Friday Video!

For days (maybe even weeks) Pretty in Pink and John Hughes films in general have been coming into my life. And to be honest, who can resist some John Hughes? I know I can’t. For your Friday viewing pleasure…”If You Leave” – OMD to clips of Pretty in Pink. Enjoy!

 

 
And if that wasn’t enough – check out these 10 Best Love Songs from 80s Movies!

Is Church Important?

I’m asking my readers this question today: Is church important to you?

Many people call themselves Christians. Some of those people go to church multiple times each week. Some of those people go to church every Sunday. Some of those people go to church sometimes. Some of those people don’t go to church.

Does going to church make you a Christian?

Does not going to church effect how you feel about God and how you act as a Christian?

These are all questions I’m wondering about today. How important is church to your belief in God? And if you don’t believe in God – how do you perceive church and Christians?

I know this is a completely personal and controversial topic…so I’m okay with my readers posting anonymously if they choose to do so. But I would like to hear your opinions and what you think of all of this.

Personally, I don’t think church is as important as some people make it out to be. I think it is important to belong to a church and have teachings from a Pastor and be apart of your community…but lately I think there is too much emphasis on WHERE you are being a Christian as opposed to HOW you are being a Christian. Sitting in on a good sermon and talking to your holy friends doesn’t make you a Christian in my opinion. To me, Christianity is a lifestyle. So my answer is this: I think church is important, but it’s only a small piece of what makes a person a real Christian.

What about you?

Money Saving Tips that Won’t Make You Cringe

I’ve always been one for getting a good deal (it’s that Jewish part of me!). When I was younger I proudly came home with a  pair of blue sneakers that I bought new for 33 cents. I’ll never forget the looks on my dad and grandpa’s faces…I had topped any deal they’d ever gotten!

Well with now being a 1 income household, saving money and finding bargains isn’t a hobby anymore, it’s a necessity. But I refuse to compromise my happiness, so it’s requiring a strategy! Here is a list of things I’ve discovered. I hope you get something out of this and add to my list by commenting below. The guideline I live by is this: why pay more when I can pay less for the same thing?

1. Before purchasing ANYTHING, I ask myself: Will this benefit myself or my family? Will I get pure satisfaction from this purchase or will I regret it later? Will this purchase matter tomorrow or am I just giving in to my current “want.” This will help you make less emotional purchases (ie: frequent stops at starbucks/dunkin donuts, snack at a gas station, a shirt that’s on sale, another belt or hat, a new purse when the ones you have are fine, lunch out when there is food at home etc.)

2. Buy a water bottle that you love. I found that once I purchased a reusable, BPA free water bottle that suited all of my drinking needs, I was more likely to use it. I bought a $9.99 one at Target that has a pop off top that I can open with one hand and it’s slim enough to fit on the side of my diaper bag. It’s also easy to clean and holds a good amount of water. Now whenever I leave the house I bring a water bottle filled with fresh filtered water with me. It’s perfect for drinking in the car, at the mall, in church, food shopping etc. and *bonus* can be refilled for free anywhere that has a water fountain. This helps me to not purchase a drink because I’m out and thirsty. Get bored of this idea quickly? I mix it up by sometimes throwing in ice cubes and giving it a cold, fresh taste or fill it up with iced tea, juice or anything else I have in the house! Buy large bottles of soda/juice and fill up a water bottle – it’s much cheaper than buying cans and juice packs – plus you’re helping the environment.

3. Make your own beverages. Got some hot tea at home? Make your own pitcher of iced tea! It’s super easy and the instructions are usually right on the box. You can make your own flavors and sweeten it as you prefer. Not only is this free (since you have everything you need at home: tea, water and sugar) but it’s much better for you. Especially if it’s green tea!

4. Buy large and make small. You pay for convenience and packaging. Instead of snack packs and travel sized grocery items – buy the bigger bags/bottles and use ziplock bags to make your own portable snacks. It’s super easy to throw some pretzels in a bag and will be much cheaper than buying them that way. Too much work? Buy the portable snacks if it’ll keep you from purchasing food while you’re out. And, it’s much healthier for you, usually.

