Learning to Let Go of Stubbornness at Christmas

My mom is disabled.  She has had three strokes to date, she has extremely high blood pressure, diabetes and degenerative disc disease in her back.  It's genetic, my grandfather had it, and he eventually ended up in a wheelchair; unfortunately my mom will probably end up in one too eventually.  She can't stand or walk for long periods of time and she can't even sleep in a regular bed, she has to sleep on a recliner since she can't lay down straight, she can't sit for long periods of time because the disease she has in her back causes extreme pain down her leg and in her back when she does.  My mother definitely can't work and has been trying to get Social Security Disability for two years now.  They keep denying her.  They keep denying her because her disease isn't causing damage to her internal organs yet.  Does she have to be dying in order to get SSD?  We've had plenty of arguments with them and obtained the help of a lawyer who decided to work with us on a contingency basis because he believed in my mom's case.  However, we still haven't heard back from them.  It's been a year,

I love my mom to death and would do anything for her, since she helped me all my life, but paying for her expenses as well as mine and my childrens' is getting extremely difficult.  Actually, it's always been difficult but it's been getting even more difficult since her therapy rate went up.  No, it's not covered by her Medicaid.  

In August one of my mom's friends asked her if she had been getting Widows Benefits, which was my dad's Social Security.  My mom called to inquire and she found out that she was eligible for my dad's Social Security, which was a great thing to happen to us.  She also found out that if she was approved for SSD, she wouldn't get the monthly payments but she would get the lump sum they owe her for the two years prior; we are still waiting for that.  Though she currently does get (since September) my dad's Social Security.

The other day she asked me, "What do you want for Christmas?"

I had no answer for her.

She explained to me that since I've allowed her to live with me and because I've been paying for her expenses for the past two years, she wanted to get me a Christmas gift since she hasn't been able to in years.

I know she needs the money and I really didn't want her to get me anything, but she's insisting.  So I told her some small things that I could use such as a new sweater or some of the drug store makeup that I use, but she didn't like that answer.  "I could always get you something inexpensive like that.  I want to get you something special." She said.

Sigh.  She wasn't going to give up, was she?  Honestly, I want a lot of things but I don't need them and when I became a mother I learned the importance of want versus need. Of course there are times when I splurge on myself and do get something that I want, but most of the time I don't buy myself anything that would take a big chunk out of my budget. 

She didn't give up.  I kept telling her that I didn't want her to get me anything too expensive but she kept insisting and asking me what I want.  I finally broke down and gave her a small list of things that I've wanted (that weren't too expensive) but that I wouldn't splurge on myself.  Such as a waterproof case for my iPhone 6, one of those hair curling wands, a glass screen protector for my phone and a list of some mid-range makeup that I've always wanted.  She was happy with that list.

Finally.  She told me to shut up, stop complaining and to let her do something nice for me.  

Nice for me? She watches my kids every day while I'm at work, she allows me to go out on occasion with my friends for some sanity, she helps my kids with homework when I get so overwhelmed that I want to rip up the worksheets,..  She does something nice for me every single day.  

But I understand what she means.

I get her a present every Christmas, even if funds are scarce.  I find something nice to get her because I know that I want to get her something to express my gratitude for all she's done for me.  She probably feels the same and wants to do that for me.  It's just hard for me to let her get me a present.  

I'm stubborn, but maybe I shouldn't be.

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How to Be Productive and Successful While Working from Home

Even though I currently have two full time jobs and my own home business, I worked exclusively at home for four years and loved it.  During that time, I made many mistakes and definitely learned from them enough to know what works and what doesn't work.  When you start working from home, it's a lot of trial and error, seeing what works for you and what you feel the most comfortable with.  I will tell you one thing, I needed a lot of advice and tips when I first started on my WAHM journey!  This is why I am compiling all of what I learned and sharing them with all of you! If you have any further tips for Working from Home, please post them in the comments below!

Get dressed every morning.

I know, I know.  The temptation to work from home in your pajamas and bunny slippers with your bed head/messy bun is so overwhelming.  I've been there, done that.  Doing this will only make you more tired, want to go back to bed and definitely won't help you get into the working mode.  You don't have to get dressed in full-on work gear, unless you have a Skype meeting, but just throw on a pair of jeans, yoga pants and maybe a t shirt or sweater.  Make yourself feel like you are going to work because this will increase your productivity on a daily basis.  If it makes you feel better, you can still wear your bunny slippers. 

Minimize Distractions

Turn off the TV, stop playing Candy Crush and work.  I've been there before -- you're bored, there's downtime and you grab the remote to put the TV or a movie on.  Downtime always sucks but once you turn on the TV or grab your phone to play a game, say goodbye to your motivation and productivity.  Once you're distracted, you're distracted.  Instead of doing something completely unrelated to work during your downtime, do some research on new things that are going on in your industry, browse some new potential clients that you can reach out to, or maybe get some organization done.  Either of your work space, files, e-mail, etc...  If you really think about it, there is probably plenty that you can do during your downtime!  

Wake Up Early

Sleeping late is heaven, I know the feeling.  I would love nothing more than to get up, have some coffee, get my kids to school and then go back to sleep for an hour, or two (or 5), but you can't.  I mean, you technically could but it wouldn't help your productivity! (Or your internal clock!)  When you're working from home this temptation is strong but fight it!  I know you can fight it!  Your body will normally wake up when it feels like it's well rested, so go with it.  Listen to it!  I know you might still feel tired, but you just have to get used to being awake.  Have some breakfast, grab your coffee, take a shower, read the paper and then get to work.  I can't stress enough how much going back to sleep will mess up your body and your productivity.  

If you're not used to waking up early, you will have to transition into it.  Keep setting your alarm for a half hour earlier each day until you wake up at the time you want to wake up at.  It's hard to get your body used to it, I know, but do it for a month and it will become a habit!  (I find that rings true!)  

When I solely worked from home I would follow a normal schedule as I would have if I worked outside the home.  I would wake up early, I would still shower and I would get to work.  You have to get in the mindset of thinking of working from home just like working at a job.  :)

Prioritize & Set Timers

Take a few minutes every morning to sit down and create your To-Do list for the day.  This method may not work for everyone, but I am a very visual person so seeing what I have to do and crossing out things that I've already done is very motivating and helpful to me.   

I place my To-Do list in a place that I can see it every time I look at it.  Put it on a main section of your desk, tape it on your wall in front of you, put it on your bulletin board, use a sticky note and stick it on your monitor.  Justdo not put it in a drawer, in your purse or somewhere that's hidden.  You know the old saying, Out of sight, out of mind. 

