Just wanted to say

From my family to yours

May you have a blessed Merry Christmas

And let's not forget, Jesus is the Reason for the Season!

Giveaway #1~~Postcards from UPrinting.com

Here it is!! The very first giveaway offered here on my blog!!

This is your chance (and I will receive them too so we'll both be winners!!) to win 100 4 x6 postcards, printed on 14pt Cardstock Gloss paper, full color on both sides from UPrinting.com.

Winner will have to pay shipping on their prize.

These make awesome birthday card invitations, change of address cards, shower invitations, for your business or anything you can design yourself!! I'm thinking I'll use them as change of address notifications to all of our friends and family. Per the Metro 9-1-1 regulations our rural address is changing soon. Or...maybe we'll have a party this summer to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary and I'll use these as invites. Hm, the possibilities are endless!!

So how do you enter you ask? Here are your options. You have chances to enter to win , be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry.

1. Go here to browse what all Uprinting.com offers. then come back here and tell me what you would use the postcards for in your comment. Make sure you leave your email if I don't have it so I can get in touch with you if you are the lucky winner!!!

2. Become a follower here and it will earn you an extra entry.

3. Post about this giveaway on your blog and leave a url to your post in your comment here.

4. If you don't have a blog, tell friends via tweet or facebook, or email to come here to enter! Make sure you tell me in your comments that you've done so.

Now for the rules, entrance for the giveaway begins now and will close Wednesday, December 30, 2009. I will announce the winner here no later then January 3, 2010. Then you will receive a email with your coupon code enclosed from UPrinting.com on or around January 8, 2010 so keep an eye on the email you leave with me!

So, if you'd like to win get to entering and be sure to stick around in the months to come I hope to offer more giveaways, along with the sample offers I like to post, travel reports, and general family & life updates!

Me.....

Holy crud I can't believe I am about to post this. When this was taken in June I wouldn't even let the hubby see it. This was what finally got me motivated to get up off my hind end and get moving!!

My oldest took this picture yesterday, it's a little blurry but I think you get the gist.

I'm just about 19lbs down ( a little over or under) I can't remember exactly where I was when I weighed in last week.

Can you see the difference? Two pants sizes and at least 8 inches off my waist!!

Christmas Baking

Have you done any this year?

I did this yesterday for a Christmas dinner at our church.

Candy Shop Pizza

And this tray of chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin fudge, and sugar cookies.



Then I finished my contribution with baked potato casserole and baked mac-n-cheese!!

*whew* time for a break from the kitchen LOL!! I know I have to make some peanut butter fudge next weekend sometime, that is all my mom asks for for Christmas but I'm thinking we need nothing else in this house till what we have in g-o-n-e!

FREEbie!!

You can get 2 FREE issues (March & April of 2010) of Family Circle Magazine with no strings attached.

Just go here to sign up!!

See that ----->

See that new button over there on my sidebar?

I've got sponsorship!!

Whoohoo, thanks to the folks at Uprinting.com (that same cool place that sponsored the giveaway I told here and here offered me sponsorship!!

That means, giveaways in the future for you!! Stick around!!

The straw that broke the camels back

There is this picture that was taken of hubby and I the last evening we were at the beach in June. I HATE it. I didn't even show it to him, I don't think. That picture is the straw that broke the camels back so to speak. I got serious about wanting to try out the Wii Fit and do some exercising and see if I could lose some weight or if the hypothyroidism *and the medication that goes along with it* were really partly (or fully) to blame for my weight gain in the last five years or so.

I'd share that picture with you if I had a current picture to share also. But I need to get a current picture then I'll show you the difference......maybe!

I started eating salads for lunch in January and also trying to watch what I was eating, somewhat. I was seeing results with that. Once I began using the Wii Fit the last weekend of July I got real serious about watching what I put in my mouth. I wasn't really on a diet per say but I was trying to be healthy & wise in choosing what I ate when.

As of right now, I am down 18.5 lbs, two pants sizes, and at least 8 inches off my waist. I bought two pairs of jeans size 10 two weeks ago, I haven't worn this size in years, and these are actually loose! I've had to buy a belt when again I hadn't HAD to have a belt in years.

I'm still watching what I eat somewhat, if I know we're having Thanksgiving dinner later I only ate a small banana & a tsp of peanut butter for breakfast so I could enjoy the dinner later!! Oh and the pumpkin roll ;) And I am still exercising at least every other day if not every day at least 30 minutes, there were days I was doing 1.5 hours.

And I'm seeing this awesome Naturopathic Doctor for my thyroid issues, which as of last week, are well....getting better!! Whoohoo!! I'm feeling good, and looking better to myself then I have in a long time.

Presenting....