Happy Halloween!

This week's Spin Cycle with Gretchen over at Second Blooming is a Halloween Show and Tell!  I did look for old pictures of my own costumes as a kid, but I surprisingly couldn't find any.  (Sorry!)  That's probably for best because some of them are pretty embarrassing.  I seem to recall a 80s pop star outfit with pink fishnets when I was like 8 or 9?  Anyway, onto the cuter things....

 

 

Aubrey was our little monkey this year.  I was so worried her outfit wouldn't fit, but it was actually a little big.  But it was snuggly and cute, and so was she.  Onto the photo sessions...

 

 

This picture was our first attempt.  Right before Parents of the Year here watched her tip over and bump her head.  And cry.  And yes, I felt absolutely horrible about it.

 

So here was our second attempt.  Her good friend the lamb had to jump in to help make her smile again.  And we utilized something soft and supportive to hold her up.  Still working on that sitting thing.

Daddy and Aubrey getting ready to trick or treat.

Mommy and Aubrey (We finally got her to smile!  Yay!)  And I love the little banana that is in her pocket.  Too cute.

 

 

And our family picture.  Notice the family of pumpkins behind us...

 

 

While we only visited a few houses, friends of ours in the neighborhood, it was still fun showing her off for her very first Halloween.  I'm sure next year we'll have a little one dragging us around from house to house.  So I'll take it while we can!  


Hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween!  Stop by Gretchen's and see what other Spinners have to share!
       

Soul searching

I don't talk much about my job here, and I plan to continue doing so given the nature of what I do and the confidentiality that goes along with it.  Plus, there's just a level of unprofessionalism that comes along with just broadcasting information about your work.  I just won't do it.  But, lately, my mind has become occupied with questions on whether I am in the right field for me, whether my heart can take what I do much longer.  

 

 

I've had to make tough decisions.  Being a boss is tough.  Some days I just feel so awful when I come home.  I just want to hide.  I know in my heart some of this does have to do with my post partum and everything that accompanies that.  But at the same time, I look at all of my past legal jobs with the question of "have I ever been happy with any of them?  Why not?"  I question if there's something wrong with me in that I can't be happy.  I know that everyone goes through rough times with their career, and I know that there is no way I'll be in a field where it's all rainbows and ponies every day.  Tough days, tough weeks, hell, tough months happen.  It's a given.

 

 

But at the same time, I'm only 31 years old.  I have at least 31 more years left to work if not more than that.  Do I really want to be unhappy that long?  Or is this just a phase, and will it go away?  Should I just ride the storm out?  I simply don't know. 

 

 

I feel sometimes like I can't walk away from what I do.  I have a huge amount of student loan debt that comes along with going to law school.  It seems like I would have wasted all of that money to not even use my degree for what it is intended.  And I have a family to support.  I have to keep my salary at where it is, if not higher.  Living in a one-income household is simply not possible.  Nor would me being at home.  During my maternity leave, that drove me insane.  I do need to be around people.  I need to be busy.  But, I don't know how much more I can handle the way I feel. 

 

 

I hate that I'm just ranting on this post, but this is what is weighing on my mind.  I really need to think on this, I know.  And hopefully that answer will come sooner rather than later. 

 

 

Have a very happy  Halloween, everyone!  I promise to come back with pictures of Miss Aubrey in her monkey outfit soon!

   

Why is it?

I'm sitting here on a Monday night, needing to write my blog, at the end of a rather...well....shitty day.  I'm at a loss for what to write, so, you get some more random Nain.  Well, actually random Nain observations.  Enjoy!

 

 

Okay, so in Elmo's World, he's always asking Mr. Noodle how to do something.  And then Mr. Noodle tries to do it, albeit incorrectly, and Elmo's all like "no, Mr. Noodle...that's not how you do it!"  Well, kid, if you knew how to do it the first time then why the hell did you ask him?

 

 

 

Further, what's up with some random man hanging outside a child's house?  Pedophile much?

 

 

 

And speaking of pedophiles...Chris Hansen's "To Catch a Predator" has been on for ages.  Wouldn't you think people have caught on by now?  I guess there are just that many stupid people out there.  I've actually seen an episode where it was the second time a guy hadn't gotten caught.

 

 

 

Now that I have had a baby, I swear I have never discussed poop so much in my life - the frequency, consistency, you name it.  T and I seriously have conversations about poop now.  What has happened to our lives?  We were carefree and crazy people once.  Now we talk about our baby's poop. 

