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I hope each of you had a great day with family. Christmas is very exciting with weeks to months of anticipation. Then boom it's over. Out with the tree and the clutter.
Today was fun and so exhausting! My husband's family is the king of gag gifts. Seventeen grown adults laughing at each other like high school kids, it's so refreshing to enjoy family time and not have family squabbles. I've taken two naps in the recliner since five PM. We got new lazy boys last January and I've probably slept in mine more than my bed over the past year. Mine is automated and hubby's is manual. We weren't looking for auto the store had two just alike and this style or color (I forget) was discontinued. My husband has finally realized how comfy the chair is. He's snoring away in his. I'm laughing because we are just that settled as a couple. Think I'm going to bed and I'll probably be up before four. My body can't sleep more than a few hours.
I didn't eat much today not sure why but I got really full quickly. When I got home I over indulged ate cake and pie. For 1.5 hours I was so uncomfortable. Drank half can of sparkling water and I'm burping like an old man. I can't tell you what triggered my head space changing direction but finally I'm realizing it's just not worth feeling awful for thirty seconds of sugar heaven. Praying this mindset keeps going for a long time.
how was your day
Talk soon beautiful people 🐸
It doesn't have to be over. That was only the first day of Christmas. There are parties and visiting and eating until the 6th / 7th of January. We've got 12 days, people. Buck up and continue celebrating!
Ha Ha if I was twenty years younger my tree and decorations would be out of my house by now. I'm not sure how different regions or counties do but in the south we normally decorate at least by thanksgiving day or week after. Lots of people I know decorate in October. I think I've heard Europe decorates very early they don't have thanksgiving in November and many countries don't do Halloween. Buy Christmas Day most around me want to get the house back to normal. My house is small and I have to pack up stuff for Christmas decor.
My family has never celebrated after Christmas "old Christmas" most every one has been doing something Christmas related for the entire month of December and are Christmas-ed out.
Anyway you do it have fun and enjoy family and friends. As well as remembering what the true meaning of Christmas is about. Enjoy your celebrations.
Oh, I will. I celebrate New Year's (8th day- money, gifts and honors list from the King if you're from the UK) and every other Holiday. the 27th is Feast of St. John (wine and spirits).
It's very interesting to learn about the different cultures and celebrations around the world. I'm in North Carolina and a friend in Mississippi just sent a pic of her house after taking down decorations. With a comment, done and resting rest of day. I thought of your comment about festivities into January. Brought a smile to my face.
No to sugar, use Erythritol. It can be used for baking, cooking and works well with yeast, its not as sickly as sugar and much less dangerous.
https://www.meritagemed.com/erythritol/
Thanks for the info. I'm a little familiar with erythritol it's in a lot of natural toothpaste and other products. I've experimented with beet, coconut sugar, monk fruit etc. In the end sugar is sugar doesn't matter the type it does the same to our bodies. I've had real natural stevia leaf or drops (not packets for the store) that's the closest thing to sugar that's safe I've had. I've either got an emotional eating disorder or sugar addiction, probably both. That's one reason I want to do carnivore to see if it helps that and the multiple pain conditions. Going to clean out pantry today and start tomorrow.
Carnivore? Watch out for scurvy with that diet.
I'm doing my research. I don't intend on stopping supplements.
I use it in my coffee and tea. Does it really work well for baking though? Have you ever baked with it? I’ve been wanting to try, but I don’t want to make baked goods and then have them be crap. I am a baker.
Edit: I will see that it’s the only fake sweetener or real fake sweetener, whatever you wanna call it, that actually taste like sugar. I will not use anything with Stevia in it. I think it taste disgusting. Some of the others as well.
Please advise
I've used it for baking in the past, though I don't any more. It worked fine. The caveat is that for some, it makes them feel bloated and gassy. Sounds like you use it anyway, so it should be fine.
I’ve never used it for baking, but yes, I think it does give you gas or make you gassy or have runny poop. At least that’s what my mom tells me. So she won’t eat it anymore. Each persons different though. But it’s good for coffee or tea.
I haven't baked or cooked with it, its just for tea and coffee in my house. The blurb on the packet says is good for cooking and baking so it probably is.
