Mom, Interrupted

Happy 2012!

2012-01-01T10:00:00.000-06:00

{meg-moir.com}

Time is the New Year's bountiful blessing:
three hundred sixty-five bright mornings
and starlit evenings
fifty-two promising weeks
twelve transformative monthsfull of
beautiful possibilities, four splendid seasons

A simply abundant year to be savored"

{From Sarah Ban Breathnach's Simple Abundance, one of my all time fav books}

{31 Blessed Days: Day 31}

2011-12-31T16:01:00.001-06:00

{yourgoalbook.com}

December 31: Day 31
I am blessed by the power of goals.

New Year's Eve - my most favorite holiday. Tomorrow we all get a clean, fresh slate, a chance to hit the re-set button. Everything you didn't like about 2010 can be left behind, all it needs is a little mental shift.

I have given up New Year's resolutions in favor of goals. I spend some serious time thinking about the year ahead and what I want it to look like. First I just start listing all kinds of things I want to do, such as: read 30 books, find a new podcast to subscribe to, workout 5-6 days a week, go through Purpose Driven Life. Then I shuffle them all into categories, such as financial, spiritual, emotional, intellectual, etc. After that's settled, I put a monthly plan together. For example, if I want to read 30 books this year, that's two or three a month, so I go through my pile of books and choose which books I'll read in January and so on.

I used to just make generic-y goals, like eat more organic or try yoga. Well guess what? It's not specific enough. A better way is to declare I will try two new organic foods twice a month and then incorporate that into my grocery list. And for yoga, I could make a to-do list item titled "research yoga studios in the area." Specific wins all the time. Generic is dull and flat, go Team Specific!!

What's very rewarding is to go back and read my journals from past NYEs, to see what I wanted to accomplish and if I did indeed do that. For many years I wanted to improve my public speaking skills. That one goal has been on the list forever. Last January I was having coffee with an acquaintance and he mentioned that he had gone to a Toastmasters group and loved the experience. When I said I'd always wanted to try that but just hadn't made the time, he offered to attend the first meeting with me. We went that Friday and I've been a member ever since. While I hadn't made a specific plan to try out Toastmasters, I had it on my radar and was ready to jump at the opportunity when it knocked.

We aren't supposed to be perfect - we'll save that for Jesus - but I can't imagine someone just being content with who they are, year after year. Growing, stretching and learning - trying new things - it puts you in new worlds and you can't believe you ever lived any other way.

I am blessed.

***I hope you've enjoyed my 31 Blessed Days series. It has been a wonderful motivator to get me writing daily and has fired up the creative spigot. My new adventure will be journaling each day in January - I won't be sharing those entries on this blog, not that I have that exciting of a life, ha ha.

Happy, Happy New Year to you. Thanks for reading my blog. God bless!***

{31 Blessed Days: Day 30}

2011-12-30T10:44:00.001-06:00

{cenblog.org}

December 30: Day 30
I am blessed by networking.

It really is true - it's not what you know, it's who you know. Networking has been one of the most powerful and rewarding activities I have ever engaged in. Networking means many things; I see it as meeting and tendering relationships with people in order to help one another out.

For job hunters, networking is crucial. You can no longer sit in front of your laptop, applying for jobs and having the phone ring. You need connections to get into the companies you are attracted to. The only way to get connections is to get out there, shake hands, ask questions and be a professional.

Networking was absolutely how I found my gem of a job. After much soul searching, I decided Christian publishing would be a great industry for me. I didn't know anyone in that field, but I asked and got a name from our women's ministries pastor. Contacted the woman, invited her to coffee and things just took off from there. She had deep experience in the industry and a few weeks later, she encouraged me to check into an open position at Summerside Press. The rest, as they say, is history.

Social media has had the most impact for me, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are invaluable and - when used effectively, they can be wildly productive.

I was part of my church's job support group last year and now serve as a mentor to those looking for work. I had the pleasure of meeting with a bright, professional young lady and she did everything right, in my eyes. I hooked her up with six people in the industry she's interested in and have no doubt she will be hired very soon. I feel like I got more reward out the situation than she did!

I am blessed.

{31 Blessed Days: Day 29}

2011-12-29T20:58:00.000-06:00

{my first home * st louis park, mn * 1992-2002}


{my second home * lincoln, neb * 2003-2007}

{my third home * minnetonka, mn * 2007-present}

December 29: Day 29
I am blessed by home ownership.

One thing I am very proud of has is being a homeowner for twenty years now. I think it's positively thrilling to capture your little corner of the world. Even with leaking roofs and hideous wallpaper, having a place to call your very own is magical. Each of the three homes I have owned have held scores of memories inside the walls. As I sift through pictures, I marvel at how each room looks; how I decorated, and how I feel when I'm reminiscing.

I was married when purchasing the first two homes, but I bought the current casa all on my own - and it's the most expensive one to boot! It was quite liberating to do this on my own and really the shot in the arm I needed post-divorce. I hope to stay here for many, many years and am having such fun redecorating, gardening and making plenty of new memories.

I am blessed.

{31 Blessed Days: Day 28}

2011-12-28T22:58:00.001-06:00


{me and my mom at a high school basketball game}

December 28: Day 28
I am blessed by my mother.

Today is a highly notable day; it is my mom's 81st birthday. If you met her and hung out with her for a few days you'd insist she is much, much younger. She takes fabulous care of herself, with diet and exercise AND she volunteers her little heart out. Such a giver, a nurturer and so selfless. She loves God with her whole heart. She reads a ton. She works in the yard constantly. She is devoted to my dad, her four children, 11 grandkids and one great grandchild.

I tried several times to get a hold her today, to wish her a happy birthday. But she was out to breakfast with one brother, at the nursing home for lunch with my dad and dinner with another brother. In between she fielded many birthday calls and opened 20 birthday cards. Twenty! I finally landed a conversation and she was gloriously, blissfully happy. What a fantastic role model she is.

I am blessed.

{31 Blessed Days: Day 27}

2011-12-27T17:06:00.001-06:00

{messengernews.net}

December 27: Day 27
I am blessed by the Messenger.

Growing up, my Dad's one and only job was serving as sports editor of the The Messenger newspaper. Well, that's not entirely true; there were a few years where he worked as the editor of the entire paper. He ran a front-page column titled "Back to the Fort," and did all that other editor-type stuff, but it didn't take long for him to realize if he couldn't write about basketball, football, baseball, wrestling, hunting or fishing - he wasn't interested, so back to sports he went until he retired in 1993.

As a kid you don't have a clue what your parents really do each day, how hard they work and what they sacrifice to afford food and electricity and all those other nice things to have. I knew my Dad worked really hard, he was gone A LOT, covering games, writing stories, going on fishing trips, etc. The thing is, it was such a perfect job for him. Sports was his passion, so the writing part {which he was tremendously gifted with}came pretty easy for the guy. Of course, you'd never hear him claim to love his job or feel blessed to make money writing about his love of sports - ha, he's not much of a glass-half-full guy. But I think he was really fortunate to have that experience for forty some years AND I believe deep down he knows that.

When I drive back to my hometown, I see the blue "Messenger" newspaper boxes next to everyone's mailbox and I think, "wow, that's what paid for all my Partridge Family albums, and vanilla ice cream and trips to Minnesota every summer." Now that I've been in the working world while raising a family, I get the sacrifice my parents made to keep me clothed and fed. It's pretty awe inspiring.

I am blessed.

{31 Blessed Days: Day 26}

2011-12-26T10:30:00.000-06:00

{Julia Rothman typewriter journal}

December 26: Day 26
I am blessed by journaling.

I love to write; always have. Earned a Journalism degree and have spent the majority of my career life writing in some fashion. So it's no surprise that I am an avid journaler. I have a huge Rubbermaid bin filled with the stories of my life. I don' t have all of them, but pretty close. I have my very first diary, which details my first kiss in 8th grade along with a bit of junior high drama.

I didn't journal much in high school and not at all in college and throughout my early twenties. Not sure why, other than to say I didn't make it a priority. After getting married and having the boys, I picked up my journaling habit and it became my touchstone throughout my divorce and the death of my nieces Meredith and Natalie.

One of my most favorite things is to dig out a random journal and see what I was thinking/writing about on that date, however many years ago. That's why I love the journals; I can see how far I've come. I could see the mistakes I was about to make and the growth that followed. It's an incredible learning tool and quite humbling too.

Many people say they don't journal because they don't want anyone to know their thoughts when they die. Unless there's some horrendous family secret, I don't think having kids read their parents' words is a bad thing. As kids we rarely are able to see our parents as real humans with real lives. After all, aren't they put on earth just to take care of our every need? Ha. I am completely enamored by the thought of traveling in time and seeing what my parents were all about.

I have a bin full of letters my mother wrote to her mother while in college. They talk about how she met my dad, dating him, being pinned and finally engaged. While not a journal, it's the next best thing. I get a thrill when I open my closet and see the clear bin on the shelf, mom's handwriting peeking out at me.

I am blessed.

{31 Blessed Days: Day 25}

2011-12-25T10:00:00.000-06:00

December 25: Day 25
I am blessed by the birth of Jesus Christ.

Luke 2:11-14

New International Version (NIV)

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.
This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

I am blessed.

{31 Blessed Days: Day 24}

2011-12-24T16:31:00.003-06:00

December 24: Day 24
I am blessed by KTIS-FM

KTIS is the prominent Christian radio station in the Twin Cities. I didn't begin listening to contemporary Christian music until a couple years ago; until that point I was sure I wouldn't enjoy it. Boy was I wrong! So much positivity and great thought-provoking music out there for the taking.

KTIS was a huge inspiration and a metaphorical life raft for me when I was jobless. They have a page on the website called PrayerWorks {www.onlineprayerworks.com/ktis} which is like a giant bulletin board full of prayer requests. You can leave a request there, and then every time someone prays for you, you will get either an email or text informing you. I threw up a prayer request that I would not give up hope on my job hunt, even though my savings had dwindled. I wanted to completely rely on God to carry me through. I received more than 30 notifications saying people were praying for me! It was incredible; I'd be going through my day and all of a sudden a text would come in. My spirits were immediately lifted. Even three months later I'd get an occasional text. Now I love to go there and pray for others.

I am blessed.

{31 Blessed Days: Day 23}

2011-12-23T18:35:00.000-06:00


{sundayriver.com}

December 23: Day 23
I am blessed by movies.

Ever walked out of a movie theater feeling completely inspired? Ready to make changes in your life? Most people have. Done well, a movie is an ultra powerful vehicle for helping people discover and unearth truths about their own lives. And sometimes, the movie is just 100% great entertainment. No redeeming value except for lots of laughs and a much-needed escape for a few hours.

When the boys were really young and I was doing the single parent thing, the experience of watching an entire movie from start to finish was a gift. When they were at their Dad's for the night, that meant a glass of wine was involved and maybe even a Beek's pizza. I loved the depressing, sad movies back then, because they made my messed-up situation look rosy. A bit of perspective is good for the soul.

I really marvel at the gift of screenwriting. And just think about all the people involved in making one movie. It's mind blowing! And somehow all those things come together, such as wardrobe and location scouting and editing -- and we see a seamless flowing movie in which the finished product looks like it isn't any harder than baking a cake. Pure magic and I'm happy to pay for the fruits of their labor.

I am blessed.

{31 Blessed Days: Day 22}

2011-12-22T22:00:00.000-06:00

{mom, interrupted}

December 22: Day 22
I am blessed by photography.

What an amazing thing photography is. Seriously. The photo above was our family Christmas card one year. {I'm back row, left}. This is a family favorite - see how perfect it is? I get a kick out of seeing my brothers' faces, the kitchen table and chairs in the background, along with those awesome curtains. So much to love there.

And of course sometimes pictures are the only tangible things we have to remind us of loved ones. I have two nieces that I cannot wait to be reunited with heaven. I can still remember their fairy blond hair and the peels of laughter but it's the photos that help me remember things most. Making faces and poses. Outfits. Beloved toys. All captured forever thanks to Kodak.

And for people like my Dad, who are still alive but in many ways not due to the viciousness of Alzheimer's - the hundreds of pictures I have of him are a comfort, a salve of sorts. I sometimes feel as though I just hung out with him after perusing pics. I love to look at the ones that were taken during my youth. My Dad was confident - more like cocky in his stance. He was in charge, he was our powerful provider. I love remembering him that way but dang it, sometimes I miss that so much it create intense pain. But even through the tears, those photos mean everything to me and it's a comfort to have them in my possession.

I am blessed.

{31 Blessed Days: Day 21}

2011-12-22T20:12:00.001-06:00


{mom, interrupted}

December 21: Day 21
I am blessed by contentment.

Our material world makes it super simple to want. And want some more. You can come home with a new iPad and it seems like a week later the newer, upgraded version is out. It's never enough. You will never truly be caught up - with your car, your cell phone, your electronic reader. I don't even try. It usually takes me awhile to warm up to new technology and the like; I've never needed to be the first one on the block to have something. And I'm good with that.

Because really, our lives shouldn't be about "having" so much. Our lives should be lived in a Christ-like manner, loving up one another, giving to those who have so little, tithing to church and behaving in a way that is God-pleasing. Our reward comes in heaven, not here on earth. The iTouch has no value in heaven. But being in touch with God on earth is priceless.

I am blessed.

{31 Blessed Days: Day 20}

2011-12-20T21:37:00.001-06:00

December 20: Day 20
I am blessed by Pinterest.

I know, another fluff post. But I am addicted to Pinterest and have to do my part to spread the word!
In short, Pinterest is a virtual pinboard. Wherever you are on the web, if you find a picture of something you want to keep - say an adorable haircut, an outfit or even a recipe - you can use Pinterests' toolbar feature, "Pin It" and the photo will be saved to your Pinterest site.

What's really wonderful is that people pin fantastic pictures to the Pinterest site and you can save those as well. I have found hundreds of new ideas for decorating, DIY projects and cooking. Funny, funny sayings and pictures of cute babies and animals. Amazing photography. It's a wonderful site to both generate ideas and also blow off steam - with mega eye candy.

As I have stated before, people who come up with these groundbreaking ideas and bring them to fruition are tops in my book. You have given me something new and unique to get excited about. Fun fun fun and totally free. Check it out!

I am blessed.

{31 Blessed Days: Day 19}

2011-12-20T08:21:00.001-06:00

{summersidepress.com}

December 19: Day 19
I am blessed by my job.

I love my job. I can't believe, after all the years I spent in corporate America, that a job like this exists. My co-workers are so kind, loving, smart and best of all...believers. To be surrounded by like-minded folks all day is such a gift. No egos, no unethical behavior. Hard working folks creating inspirational books and gifts that deliver God's word to the world.

And have I mentioned I work from home??? Incredible. What a fabulous blessing for a single parent.

I am blessed.

{31 Blessed Days: Day 18}

2011-12-18T17:24:00.004-06:00

{dipity.com}

December 18: Day 18
I am blessed by forgiveness.

I'm a sinner; we all are. We hurt people, we especially hurt those we treasure the most, which seems ridiculous but yet it is true. As I've gotten older and hopefully a tad wiser, I've been able to look back on situations in which I have made huge, gaping mistakes. Acted so foolishly in such an arrogant manner, not caring what the outcome was and how it may affect others.

Ouch. It physically pains me to revisit some of my awful behavior and think out why I made the decisions I did. I have gone back and asked for forgiveness. This was really difficult, but I did it. Even with my ex-husband. There was a time I couldn't have imagined owning up to my part in the marital breakdown but now it's so very clear where my missteps were. I had to learn, as an adult, how to own up to my mistakes. To say, "I had a decision to make and I made the wrong one. I am so deeply sorry and I hope you can forgive me."

There is nothing more freeing that saying those words. People have been incredibly loving and forgiving and willing to own up to their part of a situation.

And of course, I could not end this without saying that Jesus is always my first go-to guy when asking for forgiveness. He saves! Forgiveness of our sins is always available when we place our faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. No better thing out there.

I am blessed.

{31 Blessed Days: Day 17}

2011-12-17T14:00:00.000-06:00

{wall coo.com}

December 15: Day 15
I am blessed by unexpected blessings.

From the department of first world problems, I was recently lamenting my kitchen table situation. I had a large, rectangular table that takes up a huge portion of our space. Since there are usually only three of us breaking bread there, this big table was kind of a pain. I began to crave a smaller, round table, one that would fit better and still do its job. I likely could have found a reasonably priced used one on Craig's List, but since I didn't really NEED a new table, I kept saving for my emergency fund instead. After several months of fantasizing about this coveted table, my friend Linda mentioned off the cuff that she was looking to get rid of her kitchen table. It was small and round. Did I want it? Oh, and it was free. Bam, how easy was that? It now graces our space - looks terrific and is just the perfect size!

