Summer To-Do List

Summer is finally here! Now that the kids are out of school, and we have settled into a routine, I thought it was time to put together our summer bucket list. Usually this list is a mile long, and we never accomplish half of what is on the list. Also, much of the list consists of something like "go for a walk in the park". But I've decided that this year, something like that should be a normal part of our summer...not a bucket list item.

This summer, I'm including things that we have wanted to do for quite a few summers but never got around to or something that we love to do each summer and make a point of taking time out of our busy schedules to do, and a few new things that we've never done before and haven't even given it much thought before now.

1. Enjoy a picnic dinner on the beach.

2. Visit the Statue of Liberty.

3.  Find the perfect bathing suit.

4. Do Saturday morning beach yoga with my daughters.

5. Have a New Jersey staycation.

6. Visit the Philadelphia Zoo.

7. Complete my summer reading list.

8. Finish the master bedroom de-clutter/makeover we've been working on.

9. Have a standing, twice-monthly breakfast date with my daughters.

10. Host a wine tasting party for my girlfriends.

What's on your summer must-do list?

0

2014 Word of the Year

And just like that 2013 is over. Time to move on to bigger and better things in 2014.

I stopped making resolutions years ago. Instead, I started making goals. Lists of things I wanted to accomplish and master within the year.

We often start the year off eagerly. Lots of goals and resolutions can only mean one thing in the end. Failure. Too much too soon leaves us feeling frustrated and defeated. 

So, this year I am switching it up a bit. I am choosing a word for the year, and throughout this year I will live by that word.

My word for 2014 is FEARLESS.

Fear holds us back from doing so many of the things we want to do...things we NEED to do. This year, I'm not giving in to my fears and inhibitions. It's time to take control of them, conquer them, and kick them to the curb.

Here's a good example. I belong to a gym. Most of the time I stick to the cardio and weight machines. To me they are safe. I know how to use them. I know the people who use them. Group classes scare me. I know how ridiculous this fear is. It's silly, but I am intimidated by group classes. I have this fear that everyone knows one another. One big clique that I am not a part of.

Then there's also the irrational fear that everyone will think I am out of shape. I have to remember that it's a gym, and we are all there to get and stay in shape. For the most part, I have avoided most group classes for these 2 reasons. I have made excuse after excuse to avoid taking them. But not this year. I am conquering my fear of group classes.

That's just one specific example. The bottom line is that fears can have an overwhelming and subconscious control over our every day lives. We avoid certain situations out of fear. Fears keep us from doing what we desire and from being who we want to be.

Being fearless is being free. I want to wake up each day and say, "Today I will not be afraid to ____________________." and fill in the blank any way I wish on any given day.

I want to choose bravery.

What will you choose this year?

0

Major Milestone: Celebrating Six Months Soda-Free

In a few days, I'll be celebrating a major milestone. I'll be celebrating six months of drinking absolutely no soda. Not a drop. Not a sip. Nothing.

Now, for many of you this may not sound like a big deal. For others, you know that this is major. Like monumental. Like climbing Mount Everest monumental.

It all started when I was a kid. I grew up on Sprite. As a child of the 70s, soda was my parents' drink of choice. Soda was en vogue in the 70s. Coke and Sprite were ever-present in our refrigerator. And just as it was cool to lather baby oil all over your body and soak in the sun all day, it was equally cool to drink soda.

My high school and college years passed in this same vein. Our college dorm fridge was ALWAYS filled with cans of diet coke. My roommate's mom would buy it by the case at a ridiculously low price at Wal-Mart, and we would happily slurp it up.

During my post-college years when I was working at my first job, it seems my habit became worse. I was working for an electronic publisher and my strict deadlines forced me to pull many an all-nighter. Since I wasn't a coffee drinker, Diet Coke got me through my long nights. I'd often drink 5 or 6 cans per day.

Diet Coke was my comfort food. It tasted good, and it made me feel good.

When I became pregnant, I kicked the Diet Coke to the curb. It was purely a treat that I enjoyed once per month, at the most.

But of course, once I had my babies, the Diet Coke became a permanent fixture in the refrigerator once again. I wasn't overly concerned about my little ones seeing me drink soda. I'd explain it as a "grown up drink".

Four years ago when I was diagnosed with high cholesterol and high blood pressure, I embarked on a clean eating crusade. I cut all the junk food from my diet. It wasn't difficult. I knew I had to do it for my health. But the one thing I could not give up was my Diet Coke. My beloved Diet Coke.

