Asthma.. I hate you

I am tired of my body being a drama queen about allergens. You want attention drama queen? Then stop freaking out about little irritants and we'll work out more. Working out more we can ditch the weight we packed on from the multiple steroid treatments from the drama queen episodes. 

I wasn't diagnosed with exercise and allergy induced asthma until my teens. As a teen it rarely bothered me at all. I kept my inhaler for the 4-5 times a year I had an issue. I usually only needed it on days the PE teacher made us run the field when it was windy and full pollen season for pine trees. You could watch the clouds of pollen bursting off the trees as the wind hit them.

As I have gotten older and had more children my asthma has become a lot easier to trigger. I've never needed asthma maintenance medication before.  I am now on my second trial of medicine types. The unpredictable periods I got from taking Advair made me hate life as well as anemic. Getting your period every 4-5 days will do that to a woman. My doctor switched me to Singular pills and Qvar inhaler.  The Singular puts me to sleep within an hour of taking it. I can deal with going to sleep after taking my pills. The problem now is that the Qvar makes me have an asthma attack every time I use it. I am prescribed to take two puffs of Qvar twice a day.  Being that dependent on rescue treatments puts me back into the category of having uncontrolled asthma again.  Plus they have done nothing for me when I get triggered in the middle of the day.  Sitting in church if a woman with a strong flowery perfume sits too close, then I start wheezing. 

I really need to make another appointment, but I hate the whole doctor's office experience.  Sitting in the waiting room and wondering what illness is lurking on the chairs.  Last time my kids went to the pediatrician for shots we left with the stomach flu. I mostly hate going to the doctor as I am always afraid they are going to want to give me a shot or draw some blood. I REALLY hate needles.

Time to put on my big girl panties and just do it.  I really miss working out and with my asthma as bad as it is I can't even make it through the warm ups.

It's not Cancer!

I spent the summer just enjoying my family. My recent cancer scare made me take time to enjoy the moments I had with my kids. I was grateful all I experienced was a scare.  There are so many families who cancer is their scary reality.

I went to my doctor appointment only to have the doctor chew me out for not getting it checked sooner. The doctor even told me that it looked like cancer. (I didn't tell any of my family members this as it was scary to hear that.) I waited in silence for two more weeks. Then one morning I got the phone call.  My results were in and it was a non cancerous growth.  I admit, I cried.

After experiencing that scare I want to spend the summer with my kids. My oldest daughter is turning 18 in the Spring and entering her Senior year. My youngest enters kindergarten in the Fall of 2017. The cancer scare made me realize that time is passing far quicker than I want. I need to step away from everything and just enjoyed being a mom for some time.

In some ways this scare was draining but also a wake up call to do more things that fulfill us as a family.  It has made me more grateful for the moments when they are driving me crazy. When the toy boxes upended with toys spread everywhere or music blaring with a single song on repeat; I remind myself there is a mom somewhere that would give anything to have this moment again.  

Mom Not Taking Care of Herself

As a mom I don't pay enough attention to my own health.  It was brought to my attention by my doctor that in 10 years I've seen a primary care doctor only two times.  All my other medical care has been pregnancy related in that time frame.

Now for the scary part of this blog post.  I have two questionable spots on my skin, one is a pinkish spot on my chest with a raised border and the other is a brown flaky spot on my arm.  After forcing myself to go to the doctor for my asthma I got a referral for a Dermatologist to check out this spot.(overpriced HMO hoop jumping)  I've had this spot for far longer than I should admit to, all while mostly ignoring it broken up by moments of panic during middle of the night hours when I can do nothing about it. (insomnia)

I don't know what the spot really is and google is not my friend. Skin Cancer! Just reading that possibility made me think back on all the many times I got a sunburn.  Living in Las Vegas for most of my life, I mostly ignored my skin as a kid. As I got older I applied sunscreen constantly.  It may not have been enough with the damage may have already been done.
As parents we need to impress upon our children the need to wear sunscreen and not just when we apply it for the pool like I was taught. It needs to be a healthy habit, just like brushing your teeth.

I finally made the appointment to see a dermatologist about the spot. The appointment is not for 3 weeks though.  With the end of the school year upon us I really struggle with making time for me. With only 2 weeks left in school my kids are starting to feel the struggle to pay attention and stay on task.

Math Work Sheets

Ever wonder what the overachiever in school did on school break?  I can tell you as I was that kid who always had the answer or ruined the curve by scoring 98% on a test. As a kid I used to play school forcing my little sister to do math problems over the summer. I used to painstakingly write out worksheets for her to complete and then grade them.

My sister should be grateful that we grew up in a time without the Internet and access to websites with printable worksheets. The papers would have been flying!

I was introduced to a great math worksheet website.  www.DadsWorksheets.com
Unlike many printable websites EVERYTHING is FREE.

I am going to be spending a lot of time this summer on this website. No summer learning loss allowed here.  The average child 2.6 months of Math skills are lost during the summer. Only 2 to 3 hours a week in the summer are needed to prevent this summer skill loss. My family is going to use Dad Worksheets to prevent the loss and help us get ahead before the next school year.

Most websites are very focused on a specific learning age.  Dad Worksheets covers a vast set of math skills. There are worksheets from preschool to high school. My teenagers will not be safe from doing worksheets this summer along side their younger siblings.

We will be focusing on the foundation skills to strengthen their Math ability. With Dad Worksheets I will be spending less time looking for worksheets and more time working with my kids.