This stuff happens to me frequently and it reminds me every single time that if I just have patience and wait, God will give me what I need. Sometimes He even gives me what I want, which is such a bonus! Patience is my biggest challenge, but when I look back at how many times I have been rewarded by just the right thing, I know it's worth the wait.

I am blessed.

{31 Blessed Days: Day 16}

2011-12-17T12:00:00.000-06:00

{popcorn machine shop.com}

December 16: Day 16
I am blessed by popcorn for dinner.

I know... l-a-m-e! But I can't emote for every post.

My boys are 18 and 16. Dinner is a big deal. When they were wee ones, we would rush in the door from work/daycare, I'd strap them into high chairs and booster seats, open the fridge and start throwing food at them. String cheese, yogurt, bananas and toast. That worked so slick for many years but eventually, they began to demand more food {ingrates} and a more streamlined approach was born. I began menu planning and cooking like a grown-up. While I did enjoy that, there were days when I just loathed the thought of dragging the skillet out of the cupboard.

Now that the boys have one foot out the door, things have once again changed. There are overnights at friends or their dad's and on those nights, my kitchen stays quiet, clean and dark, save the candles. Eventually I become hungry enough to warrant some effort and my favorite thing is to get out the big pot and make some old fashioned popcorn on the stove. Olive oil and sea salt. And I eat it in bed, not caring about the crumbs. I've almost come full circle.

I am blessed.

{31 Blessed Days: Day 15}

2011-12-17T09:55:00.000-06:00


{mom, interrupted}

December 15: Day 15
I am blessed by memories.

Our souls are filled to the brim with memories. While this can be devastating, memories really have the strength and ability to keep us going. When the day comes that we can no longer have what we want - whether that's someone who has passed away, a relationship that ended bitterly or maybe even a home we had to sell/foreclose - we do have the memories. And yes, there is the sharp, biting waiting period before you can even let your mind go there - to Christmases past or the sound of a beloved's laughter - but eventually you find you can open the door to those memories and while they may sting, they start to help heal.

This Christmas I'm feeling edgy about how it will be without my Dad around. What will it be like to visit him at the nursing home instead of having him in his living room chair, opening gifts and making smart-ankle comments? This is my new normal and I hate it. But I do have 48 years of memories and while it never could feel like enough, I know it's a whole lot more than many people have.

I am blessed.

{31 Blessed Days: Day 14}

2011-12-15T20:27:00.002-06:00


{funfacts.com.au}

December 14: Day 14
I am blessed by the kindness of others.

Many years ago, when my boys were three and five years old, our church offered a wonderful gift to all parents. We were encouraged to leave our children at the church for the entire afternoon - a total of four hours. We were to use that time any way we wanted to - we could Christmas shop, wrap gifts, bake, NAP, or just lie on the couch and soak in the glory of a peaceful and quiet home.

I remember this afternoon so vividly. I kissed my boys goodbye and high tailed it out of there. I had a well-organized list {surprised??} of errands to run and things to do. I accomplished so very much and the best part? I was happy the entire time. Wow, the grocery store without two rambunctious kids. Target by myself - the luxury of trying on clothes or leisurely going through the clearance racks. Home, where I cranked my stereo, ate ice cream from the carton and read every single section of the Sunday paper with zero interruptions.

When it was time to pick up the boys, I was excited to see them. They had spent the day with teenagers {thrilling for my boys} and played games, made ornaments and had snacks. They were as giddy as I was. It's been thirteen years {!!!} since then and I have said a prayer of thanks for that opportunity numerous times. I'm sure I wrote a note of thanks to the pastor for allowing parents that break from the daily grind.

I am blessed.

{31 Blessed Days: Day 13}

2011-12-15T19:47:00.001-06:00


{roasted veggies::mom, interrupted}

December 13: Day 13
I am blessed by food.

I know, it's an obvious one but I have really learned to love cooking. It's just unreal how many incredible recipes are spinning all over the web. What you see above is my new fave thing - roasted veggies. Oh my word, the brussel sprouts will make you forget about ice cream {at least temporarily anyway}. I cut them in half, cut off the ends, add a bunch of broccoli, carrots, asparagus, onion - you could really roast any vegetable. I drizzle it all with a bit of olive oil and sea salt, roast in a 450 degree oven for 45 minutes {be sure to stir once or twice} and that's it! The veggies will get a bit burned but no worries! It increases the intense delicious flavor.

Another very frequent dish served at our house lately is crockpot chicken barbeque. I wish I had written down which website I find this baby on because I owe major accolades to the genius who invented it. And it's the simplest thing. If you can stir, you can make this. The sauce is just divine. I have been caught eating spoonfuls of the sauce rapidly. It's that good. Here it is:

4-6 pieces boneless skinless chicken breasts (I threw themin frozen... even easier)
1 bottle BBQ sauce (Sweet Baby Ray's is my fave)
1/4 c vinegar
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 - 1 tsp. garlic powder

Mix BBQ sauce with all ingredients listed under it. Place chicken in crockpot. Pour sauce over it and cook on LOW for 4-6hours. That's it!

I am blessed.

{31 Blessed Days: Day 12}

2011-12-14T22:17:00.000-06:00


{my fourth birthday party}

December 12: Day 12
I am blessed by friendship.

It's been said that God gives us gifts in the form of people. I believe in this. So, so many loving, interesting, helpful, intelligent and hilarious people have showed up in my life at just the right time. Some are only around for a short time, others I've known since age two {for example the girl next to me on the picnic table with the long mane of gorgeous hair!}.

When I take time off of work and am staying in town, one of my most fave things to do is make plans to get together with people. To catch up. To hear how their parents are, their jobs, their marriages. I love this so much, this catching up. The exchange of information and all that loving support and affirmation. It truly fills my bucket. Everyone has such full schedules, so this precious time is all the more valuable. Sometimes it's a phone call or a long email. A flurry of texts or Facebook postings. They all enrich my world, like a patchwork quilt. They nourish me.

I am blessed.

{31 Blessed Days: Day 11}

2011-12-13T21:25:00.003-06:00

{amandasproject26272829.com}

December 11: Day 11
I am blessed by a full schedule.

Yup, I'm a few days behind. The OCD part of me is dying, I was so wanting to post a blessing every single day. And I do plan to catch up, but there was no way it was going to happen Sunday. Church followed by my oldest son's choral concert. He attends a music college as a high school.senior. It's the Post Secondary Enrollment Option program, aka PSEO. He is earning his high school diploma as well as a semester and a half of college credit, all paid for by our school district. Pretty fantastic program. Anyhoo, all students at the college have to take a choir class and the concert was a chance for them to show us what they're learning. Plus there were several a-may-zing choral ensemble groups that performed. I was head over heels in love with these young adults and their raw, gorgeous talent. Singing is a gift I do not possess.

After the concert, my sons talked me into taking them out for dinner. Our good friend Deb was with us and she and I decided some wine was in order as well. So the day lingered into evening and it was a truly lovely time.

I am blessed

{31 Blessed Days: Day 10}

2011-12-10T12:58:00.001-06:00

{mom.interrupted}

December 10: Day 10
I am blessed by sunshine.

Let's say it's a frigid January day. You have been out running errands for hours and find you just cannot warm up. Your car's heater has been cranked all the way, but it's not truly doing the trick.

Then you get home, fire up the tea kettle and get all your stuff put away.Finally, it's time to stop doing. Instead of the comfy couch, you decide to relax on your bed, which happens to be bathed in sunlight. Immediately you feel the tension and hurry-scurry of the day melt away. The sun seems to soak right through your face and you once again smile as you understand why cats do just every day. It may be sub-zero outside, but right there, on your sun-soaked bed, it's darn near tropical.

I am blessed.

{31 Blessed Days: Day 9}

2011-12-09T09:28:00.001-06:00

{hometone.com}

December 9: Day 9
I am blessed by modern technology.

I awake to my cell phone alarm clock; smile as I hear the furnace working hard on a frigid morning. Smile bigger as I hear the coffeemaker on auto-brew, doing it's thing on my behalf. My laptop boots up quickly and connects me to virtually anything I need/want to read/view. I think of all the people who had ideas, inventive, wild-and-crazy-out-of-the-box ideas, such as programmable thermostats. I am deeply grateful they forged ahead with their ideas and saw them through to fruition. I marvel at their incredibly creative minds and persistence. The world is full of spectacular inventions that we all benefit from, all because someone followed their dream all the way through. Modern technology....

I am blessed.

{31 Blessed Days: Day 8}

2011-12-08T08:09:00.001-06:00

December 8: Day 8
I am blessed by unanswered prayers.

All of us can look back on our lives and reflect on moments where we really, really wanted something to happen for us. Maybe it was a job opportunity you thought would be the bomb diggety. Maybe you had your sights set on a particular love interest - you knew for certain that this person was going to be the feather in your cap of love. And so you did everything you possibly could - you went out of your way to make sure you crossed every t and dotted every line, and still, it didn't happen. Frustrating!! You can't understand why, you are ticked off and none of it makes sense. Well, now that you have the blessing of time to look back, do you see why it was a good thing your plan didn't come to fruition?

That's the power of unanswered prayers. God has a plan for you, my friend. A really, really good plan. And no matter how much of a control freak you may be, He's God - He can squash you like an ant, so He is the one who decides which way your life will go. That's not to say you can't get in the middle of it all and make a huge mess. That's the power of free will. But, ultimately, He makes the stuff happen.

I have been absolutely devastated at many, many fork-in-the-road situations. I thought I knew for certain which path was the very best and so I hitched a ride thataway and waited for the goodness. And many, many times it didn't show up. At least not dressed the way I thought it should. But now I see, now I know with crystal-clear clarity that God's way was worlds better than my silly agenda. If I will stop trying to make the world spin according to my silly rationale, and instead give my trust and love to God, He puts it all together nicely for me. What looks like dejection is really a fabulous gift, all tied in a beautiful bow.

I am blessed.

{31 Blessed Days: Day 7}

2011-12-07T08:30:00.001-06:00

{My son Sam on the left, lifting his baritone during a school concert}

December 7: Day 7
I am blessed by music.

Music has been a part of my entire life. I grew up with our giant stereo belting out Dixieland jazz from my Dad's collection of reel-to-reel tapes. My brother Randy cranked Ted Nugent as high as possible on a daily basis, rattling my collection of Siamese cat figurines. My finest Christmas present in the 1970s was my very own stereo - turntable, cassette AND eight-track players along with AM/FM radio. This was a big year for me.

Radio options were pretty bleak for me as a kid living in central Iowa, although I could sometimes pick up WLS in Chicago late at night. Otherwise it was the bland Top 40 diet. Not knowing what I was missing, I got caught up in the world of KTEL compliation albums and my beloved Partridge Family collection. When I moved to Iowa City for college, a whole new world of musical options exploded and I've never looked back.

These days my musical tastes are wide reaching and frankly, a bit bizarre. I enjoy pretty much every genre and can never stay on one type for very long. Variety is the key.

That's why I love my iPod and web radio station Pandora. No matter how finicky I am at the moment, there's always another option just waiting.

I am blessed.

{31 Blessed Days: Day 6}

2011-12-06T16:58:00.001-06:00

{macramaking.wordpress.com}

December 6: Day 6
I am blessed by the gift of massage.

Some women love a weekly manicure or pedicure. Others prefer a soothing facial.
I adore a deep tissue massage each month. It's become a necessity; once a masseuse told me my neck reminded her of a macrame plant hanger. You're welcome.

Some people think massage is nothing but extravagant luxury, but the health benefits are plentiful. If you don't believe me, look what the renowed Mayo Clinic says about it here.

As for the cost, I budget for my monthly massages and simply cut back in other areas. If you know me personally, you know I certainly don't invest much money into my wardrobe - ahem - and even then I patron thrift and consignment stores for my fashion.

After years of hit and miss with various massage places and therapists, I have found the perfect masseuse for me at La Vida Massage {Excelsior, Minnesota}. I was there this morning and am still feeling incredibly relaxed.

I am blessed.

{31 Blessed Days: Day 5}

2011-12-05T19:16:00.001-06:00

December 5: Day 5
I am blessed by great health.

I bet if you sat and thought for a bit about the people in your life, you could list a number of health issues they suffer from. Multiple sclerosis, depression, eating disorders, chronic pain, the list goes on and on. Some are huge and frightening, such as cancer and dementia. Others are less severe but difficult just the same.

My mother is on the verge of turning 81. She is a powerhouse of good health, but it's not just dumb luck.
She does a series of calisthenics every morning, followed by several bouts of volunteer activities - we're talking mentoring with third grade students, church committees and her favorite -- beautifying the city via planting flowers and weeding spaces throughout the town. After that it's time for her daily 3.5 mile walk! She is just incredible.

Growing up I remember when she would take a nap after lunch every Sunday, exhausted from the week and raising four kids. While she never had a weight problem, she wanted to feel better, so she began her walking routine. I was a sophomore in high school at that point and she is still going strong!

She has been a fabulous role model for me. I see the many benefits she reaps by being active, volunteering, having a strong Christian faith and being and having plenty of close friends and I have definitely used her path as a roadmap to design and create my own health plan. I exercise almost daily, eat decently, volunteer, love the Lord and adore my girlfriend time. Seems to be working pretty well; I rarely get colds or the flu. I've only been hospitalized for childbirth.

I am blessed.

{31 Blessed Days: Day 4}

2011-12-04T14:06:00.001-06:00

{mom, interrupted}

December 4: Day 4
I am blessed by an uncomplicated life.

We can all make our lives out to be as hectic as we want. We can over schedule, over commit and over whine about how busy we are. I have definitely been known to get caught up in all of that. But really, my life is pretty darn simple. I get to work from home doing a job I love, I have a large circle of devoted and loving family and friends, and I'm in excellent health. It's all uncomplicated. I do not have a special needs child depending on me for the most basic of tasks, I don't have an elderly parent in the spare bedroom, my home is not on the brink of foreclosure and I don't have debtors calling me.

As a single parent, I definitely feel the pull of extra responsibility and do miss having another adult in the home. But it is what it is so for now, I will focus on the goodness.

I am blessed.

{31 Blessed Days: Day 3}

2011-12-03T12:03:00.001-06:00

{Fort Dodge, Iowa Public Library}

December 3: Day 3
I am blessed by books.

Books have played a huge, pivotal role in my life. I don't remember ever not being in the middle of reading a book, except for college {too much assigned reading as a journalism major} and when my kids were newborns.

Most of the time there is a huge, towering stack of books on my bedside table. Sometimes I stage them a little nicer, like this:

But I'm always surrounded by books. My Dad's den was brimming with books, my mom has a couple bookshelves full, as do {most of} my siblings. I love the feeling of being completely immersed in a story, lost to the details and problems of my own world for a bit. Memoirs are my favorite genre, but I also love nitty gritty novels full of people overcoming strife with grace and aplomb. Books show me so many other corners of the world, so many different people with their struggles and ways of adapting.

I've written frequently about books on this blog. If you look at my labels on the sidebar, there are 13 entries labeled "books." My favorite entry is here; detailing my love of the public library in my youth. Many of my entries are a list of what I read each year; feel free to glean ideas for your own list.

It's been said that millionaires read an average of two non-fiction titles a month. They are never satisfied with the information they already have; instead they thirst for more and more knowledge. It's gotta be a major ingredient in their success.

This Christmas, consider giving books, even {or rather, especially} to a non-reader. One of my brothers thought fiction was a waste of time until he tried one and now he's hooked.

I am blessed.

{31 Blessed Days: Day 2}

2011-12-01T08:30:00.001-06:00

{image: my backyard summer/winter}

December 2: Day2
I am blessed by changing seasons.

I crave change; it keeps things fresh and interesting. That's why I love the change of seasons that come about in Minnesota. Each spring -- if we survive record amounts of snow, below-zero windchills and dead car batteries, we get a little nutty when flowers start shooting through the soil and florescent green patches of grass reveal themselves. Predictably, I declare that spring is my favorite season as I impatiently wait for my crab apple and pear trees to blossom.

Then summer hits. The windows are wide open for days on end. Flip flops are ubiquitous and coats get thrown in the dark nether regions of our closets. As I fall asleep to the sound of crickets and frogs in the nearby pond, I murmur, "summer is my favorite season."

