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.

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.

1. I’ve had a lot of post ideas in my head again – and yet I have not been able to put the proverbial pen to paper (fingers to keyboard) to get them out. I’m not just talking about “Was the dress gold and white or black and blue?” but actual real things that have been in my head lately – things related to work and life and the balance of the two and being a part of a larger conversation that seems to be taking place around me. It’s hard, sometimes, to write those things because I’m torn between the need to share my thoughts and be authentic and the need to not express anything that could be misconstrued and have real consequences. It is a fear when writing anything related to work and i try always to be very measured in how I express anything even remotely related.

2. It is possible to like your job and the people you work for and have bad days sometimes. That’s why I try to be very careful about venting on those difficult days – because one of those days when you’ve had conference calls out the wazoo and frustration could be misinterpreted. (Note: I do NOT love conference calls and you can’t make me.)

3. A trip to Chicago this weekend was a welcome breath of fresh (and glacially cold) air. Sometimes you just need a change of scenery though the toughest thing about going out of town was coming home. My girls were with their dad and coming home after work on Monday – to an empty house – after spending a weekend amongst friends was very tough. BUT CHICAGO! I love Chicago. Also, I managed to rack up my Fitbit steps in record time on Saturday afternoon, so there’s that.

4. Now that it’s March (whoohoo!!), I’m even more eager for winter to get on its merry little way and mosey on out of here. I know better than to think that it’ll be spring any time soon – and even with temperatures in the 40s forecasted for next week, i know that this can’t possible be OVER yet. (I wish it were over.)

5. House of Cards season three. As much as I want to just binge and watch it start to finish, Chris and I stalled on episode three – mainly due to a combination of lack of time and travel exhaustion that made me fall asleep midway through episode three. Perhaps this weekend I’ll get caught up.

6. That sheepish moment when you have to text your hair stylist to let her know that you had someone else cut your hair and you really really hate it and that you’re sorry and NEVER AGAIN will you stray to someone else’s scissors. Sigh. I should have known better than to trust my curly layers to anyone else.

7.I miss really long walks in the sunshine. Really long walks without frostbite or snow. Without a coat and gloves and a hat. Spring. I need spring.

8. The thing about winter is that it is sucking the life out of me and making me older and wrinklier and more tired.

9. I really miss my kids when they’re not here. While it does allow for me to do things like to go to Chicago for the weekend, the thing is – I’m really used to having my daughters around me. And I like it. Even if they don’t like to clean. When they’re not here, there’s definitely a piece of me missing

10. I got a charley horse type thing in my foot last night. Darn near thirty minutes of not being able to unclench my foot. What a feeling. A not – good feeling.

1. It’s been a bizarre week for me – work has been busy and life has been busy and my brain has been busy and the week started with celebrating National Margarita Day and here we are rolling into Thursday and I’m just relieved that there’s another Friday in sight – and that February is almost over because really, February is never any good.

2. I painted my nails Tuesday night. By Wednesday, I had chipped most of the polish off two nails. And then when I tried again, I smudged my top coat – and this is why i love gel manicures even though I know THEY ARE SO BAD FOR YOU. I have two sheets of Jamberrys I could use also – but I didn’t feel like cutsey chevron nails – I wanted some sass (Incognito in Sausalito is my color du jour. Until I eff it up again.)

3. The Princess’s gymnastics schedule means that she’s 100% wiped out when she gets home from the gym and oh boy I am not a fan of over-homework-tears at 9 p.m. Last night’s ordeal involved glue that wouldn’t glue and pipe cleaners that wouldn’t stick.

4. You want my opinions about vaccines, don’t you?

5. The problem with thumbs is that you use them for so much stuff that that’s where the nail polish gets most messed up. Darn thumbs.

6. I’ve been slogging through a miserable book and now a really sad book and I just want to finish these and get on to something good. Gut wrenching sobs in this sad book I’mr easing now, and I still just wish the damn things was over so I could move on to something, possibly with less death.

