Well, Christmas was a success. All the decorations were taken down mid-afternoon on Christmas day. I get that from my mom. I remember the tree was always taken down and out the door before noon and the winter wonderland that had once been was packed up in the garage for next year. It was really nice being home this year considering we spent last Christmas in Hawaii away from everyone. There was a lot of family gathering and by the end of the day the hubby and I were completely worn out. We had to get creative with the Christmas décor considering we were starting from square one. Luckily I picked up some ornaments the day after Christmas for next year. This really confused Dustin. He couldn't understand why on Earth I was buying stuff for next year already. He has no concept of Christmas sales and shopping.

it's been a hot minute

Where on Earth has the time gone? In between work, Christmas decorating, Christmas shopping, wrapping and the multitude of all other things jolly, and not to mention just being plain lazy, I haven't had a chance to catch up. The house is finally half decorated, which is better than I had expected.Presents are purchased and half wrapped and Christmas day festivites are planned accordiningly. I'm even a month ahead on my paperwork for work. This is the last week of work until the the new year rolls in and I can't wait. I have recently found that I am addicted to thrift shopping. No, not the hipster Macklemore kind of shopping. I've tried on your grandad's clothes and I look more like a bag woman than incredible. I'm talking the, "Hey! I just snagged a pair of BKE jeans for 50 cents!" kind of bargain hunting. I plan to spend most of my break spending my hard earned money on other people's hand me downs. I'm not afraid to admit this.

pint-sized punishment

Sweet. Baby. Jesus. That's really the only words I have to explain how I feel after what I assumed would be a less than challenging class at my gym. I would like to think I am somewhat athletic. I've played sports most of my life and try to work out regularly so I thought there would be no problem joining the kickboxing class. Boy, was I wrong. I walk into the class to see a petite blond woman, roughly in her 40s, decked out in cute workout gear and a bubbly personality to match. She had me fooled. What I assumed was a small, fragile woman who would work me through a few punches and jabs turned into be a lean, mean, killing machine. (She methodically hid her huge cannon arms until midway through the class.) As I was putting on my gloves I noticed I was the only person in the class. This should have been my first red flag. The others were probably lying somewhere, passed out from their first session with my pint-sized drill instructor. She then put on a microphone and spoke as if the class was filled to capacity. About five minutes into the warm-up I was red faced and panting, wondering what I had got myself into. Thirty minutes in I was slowly fading in and out of consciousness. Determined not to quit for fear of her yelling at me through her microphone headset, I kept pushing through. What were once forceful jabs were now pathetic taps. On a few occasions I actually grabbed the bag and hung on for fear of face planting. Once I got home I grunted and whined, professing that I couldn't stand up, even to cook dinner. After walking my husband through the proper way to make tacos, I had slowly begun to feel like my old self again. Things were returning to normal, the color of my face, the tingling sensation in my quads, my heartbeat, all started to cease. If I have taken anything away from this, it's to never again assume I'm good at something. Also, never trust a small instructor.

and in the beginning...

I'm aware that there should be a point to this. I've read my fair share of blogs. Blogs about health and fitness and how I am lacking in both, blogs about making delicious looking family meals while gathering around a rustic table after a hard day's work, blogs about current fashion trends showcasing clothes I will never in my lifetime be able to afford. The list goes on and on. Then, there's this blog. With no real direction I venture blind into the world wide web, tracking my thoughts and dreams I suppose. I would like to think my day to day is fairly low-key. No real dramatic issues that are "blog worthy". Well, none including myself, but who am I to air out one's dirty laundry. So as I sit contemplating the main focus of this online diary, it hits me. Everything. I will focus on everything, and nothing at all at the same time. I have a recipe or two up my sleeve, I've been known to workout and occasionally eat a salad or two. I would like to think I'm fairly crafting in some respects. So, why the hell not? Why not just write about what pops into this little head of mine? And so it begins...