Happy New Year

2009 has been quite the year, we have had our ups and we have had our downs. The best part of all is that we are all still together. I have really gotten into the blogging and I have gotten to know so many of you wonderful ladies through blogging.

I want to wish you all a Happy New Year and I hope 2010 is a fantastic year for us all.

See you in the New Year.

Have fun tonight and please remember to find a designated driver. Don't Drink and Drive!!!

You wanna see what I have been working on??

I have mentioned many a times that I have started a new craft project here and there. I love to knit and this fall I decided to try to start selling my creations on Etsy. Before I could open up an Etsy shop I had to get my stock up and that took a little bit of time.

I have knitted quite a few hat and bootie sets and not too long ago I decided to go ahead and post them on my Etsy site. I have had some advertisement made to be able to give to people that see my work and are interested in purchasing. Then I just needed to take pictures that were good enough to put up on Etsy.

Getting the perfect picture was hard work. I tried to find a baby to take a picture of wearing my hats and booties and that was really hard. All of a sudden no one I knew had little babies anymore!! Then my neighbor had a baby and I took her a hat and bootie set and took a picture of their little munchkin wearing them. Well the picture didn't turn out too good but I decided to post it anyway.

Then I remembered the baby doll I had that was really pretty and would work perfectly for advertising. I took pictures of this doll in all the hats and booties. Edited the pictures just a little bit and posted them on My Etsy site.

What do you think???

This is the Pink and Green Hat and Bootie set.

I really love these colors together.

This set is gorgeous and I wish I would have had this set for Kobe when he was little.

This set is Stone gray and Green.

So tell me what you think??? I would love to hear some feedback. Also, you can check out My Etsy shop which is called Made Knit Love.

Hot and Healthy Thru the Holidays! Last week

Hot and Healthy thru the Holidays is a blog carnival which was created by Mama M and Keely. If you would like to play along this last week click on Mama M's and Keely's names and you will magically be directed to their blogs :o)

On to the millions of questions this week...

After nine weeks of being "present" to your health and fitness...how do you feel?

I feel really good actually. I know I put my all into this and I feel like I came out for the better in the end.

I would like to thank my Mom, Dad, Husband and Kids for making this all possible. But most of all I would like to thank God, without him nothing is possible.

Hehe isn't that what all the stars say when they are thanking someone :o)

Do you see any changes...any new habits formed?

I see a flatter stomach. I drink water all day long instead of tea.

Are you glad to kiss this program good-bye or are you clinging to it's leg, begging it not to leave?! ;)

As I have said before, if I wasn't moving I would want to keep on with the program. I am moving though and I don't have time to do this at the moment. Maybe when I get settled into the new house I will start back up.

Do you think you will continue on with the tips and ideas that we have given you?

Yep!!! I will continue drinking water all day and I will watch what I eat and when I work out I will follow Keely's suggestions....that girl knows what she is talking about!!!

Anything we could've done differently? Longer time frame? Shorter time frame?

Nope, it was perfect like it was!!! Well, it was kinda hard to follow over Christmas and we lost a lot of people around that time.

Oh...were you able to take Mama M.'s tip last week and make it work? ;)

Yep, it was the best tip she gave through out the whole challenge...LOL!!!

How 'bout Keely's stretching?

I had to stretch cause I was trying to make room in my stomach for more food :o)

Not me! Monday 12/28

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I have not been so busy all day that I didn't have time to write a post.

I have not finished packing my closet. I did not have to go through a closet that has been very intimidating for a long time.

I did not pack up Kobe's closet today. We were not smart enough to go through his closet a few months ago so we would be ready when it came time for packing.

My house does not look like a tornado just came through it.

I am not having a really hard time allowing my house to look this bad.

I am not making Spaghetti casserole for dinner and I am not the only person in our house that like it.

We did not give Maya a huge Ham bone today and she is not in Heaven right now after licking the bone clean and hiding it when she was done.

I did not fall asleep at 10 last night and wake up at 10:44 this morning. Kobe did not fall asleep at 8 last night and wake up at the same time I did.

