Christmas time, y'all!

Ok.. for those of you who know me, you know that I LOVE Christmas. Love Christmas so much that Christmas decorations go up on 11/1. I was clearly meant to marry +Jimmy Ho because his last name makes Christmas so much more fun. Since before 11/1 I started working on making some Christmas decorations, but I'm all finished now! Because it is December, I don't feel so crazy putting up a blog about all of my decorations.

So here goes - First I'll do the things that I didn't make but still make me happy. We have 2 trees. One is downstairs. It's our Ho Ho Ho tree.

 Here are a few of my favorite ornaments -

A gift from my best friend.

An ornament from our Austin wedding shower. We got married in Vegas!

Just a favorite from Pottery Barn.

I love how the light reflects off of this one!

As you will see, most of my decorations are red and silver or white. For a while I have been wanting to do something a little different. This year I decided for the upstairs tree (this tree is placed in the middle window and is the one people see when they pass our house), I decided to buy a white tree and do something completely different for me. It is a peacock tree. Whoa, I know. But, I really like it!!

 

That tree is a little crazy right? I can't help but love it. Ok.. here are a couple of other decorations around the house before I get to the things I made. 

And now to the things I made!!!! 

Ok so these are canvases that Jimmy and I painted, and we added silver ribbons. They are hung on the wall like a picture and are super fun. The picture did not turn out that great, but it looks awesome in person!

One of the things I do not love about out house is that we don't have a fireplace. The first thing I said is, "where are we going to hang the stockings?" Seriously. Well, problem solved. I may this cute sign! It is just plywood that I spray painted. I bought some stencil letters and pained on the letters which took forever because you had to wait until the one letter was dry before you could start the next letter. We used black hardware for the knobs to hang the stockings on. And yep, there are stockings for Bentley and Lily. Love my corgs!

These were plain glass candle holders from Costco that I bought a couple of years ago (omg love Costco!) So I put ornaments in them and wrapped candles in ribbon.

This one is my masterpiece!! I love this one SOOOO much. I taped the plate in this pattern and spray painted it. That took FOREVER to get it to look right oh my goodness. And thank you Heather for cutting out those acrylic Hos for me! It looks fab.

I bought a wooden H from hobby lobby and painted it to look like Santa. No.. the lines are not perfect because I freehand painted it, and it was my first project I think. Whatever, I still like it!

This is a Christmas Card holder made from a sewing/quilting hoop and clothes pins with ribbon! It looks super cute when it is filled with Christmas cards, and we already got our first one! Thanks Eileen and Scott!

So this one was super easy. Scrapbooking paper and a printer.. some frames. You get it. Super easy and cute.

Exactly what you see. Milk jugs, felt, pipe cleaners, poms, and Christmas lights! They make for a great "lamp" on our entry way table. 

 

 

I hope you enjoyed the pictures as much I liked making everything. I have really started to love crafting and cooking. I see many more crafts in my future!!

Side note - I went to Zumba for the first time tonight! It was a little strange, but it was good to move around for an hour. Getting stronger every day! Have a great week!

Update

I haven't blogged lately because there was not much to tell! I was not able to walk for about a month, and then it took a few weeks to start feeling like myself again. For the last 2 - 3 weeks I have been feeling so much better.

So I went to body pump last week with a friend. It was the first time I had worked out in 2 months, and holy cow... I thought I might die. It was pretty intense especially for being my first workout. I signed up for a new gym that is really close to my house, and I'm looking forward to getting into a routine there.

So what have I been doing for the last couple of weeks? Cooking! If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter, you may have seen a lot of these pictures, but I'm posting them here as well.

Garlic, Lemon, and Rosemary Chicken

 Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Bell Peppers

Margherita Spaghetti Squash

 

Beef Stew

 

William Sonoma's Mexican Lime Soup 

 

Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin with 

Garlic and Herb Spaghetti Squash

 

Twice Baked Butternut Squash

 

Enchiladas with homemade sauce 

 

Chicken Noodle Soup (recipe made up by me!)

 

Chili 

 

Told you I have been busy! We have really enjoyed everything I have made. I haven't decided what I'm making next week, but Jimmy has requested that I make fried chicken. I'm going to attempt it this next week. I hope it turns out well, but it won't be something we make often since it is not the healthiest option. More updates next week!