It was my security blanket at a time when I was grappling with health and anxiety issues, not to mention parenting two young children. I needed my Diet Coke to get through these hard times. I was a junkie, and I needed my fix when times got tough.

And then Lent rolled around. What would I give up that was worthy of a true sacrifice?

Diet Coke.

For 40 days and 40 nights, no Diet Coke. Not a taste.

I got through it and did this for 3 straight Lenten seasons in a row. This past February was no exception. I stopped drinking Diet Coke on the first day of Lent. For the next 40 days and 40 nights, I continued.  I powered through each day without the help of my crutch.

And you know what I realized? I didn't miss it. I didn't need it. And, I felt better without it.

Today, almost 6 months after giving up Diet Coke, I still haven't had a drop. I am so far passed the point of no return now that I won't go back. I don't want it. I don't miss it. In fact, I am so aware of how bad soda is for my body that I have no desire to put it into my body.

I don't want this post to be about the dangers of drinking soda. I want readers to walk away inspired to make the change in their lives that they've always wanted to do. I want you to feel empowered to make a change, to make a positive impact on your life no matter how big or small.

If I can do it, you can do it too!

0

2013: What Will You Make of It?

A new year. A clean slate. A chance to start all over.

I tried the resolution thing. It didn't pan out. I lost my resolve and ended up feeling defeated.

I tried the goals thing. Goals worked better than resolutions, but I set too many to achieve and felt like a failure.

So I've spent some time over the past few weeks thinking of how I want to make 2013 different. Here's what I've come up with:

1) I want to stop focusing on what I don't want to do and start focusing on what I want to do.

2) I want to better organize my storage areas. My attic and garage are a mess. I want to purge what we no longer need and use and give to those who have a need for it.

3) I want to take back our master bedroom. It is too much of a storage area. I want it to be a retreat not a big closet.

4) I want to go somewhere I've never been. A new town. A new city. Somewhere new.

5) I want to learn how to use my new camera...every single feature of it.

6) I want to blog more consistently. 2012 was a yo-yo blogging year, and I often became disappointed in myself for not being more regular.

How about you? Do you make resolutions? Goals? A bucket list? How will 2013 be different for you?

0

A Welcome Change: Unplugging on the Weekends

At the beginning of the summer, I decided to take back my weekends. The writing, blogging, and tweeting would stop on the weekends, and Facebook-ing would be kept to a minimum.

Some of you are reading this now with jaws to the floor asking yourselves, "Why would she want to do that?"

Here's why:

• I want to spend time with my children and husband without distraction. I don't want my daughter yelling at me from the end of a diving board insisting that I look at her rather than at my phone.

• I want to live in the moment and for the moment. I don't want to hear about the missed moments hours later from my family...with snarky commentary about how I missed the moment because my face was in my phone or in my laptop.

• My children are a much larger investment for me than my blog. This is not to say that a decision anyone else is making is any less noble. We all do what is right for us. If I had larger readership, advertising, etc., my choice may be very different.

• It will be there on Monday morning.

I've actually felt a huge relief since deciding to fully commit myself to my weekends. I don't have the feelings of guilt that I once had. I don't question where I should be spending my time. I've created work hours and family hours, and I'm sticking to them.

Not only has it been liberating, but it has also helped me to manage my priorities and my time.

It's been a win-win!

0

Kiddie Academy: Case Study ~ Cory and Summer

Cory and Summer Bullock are proof that running a successful Kiddie Academy franchise doesn't require a lifetime of experience with children. With passion, determination, and drive, you can create your own success, just as this young couple has.

Cory and Summer Bullock opened their Kiddie Academy franchise, located at 2010 East League City Parkway in League City, Texas, on August 18, 2008, at ages 27 and 24.

The Bullocks have achieved tremendous success, and as the youngest franchisees in the system, it proves that age is no barrier when owning a Kiddie Academy franchise. They have reaped the rewards of owning a business and watching children grow in front of them.

Background: With his commitment to the Navy coming to an end, Cory Bullock and his wife, Summer, began looking at opportunities to start their own business. During their search, they researched various franchise industries, including tanning and food, before settling on child care. After about six months of looking, they came across Kiddie Academy through an Internet search and inquired for more information. Shortly after, they came to Kiddie Academy’s headquarters to meet with the corporate staff. Unlike other franchise companies who closed doors in their faces due to their young age, Kiddie Academy opened their doors to Cory and Summer with warm, welcoming attitudes. They knew then that they had made the right choice with a company that could bring their passion for children and dream of being business owners together.

