My blog has a new home! PLEASE READ!

Hey, hey, hey! If you are seeing this blog post in Google Reader, that means that you currently follow my blog with Google Friend Connect (GFC), which I am no longer using. I just made the switch to Wordpress (you can check out my new site design HERE) and I would LOVE for you to still be able to see my posts in your feed!

Please consider re-subscribing to my RSS feed (HERE). Or, you can get my posts delivered to your email (HERE). OR, you can manually add my URL into Google Reader by clicking on the orangey-red "SUBSCRIBE" button and putting in my feed URL: http://feeds.feedburner.com/DreamsToDo.

I don't want to lose your readership, so please let me know if you have any issues or need any help!

Yay for change and new beginnings and this wonderful world of blogging. :-)

Over and out.

~Ariel

Making me happy...

I am currently getting caught up in another whirlwind week of my life and don't have enough brain power in me to compose much of a meaningful blog post. I just thought I'd share a few things that are making me happy this week (idea from one of my fave inspirational bloggers/my Australian soul sister, the lovely Rachel MacDonald of In Spaces Between)...

>>> Ipsy January Glam Bag



You guys, Ipsy is so much FUN! I just got my January glam bag in the mail yesterday and it made my week. If you haven't heard of it yet, it's a beauty box subscription ($10/month) where you get 5 beauty products in a cute bag sent to your house each month. I've also tried Birchbox and let me tell you, Ipsy is SO much better. You don't get little foil packet samples or vials of perfumes that you could just pick up at any major department store, you get at least 2 full sized products. My fave from this month's bag were the Josie Maron 100% Argon Oil ($10 value in itself!) and the Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Body Butter (best smell EVER). I also got an eyeliner brush, bright red nail polish (full size!), and Big Sexy Hair Spray. Good stuff. FYI - unlike other beauty box subscriptions, there are no rewards for referrals, so I get nothing if you sign up. :)

>>> Private Pinterest Boards



A little while back Pinterest rolled out private pin boards where you can pin to your heart's content without any of your followers (or strangers) seeing what you pin. Have you used one yet? It's pretty handy dandy. My friend Katie & I just set one up for our friend's baby shower that we're throwing (I guess ya get a tiny sneak peek, Kelly!) and it's so much fun! Her & I can pin away without Kelly or anyone else seeing what we're up to. Sneaky. Great for party planning and gift ideas.

>>> Bar Method 60-Day Challenge



I am still going strong at the Bar Method! This week my local studio launched a 60-day challenge - we took measurements and wrote down our physical and personal goals to accomplish in the next 60 days. I am committing to taking 4 classes/week with a goal of attaining bikini confidence before our March trip to Hawaii. :) And, I also want to be able to do the splits (front to back) and complete full sets of push-ups on the balls of my feet (right now I usually end up switching to knees half way through). I can do it! Honestly, I've never felt better than I do right now in my life - I'm officially a Bar Method addict! Who woulda thunk it?

>>> Photography Class



A while back I bought a Groupon for a month long course through Flying Photo School. I'm finally knocking off another Dream To Do by actually taking the class! The hubby and I are half way through "Digital 101" where we are learning to take our pics in manual mode. I'm happy to report that I now fully understand white balance, ISO, and shutter speed! We'll be learning about aperture next. I've always loved taking pics and I can't wait to take my photography to the next level. Now if only I could afford a better camera lens...

>>> My New Blog Design (coming soon!)

Sorry, no sneak peek at this one. :) In the next 24 hours, I will be attempting to transfer my blog over to Wordpress. I'm excited for a cleaner, "more me" blog design and a blog home that is 100% mine where I have all of the rights and control. I'm hoping I can figure this thing out on my own. I'm asking you to bear with me over the next couple of days as I get everything situated. We'll see if it all works out by my next post! Please, please, please let me know if anything funky happens on your end. Thanks in advance!

Hoping you all are having HAPPY and productive week! What's making you happy this week?

Worth It

I woke up in a comatose state today. My eyes were literally crusted shut and Leila had to drag me out of bed. I spent the day in jammies with messy hair and no makeup until 4pm when we had to go to a birthday party. It was fabulous.

Considering the tone of my last couple of posts, you would think I would have had a productive weekend. Nope. I surrendered to my laziness and my children's need for attention. We watched an exorbitant amount of TV, ate pizza and chips and candy, did puzzles, played in the snow, and laughed more times than I can count.

