Friday, January 1, 2010

Day One...So Far, So Good

I started my reading program today. I did all the daily readings and even got the writing exercise completed. I had a lovely lunch out with my husband and ran a few errands while we were out. It's been a nice, relaxing day which I really needed. I've weighed and measured to track progress (and, no, I won't be posting all those numbers on the blog just yet). I'm starting with small changes that I hope will add up to big ones. Time will tell. Today at lunch I divided my meal in two and ate one portion. The other portion came home with me for lunch tomorrow. When I finished eating, I realized I had eaten plenty of food and didn't really even want any more. Tonight I've probably eaten too much while grazing snack food during the football game. Oh well.

2010 Reading List

This year I'm involved in several reading challenges. Read more about that here: Up for a Challenge and It's A Sickness, Really. All books on the list qualify for the 100+ challenge. The rest are as follows:
(L)      Support Your Library Challenge (100 books from the library) 
(T/S)   Thriller & Suspense Challenge (12 books)
(ND)   Nancy Drew Challenge (56 original Nancy Drew mysteries)
(CBR) Clover, Bee and Reverie Poetry Reading Challenge (couplet--two books of poetry)
(TT)    Time Travel Reading Challenge (3 time travel books)
(CF)    Revisit Your Childhood Favorites (5 children's books)
(AA)   Aussie Authors Challenge (3 books by Australian authors)
(MR)   Mystery Reader Cafe Reading Challenge (4 books)
(MPH) Marple Poirot Holmes (2 books of each for a total of 6)
(CNF)  Christian Non-Fiction Challenge 2010 (10 books)
(EB)    e-Book Reading Challenge (20 e-books)
(TQ)    ThemeQuest Reading Challenge (5 books on the them of peace with at least one each of f & nf)
(WN)  What's in a Name Reading Challenge (6 books with various requirements)
(CR)   Colorful Reading Challenge (9 books each with a different color in the title)
(20)    Twenty Ten Reading Challenge (20 books in 10 categories)
Some books may have multiple designations because they qualify for multiple challenges.

The Perfect 10 Diet by Michael Aziz, MD
The House That Cleans Itself by Mindy Starnes Clark (EB)
The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene (L, ND)
Baby Steps to Better Health by Sheri Graham (EB)
Learning for the Littles by Sheri Graham (EB)
The Hidden Staircase by Carolyn Keene (ND)
Purposeful Planning by Phyllis Sather (EB)
The Bungalow Mystery by Carolyn Keene (L, ND)
Bootcamp for Lousy Housekeepers by Heidi Schaap (EB)
Strawberry Shortcake Murder by Joann Fluke (L, T/S)
The Mystery at Lilac Inn by Carolyn Keene (L, ND)
Supermom’s Simple Guide to Healthier Eating for Beginners and Beyond! by Erica Johns (EB)
Making a House a Home by Edgar A. Guest (EB)
The Mystery of Shadow Ranch by Carolyn Keene (ND)
The Joyful Christian Homemaker by Candy (EB)
The Secret of Red Gate Farm (L, ND)
The Clue in the Diary by Carolyn Keene (L, ND)
The Apple Turnover Mystery (L, T/S, 20, MC)

Thursday, December 31, 2009

It's New Year's Eve!

Well, here we finally are at the end of the year and the beginning of the new one. Tomorrow is January 1 and my anniversary as well. I am starting some of my new projects and books tomorrow morning and some things won't be started until next week. Details as they unfold!

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Plans for the New Year

I am so excited about the coming year. I'm planning like crazy. I have several books that are dated for each day or week for the whole year that I'm starting. I have several other books I want to read in the year to come. I'm planning to do quite a few household projects and hopefully some craft and sewing projects as well. In addition, I have some fitness goals I'm working out and some writing I want to finish. All the details will be coming soon or unfolding as I go along. What do you have planned for the new year?

Monday, December 28, 2009

A Brand New Thing

I'm making an attempt at blogging again. I have so much I want to do in 2010 and I feel like I need a place to keep track of it all. So here we go again!

About Me

Welcome to my blog. My name is Terri (aka thecoolmom) and I live in Texas with my husband and children and a house full of books. There's scarcely a dull moment around here, although I occasionally wish for one. I have 10 children with 7 of them still living at home.

Spitfire is 24 and lives in Georgia. She's married to  Gunlover, who is Air Force and currently stationed in Korea. They have two daughters, Jewel and Bunny. Princess is 22, lives in OK and paints and works in childcare. Conundrum, 21, is currently in college in OK and stays pretty busy with that and his photography. Bookaddict is 18 and a senior in high school and is nearly always either reading or writing. Guitarzan, 16, is in high school and likes guitars, video games and cars, and tinkering with inventions. Horsecrazy, 12, likes working with younger kids and loves anything to do with horses. Slither is 10 and is fascinated by snakes and lizards. Ladybug is 8 and loves reading and coloring. Ribbit is 5, loves frogs, and is learning to read. Sweetpea is 1 and is busy going everywhere and exploring everything.

I am interested and involved in homeschooling, singing, writing, sewing, cooking, teaching, learning, public speaking, and collecting quirky quotes. When I have the time and inclination I also knit, crochet, cross stitch, and I have even been known to do needlepoint now and then. I would like to learn to paint in watercolors and to make quilts. Both are on my to-do list for this year.

I started this blog as a way to document the changes I'm making in my life. I'm setting to make substantial changes in my body, my home, and my day-to-day life. I have had a number of major events in the last couple of years that have caused me to step back and assess my life and try to pin down just exactly how I am and how I want to live.

In the course of this documentation, you may find my own musings, diet and exercise information I stumble across, recipes, pictures of projects I've completed, book reviews, homeschooling tips, fun facts, quirky quotes or thoughts for the journey.