Smash Book Journal

Just got in from working out and boy do I feel my muscles aching (in a good way) from the work the work out. Now that I am home I can relax a bit and possibly try this some what similar to scrapbooking idea that I have came across. It is called Smash Book. Instead of waiting to put together a good scrapbook page of a theme from Christmas with all the right decorative papers, stickers, labels etc that are related to christmas, this Smash Book is made to hold all of ephemera from your everyday life such as: Ticket stubs, receipts, photos, clippings doodles etc. It is like scrapbooking on the go, with out all the fuss and hassle of putting together a themed page, like I said earlier. You can also jot down funny quotes, or things your kid has said, pretty much whatever you want to put in it that has made your day. Any sort of a memento.
Although, this book is $15 and I am a frugal Mom and don't like paying that amount for such a thing. So I googled and researched online and found some alternatives, which apparently a good old composition book from the dollar store is just as good. And some girls even take patterned duct tape to decorate the front and back covers. Some people still buy the other things that go with the smash journal book like tape, stamps, papers, but it you're like me. Than I will be fine with dollar store items, along with getting cheap deals that I receive in my e-mails for coupons at Michaels craft store. Which I am happier to save my money than to splurge on ridiculous high priced items.
So, if I seem to like this way of quick scrapbooking on the go and at least fill up a whole book, then I will take a few pictures and share what I've done.

Mind Boggling Exhaustion

Sitting here right now feeling kind of sluggish. For the last 15 minutes I sat here and stared at my laptop's screen absentmindedly, yet can't seem to get myself out of whatever it is I am going into. I am sleep deprived for one I know that is one of the main causes. I went to bed at 1 am and got up at 7:30. I so use to being in bed by 10:30 pm. Jonathan and I ran around all day and he was so tired he left me to do all the grocery shopping, which is odd for me because I hate him coming because he nags me to hurry up the whole time. But this time I was so tired that I couldn't even think straight as what to put in the cart. I felt like I was going to fall asleep pushing my cart. I like when Jonathan goes down aisle ahead of me and grabs the necessities while I am slowly and carefully watching for items that are usually pricey to be on sale or half price or even 99 cents.
Maybe my lack of work out the past two days. I have been going regularly, but when I don't work out I feel like a bump on a log. Or is a lump on a bog? See I am extremely exhausted that I am not quite sure which one is the right saying. Well I am going to go before I make this blog sound senseless, although I am sure I already have.
Going to go get some reading into me to help me think straight/better.

Back In Shape

So Jonathan and I have decided to get back into shape. Which is well over due, because we keep saying it, but never really do anything about it. I have previously joined Golds Gym. Which is a good gym and I work out regularly, a lot more than I did before. We also changed our eating habits, and started to not eat late at night and if we are hungry at night, we eat things like baby carrots, broccoli etc.
We are also trying to make it more fun to do this, by competing with each other. So we weighed ourselves this morning and decided for the next three months to change our life style and cross off the main choices off our grocery list, to help refrain from habitual junk food eating out of boredom.
When I weighed myself in I am whopping 161 pounds. So, my goal is to be as skinny as my body will allow me to be after having Aaliyah, now I don't expect to be 110 pounds again, but if I could get to 130 to 135 pounds, I will be happy. I will be at a healthy weight for myself. As for Jonathan I can't disclose his weight, as he is really embarrassed of his weight, since this is the highest in weight he has ever weighed.
So, we are thinking maybe a before picture starting now, and after three months an after picture. So, if we have improved anything at all. Here's to hoping! It is all really about eating right, because to be honest with you. Before I got pregnant with Aaliyah, I ate very healthy and was 110 pounds for most of my teen years up until I got pregnant. Then I got into bad eating habits during pregnancy and didn't realize it would hurt my figure later. I was listening to people telling to me eat at every moment, I had a hunger pang, because it is good for the baby. But in reality my doctor told me to eat normal like I usually do, but in between meals have little snacks.
I was always a skinny mini so I know if I start eating the way I use to, not only will that help, but having a work out routine will help out as well.
So, here's to hoping for pounds to shed, but in a healthy way.

