holidays – Page 3 – This Crazy Life of Mine

12
Dec
2013

Currently | December Edition

categories: book, cake in a cup, Carrie Underwood, Christmas, Crystal Beach, Daddy, daily mile, Frank Sinatra, half-marathon, holiday, Jingle Bikes For Kids, Katy Widrick, Milestones Sports Jewelry & Apparel, PR, running, sunset, The Daily Mel, The Sound of Music, Trish Doller, water, Where The Stars Still Shine, Women's Running Series

Happy Friday! I feel like the best way to end this crazy week is with this month’s Currently post!

Current book:

I just finished a wonderful book by an author who I have had the pleasure to meet, Trish Doller. If you are a fan of YA Lit and are looking for a good book, this is it. And if you are local here to Tampa Bay, you’ll enjoy it even more because it is set in Tarpon Springs!

Current music:

It’s December, so that means Christmas music. And while I love a wide variety of Christmas music – new, old, and in between, I am very sentimental about the Christmas music I grew up on. My dad loved Big Band music, so it was always Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and more…. Now more than ever, it just makes me smile to hear it. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but I would have to say this one….

“Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” by Frank Sinatra””

Current guilty pleasure:

Christmas movies. I can’t get enough of them. If the TV is on (and when is it not?!?!), there is a Christmas movie one. I love all the cheesy ones on the Hallmark channel, as well as the fun ones on ABC Family like Christmas Vacation or How The Grinch Stole Christmas. I will be sad when they go away in a couple weeks.

Current drink:

Water. I cut WAY back on coffee the last few weeks and I’m drinking enough water for two people. Plain, ice cold water is my favorite. I don’t like it warm, although I will drink it that way if I have to. I also like it with lemon, but other than that, I never add anything to it.

Current food:

The last couple of week’s I have enjoyed lunch with my mom at Jason’s Deli with my mom. They have the best tomato basil soup. I always get a cup of it with half a sandwich, roast beef on whole wheat with lettuce, tomato, mayo, and sliced avocado. It is so good and not too awful on points. It’s very filling too!

Current show:

Did you watch The Sound of Music, Live! last week? I DVR’d it and finally watched it. I loved watching the original movie growing up and I am not ashamed to admit that I love “My Favorite Things”. I also love Carrie Underwood, and I loved her version of the song on the live show. Did you watch it?

My Favorite Things–The Sound of Music, Live!

Current wish list:

I have my eye on this adorable Christmas ornament for our tree. I don’t have any running-related ornaments and I think it’s time I have one.

(Source: Milestones Sports Jewelry & Apparel)

Current triumphs:

Three weeks later, I am still riding high from my awesome PR at the Women’s Running Series Half Marathon. It will be awhile before I forget this one…

Current links:

DailyMile – I love this site to track the miles I log running or walking. It gives you a weekly total and at the end of the year, I get a total for the year. It’s always fun to look back at progress. If you are on DailyMile, add me as a friend!

The Daily Mel – Melissa is a fellow blogger and WW friend. She loves all things WW like I do and her blog is full of great information about the program and more. If you visit her blog, let her know I sent you!

Katy Widrick – Katy is a fellow blogger, runner, and all around cool girl. She has some pretty great content on her blog and her baby girl is too cute.

Current needs:

I always have a hard time answering this. I don’t’ really *need* anything. I would like to 2013 to end on a positive note, so I guess who could say I need that.

Current indulgence:

Four words…. Cake in a cup. Have you tried this yet? Holy yum, is it good. It feels like an indulgence because it’s so sweet and warm and delicious, but it’s only 4 Weight Watchers points plus value. And it takes 70 seconds to heat it up in the microwave. Hard to beat that!

Current outfit:

Absolutely, positively, without a doubt, the answer to this one is my little black dress I wore to the Christmas party this past Tuesday. I haven’t even put it in the closet yet – it’s hanging on the door where I can see it. I felt amazing in that dress, especially after realizing it was a size 6. I just love it….

Current excitement:

Today we are dropping off bikes for Toys For Tots as part of our Jingle Bikes With Kids program my husband and I started last year. I believe we have 12 bikes this year. It makes me so happy to know that 12 little kiddos will get a brand new bike. I remember how much I loved my bike when I was little.

Current mood:

December is a hard month, no way around it. This year, I am having a little harder time getting into the holiday spirit. I just miss my dad. But we enjoyed a gorgeous sunset on the 4th in honor of him. I know he’s with me always, but I feel it most when I’m standing by the water and looking at a sunset like this….

What are you currently enjoying? Share!

28
Nov
2013

Happy Thanksgiving!

categories: 2013, holiday, holidays, Thanksgiving

Wishing you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving.

xoxo

Nanci

20
Oct
2013

Jingle Bikes For Kids 2013

categories: bikes, charity, Daddy, giving, holidays, hubby, Jingle Bikes For Kids, Toys For Tots

jingle bikes fb cover EDIT 3

Last year, our hearts were touched after my post about helping for the holidays. In memory of my dad, we set out to donate bikes to children in need. My dad was the ultimate family man and he loved nothing more than taking care of his family, as well as helping a child in need. A little behind the scenes of how we came up with this wonderful idea…

About 10 years ago, my dad did something that would not shock anyone that knew him. My dad was the definition of “family man” and he loved nothing more than a happy child during the holidays. One particular Christmas, my dad was at Wal-Mart and saw Toys For Tots outside. He wanted to buy a toy and make a donation. While in the toy department, he overheard a little boy asking his parents for a bike and they said they could not get one that year. My dad, being the generous man that he was, did something wonderful. He offered to buy the bike for the parents to give to the little boy, and they accepted, very much overwhelmed by his generosity. If that doesn’t make you smile, I don’t know what will. And, that is a glimpse into the person that my dad was.

