I Have a Problem

I have a crafting problem.

I visit a craft store (AC Moore, Micheal's, JoAnn's) at least once a week.

I mean, it could be worse, I could be frequenting the Back Side Tavern or 4th Street. But instead my habit includes things like yarn, stamps, glitter, and card stock.

I can go into the store with the intention of buying one thing, and walk out with 10 that I don't even need. I'll buy craft supplies for crafts I don't even do just because they look neat and I'd eventually like to try (ie. rubber stamp carving kit). I always have the best of intentions.

I am a serial project starter.  I can have as many as 5+ projects going at one time.  It drives me mad knowing that I have all these unfinished things just looming. So I am setting some new rules:

Rule #1:  I may only have 2 projects going on at the same time

Rule #2: I will not make any craft related purchases unless they pertain to current projects

Rule #3: I will finish at least one project per week

Rule #4: I will make a list of all projects I would like to do

(I'm going to make a separate page on here so I can keep track)

Rule #5: If there is a new project I'd like to try, I will add it to the END of my list (unless it is time sensitive, ie. a gift for some occasion)

I'm hoping that by putting this in writing I'll stick to it, and stay on track. The holidays are fast approaching and that's usually when I really go berserk with all this stuff. (Note in the picture below, under my desk, the two wooden items I have yet to complete from last year...)


I could sit in my little office/art room for hours. I pull up the blinds or switch on my little light, turn on some music (usually something relaxing like Michael Buble), and get down to business. For a few minutes or hours I get to escape to a different place. I want to repaint the office to something lighter, but this room will eventually turn into baby #2's room whenever that happens. I figure I'll be repainting it again for that anyway, so why make poor Hubs do it twice.

No one puts Baby in the corner!

My work area is actually incredibly neat, it's the closet full of supplies that's scary. I'll take a picture of that tomorrow to share with you. 

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Pizza for $3.00? Sign me up

Mmm

Since we are now a one income household I'm more mindful of how we spend our money.  I will admit I used to be a brand whore, meaning I always bought brand name, well known products.  I guess I always figured if it is so well known and the company has the $ to launch such extensive marketing and ad campaigns it must be good.  You would think I would have learned after my hair was still frizzy and limp, that that wasn't necessarily true.

 My how the tides have changed.  I'm a regular at the dollar store and I don't discriminate against store brands anymore.  On the other hand, I have become very particular about cleaning products (all natural) and food (organic), but I'll buy shampoo for $1 without thinking twice. Needless to say, I am always on a mission to do things cheaper and I'm always on the hunt for a bargain.  I wouldn't call myself 'stingy', I like to think I'm being 'cost effective'.

This new attitude, combined with my do-it-yourself nature, caused me to re-examine all our meals to see if I could save a buck or two.  So, I figured I'd share my finds with you.  Let's take pizza for example.  I already refuse to eat delivery pizza for the most part because it's expensive and not that good (except on South Street).   We had already switched to making our own using those pre-made crusts which run about $5 for a pack of 2.  Not terrible, but that's just the crust, no sauce, cheese, toppings, what have you.  I decided to try to make my own crust. Low and behold....I made an entire pizza for $3. I'm really stickin' it to the man now!

I made a whole wheat dough (so easy), cheese, green pepper, Canadian bacon, sauce, and some spices.  (The sauce was store bought, that's next on my list)  DELICIOUS. Below are a few pictures chronicling my adventure.

It has risen!

All sauced up and ready to go

With all the fixins'

Viola!

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Bad moods, babies, and bladder control

So today I was just in a funk. I feel bad because I'm pretty sure the Hubs caught the brunt of it when he got home from work.  I was totally aware that I was in a nasty mood, but couldn't do a darn thing about it. That frustrated me even more. So, to help get the situation under control I gave myself a time-out and went to the gym. It was just what I needed. I even did some abs, which I NEVER do despite my constant nagging and complaining about how before the baby "I had a toned stomach and never did a sit up in my life", and now, well, let's just say it's about as firm as Jello. Sigh.

One of the many things I learned on my own after having the baby, was that I no longer had total bladder control.  I clearly remember standing in the bathroom about a week after he was born, staring at the bags under my eyes, and all of a sudden I felt warmth running down my legs. At first I panicked, jumping to the worst possible scenario that I was hemorrhaging and about to die. But no, I just peed myself. As if I hadn't been cleaning up enough bodily fluids from the baby I now had to clean up after myself. Needless to say I made sure that didn't happen again. That is, until about 8 weeks later when I went for my first run and made it about 20 feet.  This pattern of trying to run and my bladder not cooperating continued for a good 5 months or so. Over time it did get better and hasn't been a problem since.

That was until tonight. I'm on the treadmill finishing up for the night. 4 minutes into my run. Something feels off, I know this feeling...not 5 seconds later I have a wet crotch. Really? In public, at the gym. All through my previous power struggle with my bladder my biggest fear was that I would have 'an accident' public, and it never did (until today). Thankfully, there were only 2 other people there at the time. A 100 year old man running like his life depended on it at the other end of the row of treadmills, and the trainer who runs 10 miles a day and only eats raw food hanging out in the office (she is another story for another day). I managed to escape, that could have been so much worse if I had gone when it was crowded.

As I sulked back to my car, wet pants and all, it reminded me of when the babe was so little, so new. I feel like so much has happened, and yet it's just a drop in the bucket. It's so cliche, but where did the time go? (And why is my bladder still leaky?)

(Photo by me, and my less than amazing phone camera)

So, as it turns out, all I have to do is pee myself to get out of a bad mood. Good to know.

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A New Beginning

I signed up and created this blog several months ago. I was so anxious- what will be my first witty and inspiring post? Should I introduce myself? Tell a funny story? Share a recipe? A picture?

Then reality struck, who in the world is going to read this??? I don't have any followers. (Enter the several week hiatus I took from my non-existent blog) But I sit here now, with a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie and glass of wine, taking the plunge. I have to start somewhere, the beginning, I suppose.

So welcome to anyone who stumbles across this page. Maybe you'll even enjoy what I have to share. If not, well, you wasted a few minutes of your life. I openly admit that I waste at least 30 minutes of my time a day on the internet, so you're not alone.

And when you find this Mom, which knowing your technological ability could take years, thanks for babysitting last night!

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