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Procrastination

I have roughly 649 things that I could/should be doing right now. I really wish that were an exaggeration! We got home from our 3 week vacation early Monday morning and the last few days have been spent trying to bring some semblance of order back into our home. It's always nice to go away, but it feels like it takes so long to get back into a normal routine.

I have plans to post more about our trip later...more precisely, when my brain starts to function again and I get my pictures off the camera. Your guess is as good as mine for when that might occur.

In the mean time....here are some things I am loving right now!


1.) Do you know about Tog + Porter? I am kind of obsessed with this idea right now. Basically, you sign up and set a clothing/accessories budget (from $200-$1500). They pair you with a personal stylist, whom you meet over skype to discuss what you are looking for in terms of your styling session. They send you a box full of awesome things to wear and you try it ALL on and you meet with your stylist again (via skype) to show her what did and did not work for you. You keep what you want and return what you don't (for free).

I love this idea because I have become anti clothes shopping lately. It's so frustrating finding things that fit, that are comfortable, and are conducive to spending the majority of my time with a toddler. As I have mentioned before (and for those of you who see me on a regular basis)...I tend to live in yoga pants. (Confession: today I made myself take a shower, do my hair and makeup, and get dressed because I couldn't remember the last time I put on makeup or actually dried my hair). Yep, I'd say its about time for some professional help!


2.) This makes me laugh...mainly because I'm not from the south. There are a lot of things that I have become privy to since living in Memphis that I don't think I will ever fully understand.

3.) I came across this recipe on pinterest right after Thanksgiving and have found a new favorite! Also, lets stop for one second so that we can talk about the fact that my computer's autocorrect just recognized pinterest as an actual word. Okay, back to the point at hand...It's chicken pot pie soup, so that alone should be enough reason to try it! The first time I made this soup I substituted turkey for chicken, because I had a ton left over that I needed to use. It was still delicious! I have since made it with chicken and yum. Just yum. It's super quick and easy and it freezes really well! Try it. You wont be disappointed!

Okay, carry on.

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In #1

Wife of a Sailor produces this monthly meme on the first Friday of every month for Military Spouses...head on over there to check it out and join in!

1. What’s one thing in the past month you would have changed?

I say this every year, but I wish I would have been more prepared for Christmas (it's not like it isn't the same day every year!). It never fails that I always have those couple of last minute gifts that leave me running around like a crazy person and stressing out at the last minute. It definitely takes away from the joy of the season!

2. What was your favorite thing that happened in December? 

December was full of great things! Fun playdates, family time, travels, and of course my new camera :-) .. oh, and a certain little boy took his first couple of steps! 

3. What are you looking forward to in January?

As much as I love vacation, I am looking forward to getting home and settled in January. Catching up on all of the things that need done at home, getting my butt back in gear with work (and a new spring line!), and beginning a home purge to prepare for moving in the spring! 

4. What did you do for New Year’s Eve?

We had a nice, quiet dinner with my parents, brother, and some family friends. It was low key...and I was in bed around 12:03.

5. What are your hopes and wishes for 2013?

2012 was a year of challenges and adjustments for our family, so my hopes for 2013 include enjoying time with each other and those that we love and a hope that I can stop stressing out about things that arent important and just enjoy life!

Christmas Recap

As per usual, I am a bit behind on discussing Christmas. Living so far away from our family, we tend to  take a 2-3 week vacation around the holidays. We load the entire brood into the car and venture north...usually in the middle of the night.

Regardless of the long drive and crazy schedules, we have been having a fabulous time visiting with everyone and celebrating being together.

This Christmas brought two very fun things -- Ed got me this beauty:

Canon t3i

We also celebrated the first Christmas with Preston aware of what was going on. Well, about as aware as any 1 year old can be! As a result...here is how we spent our Christmas morning!

Christmas stockings and tree at Ed and Lorries!

First thing Christmas morning. He's not quite into it yet!  

I love how concerned he looks...he's not really into opening presents at this point!

That's a little better...books are always fun! 

Then we decided to climb on the unopened presents

This is probably one of my favorite pictures from Christmas. I was playing with the camera settings and just love how this turned out! My sweet baby boy. 

I am still playing with my camera and discovering all of the fun things it can do! We have had so much fun enjoying time as a family, and with our families. Preston got into opening presents, but I cannot wait until he is old enough to understand the reason for the season and participate more in fun Christmas traditions that we plan to implement (how excited am I to leave cookies for Santa next year?!?)

 Here's hoping you and yours had a wonderful holiday season!

2012 in Pictures

Reflecting on 2012

Tsh, over at Simple Mom came out with this great list of 20 questions to help you reflect on the past year and I think it is a great way to remember all that we have been through...

20 Questions for a New Year’s Reflection

1. What was the single best thing that happened this past year?
I dont know that I can really pinpoint a "single best thing" that happened to me. I had a lot of great things happen. If I had to sum up my year though, I'd say one of the greatest things that happened to me is that I became more comfortable and confident in who I am as a person and as a mother. I've also learned that life is brutiful (brutal + beautiful) and the only way to live life is to live it authentically.

2. What was the single most challenging thing that happened?
I am all about keeping it real, so I will openly admit that the most challenging thing that I have gone through this year has been adjusting to my role as mother and wife. I feel like I am good at each of those things individually, but struggle to be good at both simultaneously. When it's just Ed and I we are good. When I focus primarily on being a mom, though, I tend to be less than a stellar wife. 

