35 Thoughts on Moving

We've been in our new house since last Tuesday and I am loving it! Moving is a huge pain, but I did end up getting over 22,000 steps on moving day, so that's something to celebrate I suppose. We're still getting things organized and figuring out how to arrange the rooms, but I feel like we've made a lot of progress. I love having more space. I haven't had to clean it yet so we will see if that feeling holds. I think we are going to be happy here for a long time to come. 

I haven't been blogging as much but I have been working on some short stories (actually managed to finish one, which is something I struggle with!) but I wanted to take the opportunity to record my feelings about moving. No pictures this time but I think I'll take some good ones once things are a little more settled. 

For now, here are some random thoughts I've had since moving...

1. It is nice to not be able to hear every word everyone says from any location in the house.
2. I don't have easy access to a Super Walmart or neighborhood market anymore.
3. I need more bathroom stuff.
4. There are somehow fewer cabinets than we had before.
5. Walking into a closet is cool!
6. There are many more places to hide from the children than before.
7. I should have purged a LOT more stuff before packing it up...
8. I use the computer a lot more now that it's on the main level.
9. The basement is virtually empty because we don't have enough stuff to fill it.
10. Paying movers was expensive but totally worth it.
11. I really miss my old (new) dishwasher. Might need another new one.
12. What if we traded in two crappy fridges for one good one?
13. This location makes it a lot quicker to get to church!
14. I thought I might cry when we left but I definitely did not.
15. I do miss having my own bathroom. Now I have to share with Tim...
16. This microwave is a different wattage from the old one and that makes a difference.
17. With all these neighbors how is it that there's only one kid close by?!
18. It seems that the patio is going to be a bigger pain to fix than we originally thought.
19. Music makes everything better. I tip my hat to YouTube and Spotify.
20. I have a puzzle going and it is not interrupting dinner!!!
21. I hope we live here for a long long time.
22. I learned more about our highway system yesterday than I have in my entire life combined.
23. I think it's going to be much easier and faster to get to work now.
24. Except for Tim, it'll take him much longer.
25. Furniture is expensive.
26. I have no idea where to put the homeschooling stuff and I can see myself moving it a lot.
27. I wish I had more money to make the place perfect!
28. Hiccup is completely insane. (OK, that's not related to moving but it is definitely true)
29. There is carpet under the table and that makes me uncomfortable. 
30. More ceiling fans would be cool! Haha.
31. I find myself shopping at the same stores as before despite the fact that they are far away now.
32. There are tons of boxes in my in-laws' garage and I do not want to deal with them.
33. It's amazing to think that the idea of moving popped into our heads on Mother's Day and here we are, in a new house!
34. I definitely feel my life coming full circle as I'm now down the street from my elementary school and my high school workplace. I'm not fancy enough to actually live at Lakeview but it would be interesting if I ended up there somehow. 
35. More space means more places to stow junk that should be confronted and dealt with. 

November & December Goals

Here's how I kept track of my progress this month. I also had a checklist on the wall. 

It's the last day of the month and I've got goals on my mind. It's time to reflect on what I managed to accomplish this month and what I hope to accomplish next month. I wasn't initially sure how to organize this, but I think I'll sort them by how well I did. So, here's my analysis of how I did achieving the goals I set for November. 

Read four books this month  - Did it! I read two entire Harry Potter books aloud to the kids, as well as two books to myself, and began several others, as well as an audiobook.

Go on a good date with my husband  - We managed to go on TWO dates this month! We went to dinner and out shopping for the first and saw a movie for the second.

Attend karate lessons each Monday - Did it, and loved it!

Do something one-on-one with each child - Did it! I had a date with each girl, and they loved it.

Print out one more of the Spielgaben guides to keep handy - Did it! I printed just the pages we were planning to use.

Figure out a way to make Social Studies more of a priority and study it each week - We ditched our old curriculum, bought something new, and are enjoying it so far!

Encourage Lexi to read independently every day - Turns out, she's already doing this each night before bed! I encouraged her by allowing her to stay up a bit late.

Publish at least two posts that get over 100 views - Blew this one out of the water. Ten posts had over 100 views and one had over two hundred. I was pleasantly surprised!

