Blessed

On Monday, we received some very sad news.  A teacher who used to work with us and was transferred to another local HS (but still in our district) lost his wife to a complication from breast cancer.  It was very sudden.  She was in remission, it had come back, and she had just been given the all-clear to stop chemo again and she and her family (three girls in their mid to late teens) all thought she was just fine.

He received a call at work on Friday.

Her liver had shut down and she was gone.

She was 48.

My grandmother was 47 when she died from breast cancer.  My dad was the oldest and was 17.  His youngest sister was 14.

Today, leaving her wake, I was so incredibly overcome with sadness.  I wanted nothing more than to hug my baby boy and my girls and my husband and keep them close.  We never know what life will throw at us and I think this was my reality check.  I spend so much time worrying about WHAT COULD BE and that I don't spend enough time with my family and I feel pulled in a thousand different directions and instead of enjoying what direction I am being pulled in, I stress out about everything.

I need a new perspective. 

I love my life. I love my family.  I love my job.  We are happy and healthy and  have a home we love (except the damn drain flies...tips anyone?  We can't locate the source and have had a plumber out).

I am blessed.

Weekend Recap and MPM

Seriously?  How is it Monday?  Where did the weekend go?  Wait...the same place as summer break, I suppose.  Heavy sigh.  Anyway, what did we accomplish this weekend?  It feels like a whole lotta nothing.   And this is going to be a lame update because I am exhausted after the weekend.

Friday:

-Pick up the mess that has become our dining room and living room

-Snuggle Logan because I really missed him this week

-Dinner with the fam (pork chops, rice, peas)

-Watch JIM THOME's first game back as an Indian!! while drinking a chai latte and relaxing

Saturday:

-All day bachelorette party (winery tour)

Sunday:

-Thirty-One party

-Lesson plan for the week (HA!  That so did NOT happen...)

-Laundry/prep clothes for work week

-Grocery store for any last-minute things we need for the week

Sunday:Jambalaya with turkey smoked sausage, corn
Monday: Sloppy joes, fries, veggie
Tuesday: Spaghetti, garlic bread
Wednesday: Sausage and peppers, cous cous, veggie
Thursday: Beans and rice enchiladas
Friday: Pizza night

Link up at OrgJunkie to join in Menu Planning Monday!

Weekend Planning Blog Hop

OMG.  I am exhausted.  It was my first week back at work and with my insane class schedule, I am BEAT!  But, so glad it is the weekend!!

Friday:
-Pick up the mess that has become our dining room and living room
-Snuggle Logan because I really missed him this week
-Dinner with the fam (pork chops, rice, peas)
-Watch JIM THOME's first game back as an Indian!! while drinking a chai latte and relaxing

Saturday:
-All day bachelorette party (winery tour)

Sunday:
-Thirty-One party
-Lesson plan for the week
-Laundry/prep clothes for work week
-Grocery store for any last-minute things we need for the week

How it Works:
If you haven't already, blog about your weekend plans.  Maybe you have a bunch of projects you are going to tackle.  Maybe you are attending BBQ after BBQ.  Or perhaps you are laying low.  Whatever it is, share it on your blog! Feel free to use the "Weekend Planning" button in your post, the code is on the bottom right hand side of the blog.

Then, come back to this blog and link up your post in the link collection at the bottom of this entry.

If you want to participate in the hopping part of the Blog Hop, simply click on the "get InLinkz code" at the bottom of the post,  copy the code provided and include it in your Weekend Planning post!  The more people that participate, the further your blog will hop! :)

As a little extra incentive, the first 3 people to link up their Weekend Planning posts will be featured in the sidebars of both My Happy House and A Life in Progress!

All we ask in return is that you follow the two host blogs, My Happy House and A Life in Progress. Then be sure to comment and let us know if you are a new follower so we can follow you back.  And of course, be sure to check out the other blog links!  Simple, right?

Let's get to linking and motivating others to having a weekend with purpose!

Back to School, Back to School...

It is that time of year again...time for back to school!  My first day back was on Tuesday and Logan and Alexys were with my in-laws.  Today I took Logan to his regular babysitter's house.  I have to admit...this was harder than coming back from maternity leave.  I had only been home for six weeks but now...almost three months and he is such a little personality now.  Anyway, it is a comfort knowing he is with someone who genuinely loves him and I know he gets tons of snuggles while he is there.

