Archive for category life

Make Time For Love

coupleAs mothers we love our children unconditionally. Now I am not saying we all have not had that moment when a roll a duct tape looks good when they are misbehaving, but we will do anything for them. We will rearrange our schedules for theirs. We will be awake all night for bad dreams and illness. We will rush out to by cupcakes the morning of the school party. We will read the same book ten times that week. We will buy yogurt with cute characters on them because for some reason they just taste better to our little ones. We will cave in and buy that fish, hamster, cat or dog because they need a pet, and NOT because we needed another thing to take care of. We will sew the holes in their lovies and blankets because it would be catastrophic not too.

There is someone in our life we tend to forget (other than ourselves which I wrote on a previous blog). Our significant other. They tend to get a viewing pass into our lives but rarely do they come up on stage. We will make excuses to get out of intimacy (usually exhaustion). We will them all the errands they need to do, and hand them a honey to do list. When they want to do something for themselves like buy a motorcycle, go fishing, etc…we sigh, we roll our eyes, we may even tell them no. A priest told me a very important thing once. You are a mate not a mat for your significant other. It is the same the other way around. So stop wiping your feet on them, and maybe they will follow suit. Because as mothers, women, and spouses we have more than enough love to share, we just need to give some to them….

  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: , , , ,

Making the Effort ~ Mommy Style

Stay at HOme MOmI find it interesting that as mothers we might need to do things for ourselves and we don’t. For instance, I have a friend who was told she needed these vitamins for health over a month ago by her doctor. Still no vitamins. Now before you jump to the conclusion she is too busy, this mother is a SAHM with two kids in school and goes shopping daily. If her children need anything, special foods, medicine, a book for school she will run out immediately and ensure that they have what they need or want. I have lots of friends and family that seem to do the exact same thing, including at times, myself.

I wish mothers would do things for themselves more. It makes us better mothers, better wives, better friends, and better humans. So make a honey to do list for yourselves mothers..and do them…you will be glad you did.

  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: , ,

The Optimistic Worrier

Kids-Worrying-287x300Why is it as humans we always wait for something bad to happen? I am an optimistic worrier, meaning I am always optimistic something great will happen but always worrying something bad will eventually happen. (Gee aren’t you glad I cleared that one up?) I went to my OBGYN appt for my pregnancy exam. I am healthy. No really, HEALTHY. My blood pressure has dropped (1st trimester it shot up to 145/95 to entering my 3rd trimester it is 121/72).  My glucose screening was perfect not high, not borderline, just perfect. My thyroid which I have issues with, is..you guessed it, perfect. I have gained only 17 lbs in my 26 weeks of pregnancy. (My first pregnancy I looked like Jabba The Hut who had gotten beaten with an ugly stick…Jabba-the-Hut-1-749957 It was bad I assure you.) This baby I am carrying all in the front and have that rounded beautiful no one is afraid to ever assume you are pregnant belly. My low placenta has migrated up. My baby boy is healthy. Weighing a little over 2 lbs and looks rather handsome in his ultrasound pics.

As I lay there with the goop on my belly, my doctor is doing the ultrasound and my husband is gazing at the screen, I hear myself asking, so what is wrong…the answer is simple…Nothing. My doctor said basically I don’t even need him right now. So I am optimistic this will all continue, but the worrier in me says month 8 may bring new issues. Until then….I smile..and thank God that today IS a good day.

  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: , ,

When Life Hands You Lemons

rotator-lemons_476x357We all know the old saying, “When Life hands you Lemons, make Lemonade!”  Well I say don’t stop there, make Lemon Bars, cookies even, make that sourness even sweeter. Easier said than done most of the time. Why is it that we are going through life and BANG! not only do you get a lemon but you were given the whole darn tree?

You can look at any situation and after you are done sucking on that sourness, you eventually try to either learn from it, alter your plans which may end up for the best in the long run, or just end up with that funny looking “I just sucked on a sour lemon” face.

I do try to do the learning from it or the altering (which really does end up a lot of time better). Sometime though I am stuck with that face for awhile, but you know what I learned? Being upset, complaining about it to no end, does not change it. You are the only one who can. So take those lemons, add some sugar and move on…don’t worry more lemons are heading your way, but so are some blessings. Just take it one day at a time.

