having got used to a full 8 hours for the best part of this year. 

The workouts I have completed this week are Biggest Loser, Wii dance 4 with wrist weights, Your Shape and another Biggest Loser.  The Wii dance is good fun and is my easier of the workouts.  The others are insane! The Your Shape boot camp makes you want to just start wailing "I can't do it!" but you do and then feel brilliant afterwards.  You do sumo swats, sprint starts, mountain climbers and much more pain. My goal on this one is to eventually enjoy it all. The Biggest Loser is very similar - burpees (which I find the hardest things to do), planks, tire jumps, star jumps etc etc.  They say (yes those people) that 30 minutes or a shorter intense workout is far better and more effective for you than, say, 60 minutes of exercise at a lesser intensity. I think I'm inclined to agree with them. Did you also know that most people consume an extra 250 + calories at the weekend so says the Obesity journal. I reckon that's a conservative estimate for most people.

My eating diary has been written all this week also.  I have the Panto tomorrow with fish and chips afterwards (a tradition) and tonight I have a PTA meal out.  This isn't going to affect my weight loss this week as I've already lost weight - I can feel it. 

So I will leave you with a little clip of one of the warm ups I do on the Your Shape - its call 'wallbreaker' and its great if you're feeling stressed with all this Christmas build up. This isn't me by the way - maybe I'll post one of me soon. Have a great weekend!

Skylanders Competition Part II

So here is my 6 year old daughter's offering...

Tree Trunks is a life element.

I'm told Tree Trunks is a he and "the story was it turned into a war tree."

It has speed of 8%, attack 92% and protect 0% (am impressed my 6 year old worked this out to 100%).

It has hair, adult tree trunks, swords and exploding flowers - I like that. Oh and guns of course!



 

Tree Trunk

Wish us luck!

 



 

 

 



 



 



Skylander Competition

"WOLFITIST" (wolf-it-ist)

 

WOLFITIST

 

"Wolfitist lived peacefully until a scientist sneaked into his house and made him take his potion. He now fights with the Skylanders to try and kill the scientist"

 

He is a 'Tech' element and he has the following features:

 

1. Shoots laser gun

2. Fires cannon from his head

3. Shoots arrows from his head

4. Smashes his hammer

No I haven't gone mad and this is not what I get up to during the course of the day honest guv.

 

I have been blogging for over a year now and this is our first ever competition! So it must be good right? Well, my son (age 8) thinks so. This is part of a competition with Tots100 to be part of Team Skylanders (see here for details) and there was no way we wouldn't be entering this competition. This household is Skylanders mad (my daughter's entry will follow tomorrow). If either of them win this competition I will be crowned super duper mum of the year in this ere household - even if we only have a few more weeks left.

 

My two love this game (buddy is too young to play) - it has really captured their imagination and to be honest they draw the characters more than they play the game at times - which is only allowed at weekends. Te person that came up with this interactive game for children is a genius.  Essentially you buy the little characters who all have different powers, you put them on a portal that glows (2 at a time if you like) and away you go.

 

So wish us luck that 'Wolfitist' will make the grade!

 

 

 



 

Monday Weigh In

Denial. Well not quite but I haven't weighed myself today as I reckon I've put on 3lb judging by my jeans and belly.  I worked out twice and didn't really follow my 1970's diet last week. My bear head is returning and I've lost my way.  When I started this blog just over a year ago it worked as I really focused on writing down what I ate, filled in my exercise log and other recorded other diet related matters. I would also chuck in some 1970's nostalgia for good measure. Then I found my ranty voice and people enjoyed this as did I writing them. However this has come at a price - my weight loss has come to a grinding halt or very little progress.  This is the only reason the blog was worth doing in the first place. I think you're all aware by now that I'm not really that fussed about rankings, stats etc. I don't even share my blog on facebook as I want to keep it anonymous as possible only the chosen few know of its very existence and that's the way I like it.

So I need to get back to basics. My blog is going to revert back to weight loss and updates.  My friend Cath's most recent post also gave me a bit of inspiration. She's not fat at all but just couldn't get her butt into gear with regard to exercise even though if she doesn't, there is a higher risk of her cancer returning. See her blog post here to give you some inspiration. She has vowed to work out 5 times a week and given that her two are both at school this is very achievable.

So to kick off my attempt at refocusing my mind and goals I worked out to The Biggest Loser for 37 minutes today. It was knackering but worth it. I think Cath makes a valid point - some people are scared to work out and really sweat. That feeling of pushing your body to its limits does make us come up with any excuse not to work out. Its very similar to being scared of being hungry - a lot don't like that feeling (I know I didn't when pregnant) but its essential if you want to lose weight and you can learn to enjoy it.  Ultimately working out until you're gasping is not going to kill you. You will recover and you will feel better afterwards. The same can be said of being hungry - I reckon the vast majority of us could easily survive a few months with very little of no food.

I am working out tomorrow with the Wii dance with wrist weights, hopefully bike ride on Wednesday, Thursday The Biggest Loser again and Friday Your Shape workout.

Until next time....