Glad you had a good day. It'd be fun to hear more about the gag gifts. 😀
Oh I can give you so many gag gift ideas you can give them for the next ten years. My in laws get hilarious and then my sister in law started the gag gifts as well several years ago. MIL gave bil a slim jim maybe 15 Christmas' ago. She thought he liked them. He hates them and it turned into him getting one every Christmas. When he gets something stupid like that he's so funny making dry comments. Both bil have received multiple gag gifts every Christmas. The other bil has bathroom issues (IDK) but he has to stop a lot on the road. Once at the state fair after several hours I told him he goes more than an old woman. The family is basically conservative but half don't like Trump so I think we have a few secret liberals (I don't address this bc I respect my husband and he wants peace in the family. Also they would think I'm crazy and the stuff isn't true. Been there with his mom over vax. Just not worth it.) Before Trump my bil got a signed Obama pic framed. When his kids were little they knew about Obama etc and might say something in public. I'll list the many gag gifts below. My husband hates bananas his mom said as a baby he'd stick his tongue out trying to get it off. My sil that does the gag gifts hates cats so my husband finally got her back yesterday.
BIL that has bathroom issues and is very loud mouth (more than me😬) gag gift over the years.
. Bedside commode
. Random Tshirts with outlandish sayings. Dang wish I could think of them all. The sayings reflect his loud personality. He runs a business and stresses a lot. He's also a perfectionist and stresses way too much.
. Signed framed pic Obama
. Gift yesterday was to him & mil from fil. She was giggling like crazy! It was a new toilet seat for him to install on her toilet bc old one has a scratch.
. Mugs and shirts
Other bil
. Graphic shirts with crazy sayings. Yesterday he was wearing one from previous years: Gangster Santa. He's far from gangster. Golf, former school teacher, hates country music etc.
. Sweatshirt decorated like a Christmas tree with cold garland fabric and ornament balls. Hood was in the shape of a star. He's so theatrical always tries on everything as he gets it. Sounds gay but he's just has a funny dry humor.
. My husband did gag gifts for him this year in addition to the many he was getting. He bought at least four different types of slim Jim's like big mama, firecracker etc. One was Doritos flavored. I told hubby you gotta get something he likes because five gag gifts is just mean! After investing got him Carmex lip balm and giant Hershey bar. We did secret Santa this year for the first time. Then started passing out random gifts. We don't exchange gifts but if someone wants to buy for one person that's cool. He had about six gag gifts from us and many more. He said I thought I'd be out of here by 3 and secret Santa was it. That caused loud hilarious laughter from everyone else.
. He got a cats Christmas tshirt (another cat hater). I'm sitting here thinking well I love cats where's my shirt.
Usually my other sil (slim jim guys wife) doesn't get that many gag gifts.
. One year my in laws gave her two bottles of zanex. My in laws are RX hoarders. They get all the RX they can from drs and keep them. It's paid off for twenty years everyone getting antibiotics and not going to Dr. SIL over the years will ask for zanex for multiple reasons.
. My mil has gone around the past year telling everyone fil (blank is 81 can you believe it). He got a Tshirt saying my wife can't believe I'm 21.
. FIL worked at sears 30 years and I found a Christmas ornament frame 2004 year on it & the inside paper said sears. I gave to him and said I was regifting it. He liked a lot.
All the men my hubby and bil's got Santa had with built in beards. One year they got old time hats like men wore in the 60s and before. Don't know what they are called stylish with small brim. Usually those three will get the same gag gift.
. Giant 5x underwear has been a gift to several people.
running joke between bil's who makes the most money. They always get shirts, mugs etc with #1 #2 money maker.
my husband has received banana kitchen towels which I still use. Banana boat ice cream dish that's a banana. Gave to bil he liked so much. That stuff is normally donated bc we can't use it. Banana Halloween costume. I can't remember everything.
. SIL that does gag gifts got "I love my cats" tshirt and hubby snuck out during lunch and put a "cat lover" license plate cover on her car. That was yesterday, hubby has talked for years about getting her back.
They shop after Christmas clearance items most people don't want and get it for couple bucks. Same with most gifts bought on cheap clearance. Basically anything the person dislikes is used as a gag gift. Sounds stupid we have such a great time laughing and acting a fool.
