My game face for 2013

I am not typically a reflective person. I have the terrible habit of speaking without thinking and being very impulsive. It's how I've always been. So with 2012 coming to an end, I've become much more introspective. Maybe it's 2012 ending or maybe because I'm turning 30 this year or maybe because I'm ready for a change. Either way, I'm taking a long look in the mirror and figuring out what I want to look at for the rest of my life.

I like my family and job. I enjoy my day to day life and am generally happy with where I'm at in life. I certainly didn't know I'd be where I am. In my teens, I thought I'd be married with multiple kids... Living in a small house with a dog. You know... The typical all American dream. I don't know that my life has stayed on the same path but I am still living a very nice life.

However, as I mentioned before, I have become very introspective and reflective in my soon to be "old age". I am not necessarily happy with the way I act and how I treat some important people in my life. I think, like many, I tend to take many things in my life for granted. So this year, I am going to change my life. Figure out who I am; what I like; how I should act; what I want; how to simplify my life.

So listed below are very specific things I want to change about my job, my house, my family, my marriage, my finances, my attitude, my looks, my personality, and my life.

Simplify my house:

Noah and I want to move into a bigger house with a yard. I simply think that if we got rid of a bunch of stuff we could live in this house a little longer than we had originally planned. So there are many things we need to change... See the following list.

Clean out my closet and get rid of clothes/purses/shoes and donate

Clean out my dresser and night stand

Purge jewelry

Store Ayden's outgrown clothes in tubs downstairs

Clean out bathroom and closet in bathroom

Get rid of old makeup and toiletries

Go through Ayden's closet and reorganize

Organize the guest closet

Wash wedding gown and get set in box

Get rid of DVDs clean out junk drawer in tv stand

Go thru Ayden's toys and store/rotate

Purge games from behind the couch

Purge kitchen cabinets and red cabinet

Clean oven

Scrub cabinets

Clean fridge and organize- freezer included

Scrub kitchen floor

Clean my office and organize Ayden's workspace

Get rid of video games that aren't used anymore

Hang pictures

Hem curtains in guest room

Clean and paint back door

Make new recycling bins for outside- streamline the trash process

Clean out garage and organize all decorations and bins- purge purge purge

Hide tv cables

Noah's closet and dresser and nightstand

Fix chair rail

Fix corner

Caulk and 1/4 round in front of bathtub and Noah's shower

Fix windows in guest bedroom

Deep clean all carpets and start removing shoes

Go through coat closet

Organize binders for house stuff 

Streamline filing system

Simplify my job:

Plan at work and get things ready the night before

Don't waste time when planning/grading

Be a more positive force in school

Be in the moment with my family:

Read every night to Ayden and limit how much tv is on when he is awake

Take Mac for a walk each week

Eat dinner at the table with Noah and Ayden

Appreciate my marriage:

Be more intimate in my marriage

Tell him thank you so much more often and truly show your appreciation

Go on more date nights

Talk with him more- less venting

Organize my finances:

Pay off at least one credit card bill if not both

Track all spending for each month

Organize billing and switch to online bill pay

Cut down on grocery bill and monthly expenses

Cut down on Verizon

Cut down on any spending that is not necessary

My attitude:

No cursing

Ease up on sarcasm

Show people you care more often

Go to church and truly digest the information

Stop trying to "keep up with the Jones"- be grateful for what you do have

Listen 1000 times, think 100 times, react 10 times, speak once

My looks:

Bleach teeth

Lose 5 pounds

Wear clothes that flatter me

Create a better bedtime routine

Eat healthier food

Do yoga more

Face yoga

Simplify my online profiles:

Close twitter accounts

Delete Facebook friends

Close email accounts and blogs

Streamline email accounts and profiles

Make a list of important information and log in information

 

Projects to finish:

Wedding book

Mac's scrapbook

Start a new Ayden book for 2013

Make purse

Make duvet cover

Make coasters

Make recipe book

Finish dolman shirt

Make check your pockets

Cut bottom of bottles

Make hanging plants

Make survival kits

Make wooden mat

Make striped skirt

Make Noah's blanket

Make tie shirt

Plans for the future:

Figure out house plans and what we want as a family

Figure out the plan for schooling and licensure in counseling

 

These may seen to be silly goals and some are very small while others are much more involved. Either way, I look at 2012 with fond memories in mind and look forward to making 2013 a year of new beginnings. I'll be 30 and that is the only "certainty" I have. I know I am not able to control everything but I want to make some changes this year. That's exactly what I plan to do.

