An open letter to the expectant mommy

This is meant as an open letter to anyone who is expecting, but I wrote it thinking of two of my dear friends who are expecting.  One who will be welcoming a baby girl any day now and one who will be welcoming a little boy in a couple months.  It actually started as an actual hand-written letter which morphed into this. 

Your little one will be here any day now.  I am so excited for you.  I’m excited for you to feel the pure joy and love when you hold your little one in your arms.  It’s amazing how someone so small can change your life forever.  Nine months in I’m certainly no expert, but I’d like to share part of my journey as you transition into the next phase of yours.

I never felt as bonded during pregnancy as I felt like I should.  I felt so sick and I was unsure of how I’d handle being a mom.  I didn’t grow up around babies like a lot of other people.  I worried I wouldn’t bond with my daughter.  When she was born I remember it feeling surreal (not the labor part!).  It was so strange that I was suddenly responsible for this little person.  I had grown her and done everything I could to keep her safe and healthy, but I had never seen her before.  During those first few hours I held her, fed her, and stared at all of her tiny features.  She was perfect.  By the end of the day I would have walked through fire for her.  I wasn’t fully prepared for the love that flooded parts of my hearts I didn’t know I had.   Those first few hours are sacred and you can’t get them back.  Hold her, bond, and don’t feel obligated to let anyone else hold her until you’re ready.  Someone told me that and I was so very grateful. 

Many things were easier than I anticipated.  I always worried I wouldn’t know what to do when she cried.  Sometimes I didn’t, but it was okay.  I figured it out.  I was patient when nothing helped.  I didn’t realize how heartbreaking her cries would be.  The sound still breaks my heart.

Other things were hard.  I couldn’t have ever imagined the sheer exhaustion those first few weeks.  I remember a couple days I was alone and had no idea how I’d make it through the day.  One day I had the flu and the baby didn’t care.   I found strength I didn’t think I had.

 I would be relieved she finally fell asleep but my heart would ache because I missed her.  I can’t say that’s changed.

Once you figure things out, it’s time for them to change.  I remember sleeping almost through the night a couple times, and then a sleep regression happened.  I haven’t slept a straight 8 hours since the beginning of my pregnancy.

I am a worrier but I’ve never worried so much.  Is she breathing?  Is her head too flat?  I googled the flat head thing at 2am during a feeding.  I was convinced she needed a helmet.  She’s fine; her head is perfect.  Nothing good comes from google after a certain time of night.  My husband accepted that I’d check to ensure she was breathing every 10 minutes.  It’s gotten better but it’s still a nightly thing.  Every night when I go to bed I pray for her.  When she was tiny I’d hold her hand for a minute before I went to sleep, but now I don’t dare touch the sleeping baby.

Things changed so much more than I ever thought.  My daughter isn’t the best sleeper which means that on a good day when I’m home I have 2 total hours of naptime which are spent running around the house to get things done.  My time is even more precious and it’s hard for me to commit to a weeknight dinner with friends because I know I won’t get to see her.  There’s just not enough time each night.

I have very strong opinions.  We’ve researched and we know what is best for us, but there are always so many people who can’t be pleased.  They offer their suggestions for things I’d never do and I just smile and nod.  I know what works for us and for the most part I follow my instincts.  They are there for a reason.

I feel so special to be this little girl’s mom.  I’ve lost myself more than I assumed I would and I don’t care.  I wasn’t warned about that.

So, I have a few pieces of advice for you.  Don’t doubt yourself; you know your baby better than anyone else does.  “I’ll keep that in mind” is a helpful phrase.  Ask for help.  Don’t be hard on yourself.  Don’t google things at 2 am. Don’t do what society tells you to; do what your instincts tell you to do.  Build your tribe.  There are so many facebook support groups with amazing women.   There are always things to be done but you’ll never regret playing longer and holding your baby longer.  Take pictures because it really does go so fast.  Remember that you’re doing great.  And finally, remember I am always here for you.  My phone lives on silent now but I am here.  Text, call, snap, facebook, whatever.  I have no doubt that you will be an amazing mother and I am so excited for you.

