Bed in a Box

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You know those Tempur-madic-foamy mattress deals? I made a huge mistake! I bought one to replace the destroyed mattress in our travel trailer. It was an awesome deal (via Amazon, of course) and came in a box. Super heavy, but easy for my hubs to get in the door of the trailer. I was not there for the transport, but did get to sleep on it. Heaven. Heaven in a trailer is saying a lot.

Bad news friends. Amazon sells those things in KING size. Perfect for my bed! 70% off the retail price and same brand as the one we bought for the trailer. FREE SHIPPING! Be there in two days.

… and it was. FedEx brought it right to my garage door. He nicely asked me if I wanted him to put it inside since there were stairs, but he seemed to have a ‘bad back’ when he lifted it out of the truck. And I was super concerned. He even had a special belt on. He mentioned something about waiting until my husband came home. Hah.

Turns out the thing weighs as much as a car. At least one of those small ones. I pushed and slid it to the stairs. Then rested. Then it was easiest to sort of walk it up the stairs, since that meant I didn’t need to lift any of the weight. Got it inside. Done for the day. Wishing I had one of those special belts.

Day two of the mattress moving was a big one. To get it to our room, it had to go up the stairs, turn, then up another set of stairs, turn, down the hall, big turn and into our room. All the while keeping my littles out of the way.

I sent the kids up the stairs to move them out of the way. I pushed it laying down up the stairs, but it was so heavy it required me (well me specifically because I didn’t weigh enough to push down on one end to pop the front up higher) to lift the top up a little and push at the same time. Does that even make sense? Well we got to the landing and G had come back down the stairs to see how we were doing (we, being the mattress, my new best buddy, and I).

I stood the mattress box up, picked her up and put her far into the office and ran back. Huffing and puffing. Playing the same lift/push game as the first flight, we made it up to the top. From here I did a superwoman run/push  combo into our room. S was very impressed and did refer to my super powers being almost as strong as his.

Day two and a half. After some panting, water drinking, stretching and resting… I was ready to switch the mattresses. Took the old one off- simple. Muscled the box onto the bed. Not as simple, but did it. Wrestled the mattress out of the box. Cut it out of it plastic wrap and BAM! Instant mattress. It was so amazing I wish I would have video taped it.

It. Is. Heaven.

Worth losing five pounds of sweat getting it in there. Worth the back breaking push/pull method. Worth the $600 (seriously. Good deal) But… the old mattress is definitely taking up residence in the hall until there’s some men around to move it.

Accidental Restaurant Denial

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Every once in a while you forget things, right? Like… oh man, did I leave on my curling iron? Or: Did the garage door close all the way? Is the alarm set? And what do you do? You go and double check.

Tonight I forgot something and had to experience it to remember. Wondering what it was? THAT I HAVE A THREE YEAR OLD AND A ONE YEAR OLD. Know what that means? I should NOT be allowed in a restaurant. Seriously. Embarrassing.

Off my mom, step dad, S, G and I go… happily skipping into the Japanese delicious dining center. I’m in denial, so excited for my soup they put crispies in and it pops in your mouth. And tea! And egg rolls!! Oh- egg rolls.. .delicious.

We go to sit down and my son is instantly bouncing on the booth seats and my daughter wants nothing to do with the high chair. We manage to get everyone seated. S kindly pours himself some ‘tea’ which doesn’t taste quite right. Turns out to be soy sauce. Got him a new cup as I look over to see my mom’s face after tasting her ‘tea’. Turns out to be soy sauce. Strike One.

We distract the kids with ice cubes. That gets us a few minutes peace. Luckily they are quick with the appetizers here so those come out quickly. G loves food and chows down on some cabbage salad for a while. S refuses to eat anything and is busy making ‘soup’ in his water glass. Yes, it does definitely involve spitting food into the glass for the desired texture.

G doesn’t really like much else beyond cabbage and rice apparently. Everything else she tastes and then whips (seriously… she might be a pitcher someday) into the areas in front of our neighboring booths while making a uh-uh noise. Strike Two.

S has relocated to the floor under the table. Seems safe and quiet. Next thing I notice he is under G’s high chair. Not so bad, right? A few minutes later he is LAYING in the middle of the floor with waitresses walking around him. He is making Japanese food angels out of the food G has discarded onto the floor. Strike Three. We are out.

This whole time I’ve disillusioned myself into thinking I could have a conversation with my parents. No such luck. Add to that I see five groups of people I know (which never happens) and there’s other families with kids that are behaving perfectly. Off we go to the car. Obviously my son was not a fan of this choice, so he was kicking and screaming while I tried to scoop him up. Then he crawled under the table screaming ‘I want ice cream!!!! I. Want. Ice. Cream!!!”. Who’s kid is this and what happened to mine?!

