Life After I "Dew"

This week I'm saying SO WHAT if...

Kendall has given up naps.  I dreaded the day that she gave up naps. I heard so many people say that their child gave them up around 2, 2.5, and definitely by 3.  Then my mom would remind me that I took a nap until I went to kindergarten.  And I was hopeful again.

Now she hasn't given them up 100% so perhaps it's easy for me to say.  She will take a nap about twice a week, I'd say.  It's like she fights it, fights it, fights it and then her little body just can't take it anymore and on that fourth day she just passes out.  On the floor.  On the couch.  At the kitchen table.  In the car.  Wherever. And I let her sleep wherever she lies {lays? I never know}.

Truth be told it's not SO bad.  I mean, sure, I miss my quiet afternoons.  Afternoon was when I'd get on the treadmill, take a shower, put laundry away, catch up on the DVR, read/write some blogs, and I do miss that time to myself.  But now I get quiet time with my big girl.

Since having James I have felt guilty for not having as much time for Kendall.  I mean for the past 3 years it's been all Kendall, all the time.  Now I feel like I'm constantly saying, "hang on I'm feeding James" or "when I'm done changing James".  It's all about James, all the time.  Which I think is normal and natural, as he's a baby and very dependent on me still, but it doesn't make it any easier on my mom heart.

So nap time {for James} is my time with Kendall now.  If she doesn't fall asleep somewhere random I use that time to do something special with just her.  Yesterday we painted her fingernails and toenails and cuddled in my bed and watched a movie.  There were lots of laughs and hugs and kisses.  It was so nice.

So yeah, giving up that me time stinks but having that special time with my #1 girl is totally worth it.  Giving up naps isn't so bad, right?

*If this link up looks a bit different than what you expected or what you're used to please check out last weeks post, here.

James is getting his first tooth.  It's kinda cute the way he flicks it with his tongue.  It's not cute when his little cheekies are so rosy, he's whiny, seems really uncomfortable and cranky.  With Kendall I never knew she was teething.  She never got the fever, diarrhea, ear infections, nothing.  I would just all the sudden notice a new tooth.

James seems like he's going to have a harder time though.

So...these Amber teething necklaces...legit?

I will say when I saw these a couple years ago I chalked it up to a hippie thing and didn't think too much of it but nowadays it seems like more and more {non-hippies} are using them so it has me thinking maybe there's something to it.

Here are my questions:

1. Where does one buy them?
2. Does it matter if it's worn around the neck vs. on the ankle?  I'd rather him wear it on his ankle, it freaks me out a bit to have him wear a necklace, but I feel like to be most effective it should be closest to his mouth?  No?
3. Do the different colors have different healing properties or is it just a matter of preference?  

Which would explain the late in the day post.  Because that's like blogger suicide, no?

It's that time of year again.  The excitement and warm and fuzzies from Christmas is over. Life has resumed.  Resolutions have been broken {not mine}.  Not to mention the fa-reezing cold weather.  Everything is blah.  This time every year I get into a funk and I hate it.  I'm officially diagnosing myself with S.A.D.D.

I should be perky, walking with a pep in my step.  I have lost almost 10lbs this month which is HUGE considering it took me 3 months to lose 3lbs.  We are almost done with our taxes and our refund should be significant {thank you, James Weston}.  Both of my babies are napping.  Life is pretty good.

But I can't help but shake this lingering feeling that is just "blah". There is no better word to describe it, it's just blah.  I'm not sad about anything in particular.  Nothing is driving me nuts.  OK, maybe this weather.  Did I mention I hate winter?

I just can't shake it.

We long for warm, sunny days.  Kendall even looked out the window while it was snowing and said, "OH NO!  It's snowing AGAIN?! I just want it to be warm so we can play outside!"  Me too sister, me too.  We are getting cabin fever like whoa.  Not to mention it's been so cold that school has been canceled on more than one occasion.  Not cool, Mother Nature, not cool.  I don't know how many more times we can play Chutes and Ladders, Memory, Candy Land, Sneaky Snacky Squirrel, or Princess Cupcakes {side note: I love that Kendall loves to play games, my favorite}.

But some things that make me feel happy in this time of funk, cleaning, coffee, and exercise.  In no particular order.

