[Vickie]

Mery Christmas Everyone! Here's our final chat thread for 2006.

I recommit to Core.

[ontarget]

thank you for starting this thread, vickie. we're still up. it's been a long but glorious day.

[Vickie]

Good Merry Christmas Morning Chicks! I cannot believe that after all the weeks and months of thought and preparation the day has finally arrived! I'm looking forward to spending the afternoon and evening with my family and my Great Nieces and Nephews at my Sister's house. I hope my family enjoys the presents that I selected for them. I'll take plenty of pictures. There's no snow here but we don't mind. It will make travel easier. Jim has to drive home by himself after dinner to take care of Cassie and then come back.

I also hope, Frouf, that your Hannukah celebration was all that you hoped it would be. Did I ever tell you that I'm very drawn to the Star of David? I think it's beautiful. I'm also very drawn to cobalt blue. I have all kinds of cobalt blue in my kitchen. The first year we were dating, Jim bought me a present and had it wrapped at a local store. He wanted the package to look beautiful because he doesn't wrap well at all. He's actually gotten better over the years. He selected the most beautiful paper for me....cobalt blue and silver. Yep...Hannukah paper! It's still one of the best presents I ever got from him!

I wanted to sleep until at least 8:00 but Jim woke me up when he got up at 6:30. I'll be tired later but that's ok. I told him I'd make him eggs, bacon and toast for lunch before we go. My Sister is making pork roast and stuffing which aren't his favorites. I might have a piece or two of bacon myself. I haven't had any in a long while. I also have to assemble the cookie tray to take to my Sister's house so that will take a while.

I hope you all have a wonderful day surround by love!

[Tejas]

We are having a slow day. DH made breakfast, so forget anything Core! I've been eating fruit and drinking water, waiting for the standing rib roast treat tonight. I'll do OK with dinner and will just have a sliver of pie. I don't even really like it that much so it's not much of an effort to avoid it.

As I had said, we're having a modest Christmas, following the wedding and honeymoon extravangza. I received a new rendition of a pink Princess telephone like I had as a teenager and I gave some $$$ toward the highly desired Bose headphones (it's going to be a while before we get those! whew, they're pricey!).

I'm looking forward to the friendship around the dinner table and hope my perfectionist friend won't mind that the crust on the pie isn't her usual picture perfect!

We got the best present of all. We're expecting the second grandbaby The first one is 14 months old and the second one is due in August! Hooray!!

Merry Christmas and Happy Hannukah everyone.

Rhonda

[ontarget]

hi there. we're home from curtis' daughter's. we had a great time visiting and doing the normal holiday activities. i ate all right but my jeans are tight so i'm now in sweats. well, maybe i didn't eat as well as i'd thoughtg. oh, well, it's christmas.

vickie, i love cobalt blue, too. so does curtis' daughter. her kitchen carries the theme throughout.

rhonda, this is exciting news. i'm going to get another relative! tell doyle congratulations on being grandpa again.

have a great evening, everyone. i'll see ya tomorrow.

[Vickie]

I just got home and I'm dead tired. I did terrible today. I'll try to be better tomorrow. I have my big party starting at noon. I'm guessing I won't be around until later.

[Tejas]

Vickie, "tomorrow is another day." You know, Chickies, I lied! I said that I didn't care much for that apple/pear/cranberry pie. Oh my it was good. I did stay with just a sliver, but WHAT a sliver!

I'll join Vickie and be better tomorrow.

Night all! Hope Santa was good to you

[Froufy]

Merry xmas!

I am home - bloated and in pain - yes I ate too muc - sil made coffee after dinner (which I couldn't refuse) and I drank it despite being full (and it wasn't that good) - had a big turkey dinner and dessert too - tomorrow shall be a day of holding back I guess?

Rhonda - ohmy I am reminded of my beige princess phone I had as a teenager back home - and yes it got a LOT of use in those days! Enjoy it - and congrats on the new grandbaby.

Vickie - I also love the silver/blue color mix - so very pretty (and I still find it hard to find hanukah paper around here!). Hope you are truly enjoying the Wicked soundtrack - I love it to death!

I am 'scented' w/exotic pleasures by the way - shower gel, body lotion and spray cologne! yummy

As for our 'celebrations' - I am still a bit overwhelmed and yes, slightly disgusted at the 'gift extravaganza' going on at my sil's house - so much so that I think next year we shall bow out! We all get a token gift (got an M&M - frozen food store gift card $50, ds got sweater, dd got a watch, and little ds got a couple of games) - poor little ds had a 'talking too' during the night as he started frowning and saying that he 'only got 3 things" - as those around him got lots and lots and lots of expensive gifts! Little Jackson who is turning 1 on Friday got every electronic toy imaginable - talking teddy bear, dancing dog, a rocking horse/riding toy, baby leap frog w/extra casettes, tons of clothes - and other toys! Is this normal? I have very little experience w/xmas gift giving - but truly no 'religious' component at all - just a frenzy of paper ripping!

And since 1 grandson/my great nephew was away yesterday he opened his gifts tonight - 11 years old - got a personal nintendo system, clothing, games, other electronic gadgets! I guess it's now normal for kids to have their own computers, phones and tv's in their rooms (as he does) altho I have not allowed this for my kids (altho big ds did get his own laptop when he started university). Maybe I am being a grinch? I just think one or two well thought out gifts (not necessarily expensive gifts) are okay - but no spirit of the true meaning of the holiday was evident here?