New Treatment for my Asthma

Warning!! This post has TMI  You were warned.
Recently I went back to the doctors for a new medicine to help manage my asthma. I loved how Advair helped kick my attacks out of my life.  The problem was the random bleeding.

There were times that in the middle of my cycle with no reason to bleed I would have horrible bleeding during sex.  Talk about a mood ruining freak out moment.  Kinda kills your sex life when you fear bleeding horrifically in the middle of it.

I ended up telling my doctor this during what is called a group visit.  You and 10 other people sit in a room and the doctor rolls around doing simple stuff. Things like referrals, Doctor notes, medications.  It's was great not having to put the horrible paper gown on. I felt like I got more care during this appointment than one where they have made me strip down and sit in a room alone.

Back to my new medicine.  I am now on Singulair and Qvar. Oh boy!  The Singulair leaves me sluggish and loopy for a few hours. It usually takes me about 6 hours to feel human again. I can deal with that side effect and adjust my time I take it. My asthma is improving!! My first night in months not waking up in the middle of the night with an asthma attack was the very first night I took it.

Fire Kid's Edition Review

I was not paid for this review or reimbursed/rewarded in any way. I am just sharing my opinion about a product I have purchased.

I bought a Kindle Fire Kid's edition for, Nadia, my 9 year old daughter.  This was purchased to replace the Nabi that was broken and unable to be replaced due to the fact that the serial number sticker wore off. My absolute favorite thing about this Fire is that there is a 2 year no questions asked replacement policy.  That means I wouldn't have had to explain any insane way my child may break it. Like the time one of them peed on a tablet... don't ask. Chalk that one up to the dangers of potty training.

I love how easy it was to set up controls to make my child read before being allowed to play. Not that she needs to be forced to read, but some days she needs the nudge to get her reading time done before playing. The parental controls can limit screen time hours as well. As a parent you can also set bed and wake times, leaving the tablet unusable after hours. You can set two different limit settings for weekdays and weekends.

I will be signing up for the Amazon Free Time Unlimited access to continue after our one year of free Amazon Free Time service is up. The access to kids books and videos, just kid's content, is worth the small cost to me. (Less than I pay for Netflix)

At only $99 (when I purchased) this tablet was much cheaper than an Ipad. It has much better kid mode function than the Ipad as well.  Now I can have my Ipad back, just as soon as I get the other two Fire Kid's Editions for my youngest children as well.

Out of control Asthma

I really need to go to the doctors for myself.  My asthma is not under control at all. It's hard to take time for me with so much going on in my life though.  As a mom to 5 kids I don't take good enough care of myself. 

We have had two bouts of croup in 2 months. Plus stitches in one chin. Then all three youngest have been sick with puking. Since going back to church regularly my kids have been sick a lot. I wish people would keep their outbreak monkeys at home. On top of medical emergencies we are moving soon. 

I need to find new options for my asthma treatment. I tried using Advair for my asthma but the side effects were bad.  It's not fun to have random bleeding as if menstruating every week. I need to see my doctor and find out other options to get my asthma under control. I'm back to using my breathing treatments multiple times a day. 

Welcome to 2016!

Happy New Year!

I hope this year is one of big positive changes for my family and yours as well.




As with every year, as family we are going to make resolutions for the year.

The 4 topics I encourage my family to make one resolutions each in are:
Health
Spiritual
Education
Personal

We will write our resolutions down on a big sheet of paper. Make sure to include smaller steps to help make the achievable. Then this will be hung where we can see it every day.

Kinda like a Mislabeled VHS

One night my husband and I were browsing through our recorded shows on DVR for something to watch.  We had recorded what we thought was an Ultimate Fighting Championship on FX.  As we attempt to cue it up to the fights we slowly discover that it wasn't what it was labeled on the channel guide.  Instead of Mixed Martial Arts Fighters competing in UFC we were watching oil drillers being shot into space to battle a meteor in the movie Armageddon.  I was disappointed.


My husband turned to me with a grin and said "It's kinda like finding a mislabeled VHS from our childhood." It made me giggle.  Then I thought how my younger children may never know what a VHS is because I prefer digital content to hard copies now.  After the kids broke our last VHS player by cramming it full of DVDs it was the end of VHS in this house.  In fact they watch Netflix and Amazon Instant video more than DVDs. For the sake of keeping our DVDs in a playable condition the kids have to ask for a DVD to play as they are all put up away from them.

New Scentsy Fall Winter Catalog for 2015

Scentsy has released a new Fall Winter Catalog!
Yes, I am a total addict for these products.  It's a big part of why I became a consultant in the first place.

Now Scentsy has found ways to include some of my favorite scents in new ways throughout my home.  From new beautiful warmers, wax scents, a whole new personal scent line, the very new Oil Diffusers and much more. 

Come check out all the new catalog has to offer.  You will be glad you did.   

My Website: Utopian Scents 

Where was I on 9/11?

My parents have the moment crystallized in their minds of knowing where they were when JFK was shot.  Everyone of my generation remembers where they were at the moment of the WTC attack.
I was living in Tennessee far from my family in Las Vegas just like any normal day at the time, at home with my oldest two playing around and watching a movie.  My husband called and told me to turn on the news.   It was just after the first plane had hit.  I was watching the live feed as the second plane hit the towers.