Write a "throw back" post using one of my old journals as inspiration - Check!

Submit one article to Scary Mommy - I submitted two. Both were rejected, but I am glad that I tried. 

Reach Fit Bit goal at least five days per week - I averaged four days per week of reaching my goal.

Complete a video work out two days per week - I missed two work outs but otherwise completed this goal.

Do a hands-on lesson with Lydia twice per week - We did one activity per week. She asked to do a different set of activities so we started that up.

Blog every day during the month of November - I only missed two days!

Narrow down the focus of my blog and find my voice - I want to be able to write about whatever, but I did find that my homeschooling and parenting posts were the most popular. So perhaps my voice is "Weird Homeschooling Lady with Strange Ideas".

Try out two new healthier lunch ideas - I tried out one healthy lunch idea. It was stir fry. 

Figure out how to organize Lexi's room so it's not a huge mess - We rearranged and dejunked the room, added a new cart/night stand by her bed for her things, and added a reading chair. It's still kind of a mess.

Complete the "Live Abundantly" Bible study five days per week. - Abandoned. I started this, but I honestly felt like I was going through the motions and not getting anything out of it, so I stopped. I didn't want to spend time doing something just to check it off the list. 

Complete two pages in my 2014 photo book. - Abandoned this after I discovered I did not have any blue ink in my printer and could not print photos. 

Paint/decorate Lexi's room so it is no longer so pink and girly - Abandoned. After I took a closer look and realized she still draws on the wlls/furniture sometimes (when does that end?!) I decided it was NOT worth putting in the money yet. Maybe when she is older.

Visit the zoo before it gets too cold to go - Did not get there :( We were busy on the days that were nice. Maybe we'll have a nice day in December?

Take a day trip to Lawrence together - Did not get there this month. We'd planned to go back because Lydia saw something she REALLY wanted to buy in one of the shops, buuuut I found it at Walmart.

All in all, I had a productive month! I managed to make a large amount of cake, I finished a quilt, hosted two birthday parties at our house, read WAY more than normal, wrote a lot, and watched quite a bit less TV. It was a good month. I liked having monthly goals rather than daily goals, and I used my planner to keep track of each day. I really liked this system, so I will continue for December. 

Here's what I am hoping to accomplish this coming month. As you can see, I've already started to pencil (pen actually, which is kind of risky!) some in on my calendar!

Personal

Go on a date with my husband

Read four books this month
Finish reading "On Writing Well"

Complete one audiobook

Complete five pages in my gratitude journal each week
Participate in some kind of service project before Christmas

Wellness

Earn my orange belt in karate

Reach Fit Bit goal four days per week

Complete Metabolic Aftershock two days per week

Complete Walking at Home DVD three days per week (while listening to an audiobook! two birds, one stone!)

Family & Friends

Take each girl on another Mother/Daughter date

Host a family game night and invite siblings to come
Get the cats to STOP pooping in the basement!!
Take a drive with the kids to go see Christmas lights
Have a movie night with a friend

Homeschool

Complete one Spielgaben activity with Lydia each week
Finish Lexi's 2nd Grade Reading program
Help Lexi learn her music notes

Writing

Write an average of 5 posts per week

Publish a Faces of Homeschooling post each week
Write one Homeschooling is for Crazy People post

Look for other places to submit my work


So that's what I am hoping to accomplish this month. 
What about you?

This post is part of the 30 Day Challenge.

Six Useful Things I Really Want for Christmas

The holidays season is at hand and I've decided to dream big this year. I'm thinking useful gifts. Practical. Problem solving. We don't need any more candles or stuff for our kitchens, do we? The items on this wish list solve actual problems and would help all of us to enjoy the holiday season more. These magical gifts would make the holidays brighter.

1. A new date for Christmas

Ideally, Christmas would relocate to the end of January. Right now, Christmas falls right at the beginning of winter, leaving us with months of cold crummy weather and nothing to look forward to.  The long winter days wouldn't be so bad if we knew Christmas was on its way. Plus, Thanksgiving could get the time it deserves instead of being lost in the shuffle between jack-o-lanterns and stockings.  Let's spread these great holidays out. January 25th would probably be the easiest. This would increase the chance of getting snow on Christmas, which, in my opinion, is the only time snow is magical rather than a giant hassle.

