Scrapbook Weekend

This past weekend I went on a scrap booking retreat with Bonny. We went to a camp right outside of Corrigan. It was so nice. I was surprised that we had such a neat camp that was so close to home. There were over 50 ladies there all to scrapbook. I loved looking at every ones different styles of scrap booking and how they all do their pages. Everyone has their own way but it also gives me new ideas. They also had a few breakout sessions where they showed new ways of scrap booking and new tools. Of course I had to buy a few new tools. Creative Memories stuff is never on sale and they had it on sale for 15% off. How could I resist that? You all know that I love a good sale/discount!! Bonny and I had a great time, lots of laughter and scrapping. We both got alot done. I finished my engagement-wedding album and started my Christmas album. We also had a bonfire on Saturday night with S'mores and I am proud to say I did not have one single marshmallow or s'more. Yes, I resisted the temptation. I was so proud of myself because there is nothing better than a roasted marshmallow!! I didn't take as many pictures as I wanted to, but here are a few I will share with you. Excuse the bad hair and no makeup. We were going all natural for the weekend. It was so nice to not get dressed.

My bags were all packed. Who knew you had to take all this stuff for one weekend.

Bonny working on her scrap book of Johnston.

The rest of our scrapping table.

All the other tables, this picture is a little dark but you get the idea.

This is not the greatest picture, but like I said we were going for the natural look.

Misty was all bundled up for the bonfire. She wrapped a blanket around her neck like a scarf!
My 2 favorite pages

Hobby Lobby is having a sale on the Cricut Machine. This is the coolest scrap booking cutting tool! It was on my Christmas list but sadly I did not receive it. I got to play with it a little this weekend and I have developed a new love for it ;) It prints anything you want it to and cuts out all the letters. There are also tons of cartridges with different fonts and symbols! This machine never goes on sale and its on sale for $159.99 and the cartridges are 2/$89.99 and they are usually $69.99 a piece. Its a good deal but I am really trying to save money this year. Oh but it is so tempting. I just need to stay away from Hobby Lobby this week ; )

I have almost survived 2 weeks of boot camp. YAY! It has been wonderful and I have loved it. Today we did yoga and I will say that I am so not a fan of yoga. Its just not for me, I care nothing for it. I would much rather run or do a cardio workout. It was relaxing and good for stretching but it made me just want to go home and go to sleep today especially with the weather today. It is cold and rainy and is supposed to get even colder today. I love the cold weather but I would much rather be at home on the couch with a good book and a blanket than work. Stay safe on the roads today and stay warm.

My New Favorite Website

You all know about my addiction with ebay, but yes there is another website that I have become very fond of. I have just about fallen in love with it. I could look at stuff all day and never get bored. Everything they sell is homemade and handmade or sewn. Do you know what website I am talking about??

ETSY!!!

Oh my goodness. Has anyone been on there and looked at stuff before? They have some of the cutest stuff. Of course most of the stuff I look at is baby stuff because of my sweet niece Anna. They have everything from shoes, hats, panties, dresses, clothes......EVERYTHING and it is all so darn cute!! I just can't get enough. Here are a few of my favorite things...

Pillowcase Dresses and other cute items
Eleanor Grace Designs (expensive but so pretty)
Cute litte baby shoes
Girlie Bird Boutique (this is one of my favorites)

Just a few little etsy shops for all you mama's out there.

On another note, I am so ready for the weekend. I am having the ultimate girls weekend. Yes you heard me right. My friend Bonny and I are going to a camp about 30 min from here and going to SCRAPBOOK ALLLLLLLLLLLLL WEEKEND!! I am so excited. We have meals and everything. They are also going to have door prizes and breakout sessions where you can learn new techniques. OOOOOO I cannot wait. I really need this little weekend getaway. I think it will do me some good, plus I get to catch up on my scrapbooking. I am so excited to get all caught up but then again kind of sad because then I won't have anything else to scrapbook. Oh well I am sure something will come along and I can scrapbook.

I have almost survived my first week of boot camp. Only 7 more weeks to go. My whole body is so sore. It hurts to breathe, laugh, walk, and sit. haha. I sound so pitiful huh. It really has made me feel better though and I have so much more energy. It also has not been too bad getting up so early. It feels good to get in a good workout first thing in the morning because then I have energy all day long : )

HAHAHAHA I feel like this picture after a week of Boot Camp!!

Hope everyone has a great weekend. Be looking for Mondays post for lots of pics from this weekend!!

