Four Simple Goals.

I came across this cool little post over at Ali Edward's blog. It is about creating Four Simple Goals for yourself for the remainder of this year. This is perfect timing for me as I have just started back to this blog and I love to start off something new with new goals...and the New Year is still so far away. So, here are my Four Simple Goals:

1) Don't waste time. 

Okay, that sounds way too vague to actually put into action so let me concrete that one up a bit.

Get up and showered first thing in the morning. Don't wait until the baby has her nap because that nap is coming later and later and you don't want to be a slob all morning, do you? Also, stop checking Twitter so damn much. Yes, there are lots of interesting people on there, with lots of interesting links, but you have too much else YOU need to get done in YOUR own life...so stop checking already!

2) Plan. 

Remember that time you made a dinner plan for the week and Davey got all the groceries for it, and you actually made dinner all. week. long? Wasn't that nice? So much better than standing in the kitchen at 6 pm wondering what you can create with a bottle of spaghetti sauce and last night's left-over fajita chicken, wasn't it? So, make a meal plan every week. And, then, make dinner.

3) Drink More WATER. 

Ali used this one and it is my total nemesis. I cannot get myself to drink enough water. But, I have just bought a nice little water bottle for my bike rides. Is there any reason why I can't fill that up in the morning and carry it around with me through-out the day? I don't think so. Hang on. I'm going to go grab it now.

Okay...it's a little plastic-y tasting and while they assured me it was BPA-free...I dunno. Maybe I'll get a different bottle. But, HEY, no excuses. No waiting for the fancy-smancy perfect bottle. Drink some water, woman! Now. And Every Day. All Day. M'kay?

4) Create a Scrapbook.

You have been harping on this so long. It's boring. You are signed up for Cathy's class. You big puffy heart Cathy. You big puffy heart the book the class is based on. You don't need anything fancy to get it done. So get it done. I'll be so proud.

I'm not sure why I wrote all that in some sort of weird third person, but there ya' go. My Four Simple Goals. 

Good luck, me.

How about you? Do you have Four Simple Goals you could make for yourself?

Mommy Project: The Abridged Version.

So, another reason for starting back up here at The Mommy Project is that I, once again, have a lot of projects coming up on the horizon. I'll still be working on the photo biz. which I big puffy heart love, but I will also be going back to school to finish up my last two credits in my Landscape Design course! I had almost decided to just let that slide away, but Dave and I have been talking and we have decided to go ahead and expand the landscaping business with a new, fresh, start and new, fresh, name! We have "owned" the new business name for awhile, but we weren't sure if/when to make the leap. Well, we've been working with a designer and we have a brand new logo and we are getting together a website and marketing materials and a whole lotta' other new goodness. So exciting. The new "improved" business will be expanded much more into the design aspect, while holding on to the property maintenance as "the bread and butter" as my favourite teacher, Dennis, would say. Design is the only part I'm really interested in, to be honest. I'm not much with a weed-whacker. Speaking of design...

I am also now signed up to take another class over at Big Picture Scrapbooking with my total girl-crush, Cathy Zielske. Gawd. She is just so darn adorable, isn't she? I think she is super amazing, and super talented, and her personal fitness transformation has been just...well...nothing short of inspirational this year! In fact, I have just started back up with some serious cycling (well, as serious as someone who is completely out of shape can get) because of her. I'd run, Cathy, but...I can't run.  I accept that about myself. 

Anyway! Suffice it to say that there will be a lot going on in the next little while and I thought that it might be nice to share some of it with you (you know who you are). Also, I wanted to beg ask you if you might like to take Cathy's course with me?! It sounds like it is going to be a lot of fun, and fairly simple, and will result in the completion of an actual scrapbook. Crazy talk? No, really. The course is modelled around one of my all time favourite books, "Encylopedia of an Ordinary Life", by the also super talented Amy Krouse Rosenthal (a.k.a. Rosendal). Love that book.

