Thursday, December 31, 2009

2009 in review


I don't know about you, but I think I'm glad that 2009 is almost over. Our year started out rough with Jake accidentally shooting himself in the neck. Thank God he was okay and just had to get stitches. But, what a start to the year. Little did I know that it would continue like this. All of our boys celebrate birthday in Jan and we celebrate on the 9th, 19th and 29th. Talk about planning huh????



February is Brian's birthday month. We traveled to Kansas City to spend Valentine's day with friends and had a fab time. Our friends son got engaged that weekend and we had a lot to celebrate! I went to St. Louis with my friend Doris from Texas and went to my first First Steps to Success Seminar. I loved it!


March brought the Beachbody summit and I went to California. Nothing like a bunch of fitness freaks all in one place. Jake hit a deer and totaled his truck. He was okay again (glad that boy seems to have nine lives!) This is also Meredith's birthday month.

April was prom month for Jake. He and Morgan looked great and had a wonderful time! It was also the month Jake had surgery to remove part of the shell casing that was in his neck from the accident in Jan.

May was a stormy month. We had a tornado like winds (they aren't calling it a tornado) and had damage to several of our rental properties. Jake graduated high school and I went to Chicago with Doris for the Creating a Dynasty seminar. Brian created his turkey trophy instead of a Dynasty! Brian and I parasailed for the first time and really loved it!



In June, Brian and I went to Memphis for a long weekend. We had a blast. Toured Graceland and had a lot of fun on Beale Street. Our neice Cassie had her baby Avany Rayne. She is so beautiful and makes me anxious for our little one to make her arrival!


July was a crazy month. I went to New York City for the first time with Mom, Hermina, Lisa and Judy. We had so much fun, saw some GREAT broadway plays and just enjoyed ourselves immensely! Our favorite restaurant in Joplin, Isadora's closed it's doors and we were sad to see that happen, but understood. My cousin Kathryn got married and it was good to see all the family and she made a beautiful bride. Then our world collapsed. Brian was in a motorcycle accident on the 31st. August was spent with Brian in the hospital for 10 days, several surgeries and then recovering at home. It was hard learning to take care of him, it was hard on him being in a wheelchair and us not really knowing what the future would bring. This month also brought us Miss Madelyn. She is just perfect. Just ask us, we'll tell you!! Brian and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. He surprised me with a beautiful ring. I was so shocked, I was spending every moment with him and couldn't imagine how he pulled this one off, but many thanks to Meredith for helping him!!


September is my birthday month. Mom and Dad, Devin and Dalton came for the weekend, not because it was my birthday, but to see the new baby! LOL! It's okay, I completely understand... It was nice to have something else to focus on. Brian was able to get around more and we started venturing out amongst the people again.
In October Brian got on crutches. No more wheelchair - YAY! Still not able to put any weight on his left leg, but things are progressing. Lauren has her birthday in Ocotober and we celebrated! The baby is still perfect and beautiful and was a pretty pink poodle for Halloween. Nick got his new puppy and he was a hot dog for Halloween.

November is here and Brian is still recovering and not able to walk yet. Physical therapy is plugging along and we are getting out more and more. I was brave and left Brian for an overnight trip to OKC with the girls. We went to a raw food restaurant and the Celtic Woman concert. Had a great time! Brian survived without me - go figure. Brian and I went to Dallas for a Beachbody seminar and had a great time visiting friends. Thanksgiving was extra special this year. We have a lot to be thankful for and we had our 5 generation photo taken since June was able to come!

December brought us good news, Brian can start walking again! He's still in quite a bit of pain and has a ways to go. May need another surgery on his right leg, but the left leg is healed! December is also a month of family for us. I don't get to see my family near enough, but I love it when we all can get together! Christmas was wonderful and we had a big snow and ice storm, but we all braved the weather and made time to get together!

I want to be sure to thank all the wonderful companies that have allowed me to try out their products and even give some great things away! I look forward to being able to bring even more great things in 2010!

So, it's been a year of ups and downs. Both the ups and downs were big this year! I'm looking forward to a better 2010 filled with family, friends and fun!

I wish each and every one of you a new year of health, prosperity and good times!!

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

totally crazy day

I've had a crazy day today. The internet has been down for the majority of the day. Bring in AT&T to save the day..... don't hold your breath just yet.

