On A Mission Monday

The  Kitchen Desk.
A.K.A. Former Disaster Zone.

What have I gotten myself into?  This was probably one of my first thoughts as I rolled out of bed this morning.  That's right.  This morning I got up to clean out and reorganize the kitchen desk that I said I would have done by today.  Well, procrastinator I may be, but "Monday Mission" accomplished!  Never would I have ever thought the random stuff that I have shoved into these cabinets would be viewed on the freaking Internet, nor that I would be the one posting them.  Yet, here they are...before and after shots of my messy kitchen desk/storage area......

What it typically looks like.  It gets worse....

Chaos.

So I threw out what was just random junk...receipts, expired coupons, things I kept for some reason that I will never need, etc.  I made the drawer that our daughter can open to now be free of scissors, eyeball poking pens, dangerous screwdrivers.  We were soooo toddler proofed.  The drawer still has a place for coins and keys, but all weapons have been removed.  Mainly there are just some coloring books in there now and stuff to keep her busy while I am cooking dinner.  The top cabinets no longer give me a headache when I open them.  Ahh, yes, this is so much better.....

How can I throw out so much, and still have so much? 

New memory board added as a catch for
business cards, coupons, etc. ($7.64 at Kohl's)

It may not look like much, but believe me, it is a major improvement.
D-O-N-E.

New Monday Mission.....Okay so for this week, maybe I can start it before it's due date.  One thing that has been put off time and time again is updating Blake's baby book.  I need to turn empty pages into memories preserved.  I have many milestones jotted down on scraps of paper and in my phone, but they need to get in the book!  I keep waiting for who knows what.  Creative energy.  A big slot of time.  Well, I saw something recently that it so true.... "Finished is Better than Perfect".  Baby book here I come!:)

Family Friday

What We've Been Up to Lately...

We started potty training with Blake about a month ago.  She has been doing great overall.  We've found it's not always an easy process.  I wouldn't say we have it down all the way yet, but we are showing major improvement.  One thing is for sure, she LOVES to wash her hands.  So much that this is what happens when we stop....

Awww! I want to wash my haaaaannnnds!  Sniffle, sniffle.... :)

 When Chad is not at work or working on his car, he is checking on the fruit trees out back.  Blake loves this too.  She often says  "I want to go see the trees, daddy!"

 

 I am usually the picture taker, but Chad snapped this one of me last Sunday.  I did alright until they kicked up the speed.  Kind of scary in the moment when you have no clue how you're going to land.  No broken bones though!  So I guess I did better at this than the last time I went rollerskating!

Sierra has been a good girl lately too, so I thought I'd include her on our little family update.  Yesterday I was trying to take a picture of this sign I recently bought, and she kept jumping in the shot.  Thought she looked cute posing for me.  

Not any major events, but we've been enjoying just taking it easy!
Have a great weekend everyone!

Thoughts for Thursday

Deep thoughts, random thoughts...just some thoughts for Thursday.

This year has been pretty crazy for our family. For the most part, an outsider looking in would think we've got everything working for us. However, this just hasn't been the case. Overall, we are well and we have battled the storms, but we are looking forward to the hard parts of 2011 being behind us. Hmm...battled the storms. So I guess today's "Thoughts for Thursday" is leaning more towards deep thoughts. On another Thursday, I am sure you will find me dishing about the Kardashians or something, but today I can't help but want to touch upon heavier subjects.


So many of our friends have been so kind and supportive through many of the downs of this year.  The major downfalls have been the passing of Chad's father, Chad dealing with vestibular issues affecting his own health and work, us experiencing a miscarriage, and the health problems I had that were involved in that experience.  There have been smaller issues too, but those were the big ones. I do not like to complain, and I get annoyed when people play the "I've got it harder" card. All I mean by this, is that I know we all have problems and hard issues, so I by no means think we are the only ones with problems.


Anyways, we are hanging in there and things are looking up. All the sad stuff was really completely out of our control. I feel that what we could control was our attitudes, and thankfully they are in check. It's hard for me to put into words some of my thoughts on all these events. I can say that my health is completely back, and Chad is doing better too.


I won't bore you with a ton of details, but I have had a lot of people ask if I am feeling better. I most definitely am.  Both physically...which pretty much came back after my last IV was taken out...and emotionally, although I can still have my moments. I have found that not a lot of people talk about having a miscarriage, but a lot of people have experienced them.  I now know how difficult they can be and how different everyone copes with them. I was looking for a reason as to "why" it occurred even though I know that cannot be answered.  I know the miscarriage occurred due to an infection caused by a virus. I know I was sick due to bacteria in my bloodstream from the infection. Yet, I felt there was a deeper reason of "why" this happened to me and I wanted to know what it was.