5. Coupons are your friend. Uncool? Maybe. But saving $8 off your grocery bill because you printed and cut a piece of paper seems worth it to me. I follow a few coupon blogs and save the posts that I’ll use. It’s much easier than finding the coupons yourself – these women are great at keeping up with the deals so you don’t have to! To do some looking on your own, visit: afullcup.com, coupons.com, smartsource.com, redplum.com and allyou.com. Also visit the websites of the brands you like as many post coupons (ie: Stonyfield Farms, Newmans Own).

6. Learn how to shop at CVS, Walgreens & Rite Aid. I usually only shop at CVS but a lot of people have luck at the other stores also. Once you sign up for their free extracare program you’ll receive coupons and special offers. You’ll receive cash back from purchasing certain items and learn about special deals. Also, CVS takes coupons so using them with sales and cash back offers you can really save some money. I’m not the best at explaining it but do a google search on shopping at CVS and you’ll find a few people who break it down real easy.

7. Buy what you need, not what’s on sale. I’ve learned that even if something is on sale, if it wasn’t something I needed – I still wasted money. This of course is different than stocking up on something you use a lot because it’s on sale. First thing, bad, Second thing, good.

8. Be careful of store credit cards and email updates. It sounds harmless. It even sounds beneficial. But I found that the more emails I got telling me about special deals and offering me coupons, the more I felt the need to shop. Unless they’re offering me something free, it’s best for me to only go shopping when I need to go shopping. So instead of the updates, I just do some research. Visit retailmenot.com and look up what deals are going on at your favorite stores. You’ll be able to get coupon codes and printable coupons just as easy usually.

9. Ordering online can be a real great idea, if you know how to work the online magic. Sign up for ebates.com and receive cash back just for shopping online. Visit retailmenot and get some coupon codes. Try everything! Sometimes you’ll be able to use more than 1 coupon code, offering you a great deal. And be careful of shipping costs. A lot of sites will offer free shipping if you spend a certain amount. Only do this if you can stock up on items you need. Don’t “find something” just to make the cut off. Chances are it’s still cheaper to pay the shipping cost.

10. Do your research! Google shopping is an easy way to find out which store has what you’re looking for the cheapest.

11. Don’t eat out – instead, learn to enjoy eating in. It’s expensive to eat out and you usually don’t get a second meal out of it. But eating in usually requires cooking, cleaning and preparation. What I’m doing is making cooking an enjoyable part of the day rather than something I have to do. I bought a cute apron that I enjoy wearing and found a few new recipes I thought would taste yummy. I pour myself a drink, put on some music and find the joy in cooking. I try to find recipes that will produce leftovers so that we have lunch for the next day. For the days there aren’t leftovers, I make sure we have a few “emergency lunches” on hand so that we don’t purchase lunch often. Canned soup, bread, peanut butter, frozen waffles, cereal and oatmeal are often on hand for Chris who eats at work. For me eating at home, I could always make eggs or a baked potato…usually even a hot dog Eating out might be fun but it’s costly and you don’t always know how good the ingredients are so it’s safer to make your own food.

12. Make coffee at home. We buy organic coffee from Sam’s Club and save an insane amount of money by filling up our travel mugs when we’re out on a weekend or heading to work in the morning. Feel like you’re missing out? We’re learning to add spices to our coffee to make the usual brew not so boring. So now when we head over to Starbucks, we truly enjoy our 400 calorie $4 beverages

13. Consignment shops and 2nd hand stores. I always thought Goodwill and Salvation Army when this topic came up.. And personally, I’ve had no luck there over the years. Little did I know there a lot of consignment shops in our area (2 right on main street in beacon, 1 in hopewell, 2 in fishkill) and these stores carry clothes of a higher quality. Got kids? Shop 2nd hand! There is a line of stores called Once Upon a Child that really has some amazing things for cheap prices. Really want something new? Go for it, just try and use a coupon I believe nothing good comes from never treating yourself. You just can’t do it all of the time.

I know there are some more things I’m missing but I’ll leave you with a few words instead: crock pot, coupons, research, passing on, clothes swapping, bulk bins, reusable bags, no waste, baking, creative cooking, less is more, creativity, Netflix, Redbox, single song downloads, Amazon free mp3 downloads, warehouse stores, free trials, do it yourself projects, hand wash and lastly the phrase “do I really need it?”

