Love of Fall

I LOVE Fall. I really, really, really do. Especially since I'm old enough that I don't have to go to SCHOOL anymore! Seriously there are days when I think, "work sucks, but at least it's not SCHOOL" and than I laugh in an evil and demented manner.

But Fall I love. I love the chill in the air, I love hot chocolate (the real kind by Godiva made with milk and shaved chocolate), I love candy apples and the smell in the air. I love sweaters and boots and pretty leather jackets, and I love Halloween and Thanksgiving and generally just about everything. Some of my FAVORITE things about fall are as follows:

1. Flannel sheets on the bed along with our super warm down blanket
2. The mentioned hot chocolate made with shaved chocolate and milk
3. Sweaters, sweaters, and more sweaters. I have so many sweaters its ridiculous, and its yet another reason I need to lose weight because I have TONS and I'm not about to start replacing them.
4. Naps. Naps on the sofa curled up under a lovely blanket... and while I do NOT have the chance to actually TAKE naps anymore, I fondly remember lovely naps. I remember lounging on the sofa under a soft blanket with my pillow, stretching out and napping a Saturday afternoon away for hours at a time. God I LOVE naps.. love them, and miss them.

So what does everyone think of Fall? Like? Hate???

Disenchantment with Charities

I give to very few charities. Very few. In fact, the only ones I give to normally are the following:

• The Ocean Conservancy (http://www.oceanconservancy.org/)
• Fund for Animals (http://www.fundforanimals.org/)
• sometimes to Performing Animal Welfare Society (http://www.pawsweb.org/)
• and a charity for native Americans that I refuse to name because I am disgusted by them

I am angry because I recently found out that the charity I had been giving to, supposedly to help native Americans on reservations, keeps almost 80% of the donations and distributes it in salaries. Less than 20% goes to the actual people in need and this pisses me off big time. Now here's where I am WAY too trusting. I've been giving to this organization for YEARS. YEARS! I give every Thanksgiving and Christmas, and from time to time give for different fundraisers. Recently I had donated $50 to give packages of baby things to moms on the reservations. Supposedly the mom would get diapers, blankets, a baby tub and some toys. Now I realize that it's primarily a scam and I am soooooo ticked off. I wasted that money and the people I had wanted to help got very little. I don't know why stuff like this surprises me, I guess I'm just too trusting, but I did a little more research and found a place where they actually HELP the people on reservations.

http://friendsofpineridgereservation.org/

This place lists several donation events you can participate in and two of the ones I'm thinking of helping with are the following:
http://friendsofpineridgereservation.org/projects/Urgent_Supplies_for_Three_Preschool_Classes_at_Wolf_Creek_Elementary_School.shtml

and

http://friendsofpineridgereservation.org/projects/Turkey_Fundraiser_Donation_Drive.shtml

According to the different places I've researched this group actually gives ALL the purchased donations to the schools/churches and community, and they rarely ask for cash donations. I like the idea of picking out items from a list and sending them, and I'm thinking I'll pick up some diapers the next time I'm out and about and send them off. Diapers are PRICEY... very pricey.

Anyway, this holiday season I'm thinking I'm going to concentrate more on things like this rather than getting more STUFF for me. Because let's face it.. I don't really NEED more stuff. Well, Nathan always needs more stuff.. but I don't! ;-) Of course if Jeff is reading this I can always use a gift card to say... Macy's!!! Or perhaps for a pedicure!!! Hey.. I'm only human after all! ;-)

Does anyone else have any favorite charities they give to?