Yesterday I was feeling extra funky.  I was throwing up Saturday night {not pregnant}, I woke up with a headache, it's freezing outside, my hip is bothering me, the list goes on.  I knew that I needed to get in a workout, even if that meant walking on the treadmill.  So I did just that.  I got caught up on RHBH and got in a good 45 minutes of an incline walk.  It wasn't much but it did wonders for my mood.  It's funny because the days I don't workout I definitely feel it.  Not in my body but in my mind, it's totally mental.

Today I should probably squeeze in a workout but instead I decided to de-stress with some deep cleaning.  I swear there is nothing I hate more than cleaning bathrooms but boy do I love the feeling {and look} when it's all said and done.  And, it really doesn't take that long.  I cleaned our bedroom and now I love it all over again.  Seriously I might retreat there once this post is finished and enjoy the quiet.  It's sunny {but cold} here today so I opened the curtains and I just might pretend it's a warm summer day.

It's not often that I get to finish my morning coffee while it's still hot.  I've been waking up extra early in hopes of enjoying a cup before someone needs something but James got the memo and he's been waking up extra early too.  Kendall did this when she was a baby, I swear they have a sensor on me.  So, that leads me to afternoon coffee.  It's becoming my most favorite time of day.  The house is a wreck and there are 5 million other things I should/could be doing but instead I brew a cup and relax for a few.  It's heaven and a great way to recharge my batteries for the rest of the day.

So now that I've cleaned and sipped my afternoon delight I might try to get in a small workout before all hell breaks loose the munchkins wake up.  Too late, I hear James.

You guys know I love to share good products, finds, recipes, clothes, etc when I find them.  The reason I do this is because I know that I've discovered so many great things from other blogs and I hope that you find something that you love when I post my loves.

AVEDA Blue Malva Color Shampoo
This stuff is a blonde girls dream come true.  I know I'm not blonde blonde but I'm more blonde than I am brunette {or so I like to think} and this stuff helps me go months between highlights.  It takes away the brassiness that we blondes sometimes get.  I feel like it also lightens my roots making them far less noticeable which is why I can go nearly 6 months between highlights.  It also smells great and, like all AVEDA products, is plant based.  I use the conditioner too, according to my stylist the conditioner is what really sets it in.  It's a bit pricey but it lasts a while, like almost a year for me.

Brady Bands
A while back I had been seeing lots and lots of blog friends sporting these super cute headbands while they were working out.  I asked around, trying to find out about these miracle headbands and everyone kept recommending Brady Bands. I ordered myself four of them and impatiently waited for them to arrive.  When they came I loved all the adorable fabrics that they come in but were they truly "non-slip"?  I can tell you 100%, YES!  I have wore these to hot yoga, boxing, heck I have even slept in them and they do not budge, not even an inch.  These are legit and 10% of each purchase goes toward finding a cure for childhood cancer.  Go getcha some now!

White Collar
Jimmy and I have such a hard time finding movies and shows that we can agree on.  I've talked about my hatred for movie night more times than I care to count.  We started watching White Collar on Netflix a couple weeks ago and we love it.  It's the perfect combination of action {for him} and Hottie McHot Pants {Matt Boomer} for me.  We're only on season two and so far we are highly entertained.  I'm surprised I haven't heard more people talk about this show before. I know Matt Boomer was a candidate for Christian Grey in the Fifty Shades movie and I'm a little bummed that he wasn't chosen because, in my book, he'd be perfect for the role.

LARABAR Uber, Roasted Nut Roll
I am always looking for great, low calorie, clean breakfast and snack items. I get sick of just eggs or Greek yogurt or a smoothie and a lot of times I don't have time to make/cook myself something.  I am a typical American and saw these advertised on last weeks episode of Biggest Loser {and I had a coupon} so I decided to try these.  They are DELICIOUS.  They're gluten-free, vegan, only contain 9 REAL ingredients and are just 220 calories.  I've had the macaroon flavor too but the roasted nut roll is my favorite, so far.  I can't wait to try more.

Haba Toys
We got this, our first Haba toy, in our Citrus Lane box back in November.  I had never heard of Haba before but I liked the look of it and it fit perfectly in James's chubby little hands.  I looked up Haba and loved all their stuff and since have bought more teethers and rattles.  Jimmy loves them because they are all made of wood and they use water based stains to color them and are non-toxic.  We have the Toot-Toot Clutching Toy and the Haba Squeak-Squeak Clutching Toy and James loves them all.  I can't believe I didn't know about this brand of toys sooner, we'll definitely be buying more.