I remember watching the towers fall and crying out for all those people. Praying for those people in the area.  I was frozen in horror.  All I could think about was all those families who were going to be directly effected by this tragedy.  How would our nation recover from this? I was frozen attached to that screen for what felt like hours but in reality was much shorter.  What snapped me out of my fog of horror was seeing my kids looking at the screen in fear.  I hurriedly turned the TV off and got down with them to say a prayer for all those people.  

I spent far too many hours watching the news about that day over and over for the next weeks and months.  After seeing the looks of fear on their young faces on that first day I vowed not to turn on the news while they were awake.  At only 1 and 2 years old they didn't really understand what they were seeing but they understood my reaction of horrified terror.  I spent a lot of time praying.

On the anniversary of this terror attack every year I pray this is something our world in the future will not experience again.  I pray my children and grand children will have a world where such extremist acts will not be glorified.  I pray for all those affected by that day.

Family History

In the last few months I have been doing a lot of work on Family History.  It all started when I was given a copy of my grandfather's journal.  I read every page.  My grandfather passed away when I was only 4 years old. I never got to know him.  My memories before were all vague and fuzzy.  Most often they were associated with the smell of bread or something sweet baking. Being a baker he always smelled of baked goods.

Through his journal I got to know my grandfather as a young boy in England.  I learned that as he was growing up he was teased for his short stature, which resulted in him getting in fights.  I got to learn about my great grandfather.  This journal was a window into the past.  It made me vow to write my own personal history for my own grandchildren to one day read.  Retell the stories of my past so i will become more than a name to my descendants.  I would become someone that they could picture themselves being friends with on the playground.

I am lucky to live in a digital age where I can use the computer to track and write out my family tree.  I was suprised to learn that many people don't know about the website Family Search that is completely free to everyone to do family history work.  It is a website ran by the LDS church but they share it freely with all people regardless of religious affiliation.  No need to pay for one of the many family history research sites when you can use Family Search for free.

First week of school the virtual way

Last week was our first week of school.  My kids don't have a traditional school day.  We don't technically home school,  but we also aren't in traditional public school.  We use a virtual school.
Our virtual school is technically a public charter school, so we are required to do state testing and keep track of attendance.
We started our virtual school experience 5 years after a horrific bullying experience with my oldest daughter. One day I'll be able to write about it. I still shake thinking how much of the personality of my outgoing cheerful daughter we lost due to that experience. It took over 5 years to see her really begin to come out of her shell again.

We began our journey with K12 Inc. It was great. Then more and more changes happened within our own charter school that made it not the best place for my kids to learn.  I still love the curriculum of K-12 Inc.  Their History program is AMAZING in the way it teaches many cultures and belief systems instead of whitewashing all mentions of any religion.  Countries were formed and kings crowned due to religions.

With 3 children in the K-12 program it was not easy for me as their learning coach to keep track of all their work.  I had to go to multiple places just to get the grades and work for one child. Checking their work due dates and grade books took over 45 minutes due to all the many pages I had to navigate to get to them.  I am a computer savvy person and I would get frustrated dealing with it. This is one place that Connections Academy is really excelling.

With Connections Academy everything is laid out for me easily on the front page of my parent profile.   I can see all assignments that are past due, tests I need to check and a reminder for attendance all on my To Do list.  Connections gave me the ability to run a Family Calendar so I don't have to set birthdays and other events multiple times over multiple schedules. Yet at the same time I can set up separate schedules for each child.      

Every charter school is different within each program. Every family has different challenges and needs.  I love having virtual school as an option for my family.  I have been able to be more active in my kids' schooling and watch them really excel. With the virtual model learning is done in many styles so that all students get a chance to catch on.  It really helped my oldest two with their very different learning styles.

My only regret is not making the change sooner.  You can still ask questions and even join at some school even if the school year has started.  Contact K-12 Inc or Connections Academy today to find what would fit your family's needs or is available in your area.

New School Year

We are now preparing for the school year to start.  This year 4 of our 5 kids will be in school.  We are still doing Virtual School as our local school district is still pretty horrible.  I like being able to be more involved in my kids' schooling.  I tried to be active when they were in brick and mortar school but got pushed further and further out. There was the time I was told I could only volunteer if it wasn't in my own child's classroom but in another teacher's class instead.  How is that supporting my child's teacher to do her job more easily?

I eventually did volunteer to help with sight word intervention for 4 days a week. Then they took away funding and canceled the program.  Many programs got cut that were supported mostly by volunteers and funding moved into more and more ELL classes. (English Language Learner)  I don't have a grudge against kids needing to learn our language, but don't take from the ones who do know the language but struggle to read. Reading Improvement Programs were cut and so many other like programs to make way for more ELL classes.  It made me feel like my children who were born here in this city were considered second class citizens because their funding was cut left and right.  I had one child who needed these reading programs and they were cut while she was in them.