Size

I am a size 16. Check that, I am a WOMAN'S size 16. That means that I can't wear a size 16 pants unless I am in the WOMAN'S department. Now there is nothing wrong with being a size 16, nothing at all. But I'm not exactly thrilled to be here. So I'm going to be starting a work out routine. I won't join a gym because I don't know when I'd actually GO to the gym... so it's time to break out the exercise DVD's. And I have a LOT of exercise DVD's. I get suckered into buying them in a fit of good intentions.. work out for a week and then something happens and months go by while they collect dust. I read somewhere that it takes 21 days for something to become a habit so my new challenge is starting tomorrow to do ONE exercise DVD. Even if it's only for 15 minutes.. I have to do it. It's going to be hard because... well, I'm lazy. And right now I have the world's best excuse for lazy. I'm exhausted and have a 4 month old baby at home. My "down time" is precious. But since I don't have an infinite supply of money, and most of my clothing is NOT a size 16, I need to lose some weight. So looking forward to dusting off my DVD's and if I'm so inclined maybe I'll even post a little review of them so you can all see if the routine is actually doing something.

Wish me luck, I don't do well with "Challenges" (in case you didn't notice from the failed "no take out" attempts I've made), so I need lots of good wishes sent my way!

Inability to Accessorize

I love jewelry. I love "statement necklaces" - you know, necklaces with large stones and interesting gems and textures, and I love broaches and bracelets and scarves. I however, have NO idea how to accessorize. AT ALL. This was hammered home this past weekend when I attended a "Lia Sophie Jewelry Party" and I found myself drooling over all sorts of gorgeous necklaces and matching earrings. One by one I tried on all the beautiful pieces, and one by one I discarded them. Those gorgeous "statement necklaces"? Did not work on me at all. They looked odd to me, and I just knew I wouldn't be able to carry them off. Now I have a few necklaces in my jewelry collection already, and I wear them on occasion (my favorite one right now states Nathan's birth date, weight, inches on it and I got it from Jeff). And I have a few pieces of faux gemstones from my Grandmother's collection. Now my Grandmother.. that woman could accessorize. She had scarves and pins and rings and necklaces and all sorts of sparkly and dazzling things. My sister and I would sit and play with her jewelry for hours when we visited (And her jewelry took up two drawers in a dresser... TWO DRAWERS). That ability to "dress up" or "dress down" an outfit is lost to me. I have no idea just what looks best on me.. and how to pair a normal sweater with just the right broach to make it "pop".

I mean, on a normal day my jewelry is my wedding bands, maybe my Nathan bracelet or necklace, and a pair of earrings. IF I'M LUCKY!! Sometimes it's just my wedding bands and everything else goes bye bye...

So does anyone have any hints for the accessory challenged such as myself? I saw so many beautiful necklaces I would have loved to purchase but I just know they would sit in my jewelry box untouched and unloved....

Updated

Does it count if JEFF bought take out? Technically I was not the one to give and get the chicken Parmesan subs for dinner... it was Jeff. Am I still in the game?? Or did we once again fail miserably????

Food intake to Date

I know.. you are all DYING to know how I'm doing on this self-imposed challenge. Well, it's Wednesday and I have not done take out yet. I DID however get lunch out today when the Doctor at my work took me and the other admin girls out to brunch at the local chinese restaurant. It was yummy and didn't cost me a penny. Score!!! And for dinner tonight? That would be Raisin Bran and milk. Hey! It was quick and easy and required no thought. oh, and it didn't cost anything.

Let's see if I can keep this up for the rest of the week!

Future/Destiny

Jeff has been watching this show called "Flash Forward" where the whole world passes out at the same time and has visions of the future. It got me thinking - if I had a chance to look into the future, would I? I think knowing the future can be scary... too scary. Like, if you see something bad would you bring about that very same bad thing as you try to prevent it? Or do you bring about that bad thing because you think the future is a done deal and you can't prevent it? I think the whole fortune-telling/know your future scenario is never a good thing. Unless of course we're talking about knowing the next pick for the Mega Millions, than I'd LOVE to know the future. I'd be ALL ABOUT knowing the future.

So what do you all think? If you COULD know the future, would you take that opportunity to see it?

Oh, and a quick update. Day two after making my "no eating out post" and I'm hanging in there! It means I had cereal last night for dinner, and Stouffer's chicken Parmesan for dinner tonight. Tomorrow night, I don't know what we're having, but hopefully it won't be take out!!!