Cleaning Up the Clutter

Yoga Confession

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 27 May 2021 02:23:00 +0000

It's nuts that it's been two years since I've blogged here at Cleaning up the Clutter. A lot has happened in my life in that two years, as it has for all of us. This can effectively be described in one word. Covid. Of course, there were many ups and downs, as wells as changes and stagnations, in between. I'm not quite as comfortable writing here as I once was. Time heals, but time also makes us lose our capacity for certain practices.

In those long months and short days, I dove into yoga headfirst. I started going to yoga classes once a week in 2019. Soon after the 2020 shut down happened, I found myself practicing yoga daily via YouTube. Eventually, I got the wild idea I should become a yoga teacher. Enrolled in a YTT 200 program, I do some combination of the eight limbs of yoga daily. Fast forward a bit and I'm getting dangerously close to reaching my goal.

This is a document of that journey. Or, rather a brief document that I've been taking a journey.

No one reads this blog anymore anyway and that's a relief, really. It's become a journal, a neglected journal, but a journal none the less. Is it a safe place to confess I've been working toward this somewhat solid, but occasionally shaky goal? The people closest to me know, but no one beyond that. Welcome to my public announcement, my confessional, and my request for forgiveness.

There is no better example of Cleaning up the Clutter than finding an internal calm. I'm essentially cleaning the clutter out of my mind, learning to live in the present moment, ditching the stress that comes with thoughts of the future or anxiety about what I said or did in the past. It's a struggle. But, for me, yoga seems to keep the beast at bay for a moment.

Here I go.

Romance 101: Why We Love Hallmark Movies

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 08 Mar 2019 01:04:00 +0000

I discovered Hallmark Christmas movies a bit before Thanksgiving when I spent an entire Saturday, stuffed up with a head cold, laying on the couch, box of tissues at hand, watching movie after movie. The characters were likable, beautiful, and well dressed. The settings, often hung with sparkling white Christmas lights, were magical. The plots were simple, but engaging. I was intrigued and pleasantly captivated by each movie. My love affair hasn't ended with Christmas movies. I've since delved into their Valentine and Spring Fever movie offerings.

It seems I'm not the only one enamored with Hallmark movies. According to The Wire, the Hallmark Channel finished the final months of 2018 as the highest-rated and most-watched cable network for the fourth quarter among women 18-49 and women 25-54 (source). There's even an app for that! You can keep track of your Hallmark movies with a free app available through iTunes (source).

So, what's the appeal? Other than the obvious factors listed above, I think Hallmark movies remind us of simpler times and simpler media. There's no need to think too deeply to work out confusing plots like those of some recent, popular shows (Game of Thrones, I'm pointing at you). There's no disappointing ending (ahem...Lost) and your favorite characters don't die (again...Game of Thrones).

The characters are similar, often focusing on a career woman who has to move back home or travel somewhere different to take care of business, whether family, personal, or career (it varies). She meets an upstanding bachelor who's down on his luck in love. They fall in love. Sometimes they kiss early on in the movie, but more often there's no kiss until after the last commercial break. Hallmark movies are 100% safe to watch with kids in the room. Other popular shows, not so much (your turn, Grey's Anatomy and your over the top sex talk).

The endings are predictable and happy, which is oddly comforting. Maybe because nothing is predictable in real life, so snuggling on the couch under a blanket watching an ending you saw coming a mile away is satisfying.

Love Under the Rainbow Starring Jodie Sweetin and David Haydn-Jones.

Hallmark movies have positive, uncomplicated messages, feature strong, successful women, and leave the viewer feeling happy. I can't wait to see what they have on tap for Summer and Fall!

What Can I Use Instead Of Plastic Straws?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 28 Apr 2018 17:51:00 +0000

Have you ever thought about how bad plastic straws are for the environment? I never did. At least, I didn't until about a month ago when a friend told me plastic straws are one of the worst polluters in our oceans. We use about 500 million plastic straws in America every day, according to the website Strawless Ocean. Unfortunately, too many of these straws make their way to our oceans and waterways.

"So, why is that a problem?" I asked my friend. Obviously, I knew it was unsightly to look at straws washing up on beaches and such, but I wanted to know if there was a bigger problem. It turns out, there is. Plastic straws are small enough to be easily ingested by marine life. Once a turtle, sea bird, or other animal has plastic in their system, they have a 50% mortality rate. This is terrible, especially for those creatures that are already hovering on or near the endangered species list.

What can we do? None of us want to be responsible for the death of a sea turtle, after all.

Say No to Straws

Really think about your straw use. Do you need one every time you get a fountain drink? Do you always need one when you're in a restaurant? Ok, maybe sometimes you do. But, reducing your use can go a long way towards decreasing the amount of straws that end up in the ocean.

Re-usable Straws

Try stainless steel drinking straws. They even come with a tiny scrub brush for cleaning. I don't know why, but when I look at the picture on Amazon, it makes me want to drink an old-fashioned milkshake. There was a diner where I grew up called The Calico Kitchen. It's not there anymore, but I remember them for their ice cold, thick and delicious chocolate milkshakes always served in a tall glass with a stainless steel cup of the "extra" on the side. I bet a stainless steel straw would make a milkshake taste even better.

Paper Straws

It's a little hard to wrap my mind around how a paper straw would work. Wouldn't it get soggy and fall apart? But, according to the reviews I read on Amazon, they work just fine. Paper straws are biodegradable and come in many different colors and patterns. I'm thinking they'd be a cute addition to a birthday party table setting.

I'm happy to have three readily-available alternatives to plastic drinking straws. Can you think of others? What do you do to avoid plastic straws?

Silver Linings

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 04 Mar 2017 22:34:00 +0000

Yesterday was as ordinary as an early March day can get. After unseasonably warm February temps, we were back into the teens with a piercing wind chill. A quick snow flurry fell in the late afternoon, causing more than one person in the office to swear upon looking out the window. Wasn't it spring last week?

I wasn't happy about having to scrape the ice and snow off my car. Who would be? It didn't help that I'd left my gloves at home that morning. My hands were frozen. The drive was mundane. The radio seemed to only be playing commercials. I just wanted to go home, where the couch is soft and the blankets are warm. The car never gets warm fast enough on days like that, you know?

I texted my ex earlier in the day asking him to confirm he'd be doing pick up from the after-school program. He never responded. I have a fear we're going to miscommunicate and leave the little guy stranded, so unless I get a confirmation, I assume I'm doing pick up. I pressed pause on my dreams of the couch, a glass of wine, and the TV remote, as I drove toward the school, futilely searching for some good music on the radio dial.

