New Year's Eve and it has been a very long time since I wrote on my blog. I vow every year that I am going to write more often and I never do...but, this year, that will change, for the one thing that I miss so desperately, is writing. From time to time I remember my English college professor telling me to change my major from graphic design to journalism. She thought I was a fantastic writer and had a lot to offer the world of journalism. It really was such a compliment to me since the only writing I had done was in journals at home or papers for school. I did, however, start a young adult novel and children's book and after that I started two more novels...but never finished any of them. Life always seemed to "get in the way".
This could be the year that I finish at least one of them...I mean, why not, what else is there to do now that both children are in school, in fact, one will be in middle school next year. Well, I have asked myself that every year since Vanessa started kindergarten and she is in 2nd grade now. I think it is time to "make" time for ME. The one person who always puts herself last, who worries about everyone else, who never says no, who helps with everything I am asked to help with, who belongs to several groups....the list goes on and on and I think I finally have realized, I want to say no, I don't want to belong to several groups and I don't want to put myself last...and finally, it is okay to do that.:)
It's not that I want to lose focus on my family, in fact that focus has always been my number 1...I'm just moving me up to number 2 instead of being at number 4...hahaha! I have said no to a few things these last couple of months and I didn't feel guilty like before and it was refreshing and I feel I have finally started finding myself again...not that I was lost but I was over-tired, over-stressed, over-committed and not over-joyed. But I think all women go through that phase in life where we say yes too much and run ourselves ragged and now...I am taking time to breathe, to enjoy, to soak up whatever comes my way instead of looking at my calendar to see if I can "squeeze" it in and my plan is to continue to do that this year. Just make more time for whatever I want to....and, well, one of those things is writing! Cheers!:)
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Friday, February 21, 2014
A Favorite Childhood Memory
The kids have off of school today and the weather is pretty blustery making visibility terrible so, we are indoors and going through their rooms in search of things to get rid of...I love to do this every couple of months...The more we de-clutter the better!:) And, of course, they keep growing so we have to go through their clothes.:) That part they are not very fond of....hehehe. So, in the midst of going through Vanessa's books, we found my favorite book from when I was a little girl. The book is called Fairy Tales and it is in very delicate condition. The covers are worn, pages are torn out in the beginning and the binding is taped to keep it together. There is not a single page in the book or a word on the cover to tell you who wrote it, published it, the year it was published or anything...so it has become a mystery book of sorts. But, what is in the book, is the contents and the checkmark beside my favorite story and at the top of the page I wrote "49 the picture". That was my favorite picture ever and I would look at it everyday and fantasize about my prince.
What I didn't realize at the time is how much I loved that book, that story, that picture. So, when my dad and stepmom gave me this book as an adult, I almost wept because I was so happy to see it, I LOVED that they kept it for me all of these years. I simply could not wait to pass it on to Vanessa but it's fragile state made it almost impossible for her to read it without me helping hold it together. So, we stuck it on a shelf and never really read it. Today, when she brought it out, I decided to go online and see if I could find it and it took about 20 minutes but I finally did. I had to type in what it looked like and that it is vintage and the characters on the front and voila, I found ONE, on E-bay. Now, I have to make the decision, do I buy the one on E-bay that is in much better shape than mine or re-tape mine and see how she does with it. On one hand I want to give her the better shaped book but I feel it will take away from "passing on" this childhood memory....
the tape spine
What I didn't realize at the time is how much I loved that book, that story, that picture. So, when my dad and stepmom gave me this book as an adult, I almost wept because I was so happy to see it, I LOVED that they kept it for me all of these years. I simply could not wait to pass it on to Vanessa but it's fragile state made it almost impossible for her to read it without me helping hold it together. So, we stuck it on a shelf and never really read it. Today, when she brought it out, I decided to go online and see if I could find it and it took about 20 minutes but I finally did. I had to type in what it looked like and that it is vintage and the characters on the front and voila, I found ONE, on E-bay. Now, I have to make the decision, do I buy the one on E-bay that is in much better shape than mine or re-tape mine and see how she does with it. On one hand I want to give her the better shaped book but I feel it will take away from "passing on" this childhood memory....
