Festivus 2012

I finally had a Festivus party this year. 

I went in search of the creepiest and cheapest doll I could find one fine Saturday afternoon with my gal pal Aleica. 

Big Lots came through with the win for $5.00  I knew we had a winner that could withstand what I had in mind when she held up like a champ after the first punishing blow to the head at the store. 

People look at you funny when you beat a doll in public, especially during the holidays. 

She was kicked around.  She was stomped on.  She was run over.  She was thrown in puddles.  She was lit on fire, well we tried to at least.  She had eye surgery. 

To this day, yes over a week later, she remains hanging from her noose.  Hey, I got sick and haven't had the energy to take her down yet. 

She no longer creeps me out. 

Another friend was going to come through with pole for the occasion but when she came down with the ick, plan B was put into place. 

My bestie Fiwasan called her husband.  The call went something like this, "Don't ask questions.  I am with Mo and we need a pole." 

To his credit, no questions were asked, he acquired a pole, cut it down to size, and hooked me up with the noose too.  What a champ!

I am not sure if I should be honored or worried that people don't ask questions about my motives. 

There was a gathering around the TV to watch the original Seinfeld episode. 

There were feats of strength. 

There were airing of grievances. 

There was laughter, 

There was a projectile vomiting occurrence.

There was no shortage of memories being made and more Festivus miracles put into the world.

Who is ready for next year?

Peace. xoxo Mo 

10oz vs 32oz

Around these parts hot cocoa is taken seriously. 

Dark, milk, salted caramel, with mini marshmallows, without marshmallows, with mini chocolate chips, without mini chips.

Usually with whip or without is not an option since I don't have whip cream in the house but that is beside the point. 

Just know we don't play when it comes to the hot cocoa. 

I go through a lot of coffee creamer and do recycle the empties but decided to upcycle one of the containers this go around.  

Perfect portion size dispenser and hopefully the container will keep the minis fresh too.  

 I probably should have known 10oz of mini marshmallows was more than 32oz of liquid but I was thinking they would all fit.

Hey, I put them in before the first cup of coffee this morning so gimme a break.

Peace.  xoxo, Mo

13 on the 13th

So, I had this ready to go last night, which would have been the 13th but I failed to publish. 

A day late is better than never right?

On the 13th of each month I will post 13 completely random things, observations, state of being, etc. going on in my life. 

Here's what 12-13 brings at the end of this day. 

1.  I am experiencing the worst "episode" of TMJ I have had in well over 5 years.  It is no bueno. 

2.  I arrived home from an evening out with friends (to celebrate a very special 5 year old's birthday) to discover it was the perfect night to bust out my fleece Rudolph footie pjs.  I was chilled to the core and 'tis the season. 

3.  I'm blessed with a strong support system of friends, loved ones, and co-workers.

4.  I'm currently drinking a hot cup of Trader Joe's candy cane decaf green tea from a white porcelain cup with a reindeer on it.

5.  Lucky is intrigued by the tea.  I think she might be trying to figure out why I am not drinking the usual mug of hot cocoa. 

6.  I was blown away with an aha moment while reading my daily devotional this morning. 

7.  The song that makes me chair dance the most currently is Pitbull's "Don't Stop the Party".  The lyrics and video are somewhat intense, not recommended for a younger audience, but the beat gets me grooving. 

8.  I thought I was done with making my Christmas cards but after I addressed the envelopes I realized 23 more need to be made.   

9.  I hand make, write, and address my cards.  It can get to be a bit much at times but crafty time is a stress outlet of mine so there's the upside. 

10. The gray of Seattle doesn't bother me but if I say I miss dusk being later than 4:00 PM does this mean I am in denial and I really am affected by SAD?

11.  I am looking forward to watching this week's "Criminal Minds" to decompress before calling it a night.  Bless you inventor of the DVR. 

12.  I am planning on downloading one of James Patterson's books this weekend so I can get lost in the written word for a few hours to further decompress.

13.  There are times taking a moment to breathe, really breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth, are essential to making chaos peaceful. 

Speaking of peace, Peace.  xoxo Mo        

"Ugly Sweater" Partay

What:  "Ugly Sweater" Christmas Party

When:  Sunday, December 4, 2012

Where: Pammy and Caleb's

Do you "ugly" sweater Christmas party?