 

 

 

But it really isn't right how much we spend on her pooping.  Diapers, diaper cream, wipes.  That's a lot of money for cleaning poop. 

 

 

 

How much does it suck to be that weather man who gets sent out to stand in the winds and rain of a hurricane?  It's like the employer is saying "well, you're expendable...go out there and stand in a hurricane.  Try not to drown!"

 

 

 

Seriously, I am very worried about friends and family out there on the East Coast.  Praying that everyone is safe. 

 

 

 

My daughter gives the messiest but the best kisses ever.  (Aside from T, of course).  No matter how bad of a day I have had, getting one of those open mouth, slobbery kisses makes it all better.  What is it about a baby's smile that can just make your day? 

 

 

 

So those are your random Nain musings and observations for the week.  Praying that the rest of this week gets better.  It's never a good sign when you are this discouraged on a Monday night, right? 

 

 

 

Think weekend...

 

 

 

 

     

Getting motivated

 

Happy Motivation Monday, everyone!  Yes, it's another Monday.  A Monday of a week I'm really not looking forward to, but....yeah, I won't go into that.  It is a week where Aubrey will have her very first Halloween, so that's exciting!  And I promise pictures...actually, I will have a Halloween Spin Cycle post with pictures so stay tuned this week!

 

 

Anyway, so the motivation...still on progress for the weight loss...I did struggle last week with not eating within the food exchanges I am allotted.  One of the tough things about going to a work conference, you have to eat what they give you.  And when the lunch they feed you involves a wrap, pasta salad, chips and a cookie?  Yeah...I did my best, and I hate to say it, but I had the cookie.  Not the chips, but the cookie.  Oh well...move on.  I'm probably irrational in thinking I will suddenly gain 5 lbs because of eating that cookie, but I am that person.  I am my own worst enemy, I guess.

 

 

So my motivation is to work on my ab muscles.  While I am losing weight, I still have that post baby pudge.  And I know it all won't go away, but I still would like to tone it up a bit.  Because, dude, she stretched me out something fierce.  I wasn't a big person before, and well, she's a big baby so yeah.  My dietitian recommended I try a video on YouTube called 8 minute abs.  And while the thing is clearly from the 1980s, as evidenced by the clothing and background music, it really is a pretty good workout.  My stomach muscles were hurting pretty badly for days afterwards.  And it's easy to do because it's only 8 minutes.  My only problem is I apparently don't do the form correctly because Saturday night my neck hurt so much.  So maybe I need to work on that form.

 

 

The abs and the water.  I am so so bad at drinking water during the day.  I'm supposed to do that four bottles a day of water, and I hate to admit that there are days when we get to the afternoon, and I have had one bottle of water, if that.  So keeping track of that and ensuring I actually drink water is something I definitely will work on this week, too. 

 

 

Alright, so let's get motivated!   Join in on the fun, and write up a post on what is motivating you this week.  Just leave a link to your post in a comment, and we'll get motivated together!

  Christie @ Christie Koester    

Mom is always right

So we have a sick little Aubrey here at the Nain and T household.  Poor little thing....

 

 

   

So on Wednesday we noticed that she was starting to have "tummy issues" (I won't go into detail but I'm sure you can put two and two together to guess what issues that would be.)  We took her to daycare, and when I got her out of her car seat, she had spit up everywhere.  All of her formula, and her outfit was soaked.  I took her in, and I changed her and asked the teachers to let me know how she did.  Well, at about two, I got a call from the teacher that Aubrey had refused two bottles.  (Not like her at all given the fact that she clearly is a healthy eater - 23 lbs and 4 oz being evidence of that.)  And she was having worse stomach issues.  They said they would give her a bottle and try again.  Well, that didn't work so Mommy had to go pick her up.  She was in her third outfit for the day, and though she was acting relatively okay, something was off.  We took her home, continuing to have her "stomach issues" through the evening. 

 

 

 

We got up Thursday to another one of "those" diapers.  She had three more of "those" diapers in a matter of 30 minutes, so...yeah, Mommy wasn't going to work.   I took her into the doctor, and turns out she had an ear infection and a stomach virus.  Poor little monkey.  If you recall (those of you on my FB page)...last Friday, I took her in for what I thought was the start of an ear infection, and the doctor said despite some redness, she was okay.  I went home feeling like a paranoid Mom, and well...look at that...Mom was right!  Something WAS off!  So I suppose I should trust my instinct a little more often. 

