Today I took on the challenge of prepping my freezer for the next month. I found a few articles and a few inspirations for the recipes for me to make. hoped to stay under $100...after shopping though I ended up spending $146.00. (Meat is SO expensive!) After my trip to the grocery store, I was able to start making meals immediately.
The meals I made are:
Slow Cooking Zesty BBQ Chicken
Chicken Enchilada
Sloppy Joe's
Ground Beef (I'll be able to use this for spaghetti or shepard's pie)
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Waffles
The meals I prepped that are ready to be cooked:
Grandma's Chicken Casserol
Steak Fajitas
Beef Stew Meat
Steak Marinating
Chicken Marinating
Breakfast Sausage and Brats
It was all fairly simple. I started by prepping and cooking the meals that take the longest time to cook and then I moved onto prepping the other meals, such as separating the steaks, chicken, and breakfast sausage.
I'm looking forward to only having to purchase the perishable items such as eggs, milk, and maybe some more rice.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Time with Family
This year for my grandma's Christmas present I wanted to create a book for her including an update on her history and have it contain letters from her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren that they have written to her about their memories and the time they have spend with her.
I was so lucky to be able to sit down with her while she is still alive and kicking. She has so many interesting stories and an incredible memory. I wish more people would take the time to sit down and document their grandparents stories. I now can share them with my grandchildren.
I was so lucky to be able to sit down with her while she is still alive and kicking. She has so many interesting stories and an incredible memory. I wish more people would take the time to sit down and document their grandparents stories. I now can share them with my grandchildren.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Image via Wikipedia I have recently jumped on the bandwagon of pinterest. It seems like everyone I know is obsessed with that site. After a few days I can see why so many people are into pinterest.com
I have found some amazing photos to help inspire me to redo my bedroom. Right now it's a crazy dark blue and there's writing on the wall with test paint. So I have finally found my inspiration to create my beach oasis in my bedroom. I can hardly wait to finish because I don't like being in such a dark room that is so small.
I do think that it takes up a lot of time to find all of this nonsense though and I wish it was easier to access my "boards" with my phone. Because honestly what good is all of that information and pictures if I can't have fast access to it? Maybe I just need to spend a little bit more time getting the hang of it before I judge too quickly.
I am looking forward to finding more fun photos and quotes to help inspire me.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Fun & Easy DIY Christmas Gift for Boys
I made these personalize super hero capes for my nephews birthday a few weeks ago.
It was so easy!!! I had some left over fabric. For these 4 years olds half of a yard was perfect. I took the fabric and cut it down the middle. I used a jersey material so I didn't have to worry about the edges and making it look pretty.
The next thing I did was cut out letters I drew by hand. I placed them where I wanted them to be placed and just sewed around the edges.
In order to keep it safe for children to use, I used velcro to create the latch for the neck piece. I took a small strip and sewed it onto one corner and at the end of it I sewed one of the velcro pieces. At the other corner of the cape I sewed the opposite end of the velcro to create the latch. And I was done!
So simple and so easy it took me less then 20 minutes to finish the entire project and I believe that the blue material was less then $6.00. For the letters I used old T-Shirts as scrap material. So that was free! I even had enough material left over I could have made them masks to match, but since it was a surprise I didn't have them there to measure and create the eye holes.
I hope you all like this!
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Todays Body Image...ridiculous
Lately I have been so frustrated with the way my body has changed since having a baby. I thought I had finally accepted that my body has changed, my hips are wider and my ribs are even wider. I was doing good until I saw the stupid picture of Mariah Carey and Jessica Alba's after baby pictures. Are you freaking kidding me???
These magazines are ridiculous. No wonder so many women have eating disorders. Every time I see that crap it just gets me so depressed because I'm stuck in a vicious cycle. I want to lose weight so I workout and cut back on my calories but then I feel like I'm starving myself and I don't see any results so then I get depressed and that makes me want to drink or binge on junk food. If I do that then I'm right back to where I started at getting fat. The sad thing is I'm not even that overweight! But the pressure to have my body back is always in the back of my mind that it drives me crazy! Those women who get their body back in less then four months are either really lucky or are either really rich with all the means to get your body back.
I've had people tell me to go to the gym to try different classes and so forth. As nice as that sounds I've already sacrificed my job so I can enjoy my baby growing up. That means that we are not as financially well off as we once were. And all those classes and gym memberships cost money. Plus eating healthy is expensive and we don't qualify for food stamps so we're already stretching our penny as far as we can.
What makes this even worse is that the media praises these women for getting their body back. I know that if I had a personal trainer, a personal chef, or even money to afford a gym membership and healthy food I'd be able to have my body back as well. This is so IRRITATING, why don't those stars promote being healthy instead of being skinny? That would be a much better ad than the ones they are promoting now.
It really irritates me because I know that I'm not the only one who lets these ads affect my way of thinking. I'm just lucky enough to have a husband who loves me and thinks I'm beautiful no matter what my body looks like. Imagine all those teenager who aren't lucky enough to have that support...it's so sad!
I really don't feel like enough is being done. We need to start teaching our children self confidence at a young age. I know there are people focusing on health but what about a positive self image? I don't see any programs focusing on positive self images. Again if I had enough money I would be able to start a program but I guess it's not in my stars to make a difference, just yet.
These magazines are ridiculous. No wonder so many women have eating disorders. Every time I see that crap it just gets me so depressed because I'm stuck in a vicious cycle. I want to lose weight so I workout and cut back on my calories but then I feel like I'm starving myself and I don't see any results so then I get depressed and that makes me want to drink or binge on junk food. If I do that then I'm right back to where I started at getting fat. The sad thing is I'm not even that overweight! But the pressure to have my body back is always in the back of my mind that it drives me crazy! Those women who get their body back in less then four months are either really lucky or are either really rich with all the means to get your body back.
I've had people tell me to go to the gym to try different classes and so forth. As nice as that sounds I've already sacrificed my job so I can enjoy my baby growing up. That means that we are not as financially well off as we once were. And all those classes and gym memberships cost money. Plus eating healthy is expensive and we don't qualify for food stamps so we're already stretching our penny as far as we can.