Here are my posts from last year about donating bikes…

We had a total of 12 bikes and helmets donated last year. It was a wonderful thing to deliver those bikes to the Distribution Center and know they would end up in the hands of a child who was in need.

bikes loaded

This year, we are hoping to be able to donate more bikes to Toys For Tots. It was about this time last year that my husband and I went to Wal-Mart and put two bikes and helmets on layaway. We are doing the same this year. We would love to be able to have more than 2 bikes to donate again this year.

If you are interested in donating a bike and helmet, please contact me at crazylifeofmineblog@gmail.com. We also have a Facebook page.

01
Jan
2013

Goodbye 2012!

categories: 2013, family, friends, holidays, hubby, New Years

The last day of 2012 was spent working a few hours (while the whole time I wondered WHY I was even bothering to work as it seemed no one else was. So, I took off at 11:00 and went to Barnes & Noble where it seems all of Clearwater was. That’s more like it! I picked up my new Anne Taintor calendar for 2013. I’ve been buying her calendars for as long as I can remember. I love the retro, snarky attitude of the calendar. As it typical for me, I wait till after Christmas when it goes on clearance. The problem is, when I went to pick up my calendar, I ended up also leaving with 4 books and a weekly planner. That wasn’t my plan, but when I walked in the store I couldn’t help myself. Regardless of the $60 I spent, I did get a great deal on everything. One of the books I’ve had my eye on for awhile, three Stephen King novels on one and it was half off.

After I left the book store, I finally stopped by the yoga studio I’ll be going to starting on Sunday. Back in July, I bought a deal on Living Social for 10 yoga classes for a great deal. Then my sciatica happened and then before I knew it, it expired. Not one to let $50 go to waste, I called the main studio and asked if there was a way to still use my voucher, except I didn’t want to have to drive to Tampa. She suggested I called the new owners of the new studio, Yoga365, and explain my situation and she felt they would honor it. And she was right. I am thankful to the new owners for honoring my voucher. I spoke to both of them yesterday and they were very welcoming. Since I have never taken a hot yoga class, they suggested I take their intro workshop class on Sunday. So that’s where I’ll be this Sunday!

Since it’s a rare occasion that hubby and I get home early on a “work” day, we decided to take advantage of it and take Blue and Ozzie to the park. It was a beautiful afternoon. There were a lot of families there with kiddos on bikes. I bet they were Christmas presents! Blue and Ozzie were ecstatic to be there. Can you tell?

Dinner was the highlight of the day… We went to Kobe’s Japanese Steakhouse which is always delicious. We invited my mom, Nick, Jenna, Autumn, and our friend Rachel. Rachel plays paintball with hubby and this was actually the first time her and I met but I already thought she was a fabulous. I helped her out with a prank on another player so she gave me a beautiful ladybug wind chime. The evening was full of good food, good company, and laughter. A great end to 2012!

As is typical in my world, I was asleep before the ball dropped. I can’t remember that last time I was actually awake at midnight on New Years. I was pretty happy to wake up to a new year, though. 2012 was quite challenging and I am looking to a fresh start and a clean slate. There is so much I want to do this year and right now, the first morning of 2013, it all seems possible.

Happy New Year!

I hope you all have a fabulous 2013!!!!

How did you spend your New Years Eve? Do you make resolutions for the new year?

30
Dec
2012

Favorite posts of 2012

categories: 2012, 3 Day, Autumn, blog, blog land, CFLBlogCon, Christmas, Cole, Cooper, Daddy, Daughtry, event, family, fertility, friend, Gasparilla Distance Classic, Gretchen Powell, grief, half-marathon, happiness, happy, holidays, hubby, infertility, Jenna, loss, love, Mommy, MTG Reviews, mud run, New Years, Pretty Muddy Mud Run, race, rock 'n roll half-marathon, run, TBLB, TFTM, Thanks For The Mammories, walk, women's half-marathon

As 2012 comes to an end tonight and we welcome 2013, I am thinking about this year and all the things I accomplished. 2012 has definitely been the year of stepping outside of my comfort zone. I’ve done so many things that I normally would not do. I hope that I continue to face my fears head-on in 2013.

To finish out the year, I thought I’d do a list of my favorite posts of the year. This was really tough to narrow down and I’m probably forgetting something, but these posts meant the most to me. From completing not one but TWO half-marathons, meeting the wonderful women of Tampa Bay Lady Bloggers, my first blog conference, becoming Yelp Elite, starting Jingle Bikes For Kids, wonderful family time, along with several struggles I faced – it’s been a memorable year. I hope you enjoy this look back with me…

I love my blog and I really look forward to continuing to blog in 2013 and to see how it grows. I would like to thank each and every one of you for following and showing interest in my babbling. It helps to keep me sane.

Wishing you all a SAFE and Happy New Year!!

Tag: holidays