Pinterest + Polyvore

I love clothes a lot. You can check out my pinterest style board if you want to see how much. I like trying different styles and not putting myself in a box. Sometimes it's easy to get in a mom slump where I only wear workout clothes, or jeans and a hoody, but it makes the days that I do put more of an effort into it that much more of a treat. Dressing up for a night out, church, or a special occasion is fun and it's nice to wear something other than the normal everyday attire but if I had to pick one style that fits me most, I guess it would be leaning towards the sporty athletic look. I own a few too many pairs of athletic shoes and usually my wish list contains a few more. I can't fight it.

I thought I'd share a few of my favorite looks I created on polyvore just for fun today. Some sporty, casual, dressy and everything in between.


This first look makes me feel kind of like a mini celebrity. When I pinned it to pinterest, I didn't really expect 13 other people to repin it, let alone 113! Crazy. When I created this "Soccer Mom" outfit, I was trying to find something that balanced between normal casual clothes and a semi-sporty look.





Here's another take on it:





And one more for football season:




 Here is one of my favorite fun happy outfits, I just love yellow:





And another one in some tangerine for spring:







A couple of my favorite dressy outfits:











I love this for a nice fall weekend:






Wintertime:



Vacation:






So there is a small sampling of some of the outfits I've created. I love putting things together and finding inspiration for new ways to wear things I already own or things I see in the stores. It's a fun hobby and almost satisfies my need to shop.

Getting in Shape: It's An Ongoing Process

My resolve and motivation to get in shape over the last year was a direct result of how horrible I physically felt the last few months of my pregnancy with Cooper and Kale. (Poor boys, I hope they don't develop some sort of complex hearing about how painful my pregnancy was with them.)

{This was taken the day I went to the hospital. It makes me hurt just to look at this picture.}

I was carrying around so much extra weight, that my heart would race all of the time, my back was in pain continually, I could barely catch my breath doing the simplest things, and my joints and bones ached and felt like they were falling apart. My knees felt like they were going to give out on me, and I feared they would never be the same so that I could have the agility and flexibility to do a quick knee bend to pick up toys or squat to help tie a shoe. It took me a good six months after the twins were born to get to where I could kneel down without pain or discomfort (and be able to get back up). Lets just say it gave me a very good wake up call as to how I did not want to feel the rest of my life. It scared me. I was very determined to whip myself back into shape no matter what and make sure I always took care of myself. No excuses.This time was going to be different from all of the other times.

Well, then real life after twins set in and there really was no extra time or energy to offer up to "working out". Every day was pretty much a workout in learning to juggle many things at once and keep two babies happy and well loved. But still determined, I decided that even though it wasn't realistic to get really good workouts in, I could concentrate on my diet and making sure I wasn't fueling myself with junk. To be honest, I was just too tired or busy to eat half of the time. I knew I needed to keep myself healthy however in order to avoid exhaustion and burnout. So just starting first with the diet portion before the workouts really helped me. Baby steps, baby steps, baby steps.

By the time Cooper and Kale were in a good routine of taking regular longer naps during the day I decided it was time to really kick it into gear and start a regular daily workout routine. So as soon as school started this last fall, I began to get on the treadmill every day (or as many days as I could) after I'd put the twins down for a nap. The very first day, I wanted to see if I could run a mile straight without stopping. (Yes, I'm telling you I was starting out small.) I had not been able to run very fast in a long time and had no idea of what my body was still capable of doing or how my knees and everything else would hold up. I told myself to just run it in the best time I could without stopping and see what I could do. My time was not very good, but still better than I thought it would be which gave me incentive to do more. {The biggest thing I had to get over was that working out is as much mental as it is physical. You have to say that you can -- and then you will.} I made it a goal to see if I could get my time down farther and farther. So everyday when I did my half hour or more on the treadmill, I would always start with running the first mile as fast and hard as I could. It made it a challenge and sort of fun to see if I could beat my own time everyday. Then after I was done with the first mile I would do some walking/running/incline intervals for the rest of the time. I always made sure to have good workout playlists on my ipod which kept me pumped up and from getting bored.