One room down

Six thousand to go!!! We started packing today and we decided to start with the storage shed we have out back. Instead of leaving that until last like we usually would do, we want to be ahead of the game. I'm pretty darn proud because I took a storage that was stuffed to the max and turned it into 5 boxes!!! Oh yeah, you read that right...5 boxes!!!

I don't want to lug the same junk from one place to the next so we are going through everything so we don't end up with a bunch of junk. I parted with all my books....I had a lot of books!! I am a book worm and my books are like my babies, I want to hold them forever or hold on to them forever. Instead, I am going to donate most of my books to charity or a lucky neighbor...which ever gets them out of my house faster.

I have Dewayne here for another week and then he is going to Chicago to look for a job and a place for us to live. I want to use him as much as I can before he leaves. After Dewayne gets back we will only have about two more weeks before we move and I do not want to be trying to pack the whole house in two weeks.

Well, off I go to pack more boxes. Have a great Sunday everyone!

My Bestest Friend

My Bestest Friend here is leaving tomorrow to move back to Iceland. I met her when I was pregnant with Kobe and we hit it off right away. I love her to pieces and I am going to miss her so much. The one thing I am so relieved about is, she is moving to Iceland. I know I will see her again because I know I will go to Iceland again to see my family.

Sigrun and I have been close since the first day we met and even though we might not see each other as much as we would like to, we sure do make up for that with the amount of time we spend with each other on the phone. We can spend hours a day talking to each other. I swear every time we start talking it's like we haven't talked in forever and we feel like we have so much to catch up on.

What am I going to do without my Bestest Friend ever???

I am going to miss you so much and I can't wait to see you again. I love you and your family as if you were my family....you are my family!!! You have been there for me through thick and through thin, through the good times and through all the bad times. Thank you for everything you have done for me and my family. Good luck to you all in Iceland, I wish you all the best. We love you and will miss you like crazy!

The Winner

The Winner for my very first giveaway chosen by Random.org is.....

Comment Number 2

Pennie Bixler from Mom Thoughts

Go show Pennie some love

Congrats to you Pennie!!!!

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Gleðileg Jól

From our family to yours...

Merry Christmas

or like they say in Iceland

Gleðileg Jól

Don´t you love Markus's holey socks? I didn't notice that until I posted this and decided that I am not changing the picture. I love how the boys are laughing and having a good time and Maya is knocked out.

Kertasníkir

I have now been writing the story of the Yule Lads for the last 15 days (I started with Grýla and her spouses). I have a wonderful GIVEAWAY going on right now, I am giving away a copy of the book The Yule Lads. I tried to find the book on Amazon and the cheapest copy I could find was for $66 and then a new one was $214. I was not ready to spend that on my readers...sorry I love you and all but that is crazy expensive even to spend on myself. I was telling my Mamma about wanting to do a GIVEAWAY and she offered to send me an extra book so I could give it to one of you lucky readers. Takk Mamma mín (Thank you my Mamma). The contest ends tomorrow night at midnight and I will announce the winner on Christmas day. If you want to enter the GIVEAWAY just click here or on all the red GIVEAWAYs and leave me a comment or two or three :o)

The 13th and last Yule Lad to arrive is Kertasníkir or Candle Beggar as he is called in English. Let me start by telling you all that in the old days candles were made out of Tallow which is animal fat. Kertasníkir liked to eat the candles and even though they were not the tastiest thing to eat, Candle Begger would have eaten all the candles he could get his hands on.

In the old days there was no electricity and children used to give candles as Christmas presents to brighten someones day. Candle Begger knew about that so that is why he is the last of the Lads to come to town. He wanted to get his hands on as many candles as he could.

Of course the candles today are not made of tallow anymore so Candle Begger can no longer eat the candles but that hasn't stopped him from collecting them.

I hope you have enjoyed getting to know about the 13 Yule Lads of Iceland. I know I have enjoyed sharing a part of my culture with all of you.