Happy new year to you all and I hope 2013 proves to be a very blessed year.

Unless...

One of my husband's favorite Dr. Seuss books is "The Lorax". Naturally, when it came out on dvd, we had to get it. It's been months that we've had it (I think) and we finally had a chance to watch it today.

Now, I've always been fairly environmentally conscious by recycling and using reusable grocery bags. I try to recycle anything from our home. I use heavy duty reusable grocery totes. We don't buy water bottles and filter our own water. We reuse Walmart bags when we have them. I turn off the water when I am brushing my teeth and, thanks to Ayden, I now take shorter showers. We switched to long life light bulbs. We try not to drive places if we don't have to, but I have to wonder if we are really being very environmentally friendly.

The Lorax is that movie that when watching, my heart hurts. Ok, I get it. I'm a total softy when it comes to animals. It really made me think of how much I hate to see animals getting hit on the road or pictures of neglected animals. I hate the idea of forests being cut down and animals no longer having a habitat. This may seem a little crazy but it's something that I really do want to help with- even if it's only a small amount.

So I need some help from you readers. How do I help my family become more "green"? What are ways that we can help the environment and the animals that inhabit it? How can I teach our son that we need to preserve these things? How does your family try to stay "green"?


"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." -Dr. Seuss

Packing for the beach!!

Ok so we are already here but, packing was a chore in and of itself. I pretty much knew what I wanted to pack for myself and had no real issues with that. (I've started wearing more dresses and it is SO easy to throw a few dresses and bathing suits in a bag and go.) Ayden's bag was a different story. Packing enough for a 7 month old is next to impossible- even if it is only for a week. And to be honest, I have an X-terra but I still only have so much room in the car. So packing the pack-n-play, high chair, bag of clothes, food for the week, diapers, wipes, diaper bag, stroller, bumbo seat, boppy pillow, bibs, blankets, bathtub, and the list goes on was a daunting task. I'm not writing this to complain however...I'm writing to let you know that I think I've figured out how to pack an infant- because let's be honest... He doesn't care if we didn't bring the pool floating contraption or not. So here is what I know... Packing clothes: Ayden's clothes are small in comparison to mine so why should his clothes take up as much space as mine?! So his outfits, to make it easier to dress him, were all packed in ziploc bags. It is so easy to choose the outfit without having to search through things that have gotten thrown into his bag. Soooooo easy! Plus, and no offense to Noah, but it makes it easy for daddy to dress the baby so he is presentable. Just grab a bag and put the clothes on. Also, and this is a plus, I can just grab the baggie and throw it in the beach bag as a back up outfit and I'm not worried about water or sand getting all over the outfit- just in case I use it tomorrow. Packing the food: Ayden is now on solids and we are making a lot of the food. So a few days ago we had a food day and cooked, mashed, and froze a ton of food. He is now on squash this week and we had made enough for the week. That was frozen in the baby bullet storage and then cantaloupe and strawberries are in ziploc bags. Packing the food wasn't terrible but I do recommend having a separate cooler for baby stuff. It was easy to feed him as soon as we got to the beach instead of having to unpack everything just to find his food. As for all the other stuff: High chair: We brought the bumbo instead of the high chair. The high chair isn't bulky but in all honesty, not needed. We had the feedings of solids in the bumbo and mom just fought a little harder. Stroller: Although we could still do the larger stroller that holds his car seat, the convertible stroller is a lot easier and he likes to watch everything at this age. The convertible stroller is smaller and easier to move around. I highly recommend the convertible stroller instead of the full monty. Crib: We obviously went for a pack-n-play but we are lucky enough to have bought a mini p-n-p and it is perfect for the beach. I highly recommend going with a mini...it's the best and easily portable. I think that's about it. Wish us luck that we can fit everything in the car when we leave. :-)

My fear for the future generations...

