Getting it Back Together

Now that we are through the holidays and fully into the swing of the new year I am finally back at it. Those few weeks through the holidays I have been MIA and I apologize for that. Between Christmas and New Years and dealing with a cranky teething two and a half year old we have needed to take some time to get back into a groove. I will be the first to tell you that this year has not started off like I would have hoped. Not that anything bad has happened it has just been a struggle to get back to feeling hopeful since my little man had left me feeling absolutely defeated the past couple of weeks. This week, however, has been better. I am learning a lot about how to handle my emotions especially when he has been being so difficult I want to rip my hair out.

So for those of you that haven’t had a great start to this new year there is hope. I have wanted a fresh start since last year was just downright awful. And I was hoping that this would be “my year”. But with it not starting off so great I have really had to think about things. Things like just because it is a new year doesn’t mean that the slate is wiped clean and everything is going to be great again. We have to work at things. We have to work at changing who we are and the habits that we have already made for ourselves.

A lot of people feel like if they lose weight and look exactly like they want to look they will feel happy and fulfilled. Well, the thing is that unless you are in the right mindset you will never be happy and even if you accomplish “that” body you will always find another thing that is wrong with it.

So this year I have made my resolution to be getting myself in the right mindset. Now, ever year I do make a list of resolutions and this year isn’t any different, however, that list has now become my goals list. But my ultimate resolution is to get my mind right and really learn how I can do what I need to do to turn some of my bad habits into good ones and what I need to do to accomplish some of these goals this year.

I hope you all are still working toward accomplishing the things you want to this year and haven’t given up quite yet because this is a journey and the time will pass anyway whether you are ready for it or not. So here is to 2017 and finally getting it together.

Organizing Through The Holidays

If any of you are like me then you like to feel like you are on top of your stuff especially when it comes to the holidays. The past couple of years I have managed to let all of the stress from the holidays take over and not really stay as organized as I should have. But this year is different. I have started my lists early and I am trying to make sure I am getting everything done that needs done. I have even started shopping earlier and have accumulated a decent amount of stuff for the people we need to get gifts for. In order for me to think about what I need to get and who all I need to buy for lists have become my savior. Now, I have always been a list maker especially when I was in college in order to remember everything.

But for those of you that are not that great a keeping lists or if you really don’t know how to start here are some tips.

• Give your list a title this way you write down things that are for that particular category. (For example my one list is Christmas Cookies/ Candy to Make.)
• Next just start listing what you need to do, get, make, etc. (sugar cookies, Hersey Kiss cookies, chocolate fudge, etc)
• After I get this far I usually start to break down each item. (So under sugar cookies I will plan what day I want to bake them, what day I need to mix up the dough which is usually the night before, and when I want to give some away as gifts. I do this to make sure I am not making the cookies too far ahead of time but also allowing myself ample time to get them all done.) When I am breaking the list down I am also editing it according to what baking items I still need to purchase and what all I have time to make.
• As I am figuring out if I have all the ingredients I am also starting another list to keep track of what all I need to buy and by the date I need to buy it all.

So really it seems kind of overwhelming but the more you do it the quicker it goes and usually I don’t even have to think about it too much. I do know that this year I am also trying to coordinate making some of my cookies with my mom (the woman who passed on her amazing baking skills and recipes to me) since they are building a new house and still do not have a kitchen yet.

If you have any questions definitely leave me a comment and here is my finalized baking list for you to take a look at. After Christmas if you would like to see my Christmas Gift Ideas List just let me know. (I cannot let you see if before since who knows who might see it right! And we cannot spoil the surprise.)

Christmas Cookies/ Candy to Make
– Sugar Cookies: 12/5 & 12/6
– Make up dough: 12/5
– Bake cookies: 12/6
– Frost cookies: 12/6
– Get Sour Cream
– Hersey Kiss Cookies: 12/8 or 12/9
– Pick up Hersey Kisses
– Peanut and Marshmallow Clusters: 12/11 or 12/12
– Pick up marshmallows and peanuts
– Chocolate Fudge
– Chocolate Chip and xmas M&M Cookies: 12/14
– Set out butter to soften the morning of baking
– Make sure we have enough butter
– Pick up M&M’s and Chocolate chips
– Press Cookies

Shopping List
– Double check all baking staples    

– Flour
– Sugar
– Brown Sugar
– Etc.

 

Do You Self Care?

