Project Pan

Alright, I'm gonna get really honest here...and since this is a no judgement zone, I feel pretty safe letting the cat out of the bag.  I have a problem.  You can find it overflowing my bathroom drawers, on my bathroom counter, and even in my children's bathroom.  The problem is an over abundance of 'beauty' products.  Too many lotions, too much soap, maybe even too much makeup.   I know I'm not alone in this.  In fact, I would be willing to bet that at least half of american women my age have the same issue.   You may be wondering why, and I'll probably sound like most guilty parties when I say,

"It really isn't my fault!"  

I blame it on one thing:  I'm a girl.  That means that regularly, and for as long as I can remember, people have thought I stink.  At least that's what I assume, based on the gift giving nature of a lot of people towards women.  Lotion, soap, perfume, body wash, more lotion, the list could go on.  I realize that hearts are in the right place, but it can get frustrating.  

Okay, maybe I'm not taking on enough of the blame.  

I do like to occasionally buy my own lotion, and I'll admit that I have a really hard time leaving those little travel size bottles in hotel rooms, and maybe I have a hard time throwing out 'useable' product. Well, It's starting to sound like I may have more to do with this problem than I originally let on.  

Either way it isn't pretty.

It looks something like this:

and this:

and this:

Oh lordy, and even this:

Wow, now that I feel as if I've aired my dirty laundry in public, lets go about finding a way to help solve this problem.  

That's where Project Pan comes in.  

I recently stumbled upon someone blogging about Project Pan (I wish I could remember who it was because I would happily give them credit) but I had no idea what it was.  Turns out it's a whole movement devoted to women (or I suppose men) paring down their beauty supplies by using up products they currently own (no waste).  Sounded great, but I needed a way to keep myself accountable for this...that's where this blog comes in.

Honestly, when I actually sat down to start this, it felt a little overwhelming to look at my beauty stash.  I decided I needed a place to start.  I knew I would feel better about it if I could see measurable progress, so I went with the area where I use the most product:  lotion.  

I have so many, and I decided the best thing I could do was to gather all of the lotions up and actually see what I was dealing with.  Here's the result:

It may look like a small picture, but let me tell you...That is A LOT of lotion and moisturizer!  Believe it or not I actually found about three more bottles after I took this picture...yikes!!  No one should have that much.  

So the plan is that I'm going to start with one, use it until it's gone, then move on to the next one. I'll give updates along the way as well as reviews about some of the products (is it something I would purchase again?).  If it's a product that I end up absolutely hating, I'll just toss it and let you know, but I'm hoping to have as little waste as possible.

If you want to join with me on this project let me know.  I'd love to have some company along the way.  Wish me luck...and less lotion.

plan it

I think I may be in love.

This time it isn't with my husband, or even Charlie Hunnam (gasp).  Nope, I'm in love with my Paper Planner, and I want to shout about my love affair from the top of tall buildings.

It started when my husband tried to set me up with Paper Planners newer, cooler, less bulky older brother, Digital Calendar.  We dated on and off for years.  I tried to make it work, I really did.  But Digital Calendar just wasn't flexible enough for me.  He only saw things one way, he wasn't colorful or fun.  Digital Calendar was totally useless when my phone occasionally died, and wasn't easy to work with at all.

After several years of trying to make things work, I gave up.  Digital Calendar and I just aren't meant to be.  That's just about the time when I was reunited with my childhood love of Paper Planner.

Okay, all kidding aside, this really is a pretty accurate description of my history with Planners, date books and calendars.   So, you can understand my excitement when I found something that has actually worked for me.

A few months back, a friend of mine showed me her Passion Planner.  It seemed like it was well laid out and I love the focus on positivity and goal setting (and reaching).  When I looked them up on the internet I was totally pleased to find that (since it was almost half way through the year) they had 2016 planners on sale for around 15 bucks.  That seemed like a good price to give it a try.  If it didn't work out I wasn't out much cash.

I started small, entering my kids after school activities and using it to keep track of my to do list.  Slowly I started adding more and more.  I was keeping track of meal planning, and accomplishments.  By this point I was sold.  This really was working for me.  The cherry on top of the cake has been discovering that there is a whole community of Passion Planner users there to support each other.  I've found Etsy shops dedicated to making stickers specially made to fit in the Passion Planner to add to its uses and help you increase your productivity.

But the best part is that I have seen it work.  Over the past few weeks I have felt my productivity increase.  I have been able to better set goals, and then reach them.  Beginning to create and sell my jewelry has meant setting lots of goals, being able to set up the steps to reach them, and them climb those steps.  As I continue down the road of starting this baby business I am feeling pretty confident, and that is definitely aided by my Passion Planner.