Come late September, the sky is jewel blue and the leaves are showing off in the most impressive way. The air smells of freshly sharpened pencils and sumac. Tartan plaid and pumpkins are plentiful. In between forkfuls of apple crisp, I insist that fall is my favorite season.

And soon after the yard and garden are put to bed. The streets are uniquely quiet under the new fallen snow. Kids' shrieks are common as they toboggan down neighborhood hills. Inside the well-lit home, something amazing is bubbling in the crockpot. Soft blankets beckon us to crawl under them with fat books and heaping mugs of cocoa. We have reached winter, my friends. And while I do not insist that winter is my favorite season, I do appreciate it for its charms - celebrating the birth of Christ, New Year's Day with its promise of a fresh start and the inner warmth that can only come from sitting next to a roaring fireplace after shoveling. I do love the changing of seaons.

I am blessed.

{31 Blessed Days: Day 1}

2011-12-01T08:09:00.001-06:00

Oh, hello, remember me?

I used to blog here about six months ago. Then I finally landed a full-time job {that I adore, btw}, and my desire/energy to blog fell by the wayside. But here I am, fired up for the month of December and the glory of celebrating Christmas and I had a nugget of an idea to post a blessing a day this month. A way to truly focus on the goodness of the season - therefore shutting out the opportunity to whine and moan about how busy this time of year is. How overwhelmed we are getting ready for the holidays. I'm determined to stay away from that mindset, that kind of talk. So here we go...

December 1: Day 1
This day, I am blessed by my childhood home in Fort Dodge, Iowa.

A place I return to several times a year and immediately feel my tank filling up. There's a comfort, a salve of sorts that envelops me when I walk through the front door. I so appreciate that my parents still own this house, the one we moved into when I was two years old. I understand many people do not have that option and I imagine it's difficult to drive by the home you spent your formative years, knowing that someone else is putting stuff in your closets and painting over your once-poster filled walls.

With my Dad in a nursing home, I know my Mom will need to downsize eventually and then I'll have to deal with the reality of losing this touchstone in my life. But for now, it's still ours.

I often sit in my old bedroom and think,
"Man, if these walls could talk, what would they tell me?"
Late night phone conversations on my teen line {still remember the number, 576-2588}, hours in front of the mirror on the back of the door, trying to look good for some silly boy, laying in bed daydreaming about my future. The front steps where I fell in second grade and chipped my two front teeth. The big box elder bug tree in back where I would sprawl out during the summer and read book after book. The garden where my Dad grew copious amounts of tomatoes and cucumbers. The list is endless.

I am blessed.

Thursday Tip Day : : Those Darn Phone Books

2011-05-12T08:25:00.000-05:00

{meshmediastrategies.com}

PROBLEM: Most of us have a pile of unwanted phone books taking up precious space around the house, books we never wanted, never use and don't know what to do with. Luckily, they are recyclable, so getting rid of them is simple, but the real problem is how to we PREVENT the books from landing on our front step to begin with?

SOLUTION: Yellow Pages Goes Green

The site was created to help those who have no use or interest in receiving these white or yellow pages at both the home and office. The movement is not intended to stop the use of such directories, but to eliminate the unsolicited delivery of the books. (If we want a book, we can call and order one.) Over 500 million of these directories are printed every year. These directories produce a staggering amount of waste, not only in terms of misused natural resources, but also in the filling of valuable landfill space and/or expensive recycling.

Head to the site to opt-out today, then gather all the unused books around your home and office and promptly recycle them.

PROBLEM SOLVED :)

Wordless Wednesday :: Shabby Chic or Just Plain White Trash?

2011-05-11T20:37:00.000-05:00

Thursday Tip Day : : Amazon Filler Item website

2011-05-05T07:30:00.001-05:00

You're on Amazon, buying a couple books and at check-out you see you are merely $3.26 away from scoring the free shipping. Dang! What in the world can you buy at Amazon for such a small amount, you ask?

SOLUTION

Head to www.filleritem.com and type in how short you are (in dollars and cents) and it will give you a list of items sold on Amazon for exactly that amount.

Here's an example:

Pretty amazing, eh? Further down on the list was a Minnesota Twin's necklace - guess they're having trouble selling those out this season, har har.

I used this just the other day; was buying a gift for someone and came up a bit short. Ended up with a CFL lightbulb that I will certainly use!

This worked a lot better than the time I was buying something @ Target.com and needed a filler item, so I overpaid for a pair of earrings I have yet to wear (or love). Lesson learned!

With all the graduations/weddings/Mothers and Father's Days coming up, be sure to bookmark Filler Item for future use!

Wordless Wednesday : : {Cinco de Mayo is tomorrow!}

2011-05-04T10:06:00.000-05:00

My Wish for the World

2011-05-01T11:34:00.000-05:00

Thursday Tip Day :: New use for a tablecloth

2011-04-28T09:45:00.000-05:00

If your weather is anything like ours in the Twin Cities, it has been raining. A lot. Great for the garden, lawn and earthworms, not so great if you have kids in soccer, baseball, lacrosse, and all the other spring sports.

Here's a trick I learned from a fellow mom in Lincoln years ago. Purchase one of those inexpensive vinyl tablecloths {or better yet, dig one out that you already own} and throw it in your car, along with an extra sweatshirt, a warm blanket and an extra umbrella. When you find yourself at the ball field among the falling raindrops, grab the tablecloth and use it as a cushion. Thanks to the vinyl, it won't absorb the dampness and your bottom will remain dry!

This trick has come in handy countless times and don't you love how the simplest of ideas bring such joy?

Wordless Wednesday : : {Giddyup}

2011-04-27T07:49:00.000-05:00

Thursday Tip Day : : Garage Sale Resource

2011-04-21T08:34:00.001-05:00

{photo: Garage Sale in a Bag.com}

Even though Spring has barely sprung up here in Minnesota (and my daffodils are miserable, getting battered by cold wind and even snow!), it's absolutely garage sale season. While I'm not a die-hard, I do love to stop at sales around the neighborhood because you never know what you'll find!

Long gone are the days of sorting through the newspaper's classified ads looking for sales. Now you just crack open the internet and away we go. The iPhone as well as Android have garage sale apps. It really couldn't be easier. Or could it? Check out Yardsale Treasure Map, which has unleashed the combined power of Google Maps and Craig's List to give you a customized list of where the goods are. It's super simple, just go to the site www.YardSaleTreasureMap.com, enter your starting address and how far you're willing to drive :) on what day and VOILA! You get a map dotted with upcoming sales, including sale-to-sale driving directions!

A garage sale treasure map. How cool is that?

Wordless Wednesday : : {Happy April 20?!}

2011-04-20T09:06:00.001-05:00

"I Don't Know How You Do It" - My Second Speech

2011-04-19T15:10:00.000-05:00

I had so much fun giving my first Toastmasters' speech a few weeks ago, I did it again. I figured, why not? I was already in the flow of writing, editing, practicing endlessly. And it went really well; my Toastmasters' group is so supportive and complimentary, it really is an amazingly safe environment in which to improve your speaking and leadership skills. Please email me if you have specific questions but if you are thinking about it, go for it - you will not regret it!

I received great feedback when I posted my introductory speech here so I thought I'd overshare again and post the second. I won two awards for speech #2, by the way. While that sounds really impressive, it honestly is not. The awards are just for fun but they do make a girl feel good!

The purpose of speech #2 in Toastmasters' Competent Communicator's manual is to write and deliver an organized speech. After choosing my topic (which was way easy, I've been wanting to give this speech for eons), I started by writing down all the thoughts and stories I wanted to share. Then I rallied back and created an outline. This step helped me immensely - it grouped certain themes together, which helped the speech flow better and sound more streamlined. Then I started practicing with the stopwatch feature on my Blackberry. It is uh-mazing how fast 5-7 minutes can fly by! So once I saw how wordy my speech was I went back and edited. Re-timed and re-edited a few more times until I felt it fit without rushing. Then I worked on the memorization, so the final product sounded more like I was telling the audience about the subject instead of reading it. Which would you rather witness? It's not as hard to memorize a speech as you may imagine, but let me advise you:

PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE

it will make all the difference in the world and...as a bonus, you will be much calmer and relaxed - thus prepared! Then you won't be sitting there ten minutes before your allotted speech time sweating it out, hoping there's a fire drill or apocalypse interrupting and thus deleting your dreaded speech.

It's also helpful to practice in front of a camera, whether that's a Flip video camera or a webcam. I've practiced in from of the webcam and even though I completely cringe when I view it, I am able to see where improvements need to be made.

OK - here we go, Speech #2:

“I Don’t Know How You Do It”

“I Don’t Know How You Do It” – if I had a dollar for every time some has said that to me, I’d be friends with Warren Buffet and hire a cabana boy! And what is it that people were so in awe of? My role as a single parent raising two boys almost exclusively on my own.

My boys were young when my husband and I split up. As in, ten months and two-and-a-half years. The first few days after my husband moved out, I remember lying in bed, staring at the ceiling – completely terrified – and saying, “How in the world am I going to do this alone?” And as clear as day, I heard God tell me, “You only have to do it one day at a time, Renee.” That simple phrase helped me.

We lived on a military-like schedule. I got up about a half hour earlier than the boys, so I could quickly slam strong coffee and attempt make-up, hair and clothing for myself. This was crucial.

Usually after the boys’ bedtime bath, I would dress them in their outfits for the next day, so in the morning, there was one less wardrobe change. I took a few extra minutes in the evening to fill sippy cups and bags of cereal for the car or for Saturday morning cartoons, allowing me a couple more minutes in bed.

I ran errands on my lunch hour as much as possible. Trust me when I say running errands with two high energy toddles was brutal. This was before pay at the pump at the gas station too! And don’t get me going on pushing a cart filled with two boys and a week’s worth of groceries through the snow in Cub’s parking lot. Brutal!

The weekends were great for a change of pace and more hanging out time, but equally as exhausting. I did not have kids who would sit quietly and play with toys. These boys loved throwing things and running from room to room screaming and kicking a ball. So every day, even in the coldest depths of winter, I bundled them up and out we went. On particularly high energy days, we’d run around the block several times.

The saving grace on weekends was rest time. Post lunch, each boy was sent to his room to nap or at least play quietly. While my body begged me to collapse on the couch, I generally ended up doing housework, just to try and keep ahead of the game a bit. Now, rest time was an hour, but luckily, little boys can’t tell time, so I could usually stretch it out 90 minutes or so. Many times my older son Sam would approach me after an hour or so, asking in his best voice if he could have rest time with his brother. I had the boys completely believing this was an extra special favor when in reality it gave me an extra kid-free hour! Score one for mom!

My youngest, Zach, was the king of messes. One day after rest time he excitedly brought me into his room to show me his creation, which was an enormous mountain of every single toy in his room dumped into the corner, including every stitch of clothing and his entire book collection. I stood there calmly for a moment and then burst into tears.

Mixed within the craziness was a whole lotta sweetness. The boys were super cuddly and loved to pile on the couch and listen to me read. Sometimes they would act out stories or lip sync to the Backstreet Boys. Saturday nights we would have dance parties and they ended up red-cheeked and giggly. We had a traditional Super Bowl party with a picnic of snacks on the family room carpet. Or we’d play scavenger hunt. I’d draw a list of items around the house, and they’d run off as a team to find everything while I timed them. While they were hunting, I was lying in bed reading a magazine. Win win!

Each year, late autumn brought on the dreaded shop-for-boots-and-snowpants ritual, which meant getting both kids to sit and try on multiple pairs of each. Inevitably it didn’t go that way. Sam would sit and work on shoving a foot into each boot while younger Zach was off and running, usually to a whole other department of the store. Eventually I’d find him, grinning from underneath a rack of shirts.

The memories of those days are heady and plentiful and although I went to bed with that so-tired-I-can-feel-it- in-my-bones exhaustion, it was an amazingly rewarding experience. For a majority of the boys’ lives, I have been the constant, everyday adult in their lives. Because of this, we share a unique closeness. They protect and care for me in a way I’ve notice a lot of teens don’t and I am grateful. I have nicknamed us the “Mighty Threesome” as we always figured a way to handle the stresses of life. From overflowing toilets to mice in the attic to family trauma, the three of us held strong.

However I did really struggle with something. In my insecure kaleidoscope, our family was different from the “traditional” one with two parents. And this difference meant we were flawed. While logically I knew that I was doing a bang-up job of raising them alone, the guilt over what they should have had was overwhelming. The push-me-pull-you battle of this insecurity was exhausting. I could run a household very efficiently and get everyone to the doctor and daycare and trips to visit grandparents. I could hold down a full time job somewhat efficiently, enough to make a decent salary and net health insurance. I was a homeowner, dealing with squirrel’s nests in the chimney and a dying water heater, hail storms that damaged the roof and car. I was practically superwoman, but I wasn’t able to see that for quite some time. All I could see in my skewed, glass-half-empty vision was what my boys were lacking.

Luckily for all of us, time and space do a bang-up job of healing and putting fragile emotions into check. Now as the mother of two teenage boys, I am able to look over my shoulder and marvel at how we not only survived, but thrived. The boys are testaments to my hard work and love. They are incredible teenagers – polite, creative and curious. People often compliment my parenting and the benefit of these praises cannot be stated strongly enough. While I know we have a bucketful of trying times ahead as the boys wind their way through high school, college and young adulthood, it’s a different tasting challenge. Today as I reminisce and look back at those years, instead of seeing our heartache, I only see our blessings..

Wordless Wednesday:: Post Garage Cleaning Recycling Remnants

2011-04-13T09:25:00.002-05:00

p.s. don't let that hideous, months-old pile of snow scare you...this pic was taken 10 days ago and the snow is finally a lousy memory!

Giving you something to chew on...

2011-04-11T19:49:00.000-05:00

{vintagepencils.wordpress.com}

Inspiration comes in many forms. I get so stuck sometimes, waiting for the "perfect" to show up. The perfect mood, the perfect idea, the perfect words. Just showing up gets you trained and then...ta da!...inspiration strikes! Read the quote below and see if it doesn't ignite something in you!

{Chuck Close is a painter/photographer}

“The advice I like to give young artists, or really anybody who’ll listen to me, is not to wait around for inspiration. Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up and get to work. If you wait around for the clouds to part and a bolt of lightning to strike you in the brain, you are not going to make an awful lot of work. All the best ideas come out of the process; they come out of the work itself. Things occur to you. If you’re sitting around trying to dream up a great art idea, you can sit there a long time before anything happens. But if you just get to work, something will occur to you and something else will occur to you and something else that you reject will push you in another direction. Inspiration is absolutely unnecessary and somehow deceptive. You feel like you need this great idea before you can get down to work, and I find that’s almost never the case.”

- Chuck Close

Scenes From an Iowa Childhood: My First Speech

2011-04-10T20:45:00.000-05:00

Finally fulfilling a long time goal I joined Toastmasters in February.In case you don't know, Toastmasters is a non-profit organization developing public speaking and leadership skills through practice and feedback in local clubs since 1924. Basically, you meet weekly and not only give speeches, but also learn to effectively evaluate others, run the meeting, and serve in a myriad of other roles. It's an amazing experience and very rewarding. If you feel as though you could really improve on your speaking or leadership skills, I highly recommend you look into a local chapter. There are something like 300 chapters in the Twin Cities alone! And trust me when I say everyone is super kind and helpful. They all want you to succeed!

Last Friday I gave my first speech. It was so fun! I wasn't very nervous, more excited. I got a lot of laughs which was definitely what I was going for. A fellow Toastmaster told me I had "daddy issues to work out!" Ha ha, it will make sense when you read my speech below. My evaluator was super positive and very complimentary. I'm so elated I agreed to deliver another speech this Friday. Fingers crossed!

As promised on Facebook, here's my original speech. Please note, the one I actually delivered was much shorter, due to a 4-6 minute deadline. Here's what I started with:

“Scenes From an Iowa Childhood”

For my icebreaker speech today, I want to give you a tiny glimpse into the mundane, average, and pretty darned wonderfulness that was my childhood.

Like all the other bright, witty and talented folks of the world, I was born in Iowa. Fort Dodge, to be exact. No, I did not live on a farm, as so many assume. I am instead, the only daughter of an award-winning sportswriter and a slightly obsessive-compulsive housewife and church secretary mother. My parents were already raising three rowdy boys when I made my entrance on a sticky hot day in June, so my arrival gave my mother much hope. However, my oldest brother Rick, who was ten at the time, was not so enamored with my birth. He felt having a girl would “ruin everything” and wreck the perfect baseball team he had been grooming with my other brothers. However, once I was home from the hospital, he alerted every kid in a ten block radius and led them through our living room – one at a time – to see his new baby sister..

