My First Curtains (And the Most Complete Room)

So I have never hung curtains.  I have never been inspired to own curtains - blinds were always enough.  I can't remember if I had curtains in my room as a kid; I remember blinds.  There are curtains now in what my mom calls the "blue room" but I don't recall them being there before I moved out. Most likely not.   

It only took 31 years for me to have curtains.  I didn't know where to begin. There are many styles and ways to hang curtains, I was lost.  I read blogs and other "how-to's" to get an idea of what I might look for in curtains.  I was still lost and confused.  However, to play off the inspiration I had for the exercise room, I knew I wanted something nature related.  Also do the nice view and the natural sunlight, I didn't want something opaque.  I wanted something sheer. 

I recently painted the room a bluish grey and accented it with three lime green stripes. Matching the lime green stripes was nearly impossible.  I was thinking white curtains with something.  I happened upon a bold pink color curtain from Ikea (which I can no longer locate to share), but I was steered in another direction and am so glad I was.

Side note about the paint. I went to Home Depot with a color in mind (I wanted what my sister painted her living room), and I found an Oops paint for $5.00 that was very close to the grey my sister used. So for $5.00, I took home the grey paint.  The green paint, however, I had to pay the full price because it was hard to find the right lime green and match it with any available oops paints.  Though I didn't need nearly as much green paint as I did grey, so the cost wasn't that much.

Unfortunately, the lighting does lend well for taking pictures of the window and its curtains.  Or I haven't figured out how to take the picture.  I've tried during the day and at night, but between the sunlight and the light fixture, I can't take a clear picture.  So I suggest you come see it in person. :) I swear to you, it's awesome.  These are from Target, and I also found them cheaper (and faster shipping) on Amazon.

The curtain rod is actually a tree limb from our yard that fell during the ice storm back in February.  While perusing Pinterest one day, I happened upon this idea, although the Pin had a white painted limb.  I didn't want white, and I wasn't sure about a bold color, so I left it natural.  I coated it with polyurethane to seal the limb.  No one wants termite bait.  Using the limb took several iterations of trying to put the curtain panels on, and realizing that another knot or smaller limb needed to be cut in order for the panel to pass over it.  It was relatively simple, and the limb really fits the feel I wanted for the room. Nature inspired and peaceful.



So do you want to see the rest of the room? Here are some panoramic views of the room:

And here are some close ups of the equipment in the room:

I use a lot of this equipment for P90X, but I have ventured into using the bands for P90x, but I have used them when I created my own routines.  I have the padded mat great for jumping on or doing push ups.  Then I have the yoga mat, well...for yoga.

The chair is used a lot, and I want to paint it, and I have an idea, so hopefully I'll work on that soon.  I want bolder, brighter colors.

I love to use the elliptical in the winter, but during the warmer months, I prefer to run outdoors.  The pull up stand can easily slide across the floor so the elliptical mat and elliptical extend backwards.  I use the pull up stand for chin ups and pull ups with the assistance of a band.  I also attach bands to the lower portion and do hip adductions and abductions.  The stand can also be used for dips and ab exercises.

My favorite, dumbbells

And the decor:

I wanted a plant in the exercise room.  It was part of my zen, my inspiration, my view for the space.  I like that this plant is growing straight up - it reminds me of the yoga routine where there is a lot of reaching up.  So the plant is reaching up.  The second great thing about this plant is Lowe's calls it the "plant of steel".  I'm not a good plant care giver - I forget to water them.  This is also my first indoor plant, too!  I was also fortunate to find a bold plate pot on sale!  Color! Hot pink - perfect.  Too bad there weren't more pastel pot holder/rolller thingy.  Whatever the technical term is.



So I perused Pinterest a lot to find ideas for sayings that I wanted to post in the room.  I didn't want to buy what someone else made if I could do it myself. Plus, I could have the colors I wanted.

 I searched for white or plain frames that I could paint purple, but I didn't find any locally or on Amazon that was a reasonable price.  So I made my own...but I had one mistake.  I was measuring the frames to frame out a photo that was slightly smaller than 8.5" and 11".  I measured the horizontal side correctly BUT I didn't want to waste any of the wood, so I split the remaining piece into two instead of measuring out for an interior dimension of 10.5".  OOPS.  Unfortunately, I didn't realize this mistake until after I assembled them, painted them and was ready to hang them. That's when I went to print out my sayings using my home printer and tried to fit the picture into the frame.  Too short!  So I ordered one from Vistraprint and the other I created with leftover craft board and letters.

