Dont be this person!

I made myself a promise years and years ago that I would never be "that" person. The person who constantly talks about:

• Money or sex ... because if you're talking about it, you're probably not getting any of it!
• Politics ...  because, well, just don't. Do your candidate research and do your civic duty and vote. Vote for the candidate that will represent you, your family and your core values.  However, keep in mind that we all have different needs and beliefs.
• Diet and/or exercise ... we all have that one friend who posts random stuff like "ugh! Ate so much this weekend, time to start eating clean!"  And then they bore everyone with all the minute details of everything they ate (or didn't eat), how many miles they ran, how many Pilates or Yoga classes they attended that week, etc., etc., etc.  No. One. Cares. Trust me. No one.
• Being Born Again ... this includes not only Religion but also encompasses being a recovering substance abuser (don't get me wrong. I support any one who struggles. However, do not judge or lecture me because I enjoy a glass of wine with friends or a Margarita on the rocks with salt when I'm at a Mexican restaurant). The Born Again category also includes folks who abused their bodies for years and years with unhealthy living and now push vitamins, essential oils, Plexus and AdvoCare on their family and friends and inundate us all on the importance "knowing what goes in our bodies." This is usually the same person who smoked 2 packs of cigs a day in secret while her kids were at school and fed those same children Happy Meals 3 or 4 times a week. 

So, sometimes I may come across moody or bitchy or rude or uncommunicative but honestly its because I don't want to be "that" person and bore everyone around me.  If you want to talk books, movies or sports, great!  Tell me a funny story. Let's talk travel.  Suggest a shop or service or new restaurant you think my family and I would enjoy.  Just please don't tell me how to vote, brag about money or your sex life (ick!) or bore me with posts about your work-out routine.

Top 10 Reasons Why i Like Living in Texas

So we've basically been in Dallas since July (if you want to get technical Coach moved here in April, KJ and I got here mid-June but our household goods weren't delivered until June 29) and I think it is now safe to say all parties involved are pretty happy!

A la David Lettermen, here are my Top 10 Reasons Why I Like Living in Texas (other than the fact that BK is from Texas): 

#10. The Shopping --  I have some of the best shopping I have ever had in any state I've ever lived in within a mile or two of our home.  From trendy little boutiques to specialty shops to large national chains, any store I could ever need is right nearby.

#9. The Food -- as with Shopping, the selection of restaurants is wonderful!  We have a favorite hamburger place, a favorite Sushi place, a new favorite taco place, a favorite place to grab a pizza and we even have a favorite smoothie place.  If we want Italian, Greek, Chinese, Mexican, seafood or something we didn't even know we were craving, it's all right here.

#8. Sports -- if you want to play it or watch it, Dallas is the place to be!  Hockey, Football, Baseball, college teams, high school teams, ultimate Frisbee, soccer, Top Golf, ... you name it, it's here. 

#7. Outdoor (and sometimes Indoor!) Adventures -- Six Flags is here, numerous water parks, a zoo (one here in Dallas and one in Ft. Worth),  indoor sky diving, Zip Lining, indoor rope courses and lots and lots of parks!  We have a wonderful park right outside the entrance to our subdivision and frequent regularly.  And yes, I've even started running again.  And there are lots of water sports, too!  We've already been paddle boarding and this summer I can't wait to hit the Hill Country and do some river tubing on a hot sticky weekend. Plus there are lots of cool swimming holes around. And if you feel the need to go snow tubing but don't like the cold, you can always go sledding at the Gaylord Texan like KJ and the kids did at Thanksgiving.

#6. The Weather -- so far, the weather in Texas has been very very good to us. We had an extremely pleasant first summer in Dallas. We had a handful of 100+ plus temps (maybe 5 days total?  7 at the very most) but they were not unbearable and we didn't really have any humidity. I was expecting much much worse.  We've had 1 tornado warning since we've been here (like "full-on sirens / get to your safe place NOW!" kind of deals) but having experienced that in Ohio and Alabama, it wasn't terrible.  We had a couple of "chilly" days (low 30's??) and an hour or so of snow flurries. Now, I know Texas weather can been extreme and highly unpredictable but again, so far so good. 