Merry Christmas or as they say in Iceland

Gleðileg Jól

Ketkrókur

The second to last Yule Lad to arrive from the mountains is Ketkrókur or Meat Hook as he is referred to in English.

In the old days Icelandics used to eat smoked lamb on December 23rd which Meat Hook loved. He would climb up on top of the houses, stick his meat hook down the chimney and steal the meat that was hanging from the rafters. Meat Hook may have even reached down low enough to grab something yummy out of the pot that was cooking on the hearth.

It is not custom to eat smoked lamb on December 23rd any more, now Meat Hook has to find some other meat to steal when he comes to leave a present for the children in their shoe.

Tomorrow is the last story of the Yule Lads and then I will be picking the winner for the GIVEAWAY on Christmas Day. If you haven't entered the GIVEAWAY yet, you may want to do that now. You only have until December 24th at midnight. Click here to enter for a chance to win.

Hot and Healthy Thru the Holidays! Week 8 Toot Your Horn Tuesday! Truthful Tuesdays

How awesome would it be to win a GIVEAWAY on Christmas day? If you have been reading the story of the Yule Lads that I have been posting every day then you might know about this GIVEAWAY, if not then click here to be in the know :o)

Today I am going to join a few blog carnivals. If you want to join in on the fun just click on the buttons below.

This first blog carnival is created by Mama M and Keely. Click on either of their names to join in the fun.

How'd your week go?

My week went well. I feel really good about it.

Did you consume any empty calories.?

Yes, I have consumed some empty calories but I have not wasted them on anything other than Christmas cookies and I have only had a few of those. Now on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.....ugh, I don't even want to think about the calories I will be devouring then!!!

Did you get your cardio in?

Yep, sure did :o)

Pilates? Did ya do it? Huh, huh..didya?

Dang Keely, I should be your favorite by now cause I always do the Pilates. I like doing them. Yes they kick my butt and I am so sore I can barely move the next day. I am seeing results though and that is what matters!!!

Are y'all ready to be done with the Hot and Healthy gig or could ya go for more?

If I wasn't moving I would want to continue. But, being that in about a month I will be picking up and moving I know I will not be able to keep up with the work outs while I am packing and after we get to Chicago life is going to be crazy for awhile. I will want to pick it back up after I get settled in our new home.

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This blog carnival was created by Leah at A Silly Little Sparrow. Click on her name or button to play along.

This week I am going to Toot My Horn about the Christmas cookies I spent all weekend making. They turned out fabulous and I am so excited about having made Kiffels for the very first time all by myself. They turned out really good and they look so beautiful too :o) I am also going to Toot My Own Horn about the fact that I have cleaned my house from top to bottom today and all my laundry is done and I cleaned my carpets this morning. Christmas, I am ready for you!!!

This is the first time I have ever played along to Truthful Tuesdays which is a blog carnival created by Elizabeth over at Confessions of a Working Mom. If you want to play along just click on her name or the button above.

This weeks question is...

Is there are Santa Clause??

Have you people not been reading my story of the Icelandic Yule Lads (Santa's)??? I know there is a Santa Clause and 13 Santa's in Iceland. I have told my children that when you stop believing, you stop receiving.

The boys tell me every year that they still believe. My oldest son doesn't believe in Santa anymore but he sure does tell me that he still believes. Now Markus, my 9 year old....He believes!!! I was just talking to him about Santa yesterday and asking him if he still believes in him and he looked at me like I had just lost my mind for asking him that question. Of course he believes in Santa!!!

I think it is wonderful for children to have something to believe in. It is great for their imaginations.

How awesome would it be to win a GIVEAWAY on Christmas day? If you have been reading the story of the Yule Lads that I have been posting every day then you might know about this GIVEAWAY, if not then click here to be in the know :o)

Gáttaþefur is the Yule Lad to arrive tonight and in English his name is Door Sniffer. Gáttaþefur gets his first whiff of Leaf Bread from way over in the mountains. Leaf bread is a traditional bread that is usually made at Christmas time in Iceland.

This is what it looks like....