I succumbed to the temptation of watching the video in which an older lady, who is a bus monitor, and four young boys (I wouldn't dare call them men) heckle her and make her cry. The video is about 8 minutes long and I couldn't bare to watch the entire thing.

Not only was I speechless when watching but it was one of those videos that are like a bad crash- you want to stop watching but can't. Trust me...I had to. I was appalled at the comments made by these young and immature boys. I was sad to see these ignorant boys continue to go after this woman even after she started crying. I couldn't believe that someone would be raised to think that speaking to someone and treating someone like that is acceptable. The entire thing is despicable and sad.

Immediately after watching the little bit I could stand, I heard my child cooing to himself in his crib. He likes to lay in his bed and hold on to his stuffed animal while being completely enthralled with his hands. It became terribly apparent to me that my child will face challenges like this when he is growing up. Will he decide to stick up for someone else if he sees them being bullied? Will he give in and join the bullying? Will he be the one being bullied? All of these scary questions came flooding into my mind.

Now I'd be lying if I said that growing up, I didn't say something bad about someone. I have done that. I still have moments when I'm venting about a situation and I end up bad mouthing someone for what they think about that same situation. Am I proud of that? NO! Of course not! I hate that I fall into that trap of being negative and bad mouthing. It's not a good quality to have and it is certainly not something I'm happy that I do- especially that when I think about what I said, I always feel guilty for even thinking like that.

I have to wonder if these boys have any guilt about acting this way. Do they realize how awful their comments were and how hurtful words can be to someone? I also would love to know how this will impact their lives later. We always say, "Oh just wait...it will come back to them. Wait until they grow up to be a giant failure." But will they? Maybe they will never have someone treat them they way they treated someone else. I may never know what will happen to these rude children.

The only thing I can know for sure is that I will try to raise my son to know that saying, writing, typing, texting, taping, and posting things, no matter what the content, needs to be done carefully. And that what you say, do, think, don't do, and see can hurt people.

Happy 4th Anniversary!

June is a month of important dates...at least the end of June is. As you read yesterday, on the 20th of June in 2011, we found out that we would be blessed with a baby boy. Well on the 21st of June in 2008, Noah and I had a beautiful wedding and in front of everyone we love, said our vows.

Four years...Just saying that we've been married for four years doesn't sound right. It seems like it should be longer or that four years have gone by in a flash. I remember getting ready for the wedding and eating Subway with my girls for breakfast. I remember Caitlin, our flower girl, throwing a fit because she wanted to see her mom. I remember telling dad as we got ready to walk down the aisle, that if I tripped, that he was going to have to catch me or he was going down too. I remember seeing Noah's face. I remember being almost numb from excitement that I was going to be spending the rest of my life with my best friend. Even now, I feel almost skeptical that this is all a dream and I'll soon wake up.

Dad and I trying not to trip

Saying what I truly mean

Noah sang to me at the reception...Green Eyes

Elephant Ears...

To my wonderful best friend:
I cannot believe that four years have gone so fast. We have been through so many ups and downs throughout our time as a married couple and I know, in my heart, that I couldn't have done it without you, nor would I have wanted to. You are my life and I love you more than anything.

Like the open seas and shores...

"Sexiness wears thin after a while and beauty fades, but to be married to a man 

who makes you laugh every day, ah, now that's a real treat." -Joanne Woodward

1 year ago today...

This time last year, Noah and I were finding out that we were going to be blessed with a little baby boy. We didn't find out the gender in the exam room. Instead we decided to surprise ourselves. So we visited the Babies-r-us and had the clerk put a stuffed puppy in a box- obviously the puppy that was the color of the gender. We were going to wait until our anniversary to unwrap the puppy but couldn't wait. So as soon as we left the store, we went to olive garden and opened the box. I knew we were having a boy. I just had a gut feeling. And sure enough, we opened the box and there it was. The blue puppy! I can't believe how fast the past year has gone. We now have a beautiful baby boy. How lucky are we?