What a week..

On Friday, I opened the blinds to watch the rain. As the blinds opened, I saw a FedEx van and began to cry.

The prior Wednesday, 9/11/13, I heard the doorbell ring. I knew it was FedEx because I had missed their delivery the day before. I must have been listening to a hearing and did not hear the door. But on Wednesday, I heard it! So I jumped up from my desk, ran across the house and down the stairs. I signed for the package knowing it was an autographed sports card that Jimmy was expecting. After I closed the door, my calf felt a little sore. I hobbled around for the rest of the day. I looked it up online and it seemed like I had strained my calf.

The next day we went to pick up a new refrigerator for our garage. Jimmy and the guy we bought it from were moving it, and I ran ahead to open the gate for them. After that, my calf was hurting a little more. I was limping a little more, but I was okay. Beginning Friday night, I was not able to sleep in bed. It hurt too much. I was waking up constantly in pain. I kept moving to the couch because I didn't want to wake up +Jimmy Ho. On Saturday we thought it may do my calf good to use Trigger Point (something runners use to massage sore muscles). Jimmy rolled my calf, and at the time it was painful but seemed to help. That night oh my sweet lord it hurt SO much. I couldn't sleep at all. We had been staying at a friend's house that weekend so when we were driving home, it was hurting so much I was in tears. Sunday night I couldn't sleep in my bed either... and Monday I could barely walk at all. I broke down on Tuesday and decided make a doctor's appointment because my leg was not getting any better. I thought they could give me some kind of muscle relaxer to help with the pain.

So I went to the doctor last Wednesday, 9/17/13. The doctor/nurse practitioner agreed that she thought it was a calf strain, but she wanted me to get an ultrasound to rule out a blood clot. There was an imaging center in the same building so I walked over, and they were able to fit me in that day. It was about 4:45 when I finished with my ultrasound. I was waiting in the lobby for them to tell me I could leave. But when they came out, they didn't say I could leave. They said my doctor said I needed to go straight to the ER. What? Why? The guy at the imaging center wouldn't tell me anything, but he said I could go back over to my doctor's office, and she would talk to me.

I hobbled back over to the doctor's office, but she had already left. I asked why I needed to go to the ER, but the front office staff wouldn't tell me. The nurse pulled Jimmy and I back into a room and told me that I had a blood clot, and I needed to go to the ER right now. I lost it.. I teared up and couldn't stop crying. How did I go from a calf strain to having to go straight to the ER? I haven't been to the ER or in the hospital since I was 4 so I was terrified. We went to get in the car, and my doctor was pulling away. She saw me, stopped her car, and got out to come talk to me. I was still in tears, and she was reassuring me that everything was going to be okay.

While we were driving to the ER, the tears just would not stop. Before deciding to go to the doctor in the first place, Jimmy told me he wanted me to go because he thought it could be a blood clot. I read about blood clots online. If they break off and go to your lungs, brain, or heart, you can die. DIE. All of this was going through my mind on the way to the ER. It was just too much to process.

We got to the ER. The intake nurse was asking me questions, and I was having trouble pulling myself together to answer her questions. I'm sure she deals with people that are hysterical all the time. She was able to put on her work voice that was very monotone. She kept telling me that everything was going to be okay. I was put in an ER room. Doctors, nurses, and techs were in and out constantly for the first hour. I DO NOT like needles. So of course they had to put an IV in my hand. Then.. in comes cute man nurse and wants to give me 2 shots. Can you guess where? In my BELLY. Yep.. had to show cute my nurse my sexy huge belly. After that I wasn't embarrassed about anything. After 3 hours, yes 3 hours, I was admitted to the hospital. No one knew exactly how long I would be there. It would be up to the doctor in the morning. The guy that wheeled me up to my room first said to me "you look pretty good for someone going to the 3rd floor!" Umm.. what? What does that mean? Terrible thing to say to someone who is already terrified. He said that it was for people that need closer monitoring. I said yeah well.. I have a blood clot and could die so that's probably why I'm going there. He didn't say much after that. I didn't mean for my statement to sound so harsh.. I think that was just the first time I had said it out loud.