7. Today is my Friday. I have immense guilt over taking a day off. I’m entitled to days off. I am entitled to several and yet, guilt. I may have workaholic tendencies. It’s funny – because at the end of the work day – I’m ready to get home and have the next half of my day begin – but vacation days, days off – those are tough for me.

8. I just spent two minutes reading an article about how a beef shortage is impacting prices at Chipotle. (Chicken tacos 4 lyfe)

9. I am so tired of the cold weather. Bone chilling cold temperatures have gotten me down. Granted the commute has been easy, once I get past the fact that I’m getting into a really cold car. Two pair of socks is the norm – as is two scarves. Boots on most days, even if there’s no snow, because they’re warmer than regular shoes. So tired of being cold. Eff off February.

10. I bought three different long sleeve white tees this weekend and I don’t know that I realized i was doing it. I mean, I knew I needed white tees, but I guess I didn’t realize I bought three. Guess I’ll be all set for awhile?

1. I know that I’ve said that I would far rather have the brutal cold than the snow – but OH MY GOSH IT IS SO COLD AND FRANKLY IT’S JUST GETTING RUDE. Negative wind chills equal negative Sarah.

2. I’ve been watching a lot of Celebrity Apprentice on OnDemand lately (NO, I haven’t gotten around to canceling my cable yet) and I have to say: a) being a Project Manager is some tough stuff (I know because THAT IS WHAT I DO) and b) it’s interesting how little some celebrities know about business. Also, to go even a step further – it is mind boggling how poorly some people treat other people. I see that in the “real world” and not just on the show, but holy hell people: just be nice. (Also? I’m rooting for Leeza Gibbons. Man, this lady knows her stuff. And she’s likable.)

3. Okay. I’m going to use another number for this: How is Geraldo still even remotely relevant? And Ian Ziering? What the hell is he even about? Okay. I’m done.

4. The Princess is currently making a mega movie list – flicks on Netflix to watch with her friends. What a list. I think it’d be a fun trip down memory lane to watch half these movies. I mean Clueless? Yes please.

5. Yesterday was National Drink Wine Day. Sunday is National Margarita Day. It’s like someone was planning this stuff and realized that February needed a little bit of help to make it suck less.

6. And boy does it suck. I cannot believe we’re over halfway through the month – which is good – but the cold weather coupled with some snow and yuck and February is never really my favorite anyway.

7. I didn’t read 50 Shades of Gray. And I won’t go see the movie. Know what else? I’m not going to write a blog post devoted to why I won’t read the book or see the movie because frankly, go see it or don’t, read it or don’t. My opinions on the matter don’t count for anyone but me. And frankly, I don’t have enough to say about it on my own – so it wouldn’t even be worth clicking through to read what I would have to say about it. But I find it obnoxious that people who aren’t seeing the movie or reading the book are more than happy to springboard from them for the almighty page view. I think that’s almost just as bad.

8. My next door neighbor snow-blowed (snow-blowered?) my driveway yesterday. I’ve always heard people talk about their nice neighbors who do stuff like that but that’s NEVER happened to me. Until yesterday! How lovely to come home to a clean drive? It truly made my day! There really ARE people who do nice things like that!

9. What do you even wear when the windchill is so far below zero? I mean, you can’t really get warm anyway – so do you even really try? Brrr. (I tried to wear a pair of cuddle duds under my jeans on Sunday – I was warm but holy moley wearing two pairs of pants was excruciating. Uncooperative Waistbands is my fake band name)

10. At this time next year, I better be on a vacation. I can’t do another February in Michigan.

1. The Princess brought Cheetos home after she spend the night at a friend’s house last weekend and I’ve managed to steer clear of the delightful artificially cheesy goodness, and now that I REALLY REALLY WANT THEM… I think they’re gone.