In a month's time I had taken a minute and a half off of my time for the mile and by pushing myself by the end of December I was only a few seconds off the time I set as my goal. Because I had stayed committed, the running was paying off not only in shedding some weight, but more importantly I felt healthier and stronger and had more good energy. Mentally I was feeling better as well.

In January I decided to switch things up a bit, so instead of running four or five days a week I was running Mon/Wed/Fri, and then Tues/Thurs I started doing a workout DVD. I also decided to ramp up my running a bit and try to run farther/longer. I found that just by telling myself I could do five more minutes, I would get there and think, ok I can do another five minutes. It has been good to push myself and prove to myself that I can do it. That is a great feeling to give yourself. *Here's where I have to be honest.* I'm still not in love with running. Maybe if I was able to run outside more I would like it more. Maybe. But really, it's just become part of my routine - like cleaning the bathroom. I really don't like cleaning the bathroom, but it's something that has to be done and it feels good after you've done it. And just like cleaning the bathroom or any other household chore, it is much easier to do it often and maintain it than to let it go to pot and then have to really get down and dirty to restore it to it's normal state.

I like that my kids keep me accountable and ask if I've worked out that day. Morgan always asks me if I'm going to go run on the treadmill. It is a good feeling to be able to fit into clothes I want to wear, but there are a lot of more important things than that. I try to really stress that mommy does this so she can be strong and healthy, (and not because I look fat in my jeans). I don't want them to hear me say negative things about myself and then in turn feel like there is something wrong with them. I feel like I can jump and run and play and do the things I want to do now. I'm proud I have put in the hard work to get where I am and I know I still have a long way to go but that I can do it. I'm happy to be a positive role model for Kendle - that being strong and fit is more important than the pressure of being the unhealthy size 0 examples that the world puts out there for us all to see. A few years ago I would have just made short term goals to lose weight before a vacation or special event, but now I'm committed to making this a way of life.

So why did I share all of this? I just felt inspired today to let other people know that you can start small and keep working at where you want to be. You don't have to feel pressure to do what everyone else is doing. Find something you enjoy and that works for you. You can do it on your own time and make your own goals. This time last year I would have never thought that I would be where I'm at, or feeling as good as I am. I'm lucky to have lots of friends and family members that support and inspire me as well. I have lost about 16 pounds since September, and it has been through diet and tough exercise. (Mostly exercise though because I really love to eat and can't stop baking treats if my life depended on it.) I still have a long ways to go.  I was basically starting from scratch, so believe me if I can do it anyone can!

Here are some things that have helped and worked for me:

*Good music on my ipod. Let's face it, running on a treadmill can get reeeeallllllyyyy boring, so I try and switch up the music I work out to and treat myself to new music to make it fun. Music makes everything better. It keeps me pumped up. I also listen to it on occasion when I'm doing my workout DVDs. (Because the hosts can get kind of annoying.)

*New workout clothes. It might seem silly to buy some new cute workout clothes if you only workout at home where no one else but your family sees you, but there is something about having designated "workout" clothes, that once I put them on I feel like I can't change my mind and not do it. Where as if I was just in some comfy sweats or other lounge type of clothes, I might be tempted to just whittle away my time on something else. It makes me feel like there is purpose in what I am doing.

*Setting Goals. I started by setting some short term achievable goals. It feels good, even if it is something simple. Then I began setting some long term goals. It always would psyche me out in the past if I just set a big grandiose goal, and it would be easy to give up because it would become discouraging. So I started off with little things that grew into bigger things. I didn't start out saying I was going to run the Boston Marathon, I just wanted to be able to run a mile straight as fast as I could without stopping.

*Having a designated time at night that is your cutoff for eating/snacking. I know this is kind of controversial and there has been a lot of debate on it in the health community, but all I can say is it works for me. My usual cutoff time is around 7:00/7:30. I try not to eat anything after that. I also feel like I sleep better because of it.