Boot Camp so far

Well guys I have officially survived my first 2 days of boot camp. I only have 38 to go. That's not that many days left right? haha. The first day wasn't bad at all, it was mostly taking measurements and doing assessments and talking about food choices. We didn't really do any exercise that day. I was also surprised that I was able to get up at 4 50 in the morning without any problems. I think it was in anxiety that I was going to oversleep. I am sure it will be harder as I will probably be alot more tired. We also have to write down every single thing we put in our mouth and write down the calories, fat, carbs, and protein. That means I am constantly looking at the labels of everything I eat. Its alot harder than I thought. We have to bring our journal every day to class and if we don't then that is extra pushups for us. I definitely won't forget my journal. I can barely do 10 pushups. Today we had to run a mile. It wasn't too bad, just a little nippy outside. I ran 1 mile in 12 min and 18 sec. I was very proud of myself. I normally run(jog) a mile in about 15 min. Today they definitely worked us a little harder and I only expect it to get worse. I can already tell my legs are going to be so sore tomorrow. I definitely will be taking some Motrin tonight. : ) So, I am surviving boot camp so far but it has only been 2 days. We will take another look at the end of the week.


Please keep praying for Scott, Kelly, and Baby Harper and all the other babies in the NICU in Tulsa. Harper is improving but it is expected to be a very long process. They need all the prayers we can get. Prayer is a powerful thing and they do work, because of our prayers Harper is getting stronger and her numbers our improving.


Another recipe for the week. Tonight I cooked pork chops with a honey mustard glaze marinade. They were really good. Hope yall are enjoying all my recipes. Its from a Betty Crocker Cookbook


Ingredients for the Glaze
1/4 cup honey
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1tbsp orange juice
1 tsp chopped fresh or 1/4 tsp dried tarragon leaves
1/2 tsp white or regular worcestershire sauce
dash of onion powder


Marinate pork chops in glaze and then grill to your liking. : )


Hope everyone is having a good week so far. P.S. Can I tell you how much I love the site RueLaLa.com, they have all these boutiques with name brand stuff for half off or more. You have to be invited by a member to join so if you want to check it out send me your email address and I will invite you. Check out what I ordered on there today.


How cute is this wristlet. Juicy Couture and it was only $38.00. It was calling my name and I had to have it : )

Weigh In Friday (Saturday)

I missed posting my weigh in Friday yesterday. I lost .5lbs according to the scale and I would be lying if I didnt say that I was pretty dissapointed. I guess something is better than nothing though right. I didn't really get in any exercise this week because we had a busy week and I worked late about every day. I have been doing good on my diet though. I have not let temptation over come me. We went to eat Tuesday night for Sharons birthday at Logans Road House and I am very proud to say I did not have 1 one roll. Yes I might have been staring at them through the whole meal, but nope not one bite. That was very hard. This diet is harder than I thought at time. I do great when we are at home but when we go out to eat there is just not much to choose from. Its really hard too when your husband always wants to eat Mexican food. Its very hard to find something "diet" at a Mexican food resturant. I decided to get on the scale again this morning just to see and what do you know another .5lb pound lost. To date I have lost 3lbs total in 2 weeks. I am very excited!! Boot Camp starts this week so I am sure that I will be losing a little more weight since I will definately be getting in my exercise this week.


Also if you haven't already heard Kelly had sweet precious Harper last night. They really need everyone to lift them up in prayer. Harper is having a difficult time breathing and they have transported her to Tulsa and she is in the Nicu. She is going to have to have a heart lung bypass. I cannot imagine what they are going through but they definitely need us to get on our knees and pray. Please please please pray for them during this difficult time. Kellys blog is one of the first blogs I came across and she is the reason I "met" my sweet friend Mrs. Stilettos. Without Kellys blog I would have never came across Newlywed Stilettos. Thank you Kelly for bringing so many people together through this blog world and sharing your story and giving so many other women hope. We are praying for you!!

Oops I did it again...

Sorry its been a while since I have posted. Work has been super duper busy and I have just been to tired to blog when I get home, plus I have been in a bit of a blogging rut. Sorry folks but it happens to everybody right? You know where you don't have anything interesting to talk about and nothing exciting is going on in your life at the moment. It pretty much sums up my life lately. Work has taken over my life. haha. Its not supposed to be that way is it? I mean I do like my job but I am getting tired of working late every single night. My scheduled hours are 8-4 30 and yet I have been getting off around 5 or later and Monday night I didn't get home until 9:30!! Lets just say I was extremely exhausted. Okay enough about work...