This year we made a move from Nevada Virtual Academy after 4 years with them.  It had started out as a great choice for my family and through the years many changes sucked the life from the program.  The changes made took away all that was good in the beginning. Their high school program was not what we had signed up for. It had changed and evolved into something that did not work.  I was not raising circus dogs that were being made to jump through more and more hoops eventually flaming. The school's idea of intervention was making my child travel 30 minutes one way for intervention classes with 20 or more students in it. How is 20 other students in a class intervention?  What kind of one on one time is that? They did nothing throughout the year to intervene when my oldest was struggling with a class.
When we had trouble with a teacher we were lied to about be able to switch her class. The teacher was a bully. Yes, teachers can be bullies too. They are only human.  By the time we had finally been able to get her switched my oldest shut down and withdrew into herself.  It is how she reacted to school after being horribly bullied before.(circled on the playground by and kicked repeatedly while she was curled up on the ground.) When faced with bullies that she doesn't feel like she can fairly fight back she turtles up in her "shell" and stops interacting to her fullest.  Her schoolwork was suffering and the school said it was all on her just slacking off. They were adamant that a teacher can't be a bully and that my child was lazy.  I'm not the type of parent to say my kids can do no wrong, but teachers are not saints. Sometimes they hate a kid for no reason. Not all teachers are in it for the reward of teaching our future generations. Many should never be a teacher.  I know I couldn't teach kids other than my own.

Our new school Connections Academy is the one I debated joining after the first Virtual school was shut down for the principal defrauding the district. (Soap Opera) It has a great family scheduling section to keep everyone on the same page.  It has a awesome centralized page for me to easily check what each student needs to do and how they are progressing.  Compared to K12 it is like night and day.    

Busy Nutty Mom

Summer time used to mean relaxing and doing nothing.  Then I had kids.  Now it's just as bad as the rest of the year. With no school to do you would think the kids have ample time to clean up after themselves.  All the extra free time did was give them extra time to make even more creative messes.
I could provide the confetti for a parade with all the tiny scraps of paper they have created.
No one will admit how paint got on the couch pillow.  It's red paint so it looks like they were sacrificing things over summer break.  I'm ready to throw the pillow away after many attempts to clean it have failed, but then they would just move on to kill the remaining pillows.  Plus if you visit my house you will know I have kids or a tribe of feral savages. (depends on their moods)

Summer camp for the oldest two was only a week long but they are stereotypical girls so they packed for closer to two weeks.  We almost had the youngest fully potty trained while they were away. Then his sisters came back from camp and it's back to refusals and accidents. I'm almost ready to ship them off again so we can be done with diapers FINALLY.

My husband was out of work with a broken wrist. Only reason he was out of work was because his work does not allow him to do light duty for his job.  It's full work or nothing.  Luckily we were covered by AFLAC for the accident and he had plenty of sick leave and vacation time saved up. With our 5 kids and mini backyard zoo we never go on vacation anyway.  I spent the 5 weeks helping him with everything. A few times I got cranky at his helplessness. Any normal human would after watching him play video games for hours then say he couldn't make his own sandwich.  I ended up telling him he was starting to abuse the in sickness and in health portion of our vows. I didn't begrudge having to help him shower even though he always waited until I was ready to go to bed to choose to shower.  Even though there was times he drove me crazy with his extra chattiness while I tried to steal some quiet time to read, I miss him now that he is back at work.

I choose summer time to deep clean the house, because I'm nutty like that.  Old school books are packed up and shipped back. I have the kids clean out their closets and dressers to shed any clothing they don't fit into.  It seems insane while in the middle of it all, but once it's done it helps the school year start off easily.

Our chickens have kept me on my toes this summer. With heat waves threatening to kill them if they went broody, so I had to keep a small swimming pool ready for them to wade for cooling off.  The girls have all suddenly decided they are explorers and have taken to escaping their run and walking throughout the yard. They harvested a few of my tomatoes before I had a chance to get to them and before the summer heat scorched my whole garden.  

Recently one of our girls was discovered to have a hidden clutch of eggs.  We didn't even know she was laying yet.  My oldest found her hidden behind the duck house, sitting on 5 eggs! The little feathered stinker has been laying for almost a week with that big of a clutch hidden.  They were rotten as she wants nothing to do with our rooster.

Speaking of the Rooster.  The one we aren't technically supposed to have. (I hate legislation on my backyard due to jerks that pay to watch roosters fight)  Bubo recently learned how to crow.  Our guy seemed to think he was Chantecler from Rock-A-Doodle.  He was doing his best to crow up the sun every 5 minutes from 5am to 10am plus anytime the sun went behind a cloud.  He was quickly fitted with a homemade rooster collar to prevent his call from being so excessive. He can still eat and do all other rooster business, it just prevents him from crowing when fitted correctly.  The law around here state you can't have a crowing rooster, so technically he not a crowing rooster.  He's just a rooster.  This guy is much sweeter than our last one and so pretty with his white coloring. I'll try to get a picture of him. My husband is afraid to share his picture too much as he doesn't want any trouble for having him.

Summer is HERE!!

It's finally here. Summer time!! Ok not really that excited for it as that means my power bill is going to sky rocket from running our ancient a/c unit in the rental house we live in.  Plus my husband's schedule goes all crazy from school being out.  Why was I excited about summer?  Going to have to think about that one.

Oh yes! The teenagers that have invaded my home with snarky attitudes and bitchy hormones are going to summer camp.  YAY!! One whole week where their hormone roller coasters are someone else's problems.
Magnus is going to be sad when his Morgan leaves for a week, but will quickly figure out there is one less person telling him no around the house.  We jokingly refer to Morgan as Magnus' monkey handler. He picked her as his favorite person.  He calls her My Morgan.  He calls his oldest sister, Lauryn, Mean Morgan. No love lost there. One more good thing about a large family you don't have to like all your siblings. You have other options.

