Just a Swingin

My kids love to go to the park. They love to slide, and climb the monkey bars. They love to play in the sand (and throw sand in each others hair), but their favorite activity at the park is the swing.

I think I have spent hours of my life pushing children on the swing. I don't mind doing it, because it keeps them happy and entertained and not saying, "Mom, I'm thirsty" or "Mom, I'm hungry." The hunger is constant in my little starved monkeys, I swear! But it is not until recently that I got the chance to experience why they love it so much.

For Valentines day, Coach got me a swing.

I know it seems like something that you get when you are old, but I feel old :) Just kidding, I have always loved swings. My parents used to have one on our front porch, and it was the only thing that I could use to put my little brother to sleep when I would babysit (If my mom is reading this, she is saying "Yeah, cause you babysat like what... 1 time????"  I know. I know. I was not much of a baby person back then, but when I was forced, it worked :)   Who would have thought I would have 3 of my own monkeys before I was 30. Oh how God laughs at your plans :() He always has better ones.

I promise the baby has two shoes.... but I don't promise that
both are ever on at the same time *sigh

I have come to believe that this is one of the best inventions ever, and not only does it swing, it turns into an outdoor lounging area (lays down flat into a bed.... lounging area sounds so chic....I almost spelled chic as sheek, I guess that proves I don't really portray the word).  It is my new area of relaxation. Coach's team made it to the playoffs, and have been doing really well, but that means more time on my own figuring out ways to stay sane and keep kids entertained. I've loved sitting outside, soaking in the southern sun, and watching as my kiddos fight to see how monkeys can fit in a wagon (sounds like the name of a children's song.....hmmm). It's entertaining.

I watched an episode of "The Middle" yesterday (recorded on my DVR-because I no longer get to watch shows when they really come on) and it talked about how adults should revert to things they did as children to reduce stress. The parents were both skipping by the end of the show. I think this is my reversion (not sure that's a word, I love making them up). Swinging.  If you have read my previous post about cartwheels, you know how that worked out. (Still no progress)

As you can see, many times I have to wait
for my turn on the swing

Anyway, I would recommend attempting something you loved doing as a kid and see how it makes you feel. Let me know what yours is, and how it turns out! Good luck!

P.S., Coach's team won their second round of playoffs tonight!!!! Congrats to my homebody hubby!

Remember to Take the Time to Care

I saw this video today and had to share.

***Warning, it brought a tear to my eye*****
(but it doesn't take much, I'm kind of a baby).


It helped remind me how important it is to not just go through the day looking at my own problems, but to make sure to acknowledge others and support them as well. Sometimes our struggles are minor compared to what others are facing.


The video was made for employees of Chic-fil-A. Good chicken and a good message!!!

Every Life Has a Story from Dan T. Cathy on Vimeo.

Yea for Makeup Monday!

Today is the first edition of Makeup Monday!   I thought I would start with one of the basics:

Tinted Moisturizer

I have always been really bad at wearing moisturizer until this year when I started noting a few wrinkles around my eyes. I have always thought wrinkles are cute, and still do, but can wait a few more years until I embrace them with open arms :) I usually use a sheer moisturizer, but during the winter thought, "Hey, a little color never hurt anyone!"

So, I was on a quest to find a good, inexpensive tinted moisturizer (that doesn't turn my face orange). The life of a pale girl *sigh......

Well, I have found one that I like. It is smooth, sheer, and very inexpensive (that always makes it sooo much more appealing).

Jane BE PURE
aquaceuticals

This moisturizer is sheerly tinted, and includes organic green tea and white tea extracts. It is certified organic, so not only am I looking good, but I'm helping the environment while I do it :)

This product comes in 4 shades: Fair (very fair, pink or porcelain undertones), Light Warm Tones (beige or yellow undertones), Medium Warm Tones (mediterranean, tanned complexion) and Dark Tones (deep, warm complexion). I use the lightest which is supposed to be used on  fair/pink toned skin (I call it pale, but fair sounds so much prettier).

