Feel the Burn

On Sunday I started BODYROCK.TV's 30 Day Challenge. And let me tell you, I am feelin' the burn baby!

Day 1 was the Fit Test and the hubby and I just about died afterwards (and eating a HUGE Mexican feast about an hour before doing it probably didn't help). Day 2 (yesterday) was just hilarious. Let me start by saying I am SO happy that I convinced Andy to do this challenge with me - it wouldn't be nearly as entertaining without him! Last night after the kiddos were in bed, we watched the video showing the challenge exercises and tried to memorize what each one was (i.e. what the heck "Tuck Jumps x 5 & ½ Burpee & squat hold x 5" means). After we thought we had it down, I set my nifty fitness timer app to 12 rounds of 50 seconds with a 10 second rest and we got started. We quickly discovered that we didn't really know what we were doing and proceeded to jump around, flinging arms and legs every which way... a couple push-ups here and there, some tuck jumps, some squats. There was lots of laughter throughout (and some serious panting), but the best was round 12 - the speed run... running in place as fast and as hard as we can. Basically, this resulted in my sweats falling down, but I just kept going for the full 50 seconds...Andy got a good laugh at my jiggly bum (which will be rock hard by the end of this). HA!

Anyhow, the point of this is that I'm actually having fun working out! Who woulda thunk it! And the burn I'm feeling today is a good kinda burn because I know my body's loving it.

Oh if only these 2 could see what mommy & daddy do after they're fast asleep...

Monthly DIY: Scrapbook Paper Wall Letters

Craft time!

Over the weekend I decided to do something to push myself a little bit in my creativity - a monthly DIY project! I've decided to commit myself to completing one artsy crafty project every month this year.

For January I decided to make Landon's name to hang above his changing table. Here's how it turned out...



Looks pretty good on our funky wood panel walls, eh? It seriously only took me like an hour to complete this project (minus shopping time at Hobby Lobby... oh man, I could spend hours in that place!). Here's what I used and how I did it...

SUPPLIES:

• Wood Letters (I got white ones, but you could easily get plain wood and paint any color you'd like)
• Scrapbook Paper 
• Tacky Spray Glue
• X-Acto Knife
• Cutting Mat
• OPTIONAL: Sandpaper & Distress Ink (for the edges)

WHAT TO DO:

1.  Spray front of letter with tacky glue.



2.  Place glue side down on back of scrapbook paper.
3.  Cut around letter with x-acto knife on a cutting mat (or any surface you don't mind cutting into).

Ha Ha! This is me pretending to cut with my left hand while snapping a pic with my right.


4.  Repeat for each letter... each on a different print of paper, or the same - you choose!

Before sanding edges and applying distress ink...


At this point you could call it a day and be done with this project. OR, for a little something extra...

5.  Sand the edges of each letter.
6.  Apply Distress Ink (I used "Tea Stain") around the edges of each letter (I just smudged it around with my finger... not sure if this is legit, but it worked for me).
7. Hang on wall.

My finished project... after sanding and applying distress ink...


Overall, I'm pretty dang happy with how they turned out. BUT, my original plan was to sand the edges a little rougher and then apply the distress ink. However, I didn't have any course sand paper and it was pouring rain and I didn't feel like going out and getting some. So, I used this super soft stuff that I found in a random drawer in our garage. Oh well.

Rockin' Body

Don't I look HOT for just having a baby?

via BODYROCK.tv

Ha Ha! I wish! My co-worker has convinced me to do BODYROCK.tv's 30 Day Challenge and ya know what? I'm super excited! One of my longest standing Dreams To Do is get my lazy a** in shape. It's also the hardest thing to do because I HATE working out. Hate it. But this challenge sounds totally do-able and FUN. I'm gonna get my hubby to do it with me.

The plan? Every night after we put the kiddos down and before we plop our butts on the couch to watch TV we will commit 15-20 minutes to completing the daily exercises. And the best part is that it's quick and can be done in front of the TV. WIN!

Look at me, talking likes it's going to be so much fun and so easy to keep up on. I'm just trying to be positive and I really am going to try my hardest to see this little ole challenge through (and not stop after 1 week like I always do with things like this).