Now, once you've written that list, go back through it and prioritize it.  Put a 1 in front of the most important task that you need to get done, a 2 next to the second most important thing and so on.  (You get my drift!)  Also note next to the task how long you are going to give yourself to get that particular task done.  I use an app called 30/30 that times your To-Do list.  All you have to do is enter the name of the task, how long you want to spend on it, and the app will let you know when that time is up.  Setting timers helps you from spending to much time on one project.  If you're anything like me, without a timer you will end up getting carried away and lose track of time on just one task.  

Clutter versus a Clean Workspace

I'm definitely not a compulsive neat freak but I'm also not a messy pig either!  Most of the time I'm somewhere in between both (just don't ask my mother because she would tell you that I'm the latter!).  When it comes to my workspace, however, I can most definitely be a compulsive neat freak.  This is mainly because I feel more productive when my home office is actually clean and organized.  When it's a mess of papers, toys, clothes, etc...  I just feel overwhelmed and find myself concentrating on the mess more than on my work.  Invest in a receipt scanner and don't let them pile up on your desk!  Scan what you feel you need to scan and if you need physical copies, store them in a photo box or envelope somewhere on a shelf.  Scan as many physical papers as you can and store them in the cloud (drop box, google docs, google drive, box, etc...) so you can access them at any time, they will be searchable and accessible from anywhere.  

Make sure that your desk only has things pertaining to your business on it.  Sure you can have some pictures of your kids or some personal objects, but don't clutter it too much or place distracting objects on your desk.  You need to stay focus to be successful in working from home.  

Think of Working from Home Like a Regular Job

Designate certain work hours for yourself whether or not you're working full or part time from home.  Write down a schedule for yourself and stick to it.  (Of course, if an emergency comes up you can stray away from those hours.)  The important thing is to not schedule appointments during work hours (if you can help it) and don't make spontaneous plans for lunch, the mall or grocery shopping while you're in the middle of your designated work hours.  Would you do that at an actual brick and mortar job?  Probably not!  Try to plan any appointments or activities for outside of your hours, if at all possible!

The reason I say this isn't just for yourself and your motivation but also for your clients.  I let my clients know, up front, what my availability is before I start working with them.  I let them know my office hours and what times they can reach me by phone, e-mail or instant messenger and I'm there for them during those hours.  If you make plans and decide to disconnect and your client can't get in touch with you when they need you, that's a problem.  You could possibly lose that client and get a bad referral.  Now, I know things come up that you have to attend to, so if this happens it's important to record a message on your voicemail, e-mail your clients or turn on an auto e-mail message so your clients know that you had an emergency and aren't ignoring them.  You want your clients to feel like they are the most important client that you have.

Designate yourself a certain lunch hour as well.  Give yourself an hour and stick to that lunch hour!  This will help you from forgetting to eat and getting too hungry and binging and this will also keep you from eating too much throughout the day.  

Take Breaks

Do I sound contradictory?  Maybe I do, but even at a regular full time job you're entitled to breaks!  If you work a normal 8 or 9 hour work day (at a regular job) you're usually entitled to two fifteen minute breaks and an hour lunch.  Get up and take a short walk, go stretch your legs, go grab a quick coffee at Starbucks or a snack, just take a short break.  Yes, you do need to stay in the work mode but you also don't want to overwhelm yourself and your brain either. 

Set Realistic Goals

I'm a dreamer and I do admit that openly.  I am one of those people who set unrealistic goals for myself just so I work harder to achieve them and that's good on one hand.  On the other hand, if your'e one of those people who will stress yourself out if you don't reach those unrealistic goals, that's bad.  You need to set goals for yourself that are attainable in the amount of time that you have or want to have.  Tackle one to two big projects per day and supplement your day with some smaller projects that aren't so stressful.  If you try to take on too much at once, you will overwhelm yourself.

Don't be afraid to say no.  If you already have 2-4 large clients and you're already getting overwhelmed, it's okay to say no to a new large client.  Don't feel like you'll lose business if you don't take the client on because you won't!  Your current clients will still spread the word about your business, you will still get plenty of referrals, and the client that you said "no" to will respect your honesty.  That's why it's important to network and have other colleagues who you could refer the client to.  If you refer your client to another professional in your field, that professional will be forever grateful to you!  They will probably even pay it forward one day when they have a client that they can't handle.  

Change the Scenery

If you have a day with no large projects, try to work from a different location.  If the weather is nice I would suggest to bring your laptop outside and work from your patio.  You could also work from Starbucks or another coffee shop to get out and be around other people.  Maybe bring your laptop into the living room where your young children are playing instead of locking yourself in your office.  Again don't do this too frequently because you don't want to let distractions keep you from working, but every once in a while changing the scenery is very healthy for you.  (As long as you're still working hard and not slacking off!)  

Invest in your Office

I don't mean invest in terms of spending a boatload of money but more as in investing in your business and future.  You don't have to spend a lot of money to re-do a room.  You can get cheap book cases and filing cabinets from Walmart or Target, you can get a nice desk from Ikea or Target, etc...  It's important for you to enjoy your home office or you won't want to work.  Make it professional  but homey and comfortable, make it calming but make sure there is enough storage for your profession.  Do you need filing cabinets for important files?  Do you need a lot of book shelves for books, manuals, folders, etc..?  Do you want a couch in order to be able to move around while you work?  Think about what you want and need for your office and start planning out what would make you the most comfortable and happy.  After all, this is your workspace! I wrote an article back in 2012 about Creating an Office Space for WAHMs and this article has been viewed over 6,500 times.  

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What is Life Like as a Single Working Mom?

Yep.  I'm a single mom with two jobs and I'm damn proud of it.  I work hard to support my family and make up for only one income coming into the house; so I decided to work two jobs.  It's hard as hell and I never feel like I'm getting enough sleep, but that's what being a mom is all about.  Sacrificing for your children.  So this is just some facts about just what being a single working mother is like. :) 

» Getting to bed at or after midnight just because you have to make the living room look presentable once the kids finally get to bed.  You don't want to walk down the stairs at night only to step on a lego or trip over the Doc McStuffins house in the middle of your floor.

» Hitting the snooze button too many times and then realizing it's almost 8 am...The exact time the kids need to be out the door and you need to leave for work.

» Going two or three days between showers is the norm for you.  After all, as long as you slap on some deodorant, body spray and your hair isn't greasy; who will know!  Isn't that what dry shampoo is for?

» You know, the messy bun and ponytail are staple hairstyles for you.

» Makeup? Is it a special occasion?  You have absolutely no time to throw on any makeup before work in the morning.  Unless, of course, it's one of those rare days when you wake up early. (HA! HA! Wait, those days exist?)