Here...let me get my bud Cath to tell you all about the class herself:

Me: The Abridged Version
An A to Z All About Me 4-Week Album Workshop

Sometimes I wonder what makes scrapbookers avoid telling their own stories. I've heard the claims that journaling is hard and that these stories aren't worth telling -- and I don't believe either claim for a minute. To prove these ideas wrong, dear scrapbooking friends, is where Me: The Abridged Version comes in. By focusing on specific but wholly unrelated random details from your own extraordinary life, I'm going to teach you that you're a lot better at writing than you think. We won't fret over flowery prose and excellent grammar. We'll work with run-on sentences. And fragments. And lists. And stuff that you might not think makes for perfect writing, but that most definitely WILL make for perfect story-telling.

In this four-week workshop, I'll be your guide to making the coolest album that captures a little essence of the person who puts so much time and care into documenting everyone else in her (or his) life. That person is you.

Will you do it? Will you come on this little journey and make this album with me?

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  It's not about design (though the design is cute and we will cover some fun digital stuff!). 
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  It's not about photos (though you will get to choose 52 shots that best represent your various entries… shots you already have or shots you'll take). 
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  It's not about product (though you will need an album, a bunch of cardstock, and your favorite patterned papers to accent the album with!).
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  But it IS about you. And when you're done, you'll have the coolest, most interesting snapshot of your life, right now, that you could ever imagine. A snapshot that only YOU are truly qualified to present. In the process, you'll get a handle on journaling the stories from your every day life and emerge a more confident storyteller. 

I think you have stories just waiting to get out, and I want to help you tell them. See you in class!

Run-on sentences? Fragments?? Lists?!? This course is meant for me!! How 'bout you? Hope to see you in class!  If not, at least I'll see ya' around the good ol' bloggity. Jeez! I'll have to post a picture of the baby for you! She's gotten pretty big in the past 6 months!!

Knowing Me: Knowing You...The August Edition.

Well it has been 6 long months since I've written anything on this blog...which isn't too bad when you consider the fact that I wasn't really planning on ever coming back again. So...why am I back? Well, I need a place to write my answers to The Fairy Blogmother's "Knowing Me, Knowing You" quiz!


Here goes...


1. What is your favourite kind of pie?

Mmmmm, pie. I love pie. You may remember the whole "I'm going to bake a different pie every week!!!" kick that I got on just after having Colie: Post-Partum Pieforia, I believe it's called. Unfortunately, one pie a week didn't go so well with the other kick I was on, which was "I would like to lose some of this baby weight, rather than add to it". So, ya, anyway...what was the question? My favourite pie? Strawberry Rhubarb. For sure. Not with a crumble crust though, and not with the lattice top (although I wouldn't turn my nose up at either). I like strawberry rhubarb pie, heavy on the rhubarb, with a normal pie-crust top. 
2. What kind of wedding did you have. I am making the broad assumption here that you are married, if you're not.. what was the last wedding like that you went to.

We eloped. To Jamaica. 
Best. Decision. Ever.
{I just kind of wish we hadn't bothered with the overly expensive "at-home reception" after, that we are still paying for, and no one really gave two hoots about anyway). 

3. Ever been too a 3D movie?

Yes. I saw "Creature from the Black Lagoon" when I was about, oh, 10 I guess. There was one scene in the water with the fish swimming around and it looked like one was coming right at me. So cool. Horrible movie but, at 10, I thought that was pretty awesome 
4. What is the worst movie ever made?

Listen very closely because this cannot be overstated - The worst movie ever made is "A.I." Have you seen that movie? Dave and I tried. We had high hopes because of Hailey Joel Osment and "The Sixth Sense". Oi. I could not get through the movie. It just sucked. that. bad. 

5. Are you all set for back to school?

No. But, no biggie. The real question is...am I ready for summer to be over and the answer to that question is...
NOOOOOOO!

First Brett Favre, and Now This!

I'm back, baby!