Backpack Makeover: A Butterfly Backpack.

I was very proud of D for choosing a quality backpack over the character ones, so I decided to dazzle it up a bit.   This is my FIRST sewing project, and my first time ever using a sewing machine.  Thanks to a quick lesson from a friend, I have been introduced into a whole new world of crafting.

I saw a cute tutorial here:  Taidye Original


Before:

  

I followed the tutorial at TaiDye Original to make the wings.

I wanted the wings to be removable, so I added snaps instead of sewing them on.

 

And I added the wings to the back of the backpack, so it would look like she had wings when the backpack was on.

And the final product:

A Boob, Time Magazine, and a Soap Box

I very rarely (or maybe frequently, if I am being honest) get so emotional that I feel the need to publicly vent, but I was upset seeing Time Magazine this month that I am starting up my blog again.

I am NOT this upset that women breastfeed older children. 

I am NOT this upset about the image on the cover, because I understand that sensationalism sells.  (Although I can imagine how unhappy that little boy will be with it when he is about 13)

I am NOT this upset at the title, which has a lot of bloggers in a tizzy.

I AM this upset because I am judging these women.  I would love to get on my high horse and say that mothers make the choices that are best for their children and that we should all accept and support those choices.


That would be hypocritical.

To say I am opinionated would be a drastic understatement.  I have opinions on just about everything and don't hesitate to share them.  At what point do my opinions become judgements?

When I am judging someone we tend to think "I would never do that."  Now I'm reminded of all the times I judged others and then found myself in the same situation: letting my kids watch too much TV,  going into public in pajamas,  never getting around to you sending thank your cards after a birthday party,  bribing my children with candy, taking my husband for granted. 

There are an abundance of websites dedicated to defining the difference between opinions and judgements.  I believe (an opinion) that an opinion is how one feels about an issue (i.e. I think you should breast feed, if you can, for a year).   It becomes a judgement when you draw a conclusion or think less of someone with a different opinion (i.e. There is something wrong with that mom for breastfeeding that long).  A judgement happens when we fail to respect others opinions. 

I can think of all the ways I'm not judgmental. 

I support gay marriage.
I have friends from a variety of different religions and backgrounds.
I don't judge people by their ethnicity or my family background.  

Do these things should make me nonjudgmental?

Because, I can also think of ways I have judged people in the last week.

I judged this mom on the cover of Time.
I just a friend who is getting a divorced.
I judged a good friend for buying a new car instead of paying off a credit card.
I judged an acquaintance for having a messy house.

Are these small, insignificant judgements any better than the larger judgements? 

Novelist Paulo Coelho wrote, "We can never judge the lives of others, because each person knows only their own pain and renunciation. It's one thing to feel that you are on the right path, but it's another to think that yours is the only path."  There are countless ways to raise your children, manage your finances, or maintain a marriage, I do not have all the answers (I just pretend to).  Reserving judgement and respecting differences will be a lifelong learning experience for me and hopefully rub off on my children.


Will I ever judge someone again?  Probably.  Definitely. 

Will I stop to consider other people's situation and respect their opinions?  Hopefully.


So thank you Time Magazine for making me a better person.  (fingers crossed)

Progress...

I feel like I am finally on the upswing!  I have managed to be eat better this week, and gotten a little exercise.  Yesterday, we walked home from my parents house, instead of driving.  It may seem like a small thing, but it makes me feel good!

I tackled the office, girls' room, and master bedroom today.  I am starting to feel like an organized house is within my grasp.  It seems like my drive and ambition follows the laws of motion.  Once I start cleaning and organizing, I don't want to stop.  Getting over the inertia and getting started is the problem.  The key is to keep on top of everything each day, because I struggle with the day to day stuff that keeps my house from becoming overwhelming.

I had a great afternoon with my hubby and the girls today.  We went on a long nature "treasure" hunt and collected lots of great "treasures,"  and got some exercise.  While I am not an outdoorsy person, I don't dislike the outdoors.  I have OCD tendencies and issues with dirt, so it is a struggle to accept that my children like to dig in the dirt and pick things up off the ground.  I try really hard not to let my OCDness rub off on my children, but every once in a while I catch myself saying "ew, don't touch that!"  I did a good job of letting go today, and letting Dinah pick up all kinds of dirt!