 

 

So today (I'm writing this on Thursday) we are staying home, trying to get her to keep some food in her without much success so far, and since she still is having "those" kinds of diapers, Daddy will be home with her today (Friday, when you are reading this).  I had to buy some yogurt for her to see if that helps.  Whoever came up with the name "Yo Baby" clearly has a sense of humor.  All I can think of is "Yo MTV Raps."  They should make a cereal line called "What up, baby?"  Or "Word, baby."  I know, I know...Yoplait makes the yogurt, but still...it's just too funny. 

 

 

However, I feel like I have been vindicated just a bit.  Here I thought I was this crazy, paranoid Mom.  But I just knew something was off.  I hate that I was right, but I guess Mom knows best, huh? 

 

 

We'll be working on getting Miss Aubrey ready this weekend.  Hope everyone out there has a great weekend!

     

A scary story

 

This week's Spin Cycle over with Gretchen at Second Blooming is a spooky one, in honor of Halloween.  Scary stories?  What scares you?  You name it!  Honestly, I don't have a huge scary story to share.  Things that scare me?  Sure, sure - spiders, snakes, clowns and pigeons (not necessarily in that order). 


So scary stories, hmm...I had to really think about this one.  And only one thing came to mind.  My encounter of the ghostly kind.  Or so I thought.  Or maybe it was, and the excuse we were given was just a cover up.  Who knows? 


My friend Jess and I had ourselves convinced in 5th grade that my house was haunted.  Granted, my house was constructed one year prior, but we were convinced.  Evidence?  When we were hanging out in my bedroom we would hear a banging from the attic.  I would take something and poke the ceiling back when we heard the bang, and sure enough, we would get a responding bang.  And this didn't just happen one day.  It happened repeatedly.  Of course, we didn't tell a soul about this.  I mean, we needed to really dig into this and figure out if, in fact, my parent's house (only one year old, mind you) was haunted.  So we did what any diligent ghost hunter would do and we went to our public library, hit the Indiana room and pulled up a map of who lived on the land prior.  We found that apparently our house was built on Indian burial grounds.  So my house WAS haunted!  Petrified, we ran back to our parents with our discovery.  Needless to say, I was scared to death of being in my room.  The banging from the ceiling kept happening, and I just imagined this ghost coming through the ceiling and haunting to me while I slept.  We had to get out of there.  The house was haunted. 


Well....yeah...it wasn't.  Turns out apparently we looked at the wrong piece of land when looking at the map.  And it turned out that the "ghost" banging around upstairs was a loose piece of board in the attic.  The noise mysteriously went away after my Dad took a trip up in the attic and nailed the board down. 


Convenient.  Really convenient. 


I personally, to this day, believe this to be a cover up.  They were all in on it.  A "board," they said.  "Wrong side of the map," they said.  Or is that they wanted us to think? 



That house is haunted, I tell you, haunted! 


So that's my "scary" story for the week.  What to be even more scared?   Stop by and see what other spooky tales spinners have to share over with Gretchen!

   

Wordless Wednesday: Cuteness

I am running short on ideas for today's post, so in honor of Wordless Wednesday...please enjoy some cuteness for your day:

 

 

 

 

     

The price of a child

Damn, kids are expensive!  I know you parents out there who read this are probably laughing right now thinking "yep, and you have no idea..."  But seriously, they are expensive little things, aren't they?  Our child seems to be multiplying in size by the day, now wearing (barely) size 12 month clothes but fitting more comfortably in size 18 month outfits.  The other day I realized "oh crap, we have nothing past 18 months!"  So I went shopping for 24 month clothes.  Seriously?  Stop growing, child!  I can't keep up with clothing you! 

 

 

 

And it's not just the clothes..."Little Miss" is no longer little.  She has rapidly outgrown her car seat.  No more carrier for her!  We have had to order a convertible car seat, one she will be using for many years now.  More money.  And we decided to just go ahead and order one for each car, so yeah...more money.  But we have to do it, right?  Safety, safety, safety.  Plus, I'm not sure how much longer I can carry her around in that carrier.  We're already well past the weight limit the cardiologist has put on me for lifting things. 

 

 

 

This little girl also goes through food like gangbusters.  People at Kroger regularly laugh at me with how much baby food is in my cart.  And the formula?  Oh the formula.  We stock up at the good old Sam's Club on a monthly basis, and we buy about six or seven containers of Gerber Good Start Gentle formula each time.  We also buy one huge box of diapers and one huge box of wipes.  That'll likely last us maybe a month, if that.  Diapers need to be supplied at home and at daycare.  And home girl goes through diapers quickly!  I'm not sure if this was some sort of sick joke on her Mommy the other day, but on Saturday she had six, count them, six dirty diapers.  Seriously?  Stop pooping!  For the love of God, no more poop! 

