Creating A New Focus for 2021

As the sun rose on the new year it felt different. Social media wasn't flooded with resolutions to disappoint us halfway through the year, instead, there was a quiet, more careful approach to the year. We seemed to step into 2021 like a deer into a quiet clearing, our ears listening for danger, our feet ready to run into hiding. 

2020 had stirred up our anxiety, fear, and sense of self-preservation. With all the losses that 2020 brought we may wonder what this year has in store. So we tip-toed in and now are waiting to see what happens. 

At this point, I have made a decision to take it one day at a time. I will fill out my calendar with the important things, still make plans when possible (and as safe as can be), and embrace the year for improving myself and my family even more than we did in 2020. 

I was able to work with my family to have a pretty smooth last year so I feel like we really are in one of the best places to embrace this year with all we have. Knowing that we are still in the midst of the Pandemic and that it isn't safe to be with friends or distant family makes it a little bit glum for planning the year. We know we won't be able to celebrate any of the spring birthdays with anyone but our household, but for us that is okay, it means we will save some money, we will be safe, and we can always use the money later for planning something fun or the holidays at the end of the year. 

Instead of making resolutions this year, I came up with a list of "New Year Practices". This is a list of things that I would really like to work on and hopefully achieve a regularity of accomplishing. A few of these I started working on in the middle of last year. Now I have them written down and I can see them daily when I open up my household binder! 

Here is what I want to work on. 

1. Making meditation a daily habit. 

2. Communicating my feelings so I don't hold them all in. 

3. Getting some plants. (Not only will this be a fun thing for me because I love gardening, but also is good for my mental health and the quality of air in my home if I get the right ones.) 

4. Make healthier choices. (For this particular practice it includes small choices like not snacking on bad foods to larger choices like what workout to do for the best results.) 

5. PURSUE MY PASSIONS! (This includes everything from my photography, blog, vlog, art, and writing.) 

I think that each of these is easy to achieve with a little planning and hard work. 

Another resource I am happy to have found is the email list of 4 Hats and Frugal - Family Finance Expert. If you join the email list and read the blog you can get a free printable on Fridays as well as all kinds of useful information for using to live your best life. As a bonus to being one of her loyal followers, I was able to take advantage of a recent freebie that is the backbone of my year being what I want it to be! 

One of my favorite things to do to keep track of what I have to do is use lists and planners and low and behold....a freebie of a printable PLANNER! 

Now just as the title of the planner says I can be a more "Focused Mom". It has all the parts I need to organize my house for the entire year! 

If you like lists or want something to keep track of how busy life can get I highly suggest you get yourself a planner. Sometimes you can find a printable version online but if all else fails check Amazon or even just google it. There are tons of cute and functional ones out there to motivate you to organize! 

Another tool I tend to utilize is a large whiteboard, I am working on also getting a corkboard to go beside it but right now I use it for writing our menu for the day, decorate for the holidays, school schedules when we are getting used to them, and any other notices we need to be able to see in that day. 

I think to find some balance this year we have to be prepared for whatever we may have come our way. 

For some of us, that means organizing into planners and calendars so there are no surprises. We have to log when our payments of bills are due and try to put something aside in savings for unexpected bills. For the last couple of years by doing this we have been ready for any financial necessities, extra bills we add, and even for the holiday season to splurge a little more on gifts. This year I am going to make sure we stay on top and since the budget is always being checked against what is spent, we are always on top of things. We may not be the richest of families but we live a life that isn't unhappy. 

We do what we CAN with what we HAVE! 

It has worked for the last 4 years since our family changed and it has been great. Life has thrown its fair share (plus some) of lemons at us but all in all, I feel like our family has stuck it out pretty well only improving with time like a good cheese. (yeah I am not a wine drinker but love a good cheese) 

Just take this year and put into practice some ideas you have always dreamt about. Take it one day at a time, one task at a time, and don't forget to breathe and take time to dream! 

It's Been a While, and So Much Has Changed...

Sometimes things do NOT work out the way we had originally planned. Sometimes you try for a long time hoping something will work better the next time and maybe just maybe it will be okay. That is what has kept me so busy and unable to update this blog for a while. I like to think you all have anxiously awaited my next post but my guess is you kinda forgot about me.
All of that is ok though because now I am back with the Making It Work Together Blog 2.0!



So much has changed but I feel my newest version of my family is the best it can be. I am no longer with the person who I started this journey with but that is alright. We have both moved on to better people for ourselves and couldn't be happier.

Now I live in a new little two bedroom house, with a tiny yard and the best guy a girl could ask for. We even have plans to eventually get a couple of pets, a cat and a dog. We have been through a lot in the last few years and not too long ago celebrated making it two years together. We made it through a major health scare, being on the verge of homelessness, and some crazy people who tested our ability to stand strong together.