Along with losing our son, my health was drastically threatened as well. My body was in bad shape. My organs were all swollen to where I couldn't move, and I had pneumonia in both lungs so I was put on oxygen to help me breathe. Before they figured out what was going on with me, I was told by two doctors that what I had may be fatal. That is something that grabs your attention and gets you reflecting about things. At least for me, that was the aftermath thought process.  In the moment, I was more focused on the fact they said it just may be fatal, not that it was fatal.  So while I was thankful to be alive after the whole ordeal, I was trying to figure out how I was suppose to grieve and how I should now see my life. I was looking for answers and a good friend told me that "it's just life". She did not say it in an insensitive manner at all, but just plain spoken with some sympathy added in. I think those three words summed it up a lot, but I still can't just brush things off. What we went through was major for us, and it was very real.


My deep thoughts are rambling now and I am wondering if I will actually post this.  I did write up my experience in more detail once and decided against sharing it. This all just happened two months ago. Mainly... I have just taken time to heal. I've allowed every emotion and just taken it day by day. I have felt sorry for myself, and felt extremely grateful to be alive. I have cried my eyes out, and looked at my husband and daughter through tears of happiness. I have hugged my family members and friends, and I even snapped at a good friend for no good reason. I traveled to see family, and had family come to visit. I have spent time with others, and I have spent time alone. I have read books, watched movies, gone on walks, and tried new things. I recently painted, took a zumba class, rode a mechanical bull, and now just spilled my thoughts on a blog I started back up.  Basically, I have just been living......it is just life, and thankfully life is good.

The Wednesday Write-Up

Click here to read a couple pages

I'll just go ahead and say it...I am a Bethenny Frankel fan.  I had seen her here and there before, but I didn't really follow any one thing of hers.  I watched a couple episodes of The Real Housewives of New York, and thought she stood out from the other wives, but it's not like I tuned in regularly or saw every episode.  I only mention this show really because I think it's what most people recognize Bethenny Frankel from.  You may have seen her on Martha Stewart: Apprentice, Bethenny's Getting Married?, or Bethenny Ever After, Skating with the Stars, or read any of her three books, or magazine health columns, or know her as the creator of the Skinnygirl cocktails.  Pretty sure she was just on the cover of Forbe's magazine too.  Anyways, these are just a few of the things she's done in the public eye.  She also was an event planner for major movie premieres before becoming famous and ran her own baked goods line called BethennyBakes.  She is way more than any one accomplishment she has done though. Not your stereotypical television housewife of New York that is for sure...not that she was even married while on the show.

Anyways, A Place of Yes was, in my opinion, a terrific read.  I believe I needed to read this book at this point in my life, and I am sure I will pick it up again from time to time.  It may sound like a self help book that is just going to be all about being positive, and you may honestly think "aw, who has time for that crap".  It's not just about being positive or becoming a "yes man" though.  A place of yes is an "it-will-happen-because-I'll-make-it-happen" kind of attitude.  

She talks of 10 rules for getting everything you want out of life, and a lot about her own life.  I found her to be very easy to relate to, brutally honest, and admirable.  I agree with her when she speaks about the timing of life and how you have to roll with it and work at it to make it work for you.  I have felt a difference in my outlook on some things that had me down recently, and I'm sure reading this book had something to do with that.  Thank you Bethenny Frankel!  I'll stop there, but I highly recommend this book. :)  

Tasty Tuesday

Alright, my first Tasty Tuesday!  Here is a recipe that I just LOVE!  It's super easy and you can make it in no time.  I found this one through an awesome meal planning service I have used, Kate's Thoughts for Food.  I'll post more on why I love this site below.  Here is the delicious recipe for you!

Honey and Spice Glazed Pork Chops
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Cooking spray
4 4-ounce Pork Chops (about 1/2 thick, boneless center-cut)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper


1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl.
2.  Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat.  Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper; cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned.  Reduce heat to medium-low; add honey mixture.  Cook 10 minutes or until done, turning once.              

Obviously, I am not a food photographer.  Here they are though.  We had these last night with broccoli mixed with shallots and golden raisins.  I used pork rib chops (instead of boneless) and they were fantastic! Made a couple extra for lunch leftovers.  I dare you to not lick every drip of the honey mixture. It's so good!