There are never any close parking spaces when the wind chill factor is in single digits. Still, I made it in the building without suffering any major frost bite.

"Put your jacket on. It's very cold out," I told my son as he gathered his things to leave. We were headed out of the building when his dad walked in. "Sorry," he said, then made some excuse about not seeing my text because he was standing in line at Fed-Ex. I wanted to argue and point out that I had actually sent three texts at different times throughout the afternoon. The first two were a couple of hours apart. The last one was a curt "I'm leaving work now. Who's picking him up?"

All it takes is a couple seconds to respond. "Me," he could have texted. Two letters. Two seconds to save me a longer drive home.

I left my son with his dad and continued home. People are who they are and I'd long since given up on getting respect or even consideration from this person. I turned the radio up (music, finally!) and shook off my annoyance. The bright side is I got to see my son for a couple of minutes. He and his brothers were going to be at their dad's house that night, so stealing a minute or two with him was the silver lining.

As I turned a corner, I realized the snow from earlier in the day was covering the ground in a silvery haze. It clung to every tree in a way that made them look like they had all been dipped in liquid platinum. I've never seen anything like it. The near-dusk sky showcased a faint pink hue that seemed to be clinging to the last of the snow clouds purposefully, as if the sky knew the effect would be ruined once it let those clouds track east. It looked like a silvery-pink fairy world. It took my breath away. I never knew early March could be so beautiful. Silver linings, indeed.

Riding the Wave: Random thoughts While in a Cleaing Mood

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 27 Feb 2017 00:50:00 +0000

Every now and again, an honest to goodness cleaning mood strikes. Does that ever happen to you? It hits me now and again, though it took a long sabbatical for the past several years. Alas, the past is the past and water under the bridge or more like, dust bunnies under the couch. It's 2017 and my cleaning mood has come on with a vengeance. I'm not sure why. But, some things you don't question, you know?

The past several weekends, I've tackled large cleaning projects that have been neglected for years. Mind you, I've lived in this house for about 15 years. That's plenty of time for dirt and grime to accumulate in all kinds of places. Back when I started this blog, I really did do a top to bottom house cleaning. Everything got touched, cleaned, scrubbed, and shined. But, a lot of life has happened since then. Oh, and I live with 3 kids, one boyfriend, one dog, two cats, and a fish. For the record, the fish isn't that messy, but everyone else is, me included.

Since this mood struck, I've been in a whirlwind of activity. Oddly, I'm even going to go so far as to say I've enjoyed it. Weird, I know.

I've cleaned two of my kitchen windows thoroughly. Hidden between the storm windows and the double hungs, I found cobwebs, spider egg sacks, a dried up (thankfully small) hornet's nest, dried leaves, and lots and lots of grime. We had blissfully warm weather last weekend, so I spent a breezy afternoon raising and lowering sashes as I moved in and out of the house to clean, vacuum, scrub, and Windex everything thing, inside and out. I even washed the curtains.

This weekend, I tackled the bathroom window. It was much colder and I was feeling a bit lazier, so I did all my work from the inside. It did, however, involve use of a razor blade to scrap a bit of mold and old glazing compound off the panes of glass. A previous owner really could have benefitted from watching a YouTube video on glazing windows before he or she slapped the putty on there. It was a mess. One I ignored for the last 15 years.

I've also taken to setting my timer for 15 or 20 minutes to go through the house decluttering. It makes a huge difference in tidiness! It's hardly any work at all.

After the timer dings, I re-set it for 10 minutes and arm myself with a bottle of Windex and a clean rag. Windex has become my friend. I've long used vinegar as my all-purpose cleaner for surfaces, but lately, I've defected to Windex. I'm not throwing in my crunchy and frugal card just yet, but I'm thinking these days that Windex gives things a shine that homemade cleaners don't. I hate the smell, though. Store-brand Windex (probably not really Windex, which, I'm sure is a trademarked name), is pretty cheap, for the record.

I've got big plans for the next several weekends. I'm hoping the cleaning mood lasts. I need to clean the tops of my kitchen cabinets, clean out my basement utility room, steam clean my rugs, and a million other things. It never ends, but there's something so satisfying about how the house feels after a bit of deep cleaning. What are you cleaning this week?

Stomach Virus Vs. Us

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 09 Jan 2017 01:37:00 +0000

When I was a kid and the stomach virus struck hard and heavy, I would lie down on my bed in agony, towels spread out on my pillow and the floor as targets. I don't know why we didn't have a puke bucket. It was a revelation to me, as a parent, to use a bucket or old pot to catch any and all emissions. Of course, it's not fool proof. Sleepy, sick children don't always have the best aim, but it certainly helps.

The stomach virus is non-discriminatory. It can hit anyone, no matter age, sex, race, or religion. It's the great equalizer on the playground and the greatest excuse ever invented to duck out of social functions. When you drop those two words "stomach virus", you and your
family are exempt from any and all appearances for the time being.

Still, most of us would rather be out there in the world participating in life, than be curled up in the fetal position at home puking our brains out, as my kids like to say. When rumors of stomach virus start circulating around the community, some take measures right away to prevent it from darkening their doorstep. One family I know kept their kids home from school the day before Christmas vacation started and they weren't even sick. That's brilliant, I say. We all know they aren't doing anything but passing germs in class that day anyway.

That's not an option for everyone, like those of us that have full-time jobs away from home. Sick days have to be saved for actual sick days. So, what's a family to do?

What is the Stomach Virus?

The CDC (Center for Disease Control) says the stomach virus is caused by the norovirus, which is actually a group of viruses that cause vomiting and diarrhea. It typically runs its course in 1-3 days. They estimate the average person will get the stomach virus about 5 times in their life. Of course, that's just an estimate. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure I've been down and out with my head in a puke bucket more than 5 times in my life.

How do we Get the Stomach Virus?

Unfortunately for anyone that's in contact with others (all of us), the stomach virus spreads quickly. It can tear its way through a classroom full of children before a small-town rumor mill has a chance to spread the word. We're all at risk. The CDC states this is how we get it:

We consume food or drink contaminated with norovirus.
We touch norovirus contaminated objects, then put our fingers in our mouth.
We have direct contact with someone who is suffering from norovirus.

How can we Prevent the Stomach Virus?

This is a tricky topic, because, of course, there are no guarantees. You can do your best to clean, scrub, and avoid, and still end up with a churning stomach. Your best bet is to pay attention to cleanliness once someone in your house has brought the stomach virus in the door. WebMD recommends you do the following to prevent stomach virus:

Wash hands frequently.
Use a bleach-based household cleaner to clean and sanitize any contaminated surfaces.
Immediately wash soiled linens and clothing in hot, soapy water.