Merry Christmas; Missing my family

Well it is Christmas and people are being all full of joy and merriment. Which is nice, but all I want for Christmas is to be home in Saint John with the rest of my family. This is officially my first year without my parents and baby brother Joel. And being here on this night without them is really making me miss them. It is not the same without them. I have grown up doing certain things with  my family for Christmas.

And we are not together to do any of it together. We always have a hot chocolate on Christmas Eve and as boring as my father finds the Christmas fire place channel we put that on and then play some Christmas music in the back ground lightly while we all unwrap that one Christmas eve gift and sometimes Mom and I sing some songs and do some duet version of the classic songs together. What I really think of when I think of my family right now is this song. Which I am going to share with you, to get the feeling I feel when around my family.
So there it is! A nice song we always sing together every year. My Mom and I sing this in such beautiful harmony it is breath taking. We always do a good job together. As much as I always feel frustrated at my Mom for things I do miss her lots. Especially now, and also my father, he is my rock and is the glue to our family. I wouldn't know what to do without him. He holds the family together and if something ever happened to him I know my family would fall apart.
Well I better get going for now, I can't seem to type right now with myself getting all sentimental and tearing up is not helping me able to see what I am typing.
So Merry Christmas to you all.

On The Down Side

Today I am feeling a little on the down side. My parents and brother originally moved to Edmonton Alberta with Jonathan, Aaliyah and myself. But due to my brother Joel's autism, he couldn't handle the change which things such as this are hard on autistic children. So they moved back to Saint John NB after our year lease at the town house was up.
This is my first Christmas away from home. Without my family. I know that I have Jonathan and Aaliyah, but there was always a tradition in the Israel home with my parents and brother. Dad always strung the lights around the tree, while Joel and myself did the rest. As Joel and I got older we always decorated the tree and my Mom let us do it as she watched.
I am realizing I miss all of that, because I did the tree by myself and I couldn't get Jonathan to help me at all and well Aaliyah is still a baby and doesn't understand how to decorate yet. It is almost like Jonathan doesn't care much for doing things as a family. No matter how hard I try to get him involved.
I don't know about his upbringing as a kid for Christmas. But I am getting the idea that he never took part in it.
I don't even have a manger/nativity scene either. The one we always used all my life was my parents and I have been looking around for one and can't seem to find anything old and rustic. I don't like the modern pieces. I am just not feeling it this year. Probably because I am not a kid anymore either and not being around family that you're use to is not around. I feel like I have been left alone in this. I know Jonathan bought me gifts, but his lack of enthusiasm for family things during this month is not very encouraging. I am still a little girl in my own way and all I want is my Mom and Dad and brother.

Can't Escape The Mayans

It seems as though no matter who I am talking to or what I am logged into on the internet people are going on about the non sense of the mayan 'prophecy'. UGH spare me really. I don't care for one. Everyone's facebook status' are just simply annoying talking about it.
I can't even watch television with out talk shows talking about it and now there is a big thing about it on the history channel for goodness sakes!
So here are my two cents worth. What makes them idiotic mayans think they can predict the future. It states in the bible that 'No man will know the day or the hour' of the end of the world. And this isn't the first thing about people trying to predict the end of the world.
The end of the world was supposively the Y2K, then following that the 9/11, then following that the haiti earth quake and so on and so forth all bad disasters that take place everyone is crying doomsday.
Just give me a break already. I am tired of all these so called predictions, when ever the end of the world happens something really traumatic will most likely happen and not effecting one country, but effecting all living beings. Something unspeakable will happen when ever the real doomsday happens.
I seriously think people go on about this stuff to get some form of attention to be honest. And it is sickening if you ask me.
Well I am going to go for now and enjoy the not so end of the world day today.
Oh and just for laughs because I saw a post on facebook saying for me to do so if the world did not end to say this out loud on my status or blog so here it is.
GOKU saved the world once again!

