No one listens!

We have a super cute 1 year old, British Labrador, Willis.  He is a lab and a puppy which equals ENERGY.  The other day I wanted to really exhaust him so I decided to not only wear him out physically, but I thought I'd put his mental energy to the test by going over some of our obedience training.     Well... let's just say I didn't realize the bad habits he was getting into because he was not doing anything I was telling him to and I'm the alpha (or I thought I was). 


Isn't he just cute!

Later that same day my daughter was suppose to be cleaning up our office where the kids throw their school stuff- when I say throw I literally mean throw.  After 45 minutes I went to check on her, and there she was hiding under the desk playing on her phone- the office was still a mess!  Again my "alpha" status was called into question with her basically ignoring me and playing on her phone.  (don't worry, there was punishment)

UGH!  My kids don't listen to me, my dog doesn't listen.  Soooooo what to do??  I have tried a lot of different ways to help my kids- charts, goals, threats, incentives etc... Nothing sticks.  I have started to believe the only thing I am consistent in is being inconsistent.  It was a discouraging conclusion to come to.

One thing my husband pointed out to me was that it isn't failure, it's just that I haven't succeeded yet... wait what?  Sometimes it is hard to tell when my husband is kidding, although he wasn't this time around.  I thought about it and he is right.  There is a different mind set of failure vs. I'm not there yet.  I figure it's a good way to think about raising kids.  As many times as they don't listen and I feel like I can't hear myself nag one more time I have to remember I haven't failed.  Just a good reminder I thought I'd throw out there, hey it can apply to many aspects to our lives- kids, dogs, work, spouses, house work, etc  Good luck and keep trying!

Sarah's Birthday

Every year at this time since 2008 I get a pit in my stomach.  I get this anxious feeling not knowing how I am going to feel today,September 4th, the day our third daughter Sarah was born.  She lived 10 months and died while undergoing a treatment for a horrific disease she had called Epidermolysis Bullosa.  As I process all of this I think of something I was once told about grieving, that it is like a monster.  You have to acknowledge it (I have tried to avoid it and that doesn't work) but you also have to be careful that it doesn't consume you.  It is very delicate and that's why the pit in my stomach. This year marks what would have been her 7th birthday- she would have started the second grade.  This is the part that is hard for me.  I know the facts of where she would be at this time of her life, but I don't know what she would have been like. .  I knew her as much as a mom could know her baby of 10 months but as the years go by that she is not here I struggle with what I don't know.  I don't know if she would be chatty like her older brother, sweet with some sass like her older sister.    I miss her sweet face, her eyes that were wise beyond her years, her reaching up and touching my face, her goofy smile.  It's hard because I miss what I don't know and I miss what I do know- but there is something I am grateful for and that is the peace I've been able to feel.  It is possible. 



How?  Well, time has helped (which I HATED people to tell me the first year because I was counting the days it had been since I had seen and held her).  I have learned to trust myself.  I didn't always trust that I could stop crying and be able to function. I have learned my triggers and different methods that help me through them.   Today is a trigger and I chose to grieve but I also chose  to celebrate the opportunity I have to be Sarah's mom.  Today I celebrate her 10 months and all the ways I was able to know her.  I am grateful that this experience has enriched our lives, despite the heaviness in our hearts. 

After I wrote all of this I thought, what is my point to this... I don't know, except to acknowledge this sweet little lady and her life.  Time goes by and people forget, I even have times that I don't think about her, but she does matter and her life has shaped our family for the good even though she isn't here to share it with us.  Oh I miss her and haven't been able to write this post without crying, but again I am reminded of those times when her little eyes looked at me and she'd give me one of her sweet smiles. 

Below is a video I made of Sarah and our journey- I love it because "You Are My Sunshine" was my song with her and I just love seeing her cute face. 

