SPT-teeth

I stopped wearing my retainers 5 years ago. Around the time that I was pregnant with Tucker. It took about that long for my teeth to start shifting. My front teeth started to cross. I thought I would just live with it but they started to hurt. So I went back to the orthodontist and I am back to wearing retainers. A see through plastic retainer on the top and the tiny one on the bottom. I look silly, and sound sillier. My kids laugh. I console myself with the fact that my kids are seeing a great example of what not to do.

SPT

Another Tuesday. Another trip to the mall with Tucker. Story time and then sit on the mechanical toys that we don't put quarters in.

SPT-Learning the alphabet at the mall

Tucker and I have been working on learning letters. I have been pointing out letters to him of words he loves. Like Lego and his brothers names. Just today he was able to point out to me that all the names Tucker, Jack and Luke have a K in them.

We took our Tuesday trip to the mall for Pottery Barn story time and a visit to the Lego store. I thought I might as well share with him a letter of something I love too.

G is for .... Godiva.

F is for ... free.
M is for ... Mmmm.

SPT-hair mash up

self-portrait-tuesday

I usually wear my hair wavy or curly- but a few Sundays ago I not only wore it straight, but I parted it on the opposite side. I got many comments from people wondering what was different. They knew something was different but not sure what.

Not only did I look different but it smelled different too.

I grabbed a bottle of men's shampoo. I realized when I was sud-sing up that it did not at all smell like anything I would normally use. I thought I would finish it off with the men's conditioner, thinking that it was something kind of minty. Wrong- it smelled like mens shaving cream, or aftershave.

So, not only did my scalp feel funny from when I would turn my head and there would be more hair on the wrong side of my head, but, I kept smelling this weird smell and I would flip my head side to side to try and figure it out, only realizing it was me I was smelling. Over and over again.

I won't try and change things up for a while.

SPT- create order

self-portrait-tuesday
No challenge this week-
So I made up my own challenge.
Get my house back in order.

I need to spend some time cleaning, and putting things where they belong. De-junking and organizing. I had to laugh at myself today when I looked around my house at such a disarray and remembered I am going to go help someone organize their home tomorrow morning.
What is that saying? Do as I say not as I do?

So I am working on the house. It may take me a few days. (and maybe a trip to Sonic!)

I even got myself a new apron. At first I thought it would be for the kitchen while I was creating in there. But now I think it is going to be my create order apron. I love the little ruffle at the bottom.

SPT-(non)extreme make-over

Lelly had me laughing with this weeks challenge when she said:

"a cut and/or color can be an easy way to feel hip and trendy (am i the only one who struggles with NOT feeling hip and trendy?!?) there are a million little ways to get a mini-makeover, even when a visit to the salon is not on the calendar.

what's YOUR secret to feeling and looking fabulous?"

So my secret to feeling fabulous?

Get out in the sun.

I just feel better after being in the sun. Even today when the wind was whipping down the plains. It's one of those things that is on my mental checklist of things I need.
Plus, who doesn't look a little bit better after being sun-kissed?

SPT-give me break

Self-portrait-Tuesday

Lelly's challenge?

"come on, we all need one... that hour we use to splurge on a massage or a pedicure, that workout at the gym, those fifteen minutes when we hide in the bathroom while our families lie in wait just outside the door..."

"what do YOU do when you need a breather? please share. "


When I need a break?

Chocolate (I am stockpiling those Cadbury eggs- Yes, I have calculated the calories in each delicious egg.)

Water (preferably swimming, but a hot bath will do)

Music

Not necessarily in that order.

SPT-Weather or not

self-portrait-tuesday

Lelly's challenge?
"weather or not"

Thankfully today was great weather. Perfect for Tucker and I to go with Luke for a 1st grade field trip to the zoo.

As I walked around with a stroller full of stuff, (without a child in it most of the time!) in my sandals, I thought of how much the weather will change by next month this time. I love how it feels right now. (minus the allergies, but seriously, is there a time of year that we don't have that?!)

