New Haircut

I got my hair cut this weekend, and I love it. It's a little shorter than usual, but it feels great. So...shout out to Missy at Blown Away Salon in Blythewood! Thanks!

Planning a Mini-Vacation!

Part of Evans' territory is the Myrtle Beach area. He's going to have to be there for a few nights soon, so Clark and I are thinking of tagging along for the trip. This could be a disaster, or it could be a blast. We never know how Clark will sleep in a new environment! We are not very familiar with the Myrtle Beach area, since we usually go to Charleston when we head to the beach.

Does anyone have any recommendations of a good hotel that would also be kid-friendly? Like maybe with an indoor water park? Since Evans' will have his car all day, we will be stuck at the hotel, so I'd like to stay somewhere with lots to do!

Chaos in the Kitchen

I’m the type of mommy/wife that loves to cook for my family. I usually cook 4 nights a week (Monday-Thursday), and I really prefer to cook from scratch. I don’t like cooking things from a box, although I do sometimes! I’m learning very quickly now that my little man is mobile, that some things are going to have to change about my cooking style.

While trying to trim the fat off of some chicken, and get it into the casserole dish last night, my son was running around the entire downstairs of our house, pulling things off shelves and out of cabinets. By the time I got my hands washed and caught up with him, my hair was a mess, my clothes were disheveled, and I was completely flustered! “This is not going to cut it!” I told my son, but then remembered he’s only 16 months old, and has no idea what I’m talking about. After I got him “locked” into his high chair, and poured myself a glass of Cabernet, I was already feeling better about the situation, but I knew my days of “cooking” dinner were over, at least for the time being.

As I sipped my wine, and fed my son a jelly sandwich (don’t judge!), I pulled out a few cookbooks in the hope of finding some inspiration. My friend, Susan, gave me a cookbook full of crock pot recipes when we lived in Tennessee. Then came my AHA! Moment. I can still cook my family dinners from scratch, without having to stand in the kitchen for hours in the late afternoon, when my son would rather be playing outside. My new goal is to start trying some of these crock pot recipes that I can get ready and into the crock pot during nap time. Even though I hardly have any more “free time” during his nap, it will be worth it to squeeze this one in, especially since it should make our evenings much more enjoyable!

Baby Shower!

Part of the reason I started a blog was to share some of my "creative" ideas. I love making things, and coming up with new ways to do old things. Here are a few pictures from a baby shower my Mom and I did for my sister-in-law last year!

What do you do all day?

To be honest...a lot! I don't have many friends who are stay-at-home Moms, and most of them don't understand what it is I do all day. Trust me, I have LOTS to do. I'm really not sure how I used to get everything done, while working 40-50 hours a week!

Our day usually starts around 7 or 7:30, and we go non-stop for 12 hours! We eat breakfast, and since the weather is getting warmer, we go for a walk/run after breakfast. We usually come back inside after our outing, and I straighten the house/make beds while Clark plays. Then I try to squeeze in some play time with him before his nap.

Once he's down for a nap, I get really busy. I try to do my Bible reading, do whatever I can to prepare for dinner, and take care of some cleaning. I started to learn as Clark was getting older, that there was no way I was going to get my entire house cleaned in one day. I went back to my "Chore-of-the-day" (as Joeli calls it) which I did when I was working. So each day, I focus on one thing, whether it's laundry, bathrooms, cleaning floors, etc. Then I try to squeeze in a shower before the little man wakes up!

Once he's awake, we eat lunch, and run any errands we have then. We usually play outside in the afternoon, then do dinner, bath time, and bed time. Clark is usually out by 7:00 PM, then I crash!

As exhausted as I am some nights by 7, I sit back and think about how I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. I am so thankful for my husband who works so hard to give me the opportunity to stay home with our little man!

5 interesting things about me!

While talking to my husband about what to start with on my blog, I decided to start by letting people know a little about myself. So....here are 5 interesting facts about me!

1. My parents still have the same phone number they had when I learned it in kindergarten.
2. My husband and I broke up nine times before we got engaged.
3. My group of friends from college still do a girls weekend every year.
4. I have seen the Rolling Stones, and the Righteous Brothers in concert (but not together!)
5. If I sleep without socks on, my toes are like ice cubes when I wake up!

Why a Blog?

Well...I thought long and hard before starting a blog, since I wasn't sure it was something that I wanted to start. My sweet husband has encouraged me to start one before as a way to share some of my creative ideas, and I thought it would be fun to share some stories along the way. So here we go...