Candy Cane Day...take 2!

This year we repeated our Candy Cane Day from last year! (Now my dad would say we could call it an "annual" event. You can't claim it's annual until it's repeated...right dad?)

We woke up early and hid all the candy canes (note to parents: count your total before you do this. We have no real idea how many are still tucked away in the creative places the "Elf" put them...we may be finding a stray candy cane in March!) and awaited the gang to stir.

They were delighted to go on a hunt and find the canes! Some seemed to be quite a bit better at it than others...

Everyone seemed to be finding them!

Well, everyone except the biggest somebody!! She had the MOST trouble! ;) Tee hee...those elves!!

Then it was time for the Legend of the Candy Cane and some fun picture books from the library about Christmas.

One page I read like this: "Early two thousand years ago..." 

I burst out laughing! "How could they know it was EARLY 2,000 years ago that the angel appeared to Mary!?!?" I asked everyone. Giggles.

This afternoon (a day later) Jensi brought the book to me. She pointed to the big fancy "N" in a box that began that page. 

{ahem.}

It actually reads, "Nearly two thousand years ago the angel appeared..."

LOL!!!

So, after book reading time we took a break for basketball games and gutter cleaning. (Oh the fun Candy Cane Day can bring!)

Then, it was time to bake some cookies!

My what a large knife you have!! (We brought it home from China!)

DQ licks a beater--a chore she's willing to do. ;)

He was so happy to get a job!

I'm having some carrots in hummus! So trying to stay OUT of the dough!

He has ALWAYS said that when cookies are in the oven they are SLEEPING!

Buttery cookie with Hershey's candy cane kisses!

A chocolate cookie with candy cane topping!

Yummy!

 Then we had a fun photo session with our Toby Tees...and with a special guest whom I'll introduce you to soon! ;) Stay tuned!!

The fun day ended with a live concert...by Shaw kids who cracked us up!!

This child is so full of personality! (I keep saying that don't i?)

Actually, this child is a funny one too! Best giggle EVER!!

The sock juggler. Doubles on drums.

A little stand up by DQ.

Did you laugh at my joke??

For some reason, the girls thought Zebby needed body guards.

My GOLLY! They were RIGHT!!! He was brutally attacked by an angry audience member who wanted HER TURN!!

 So...all in all...if you give your children an inordinate amount of sugar during the day and have lousy weather outside so they are FORCED to stay inside...YOU may go crazy...but they will feel like this:

WIN!!!

Happy Candy Cane day, everyone! We'll do it again next year!

Say NO to the Holidays' Side Effect!!!

Source

It's coming...it's approaching...there's no denying...

And you know the drill well.

Christmas shopping lists.

Holiday decorations.

Ornaments.

Teacher gifts.

Class parties.

Stocking stuffers.

Christmas parties.

Holiday meals.

Cookie exchanges.

Christmas cards.

Wrapping.

Flights. 

Travel.

Turkeys.

New Year's Eve parties.

As you DO ALL THIS PLANNING for the holidays...do you also plan on gaining weight?!?!

Probably not. That's not a real fun side effect of all that work!

But, be honest, did you end up doing so last year?

Where will you be in early January 2013? Standing in front of a mirror pledging that THIS TIME you'll make a change...only to find yourself later snacking again when you didn't want to?

I want to offer you something to COUNTER ACT THAT SYNDROME!!

Last year, I put out a challenge to join with me in a challenge where we daily encourage one another to live a life of health and balance. See last year's post here.

I lost twenty pounds since I wrote that post!

REALLY!!!

Another friend in our group lost 91 pounds. Yes, that's for real!

Another lost 10, another 20, another 25 and yet another 70.

We are the serious ones. We have supported one another ALL YEAR LONG. And it has made ALL the difference!!

Yes, this has been our year!! :)

I'm going to open up another group to people who would like to END THEIR TREND of holiday weight gain!

Would you like to kick the extra squish on your tummy/hips in the butt this year?

Would you be willing to join me and a small group of others in a Facebook accountability group?

Would you be willing to post a little something about how your day went each evening?

Would you be willing to say YES to daily exercise through the cold winter months when what is natural is to snuggle down and eat sweets? (You can STILL do this in a controlled way...just AFTER your workout is in! ;))

If this sounds like something you want to do...then drop me a comment here or friend me on Facebook and send me a private message. (You'll find my Facebook badge on the sidebar down near the bottom of this blog.)

We will use Beachbody products as I am a true believer in them and have had nothing but fabulous flying success using them! (And the variety is AWESOME!) Hop on over to my Beachbody page and click "shop" to look through the many different programs available.

Let's enjoy the holidays without the side effect!!!