Saturday, August 31, 2013

Rethink Your Drink!


Rethink your drink and Go Soda-Free for the month of Sept!! Come on and take the Pledge!


If you know me, you know that I LOVE (with all my heart) Diet Coke. I know it's not good for me, but I love it, anyways. Last year, I went the entire month of August without a sip of the stuff. I did good. But I didn't feel this burst of energy or anything else fabulous, so I went back to drinking it.

In September, I am going to attempt to kick DIET COKE to the curb for good. It's a good thing I really enjoy water, too! In fact, I've been known to drink 120-150 ounces of water a day, easily!

So, will you join me next month? Do the pledge with me.

I, Cindy {crazylou}, will drink more water and less (NO) soda...

Also, check out my post from the other day about the Fall Fitness Challenge I'm participating in. I'd love for you to join me in that too!!



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Thursday, August 29, 2013

Happy 15th Anniversary

Today I am celebrating with the love of my life, Darren.

We've been married for 15 years, although we've been together for closer to 25!

We celebrated our anniversary last month with a mini-trip to Paris. We left our England vacation for 3 days for a romantic vacation for two in Paris. (good planning on our part!)

I can't wait to share more about your Paris trip, but here are a few pictures and alittle more about our relationship:

 
 

 
 
 
15 Facts about Cindy & Darren
 
  1. We met in high school. He was in the science room, wearing a red polo and white washed jeans (probably tight rolled, too!)
  2. Our first date was supposed to be a double date, but his best friend backed out at the last minute.
  3. We went "dutch" on that first date, but I actually paid for more than I was supposed to--which taught me a very important lesson (always bring more cash than you think you may need).
  4. We dated for 3 years in high school, broke up in November of my first year in college.
  5. After about a year of silence, we became friends again and continued our friendship until our Senior year in college where we decided we needed each other again.
  6. After college, we continued to date, but he didn't propose to me right away. He used to have to tell me to "sit down" before he told me news of who was now engaged (wasn't me!)
  7. After 3 (more) years of dating, he proposed to me. It was September 10th (my dad's birthday) and it was an amazing, thought-out proposal that every woman deserves. I still get goosebumps thinking about all he planned out!
  8. We had a big, fun and hot wedding (Church had no air conditioning!)
  9. We honeymooned in Maui and had our first real "married" fight--that didn't take long, did it?? It was silly, but I remember the fight as if it happened yesterday.
  10. We welcomed our first child after being married for 3 years.
  11. We built our first home a few years later and remain there today.
  12. We completed our family two years later when we had our son.
  13. We can finish each other's sentences, make each other mad and laugh in the same conversation.
  14. We are comfortable in silence, but know when it's time to break it...
  15. I know that we love each other more now than we ever did and can't imagine life without each other. We have a great example to look up too--his grandparents celebrated 72 years of marriage eariler this year!

 


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Wednesday, August 28, 2013

The PIN IT Party--and you're invited!

Did you catch all the awesomeness that linked up last week? What a great party we had! Let's make this one even better! Don't be shy--invite your friends--what's a party without your BFF?

Welcome to THE 20th edition of THE Pin It Party

Are you interested in co-hosting THE Pin It Party? It is a WHOLE lot of fun and a great way to grow your Pinterest following. Go here to get more information and to secure your spot now! 

Grab button for Creative Geekery
Grab the code for our button here!
<div class="http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a618/CreativeGeekery/PinItParty_zps8d39e394.jpg" style="width: 150px; margin: 0 auto;"> <a href="http://creativegeekery.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow"> <img src="http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a618/CreativeGeekery/PinItParty_zps8d39e394.jpg" alt="Creative Geekery" width="150" height="150" /> </a> </div>


  Completely Unfinished - Summer Lovey Dovey Road Trip Playlist One Organic Mama - A Robot Party What's Up with the Wilhelms - Anywhere Workout
1. Please follow the host and co-hosts on Pinterest.

2. Send out a tweet about the party! Just click here: 

3. "Like" THE Pin It Party on Facebook by clicking on the button below. 