Looking Back: 2015

I’m not sure how it’s the end of the year already, but 2016 is almost here.  Each year I take some time to reflect about the events of the year and my goals for the future year.  2015 had some big changes.

In February I said good-bye to my Alero of 12 years and bought a crossover.  My Alero had seen its better days but I’m a VERY sentimental person and may have cried a bit as I bid my car goodbye.  I love Betsy though (my crossover), I’m a bit obsessive with her being clean ALL the time.  I’m still excited that I get to drive her and haven’t quite got over the shock.

To celebrate our anniversary we took a much needed long weekend in Santa Barbara.  I’m not sure how long it had been since our last vacation, but it was far too long.  The trip ranks in my top 5 of all times and I quickly fell in love with everything about Santa Barbara.  We were able to walk everywhere and felt like locals by the time we left.

In June we committed to going completely added sugar/sweetener and refined-grain free for a couple months.  We’ve continued this and are super selective now, but I can’t imagine going back to the way it was before.  I don’t miss sugar/sweeteners, I have more energy, feel much healthier, and I’ve lost 30 pounds which I’m pretty darn happy about, especially since it was in a healthy, sustainable way, something I’m very passionate about.

This is the year I become obsessive about my tea.  Water, tea, and wine are my jams now.  I’m not joking about this tea thing; a day without tea is no day at all.

I turned 30 this year and am still moving along.  It was a really big birthday to me; I guess it was the age where I thought I should feel like I had my life together.  I don’t have all the answers but I certainly feel much more like an authentic grown up than I did last year.

We finally decided to officially put down some roots and bought a house in September.  It had been our home for a bit, but it’s a pretty great feeling knowing that it’s really ours, or will be after our next 278,987 payments (it feels that way anyhow).  That being said, the process was long and one of the most stressful things I’ve dealt with in awhile.  I’ve said that we will be living in that house for the rest of our lives so we never have to go through that process again.

The home buying process was so stressful that we decided to go back to Santa Barbara for my b-day to celebrate, but the closing date changed weekly and it was hard to plan.  In my mind we would recreate the wonderful trip we had taken in February, but by the time we knew what was going on we weren’t able to book reservations early enough and there was literally nowhere in Santa Barbara to stay unless we wanted to pay $800 a night.  Contrary to popular belief, working in public service doesn’t really pay well enough for that.  We decided to still go to Cali but stay somewhere else.  Almost everything for the entire trip was a mess and it didn’t turn out AT ALL like we had planned, but it reminded us that even when things are messy we still have each other and needed to make the best of it.  I think I would have been okay having missed out on that lesson and having things just work out.

Mr. C and I took on quite a few big projects around the house after our house closed.   I was very happy with the house before, but I love the changes and I feel like it really reflects our personalities.  I wouldn’t have said we were the handiest people, so I’m very proud of what we’ve done.  I’ll be blogging about the updates and posting pics so I won’t say too much, but we spent hours at Home Depot (literally HOURS), got our hands dirty, bought a lot of new tools, and somehow made our house even more of a home than it was.

This was my first full year in my current position and I’ve finally settled in.  I feel like I’m where I belong and I only wish I would have made the change earlier, although I still believe it happened at the perfect time.  I have more work but I wouldn’t change it for anything.  I am really thankful to work in an amazing organization I believe is truly changing the climate of post-secondary education.

This year we were fortunate enough to have some visitors this year.  One of my best friends and his boyfriend came to visit earlier in the year.  They’re the kind of people who are perfectly content playing games, checking out our favorite restaurants, and shopping, so it was a great, low-key time. 

My parents recently decided this was the year they were going to try to become some sort of snowbirds and will be a walk away from our home.  To commemorate this, they hosted Thanksgiving in AZ and for the first time in 12 years I was able to spend Thanksgiving with my cousins, aunt, uncle, parents, and Mr. C’s parents, brother, and uncle.  It was truly amazing to have everyone together in one place and amazing to have a home full of people we love.  My parents will now be spending part of the year down the street for us and I’m so thankful to have them close. 