It was heavenly. 

Normally I feel guilty when don't take advantage of the free time I get once in a blue moon. For example, today I had 2 full hours of quiet time while the kiddos napped/rested. What did I do? I crawled in bed with Leila and drifted in and out of sleep for an hour then finally decided to move my body onto the couch for some DVR catch-up. Totally my own worst enemy in the productivity department.

But, it was worth it.





I will always struggle with finding balance. But the truth is that we ALL will. Nobody has it down to an art. In my opinion, you can't beat yourself up if you just want to be lazy every once in a while. I know my kids will grow up remembering the days "when mommy stayed in her jammies all day and we just lounged around." I know I will. And that makes a lazy day every once in a while more than worth it.

Another shout out to that amazingly kind people behind Kickboard USA - they sent Landon his little micro-mini scooter (above) after reading the review I wrote on Leila's scooter. He loves it!! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

Blur

It's Friday and I'm not quite sure where this week went. It's been a blur of snotty noses, the project from hell at work, good food, exercising, getting caught up on laundry, lots of playtime, TV watching, reading, and daydreaming about our upcoming trip to Hawaii and everything else this year has in store for me. This was one seriously productive week although on a personal level I don't feel very accomplished.

I think I'm ready to start making 2013 work for me. I'm ready to wake up and do a little bit of planning. With everything that's currently on my plate (kids, husband, job, house) it is SO easy for me to just get caught up in the day-to-day. If I don't make a conscious effort to plan and make time for what I want to do, the days just blur together and before I know it I'll be old and grey.

Intention.

This is what I need a little bit more of in my life. I want to be intentional with my time - in how I spend it with my kids, with my free time in the evenings, and in those stolen moments with my husband. So, along with focusing on just being happy this year, I'm focusing on living with intention as well. Starting now.

Wise Words Wednesday: Uninspired

"When you've got nothing, the only place to go is up. When you're feeling uninspired, you're simply unrestrained. Try and make something stupid. Take another shot at a project you've done before. It doesn't matter that you feel uninspired. When you do things anyway, the inspiration will follow." ~ Justin David Cox, Designer

Yep, the above pics pretty much sums up how my year is going so far - lots of nose picking and lounging in bed staring at my phone. Ha! But really, 2013 is already so strange. Usually when a new year rolls around I hit the ground running on resolutions, regenerated by the prospect of a clean slate. This year, however, I am just letting the flow of everyday life carry me along, doing what I can just to make it through each day in one piece. The crazier thing is that I'm super happy about this. I've reached a lull where I feel utterly unmotivated and uninspired yet completely at peace with it. I'm just doing my thang, enjoying time with my fam, and focusing on just being happy. That being said, I could still go for a little inspiration right about now. I have projects to get done and very little brain power to do anything but live in the moment. Oh well.

How are you feeling in this new year? We're already two weeks in and I still haven't recovered from the holidays! 

Carefree Fun

I grew up on the ski hill. Every year my family would get season passes to the little ski resort that put our tiny town on the map. I learned how to ski when I was 4 years old and took up snowboarding when I started high school. I spent every winter weekend on the slopes.

Fast forward to adulthood. As of just the other weekend, I hadn't been snowboarding since before Leila was born. Pregnancies and breastfeeding and figuring out daycare plus the spendy cost of skiing these days just put a damper on it all. I didn't realize how much I missed it until Andy and I went night skiing the other weekend and up once again on Saturday. The fresh air, the thrill, and the sheer beauty of it all gave me a fresh, carefree perspective on life and reminded me of all the joy skiing/snowboarding brought me growing up.

It doesn't get much better than this view...


My love and I...


Yes, I have one glove on...


Sittin' on top of the world...


It was a balmy 10 degrees on Saturday. (Ha!) We layered up and huddled together on the chair lifts, praying the sun would give us some relief from the bitter cold. It was seriously the most beautiful day. And it was so nice to be able to spend a FULL day alone with my hubby, out in nature doing something that we love. The best part? Andy and I had NEVER been skiing together until this winter. He wasn't much of a skier growing up, but he's now discovered a new found love for it and I am beyond excited! We plan on getting Leila up on the hill with us before the season is through and hopefully buy some season passes for next year. I can't wait to build a family tradition like the one I enjoyed with my parents and brothers. :-)

A rainbow of skiers and snowboarders...