I can't stress enough how thorough you have to be when you clean and sanitize contaminated surfaces. Don't just get the surfaces that were affected by bodily fluids, but sanitize doorknobs, sink handles, the toilet lever, basically, anything you can think of that either the sick person or the person cleaning touched. Likewise, wash your hands more than you've ever washed them before. I washed my hands 15 times the night I cleaned up my son's vomit. That is not an exaggeration.

Some of us (me) like to do a little more than clean to help prevent a stomach virus from taking hold. Dr. Google lead me to lots of blogs that recommend grape juice, apple cider vinegar, and probiotics. Here's a blog post about stomach virus prevention that nicely sums up the reasoning behind the home remedies. Of course, I check everything out on Snopes before I believe it as fact and Snopes found the grape juice theory unproven. My theory is that it can't hurt, so I drank a glass of grape juice every day for a week or two.

Something I did worked because I didn't come down with it. It's been two weeks now and I think it's safe to say I'm free and clear. Until next time, that is.

How to Re-Start a Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 26 Dec 2016 16:40:00 +0000

I wanted to be a professional writer. The only way I knew how to do that was to practice writing for an audience. I started this blog to cultivate a daily writing habit with built-in feedback, fans, and critics. It worked, for a while. It became a springboard to other great writing ventures. I ended up getting published on other websites and in print, including a very small craft article in Highlights for Children. I had monthly, paid writing contracts with a couple of websites.

Eventually, I learned that it's a hard way to make a living, especially once I divorced and had three children and a home to support on one income. I needed health insurance, needed to maintain my vehicle, and keep electricity on in my house. A writing income wasn't enough, so it took a back burner to my full-time job. I tried to keep up with my writing contracts, but had to resign after a couple of months. I was never good at burning the candle at both ends.

Alas, some dreams never die, even if they end up on life support for a time. The only way to improve writing skill is to write. Practice makes perfect. Slow and steady wins out in the end.

Here I go again, I hope on a regular basis. I'll still be addressing cleaning topics. It's a good way for me to focus in on a topic and not just ramble on like I'm doing in this post.

As a disclaimer, I'm no cleaning expert. Who is, really? What I am is a person who loves a clean home, though I realize that it's not an easy feat. I fight with my own inner nature of being a bit on the lazy side when it comes to housework.

I hope to once again bring you, faithful reader, cleaning tips that make sense for busy people, ways to de-clutter, and ways to stay organized, recycle, and stay sane while raising kids, working, and maintaining personal relationships.

What I don't have time for now is the endless promoting and seeking ads for my blog that I did in the past. I'm keeping my disclaimers up on the "About Me" page, because I have links on older articles that I'm too lazy to go through and delete. I don't care about my stats. If you find your way to my blog, then you did it because the Google gods favored me that day, not because I spent five hours trying to up my ranking in search engines the week before. I don't have time for that.

If you stay and read a bit, I thank you. It really means a lot to me and I appreciate the time you spent here! I know how valuable time is.

I still love feedback. I want to know if what I'm writing is striking a chord, inspiring you, or making you angry. I want to improve as a writer and you can help me do that by leaving a comment. I will not approve comments that are strictly advertising for other websites or businesses, so please don't clog my e-mail. The clutter-free lifestyle includes e-mail and my comments section, too!

The only way to have a clean house is to clean and the only way to be a professional writer is to write. Neither is going to happen otherwise.

Code Brown: The Septic Back Up

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 02:26:00 +0000

"I didn't sign up for this," my handy and very sexy boyfriend said as he came out of the laundry room with a putty knife in his hand. He'd been using it to scrape linoleum glue off the floor. We had to rip the linoleum up after our septic tank backed up all over the floor. There are no words to describe the utter level of grossness I feel right now.

Actually, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Every now and again, I hear people talking about so and so's septic backing up. It never happens to anyone you know directly. It's always the guy down the street from your work friend or the illusive Great Aunt Marge. Your mom remembers Marge from way back when, but the last time you met her, you were wearing diapers. People talk about septic back ups the way they do about rare diseases. It's done in whispers and a look heavenward with the hopes that the evil septic spirits will visit someone else, but not you. Dear God, not you! If you're Catholic, you quickly give the sign of the cross when the words "septic back up" are spoken.

The laundry room floor and a small bit of carpet in our finished basement were sacrificed to the septic gods on this fine June Sunday. I was doing a load of laundry, went down to check it's progress, only to find what I thought was a washing machine malfunction. Upon closer inspection, I saw evidence that the problem was a bit more serious. Specifically, pieces of poo and toilet paper floating in an inch of standing water on the linoleum. My first thought was "how the heck am I going to get the laundry done?" I spent the next two hours in the laundromat while my handy boyfriend was at his parents' house installing a screen door. He got home before I did.

"Ok. We've got some issues here," he texted me as soon as he got home and surveyed the damage.

We made arrangements for the boys to spend the night at their dad's house. Then we started calling emergency plumbers. Call number one couldn't be here until tomorrow between 10:00 and 12:00. That's not good enough when the toilets won't flush. Call number two was very helpful, but he thought we might need our septic tank pumped and he didn't have the ability to do that. We struck gold with call number 3. He'd be here in an hour with equipment. He could pump and snake our main line, if needed.

The boyfriend and the two septic guys talked guy talk. I heard the f-bomb dropped a few times. By the time they left, I had working toilets, was a little poorer, and had gotten some advice on a long-time plumbing problem that we'll fix by moving our washer and dryer to another part of the basement. (Basically, the pipe the washer drains into is too small. It needs a 4-inch pipe, but only has the 2-inch pipe that was standard in the 1960s when my house was built.)

The septic work was pretty cheap as far as these things go. I'd braced myself for major work costing thousands of dollars. I was thinking about loans and the fact that I have a child starting college in a year. I was getting ready to check Pinterest for outhouse plans (who needs indoor plumbing anyway?), when the fabulous septic guys gave me the good news.

The septic problem is fixed and you don't have to re-mortgage your house!

We're left with major clean up duties in the laundry room. Linoleum has been pulled up. Sexy boyfriend and I have scraped linoleum glue off the concrete. He's pulled down old, water-stained ceiling tiles (not stained by the septic back-up, but a leaky tub in the upstairs bathroom years ago) and ripped off a piece of 1970s paneling just to see what's beneath it. A laundry room makeover was on our long-term list of home fix-it projects. With the septic back up of 2016, it's moved to the top of the list. If we're going to do a part of it, we're doing it all. That's the way he rolls.

