Toddler Activities - Box Fort!

My toddler has so much fun at school during the day, sometimes I think he gets home and is wondering what happened to all the fun?  He needs to wind down in the evening and we have to eat dinner and all that, but we still have time for some activities and I think he does better when I have something planned and he isn't just running all over the house playing with toys. 

But I also need something REALLY easy because the last thing I have the energy for in the evening is lots of cleanup and complex games.

He loves playing with boxes but we always had boxes that were pretty small so he had to squeeze in and also he had a hard time getting in and out of them on his own.  But he loves to play with them, as I know  most kids do!

Yesterday he was out of school so I took the day to get him some new shoes (what a feat with his adorably chubby feet!) and I also stopped by the office supply store for a big box.  Unfortunately the biggest they had was 24 inches tall but I got it anyway, it would have to do.

Last night after dinner I taped the box up completely and then used a razor to cut a door and a window in the box.  We had lots of fun turning the box different ways, letting him climb in and out and open the door and close it.  I'm sure there will be many embellishments as time goes on but the simple box was good for him.  He had a blast and it entertained him and us right up until bedtime!

It's really fun to see them learn and experience new things. 

Motherhood - One thing I can't live without

There is one thing that, as a mother, I can't live without.  I bought it as a suggestion from a book or a friend, I can't remember now, and I've had it with me 24/7 ever since I gave birth 15 months ago.  It is...

This Timex watch!

 

It shows the day of the week, the date, the time (with seconds) and glows in the dark with one button push.

It has a ton of other great features and sometimes I use the timer or alarm but mostly the features I mentioned.  It's been my lifeline ever since I got it.  I used it all through night wakings and breast feeding and naptime and anyone who's had a kid knows you have to track everything! 

Not to mention it keeps you sane when you wake up in the middle of night without contacts and can't see the clock on the bookshelf.

Some people say, why have a watch when you have a phone?  But the phone is not right there every time you really need it!

The really cute thing is that my son loves it too.  He senses it there, he holds on to it, when the watch is there he knows it's my arm.  He even likes to wear it sometimes.

Anyone else have this same revelation after they had a baby?

Here's to a wonderful weekend, hopefully without the use of the watch for 2am wakings!

How to be a girl - exfolator and dry shampoo!

There are a few things I missed growing up like, how to be a girl!  Makeup, hair, clothes, cleaning, organizing, those types of things...just didn't get the foundation.  I was a tomboy, I guess, and have never put my focus on girly things.  But that's changing!  There is so much I want to know now.  So I'd like to learn.

First on my agenda, exfoliation!  I need to do it and I'd like to find a product or process that works best for me.  I did try a chemical and it seemed to work although I didn't find it to be the miracle that others made it out to be.  I did a little digging today and found this pineapple exfoliator:

It should be coming in the mail and I will let you all know how it goes!  I am very excited about it.  In addition to that I ordered a dry shampoo that's supposed to be fantastic.  Reviews to come!

Hair Hair Hair

Today I tried a new Hair Tutorial from Cup of Jo.  It is the Sleek Parted Ponytail. 

I don't like it as much as I did yesterday's hair but I'll have to try it again when I can really brush and smooth.  I think I have way more hair than the woman in the tutorial which really gets in the way of my styles!

I had another business idea, something I can do on Etsy.  I have some pricing I need to do but I think it would be fun and lucrative.  What better combination could I ask for?  I'm just looking for something fun I can do to make a little extra cash. 

Last night I did squats and calf raises in front of the TV.  I had this going as a daily ritual but haven't done it for about a week now.  It felt good to do it again.

Goals Bulleted

I have been working on my super secret project although not as much as I would like.  My schedule has been off and will be for another week but after that I will get back into my routine.  I still plan to work on it as much as I can just to feel like I am making some progress.

I have a couple of other projects in mind and I made attempts last week to get them started.  It felt so good to make some progress on things that I have had on my mind for some time.  Below is a breakdown of my ideas and where I am at:

• App - I have a couple of good ideas for phone apps. I sent an email to a developer to see if they had an interest in working on them with me.
• Masters - I found a great program that I am really interested in and it is something I can do without moving and while working.  I started an application!  Here is a link to the program: Case Western Master in Positive Organizational Development.  I was told by a professor that they have the oldest and most respected program in the country.  Yay!
• Super Secret Project - I don't know why I am feeling the need to be secret on this but I got a bunch of work done and thought through a lot on this.
• My Own Business - I have an idea that I really like and I gave it some thought and talked through the numbers with my husband.  Might just be a fun project at first and we'll see where it goes.

It's obvious that I am full of ideas.  I figure I work on each of them and see what sticks!  I have so many interests sometimes it's hard to narrow them down and make a decision.  For now it's fun!