Wanna join in on the fun? I'm starting Sunday with the Day 1 Fit Test. You should, too!

Wise Words Wednesday: Little Things

"It's the little things that matter, that add up in the end, with the priceless thrilling magic found only in a friend." - Elizabeth Dunphy

Today started off rough. After a long night battling a racing mind and several toddler/baby wake-ups, I woke up to my alarm at 6:01am (yes, 6:01) in a grouchy mood, to say the least. And then I left for work and my car literally slid sideways down our street on a ridiculous sheet of ice. Thank God no cars were coming through the intersection. Needless to say, I wasn't feeling too positive about today by the time I got to work.

However, 2 things got my day going in a much different direction than it started.

1. SUNSHINE & blue skies! Need I say more? 
2. The sweetest, most amazing little note from my dear friend, Kelly. Seriously, who sends handwritten notes these days? I still can't stop smiling from it.

The moral of this story is... well, I'm not really sure. All I know is that, like I've said a million times before, it really is the little things in life that matter. I get so easily caught up in the every day stresses of life that I forget to stop and smell the roses and appreciate the little things... to take 5 minutes out of my day and write a kind note to someone. Why don't I do this? Well, thanks to you Kelly, I'm going to start doing it! Love you girl!

On another, much more important note... I was munchin' on some trail mix at work when I came across something most interesting. See for yourself:



I don't know why I found this giant raisin so amuzing, but I did! Ha! Never could bring myself to eat it, though.

Just Dance

Our Sunday evening was winding down and I was feeling a little gloomy after spending the day in my jammies without leaving the house. So, I turned on the TV to the 90s music channel...

This is the rhythm of the night
The night, oh yeah
The rhythm of the night

This is the rhythm of the night
My life, oh yeah
The rhythm of the night

Remember that one?  Next thing I knew I was dancing around the living room with Landon in my arms and Leila twirling and laughing around me. Billy even joined in by trying to attack our feet as we bounced around.

I think I found my new form of daily excercise.

Not only did I work up a sweat, but my children loved every second of it. And seriously, those reminiscent 90s tunes sure did put me in a giddy mood! Try it ya'll! If you don't already enjoy a regular nighttime family dance party, I highly recommend it.

And, here's a video to get ya started...

:-)

3 Months

My little man turned 3 months old yesterday! I can hardly stand the cuteness...



Landon Drew at 3 months...

• Not sure about his weight, but he's wearing mainly 6-9 month clothing. Still HUGE!
• Inconsistently sleeping through the night, but I'm not complaining! Every few nights he'll sleep from 7:30pm to 5-6ish am without a peep! But usually he'll wake up to eat around 3am and go back down until 7. Not too shabby!
• He eats every 3 hours... 6 ounces of breast milk/formula from a bottle during the day! Little piggy! And at night/in the mornings he would never latch off of my boob if I didn't make him. Ha!
• Landon is still such a little lover - so easy going. And he seems to be adjusting to daycare life just fine.
• He gave me his first little giggles a couple of weeks ago when I was tickling his neck. But, he hasn't laughed much since - he's a pretty serious little dude!
• I can't even imagine life without him now.

On another note, yesterday was such a great day! It was my first full day home with the kids by myself where I didn't feel like I was gonna go crazy. They were soooooooo well behaved! And, I think that after my first full week back at work I was really able to appreciate every little second of yesterday with them.

Here are a couple more pics from yesterday's 3 month photoshoot...

Big sis just had to butt in...


Now off to enjoy the rest of my Sunday off with my littles... back to the grind tomorrow!

Blessed.

I've noticed a lot of sadness around me lately... horrible things happening to great people. It makes me feel guilty for all of the good in my life right now, but it helps me feel grateful and thankful for all that I have.

Last night I rushed home from work at 5 on the dot, driving like a maniac through treacherous, snowy conditions, just to get to my hubby and kiddos as fast as I could (it was Andy's first FULL day at home alone with both of them). I was full of the desire to just BE with them. To hold them all. To soak up their love and to feel safe and warm in their presence.

Nobody knows when or if their life will go awry. It's scary. All we have is this moment. If life is good in this moment, savor it. I forget this all too often.

So today, in this moment, I am choosing to feel happy, and thankful, and blessed for all that I have been given.