Explore Minnesota

This summer I decided instead of signing the kids up for camps we were going to use that money (and let's face it camps are pricey!) to explore different areas of Minnesota.  Did I regret this decision.... yes and no.  Yes because some days felt endless with the asking over and over about having play dates and screen time.  No because... wait Yes I do regret it : ). Actually it was nice to feel really free this summer to sleep in, put the kids to work and plan different activities without have any schedule to go by.  We did vacation to California and the East coast - Philadelphia and New York City but we were able to explore some of  Minnesota.  I still have more on my list of things I want to do but for now this is what we accomplished in our explore Minnesota summer:

We did a tour of the state capital which was pretty cool and the kids seemed to like it.

Nothing new for us, but we had to go to the Mall of America, especially with cousins in town.

Lake Calhoun with my sister and part of her family.  We did a paddle boat and canoe and ate at the famous Tin Fish Restaurant.  This is a super active part of Minneapolis, runners everywhere and a lot of people with dogs.

Again, we've been here but I love Minnehaha falls.  It is beautiful and there are fun things to do with kids here.  Climb rocks, rent bikes, cool parks, a splash pad, an area for the kids to play in the river. 

Sculpture Garden in Minneapolis.  We also did the miniature golf which was fun.

Minnesota State Fair.  It wouldn't be a summer without going to the fair.  We love the fair, well mostly fair food.

We did other things that I don't have pictures of like go to Stillwater- TEddy Bear park is awesome and I just love downtown Stillwater.  We went to Lake Elmo many times, did bike rides to different areas, Afton (gotta love Selma's ice-cream)... I'm sure there is more but I can't remember.  We are planning a trip to Duluth, which is on Lake Superior in September so I'll be able to check that one off my list.  Below is more of what I'd like to see in Minnesota, not necessarily this summer, but soon. 
(I need to give a shout out to Nanci Farnsworth who gave me a lot of these ideas).

• Chrystal Caves (in Wisconsin)
• Arboretum (I'm waiting until next May when they have thousands of tulips)
• Hands on petting zoo
• Fawndarosa
• Badlands
• Boundary Waters
• Where the Mississippi River starts (yes folks it comes all the way up here)

 

8 week challenge

I have so many draft posts that I have done... None of them were quite what I wanted to post.  I have an easy time posting about stuff around my house, my lofty goals, but if I get too personal I hesitate.  I am working on a balance between over sharing and sharing too much stuff about my not so clean house.... I will get there. 

For now, I am sharing about getting in shape.  When I first started this blog I was very enthusiastic about doing a pull up and getting in shape.  It lasted a few months but that enthusiasm has worn off....  I was good about working out and eating well before our 2 week California vacation.  Once we got on vacation I enjoyed ice-cream (Chocolate Malted Crunch) almost nightly...  Since we've been home that nightly sweet tooth has taken over. 

Glad they don't sell this in Minnesota! 

Tomorrow I am starting an 8 week challenge.  I weighed in today and let's just say all that ice-cream eating has caught up with me.  I hate using a scale, the numbers don't mean much to me.  I care about how I feel and look in clothes.  Well, for the last few weeks I have been in complete denial with how my clothes fit- blaming the dryer for suddenly shrinking them : ). So it is time to get serious.  I mostly work out so I can eat what I want.  That has gotten out of control and I need some control of my gluteness self. 

There is a group of 46 people doing it, all paid in $25.  We are following this 8week challenge, with some small adjustments. 

Wish me luck!

Momma Day

In our house we have "Saturday chores".  We have six jobs that the kids split up between each other. A few Saturdays ago my 9 year old son was complaining about how much work it was- seriously it would take 30, 45 min tops to finish their jobs if there was less complaining and more working.  I am a serious task master!  After much thought (and a lot of grumbling) he says to me, "you just want us to do jobs so you don't have to do anything"....  ahhhh yes, he found me out.  Those six little jobs are all that needs to be done around our house. 

I thought it over and that comment earned him a Momma Day.  A day where he gets to follow me around and help do all the jobs and things that I do in a day. I chose yesterday to be that day, of course it was a laundry day : ).  

 

His day entailed doing laundry, putting clothes in the washer, dryer and even had to fold them.   He helped clean the kitchen, pick up, dust, I even had him get me a drink just as he was sitting down to eat... if I had a nickel for every time that happens to me.  I also made sure he understood how many times I start something and get interrupted by kids, a dog, husband or other things.  

