ORGANIZE Reminder

Just a little reminder to post an organization project to your blog, with before and after pics, on Monday (the first Monday of the month). Remember, no project is too small (think junk drawer or a shelf) or big (a whole room). If you don't have a blog but still want to share, please post in comments (not now, wait until Monday's post). I've even found out how to do a Mr. Linky thing at the bottom of the post. How cool am I? ;)

If you want a button (I'm not cool enough to figure out the code thing), let me know and I'll send you the pic and link to the original blog post so you can place the button on your blog.

Looking forward to seeing how you ORGANIZE!

Burst of Reading

I am a lover of books. I often wish there were more hours in the day so that I could spend more time reading. Princess asked me, a couple of weeks ago, if I thought she was weird because she doesn't like to read.  I assured her that I didn't think she was weird. There are all different kinds of people in the world; some love to read and some don't. It's all good!

Of course, Princess reads all the time, just not books.

Yesterday she picked up a book, a graphic novel to be specific, and read it. Today she is reading again. So yes, we are having a sudden burst of book reading.

Are you and your kids reading anything good?

Play It Safe

We often talk about safety -- real world safety as well as internet safety. This is something that Princess has learned about from us as well as the BrainPOP video on internet safety.

Princess discovered a new online game from National Geographic, called Animal Jam. This is her current passion and therefore, she spends most of her computer time playing it . . . with a little Minecraft thrown in here and there. It's a free membership, but she is using her allowance to pay for a premium membership. Yes, it is just that cool!

She's picking up some animal facts and is having a fun time playing in the Animal Jam world, collecting animals, making friends (or buddies), buying a variety of things using points, participating in contests and more.

Princess has really been having a lot of fun with it, until the other night. Another player asked her for two pieces of furniture. At first Princess said yes, but then changed her mind and said no. The other player told her that if she didn't give the furniture, Princess would be reported. Being a researcher, Princess found what happens when people are reported -- 24 hour suspension from Animal Jam. She was in tears, scared and texted to me to come downstairs.

I assured her that there was no way she would be suspended for that and she sat with me as I sent an email to the support staff at Animal Jam. I received a response the next day, a Saturday. They assured me that they have moderators staffed 24/7. All reports are reviewed for validity and they are going to research the situation. Princess and I talked about what to do if this happens again. Now that she has had this experience, I think she will be calmer should she experience something like this again.

Fortunately, these sites make it relatively easy. Princess knows how to report, unfriend, and block other players. And of course, she knows to let me know when anything happens that she doesn't like. We talked about the situation again and she is feeling very confident about it now.

It may sound silly, but I am so grateful that I get to be her mom. I am so grateful that I am the one who is there to help her navigate this world. This is, hands down, the best job ever!

Project 2011 - Week 21

Hey there! It's time for Project 2011 again! This is the time that we check and see how our 2011 goals are coming along. You can click the tab above. See it? The one on the right that says "The Royal Goals -- 2011". Yup! That's it!

A big thanks to our Project 2011 sponsor, Cate. You can click the button to the left to check out the details and find out how to join us. It's never too late!

Princess is making lots of progress with her riding. She is riding with the lunge line, which is really helping her get lots of riding experience. Check out her form in this video!

The Lizard King is still looking for pistons for the Harley build. And no, I still don't have any photos. Meh.

I'm continuing to read a lot, and learn a lot, about photography. I've also created a special Amazon wishlist with my photographic wishes. : )

Learning how to sew . . . uhm . . . nothing happening here at the moment, other than washing the Christmas material that I bought for making gift bags. I need to set my sewing machine up in a permanent spot. That way when I have the desire to sew, which does happen fairly often, I can just go do it!