Have you ever spent a night in the hospital? There is no resting in a hospital. Nurses are in and out every hour or so to check on you. Jimmy stayed the night with me, and bless his heart, I know he did not sleep well. The pull out couch did not look comfy, and when the nurses come in they turn on lights and talk. I know they are doing their job, and they are there to take care of the patients. I just felt bad for Jimmy.

The next morning the doctor said I would be out that afternoon! I was happy but also nervous. There wouldn't be anyone watching me anymore, and that was scary. I had to give myself 2 shots a day since I got out, but I finished that today! I was SO happy. I now have to take blood thinner pills for 6 months. I have to be monitored during this time so I'll have my blood checked about once a week from what I understand.

There are a lot of foods I'm supposed to stay away from, mostly leafy greens that are high in Vitamin K. I also can't drink for the next 6 months.. so no happy hours for me. I still have quite a bit of pain in my leg. I can't walk very well, but I feel like it is getting a little bit better.

So why did the FedEx van make me cry? Because if I had not hurt my leg, I may not have found out that I had the blood clot. They didn't tell me if there was a specific cause of the blood clot, but they think it could have been birth control. Every time I think about not knowing I had a blood clot, I start to cry. I mean.. just massaging my leg last Saturday could have made it move to my lungs, heart, or brain. It's terrifying. Jimmy is going through the same thought process. It has been a tough week for us, but because we did catch it, and I'm being treated I really think it will all be okay. This is the kind of thing that makes you WANT to change your life, you know? I feel so helpless right now because I can't even walk, and I can't eat the foods that you want to eat to be healthy. Soon I'll have a routine, and it will all work out.

I have to take a minute and brag on Jimmy. He has been so wonderful. He has taken such good care of me. I don't know what I do without him. I always tell him how much I love him, and that I'm thankful for him. But things like this just make feel even more appreciative.

My friends have also been wonderful. To bringing us dinner, sending me edible arrangements, bringing me magazines, books, O'Douls (HA) and NAIR (since I can't shave due to fear of bleeding out), to the texts checking on me. I love all of you guys so much. You've made me feel very loved. My family has been checking on my constantly too. It's been so nice.

I'm feeling better about things, but I still find myself crying a bit at times. In a few days I'll get it together :). Love all of you guys!

Umm..

It's too hard..
It's too hot..
I won't succeed..
I want to be able to drink and eat with my friends..
I don't want to wake up early..
I don't love my trainer..
I'm too tired..
I'm too big..
I don't know exactly what to do..
I don't have time..
Jimmy eats whatever he wants..

What are these? These are my excuses. Excuses for not wanting to eat healthy.. for not wanting to be as active as I need to be. Actually sitting down and writing them down makes them seem trivial and silly.

My blog is my sense of accountability, and as you can see... I have not been blogging lately. I have not been eating terribly, but I have not been being very strict on myself, and I definitely have not been as active as I need to be. The truth is.. trying to lose weight totally sucks, and it is really frustrating that it takes so long. But! But.. it also totally sucks being overweight. I saw something on tumblr the other day that said "losing weight is hard. Being overweight is hard. Pick you hard." That saying has really stuck with me because it could not be more true.

A lot of people have mentioned that they have not seen me blog lately. It really means so much to me that you all read my blog and put up with my craziness! I hope you will continue to read as I continue to struggle. Knowing you guys read is what keeps me honest. I have just been putting off saying that I'm not perfect, and that this is hard for me.

But that's all I'm going to say about all of that. Some things you should know - I want to be able to jog a 5K. That's my newest goal! I also have some Tech football tshirts that I bought a while ago that don't fit me well. I want to be able to wear them by the end of football season. Those are small, but I think attainable goals, and I'm super excited about them. I don't know if I will sign up for a 5K... the thought of that really scares me!

Some totally random things:

- If I ever have kids, I'm going to be that really awesome/embarrassing parent that still listens to pop music and rap. So.. future potential child, you're welcome, and I'm sorry. I thought by the age of 31 I would have outgrown this, but apparently not.

- It is now September, and I do not care that it is still 100F degrees, it is fall in my mind, and that means pumpkin everything.

- It is exactly 3 months until +Jimmy Ho and I see Justin Timberlake, and I can't even tell you how excited I am. On a related know, Drake is going to be on the new JT album that comes out next month. I'm dying.