Door Sniffers sense of smell is so great that he can smell Leaf bread being cooked all the way from the mountains and he will do everything in his power to steal some Christmas goodies.

Flour was a luxury in Iceland until fairly recent and Icelandics used to save the baking for special occasions like Christmas.

Sorry this story is so late, I was at a friends house watching her children for her and didn't get a chance to write this story before I left. Have a great night and see you tomorrow for the next Yule Lad story.

Not me! Monday

How awesome would it be to win a GIVEAWAY on Christmas day? If you have been reading the story of the Yule Lads that I have been posting every day then you might know about this GIVEAWAY, if not then click here to be in the know :o)

MckMama has a blog carnival called Not Me! Monday, it is a chance to tell the blog world about all the things you have not done. If you want to play along just click here and have a great time.

This weekend the East Coast did not get a ton of snow. Living in Virginia Beach we did not get this much snow.

Our family did not get so excited about this tiny bit of snow.

I did not stop everything that I was doing to run outside to take pictures of this tiny bit of snow.

Nope, not me!!!

This weekend I did not spend the whole weekend in the kitchen

baking cookies. I did not forget to eat and dehydrate myself because I was so busy making cookies for Christmas. Those cookies that I made are not oh so delicious and make me want to quit being Hot and Healthy Thru the Holidays. Nope, cookies would never do that to me!!!

The cookies below are not called kiffels and they are not my all time favorite Christmas cookie.

While I was not busting my butt baking this weekend, my Husband did not lay on the couch the whole weekend watching TV and playing XBOX. Nope, not my husband!

This weekend I did not do laundry all weekend and throw it in laundry baskets to be folded later. No, I would never do that because I HATE wrinkled clothes!!! This morning I did not wake up and rush downstairs to start doing the rest of the laundry and fold all the clothes that I did not let sit in a laundry basket over night and get wrinkled. Kobe did not sit next to me the whole time telling me whose clothes were whos. He does not know exactly who owns what in this house :o)

I am not running super late right now to my Mommy Moments class and instead of getting in the shower

EDIT: I did not get so sidetracked that I published my blog without completing what I was saying. I would never do that. LOL

Gluggagægir

How awesome would it be to win a GIVEAWAY on Christmas day? If you have been reading the story of the Yule Lads that I have been posting every day then you might know about this GIVEAWAY, if not then click here to be in the know :o)

The tenth Yule Lad to come to town is Gluggagægir or Window Peeper as he is called in English. When I was a little girl Gluggagægir was my favorite Yule Lad. I was always hoping and trying to catch a glimpse of him in the window, I can tell you I never did though.

Now Window Peeper is said to be looking in the windows trying to find some small knick knack or some little treasure that he can snatch. You see, Window Peeper doesn't feel as if he is stealing....it is a fair exchange in his mind. He gives the children a toy in their shoe and instead he takes a little something for himself.

Story has it that if a child does see him in the window, Window Peeper will make a funny face to try to make himself appear scary.

In the old days Window Peeper had no problems looking in windows because all the old farm houses were only one story. Today is a different story though, he can't walk by a second or third story window and see in. Now he has to use binoculars to assist in his missions of finding something good to take back home to the mountains.

Getting to Know YOU

How awesome would it be to win a GIVEAWAY on Christmas day? If you have been reading the story of the Yule Lads that I have been posting every day then you might know about this GIVEAWAY, if not then click here to be in the know :o)

Keely from Mann Land 5 has a fun blog carnival on Sundays to get to know each other better. If you want to play along just click her button above or right here.

This week Keely is asking questions that we can only answer with ONE word. Here goes nothing...

Today's questions..


1. Middle name?

Magnea

2. What do you think is your best asset (physical)?

Eyes


3. If you could only eat one type of cuisine for a year, what would it be (Mexican, American,Chinese..etc.)?

Italian

4. Walmart or Target?

Walmart

5. Favorite State besides the one you live in?

Pennsylvania

6. What side of the bed do you sleep on, left or right?

Right

7. King or Queen size bed?

Queen

8. Beer or wine?

Neither

9. Water..ice-cold or room temp?

Both

10. Christmas..love it or hate it?

Love it!!!!