What makes this even worse is that the media praises these women for getting their body back. I know that if I had a personal trainer, a personal chef, or even money to afford a gym membership and healthy food I'd be able to have my body back as well. This is so IRRITATING, why don't those stars promote being healthy instead of being skinny? That would be a much better ad than the ones they are promoting now.
It really irritates me because I know that I'm not the only one who lets these ads affect my way of thinking. I'm just lucky enough to have a husband who loves me and thinks I'm beautiful no matter what my body looks like. Imagine all those teenager who aren't lucky enough to have that support...it's so sad!
I really don't feel like enough is being done. We need to start teaching our children self confidence at a young age. I know there are people focusing on health but what about a positive self image? I don't see any programs focusing on positive self images. Again if I had enough money I would be able to start a program but I guess it's not in my stars to make a difference, just yet.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
$30 a week for Groceries...
This challenge that I gave myself has been extremely difficult. It's actually kicking my butt! I must say I have been defeated by this challenge in the first week. We didn't have much meat...burgers and brats don't really count as meat to me. We didn't have a lot of bread or veggies. So I've been scavenging for to find things for us to eat.
I did find a good new recipe though for potatoes. Plus on the upside it's super easy!
You take 2 lbs of potatoes (the recipe called for red potatoes but I used regular ones)
Dice them up
Put them in a ziploc bag
Pour in a little bit of vegetable oil (I used olive oil) & shake, coating the potatoes in the oil
Next Pour in a pack of Ranch Dressing Mix & shake, coating the potatoes in the ranch dressing mix.
Put seasoned potatoes in a pan (you do not need to grease it or cover them)
Put them in the oven at 450 degrees
Let cook for 35 minutes or until browned.
I've attached the link to the actual recipe from http://www.food.com/ so you can adjust the serving sizes if needed.
http://www.food.com/recipe/ranch-roasted-potatoes-42564
Now I know that this isn't the healthiest meal but it was all I could come up with.
I broke down and went to the store today and picked up more of the essitials such as; bread, eggs, chicken, and veggies. Like I said before this week kicked my butt! Only spending $30.00 a week on groceries is extremely difficult without a well thought out meal plan AND what really makes it tough is the type of meals I have had to make. I swear I feel like I have gained 10 pounds just from the scrappy and unhealthy meals we've eaten the past 3 days. I hope next week I can do better.
I did find a good new recipe though for potatoes. Plus on the upside it's super easy!
You take 2 lbs of potatoes (the recipe called for red potatoes but I used regular ones)
Dice them up
Put them in a ziploc bag
Pour in a little bit of vegetable oil (I used olive oil) & shake, coating the potatoes in the oil
Next Pour in a pack of Ranch Dressing Mix & shake, coating the potatoes in the ranch dressing mix.
Put seasoned potatoes in a pan (you do not need to grease it or cover them)
Put them in the oven at 450 degrees
Let cook for 35 minutes or until browned.
I've attached the link to the actual recipe from http://www.food.com/ so you can adjust the serving sizes if needed.
http://www.food.com/recipe/ranch-roasted-potatoes-42564
Now I know that this isn't the healthiest meal but it was all I could come up with.
I broke down and went to the store today and picked up more of the essitials such as; bread, eggs, chicken, and veggies. Like I said before this week kicked my butt! Only spending $30.00 a week on groceries is extremely difficult without a well thought out meal plan AND what really makes it tough is the type of meals I have had to make. I swear I feel like I have gained 10 pounds just from the scrappy and unhealthy meals we've eaten the past 3 days. I hope next week I can do better.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Cutting Food Costs & A Great Tuna Recipe
Recently we went over our finances and it seems like we are definitely going to have to start cutting our costs down. I'm HORRIBLE at coupining, there is no way I will ever be one of those extreme couponers. I just don't have space or the time for all that stuff. I think its great for those ladies who do it but I don't have the patience for it.
So I am giving myself a challenge.
We spend on average $120 every 2 weeks on food and that just includes what we spend on groceries. This excludes all the times we go out to eat. So I think on average we spend about $300 a month on food! $300!!! That is crazy to me, there's only 2 of us who are actually eating food at this time. How do we spend that much???
So the challenge I have set for myself and of course my husband is dragged along into it is...Spending only $120 a month on food, which means only $30 a week.
$30.00 a week for food that includes us going out to eat and groceries. Since we qualifiy for WIC we thankfully do not have to buy formula or baby food for our little man so this definitely helps us out.
I did my shopping last night and I bought...
1 gallon of milk (almond vanilla milk)-$3.50
1 lg pack of tortillas -$3.50
1 18 pck of eggs-$2.25
2 pks of Johnsonville Brats-$2.50 each ($5.00 total)
1 pk of 6 Frozen Hamburgers-$6.50
3 cans of corn-.75 each ($2.25 total)
2 bottles of pasta sauce-$2.25 each ($4.50 total)
Total $27.50
I left room for tax, plus I couldn't think of anything else that I needed for under $2.50
I already had bread, lots of pasta, and dinner sides.
I bought all of this so I can make breakfast for the week, grill out with the hamburgers and brats for dinners, and of course pasta makes great left overs and it's cheap!
One of my favorite meals that is so easy to make is kind of like a tuna salad...we don't really have a name for it, we just call it the tuna stuff.
Take 2 lg cans of tuna (drained)
Mix one can of mixed vegetables & 1 can of corn
Add a Tablespoon of mayo
Mix together well.
Serve on a piece of bread or a tostada. And you've got yourself a great and semi-healthy lunch. This makes about 4 servings so for 2 people you make 2 meals out of it. I also like to add tapito to it to add a little bit of spice!
I won't eat tuna any other way...I think it's nasty unless it's done this way.
YUMMY!!!
So I am giving myself a challenge.
We spend on average $120 every 2 weeks on food and that just includes what we spend on groceries. This excludes all the times we go out to eat. So I think on average we spend about $300 a month on food! $300!!! That is crazy to me, there's only 2 of us who are actually eating food at this time. How do we spend that much???