10 Minutes to Tone: Arm Workout 
So my arms have always been my problem area.  I hate them, always have, since 6th grade. They're cubby, don't fit in the sleeves of a lot of tops, look gross in cap sleeves, and are just plain annoying to me.  I found this 10 minute workout on Pinterest the other day and thought I'd give it a whirl.  I mean, even I can squeeze in a 10 minute workout.  So I did it and WOW!  My arms were on fire about halfway through but I was still able to finish it!  I loved that it was quick, the "teachers" aren't annoying, and she has trained Victoria's Secret models sooo....it has to work, right?  I used 8lb and 3lb weights, because that's what I have, they use 5lbs and 3lbs, so I like to think I kicked a little more ass then they did ;-).  A girl can dream.

This week I'm saying SO WHAT if...

I have decided to take a new direction with SO WHAT! Wednesdays.

Say what?

You know I've been teetering on whether I even wanted to host this link up for a while now.  Parts of me want to keep it going, lots of people link up, it gives me something to post when I have nothing.  And then the other part of me dreads coming up with new things to "so what" each week and, quite frankly, it just doesn't seem like the direction I want to take this blog, going forward.

When I posted my word of the year I really didn't think I'd be thinking about changing it less than a month into the new year.  This year I really want to work on being a better version of myself and in doing so I want to be more grateful and optimistic and less complain-y and negative.

So, in keeping with the weekly thing, I will still be posting SO WHAT! Wednesday each week.  I will also keep it a link up for any who still wants to join in on the fun.

So what's different?

Glad you asked.  Instead of coming up with a whiny/complain-y/bitchy list of things I am going to focus on the positive.  For example, "SO WHAT if I had to park far away at the supermarket today.  I have legs that are perfectly capable of walking and those extra steps will be good for me anyway."  See how that's going to work?  I'm thinking there will just be one "so what" each week but if I'm feeling ever so optimistic maybe it'll be a list form.  We'll see...I'm still deciding exactly what direction this is going to go in but for now I think I'm on the right track, for me.

Those of you who link up, you can follow me on this new "so what" journey or you can "so what" as we've always done. It's up to you.  I'd personally love to see everyone take a negative and turn it into a positive and really change the way we think.  I also understand that SWW is a fun little way to get things off your chest so I totally get it if you want to keep doing it old school, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.  But I'll leave it up to you to decide what direction YOU want to take things.

OK, so, without further ado...

This week I'm saying SO WHAT if it's freezing cold outside.

Trust me, I hate the cold/winter/snow just as much as the next girl.  I am sick of all the dreary pictures of snow cluttering up my Insta feed.  I hate that we barely get out of the house because it's just too cold.  Heck, we haven't even taken Kendall out to play in the snow this year because it's just always bitter cold.  I get it, winter is for the birds {which is why they fly south this time of year}.

BUT I have a warm house to escape from it all.  I have a cozy fireplace to warm my tootsies at the end of the day.  I have warm blankets that we all snuggle under each night.  We have sweaters, jackets, hats, gloves, boots, etc which is more than a lot of people can say.  I long for spring and summer and warm and sunshine but there is nothing I can do to make those days come sooner than Mother Nature will allow.  So, until those warm days decide to grace us with their presence, I will be thankful that we have a warm place to rest our heads each night.

It's been a while since we've done a Dinner With The Dews and today I just had to share my most recent eMeals favorite.  I posted a picture of it on IG Saturday evening and had a few people request the recipe.  I aim to please.  It's a crock pot meal, is under 300 calories per serving {289 to be exact}, it's easy and is probably the tastiest soup I have ever made.  So full of flavor and very filling.  

Italian Sausage & Chickpea Stew

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon canola oil
19.5 oz package lean sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
5 cups fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 (15-oz) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
12 oz package peeled and cubed butternut squash
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup peeled and chopped carrot
1½ teaspoons dried rosemary
½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper

Directions:
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Combine sausage,broth, chickpeas, squash, onion, carrots, rosemary, salt and pepper in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on Low 5 hours.  Serves 6. Note: Refrigerate leftover soup up to 5 days, or freeze in a zip-top plastic bag up to 3 months.

