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!:)

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 front cover

the back cover

                                                                         the tape spine

The inside contents

the picture

my checkmark and "49 the picture"

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:

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!!!!!!!!!!!!:)

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!

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,

 

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!

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!:)

♫"Summer Breeze Makes Me Feel Fine"...sings♫

Once again, I have been savoring all of my summer time and not getting on my blog...let's see it has been since February since I have written...wow! Well, a lot has happened and along with events there were some crafts and I have some fun photos but this writing today is going to be about SUMMER.... I live in a small town, a tourist gem, we have wonderful lighthouses, a huge beautiful beach, a state park with many amenities to offer, shops, restaurants, live entertainment, kid's events, a library that is a second home to our family, a simple ice cream shop around the corner of our house and so much more. What is delightful this year, is my time, the time I spend enjoying all of Ludington and all it has to offer. This year my eyes were a little more open as I watched the parade, not that they weren't the other years but I actually took it all in, I can remember almost all the different groups and people that walked, rode or entertained us at this 2-3 hour event...hmm, I lost track of time that day...I watched with my eyes really open.

My days at the beach, I sit and watch the kids play, I frolick in the waves or take a dip to cool off but my eyes are really open this year. I take in the beauty of the lake, in fact, it takes my breath away..not that I didn't see it before, I see it differently this year. I smell the air, the wind feels refreshing, sand doesn't drive me crazy like years past. I lose track of time and end up being there 4-5 hours and I love it...nothing is different in Ludington but something is different in me...

Perhaps, like I said I would in my New Year's resolutions, I have stopped to smell the roses again..Perhaps it's the good company of being with friends, old and new, laughing, smiling...feeling like I can breath again.Whatever it is, I like it, I like this summer even with it's 90 plus days I find glory, joy, laughter and fun. When it's too hot I stay indoors and have accomplished so many things that I wanted to get done and I feel soooo happy about that. Proud. The heat has taken a toll on my flowers, grass and landscaping but I still sit on my porch, my sanctuary and let my mind go...

Just something about the Summer Breeze this year.....smiling.

Pinterest Crazy Love

I wrote this in February and had this draft sitting around so I am posting it but I will update to July real soon...

Yes, it is....a crafting and organizing month and I love every minute of it!! My new found love is Pinterest and it has sparked a ray of light in me that I somehow lost for awhile or maybe I hadn't but I tucked it away in my-"I'm a mom and need to do kid's crafts now"- wing...LOL! I have always loved to do crafts and such but when I became a mom I only had time for kid's crafts and teaching them fun things so this door that has been re-opened has really, most definitely been good for my soul, my artistic brain, my love for unique things, my sense of style and world of colorful clarity.

The organization side of me has always been there and sometimes I get insanely obsessed with it although still feel so un-organized. I just never have enough containers!!..hehehe. This month I have accomplished alot though, I've gone through closets to cupboards to kid's rooms to clothes to the pantry and I am feeling very satisfied..so far. But around every corner I find one more thing to clean out, de-clutter and re-organize every month. That is just me and always will be me until I am filled with a house full of containers, shelves, bins and labels I won't be most happy...smiling big!

The past year has been really a "find myself again" type of year and what I mean is, I always have time to give and do for others but I never did for myself and Pinterest, along with a few other things has really helped me do that. It started last March when I started my cupcake business. It was a way for my creative side to come out, my love for baking to grow and to satisfy a wanting, of sorts, of recognition, without having to go to work and start a career working toward a goal. I could earn some money, still be a stay-at-home mom but feel like I am using my creativity. It has been a great year and I hope it continues because it really is quite fun!