Finally, I saw many motivational sayings with pictures of other people on them.  I loved the saying, but I didn't really want other people hanging in my exercise room.  So I waited until I had the strength to pose for some of yoga positions before I set up a tripod and took pictures of me. (go ahead and puke, lol).  Once I did the photos, I turned them to black and white and used Picasa to add in the sayings.  Finally, I was able to print the photos off at home and add them to the frame.  For the larger picture, I had to send it to Walgreens.  On the screen, all of the text was visible, but I did not check the photo at Walgreens.  I realized after I hung it that some of the words blended in with my shorts.  So eventually, I'll replace the photo.


There are a few other things I want to add to the room as time goes on, but I'm also moving on to the next room.  I have some thoughts for the master bedroom, so I hope to work on it next.

10 Months

Owen has FINALLY decided to eat real food, and some baby food. He's picky though.  I recently gave him fresh blueberries and cucumbers, and he loved them.  Though he makes quite the mess, and I forgot how messy babies/young toddlers can be.  Bo refuses to eat the vegetables that fall on the floor, so he's no help with cleaning up.  Owen has also devoured bananas, and he likes homemade blueberry waffles.   

Since Owen loves to watch his big brother and even his cousin who is doing well taking steps, Owen has tried to take steps.  He falls face first, but he is trying.  He also likes to stand and push up into a stand by himself.  I'm going to have two walking before I know it.  Luckily, at a recent outing, I had practice chasing after two boys who didn't always run in the same direction (Thanks Sarah!). At the pool, I'll hold Owen's hands while he stands to jump in like his brother.  Speaking of the pool, Owen gets mad in his float.  He wants to be able to put his face in the water just like Aidan.  If he's in a float, he will find a way to put his face in the water.  Guess I'll have two fishes... 

Owen is finding out that the job of being the little brother is tough.  Toys get snatched and thrown. Big brother decides to tackle and wrestle him. Bo's tail is the right height to swat Owen in the face.  Big Brother screams and yells, and Owen tries to sleep through it.  Also, if mom has help, she's usually chasing after Aidan while the visitor is holding and playing with Owen.   

200

Two hundred statements/facts/words about blogging 

1.        I had a post about our camping trip I never finished that was going to be blog post 200. 
2.        Actually I have many rough drafts that I have deleted 
3.        I think I’m funny, but when I type some blogs out, I decide it was better in my head. 
4.        Owen was 10 months yesterday, and I’ll blog about that…eventually 
5.        Having two kids has really put a damper on blogging. Lots of ideas, but limited time. 
6.        I spend a lot of evenings doing P90X, so that consumes what would be blog time. 
7.        My kids sleep on what feels like opposite schedules, so staying up late means I pay for it the next day. 
8.        Late means 11 PM. 10PM is cutting it close. 
9.        Working on making our house a home takes up blog time. 
10.        I have several updates on the new house drafts, but I never seem to finish it.   
11.        I have a cool video of the house from start to finish, but I need to edit it.
12.        Plus we have updates (like landscaping), so I need to add to the video. 
13.        I took progress pictures of the house from generally the same view with the intent on sharing it. 
14.        Am I interesting? ARE YOU STILL READING? 
15.        I love when my friends post new blogs. 
16.        I get excited and read them right away 
17.        Are you a slacker like me? 
18.        Post something 
19.        Like right now or in the next day or two, I challenge you. 
20.        I have several Pinterest successes 
21.        I’d like to share them 
22.        I took photos 
23.        But I deleted them off my phone
24.        Thankfully there’s Google+, but I’ll have to search waaaaaaaaaaaaay back 
25.        Blogger isn’t always friendly with blogging 
26.        Which is why I’m discouraged or less motivated 
27.        I get frustrated 
28.        And then there’s no wine, and I don’t want beer 
29.        So I go to bed, thinking of what I should write 
30.        And I get to 30 and realize I can’t make up 200 random blogging facts 
31.        Pretend you don’t know how to count 
193. ALMOST THERE 
194.  See what I did there? 
195. No? 
196 Good… 
197. If that fooled you, I worry about the intelligence of my readers 
198. Or maybe it’s the blogger 
199. We’ll debate that another day. 
200. Thanks for following me for 200 posts, and here’s hoping I hit the post button more than the delete button.

9 Months

I can't believe Owen is already 9 months, and I feel like 1 year is sneaking up on me! It really seems like time goes by faster with two kids.

Owen has been on the move for 6 weeks, and it seems he only crawls faster every day.  He loves to chase after Aidan, and Aidan will even crawl to give Owen a better chance at catching him.

Owen loves the water.  He also likes to chase Aidan in the water, and watching Aidan swim makes Owen really excited.  Owen will put his face in the water, blow bubbles, and bounce off his butt in order to fall into the water (to me).