 

 

 

Our doctor recommended this stuff called Bourdeaux Buttpaste.  After I got over laughing at the name over and over again, I ordered four boxes of it from drugstore.com (enough to get shipping free and upromise points), and when I got the receipt, I had to laugh thinking "I just spent $50 on stuff we wipe on her butt." 

 

 

 

So my question...8 months is old enough for a part-time job, right?  She needs to start pulling her weight.  Time to start working, girlie! 

 

 

 

No, just kidding.  I wouldn't do that.  But she is one pricey little girl.  Of course, I would do anything and everything for her, and I would gladly sacrifice anything I would need to ensure she has everything she needs.  She simply comes first. 

 

 

We have started the Santa present purchasing.  T and I have budgeted an amount each month, and I have just bought the first few presents.  It's so much fun.  I think it's going to be hard for me to stop when we get to our budgeted amount.  I'd gladly sacrifice any Christmas present for her Santa one.  Like I said, so excited. 

 

 

 

But I seriously will be looking into seasonal employment for myself, T or Aubrey.  She'll bankrupt us all!

 

     

Motivation Monday!

   

Happy Motivation Monday everyone!  And happy National Celebrate Pro Bono Week!  This week is going to be a busy one for me, as I will be running a "legal clinic road show" in my district.  I'll be going to a different county each week to host free legal clinics for residents in our district.  It will be busy but totally worth it.  Anyway, so, to the motivation...

 

 

 

Still plugging away at my weight loss.  Since I started, I have lost a total of 15 pounds, which seems crazy to me.  I tried on my pre-pregancy jeans the other day and some were actually a little loose.  I do have two pairs of jeans that are still a little tight but they were tight before I got pregnant, so I'm using them as motivation.  I will fit in them eventually...God willing...

 

 

 

One of the things that keeps me disciplined are the food records I have to keep daily.  Each week the dietitian reviews them and gives me helpful pointers.  It can be a pain having to write down what I just ate after each meal, and I know it drives T crazy.  But it keeps me in line and accountable.  I have to keep track of what are known as "exchanges" and check off how many I eat each day.  So I get to have six "exchanges" of starches, three of fruits, etc.  Some days I do go over, and others I'm spot on.  The weekends are definitely the toughest.  During the week I normally eat the same thing each day - a smoothie for breakfast, granola bar for snack; salad with chicken, fruit, and yogurt for lunch; carrots for a snack and then dinner (usually meat, salad and maybe a starch.)   If I want a glass of wine at night, I have to kind of plan out my fat exchanges for the day.  And I only allow myself one glass. 

 

 

It is tough because there are days where all I want is a huge chocolate candy bar.  Or I'll be eating my carrots when a coworker offers me chocolate.  I used to just mindlessly munch on stuff like that during the day, and that catches up with you in the end.  Keeping track of what I eat and when makes me stop and think before I take that bite.  It isn't to say I won't treat myself every now and then.  It's just a matter of making it work and planning.  That's the tough part. 

 

 

It sucks sometimes because you won't realize something has starch in it, and it seems like everything has some kind of starch or fat.  Like spaghetti sauce...it's a starch exchange.  So it can be frustrating when planning out meals because you have to constantly think about those things, and it's enough to drive you insane.

 

 

Anyway, I'm rambling on and on about this, and I'm honestly not sure why.  So my motivation this week is to keep up on the healthy eating and try my best to stay within my allotted exchanges each day.  Think I can do it?

 

 

So what's your motivation?  Share yours in a post on your blog and leave it in a comment to this one!  And happy Motivation Monday, everyone!

 

Where are you from?

I've been at this blogging thing since May 2010, and back when I first started, I remember thinking that no one in the world would read it.  Aside from my husband, I didn't tell anyone about it so it's not like I would have readers from real life, so I just started writing.  For an unknown audience.  I still write for an unknown audience, but as I get to know the regular readers, I have a general idea about from where they come.

 

 

 

I also use a counter called sitemeter.  I have to admit, I can get a little obsessed with it because you can see how many hits you get in a day and where these hits are.  Not all of them, mind you.  Some of them just show up as "United States."  I'm not knowledgeable enough to know why certain locations appear and others don't.  So really, I only get part of the picture, but I do love seeing where readers are. 

