Organization 101

Ugh. I have got to get myself together. In multiple aspects.

1. Over the past couple years I have collected an assortment of crafting items like scrapbook paper, glue gun, acrylic paint and brushes, etc. They were all purchased with a specific project in mind, and of course I have leftovers and would never throw them out - that's so wasteful! But now, I have two shelves in our linen/storage closet that are a complete mess full of random crafting stuff. I need to get it sorted and put in an organized container, because it is really annoying me.

2. I also have slacked on organizing our finances/bills since I moved. I DID file our taxes however, and was pleasantly surprised to find that we're getting a sizable return this year. Birthing a child definitely has it's benefits ;) But, back to what I was saying. Our bills are unorganized and right now there are about 3 that are past due. Eeek! I need to get it together.

3. And finally - probably most importantly right now. I have soooooooooo many ideas about how to go about putting my business together. But they are all in my head. In a scatterbrained fashion. I need to get a planner to write some of this stuff down. Because having all these ideas in my head only leads to one thing - eventually some WILL get forgotten/put off/confused etc. So please pray for me as I attempt to get my life in order!!! AHHHHHHHHH!!!

:)

P.S. If you have any organization tips for me, feel free to post a comment! I don't have to do all the talking here, you know!

Time to Take the Plunge...

I mentioned in an earlier post my desire to start my own event-planning company. Well, after talking with my husband I've decided it's now or never. I made a promise to myself to get my business up and running before my 30th birthday. I turned 27 in October and realized I can't keep putting it off. If I don't try, I'll always wonder what if - so now's the time!

For now, I'm just putting myself out there to locals. I want to build up my portfolio a bit before we move to our permanent duty station this summer. I know this may sound crazy, but I actually think I want to specialize in kids' parties/events. I've been looking at all these blogs with ideas for Eva's birthday and there is no limit with what you can do for little kiddos. Now, I am not a supporter of extreme extravagance displayed on shows like My Super Sweet Sixteen and the new Outrageous Kid Parties. Although I would be fortunate from a business standpoint to ever have clients with that kind of spending power - the thought of it just churns my stomach.

I hope to chronicle my foray in entrepreneurship here on the bliggity blog. Here goes nothing!

Your Three Words

picture credit

Eva is now a bonafide meat-eater. I gave her some of my meatloaf last week and she was grunting for more. The other day after she ate a jar of peas, I gave her some small pieces of my baked chicken. Homegirl was all over it:


What mom? I'm eating!



So much chicken, so little time!



She is well on her way to eating more and more table foods by age one!

I actually won something!!!

Check out this blog and scroll down to giveaway 5.

I can't believe it, I'm a winner!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



I know you're probably thinking 'ok a free card design is not that big a deal.' But it is to me. I enter so many contests but remain the perpetual loser.That is why I am so excited about it! And in case you're wondering, I'm going to have her design Eva's party invites. If you remember this post, you'll know plans were starting to take shape. I've got some art projects in the pipeline, so stay tuned for updates! ;)

Eva meets Mr. Swing

Ahhhh, this is so relaxing. Mom, I'm so glad you took me for a walk this morning and found this great park. We've got to do this more often...


Wait, where did that kid come from? Didn't you see I was swinging with my mom?


Seriously, kid. You're not even an infant - why are you in the infant swing? Can't you find somewhere else to play?


Needless to say, I see more scenarios like this during our time here!

Sending virtual hugs and kisses...

This is how you make a kissy face, right?


Mom - that was not a good pic...

Okay, I guess I'll just settle for a smile...


Happy Valentine's Day! Lots of love to our family and friends back home ~ we miss you lots!!!

XOXO - Eva

Finally, some good weather!

I realize that those in the north may dislike this post. You have been warned ;)

I was looking forward to leaving Ohio and coming to Texas so I could leave winter behind and at least enjoy warm weather. Well, a couple days after we got here, the great winter storm of 2011 cruised through here and it's been cold ever since. But yesterday the weather finally got up to 60 degrees and it should be in the 70s all this week. To celebrate, Eva and I went for a 40 minute walk this morning. And it was glorious! I think we'll add that to our daily routine to help us get some fresh air (and also help me shed some of these stubborn pounds!)