- Both of my dogs are now 8! I'm reassured that Jimmy and I can keep something alive and well for that amount of time.

- Jimmy and I have completely cleaned out our entire house over this past week. We have sold and donated so many things! We have a FUNd envelope that we are putting the money we make from stuff we sell. It has almost $600 in it!!

- College football started last weekend! Tech and UT won! It was a happy weekend in the Ho home. Oh.. and btw - how hot is Kliff Kingsbury? In that.. looks like he could be druggie, like in a James Franco kinda way, but whatevs, love it!

- NFL officially starts tonight! Last year I won our fantasy football league, and the Commissioner of our league totally hates for me for it and thinks Jimmy managed my team. I'm just awesome!

- I had some issues with my eye. I had to go to my doctor before being referred to a specialist. I ended up having to see the nurse practitioner because my doctor had no open appointments. I think the nurse practitioner thought I might have a tumor or something. She was pretty freaked out, and took me off work until I could see a specialist. Turns out it may just be tension headaches? My eyes are fine. It was a scary few days though.

Ok.. that's all I've got tonight. Tomorrow is Friday!!!! Have a good weekend, y'all.

July 15th

I weighed this morning, and it was not a happy time. You guys... I gained 4 pounds. GAINED. 4. POUNDS. I was devastated, but I was not surprised. Remember in my last post when I said I was eating everything in the world. That lasted for the next week. I made multiple bad food choices, and that's what I get.

I was really upset with myself and feeling down. I texted a friend who is one of my biggest supporters. I told her that I had gained, that I felt terrible, and that I did not want to blog about it. She told me that I should blog about it and reminded me that one of my goals with my blog is to be accountable. How could I argue with that? She was right. So here I am.. sad! My friend told me to stop feeling guilty and to do something active during my lunch. I took her advice, and during lunch I did yoga. And you know what? I felt better.

I did not sleep well last night so I did not get up and go to Camp Gladiator this morning. I thought about going tonight even after doing yoga, but then thought my mat and weights were in Jimmy's car. So I texted my friend from CG, and she said she and some of the other CG girls were going to a Body Combat class that was free and asked me to go. Normally, when I don't know what I'm getting myself into, I say no, but I felt like I should say yes. I felt like I needed to kick my own ass after the last week.

I assumed it would be like a self defense class. When I walked in, I felt like I was walking into my own personal nightmare! It was a huge class full of all skinny girls and there were mirrors. There was a trainer at the front with a headset on. I've never been to a class like this. I immediately wanted to leave, but I rode with one of my friends, and I was stuck! Well.. gotta suck it up. I immediately knew I was in over my head. Time to get started. Off we go.. we are jumping around.. kicking, throwing punches. Watch a video of it here. It is high intensity cardio, and it lasted an HOUR! If we got a break, it was less than 30 seconds, and there were only like 3 of them. But you know what, I DID IT! I was not able to go as fast as everyone the entire time, but I did not have to stop, and I kept moving. It was actually kind of fun, and the hour went by pretty quickly. I sweat SO much. I haven't showered yet, and I'm pretty sure I smell terrible. :) Even though it was a ton of cardio, we punched so much and did lunges and squats so it was also strength training. I felt like I was successful in kicking my ass. There were 4 trainers; each one did a 15 minute segment of the exercise. After we were done, 2 of the trainers told me that I did I great job. They were probably just surprised to see a fatty jump around for an hour. I know I was surprised! One of them was like "you just looked so happy!" Happy?! Are you kidding? I guess I'm glad I looked happy because I didn't FEEL happy. Because a friend brought us, we all get 2 free weeks. I think we are going back on Thursday. EEK.

I've had a really good food day. I had two eggs with pico this morning, a salad with corn, black beans, pico and salsa for lunch, and for dinner we had freakin vegans on corn tortillas. Maybe I needed the 4 pound weight gain to kick myself into gear.

So.. remember how I said I was going to start keeping a journal of the things I eat, exercise I do, my weight and measurements? BOOM. I also did this today - (btw - the letters are GOLD. I'm super into black and gold lately.)

And with that.. the journey continues.