As for my weekly workout . . . still loving it! Slow Burn totally rocks! I'm back in the swing of things. Having quit the gym, I was looking for ways to improve my at home workout. I went window shopping on Amazon and found lots of ideas. Then, I headed out to Craigslist and SCORE! I found exactly what I was looking for and it was a super bargain. It's got a lat pulldown bar, leg curl & extension and a bicep curl pad. It even came with weights. Adding these weights to what I already have, I've now got 120 pounds of steel weights. (That's almost 55 kilos, for my non-American friends.) How cool is that?!?!

I had to order clips to hold the weights on and a barbell bar (because the one that came with it is cheap, bent, and entirely too long), but this is a very low cost gym. I'm ecstatic! I find working out at home much more doable for me.

Now head on over to Cate's to see how bloggy friends, around the world, are doing with their goals!

Racing to Save Lives

That is the title of Freckles' post here. If you head over there, you can read about her new friend, Alex. He is a 6 year old boy with leukemia who is fighting for his life. Freckles is running in his honor and is working to raise $3200 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. At the time of this writing, she has raised $1045. I donated $50. Some have donated more. Some have donated less. Please go to Freckles' Team in Training page to make a donation. No amount is too small. You can make a difference.

Freckles shared this story:

Tonight, at the Team in Training Kick Off Party, I listened to my friend Terry speak about her daughter, who died of cancer when she was only 5 years old. I heard a story that was so moving, so heartbreaking, and so bitter sweet, I cried my eyes out... and as I carefully glanced around the room, I realized I was not the only one. I was in good company. Not a dry eye in the room.

Tonight, a young woman with no hair stood in front of a crowd of people, and with tears in her eyes, choking up, she spoke of her diagnosis just two months ago. I joined the crowd for the standing ovations, as she returned to her chair .(I later got to hug her good bye.)

Tonight, a small boy called "GO TEAM" into the microphone. He is a cancer survivor... barely 5 years old.

Tonight, I met the most amazing people... all of whom were there for different reasons, and all of whom were there for the same reason. To run, walk, bicycle, or swim for a cause... to cure blood cancers.

Tonight, my friend Terry, who is training for her 22nd event (!!) said, "I will come back every year, until the day a doctor can say to a patient, yes, you have leukemia, but that's okay... because we have a medication for that. And it has no side effects."

Tonight, I attended a life changing event. I learned just how important this cause is. And if I didn't know it before, I do know now, just how precious this little life of mine is. I came home to my two healthy children, and I hugged them and kissed them, and I felt incredibly thankful for them... and for their health.

Tonight, I learned that since the beginning of this year's Team in Training season that has only just begun a couple of weeks ago, we have already raised $45,000!

Tonight, I'm asking you to visit my fundraising website and to make a donation, so that we... all of us together can make a difference.

THANK YOU!

Project 2011 - Week 16

It's Thursday again! That means that it's time for a Project 2011 update. Thanks to our sponsor, Cate at Moments of Whimsey.

I haven't talked about my goals for a couple of weeks. Here they are in a nutshell.

1. Learn to sew
2. Learn to use my camera
3. Do the Slow Burn workout weekly.

I finished Princess' nightgown, and I did learn a bit. I know that I have a lot more to learn and I'm working on it. I really need to get some fabric (and some time), because I have lots of ideas.

I started my photography class last Wednesday. I learned a lot about ISO, aperture, shutter speed and white balance. I also learned that my camera is an "advanced point and shoot" which limits the things I can do. I don't like that.

Last night was my second class. And I left feeling stupid. As the instructor stood in front of the class explaining something, I had a glazed look on my face. He was talking about forcing the camera "higher than +2" and "lower than -2" by holding the photo taking button (does that have a name?) down half way and adjusting the setting. I tried. I saw no change. 

I also felt rather lame with my homework assignment. We were supposed to choose a subject and take a photo of the same subject, using the different white balance settings. I went into the yard and took photos of random things - a weed, river rock, a broom. I wasn't even thinking of finding something "pretty" or artistic to photograph. I was just looking for the change in white balance. Guess what?! Everyone else had these beautiful photos and I've got the broom and the weed and the rocks.

