Why I'm an "Elf on the Shelf" Mom

Two years ago (circa 2012), I got wind of this Elf on the Shelf craze but wasn't quite sure what to think of it. My husband and I thought it would be a good idea and an awesome tradition to start with our boys. Off to the store I went and purchased a boy elf. When St. Nick came that year, he brought with him the Elf on the Shelf and nicely laid the box, with the story and elf, between their stockings in front of the fireplace.

[caption id="attachment_636" align="alignright" width="300"] Buddy hanging with the snowmen (2013)[/caption]

The boys were 6 and 8 at the time and were intrigued by the story. Being huge fans of the movie "Elf", our family addition was quickly named Buddy. The next few weeks, he found different places to hide - on top of the tree, in the cupboards, in bedrooms and bathrooms. Wasn't too obnoxious. Nor was it too creative.

Our second year in, my husband and I decided to have a bit more fun and get into some mischief with Buddy. We had a great time checking Pinterest boards for new ideas. I chronicled his daily antics on my Facebook wall so friends and family could see our fun. My boys had a blast!

21 Day Sugar Detox ~ Week 3 Check-in

Ever just have one of those days where it goes REALLY FAST and you look at the clock only to realize you have gotten ANYTHING DONE that you intended to do? I sure hope this isn't setting the stage for the week ahead as it's already a short work week with Thanksgiving.

So... Yes, week three check-in. It seems like these three weeks just FLEW BY!

21 Day Sugar Detox ~ Week 2 Check-in

And ... a little announcement

Week #2 has come to end in my pre-holiday 21 day sugar detox. One more week to go!! Well, sort of ... Because I'll take a short break for Thanksgiving but start again in December. More on that plan next week - can't get too far ahead of myself.

Last week, I was feeling pretty bummed at this time. I hopped on the scale Monday morning and the typical loss that I would have expected did not happen. But, I knew not to let it get me down.

Roasted Radishes

Let me start off by saying: I am NOT a food stylist, nor do I pretend to be! However, I know there is a request for more recipes from me. I'm trying!!

Today I had to come up with something fast for a veggie with dinner.

Fast is such a relative term, isn't it? I mean, what's fast to you? 5 minutes? 20 minutes?

Nonetheless, I came up with this roasted veggie dish for a few reasons.

21 Day Sugar Detox ~ Week 1 Check-in

I started another 21 day sugar detox on Monday, November 3rd. Here’s an update on how my first week went and what lies ahead.

So far, not too bad.

I mean – it’s not like I’m facing a sugar demon in my dreams at night or continually thinking about the giant bag of Halloween candy that’s still in the living room. The daily emails I receive are to help reinforce the program to me but, in all honesty, I don’t go through the steps that most people experience when they start the program for the first time. I have my own vices and struggles. That’s what I like about this program: no two experiences are ever the same. And, that means no two people experience the same nor does one person ever have the exact same experience when they do it more than once.