The front cover
the back cover
The inside contents
the picture
my checkmark and "49 the picture"
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Another Make-up Gem
So, my Mom surprised me this year and on top of a new purse, which is what she gets me every year for my birthday, she also gave me a Sephora gift card through Facebook. I have to say that is the coolest thing I just learned about Facebook. When it is someone's birthday you can give a gift and choose from different gift cards. Well, then Facebook sends you a gift card with your amount on it and you keep the card and then anyone can add a gift to it through Facebook and you just reuse it. I might have just made that sound confusing but it's really easy and a great idea!
Anyways, with my Sephora card, I got a few little things but my main item was a product by Too Faced and called Smokey Eye. I have wanted this product for awhile and it is AWESOME!!! It comes with instructional cards to tell you how to do a Smokey look for Day, Fashion and Classic and so far I have only tried the Day. I was worried that it would be too much and it wasn't at all. Here are photos below:
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I definitely give it two thumbs up and if I had four thumbs I would give it four thumbs up! Here are photos of the product.:)
Anyways, with my Sephora card, I got a few little things but my main item was a product by Too Faced and called Smokey Eye. I have wanted this product for awhile and it is AWESOME!!! It comes with instructional cards to tell you how to do a Smokey look for Day, Fashion and Classic and so far I have only tried the Day. I was worried that it would be too much and it wasn't at all. Here are photos below:
I definitely give it two thumbs up and if I had four thumbs I would give it four thumbs up! Here are photos of the product.:)
THANK YOU MOM!!!!!!!!!!!!:)
Friday, January 10, 2014
January 2014
This year, my goal is to write once a month on my blog, so I can use it as a journal and I can look back at all the things I tend to forget after a few months. I figure if I do this while things are fresh then I will be good to go.:) The New Year started out not with a bang, but with a quietness that I NEEDED after a crazy couple months in 2013. We just needed some time to relax, regroup and not have to be anywhere. It ended up being a really awesome evening and the kids had a blast. We ate chicken wings, veggies and dip, fruit, shrimp cocktail and had mint moosetracks milkshakes for desserts. We played board games and watched the ball drop with Ryan Seacrest and cheered the New Year at midnight, with the kids, with apple juice in champagne glasses. The kids said that was one of the best nights ever so I think we made the right decision to stay home.:)
This week, the kids had three snow days, Vanessa learned how to make homemade pasta with her dad, we made snow ice-cream, Hayden started his research for the Education Fair and Vanessa worked on her All About Me poster. Our basement project is wrapping up soon, the painters have been here the last two days doing the finishing coats and then we just have some bathroom things to be done and wah-la, we will have a new house...hehehe...well, it sure feels that way, anyways, with adding a finished basement.:) Other than that, we are back in the groove of school, sports activities and everyday life. This weekend, Brian will be ice-fishing, Hayden has a basketball game, we have to make a trip to Muskegon and skiing on Sunday, although rain is in the forecast and Brian isn't feeling so great so we shall see. Here is a photo of Vanessa with the homemade pasta. It is delicious and we started stocking the freezer with batches of it. Have a great weekend!
This week, the kids had three snow days, Vanessa learned how to make homemade pasta with her dad, we made snow ice-cream, Hayden started his research for the Education Fair and Vanessa worked on her All About Me poster. Our basement project is wrapping up soon, the painters have been here the last two days doing the finishing coats and then we just have some bathroom things to be done and wah-la, we will have a new house...hehehe...well, it sure feels that way, anyways, with adding a finished basement.:) Other than that, we are back in the groove of school, sports activities and everyday life. This weekend, Brian will be ice-fishing, Hayden has a basketball game, we have to make a trip to Muskegon and skiing on Sunday, although rain is in the forecast and Brian isn't feeling so great so we shall see. Here is a photo of Vanessa with the homemade pasta. It is delicious and we started stocking the freezer with batches of it. Have a great weekend!
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Make-up, my obsession!!