 

 

Some of the locations, I know exactly who the reader is - Sevilla, Spain is my good friend Chloe.  Missouri - Lillian; Los Angeles - Gretchen; Oregon - Sarah.  But others are just so interesting to see - readers from Germany, the Philippines, and I even saw one the other day from Dublin, Ireland, which is completely awesome in my opinion.  I can always tell when my husband reads my blog because of the city that pops up. 

 

 

It's interesting because I regularly see the same cities pop up every day.  So I must have some pretty loyal readers, which I love.  However, I have to wonder - why no comments?  Come on, lurkers!  I'd love to hear from you.  Introduce yourself - no need to be shy by any means!  Readers from Toronto, Ontario; Mountainview, California; Katy, Texas; Seattle, Washington, etc.  Never in a million years would I have thought that starting this little blog would people actually be reading it, let alone people from all over the country and throughout the world.

 

 

It's pretty cool if you think about it.  Something so small has turned into something I could never have imagined.

   

That's what makes you beautiful

This week's Spin Cycle, brought to you by Gretchen at Second Blooming, is on beauty.  Perfect topic.    I've talked about it on here before, and I know many of you know, but I have a side gig as an Independent Mary Kay Beauty Consultant.  I love it.  I get to play with skin care products and make up, socialize with other women, and make them feel beautiful.  The key to this?  Make them feel beautiful.  Notice I don't say make them look beautiful. 



I think one of the toughest things for women is the way we see ourselves.  When you look in the mirror, do you like what you see?  Would you ever like what you see?  Do you consider yourself beautiful?  I know the answer to that for me.  And that answer is a big fat no on most occasions.  And I'm working on that.



Feeling beautiful, feeling good about yourself is so very important.  And I'm not just talking about superficial beauty either.  I'm talking about the beauty that just radiates from a person.  Yes, what I do with Mary Kay does involve a lot of what you see on the outside, but that's not why I do it.  I spend an hour with someone, treating them to some that really is all about them.  They get to pamper themselves, take some time out of their crazy schedule, and treat themselves.  Their skin feels softer, they get to play with makeup and give themselves a new look, and they look in the mirror and go "wow, is that me?"  They may walk away from that hour with a new jump in their step, a new sense of confidence.  Does it truly matter what they look like to the outside world?  No.  All that matters is how they feel inside.  They feel good.  And I think every person deserves to feel good about themselves. 



I truly believes that beauty comes from inside.  And it radiates outside from you.  It's not some superficial quality - how sleek your hair is, how cute your clothes are, how much makeup you wear, how thin you are.  It's who you are, and honestly, how you feel about yourself.  It's the kind of person you are, how good of a heart you have.  Do you feel like you are beautiful?  Because ultimately that's what really matters.  That's what makes you beautiful.  (Yeah, I quoted a One Direction song...)



When I "close" a class, one of my favorite parts is when we go around the table, and each lady compliments someone at the table so that everyone receives a compliment.  Sure, they are making compliments about what is on the outside, but you should see the looks these women get on their faces when they hear a compliment about themselves.  They look back in the mirror, and you can almost see them thinking "Me?  Really?"  And you have to wonder, how do they feel about themselves?  Do they ever get compliments?  Could that one compliment be the thing that makes their day.  The one thing that makes them have that smile on their face as they walk through their day.  It doesn't matter what color the lip shade is that their friend complimented them on.  They feel good.  They feel beautiful. 


So that's my Spin on beauty.  Stop by Gretchen's blog to see what other Spinners have to share about beauty.  And, hey, have a beautiful day, everyone!

   

If given the chance...

Hindsight is 20/20.  Or at least I've been told.   I was trying to come up with some brilliant blogging ideas while jogging the other day, and somehow my mind wandered to wedding planning.  And how, if given the chance, I wouldn't want to do that again.  So I thought, you know, that would make an interesting blog post.  What things would you NOT do that you have done, if given the chance?  Here are a few that came to my mind....

 

 

 

Wedding planning.  You never know how strong your relationship is with your family until you spend hours and hours arguing over chair covers and where Aunt Hilda should sit (no, I don't have an Aunt Hilda) or whether we should have green beans almondine or California blend with our chicken and roast beef.  I am not one for the nit picky details like that.  I prefer things to be decided quickly and just move on.  But we spent well over a year planning our wedding.  And I loved the day, don't get me wrong, but....the thought of just the two of us getting married on a beach sounded better and better as the months went by.  I think when Aubrey gets married someday we'll just hire a wedding planner.  Maybe J-Lo. 

