What I'm Lovin'

Fresh produce. 

We live in an area where fresh produce is bountiful most of the time.

When I can't get to the local farmers market, then I head to Growers Outlet not too far from my house.  And they never disappoint.

I stock up on fruits and veggies at a fraction of the cost of the local supermarket AND they are fresh from the local fields.  Not shipped cross country, sitting in truck or warehouse days on end, packed in boxes, covered in wax, etc.  When not from the local area farms, they clearly show where they are from and again, typically not very far away.  I stopped in this past week on my way home from work and bought all my fruits/veggies for the week for $14.51!  I would have spent at least twice that much I am certain at the regular store.  If you are local, you should try them out!


Healthy Snacks.

Heard of Naturebox?  I signed on with them about 6 months ago.  Each month for $19.95 I receive a box of 5 different snacks.  Delicious and healthier snacks delivered to my door.  At this point, I have tried the bulk of their snacks and must say that I have not found a snack that I have not liked yet.  What a great way to start the New Year.  Healthier snacks, healthier you!


The New Year.


Out with the old, in the with the new.  This year has been tough for our family to say the least.  I will be glad when it is over.  If you have been following my blog you know that I changed jobs in February (after 17 years at my old company so this was no easy transition), Grandma passed away in May and then Uncle Mike passed away in November.  And more recent my mothers apartment back east burnt down.  She was able to get herself out and her dogs but had a few burns that she is being treated for.  She lost all of her possessions but I am thankful that she is alright.  She is staying with my brother and his family back east until she gets back on her feet. Talk about ending the year with a bang right.  I know there are a few days left so perhaps I should not tempt fate.

What are you lovin'?  

Full Disclosure:  Link to Naturebox provides me a credit towards my next purchase of a Naturebox should you sign up for the service.  Thank you.

Top 10

I see a lot of Top 10 lists these past couple days with the upcoming New Year and all.

Top 10 blog posts of 2013.

Top 10 movies of 2013.

Top 10 songs of 2013.

Top 10 television series of 2013.

Top 10 Miley moments of  2013 (not kidding).

Top 10 you name it, they have one. (seriously Google it)

I also recently read an article about the Top 10 things in a women's purse and what it says about her.  Not even sure where I read it (tried finding it)  but it got me thinking about what I carry around in my purse.  Which if I am going to be brutally honest isn't really a purse at all.  It is actually my lunch bag.  I know, laugh now.  It started out as my lunch bag and then slowly evolved into an all purpose lunch bag/purse; with that being said, what does that say about me?

Low maintenance? 
No frills, kinda gal?  
Yup, NAILED it! 

My oldest daughter is besides herself every time she sees me with my lunch bag, stuffed with my wallet and whatever else I feel I need at the moment but it is most likely not your normal run of the mill purse items.

If I carried a "real" purse and was a bit higher maintenance here is what "My Top 10" items in my purse would probably be:

1.  Tweezers because you never know when your brows will need a little clean up or that one hair on your chin will pop back out.  (This is what I would bring as my luxury item if I was ever cast on Survivor; that's a whole other blog post).

2.  Gum or mints.  Ran out the door at the very last minute and forgot to brush your teeth.  No worries.

3.  Brush.  See above.  Forgot to brush your hair, too.  Never fear.

4.  Chap stick.  Forget the lip stick.  It won't stay on past the gulps of coffee you swig as you are running to get the elevator.  Plus lip stick would require you to color coordinate something (I'm lucky if my stockings match).

5.  Loose change.  For the run to the vending machine for extra coffee or heck breakfast.

6.  Receipts and tons of them (ok, so this is really in my wallet that really is in my lunch bag/purse right now).  You never know when you will need that receipt from last year.

7.  Nail file.  So many uses.  Namely those ungodly hang nails that are oh so irritating.  If not filed immediately, I will chew off my nail and then some (this is another item that I do currently have in my lunch bag/purse).

8.  My cell phone.  Unless it is lost.  Right now, it mostly stays in my jacket pocket so not to get lost or slimmed on by a half eaten banana (see #10).

9. Pull up.  For my littlest.  Never know when you will need one and not have one so good to keep one handy. 

And last but not least, a surprise every time:

10.   An array of miscellaneous toys that the kids slip into my purse. Kinda exciting to see what awaits me. A plastic spider, bouncy ball, half eaten banana (I had one of those in my pocket a few days ago; right now this is where these land  rather than my lunch bag/purse).

What's in your wallet (or purse)?



 

Enjoy The Silence.

Silence is bliss yet fleeting in my home these days.

Always a door bell ringing, an ipod blaring, a bathroom fan whirling, a child hollaring.

I need silence.  I crave silence.

Without some silence in a day, I succumb to being overwhelmed, easily.

"Be still and know that I am God" (Plasm 46:10). One of my favorite versus. 

I get up early, I go to bed late to be able to enjoy the silence.  To hear myself think (or not); just be.

To be still.

To listen.

Listen to him. 

It rejuvenates me down to the core.

Silence.

Helps direct me for what lies ahead. 



What do you do to help you make it through the day?