We do.

Here is most all of the night's attendees in their finest. 

 Do you know how hard it is to find a not so pretty sweater, especially when these excursions have become all the rage, and you start looking for the goods in November? 

It's not so easy I tell you.

My theory is entrepreneurs snatch them up and sell them at a highly inflated cost leaving us little guys to fend for ourselves. 

Either that or I started looking too early and the stores hold them back until December. 

I hit up some Goodwill Value Village stores the second week of November. 

The best I could find was a tree with stripes. Not ugly by any means and totally ready for a day spent in the ski lodge sipping gin and juice hot cocoa fireside. 

In my minds eye I visualized something.  What that something was I wasn't sure.  I knew with a base like that I could make it work. 

Here is the finished product. 

 56 safety pins later. 

Glitter bow from Michaels meant for a mini tree. 

Stuffed reindeer and glitter ornament balls from the dollar spot at Target. 

Jingle bells and faux fur from JoAnns. 

Not a creature was stirring, not even . . . oh wait. Wrong story. 

No body parts were harmed.  Nope, no pin pricks or hot glue burns to my fingers.

Fiwasan came through with the stuffed animal win.   

I was going to glue him on my shoulder.

She said nah, let's cut him in half and offered to sew him on the sweater for me. 

She made it possible for there to be a party going on in the back too. 

 Now that I look at the stuffy, is it a moose or a reindeer? 

Either way, it made the sweater in my opinion. 

I also felt the need to bust out something on the bottom.  

The Santa hat was already a  given for a holiday party but the socks?  The socks rock and tied the faux fur on the sleeves even more to the outfit than before. 

I placed second in the competition.  Fiwasan took first, rightfully so.  

Pammy might need to watch her teddy bears (as seen in the above snapshot) closely this year.  They could be kidnapped and sacrificed for next year's sweater creation, providing we have another party celebrating the "ugly". 

Peace. 

Been More Than a Minute

Soooo, it has been more than a hot minute since I last did a post. 

Like a February 2012 frigid minute. 

I have no excuses. 

My theory, and since it is my theory, it's my belief, I have allowed first Twitter, then Facebook, and now Instagram to have taken the place of this here bloggity blog.

I'd like to go back to blogging, if for nothing else, to have one central location for what strikes my fancy on any particular day.

In case you want to follow me on the other social media outlets referenced above, you'll see a common theme in my username choices:

Twitter: moonthego

Instagram: moonthego

I warn ya.

There may be duplicity.

What I can promise is you'll get to know me.  The good, the bad, the ugly, the mundane, food and kitteh pictures. . . ME.  The authentic me.

With that being said,

No, for reals. 

I am.

Really. 

With that being said, hi.  How ya' doin'? 

Right this very minute I am feeling a bit frazzled.  Somewhat overwhelmed.  My right ear, left knee, and jaw are still giving me discomfort.  I'm a little chilled to the bone.  I'm in the middle of a self imposed pseudo detox juice cleanse.  I'm really, really busy with bisnatch. 

All in all, I am radtastic.  Upright.  Breathing.  Blessed. 

Peace. 

Saturday Morning Peek

Do you make to do lists? 

I do.

Mostly my to do lists are made in my black leather journal or electronically though Outlook for my smartphone records. 

A few Friday nights ago I sat down to write out my to do list for the weekend on a scrap of paper that followed me around all weekend.   

Because of the snow and ice, Pamela packed her gym bag in her daughter's Princess backpack as this was what she had with her this fine Saturday, January 21st.   

My thoughts are to embrace it.  Each one of us is a princess. Girly and sparkly fit her personality too.  In case you are wondering, she totally rocked it.     

Naturally my gym bag is gender neutral versus being representative of a princess. I assure you from the inside out, it holds princess, girly items.  

Really.  It does. 

Yup, there's Lucky checking it out. 

She's inquistive like that. 

You would think she is all about the snacks laying on top of the bag but nope, she is all about the swimsuit and boy shorts in the bag.  She has a thing for chlorine and salt water. 

When I say thing, I mean THING.  Like let me devour you thing.  If I don't hide the swimsuit she is bound to get a hold of it and suckle it until I wash it.  She will also attack me if I have not showered the smell away upon my return from the pool.  

Crazy kitteh.