Happy Father's Day: to my son

Ayden,

You are incredibly young right now and have no idea how awesomely lucky you are to have a man like your father in your life. Right now, you are "Mommy's little boy", but later, when you are older, you will be Daddy's boy. You will be excited to go fishing, go hunting, go hiking, go to Horseshoe, and just to hang out with him on the couch. You will want to be with him, to talk to him and to learn everything you can from him. You will admire him and mimic him. I'll catch you shaving in the mirror next to him. I'll see you look at him with respect and love and I'll know then that you are your daddy's son.

You will also be mad at him sometimes because he won't let you get away with what you think you should be able to get away with. You'll be angry because he's grounded you or disciplined you in some way. You will think he is being unfair and that he's forgotten what it's like to be a teenager. You'll probably yell and roll your eyes. You may even tell me about how he's just old fashioned and that he doesn't get it.

And then you'll get older. He'll give you advice when you ask him. He'll joke with you about those times that you were doing something "stupid" and he caught you- which of course led to your grounding. You'll share a beer and talk about stories from college. He'll be excited to see you and talk with you. He'll want to be with you and I'll see him look at you with respect and love because he knows that you are your daddy's son.

Then one day, you'll get married and have your own children. At that point, I'll get to sit back and enjoy watching this happen with you. At that moment, you'll understand how much your father has done for you and our family. The same way that I know how much my father did for me.

So throughout your life, please remember that although you will enjoy time with dad and you'll be so angry you'll scream at him, he loves you more than you understand right now. Just like our fathers did for us. And just like you'll do for your children some day.

Thank you to the amazing men in my life. You've shown me what real men are and I'm so glad my son will have someone to look up to as he grows into the man we all want him to be. 

To Pappy Bishop, Pappy Heckman, Daddy, Pop Austin, and Noah: Thank you for being amazing male figures in my life. I look up to you all.

To Poppy Tompkins and Grandpop Austin- I so wish I could have met you. The stories are just as amazing as I'm sure you were. I'll get to meet you someday.

And I'm back...

I know! It has been forever since I've posted. I can promise it is to because I haven't had things to say. I have. However, although it may only take a few minutes to post,I have completely put my few minutes somewhere else. Now that school is out, I will be back in full effect. So stay tuned and I'll be with you soon!

10 fingers and 10 toes

Ayden has really been using his fingers lately. Maybe it is my bias mom side but it's adorable. When he rolls over, he pulls his little hand up and moves his fingers as if motioning for someone to "bring it on". He is so intently checking out his fingers that at that moment, nothing else matters to him. He's also been known for his constant fists. He always seems to have his tiny fingers clenched in a tiny little fist...adorable. Well today the cuteness continued. After changing his diaper, Ayden found his foot. Intently grabbing at it, he got ahold of the right foot and looked at it for a second. He wiggled his toes quickly and then poof! Into his mouth went his big toe. ADORABLE!!!

Have you ever...

Have you ever had that feeling that you were right on the edge of something great? Like you had something just beyond your fingertips? That if you tried just a little harder, you'd finally have what you've wanted?

I ask because today, I had that feeling. This morning I was able to grade some work but for some reason, I was having a hard time getting motivated. I am going to blame the rainy weather. Anyway, as I tried to get moving on things, I just felt pulled in a different direction...like I should have been doing other things. Now I'm at a loss when it comes to what exactly I was being pulled to but I definitely had a strong pull to something else- like if I just took a leap, I'd finally be able to achieve something amazing.

Am I alone? Have you ever felt that way? How so?

Best part of my job...

I have been teaching for 6.5 years and I am constantly astounded at what makes my day as a teacher.

Today, during 7th period, (while being observed by both administrators) I was facilitating a discussion with my sophomores. This isn't anything that I don't normally do so I didn't expect anything different. However, a student that has struggled all year volunteered answers and input on three separate occasions during class.

To those of you that are not educators, this may seem really trival. So a kid spoke in class- so what? Big deal. But for this kid...this is huge. He has struggled all year, debated to go back to his home school, and generally seemed that he didn't enjoy school, let alone my class. For him to feel comfortable enough to discuss things in class and stay with us was awesome and it made my day.

I'm not saying I have anything to do with his new found voice but I will say this- I hope he knows how great I think he is and how he really made me feel like a great teacher. I'm really glad I told him that he did a great job- hope the great work continues.