Even though I missed out on some snow day fun with my fam today...







Me and little Lando on my lunch break at home :-)


I hope your weekend is full of love & happiness & living in the moment!

Wise Words Wednesday: Relinquishing Control

“If you want to reach a state of bliss, then go beyond your ego and the internal dialogue. Make a decision to relinquish the need to control, the need to be approved, and the need to judge. Those are the three things the ego is doing all the time. It's very important to be aware of them every time they come up.” - Deepak Chopra

via Pinterest

Who's a control freak? I am, I am! And I'm not necessarily proud of it. Here's just a few points of evidence...

• I am the WORST backseat driver. And my hubby let's me know this.
• I just about had an anxiety/panic attack when I first sat down to plan my maternity leave and realized that other people will be doing my job... and that's why I ended up just doing some things from home.
• It takes every ounce of mental strength in me to watch Leila put on her own shoes and not butt in and take over.
• Someone asks, "Can you show me how to do _________?" and I instantly reply, "Oh, don't worry about it, I'll just take care of it for you."

AND, I've noticed that little miss Leila Jade is starting to take after me, too. She wants to do EVERYTHING herself. Us two control freaks have been butting heads quite a bit lately and she's only two and a half! Imagine when she's 16! Oh, just shoot me now.

So anyway, lately I've been really focusing on relinquishing control... on letting go... and just going with the flow. Yeah man. (The hippie in me is coming out - HA!) And let me tell you - it feels good! I think I've just gotten to a point in my life where I have no time to be a control freak. I have 2 kids now, I'm still working full time, and I have a bazillion and one things going on in my head. I have to take all the help I can get and I need to stop being so selfish. Just another thing about myself I want to work on. :-)

Now I would just like to take a second and apologize to my hubby for ALL of my controlling tendencies. Sometimes I think, "how can he even stand to be with me?" So, thank you babe for putting up with me for so long!

I have a dream...

...or maybe two, or three, or a million.



Reflecting back on MLK Jr's famous "I Have a Dream" speech makes my little ole dream blog seem super silly. I pretty much wanna say exactly what I said last year for Martin Luther King Jr. Day - check it out HERE.

All in all, I just wish I could have even a fraction of the positive impact MLK Jr had on the world. Isn't it just AMAZING how one person has the power to influence millions? It boggles my mind really!

In other news...

I really don't have much to say. I'm just getting back into the swing of things at work (and actually REALLY enjoying it as my "me time"), trying to log in enough hours of sleep at night, and trying to tame my appetite following all of that holiday scarfing. Really nothing exciting here. Soooooooooo, I'm thinking I need to do something to spice things up a bit. Like maybe get going on the New Year's resolutions. We shall see...

Hope your week is off to a good start!

Extreme Cuteness

Today we headed to Sears to get pics taken of the kiddos together. Get ready for some serious cuteness...








This little outing brought about the following thoughts in my head:

• Wow, my kids look like they have red hair! Never noticed that before. Must be the lighting?
• Don't think I ever wanna do department store portraits again. Overpriced and I'm pretty sure I could have taken good ones myself.
• HA HA! Bottom right photo collage pic of little Lando cracks me up! Reminds me of Sean Connery!
• Landon really does look much older than he is! (Photo chick kept trying to sit him up... ummm, he's not even 3 months old yet.)
• Damn I make cute babies! :-)

Hope you all are having a most stupendous weekend out there!

A pleasant surprise...

Today ended up being much better than I thought it would be! The frantic morning struggle of getting two kiddos and myself ready and out the door by 7:30am was actually a piece of cake with my sweet hubby's help (knock, knock, knocking on wood right now). The daycare drop off was smooth and actually tear free on my part. And when I pulled into work dread filled my stomach, but was quickly erased by the smiling faces of my co-workers and this...



Nothing says "Welcome Back" better than balloons, confetti, candy & flowers! I am so blessed to work with such AMAZING people! Seriously, if it weren't for my work family I may have said sayonara to my job long ago.

And then I received another beautiful tropical flower arrangement from my hubby mid-day (bottom left pic).