Next was my wardrobe, sounds funny I know but I was wearing mom jeans and sneakers..never did I wear sneakers as a teenager and young adult except for gym class and although there is nothing wrong with that, it wasn't me...I don't care for sneakers but I didn't necessarily need to go back to my heel wearing days either, I mean it's 20 years later, heels don't feel nearly as good as they did back then but I need style...just some style...that's it. So I slowly started changing things, adding items, taking items to Goodwill and although I still have more changes to make it is far better than it was. How did that even happen to me? Well, easy, I only had eyes for my kids and my hubby and I left myself go and I'm not even talking about weight gain, that came without warning after children and especially after turning 30 and now I'm 41 so well, at least my clothes and hair look good...hehehehe. I'm talking about just not being worried about being fashionable and trust me, I was very trendy in my day.....or again, maybe I just thought I was...hehehehe. Still, I feel much better about what's in my closet!

Then summer came and I got myself in my swimsuit, went to the beach with a friend and had so much fun I couldn't wait until the next time, in fact, I wanted it to be the next day, everyday. I didn't feel self concsious, I didn't care what others thought, I was there with my kids and friends and we were laughing our butts off and all the worries went right off of my shoulders and so did a little of my bad self esteem. :)

January 2012..I can't believe how fast time goes by...

My New Year's resolutions this year:

 1. To be a better Mom- my kids would tell you I'm the greatest Mom in the world but I feel I could do better with my patience and what I expect from them.

2. To be a better wife- to make him feel loved even more than I already do.:)

3. To be a better friend- I need to take the time more for friends. Time, is one of those daily things I struggle with.."I don't have time"..., "I ran out of time", Why didn't I take the time"...sometimes, life is going 100 mph and I'm just barely hanging on to the wheel..I used to stop and smell the roses more often and I need to do that again. I used to send my friends letters, through snail mail...I miss that for sure.
 

4. To be an inspiration to someone- just that, to be an inspiration to someone, to help someone in need, to continue to give back, to continue to show compassion for those in need.

Okay, that about sums it up...basically, to IMPROVE me!:)

I usually do the traditional "I'm going to lose weight" but when I thought about it this year, I need to improve me on the INSIDE and then the outside will naturally get better. Not my heart or my spirit or my soul even...my mind. I think my thoughts about myself need to improve and when my brain is strong I can do anything, like lose weight.:)

But, I decided to change things in our household also, get back to basics..I'm a stay-at-home mom, I should have plenty of time to clean, do laundry and still do something I would like within my daily week. We have cut back on "electronic" devices including the T.V. and now play more board games, read more books and I feel I have gotten back on track with teaching my children the very fundamentals I always said I would. They now help cook a meal once a week and I mean they do everything, I stand guard, and help and of course, watch so there isn't any injuries. They LOVE it!! My youngest, Vanessa, has even figured out how to chop vegetables in a safe way and beautifully!

We are also doing more baking, I just taught them how to make a semi-homemade loaf of bread and we are pretty much baking bread weekly now. We still do the occasional crafts, mostly at holidays but only because they are getting older and doing crafts is not to be desired as it once was but they will always dive into creating a painting for me or coloring still and my oldest loves to draw so they are just doing more independant "crafts".:)

We have added more chores and they are earning money and our time together has just seemed more valuable and my oldest who loves his DSI, is fine with only being able to play it for an hour on Wednesdays while Vanessa is at dance and that is it during the school week. They have re-discovered toys and their imaginations keep blossoming. Now, this is not to say we haven't always done all of these things but we got sidetracked for awhile. We were letting Hayden play his DSI too much and reading books was every couple days not everyday...etc.... So, we are back on track, I feel better about my parenting...sometimes I'm so hard on myself.

That is life though, our children get older, we get busier, time goes by quickly and the next thing you know we are living in chaos. I decided to stop myself in my tracks. I was going too fast, literally not stopping and smelling the roses and missing things that I once did. That is where I am right now and it feels good...I feel refreshed and guess what? I lost 12 pounds! I didn't do anything except stop thinking about losing weight and been concentrating on my family and home and it has me busy(in a good way) and it is just coming off. I haven't stopped eating chocolate or cheese and I haven't done any exercising except playing with my kids. My brain stopped worrying about it and I have refocused on the priorities in my life (God, family, friends, house projects and hobbies) and somehow, that is working.:)

So, 2011 ended wonderfully, we went to Pennsylvania  for Christmas and spent some wonderful time with family and friends and it was just what I needed. For New Years we went to an annual party at a friend's house and walked downtown to watch the ball drop and it was a perfect night!