I may or may not have eaten this {minus Jimmy's servings} in less than 24 hours.  It was THAT good.

What if tomorrow you woke up and couldn't remember anything about your life for the past 10 years?

Your kids.

Your husband.

Your friends.

Your coworkers.

Your mom and dad.

You don't remember any of them for the past 10 years.  Let's not forget all the events that would have transpired over the course of that time.  The people you've encountered in the past 10 years. The lessons you've learned.  You wouldn't have any recollection of any of that.

I would only remember my life at age 20.  At 20 I was still in college, hadn't met Jimmy yet, obviously didn't have my babies.  I still lived at home with my parents.  I worked at a JCPenney call center and drove a VW Beetle.  That girl was obsessed with fashion, music, celebrities, hanging out with friends, and really not having a care in the world.

That girl was much different from the 10 year older version of herself.

Today I don't care about celebrities.  Sure I find them entertaining at times, when they do something outrageous {I'm looking at you, Miley}, but I'm not buying all the gossip magazines at the checkout stand anymore.  I'm not spending my full paycheck {minus my car payment} on clothes. I still have a love for music but I don't get to listen to it as much as I listen to My Little Pony.  I never worked out and ate whatever I wanted {those were the days}.  I love the friends that I have now and my best friends haven't changed from when I was twenty, so thankful for that.

Now instead of living without a care in the world I worry about mortgage payments, nap schedules, preschool pickup/drop off, making it to church on time, frozen pipes in the dead of winter, replacing batteries in the dogs collars so they don't wonder into the street, working out and eating healthy.  A lot has changed in 10 years, for the better.

If I could go back and tell that twenty-year-old Shannon one thing it'd be to slow down. Stop waiting for the next big thing to happen and just enjoy the now. You will get married, you will have babies and they will both be worth the wait.  Trust me on that one.  Stop spending all your money frivolously and for the love of God please do not open any credit cards.  I'd tell her to live a little.  Stop playing it safe so much and get out there and see things, DO things.  Be more confident.

People say you live your life in your twenties and those are the best years of your life.  The last 4ish years of my twenties were pretty great but the early twenties?  I wouldn't trade my thirty-year-old self for the girl I was then.  The girl/woman I am today is stronger, more confident, more capable, smarter, more loving, softer than I was 10 years ago.

I think the twenty-year-old Shannon would be pretty happy with the person she's become. She has all she ever dreamed of and all she ever wanted.  What's not to love?

Healthy eating does not have to be boring. It doesn't have to be gross. It doesn't have to be plain. Now that I'm officially on the weight loss train {I am down 5.2lbs this week!!!} I am always looking for fun ways to make low calorie meals. It can be tricky because typically everything that is yummy is usually high in calories. But you can take something as simple as a pancake and make a relatively low calorie breakfast option.

I saw the recipe for a puff pancake a while ago and pinned it to my food board on Pinterest eons ago. I've always wanted to make it so when I was contacted by US Highbush Blueberry Council to create a recipe using their frozen blueberries I knew just what I was going to make.

Read more, here.

This week I'm saying SO WHAT if...

• My roots are so bad yet I don't know exactly what I want to do with my hair so I just keep letting them grow out.  I'm rocking my own sort of natural ombre, except it doesn't look cute.
• We watched Frozen on watch32.com last night.  I have no idea if it's legal or not so if you don't see me posting around here you might want to check the local jail.
• I sent in a bag to thredUP last month and had every intention of buying Kendall some new "play clothes" and instead bought myself a bunch of workout clothes.  I mean Under Armor for $8?  How could I not?  Sorry KP.
• James wakes up so happy that I let him lay in his crib while I wake up, make his bottle and try to chug my coffee while it's still warm.
• I'm addicted to hot yoga after just one class.
• I had a hard time coming up with a Christmas list but I already have a decent list for my birthday {next month}.
• I gave Kendall a bath at 5 o'clock yesterday because she was starting to fall asleep on the couch.  That's what not taking a nap will do to a girl.
• I don't think I'll be buying any pizzas from Kendall's school fundraiser.  They are $19 a pop!  

Last week something in me changed.  It's like I got slapped across the face and someone said, "get with it".