 

 

 I have to say my son was pretty good about the whole thing, didn't complain really at all- even when he had to do some multitasking.  I was hoping to get some profound thoughts or words from him at the end of the day but he didn't have much to say .  When I fired a bunch of open ended questions at him he requested that I stick to asking questions that require a yes or no response. So YES, he says mom does a lot.  YES he was wrong in what he said.  NO he will never say it again.  Fingers crossed, that YES he has learned a lesson!  I might add that on the most part YES it was helpful to me (bonus!).

 

PS- I don't want to give you the wrong impression, I am not this overly productive person.  Of course I love to sneak in a good show/s to watch, some crafts to do, a trip to my favorite store- Hobby Lobby, a book to read or the best take a good nap (or as my husband said when I told him about the Momma Day "oh so you're going to make him nap for 2 hours", hardeeharhar).

And then it hits you...

Growing up my dad was always a little on the eccentric side, not in a cool way, more on the embarrassing side.  He always had a project, nothing like build a new bookcase or mantel, more like let's see if I can build a man powered airplane, helicopter or build a flying car.  He spent hours and hours in our garage doing it, hours and hours of us kids helping, but again, not in a I am learning something cool and new kind of way".   We felt more like he was taking us away from something better, pure child labor in our little minds.   Another weirdish thing my dad would do is video tape us walking to school.  He would park down the street in our baby blue with wood paneling station wagon, get out our big old video camera (which was a two piece camera at that time), zoom in and video as we strolled to school.   I was in elementary school, so I didn't care much...I do feel bad for my siblings who walked with their friends to Junior high and High school.  I just chalked that up to another one of the goofing weirdish things my dad did. 

My dad working on his helicopter.

Today is the last day of school for my kids.  My daughter will be attending middle school next year (sniff sniff).  As we were walking to the bus stop for the last time this morning I whipped out my camera and took video of her walking  I wanted to video our street, her with her friends at the bus stop, capture this moment...then it hit me- I'm doing one of those weirdish things my dad did.  My dad never was one to really bond with any of us kids-even with those hours spent in the garage helping him.  I honestly don't think he knew how and he did the best he could.  Like me, he wanted to capture moments on video.  I think those moment were his way to do something with us and create a memory for him.  He wasn't going to have memories of us laughing, talking or having fun together but he was going to have captured memories of us being kids. 

When I realized I was doing a "dad" thing, I got kind of scared.  Am I clueless to who I really am, am I this weirdish person... (don't answer that).  Then it hit me, I don't care if I am weird.  I care if I have moments and memories beyond a video camera with my kids.  It's moments like playing speed before school with the kids, listening to Aaron give 1000 details about his playdates, listening to Janie get excited about a book she is reading, cuddling with the kids, talking to them and answering their questions.  My dad just didn't have the skill set to even know how to do this.  I think most of the time (like all of us) he tried his hardest.  For good or bad I can learn from my dad in trying my best, not only to bond with my kids, but to make sure they feel that bond.

We'll see in 20 years if my son or daughter is writing a blog about their weirdish mom.  Here is the video I took this morning:



 

 

Turning 40

Well folks I did it, I turned 40 (whether I liked it or not).  I swear the wrinkles around my eyes seemed to have tripled on my birthday..how nice.  This is a doll some of my friends gave to me to welcome me into the new decade of my life.

 I had the goal to do a pull-up by the time I was 40.  It didn't happen.  I have been training and working out to get there, but my trainer did remind me that my time frame was too short (seeing as I waited until 6 weeks before my birthday to really start training).  I have a plan and will continue working on it throughout the summer and maybe I'll be able to do a pull-up by then.  If not I better have some nice guns to show for all this hard work. : ) 

On my actual birthday I had some time by myself.  My husband was traveling in South America, kids were in school- so I took myself to breakfast, read a book and took time to think about being 40- not a pity party at all...   I was proud of myself for not crying because I swear it was just yesterday I was in college and can't believe I am the big 4-0.  Besides trying to believe I am younger than I actually am I thought about what this past decade has meant to me.  It was in my 30s that I:

• Had 2 of our 3 kids
• Moved 2 different times (Folsom and Minnesota) and met some of my best friends for life.
•  I got my degree to be a Medical Assistant.
•  I ran my first 10K.
•  I played soccer for the first time (LOVED IT)
• Traveled a lot (we love traveling).
• Saw a bunch of "firsts" for my kids.
• Got our first family pet- Willis! Well I guess he wasn't the first, we had a hermit grab and a few fish before his arrival.

