Is It Just Me?

Getting Off My Ass

I need to get off my ass. I've had this secret for some time: I'm super lazy. I have never exercised in my life. Even during high-school gym class, I would sit it out. Ok, I'm selling myself short because I played basketball in elementary school, I ran track in Junior high and I played softball for like 10 years. So there was a time I was an active person. That time was like 20 years ago. 

After babies, everyone's body changes. I get a lot of shit from people when I say that I need to lose 10 pounds or that I am chubby. Because yes, everyone, I am fully aware that I am a tiny person. I am . I am 5'4. I have no idea how much I weigh at the moment but I would guess 130# which is a lot for me. And you might be much bigger then that and feel great about your body. Or you might be a little bigger then that and need to lose weight also, and all that is fine. It's all about how YOU feel about YOURSELF. I would love for people to stop giving me crap and realize that for me, myself and I, I need some work. That is no a comparison to anyone else or a judgement on anyone else's body. So there. 

And here's a secret also...people keep looking at me like I have two heads when I talk about how fat I am. Because to them, there is just no way I am fat. They think I'm being stupid and they think they are so much worse off then me. While I might be 5'4" and tiny... I also carried two babies just like most of you. Unlike a lot of friends I have, I also got a stomach covered in stretch marks out of the deal. Yes, I wear a size 5, but I'm still forever hiding a flabby stomach, because that apparently doesn't care what size you are. The point I guess is that I dress well enough to hide the fact that I have 10 extra pounds lingering on this body. 

I decided to finally just get off my ass and do the Couch 2 5K with two friends. There is a really great free app for iPhone. So, I'm starting today. Let's see if it works wonders on the laziest person ever. :)

I also realized this morning that because I have never worked out, I have no clothes to do that in and I have no idea what to get to be comfortable. (My everyday sneakers are actually really nice New Balance running shoes becuase I fell in love with the colors). 

BabbaCo: Boredom Busters

This has been the longest winter of my life, or at least it felt that way. Being snowed in every weekend and getting a serious case of cabin fever is one thing...but doing that and being expected to take care of two little kids with cabin fever is a special kind of torture. 

Pinterest has been a saviour but seriously, how many super creative things can I come up with for two kids. It's one thing to come up with everything, buy supplies, implement said craft..etc. But throw into the mix two little ones at different learning/development levels; you're talking some serious fun. 

I'm lazy. I try really hard to make all the great things the internet tells me I should. But I get tired of cutting up construction paper and gluing cotton balls to various objects. Enter BabbaCo to save my days. 

 BabbaCo is a monthly subscription service that could possibly change your life. I know, big words from the mommy blogger, but it's seriously genius. 

Sign up for BabbaCo Boxes and each month you will be send a super awesome activity box with a theme. I was given the Backyard Birds box. 

 (a sample, so I didn't get the every activity). Coraline was so very excited to try the box. Included was a book "Feathers for Lunch", a sticker book about birds, and supplies to make a adorable bird nest. * In addition to these things the full box includes a bird song app. for your smartphone and a wooden birdhouse to paint!. 

Coraline loved the book that taught her the names of all the birds. She could not wait to build the bird house. We did this project together and we had so much fun. I haven't seen her this excited about a craft project in a long time. 

If you aren't crafty, BabbaCo can definitely fill the gap in your at home life with your little ones. If you are crafty they can send you new ideas with all of the supplies you need. I love that each box has a theme that is rounded out with books and apps. 

Join BabbaCo today! They have billing options from per month to yearly :)

The No Candy Easter

I have a confession to make: I am completely 100% sick of candy holidays. From Halloween on I feel like I am bombarded with pressure to feed my children as muc candy as possible. From Halloween on, every holiday seems to revolve around buying and consuming as much candy as possible. I just got rid of the Halloween candy bucket and I'm hit with Valentines Day, all too quickly followed by Easter. (Even St. Patrick's Day has those chocolate gold coins!) 

Candy makes my child an insane person. No joke. I can't take it. 30 minutes after consuming refined sugar wrapped in artificial colors, Coraline is a totally different person. A bipolar hyperactive stranger in my sweet little girls body. 

We are not a religious family, so Easter has no spiritual meaning for us. The celebration for us is much more about the coming of Spring..at long last. I don't want to give up the celebration all together. I don't want to take away the joy of the Easter Bunny. But I'm putting my foot down on the candy. No more candy. No more holidays revolving around candy. I'm done with it. 

So here are this years Easter "baskets". No Candy Baskets, with a theme of "Hooray it's Spring!"

Instead of baskets: Pink tote bags: $3

Elephant Watering Cans: $1

Kid Size Garden Tools: $1 each

Butterfly Net: $1

Flower Seed Starters: $1 each

Bug Viewer: $1

Each of my girls gets this assortment. I know they are as anxious as I am to play outside, plant our garden and seek out creatures. So much more fun then a cheap chocolate bunny!

In addition I got 2 bigger things, both a little tongue in cheek because it is still snowing on these first days fo Spring. A Snoopy Sno-Cone Maker...which is still exactly the same as when I had one when I was little. A Kit to make sno-globes. Coraline loves Sno-globes. 

So, this spring, I urge you all to skip the candy. Haven't we all had enough already?

Lessons from 90's TV..then and now

I watch a lot of television. It probably has a lot to do with the fact that growing up, my father worked for the cable company. Television has been a big part of my life for a very long time. When my best friend was watching a lot of Joss Whedon's shows, I went along for the ride (even rewatching things I had seen), which led me to watching 7 full seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Which led me to my current "it" show, Felicity. They have no relation to eachother other then the time period that they were on the air. I have this thing where I can watch the entire series even if I already saw it during it's original airing. Maybe that is weird? It's me. 

I graduated highschool in 1998, which means I am pretty much the same age as the people on the show, at the time, going through very similar experiences. Although Buffy was technically two years behind me, still in highschool when I was starting college, it was close enough. I didn't watch Felicity when it was on the air, because I was actually living my own college drama at the time.  

My husband asked why I watch these 90's shows now, what's with the flashback. It's fun to go back. It's fun to remember that our pants were wide legged with waists up to our navels but our shirts were still mid-drift baring. We worse our hair in twists and owned clips shapped like butterflies. Our shoes were platforms with clunky heels. We definitely wore more sweaters. 

It all made me analyze so many things, about life, tv, learning, growing. 

When these shows were on television, I obviously related to the main characters. Omg, poor Felicity! What was Buffy thinking? etc. But while rewatching these shows, I catch myself saying things like ... "Oh her poor parents"  and "Why aren't they calling their parents for help?". I now relate to parents. I am a parent. I have crossed the divide. 

There are two sayings that forever in my head have conflicted with eachother that sum it all up well...

" These are the best times of your life" people will say about high school and college. 

"You couldn't pay me to be...insert young adult age...again" 

But why is that? If they are the best times of your life wouldn't you want to relive them? Nope. Because I agree, you couldn't pay me to be 18, 19, 20...again. Nope. While it was one of the best times of my life, once was enough. 

Because being a young adult is like your first day at a new job. It's terrifying. Everything that happens is a catastrophic learning experience. Even if you went to college for 4 years before getting your job, you lack the practical skill set needed to accomplish the task, at least on the first day. For about 5 years of young adulthood, everyday is like that first day of work. Until you have learned the life skills. So, you couldn't pay me to be that age again but it was the best. The best in a different way then having babies is the best. Ya know? Everything was new and fresh and passionate and important and vital and all encompassing. 

Why do I watch them over? I wouldn't want to live it over, but it's fun to sit and remember once in a while.