Girls' Night Out!

Such a great way to break away - and come back refreshed and ready to tackle the daily do's again the rest of the week...

One night a week, a bunch of friends meet as part of a bowling league. I was afraid to commit to the full 32 weeks this year yet... 
A) I still have 2 babies at home!
B) I am prone to migraines, and hadn't bowled in so long that I wasn't sure if it'd trigger it or not....
C) Also prone to carpel tunnel in the wrist - ever since pregnancy (though much less frequent now.) 
D) We have some financial obligations to work out before I can justify spending that much money to bowl for the year. 
(Just a few things holding me back, huh?) 

But here's the deal - every team needs a couple of subs on stand-by ~ so I signed up for that! It's a one-time fee of $19 bucks, and if I can't do it, it's likely that someone else can. It's only on an as-needed basis. 
In the meantime, I get to go and hang out there with the girls each week, have a drink, cheer them on, and socialize. It's fab! If I can't make it one night for some reason, I'm not interfering with anyone else... It's the perfect way to ease into it.
I got to sub last time - and had no ill-effects! So if next year I feel it'd be cool to commit, I'll know I won't suffer headaches or wrist tenderness. (bonus)

TIP! If you commit to too much at once, you'll feel overwhelmed instead of energized by and looking forward to the outings - even if the commitments are fun-based. Choose one or two things that you'd really enjoy doing, and keep things spaced out enough that you don't become overloaded. Too often, too many of us forget how to say 'no' - or feel pressured by society or others' expectations, and wind up feeling run-down. What good are we to anyone if we are already beat?! I learned this from experience myself. Won't do it again :) Life's too short. 

A QUOTE: "Sometimes the cure for restlessness is rest."  ~Colleen Wainwright

WHIDFML: The other night, I was chilled to the bone from several days of wet, cold, rain... I mentioned how nice it'd be to have that hot-tub we hope to acquire one day... Joel said he'd put the girls down if I wanted to relax in a hot bath. I jumped all over that! Oh man, it was soooooo relaxing, and I slept great. (Got the blood flowing again!) That was one of the most thoughtful things! Simple, cost him nothing, and offered me a little break and some time to myself to do nothing but relax.  (Maybe the husbands should read these blogs too, huh?? We can hint...)

A Coupl'a Cute-Funnies For Ya...

We were all eating dinner the other night - the girls were in their high-chairs... 
Addie decided not to hold back when she felt some obviously large pangs of gas... Who knew something that loud could be produced by such a little butt?

So - we all looked at her with questioning eyes & astonishment. She grinned sheepishly, and giggled a little as we asked her, "WHAT was THAT?!" 
Out came her reply, "Noooooooo. Myla do dat." 
Hahahahahhahah! Understandably, we were laughing uncontrollably! Little smartie.

The other morning, I ran into the bathroom to brush my teeth while the girls were milling about upstairs. They had just finished breakfast, and were playing in the kitchen. I hadn't made it back out there when I heard Addie crying, and Myla yelling, "Mama, Mama... Come Look! Addie - she's burnin' up - She's burnin' up!!" I ran in to find that Addie had proceeded to climb up onto the pub-stool chair, and dip some paper towel into my freshly brewed tea. Obviously, it was still very hot, and luckily, it was residual from the soaking wet paper towels that dribbled hot tea onto her hand as she extracted it from the mug. Lesson learned on my part... put tea on higher surface. But I had to laugh - because of what Myla's assessment of the situation had been. Rather charming. 

 

TIP! Keep your hot beverages - FAR, far out of reach... If it feels like it's ridiculously out of reach, then you are probably safe. 

A QUOTE: "Detail makes the difference between boring and terrific writing. It's the difference between a pencil sketch and a lush oil painting. As a writer, words are your paint. Use all the colors."  ~ Rhys Alexander 

WHIDFML: Dropped off some stuff at Once Upon a Child & Buffalo Exhchange - made $43 bucks! I now have some spare 'play' money for me... *(Likely to be used to purchase a drink on Monday nights bowling with the girls - My weekly girls'-night-out!)

