Shopping is not easy

We live on a small hobby farm in the middle of nowhere.  Honestly, we're waaaay out there.  The nearest major store is Wal-Mart, and it's 35 miles.  The nearest big city is over an hour and a half away.  Our entire county has only 3 stoplights.  I'm telling you--Middle of Nowhere.  But we love it.  We love that we're off the beaten path, we know our neighbors (who may live over a mile away), we can go for walks or horseback rides and everyone waves at us, and the people in town know us by name.  It's great...unless you need to go shopping.

Last week, I needed to go shopping.  Bad.  Like 25+ items on the list.  We needed everything from bread and eggs to laundry detergent, with a little of everything in between.  Now usually, I do my weekly fresh shopping at our small grocery store in town.  That's where I get our bread, eggs, produce and anything that looks good in the sales ad or that I need in a pinch.  Our milk and cheese we buy right from the local dairy co-op's store.  When I have a large list, I go to Wal-Mart every 3 weeks or so.  But every so often, we make a run into the big city for Sam's Club.  This was one of those times.

Scrat and I left home as soon as Brainiac and Picaso got on the school bus and we arrived at Sam's just 5 minutes after they opened.  I grabbed one of their gigantic carts, reminded Scrat to stay right next to me and away we went.  Cereal, tuna, tampons, Ibuprofen, hot chocolate mix, crackers, laundry detergent, garbage bags, frozen vegetables...you name it, it was probably in our cart.  It was heaping and I kept having to shove stuff in.  I spent over $300.  I told you we were out or low on almost everything.  It was crazy.  And then, since it's Sam's and they don't do bags, I had to find room for everything and didn't I tell you?  We drove the truck because that's our family vehicle right now.  Oh, and it was 15 degrees out.  So I buckled Scrat into her seat, then froze my butt off trying to get everything into the rest of the backseat or in the cooler in the truck bed.  (Side note #1--we need to get a cover for the truck bed just like Full Man Grown wants.  Now.)

Please tell me I'm not the only one to do this.  I can't be the only mom/wife that lets her list get so crazy long and out of control.  It doesn't happen all the time, but I was kicking myself so bad with everything I had to precariously perch on top of the cart.  Sure, we still make periodical trips to Sam's if we're in the city but this trip was just plain insane.

Sometimes, discipline hurts Mom more

Every Wednesday, we go to the local library for story time.  I don't have extra kids that day, so it's something that Scrat and I get to do without her having to share Mom's attention with her sisters or the daycare kids.  She loves listening to the books and dancing with her friends, then getting to play in the kids area before picking out a couple books to take home.  And I look forward to it because it gets me out of the house and also allows me to visit with some of my girlfriends who also bring their kids to story time.  It's win-win.

This past Wednesday, no one won anything.  Scrat was having a decent morning until we decided it was time to get dressed.  She was already wearing a green leopard print skirt, an orange Halloween Kitty shirt and a Christmas sweater--which we'd agreed she could wear until it was time to leave.  Then she had to put on pants because it was cold out.  That's when it started, when it was time to put on her pants.  First, she complained the pants were too long.  Then she didn't think the shirt matched or was pretty on her.  What followed was a half-naked child pounding on my arm, sobbing, yelling, "I want to go to STORY TIME!" 

Needless to say, we didn't go to story time.  I had told Scrat that if she continued to hit and yell at Mommy, we weren't going.  She did, so we didn't.  Let me tell you, it was so hard to stick to my word.  I wanted to go to story time just as badly as she did...and she didn't even know that we were invited to a friend's house afterwards for lunch and a sledding party.  See?  So badly wanted to just give in and take her to story time for my own adult mind as much as hers.  But I didn't.  I couldn't.  I knew that I had to stick to my guns and follow through with what I said--"If you continue this behavior, we will not go to story time." 

Thankfully, Scrat doesn't do this often.  She's very active and funny and a little crazy, but she seldom has temper tantrums and never has she had one to this level.  And I know that she was overly tired because we were out later than normal the night before.  But still.  I had to stick to my guns.  I couldn't give in and just act like nothing happened...or give empty threats...no matter how badly I wanted to.