4. Grab the party button above and add it to your blog's sidebar or link up party list.

5. Post 1-3 links to your blog's most "pin-able" posts from the last few weeks. (Please, no links to other parties, giveaways or shops please. If you are an ETSY shop owner, come back this weekend and link up at the Weekend Blog Block Party!)

6. Mingle! Reach out to somebody new and pin their stuff. You never know when you will meet your blogging bestie!

7. Have a FABulous day and come back next week for more Pinterest fun. XO 



Host: Ellie @ Creative Geekery
Co-Hosts:
Cindy @ crazylou 
Mama Lola @ Bear & Lion

We will each choose our three favorite posts from the party and pin them to this party's collaborative Pinterest board: THE Pin It Party - The Best of the Best! Woot woot! 




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Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Tasty Tuesday -- Tomato Recipe Round-up

Anyone else up to their elbows with tomatoes? I don't even have a garden, but I've got great family and friends that pass along their garden fresh tomatoes to our family--and boy, do I have a bunch! This abundance of tomatoes sparked a thought for a round-up post, so I called upon my blogger friends and put together this awesome list of over 30 tomato recipes! Feel free to click on the link to get the recipe and pin it for later!


36 Tomato Recipes


Grilled Tomato & Basil Pizza


Tomato Vinegar Chicken








 
 







 
 










 








So which one do you think you will make first? Feel free to PIN this for later!

 


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Monday, August 26, 2013

Fall Fitness Challenge with JessicaSmithtv.com and a GIVEAWAY!

Hello! Hey--have you entered into my Back to School Giveaway yet?


Hurry up!! Giveaway ends soon for your chance to win $500!!

CLICK HERE!


I've done a few fitness challenges in the past that have been a big hit!
Like my AWESOME ARMS CHALLENGE or my AB CHALLENGE.

But, for the next fitness challenge, I wanted to partner up with someone I work out with occassionally...Jessica Smith. She has an awesome blog and YouTube Channel. She offers a ton of FREE workout videos (not to mention great motivation)! Next month, she is doing a Fall Fitness Challenge and offering some prizes!

What I love about Jessica's video's is that they can be done with little or no equipment and accomplished in a small area, plus--they are not difficult (choregraphy-wise), but they are a little challenging (she shows you ways to increase or decrease the difficulty). And, her dog Peanut (adorbs!) joins her in most (if not all) of her videos.
 
So, are you ready to join me? It's 20 days. It's FREE. She's provides the workouts for you. It's less than 30 minutes every day. Not convinced yet?

Here, watch her video (that's Peanut!):



To join the challenge:
  1. Go to Jessicasmithtv.com and Follow her blog.
  2. Next, subscribe to her YouTube Channel. You will have to check it there every day for a chance at the prizes.
  3. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook. (optional, but recommended!)
  4. Leave me a comment to let me know you are doing the challenge!
We've got this! We will gain more energy and feel better. There is nothing to lose! I look forward to working out with you! C'mon...it starts next Monday!

Hey! Are you following Crazylou on Facebook or Twitter? Come on over--sometimes I do special things just for my fans on social media! Don't miss out!

 


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Friday, August 23, 2013

European Vacation - Part 2 Tips & Places to Visit

Preparing for this post allowed me to dream once again about the wonderful vacation we took just one month ago. Ugh--why is it so difficult to get back into the swing of things?

Summer European Vacation tips and itinerary suggestions

I ended at the third day of our vacation in my last post. You can refresh your memory (or play catch-up) by clicking here. So, picking up where I left off...

