Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from the most functioning dysfunctional family you will ever meet.

Relations

At 5.45am Central Standard Time I realized I was in fact related to my family when I could not find a single pair of scissors. Now I know why I can never find a pair of scissors at home even though have at least 4 pair I can think of off the top of my head.

Oops I forgot the chocolate shot

Yup I forgot the gratuitous chocolate shot. In the carrier bag is two huge boxes of Cadbury minis that I dumped in a bag to save room. The only problem I am going to have in customs is they are going to think I am a chocolate smuggler.

"Excuse me ma'am do you have a licence to be carrying this much chocolate"

"You don't understand officer my family threatened to not pick me up from the airport unless I brought them all of this"

"Ma'am we are going to have to confiscate all this chocolate but you can keep those flapjacks because on weird ex geography teachers who live in Oregon actually like those"

The Mathmatics of Packing

All of this minus the kitty

Plus two of these

Equals this.

Plenty of room. Should have bought more chocolate

The list is getting smaller, so is the amount of time I have to do it.

So after three night of crazy all out list doing my list has gotten quite a bit smaller. We like this. The only problem is I have added extra lists. What I am taking home and what I want to do while I am at home. There is something I want to do while I am at home that I always think of when I don't have my list handy and then when I do have my list handy I can't remember what it is. Needless to say this item will more than likely be forgotten because that is just how I roll.

Here in all it's glory is THE list.

Finish Pauline’s calendar
Wrap Philip,s Gifts
Wrap FIL gift
Wrap Pauline’s Gift
Finish Holiday Banners-if I have time.
Count chocolate items for taking home
Make money gift holder
Return Top to Dorothy Perkins
Caramel Shortbread from Thornton’s
Get Suitcase down from loft
Run Issy’s gift to her
Dinner at Deborah’s on Saturday
Write out thank you cards for gifts already received
Find or make the most fabulous card for my Husband!
Buy Grandma and Grandpa Anderson’s gift!
Laundry Laundry Laundry (if only we could all go around naked there would be a lot less laundry to do.)

To Pack

Green Jumper-wear on plane
Orange Jumper
Black Jumper
Blue Jumper
Cream Jumper
White Tuxedo Shirt w/ Brown jumper
New Look Jeans-wear on plane
Knickers
Purple Bra
Beige Bra
Floral Dress
Sheer Tights
Brown Heels
Brown Fuzzy Boots-wear on plane

Toiletries
Sm hair gel
Make up-find foundation lid
Round hair brush

Presents
Chocolate
Abbie
Gabe
Justin
Grandma
RaeLena
Ornament
Book
Pin
Pillow Boxes
Stocking




Other
Camera
USB cable for camera
IPod



List of things I want to do while in US

Go to Michael,s and Hobby Lobby
MS glitter
Marvy punches

Go to Chipotle Grill

Go to Coldstone creamery

Go to Sonic for Cranberry Lime aids daily

Have grandma help me with crochet pattern

Eat Fruit loops

Buy jars of Jiffy

Have Taco soup

Make Sesame chicken recipe for family

Make egg poppets for family

Have Pumpkin Pie Latte from Starbucks

Update:

I remembered the thing I can never seem to remember when I have my list with me

Go to the really cool bead shop by where my mom works!

Weigh in Wednesday

Weigh in Wednesday is on holiday until January 6th. I just don't have time to make it to meetings with all the holiday parties and family dinners and getting ready to go over the the US. I am also letting go a little for Christmas, I fully expect to gain some weight but I am okay with that as Christmas only comes once a year and 5lb should only take me about a month to shift. See you in the new year!

How did it go?

So here is my updated to do list

Done

In Progress

Have Not Started

Yeah Right I can't believe I thought I would have time!


To Do Friday

Check pantry for ingredients
Look for cookie box idea on blogs
Organize thoughts for Christmas banners
Look through letter stickers for Christmas banners
Organize thoughts for Peace card and make template
Finish Pauline’s calendar
Organize thoughts on Secret Santa’s calendar
Write out Justin’s Christmas card
Finish last of UK Christmas Cards

To Do Saturday

Start Laundry
Trip to Post Office
Trip to Asda
Trip to Hobby Craft
Make Holiday cookies
Make Holiday cookie boxes-They got put on festive holiday plates from Asda
Wrap niece’s birthday gift
Clean Kitchen
Start Secret Santa’s Calendar
Make Peace Card
Start Holiday banners
Organize stuff for making gift tags
Cut out pillow boxes to take home
Organize stuff for making wrapping paper

To Do Sunday

Finish Laundry
Put together Christmas cookie boxes and deliver to neighbours
Wrap Gifts for P’s family
Finish Holiday Banners
Finish Calendar for Secret Santa
Finish gift tags
Count chocolate items for taking home
Make money gift holder
Go to dinner at MIL
Tidy up crafting area
Iron enough shirts for work
Pass out

What are you doing this weekend?

