2014 – a Mama Retrospective

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2014, looking back, retrospective

2014 has been an interesting year for me. It kind of feels like the year I finally took my life back, and that feels really good. These are some of the highlights / things I’ve learned and/or rediscovered:

1. I earned As in the two classes I took, and I fought like hell for both of them
2. I rediscovered my need to be creative
3. I learned that surrounding myself with things won’t make me happy but surrounding myself with people who love me will
4. I learned that waiting isn’t always a bad thing
5. I am perfectly capable of greatness, I just have to want to be great
6. I heard many times from many different people (who stood nothing to gain from it) that I really am good at what I do for a living
7. Goals are a really good thing
8. Necessity may be the mother of invention, but being short on cash can totally bring out your inner Macgyver
9. I have some truly amazing friends
10. When I stomp on my doubt I am capable of anything, even things I’ve always told myself I couldn’t do

And these are a few of my favorite photos:

Miss E learning how to make a duct tape rose pen with a little help from Miss A while Josh draws a picture for Little Miss A in the background

Josh and I relaxing with blue margaritas

cutest Mommy ever and me in the most awesome squirrel shirt ever

the day I gave my first Very Professional Presentation to Entirely Too Many Fucking People, and lived to tell about it

me and my BFF on the 4th of July

sweetest kitty ever

Mom and I in Minneapolis

Josh with his Basket Case Christmas present

of course they’re a little strange, they’re related to me!

Aunt Erin and E after the kidlets’ baton recital

I feel like I’ve grown a lot this year, which is always good. I also feel good that when I do look back and think about what I’ve done during the last 12 months, I don’t regret anything. I did my best to be good to the people around me as well as to people who will never meet me but whom I still tried to do right by. I gave what I could to those I felt could use it more than me whenever possible, and in giving, I received so much more.

My wish for us all is that 2015 has more laughter than tears, more sunshine than storms, more feasts than famines, and more fond memories than regrets. May you and yours be blessed on the road ahead, now and always.

an update on the bigger picture – Life Worth Living

Tags

building a life worth living, financial goals, getting creative, goals, resolutions, school, update

I started my list of Life Worth Living goals earlier this year when I realized that I wasn’t really living, I was merely surviving, and I was ready to move beyond that. I wanted to start gently pushing myself to do a little more. And I’m very pleased with the progress I’ve made.

These were the original 10 goals along with updates on how I’ve done so far:

1. Be able to put $150 into savings every month and leave it there. I haven’t gotten this done yet, but I am still working on changing my spending habits. There will be a much bigger emphasis on this in the coming year. In this vein I have decided that..
   
   • I will fix things whenever possible instead of replacing – not everything has to be perfect – ugly but functional is just fine
   • I will get a $25 monthly allowance that can be used for anything not deemed essential and/or otherwise already in the budget – can be saved to go towards a larger future purchase, but I can’t borrow from a future month
   • I will look into ways to increase my Redbubble sales and I will finish setting up my Cafe Press store
   • I will look for other easy ways to bring in additional income
   • I will not buy any new clothes (except underwear as necessary)
   • I will not buy any new shoes (except one pair of inexpensive flip flops – less than $15)
2. Get A’s in all of the courses for my degree. Four classes down, four A’s earned. I’m not entirely sure at this point if I’m going to do the full blown Master’s degree but I will keep going and get the second certificate.
3. Knit OR crochet something that gets completed every month. The intention behind this was to get back to doing creative things on a more regular basis and that has definitely happened.
4. Work to improve my drawing skills. I haven’t been sketching nearly as much lately, which is sad. I need to get back to this.
5. Make exercise a regular part of my routine. Not yet, but I’m hoping I’ll be getting back to this soon.
6. Work to improve my marketable skills. I have been, but not in the ways I originally thought I would. I’ll be continuing to work on this one.
7. Make a daily full oral hygiene routine and stick to it. Some days are better than others. I really just need to keep working on the “routine” part of this goal.
8. Read for pleasure on a regular basis. I have read more since making a conscious decision about it, so I feel good about that.
9. Work on a good way to address my skin conditions. I found and started seeing a really nice dermatologist and things are improving.
10. Plan a long term creative project that incorporates a new skill or a skill I haven’t perfected yet. Start the project and finish it before my 40th birthday. I’ve brainstormed some ideas, but haven’t yet committed to anything. There’s still time.

