Category: me

things i’m working on

I’m working on Liam’s stocking. It’s progressing very nicely and I don’t think I’ll have a problem finishing this summer.

I’m working on getting 10,000 steps on my Fitbit each day. Without trying, I average 7500, depending on how busy we are at work. So to make my goal, I’ll probably have to add in a walk each evening.

I’m working on upping my pumping output. For me that means more water and timely pumping sessions. What else can I do?

I’m working on potty training Meredith. Actually it’s pretty much done, and it was quick & easy. I’ll share my “secrets” soon.

I’m working on making it halfway through Lonesome Dove (the book) by July 13 for book club. It’s a long one so we broke it up into two parts.

I’m working on waking up earlier. My kids are just really early risers so if I want any time alone in the morning it looks like I have to get up around 5. Kind of a bummer, but I’ve also been sleeping so great since starting whole30, so it’s not too hard.

I’m working on catching up on my podcast queue, and thinking about how I can add audiobooks back into my life.

I’m working on my personal style. I pretty much know what I like but I don’t have the wardrobe yet. Since I’m back down to my regular size I look forward to another closet purge and slowly adding pieces that I love.

I’m working on a letter to my pen pal.

I’m working on coordinating Meredith’s 3rd birthday party. The plan is: family only, local park, evening, a few balloons, a banner, bubbles, grilling, and a big chocolate cake.

***
Post idea from Ali Edwards who is inspiring as always.

July 2, 2014
bullet journal update
I’ve been using my bullet journal for about three months now. If you haven’t heard of this method, you really should check out the website and the short video there. It’s a really neat method for organizing daily and monthly tasks, events, notes, lists, and pretty much anything else you can include in a notebook.

For my journal I’m using a Moleskine Cahier Squared Journal because that’s what I had on hand. I think, though, that I might need more pages if I want it to last for an entire year. If I continue, next time I will also probably purchase a notebook with a hard cover. The squared pages are perfect though.

One of the most important parts to this method is the index page at the front. That allows you to easily find whatever you’re looking for without having to include tabs or sections or waste any space. I love the index! However, I like to put spaces in between items for readability’s sake, and I think I’m going to run out of room on my index page. Next time I will make sure to leave the first few pages blank.

If you watch the video overview, you’ll see that the bullet journal can be a great method for a daily task list. I tried that for awhile, but I found that I simply don’t have enough tasks to list most days, and the ones I do have are mostly routines. Plus, I am deeply entrenched in and rely upon my Things app. I do try to be super productive on the weekends though, and usually I will write out a weekend task list in my journal and leave it out on the counter during that time. I like having it there in a visible spot and it does help me to write everything out by hand.

Some other ways I am using my bullet journal are:
- church sermon notes
- weekly meal plan
- brainstorm sessions
- home decorating project & idea list
Overall I really like the system and its flexibility. The idea of numbering pages and using an index is genius! I’m definitely going to keep using it for all my random lists and notes.
June 18, 2014
day in the life // may 2014

Last week I decided it was time for another day in the life. I recorded everything on Instagram, but here it is again all together.

5:37 am : the day begins with coffee. Liam has been awake for half an hour already so I just brought him out with me.

5:45 am : Meredith woke up crying asking to hold me. Now I have both of them on my lap. It’s going to be a sub-par Bible study this morning.

6:04 am : working on a God-centered mindset in the midst of distraction.

6:24 am : morning routine includes bottle prep. I have a helper for everything.

7:10 am : conquered the getting dressed meltdown and are headed out the door. (Five minutes later, that is, since someone had to dirty his diaper right as we were leaving.) (Make that ten minutes later, since someone didn’t want to leave her coloring and then insisted on having crackers.)

7:29 am : daycare dropoff. Preschool room was crazy, baby room was calm. In and out.

7:58 am : settling in at work. I’m actually alone in the clinic today. I got my rooms set up and now I’m checking charts waiting for the first patient.

8:04 am : I have time to eat a little breakfast, which is blueberry maple refrigerated oatmeal.

8:49 am : first patient is here and set up. this is what we’ve got going on.

10:35 am : things got really crazy at work being alone and having three patients come at once. Finally sitting down again; quick twitter break.

11:39am : ran away to spend some time with my buddy the breast pump. this is very late to be pumping but it was so hard to get away.

12:26 pm : having a pre-lunch snack (dark chocolate covered almonds) and logging my calories so far. things have settled down in the clinic.

1:34pm : lunch. there was a birthday potluck today so obviously I had to have cake. I also ate enchilada casserole and salad.

2:09pm : I am pretty worn out after that super busy morning. another cup of coffee while I prep charts for tomorrow.

3:51pm : time to get down to the business of documenting what I’ve done today. still have one patient here but I have all my charting left to do.

4:47pm : pumped once more then I’m out of here. Running a bit late.

5:03pm : this is my exercise time. I planned to run but because I’m running late and feeling stressed we’re just going to have a little yoga situation instead.

5:37pm : daycare pickup time. Liam is my responsibility and David gets Meredith. we both end up there around the same time and it’s just better when we split them this way.

6:22pm : we’re all in the car headed for a spontaneous dinner at my in-laws’ house. little lady is singing nursery rhymes as usual. she yelled at us when we tried to sing too.

6:37pm : the great thing about dinner at the in-laws’ house is I get to rest a bit. starting a frivolous pleasure read tonight while the food cooks.

7:04pm : breakfast for dinner.

7:19pm : puzzles with papa and cousin Lily.