Stay tuned for laundry room updates. Our goal: utter grossness will be transformed to the nicest room in the house. It'll no longer be a laundry room, but rather, it will be our half-bath with a good-sized storage closest.

Welcome Back!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 06 May 2015 17:07:00 +0000

As I type this first blog post in almost two years, I'm noticing how strange it seems to be back. I didn't expect that! It's like time has dissolved and I'm sitting at my kitchen table, kids home from school, trying to plan dinner, and get in as much writing as I can before the late afternoon/evening rush starts, just like I did before the divorce and the full-time job cast my writing fancies to the very bottom of my to-do list. Truthfully, they didn't even make the list most of the time.

Lately, though, my fingers have been itching to dance across the keyboard again. There are few things I like better than to feel and hear my hands typing out my thoughts onto the screen in front of me. There's something comforting about it. And, I can't deny how therapeutic it is. My mind can whirl so fast sometimes, its a wonder I don't spin away into the clouds. Writing calms the craziness right down.

I kept a personal journal for much of that time. A writer has got to write, after all. I made some lengthy entries in that thing, too. Good thing there's no max word count in Microsoft Word. I was truly feeling the need to keep things very personal and close to me in that time period as I processed all the changes in my life. In fact, I even made this blog private and locked it down so it wouldn't show up in search engines and only I could view it. Not that I did. I was moving on from my previous life and just wanted to put everything behind me.

The changes were monumental. As I said, I got divorced. One of the reasons I didn't want to blog through that is because I wanted to protect the kids. I had so much anger and resentment toward my ex that I spewed all over the pages of my private journal. I didn't want any of it to creep into my public writing for the kids to view at any point in their lives. I still have a lot of anger and resentment, but it's simmered down to a point now where I can keep it from bleeding out all over the keyboard.

One thing I learned (among many) is that when you are going through a difficult life change, like a divorce, you don't have to explain yourself or your reasons to anyone unless you want to. People just don't understand each other's personal stories. It's easy to get defensive about your choices when people throw things at you about trying counseling (we did), just learning to let things go (I had for 15 years - it wasn't working for me anymore), or staying together for the kids (it's actually not good for kids to grow up in a house with miserable parents). So, I withdrew and only talked about it with a few, close friends and family.

When I look back over that time, I can't believe how far we've come. Not just me, but the kids, too! They are so much happier. Both of their parents are happier and it shows in them. My house is actually pretty close to being clutter free and I finally have relief from all the anxiety the clutter caused me. It's almost comical that I had this whole blog about cleaning up the clutter and, truthfully, it wasn't even my clutter. I was trying to manage someone else's mess and it took a serious toll on me.

It's great to be back. I may stick around for awhile or I may make a fresh start on a new blog. Either way, I've got to keep writing.

Climbing a Steep Learning Curve

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 30 Jun 2013 19:14:00 +0000

The transition to a full-time working-out-of-the-house mom isn't smooth. But, I LOVE it. I'm glad to shake the mommy-brain cobwebs out. I was more than ready for this.

My job isn't glamorous, strenuous, or difficult, but there's something about it I love. Maybe it's the chance to meet new people and learn new things. Or maybe it's the mental break I get while driving to and from work 5 days a week. Or maybe it's the pay check. Truly, I think it's all of the above.

What I'm doing at my new job is answering phones, scheduling sales appointments and service calls, paperwork, filing, and figuring out the somewhat antiquated and always quirky computer system at a window company. That's right - the company I work for sells and installs windows. I told you it wasn't glamorous. Still, I've learned more about windows in the last few months than I've ever known in my life. And, there's lots more to learn.

The awesome thing is I work with a great bunch of people. They're down to earth and friendly. I've never worked anywhere quite like this, actually. If I put a swear jar on my desk (and if they used it - lol), we'd make some lucky charity very happy around Christmastime. Yet, I've seen these young twenty or thirty-something guys on the crew drop everything to drive to an elderly customers home to help them with their windows.

Transitioning to not being at home to take care of everything has been the most difficult part of going back to work. The first few weeks, I was exhausted and stressed. It didn't help that the first two babysitters I hired quit. I'm fortunate to have a couple of very good friends and neighbors who filled in while I found someone else. (Thanks Tracy and Kristin!). The new babysitter is working out wonderfully. She'll be with us through the summer months until the boys are all back in school full time.

My family's diet has taken a major blow in the last few months, too. I've been going for convenience way more than I ever have in my life as a parent. We've been eating boxed mac & cheese, PB&J, hamburgers, hotdogs, and pizza a lot. It's about survival, you know? I just needed to get through each day with everyone fed and in bed by the time the sun went down. The tide is turning, though. I've got big plans for my crock pot this week.

One thing I've managed to keep up is running. In fact, I'm putting some serious miles on my sneakers (eight miles today!). I'm hitting the pavement at about 5:30 in the morning. I've learned to mostly love the early hour, though I'm not sure that will still be true in January. For now, I'm out and back before the kids' eyelids start to flutter open.

I've missed writing so much! I tried to keep up with my writing duties at Holidays Central and MomRecipes, but I had to resign. It was just too much. It became a source of stress and dread, which is not what I ever want to feel about writing. I want to explore other writing outlets eventually, but for now, I'm going to stick with my personal journal and occasional updates here. I've kept up my journal, which, if you're a writer, you'll understand. It's a must to type and get the thoughts out.

I'm sure my readership here has dropped significantly since I last updated. That's okay! I hope some of my old readers will drop by to say hi, though! Let me know what's going on in your life!

I Want My Mommy

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 21:33:00 +0000

Sometimes, no matter how old you are, you just want your mom.

The older you get, the more you realize life is all about change. When the changes are drastic, you want to crawl back to your mom and, well, be mothered. Even when you're a mother yourself, it's nice to have your own mother tell you everything is going to be okay and mean it.

I realize I'm fortunate to still have my mom. I no longer have my dad and haven't for some time. I'm truly blessed to have a wonderful mom who not only turned the other cheek when I was a rotten teenager, but has, through the years, remained a non-judgmental source of support for me.

The boys and I are making the 5-hour drive up north in a few weeks to see her. I can't wait.

I haven't been the best daughter. I haven't visited as much as I should have. I'm vowing to change this year. There are no more excuses. I'm planning on heading north frequently this spring, summer and fall.