Getting ready to go:

The "Treasures"

Tomorrow,

March Free Stuff

I just got around to uploading my free stuff pics from March.

The best part about this picture, is that I got paid about 2.26 to purchase these items.  The Gain was 1.87 at Walmart and the coupon I had was for $3.00 off one.  The new Walmart coupon policy allows you to apply the overage to your other purchases, or get cash back when a product costs less than the coupon!

31: A Manifesto

A few weeks ago, I caught myself replying to the age question by saying "I just turned 30."  As if "just turning 30" somehow meant that I wasn't quite 30.  As my latest birthday approached, I found myself dreading the number 31.  It means accepting that I am in my 30s.  Rationally, I know that age shouldn't matter, and I have accomplished all the goals I wanted to achieve by this age (husband, kids, house, minivan).  So why am I having such a hard time coming to terms with my age????

My house is a mess and I can't seem to keep it under control, I am overweight and on the verge of becoming diabetic, my husband's job situation is out of my control, our financial situation is uncertain,   my grandmother is having some serious health issues, and my baby is getting ready to turn 1 and I am struggling to come to terms with the fact that I wont have any more babies.  I am having a hard time dealing with all the stress and uncertainty, which causes my relationships with my family to be less than stellar.  Shouldn't a person in their 30's have better control over their life, and be more content and settled?

I don't intend to be a complainer, or whine about my life.  Some of these things are completely within my control, and it is just up to me to get the motivation to change them.  The other things are just things I need to learn to deal with.   I am actually hoping that when I look at this in a year, I will feel like a totally different person.

I intended for this blog to be a part of my journey to making my life better, but have avoided the blog as much as I have avoided expending any effort to make my life better.  Five months later, I am ready to give it another go.

So here is to the next year.

Challenge Day 1 - Rocky Start

I had a moderately successful day.  I ate well, spent quality time with the kids, and cleaned up my downstairs.  I didn't exercise or do anything extraordinarily productive, but it's a start.

I feel like my life is an overwhelming emotional roller coaster right now.  I feel like I am behind and can't catch up.  I have a list of stuff a mile long, but none of it seems to get done, and the list keeps getting longer.  I am struggling to keep the house clean, because it gets messy so quickly.  I feel like all of the things that I enjoy are getting put on hold because I cannot tackle the things I need to do.

On a happier note, the girl had fun doing a bead craft today....

And playing a game of "big bad wolf looking for the little girls sleeping in their secret house."  With H and I playing the Wolves.

H is turning into a monster!  He decided that crawling around the living room and playing with his toys isn't fun anymore.  I keep having to chase him through the house and hide all the consumer electronics!

"hahaha...I am getting into stuff!"

Free Stuff!

For those of you that think couponing is crazy....

I have told about a million people about my new found love of couponing.  I regularly buy entire carts of groceries for under $20.  I am not an extreme couponer, I spend maybe 10-30 minutes a day on "couponing."  I follow a few blogs that highlight the best deals of the week and let me know when free coupons and samples are available.  I also regularly write to companies of products that I purchase and thank them and many of them send generous coupons in return.

This weekend I decided to go Free Shopping and use all my freebie coupons.

Here is what I got:

Total cost = $0

 (value approximately $88.87)

This is actually untrue, Price Chopper actually refunded me $.01 because my coupon for an item was $1 off and the item was .99 cents.  The girls rings up all my stuff and says "oh, I owe you a penny!"

**additional notes: Mike just came home with three more boxes of fruit snacks, a bottle of Gain, a Secret Deoderant, and another travel Tide.  Free and NOT PICTURED!!!

This doesn't even touch on the stuff I get very cheap by couponing and finding sales or the free sample I get through the mail. 

Here are a few of the blogs I follow:

So, happy couponing!!!!