So the challenge I have set for myself and of course my husband is dragged along into it is...Spending only $120 a month on food, which means only $30 a week.
$30.00 a week for food that includes us going out to eat and groceries. Since we qualifiy for WIC we thankfully do not have to buy formula or baby food for our little man so this definitely helps us out.
I did my shopping last night and I bought...
1 gallon of milk (almond vanilla milk)-$3.50
1 lg pack of tortillas -$3.50
1 18 pck of eggs-$2.25
2 pks of Johnsonville Brats-$2.50 each ($5.00 total)
1 pk of 6 Frozen Hamburgers-$6.50
3 cans of corn-.75 each ($2.25 total)
2 bottles of pasta sauce-$2.25 each ($4.50 total)
Total $27.50
I left room for tax, plus I couldn't think of anything else that I needed for under $2.50
I already had bread, lots of pasta, and dinner sides.
I bought all of this so I can make breakfast for the week, grill out with the hamburgers and brats for dinners, and of course pasta makes great left overs and it's cheap!
One of my favorite meals that is so easy to make is kind of like a tuna salad...we don't really have a name for it, we just call it the tuna stuff.
Take 2 lg cans of tuna (drained)
Mix one can of mixed vegetables & 1 can of corn
Add a Tablespoon of mayo
Mix together well.
Serve on a piece of bread or a tostada. And you've got yourself a great and semi-healthy lunch. This makes about 4 servings so for 2 people you make 2 meals out of it. I also like to add tapito to it to add a little bit of spice!
I won't eat tuna any other way...I think it's nasty unless it's done this way.
YUMMY!!!
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Walk for MS
Yesterday was my first time walking for a charitable event. It was so touching for me to be a part of this and it was even more touching that my husband tagged along to support me in this experience.
The volunteers there were so kind and the atmosphere was filled with positive emotions. I loved reading each and everyone's badge to see who they were walking for. Some were for themselves and others were family memebers or friends. Being a part of this really has just reinforced my goal to become a neuroscientist. I really want to help and study this problem to see if I can help find any relief for those individuals with MS.
I made a little onesie for my little man
Me walking for my grandpa!
This was the back of my shirt
Me and little man with our awesome shirts!
My support group! My dogs came with us!I am so grateful that I did this I am definitely going to make this a tradition for my family and me. Next year I hope I can get a group together to help
Friday, September 23, 2011
Make Your Own Baby Mei Tai
I had a friend of mine show me this awesome blog!
I've been looking for an easier way to carry Scout, especially when I'm out mowing the lawn or walking around where I don't need the stroller. I tried putting him on my back with the little carrier we have now but it's really uncomfortable and it's not made for that. So the link ahead actually showed me an easy way of how to make my own Mei Tai! Plus it also helped that my friend simplified the pattern for me since the one the lady has in this blog is a little confusing for me. Especially after looking at all her pictures. They're all of professionally made Mei Tai's so it was touch to see what she was talking about.
It requires 2 yards of fleece. Fleece is going to be your best best if you do not want to use a sewing machine. If you are good at sewing and would like to make yours a little more unique then I believe any material could work, I would just double check how long the material will hold up. I used Fleece for my first one and it's been working great!
This photo above shows the different lengths, now you can be flexible with these measurements. This can be made specifically for you and your comfort. The next one I make I'm going to make the bottom ties a little wider because with fleece it curls up and makes them a little too thin and it cuts into me a little bit. Also I'm going to add padding to the shoulders right now it's not cutting into me but I could see happening after a while. The middle is long so you'll have to roll it up if your baby is still small.
You'll see I used chalk to mark all of the lines to creat the outline. This was good because I got to see what on the outline needed to be changed.
After cutting out all the edges, I was left with my Mei Tai...but I thought this looked a little plain so...
I took an old receiving blanket that my little Guy can't use anymore. I pinned it around the edges of the already cut fleece and sewed them together along the edges.
Here is my finished Mei Tai! Me and my little guy in the front position.
Me and my little guy in the back position! It's taking him a little while to get used to it but I know I sure love it! It was so much easier and less pain to carry him around like that. The other benefit was if I was breastfeeding I could do this without having to stop what I'm doing. I'm excited to make these now as baby gifts for my friends!
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Made My Own Hair Clip
I never thought I was talented enough to really make my own hair clip but one thing lead to another and before I knew it I had a new hair clip that wasn't all that shabby looking.
I had bought some hair clips last year and they had some cheesey looking flowers on them but they had these pretty feathers. I started cutting the flower off and separating the feathers. I reused the clip that the flowers came on as my "new" clip. The feathers from the flower clip were a little small so I found some other feathers from a halloween mask I bought at the dollar store a long time ago.
After pulling and getting all the feathers I wanted I lined them up how I wanted to have the hair clip and I superglued them to a small fabric on top of the clip.
Once that was done I was able to wear it in my hair for the entire day. It held up strong and I didn't have to adjust anything or reglue it.
This was so easy I'm thinking I might just have to start making my own more often.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Crafty Week-Wall Decoration
This week I am going to show more of my crafty side. The first project I'd like to show is what I did as a wedding present for a friend of mine.
I was looking on other people's blogs and I found something similar to this but I customized it to what my friend likes and what she wanted for her house. She loves the color red and the Fleur DE Li's. So after showing her what I thought of she was ecstatic about the idea and I was happy that I got to give her something unique and something that she'd actually want to hang in her house.
This was everything I used. I found an old sign at the DI for $2.00 and I also found the picture frames at the DI for .75 each. I found the drawer knobs for $2.50 each at Hobby Lobby. Then I bought the spray paint for $4.00 at Wal-Mart. Then of course the photos were just the cost to print them. Since I took them myself.
I mapped out where I wanted the drawer knobs to be before I painted it with pencil and marked the place where the holes needed to be drilled.
I spray painted the wood and the frames
I added the drawer knobs where I had drilled the holes
Here is the finished product! The pictures I took myself and took them of the temple they got married in. This was it would be of sentimental value as well.