Goals: The Bullock’s main goal since day one has been to operate a successful, well-run business that provides parents and children with the best care possible. They aim to do so by upholding the Kiddie Academy brand image, as well as their personal image within the community. Looking down the road, Cory and Summer continue to work on expanding their current academy with the possibility of opening another location in the future.

Challenges: When opening their Kiddie Academy location, Cory and Summer were faced with the challenge of building brand awareness and establishing themselves in their local community. However, the Bullocks accepted the challenge head-on and relished the idea of starting a business that was new to the area. They were determined to set themselves apart from their competitors by promoting the fact that their location was not a typical “day care.”

Results: Despite the fact that they were new to their community and surrounded by competitors, the Bullocks have achieved monumental success - both from a business and personal standpoint. They have consistently maintained high enrollment numbers, created a well recognized and respected brand presence in their community and formed many solid relationships with the families they serve. Cory and Summer have had the pleasure of seeing the results of their hard work in the many children they serve. They have seen the quality of the product first-hand with the children’s advancements and accomplishments.
 

 
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All factual information was provided by Kiddie Academy. All opinions are my own.

0

A New Year & Making Changes

A new year often brings change. For  many people it means reinventing themselves. While I am not going so far as to reinvent myself, I will be making some changes. I am disclosing everything here with the hope that having it in words for everyone to read will make me more accountable for my actions (or lack thereof).

1. Exercise, exercise, exercise
I am such a yo-yo exerciser. I am gung-ho for months, and then I lose all motivation. The Hubs and I joined a great gym at the end of August, and I was on a roll until we left for vacation mid-November. We returned. Kids were sick. I became sick. And the rest is history. I haven't been to the gym since November 8th. Gasp!

This year I am VOWING to be a regular fixture at the gym, but not to be fanatical. If I overdue it, I lose all interest. I am going to try some classes and mix up my routine in hopes of not becoming bored.

2. Work, create, produce
In 2011, I started to monetize my blog. I've earned some money...a few bits and pieces here and there. My goal for 2012 is to reach new heights in my blog monetization. I want to grow my readership, create new business alliances via my blog, and produce great content.

3. Live, love, laugh
As with my business goals, my personal goals are just as important to me. I want to knock a few items off my "bucket list" this year. One of the biggies is sky diving. Ahhhh! Yes! I am finally going to take the plunge...literally. On Christmas day, my niece Lindsay and I committed to doing this in 2012. I want to pour myself into my family and enjoy every moment with friends.

4. Everyday importances
And then there are the every day goals. Keep my home organized and clean, follow a weekly meal plan, cut household costs, eat a healthier diet, drink more water and less diet soda (ugh!), savor the little things. They are the small things but no less important than the big ticket goals.

I am now officially accountable!

How about you? What are you hoping to accomplish in 2012?

0

Mommies need timeouts, too

Mommy had a meltdown the other day, and, like most mommy meltdowns, it wasn't pretty. I wasn't proud of my behavior. When I saw the look of horror on my children's faces, I knew I handled the situation poorly. Shame on me for coming to that realization only after seeing their faces. Clearly, I should have known better.

If I discipline my children for poor behavior, shouldn't I do the same for myself? Why should I be entitled to behave differently than that which I expect of my children? Well, I shouldn't, and doing so sets a bad example. Yes, we all short circuit at one time or another. It's no excuse. If I am teaching my children to think before they react, I should practice what I preach as well.

In light of my shameful and horrid behavior, I have instituted "Mommy's Timeout" for myself. What's good for them is good for me. During this timeout, I will:
- Promptly remove myself from the situation
- Reflect on my behavior and how I could have handled it differently
- Write down what I was thinking and how I was feeling
- Write down how I think my children were feeling
- Write down how I will handle similar situations differently in the future
- Share the above with my children

My timeout will have no pre-set time frame. When I've had an adequate amount of time to reflect, I will return and share my thoughts with my girls. My hope is that if/when a meltdown occurs, I will quickly learn from my behavior and the resulting timeout so that timeouts will be infrequent. I also hope that my girls will have a better understanding of what triggered my meltdown so that we can work together to avoid the dreaded mommy meltdown.

After all, no one wants to see the mommy monster rear her ugly head.

If you have a tips for handling mommy meltdowns, please share. I'm all ears!

0

Happy New Year - Make it count!

The start of a new year brings so much promise. It's thrilling in some respects. Many people make resolutions. Others set goals. I do a little of both. Sometimes keeping the resolutions and meeting the goals becomes challenging. Often, as the year moves on, I evolve, and what was important to me on January 1 just isn't as important on June 1.