Some of the hardest times of my life happened in my 30s.  I can't figure out how to articulate how much my heart hurt during these times, but maybe I don't need to except to say that I have learned from this time.  One of the most important lessons I have learned is how important it is pick up and try to more forward every day no matter what has happened to you in life.   Some days are good and others just suck.  It's okay to have days that sucks.  Have the day, then keep going.  I also believe we feel pain sometimes (whether physical or emotional) to help us to slow down in life and be present for ourselves and those around us.  Forcing us to recognize the great things we have in life and directing our focus to what is most important.

I know I will continue to have life lessons and that great things and hard things will happen in my 40s.   Cheers to being 40, happy, healthy and blessed!

Toothpicks..who knew?

I wrote a post a few weeks ago and mentioned my kitchen cupboard that I was going to fix.  Well literally the next day it fell off.  This cupboard is our treat cupboard, so as I was innocently reaching for some Red Vines the cupboard basically slapped my hand away..hmmm.   It sat open like that for a week.  I had to fix it though because my kids would ask me a million times throughout the day if they could have one of their treats-because of the constant reminder starring at them.  Plus I had eaten all my good stuff (Red Vines, Junior Mints) and because of the reminder every time I walked into the kitchen I started to eye the Fun Dips- which I don't even like- I decided it had to get done.

Treat cupboard- although all the stuff I like has been eaten....

I investigated and found that the holes were stripped of any threading... now how to fix that??

I went to Home Depot and presented my problem to an employee.  I was thinking there was some kind of filler I'd need, then re-drill a hole.  Turns out the person I asked at Home Depot is a DIYer.  He suggested I take some toothpicks and break them up into tiny pieces, then shove them into the hole. 

The toothpicks acted as a filler and when I screwed the screw back in it created threads and the screws stuck!  !  I didn't have to buy anything to fix this project (although I did buy a putty knife for an art project I am going to work on..coming soon).  How awesome is that??!!

If you look closely you can see my toothpicks shoved into the top hole.

Yea- something else marked off my list.  If you will notice my cupboard is organized because even though I haven't been great at blogging -I've been eating my way through my treats to clean it out- but I have also been a busy bee with my spring cleaning list. 

Disclaimer about the toothpick method, can't guarantee how long it will work for.  I'll keep you posted if I get the need for some sugar and my cupboard falls off as I go for it. 

Snow no more

I have been putting off the packing away of our snow clothes.  I have done that before in April, only to jinx it and snow has come in May, yes snow in May.  Being a California girl I couldn't comprehend how that was even possible, it can and has snowed in Minnesota in May grrrrrrrrr.  So I might be jinxing us again here in MN, but I can't stand to look at our winter coats, gloves, scarves, boots and hats any longer... I have packed them away.  Baa-bye!

Winter coats are coming down!

I don't want to see these clothes until December.

It's interesting because living here in MN I have discovered all the different sets of outer wear we need.  Obviously winter gear- but even within the winter gear you need the different "levels" of outer wear.   A coat for 30 degree weather, is different than the coat for subzero temperatures.  Boots to play in the snow and boots that are cute to wear when you go out on a hot date : ).   Same with hats, a cute not so practical hat and a big ugly/warm practical one... you get it right?  Either way, ALL of the winter gear is going to our basement and I hope I don't have to pull it out until December! 

Suck it Handyman

Do you have any little projects around your house that need to be done?  Well we sure do.  We had our master bath pocket door that came off the rails and the faucet handle to that bath that came off.  Now the faucet handle has been broken for years.  We aren't bathers so it hasn't really bothered us... we don't stink, we just prefer the shower over bath. 

