My Favorite Things

I'm excited to participate in 320 Sycamore’s My Favorite Things 2014 linking event! Be sure to check it out.

 

 

 

 

Here are some of my favorite things:

 

 

 



 

1. Essie Nail Polish in "Ballet Slippers."

  It provides a soft pink color on my nails, that I love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. My Keurig.

 I am the only coffee drinker in my household, so this is perfect. And it is great for when guests come over - I love that each person can make their own drink selection, from decaf to tea or apple cider to hot chocolate!

 

 

 

3. Alex and Ani Bangle Bracelets

 I currently have the one below and the "my other half" bangle. I wear them together (I think the more you have, the better they look). They add such a nice statement to one's wardrobe, and are offered at an incredible price!

 

 

 

 

 

4. Pinterest



 I love the world of pinterest - I use it especially for  birthday party planning, craft ideas, and home décor inspiration. Love, love, love! Feel free to follow me on pinterest - JodiB

 

5. St. Ives Apricot Scrub



 I use this every single day. My face does not feel clean without this as part of my beauty routine. It is the perfect gentle exfoliate.

 

 

 

 

6. My Scentsy Warmer

 This exact one was gifted to me by my sister and her fiancé. I love that it plugs in, offers a warm glow via the light inside, and that I can use (and reuse) so many different scents. I enjoy something fruity in the warm months, and a cherry or vanilla in the winter. This has my whole house smelling delicious in a matter of minutes.

 

 

 

7. My Dyson

 I never thought I would say that I love a vacuum, but I am seriously in love with this vacuum. Yes, they may seem pricey, but we were going through a $100 vacuum every year, so this was worth the investment. We're going on 2 years of owning this, and this vacuum is still amazing. It is perfect for rugs and hard floors. It sucks up dirt and dog hair like nobody's business. It is also good for cleaning the couch on a regular basis, and reaching those cobwebs that appear in the corners of a room. ;)

 

Now that you know some of my favorite things, I'd love to know yours!! I'm always interested in finding something new to love and make life easier.

Hanging in there

Summers around here are always busy. It seems like the weekends are getting quickly booked up with parties, cook outs, trips to the zoo, plans to see family, and our traditional camping trip in Maine next month. Yard work? Laundry? Lazy Saturday mornings? What are all those again?

I've been unwell for the last few weeks. It started out as stomach pain that came and went, and then just kind of inhabited my body for good. it's been low, high (under my right breast), in my back, on my side. It's been dull and achy, and at times sharp. I'm not sure what is causing it, and it seems like the doctors don't seem to know either. 

I had a urine test, which showed bilirubin was present. Bilirubin is a liver enzyme. The urine was sent to the lab for further testing. I was ordered a plethora of blood work as well, including liver function panel. Everything came back normal, except for the bilirubin in the urine. I'm still uncomfortable and in pain. I'm not sure what the next step will be, as my doctor is out today. Has anyone dealt with something like this before?

Weekend is busy of course. Visiting little brother at his new place tomorrow , and a birthday party on Sunday. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Taking Stock

Following in Kate's footsteps today. Via the small things blog here. 

Making : memories with the littles. I hope.
Cooking : nothing. my husband does all the cooking. bless him.
Drinking : water (trying to drink more of this stuff), and wine. not together.
Reading: Two Kisses for Maddy by Matthew Logelin
Wanting: to lose about 8-10 pounds this summer. I can no longer blame my belly on post-baby.
Looking: like I need a hair cut. and more exercise. and more sleep.
Playing: Candy Crush as my down-time relaxer, late at night after the kids are in bed.
Wasting: time (always)
Sewing: nada. though I have a sewing machine, never used.
Wishing: I could spend more time outside, gardening.
Enjoying:the warmth of the sun on my skin, family gatherings, the laughter from my girls
Waiting: to finally get my contacts today - so much easier and more comfortable than glasses!
Liking: coral colored nail polish. Esse has the perfect shade, but I'm trying not to spend money.Wondering: what my girls will be like as they grow up.
Loving: pesto. hubby made this for me for dinner last night. yum. Hoping: i'm doing ok at this parenting thing.
Needing: a day at the beach or ocean.
Smelling: my lunch.
Wearing: a sweater...it's cold in my office!
Noticing: the landscaping of people's homes.
Knowing: that when Katie starts kindergarten, how hard it will be for her...and me.
Thinking: about my next project.
Feeling: the need to be more organized.
Opening: our thoughts to another baby? we're still not sure. 

 Katie's ballet recital 2014

This and That Thursday

on a Friday...

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Just sitting here at my desk feeling anxious and worn down. Not quite sure as to why, but feel like I've got a lot on my mind right now. Some at the surface and some deep thoughts that I'm not even sure of yet. Just feeling, meh. Stressed a bit. This time of year I'm always feeling like I need to DO more, and that is of course mixed with all of the things that already fill up the calendar. Bleh. 

Things I want to do: 

• spring cleaning
• outdoor gardening
• writing
• reading
• organizing
• purging
• decorating
• creating
• documenting

Between the busyness of life, kids, home, appointments, school ending, summer starting, graduations, birthdays, dance recitals, etc. etc., it just feels there is never enough time in a day. I'm sure you all can relate!