When I was two years old we moved to a brand new split level home. This move allowed our family of six to have a little breathing room and it was a big darn deal for all of us. Our household income was quite modest, but I sure didn’t feel that. We had everything we needed. My mother was an amazing home economist, stretching that grocery budget so tight it squealed. She was also a great example of how to live a well-balanced life, as she hopped from impeccable housework duties to volunteer gigs to coffee gossip sessions with the other housewives of Elmhurst Avenue. Meanwhile, my dad was off writing about high school sports, driving from town to town to type up recaps of the winning basket or touchdown. I always thought my dad had the perfect job; he loved what he did and did very well at what he loved. And he worked very hard. The sound of his fingers flying across the typewriter keys and smacking the return carriage make up the soundtrack of my childhood. About as much as hearing Ted Nugent’s “Cat Scratch Fever” blasted from brother Randy’s stereo right below my bedroom. The volume so high it rattled my cat figurine collection proudly displayed on pink shelves. Randy was also responsible for the endless, repetitive bouncing basketballs in the driveway. Many a pick-up game (and plenty of sprained ankles) took place at our house. Golf was my brother Roger’s drug of choice, so much so he ended up as state champion.

When I was a tall, uncoordinated and embarrassingly gawky child, my mother began petitioning my father for permission to sign me up for dance lessons. No way, not a chance, was his reply. Since he held the wallet AND drove the only family car, she was stuck. I still blame him for my lack of gracefulness and poise.

While my dad dreamed I would be the star forward, or golf pro that my brothers were, I failed on all accounts. I struggled through golf lessons, leaving a trail of divots in my wake. I played basketball for awhile but I was so slow, it was no fun. I gave up all sports for a while, disappointing my dad. However, after a summer of tennis lessons taught by two really cute college guys, I found my sport. I joined the high school tennis team and gave it my all for a couple of years but quit when I felt it interfered with hanging out time. It should be noted that my dad doesn’t really consider tennis a sport but he likes to ice fish so what good is his logic?

One of my weekly childhood highlights was to visit the library. We could only go on Wednesdays – that was “errand day” – and the only day my mother had access to the car. After what felt like a gazillion stops all across town, we finally glided into the library parking lot. I still recall the cool, dampish feel of the children’s area, in the basement. I had a goal of reading every single book in the kids section and was intent about checking out the maximum number of books each week. Usually I’d be done reading them in a day or two and would set forth to nag my mother to take me again, before Wednesday. It never worked. Years ago a developer bought the Fort Dodge public library and turned it into apartments. While I was happy living here in Minnesota, I did give thought to the idea of living there, in my beloved library.

Wednesday errand day also included a trip to Safeway for the week’s groceries. My mom babysat a boy named Bill and he was often with us for errand day. Going to Safeway meant two things: free cookies from the bakery and an opportunity for Bill and me to hide behind the Brach’s candy display, stealthily stealing candy and feeling pretty clever until we inevitably got caught and reprimanded by the store manager.

One of my most treasured places on earth was my bedroom. Being the only girl of four kids meant I got a room to myself and I gave it my full and deepest appreciation. It was small, but I sure didn’t care. I filled it up with books, stuffed animals, record albums and Tiger Beat posters.

My elementary school best friend was Sarah Rogers. She lived a half a block away, and most days you could see one of our blond heads running through the field to visit the other. One day we decided to cement our friendship and became blood sisters. We sat on my bedroom floor with a sewing needle and pricked each other’s fingers until a drop of blood emerged – then we rubbed our fingers together, sharing our blood and eternal devotion. So you’ll understand why I was devastated a few years later when her family moved away to Iowa City. We wrote endless letters for a number of years until the novelty wore off and then we lost touch. However, three years ago I did some research and found her- - living in Edina with her family. Without warning, I visited her home one day. She was sitting on her front step. I said, “Sarah?” She looked at me, unsure and hesitant. I said, “You don’t know me, but you know me.” At that, she knew immediately who I was and we dissolved in hugs, tears and laughter. Sarah and I each have three older brothers and when we were a couple of tomboys, we would dig holes in the field and practice peeing while standing up. We figured the boys did it, why can’t we? What’s really funny about that is that today, Sarah is the founder and president of Go Girl, a female urinary device that allows women to pee standing up – designed to be used while camping, hiking or whenever there isn’t a bathroom around. She jokingly credits our young experience as having a part in her adult career success!

No doubt about it, growing up in the 1970s was a much simpler time. We took off on our bikes as far as we could pedal., usually to the swimming pool, mini golf course and friends’ houses. We were gone all day, only coming home for a quick shot of cherry Kool-Aid or an Oscar Meyer bologna sandwich, and we were back out on the streets. Summer nights stretched out for hours while we played kick the can and ate popsicles, caught fireflies and hunted for night crawlers after the rain.

Summer also meant squeezing into the family station wagon and traveling to high school baseball games, begging for a stop at DQ, a rare treat. My mom cooked and served three meals for six people, day after day. Saturdays were baking day, when she manned the electric mixer to whip up tasty treats. We had a big vegetable garden and lived off of fat juicy tomatoes and crunchy cucumbers marinated in vinegar. Frequently my dad would orchestrate a fish fry, inviting friends to join us. Most summer days there was laundry on the clothesline and a kid throwing a baseball towards the sky. While there was plenty of play time, we were also expected to do chores. I once spent the better part of a windy Spring day digging up dandelions in order to earn $2.50 from my father for David Cassidy Fan Club membership dues.

Family vacations meant piling six people in the station wagon pulling the bass boat, on our way to Alexandria. Usually at least once on the way up I’d get carsick and throw up. Plied with orange pop, I’d get moved to the way back of the station wagon. The resort we stayed at had cute little cabins with pickled pine walls and a tiny stove. One year my dad was brewing coffee for his thermos and the breeze from an open window blew the curtains into the gas flame, causing a small fire and a lot of excitement. All day long my dad and brothers would fish while my mom and I would lie on the beach and build sand castles or drive into town to shop. After dinner – usually a fish fry of course – my dad would take ME out in the boat. He always sold it really well, ‘We’re going to our secret fishing spot, the one your brothers don’t know anything about!” I bought it, hook, line and sinker – and yes, that pun was intended. I loved that the fishing trip also involved a long tunnelish-bridge where I would always yell to hear the reverberating echo.

Summer also meant the dreaded, 12 hour diesel-infused Greyhound Bus ride to Aberdeen, South Dakota to visit my crotchety grandmother. These were not fun visits for a young child. We spent the days visiting other old people at their homes. Old people with no kids, nothing to do and gross old candy. My mother went out of duty to her mother and drug us kids along as buffers. My dad always used work as an excuse to stay home. Smart man.

So you now know that I had a great childhood. Maybe not as great as some and certainly more ideal than others but either way, I wouldn’t change a thing!

Feeling the Feelings

2011-03-29T20:46:00.000-05:00

{my dapper dad}

My dad is 83 years old and stricken with Alzheimer's disease.

Such a cruel disease, and we aren't even that deep into it yet. But it's coming, each time I see my dad, I notice changes. He'll ask how far it is from his house to mine, where I have lived for twenty years. This is a question he knows the answer to. He's an old sportswriter who used to travel across the country without a map, not to mention any fancy GPS system. He was a natural on the road and could tell you how many miles it was from point A to point B, without looking it up. He logged millions of miles between Iowa and Canada to hunt and fish. Never got lost. Never needed directions, until the last few years, that is. Then we knew the inklings we had about his health were very real.

But we are long past that. He lost his driver's license last July and is still morning the end of his freedom. How emasculating for such an independent man. But it had to be done; his safety - and others' - was at risk. Thankfully his driving career ended before any injuries.

I visited him last weekend back in my Iowa hometown. He has been in a rehab facility due to some unexplained back pain and a bout of bacteria in the bloodstream. When I first saw him, his eyes welled up. I smiled and said "Good to know I can still bring a grown man to tears," which made us laugh. But really,laughing is not what I felt like; I wanted to run away from what I was seeing. My dear father, shriveled in a wheelchair. Pale and drawn. He gave some effort to a decent conversation, but I could see how exhausting it was for him. I was able to visit him three times during this trip and each time I felt the rise of tears threatening to erupt.

I wonder how bad it will get, because no matter how I try to live in denial, it sure isn't going to get better. I know people go through this every single day. My mother has been dealing with it all along, but there will come a day when she can't. I've been reading memoirs written my family members who cared for Alzheimer patients. There is no good there to be found.

But for now he hasn't forgotten our names, he still asks relevant questions and is genuinely interested in the boys and me. One day at a time is the only way to handle this disease, no matter how long the days are.

Unleashing the Power of YouTube

2011-03-21T08:33:00.000-05:00

Being a homeowner, my to-do list is longer than my 17-year-old's shoe (size 15, by the way). There are always a billion things I would love to do to make my house more organized, functional and attractive. Many are simple, and inexpensive and those are the ones I tackle first, naturally.

However at times I come to a task that I just have to scratch my head at, simply because I don't know HOW to do it. My relentless curiosity generally drives me to a solution; I use Google a ton, ask people on Facebook or talk to one of my handy neighbors. When all else fails I don a dress and head to Home Depot. Call me lame, but for a single female, it's a guaranteed way to get quick help!

My main bathroom came with standard, no-frills shower doors. They worked fine for awhile so I didn't give them much thought. Then they started getting stuck in the tracks and became more hassle than they were worth. In addition, they had gotten pretty crusty with hard water stains and other nastiness that I could not scrub away.

I decided it was time to be rid of the doors. No problem, it was easy to lift and remove them and then unscrew the frame that held them in place. I was feeling like WonderWoman. Then I took a look at the series of leftover screw holes. Hmmm. I went to my tool closet and found a caulk gun AND a two brand new tubes of caulk. Go Team Renee.

Or so I thought.

I grappled with the tube and the gun for way too long, until something gave way and caulk got all over my fave flannel PJ pants. Big frown. Cleaned up the mess and grabbed the other new tube of caulk. I sat there, talking out loud, saying things like, "It can't be that hard!" and "You are a reasonably intelligent woman, Renee. You can do this!"

But because the miser in me couldn't stand the thought of wasting another tube, I knew I had to find out how to best do this.

So I headed to YouTube and found this:

Problem solved! This simple video made it so easy for me to feel confident wielding my caulk gun. In no time at all the holes were sealed and I felt wildly empowered. Watch out world!

And this is far from the first time I have used YouTube as a resource. A few years ago when my son Sam was dressing for the Homecoming dance, he needed help tying a tie. Whoops. Single Mom Milestone Moment! I messed around with the tie for awhile and finally in frustration, logged on to YouTube for help. And last Spring I used the site to learn how to properly grow grass. It was very successful and so easy.

Thanks to YouTube, I no longer have to let projects pile up due to lack of skill or knowledge. Now when things aren't being completed I can only blame my pervasive procrastination. Wonder if there's a YouTube video for that?!?

How to Pacify a Teenager

2011-02-23T11:23:00.000-06:00

{photo: Wendy's Seasonal Sweets}

Those of you with kids will understand this: one minute your children are labeling you in less than flattering terms, such as:

micro-manager

control-freak

really mean

completely unreasonable

and the next minute, they are sending random texts, from school where instead of paying attention to the teacher, they are pleading:

"Hey dearest mother, can you please make me some of your amazing blonde brownies?

I have been craving them!"

And you're no dummy. You know these moments of wanting mom (and her baking) are fleeting and herein lies a perfect opportunity to share your love and devotion to this child and even his brother, whose hormonal seesaw mood swings ironically mirror your peri-menopausal ones.

So of course you make the Blondies and you are thoroughly appreciated, loved and kissed.
You dwell in that tiny moment of time, willing yourself to remember this when Volcano Puberty erupts again.

Even if you have not been summoned to bake these delish treats, how about whipping up a batch as a pre-emptive olive branch?

Blonde Brownies

1/2 c. butter

3/4 c. brown sugar

1 egg

1 Tbsp milk

2 tsp vanilla

1 c. flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

1 6-oz pkg chocolate or butterscotch chips

1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

Butter & flour 9-inch square baking pan.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter & brown sugar.

Add egg, milk & vanilla; blend

In small bowl, whisk flour, baking powder & salt.

Add to creamed mixture; combine well

Stir in choc/butterscotch chips & walnuts

Spread batter evenly in pan

Bake 25-30 minutes

Allow Blondies to cool before slicing

I Am Hopeful

2011-02-15T14:34:00.001-06:00

{clementines: mom, interrupted}

When I see one tiny patch of grass, finally making its way through the old tired snowbank, I am hopeful

When my 15 year old son gives me his time and presence during a refreshing walk together, I am hopeful

When I burn 502 calories in one tough workout, I am hopeful

When I watch "Slumdog Millionaire" yet again to witness Jamal's devoted love for Latika, I am hopeful

When I see how my 17 year old son treats his girlfriend with nothing but love & respect, I am hopeful

When I find myself crazy-inspired by smart, Godly twentysomething women, I am hopeful

When I get an encouraging call from a friend who knows I need lovin' up, I am hopeful

When my kids introduce me to music that rocks my sox off, I am hopeful

And when I read Jeremiah 29:11 time and time again, I am hopeful

Somebody Wants What You Have...

2011-02-11T12:16:00.000-06:00

The frigid winter has dragged on {and on}, unemployment seems endless and what is it with the rising price of gasoline & cheese? It's easy to get muddled into how hard things are and why we feel entitled to host up a whiz-bang pity party.

But the clear and simple truth is we have it good. Really good. One certainly doesn't have to look far to see that others are struggling with huge, ugly situations and illnesses and an inability to provide basic needs for their families.

When I start to spiral into how much I want things to be better in my little world. I try to remember to read a very lovely post via Amy's Finer Things. I don't know Amy, but I discovered her via the wildly popular and amazing Money Saving Mom.

So on this Friday afternoon, take a break from any self-induced whining and read Amy's awesome post.

And then count your blessings.

Somebody Wants What You Have

by Amy on March 10, 2010

It’s easy to think the grass is always greener in your neighbor’s yard. And perhaps it is. At least the part you can see.
But remember… When you’re weary of fixing another meal and doing dishes yet again, somebody wishes they had food to put on the table.
When you’ve folded and put away a(nother) mountain of laundry, somebody wishes their children had proper coats and hats to wear to school.
When you’re groaning over the highest heating bill yet this year, somebody wishes they weren’t so cold.
When you’re losing sleep and gagging over a child’s stomach bug episode, somebody is praying for a miracle over her child’s hospital bed.
When the exhaustion and nausea of the first trimester are about to do you in, somebody is weeping (yet again) over a negative pregnancy test.
When your headache intensifies over your teen’s college financial paperwork, somebody is visiting the site of her teen’s fatal wreck.
When you wake up to another cloudy, rainy day, somebody is praying for moisture to end a season of drought.

When you pick up your husband’s dirty socks and take out the trash because he forgot, somebody is wishing that for just a moment she didn’t have to do it all alone, all the time.
The next time your situation threatens to steal your joy, try to remember… somebody wants what you have.

Give thanks in all circumstances…
1 Thessalonians 5:18

The Interruptors of Mom, Interrupted

2011-02-09T09:33:00.000-06:00

In an effort to keep up with my goal of twice-weekly blogging, I sat down yesterday to write a blog post. The phone rang.

"Mom, I have some bad news."

Now who doesn't love an opener like that?

It seems my 17-year-old parked his car in an unused lot near school and later found out police had started to ticket/tow anyone who did just that.

When Sam called it was lunchtime during his school day and he was running to his car (it was below zero at the time), hoping and praying his car would be spared. It was - crisis averted! However he wondered if he could drive home, leave his car and have me take him back to school.

Sure, son, I'd be happy to help.

About an hour later, I sat down to blog. The phone rang.

School nurse. The 15-year-old had badly cut his finger in band (Yes, I said band. Who does this? Shop class I get, but band?) Nurse said it appeared the young lad needed stitches, so could I come get him?

Sure son, I'd be happy to help.

Picked him up, off to doctor's office for three stitches and a whole lot of ribbing. He had been goofing off (what, my kid??) in band - apparently his buddy was playing the trombone and Zach thought it'd be a riot to grab the instrument's slider while the friend was playing. Instead, Zach's finger came in violent contact with the sharp edge of the piece you remove to uh, dump out the spit. Guess it was pretty darn sharp, because he bled strong and steady enough to become dizzy.