The Difference Between "Mommy" & "Daddy" - Part 1

Time for bed!

Daddy: "I'm going to sleep." (Kiss) "See you tomorrow, don't stay up too late..." 
Mommy: (Thinking, funny you should say that...) "Goodnight. I'm going to bed too." 

Daddy proceeds to climb into bed, and drift to sleep peacefully.
Mommy.... 
- Finishes up any lingering projects in the works...
- Pulls out food to thaw in the fridge for the next day...
- Puts the last load of laundry into the dryer...
- Makes sure the doors & windows are closed up/ locked...
- Tidies-up the toy room...
- Puts the last of the day's dishes into the dishwasher, fills soap dispenser, and runs machine...
- Makes list of things to remember for following day...
- Changes into pajamas and washes face...
- Remembers something she forgot to inform or ask someone - and sends a quick email...
- Turns off all lights...
- Checks on sleeping babies, and covers them up with blankies (again)...
- Makes sure husband's lunch is ready to go for the next morning...
- Makes sure anything else husband needs is handy and ready to go in the A.M. ...
- Pees (again) ...
- Finally, sets the alarm, and climbs into bed!
Whew! ZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz


TIP! If you can limit your nightly routines by consolidating a particular chore - it all adds up to saved time (and more ZZZZZ's!) ie: I make all of my husband's sandwiches for the week on Sunday night - and keep them in the fridge... Only one night of remembering to do that item. :) (It's the least I can do for him for waking early and slaving for the family's income each day... And, he claims it tastes better when I make it. Secret ingredient = love - shhhhhhhhhhh.)
A QUOTE: "If you want to write you must have faith in yourself. Faith enough to believe that if a thing is true about you, it is likely true about many people. And if you can have faith in your integrity and your motives, then you can write about yourself without fear."  ~ Real Live Preacher
WHIDFML: Today at baby nap time = ZERO 'chores'... Going to watch a movie, by myself, with warm tea, and candle-light on this chilly, rainy, windy autumn day - [insert happy sigh here]

Tooooo Funny!

While playing with Myla today - and checking out her toy camera - she proceeded to take it from my hands at one point saying, "Let me take your picture, mama." 
Me: "Okay" (smiling)
Camera: "You're a GREAT animal photographer!"
Myla: (looking at the camera after taking my pic) "Oh, you're so cute!"
Me: "Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaaa!"
(Thinking, 'That's not what the camera thinks!')

A few minutes later...

I said to her, "I want to eat those cute little toe-toes!" 
Myla: "Nooooo. That's not lunch!"
Me: "I know, but they're so cute and soft, I want to eat them anyway!"
Myla: "No mama. Sandwiches are yummy. My feet are yucky." 
(She loves the book Yummy Yucky, by Leslie Patricelli. It's a favorite around here! This is funnier if you've read it.)



A QUOTE: "There's always something to write about. If there's not then you need to live life more aggressively."  ~Min Kim, Better Blogging Brainstorming, SXSW 2006

WHIDFML: Drank some mouth-watering, healthy, real-deal tea from Teavana. Mmmmmm.


 

When the Dog Bites, When the Bee Stings...

When I'm feeling sad........ I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don't feel so bad!

I'm a green-machine! Since I moved out of the house at age 22, I began making a transition to organic foods and chemical-free products anywhere I could. The more I got into it, and the more I understood & learned, the less I wanted that stuff around me (or in me!) I'm so glad I got into the habit (and got my husband into the habit) - before babies arrived. 


Sure, I still have people around me who say things like, "Ah - we've been using/ eating/ doing that for years... and we're still alive..." Sometimes I have to bite my tongue to avoid asking, "And how is your quality of life??" It may not have a pronounced enough effect that you can pinpoint it. And, it may not produce negative side-effects promptly, but over time. I just know our bodies weren't wired to handle it. So I see it as doing my part to do my best to prevent issues from arising later in life. We all want what's best for our babes too - and I've found ways to maintain my green-clean-life on a budget! All can be found at your local Target stores. Continue below...