Go Andy, go!


The beauty of it all seriously took my breath away.


There's just something about the quiet and the cold and the fresh air in my lungs. Up on the mountain I forget all about "real" life. There's no job, no house, no to-to list. It's just simple, carefree fun.

AND, we saw some moose down the street from Andy's parents' house this weekend! CrAzY!


Did anyone else do something extra FUN this past weekend?

A moment.

There are several moments from my 29 years of life that are unforgettable - vivid memories that I can taste and feel as if they happened yesterday. Learning to ride my bike. My first day of kindergarten. My first kiss. Graduation. My wedding. Finding out I was pregnant. The births of my babies. And sprinkled within these life milestones are moments that weren't anything special at the time, but that I still look back on fondly and think about on a regular basis.



I was in middle school. It was nearing the end of the school year and summer was in the air. I rode the bus home from school and made the one mile walk up my bumpy, dirt driveway to our funky little cottage in the woods. I don't remember what I was stressing out about that day, but I remember feeling overwhelmed and even a little bit sad. I'm pretty sure it had something to do with a boy.

I threw my backpack on the couch and returned to the great outdoors. The sun was still high in the cloudless sky, the birds were chirping and the smell of wild flowers was in the air. I walked out into the field next to our house through waist-high grass that itched my bare legs. Mid-way through the field the grass subsided where a patch of wild strawberries were starting to bloom. My spot. I sprawled out on my back, closed my eyes, and let the sun hit my face, my arms, my legs. The wind rustled the grass around me and I opened my eyes. In that moment, gazing up at the sky and the trees around me, I had a little bit of an epiphany. I was overcome with a feeling of just how big the world, the universe, really is. All of a sudden my measly problems seemed so insignificant. I felt so small and helpless in that instant, but completely hopeful. At that time in my life, I didn't know God, but I think I had a moment with Him.

The past couple of weeks, no months, have been stressful. I return to this moment in the field by my parents' house often. I close my eyes and remember the way the sun felt; I try to grasp on to my innocence and that feeling of smallness and simplicity. There is SO much more to life than each of our little problems, annoyances, stresses. It feels good to reflect on this every once in a while - to recenter ourselves.



Photos from last summer. Man oh man, how I'm craving summer already! Good thing I get to go to Hawaii in a couple months! Just booked our tickets last night!!!! :-)

Another working mom moment.

My life as a working mom is a cycle of ups and downs. Some days I couldn't imagine my life without work, a life without the structure and accountability that work provides. And then there are those days, like today, where I want nothing more than to be home with my kiddos.

We woke up this morning to 6 inches of fresh snow. It was pretty and all, but honestly, I am SO over snow after Christmas. So, I enjoyed my usual chaotic morning of throwing myself together while little people tugged on my pant legs and begged me to pay attention to them. Then, I proceeded to brush snow off the car (our little, ghetto car since Andy was going to be home with the kiddos today and needed our mom&popmobile) and very carefully head off to work. Mind you, the roads hadn't been plowed yet. Five minutes from home I got stuck on a snow berm and had to use a dust pan (what it was doing in the car, I have no idea) to dig myself out. Then, I slid through a 4 way stop, nearly causing a collision. But God is good, and in the end I made it to work safely.

The rest of my day consisted of too much stress to handle (and over NOTHING that truly matters to me) and a stream of text message photos from my hubby of the kids playing in the snow. WAAAAAAAAAAAA! I wanna play in the snow, too! No fair! Yes, there was a fair share of feeling sorry for myself today.

Photos courtesy of Andy. While I was miserably stuck in a closet of an office with no windows.






Oh the joys of being a working parent. But ya know what? All of the stress and frustration from work melted as soon as I walked through the door tonight and was bombarded with a chatty 3 year old and drooling, smiley toddler. I've spent my evening showering my littles with love and making the most of our time together. One thing being a working momma does afford me is the ability to never take a moment of my time with my children for granted. Each second is precious to me and I'm so grateful for the time that I do have.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

FYI... I apologize if you happened to visit my blog earlier today or late last night and saw a new, strange, contentless blog. I am in the process of designing a new space for my blog via Wordpress and I had a little mix up switching my domain over to my new web host. I am clueless as to what I am doing, so bear with me. Hopefully my blog's new home will be ready soon! :-)

This boy.