Right now I can't imagine snow, or rain, or dreary days, or days of muggy, sticky, humidity or 100+ temps. It feels just right.

Excuse me while I go knock on wood.

SPT-What's New?

self-portrait-tuesday

Lelly is back with a challenge ... and I have missed her weekly spt postings!

"what better way to ease back into the spt routine than to kick off with an easy "challenge?" it's been long enough that i feel like having a little homecoming party. would you like to come?!?

you don't need to bring anything and please don't stress out about what to wear. it'll just be a gathering of friends, doing what friends do... sharing stories about what is new in life.

go ahead: snap that photo!! tell us what you're doing today - a few words, a few sentences, a few paragraphs... it doesn't matter. but make sure that beautiful self-portrait is front and center!!"


What is new in my life?
Counting, and adding and dividing calories of all my recipes and tracking my physical activity and entering them into my "Lose it!" app.

This is taking some mental gymnastics to add an entire recipes ingredients when they are weird amounts. I am constantly doing story problems in my head, and sometimes saying them out loud.

As I track I am amazed at how many countless calories I could be consuming.
Some are totally not worth it.
Others totally are.
I am learning much- it reminds me a lot of getting out of debt. I can use those same ideas towards better health.

So what is new with you?
Did you do a SP?

SPT-What stinks?

self-portrait-tuesday

You want to know what stinks?

MY CAR!

On the way to church Sunday, we went through a skunk cloud- and oh! The stench!

When we got out of church 3 hours later, we opened the car doors and were greeted with the stench. Only now it seemed stronger from baking in the closed car for so long.

Here we are, two full days later and I can still smell the skunk. The thing is, now the odor is mixed with everything I have used to mask the scent. Its like 2 parts skunk 1 part apple spray.

That's what stinks.


Other things on my stink list right now:

Kids having to go to school on Monday- PRESIDENTS DAY- A HOLIDAY- on account of missing so much school from the snow. Which caused our family to miss a weekend trip to Texas. Which also caused Savanna to miss out on a birthday party. Which caused me to miss out on a trip to IKEA. I was really excited to go to IKEA. I even had a shopping list.

Having an ear infection. I am an adult. I should not be getting an ear infection. I have more sympathy for Luke and his constant ear troubles.

SPT-Frugal Luxury- revisited

self-portrait-tuesday

Two weeks ago my SPT was about frugal luxuries.

I have fully enjoyed rethinking my winter- (not just January) and think that I need to continue this thinking throughout the remainder of the year. I seriously think it helped that we have been "snowed in" for a few days, and the kids have been home for the last six days. It may also have helped that Jay was working from home, and we had a weekend with a different church schedule due to the snow. Everything just slowed down.

I have sat in this position reading a book, watching a movie, finishing up our Christmas stockings, drinking hot chocolate, browsing the internet, chatting with the kids, for hours over the last six days. I have been able to catch up on things that bring me joy. That makes me a happier person. (duh!)

So now I have to make this happen throughout the rest of the year.
How do you do it?

SPT- last week

self-portrait-tuesday

I was feeling so happy- I went to the children's place to pick up some Sunday pants for Luke- and totally scored on their $3.99 sale, plus an extra 15% off. The first time I have been able to find all three boys pants, in the sizes I needed, at the same time. I can't say it big enough- I WAS THRILLED!!

I left the mall on a high and headed to the school to get the kids. Tucker fell asleep, and I felt glad he would be able to get about an hour or so nap in the car.

I was lining up the rest of my day in my mind as I picked up the boys. The petstore, run by the house, pick up Savanna, Walmart, then Sam's. Jack got in the car and said, "is everything alright?" I cheerfully said- "Absolutely! Why?"

Jack says to me, "Well the teacher told Luke to be nice to you, because you look stressed."

Huh? It made me wonder. How could I look stressed, when I was feeling so great? Maybe my "thinking" face can be confused with a stressed face? Maybe I don't smile enough?

Or maybe this teacher knows my kids very well.

Notice the teacher did not ask Jack to be nice. Maybe she was just giving Luke a little encouragement to go easy on his momma.