If it's good enough for breakfast...

As a mom and wife, there are many things I enjoy doing for my family.  One of those things that I enjoy, even love, is cooking.  I love playing with new recipes, tweaking old ones, or just throwing things together and seeing how it turns out.  Most of my meals are homemade or mostly so ( may use a can of cream soup ) and pretty high on the healthy/balanced meal scale.  However, there are times when I just don't have the energy, patience or anything else to prepare a meal--even a frozen pizza.  It doesn't happen often, maybe twice a month, but on those nights cooking is the last thing I want to even think about.  So what do I do when I have 3 kids and a Full Man Grown to feed?

"Kids, tonight's help yourself night!"  They love it and I get off scott free.  So what do they usually do?  Make a sandwich or have cereal or oatmeal.  I know it's not the best dinner ever, but if it's good enough for breakfast--the most important meal of the day--then it must be good enough for dinner a few times a month.

Last night was one of those nights.  Scrat was having a bad day, which translated to Mom having a bad day so I hadn't started anything for dinner.  The older girls came home from school with a headache and a bad attitude, respectively, and we had 1.5 hours between bus drop-off and having to be at practice for the church musical (which is a 15 min drive...unless you get stuck behind slow people on non-icy backroads.  Which, of course, I did.)  Full Man Grown was gone for the evening helping his dad at the farm, so I was on my own.  I told them to fend for themselves and our table looked like this:

Scrat: bowl of Cheerios and a yogurt.
Picasso: PB&J on wheat, string cheese and raisins
Brainiac: PB&honey on 1 piece of wheat and small bowl of blueberry oatmeal
Mom: left-overs from the night before (which was about 4 bites) and a rice krispie bar (don't judge)

The meal was nothing to be desired, but it was food and the kids made it themselves.  I used to really beat myself up about these nights.  Or days when the girls would want cereal for lunch and I'd let them because I just didn't feel like making something or was so busy I didn't have time for a regular meal.  But then I reasoned with myself--It's good enough for breakfast, so why can't it be good enough for any other meal?  And at least I'm feeding them!  They're still getting relatively healthy food options, with milk and the added confidence of doing it themselves.  So I relaxed a little.  And you can relax, too, if you have days or nights like this.  As long as it's not every day, it's okay.  And even if it is every day, at least you are giving them food, right?

How am I here?

Do you ever sit and wonder, "How did I get to where I am today? How am I old enough to have a husband, house, bills, 3 kids, all those adult responsibilities?" I'll admit that I think like that not often, but a few times a year maybe? Sometimes I think those thoughts during hard times, wondering how things can be like this and longing for the naivete and relative simplicity of the teen years. Other times, I think like this while things are good, wondering how I can be so lucky to have all that I do.

I'm not the only one who thinks this, right?  I know sometimes I don't feel I'm old enough to be my age, so maybe that's it.  Sometimes I do feel a little wistful of friends who have all the toys and money, but not the kids or house or responsibility.  Sometimes I feel like I'm 75 and have lived an entire lifetime.  But never do I wish that things were different.  Never do I wish that I didn't have the house, even when I'm scraping together the mortgage payment.  Never do I wish that I didn't have 3 kids, even when they are driving me CRAZY.  Never do I wish a minute apart from my husband, even if he's crabby and tired. 

But sometimes, I do wonder.  Where would I be right now if I hadn't taken my husband back, all those years ago, when we broke up in our late teens?  What would I be doing if I'd decided to go to the huge university I was accepted at instead of the smaller U, closer to home?  How would my life be changed had I made one decision differently than I did?

It's not good to dwell on the "what ifs" of life.  I know that.  But if we're all being honest with ourselves, we've all wondered.  On a bad day, we've maybe thought, "My life would be so different if I hadn't let X happen."  But on a good day, we've maybe thought, "I'm so glad that I did Y, because otherwise I wouldn't have Z."  It's normal and it's human to think like that.  So if you have thought these thoughts--it's okay!  It means that you are human and you realize that almost every decision you make can be life changing.  Sure, deciding to have the chicken sandwich instead of the cheeseburger may not be life changing.  But you never know...maybe that cheeseburger is made with contaminated beef.  Or the chicken is under-cooked and gives you salmonella.  You never know.  Just sayin'. 