*good day*

Clarity through the fog

Tuesday morning, as I drove Ayden to the sitter's house, there was a thick layer of fog. As I crested the hill, I looked to my left and noticed a section of trees that I had never noticed before. The trees were short and dark and the fog casted a gray coloring on the morning. It was a very beautiful sight that I had never noticed in the past four weeks. At that moment, it struck me that I yearn for that kind of clarity. That sometimes life can be very foggy but to see something I've never seen before would be nice.

Well Thursday night was that clarifying moment...thanks to my very wise husband. We had had a very busy week and Friday would be no different. After Ayden was in bed, I came to the kitchen to make lunch and get things together. Noah had just gotten home from class and wanted to have a hug moment. I quickly brushed him aside and said "I don't have time...I want to get this stuff together." As the words left my mouth, I felt awful for saying them. Was it really vital that I make lunch that moment instead of hugging my husband? So I went to him, wrapped my arms around him and said "I'm sorry. I love you. I'm just exhausted. After tomorrow, I'll slow down."

In that moment, his wisdom shone through. "I know you say that. But what if there was no tomorrow?"

I have to say I was taken back. He was absolutely right. I realized that although things in my day to day life can be kinda foggy at times, I need to take a minute to stop and notice the beautiful sights.

Taking a leap of faith...

Have you ever wanted to do something but the fear of the unknown stopped you? Maybe the fear of failing is what stopped you...or fear of what others would think? The possibility of losing money? Maybe being afraid that you aren't good enough or smart enough? Either way, you didn't do what you wanted for one reason or another. Being on the ledge is a scary place to be and sometimes even the thought of jumping can be worse.

I've been in that position and find myself in that position a lot. Of course, this situation always seem to relate to my career and schooling but either way, there are always ledges to jump from.

My issue is that I can never seem to get up the gall to jump. I try to weigh the pros and cons...I make lists...I really try to think about the consequences and benefits of each choice. However, it seems as though fear always makes me chicken out. Fear of the unknown, fear of failing, fear of letting people down, fear of what people will think, fear of being out of the comfort zone.

I guess I'd like to hear about a time when you took a leap of faith. What did you do? How did you push yourself off that ledge? How did it turn out? Perhaps hearing about others jumping regardless of the fear will inspire me to jump...

So much for losing weight...

During pregnancy, I gained approximately 45 pounds and although I understand that I lost most of it right after having Ayden, I would really love to shed that last 15 to get back to normal. Now in all fairness, I'm not actively trying to lose that last layer of "baby fat" but I am not sitting around eating bon-bons either.

I say all of this while my wonderful husband works in the kitchen making homemade perogies. Yes...perogies. And yes...my husband.

Noah is an amazing chef. I have often said he needs to open a restaurant. Noah is also a gadget guy, so he has everything kitchen thingy-ma-jiggy to assist in his delicious treats. The latest addition to the kitchen cabinets has been a pasta maker he got for Christmas. We have made fettuccine alfredo and spaghetti but we desperately wanted to make ravioli. Oh yes...ravioli.

I'm not much of a cook so Noah was on his own but he did an amazing job (as expected). After making the dough, he switched contraptions filled the raviolis using the kitchen aide. AMAZING!

So all in all, (and the perogies are done) there are two words of advice out of all of this. One, get a kitchen aide of you don't already have one. We use ours all the time for all kinds of things and it is awesome! And two, get yourself a Noah. ;-) I'm so lucky.

Reflection of the first week

Well the time has come... time for me to go back to work. I can say that I made it through the first week. Barely.

Looking back, I have always known that I wanted to be a mom. I also knew that I would be a working mom. Some women grow up wanting to be stay at home moms...that is just something that I never thought I'd want to do. I would need that adult interaction and I would want to be busy. However, now that the time is here, I can wholeheartedly say that being a working mom stinks.

Please don't take that wrong.

What I mean by that, is that I feel awful being away from Ayden. I never thought that it would be so difficult to leave him and go to work for 8 hours. Along with being anxious, I feel guilty, insufficient, disconnected, and apathetic.