What were your highlights of 2015?  I’m excited to see what 2016 has in store for us!

The Big 3-0

I turned the big three-oh a couple weeks ago.  I’ve celebrated my 27^th birthday three times now, but this year I think it’s a little harder to deny that I am in fact moving from one age bracket to another.  The “2” candle I have no longer is applicable at the front portion of my age.  This is new territory.  This birthday has been a big one because last year the big 3-0 was looming and I felt like I was in the same place I had been at 24.

I graduated at a horrible economic time and I stayed in a low paying job for far too long (not that I’m quite raking it in now).  My car was readily falling apart, and although it wasn’t something we had ever wanted here before, we didn’t really have roots.  I’m shocked when I think about everything that’s happened this past year. 

I’m so grateful everytime I get into my grown-up car and still shocked that I get to drive it everyday.  I’ve now been at my “new” job for a year and I can’t imagine myself doing anything else.  We officially have roots and it’s a terrifying and great thing.  I know there’s a lot I don’t have, but mostly there’s a lot that I do.  I have what I need, some of what I want, and some of the best people in my life.  I feel like have some semblance of having at least part of my crap together, or poop in a group, as my dad likes to say.

I love lists and I really, really, really wanted to make a list of the 30 things I’ve learned in my 30 years, or the 30 things everyone should know, or something else related that would allow me to write another list.  One of the things I’ve learned in my 30 years is that you don’t always need a list though.

However, I have learned a few things that I’m going to share because, well, this is my blog and I can.

It’s important to take care of yourself.  I try to work out 4-5 times a week because it makes me feel better. It’s an added bonus if I lose a couple pounds, but that’s no longer my focus.  I get crazy excited when my average resting heart rate is lower than the typical average.  We’re probably spending too much money on food but it’s real, healthy food, and it was totally worth trading in our froyo budget for legit food.  What goes into your body has a direct impact on so many aspects of your life.  Sleep is also a part of that, but I haven’t quite caught onto the sleep thing yet.  I’ll work on that during the next 10 years so I have something to write about when I hit 40 (that sentence almost gave me a panic attack btw – just realizing that 40 is only a short 10 years away). 

To add to that, I also think it’s important to be just as critical of the products going on my body as the food going in it.  I look for products that are natural if possible or at least void of parabens, sulfates, and some other nasty chemicals.  I think it’s important to support companies that offer products that aren’t polluting our world and treating it as disposable.

Next lesson - Toxic people are simply not worth it.  It’s hard and it hurts cutting off some relationships, but sometimes it has to be done.  There’s a point where it’s no longer possible to stick around being a good friend when it’s tearing you apart.  It’s hard to make that decision though to let go.   There are other relationships that just fall apart due to time, distance, or growing apart, and sometimes they’re worth fighting for with everything you have.    I’ve learned to tell the difference and grieve the friendships that just weren’t meant to be. 

There are things that have to be done because that’s just how life goes, but there’s a lot that doesn’t.  Don’t feel like going out?  Then don’t!  Don’t feel like calling the car saleslady back?  Block her number (possibly not the best decision, but it was effective)!.  Don’t feel like going to bed at a reasonable hour?  Then stay up and continue watching youtube videos of Jimmy Fallon and his lip syncing battles or those cute little ducks.  Don’t feel like cleaning the kitchen or even the house for a week?  It’s cool – the house will still be standing and the kitchen will not be invaded by roaches, not even one.