2. Santa Goggles

Slip these goggles on and look at the nearest child. Green? They don't believe in Santa anymore. No need to censor yourself. Red? The kid's a believer. Don't ruin it for them on accident. These can help you spot those awkward getting-older kids who are right on the brink of having their magical dreams crushed but haven't crossed over yet. You don't want to be the one who drops that bombshell. Kids who are of the scroogey, non-believer type bent on ruining the fun for others (yes, these kids exist, my cousin was one of them) would flash neon colors so you could steer your innocent little believers away. 

3. Revamped Elf on the Shelf

Instead of just spying on your kid all day, give that Elf a useful job.  The new Elf on the Shelf takes away one toy your kids don't play with every night leading up to Christmas and donates it to a child in need. Not only would that make it easier to find space for new toys, but it would also spread the holiday joy to kids who might not receive anything. We don't currently use the Elf (just another thing for me to forget) but if he helped me convince my kids to give away their old things, I'd buy one in a heartbeat. 

4. Master Holiday Calendar

This magical calendar system automatically coordinates family gatherings. It takes tricky work schedules and out of town in-laws into account and selects a date for everyone to get together. It also keeps track of which side of the family got to celebrate with you on actual Christmas last year so there are no more hurt feelings if someone's gathering gets moved to the Sunday after. Say good-bye to rushing from house to house on the holidays and hello to more relaxed, enjoyable visits. 

5. Calorie Deferment System

Between Halloween candy and those magnificent Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts, calories should not count at all in the last few months of the year. This system allows you to take all the calories you consume around the holidays and spread them out evenly over the next calendar year. 

6. Pneumatic tubing between my house and Amazon

This would take all the crazy out of holiday shopping. No more fist fights on Black Friday or that awful realization that you are out of time for online ordering and have to brace the stores. Simply order your items online and they arrive instantly through the tubes. This gift keeps on giving. After Christmas, Just send your duplicates and unwanted gifts up the tube and replacements arrive automatically. No need to wait in long return lines at the store. Amazon needs to get on this.  

If these ideas don't pan out, I'll take a couple of coffee shop gift cards and some new jeans in the next size up.  It'll be a long winter.

What do you want for Christmas?

Which of these gifts make your life easier?

This post is part of the 30 Day Challenge

I am thankful.

It's Thanksgiving Eve (yeah, I'm making that a thing) and I am reflecting. I have an awesome life filled with blessings. I thankful for many things. Many people. Many gifts that I have been given.

My husband

I have the best husband. I really do. He is patient, kind, hardworking, and extremely silly, though you'd never know that because he pretends to be normal. He works hard at (what I think) could be a semi-boring job that allows me to stay home and care for our kids. He makes my dreams come true. Honestly, he is a dream come true. I know that sounds super sappy, but I could not picture anything or anyone who would make my life happier and as peaceful as he does.

I cannot love him more than I love him when he is holding a beautiful baby.

My girls

 I never imagined that I would have two little girls to look after. They are awesome. Today my child used her own money to surprise me with ice cream. They are so thoughtful and sweet. They make me laugh and I am so blessed to spend my days with them.

My family

 I am grateful that I live near my family and my husband's family so that we can grow together and spend time together celebrating the big things and enjoying the normal, seemingly little things. I am grateful for all the support our families have given us over the years.

My friends

 I have the best friends. They are sweet, thoughtful people who make my days a joy. They are selfless and generous wives and mothers that inspire me to become the best version of myself. When I've had a hard day, I can sit down at their kitchen table or pull out a chair at Jose Peppers and let them bring a smile to my face. I have known loneliness before but now I am surrounded by a group of wonderful companions.

My job

I may not receive a paycheck, but I get immense satisfaction by living out my dream jobs every day. I am a teacher. I am a stay-at-home-mom. I am a writer. I have been given the gift of freedom to fill my day with tasks that I love.