The repair guy showed up quicker than I thought he would and he was a very nice man. He told me he was new (uh-oh) and would see if he couldn't get the problem resolved. He installed a whole house filter, did something outside on the phone box and it seemed to be working. Cut to 30 minutes later.... no internet again. UGH! Luckily, he left me his card and cell number and told me to call if it didn't work again. So, I did! I think he might've been a little surprised to hear from me, but he said " I knew I would regret not changing out that modem!" So, I now have a new modem. We'll see if that fixes the problem. I hope so!

Meredith came over in the midst of all the internet fun and we did Brazil Butt Lift Bum Bum workout. It was good and I think we'll both feel it in the morning. She told me that Leandro ( the workout trainer in the videos) reminded her of Franc from Father of the Bride. Not in the way he looked, but in the way he talked. When he told us to move backwards, Meredith thought he said something about the curves. So, we laughed and sweat through the whole thing! That is always a good thing :)



My eating has been odd today. I've been hungry all day. I had my pb oatmeal for breakfast, it was yummy sweetened with agave nectar and a splash of almond milk. At 10:00, I was starving again. Leftover pasta primavera was calling my name. Lunch was a tofurky sandwich on the new thin buns. I REALLY like the thin buns. 100 calories and multi-grain to boot! I added a little hummus and a couple of tortilla chips ( I don't think I've ever mentioned my love of tortilla chips hmmmm.. that could be a whole other post).

It's almost time for my next workout today. Brian, Jason and Kristi are coming over to be tortured, I mean, workout with me. I haven't decided what we will do. Maybe some yoga, maybe some Insanity. Just have to see what I feel like when they walk through the door.

What are your favorite workouts? Do you prefer the gym or working out at home. Machines vs. videos?

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Eco Tools Giveaway!


I did a review on the Alicia Silverstone designed Eco Tools hemp bags recently and now I have 3 (yes, I said THREE!!!) to giveway!

These bags are so pretty and very nice! I have been using the brushes and I love them. The bags are very handy!

THIS OVERNIGHT BAG IS EARTH-FRIENDLY:

•Bag is made with natural hemp material.
•Lining is made with recycled plastic (PET).
•Floral design is printed with non-toxic inks.
•Hangtag printed on tree-free stone paper.

This EcoTools by Alicia Silverstone Overnight Bag is perfect for a weekend getaway or vacation! Includes two clear removable and versatile inside compartments for traveling convenience.






In order to win a bag, you need to enter! Here's how to enter:






1) Head over to Eco-Tools and tell me which product you love the most!



2) Tweet or facebook about this giveaway! (I hope I win the Eco Tools Alicia Silverstone overnight bag from Feeling Fit with Dana @Danamoritz)



3) Become a follower of my blog



4) Become a fan of Eco Tools on facebook






6) Grab my button to put on your blog


Ok, 6 chances to win! You must do the first entry in order to get the extra entries! If you already are a follower , just say so! Please leave an email addy or some way for me to get in touch with you if you win!


Good luck to you. Winners will be drawn on Jan 4th by random.org. Winners will have to get back to me within 48 hours or a second chance drawing will be held.

Congratulations Zachsgran!

You are the lucky winner of the Save Your World giveaway! I'll get an email off to you this morning! YAY!!!

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Nut butter!


I love almond butter, peanut butter, cashew butter - any kind of nut butter and I am a fan! Recently I got a Champion juicer. I like to juice, but the main reason for wanting one was to make nut butters!

I made several jars for gifts and had to make some for myself as well. It is so easy when you have the right tools!

I used roasted, salted nuts (almonds and cashews) and ran them through the Champion. It really doesn't get any easier than this.

My only complaint about the Champion is that it is hard to clean, but this time around, I soaked the parts for a little while and the clean up was much easier YAY!!!

The almonds are roasted and go into the feeder:



Use the tamper to push the almonds into the chamber to make the nut butter:


Here's the finished product, catch it in a clean jar and you are ready to enjoy!


Saturday, December 26, 2009

Christmas recap

It was a great Christmas here in good ol' Missouri! Mom and Dad showed up and we got right down to business! Opening gifts with all the kids and a great meal! Vegan pot pie and salad and for desert, apple crisp! YUM!