Please comment below with your money saving solutions! Good luck and have fun

Labor Day Rest

From the Proverbs 31 Ministries Devotional written by Rachel Olsen. Enjoy.

“And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” Genesis 2:3 (NIV)

In 1882 U.S. cabinet maker Peter McGuire introduced his idea for a new holiday saying, “Let us have a festive day during which a parade through the streets of the city would permit public tribute to American Industry.” A dozen years later President Cleveland signed a bill into law designating the first Monday in September “Labor Day.” For many Americans today is a day off from work, a chance to cook-out and hang-out in the lingering warm weather of summer.

A day off from labor, however, was not a new concept when McGuire suggested his holiday. The concept of a day of rest was first declared by the Lord in Genes is. In illustration, God rested the seventh day after creating the world and He deemed the day of rest holy (Gen. 2:2-3). He didn’t call it Labor Day – He called it the Sabbath.

Sabbath is a not a day of tribute to workers, it’s a day of tribute to their Maker. It’s a day to rest your body while renewing your mind by making the focus of the day your Maker and your relationship with Him. In the Jewish tradition, the Sabbath is the focal point of the week – not just a day of laundry or list-making to gear back up for the week ahead. The Jewish people spent three days preparing for Sabbath, and three days reflecting on what they had learned or encountered of God during the Sabbath. They were a Sabbath-focused people, and therefore a God-focused people.

Keri Wyatt Kent, author of Breathe, writes, “This creates a rhythm of life that puts our focus not on our stuff or our schedule but on the opportunity to meet with God.” Kent reveals:

“We are created in the image of God, and he modeled for us a way of life that makes sense for how we are created. Here’s how to dance the dance of life, he said: work, be creative, use your imagination, throw yourself into it, whether you are washing dishes, reading to your kids and running a household, or trading stocks, reading corporate reports, and running a business. …At the end of each day, stop. Take a rest, eat a good meal, get enough sleep, and refresh yourself. Take time to think about your day, to notice where God was in it and where you were blessed, and to say, “It’s good.” Then go back at it the next day. And after six days, take a whole day off. And say, “It’s really good.” Spend a whole day just pausing, just reflecting on how really good it is, and then start the dance again, at a sustainable pace.”

That sounds really good to me. Whether you are here with me in the United States today, or someplace else on God’s green earth, may this Labor Day mark the day that you and I decide to rest and become God-focused people.

Dear Lord, I want to rest in You. Show me how to live this way. Meet me there in my time of contemplation, reflection, and worship. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

It’s Not There…Nor There..

As a Christian I’ve learned that the way to get answers or fix a bad mood or even just to find a little lift to a normal day, is by connecting with God. I’ve also learned that there are many ways to connect with God. Not just the traditional read the bible, pray, fast and fellowship ways…but by reading Christian blogs, meditating on devotionals, worshipping to music, staring at the sky and reading a well written Christian novel. I know from experience that I “get something” from all of the above, but it’s more fun/entertaining/interesting to choose from the second list as opposed to the first.

But what happens when you choose from the 2nd list 90% of the time? I’ve found that you end up living a bit too spiritually. It becomes very easy to come up with your own theories, meditate on certain scriptures and ignore others that are also important, become judgemental of others (specifically traditional Christians) and worst of all, you end up having a 2nd hand relationship with God and cheat yourself of the connection your soul desires.

Lately I find myself in this boat. I’m praying and reading blogs, waiting for that divine revelation. I’m praying and listening to music, waiting for that one line to bring me to tears. I’m praying and going for a walk, waiting to hear God’s voice. And sometimes it really happens that way. But I’m finding more often than not, God impressing on my heart “you won’t find it there…nor there. It’s in my word.”

Why is it so much harder to sit down and read my bible than to do any of those other things? I know the answer, yet honestly, it doesn’t often change my actions for long. I know God’s truth is within his word. I know words spoken that pertain to today are sitting in there for me to read first hand. I know learning and hearing about God are done through other people’s interpretations when you don’t go directly to the source yourself. But still, day after day, I find it hard to sit down and open my bible. But I know that when I do, oh man, I regret every other time I didn’t. I just wish that feeling would last. But no, the struggle continues.