Because, well, who wouldn't miss this face?

So last night, I packed up his diaper bag, packed his and my lunch, and this morning we were on our merry way. And little man didn't even hesitate. He was off and ready to play as soon as we arrived.

Good to know I am the only one with separation anxiety.

Logan: 8 Months (and 2 weeks)

My sweet, sweet boy. Mama is running late with this post. Because, well, in the last few weeks, we have been so busy and I am soaking up every possible minute with you before I go back to work

(these pictures are becoming an event and a half)

Oh little man. You are such a character. You love to laugh and giggle and you find all dogs HI-LARIOUS. Ozzie, Nonna and Papa's doggies, Grandma and Grandpa's doggy...you see them and just laugh and go crazy.

You love being outside and around people. In fact, you are starting to throw tantrums if no one is paying attention to you. I don't think it is separation anxiety, but you are just such a ham and want to be the center of attention.

You had your first over-nighter at Nonna and Papa's (Mommy's parents)! You did awesome!! Slept like a good boy in your pack n play!

You have TWO TEETH! They came up at the SAME TIME! I am pretty sure more are on their way because you are chewing on everything in sight and are a drooley mess.

You are still eating 32 ounces of formula a day (4 8-ounce bottles) and trying to get you to eat baby food is a huge battle that Daddy and I are giving up on. We are moving you to table food and you are much happier. We are holding on to your bouncy seat for dear life because you still like to sit in it to eat your bottle. In fact, you try to hold it with your feet sometime! Silly boy!

You are reaching out to us now and we are pretty sure you are trying to wave bye-bye. We SWEAR you waved bye-bye to Aunt Heidi, who is 7 months pregnant with your first cousin, a baby girl.

You met several friends this month, both of whom were older, and I think this flipped a switch for you because you started crawling the next day! Now you are unstoppable!! You are slowly getting better with the sippy cup; we just continue to try!

I am interested to see what you weigh when we go next month for your appointment...because you are still sporting a tiny butt with some chunker thighs!! You are wearing size 3 diapers Cruisers and overnight diapers because you kept leaking through them.

Little man, your smile and laugh and dimple light up our lives. You are the constant bright spot for us and we love you more and more each day. I have truly loved being home with you this summer and I am dreading Wednesday's drop-off at the sitter's house :(

I love you, little man.

Thirty-One Open House Recap

Last Sunday was my Thirty-One open house. I was pretty nervous that my mom and mother-in-law would be the only people showing up, but I ended up with about 15 people at my house throughout the course of the day!

Here is my display. I used my wall hanging as a display piece. C found that pretty funny when i set up that morning. I even used a discontinued item because I wanted to show how I use Thirty-One in my daily life:

My $31 for $31 board:

I had the snacks set up in the dining room and I moved the table against the window, the way we did for Logan's baptism. It gives more space to move around and check things out (note the basinet...I wanted to make sure I remembered to give it to my sister-in-law):

I served cheese and crackers, BLT Dip with French bread, a veggie tray, and strawberries and cream cheese fruit dip.  I had some food leftover, but not a ton, which was good.  And most of it was gone later that night during my True Blood date with my two BFFs. 

Anyway, I was pretty happy!  I had another party on Tuesday and one on Friday, so I feel like I am off and running!!  I am booking parties from my parties and getting to spread the message and AWESOME product of Thirty-One!!

Weekend Planning Blog Hop

How is it Friday already?  And where did my summer go??  My Facebook page is filled with fellow teachers lamenting the start of the school year.  In a way, it is nice to get back to a daily routine, but the little man and I had a pretty darn good one this summer (on most days!).  WE are also excited because his babysitter is also watching a good friend's baby girl, so Logan will have a playmate!  This weekend is PACKED and I have to really make the best use of my time, so without further ado, here it goes!

Friday:
-Clean out fridge
-Menu plan and make grocery list (back-to-school lunch supplies must be purchased!)
-Grocery shopping and Target for baby supplies
-Make veggie pizza and apple plum bars
-Vacuum living room, dining room
-Sweep and mop hall and kitchen

Saturday:
-Mall for birthday presents for Mom and Alexys
-Pick up ice-cream cake
-Clean bathrooms
-Parents' house for Mom's birthday

Sunday:
-Quick clean of house
-Vacuum
-Family over for Alexys' birthday

How it Works:
If you haven't already, blog about your weekend plans. Maybe you have a bunch of projects you are going to tackle. Maybe you are attending BBQ after BBQ. Or perhaps you are laying low. Whatever it is, share it on your blog! Feel free to use the "Weekend Planning" button in your post, the code is on the bottom right hand side of the blog.