Landon Drew.

My little momma's boy. The missing piece of the puzzle to this momma's full heart. When I was pregnant with him I remember all of the fear and anxiety I had over being a mom of two. I remember spending more time worrying about Leila adjusting to having a sibling than imagining how full my heart would feel. This little boy has brought our family SO much happiness. Not only to me and Andy, but to his big sister, too.

Landon is 14 months old now. He's silly and sassy and really starting to develop a strong personality. Already such a comedian, he makes me belly laugh daily. And talk about trouble! Landon is a little boy through and through. Today I left him alone in the living room for 5 seconds and returned to find him sitting IN the fireplace (no fire going, obviously - I would never leave him alone with a fire going!), throwing soot up in the air. But the trouble-making side of Landon is easily counteracted by the fact the he is the biggest sweetheart. He loves his momma and doesn't hesitate to nuzzle his head into my neck and lay on my shoulder when I pick him up. Leila would NEVER do that as a baby! He also gives me big, slobbery kisses when I ask for them. I love my little man so much.

Sometimes I try to remember what it was like before I had him - what it was like to only have Leila. But, I can't. The fact that I existed without him boggles my mind. This little boy was my destiny, as was his sister. I was born to be their mother. And I am SO blessed because of them.

My funny, cuddly, smooshy, giggly, lovey, handsome little man. I love you so.

He also loves wearing sissy's crowns and headbands. No joke, he puts them on himself...

This girl.

Leila Jade.

My daughter will be three and a half on Tuesday. When I was putting my homage to 2012 post together the other day and reflecting back on last year, it boggled my mind how much my daughter has changed since the start of 2011. I think the growth from 2.5 to 3.5 is the craziest transformation I've witnessed in my life thus far. Exactly one year ago I was still changing her poopy diapers and struggling to understand her sentences. And now? Now I have a little princess on my hands with a love for poofy dresses (that's seriously all she will wear these days) and baby dolls who can write her own name and voice her opinion on EVERYTHING.

"Um Mom, if you keep acting that way you're not going to be invited to my birthday party!" <~~ The latest Leila-ism that cracks me up.

Three is the best age I've experienced so far. They're potty trained, they can communicate clearly, and they are SO much fun! It is also an extremely difficult age. One minute I will have the sweetest little daughter who I just can't get enough of and the next minute a flip will switch and she's not my daughter any more - she's a strange creature throwing a tantrum unlike anything I've ever seen. It's an amazing phenomenon, really.

Every night I say a prayer.  I thank God for giving me Leila and I feel my love and thankfulness for her pulsing through every part of my body from my head to my toes. She is worth every single tantrum, tear, scream, mess, and sass that she can throw my way. Bring it on, girl!

& a post for my little Lando-pie will be up tomorrow. :-)

Wise Words Wednesday: Time to Wake Up

"The secret to living the life of your dreams is to start living the life of your dreams today, in every little way you possibly can." ~ Mike Dooley

I'm sitting in silence at home on my lunch break. The Christmas tree is gone. The house is clean. My kids are at daycare and my hubby is at work. January 2nd is always an interesting day. I consider it the real 1st day of the new year. The holidays are officially over and it's time to get back to life, back to reality.

My mind is in a fog. I drove to work this morning on busy streets. Kids were freezing at school bus stops and the drive-through line at Starbucks wrapped around the building. At work this morning the buzz of the office totally threw me off. Everyone is back from vacation and busy, busy, busy getting caught up and settled back in to the work mindset. I'm not quite there yet.

January 2nd is like waking up from a dream. For a couple of weeks we get to live in a world of holiday joy, extended family time, and glutenous ways. But now? Now we're awake. Now it is time to re-focus. For me, I feel more pressure than ever (from myself, of course) to work hard and to start making things happen in my life. I'm just having a little bit of a tough time waking up.

How are you feeling on this 1st Wednesday of the new year? Ready to get going on those resolutions yet or are you taking a break this year, like me?

Side note: How cute are my kiddos? I've been getting some great shots of them in the bath lately via the ever-wonderful Instagram (@dreamstodo).