SPONTANEOUS . . . A lesson learned!

Yesterday I was on my way home from work and only had about 10 more minutes left of my drive. I had been wanting to take the family down to see the Rubber Duck in Pittsburgh since it's arrival but it had not worked out yet. So on my drive home, I was trying to plan when we should go this weekend to avoid the rain and then the sun from the beautiful fall day we had yesterday came from behind a tree, through the windshield and shone brightly in my eyes. At that moment, I had my answer. 

RIGHT NOW! 

We need to go right now! 

When I arrived home, I told Allison to get her sneakers on because as soon as Daddy got home from work, we were going on a Fun Family Activity! Of course with her being a 12 year old tween with raging hormones, I got some grumbling. She said something about it being a free country and she should be able to choose if she wanted to go or not. I told her that the country wasn't free until she was 18 and go brush her hair too!

I waited until I heard Curtis drive in and I pushed the button the Keurig . . . coffee makes him happy. I told him I had a surprise fun family activity planned so go to the potty and grab his cup of coffee and we'll meet him in the mini-van! He also gave me some grumbling because he doesn't like not knowing where we were going.

They both continued to grumble a little but I didn't let them ruin my excitement. I had in my mind that we were going to have fun no matter what!

And FUN is exactly what we all had!

 I can't say that I've ever posed with a duck before...let alone a 40 foot one!

 After our visit with the duck, we headed over to the South Side for dinner at the BD's Mongolian Grill. Allison and I had been there before but this was the first time for Curtis. He loved it just as much as she does!

 Of course you have to order the Fried Oreos for dessert!

 Hmm, maybe we should have ordered 2 orders!

 After dinner we stopped by Lucy's Handmade Clothing store on Carson Street for a little shopping and ended up with Mommy & Daughter matching skull scarves!

On our walk back to the van, we stopped at Hello, Bistro for coffees to go and then headed home.

Curtis and Allison raved about how much fun we had and now Allison wants to go to Pittsburgh every weekend. Curtis mentioned it again when we were getting into bed and again before he left for work this morning. 

MY LESSON LEARNED!

SPONTANEOUS - performed or occurring as a result of a sudden inner impulse or inclination and without premeditation or external stimulus.

Curtis and Allison's reactions to last night made me do some thinking. 

I used to be so spontaneous. I used to do things on a whim all the time. I used to throw caution to the wind and just have fun. 

When did all of that stop? 

When did I stop being spontaneous?

When did my life get so serious?

My doctor told me that I need to reduce my stress and I think this is the way to go! I love seeing those I love and care about happy. It's my joy. I love having fun but somewhere along the way, I lost that.

I want it back!

No, I just don't want it back I'm TAKING it back!

The dust on the shelves, the dishes in the sink and the pile of Mt. Washmore in the basement can wait!

There is fun to be had and memories to make!

Have Fun!

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Valentine Wreath Revisted & A New Favorite Movie!

Yesterday was day 5 of Allison having the flu so we decided to have a lazy Saturday. Curtis rented Disney's Brave movie for the family to watch. I'll admit, I stink at watching a movie at home . . . especially one that I didn't pick out. It's not that I don't want to watch it, I just usually fall asleep. So, in order to try and stay awake. I decided to do a craft while the movie was playing.

Our Mom's craft group made the Ragamuffin Heart Wreath 4 years ago for a craft. My original wreath has faded over time since my front door gets full sun during the day. It was time to replace it. However, I still love the wreath and decided to make another one instead of finding a new Valentine wreath for my door. Lucky for me, I had bought extra supplies when we made the original ones so everything I needed was on my craft shelves. It also came with a bonus . . . the fabric was already cut into the strips! Yay! 

Click here for the original post with all the details for making the wreath yourself. This wreath is the second most popular post on my blog and has received over 20,000 visits so far! Amazing! I am truly blessed to have been able to touch that many people with my little old blog!

 

 The Disney movie didn't last as long as I needed to complete my wreath and after it was over my family left me in the family room by myself. Thanks, family!

Since my wreath wasn't done, I decided to throw in another movie while I finished my wreath. 

A friend had surprised me with a gift bag of goodies at our last craft group and it included "The Help" which I had not seen yet. OH. MY. WORD. Can I just say, it was EXCELLENT???? Seriously, I had always wanted to see it but never got the chance. Shame on me!

It is honestly now added as one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE movies!!!