I do have some craft photos to share, the kids did some crafts for Thanksgiving for their grandparents. Hayden wrote on the turkey's feathers all the things he is thankful for about each set of grandparents and Vanessa colored hers with her fingerprints. I did some Christmas tags for gifts. Below are photos of both along with Vanessa's Thank You cards from her birthday party that I made. I know I have not been on here much and I need to get on more so maybe I will add that to my list of Resolutions!!:)

The End of Summer...School Beginnings...Discovering Me

Oh my, it has been since May since I wrote....wow!! Time sure flies when your having fun! Let me just recap my crazy summer. The summer began with a dance recital and t-ball games, both of which, I love to watch. The kids did so good this year, Vanessa danced her little body to The Banana Boat Song (she loves to sing it too) and was so cute in her hawaiian girl costume. Miss Calista gave her a framed certificate for most improved dancer, which she was awarded last year, but Calista didn't have the certificate and frame yet at the time of last year's recital so she basically recognized her two years in a row. Vanessa beamed so proud! Mommy did too!

Mr. Hayden Lee has excelled immensely on the baseball field. This is his sport, his absolute favorite and it shows. He had home runs every game and got many kids out, his catch is awesome. I was amazed when I saw how well he was doing. I knew he loved t-ball but didn't realize how good he has become. I showed up late for one of his games and I had three different parents, some from the other team, tell me how great he is...talk about a proud moment and at that point I hadn't even saw what they were talking about! I'm so glad he found something he can sink his teeth into, he can continue to blossom and become the ball player he wants to be.

His dad told him one time that baseball players and other athletes make millions of dollars...I think his eyeballs had green dollar signs in them and he will tell people he is going to be a professional baseball player....now, what is so funny about this is, at the end of the school year he had to write a biography about himself and he had drawn a picture of himself as president and that is what he was determined to be when he grew up, The President of the United States. Then just this week he was with his buddies and told them he was going to be a pop star so girls can hang posters on their walls of him and scream when they see him...can you tell what kind of kid he is? Hysterical!! He is so funny and serious at the same time, just cracks me up!

They are both characters!!

July was a whirlwind, the kids and I drove to Pennsylvania where I got to see some of my friends that I miss so much and we had a blast hanging out catching up, floating in the pool...ahhh..It was great! Then the kids went with Nana and Papa to Virginia Beach on their annual vacation. Then the following week they went with Grandma Janie and Grandpa Phil and had a blast, hanging at the pool and visiting the Baltimore Aquarium. While they were away, my hubby and I took a romantic vacation to Maui...ahhhh...it was glorious and beautiful and full of fun. We explored the whole island, in which some parts were just breathtaking. I love Hawaii, the Hawaiian people are so kind and I could easily retire there....oh the thoughts of fresh pineapple everyday are floating in my head...hehehe!

August zipped by quickly but we had lots of beach days with friends and lots of ice-cream, campfires, food on the grill and fun! I will miss those summer days especially sitting with my friend and chatting the day away...so relaxing. I always look foreward to the local art fair in August and my friend and I found some cheap treasures, we had so much fun that morning...I wish there were more art fairs to go to.

September was an interesting time for me, Vanessa started all day everyday kindergarten and Hayden started 2nd grade. The night before the first day of school, I was a weeping mess and the first day I was an even bigger weeping mess but I got through it and the rest of the week was a blur. I couldn't seem to find the energy to do anything nor did I want to. I felt lost...the quietness was too quiet and I couldn't find myself. It was the strangest feeling but I was lonely, bored and sad. I missed my baby girl whom is no longer a baby by all means but to me still my baby. The only bright light that week was breakfast with my dear friend and she made me laugh and lifted my spirits and I needed it so badly.

