A New Season

Well, it's football season again and life has changed a lot for me since I wrote my last blog post. It seems crazy to me that I haven't written in over a year, but when life gets hectic, sometimes you have to choose the important things in life and put the fun things on hold. I have moved two times since my last post. My Coach and I decided to take a large pay cut, :0 and move to my hometown. My hubby went from being a head high school basketball coach to a Jr. High coach. He chose to do this so our kids and I could be near their Mimi, Poppa, Aunts and Uncle. It meant a lot to me that he would choose his family over his career growth. We also felt like this was where the Lord was leading, and calling us. Sometimes you end up happier when you let go and let the Lord lead you in the opposite direction of what your plans are.

It has taken a little bit of time for Coach to get adjusted to dealing with these hormone enraged messes of Jr. Higher's, but he has found that there is an amazing chance to help these kids grow and learn the basics. That is one of the amazing things about sports. The ability to find new ways to grow and push yourself.


I have started a new adventure as well. I now work in an Outpatient Rehab at a hospital. I have gotten the opportunity to work with children, and adults who have difficulties ranging from articulation problems, neurogenic stuttering, dysphagia, laryngectomy, aphasia, and much more. It is an amazing job and keeps me on my toes. Although I love my new job, I still have never loved any job more than my job as a mom! (Although it is the hardest and most exhausting job I've ever had). That job keeps me on my toes too. I deal with difficulties ranging from spelling tests, field trips, dr's visits, fit throwing, and birthday planning. (And much, much more!)

Life is great how it keeps you guessing on what comes next. We would be bored if it never changed. I've missed having the chance to write and share. It is one of my favorite things to do, so I am going to make it happen. I am going to go plan a birthday party now, and hopefully not encounter any fit throwing :)

Just hanging out Watching Eagles! (Real ones!)

Yesterday, I heard a story that really caught my interest on NPR. Now, I am not a regular listener of NPR, because very rarely do the stories ever catch my interest, but this one was so neat I cannot help but share!!!
As we speak there is a live feed of two eagles and their recently hatched eaglettes online. The video feed shows 24 hours a day and documents every move these eagles make. I checked it out today and was surprised at how interested my monkeys were. Every single one of them sat silently and watched in awe at the beautiful creatures (okay, Baby Gray only lasted for approx. 2 minutes, and then started beating the computer, but for an 18 month old, 2 minutes is a lifetime of stillness). I found myself getting excited when the mama eagle started moving around and I could see 2 little hatched eaglettes peaking out from underneath her. She was even feeding them some fish she had caught earlier.

Apparently the eagles are being watched as part of a research project, and over 200 million people have viewed the feed so far. When we logged on, there were 150,000 people watching at the same time as us. I am not sure why it is so interesting, but I do know that it was something that my family loved seeing. It is something positive and uplifting (a nice break from all of the bad news on the internet and television). You can even watch the eagles at night via infrared light. So cool.

Anyway, just wanted to share the neat experience we had. Be sure to let me know if you check it out, and what you and your family think!

http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles

My Hair is So Shiny I Couldn't Lose My Head!!!

Well, I have to tell you that I am writing this post in severe and utter disappointment! I successfully fulfilled my hair and makeup Monday Mayo Review, and have some fun pic's to share, BUT.... of course my new camera cord is missing (therefore I cannot download them). Things have been known to be used as Barbie belts or get flushed down the toilet, so there really is no telling where the cord could be. I also would probably lose my head if it wasn't attached, so the cord could be making friends with my other lost items somewhere over the rainbow never to be seen again.


Soooo I decided to use my scanner to upload the pictures! I thought, "Oh yeah Autumn, great idea!" BUT.... my computer decided to freeze 5 times during the middle of the download. For some reason I am not supposed to show you the outcome of the Mayo extravaganza, but I promise you this, I will not give up. I don't want to spoil my upcoming (hopefully) post telling you all about how entertaining it was dousing myself in something that soaks a sandwich, but I will tell you that my hair looks awesome today! It is so shiny that my coworkers had to put on sunglasses to walk by me in the hall. Okay, I know I'm corny, but really I did receive a lot of compliments on my hair today!