And for some reason, I was able to sit down at my desk and jump right back into work. After having Leila it seemed like it took me a few days to get my bearings back, but this time it felt like I never even left. At lunch I stopped by the daycare to check in with Landon and he was happy as a clam.

God is good.

Now all this isn't to say that I didn't have my moments of feeling as if a piece of my heart was missing without my babies. But, I did end up having a much better day than I thought I would.

One day at a time...

Wise Words Wednesday: Day by Day

"Don't look back on happiness, or dream of it in the future. You are only sure of today; do not let yourself be cheated out of it." - Henry Ward Beecher

For the past 12 weeks I've been immersed in my family. I've woken up throughout each night to comfort my newborn and snuggle my toddler. I've rolled out of bed, poured myself some coffee, and thoroughly enjoyed doing nothing but caring for my babies all morning. And maybe having a shower mid-day. The only stress I've had to deal with has come from baby cries and potty training. It has been AMAZING.

Tomorrow I say "good bye" to playing stay at home momma and "hello again" to work. My heart is aching. The longest I've been apart from Landon has only been a few hours to go to a movie. I'm freaking out a little. Now I won't get to see him for a whopping 40 hours each week! How the heck do I do this?

One day at a time. Day by day by day...

Last week I was a complete mess at times thinking about how my sweet baby bonding time is coming to an end. Over the last few days I have just been sucking up every ounce of quality family time I can get. As of right now I feel okay. I'm really trying to just focus on the present moment and not think too much about what's to come.

But oh how I'm going to miss my little chunk...



God give me strength.

Leila-isms @ 2.5 years old

Tomorrow my baby girl will be exactly 2.5 years old. She's growing up too dang fast! Today I thought I'd document some current little tid-bits about my cute and funny girl.

Super Leila!


Eating:

• Leila is still a ridiculously picky eater. And it's only getting worse. For the past few days she has hardly eaten a thing. But she is very happy and energetic, so I'm trying not to be too concerned.
• Her favorite foods are: anything sweet, chocolate milk, Greek yogurt, mac n' cheese, Costco cheese pizza, quesadillas, fruit.
• Usually she will refuse to eat unless she is sitting on the couch in front of the TV watching one of her favorite shows. I know it is awful of me to accommodate this, but sometimes I'll do whatever it takes just to get her to eat something.
• Right now she is actually eating grape nuts mixed in vanilla Greek yogurt - YESSSSSSS!

Playing:

• Leila Jade still LOVES to play doctor. She got a doctor kit for Christmas and loves to use it on all of her babies and us. And she still says she's going to be a doctor when she grows up. I'm not complaining! :-)
• Her babies are her prized possessions. She brings at least one everywhere we go. And she got a baby doll Graco car seat for Christmas, so that is usually getting dragged along with us everywhere, too.
• Another one of her favorite things is building towers. Whether with blocks or Lego's or a stack of books, she just loves to see how tall she can make them.
• And, Leila still loves to be chased. She is constantly yelling, "Daddy/Mommy come get me!" and running away.
• She is SOOO good at independent play. We feel truly blessed that she is so good at keeping herself entertained.

Sleeping:

• Still the same old sleep situation going on here: Leila falls asleep in her bed around 8pm and then wakes up and gets in bed with us around midnight. The only difference is that now she brings with her at least one baby in the play car seat, her blankie, and her beloved bear blankie. Makes for one crowded family bed!
• Leila has been a little bit more stubborn falling asleep lately. She makes the potty excuse at least a few times once I get her in bed (and we can't say "No" when she actually wants to sit on the potty). And then she is thirsty. And then she can't find her bear blankie. And then a half an hour later she finally conks out.
• She is still a great napper and usually goes down for her naps without making a peep! Praise the Lord!

Randoms:

• The heart melter lately? Leila will be whining or crying and I'll ask her what's wrong or what she wants. She'll say, "I just want you Mommy." How can I argue with that?
• Leila is getting pretty good at counting. She can make it up to the high teens now.
• Potty training is a power struggle. When Leila wants to use the potty she is a pro (minus pooping). But some days she just wants nothing to do with it. Leila is winning so far.
• She is always asking where certain people are. Like non-stop. Where's Grandma & Grandpa? Where's Jessica? Where's Billy? Cute, but it gets annoying real fast.
• Leila is still the best big sister. She just loves Landon and is always covering him with kisses and giving him hugs. Love it!