Confessions Of A Non Superwoman #27

Where do I even begin....

So many mom fails, wife fails, etc these past couple months it is hard to pick out a few since I don't want to list them all and overwhelm anyone.

I guess I will start with the mom fails that are the most recent since that is so fresh in my mind still.

1.  Menu Planning.  Ha.  That's funny.  I am flying by the seat of my pants when it comes to dinner these past couple months.  I had EVERY intention of getting back on the bus but it left without me; every week.  Good intentions don't write the list or do the grocery shopping.  Tonight.  We had hot dogs. 

2.  This is an old one but sticks out in my mind.  Halloween.  Kaylyn was a princess and we had the most perfect sparkly pink glittery shoes that matched with her dress.  I saw them a few days before Halloween.  You think I would put them up somewhere so they are easily accessible.  Nope, not me.  Come Halloween, they are no where to be found.  I mean nowhere.  I tore our house up looking for those darn shoes.  She ended up wearing her black and pink slip on shoes, that were old and ratty.  Nice, huh.  And then to top if off, when we did find the shoes, they were in the backyard (that is not where I had seen them previously and I have no idea how they got out there but they did).

3.  I bribed my two younger kids with a promise of a piece of candy the other day.  And I didn't even have any candy to give them.  They fell for it.  It was important that I get at least one of them to do the task that I needed done.  I bet you are wondering what it was?  No?  Hmm, well this might be a little TMI but I found myself going to the bathroom with no toilet paper.  I asked nicely several times for them to get a roll of toilet paper out of the other bathroom.  They refused.  I was desperate.  The promise of candy worked. All ended well.  (They forgot about the candy a few minutes later when I turned on Sponge Bob Squarepants to distract them.)

4.  We went and got our Christmas tree yesterday.  We bought it from a corner tree lot.  No cutting it down on a tree farm for us.  It was so cold yesterday.  Sorry, I like to be able to feel my hands and toes.  And even looking at the tress and finding one that we could all agree on at the corner lot, it still took us 10-15 minutes.  My hands and toes thanked me when I got into the warm car. And when we got home, we decorated it but nothing else.  If you didn't see the tree tucked away in the corner you wouldn't know it was Christmas at our house.  (In my defense, I do plan on getting a few more decorations out, but only a few.)

5.  I had a flat tire about a year ago.  Ok, I am exaggerating a bit. I had a flat tire about two weeks ago.  I am still driving on the spare.  I really need to take my other tire in to get fixed and put my original tire back on.  Every time I have a chance, I would much rather do something else then go and sit at the tire shop for an hour.  And now with the bad weather, everyone is heading there to get snow tires on, so I would probably wait several hours.  No thank you.

Alright, I think this has been enough fun for one post.

Do you have any confessions?  Mom fails?  Wife fails?  Care to share.  I am feeling kinda lonely.   And remember, we will not laugh at you but rather with you.



 

Source

I am not in this world to live up to other people's expectations, nor do I feel that the world must live up to mine. ~Fritz Perls

What I'm (NOT) Lovin'

Yes, there are a few things that I'm NOT lovin' these days.


The cold, cold weather.  Although, I know it could be worse, it is Cold with a capital C where we live right now.  It is 9 degrees with the wind chill.  That is brrrrr freezing.  It even snowed here on Friday, not a whole lot.   But you would think we had a blizzard based on the traffic jams and media who of course blows (pun intended) it wayyyy out of proportion.  I am sure there are many other cities that just laugh at us slippin and slidin around the roads when it was barely a dusting of snow.


While on the subject of snow.  Did you happen to see this floating around a couple weeks ago.  I'm not much of a Star Wars fan (actually not a fan at all.  Can we still be friends?) but these Star Wars snowflakes are pretty freakin awesome. 

Even though not a fan at all. This one is my favorite.

 

Source

 

 

I'm also NOT lovin' the holiday season much this year (so far anyways).  Not to be Scrooge or anything but in light of two family members passing away in the past 6 months, it is hard to get into the spirit.  I have a hard time normally around the holidays being away from so much of my family but this year I feel like it is going to be even more challenging. 

 

We went and got our Christmas tree today. We decorated the tree but that is far as it got.  Didn't do much other decorating at this point.  Not sure I will.   But I am going to try for my children's sake to shake it off (the Scrooge attitude), like I normally do, but it is hard feeling like you are living a facade sometimes, you know? Do you ever feel like that?  I find myself whistling the song "Put On A Happy Face" as I am putting on that fake, plastic looking grin. It has to be noticeable, right?

 

 

I'm NOT lovin' dry skin.  Another winter malady.  Fun.  My skin is so dry.  I have to put lotion on my skin all the time.  And I have used so many different types of lotions over the years and it doesn't seem it is ever the right one.  Any suggestions of what you use and helps make the dry, flaky, cracked skin go away?

 

 

 

This is what my skin looks like most of the time.

Since this has been just a dreadful post, I will add something that I am lovin'...my son, Tyler, went this Winter Formal last night.  Isn't he handsome? I thought so too!

Until next time....