Since I am a woman of action this year I decided to get these things fixed. First let me explain why me fixing it wasn't an option or at least I didn't think so.   I grew up in a home where we NEVER called a handyman, rarely took cars to a mechanic or to get the oil changed.  My dad did it himself- for better or worse.  The worst...  picture an orange VW bus that is stalled in the middle of a busy street,  you see a kid -probably 8or 9- jump out, open the trunk (the engine was in the rear), stick their hand where the hot engine was just going and push a button, a button my dad had rigged up to start the car because the key in the ignition didn't work. 

Maybe I was scarred from experiences like that where I just figured I wasn't going to risk it, so I decided I was going to have an expert do these house projects for me. 

I called a few Handyman companies in the area... YIKES they are pricey.  The first one quoted me $300 and the second quoted me $200, but I'd have to pay his mileage to get to our city.  This ticked me off, so much so that I got a "I'll show you attitude". 

I examined the faucet, figured out what the real problem was and took it apart (taking pictures along the way so if I needed to I could refer back to it-love digital!).  I took all the parts with me to Home Depot- in case I needed help finding the right size screw that was broken... yes it was just a screw that was broken this whole time.  Found what I needed, got home pieced it back together and Tada it works!

Working faucet!

Our sliding pocket door wasn't as easy.  I looked on YouTube for a video on how to fix it.  All the videos I found were more about installing one.  I happened to mention to my friend that I was working on this and with my luck her husband had just fixed their pocket door.  So with some twine, scissors, serious toe strength, and maybe a little luck he was able to fix it for us. 

I was so happy and proud of myself.  It's made me want to fix other things around the house- watch out kitchen cupboard door you are next!

I guess my point is you can do more than you think you can.  Don't be afraid to try, but also don't be afraid to call an expert- remember the orange VW. 

Have fun being handy!

Distractions

I am easily distracted.  I don't have an OCD brain that gets me cleaning, but I may have ADD where I start to clean/organize and get easily distracted with stuff I find- like here is that project I started, maybe I'll take a break from organizing and finish it -kind of distraction.  I have a solution- I found other distractions that distract me from my distractions - following me???  We'll call them DFD (distraction from distractions).  One of those DFDs are podcasts.  I love me a good podcast. They are great to listen to while I organize because they make it an actual pleasant experience and keep me focused on finishing what I am doing.  I finish what I am doing and I have learned something in the mean time!   

Here are some of my favorites:

This American Life http://www.thisamericanlife.org/ - story telling
Snap Judgment http://snapjudgment.org/- story telling with a beat
The Moth Podcast  http://themoth.org/-  from live events- nonfiction story telling
Car Talk. http://m.cartalk.com/ - just funny to listen to, 2 brothers from Boston with an infectious happy demeanor you can feel over the radio.



What are some of your DFDs? 

Spring Cleaning?!

We have had months of frozen white tundra here in Minnesota, so much that a blade of brown grass sparked some serious excitement from my daughter (I didn’t have the heart to tell her March is one of the snowiest months here in MN).    

If you look hard you can see some grass poking up through that snow.

 

That little bit of brown grass we saw has sparked that feeling of spring cleaning for me.  I think going to Palm Springs for spring break helped too- knowing it is possible to feel warmth from the sun (I was starting to forget that). 

As soon as I got that feeling of wanting to clean I did what any Pinterest loving person would do- went on Pinterest and did a search for organization.  Wowza!  It is amazing what people think of out there.  The one that has helped me get going was where someone had written out a list of all the areas in her house she needed to organize.  Shocker, what I liked had to do with a list…  At first I thought that would be crazy because it would seem too overwhelming to see a long list of what I needed to do.  It actually had the opposite effect- I realized if I took an area each day or every other day (or even once a week) then having a bunch of little jobs wasn’t as bad as seeing the whole house as disorganized. 

Here is my list-

I am starting tomorrow on it…wish me luck.  In looking at my list I noticed I didn’t put my daughter’s closet on there…there is a reason for that.  I can only handle organizing her room once a year and feelings are still too raw from last time we did it (back in August). 

