Haircut before and after (Day 13/365)

Happy Thursday everyone! How is your week going? First, I wanted to share this beautiful sunrise we had yesterday morning! It was absolutely stunning outside my kitchen window.

I am currently sitting here on my couch, listening to Rebecca and her friend giggling as they are watching videos on their phones. This week was midterm exams for the high school and today Rebecca and her friend only had one. Originally, they were supposed to get out of school at 9:10AM this morning, but we had a 2 hour delay this morning due to black ice and slippery roads, so they got done at 11:20. Rebecca is so glad to be done with her first round of midterms. The boys were not happy that Rebecca got to get out of school early, lol. 

I am feeling somewhat better. Still coughing, although not as much. Still blowing yellow crap out of my sinuses. Thankfully the kids have a four-day weekend so I can rest some more. 

I mentioned on Tuesday that I was scheduled to get my haircut on Wednesday. Well, I almost chickened out. I need to make some changes and step out of my comfort zone this year. I just feel called to make changes. And I would say that this haircut was a huge change for me. I have always had longish hair. My dad didn't allow me to cut my hair, other than a trim until I was 18. The day I turned 18 I got it cut into a shoulder length bob and it has pretty much been shoulder length or mid-length ever since. Well, I went in and told Ashlie, the hairstylist, that I wanted short, sassy and not fluffy. I needed something completely different than anything I have ever done before. I will say she delivered. So here was my hair the night before:

And this was after: 

She cut so much hair off! I think that I shocked so many people, but it felt freeing. Seriously. It makes me feel like I am different person. Bill said he feels like he is cheating on his wife. LOL.

 

It is super simple to style too. I let it air dry this morning and this is how it ended up. I need to get some pomade that helps the front stay down, but I really do like the hairstyle. It is part of my saying yes to things outside my comfort zone this year. 

What else has been going on? 

Well, Bill finally got the outside Christmas lights taken down. I think that means that all the Christmas stuff is put away as of now. My mom seems to be doing better with her COVID diagnosis. She still can't taste or smell but is coughing somewhat less and has more energy. She is supposed to be cleared for work as of tomorrow by her doctor. This weekend I am hoping to get to go to the boys' basketball games. Rebecca starts youth group back up again this Sunday as well. I have 3 books that I need to post about that I have read in last 2 weeks. They have all been really good. Maybe I will post about them tomorrow....

Well, I should be off and work on folding laundry before its time to start picking the boys up from school. I hope everyone is having a good Thursday!  

Something to think about (Day 12/365)

 

Boys' basketball started and busy (Day 11/365)

 Happy Tuesday everyone! 

In all the craziness of me being sick, I forgot to mention that Jacob and Ben started their new Upwards Basketball season this past Saturday with their first games. They did not have a season last year due to COVID, but they are trying to have one this year. Unfortunately, I wasn't feeling well so I could not attend, but Bill took them and both boys did great. I thought I would share some of the pictures that Bill took of the boys in their games. 

First up was Ben's game. Apparently, he played really well and even made a basket. I teased him when he got home that he made it because he knew I wasn't going to be there.

 

Then after coming home to eat lunch, they headed back out to Jacob's game. Jacob had a good game as well.

 

I hope that this weekend I will feel well enough to go see them play. 

I have a pretty busy day today, so I am going to wrap this up. Rebecca has her first day of high school midterms and is stressing out about those. She has 3 exams today. I am going to go get a haircut today as well. My doc said I could resume normal activities after I was on my meds for 24 hours so there is that. Then I have to pick boys up from school and Jacob has an appointment for his physical. Busy, busy, busy and trying to stay warm. 

What are you up to today? Any guesses on how I am going to get my hair cut? Am I keeping it long, going mid-length, or short? 

Monday happenings and Menu Plan (Day 10/365)

Happy Monday friends! 

Thank you for your kind wishes for my health. I am doing somewhat better today. I am still coughing, but it seems like my coughs are more productive so hopefully the medicine is working. Speaking of medicine, this is the medicine I had to take this morning... crazy.

Bill surprised me yesterday with a small bear when he got home from work. It is really cute. 

Today was COLD and it is supposed to be even colder tomorrow :( Oh well it's winter and we need to deal. 

Today I woke up feeling not so worn out which is a good thing. I didn't sleep well last night as 3 of my medicines cause you not to be able to sleep. I was awake for several hours last night overnight. Oh well. It is what it is. 

