A Little Bit of This and That

I haven't been a very good blogger for awhile now. I feel like I have so much to say and unsure where to begin. So for now this bullet point list will fill you in on what is going on. {Sorry}

*My son has been taking ADHD medication for the past year. I am not happy that he is on it and he isn't happy about it either. So I have been researching dietary changes and essential oils that could help with his hyperactive and unfocused behavior. So in an effort to help him we have switched to raw Guernsey cow milk instead of rice milk. {I will do a blog post about why we switched to raw Guernsey cow milk ... soon}

 

and we are using Young Living Essential Oils as well.

If you are interested in Young Living Essential Oils please feel free to contact me at mindymayw {at} gmail {dot} com.

* I started a part-time job. I am now a server at a local restaurant 2-3 nights a week. I love that I am able to be home with my family during the day but I hate leaving them all home to go to work. It is nice that I am able to bring home extra money to make ends meet.

* The company my husband works for was bought out. Thankfully he still has his job but it has changed our financial situation. Instead of being paid weekly he is now paid bi-weekly. He used to be able to work overtime and now he has to clock out promptly at 5 pm. Also, the volume of work has changed. {He is paid solely on commission. So if there is no work he won't make any money.} Hence why I started working.

* Maysie loves making messes. She loves hiding her magnets in the spot between the freezer door and the refrigerator door. 

Also, she loves pushing her chair up to the sink. Granted she cannot reach the sink and she will cry until you put her up on the counter to wash her hands. 

She loves spreading her toys all over the living room. 

This is a very tame picture. I try to pick up all.day.long. so that it doesn't get out of control. 

* Our cat, Fiona, is not typically a people person but for some reason lately she cuddles up with me at night while I am watching TV or reading. 

* We made Jiffy Pop popcorn on the stove. The boys thought it was very primitive. They kept asking why we couldn't just pop popcorn in the microwave. {Just wait until I start bringing home bags of popcorn that we will pop in a pan on the stove. I think it will really blow their minds.}

* At the end of July the boys are going to camp with church for A WHOLE WEEK! I cannot believe they are old enough to go. Financially we are not really in a place to send both of them {or one of them for that matter} but since they are both going to junior high this year we feel that it is important to have a spiritual grounding before they go. We want them on fire for God so when they are faced with things in junior high they will know how to handle them. 

* Lastly, I am working my butt off on making our budget work for us. I really want to cut cable {and save us $130 a month} but to really get us off the couch. I want to be intentional about what we watch and not continue spending too much time on the couch. I want to interact as a family. Now that the boys are getting older I don't want them hanging out in their room playing video games. The closer we are as a family the easier they will be able to handle trouble at school. I want to keep our lines of communication open. 

* I started a budget binder. I am good at getting bills paid but I am not great at going back to my budget to see if I am staying on budget or not. {This is for when it comes to groceries or gas.} Also, in my budget binder I keep Casey Leigh's blog post about the day her husband quit his job. This is one of the best posts on following your dreams regardless of your bank account posts!!! {They had negative money in their bank account when he quit his job.} I read this post a lot. I read it as encouragement. Just because our bank accounts are not spilling over with money we can still live the life we want to!! You can read the entire post here ... http://www.thewiegands.com/2011/03/family-news.html

* I am dreaming big dreams right now. Only I am holding myself back. {Well that and the fact that my husband and I both have kids from prior relationships. I feel like it is a chain that locks us down.} I want a life different from the one I am living. I want less electronics and more conversations. I want to make homemade food and listen to my children as they eat what I have made. I want to have more babies. I want to go on adventures even if they are in our backyard. 

So that is what is going on in my life right now ... just a little bit of this and that.

Hello Monday {This Girl}

Hello Monday!

I know I have said this before but I love Hello Monday with Lisa Leonard! 

So here are my hello's.

Hello Little Maysie Grace! Boy do you look cute in your bikini!

Hello sweet girl with a great big personality! You love trying to keep up with the big kids.

Hello trouble maker! You love playing with your brother and telling him what to do. {Yes she told him to get in her pool so she could dump a bucket of water on him!}

Hello little sister! She loves trying to keep up with her brothers. And when they are doing things she cannot do ... she waits for them. She greets them when they return from around the block as if she hasn't seen them in forever! She screams at the top of her lungs and calls for them.

Hello technology genius! She can use an IPhone better than I can. She can get to her favorite youtube videos without help. It is amazing!!

Hello mess maker. Maysie can destroy a room in 10 seconds flat. She loves seeing all of her toys all over the floor and all over the table! What a little stinker!

Hello table dancer! And yes she has mastered the duck face! Dancing on top of the table is her favorite thing. Not really sure why but it makes us all laugh!!

So Hello Monday! I can't imagine Monday's with out my sweet girl!!

Hello Monday {Downtown Chicago}

I can't believe that it is Monday again. These days are flying by!

Four of our English family members came from Herefordshire and stayed with us for two weeks. It was so fun touring the city of Chicago. It was like we were seeing the city with new eyes. 

So hello ... to new adventures!

Hello ... to gifts from my daughter. I never knew rocks and tiny flowers could look so beautiful!

Hello ... to rainy days inside watching Caillou. Oh man does she love Caillou. 

Hello ... to sleeping on the couch. This little one has decided that having full blown conversations at 3 am is a fantastic idea. Her dad, on the other hand does not, it could have to do with the fact he works with heavy machinary all day at work. So her and I wandered downstairs to sleep. Needless to say, I didn't sleep well.

Happy Monday! 

The Girl I Am In My Head

I honestly feel like the girl in my head is not the same girl I see in the mirror. 