So the next time you feel like "How am I here?"  Just think back on all you've been through, smile and be confident in the decisions you've made.  You're doing just fine.  And if something needs to change, know that you have the ability to change it.

Guest Post!

I love learning new ways to be frugal, healthy, active...all those things we strive for to make our lives easier and better.  One of the blogs that I follow is The Grocery Shrink.  Angela has wonderful ideas for living life on a budget but not skimping on life at the same time.  She recently allowed me to write a guest post about being active as a family without having it cost tons (or any) money.  You can read that post here.

Thanks so much, Angela!  I hope that at least one person is inspired by something that I shared!

Friends are part of the Family

This weekend, we went snowmobiling with some friends.  While warming up eating at a local restaurant, my best friend voiced those same thoughts.  She said, "How did I end up with such wonderful friends who know me like I've known them my entire life, when it's only been a few years?!"  Let me tell you, it made me love my BFF even more.  We've talked about it before, but it's so true.  She married a friend of ours who, at the time they met, was more an acquaintance than anything.  But over the years of their dating, we all became super close and she's now the one I go to for everything.  We finish each other's sentences, we've had our babies at the same times (not planned, either) we get together for everything and can talk for hours or sit in the silence with one another.  Our kids call eachothers' parents "Gramma and Grampa."  If we get together for something, we will automatically start helping the other with things like loading the dishwasher, emptying the grocery bags on the counter, changing the poopy diaper while she's in the middle of a phone call.  She is like a sister to me, and I to her (and we both have sisters).

I honestly don't know what I'd do without her.  I look back at High School and think how because I always did something with one friend, she was my best friend.  I never thought that I'd live far from her, or we'd grow apart.  But now that real life has set in, I realize that true friends are so much more than they were in school.  They are the ones who will step in to watch your kids while you go on vacation and expect nothing in return.  They are the ones who don't care that you show up and their house isn't perfect...and then don't feel bad when you start to help with what needs it.  They are the friend who will take your teary call at 6 am because the baby won't stop crying and you are at your wits end.  They are the friend who will laugh with you until the tears fall, usually over something completely ridiculous and stupid.  They are the friend who lets you put her make-up on her because she lost track of time and the rest of the company will be there in 5 minutes...and she's elbow deep in jalapeno poppers.  They are the friend who will do anything for you, and you will do anything for them.  They are the friend who you've only known for 10 years, but you feel like you've grown up together.

Friends like that are truly part of the family.  I hope you each have a friend who has touched your life in such a wonderful, important way.

Sometimes I Yell

I know that I shouldn't yell at my kids.  Every expert says that it's not effective and may damage my child's ego, sense of worth, yadda yadda yadda.  I agree with them, I do.  But sometimes...sometimes I yell.  I don't like it, I always feel bad after I do it, but sometimes it happens.  I'm human.  I'm not perfect. 

When does it happen?  Well, it usually is when I've asked them 564 four times to do something and they are still coloring or watching tv.  Or when they are arguing or back-talking about the most mundane things and have been for the last 3 minutes.  That's usually what my triggers are.  I hate it, but sometimes I yell.  It gets their attention but I know that it's not the best way I can do that.  But I also know that I don't always yell.  Most times, I get their attention in some other way and it works.  But sometimes...

Now, I don't know what you're thinking, but I bet a good bunch of you are nodding your heads, saying it sounds like your house.  I decided when I started this blog that I would be honest with my imperfections--especially when it comes to parenting.  All too often, people put on the "perfect facade."  "I don't yell at my kids."  "My kids always listen."  "I always have fresh baked cookies and milk waiting, with my hair perfectly done and a gourmet meal from scratch cooking on the spotlessly clean stove."  If you are that person in all honesty--kudos!  But I'm willing to say that 99.9% of us moms are NOT that mom.  We do what we can to get by.  Some days it's more than others.  But our ultimate goal is to love, nurture and protect our children.  So sometimes I yell, but most times I don't.  My kids still know that I love them and would do anything for them.  I just occasionally do that really loudly. 