I took kids to school this morning and then went to the grocery store. We were almost out of milk, we had 4 apples and 1 pear as far as fresh fruit and were out of chips and other snacks for the kids, etc. I figured there wouldn't be too many people out at 9am and I was right. I was able to get my groceries, noticing that our local Kroger was out of a lot of things, and it seems to be getting worse. After I came home, I talked to my mom on the phone while I was putting groceries away. She is doing okay. She said she still has no energy, can't taste or smell anything, and is tired of coughing. She is glad though that her headache finally subsided so that is making her feel a little better. 

After I finished putting dishes away, I made some lunch and listened to my daily Bible in a year podcast that I am listening to this year. Today was about the birth of Isaac and the story of Abraham and Sarah and sending Hagar and her son out of Abrahams life. I am learning so much through this podcast that I had never really thought about before. 

I then had to set out to pick kids up from school and take Jacob to choir. While he is in choir, I sat in my van and read some of my current book I am reading. The hour seemed to fly by. Then it was home to make an easy dinner of Campbell's Chicken Noodle soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. 

Speaking of dinners, this is what I was planning last week and how we did.

• Monday: Spaghetti with meat sauce, garlic bread (using up frozen buns in the freezer)
  
  
  
• Tuesday: Chili and crackers
  
  
  
• Wednesday: Ritz Cracker chicken, Velveeta shells and cheese, green beans
  
  
  
• Thursday: Quesadillas, cucumbers and carrot chips (We had this but I didn't take a photo)
• Friday: Frozen pizzas and fruit (Bill and the kids had this, I didn't eat as I wasn't feeling good.)
• Saturday: Chicken nuggets, corn and fruit for kids. Date night for Bill and I. (Kids had this and Bill and I had subs from Jersey Mike's)
• Sunday: Baked pork chops with carrots and onions, Pasta-Roni pasta, green beans, crescent rolls  Baked turkey tenderloin, green beans, carrots, stuffing

This week it is all about ease as it is a busy week and with me not feeling well that is just how it is going to be. So this week the plan is: 

• Monday: Campbell's Chicken Noodle soup and grilled cheese
  
  
  
• Tuesday: Chicken pot pies and salad
• Wednesday: Tacos
• Thursday: Baked Denver Omelet, hash browns, english muffins, fruit
• Friday: Make your own pizza
• Saturday: ???

Now, I am just relaxing and getting tired. I think it will be an early bedtime for me tonight. What have you been to today? Is is cold where you are? What are you eating this week? 

Bronchitis and a beautiful Sunset (Day 9/2022)

Happy Sunday everyone! 

This morning I woke up in a coughing fit and had trouble catching my breath for a moment so decided to not wait until tomorrow to go the doctor. I headed to Urgent Care and arrived there at 8:10. They opened at 8 and I was still there for over an hour when I got called in. They have their patients waiting in their cars with beepers. Anyhow, the nurse did a COVID test although it was just a precaution and then the doctor came in. His diagnosis: Bronchitis. Since I have been sick for several weeks and it is getting worse, he gave me a cough medicine in pill form, a steroid, an antibiotic (since it is getting worse and there was some congestion in my nose), and a cough medicine in liquid form to use if coughing keeps me up night. He also wants me off work through Tuesday. So, it looks like another week off work for me. Rebecca has finals this week and she gets out early on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday so I can't work those days as my work hours overlap when she is done. There is no school on Friday. 

The rest of today, I came home and waited for my prescriptions to be done. It took CVS two hours to fill the prescriptions; they were that busy. After I picked my medicine up, I napped on the couch for about 1.5 hours while the boys played and watched TV. Then I had to help Ben make a poster for a school project he is doing. Dinner was easy as I put a turkey tenderloin in the oven, made a box of stuffing and opened up corn and carrots to heat up. Super easy although I was super tempted to get Bill to go get fast food. 

Tonight, we were sitting in the living room and Ben pointed out our side window that the sky was pretty. The sunset tonight was gorgeous. I went outside and took this picture from my front porch. 

In a bit, I will take another dose of my cough meds and then probably go to bed. My alarm goes off way too early on Mondays. 

Not Covid (day 8/365)

Happy Saturday night. Still not feeling well. Not COVID according to the test I took today. Giving it one more day and if not better will head to doc on Monday.  Now I'm off to bed. 

New Step and it's Friday (Day 7/365)

Happy Friday everyone! Thank goodness it is Friday. I just have a short post for today so that I can keep up my streak ;) I am just not feeling it today. I am tired. It seems like my head is stuffier today and I just feel run down. 