Then, come back to this blog and link up your post in the link collection at the bottom of this entry.

If you want to participate in the hopping part of the Blog Hop, simply click on the "get InLinkz code" at the bottom of the post, copy the code provided and include it in your Weekend Planning post! The more people that participate, the further your blog will hop! :)

As a little extra incentive, the first 3 people to link up their Weekend Planning posts will be featured in the sidebars of both My Happy House and A Life in Progress!

All we ask in return is that you follow the two host blogs, My Happy House and A Life in Progress. Then be sure to comment and let us know if you are a new follower so we can follow you back. And of course, be sure to check out the other blog links! Simple, right?

Let's get to linking and motivating others to having a weekend with purpose!

Weekend Recap and MPM

So..what was accomplished this weekend?

Green: Done

Red: Not completed

Blue: Change made in plan

Friday:

* Store to purchase groceries for Sunday and a black and hot pink sheet for my display table 

* Vacuum bedrooms and upstairs 

* Work on lesson plans for Beowulf (thrilling, I know) (um...no way was this going to happen)

* Pray that Logan naps after we go for a walk. This whole standing in his crib screaming is extremely frustrating.  Thank you Jesus, he napped in the afternoon.

* Maybe a birthday party tonight.

Saturday:

* First Browns preseason game! Go Browns! While C is at the game, we will go to my parents' house. I am hoping to drop the kids off for awhile and come back to clean.  We went to my mom and dad's and I ended up staying over.  We went shopping for some back to school stuff for Alexys and stayed for dinner.

* Clean bathrooms

* Dust and vacuum living room and dining room

* Wash kitchen floor

* Set up display table and appetizer table 

* Make BLT dip, veggie dip,  prep veggies, make strawberry dip, cut bread for BLT dip

Sunday:

* Thirty-One Open House!

* True Blood date with my girlfriends!

Woot!  LOVE seeing all that GREEN of accomplished items!!  School starts next Tuesday, so I want to get some organizing done this week, which I will post for Tackle It Tuesday.  How did your weekend go?  Did your to-do list get finished??

Now, menu planning...this is a weird week.  We unexpectedly had to get Jamie's braces taken off, so it has cut into the budget quite a bit.  This week is going to be an odd one when it comes to the menu and basically cleaning out the fridge and pantry.  I am going to just put down the meat I am going to be using because the rest of the menu will be spur of the moment.

Sunday: Burgers and fries
Monday: Pork chops
Tuesday: Turkey sausage
Wednesday: Grilled cheese and tomato soup
Thursday: Chicken
Friday: Pizza night!
Saturday: Dinner at Mom and Dad's for Mom's birthday

Link up at OrgJunkie to check out the other menus!

Weekend Planning Blog Hop

Hello everyone and HAPPY FRIDAY!!  Lots to do this weekend with my Thirty-One Open House coming up on Sunday, so let's get planning!

Friday:

• Store to purchase groceries for Sunday and a black and hot pink sheet for my display table
• Vacuum bedrooms and upstairs
• Work on lesson plans for Beowulf (thrilling, I know)
• Pray that Logan naps after we go for a walk.  This whole standing in his crib screaming is extremely frustrating.
• Maybe a birthday party tonight.

Saturday:

• First Browns preseason game!  Go Browns!  While C is at the game, we will go to my parents' house.  I am hoping to drop the kids off for awhile and come back to clean
• Clean bathrooms
• Dust and vacuum living room and dining room
• Wash kitchen floor
• Set up display table and appetizer table 

Sunday:

• Thirty-One Open House!
• True Blood date with my girlfriends!

How it Works:
If you haven't already, blog about your weekend plans. Maybe you have a bunch of projects you are going to tackle. Maybe you are attending BBQ after BBQ. Or perhaps you are laying low. Whatever it is, share it on your blog! Feel free to use the "Weekend Planning" button in your post, the code is on the bottom right hand side of the blog.

Then, come back to this blog and link up your post in the link collection at the bottom of this entry.