I've been homesick for quite some time, though I haven't been indulging in it like I was last fall. I'm anxious to get up there again, sleep in my mom's house and show the boys around my hometown. Somehow, life seems simpler in the tiny village of Hermon. I know it's not really. But, I can pretend while I'm there, right?

Run Run Run

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 15:53:00 +0000

I'm newly in love with running. To all of you that are not runners, I apologize for this post. I know how irritating it is to read about running when you are not into it. I've been there. I swore for years that I would never and could never be a runner.

I honestly don't know how it happened. Maybe it was all the Facebook posts of my friends and relatives who are runners that slowly worked on my subconscious. Maybe it was seeing my son and his soccer team do corner sprints at practice last fall and remembering how good it felt to be that fit when I was 13. Maybe I just needed something to get my mind off all the crap that's been weighing heavily on me these days.

However I got here, I laced up my running sneakers in September and am loving it so much I signed up for a half marathon. I've got until Labor Day to train enough to make it possible. The cool thing is, I really think I can do it. I know I can do it. The other cool thing is, I talked my sister into doing it with me!

I've got a training schedule posted on my fridge. I'm on week 3. Tomorrow's goal is 6 miles.

I'm not following it exactly, but I'm trying to hit the Saturday mileage each week. So far, so good.

I don't remember the website where I found this handy little chart, otherwise I'd include the link. I'm actually running a bit more during the week than the chart recommends, but I'm definitely including rest days, even when I don't want to! I know they're important. And, of course, with three boys, they can't be helped anyway. Sometimes the scheduling just doesn't work out to include running time!

Today, we have a snow day. I could run anytime, but I'm waiting until it warms up a bit this afternoon so the roads will be clearer.

Spring is coming soon, right? The only thing that could possibly make this better is not having to run on slippery roads wearing winter gear!

Job Interview Next Week!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 22:14:00 +0000

I started a post about feeling disorganized lately, which really was going to be blog filler. I was hoping it would come together into something coherent and witty, if I was lucky. Honestly, I wasn't really feeling it. I'm not that disorganized anyway. I'm certainly the most organized person in this house, but maybe that's not saying much.

Then, I got some exciting news that's the perfect reason to scrap the lackluster garbage.

I have a job interview next week!

How exciting is that?

I feel like I just got asked to the prom!

The position is a part-time human resources assistant. I've always wanted to work in HR, even back in the day when I had a full-time office job. I secretly coveted moving down to the HR department. Part-time is perfect for me right now, what with the kids' schedules. It'd be a great way for me to get re-introduced to the intricacies of child care, work clothes, and rush-hour traffic.

Okay, the child care thing is a new one for me. But, my kids aren't babies, so I'm sure it will work out just fine, especially with a part-time schedule.

Rush-hour traffic, I can handle. I've done it before.

That brings me to clothes. Oh my God! What should I wear to the interview? Skirt? Nice black, dress pants? Do I need a jacket over a blouse? Do women still wear pantyhose? (Please say no.) This is suddenly making me nervous!

What about the interview itself? It's been a long time since I've had one. I need your tips. And a self-confidence boost! What should I say? What should I not say?

Fingers crossed that I get the job, but I'm really happy just to get asked to interview. That means my resume doesn't suck.

I guess I can't brag about my organizational skills until I'm working outside of the home. When I've successfully done that for a few weeks, I'll be sure to write that blog post. Hopefully it'll be more interesting than what I started today.

Valentine's Day Was So Last Month

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 21:27:00 +0000

When you write, whether it's for websites or print magazines, you're not writing for the moment. You need to be ahead of the curve, or rather, the calendar. It makes sense, if you think about it. Websites and magazines want their articles to be timely. That means they have to be submitted well ahead of the actual holidays.

Last month, I was thinking romantic thoughts so I could write Valentine's Day articles for Holidays Central. This month, as we bear down on actual Valentine's Day, I've moved on to St. Patrick's Day.

Part of my writing responsibilities involve getting crafty with my kids, taking pictures of our projects, and writing up how-to articles on what we did. Today's craft was a bit of a miss for my five year old.

Here's my rainbow and pot of gold project. This is what it's supposed to look like:

Rainbow with Pot of Gold

Here's his:

Rainbow with Elmer's Glue

Luckily, my crafting abilities are such that most things I make look like they were done by a 7 or 8-year-old kid anyway. I think this St. Paddy's day craft still qualifies for the Kids and Crafts category, though my little guy may have been a bit too little to pull it off. Or, perhaps he was more interested in eating the cereal than gluing it to paper. Fruit Loops are a rare treat in this house.

Speaking of writing for upcoming seasons, a craft article I sold to Highlight's for Children almost THREE years ago is going to print this summer! Look for it in the July issue! If you don't get Highlight's for Children, you can usually find it at your local library.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Please Vote for Her!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 03:14:00 +0000

She's a blogger and a friend of a friend of my sisters. Did you follow that?

Her name is Tracy Winslow and she blogs at Momiacal. Her blog is funny, entertaining, and relatable!

She's in the running at the Top 25 Funny Mom blogs of 2013 at the Circle of Moms. She's holding steady at #23 right now and needs your help to pull her up to the top! I know we can do it! Let's pull her up!

Vote early, vote often!

(Marianne, why aren't you on this list?)

How Do You Celebrate Valentine's Day?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 20:50:00 +0000

Is Valentine's Day a big holiday in your house?

It's not too much, here. I love the kids' school celebrations. My 5-year-old (that's right, FIVE), is excited for his first-ever V-day celebration at preschool. He can't wait to exchange corny cards and partake of the Valentine's Day candy haul that seems to be the norm these days. He's been waiting all his life for this.

Otherwise, Valentine's Day is pretty low key at our house, which seems funny since I spent the last several days of January feverishly writing Valentine's Day articles for Holidays Central.

Photo from Habitation of Justice. (Check out their other anti-Valentine's Day photos - so funny!)

Here's my favorite:

The Anti-Valentine's Day Party

I'm not down on Valentine's Day, but I had a lot of fun writing this article. Truthfully, I'm kind of a fan of Cupid these days, so I hope he doesn't take offense. It was all in good fun.

Here I Go Again

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 15:52:00 +0000

I'm always so grateful to participate in a BlogHer book review, especially when the book is fun and entertaining. Here I Go Again by Jen Lancaster is that and more.

I had no idea what to expect when I read the first chapter. Honestly, the main character, Lissy, was unlikable. She was an anti-hero if there ever was one. I couldn't relate to her on any level, except maybe her high school musical tastes.