He's stitched, sterilized, Looney-Tunes bandaged and good as new.

Another day's example of just why I titled this blog "Mom, Interrupted."

Thoughts on Home, My Home

2011-02-03T12:48:00.000-06:00

{First day, new house in 2007}

The boys and I moved into our current home almost four years ago in June of 2007. We all were so happy and in agreement that it was a perfect sized home for the Mighty Threesome.

I was most proud of the fact that while it was the third home I have owned, I bought this one {the most expensive of the three by far, I might add} all on my own. Something about divorce really gives women a sense of wonderful empowerment. We know we are SuperWomen - and we learn that the hard way, but regardless, it's victorious to know you can figure out what you need to, when you need to. Even if they are a few tantrums on the way to the problem-solving finish line.

{Zach unpacking his room. It should be noted that his room has not been this neat since}

After we moved in, the boys and I laughed at how many yellow moving stickers we ran across. When we moved back to Minneapolis from Lincoln, Nebraska, I hired a moving company and they did an extremely thorough job of putting those ubiquitous stickers on every single thing we own. For many weeks after the move, we would suddenly find another sticker and it became quite a joke.

{Sam tackling his room. These days you can't even see those gorgeous hardwood floors. Sigh}

Because I am such an organized freak of nature, I do not have boxes in my basement or garage filled with who-knows-what. I regularly and gleefully go through all of my bins to constantly weed-out what no longer suits us, happy to donate or recycle it. And since we had moved three times in five years, I was all too antsy to get rid of every last cardboard box.

{Sidebar...I am sooooo excited to clean out my garage this Spring! All winter long I just toss stuff in there and it's a chaotic mess. Especially with Sam's car in there as well. A clean garage is very exciting to me. And I also love garbage day. Did I mention I am single???}

{Moving day - living room. If you look really closely on the box to the left of the rocking chair, you can spot a yellow sticker :)}

This week my house is being insulated. This is a long-time-coming project that should bring much relief to my heating and cooling bills. I'm stunned that the previous couple lived here 32 years with barely any attic insulation. Yikes!

In preparation for said insulating, I commanded the boys to go into the attic and bring down anything we had stored there. Gratefully, we only had my Grandmother's table, a chair, some laundry baskets and two large speaker boxes for my trusty Technics stereo {purchased with my then-husband, the boys' dad in 1992. Sam has since claimed the stereo and plays his iPod through it.}

As I slid the speaker boxes out of the way into my bedroom, I laughed aloud as I spotted the yellow moving stickers on each box- ha! These have to be the last of the bunch by now!

After showing the boys and having a good chuckle, I decided to leave the stickers where they are. Once they go back into the attic, I will forget all about them but someday, I'll be reminded of that empowering June day when I powerfully and singularly roared - as only women can do.

Power of the Podcast

2011-01-30T19:58:00.000-06:00

{vergeofcomm.wordpress.com}

I'm a multi-tasker. It's really difficult for me to sit and watch a football game without doing at least one or two other things, say folding laundry or scanning Facebook. I realize I'm diluting my individual experiences, but I think it's a bad habit from being a single parent when the boys were really young and very dependent. Multi-tasking was the only way I could get done what needed to be done in a day!

And for all there is to get done, I have found that if I trick myself, I can not only get stuff done, but enjoy the process. How, you ask? Podcasts. I have found several great ones while searching at the iTunes store. I subscribe to the ones I really love and then sync up my iPod. It's really pretty simple once you get the hang of it.

Of course you know I'm downloading Dave Ramsey's podcast daily. So I can scrub the bathroom and fold laundry and go for a power walk, all while being completed distracted listening to how I can better save and invest my money.

{source: socialpotatochips.com}

Other podcasts I subscribe to include:

* Dan Miller's 48 Days to the Work You Love {career}

* Dishing Up Nutrition {wide range of really great topics via a local weekly nutritional radio show}

* University of Minnesota Bookstore Author Events {I have discovered some great authors this way}

* Stand Up Comedy {from HBO; Bob Saget's stuff is incredibly funny, albeit quite filthy}

* Single Moms Talk {helpful when you are feeling uncertain about your role}

* Geek Girls Guide {Twin Cities based women who demystify technology for the rest of us!}

* Career Tools {career management tips}

* Relaxation Music for Sleep, Stress and Anxiety Relief {best way to fall asleep!}

Best of all, these are all FREE and good brain food - go check it out and discover some new fun!

Goal Tending, Month 1

2011-01-23T19:43:00.000-06:00

New year, new me and all that jazz.

For 2011, in lieu of traditional resolutions, I decided to try something new. At the beginning of each month this year, I will set five specific monthly goals.

For example, instead of a broad yearly goal of "work out more," I picked for the month of January to work out at least 12 times. When I designated that goal, I opened my calendar up to January and made a plan of when I would show up at the gym. Twelve work outs divided by four weeks in a month is three, and I knew going into this that three work outs a week is reasonable and do-able. Being a routine-lovin' girl, I chose Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays as exercise days, with the option of going Fridays as well. This has worked really well and so far in January, I have exercised 11 times, with eight days left in the month. Success!

Here are my other January goals and my updated status:
* Get networking with my contact list and learn about and apply for at least five jobs
I have explored a total of six positions all via networking and am in the running for three positions currently.
* Completely finish going through all papers in file cabinet, recycling/shredding as much as possible
Completed as of this weekend; I now have all paperwork in one drawer, leaving more storage room in my four-drawer cabinet. Love when this one is done each year!
* Blog twice a week, Sundays and Thursdays
Complete!
* Try a Toastmasters meeting
I went to my first meeting last Friday and really loved it! I have been wanting to explore this group for years and am so so happy to have taken the leap! I'm excited about all I can learn to improve my public speaking, presentation and leaderships skills in a fun, encouraging setting.

Haven't sussed out my February goals yet but will continue this specific format. I just read about a woman who decided she was going to develop a new habit each month instead of working on resolutions. For example, for January, she started recycling her newspaper as soon as she finished reading it. Now that it's been a little over three weeks, she's definitely developed a strong and faithful habit.

Love that idea!

Ten Ways to Hang On Til Springtime

2011-01-20T18:59:00.000-06:00

{source: mom, interrupted}

For those of us in snow/ice/frigid temps country, mid to late January can be brutal. The holidays are long gone, the fun of winter has faded and we're just plain sick and tired of bundling up every day, trudging through snow and waiting impatiently for the car to warm up.

All we can do, really, is carry on. Unless, of course, there's unlimited funding for a last minute red-eye to Aruba. But assuming that's not your dealio - and it's sure as heck not mine- let's discuss some simple little nuggets to make the next few months a touch more bearable.

{source: flickr}

1. Soak in the Tub - I truly hope you have a bathtub, because this is prime soaking season. I know, baths are hard on those of us with dry skin, but the thereapeutic benefits have got to be worth it. I recently picked up Walgreens' lavender epsom salts {a huge bag for $3 on sale} and it's been blissful. If you're like me, you get the water practically scalding. Doesn't take long for frozen toes to thaw and for your face to develop a rosy glow. Go all out, too, with candles, jazz/classical music, chocolate, wine, magazines. And tell the rest of your family you are in a high level meeting.

{source: moneywatch.bnet.com}

2. Use 'Em Up - More than likely, you received at least one gift card in the last six months. Thankfully, laws have been enforced to do away with card fees and expiration dates {at least for the most part, please read the fine print instead of trusting Mom, Interrupted!}. Take a visit through your wallet or where ever you keep these cards {please don't tell me they are scattered about your home...remember, these are just like cash!} and see what you have. Then get to shopping! Plan accordingly; look at online stores and determine what it is that would really perk you up: new music? books? a purse? All dependent on where your cards are from, of course, but I once cleaned up well at Amazon, buying a CD, a book and a new journal without opening my wallet. Just be certain you are treating yourself when you redeem these cards. Don't do what I just did, which is turn in a Target gift card in exchange for $25 worth of cat food! In my defense, I was low on $$$ and three hungry felines are not pleasant house mates. Trust me on this; I have scars

{source: HubPages.com}

3. Embrace Your Inner Chef - I know, I talk about my crock pot a lot. Sometimes more than my children, but it's just so dependable and low-maintenance, which is more than I can say for 15 and 17 year old boys. I own two crock pots, the same sizes as pictured above and the versatility is terrific. I use the little one for a variety of dips and heating up little smokies with BBQ sauce. And I don't need to get into the many options for the bigger pot. All you have to do is Google "crock pot recipes" and you'll find a treasure trove of ideas. Dig that baby out or invest in one; they often are on sale during winter. Once you find some great recipes you'll wonder how you ever got by without it.

4. Sit in the Sun + Take Vitamin D - The pediatrician just recommended the vitamins for my moody-as-all-get-out son and promised they would help even out Zach's roller coaster of hormonal outbursts. I'm all over that! Also, I find sitting in the sun {I'm talking INSIDE the house, not out. You got that, right?} to be really quite pleasant.

{source: mom, interrupted}

5. Floral Therapy - Sometimes the simple pleasures are the best. Grocery store flowers, for example. For less than ten smacks you can pick up a large bouquet that can be distributed into two or three bundles arranged in a series of vases that are then displayed all around your house, thus spreading the love.

6. Unleash the Power of Music - How about creating a "mix tape" of sorts, all full of fun, happy music? Maybe some Michael Frantti & Spearhead, Katrina and the Waves, Beach Boys and my brand-new fave, Florence + the Machine. You can't hear Dog Days Are Over without getting fired-up!

{source: OPI}

7. Indulge in a Pedicure - Sure, very few people see your toes in winter, but YOU see them, and a blast of hot pink or lipstick red will give you a jolt of energy.

8. Corn/Flaxseed Bags - You may already have one of these, and if so, dig it out! Not just for relieving knotted shoulders or sore backs, a heated-up corn bag will keep you super warm at bedtime. I lay mine on top of my feet and it is just blissful!

9. Revive Old Friendships - Go through your contact list and find 2-3 beloved friends you just haven't been able to connect with in ages. Set up a coffee/lunch/happy hour date and enjoy how much you will look forward to catching up. I promise, you fill feel revived and so happy you made the time. This one never, ever fails to flood me with happiness.

{source: mom, interrupted}

10. When All Else Fails, Take a Nap - As Indigo and Jazz demonstrate, life is better when you can snuggle with someone you love.

Cold & Cranky

2011-01-16T21:23:00.001-06:00

We have had 52" of snow this year, our average for the entire season is 55". Two more inches expected overnight and it's only January 16.

Do you see why I'm cold & cranky?

I love the snow, I truly do. It's beautiful and freshens everything up. The problem is, this year there's so much of it, it's getting very difficult to lift my trusty shovel high enough to reach the piles! Plus, my driveway has an incline, one that my Caravan can't quite wheeze up when the asphalt is compacted with snow.I spend a lot of time gunning it as I turn into the driveway and praying I don't SMACK! right into the snow bank.

When things get like this, when I'm feeling out of sorts, I try to get grounded somehow. Because I'm wired for efficiency, I like to dive into organizing projects to distract myself from the weather.

One of my fave winter projects is to go through every single sheet of paper in my file cabinet. Not a sexy job, to be sure, but I love love love to purge, pare down, recycle and shred everything I no longer need. Then I have more room available and extra places to stash stuff out of sight.

My big Friday night was popping up some corn, building a fire, brewing tea, flipping on season three of Mary Tyler Moore and gettin' tough with my paper files. My most productive category was product manuals and warranties. As I culled through my pile,I realized how foolish it has been to hold on to them. Thanks to sites such as usersmanualguide.com and manualnguide.com, you can now download what you need, when you need it, and not clog up your filing drawers!

Another quick project I recently completed was getting rid of my cookbooks. I know, that's a major sin in many people's eyes, but honestly, I rarely cracked the spine anymore. And since my policy is now "if ya don't use it, ya lose it" - it was time to git 'er done. I sold my Better Homes and Gardens, Rachael Ray and Betty Crocker cookbooks on Amazon for a nice chunk of change.

What do I use for recipes, you may ask? I have a large wooden recipe box filled with tried-and-true favorites, plus a desktop folder on my laptop cleverly titled "recipes." And then, of course, there are the billions of sites out there. I generally go to AllRecipes.com but also Google it up for other inspiration.

So there you go. Two basic projects that allowed me to make space, get a little cash and simplify. Not to mention I got a bit of a respite from all that shoveling.

Ten Reasons To Make Your Bed

2011-01-13T08:24:00.000-06:00

My schedule is overloaded today so I'm sharing a great post from Simple Organized Living that I agree wholeheartedly with, on why you should make your bed. Note it doesn't list "because your mom wants you to" but that should be #1!

Ten Reasons to Make Your Bed

posted by Andrea | 01/3/2011 Today is DAY #1 of my 11 in 2011 challenge!

Are you ready??

{If you don’t know what I’m talking about, click here to read all about it.}
Don’t worry, I’m starting out with the easiest one of the bunch. It’s something that takes less than 5 minutes a day but it can totally transform your room from a cluttery-looking mess to a peaceful, organized “oasis”!
OK, well maybe it’s not THAT special, but it does make your room look a whole lot more inviting.

Goal #1: Make your bed

Are you one of those people who hates making the bed? Or are you indifferent…but don’t take the time to do this simple task each day? Whatever side you fall on, my goal is to convince you that making your bed is one simple thing you can do {right now} to move you towards a less cluttered, more organized, more inviting home.

With that said, here are 10 reasons why you should make your bed:

1. A nicely made bed usually prevents you from going back to bed and wasting valuable time!
2. It gives you a sense of accomplishment first thing each morning.
3. It’s a great way to show off your bedding, which you probably paid good money for.
4. It makes your room look so much more inviting than if you leave it unmade {see images below!}

5. It INSTANTLY de-clutters your room — even if there’s a bunch of clutter in the closet or under the bed
6. A “made bed” provides a great surface for folding laundry or other tasks.
7. You can make your bed even if you’re half asleep — and you just might be!

8. It’s a great habit to model for your children {who should also make their beds}
9. It prevents dust and dirt from getting under the covers.
10. It’s a quick and easy way to simplify and organize the year ahead!

Have I convinced you yet?

Making your bed is such a great goal to have for 2011 — I do EVERY day. Honestly, I don’t even remember the last time I didn’t make my bed…I was probably in middle school!
Do you make your bed?
If not, march right down to your room and make it today…then do it again tomorrow!

The days went slow, the years went fast

2011-01-09T20:49:00.001-06:00

Last week I sat in our pediatrician's waiting room as my 17-year-old had an appointment. You see, he has for some time now been the age where Mom is not needed nor wanted in the room. OK fine, I get the need for privacy, but it's a bit disconcerting to be left out of the conversation. I may or may not have control issues. you decide.

Back in the primary-toned waiting room, amongst "Finding Nemo" on the DVD player, I attempted to read the hilarious and right-on-target book "Stuff Christians Like" by Jon Acuff. With all the typical waiting room commotion all around me, my distractability was off the chart. I found myself watching parents as they wheeled and carried in their children for appointments. Nothing cuter than little kids in huge snow boots and a big stocking cap! I was struck by one young mom who perched her baby on one hip while confidently providing the needed ID, insurance card and co-pay for the receptionist. All checked in, the duo strode closer to me and I noticed the mom was speaking non-stop to the little boy. Somewhat like a color commentary, she was introducing him to every piece of artwork in the room. "Wow, look at that fish? What do you think his name is? I wonder where he lives!" It wasn't phony or annoying, it was sweet and comforting. I love hearing parents out in stores having one-sided conversations with their young babes, who aren't able to reply in a traditional manner, but are still very engaged.

As I watched this woman, I thought back to when my 6'4" teen was a baby. My first, the one you learn on, ha ha. I know I talked to him. And near him. I was bound and determined to teach my baby all about words and books and all the goodness that literacy and communication brings. Heck, I even read to him while he was still tucked safely in the womb, just to be sure.

But watching this confident young mother, I began to doubt myself. Did I really talk to the boys that much or did I just make myself believe that? We all want to look back fondly and think that we did our very best, every single day. I am, quite confidently sure, I did not do my best every day. Infancy was difficult at best for me. I wanted to know what the dickens those screaming machines wanted! Things really eased up around five months and I started to relax a bit.

