Happy Halloween

A Brief Timeout

I’ve been taking a bit of a timeout from the internet this week. I wish I could tell you that I was on the sideline because I was being an incredibly productive super woman. However, that is not the case. I’ve been quite lazy since returning from Ohio (stories and pictures will come – fear not). I haven’t even really unpacked. I’ve spent the past few days reading, watching TV, playing with Mo and spending as much time as possible with Steve.

I should be over my lazing mood by Monday, and will be back to the grind. Until then, I will leave you with one of my favorite pictures from our trip to Ohio.

Mom, Grandpa Al and Auntie Jill… Yes I’m too lazy to edit pictures (not that I have any idea how to properly edit pictures, but I do know that this picture needs some editing lovin’)

Reflections – September 2010

September was the first month in a long time that brought a sense of normalcy with it. I am using the term normalcy very loosely here. There were no major life changes, no major life changes about to happen, no moving trucks, no cold showers, no extended goodbyes. September was the start of our new flow of life. I was going, “September was the start of our new routine,” but “routine” is much too structured for our lifestyle.

I was still putting things into place when September began. I put the finishing touches on the master suite, the living room and the half bath. The office is still in need of some serious loving, but the rest of the house is done. Of course the house will never be finished, finished. As we continue to settle into our Atlanta life and get to know our home, we will buy new things and find better ways to organize.

With the house mostly put together, I spent the rest of September toying with ideas, methods, schedules and philosophies about how to care for a home and family. So far, I’ve not had much luck finding anything that really speaks to my domestic being. Some days I wake up ready to win domestic awards, and other days I get stuck in my PJs struggling to get lunch done by dinner time. I’m in need of discipline and motivation. Stay tuned for domestic developments.

Steve began working soon after we arrived in Atlanta, but it wasn’t until September that his job got hardcore. The fall schedule began stealing him from our home on the weekends, and most week days his schedule keeps him away from nine in the morning until well after Moanna has gone to bed. Sometimes it’s hard to see so little of each other, but he loves what he does and his hard work allows our family to have the life and freedom that we value. So, we suck it up, count our blessings and push through the tough days. I admit, there have been days (sometimes it feels like weeks) that we (as in I) don’t handle it as gracefully as we (ahem I) should.

Miss Moanna began preschool after Labor Day. It’s a small class that meets twice a week for two hours. She is learning how to recognize and write her ABCs, and she is learning about calendars. She almost knows the days of the week in order. While we still plan on homeschooling, this preschool class is a great addition to the things that we will be learning at home, and it is teaching her how to behave in a learning environment.

The weekend of the 18th, Moanna and I ventured to Virginia for a special friend’s wedding. Unfortunately, Steve had to stay behind to work. It was such a quick trip, we didn’t have time to visit with many of our friends, but we were able to enjoy the wedding and spend time with family. It was nice to be in a familiar setting with familiar people, but I don’t think I was ready to make such a long journey. My body was not prepared for such an adventure, it hadn’t adjusted to the previous obstacles I had just thrown at it. Despite my body protesting it was a beautiful September weekend in Virginia.

September and I usually do not get along so well. It signifies the end of summer, bringing cold nights and shorter days. This year was a little different. September and I worked together to find our new purposes in life. I worked to find balance on the pendulum of my life, and September allowed my summer to linger on a little longer than it has in the past. September gave us a glimpse of what our lives had become and reminded us of why we worked so hard to get here.

All Girl, Except when She’s Grody

Little Miss Moanna is 100% girl. We’re talking pink, bows, flowers, dresses, sparkle shoes, butterflies, princesses, lotion, makeup, fairy wings, jewelry. She screams at the top of her lungs when she sees a bug, and sometimes she screams just for fun. She hates getting dirty. She believes in magic and “happily ever after.” She loves love stories. She spends a lot of time looking at herself in the mirror. She makes her bed in the morning, and loves to clean. She has emotional breakdowns if we leave the house without her purse, if her clothes get wet or if her clothes don’t fit right. She giggles until she cries. All girl.

Sometimes we leave the house looking a bit ridiculous because it is very important to Moanna “for everyone to look at me and think I’m beautiful.” This could turn into a serious problem one day. I’m hoping this is a phase because I am far from a girlie girl, so teaching her the balance of both inner and outer beauty is going to be hoot. We’re kind of yin and yang that way.