Make-up, my obsession...yes it is!!...hehehee! Anyone who knows me, knows I LOVE make-up and trying new kinds. I have a few absolute favorites but I constantly discover new beauty products that I love! My very favorite mascara is Lancôme's Hypnose but before I found it I always loved basic Maybelline and I am talking pink bottle with green lid basic.:) So, I tell everyone if you buy a relatively inexpensive mascara, go with Maybelline. So, recently Maybelline has come out with a whole slew of new mascara's and I decided I wanted to try some out and then post what my finding were. I have tried two so far.
The first one I tried was,
The second one I tried was,
The first one I tried was,
Mega Plush
This mascara I will call a "grow on you" type. Did I love it at first, no, it was okay but as I used it more it turned out to be a good mascara. Here is what it looked like on:
The second one I tried was,
Big Eyes
This mascara I will call an "instant love" type. This made my lashes absolutely amazing!!
It has two brushes, one for upper lashes and one for bottom lashes and it ROCKS!! Here is what it looked like on:
I have a couple more to try and will post my reviews when I try them! Thanks for reading my blog!:)
Sings ♪♫ "it's been awhile"♪♫
Well, I can honestly say I have thought about my blog but just haven't taken the time to get on here. Life has been crazy! We had a very busy summer, which was unusual for us and that led right into Fall and our basement project. This summer we took my dad and Donna to Sicily. It was beautiful and HOT! But, I loved the people, scenery and food. We had a great time!
October, our basement project started. We are finishing it and adding a family room, bedroom, office, craft room and bathroom. It will be so nice to have the extra room especially when the kids have friends over or we have company. I can't wait to decorate it!!
Both kids had conferences and are doing great. Hayden is an honor student and above grade level in reading and math and Vanessa is doing great also and is reading at a second grade reading level right now. By the end of the year she will be reading at a third grade level her teacher said. They both love school and are doing just great. I'm very proud of them!
Brian is getting ready for ice-fishing season. He started growing a beard and I love it! He's so handsome anyway that he looks, at least to me...smiling big! He is doing great with EJ and I'm very proud of his hard work.
Me, well, I'm busy with kids, being a wife, keeping house, volunteer work and hobbies. Life is good.:)
That's about it for now...I will write a more detailed post later!
October, our basement project started. We are finishing it and adding a family room, bedroom, office, craft room and bathroom. It will be so nice to have the extra room especially when the kids have friends over or we have company. I can't wait to decorate it!!
Both kids had conferences and are doing great. Hayden is an honor student and above grade level in reading and math and Vanessa is doing great also and is reading at a second grade reading level right now. By the end of the year she will be reading at a third grade level her teacher said. They both love school and are doing just great. I'm very proud of them!
Brian is getting ready for ice-fishing season. He started growing a beard and I love it! He's so handsome anyway that he looks, at least to me...smiling big! He is doing great with EJ and I'm very proud of his hard work.
Me, well, I'm busy with kids, being a wife, keeping house, volunteer work and hobbies. Life is good.:)
That's about it for now...I will write a more detailed post later!
Thursday, May 30, 2013
I'm Still Here....Smiling!
Wow! It has been a long time since I wrote, so much has happened and well, life just got busy...real busy. I will start with updating about all of us:
Hayden- My quiet, sensitive, endearing, funny, handsome, sweet guy with the great smile...
He turned 9 in March and eats like a teenager...hehehe. He is such a sweetheart, still my love bug who is guarded but seeks attention. He likes getting good grades, doing well at sports and likes when we are proud. He craves that honary attention, which means he is always doing his best and we are so proud of him. He has all A's and B's in school, has become quite the baseball and basketball player. Baseball is natural for him. He's really good and this year he came out of his shell in basketball and soared. It was great to see him grow and his love for the sport grew also. He loves learning about our world, different cultures, and still will study book after book on animals. He loves Pokemon, Skylanders and Mindcraft. He reads between 600-1000 minutes a week. Right now his favorite series are the American Chillers chapter books. He has many friends at school but his closest friends are Connor, Angel and Henry. His best friend is Vanessa. He still wants to be President of the United States when he grows up and has a fascination with Abe Lincoln and learning about presidents and other historical people or things like the Titanic. He is on his third year of drum lessons and his musical tastes vary, although he leans towards popular pop music, like Maroon 5, Kelly Clarkson and Pink. He's not a picky eater but he loves a good hamburger with ketchup, mustard and pickles and when we went on a Disney Cruise, he ate one everyday for dinner....LOL! He loves to go fishing, he loves to eat Bluegills and he partly enjoys golf but he would much rather go out and shoot some hoops or play catch. He loves to cuddle and is extremely ticklish. He likes when we play Monopoly and other games or puzzles as a family. That's my boy summed up but I barely touched on all of his great qualities. He is an amazing kid, so super smart and I love him beyond words!