The second week was better, I met two friends for breakfast that week and we had lots of laughs...now I was feeling better..starting to feel like me again. Brian, I and the kids went camping that weekend and I just LOVED that. We all did.We had so much fun and laughter with 6 other families, I can't wait until we do it again next year. After that weekend, I felt I could breathe, I could laugh, I could clean the house and relax and still feel like I accomplished something in my day. The next morning I had my first MOMSnext meeting and it has given me another great thing to look forward too. The women I adore and enjoy so much, it is going to be a great year.

I feel each day getting better but I'm still re-discovering ME, what do I like to do?...Well, before I turned on music during the day, now I crank the music loud...before I would sing a little, now I put on pretend concerts...laughing...sound ridiculous I know but it's me and who I am...I discovered I absolutely love when I organize something, so every room in the house is getting a makeover, sort of...at least getting de-cluttered!

Today, I met another friend for breakfast and it felt soooo good to not have to watch the time, to know I still had the rest of the day to get my to-do list done. I'm easing into this all day to myself lifestyle but even still at 4:05 p.m. when the front door opens and my two children come running in and I hear" Hi Mom!!!" "Guess what I did today at school/" and backpacks are slung over chairs and coats and shoes are whipping off and "I'm hungry, may I have a snack please?" and all the loudness and chaos....is wonderful  music to my ears!!....smiling with tears.

End of The School Year Festivities and More

It is coming, I can't believe it, so quickly coming to an end...the school year! Before we know it we will be swimming in the lake, making smores and running around the yard catching fireflies...ahhh...I really cannot wait. But, first I have my motherly duties of field trips, t-ball practice and end of the year parties and teacher gifts.

April, where are you going so fast?

We are already in the middle of April, time sure is flying past...I feel behind for some reason, maybe it's the load of "stuff" I have to do or maybe it's time management. Sometimes I feel as though my head is spinning and all I hear is Mommy, Mom, Kristen, Mommmmm, Mom where are you?, Mom, can I do this?, Mom can I do that, Mom, where is this?, Mom, where is that?, Mom, do you know where my ----- is?, Kristen, Have you seen my------?, Mom, what's for dinner?, Mom, what are we doing next?.....ahhhhhhhh, I need a giant hot tub and a three hour nap some days. Life is funny sometimes, mommies juggle twenty different things at the same time, all the time, and we ask our children to do one thing and it can take them hours to do it....sometimes I feel like I look as tired as I feel but yet I wouldn't stop anything. I read "Baby Blues", in the comics section, of the Saturday paper, every week and I laugh every week because it relates to me or my children somehow and I remember one of them listing all the things we do as moms and wives from care taker to laudry folder to bill payer, it was hilarious and it was so true. I wouldn't change any of it for the world though...it is what I am supposed to do...I am supposed to be a teacher of all things...smiling.

So, Easter is coming up and like all other holidays, the kids and I have to dig our craft stuff out and start our Easter fun. We are making a garland out of bunnies, coloring eggs with that new spinner gadget, making cards for the grandparents and chocolate bunny pops. I will post pics soon of our fun! Happy April!!

Shamrock Shakes, St. Patrick Crafts and a clover hairstyle

St. Patrick's Day is fast approaching and the kids and I will be making crafts again. I just love holidays, any holiday, we always have so much fun creating things. This year, I found a few ideas from another blog that I love and they are really cute! We are going to make these cute handprint leprechauns for family. Thank You Tip Junkie!!

Then, similiar to our valentine heart garland, we are going to make a shamrock garland using shamrocks made from different paper.

 Then I will be making cards for friends with vintage images like the one below and seed cards for spring.

and while we are doing our crafts we will be enjoying shamrock shakes. YUM!!!

I also will be making St. Patty cupcakes for Vanessa's class as a special treat and, of course, let her help, she LOVES to bake!

The final thing I will be doing is a clover hairstyle on Vanessa on St. Patty's Day. This is sooo cute!

 Check out the video on how to do it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZmgn76d6YE&feature=player_embedded

Hope everyone has a magically delicious St. Patrick's Day! I just had to use the Lucky Charms saying! Until next time, have a beautiful day!