*Going to bed at a good time and getting up at a good time. Remember the old saying, "Early to bed, early to rise - makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise." (I haven't been very good about that lately as I've been staying up late at night reading a good book.) If I stay up too late I feel sluggish and totally unmotivated the next day.

*Enlist your family to be your cheerleaders or exercise with you. Our whole family is trying to do more and be better about adding exercise into our days and staying active. Riley works out with his soccer team at practice, Kendle likes to ride her bike or jump rope when she's not playing a sport, and Morgan burns off a gazillion calories doing all the running, jumping, climbing, and playing he does every day. I've noticed everyone is a lot happier when they've got some exercise into their day.

*Practicing portion control.  There are a few things that I try to avoid 99% of the time (like pop), but really I think I do much better if I just allow myself the things I want to eat instead of cutting them out all together which usually makes me crave them more. I know a lot of people who are way tougher and more hard core than me that have cut out sugar and all sweets and I give them a big virtual high five. I don't think I will ever be one of those people myself. I do however try and make lower fat or healthier versions of foods if there is a good alternative that is still tasty.

So that pretty much sums it up. It's an every day ongoing process. Nothing too tricky or complicated.


**If you'd like to get some helpful running tips, head over to my friend Jenn's Blog to read about some great pointers.

Someday....

I love this chair. Someday I'd love to have a quiet reading room in my house where I can curl up in a cozy spot in a chair similar to this and just read away, enjoying some peaceful relaxation for a little while.

Maybe in a room that looked like this:

Or this:

Or this:

Or this:

Or this:

I know lots of women dream of craft rooms and huge walk in closets in their ideal home.

I dream of walls and shelves filled with books in all of their different beautiful colors.

And cozy lights to read by.......

Today I am:

::Glad I worked out::

::Craving Kung Pao Chicken::

::Turning a blind eye to my messy house and concentrating on folding

10 loads of laundry instead::

::Trying to be patient with my three year old who goes outside and sprays

the house with the hose every five minutes::

::Loving the sunny weather::

::Planning something fun for FHE::

::Trying to think of something yummy for dinner.........hmmm,

Kung Pao Chicken?::

::Going to soak up some of the sunshine while relaxing

and reading my new book::

::Glad that it's Monday which is our least busy day of the week::

::Going to kick butt - at nothing in particular, just at whatever comes my way, laundry, making snacks, changing diapers - yes I am that hardcore::

Sunday's

It's finally quiet in our house and I have a moment of peace to myself. The kitchen's clean, the toys are picked up, and all the little ones are tucked snugly into their beds for the night. I'm letting out a big sigh and shaking off the weight of another day conquered. Sunday's are usually really hard days for me. They start really early (as most days do around here unfortunately, but on Sundays there's no chance of catching a few more winks after the babies early morning feedings.) Church is at 8:30 and if I'm being honest, it takes everything in me to have a good attitude while I'm racing around trying to get everyone ready and out the door and we usually still have to end up sitting in the back overflow seats once we arrive - 1.) because we usually get there 1 minute before church starts, and 2.) because if I'm being practical, it just isn't easy to fit two car seats and baby stuff into the bench seats. The kids fight on the way to church, my diaper bag weighs 20 pounds, I never have time to eat breakfast.....yada, yada the list goes on. I always start getting as much as I can ready the night before so I am prepared (you know Saturday is a special day it's the day we get ready for Sunday) everyone is bathed and clothes are laid out for the morning, diaper bag packed, I even do my hair (yes people, for all those wondering, that is the only way I have time to style my hair for Sunday mornings) - yet it is still so crazy and chaotic and I feel exhausted before we even leave the house. I am always so tired after church and just want to come home and sleep if I am lucky enough to catch a nap.