If you want to participate in the hopping part of the Blog Hop, simply click on the "get InLinkz code" at the bottom of the post, copy the code provided and include it in your Weekend Planning post! The more people that participate, the further your blog will hop! :)

As a little extra incentive, the first 3 people to link up their Weekend Planning posts will be featured in the sidebars of both My Happy House and A Life in Progress!

All we ask in return is that you follow the two host blogs, My Happy House and A Life in Progress. Then be sure to comment and let us know if you are a new follower so we can follow you back. And of course, be sure to check out the other blog links! Simple, right?

Let's get to linking and motivating others to having a weekend with purpose!

Planning My Thirty-One Open House

In order to get my name out there and to build up my inventory, I decided to have a Thirty-One open house.  I sent invitations to pretty much every female I know and my fingers are crossed that people actually SHOW UP on Sunday!  Here are some details about the event:

• I decided to go with a Sunday because most people have SOME time available on Sundays: after church, before parties or picnics, etc.
• I chose a 3-hour chunk of time, 1-4 PM, for people to stop in.
• I will NOT be doing a presentation of the product; I will be available to answer questions and talk about the product, but since it will be a fluid party with people in and out, I do not want to do 5 presentations in three hours!
• Food..there will be food!

And since it is ALWAYS about the food, here is what I plan on serving:

• Veggies and dip
• Fruit and cream cheese dip
• Cheese and crackers
• Homemade beer bread with bacon dip
• Taco dip
• Some sort of dessert
• Assorted beverages (water, soda, wine)

I am trying to keep it simple and I want to have everything prepped on Friday and Saturday.  I will be setting up my display on Sunday morning so that the cats don't get into it!  Since we did a major cleaning last weekend for Chuck's birthday, I am doing upkeep this week and will just do the bathrooms and a quick clean of the rooms and kitchen and we will be set!  I can't wait to share the results with you next week!  Stay tuned!

Adventures with Thirty-One: Business Cards

Okay, who uses Vistaprint and LOVES them? I use them as often as I can because, well, stuff is FREE (and who doesn't love free stuff?). I started using them way back in 2007, when we were wedding planning and I ordered our save the dates from them (a magnet with our info and a picture mounted on a postcard).   I ordered our housewarming invites from them in 2009 (I should probably post pictures of all of these, huh?) and my cookie exchange invite for last year.

So once I started to get the Thirty-One ball rolling, I decided to use them for my business card!  I think it cost me $12.00 to ship 250 of these and a yard sign (which I will be using for my parties at other people's homes).  I love them!!:

Um...I also ordered the cookie exchange invites for this year! Crazy? I think so. But they are super cute and kind of set the tone for the entire party (which is the first weekend in December again).

Up next in my adventures? Planning my open house, which is this Sunday! Eek!

Menu Planning Monday/Weekend Recap

First of all...YAY for all those who participated in the blog hop!!  Wow!!  Molly and I are both SO excited to have you joining us on Fridays!!  And WELCOME to my new followers!  I am so happy to have you around and with me on my journey while I bake my way through the chaos that is my life!

Now, down to business.  I am just going to lump these two things together on Mondays...because it makes my life easier!  So, here is what was on the agenda for this weekend:

Friday:

• Grocery list and menu plan for week
• Target for baby and household items (non-grocery) then to grocery store
• Potential trip to zoo (no zoo trip...boo!), depending on C's work schedule OR yard work (trim shrubs, edge, clean up flowerbeds, mow)
• Family dinner and game night (moved to Saturday)

Saturday:

• Clean both bathrooms
• Clean family room and declutter living room
• Dust and vacuum family room
• Dust and vacuum bedrooms, upstairs hall, stairs
• Set up canopy outside
• Make C's cake (decided to make it Sunday so it would be fresh) and veggie pizza, prep corn on cob (ended up not having this on Sunday)

Sunday:

• Get pork to smoking early!(note: Chuck was up at 4 AM to get things started! Crazy man!)
• Made Chuck's cake
• Party!
• Oh and my weekly True Blood date with my two besties!

So, what is on the menu for the week?
Monday: Jamie's farewell dinner of Dorito Casserole and salad, followed by leftover cake/S'mores Bars
Tuesday: I have a Celebrate and Connect meeting for 31, so Chuck and Alexys will have some leftover pulled pork, coleslaw, and fruit salad
Wednesday: Spaghetti
Thursday:Grilled cheese and tomato soup (random, yes, but in the pantry)
Friday: Pizza night
Saturday: First Browns preseason game, so hopefully we can scam dinner off of my parents :)

Did you menu plan this weekend? If so, link up at Orgjunkie!