I was getting frustrated, upset, unmotivated, feeling down about my weight loss progress thus far.  Sure I'm better off than I was 5 months postpartum with Kendall {read about that, here} but I'm not where I thought I'd be at 5 months postpartum this time around.  By now I had thought I'd be in a certain pair of jeans. By now I thought I'd be pretty close to my pre-pregnancy weight. But then I'd turn around and tell myself, "Self, you just had a baby.  Give it time."

But this past week?  I got tired of the excuses. I got tired of the half-assed attempt at reaching my goal.  And last week I made a commitment to myself.  I thought maybe if I set smaller goals for myself I wouldn't be so overwhelmed with that big scary number.

I have these pair of jeans, they are not my "normal", "skinny" jeans but they are a pair that I wanted to fit in by now and the fact that I can't drives me batty.  I can pull them on and that's where the fun ends.  There is no buttoning, no zipping them.  So my goal for January is to fit in them by February 1st.  I know I can do it if I stay motivated and dedicated.

I'm sticking to my 1200 calorie goal like glue.  I'm not going to fudge it and have cheat days or even cheat meals.  Enough is enough.  I also realized how addicting, invigorating, motivating and all those other 'ing' words working out can be.

My hip has been bothering me for about a month.  I don't know if it's my body still getting used to all the changes from being pregnant or what but running/jumping/squatting only makes it worse.  Stretching though, that helps tremendously.  So I've gotten on a bit of a yoga kick and since doing it I only want to do it more.  I took all of your recommendations on at home yoga DVDs and I got Bethenny's Skinnygirl Yoga Workouts and I am in love.  I've tried quite a few yoga DVDs in my day and these two are my favorite so far.  The stretches are deep and really feel like a workout.  She has two different instructors with her in them and they do most of the talking/teaching with her little add-ins here and there.  I love them and this is what I am doing at home for now.

I also took a hot yoga class Saturday morning, for the first time.  I knew going into it I was going to love it, I just did.  I had read numerous reviews of the studio prior to going and all of them were out of this world.  I was hoping I'd hate it because it's kind of pricey but just as I assumed, I loved it.  Total body workout.  Hardest, sweatiest, best workout of my life.  I sweated and worked harder on Saturday than when I worked out with a trainer right before our wedding.  No joke.  I loved it and I plan to go back, even if just once a week.

I'm finally at a place of "let's do this" instead of expecting things to naturally happen on their own and it feels good.  I think each  month I'm going to reevaluate and make a new goal until I get where I want to be. I'm thinking about February's goal already and it has me excited.  I know I can do this and finally say #byebyebabyweight once and for all and hopefully be rocking a two-piece at the pool this summer.

How do you tackle your weight loss/fitness goals?  Do you set one big one and then focus, eye on the prize style or are you a mini goal setter taking it one day at a time?

What is your biggest fear?  Heights?  Snakes?  Small spaces?  Clowns?

Mine is dying.

I'm sure that's a lot of people's answers and for very good reason.  I am terrified of dying.

I've even thought about if I would want to know when, where, how I would die and no I don't want to know how it would all play out.  I do think, sometimes, about it and for some reason I always feel like I'm going to die in a car accident. I don't know why, just always been something that has been in the back of my mind.

Is this post morbid or what?  Sorry.

I think about the people who I'd leave behind and that's the part that freaks my freak.  Will it happen while my parents are alive?  The thought of them having to bury their only child makes me sick to my stomach.  No parent should ever lose a child.  Then I think about my babies.  How old will they be?  Will they know how much I love them?  Will they remember me?  And Jimmy. Would he remarry?  How would he handle being a single father?

I clearly think about this too much.

I wish I could be one of those, "but I'll be home, with my heavenly Father" and get some sort of peace from that but I don't.  Maybe I'm selfish or maybe I just don't have enough faith. Honestly, minus the whole sucking blood thing, I don't think being a vampire sounds too bad. I'd love to live forever {so long as I was in peak physical condition when I became immortal- joking.  Kind of.}.

I haven't had to deal with anyone very close to me dying, thankfully.  My grandpa {dad's dad} died when I was much too young to process but other than that, my immediate family is still living.  I am very blessed that my children have met their great-grandparents and are very close with them as well. I think about the day when one of them passes and I cannot even go there.  Whenever I hear Wind Beneath My Wings it makes me feel like my grandma is dying and I will instantly start crying.  No idea why, it's just always been that way, for as long as I can remember.

