Better than carrot sticks

Photo by nanaow2006

I have this aversion to plain, raw carrots. I chew and chew, but they never go away. Hey, you don't have to tell me that's gross. I live it. That's how much I dislike carrots.

Add a little dip (and calories) or cook them with a roast (again with the calories), and they're fine. But raw? And plain? No thanks.

Thankfully, our society is so overweight and diet-obsessed that I have lots of healthy eating options. And we talked about our favorite "diet" foods at my Weight Watchers meeting last week. It made me want to go shopping right away!

The meeting also reminded me of some of the tricks I'd forgotten to losing weight. Here are a few of the foods I rely on when I'm on program, as they call it at WW:

• Apple and cinnamon instant oatmeal
• Sugar-free hot chocolate
• Fiber One (or Great Value) granola bars
• Oroweat sandwich thins (These are new, and I highly recommend them!)
• 98% fat-free Mission tortillas
• 98% fat-free popcorn (I like kettle corn the best.)
• Light or lowfat cheese or other milk products. (I do not do fat-free milk products. Ick.)
• Reduced fat peanut butter
• Apples, bananas, strawberries and grapes
• Lots and lots of green beans

Edited to add: How could I have forgotten Laughing Cow cheese?! I love that stuff, especially with reduced fat Wheat Thins! Yum! Also, have you all discovered Ronzoni Smart Taste pasta yet? It comes in spaghetti, macaroni, penne and probably several other shapes, and looks, tastes and feels just like white pasta (because you will never convince me that the wheat stuff is good) - but it has extra fiber and other vitamins/minerals/good stuff. Check out Jill's post and this funny video about it!

What healthy (or healthier) foods do you rely on to maintain a healthy diet?

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Saturday Review: The Blind Side

On Thanksgiving night, Mark’s brother was kind enough to stay with Annalyn so Mark and I could go to a movie. While the impromptu date didn’t relieve us of some pretty severe grumpiness, we did get to see a really great movie.

[Seriously, we are I have been so grumpy and out of sorts the past couple of weeks. I don’t know what the deal is, but I’m ready for it to be over. I’m hoping a little holiday festiveness as we put up the decorations tonight does the trick. Stay tuned.]

Back to the movie. We really want to see Sherlock Holmes, but of course it doesn’t come out until Christmas Day. So we were left with Couples Retreat or The Blind Side. And I believe we chose wisely.

The Blind Side is based on a book that is based on a true story. Here’s the synopsis from IMDB (mild spoiler alert):

The Blind Side depicts the story of Michael Oher, a homeless African-American youngster from a broken home, taken in by the Touhys, a well-to-do white family who help him fulfill his potential. At the same time, Oher's presence in the Touhys' lives leads them to some insightful self-discoveries of their own. As a football player and student, Oher works hard and, with the help of his coaches and adopted family, becomes an All-American offensive left tackle.

When we got home from the movie, I did what I often do: I looked up reviews online. I like to see if my opinion matches up with the pros’, okay? In this case, it really didn’t.

While Variety called the movie an “uplifting and entertaining feel-good, fact-based sports drama,” other reviews labeled it “middle-class pandering at its most shameless” and “a facile, feel-good fable that substitutes cliché for reality at nearly every turn.”

I guess I can see what they’re talking about. But I thought the movie was great. And so did the sold-out theater full of people who watched it with us. Throughout the movie, people spontaneously clapped several times, we all laughed hard, and most of us couldn’t help but wipe away a few tears.

The Blind Side was funny and touching, and it made at least one viewer (ahem, me) really think. It had some sports stuff for the guys, and it was clean enough for most audiences. And Sandra Bullock…or her character…or both were amazing. Overall, it was just a darned good movie.

I give this one two thumbs up. No matter what those critics say.

What’s your favorite sports movie?

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Making a list and checking it twice.