2. The thing about agency type work is that for every day you feel like a genius at the top of your game, there are two where you feel like the biggest idiot who ever walked the planet (no? Just me?). I’m approaching my one year anniversary at this job and while I definitely feel like I’ve found my sea legs, there are days when I go home feeling deflated. Yesterday was one – there’s a lot to do and I want to keep working to get things done, but I need to shift gears and be mom too. While I can often manage to resist turning on my work laptop once I’m home for the day, I’m usually handwriting copy that needs to get done. I think better with pen and paper and I can still feel like I’m accomplishing a bit more before the day ends. Perhaps next week will be less chaotic.

3. I found the cheetos.

4. How many times a year do I decide that I need to get healthier again and dig out the Nike Training Club app? Oh? Several. Alrighty then. (Yeah, I went from cheetos to “healthy” – why do you ask?)

5. After a week of sickness, it’s nice to see Pumpkin back to her normal self this week. Appetite is back to normal and bickering with her sister levels are normal too. So thrilled.

6. I’m currently reading a memoir written by a former drug addict and I’m wondering just how he supposedly remembers all of these events in such fine tuned detail when he was supposedly tweaked out of his mind on crack. Perhaps I should just consider it fiction-ish.

7. I can tell when I’m feeling really burned out when I want to comment truthfully on everyone’s Facebook status.

8. Yay! West Michigan in getting a Trader Joe’s! (In, like 2016). I want to get excited but the fact that it’s going to be darn near a whole year before it happens makes enthusiasm kind of tough.

9. I miss taking real pictures. Spring, please come.

10. Last weekend I filed my taxes, cleaned my house, and apparently turned into an old lady. What happened to having fun on the weekends?

1. This month has flown by – this YEAR has flown by. I find it hard to believe that in two weeks it will be Christmas. In three weeks, we’ll be staring 2015 in the eye. I’m…not sure how I feel about all of that. This year didn’t start that well, and it’s continually gotten better as tine has gone on and now we’re about to roll into a new years and I’m a little bit like, “WHOA. WAIT. WHAT JUST HAPPENED?”

2. I should probably chill out and just focus on Christmas first.

3. I had been feeling quite a lot of stress when it comes to little projects at work (and big projects, let’s be honest) – it’s something I have to work on, the fact that I let myself get SO WOUND UP over things. So – the other day I started thinking about how I need a bit of perspective. No matter what, even on my worst day at work, I’m not Brady Hoke with a legion of Michigan fans awaiting for my firing (poor Brady – I’m sure he saw it coming). I’m not any of the other people that have been in the news for screwing up royally in their jobs with huge life or death consequences. If I really do mess up (instead of just feeling like I have): No one dies. Life goes on, y’know. Is it worth the drama? Nope. Probably not. Thinking a little differently has helped.

4. Know what else has helped? Treating myself to a manicure this week. I’ve been spending a lot of time staring at my nails over the past few days – they’re still short, but I do love how clean and shiny and polished they look. It makes me happy. I go back and forth – It makes me happy, I should do this more often and I can’t fathom being that lady who spends money on her nails. I’m not fancy. I’m not frilly. But boy. I like when my nails are lovely.

5. Lest y’all think that I’ve become some weird new version of myself totally wow’d by things like my fingernails – I am also currently very excited by the purchase of a pair of leggings that feel like fuzzy socks for my legs. Of course, I can’t wear them in public because leggings as pants is a line I don’t really want to cross (nor should I) but damn those things are comfortable.

6. I am still pretty in love with my FitBit.

7. The girls and I will be baking and decorating ALL OF THE COOKIES this weekend. It’s one of my favorite holiday traditions even though it’s a lot of work. A record number of kids have RSVP’d so it’s gonna be an interesting time! Messy and covered with sprinkles.

8. After a slew of bad weather and snow days, the weather here has been decidedly calm. Thank heavens. Still terrified of driving on snow and ice and so if it’s an uneventful wither, that would be a-okay with me.

9. That thing when you’re wrinkle cream has such a strong smell that you’re constantly aware that you’re so old that you need wrinkle cream.

10. I average about six hours of sleep a night – and it’s not necessarily good sleep. I have GOT to learn better sleeping. I’m tired of being tired.