Do you ever do that, watch someone parenting a child much younger than yours and after admiring and nodding your head in agreement with how they are engaging their little munchkin, do you think back and wish you had done that same thing? Or maybe more of it?

It's like it's never enough. No matter how great your grown kids are, you still wish you had done some things differently. Like use cloth diapers. Or breast-fed them longer. Or not yelled at them after they screamed all night long and threw up a tummy-full of milk all over your face. We want to be the best parents and life throws things at you all day long. And how we react to that myriad of things really says who we are. But we can't do it perfectly, no matter how we want to.

And instead of berating myself in a doctor's waiting room, I should instead look at my young man with fresh eyes. Remind myself how kind and friendly he is. How I am complimented frequently about his maturity and great manners. I had a part of that. Not all of it, absolutely not. He was raised mainly by me, but many, many fine family members and friends and Sunday School teachers and school teachers and coaches and friends' parents - they all molded my son into the awesome guy he is today. And most of all, God helped me parent, especially after the boys' dad and I divorced. There's no way I did that alone. I prayed - constantly. And God led me. He showed me where my weaknesses were and how I needed to mature (in many, many areas, apparently!).

Being hard on ourselves is so destructive and cruel. If you notice yourself throwing out a bit too much self-deprecation lately, stop yourself. Speak to that inner critic and tell her to pipe down. Love yourself and love yourself some more. And then go talk to your kids, young and old.

My List Book

2011-01-06T14:30:00.001-06:00

I love my List Book.

It's as low tech as they go...a simple Mead Five Star Notebook that keeps all my stuff together.

It is really quite interesting to me how many different kinds of lists one person can create. Here are some of the list categories I currently use:
- Books I have read
- Things to do (immediately and oh, well whenever)
- Stuff to buy when I'm back on my feet
- Stuff to do when I'm back on my feet
- My new "50 Things To Do Before I'm 50" list
- House decorating/DIY projects
- Great networking contacts that can help me find a fantastic job
- Job hunting tactics
- Blog post ideas
- My daily/weekly/monthly schedules

I bring this book with me pretty much everywhere I go. It's small and fits in my purse.
That way, when I think of another item to add, I can whip that puppy out and get it out of my head.

This makes me extraordinarily happy.

Having one book where I can write down everything simplifies my life in countless way.
I use my planner for appointments, birthdays, deadlines, etc. But everything else goes in the List Book.

Sometimes I'll be reading in bed and think of something I need to add.
No big deal...I keep a stack of Post-It notes in my bedside table, so I'll jot it down, leave it on the table and transfer it in the morning.

I get that some people are list people and some are absolutely not.
I sometimes makes lists of things to make lists about.

It's weird, I know!

One great blog of To Do Lists that satisfies the voyeur in me is awesomely titled: To-Do List.

Aaaah! Why didn't I think of that?

What I Read in 2010

2010-12-31T20:32:00.001-06:00

I'm back with my yearly round-up of books I read in 2010. This year I moved the needle up a bit and read 34 (usually read 30). Of that, I loved 16 titles, liked 13 and disliked 4. Here's the run-down of the titles and my response:

* LOVED *
The Middle Place - Kelly Corrigan: The mother of two battles breast cancer with the support of her wonderful hubby and fabulous parents.

Unclutter Your Life in One Week - Erin Doland: This should come as no surprise that I have an organizing book on here...Erin wrote a terrific book here and you'd never know she used to be a packrat!

Everything Changes - Jonathan Tropper: Oh, Jonathan, you have never failed me. This is a hilarious and heart-wrenching book about family and a crumbling marriage.

The Total Money Makeover - Dave Ramsey: I know, not a shocker here but this is a powerful book on how to get your financial life in pristine order. Highly recommended!

House Rules - Jodi Picoult: Jodi hit it out of the park again with this one about a boy with Asperger's who is accused of murder.

A Wolf at the Door - Augusten Burroughs. I love me some Augusten and his writing is so crisp here. Story of the relationship he had with his monster of a father.

Life Would Be Perfect If I Lived in That House - Meghan Daum: Meghan is one of my fave writers and this book is her love story to the various homes she's lived in throughout her life. I loved it even more due to the fact that she left NYC to live in Lincoln, simply because she loved the idea of small-town prairie life. I get very attached to my homes as well, so I could completely relate.

Are You There God, It's Me Margaret - Judy Blume: I found this at a thrift store and just had to grab it and read again for nostalgia. It made me feel just as understood as when I was 12. God bless Judy Blume!

The Help - Kathryn Stockett: Law, that be a good book! I really missed the characters for many days after ending this book. Wonderful look at the early 60s and segregation in America.

Still Alice - Lisa Genova: Very unique novel about a woman going through early-onset Alzheimer's. Well done.

QBQ - John Miller: Dynamite book all about personal responsibility. Must read!

Happens Every Day - Isabel Gillies: True story of betrayal and divorce. I was "Team Isabel" all the way.

48 Days to the Work You Love - Dan Miller: Yup, read it last year and picked it up again. So full of logic and great ideas.

Push - Sapphire: Where the movie "Precious" came from. Hard-hitting, depressing, then very uplifting!

Testimony - Anita Shreve: I'm a big fan of Anita but do not love everything she does. This, however, was a highly compelling story about a sex scandal at a private high school.

I Was Told There'd be Cake - Sloane Crosley: Yeah, I read this in 2009 but wanted to take it for a spin again and it was well worth it. Gifted writer, so clever!

* LIKED *

Gazelles, Baby Steps and 37 Other Things Dave Ramsey Taught Me About Debt - Jon Acuff: Humorous quick read about fighting debt by the founder of the wildly popular blog "Stuff Christians Like."

Rescue - Anita Shreve: This is her newest book, but didn't draw me in as much as other stuff. Still compelling, after all it is Anita!

The Home-Maker - Dorothy Canfield: This book was written in 1924! I discovered it via Penelope Loves Lists and it was super charming and amazingly relevant to today's world. All about how we bloom when we spend our days doing what we love. My library copy was original, still smelled of dust AND had the old check-out card in the front! I had fun imaging what it was like for these women in the 30s and 40s to check the book out. Fabulous!

The Quality of Life Report - Meghan Daum: I think Meghan excels at non-fiction and this fictional book about a New Yorker moving to small-town America was kind of "eh." That said, Meghan is a very talented writer and I knew the whole time the town she called Prairie City was actually my beloved Lincoln, Nebraska.

Just Let Me Lie Down - Kristin Van Ogtrop: Funny, cute theme - a dictionary style book all about the joys and craziness of being a working mother.

Lift - Kelly Corrigan: Another Kelly book, this one was short, sweet and simple.

The Power of Nice - Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval. Business book about how being a decent, kind boss, client, employee and business partner really pays off. Lots of common sense.

Other People's Rejection Letters - Bill Shapiro: Fun read, collection of real-life rejection letters, including Jimi Hendrix's Army discharge papers!

Girls From Ames - Jeffrey Zaslow: Really did enjoy this, especially since I'm the same age as the characters so I was able to re-live my high school/college years

The Last Time I Saw You - Elizabeth Berg: My fave Elizabeth wrote a cute yet formulaic story about a 40th high school reunion.

Raising Adults - Jim Hancock: Really interesting parenting book

Getting Organized in the Google Era - Douglas Merrill: Former Google exec gives an insider's viewpoint into how to best use everything Google based. Very informative.

Creating a Charmed Life - Victoria Moran: Sweet and quick read, full of helpful strategies

* DISLIKED *

House of Light - Mary Oliver: Some of Mary's poems are very dear to my heart, but I just couldn't click with any in this book.

Songs Without Words - Ann Packer: I loved her book The Dive Off of Clausen's Pier and had high hopes for this one but it really disappointed me.

Falling Into Manholes - Wendy Merrill: I remember nothing about this book, which means I probably didn't get past the second chapter!

I Love You and I'm Leaving You Anyway - Tracy McMillan: I listened to a podcast of Tracy speaking at the University of Minnesota and was intrigued by her story of life with a dad in prison. But...I just never clicked with her writing style and story.

Here's to a boatload of wonderful titles in 2011!

Five Year Flashback

2010-12-28T10:08:00.000-06:00

I am a huge fan of journaling. Tucked away in my home is a large Rubbermaid container filled with journals documenting my woes, thrills, plans and regrets of years gone by. I began writing in a diary in sixth grade {still have that one; Hi-Larious!} and continued on and off for a few years, then quit for a very long time. In my twenties I sporadically wrote in a big notebook on and off but once Sam was born, I really took off.

There are many people who say they don't journal because they can't stand the thought of their kids {or parents, or spouse} reading their secrets after they die. I have mixed feelings on this. Yes, there are many, many things I have done and thought that I'd hate for my boys to read but then I think, I'll be dead...what does it matter?

One of my most favorite things about journaling is looking back. About this time of year I love love love to read what I was thinking and doing during the same month in years past. It never fails to amaze me how much I have grown and been challenged. Or how I had been stuck in a conundrum of sorts, unable to make a decision because I was paralyzed with fear. And looking back, I can see how it all turned out, how God definitely had His hand in everything that's happened. It's humbling and calming.

Lately I have been reading journals from five years ago, in 2005. Five years being a very big landscape from which to see progress and milestones. The boys and I were living in Lincoln, Nebraska and I was just going through a divorce. My soon-to-be-ex had moved out and I was feeling empowered like Sheena, Queen of the Amazon. Here are some entries:

* Instead of dreading a bit about soemthing unknown, I will BE OPEN and accepting of what comes my way!
* I take problems as challenges, figure out how to resolve them and BOOM! Do it!
* I am worth oodles more than he deserves
* This is my planning phase. I'm in a rebuilding/remodeling process - under construction - not open for business!
* I want to learn more, become a deeper thinker. Want to explore my personal value - explore and celebrate it. Stoke my creative side. Really awaken it and thrive on it.
* Had a wild dream while in Oklahoma City for business. Decided I was going to be open to trying new things. It was such a statement, such deliberation!
* I am getting my life organized and Teflon-coated!
* Oh, I have such goodness planned for the three of us!
* What lies ahead for me? Can I do my best and welcome it with open arms?
* Wearing a flip-flop pink sweater today; it's all about attitude!
* I have to keep it together until Friday, when I'm home alone, then I can have my nervous breakdown!
* I am so loving being the Queen of my castle again!
* Lord, stay strongly next to me!
* I have a confidence I've never known

Pretty cool, huh? Can' you feel the empowerment, the confidence oozing out of those pages? I remember just how I felt and it gives me great hope for my future. When I feel frightened or unsure of what lies ahead for me in the next few months, all I have to do is reach back to that woman who was unearthed back in 2005. Channel that assuredness, tuck it into my back pocket and head on out the door.

The world awaits my gifts.

Intense Hopefulness

2010-12-20T12:35:00.000-06:00

After my last sad-sack post, I stumbled upon Danielle LaPorte's amazing "Manifest of Encouragement" and after feeling myself brimming with hopefulness and sheer delight, I said aloud, "why have not discovered this brilliant woman until now?"

You'll probably feel the same way.

Her website is teeming with empowering, high energy articles; check it out.

But first take a read below and see if it doesn't jolt you in some way.

the manifesto of encouragement

right now:

There are Tibetan Buddhist monks in a temple in the Himalayas endlessly reciting mantras for the cessation of your suffering and for the flourishing of your happiness.

Someone you haven't met yet is already dreaming of adoring you.

Someone is writing a book that you will read in the next two years that will change how you look at life.

Nuns in the Alps are in endless vigil, praying for the Holy Spirit to alight the hearts of all of God's children.

A farmer is looking at his organic crops and whispering, "nourish them."

Someone wants to kiss you, to hold you, to make tea for you. Someone is willing to lend you money, wants to know what your favourite food is, and treat you to a movie. Someone in your orbit has something immensely valuable to give you -- for free.

Something is being invented this year that will change how your generation lives, communicates, heals and passes on.

The next great song is being rehearsed.

Thousands of people are in yoga classes right now intentionally sending light out from their heart chakras and wrapping it around the earth.

Millions of children are assuming that everything is amazing and will always be that way.

Someone is in profound pain, and a few months from now, they'll be thriving like never before. They just can't see it from where they're at.

Someone who is craving to be partnered, to be acknowledged, to ARRIVE, will get precisely what they want -- and even more. And because that gift will be so fantastical in it's reach and sweetness, it will quite magically alter their memory of angsty longing and render it all "So worth the wait."

Someone has recently cracked open their joyous, genuine nature because they did the hard work of hauling years of oppression off of their psyche -- this luminous juju is floating in the ether, and is accessible to you.

Someone just this second wished for world peace, in earnest.

Someone is fighting the fight so that you don't have to.

Some civil servant is making sure that you get your mail, and your garbage is picked up, that the trains are running on time, and that you are generally safe. Someone is dedicating their days to protecting your civil liberties and clean drinking water.

Someone is regaining their sanity. Someone is coming back from the dead. Someone is genuinely forgiving the seemingly unforgivable. Someone is curing the incurable.

You. Me. Some. One. Now.

Pulling Through a Rough Patch

2010-12-18T10:07:00.000-06:00

We all know the feeling...despair, the blues, feeling unloved and just plain pitiful

A slew of events had crashed and burned for me recently and I felt just crummy. It was an effort to get off the couch, much less be productive. And I knew at my core I needed to hunker down and devise a new game plan but I just didn't have the drive or energy yet. Instead of pushing on, which is my instinct, I decided to really honor and love up my hurting self for a bit.

Initially I couldn’t figure out what I wanted but knew what I didn’t want. I had no interest in eating {shocking, I know} or alcohol or even tea. But the comforty lure of hot cocoa felt right and I had just read a tip in Real Simple that you can jazz it up with 3 tablespoons of malted milk mix and toasted marshmallows {toast in your toaster oven for 30 seconds}. I was cold from shoveling so I chose that – mmm, good decision for sure. Note: I always use milk instead of water and find it to be so much more rich & satisfying.

With my steaming beverage in hand, I went to our family room, grabbed some cozy blankets and looked at the movie options. We had “The Kids Are Alright” from Netflix and so I popped that in. While the escape from my problems for a couple hours was wonderful, the movie didn't really grab me, but I appreciated the diversion even so.

After the movie, I wandered around the house for a bit. Picked up a book but just couldn't focus. I grabbed my to-do list and leafed through it. Now this may sound strange, but I decided to tackle some overdue tasks, simply because I was in a crummy mood anyway - why not? And it helped! I get immense satisfaction from completing anything on my list and in this case, the jolt of taking care of business was a terrific remedy.

At that point I still wasn’t really up to chatting much, so I sent a text to a handful of friends that I knew were awaiting an update and even asked my son call my mom with an update and explain I’d call later. I could read reply texts and feel comforted, without expending all the energy in several conversations. It’s what works best for me and others respect that.

As the evening wore on, I took a long, hot shower and used the "good" products for a little aromatherapy boost. With my electric blanket on full tilt, I slipped between the sheets and found much satisfaction and comfort in reading "Testimony" by Anita Shreve.

Later I called my mom and a girlfriend and the roughness of the day really began to wash away. I could finally accept my new reality and with a little time to lick my wounds and reflect on it all, I knew it was time to turn the corner. When I awoke the next morning, I felt like me again and was really grateful and pleased that I did some self-caretaking. I thanked God for being with me through the storm and leading me back to calm. And then I carried on.

How Much Money Can You Make Washing Your Lettuce and Other Interesting Thoughts

2010-12-13T16:59:00.001-06:00

This is a terrific article from RedPlum.com on how much it really costs to purchase convenience items at the grocery store. I am a big fan of short-cuts here and there but when it's broken-down this way, it seems silly to spend the extra moola. Kinda like spending more time whining about emptying the dishwasher than it takes to empty the darn thing! Hope this is helpful to you as well!

Can You Save $40/Hour By Washing Your Own Lettuce?