You forget things? You go back and check. So… check. No eating out for us.

 

My Other Self

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There’s a lot of role filling that goes on in life. I remember in school having to make a list of who you ‘are’: mom, wife, sister, aunt, teacher, maid, diaper changer expert, etc. It’s amazing how you can get swept up in those terms and forget to think of what ELSE you could be.

That’s what happened to me. I loved my life, had what I wanted/needed for the most part, but I had forgotten what it meant to dream. To think about what could enhance or improve mine and my family’s lives… experiences, special treats, retirement plans (yah… self-employment really impaired my retirement planning), and at some points to keep us full of the requirements (food, electricity, gas, etc).

Let me put you in my shoes May 2013…

My second baby was two months old. My husband left to go to work out of town when she was six weeks old. That leaves me nursing, teaching again (self-employed means a very short maternity time), taking care of a newborn and a toddler (he was two at the time). We had relocated my preschool into a new school we built on our property (next to our house). This was a rebuilding/recovery year. My school’s enrollment was 1/3 of what it generally was. The income was 1/3 of what we were accustomed to.

There I am at the grocery store with toddler in the cart and baby in the carseat in the cart. We are finally going up to visit my husband and then his sister. I’m buying groceries to take with us, along with diapers and pull ups, snacks for the road, etc. Picture me, standing in the fruit section, looking at the delicious apples.

Bright, shiny, honey crisp apples: $712 a pound;

Red ‘Delicious’ apples (which, btw, are not delicious): $free.

Okay actual prices were not that extreme, but it felt like that! There was no way I could splurge and buy the expensive (and my favorite) apples.

My latest promotion certificate came in the mail! We checked on the way home from snowmachining at the cabin!

My latest promotion certificate came in the mail! We checked on the way home from snowmachining at the cabin!

I paid for our groceries, got us all into the car, and proceeded to have a small meltdown. I called my mom babbling about apples and no money and realized I was going to have to do something to change that.

That weekend we were up visiting my sister in law and she was telling her friends all about her energy business. It was a kismet moment. I was so excited to find something I could do, in addition to my preschool, that not only would create long term residual income (Hello, retirement!!) as well as weekly income… plus all she does is help other people save money!

I started May 2013 and haven’t regretted a day. I refer to that trip up there as a gift and a blessing… something that changed the direction of our lives. If you’re reading this you definitely should check out my website and learn a little more about it!!

http://lifelongenergy.whyambitworks.com

Unlimited E-Library

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Kindle Unlimited. Seems like a trick.

I am doing the free month of Kindle Unlimited. I got a tablet from my hubby for our anniversary last December… with the craziness of Christmas I didn’t really get into it until January.

I couldn’t believe how many books I devoured in the first month. It was ridiculous. Plus they were so affordable compared to buying books in print.I think now my husband might strongly dislike the tablet due to the attention it receives.

Disclaimer:I do have to say I love books. Like real books, in my hand… the smell of books combined with the fact that they aren’t going to go all ‘low battery’ on you. Oh and library books/used books.. .don’t even get me started on that kind of magic! Who knows who has read the book you have in your hands?! A germ-phobics nightmare and my paradise. I have (what could be considered) my own library of books, including some hidden in the crawlspace (to keep them safe from my kids) from my childhood.

There I am on Amazon and they are offering a Kindle Unlimited!! What?! $9.99 and you get unlimited books to read. Well… not any book. Just the ones in the Unlimited library. Not that I’m saying I’m going to  consume all those books and be out of material…. just saying that the ones I seem to want to read still cost money. That leaves me with the dilemma : do I just read books and discover new authors I may love, because they are ‘free’ with subscription? Or do I cancel said subscription and buy the ones I want to read?

These are the problems of a mom who needs an outlet. We’ll see how the Kindle Unlimited journey develops. While exploring the new unlimited library… I did end up ordering some awesome ‘real’ books… that site really just sucks you in.

 

*UPDATE! They keep adding more and more books to the Unlimited. It’s pretty much awesome!

Stitch Fixed It

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stitch fix one My first Stitch Fix came in the mail! I am so excited!!

I’m a Mom right. More than that, also a wife, teacher, business owner, maid, cook, gardener… okay, sorry, I got swept up in the role list game. So we are all busy, I know. But I don’t make clothes shopping (for me) a priority. Never have, probably never will. Somebody mentioned Stitch Fix at a business presentation I was doing, and then I heard about it again online, and then my husband told me I should probably try it out since I kept mentioning it. 😉

When I filled out my style profile I laughed at the questions thinking there was ‘no way’ I would like anything, but it was worth a try. Box came today: LOVED IT! Five items I never would have picked out at the store and absolutely loved. Loved. Love. I bumped up my next box for the next available date to try again. Out of the five items one didn’t fit and one wasn’t my style (high waisted pants? Nah).