» Practically throwing pushing your kids out of the car in front of school in order to get to work on time. KthanksLoveuBye

» Finding random crayons, legos, or Sofia the First toys in your purse...and not understanding how they got there,

» Seeing your school's phone number on the caller ID and praying that one of the kids doesn't have to come home.  Only because the nurse gets pissed off when you tell her that it takes you an hour to get back home.  And no, your 91 year old grandmother can't walk over to the school to pick her up...not unless it was a dire emergency!

» Giving up food at lunch time so you are able to fit in some errands in order to get some shopping done alone.  It's so much more peaceful, even if you are strapped for time.

» Having to take off a whole day for school activities, dance competitions or doctors appointments.

» Hoping that your mom remembers to pick the kids up from school.  

» Trying to explain that you can't attend a parent-teacher conference mid day.  I work during the day to support my family, sorry that you don't want to stay after school.  

» What's for dinner on a busy night when you've worked late?  McDonalds of course!  You don't want McDonalds?  Okay then -- Pizza!  No, I don't feel guilty.

» Not being able to enjoy a weekend when the kids are at their father's because I'm too exhausted from the whole week before to do anything fun.

» Feeling guilty that you have to miss so much of their lives in order to work.  Though you know they're in good hands with Grandma and can't wait to see you when you get home from work.

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My Journey to Losing 80 Pounds -- Weight Loss Tips that Work!

I've lost 80lbs since January 4. 2014.  For the past two months I have been partially off the wagon because of the Holidays, but I am still eating sensibly to maintain my weight.  I know, I know, I could have been closer to my 100lb goal by now if I didn't take a break, but the Holidays are big for me and my family.  My family cooks and they cook good food.  

Over the past few months I've gotten many e-mails and direct messages asking me how I lost my 80lbs and how I stayed motivated.  I'm going to be completely honest with you, it wasn't easy.  I struggled everyday with temptation and battling cravings and sometimes I would break down completely and cry over the fact that I couldn't eat what I wanted.  It was a very tough, but rewarding, 11 months.  Sometimes I still can't believe that I lost 80lbs and can't believe that I can fit into clothes 5 sizes smaller than what I was at this time last year.  I still feel like the girl that's over 200 pounds even though I know I'm no longer that person; it's all mental.  I think it takes a good while for your brain to adjust to your new body.  

I have been trying to lose weight ever since I had my daughter in 2005.  I would go on various fad diets and fall off the wagon...hard.  I would go back to overeating and not knowing when to shut off.  I usually lost a total of 20-25 lbs before I would gain it all back eating fast food, junk food and pure crap.  There was a time where I thought that maybe I was just meant to be fat and would never lose the weight, but I learned that when that is your mindset, you won't let yourself lose the weight.  I don't know what switched on inside my head, but on New Years last year I decided to make a resolution that I was determined to keep, to start to lose weight and stick to it.  Of course, this was my resolution for the previous 8 years as well, what would make this year any different?  I didn't know just what it was, but it was different.  

Fast forward almost an entire year later and I did stick to my resolution and am now only 20lbs away from my goal weight.  I do feel amazing and I'm very happy with myself at this current time.  I know that I will lose the last 20lbs, even though I know full well that the last twenty pounds are usually the hardest to lose.  Maybe that's why I'm taking a short Holiday break, because I know I need to be set for a longer-than-wanted road ahead of me for these final few pounds.  

Since enough people have been asking me what my secrets are to losing 80 pounds, I feel like I should write a post with what I've learned.  I will let you know now that there are no secrets to losing weight, it's all trial and error.  What worked for me to lose weight may not particularly work for you.  When I got tips from other people, I had to try various things and tweak them to what worked for my body to lose weight as well.  

Get in the right mindset.

This is first and foremost the most important thing.  You have to be in the right mindset.  Most people wake up and just decide that they want to go on a diet, I've been there before!  Though, that doesn't make for a successful diet.  You have to really want this and you have to feel that this is the right time in your life to embark on this journey.  I know that sounds so cliche and corny as all hell, but it's true.  

Get rid of the junk food in your house.

You don't want chips or chocolate  bars or ice cream to cloud your vision of what you want to be.  If you don't have the heart to throw all of the junk food out, see if someone else in your house wants it.  Come on, you want to be the sexiest person in your house, right?  You can also donate it (if unopened) to people who may need it more than you.  

If you have kids, now is also a great time to try to get them to eat healthier as well.  I'm not saying to put your kids on a diet, I'm actually against that! However you can get them to eat healthier along with you.  Try to wean them off of the junk food snacks and onto healthier alternatives.  That way you won't have the temptation of the high calorie snacks because you won't be around them!

Go grocery shopping.

I know, no one likes to grocery shop, but I enjoy shopping for healthy foods.  Make a list of healthy staples that you should always have in your house (almond or coconut milk, fruit, veggies, low fat cheeses, plenty of water, diet soda (if you must), whole wheat pasta, rice, etc...  You can easily look up a list of healthy staple food items on Google and I'm sure you will find what you're looking for!  That's what I did. :)  

Search the internet for coupons on items that you want to purchase.  Target sometimes has coupons for fresh meats & produce, so make sure you look at those.  You may also be able to find coupons on fresh meat & produce on your grocery store's website.  Eating healthy doesn't have to be expensive.  

Before you go grocery shopping, make sure you eat.  Do not go to the grocery store hungry, it will cause more impulse buys and unhealthy purchases than if you went shopping while you weren't hungry.  Trust me, I know this from experience. :)  

Some people may debate this, but it's important to look at the nutrition labels.  Eye the calories, eye the calories from fat, eye the carbs.  Make sure the calories from fat are less than 50% of the total calories.  If you need help figuring out what foods are healthy, I suggest to download Fooducate from the app store.  This app still helps me to figure out what foods are healthy and what aren't.  When you scan a certain bar code, Fooducate will grade your food from an A (being the healthiest) to an F (don't buy!).

Drink plenty of water or water substitute.

You need to keep hydrated and need to drink at least 8 glasses of water per day to flush the toxins and extra water out of your body.  I always thought it sounded funny that you need to drink water to get rid of water, but it's true.  The more you pee, the better it is! lol

There are ways to make water better.  Use fruits or veggies (cucumbers) to infuse your water, this will give it a much better taste.  However if you absolutely can't stand or stomach the taste of water, even infused, go for a seltzer water, flavored water, flavored seltzer or even tea.  Whatever you do keep yourself hydrated. 

Make your own food.

Buying TV dinners such as Lean Cuisine, Smart Ones, Healthy Choice, etc... is okay in moderation but if you really look at the nutrition facts the sodium is through the roof.  What does sodium contribute to? Water weight and possibly stalling your weight loss. Sometimes you have no choice but to eat these meals and that's fine every once in a while, I do too, but it's important to make your own fresh meals.  That way, you know exactly what you're putting into your food, you can more accurately get a better calorie count and you know that your food is fresh.  