My home

 I am thankful for my home and everything in it. It is not very big, and there is water coming up through the pipes in the basement right now, but it is warm and full of comfort and I love it. I am grateful for a place to call home knowing that there are many, many people out there who are homeless.

My cats

Sure, they are super "helpful" sometimes (read my observations on that here) but they are very sweet. It had been a long time since I knew the love of a pet, but when we adopted these kitties, they reminded me that beautiful things come in furry packages.

My faith

 Faith is not always an easy thing. I have struggled with it. I am grateful that God loves me anyway and will always be there for me, even when I don't deserve it.

My little pleasures

I am surrounded by small pleasures that make me smile. I have shelves of books in my home and a library card that gives me access to millions more. After a long day, I can sit and enjoy the entertainment brought by a simple television show. I have a computer with Internet access that allows me to share and connect with others worldwide. I live in a world with ice cream and sprinkles. Are any of these things needs? No. But I am grateful for these simple joys.

This is the appropriate amount of sprinkles/why I am not a grown up yet.

My life

I am thankful for the life that I was born into. My social location. I live in a country where I have many freedoms and rights that I often take for granted. I live in a place with access to clean water, shelter, and nourishing food. As a woman, I enjoy many freedoms that my sisters worldwide do not have. I am blessed.

Take a minute to reflect. 

What are you thankful for? 

Comment below.

This post is part of the 30 Day Challenge. 

Too long, DID write - Week One

As you probably know, I am currently taking part in the 30 Day Blogging Challenge. The challenge is to write in your blog every day for 30 consecutive days and the idea is that you will grow as a blogger! So far, I have found that to be very true. What's cool about this particular challenge is that I signed up with Sark e Media and I receive daily emails with encouragement, inspiration and ideas for developing my blog. Each email includes some sort of "challenge" that will help me on this quest.

Today's challenge was to create a recap of the past seven days' blog entries. I never would have thought to try this, but I like a challenge, so here goes! If I like it, I'm going to call it "Too long, DID write" (in honor of all the words I managed to get down despite the chaos of my life) and share a recap each week :) I'll probably choose to do this on Sundays.

Here are the posts you may have missed this week:

Day 1: In which I attempt to get paid for writing - I describe what happens the first time I submit an article online with the hopes of being published!

Day 2: Who am I? - Here I describe myself using a series of "I am" statements that help you get to know me, the gal on the other side of the screen.

Day 3: Goals for November - I decide that setting annual goals for myself is a daunting and ineffective tasks and decide to set monthly goals instead.

Day 4: 5 Times Being a Parent Pays Off - I describe five parenting situations that balance out all the sleepless nights, giant messes, and whining.

Day 5: The mini fridge shall set you free - I tell the embarrassing story of a time that inflexibility during a trip made everything much worse than it needed to be! Say hello to vulnerability ;)

Day 6: Jamberry Nail Wraps - My Honest Review - I take the time to review a unique product that adds a little flair and fun to my sometimes mundane life.

Day 7: 6 Keys to Making Beautiful Cupcakes at Home - I give away some cake decorating secrets that I've learned over the years to help you snazz up cupcakes for your next celebration.

Day 8: Reflections on 8 Consecutive Days of Writing - I reflect on what I've learned so far from this writing challenge.

Never miss out on another blog post! Get my ramblings sent straight to your inbox by signing up in the "Follow by Email" section on the right hand side of the page. Happy Monday!

My name is Melissa and I approve this message.

5 Times Being a Parent Pays Off

I enjoy being a parent. There are hard times, don't get me wrong. There are times when I want to clock out, or fire myself. Most days are decent though. I like being home with my kids and I don't want that to change. But there are some instances when being a parent RULES and totally makes up for all the worry/exhaustion/annoyance/lack of sleep!

1. Halloween
Ever heard of the candy tax? That's when your kid collect a bucket of candy and you eat it while they sleep. As we were heading out to trick-or-treat, I told my youngest that I would be taking 30-50% of her candy because I'm her mom and I've earned it. Now don't think that I eat ALL of her candy, because that would be mean. I don't do that. I make sure to leave plenty of her favorites and eat mostly chocolate. And Swedish Fish. And Mike and Ike's. I love Halloween.

Come to me, sweet rewards!