This morning however, I wanted to prove myself wrong that I could enjoy my day. I did not want to stress about the little things and make myself miserable. I told myself the night before as I was going to bed that today was going to be a good day and I would embrace the early church time. [ To be fair, I really have a love hate relationship with the 8:30 time. It's horrible getting there, but I LOVE that we are home before noon. It is a wonderful schedule during the warm summer months especially. I'll just say it has been mighty hard to get going that early some days when we've been up all night with the babies and not gotten any sleep.] Thankfully the babies slept good all night and woke up at 6:00 to be fed. That worked out great as I needed to be up and start getting ready by 6:30 anyways. By 6:30 they were back asleep and I had time to start getting ready and get everyone up and going. Everyone had a good attitude and we were ready in good time. The babies were great during church. They hardly fussed at all. I didn't let Morgan's rolling around on the floor or 20 bathroom breaks get to me. During relief society a good friend held and fed Kale for me so I could listen to the wonderful lesson (everyone needs a friend like Natallie, she's a gem). I felt spiritually fed. I was able to feel so much happiness for a friend who recently adopted a beautiful baby boy and see the joy in her eyes. I didn't feel exhausted when I gathered up all my children and exited the building to head home. It was good. I had all the energy I required to do the things I needed to do the whole day.

The ironic thing? We found out today that we will be changing to a new building and church time of 11:00 (even if temporarily) starting next week. I guess the jokes on me. Just when I was starting to embrace the early time (and it only took me seven months). I don't know why, but I keep thinking of the movie "Holes", a family favorite of ours, when they keep telling the boys that digging all those holes builds character, and they won't learn their lesson if someone else digs their holes for them.

I feel like I've been digging lots of holes lately..................

Three Things

I saw an article on this blog with 119 Journal Prompts and thought I could use a boost writing more details about myself on my blog for journaling purposes. I hope to use some of them every week.

Three things I can't go without:
Strong rubber bands for my hair
My hair is seriously thick and wimpy rubber bands just won't do the trick. Since I wear my hair in a pony tail 5 out of the 7 days of the week these are essential to my sanity. I can't deal with my hair slipping out and getting in my face.

Air conditioning
Got to have it. Period. I get reeeaaaallly cranky and irritable when I'm hot. I can't sleep at night if I'm hot and uncomfortable either.

C.O. Bigelow Mentha Cinnamint Lip Shine
It is my all time favorite lip gloss. I hope they never stop making it. It's not sticky or gummy and it looks casually pretty.

Three celebrity crushes:
Ryan Reynolds
Christian Bale
Sam Worthington

Three favorite book characters:
Pony Boy - from "The Outsiders"
Anne Shirley - from "Anne of Greene Gables"
James "Jamie" Fraser - from "The Outlander" series

*Honorable Mention
Harry Potter - from the "Harry Potter" series
Morgan Shurtliff - from "Matters of Chance"
Sarah Agnes Prine - from "These is My Words"

Three favorite things to wear:
My wedding ring
A good fitting pair of jeans
My red pea coat

If I had to evacuate my home because of a natural disaster the three things I would take with me:
(besides my family of course)
My gun
My 72-hour emergency kit
My purse

Three Pet Peeves
People that are always late
People that talk without any tact or regard for others feelings
People that think they are the best at everything

Three things I'd do if I wasn't so afraid:
Write a book
Tell my rude neighbors exactly what I think of them blasting their music
Take my kids out in public by myself :)

Three favorite TV shows:
Glee
Friday Night Lights
Grey's Anatomy

*Honorable Mention
So You Think You Can Dance
Community
The Office

What in the Hair?

I added a poll to my sidebar. I'm getting my hair cut on Monday and am having a hard time deciding what to do. You have until 9:00 Sunday night to possibly influence my choice. Do I go edgy or just play it safe? Let's just say it has been a while since my last cut. Here are some factors to take into consideration:

My hair is naturally wavy

It tends to frizz a bit, especially in warm weather

I have little to no regular styling time

I like to be able to get it out of my face

I'm considering doing some color to it as well

My hair grows pretty fast

*I have four kids, am turning 30 next month, and want to look like a foxy momma*

Here is what my hair currently looks like:

(This is what it looks like the one day of the week when I actually have time to style it and it's not just thrown up in a messy ponytail)

So go to the sidebar and put in your two cents. I'm not promising I'll go with the majority of the votes, but I'll value the input just the same!

