Christmas in Clover

We headed to Clover on Christmas Eve, but Kevin, Jenny, and the kids arrived the next day after Santa visited their house.  Connor and Henley met once back in April, but they, um, interacted much more at this visit.

They aren’t old enough to play together, but they didn’t beat each other up too badly.

After everyone said hello and had some lunch, we moved into the den to open some gifts.  Well, we let Chase and Leah rip through their gifts then we adults took our time.

Connor had fun with the boxes and bows, no surprise there.

There was one last gift.  Jenny read a letter that had been left on the tree for Leah.

We followed the clues out to the barn.

What’s under that jumbo bag?

It’s a new bike!

We didn’t want Leah to ride alone so several of us hopped on the bikes that the McInlaws have.

Finally, we took some group shots of the whole family together.  We actually got several decent ones.  Hard to believe considering the number of moving parts and ages of those parts.

This was our first time with all of us visiting the new house at once and it worked out really well.  I hope the Nogtinis I made everyone become a Christmas tradition.  I think we all had at least one so I’m pretty sure no one would complain if they became a holiday staple.

Okay, we’re more than halfway through January, and I’m wrapping up Christmas?  Yep, sounds about right.  I’ll try to wrap up 2014 with my New Year’s Eve post this week as well.

Detox

So I’m three days into a detox diet.  I know, I know, how many times have you read “everything in moderation” on here?  I really do ultimately believe in that philosophy and will get back to living by it.  I’m torturing myself doing this because I wasn’t doing sugar in moderation.  Or alcohol.  Or chips/candy/chocolate/cereal/Coke Zero.  Yeah, pretty much if it started with a “c,” I was eating too much of it.  I’ve always had a soft spot for carbs, which were in danger of leading to more soft spots on my body so I finally decided enough was enough: if I can’t do moderation, I’ll do something extreme for a short time.  I’m trying not to think about it as punishment but…it kinda is.  I’m definitely paying the consequences for enjoying the holiday season. 

Which started the minute those Reese’s Pumpkins hit the shelves back in September.

I can’t exercise as much as I used to.  I just don’t have the time or the energy and it’s hard for me to muster the motivation once I get home.  Before Connor, I always went straight to the Y after work so there was no couch to knock me off track.  Now, I try to get to the Y three days a week and of course there are the walks with the dogs and the general chasing around of and playing with a mobile infant.  Once the weather warms up and the time changes, I hope to be better about getting in some weeknight runs and backyard boot camp sessions.

Since I’m not as active, I need to count on my diet to keep my weight in check.  Honestly, I’m surprised that I’m still wearing the clothes that I am considering how bad I’ve been in the food department.  But it just makes me think of the smaller clothes in my closet that I COULD be wearing if I had a little more discipline.  The detox diet is just a way of hopefully jump-starting my weight loss and a way to deal with my sugar cravings.

So what AM I eating, you’re wondering?  It’s pretty basic: meat, veggies (but no white potatoes), eggs, some nuts, good fats, and small amounts of fruit. There’s no dairy, beans, grains, or sugar, and there isn’t supposed to be any caffeine but I do have some green tea in the mornings at work. 

On Wednesday, I ate:

• Breakfast: 3 eggs scrambled, 2 sausage links
• Snack: Cashews
• Lunch: Bunless burger with grilled mushrooms, jalapenos, and avocado and a salad with an olive oil-vinegar dressing
• Dinner: Leftover rotisserie chicken, peas, and cauliflower (I should’ve had a good fat)
• Snack: An apple and a few almonds

I took a picture of my dinner from last night: grilled chicken, a small sweet potato with a little coconut oil (good fat!) drizzled on it and some cinnamon sprinkled on top, and peas.  That’s a lot of “real” food for the girl whose favorite dinner used to be a bowl of cereal carefully measured out so that she didn’t get more than one serving.

You aren’t supposed to snack because each meal should be filling enough on its own.  But I’m still figuring out how much and what to eat to ensure that I get enough.  Plus on Wednesday I had a late lunch and my breakfast at 6:30 just wasn’t going to hold me over til 2:00.  On the other two days, I only had one snack.

So far, the hardest part has been not having my morning crackers (another c!) and Coke Zero at work.  Yes, I at because I was hungry, but it was also just such a habit to have that snack at 10:00.  I’m sure after a weekend on the detox diet, I’ll be changing my tune about what the hardest part is.

This detox is supposed to last 21 days, which takes me to February 3^rd.  Between now and then, I have a Women’s Night in the ‘hood and a show with the McHusband at the DPAC on a Friday night.  The latter event is just before the end of the detox, and I am already thinking I’ll probably bend the rules and have some wine that night.

If I make it that long.

The last day of Christmas

(I apologize for going out of order but this post was ready to go and I had boot camp last night, which means I had very little time for anything other than dinner and showering.  So just go with my out-of-order flow.)

The Saturday after Christmas, we left the McInlaws’ new house in Clover, SC and headed to Bri’s just outside of Charlotte.  The plan was to spend the day there then head home to Raleigh just after dinner.  A relatively quick visit but better than just seeing everyone for a few hours Christmas Eve.