Products I feel good about using - especially as a mom - and a mom on a budget:
~ Method brand cleaning products (any). My favorite are the cleaning wipes. They are great for bathroom clean-up (especially in-between more thorough cleanings). 
*I also really enjoy the sprays. You can use them anywhere - they smell great - and you don't have to worry about setting food on the counter-top after having cleaned it (ironic, eh?) If used in the tub, you don't have to be concerned with taking a long hot soak, or putting your little ones in for a soak. *Great hypoallergenic liquid fabric softener 
~ 7th Generation dishwasher detergent - It doesn't leave a residue/ spots, and washes clean... BONUS - I don't feel like re-washing before using/ letting my kids use eating utensils!
~ Arm & Hammer Laundry Detergent - hypoallergenic, plant-based surfactants... the ingredient list is literally 3 items long (and easy to pronounce)! Also - best bang for buck amongst the family of people & earth-friendly detergents. 
~ Palmolive Pure & Clean - Palmolive has actually always (as far as I've known, anyway) been free of phosphates. Now, they have boosted it further. Only makes me feel better. Very affordable!
~ Greenworks toilet bowl cleaner - I LOVE the way I can squirt it right up under the rim, and let it sit and soak a bit... before coming back to scrubbing. It's earth-friendly - so you can feel good about flushing! 
~ Dawn dish soap - but not for dishes! I like it for A) Pre-treating laundry stains (awesome!) and for B) Washing linoleum & tile floors. (Haven't tried it on the wood floors...) 
~ Swiffer!! The sweeper (NOT the wet-mop products.... You aren't even supposed to get that on your skin, so avoid that crap!) The sweeper is amazing - and picks up so well. But I have to say that the PLEDGE brand dry sweeper refills are cheaper, and work just as well. TIP! You can also use (and re-use, and re-use) a MICROFIBER cleaning cloth in place of the dry-sweeps. ALSO fab for washing the floors applied to the swiffer/ pledge with warm water & dish soap! Keep a couple of mf cloths to alternate... You just plunk it into the wash (with no fabric softener), and you don't have to purchase the refills! ** Double-Tip! [I do a load of non-fabric-softener wash - all my cleaning cloths and dish rags together]
~ Pledge brand dusters - (If you don't like to dust with a cloth and a stinky, greasy chemical) these are THE best! (Again, cheaper than Swiffer brand, but work great!)


While we're on the topic of favorite products... here are a few I couldn't live without as a mom:

~ Bouncy seat - portable, vibrating, kept my colic kiddo asleep for more than 10 minutes at a time! Yay. TIP! When babies are small enough to stay in seat (with belt, of course) - you can put them to sleep in the bouncy seat when sick with colds. It keeps the mucus (I know - gross!) from draining into their throats and causing them to cough and wake. It also keeps their plugged noses from plugging up completely - allowing them to keep the nuk in and everything!! Bonus - you can put them next to your bed/ in your room to watch them more closely when ill. If I could have only chosen one furniture item for my baby - it would have been this little chair! It was pure LOVE.
~ Nuk. The amazing pacifier that stays in their mouths! I prefer the silicone ones... seem less 'soft'/ lasted longer. TIP! Re-boil for 3 mins on occasion/ as needed to keep clean. 
~ Nuk-holders! Even when the Nuk stays in well, baby will still push it out. We also attached it to them at night (after they were at least 6 months old, and mobile) to keep it from falling out of their reach/ through the crib bars!! What a splendid invention! 
~ Portable/ DC baby monitor! I love the fact that you can plug it in when you're inside.... or grab and detach it - and away you go - anywhere you please around the yard/ house. You have battery option, but don't go through them as quickly. The one we like is by Safety 1st - $20 bucks! 


