Being Scared of the World, While being a MOM!

Hi, if you are reading this that must mean the boredom and need to stay busy has gotten to you and you have stumbled across my wonderous blog. If that is the case then...WELCOME!!! If you are a follower or a fan thanks for sticking around during this crazy time in the world!

If any of you are like me then you are also a parent at home with kids that would normally be in school during the day so things may be a little out of whack for you! Well, guess what...

THAT IS OKAY!

The world is super crazy and scary right now and not having it all together is the kind of thing we all have in common right now. There are so many people who are trying their hardest to be teachers, improvisational cooks, keep the house in order and make sure that everyone is keeping up on their hygiene. It is hard, especially with so much fear and uncertainty in our futures. We need to stop pushing our selves to keep the same schedules and to-do lists and embrace the looser side of the days.

Are you someone who likes to make lists and cross off everything as you do it? Instead of making a new list each day, make one big list broken into three parts.

In this section, you want to write down the big things to get done before the month is over. This could be writing up your meal plan and shopping list for the following month, cleaning out a closet, reorganizing a room in your home, etc. These are items you can be a little lax on and leaves time for ...

In this section, you'll put things like laundry, changing bed sheets, cleaning out the refrigerator, vacuuming, dusting, cleaning the bathrooms, etc. These are things that you want to keep up on a little bit more for hygiene reasons and of course so you can keep up with what you may have stored behind that jar of jam or gallon of milk at the bottom of your fridge! (I know I myself am not a fan of finding that leftover pot roast or chicken soup several weeks later when it has developed it's own islands of mold and bacteria residents lol)

This is the section that will change the most and if you use a whiteboard like I do that makes it much easier to change when you need to. Right now I have small boards for the kids to put their personal to-do lists on and one large one in the kitchen we use for the menu of the day and most other notes. Here you can put things like, work on schoolwork, dishes, prep meals, bake something, and if you want to do smaller lists for the kids and designate a set time for the lists to be checked off, then you can put things like, make beds, get dressed, brush teeth, set table, pick up toys, read two books, etc. Make them quick chores and tasks so that there is still time to be together and reassure them that together you can get through this time.


I am still working on my board for the next month as this one is pretty much over. I will post that picture with my blog post on Tuesday to bring us into April. Tune in then to see how I played it out and use some of your own creativity and I would love to see yours!

Now comes my biggest TIP/SECRET/IDEA THAT WORKS FOR ME:

Take one day and do NOT make a list for that day. Take that day off, spend it with the kids doing fun stuff they choose to do, let them pick dinner that day, make a fun snack, stay in pj's and cuddle watching movies on Disney+, Hulu, Netflix or any other streaming service you might have.

**side note, I will be making a post about some fun shows and movies I discovered when I ran out of things on the DVR to watch** Should be fun! 

But anyway, take a day to just have fun and try to enjoy the togetherness you can get with your family that life usually doesn't give us a moment for like we would like. It is ok to be afraid of what's to come and what has already happened. It is ok to feel overwhelmed and like you cannot seem to stay on track. DO NOT be hard on yourself. (trust me I know from first-hand experience this does NOT help anything lol) be kind to yourselves and others. We need kindness more than anything right now in the world. I hope this helps you a little bit or at least gives you something new to try to keep some of the sanity at this time.

See you again soon! Keep reading and we will keep living! <3 

Mid-Month Reboot

So it seems like the weather can really mess enough stuff up to throw someone like me off track for all the things I was into. Snow days with the kids home and canceled things that I was going to do because trying to do them in the yucky weather was NOT going to be easy.  I did use those days to catch up on the housework and to make a big dent in the things I wanted to get going on this year though.

One of the newest additions to my routine is TEA! I have found some awesome ones and I love them. If you are a lover of tea you have to try Yogi brand teas. Head on over to https://yogiproducts.com/ and check out their story and all the available flavors. Maybe even you will find the perfect one for what you need! A fun bonus is that each tea bag comes with a little touch of inspiration to get you through the day!