If you are a working mom or woman and don't have time to make fresh meals from scratch every single night, do some cooking on the weekends and freeze the meals in individual portions for weekdays when you are too strapped for time.  That way, you can let the meal defrost while at work and by the time you're ready to eat dinner you can just pop it in the microwave or oven.

Eating SMALLER meals spaced out.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day but it's more important to eat foods that are filling than to eat too much at breakfast.  Honestly, I've tried a lot of things over the past year, and what helped me the most was eating more small evenly spaced out meals.  Eating smaller more substantial meals throughout the day really helps with cravings, hunger and your metabolism. (IMO)

Portion out your snacks in advance.

I have a rolling cart under my cabinet with all of my snacks and also a bin in the refrigerator.  When I get home from the grocery store I get out individual sized ziploc bags and portion the box of snacks so I have an easy "grab and go" snack when I need them.  It's easier than being in a rush and grabbing the wrong thing or too much of the healthy snack you want.  It's also important to always have a snack with you. Even if you go shopping.  This will cut down on impulse snacking while you're out.  PUT DOWN THAT AUNTIE ANNIE'S PRETZEL! ;)

Utilize Fitness Diary Apps/Communities

MyFitnessPal is what I use faithfully in order to track what I eat and the weight I'm losing.  This definitely helps keep me on track.  What's great about MyFitnessPal is that they also have a community that you can rely on.  You can ask for advice, get motivation, share recipes, tips & tricks...  This app and website is a great tool in your weight loss and I considered it a very essential tool in my weight loss since I had a whole community rooting me on.  I gave them encouragement in return. 

Weigh Ins

In the beginning of my weight loss journey I was a weigh-in freak.  I would weigh myself every day, even though I knew that wasn't good for you.  I was well aware but I did it anyway.  I would also beat myself up if I gained an ounce, a pound, or didn't lose anything and was expecting to.  Do not do what I did and do not weigh yourself every day. Limit weigh-ins to once a week or twice if you must do it more than once a week.  Do not stress yourself out and beat yourself up over normal every day fluctuations in weight.  

Beating Cravings

This is probably the absolute worst worst worst thing, the cravings.  There are a lot of ways to beat cravings and that could be an entirely different post but I'll give you a very short version here.  If you feel hungry in between meals drink a large glass of water and wait at least 15-30 minutes.  If that made you feel better, you probably weren't really hungry.  If you are still hungry after that, have a small healthy snack.  That's the fool proof way to really tell if you're hungry or just want to eat out of emotion or boredom.

Now, for cravings.

- Ice cream? Freeze yogurt in the freezer for true frozen yogurt.  You can also freeze bananas.

- Chips? Have some carrots, carrot chips or homemade cheese crisps instead.  You could also microwave pepperoni for delicious pepperoni chips, but they make your kitchen smelly for a few minutes. I make those sparingly or in large batches. :) (I will post that recipe soon!)

- Something sweet? Chew sugar free gum!  I like the dessert flavored gum, it gives you the taste of sweet without actually eating it.  You can also grab a handful of berries, my favorites are blackberries, raspberries, strawberries or blueberries.  Tea sweetened with honey or Splenda/Truvia/etc... can also help with this craving.  Especially a very sweet herbal tea!

- Salty? You can have one serving size of pretzels or even freshly popped popcorn with some sea salt and butter spray.

I have a bunch of alternatives for cravings and will definitely make a new post on all of them.  I know they will be helpful for anyone in their diet journey.  

Working Out

I feel like a hypocrite talking about this because I didn't work out religiously during my journey or even that much.  Honestly, I probably could have lost even more weight if I worked out more.  Working out is important, however.  It helps your metabolism and helps you burn more calories so you can indulge a little more. (Not go overboard!)  If you can't afford a gym membership there are many ways that you can work out from home.  Walmart has weights/dumbbells for very cheap and you can download different apps such as Pump Up, 7 Minute Workout, Zumba, Blogilates, etc... These will all help you to work out at home and lose some of the pounds/inches too.


I really hope that these tips helped you out a little because they really helped me.  Towards the first of the year (2015) I'm going to be doing a series on eating healthy and losing weight -- for all of you who made that difficult resolution to lose weight in the New Year.  So keep a look out for that!   If you have any questions, feel free to post them below.  I would be more than happy to answer any questions you might have about diet, exercise or weight loss.  I'm not a professional, but if I could lose 80lbs and counting, anyone can.  

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Goals and Aspirations Now vs. Pre Mom

My life completely changed once I had my first daughter in October of 2005.  Before becoming a mom I was very selfish and not concerned with the value of money at all.  I would go on shopping sprees with any money I brought in from work, I wasn't concerned with saving any of my money and I only cared about myself and my appearance.  I lived for primping myself up to be more attractive to men and my life revolved around finding a boyfriend so that I could fit in. 

I was 19 years old and in college when I got pregnant with my oldest daughter.  Among spending money on clothing, concerts, going out with my friends and going out with my fiance, I now had another concern; being pregnant.  It wasn't easy.  I spent many days trying to figure out how I would continue to lead the normal life of a 19/20 year old while pregnant and also while having a newborn.  One night I realized that I couldn't, I would just have to completely change the way I thought about myself, money and my free time. It seemed so challenging for me to think about having to change my ways.  It only felt challenging to me until she was born.

My oldest was born prematurely on October 5th, 2005.  She was 5 weeks early and was put immediately into the NICU for medical reasons and was there for nearly two months.  Once that happened everything changed in my life.  I was 100% devoted to my daughter and did everything I could to figure out ways to solve questions the doctors had about her and her health.  My life now revolved around this little (well, she was 8lbs 7oz) baby that was now mine.  

Goals and aspirations definitely changed from pre-mommy to post-mommy.  While I used to want to be an artist and figure skater, I had to put those dreams on hold while I tried my best to make a good living for myself and my girls.   I used to have goals of making new friends whenever I could and finding a boyfriend, I had to live for myself and my girls and not live for finding someone to be with long term.  I left it up to fate and not to my cruising dating websites or bars for a soul mate.  My priorities also changed in finding someone to date.  Instead of them being cute, having a car, having money and being independent; my main priority was to find someone who would treat my girls as their own and someone who would love me and my kids unconditionally.  

Your life, priorities, goals and aspirations completely do a turn once you become a parent.  You live for your kids and live for making their lives better; not your own.  

How have your priorities and goals changed since becoming a parent?

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They Grow Up So Quickly! Olivia's 7th Birthday Party.

Time flies when you're having fun.  My daughter's birthday is actually on December 21st but after years of having trouble getting kids to come to her party, so close to Christmas, we pushed her party up a few weeks this year. Finally, we were able to have almost everyone that she invited come to her party! 

