It’s OK…

To really love spending time with family…but loving coming home to your own bed more.

To be over the moon excited about something as simple as a firepit for the backyard. Woohoo!

To be going on a couple’s getaway with a couple we barely know. It will be amazing!

To still have all of our Christmas decorations up. That’s what New Year’s Day is for right?

To be more excited about a starbucks gift card than your big gifts you got for Christmas. Yay, I can afford a latte, YESSS!

We just got home from a wonderful belated Christmas with the in laws. We exchanged fun gifts, ate tasty food, and drank great wine and beer. We had such a nice visit that it was hard to say goodbye. Unlike last year, is year we had the whole family together, so at was nice. We were comfortable in the den with a cozy memory foam toppers and the air bed. It was nice not being in the living room this year. I think next year we will try to host at our new home. I think it would be so ice having the family over.

What is it about the holidays that make you just want to eat a bunch of sugar? I think it’s the cold weather and our instincts to just burrow under blankets with steaming mugs of hot cocoa and cookies. This year I’ve finally managed to get lose some inches and I’ve been feeling great about my body. Unfortunately, I’m getting those sugar cravings that threaten to undermine all of my hard work. I think it’s about time to bust out the yoga dvd and do my daily workouts. If nothing else, it will help me maintain, even with me putting away all those cookies!

With my family in Oregon, and us not visiting them this year, I’m having a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit. We were also pinching pennies since we just bought a home. I wish I had known about sending cake pops online with ProFlowers because I think that would be a very fun gift for my parents. Maybe I’ll have to do that for my mom’s birthday next month.

Movies

Posted by Arden Wallace

Ever since we got satellite TV from DirectStarTV.com, my husband cannot stop watching movies. I am glad we are no longer paying rental fees because my husband used to rent movies and keep them forever before taking them back. I love to watch movies, but lately I just have not had any time to watch them. My husband watches a movie almost every night before he goes to bed. He sometimes falls asleep watching movies and comes to bed several hours after I have gone to sleep. I would not mind this, but our daughter is two months old and sleeps in a bassinet in our room, so whenever he comes to bed late he wakes her up. Then I am the one who gets up with her and has to get her back to sleep. My husband says he tries to be as quiet as he can when coming to bed, but I told him he needs to start watching his movies earlier. At least we have DVR so we he has the option of watching the movies whenever he wants to.

Today we stopped by one of my favorite home improvement stores on a mission for some weather stripping for our front door. We also took a peak at their lighting department, and looked at the cost of new ceiling fans, bathroom light fixtures and ceramic switch plate covers. Our goal is to update the lighting in the master bedroom, all three bathrooms, and the downstairs family room. We’d also like to get rid of the outdated switch covers and update them with nice ceramic white ones to match the baseboards we will be putting in. But for now we need to focus on saving up so we don’t go into debt. We spent a lot on just buying the house, so now it’s time to build back up that savings we lost. We can’t wait to make more home improvements though. That’s half the fun of buying a house!

I’m so excited that one of the people of storybrook is remembering his real life! Not just any person, but the sheriff of storybrook, the ever hunky Graham. He remembers his past and how he was a hunter for the queen. I was beginning to fear that this was the kind of show that wouldn’t progress through the story, much like the writers did with the show LOST.
But this episode marked some pivotal story changes and showed that the mayor does know that she’s the evil queen, something that was hinted at but only just now confirmed. It also showed why she has such control over Graham. Because she literally has his heart in a box.

Meanwhile Emma is realizing that she’s in love with Graham. Since she’s the key to saving the town, every time he kisses her he remembers more, until he finally remembers everything. But then the most horrible thing happens-the queen squeezes his heart, killing him, just as he remembers everything. I’m so sad that they killed him off! But also excited that they’re moving the story forward.

I love this show. It’s getting better and better. Does anyone else watch it? I love the mix of modern day with fairy tales. This episode centered around Snow White and her Prince Charming. It shows the history of how Prince Charming was forced to become engaged to King Midas’s daughter. He was even given titanium rings for their wedding. Luckily he met Snow White and ended up with her instead.

Then there’s the modern day version of Snow White and Prince Charming. He’s David, he has amnesia, and doesn’t want to be with his wife. He leaves her for Snow, aka Mary, is conflicted because David has professed his love. She wants to be with him, but she doesn’t want to be a homewrecker.

Of course the evil witch, aka Mayor, gets involved and tries to lead him astray. So he ends up in Rumpelstiltskin’s shop where his memory is jogged. He ends up going back to his wife and breaking Mary’s heart. Not the happy ending I was hoping for at all. Hopefully next week brings better luck for the folks of Storybrook.