Rich in Time

I have always said that one of the reasons I survive as a stay at home mom is because my husband is a teacher. This past week and a half has illustrated that perfectly.

When Steve's home, he does everything with the kids that I do- meal time, bath time, diaper changing time and everything in between. There's nothing I do that he doesn't (okay, I don't think he's ever trimmed their nails. But we'll let it slide).

Within the first few days of having him home this winter break, I felt the stress inside of me start to subside. It was so nice to have someone else drive Rosie to school for the first time this school year, change Buddy's diapers (when, oh, when will that boy want to start potty training?), and just, in general, be a constant helping hand.

It makes all the difference.

Our family of four with two dogs living off of a teacher's pay is not a rich family, monetarily-wise, but we are rich in time together. We go on one out of state vacation a year, (Hampton Beach for 3 nights), but we get to be around each other, at home, for a week in December, February, April and approximately 8 weeks in the summer. We drive the same cars we bought 10 years ago, but we are thankful they are still running (knock on wood) and they have handled our family fine so far.

While money is sometimes a stressor, we have been able to do okay. My two part-time jobs have helped a bit. I remember how scary it was to go from two full-time incomes to one when we realized that the cost of daycare would eat up my entire paycheck.

I am very thankful that we have been able to make this lifestyle work for us. Because I get more help from Steve throughout the year with the kids, I get to keep my sanity (mostly) intact, and the time we share together as a family will be something we always look back on fondly.

Friday Five: Truths

1. For chocolate lovers like myself, brownies are the Ultimate Chocolatey Dessert. Also, I should not have any in my house.

2. When temperatures get into the 40's, I start to think crazy thoughts like: "I don't even need a jacket", just because it feels so much warmer than temps in the 20's.

3. There is absolutely nothing more delicious than homemade comfort food this time of year. Steve made clam chowder on Tuesday, which we enjoyed with a big loaf of garlic bread. I could eat just carbs until at least March and be perfectly happy.

4. There are two camps of people: those who enjoy mint/peppermint flavor (coffee, ice cream, etc), and those who don't. There is no in between. I fall in the former category and try to remain respectful of those who fall in the latter.

5. There are no guarantees when it comes to how your children will respond to Santa. Rosie said "Hello", told him her name, and then took up residence behind my legs. Buddy, who was clinging to Steve, all of a sudden walked over, Santa picked him up, and they sat and talked a few minutes. In shock, I got out my phone and was able to snap a few pics.

(Are 3 of my 5 truths about food? I guess it really is that time of the year!)

One Week to Go

I think back in October I saw the first Christmas items being put up in Target and decided then and there that I was not going to let the consumer madness get to me this year.

I did not need to buy All The Things.

Christmas lights? Ornaments? Stockings? Got 'em already. Have had them for years.

I listened to Rosie ask for a very specific toy, and with some cajoling, heard from Buddy, too. There. That was settled. Those would be what Santa brought!

And then, as we've done the past few years, we thought of a joint toy that they would both enjoy (definitely one of the pluses to having our kids so close together!)

In fact, I've become so relaxed as far as gift buying is concerned, that I slightly worry that I've majorly dropped the ball somehow. But I've managed to remember the newspaper carrier and the mail lady, so I must be doing okay.

Let's hope.

I've really been trying to remember "the reason for the season" and enjoy magic wherever I can find it- the Christmas tree softly lighting the whole living room, the kids finding delight in a favorite of mine and Steve's- "The Muppet Christmas Carol", the guilt-inducing deliciousness of egg nog and spiced rum.

Literally before we know it, Christmas will be over and done with for another year. I'm really going to try to enjoy it and not get frenzied as I feel I tend to in December. One week to go- let's soak it in.

Every Day

I've always envied people who seem to effortlessly look put together. "How do they do it?", I would wonder, as I gazed down at my every day sneakers, jeans and  t shirt, most likely complete with some kind of stain or smear from grubby toddler hands.

I started to think about what it was that made these people (women, specifically) look like they had their stuff together. Appearance, appearance, appearance was the obvious answer. These women I admired always put some thought and effort into what they wore and how they presented themselves, whether it to be at the office or just the grocery store.

I wanted to be like them. I was 31- it was time to up the ante a little bit on my day to day look.

It's not to say that sneakers, jeans and t shirt aren't still an obvious choice for a lot of things I do with the kids- playing outside, running around. But trips out of the house? I'll put on my boots or flats. Perfume, that I used to only spritz on roughly once a month for Date Night? It's an every day thing now. Earrings, necklaces, other accessories that may go with the top I've picked out? Naturally!