Today was a low-key day for me as I didn't have to go anywhere other than taking the kids to school and picking them up. I did have to wait for our landlord's son to come over to fix a step. 

The other night, Jacob was coming down the stairs for dinner and he fell down the steps as one of the steps broke underneath him. The whole front of the step came off. He wasn't hurt except for a scrape of his elbow. Well, that night Bill slipped on that step 3 times as he forgot it was broken. Today, the landlord's son came over to replace it. He left the trim off so that when his dad gets back from his vacation, he can get it stained but I am just glad to have a functioning step. 

Other than that, I am just resting. I am trying to get laundry done but it is slow going today. I might go lay down once Bill gets home from work. I am so over being sick. 

Cold, Decluttering, and a need for Kitchen Chairs (Day 6/365)

Happy Thursday everyone from my COLD world! This morning when I took the kids to school it was 12 degrees outside, and real feel was 5 degrees. That is so cold especially considering on the new year it was in the 60s. Oh well, they say in Ohio if you wait 5 minutes the weather will change. It started lightly snowing when I picked the kids up from school, but I doubt if we will get any accumulation.

This week has been strange since I haven't been working. Since mom tested positive on Monday, I am considered a close contact with mom. I have to not work for 5 days, then I can go back on the 6th day, but I have to be symptom free according to our school districts guidelines. Well, I am still coughing. 

If there is any good news, I tested negative on an at home test. Bill went to Urgent Care on Tuesday after work after his boss said she wanted him tested again. He tested negative again. Today finally he is not coughing as much and seems almost back to normal. I am still coughing (not as much) but it is still noticeable, and I get out of breath pretty quickly. 

I have been slowly decluttering my things in our bedroom as I have the energy to. I decluttered my nightstand. There was SO much stuff in the drawers. I also went through my dresser and closet and got rid of clothes that I didn't like and that didn't fit me correctly. I have a large box and trash bag full of donations. 

Today, Bill and I went searching for some new kitchen chairs. 2 of the 4 that we have fell apart yesterday. We went to Walmart, our local Habitat for Humanity restore, Goodwill and a used furniture store in another local community. We found 1 usable chair for $10 that we bought just so we have enough seats for everyone. I will look online for sale priced new chairs, I guess. We also went out for lunch at a new to me restaurant-- The Hangout. While the service was a bit slow (due to them only have 2 waitresses for the whole place) the food was yummy! Their onion rings were amazing!

 

As for the rest of today, the boys have basketball practice tonight along with team pictures. Should be interesting as Jacob's coaches are out with COVID and who knows how many kids will be there. It is what it is, I guess. 

Well, I need to go start dinner. I am making quesadillas for the kids. How's your day going? What are you having for dinner? Anyone have any suggestions on good places to find wooden kitchen chairs?  

Something to think about (Day 5/365)

 

Year of Yes (Book Review) and COVID (Day 4/365)

Happy Tuesday everyone! I am home again today, as I have to be symptom free before I can go back to work. This is new guidelines throughout the school district. I can go back as long as I wear a mask and am symptom free. Well, I am still coughing and get out of breath easily so am not symptom free. I texted my mom this morning as I noticed her van wasn't at work. She tested positive for COVID last night. She got sick around the same time we did (right after Christmas) but it has hit her hard with headache, fever, etc. Bill is probably going to go get tested again today after work as he is still not feeling good. 4 of his coworkers that he works closely with all called off today due to being sick. I am feeling better but if he tests positive then I will look into getting tested tomorrow. All I have to say is COVID sucks.

Be that as it is, I have time to do a book review today! I had mentioned earlier that I was going to get back to doing book reviews and reading more. Well, I wanted to start with a book that I ended 2021 with reading. It was Shonda Rimes' Year of Yes: How to Dance it Out, Stand in the Sun and Be Your Own Person. 

I don't know that I would have picked this up in person, but this was the first book in the book club that I am involved in on Facebook. 

From the back cover: 

The mega-talented creator of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal and executive producer of How to Get Away With Murder chronicles how saying YES for one year changed her life―and how it can change yours, too.

With three hit shows on television and three children at home, the uber-talented Shonda Rhimes had lots of good reasons to say NO when an unexpected invitation arrived. Hollywood party? No. Speaking engagement? No. Media appearances? No.

And there was the side benefit of saying No for an introvert like Shonda: nothing new to fear.

Then Shonda’s sister laid down a challenge: just for one year, try to say YES to the unexpected invitations that come your way. Shonda reluctantly agreed―and the result was nothing short of transformative. In Year of Yes, Shonda Rhimes chronicles the powerful impact saying Yes had on every aspect of her life―and how we can all change our lives with one little word. Yes.

