Simply Said

It’s official. I am finally jumping in and getting my feet wet…so to speak. Those of you that are in NC and know me, know that I fell in love with Simply Said the moment I went to my first party at Tracy’s house. I had never heard of Simply Said but I am always down for a party so it didn’t matter. Michelle was the consultant that came to her house and Michelle has a personality that lights up a room. She is warm and genuine and that really shows through when she speaks. She talks about how the product sells itself and it really does.

I booked my own party to get me some free stuff and it was a hit. There are so many things that you can do with sayings and designs. I consider myself to be really creative but Simply Said allows you to be creative even if you are not. They do most of the work for you and you just have to figure out where to put it.

After going to a few more parties, all done by Michelle, I became intrigued. At the last party that I attended before moving back to RI, I spoke to Michelle about becoming a consultant. I was so interested but wasn’t sure how I would do since I really am not a sales person. She emphasized how much it sells itself. I decided to give it a shot once I got to RI after she told me that there were only two reps here in RI. I mean what is the worst thing that will happen, I will have all the great things for myself.

Well my transition took a little longer but lately, it has been heavy on my mind. And then I get an email from Michelle. What great timing. So we have been chatting and I am going to a training in MA on February 4th. I am so excited. I really think that this might be the thing for me. So be prepared to start booking some shows.

Here is the link so that you can all see what Simply Said is all about: www.simplysaiddesigns.com

Projects I Want to Tackle

After giving it some thought, I have come up with some things that I want to start tackling in our house for 2012. All of them are things that we can take with us to our home so nothing will be wasted.

Living Room
• Slip covers that actually fit
• Covers for pillows
• Painting for over couch
• Picture Rails
• Paint End Tables
• Area Rug
• Coffee Table?
Dining Room
• Paint Dining Room table *already started this*
• Recoat dining room chairs if I can
• Curtains for windows
• Find way to minimize clutter
Master Bedroom
• Pillows for bed
• Dresser
• Curtains
• Something big for above the bed
• Storage
Boys’ Room
• Curtains
• Dressers?
• Duvet Covers
• Pillows
• Bed skirts
• Personalizing each boys space
Bathroom
• Something above the toilet
• Towel holder
• New Rugs

Decluttering My Life...Stage 1...The House

As I posted yesterday, I had a new found energy. When I left work, I had to go pick up Nathan and Larissa. I still managed to make it home by 6pm due to the holiday. I made dinner, we ate and I got to cleaning. I wish I had taken pictures.

There are days when I can’t stand to look at things, all things….toys, clothes, knick knacks and just about anything. I am de-cluttering my life this year, starting with my house. I went right up to the boys room where it’s always the worst room. Toys, clothes and papers everywhere. They manage to turn that house upside down the day after it is cleaned. I think that is mainly to do with the fact that they just have too much. I have been doing my best to not add to that. I have been throwing out all broken toys, donating all old toys they no longer play with and just keep things simple. The last time I did an overhaul on their room, I got rid of a lot. Then I started throwing what I found throughout the house into a gray storage container. Now that was the first problem. That box was filled to the max ! I went through it and found slippers that no longer fit, toys that were no longer played with, broken pieces to toys that had already been thrown out and garbage. Really? So I grabbed a big black trash bag so that nobody would see what I was taking out of the room. Just as I was leaving the boys room though, the bottom of the bag ripped and out came all the stuff just as CJ reached the top of the stairs. He immediately wanted to know where I was taking everything and why I was putting it in a bag. I told him that I was cleaning for out upcoming move (in 4 ½ months…yes I am still counting) and I needed to start putting things away that he might not need until the move. I was surprised when that answer was good enough for him. He went back downstairs to play and I proceeded to get it all bagged up and out of the room again. I also took that darn gray bin out of the room so that nothing else ends up in it…lol.

Then I went downstairs and worked on the living room. There were still leftover Christmas presents and from everyone being sick all weekend long, the living room was horrible and I couldn’t stand to look at it any longer. I started giving the kids things for their rooms one by one. It is not done yet but it certainly looks a lot better and I won’t be embarrassed to have anyone walk in now.

I guess I should add in that last weekend I cleaned the basement. That is Jose’s territory and I try to stay away from it but when I see it getting out of hand, I have to step in! My heart broke yesterday when I got home from work and saw the mess. Jose will clean it but not the way I need it to be cleaned. He does an ok job in an emergency but he really cleans like a guy. I usually can’t find anything when he is done and things are piled up and shoved in places they don’t belong…lol. I have to give him credit for trying but I wish he would learn how to do it right already !

Tonight I will finish the living room and move onto the kitchen.

