Job Search?

Tomorrow I will be applying with a temp agency. I'm a little nervous about it, and I can't quite put my finger on it. Is it the fact that I've been out of the loop for 13 years? Is there guilt in the fact that I'm leaving my 5 year old home with his dad while I work? I had made a goal to be a stay at home mom until my kids were in school--and my little one won't start Kindergarten until next school year. I'm not looking for some huge full time job--but something to help stretch the paycheck would be awesome! I've done a sales job search in my area, and haven't found anything that fits my schedule. I need mornings--in fact, I need to be home before my husband's restaurant kicks into gear, so he can make it in for the lunch crowd. I will keep looking, and temping if possible--but I'm thinking my heart will be more into it come next August when my baby gets on that school bus!

Energy Wanted

I am not a big breakfast eater. I never have been. I remember in high school I would come upstairs to head out to the bus, and my mom always had a little plate of scrambled eggs waiting for me. Those poor things were wasted every.single.day! In college I would try a weight loss drink or a protein shake in the morning. But I found that I would get a bit queasy after them. Not so much the drink--more of the fact that my stomach was happier still being asleep.

It's the same today. I know I should eat breakfast--but I just really don't want to. If I were to just wait and let my body kick in and get hungry--breakfast would start around 2 in the afternoon. So this week my goal is to find something, anything to get into my body when I wake up. You know, try to kick that metabolism into gear. I don't care if I lose weight---I would just love to find something to boost the energy level!

The Job Search

I have spent the past couple of weeks looking for a job. You know---it has to be the best fat burning supplement ever! I have been running non-stop and it's quite exhausting! That's saying something coming from a mom with 4 kids at home. I'm never this tired! I've been looking for mostly data entry or accounts payable jobs, but then I found one that goes into hospitals and performs the hearing tests for the newborns. Now THAT is the one I want!!

Holiday Madness

Have you noticed that right after the holidays end, there is a barrage of diet supplement commercials. First it was xenadrine rfa x and then P90X---I'm starting to feel targeted. Yes, I know I could probably benefit from every one of these products---I'm just too poor following the holidays to afford the help!

I'm hoping that Valentine's Day will be a little less forgiving---although I'm sure there will be a whole new set of commercials starting then. Of course, by then, I could afford all of them! :)

P90X Dreams

As I was putting the house to bed last night, I wandered into the family room to turn off the TV and the lights. The P90X commercial was on, and I will admit--it's always a huge temptation whenever I see it. 90 days....who can't do anything for 90 days? I can't even stay on the best diet supplement ever for 90 days! But the results always amaze me. Thin, trim and healthy people smiling at me in the "after" photo. So last night I broke down. I have a friend who Facebooked about starting her 90 days. She is a huge sporty gal---biking, skiing, snowshoeing...she does it all. I figured out of anyone--she would be the one that survived the 90 days and will be beaming at me from one of the photos. I was wrong! She made it 1 week! Actually--she made it 5 days! She said that everything was fine, she just couldn't handle the fact that she was always hungry.

Yeah---that would be the one thing to knock me off the wagon too!

Bluefly Accessory Wall

Do you watch Project Runway? I have to admit, that it's kind of an addiction in this house. Well, it's DVR'd and watched in the free moments later--but I LOVE it! Tim Gunn is just the cutest little guy. When the models come in for the last time before the runway portion begins, Tim always tells the designers to use the "Bluefly.com Accessory Wall" thoughtfully. Not being a designer, I tend to forget the need to add shoes and jewelry to the look--but what presentation wouldn't be amazing by simply adding a beautiful pair of Christian Louboutin shoes to the mix??

I will tell you that this year, I'm NOT voting for the hometown girl! Usually, in other reality shows, if there is a person from Chicago--I'm rooting for them. This season the Chicago girl is Ping....and ya know....I'm just not feelin' it!

A Good Resolution

As far as girls go, I'm usually considered very Vanilla. Yes, the pony tailed, no-make up mom in lounge pants and slippers dropping her kids off in the mini van! You can just picture me now, huh? Well, not this year! 2010 has been the year of "beauty" for me. Why not...I'm 38 and not that far from needing eye cream for wrinkles! My husband's work had their holiday party on January 10 and I actually shopped for make up. I haven't purchased make up since the Chicago Bears lost their last Super Bowl 4 years ago! Anyway--I purchased a new make up bag to keep it all in, and I made the resolution that I wouldn't leave my house without my make up on, and my hair tidy. You would be happy to know---it's the 22nd of January...and I've lived up to that resolution so far!