 

 

Law school.  Those three years of higher education where hands down the most stressful and lonely years of my life.  Grad school just sucks.  Especially law school.  I moved away from family to a city I hardly knew and spent all of my days studying.  Forty pages of case law for each of my classes each night?  Being cold called in class by a professor who scared the shit out of me?  Spending my Friday nights studying only to wake up and study more in the morning?  The Bar exam?  Ugh, yeah.  I don't know a single person who says "man, I loved law school!  Those were the best years of my life."  In fact, I know a few judges even who personally have told me they hated it.  I swear I got an ulcer just walking into that building.  So in hindsight?  I don't think I would have gone to law school. 

 

 

Dating certain individuals.  In law school and after I had some relationships that now I look back on and go "what the hell were you thinking?"  I dated people who I had nothing in common with, people who treated me poorly, people who I wasted way too long on.  Now that I am in a relationship where I'm happy and stable, I look back at those months of wasting my time convincing myself I was in love with someone who wasn't even worth my time, people who to this day I don't even miss or care to see how they are doing.  Just isn't worth it.  In hindsight, I realize it would have been so much better just staying single.  I can't count only two relationships where I genuinely cared about the person and felt actual love.  One relationship (T, duh!) where I have felt forever love and that someone was really placed on this earth for me, my soul mate.  So why did I waste my time with those other losers?  I'll never know...

 

 

Moving into my apartment when moving down to Greenwood.  Once T and I hit the six month mark, I pretty much knew this was it.  I moved from Indy to Greenwood, but rather than move in with him (being scared that we would be moving too fast), I moved into an apartment complex on my own.  However, said apartment?  It was in a complex right across the street from T.  I have to laugh because when my parents moved me in, I had told them T lived across town.  My Mom said "this is across town?"  My response?  "Well, it really just depends on what you think 'across town' is.  I mean, the town line could be this road separating the two apartments."  Yeah, typical lawyer response.  I lived there from February until November, breaking my lease early as we were engaged that July.  We spent the night at either person's apartment pretty much every night but one night a week, a night when I was normally preparing for my Thursday court docket.  So that was kind of a waste of about $800 a month.  Oh well!

 

 

Not taking a longer honeymoon and traveling the countryside of Ireland.  We spent our time in Dublin which was absolutely fabulous, but I do regret not traveling around, exploring castles and the beautiful countryside.  I guess that just gives us an excuse to go back!

 

 

Serving at Chi-Chi's in college.  I think that one needs no explanation.

 

 

Buying that second guinea pig.  See this post for explanation.

 

 

Sure, I know, you can't go back and rewrite history, and I'm totally okay with that.  But still, if I had my way, these are the things I would change. 

 

 

If you could go back, what things would you do over differently? 

 

 

 

 

 

   

Do politics matter?

I was reading the comments in a blog I regularly follow the other day from a post where this blogger lightly touched on politics but basically said that she agrees to disagrees and really tries to stay out of all of the anger and over-passion behind politics.  It was a neutral post for most purposes.  She did mention in the post that she identified herself as a liberal.  But one of the comments was one of those anonymous ones where the reader stated that she always loved to read her blog but she was so dismayed to learn that the blogger was liberal.  And she ended with a statement that she wasn't sure she could continue reading the blog because of the blogger's political beliefs.  And, I believe, she stated something to the effect of "I always viewed you as so self-reliant, I just assumed you were conservative." 

 

 

I don't always get so irritated with comments like these.  I realize there are trolls out there.  Everyone is entitled to their opinion.  But I felt so indignant for this blogger.  One of the reasons I love her blog is how independent and strong she is, how she has overcome so much in her life with a medical diagnosis that would bring down most people.  But her ability to be self-reliant?  What do politics have to do with that? 

 

 

I identify myself as a liberal, a Catholic, an attorney. These three traits often bring out some sharp criticism from others.  But I also identify myself as a wife, a mother, a sister, an aunt, a friend.  I write on my blog about my life, my beliefs, etc.  However, I make it a point to not push any agenda.  Yes, I'm Catholic, and I will not hide that fact because it makes up everything of who I am.  But I respect all beliefs.  I am not about to say "if you aren't Catholic, then what you believe is wrong."  I am liberal.  I mostly vote Democrat, though I believe the smartest way to vote is based on the tenants that candidate embodies, not just on party lines.  But I respect all other political beliefs.    Who am I to push my beliefs on others? 

 

 

 

Would I ever stop reading someone's blog because they, one time, mention they believe in something I don't?  If I discovered that someone believed in a different God than I do, believed in a different political parties platform than I did, I wouldn't stop reading that person's blog.  I read blogs because I like the writer, I like who they are, as a person, not as a label. 

