What I Learned This Week

As Julie mentioned on her blog, the week really seemed to fly by, but in good ways.

Here are a number of things I learned in that fly-by week of mine:

1) Age 3 1/3 is a pretty fabulous age. I am just loving spending time with my son right now. He’s loving, can understand so much more, and he makes me laugh, hard. Example in #2.

2) When one sticks suction cups from a hanging bath toy bag on one’s chest, they DO stick, and make a “SLURP-POP!” sound coming off, sending your son and yourself into hysterics. I must clarify…HE put the cups on his chest, not me, and they certainly weren’t on MY chest.

3) Having a few days off with your son, filled with special fun activities, is AMAZING, and just fill that …oh, I’m terrible with metaphors….fills that bubble? That vase of rocks? That…. _____________ (you fill in the blank), that glorious place that makes you feel all happy inside.

4) Going on an early morning run right after a rain in the desert is a great thing. Only when you think you’ve plotted out a course that is long enough in your mind, to find out you didn’t go as far as you hoped (and ate a cream cheese covered bagel afterward), can be disappointing.

5) Spending time your friend,  celebrating her marriage in a week, is a wonderful thing. (Note new black dress.) Having a great photographer there doesn’t hurt either!

6) Having a day off to oneself (today) is something great to look forward to (even after the disappointing run-the distance only, yet cream cheese bagel, which was great), knowing I get to go to a fantastic restaurant at lunchtime with friends and include a margarita!

7) Leaving off on lucky number 7 (not my lucky number, but I’m sure it is someone’s, right?) today can be a good thing if it means having a little bit of time to scrapbook my son’s 3rd birthday and Halloween before lunch!

What have you learned this week?

What do you like to do on a day off?

I always struggle when I have a day off, even with my son.

Do I pack it with things I need to do? Do I plan all fun stuff and have a mini-vacation from home/in town?

Oh, the struggles of days off.

What I am learning most of all is that I think I’ll appreciate planning the fun stuff, the memorable stuff. I won’t remember the “to-do’s” that can get “to-done” another day, right?

That’s my tomorrow. I have some fun stuff planned, but grocery shopping and Target shopping are sitting on the burner too. Do I push them to the back burner for another day and just truly enjoy the day with my son? I would SOOOO love that, and at age three, it is soooo fun!

How do YOU decide?

What I Learned This Week

Another week of learning. I guess that is good when one aspires to be a lifelong learner, right?

So, as I am two weeks away from being a bridesmaid in a wedding (only my second time), here are some things I’ve learned about that:

1. I think I’m spending more time thinking about my nails and accessories for my friend’s wedding than I did my own 8 years ago. (We did a simple, in the park, close friends and family thing.) Though stressful, it is kind of fun to have the excuse too.

2. I’m definitely spending more money dressing for, sleeping in a hotel for, attending parties for this wedding than my own. I even bought special undergarments for two different outfits for this wedding, and I sure didn’t for my own cute dress I wore for my wedding.

3. Preparing a “Here’s everything you need to know for 24-36 hours with our son” list, while we’re gone, will be an adventure.

4. I’m not sure if this will be a learning experience or not, but when a party says, “Wear your little black dress,” will people really be wearing their little black dresses or will they all show up in jeans, a cool shirt, and heels, and I’ll be overdressed?

5. Again, maybe not a learning experience yet, but could use advice, if getting a French mani/pedi done for a wedding, should you do gel wraps for both to protect and pay the extra price? I think what I’ll learn from that is that I’ll have to pay the extra $ to have it removed in the shop. Thoughts anyone?

Be sure to check out Julie’s post this week!

Do You Have a Little Black Dress?

So, I’m one of those people who have NEVER owned a little black dress. I’ve always wanted one, and next weekend, a great friend of mine is having a bachelorette party, and that is the required attire. I’ve borrowed a few dresses from friends to try, to see if I can get by without buying one, but I’m also feeling the “Maybe this is my opportunity to try to find just the right one for myself,” urge.

So, Grandma is coming over to watch my son this morning, while Daddy is busy with some other plans, as I go on my search. I think I’d really like spaghetti straps, a halter style, or at the very least sleeveless, and it must fit well!

Do you have a little black dress, and what do you love about yours?

 

What I Learned This Week

Hard to believe another week has come and gone, and here are some things I’ve learned:

1) After waking up several times during the night to “Mommy, close my door,” and one’s own coughing, it can cause you to be a little grumpy…most of the day.

2) Adding t-ball practice to the list of activities for the week can cause one to now ponder A) Can I still get in a good workout myself? and B) Guess we’ll have to get take out dinner home those nights?

3) Sometimes Mommy needs a day off, or two, alone (never going to happen, right?).

4) I am sooo behind on email responses to great friends.

5) I love my son more than anything in this earth, and can be in a great mood tucking him in at night, until he gets an excitable nerve, kicks his feet out of the covers and right into my face. Makes for a frustrated Mommy.

6) Sometimes it is best just to close one’s office door to get a few quiet moments of work completed.

7) I am an overplanner. I love to plan activities and events, but I’ll tell you, I tried to keep last weekend a bit more open and it was NICE!

8) I have to become more of a flexible thinker. I just do, and not get stressed over things. Easier said on certain days more than others. Why is that?

9) Making binoculars (“noculars” as he called them) with my son out of toilet paper rolls on Saturday was a blast, and we definitely need to do more things like that, or at least more regularly.

10) Sometimes making sure I have enough food in my tummy can make me a happier woman. Like right now, I think I need a snack and that’s why almost all of my “learnings” seem so sad. Granola bar, here I come!

What did you learn this week?

Be sure to go see Julie’s!

 

Running Around

So I competed in my first 5K a few weeks and had such a great time it has inspired me to really keep running, and trying harder. I even just registered for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure April 10th, 5K run with some colleagues. There’s another 5K on April 23rd in my neighborhood I’d also like to do. Crazy, right?

Even crazier, my running buddy hurt her foot this week and I’ve had to run alone two days.

Day One: So sad I was. I didn’t even bring my iPod to occupy my brain. I hate that because I can hear myself breathing. Okay, more like panting at times, and it makes me more tired than I really am. I ran/walked 2.62 miles though! I did a combo of running 6 minutes and walking 1, 4 times.

Day Two: (Today). Running buddy still needing to take time off. Had iPod strapped on my arm. Went to push play, and no more battery! I even had my new Blackberry and was using the timer to track my progress, hoping to do better than Day One. In my second cycle of my six minutes, I looked down at one point to see my timer had stopped. Arghh! So, instead of feeling sad, I pushed myself to run two additional streets. How’s that for punishment? Anyhow, it was good. I went 2.92 miles this time.

The craziest thing? I never planned to ever run. I used to always say, “I’d love to be a runner, I’m just not.” I’ve always loved other activities like rock climbing, hiking, mountain biking…even my husband has been surprised. Am I good at running? I can’t say I am, but I’m doing it, darn it, because it feels good to reach goals, it is fun to do with friends, and it is such a great workout in such a short amount of time. I am anxious to see what I can do next.

Have you ever surprised yourself like that?

Works for Me Wednesday-grocery flyers

One thing that really has been working for me is to take the Tuesday grocery flyers and a marker to the bathroom as my son takes his bath. After I’m done bathing him and he’s playing, I will take that marker and circle the best deals for the week in each flyer, then decide which of the two grocery stores I will visit that week, based on what sales they have.

I also read on someone else’s post, that they will start their list on the front of the flyer as well.

I have since created this grocery list/meal planning chart to help me shop at any store, no matter where the location of the items in the store.

meal planning

What kind of shortcuts do you have that help you?