ugh ... our weekend

hopefully will resume blogging later this week ... 

valentine's day ... classroom ideas

valentine's day will be here before you know it ... in order to prepare i thought i'd put together a few posts to make sure you're ready.  today's post is all about valentine's for school ... not sure what amount of time you have or how creative you are here are several ideas to spark some creativity.  

as i said these range from a quick online order ... to quite a craft project.  no matter how much time and what your budget ... there are many options out there if you plan ahead.  

images shown from pinterest, etsy & tiny prints

happy {chinese} new year

do you know what chinese zodiac sign you are?  your husband? and kids? co-workers?  employees?  today would be a fun day to celebrate & talk about or even do a quick team building around.  enjoy!

happy national popcorn day

who doesn't love popcorn ... i swear my kids are more into the popcorn than the movies we go to see.  i knew i'd need to do something special for this fun little holiday ... here are some ideas to give you some inspiration. 

details on the "career kids coffee" pinboard on pinterest

the enormous home improvement project of 2012

since moving back to denver in august of 2010 we have been planning and analyzing and then re-planning and re-analyzing what projects to focus on, but 2012 is the year of the enormous main floor home improvement projects.   just to back up a bit … we bought the house with the best layout, yard (ha), and neighborhood that we could afford … but style the house did not.  we knew we would need to embark on some significant projects over the next few years and let me tell you the list is truly overwhelming at times.  in the first year we focused on the kids rooms and a playroom.  the second year we started out the year with a great entertainment wall in the den and over the summer we planted LOTS of trees in the backyard, but for the most part we got stuck in analysis paralysis – the kind we hadn’t seen before.  the cause – PRESSURE – this is the house we plan on being in for 25-30 years … so this is for real this time.  honestly budget is a factor for us but quality is more important so it’s a delicate balance.  not to sell ourselves short we did start some additional projects towards the end of the year (which we will never do again).  we (the hub & father-in-law that is) did the framing, electrical and we had a contractor in to do all of the plumbing for the new pantry and the new basement guest suite.  but 2012 the pressure is on ... below is our {overwhelming} list of projects.

major projects in 2012

convert formal dining room to butlers/walk-in pantry  

hardwood floors – replace or refinish the main floor so all is hardwood  

redo the powder room

new window treatments for den & formal office

create guest suite in the basement

{possible} kitchen remodel

minor projects for 2012 

replace all door hardware throughout the house

playroom décor updates

simple mudroom makeover

den décor updates

adding landscape grasses

i’ll be excited to be sharing my updates as the year goes on … if i make it. 

color of the month

can you believe half of the month has past ... happy january!  here's some inspiration to keep you going ...

sources ... see jane work, nordstroms, & google images

books worth reading ... the happiness project

happy wednesday ... well a couple of years ago i really didn't think i'd be writing a blog and i really didn't think i'd ever have book reviews as a part of it ... i'm just really too impatient to sit down and read a book.  i can do magazines and lots of them but books i've always struggled with {much to the disappointment of my former english teacher mother} and it's not out of lack of interest ... i love a good story and i could daydream about what it would be like to stay up late and read a good book ... but as much as i fantasized it just wasn't meant to be ... until last summer!  our corporate wellness department sponsored a walking challenge and it had pretty aggressive goals so after about 1 week of a 13 week challenge i got really bored walking and music wasn't always doing it for me ... so i discovered the world of audio books.  ok ok it may not be the same thing as curling up in a comfy chair to read, sipping on hot cocoa ... but it was something that i grew to love ... and the best part i was flying through books ... it was a perfect combination for a busy working mom ... multi-tasking at it's best!!

 

so after the longest lead in to any post ... i present my first blog post book recommendation.  if you haven't heard of it you might be living under a rock ... it's the happiness project and it's been a best seller in every country forever ... and there is a reason why ... it's a great book with a great premise.  gretchen rubin is a really genuine writer in this touching self-challenge.  i would honestly go out on a limb here and say that EVERY working mom could benefit from something in this book.  there is also a great website of support materials, blog, etc that i also recommend.  i'm in the process of planning my own happiness project for 2012 ... maybe it's something you'd enjoy doing too, but if not that's ok ... the book is great on it's own!  happy reading!

iphone 4s … merry christmas to me!

my awesome husband surprised me on christmas with a new iphone (the 4s to be exact).  it really was a surprise since  he told me i had to wait until valentines day.  now for the conundrum … what iphone case should i get … hum.  classy or fun?  functional or fashionable?  sooo not sure what i should get ...  below are the contenders.

1.  kate spade {fun} katespade.com

2.  tory burch {sophisticated} toryburch.com

3.  erin condren {sentimental} erincondren.com

4. tech candy {understated} nordstroms.com

whad-da-ya think?

happy 2012!!

 

happy new year everyone … january is one of my favorite months of the year … I love the idea that we all get to have a fresh start … a time to completely wipe the slate clean (ok probably not really, completely … but I love the idea of it).  it’s a time of cleaning & organizing after the holidays and a time when we all set resolutions for the year ahead.  I know the chances of sticking to resolutions is slim … but every year I do it just the same.  And every year I hope they will last as long.  Now one unique twist I put on resolutions is that I’m not nearly organized enough to really start them on january 1st … so I use the first month of the year taking an inventory of me - as a woman, mother, and my career and I try to set resolutions for the next 11 months.  I’m not sure it really helps me stick to my resolutions any more than you … but it doesn’t hurt to invest in some time to reflect & set goals for a time period in the future.  Over the next few weeks I will share my process with you … it’s not perfect … but I’m looking forward to the process … and 2012!  Hope you are too!