It’s the end of a year and the end of a decade. You know what that means: best-of lists, and lots of them. Before we make it to New Year’s Eve, I’ll probably break down and share a few of my favorite lists with you. But for now, I’m just going to play along with Gwen Bell’s Best of 2009 Blog Challenge. (Hat tip: George from Crocs)

Gwen has a question for each day of the month, asking about one “best” from your year. I’m going to answer a few each week. If you want to play along, too – whether every day, once a week or one time only – check out the full list of questions.

#1 What was your best trip in 2009?
I took several trips this last year, more than normal. Two blogging conferences (Blissdom and SheSpeaks), two scrapbooking weekends with my cousins, a day trip to Columbia for my anniversary with Mark, a long weekend to Branson to visit college friends, and a weeklong Florida vacation.

How can I choose just one? I mean, I could go through a list of pros and cons for each, tally them up and then announce a winner. That might take a while, though.

I think I’ll do this instead. I’m going to call each of the trips a winner. A winner in my heart.

• Blogging conferences were amazing for meeting friends and learning about some amazing opportunities God has placed in my life.
• Scrapbooking weekends were great because I accomplished a lot and got to spend time with my cousins.
• Columbia was a nice break and gave Mark and me some much-needed time together.
• And it was so much fun to catch up with our friends from college over Labor Day weekend.

But, okay, you’re going to make me do it. Fine. I’ll pick a winner. The best trip I took in 2009 was our Florida vacation.

Mark and I got four long days alone, we swam with a dolphin, we stayed in a really nice hotel (that overlooked a really cheesy souvenir shop, but I’m not picky), and we drove through a torrential downpour to see the ocean. And then Annalyn flew down with my parents, brother and sister-in-law. We hung out with family, played in the pool and at the beach, and generally had a lot of fun.

#2 What was the best restaurant experience you had this year?
I’ve got three. First would be the first time we visited Five Guys. Those greasy delicious burgers are soooo good! And the fries? I don’t even care that you can see the grease spots on the brown bag they hand you at the counter. They. Are. Good.

Second restaurant experience I loved this last year was when our favorite waitress at our favorite restaurant actually recited Mark’s “usual” back to him. She even remembered, “Substitute CCQ for the red sauce.”

Last but best is eating at Shakespeare’s Pizza with Mark. During our anniversary road trip to Columbia, we ate dinner at our old fave. We discussed and debated, but we just couldn’t decide: Is the pizza really that good, or does novelty and nostalgia just convince us it’s good? It’s hard to tell, but either way, the pizza was great and we had so much fun.

#3 What article did you read this last year that blew you away?
Just one? Seriously? Okay, I cannot possibly list every article that taught me something, touched my heart, influenced my behavior or just plain cracked me up. But the most life-changing articles I read were, by far, the posts written by the Compassion bloggers who traveled to India.

#4 What book – fiction or non – touched you most in 2009?
I've read so many!! Here’s what I really need: a list of books I’ve read. I signed up for GoodReads, but darned if I remember to log back in and update my list! The library won’t tell me what books I’ve checked out. Something about privacy laws or something. Thankfully, I know what book rocked me this year. And that is Mark Batterson’s In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day. If you missed my review, you can read about it here.

All right. Now it’s your turn. Tell me about your best trip, restaurant, article or book!

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Happy Christmas: I wrapped it up and sent it.

I used to work at an ad agency. It was very glamorous. We promoted dog food.

Okay, so it wasn’t that glamorous. But we did have a ping pong table. And shiny concrete floors. And a movie theater downstairs with a lobby full of couches and the lingering aroma of buttery popcorn.

I also learned a whole heck of a lot while I worked there. And had the privilege of working with some amazingly talented folks. But you know what I remember most?

The parties.

While you shouldn’t believe everything you hear/read/see about advertising being a glamorous career, the stories about the cavorting and carousing aren’t quite as exaggerated. At least in my experience.