As the book went on, I found myself rooting for her. She was just a girl trying to make her way in the world, like all of us. Lissy grew and changed for the better. By the end, I wanted all her dreams to come true.

The best part - Here I Go Again was downright funny. It's the rare book that truly makes me laugh. I'm not sure what my family thought I was doing as I sat there giggling, but I got a few strange looks from my boys. The thing is, they wouldn't be able to understand the humor if they tried. The author writes for her target audience perfectly, and, it seems, as an early 40-something member of Gen X, I fall squarely in range.

Thanks to BlogHer for sending this book my way! I really needed the laughs!

For more discussion about Here I Go Again, visit the BlogHer book club.

This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.

Bad Habits Die Hard

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 22:22:00 +0000

It started when my kids were little. I was thrilled when they could take their own jackets off and didn't care when they unceremoniously threw them on the floor. Heck, I'm still in this phase with my four year old. He's taking his own coat off! It's one less thing I have to do. I don't care where it ends up. Besides, he's too short to reach the hangers in the hall closet.

Yet, with my older kids, there never seemed to be a moment where they became responsible for their own jackets. They walk in the door and throw their jackets on the floor. The bad habit was set. For the record, at 8 and 13, they are both tall enough to reach the hangers.

Sadly, my husband is right there with them. That's embarrassing to admit. Though, I will say he doesn't throw his in the middle of the floor. He tucks it away in an unobtrusive place - the newspaper basket. The problem is, it's still on the floor. Our coats don't go there. They go in the closet. How are the boys supposed to learn to hang their coats up when their male roll model can't be bothered?

A couple of weeks ago, I made it my mission to break this bad habit and a few other ones that my crew of wild boys have.

In all honesty, I had a little melt down after a busy day. When we walked in the door after a family outing, I promptly stood in front of the closet and hung up my coat. The four other people that live in this house whipped theirs off and promptly threw them on the floor. Ugh! I somewhat loudly announced that anyone that's throwing their coat on the floor can forget about getting dinner. If you want to eat, you need to hang your coat up. Sounds fair, right?

Since then, I've been persistently reminding the boys to hang their coats up. And, you know what? They're doing it. Even the little guy is handing me his coat instead of throwing it on the floor.

But, you know what else? My husband still is NOT doing it. He's not putting his jacket in the newspaper basket anymore. He's hanging it off the foosball table in our downstairs family room!

I'm at a loss.

Book Review: The Willpower Instinct

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 19:29:00 +0000

This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.

The irony of receiving a book about willpower right before the holidays wasn't lost on me. I intended to let my guard down a little. I mean, how could I say no to all the chocolate, cookies and other treats whispering at me to eat them?

Come to mama...Photo from kakisky at Morguefile.

You can say that I started reading The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D. for the BlogHer book club as a skeptic. The timing was bad. I had no interest in willpower.

I rolled my eyes as I read the introduction. Willpower has always felt like a herculean effort. It's something I've had to psych myself up for. Right before the holidays is not the time to become reacquainted with this old enemy. I didn't want to pass willpower on the street, much less be in the same room with it. That's the kind of thing I always thought about after the new year.

But, then, something happened as I plodded along in McGonigal's book. I realized her advice wasn't about forcing a steely will on myself. It was about forgiving myself.

The truth is, I made it through the holidays without indulging much beyond the norm. Anytime I failed to resist the lure of holiday treats, I forgave myself. Is there some kind of magic between the pages of this book? I'm not sure, but here's an example:

Almond bark is, hands down, my favorite holiday treat. It's made by my husband's coworker, Pat. She sends two boxes home for us every year. Usually, both boxes are gone long before the stockings are stuffed. Yet, this year, we still have one box left. If you'd seen me inhaling almond bark in years past, you'd know this is a miracle.The difference: I wasn't beating myself up about it when I did indulge.

McGonigal's other tips rang true, as well. She claims willpower is contagious. If my experience with running is any indication, I'd say she's right. I think I "caught" the running bug from all my running pals, both near and far, because of their enthusiasm whenever they posted about it on Facebook. It seems I know a lot of runners and part of me wanted to join their club, even if I had always declared myself a non-runner.

By the end of the book, I was a fan. McGonigal had won me over.

Now I'm thinking about other willpower challenges I can tackle. Is this the time to defeat my sugar addiction? Or, maybe I could say good-bye to gluten once and for all. Or, perhaps I can use some willpower techniques on my kids. Can I get them to treat each other better? Reduce their screen time?

What are your willpower struggles?

Hop over to the BlogHer Book Club for more content on The Willpower Instinct.

Resume Writing 101

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 22:40:00 +0000

I love to write, but I do not love to write resumes. Why is it so hard?

Luckily, I have an old, dated copy of my resume so I didn't have to recreate it from the ground up. There's a tip for you. Always save a copy of your resume. You don't want to have to search for dates and addresses of your former employers. That's a daunting task.

I can use all the career advice I can get. Photo from Click at Morguefile.

A resume puts it all out there. I have some regrets in the career area and, lets just say, my resume shows it all. Most of my regrets involve gaps. This is the age-old problem of a woman who chose to be a stay-at-home mom for a number of years who knows it's time to go back to work outside of the home. You know what that equals on the resume? A black hole. You can't very well write the dates of your children's births on there, though that would explain a lot to prospective employers. It would look something like this:

Had Three Children (1999, 2004, 2008)

All-natural child birth all 3 times (Painful!)
Breastfed for probably too long
Potty trained (and cleaned up a LOT!)
Dealt with colic, sibling rivalry, and school issues

Unfortunately, prospective employers don't care that you declined epidurals and kept your cool while your children threw up on you in the middle of the night.

Thankfully, I've done a considerable amount of freelance writing in the last 5-6 years. Though it hasn't been full time by any means, it does at least look like I've done something besides change diapers, make dinner, and drive my kids to soccer games.

Resumes have changed since I last wrote one. It was the thing back in the day to put your "objective" on the top. I always hated that. You needed to change it for each job application. Every job was a bit different, so you needed to make each objective sound like it was your life-long passion to work there, based on the ad you read in the newspaper. On one resume, your objective was to work in a fast-paced office environment with lots of customer contact. On another, it was to fully utilize your MS Office skills while being able to juggle a full workload. Thankfully, that kind of fakery seems to be a thing of the past.

The 'just the facts and only the facts' style seems to be the current resume approach. I like it. I'm going with it. I figure any flowery words about my career aspirations and my amazing abilities at organizing and typing can best be spelled out in a cover letter. Can I just say, Thank God I was forced to take a typing class in high school. That was the single best class I ever took. I wouldn't be the person I am today without Mr. Cline and his typing class. Seriously. And, we learned on REAL typewriters, too. If we made a mistake, there was no copying and pasting our way out of it.