I was looking on other people's blogs and I found something similar to this but I customized it to what my friend likes and what she wanted for her house. She loves the color red and the Fleur DE Li's. So after showing her what I thought of she was ecstatic about the idea and I was happy that I got to give her something unique and something that she'd actually want to hang in her house.
This was everything I used. I found an old sign at the DI for $2.00 and I also found the picture frames at the DI for .75 each. I found the drawer knobs for $2.50 each at Hobby Lobby. Then I bought the spray paint for $4.00 at Wal-Mart. Then of course the photos were just the cost to print them. Since I took them myself.
I mapped out where I wanted the drawer knobs to be before I painted it with pencil and marked the place where the holes needed to be drilled.
I spray painted the wood and the frames
I added the drawer knobs where I had drilled the holesHere is the finished product! The pictures I took myself and took them of the temple they got married in. This was it would be of sentimental value as well.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
What Do You Want To Be You Grow Up?
I've been asking myself this question a lot in the past year. I have come up with a wide range of possibilities for myself. Literally it went from an Iphone app developer to a web and graphic design to blogging to nursing to midwife and now onto biology and neuroscience.
After spending so much time contemplating what I really want to do with my life I finally learned the questions I had to ask myself.
*How much time am I going to have to spend away from my family?
*Could I work at home or would I have to be gone all the time?
*How long with this career entertain me? (I get bored easily)
*How much schooling will I have to go through?
*How much money can I make, enough to support my family?
*Will I enjoy it? Will this make me happy?
*Will I feel like I have accomplished something with my life?
I noticed that the money question was really steering me in my decision and when I stopped thinking about that and focused mainly on the first and last 2 questions I looked into what I really wanted to do and what truly interests me.
I'm set on getting my associates in Biology and then I hope to move onto a bachelors in Neuroscience so I can get my masters and then my PhD. My goal is to help people through research and hopefully finding ways to help minimize pain involved in neurological disorders, such as MS. Plus I can teach at a university level which is something I have always wanted to do!
I wanted to become a professional blogger but I honestly don't feel like I have anything that really interests people. I'm not crafty all the time and when I do get a chance to blog it's about my life and who's seriously interested in reading about me and my family. I'll continue to blog who knows what will come out of it, maybe I can help just one person and that would be comforting for me.
I've already looked into the schools and the community college here has an associates in biology so I'm hoping I can get some classes transferred and get started on that this Spring semester.
After spending so much time contemplating what I really want to do with my life I finally learned the questions I had to ask myself.
*How much time am I going to have to spend away from my family?
*Could I work at home or would I have to be gone all the time?
*How long with this career entertain me? (I get bored easily)
*How much schooling will I have to go through?
*How much money can I make, enough to support my family?
*Will I enjoy it? Will this make me happy?
*Will I feel like I have accomplished something with my life?
I noticed that the money question was really steering me in my decision and when I stopped thinking about that and focused mainly on the first and last 2 questions I looked into what I really wanted to do and what truly interests me.
I'm set on getting my associates in Biology and then I hope to move onto a bachelors in Neuroscience so I can get my masters and then my PhD. My goal is to help people through research and hopefully finding ways to help minimize pain involved in neurological disorders, such as MS. Plus I can teach at a university level which is something I have always wanted to do!
I wanted to become a professional blogger but I honestly don't feel like I have anything that really interests people. I'm not crafty all the time and when I do get a chance to blog it's about my life and who's seriously interested in reading about me and my family. I'll continue to blog who knows what will come out of it, maybe I can help just one person and that would be comforting for me.
I've already looked into the schools and the community college here has an associates in biology so I'm hoping I can get some classes transferred and get started on that this Spring semester.
Friday, September 16, 2011
MS WALK
I have recently been feeling the need to learn more about my grandmas and ask them questions that I want to know while they are still healthy enough to answer them. I asked my Grandma if it'd be ok and she was more then happy to do this for me. In fact she'd already started writing about her life and she wrote about my grandpa's life, her mom's life, and her dad's life. I didn't know any of them really. My grandpa died on September 27, 1993 when I was just 10 years old. I remember him being a fun and loving grandpa who gave the best hugs. So I was excited to have the opportunity to read more about him and the person he was.
After reading what my grandma and others wrote about my grandpa I learned that my grandpa was a great man and a selfless man. He spent his life serving those in his ward and in his community. His family although at times probably didn't feel like this were the most important people to him. My grandfather's life was full of hard work, fun, and activities. However, I believe in 1976 he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (not sure if I spelled that right) and it quickly took it's affect on his ability to walk.
After reading about his life I can only imagine how difficult it was for him to have his ability to walk and other functions taken away from him. I read that he wished that they could find a cure for MS and I feel like I now have a new purpose in life besides being a wonderful mom and wife. This purpose is to help this cause. My first step is to participate in the MS Walk on September 24th here in Utah. I am trying to raise $200 for this and I hope I make it happen. I'm excited to go to my first walk like this, I've always wanted to go but I never felt a personal connection, which isn't a good reason but I feel more motivated now to help (it sounds horrible I know!)
I have always felt a strong connection to my grandfather and to have this opportunity to help really gives me something to look forward to. I hope this can become a tradition for me and my family.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Lesson in Marriage Update
Well after realizing how selfish I've been and going out on a date with my husband. We had a chance to talk about things and I got a chance to hear his side of it.
He didn't see me as being selfish he felt that little guy was just too much for me to handle so I was being more stressed out then usual. I didn't see that at all. I'm grateful that we had this chance to work it out. Life has been so much better for us and I feel like we are back to being a team. I don't feel that wall anymore and it feels so natural again just being together. I'm hoping that we can have more nights alone where we can focus on each other more and not on all the other issues like school work, baby, money, and family.
I am so much happier now and I am so glad we were able to work it out.
He didn't see me as being selfish he felt that little guy was just too much for me to handle so I was being more stressed out then usual. I didn't see that at all. I'm grateful that we had this chance to work it out. Life has been so much better for us and I feel like we are back to being a team. I don't feel that wall anymore and it feels so natural again just being together. I'm hoping that we can have more nights alone where we can focus on each other more and not on all the other issues like school work, baby, money, and family.