As I reflect on 2010 and look forward to 2011, I'm keeping the mantra "Make it count!" in my mind. So often we go through our days, weeks, and months doing the same things over and over. Never stepping out of the box. At the risk of sounding cliche, our time on this Earth is short. You've got to make every moment count.

Is there something you want to do? Then do it. Is there somewhere you want to go? Then get there. If there is an obstacle, get it out of your way. It's up to you. No one else can do it for you. Look to the new year as a time to make things happen for you.

There are very few second chances. Don't live with regret. Make this year count!

0

100 Mile Challenge - Week 2 Recap

Another week down, and I am still going strong! Hopefully, I won't lose momentum this week when we travel to Denver. I've already missed this morning's workout because I was busy packing. I'm hoping to squeeze something in today. We shall see...

Time is ticking. I am almost half-way through my challenge.

Here's how things went down during week 2:

Total miles walked: 20.205

I had 2 rest days last week. I am finding that those rest days are really helpful, especially after the days that I include a significant amount of running in my workout.

Total miles walked through week 2: 40.607
Total miles to go: 59.393

Only 4 more weeks to go!

0

100 Mile Challenge - Week 1 Recap

I made it through the first week...alive and in one piece.

I was aggressive. I have some traveling coming up next week, so I'm trying to get ahead now knowing that when I'm in Denver, I won't be full court press with the walking.

After Week 1: 20.402 miles. Only 79.6 to go!

0

My 100 mile challenge

Sadly, it's always a visit to the cardiologist which motivates me to hop back on the exercise wagon. Ever since I've gotten my treadmill, I've been walking (and struggling through a few runs) somewhat regularly. But I haven't been incredibly consistent, and I haven't held myself accountable for my workouts or lack thereof. I need to raise my HDL, and one of the proven ways to do so is through regular exercise.

Over the weekend, I finally decided that I needed a long-term plan, a goal. I wanted a goal that was achievable yet challenging. So, I came up with a 100 mile challenge. Between July 18 and August 27th, I will walk 100 miles. I have six weeks to walk 100 miles. That's 42 days to log 100 miles on my feet, an average of 16.67 miles per week.

Can I do it? Will I do it? Can I keep the momentum up for 6 straight weeks?

Follow along here. Each day that I workout, I will log my stats at Daily Mile. You can track my progress by checking the Daily Mile widget to the right. When I started my 100 mile challenge, I had already logged 44 miles at Daily Mile. So, my ultimate mileage goal is 144.

My reward? The freedom to indulge during my vacation from August 28 - September 4!!!!!!!!!!!!

0

I'm published!

My writing is going to be featured on Examiner.com. Yay! I'm a published writer! I'll be writing primarily about local events, activities and goings on from a stay-at-home mom perspective. But don't let that stop you from checking out my articles. Some of them will be general parenting topics and general interest pieces.

Click here to see my profile page and read my articles. Click! Click!

1

A Better, Fitter Me, 2010

Who isn't on a fitness quest this year? It seems everyone I ask has some kind of fitness or weight loss resolution this year.

I officially kicked off my personal fitness campaign on Friday. To follow along and hopefully become inspired, check out The Fitness Diaries.

Here's my inspiration picture. I think I can! I think I can!

1

Project 365

I'm embarking on a new endeavor for 2010, Project 365. It's a blogumentary of 365 days of my life. I'm incredibly excited! This is just the discipline that I need.

For more details and to take a peek, visit http://sheilasproject365.blogspot.com.

0

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU!

I love how a new year brings renewed hope. Every one's eager to make serious changes and improvements. It's refreshing.

I, for one, have lots of plans for 2010. Read more, bake more, cook more, exercise more. The list goes on, but you get the picture. I want to do more of the things that I love to do but always seem to put at the bottom of my list. This year, I'm going to make it a priority to do those things and to integrate them into my every day life.

I'll post my goals in a week or so, but for tonight, I'm going to enjoy a quiet evening at home with my family. Just hanging out enjoying each other's company. It's the simple things...

Wishing you a new year filled with peace, prosperity, good health and happiness!

1

Learning to Ride

Summers are designed for laid back, easy living. No goals, no time lines, no structure. But this summer, my household has one goal: to teach Emma how to ride a bike (sans training wheels, of course)!

Because she's so eager to learn, we've taken it upon ourselves to make it our top priority this summer.

0