As some of you may want to know what snacks are on top of the bag, here's a closer view.

I ate the apple and the cinnamon crunch bar.  I introduced Kari to the veggie straws.   

Sadly, I have not booked my brow appointment.  I might need to really get on that soon before the strays take over. 

Peace, Love, Laughter.  xOxO, Mo

Butternut . . . Butter Your Nut

I was planning on making a batch of butternut squash soup to warm my tummy on the freezing cold, snowy night known as January 19th. 

As soon as I knew my friend Pamela, her husband and kids were trekking over on foot, giving new meaning to 1.9 miles in the dark, snow, uphill, through the woods and to Mo's house we go, I knew a big batch was needed versus just enough for me for the next few days. 

Sadly, I didn't have the right kind of apples on hand, used chicken stock versus veggie broth, chopped up a red onion versus a vidalia, didn't add more butternut squash to compensate for the honey crisp sweetness, and topped it with cinnamon versus nutmeg. 

Hey, it was a winter storm - use what I have on hand soup - versus follow the recipe to a T.  It was comforting and filling nonetheless. 

Look at the goodness simmering on the stove. 

Looks like mush at this stage of the game.

Have I recently declared my love for this kitchen gadget?   

I love, love, LOVE it. 

I use it for my fiber in the AM, for smoothies, to puree, etc..

I use it once a day, if not more. I used to have the magic bullet but when it bit the dust on me a few years ago, I switched to this version.

Well worth the $29.99 plus tax in my opinion.

Scrum! 

 

The recipe, should you desire to make it yourself, is Weight Watchers friendly.  1 point friendly!

 

Ingredients

4 cups vegetable broth

12 oz uncooked butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 to 1 1/2 inch cubes (or use frozen, cubed squash)

1/2 large uncooked vidalia onion, cut into 2 inch cubes

1/2 small fresh apple, peeled and cut into 2 inch cubes

1/4 tsp table salt, or to taste

1/2 tsp black pepper, or to taste

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg, or to taste

 

Instructions

In a large stock pot, combine broth, squash, onion and apple. 

Cover pot and bring to a boil over high heat. 

Uncover pot and reduce heat to low. 

Gently simmer until squash is very tender, about 10 minutes.

 

Puree soup in pot using an immersion blender or puree in a regular blender in batches. 

 

Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

 

Serve. 

 

Yields about 1/2 cup per serving. 

 

Scrum!

 

Peace, Love, and Laughter.  xOxO, Mo

SnOMG

Now that all the hoopla has passed about snowmaggedon, I'll share pictures from the days in which western Washington was pounded with snow, which then turned into freezing rain/sleet, which then made everything slick like an ice rink, followed by trees snapping from the weight of the snow and ice, which took us straight into a wind storm which led to power outages, which led to an impromptu party of sorts at my house. 

It's all connected people!

 

Above is a view from my office/craft window on day 2. 

All the pictures are from day 2 and 3. 

Below are from my balcony patio off of the living room. 

Luckily none of my trees snapped from the elements nor did I lose power.  We did have a period of time in which the sewage system was thought to be frozen however.

Minor snow and ice buildup compared to other areas in the hood. 

More snow fell than this when all was said and done. 

Hello ice rink day 3.  Every surface was coated with ice.

This is a color shot.  I know it may be hard to believe but 'tis true.  That was the color of our sky for a days on end. 

This tree doesn't lean this way on a normal day. 

Living in a winter wonderland. 

Peace, Love, Laughter.  xOxo, Mo

Desk Abstract

My constant desk/office companions have grown.

On top, Brown Betty.  It really appeals to my "green" side and rolling documentation needs by having the insert be refillable versus hardbound.  I use it for work related conversations, voice mails, to do, outgoing calls, etc.. It's pretty much a catch all for me and even in the technological age in which we live, I can't imagine my life without Brown Betty by my side.  I heart it so much I have a black one for personal use. 

Next is my latest best friend, which is a 947 page book on all things Office 2010.  I also have a 1114 page book just for Excel 2010.  I know you are envious. 

Below this is a padded clipboard with a legal pad of paper.  It's called a fashion clipboard in the stores.  You wouldn't expect anything less from me would you?  I didn't think so.  When analysis and documentation call for old school pencil and paper from time to time, why not  have a pretty clipboard, especially when you are able to find it on sale like I did for less than $2.00?