Anyone else with me on this? I know there has to be someone out there that isn’t the perfect Christian we want everyone to think we are. Well whether you admit it or not, I just want you to know that you’re not alone. There is no perfect person and no perfect Christian. This is my weakness – admit to yourself, what’s yours?

 “As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him.” – 2 Samuel 22:31

Making the Hard Decision

There are times in life that we know what we’re supposed to do; whether it’s something a teacher tells us to do, a parent encourages us to pursue or a feeling coming from within. Those decisions are easy decisions. We know we’re supposed to do something and then we have to choose between 2 options: doing it or not doing it. Clear cut, black and white, yes or no, there is a correct answer. Listen or don’t listen.

But then sometimes in life we have to make hard decisions. Decisions where there is no right or wrong. Where we have to make a choice without having proof that it’s the right thing to do. There is no crystal ball saying go down this path and God hasn’t shut all other doors making this choice the only option. It’s a hard decision that no one else can make for you – you just have to make it and see how things play out based on that decision. It’s the scariest choices in life but in the end, the most rewarding. These choices help challenge our beliefs and make us weigh our priorities. They make us grow as individuals and help us become a better version of who we are today.

I had to make a hard decision recently. I had to decide what I wanted to do once my maternity leave ended. For months I’ve been fantasizing about being a stay at home mom. To spend the day raising my daughter the way I see fit and not missing a precious moment of her life. About not being controlled by “the man” and working a desk job. But these were all fantasies. They were “Jess daydreams.” I wasn’t the type of person to just quit her career to stay home and be…a housewife. “Just” a mother. The person who cooks, cleans, does laundry, changes diapers and joins a mommy and me group. I worked my butt off in high school. I went to a great, but very hard college and graduated with a good degree. I worked not 1, but 2 non-paid internships to advance my resume in the pile of entry-level applicants. I worked summer jobs and temporary positions. I finally landed a good position in a company that pays for me to travel and stay in fancy hotels. I worked my way up and have favor among the decision makers in the company. I get bonuses and raises. I’m somebody in the career world and I worked hard to get there.

But then the tears formed. Day after day, night after night. Mostly in secrecy as I was confused by these feelings. I was supposed to go back to work and help provide for my family. To do my part. We got Charlotte into the daycare of our choice and I was able to have a fully paid 3 month maternity leave. It was all set. The plan was in motion. But still, the tears came more and more each day. Until finally I broke down and had to admit that it wasn’t emotions anymore. There was something inside of me screaming that my priorities in life had changed and it was time to make a decision. The hard decision to be a stay at home mom. That I would still be “doing my part” for my family, it just wouldn’t be in a financial way. Instead of rushing off to day care I would be making my husband’s coffee in the morning and seeing him out the door. Instead of chatting with coworkers over coffee I will be sipping my coffee as I wake my daughter up for her first feeding of the day. Instead of attending morning meetings I will be strategically planning my day. Instead of doing lunch with co-workers or reading a book I will be tickling my daughter and watching her smile and make noises that she hasn’t made before. Instead of returning calls to international companies I will be making doctors appointments and running errands. Instead of sitting in traffic trying to get home I will be making dinner so my husband can have something to look forward to while sitting in traffic. And instead of trying to get a million things done in my non-work time AND spend time with my family, I will enjoy the overwhelming peace that comes along with our new, tight budget.

So goodbye Outback Steakhouse take-out, goodbye coffee & lattes every weekend while shopping, goodbye buying things whenever I want and goodbye fancy restaurants & parties in the city. Instead, I choose my family. I choose the smiles and laughter. I choose the peace and home-cooking. I choose the budget. I choose the careful spending. I choose being “just a mom” and realize that it’s not that at all. It’s the right decision for me.

*Disclaimer: I’m in no way putting down or judging any mother that has to or chooses to work. I think it’s one of the hardest things a woman can do. It’s just not the right decision for me right now.

Jess’ Guide to Month 9, Labor & the Hospital

A few months ago I wrote a post about what I learned being pregnant. It was a big hit so I’ve decided to do a follow up post about the rest of my pregnancy lessons. Missed the first post? Check it out here.