It's weird, I know.

I know that life is short and we need to live each day to it's fullest, without regrets, always tell our loved ones how we feel, never go to bed angry, all of those things make sense and I only wish I lived my life that way.  I know that if something were to happen to me tonight I would not be happy with the way I left this world, as a person.  So maybe this is my reality check to shape up and become the person I want to be.

Whoa, things just got deep.

So what is your greatest fear and is it something you think about often?

This week I'm saying SO WHAT if...

• I almost didn't do a SWW post today.  We watched a movie last night and I went straight to bed, completely forgot.  
• We haven't left the house in three days.  OK never mind.  That sucks.  This cold weather sucks.
• I'm kind of interested to watch the movie Her. A man who falls in love with his "Siri"?  Doesn't sound too far fetched in this day and age.  Sign me up.
• I love Bethenny.  I love her show, I love her personality, I love her.  I just bought her yoga DVDs and I can't wait to try them today.
• I attempted a workout last week that consisted of 1/2 mile run, 10 push ups, 20 squats, 30 sit ups {repeat 6 times} and thought I was going to DIE at the third round.  I will get to round 6 eventually.  That is my new goal.
• I think it's easier to bathe my kids separately.  I know most people prefer to do them together but Kendall loves to stay in forever and James is a "wham bam thank you ma'am" type.  
• I'm already planning on what I'm going to buy with my Old Navy Super Cash in a couple of weeks.  That's right, it doesn't even start till the 18th and I already know what I'm going to spend it on.
• I cry watching Parenthood.  Every. Week.  

Call me crazy but I think that this week marks the beginning of a new year.  This is the week where things get back to normal, work/school schedules, no more holiday parties, the decorations are down, the hoopla is over.  This is the week when the resolutions really set in and you {me} start to make changes.

I was watching the news yesterday and they deemed yesterday Blue Monday.  Apparently it's the most depressing day of the year because of all the reasons listed above.  I thought that was kind of interesting because I don't see it that way, at all.  I know I don't have to get up and go to school/work, which probably has a lot to do with my opinion on Blue Monday, but I saw yesterday as a day to kick ass.

Last week was still full of parties, reasons to avoid sticking to your commitment/goals {read: resolutions}, and whacky schedules and so, like many other resolution-ers I didn't stick to my goals like I wanted to.  But yesterday started a fresh new me.  Perhaps it was getting on the scale and seeing an unsightly number but that's besides the point.  The point is, this is the time to make a change.

Yesterday I started using MFP again, 100%.  For the past 4-5 months I've been using it on and off.  Tracking here and there but getting frustrated when I don't see results and vowing that it doesn't work.  The reality is I was cheating myself.  So I signed up for eMeals low calorie {dinner} plan and none of the meals are over 500 calories, which should make me very able to stick to my 1,200 calorie daily limit.  Thankfully I have this blog to go back through my old posts because when I was trying to grocery shop {low calorie} for breakfast, lunch and snack stuff I was having a hard time trying to remember just what I ate to lose the last time.  I found my 'what I eat' post and quickly remembered how monotonous it all was.  But, whatever works, right?

I'm sure you've all read this article by Jarrid Wilson by now.  If you haven't, go read it and come back.  I'll be waiting...

OK, great.  Sound like you?  It sure as heck sounds like me.  In fact, one night Jimmy and I were both sitting on the couch with our phones, scrolling our IG feeds and saying things like, "did you see THIS one?" knowing that we both follow a lot of the same friends.  It was kind of pathetic and Jimmy even said to me, "let's put our phones away, this is stupid".  And he was right.  Instead of enjoying the peace and quiet and some very rare but much needed husband-wife time, we were on our phones.

Are we that boring to each other that we need to find pleasure and entertainment from our phones and the happenings of other people's lives?  I sure hope not because what a sad, long life we will have.

When we are hanging out with friends I have been trying to enjoy their company.  Put the phone in my diaper bag and just be in the moment.  The virtual world cannot compare to the company of friends and laughter of our children playing together.

Do you take your phone to bed with you?  I do.  I know you aren't supposed to but I have always.  Jimmy uses his for an alarm so he brings his to bed too.  Jimmy falls asleep at the drop of a dime so a lot of times I lay in bed scrolling through all my various feeds and checking emails.  In the morning the first thing I do is grab my phone and pick up where I left off the night before.  Pathetic, I know.