Did you set any goals for last year? How did you do? Are you ready to grab 2015 by the tail and give it hell?

remember that you are tasty, especially with ketchup

Tags

crochet, family, getting creative, kids, love, motivation, projects, random shit that falls out of my brain, sick

There is ICK going around and it would seem that all three of us might have it. I’m just not sure what else would explain why my eyeballs are itching like this given that I took my contacts out yesterday. And there is snot, lots and LOTS of snot. But it takes more than a little snot and itchiness to slow this Mama down.

Yesterday I was able to finish a washcloth, make a very small hat for a small stuffed dog, several bits of origami with the older niece, clean out one of the drawers down here that had been a catchall for stuff, straightened up the crap under the basement bathroom sink, rearranged the crap on the big shelf in the bathroom, run two loads of laundry, tidy the basement, start teaching E how to crochet, and make this…

It needs something yet, I’m just not sure what. In case you’re wondering, that was done with Sharpies on a small artists canvas, 5×7 I think. Super fun.

So determined to learn, so damn cute.

Today is supposed to be colder than a well digger’s ass in the middle of a blizzard. We’re talking about taking the kids to a movie, but I’m not sure yet if I’m going to feel up to that or not. I’m coughing and sneezing quite a bit yet. Josh actually took today off work because he felt so shitty yesterday. Not good.

I need to get everything ready for the simplifying stuff to start on January 1st. In case you hadn’t noticed I created a new page with the whole wonkin-big plan. There are some other things I want to get posted out in the open and I think I’ll work on that this morning.

Mom and Josh and I will be having a quiet New Year’s Eve at home. Mom got a prime rib that we’ll cook along with some baked potatoes and some sort of veg. I need to come up with an interesting dessert I think, and I’ve been informed that there will be whine wine. We might find a movie to watch or she might try to get Josh to help with the new 1000 piece puzzle we got her for Christmas. Rather sounds like heaven to me.

Do y’all have any big plans for tomorrow night? Any goals for the coming year? Dessert suggestions?

 

life worth living weekly update

Tags

building a life worth living, DBT, getting creative, goals, health, school, stress management, taking charge of my finances

If you’re just joining me for the first time, I’ve got a list of 10 Major Goals I want to accomplish before I turn 40 in 2016. That’s what I refer to as my Life Worth Living; it’s a DBT thing. If you don’t want to stay stuck where you’ve been in life, you have to figure out where you want to go and what it would take to truly make your life worth living.

Every week I do a Creative, Stress Management, Health, Financial, and School goal that tie back to my Building a Life Worth Living project. Bit by bit I’m reaching for the stars.

Update from last week:

Creative – Continue doing some creative things. Yes, I said continue. Over the weekend I was able to spend some time making jewelry and I loved it. I also made the awesome menu board (which is working like a charm) and had fun with that. All of the ideas for that stuff came from Pinterest, so I’d like to find at least one more idea from there and see it through to completion this week. I have made jewelry several times, the origami butterflies, started another washcloth, and put together that picture collage thing.

Stress Management – Mom is out of town until Saturday, so keeping my stress levels down is going to be rather crucial. Not having to work will help, but having to spend time with my in laws will not. My plan is keep working on the little projects I’ve got lined up for myself. All in all I don’t think I did too bad. I cried once, very briefly, but I think that was to be expected. I feel great about how many of the projects I’ve been able to get done.

Health – Managing my sleep is going to be key for the next few weeks. Not having to go to work means not having to go to bed on time and that means not sleeping good. No matter how late I stay up it’s near impossible for me to sleep past 8am. I’ve got to get back on top of it this week. This one has not been great. I’ve still been staying up late and getting up early. I don’t feel too bad yet. Yet. But this needs to become a major priority again.