4th of July

Having a holiday in the middle-ish part of the week is always fun. On the 4th we went to Top Golf with some friends. Top Golf for those that don't know is an indoor/outdoor driving range. It is kind of like sitting on a patio, hitting golf balls. There are fans, tvs, and waitresses to bring you food and drinks. Even if you don't feel like playing, it is still fun. It is the bowling of golf, and we love it even if I am TERRIBLE.

I ordered a bloody mary (hey - had to get my veggies in, right?) while we were there, and it came with a Beef Jerky Straw!! Who doesn't like getting a free snack with their drink? I did not think I was a fan of bloody marys before, but I think I may be on the bloody mary wagon now. Check this thing out.

After Top Golf, Jimmy had a free ticket to see Iron Man 3, so we went to see that. It's been out for 2 months already, and I honestly had no desire to see it. I was pleasantly surprised and really liked it! After the movie, we came home and grilled veggies and hot dogs. You have to grill things on 4th of July! We have recently become obsessed with skewering and grilling veggies. It is so easy, fast, and really good. I finish my skewer and find myself wanting more vegetables. How often can you say that? Exactly.. And they're so pretty!

We did not go anywhere to see fireworks, but upstairs from our bedroom, we could see the fireworks in Kyle and Buda at the same time! So that was fun. We also had a patriotic dessert!

We didn't do anything too crazy because we had to get up at 5:15 the next morning to go to Camp Gladiator! Jimmy and I were the only 2 there!!! It was a tough workout that focused mainly on arms. I was sore ALL weekend. Edwin (trainer) said that he was going to do that workout again on Monday because he was really proud of it. He did put quite a bit of effort into it. It was all 4th of July themed. We did exercises including the Statute of Liberty, George Washington, Uncle Sam, Firecrackers, and Apple Pie. It is hard to explain each exercise here, but they were very creative.

SO, because I was thinking we were doing the same thing again this morning, I REALLY dreaded getting out of bed at 5:15 this morning. But I did it! Luckily, there were 2 other people there this morning, and we did not do the same exercises. Edwin is really tough, but I like him.

I have been kind of craving pudding lately. Weird right? (No.. I'm not pregnant!) Anyway, I looked at the back of the pudding box at the store, and I couldn't even tell you all the crazy things listed in the ingredients. I've started shying away from buying or eating products that have things that I couldn't recreate at home. I decided to look up how to make pudding!! Turns out, it is SUPER easy!!! I used this pinterest recipe. I added peppermint extract so that it would be chocolate mint pudding. I could not believe I made pudding. It was so easy, but I was REALLY proud of myself. One thing I will say is, the recipe says to stir until the mixture will stick to the back of the spoon. When the mixture got to that point, I did not think it was thick enough, so I continued to stir and kept it on the heat. Bad idea. It is SUPER thick. Other than that, it's good!

I'm not sure why, but Sunday and yesterday I feel like I've eaten EVERYTHING. I just can't stop eating. I'm starving! (Again - NOT PREGNANT). I'm going to assume it is because I'm working out. In the middle of eating everything, I haven't made the best food choices the last 2 days. Normally this would really bum me out. I'm not going to say I'm happy about it, but I don't feel like just because I didn't have a great day that everything is ruined.

I think I've decided that I'm going to get a spiral notebook, a really pretty one, and I'm going to start writing everything down. I'm going to write down what I eat, the days I exercise and what I do, my weight on the 1st and the 15th, and I'm going to start taking my measurements. Some days I get discouraged by the scale, but I can still tell that my body is changing. So if I keep track of all of those things, I'll be able to see it. I also think I need to start taking photos of myself at least once a month so I can actually SEE if I am changing.

Since starting to weigh on the 1st and the 15th, I find myself weighing every single day. Don't do this. I repeat, don't do this! Our bodies, especially for women, change so much each day. Weights go up and down each day. You can see a steady decline over a period of time, but on a daily basis, you are going to gain and then lose. Weighing every day can discourage you. Don't do that to yourself. I'm going to stop doing that to myself. I'm going to stick to the 1st and the 15th. I've got 1 week until my weigh in! Wish me luck! Have a great week.

Weigh-in 2 and other fun things

Well.. these 2 weeks have not been that great. I am only down 2 pounds! A total of 13 since starting my blog and 78 pounds overall. Not going to lie.. it is discouraging to only lose 2 pounds in 15 days. Camp Gladiator starts up again this week, and I'm going to work really hard. I'd like to lose at least 5 pounds by July 15. Here's hoping!