Pre-Labor

• Keep reminding yourself that the baby WILL come out. You will not be pregnant forever…even if baby is late.
• As hard as it will be, DO NOT count down until your “due date.” Baby is going to come when baby wants to come.
• Have fun setting up the baby room/nursery but don’t go too crazy. Once I arrived home with Charlotte I realized that the drawers I put everything in made NO sense. Chances are, you’re going to move everything once you develop your own system.
• You will probably get A LOT of newborn clothes. DO NOT wash everything. We have a pile of clothes that she already outgrew and never got to wear. Remember, those cute onesies CANNOT be worn until the umbilical cord falls off. Charlotte’s took over 2 weeks, so she outgrew a lot of clothes before being able to wear them.
• SwaddleMe Sleepsacks have been lifesavers for us. She falls right asleep when wearing one (usually).
• Get a washable/waterproof/vinyl changing pad. DO NOT get the pretty non-waterproof/non-vinyl covers. One little drop of pee and you have to put it in the wash.
• Got a lot of duplicate “baby items” from your shower but don’t have receipts? You have a few options. Go online and add them to your registry (check babiesrus before other stores – their prices are higher so you’ll get more for the return!). Then you can return it to the store without a receipt. Can’t find it on the registry? Go to target or walmart. Both stores will let you return items without receipts. Target gives store credit, walmart gives cash back up to $20 I believe and then store credit after that. We ended up returning a lot of items, keeping 1 of each, and decided to buy more as needed. So far, it hasn’t been needed and we got $30 to Target just from powders, cremes and lotions!
• Buy diapers now. In your first few weeks you won’t want to run out and buy diapers. I loved the Huggies Pure & Natural for newborns because it has a special dip in the front so you don’t cover the umbilical cord. Nothing more challenging than folding down a diaper correctly at 3am.
• Keep walking/exercising. It’ll keep your mind clear and baby moving. It’s the best way to help baby along.
• Enjoy some last date nights (if it’s your first child). Chances are you’re not going to want to use a babysitter in the first few months so this may be your last real date for a while. Chris and I had 3 last dates and all were worth it.
• If people offer you baby clothes/items, take them and wash immediately. You won’t know what baby likes and what you like until he/she is already here and getting to a store isn’t as easy.
• RELAX and enjoy the last weeks of pregnancy. It’s hard to do. And you’re tired and usually in some kind of discomfort but remember, it’s the last time your name won’t be mom for the rest of your life
• Buy books, movies, tv show boxsets etc. While waiting for baby and as a new mom you’ll be up many hours for different reasons.
• Braxton hicks contractions are different than real ones. But if you’re anything like me – you won’t be able to tell the difference.
• Got an iphone or app-friendly phone device? Get the contraction tracker app! It’s free and a real easy way to track how long and frequent your contractions are. It’s how I knew it was time to take a trip to the hospital.
• There is a long list of signs you might be going into labor in many books. Use them as a reference. I didn’t get some of the signs ever and honestly, many of them came just a few hours before I went into labor. Don’t get discouraged…everyone is different.
• Pack your bag for the hospital! Here’s my suggestions that might not be too obvious: hair brush and tie, mascara/light makeup, bath robe & slippers, disposable razor, toothbrush & tooth paste, cheap but cute nursing pajamas (or you can wear the robes they give you- i did both), lotion/stretch creme, deodorant, chapstick, comfy go home clothes (maternity clothes still), cell phone charger, camera.
• Go food shopping/make and freeze food. You will NOT be up for cooking and hubbie won’t be either. We lived off of pre-made chili for many days.
• Sanitize/sterilize bottles, pacifiers etc. before baby comes. I didn’t think to and didn’t realize it should definitely be done before using them. Put bathing things together in a basket and organize clothes so newborn outfits are easy to grab and 6 months clothes are out of reach.