Pictured: Fair Tones for very fair, pink or porcelain
undertones

When I first put it on my skin, I almost had a heart attack. I knew for sure that this was not going to blend in well.

But it did! There was no sign of a line!

The moisturizer also claims to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and delivers a 30 SPF. So..... not only am I preventing my little haunting eye wrinkles by wearing this moisturizer, I'm also hiding them! What a deal.

The PROS:
-SPF 30, protects your skin
-paraben free
-has green tea and white tea extracts
-gives a good coverage that does not feel cakey,
-When I put it on, Coach said, "Wow, your skin looks really nice!
-you get a  good quality and quantity for the price, 1.5 oz for about $7

The CONS: (I didn't really have any, but this may be a con for some)
-a slight scent, but it goes away quickly after application

Worth Buying Again?: Yes

Where to buy it: Walgreens, Wal-Mart, Rite-Aid

Overall, I was very impressed with the Jane Be Pure aquaceuticals tinted moisturizer.

It fits into the Autumn motto:

 Simple, affordable, and functional.

Just Go With It

This weekend I attempted to conquer one of my fears!!!

I am a people person. I like to go out, and be surrounded by people. I've rarely actually had the chance to do much on my own. I was the oldest of 5 kids, met Coach in high school, and then attended college with him. I always had roommates in the dorms until the day I married my handsome hubby. I've never lived alone. In fact I've rarely done anything alone We found out we were pregnant with Stinkerbelle 6 months after getting married, and you know kids never leave you alone :)

Who would ever want to be alone after you see
this face?

I think its because of this, I feel uncomfortable doing many things alone. I have gotten used to grocery and clothing shopping by myself, but other than that I won't do it. That has been something I've wished to change about myself for a while. And being married to a coach, does not give you much of a choice but to do things on your own.


Meet Ashtin, my sister. This is all her fault :)

She's the tough looking one on the right, unless you couldn't tell!
We were getting ready to play football on Thanksgiving and
felt we needed to dress for the part.

 She is awesome. She is my inspiration because she has no problem doing things on her own. She has plenty of friends to do things with, but if they aren't available, that doesn't stop her. She went to see Dane Cook (the comedian) by herself. She is friends with some country singers, and attends their concerts by herself. In my eyes, she is so brave. I've always wished I could be like that, so a few days ago I decided to try.


I wanted to start small so I set out to go to the movies by myself. I woke up, told Coach my plans, and readied myself to go. He was so supportive! I kind of hoped he would say that he had plans for the day, so he would need me to stay home. No luck. I knew I would chicken out, so I bought the ticket online. I may be a chicken, but my cheapness outweighs fear any day! There was no way if that ticket was paid for that I wasn't going. I got in the car, drove 45 minutes to Austin (because it was going to be way too hard to see Coach's students at the theater while I was conquering my fear), and parked in the lot. That was the easy part.


Then I just sat there..........  I didn't realize how nervous I was until I got to the theatre. I gathered myself and went into the movie approximately 10 minutes before it started. It went great. I picked up my ticket from the lady at the front, held my head up high like I knew exactly what I was doing, and went into the theater and found a seat. This was the part I dreaded the most. I don't know why, but in my head I thought that everyone would stare and think "Wow, that lady came by herself, what a loser." I have a pretty mean imaginary audience :)


The theater had maybe 15 people in it, and 2 or 3 other people who were there by themselves. I sent a few texts while I waited for the movie to start. I'm pretty sure no one even noticed me. It was actually pretty fun. Besides the whole stressing out part. I enjoyed the movie, and even went to the mall afterward for some window shopping. The movie was "Just Go With It."

Maybe that should be my new motto for conquering this fear. I am going to attempt to "Just Go With It," and not worry about whether I am with someone or not. If I would enjoy doing it, do it! It's easier said than done, but at least I took a first step.

Let's Hear it for Lefties and Hair and Makeup Mondays!