8:29pm : home and we immediately divide and conquer for bedtime routine. Meredith scraped her knees tonight and has two tiny cuts but I can hear her from the other room claiming she can’t walk.

8:45pm : everyone is ready for bed. dramatics over Meredith’s two boo-boos are still happening and Liam spit out half his antibiotic which makes me irrationally angry but we’ve almost made it.

9:07pm : lights out. one day soon we need to get these kids out of our bed but for now they are cuddled up against me and I sure don’t hate it.

May 29, 2014
why i want to blog more, not less

You may have noticed that for the past six weeks or so, I’ve been blogging every week day instead of my previous 2-3 times per week. I’ve always wanted to try a more frequent blogging schedule, and now that I have a little extra time in my days I thought I would give it a shot.

I’ve been second guessing my decision though. Every time I read a post about why someone is deciding to step back from blogging as often, or as personally, or at all, I think, “Should I be doing this? Am I wasting my time?” I also question whether or not I’ll be able to keep up with this; not that it matters to anyone if I don’t, but I’d like to be consistent.

So I’ve thought about it. And even though things might change and I might not be able to keep up with this, I’ve decided that I want to keep blogging more, not less. These are my reasons why:

1. Blogging is a constant creative outlet for me. I stay very busy, and I don’t have the right kind of dedicated time to work on most of the creative projects that I enjoy doing with my hands. But my life would be much poorer if I could only be creative every couple of weeks. Blogging is a creative process for me, and I am constantly composing posts in my head before I actually get to the writing part. So I find the whole thing very enriching in that way.

2. Blogging is an excellent form of memory keeping. This is so important to me. Even though I do Project Life and keep a small journal, they don’t capture everything. There are so many times that I’ve gone back to read old blog posts and it’s just fascinating to remember the things I wrote about.

3. My blogging friends are real friends. I know I could make online friends just as easily (or better) through Twitter and Instagram – and I have. But for me it all started with my blog because it offers a deeper insight than 140 characters allows. And personally, I still read the blogs of my friends even when I don’t have time to keep up with Twitter.

4. I just love blogging. I don’t know what it is about it exactly, but it’s so fun for me. I’ve thought about what life would be like if I gave it up, and that makes me sad. It’s a gut thing. So as long as it stays enjoyable and isn’t detracting from the important areas of my life, I’m going to keep doing it.

I’m NOT blogging more to grow my readership, make money, or eventually try to make a career of it. For now I really believe that blogging will (and should) always be a hobby for me. I enjoy being able to do a sponsored post here and there, but if I were to have to do it as a job it would instantly lose its appeal. I blog because I like it, and that’s it.

May 22, 2014
a little q & a

1. What has been your most favorite vacation to date?

Our honeymoon to Kauai was just amazing and a true vacation.

2. Do you prefer big city life, suburban life, or a life in the country?

I am most acquainted with suburban life, which I am a fan of in general because you have the conveniences of a city nearby but it’s more affordable, the schools are better (usually), and there is more space. I’ve never truly lived in the heart of a big city but I can imagine that it would have some perks like things being within walking distance and having more character. I also haven’t technically experienced country life, but I did go to college in a town of 3,000 people surrounded by farmland, and I really liked small town life. I guess I can adapt anywhere. :)

3. What is your favorite type/genre of food?

Italian food is so good but so rich! And Tex-Mex…mmm. I also love a good sandwich.

4. How would you typically dress yourself for a weekend night out?

We are not fancy, so probably something like skinny jeans, sandals, and a flowy top.

5. Do you like to wear accessories? If yes, what are your go-to accessories?

Not really. I wear stud earrings every day though, and I love delicate necklaces.

6. How do you typically fix your hair? (Blow dry and straighten/curl? Air dry? Wash and go?)

I wash it every few days at night and let it air dry. For work I just put it in a ponytail or bun. Otherwise I’ll just leave it down (I have very straight hair that doesn’t do well with styling so I just make sure to get a cut that flatters it without much work). Sometimes I’ll straighten it if there are weird kinks.

7. What make up do you wear on a daily basis? Do you have a preferred brand of cosmetics?

I wear mineral foundation, blush, and mascara. That’s it. I love Bare Minerals.

8. What is your preferred workout? (Gym? Outdoor running? Yoga? Group classes? None? Etc…?)

I’m still figuring out what is going to work for me on a long-term basis, but right now running feels good. I loooove in-person yoga classes but can’t afford them. I’m excited about the versatility of a gym though. Haven’t tried many group classes.

9. Where is your favorite place to shop online?

Amazon.

10. Do you enjoy entertaining guests in your home or would you prefer to be a guest and leave the hostessing to someone else?

I like having people over, but I’m not super confident in my hostessing skills yet so I usually prefer to be a guest. :)

11. What quality do you really value in your significant other?

There are too many awesome things about David to list here, but I want to mention that I really appreciate how smart, funny, and communicative he is. That means I am never bored with him around, and I always know what he’s feeling!

***

Thank you, Melissa, for tagging me! I tag: Kerri / Stephany / Sarah / Nora /Kara

Here are my questions:

1. What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?

2. What do you eat for breakfast?

3. What’s your go-to weeknight meal?

4. Do you do any kind of journaling or memory keeping?

5. How do you fix your coffee, or do you prefer tea (or neither)?

6. What’s the last good book you read?

7. If you had a day all to yourself with no schedule, how would you spend it?

8. What are three things on your life list?

9. When you really need to relax or de-stress, where do you go and what do you do?

10. What’s on your nightstand?

11. What’s the last thing you do before you go to sleep?

May 21, 2014