Wise Words Wednesday: Your Calling

"Everyone has a calling and your real job in life is to figure out what that is and go about your business of doing it." - Oprah Winfrey

So this morning I finally decided to watch the Oprah Winfrey Show finale that has been sitting on my DVR since May (pathetic, I know). I never was a huge Oprah fanatic, but I did grow up watching her occasionally with my mom and here and there into my adulthood when I was home sick or somehow found the time. But when I watched her today, I felt (as I'm sure millions of others who watched the finale also felt) as though she was speaking directly to me. If you didn't watch the finale of her show I encourage you to check it out on YouTube or wherever you can find it. Totally inspiring.

Anyway, the above quote totally struck a chord with me. I feel like I am constantly on the search for my calling in life... my passion... something I can offer the world that will make a difference. I know for a fact I was meant to be a mother as my children have filled a void in my heart  that just couldn't be filled with anything else. So in a sense, that is probably part of my calling in life. But, I don't think that's all of it. I still haven't found my passion. I am soooooooooo jealous of everyone out there who knows what they love to do and feels that their life is fulfilled through it on a daily basis. I guess some people are lucky and grow up knowing exactly what they want out of life.  Others, like me, are still completely clueless as adults.

So, I guess finding my calling will continue to be the biggest Dream To Do of mine (adding it to the top of my Dreams list right now).

Are you one of the lucky few who have actually found your calling in life? If so... no fair! :-)

The Post-Holiday Blues

Anyone else? Once we hit November, the high starts to kick in... the excitement for the next couple of months - Thanksgiving followed by my birthday followed by Christmas followed by New Years. And then there's the crash. After New Year's day I am usually a little bit down in the dumps. The weather sucks. Nothing much exciting to look forward too. And this time? This time is MUCH worse. Ten days from now I will be back at work.

Tears. Literally.

I may have chosen the worst time to have a baby. Sure it was nice to have all of the holidays off from work, but now I have to head back to the grind during my very least favorite month of the year. A time when I am already feeling a little bit down.

I am going to miss these 2 sooooooooooooooooo much...



This morning I woke up and my hubby headed off to work. The realization that this is one of my last few week days home alone with my sweet kiddos stabbed my heart like a knife. How am I going to do it? I love my job. I love my co-workers. But, I... don't know.

As a browsed Pinterest this morning, feeling sorry for myself and trying to figure out where I'll get the strength once again to head back to work after 3 months off, I came across this. Do you think it's a sign?

via Pinterest

I know for a fact that I will be back in the office on January 12th. Do I know how long I'll be there? Nope.

This is the constant battle in my head. I love work. I love my kids. What do I do? How can I balance it all without beating myself up? There is not going to be an easy answer. If I keep working I get some "me time" and I get to help support our family, but I'm not there for my loves. If I quit working I get rid of the work stress and I get to be there for ALL of the little moments in my kiddos lives, but I may lose my sanity. It's so tough.

Praying for guidance through this tricky start of the year. I know everything will be fine and I'm trying my hardest to stay positive. I just don't really know how I feel or what I'm doing quite yet.

End vent.

My New Year's 1st Blogiversary

HAPPY NEW YEAR (& happy 1st blogiversary to me)! Boy oh boy did 2011 sure fly by. It seems like only yesterday that I was writing my very first blog post exactly one year ago.

New Year's Day 2011:


New Year's Day 2012:


2011 was not my favorite year thus far, but it was also far from my least favorite. I got in the groove of juggling a career with a baby. I made a quilt. I became more of a positive thinker. I experimented in the kitchen more. I made a conscious decision to focus on myself without feeling guilty. I made a baby! I lost a dear friend. Overall, 2011 was full of some serious ups and some serious downs. At the start of it all I created this blog and I challenged myself to be more productive in my life - to take my life by the reigns and ride it into the sunset. I know I still have a long way to go in terms of this productivity, but I feel like I've made some serious progress.

Thank you dear blog for being there for me through it all... for being my source of ventilation in this crazy thing we call life.

Here's to another year! 2012 is going to rock my socks off & I hope it rocks your socks off, too!