*And just for the record I don't think I'll be getting any self-portrait awards any time in the near future. I stink at taking my own picture.

I want......

*To get things done without having to stop every ten minutes

*My bathrooms to magically clean themselves

*The laundry to leap out of the laundry basket and neatly fly to the closets and drawers

*A new haircut

*New clothes for Spring

*Time to finish my book

*A vacation somewhere warm, sunny, and quiet

*To not have to change poopy diapers for a day

*A volume control for Morgan's voice

*Sound proof walls for the baby's room (see previous)

*Wide open spaces

*A personal chef

*To move into a bigger house without having to clean and pack

*A day's worth of patience

Monday Morning Ramble

Why is it that the one year Riley and I both get flu shots, (the first since we were kids probably) we have been sicker than ever. Our whole family has been going through an endless cycle of the flu and it finally caught up to the two of us this last week. It has been taking a whole week for the next person to get sick which means it has quite the incubation period and must be some kind of strong bug. For the record, I will just say I HATE - HATE - HATE feeling like I'm going to throw up. I already had to spend the majority of last year being miserable and I just want everyone to be well and feel good, including myself. It brought back horrible memories of my early months of pregnancy and I can't believe that it was possible to feel that horrible day in and day out. Morgan and I got almost this exact same thing back in October, just a few weeks before the babies were born and I felt like I was dying. Riley was so miserable yesterday morning and threw up a ton. I felt so bad for him. Regardless, he managed to make it with me to Kendle's "It's Great to Be Eight" fireside at the church last night since it was so important to her. He looked horrible, but that is a good dad for you. Hopefully we are all done now and these yucky bugs can be banished from our home. I will spend today, once again, cleaning and disinfecting everything I can. I'm so thankful to my mom for coming up and helping me on Friday with the kids. She spent the night and allowed us to get an actual whole nights sleep. I got up around 8:00 in the morning on Saturday and had not even heard a baby cry. She is so good. That was the first real night's sleep I have had in over 9 months and I felt so much better that day because of it.

I have to tell some funny things about Kendle before I forget them. She has such a funny sense of humor and has since she was a little girl. Her primary teacher was telling me last night at the fireside about something that happened in their class. A few Sundays ago, they were talking in their lesson about their spirits and how they looked like their bodies. They were passing around a mirror for each of the children to look at themselves in and when it got to Kendle she said "Great - so I'm going to be stuck with these teeth?" Her teeth are kind of at what we call "the hill billy teeth stage". She's getting very self conscious about the way they look. Anyways, they thought that was funny and I could totally picture her saying it. She's also been writing these really great little stories lately. I don't know how she thinks up all of her ideas but they are really cute. She wrote one last week about a whale with polka dots that had us laughing. I'll have to post some more of them on here in the next few days if I can remember. I can't believe she will be 8 this year. After the fireside last night she is so excited to get baptized and go to Activity Days. I'm so thankful for what good primary leaders and teachers she has.

Morgan is still doing great with the potty training and having hardly any accidents. I'm trying not to get my hopes up too high, but we just keep encouraging him and keeping him excited about it. He gets to go to pre-school in the fall, so I've been using that as an incentive by telling him that to go to school he has to go potty like a big boy. He is so excited to go to school, so I think that has really helped. Sometimes it can be quite the adventure when I am stuck feeding or putting a baby to sleep and can't get up to help him and I can hear him in the bathroom not knowing what he's doing, but so far we've only had a few mishaps. He has loved playing with his big Lego block set my mom and dad got him for Christmas. He will spend hours building towers and garages for his cars. The other day he went through them and told me all their colors. I was very impressed. He has such a good imagination and will talk to himself and play so well. He is very curious and always asking me how things work. If a toy needs a new battery, he knows where to find them and will also bring me the right kind of screw driver to fix it. I like that during the day, he will still come sit and rock with me when we have a quiet moment together. He is my little buddy.

