I needed more stuff on my TiVo to watch during the time I don’t really have, and here it comes…I am so there. Even if it feels a little disconcerting that my beloved old shows are now referred to as “retro programming”, I can be cool with that.

P.S. Hope my fav old show Doug is included in the lineup! Are you listening, TeenNick?

Some things to look forward to as December arrives:

12 Days of Cookies from The Food Network! I love the recipes, and each one is emailed daily. Of course, there are plenty of extra options on the website too, but there’s something special about the daily cookie selection <3

25 Days of Christmas on ABC! Gotta love all those movies & cartoon classics. Our newest tradition is saving up a selection to watch on Christmas Eve after dinner and before opening gifts with my family : – )

As tempting as it is to absolutely throw all common sense, health, and nutrition out the window during this time of year, it is still important to make good choices to balance out the less-good ones : – ) It isn’t fair to deprive yourself of all the goodies that come once a year, but make time for some exercise and healthy meals in between the parties and splurges. Here are a few tips to help make that balance happen.

P.S. Here’s another casserole I want to try making for the holidays! Looks yummy and reminds me of the amazing dish my Granny used to make. Disclaimer: while what I said before about making healthy decisions is true, this recipe doesn’t quite meet that criteria due to its butter content, so file this one under splurges ; – )

I love this time of year : – )

I’ve been so moved since I got the phone call from mom. I just can’t believe he’s gone. I miss him. And my heart is with Linda.

watching: The Marriage Ref, American Idol (yeah, yeah…I resisted for years but got hooked!), music videos (my constant love), The Office, Tosh.0, and a stream of Netflix.

listening to: Cage the Elephant, Solid Gold, Phoenix, Flaming Lips, Pixies, LaRoux, MuteMath, and Pandora radio!

wearing: big earrings, Old Navy Sweetheart jeans, headbands, Burt’s Bees anything & everything, Ulta lipgloss, Aveeno Positively Radiant moisturizer, boots, Lemongrass Cardamom stress relief lotion, and pearls.

pining after: this adorable gold-dipped mint leaf necklace and recycled sea glass jewelry, both on Etsy, as well as a pair of red Toms Classics!

pursuing/enjoying: running, Pilates/Yoga, power walks, stability ball stretches, hot tea just after waking, making endless notes and to-do lists, keeping a notepad by the bed for “remember this” purges before sleep, homemade popcorn, and planning a garden with red flowers to jazz up our greenspace at home as soon as the weather permits. Whee!

…self-indulgent compilation, perhaps. But I imagine that one day I’ll look back on my current favs and passions, and compare them to whatever I happen to be interested in then. It will be a nice peek into my past, and…this is my blog! wink*wink

Hope 2010 is off to a good start for everyone!

I always feel some sort of urge to spill words, memories, and thoughts on the closing chapter  about this very time each year. Like I need some physical documentation somewhere, lest I ever forget any events that happened in a certain year, & as a giving of thanks to a deserving family of days, weeks, & months that made up a year of my existence. Either way, I shall share a few personal highlights here, though I have been a lazy, bad blogger for most of the year. Here’s a small snapshot of my 2009:

~Traveled the globe, from Ft. Lauderdale in March, New Orleans in April, Savannah & Charleston to celebrate our 3rd wedding anniversary in May, ventured to San Antonio in June to co-host a baby (!) shower for my best friend, July offered a beautiful couple of weeks to drink in London & roam around England (Liverpool!York!Durham!The Lake District!), spent some time in the Smoky Mountains with family over Labor Day weekend & again for Thanksgiving, returned to TX in September to meet the baby boy that my BFF birthed, and finally experienced Las Vegas in October. Yeah! Long live the travel bug!

~Celebrated my honey’s milestone birthday, as he entered his 40s. I love him more & more each year, and 2009 set the bar high. <3

~Witnessed the lives of my best girls each grow by one – Felicia welcomed her son Robert Carlisle Goodman Floyd into the world in Septemer, and Kelly married her love Jeremy in November. Beautiful babies were also brought into the lives of my good friends Lisa, Sarah, & Christy, when Tripp, Amelia, & Isabella were born happy & healthy.

~Successfully trained with the Couch to 5K app on my iPod & completed my first 5K on October for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Loved it! Glad to welcome running back into my life after drifting apart, and I look forward to pushing myself through many more miles & fitness goals in 2010!