I’m not saying I remember fondly the time my co-worker puked in a champagne bucket as we celebrated finishing a long campaign. Or that I cherish the memory of standing beside a co-worker’s desk to ensure he stayed on task and met our deadline instead of falling back into his drunken rant about holiday movies. And I certainly don’t long for happy hours that go well into the night, leaving a sober me to face down a drunk VP who did not care for the fact that I did not care for his sacrilegious jokes.

But the part that came before that mess? The hanging out with the people on my team, the getting to know them on a personal level, the having fun with those I spent most of my time with? That was a good time.

I don’t really hang out with my current co-workers. Really, I haven’t spent much out-of-the-office time with any co-workers since the ad agency. I meet my agency friends for lunch now and then, and I catch up with my friends and former co-workers at the non-profit whenever I can. But these days, work stays at work.

And that’s okay. But this time of year, when Bing Crosby and Harry Connick, Jr. are blaring from every speaker in the world, I can’t help but reminisce a bit . . .

[Insert blurry vision and twinkling music here, as we flash back to 2005.]

My favorite ad agency party memory – and seriously, there are more than a few – is my friend Brent’s rendition of Wham’s Last Christmas, courtesy of a karaoke machine and more than a few bottles of something. Brent sang his heart out to that silly song, and every time I hear it, I can’t help cracking up.

Even now, four years later. Even if I’m at Target. Doesn't matter. I still laugh. Every single time.

It turns out my friend Brent isn’t the only big fan of Wham’s biggest hit. (Really? You thought it would be Careless Whisper or Wake Me Up Before You Go Go?)

According to Pop Candy, USA Today’s pop culture blog, 2009 marks the 25th anniversary of the song. I don’t know that this calls for any real celebration, but there is a site dedicated to the almost 400 covers of Last Christmas. You really should go there and, at the least, check out the header image. In the words of Napoleon, it’s pretty sweet.

I usually prefer the original myself (No offense, Taylor.), but the GLEE version might just be my new favorite. Even better? If you buy it on iTunes, a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Grammy Foundation’s music education programs.

As for me, I just don’t know that I’ll ever hear, “Once bitten and twice shy, I keep my distance but you still catch my eye. Tell me, baby, do you recognize me? Well, it's been a year; it doesn't surprise me.” without snickering and thinking back to those crazy days of ad agency life yore.

Have you ever mixed karaoke and Christmas carols? Do you hang out with co-workers outside the office? What would happen if you added Christmas karaoke to your office holiday party?

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While you're up . . .

When my brother and I were growing up, we played a little game in our family. If we needed a drink refill or a box of Kleenex or the remote or anything, really, out of reach, we wouldn't get up and get it ourselves. We'd wait until someone else took the initiative to get up to do something productive and then we'd say, "While you're up . . . " and make our request!

Sadly, Mark and I have been known to play the same game. But I've heard about some cool "while you're up" ways to give this Christmas, and I think you're going to like them.

Hey, at least I'm not asking you to refill my iced tea while you're up.

First order of business is this: How do you feel about gift cards? Let's just get it out on the table. Do you think they're tacky? Practical? Fun? Boring? What do you think?

A certain mother I know has often said that it’s a tacky gift. Then again, this is the same mother who gave her daughter a Victoria’s Secret gift card.

That’s what I get for mentioning my need for new underwear.

Ahem. Anyway. Here’s my take on gift cards (because, yes, I know you were wondering): I think they’re great.

Now, does that mean I want a gift card in place of every gift I ever receive? No. It just means that if someone can’t think of what to get me or lives far away and doesn’t want to spend part of the gift budget on postage, it’s not going to hurt my feelings if I open up the envelope and find a gift card to Kohl’s. Or Target. Or Walmart, really. I’m not picky.

[Unless your name is Mark. And then you’d better be digging deep, reading and interpreting my innermost thoughts and feelings, so you can buy the 12 perfect gifts that show just how well you know me and how deeply you care for me.]