Is anybody watching The Bachelor? What are your pics after the 2nd episode. The Shannon girl has got to go. I don't like her at all. I think she is a stalker and she is just there for fame. I really do like Melissa. I watched her on Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders: Making the Squad and I loved her on that show too. She seems really down to earth and very sweet. Gotta love a girl from Texas anyways!! I also like Nikki, she seems very put together and has all of her ducks in a row. She seems very ready to settle down and shes not into the cat fighting. I also like Jillian, she has some quirky thoughts but I like her and Jason seems to really like her too. Oh decisions decisions. What is a guy to do? This season is definitely interesting and entertaining at the least. Give me your opinion? Who do you like?

Since I missed Recipe Monday I will post a delicious recipe tonight. This is one of my favorite things to cook for dinner guests. Its always a big hit and its off the weight watchers website. That's even better right for all you "lifestyle changers" (dieters) out there. Enjoy!!

Bacon Wrapped Chicken

2 Chicken Breasts or more depending on how many people you are cooking for
1/3 less fat Chive and Onion Cream Cheese
Lower Sodium Bacon
2 tbsp butter (melted) *optional*

Sprinkle garlic salt and pepper on chicken breasts. Cover tops of chicken breasts with cream cheese. Wrap bacon around chicken breasts (usually 2 pieces). Pour melted butter over top of chicken breasts. Bake for 30 min at 350 degrees. I usually put the broiler on for the last 5 min to make the bacon crispy.
I usually serve it with rice and squash sauteed in olive oil and garlic salt and pepper. Hope you like : )

Its official. I signed up for boot camp yesterday. I have officially lost my mind. Its at 5 30 in the morning and those that know me know that I am SOOOOOOOO not a morning person. This is going to be quite the challenge. I am just trying to think of the end result. I cannot wait to get my body back in shape. That is my main goal. You also get a heart rate monitor to keep, so that's a plus. They take measurements and do all kind of assessments and then do it again at the 4 week mark and the 8 week. I have no clue who else is doing the class. Maybe I will meet some new friends. I am always up for meeting people even though I can be shy at first. I promise I will warm up to you : ) Sorry for the lack of pictures lately. I haven't had my camera with me : ( I promise pictures to come soon.

**I forgot I do have one piece of exciting news. My brother, his girlfriend Kate, Todd and I are all going to Fredricksburg the weekend of Valentines day. We rented the cutest little 2 bedroom cabin and plan to tour all the wineries and of course do lots of shopping. I cannot wait. It will be a nice relaxing weekend.

Weigh In Friday

As most of you know I started my "Lifestyle Change" on Monday. I have been doing very good this week and am so proud of myself. I have kept of journal of everything I eat and how many calories I am consuming and how much exercise I have done. I have walked for an hour with my sweet mother in law 4 days this week. We plan on doing it daily as long as I get off work in time which has happened this whole week. What a blessing. I love when I get out of work when I am scheduled to do so. It has been so nice. Okay I know I know I am getting off topic here. So Wednesday night was Morales night as usual and I am proud to say I did not eat one single chip and dip. I ate a small salad before I left home and then ordered chicken fajitas with corn tortillas. I only ate 2 corn tortillas and then just ate the rest of the meat. I also had to have a little rice, I just couldn't stand it. I did drink tea that night though. I figured since all I had drank for the past 3 days was water I deserved a little tea right? It was the best tea ever.. haha. I have pretty much been sticking to my 1200 cal/day goal. I also have not had a single coke all week. I can't believe I have gone all week. I normally drink at least 1 coke a day if not 2. Today was the dreaded weigh in day. I was not looking forward to weighing myself this morning since I really did not feel like I had lost any weight. Lo and behold I step on the scale and I am down 2 pounds. I was ecstatic. I could not believe it!! If I continue to lose 2lbs per week then I will meet my goal weight by the middle of March. That's not too far along right? I am just taking one day at a time and its actually been easier than I thought. Every meal I have cooked has been very good and healthy. I didn't know those 2 words could even go together. : ) I look forward to weighing in next Friday in hopes that I have lost 2 more pounds. I am going to work really hard this week. Stay tuned....

It is no longer Christmas at Chateau Stracener : ( We finally took down the last of our Christmas decorations tonight. Todd had taken down most of the decorations last week but we still had our tree up and our mantle decorated. We just wanted to enjoy it a little longer. It makes me sad to think Christmas is already over. It went by so fast and was so busy. Next year I hope to take it all in a little more and not be so rushed and busy and really remember the reason for the season. So, things are back to plain ol' boring here at the Stracener household. Hope everyone has a great weekend. My sister in law and Anna are headed to town tomorrow and Agent 99 is in town : ) Can you tell the EXCITEMENT on my face right now!!! I can't wait to hang out with Miss Marlin and my niece Anna and Malee who I haven't seen either since Christmas.