MY THOUGHTS:

I initially read this book not knowing a thing about who Shonda Rimes is. I also read this as it was the first book in a book club that I am involved in. However, I am so glad that I read this book. It was a wonderful read on a person overcoming her fears and freeing her life. I was pulled right in during the first 3 chapters when she describes her life as basically caught in a rut and never stepping out of her comfort zone. It was like she was describing my life. I won't give away everything that she has to offer in the book, however I will say that she gives hope that if you change one or two things--- by saying yes to things that scare you-- then life will be better. 

My overall grade for this book is 4 stars out of 5. I would have given it 5 stars, but she is a bit wordy, and she is bragging about things during some points. 

Have you ever read this book? If so, what did you think of it? 

Menu Plan Monday (Day 3/365)

Happy Monday everyone! I am running on tired today. Today is the kids' first day back to school from Christmas break and my alarm went off way too early this morning. In fact, it went off and I hit it off and fell back asleep for 20 minutes. Oops. Thankfully, I build in extra time in the morning for me before I have to get the kids up, so it wasn't that big of a deal. It just meant that I took a quicker than normal shower. All things worked out though and the kids were off to school. I did tell them that I wanted them to start wearing their masks again. Rebecca has been wearing hers at school, but the boys haven't. I know there is differences of opinions about whether masks work, but I am not taking a chance. I have a feeling that there is going to be a huge spike in the virus numbers in the next two weeks. 

As for me, I decided not to work today. I told my boss that I was still coughing and draining and felt like at least another day home was warranted. It is still the truth. This cold virus just does not want to go away. I didn't feel too guilty though since I am a sub and that means I can say no. 

I also wanted a day to get some cleaning done here that had been neglected over break. I menu planned this morning and went to the store to pick up what we would need for the week. I came home, put away the groceries, and started listening to The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz). 

I have been thinking a lot lately about studying the Bible more and I have had a couple different people recommend this podcast to me. Basically, Fr. Schmitz reads through parts of the Bible each day chronologically and then gives a short 5-10 minutes or so talk about the selection. Today I listened to the first 3 days for the year and listened to the story of Creation all the way up to the story of God telling Noah to build an ark. It was really interesting to hear an interpretation of sin and how and why the people of the world got to the point where they were being flooded out of the world. Also, interesting to start to understand some of the importance of the genealogy. 

After, I changed the sheets on our bed, dusted and swept our bedroom, hallway, stairs, living room and dining room. Between kids and the cats there were wrappers, dust, scraps of paper, etc. I also emptied the trash cans and basically blessed the house (like FlyLady recommends that we do). 

Then it was time for lunch (leftover chicken fajita filling, pineapple and cucumbers) and time to write on here before I have to start school pickups in the cold today! Oh well, it is winter so I should expect the cold temperatures. 

So, onto our menu for the week. I am going to try to document here what we will be eating. So, what are we eating this week? I am trying to get back into the habit of going to the grocery store on Tuesday, but we shall see how that goes, but that is why I have from Monday to Monday here this week.  

• Monday: Spaghetti with meat sauce, garlic bread (using up frozen buns in the freezer)
• Tuesday: Chili and crackers
• Wednesday: Ritz Cracker chicken, Velveeta shells and cheese, green beans
• Thursday: Quesadillas, cucumbers and carrot chips
• Friday: Frozen pizzas and fruit
• Saturday: Chicken nuggets, corn and fruit for kids. Date night for Bill and I. 
• Sunday: Baked pork chops with carrots and onions, Pasta-Roni pasta, green beans, crescent rolls
• Monday: Chicken noodle soup and grilled cheese

So, there you have it. Combination of comfort food (spaghetti) and easy food (quesadillas) but it is also using up things that I have on hand and that is a good thing so that things don't go to waste. 

Well, I need to sign off here so that I can flip laundry before I have to start school pickups. How's your Monday going? Anyone else going back to school or work today? If so, how did that go? What are you eating this week?

 

Last day of Winter Break and books read (Day 2/365)

Happy Sunday everyone! Today is the last day of the kids' winter break and so alarm clocks will have to be set and we will be back into the craziness that is our lives. 

Thankfully today the boys and I are coughing much less. The boys are still draining a bit, but I don't see any reason for them NOT to go to school tomorrow. Rebecca still remains fine, and Bill was able to go to work this morning, so he was fever free. 