This Planner may not work for you.  Maybe you get along great with Digital Calendar.  Whatever your planner status, I urge you to find what works best for you and use it to its max.

putting myself out there

One of the reasons I started this blog was to keep me me accountable and provide a venue for my thoughts and fears as I quit my job and tried to 'figure out who I want to be when I grow up'.

Dear God has it been scary.

I have things that I want to do, but almost all of them involve stepping out of my comfort zone, and putting myself 'out there'.  I've hemmed, I've hawed, I've talked a big game, but it's taken me some time to build up the confidence to really dive in.

But I've done it.

One of the avenues I've wanted to explore is jewelry making.  Not all that long ago, I became interested in the process of electroforming (read more here) and started making a few pieces for myself and family.  Well, it was quickly apparent that there was interest in my jewelry from people outside of my circle of friends and family, and since I enjoy the process I thought I'd try making some pieces to sell.  Farmers market was the obvious choice, as it's a really low upfront cost, and there is lots of exposure.

So I got to making jewelry...trying to decide how much I really needed to have on hand was hard, but I finally got to a place where I felt comfortable.  Then came the really hard part: Putting myself out there.

I did it.  I closed my eyes and dove in and I'm glad I did.  Last Tuesday was my first market (notice I say first, because there will be more).  It went well, I sold a few pieces and also made some connections.  I'm sure this isn't the path to fame and fortune, but it felt really good to make a few bucks entirely with my own hands.

Next up Etsy...then I conquer the world!!

15 years

Today is The Man and I's anniversary.  We have officially been married forever (well, 15 years which basically feels like forever when you get married young ).  When people, especially younger people, find out how long we've been married they will occasionally comment with something to the effect of:

You must be soulmates.

To be honest I think the whole 'soulmates' thing is horse shit.  7 billion people in the world and I'm supposed to think I stumbled on the one guy who I could stand to live with and still love for this many years?  Nope.  We have just managed to figure out how make things work, even when things aren't at their best.  I could sum up how to have a successful marriage in one sentence:

Don't be a shit head.

But somehow I think I could be accused of over simplifying some things.  In an attempt to avoid that I've decided to come up with my very own top 10 list.

 "How The Man and I have stayed married for 15 years" top 10 list:

10.  We are okay with the fact that we are both going to change.  The Man is a different person (figuratively, not literally) now than he was when we got married, and thank God I'm different too.  I'm proud of the ways I've grown and changed.  I think I'm smarter, stronger, and more sure of myself than I was then.  Change is good.

9.   He makes me breakfast, and I make him potroast.  You may think I jest, but pancakes and bacon are direct roads to my heart.  It's hard not to love someone who feeds you delicious foods...even harder not to love them when they also clean the dishes after they cook.

8.  We support each other in our craziness.  I have a way of coming up with really wonderful, and stupid, and grand ideas.  The Man never looks at me like I'm crazy (well, not totally), and he'll play along at least some of the time.  It may be a 1000+ road trip over a three day weekend, or just a overly ambitious hike.  He might not join me for all my adventures, but he's always supportive and gives me the space to stretch my wild heart.  I'd like to think I do the same for him.  Support him, encourage him...give him the occasional nudge to try something he's been thinking about.

7.   We try to look good for each other.  I try not to wear clothes that he hates (at least most of the time), and I make sure my nails look good because I know that he likes that.  Hit the gym, and stay away from mom-jeans.  Taking care of yourself physically not only makes you look better, but it means you have more confidence and that's sexy too.

6. We try to let little shit roll off our backs.  Sometimes The Man does stuff that drives me crazy...and I KNOW I do things that drive him mad.  But if you let the little shit build up it becomes big.  So I do my best to let the little things go (although, I'll be honest, sometimes this is harder than it sounds).

5. We make memories together...lots of them.  Take lots of risks, go on lots of adventures.  They don't have to be big, or far away, or expensive, but they have to have intention.  This is the fuel that drives my life.  As cheesy as it sounds, I really believe that you have to make everyday an adventure.  If you try to find adventure in the little things, everyday life is much more enjoyable.

4.  We keep the house clean.  Okay, this may sound silly, but I really believe it helps.  If the house gets too messy it's harder for either of us to relax and enjoy each other.  Sometimes all it takes if an extra 15 minutes a day to pick up the clutter.

3. We just do it.  Lets talk about sex; with kids and jobs, and all the other life crap, sometimes it's hard to get in the mood.  I've found that if I just go with it, even if I'm not in the mood to start with, I'll end up being really glad I did.   And while we are on the topic, have fun with it, be adventurous, be open.  I guess what I'm saying is: Don't get in a rut.

2.  We try to be thoughtful.  We do little things for each other.  It may be bringing home flowers, or a bottle of whiskey.  It could be anything, but just try to be thoughtful and do little things for your partner.  If they are stressed, try to find a way to help.  Shoot a middle of the day text, or leave a note in the morning.  Just let your partner know that you are thinking about them and that you've got their back.