To be honest ... I am really skinny in my head. I fit into size 8 jeans. I don't have rolls that hang over the waist band of my pants. My arms don't swing after I have finished waving. Seriously, I look really good in my head. 

But ...

In real life ... 

I am struggling with my weight. 

I love food. 

I love snacking. 

Food makes me happy. 

But now you can see it.

I think it has to do with the fact that I am eating the same and nursing WAY less. {I am still nursing once maybe twice a day}

It could also be the fact that we had the l.o.n.g.e.s.t. winter EVER!!! I made lots and lots of cookies and drank lot of cups of tea to go with those cookies. I didn't exercise. I just sat and ate. Then when everyone else was in bed I would snack some more. 

So now that the weather is warming up I want to take back my body. I want to take my energy back. I just want to be the girl that I am inside my head. 

I have taken action. 

And I started running.  {It feels really funny typing that. I am not sure what I am doing should be considered running. I feel more like a 500 lb elephant running for its life. Yes it is that bad. Maybe that is just how I feel. }

I only run for about 15 minutes but that is a start. I hope to build momentum and run longer. 

I have also incorporated some yoga/pilates. {FYI, Xfinity offers tons of workout videos on OnDemand. No I wasn't paid to say that. Yes I am doing free things because I don't want to spend money if I stop working out.}

No more snacking. 

I am eating breakfast. 

I am drinking water. 

I am determined to take back control. 

So I am starting small ...  taking it slow ... and working my way back to a weight I am comfortable with. 

I also have given myself "rewards" the more I work out. 

My first reward is the Grantwood Tuneband and 10 new songs from itunes. 

But I have to run for 30 minutes. That is doubling what I am doing now. 

I didn't think I would say anything on my little blog space but I had to. 

I need to be held accountable. To myself. 

I am not only doing this for me but I am doing this for my family. 

Am I the only one who sees themselves as someone other than the person in the mirror?? Hopefully I am not. 

The Girl I Am In My Head

I honestly feel like the girl in my head is not the same girl I see in the mirror. 

To be honest ... I am really skinny in my head. I fit into size 8 jeans. I don't have rolls that hang over the waist band of my pants. My arms don't swing after I have finished waving. Seriously, I look really good in my head. 

But ...

In real life ... 

I am struggling with my weight. 

I love food. 

I love snacking. 

Food makes me happy. 

But now you can see it.

I think it has to do with the fact that I am eating the same and nursing WAY less. {I am still nursing once maybe twice a day}

It could also be the fact that we had the l.o.n.g.e.s.t. winter EVER!!! I made lots and lots of cookies and drank lot of cups of tea to go with those cookies. I didn't exercise. I just sat and ate. Then when everyone else was in bed I would snack some more. 

So now that the weather is warming up I want to take back my body. I want to take my energy back. I just want to be the girl that I am inside my head. 

I have taken action. 

And I started running.  {It feels really funny typing that. I am not sure what I am doing should be considered running. I feel more like a 500 lb elephant running for its life. Yes it is that bad. Maybe that is just how I feel. }

I only run for about 15 minutes but that is a start. I hope to build momentum and run longer. 

I have also incorporated some yoga/pilates. {FYI, Xfinity offers tons of workout videos on OnDemand. No I wasn't paid to say that. Yes I am doing free things because I don't want to spend money if I stop working out.}

No more snacking. 

I am eating breakfast. 

I am drinking water. 

I am determined to take back control. 

So I am starting small ...  taking it slow ... and working my way back to a weight I am comfortable with. 

I also have given myself "rewards" the more I work out. 

My first reward is the Grantwood Tuneband and 10 new songs from itunes. 

But I have to run for 30 minutes. That is doubling what I am doing now. 

I didn't think I would say anything on my little blog space but I had to. 

I need to be held accountable. To myself. 

I am not only doing this for me but I am doing this for my family. 

Am I the only one who sees themselves as someone other than the person in the mirror?? Hopefully I am not. 

Hello Monday {Memorial Day Weekend}

Happy Memorial Day Monday Everyone!

This weekend sure has flown by but it has been W.O.N.D.E.R.F.U.L.

Hello ... New pillows and a freshly painted mirror.

Hello ... brightly covered chairs. $12 for all 6 

Hello ... my new little owl friend! I love how it adds color to my kitchen!

Hello ... sunshine girl! You love being in the water and splashing around. 

Hello ... strawberry plant! I cannot wait for you to give us some delicious strawberries this summer!

Hello ... berry pink stool! You are the perfect size for Maysie to sit on and relax.

Happy Memorial Day Monday Everyone!

Hello Monday {Catching Up}

Hello Monday!

It has been too long since I have posted. Posting on Monday's is my favorite because it always is a great start to my week. 

It helps me to see the beauty that is all around me. 

I can focus on all the positive things and forget the negative!

So here goes ... 

Hello water with cucumber, lemon, and raspberries. I need to remember to drink water throughout the day. Otherwise, I will only drink my coffee in the morning. I am trying to be better.

Hello little cowgirl! She is obsessed with these cowboy boots right now. They are a little big but she insists upon wearing them. I love it!!

Hello ELMO! Maysie loves Elmo and this dancing one is her favorite thing. She brings him everywhere! 

Hello my loves! Watching these two love on each other melts my heart every . single . time! Maysie loves her brother, Jacob. He adores her {well until she messes up his room}. There love is contagious!

Hello new furniture!! Dan {my hubby} and I went to IKEA and bought new furniture! I am so happy. I still need to find pillows and a rug to brighten everything up! 

Hello Essential Oils pocket reference! My friend gave me this book to help me with using my Young Living Essential Oils. I love picking up this book and looking through it. 

Happy Monday Everyone!