Here are 2 pictures I was able to take with my phone

following my homemade Mayo

hair treatment. I'll give you the pros and

cons tomorrow when I get the rest of the

pic's downloaded :(

I am going to try my hardest to get the full review up tomorrow, but I just wanted to make sure you all knew I didn't forget about you.


Wish me luck on making it over the rainbow to retrieve my cord, or over to Wal-Mart to buy a new one.
P.S.,
I am making banana bread tonight, so I will be sure to share that recipe. It is an old German recipe that I tweaked a little to fit our family's tastes! Mmmmmm! (I love having Coach home to cook for!!!!)

Hair & Makeup Monday: Whipping Up Soft Shiny Hair!



This is definitely not me
or my hair. It was so shiny
and pretty, that I am hoping
this will be my outcome.
But Blonde :)

 Ways to Get Soft Shiny Hair
(For Thrifty Women Like Me!
-A.K.A. Cheap)

Winter has officially taken the life out of my hair. Because of this I am on a quest to find the best home remedy to add shine and health back to my hair. I found many different sites with ideas, and I've decided to try one a week for the next 4 weeks. I will let you know which ones actually are worth your energy, and which one's are old wives tales. Here is the first home remedy for dull hair that I will be testing!!! (I'm a little scared!)
An Oldie But a Goodie

1.  Mayonnaise:
I've always heard about this in old movies and on t.v. shows, but never really thought that I would put something that goes in between two slices of bread on my head. I never thought I would be cleaning crayon out of a toddlers teeth either, but sometimes you do what you've got to do :)

It is advised to put the mayo in your hair, focusing on the ends (to reduce frizz and split ends) and leaving it in for approximately an hour. You can wrap it with a towel or just put on a shower cap to keep from condimenting your home. After the hour wait, rinse, shampoo, and blowdry.
**** Tip: When rinsing your hair use cool water. It seals the cuticles and is supposed to prevent frizz. *****

I'm heading off now to get started. I will take pic's to let you see the difference. Check back tomorrow to help me judge whether this is beauty miracle or just miracle whip!

See ya tomorrow. Let's just hope Coach doesn't smell my head and decide he feels hungry in the middle of the night!

Thank Goodness for Saturdays

(A picture of mommy: by Stinkerbelle)

Sorry it has been a few days since I have been able to write a post. Honestly this week has been rough. Spring break is over and school is back with a vengeance :) It seems like it is flying by, which is nice, but I have so much to do before school is out that I am kind of hoping it will slow down a little. I have drowned my stresses in comfort foods like frito pie and macaroni and cheese. Mmmmm..... probably not the best for my waistline, but definitely the best for my emotional stability.


I'm sorry Jillian,
please don't hurt me!



I do have a confession, I missed my Coach's Widow Workout 3 times. Instead of being on day 9 of my Jillian Michaels Shred, I am on day 6. I am still up to the challenge, and not planning on quitting anytime soon! I've heard many times that it is a bad idea to be hard on yourself when you are dieting because it makes you want to give up altogether, and I am going to apply this to my workout. Okay I missed a few days, but I am going to keep going and do better next time. Life happens. (I think we all know that!)

On top of having a rough week, Coach had an out of town trip scheduled for this weekend. I am not usually a really emotional person (I'm sure some who know me would beg to differ :) , but I actually cried when he was talking about leaving on Friday. (Such a baby.) I had just gotten used to him being home more than usual now that basketball season is over, and he was heading off again. I sucked it up pretty quick and got my big girl panties on and prepared to tackle my beautiful trio of monkeys for the weekend!  I think many times in my head things seem like they will be harder than they actually are. Yes, I am absolutely worn slick after chasing a 2 year old who lives on an emotional roller coaster, a 1 year old who thinks it is hilarious to push any button he can find (remote, television, lamps, alarm clocks, his mother's .....), and a 5 year old who never quits explaining every detail of every minute of her favorite episode of ICarly.