Don’t apologize for who you are (unless you have legit issues that need attending to).  I’m at a point where I feel more comfortable in my own skin than I ever have (my hair is much better too!).  I know what I like and I love that I finally do.  I’m an alt music loving girl who watches too much TV, has never met a cardigan she didn’t want, is an obsessive organizer, takes her own grocery bags everywhere, gets more excited about a new washer than the Kate Spade purse that was crazy on sale at the outlet, loves Jesus, bright colors, her family, her grumpy cat, the little dog that she’ll always call a puppy, and the boy she fell in love with when she was 17.  I don’t have everything all figured out but what I have is enough and that’s what I’m focusing on as I enter this new frontier of the thirties. 

I’m still in a bit of denial that I’m really 30, however when I look at how far I’ve come from my ideas, opinions, beliefs, and dreams at 20, I think that it must be true.  Maybe by the time I’m 40 I’ll have really figured everything out, but I won’t hold my breath!

What are you listening to?

Anyone who knows me knows I'm a bit obsessed with my music.  I like to think I’m pretty versatile but alternative is by far my favorite and my radio is tuned to alt nation about 99% of the time.  

When I was in high school I was broke (and in debt to my dad for borrowing money) all the time due to spending almost all my money on CD's.  My BFF and I bolted out of school to get to Target to buy the "NOW" CD's the Tuesdays they were released. 

I was frequently in charge of music when I was the passenger and I happened to be a bit bossy about my requests when I was the driver also.  I considered myself an amazing mixed CD maker.  One minute Ja Rule would be on and the next song was a Christian song, followed by something country and then maybe some Michelle Branch to round it out.  Unfortunately I wasn't blessed with any musical talents other than my mix making, but my love of music is something that's never gone away. 

I remember frequently waking up Saturday mornings and deciding to get out of bed so I could listen to my new CDs.  That feeling isn't something that's common for me anymore, but the other day I downloaded some songs I loved and got up a bit earlier the next day so I'd have time to enjoy more of them as I got ready for work.  Anything that makes me get up earlier than needed on a weekday is a pretty big deal. 

I'm long overdue for a "things I love" post, so this one is devoted all to the music that's been dominating my stereo.  Also, if you haven't gotten on the Spotify bandwagon, I highly recommend it.  You can listen to entire albums for free.  While it hasn't eliminated my itunes shopping sprees, it's cut them back a bit.

The albums I can’t get enough of:

• Invisible Friends by Lily Wood and the Prick
• Favorites: Prayer in C, Hey It's Ok, Water Ran, L.E.S. Artistes, This is a love song.  The first few lines of (No No) Kids, make me laugh everytime.
• Reflections by Misterwives - Reflections is an amazing song, but I think all the rest are pretty great too.
• Montevallo by Sam Hunt - here's that country I was talking about
• Favorites: Ex to See, Break Up in a Small Town, Take your Time.
• Modest Mouse has a new album coming out soon which I'm SOOO excited about, but for now, I'm loving the song Lampshades on Fire.  It's oh-so-weird, and I wouldn’t expect anything different from them.
• Mr. C would like to also add that the Fall Out Boy album is amazing.  I knew he wanted to buy it so I downloaded it one day so he could listen to it on his way home from work. Sometimes I do sweet things.

The songs I’m playing over and over:

• Carousel by Melanie Martinez
• Bad Friend by Bear Hands
• It's a Longer Road to California Than I Thought by The Wind and the Wave
• #icanteven by The Neighborhood - I love anything by them, and I could listen to this song all day
• Honey, I'm Good by Andy Grammer - I'm glad to see there's finally a song against cheating (I do realize the song listed right before this one addresses cheating)
• All Over by CRUISR
• A Rush of Blood by Coasts
• Peaches by In the Valley Below
• Habits of my Heart – Jaymes Young

My list ended up a bit longer than expected.  Let me know what you think if you check these out!  What songs are you currently loving?

My 2014 in Review

It’s that time again where we reflect on the past year.  Radio stations play the top songs from the year.  Businesses compile lists of their best selling products, and iTunes has a tally of their top selling books.  Instead of my usual blog form posting about my year I decided to jump on the bandwagon and make my own list.  This year has had its rough patches but I’m focusing on a few of my favorite good things for this.