A brand new Chuck E Cheese just opened up two weeks ago about 10 minutes from our house, so we jumped to book the party there. It's actually really funny because that same place is where I had MANY parties as a child. Except back then it was Discovery Zone. (does anyone remember Discovery Zone?) 

Her party had a Frozen theme (duh, frozen is life. Doesn't everyone know that?) but I had such a hard time finding any frozen cakes. I usually make my kids' cakes but between her being sick last week, work and just hectic life, I didn't have the time to. I ran to Walmart this morning and found this perfect purple, blue and pink cake and picked up some smaller Frozen figures which worked perfectly on top of the cake. Voila! Frozen themed cake. (How great am I? Go on! You can say it!)

The party ended up being perfect. The girls had so much fun, got tons of tickets to turn in for prizes and my little princess was the happiest kid on the planet. 

My girls are very close and my 9 year olds friends are also my 6 (and a half) year olds friends, so we invited three of their mutual 9 year old friends as well. My youngest and her 1st grade friends felt so cool because they were hanging out with third graders. It was adorable!  The older kids had fun too but they, of course, thought Chuck E was corny! 

After the party, we heard that Geoffrey the Giraffe was at Toys r Us and that they were doing a free ornament decorating activity. Well, Toys r Us was right next door so we went to see what was up! We walked in and Geoffrey was right there in the front and my girls were super excited to meet him! My youngest said, "Wow, you're so tall!" She was absolutely enthralled with the man in the giraffe costume! 

Side note: When my 9 year old was just a month old, she was asked to be in a babies r Us fashion show in New York. Well, I have a picture of her with Geoffrey at a month old, screaming her head off. I told her that I was going to find that picture and put that one and the current one side by side, just for my own memories! But I digress...

I can't believe that my baby is going to be 7 years old in two weeks. It really blows my mind to think how fast these 7 years have flown by. No matter how old she gets, she's always going to be my little baby girl! No doubt about that!

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A different me, ten years later. Speaking out about bullying -- Don't give up hope!

Ten years ago I was an 19 year old about to graduate high school, very unsure of herself or her future.  I was extremely concerned about my popularity, fitting in, friends and college.  Up until the middle of my Senior year, I had no idea what I wanted to do for college or where I wanted to go.  I had absolutely no faith in myself and felt that I was fat, ugly and would never amount to anything.  I didn't realize, at that time, that was my depression talking and not my actual self.  I had a very morphed image of who I was and who I would become.  I wish I could go back and tell my 19 year old self some things because now that I am older, I realize how foolish I was back then. 

Popularity doesn't matter, it's not going to last forever.

Very few of the friends you have in High School will even stay with you past college.  People change and head in different directions.

Those are two of the most important things that I wish I would have realized back then.  It would have made the last year of High School a hell of a lot easier and would have made me not put as much pressure on myself.  Dwelling on my depression was not a good idea.

Now, as a 29 year old, I'm happy with myself but know that I could make improvements.  I feel better about who I am and where I am heading with my life.  I'm still depressed, every once in a while, but I know how to get myself out of that funk and know how to function better than I did back then. 

I am friends with two people that I went to High School with and believe it or not, I wasn't great friends with them back then.  With age, usually, comes maturity and you realize that what you thought of someone in High School is completely different than what you think of them now as an adult. Of course, this isn't true in all cases.  Some people that I went to High School with are just as immature as they were back then; if not more immature now. However, a lot of us have kids or are married and have responsibilities and realize that the bullying and immaturity they had in High School wasn't worth it.  I have gotten some apologies from those that I was bullied by and while I didn't need an apology, I surely did appreciate it.

My life also took a completely different path as I now have two children and didn't think I would have had kids as young as I did.  I couldn't be happier that I have my girls because they are my life.  They make my life complete.  They have also taught me what it is to be an adult, how amazing it feels like to give to others instead of being selfish and taught me unconditional love and patience.  It was amazing how the second I had my oldest everything changed.  I wasn't buying anything for myself anymore but loved buying everything for her. (Maybe too much!)  I learned that seeing my kids happy was the most important thing in the world and while they don't know how much they've taught me and wouldn't understand it now, they've taught me more than I could have ever taught myself.

My mother told me, ten years ago, that life would be different as I got older but I never wanted to believe her.  After all, how would life get better as I got older?  I would have more responsibilities, bills to pay, a house to keep going and so on... But she was right.  Even though I have responsibilities, a full time job, a family to support and bills to pay, I don't complain (too much) about any of it.  I'm not too keen on paying bills but I do feel proud that even though I struggle, I am able to pay the bills and support my family.  It's not easy, but life isn't easy; it's a continuous circle of learning and you surely do learn new things everyday.

I know that no bullied or isolated teenager things that things will get better, but they do.  They get better as long as you have a positive outlook and believe that things will get better.  When you're in High School this is easier said than done, sure, I know that first hand but it's true.  As long as you work to put aside the nasty comments that you hear about yourself and feel confident in yourself, you will get through it.  It's definitely something you have to learn and something that I wish I had learned early on, but you can do it if you just believe in yourself.

Kids and teenagers are getting bullied every single day and I cringe when I hear about young people committing suicide or considering committing suicide because they feel hopeless and depressed from things that others say.  It makes me cringe because I've been there and I realize that could have been me if I had given into my depression but I chose to try to fight against the bullies.  Not physically but emotionally.  I'm lucky that I had a great family and two friends that I could always complain to.  They helped tremendously in keeping me going on even when I felt like there was no hope for me.  I just wish more bullied kids or teenagers had the nerve to speak up and tell someone what they're feeling or what they're going through.  I'm sure that if they didn't keep it inside they would have an amazing support system to help them rather than take tragic measures into their own hands.

One day I would love to speak up against bullying in some way, shape or form.  It's something that is very important to me and something that I feel is important to me.  I would love to help others who are going through what I went through because now that I am older, I know methods that I could have utilized to stop the bullying or to put that behind me rather than dwelling on it and listening to it.  I would love to have be a voice in other's lives when they don't feel like there's one and I would love to be someone that others can lean on when they have no one else.

I just want everyone that is being bullied to know that there is hope and I wish I could have told myself that ten years ago, but I can't go back in time and change what happened to me or how I felt.  All I can do is hopefully help another generation who cannot help themselves.

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If it Wasn't for Bad Luck, I Wouldn't Have Any at All.

I'm very stressed out today.  Why, you might ask?  Because I can be stressed out, that's why.  

Actually, I think everyone is stressed out around the Holiday season -- which is funny because isn't it the season to sit back and relax?  Unfortunately, when you're a single mom working full-time with a 6 year old's birthday coming up right before Christmas and two family get together's that you're hosting...things get even more stressful.