The twins had their 2 month checkup last week and we were excited to see how much they have grown. They are the exact same length if you can believe it - 23 1/2 inches long. Also, Cooper weighed in at 12.9 and Kale at 12.5, so they are almost the EXACT same size. I think that is amazing. The doctor couldn't believe it either. So that's about 3 or so inches and 5 or so pounds in the last two months that they've grown. Wow! Guess all that food they chug down has been good for something after all. They also had to get their vaccinations - 3 shots and one orally. I hate seeing those needles sink into their soft chubby little legs. It never gets any better no matter how many kids you have. Cooper's little leg was bleeding so much it got on his little outfit he was wearing. I think he handles that stuff a little better than Kale though. Kale just wails and has this horrible high pitched kitten mewing sound. It is the saddest thing ever. I've never heard a baby cry that like before, he is Mr. Sensitive. I can't believe they are 10 weeks old today!

Good Things

~Potty training Morgan has been an uphill battle recently, but he stayed in big boy underwear the whole day yesterday and only had one accident. I think he is really getting it down. I don't know if I'm confident enough to get rid of the pull ups all together, but I'd love for this to be the last pack that we bought.

~Cooper slept from 11:30 last night to 6:30 this morning. Kale woke up at 3:00, but he didn't finish his bottle before he fell asleep. The nights are starting to get a tad more bearable and we've gotten somewhat of a schedule going.

~Bought a nice new scale, a new work out DVD, and dusted off my free weights. I've figured out how much weight I need to lose each month to reach my goal by the end of summer and I am stoked. I've already lost a few pounds. I resolve to keep the junk food out of our house which is not going to make everyone else happy, but it will be good for us all. Muffin top be gone!

My favorite thing about making homemade bread?

Using it for toast in the mornings.

I love the yummy texture of it being crispy on the

outside and then still a little bit soft on the inside.

It's the best!

I have to use some serious restraint to keep myself from eating about ten pieces, and for some reason I think it actually SMELLS better while it's toasting up than regular bread.

{Maybe that's just my imagination.}

2010

***

picture

Goals for 2010:

*Be healthy and get back to my pre-baby physically fit form. (I'm talking, pre-pre-pre-baby, I'm aiming high this time.)

*Enjoy each of my children at the age they are at. Spend quality one-on-one time with them each day.

*Strive to be more patient.

*To not forget myself no matter how chaotic and busy life gets.

*Take more pictures.

It's going to be a GREAT year!

What I'm Digging This Week

*Mollee and Jakob's waltz on SYTYCD.
It is my favorite dance of the season and total perfection. Here's the clip. I think I have watched it about twenty times now. Also, Kathryn my favorite girl dancer, made it into next week's finale. Yay!

*Glee's Season Finale.
Could quite possibly be at the top of my list for finale shows with the perfect ending. If you missed it, you can watch the full episode here commercial free.

*I'm loving some of these senior pictures my little sis took for my cousin Mitch.

*My favorite werewolf Taylor Lautner will be hosting SNL this weekend. If you didn't see him on late night with Jimmy Fallon a few weeks ago, you must watch this clip. It is hilarious.

*All the help my husband has been giving me. He did baby duty yesterday afternoon so I could do some much needed baking and then took the older two out for the night to a hockey game with some friends who had extra tickets. I know we are both exhausted and it is hard for him to go to work after being up at night with the babies. I think he gets a super dad award.

*Kendle went to the dentist yesterday and is cavity free. That is a good feeling and sure nice for a mom to hear.

So Glad It's Friday

I'm happy today because:

*I got some decent sleep last night.

*Morgan has slept in his big boy bed two nights in a row + a nap in it yesterday.

*My parents are taking Kendle with them to my nephew's baptism in Coquille, OR and she will get some much needed one on one time, not to mention lots of cousin time. She is so excited and has been counting down for weeks.

*I will miss Kendle being gone, but the house will be a little (a lot) quieter this weekend.

*I've been working hard all week and today minus a little bit of laundry, I am going to relax and have fun.

*On that same note, take out or going to dinner somewhere is on the menu for tonight, along with renting some movies.

