Beginning Again

Well, from the looks of things it's been over a year since I have posted to my blog. Apparently, I do not need to resume, but rather begin again.


At this point in my life, I am finding myself in need of several changes. I find myself for the first time feeling the need for New Year's Resolutions. I have never felt the need to have them before as I never felt that I was in need of changes badly enough. I mean, before now, resolutions were just changes that I most likely wouldn't stick with anyway.


Since it's been such a long time since I have posted on this blog, I think I should do a little catching up. over the last year, we have all been pretty busy. The most interesting thing that I have done is opening Little Hands Learning Center. LHLC opened it's doors in July of 2011. It's hard to believe that it has already been six months. It has been a slow start as the word is getting out about us being there. I have been operating as a parents on site program this entire time as I did not have enough restrooms to apply for licensing to accommodate drop off care. The restrooms should be done within the next week or so and the application for licensing will be in the mail as well. That's a very exciting thing for me as I have dreamed of this center for many years. I can see the completed center in my mind, complete with plans for additional centers. My problem is realizing that it takes so long to get to the pictures in my mind.


As I set out into the 2012, I feel as though the three resolutions I will be making are necessary for both home and business success. For the first time in my life I feel the absolute need for change. I will be making the following resolutions:

1. Make Healthier Choices
• I understand that this is a bit broad, however, my focus will be on losing weight and making healthier food choices. I will also be trying to squeeze in more exercise, however, that is secondary to eating healthier.
2. Better Organization
• This one pertains mostly to home, but somewhat to business as well. I am fairly organized with the business because I have to be. There is no way to be productive and successful without being organized. Home however, tends to be in disarray because it can be. I will be utilizing www.flylady.net to learn new strategies to implement. If anyone else is interested in these strategies, let me know and we can hold each other accountable. I am already gonna be working with one friend to keep each other on our toes.
3. Better Financial Choices and Budgeting
• Again, slightly broad, but I know what I mean. I will be focusing on cutting excess spending. If we don't NEED it, we don't buy it. I will also be attempting to go back to my coupon clipping days where I can save a ton of money through strategic coupon use. I'm not talking extreme coupon clipping, I'm just talking regular coupon clipping. I used to do it and could consistently save 40-60% of our grocery bill.

I will be trying to update my blog at least once a week (trying to keep things attainable) and updating honestly on how things are going. January will be a tricky month for the budget however because it is the Twins birthday. We will also be playing catch up on a few things from the holidays.


These changes are not just changes I want to make for a year, these are life changes that I want to put into place throughout our lives. I am hoping that the budgeting one will start out very strict and then be able to lax slightly to be more comfortable.


If you are reading this, please do not hesitate to ask me about any of my resolutions or changes being put into effect as I need the checks and balances of friends and family to make sure I am continuing as I should be.


I hope the New Year of 2012 will find you all love and happiness as those are the only things we truly NEED in our lives.

Just a Sunday

Well, its been a lazy Sunday today, when it should've been a highly productive day. I have been unable to get the motivation I need to get stuff done, knowing I had quite a few things that I wanted to do. I will probably end up staying up late and doing things later tonight, although I have to be up early in the morning.
Tomorrow afternoon I have a Dr appt. Tuesday is grocery shopping. Wednesday is all day cooking day with Stephanie. Thursday is a Babywearing presentation for the El Centro breastfeeding support group. And pack to go to the desert. Daryls bday is Sunday so we are having his party on Sunday, so the cake has to be made, too. It's gonna be a busy week ahead, but I am looking forward to our first desert trip of the season. Hopefully my lull in motivation does not carry on into the week ahead.

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Why am I blogging instead of sleeping?