My youngest was due on Christmas Day but because my OB/GYN was due on the exact same day that I was, she chose to induce me on December 21. 2007.  Since my daughter was born so close to Christmas I need to throw Olivia a party for her friends (usually a few weeks before her birthday), a birthday party for mine & her father's side of the family and I also host Christmas at my house as well.  That's a hell of a lot of money and way too many parties in such a close span of time, but I wouldn't change it for the world no matter how stressful it is.  

As I sit here, I'm thinking about everything I need to do for this weekend, which is her friend's party at Chuck-E-Cheese.  Since I live paycheck to paycheck until my second job starts up in January, everything is done very last minute.  So yes, I have to run out tonight and get a cake, order balloons, grab some decorations and get goody bag items as well.  All 48 hours before the party, which is absolutely lovely.  Not only am I thinking about what I have to do for this weekend but I am also planning the menu for her family party (On Dec 21st) and trying to figure out what activities I am going to have for the 6 kids that will be there. 

I also have to plan when we are going to get Santa pictures done for the girls, when we are going to get Christmas card pictures done and that damn elf...I have to keep thinking up creative ideas of where to put the damn thing.  That's pretty stressful in itself; especially when I'm going to bed at midnight!  I'm usually dragging myself back out of bed, unwillingly, to go put the elves out.  

Want to hear the best part? The icing on the freaking cake? My daughter, who's Birthday party is on Saturday, got sent home from school today with a 102 fever.  Of course, never fails.  Why would things actually go smoothly?  Ironically, she's taking after me.  As a child I always got sick, without fail, right before my birthday and right before a major holiday that we were hosting.  That was the two times out of the year that I actually would get sick.  I had pretty shitty timing and it seems like my daughter is following right in my footsteps.  Of all the traits she could have gotten from me, THAT'S the one she chooses to get!  I'm just kidding -- mostly -- but when it rains, it pours in my family.  If it wasn't for bad luck, we wouldn't have any at all.

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Where in the world have I been?

I know I have been MIA for almost a year and I have actually been getting some e-mails and messages asking if I am doing well or where I've been for almost a year.  The truth is, I just needed a break.  

As you all know, I was working as an office manager for a tax office last year during the tax season and things just got too hectic with that and with my daughter being a competitive dancer.  Her schedule was absolutely insane and we had to travel the state; a lot.  I didn't have any time to sit down, draw up a plan, make a schedule and be consistent and I didn't want to just throw out one or two posts if I couldn't be consistent.  I didn't just want to dangle a carrot in front of you and hope you keep waiting until I came back for another post.  I figured that I would just take a break for the tax and competition season and come back afterward with a great plan and hundreds of posts to schedule.  

Life doesn't go as planned and after tax/competition season was over I was depressed.  I was severely depressed, couldn't get a job after tax season was over, bills were piling up, life was just getting hopeless and all I did was cry, look for jobs, do my best to take care of my kids and cry some more.  It was horrible and I knew that posting my drama, depression and crap wasn't going to make anyone happy.  As much as I wanted to post, I decided that for myself, my family and my sanity I needed to disconnect and not worry about posting anything while I was trying to find a job.  

It took much longer than I had hoped but over the summer I finally found a job!  While it's not the job that fits my qualifications or was in the field I had previously been in, it was a job nonetheless and I enjoyed it.  It challenged me, it made me feel like I was a part of something again and best of all I had a steady income and could get caught up on all of my bills.  That's where I am at now.  :)  Most of my bills are caught up again, I'm starting to put money back into savings and I finally feel much better about myself and my life.  

I also wanted to announce that...I lost EIGHTY POUNDS since I last posted.  Yes, yes, I lost 70% of the weight I wanted to lose and I feel wonderful about myself.  I'm planning on writing about my diet journey in another post.  It's been a crazy ride but I'm finally back and ready to get serious about blogging.  I finished a business plan, promotional plan, my blogging goals and I am in a pretty decent place right now.

Thank you guys for staying with me through this crazy ride.  You all mean the world to me and all of the positive thoughts and sentiments that were sent to me really made me feel better.  Hugs to you all!

Stay tuned... :)

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There is a method to all of my productivity and daily madness

I'm going to tell you a secret...

I'm crazy but sort of organized and very productive.  Is that really a secret?

Ok, scratch that...I'm sometimes productive and that's not really a secret at all.

What's the secret to my madness of being a single mother with a full time job?

I'm fanatical about using my favorite iPhone apps to keep me organized.  While I may not be a perfectionist and have a crazy organized house, when it comes to the hours in the day I need to prioritize and utilize my apps or I would go insane. 

Or may I am insane to begin with.

Organizing My Days

Agenda, my calendar app, is my go to app for my main organization and prioritizing my day.  I use different calendars that I set in the native iPhone app for different categories of what I have to organize every day.

Work is blue.

To Do's are green.

Kids are purple.

Important Reminders are brown.

And the list goes on and on...

I love how the categories are put into my main month view as little dots so I can go into the day at anytime and see exactly what I need to get done or remember.  That app has been a huge lifesaver in the past few months.

Organizing My Errands & Reminders Further

I also utilize Any.DO for reminders and categorizing my lists of what I have to do.  I'm able to see what I have to do for the month as a whole and in the categories I place them into. (Blog, Kids, Work, Life, Groceries, Shopping, etc...)  It allows for me to see if I can get something done earlier than the date I wanted to have it done by.

If I have any extra time in my day, which is rare.

I can also have a electronic copy of things that I need to get done for work just in case my paper to-do list gets lost for any reason... or if something is spilled on it. (I blame my kids)

Shopping lists? Since I'm crazy anal about having things categorized into aisles when I'm going grocery shopping I use Grocery IQ.  It allows me to have multiple lists stored for multiple stores while being categorized by aisle, which makes me happy.  I'm just too damn lazy to keep walking back and forth around the store if I forgot something... that's why I like having everything categorized into aisles and organized all nice and neatly. :)

I also use Evernote for my reminders and documents that I need an electronic back up for. 

Am I still stressed even though I prioritize my day and my to-do's?  Of course I am.  There aren't enough hours in the day and I can't split myself between a million places at once.  (It would be cool if I could, that would be my go-to superpower.) 

How do you stay organized and less stressed?

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Random Facts about Me! Part 2

I do have some new followers and hope to gain some as well so I decided to write another post with more random facts about myself.  I'm not too interesting but I do have some pretty damn good facts that may seem a bit interesting to some of you! :) If you have any other questions for me, post them in the comments section!

1. I have an addiction to cell phone cases.  With my iPhone 4 I had about 20 cases that I would change with my mood.  I wish I was joking with you!  Every time I go to a mall that has a cell phone accessory kiosk or Target, Walmart, Apple, etc...  I had to look at the cases to see if anything caught my eye.  Now that I have the iPhone 5, I need to rebuild my collection.  I have only 4 for the iPhone 5 so far. (And have had the phone for 2 months.)