Yay me!

Missed Oportunities

I was having a conversation last Thursday night with a woman in my neighborhood. She's quite a bit older than me, and we really don't have much in common but it was interesting to talk. Turns out that several years ago, she and her husband had had the opportunity to invest in Aspartame. Yes, THAT Aspartame. It was just getting started and the developers were looking for investors to drop $1000 to help get them started. She said that they had the money, but were looking at other options and inevitably turned the investment down. I couldn't believe my ears! Aspartame....they would have like a gazillion dollars by now! That would be like turning down an offer to put a little money down to back a phentermine diet pill! As I stood there with my mouth agape, I tried to think of anytime in my life when I've let any type of opportunity slip away. Maybe they weren't as huge as her opportunity lost....but who knows where we would be right now, had we been willing to "fail fantastically"....for that is always when others find the most success!

Getting Ahead of Ourselves

With the rush of Christmas coming to an end...and looking forward to the rush of Valentine's Day coming...I've been thinking that I need to look into a good project management software. Something that I can keep not only our schedule on for our employees, but something that can show each order...and when it's due. We've never missed an order (knock on wood) but being a small business owner, it is my fear. Especially with business picking up these last few weeks!

They're Gone

My parents have made their yearly trek South. They are truly snowbirds and live the winter months in their 5th wheel in Arizona. They've done this most of my adult life, and finally this year decided to drive their little "home away from home" down south and park it in it's spot forever. No more pulling that baby over the mountain passes on central and southern Utah. They were looking at giving up their trailer and buying a home since the market has crashed in Arizona and they could get a steal on a house. But in the end they decided to up their mechanical breakdown insurance and pay for a permanent spot!

They had Christmas with my brothers and sisters the Sunday before Christmas, and then spent Christmas on the road. That part doesn't sound like a lot of fun, but sitting in my living room watching the snow dump 12 inches of snow on me and listening to her walking the dog in a light sweater...I guess I'd go for a Christmas like that!

Teeth Problems

My husband has a mouth full teeth that need serious work. It's been that way his whole life. They seem to disintegrate at the very thought eating something sugary! His cousin is the same way and has gotten her dental implants Plano, Texas. She's thrilled with them, and her "no-pain" dentist. Sadly---that's like 1000 miles away--and we don't know many dentists near us.

Sadly, two of my kids have inherited his teeth. It's costing a fortune already, and they aren't even a decade old!

I Never Knew

My parents were in town in early December and as we sat at a local restaurant having dinner, I couldn't help but overhear the people at the table next to us. They went on and on about a woman who had stolen their identity and how much strife it had caused in their lives. I have to admit, I've never really worried about someone stealing my identity. I guess I've always figured my credit was bad, and if anyone applied for anything in my name they'd be rejected anyway. But after listening to this woman tell her story to the people at her table, it really made me want to look into companies that offer identity theft protection.

Traveling Alone

I have a new friend. I call her new not because we have only been friends a short time, but because, although we are friendly...I don't really know all that much about her. She lives in my area. Has been married for 20 years and has 4 kids (3 adopted and 1 bio). In getting to know her a little better these past few months I found out that she takes a 1 week vacation once a year, all by herself. No kids. No husband! Now---I'm all for getting away--but I really don't want to go alone. I don't know if she goes with friends or girlfriends, but it sounded as if she took off for a week in one of those disney world hotels all by herself! Not only do I not want to travel alone, but I really wouldn't want to do Disney World without my kids!

Her oldest son was at church today swinging around a HUGE pencil. It was his gift from his mom's trip to Disney. I'm sure it was lacking in his mind! Kind of like a t-shirt that said, "My mom went alone to Disney World, and all I got was this dinky t-shirt"! Yeah....just like that!

Medical Offices

Have you ever been stuck in a doctor's office waiting and started checking out the medical equipment? Does everyone do that or just me? After you've had four babies--there isn't an exam table that I haven't sat on! I remember in one really long appointment, I sat and stared at the blood pressure meter on the wall. Did you know there is a fancy name for that little meter? It's a Sphygmomanometer! Yes siree...I sat there and read it over and over until I could say it (and spell it) with ease! Let me tell you---I sound SO smart in a conversation where I get to throw that word around! Yeah...I haven't been in one yet---but I'm just waiting, cause it's bound to happen!