*Going to Yoke's this morning to stock up on some canned goods. Won't have to buy those again for a long time which I like. I hate loading up my shopping cart with heavy cans when I'm grocery shopping.

*Don't have to worry about packing lunches, gathering homework, fixing hair, or early breakfast's till Monday.

Have a fun Friday!!!

What's Making My Head Spin Today....

*Talked to my doctor on Monday about birth plans, looks like I'll be getting induced in three or four weeks. I'm freaking out to have an actual deadline. Preparing myself for a possible c-section.

*Large to-do list that grows every day. Shouldn't it be shrinking?

*Have official baby names picked out, now just having "friendly" debates with Riley on how to spell them. I need to know though so I can finish up some projects I've been working on. I feel like we should have had this worked out months ago. This has definitely been the procrastination pregnancy.

*Morgan not adjusting to the bunk beds, getting up too early with Kendle, and being over all cranky. He's over the flu, but now has runny nose and a cough. I'm ready for him to be back to his happy self.

*So frustrated when helping Kendle with her homework. Poor girl has to draw out pictures for math that is so simple to her, and bring home books to read that are too easy. I feel for her and am at a loss for how I can help her have a better school experience. I see her losing her spark.

*Trying to figure out where to put the 18 boxes of cereal I bought on sale this week.

*Wondering if my house is really cluttered, or if it's my super-sensitive nesting instincts kicking into over drive.

*Watching my 2 year old plug his portable radio into the computer to charge, and working the remote like a pro. Wondering why the concept of potty training is so hard to grasp then? :)

*After getting zero sleep last night, I'm not as hyped about cleaning out Morgan's room which I wanted to get done today. I feel like a truck ran over me, backed up, then ran over me again.

*Excited to make some caramel corn tonight after my family has been asking for it for the last three days. Let's hope that idea still sounds good later this evening.

*I'm in disbelief that Halloween is fast approaching. We bought pumpkins Monday night and the kids costumes are ready to go, but I'm dreading buying the Halloween candy.

What's making your head spin today?

One Step At A Time

(what's been on my mind lately)

Why is it that when you are in a hurry to go somewhere, that is the time your kids will choose to do something really naughty. This morning was a perfect example:

I was trying to get ready to leave for a brunch at a friends house and I'm literally away from Morgan for five minutes while I do the fastest makeup job ever, when I hear the pantry door being open and shut and the broom being knocked around.

I go to the kitchen to see what little guy is up to and find the brand new bag of potato chips dumped out all over the kitchen floor. Morgan looked like he was trying to redeem himself by swishing the broom around all through the mess. He gives me that look like "I'm helping mom, really I am."

It is so hard for me to not get really mad in those situations. I have to write about it on my blog so that I can laugh about it later. Being a mom requires an endless amount of patience. I seem to be running low on that these days. I think that by having twins, I will be forced to either learn the art of being a more patient person or be totally miserable, and maybe that is a huge lesson I need in my life.

It is always amazing to me when I see mom's who never seem to be rattled or unhinged at the things their kids are doing and manage to handle difficult situations in a calm manner. I always wonder, "do I just have ornery children who take it as their personal responsibility to give me trials, or do I just let all of these little things get to me?" Are the crushed potato chips and the sticky greasy floor worth getting mad over?

Some days it can feel like it is one incident after the other. It can be hard not to let out a negative stream of comments when I step on a glob of toothpaste in my bare feet from the children's bathroom or witness my daughter spill a full glass of chocolate milk all over the kitchen counter and newly mopped floor. Sometimes you just want to look around and say, "Seriously? Did that really just happen?"

I love my kids more than words could say and am thankful to have this opportunity to be a mother and raise these little people into worthwhile outstanding big people someday, but it would be a lie to say it is all sunshine and roses every minute of the live long day. I talked to a woman recently who said she used to have to go out in her backyard and yell at the top of her lungs sometimes to vent a little. She said the neighbors probably thought she was crazy, but at least she didn't end up yelling at her children that way.