By the time the sun feels warm here in Minnesota maybe I’ll have an organized house!

Rare Disease Day

"Hope is in our genes"- I got the chills today when I saw this posted  on Facebook by a mother whose daughter has a rare disease,   I had this whole blog post written on why Rare Disease Day is important (education, public awareness, acknowledgement of these diseases,  fund raising etc).  I decided instead of lecture (let's face it I like to nag) I would just show you why this day is important to me and many other parents.    Look at these sweet faces, we have to have hope for them.   



Sarah

 

Ty and Ben

Addi

Seth

Charlie



Quinn

 

Daylon

 

Bella

 

If you are wondering what you can do, learn about these diseases here: 

 Epidermolysis Bullosa

Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva

National Organization for Rare Disorders

 

 

 

 

Staying positive...bleh!

When the snow started to literally close in around me I thought I better come up with ways to stay positive about what we are experiencing here in Minnesota called a Polar Vortex.  Well, guess what??? When I got in my car this morning and saw this... 

 

-12, again that is NEGATIVE 12!   There was no holding back all the frustration I've tried to suppress about this weather, AHHHHHHHHHH!.  In December, January and February I expect cold weather, but this is unreasonable- who can I talk to about this?  Over 20 days we've had of subzero temps, 6 snow days (and only one of those was because of snow, the other 5 were because of the temps being so low, as in -20 with a wind chill that felt like -40)!  Last night I dreamed that I saw the ground without snow. I was so happy and woke up feeling so good (until I stepped outside that is).  So sad that green grass has become a fantasy for me. 

 

My dreams have become pathetic, I eat like I am trying to store fat for years, I am sick of my sweaters, boots, holey socks, my poor puppy has no idea what grass is or the concept of going for a walk, kids are going stir crazy, puppy going stir crazy and ME going stir crazy.... let's give it another AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

 

Now that I've gotten that out and know that I sound unappreciative for what I do have, I'll end with a silver lining. The "Polar Vortex" makes things pretty and our 10,000 lakes will be full this summer, which could be problematic and could create some serious mosquito motels, but I am staying positive.   Stay warm!

Yes those are our Christmas lights- they'll be up until the thaw...

A PLAN

I am reading this book called The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg.  I don't usually read this type of book but my husband asked me to read it to help him with some research he is doing (I'm such  a good wife).    It has a lot of interesting research and examples regarding habits.  One of the things the book talks about is how successful people are at change.  Through the research they have found that change is more likely if you have a plan.  There is a study of people who got knee and hip replacements.  Those who had a written, detailed plan were the ones who recovered faster and met their goals faster. 

This got me thinking of my list of things I want to do.  I need a plan, especially the big ones.  "Fit at Forty" definitely needs a plan, that is where I am starting.

I've started with what does "Fit at Forty" look like.

• Do 5 pull-ups -I just don't have much upper body strength so I am looking to get it and prove it to myself by doing those pull-ups. 
• Improve core strength (well improve is  overstated, really develop core strength is more like it). 
• Strengthen muscles around my back- quads, core, gluts etc.. hoping to reduce by old lady back pain.
• Run a 10K this summer without back pain or run the 5K in less than 24min. (I did 24min last summer, booya!- pretty sure I could get in the top 3 now that I'll be in the 40 and over category- hey advantages of getting old, right).   

Now I know what it looks like, what to do- my ACTION word for the year.  I am NO expert in this field but I do know myself and know what has worked for me in the past and what is realistic.   I am thinking of consulting a trainer regarding a workout plan then checking in with them every few weeks and adjusting it as needed. 

I would LOVE to hear in the comment section what has worked for you in the fitness area, or if you have written a plan and seen it all the way through!   I am not looking for comments telling me I am fine or enough the way I am.  I know that, but I really want and need some improvement in this area and I love to hear motivating stories and to know what has worked for you.   

Puppy Love

I'll share some puppy love with you on Valentine's Day. 



Willis only 10 days after we brought him home

Willis now, he's growing so fast- 32 lbs. already



SleepingWillis, I love it when he cuddles on the couch with me


Happy Valentine's Day!