The Power of Prayer and Faith

For the first time in a long time, I feel good. I wouldn’t have said the same thing a couple of days ago. I left work on Friday sick as a dog. Spent Friday night and Saturday hugging a toilet with the 48 hour bug that I managed to get from my 5 year old. A few thoughts were running through my head while I was making the mad dashes from bed to bathroom those two days. Most importantly though, like most people, I resorted to prayer.

I started out by apologizing to God for having him absent in my life recently. I have always had such a strong faith and I still do but my communication with God has been lacking. Ok, the truth is that is has barely been there. There has been so much going on that I feel like it has taken all of my energy to really just keep my head above water…emotionally anyways. With the restriction of not being able to do anything, my mind and heart reached out for the one person I know is always there….God. Why has this journey been so hard? Why I can’t seem to get things in order? Why don’t things feel right? Why have I been sick since we got here? So many questions, so much doubt. That is it! Doubt! Why am I doubting what God is giving me? Why am I not trusting that this is all happening for a reason? So after those 24 hours of what seemed like the worst thing I have ever experienced, I realized it. God couldn’t help me because I wasn’t making room for Him in my life.

I know that some of you who might not share the same faith are thinking that I am totally nuts. Think what you may but let me just tell you. I went to bed tired, stressed and overwhelmed on Saturday night praying for God’s help and making room for Him in my life and I woke up Sunday morning a new woman. I was over the bug. I could keep food down finally. That wasn’t all though. I had this new found energy. This new found spring in my step. I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I felt like I could do anything. I felt like my old self again. I did my grocery shopping. I started all the decorations and fun stuff for Diana’s lunch on Sunday and really enjoyed myself. CJ helped me with a lot of it and I didn’t even get frustrated with him once. It was truly a miracle. I am back after months of struggling.

Last night before going to bed, I made sure to have my daily communication with God. I made sure to thank Him for everything wonderful in life, for giving me the strength that I was lacking. I talked to Him about my godparents and my mom and when I was done, I felt so much better and drifted off into a deep sleep. Again, I work up refreshed today ready to take on the world. Today is a good day!

Monkey Bread

CJ and I made Monkey Bread. Have you ever had Monkey Bread? I am not that into sweets but let me tell you, Monkey Bread has a special place in my heart. I must perfect making little ones though because I love the juicy top parts and get bored with more dried out pieces that are near the bottom.

Here is a picture of our beautiful treat !

Isn't she beautiful? Yes, I realize how crazy I am.

A Straggler

I know that Christmas has passed. My tree has been down for a while and everything is away but I wanted to share a picture that I had on my phone and never had a chance to share. This is what Christmas is all about to me.

A Suprise Guest

I have had this picture in my cell for a couple of weeks now. I took it with the complete intention to put it on this blog and show you the quirkly little stuff I sometimes come home to.

Here is what I found on the kitchen table when I got home.

Yes, that is Batman hiding out in a bag of Cheese Puffs. I am not sure how well you can see it but he is actually in the bag...lol. I would love to know what CJ's thought process was when putting him in there...silly little boy.

My 2012 To-Do List

My 2012 To-Do List

I am going to keep it sweet and to the point. I always seem to add to my list and over-complicate things. I have to admit that I am at a point in my life that I am content. I have to so much to be thankful for. I have gone through so much and have come out kicking and screaming.

I have learned that things like relationships with family and friends (like on my to-do list last year) are things that evolve through time, not just a year. It is great to work on them year after year but it’s not something that can be checked off of a list.

So after giving some thought to the things that I would like to accomplish this year, this is what I have come up with. These are simply areas that I would like to work on this year.


• "FAMILY”. I have learned throughout history and from my mistakes not to expect too much. I just want to work on spending more quality time with my family. I have been trying to get a grip on Nathan’s meds for his ADHD. I am also trying to deal with the fact that Larissa will be 18 this year. My relationship with CJ is ever evolving and I learn something new about him each and every day. And of course I am always working on my relationship with Jose. And lastly working on myself so that I can be a better person.
• “HOME”. I feel as though this needs a little bit of explanation due to past posts. I have realized that the feeling of home does not mean that we have to own it. My home growing up was an apartment. We lived in the same apartment for about 12 years and that was my home. I didn’t care that it wasn’t a house my mother owned. All that mattered to me was that my mother made it “home” for us. So I am making it my priority to make the remainder of my stay at this current house as much of a home as I can. And the next house or apartment we land in, I will be make sure to make it our home. Owning it or not will not stop me from turning it into our home.
• “EDUCATION”. I really want to go back to school this year but I don’t know if it will happen or not. I have put it on my list for the past couple of years and failed. I want to go back and I hope to go back but if I can’t then I will be ok with that. Education goes beyond school though. I want to take a cake decorating class and I want to take sewing classes too. I love to learn and I want to have fun learning about whatever I can. Maybe even a photography class of some kind…who knows?
• “NC”….visit my friends in NC that I miss so much !