Since I am also trying to find things that my body and system can tolerate better I have also switched to Lactose-Free kinds of milk. I have been trying different ones to see which is my favorite, so far the one that is the best tasting is Fairlife Fat-Free Ultrafiltered Milk ( https://fairlife.com ) which has been wonderful at making sure those uncomfortable side effects I have from drinking milk are a thing of the past!

Another thing of the past, the fight between vegetables and the kids. I have found several new recipes and fun ways to get the kids to choose at least one vegetable they love and still try ones they may not be as happy about eating. I still have to give a little incentive to get them to try more than one bite/piece of whatever offensive vegetable is on their plates but I think "baby steps" are a good place to start!

Now as the month is looming closer to the end I am closer to being on track. This week I have been able to keep up with certain things like laundry, grocery shopping, taking my vitamins, and even slipping in some workouts here and there to keep on track with my weight loss goals!

I would have to say the first month of this year while being a little bit bumpy, is definitely off to a good start and I cannot wait to see how my next goals pan out!

Thanks for listening and reading! More to come soon!

Time Flies, When You're Having FUN!

A full year in fact and I apologize for our absence. If you stuck around and are now seeing us again YAY! 

It is time for us to get back in the groove of things. We are starting back up during the preparations for school starting and the ending of the first two months of living in our new apartment! The past year has had some big changes for us. We moved, my guy now works from home so I see him way more, I now have a better custody arrangement and have gotten a lot more organized in many ways in my life! 

Now it is time for the summer fun to end and that wonderful time of year when the kids do all that great learning is upon us. It is time to send them back to school. (Or homeschool if that is what you do) Some students are already back in the habit and attending classes but I still have a couple weeks of fun with them before mine head back on the 4th of September. This school year I have one going into first grade, one into seventh, and one into tenth. That means all kinds of scheduling and making sure that all paperwork and school supplies are ready to go and that we get back on our school schedule with sleep and waking up. We have also been refreshing our memories with what we learned last year so that there isn't brain mush during the first week of school. 

Now coming up in the weeks ahead I will be giving tips, links, and recommendations for the things that help our life run smooth. Also since the holiday months will be upon us shortly I will be sharing some fun family favorite recipes and traditions that we love! 

We hope you will continue following along and maybe find something that helps you "Make it Work" in your own life! 

Summer is Here

Yep, you heard that right moms and dads out there, Summer is HERE! Which of course means....no school!




I am lucky that I can be home with them while they are out. I am lucky there are with me for a good portion of the summer as they are with Dad most of the year because of school.









HOWEVER, surviving the summer with kids wanting attention the ENTIRE day can run even the most even keeled mother ragged.









My children especially could stump a Pinterest mom with the need for entertainment and attention. Again lucky for me I AM a Pinterest mom and have a plethora of ideas the are spaced out over the summer to help us stay sane in the hot weather. Last week we had our first day out together since school let out and it went about as smoothly as I could have hoped it would.

First we had a smooth morning with a shower and yummy breakfasts for the kiddos. Then we hopped the local bus down to our town's library where I signed the kids up for their own library cards, we did a puppet show and then took out some books and movies to enjoy at home. Spencer spent some time talking and laughing with the fish in the aquarium. Out side they posed with and as statues (it was totally cute).






On the way back we had a little bit of money so we stopped at DQ and got some cheese curds and blizzards before making the short walk home. It was a blast and the kids had so much fun.







I love how much they love books and having them thank me for the "awesome snack" was pretty damn great.

In the weeks coming up we have a few more library trips, a fireworks show on the 4th, probably another BBQ or two and several small activities for the days when the weather doesn't want to cooperate with our plans, such as rock painting, puppet show making, forts, and family games to play.

All in all I think summer will go well and I will miss them when they have to go to theirs Dad's again.

Zee's art page 

Spencer's picture of me and a turtle!