LOL

Ugh! Christmas

This time of year is so awesome! Especially now we are less than a week away from Christmas. All the different versions of scruge cartoons are playing. I am watching the Flintstone version as of right now. And oh the childhood memories and how I use to feel all excited about Christmas and couldn't wait to open my presents up. I use to bug my parents to let me open mine early, it never did work with all my asking and bugging them. Although, I find the novelty of Christmas is wearing off over the years as I grow more in wisdom towards God and learning more about him.
The year I was 16 I couldn't wait and I already had an idea of what I was getting so I went to bed early Christmas eve at 7 or 8 and woke up at 3 am. Not looking at my alarm clock and woke my parents up and got them into the living room, until they looked at the clock on the wall they were kind of grumpy at me for waking them up, thinking I did it on purpose (which I didn't, in fact I wasn't even aware of the time). They both said in a stern voice get back to bed. They had a hard time getting my little baby brother back to bed after we woke him up, allowing him to think that we were going to  be opening the presents up. At the time I think he was 6 or 7 years old at the time. So they got him to climb into bed with them and they all fell asleep.
My parents abruptly woke me up at 9:30 am and I was exhausted and they were saying "don't you want to open your presents?" and to their surprise my response was "no." I was so exhausted from being up at 3 and when I went back to bed, I remember the last time I took a quick glance at my alarm clock in my room, it read 9:00 am. So really I only got 30 minutes of sleep and was not rested. Thankfully though when I am tired like I am, my father always brews a good batch of coffee in the morning and already had a cup of coffee in his hand and set at the edge of my bed and gave it to me. Let me sip on it a bit until I wasn't so grouchy then ushered me out of my bed and out of my bedroom to the living room.
Two couch pillows were on the floor with a very impatient little brother of mine Joel sitting on one and the other for me. He had been made to wait for me as usual every year, we wait for everyone to be awake.
I miss those days of getting all revved up and excited about Christmas. Watching cartoons of all versions of the scruge Bahumbug! And the old fashion rudolph movie which is not so much a cartoon, but not in real life either. I am sure you all know what I am talking about though, with the man Cornelius who enjoys throwing his ax into the air, and licking the snow off of it, thinking he can taste silver and gold. And he also fights the big abominable snow man. And followed with rudolph running away with the elf who doesn't want to make toys, but yet wants to be a dentist.
I love those memories, and I enjoy watching them with a nice cold glass of Christmas eggnog. I enjoy the tree as well all lit up and pretty.
But the best part of all is reading from the new testament in the bible from the book of Luke.
It is always good to remember the reason for the season. The birth of Jesus Christ. I may enjoy all those things, but Christmas wouldn't even be Christmas if Jesus wasn't born, because it is his birth that we are celebrating. I don't reflect enough on Jesus like I should, but thinking of it now as I am writing this. I need to learn more and know more. I only know the basics of Jesus to the point that even the nonbeliever could tell you about him. It says in his word for us to study to show ourselves approved. We need to know his word in order to know him and his heart and what he is all about. All this false merriment that you see people give out to one another during Christmas only, but not through out the year, it needs to be like that all year long. Anyone can get into the festivities of everything, but when it all comes down to it, I really need to focus on Jesus.
Sweet baby Jesus was born in a stable. Dirtiest place to ever been birthed, he deserved much more than that. No matter the good stuff that is played during Christmas time this is what is important to me the most. I haven't shown much of a Christian like attitude, but I need to change it for the betterment of myself and for Jesus, he deserves so much better than this, his father (God) created us for a purpose and to not try to get to know him and his word is like a slap in the face. Who in their right mind wouldn't want to know their creator? I want to know him more and more each day.
I got to not just try, but do it. Read his word, reflect on his word and live his word.
So nothing can make you happy in this world, all the presents at Christmas can't, it fills the void you have for a short period of time, but then that hole still exists until you reach out to God. Yes I love the Christmas movies too and the festivities, but until we get it right with God we won't be truly happy.
This year I sit there at my couch and stare at the tree and try to find the happiness and excitement I once use to feel about Christmas and it just isn't happening. And then I realized that I am not happy ever, never have been. The only times I remember being fully happy, is when I am 100% focused on Jesus Christ himself. Anytime my focus goes another route and I slowly put off a bible reading to another day and put off praying for another day, I get more miserable and wretched, but when I can crying at the feet of the Lord praying and crying out to him asking him to forgive me for forsaking him it feels better and his presence is there and you can feel it! There isn't anything better than his presence.
Don't get me started on Santa Claus. Yes I am aware of the Ole St.Nick tale, however, there are plenty of verses in the bible that talks about the idol that before worshipped over God which is called Molech or Moloch. It is spelled differently when you google it. The thing about Molech in the bible days B.C. It was a giant statued furnace in the shape a human body that had a giant huge belly with its arms stretched out as if it is holding something. What people would do in those days when they turned their back on God and decided to make an idol of their own, was heat the furnace and sacrifice their babies and young children, along with a list of all their wants of materialistic things. Sound familiar? Just like Santa Claus! Parents line up at the mall during this time of year and some kids are scared of Santa and scream and cry and yell and also have a 'list' of things they want. It so symbolic to the Molech offering. Don't you think?
I really don't think I will be telling my kid about Santa. First reason, it is a lie and your child trusts everything you say, then when you tell them at an older age that there is no such thing, they feel betrayed, because they were lied to. Also, think about it? This world is full of sin, because of a lie. Eve was betrayed by the lie from satan in the form of a snake. And then she lied to God when confronted. My second reason for not telling Aaliyah a word about Santa Claus is: I did the photo picture thing in the mall this year and she was petrified of him! I never saw a kid so scared in my life and the look in her eyes while looking at me standing by the camera trying to make her smile, it was like a look of betrayal. She didn't know why I was not saving her from something that scared her. She is use to me coming to her rescue for everything that I do on an everyday basis, but this one time I allowed her to live in a moment of fear with out calming and comfort. Thirdly, in the ten commandments we are commanded not to lie. Lying lips are an abomination to God. He hates it, and I want to honor him as much as I can.