Going back to work was difficult on multiple levels. I knew going back into the classroom, that things were not going to be where I wanted them to be and that I would have to play catch up. I was very geared up on Monday night- it felt like I was starting the school year over again. The first day jitters were in full effect and I was nervous. Although I knew I would need to go in and "whip the kids back into shape", I had no motivation whatsoever. The clock ticking away was all my mind could focus on. Just knowing that I could see his smile in 8 hours; my mind was very preoccupied.

Beyond that, I feel terribly guilty and insufficient as a mom, wife, and teacher. The guilt of not being with him and paying someone else to care for him is excruciating. My heart hurts to think that someone else gets to hug, kiss, hold, and care for him throughout the day. Now, I know that he is in the best of care with Miss Gina (who is amazing by the way) but it still breaks my heart to know that someone else gets to do my job- and even more, I'm paying them to do so. I hate the thought that I could miss something that he does. I'm missing every smile, nap, giggle, coo...everything. I know that my time with him is precious because it won't last forever. This is time that I will forever wish I had back.

On top of missing him, I have the guilt of "if only". If only I had planned better, maybe I'd be able to stay home. If only I could go part time and stay with him. If only we didn't have so many bills, then we could afford for me to stay with him. If only, if only, if only. I know that Ayden won't be mad or upset that I went back to work. It will be all he knows and I am sure that someday he will understand that although I wanted to be with him, I had to do what I did for him. Even knowing all of these things doesn't make leaving this face any easier. I will, however, take full advantage of the time I have with him.

On the upside...

Last night, like the rest of the country, I decided to play the PowerBall. Well, much to my dismay, I didn't win. After checking my numbers this morning, I was almost bummed out that I didn't even win the $4 prize. (pathetic I know) As I put my phone down, I turned around to see my wonderful husband still sleeping in our bed. At his feet, the dog was completely passed out (and snoring), and the video monitor showed a very sleepy baby in his crib.

In that moment, it hit me. I didn't need to win $336,440,000. I've already won.

Yeah, it still would have been nice. :-P

You're welcome from the middle working class

Disclaimer: I am not out to judge anyone or offend but I have a very strong feeling about this and would love someone to explain why things are the way they are. Feel free to enlighten me.

Today around two o'clock, I had to get a few things for dinner. I knew I couldn't spend a lot because I am no longer getting paid for my maternity leave. I had to use all of my sick days and if I wanted to stay out longer than my sicks days lasted (no longer than 12 weeks) I had to go without pay. Luckily I have a wonderful husband that does extra work to make this barely possible. So as I'm getting the generic brands and only the bare essentials, I wished I had coupons for the stuff I was buying. Just so that you know, I was getting some lunch meat, cheese, sauerkraut, milk, and bread. When I finally got that, I went over to the kitchenware and drooled over these containers I'm dying to get for my pantry. The "Mainstays" 4-pack of acrylic canisters were $19.97 so I decided against getting them.

As I got to the check out, I noticed a family with two carts full of ginger ale bottles, Coke bottles, Twinkies, and other junk food. I was surprised by all of the junk but hey, who am I to say what people should eat? As I stood there waiting my turn, I was shocked when the total was $198.87. That's a lot of money. Honestly, that's almost as much as I pay for my school loans each month- so yeah, it's a lot of money to me. I wondered how this family could spend so much money on such a terrible diet and then there it was. She pulled out the ACCESS card and paid the bill. She only had to pay $32.65 for her stuff. Oh! And she paid with a 100 dollar bill.

At this point, I was a bit annoyed and took a minute to remind myself that I didn't know their situation. The unemployment rates are high and times are hard so I shouldn't assume that these people are using the system. Then it was my turn to pay. After being rung up, the cashier told me the total was $34.79. At this point, I paid and actually felt guilty for buying a pack of hangers for Ayden's clothes and the Prego Three Cheese Spaghetti sauce. I really didn't need the sauce tonight.

As I'm leaving to pack the car up and go home, I see that same family loading their junk food into a brand new Chevy Avalanche. Now I'm not an expert on truck pricing, but I do know that Chevy Avalanche trucks are not cheap. Needless to say, I became annoyed again.