Sunday Afternoons

Yesterday was Sunday afternoon.  We had been gone all day on Saturday, not coming home until after 10 pm, and then we raced out the door for church first thing in the morning.  When we got home from church, there was a lot to be done.  The groceries I had bought on Saturday that didn't need refrigeration were still in bags on the counter, the dishwasher was clean and needed to be emptied so my sink could be emptied, the floors all needed a good pick up and vac, and I was informed that Picaso had no jeans for school on Monday.  I sat the little girls down for a quick lunch (Brainiac was at a basketball clinic) while I put the groceries away.  Then we all went to work on the dishes (Scrat & Picaso unload, I load) before they settled for a nap.  I took the baskets of dirty laundry down to the laundry room, started a load of jeans and then came up to start on the floors. 

That's when I heard it.  It was quiet at first, but then got more demanding.  I searched for the source and found it on the coffee table...My book was calling my name.  I really debated if I should sit down.  I had a lot to do, but none of it HAD to be done right then or even that day.  I decided that I could sit and read for awhile.  I snuggled up with a blanket on our super comfy sectional and read.  For 2.5 hours!  I couldn't believe it when the girls finally woke from their naps (remember, we were out late so they were tired!) and I saw it was after 4:00.  I should have felt guilty, I should have immediately hopped up and started doing things, but I didn't.  I helped the girls to a snack and then sat down to read for another hour.

It was bliss I tell you!  I know there are a lot of other things I should could have been doing.  But I took care of me instead.  Sometimes, we have to do that as a mom.  Sure, today I still have floors that need help and some laundry to get done.  But yesterday afternoon felt fantastic.  If you ask me, it's the best way to spend a Sunday afternoon.  You should try it.

Checking Out

For the last few days, I checked out of the real world.  I laid in bed, slept for hours and hours, and did absolutely nothing constructive.  Now, I wish I could say I was on vacation and that's how I chose to spend it.  Unfortunately, that's not the case.  The real story is that I woke up on Sunday with some sciatic pain that lasted all day.  By Monday morning the pain was gone, but a dull headache had filled it's place.  By mid-day on Monday, it was a full-blown migraine.  It was my worst one yet, and it lasted into Tuesday as well.

I don't know if you have ever had a migraine, but they are the worst pain I can think of.  Hearing anything above a whisper is unbearable, any light makes you see spots, movement hurts, sitting or standing makes you dizzy, and your head pounds so hard that your stomach gets nauseous.  Yeah, they're that fun.  And then when it's finally over, the next day you feel better physically, but you are exhausted and weak and still in a bit of a fog--kinda like the day after the flu.  But even all that pain wasn't what hurt the worst.

So what did hurt worse than the excruciating migraine pain and effects?  Having to call my husband home from work to watch the kids.  Having to miss Picaso and Scrat's first swimming lesson--ever--that we were all so excited about.  Having to rely on my mother to transport Brainiac to basketball since it was at the same time as swimming.  Having to tell my kids that I couldn't hug or kiss them goodnight and they could only very lightly kiss my cheek.

It killed me to do or miss all of those things and have to pass the buck to other people.  I hated every second of laying there, basically in and out of consciousness, having to rely on other people to do what I should have been doing.  But if I've learned anything as a mom, it's that sometimes, I truly can't do it all.  Sometimes I have to turn to family and friends to help me out.  I may not like it, but it does make things better for me.  So hopefully you, too, have or will realize the same thing.  It's okay to ask for help when you need it.  It's not only okay, it may be the only chance you have to make it through.