I think about it a lot, this love/hate relationship with technology.  While I love being able to keep up with my friends and family with the click of a button, in the palm of my hand, I love finding new ideas, recipes, crafts, outfits, etc, I love sharing my ideas, recipes, outfits, etc it is also very very difficult to keep up.  It's time consuming.  It sometimes makes me feel inferior.

I think about the generations before us, how they didn't have these conveniences and how simple life must have been "back then". Now I don't know that I'd go so far to say that I wish I lived "back then" but I do think it would be nice to experience a simpler life. It's hard to even imagine a life where people aren't sitting at dinner checking their phones while at a table full of other people or actually being forced to have a conversation with a stranger because you don't have a phone to occupy your time while sitting in a waiting room.

So I'm with Jarrid on this one.  I don't know that I can divorce my phone but I think I want a separation.  We can live in the same house and we can even be cordial to each other but our time is going to be severely limited.  It's time to start focusing on what's right in front of me, live in the moment, and enjoy this life.

About all my brain can handle right now is a little brain dump.  Short.  Sweet.  Simple.  Here are five things...

1. eMeals started up a low calorie meal plan.  Holler!!  You guys!  I could not be more excited about this!  I was actually going to email them and ask if this was something they were considering and thankfully it happened and I am so happy!  AND this was my first week doing it and it was MUCH more budget friendly {than the clean eating plan}.  I spent about $50 less than I was spending using their clean eating plan and I consider that a win!  All the dinners are less than 500 calories, how awesome is that?  Use code NEWYEAR for 15% off your meal plan.

2. This is where I need your help.  I want to start doing yoga again, on a regular basis.  I'm considering joining a yoga studio but holy guacamole, that ish is 'spensive.  But I'm thinking it would be worth it and that could be my hobby {Jimmy said I needed a hobby}.  But I also like to have the option to do it at home. I have Bob Harper's Weight Loss Yoga and Jillian's Yoga Meltdown {they're both just OK} so what else is out there?  Any at home DVDs that measure up to the real deal?
3. My baby boy, who is just 4 months old, is officially wearing 9 month clothes.  I mean, how is this possible?  He's getting so big, so fast, and that "second babies grow so much faster" stuff is ringing true.  He's already jumping in the jumperoo and he's taken a liking to sweet potatoes as of late.  He takes an 8 oz bottle every 3ish hours still, no wonder he's growing so big.  I love him so.
   
4. I'm excited for normal TV to resume.  Lame, I know.  I mean, don't get me wrong, I love all the holiday shows and specials but mama wants her Biggest Loser, Parenthood and Modern Family back.  Please and thank you.
5. A couple of days after my Honey Bunches of Oats party I went out with my fellow Columbus bloggers for our annual holiday/blog dinner.  I love these ladies.  Most of them don't blog anymore and that's OK.  I love that they aren't just my "blog friends" anymore, they are my IRL friends.  Some of us are moms, some are married, some blog, some are cat lovers {I didn't call you a crazy cat lady, Em}, some just moved here and some are about to move away, but we all mesh so well together.  So happy I've met each and every one of them.
   

Have a great weekend, ladies!

This week I'm saying SO WHAT if...

• I'm kind of over the Christmas decorations being up but the thought of taking them all down makes me twitchy.
• I'm still searching for the perfect New Years resolution.  Last year I picked a word and I think I want to do the same this year but finding THE ONE is hard.
• I'm a little bit jealous of James new SleepSack and wish it came in my size.
• Our playroom looks like Toys R Us threw up.  I have no desire to organize all of the new things and I know just as soon as I do they'll just wind up all over the floor again anyway.
• I re-washed a load of laundry three times last week because I kept forgetting about it in the washer and there was always a load being refreshed in the dryer.  I suck at laundry.
• I'm in a re-do everything funk. I want to redecorate the entire living room, kitchen, dinning room area of our house.  Jimmy might kill me.
• I'm thinking of changing my blog design.  Again.
• I'm ready for normal life to resume.  Normal work weeks for Jimmy, preschool schedule for Kendall and hopefully some down time for us all.
• We took Kendall to see Frozen about a month ago and I've been dying to see it again.  Such a cute movie!
• This weeks SWW sucks and I probably should have just skipped it again this week.