2. Holidays in general, actuallyHolidays rock when you're a kid. Presents, food, cool decorations, fun traditions. They are a good time. Then you become a teen and you're in an awkward place where you want to participate but it might not be entirely socially acceptable. Then you become an adult without kids and some holidays become kind of a bummer. But having a kid makes holidays magical. The look on their faces on Christmas morning. Getting to be the one to hide eggs in really tricky places. Eating candy. That never gets old. Holidays with kids are awesome because their excitement totally rubs off. Don't forget to ask them what they are getting you for Christmas.

3. When you manage to teach your kid something cool. Kids are sponges, as the saying goes. Sometimes though, they manage to soak in something extra cool or something directly from you, and it feels really awesome when they show it. Like when my kid starts using a funny catch phrase she totally picked up from me, or, y'know, learns to read. Now that is awesome. It's amazing to watch them evolve into unique people with actual skills. My kid is learning to draw and she's actually good. I like to think she got some of that from me, either through genetics or because I sit down to draw a lot with them. Either way, I enjoy seeing my kids learn new skills.

I taught this kid to read and now she stays up late doing it!

4. When you need someone to geek out with.
Your kid loves you and thinks that everything you love is awesome by default. So when your spouse is tired of hearing you talk about Pokemon (here's looking at you, Tim!) your kid will be there to nerd out with you. When you need an excuse to re-read all of the Harry Potter books, just start reading them to your kid. Soon they will become a nerd just like you and you can enjoy it together.

5. When you need someone in your corner.
There are plenty of people out there that can make you feel like crap. Some days, you might replay a conversation in your head over and over again and feel like an idiot because of something you said. Sometimes, people out in your workplace or friend group just don't get you and it's a huge bummer. If you haven't tried venting to your kid yet, you need to. The other day I was upset by something that someone said to me and after being sad about it for a while, I told my oldest all about it. She cried with me and we talked about how it's important to be careful with what we say so we don't hurt others. She was totally in my corner, and I'm not going to lie, it felt great.

This cutie is 100% Team Mom

So, what do YOU think makes parenthood extra awesome?

This post is part of the 30 Day Challenge. 

Goals for November

I like the idea of setting goals for myself. I find it motivating to check things off of a list. The past two years I have attempted to make lists of goals to complete over the course of the coming year. The trouble is, as the year goes on, my priorities tend to change or different opportunities pop up. Today I read a great blog post at Life at the Dahl House that inspired me to rethink how I do goals. This particular post had goals listed for the month, as well as an assessment of how the previous month's goals were reached (or not reached). I liked this idea a lot so I decided to give it a try. The idea of re-evaluating each month made more sense than trying to envision an entire year at a time. Here's hoping that I'll find success!

Goals for November

Personal

Read four books this month

Complete the "Live Abundantly" Bible study five days per week
Go on a good date with my husband
Complete two pages in my 2014 photo book

Which four of these books will I make it through? 

Wellness

Attend karate lessons each Monday

Reach Fit Bit goal at least five days per week

Complete a video work out two days per week
Try out two new healthier lunch ideas

Here's how I stay moving when it's cold and dark out. 

Family

Figure out how to organize Lexi's room so it's not a huge mess

Paint/decorate the room so it is no longer so pink and girly

Visit the zoo before it gets too cold to go

Take a day trip to Lawrence together
Do something one-on-one with each child

It's a cute room, but it's more suited to a girly girl and I happen to have a ninja/Pokemon master on my hands.

Homeschool
Print out one more of the Spielgaben guides to keep handy
Do a hands-on lesson with Lydia twice per week
Figure out a way to make Social Studies more of a priority and study it each week
Encourage Lexi to read independently every day

This is the Spielgaben, a giant box of parts. I should write a post on this thing. 

Writing

Blog every day during the month of November

Narrow down the focus of my blog and find my voice
Publish at least two posts that get over 100 views
Write a "throw back" post using one of my old journals as inspiration 

Submit one article to Scary Mommy

Do you have goals? 

How do you set about achieving them? 

Do you have any tips for holding yourself accountable? 

I'd love to hear what your goals are!

This post is part of the 30 Day Challenge.