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I have a feeling it is going to be a short summer in some regards, and a long summer in others. Exploring all options to get through it, and enjoy it at the same time. Feel free to send me luck, prayers, and any extra money you have lying around. ;)

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Finally figuring out what I would like to do in creating an etsy shop. I've known my "idea" for a long time, but wasn't quite sure how to "endorse" it, but I think I'm getting there. Stay tuned!

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I'm noticing my body have some "allergy" type of reactions recently. My face sometimes will feel hot and itchy. Today it was my face, stomach, and back. Not sure what the trigger is. 

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 I'm not generally an ice cream gal, but I love eating it in the summer. My favorite go-to flavors are coffee and black rasberry. If it's soft-serve, I retreat to my youth and get bubblegum. :) What's your favorite ice cream flavor?

 

Five Minute Friday: Visit

I'm joining up with Lisa Jo Baker and some amazing women for Five Minute Friday. One word. Five minutes. No editing. Learn more HERE.

Today's word is:

VISIT

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Sometimes I visit the past. My past. I try to remember the details of the memories of times gone by. I used to be better at recalling those details. Maybe too good at it, as I would often proliferate on those tiny details. Now, with the 24 hour-a-day task of parenting two young children, the details become a little fuzzy.

But sometimes those memories come back to visit me, like long-lost friends. And the details feel fresh and vivid in my mind. Like passing notes to my sister in between a crack in the wall of our two bedrooms. The paper folded a hundred times over to fill the space between the walls. The giggling back and forth. Or all the times my parents took us to the beach in the summer. It was a family affair, with the grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. We'd leave early in the morning to be one of the first on the beach in order to claim our preferred spot. Sometimes we were there before the lifeguards arrived, and almost always before the water was warm enough to swim in. Memories of dance parties in the basement of my cousin's house. Cranking the music up to our favorite radio songs and choreographing our own dances. Memories of time spent playing outside, without adult supervision. The neighborhoods were safe back then. We would walk down to the general store with a dollar in our hands, and come back with a brown lunch bag full of candy that would last for days.

Often these memories will arise when I'm driving. Always I think I should keep a journal of sorts, simply to record these memories of mine. Something to look back on, and something to pass on to my children.

This and That Thursday

It is cold. So very bitter cold. Freeze your boogers cold (you northerners should be able to relate). Is it summer yet?

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I am in desperate need of a hair cut. My husband disagrees, as he likes my hair long; the longer the better. However, he is not the one dealing with said hair. And it's at a point where it needs something.  Something different. Something new. Something uplifting. I'm totally digging a long side-swept bang and layers. I've been pinning some inspirational photos here.

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I find myself with a tiredness reminiscent of a new mother. I can't remember the last time my children slept through the night, in their own beds. They are 2 and 4, and by gosh, they need to be sleeping through the night, right? My youngest will wake upset and it take a few minutes to even be able to console her. Sometimes she scratches at her legs, and doesn't want to be touched. Eventually she will let me hold her. Once she is calm, she might ask to use the potty or to have a drink of water. Always in the end, she wants to crawl into bed next to me and go back to sleep. There are some nights when she is up several times, and more recently, when she is up for several hours at a time. Then the 4 year old will wander in and want to crawl in bed. And quite frankly, this Momma is getting no rest.

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My nails are doing something funky. I've lost one side of my thumbnail, and I've got an in-grown toenail on one of my big toes. Gross, right? I've never experienced either, and I'm not sure what to do.

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The oldest asked the youngest the other day what she wanted to be when she grows up.
The youngest replied, "A robot."


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I'm feeling old. I'm finding more and more gray hair. The wrinkles are settling on my forehead and around my eyes. I'm looking into more advanced day lotions and night creams, to you know, target my aging skin. What do you use and love?

Pieces of Me

This post is prompted by Lisa-Jo Baker for Five Minute Friday. Lisa-Jo encouraged us to share our truths with her today. Here are a few raw, real pieces of me.

Today's word is: TRUE



I know this much to be true...

I feel inadequate.

I feel like I don't do enough. That I can't live up enough to expectations. Mine. Yours. Theirs.

I become depressed, anxious, panicked when I feel overwhelmed.

Overwhelmed by a messy house, landscaping that needs tending to, house repairs that don't get done...
the pile of laundry on my bed - clean, yet unfolded. And the dirty laundry piling up in the closet. 

Overwhelmed by the demands of two, precious little girls. Overwhelmed by the whining and the tantrums. Overwhelmed by the sensory issues. Overwhelmed by the mornings.  Oh, friends, the mornings are not kind.

I am overwhelmed by the overwhelmness of it all. (Yes, I just made that word up).

I don't want my children and family to remember the messiness of the house and my inability to keep up with it all.  I don't want to be the mom who loses her temper, her cool, her calm too quickly.I don't want a life that feels like I'm always rushing around. And in the end, at the end of the day, feels like I didn't do enough.

I feel old. My body feels worn out, tired. Gray hairs are multiplying as fast as that pile of dirty laundry.

I want to make this life matter. I want it to be as meaningful as possible. I want to feel accomplished. With myself, as a wife, as a mother, as a family member, as a friend...

My life is full of blessings. Through the piles of both clean and dirty laundry, overflowing toilets, the cobwebs in the corners of a room, the toys spilled out all over the playroom floor, the whining, the tantrums, the difficult mornings in which I'm lucky if I've brushed my own hair that day...I need to remember the blessings. Time goes too quickly, I've learned.

I need to wrap myself more around the things that matter and soak them up.

I know this much to be true.