How did your To-Do list go? Did you accomplish anything? Declutter? Work in the yard? Sit around and watch Lifetime movies?? Tell us in the comment section!

HTML Help!!

Okay, look at this post on Weekend Planning...Why are half of my links in my sidebar??  I switched back to one of Blogger's templates...but it still is wonky.  Anyone??  HELP!!

Weekend Planning and a BLOG HOP!

Ah the weekend is FINALLY here and we are BACK to planning each weekend!!  To get things rolling, Molly over at My Happy House and I are hosting a BLOG HOP!!  We have lots to do this weekend, especially with the outside, because on Sunday we are having C's birthday party with our parents and my brothers!  So, here it is:

Friday:

• Grocery list and menu plan for week
• Target for baby and household items (non-grocery) then to grocery store
• Potential trip to zoo, depending on C's work schedule OR yard work (trim shrubs, edge, clean up flowerbeds, mow)
• Family dinner and game night

Saturday:

• Clean both bathrooms
• Clean family room and declutter living room
• Dust and vacuum family room
• Dust and vacuum bedrooms, upstairs hall, stairs
• Set up canopy outside
• Make C's cake and veggie pizza, prep corn on cob

Sunday:

• Get pork to smoking early!
• Party!

So, to the BLOG HOP!

How it Works:
If you haven't already, blog about your weekend plans. Maybe you have a bunch of projects you are going to tackle. Maybe you are attending BBQ after BBQ. Or perhaps you are laying low. Whatever it is, share it on your blog! Feel free to use the "Weekend Planning" button in your post, the code is on the bottom right hand side of the blog.

Then, come back to this blog and link up your post in the link collection at the bottom of this entry.

If you want to participate in the hopping part of the Blog Hop, simply click on the "get InLinkz code" at the bottom of the post, copy the code provided and include it in your Weekend Planning post! The more people that participate, the further your blog will hop! :)

As a little extra incentive, the first 3 people to link up their Weekend Planning posts will be featured in the sidebars of both My Happy House and A Life in Progress!

All we ask in return is that you follow the two host blogs, My Happy House and A Life in Progress. Then be sure to comment and let us know if you are a new follower so we can follow you back. And of course, be sure to check out the other blog links! Simple, right?

Let's get to linking and motivating others to having a weekend with purpose!

get the InLinkz code

Adventures with Thirty-One: My Mobile Office

As I previously mentioned, I had been kicking around the idea of joining as a Thirty-One consultant.  One night, I bit the bullet and went for it.  I was signed with an out-of-town director and I wasn't too happy with that.  I talked to my bloggy/real life friend Karen (who ALSO just signed up) and she led me to her sponsor.  I was SO EXCITED that I couldn't tear myself away from their Facebook wall, looking at all of the pictures and gathering ideas for my parties.

One of the first things I did after the new fall catalog was released was order a new Organizing Utility Tote for my mobile office.  This will allow me to stay organized for ALL of my parties and have my papers and hand-outs easy to find!  Sorry for the bad pictures...taken with my Droid.

See? Everything pretty and ready to ROLL!!  I was SURE I wanted the Thirty-One logo on it, along with a Thirty-One rosette, in the new Black Parisian Pop print.  LOVE!

I have much more to show you in regards to getting ready to sell, as well as prepping for my Open House on August 14th!

Curveball

Sometimes, just when life seems to be going wonderfully, it throws you a curveball.

Then someone else grabs the bat and beats the shit out of you with it. 

That is how I feel recently and why the blog has suffered a bit.  The girls were with their mother, who moved to Florida.   And one of them decided they would rather live there than with us.  Her reasons are that of an almost 15-year old who just doesn't get the gravity of the situation.  J is hoping to be accepted into an art school down there and is willing to give up the life we have built up here for it.  Including knowing her baby brother.  Or starting high school with us.  I am not going to lie, I am a bit sad I am not going to be a band booster mom.

So, this is what I have been dealing with.  And I am struggling.  I am sad, angry, overwhelmed, confused, and I am not very pleasant to be around.  I am coming to terms with it and trying to put it behind me so I can enjoy the week she has left here (she came home for two weeks). 

So the blog has taken a back-seat for the last week or so.   But please, stick with me, because things are going back to normal and regular posting will commence soon!