Day 4

We wandered through the countryside (like many other days on our trip) and discovered roads not much wider than our car. It was interesting. They don't have ditches over there, so when you are on the edge of the road, you are typically looking at a long line of hedges. Makes you a little nervous because there really is no where to go if you need to make room for a larger vehicle coming the other way! Our destination was Stonehenge. I can tell you that I was not overly excited to go there, but figured since we were staying very close to it, that we probably should go and anyways, it is a popular tourist attraction (for good reason).
Stonehenge Travel Tips

Upon arrival, you pay (they offered a family pass) and receive an audio guide to learn about the stones. I was blown away. I didn't realize the history and the mystery behind these rocks. It's amazing to me that they traveled so far with these stones, dug them so deep and into perfect formation but we have no idea why. It was eerie being there for some reason. I couldn't put my finger on it. I was truly impressed by these stones and encourage anyone to visit to see, learn and hear about what they have discovered so far.
Stonehenge

We stopped for a late lunch at a tavern with a old thatched roof, but I couldn't find the picture of it to show you! (horrible blogger etiquette!)

Day 5
In the morning, we decided to head into town (Swindon) and do a little shopping. We visited the town center mall and many, many stores. We even made a purchase at their version of the Dollar Store--Poundland. My son bought a cricket set. (Thanks to the cousin we were staying with for introducing us to that boring sport--no offense, but how can you stay involved in a sport where the game can go on for days?)

Poundland
The rest of the day was dedicated to my mother-in-law. We visited the town where she was born and spent her childhood. (cool fact: when we landed in London on the first day of our trip, it was 50 years ago to the date that she arrived over in the US!) She grew up in a town called Royal Wootton Bassett. 

This was a neat little town. We found her house she lived in and she commented that it was quite run-down. What a shame. The streets in this town were narrow too--very typical in England.

Royal Wootton Bassett
We went over to her long-time friends house for afternoon tea. It was one of the best homemade meals we ate on the trip. (oh, and her chocolate cake was to die for!)
Day 6
Today we visited Windsor Castle (the oldest and largest occupied Castle in the World). It was so hot that day (actually, we were blessed with very warm weather the entire trip!). We arrived and decided to have lunch first (it was close to lunchtime and well, we have kids and wanted to enjoy the tour of the Castle!). We ate at a cute little cafe on a side street (cobblestone, actually) named Limes. Everyone had a quick sandwich and it was relatively cheap! When we arrived at the Castle, we had to wait quite awhile to enter. Long lines are typical at top tourist attractions. Windsor Castle is one of the main residences of the Queen. It just so happened that she was in residence during our visit! (Still shocked we didn't get invited up for tea, though!)

Windsor Castle

You are not allowed to take pictures inside the residence, but man--it was exquisite. The amount of treasures inside and to know that it is still utilized today. It makes you think about who stepped in those rooms you were in--and how many people have been there, too. Quite amazing. Kids were a little bored visiting the different rooms. This was an audio tour, too, and they did offer a kids version. But, the kids were very good and didn't really bother us to hurry up through the Castle.
We also visited the Queen Mary's Doll House (huge!) which is inside the castle, St. George's Chapel (amazing church) and the Drawings Gallery (which included paintings from Royal Artists--including Prince Charles).
Inside view of Windsor Castle
Because the Queen was in residence, we saw the Guards in several different places. We even got our pictures taken next to them! (my son was afraid the guard was going to get him with his sword on the end of his gun)
Guards of Windsor Castle
The best part of this day was that it was on this day that the world welcomed Prince George into the world. We will always remember that we were with the Queen when she got the news about the birth! How cool is that?
Tips

  • Take time to have fun. Don't be rushed to get everything in. 
  • Follow the lead of your children...sometimes. We knew we wouldn't have enjoyed the Castle if the kids were hungry the entire visit--we ate first!
  • Women--carry a comfortable purse. I love my ThirtyOne Shoulder bag. It was comfortable, held everything I needed and didn't weigh me down.
  • Watch out for theives. Keep a hold onto all your belongs--all the time.
  •  Make time for shopping and enjoying the simple pleasures of the places you are visiting.
  • Family vacations are about family, so make sure fit them into your itinerary--for instance--we planned that special day to go to Wooton Bassett. Is it on the "must-see" list for everyone? No, but it was important for our family to visit. So glad we did.


Top Attractions for this portion:
  • Stonehenge
  • Windsor Castle 
  •   
    Stop by next week to see the our trip to London! What can't wait to share it with you!
     

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