Rounding out the bottom is a leather covered notebook in which there are contact lists, geographical map information, a calendar -- you know some of the essentials you might need to in a jiffy -- encased in moveable plastic folder pocket dividers.  It also has paper to write on and the coolest part of this customizable system by arc is you can move the sheets around in the binder without the bulkiness of a 3 ring binder.

That's just what's on top of the desk.  Let's not even get started for what I carry in my briefcase when I'm on the road. 

Ok, ok.  Maybe I will do that one day but not today. 

Peace, Love, Laughter. xOxO, Mo   

Living in a Winter Wonderland

Current weather conditions in my neck of the woods is
28 degrees

Feels like 25 degrees

High is forecasted to be 31

Low is forecasted to be 28

The winds are 11 mph NNE

Dewpoint is 27°

Sunrise was at 7:50 AM

Humidity is 93%

Sunset is at 4:49 PM

Visibility is 1 mile

UV index 0

In the last hour, 0.06 precipitation was measured

A nice, fluffy powder type of snow is falling right this minute. 

It sure is pretty to look at outside my window, with a cup of coffee in hand and slipper socks on my feet. 

Telecommunting was an obvious choice today. 

Back in the day I would be hankering to hit the slopes but my bum knee tells me otherwise these days. 2 surgeries is one too many. 

Peace, Love, Laughter.  xOxO, Mo

On the Menu

It's my turn to host one of my book club meeting of the minds. I belong to two book clubs.  Both are great with different selections and wonderful ladies I enjoy sharing life with.   

I chose The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.  The book intrigues me and I figured for the new year, why not see if anything resonates with us. 

It's supposed to be cold with the chance of snow on Sunday in these parts.  Duh.  It is January after all. 

When I sat down to menu plan I wanted to select healthy comfort food that would stick to your ribs and warm you from the inside out. 

I hope what I've selected appeals to the group. 

On the menu
Lots of fruits and veggies for nibbling
Mini lean turkey meatloaf
Beef in a bucket - you choose how you want to nom on the tri tip goodness
Fresh lime and black bean soup
Polenta style corn casserole
Bell pepper nachos

One friend is bringing a delicious dipping sauce for the veggies and another a hearty chili. 

Should make for a great Sunday afternoon with the girls! 

Peace, Love, Laughter.  xOxo, Mo

13 on the 13th

Starting something new. 

On the 13th of each month I will post random facts about me, things I am grateful for, ponderings . . . whatever thought comes to mind first when I sit down at the computer. 

Bringing the tag line of the "Welcome to Me" to life for all to see. 

1.  Thankful for the nourishment the bowl of oatmeal just provided.  Even though it was somewhat of a let down taste wise, at least I am blessed to wake from my bed, walk to my kitchen, and have food in the pantry.  None of that should be taken for granted since many in the world don't have the same.

2.  Treadmill, yoga, or weights today.  Maybe a combo of two but moving is on the agenda for sure.

3.  This vacation day is full of personal to dos - shopping, cleaning, visit to the DMV, filing, maybe cleaning out of a closet.  I wonder how much I can squeeze into a day full of promise. 

4. Found out from a friend, who was gracious enough to take the time to snap a picture and text it to me, all Paper Zones are closing.  Everything is on sale.  Do I dip into the crafty budget and stock up or be a good girl and resist the urge?

5.  Speaking of paper, I need to make time to bust out a few Happy 2012 cards and design this years' V Day love in the mail cards.

6.  It's cold but oh so pretty outside right now.  The world is screaming come out and play in me.

7.   I want to go out and play but I have tons to do.  An unorganized home makes me less happy inside and efficient. 

8.  My cat . . .she's awesome. I'm glad she picked me. 

9.  "Everything Counts" by Depeche Mode just came on random play.  I heart that song and the memories associated with it. 

10.  They say scent is the strongest recall.  I agree with this and also think music is right up there as being the strongest recall.  I hear a song and boom, I'm transported back in time. 

11.  Speaking of back in time, I was struck with the thought of live life forward last night.  You know the voice inside of you that whispers, then talks, and lastly beats you upside the head until you hear AND listen to what it is saying to you?  Well you may not have a voice like that but I do.  I heard it speak loud and clear last night.  Live.  Life.  Forward.   