In short: I no longer only wanted to look (and smell!) nice on occasion. I'm a woman, I feel good in my skin, and I want to give out that vibe.

Clothes and appearance are not everything, obviously. But I can't begin to tell you how much my self confidence has increased since I began presenting myself a little differently. I've learned to dress for the way I want to feel, even if it's just for a quick trip to the store.

In turn, I have found myself more inspired and motivated than ever before.

Let It Go

(I do apologize for a Halloween- related post in December. I forgot I had written this!)

In case you were unaware, preschool age children change their mind about what they want to be for Halloween approximately 850 times before trick or treat night arrives.

I thought we had Rosie's costume all set- she was going to dress up in the Witch costume that had been given to her for her birthday back in August. Silly me. I'm not sure why I thought we were actually sticking with that plan.

About 2 weeks before Halloween, she announces to me that she really wants to be Elsa from Frozen for Halloween. Like really, really wants to. And I thought about it, and thought some more.

Everyone and their sister is going to Elsa for Halloween. Do I really want her doing what everyone else is doing? Don't I want to encourage her to be creative, to be something that might be a little different?

But then I thought about my Halloween costumes growing up. The homemade ones. The ones I was embarrassed about. I thought about how I would have done just about anything to have a store bought costume like most of  my classmates wore.

It was at that moment I made the decision to indulge my daughter, and Let Go of my mom worries (Elsa would be so proud). I went to the store- no Elsa costumes in sight in the Halloween section. But, my mom intuition kicked in, and I thought to look in the Toy Department. There hung two Elsa dresses and several Anna ones (which I am thoroughly confused about- where's the love for Anna? Why is she sorely losing out?) and I took one of the Elsa dresses and laid it in the cart. Blue, sparkly and screaming Ice Queen. Rosie was going to love it.

I was right. She couldn't wait to wear it to school on Halloween. As we opened the door to her classroom, no fewer than 3 other Elsas were on the other side, anxious to see who was coming in. I will never forget the pleased expression on Rosie's face as she did a slow twirl, showing the other girls her Elsa costume, and then comparing notes with them on the amount of sparkles each dress had.

It gave her such joy to be like the other girls, and I was glad I didn't deny her of it. Individuality should be encouraged as much as possible, but there are times when a person just wants to fit in and go with the crowd. That's okay, too.

Back on Track

It's the Monday after Thanksgiving, and if you're anything like me, you're kind of nervous about stepping on the scale today. I've decided I'm not going to. I'm going to get a few days of clean eating under my belt again, so I can de-bloat a little bit! Two turkey dinners and all the leftovers over the course of four days? I definitely indulged. I knew I was going to. But now it's time to get back on track, which my body is more than willing to do! Since my lifestyle change that I started over two years ago, my body actually craves clean eating habits- lots of water, fruits, veggies and portion control. That's when I feel my best!

Last year I almost went stir crazy because it was a very long, cold winter and I was not getting enough exercise. I decided that just wasn't an option this year. I tentatively started looking into treadmills, and was pleasantly surprised to find this one for a mere $287 at Walmart. With Steve's blessing, I bought it, and it was here in no time. It's not fancy; it doesn't have many bells and whistles. But it does tell me how fast I'm going, how many calories I've burned and how many miles I've gone.

It's hands down one of the best purchases we've made in years.

No longer do I lament about not being able to do my quarry walks with the dogs. Instead, nap/quiet time rolls around for the kids, and I get on my t shirt, shorts and sneakers, and hit the treadmill. I started off at 3 mph, and once I got used to that, I bumped it to 4mph. It's a decent pace! (Could I run on it? Yes. But if you ever see me running, you better run, too, because it means something is chasing me. I'll take brisk walking instead, thank you very much).

This treadmill is parked right in our living room. You can't miss it. I spent more time than I should have, hemming and hawing about where it could go, where it wouldn't be an eyesore. Ha! Thankfully the common sense part of me won out as I quickly realized it needed to be in a place that was constantly in my view- somewhere I was actually going to use it!

It's worked. I've been able to hop on it just about every other day, and I work up a good sweat as I put in my 3-4 miles. Steve gets home and does the same. We're both getting a lot of use out of it, and we feel better knowing we have a tool to help us combat all the holiday overindulgence!

Bottom line: If you're thinking about getting a treadmill, just do it! Put it somewhere where you'll see it and use it. Like anything, if you're committed enough, you'll make the time and, in return, feel so much better about the Christmas cookies coming your way this month. You won't regret it. Make an investment in your health! I wish we had done it sooner.