All You Need is Love

'Tis the Season

To be busy, busy, busy.

This time of year has always been crazy for me. Not only because of the upcoming holidays, but because of Paige's birthday. A few weeks ago, my baby-who's-not-really-a-baby-anymore turned 12. I'm not sure how that happened. I surely didn't allow it, yet here it is. I officially have a tween.

Gah!!

To say she had a good birthday would be a huge understatement. Not only did she have a great friend party, something we weren't able to pull off last year, but she got some awesome gifts. She may have said one more than one occasion that this was the best birthday ever.

No pressure for future years, right? Sigh...

For the first and probably not the last time, the husband and I caved on one of our big decisions. We refused to get Paige her own phone until she was at least 13. Talking and texting certainly weren't something she needed to survive. And a smart phone? No way! I've seen what happens to the husband's phones and he's a grown man. Giving one to a 12 year old would surely be disastrous!

But we caved.

She involved in one club or another at least 3 days of the week. Combine that with asking to go to the library after school to do homework or to hang out in their teen room and us not having a land line at home and we realized a phone for her was a necessity. The phone she now has is almost the same one I had almost a decade ago - a simple talk and text only flip phone. The only difference is her screen is in color whereas mine was shades of blah.

Paige also got her own Chrome Book, which she is over the moon about. we can just keep it between ourselves that we didn't pay for the Chrome Book. No, I didn't steal it! I won it in a contest. I need more than a Chrome Book can offer for what I do on the computer so I felt it would make a great gift.

And she got new fuzzy boots. For a tween girl, that is just as exciting as new electronics. Let's hope her expectations for Christmas weren't raised by this birthday.

All of her birthday hoopla wasn't the only thing on my plate as of late. I've been busy with PTA stuff, Girl Scout stuff and of course, my online shop, Cuppa Stitches. Earlier this week, I made my very first sale through my shop. And to someone I do NOT know! I was so excited that I almost wrecked the car (I happened to be driving when I heard the cha-ching notification sound on my phone).I have never been so happy to drop something off at the post office. Since then I have been working on some new items for Cuppa Stitches. I don't ever want to focus on one particular theme or holiday in my shop because what do you do with the stuff if it doesn't sell? Storage in this house only goes so far. But I did add a few items, such as a Rudolph coffee cup sleeve...

I always have a few projects in the works, either for my shop or friends and the day-to-day life of having a family always gives me something to do. I might complain about being exhausted and never being able to cross everything off my to-do list, but at the end of the day, I really am happy with what I am able to accomplish. Even if it is a bit at a time.

Until next time...

Superwoman I Am Not

But I'll be damned if that will stop me from trying!

I have a lot of stuff that I'm in charge of. Or at least part of. When we decided that I would be a stay-at-home mom, I put my name on the imaginary line signing myself up it all. I may not have known at the time what exactly I was signing up for, but I was all in.

Along with family and house stuff, I'm involved with the kids' schools, a Girl Scout leader, a publisher to not one but TWO online newsletters (Macaroni Kid South Hills and Mon Valley), and now I'm trying hard to sell whatever I crochet. (I'm tired from just reading that!)

None of it is easy. I never expected any of it to be. Right now my current hang-up is my crochet stuff. Since I first taught myself how a few years back, I have come across so many patterns I want to make. Some of those patterns are for things that no one I know would use or like, but it is too great not to make. That's why I decided a few months ago to open up my own shop on Etsy.

For those who don't know, Etsy is an online market place where people can sign up and create their own virtual shop to sell whatever it is they make.

Some people can open a shop and BOOM! Business. I haven't figured out how they do it, but I do know that is not the case for the majority of shop owners and I am in that majority. Have I sold things? Yes! Have I officially sold anything through my shop? No. And that is incredibly frustrating. Does that mean I should close the virtual doors on my shop? No. It means I need to keep on pushing. I recently started a Facebook page for my shop, Cuppa Stitches. I am always rearranging and rewording things in my shop and trying to add new items.

Just like life, this takes work.

Just like life, this is a constant learning process.

Just like life, I have to learn to be flexible.

As my Girl Scout leader always says,

"Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape."

I have my lazy days. Admit it, so do you. But most days I am busy doing something. It isn't always rewarding, but you know what? I'm ok with that because I am doing what I love. But sometimes, when I get frustrated and, despite having a brand new Keurig, there's not enough coffee in the world to keep me going, I need to remind myself it's ok to take a break.