P.S. I promise to change my background but thecutestblogontheblock.com is down right now. I will try again later. I am sure ya'll are tired of my Christmas background.

Recipe Monday and much more

I know it has been a while since I posted Recipe Monday. Now that the holidays are over it's back to getting into the groove with Recipe Monday. The recipe is Christmas Morning Casserole. My mom only makes it on Christmas morning. It is so yummy and we only have it once a year : ( I am sure there are different variations to the recipe but here is my moms/Nanas version.
Ingredients
6 slices of white bread
6 eggs
2 cups of milk
2 cups of grated cheese
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp worchesire sauce
1lb ground sausage

Brown sausage and drain. Cut bread into small cubes, beat eggs, add milk and mix well. Add all other ingredients and pour into greased casserole dish (9x11). Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. ENJOY!!

Well, today started the first day of my lifestyle change as they call it. I am officially on my diet which includes lots of fruit and veggies and water. I am also writing down everything I eat which is making me realize exactly everything that I put in my mouth. I did so good today and am very proud of myself. I also put up pictures of skinny people on my fridge and on my bathroom mirror. I also put up a favorite quote of my moms. "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels" That quote is so true. I am really sticking to my diet. I am determined this year. Its a new year and a fresh start. I am so excited to see the results. My mom challenged me to lose 8lbs this month. That is her goal and so I am trying to meet that goal as well. Boot camp doesn't start until Jan 19th so I am going to start waking up early and walking/running before boot camp starts. I am going to try to get in a little shape before I get my butt kicked. haha.

On another note, is anyone watching The Bachelor tonight? There are a few girls I already can't stand. Dominque and Shannon. Can we say goofy and stalker?? Oh my gosh Shanon is a big time stalker. She already acts like she knows everything about Jason and he didn't seem to keen on that. I really like Lauren, she seems very sweet and genuine. I also like that girl from Seattle. She seems very sweet as well. Let me know your thoughts on the show? Which girls do you like? Which girl do you think should go?

I also got my copy of Twilight in the mail. I am looking forward to reading it. Anyone else read the whole series? What did you think? Its not a book I would normally read but with all the craze about it, I thought why not. I will let you know how it goes. I am in the middle of reading A Wink at Midnight by Sandra Dorsett. She is a really good friend of my moms and so far I am loving this book. You should definitely check it out. Racy, drama and intense all in one. Hope everyone had a great Monday. Only 4 more days until Friday!!

New Years Resolutions...

I decided I would post my New Years Resolutions and maybe this year I can keep them more than lets say a month!! I am usually really bad with New Years resolutions but its a new year and I am changing my streak. I have lots of resolutions this year and I hope by this time next year I will be saying that I stuck with "most" of them. I know I probably won't stick to all of them but my goal is to stick with most of them.

1. Become closer to God and read the bible daily.
2. Attend Sunday School on a regular basis and become more active in the church.
3. WORK OUT!! This is a must. I must get in better shape. I am going to join a Boot Camp this month and can't wait to see the results.
4. Cook more and try new healthy recipes.
5. Be the best wife I can be, keep up with the house better.(cleaning and laundry)
6. Make more time to talk and visit with friends. I get so caught up in just life that I don't always show my friends how much I care by keeping in touch.
7. Go on a VACATION with my hubby
8. Read more. I love to read books. Got any good suggestions send them my way.
9. SAVE SAVE SAVE money. This is something I am going to work on really hard this year. To save money and pay off some bills.
10. Try to have a good attitude every day at work.
11. Talk my hubby in to having children...haha(only a wish from my side)
12. Exercise on a regular basis (see number 3)
13.Make a trip up to Maryland to see my friend Mrs. Stilettos.
(I am sure there are plenty more but that's all I can think of right now)

I hope everyone had a wonderful NYE. As for me and the hubster we went to eat at Hole in One around 9 and were home by 10 30 and in bed by 11. Yes we were in bed before midnight and it was oh so nice. I worked until about 7 30 so I was extremely tired and wanted to do nothing but crawl in the bed and go to sleep. I was awake at midnight however unlike the person who was lying next to me that I had to wake up and say Happy New Year!! I might have also stolen a little new years kiss : ) I am so excited for this new year. It is always nice to have a fresh start and I believe things can only get better. 2008 was a pretty good year, I don't really have any big complaints. Of course the best thing that happened in '08 was my precious niece Miss Anna Malee being born. It was definitely the highlight of my year. Our lives will be forever changed. Todd and I love her so much and she is getting quite the little personality. I look forward to see what 2009 brings.