I am a leftie. I'm not really sure if that is how you spell it, but if it isn't, that is my new spelling for it. It's actually kind of a cute spelling *leftie. Anyway, I've learned over the years that many times when you are left handed, you tend to enjoy being creative and thinking abstractly. (During school I always seemed to catch on to the things others found difficult, and had the most difficulty with things others found easy. It's weird I know) Lefties always tend to do things a little differently, maybe it's because the whole world is built for righties, so we get creative trying to figure out how to use right handed scissors, desks, and the mouse on the computer. You righties don't know how good you have it! :)
I would like to point out that there are many famous lefties who did great things:

hputx.edu

• Presidents:

James A. Garfield

Herbert Hoover

Harry S. Truman

 Gerald Ford

Ronald Reagan   (I love him!!!)

 George H.W. Bush

 Bill Clinton

Barack Obama


• Musicians/Singers

Ringo Star
Paul Mcartney

Leonardo Da Vinci

Phil  Collins
Natale Cole

Jimi Hendrix

Judy Garland

• Artists

M.C. Escher
Hans Holbein
Michelangelo
Raphael

Leonardo da Vinci





xtremewalls.com


• Actors

Michael Landon (my mom's boyfriend :)
Robert Redford
Julia Roberts
Marilyn Monroe
Dick Van Dyke
Bruce Willis
Oprah Winfrey                                                                 

The list goes on.......   The list was just for kicks, no real point :) Sometimes not having a point is so much more fun! But I do have a point to this post.

The reason I bring this whole creativity thing up is because being a mom of three little ones and working full time, does not leave me with much time to express myself creatively. Back in the day I used to draw, paint, scrapbook, photograph, sew.....(the list goes on.... at one point I worked at Hobby Lobby, so you know I kept busy).  I do occasionally do crafts at my job, but that's work. Not just for fun.

I have always found one way to express myself, even if my life was filled with craziness. Make-up and Hair.(Some people claim it's an art!)  I am not going to claim that I am an amazing makeup artist or hairstylist, but I will admit that it is something I like to do for fun. I love to play with colors, and experiment with different hairstyles. I consistently seem to grow my hair out and then chop it off ridiculously short.

My mom is a barber, and her motto was "It's just hair. It will always grow back."  I don't know if I would live by this statement. I've never colored my hair pink (although I have always wanted to.... maybe just the tips) and I've never done anything much shorter than right below the ears but I like to switch it up a lot.

The following is what I call my evolution of hair:

I loved this short pixie cut! So easy and free!
When Summertime hits I always get the urge to
chop it off!

That middle stage is always the hardest when
you are growing it out. This was a few months after having
baby Gray. My eyes look tired!

I was almost there!

My current hair length

I got tired of waiting and added some
fun extensions-clip ins-not permanent (Way too cheap for that)
Stinkerbelle calls this my "Taylor Swift hair"

With makeup, I am not one of those ladies who sticks with what works. I always feel like there has to be something better, so I try out the new products. Many times I am disappointed and go back to my old faves, but sometimes I stumble upon a keeper.

Because of my need for an attempt at self expression, I have decided to begin Makeup and Hair Mondays. Every Monday I will feature a new cosmetic product or hairstyle. Like I said, I am a busy mom, and don't have time to look like a model in the mornings (not that I would if I did have the time) , so I plan on featuring simple, mom friendly (not mom'ish) makeup and styles. Simple, affordable, and functional. That is the theme of my life!!!!

I know Monday is a few days away, but I had the idea yesterday, decided to do it today, and had to share. Until then, let me know if you have any ideas of some new makeup products to give a try.





Skittish Sleevy

It's game night. (We made the playoffs and are 2nd in our district!) Coach is at an away game, and I of course did not dare attend. I feel like I'm having dejavu :) Oh wait, it's because I have sworn off away games until potty training is over. That is a whole other story in itself. We won't go there tonight. I don't have enough energy to even think about it.

Tonight after I accomplished making dinner (frozen lasagna), giving the monkeys baths, emptying and loading the dishwasher, reading 50 books for bedtime and putting the kiddos into bed with no one escaping, I found a new friend. No, I'm not talking about Joe.... he's my morning friend (coffee is my best friend if you haven't had a chance to read my previous posts).