One day when we were watching “The Bachlor Pad” (against Steve’s protest), he said that Tenley reminded him of what Moanna was going to be like when she grew up. I think he nailed it. Bubblie,  passionate about everything in life, and mostly lady like.

MOSTLY.

This sweet little face is nothing but smoke and mirrors.

Moanna is 100% girl 99.9% of the time. The other 0.1% of the time it’s a whole different story. There is a part of her that is so grody. I don’t think boys even do some of the things she delights in.

She wipes her buggers on the wall and laughs until she cries because she burped really loud. She eats with her hands. She likes to put her finger in your nose. She eats M&Ms she finds on the floorboard of the car. She thinks farts are hilarious and comments on her poop every time. EVERY TIME.

Can you picture this little lady all dolled up wiping buggers on the wall? Disturbing to think about huh? It would be like finding out that the Dalai Lama goes to anger management classes. Totally misleading.

Moen Mirrorscape Review

After seeing my pitiful bathroom mirror, the kind people at Moen decided that my mirror needed some loving, so they sent me a Mirrorscape to fancy the place up a bit. Mirrorscapes are mirror frame kits that adhere to the front of a plane jane mirror.

Each mirror scape comes with side pieces, corners, brackets and measuring guides. To complete the project, you’ll need a tape measure, pencil, saw and miter box. The brackets attach to the front of the mirror with heavy duty sticky tape. Once the brackets are on, cut the side panels to fit and then snap everything into place. The frame is fairly easy to install, and should take about half an hour. Key word – should. We ran into a few problems that turned this half an hour project into a half a day project. First of all, our “saw” was nothing more than a serrated nail file. Second of all, we had no mitar box. Third of all, our house is poorly constructed, and well, our mirror fell off the wall as Steve was putting the finishing touches on.

Steve installing the brackets; he has no idea how much of his day he’s about to dedicated to this mirror.

Snapping the cut pieces into place. Look at him go; he’s really wishing he didn’t take the day off right about now.

A few minutes after this picture was taken, the mirror fell off the wall.

The good news is, Steve caught the mirror and it didn’t break. The bad news, is that it ended up taking our entire afternoon and a trip to the store to buy mirror adhesive to complete the project.

Remember the naked mirror…

Very drab huh?

Voila! Fancy shmancy mirror…

I picked the brush nickel finish to match the faucet. PS. Who loves the purple mouthwash (even if it doesn’t match)? I really need to get red mouthwash to match the rest of the bathroom.

This project frustrated me a bit. It took up the better part of our family day the other week. However, if we had the right tools and if our house wasn’t built by monkeys, the project would have been a piece of cake. Frustration aside, I really like the finished mirror. It’s amazing how much the frame pulls the bathroom together. If you have a naked mirror that is in need of a lift, Moen has several styles and finishes that will brighten the place up. Just make sure your mirror is properly attached to the wall and you have a real saw.

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Please note: The opinions expressed in this review are my own. Other than a Mirrorscape frame, I did not receive any compensation from Moen.

The First Haircut

We all woke up the other morning, and the whole family was looking a bit… raggedy. We were a mob of sheep in need of being shorn. We scheduled back-to-back-to-back hair cuts and spent a good two hours at the salon getting beautified.

News flash, this was Moanna’s FIRST hair cut, so we tortured the stylist and the other patrons with about a hundred pictures. We waited until we couldn’t stand it anymore before we cut her hair. Finally have three years and four months, girlfriend was lookign a little scraggly around the edges. We did not want to lose the length or the natural layers and tapering of her hair, so we just had the stylist cut two inches off and even her out a bit.

The before picture. See that lady with the foil on her head over there? She was really annoyed with us by the time we were done.

Brushing out the sleepy knots.

Getting suited up.

Steve was on camera duty.

OK. Bad idea giving Steve the camera. He doesn’t know when to quit.

And here we go…

Other than chattering like a monkey the whole time, she was very still.

I think she was afraid that her hair might hurt. Look at that face.

Less afraid now time, but still very serious.

And now, she’s bored.

Putting on the finishing touches.

Check out the lollipops! Because she’s a little stinker, we’d didn’t get a good after picture… Note: Do not give out lollipops until after the last picture is taken.

