It's already December 17th!

The tree is all decorated, and the lights are up. The cards have been filled out and sent, and most of my presents wrapped (I can't speak for Mr. G though). It is a week before Christmas. Yet, there is no snow on the ground, and it feels more like early November! I don't feel pressure when it doesn't seem like it is almost December 25th, and then suddenly it is December 23rd and I have three kinds of cookies to make and gift cards to still go buy... (and if you know me, you know how much I enjoy baking cookies...I DON'T! lol. I am no cook, and even less of a baker. If I got my wish from Santa, a person chef would be right behind a brand new car)

Wow, 2018 has flown by...and it hasn't been the best year for my family, but I can't complain. Really, I can't. While my grandmother is not the woman that I knew as of December 15th of 2017, she IS still with us, and we get another Christmas with her. It's been a year since everything changed. She is my last remaining grandparent. So, even as an adult, this is painful to witness.
BUT, like I said, I can't complain...It was a rough weekend, and I was trying to stay busy and not dwell. A little retail therapy with a side of a Starbucks Gingerbread Latte helped lift my spirits!

AND, I lost 30lbs this year, with the help of Burton Nutrition. That is something to celebrate. Our little family began to eat better and try to focus a little more on being more active. (that needs work in 2019, lol)

Speaking of getting healthy, being accountable is important. And since Thanksgiving, I've been off my game. I still dropped a few more pounds, but I'm not nearly eating healthy enough. I admit, we ate out a few times (more than we had been recently), and salty snacks (crackers, tortilla chips, and cheese) had somehow made their way into our home, and I was doing my best to keep them far, far away. Why? Because I will eat them if they are here, and I have been, LOL.
That will all change as of January 2nd. I hope my family gets their fill now!
And, of course, there will be cookies and more cookies as of December 25th...ugh. Why do I say "ugh"? Because I love a good cookie!! But I refuse to beat myself up over it, and I will indulge in some things that I enjoy. My biggest hurdle is to learn how to NOT over-do it, lol. Thanksgiving night I was SO SICK, haha, I ate way too much (and I really tried to be mindful of what I was eating).

So, here's to trying to not only enjoy the delicious food this season, but trying not to eat until we pop!

These last few weeks, my husband and son have been making "snacks" for the Steelers football games. I really wish they were snacks that I didn't enjoy, haha. Yesterday was a bacon cheese dip that was out of this world, unfortunately for my waistline, lol. But I am still trying. Each day is a new start, and I refuse to give up. March 2019 will be a year since I started getting healthy and that is my first long-term goal.

Hope you all have a bright holiday season and a healthy, and successful 2019.