2. I love to take photos. In fact, I have taken over 1,000 photos on my phone that I have taken with it.  I used to have over 3,500 but most of them are now on an external hard drive.  Constantly I am downloading new photography and photographing apps to try to get new inspiration.  

3. My first celebrity crush was Jonathan Taylor Thomas.  My friend, at the time, loved Leonardo Dicaprio.  We used to have fights (for hours) about who was hotter.

4. My dream as a child was to be a figure skater.  I figure skated locally (competitively) for 16 years solo and synchro.  When I was 17 I took a bad fall during an exhibition and broke my ankle.  Unfortunately, after a cast and physical therapy, I never got back into figure skating.  It was a passion of mine and I regret that until this very day.

5. I own my own business.  Aside from my full time day job I own my own Virtual Assistant & SEO/Social Media business doing consulting, managing and coordinating.  My day job is being a SEO Analyst for a large corporation.  Somehow, I manage being a mom, having a FT day job and my own business... I constantly wonder how I do it.

6. I have the thickest hair ever.  I hate it.  I've always hated it and get it thinned out as much as I can.  My hair is also extremely damaged from years and years of drastically dying it constantly.

7. My uncle is a Roman Catholic priest.  He's been a priest for 35 years and despite this fact, I am not religious.  My uncle has been like a second dad to me since my dad died when I was 2.  I don't know what I would do without my uncle and his understanding and compassion for others.

8. I went to High School 2 blocks away but my mom drove me every single day.  Mostly because I would have been late every single day if I had walked and the fact that I was very bullied and had numerous physical threats.

9. I've lived in the same house all my life. For the exception of the 2 years that I lived in Philadelphia due to art school.  I probably would still be living in Philadelphia if I hadn't gotten pregnant when I was in college.

10. I am extremely picky about pens. I will not write with a pen that doesn't have a cap and the ink flow has to be perfect.  Again, I wish I was kidding.

11. I LOVE LOTIONS! My favorite lotions are the super thick ones with cocoa & shea butters. (I.E. B&BW Shea Cashmere and just traditional Cocoa Butter.)

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Happy National Make Your Dreams Come True Day!

Today is noted as Make Your Dreams Come True day and while I don't have any smaller dreams that I could make come true, I wanted to write about how my dreams have changed now versus when I was a child. 

My mom always stressed to me that I can do anything that I put my mind to and work towards, so I have always had some pretty great dreams. 

I started figure skating when I was three years old and my ultimate goal, when I was younger, was to be a figure skater.  I had dreams of being in the Olympics and winning all of these medals for my figure skating.  Skating three days a week solo and one on a synchro team, I felt like I was working towards my goal at a fast pace and I had a passion for skating.  Lessons, competitions and exhibitions went on for fourteen years until I was 17 years old.  When I was 17 years old I fell during a local end of the year exhibition and found out, after the fact, that I had broken a small bone in my ankle.  That injury took a lot out of me, going to physical therapy after healing that I was out for a few months at that point.  Once I got myself and my strength back, I decided that it had been too long and lost faith in myself.   I figured that I wouldn't be testing at, what was supposed to be, my skill level and I didn't want to be a level behind my old teammates. 

Eleven years later, as I sit here as a 28 year old, I regret my decision.  I regret not going back to finish out my figure skating dream.  I know I could have been great and could have possibly gotten to a higher competitive level.  Would I have gotten to the Olympics? The odds were against that but I could have kept believing that it was a possibility.  I still skate for fun and I teach my kids how to figure skate, but that's about it.  I no longer have any figure skating aspirations, unfortunately. 

Art has always been in my life and has always been a passion of mine but when I was injured it became a larger portion of my life.  While I was injured I did a lot of painting and drawing because I honestly had nothing else to do.  I realized that I wanted to go to art school and wanted to attempt to become a professional artist.  At that point in my life, I didn't realize how competitive the art field is and how many artists do not become famous.  Before I graduated High School in 2003 I found out that I was accepted into a small art college on a full scholarship, I was beyond excited that I solely got the scholarship based on my skills and my portfolio.  I realized that I really was as talented as people had said I was.

During my Freshman year I fell in love with a friend of my brother, got engaged and was pregnant by February of 2005. Unfortunately, because of being in an art school, they would not allow me to continue while pregnant.  (They didn't want to be liable if anything happened because of the materials used.)  So I traveled back home, still having high hopes and aspirations for an art career.  I had planned on going back after she was born. 

When my daughter (Alayna) was born, everything changed.  I found a job at home, got a second job at H&R Block and continued on researching everything I could about Social Media Marketing, SEO, Internet Marketing, etc...

Eight years (and one more daughter) later, my aspirations and life goals have completely changed.  I now own my own business, still work for H&R Block and now want to become a successful business owner. 

In ten years I hope to have a successful business, still working for H&R Block (which I love) and married with one more child.  I hope to own my own home and am able to help support my family with my business, while still being at home with my kids.

Looking back, a lot has changed.  Maybe I didn't become an Olympic figure skater or a famous artist, but I still have my whole life ahead of me to dream.  I have two beautiful kids, a boyfriend who is amazing and know that my future is going to be great no matter what happens.

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Changing My Outlook for 2014

In 2013 I made two resolutions:

• Lose Weight
• Be Financially Aware

Did I accomplish any of those? None at all.  Actually, I did become a little more financially aware and made less frivolous and expensive purchases, but I still didn't do as well as I had hoped.  I didn't really deposit any money into my savings as I had hoped I would.   In terms of losing weight, I went on a diet for 3 months and did lose about 30 lbs but then gained it all back when I lost motivation and started to eat like crap again when I got down with myself.  Do I regret it?  Of course I do.  I always regret it when I mess up my diet because I have to start from square one all over again.  It makes me so angry at myself. 

 

I'm planning on changing all of that this year.  I've been eating better for the past week, I've had more energy and I have the motivation to get up each day, go to work, eat as best as I can and be a great mom.  I really feel like things are changing this year and I feel so positive.  I think my new view of myself and my life will really continue to help me out in my goals for this year.  Even though I'm not 100% self confident, I'm trying to have a more optimistic view of my life and trying to follow the word "believe" as my key word for 2014.  I want to believe in myself, my life and my abilities more than I have in the past.  It is true that if you believe in yourself, others will believe in you more.  I just feel like things are finally looking up for me.  I was promoted at the end of December, I now have a boyfriend who loves me, I actually have money in savings and I'm getting things straightened out at home.

 

Changing things is not easy but it is possible.  They say it takes approximately 21 days to form a new habit, which is actually less than a month so it is basically just a matter of staying motivated for those first few weeks until I get used to my new lifestyle.  It will happen if I just have patience and give it time.