Sunny clear weather does wonders for your disposition as well! I think I'll be smiling all week!!! :)

9 months

I can't believe Eva is 9 months old today! Now that she's 9 months, I'm faced with the reality that she'll be turning 1 before you know it!

Yesterday we went to the doctor - it was actually for a sick visit. Since she has an upper respiratory infection, we'll have to go back in a couple weeks for her 9 month check-up and shots :( But we did get some measurements of her today:

Head: 18.5"
Length: 28.5"
Weight: 24 lbs 4 oz

I had a feeling she was about 25 lbs, because it's definitely getting harder to lug her around! On another note, the physician assistant was so surprised that she was there for a sick visit because baby girl was all smiles. Kind of like this:


Here's what Eva has been up to this month:

• Can stand and hold herself up, like on the coffee table or her play pen
• Babbles ALL.THE.TIME. I have no clue what she's saying, but I'm certain that once she learns real words she will be a motormouth!
• Has finally 'grasped' the pincer grasp (picking up objects with index finger and thumb)
• Is actually chewing on food, so momma is trying new stuff out all the time
• Eats 3 meals a day and at least one snack. She's also nursing more frequently these days, so it's either for comfort due to being sick, or someone is going through a growth spurt!
• Does NOT crawl. She rolls and scoots to get where she wants to go.

This is such a fun age, and I'm loving it. I'm so thankful to God for this time to stay home with my boo and see her learn new things everyday. Wonder what next month will have in store for us...

Day 30-a picture

Yay! Finally done with the 30-day challenge! Since once again, this request is so vague, I just picked a random picture that makes me giggle:

So I have to admit, I prescheduled the posts over the past 10 days or so. And if I hadn't, I'm sure I would have failed the the 30-day challenge, lol.

Now that it is done, I hope to post at least 3-4 times a week. Hold me to it!

Day 29-3 Wishes

1. For E to have a happy, healthy life and to achieve all her dreams and goals.
2. When my parents retire, if it's possible, I'd like to live in the same state, if not same city.
3. To eventually have my own business that runs so well I can be choosy with what projects I take, so I can focus on my family first.

The Hunger Games

One of the bloggers I follow is an avid reader, like myself. She recommended that her followers read The Hunger Games trilogy. I made a mental note, but forgot all about it.

Fast forward several weeks and I'm at Wal-Mart buying a few last minute things for our trip to Texas. I see the first book in the series and think, it's probably good to have reading material for our flights. Well, that didn't happen, considering I was alone with a squirmy baby. But in between unpacking boxes this week I finished the first book. And Friday I made a trip to the local library to check out the other 2. As of this afternoon I had finished reading them both.

Yes, I am a quick reader. (The books are about 400 pages) However, only really riveting stories like this one require me to keep reading. The plot and character development is just that riveting.

I went online today to see if there's any rumors of movie deals. The script has already been written, a director and release date set for the first film (March 2012). Even though I've read the series and of course know how it ends, I am super pumped to see it on the big screen. In the meantime, I'll make due with the Twilight finale ;)

Day 28-Something that stresses you out

Well if you read my post about 'something I've learned' you'll remember I'm trying to remove as much unnecessary stress from my life as possible. But I think the top stress-inducer for me is uncertainty. And the last year or so has been full of it!

I had lots of uncertainty with my job for numerous reasons. In July 2009 my manager 'quit' - which basically means she went part time only working on one project with no end date in sight. Of course her other responsibilities fell to me, in the mean time. By November 2010, she was back on, full time, but no longer my manager. During this time, my employer (an association) made a dramatic structural change (we became an association mgmt company, offering services to my former employer and other organizations) Not only were there questions about how the process would work, we also had to get to know the other clients and what projects we would work on for them. So when I quit in December, that was a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.