I am so much happier now and I am so glad we were able to work it out.
My First Half Marathon
This past weekend I completed my first ever half marathon! I honestly didn't think I was going to be able to do it because my legs had been acting up the entire weeks before and I wasn't able to run more then a mile before this race. Well thanks to my awesome friend she gave me an awesome massage which actually helped me more then I could have ever imagined. I actually tried to switch to the 5k but they wouldn't let me so I sucked it up and started prepping myself for walking/running for 4 hours. I set my goals realistically doable just in case I came in last I wouldn't feel so bad.
Well it turns out I felt really good the majority of the race. My plan was to run 2 miles and walk a mile. I wasn't that good of following my plan, which I now know would've been better then trying to just run and run. My competitive side definitely took over and I figured since I'm feeling good I might as well just keep running. Around mile 9 I really started to feel it kicking my butt! After mile 9 I had to walk more then I wanted and then by mile 11 my hamstrings started cramping, I definitely learned my lesson to carry my own water. These geniouses only had 2 water stations then entire race. I had horrible cotton mouth and I really felt dehydrated. By mile 12 I was walking/jogging because I knew I only had 1.2 more to go, but my glutes and hamstrings were cramping so bad at this point it hurt just to walk. As soon as I saw that finish line I sucked it up and ran to the finish.
I finished at 2 hours and 51 minutes! This is way better then 4 hours! I was so proud of myself that when I crossed the finish line I actually started crying, it felt SO good to accomplish a goal I've been wanting to do for over a year now (I got pregnant last year so I couldn't do it). Little Guy was at my brother's house I'm sad he wasn't there at the finish line.
*Only 1 picture would upload :(
Friday, September 2, 2011
Lesson in Marriage
Marriage is a constant battle with making it work, there are times where it's amazing and wonderful. Then other times that are a little more rough then the others. Since having my son it seems like the bumpy times have happened more often. I had an eye opening yesterday. After reading a story about marriage I realized that I have been the one who has been so selfish and putting my dear husband on the back burner ever since my son was born. I've felt this wall coming between us and I don't like it at all. I want to change that and have it be the way it was and I know the reason it's not is because of me. So now that I understand that I'm able to change my mentality and my outlook to pay attention to my husband instead of ignoring him. I don't do this intentially by any means. I've just been so focused on my son that I've lost the appreciation I have for my husband and all that he does for us. The best part about having this happen is I can now remember all of the wonderful traits that I love about my husband and appreciate every single one of them. I hope this will help us continue to grow together. He is my best friend and it's time I start treating him like it.
I always wanted to make sure that I didn't do this. Put my husband 2nd. Who would have known? Obviously not me! Well no more! I am able to now see how my life has changed and how I've changed I don't want to push my husband farther away. I want to be with him for the rest of my life with a healthy marriage.
So now that I have a new sense of light on my marriage I can move forward with this lesson that I've learned and continue to improve my relationship with my husband and appreciate it all.
Look how he's looking at me...with so much love! He still looks at me this way and I don't ever want that to change.
Here is the story that I read, I've read this before but last night it really was exactly what I needed. I'm not sure who the author is but it's a great story.
When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I’ve got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes.
Suddenly I didn’t know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly.
She didn’t seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why?
I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man! That night, we didn’t talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; she had lost my heart to Jane. I didn’t love her anymore. I just pitied her!
With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company.
She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Jane so dearly. Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.
The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn’t have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Jane.
When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and was asleep again.
In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn’t want anything from me, but needed a month’s notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month’s time and she didn’t want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.
This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day.
She requested that every day for the month’s duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door ever morning. I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request.
I told Jane about my wife’s divorce conditions. . She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully.
My wife and I hadn’t had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mommy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don’t tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside
the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.
On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn’t looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.
On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me.
On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn’t tell Jane about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.
She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily.
Suddenly it hit me… she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head.
Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it’s time to carry mom out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day.
But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn’t noticed that our life lacked intimacy.
I drove to office…. jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind…I walked upstairs. Jane opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Jane, I do not want the divorce anymore.
She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead. Do you have a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Jane, I said, I won’t divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn’t value the details of our lives, not because we didn’t love each other anymore. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart.
Jane seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away.
At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, I’ll carry you out every morning until death do us apart.
That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face, I run up stairs, only to find my wife in the bed – dead.
My wife had been fighting CANCER for months and I was so busy with Jane to even notice. She knew that she would die soon and she wanted to save me from the whatever negative reaction from our son, in case we push thru with the divorce.– At least, in the eyes of our son— I’m a loving husband….
The small details of your lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, property, the money in the bank. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves. So find time to be your spouse’s friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. Do have a real happy marriage!
If you don’t share this, nothing will happen to you.
If you do, you just might save a marriage.
Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
I always wanted to make sure that I didn't do this. Put my husband 2nd. Who would have known? Obviously not me! Well no more! I am able to now see how my life has changed and how I've changed I don't want to push my husband farther away. I want to be with him for the rest of my life with a healthy marriage.
So now that I have a new sense of light on my marriage I can move forward with this lesson that I've learned and continue to improve my relationship with my husband and appreciate it all.
Look how he's looking at me...with so much love! He still looks at me this way and I don't ever want that to change.
Here is the story that I read, I've read this before but last night it really was exactly what I needed. I'm not sure who the author is but it's a great story.
When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I’ve got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes.
Suddenly I didn’t know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly.
She didn’t seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why?
I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man! That night, we didn’t talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; she had lost my heart to Jane. I didn’t love her anymore. I just pitied her!
With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company.
She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Jane so dearly. Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.
The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn’t have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Jane.
When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and was asleep again.
In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn’t want anything from me, but needed a month’s notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month’s time and she didn’t want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.
This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day.
She requested that every day for the month’s duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door ever morning. I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request.
I told Jane about my wife’s divorce conditions. . She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully.
My wife and I hadn’t had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mommy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don’t tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside
the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.
On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn’t looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.