For those of you that don’t know yet, I have recently become a stay at home mom. While I love it I was not super prepared for all of it and these past two weeks have been an eye opener. Add onto that a toddler that is fully into his terrible twos and teething (Those darn two year molars) and by the end of the day I feel like I am losing my mind! Now, while I was working it did not seem so bad but I was also getting burnt out and I never really thought about doing something for myself just once a week. I know that most of the women that I follow on social media are always talking about doing something call self care. I never really gave it any thought until I am spending most of my days at home. Before I always had a reason to look nice and feel good about myself because I did have to be seen in public and look somewhat like the manager that I was. Now, however, there is not so much need for that but I am realizing that I need to pamper myself just a little bit. And self care time seems like the perfect way to do this. (Especially when I really haven’t done any sort of pampering on myself in about 2 years other than our anniversary weekend.)

Now with this new found idea I have come up with a list of self care ideas that I would love to spend some time doing. I have even penciled them into my calendar so that they are on my schedule. (Some of it seems kind of sad like paint my nails but those of you who have kids know how hard that can be sometimes.)

Here are some ideas
– At home facial or going to get a facial from a spa. I personally am not able to spend too much money on this, however, there are some great pinterest diy face masks that I have found or for me I just pick up some fun ones that I really have wanted to try from the store.
– Paint my nails and give myself a pedicure. If you have the time and the money then go get one and treat yourself. Or even make it part of a girls day and have some fun. For me at least for this crazy month it will be done myself at home probably watching a Christmas movie.
– Deep conditioning hair treatment. Again there are lots of diy treatments that you can find online or just pick up one at the store. Put it in your hair and watch a good movie that the kids are not allowed to watch or read a good book.
– Do a yoga dvd or go to a yoga class. This is definitely one that will help with any crazy stress that you are dealing with. It will also help you get a good workout in while doing something relaxing.
– Take a nap. It is ok to just feel like you want to take a nap when your little ones are napping. Normally I have a huge list of stuff that I have to get done when my little guy is napping but for this one day I am going to give myself permission to just lay down, unplug and take a nap. And if you have it penciled into your calendar then you can make sure to get the things done before this date. Think of it like an appointment where you have to go and lay down for a bit.
– Read a book just for fun. You know that book that you have been wanting to read but you just never have time for. That is the one that you get to finally indulge in. 
– Spend time coloring in an adult coloring book. This one for me is very relaxing. I usually do it when my husband and I want to just hang out for the night and watch some TV before bed (usually on the weekends). It allows my brain to stop thinking about everything and I keep my hands busy so I am not reaching for stuff to mindlessly munch on. I know I really need to schedule time to do this because I’ve had my coloring book since last Christmas and have only colored 8 pages. 
– Write in a journal. If you are able to allow yourself to just write and not sensor yourself this is sometimes such a great release. I have found that when I actually take the time to get out everything that has been tossing and turning in my head I usually come up with some solutions to the things that I have felt stuck on. The trick is to not sensor yourself no matter how stupid you feel when doing it and allow yourself ample time where you are not going to get interrupted. 
– Curl up with your kids, hubby, etc and watch movies all day. This one is a whole day of self care. You know those days when you just feel tired and run down. Most of us reserve something like this for those days when either ourselves or our kids are sick. But that is not very fun is it. You know those days when the weather is just awful and you don’t want to do anything. Do this and the memories you make by having a picnic in the living room while eating pizza and ice cream will be memories that last forever. I know when it was just me and my husband we would do that sometimes (especially when we were in college after exam week) and I have missed those time recently. But then I thought why not make it a family thing right!

Now you will not do all of these things in one month, maybe not even in two months. The main thing is to just really be conscious about it and pick maybe one day a week to just do something for yourself. I know that I am definitely going to work hard to make this happen once a week. And keep your eyes posted for another products I love post with some of the products I have found for my self care days. Also be on the look out for a list of good books for the new year to add to your collections.

If anyone else has any ideas for self care or if this is something you do on a regular basis I would love to hear from you!!!

Treat Everyone With Respect (a little PSA)

As you all know I work in retail. I have worked in retail for the past 12 years and I continue to notice that people seem to get more and more rude and entitled every year. Since the holidays are coming up and in the type of store I work at, right now hunting season is the start of our busy time, I am urging everyone to really remember that we are all people and everyone deserves to be treated with respect. Now, I am talking about how you treat the workers, fellow shoppers AND the merchandise. Many times more and more stores are under staffed and companies are packing in more and more product into small spaces. The employees trying deal with helping all customers and make sure they are getting all the merchandise out in a timely manner. In reality almost everyone is trying their best to be helpful but when you think about it, someone may be less willing to be helpful if you come at them with an attitude. Just think about your tone when you speak to someone you want help from. Sometimes you may have the same tone with a worker that someone an hour ago had and that resulted with the worker getting yelled at.