 We made it and have come out on the other side stronger and more together in our short time than I ever felt in the years passed than with anyone else. I feel like this is the partner I want to have till the end of my time. We are strong, we make our decisions together and with little to no friction, sure we argue but it is not all that often, sometimes it is over silly things like a tone not meant for us but left over from a long day of stress or such. Together we make it work in ways I didn't think it would for someone coming into a life that included three children that were not his biologically.
He makes me so happy there as well. He is GREAT with the kids and misses them when they have to be at their father's house. (As do I terribly, but co-parenting is tough work) All I know is he is wonderful to have as part of the family!

Speaking of my wonderful little ones, so much growing has happened there! All three of them are moving up to new schools this fall and it makes me both proud and a little sad. My oldest will be starting high school, my daughter middle school and the youngest is starting kindergarten after already making me emotional with him starting preschool LAST fall! It is hard watching them get so independent. I loved being needed so much and now with the youngest doing full days at school the house is empty and quiet. Now while it leaves time for me to organize and unpack more of our stuff (as we really only moved a few weeks ago.) it also makes me sad to not have that little shadow that used to follow me around.
 In the past few years my little ones have learned so much and accomplished many many things. Spencer knows some sign language and knows more colors than I remember knowing at his age. Mckenzee has grown up into a beautiful preteen, who wants to be a chef, but whom I believe would be a great actress (a talent I feel she uses too often). Maybe she can be a BROADWAY CHEF and do a musical all about her journey to become a chef beginning at a young age. (I may have put a LITTLE bit of thought into the story line and song choices) Andrew is doing awesome as well, latest updates have him becoming quite the fisherman and loving spending his time outdoors from early in the morning til evening doing so. I love this because it means he isn't spending all his time planted in front of a video game wasting away a perfectly wonderful day!
I am so proud of all of them they make me smile constantly and I love them so much. They have really made getting through everything that has happened a lot easier knowing I am striving to make a life they can be happy with and that nurtures and helps them grow.

Now while my old dreams didn't pan out because they were just not meant to, I have found a way to dust myself off, redirect myself, and begin the path to a whole new set of dreams that make me happy just thinking about. For some people if this happens you may not have to abandon certain dreams, like me, for me I am still pursuing the writing and hoping that I finally come up with something that will make me proud to share. I think I have some ideas too so who knows that may come sooner than later with the support I have around me now cheering me on.

With all that has gone on I have grown, changed, and learned so much. I wake up each morning more hopeful than I ever have. I have dreams I can't wait to achieve and I KNOW I will! I am grateful for every person I have in my life that is supportive, caring and willing to be an active part of our lives! So while things have changed, I couldn't be happier and this is just the start of a new journey where our family is .... MAKING IT WORK, TOGETHER!

No I don't want to talk.....I want to create!

For so many years I would take my feelings and put them into works of art.
Sometimes a poem or a story,
Sometimes a painting or sketch, but lately it seems I cannot express myself ANYWHERE!

My drawings are without depth, my stories lack flow; I haven't attempted painting because I just do not want to ruin a canvas with something I am not 100% into.

I am figuring that it must be something to do with my heart just not being in it lately. It seems that I need to just step back and take a look at what I really need to do and let the small stuff just sweat away.  I am not sleeping well, I am constantly tossing and turning because I am worried about something or just having bad dreams about stuff I haven't had dreams about for years. I don't even want to eat lately, just drink water, tea, or whatever else I have to stay hydrated. I know I have to eat and I do but the thrill I used to have with cooking and create great meals is missing. Hopefully a good night's rest will help.

Maybe I just need a break, a vacation from adulting so I can have some fun. I don't know, all I know is I want to be able to express myself without fear, without regret, without ruining the "canvas".

I hope it comes back soon....I miss it! :)

1 year, 8 months, and 24 days.

That is how long we have lived here in Washington, that is how long ago we left the world we had known for a new life. It was scary, it was nerve-wracking, it was totally worth it!

In just 12 days my littlest love turns 2! I cannot believe he was only 3 months old when we got out here and now he is almost 2! He has grown so much and is such a happy, wonderful, giggly little boy.

Just like his big brother he has grown to really like Spiderman so we are going to make this birthday themed Spiderman! The funny thing is that Andy's 2nd birthday was the first time he had a Spiderman theme (he had two more after that before switching to Pirates of the Caribbean). We were trying to find some Duplo blocks with a Spiderman theme but we seem to be striking out. So we started looking for some other Spiderman toys that are good for his age. Turns out Mr. Potato Head has a Spiderman version and mini figures sets so we may get him one of those. He is at a fun age toy-wise because he likes blocks, matchbox cars, and action figures and he has an awesome imagination!

Now a little news about my girl! Mckenzee has grown so much in the last few years! She has gone from a cute little fairy princess...into a full princess with her own sense of style, her own attitude (that sometimes gets her little butt in trouble) and her own uniqueness that makes me love her so much!

Spencer clapping for his "Enzee"! 