Again, I'm not trying to judge anyone or offend anyone either but I do not understand how I have two college degrees and can barely pay for the those degrees, let alone all the other bills. Now, if you've read my previous blogs, you know I'm not one to complain about my bills and that's not the point of this blog. I am thankful for the house, car, and things I have and I work hard to pay for those things. What I am annoyed by is that I do work very hard and can barely pay for the things I have. I do not have extravagant things, nor do we waste money on pointless things. I do not understand how working hard in high school to go to college (and paying for it), then getting a good job, getting married to a respectable man, getting a Master's degree, and planning a family means that I have too much money to get help. And yet people that have multiple children they don't take care of to multiple men,  no jobs, and ambition to better themselves can have groceries paid for and extravagant cars?

Like I said, I'm not trying to offend. I only want an explanation. How is the system so messed up that people that make this world better don't get a break at all? How is it that people can manipulate the system to benefit themselves when there are truly people that need help? How are there no checks and balances to keep this from happening? More importantly, how can this issue be resolved to serve the purpose these means were originally created for?

Look what I did today...organized on a budget

I am totally serious about starting an organizing business. Thinking about it, it really makes sense for me. I can't function if my desk is messy. I HATE it when my dvd's are not alphabetized. And nothing is more annoying than when I go to get something I need and it's not where it should be.

So in my thinking about starting a business, I figured where better to start than in my own home. Now don't get me wrong, we are a tidy household. We can accumulate the typical messes but for the most part, our house is always neat. Over time, I've come to learn that there is a difference between being neat and being organized. Although my house was clean, it isn't totally organized.

This morning, I decided to organize my laundry room. By organize I mean, completely gut the entire reach-in closet, paint, and then organize. (all done before 11 am- yes I'm bragging) I wish I had taken a before shot but I'll include the after shot.

Now how much did this cost me?
Paint- FREE- left over from a previous painting job in the house
Trash bin- $3.99 at IKEA
Bins- $4.96 at Walmart

So my total was around $20!! Talk about organizing on a budget! *added bonus: this gave me a chance to clean behind my washer and dryer!!

Anyone need their laundry room revamped? :-)

Yummy yum yum...

When I say that I'm a lucky girl and married up, I'm not kidding. My husband is an amazing man and an awesome cook.

If you've read my blog you know that we make a monthly menu to help organize things and keep us from spending a fortune at the grocery store. Noah and I both feel that it seems as though we hve the same meals each month. He decided it was time for something new. He found this amazing recipe for sesame chicken- like you get at a Chinese restaurant. I am not a huge fan of Chinese food but I figured it was worth a shot.

Well I'm here to tell you...fantastic!! The recipe is below. Please let me know what you think!


Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 20 mins

Ingredients

2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 dash sesame oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon canola oil
4 (5 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch cubes
 
1 quart vegetable oil for frying
1/2 cup water
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon red chile paste (such as Thai Kitchen®)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Directions

1. Combine the 2 tablespoons soy sauce, the dry sherry, dash of sesame oil, flour, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water, baking powder, baking soda, and canola oil in a large bowl. Mix well; stir in the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
2. Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
3. Combine the 1/2 cup water, chicken broth, vinegar, 1/4 cup cornstarch, sugar, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, red chili paste, and garlic in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Turn heat to low and keep warm, stirring occasionally.
4. Fry the marinated chicken in batches until cooked through and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
5. Transfer the chicken to a large platter, top with sauce, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Mommy Monday morning- part 2 (mom super powers)

At 2:32 am, my son decided to wake up and start crying. Now, I've come to learn that most times (especially at that hour) he's just making noise and quickly falls back asleep. So I usually look at the video monitor to make sure he's ok and he will soon fade back into that blissful and QUIET sleep. However, this morning, he didn't. I know it wasn't time for him to eat so I changed his diaper and put him back in his crib.

As I trudged back over to my own bed, I crawled in bed just in time for him to start crying again. Now remember, it's not time for him to eat so he needs to go back to sleep. I had a few choices. Let him cry it out, which is annoying and hard to sleep through, or go rock him to sleep, which is uncomfortable sometimes and can take a while.

So, as to not wake Noah, I went back over to Ayden's room to help him fall asleep. It was then that I realized that I didn't have to rock him at all and that I have super powers.