Cleaning Like Crazy Today

Having my 4th cup of coffee of the day; well it is now afternoon. I drank the whole pot to myself! Well wait my husband isn't a coffee drinker, so therefore no need to make a full pot. I make a half pot. So I drank half a pot of coffee to myself! I have so much energy today! Lots is getting done for housework. Thank God, I am usually so sluggish in the morning and don't get to doing anything until the afternoon.The crabby part of the morning follows me until near noon hour usually. I got majority of my laundry folded accept maybe one load out of the 6 loads that have been washed and dried. The dishes are done, accept for a frying pan that is soaking from having dried up food on it from the night before. And you're not going to believe this, I am cleaning the stove top. I took out the coils and the other part (I don't know what it is called, but I usually line them with foil liners) and have them soaking in my sink with a good cleaner sprayed on them. Now all that needs to be done is sweeping and moping of the floors. Oh and the bathroom, but I am thinking of making Jonathan do that chore himself. Since the majority of the mess is him. I always clean my messes, if I dropped a dab of tooth paste in the sink, I rinse it out once I am done brushing. And before I shut the shower off, I usually have a J cloth hanging on the bar of the shower curtain to give a quick clean from soap scum, dirt and grimey stuff. However, Jonathan on the other hand, he does not dry his feet with the towel before stepping out and leaves a puddled mess everytime. And does not wipe down the shower and leaves his little stubbles he shaves off of his face in the sink for me to look at. He is a crazy tooth brush scrubber. When he brushes his teeth, he splatter tooth paste from with in his mouth right onto the mirror. Not me! I think of all the housework I do in this house, the bathroom can at least be his chore every once in a while.
Well I think I better go use up the energy I do have today and get the rest of the housework done and then go spend time with my wee one.