80's Dance Moves

For my goal of “fit at 40” I am trying to bump up my exercise.  I do workout regularly but to be honest they aren’t that great of workouts.  Today I tried something that I haven’t done in over a year, went to a cardio class.  Working out 75 minutes, verses my 20 minutes on a machine then getting bored.  The class was the right choice.    

I love the instructor of this particular class.  She is so calm and Zen like reminding us to leave our  inhibitions, comparisons, and judgments at the door.  I decided I was going to give this class my ALL and I did leave my inhibitions at the door, for sure!  No excuses for me, especially since I opted for the back row.  I worked hard and had a GREAT work out.   

My favorite part of the class is the last 5 minutes when she calls for free dancing.  The instructor does her moves and we can follow or do our own…. 

I had some moves of my own that I wanted to bust out, why not I was in the back row and no one could really see me (at least that’s what I told myself) and remember I left my inhibitions at the door.  I did a little bit of the running man, the cabbage patch, a hyped up version of the pony and a few other 80's treasures.   A few times I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and decided to just close my eyes as I did it.  Have you ever watched yourself dance in front of a mirror? I just didn’t look as good as I thought I did in my mind. 

After class I felt so good and just happy.    Happy because it was fun, happy that I burned calories while having fun and happy that I didn’t know anyone in the class who witnessed my dance moves! 

Here is a clip I found on YouTube of the running man in case you forgot or (yikes!) it was before your time.  Hmmm, maybe I should have reviewed it before class.  Hey there’s always next Friday’s class, I’ll look sweet for sure. 

Junk drawer

My goal- to clean the junk drawer monthly.  My excuse has been that it takes too much time.... it really only took me 10 minutes and it was a mess.

 

When you go to get a pedicure do you ever trim your toenails a little or maybe take off the 4 layers of nail polish just so your toes don’t look so bad?    Well that’s how I felt as I went to take a "before" picture of my junk drawer.  I was thinking maybe I should clean it up just a little, because, let me be honest, I am embarrassed I let it get this bad BUT I am keeping it real and didn't touch it. 

 

 

 This is it folks.   You could play a serious game of “I Spy” with this picture.  Can you see the bell from Christmas?  The tooth case with my daughter’s tooth in it that she forgot to put under her pillow, but the awesome tooth fairy still came!

 

Please tell me your junk drawer get this messy.

 

What did I do with all that stuff?  Well mostly purge, purge, purge.  Tooth…gone, Christmas bell….gone.  I don’t know why I let it sit there for months.

 

 

Checked this off the list for the month of February!  It does give me a sense of calm looking at it all clean, knowing we do own pens, and pencils that are sharpened and look the tape and scissors are here (for now). 

 

What do you do to keep your junk drawer from getting overwhelmingly messy? 

 

Getting Started

This whole blog thing started as a phone conversation with Beth, one of my best friend.  I was in a pickle because I had finished my schooling, gotten a job, but then quickly realized it didn’t work out for my family situation for me to be working…and that was only part time.  I was complaining to Beth that if I didn’t work what would I do during the day while my kids were at school besides become addicted to reality TV.   She quizzed me on things I like to do.  I couldn’t think of much at the time.

Shortly after we talked again (as best friends do, even if she is almost 2,000 miles away).  I had a list for her: become a better swimmer, I wanted to take up piano again (my mom was right when she said I’d regret not practicing), I wanted to learn how to take good pictures.  As our conversation went on I decided as an adult it might be too embarrassing to start these things because I wasn’t already good at them… my crazy logic, right?  She laughed and said you don’t have to be good at it to start something. 

I did what I am good at doing (just ask my hubby) made excuses on why I couldn’t really start those things.    Why can’t I do those things?  This blog is going to be about ACTION and accountability…most of the time. 

At the start of the new year I read a blog by a friend of mine, Dr. Jean Davidson, that talked about instead of making a bunch of resolutions, pick a word for the year.  I immediately knew what my word would be, ACTION.  I feel like I am one of those “good intentions” people, but don’t quite get around to doing.  This blog is a start to fulfilling that resolution, checking things off my many lists. 

Beth and I