5. Mr. C starting his internship for his Master’s in principalship - It’s not mine but I’m counting it anyhow!

4. Branching out in my exercising routine and enjoying it (seriously)

3. Joining Jamberry and promoting twice in one month to become a senior consultant!

2. Spending time with family – we went to Nebraska twice, visited family in Denver, and had some visitors of our own throughout the year.

1. Starting an amazing new job as an academic advisor!

I hope 2015 has great things in store!  Thank you for being a part of my 2014.

29 things

Last week I turned 29.  Wasn’t I 25 yesterday?  In all honesty, I really have no desire to be 25, or even 21 again, but 27 is another story.  Although it may feel like I was just 25 yesterday, when I really think back to my late college self, I realize just how far I’ve come and how much I’ve learned about relationships, myself, and life in general.  Here are the 29 most important things I know now at 29.

1. What you put in your body is important. I weigh my options when I'm looking at food.  I buy only brown cage-free eggs now, I prefer my beef to be grass-fed, and I do appreciate organic and GMO-free options.  I simply can't eat what I ate when I was 21.

2. Friendships change.  In my mid 20's and even a couple years ago, this was very hard to accept.  I struggled to hold onto relationships that were over and resisted change with others.  I've come to realize that some friendships are toxic, some have run their course but will always hold a special place in my heart, and others are unconventional but just work.

3. It's great to have someone cheering for you in your corner, but nothing shows true friends more than when hard times hit.  These are the times that make or break many friendships, but it's like weeding out a garden.  The friends left are the ones who stick around for the cold, the freezes, the harsh winds, and the days after.

4. Parents are people too.  They were people before me and were once the young couple with their whole lives before them.  They don't know everything but their advice is priceless, even when I don't listen.  

5. Wine and dark chocolate should be considered staples.

6.  Medical stuff can be the scariest thing on earth.  I'm terrified of sharks but nothing is quite as terrifying as medical related things.  Hearing the word "cancer", among other scary medical conditions, in any sentence directed at you or someone you love in a doctor's office is scary as hell.

7. Opinions change.  Things I thought were horrible 5 years ago don't seem so horrible now.  Everyone has their own method of parenting, dealing with relationship issues, and life views, and that’s ok.  Diversity is what keeps things interesting.

8. Plans change.  The straight line that was going to me from point A in my life to point B now looks like a 2 year old's drawing of a tornado on a line graph.  Detours happen, but these detours can be some of the best thing; things we didn't even know we wanted.

9. People who are dragging you down because of their negative attitude, gossip, or meanness, aren't worth your time.  Usually they're unhappy with themselves and taking it out on everyone else.  Move on; there are a lot of amazing people out there!

10. Big things are important in a marriage/relationship, but the little things are just as important sometimes.  Sometimes a small, thoughtful gesture says more than an over-the-top one ever could.

11. Morals matter more than money.  When I was younger I remember telling my dad that I just wanted a job I was happy with.  He argued that I'd want a job I could make money with.  It turns out we were both right.  I had 3 job offers a month or so after graduating and I took the one that paid the best.  After a month I left because I couldn't stand the lack of business morals.  I ended up in the low paying job with people I loved and an environment that fit my values.  Money is important, but it’s never worth selling out if you’re unhappy or compromising your values.

12. Everyone is dealing with something, whether they talk about it or not.  Cut them some slack, understand that they may have more going on than you could ever imagine, and let it go (I hear the frozen song in my head everytime I type/say that...).

13. Exercising really can be fun, or at least not horrible.  I never thought I'd get there, but I actually enjoy working out.  I mostly love the feeling after and knowing I'm doing something great for myself.  I learned what I like and I’ve finally stopped trying to be a gym person.  It’s just not for me.

14. Be yourself.  At this time in my life I have a pretty good idea of who I am and who I'm not.  I have strong values.  I know what kind of music I like, the food I prefer, and the kinds of people I want around me.  I’ve wished I was another kind of person at times, but I am who I am and I’m pretty happy with that.