 I even have a blast just making art with them. It makes me smile when Spencer draws our family and when Kenzee comes up with ideas that she does all on her own with no guidance. It really shows how creative she is.





This is going to be a great summer with lots of fun memories. I cannot wait for the next day of fun planned.
I am sure you will all be waiting ever so patiently for my next update on how we are making it all work in today's chaotic world and keeping ourselves happy. Until tomorrow! Ciao!

Learning about Others

This past weekend we attended the Seattle Pride Parade! It was the kids first time really being a part of something that important. It went really well too, I expected a lot of questions and confusion. Turns out KIDS ARE NOT JUDGMENTAL like some ADULTS I know! 











They had a lot of fun celebrating LOVE, PEACE, and UNDERSTANDING! They learned that people are ALL very different but no one is better than anyone else, just different. They learned that LOVE is what is important! They enjoyed the colors, the music and the fun people they got to see marching in the parade. 

It was very fun for me to see them clapping and enjoying it when I expected them to have questions but they seemed to have no problems just accepting the way people were. I think we could all use to take a page out of their book. We should just accept the differences and learn to love everyone the way we want to be loved. 

 We spent the rest of the afternoon with friends having a BBQ and just having fun. It was really just a GREAT day! 


 I can't wait to take them again and maybe next time make sure we are all decked out to show our support for LOVE in all its forms! 

I am a woman who has a family that FULLY SUPPORTS LOVE and PEACE! We believe that you should love whom you love and never for a minute feel like you have to defend your choice! We LOVE YOU! 

From my little family to yours!  

Spencer and Me

Ever since Miss Mckenzee has gone off to CT/RI to visit her family it has been just Spencer and me during the day while Daddy works. I have to say it has been quite a bit of fun. 

We have watched all kinds of old cartoons, fun movies, had some dance parties, built "super" castles with his Mega Blocks, played games and even played hide and seek a few times (he is not very good at it yet).

He is so smart and talks to much now that it amazes me all the time. When you hand something to him and he says "Thank you so much!" my heart melts. Just this morning he surprised me with a fishy kiss out of the blue. He just grabbed my face and kissed me! I loved it, it was so darn adorable! 

I am so happy about all the time we have had one on one and I am hoping to make sure I continue to carve out some time for him even when his sister returns because I don't want to miss any moments of fun!

Whirlwind Heart

So many emotions going on with me right now. 

Part of it could be that I am watching The Color Purple   which is one of those movies where you end up truly invested in the character, part of it could be the fact that two of my little ones are not here with me right now, or it could be that today is the nine year anniversary of my first date with DJ and I keep thinking about that night and how wonderful it was.

Only part of my emotions are sad. Forget the movie part because that is fleeting but my small sadness is because I miss the little ones so much. I have been able to have a lot more one on one with Spencer which is cool because he is growing up so fast and I hate missing any of it. He is so smart and funny I love him so much.

As anyone who reads along knows Andrew has returned to CT for his time with his father, as he does every summer. I always miss him, and this year his sister, my little Mckenzee, has gone to CT/RI for 10 days to visit family and spend some time at the beach! 

Mckenzee spent the first few days out there with my mom (her Memere) and they had a blast together. My mom told me they went to the Book Barn and visited the Princess Pond, had some BBQ and went to Hopeville Pond. My mom made sure that there were some awesome pictures of them all together were taken so I could see them all again! It was cool. 

Now Mckenzee is with DJs mom (her Gramma) spending time with his family (and Andy for a few days) at Misquamicut. She is there for the week and having lots of fun in the sun (hopefully while sun blocked). I have a feeling she is going to come back tanner than most people who live out here, and certainly more tan than me. She was already tanned when she got back from her weeks at camp. I am hoping she is doing a lot of swimming and having lots of fun. I am so worried about her and I miss her so much I am not used to having her gone this long. 