I think it's OK to admit that we aren't perfect mom's and we get mad and make mistakes. Even the women around us who seem to have it all together at every moment have their own struggles they deal with. I guess ultimately the long hard lesson that I'm continuing to learn is that it's all about attitude and perspective. We only have so much time to nurture, teach, and tend to our little children before they refuse to let us do it any more. I want to be able to laugh about the spilled milk and crushed potato chips and the globs of toothpaste on my bare feet. (I really do.) I don't want my kids growing up thinking they have the crankiest mom on the planet.

I saw these two quotes the other day and thought they were both worth remembering:

"What is destructive is impatience, haste, expecting too much too fast."
- May Sarton

"Don't spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door."
- Dr. Laura Schlessinger

We often forget that even though we are adults with our own families, we are still continuing to learn and grow. I learn and discover new things about myself, the world, and life in general on a regular basis. That magic switch that is supposed to make you more mature and responsible doesn't get snapped on automatically. I'm still figuring out what I "want to be when I grow up", although ultimately at the end of the day the best answer I can give is -
a good mom.

And that's what I need to keep reminding myself. It helps when I see pictures like this:

Confession....

I hate to say it, but I am not a huge fan of birthday parties. Kendle's birthday is coming up in the next two weeks and I have yet to plan anything. I let her have a very big fun party last year that was held somewhere other than our home which was fantastic, but I explained to her that is not something we will do every year. I hate not being able to include everyone, you always feel like you are leaving someone out. If it were up to Kendle she would invite every last person she has ever met in her entire life, she considers everyone her friends.

This year there is a good possibility that we will be with Riley in Seattle for her birthday weekend and thought we could take her and do some fun things while we were there. Then the mom guilt starts in on me and I'm thinking - you know what, the little girl just wants a birthday party. She doesn't care about seeing the Space Needle or whatever else while we're there. So then I'm thinking, ok maybe we'll just have a small little party when we get back. Small meaning four or five little girls? What about the boys she is friends with as well? See, there I go. She really wants a cowgirl and cowboy birthday party. That sounds like something you could have fun with and do a lot of cute things with. I'm just not in party mode right now. Or making a super cool cake mode. Or any kind of mode for that matter.

I know I need to just suck it up and be a super trooper mom for the sake of my child, but really birthdays are just not my thing.

Annoyed

Can't sleep.

I've been up since 5:00.

I'm itchy-

Sneezy-

Have sore throat-

Watery eyes-

Stuffed up-

And have an annoying feeling in my ears-

Aren't allergies great?

Better

Today:


*Fixed and styled my hair for the first time in oh, about two months. Blow dryed, curled - the whole shabang. (wow it's a lot of work) Even put some super yummy smelling glossing cream in it. Bonus points for that.


*Did my makeup


*Gave myself a mini pedicure and repainted my toes a happy, bright, summery, hot pink.




















*I'm wearing new earings and sandals.



*Filed and clear polished my super long ever growing fingernails


Verdict = I feel like a new woman. I have felt so gross and shlumpy for the last few months and I'm ready to welcome summer and be a cute, happy, pregnant lady who's feeling good and enjoying life.


Now I'm off to run some errands and go see a friends new baby. Stay cool this weekend!

Spring Fresh

I love all of the spring colors that are popping up all over the place. Yellow and green are definitely my favorites. It's amazing what a little color can do to brighten up your day and attitude. Every time spring rolls around I'm tempted to paint my walls yellow and lighten everything up.

Here are a few of my favorite things for spring:

*This cute wreath from A Soft Place To Land would make me happy every time I opened my door:

Can you believe she just used ping pong balls spray painted yellow? Genius.


*This necklace and cute scarf from Old Navy are so fun:

*I'm in love with this kitchen cabinet makeover from Tater Tots and Jello:

*Cute green short sleeved jacket by Forever 21:

*I think This lunch box is adorable:

*The creamy yellow in this duvet cover set from Pottery Barn would brighten up my bedroom decor:

So, those are just a few things that have been capturing my attention the last few days.

What is your favorite thing to do/buy/wear/ or make for spring?