Mom and Dad got Brian and I a NuWave oven and I couldn't wait to try it out! This thing even has a dehydrator. I'll be making all kinds of things in it. This will be fun!












The kids got us these great name photos! I love it. They chose the letters and then put the whole thing together. Dad and Brian opened them together. I've got the perfect place picked out. It will go over the couch in the family room! I'll get a photo when we get it hung.



Little Miss Mads had a wonderful Christmas too. Not sure if the quacking/singing duck or the animal zoo was the favorite. It might have been the new silkie!!!








Christmas Eve was pretty quiet other than waiting for the weather. It was predicted that we would get ice and snow. The forecasters were right. It started out raining, we got some shopping done and then came home ready to hunker down for the blizzard. We really did have a blizzard warning. First time I've ever seen one of those! It didn't disappoint. We woke up to a beautiful white Christmas. About 9" of snow with a nice layer of ice underneath. This really hampered our Christmas plans. Brian's family couldn't get here.







The kids all came over around 2 and we had an amazing meal of scalloped potatoes, salad, ham for the meat eaters, green beans and some great bread. The new oven worked pretty good on the ham. We are going to have to learn how to use it, we had the setting wrong and cooked the ham on low. It took longer than we thought. Dinner was about an hour behind, but it was well worth the wait. Desert consisted of chocolate pecan pie and pumpkin pie. Sooo good!

The kids left for other Christmases with their girlfriends families and then we all took it easy for the rest of the night. Mom and Dad just left and we are praying for a safe trip home for them. The roads are still considered slick and hazardous in Oklahoma. We are heading to Grove today to have Christmas with Brian's family. It will be thrown together, since it wasn't planned. I'm sure we will have a good time no matter what.

Now, it's back to reality and back to my routine of healthy eating and exercise. I'm starting a round of Insanity and Brazil Butt Lift. I'm also participating in the PCRM 21 day Vegan Kickstart. 2010 is going to be the year of health! Feel free to join me ;)

Friday, December 25, 2009

Winner of Aurorae Yoga Mat

Congratulations to Debmdale!!! She is the winning comment (#2)! Please get in touch with me so that I can get your address to Aurorae, they will get your mat out to you! Email me at dana@missourifitclub.com.

I'll give you 48 hours to contact me and if I haven't heard from you, I'll pick another winner.

Thanks for entering!!!

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Merry Christmas



My family is here and I am so glad! We opened our presents last night and had a wonderful meal. Today, we've been cooking, cleaning and playing with my new toy! Mom and Dad got us a Nuwave oven. They cooked some chicken in it for lunch. I can't wait to try the dehydrator portion. I'm going to make sweet potato chips tonight while cooking pies. Brian has requested a chocolate pecan pie. I love pumpkin pie, so I'm making one of those as well.






We are getting ready for some nasty weather. We actually have a blizzard warning. I don't ever remember being under one of those. So, it looks like we may get a white Christmas for the first time in a while.






I wish you all a very Merry Christmas. Enjoy your time with your family and I can't wait to start a new year. 2010 is going to be a GREAT year!

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

superfeet = happy feet



I have been doing the Insanity workouts. They are really hard and I am jumping around like a crazy woman! (no comments please!) My feet hurt every night, mostly in my heels. It probably doesn't help that I am working out in the basement on a cement floor that has ceramic tile. There is no give in cement.






When I found Superfeet insoles, I was so happy. I was even happier after I got them and put them in my shoes. My feet aren't hurting anymore. I have more support, more cushion and my feet are not hurting!!! YAY!!






I am using the Superfeet green insole for maximum absorption and I LOVE them! There are many different choices in insoles and you should be sure to check them out online before you purchase one, or go to the nearest retailer and have them fit you properly. You can get a different type of insole for every pair of shoes and what you will be doing in those shoes!






Follow Superfeet on Twitter and become a fan on facebook!






I am so glad that I found these and that I don't have any more heel pain when I do my workouts or just am on my feet all day. When the foot is supported, the body is in alignment. The average active person takes about 8,000 - 13,000 steps per day. If your shoes are not supporting your feet properly, you can get blisters, bunions and misalignment.




The great thing about Superfeet's Encapsulating Stablizier System is the it helps support and stabilize the feet, this makes your shoes fit better and you can avoid discomfort or pain. the insoles have a deep heel cup to cradle the heel's fat pad for improved natural shock absorption!