This friend is Sleevy. She is my calico kitten. I have a cat named KiKi, and the kitten as well. I've never really been a cat person, but since having children, it comes in handy having a pet that does not chew up my favorite high heels, and potty trains itself. Cats have quickly grown on me.

Sleevy started out as wild as a banshee. That's what my mom used to call us when we were acting crazy as kids. "Quit running in the house you wild banshee." Not really sure what it means, but I sure do use it on my own kiddos!

Sleevy would not let us hold her or even pet her for that matter the first 6 months of her life. The only reason we still have her is because when we were attempting to give her away, with the rest of KiKi's kittens, we couldn't catch her. She would dart to a hiding spot that we had no chance of getting to and stay there until she knew for sure we were gone. I got a kick out of watching Coach try to catch her!!! We won't go into details :)  She kind of chose us, I guess you could say.

 Over the past week, I guess Sleevy decided that she has changed her mind. She is still a little skittish (for some reason I always thought Skittish was spelled with d's but apparently I was wrong..... my spelling word for the day), but she's actually wanting to be friends. She began with a few little sniffs of our fingers as she walked by while we attempted to pet her. It then moved on to her rubbing on our feet as she meandered by. Today I came home after work, sat down on the couch, and realized Sleevy was sitting in my lap.

I'm not sure if I like her more now because I think I tamed her, or because I was feeling rejected and have finally been chosen. She likes me..... She really likes me!!!! 

 I can't put my finger on what happened, or what we did to change her mind, but I am glad to have my new friend here tonight, sitting in my lap, and purring.  I think I will sit here and enjoy the relaxing purr for a few minutes before I begin cleaning up the cheerios off the carpet, the fingerprints off the t.v., and every pillow I own strewn around the house (Baby Gray thought it was hilarious to throw them at his sisters..........boys!)  

P.S., Sleevy gets her name because she looks like she has a sleeve on her arm. Very cute!

Oh Valentine's Day...How I miss thee.....

On T.V. and in the movies, Valentines Day always seems to go smoothly and perfectly. The couples walk in to a restaurant,  have reservations, and immediately sit down to a candle lit dinner. Their children (if they have any) are with a babysitter and the only thing they have to think and talk about on this wonderful day of love is each other. Awww.....

So, it doesn't really work like that for me and Coach anymore :)  I don't think it actually ever did. Does it really work like that for anyone????  As a child, I remember riding around with my family on Valentines day attempting to find a restaurant to go to. We would go to Olive Garden, see that the wait was 2 hours, and then move on to another restaurant. We usually ended up saying forget it, and either waiting the 2 hours at restaurant #4 , or picking up something and going home. 

I remember saying, "That will not be me! When I get married, it will be romantic!" Well, 6 years later, and 3 children later, I understand the struggles that my parents faced when it came to making Valentines day, the day of romance. How could it not be romantic? I'm sure I was sitting in the backseat belting out some N-Sync. (so sad) 


I've got some advice for this upcoming Valentine's day.
I know you are all thinking, "What amazing answer is she going to give us?" "How can we still have an amazing, romantic, special, one of a kind Valentine's day even if we have kids?"  (Hopefully they're not singing N-Sync. That would be weird.)

I don't really have an answer. Sorry. What I will tell you, is that I am reminded daily that my children are a blessing. Yes, sometimes things don't go like they do in the movies, but real life is so much better. When my daughter hugs me and tells me that I'm her Valentine, I am reminded that the small sacrifices like not getting to go out to a special dinner are not really that important.


Okay, now  I am going to tell you that if we don't have a babysitter, I will probably order pizza, light some candles and hang out with my hubby for Valentine's day (after the kiddos go to bed). The romance is in who you are with, not what you do. For those of you who do get amazing reservations, and meet at the top of the Empire State Building, I am extremely jealous! Tell me how you do it :)

~Wishing you all a day full of love~