Who Am I?

I'm certain other SAHM mommies (stay-at-home moms for those of you who aren't up on your cyber lingo. ;) ) feel this way, but in a quest to be the perfect wife and the perfect mom, I get so wrapped up in life and yet lost. I'm sure it is partly due to my totally Type A, perfectionist personality, but I'm also convinced it is part of the territory. I have all these new hobbies spawned from life as a stay-at-home mommy...photography, sewing, cooking, couponing. All are completely essential to being the best SAHM. What great mommy doesn't document every monumental moment of their child's life with perfect pictures or make their Halloween costume's and dresses for family pictures or heaven forbid not provide delicious, healthy meals totally from scratch all while saving as much as possible to make up for a lack of income? Ok, obviously not most, but I guess in my pursuit of perfection, I think I must do it all. Did I mention that a clean house is absolutely required? Who cares that you have two little tornadoes undoing all your hard work...every.single.day. Somewhere along the way, the lines between what I enjoy and what I feel is required have been blurred and the to-do list seems never-ending. Someone please tell me I'm not the only one that feels overwhelmed yet compelled to try to "do it all"...

I think it is our innate need to provide the perfect home for our hunnies and babes and we forget to stop and think what is important to us. I mean seriously there isn't enough time in the day to do it all, yet I can't help but feel like I failed when I didn't get a workout in or I stopped for fast food instead of cooking. Maybe the problem is that what is important to me is providing the perfect home, but I had a bit of an epiphany in Joann's today when I realized I just couldn't make elaborate costumes for the girls this year. Thanks to my mom. Have I ever mentioned how amazing my mom is? If not, she is really is amazing and I really love her. She gives pretty good advice too...most of the time. She should never go on vacation though. Heaven forbid she be unavailable when I need her. ;) Anyway, I realized right then and there as I was mourning the loss of hand-crafted costumes that the perfect home we should be providing is the one with lots of laughs and love, not necessarily homemade costumes, gourmet meals, and award winning photography. You win some, you lose some, right? I mean I may or may not have even remotely finished their baby books. Will they care one day? Maybe, but at least they won't feel discriminated against since both are completely incomplete. 

So from this day forward, I have committed myself to enjoy each day making my little bugs happy, showing B how much I love him, spending some time in the word "centering" myself and carving out a little time for myself, which will probably involve photography most days and hopefully workouts some days. I will reserve sewing projects for the really important stuff, and I may never coupon again. Who knows, maybe I'll drink a rockstar every once and again and do it all, but I am going to learn to walk across the crumbs on the floor as we head out the door to enjoy life. If you can relate, you should join me.

Tomorrow, I will edit these for a little "me time", but I think they are pretty darn good straight out of the camera.

Dave Ramsey

I've had a list of things to write about, and as usual, there is never enough time in the day and I remember just as my head hits the pillow. But...this is absolutely worthy of a post.

Last fall, another Coast Guard wife posted about a sale on Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University online class. It was just too good of a deal to pass up, and let's be honest, stretching one military income isn't very easy, so I was happy for any help making a budget work. Now I have a finance degree, so I always thought we were doing a decent job with what we had to work with. I couldn't have been more wrong. I cannot be more thankful that we took the FPU class and totally changed our lives.

So Brett came home from work one day and I informed him that we were going to do FPU. He is always interested if it involves working on the budget to free up more golfing money, but I can tell you he was less than thrilled that we would be spending almost every night watching videos online. ;) He is usually of the mind that I should watch it and give him the cliffnotes, but I was determined that we were going to do this. Together. I cannot tell you enough how much this changed our lives. Not only did it help us budget, but it helped our marriage, lowered our stress, and I'm certain it changed our future. Who doesn't argue about money? I'm pretty sure it is the number one reason for divorce. In FPU, we learned to manage money together despite our totally opposite personalities. It got us on the same page about our money and our future.

If you think you are not in debt and financially stable, I'm telling you that you still need to take it. Every single person could learn something from his class. Well, maybe not Bill Gates or Warren Buffet, but unless you have a million in the bank to blow, I'm sure you could learn a thing or two.

Now if you have debt, even just a car loan or two, I'm here to tell you that this process isn't fun. But as my mom reminded me the other day, the pain in the process is what makes sure you never go back to that way of life again. I can tell you that other than a possible mortgage, Brett and I will never borrow money again.

So...if you haven't already, take Financial Peace University. Single or married, rich or poor. Just take it. I promise you'll be happy you did.

So we are officially living like no one else, so later we can live like no one else. Come join us!

Productive Sunday

Two loaves of wheat bread and homemade chicken noodle soup ready for the freezer and a little crafting that I've been working on for the last year or so. How's that for a productive Sunday? The soup will be for lunches throughout the week. Easy for Brett to take to work and easy for me to warm up for the girls. MUCH healthier and tastier than out of a can too! The girls have been devouring the bread.

These recipes were just from my Better Homes and Garden cookbook which I use for everything. I'm sure everybody and their mother has this cookbook. You'd be surprised how easy you can make just about anything from scratch!

Real Food

Whole Wheat Bread ready to go in the oven

I've been on a quest to eat real food and cut out most or all processed foods. A friend referred me to The 100 Days of Real Food blog. It was exactly what I was looking for. I've had the ingredients to make my own wheat bread for a while, but I'm finally checking it off the To-Do list today! This is right before they go into the oven. Kayleigh and Campbell even got to help. I wish I would have gotten a few pictures, but I was busy referring and protecting the dough. ;) I'm sure some of you can relate. I'll post another picture once the are baked. Brett and I want to get back to a simple life with homemade (and eventually home grown/raised) food and simple pleasures like front porch sittin'. As tough as that is with the Coast Guard life (I don't think housing would be thrilled with a chicken coup, do you?), we are doing what we can now and looking forward to Brett's "retirement" when we can really live the life we want.

