Twiddling my Thumbs

Every time I start a blog post I think it should start...
"So it's been awhile since I've posted" or "I've decided to come out from under the rock that I like to hide."

I do, however, have a great reason (this time) as to why I've been absent from this online journal I call my blog... I have been studying for the last 4 months for the PHR (Professional in Human Resources) certification exam. I took the test on Tuesday and PASSED! I was so relieved, excited, and proud that all my hard work paid off! The passing grade was preliminary, I should get my official results in the mail within 2-4 weeks. The exam was not what I was expecting, so it should be interesting to see what my actual score for the exam was.

But now... I'm twiddling my thumbs. When I would normally have a book or flash cards out to study, I'm wandering around the house trying to figure out my next project. So... I'm gong to start working on my 2014 goals.

The picture I sent to my parents, Jeremy and a few friends to let them know I passed. :)

A couple of years ago, I worked on monthly goals that were all directed towards yearly goals. (In the HR performance planning world we would call these short term objectives and long term goals... obviously my mind is still stuck in my books.)

Without further ado... My May Goals

Since there is only 10 days left they are small but mighty...

• Read one book and write a review on it
• Have a garage sale - aka - get rid of our junk/clean the house/ORGANIZE!

Dave also had a big day on Tuesday... I should not let his graduation from preschool be diminished by my test taking... I didn't get any pictures on my phone, but did snap a picture of his "When I Grow Up" picture made with Aunt Boo, the preschool teacher. 

Dave's "When I Grow Up" dreams were: 

"I want to work at the new McDonald's in Topeka. I will probably make $101.00"

and

"I will be 70... that comes after 69. That is when I want to go to space, too." 

Yes - my son aspires to work at McDonald's then go to space. First, they must reinstate the space program. :)

 And just a few more pictures...

The boys love their Papa Sam. We are so lucky they have awesome grandparents (on each side) that love them and are genuinely interested in all that they do. 

Selfie Day at the park in AV

Stitch Fix Review #1

It happened. I took the plunge. I have been eyeing Stitch Fix for a while now and finally decided to sign up! It took about a month to get my first fix, but, it came in the mail yesterday!!!

If you don't know what Stitch Fix is, basically it is an online personal shopper/stylist. You fill out a brief survey with your measurements, sizing and answer style questions and then they send you clothes that meet your profile. Actually, it's as simple as that! I also took the tips from other blogs that I had read, prior to taking the "plunge", and referenced a Pinterest page that had my style preferences on it. Or at least, what I want my style to be. If you are interested in trying Stitch Fix, you can use my referral link https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/3113982 to get to the website and you can sign up!

And here are my fixes!

KALEIGH ANKLE BITER SKINNY JEAN - $88

First of all... I am not a selfie taker. This is my first selfie in the mirror try. So I apologize. Next time, I'll wash the rug in the bathroom and maybe make the bed. :) 

These pants fit awesome. I LOVE the way they feel and fit. Super stretchy and I think I'd wear them all the time. There are two negatives though... 1. The color. These are a great blush color. I actually like the color, except it almost looks like I'm not wearing pants! 2. The color/tightness. Because these are a bit lighter in color they show EVERYTHING on the backs of my legs. I tried to take a picture of the back so you could see how it hugs my legs. Gross, but I think I could see a bit of hail damage through these pants. :)

STATUS - Returning

MONI STUD DETAILED 3/4 SLEEVE BLOUSE - $58 

 I love this shirt! Great material and hangs really well. Interestingly, this is the LAST item I thought I would keep from first glance. 

With jeans. Would be great for a date night, if we get one of those soon. 

Love the detail on the sleeves. I tried to get a good picture of the sleeves because they are so cute!

My stylist/the style card that came with the shirt indicated to wear it with a skirt (it had an emerald one) so I tried it with this orangy/pink one. It actually looks better in the picture than it does on. The skirt has a texture to it and I'm not sure I like it with the shirt. 

This feels a little "safe" to me, but I actually like this look quite a bit and would probably wear it to work as well.
STATUS - Keeping

 THOMSEN STRIPED PULLOVER SWEATER - $54

I am on the fence with this one. I really like the fit, color and material. The stripes on the arms are black and the stripes on the body of the sweater are blue, which makes it SUPER coordinatable. However, I don't know that it will wash well - and I am not the greatest at clothing maintenance in the first place. 

With skinny jeans and a polka dot scarf. 

Black skinny pants, long necklace and flats. This would be perfect for a day at the zoo with the boys or runny errands/shopping. 

 STATUS - Ho Hum... what to do? 

MILO BIRD PRINT PLEATED DETAIL SKIRT - $48

I love the print in this skirt. It's navy blue with birds on it. But, I don't love the way it fits me. My butt looks big. Honestly, I'm not sure if it's the material or the cut but I'm not feeling it. Five points if you can find my personal stylist (Dillon-the-Villain) sitting on the counter watching me. :) 

I may need a second opinion on this one. I do plan on taking it to work and having my friend Lyndse give me her two cents before making a final decision. 

STATUS - Leaning towards NO.

LANETTE ENAMEL BOW EARRINGS - $28

These are Kate Spade earrings but are very similar to the ones that were in my fix. These earrings can be found here and are $39. 