TIP! I mentioned in a previous post - but worth mentioning again... Trader Joe's is fantastic for organic and/or all natural, no fillers, no artificials, no preservatives, etc... good-for-you-foods, at very reasonable prices! Better than co-op pricing, and WAY better than your little corners dedicated to health in the big-name-ick-stores. 

A QUOTE:  "Writing is the only profession where no one considers you ridiculous if you earn no money."  ~ Jules Renard



WHIDFML: Listened to my bod, and went to bed early. Also - slept-in when I had the chance! Ahhhh, refreshing.

Looking Ahead (And in the Meantime - Around Behind, & Sideways at All Times!)

I love the idea of doing some fun projects with my girls while they are home with me. Art projects, new games, new places to explore, all kinds of interaction! But, realistically, Addie is just too small still. I can already see the chaos unfolding in my mind's eye; Addie grabbing Myla's pink paper (the only remaining pink, surely), tearing it to shreds while knocking over the glitter pack, and dipping her face in glue... Myla crying in despair all the while, looking on hopelessly as Addie proceeds to destroy her (and my) sugar-plum visions of art-project time. Yes, this will have to wait a bit longer. Maybe by next year?? Myla will begin pre-school - but it should be a short day for her. I can still look forward to this with sugar and spice and all that is nice, right? ;)

The thing I have to remember, though, is that while these times will certainly be new and fun (and full of unexpected challenges most definitely)  - I can't let myself 'rush' this current time by too quickly (or can I?) They are only going to be babies once, and for a short time. Myla has already moved beyond baby-hood. Addie isn't far behind. But truthfully, I am happy as each new milestone is achieved... as it means we are all continuing to grow and move forward, and learn and be. Can't help but feel that we can all 'be' in greater harmony when we can all interact on somewhat of a similar level ground... without so much teasing , fighting, glitter-flinging, glue-eating, or paper-shredding. *[Pretty sure my imagination's description about how this would go at this stage isn't so far-fetched!]

TIP!  Encouraging games like "house"/ "baby" has enabled both girls to pretend & play together - the littlest one mimicking the strategies of the older one... Just be sure to have 2 of everything! (Well, at least 2 dolls.)

A QUOTE: "I write entirely to find out what I'm thinking, what I'm looking at, what I see and what it means. What I want and what I fear."  ~ Joan didion

WHIDFML: I sat out this weekend and soaked up a few minutes of what remained of some warm, late-summer sun. Vitamin D needed right now! Can't let it slip away - not yet.

What Goes Through the Minds of My Neighbors When...

I open up the kitchen door, or roll down the window in the truck, to toss out a banana peel into the yard (usually aiming for tree branches) - all while laughing hysterically... by myself?


A) Good thing her husband loves her
B) WTF? What is WRONG with that woman??
C) I just don't GET it.
D) Is that her idea of composting?
E) Do squirrels eat banana peels?
F) At least it's biodegradable
G) Can we move? Soon?
H) Ummmmmm, Did you see that? What WAS that?
I) Her kids are making her bananas! ;)
J) Must be a private joke between her and her husband. He's always picking them up. 
K) A little bit of everything mentioned above?


You decide on this one. ~ Feel free to leave your comments! 


TIP! Banana peels decay quickly and start to stink up the garbage can (and house) fast. I just throw mine around the yard!! They blend in after a couple of days (upon turning brown), and it's super fun teasing my husband. [big grin] (He has no problem leaving mountain dew cans/ bottles or tools lying around... but heaven forbid we "junk up our yard" with a naturally biodegradable food peel.) I can't resist! One time, I draped one on the side-view mirror of his car, and he drove about a block before realizing it! Hahahahahahahahaha! (I am admittedly a little bit crazy.)


A QUOTE: "It's not about the writing. It's about the feelings behind the words."  ~Takayuki Ikkaku


WHIDFML: I skipped doing laundry all last week. (Yep - it was still here come this week!)