I found that if I just quietly whisper to him and rub his back, he magically falls asleep. I never thought I'd have that much power. So in a few short minutes, he was fast asleep and I was going back to bed.

As I moved Mac and slid into bed, I had quite a sense of accomplishment. I comforted my son to sleep.

Thank you Thursday

Vacuum all three floors AND stairs (using 2 vacuum cleaners). Empty the vacuum cleaners. Dust all appliances and furniture and fans. Clean all three bathrooms- including scrubbing the three toilets and two showers. Clean out the pantry and refrigerator. Take out the trash and recycling. Clean all the dog slobbers off the windows...in the living room, kitchen, AND guest bedroom. Steam the kitchen floor and the foyer. Pick up all the dog piles in the backyard. Pay the mortgage. Pay the cable. Pay the trash bill. Pay the water bill. Pay the electric bill. Pay the home insurance...on and on and on. Annnnnnd repeat.

No I'm not complaining. By having to do these things, I'm reminded that I'm fortunate enough to have a home. It's nights and temperatures like these that make me realize how lucky I truly am. No it's not always easy to appreciate cleaning and paying bills, but I am truly lucky to have a wonderful home.

Mommy Monday morning- part 1

I know being a new mom can be exhausting. With feedings, diaper changes, spit up, analyzing cries, and all that goes with babies, things can get frustrating. But I have to be honest, I have an amazing child that can start my day off on the best note ever.

Each morning at 5 am, I get up to feed the little man. Well, let me rephrase that. He usually wakes me up to let me know he's hungry and needs new "seat covers", as my mom says. So I roll out of bed, avoiding Mac, as not to wake him. (he thinks that when I move, it's time for breakfast and a walk) I blindly walk to Ayden's room and turn on the little night light. When I turn to his crib, there he is kicking his little legs and looking around with those bright eyes. All I have to do is say "mornin' baby" and there it is. This is what makes my day worth it. This little thing completely wakes me up and lets me know that my day matters.

My son smiles at his mommy- because he knows me and more importantly, loves me.

Bring it on 2012

Each year, I create a huge list of books to read, a specific workout schedule, a hobby I want to try and basically a million other resolutions to try and stick to. (none of which I actually master) So this year I'm going to keep with tradition and DO THE SAME THING. The only difference this year is that my resolutions aren't going to be a list a mile long- just one. Also, I'm going to post them here to have some accountability. That's right! I'm allowing all of you the privilege of calling me out on any of my resolutions. Please understand that I'm not perfect by any means but if I have someone checking in on me, I think that will help. So check on my progress- I'll keep you updated on here as well.

So here we go...

1. SIMPLIFY! I read books all the time on how to simplify my life, and yet, I still get stressed and continually run ragged with the busy things life brings about. I imagine it's inevitable but there are times when I bring the stress on myself. In 2012, I'm determined to destress and simplify. More family, less work. More reading, less tv. More exercise, less sitting. More saving, less spending. More blogging, less venting. More friends, less excuses. More hobbies, less "no time for that". More compliments, less cursing. More fun, less boredom and certainly less pessimism.

I know that sounds like a lot. Didn't I say I was not going to make a bunch of resolutions and just simplify? I know. I know. But in reality, this is my one resolution (with subcategories). :-)

So in general, I'd like to spend more time being with my family and less time thinking about work. I want to be able to focus on what is truly important in my life. I want to finally read the books that I buy and never seem to get to. I want to eat a more healthy diet and get some exercise. (not go crazy with dieting by be healthy) I will finally pay off my car this year and I'd like to start saving for a big family vacation. I want to use this blog more than I have. It's stress relief for me and I don't know why I don't write more. I want to spend more time with friends. I get to see a few of them from time to time but not nearly as much as I'd like. I want to spend more time on my hobbies instead of starting something and never finishing. I REALLY want to stop with the potty mouth. I realize how silly I sound sometimes when I use those words. I want to start living in the moment for once. I find that I plan way too much and although I enjoy a good plan, I'd still like to enjoy my plans when they are unfolding.

There ya have it folks. My 2012 new year resolution. I'll keep you updated on my progress and feel free to check in on me and keep me accountable. Happy new year to you all and I wish you a happy and safe year!