We also actually opened presents this morning from Hanuka Harry and Santa - dd got her digital camera, ds got a hoodie he wanted and a chapters gift card and we gave little ds his train set. Big ds got everyone gifts as well: I got a set of rodgers & hammerstein dvd musical movies, and a Nylons cd, little ds got a laster tag game, hockey net and dvd movie, and dd got the Magic bullet she was hankering over for a long time! Dh got a genesis dvd and peter sellers movie dvd.

I am still in pain from eating too much!

Froufie

[Vickie]

Good Morning Chicks! I can't stay....I'm having one cup of coffee and then I have to go make my cooking plan. I think the ham has to go into the oven at 10:00 and I haven't eaten breakfast yet. The scale is up 2 pounds this morning so I hope to rein myself in today.

Have a great day! I'll be back when I can.

[Tejas]

Good Morning:

It's "Boxing Day" here in Canada, a tradition from Canada's British traditions. There is some disagreement about what it meant originally: was it the day the left overs were boxed for the household help? the day the poor received boxes from the wealthy? the day goods were returned to store in boxes? Whatever its origins, it is the day of shopping madness out there with sale prices which help you realize how overpriced things normally are. I understand that if the retailers don't make money now they don't make money for the year.

Well, Froufy, the consumerism of Christmas has been a topic of discussion for as long as I can remember. My parents came from humble origins and my Mother told me her best Christmas as a child was when she received doll clothes made by her Mother from flour sacks and an orange.

My family always made certain that we received a few nice gifts, but the focus was on surprising someone you loved with a special gift and having a great meal together. My poor Daddy was never surprised: I always gave him Old Spice after shave lotion!

Today, I am going to relish the quiet, clean my house and eat properly. And, I'm going to take long walks with the dogs this morning. It is grey and completely overcast here today

Rhonda

[aghiowa]

Frouf,
We intentionally keep the "gifting" modest. My kids always get socks and underwear (it has become somewhat of a joke), and books. This year I also got them paints, crayons, markers and paper, and a few computer games (they share them) and a some little stocking stuffer things. I don't like going into debt for gifts, and I don't like having my children expect huge gifts. That's not what it's all about. They're happy, because they don't know any better, and they really enjoy the time with the family. We spent the day with brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, Grandma and Grandpa. It was very nice, and that's what they'll remember.

I'm happy though, that we get to rest today. My girls have gone to bed late and gotten up too early days in a row here, and it's time to slow down.

I did pretty well with eating yesterday. It helps to have my mom and sister on the Core plan with me. We had turkey and ham sandwiches yesterday, fruit salad, veggie relish etc. And for dinner, spaghetti made with ww pasta, and green beans. I probably at a little more than I should have, but it was nothing horrible for me.

Angela

[blessedwithsarah]

Hello all, I hope everyone had a joyous Christmas day. We had a wonderful day yesterday - Sarah actually slept untill 7am and by 9 she was done opening presents. We didn't go overboard, it took so long since she wanted each toy opened so she could play with it. She was sick Friday night and Saturday with a fever. Sunday we kept close to home, just went to church services. Yesterday she was better, now its a bad cold. The afternoon was spent at my MILs.

Food wise - my house is now core. I brought all the rest of the goodies to MILs and left them there. Did a major clean out of the fridge this morning - anything DH would not eat that was not core is gone. I've pulled out my WW materials and started a new notebook where I'm writing everything down, including my water. WW at work officially starts on 1/10. I must be below 180 -- its a mental thing with me, thats where I was the last time I weighed in officially (which was before Halloween!).

Sarah is now sleeping - coughing as well, but sleeping. My house is also CLEAN -- I vacuumed and washed the kitchen floor, organized the mess in the living room, cleaned and deodorized the living room and dining room rugs and vaccuumed everywhere. Now I'll have a salad and tuna and do bills.

Take care all - I'm off to read some old postings.

[ontarget]

hey there, chickies. it's a wonderful yet foggy tuesday here in big sky country. curtis and i are back on plan now. he's going to do the treadmill and i'm going to w a in a bit. life is good.

rhonda, we're having a day like you. don't you love it? i do.

vickie, i'm not worried about you. enjoy yourself. tomorrow will be here in just a few hours. you'll do well. i'm always amazed at your core recipes and your deidication.

paula, kudos, girl! what a great display of willpower ridding your home of non-core treats.

i am going to go start a thread of "after the holiday plans." i hope you all come join me.

[Vickie]

Ohhhh....I was no where near plan! I got rid of everything. I'll be back on the wagon tomorrow. I shall need much sugar and white flour detoxing. Sandra, I need a plan. New Year's will be no problem for me.

My party was a HUGE success and everyone loved the food and desserts. I'm SO tired. I'm off to lay on the couch. Being a hostess in hard work. Now I remember why I always take a hostess gift when I'm invited out.

I'll be back in the morning.

[Tejas]

Vickie, you are so right about being a hostess. But, I really miss being able to have big parties. My house is too small for entertaining more than a few people at a time. I still manage to get agitated and tired though!

Yes, Sandra, these are really good days. I've joined your other thread with a to indicate eating on program. I left the house to go to the sports club today and didn't actually get there. I found all kinds of excuses. Maybe the new thread will get me motivated. Accountability is very good!

I'm signing off for tonight. I'm at the cleaning stage in the bedroom where everything is on the bed. I've got to do more work if I plan for us to have a place to sleep tonight and not have to get a hotel room!

Rhonda