But...... once I am sitting here typing this blog and have them in bed, I think of all of the fun we had today and how lucky I am to have the opportunity to chase the 2 year old who carefully picked up a beetle and saved it from being squished, the 1 year old who ran toward me saying "tickle, tickle, tickle," and the 5 year old who said, "Mommy you are the most beautifulest woman in the whole world." That was enough to bring tears of joy to my eyes. (please refer to the above photograph for a life-like portrait)

 I spent the late afternoon sitting in my backyard on a towel attempting to soak up some of the 95 degree weather while I watched the monkeys play.  I love warm weather!! Here are some pics of our not too busy day. Thank goodness for Saturdays!

Baby Gray loves chalk! He will write on anything with his
sidewalk chalk! (P.S., yes, that is drool on his shirt, it
is a never ending floodgate)

Chalked the mini tramp!

And the window screens!



He attempted to chalk Sleevy but she was smart
and hid behind the grill.

He eventually made his way 
back to color his sisters and himself!  



1000 Pageviews!

I have officially reached 1000 pageviews in 2 months!!!! I'm sure for some blogs this is a daily reading log, but it is a big milestone for me. Plus, I like any excuse to celebrate!!!

Thank you to all of you who have read my posts and encouraged me to keep writing!

I really love doing it, and have already met some great people through my blog!!!!

 

Although over 900 of the page views are from the United States, it is neat to see that I have had readers from

places like, France, Poland, Singapore, UK, Thailand, Netherlands, Austria, Pakistan, and many more.
I would also like to thank my Canadian readers as well eh? (I'm allowed to attempt the Canadian lingo since I am sure you Canadians have made fun of my constant use of the word y'all!) :)

I hope to keep writing and hopefully inspiring or at least entertaining others with my stories of craziness in The Coach's Widow home.

If you have any ideas of things you would like included in upcoming posts or any questions you would like to ask, feel free!!!! I'm pretty much an open book. With reason :)

Love to all!
Thanks again for reading!

7 Makeup tips for tired moms

Being a mom of three and being a coach's wife is a tiring task. Because of this I have been on the lookout for some makeup tips to help us tired ladies look refreshed!

You know that I am not a morning person, so anything to help me look a little less angry in the mornings is welcomed :)

We are going to take this spring forward time change and rule it by using these makeup tricks for looking awake and vibrant!!!


I've searched makeup artists blogs and articles for the best tips I can find. These are the most simple, affordable, and frequently recommended tips by the experts for waking up your look.


Today we are going to focus on the Eyes!

The eyes are the windows to the soul, so let's get started on putting some pretty curtains on those windows!

1. Keep your brows groomed. It is recommended that you go to a professional and have them shape your brows first, and then if you want to, you can keep up the grooming.

P.S. My Grandmama taught me to pluck in natural light. I know that when I don't, I end up getting in the car, looking in the rearview mirror and freaking out that I just plucked and still look like "Alf" (I loved him!!!)

2. Use eye drops to reduce redness. I think the bloodshot look is very Twilight, but pretty sure Coach would prefer peppy refreshed Autumn.

3. Concealer, concealer, concealer! Concealer is the key to reducing those pesky undereye circles. Each person has different skin tones and needs, so the type is up to you. Just make sure it is a shade lighter than your skin tone if it is going under your eyes. This will brighten up and give an awakened look.

4. White or nude eyeliner on the inner rims of your bottom lash line is one of the most used makeup artists tricks!!! Some experts suggested silver or pink colors as well if white is too bright and nude blends too much.

5. Shimmery shadow in the inner corners of your eye is a recommendation that I have heard for a long time, but apparently it works. In Januaary's Glamour magazine, Gwenyth Paltrow recently was reported to have done this to look more awake on Good Morning America. If the stars do it, we know it's good :)

6. Curl your lashes. The higher the lashes, the more open your eyes look.

(My mom always gets mad at me because I put on mascara and then curl!! It kills her. Don't tell her, but I still do it sometimes.)

7. Highlight your brow bone with a light colored shadow. Some articles said to use a shimmery shadow, while others said to just use a tan matte color. I particularly would rather not have to try to get sparkle/shimmer out of my eyebrow at night, so I stick with the matte. This highlighting again brings a more open look (especially if you have kept up with tip #1)

I know there is no way that in the morninngs you or I will be able to do all of these tips to brighten our look, but try them and see which one's work for you. If you decide to forgo all of them, remember you can always claim to be going for the Twilight look :)

Good Luck!!!