Randomness Of The Day... PLUS... future giveaway information

Last night I had two separate nightmares about being with Baby in an armed robbery. Hands down being in an armed robbery was one of the scariest situations of my real life. It completely altered my perception of my daily safety. And it taught me I'm a runner. As in I'll choose flight. In my 2nd dream I was getting away with Baby in my arms. I still woke up feeling stressed.


This week I made a whopping $150 babysitting. Which sounds and feels impressive until I divide it out by the hour. And then... well... it's less than minimum wage. It also leaves me feeling like all the bone marrow was drained out of my body by the end of the day. I'm watching for LONG days. 9-10 hours. And yesterday I had both extra kids... plus... my own. And with kids ranging from 5 months to 7 years (some of you may know exactly what that is like) I never get a chance to sit down. I'm meeting needs THE WHOLE DAY. And since I haven't worn Baby in a sling in almost 2 years and the little baby goes down in it... my back is killing me. I need to build those particular arm and back muscles that get tweaked while carrying a little one around... and... trying to cut apples, wipe butts, build towers, etc.... because I woke up today and something is pinched and I feel like I can barely breathe.


I need to get back to meal planning and batch cooking. Especially on sitting days when I'm watching kids right up until dinner time I just don't have time to make dinner. That will get easier as the baby gets older... and sometimes he sleeps at the right time and I can still get stuff done on time. But this week several times I wasn't able to get dinner on the table on time and we were eating about an hour later. The problem with that means I then don't have time to workout... and Kid is practically eating and then going to bed. If I could get some freezer meals stocked up I'd be able to pull something together a lot more easily. So this weekend I'm going to focus on finding some good things to cook up and stock the freezer with. If you've got a tried and true big batch recipe that freezes well please send me a link!


This weekend we are also going to work more on eradicating the mold that is in both our basement and garage. Unfortunately that is also where all my workout equipment is... and I haven't been able to workout because of the mold. My eyes immediately start burning and itching when I'm down there. That is another frustrating set back. I'm going to need to make myself do the 30 Day Shred until I can get things cleaned up down there. The problem with that is that I just don't get the same level of stress relief from that as I do from working out on the treadmill.


In other random news I'm starting to think about Christmas (12 weeks away!) and this years gift boxes. I'll be giving away 4 boxes this year... so... get ready. Oreo truffles anyone?! Yeah that's what I thought.


I also just ordered THIS BOOK for myself last week. I found it on Amazon for $3. You may recall that I recommended this book a few years back after my good friend lent me her copy to read. I like this book enough that I'm thinking of including it in the gift boxes this year or doing a separate giveaway. I highly recommend it to all mothers... and the title is a misnomer... it is not a religious book. It is a book about simplifying. And this is the perfect time of year to read it. Before we get all caught up in the stress of holiday time.


That's what I've got for you today. After I have my coffee and my back starts to feel a bit more pliable I need to put away the girls summer clothes and put the huge piles of winter clothes that have been washed and dumped on the couch away. I'd also like to go to Barnes & Noble this weekend and spend a couple of bucks on a mocha and a slice of lemon cake and let the girls listen to the story time. I've decided that I can take $5 a week of my babysitting money and spend it on something frivolous JUST FOR ME. I think that's fair.


I've also decided to give away a $10 Target giftcard (or iTunes, or Gap Options card) to someone whose life is falling apart on October 5th, October 19th, November 2nd, and November 16th (four separate giveaways). I know what it's like to have a shitty ass week and I know what it is like to have so tight a budget that you can't afford a single luxury. I know it's not a lot but it is enough to get yourself a bag of candy and a people magazine, or a pumpkin scented candle, or a tee shirt. And sometimes that is what you need to make your life a little more bearable. I was going to give myself $10 a week for luxuries but then I thought I'd go halfsies with you. For every $5 dollars I give myself I want to be able to give the same to someone else. SO stay tuned for that. I'm not entirely sure how I'll choose the winners... that will probably be the hardest part.