The kids and I went to mass this morning and then home to veg out. Well, veg out for the kids. I have been doing some laundry, did some dishes, paid some bills, updated a sheet that I use each year for bills, and now sitting down to read some blogs and write one out for today. It is another gloomy day here. We had some snow showers earlier. I need to refill my bird feeder on my porch, but the birds have been making do with the suet feeder. 

Yesterday I ended up reading an entire book! My first book of 2022 was The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar. 

 

It was a really good read. It is a fictional piece that focuses on the class system in India and how the nuances of womanhood and motherhood balance and don't balance that system. It was not a book that I would typically gravitate towards, but I would give it 4/5 stars. I ended up using a gift card to order the sequel on Amazon so that I can continue to read about the story of Bhima.  

My next book on tap is one that I received for Christmas. I decided to read Jodi Picoult's Wish You Were Here.

Well, I need to go start dinner and figure out the menu for the rest of the week. Tonight, we are having chicken fajitas. Sounds so good right now. 

What are you up to today? What are you eating this week? What are you reading this week? 

Happy New Year and some new focuses (Day 1 of 365)

Happy 2022 everyone! I hope everyone had a good end to 2021 and that this new year is a blessing to all. As for me and my crew, the last week of 2021 was full of sickness and tiredness. The boys and I have coughs and congestion. Bill went to Urgent Care yesterday as he had a fever and sore throat and congestion. COVID test was negative, the doc said there is a virus going around. Thankfully, today Ben is not coughing as much. Jacob is hardly coughing at all, and I am just coughing a bit. Bill is still in the throes of it. He said his sore throat actually got worse overnight. Rebecca (knock on wood) hasn't come down with it yet.

 

Our New Year's Eve was very simple. Bill spent the day resting. I spent the day doing laundry and resting. Dinner was our traditional "Fancy Appetizer" dinner where we set out our fine china and eat appetizers. This year I made too much food, but that is okay as we have leftovers for lunches and snacking this weekend. I made a veggie appetizer pizza, hot wings, lasagna bites, pigs in a blanket, mozzarella sticks, jalapeno poppers, and a fruit salad. The wings, mozzarella sticks, and fruit salad were the most popular. 

After dinner, we did dishes and had a family movie night with watching Encanto on Disney+ as Bill had never seen it. We also watched parts of the football games. We had ice cream as a late snack and watched the ball drop in NYC. Ben kicked the old year out by opening the front door and letting the new year in. Neighbors down the street let off some fireworks. Then around 12:30 we all headed to bed. 

Today, the boys slept in until around 9:30-10 and I got up shortly after. I have been puttering around, folding laundry, reading some of a new to me book, etc. Just taking it easy. We will watch the Rose Bowl here in a bit as the boys want to see Ohio State play. 

I have also been scrolling through blogs, reading updates on other blogger's goals and things that they want to accomplish this year. I am not going to make a huge list of goals as those have always been unsuccessful in the past. Instead, I have a few areas that I would like to focus on. 

Those include: 

• Change things up. I have been living in a rut. I need to step outside of my comfort zone if I want my life to change in anyway. I have a few ideas of things that I want to do to go in this direction. 
• Read more and participate in a book club. I have been wanting to join a book club for a while, but never have due to being too shy. However, a blogging friend is starting on Facebook, so I joined that one and enjoyed reading the first selection "Year of Yes: How to Dance it Out, Stand in the Sun And Be Your Own Person" by Shonda Rimes. (I will do a book review for this book later next week, but it was sooooo good!)  
• Get healthy. This will encompass losing weight, exercising more, and taking more time to rest.
• Declutter my life. This includes getting rid of stuff in my physical life as well as my digital life. Defriend groups on Facebook that clutter my feed with nonsense. Get rid of excess crap in our house and free up space. 
• Blog daily. I want to try to challenge myself to put up a blog post daily or at least 6 out of 7 days a week. 

So, there you have it. I'm not going to go all out and post a long list of things that I probably won't achieve. Instead, I will be grateful for what I do achieve, and I may do mini challenges in there as well, but I don't want to get too far ahead of myself. 

As for the rest of today, it is raining and dreary out so a nap may be in order. I will probably read some more as well. Usually, we go to my parents' house, however my mom has been sick with flu like symptoms all week--- fever, throwing up, etc. and since we have been sick, we will stay home and veg out. I will probably make frozen pizzas for dinner-- simple and easy. I do need to menu plan for the next week as we return to work and school and after school activities. 

What about you? Any goals for the New Year? How are you spending this first day of 2022?