Labor/Hospital

• Not sure if you should go to the hospital yet or if contractions are real? Call your doctor. I was afraid of bothering him with stupid questions and false labor but they get calls all of the time and are the only ones that know what you should do. Don’t be afraid to look stupid.
• I was told that if you’re just saying “ow” then you’re not going into labor. This may be true for some, but do you know how high your pain tolerance is? I obviously didn’t. I was saying “ow” when I was already hours into labor. Use your own judgement.
• Not sure if it’s a real contraction? Try moving (if you’re sitting, stand up etc.). If it gets worse/stays the same, it’s probably real.
• Communicate with your husband/ride to the hospital. If you don’t need to do a movie-like panic run th the car speeding to the hospital scene, don’t do it. There will be enough going on. Stay calm, breathe, and remember, he’s probably as nervous as you are.
• Be honest with your nurses. If you’re in pain, tell them. If you feel pain coming on but think you can handle it a bit longer, tell them NOW. Hospitals get busy out of no where and you don’t want to be stuck waiting for pain medicine when you really need it.
• Stay positive, stay light hearted, and remember, it’s just one (usually) really long day. It WILL end and your baby WILL come out one way or another.
• If your hospital room has a TV in it, put something fun and light on. We watched 90s tv sitcoms during labor, during pushing and for days in recovery. It’s nice to have something to look at but not really feel the need to WATCH it. Home Improvement was on when Charlotte was born. Who knew I’d be looking at Tim Allen while pushing my first child out. haha.
• “Now is not the time to be a super hero” – Dr. Rudnicki. Take the pain medicine unless you’re really against it.
• It will hurt. But you will have a little baby in your arms when it’s all over.

Hospital Stay

• A lot of people will want to visit. You may want to limit it. You and husband and baby will be very tired and worn out…remind people they can visit you when you get home. And keep your nurse in the loop, she’s usually willing to kick people out of the room so you don’t have to be the bad guy.
• Not sure if you want to have baby sleep at night in the room with you or in the nursery? I suggest the nursery. You’re going to be exhausted and glued to your bed in recovery. Let the nurses soothe his/her crying and change diapers for a few nights. You’ll have MANY chances to do it yourself later on. Plus, if there are any complications – they know what to do and you don’t. Charlotte had one night of choking on mucus she was coughing up. I would have freaked out if I was alone with her when it happened.
• Planning on nursing? The nurses will bring baby to you in the middle of the night so that you can. Just make sure they know this is what you want – if not, they’ll give him/her formula from a bottle.
• Questions? ASK NOW! Nurses and doctors are all around you. Don’t be embarassed. It’s harder to call later on.
• Anything in the hospital room WILL get thrown out so take it home with you! From the disposable post-pregnancy underwear to the huge maxi pads to the baby’s hair brush.
• Witchhazel pads/Tucks and ice packs feel amazing for your sore area. Make sure to bring them home with you AND buy some more when needed.
• Take a shower, brush your hair, put on a little makeup…it’ll help you to feel so much better. Especially if you’re going to have visitors who want to take pictures..and they will.
• Speaking of pictures, call the shots. I told everyone I did not want my “just had a baby” pictures posted anywhere and they respected that. Take some so you have them, but the world doesn’t need to see you in a gown with crazy hair and a fat, tired face unless you want them to.
• Heard that you leave the hospital looking 6 months pregnant? Unfortunately it’s true. It takes days/weeks to not look pregnant anymore. And then, you still have a mushy belly. But remember, you did JUST have a baby.
• Take some of the hospital time to relax with just your family. The nurses take care of you and bring you food and pain meds. Your hubbie will want some quiet time and your baby may not want to be passed around all day long. Your first days home will be tiring and overwhelming, take advantage of the hospital help.

So that’s all I can think of. I’m sure there are more things but I think that’s enough. I will leave you with one funny story. Our first night (or 2nd) back at home, I had to wake up to feed Charlotte. So I set the alarm and somehow opened my eyes after only a few hours of sleep. But I woke up confused and panicked. I woke up Chris because I couldn’t figure out how to sit the bed up to feed her. I was hitting the side of the mattress looking for the controls. It took me a few minutes to realize that I wasn’t in the hospital and my mattress did not have controls. It was a really funny moment that I’ll never forget.

Hiatus: over.