3. What was an unexpected joy this past year?
I don't know if this is technically classified as a joy, but I would say becoming more settled in Memphis was a "joy". Once I had P and became a little more...settled...I tried to embrace the city in which we live and its people. Let's not get carried away here...Memphis is not my ideal place. I definitely don't love it and I am hesitant to say I even like it there...but Memphis and I have made become comfortable with one another. It's a bittersweet relationship. I loathe Memphis....but some of its people have become near and dear to my heart. 

4. What was an unexpected obstacle?
As you will see littered throughout this list one of my largest obstacles this year has been time management and my ability to prioritize. I have grand ideas....not so proficient on the execution at this point. 

5. Pick three words to describe 2012.
Fun - Ed and I were able to take a weekend trips, P and I took a couple of trips to Connecticut, and we actually made friends!
Stressful - Having a baby is hard work folks. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. It's even harder when you are 1,000 miles away from most of the people you love and your husband is gone 12 hours a day.
New - New life (my little P was only 4 weeks old when 2012 started). New friends. New business. New perspective.  

6. Pick three words your spouse would use to describe your 2012—don’t ask them; guess based on how you think your spouse sees you. (If you’re not married, have fun guessing the answers from other friends and family, or just skip this question.)
Oy -- he has bared the brunt of my angst this year...I would dare say he would describe my 2012 as: hormonal, trying, and stressful

I cheated and asked him what 3 words he would choose (after I picked the 3 I thought)....just to see what he would say he chose: stressful, normalcy, and fun. He's pretty spot on. 

7. Pick three words your spouse would use to describe their 2012—again, without asking.
I think he would say his year was fun, educational, and trying [he did have a batshit crazy wife and an infant, after all ;-)]

He chose fun, fulfilling, and exciting. 

8. What were the best books you read this year?
While I didn't have time to read as many books as I would have liked, the ones that I did read were, overall, pretty outstanding. My 3 favorites were Gone Girl, The Passage, and The Language of Flowers. All vastly different. All amazing. 

9. With whom were your most valuable relationships?
I think that Ed and P go without saying. They are the reason I get out of bed in the morning and they make my life so much more fulfilling. While I love them, and all of my friends, I'd say some of my most valuable relationships this year were either my oldest friends or my newest friends. KKM is forever my rock and giver of perspective. I didnt even see her in 2012 but she was there consistently via text, phone, and FaceTime. I needed her more this year than (maybe) ever. The newest friends I made in Memphis were also invaluable....getting out of the house, having other moms to talk to, and having friends for P has really changed things. 

10. What was your biggest personal change from January to December of this past year?
This is tough to answer because change often happens so gradually. I can't really look back on the year and see that I am vastly different in any way. If anything has changed I would say that I have tried to come out of my shell a bit through new friendships and growing my business. I have also had to work on patience a great deal, but lets face it...thats a constant struggle. 

11. In what way(s) did you grow emotionally?
This year it has become increasingly important for me to be able to speak my mind and voice my feelings. It was only Ed and my second year of marriage and our first year of parents, so we had some rocky spots....it really required us to speak openly and honestly. 

12. In what way(s) did you grow spiritually?
I wish I could say that I became more involved in a church community, but that is not the case. Spiritually, though, I have become more comfortable in the thought that God will not give me anything that I can't handle. I have also realized that I need to trust in His plan for me us and let go of the things that I cannot control. 

13. In what way(s) did you grow physically?
Physically I have gotten (almost) down to my pre-baby weight. Okay, that's probably a lie. I still have about 15 lbs until I am there, but after gaining 65 lbs I'd say that's pretty good. I got some of my muscle tone back and hope to get back to where I want to be in 2013. 

14. In what way(s) did you grow in your relationships with others?
Because I was a new mom at the beginning of 2012, I feel like I made for of a consistent effort to be a better friend. I phoned or texted my friends more consistently, made sure that I was present and attentive to what was going on with them, and overall just put more effort into cultivating new relationships and maintaining those that are important to me. Granted, I wasnt always successful and I am, by no means, a perfect friend...but I didn't want to lose that part of myself because I became so wrapped up in my own stuff. 

15. What was the most enjoyable part of your work (both professionally and at home)?
In the spring of 2012 I became an independent stylist for Stella & Dot, which I love. It gives me the flexibility to work when I want to/have time to, as well as cut back when I have other things that are more pressing. It's been awesome being a stay at home mom, raising my boy, but also having something else that I can focus on. 

16. What was the most challenging part of your work (both professionally and at home)?
 The challenging part with my work is that its been difficult for me to juggle my time (and priorities) and work from home with a little one. I tend to want to play with P and relax during his nap times rather than make the necessary phone calls to make my business thrive. 

17. What was your single biggest time waster in your life this past year?
Unfortunately, I can think of many time wasters. Like many people, I spend way too much time playing around online (facebook, pinterest, etc), watching ridiculously bad tv, and stressing out about things that are really not all that important. I am already making a conscious effort to figure out how to manage my time better in the coming year!

18. What was the best way you used your time this past year?
My time was, most definitely, best spent being a mom. I have loved watching my little boy grow physically and mentally. It's been challenging at times, but it has been so rewarding. As he gets older I cannot wait to be able to take him more places and do more things with him! 

19. What was biggest thing you learned this past year?
To trust myself. As a woman, a mother, a friend, and a business owner. Only I really know what I need/want and I need to trust myself to make the best decision. 

20. Create a phrase or statement that describes 2012 for you.
The days are long...and the years are short.