  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: , , , ,

Social Media is it an Addiction, Illness, or a Must Have?

social-media-ballSocial Media, five years ago I didn’t have any clue what that was. If I had to guess back then the definition of Social Media, it was something to do with Media (TV, Movies, Music, etc.) and it was a social group. Close right? Kind of. Little did I know Social Media would become a cornerstone in my everyday life as well as most of friends and family.

I touched back on a previous blog, “My Social Media Friends – Why I Need Them” the importance of some friends that I have on these sites and the different reasons why. But today want to write about, “Is Social Media an Addiction, Illness, or a Must Have?” For me it’s all three.

My husband introduced me to MySpace maybe 3 years ago. I thought this is great. Being a new Stay At Home Mom I was not used to not being surrounded by my peers. I had a job that demanded a lot of me that involved many people. All of sudden there I was sitting there looking at a infant not use to hearing only my own voice. Myspace became a Savior at first. I connected with a few friends and some local people. I loved making my profile unique and my own. I thought I would never tire of my new “Addition”, MySpace.  But alas, like any human with a shiny new toy, I got bored.

Then my husband introduced me to Facebook. I hated it. It was the “Anti” Myspace in the fact it was not personalized like Myspace with the Layouts and the music and the images allowed. Not to mention “The Wall” of Facebook was annoying to me.  But sometimes we are against change, but change is actually what we wanted whether we knew it or not. Facebook became my new “Addiction”. MySpace slowed down to almost nonexistent activity and Facebook is active almost every minute of the day. I am friends with almost everyone I went to high school with, old co-workers, old friends, and family. There is not a day I do not check it. Some of my friends would not embrace Facebook, but like an “Illness”, it spread. Now even those who were against any form of Social Media are fighting the “Illness”, the “Addiction”. They are hooked and getting others hooked everyday.

Finally a” Must Have” is where is ends for me. Between Twitter, where I chat my random thoughts with mostly strangers and Facebook where I get my everyday fixes and friendships from many, I am fulfilled. (Myspace..still have it but nothing happens on it..ever..) I think whether you are a stay at home parent, or someone who works in an office 50 hours a week, Social Media is a “Must Have”. It keeps us human, in touch with so many that we would have not had connections with before the internet. It keeps us abreast of our fellow man. It makes us thinks of others, if only for five minutes in our busy lives. It gives us sounding boards and loads of advice. It tells the place to be on Friday night and a place to try the next time you are on vacation. It gives us our connection to Life. So what are you waiting for, join one, we’re all waiting…..You know where I’ll be…

  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

You Forget When You’re Pregnant

pregnantI am pregnant for those who may not know. I am almost done a full 5 months. I feel as big as a house. This my second baby. I have a beautiful daughter that was blessed upon me three and half years ago. There is a weird thing that happens when you are pregnant after not being pregnant for awhile at least for me, you forget.

You forget how uncomfortable you can get. You forget how hungry you are. You forget that there is possible acne,  mood swings, nausea, and dizziness. You forget cravings (mine is Raspberry Ice Tea – and no fast food place carries it, so I get it at restaurants, sigh.). You forget the horror stories people feel they must tell you when they find out your pregnant (either about pregnancy or childbirth of someone they know or themselves). This is a tremendous pet peeve of mine. You forget how tired you get. You forget how worried you are about anything and everything. You forget how neurotic you sometimes become especially with the internet at your finger tips. You forget how many times you go to the bathroom. You forget that you will not sleep through a night in a very long time. You forget that smells, people, or noises may seriously bother you. You forget you will not see your feet easily. You forget you lose you innie belly button (time to clean that lint). You forget your nipples and skin can get that dark!

You also forget that wonderful moment you first see your baby on the ultrasound or hear the heartbeat for the first time. You forget how that flutter feels in your belly as your baby starts to move. You forget the kicks and the jabs and although it may at times be painful, it is a reminder your baby is well and growing. You forget the excitement of getting things ready for the new baby. You forget the happiness you feel when you have picked your baby’s name. You forget how sometimes people treat pregnant women wonderfully, and hopefully it will be your honey that is in that club of people. You forget that one day soon, there will be a little baby handed to you that you help make and that baby will love you and depend on you for many years to come. You forget that it all goes by so fast…..