I don't know about the rest of you, but that was hard for me!!! I always feel like I have to explain every answer and to only answer with one word was really hard :o) But this was fun though!!! Stay tuned for the story of the next Yule Lad coming up in the next few hours.

Bjúgnakrækir

Bjúgnakrækir is the 9th Yule Lad to come to town and his name in English is Sausage Stealer. The Sausage is a little different in Iceland than in America and the Icelandic sausage is called Bjúga. In the old days bjúga was about 6 times the size of a hot dog and they were hung in strings from the rafters out of the reach of cats, dogs and children.

Now as old as Sausage Stealer is, he can still climb up on the rafters to steal himself some sausage. But now a days the sausage is in the refrigerator and not hanging from a rafter in an old farm house.

These Yule Lads each had a favorite food, no food was safe around the Holidays with these sneaky Lads around.

Stay tuned for my favorite Yule Lad from when I was a little girl, coming tomorrow.

How awesome would it be to win a GIVEAWAY on Christmas day? If you have been reading the story of the Yule Lads that I have been posting every day then you might know about this GIVEAWAY, if not then click here to be in the know :o)

What's that smell???

How awesome would it be to win a GIVEAWAY on Christmas day? If you have been reading the story of the Yule Lads that I have been posting every day then you might know about this GIVEAWAY, if not then click here to be in the know :o)

I have not stopped moving since I woke up this morning. I am in full swing getting ready for Christmas. I started by going to Walmart first thing this morning to pick up a few things and then I went to the grocery store to buy the Hams we will be eating on Christmas and New Years Eve. That took quite some time considering that the world has lost their minds and everyone is going crazy because Christmas is less than a week away. I was so relaxed and smiling at everyone, I think people were scared of how calm and happy I was.

I am not getting crazy and stressed like most of the rest of the world. I just want to enjoy the Holidays and make the most of them. I am done shopping, I didn't do that much of it this year. My home is as decorated as it is going to get and now it is time to enjoy the rest of the time at home with my wonderful Husband, Sons and Maya.

Since I came home from the stores, I have made dinner for tonight. It smells so good in here. We are having Creamy Italian Chicken with Rice, this is a recipe I found earlier this week and everyone loved it. This time I am changing it around a little bit and making triple the recipe....have I ever mentioned that my sons eat more than grown men?? Oh well, sorry I forgot to mention that part!

I have made the dough for one of the cookies I am going to make tomorrow and I am going to start the other dough in just a few minutes. These two recipes require the dough to be left in the refrigerator overnight before making the cookies. After I am finished making these two types of cookies, I am going to make chocolate chip cookies. Then I am done with cookie making for this Christmas.

If you remember when my Aunt Sharla was here for Thanksgiving, we made a ton of cookies. Well they are all done, well almost done. The only ones that are left are a few of the cut out cookies. This year we have definitely gone through a lot of cookies. I made 6 dozen cookies last week and they were gone with in 2 days. I did make some store bought dough cookies and they were the boys and Dewayne's favorite kinds, so they disappeared fast.

What are you doing this weekend? Are you all ready for Christmas? If not what do you have left to do?

Skyrgámur

Don't forget that about the giveaway going on until December 24th. Click here to read all about it.

The Yule Lad arriving tonight is Skyrgámur or Sky Glutton in English. Let me explain that Skyr is similar to Greek Yogurt. Greek Yogurt is thicker than regular yogurt and is by far our favorite yogurt in this house!!! I like the Organic Stoneybrook field greek yogurt the best....it's just so yummy that you have to try it out for yourself.

Skyr Glutton is a lucky Lad because he doesn't have to work as hard for his food as the rest of the brothers. That is due to the fact that most Icelandics have Skyr in their refrigerators at all times. I know I always did. In the old days there was always Skyr to be found in the farmhouses and like I said today most fridges have them.

Skyrgámur is known for eating until he is bursting at the seams. These Yule Lads are definitely a greedy bunch.