#5. Small Towns -- I love the quaint small towns we have nearby ... Grapevine especially!  Christmas was incredibly magical in Grapevine, there's always some kind of festival going on it and has some of the best #9 and #10 listed above!  Although they aren't considered "small" towns (because let's face it, EVERY thing is bigger in Texas), I'm looking forward to exploring San Antonio and Austin and we like wandering around Ft. Worth.  Not sure yet how I feel about Houston.

#4. Our House --  Coach and I agree this is quite possibly our favorite house we've ever lived in. This house is SO us. It's just right for our needs right now.  The layout is perfect for us, the room sizes are great and everyone has nice big closets, we love the media room and all our furniture looks great! 

#3. Our Pool -- seriously.  We love the pool.

#2. Texas Pride -- every where you look and every where you go, there's either a HUUUUUUGE Texas flag flying over head or there's Texas star somewhere.  I  actually started to take pics of the stars because they are so cool! 

Dang!  I just realized that I haven't even mentioned how much we love KJ's school, the art scene here, how pet-friendly it is here, the cool college towns or the great museums!  I probably should have made a top 15 list.

And the #1 reason why I like living in Texas:  The People!!!  Everyone here is so damn friendly and nice. No one cares where you're from or where you've been, no one cares if you're an Auburn or Alabama fan, no one minds what church you go to, no one has questioned my accent (or lack thereof) and no one has called me a (damn) Yankee or said "oh. You're from up North."  I have yet to meet a single gossipy or judgey person.  The parents don't gossip on the sidelines (they might wish their kid got a little more playing time but they don't engage in negativity towards the coach or the program). No one is pretentious or showy or fake or phony.  It's not a constant competition.  And I really really like that.

it just takes a little planning

I've always been a risk taker and a list maker so I've always used some type of traditional paper planner for as long as I can remember.  Back in the late 80's / early 90's I used the Day Planner system.  I used a wedding planner when we got married and used a companion planner to the popular "What to Expect..." series when I had the girls (the little planner/organizer was perfect to take to doctor's appointments and take notes during both of my high risk pregnancies).  I've also had to rely heavily on planners/organizers during our many household moves and to keep track of everyone's activities and schedules ... volleyball, dance, softball, lax, lax and more lax.

There is just something about starting off a new year with a fresh new calendar.  It is the equivalent of starting the school year with new pencils and notebooks.  I love sitting down and opening up that calendar for the first time.  The first thing I take care of are any important dates I'm aware of ... birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, graduations, sporting events, etc and then fill in daily or weekly as we go along. I also like to sit down as a family on Sunday morning and menu plan, go over Everyone's schedules and organize my to-do list. 

Over the years I've moved on from the Day Planner and have used the large Lilly Pulitzer agenda a couple of times and at one point I also used a Mom's planner that I absolutely LOVED!  However, this year I decided to stick with what works best for me ... The Plum Paper planner (found on Etsy).  I think this was the 4th time I've ordered from them and have never been disappointed.  I can custom create my cover in a variety of colors and patterns (they used to offer a photo cover that was one of my favorite options).  Plum Paper offers several layout options, you can choose add-ins and extra pages, too. 

Thanks to Easy, Pinterest and Instagram, I've been introduced to the whole sub-culture of decorating your planner.  Now, we all know I am not the most creative person on the planet but this is something I've really had fun getting into.  Some folks go all out and create themes with coordinating stickers, etc.  I kind of do that, but not near as elaborate.  Some months have an obvious theme .... February/Valentine's Day, November/Thanksgiving, December/Christmas.  On the less obvious months I found myself decorating my planner with inspirational quotes and quirky sayings and lots of glittery stickers and washi tape.  It's only the beginning of February but I think I'll enjoy decorating my planner thought the year!

Affluenza

I don't know if this Bozo is getting the same media attention across the country as he is here in Texas but Holy Cow!  What an ass hat.  This kid is as douchey as they come. Back in 2013 he was underage, driving around town in daddy's pick-up truck with friends high on vicodin and weed, stole a couple of cases of beer from a local Wal-mart and plowed into a crowd of people on the side of the road assisting a disabled vehicle. He killed 4 people while driving with a restricted license.  Apparently this was not his first run-in with the law or dugs and alcohol, either.  He was tried as a minor and basically received a slap on the wrist with his lawyers claiming he suffered from "affluenza" (i.e., he is too rich to deal with the consequences of his actions). 