Those Who Matter

I have been a mom for 10 years now.  Recently, our oldest daughter, Brainiac, celebrated her tenth birthday.  Our youngest daughter, Scrat, also recently celebrated a birthday.  We combined their "family and family friends" party into one and held it yesterday afternoon.  Everything went off just fine, but there were a few things that even just last year would have had me sweating bullets. What were they?

Nothing important.  Seriously, in the grand scheme of things these 2 or 3 imperfections were nothing important and yesterday, I took them as that.  But last year or 5 years ago, I would have been crying about them.  The difference?  I've honestly learned to live by the quote:

"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind, don't matter, and those who matter, don't mind."

Yesterday, I didn't say or feel anything in particular.  But the second part of the quote was in my mind as I raced to finish up the cleaning and the baking, and fretted that the frosting wasn't being cooperative on the darn beautiful butterfly cake.  See, we were gone all day Saturday at a family function and then had church yesterday morning, so I had about 3 hours between church and the party to finish everything up and bake a cake. 

"These people are our family and friends.  They will not care about the dog-nose prints still on the window, or that the floor was only swept, not mopped.  And if they do care...that's their problem."

I'm telling you, if you can honestly feel this and live it, it's absolutely freeing!  My stress about yesterday's party was so low, even with 30 people in my house, nose prints on the window and frosting that wasn't perfectly smooth.  We all had a great time and no one mentioned anything.  As a matter of fact, Scrat told me that the cake was "Perfect!  Mommy, it's so beufiful!" I think that's all I need.

15 minutes is a looong time

Have you ever noticed how time is one of those "relative" things?  Five minutes spent doing your favorite activity seems to go by so quickly, but 5 minutes spent waiting for test results or the phone to ring seems like an eternity.  Ten minutes of snuggle time with your spouse or kids cannot last long enough, but 10 minutes being stuck in traffic seems to take hours.  Well, then what does 15 minutes of doing something you really don't like to do feel like?

A very looong time.  But what I've also realized in the last week is that it's also longer than you think.  Now when you read that back, I know it won't make sense but hopefully, I can help with that.  One goal that I haven't mentioned on here is that I plan on spending just 15 minutes each day in a room to tidy it up.  That 15 minutes will be uninterrupted and dedicated to just that room.  So if it's the kitchen, I will only stay in the kitchen and do only kitchen things like unloading the dishwasher, sweeping the floor, washing the table, cleaning the counter off, etc.  When you say "I'm only going to spend 15 minutes" it doesn't sound like very long.  But then when you spend that dedicated time limit, it seems like forever until the timer goes off and you get so much more accomplished than what you originally thought.  So does that help explain how it's both longer than you think and yet still forever?

I used to scoff at people who did this.  I have 3 children, I take care of other peoples' kids, I don't have 15 minutes to spend in one time chunk.  But you know what?  I do.  If I'm working on the kitchen, I set the kids at the table for snack or with coloring books.  If I'm doing another room, I wait until nap-time.  I make myself spend that 15 minutes, but then I do what I want during the rest of the nap--check FaceBook, blogs, e-mail, read my book.  It's a compromise.  And I hate to admit it (because it was originally my husband's idea) but it does work. 

So if you're looking for a way to find time to clean but not take forever, try this plan.  Fifteen minutes isn't a long time when you do it after the kids are in bed, or while they do their homework.  But that 15 minutes will do wonders around your house to help keep it looking presentable and neat between the big, deep cleanings.  Good luck!

*FYI My schedule is Monday: kitchen, Tuesday: family room, Wednesday: bathrooms, Thursday: kitchen, Friday: living room, Saturday or Sunday: kitchen.  I do a load of dishes every day and still do some daily tidying, but this is really helping me to keep things neater around the house.

Goals for the Home

I love The Nester and today, she's having a linky party about the various goals we have for our homes in 2011.  I wrote a post just the other day about goals I have for self-improvement.  But today, it's all about the house and the things that make it a home.