As for working out, I injured my knee last Thursday, so no workout last week. I can walk now, so I'll go to the gym this weekend but I can't do any leg work. 

I'm in a pretty crappy place right now. And I don't like it. I need an attitude adjustment - stat.

PLANNED

Looking for a good book to read? I've got a great one! It's available in paperback and on the Kindle.
I laughed. I cried. I loved it!

This is the story of a strong, independent woman who thinks she's got it all figured out. And she does . . . until she meets the man who melts her heart. This is not what she had planned. And when she finds out that she's pregnant, her whole world falls apart.

Give it a read. You'll like it, too.

Oh . . . and it was written by my best friend. =)

Project 2011 - Week 14

Thanks again to our Project 2011 sponsor, Cate at Moments of Whimsy. Head on over and check out the status of everyone's goals.

This week we're featuring Princess, realizing one of her goals. When I asked her about her goals at the beginning of the year, I think she may have felt pressured to choose when she responded with "learn to knit and learn to sew" or maybe she didn't really think about it. As the year went on, it dawned on me what her true goal was.

Princess owns 5 imaginary ponies. She can tell your their names and what they look like. She rides them around the house all the time. She has books about horses, reads stories about horses, has a coloring book of horses, she watches TV shows about horses. Are you noticing a pattern here?

I wish you could have seen the look on her face when I told her that we were going to meet a riding instructor and her horses. I think she almost cried she was so happy. 

Tomorrow, she rides for the first time. The days can't go by quickly enough. I can't wait to post those photos!

Project 2011 - Week 7

Want to see the Royal Goals, click here.

Weekly workout - check! Still loving the workout and have added Tai Chi to the fun. I wanted something different to do and someone mentioned Tai Chi. It intrigued me, so I checked out a few DVDs from the library.

Played around with taking photos and editing - check! You all get to see what I'm doing in every post. :-)

Here is my new sewing project! Isn't this fabric pretty?! It is sooooo soft, too. It's flannel that is not intended for sleepwear, which makes it perfect for a nightgown. ;-P

I refuse to put Princess in the chemical laden sleepwear available in stores. I know the pattern is for pajamas, but Princess really wants a nightgown. The plan is to lengthen the top to turn it into a nightgown.

I also did a little bonus project for a friend. I had so much fun doing this, I think I might make some more.

Finally, we've got outside time. Uhm . . . uhhh . . . shhhhh! Don't tell anyone that we haven't been outside all month. We've still got time to get out there before we check in for Nature Connections. Right? The goal is to get out at least monthly. We did a whole lot better last month. Maybe we'll get out tomorrow?

Princess hasn't been all too excited about her goals lately. She'll do it when she's ready. Or not. As for the Lizard King, he has been gathering parts needed for the Harley build.

Now head on over to Moments of Whimsey to check out the other Project 2011 players.

Project 2011 - Week 6

How did the week go by so quickly?! Somehow, I haven't done that much.

I've been thinking about sewing, but I have to get to the fabric store and actually choose and buy fabric for my next project. Maybe I'll do that on Saturday. I have to make the time. I really want to work on my next project!

I've been doing a lot of reading at Digital Photography School and I'm learning a little more everyday. I'd really love to take a digital photography class. Maybe in the summer? Anyway, I shot some photos for this post and chose my favorite, which leads into the next goal.

Fortunately, my Slow Burn workouts take very little time. Click the link and it will take you to the iPhone/iPad/iPod "vook" that includes videos of the at home exercises. It still amazes me that I can see results from ONE workout when I do ONE set only ONE time a week for only 30 MINUTES.  Between this workout and living the Paleo lifestyle, I have lost 7 pounds. Does that rock or what?!

I've been thinking about adding something else to my workout just for fun. You'll have to wait to find out what that is . . . until next Thursday!

Now head on over to Cate's at Moments of Whimsy to see what everyone else is up to for week 6.

