What Mama Loves Wednesday!

Hello friends, and thanks for stopping by to share some of what you love!  WELCOME to What Mama Loves Wednesdays! A chance for you to share your creations! Please link up your recipes, crafts, decorations, meal plans, organizing projects, and other family-friendly fun!

Mama has just a few little "rules"...

1) Mama would love for you to grab a button.

2) Mama would love for you to follow along, either by GFC or Facebook.

3) Mama would love for you to visit a few other entries and leave meaningful comments...support us all in what we love!

4) No giveaways or links to your homepage, please.

Thanks so much, I can't wait to see all that you love!

Joy Is What Happens

A friend of mine posted this quote today, and I think it is so true.  So often I hear people complain about all sorts of things...the root of their complaints often seems to be money based (I would be happier if I had/made more money...)...and I find so often people fail to realize that we really are very lucky - we have so much compared to so many...we must not forget about what we do have already, and how good things really are...

YOU are a Good Mom

I saw this today, and for me it served as a reminder...despite my to-do lists and my never ending self-chatter about all the things I need (or want) to do for my kids, my husband, and our home, I too often forget that even when I don't get those things done, underneath it all, I am a good Mom.

I love this, and I think that many of us Moms need to be reminded that yes, we really are good Moms, even when our inner voices tell us otherwise.

The Happiest People

One Lucky Husband :-)

Love More

I think these are great words to live by...

And that is why we have this displayed in our home.  

Just a little reminder to everyone to Love More.

I know I am a little early, but it is the month of love...

Happy Valentine's Day!

Relish the Charms of the Present

I have seen this a few times, and wanted to share it here too.  Great message!

Resolution Update #1

A few weeks ago, I posted my resolutions / goals for this year.  If you missed that post, here it is - New Year's Resolutions.

Now that we are nearing the end of the first month of 2013 (holy moly) - I thought I would post an update.  Keep you in the loop, and keep me accountable!

Get More Active

I've been doing it!  I've been hitting the gym twice a week - that's double the improvement than in 2012.  And you know what? I am loving it! I just love going.  A friend and I have been trying out some classes (laughing our butts off) and checking out the cardio and weight circuits.  I am super happy, and hope that this trend continues!  I just might get back to running this year.

Read More

I haven't completed my two books for January - but I am reading two books.  That's progress in my eyes.  I am reading the Hunger Games (believe it or not, I didn't read it when it was huge - nor have I seen the movie - was too busy with a baby who didn't like to sleep)

I am also reading Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson.

I was introduced to Jenny Lawson by a friend from work.  She sent me this blog post that Jenny wrote on picking your battles that had me laughing so hard I was nearly sobbing.  Mostly because I know that my husband would do the same thing to me...and me to him!  So now I am reading her book, a little each night because so far, my stomach muscles can't handle the laughter :-)

Social Time

I have been doing well in this department too!  I've got a gym buddy, she and I have been friends for more than 15 years and it's great to hang with her.  Just this week I got to go out socially with two different groups of girlfriends on two different nights.  And bonus, two nights of not cooking!  LOL.  Even my hubby has had some social time - one of his best friends flew into town over the weekend and they got to hang out and take in the hockey game too.

So far, I am doing pretty well with my resolutions.  How are you doing?

Skinny Chicks Have Feelings Too

Hi...my name is Dawn and I am a skinny chick. 

I see the way you look at me.  I see you pass judgement on my appearance.  I hear your comments, even when you think you are being quiet. 

I am tall, I am fine-boned, and I am skinny.  Always have been, and probably always will be. It's in my genes.

I don't diet.  I never have, and probably never will.  Yes, I can be picky about what I eat, but I also have a fantastic appetite (except when I had all-day morning sickness, and even then, I still ate). Hell, I write a food blog.  A few years ago, when I was on a vacation in Tennessee with a good friend, she and I were having breakfast at a Waffle House, and the guy sitting next to me at the breakfast bar said (in a beautiful southern drawl), "You sure eat a lot for a skinny girl".  Yes...then and now, that comment was and is hilarious to me, but more often than not, the comments aren't funny.  The jokes aren't funny.  They make me feel uncomfortable and yes, sometimes your comments hurt my feelings.  Skinny chicks have feelings too.