By Sally Herigstad via RedPlum.comWho wants to wash lettuce or peel carrots after a hard day's work? It's so much easier to grab a bag that's ready to eat. What would it take for you to start washing lettuce again? Most of us would be motivated by $20 per hour, and certainly by $40. Let's see what's worth your time:

Peeling and grating potatoes. This is a bit of work. You could peel a pound of potatoes and grate them into hash browns. Bagged potatoes are 66 cents per pound, vs. $2.08 for frozen hash browns. If it takes you ten minutes to prepare the potatoes, you'll make about $8.50 per hour - minimum wage many places. But there's no going back when you find out what hash browns should taste like.
Spooning yogurt into single-serve dishes. Strawberry yogurt in the big carton is $1.10 a pound, but twice that in single-serve cartons. Grab a spoon. If it takes five minutes to spoon out that yogurt, you made $13 per hour - not a killing, but it's easy work and you'll have less packaging to throw away.
Making ice. Surprisingly, ice costs almost as much per pound as some food - 47 cents in our search. Make it for free. If it takes you two minutes to make a pound of ice, pay yourself $14 per hour.
Washing and chopping broccoli. Ready-to-microwave broccoli is $4.39 per pound, vs. $2.49 if you can bring yourself to rinse it under the faucet and give it a quick chop into a bowl. Manage that in 5 minutes and you just made $23 an hour.
Washing lettuce. Too tired to rinse lettuce? The red leafy kind is $1.99 if you bag it yourself, or $5.33 per pound if you toss a pre-washed bag in the cart. If you can wash a pound in five minutes, give yourself credit for making $40 per hour.
Washing green beans. It's a hassle cutting off the ends of green beans. But if you buy them pre-cut, they're probably dried out and you'll cut them again anyway. Ready-to-nuke beans are $5.85 per pound, vs. $1.99 if you wash and snip them yourself. Five minutes here and you'll make $46 an hour.
Peeling carrots. Baby carrots are cute, but at $2.65 a pound, they'd better be. Peel regular carrots that cost 88 cents per pound in 5 minutes, and you made $53 per hour.

Time Management Nuggets

2010-12-11T14:34:00.000-06:00

Here in Minnesota we are experiencing a good old-fashioned snowstorm. It's stunning outside and if you can stay in, it's downright delightful. We have received eleven inches thus far with much more to come!
Perfect day to catch up on things; thus far I've read two magazines, made granola, put lil smokies in the baby crockpot and started my Christmas letter. Later will be movies/popcorn and hopefully a nap!

With the exception of maybe Ghandi, time management is something everyone can improve on. Here are three blizzard-Saturday tips that help me take advantage of tiny pockets of time.

* Hidden Free Time: Do you drive your kids to soccer/Scouts/youth group one or more times a week? Instead of trekking all the way back home, consider hanging out in the parking lot and making the most of your time.
     - Clean out the console of your car
     - Gather and remove all the garbage in the entire vehicle
     - Delve deep into the abyss of your purse and get rid of the old tissue, wrappers, dried up snacks, etc.
     -Sort through your wallet. Toss expired coupons, useless receipts. While you're at it, put all the money      you found in the car back into your coin purse!
     -Make phone calls you never seem to get around to, such as doctor/dentist/ortho appointments. Or call
      your dear Mother.

* Time Those Quick Chores: Emptying the dishwasher is a drag, but once I timed it and realized it only took
   three minutes, it moved to the "super simple" chore list. I don't mind it so much when I know it's quick.
   After you time things out, write down how long they each take and keep it handy for those days when you
   have just ten minutes before you have to leave the house.

* Keep Coupons Handy: I found the best way to ensure I use coupons for restaurants, Bed, Bath &    Beyond, etc is to keep them in the car. That way when I pull up to one of those stores, I can just grab what I need. Every month or so I sift through the stack and remove expired coupons while sitting at stop lights.

Once you start employing these small habits, you will see the improvement. Remember, progress, not perfection!

A creative Christmas. | Stuff Christians Like – Jon Acuff

2010-12-09T08:02:00.000-06:00

An amazing, creative way to enjoy beloved Christmas carols!

A creative Christmas. | Stuff Christians Like – Jon Acuff

A Few Learned Lessons

2010-12-07T11:40:00.000-06:00

I was staring at the lit Christmas tree this morning, just thinking about how life is full of lessons. We can stretch and grow every single day if we give it a try. That said, there are a handful of lessons I apparently am too stubbon to face/deal with/learn, but I chalk that up to the fact that God still has much work left with me!

You know how much I love lists (in fact, one of my all-time favorite blogs is the ever-charming Penelope Loves Lists. So here's an unorganized and unconnected list of things I have learned - possibly the hard way every time and want to share.

1. Protein is a Must for Breakfast. I spent YEARS eating non-whole wheat bagels for breakfast and couldn't quite understand why I was famished by 9:30. Eventually I figured out that if I slip in some protein - maybe yogurt and granola, or eggs - I could easily make it to lunchtime without turning into a prancing mudbeast. And I've even let go of old thoughts, such as you must have only breakfast food in the a.m. Sorry Mom, but I'm good with some turkey and cheese heated in a tortilla.

2. Surround Yourself with Good, Happy People: This seems the most elementary of statements. I mean, really. But yet I have spent major chunks of valuable time with folks who loved to drone on and on about their pathetic half-empty life. I commiserated for far too long, getting sucked into their web. Now I see it differently - when I surround myself with like-minded people who live life with integrity and are more interested in helping others, rather than cutting them down, I feel empowered, rather than starving for energy. It's pretty simple, folks: Life is short. Be very, very choosy who you spend your precious free time with. And along that same line - following the crazed lives of Kardashians ,various Housewives and "reality" shows doesn't really do much to fill up your life with goodness. Try taking that time and improving the world around you and see which is more fulfilling.

3. Boundaries are Good: Dave Ramsey often recommends the Dr Henry Cloud book "Boundaries" and with good reason. It's a fabulous resources for those who have trouble saying no and setting limits for others. Note- this is a Christian-based book, full of scripture.

4. People are Good: I had two very ugly confrontations pop-up last week. The two situation were unrelated but they landed back-to-back, which left me emotionally exhausted. One involved just me and the other was regarding one of my sons.The bottom line was I felt let down and disappointed by the actions of others. In one case, the person at the helm was a good man who made, in my opinion, a ridiculous decision. In both cases poor communication, unrealistic expectations and hasty actions were the root of each event. I have talked to God a lot about both things and all the people involved. I have prayed for all of those involved, even the ones I was most upset with. I asked God to flood my heart with forgiveness and to help me stop the endless loop diatribe in my head. Of course he answered and I'm feeling much calmer. It's rare that I come across these situations, ones full of awkward confrontation but when I do, I just have to remind myself that people are good, deep down, even if their actions say otherwise. And as my astute, always right-on-the-money friend Susan says, "Just try to see that person as a little 11 year old who never got his or her needs met." It really works to help you see we are all damaged in some way and are all seeking love.

5. Inspiration Comes in Many Forms: Recently I had coffee with a bright 20-something woman who was in the midst of a job search. She laid out her plan of attack and told me why she picked her target companies. She was composed and resourceful, full of energy and a definite yearning to make a difference in the world. I left that meeting positively glowing from her amazing spirit. I can tell you when I was her age, my career was so far on the back burner it wasn't even really on the stove. My goals consisted of a whole lot of bar hopping. Of this I am embarrassed and regretful but it was my reality. This same young lady called me just last night to tell me where she landed and what her plans were. I could not be more excited for her new role at a terrific non-profit that helps the homeless. She inspired me and gave me fuel for my search. So moral of the story - keep an eye out for inspiration in the most unlikely of places.

6. Eight Hours of Sleep: I have tried to be a night owl, I really have. But when my alarm starts shrilling at 6 a.m. I am often irritated by those late-night reading sessions hunkered under the electric blanket. What's crazy is my 17-year-old requires less sleep than me. I gave up trying to keep up with him and am a much more pleasant person because of it!

7. Good Customer Service Does Exist! Recently I've talked to reps at Comcast, Maybelline, Dave Ramsey (not Dave himself, unfortunately), and the Dept of Employment and Economic Development. Every single one of these folks was kind, very helpful and willing to really solve a problem. I thanked them each enthusiastically and smiled as I hung up. We hear so much about employees who hate their jobs but wow - the good ones are certainly out there.

8. Most Strangers Love a Compliment: I was getting a cup of coffee the other day and the woman ahead of me had on the cutest brown jacket. We met up at the condiment station and I told her how much I loved her coat. A huge smile overtook her face and she bragged a bit when telling me she got it for next to nothing on clearance at Old Navy. It was 60 second encounter and we both left smiling and wishing one another well. I love doing this - striking up a conversation with others while I'm out and about and seeing if there's something I can say that will create a smile. Think about any time you've been on the receiving end of an unexpected compliment - didn't it make you feel like a million bucks? Pay it forward.

Delicious December: Top Ten Reasons Why I Love December

2010-12-01T16:29:00.000-06:00

Aah, month twelve at last, which means I'm wrapping up this little theme-y party. It's been fun, no?
Here's my last Top Ten of the Year...all about December.

1. Advent: The yearly time of waiting and preparing for the celebration of the birth of Jesus, it begins four Sundays prior to Christmas. When I was a wee girl, we always lit a candle each Sunday and read from the Bible. I also had a really fun calendar that had a little verse to open each day. Still have it, as a matter of fact and get it out each year.

2. Christmas cards + letters: Unlike some, I really love hearing from people and especially love when people write a newsy letter complete with pictures. Luckily, none of my friends do the bragging/obnoxious thing so I'm amazed when I hear about excessive boasting and nauseating details over extravagant trips and purchases.

3. My mom's spritz cookies: Since she only makes them in December, I insist on chowing down in a big way. If you have not had the opportunity to nosh on Spritz cookies, email me and I'll mail some to you!

4. Celebrating the birth of Jesus: C'mon, that is what Christmas is all about, after all. But you knew that, right?

5. My mom turns 80! If you have not met my mother you are really missing out. She's the most thoughtful, genuine person I know and boy oh boy is she a great listener. When you are with her you not only feel loved, you feel heard. Being her daughter is a true privilege that I'm certain I'm not worthy of having. Being the practical woman that she is, she doesn't want a big splash for this momentous occasion, but would rather have her whole family get together for a lovely meal out.

6. Winter Break: Teenagers sleeping, no crazy early morning routine, lots of movie watching, popcorn making, room cleaning :) and other forms of merriment. A break from school is good for the whole family, but it's also wonderful to shove them back to school, don't cha think?

7. New Year's Eve: I'm not much of a New Year's Eve party girl anymore. I'm content, really content to stay home next to the roaring fire reading a book and drinking a nice cab. I also use that time to seriously reminisce about the current year - all the good, all the completed goals - and also plan for the next. Think of it as resetting your buttons. I love seeing the difference a year makes - great to go through old journals and notebooks to see what was going on a year ago. Then I can see how God answered my prayers (in His timeline, not mine - ha!) and taught me so much.

8. Playing spoons with my family: I never thought that playing the card game spoons with my 82 year old dad would be fun - but whoa nelly! He loves to pretend he doesn't the rules and then makes up his own. Add to the mix my mom, sis-in-law, brother and kids. Really fun, really competitive and way better than watching TV.

9. My kids' band + orchestra concerts: Gotta love those holiday concerts, even if your child is in the back row where you can't see him or her. This year Zach has a few French Horn solos, so I'm fired up! And honestly, it's fun to hear the difference and improvement from year to year.

10. Candy canes! Just plain delicious. Suck 'em until they get a very sharp point. Stir them in your hot cocoa.

It's been a positive and thought-provoking year. I wish you the very best in 2011!

Cornucopia of Stuff

2010-11-28T20:00:00.000-06:00

Slowing down after a wild week...
* Yearly mammogram {have you had yours yet?}
* A trip to Downtown Minneapolis to the Family Justice Center {just yuck, nothing good happens there}
* My #1 son turned 17 {wow!!!}
* Road trip to my parents' home for the holiday weekend; got to see almost all of my immediate family
* Witnessed my 82-year-old father gifting my son with his first car {this was the week high for certain!}
* Got a cute haircut in the midst of a snowstorm {snowmaggedon, according to the weather folks}
* Dearly missing my niece Meredith who would be turning 22 today; however she passed away in 1992 - one day after her fourth birthday - of a very rare genetic muscle abnormality.
* Celebrating my great-niece Petra's first birthday today; she's as cute and bright as they come!
* Thinking ahead to some really exciting things coming 'round in December; more on that later.

We are back home and unpacked and readying for another busy week. All is well. One of my goals is to really take time to enjoy this Christmas season and spend more time in prayer. God's blessings on you!

Cleaning up my act (and mouth)

2010-11-16T22:27:00.000-06:00

Yeah, I know, I talk a lot about cleaning. And organizing. Today I'm going to talk about cleaning again but I assure you, it has nothing to do with mops or Mr. Clean Magic Eraser {which is sheer genius if you have yet to experience}.

Nope, the cleaning up I'm focusing on is my mouth. Not necessarily because of profanity, {although that could use a lil kick in the ankle too), I'm talking {pun alert} about what I'm actually talking about.

Sometimes I'll be prattling on to my kids and suddenly I'll interrupt myself and intone, "Did I just say gonna?" ARGH. I am so guilty of getting incredibly lazy with my speech and language.

Starting sentences with "So..."
Peppering sentences with "um" and "er"
Slacking in a huge way, with words such as "gonna, wanna, I dunno, dint" {that last one is super embarrassing}
Whatever

I was thinking back to the old movies, and stars like Grace Kelly
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1K_Q8OytB3k&feature=related

and Audrey Hepburn
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQLEQpWhSI8

and of course, Kate Hepburn
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nH2DKZ-2m74&feature=related

how they enunciated each word ever so elegantly. And their vocabularies are stunning and admirable.
Now think about the drivel of Jersey Shore and any Real Housewives. Yikes.

So I'm on a mission to be much more aware and deliberate about how I speak and what I say.
Anyone care to join me?

Intentional Living

2010-11-07T11:17:00.000-06:00

Are you a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants person or a scheduled to the nth degree or maybe, like me, somewhere in between. For the most part I operate life via my trusty to-do list, but it's not uncommon to find me avoiding things out of sheer laziness.

But sometimes, I get serious and do the Stephen Covey thing of Intentional Living, via his "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People." Basically, it's figuring out what really truly matters to you (family time, physical fitness, writing a book, etc) and keeping those values forefront as you plan your day/week/month/year.

Let's say one of your top values is spending as much time possible with your kids. Maybe you are working full-time, so there's not a whole lot left at the end of the day. When you step back and view this scenario, it's easier to guard that kid time much better. So when you get an opportunity to volunteer, or work overtime, you can clearly see that saying yes to these things will rob you of time with your family. It becomes less about being all things to all people and more about honoring your values.

It helps to create a vision board. If you haven't done one yet, it's a super fun way to learn about yourself. Scour magazines, looking for images and words that really strike a chord with you. Maybe it's a picture of a family on a bike ride. The word "faith." An image of a gorgeous living room that says "home" to you. Cut them all out, arrange them in a way that makes you smile and glue it all down. Go crazy with accessorizing it with ribbon, stamps, stickers, etc if you want, but most of all, take a look at what you are attracted to. These are your core values.

You may want to write those values down and look at them every day, to remind yourself that this is how you best want to live your precious life. Then, when you are, for example, surfing mindlessly on fashion websites or Facebook, you will suddenly remember you wanted more quality time with your kids. Bam! Off goes the laptop and out comes a board game. It's living with intention, rather than reactively responding to things.

Give it a try for a couple weeks and see if it doesn't improve your mood, your attitude and most of all, your life.

Neat November: Top Ten Reasons Why I Love November

2010-10-31T20:47:00.000-05:00

Let's get right down to it...

1. FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD! No better culinary month in my opinion. The huge variety of dishes, the expectation to act all glutton-y, no gifts and a chance to see all the crazy people I'm related to. Win win!

2. Election Day: Please tell me you are voting this year, AND that's you're voting for those who truly want to do the best for our communities, our state and our country. I hope there's a whole lotta shaking going on because we the people deserve better. Voting matters! Make sure to let your kids see or at least hear about your voting experience.

3. My Oldest Turns 17: Well, wow. It's the most cliche thing in the world to say "they sure grow up fast," but yeowza is that true. Some days I have to stand back and really look at him, for the incredibly wonderful young man he has become. It's been a true honor to be his mother.

4. Veteran's Day: Recognized after World War I, Veteran's Day is a day to pay tribute to the heroes of our great country who fought to ensure peace in the world. It's a great opportunity to tell your kids about war and what our armed forces do to protect and preserve our country. Are they any vets your could introduce to your kids? What a great opportunity to teach a wildly important lesson!