SPT- Frugal Luxury

Rethinking January-
Frugal Luxuries & Guilty Pleasures

After reading these two posts about January I decided I needed to work on re-thinking my least favorite time of the year.

January needs to be a time to dream and just let my mind wander. A time to let things settle and not push to do so much. Why do we do that to ourselves anyway? Why am I always in a hurry to get to the next thing?

It is a time to sit. For goodness sakes I love to read, why don't I do it more? Neighbor Jane posted about enjoying frugal luxuries. I sat and thought about that for a bit. What is that for me?

My frugal luxury is also a guilty pleasure.

Drinking from a hot-to-go cup with a to-go-lid. Its on my list of 100 things I love.

It's frugal because it really does not cost me much.

Its guilty because I throw it away when I am done, and I feel a little bad for that. When I am just drinking it here at home I have plenty of mugs that I could use and wash instead of throwing it out.

It's a luxury because I don't buy the cups often. I picked some up for our caroling party this Christmas, and a small package for Savanna and I to take to eat our breakfast in when we go to state choir in Tulsa. So they really are not here in the house often.

Another reason why its a luxury? I don't drink hot chocolate every day. Although I would love to. Or another warm drink- (tomorrows post!)

It is a pleasure, well because it just is. I love the way the lid and my lips meet. I love the feel of the cup in my hand. It reminds me of working at the Broadmoor. A few times after a shift, I would go over to the other side of the hotel and walk through the shops and sip a hot cocoa while I strolled and dreamed and forgot about regular life. It was cold outside and up in the mountains. Ahhh- I am there.

Frugal luxury and guilty pleasure all in one.

SPT- my new pearls

Me and Luke- (with a blue mustache!)
Me wearing my Christmas necklace made by Luke.

I was making some things for Christmas and I had all of my white buttons spread out on our studio table. There are all kinds of buttons in all shades of white. Pearly, creamy, off white, bright white, teddy bears etc. Most of them came from both of my Grandmothers and some of my Mom's. I came in later to clean up and thought to myself- "wow- I sure did use up a lot of buttons today." It was also pretty late so I did not put much thought into it. I just scooped up what was left and put them back in my button jar.

Christmas morning there was an extra package under the tree for me. From Luke.
I was so surprised to pull out a beautiful "pearl" necklace.

So that was where all the buttons had gone.

I think that this may be one of my favorite presents I have ever received. I love it. And not just in the way a parent is supposed to love a present their child made. I really do love it. I love the length. I love that it's on an elastic cord. I love the order the buttons were strung on. I love that it is so "multi-generational." Both of my Grandmothers buttons, some of my mom's made by my son. I don't think I could have designed or asked him to make me something that I would have liked better.

I think the other thing that I loved, was that it was totally unexpected. I usually don't like surprises. The anticipation leading up to opening something does me in. I don't love looking at an unopened gift. It doesn't thrill me to wonder and dream about what might be inside. But when something is totally a surprise and unexpected- that is a thrill.
Luke had already put a present under the tree. Something he had made at school. So this extra present really did surprise me.
I think I can learn to like surprises.

SPT-

Ready for the last SPT for 2009?!
Here you go ...







You don't see it?
My camera batteries were dead.
Grrrrrrrrrr.

SPT-

self-portrait-tuesday

Me.

After a full day of shopping with all four. Seven stores. Six hours.


Visiting Barnes and Noble for a few hours.


Ahh- I love that the kids don't have school in the morning.

SPT-

I went through the car wash today and vacuumed out the floor and mats. I had missed my November clean out and it was a pit. I wanted to have it cleaned out for Jay to use tonight.
It felt nice to just sit for 3 minutes and let the car wash drive me along. It was kind of like a ride. I think I could have closed my eyes and fallen asleep.

SPT- December 1st, 8th

December SPT-
December 1st- with Jack (and the rest of the crew) at the mall for our Red envelope activity- free lego build at the mall.


December 8th-
I would love to know what Dr. Cal Lightman (from lie to me) has to say about this one ...

SPT- FREE

SPT- my day in three