  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Bahama Bay Resort Review – Don’t Stay There!

Vacation, it conjures up excitement in your mind doesn’t it? Especially if getting away for a vacation is a hard feat for your family these days between lack of time or money. Time was not a friend for us. My husband’s job is very demanding. A good job, just busy. We have a three year old and I am in my fifth month of pregnancy. I thought to myself if I do not book a vacation now, we would wait a long time for another opportunity.

I went to my local AAA to book a vacation to Orlando, FL. I had never been to Orlando but I thought what a perfect place for a family. I chose the hotel/resort, Bahama Bay Resort & Spa through the internet and presented it to AAA. My specific agent had never done business with this hotel. They booked it through a travel agency called, Travel Impressions. Bahama Bay Resort looked amazing on the Internet. I chose a room (The Andros) that had two side by side bedrooms with what appeared to have walk in closet in the Master (one room was a King Bed for my husband and I and one was a basic room for my daughter). It had two balconies (from the blue prints presented on the website the larger balcony was off of the living room. The smaller balcony off the master bedroom) There was a large master bath, with a huge soaking tub (good for my achy body) and a shower. There was another bathroom with a shower/bath combo. There was a decent sized kitchen, an open floor plan of a dining room and living room. Then to end it all there a small laundry room by the foyer. There were several pools (found out only 2 of 5 are heated) on the grounds, and a mini beach, Jacuzzi, a pond, a Spa, a couple of restaurants, a small Arcade, a playground, and a small childrens’ pool (ended up being not heated). It looked perfect. Everyone I showed it to loved it, and some considered as a future destination stay for their families.

My AAA agent called Travel Impressions to ensure we were indeed getting that room. I told her I did not want the not as nice room, I believed it was the San Salvador room. Both agencies said no, we were definitly getting all that we requested including and specifically the Andros. Ha boy were both of them wrong. We arrived on a Monday. In retrospect, it is my belief that they did not have a ton of people there on this day and were consolidating people to certain buildings. They must have around 20 buildings with a very Southern Plantation Type appearance.  We checked in. Me pregnant, with my 3 yr old behind me and my hubby. The lady at check in was very nice. We chatted about all the amenities at the resort and I explained to her how my family and I were looking forward to using them. She then said we had been “Upgraded” to a beautiful 3 bedroom. I told her we didn’t need 3 bedrooms and I liked the room we had booked. She said I guarantee you will love this one as much. So I thanked her thinking wow what a nice place. Can’t believe I am so naive. She said I needed to pay an additional $73 Cleaning Fee, everyone pays it at check in for the cleaning of the room prior to our arrival. I paid and we were off to follow the map to our building.

We were placed in one of the furthest buildings from the amenities. Guess what else, we were placed on the 3rd floor! That is 6 flights of stairs. Me pregnant and a year after spinal surgery and with a degenerative back with a 3 yr old. I was beyond exasperated. But my husband said c’mon it’s an upgrade I’ll carry everything up. After we got in we were disappointed.  (Pictures below- I could only upload a couple) The furniture appearance was chipping and scratched horribly and the laminate was coming off the kitchen cabinets. There were stains everywhere from the lamps to the carpet. Some of the lights did not work. Two of the ceiling fans sounded like they might fly off at any second. The Master Bedroom had a small queen bed. (We personally sleep in a king at home for a reason). Master bath, ha! Try little basic bathroom with a tiny tub (no bath for me). The balconies were super small. They were the same size and only had two chairs and a table. (We saw what we were supposed to have as we walked the grounds, huge balconies with four chairs & table with room to move). The toaster worked only on one side (and the other side eventually broke during our stay). The carpet still had some dead bugs and dirt against the sideboards and was SOAKED in spots from them shampooing. I know picky huh, but in my defense, The Bahama Bay Resort & Spa markets itself as “Luxurious Villas”. I have seen some better shaped furniture at the Holiday Inn. Besides this is not what we paid for or was promised.

We had already hiked everything up, but I decided to call an voice my disdain. The lady on the other line could not have cared less. She said look you are in an upgrade (like I should be grateful was her tone). I explained to her the beds, how my 3 yr old would be sleeping on the other side of the villa from myself.  How we could not all fit on the balconies and explained what we were promised. She said you are never promised anything here. You get what you get, from the view to beds. I said I want the room I was to originally get. She exclaimed in an annoyed tone, Look if you want to be “downgraded” be my guest. But we will charge you additional $73 cleaning fee. I told her that was not fair, she told me that is the way it is. So we did not want to pay it again out of principal, but we should have because we hated that villa. It was a horrible start to the vacation. The steps were terrible with a 3yr old 6 times a day.

Later on I called and asked for fans (for white noise) for the villa, they said they would call me back. Two hours later I called again to find out the status, they said they would call me back. They never did. This is what you can expect there. If you are hoping for luxurious accommodations I am sure they have them, but I would demand to see my room before ever paying any fees. Also I wrote out a survey letter of this account even telling them everything that happened and that I had pictures to back up my claims, 9 days later no one has ever contacted us. If you are planning a trip to Orlando, remember you have been warned of the Bahama Bay Resort and Spa.

DSCN3609

One of the many stained areas on the carpet

The pics to back up my Bahama Bay Resort Review:

DSCN3601

The Laminate on the Kitchen Cabinet

DSCN3605

The Living Room Furniture

DSCN3606

More Living Room Furniture

DSCN3604

Living Room Table

DSCN3617

The Stained Non-Working Lamp

  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

4 Roses

14738_1283211033076_1014099763_30928540_204818_nThe picture of roses you see are mine. One day my husband came home with three roses for me for no reason. Not something he does often without a reason. I know you are asking yourself, “Uh can she count? There are four roses in the picture.” Let me assure you that I indeed can count, well at least to five. LOL! Like I was saying, he brought me home the three roses. He said that each one was for each of us (my husband, my daughter, and myself). I thought it was a truly cute and romantic gesture.

The next morning, I realized I had not started my period. I was 14 days late. Yikes! We had tried for 3 years to have a baby to add to our family but to no avail. I had joined Weight Watchers and was being successful in my weight loss endeavor and had lost 30 lbs in under 3 months. I had finally come to terms that my daughter Bailey was going to be an only child, like myself. I was sicker than dog with Strep and at the time my husband had my car. I had no way of getting a pregnancy test. The pacing, the thoughts, the counting repeatedly of the calender.  Could I be? What if I am?

I went outside and saw my wonderful neighbor and I told her of my suspicions. She ran right out and bought a pregnancy test and hung it from my door knob (I was contagious from Strep). She got the good kind. You know the ones. They cost about $12 each. I am a dollar store pregnancy test girl myself.  I was told once they are just as good as long as you are far enough to have the pregnancy hormone detectable. I took it and immediately, two Pink Lines appeared. I was, in fact, pregnant. Wow God has a sense of humor. You lost 30 lbs (I needed to lose 30-60 more for back issues) and here’s a baby.

I told my husband that I needed to talk to him when he got home. He said,” Ha are you pregnant?” I replied, “Yes…” He was happy and a little overwhelmed in his thought process I am sure. He came home that night with a fourth rose and said now it was a complete bouquet, as was our family. So it does, four does make our family. three would have too, but four just seems more complete.

  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Customer Service Prepared Me for Parenthood

parenting-category1I am an only child (I do have three step siblings that were briefly in my young life but other than that I was alone). I did not grow up with a huge knit family. My father was not close with many people and raised me off and on till I was 12. My mother, well she was only there till I was 5, for reasons beyond her. But I did have two amazing grandparents who did a darn good job raising me for a lot my days. They raised me with an old fashioned charm. Sometimes though I think they had a lot of guilt for me and my life and were very accommodating to my whims.  So to say the least I was not really sure how to be a parent, and was glad God waited until I was 30 for me to have my first baby.

At 27 I got a job at a Medical Corporation, a very large International one.  I worked in their Customer Service Department. I truly believe I learned some valuable skills and lessons in Customer Service that echos in parenting.

* If you plan your day it will inevitably change. you learn to go with the flow and be prepared for most things. (maybe not several rolls of toilet paper unraveled in the house, or a bottle of ketchup that has been emptied on the kitchen floor, but you will not kill anyone, so that’s a good step…)

* Crap will hit the fan eventually. I learned to keep a cool head, look at a situation from all sides before making a decision on which course of action is best suitable for a problem. Occasionally with parenting it is just actually Crap you are dealing with though..eeww…

* You will talk to people who will occasionally annoy you or get under your skin. After being asked if I am stupid or if my company was ran by Satan by a swearing insane person, hearing Mommy, Mommy, Mom, Mom, Ma….over and over, just does not have the same effect.

*  Breaks and Lunches are not always given. The same in parenting unless you are counting pee time with a interested toddler staring at you or grilled cheese crusts you are eating as breaks and lunches.

* People you work with tend have a lot of personal issues with each other, so you learn to stay out of it, or get in the middle. Same with your children.

* Customer Service is at times a thankless jobs and definitly underpaid. Parenthood- need I say anymore? It has been said that a full time stay at home parent would literally make over 100K a year if they were paid for all the hours and services rendered, hmm..waiting on that check, must be in the mail. And when I clean the kitchen for the 3rd time in a day, you rarely hear, “Gee honey, what a great job.”

* You become an accommodating person in customer service, always pleasing clients, the boss, your coworkers, and the company. I do not know more accommodated people than my husband and daughter, they might not believe you, but trust me….I know…

* You learn to juggle many things in customer service, calls, issues, projects, deadlines, etc. Parenting – cooking, cleaning, errand running, boo boo kissing, dr appts, etc. Not the same but just as busy for sure!

* Finally, you will learn you just can’t be super person all the time. Occasionally you will have a bad day, a bad moment, or just a bad mood. It happens, and you move on. In parenting I have a lot of those times. But the hugs and kisses I get everyday from my child and husband, make parenting a better job than customer service any day. (Maybe we just all  need some hugs and kisses at work! LOL)

  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: , , , , , ,

My Social Media Friends – Why I Need Them

social-mediaI try to remember times before my love of the internet. I was in my early 20’s. Friends were never a problem. Whether getting friends, keeping friends, hanging with friends, chatting with friends, or being friends, it was easy. It was before my adult life took over.

You get married, have children, and get older. You keep some friends and you tend to lose a lot more it seems. Sometimes it’s due to no longer having anything in common, and as for others, it’s merely a time issue.

Now that I am well into my thirties, I find it hard to have a lot of “tangible” real world friends. I salute the people I know, that get to go and party like it’s 1999 with their friends on a regular basis. I for some reason no longer do. I know even my husband has this issue. Work, family life, house and yard upkeep, and exhaustion..just sucks up your time so often.

I feel making new friends is easier for women than men. I recently watched a movie called “I Love You Man” with Paul Rudd. I feel for men after seeing that movie. I guess I never thought about how hard it is for a man to make new friends in the adult world, if you can not make them in your work environment. I can strike up a conversation with a woman in the grocery or the library, but will we end up grabbing a latte or really calling each other? More than likely not. I have however met women and exchanged Twitter handles. There we stay in touch. I guess men could do that too, it would seem less intimate.

So I call these women (and men) that I have met in many different ways that I converse basically via a social media proxy my “Social Media Friends”.  On my Facebook account most of my friends are old high school friends and acquaintances, a few tangible friends, old coworker friends,  family, and very few strangers. This is because I have pictures of my daughter and more personal information on there. On my MySpace account, which I admit I do not really use very much, it’s  mostly the same as facebook but there are a few people I met through myspace. Now my Twitter account is anyone who wants to chat with me and they are not some spammer I happily include them into my circle of my friends.

I find that because I am more than likely on the internet at least once a day every day, my social media friends are more informed about my day to day life than the friends who do not use social media. I find that my social media friends sometimes care more or maybe just have more time to care. They ask on daily basis how things might be going. They share more. They give pep talks to each other. They give advice more. They give well wishes for you to get better. They comment on pictures. I love my Social Media friends.

Do I feel they they are better than my tanglible friends? In some aspects, maybe, but I will never replace them ever because nothing can replace a hug when needed. Maybe I finally hook up with them for dinner and we laugh until it’s way to late into the night. When I have had family die they are there to hold my hand. When I give birth they are taking pictures. They are tangible “Aunties” to my daughter since I have no siblings.

My Social Media Friends fill in the holes in my life, making it more complete. I barely remember my life without them, and I glad they are here. Thank you to all my friends…whether on the web or in life…

  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,