When one of the kids throws a fit, take a break before trying to resolve the issue.

When a fundraising idea for school doesn't pan out, take a break before thinking of ideas for next time.

When I can't think of anything to write for one of the newsletters, take a break. Inspiration strikes at the least expected moments.

When something in my shop isn't going as planned, take a break and regroup. The motivational gears will turn once again.

What do you do to keep yourself going?

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Until next time...

What a Shock

Thank goodness no one was actually shocked, but things were a little hairy for a bit. We had some electrical issues within the 4 walls we call our house. An outlet next to our bed was acting all kinds of crazy. Maybe that's why I haven't been able to sleep??

This outlet didn't like to be bothered. Try to use it or even just bump into it, sparks would fly and power to part of the house would go out. Let me tell you how fun it was to watch my shows last night in the dark. We're not a movie theater. I like my lights on please!

This morning I gave the landlord a call and he sent someone right out. Well, if you consider an hour later "right out", than it's all good. Lucky for me (him?), it gave me just enough time to throw real clothes on and look somewhat decent. We just won't discuss the state of our bedroom.

The first thing the electrical guy asks after I explain the problem is if we have a flashlight because he couldn't find the app on his iPhone. Not being a fan of iAnything, I was of no help and off he went to get some light. He returned with a spotlight and proceeded to plug it into the outlet in the bathroom. This is where I had to step in and explain that that outlet doesn't work either due to a separate issue. He turned around, walked back into the bathroom and pushed the little red reset button and BAM! He had light!

I would just like to take a moment to explain that this outlet hasn't worked since we had to get the sink repaired in the bathroom over a year ago. I have pushed that little red reset button more times than I can count!

Five minutes later he was done swapping out the outlet. I might have been panicking a bit thinking it would take all day because that's what happens when you have a full schedule.

Long story short, we have power, we can safely sleep and I don't have to watch Grey's Anatomy in the dark.

Until next time...

My One Regret

It's no secret that I love to crochet. A fact that may be a little less known about me is that I try not to have any regrets. Yes, there are things in my past that I wish I would have done differently, but that doesn't mean I regret doing those things. Many of them, if they never happened I wouldn't be where I am today, married to a great man with two of the best kids ever. But today I realized there is one thing I regret.

It is no secret that I have an Etsy shop. I love to crochet things for friends and family, but often times I come across patterns that are so adorable I just have to make them and I have no one to gift it to. One of those more recent items is a crochet cowboy hat.

A friend posted a picture of one on my Facebook timeline a while ago. I took that picture as a challenge. you think it's cute. I think it's cute. Dammit, I'm going to find a way to make it. I searched the interwebs for days. Maybe weeks. And then I finally caved and bought a pattern. After many failed attempts, I think it's safe to say I have mastered this teeny hat. Through my large collection of patterns, I have also made itty bitty cowboy boots and a matching diaper cover.

This is where my regret comes in to play.

If I learned how to crochet much earlier than I had, our kids would have had the cutest newborn pictures. Ever.

Stuff like this would have exponentially increased the chances of our kids having newborn pictures.

I plead the fifth on if they actually do have professional newborn pictures or not.

To see more in my shop, please visit: www.CuppaStitches.etsy.com

Until next time...

Firsts

So this happened...

Yes, those are the ever so famous First Day of School pictures. We take them every year, but this year was different.

In years past, the First Day picture was the two of them together right before we walked to the school. This year is different because they need to be at school at different times. Why? Because this year GG is a big ole middle school kid.

How that happened? I have no idea!

But she looks happy. And she was. She was nervous about being late for class or not being able to open her locker, but she was ready. Last night my attempt to let me walk her up our hill to meet her friends at the top were met with a brush of the hand. I guess being a middle schooler she was too old for her mom to walk her anywhere. Sheesh!

Thirty seconds before leaving, she changed her mind. In other words i walked her up our hill in my yoga pants, hair unbrushed and coffee cup in hand. I was a hot mess but if it made GG feel a little less nervous, I was willing to make the sacrifice.

Little Dude has been ready for weeks. He has said more times than we can count that he was ready to see his friends again and learn new stuff. Being a little nervous as well, he asked me to walk him into school. I haven't received any phone calls from the school so I assume all went well.

Now if only I could get used to having the house to myself for a few hours. I love it, but, good gravy, is it oddly quiet!

Until next time...