Now I know that the holidays are stressful but I think everyone would have better shopping experiences if they remember that we are all human. Sometimes people are just following the rules that they were told and they just don’t want to lose their job over something that could be avoided. And remember you are not entitled to speak to someone or yell at someone just because you are stressed out or mad. Most people are not out to screw you over they are usually trying to help you and do what they can.  Also be mindful if you are out shopping with your children. The way you treat people is what they are going to mirror. I find that we all just need to be mindful of how we come across to others and who might be watching those actions.

And one more thing I would definitely like to address, I don’t understand why grown men and women feel that it is ok to yell and point their finger in someone’s face (just because they look young or look like a college student). I once had a man do this to me and lean up over the counter and yell at me and I was 7 months pregnant!!! The next time you think this is acceptable behavior maybe think about how upset you would be if you watched someone treat your mother, daughter, sister, wife, etc like this. Everyone is entitled to have a bad day every once in a while but when you do please try not to make everyone that you come in contact with have a bad day also.

This is just some food for thought before we get too far into this holiday season. Maybe if we all remember this and be mindful of it then the stress of the holidays might not be so bad. Remember when the holidays used to be a fun time to get together with family and friends? Maybe just relaxing a bit and enjoying the moments instead of the stuff you need to do or buy will bring a little bit of that fun back.

“Me time” and Mom Guilt

Sometimes you just need to get away. Especially as a parent it is very easy to get caught up in what you have to do everyday that you forget to really step back and spend the quailty time with your kids that you want to. This past weekend my hubby and I went away for a long weekend while my mom (grandma) watched little Ray. It was so nice to just get away and be able to relax as just the two of us again. And it was our 5 year qedding anniversary and the anniversary of when we first met 11 years ago. The last time we were alone was really before Ray was born about 2 years ago. I know I really just needed the time away after this past years craziness. Especially when I am the one that is solely caring for our little man during the week since Don is only home on weekends usually.

On the Ski Lift at the Resort

Now part of me felt like an awful mom because I was so excited to get away. But I began to realize that sometimes it makes us better moms when we are able to get away and have time to only focus on ourselves and our needs. Being away really made me think about needing to spend quality time with Ray and not worry so much about everything that I need to do. He is more focused on how we are having fun and how I make him feel instead of what I am saying or doing. Sometimes as parents we need to remember that. Things are always so crazy and people today are more stressed out than ever that maybe we all need to take a break and focus on the now instead the next best thing. One thing that I did notice after we got back is how much anxiety that I actually have when I am around my son. Now if I notice it he surely is picking up on that feeling. And if you think about it that is probably very stressful for him.

So I am challenging anyone who is a parent to really think about what they are going through and how they are feeling and see if changing the way you feel about a situation helps changing how your kids react to you in general. Maybe being mindful of this might help out everyone that is involved. I also think that everyone needs to create some “me” time. Before this weekend I thought that all these moms that did things for themselves were kind of selfish but now I see that it is something that we desperately need but never have enough time to do it or we don’t feel like a good mom if we do schedule it in. It has been too long since I have felt like myself and I don’t want to lose that feeling again.

Here are some things you can do for your “me” time when you don’t have the time or the funds to take a long weekend away without your kids:

• Plan a girls night once a month to just hang out with other women your own age. (I just started this with my friends and we usually just hang out at my house and watch movies and cook dinner)
• Pick one day a week at really go to bed early and read a good book
• On the same day each week when getting ready for bed give yourself a facial, mani/pedi, etc. really just pamper yourself so you feel hot and sexy even when you do have a baby on your hip
• Plan a movie night with the hubby after the kids are asleep. Pop up popcorn and have a nice drink and just enjoy each other’s company
• Pick the amount of days you would like to work out and do your workouts as your me time. Sometimes just spending 30 minutes 3 days a week really helps.
• Do something you used to like before you had kids. Even if you think it is stupid or awful now. It will help you get back into the mindset of the pre-mom you.

Just doing something that really makes you feel good about yourself, where you don’t have a second agenda (like needing to make money off of what you are doing) can really help with your stress levels and your overall outlook of your life. Try something’s and let me know how they work!!! I am definitely trying to take a step back as well.