Last week we got a letter from her school telling us that she was going to be receiving an award! We were so proud but the letter told us not to tell her and that she had no idea she was going to be getting it, just to be at the school this past Friday for a special assembly to see her receive her certificate! So we kept the secret from not only her but also our family (which was super tough) so that when she found out she would be so surprised and able to share the news herself with her family! We even kept up the secret all the way to drop her off at school on that morning. She thought we had left to run our errands only to find us sitting in the auditorium waiting for her to come in! It was a super special day for her as that night we also used a gift certificate we had to take her to Buffalo Wild Wings to have a special dinner and celebrate!

We could not have been prouder to see her up there with the other kids getting her certificate for showing how "Responsible" a student she is! (Now if we can get her to do that a little more often at home) This week coming up we have a conference with her teacher and will be receiving her report card for this term which I am pretty sure will be fantastic since I know she is reading well (above grade level). I know that though there are times it is tough she has been doing really well with her math, and her behavior in class has been very good since she fills up her good girl charts every week with little Xs! She loves school and I hope she continues to love it for many years to come!

So in a nutshell, I think moving out here has really had a positive effect on this family and we are all thriving in some way! The only one missing is our Andrew but we know that that is just a matter of time before he visits again and we have an awesome summer together. Who knows maybe someday he will be out here even more and he will get to spend more time with us!

Thank you all for reading! Stay happy, stay healthy, stay creative!

#MamaMoments
#KidAccomplishments

Overtired Mama

I think I am suffering from severe overtired mom syndrome. I am not sleeping well lately because my mind gets away from me like the moment I try to shut it off. I will start thinking about what I got done during the day, and what I didn't get done during the day. I will think about future appointments, jobs, money, birthdays, holidays, the kids, you name it and my mind decides that bedtime is the perfect time to think about it all! 

I am sure many of you know what I mean, and the more you tell yourself to stop thinking, the more you tend to think about. It is a never ending circle. 

One of the worst parts of being overtired besides the fatigue is that fact that I am uber sensitive. I feel very emotional on occasion even a little day-dreamy. I made the mistake of catching a sappy movie on TV and my daughter wanted to know why I was crying. Honestly I wasn't sure what to tell her, so I tried to explain to her what I was feeling, she didn't understand and eventually she went to her room to play dress-up because "Mommy is being silly" as she told her little brother when he followed her. 

I am hoping all I am feeling is just stress and fatigue and not anything serious. I suppose the only way I would be able to figure that out is with sleep but who knows when I will get enough of that. 

Being a Mama is a 24 hour a day job and Spencer has had some strange nights lately, plus I am still adjusting to the school schedule...it is all about the changes that I am getting used to. The worries for the future that will probably NEVER go away, the weird dreams, the wishing for things to start feeling better and not so crazy stressed. 

I am an overwhelmed, over-tired Mama....as I am sure many are! 

Tomorrow is a new day!  I am determined to get some GOOD sleep tonight *insert sarcastic "yeah right" laugh here* 

Goodnight faithful readers and please feel free to leave me some extra energy you may have in the comments *wink wink* 

#MamaNeedsSleep #TheSunWillComeUp #Tomorrow 

Out with the Old, Now I got me some new!

So this is blog post one from my new laptop. To anyone who knows me this is probably a shock to hear but I am not usually a fan of laptops. Call me old fashion but I have a soft spot for desktop computers. I don't know why, maybe because it is just what I have always used, I have never owned one before but wherever I either lived or went I had some kind of access to one. Now however this is MY laptop, DJ has his own so I technically don't have to share. (I am a bad sharer, I can't share my blankets, my pillows, my stuffed frog) Don't judge you know you have at LEAST one stuffed animal hiding somewhere *wink wink*.  

I am also looking forward to getting something else I have wanted for a while and that will come in really handy for doing some homemade items for gifting and such.  However until I have it I am not going to be disclosing exactly what it is, though I am sure some of you can guess if you know me well enough. 

Oh and one of my most favorite new items!! A PRINTER! YES!! That's right I can finally print things out at home! Coupons, binder pages, Resumes, fun coloring pages for Mckenzee (and me), and other things I have come across here and there that I have wanted to print. I am so excited and it has inspired my organization and downsizing plans! I am well on my way to becoming a better person! Soon I will be working on my resumes and application letters so I can get a job and help out around here more.  I worry that DJ might think I am not doing enough no matter how much laundry, dishes, vacuuming, etc. that I do!  I don't want him to regret me coming out here or be disappointed in me.  Although it is a possibility that I am projecting my own feelings of inadequacy into this but I don't know.  Honestly if I could have my own way I would find some way to get certified in child care I would do my best to find a way to start my own child care business.  It is something I have always wanted to do and I think I would be good at it. 

It is a dream......a BIG one, second only to taking my family to Disney Land once Spencer is old enough to enjoy it like his brother and sister will.  Well I just realized my thoughts have become a bit of a rambling of sorts so I am going to end this here for now. I am hoping to start a new fitness regime tomorrow and I am proud to say that I have been doing better with my eating habits!  I will let you know how it all goes soon.

Keep making it work!