But everyone else can totally get away with a gift card.

There's no easier gift to give than a gift card. Unless it’s a donation to charity. Have you ever gotten that one before? (Why do I feel like a stand-up comic right about now? No, not because I think I’m so funny. I think it’s how I phrased that or something.)

Anyway. Have you? Or have you donated to a charity in someone’s name as a gift? Did they like it? I’m not sure I’d love that gift. I mean, the thought is nice. And I suppose if the day comes that I never need new underwear (I’m kidding, Mom.), the thought would be enough for me.

But I’m not sure.

How about this, though? What if we combine the gift card that I get to spend with the donation to charity that you get to deduct and we both get to feel good about? What about that?

Well, friends, I’m happy to tell you that that is exactly what Clayton Nicholas and Jeff Jacobs had in mind when they created GiveCard in 2007.

The GiveCard is a prepaid gift card that shares a set value (determined by the giver and starting at $5) with the charity of the recipient’s choice. The balance of the card spends just like a Visa debit card. Because, I think, it is a Visa debit card. It’s just a charitable one.

It’s the gift that keeps on giving. Or . . . it’s two gifts in one! Um . . . it really is the thought that counts?

Well, whatever cliché we decide to use here, this is a great idea! GiveCard can be used to contribute to more than 5,000 charities – and in an age when charitable giving is down around the globe, every dollar (or five dollars) counts.

So, what do you think? Are gift cards in or out this year?

If you’re looking for more ways to help others while doing your own holiday shopping this year, here are a few ideas:

• If you like to shop on Amazon as much as I do (and let's put it this way: I got four packages from them just yesterday), you can donate without actually donating by clicking on this Amazon.com link before making purchases. Thrive Africa gets a small referral fee when you buy anything from Amazon after you follow the link. Thrive is an amazing ministry founded by my sweet bloggy friend, Alece.
• Kraft Foods and American Greetings have teamed up to feed the hungry this holiday season. For every e-greeting you send through Recipe for Joy, Kraft will donate 10 meals to Feeding America.
• And last but not least, Dayspring is offering a 15% discount off their Christmas photo cards. Just design your card and use the code CHILDREN15 when you check out. You’ll get 15% off – and here’s the best part – 6% of the sale goes directly to Compassion International!

What are you waiting for? While you're up, double the giving, double the fun. What, you thought I was finished with the lame clichés? Fine. I'll stop. But giving while I'm up works for me!

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And so it begins.

How does that song go again? It's the most stressful time of the year?

What? That's not it? You mean we're not supposed to stuff our faces and our calendars so full that we are filled with discomfort and can barely move?

Ahhhhh.

I don't know about you, but my December tends to fill up and fast. One weekend this month, we're going out of town to visit friends and family, and I am not even kidding, I've had three invitations for that very weekend already.

People, I am not that popular. This month is just that busy!

How about you? Is your planner overflowing? Is your calendar crammed full?

I know. It's hard not to get sucked into the madness. You want to fit in all your friends and family and traditions and adventures and events and excitement. You don't want to miss anything. You don't want to let anyone down.

At least, that's how I am.

I'm going to try to keep my grip on sanity this year, though. I'm going to hold on to a piece of calm. I'm going to preserve some quiet and stillness. Maybe not much. After all, just because I have high hopes for a holy holiday season doesn't mean the world of shopping and choir practice and family obligations and cookie exchanges just fade away.

But what if I just commit to a quiet time each week, or each weekend, or even - hold on, I'm about to get crazy - each day between now and Christmas? Could I do that? Could you do that?

What do you think? How can we hold on to the holy and let go of the hectic?