Are you savvy with resume writing? What tips do you have for me?

12 Things to Do in 2012: Update

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 23:18:00 +0000

Last January I wrote a list of resolutions called 12 Things to Do in 2012. Like all people that make resolutions, I pretty much forgot about the list within weeks, if not days, of writing it.

The new year is looming, if you haven't noticed, and resolutions are on my mind again. Before I make my new list, I thought I'd revisit my old one to either pat myself on the back for the things I did or be publicly humiliated for the things I didn't do.

1. Take a photography class. Done! I took a fantastic class at the local community college last spring, which catapulted an interest in amateur photography. I even bought a fancy new camera and have taken some photos I rather like. As an unexpected bonus, I've sold a few, along with articles I've written, to one of my on-line writing venues.

2. Be more industrious around the house. Hmm...I did some home improvement projects. I've started and almost finished painting the downstairs family room. We had the ceiling fixed and a piece of wall that had holes in it fixed. I learned how to glaze windows. I'd say I did no worse and no better than I had the year before.

3. Win the clutter war in the garage once and for all! Major fail. I don't want to talk about it.

4. Write more. I definitely wrote more in 2012 than I have in previous years. I didn't submit more to print magazines. I have a confidence problem in that regard. But, I was a very busy on-line writer. And, I've written an essay I rather like that's ready to send out into the big bad world of magazine publishing. Courage, please!

5. Help organize a community garden at my church. Done! It doesn't matter that only four of us participated. It was the most successful garden I've ever had and I'm looking forward to doing it again in 2013.

6. Hike several times with my family. We went once. And, it wasn't even the whole family. My husband wasn't there. My mother-in-law was, though, so it wasn't a total bust. My four-year-old needed a piggy back ride almost the whole way. After that, I wasn't too eager to lace up my hiking boots again. Maybe next year.

7. Take the family on a "bigger" vacation. Done! When I wrote my resolutions, I was thinking Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia. We ended up shooting for the moon. We drove to Florida for a well-planned excursion that we don't regret. I'd do it again. But, not in 2013.

8. Make a quilt. It didn't happen. I'm going to pretend I never wrote that.

9. Make a shower curtain. Done! I even made matching window curtains for the bathroom. Yay me!

10. Go to at least one Hula Fit class to see what it's like. Also, didn't happen. I did, however, follow them on Facebook. But, I don't think that counts. I'm not really all that interested in hula hooping anymore. It was fun when my little guy was entertained by it. He couldn't care less these days. Anyway, I've taken up jogging and that's worth at least twice as many exercise points.

11. Get a new laptop. Done! I don't miss typing on my old Netbook one bit!

12. Go to a writing or blogging conference somewhere. This didn't happen, either. I did, however, take two writing classes at the local community college. I think that was more what I needed, anyway.

Not a bad track record as far as resolutions go. How did you do with your 2012 resolutions?

Don't Forget the Batteries

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 02:58:00 +0000

What one item doesn't typically make it onto Christmas lists but is sorely missed on Christmas morning if it's forgotten?

If you guessed batteries, you're right.

How often have you had a disappointed child who can't play with a new toy because there are no working batteries in the house? First-time parents usually make that mistake once. Then, every year thereafter, batteries end up on the top of the holiday shopping list - underlined, highlighted and circled.

Luckily, P&G's new e-store sells value packs of batteries that will help meet your battery needs.

They have the Duracell AA value pack, which contains 28 batteries - more than enough to keep your children's toys going until the lights, beeping and other obnoxious noises wear on your nerves in 50 different ways. (Between you and me, having strong, long-lived batteries in your kids toys can be a mixed blessing. My husband and I have been known to tell the kids a certain toy is "broken" as soon as the batteries wear out. Unfortunately, this can take a long time with some batteries!)

It makes sense to have a hefty supply of AA batteries in the house, but don't forget the Duracell AAA value pack, which also contains 28 batteries. At some point, your child will end up with an odd toy that calls for a smaller battery. As any parent knows, it's best to have both types of batteries on hand. Nobody wants a Christmas morning meltdown.

In a perfect world, every gift would come with the required batteries. But, in our world, we have to do the prep work, 'cause we know Grandma or Aunt Margaret is going to show up with an awesome toy that needs a few AAs to make it work. It pays to have the most common battery sizes on hand. No one wants to run to the local convenience store and pay a king's ransom for a small pack of old batteries.

P&G's e-store is a great way to stock up. Not only do you get a deal, but you get the following perks:

15% off on a first-time order from a new customer, using promo code: A9Z-MN5-KY3-ISA
Free Shipping on orders over $25
Free Samples with every order.

While you're on the P&G site, don't forget to check out their other, exciting offers from a variety of your favorite P&G brands like Braun, Downy, Pampers and Gillete.

It's Damn Hilly Around Here

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 23:01:00 +0000

I swore I'd never be a runner. I've long walked for exercise, but whenever I tried to take the leap to running, it always hurt way too much. Several years ago, I officially put it in the "never" column and moved on.

But, the alignment of the stars must have shifted or something because I've been running since mid-September and I have no intention of stopping. It doesn't hurt. Actually, it feels pretty amazing.

What was I doing wrong all those years when I tried running? I have no idea. But, it's clicking for me now.

Here are a few tidbits I've learned since first lacing up my sneakers almost three months ago:

1. If you're envious of Facebook updates with mileage counts and phrases like "felt great today" and "awesome run!" then you need to put some miles on your own sneakers.

2. There is no substitute for a good sport's bra.

3. Good music can make the difference between making it up that hill or not.

4. When faced with a long, steep hill, the best thing to do is look down and focus on the music. No matter what, do not look ahead to the end of the hill.

5. Running by yourself is much easier than running while pushing a 45-pound boy in a jogging stroller. First, the extra weight makes the hills super hard. Second, you can't listen to music to distract yourself from the above mentioned hills because he wants to chit chat. (Don't get me wrong, I love his chatter and we've had some pretty cute conversations while jogging in the last few months. But, I think I prefer to commune with nature and Train while running.)

6. Running while pushing a 45-pound boy in a jogging stroller is better than not running at all.

7. It's easiest to schedule runs for the days that said 45-pound boy is in preschool.

8. Under no circumstances are you to forget to put a band-aid on your blister.

9. You really need to remember to Google "blisters" to find out what the real runners do to help.

10. Take your mom's advice and wear a brightly colored jacket. It'll make her feel better and you'll be more visible than you are in your grey sweatshirt.