Have you heard of this? If not, know you now. It’s worth a risk and I sort of feel like my stylist, ‘Elizabeth’, has known me my whole life already. Try it out… use my link and I get a credit… you can get credits by referring too: https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/3778361stitch fix

Pinterest Projecting with a Toddler

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So what’s the deal with paint? Anybody know? How bad can it really be for you… if, say, you are around the age of 17 months old? And decided it might work really well as lipstick?

Well, welcome to my adventures of the day. Let me start from the beginning.

Pinterest. You’ve heard of it, I’m sure. Great place for inspiration and project list development for my husband’s off time. He just ‘loves’ Pinterest. 😉

Saw this super fun garden art/game idea. Picture a little tree stump with a lacquered ‘table’ top. It has a cute tic-tac-toe board painted on it and fabulous rocks painted like lady bugs, in two different colors to use for the game. Cute, right? Easy, right? Unless you happen to have a 17 month old (*This problem could extend to other age groups as well: so beware).

Step One: rock collecting. Easy to do since we are currently residing in a rock pit on the side of the highway. 8 flat rocks, plus one amazingly purple quartz rock I found (oh, I probably haven’t mentioned this, but I have a rock obsession. Seriously. Rocks in jars from all over. My husband loves it too. Right up there with Pinterest), and some extras for kid painting.

Step Two: picking paint colors. When you have limited choices, it’s easy to be happy with your decision. We had orange, green and pink. Went with green and pink rocks, with orange spots.

Step Three: Get materials set out. Nap time for G (toddler) made this easy. By some miracle it has been sunny for the first time in a week.

Step Four: Quickly get the team assembled. I tried to sneak out without my 3 year old noticing, but he found us outside and joined in the painting. My limited supplies meant I had one paint brush and Q-tips.

Step Five: Paint. It was going well. The paint actually covered the rocks, G and S were both artistically blending their pinks and greens. Then I look over at G. Her lips are a great mix of pink and green, as is her tongue. At this point I’m really glad we went with Q-tips. I also notice her beautiful blonde hair has some cutting edge green streaks. Wooo!

Step Six: Clean up. As we finished up, it started POURING! Not like, ‘oh fun, it’s sprinkling’… I’m talking about pouring. My team ditched me to clean up solo. The clean up continued after getting back into our travel trailer… clothes, hair, face, hands. Whoa.

So I’m sure acrylic paint in low doses is fine. If in future pictures you see a permanent green spot in her hair, we will know I was wrong in my assumptions.

 

To the ‘Hairplane’

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The advantages of traveling with small babies: getting to board first. That’s it.

End of the list.

The first time I flew with my baby he was a tiny, sleeping, wrapped up two month old. I have never gotten so many dirty, mean looks in my entire life. Seriously. And I’ve been some places and gotten some looks. I was absolutely shocked and on the verge of tears as I sat there with my silent sleeping baby while people, who have obviously never been parents or children, paraded by. As a new mom, you are clueless. Have no idea what to expect or what to do. Lucky for me, this woman comes flying into my row with the largest smile ever while she quietly disinfects the entire area (including my arm rests and tray). She whispers to me (to not wake up the baby), asking questions about him and me and life as a new mom. I was blessed at that moment by someone with empathy and love to give.I think about her frequently and hope to be able to be so helpful to someone else. I hope she knows what an impact that made for me.

Since then, I’ve added another baby and gotten much more assertive. Much. More. Assertive.

Yes. Me and my children are on your flight. No, You will not be moving my three year old away from me to sit on his own because of the airline’s poor planning when seating people. Yep, I will be bringing my double BOB (love it, by the way… couldn’t live without it at this point in my life), diaper bag, giant purse/computer bag, and son’s backpack full of snacks… plus two special 13888_10152145186152027_6825788236192027475_n‘ankies’ (blankets) and coats. Yes, I will do my best to keep my kid from kicking your seat. No, I can’t help it if my toddler cries as we take off. And if you are in my row, we will probably be getting up to go to the bathroom 17 times (have I mentioned my son’s obsession with public restrooms?).

The great news? They still serve you booze on the plane. Better news? Soon my one year old will be two and we will own a whole row. Containment will be much easier. Definitely will be worth the extra fare.

Moral of the story: BE NICE! You never know who is taking their first scary trip with their new bundle of joy! Or who might be traveling without their bundle for the first time… Having kids invites people to tell you about theirs. Another upside to traveling with them!