I am not looking forward to the triple digit heat that we have already gotten a few bitter tastes of already.  I am one of those people that prefer to be barefoot. Barefoot in a Vegas summer does not work. I end up scorching my feet a few times every year before I learn my lesson and wear shoes even while on my back patio.

Our poor chickens are not going to love the heat. Our egg production always suffers that first day of triple digit temperatures.  This year it was such a drastic change that we got not one single egg on that scorching day.  Our spoiled girls have access to a small swimming pool and tons of frozen treats.  I would love to add a mister but Las Vegas is in a drought.

Bicycle Accident

Yesterday on the way to work my husband was in a bike accident.  I actually found out on Facebook that it had happened. He said,"He didn't want to worry me."
::eye twitch::

In the very early morning of Tuesday 6/16/15, Dan was riding his bicycle to work.  He was doing everything he could to be safe. From taking a longer route to make use of our city's very limited bike lanes to always wearing his helmet and extra lights.  It didn't stop the accident.  Barely 10 oz of dog managed to ruin his summer.  As he is pedaling along in his designated lane this little dog darts around a parked car right in front of his bike. Dan swerves to narrowly miss the barking nuisance, only to end up airborne off his bike.  As soon as he was on the ground the dog slipped right back through the gate. The owners did not have their gate secured enough to prevent it from slipping out. The dog treated that gate like a dog door not a restraint.

Knowing he didn't want to be late he shrugged off the pains and finish his 4 mile ride to work. (just like a guy.. rub some dirt on it and move on)  He didn't realize just how badly he was hurt.  Being the only dependable provider of a paycheck in our family he tried to tough it out through his work day.  It was close to 3 hours later before a co-worker convinced him that his wrist looked really bad and that the pain and swelling were too much. His kind co-workers drove him and his bike home.


At the doctor's after much pulling of sore shoulder and poking of swollen wrist we learned he was really hurt.  There was soft tissue damage to his left shoulder from his shoulder popping out of socket and crashing back into place.  Plus he had a fracture to his right wrist.  He broke the long bone in his arm within and inch of the end.  It's called a Radius Distal fracture. We still do not know the extent of the break as the X-Rays are on a disc sealed in an envelope and I am honestly terrified to look. Dan and I will find out more tomorrow at the Orthopedic specialist.  Google has done enough damage/education on the many different types of breaks that this could be.  Plus all the varying things that could be needed for treatment.

Splinted while swelling goes down before Orthopedic Specialist appointment

We had mistakenly believed that were were covered by AFLAC in this situation.  Sadly they will give us a one time pay out for the injury but not for all the time he will be out of work recovering.  He may need to be out of work for 8 weeks or more.  Even with his sick leave and vacation time that will still not be enough.
He needs my help for most everything.  He can't even dress himself in elastic waist shorts or pajama pants without help.
Please visit my Scentsy Independent Consultant website and make a purchase. A portion of your purchase will be paid to us in commission the next month.

Thank you for any help you give our family at this time.

35 and Fat

I never wanted to be where I am right now.  35 and Fat.  My weight has been a roller coaster my whole adult life. I was only being able to get the weight off some of the time with my 5 pregnancies.  Those extra pounds added up.  I am now sitting unhappily at an unhealthy 204 pounds.

I let my asthma become an excuse not workout.  My weight climbed 40 lbs when I was just 15 pounds short of my goal weight not even 2 years ago.  I allowed myself to wallow in enormous portion sizes and inactivity.

With my asthma under better control it's time to take my body back.  I want to be a better example for my kids.  Healthy Mom = Healthy Family.

There are changes that have worked for me in the past that I am going to use again.  Drink more water.  I feel better when I am better hydrated.  Eat smaller portions.  I trick myself into this by putting away half my meal into a storage container for tomorrow's lunch before ever taking a bite.  I eat until I am no longer hungry rather than eating until I am full.  After years of over eating my full alarm is broken.  I love food so giving up foods is not a way to succeed for me.  When I get too restrictive I fall off the bandwagon face first into a buffet of overeating.  Smaller portions and not eating 3 hours before bedtime worked well in the past.

With the help of Team Beach Body on Demand I am hoping to make these permanent changes.  I am never bored with one single repetitive workout due to having access to so many streaming workouts.  I have also been stacking smaller workouts into my day.  7 minutes here a 10 minute workout there. Plus I have the accountability of measuring myself and tracking my changes.  I am not a trainer nor do I make any money from Beach Body.  I was not provided anything to write this. I have just found a workout system I like and wanted to share.

ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas

Here's this year's ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas schedule!

Monday, December 1

(4:00–5:00 PM ET/PT) JACK FROST (1979)
(5:00–6:00 PM ET/PT) SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN
(6:00–8:00 PM ET/PT) NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION
(8:00–10:00 PM ET/PT) ELF
(10:00 PM–12:00 AM ET/PT) THE SANTA CLAUSE
(12:00–1:00 AM ET/PT) SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN’ TO TOWN
(1:00–2:00 AM ET/PT) JACK FROST (1979)

Tuesday, December 2 

(4:00–6:00 PM ET/PT) RUDOLPH AND FROSTY’S CHRISTMAS IN JULY
(6:00–8:00 PM ET/PT) ELF
(8:00–10:00 PM ET/PT) THE SANTA CLAUSE
(10:00 PM–12:00 AM ET/PT) THE SANTA CLAUSE 3: THE ESCAPE CLAUSE
(12:00–2:00 AM ET/PT) PRANCER