We bought our house 6 years ago and immediately set to work updating it from the original decor from when it was built.  In 1979.  There was wallpaper everywhere, orange shag carpet, worn linoleum and ghastly light fixtures.  We got a lot of comments about seeing the beauty under the beast, if you know what I mean.  In the past 6 years we've come a long way and in 2011 I hope to continue that progress by:

* Replacing the carpet in our family room.  Unfortunately this is not the orange shag, but it is a carpet in off-white that was stained beyond repair when we moved in.  At the time, we had a 4 year old, a newborn, 2 dogs and a cat.  Unfortunately, this carpet was going to stay for awhile.  Now, the time has come to get rid of it.  The family room is a long, narrow, rectangular room and I've convinced the Full Man Grown that it wouldn't cost an arm and a leg to replace it like he thinks.  Some time this year, the goal is to find the carpet that speaks to me (he won't agree to hardwood floors) and replace it. 

This is an old pic and most everything in this room has changed, but you get the idea.  Oh, and ignore the arrow, shall we?

* And while we have the family room carpet torn up, I'd also like to re-sheet the walls and tear out a full wall of built-ins.  So I guess you could combine the two and say Remodel the family room.  Like I mentioned above, the entire house was covered in wall-paper.  Well, when we removed the wall-paper from the family room it didn't always want to let go.  And sometimes it took chunks of drywall with the paper, or it left very old and crusty glue on the wall, or it just marked the wall from being on there for so long.  We were so impatient to just get in the house that we removed it all "good enough," painted over what was left and that was that.  As for the built-ins, the wall they cover is the very end of the long, skinny room.  It 100% dominates the area and makes for only one option in furniture and all other types of arranging.  I'm done with it.  Thankfully, the Full Man Grown is a very handy sort and will be able to do all that himself with a handful of friends.  I can. not. wait.

* Full Man Grown put flooring down 3 years ago to get rid of the horrendous linoleum in our kitchen and dining area.  We still don't have trim (such is the life of living with a carpenter--my projects are never done).  The goal this year is to finish and install the trim.

Anything else that gets accomplished is fantastical and above and beyond the call of duty!

Chicken Pot Pie and Homemade Chicken Stock

I love to cook and I love being in the kitchen.  That's not a big secret at all if you know me.  I'm always trying new recipes, tweaking old ones, and finding different ways to present the same old things.  Most things I make are made from scratch or from a few staples I can buy at the store (like creamed soups, pasta, etc)  Personally, I never buy foods like Hamburger Helper.  But remember--I'm not perfect.  My kids do love their Kraft Mac-N-Cheese and I buy canned soups, but I keep these for times when I just don't have the time or energy to make homemade.  I don't buy all organic or make everything from complete scratch; I honestly don't have the time, money or patience for all of that.  But I do try to make hearty meals that are as healthy and as natural as I can make them with my time and money limitations.  Don't get me wrong, there are nights that the kids have cereal and an apple for dinner, or we all scarf down 2 frozen Tombstones and a bag of chips.  But those days are thankfully few and far between, balanced out with good meals that I'll be sharing with you often.  I'll also be sharing some tips on great kitchen staples to keep on hand for just about any meal.

Right now, I'm in the middle of preparing a family favorite--Chicken Pot Pie.  I pulled boneless, skinless chicken breasts from the freezer this morning and set them to thaw in some cold water.  By noon, they were about halfway thawed so I put them in water to boil on the stove.  This is the same way I do it every time, but this time I decided to try my hand at making chicken stock as well.  So along with my chicken breasts, I also added oregano, thyme, rosemary, garlic, onion and black pepper.  I simmered them for about an hour, then removed the chicken and added some diced potatoes and frozen mixed vegetables.  After about 10 minutes, I strained out the veggies and preserved the liquid, which is now cooling in my fridge, waiting for me to skim the fat and then freeze it in ice cube trays for easy use.  I've never done it before, but I hope it works and tastes good.  It sure smelled good.