If you haven't seen it, you must rent it. NOW!As I said previously, a friend presented me with a gift bag of goodies. Look at all the fun stuff she included in the bag! She is too kind! This is a friend who is a sister-in-law to my best friend. I didn't know her on a personal level until we started Mom's Craft Night Out over 4 years ago. 

Yes, we make pretty things during our craft time and have a lot of fun doing it. However, the friendships and the time I spend with an amazing group of women are what I cherish the most!

Those few hours a month are truly good for my soul!

Have Fun!


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One Line A Day!

I mentioned yesterday that I was trying a couple of new things this year. I already shared one with you. It was the photo a day project I started on the first of January.

Today I'm sharing with you another thing I started on the first day of the year.

It is a One Line A Day journal which is a 5 year memory book.
I know I've only done 3 days but I LOVE it!

The concept is to write just a line about your day each day. It is so much easier and less intimidating than a full journal. I love to journal but haven't done so for such a long time. I like to journal at night but I am always too tired to take the time. This One Line A Day journal fits perfectly into my lifestyle. I can totally take the time to write a line or two with ease in the designated space!

Below is a view of the inside of the journal. As you can see, each page is divided up into 5 sections for 5 years. I love that I can look back and see what I did or thought on the same day in previous years. Also, there is plenty of space to write about the highlight of your day.

If you are interested in starting one yourself, I ordered mine from Amazon and right now they are only $10.00! Click here to take you there. They also have a Mom's One Line A Day book if you would like to write about your little ones.

Have Fun!

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HAPPY 2013!

Sorry I've been missing in action since Christmas. I've just been busy trying to say good bye to 2012 and hello to 2013. I haven't had much time for blogging. I'm sure you all know what I mean. After all, it was TWO holidays back to back and a new year!

Allison went back to school yesterday so I'm trying to get us back into a routine. It's funny how when there is no school, routines go out the window!

I'm trying a couple of new things this year and I really hope I can keep up on them.

The first thing is a photo a day in 2013. I am going to take a photo a day of something throughout my day and post it here on my blog. I've taken the photos for the last 3 days and I'll post them separately with the date they were taken. So that means, you may have to scroll back to see them or you can click on the link over there ---> for the "2013 Photo a Day" category.

I'll share the other thing with you all tomorrow but for now, HAPPY 2013! 

May it be everything you want it to be!

Have Fun!

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Blessed!

Due to being busy the last three days, I've missed posting. I had planned to catch up today and post some more fun stuff about Christmas.

However, due to yesterday's senseless killing of 26 innocent children and educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, I don't feel much like talking about Christmas today.

I am going through a mixture of emotions today.  I imagine all of you, especially parents, out there are going through the same thing.

As much as we try to make sense of what happens, I believe that sometimes we will never have answers.

I believe this is one of those times.

So where does this leave us?

I'm not sure.

For me, praying gets me through. I'll continue to pray for all those affected by this horrible tragedy. Please join me in praying for strength and support for the families of Newtown, Connecticut during this unimaginable time in their lives.

Thank you.

I'm sure you are wondering why I chose "Blessed" for the title of this bog entry. I know you are thinking that blessed is far from what the families in Connecticut are feeling right now.

Remember I said earlier that I was going through a mixture of emotions. Blessed is the emotion I am going to hang on to at this time to help me deal with what happened as I continue to pray for the families.

This is what I wrote for my status update on Facebook this morning:

"I'm sitting here sipping my tea, perusing fb while listening to a sick little girl trying to breathe in her sleep. As much as taking care of a sick child was not on my to-do list today, I am blessed.

I am so sad and my heart breaks for those that are waking up today without their children. Sad for those whose are planning their child's funeral. Sad for those parents who have to find some way to get through today and every day after.

Yes. I am blessed because not only do I get to take care of my sick child but I get to hug her, kiss her, laugh with her, watch her grow and see her open her presents on Christmas morning."

Two nights ago, I saw Martina McBride's Christmas concert. In the middle of the concert she sang several of her non-Christmas songs. She said that her hope would be that through her music and songs, it would help, inspire or give us strength. Who would have known the very next day, I would refer back to one of those songs to help me get through. 

The song is "Blessed." Please count your blessings and not take your children or loved ones for granted.

It can all end way too soon.

God Bless!
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A Lesson from a Stranger!

I have been so busy over the last several days that I haven't had time to do my Thanksgiving Day meal shopping. This is a stress point for me.

