Archives for April 2015

Thursday Ten: In The Homestretch Edition

1. This time of year makes me more than a little crazy – we’re entering that time of year where it seems that every darn school activity is scheduled one right after another – boom boom boom boom. Permission slips, field trip money, concerts, performances. KISS YOUR FREE TIME GOODBYE, MOMS AND DADS. It’s ALL school ALL the time. Well, for a few more weeks. And then it’s summer and YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN.

329 | 365 - April 29, 2015

2. Oh summer. Well. It feels like this summer is filling up with lots to do already – and not much at all. I have to say, my perspective on summer has changed somewhat since I no longer work from home. When I was sitting in my home office all week – summer was a real struggle for me – because I had to balance being a mom and being a good worker bee. Now that I’m in an office full time, that problem is solved for me. NOW my bigger issue is that the cost of childcare increases in the summer. Boo.

3. And I still hate summer weather.

4. Mad crazy desire to travel – what are your tips and tricks and hints for outta the country travel. I want to see Spain and I better start saving my pennies. Wanderlust times a bajillion.

5. Now that we’re done with Gilmore Girls, The Princess and I have been watching Glee. I…prefer Gilmore Girls.

6. I have become a maker of smoothies and it’s tough because my blender is a piece of garbage and MANGOS ARE TOUGH TO BLEND. Brought a smoothie for lunch yesterday and was slurping up chunks of mango through my straw. Yum?

7. This week has felt a hundred years long and yet, it’s been okay? The weekends have seemed too far apart lately. That may be a sign that I need a vacation. Nothing on the calendar any time soon, unfortunately. I really need to get better about making that a priority.

8. It feels really weird to not be getting ready for the Avon Walk. I miss the fundraising and the anticipation and I even miss the forty miles. Life just got kooky this year.

9. Looking for taco recipes is some of my favorite kind of Google-ing.

10. I accidentally bought red lip gloss the other day. I’ve been wearing it but I don’t like it and I still hate red. I’m just too cheap to throw it away.

Thursday Ten: Better Late Than Never edition

1. I’m having trouble writing lately. Actually, that’s not really true – I’m composing posts in my mind all the time, but none of them yet have made it to the screen. And that’s probably okay – there’s a lot going on in this brain of mine lately. And one of these days I’ll write it down. Soon. Or not. I mean, why does the day only have 24 hours, anyway?

2. We’re not supposed to “glorify busy” but honestly? That’s really just the way it is.

3. Kid President’s Guide to Being Awesome? It’s awesome.
321 | 365 - April 21, 2015

4. We’re wrapping up gymnastics season this weekend and I am pretty excited. Love to watch my girl compete, but it’s very time consuming and so I’m ready for a few months off from those four hour meets and long drives to get there.

5. I wanted to love the new Alabama Shakes album as much as I loved their previous. And it’s good but it’s so different than their first album. It sounds like they’ve been listening to a lot of D’Angelo lately. And, in general, it just doesn’t feel cohesive to me.

6. Wish I could make myself spend the $40 on Ryan Adams huge ol “Live at Carnegie Hall” collection. (I probably will. Slowly. I’ve already downloaded two songs.)

7. I am so far behind on listening to podcasts – and it’s funny because I haven’t listened to the radio in forever and sometimes it’s nice to have the talking in the car when I drive – it’s like I have company when I don’t. That sounds like a weird reason to like podcasts but it’s also because the radio station I listen to plays wretched dance remixes during the evening commute and that just sucks, so no.

8. I spent time with my niece and nephew today and they made me so ridiculously happy – the unabashed giggles of a toddler is enough to bring a smile to even the crankiest face.

9. Saturday is National Mani Pedi day and you better believe I have my appointment set because eventually the weather is going to be better again and I’mma be wearing flip flops.

10. Cheers to the people who go above and beyond. The people who make a difference – the people who make change. The people who make the world brighter.

Thursday Ten: Trying To Ditch Negative Nancy edition

1. I was in the middle of a spectacular mope today when on the drive home, the new Real Simple Podcast (“I Want to Like You”) started playing. Today’s topic was negativity and one of the main points they made was that often people who complain are doing so because it’s easier than acknowledging your actual feelings, and so I made an effort to acknowledge the things irritating me today: a snotty email, when other people have more control over my schedule than I do, when people take their bad day out on me, when the school cancels an after school function without alerting parents, thus sending a child home on the bus when my child care provider (my awesome stepdad) was expecting to pick her up at school an hour later (Spoiler alert: my awesome neighbor-slash-mother of Pumpkin’s friend texted me that my daughter was with her, I alerted my stepdad, everything worked out – BUT WHO DOESN’T TELL THE PARENTS WHEN PLANS LIKE THAT CHANGE?!). So. I’m putting it out there: I knooooooow I’m being negative. I’m trying to get through it. A lot of feelings about a lot of things is making me complainy.

2. I don’t get enough sleep and I don’t like being negatively impacted by things outside my control. Therein lies the root of 97.4% of my frustration in life.

3. That onion rings aren’t health food might account for a good .6% of the frustration in my life.

4. Things I’ve recently learned: a box of 3M Steri Strip Skin Closures costs $7.99 on Amazon; going to a weekend clinic to get a head wound glued shut will cost over $1,000. (Oh, doctors, you so crazy. And yes, I’ll be fighting y’all on that ridiculous shizz.) Also? I will probably just risk letting any old injury go stitch less and glue less because OH EM GEE, that’s not even worth it to me. Also, you can buy a skin stapler preloaded with disposable staplers on Amazon, for under $40, so I really think they should reconsider my bill. Also? Bleeding head wounds 4 lyfe.

5. I have had the theme to “House of Cards” stuck in my head for hours and it’s NOT EVEN A REAL THEME REALLY.

214 | 365

6. Everyone appears to be heading out of town for spring break and I’m jealous. Okay? I said it: JEALOUS.

7. We’ve been really busy at work and we’ve been managing to accomplish a ton – and it’s been crazy and chaotic and GAH!!! But, making headway on some projects is a good thing.

8. The weather was gorgeous the other day. See? I’m not all gloom and grump.

9. When you ask people the best part of the day and they respond? Awesome. Just as I absorb the negativity of people around me, I’m hoping I catch some of the good, as well.

10. The Princess mastered a stunt in gymnastics that she’s been working on for a long time and I think that is pretty amazing. Love to see her progress.