I've even gotten my kids started on games to pass the time. You know the exam tables with all of the drawers underneath it? Well, we play a little "Guess What's In That Drawer" game. You guess something like hospital gown or gauze...and then you take a little peeksie to see if you win. Yeah---it's snooping...but all in the name of entertaining children who would otherwise be ripping through said drawer looking for latex gloves to blow up or those extra long Q-tips to jam up their noses!!

Memories

Last summer when we were on our vacation, a new temple opened nearby. It was the first one I could take my kids into that they would actually remember. The whole time we were in line waiting for our turn, I was telling them different things to expect. The first thing you do when you walk in the door is stop between two people. You lift one foot up and they slip these little disposable shoe covers over your shoe. Then you repeat it with your other foot. I was really excited for them to see this part--it's always what stuck out in my head from earlier open houses I'd been to. This new building (sadly) didn't have these cute little feetie covers---the entire walking areas were made up of marble tiles and all of the carpet was covered with the long plastic carpet covers. No, it's not a big deal---but there was a tinge of disappointment!

Fighting The Good Fight

My mom has been going through a really rough patch trying to wean herself off of pain medication her doctor prescribed for her. You know, you always hear about celebrities fighting these kinds of addictions, and I tend to judge rather harshly. Little did I realize that much of these addictions are caused by the doctors and the drugs themselves. By that, I mean, with the rebound of pain that accompanies taking pain medication. It will take away the pain for awhile, but when it wears off, the body sends rebound pain--and you end up taking more medication to relieve that pain, and the accompanying pain and so on!

It's been 24 days since she went off of her pain medication cold turkey. And she's finally starting to feel a little more human. Those first three days were the worst! I honestly thought I should start looking for cross country movers to be with her. It's probably good that we are 1500 miles apart, because I would have been there all day every day--and there are times I think she would have pushed just to converse with me. And with me not there, it gave her the freedom to rest and only take my phone calls when she really had the energy to do so!

Hand Dryers

Are all kids drawn to hand dryers? I swear, every restroom we are in, my daughter (6 1/2) must wash her hands and sit with them under the dryer until they are practically chapped from being so dry. There are paper towel dispensers along the other wall which would be much quicker, but no, she must dry! It isn't that she's being all 'conservation minded', she just likes the fact that something mechanical dries her hands for her.

I remember being up in the mountains at summer camp. We would have to be up at the crack of dawn, and even though it was summer--it was always freezing up there. We would hang out for the flag ceremony, and then we would dash to the bathroom, and turn the blowers on--and just stand in front of them. Anything to get warm!

So Proud

I was filling out some paper work for some of the ladies at church, and came across a name of someone I'd never met. Mind you, I've been in the area and the same church for over two years, I should know everybody right? Turns out this young lady has picked up and moved to the Dominican Republic to work on humanitarian projects. How amazing is that? I can't imagine being so self-less, and I have to say, I'm humbled by her. So if you are ever in santo domingo look up Sister Cutler for me---just see how she's doing!

I Want It!!

We are remodeling our basement. I know, it's a recession...what are we thinking! Honestly, we are updating it, and adding a kitchen. In case we need to move elderly parents in--or even rent out the space for added income. We were looking at sinks and faucets the other day, when we saw the COOLEST bar faucets ever! Mind you, I've never really been into a bar---so I don't know if they are what real bars use--but you hold the glass upside down and push it toward the faucet, and a gush of hot water hits it--and cleans it. OH MY HEAVENS....I want one so bad! I don't think we use too many glasses. I'm not sure it would be used much at all. But oh it was so cool!

My Laptop Is Dead

My laptop is fried! I guess I was asking for it, when I let my kids play with it. But it's got too much information to just let it go. I've been looking into secure online backup. I don't know how long the process takes, or how many times my laptop will freeze before it's totally backed up. But it is definitely something that would save me so much time and stress. I don't know if it has a virus---and it won't keep itself running long enough to run a scan, and I do have to say---it's DRIVING ME CRAZY!!