Ready For Summer

Every so often, I jump on my blog, and post something, and I say to myself, I am going to do this more often. That never seems to happen..haha! Life gets in the way and days pass by, weeks pass by, and then it is months later. Oh how I wish it would slow down.

This weekend, it was Memorial Day and we went camping with friends. Not only did I think of all of our veterans, men and women, who served in the past, and whom are serving now but, I thought about how much I was enjoying my time not being on social media. I popped on a few times to post photos but 99% of my time was sans electronics, of any type, and it felt so good! I loved having some peaceful time to reflect on, what Memorial Day is all about, as I relaxed.

So, of course, it got me thinking about going off of social media for the summer. I did it over spring break and loved it so much, I had to talk myself to go back online. I have so many projects, around the house, to work on, and I want to just enjoy the summer with my kids, hubby, family and friends.
My daughter is doing all kinds of fun things, including voice lessons, art class, dance class, sewing, a volleyball camp, and a Japanese cooking class. She wanted to go to Interlochen, to their summer musical theatre program, but it is a 2 or 3 week program and we go on vacation and a few other fun events right in the middle of the time slot. Maybe next year!

My son will be starting driver’s training and he did a resume and applied for a job, doing maintenance to the ball fields, and got hired. He will, also, take on a few customers for lawn jobs. He has made a lot of money, the last three years, doing lawn jobs, so he looks forward to that. He has been saving for a car. Other than that he wants to enjoy his last summer of freedom, as he puts it, haha! He said next summer, he will be working a lot.

We are taking a family vacation, in July, to Switzerland. We are so excited!! Then August, we will go into Pennsylvania to see my family. Other than that, there will be lots of beach days, farmers markets, craft fairs, gatherings with friends, concerts, family and friends coming to visit etc... I cannot wait! I will be off of social media and enjoying every single day, minute, second of summer!❤️

December 1st, Day 1, Countdown to Christmas

Christmas is such a magical time for me. In Pennsylvania, growing up, Christmas was all about visiting family, eating a lot of food and snow! I have some really special memories, of visits, to family, who have passed away that I will cherish forever. The mountains, the snow, the smell of pine trees, food, laughter, great conversations, hugs, gifts, special times, I was truly blessed.

Since moving to Michigan, we would always go back to Pennsylvania, every other year but, last year decided, we would change things. We decided to go back other times of the year, when it wasn’t a holiday, so we could visit more and just have a relaxing time. Plus, our son is a freshman this year and we really wanted his high school years to be home, in Michigan, for Christmas.

So far, that decision has been amazing. We visited family in August, and I got to talk to my Poppy, who is 95 years young, for 3 hours! I can’t tell you the last time I had done that because usually I would see him, at a holiday, when a lot of people were visiting, so we didn’t get that time together.

Fast forward to now, and we have a different tradition, staying home every year. The house is decorated, we got our tree the weekend after Thanksgiving and we have our artificial one down in our family room in the basement. I am completely done shopping, already started wrapping and have two cookie exchanges coming up this week. Then, my daughter and I will bake about 5 or 6 different kinds of cookies that we give to neighbors and keep for when we entertain friends or family this month.

We are hosting my husband’s family Christmas early so we wanted to get everything decorated and ready. It looks cozy, beautiful and festive. I feel relaxed, and am enjoying everyday of this holiday month. Normally, on our off year to Pennsylvania, family would come and be with us and it was nice, but I still felt like we never had our time, just the four of us to do our thing. This year, family is coming the day after Christmas and I am so happy. We will get Christmas Eve and Christmas Day all to ourselves, to do our traditions, to have our time together. It is going to be a magical Christmas!!! 

21 Day Fix

I decided to try the 21 Day Fix diet and workouts and so far so good for the most part...haha! Day 1 was good as far as the diet part but the workout was hard and severely kicked my butt! Day 2, didn't happen until today Day 3. Basically, yesterday started off with good intentions but then I went and volunteered at Vanessa's school, ended up eating a granola bar and then taking the kids for donuts after their half day. Well, that is when it all went downhill. I had pizza for dinner and a chocolate chip cookie for dessert!! Haha To top it off I didn't do my workout.