On the happier side, I have been able to get some writing done now that I have a goal and a writing buddy (THANK YOU KELLY) I am able to keep on track better now. I am also trying to get my art back on par but that is going rougher than I thought it would with the pain in my hands and my lack of inspiration lately.

 I am hoping in the long run I can get most of my book done within the year and some decent artwork that I am proud of. I think my heart will eventually give me something to work with. At least I hope it will. 

That is all for now, keep reading on. 

#MommysHeart

Down to One...

Well today Miss Mckenzee is officially off to CT with her uncle and cousin to visit for 12 days! 

I am down to one child here with me now...it makes me a little sad. First Andy left to go back to his Dad's and I won't see him again until next summer, and now Zee is in CT for the next almost 2 weeks. So it is just me and Spencer when DJ is at work. It is going to be semi-quiet here. I say semi because Spencer is a ball of noise himself. I have to say grocery shopping and running errands will be a lot easier now since I only have to worry about him and he doesn't ask for much nor will he have anyone to argue or fight with. 

Zee & Memere 2010

Mckenzee will be spending the first few days with my mom, who is going to sew all the patches on her brownie vest and possibly take her to Gillette's Castle to visit the "Princess Pond" (as we named it) and "Kenzee's Frogs" as we named the statues outside the castle back when she was about 3 years old. 

Gillette's Castle 2010 

Princess Pond 2010

Mckenzee with HER frog lol  2010

She was so excited about her visit to CT that she was ready to go around noon today! Waiting was driving her nuts but they weren't due to be at the airport until around 7pm and their flight still didn't leave until around 9pm.  It was so funny to see her hopping all over the place itching to get going. I even made her suitcase easy for her to find stuff in because I organized all her outfits into little matched rolls in it. Each outfit is a top/bottom and underwear and some of them even her her bras and socks rolled into them as well so that they are all completed! I was surprised I was able to fit so much in there and now that I found out it is 12 days and not 10 days I am very glad I packed extra shirts, socks and bottoms! (Otherwise she may have run out!) 

Now I have tucked Spencer into bed, am going to lay down and get some rest before the little guy wakes up in the morning. Hope you all have a wonderful night! 

Firsts in hair and life!

There were two new firsts this week. After 7+ years of my little girl having long locks, we have officially cut them all off and given her a cut very much like her favorite celebrity Anne Hathaway. It was a necessary thing that was tough to do but we couldn't be happier with the results! We figure that since it is summer anyway it will be much cooler to have the shorter hair and she won't have to worry about putting it up or brushing out the massive tangles her wavy thick hair has a tendency to get. She looks incredibly adorable with her new Pixie cut, which also works for the other new thing she experiencing this week.

On Monday she left for her first time ever week at St. Albans Girl Scout Camp. She was super excited and nervous to be attending camp with some of her favorite girl scout friends! She had so much fun shopping for and labeling all her supplies for camp. We made sure we had it all packed up and crossed off the list so that she had everything she needed. Her Memere even sent some money to help pick up the sleeping bag and some socks to go with her.

She even wanted Snuggles to go along for the ride which was cute and made me smile.
When she went to camp she was put in the Pixie group at camp (just like her haircut-see perfect) and I thought that was great because one of her favorite Disney characters happens to be a pixie! Tinkerbell! So how totally perfect was that!?!

I wrote her a letter yesterday, I don't know if she will get it before the end of the week but I tried. I meant to do it earlier but it was so stressful thinking about this week coming up and knowing that Andrews leaves in just five days from today.

We can't wait to see her on Friday at the Family Picnic/Pick Up and I am hoping to be able to get her a camping patch since they are not too much to buy. It will be great to add to her vest before she takes it to CT to show her Memere, who is very excited to see all the things she has done and patched she has earned! It is so crazy that she gets home from camp on Friday, Andrew leaves Monday, She leaves again on Wednesday night, and then is gone for ten days! I miss her face! Though I am sure she will be back to drive me nuts before I know it!

That is it for all the first lately. Hope you are having a fantastic Summer!