Good news: I bought the last Christmas present today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am, I mean we (Mr Y in E and I) are done Christmas shopping.



Bad news: This is my shopping and to do list for the weekend-


Supermarket


½ cup shortening
2oz red food colouring
Baking soda
Vinegar
Buttermilk
8oz cream cheese
Powdered sugar lots
Chocolate bark
Digestives
1 ½ cup PB
Butter
12oz Chocolate chips


Hobby Craft

Ribbon for Calendars
Blue themed paper
Ribbon for Tag Banners
Supplies for Holiday cookie boxes


To Do Friday

Check pantry for ingredients
Look for cookie box idea on blogs
Organize thoughts for Christmas banners
Look through letter stickers for Christmas banners
Organize thoughts for Peace card and make template
Finish Pauline’s calendar
Organize thoughts on Secret Santa’s calendar
Write out Justin’s Christmas card
Finish last of UK Christmas Cards

To Do Saturday

Start Laundry
Trip to Post Office
Trip to Asda
Trip to Hobby Craft
Make these and these Holiday cookies
Make Holiday cookie boxes
Wrap niece’s birthday gift
Clean Kitchen
Start Secret Santa’s Calendar
Make Peace Card
Start Holiday banners
Organize stuff for making gift tags
Cut out pillow boxes to take home
Organize stuff for making wrapping paper




To Do Sunday

Finish Laundry
Put together Christmas cookie boxes and deliver to neighbours
Wrap Gifts for P’s family
Finish Holiday Banners
Finish Calendar for Secret Santa
Finish gift tags
Count chocolate items for taking home
Make money gift holder
Go to dinner at MIL
Tidy up crafting area
Iron enough shirts for work
Pass out
Remember that in the UK they use U in colour neighbour an honour so you can out smart the spell check

Good News: I leaned how to insert a hyperlink as a highlighted word. I have only been blogging for what six months now better late than never.

Weigh in Wednesday more than a little late

So I should first apologize for shamelessly ignoring my blog. I never knew how much time it would take to hand make so much stuff for Christmas. I am hoping to finish up all of my projects this weekend and get some pictures posted on my crafting blog.

What else have I been doing?

1. Making repeated trips to the post office to deal with the sub human species who work there. Loving that.
2. Writing out 60 Christmas cards. How do I know so many people?
3. Christmas Shopping
4. Making Decoration
5. Decorating
6. Making Gingerbread Cookies
7. Cleaning up Gingerbread Cookies after Kitty breaks them all into crumbs
8. Being social at Christmas drinks (really really hate this)
9. Helping at church Christmas Bazaar
10. Celebrating 2 Nieces and 1 nine year old cousin's birthdays that all fall way too close to Christmas
11. Making wrapping paper
12. Making gift tags
13. Wrapping presents
14. Killing Kitty for unwrapping presents
15. Trying to figure out if there is a dirty dish fairy and how I get a hold of her

So probably really no different than most of the Christian world right now.

So now for the exciting new, after being extremely strict with my Weight Watchers Kick start program last week I am down 3.5lbs. I think maybe a lb of that was the fact that I went to a lunch time weigh in instead of an evening weigh in but even so I am happy. I celebrated with having a Chinese take away last night! Don't worry I was a good girl I had chicken chow mien.

I am 1lb away from my goal of being at 170 for when I take a break and come back to the US for Christmas. That is very achievable in the next week especially if I am as disciplined as I have was last week.

Total weight loss 24lb

Weigh in Wednesday

So the scales have been unkind but it was expected. After a week of three trips to McDonald's, a mexican meal, 3 Margaritas, and uncountable number of gingerbread cookies I have put on a pound. This was to be expect and I had actually made peace with it before I went to my weigh in last night. Armed with a refrigerator of healthy food I have decided to do two weeks of the kick start program before I head off to the US at which point I will be taking a two week break from the program.

Current weight 12st 6.5lb or 174.5lb.

With any luck 2 weeks of the kickstart program will get rid of the 4.5lbs so I will be sitting at 170 when I go home for Christmas.

Total weight lost 21.5