Originally my husband wanted to go to dental school. The application process starts a whole year prior to the school year you hope to enroll, so back in summer 2009 we were in the thick of getting all his requirements submitted. Fast forward to late winter/early spring 2010, and the plan has changed to the military. If any of you are familiar with military life, it is chock-full of surprises and twists and changes-to-original-plans. First we didn't know when he'd go to boot camp. Then we didn't know what his career field would be. And once he had left for boot camp the biggest question was, where would our first duty station be?

Well, last week we did get our answer - and it was our top pick! But (you knew that was coming, didn't you?) my hubs is in the middle of discussions with his chain-of-command about a possible career switch and/or getting commissioned as an officer. Which creates a fresh batch of uncertainty in my life.

What is my coping mechanism? I try to focus on the now. I cannot change the future, so I choose to not think about it!

Day 27-Pets

We currently do not have any pets. And I don't think that will change any time soon. Not that I don't like pets - I do. When I was 6-7ish I remember having fish. I'm not sure how long they lived, but I do know that it wasn't long! On my 11th birthday, my parents gave me a dog, who I named Joey. He was about 2 months old when I got him, and he was so hyperactive and jumped a lot, and that's where I came up with his name. (Joey - name for baby kangaroos) Joey was a Keeshond. Here's a pic so you have an idea of what he looked like:

Not Joey! picture credit

That fur was cute, but so annoying! It got everywhere around the house. And it was rare to not find fur on our clothes. He was a very good dog; obedient and super loyal. When he was about 10 years old we found out he had cancer. And it had spread throughout his body when we found out. So while on my spring break in 2005, we put him down. As hard as that was, it was even harder seeing him suffer. He was a completely different dog - he wouldn't eat, or bark and he was barely walking. My dad actually had to carry him up and down the stairs.

So because I don't think I'd want to go through that again, as well as the work that goes into having pets, we are a pet-free family for now. Maybe when E gets older we'll consider it, but for now it's not in the cards.

Your Three Words

Picture credit

Well folks, we're down here in Te-jas! It was seventy degrees when we got here, and then that nasty storm ran through here on Tuesday - since then it's been around 20 degrees every day. I thought I left winter behind in Ohio!

The move is, well, not completely over. We've still got lots of unopened boxes in the apartment. For the most part the kitchen, bathroom and E's room are together. But our living room and master bedroom look like hazardous zones. There's only so much I can do during the day with the little one around. And when hubby gets home, he eats, plays with her for a little bit and goes to bed. I can't blame him, because he is on base for long hours. So hopefully, this weekend we can wrap up the majority of unpacking and start arranging this place to look like a home! I'm praying that pesky Super Bowl doesn't derail our progress...

Day 26-Picture of your family

This was taken at my parents' 30th anniversary party in August:

Day 25-Put your iPod on shuffle, first 10 songs

Now I have to forewarn you. I cleaned out my old closet at my parents' house and there were a bunch of old cds from high school in there. I didn't want to keep them, but I still wanted the music so I downloaded them into iTunes. I've never downloaded anything else into iTunes, so they're the only albums in there. Here goes!

I wish - R. Kelly
Basement - Puddle of Mudd
Don't you say No - R. Kelly
Six in the morning - Avant
Yesterday - Boyz II Men
Teach You a Lesson - Robin Thicke
If I Were a Boy - Beyonce
Fallin' In Love - Faith Evans
Suicide - Avant
Rock Your Body - Justin Timberlake

The two songs I italicized were from albums that were in my car, that's why they're more current than the rest.

Day 24-Something you've learned

Recently I've realized that sometimes we over-complicate our lives. We join too many committees, which leads to too many meetings. We create spreadsheets, lists, planners, etc. to keep ourselves organized, but those very tools take time and energy to create in the first place. We want to throw perfect parties and have an immaculately decorated home - which creates stress about all the details to bring everything together.

Just as one occasionally needs to declutter your home, office, car, etc., I have removed some nonessential activities that have only caused me stress. While I won't completely quit any of the things listed above, I have learned to only participate in things that are necessary or fun. When I'm in the heat of a stressful moment, I must stop and ask myself if something is necessary; if not, in the big picture, will it make me happy? This helps me keep perspective on life and prioritize what's important. My new motto is 'Simplify everything'. And I think it will be a life-long journey to live the simple life.