New Year's Resolutions...

Even though we make changes and grow and learn things all year long, there is something refreshing about resolving to do--or not do--something at the beginning of the brand new year.
This is what I want to do beginning January 1, 2008

1. Learn something new—I signed up for a “Financial Independence” class at Saddleback College. I am hoping to learn how to at least balance my checkbook.
2. Get organized with photos, slides, cards, albums…including backing everything upon my external hard drive!
3. Get fit—heart, mind and body. I want to get back in my size 4 suits and jeans and weigh under 130 in time for my 45th birthday.
4. Have people over more often! Spend quality time with quality people. My friends and family are my greatest treasures.
5. Be more accepting of PC users. And people who don’t have iPods.
6. Figure out a realistic budget—yesterday I took all my credit cards out of my wallet and locked them up. I am going to pay cash only for things from now on.…if I have to charge it, then I can’t afford it. I need nothing. And have everything.
7. Get a second power cord for my computer. Silly to take it up stairs, then down stairs, then back up 25 times a week….(ok this is the only thing I am going to buy and I will pay cash for it.)
8. No more talking (dwelling on, complaining) about the past. I remember hearing that life is kind of like a car—the rear view mirror is small—and little glances back are ok…but there is a BIG window looking forward—that allows you to take it all in!
9. DANCE!!
10. Drink a lot more water and a lot less Diet Coke.
11. Read more…set up days of no TV/no movies…reading only! I have hundreds of books… dozens that have never been read!
12. Get my damn garbage disposal fixed!
13. Sit down and just enjoy my home more often.
14. Check my tire pressure once in a while (with the gauge my dad gave me!)
15. Wash my car once in a while too.
16. Stop saying yes to everyone and everything! (This will be HUGE!)
17. Be more encouraging to others.
18. Stop over-thinking everything…make good decisions and then let it go.
19. Go to the movies more often! (I got lots of free passes for Christmas)
20. Cut down on checking email…(well, it’s a noble thought)
21. Leave my phone at home once in a while and turn it off sometimes.
22. Eat more sushi!
23. Relax and let myself sleep in once in a while.
24. Meet my neighbors
25. Find a way to go to Kenya with Allison this year.
26. Realize and ENJOY what a great life I have EVERY SINGLE DAY!

My favorite song of all time*

While I was working around the house today MY FAVORITE SONG came on. This song makes me sing, makes me dance, makes me OH SO happy. It reminds me of my folks taking me and Gina to see him in concert in 1976...my first concert ever--at the Forum. It reminds me of dancing with Mike Mc Caffrey at my 13th birthday party. It reminds me of seeing him at the OC Fair just a few years ago. He looked a little different, but sounded exactly the same--brilliant!
Seriously, Frampton Comes Alive was phenomenon in 1976. I still have the amazing double album with its $7.88 Licorice Pizza price tag on it!
Here's just a piece of Peter Frampton singing the greatest song ever...you gotta admit his silk Angel Flight pants were AWESOME!

*subject to change at the start of the next song...

Peter Frampton 30 years later

Peter Frampton - Show Me The Way via Noolmusic.com



Yeah. It really has been 30 years. He looks a little bit more like Peter DiLallo now.

S-s-s-saturday Niiiiight....

I cleaned and cleaned and organized and took most of Christmas down today...then I went over to Saddleback Church's Student Ministries' Service...to watch Allison lead worship.

With Bethany, Alanna, Allison, Josh and Jason

Allison has the most beautiful voice

I came home and (finally) watched Hairspray and (the rest of)
High School Musical 2
I don't tell anyone but...I really liked them both...
and Zac Efron is darling.

Time to be HAPPY!

As I gear up for another new year, I have made a list of things that will help me stay happy. Maybe they might help you too.

1. Be honest. About who you are and what you say. That doesn't mean tell everything to everyone, it means being truthful about anything you tell anyone.
2. Never say never. Truly, you really never know.
3. No obsessing. Over food or money or guys--or anything else.
4. Get rid of all debt (except for the mortgage of course). When you have all you need, stop buying stuff!
   
5. GET OVER IT! Or better yet...work through it. Allow yourself to grieve it--then move on!
6. Be forgiving. Yeah...this is a constant one.
7. Make other people happy! Remember names, birthdays, send notes. Make people smile.
8. Be nice. Don't gossip. And don't listen to gossip.
9. Get active! Go for a walk, actually GO to that Yoga class...exercise your heart & soul!
10. Change what you don't like. Weight, relationships, things around the house.
    
11. Persevere and be powerful. Work on improving self-worth.
12. If the one you love doesn't want it, do yourself a favor and save it for someone who does.

Happiness just makes you feel better...it also makes you LOOK better.
I used to say that I was happy when I was thin. Now I know that I am thin when I am happy...
Life is long...don't spend time being sad, depressed or WAITING to be happy!
Start now...

Three very different movies

I watched three completely different movies in the last couple of days...
"Paris Je T'aime" is absolutely brilliant...
so unique, so romantic...it is magnificent!
"The Ultimate Gift" is touching and inspiring...
And yes, I watched "Knocked Up" too...just plain hilarious...