Wonder where I’ve been? Well do a search on my blog for “pregnant” and you’ll notice that the posts have stopped June 28, 2010 at 1:20pm little miss Charlotte Grace arrived. I had  a 10 hour labor which I hear is very good for your first child. And since I do have male readers and those not interested in all things girly, I won’t be blogging on my child birth experience. I do, however, love telling people about it – so if you want to know the full play by play or a summary or answers to a few questions – feel free to contact me via email or commenting below and I’l gladly share I will say that it’s an experience I will always cherish because I’m so in love with this little person sitting right in front of me. However, i’m not entirely looking forward to doing the whole labor thing again one day. So I have some fun and exciting things coming up on my blog but until then, here are some pictures of my little girl. From day 1 to day 21:

Charlotte - 1 day old

Funny Friday Dance Video!

Enjoy today’s video! It’s a funny one And yes, I used to do this dance!

Funny Friday Dance Video!

This video comes through our friend Dave. I find it entertaining yet scary that this baby can move like this – good luck to his future in “dancing!” Enjoy & Happy Friday ya’ll!

Maternity Leave

So my maternity leave began yesterday. Chris works from home. This means that the both of us are really just sitting around our 2 bedroom apartment, with our cat, awaiting Charlotte’s arrival. To be honest, the whole situation makes me nervous.

What if my hormones go all crazy and Chris doesn’t know how to handle me?

What if we both want to use the tv at the same time and neither one of us wants to mention it (yes, we have 1 tv)?

What if I’m annoying to be with for this many hours in a row?

What am I supposed to do on maternity leave BEFORE there is a baby to feed, change and take care of?

The questions and curiosities are endless!

So over the past 2 days I’ve mentioned these things to my husband. It’s amazing how great communication can be. I’m assured that my craziness is to be expected and he’ll love me anyway. I can voice if I want to kick him off a video game to use the tv but have also found contentment in using my computer to stream Netflix in the bedroom. We went to Barnes & Noble to buy some books and have enjoyed our new blu ray player. So far, boredom does not exist…just excitement and anxiety as we wait for contractions to be more than 2 hours apart.

So hello maternity leave. Hello sleeping until I feel like getting up, going into town at any time, watching movies during the day and reading books with my cat sleeping on the bed next to me. The nursery is 95% complete, Charlotte’s clothes are clean, hospital bags are packed and the car seat is installed. So what’s next? Chris and I are going on a date tonight. Taking the advice of many, we figure this may be our last time to have a nice night out just the 2 of us for a while.

Any other advice on what I should do during this waiting period? I’ve heard sleep, go on dates, relax and freeze some food…anything else oh wise readers?

Little Red Ants

About 2 weeks ago I had to drop my car off at Mazda after the shop had closed, meaning I had to fill out that fun after-hours form and leave my keys in an envelope. Not a big deal. I grabbed an envelope and a pen from my purse and leaned on the stone wall next to the door while attempting to remember minor details such as my odometer reading (why do I NEVER look at it BEFORE filling out the form?) Anyway, as I’m filling out this horrible form (what color IS my car anyway? I always write Indigo because I really don’t know if it’s blue or purple), I realize there is a little red ant crawling next to the paper. EW. Wait. There is another..and another…and oh my gosh, without realizing it, I was leaning on a wall COVERED in little red ants.

How did I NOT see this before I started writing? Well the answer is simple. They’re teeny tiny ants and I wasn’t looking carefully at what I was doing.

How often in life do we do things like this? We have an agenda in our head and just jump right in without looking at our surroundings first. And then we’re surprised and appalled when we realize what we just put ourselves in the middle of. I hate to admit it, but I do it a lot. I assume that things are a certain way. I put my faith in things that aren’t promised to stay the same. I try to live in this non-existent world of everything being stable and un-changing and then I’m shocked when everything is different than I expect it to be.

I get hurt easily by assuming things. I make stupid mistakes because I don’t look at the CURRENT situation first. Like with the ant wall. Just because there were no ants on the wall last time I was at Mazda, sure doesn’t guarantee that there would be no ants that day. So why did I not look? I wish I knew. How do you live a life completely aware of your surroundings? I’m on a mission to find out.

Fun Friday Videos!

Since it’s a beautiful Friday AND the last Friday I’m working until September (hello maternity leave!!), today I’m proud to entertain you with TWO Friday videos.

The first is a classic 90s dance song to a hilarious video.