Vanessa- My sweet, quiet, super duper funny, beautiful, loving, motherly little ladybug...
She turned 6 in October and eats like a mouse...hehehe. She is hysterical, very much a comedien and cracks us up everyday. She loves rainbows and flowers, purple is her favorite color, she loves to sing and dance and her favorite music varies also. She loves pop music and boy bands and Taylor Swift is one of her very favorites. She likes to play instruments, she will play Hayden's drums and Brian's guitar but her focus is piano and she is doing really well. Right now she is learning Chopsticks and Tea for Two. Her very favorite thing to do is watch movies. She would watch them all day if you let her, some of her favorites are Despicable Me, Ratatouille, Up, Wizard of Oz, Annie, The Sound of Music and Shirley Temple movies. Her favorite foods are olives, bell peppers, cheese, smelts, blue gills, fruit, broccoli and yogurt. She plays school everyday and loves her babies, stuffed animals and barbies. She loves to draw and color, do crafts and wants to learn to sew and make her own clothes. She likes to go fishing and mini golfing and loves to ride her bike and play at the beach. She is a great fashionista and picks out her own outfits and she wows us all the time with what she puts together. I think we could have a future fashion designer! She loves to read everyday and has just moved to chapter books. One of her favorite places is the library. She loves t-ball and this year she runs really fast. Her long legs give her bigger strides and she is quick! Vanessa is very much a mommy's girl, although she loves daddy and wants him at certain times, she will tell me she misses me all the time. She loves to cuddle and give eskimo kisses and loves when I tickle her like crazy. She likes to play Holly Hobbie and Monopoly Junior and she beats me everytime! That's my girl summed up and I barely touched on all of her great qualities. She is amazing, has an unbelievable memory and she's smart and I love her beyond words!
Brian- My sweet loving husband whom I cherish and fall in love with everyday over and over again...
Brian and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary this month and sometimes it feels like it should be longer and other times it feels like yesterday when we met. He is doing awesome. He is such an inspiration with his work ethic, his faith and his patience. He is my calm when I am the storm and he still loves me afterwards...hehehee. He is doing incredible with his business and is a very hard worker and people love him because he is genuine and caring. He does alot in our community and has such a giving heart. I admire his strength also. He can get through the toughest of times and you almost wouldn't even know anything was bothering him. He's mild mannered, super funny and likes to have a good time. His parenting is the best, seriously...he plays with the kids, gives great advice and makes sure he is home 99% of the time to eat dinner with them....He is a hands-on dad and I couldn't of asked for a better father for my children. What they are doing and how their day was is the #1 important thing to him and everyday he asks them what was the best part of their day. How awesome is that. He loves crossfit and health has become quite important to him this last year. He runs a 10k every year and loves to go fishing, ice fishing and golfing. He works hard, prays everyday for all of our blessings, family, friends and good health, he helps both coaches at t-ball and baseball and is a great teacher. I love him with all of my heart, he is the BEST husband in the world!!