Owen is also fascinated by Bo.  If he sees Bo, he gets really excited and crawls to him.  He even tries to pull up using poor Bo's fur.  

Speaking of Bo, Owen also say "Bababa" when he sees Bo.  He also says "mamama" when I leave or enter a room, which I think he picked up from Aidan saying "mom" a million times a day.  So I think between Bo and me, Owen has said his first word. I'm going to claim it's "ma" :)

Some differences I notice between the boys at this age...Owen is an experience crawler, where as Aidan started crawling at 9 months.  In addition, Owen is pulling up and releasing his hands so that he is momentarily standing.  Owen also had two teeth pop through his bottom gums; Aidan didn't have any teeth until he was nearly a year old.

Owen is still picky about food, whereas Aidan seemed to be quite the experimenter.  Owen seems to refuse anything I make him...maybe I should add some leaves, grass and rocks into the mix.  Owen still amazes me with the easiness of going to sleep and sleeping a lot.  It's a nice change from fighting a kid who needs sleep but refuses.

Sleeping at a pool party. Loud
noise and splashing doesn't
wake him.

The Day I Faced My Fear

The last time I stood up for myself, I put an end to being bullied in middle school.  I vowed to never let myself be bullied again.
But I was…

My character was manipulated, I turned from my values, and most of all, I lost sight of the career I loved. I dreaded work. I know, a lot of people do, but I don’t. I love what I do. I love a challenge, but I also like working on a team, where it’s not us versus them, but instead a collected group working towards a goal that betters the world we live in.

I couldn’t sleep, I bought into the belief that if you weren’t in our small group you were the enemy, and I started to doubt my talents. I had to get out, I had to escape. And I did.

My quality of life increased immensely.  I love my job again, and I enjoy Monday’s…and Tuesday’s, and Wednesday’s, and Thursday’s.

But every once in a while, the evil sucked me back in.  I bought into a fight I knew I had to take on because my mom taught me to stand up for what’s right.  Even though I was free, I had friends who were not.  I had friends who I hope things would be better. I had a stranger tell me that I was wronged and needed to pursue the issue.

So I did.

The fight has been an emotional rollercoaster.  There are wins, and there are losses.  There is time sacrificed, stress, and sleepless nights.  

I have to remind myself WHY I started this fight.

I have to remind myself the FEAR I had.

I have to tell myself that I am NOW at peace, so what do I need to fight? I have accomplished what I intended to do so, why add stress to my life. Why add stress to others’ lives? Why miss out one moment more of my boys’ life?



The day I faced my fear

My raw thoughts from the day I faced my fear

Right now, I am full of confidence and feeling empowered and liberated. Facing the bully was a big fear of mine, and I was nervous, scared, and not sleeping well at all this week.  But now that it’s done, I am on cloud nine.  I AM WOMAN, HERE ME ROAR!

So here I sit, basking in glory hoping not to crash.

I faced my biggest bully ever today, and it feels great.



Liberated

I cannot tell you how much I was at peace after the day I faced my fear.  There was a large burden that was lifted off of me that I felt the battle was won, not just the war.  Whether true or not, emotionally, I felt I did the hardest thing that I have ever had to face.

I looked at my bully dead in the eyes, though I admit, not at first.  It took me a few minutes to warm up, but once I held eye contact, I was addicted.  I made eye contact until the bully was uncomfortable.  I controlled my emotions when the bully did not. I was in control; this was my game, not the bully’s. I invited a stare down. I pushed buttons. I found the truth.

I did lose control of my emotions, but I surprised myself.  A quick breath of fresh air, and I recomposed myself and kept my emotions in my head and not flowing out of my eyes.  I didn’t need my pack of tissues, I swallowed what emotion I had left.

In the end, I celebrated.  I had the best cold beer I have ever had. I basked in glory, I felt great. I felt at peace, I felt like I had reached the end.  All the momentum, all the hard work, it lead to this…Freedom.

But the battle wasn’t over…

I had more to fight.

But I lost my fight. I lost it because I found closure. I think I even found forgiveness.

Before that day, I lived in fear. Fear of what my bully would say (if I came across the bully) and fear of how I would react.  I conquered fear that day, and I felt so good.  I felt liberated from the bully and my fear. I was so HAPPY.

There were times before I faced my fear that I wanted to quit.  There were times where I wanted to let the tears consume me.  There were times I thought I imagined the situation and didn’t want to believe what I knew was the truth.  I cried happy tears the day I faced my fear.

Maybe I should have held out for more – but you can’t buy happiness, you can’t buy closure, and you sure as heck can’t buy bravery.