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Four Days

Four days to spend with family.
Four days that Mark didn't have to go to work.
Four days that I didn't have to go to work.
Four days to play with my baby.
Four days to eat ridiculous amounts of delicious food.
Four days to make lists, scan flyers, map out stores and hit sales.
Four days to spend half our Christmas budget.
Four days to get coughed and sneezed on.
Four days to catch a cold. (Annalyn, not me.)
Four days to fill up my purse with post-its, receipts, tissues and wrappers.
Four days to clean the house and mess it up again.
Four days to read one book and watch three movies.
Four days to laugh and cry and love and fight and plan and remember.
Four days to celebrate Thanksgiving.

How was your Thanksgiving weekend?

P.S. If you missed it yesterday, I was at (in)courage, talking about my list of hard questions. And in case you're not quite ready to return to the real world just yet, don't miss my favorite (fictional) Thanksgiving scenes.

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My questions . . . and His answers

Photo by eleaf

I have a list. (Surprising, no?) A list of questions that I plan to ask God as soon as I get to heaven. It’s not a real long list, but it has some of the most important questions in my heart:

* Why did my friend Carrie have to die in that car accident?
* Why did my mother-in-law have to die before she was even 50?
* Why did God send me to grad school? (Why didn’t I love grad school?)
* Why didn’t our church plant work?
* Why did I lose my job while I was pregnant?
* Why are Annalyn and I okay and healthy (despite a delivery at 33 weeks)?

These are the hard questions of life. Or at least of my life.

To read more, please visit me at (in)courage today.

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The One with the Thanksgiving Episodes

Chandler: All right I'd like to propose a toast, a little toast here. Ding, ding! I know this isn't exactly the kind of Thanksgiving that all of you planned, but for me, this has been really great. You know, I think because it didn't involve divorce or projectile vomiting. Anyway I was just thinking, I mean, if you had gone to Vail or if you guys had been with your family or if you didn't have syphilis and stuff ... we wouldn't be all together you know, so I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm very thankful that all your Thanksgivings sucked.

Everyone Else: That's so sweet!

Ross: And hey, here's to a lousy Christmas!

Rachel: And a crappy new year.

Chandler: Here, Here!

Friends aired a very special Thanksgiving episode every year in its 10-year run. You can actually watch them all on the WB's site. Now that I think about it, I’m not sure why the WB still has a site. But they do. And they’re showing the full episodes until November 30.

But fun Thanksgiving scenes and episodes don’t stop with our six favorite friends. Here are some of my favorites. I hope you’ll share yours, too!

• How I Met Your Mother: Slap Bet – Three years ago, Barney lost a slap bet to Marshall over Robin’s big secret. Hilarious and the start of a running gag that’s lasted all the way to this Monday’s episode, Slapsgiving.
  
• Ed: Something Old, Something New – In the first season of one of my all-time favorite shows evah, Ed deals with his first Thanksgiving after divorce. Mike bets him ($10, of course) that he can’t get the grocery store manager to tell him where the lettuce is in under a minute. The catch? He must pronounce it “let-oose.” I don’t know why, but this particular $10 bet cracks me up every time. Just like it cracks me up every time Mark and I use this alternate pronunciation. Which might be more often than you’d think.
• Gilmore Girls: A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving – You know I love my Gilmores. In season three, they tried to eat four Thanksgiving dinners in one day, and I fell in love all over again. And that was even before Jess kissed Rory!
• Will & Grace: Moveable Feast – This season four double episode has me laughing every time I watch it. Instead of going their separate ways for the holiday, Will, Grace, Karen and Jack take a road trip, trying to fit in visits to each of their dysfunctional families. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a video clip, so here are a couple other clips instead.
  
• Home for the Holidays – I was introduced to this movie in college, and I have loved it ever since. There’s just something special about a family that’s so messed up, isn’t there? This scene isn’t for the faint of heart, so proceed with caution. But it’s darned funny if you don’t mind some holiday freaking out!
  

What are your favorite Thanksgiving movies or TV episodes? Or songs! Let’s not forget “Turkey for you and turkey for me . . .”!

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Praise the LORD.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
(Psalm 106:1)

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