Christmas Part Two

She absolutely LOVES this dog.
I think she thinks it's real, she was giving out treats to Jet and brought one over
to this guy and put it in his mouth. Seriously, too stickin' adorable!

Christmas Part One

This is from Christmas Eve, Santa was VERY good to Lola!

You can't see in this picture, but presents continued to the left, and behind where I was standing taking the picture too. And to think that Santa agreed to take it easy.

 

Phew, all these gifts are exhausting!
Time for a rest with Daddy.

Christmas Part Two tomorrow.

Resolution and a Promise

I came across this photo at the perfect time.
A time when I'm reflecting on the past year...and all the weight I have not lost,
and dropping my head in shame admit, I have actually gained.

I had been contemplating adding a new category, and chronicling my struggle with weight and my efforts to become more healthy on Simply Living for a while now. I am fanatical about Lola's health and nutrition but admit that my eating and fitness habits have taken a noticeable backseat. Weight is an issue that many of us are dealing with, especially after having babies, and I thought that the new category would strike an interest with many of you.

I ran my idea past Damaris, and she asked me if sharing my personal weight issue is something that I felt comfortable doing publicly. I told her that my hope of sharing such emotionally sensitive information would if nothing else shame me into following through with my efforts, and at best create a place where we can support one another.

That said, here is the caption that came with the above photograph.
"You cannot be a healthy person, let alone hope for healthy children, if you sigh and moan every time you encounter your own image, eat a cookie, or see an airbrushed model on a billboard. Even if it amounts to wholesale pretending, go pretend. Walk around pretending to be a woman who likes her body… Because every step toward self-love you take, and every inch of confidence you give someone’s daughter, makes the world a better place…. You are imperfect, permanently and inevitably flawed. And you are beautiful". ~Amy Bloom

This year my resolution is to not be ashamed of the weight I have gained,
and to passively wish it away.

Instead, my promise to myself and to my daughter is to own my flaws,
to focus on health (including a healthy weight), stop cringing every time I'm photographed,
and to stop being embarrassed when I see a current picture of myself tagged on facebook.

This year, I resolve to be Simply Living Healthier,
and encourage you to join me in taking as good care of yourself as you do your family.

Please look forward to new posts on what I'm doing  
and not doing to be healthier this year.

And please share your story as well, in the comments, or here.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!

Wishing you all a safe and happy New Year.
I wish for each of you that the year to come is filled with peace, love,
kindness, smiles, creativity, health, and laughter.

As a side note, I have not neglected posting about our amazing Christmas Day, I have been quite busy this past week, and promise to post about our Christmas and all the incredibly amazing and thoughtful gifts Lola received this coming week.

Then, hopefully the following week, I will finally get to post her Birthday Party which was back in October. I have a bunch of fantastic tutorials, recipes, and party ideas for you.

Let It Snow

 

This is the window in the living room after we hung the snowflakes on 

Christmas Eve. We are really happy with how it turned out, plus it was so cute when Lola 

discovered the "snow." See the tutorial on how to make snowflakes here.

We hung the flakes with fishing line by threading it loosely through 

the openings in the flakes, and then tied the line around the curtain rod.

 

Best Cookie Ever

These are quite possibly the best cookies I have ever tasted!

My mom made them the other day, following what she thought was 

a recipe, but turns out did't follow the recipe at all and created her own new cookie!! 

They are light, moist, cake-like, not too sweet, and taste almost likea very fluffy shortbread.

Ingredients:

1 package Better Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix

1 stick of butter

¼ tsp vanilla extract

1 (8oz)  package room temperature cream cheese

1 egg

Directions:

Combine all ingredients with electric mixer. 

Chill Dough for 2 hours.

Roll walnut size balls of dough in powdered sugar.

Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 350°s for 10-12 minutes.

Dust with powered sugar when cooled.

Pour glass of milk.

Enjoy.

The hardest part about making these cookies is eating only a few!

Christmas Poem

I heard the bells on Christmas Day

Their old, familiar carols play,

And wild and sweet the words repeat

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow