Welcome to Remote Work & Staying Sane During Covid-19 Crisis

As a full time, work at home mom for the past 10 years, welcome to my world everyone! With Covid-19 utterly shutting down our country, I’m grateful I can work remotely. Those of you joining the work at home gang I have some advice for you.

1. Have a schedule and stick to it - same goes for the kids. I will be spending my weekend setting up an hourly curriculum of sorts to keep the kiddos busy including school work, play time, crafts, conditioning (for the gymnast), outside time, and screen time. The plan also includes doing a research project, book report, and learning outside by planting vegetables and such. All it takes is one spreadsheet to get you going and keep on task.
2. Start your work early in the morning so you can justifiably have a few hours in the late afternoon for down time or to hang with the kids. The kids are going to want to be with you and play with you. Bake that time into the schedule so you’re not feeling guilty and them resentful.
3. Plan screen time around conference calls. It's the best way to have complete quiet/focus. Screen time should be closely monitored and controlled in my opinion. Save it for when you really need it.
4. If the opportunity allows, run to the dollar store or dollar general and get some new items to keep them entertained. When you need peace or quiet for work, throw them a new coloring book or activity they haven't seen before to spark interest.

During this time specific to the Covid-19 threat, my plans also include:

1. No play dates. Do virtual hangouts. I'm going to ask my kids' friends' parents for times and let them Skype or FaceTime to "play virtually". This will be our social interaction and I know it will help.
2. Keep "school" hours. No sleeping in or staying up late. No pajamas all day, every day. Keep some part of normal.
3. Lots of outside energy time allows for proper rest time after lunch so keep that “rest” time after lunch for your piece of mind and theirs.
4. If your child has an extracurricular activity, I plan to still do that but at home. They are missing soccer practice? Do “soccer practice” at the same day/time but at home and make a family event. If you don’t have equipment, conditioning is always fun and easy. My kids love conditioning. We have a conditioning dice ball and they roll it to see what they can do. Pushups, running, jumping jacks, etc. You can simply do this with popsicle sticks or using something online. Get your kids moving, it’s important!

It’s more important than ever that we keep social distancing so we don’t spread this nasty thing far and wide. Please do what’s right for your family and for those around you and stay home. We may all go a little insane there is a light at the end of the tunnel, I promise.

Find my school plan for my kids here to copy or share.

Happy New Year! 2014!

It's 2014.

Holy. Fucking. Shit.

Pardon my french.

I feel old.

I feel excited (for a new year...).

Time really flies.

I've not made any "resolutions" this year but I have decided on two things.

#1: I will write more, in general. I don't care if it's at 3am...

#2: I will take care of myself. Vitamins, exercise, you name it. It's a must do! Always so good about everyone else so I need to start doing it for me.

I'll leave your 2014 off to a good start with a fav photo of my girl.

Old

You know you're getting old when...

1. You call the town police and complain about people driving to fast in your neighborhood and demand action - well they do drive to fast!  I had to complain!
2. You email Linda McMahon for senate 2010 and tell them you're not voting for her because of the inappropriate negative campaigning flyer you got from them - this was seriously ridiculous!  Lame!
3. Call BJs and ask them why they don't carry the baby items you need...
4. Read Reader's Digest.
5. Watch the news and then email them and complain that they don't give the NYY scores (my mom totally did this yesterday! lol).
6. Spend your days watering plants, doing laundry, working, dishes, diapers, and cleaning up.  And then the highlight of your day is going to bed.
7. You listen to Ace of Base and think about back in the day when you danced to The Sign at middle school dances.
8. You talk to your husband every day at work and talk about what's for dinner.
9. You see your siblings doing grown up things.
10. Everyone you know is having babies.

Hair of a Good Time

To cut or not to cut, that is the question.

For just over two years now, I have been patiently and ever so slowly growing my hair as long as I can.  The reason being is I really want to donate it.  I want some little girl or boy to get a wig made of my hair to make them feel beautiful again when they are ill.  This has not been easy for me since my hair grows slower than a turtle crawls.  I mean super slow.  Plus I always get that itch and chop it off.  I have gone so long now ignoring the itch, dealing with this mop of icky hair, and have avoided hair salons all together because I figured I'd break under pressure and tell them to chop it.

I'm getting to the point now that my hair is just a mess.  One reason is I just don't have the patience or care to actually style it.  And the other reason is I don't go anywhere or do anything in order to make myself do my hair.  My bangs are unmanageable and I can't decide to grow them out or cut them.   The past few days the itch has been around and it's been strong.  I want to cut it SO bad I'm going crazy  I've measured it and I have enough to donate but if I do, my hair will be super short.  Now with this pudgy pregnant face of mine, short hair is probably not ideal.  

I'm dreaming of the time when I have enough to donate and enough to have some hair left.  I think of the cute hairstyle I'm going to get, the satisfaction I will have when I mail in my lock of hair, and how good it will feel.  This is in my dreams of course.  Right now all I can think of is getting rid of this hair!!  I can't describe how annoying it is and how much I hate it.  And it's sad really because I'm going crazy with this hair and just want to get rid of it when there are people with no hair for one reason or another.  I am having such a hard time making this "sacrifice" if you can even call it that.  

I came so close to just chopping it yesterday and then changed my mind.   This got me thinking of what I want to do with my hair.  I've had blonde hair, brown hair, short hair, long hair, medium length, and super short.  I went through my photos and have a collection of hair styles to share so let me know which you all like the best.  I think having a goal of what I want to look like may help me stick with this donation thing a bit longer!

Without further ado, my hair hall of fame/disasters:

Long/shaggy/layered.  This is how I looked when Jared and I first met.

I love these bangs the best.  But I can't for the life of me get them again!

Medium and highlighted.  

Long and highlighted. 

This is one of my favorite hair styles.  I just don't think I'll be able to pull it off again...

Chopped and highlighted.

On our honeymoon, the day we got there, I went to a Supercuts and chopped off my long locks to this.

Brown hair.

In between stage...

Don't know what I was thinking here.  Home hair colored kit gone bad and I ended up with dark brown/red hair.

Shortest I ever had it.  Can I even tell  you how much I cried after I'd done it...

This is cute if you're 12.  I'm definitely late 20s here...

This is the beginning of my growing out stage.

Growing it out before my wedding.

Still don't know what I was thinking here.  Hideous!!

Classic Jessie

Short and (gasp!) permed!  NO comment!

No comments on how my face got chubbier!  I definitely want to go short and I can't wait for that day!

Reasons I Wish Today was Sunday

1. I'm tired and don't feel like working.
2. I was lazy all weekend (well some of it) and now have to clean my house and do laundry today.
3. The weekend just went by too fast so I need another day.
4. Working just sounds so drab today.  
5. I still can't walk normally due to this kid in my belly so I'd rather go to the ER and get some juice (yeah back in the day I used to get juice - my favorite IV pain killers - because I was always in so much pain.  To this day, juice is the only thing that can make me pain free ever - aww, juice, I loved that stuff...)
6. I really want some Dill Pickle chips and today I won't be able to look for them.  Oh, I haven't talked about these on my blog yet.  So here is the story.  Years ago, I think I was in high school, my mom would buy Lays Dill Pickle Chips.  I don't even like chips really but these ones for some reason were amazing.  You'd have to eat the whole bag once you started.  So I thought of these chips last week and was dying for some.  Of course they don't sell them at my store.  AND when I went to the Lays website you can search for a product in your zip code. I must have put in every zip code of every person I know and nada.  So I emailed Lays and asked for the love of God and every pregnant woman in the world, to get me those chips.  Yeah they emailed me back basically with a too bad, so sad note.  So I am still unfulfilled.  Need. Me. Some. Dill. Pickle. Chips.  ARGH!!!
7. Sunday is such a happier day than Monday.
8. I want to go back to bed...

A few random words to the wise...

I just spent the last twenty minutes talking to myself at home while I finished some last stitch chores at work and made myself an amazing sandwich for lunch. I have a bunch of random thoughts in my head that I felt it necessary to post about...

I talk to myself, a lot.

I think it's funny how as soon as you get married, people expect to see you expecting immediately following.

I think it's even funnier that I've been making my family wait! No all kidding aside, I will let everyone know when we are going to have a baby and it's none of your DAMN business! I mean this in the nicest way.

I think funnier still that my grandmother told me over the weekend she can't wait to meet Justin and Jocelyn; the names she's picked out for my my future children. I had to smile at that one!

I find it not odd at all that I'm entirely obsessed with this new, fresh turkey breast I have every day for lunch. I'm addicted.

It's funny that I bet no one cares what kind of sandwhich I eat.

I'm excited I'm doing a interview with Melissa Foster about her new book, Megan's Way. See top of blog for the advertisement. It's my first author interview so that is pretty cool.

I am humming and have been all day.

It's only Wednesday and I'm in a great mood.

Chipper actually, that would be my mood.

Arrested Development is seriously the funniest show I've ever seen. That's why I watch it on Hulu during lunch.

I love that I saved my 300th post for these ramblings. Way to go 300!

Summer Attire 101

Ladies this post is just for you. As the weather gets warmer, we females tend to wear less clothing. We show off our legs, our bare shoulders, and arms to keep as cool as a cucumber. However there are a few things we need to talk about that just should not be done no matter how hot it is outside.

1. If you have boobs over an A cup you have to wear a bra. Seriously. I am so sick and tired of seeing females in these flimsy tank tops and sundresses with their boobs hanging out. If you can't wear a bra with it, you're over an A cup, then that dress is not for you. Put it back on the rack please and spare us all the free show.

2. On that same note, some dresses or shirts are very limited with straps and low cut. You wear a bra with it and we can all see your entire bra. Bras are meant to be under clothes, not visible for the naked eye. I have no desire to see you black bra straps under your white tank top and the lace showing through. I don't care if your bra matching the tank top either. Try to not have your entire bra showing or at least wear a skin or clear colored bra. It's just classier ladies. Thanks in advance!

3. Some shorts are meant to be shorts and some shorts are meant to look like underwear. Please don't wear the underwear-type looking shorts out in public and then sit with your legs crossed so I can see your whole ass even if I'm not looking right at it. It's hard to miss. Also, don't wear said shorts to work out in. There is nothing worse than doing a class with women with such short shorts that every time they lift their leg, everything is hanging out. Thanks but no thanks. I don't care how nice your legs are try not to wear your "underwear" in public.

4. Sundresses are the best outfit for summer. I love them dearly. However the dresses with the triangle boob tops are only for petite women with no boobs. Hence I do not wear them. If you try to pull this off and you have boobs, you will look like a stuffed sausage. Please don't wear them - refrain!!

5. No matter how you feel about yourself, please think of others when choosing your bathing suit for public appearances. That is all I have to say about this topic.

6. Last but not least and I'm so sad that I have to mention this. Strapless bras should not be worn as your top.

Enjoy the summer and thanks for keeping your rib bumpers behind closed walls!

Anyone, Anyone?

I have a few questions that I would like to know the answers to but I don't have time for Yahoo Answers right now - which by the way, I LOVE. If you know, please let me in on the answer otherwise I'll just ask my dad because in case you didn't know, he does know everything...

1. Why do my shoes squeak? No matter what pair I'm wearing, I squeak when I walk. So why?
2. How come I never, ever got bit by bugs in my WHOLE life until this year? (and honestly I don't know how to handle it - which brings my next question).
3. How do you NOT scratch bug bites? ( yes I have tried that anti itch cream and it does not work because right after I put it on, I forget and then itch again right away all the cream off..)
4. On the same topic, how come I am the only one in the house who gets ticks on them? (seriously, Jared never gets ticks, I always do...so unfair...) - please note, I do shower and clean myself so all this bug talk is not because I am smelly :)
5. Why did some ass at work steal my good idea as his own?
6. Why does work totally suck right now!!!????
7. Who expects a 5'0'' girl to carry a load of items bigger than her down a hall way?
8. Why are there only 24 hours in a day when right now, I need 57?
9. How come I can't be cloned?

Isn't fun to just...

- Eat cold pizza for breakfast

- Take out the trash in your pajamas

- Sit in said pajamas all day

- Watch Saved by the Bell reruns

- Eat ice cream for lunch

- Lay on freshly cut grass in the hot sun

- Cuddle with your kitty

- Click on that forwarded email joke and read it for once?

- Dance to Ace of Base

- Tie a ribbon in your hair

- Bring your laptop outside to work on a nice day

- Drive with all the windows down, the music blaring, and with no real destination

Wish list of 28

28 years and what have I learned. Ha! If only I knew. I feel as if my life has not begun or is almost over or I’m not sure. I’m in limbo and there are too many things left for me to do with my life. I hate having birthdays and getting older. My body goes on strike for the whole week and I get severe anxiety complete with stomach pains. I can’t decide if I am afraid of getting older or if I am afraid of not being young anymore and the reality of growing up is hitting me.

This morning I got in my car and with a lack of a book on CD for the first time in months, I spontaneously put on the radio. A song was just beginning and it was Beautiful Day by U2. A great way to start my birthday, I decided. I’m going to try my best to embrace my 28th year on earth and write up my wish list of 28 things I want to do before I turn 29. I am always so focused on helping other people and doing things for others. So this list is just for me.

1. Finish my book. It may be an awful first novel attempt but it deserves to be completely finished. I want to finish it.
2. Research and get some good head way in to the second book I started. This one is the best I’ve got and I need it to meet its potential. It deserves time and energy.
3. I want to read all of Jane Austen. I have yet to go through all her books and this year seems like a good year to do it. UPDATE: 4 down, 1 to go!
4. I want to lose 10 pounds. That’s all. I have no desire to be a stick figure but I want to be fit and I have been trying my best to get there. UPDATE: Lost 5 but then I ate a donut...
5. I want to improve my marriage. Marriage is not easy and it requires hard work. I need to be more patient and understanding as well as less stubborn and nagging.
6. I want to go to the beach more often. I live right there so it’s no excuse to not be there at least once a week.
7. I want to hang out with my sister more. I barely get to see her and she is getting older too and needs her sister more than she thinks as she gets through college and starts focusing on her future.
8. Learn how to use Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. I have fooled around a bit on my own so I know the basics but I want to really know how. Hopefully Jared can teach me.
9. Learn the bass guitar, finally! I have been begging Jared to get me a bass guitar because I love the bass. I am going to find my own used, bass guitar and either teach myself or pay some grungy teen to teach me. Then I’m going to be a star!
10. While we’re on instruments. I am getting a hand drum as well! And then I’ll be jamming to Rusted Root songs.
11. I want to walk more. I’ve been walking almost every lunch break at work so I want to keep that up. It is a nice way to get out during the day and keep fit. UPDATE: Working on it.
12. I want to keep up with Zumba throughout the year since I am completely smitten. UPDATE: like this is impossible to acheive. I'm up to 4 times a week!
13. I have a side project I have been working on that I can not really get into detail about but I really want it to flourish a bit more this year and I’m hoping that works out!
14. My sister is turning 21 this year so one my goals is to go to the bar with my sister and my brother and get drinks together for the first time. It will be fun! UPDATE: This was fun!
15. I want to bake more. I like to bake and sometimes I’m not too bad at it. I think if I bake more I’ll get even better and the next time I make a lemon meringue pie it won’t have to be thrown out!
16. I really want to go to an island this year. It is so easy for me, location-wise to hop on a ferry to Martha’s Vineyard or Nantucket. I really want to go to one of them for the day just to hang out and see what they are like since I’ve never been. I don’t know why that is…
17. I want to get a new car. Not brand new but just something else to drive other than Rocky. It’s been an ongoing battle with Jared and me about what car so I think within the year I think we should be able to pick one. Driving a gas guzzling SUV all the time is not good for the environment. UPDATE: Got it!
18. I want to watch all of Sex and City seasons 1-6 again in order and then the movie. Just because I love that freaking show so much.
19. I want to go through our basement and finally eBay or tag sale all the useless things that we are pack-ratting like crazy.
20. I want to finish our living room and add that book shelf I’ve always wanted (if funds allow…)
21. I need to get myself organized. I mean for real. Mentally and literally. I need to get all my shit together and my life on track. I feel like I am all over the place sometimes never having the time to do this or that. I need to be better balanced and organized so I can make time for writing, my husband, and most importantly myself.
22. I need to get stronger. I am such a wuss! I am so sensitive, such a baby, etc. I need to be harder in certain situations especially when it comes to work and life challenges. This may take more than a year but I must work on it…
23. Financially I want to manage our money better. We have the capability to save more so I want us to do that.
24. I want to make a list. A bucket list per se but not exactly, for me and Jared to accomplish together before death or to do during retirement. I have always wanted to do this but am afraid it will be too long and intimidating. There a million places I want to travel to so that could be a problem…
25. I want to be less lazy. Sometimes I find myself being really lazy in the most ridiculous cases. This needs to cease immediately!
26. I am taking golf lessons right now so this year before I’m 29, I want to play an entire golf game with my dad. I can’t bring my sister though because she has an arm and foot thing (inside joke). I think it will be fun for us and I’ll probably whoop him!
27. I want to start a new tradition in my family. I am not sure what it will be yet or when but I want one. Maybe something fun for our birthdays or for Easter or Thanksgiving. But we need something new and fresh. I’ll have to ask my brother because he’s always got crazy ideas.
28. I want to be more selfish. I know, how selfish of me. But in all honesty, I have had a hard time my whole life being too selfless and putting other’s needs before my own. This also follows with me getting walked over, used and abused, and getting hurt. I will always be there for anyone who needs it and help people out but at the same time I need start watching out for myself first and foremost. UPDATE: Working on this..