5. National Novel Writing Month or NaNoWriMo, is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30. Completely wild, right? I have been wanting to do this forever - I know this is not my year, but soon, baby, soon! www.nanowrimo.org

6. Meredith Was Born in November: My precocious and fiercely lovable niece was born in November of 1988 in the middle of the night. I was woken by my very excited brother Randy, exclaiming that "Meredith is here!" That next morning I headed to downtown Minneapolis for my first day of editorial work at TV Guide Magazine and I talked about her to everyone I met. Meredith left this world a day after her fourth birthday, the victim of an extremely rate and deadly genetic muscle abnormality. I miss her every day and would just love love love to see what she would be like turning 22 this year. Please hug your kids!

7. Christmas Shopping in Full Swing: Time to kick it into high gear; November is a great time to brainstorm about the perfect gifts for your fave people. The sooner you do that, the sooner you can look for sales and find the best variety. And if you are brave enough, enjoy Black Friday! I prefer to sleep in and shop online :)

8. Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month: Unfortunately, I'm all too "aware" of this devastating disease due to my Dad being diagnosed a few years back. I'm trying to learn what I can to understand the how's and why's of the disease and just read a wonderful novel, "Still Alice," about a 50 year old woman who gets early-onset AD. The story is told from her perspective and I thought it was very well done. Author is Lisa Genova; check it out.

9. Leftover Halloween Candy: If you actually have any leftover, here's a great article on what to do with it all http://www.wisebread.com/10-things-to-do-with-leftover-halloween-candy
We take our to the dentist, who pays $1/pound and sends it to the troops via Operation Gratitude.

10. Four Day Weekend: Behold the power of the end-of-the-month-super-looooong weekend. Unless, of course you work in retail :( For the teens and me, it's a perfect opportunity to visit extended family, eat/shop/exercise, then spend time, just the three of us watching movies, playing games and sleeping in!

Simple is as Simple does

2010-10-15T12:49:00.000-05:00

Does anyone really enjoy having a chaotic life? I know plenty of folks who thrive on fast-paced, Blackberry-buzzing, over-the-speed-limit lives, but have you ever tried to have a calm, somewhat intense conversation with them? It's almost comical to watch the squirming that goes on - hand clutching the phone, eyes darting around as if stopping the multitasking ferris wheel was killing them. I believe we all need a serious dose of simplicity in our daily lives and even though you may be in the most frenzied period of your life right now (raising kids, working the job of two or more people, starting a new biz), there are ways to really, truly corral some of the chaos and find some relieving shortcuts.

As a single parent of two boys, it has been imperative for me to figure out how to manage home, life and family. I didn't say balance, because honestly I think trying to balance all those big things is impossible. Balance means equal and how the heck is that even realistic? If you work full-time, you see your office mates way more than your spouse or kids. How is that balanced?

But anyway. On this sunny, stunning autumn day, I'd like to share some of my easy-peasy shortcuts in the hopes that you may see something that would work in your life as well.

Meals - ugh, honestly, meal planning is not something I enjoy, but what I dislike even more is coming home starving with no clue over what to eat. Frozen pizza again? Cereal? Not that those aren't both viable options, but after awhile even Capt'n Crunch gets old. So every weekend I pull out my planner, look at the week ahead and decide what's for dinner the next seven evenings. Now here's the real tip - every meal doesn't have to be a big deal! It's really OK to have spaghetti every Tuesday - we do it and boy, is that a cheap and simple meal to prepare. Also, since my boys have been young we do have pizza every single Friday night. Usually it is frozen, but many times I'll grab a Papa Murphy's or if there's some extra cash we may actually get a pie delivered. Oh, the luxury. But the point is, setting a schedule takes all that planning away. And don't be afraid of the even easier options such as hot dogs on the grill, soup and grilled cheese, BLTs and tuna fish sandwiches. And if you ask your family members to detail their favorite dishes, you'll see they are generally happy with a smaller variety.

Grocery Store Spending- Once you know what you are cooking for the week, it's easier to write up a grocery list. Please don't tell me you wing it each week; that's a sure-fire way to not only forget some key ingredients, but also to overspend. If you promise yourself you'll stick to ONLY what's on the list, you'll bring home a lot more money. Another thing that helps is checking out the grocery ad before you plan your menu. If you choose your dinner options according to what's on sale, you're ahead of the game. AND if you take it a step further and use a store coupon along with a manufacturer's coupon, you're in first place! When planning my menu, I will do a combination of buying what's on sale as well as using up what I already have in my cupboard and freezer. Might as well, you already paid for that can of black beans and the tortillas. And when it comes to packaged goods, ask yourself if you could make it from scratch. Obviously not for everyone, but I find making cookies, cakes or other desserts for an event is so much cheaper than buying prepared and honestly is not much more work. Not to mention that folks love it when you bake/cook for them!

Budget- Yeah, the dreaded "b" word, but it doesn't have to be. As Dave Ramsey explains it, a budget is telling your money what to do. I've worked on this for many years, and I swear it gets tweaked every month, but it truly helps me from freaking out and not ending up with too much month left at the end of the money.
For more information on how to do this budget thing. visit Dave Ramsey. You can listen to his radio show on his website from 1-4 p.m. and/or download his free daily podcast off of iTunes. Once you get in control of your money, your life gets worlds simpler. Having a plan and a purpose for each dollar before the month begins will give you peace of mind that you will wonder why you waited so long!

Weekly Prep-I'd love to tell you the boys and I have a weekly meeting but that happens far less than I'd like. However, I spend a good portion of each Sunday looking ahead to what needs to be done and prepped in order to have a calmer, less-chaotic week. Do the boys need school lunch money? Is there a birthday coming up I want to acknowledge with a card or gift? Is there an event I need to get directions for? All these details are easier to sort out with the gift of time. I love to make greeting cards, so I need to look a month or two ahead to see how many to make. Then I'll spend a quiet evening enjoying my hobby and accomplishing something important. And on the topic of gifts, I finally stopped buying a ton of gift wrap. Instead I have some rolls of brown kraft paper and that's what I use. I make the paper more attractive with twine, ribbon, sticks/stamps and raffia. It's gender-neutral and way more affordable!

None of these tips are groundbreaking but hopefully you found a nugget or two to try out. I hope it brings a smile to your face!

Daily Top Ten

2010-10-06T14:46:00.000-05:00

Most of us live lives of somewhat consistency. We may eat the same bowl of Cheerios each morning or order a caramel soy latte every Friday as a reward for making it through the week. While I love changing things up to keep everything fresh (rearranged living room, new route home from work, listening to various Internet radio stations), I also love knowing that every day of the week, there are ten simple but very valuable parts of my day. Nothing earth shattering here, just contented predictability.

In no particular order, where's what I do every single day:

1. Take my vitamins - especially a calcium supplement for my creaky bones
2. Drink gobs of water - did you know you should drink half your weight in ounces each day? Wow - stock up on the Charmin. I don't think I drink quite that much, but at least 64 oz (now if I only weighed 128!)
3. Tell my boys I love them - so easy, it almost becomes devoid of emotion, so this is one I need to watch to make sure it's a meaningful exchange, rather than good-night-sweet-dreams-I-love-you.
4. Exercise - OK, there are times where I don't get to it, but every day is my strong intention. I go to the gym 4-5 days and do my best to walk or exercise via DVD the others. I may consider an intensive episode of yardwork game as well.
5. Hug someone - again, very easy and it's usually my boys, but I love a good squish from almost anyone
6. Pray - I used to think praying had to be done on your knees in your nightgown at the foot of your bed. Now I know God doesn't care about how you do it as long as you DO it. So I find driving to work to be a wonderful place, I love to pray out loud with plenty of emotion. Stoplights work well, as does a quiet walk or in the shower. Many times I pray as I'm drifting off to sleep which is pretty silly, considering I don't get very far!
7. Gratitude Journal - I've been doing this for over ten years now; each night I write out five things I was grateful for that day. I try not to be generic - "The sky, my kids, sunshine" and instead, write out specific thoughts, such as "laughing so hard I was in pain while drinking wine with my single mom friends" or "noticing how Sam has become an amazing young adult seemingly overnight." The boys and I love to read old entries and reminisce over stuff we had forgotten about.
8. Cat Chat - Yup, I'm on my way to being a crazy cat lady, with three felines - and I have plenty of conversation with them. Honestly, they do answer my questions!
9. Appreciate the Beauty of the World - This kind of goes along with #7, but I work pretty hard to be upbeat and optimistic, especially when I find myself in a dark mood. I try to remember that many, many people have it much worse than I do and generally with a bit of time and breathing room, nasty things often fix themselves or turn out to be not that big of a deal. Love that.
10. Check Gmail, Facebook - I have a true addiction to the web and it's quite the time suck, but yet it also allows me to be extremely efficient and productive. How I love my friend Google for its ability to tell me what I need to know in an instant. And Gmail and Facebook have allowed me to keep track of my friends all around the world much much quicker than a letter or phone call. And yes, I still do write old-fashioned letters and call people...in addition to email, texting, instant messaging, tweeting, Facebooking...etc!

Order in My Court

2010-10-03T21:21:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I had most of the day entirely to myself. I was gloriously ALONE. One kid at a church retreat, the older one was working and off to the Homecoming Dance.

Now, if you have a commitment-free day, what do you do with it? I bet very few folks would nod their heads enthusiastically with me when I say I love to clean out closets and dresser drawers and my nightstand, sifting through socks and sweaters, notebooks and Sharpies. While I "worked" {honestly it doesn't feel a bit laborious to me}, I caught up on several great podcasts - Dave Ramsey Show and 48 Days With Dan Miller are my two top faves. Money and career advice really go hand in hand and keep me very focused. And if going through your stuff doesn't give you quite the high I receive, I highly suggest listening to some high energy music, an audio book or one of the billion free podcasts available on iTunes. Honestly, there's so much content out there it's mind blowing!

But back to my drawers - why do I like doing this? I do know that I have a strong need for order in my world, as determined by taking this test {the emotional index one}. And it's a serious rush when I realize I'm ready to part with items that no longer bring me joy. Sometimes I hold on for years to a purse or maybe a pant suit, for the sheer reason that it was expensive. Yet, if I don't wear it often or worse, I feel and/or look lousy in it,what is the point? Thankfully I'm finally getting better at letting go of that stuff. I have heard wardrobe experts prescribe that our goal should be to only have things in your closet that you
a. love
and
b. look smashing in

Quite a lofty goal, eh? But I get it. I dream of that, flinging open the closet and knowing that I can't go wrong. Instead, we spend untold frustrated, pissy, irritating minutes trying on several different items in the hopes that one will suddenly do the trick.

So I'm still working on that, but my wardrobe has definitely slimmed down. It seems odd, to get rid of a bunch of clothes, because don't we all like a lot of choices? I know I do, but I also know more stuff means more maintenance and the need to store it all. With a more spacious closet vs everything packed in super tight, I can see all my choices and that is calming to me. Here's a wonderful article in which designers discuss the reasons why a pared-down closet is key to a simpler, happier wardrobe: http://www.tarcherbooks.net/?tag=clean-closet

I've also kicked off the Fall season with my hanger trick. A couple times a year I take everything that's hanging in the closet and turn the hanger backwards, so the curve of the hook is on the back of the rod.
Like this:

Note: that's not my closet - do you really think I'd have a mess of different hangers?? Nope, only the wooden IKEA ones. They are super cheap, and it's such an easy closet upgrade that looks smashing!

Then, once I wear an item, I turn the hanger back to the "normal" way. At the end of the season, I take a hard look at which items have not been worn in three months and ask myself why. Usually it's because the shirt enhances my back fat or the pants are a smidge too short {because we know if we lost a few pounds they'd be PERFECT, right?!?}. So when I consider the truth vs my perceived reality, I have a much easier time letting go.

In addition to my clothes, I've adopted this strategy to my music, movies, books and photos. For example, I just started an iTunes project/purge. All of my CDs are on my iTunes {which is backed-up on an external hard drive} and at times when it's on random shuffle, I will hear a ridiculous song - say, Samantha Fox's "I Wanna Have Some Fun" and I mentally ridicule myself for having such a lame-o song taking up digital storage. So...after too many "why the heck is that on there" moments, I sorted my music alphabetically by song title and have been playing through the list. When I run across one I am certain I want to live without, I delete. The rest get ratings. It's fun, really, and since I am the proud owner of 4426 songs {which iTunes tells me will take 13.1 days to listen to every last one}, I know this will be a looooooong-term project for certain and I'm ok with that; after all, what is music for, but to enjoy over and over again.

The biggest room in the world is the room for improvement.

Japanese proverb

Outstanding October: Top Ten Reasons Why I Love October

2010-10-01T08:32:00.000-05:00

Month Ten has arrived, whipped up in shedding leaves and blanketing us in a sky so blue. So much to love about Ms October, let me count the ways:

1. Stunning Foliage: I've never been to New England in the Fall, but it's definitely on my wish list. That said, we have it pretty darn good here in Minnesota. I was just marveling today on my way home from the gym how lovely the winding drive down Excelsior Boulevard is. One of the many benefits to living here - trees are always in fashion and always a source of inspiration.

2. The Return of the Almighty Crockpot: I actually use my crockpot year round - such an easy way to cook baked potatoes without heating up the kitchen in July. It's also an amazingly simple way to make incredible chicken tacos. Let the chicken cook all day in salsa and taco seasoning with some water and voila! You shred with a fork and it's ready to rock and roll. Come fall, I love to make soups and beef stew and the occasional batch of brownies, all in the crockpot. It practically never leaves the countertop.

3. Corn Mazes: In all honesty, I get a little anxious maneuvering a corn maze after dark. I believe it's due to watching too many scary movies, but I fear I won't be able to find my way out and then will be trapped, long after the maze owners have gone home. That said, I'm happy to go with someone smarter than me, say, either one of my kids. Then I know we'll make it out in time for the apple cider and bonfire. And have you seen some of those outrageous corn mazes via aerial shots? How do they make create such intricate logos and images out of corn? Mind blowing, I tell ya.

4. The Return of the Honeycrisps: Developed right here in Minnesota, this variety is absolutely my favorite apple. Sweet and tart, a lovely combination and let's not forget that completely satisfying crunch sound effect with each bite. These suckers are so big they're practically a meal in themselves. An absolute must!

5. Breast Cancer Awareness: If you aren't up to speed on this month-long event, you must be color blind, as seemingly every product on the shelf is wearing pink these days. See what women can do when they have a cause they believe strongly in?

6. The Weather: Pretty darn perfect - not at all hot, but not bone chilling cold yet, October tends to be pretty mild and how about the smell of the air? Foliage, a bonfire, the earth - all mixed up in a heady concoction that you just don't get any other time of year.

7. The Resurgence of Pumpkins: Once only found in a deep shade of orange, pumpkins are stylish now, often a creamy white. Some creative types even paint their pumpkins a gold or metallic shade, in order to better harmonize with their decoration theme. Seeing a kid-carved pumpkin on the front step is a definite mood-enhancer. And let's not forget the wonder that is pumpkin bread or muffins AND be sure to cook up those pumpkin seeds after carving. Simple to make and they are surprisingly pretty healthy for ya.

8. Halloween: What a great holiday - kids are excited, costumes are adorable and candy is in abundance. Truth be told, Halloween used to be another anxiety-inducing event when my kids were small. I am many things, but crafy is not one of them, so you'd never catch me at a sewing machine, whipping up a Buzz Lightyear or Batman cape. Nope - we relied on hand-me-down costumes and great stuff from Goodwill. I tried my best to not succumb to Target's over the top costume prices, mainly because it was way out of our budget. Somehow the little boys survived and apparently haven't been too scarred from the situation! One cool idea, if you have leftover candy and don't want your kids incurring further cavities, go to http://www.opgratitude.com/ and learn how send candy to the troops - how fun of a care package would that be to put together???

9. MEA Weekend: Another Minnesota reference; this is a yearly teacher's conference that falls on a Thursday and Friday. It makes for a great fall weekend family getaway without taking the kidlets out of school. Plus it's usually about that time parents and kids are chomping at the bit to have a break from school. A four day weekend - and who doesn't love that??? Well, I take that back. I remember when the boys were younger and being a full time working parent meant finding daycare AND paying a handsome amount for it. Not very convenient. However, no matter the situation, it is, if nothing else, a break from homework.

10. Pre-Holiday Planning Period: OK, I realize I'm pretty alone in this one, but October allows the hyper-planner in me ample time to get ready for the end of the year holidays and family birthdays (of which we have plenty of). With time to lay out who I need to buy for, I can put some serious thought into great ideas and then I'm ready to purchase when things go on sale. I'm definitely not someone who can wait until mid-December to shop - overcrowded malls make me break out in hives!

Bring it on, Ms October!