Me- Let's see...well, in September I started swimming three times a week and I have lost 24 pounds to date. I'm very happy with my accomplishment even though I still have alot more to lose but it's a great start. I still have my cupcake business, although that has slowed down and really by choice. I have turned down several orders in the last few months because of my schedule and being busy but that is the life of a stay-at-home mom. The kids are getting older and I'm getting busier but I love it. I think sometimes my schedule gets a little too crazy but it's fun and I love being involved in their lives. That's why I chose to stay home. The kids are so much fun for me, they make me laugh and laugh and we really have a great time together. I love watching them get older and seeing all of their interests and what they like to do and who their friends are. They make my heart so happy. I've really come to discover some new things about myself, I want to learn to sew and I sewed my first project with some wonderful friends and I am hooked. I plan to take some classes and invest in a machine, I really have so many ideas and can't wait to make things. I love cooking for friends and over this last year I had several groups come for dinner and it was such a joy for me. I love entertaining but this was simple, low key and a small group and it made it very intimate and fun. We had a lot of laughs and great conversations so I plan to continue it again in the Fall. My MOMSnext group is growing, not only in numbers but in wisdom, faith and friendship. I truly love leading the group and really it was something I never thought I would do but it has become such a blessing. This will be our third year and I still have so many ideas for the ladies. I look forward to it starting again in the Fall. I'm really looking forward to summer and getting together with friends at the beach, those are some times I cherish so much. The laughter, the kids playing, swapping magazines, swimming in the waves...it is such a blessing where we live to enjoy such a beautiful place and all of the fun. I don't really know what else to say about myself, I still love to garden and go to farmers markets and yard sales. I love to do canning and crafts and I love to be with my family and friends. Life is great!
So, now that I caught my blog up with a little about each of us, I can keep journaling here at least monthly. I love to blog and really love to share about life and it's fun to look back and read about past years and things the kid's have done or crafts we did. I don't know if anyone really reads this but it's okay, it is for me mostly to capture my thoughts and use as a journal. Until next time!:)
Hayden- My quiet, sensitive, endearing, funny, handsome, sweet guy with the great smile...
He turned 9 in March and eats like a teenager...hehehe. He is such a sweetheart, still my love bug who is guarded but seeks attention. He likes getting good grades, doing well at sports and likes when we are proud. He craves that honary attention, which means he is always doing his best and we are so proud of him. He has all A's and B's in school, has become quite the baseball and basketball player. Baseball is natural for him. He's really good and this year he came out of his shell in basketball and soared. It was great to see him grow and his love for the sport grew also. He loves learning about our world, different cultures, and still will study book after book on animals. He loves Pokemon, Skylanders and Mindcraft. He reads between 600-1000 minutes a week. Right now his favorite series are the American Chillers chapter books. He has many friends at school but his closest friends are Connor, Angel and Henry. His best friend is Vanessa. He still wants to be President of the United States when he grows up and has a fascination with Abe Lincoln and learning about presidents and other historical people or things like the Titanic. He is on his third year of drum lessons and his musical tastes vary, although he leans towards popular pop music, like Maroon 5, Kelly Clarkson and Pink. He's not a picky eater but he loves a good hamburger with ketchup, mustard and pickles and when we went on a Disney Cruise, he ate one everyday for dinner....LOL! He loves to go fishing, he loves to eat Bluegills and he partly enjoys golf but he would much rather go out and shoot some hoops or play catch. He loves to cuddle and is extremely ticklish. He likes when we play Monopoly and other games or puzzles as a family. That's my boy summed up but I barely touched on all of his great qualities. He is an amazing kid, so super smart and I love him beyond words!
Vanessa- My sweet, quiet, super duper funny, beautiful, loving, motherly little ladybug...