Is it regret?

Or is she processing?

A few days ago, I shared with you Princess' huge leap into trading in old games for new ones. She was so excited and spent the entire day playing her new game. Late that night, reality set in. She told me she felt sad about trading in the games. What I didn't realize was that while she was ready to trade them in, it didn't mean that she was done with it emotionally.

I could have pushed her feelings aside and told her to focus on the happiness of the new game. I could have minimized her feelings and told her she would get over it.

I could have said a lot of things, but what I said was this.

It's okay to be sad about it. It was a big deal trading in those games. It's normal to feel sad. So go ahead and feel those feelings, and in time, the sadness will get to be less and less. One day, she'll look back and smile about those games. But for now, it's perfectly fine to feel sad.

Princess smiled at me then and we both knew it would be okay. For now, I will snuggle her and help her process this.

Project 2011 - Week 5

Time for an update! If you'd like to join us for Project 2011, click the button to the left for details.

This week I completed my pillow! Princess loves it so much she is sleeping with it every night. Not sleeping on it, she actually cuddles it in bed. So cute!

I need to buy some fabric for my next project. I think I'm going to make a bag of some sort next . . . unless I get brave enough to make a nightgown for Princess.

I also did my Slow Burn workout and yes, I still love it!! I most especially love that I only have to do it once a week. I'm seeing progress! Last week I barely did 2, very poor form, knee push ups. This week I did 4 strong ones. Now you may think that 2 poor or 4 strong pushups aren't that big of a deal. The thing with the Slow Burn workout . . . you take at least 10 seconds to go up and 10 seconds to go down. That's how you do all the exercises. It's not easy. Try it!

I have also been trying to understand more about how my camera works. I've been learning about ISO and shutter speed. I'm not completely sure that I thoroughly understand the difference (okay, I don't really), but I'm working on it. I worked with shutter speed indoors this week on the camera. I kept my ISO at 800 and changed the shutter speed, which is indicated below each photo. It is really interesting to see the photos changes. These are totally unedited.

1/60

1/125

1/250

1/500

Do you see the difference? I do!

Now head on over to Cate's to see what else is happening with Project 2011!

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope all my stateside bloggy friends had a beautiful Thanksgiving! I know I did and I certainly have a lot to be thankful for.

I am most thankful that my sweet man, the Lizard King, is home safe with us. I love you, baby...

I am grateful for my beautiful Princess. I am truly honored to be her mother. I love you sweetheart!!

This Thanksgiving we have LK's son, his wife and their beautiful little baby with us for a week. My sister is with us as well. I am so thankful for all of our family. I love you all!

We also had dear friends join us on Thanksgiving day. It was a fabulous celebration!

I am also so very grateful for my dearest, best friends. You know who you are. Without your support, I don't know how I would be where I am today. I love you both!!

Fun For All!

You may know that the Lizard King is in Afghanistan and has been for the last year. Being a 24/7 mama with no breaks started to take its toll on me and on Princess, too. It took me a while, but I realized that we both needed a little bit of a break every so often. Enter the greatest babysitter to ever walk the Earth. Oh, she needs a name...hmmmm.How about Magical Faerie?! Sound good? Okay!

Magical Faerie comes to babysit every other Monday. She spends 4-5 hours with Princess and she plays with her the entire time. She completely immerses herself in the many imaginative games Princess has designed in anticipation of this special play day.

Let's play office! One of the many games Princess set up.

Yesterday, in addition to my monthly massage, I scheduled dinner with a friend. Magical Faerie was more than happy to spend the extra time with Princess. These two young ladies spent NINE HOURS playing! At the end of the nine hours, Princess was still sad that their time was over. I feel very blessed to have found such an amazing girl to spend time with my Princess. I know that Princess feels the same.

Remember mamas, it is so important to take time for yourself. You must fill your cup so that you can be the best mama you can be. Go! Do something for yourself...your cup is looking a little empty.