Fast forward a few years later and he's seen at a party playing beer pong (after his daddy pulled him out of a cushy California rehab facility) despite his 10 year probation stipulating he was to refrain from alcohol and remain sober  Then, his probation officer can't get in touch with him. Turns out Affluenza Boy dyed his hair and he and his creepy mom fled to a resort in Puerto Vallarta (Creepy Mom testified that she had moved their beds into the same bedroom as he was her "protector."  Ewwww).  Eventually the law caught up with them, she was returned to Texas first while his butt resided in a Mexican jail until yesterday.  Creepy Mom complained about her overnight accommodations while being a guest at the county jail, had her bond reduced (despite being an obvious flight risk) and is now claiming to be broke. 

This kid (and his parents!) need a big ol' can a whoop ass opened up.

Jazz Hands

I don't know what it is about this time of the year but no matter where I've lived ...  North, South, New York, Maryland, Cincinnati, Birmingham, Texas ... January and February positively wreck havoc on my skin. 

I usually have "combination" skin or problems with my T-zone. If I break out anywhere, it's usually my chin.  Yes, at 48 years old I still have the occasional zit.  However, this time of the year my skin goes haywire.  My sometimes oily T-zone area gets very dry and flaky.  Over the years I've learned to exfoliate regularly, keep my face exceptionally clean and drink lots of water.

Unfortunately 8 glasses of water doesn't always do the trick and my hands get horribly dry and cracked.  They get so cracked they actually start bleeding.  My cuticles are the worst and it's not uncommon for me to be sporting band-aids on 5 or more fingertips at a time.  Although I love a good hand lotion (i.e., L'Occitane or Crabtree and Evelyn), they contain a lot of chemicals and make the situation even worse.  In the evenings I slather my arms and legs with Aveeno Overnight Relief lotion but that really doesn't help my hands. So, this winter I invested in a pair of therapeutic cotton gloves and a good old fashioned jar of Vaseline petroleum jelly.  It puts the lotion on and then it puts the gloves on.  Hopefully this remedy will help.  I look like a total clown but wear the gloves throughout the day when I'm at home.  KJ says I look like a crazed health inspector but I like to think I look like Mickey Mouse or like I have really happy jazz hands.

Happy New Year (a couple days late)

2016 is off to a great start in our household!  Coach and KJ spent the evening at Jerry World watching Alabama play, T was in New Orleans with Pony Boy and friends for the Sugar Bowl and I ushered in the New Year with a glass of wine and a bubble bath.  I think I was asleep by 10:30 pm. It was glorious!

Christmas was really great.  Very quiet with just the four of us but very relaxing.  Since the girls were very little, we've always gotten a new game for Christmas and we played it Christmas Eve.  We all slept in on Christmas morning and had our traditional breakfast casserole.  I think everyone was happy with their Christmas gifts (Coach got a FitBit, the girls and I got lots of Kendra Scott, James Avery jewelry, Hunter boots, Michael Kors bags, clothes, etc.).

Lax season is fully underway.  KJ is super duper happy with her lax team. It's a combined FloMo/Marcus team and she said the girls are all incredibly nice and have been exceptionally welcoming.  A couple of the girls knew a couple of her volleyball teammates so that was a Nice ice breaker.

The weather has been so crazy the last week or so.  Last week I had the heat off and some windows open, the weekend was noticeably chillier and the heat is back on. 

We've had a nice relaxing 3-day weekend. Friday KJ had a half day and the three of us had an awesome lunch at a little local place we've been dying to try.  We also did some furniture shopping and ended up buying a new patio set.  Saturday was rainy and dreary so Cosmo and KJ started painting the office. It was a dark, dark green and felt like an old man's office (previous owners had dark window treatments and old, boring golf prints).  I picked out a nice light color that's hard to explain ... not tan or beige but not ivory either.  The color perfectly matches the tab-top curtains I had in the upstairs hallway in our Alabama house.  The room looks so bright and airy now and ten times larger than it did!