I Love The Gatsby Show (Jerseylicious)

Ugh! I so wish we had a salon like the Gatsby here in Edmonton Alberta. I really do. I rarely pamper myself anymore ever since I moved from side of Canada to the other. But damn I would pay lots a money just to fly to the states if I had the extra $$$ to do so. All the ladies and gents that work there are so glamorous and beautiful. I just love the show lots. Accept for the bickering going on with Tracy and Olivia, it totally takes away from the show and salon. I just don't get why they can't get along. They seem so alike in various ways. They both share the love for animal printed stuff and what not and love the darker skin tone and love doing the dramatic makeup look. And boy do they ever accessorize!
Anyways enough complaining about those two silly ladies. Hopefully someday they will make amends.
Anyways here's to hoping someday when I can make it to New Jersey, that I can get my hair done by one of the many talented hair stylists there.
This stay at home Mom is well overdue for a good old pampering time soon!

Prayers for Newtown Connecticut

It is such a shock to come home from the gym yesterday to see the status' all over facebook with regards to the shooting in Newtown Connecticut. It is so heart wrenching to watch on the news. I have been doing nothing but praying for all of the victim's families. It really opens your eyes to see that no matter how small of a town or city you live in, this kind of violence can happen anywhere's! Not just expected in the big cities. It can happen anywhere's, anytime and anyplace.
I definitely hugged my little girl a bit tighter last night with tears in my eyes thinking what if this was her in her school years from now when she is older?
My heart goes out to everyone that was hurt and had their precious little angel shot and taken away from them for good. I can't express how much I feel hurt for those families, I feel like it happened to me too.
May God be with us all in the world and reach out to others and help make change in our hearts and follow him and change our ways. So there will  be less or not more crime going on.

Salt on an open wound

Being told the truth definitely hurts. It is very painful to deal with. I was just told the truth, but a friend, because I asked this of my friend. Even though maybe sometimes in certain situations, topics etc you should refrain from telling the truth, especially if you care for this person and love them with all your heart. I am beginning to wish I never asked for the truth, because maybe I was not ready to hear it. Maybe it was meant for another time to be revealed to me. But stubborn as I am I have insisted on the truth being told to me.
I am having a hard time sleeping right now, I have drank my sleepy time tea and the truth is plaguing me to the core. It hurts me deep down with in me.
So what I am wondering is; should you really tell the truth? Or should we lie to the person for the time being until you know they are mentally, emotionally able to take it in? Should I have been told a lie tonight? Or was it better for the truth to come out? Or maybe was I ready to hear the truth, but, because I am human it is normal to feel so hurt from the truth?
Sometimes I just don't like being truthful, it certainly didn't set me free, like the saying goes from the bible. Maybe it should though. Should I just release myself from it all? From this person to help me heal?
I love this person, but they have hurt me so badly. What am I to do? Suck it up, because I asked for it? (The truth). Or shall I just be rid of the person?
UGH!! Decisions decisions! Well I am going offline now. Just had to get it off my chest.