11. Make sure your iPod has enough of a charge to make it through your run.

12. Just because you made it through your whole long route (3.4 miles), including that nasty hill at the end, doesn't mean you should try to do it again the next day.

13. Sometimes, it's easier to choose the hill you know over the one you don't. It doesn't mean it's the right choice, but it's the easy one.

14. Don't drink too much water before you run. You want to be hydrated, but you don't want to be wondering if it's okay to break into your friend's house and use her bathroom while she's out.

15. Have one day a week where you push yourself a little bit further than all the other days.

16. No matter how eager you are to run every day, don't forget rest days. They're important to your well being and will help prevent injury.

17. Running is surprisingly social. I'm not exactly sure how it works out that way, especially since you typically run by yourself, but as soon as others know you're running, it's the ultimate ice breaker. It's led to many conversations with people about local routes, mileage and tips. Runners seem to have a real excitement when someone else joins their ranks.

18. It's damn hilly around here.

19. Follow the rules of the road. Pedestrians belong on the left-hand side, facing traffic. I've always known this, but the point was driven home when I was driving home from dropping my son off at school the other day. A teenage girl was running down the yellow line! Thankfully, I saw her in time, but she scared me half to death.

20. You won't regret going for a run, but you might regret not going for a run.

Thanks to the Marathon Runner website for all the tips and advice. I'm no where near ready to train for a half marathon yet, but maybe in 2013.

Are you a runner?

Too Much Christmas Too Early

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 20:59:00 +0000

I'm not a Scrooge. Really.

But, I am not ready to deck the halls and listen to Christmas carols yet. It still feels too early.

One reason I've spent so much time and energy to declutter, which I think I've done a pretty good job of over the years, is to simplify my life. Jumping into Christmas weeks too early seems counter productive.

I realize we are in the season of Advent. But, I don't think Advent has to include all the bells and whistles of Christmas. Does it? What do you think?

I know I can't go there in my own home least I feel overwhelmed and well, uncomfortable, with the amount of stuff in my way when there's still weeks to go to the big day.

Here are a few pre-Christmas things I'm not embracing this year (or any year for most of them).

1. Early Christmas carols. I avoid the all-Christmas carol radio station like the plague at this point in the year. The one in our area has been playing carols since well before Thanksgiving. My favorite radio station has started adding the occasional carol to their line up. I'm not ready. I change the station. Maybe next week I'll happily sing along. But, not today.

2. Early decorations. There are families around here who already have their Christmas trees up. I know it's not terribly early for that, but if I put it up this early, it's dusty, dilapidated and disheveled by Christmas Day. We're getting it this weekend, which I'm feeling is still a tad early. But, I think the kids will have my head if I don't do it soon.

3. Elf on the Shelf. I will never embrace this creepy little dude that seems to have become a new tradition. Not only does he give me nightmares, but he seems like a lot of work. Every day, the parents are supposed to pose him in some kind of new, strange location in the house. That means I'd probably wake up in the middle of the night in a panic because I forgot to move the elf. You know the dads of America aren't doing it, right? It's just another thing to drive moms crazy!

Way too creepy and high maintenance for me!

4. Over-the-top anticipation from the kids that lasts weeks. I have one child prone to anxiety. Holiday excitement is almost more than he can handle. If things stay low key, he's good. The minute we start decking the halls, his anxiety climbs. Why? I have no idea. But, it tanks any holiday cheer I might have.

5. Christmas cards. I wrote and sent Christmas cards for years. I dreaded it every year. I stressed about it. I did all the work myself. This is yet another thing that us women have burdened ourselves with. Last year, I stopped. It was very freeing. I'm going to continue my tradition of not sending holiday cards. I do, however, wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. That should cover it, right?

6. Egg nog. Have you looked at the fat, calorie and sugar content on a carton of egg nog? It's a guaranteed 5 pound weight gain if I start drinking it this early.

What about you? What can you live without in the weeks and days leading up to Christmas?

Writing and Thankfulness

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 21:18:00 +0000

I haven't felt much like writing lately. I don't know why, but that's a pretty unusual state for me. Not too many days go by without me wanting to write something, either here or elsewhere with the hopes of getting it published. I usually at least write something in my journal. At the very least, I make lists of things I want to write about.

I've tried to sit down and type out a few things only to discover the well was as dry as a bone. I was getting nothing but dust swirling around in an empty bucket. I had to scrape together what I could to do my monthly articles for Holidays Central.

It got to the point that I was starting to get worried about it on some level. I normally always want to write, so what the heck?! I love to write. Being indifferent to it hurts in a weird way. Maybe because it's the way I get all the junk that floats around in my head out. When I don't do it, I feel a out of sorts.

Finally, finally, the mood struck today. I don't know how, but it did.

Only problem is, it's always hard to come up with ideas after a break. It's like once the faucet has been off for a while, it takes the water a bit of time to start running out again. First it comes as a few drops here and there, then a trickle, then a gush. Right now, I'm at the few drops stage. So bear with me while I figure out what to write about here in the next few days and weeks.

In the meantime, I thought I'd do a list of what I'm thankful for. I missed out on that in the month of November when everyone else was doing it. But, it's always a good time to be thankful, right?

I'm thankful for:

1. Clorox handy wipes. I have three boys with bad aim. Enough said.
2. The heated seats in our car. Whoever invented these deserves a medal. Seriously, I hope they're paying that guy or gal what they're worth!
3. My eight-year-old son reading willingly and happily on his own. Thank you J.K. Rowling.
4. Jogging. I never ever thought I'd be a runner. I've tried over the years, but it never stuck. However, I've been doing it since September and even ran in an informal, local 5k on Thanksgiving Day. I'm really loving it.
5. Fresh air. I don't think I could ever run or walk on a treadmill for exercise. I need good, old-fashioned, fresh air swooshing into my lungs.
6. My iPod. I've been listening to a ton of music lately. How did I ever live without an iPod before?
7. Old friends. You all know who you are. :)
8. The fact that my little guy is potty trained. I know it's been over a year, but he was a late bloomer in this regard and I was pretty worn out from cleaning up after him. This is a huge one.
9. My 13-year-old kicking butt in his first wrestling match of the season. He went out on the mat with this calm, cool confidence he has (he doesn't get it from me) and pinned the guy in 25 seconds.
10. My kids and the kids I babysit getting along after school. After the fight incident a couple of months ago, this is a relief. They've been great lately!

What are you thankful for?