Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Christmas in Wisconsin

I know it has been a while, but life has been busy and wonderful! The holiday season has been filled with gatherings and parties and the merriment has been overflowing.

Thanksgiving was great, and it was followed by a party the next weekend at Laura's where she asked me to be her Matron of Honor! Wow, how amazing! I can't wait for Wedfest 2010! I am calling myself the Matron, like Patron, of honor! hehe

I have seen my grandpa a few times this fall and winter which has been nice. Prior to this it had been a few years, even though he only lives 45 minutes away. He let Chaz and I borrow his truck to bring furniture back from Milwaukee this Christmas!

Chaz and I spent Christmas with Terri, Laine, and Denis in Wisconsin. Since they are moving to China, we wanted to spend some good quality time with them! We had a blast! Christmas was as normal as possible, even with all the packing going on around us. We had fondue, decorated Christmas cookies and played games.

Saturday we got our u-haul and started loading up the furniture we brought back to the MN. Denis and Terri gave us their coach, queen size bed, and some other decorative items! Our living room had a makeover!!

And we came back to the MN on Sunday. It was hard leaving the Durgins! Both Chaz and I were a bit teary eyed pulling away but it is such an exciting time for Denis and Terri that we can't help but be excited. Plus, we hope to get a visit in!!!

Thursday night will bring on the New year, and Friday we will celebrate Christmas with my family! So much to look forward to! And maybe a surprise for 2010! I will keep you posted!!

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Snow

Today is the first real snow for Minnesota. And by real, I mean blizzard. We have had a few flurries, and in true Minnesota style, we never really know when the snow will hit, but this year it really has held off. So, it is December 8th, and everyone is on high alert.

Me, I am looking forward to a night of hot cocoa, wrapping Christmas gifts, and enjoying the chili I put in the crock pot this morning! Bring on the snow! But keep everyone safe!

Monday, December 7, 2009

Thanksgiving Durgin style!

The New Durgins had a great Thanksgiving! Chaz and I are spending the holidays with his parents since they are moving to Shanghai the first part of January. It is hard being away from my parents but it is also fun traveling for the holidays and partaking in a new set of traditions. So for Thanksgiving, we headed down to good old Milwaukee with a truck as empty as we could get it to bring home some Durgin treasures. Note, we have a large amount of Durgin treasures around our apartment since Chaz moved from a nice big house to our slightly smaller apartment, but this time we are getting some much needed furniture which is a huge blessing.

So we hit the road on Wednesday, dealt with some crazy holiday traffic, and some even crazier weather, but arrived safe and sound somewhere around midnight. Shortly after we hit the sack and slept in till 11 am! It was a great start to our holiday break!

We had a lazy morning on Thanksgiving Day but soon everyone was up and all the girls helped put together a great holiday meal, lead by master chef Terri! It was delicious! We followed it up with a family game night and a few adult beverages. It was such a nice, relaxing day.

Then on Friday Terri, Laine, and I headed out around 8 am to get in on some holiday deals. We found some great presents and made it home in enough time to enjoy some afternoon turkey left overs. Then we all got dolled up and went to see Rent! Amazing! There were two original cast members so that made it even better. And of course the night on the town that followed was the cherry on top! I may have stumbled home that night!

Saturday was pretty similar. We got up, ate, and then headed out for some fresh air and a game of disc golf! Then back to the mall for more shopping! Pretty common the weekend after Thanksgiving! We finished the night with supper at a Korean Barbeque place. It was my first time eating Korean barbeque and I actually liked a good portion of it. I could have done without the crispy pieces of seaweed however! Chaz at them right up though! No kisses for him! We all went home smelling pretty funky!

Sunday we got up, had a wonderful skillet breakfast made by Terri and proceeded to find treasures around the townhouse to take home with us. We got a beautiful patio set, a cute ceramic elephant (love that guy!), some planters, pillows, and other nic nacs. Over Christmas we will be bringing home a bed and a couch! Woot woot!
It was a great first Thanksgiving for us! We enjoyed spending it together and spending it with family! We are Thankful for everyone and especially thankful we got to spend Thanksgiving with Chaz’s parents before they head over the big pond!

A Little Holiday Help!

So it is the holiday season and a while back I talked about the lack of exercise I have been doing since the wedding. I would also like to admit that I have not been eating super awesome either. I will blame that on Halloween candy! But since it is the holiday season, I figured it would be nice to eat a little healthier during the week and exercise so I can enjoy the holiday treats. I once read in a self magazine that you should not diet during the months of November and December. It can cause a person to feel very blue to not partake in the holiday cheer. Since I do not remember the last diet I was on, I figured why start now. I just generally like to eat better and up my exercise routine to improve my overall self, including my mind. These cold, dark months can take a toll but with the right motivation, they seem less dreary.

There are a few tips I like to use when embarking on a weight loss adventure and I figured I could share a few!

•The first is water intake. The past year I have lost about 20 pounds and I think that is for sure due to the “water culture” at Target (take your moment to laugh and then come back when you can be serious!). We have these giant, gas station size plastic mugs that everyone carries around and we fill them with water. People take water breaks here to go down to the big water and ice machines in the cafĂ©! It is crazy, but you drink a lot! I do a mug every hour or two and I feel pretty refreshed at work! For sure well hydrated!

•Second is to eat breakfast! Since I took up eating breakfast, I have felt a lot better and it really does curb your appetite. Sometimes I eat cereal but I have this fun trick for taking breakfast to work. I do one of two things the night before. I cut up an apple, sprinkle with lemon juice and grab some peanut butter, or, and this is my favorite, I fill a little plastic container with yogurt the night before. I add frozen fruit (my favorite being raspberries!). At Target you can get this big bag of fruit for $7! Lasts a long time! I stick it in my lunch bag and when I get to work the next morning, the raspberries are thawed and I am eating a delicious, healthy yogurt parfait for breakfast! So good!

•I am also a big ice cream fan. I like to have a bowl almost every night after supper. When I was in high school I use to eat fat free ice cream and it really did not do the trick. Plus, I have learned from my research that fat, in moderation, is actually better for you then these fat free foods. So I have started eating light ice cream and there are two brands that really make some great light ice cream. Edy’s double churned ice cream and Breyers. And if you live by a super target, they have a generic of the Edy’s double churned. A great way to have the ice cream, and the flavor, but not sacrifice all your hard work in the gym.

That’s about it for my tricks and tips. I don’t have many but I wanted to share the ones I do have because I have found them to be very helpful!
Cheers to the holiday season!