Wednesday, December 3

(5:00–7:00 PM ET/PT) PRANCER
(7:00–9:00 PM ET/PT) THE SANTA CLAUSE 3: THE ESCAPE CLAUSE
(9:00–11:00 PM ET/PT) THE POLAR EXPRESS
(12:00–2:00 AM ET/PT) A VERY BRADY CHRISTMAS

Thursday, December 4

(5:00–6:00 PM ET/PT) RUDOLPH’S SHINY NEW YEAR
(6:00–7:00 PM ET/PT) THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS
(7:00–9:00 PM ET/PT) THE POLAR EXPRESS
(9:00–11:00 PM ET/PT) DISNEY’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL
(12:00–2:00 AM ET/PT) SNOW

Friday, December 5

(5:00–6:00 PM ET/PT) THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS
(6:00–8:00 PM ET/PT) DISNEY’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL
(8:00–10:30 PM ET/PT) DR. SEUSS’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS
(10:30–11:30 PM ET/PT) SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN’ TO TOWN
(11:30 PM–2:00 AM ET/PT) – FRED CLAUS

Saturday, December 6

(7:00–9:00 AM ET/PT) ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS
(9:00–11:00 AM ET/PT) A DENNIS THE MENACE CHRISTMAS
(11:00 AM–1:30 PM ET/PT) FRED CLAUS
(1:30-2:00 PM ET/PT) FROSTY’S WINTER WONDERLAND
(2:00-4:00 PM ET/PT) THE SANTA CLAUSE 3: THE ESCAPE CLAUSE
(4:00-6:30 PM ET/PT) DR. SEUSS’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS
(6:30-9:00 PM ET/PT) TOY STORY 3
(9:00-11:00 PM ET/PT) ARTHUR CHRISTMAS - Network Television Premiere!
(11:00 PM–1:00 AM ET/PT) THE SANTA CLAUSE 3: THE ESCAPE CLAUSE
(1:00–2:00 AM ET/PT) JACK FROST (1979)

Sunday, December 7

(7:00–9:00 AM ET/PT) A DENNIS THE MENACE CHRISTMAS
(9:00-9:30 AM ET/PT) THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY
(9:30 AM–11:30 AM ET/PT) RUDOLPH AND FROSTY’S CHRISTMAS IN JULY
(11:30 AM–1:30 PM ET/PT) ARTHUR CHRISTMAS
(1:30-3:30PM ET/PT) JACK FROST (1998)
(3:30–5:30 PM ET/PT) THE SANTA CLAUSE 3: THE ESCAPE CLAUSE
(5:30–8:00 PM ET/PT) TOY STORY 3
(8:00–8:30 PM ET/PT) TOY STORY THAT TIME FORGOT – ABC FAMILY PREMIERE
(8:30–10:30 PM ET/PT) ELF
(10:30–11:00 PM ET/PT) TOY STORY THAT TIME FORGOT
(11:00 PM–12:00 AM ET/PT) THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS

Monday, December 8

(5:00–6:00 PM ET/PT) THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS
(6:00–8:00 PM ET/PT) ELF
(8:00–9:00 PM ET/PT) THE FOSTERS – NEW HOLIDAY EPISODE!
(9:00–10:00 PM ET/PT) SWITCHED AT BIRTH – NEW HOLIDAY EPISODE!
(10:00–11:00 PM ET/PT) SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN’ TO TOWN
(12:00–1:00 AM ET/PT) THE FOSTERS
(1:00–2:00 AM ET/PT) SWITCHED AT BIRTH

Tuesday, December 9

(5:00–5:30 PM ET/PT) FROSTY’S WINTER WONDERLAND
(5:30–6:00 PM ET/PT) MICKEY’S CHRISTMAS CAROL
(6:00–8:00 PM ET/PT) THE LITTLE MERMAID
(8:00–9:00 PM ET/PT) PRETTY LITTLE LIARS – NEW HOLIDAY EPISODE!
(9:00–10:00 PM ET/PT) CHASING LIFE - NEW HOLIDAY EPISODE!
(10:00-11:00 PM ET/PT) RUDOLPH’S SHINY NEW YEAR
(12:00–1:00 AM ET/PT) PRETTY LITTLE LIARS
(1:00–2:00 AM ET/PT) CHASING LIFE

Wednesday, December 10

(4:00–6:00 PM ET/PT) THE LITTLE MERMAID
(6:00–7:00 PM ET/PT) THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS
(7:00-7:30 PM ET/PT) BABY DADDY
(7:30–8:00 PM ET/PT) MELISSA & JOEY
(8:00–8:30 PM ET/PT) MELISSA & JOEY – NEW HOLIDAY EPISODE!
(8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT) BABY DADDY – NEW HOLIDAY EPISODE!
(9:00–11:00 PM ET/PT) NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION
(12:00–12:30 AM ET/PT) MELISSA & JOEY
(12:30–1:00 AM ET/PT) BABY DADDY

Thursday, December 11

(5:00–7:00 PM ET/PT) JACK FROST (1998)
(7:00–9:00 PM ET/PT) NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION
(9:00–11:00 PM ET/PT) SCROOGED
(12:00–2:00 AM ET/PT) THE MISTLE-TONES

