Christmas Recap!

So firstly I am going all out on my New Year's resolutions guys. Like all out. I am coming up with a list of 10 things I hope to accomplish in 2012. And every 3 months (So March, June, September, and finally December) I am going to check in on them, and see how I'm doing so far. It could be terrible, and I could compeltely forget. But I think it will help me focus on bettering myself throughout the year, and help me feel accomplished by the end of next year.

Because looking back on 2011, I could have done better, especially in the second half.

End of Year 2010: 223
End of Year 2011 (unless I have a large loss this Friday) 197.4: net loss 25.6 pounds

Which is like a half a pound a week, which is a lot better than what I figured that number would be!I feel so much lighter than I did this time last year, but my motivation has been so low,I don't feel nearly as focused. Lately though, this has been getting better. Running has been easier (no pesky cramps lately), and thanks to getting into morning workouts, I'm no longer coming up with reasons not to work out all the time. So Hopefulyl this is enough to get me back on track, and help me lose these last 40 pounds!

Anyways, Christmas was great, really nice to be with my family all day, and I did pretty well with controlling my eating/drinking as well! I got a great workout in on Saturday,which helped a lot. Matt and I did presents on Christmas Eve (Which I spend with his family). I got him two beer books, two beer kits (see a theme?), a travel mug,  some tops (which he needs, the boy has so little that actually fits him!) and two movies- blades of glory and Talladega nights.

He got me: Tickets to see the Kaiser Chiefs in March (soo excited), a pretty red sweater which I'm wearing today:

Pretty right? :-)

Mad Men Season 2, It's Always Sunny Season 4, and a Biggest Loser Food Scale! Which I so wanted and am so excited to use :-)

So we did gifts, and drank and ate throughout the night, and eventually I headed home and went to midnight mass. I always love going to the Midnight Mass, but this year I was not a fan. For starters, they normally just have a few people singing a capella, which is partially what is so nice about it. But this year, they had the whole choir and band going. And the mass itself was extremely long (1:15), and elaborate. I've always loved the midnight mass because it's so quiet and serene, and more in tune with the Christmas spirit. It wasn't really like that this year :-/ In addition, I had awful heart burn from all the food I ate that night, so needless to say I was glad to go home at the end and just go to sleep.

The next day was filled with presents and family time. I got a Kindle Fire from my family!! I was so surprised and excited. I had a weird feeling that they were getting me a kindle (my mom had asked me about them) but I didn't expect a fire at all, so it was an awesome surprise.And I love it :-) I bought a book already (Bossypants) and have my google reader/ news sites uploaded to it, and plan to go to the library over the weekend to get a card (Boston Public library that is)so I can rent some books :-) I'm so excited! I also love it because even though it is like a computer screen, you can change the color of the page to off white, which makes it less harsh on your eyes :-)

After we got our act in gear, Matt came over to my place to say hi to my family, and exchange gifts, and then my mom, sisters and I went to my uncles house to visit for a bit before dinner. Dinner was prime rib, mashed potatoes, carrots and parsnip, green beans, and some of the most amazing scalloped potatoes ever.

After dinner we had some drinks, played some games, and then I headed back to my apartment with Matt around 10. It was an awesome Christmas and I was in high spirits... until I went into the bathroom.

I won't go into details, but basically someone had been putting dental floss down the toilet, which caused it to block the pipes, and when our neighbor would plunger our toilet would overflow and the water would come up in the tub. To call it gross was a massive understatement.

But the management company was great about getting someone out the next morning (it was Christmas night, after all. Apparently they did send someone out that night, but gave them the wrong apartment number and phone number. Like really?), and then a cleaning crew to take care cleaning the carpet (because it got soaked) and bleaching down the bathroom.

Matt's parents gave us a ton of bathroom stuff for Christmas, which is great considering it was all ruined :-( but at least it was a relatively easy fix, and I'm glad we have a management company that is so on top of everything. The lack of sleep and stress put both of us into a bit of a funk yesterday, so we had a lazy day and finished off Friday Night Lights (Great show btw), and organized our apartment.

I won't post a menu till Friday, just because with so much going on this week (babysitting tomorrow, friend's birthday on Thursday) Our meals will be quick and easy! Eating at home tonight and making soup for the week's lunches, taco pasta on Wednesday, and  lettuce wraps on Thursday.  We are having a New Years party on Saturday night, which I'm super excited for, but also looking at it as an opportunity to resist temptation. I'm going to make a low calorie drink for myself, and try and control eating as much as possible, and hopefully get a great workout in!