15. Don't be afraid to fail.  I took a job for which I wasn't prepared, didn't get the training/support I was assured I'd have, and realized quickly that I had taken the job for the wrong reasons.  I remember talking to my mom when I told her I was going to quit and she expressed worry that I'd regret it.  I quit the job after less than a week (yes, it was that bad, and I don’t quit jobs easily) and have no regrets.  Sometimes you have to just accept that something didn't work, learn the lesson, and move on.

16. Sometimes you just need to say no and that's okay.  Most of the time, no explanation is necessary.

17. You can't expect people to read your mind.  When I was little I wanted a pink convertible for my barbies so badly.  I asked Santa for it 3 years in a row, and finally during the third year I complained to my mom that Santa just wasn't doing his job very well.  I finally received that long awaited toy that third year.  It's hard to expect people to read your mind, and it’s certainly not fair to be mad when that doesn’t happen.

18. God does have a plan.  Sometimes it feels like everything is falling apart, but we only see the little bit in front of us whereas God sees everything.  So many times I've been upset because something didn't work only to find out later (sometimes years later) that I dodged a bullet.

19. Change is easier in some ways, harder in others, and completely inevitable.

20. If something about someone else annoys you, you're probably annoyed because you dislike that quality in yourself.

21. In general, things are not as difficult as they seem.   Usually the hardest step is the first.

22. People will always ask intrusive questions.  Handle them with tact and try not to turn into one of those people asking the intrusive questions.

23. Driving across the country without stopping is not as easy as it was 5 years ago.

24. It’s important to pick your battles and sometimes that means letting the little things go.

25. Surroundings have a profound impact on attitude and happiness.  I'm talking about the aesthetic things; textures, colors, smells, light, etc.  I'm so much happier when I'm surrounded by pretty things and it's hard for me to think when things around me are messy or dirty.

26. Whoever determined the recommended 8-9 hours of sleep was onto something.  I’m not quite sure how to make that happen along with working, cooking, laundry, and life, but it’s a great feeling when it works out.

27.  You can handle more than you think.  It's shocking what you can do when you have to.  I look back on things now, some minor, and some major, and wonder how I got through that time in my life.  Usually it was a combination of supportive friends and family, my family, positive thinking, and determination.

28.  Sometimes you just need to fall apart.  Life can be hard.  Bad things happen; people get sick, finances are tight, people die, and there have been times I wanted to curl up in a ball and hide out until things got better.  It’s okay to fall apart now and then and sometimes it’s very necessary.  Take a breath and remember that things will get better.

29. There will always be something to do, but sometimes it's best to make the decision to forget it all for awhile and have some fun.  Some of my best memories involve silly, stupid moments.

Age is just a number (to an extent).  I thought I’d have it all together by this point, but that’s not quite how things work.  I don’t have everything together, but I’m figuring it out as I go and I think I’m doing alright.  There’s no magical age that everything clicks (or so I’ve heard) and I imagine that when I’m 39 I’ll still be trying to figure everything out, but that’s okay.

Summer 2014

It’s been FOREVER since I’ve blogged and I’ve missed it so much.  Seriously, you guys have no idea.  I feel like there’s something missing when I’m not writing, even though half of the time I’m not doing anything with what I am writing.  In any case, my heart has missed this place.

How have you been?  You should totally tell me in the comments below, but since you can’t answer me now I guess I’ll continue this semi one-sided relationship by sharing what I’ve been up to in the last few months.

First off, my happiness project didn’t go quite as planned.  Shocking, I know!  While I did make some great changes, I am not getting 8 hours of sleep a night and my closet is still a mess.  I have organized some areas that I had been putting off and it’s great.  If you have something you need to organize you should totally do that after you finish reading this post that I foresee being quite long.  One of these days I’ll work my way up to the closet but for now I’m happy with the little wins and I’ve had lots of those.

Mr. C and I went to Nebraska for10ish days in July and it was amazing as always.  