Terrible Tuesday

Yes, my friend, I am in a melodramatic mood this evening. Bring on the violins, cheese, wine, real problems of the universe. I deserve it all. I know my day wasn’t that bad. Suck it up, be grateful, yada, yada, yada…

I have never been a fan of Tuesdays. I’ve had some really bad Tuesdays, and overall we just don’t get along. Today has been a Tuesday, no doubt.

* I’m on my period

* Moanna is constipated.

* I went to war with the envelope industry today.

* I also am still at war with WordPress. When I load pictures from my computer, they load as broken links.

* The didn’t have a single pair of shoes in Moanna’s size. Not even an ugly pair.

* I have to wait another week before I see my husband.

* It took me half an hour to deposit money at the bank today.

* I’m having hot flashes.

* I couldn’t find 2/3 of what I was looking for on my shopping list.

* My husband is in Miami.

* I’m going to cook dinner tonight for Moanna and I, and she’s not going to eat.

UPDATED AT 8:00PM

* In an attempt to salvage the day and turn my mood around, I decided to go to yoga… Half an hour into my class, I got called out because Moanna peed her pants…

It’ll be a better day tomorrow, and I will be a better person. It won’t be Tuesday.

Bless this Plane

… more specifically please bless the mother flying alone with her three year old.

I think I’m going to throw up. Don’t get me wrong, I love flying. I think that airports are one of the most fascinating places. I could go on for hours about my love for airports and flying. However, this is not that post. This post is about the fear and hysteria of a mother preparing to travel via plane with her three year old.

Later this week, Moanna and I will be flying to see family. Moanna is hyped up on the approaching adventure; I am too. However, my thoughts over the past few days have been focused on “Holy cow! I am flying with a three year old, by myself.” Like I said, bless the mother flying alone with her three year old, and oh-ps-and-by-the-way it’s for the first time.

The last time Moanna was on a plane, she was four months old, and Steve was with us. Minus the old bitty who threw a hissy fit because an infant was on her plane (“Did you bring ear plugs for that baby? It’s going to scream the entire flight because its ears hurt.” I punched her in the stomach with my response, “Don’t worry, I plan on breastfeeding her during take off and landing, so you shouldn’t hear a peep out of her.”), flying with an infant was a breeze. I carried Moanna in a front carrier through the airports and Steve handled the diaper bag. She slept on entire time we were in the air. Easy peasy. Oh, She also peed on us on the red-eye return flight. It wasn’t perfect, but I wasn’t stressed the way I am now.

Now, she is three. She will not sleep on the flight because it is going to be way too exciting; plus she has dismissed the idea of napping almost altogether at home. Now, she is mobile (more mobile than I am) and much heavier, so she and I will be hoofing it together through the massive ATL. Now, I don’t have my husband to juggle the carry ons, so I will have Moanna and bags; I’m a one act sideshow. AND! We have to be at the airport at 6:30am! Which means that we have to leave at 5:30am!! Which means we have to get up at 4:30am!!! Someone call NBC because this is going to be worthy of an SNL sketch.

Here are a FEW of the panicking questions that I need answers to ASAP…

Do I make her fly in her car seat? If I do that, how in the hellO do you suggest I lug that puppy around the airport with everything else I am responsible for?

How do I keep Moanna happy in the terminal and on the plane? Do I add weight to the bag and take the portable DVD player?

What emergency supplies do I need to have in our carry-ons?

Will a chiropractor meet me at my destination to give me the adjustment I will need from carrying around 50 pounds of carry-on and 30 pounds of Moanna?

Do I make Moanna carry her own backpack?

Is she going to throw up on me?

Can someone give me a paper bag to breathe in?

Gratitude 10.14.2010

Today I am grateful for good news. In particular, I am grateful for the good news of 33 miners who have finally been brought back to the surface of the earth and reunited with their loved ones. I was tearful with joy several times yesterday as I checked in with the progress of the rescue throughout the day yesterday.

In April of 2007, I remember the coverage of the Virginia Tech tragedy. I watched as the the number of lives lost kept rising. I prayed that the phone call from our medic friend who was at the scene was mistaken when he told us that the number of lives lost was 33 (at the time only the public knew of only 8 deaths). However, he was right and the numbers didn’t stop until that total reached 33. Three years later, I found myself captivated by live coverage once again. This time, however, I was praying that the number would continue to rise and not stop until it reached 33.  As I watched the miners emerge from the Phoenix Capsule (I love how symbolic that name is) one-by-one, I couldn’t help but see it as a rebirth. The cheers of, “I see him! He’s coming! He’s here!” are the same words of excitement that you hear in the delivery room. I was filled with comfort and peace as these men, so full of life and gratitude for everyone around them, were emerged from the rubble and were reunited with their families. While I know that the 33 lives from Virginia Tech will never ever be replaced, I felt that these 33 miners (and the thousands of rescue and support personal that made yesterday such a success) was an inspiring example that humanity is capable of cultivating peace.