So, this morning, I decided I have to buckle down and I did my workout, which I ended up LOVING! And I had my shakeology for breakfast. I feel back on track and ready to continue this journey! At least until spring break...hahaha!!!

Baking 101

For about 5 years now, I have had a cupcake business called Kristen's Kupcakes. Sometimes I am really busy and other times not so much. Well, the winter/spring of 2015, we had some remodeling done to our entire main level, including the kitchen, so that meant I wasn't baking for months. In that time, I think I lost my passion, don't get me wrong, I still love to bake but not as a business anymore.  And so I am slowly fading out of the business that really was just a hobby I got paid to do.

I do enjoy baking for the kids, my husband, friends and family. My daughter and I bake together every Christmas, we have really turned that into a tradition that I look forward to every year. It is my hope that I pass some cooking and baking skills to my kids. Often, I will have them help and for years now, they have been cooking dinner or at least helping once a week.

A few weeks ago, I made blueberry muffins from a mix I got at a local Mennonite store and it called for 1 cup of milk but I used half a cup of milk and half a cup of heavy cream. The whole family thought they were the best muffins they ever had but I told them, the secret is the heavy cream. I could tell that day that both of my kids took note of that and in my mind I could see Hayden telling his wife one day, my mom used heavy cream...haha!

So even though I feel my passion for the cupcake business is fading, my love for baking still exists. Of course, I love to cook too!  I like teaching my kids tips and tricks from how to make dough to how to dice an onion. Today, I made them more blueberry muffins and homemade soft pretzels, this will be the highlight of their day, which I just love!

Don't get me wrong, we eat healthy too, in fact, 80% of the time. The 20% is for special treats made from Mom. That is baking 101 to me....smiling big!

2017, A New Year!

For some time now, I have been wanting to get back to blogging and at exactly 11:25 P.M. January, 1st, 2017, I decided to start again. 2016 was a whirlwind of a year, we traveled to Marco Island, Florida and overseas to Ireland. The kids turned 12 and 10, we remodeled the entire main floor of our house and got a new puppy and a new cat.

Before I knew it, we were heading into back to school mode and then holidays and my head continued to spin. I really felt like I had lost touch with friends this past year, mostly from being home bound with the remodel and now with the puppy so I really cherish the times we can get together. My hubby has been incredibly busy with work, which is great and when I can, I volunteer at the kid's schools.

So now it is January, a new year, with new goals. Ski season starts in a week, I turn 46 in 4 days, and get to head to Florida with a bunch of girlfriends in a couple weeks! I am beyond excited and ready for rest and relaxation and of course, fun!

One of my goals is to really make this blogging a weekly activity in my life. I enjoy it like writing in a diary but reflecting on my life and these memories I like to go back and read.

I wish everyone a joyful 2017 filled with love and laughter and I hope I can entertain everyone once in awhile with my weekly blog! Cheers!!

Toy Story Blues

You know how in Toy Story 3, the part where the little girl grows up and doesn't want Jessie anymore? It has happened with my little/big girl! Vanessa no longer wants any of her TS characters and she has them all. I have to admit the moment she handed them to me to put in our yard sale, my heart actually hurt and I thought of that part in the movie that always makes me cry. I don't want my little girl to grow up and not want her toys and on the other hand, I am so proud of the young lady she is becoming. It truly is bittersweet. I think I shed some tears as I walked away from Vanessa with Woody, Jessie, Buzz and the others in my arms. A piece of me is so torn, do I save them for grand babies or sell them and feel so sad...I still don't have an answer and the yard sale is three days away. I wonder how many more moms go through this as their child grows up....I've handled it pretty good up until this point. What will I do when she turns 13, 16, 18....sighs! I think I have to go rescue them from the yard sale box!!! Yes, I am feeling emotional! Ha!!😜

December 31, 2014

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!:)