On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me.
On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn’t tell Jane about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.
She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily.
Suddenly it hit me… she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head.
Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it’s time to carry mom out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day.
But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn’t noticed that our life lacked intimacy.
I drove to office…. jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind…I walked upstairs. Jane opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Jane, I do not want the divorce anymore.
She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead. Do you have a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Jane, I said, I won’t divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn’t value the details of our lives, not because we didn’t love each other anymore. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart.
Jane seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away.
At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, I’ll carry you out every morning until death do us apart.
That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face, I run up stairs, only to find my wife in the bed – dead.
My wife had been fighting CANCER for months and I was so busy with Jane to even notice. She knew that she would die soon and she wanted to save me from the whatever negative reaction from our son, in case we push thru with the divorce.– At least, in the eyes of our son— I’m a loving husband….
The small details of your lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, property, the money in the bank. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves. So find time to be your spouse’s friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. Do have a real happy marriage!
If you don’t share this, nothing will happen to you.
If you do, you just might save a marriage.
Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
Accepting The Truth
Recently I have been trying to organize my house. It seems like everything is just thrown into random places and is overflowing. My first project was organizing our linen closet and my next was organizing my clothes! I've been thinking recently that i have way too many clothes in my drawers that I just can't wear anymore. They are either too small or too big. Of course I was keeping the too small clothes around because I know one of these days I'll be able to fit back in them...well it's been 7 1/2 months since my baby was born and I my hips haven't gotten any smaller since I had my son. So I'm accepting the truth that my body has changed and is probably going to look like this for a while. I thought it was going to be hard on me to go through and put away all my "skinny" clothes but it was actually pretty liberating. Now I look in my closet and I don't get sad looking through my clothes because I know now that they are all going to fit me and that I don't have to get my hopes up. I won't lie I did leave one piece of my skinny clothes out that I would like to fit back into just so I have a reminder and motivation to keep working out and to stay in shape.
When I was done cleaning out my closet and dresser drawers I had 2 big bags of clothes that I don't wear. It really makes me appreciate that I even have that many pieces of clothes. I'm going to put them in storage so when I can fit in them I don't have to go shopping...even though I do love to go get me a new outfit.
When I was done cleaning out my closet and dresser drawers I had 2 big bags of clothes that I don't wear. It really makes me appreciate that I even have that many pieces of clothes. I'm going to put them in storage so when I can fit in them I don't have to go shopping...even though I do love to go get me a new outfit.
This red dress is one that I felt so pretty in when it fit that I would like to be able to fit into it again. I'm going to aime to be back in it by my 7 year wedding anniversary. That's in December so I have 3 months to get into better shape and to get rid of my love handles.
I'd feel like a million bucks if I could fit back into this.
Monday, August 29, 2011
My Dog My First Baby
Our dog has a lump on his back and he is getting older so I'm hoping it's just a fatty cyst. However, I can't take him in right now because we're trying so hard to stay with in our budget. This is so sad to me because I love my dog like a child and to not get him checked on and cared for really breaks my heart. I'll have to call around to see if any of them have payment plans or something like that because I just imagine him suffering or us having to put him down because we can't afford to get him the medical care he needs. He has been my friend, my comforter, my protector, and my compainion. I can't imagine letting him suffer like this and when I was pregnant I would just cry and cry at the thought of him not being a part of our family...hell I still cry if I think about it too much.
I think we're just going to have to suck it up because I'd kick myself and just feel so guilty if we don't do anything for him.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Getting Organized
As we budget and get ready for our finances and the next 3 months I realized I needed to get more organized in order for us to have space for all of the extra things we are going to be buying. For example, shampoo, conditioner, toilet paper, and other hygiene products.
My first step was to clean the closet where we keep our medicine, towels, and other electronic items we don't use often. Once I organize this closet I'll have the extra space I need. I took this upon myself to accomplish this task today before I went to the store, plus it kept me preoccupied while I was putting Scout down for his nap. I find that if I am working on my projects while he is crying then it doesn't seem so bad.
Here is the before picture...there really is no organization to it what so ever and everything is pretty much just thrown in there.
After taking everything out and putting it into separate piles i finally have a well organized closet with room to put things.
Time to go stock up!!!
My first step was to clean the closet where we keep our medicine, towels, and other electronic items we don't use often. Once I organize this closet I'll have the extra space I need. I took this upon myself to accomplish this task today before I went to the store, plus it kept me preoccupied while I was putting Scout down for his nap. I find that if I am working on my projects while he is crying then it doesn't seem so bad.
Here is the before picture...there really is no organization to it what so ever and everything is pretty much just thrown in there.
After taking everything out and putting it into separate piles i finally have a well organized closet with room to put things.
Time to go stock up!!!
Monday, August 22, 2011
Today Marks the Day
Today my husband starts back up in school after a few weeks off, today is also my first Monday as a stay at home mom, it definitely feels official now. This past week just felt like a nice vacation but now that I have my whole week to accomplish things I feel like I truly am going to enjoy this being at home thing. Today marks the day for a few changes that are going to happen in my daily routines.
Change #1: SLEEP TRAINING! That's right I'm going to finally get my little guy used to sleeping in his crib and learning to put himself to sleep by using a mix of the cry it out method and my own method. I am going to try to let him cry for only a few minutes at a time, go in and check on him (without picking him up) then leaving him for a few minutes longer. After 10-15 mins I'll pick him up and calm him down a bit then put him back. After 20 mins I'll just take him out and let him play with his toys to get him even more tired. Once he start fussing more then back to the crib and start the whole process over again...except I won't take him out this time I'll just pat his back for a few minutes to keep him calmed down.
* So this is what I've done for his first nap...I think the first few minutes are heart breaking but then once the 20 minute mark rolls around it's more of him annoying the crap out of me! Why won't he just go to sleep?! I know consistency is going to be important for this situation and know that I have the time I know it will be consistent. I just hope that my lack of patience won't get the best of me because when he reaches that 20-30 minute point it's so easy for him to go to sleep if I just take a few minutes to bounce him and pat his back. It's fast and less annoying...BUT I know that if I want my sanity I have to stick with this. I'm proud to say he is now sleeping calm and in his crib.