Anyway, back to the Pot-Pie.  I guess it's not what you'd call a traditional pot-pie as I'll fill you in on a little secret--I don't like pie and it's 100% because of the crust.  Can't stand the stuff.  So when I say pot-pie, I really mean it's more like a chicken and veggie casserole with a bread-like topping.  What I do is cook a few chicken breasts (read above) and then shred or dice them.  I mix them with any veggies I have on hand or a bag of frozen mixed vegetables (cooked al dente), and then a can of cream of chicken soup (I usually use either the reduced fat or sodium variety) mixed with 1/2 cup chicken liquid.  I bake this for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees, then top with either canned biscuits, 1 cup Bisquick + 1/2 cup milk + 1 egg, or some other similar mixture, and bake for another 15 minutes or until the breading on top is golden brown.  Sometimes I put it as one big pot-pie in a casserole dish, other times I divide them into individual pies.  This is a simple, decently healthy, and very yummy meal that everyone here loves

New Year's Resolutions

I don't generally make New Year's resolutions.  Instead, I like to reflect back on the year that just ended and decide where I need some improvement.  And if I'm being honest, there are usually a lot of places where I could use a magic wand or 6.  I then take those areas and set goals for myself that I hope to accomplish in the new year.  Sometimes I meet these goals, sometimes I exceed these goals, and sometimes they fall to the wayside to be forgotten until the next year, when I realize I still haven't touched that certain aspect of my life but it still needs work.

This year, my goals are things that I truly hope are attainable, though at times I think they are complete pipe dreams.  In no particular order:

*I want to be more patient with my children.  Having 3 girls (one of them a pre-teen), there is a lot of drama in this house and some days, it's all I can do to not blow my top completely.  I am often looking back on my day, thinking "Did that really have to go down that way?" or "How could I have handled that better?"  I know it's something every parent deals with and I'm sure I'll be asking for advice and support to help me with this particular goal further down the road.

*I want to worry less, especially about finances and money.  A side goal to this would probably be I want to get a better handle on our finances.  Now, I'm not saying our money and spending is out of control, we're near bankruptcy, or anything like that.  But I am saying that we live paycheck to paycheck more often than I like, our bank balance is sometimes much too small and there have been times I've been in tears wondering how we'll pay the bills.  But it always works out, things always get paid, people always get fed, and we have many things that are for comfort--not necessity--that could still be cut out of the monthly budget if need be.  I'll be talking about the various aspects of this goal throughout the year as well.

*I want to be more efficient.  I tend to be somewhat like the "If you Give a Mouse a Cookie" books.  I don't think I'd go so far as to say I have ADD, but I am always so busy that I sometimes meet myself coming when I'm going.  I need to be better about planning my time, my tasks and my days so that I can accomplish things fully, instead of just part of the way before I start something else.

Those are my top 3 goals, though I have other smaller goals as well--like learning to sew and knit.  So how about you?  What are your goals for 2011?

Here's to 2011

Hello! I played around with the idea of starting a blog way back in July. I set up the template, I worked with some things, and then life got in the way. Don't you hate when that happens?! But I've decided that with the new year, I will give this blogging thing a try. It won't be perfect, but it will hopefully be fun, entertaining, helpful, and honest.

Who am I?
I am an Imperfect Momma to 3 girls--Brainiac, Picaso and Scrat. I'm also an imperfect wife to my husband, or Full Man Grown. We live on a small hobby farm in the middle of nowhere. I know I'm not perfect, and I no longer strive to be because I've finally realized that no one is, or can be, perfect. We all have our faults and flaws, and those are as big a part of us as our attributes and talents. We all have room for improvement and growth. I am not preaching to anyone about how they can be perfect, how I am perfect, or how what I do or say is perfect. But if I can help you with what I say or do, than we're both better off in the end. If not, we keep plugging and being and doing.

What is my blog about?
This blog is going to be about life, especially life as a mother, wife, daughter, sister, friend...all those roles women play. I'll talk about parenting, cooking, cleaning, money, health, fun things, not so fun things--all the things women naturally talk about when they get together anyway.

I hope that you'll join me on this journey. I'm going to try to post several times a week, but again, there are no guarantees because I'm not perfect and sometimes, life gets busy. But bear with me. And if you like what we do here, please comment on the posts and share my link with your family and friends.