Friday, December 12

(4:30–5:30 PM ET/PT) JACK FROST (1979)
(5:30–7:30 PM ET/PT) SCROOGED
(7:30–9:30 PM ET/PT) THE SANTA CLAUSE
(9:30 PM–12:00 AM ET/PT) MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET (1994)
(12:00–2:00 AM ET/PT) HOLIDAY IN HANDCUFFS

Saturday, December 13

(7:00–9:00 AM ET/PT) UNLIKELY ANGEL
(9:00–11:00 AM ET/PT) THE MISTLE-TONES
(11:00 AM–1:00 PM ET/PT) HOME ALONE 3
(1:00–3:00 PM ET/PT) PRANCER
(3:00–5:30 PM ET/PT) MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET (1994)
(5:30–6:00 PM ET/PT) MICKEY’S CHRISTMAS CAROL
(6:00–8:00 PM ET/PT) THE SANTA CLAUSE
(8:00–10:00 PM ET/PT) NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION
(10:00–11:00 PM ET/PT) SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN’ TO TOWN
(11:00–11:30 PM ET/PT) MICKEY’S CHRISTMAS CAROL
(11:30 PM–2:00 AM ET/PT) FRED CLAUS

Sunday, December 14

(7:00–9:30 AM ET/PT) MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET (1994)
(9:30–11:30 AM ET/PT) DISNEY’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL
(11:30 AM–1:30 PM ET/PT) JACK FROST (1998)
(1:30–4:00 PM ET/PT) FRED CLAUS
(4:00–6:00 PM ET/PT) NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION
(6:00–9:00 PM ET/PT) DR. SEUSS’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS
(9:00 PM–12:00 AM ET/PT) DR. SEUSS’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS

Monday, December 15

(4:30–7:00 PM ET/PT) WILLY WONKA & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY
(7:00-7:30 PM ET/PT) DISNEY’S PREP & LANDING
(7:30–8:00 PM ET/PT) DISNEY’S PREP & LANDING: NAUGHTY VS. NICE
(8:00–9:00 PM ET/PT) THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS
(9:00–11:00 PM ET/PT) THE POLAR EXPRESS
(12:00–2:00 AM ET/PT) SANTA BABY

Tuesday, December 16

(2:00–4:30 PM ET/PT) WILLY WONKA & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY
(4:30-6:30 PM ET/PT) RUDOLPH AND FROSTY’S CHRISTMAS IN JULY
(6:30–8:30 PM ET/PT) THE POLAR EXPRESS
(8:30–11:00 PM ET/PT) HOME ALONE
(12:00-2:00 AM ET/PT) SANTA BABY 2: CHRISTMAS MAYBE

Wednesday, December 17

(7:00–9:00 AM ET/PT) HOLIDAZE
(9:00–11:00 AM ET/PT) SANTA BABY
(11:00 AM–1:00 PM ET/PT) SANTA BABY 2: CHRISTMAS MAYBE
(1:00–3:00 PM ET/PT) DISNEY’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL
(3:00–4:30 PM ET/PT) MICKEY’S TWICE UPON A CHRISTMAS
(4:30–5:30 PM ET/PT) THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS
(5:30–6:30 PM ET/PT) SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN’ TO TOWN
(6:30–9:00 PM ET/PT) HOME ALONE
(9:00–11:00 PM ET/PT) THE SANTA CLAUSE
(12:00–2:00 AM ET/PT) CHRISTMAS CUPID

Thursday, December 18

(7:00–9:00 AM ET/PT) CHRISTMAS CUPID
(9:00–11:00 AM ET/PT) UNLIKELY ANGEL
(11:00 AM–1:00 PM ET/PT) 12 DATES OF CHRISTMAS
(1:00–3:00 PM ET/PT) HOLIDAY IN HANDCUFFS
(3:00–5:00 PM ET/PT) PRANCER
(5:00–6:30 PM ET/PT) MICKEY’S ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS
(6:30–8:30 PM ET/PT) THE SANTA CLAUSE
(8:30–11:00 PM ET/PT) FRED CLAUS
(12:00–2:00 AM ET/PT) HOLIDAY IN HANDCUFFS

Friday, December 19

(7:00–9:00 AM ET/PT) DESPERATELY SEEKING SANTA
(9:00–11:00 AM ET/PT) UNACCOMPANIED MINORS
(11:00–11:30 AM ET/PT) MICKEY’S CHRISTMAS CAROL
(11:30 AM–1:30 PM ET/PT) PRANCER
(1:30–3:30 PM ET/PT) JACK FROST (1998)
(3:30–6:00 PM ET/PT) FRED CLAUS
(6:00–8:00 PM ET/PT) HOME ALONE
(8:00–10:00 PM ET/PT) ELF
(10:00 PM–12:00 AM ET/PT) NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION
(12:00–2:00 AM ET/PT) SCROOGED

Saturday, December 20

(7:00–9:00 AM ET/PT) THE DOG WHO SAVED CHRISTMAS VACATION
(9:00–11:00 AM ET/PT) SANTA BUDDIES: THE LEGEND OF SANTA PAWS
(11:00 AM–12:00 PM ET/PT) THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS
(12:00–2:00 PM ET/PT) ARTHUR CHRISTMAS
(2:00–4:00 PM ET/PT) HOME ALONE
(4:00–6:00 PM ET/PT) NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION
(6:00–8:00 PM ET/PT) ELF
(8:00–10:30 PM ET/PT) DR. SEUSS’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS
(10:30 PM–1:00 AM ET/PT) HOME ALONE
(1:00-2:00 AM ET/PT) A MISER BROTHERS’ CHRISTMAS