Change #2: MY EXERCISE ROUTINE!
My exercise routine has been out of whack with my work schedule and Scout's schedule so now that I have all morning while my husband is at school that means that I get all that time to concentrate on myself while Scout hangs out and tags along with me. A dear friend of mine was nice enough to give me her old elliptical machine and so my goal is to do at least 20-30 mins on that daily and then run right after.
I've been having issues with my shins and hamstring cramping on me cutting off all the circulation to my feet making it uncomfortable and painful to run. It's been very frustrating for me especially trying to lose this baby weight. (check out
LoseThatBellyBump.com to see my progress)
After my morning workout I plan on just doing one more run at night to help me get in my miles so I can get better prepared for this half marathon I have signed up for in 3 weeks.
Change #3: MY DIET!!
Since I will be home the majority of the day that means I'll have the time to prepare meals ahead of time and to make foods that are healthy for me. I figure if I want Scout to eat all natural and healthy foods to avoid obesity then why shouldn't I do that for myself? Besides I always feel 10x better when I'm eating healthy, junk food tastes delicious but it sure makes me sleepy and lazy. I'm really looking forward to getting better recipes and cooking better food for myself.
Those are my personal goals to accomplish this month I hope I can be consistent and see results!
Change #1: SLEEP TRAINING! That's right I'm going to finally get my little guy used to sleeping in his crib and learning to put himself to sleep by using a mix of the cry it out method and my own method. I am going to try to let him cry for only a few minutes at a time, go in and check on him (without picking him up) then leaving him for a few minutes longer. After 10-15 mins I'll pick him up and calm him down a bit then put him back. After 20 mins I'll just take him out and let him play with his toys to get him even more tired. Once he start fussing more then back to the crib and start the whole process over again...except I won't take him out this time I'll just pat his back for a few minutes to keep him calmed down.
* So this is what I've done for his first nap...I think the first few minutes are heart breaking but then once the 20 minute mark rolls around it's more of him annoying the crap out of me! Why won't he just go to sleep?! I know consistency is going to be important for this situation and know that I have the time I know it will be consistent. I just hope that my lack of patience won't get the best of me because when he reaches that 20-30 minute point it's so easy for him to go to sleep if I just take a few minutes to bounce him and pat his back. It's fast and less annoying...BUT I know that if I want my sanity I have to stick with this. I'm proud to say he is now sleeping calm and in his crib.
Change #2: MY EXERCISE ROUTINE!
My exercise routine has been out of whack with my work schedule and Scout's schedule so now that I have all morning while my husband is at school that means that I get all that time to concentrate on myself while Scout hangs out and tags along with me. A dear friend of mine was nice enough to give me her old elliptical machine and so my goal is to do at least 20-30 mins on that daily and then run right after.
I've been having issues with my shins and hamstring cramping on me cutting off all the circulation to my feet making it uncomfortable and painful to run. It's been very frustrating for me especially trying to lose this baby weight. (check out
LoseThatBellyBump.com to see my progress)
After my morning workout I plan on just doing one more run at night to help me get in my miles so I can get better prepared for this half marathon I have signed up for in 3 weeks.
Change #3: MY DIET!!
Since I will be home the majority of the day that means I'll have the time to prepare meals ahead of time and to make foods that are healthy for me. I figure if I want Scout to eat all natural and healthy foods to avoid obesity then why shouldn't I do that for myself? Besides I always feel 10x better when I'm eating healthy, junk food tastes delicious but it sure makes me sleepy and lazy. I'm really looking forward to getting better recipes and cooking better food for myself.
Those are my personal goals to accomplish this month I hope I can be consistent and see results!
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Lesson #1 Of being a Stay at Home Mom
Image via Wikipedia
Well my first lesson as being a stay at home mom is to pace yourself! I treated yesterday like it was my day off. So I felt like it was my only day to get things done. I tried to clean my entire placei, it's not big so it's doesn't take a lot of time. I also detailed the truck and washed it to make sure it was nice and clean for my husband. He stresses when any of the vehicles are pretty dirty, he feels like we're neglecting them (hahaha). Then on top of it I added laundry and all I wanted was to take a nap.
Little did I know that was asking way too much! My husband was pretty much in his own world the whole day and Scout was taking naps at the worst times so I could never lay down and take a nap at the same time. By the time 8:00pm hit I was so tired that I wanted nothing more but to put my little guy to bed and enjoy some quiet alone time. That didn't happen of course, I ended up screwing up dinner and staying up trying to finish the laundry. Once my husband was asleep I finally had some quiet time. I swear I took advantage of it! I ended up taking a nice relaxing bubble bath and I enjoyed a few drinkings, that definitely helped me calm down and realize that for my next day I needed to take it easy and pace myself. I don't have only one day to finish everything I have an entire week. Today has been much better, I've just chilled the entire day and still had time to accomplish things around the house without feeling rushed, it's a pretty awesome experience so far! I hope the rest of this week will be better.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
My first act as a Stay at Home Mom!
So in light of me quitting my job and me becoming a stay at home mother I decided that yesterday was the best day to get my newest tattoo. I did a lot of research for it and tried to find something very special and meaningful to me that would represent how I felt about being a mom. I found this awesome heart and modified it to look like the one I actually got but...this is a symbol of a "Mother's Love" I saw it and knew that it was perfect for what I wanted. I love being blessed to be a mom although it's frustrating at times it's so rewarding and I feel so loved that I wanted to show off my feelings with my new tattoo. So far I am loving it! It catches me off guard becuase this is my first tattoo in a spot where it's visible all the time so it's strange seeing it all the time but I kind of like that too. It allows me to admire it. I won't lie the outline of this hurt pretty bad but then again all outlines for tattoos hurt no matter where you're getting it done. The guy was done though in 20 mins so the pain wasn't too bad. I'm so happy I finally got this tattoo I've been drawing it for a while now and debating on whether or not I wanted to spend the money on it and yesterday I was finally able to do it with 100% confidence that this is what I wanted.