We've been staying busy! It seems like there is always something going on. This past weekend we went on a mini BBQ trip on Saturday. +Jimmy Ho really loves BBQ, and he has started his own BBQ blog! Check it out at http://thesmokingho.blogspot.com. It is pretty difficult to eat healthy when you eat bbq unless you eat chicken, turkey, and beans. The bad part about that is, it is the brisket, ribs, and sausage that are so delicious! I ate pretty small amounts of meat, and I did not eat any bread at the 2 places we went. I did eat some peach cobbler though.. so.. fail, but also, win! Ha.. In between the two places we met up with a friend and went swimming though, so I totally worked out! :)

Sunday we got up and went and worked out at the track. We took the dogs, and oh my goodness, they LOVED it. I was just walking, and Jimmy took off running. The dogs took off with Jimmy, and they led him all the way around the track and caught back up to me. They ran a lap and a half with their stubby little legs. It was SO cute! They would stay with me for a little while, and then they would run across the middle to catch up with Jimmy and run with him again. I'm pretty sure Bentley got in about 2 miles. That made me feel crappy because I only went 1.25!!! I did jog about .3 of that at the end though, and I felt okay while jogging! I was breathing well and moving along okay. I'll take a pic or video next time we take them.

After that, we went to the store and came back to hang out and watch a movie. I had some blueberries that needed to be used before they went bad. So I looked up a recipe for healthy blueberry bread. I found this one. So I didn't have any allspice. I had pumpkin pie spice, which contained nutmeg and allspice. I used that with a dash of cloves and called it a day! While the movie was going, I decided I would make this bread. It also gave the opportunity to use my +Vitamix to grind my own flour! I don't know why I have been putting this off, but no more! I put my wheat berries in my Vitamix, and within 1 minute, I had fresh, whole wheat flour! It is amazing! Check out these pics!

And here are some pics of the final product! I really like it and love all the blueberries.

After some time at home, we loaded the dogs up and took them to the dog park in San Marcos, and then we all went to dinner at a place with a patio so the dogs could go. They had a pretty fab Sunday. Look how happy they are!! And then you can see how tired they were on the way home yesterday evening. Haha.

As you know, we've been cooking a lot at home. We've been making things we like in healthier ways. I made a tuna salad, but like the egg salad I made before, I used avocado instead of mayo. I love the creaminess that avocado adds!

We also really love Chipotle! Who doesn't right?! It is easy, cheap, and healthy to make chipotle type bowls at home. I used black beans, brown rice, homemade pico, a little cheese, and some salsa. It is SO good. You can also add chicken, but I had it for Meatless Monday so I didn't.  I think this is my new favorite thing.

Eating healthy at home is pretty easy (most of the time), but what about when you go out? I live with a man that works out so much he can eat whatever he wants, and most of the time, he does. So Wednesday night, what does Jimmy want to do for dinner? He wants to go to Logan's and eat steak and unlimited shrimp. Does this surprise you? It shouldn't. So we go to dinner. Jimmy gets his steak and unlimited shrimp with mac and cheese and has like 5 rolls. Logan's rolls!! Ugh.. so good. What do I get? A 6 oz sirloin with a sweet potato and a vegetable skewer with no butter on anything. I know right?! So proud of myself! I did have a roll and 1/2, but I was proud of myself for not eating like 10.

This past week I also got to meet up with an old friend from Lubbock for lunch who was in town. We had TexMex, which is my favorite! It is so hard for me not to want to eat the entire basket of chips and salsa with enchiladas and tortillas and tacos.. basically everything. But, in trying to make better choices, I ordered grilled chicken tacos on corn tortillas, and I did not eat my rice. I'm not cutting out carbs, but I am trying to decrease the amount of carbs I eat every day.

We also went to a wedding of two dear friends on the 21st. It was so beautiful, and I'm so happy for them! Congrats to Brad and Nicole! Here is a pic of us from the wedding!

I'm going to try to post more frequently! These last few weeks have been so crazy, but that is no excuse. I think my blog keeps me on track, and it encourages me to cook. Hope you all have a great week!