Financial – I’m at the point where I’m ready to stop spending money on pretty well everything except bills. (partially because we spent bookoo bucks over the weekend, mostly on stuff we needed) I also want to try to get Josh to sit down with me and take a hard look at our monthly budget. I went shopping a few times last week, mostly for craft supplies, but never spent much. I still need to get Josh to look at the budget. Hopefully there will be time for that this week.

School – Class won’t start for me again until January 12th, but I need to get my books ordered soon. I did get my binder cleared out from last semester and a new folder setup on my computer. I can’t order my books until I get paid this week. The binder got cleaned out and the folder on my computer is ready to go.

Goals for this week:

Creative – I have a list of projects I’d like to get done this week. They are:

• Flat Fold Ring
• Beaded dragonfly necklace and earrings
• Nanoblock Giant Panda
• Iron on t-shirt transfers
• Sharpie Canvas Project

Stress Management – I’ve been working like a madwoman to get as many of my decluttering/organizing projects done as possible since I don’t have time like this very often, and it’s almost always easier to do when Josh isn’t here. I’ve been keeping a list this last week of what I wanted to do and there’s isn’t too much left. Oddly enough, getting our living space cleared out a little really does help my stress levels. What’s left:

• Try to figure out how to finish setting up Cafe Press
• Clean out under the basement sink
• Do something about the big shelf in the basement bathroom
• Get some small plastic bins for other misc storage issues (on sale 50% off at Michael’s until Jan 3!)

Health – I have almost entirely neglected my skin lately and it’s starting to get pissed. I need to get back to my better habits with that.

Financial – January 1st officially starts my “purse closing” so I need to very clearly lay out what that means for me. (and stock up now on anything I think I’ll need but won’t be able to get!)

School – Order my books once I get paid.

 

not quite right?

Tags

getting creative, good project gone bad?, origami

I totally love the idea, but I think it looks like a purple fucking bat. What do you think?

it’s the final countdown

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anxiety, christmas, family, getting creative, jewelry, sick

No, silly, not this one…

I’m talking about the countdown to when Mom gets home! She should be here in less than 12 hours and I’ve got lots to do, but I wanted to share with you a little of what I did yesterday.

I got up ridiculously early because I felt like shit. I was actually sick off and on all day yesterday, but in the afternoon I felt enough better than Josh talked me into showering and doing a little shopping. (he bribed me with shiny things)

We went to my favorite bead store and got some supplies and then it was off to Red Robin for lunch. Unfortunately I started getting sick there at the end of our meal. But Michael’s is in the same parking lot so I made a really quick run in to the bead/jewelry area and grabbed what I wanted (they were having a really good sale and I had a coupon for 30% off everything that wasn’t on sale). And then we sped home and I prayed for a swift death.

After the ick passed I managed to get some pictures printed for the collage frame Josh’s sister got us for Christmas and I started making jewelry.

this (not that great) shot shows everything from last night, including 2 pair of earrings I made for friends at work

wire wrapped (sort of) necklace for the kid

flower earrings for me

wire wrapped copper infused turquoise pendant – I really should have gotten something more square for my first “real” piece

This morning I’ve already been tidying up and getting as much done and ready as I can. We still need to go to the grocery store and get some laundry done, preferably before Josh picks the kid up at 11.

I hope everyone had a lovely holiday, or is still having a lovely holiday, and that you’re all happy, healthy, and safe. I’ll be back again soon kids. ❤

let the games begin

The page with my Master Plan for simplifying my surroundings next year is now available for anyone dumb brave enough to join me. It doesn’t include the financial bits yet, though I think I posted those somewhere. Anyway, I’ll get the rest of that stuff up in the next few days. It hit me this morning that Mom comes home tomorrow and there’s quite a bit of stuff I want to have done before she arrives. Toodles!

christmas, in photos

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christmas, family, love

merry christmas

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christmas, friends, love

I wish for you…

Enough food so you aren’t hungry.

Shelter from the cold.

A companion.

Love in your heart.

Mama’s Christmas Cartoon

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cartoon challenge, christmas

You thought I’d forgot, didn’t you? Here’s my very tiny entry for the Christmas Cartoon Craziness Challenge. Bless us, every one!