Family Game Night

Long before Jose and I moved in together and long before CJ was even born, Friday’s used to be Family Game Night with Larissa and Nathan. I have always loved board games. I think that they are fun and a great way to spend quality family time without all the electronics bogging up our world today.

Last night, CJ wanted to play a game. Him and I do this quite often, just the two of us. I love that he is old enough now to really enjoy some games and I pick and choose games that I think he would enjoy the most. For Christmas he got Toy Story Operation. Instead of the old school Operation man in the game, it is Buzz Lightyear.

Did you happen to notice that the card has pink on it? With all the excitement, we managed to tip over a glass of fruit punch on the table and got it on some of the cards.

I was still cooking when he was done setting up so Jose decided to sit and play with him. After hearing some giggling and laughing going on, Larissa decided to join in and when Nathan came down, he wanted to be part of the fun too. An accidental Family Game Night I am calling it. We played a good eight rounds before we finished up. It was an amazing time with my family and it makes me consider bringing back our Family Game Night.

I managed to grab my cell and snap a few good pictures of the boys deep in concentration…lol.

If you look at the pictures closely, you will notice that my once brown table is now white. Well, it’s primed at least. I did it this past weekend. I have been looking for a change and finally decided to take the leap. I plan on finishing the painting this weekend and then I will post pictures of that project.

Happy Birthday Elvis !

I LOVE ELVIS PRESLEY!

Biography
Elvis Aaron Presley was born to Vernon and Gladys Presley in a two-room house in Tupelo, Mississippi, on January 8, 1935. His twin brother, Jessie Garon, was stillborn, leaving Elvis to grow up as an only child. He and his parents moved to Memphis, Tennessee, in 1948, and Elvis graduated from Humes High School there in 1953.

Elvis’ musical influences were the pop and country music of the time, the gospel music he heard in church and at the all-night gospel sings he frequently attended, and the black R&B he absorbed on historic Beale Street as a Memphis teenager.

In 1954, Elvis began his singing career with the legendary Sun Records label in Memphis. In late 1955, his recording contract was sold to RCA Victor. By 1956, he was an international sensation. With a sound and style that uniquely combined his diverse musical influences and blurred and challenged the social and racial barriers of the time, he ushered in a whole new era of American music and popular culture.

He starred in 33 successful films, made history with his television appearances and specials, and knew great acclaim through his many, often record-breaking, live concert performances on tour and in Las Vegas. Globally, he has sold over one billion records, more than any other artist. His American sales have earned him gold, platinum or multi-platinum awards. Among his many awards and accolades were 14 Grammy nominations (3 wins) from the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award which he received at age 36, and his being named One of the Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Nation for 1970 by the United States Jaycees. Without any of the special privileges, his celebrity status might have afforded him, he honorably served his country in the U.S. Army.

His talent, good looks, sensuality, charisma, and good humor endeared him to millions, as did the humility and human kindness he demonstrated throughout his life. Known the world over by his first name, he is regarded as one of the most important figures of twentieth century popular culture. Elvis died at his Memphis home, Graceland, on August 16, 1977.

For a fun, interactive walk through Elvis’ life, visit the 75 years of Elvis Timeline developed in celebration of Elvis’ 75th Birthday Celebration.

My Stairs and a New Way of Thinking

I fell down my stairs this morning. I was the last one in my family because everyone has already fallen down the stairs since we moved in, actually in the last two months or so. I think that the stairs are jinxed. There are so many things wrong with this house that it just wouldn’t shock me.

Have I voiced on here how much I hate my house? Yeah, yeah, yeah! I know that if you have been reading my blog or go back and read my blog, you will find where I say how happy I am with the house and what a good job Jose did picking the place. I was wrong. I said it and I will say it again. I was wrong.

This only reinforces why I am so scared to buy a house. From the outside the houses look great. It isn’t until you live in it that you start to see all the things wrong with it. This house has been one problem after another. Our half bath (if you can call it that) has been broken since July without an end date in sight from the landlords. When we take a shower, water goes downstairs into the back hallway. The toilet constantly gets clogged for no good reason at all. The sink in the bathroom barely drains. The upstairs only has heat in the bathroom. The kitchen cabinet doors all get stuck. The ice maker doesn’t make ice, it’s not even connected. The carbon monoxide/smoke detectors are seven years expired and don’t work. And that is all just what I can think of off the top of my head. AND according to our lease, these are all our problems. I am happy that our lease is over in June and that we can actually get away from it. This time I will be reading my lease from start to finish.