Sunday, December 21

(7:00–9:00 AM ET/PT) SANTA BUDDIES: THE LEGEND OF SANTA PAWS
(9:00–11:00 AM ET/PT) ARTHUR CHRISTMAS
(11:00 AM–1:00 PM ET/PT) RICHIE RICH’S CHRISTMAS WISH
(1:00-1:30 PM ET/PT) THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY
(1:30-2:00 PM ET/PT) NESTOR, THE LONG EARED CHRISTMAS DONKEY
(2:00-3:00 PM ET/PT) RUDOLPH’S SHINY NEW YEAR
(3:00–4:00 PM ET/PT) SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN’ TO TOWN
(4:00–5:00 PM ET/PT) THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS
(5:00–7:30 PM ET/PT) DR. SEUSS’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS
(7:30–10:00 PM ET/PT) HOME ALONE
(10:00 PM–12:00 AM ET/PT) THE POLAR EXPRESS

Monday, December 22

(7:00–9:00 AM ET/PT) RICHIE RICH’S CHRISTMAS WISH
(9:00–11:00 AM ET/PT) A DENNIS THE MENACE CHRISTMAS
(11:00 AM–1:00 PM ET/PT) UNLIKELY ANGEL
(1:00–3:00 PM ET/PT) SNOWGLOBE
(3:00–5:00 PM ET/PT) THE MISTLE-TONES
(5:00–5:30 PM ET/PT) FROSTY’S WINTER WONDERLAND
(5:30-6:30 PM ET/PT) RUDOLPH’S SHINY NEW YEAR
(6:30–7:30 PM ET/PT) SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN’ TO TOWN
(7:30–8:30 PM ET/PT) THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS
(8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT) TOY STORY THAT TIME FORGOT
(9:00–11:00 PM ET/PT) THE SANTA CLAUSE
(12:00-2:00 AM ET/PT) RUDOLPH AND FROSTY’S CHRISTMAS IN JULY

Tuesday, December 23

(7:00–8:30 AM ET/PT) MICKEY’S ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS
(8:30–10:30 AM ET/PT) CHRISTMAS CUPID
(10:30 AM–12:30 PM ET/PT) SANTA BABY
(12:30–2:30 PM ET/PT) SANTA BABY 2: CHRISTMAS MAYBE
(2:30–4:30 PM ET/PT) HOLIDAY IN HANDCUFFS
(4:30–6:30 PM ET/PT) THE SANTA CLAUSE
(6:30-7:00 PM ET/PT) TOY STORY THAT TIME FORGOT
(7:00–9:00 PM ET/PT) HOME ALONE
(9:00–11:00 PM ET/PT) THE POLAR EXPRESS
(12:00–2:00 AM ET/PT) ARTHUR CHRISTMAS

Wednesday, December 24

(7:00-7:30 AM ET/PT) MICKEY’S CHRISTMAS CAROL
(7:30–9:30 AM ET/PT) ARTHUR CHRISTMAS
(11:00 AM-1:00 PM) SNOW
(1:00 PM-3:00 PM ET/PT) JACK FROST
(3:00–5:00 PM ET/PT) THE POLAR EXPRESS
(5:00–7:00 PM ET/PT) HOME ALONE
(7:00–9:00 PM ET/PT) NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION
(9:00–11:00 PM ET/PT) ELF
(12:00–2:00 AM ET/PT) SCROOGED

Thursday, December 25

(7:00–7:30 AM ET/PT) FROSTY’S WINTER WONDERLAND
(7:30–8:00 AM ET/PT) THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY
(8:00–8:30 AM ET/PT) NESTOR, THE LONG EARED CHRISTMAS DONKEY
(8:30–9:00 AM ET/PT) ‘TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
(9:00–9:30 AM ET/PT) MICKEY’S CHRISTMAS CAROL
(11:00 AM–1:00 PM ET/PT) HOME ALONE
(1:00-2:00 PM ET/PT) RUDOLPH’S SHINY NEW YEAR
(2:00–3:00 PM ET/PT) SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN’ TO TOWN (3:00–4:00 PM ET/PT) THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS
(4:00–4:30 PM ET/PT) DISNEY’S PREP & LANDING
(4:30–5:00 PM ET/PT) DISNEY’ S PREP & LANDING: NAUGHTY VS. NICE
(5:00–7:00 PM ET/PT) NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION
(7:00–9:00 PM ET/PT) ELF
(9:00–11:00 PM ET/PT) HOME ALONE
(12:00 AM–2:00 AM ET/PT) HOME ALONE 3

Pumpkin Butter

This year we plan to put as much of our pumpkin to use as possible.  We will be toasting the seeds like usual. Some new additions this year will be putting those guts (the stringy innards) to use.  You can even make pumpkin bread by taking your favorite zucchini bread recipe and swapping the shredded zucchini for chopped pumpkin guts.  

PUMPKIN BUTTER:

• 3 1/2 cups pumpkin guts, pureed
• 3/4 cup apple juice
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Toss all the ingredients in a sauce pan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the mixture has thickened, making sure to stir frequently.

Put thickened mixture in a container and chill until you're ready to serve.

Pumpkin butter is not safe for preserving.  Just like Apple Butter it never lasts long enough in our house to need preserving though.