Growing up, I was a tomboy: I spent my afternoons and weekends up in trees, down in ditches and back in the woods of my neighborhood. Ahhh, such fond memories.

I don’t have cable. Television at our home is reserved almost exclusively for Super Family Fun Night {every other Friday evening we watch movies together via Netflix/Video Rental}. Video Games are kept at a minimum. Online Time consists of 99% educational websites and roughly 1% of our total time together. I have always promoted outdoor activities over indoor {inclement weather aside}. I want my kids to feel the grass between their toes and fresh air to fill their lungs more oft than not.

Being of this belief, I was ECSTATIC when I came across Geocaching (thank you, Splinterheads and Netflix).

If you have children (and even of you don’t) and you know not of which I speak, do yourself a world of good, adventure, fresh air, creativity, exercise, etc. and peep THIS LINK!

I cannot even begin to elaborate on the bonding nature of this activity, aside from everything else it brings to the table.

Finding something to do with your entire family…anywhere…anytime is easy with this!

{happy dance}

Now, the question I ask you:
Are you a Muggle?

2011 was bittersweet: parts were overwhelmingly rough, yet I married the man of my dreams (which, in reality, tipped the scale to favor “sweet” – regardless of how craptastic the rest of the year was).

Super Step-dad, et.al: Romeo rocks. You’d hardly believe that he hated kids just two short years ago! {snort} In all seriousness, you’d never guess that this man had zero interest in living with/dating (let alone marrying) someone with children. Parenthood was NOT part of his plan. But, it’s ridiculous how amazing of a “parent” he is. He loves them, and EVERYONE sees it. He teaches them, and they appreciate it. He also surprises me with things like…playing Barbies with Mouse. Dude…Heart. Melt. I love that Man. On a side note: today marks 5 months of marital bliss for us. {smile}

Chunky Monkey: Yeah, that’s me. White chocolate at that. I cannot recall the last time my skin was this pale. ugh. skeery. While happy as a pig in poo, I’ve also become a beer chugging, bubble sipping, excessive movie-watching, snuggling my husband, recluse. I barely see the sun. I rarely see my friends. Sure, I go to work, but it’s right back home afterward. {sigh} I love it, but my body is suffering the consequences. Romeo and I are on a plan of more activity once again. Walks, runs, family bike rides, camping, socializing and a healthier, more BALANCED diet.

Munkees Bizness: How in God’s green earth do our children grow so fast? I had to buy my eldest a bra this winter. Ack. And her panties? Not the little girlie ones anymore ~ though Victoria’s Secret is a *long* way off (in our home anyway). Justice has a wonderful selection in this arena: The perfect segue into the undergarment world… Boo is still a crazy boy: Busy with Cub Scouts, baseball, Legos and the Wii. typical. Mouse started horseback riding lessons this past week. We are hoping this curbs her desire to OWN one. I asked her instructor to focus on hoof cleaning, body brushing and shit shoveling. {wink} What I love most about her teacher? There’s no hand-holding… “Why aren’t you moving? Give her a kick, let’s go!”

Christmas Toys: A tangerine Mixer and programmable Crock Pot were my two favorite gifts this Holiday Season. Oh, and the half case of bubbles, but I digress. Santa was good to me. Many more meals at home are in our future, along with an increase in my baking proclivities.

Pinterest: Where do I even start? Perhaps a support group. I’ve always had a “Black Book” that I’ve kept over the years that holds magazine clippings, recipes, photos of things I like, love or want to create or own. Now, it’s all in one place: online. I’m addicted. I’m obsessed. So much cool stuff in one spot. LOVE!

That’s it for now. Happy New Year! Wishing you all the Best, the Brightest and a Donkey-Free existence. {wink} xo

Enter Christmastime.

Every year, I break out the Advent Calendar and stock it full of goodies for the Munkees. This year, I wanted to introduce something to step-it-up a bit.

The whole Elf on a Shelf idea was enticing, but too mainstream for me. I wanted something similar, yet different.

Enter Brainstorm Session.

I’m a big fan of up-cycling. I knew there had to be something in the house I could transform. Off to the kids’ closets I went. Eureka! A stuffed monkey (one of 3) that was gifted to “me” upon the birth of Mouse. Dressed in a cutesy getup with a toy felt car sewn to its hand, I had been contemplating, and obviously with delay, passing them along to a new home. “Merry Monkey” flashes before me.

Enter Felt, Scrap Fabric, Jingly Bells & Sewing Kit.

90-ish minutes later, meet The Merry Monkey. Like Elf on a Shelf, only different.

And then, Romeo and I hid him…

I did not decide on what confectioner’s delight I would tackle until the night before.

Did I choose a quick, easy recipe and be done with it, considering, as per usual, I waited until the last minute?

Of course not. Royal Icing Cookies. That’s what I chose. Why? Because I’m nuts. And, I want to stay up past midnight prepping and mixing and then wake up at 5am to start baking…

Did they turn out at all like I had envisioned them?

Of course not. But, they’re a helluva lot cuter than “lazy cookies.”

Now, I need a nap.

I’m here. I have roughly 73.5 – 86.0 years (according to the 2000-2007 Population Health Metrics Study) to do what I’m going to do here on earth. I’m currently 36. Now, if I fall in the above standard, my life is nearly HALF over.

Where am I in Life? What have I accomplished? Am I happy with this? What am I going to do next?

Up until my divorce from Dr. D., true introspection took a backseat to raising children. Even since then, I’ve been dealing with an army of variables: From physically removing myself from a toxic and abusive environment, to acclimating to the newly found freedom of being in charge of my OWN life, to figuring out just HOW I was going to survive on my own, to falling madly in love and marrying my very best friend… the priority of TRUE self evaluation fell to the wayside.

Now that I’ve arrived to a place of decision making on the direction of my life moving forward, enter 180° South, to completely challenge my brain even more. Looking back to my initial thought: “What now?”

I’m still not sold on the “go to school (optional) to go to work to pay for all the stuff you have/want to save for those several weeks of vacation every year that you dream of for 350 days” idea. To me, this is entirely backwards.

For me, the PRIORITY is the TIME and EXPERIENCES shared with the people I LOVE in LIFE.

Paper. Pencil. Brainstorming.
Let’s see what I come up with…

Oh, and if you haven’t seen this yet, I highly recommend it.

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