Ummm...has it really been that long?

Wow. I've had blogging on my to-do list for...well apparently a really long time. Has it really been since November? Well...I've been busy...having fun and well, procrastinating. ;) The girls are getting so big that I just stare at them in disbelief at least once a day.

Kayleigh is the most Type A, bossy britches, tattle-telling, loving big sister ever. She is talking up a storm and always has me laughing with her sass. She has been really enjoying swim lessons, can not wait to start ballet in a few weeks so she can be a "balaweena," and is obsessed with the Care Bears thanks to Netflix. She informed me the other day that she has a belly badge (like the Care Bears for those of you who are missing out on all this Care Bear fun). When I asked her what her belly badge was, she looked at me like I had two heads and said, "A butterfwy." Duh...she had a big butterfly on her shirt. When I asked her what she could do with her butterfly, she said it made her fly. Another duh Mommy moment. ;) She then informed me that Campbell and Mommy had butterfly belly badges too, so of course, I asked if Daddy had one. She whispers to me (I guess in case somehow Daddy could hear from work. LOL) that Daddy had rain clouds because he was grumpy bear. HAHA! I couldn't wait to tell Brett when he got home from work. In all fairness, he is practically the best, funnest Daddy ever, and since then, he's been upgraded to happy bear. ;) She is so fun...and stubborn...and SUCH a drama queen. I really think she might be my little mini-me. She has my personality to a T. But mostly, she just fun and the most loving little thing ever.

Miss Campbell has grown up so much. Every day she says 20 new words and finds another way to make a mess. I was telling my mom a few months back how much she was talking and that she would repeat anything and everything. Brett was in the background saying, "Not everything." He is always calling me out on exaggerating...usually rightfully so. ;) So to prove me wrong, he tells Campbell to say butterscotch. Clear as day she repeats him. Strike one up for Mommy! Ha! She loves to play with her big sister and wants to do everything her sister can, though she's not quite the dare devil big sister is. She also will argue with you till the sun comes up that her name is not Campbell but in fact Sissy Bonners. She picks up any phone and says, "Sissy Bonners...ummm...ummmm...ummmm." Cutest thing ever. Apparently, I say "um" a lot on the phone?? LOL She is catching up in size with her big sister, so we get asked even more if they are twins. There is a definite 4" or so height difference though. They are even fitting into some of the same size clothes. I think we'll get asked if they are twins even more as they get older. She is such a happy little thing...and did I mention messy? She definitely drives Kayleigh and my type A personalities a little crazy sometimes. Did I mention she is JUST like her daddy? Well, except she talks as much as her mommy unlike Kayleigh. Does that mean #3 would be a perfect mix of us...or a hot mess? We'll have to see.

The Daddy and I have just been enjoying life here in Cali and watching our girls grow up WAY too fast. We had big plans for our summer vaca until he tore the ligaments in his ankle and chipped a little bone off, but we still managed a quick trip to Monterrey and a few museums and parks in the city. Mostly, we did lots of resting around the house and doctors appointments, but I guess that makes up for all the times I've dragged him to my doctor appointments and to the hospital/ER. :P I can't believe we've lived here for so long, but we are already anxiously looking at our options for our transfer in less than 2 years. It feels so far away, but I know we'll blink and it will be time to move.

I actually have a list of things I want to write about, so hopefully I'll not wait so long before another update...but I am a procrastinator through and through, so don't hold your breath. I wouldn't want to be responsible for anyone passing out. ;) Love and miss y'all!

New Christmas List. :)

Ok...so as Christmas gets closer my list is getting revised. :) Out with the white watch and in with a new purse. Well, a camera purse. I never bring my camera because I don't have anything big enough to carry it in, especially where it will be protected. I don't have much need for a big diaper bag anymore (with one potty trained and the other not really a baby anymore. Sniffle.), so this would be perfect for a camera/diaper bag purse. I LOVE it. I think I'll just show it to the hubby every day until Christmas to make sure he gets the hint. ;) To be clear, go here and order this bag. :)

I really want some sort of photography software too. I'm still looking at photoshop versus elements. Feel free to give your opinion on this. I'm looking for all the advice I can get. To be clear, I'm interested in some photo editing but mostly card/logo design.

And lastly,well for tonight anyway, I would love more of these and these. We have some from a wedding gift that are almost 5 years old, and they still look great, and they are just far superior in every way. I know it is probably totally lame to be passionate about a dishtowel, but we all know I'm about as practical as you can be. And anything from Williams-Sonoma is drool worthy. In fact, while you are there, feel free to pick up anything else for me. I'll take anything in the store, specifically anything Le Creuset, All Clad or these adorable Zoku Quick Pop Makers. Kayleigh would totally love you if you bought those popsicle (or icecream as she calls it) makers.

And since we are talking about Christmas shopping, I am already scoping the Black Friday ads, and I CAN.NOT.WAIT!!! I think I may not even go to sleep this year. I can already feel the shopping high. :) Hope you score some awesome Black Friday deals...or enjoy your peace and quiet a home away from the crowds.

Do you love or loathe Black Friday???

Officially potty trained...phew!

YAY!!!! This is a monumental moment for a mom, and I am so proud. We tried it a few times before, but my stubborn little girl wasn't quite ready. I decided to give it another go at the end of October, and she's done great. We haven't even had one accident out and about. Now if we could get her to understand that you don't get a popsicle every time you pee pee once you are potty trained...oh and to maybe hold it past 6:30 in the morning. It is really cutting into my beauty sleep! Ha! :)