I got to catch up in person with one of the best friends ever.  It’s amazing how we never run out of things to talk about and even across 1,329ish miles, she’s always there for me.

We spent the 4^th of July with my family and my youngest niece, who still thinks her family is cool, sat by me at the fireworks and said the funniest things you could never think of.  One of my favorites was her explanation of why Miley Cyrus’ songs were no longer played during the fireworks display.  My previously mentioned amazing friend joined us too and was lucky enough to get in on the commentary. 

While we were there we got a rental car and drove to Lincoln to see a few friends.  I do not at all believe in those crazy rental insurance fees they try to rope you into so when we were asked if we wanted the extra insurance that would cover our co-pay if something happened, I only hesitated for a moment after saying no.  The girl said there wasn’t hail in the forecast and it was only one day so that just confirmed that I did not need their crazy insurance that was really just a way for me to pay 40% more.  The drive to Lincoln was great.   Playing some games with my friend and her daughter was great.  The rain clouds were not so great, but it was ok.  Dinner was great.  The clouds that kept getting darker were getting less and less ok.  Our mini tour of their game collection and suggestions was great, until we heard the sound of hail.  That was definitely not so great.  Mr. C ran outside to move the car but it didn’t really matter.  Lucky for us, there was no damage, however I learned a very valuable lesson about sometimes buying that dumb insurance.   The night was still great, and so much fun that I forgot to take any pics.  I guess that means we have to go back! 

We spent the night (not like that!) and next day with a couple other friends and there was more game playing and eating and fun had by all.  It was a very low-key, easy going trip and it was great.

I love how green it is.  You don’t appreciate the greenness of it all until you live somewhere that has brown dirt and rocks as front yard décor.   We left Lincoln as the sun was setting and I couldn’t help myself from trying to capture the beautiful sun hitting the fields.  The pictures just aren’t the same.

The night before we left we went for a walk and my dad talked us into crossing the street to look at this amazing family.  We stood at the fence for a bit and eventually the mom ran up to us and let us pet her.  I can’t look at these pics and not smile.

I saw a friend I hadn’t seen in years, spent some time with my sweet grandmother, played some games with two of my amazing nieces, visited my dad's huge garden, had some girl time with my mom, did lots of cooking, some project finishing, and just hanging out.  Someone told me awhile ago that eventually I won’t want to go home anymore.  I simply can’t imagine that happening.  A little part of my heart remains there and although I love the home Mr. C and I have made, Nebraska will always hold that little part of my heart. 

Back in Arizona, Mr. C and I are getting back into the swing of things.  I’ve lost my house-husband since Mr. C went back to work, and it’s sad to think that I cannot leave the kitchen full of dishes and come home the next day to a clean kitchen, but I’m hoping Coconut may start picking up the slack.

Right before we left for NE I became a Jamberry Independent Consultant!  If I’m being honest, I was hooked about 2 minutes after I heard about the product and before I even tried a sample, but I tried to contain my enthusiasm.  They’re non-toxic nail wraps that are made in the U.S.A. and last for up to 2 weeks on fingers and 6 weeks on toes.  You get 2 manis, 2 pedis, and some extras in each package and  I LOVE them!  I tried painting my nails with normal polish after I took off my 2^nd set of wraps and it was horrible!  I’m not sure I’ll ever go back to normal polish!  You can check out my site at: http://jencentner.jamberrynails.net and if you’d like a sample I’d love to send you one!  I’ve done a couple facebook parties and my first home party a few days ago and I’m having a lot of fun.  Mr. C has been super supportive even though he refuses to wear one on his nail.  He’s no fun sometimes.

This month I was planning to focus on my blog and etsy shop for the August happiness project goals with a sort of entrepreneurial/outside ventures theme and that seems perfect with my new Jamberry adventure.  I’m revising the month to work on growing my business, refocusing on this little blog I’ve missed so much, and finally listing some of my crafts on Etsy, although with things gearing up at work I may have to put off that last one a bit. 

I hope you’ve had a wonderful summer!