1.  We spend time apart.  I really believe this one is key.  I don't want to spend all my time around The Man.   There isn't anyone on the planet that I would want to be around all the time.  Hell, if I could I'd love to have some time away from myself every once in a while.  He's totally on the same page.  He spends one evening a week out with friends.  I usually take about one trip a year without him.  We spend time with friends.  We have hobbies that don't involve each other.  I'm not sure I'm going to go as far as to say that absence makes the heart grow fonder, but it certainly doesn't hurt.

Well, there ya go.

10 things that have helped The Man and I stay married for forever.  They might not work for everyone, but they have certainly helped us.  Every relationship is different, so it's important to find your own list.

What works for you?

I'm off to pack for camping... with children and my parents...not exactly a romantic way to spend our anniversary...but I'm alright with that.

When the timing is right

A couple weeks ago, I wrote about our Sweet Little Dog passing away.  Its funny how often I think of her; how often I still get a little choked up.  I miss her dearly.  I'm pretty sure no dog out there could cuddle as well as she could.  Wether it was a stubbed toe or a horrible case of strep throat, that little dog could make anyone feel a little bit better.

She will never be replaced.

I assumed that it would take me a long time to even want to look at other dogs, but I was wrong.  I quickly became that weirdo on the street who pointed out every dog that passed within 20 yards.  I petted every dog that I could, and I'm sure I made more than one dog owner feel a bit uncomfortable...hey, is this crazy lady going to try to take off with my dog.  I think, along with missing Sweet Pepper, I just missed the companionship.

So it didn't take long before my children's (and husbands) requests to go and look at the dogs at the shelter were answered with, "yes".

It started with a dog named Tater.  He was an 11 year old terrier.  I told myself repeatedly not to fall for an old dog, that my heart can't take another loss too soon.

But we went, and he was so sweet.  The kids fell in love instantly (although I'm pretty sure they would have fallen in love with any of the dogs instantly).  I started to go down that path too.  That was until the shelter representative told me that Tater had just had half of his teeth removed, and would soon need the other half removed as well...to the tune of $1500.00.  Yikes.  I mean, we all adopt dogs knowing they are going to cost money, but to have a bill that big right off of the bat was something we just couldn't take on.  So with my upset, whiney, unhappy, and begging for me to reconsider, kids in tow, we looked around at the other dogs.

There was the typical set:

• cute puppies playing (and peeing) happily.  No kids, we ARE NOT getting a puppy. 
• dogs who wont stop barking
• nervous older dogs, all of whom seem to be calling to me to take them home
• and that one, the quiet one, sticking her head around the corner trying to get up the nerve to come out and say hello.  

Those quiet ones always have a way with me.  

We managed to leave the shelter dog free that day, but I just could not get that quiet one out of my mind.  So a couple of days later we went back, and she was still there, and still shy.  We took her outside and played with her a little, and she started to come out of her shell a little bit.   The next day we went back AGAIN, and by this point she had my heart.  

So we took her home.  I'm so grateful that we did.  

Her name is Bergy and I'm sure you will be hearing lots about her.

Our goal was never to replace Pepper, we couldn't even if we wanted to.  But it sure is nice to have a dog around again.

Oh and PS.  Tater got adopted out the same day that we took our Bergy home.  A great big THANK YOU to Heart of the Valley Animal Shelter for helping animals find forever home and helping people find new friends.

how much is too much?

I have a tween at home.

As I have learned over the last year or so, that means lots of complaining... It's too hot outside.  It's too cold outside.  Homework takes FOREVER.  I have NOTHING TO WEAR.  All my friends have phones...

I could go on and on, but I bet you get the gist.

Due to the high volume of complaints that are in circulation throughout my house, we have been talking a lot about why complaining isn't good.  About how it can make you negative, only focusing on what you don't like.   About how, in turn, you only see the bad in the world and it can lead to a very negative outlook on life.

Recently, in an effort to try and combat the onslaught of complaints, hubs and I sat down to discuss ideas on how to battle.  There were lots of ideas but all seemed shitty.

• battle fire with fire (complaints get responded to with complaints)...we decided this would form a vicious cycle.
• ignore any complaining that found it's way out of the tweens mouth...well, sometimes she has a right to complain.
• make her list three positive things every time we caught her complaining...well, I guess I'm just not Mary Poppins because thought of this made me throw up in my mouth a little bit.

Only one idea seemed reasonable enough to try:

• give her complaint cards.  The idea here being that she starts the day with a certain number of complaint cards.  She can use them however she sees fit, but when she's out...she's out.  Hopefully this would make her think twice about complaining.  Is this complaint really worth it...