After I put Allison on the bus this morning, I headed out to start my list of about 38 things that I need to do today.

I had gotten most of it done at the first store I went to but needed a few more items. I headed over to Walmart and picked up the rest. I hate going to Walmart but that's a whole other post! Anyway, since the lines were already ridiculously long at 9:42 in the morning, I decided to do the self-checkout and hurry on my way.

I ran one more errand after that and then went home and started to unload my groceries. I noticed that I had forgotten my last two bags at Walmart. SERIOUSLY!!!!

Frustrated and angry at myself for being so stupid, I hurried back to Walmart to pick up my bags.

I scolded myself the whole way! "Cindi, you should pay attention to what you are doing and not think about the next items on your to do list." "Cindi, now you are behind schedule because you have to backtrack." Etcetera,etcetera, etcetera.

After I picked them up I went to the Redbox at the front of the store to grab Allison a movie for tonight. On my way to the Redbox, an older gentleman was sitting on the bench just inside the doors and was telling everyone coming and going "Good Morning, Happy Thanksgiving and God Bless." 

As I was standing there selecting a movie, I realized that "someone" far greater than myself had made me forget those last two bags requiring me to return to Walmart.

You see, that gentleman was not there when I was there earlier. I don't know if he was waiting on his wife or had nothing better to do than spread some good cheer. Whatever the reason, I am so glad I had to go back for those bags.


In those few minutes that I listened to him while I stood there trying to select a movie, I recognized that it's not about stressing to get my list done today. It's about being thankful for this wonderful life we've been given and sharing the happiness with others.

Thank you, God, for slowing me down and making me see what is important in this life you've given us. You definitely work in mysterious ways!

And to all of you out there . . . "Good Morning, Happy Thanksgiving and God Bless!"

Have Fun!

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Slacking?

It's been a few days since I have last posted. Not that anyone would have noticed since I feel like I'm speaking typing to a big, black hole out in blogland.

Anyway, if you are sitting out in that big, black hole wondering if I was slacking on my blog posts or not, the answer would be . . . NOPE! I actually have been too busy to blog! I have been getting things done and it feels so good!

In the last 5 days I have:

1. Purchased 7 Christmas gifts. Woo hoo, I am almost done!
2. Went shopping and had lunch with lifelong friend at Olive Garden. Yum! Yum!
3. Cleaned out my office at my old job. Now I can officially move on to where I'm supposed to be!
4. Bought Curtis 2 new shirts and 3 new sweaters for work . . . for $20! Gotta love Goodwill!
5. Had a Mommy & Allison lunch on Veteran's Day. I love our hanging out with her!
6. Taken Allison to Baldingers.
7. Attended Parent Visitation at Allison's school. Loved it!
8. Purchased books at the Book Fair at Allison's school. Probably cheaper on Amazon but it is for the kids!
9. Fixed Allison's Kindle Fire and she was doubtful that I could do it! Ha ha!
10. Played with an adorable orange kitten . . . and no, it's not coming home with us!
11. Met a man from craigslist . . . to sell him my old coffee table.
12. Done 8 loads of laundry and Mt. Washmore is still down in the basement!
13. Been taken out to dinner by a handsome man and his adorable daughter. ;)
14. Made my Thanksgiving grocery list out . . . even though I can shop until the Tuesday before.
15. Filled out Allison permission slip for her Academic Games competition on Monday. I can't wait to finally go to one!
16. Spent too much money at Staples! What is new?
17. Stuffed my Christmas cards into their envelopes. Now to address and stamp them!
18. Planned the next few blog posts but now I need to write them.
19. Cleaned out my purse and it's so much lighter without all the change I throw in the bottom!
20. Talked to a very lovely lady at career service place that was extremely helpful by suggesting places to look for employment. I'm hoping to meet her in person next week.

So. As you can see I'm the ONLY one that hasn't been slacking around here during the day!

Simba likes to sleep on the top of the cat tree during the day.

 Princess likes to sleep on the top of the living room chair or on my bed.

And Porsche a.k.a. "The Baby" likes to sleep on top of the couch

 Geez, with all this slacking going on, it's amazing I'm not crashed out during the day too!

Have Fun!

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They Don't Make Bakeries Like This Anymore!

Now that I am back to blogging (at least for now), I'm going about my day differently. Well if not differently, at least I'm thinking more about the daily events of my day.