Christmas (continued...)

Allison and Zachary and I met at Claim Jumper today to exchange our Christmas gifts!
These are a few of the GREAT things I received today...

This candle smells magnificent!
My kids KNOW me!
We had a delicious lunch together along with some great conversation about appreciating music and going to concerts...and I came away with a long list of the movies to add to my Netflix queue.
PS I love my kids

Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time

After working the brunch at Montage, I headed straight over to my parents' house for the DiLallo Family Christmas Celebration! We had "Breakfast for Dinner" including diced ham and scrambled eggs, hashbrowns and many cartons of croissants with jelly!
It was a smaller gathering than we are used to, but it was somehow just as enjoyable as ever!

We chose names this year--and I had my dad...I gave him a basket filled with all his favorite goodies (YES, that is a Costco-sized bottle of Vodka)

Nana was able to join us for the festivities. It is the first Christmas without my Grandpa and we definitely missed his humor all night long.

Mom and Nana with the four oldest grandkids.
There are four other grandkids--two in San Mateo and two in Hawaii.

Allison had Logan...and got him this very cool sweatshirt...he loves it!

Ironically, my dad had me...and he gave me this Chatty Cathy doll! I had blogged about the doll several months ago and he went on a hunt for it! We actually had a blast with Chatty Cathy tonight. The first thing that came out of her mouth when I pulled the string was, "It's fun to get pregnant"...Allison said, "Oh mom--that's a perfect doll for you!"
(She is actually saying, "It's fun to get presents..." but that's not as funny.)

Mom got Gina the Giraffes she had wanted!

The DiLallo/Hibbard/Vistaunet gang

It was definitely one of the more relaxing and enjoyable Christmas nights that I can remember. We finished dinner and opened the gifts and then watched a few of the old videos from Christmas past...
I have said it a few times over the last couple of weeks--but it bears repeating:
I really have a wonderful life.

T'was the night before Christmas...

Gina put together a very impromptu Christmas Eve celebration for our family.
I brought a bottle of GINA Chardonnay for us!

Gina picked up some Baja Fresh and I brought all the leftovers from the party last Friday...

We played a little Grey's Anatomy Trivia. Allison won though I seemed to know more of the actual trivia having watched the entire four years worth of shows in the last couple of months! We also watched a little bit of each of these Holiday Movies...

We'll be celebrating tomorrow afternoon at my parents' house...Merry Christmas!

The ghosts of Christmas Past

NOTHING better than these faces!

Allison's first Christmas!

Allison and her cousin Logan Christmas 1989

At South Coast Plaza

Are they cute or what?

I dressed my kids alike until they were old enough to complain

Allison and Papa

Christmas 1989 cousin Logan joins the fun!

I really miss putting cookies and milk out for Santa (and a carrot for his reindeer!)

Oh and the school Christmas concerts....
(Zac is right in the middle in his little gray suit!)

...and the overly-decorated cookies...

And the new jammies on Christmas Eve
(we had quite the late-80s modern look going in the house!)

I have to admit it...sometimes I miss the "good ol' days." Often actually. The Christmas Season when I had little children who were SO excited and happy and on their best behavior for an entire month. I miss making Christmas cookies with more decorations on them than the cookie could hold. I miss the Elementary School Christmas Concerts (Reindeer Rock!) I miss dressing my children alike and I miss taking them and standing in line to see Santa...I miss their sparkling, excited faces when they came down the stairs to see what Santa had brought them! I miss getting their half-wrapped, made-at-school Christmas presents that they were so thrilled to watch me open. I miss new jammies and pictures in front of the fireplace on Christmas Eve. I miss the Christmas spirit that fills the house when there are children who believe in Santa. Thank God I have all my photos. I looked through most of my albums this morning and smiled so big at the wonderful memories that flood my mind when looking at these pictures. I thought I'd share a few today.

I know that life goes on, and kids grow up and that seasons of life DO change. I love hanging out with my adult children and cherish every minute with them! There is just something about secretly shopping for months, hiding gifts in the suitcases in the garage and then getting up at midnight to play Santa. The feeling is not quite the same when you are handing them a gift card.
I am grateful that my family will be together tonight...there are no Santa believers left in Orange County tho...which is kinda sad. Instead, we will be having Mexican food with some cold Coronas, watching a Christmas movie or two and playing Gray's Anatomy trivia.
And actually that sounds kinda nice...less pressure...no midnight assembling of toys...and no one barfing in the night from one-too-many Christmas cookies.
Just the 'big kids' laughing and enjoying the time together...Some things never change.
Merry Christmas Everyone!

Christmas Eve Eve

It has been a long-standing tradition to meet my sister in law, Tiffany and her kids for dinner and a movie a few days before Christmas. Today we saw "National Treasure"--which was way better than I had anticipated! We had a REALLY fun dinner at Chili's (where we learned to play "In MY world" and "Do you know the crayon game") Then we came back to the house to have dessert, open gifts, tell a few stories and take a lot of pictures!

Shane, Allison, Collette, Chantel and me...

Chantel's perfect MySpace picture

Merry Christmas Eve Eve Everyone!