I'm sure you get the idea.

At first this seemed like a great tactic to try.  Although I wasn't sure what would happen when she ran out of cards and continued to complain, my hope was that at least it would make her more aware.  But the more I started to think, the more I started to worry.

We all complain, right?  Some complaints are totally valid.  I'm often a sounding board for my hubs when he gets home from work, and he does the same for me.  What is that other than complaining?  What about all the times I groan from the fridge, "Hey, who put the milk carton back empty?". 

The more I thought about it the more I realized how complaining is part of my normal, day to day, life.  I complain when I can't find something I am excited to wear, when plans I make fall through, or when I have to do dishes (or laundry) for what seems like the zillionth time that day.  I have been known to complain when someone ate the last apple, or used the last roll of paper towels and didn't let me know.  I complain about the cold, and sometimes the heat.  In fact, I just complained (albeit only in my head) about getting interrupted for about the 20th time while writing this blog post. The list is endless.  I could summarize it by saying this:  I realized that I have been known to complain when I breathe.

So after a bit of self-realization that my daughter may in fact be following in my footsteps I started to wonder what it would be like if someone gave me five complaint cards for the day and told me that was all I got.

I doubt it would be pretty (and I'm pretty sure there would be complaining from yours truly).

In the end, we decided to nix the complaint cards idea - I mean if mom can't get her shit under control, I can't very well expect tween to.  We had (yet another) good long talk about what it means to complain, and how some things are worth complaining about while other aren't...at all.  Things seem to have gotten better (for now), but I'm sure we will cross this bridge again. 

It turns out that focusing on the positive and not letting complaining get out of control is probably something that we all need to work on.  Because, we really are SO lucky.

the art of loss

Let me start by being very clear:  I am not much of a 'feelings' girl.

I'm not a cryer, in fact if you know me well, you will know that there are few things I dislike more than crying in front of people.  It's not that I want to seem stoic, or hardened.  It's simply not 'me'.  I don't like the way crying makes me feel, nor do I think it helps me cope.  It simply makes me feel uncomfortable and out of control of my emotions.

But, the last week or so, I've been having daily bouts with the feels.

We lost our dog.

Actually we didn't lose her at all, and I kind of hate that term.  We knew where she was all along.  She was with us, visiting vet after vet...getting sicker and sicker, with seemingly no idea what was wrong with her.  Until the vets had a theory...but no answer.  So we did the kindest thing we could do.  We had her euthanized.

It has been so damned hard.

Putting the dog down was awful.  I was a blubbering mess.  I was in it deeper with the feels than I have been in years.  But equally as bad (or maybe worse) was having to come home and tell my 8 and 11 year old that we had to put the dog to 'sleep'.  They not only lost a dog, but a best friend.  They lost the soul who would listen to their childhood complaints without rebuttal, who would lay with them when they were sick and help them feel better, who calmed their fears, and who was their ever present companion on the crazy rollercoaster called childhood.

And loss is something that's not easy to deal with when you are a child (heck, its not easy as an adult either).  Watching them grieve has reminded me of the five stages of grief.

1. denial
2. anger
3. bargaining
4. depression
5. acceptance

The loss didn't seem to hit my 8 year old right away, but a couple of days later it hit him like a semi-truck.  We had just come home from a long day.  My son was upset and tired and needed comfort...in the form of his dog.  The reality set in that she wasn't there to hold and cuddle hit him so hard.  The result involved much wailing and crying.  And much denial.  He insisted (through sobs that I'm surprised didn't result in a visit from CPS) that our dog was coming back.  That he would wake up in the morning and she would be there.   At first my husband and I tried to reason with him.  This just resulted in more tears.  We tried to divert his attention.  This just made him even more mad.

Things were spiraling out of control quickly.

His tears had eventually started my daughter crying...and I was on the verge as well.  This had been going on for close to 45 minutes and I saw no end in sight.  Eventually I lost it as well and all the tears that I'd been holding back while I watched him cry started to stream down my cheeks.

Through my tears all I could say was: "I know buddy, I miss her too.  I hope she comes back tomorrow too."

*Obviously I know she's not coming back, but that doesn't help me from wanting it in the moment.*

That was it.  That was what I needed to say all along.  Just the reminder that he wasn't in it all alone was enough to help my son crawl out of that dark hole and start calming down.  Having his feelings validated was what he needed.  He didn't need me to try to solve the problem (not that I could have anyhow), he just needed to know that he wasn't in it alone.

Eventually the tears stopped that night (from me included), and I was left with the reminder that kids are going through the same process we are.  That night my son was smack dab in the middle of the denial stage.  I had been there at some point too.  These stages of grief manifest differently on different people.

We are all there...trying to climb out of the same dark hole.

RIP Pepper Potts