That sounds like fun, thanks for sharing 😅 what a blessing to enjoy each other
This was a great Christmas, God is so good. I always say if no one is in the hospital or jail it’s a big deal. ❤️🙏🏻🎄😂
Oh yeah absolutely! I've had enough of hospital for a lifetime. Also I don't look good in orange or stripes. See video 😉
Stripes
Oh gosh I love that song. Haven’t listened to country music in a while. I like real country and this girl is really good. The problem with today’s country is everybody sounds the same and it’s too pop sounding. But that was a good one. Thank you.
I know Elvis did a country album but I don't consider anything from him country. His voice is unlike anyone else dead or alive. Yeah I'm a fan girl and so is my ten month old granddaughter😁 You are right about today's country. There's a lot of good country artists but you have to search most aren't on the radio. I'll listen artist I like some are traditional country or (anmerican is the new term for classic country) others are what I call country rock. Some I list might be outspoken liberals. Some I wonder about but they don't preach their views. I've stop listening to many artists that are really bad, like Lady Gaga. It's a shame because I love her voice and music. Also Taylor Swift & Katy Perry is off my list. I know those aren't country but my love for 80s music makes me want upbeat music. As long as they aren't satanic and child lovers I listen to them. Most all types of artists are just weird or crazy, especially outside of music. I think it takes it be genius and make their art. So books and music I don't do a deep dive on their beliefs because music helps me emotionally and books are a great vacation escape with out the expense. Many won't agree but I have to do what works for me. For about seven years we went to concerts at least once a month and many times 3-4 times a month. Plandimic stopped it for us we were not wearing mask or vax. Now it's over double what we were paying. My family loves music.
. Eric Church
. Miranda Lambert
. Chris Stapleton
. Brent Cobb
. Kenny Chesney (old but still a fav)
. Grace Potter (rock she's not in a genre)
. Red Stray Clays
. Tyler Childers
. Sturgill Simpson (bluegrass, country & rock/country albums)
. Marcus King
. Nathaniel Ratliff (not sure of genre)
. Justin Moore (he's the real deal)
. Ray LaMongtagne (soulful like James Taylor)
. Cody Johnson (Texas cowboy country)
. Margo Price
. Brothers Osborne
. Ashley Monroe
. Luke Combs
. John Pardi
. Casey Donahew
. Dierks Bentley
Many great artists coming out of Texas & Kentucky. That's just the top ones I listen to. We have a family Spotify account. I listened to apx 300 different genres last year (didn't know that many existed).
As much as the sugar sounds interesting, after you eat it - sometimes you just feel sick. Also, I’ve noticed that I might want something sweet, but if I’m gonna eat anything sweet, it’s gonna be something worth my while. I’m not wasting my sugar fix on a pop, tart or something cringe. I want chocolate mousse are crème brûlée. Something worthwhile.
I'm with you on that. Give me chocolate anything if I'm going to indulge occasionally. Maybe I'll get to that one day. Right now I have to give it all up. I believe I have either a sugar addiction or emotional eating disorder, maybe both.
Sugar addiction is real. Big time. Are used to eat multiple candy bars and garbage food every day. That’s where my depression was super bad. Now I can’t even buy a candy bar from Circle K. They all taste so disgusting. During Halloween I had some Halloween candy and both my mother and I thought it was so disgusting. We ended up throwing it away. I highly recommend eliminating as much sugar and carbs from your life as possible. You will feel so much better.
Even over this holiday season, I’ve had a few desserts - expensive ones. But I haven’t been able to finish them. I’ve had to throw them out. I try and eat half one day and half another day. But because they are real, and fresh desserts, they don’t last that long.
I’ll be praying for your success.
How did you get over your addiction?
That's for prayers for success. I'm going into this with an open mind and lots of research. If it doesn't work for me I'll readjust and figure out what's best. My goals are weight loss and relief from multiple chronic pain conditions, whatever that is hopefully I'll figure it out.
Yes, agree about store bought candy. I believe most chocolate sold in USA is made in china. Hershey doesn't taste the same. Peanut butter has a strange taste and makes me feel awful. Unless I get natural peanut butter and that's so expensive and it's runny. Even natural can have added sugar or syrups and bad oils. I did love Lindt sea salt dark chocolate bars but now they have very little salt. Nothing is as it was a decade ago.
I usually make desserts from scratch because store bought is just crap. King Arthur brand flour has a good gluten free line of cake mix and cookies. I'm not gluten intolerant. I buy because it doesn't have the artificial ingredients that other cake mix brands have. I'll keep all that in case I have to take a dessert somewhere. It's not tempting because I'm not going to start eating cake mix at midnight. Now if it was mixed up I'd put a hurtin on it.