Updated List to Advantages:

  •  Boarding the airplane first.
  • Hearing other’s beautiful life stories.
  •  Making memories… and creating a little extra empathy in yourself for when you see a lonely parent trying to keep it together. Consider buying them a good ol’ adult drink.

Driving on Up

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We drove up the big ol’ Parks Highway the other day to come visit my hubs. Me, the dog, S and G. Plus our one-million and one things. Dude… you cannot travel light with a three year old and a one year old. My ‘tree car’ (it’s a Sequoia. My hubs called it the tree car on the test drive we took… it’s stuck) was packed to the brim. And it’s not a small car.

This was my first big drive since the car in front of me hit a moose a couple weeks ago. I am a born and raised Alaskan… and have had a lot of moose encounters. We hunt moose, laugh at young bulls fake charging our trees at the cabin, scream with excitement when there’s one in the yard, we ooh and aww over them with their new tiny babies in the Spring, and they are our source of meat to keep our family organically and locally fed (no hormone growths in our meat, except those nature intended!). These are big, strong and capable animals. They have always been one of my favorites.

I know more people who have hit moose than I can count. I’ve come close a couple times. But the other day was my first witness to it. It was in slow motion: the moose sprinting across the highway while I yelled (to myself apparently. It turns out people in other cars can’t quite hear you) ‘Moooossseeee’, the white small SUV in front of me connecting sending that giant animal up 15-20 feet in the air, spinning so her feet were above her head at one point. She flew over the car in the next lane and landed on the edge of the road. At this point I am obviously in tears and hyperventilating. When I finally got it together enough to call 911, the dispatcher asks me to please sit there with my hazards on, so nobody else hits her, while I wait for the police. Watching an animal that is broken, but still alive, try to survive and get off into the woods is heart breaking. And scarring.

That’s what kept running through my mind our whole drive. Don’t worry- we didn’t even see a moose on this drive! Know what we did see- a lot of motorhomes and buses. Tourist season in Alaska is in full swing- and moose season begins in one month.  We will be out there looking for Bullwinkles then… but not with my tree car. 🙂 motorhome

A Hiking We Will Go!

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My mom and I went hiking with my two kiddos. My mom (we now call her Grandma, or Gammy to tease her) is amazing. Those of us lucky enough to have incredible moms all come to appreciate it more the older we get. She has always made it a point to make memories with us and create traditions (post to come: Xmas in July). The one thing I n20140714_133841ever saw my mom doing was hiking.

She has overcome huge obstacles and worked really hard to get in shape and become healthy. It’s been a transformation. Her secret is simple: counting calories and adding more exercise into her routine. Over the past three years she’s steadily lost 80 pounds or so. I will say we still enjoy our special treats! When she told me she joined the gym recently, I told my hubs we’re going to have to start going just to keep up with her!

Yesterday she invited my kids and I to go hiking with her. It was an incredible  blessing and another memory to add to the bank. Watching her and my son stroll up ‘the hugest hill he never even heard of’ brought tears to my eyes. I’m so proud of her and beyond excited to get to go again.

Here’s to Gammy!! YAY!! Hike #1 together is in the20140714_125800 books!

18 Hours

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My husband was home today from working out of town. He drove a little over 4 hours home last night, got here around 10. Left around 4 today to go  back. 18 hours home. 18 hours not being a single parent. 18 hours where my son got to laugh, wrestle and play with Dada. 18 hours where my daughter is doted on by two loving parents and my husband gets to see her c20140713_125202ute expressions I live with daily.

I’m on the fence about using the term ‘single parent’. It seems harsh, but real. Not that Vincent (that’s my handsome, loving, hilarious husband) ever stops being  a Dad, but he stops being my relief or back up when things get tough at bed time, or during tantrums or eating or cleaning.

Today Vince was supposed to meet us at the grocery store. He took S and I had G (he (s) is three, G is one). He texted me to find out where we were in the store, then again that he would just meet us at home. Evidently he got a taste of S at the grocery store. It makes me feel sort of good that he got to experience what I go through every time. Crying, drama, screaming… about everything! Parenting on your own makes meltdowns like that something you have to just push through. I can’t pack up and leave the store without milk or food for us to eat… and it’s so much work just getting there, to try again is a nightmare. Now when I say I wish I could go to the store by mysel20140713_131143f, he’ll get it a little more.

On the upside we spent some of our 18 hours at our local annual festival! It was awesome! We ate, rode rides, played games, looked at adoptable dogs, rode ponies and bought some goodies.

In all I’m always happy to have a short period of what other people experience daily. Just having another adult with you at the end of the day to vent to, reflect with and cuddle with is pretty awesome. Even if it’s just one day a week. Or 18 hours.