We tried really hard to get a decent picture of all the kids in front of the Christmas tree.  I’d say we were fairly successful.

We told the kids if they sat for the pictures, then it would be time to open gifts.  We got what we wanted so it was their turn.

All Connor wanted was this old remote that Bri let him play with.

Maxie was so excited to get an umbrella.  She’s not the only one who got an umbrella; I got one too but no one took my picture.

We saved the best for last.  My mom has been needing a new computer for a while and circumstances haven’t allowed her to buy it for herself.  So the McHusband, Bri, Nate, and I made a last-minute decision to add a laptop to her gifts.

I think she liked it.

We left Bri’s at 9:15 and got home at midnight.  Was it a long day?  Yes.  Did we want to be driving so late?  No.  Was it totally worth it to sleep in our own bed and wake up in our house?  Absolutely!

Thank goodness we have a year to recover before we have to do it all again!

{Recipe Recap} Death by Chocolate Icebox Cake

You know what today needs?  Besides being an extension of Sunday, I mean.

Chocolate.  Mondays can only be made better by the addition of chocolate.  And more Sunday.  But enough about what we can’t control.

I made this dessert for New Year’s Eve.  I thought I was choosing something really easy seeing as how it’s no-bake.  While it wasn’t difficult, let’s just say it also wasn’t super simple to put together.

But was it worth it?  Yes!  This dessert deserves so much more than my few late-night photos of it so please visit Lindsay’s blog to see some awesome pictures.  Be warned, though, you may find one or two or 27 other things that look delicious.

If you are looking for a very rich treat, look no further because this dessert will take the cake (hah!).

{Recipe here}

Christmas Eve

Yep, we’re going back to 2014.  And I’m going to drag these posts out halfway (or so) through the first month of 2015.

Connor had his first Christmas on the 24th.  We didn’t want to take his few gifts with us just to bring them back home, plus this would allow just the three of us to have a Christmas morning together.

The McHusband got Connor a couple pairs of shoes. 

He wasn’t too sure about them…

Until he tasted them.  They passed the test!

Next up, a gift from my dad, Connor’s grandad.  Also, note to self: clothes, hair, and make-up first next year.

Clothes!  Connor’s – okay, MY – favorite.

Then came some gifts from me.  Connor was thrilled to receive some outlet covers.

As well as a couple new sippy cups and some plates.  Even essentials are fun when they’re wrapped up!  Right?

Next up were a couple gifts from the McHusband’s Aunt Glenda.  We got a fabric book that we took with us that day to “read” in the car, and this little toy Radio Flyer.  Isn’t it cute?

Connor says, “Thanks, Aunt Glenda!  By the way, did you see my new outlet covers?”

I think it’s because they sounded like a rattle, but he just loved those things.  I gave them to him when he was in the jumper and he had a ball bouncing around and shaking them.  Ah, the gift that keeps on giving.

Connor’s “big” gift from us, which he didn’t get until we got back, was his little car. 

You’ve seen it in the Instagram photos.  He really likes his car.

So that’s the first part of Christmas.  Just two more to go!

{Recipe Recap} Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

It’s Monday and I made you cookies!  Okay, technically I made these LAST Monday and they were for Vanessa who had just had a baby.  But I’m sharing them with you today and that counts for something, right?

My mix-ins were mini Reese’s Pieces and peanut butter morsels.  I mean, if you’re going to make peanut butter cookies, you have to go all the way.

These cookies had that really great texture that I strive for: just a touch crisp on the outside and totally chewy on the inside.  And they weren’t even the slightest bit dry or crumblier like peanut butter cookies can tend to be.

I will definitely keep this recipe around so that I can whip up a batch of these any time I get a hankering for peanut butter cookies.  Also, since they have oatmeal in them, they are practically a healthy snack, and I know we’re all in a resolution state-of-mind this week.

Always nice to still be able to keep cookies on the menu.

I can’t believe how quickly the past two weeks flew by.  I worked some and played some, enjoyed some quality time alone as well as some quality time with Connor, and welcomed 2015 in the company of some of my favorite people (future-post alert!).  All in all, my “Christmas vacation” was fabulous, and I can honestly say I’m ready to get back to a routine.

I just hope it involves more of these cookies…

{Recipe very slightly adapted from here; I have Averie’s cookbook, Peanut Butter Comfort, so I used it but you guys are lucky that the recipe’s on her site as well}

PS  I’m sending birthday wishes to Chelle today!  Can you believe that she and I have known each other since she was 10 and I was 11?  We met while both our families were waiting for houses to be built in neighborhoods across the street from each other, went to the same high school, then reconnected after college and she eventually moved to the Raleigh area for work, and I’m very happy to say this is where she settled.  Now we live less than 10 minutes from each other.  Who would’ve thought all those years ago when we were swimming in the Walden Court pool that we’d be where we are now?  Happy birthday, Chelle!