I find myself thinking about blog posts.

I find myself looking for inspiration for blog posts.

I find myself . . . well . . . BORING!

Seriously, my life isn't that exciting!

For example, my inspiration for today was my morning coffee cup. Yay!  See what I mean!  BOOORRRRRRING!

Oh well! As the title of my blog states, "This is My Life..."  Hmm, maybe I should change it to "This is My BORING Life!"  Anyway, I'm happy with MY life . . . well most of it. If I could, I would change a few things but they are not the really important things so I guess I'm doing pretty good.

 Okay, back to our regularly scheduled blog post:

When I said in my title that "They don't make bakeries like this anymore!", I meant it. 

Kretchmar's Bakery in Beaver, Pennsylvania has been around since 1960. It is on its third generation of owners in the same family. Kretchmar's is a traditional hometown bakery.

Kretchmar's is located in Beaver County, Pennsylvania. Beaver County is where I grew up. Even though I wish I still lived in that county (for many reasons), I am glad that I live in the neighboring county of Butler. 

You see, if I still lived there, I would be a 1000 pounds and broke!

Kretchmar's is one of my weaknesses . . . or maybe it's an addiction! 

I'm not sure which but it's definitely my drug of choice!

And with so many of the hometown bakeries dying off, I make it my personal mission to help Kretchmar's stay in business every time I go home for a visit. 

Yup! That's it! They need me! Seriously, they do!

Okay, okay! They really don't but at least in my mind they do!
Please let me have that at least!

I hope you enjoy the little tour I've put together for you of Kretchmar's Bakery!

Kretchmar's Bakery is located on Third Street in Beaver which is actually the main street through town.

Whether you are coming from the left or . . .

 . . . the right, you can't miss the hometown feel of this bakery.

 As you step through the front door, you are greeted by 3 huge display cases of the most delectable confections you could ever imagine. Fresh baked breads and doughnuts are located in the display wall behind the middle display case.

 A closer look to the left and there are many traditional cookies along with iced sugar cookies of the current season.

The display case to the right holds the most amazing selection of tortes to tempt you. They even make them in mini versions that serves two. They are just perfect for a sweet treat after a home cooked meal with your hunny or you could just leave the mini torte in the fridge and take a bite of it every time you open the door. Not that I would have ever done that!

 There are so many choices in the cases that even a President has trouble making a decision.

Yes, as President Obama was traveling through Beaver in July of this year, he stopped at Kretchmar's and picked up an Apple Pie and some cookies. (Please do not leave any political comments or nastiness on this blog. Currently, he is the sitting President and deserves respect for being the leader of this country.)

And now for some of the goodies!

They have everything....

Chocolate chip cookes

 

Butterball cookies

Butter with sprinkles cookies

 Brownies

 Eclairs

Cinnamon swirl donuts

Claws filled with apricot, raspberry or nut fillings.

All types of danish filled with almond, apple, apricot, blueberry, cheese, cherry, cinnamon, lemon, pineapple, or raspberry fillings. These are one of my favorites! They are so moist and yummy!

 Maple-nut danish

Orange danish cup

 

Cream puffs

Cannoli

Peanut butter bars

 Lady locks

 Chocolate mousse torte. I am not a big chocolate cake fan but OH MY WORD! This is so light and amazing!

Raspberry almond torte . . . TO DIE FOR!

Peanut Butter Torte

Pumpkin cheesecake torte which is a seasonal item.

The Toasted Almond Torte has won many awards and not in just Beaver County. It's well known by Pittsburghers as well!

They even have a Peppermint torte for the Christmas holiday.

If you are going to a Steeler party, you can always order a Black & Gold tray to take with you.

These are my absolute favorite item that I pick up every time I stop there. Their petit fours are the best that I have ever had. They are little squares of white cake with vanilla icing. They have ones with chocolate icing too but I am a white cake with white icing girl. I've never tried the chocolate. This little deliciousness of goodness satisfies my craving for their cakes which is absolutely better than taking the whole cake home with me!

Mom used to always get us a Kretchmar cake for birthdays and special occasions. Unless I'm baking or making Allison's cake myself, I try to get one of their cakes for her as well.

Kretchmar's also has a Prize Wheel and they bring it out every Third Thursday of the month. If you spend $20 or more, you get to spin the wheel. That's how I got my mug!

 

If you are ever in Beaver or heck, if you are ever within 100 miles of Beaver, PA be sure to stop by Kretchmar's and treat yourself to a little sweet treat.