I love getting tattoo's on special occasions and this is definitley one of them. I will forever be able to look at this tattoo and remember the special moment's Scout and I have on a daily basis and how liberating and exciting it is to know that I get to stay at home and be there for him. I hope this tattoo will also help me during those moments of frustration to appreciate this opportunity I'm taking to stay at home with my baby because I just have to remember how sad I was when I did have to shut that door behind me and be out of the house for 8+ hours. Somedays it felt like a lifetime. I'm thrilled to have this daily reminder of my son and my wonderful gift that I get to enjoy him being so little.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Last Day Being a "Working" Mom
So today marks my last day at work. As of 5:00pm I will officially be for the first time a stay at home mom. I won't lie I'm pretty nervous about this next step but also very excited for the new challenge that lies ahead.
As I take this last day to finish up and complete all my loose ends here on the job I can't help but reflect on how great of a place this has been to work for. God truly blessed me and helped me go in the right direction to meet certain people in order for me to get this great job. Despite my recent frustration I still enjoy this company and I enjoy everyone I work with. I will be sad to leave a company that I know does so much good for the community and for their students. I hope that if I do decide to start working again in the future a position will be open so I can continue my journey with this company.
I also can't help but think of everyone's reaction when I've told them I get to be a stay at home mom. Some people's reactions where of happiness and excitment. While others scared the crap of me and actually have made me think twice about this decision because as soon as I utter the words stay at home mom, I get, "you're crazy, it's so hard, I'd rather be working anyday." Wow! Really??? Why so negative? So many women would love to trade you places. I always get this strong urge to tell those women that they need to appreciate the time they have with their children because eventually they won't want to spend any time with you and you'll be so sad and probably even crying about the fact that you didn't appreciate the time you did get to spend with them.
Besides is it really that bad being a stay at home mom? I don't think I'm going to feel that way at all, because I am going into this with a completely different perspective, an appreciative perspective. I know it will be hard at times but I also know that I get to be the one to teach my son new things and I get to be there when he takes his first steps or crawls for the first time, and I get to be there to comfort him when he falls down or gets scared, not some lady I barely know. I'm so grateful for this opportunity that it makes me sad that more women aren't appreciative of the rare chance that they get to be home with thier families. I hope I can keep this positive mentality through the hard times, for example as he's screaming his head off throwing a temper-tantrum in the middle of the grocery store...but I guess only time will tell.
I think I'm ready for it, all I can do at this point is take a deep breath and move forward with a good attitude. Knowing God will yet again lead me in the right direction.
My word of advice for today is, "Change is the only thing consistent in our lives." (unkown) So my challenge to myself and to everyone else is to accept change as a good thing and see where it takes you in life. What lessons can be learned and who we might meet. Enjoy the journey!
As I take this last day to finish up and complete all my loose ends here on the job I can't help but reflect on how great of a place this has been to work for. God truly blessed me and helped me go in the right direction to meet certain people in order for me to get this great job. Despite my recent frustration I still enjoy this company and I enjoy everyone I work with. I will be sad to leave a company that I know does so much good for the community and for their students. I hope that if I do decide to start working again in the future a position will be open so I can continue my journey with this company.
I also can't help but think of everyone's reaction when I've told them I get to be a stay at home mom. Some people's reactions where of happiness and excitment. While others scared the crap of me and actually have made me think twice about this decision because as soon as I utter the words stay at home mom, I get, "you're crazy, it's so hard, I'd rather be working anyday." Wow! Really??? Why so negative? So many women would love to trade you places. I always get this strong urge to tell those women that they need to appreciate the time they have with their children because eventually they won't want to spend any time with you and you'll be so sad and probably even crying about the fact that you didn't appreciate the time you did get to spend with them.
Besides is it really that bad being a stay at home mom? I don't think I'm going to feel that way at all, because I am going into this with a completely different perspective, an appreciative perspective. I know it will be hard at times but I also know that I get to be the one to teach my son new things and I get to be there when he takes his first steps or crawls for the first time, and I get to be there to comfort him when he falls down or gets scared, not some lady I barely know. I'm so grateful for this opportunity that it makes me sad that more women aren't appreciative of the rare chance that they get to be home with thier families. I hope I can keep this positive mentality through the hard times, for example as he's screaming his head off throwing a temper-tantrum in the middle of the grocery store...but I guess only time will tell.
I think I'm ready for it, all I can do at this point is take a deep breath and move forward with a good attitude. Knowing God will yet again lead me in the right direction.
My word of advice for today is, "Change is the only thing consistent in our lives." (unkown) So my challenge to myself and to everyone else is to accept change as a good thing and see where it takes you in life. What lessons can be learned and who we might meet. Enjoy the journey!
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Money Stress
These days as it winds down to me getting closer and closer to being done working I am slowing feeling the stress of money creep up. Marc and I have planned out the next 6 months of finances and are prepared for me not to be working but I can't help to feel like money is all I'm seeing in this transition and how it's going to be an added stress.
Money is already a topic in our relationship that I tend to focus on more then my husband. I think that's usually how it goes, one person stresses while the other doesn't see the importance of it. I have had to tell myself numerous times that money is just an object that only has the value we give it. In my eyes I see that if we have money then we have more then most and are truly blessed with what we have but I also see that if we lose it or run out of it then all the comforts we enjoy have to go out the window. We've already done some major cutting back to save money, for example we have NO cable and watch t.v. from an antenna and we watch any of the shows we miss on hulu for free. We hardly ever go to the movies instead we just wait for it to go to the red box and rent it for a dollar. I love red box!!!
Do you ever feel though that when making these major life changes that's when money issues are thrown at you? I sure do! I feel that once we've made this decision for me to leave work we've just had one thing come up after the next. I know that's just the big waves before the calm and I'm grateful that I have a peace of mind knowing that this is the right choice...but I can't help but be scared and nervous.
I hate how money has this hold on me. Does anyone else feel the same way?
I feel like this zebra somedays. Not sure what's going on...only thing I can think of happening is stress.
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