~Became the proud owner of a spiffy new Amazon Kindle, which is hands-down an all-time favorite toy. It’s changed my reading life forever, and to date I’ve completed 5 books since it was gifted to me from J & my mom just before Thanksgiving.

~Officially made the commitment to further my career & education by going back to school in pursuit of my BSN, and got everything in place to start classes on the seventh day of the new year.

~Celebrated a milestone birthday of my own by making the transition from early 20s to mid 20s with the arrival of my 25th birthday. Strange feeling to graduate to an entirely new age bracket in the world of surveys, and to have someone point out that you’re a quarter of a century old (har har). But, 25 feels fine & I am happy to rock&roll on!

~Impressively witnessed my little brother declare himself PreMed, transfer to UGA, and gracefully transition into a full-fledged university student, live on his own, learn to clean, wash, & to cook some serious food. Go you!

~Watched my baby brother grow by leaps & bounds, become a great guitar player in an awesome band, and turn into a driver with a license. Can’t believe he’s more man than boy these days!

~Witnessed a strong marriage bond further as my parents weathered an extremely dry economic year through their self-employment struggles in a city that suddenly stopped building houses. While making smart choices & cutting corners where needed, they also maintained a grip on hope, love, reality, and life – very effectively as to keep calm & carry on. They’re amazing. <3

~Participated in a community-wide curbside recycling program that unfolded into a successful bi-monthly pickup schedule after helping to collect pledges from neighbors last year through the VNA. Also in the process of switching all our home lighting to fluorescent, energy efficient bulbs and making our lives more green.

~Supported our President through his first year, as he faced & still faces much negative opposition that tries to spotlight the strife, rather than the real issues at hand. Looking forward to seeing some changes in healthcare as someone who is surrounded & involved firsthand in it daily. Hoping improvements for education are next, and proud to be part of a household that upholds the importance & necessity of these two cornerstones of humanity.

~Continued my education through my career at MCCG, and worked extra hard as my floor grew big enough to splint into two complete levels of care. Thankful for my good job in a time where many people cannot find a job at all.

~Learned to make really good half-sweet tea, memorized the recipe & put my own spin on it! I now make it often, and get compliments regularly. This is a big deal for a Georgia girl, ha ha.

~Thankful for all the days before, after, & in between the ones noted above, and for another year of health, happiness, and love.

Goodbye, 2009. Welcome 2010 – may you be a beautiful year of prosperity, happiness, and adventure. Happy New Year to you & yours!

Once there, the weather improved & the clouds magically parted – a good sign for fun to come, and an even better beginning to day 2 of our trip! After checking in at our hotel, we ventured to downtown Charleston to check out Fleet Landing for lunch, as recommended by our hotel concierge. Excellent recommendation – we LOVED our meal! Very cool location, too. The restuarant was situated right on the harbor, and was converted from an old Navy building into a very cute eatery after sitting dormant for 30+ years. Try the flounder sandwich if you go! Trust us.

After eating, we wondered around downtown taking photos, window shopping, browsing through the huge open air market, enjoying a small treat from Ben & Jerry’s (ok, that last part was all me), and relaxing in a swing on the pier that overlooked the water. After a short break back at the hotel, with ample admiration of the views from the glass-walled restuarant on the top floor, we made our way back downtown for dinner – another amazing meal, this time a seafood feast at world-famous Hyman’s Seafood. We were impressed by the recommendations of my friend Christy, of Southern Living’s high ratings, and of the multiple awards emblazoned all over the front of the restuarant, and we can now join in the hype – they earned it! So, so yummy…awesome atmosphere, great food, and great menu selections with daily specials. Are you hungry yet? After dinner, we had drinks before relaxing in the room, watching goofy stuff on TV, and chatting until we fell asleep after a day of adventures.

The next day we spent more time taking in the view from the tippy-top of our hotel – especially the marina & the panoramic expanse of the Ashley River – before gathering our bags and getting back on the road. On our way out of town we stopped in at a local coffee shop called Alchemy, and I am so glad we did! Not only was the coffee excellent – mexican mocha for me, dark roast for J – but they also had so many tasty-looking homemade treats to choose from! Homemade oatmeal cream pies, granola bars, muffins, you name it. We settled for everything bagels, and took our time at a table by the window in the cute little coffeeshop. Our drive home was a safe one, but a very long one due to more rainy weather and a detour due to damage on the interstate. However, we came home with heads full of happy memories and hearts that continue to beat together after 3 great years of marriage.

XO