I know for a fact my sugar addiction probably started in my teens. My dad was an alcoholic my entire life and it got really bad during high school. My senior year he went to rehab and hasn't had a drink since 1985 but stopping alcohol didn't remove his behavior. Instead it's called dry drunk, whatever! If you are narcissistic SOB doesn't matter if you are on the sauce or dry it's still there. He's much better now but it's still around. I also believe my surger addiction is because addiction is in my DNA. Everyone in my dad's family, mostly men is a recovering alcoholic or a dead alcoholic. Also chocolate is very big on his side. Every family reunion deserts were always chocolate. My maternal grandma was a master southern cook and baker. Her cakes were the best! Being at her house was an escape and food was always around because she cooked seven days a week and twice on Sunday. My heirloom family recipes are mainly chocolate themed. My high school years I basically did what I wanted on the weekends and by the time I was a senior I was out most nights a week partying. I have no doubt I was an alcoholic for four years. I also got into weed for about 18 months. Couple years later after a very bad breakup I was a major pot head. Got back together a year later and he said weed had to go. I loved him so much I stopped cold turkey. Still together today. Now I know I replaced one substance for another. I won't lie I believe I've handled the lies of plandemic and decades of lies well but deep down I know I haven't. I think I've become a recluse to avoid the stupid people because it just upsets me and pisses me off. My chronic pain is at all time high, have barely cooked in three years so food has become my source of comfort. I know it sounds like I'm not loved but I am and my relationship is awesome. We can be masters at hiding feelings. You mentioned depression. My entire adult life up till mid forties I was off and on antidepressants. Was suggested by some doctors but mostly requested by me. I've always lived next door to family and still do. I still have emotional issues with my dad. However I handle it 90% better than I did in the past. When my grandma died ten years ago I was in a major depression state for about six months. I got out of bed to eat and go to the bathroom that's it. Had a dog and took her out if needed she was with me every moment in bed & my cat. My husband isn't the type to nag you so he let me do my thing. My neighbor and best friend (my dads age) would come here and walk past my husband and daughter to my bedroom to check on me. For people that talk about racism I have never experienced it. She's black and I'm white. We have been on trips together, shopping, her in my pool in summer. She was a god send to my grand parents. I always gave her my leftovers. She's out of state with her daughter and I miss her so much. She's like my second mom and I was closer to her than my mom. She moved away in 2019 so that's another reason for emotional downhill. Lord I've told my life story! Clearly journaling might help.
Have you noticed bread doesn't mold? This year I've noticed that. You buy a new loaf at the store because you know the loaf at home is old. Open new loaf and forget to throw out two week old loaf. After a month no mold. I bought little tomatoes sometime last summer and left them on the counter. Somehow they got behind something on counter I found them three weeks later and no sign of decay. So I left them for two months and they were starting to go bad. Who knows what's in the food? Can't be anything good.
Well said sis. Sugar is something I am trying to break free from completely. Please keep me in your prayers. It's tough.
How was your Christmas?
Yeah, I only say that as I’m eating Sees candy. 🤣😂. Once the holiday is over with I’m gonna go back to my low carb.
I will say this, I can easily drop a few pounds when I go low carb. Cutting back on sugar and carbs. Just makes me feel better all the way around.
If you decide to go, low carb, I suggest checking out labels for a while in the grocery store. Did you know one pop tart has 38 carbs in it? Crazy, huh? So if I decide I want to have 38 carbs/sugars, I’m going to make it worth my while and have something like chocolate moose, or crème brûlée - which by the way, crème brûlée has almost half the carbs of a pop tart because it’s made out of cream.
If you plan on cutting down your sugar, just be very thoughtful in what you choose to eat that has sugar and carbs in it. You will find that eating is more enjoyable, and also the taste of the treats that you have will be enhanced. Just remember it’s not just a sugar in it, it’s the carbs. That’s how I diabetic decides what they’re eating is the carbs because carbs turn into sugar.
Will be praying for that for you. I know you don’t need to lose weight though lol but sugar is just so bad for you. The is a a three hour long podcast with Andrew Huberman and this Doctor, and they discusses sugar. I only listened to half of it, but apparently refined sugar is one of the nutrients that are body does not even require to stay alive. Interesting.
God bless you have a great day.