12.  I am currently reading more non fiction books than fiction.  Inspiration and learnings abound. 

13.  Time to get this day started! 

Peace, Love, Laughter.  xOXo, Mo

Duh!

Santa brought me a daily calendar for my enjoyment in 2011. You can read about it here.  

I shared some of the facts with friends, professionally and personally, when I felt there was a good one to send. 

No Secret Santa calendar was gifted to me this year.  I pondered if I should buy one or not. 

The answer became clear this afternoon as I dropped a chunk of change on 2010 Excel and Microsoft Office 2010 books this afternoon. 

At 50% off, I couldn't resist picking up a new one to carry on the fun fact sharing.  Bonus is I use the back of the sheets for notes, scribbles, etc..  This calendar has daily extra treats in the form of puzzles, riddles, tips, facts on the back of the page so for the price I paid for it, I declare SCORE!

I know you really want to know what today holds in store for you.

It's what I would refer to as an eh one.  You might really like it though. 

Here goes - Clear Thinking on a Cloudy Day:  The magazine writer Dorothy Parker, infamous for her sharp wit, held a long-running feud in the 1920s with the wealthy socialite Clare Booth Luce. At a formal party, someone complimented Mrs. Luce by exclaiming that the wife of the publisher of Time magazine was always kind to her inferiors.  "Really?" Parker responded.  "And where does she find them?"  

The Daily Extra?  Unscramble the following letters to reveal this January word:  aw  steer

It took me a few minutes but I figured out the word.  Do you see it too?

Peace, Love, and Laughter.  xOxO, Mo

Latest in my World

I joined the rest of the world and purchased a gaming system. 

XBOX360. 

I only have Kinect games right now.

However, my controller and headset are ready when I am ready. 

Many thanks to my friends Mikael and Justine for helping me with the hookup and accessories this weekend. 

Few tweaks were needed in the living room, such as moving the couch further back to make room for play, moving the surround sound speakers, a lamp, and a side table. 

I either need my sound master J-Lo or get the Geek Squad over to get everything running smoothly sound, blu ray, and streaming services wise. 

Other than this, we're good to go. 

When should I expect you?

Peace, Love, Laughter.  xOxO, Mo

If Your Life Was a Movie . . .

I'm going to start a new tradition of sorts. 

On the first day of each new year, as I delight in black eyed peas, I am going to do the soundtrack to my life. 

My friend Heather has posted hers on facebook for the last 3 years.

It's a fun way to expose see what you listen to and how your musical tastes may change from year to year. 

So, with this being said, here's how you play if your life were a movie, your soundtrack would be. . .

1. Open your music library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For the first question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button TWICE
6. Don't lie and try to pretend you're cool...just type it in man!

I linked to youtube so you can listen to the tunes if you don't recognize them.  Click on the song title in orange and laugh along with me enjoy. 

Some of the results are just down right funny to me.  To quote my niece, shuffle is the new magic 8 ball.  It's Yoda wise. 

Opening Credits:
2012: Air Force Ones by Nelly

Waking Up:
2012: We Are Family by Sister Sledge

First Day at School:
2012: Where Are You Going by Dave Matthews Band

Falling in Love:
2012: Best of My Love by The Emotions

Losing Virginity:
2012: Tequila Loves Me by Kenny Chesney

Fight Song:
2012: Heartbreak Town by Dixie Chicks

Breaking Up:
2012: Leaving Las Vegas by Sheryl Crow

Prom:
2012: Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Tears for Fears

Life:
2012: Take Me Away by John Legend

Mental Breakdown:
2012: Relator by Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson

Driving:
2012: Kill the Lights by Britney Spears

Flashback:
2012: Doin’ Time by Sublime

Getting Back Together:
2012: Live Your Life by T.I. feat. Rihanna

Wedding:
2012: Toes by Norah Jones

Birth of Child:
2012: Crying Shame by Jack Johnson

Final Battle:
2012: On the Floor by Jennifer Lopez feat. Pitbull

End Credits:
2012: The House is Rockin' by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble

Death:
2012: Baptism by Kenny Chesney and Randy Travis

Funeral:
2012: When It Hurts by Avant

Should you decide to play, let me know so I can come check you out. 
 
Peace, Love, Laughter.  xOxo, Mo