Sunday the sun came out and warmed up a bit so KJ and I spent the afternoon walking around Grapevine. Such a cute little Main Street with great shopping!

We also bought new light fixtures to go over the kitchen island.  I like all of the light fixtures in this house, they had all been updated before we moved in.  However, I positively hated the dark Tiffany stained glass pendants. We bought very simple ivory shades to lighten things up and it makes a huge difference. 

The patio set was delivered Sunday afternoon; now we just need the weather to cooperate so we can have some steaks on the grill!

Wait!!! I'm not ready yet!!!

I am so incredibly embarrassed to admit this but I am horribly horribly behind in Christmas this year.  The Fall seemed to have it me like a ton of bricks this year and I just haven't been able to recuperate and recover!!

First and foremost, our cruise was unbelievable.  We had the most amazing, relaxing trip. Our flight to Barcelona was great, boarding the ship was stress-free, our cabin was great, food was excellent and our excursions were awesome!  Mallorca was beautiful and we had a wonderful day walking around the city.  I loved Marseille and Florence and Rome are always magical (so glad Cosmo got to see the Sistine Chapel!).  We both really enjoyed Pompeii, too!

After the cruise we had our anniversary, Cosmo's b-day and KJ's 16th birthday in that order.  KJ actually had a volleyball game on her birthday but she celebrated a few nights earlier with some friends at a Mexican restaurant.  After her volleyball game, several of the girls on her team took her to Whataburger (she had never been and apparently it's a Texas thing).  She finally got her permit and had 3 straight weeks of drivers Ed classes and has also been doing her drive times with her instructor.  Little Miss Jet-setter flew to Baltimore in November and spent a couple of days with her friends from Damascus.  Volleyball season is officially over and we had a great end-of-year banquet at one of the local country clubs.  This weekend she's down in Fredericksburg celebrating a friend's birthday at their family cabin.  They drove down after school on Friday, went zip-lining Saturday and today they are shopping.  She'll come home Monday.

For Cosmo's b-day we somehow ended up at a Rangers play-off game vs. The Blue Jays. It was hot as hell that day and we tried to keep cool by using the rally towels as hats.  We looked like idiots.

Early November we met the Martin's outside of Memphis and went to the Ole Miss vs. Arkansas game. The weather was cold and dreary but we still managed to have a good time!  AG and KJ spent Friday night with T so they thought they were cool and Pony Boy and Z put up our tailgating tent in the pouring rain while the 4 of us hit Oxford.  The highlight of the weekend, according to KJ, was her selfie with Tim Tebow. 

Right before Thanksgiving, Coach had his first collegiate game of his coaching career.  I love the campus at TCU and the guys were really great.  The team has a lot of potential. 

We had a fun Thanksgiving with Cosmo's nephew and his family. Eva and Eli are incredibly well-behaved children and it is a joy to be with them.  Friday we took them to the Gaylord to see the ice sculptures and go sledding. KJ was a trooper and was the "DS" (designated sledder). 

T and Pony Boy got to our house late last Sunday night after dealing with a flat tire in Arkansas and brought their puppy Maria with them.  Other than farting really bad, she's a great dog and liked jumping in the pool.

Tuesday night Cosmo took them to a Dallas Stars hockey game (Dew's first NHL game) and they met up with friends after the game.  Friday Cosmo's buddy from college (also KJ's Godfather) flew in for the weekend. We had a great dinner and walked around the town of Grapevine (voted one of America's Top 10 Christmas towns). It was so beautiful!  The town itself is super cute anyway but at Christmas they go all out!  Every shop, every restaurant, every building has some type of display or lights.  The gazebo was all decked out, there was a life-size Nativity set, a light tunnel, an inflatable igloo, Mistletoe every where, etc.  Saturday the guys went to the Cowboys vs. Jets game (Go Jets!!!) and Bob flew out early this morning.  Pony Boy and Maria left Saturday morning and T and I did some Christmas shopping while the guys were at the game.

So, this is why I'm so behind this year!  Nothing is wrapped and I haven't sent out a single Christmas card.  I guess there's always next year!