Dreadday

Ugh! I feel so old today. I hate this day as every year comes by. I look a little older and a little more different. Now that my bodies been through a pregnancy, my body is funny shaped. I work out to the best of my abilities, but I will always have these huge hips. I have these little crinkles in the corners of my eyes when I smile now and a slight laugh line too.
When this day came up as a kid I was always so excited. Along came a cake and pizza and presents, but now if I even look at those foods I will gain about 50 pounds just looking at them. I don't have the metabolism I once had.
Jonathan did give me a birthday present early last night. It was cool, it was this conair jet water thing for when in the tub. Which is cool, because I love soaking in the tub with a nice goats milk bubble bath. He also got me two packs of iced mahogany hair dye. I love it! I love my hair that color. I sometimes miss my old trade mark hair that I was once known by from when I was in the private school, but I find blond makes me look too fake.
On a more nice note, I woke up to a bunch of kisses from my daughter today. That is always a nice way to wake up. She loves to give out kisses. She is a very loving girl always in a cuddling mood. Sometimes I lose my patience with her first thing in the morning, when trying to drink my coffee and then she just plumps herself hard down onto me making me spill the hot coffee not on me, but all over the couch and every where's. She is still learning though, so I try not to make a big deal out of it. I show her the mess and show her how I need to clean it and she actually takes a J cloth and tries to help wipe it all out, but only rubs it in more. LOL What a sweetie. At least gets the idea to some extent.
I am kind of sad, because with blogger lately when I sign in, I can't see my people that I am following. I usually read my friend Dave's blog, but it appears blank when I click on his name and goes for everyone else I follow. I like to keep posted with the progress of his book that he is writing.
Well I best be going for now. I need to get a shower going and get ready before Jonathan gets home from work, because he is taking me out to get an ice cream birthday cake at DQ. And then we are going to West Edmonton Mall to get my free gift from the make up store that I am a member of called Sephora. Their make is amazing and works wonders!
Will post later about the rest of my day.

Blibber blabber

Well I am a cheapo! Yes I am. I have been suffering with having problems falling asleep. I know it has to be insomnia, what else could it be right? So I forgot all about this tea that a couple of friends had mentioned to me before, and while doing my usual grocery run with the hubby and baby; we walk down the coffee and tea isle and right before eyes. My eyes fell upon the night time tea made by celestial. Thank God I found it or actually saw it through all the other teas surrounding it, because Jonathan was making a doctors appointment for all three of us and he wanted me to get sleeping pills. And I am too cheap I don't want to pay for an expensive prescription if I don't have to. I know that maybe I should get a diagnosis at least, but I don't care. We ingest a lot of crap in our bodies on a regular basis. Most of us eat that stupid boxed prepackaged food more. Which is something in the Morin family we have decided to change. We don't even have sugar in the house anymore. We shop mainly out of the produce isle. And buy lots of seafood and fish. I can't say we completely stopped buying canned, packaged food, because we still buy canned tuna and the odd other thing here or there. But for the most part I make my own gravies, pasta sauces, dips etc. Although not peanut butter. Yet! But I will when I find out how to make it, well a good recipe with really good directions to follow.
Since we are doing all this do it yourself things, I am thinking of investing in getting some pottery and soil and stock up for the warm weather and when the snow goes away for good I am going to plant my own herbs. Parsley especially, it is my favorite. I will eat it like people eat lettuce or carrots.
Well it is time for me to pour my tea and doze off. Good night to you all.

Christmas Done & A New Beginning

The shopping is done and so is the shipping! YAY. Christmas is dealt with early for once in my life. In the Morin house we are usually last minute shoppers, and shipping them off too late. Thank God we kept finding deals on the things that our family members liked and had the money on hand to grab it. I am a little late on decorating as far as the christmas lacey stuff from the dollar store. The tree is up and decorated though.
I kind of can't wait to get it done and over with. I always forget how much of a hassle it is just to get that perfect gift for everyone in the family. But then as a whole year goes by and as the next christmas is nearing for another time around I get excited, then go to being tired of it. Perhaps I put my tree up too early. I actually feel like taking it down right now.
I am lucky, because Aaliyah was so fascinated with the tree at first; so I thought I was going to have a problem with her taking the decorations off of the tree. But she only takes a bulb off once in a while and passes it to me, just to watch me put it back on. Nothing too major. She loves night time, because I put the lights on for the remainder of the evening.
Another chapter has started with my little wee one just today actually! I decided when her diapers were all used up that we would start training her on the potty, so we already had pull-ups available and a potty. So she just finished her last diaper. So onto the pull-ups and potty training we go. I was going to train her earlier this year, but she was still too young and little and still learning how to understand what I am saying to her when I talk to her. I know that she understand me for the most part now. So I know it is the right time.
So here's to hoping this does not take a long time to train her, because to be honest I am not up for it. I just wish my Mom or Grandma was here to help and guide me through it, because they have a special connection with her.