 

 

 

Granted, no, if someone was just writing blatant "I hate Catholics, Catholics are bad" statements in their blog, I wouldn't stick around.  I mean, that's just intolerance.  If someone is saying "all liberals are stupid," yeah...no, I'm not reading that.  But if someone mentions "hey, I'm a libertarian," I'm not going to say "oh heck no!  I'm not reading this conservative propaganda anymore!"  Especially when that person isn't pushing any kind of agenda at all.  Or if, in that same blog, they are writing about how their beliefs and I choose to not read that post because of it, do I leave a comment saying "I loved your blog until I found out you didn't believe the same thing I did."  What's the point of that?  Just stop reading.  And move on. 

 

 

 

I have friends, in real life, blogging, etc., who will "like" a candidate I don't on Facebook all the time.  But I don't unfriend that person because I suddenly realized they don't believe what I believe.  If they are a good person, and I like the person they are, why would that even matter to me? 

 

 

It just frustrates me.  And this is what frustrates me about politics in our country.  Tolerance, why can we practice this more often?  Why can't we see past the labels and see the person? 

 

 

And for the record, I consider myself to be a pretty self-reliant person.  But my being a liberal doesn't play a part in that. 

 

 

Tolerance, people, tolerance.

 

 

And that's all I'm going to say about that.

 

   

Motivation Monday!

 

 

 Starting off another week with some motivation....I mean, I don't want to, but I'm doing anyway.  Because last I checked, I couldn't just pretend it wasn't the work week.  But I sure wish I could! 

 

 

Anyway, so if you want to join in it's super easy to do - just write a post about something that is motivating you this week, link up to this blog with the cute little button you will find on the right of your screen, and then leave a link to your post in the comments to this post!  And you can do it any day, not just Monday.  Don't let the name fool you :-) 

 

 

So my motivation this week is to keep plugging away at the new lifestyle and weight loss.  I'm not going to lie, some days it sucks.  It really just sucks.  It sucks when you're at a conference, and they have this amazing display of desserts, including tiramisu, which is my downfall.  It sucks when I want a nice Tolberone, and instead I make myself eat some celery sticks.  But it's worth it.  It's not to say I don't ever let myself splurge, but it's just in moderation.  Like I'll have a 1/2 cup of vanilla yogurt with chocolate syrup if I want to satisfy my sweet tooth.  So I don't totally deprive myself.  And I do have to balance out my exchanges for the day so that I can have a glass of red wine.  It's all just a matter of making it work :-)

 

 

I did run/walk for 40 minutes this weekend outside, so, whoo!  Let me tell you, pushing a 23 lb Aubrey in a running stroller while running, against the wind?  Not easy.  You get an upper body workout too, which is pretty decent.  But I did well.  I need some new shoes because the ones I have from the last mini I did are pretty much destroyed.  But I'm getting pretty proud of myself. 

 

 

AND....I am totally down 15 lbs now.  Shocked, I tell you, shocked.  Clothes fit again - and we're talking clothes that didn't fit before Miss Aubrey was created.  Happy Nain. 

 

 

So my motivation this week is to keep it up.  I might try to kick up the 30 minute work outs during the week, maybe do a little elevation with the treadmill instead of higher speed.  I can do this.  Goal weight is in sight.

 

 

So that's my motivation this week...what's yours?  Hope you all have a fabulous Monday!

 

 

Ali @ A Coffeeqween's Life

     

Aubrey's first telephone call

It's been a busy day.  I have so many important phone calls to make.

 

 

 

Okay so this thing is what Mommy calls a phone.  I think this is how I make a phone call.

 

Rotary?  Who uses a rotary phone any more?  They get to use cell phones, and I get a plastic rotary phone???

Mom!  Can I have some privacy, please?  I'm trying to make a phone call?

 

 

Yay for me!  I made a phone call!  I'm a big girl, just like Mommy!

 

 

As you can tell, this kiddo is just days away from crawling.  And she's such a big girl sitting up all by herself.  You have one proud Mommy here!  Have a great weekend, everyone!
       

For the love of autumn!

This week's Spin Cycle, brought to you by Gretchen at Second Blooming, is on autumn.  I do believe I've blogged about this maybe a few times this year or before, but if you haven't caught on...I love fall.  I do, and I can't help it.  So many fun things happen in the fall.  So many wonderful memories in the fall.  Some sad like the loss of my two grandparents in October and November.  But others are happy memories, like my Grandma's birthday on Halloween and my Mom's birthday on the 14th. 