She turned 6 in October and eats like a mouse...hehehe. She is hysterical, very much a comedien and cracks us up everyday. She loves rainbows and flowers, purple is her favorite color, she loves to sing and dance and her favorite music varies also. She loves pop music and boy bands and Taylor Swift is one of her very favorites. She likes to play instruments, she will play Hayden's drums and Brian's guitar but her focus is piano and she is doing really well. Right now she is learning Chopsticks and Tea for Two. Her very favorite thing to do is watch movies. She would watch them all day if you let her, some of her favorites are Despicable Me, Ratatouille, Up, Wizard of Oz, Annie, The Sound of Music and Shirley Temple movies. Her favorite foods are olives, bell peppers, cheese, smelts, blue gills, fruit, broccoli and yogurt. She plays school everyday and loves her babies, stuffed animals and barbies. She loves to draw and color, do crafts and wants to learn to sew and make her own clothes. She likes to go fishing and mini golfing and loves to ride her bike and play at the beach. She is a great fashionista and picks out her own outfits and she wows us all the time with what she puts together. I think we could have a future fashion designer! She loves to read everyday and has just moved to chapter books. One of her favorite places is the library. She loves t-ball and this year she runs really fast. Her long legs give her bigger strides and she is quick! Vanessa is very much a mommy's girl, although she loves daddy and wants him at certain times, she will tell me she misses me all the time. She loves to cuddle and give eskimo kisses and loves when I tickle her like crazy. She likes to play Holly Hobbie and Monopoly Junior and she beats me everytime! That's my girl summed up and I barely touched on all of her great qualities. She is amazing, has an unbelievable memory and she's smart and I love her beyond words!
Brian- My sweet loving husband whom I cherish and fall in love with everyday over and over again...
Brian and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary this month and sometimes it feels like it should be longer and other times it feels like yesterday when we met. He is doing awesome. He is such an inspiration with his work ethic, his faith and his patience. He is my calm when I am the storm and he still loves me afterwards...hehehee. He is doing incredible with his business and is a very hard worker and people love him because he is genuine and caring. He does alot in our community and has such a giving heart. I admire his strength also. He can get through the toughest of times and you almost wouldn't even know anything was bothering him. He's mild mannered, super funny and likes to have a good time. His parenting is the best, seriously...he plays with the kids, gives great advice and makes sure he is home 99% of the time to eat dinner with them....He is a hands-on dad and I couldn't of asked for a better father for my children. What they are doing and how their day was is the #1 important thing to him and everyday he asks them what was the best part of their day. How awesome is that. He loves crossfit and health has become quite important to him this last year. He runs a 10k every year and loves to go fishing, ice fishing and golfing. He works hard, prays everyday for all of our blessings, family, friends and good health, he helps both coaches at t-ball and baseball and is a great teacher. I love him with all of my heart, he is the BEST husband in the world!!
Me- Let's see...well, in September I started swimming three times a week and I have lost 24 pounds to date. I'm very happy with my accomplishment even though I still have alot more to lose but it's a great start. I still have my cupcake business, although that has slowed down and really by choice. I have turned down several orders in the last few months because of my schedule and being busy but that is the life of a stay-at-home mom. The kids are getting older and I'm getting busier but I love it. I think sometimes my schedule gets a little too crazy but it's fun and I love being involved in their lives. That's why I chose to stay home. The kids are so much fun for me, they make me laugh and laugh and we really have a great time together. I love watching them get older and seeing all of their interests and what they like to do and who their friends are. They make my heart so happy. I've really come to discover some new things about myself, I want to learn to sew and I sewed my first project with some wonderful friends and I am hooked. I plan to take some classes and invest in a machine, I really have so many ideas and can't wait to make things. I love cooking for friends and over this last year I had several groups come for dinner and it was such a joy for me. I love entertaining but this was simple, low key and a small group and it made it very intimate and fun. We had a lot of laughs and great conversations so I plan to continue it again in the Fall. My MOMSnext group is growing, not only in numbers but in wisdom, faith and friendship. I truly love leading the group and really it was something I never thought I would do but it has become such a blessing. This will be our third year and I still have so many ideas for the ladies. I look forward to it starting again in the Fall. I'm really looking forward to summer and getting together with friends at the beach, those are some times I cherish so much. The laughter, the kids playing, swapping magazines, swimming in the waves...it is such a blessing where we live to enjoy such a beautiful place and all of the fun. I don't really know what else to say about myself, I still love to garden and go to farmers markets and yard sales. I love to do canning and crafts and I love to be with my family and friends. Life is great!
So, now that I caught my blog up with a little about each of us, I can keep journaling here at least monthly. I love to blog and really love to share about life and it's fun to look back and read about past years and things the kid's have done or crafts we did. I don't know if anyone really reads this but it's okay, it is for me mostly to capture my thoughts and use as a journal. Until next time!:)
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