Did you meet any of your resolution goals in 2013?

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When it Rains, it Pours...

 

Sometimes I don't know why things happen the way they happen.

 

We moved out of my childhood home in August due to a reverse mortgage (that turned into a foreclosure) that my grandparents left us when they passed away.  Our moving was a few months earlier than we really had to move, but we found the perfect one family home and didn't want to miss the opportunity to live there.  My mom lived at that house all her life, so there was 28 years of my life there and 61 years of her life there.  Needless to say, some things were left in the house when we moved and we were periodically going back and forth to move more and clean some things out.

 

Tuesday I went to the house to check the mail and to grab a new bottle of floor cleaner and was met with a mess. A flood.

 

Water everywhere; the entire second floor was flooded.  Boxes that we were packing and items water damaged, gone.  A pipe had burst in our extremely cold weather and water was spurting everywhere like an open hydrant.

 

I walked down to the first floor only to find more of a mess.  The ceiling in my old bedroom was on the floor, my old ceiling fan was hanging by two wires.  Thank God the electricity was turned off back in August because our outlets near the floor board would have ignited an electrical fire if the water had gotten into a live outlet. 

 

What a mess.  It was the most depressing site, seeing your childhood home completely flooded and ruined.  I cried, my mom cried, the girls cried.  Mostly, my crying was about family memories that were gone forever.  Family videos got flooded, family pictures were water damaged, so much was lost.

 

I made it down to the basement to turn off our main water line but it must have been flooding for a day by that point because there was ankle deep water everywhere in the house.  My art studio in the basement, however, was somehow spared.  I don't know how, but someone must have been watching over that room and all of my hard work inside of it because it wasn't flooded or touched by the water at all.  I can only believe that was a miracle, seeing how every other room was a watery mess.

 

Today we went back to save what we could and told the bank that we are finally leaving that house and not going back.  Everything we left in the house is now their possession and they can do whatever they would like with it.  We saved what memories we could and brought them to our new house.  They told us that due to the extent of the flooding the house is going to have to be condemned and demolished.  Our old house was over 100 years old and it was a wood framed house, which is now compromised because of the water seeping between the floorboards and inside the walls.

 

It's a sad thought to know that the house I first lived at, grew up in, where my kids were born and where my grandparents died is going to be completely gone in a few months.  The place where all of our memories are will be gone forever, but we will still have all of those memories to hold on to. 

 

At least this happened after we already moved and not while we were still living there.  That's the only good I can find in this heartache. 

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My 2014 Theme Word: Believe

I decided to choose one word for the year 2014 to focus on and really try to model myself and my life after.  I scribbled down a list of probably 15 words that I thought were important to me, but as I kept reading the list believe kept sticking out to me.  The reason why is very simple; I need to believe more in myself and what I can do with my life.

Instead of constantly putting myself down, I plan to think about something I love about myself and work on building that up along with points that aren't so strong.  It's hard to change a mindset you have had for over 10 years, but it's possible to do and I believe it would be a very strong shift for me in my life.  I really need to stop second guessing myself or being too chicken to do things that I know I can do, I need to have faith in myself and take chances.

When the clock hits midnight on 01/01/15, I want to feel like a new person.  I really want to have more faith in myself, I want to know that I really tried to accomplish my goals to my full potential and I want to look at myself in a whole new light.  I don't want to feel down on myself or disgusted with my life choices, I want to feel like I can do absolutely anything that I set my mind to. 

What is your goal word for 2014?

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National Cuddle Up Day for the Coldest Day of the Year!

So yesterday was National Cuddle Up Day but today is more of a cuddling kind of day.  The news says that this is the coldest day in our area since 1993, and I can feel it.  I walked out of the house today to go to work and immediately I felt the cold stinging my face.  (That was the only part of me that was not covered up!)  Some schools in the area closed due to the cold but my girls' school did not.  I kept them home only because my mom walks my girls' to school when I go to work at 8 am.  I wasn't going to let my disabled mom walk my girls to school in weather with a wind chill -16 degrees and ice all over the place.  If any of them slipped on the ice I would have felt horrible for having to go into work so early. 

I wish I could have stayed home and cuddled up with my girls but instead I had to go into work to open my office this morning.  Of course, I stopped by Dunkin Donuts to get myself a nice and hot turbo coffee and a bagel, which they messed up on me!  I couldn't have gone into the office today without coffee, that just wouldn't have worked for me!

When I get home from work today I am going to get into comfy, warm sweats and cuddle up on the couch with my girls, hot chocolate and a nice warm blanket to watch TV all night.  I am considering today my Cuddle Up Day. :)

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Birthdays and Christmas Fun

I can't believe that another Christmas is nearly here.  Christmas 2012 seems like it was just yesterday with my kids anxiously opening presents and excited for their new toys.  The Holidays go way too damn fast and it's really my favorite time of year, it has always been. 

 

Even though I spend way too much on presents for my girls and try to have Santa get their entire wishlist, I love seeing the looks on my girls faces when they open their gifts on Christmas morning. I'm more excited about this Christmas because it will be the very first Christmas in our new (beautiful) home. 

 

As strange as this may sound, I have always wanted a home with a beautiful staircase that I could decorate with lighted garland and the Christmas cards that we receive from family and friends.  While many people have had staircases all their lives, I did not.  I grew up in a "mom and daughter" type house, just like the majority of homes in my city.  My grandparents lived upstairs and my mother and I lived downstairs in the two family house.  The house was rather small, often compared to a "shoebox" by many of my friends, but it was home for 28 years of my life.  Now that we moved into a larger one family house with two floors, I couldn't be happier and feel more accomplished for finding it and fighting for that to be our new home.  I was able to (over) decorate it to how I had always dreamed my home to look for Christmas and can't wait to see our brand new tree sparkling on Christmas morning with all of our presents beneath it.  Just one more day left until I can enjoy that.

 

Olivia's 6th Birthday was this past weekend and I had the honor of hosting her family party at my home this year.  We invited 13 family members to the party and planned a nice spread of food that we both got catered and cooked ourselves.  I had the best time and was so proud to have such a beautiful and roomy house to have everyone over.  It was really the best feeling in the world for me.  Olivia got some great presents including a Sofia the First Leap Pad, many other Sofia the First toys, some beautiful outfits and a gorgeous easel from her Grandma and Grandpa, which she can't stop playing with.

 

I can't believe my baby turned 6 on Saturday -- time really does fly when you're having fun raising your children.  I tell this to everyone, including my sister who will soon have her babies, enjoy them while they're little!  It goes way too fast and if you blink you will miss the best and most enjoyable years. 

 

Happy Belated Birthday to my darling Princess Olivia and enjoy the remainder of the Holiday Season to my readers! 

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