The second is a clip from Parks & Recreation. Tom took a Roomba and attached an iPod dock to create “DJ Roomba!” Chris and I have been talking about it since we saw this episode. And since we DO have a roomba AND an iPod dock…we may have to try this one out!

Here a Slump, There a Slump, Everywhere a Slump Slump

Catchy and upbeat title for something so negative huh? Well that’s the theme.

I might be writing this blog only for me but I have a feeling it’ll probably help some of you also.

Ever been in a slump? I’m talking a real funk. Nothing medical, just one or two or five of those days where you just don’t seem to want to do anything? Nothing is right. Maybe nothing is even wrong. You’re just down, unhappy, out of it, don’t want to do anything, can’t find a smile and want to spend the whole day in bed, or watching movies or just not speaking with anyone? And when you do talk, all that comes out is complaints, frustrations and maybe even tears. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, congratulations – you can stop reading here. But I think most of us know some form of this feeling.

Personally, I’ve been in a slump for the past 24 hours. It started with a phone call telling me that my doctors appointment had to be pushed back a few hours when I was already on my way there, continued when the doctor informed me that he wants to see me again in 10 days (wait, you mean I won’t be in labor before then? How much longer do I have to be pregnant?!!), and then came to a peak this morning when I realized that I’m in a complete creative funk: blogs not written, cameras with dust on them and poems with no endings. Well hello tears, bad mood & screaming voices in my head. So I did what any normal (ha) person would do. I cried. I sulked. I slept on the couch after getting out of bed for the day. I turned to coffee. I told myself how horrible this day was going to be. And then I looked at the clock and realized that it was awfully early to consider a day ruined. So then I did what any abnormal person would do. I closed my eyes and prayed whatever I could to a God who won’t tell me I’m crazy for feeling this way. I read a devotional about the need for desperate reassurance and meditated on the scriptures “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:7)” and “Whatever is true…think about such things…And the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:8-9). And then I took action. I did the things that I know make me feel better. I wrote in my journal about how blessed I’ve been these past few months. I brushed my messy hair and put my favorite smoothing shine spray in it – something that makes me feel a bit less untamed. I took a few minutes to sit with my vanity mirror and put on some makeup – something that always makes me feel more attractive. I put on the necklace my parents got me for my birthday – something that reminds me I’m loved. I read the birthday card Chris got me this year – something that reminds me how desired I am. And I’m writing this blog – something that reminds me it’s not hard to get out of a creative funk.

Am I all fixed? Nope! But do I feel better than I did an hour ago? You bet.

What do you do when you’re in a slump? And what CAN you do to survive the slump?

NERD ALERT: Do You Swag?

Okay seriously, I’m proving myself nerdier by the day. I was very proud of the fact that Chris and I both had Razor cell phones from years ago that still work well. We didn’t give in to the smart phone craze. Sure we both have iTouches and I have a netbook and we have lots of fun electronics and gadgets…but cell phones..we were old school. Well, that was until his Razor died the other day and the Android starting whispering his name. Well, within that whisper was a “buy one get one free for Jess” secret message. So as you can probably predict, we now both have super fancy techy phones. And we’re loving them. I’m already obsessed w/ taking pictures of everything I’m doing that no one else really cares about. So what happened to my pink Razor? Would you believe that my 25 year old insurance-selling NYC loving brother is using it? Yes, I’m serious. He’s very secure in his manliness I suppose. I just hope no one on the train beats him up.

So what else makes me nerdy? The fact that I’m posting about Swagbucks today. And not only am I posting about it, I’m excited about it! For those of you who “swag,” did you know that today is a BIG day? There are going to be 5 codes given out! For those of you who wondering what the heck I’m talking about…go over to Swagbucks and sign up (using me as a reference)! It’s a fun and easy way to earn prizes. I just cashed in some of my “bucks” for $5 Amazon Gift Cards. And I plan on using them to buy the new Jimmy Needham album. Pretty cool huh? All for free…just taking minutes/day.

When you sign up you’ll get 30 free “bucks” to get started and if you enter the code SUMMEROFSWAG you’ll get an extra 20 “bucks”!

**The first code was just released!! It’s: KickItOffRight5IUA5W – go over to the swagbucks homepage and enter it in to win some “bucks” now!