It is nearly 4a.m. and I am blogging instead of sleeping. I have no idea why, but I seem to by wide awake and have no interest in trying to lay down and go to sleep. I have not been blogging much lately, but feel like I really need to get back to it so I can verbalize (or textualize) my thoughts. (at this hour I get to make up my own words) I have been feeling like there are a few things in my life that need to change. Nothing "major" but just things. One thing is that I need to be much better about keeping up with chores around the house. Another is to be more organized around the house. I also want to lose weight and start cooking healthier for my family. I have come to realize that I need to cook much healthier and teach my children much better eating habits. I do not fry everything we eat and we do not eat a ton of sweets and so on, however, we do snack more than I would like. We definitely eat out way too much and we just don't eat a large enough variety of vegetables and things. This will be my goal over the next couple of months is to completely revamp the way I cook and make sure that I am creating a variety of healthy meals for us all. I am also going to be cutting down (one or two meals a week) on the amount of meat we consume. It is not a bad thing to eat meat, but it is not necessary to eat it with every meal. Well, I suppose I need to try to get to bed. Hopefully I will be awake throughout the day tomorrow. :)

the big 3-0!!

well, today, i turn 30!!! it is hard to believe that i am entering my 30s although i think i will be okay. i have outgrown my 20s and am ready to enter my 30s as a time of stability and settling into my family. i think as a general rule, your 20s are viewed as your partying years and years to figure out your direction in life. i feel that i have grown up beyond the constant partying and have a pretty good idea of the direction i want my life to go in. its time now to focus on my family and my greatest desire in establishing a childcare and family resource center. i am tremendously frightened by the enormity of the project, but inspired by it at the same time. it is something that i completely believe in. i truly enjoy being a mom, also. i am honored and blessed to have been given two beautiful and amazing kids! the twins have been an awesome addition to our family. its hard to believe that they will be 3 next month. they have such great little personalities. christmas is gonna be great! they are just at an age now to be really getting into christmas and getting excited about it. Jr keeps saying "santa is gonna bring me a motorcycle." unfortunately, i think santa will run out of motorcycles, but i he will have a few jeeps in stock. :) it will be great to see their excitement christmas morning! so, i guess i am ready for my 30s, i'm blessed with an amazing family (all of my family), and spectacular friends.

*sigh* again with the inability to title my blogs..

there has been a lot going on lately. i feel like i havent really slowed down for over a month... and looking at my calendar, it is not getting much better. i am working on getting my house organized. things are out of control with the clutter and i am having a really hard time dealing with it these days. well, it has been almost two months since my last blog. since then, we went to vegas for a wedding, halloween haunt at knotts berry farm, had a big ol' birthday bash in the dirty desert for daryl's 40th birthday, spent three days in san diego for part one of my lactation educator class, went to a halloween party, survived halloween, the time changed and now here we are... um, i guess that's the last two months in a nutshell :) I am currently looking at a calendar where all weekends have something going on until sometime in January.... I don't know when i will ever have a weekend to just sit around the house, but i guess it balances out with the fact that i can do that on the weekdays if i really had to... There are a ton of things that i need to be doing and never seem to be doing the things i should. well, someday, i guess i will get organized and quit procrastinating... (or not, whatever) :)

Mayonnaise Jar & Two Beers

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 Beers. A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.' The professor then produced two Beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed... 'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things---your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else---the small stuff. 'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand. One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Beer represented. The professor smiled and said, 'I'm glad you asked.' The Beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of Beers with a friend.

My thoughts: Have you evaluated your balls and beer lately?? (Golf balls, that is!!) Take time to make sure that your priorities are being placed into your jar in the right order. If not, there may not be room for everything. I totally agree that family should be first, then your outside responsibilities, followed by the small stuff. If you place everything in the jar in the appropriate order, there will definitely be room for a couple of drinks with friends. It is something that is so often overlooked when we have so many balls, pebbles and sand to deal with, but at the same time it is so very important to take that time and make the room. I have only come to realize this over the last two years and even more-so over the last month or so. I think of it this way... the golf balls, pebbles and sand, once in the jar, are not going anywhere. The beer however, if left unattended will evaporate and need to be replenished. Don't forget to take the time to replenish and quench the thirst in your life. I look at my mayonnaise jar and am very thankful to S and V for always helping make sure my balls are moist!!