In other news, I became inspired today by one of my favorite blogs to turn my boring ponytail into a super-cute french pony!  Here is a link and a pic!

Cute Ponytail Twist!

Looking at this pic makes me realize my office is a little drab.  I want to spice it up!  More to come on that.

Super Secret Project

(Credit, iStockphoto)

I have a creative project I want to work on and it scares the heck out of me!  Which is my first clue that it's something I should pursue, right?  I want to do things that scare me.  My goal is to work on it for at least an hour a day.  I am posting it here so that I will be accountable and it will push me to follow through. 

I figure the more uncomfortable I am, the more progress I will make.

The thing that scares me the most about this project is that I have to reach out to people I don't know and ask for them to share information about themselves with me.  What reason would they have to do this besides the fact that I am asking?  And then if I don't keep going and turn this into something, they might be disappointed.  So, in a way, reaching out makes it more real, gives it some gravity, and scares the heck out of me!

What if I can't follow through...

I will post regular status updates on how I am doing and the level of scary I was able to reach. 

Have you ever done anything that just scared the heck out of you?  How did it turn out?  Were you glad you did it?

My Yellow Brick Road

There are some things that just seem like universal truths to me.  Everyone has their own, a list of ideas they have learned through their lives.  These should guide the choices and decisions I make and my happiness project!  Here are mine (at least what I have so far):

1. Let Mindy be Mindy
2. Choose adventure
3. Move toward pride and away from shame
4. Believe you can
5. Just get started and the rest will follow
6. Constant reminders will help you get there
7. It's all going to be okay
8. Try not to compare, everyone starts somewhere different
9. Don't try to push the river (aka It's ok to let go)
10. You don't HAVE to do anything
11. The word 'should' can be removed from your vocabulary
12. Choose to have fun with it!

As number 4 statges, just get started!  This might not be my perfect list but hey, it's a blog, it's editable.  Now I just need to follow my yellow brick road.

My Bucket List - Year 35

One of my favorite bloggers, Roni Noone, has posted a bucket list!  I thought it was a great idea and kind of in line with what I am doing.  I am sure I will add to this list for eternity, or at least my lifetime, but here are a few things that pop right to mind:

1. Write a screenplay.
2. Learn to play one of my favorite songs on the guitar.
3. Live on or near a body of water (a lake is what I have in mind but it could be the beach!) for at least part of the year. (This could also be owning a boat and living on the boat :)
4. Bicycle across one or multiple countries in Europe.  I am thinking Italy, Spain and/or France.
5. Go whale watching.
6. Road trip to watch the Cubs play at all the NL baseball stadiums one summer.
7. Own a small business of some kind.
8. Learn to whistle really loud with my fingers.
9. Paint something I will be proud to hang on the wall.
10. Learn and practice Tai Chi.
11. Take lots of pictures.
12. Write a blog.
13. Become organized.
14. Plan a beach vacation in a house big enough to hold my entire family.
15. Eat pasta with friends at a winery in Italy.
16. Drink coffee with my husband in France.
17. Become certified as a water aerobics instructor.
18. Be debt free.
19. Inspire others to become normal eaters.
20. Get a masters degree...or even a PhD!
21. Find a lipstick color that actually looks good on me.
22. Decorate a house that says ME all over it.
23. Spend one Christmas in New York.
24. Learn a foreign language
25. Learn to sew
26. Crochet myself a hat

It's fun to dream, isn't it?  The question is, how do we keep these lists top of mind so we actually accomplish what is on them?

My Happiness Project



The Happiness Project

 My husband got me The Happiness Project for Christmas and I read through it right away, totally inspired and have been thinking about it ever since.  I decided that it would give me a good format for this blog and hopefully help me get where I want to go!

The first thing Gretchen does is come up with her own 12 commandments and other Secrets of Adulthood which is where I will start.  She then determines her resolutions (one per month) and has some measurable mini-resolutions to support them.

I am going to do things a little differently and will share my thoughts once I post the resolutions.  It's been fun brainstorming ideas and I will share in the coming days.

To Blog or Not To Blog?

I have been debating about starting a blog for a long time.  I have started and deleted more blogs than I can remember!  The reason for this I suppose is mixed feelings.  I am drawn to the blogging world but at the same time, worried that what I put out there might be criticized.  I have decided to be brave and go ahead and give it a shot! 

The reason I want to blog is because I want to push myself to live a full life. It's so easy to while away the hours sitting on the couch and watching TV but that isn't the life I want to live.  And it's not the example I want to set for my sweet baby boy.  My hope is that having a place to report my adventures will encourage me to seek adventure where I did not before. 

This is the major theme of my blog so that could include many things.  What excites me is seeing how that develops over time.  I am just going to start anywhere and see where it takes me.