There you have it. 28 things I need to work on or complete before 1 year, 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days from now. I am very nervous at the new to-do list as I am the to-do list queen. But I have faith in myself that if I put my mind to it I can do it! Happy birthday to me.

25 Things

I've been tagged by Nickie

Rules : Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits or goals about you. Then tag 25 people, including the person who tagged you - but I don't know if I know 25 people so I'm probably going to skip that part... :)

1. I hate when people don't say please and thank you.
2. I love the smell of gasoline.
3. I'm so sensitive that I cry over anything.
4. I still, at 27, get carded for cashing in scratch tickets!
5. I love sandwiches and would be happy eating them for every meal every day.
6. I will read while on the treadmill and even dorkier, I will listen to my books on CD on my daily commute and sometimes will sit in the car upon my arrival home to finish a good part while Jared watches me in the window wondering what the hell I'm doing.
7. The Little Mermaid is still the best Disney movie ever.
8. Someday I want to walk in my house and flip a light switch and my favorite music mix starts immediately...Jared is still working on this.
9. When I turn 30, I don't want a party or anything other than a trip to see the Northern Lights and Jared knows this so he better come through!
10. Sometimes I will just eat peanut butter from the jar for lunch when I work from home.
11. When Abba made the song Dancing Queen, I swear they were thinking of me...
12. I'm not afraid to embarrass myself or others for that matter.
13. So I will sing songs in public, yell really loud, and wave ridiculously to get every one's attention.
14. My sister absolutely hates this about me...
15. I will go a work day without peeing because I can't be bothered to waste my time and if God had really wanted to make us awesome, he would have had us pee and poo one time a day in a easy fashion not wasting our valuable life hours!
16. I can't be bothered to waste one minute of my life doing something I hate.
17. We only get one life, why waste it?
18. I will give you everything I have if you need it.
19. Listening to live music with my eyes closed is one of my biggest pleasures in life.
20. Sometimes I will write and imagine and entire story in my head.
21. Because I'm thinking 24/7 and my brain never turns off.
22. When I first saw the Great Wall of China, I was in tears.
23. Traveling makes my world whole.
24. If I could have one super power it would be teleportation so I could travel more easily. None of that waiting around crap.
25. My feet don't reach the floor in my office chair...

Lists

My life has somehow turned into one big or should I say many random lists. Why not just keep posting lists...

• I have a to-do list for work that is a mile long but I don't think I can do any of them yet...I'm really starting to hate the next couple months with a vengeance.
• I have a to-do list at home, well maybe 2 or 3 of them. One is for errands I have to do and one is for things I need to do at home. I'm starting to hate the moleskin after all...
• I thought that if I started writing things down I would not think about them all the time however I write them down and then never look at the list because I remember them all in my head and it causes many problems. Like I lack sleep, I think too much, and I have way too many things going on in my brain that I can not focus on anything. Not even just petting the cat. I'm thinking about the next item on my list. AHHH! So annoying!
• These so-called to-dos are not even that important, well some of them are, but I feel they are running my life at the moment.
• Does anyone have a bonfire so I can torch them all?
• If I torch them, then my brain will go into overdrive and all my notes will be constantly swarming in my head so that's a bad idea.
• One thing I have to do today is get straws. It's on my list. Jared makes us fruit smoothies every morning for breakfast and I drink it on the way to work. However, here's the problem: the straws are too short for our travel cups making drinking and driving very difficult. So I'm on the hunt for long straws and it's been on my to-do list for a week now but I've yet to do it!
• Wow, my life is so stressing! I need long straws, what will I do!

Okay this list is spent...

Happy Friday!