I hope you try this, and that you check out the site Kate's Thoughts for Food.  It is awesome!  For only $5 you can get a week's worth of recipes with their standard meal plan.  They do custom plans too. Mainly, the service takes the guesswork out of what's for dinner that week.  You get emailed recipes for main dishes, plus sides, and an itemized grocery list for the entire week's worth of dinner ingredients. It is not overwhelming at all.  I love it!  It even has the nutritional information attached.  Basically, whenever I am in a slump for dinners, I order another month's worth.  So for $20, I get 20 new complete dinners.  Each week I have a list to take to the store that moves me through the produce, dairy, frozen section, etc.  Man, do I sound like their spokesperson or what?!  I just love it though. 

I even print out the plans and put them in a binder with plastic sleeves and just grab the list before that week.  Makes my life easier! What you see is just the title page on the right. A list on the left.  Recipes for each individual dinner are on the pages that follow.  I blurred it out on purpose...just wanted to give you an idea.  You'll have to get your own plan if you want to put together a cool binder like mine. ;)

Have a great Tuesday everyone!

On Wednesdays I'm doing a Mid-Week Media Review (need a much cooler title though I think).  Figured I'd gab about something I have found of interest ...whether it's a book, movie, website, app, etc. (maybe it'll be the Wednesday Write Up, or the Wednesday We-View.  Haha!  We'll see.)

On a Mission Monday

Hello!  Okay, so I'm back to the blogging world!  So often I can't figure out my direction with my blog.  Do I just write about anything random I think of, do I inform you of something, and/or do I just post pics of what we've been up to?  I realize I can do whatever I want, but I need something to keep me focused and keep my wheels spinning.  So....new format.  I'm sticking to a different theme for each day of the week.  I've seen other people do this, and now I'm going to give it a whirl too. Welcome to today.  It's On a Mission Monday.

I feel like a have a bazillion little projects around the house or just your basic "to-do's" that I seem to never get to.  I spend a lot of time thinking about what I need to get done, and feel like I never just get it done already!  So today I'll share with you something I just recently completed.  Then I'm going to shout out my new mission for the week, and next Monday I'll have to own up to if I got it done and show you something from it.  Don't worry, it's not like you'll see a "before and after" of toilet cleaning or anything.  Hopefully it's something to inspire you and give you ideas, but most importantly for me, I'll be getting it done.  I can put off lots on my own.  I feel it'll be extra incentive for me to be held accountable by my own blog.  Wow...it'll be setting a goal in writing and then doing it.  Not my typical style people. :)

Okay, so I used to pass by this big bare wall A LOT and think I should paint something there.....

So I did!

I went to Michael's one morning and bought a $40 canvas.  I chose some acrylic paint in colors I thought I'd like.  I really didn't know anything about brushes, foam things, or sponges so I just picked out an assortment.  

Then I put it down flat on the kitchen island and went to town during Blake's nap that afternoon. I knew if I screwed up, no one would even know.  I thought if it's that bad, I'll just paint over it or toss it.  No pressure.  I actually had so much fun doing this.  Turned on Pandora and listened to some good music, and I was actually happy with the way it turned out.

I even got it to match our pillows and a chair in that room!

Ta da!  I'm not claiming to be a pro, but I like it!

This week's mission:  Organizing and cleaning out this messy kitchen desk area we have.  Chad will be happy about this one because the junk drawer drives him bonkers, and I discovered an important piece of "missing" mail on the desk this morning.  This week it will transform into something more organized and useful.  At least I hope so, or I'll have to tell you all what a slacker I can be!

Stay tuned tomorrow for "Tasty Tuesday"!  I've got a great new recipe for you!:)

Back to Blogging

Ah-hem, ah-hem...clearing my throat....wheww,whewww......blowing the dust around.  This thing has been sitting still for too long........Oh, hello again!;)  I'm just starting to dust off the old blog here.  I've been busy doing other things.  I already said I'd get back to this once.  Then I took some more time away.  I've been thinking about it lately though, and I do think blogging is kind of fun.  I've got some new ideas for next week....so stay tuned!  Oh, and the fun little fish I added are kind of cool (this probably doesn't show up on the mobile-friendly version though). If you click your mouse in the tank, you can feed the little guys.  They follow your cursor too.  Thought it was fun. See you on Monday!:)