Pajama Dresses - Christmas 2013

Ever since I can remember, I’ve loved new pajamas.  Especially at Christmas.  As a kid, I remember how we got to unwrap one present each on Christmas Eve.  It was always a new pair of pajamas, or a nightgown.  I absolutely loved the smell of the new pajamas, and wearing them to bed that night seemed to make Christmas even more magical.  I carried on this tradition with my daughter Nicole as she was growing up, even throughout her college years.  

I now have the tradition of getting my Mom a new 'nightie' for Christmas each year.  That's what she calls it. She looks forward to it.  As a matter of fact, she liked last years’ flannel so much, she wore it the entire day for our family Christmas get-together this year, announcing ‘this is my outfit, I want to be comfortable’.  

I am all for her theory – I wore my matching flannel to Frito’s house this morning for Christmas breakfast and cheer.  I did wear boots, and a coat –so that way, if I did get pulled over by the heat, I wouldn’t look like a total ding-a-ling.  Just a little bit like one.  Hey, my Mom has the right idea – ‘comfort for Christmas’.  I’ve been known to wear my pajamas in public, what’s one more day.

When I was a little girl, around the age five or six, my Grandma made me a quilted bathrobe with matching bootie style slippers.  I still have them, packed away in my cedar chest of treasures.  When Nicole was little, I had her wear it one Christmas, and I took her picture.  It was so adorable, and fun to reminisce about.

Now, as a full-fledged Grandma myself, aka: Oba…………, I have the distinct pleasure of making nightgowns for my little granddaughters each year and sending them to wherever they may be living at the time.  They look forward to receiving them each year, and of course, their Barbie’s like to have matching pajamas.  The girls call them Pajama Dresses, so that is what they are.  Pajama Dresses.  This year I couldn’t decide on fabric, so I made them each two.  A matching cowgirl set since they live in Texas, and another one more specific to their individual personalities.

To see the picture of  little girl grins in those pajama dresses, snuggled into their new slippers, and proudly holding up their Barbie’s, made my heart skip a beat.   And a lump in my throat the size of Texas.   Sealed with a button and a kiss – that about wraps up Christmas for me.  

Thank you God.  Happy Birthday Jesus.  A Christmas miracle.

WEIGHT LOSS – Take 534,657

I read in an Erma Bombeck book how she had lost so much weight over the course of her lifetime, by all mathematical reasoning she should be charm size, hanging off her own bracelet.  I can relate, can you?

As I was waking up this morning this very subject was whirling around and around, and the light bulb went off.  ‘Start with the end in mind’.  Now that’s a new way to think of weight loss – just don’t think about it.  Period.  Think about the end result instead.  I so appreciate these 'ah ha' moments because they take years off the chronic thoughts fogging our brains, and allow some air time.

So if the end result is to maintain a healthy weight, we no longer have to go on a diet.  We no longer have to allow food to rule our lives or every waking thought.  We simply go about our day AS IF.  We live our life AS IF we are at the healthy weight already, doing what that looks like, every day, until one day another light bulb goes off and says “WOW, it worked, I am maintaining a healthy weight”.  And if, in the meantime you have lost poundage, and your clothes are super duper baggy, it simply means it wasn’t healthy for you to hang onto that weight in the first place.  This stuff is crazy cool. 

Our mind is powerful beyond belief, and it lets us boss it around.  So just put awesome ideas and detailed declarations into our mind and watch what happens.  I lay money down it works.  We are in charge by golly.

My friend Frito puts a whole bunch of green stuff in a blender each morning and then uses luncheon plates for her other meals. My friend Coach runs, swims, and bikes a gazillion miles a week and eats like nobody's business (not really but it sounds good).  My friend Karen uses itsy bitsy Barbie Doll cookware for all her meals – that is her secret for maintaining a healthy weight.  So, if you are looking for something to get me for Christmas…………….hint, hint.  Just sayin’