I don’t think that I have discussed my issues with this house on here yet but I have addressed how I can’t wait to get out of here and into our long term HOME soon. I have realized something important though…maybe due to my positive quotes of the day…lol. I need to stop dwelling so much on the negative and wasting my time complaining. The truth of the matter is that we are stuck here for another 5 months. I can either complain for 5 months or I can make the best of it. I am actually tired of hearing myself complain. So although we will only be here another 5 months, I need to continue to try to make it feel as much like home as I possibly can. I had given up doing this. I had tried and then go really pissed that I couldn’t paint that it just knocked me off of my decorating kick. It really does suck that I can’t paint but there is still so much I can do that will make the house feel better and it’s time that I do it. So here are my thoughts.

I took some time to look around each room and see what I would like to change and if anything needs to be changed and put a plan into action. Here is what I am thinking...

Living Room
• Slip covers that actually fit
• Covers for pillows
• Painting for over couch
• Picture Rails
• Paint End Tables
• Area Rug
• Coffee Table?
Dining Room
• Paint Dining Room table
• Recoat dining room chairs if I can
• Curtains for windows
• Find way to minimize clutter
Master Bedroom
• Pillows for bed
• Dresser
• Curtains
• Something big for above the bed
• Storage
Boys’ Room
• Curtains
• Dressers?
• Duvet Covers
• Pillows
• Bed skirts
• Personalizing each boys space
Bathroom
• Something above the toilet
• Towel holder
• New Rugs

Counting My Blessings

Today’s Positive Quotation:
"When I hear somebody sigh that life is hard, I am always tempted to ask, "Compared to what?"
It might sound corny, but it does help to “count your blessings” so that you pay attention to all the good things in life.

Everyone looks at someone else and thinks how wonderful it would be if you could have their house, their job, their furniture, their money, their happy family. There are two things that are very important to remember when you are in one of those moments.

First of all, things are not always what they seem. What appears to be a happy family is not always. What we see as outsiders is not always what is on the inside. No matter how happy appear to be, they have problems just like you and I. They are just better at hiding them than you might be.

The last thing is that just like you are looking to someone who has more than you, there is someone who has less than you looking at you and wanting what you have. There is someone out there wishing they had what you have. There are people much less fortunate that you who would love to have a fraction of what you have. Sometimes we forget that. Because we want more all the time, we forget what we already have. We try to teach this to our children but sometimes we forget to take our own advice.

Controlling Your Reactions

Today's Positive Quote:
"People don't just get upset. They contribute to their upsetness." -Albert Ellis
I'd like things to go my way, but, really, there's nothing that says they should. I need to remind myself that I have what it takes to improve my mood-and my life.

You can't control many of the things that happen to us but we can control how we react to it. My goodness ! If I could count the times that I said that to my oldest children. I am a big believer of this already. Maybe I don't always apply it to each aspect of my life as I would like though. This will be my motto this year for sure !

Today has been a bit stressful at work. It seems as though all the customers that I have delt with today have had every issue under the sun and are just down right mean. It set me in such a bad mood and then it hit me. I am going to take this stress home and take it out on my undeserving family. So instead I took a walk to the bathroom and took a deep breath. This is just one day. I will not allow these people to put me in the same mood that they are in. I am not a miserable person. I am going to go home with a smile and enjoy my beautiful family tonight. I hope you all do the same.

Looking at things differently

Today's Positive Quote:
"Sometimes our fate resembes a fruit tree in winter. Who would think that those branches would turn green again and blossom, but we hope it, we knew it." -Johanan Wolfgang Von Goethe.
My life is filled with ups and downs. If today is a bad day-or this week is a bad week-I know it's not forever and that I will come through it.

What a great quote! Things change. Our emotions change, sometimes a little too quickly. There are days when I feel like things will never get better and then they do. Funny how when they get better, the bad times don't seem so bad anymore.

This past year has been filled with ups and downs. Without those bad times though, I would not be able to really appreciate the great times. The struggles that the kids have had in school only make the good grades that much more important. The health issues remind us that we need to not take our health for granted. Having to get up for work each day means we have jobs and how quickly we forgot what it was like looking endlessly for a job. Being thankful for what I have needs to take center stage. I need to take the time to really see what I have instead of always looking at what I don't have. 2012 is a year of new beginning. It's all about what you make it. Let's make it a great year !

Happy 2012 Everyone

I want to start by wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2012.

My very best friend got me a book for Christmas. Not just a book but "The Daily Book of Positive Quotations". What a great gift. It's just what I need sometimes to keep on going.