These earrings are actually quite a bit out of my comfort zone but I really like them. I've been wanting to stretch a little out of my comfort zone, especially in the jewelry arena and I think this is a great first step. 

STATUS - Keeping

So there you go... my first stitch fix. A few things I didn't mention above... When you receive your fix, they also send styling cards that give you several ideas for how to mix and match your fixes with what you already have. This is AWESOME for me because I struggle with pairing with new things or thinking "outside of the box." Also, you get to give feedback when you check out with your purchases. So the fixes are supposed to get better each time. Woo hoo!

Dark Witch: Book One of The Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy

As I've mentioned, I LOVE to read. My mom has pictures of me as a young girl sitting on the floor of my room with a bag of potato chips (my other true love in life) and a book. I would just sit and read for HOURS if I could. A good friend's mom was posting on Facebook earlier this year about her goal to read so many books in a week. I seriously think she was wanting to read seven books in seven days. That led me to one of my resolutions/goals for this year. READ 52 BOOKS IN 2014!

Here is my brief snoypsis of book 1:

Book One: 

Dark Witch: Book One of The Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy by Nora Roberts

Buy it here

I'm a big fan of Nora Roberts. She writes a wide variety of books within the romance genre. She writes a "warm fuzzy" quartet of  "The Bride Quartet", some graphic/creepy novels, like "Montana Sky" and even a futuristic/murder mystery series by a psyeudomen, J.D. Robb. I absolutely love the J.D. Robb books and usually read the newest book within a month or so of when it is released. 

If you liked the Twilight books, Nora Roberts writes a series that I find very similar in the fact that I believe there are vampires, warlocks, etc., and still a great love story. It is called "The Circle Triology." The "Dark Witch" is the first of a triology and somewhat reminded me of "The Circle Triology". It is similar to all of Nora Robert's books in that there is a family type of setting, some drama, and a love story. In this book, the drama encompasses the fact that the main character is a witch, a good one, and is just finding herself. She moves to Ireland to find more about her roots and finds her two cousins, who are also witches. The three of them, and three of their friends, conspire and take on a evil witch who wants to steal their power.

Really that sums up the book. I like an easy read, and this was it. It was good and I'm waiting for the next one to come out. However, it doesn't have ANYTHING in it to make you think about it later on in the day, week or month. Basically, it's like a reality tv show. It's a good mindless way to spend your time. Which is something that I actually want every once in a while.

-AM

New Year, Improved Me...

Each year I like to make New Year's Resolutions. Usually I like to do it on MY new year, my birthday. However, that did not happen this year. Since I was apparently too busy in September for thinking of "improvements" to my life, I went ahead and made some resolutions in 2014. 

On the way home one day shortly before the end of the year, I was feeling quite upset. If you asked me now, I couldn't tell you what I was upset about, but at the time... it seemed BIG. Maybe it was something that happened at work, or Jeremy and I were in an argument, who knows? That unhappy drive home from work led me to exactly what my focus is for 2014.... I'm sure there is a direct quote out there in the universe that says this much more eloquently than me but all I could think was, "No one can create your happiness, it comes from within." That thought lead me straight to my 2014 Resolutions, that were set completely around what makes my smile bigger. 

• Run 10 miles a week. 
• Last year, I made a resolution to become a healthier me. I started running. It was awful. Not pretty at all. Surprisingly though, I liked it. I felt better about myself and even lost some weight. It's hard to find time to run though. So I'm making a pointed effort to run (jog) every week and log 10 miles. *Note - It's 02.25.14 and I have not yet made it to 10 miles in one week yet. Fail. :(
• Read 52 books this year. 
• I LOVE to read. It is probably my favorite pastime. I love romance novels, murder mysteries, drama, science fiction, pretty much anything. I want to ready 52 books this year. I've already made it through four. I'm busy right now with work so I may have to do a catch up this fall in order to get a whole 52 books in before next year. I also fully intend to do a quick re-cap of the books that I've read. I have one written so I'll have to post it soon!
• Meal Planning
• Cooking is one of my favorite things, however, getting it done in a timely manner when we get home from work seems pretty impossible. I'm not one of those pre-cooker types, at least not yet. When the boys are playing sports I may be a super freezer cooker. But for now, just knowing what is actually for dinner instead of deciding about it at noon each day is a weight off my shoulders.
• Walk away when I want to yell. 
• Having two boys in our house at times can be a bit challenging. And this momma is not the most patient person. I truly want to be the most understanding and awesome mom in the world, but also want the boys to respect me. It is hard to find the right balance of being strict while still being the loving, snuggly mom I want to be. So, when I feel like I'm going to get upset and it's not warranted, I am trying to walk away. 

Honestly, the resolutions I set for this year have had me feeling a little selfish. The first two are things that actually may take me away from my family... I have a problem reading when the boys are up and nap times don't take very long anymore! And Jeremy is awesome and lets me take a run at night when we get home from work (I'll do this after the boys are in bed when it's light out in the spring/summer). But, that is just less time with the boys on an already short night. The last two resolutions are for our whole family. I don't feel selfish about those, at all. Such the life of a mom. Running and reading are not selfish things at all, but man is it hard to recognize that doing stuff for "me" is just as important as doing things for everyone else too. 

Oh yeah... keeping up with this blog thing is on the list as well. :)