 

 

 

The most important day of my life happened in the fall....

   

 

I love the traditions of the fall, like going to the apple orchard for cider and picking pumpkins.  I love that we get to start these traditions for Aubrey. 

   

I love the colors, the changing of the leaves, the crisp autumn air...

I love being outside in the fall, going to a nice football game, enjoying a good beer and a hot dog...

   

Did I mention that I like the college football?  (And yeah, cheering for IU isn't quite "football" but these are the only pictures I have...)

   

 

 

And, of course, fall comes with some damn good brews.  Last year I missed out on the Oktoberfest beers and my favorite, Pumpkin Ale. 

 

 

 

 

 

So yeah, Nain likes fall.  And I promise this will be my last post raving about fall.  So if you get tired of reading about my love of autumn, hop on over to  Gretchen's blog and see what other spinners have to share!

   

Time, time, time

Lately I feel like I have been running around in circles.   I simply don't have enough time for everything.  I know we all have this problem, and I'm desperate to find a solution for it.  I had been all motivated to do my "to do" list thing, but that has fallen by the wayside.  Maybe I need to go back to it, but all I end up doing is adding things to do and never getting around to actually doing them.  I just add them to the list, assuming that eventually I will catch up.  However, lately, this just isn't happening. 

 

 

 

Case in point - my Mary Kay business.  I did my $1,000 sale, and that went extremely well.  All items have been sent out to everyone, but since then, nothing.  And I can't do that.  I do have inventory to pay for, and I want to continue remaining in contact with my customers and scheduling appointments.  I just can't seem to find the time to just sit down and do it.  For awhile there, I would designate an evening for "office time."  I think that lasted one week.  I want to get back to that because, with the holiday season coming up I have a ton of things I can be doing.  Plus, there's always that looming tax time, and I'm not exactly the most organized.  But who has time to organize?  I don't even know where to start! 

 

 

 

I do find time to work out, but even that can be a tough battle.  Cleaning is something that rarely happens.  We used to clean the house every weekend, but recently I haven't been able to keep up with that.  Once the weekend hits, I want to spend as much time as I can with Aubrey, and I feel like I'm neglecting her by putting her in her bouncy seat while I clean. 

 

 

 

And that's the kicker - when do I get to spend time with T and Aubrey?  They are obviously my priority, which is why other things kind of get shoved to the side.  Because that seems to be the most important thing on my "to do" list.  But at the same time, life doesn't just stop.  I mean, things still need to get done.  I can't just ignore them, and if I do, when I finally get around to working on that "to do" list, it's way too overwhelming.

 

 

 

I have so many friends - in real life and blogging life - who seem to do this so flawlessly, balancing a career and family.  And I wonder how they do it.  (If any of you reading this are one of those moms, let me know...I want tips...)  How do I do this?  How do I balance being a wife, mom and a full-time job?  And extracurriculars? 

 

 

 

I want to teach Aubrey that she can have it all and that she can do it all.  But at this moment, I'm doubting that myself.  I wrote a post awhile back wondering about whether women can have it all, and I guess I'm wondering if that is, indeed, untrue. 

 

 

 

I must say, I'm surprised I found time to write this blog post.  Check that off the list and onto the next task!

   

Getting pumpkins with our pumpkin

We took Aubrey on her very first trip to the pumpkin patch this last weekend.  It was a chilly day out, but we bundled up and headed out to pick some pumpkins for the house.  (Three, of course, one for each of us.) 

 

 

Last year we visited this place, Appleworks.  And if I had enough energy and motivation I'd go find that post from last year, but....anyway, this place is pretty cool.  And last year when we went, Aubrey was just a little baby inside of mommy.  And now look at her - 22 lbs 8.5 ounces.  Quite the difference in just a year!

 

 

 

I heart her little hat.  We bought it because we knew it would be chilly at the race, and of course, it had to be leopard.  She was all dolled up in her leopard for the day. 



We found two pumpkins and bought her little one in the store.  Check this out....this pumpkin and this Aubrey weigh the same, believe it or not!  But one is much cuter.

We walked around the grounds, enjoyed a nice lunch, bought some apples and apple cider and just hung out before heading home.  It was a little chilly, and the natives were getting restless.  And cold.

 

And the cider?  Delicious!  All in all it was a fun first trip to the pumpkin patch with Miss Aubrey.  We hope to make this a tradition for her as she grows up.  Next year we might actually carve one of those pumpkins.  But it was an awesome fall day.  Now we're just ready for some Halloween fun!