Another Pandemic Holiday Season

 Happy Spooky Season! 

We are coming up on another wonderful holiday season that is only going to be filled with SLIGHTLY more togetherness for those that are able to travel or be with people they were not able to be with last year during this time. 

For my family here in my home, we have some fun plans coming up for this season and we cannot wait to do them. This includes celebrating Halloween with a costume walk around the neighborhood (weather permitting), a spooky scavenger hunt with goodie bags and treats to find, some fun cookie decorating and goodie making, a family pumpkin picture painting activity, and of course making decorations and getting the house all spooky! (I still need to purchase some lights but I am working on it). SO we will be super busy the next few weeks getting the house together and preparing for all the fun to come. 

This really is my favorite time of year because I love the colors, scents, and sounds of the season combined in all the different ways you can do so. 

Of course, this year also comes with its own stressors of the kids being back in school (with masks and with the older ones vaccinated), thinking about all the planning that comes with the holidays when we go from one to another within a month of each other. 

There is one major difference this season and year though, I am more prepared than I have been in a long time. I have made lists and done research about things the kids have mentioned wanting and about what I want for Christmas, I have thought about the dishes we will prepare for Thanksgiving, and I have already ordered the rest of the items I need for Halloween apart from the lights that I still have to get. 

So while the holidays and even the regular days are not 100% back to "normal" we have a great start to this year's festivities and I am excited to see how many new memories we make. 

Hope you all have a safe and healthy holiday season. I will check in around Halloween to post some spooky fun content. 

Happy Haunting! 

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! 

Soon Summer Ends

 ...And School Online...BEGINS! 

In just a few short weeks we start a school year of distance learning due to the Covid-19 pandemic that is rocking our world right now. 

To get ready for this "distance learning" as it is being called I am making lists of supplies needed, schedules that can keep us on track, and fun activities to tie our learning into our day to day to keep it fresh in their minds!

It shouldn't be too hard to get them started online since we ended last school year with it, but I know there are some changes and we are ready to tackle whatever comes our way. 

My youngest has started reading chapter books to prep him for second grade and continue on with his reading skills (which are awesome by the way). I have printed out worksheets that work on his ability to follow directions and practice his writing skills (we had also improved these tenfold at the end of the year) and plan to get some special pencil grips for him to help him continue on with his progress!

We plan to enter into this school year with a fresh attitude for success. No matter what the year throws at us we are going to stay positive and find a way to make it work. 

Stay tuned for my school supplies list for online learning and other tips and tricks for making the school year start smoothly if you too are distance learning this year! Coming later this week! 

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!

The Winds of Change

Well it is happening, we are going back to CT. My heart has been there since we left and it seems I couldn't be truly happy out here like I wanted to be. Mckenzee is happy about it, Spencer, well I don't think he has a clue, and DJ is the one disappointed in us wanting to go home.
He has worked so hard out here and tried to make us a life and I didn't make it easy on him. I know I probably could have tried harder but without Andy and without my friends and family I felt a little piece of my soul was missing.
I know it doesn't matter what I say because he is still not happy about it but I wish he knew that I WANTED our lives to work out here...I really did, but I am not happy. As much as I love him and all the things he has done for us it still doesn't take the ache of not being able to see my son everyday or any time I want, it doesn't give me my mom to go out to coffee with and to watch cheesy movies with my friends while we talk about our kids.

Now some may say I am selfish that if he is happy here then I should be happy because at least I am with him. Okay I understand that reasoning and if I had had a normal family filled life and didn't have a son I have to fly out here just to see once a year then maybe I would agree with you but that is not me.
I spent YEARS being alone, homeless, moving from city to city to find work, a place to sleep, someone who DIDN'T abuse me. I never got to have a great relationship with my mother until I was late into my 20s and it really just got good when I entered my 30s....I am now 34, and I miss my mother something terribly. I totally love the friends I have finally made so many years past the ones I made many years ago and lost track of or touch with until recently. For me it was just when things in my personal life were falling into place that I made the decision to leave it all behind for him and his decision. I had high hopes and I had no idea it would be so hard but should I continue to feel like I am hurt inside and truly missing out for this...maybe I should, maybe I AM selfish.
But this is what is happening...I am going home....I need to go home!

A Whole New World!

So it is official...WE HAVE MOVED! We finally got out of that house that was holding us back and making us miserable. Now we have our own place, (about a half hour from work for me) but I am completely okay with that! We are so much happier, the kids are happier, and it is all a part of our growing up and moving up in life!

Andy has been here since the 29th of last month and it has had its ups and downs. He is AWESOME and I have missed him SOOOO much that even though he suffers from "only child syndrome" I still love him more and more every dang day! He is getting to be so big and in just a few weeks he turns 10!! WHERE DOES THE TIME GO?!
                                           

 I remember when he was just 3 years old and a tiny little boy just starting to grow big! He used to be so small and sweet and innocent and I am learning more and more just how much he has grown!!! He has grown into a smart, witty, goofball who steals my heart every time he says my name! I am going to be heartbroken when he leaves in just a little while and is gone for almost a year 3000 miles away! 

But now look he is all grown up with a little sister and a little brother to look after and be a role model for (sometimes not the best but he is young lol) 

I have also been employed for two full months and a really enjoying my job for the most part, there are those days when I feel like the least liked employee there and like they are just plain bitchy and clicky and not my cup of tea....but anyways, things are going good and I am pretty happy thus far! 

Hope you are all having an excellent summer and that you are finding things to be happy about! 

Valentine's Day Plans (looking forward to for once)

Now before you get all anti-Valentine's Day on me you have to understand that for the most of my adult life I have completely HATED this holiday! Out of all the years of which I have been a grown up only a handful of February 14ths have been worth remembering. I do remember some of the worst ones.  I was in court on one in 2003 because of a stupid misunderstanding with someone who shoplifted. (Not me) Another I was so sick I could barely move and ended up in the hospital.  Yet another one I was cheated on AND broken up with (within hours). So I can say that for once I am truly looking forward to it! 

DJ and I have made some plans to go out and have fun without the children.  We rarely go anywhere without them and I think the last "date night" we actually had was back in July after Andrew went back to CT to be with his dad. It was a pretty great night that really helped with how I had felt at that time. (Thank you DJ) 

Anyways, this time I am not depressed, I am not feeling lost, and the date night will hopefully go well! 

We have a babysitter set up, a plan for dinner for the kids, and then a ferry to catch to Seattle for OUR fun. 

On Friday since Mckenzee doesn't have school and DJ is off work we are going to spend ACTUAL Valentine's Day together doing perhaps a day trip or something fun as a family! That should be awesome and something new for us that I am thinking just might be one of those tradition things. Heck I don't mind doing the ADULT Valentine's date on the 13th and then a family one on the actual day. Oh and just to warn you who actually READ my blog....I will be posting pictures probably both on Facebook and here in my blog when I write up how the next two days go on probably either Friday or Saturday night! So you can feel free to skip over those posts and watch "The Notebook" instead! ....Which is probably what I would be doing if I were back in CT away from DJ or single, oh and I would probably be eating my favorite chick flick snack mix of Cool Ranch Doritos and peanut M&Ms. Of course even NOW I love that as a snack (some pregnancy cravings NEVER go away). 

Ok well I have a busy day tomorrow because I plan to get up early and shower before getting Mckenzee up for school and then DJ and I have some shopping to do (I am hoping to get a new outfit for our date!) and maybe even that thing I was talking about in my previous blog post (fingers crossed). So I must be thee all G'night and try not to miss me too too much! 

Until next time!!!!

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!