It has been so refreshing to be glued to the media for good news instead of paralyzed in front of the TV by the fear and sadness of bad news. Yesterday people from all over the world shared in the victory dance of 33 miners. Events like yesterday remind us that we can come together and do great things in this world, and for that I am truly grateful.

PS. Since I have been taken back by the symbolism of this great triumph… The majority of the rescue took place on 10-13-10 which adds up to 33!

The video below is a montage of the footage of the rescue mission from CNN. It’s a bit long, but totally worth it. You may want to grab a tissue.

Shabby Apple: Review and Discount

It seems like a decada ago when Shabby Apple (an online boutique that specializes in casual casual dresses for the classy gal) first contacted me about doing a review for them. At the time I was slammed busy with work, and then moving. Even though my life was beyond hectic Shabby Apple never gave up on me, and we finally made it happen!

I have struggled my entire life (ask the people who suffer through shopping with me) trying to find clothes (ecpecially dresses) fit me (it’s so hard to find clothes that fit me properly), have style (real style, as in style that isn’t a tacky trend o’ the moment) and are conservative. I can’t tell you how many emotional breakdowns I’ve had in the dressing room because the only clothes that fit me are showy little numbers or frumpy things that my body gets lost in.  Is it really too much to ask to find clothes that allow women to feel feminine and a tad sexy without putting it all out there for the world to see?

As I browsed through the collections at Shabby Apple, I was overcome with shopping joy. I’m not exaggerating when I say my eyes filled with tears. Every single one of the dresses had style. Each collection appears to be inspired from decades past and far away lands, my heart melted (when it comes to fashion I really think I was born in the wrong time and place). Every single dress covered up the clevage, had sleeves and was knee length or longer. Their bathing suits and aprons were to die for. And holy baby bump, there were maternity dresses too. I was in love.

This is the dress that I picked to review.

It’s called “Oh La La.” I love that each dress has a name.

Isn’t it adorable?

I feel so European in it. I love the simple black A-line skirt, and the contrast of the bright stripes and boat neck on top. Ladies, the dress fit my oddly proportioned body great, and it was comfortable. I didn’t feel like I had to stand or sit still the whole time out of fear of exposing something or being uncomfortable. I even felt confident toting Moanna around. I had to play with the zipper a little bit to make it lay right against my side, but other than that I felt like it was designed for me.

So far, I’ve worn this dress twice. The firs time was to a friends wedding at a vineyard, and the second time was to church. On both occasions I felt appropriately dressed. The dress was just enough to get a few glances and compliments. Isn’t’ that the perfect amount of attention from an outfit? Anything less, and you feel like you’re invisible; anything more can be embarrassing (am I over dressed? or gulp wearing too little?).

Great for a wedding. Great for church. But, do you know where this dress really belongs? Brunch! This dress needs to go on a brunch date. Don’t you love a good brunch?

In January, Steve has a big awards banquet that we are attending, and I have my eyes on a few (dozen) dresses at Shabby Apple that would be perfect. Really, I would love to open my closet one day and find all of their dresses, bathing suits and aprons, on my. I am so grateful that Shabby Apple contacted me, and gave me the opportunity to review one of their dresses. I am thankful that I have found a company that makes clothes that I can feel good in and that allow me to honor the beautiful commitments I made in the temple.

The lovely ladies at Shabby Apple are giving Me, Myself and Mommy readers a 10% discount! Visit http://www.shabbyapple.com/ and enter the promotional code memyselfandmommy5843 during checkout.

As if their clothes weren’t enough, 5% of Shabby Apple’s net sales goes towards providing microloans to women in India. So, when your wear a Shabby Apple dress, you can look and feel good in your dress and know that in a small way you helped provide a better life for a wonderful woman on the other side of the country.

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Please note: The opinions expressed in this review are my own. Other than a beautiful dress, I did not receive any compensation from Shabby Apple.