Move over June Cleaver

I am a very determined person. Sometimes too determined. I've lived in the mindset where I have to be like June Cleaver or I'm a total failure at life. I wanted to be the woman that always has a clean house, dinner on the table for her husband, always looks like she could be on the cover of a magazine and still has time to play with the kids. Reality hit me hard in the face this morning when I woke up two hours later than I planned, missed praise and worship practice, barely made it to church. My hair was half dried and my baby wasn't fed. I had to feed her during worship just to make sure we made it on time. 10 o'clock right on the dot. That's when we arrived. Which is late for me. I am not a 'get-there-right-on-time' kind of person. I like being prepared. I felt an extreme amount of guilt from the pressure I so often put on myself to be perfect. I know, I know.....there's no such thing as "perfect", but whatever is the closest thing to being perfect....that's what I want to be. Then I realize that I am this girl's mother. It's no easy task doing what I do. Even if my hair is frizzy, my house is a mess and there's chaos all over....I'm still the one person this girl wants at the end of the day. I'm still needed. I'm still important to her. She doesn't notice if I'm not perfect, because to her, I'm all she needs. When I look at my baby girl it makes me realize that there's room for flaws. I don't want her growing up thinking that it's not ok to mess up. I'd love to have all my ducks in a row all of the time, but there are just some days when crap happens and you have to roll with the punches. That's another part of being a mom. I'm learning as I go that the 'perfect' mom is just a mom that loves her kids and puts their needs before her own. At the end of the day, that's the important thing.

Radio Mom

 

I love my job! I'm blessed to have a part time job at our local radio station, where I've worked for 6 years as of this August. I've learned a lot of things since working at the station (editing, recording, even having my own morning show). I feel so lucky to have a job that I am in total love with. I have always wanted to be a radio DJ ever since I can remember. I used to tape my own radio show as a kid using a tape recording option on my kareoke machine. And now here I am living both dream jobs - radio DJ and mom. It's a juggling act being at work at 5:30am, but that's how much I love my job. :)

 

 

 

 

 

The 3 Wonders of the Multi-tasker

Multitasking is no easy task, but as a mom you gotta do what you gotta do and you gotta do a lot of things, so it's best if you learn to do several all at once. I have 3 items that I call "The 3 wonders of the Multi-tasker" because they make it seem like I'm more awesome at getting things done than I really am. :)

Number 1 - The Crock Pot. You can spend all day folding laundry, changing diapers, running errands and STILL have dinner on the table when the husband gets home. He will be left thinking you are wonder woman and little does he know, dinner cooked itself!

 

 

Number 2 - The Sling/Baby Carrier. This is a life saver! If your kid likes being held as much as mine does, then you know how awesome this invention is! I clean, grocery shop and even lead worship at church with the help of the sling. It's amazing! Every multitasking mommy needs one!

 

 

Number 3 - For you breastfeeding mommies, the Easy Expression Bustier aka the breast pump bra. I LOVE this!! How does a mom who is always on the go have time to blog?? While breast pumping of course! Forget holding the pump to your boobs, no one has time for that! People keep telling me they're sorry I have to pump, because pumping is "exhausting". I have to laugh, because with the breast pump bra, pumping gives me my "me time". I know it's 20 minutes where I can surf the net, scrapbook or even drive if I'm on the go.

 

 

So there ya go. My 3 favorite inventions since becoming a mom. :)

Welcome to my life...

On March 6th (2013) my already busy life became even more complicated in the best way possible. I became a mommy to the most beautiful girl in the world. (So, I'm a little bias) ;) Although I love my girl, let's be honest with ourselves...being a mom is a tough job! No one ever said it'd be easy and now I clearly see why. There are days, as I'm sure other mommies can relate to, where I find myself going in ten different directions...none of which is the right direction. It takes 2 hours just to get out the door. There's feedings, diaper changes (sometimes multiple diaper changes in just a matter of minutes), 20 minutes of breast pumping, getting your stuff together, getting your kids' stuff together, eating a bite before you head out, putting on a dab of make up so you at least look a little alive and of course there's the hair...do you throw it up or take the time to bother with the flat iron?...whew! It's exhausting! Not to mention the days where you aren't going anywhere. I swear some days it takes me until noon just to get dressed, because I'm too busy getting other things done. There's the hubby's lunch to pack, laundry to do, a cat to feed and oh yeah, there's the baby on top of all of that. Moms deserve a paycheck that even Bill Gates couldn't afford. Do we get one? Sort of. We get our payment in the smiles on our babies faces, the "dinner tasted great" from our husbands and the satisfaction of knowing we survived another day. It's a chaotic ball of crazy, but there's no other place I'd rather be. And on top of taking care of the baby, my husband and the cat...I also have my own passions and hobbies. I love to craft, which you'll soon find out is a big part of my life. I love to sing and write music when I'm not wiping some one's butt and I love to do all these things while wearing some pretty ridiculous heels. I'm not a plain-Jane kind of woman what so ever! Show me the bright colors, bold animal prints and crazy patterns. Can't promise I'll make it work, but I'll sure have fun trying. :) I'm sure there are people out there who think I'm a little bit crazy and yep, their right! But it takes some one a little bit off their rocker to take on this life. :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baja Chicken Bowls

Ingredients -

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/2 cup red bell pepper

1/4 cup frozen corn

1/4 cup black beans

2 ounces of diced cooked chicken

Ground cumin, chili powder and garlic powder to taste

(desired toppings)

 

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Saute pepper, corn, and black beans. Cook chicken and season with salt, pepper, ground cumin, chili powder and garlic powder to taste. Add the chicken to your veggie skillet. Spoon chicken mixture over 1/2 cup cooked brown rice and top with salsa and shredded Monterey Jack. (if desired)

 

 

 

 

Decorative Drawers

Today I'm going to show you a super easy way to take hideous see-through drawers and make them super cute and pleasing to the eye. All you have to do is take scrapbooking paper with your ideal color pallet or design...cut it to fit the front side (or any sides that will be visible to the eye) and tape it in. It's SO easy and doesn't take too long to finish. Here's how mine turned out...

 

 

 

 My drawers are little wild, because my craft room is done in animal print, but you can make them as plain or as patterned as you want!

DIY Hospital Gown

Even when giving birth I wanted to feel cute, so with the help of my mom, we made a fashionable hospital gown. (and I had to do my nails to match!) A generic hospital gown? Puh-lease! This momma's gonna work it!

 

Want to make your own designer hospital gown? Find the pattern here (I didn't stick completely with the pattern. We added a flower and waist band.)

 

 

(Nails to match!)