I am not fanatical about what I eat.  I just try to make decent food choices most of the time.  That doesn't mean that I don't enjoy pop and chips on occasion and dessert more frequently.  I am a total cookie monster, especially the fresh baked ones.  However, I have stayed away from "diet" anything, because it always just tasted funny to me.  I try to avoid artificial sweeteners.  I try to keep away from processed foods.  It doesn't mean I don't eat them though.  I love a good pepperoni pizza.  I'm not into any of the fad diets. I don't fast. Yes I exercise, but I don't exercise excessively.  I don't smoke. I don't use drugs.  I rarely take any medications, even if I have a cold or headache.  Yes, I drink alcohol, but only on occasion.  And yet I know you speculate about how I got so skinny.  I hear it in your voice. I see it in your eyes.  Skinny chicks have feelings too.

Did you know that I come from a family of tall people?  On my maternal side.  My Mom is the shortest in her family (between herself, my Dad, her children, parents and siblings) - and she is 5 ft 7.  Even me at 5 ft 9, many of my cousins tower over me.  My Grandfather's name is Slim.  For most of my life I didn't even know his true first name, for years I thought his name really was Slim.  And on my paternal side, we're fine boned.  And so, I am tall, fine-boned, and naturally skinny.  It's in my genes.

People around me seem to forget that I have always been this skinny.  It's like they only remember pregnant me, even though some of these people have known me for many years.  In the last 5 years my husband and I have welcomed two beautiful babies into our family.  I didn't do anything excessive to lose baby weight after either pregnancy, I just let nature take it's course.  And yet I know you speculate.  Sometimes you say it right to me.  Sometimes I just hear it in your voice.  I can see it in your eyes.  Sometimes you make me feel bad about my appearance.  Skinny chicks have feelings too.

I am not looking for your sympathy.  I am not looking for an apology.  I just want you to be more aware about what you say about me - either to me or behind my back - and how you pass judgement on how I look.  If you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all.  And remember, skinny chicks have feelings too.

I'm TOTALLY Worth It!

I am sure my husband would agree!!

52 Weeks of Savings

Have you seen this chart circulating the internet?  I didn't create it, but I thank whoever did :-)

Are you going to give it a try?  We already have a savings program in place, we save about 10% of our salary each pay and split it between short term savings, long term savings, and savings for the kids.  This doesn't include our monthly retirement savings contributions.  But I do like this chart, I hope to show it to our kids when they are a little older!

New Year's Resolutions

Do you make New Year's Resolutions?  For most of my life, I haven't.  No real reason, I guess I just never figured that I needed a specific date to start something new.  However, two years ago I started, and I made a resolution to start reading more (return to something that I love to do) - and I was able to do that.  I set a goal to read 2 books a month (I know, that's not many, but I felt it was an attainable goal given where I was in that time of my life).  Last year, I made a resolution about food.  I was home on maternity leave and quite conscious of what my family was eating, and we were in a meal rut, so I resolved that we would try at least one new recipe each week so that we were trying new things and getting out of that meal rut.  I'm happy to say that one year later, we are still going strong with the resolution.  My sister blog, Addicted to Recipes, was born out of that resolution.  It's been a fun ride and I'm looking forward to seeing what 2013 brings for blogging!

I've been contemplating my resolutions for 2013.  Do I want to make any? What changes would I like to see in my life?  Now that the baby is a toddler (and finally sleeping better!) as a family we are getting more sleep and are getting more time for "us" and I am sometimes even getting time for "me".  I'm hoping to get more active again, I have always led an active lifestyle, but 5 pregnancies in 5 years took a toll on my ability to be active.  I really miss running, so I am hoping to start running again.  So I guess that is a resolution for this year.

I also miss reading.  I did so well with my reading resolution in 2011, but I fell off that bandwagon in 2012.  So, it's time to start reading again, and I am going to plan for 2 books a month again for 2013. Wow, I'm up to two resolutions already!

One more thing I miss is social time.  I used to play soccer, ball, be involved with community groups, art classes, etc - I've always been rather social.  I do miss that part of my life in some ways (I would never trade in the time with my kids though), but I do think it is good for me to find a little balance and reconnect with some of my/our friends and for my hubby and I to have time together too (like a quiet dinner without the "music" of kids screaming, LOL).  So this part of my resolution for 2013 is a joint venture.  My husband doesn't know it yet (you're getting a sneak peak here!) but we'll be having a date night once a month, no expectations on what we'll be doing - could be dinner, could be movie, could be bowling, could be going for a walk - really, it doesn't matter other than it is the two of us, together, kids at home with a babysitter.  Double dates with friends is also totally acceptable (fills that reconnecting with friends, and will probably help some of them fill a similar "need" too!).  I've also decided that I'm not planning date night each month, we'll each take turns :-)

If you are a resolution maker, what resolutions did you make for 2013?

Happy New Year!