So after the day I faced my fear, I felt like I hit the peak and was on the downward decline.  But I didn’t have the same fight or motivation.  I wanted to spend my free time as I saw fit, not wasting it away on a fight I felt I had already won.  

The battle would require building an army, an army of hesitant fighters who would be by my side, but wouldn’t know how they would fare in the aftermath.

The battle would require missing moments with my family, losing time with my boys.  What’s more important in my life? Time I can’t get back? Or greed?

So I decided the battle was over. I conceded, but I didn’t wave the white flag.  I held my win, and with the heavy burden removed, the fear gone, and my wishes met, I walked away. I made the choice. I was in control. My victory was my choice.

So I won again. 
I got my life back, and I couldn’t be happier.

Weekend in the life

A weekend in pictures and videos of life with my boys.

AJ only gets one weekend off a month, so most of the weekends, I'm figuring out what fun things we can do.  The weekends leave me exhausted that Monday's are a welcomed sight, but only due to the amount of fun we have.

Thursday  - My weekends generally start on Thursday's, and we have become quite regulars at the water park that opened mid April.  Aidan regularly requests that we play at the water park, so and I keep swim suits and towels in the car.

Friday - Since next week I'll be in training in Florida, far away from my boys, I decided we needed a fun getaway and lots of quality fun time.  So Thursday night, I packed up the car so it would be ready for Friday.  I picked the boys up from daycare (I had a hair appointment!) around noon and we headed to Beaufort.

Love driving down Old Sheldon Church Rd

Beaufort Sunset

Chaos trying to get a photo with my boys

Private Dock to watch the sun set!

Water fountain on our walk to get pizza
in the neighborhood

My mom works in Beaufort and stays with a coworker during the week, so we met mom in town and then headed to the house.  Upon arrival, we had to help a certain toddler expend his  energy, who by the way, did not nap. Based on toddler behavior, we decided it was best to walk to the neighborhood pizza parlor for dinner.  After dinner, we explored the neighborhood and walk to the private dock to watch the sun set.  We also checked out each docked boat 100 times.  I was nervous having Aidan so close to the water since he has no fear of the water and loves to jump in, but he did really well.  We watched the sun set, and then went home to sip wine (mom and me) on the front porch while rocking the kids to sleep.

Saturday - Aidan had requested that we go to the beach, which is why I asked mom if we could visit her in Beaufort!  She had previously invited us down to spend the weekend with her, so we made the plans based on what Aidan said he wanted to do at the beginning of the week.  Mind you, he changed his mind 100 times, but I kept the original plans.

Because we had a cold front come through, and it was still in the 50's by 9 am, we decided to visit the Hunting Island Pier and the Lighthouse before going to the beach to allow the weather to warm up!  Aidan saw pelicans, several sharks, and horseshoe crabs. He also explored the nature shop where he saw turtles and snakes plus lots of preserved animals.

View from the pier

Grammy shoes Aidan the birds

Male and Female horseshoe crabs

The lighthouse Aidan wanted
to climb

After the pier and obtaining a lighthouse stamp (he wasn't tall enough to climb to the top - 44" is the requirement!), we headed to the beach.

Earlier in the week, mom and I were texting back and forth, and from that texting, we decided that we needed a beach cart and a beach tent since Owen sleeps most of the time we are on the beach or at the pool.

We also knew that we would have a longer walk to the beach since it's a rustic, rural beach.  I love Hunting Island.  It's secluded and they preserve as much as possible.  I mean, we park basically in a forest of trees, and when we walk out, bam, the beach.




Aidan immediately runs to the water while mom and I try to set up the beach area for all day fun.  In addition, we have to keep Owen from eating as much sand as possible.

He is asleep as soon as the tent is ready

The tent, which was awesome

At the end of the day, even Aidan takes a nap

We found a swimming area that the tide left for us. Aidan loved it because it was warmer, and there were no waves.  In addition, once Owen was done napping, he greatly enjoyed the little swimming area.

Aidan and Grammy walked down to the private dock after we got home (bathed and ate!) and watched the sun set again. Aidan had a great time watching the sun go to sleep.

And while Grammy and Aidan were walking about, Owen did this! For wine!

Sunday - With warmer weather returning (warmer overnight lows), we decided to head to downtown Beaufort to let Aidan play at the park, walk across the bridge, and look at the many boats. We completed our trip by having lunch on the waterfront and treated Aidan to ice cream.

The smile says it all!

Higher Mommy!

Walking back after crossing the bridge

Crazy guy on a uni cycle

`

We arrived home shortly before 5 so I could unpack, do some light errands, and repack for my work trip.  Hopefully the next few days away from by boys pass quickly so we can have another adventure.