Your family will thank you and attack you when they see the brown and white striped box!

 

You never know who you might see . . . the President of the United States or

little old me!

Have Fun!

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My One Little Word for 2012!

Have you heard about the "One Little Word" concept?

I read about it several years ago on Ali's blog. That's Ali Edwards - scrapbooker extraordinaire.

She introduced us to the "One Little Word" concept back in 2007. Here are her words from her first post on the subject:

"A single word can be a powerful thing. It can be the ripple in the pond that changes everything. It can be sharp and biting or rich and soft and slow.

Last fall in issue two of this newsletter I wrote about the power of words and gave my top ten tips for getting those words down when you are scrapbooking. Today I want to introduce you to the idea that a single word can be a catalyst for enriching your life as well as your scrapbook layouts.

Last year I began a tradition of chosing one word for myself each January – a word that I can focus on, mediate on, and reflect upon as I go about my daily life. Last year my word was something I wanted to bring into my life in a more tangible way. My word was play.

I thought a lot about play and what it means to me. I tried to incorporate it more into my everyday and on my adventures out in the crazy world. For me, it was a lot about living without fear – about being more open to experiences with an attitude of playfulness. The word play found its way onto many scrapbook pages and into many stories I told throughout the year.

Can you identify a single word that sums up what you want for yourself in 2007?

It can be something tangible or intangible. It could be a thought or a feeling or an emotion. It can be singular or plural. The key is to find something that has personal meaning for you. This is not your mother’s word or your spouse’s word or your child’s word – this is YOUR word."

After reading the above excerpt from her blog:

• Does it make you want your own word?
• Is there a word that immediately pops into your mind?
• Is it a word you can live with for a whole year?

Although I have chosen one little word for myself for several years, I haven't fully embraced my word for the entire year.

This year, I am dedicated to living this word.

This year, I am going to let this word drive me to my 2012 goals.

This year, my word is:

Yes, discipline is MY word.

Not discipline as I am going to discipline Allison's behavior.

Discipline, as in I am going to discipline myself to stay focused and stay on track of my goals this year.

dis·ci·pline
1. To train by instruction and practice, especially to teach self-control to.

2. To impose order on: needed to discipline their study habits.

Some of my goals for 2012 Goals for this year include:

• health & fitness
• financial
• personal growth
• home management

How about you?

Do you already follow Ali and have chosen a word for yourself?

Do you have a goal or goals for yourself that a word could help you along the way?

Have Fun!

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Goodbye 2011!

It's amazes me at how fast a year goes by the older I get!

We do nothing fancy to say goodbye to the old year and welcome in the new year. First, my sister, Alesia, comes for an overnight visit with her dog, Ginger. Then for dinner, I make about 6-7 mini appetizers on dinner plates and we have a picnic on the coffee table in the living room. After that we watch a movie and I pray that I stay awake until midnight to kiss my honey.

While my family is out getting a movie, I thought I would share 11 random things I did on this last day of 2011.

1. I took a picture of Allison in her new fleece p.j.'s that she made herself! Grandma took her to pick out a pattern of something she wanted to make, let her pick out the fabric, taught her how to layout the pattern and then oversaw her sewing it. She did it all by herself and I am so proud! Aren't they cute?


2. Cleaned out my purse . . . and found 8 AA batteries! They are back-up for my camera. The problem is that it only takes 4. So, I must have not remembered there were 4 in there when I threw the second set of 4 in there! No wonder why my purse was so heavy! Well, that and the Canadian coins that were still in there from our trip at the end of August!
3. Put Allison's Kindergarten - 5th Grade school pictures in a school frame. Love it!
4. Put a new check register in both checkbooks to start the new year out fresh.
5. Finalized January's budget and wrote out some checks.
6. Cut coupons. I want to be diligent about using them this year.
7. Took a picture of Allison giving Aunt Alesia a manicure. I need to schedule an appointment with her!


8. Ordered Pizza Hut Pizza for lunch.
9. Made homemade foam soap for my soap dispenser in the kitchen. Got the instructions from Pinterest. So easy and so economical!

10. I scrubbed the bathroom for the last time . . . in 2011.
11. Renewed Allison's magazine subscription online.

Well that is my random list for the last day of 2011. Whatever your plans and goals are for the New Year, I wish you success in all you wish to accomplish!

Cheers!

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