What it's all about

I was reading an article today about how a SAHM or anyone looking to start a computer based business at home should focus their efforts.  It really got me thinking because I realized that none of what I'm doing is focused and I just recently had the same problem with an assignment in one of my Education courses in college.  Too much of what I had written was focused on the big picture when I was supposed to choose just a few ideas and really delve into their specific purposes or successes.  Looking at how neglected my page has been recently, I realized that I needed to really figure out what I'm doing and, rather than use what has worked for others, find what works for me.  So, to make things a little more comprehensive for people other than myself, I thought I'd explain a little about the different topics that I've chosen to discuss on my page.

Most people consider this a DIY section of sorts. Since I'm a licensed cosmetologist and budding nail enthusiast, you can find Gelish tutorials here as well.  Every now and again, I might get caught up in a weird craft or new hobby I want to try out and I'll include those in this section, too.

 

Some might consider this an area for reviews whereas some fall into other categories like home improvement.  Maybe that's why I called it solutions rather than anything too specific.  Finding certain products (without the help of sponsors, yet) and finding that it proves to be the perfect solution for me and my family is pretty much what this is all about.  Sometimes, it's just about figuring out how to solve a problem, like a cluttered mess or a broken toy.  I guess it just depends.

Bear with me on this one because as of this moment there is absolutely nothing to represent this category, but it was ultimately my attempt at focusing on food.  If I ever get around to it, you can take a look around, but this may be a soon-to-be-deleted type of thing.

My world would not be complete without some type of journal.  I've got too many old journals than I can remember that are stashed away because I'm too sentimental to get rid of them, but it's been a while since I've had a physical journal.  Aside from a bit of writing I did when I was pregnant a few years back, this has become the little bit of me.  Keeping tabs, ramblings, workout successes and failures, and anything and everything that has to do with my current journey through college.

 

It's exactly what it sounds like - all about my family.  Adventures in Toddlerhood, which aren't nearly as adventurous without my niece, but having a son more than makes up for that fact, is basically my life with a toddler.  Simple enough.  Parenting is certainly a popular topic, too, since I'm a few years in with my first child and it's definitely something to be chronicled in the event that I forget when the next one comes along.  But family cannot be complete without me and my husband and the little achievements or experiences we experience along the way, so there's a little bit of that to be expected, too.

Finally, I can't leave without a little note about pictures.  Unless specifically noted, the majority of my photos will come from one of two places: my own photo library or the amazing works of a dear friend.  We grew up together and so I really view his photographs as a memory and important aspect that should be included here.  Granted, I will admit that at times I may use photographs from Pinterest with no definitive source, so I usually won't cite those either, but I just needed to give a shout out to the photography skills of a friend.

Pre-Honeymoon Fitness Challenge

So I'm terrified to admit it, but my honeymoon is less than a month away and I'm disappointed in myself for not losing the 30+ pounds I had planned.  Now, my hubby (sweet, sweet Papa Fox) has no issues with how I look or the shape of my body.  I, however, am not totally content with where I'm at right now.  Behold, the two 30 day challenges I've taken on to help get into a good exercise habit:

Have you seen these on Pinterest, lately?  If you follow anyone who has any desire to workout in the new year, these probably look pretty familiar.  I chose these two because they didn't seem overly difficult.  Apparently, she thought the same thing since her challenge was the same two exact challenges.  They are two totally separate challenges, but they both didn't seem unattainable, so here I am.

I've just completed day 11 with no gripes about setting aside (maybe) 5 minutes of my day.  One thing I have found is that I do my planks in 30-45 second intervals.  I'm just not to the point where I can sit in a plank for a minute straight.  And that's okay!  I'm still getting in the correct amounts per day (it's only been up to a minute so far, but you get my drift), so I don't think I'm missing the point.  As for the squats, they were super easy before they got up past 100, so I usually break them down into intervals of 20 and rest for a few seconds in between.  Again, still completing the number in the challenge, just broken down into feasible amounts for my own sanity capacity.

To the best of my ability, I also take my son on long 1 hour walks on random days when I'm up to it or if the weather permits.  Honestly, I think this challenge has made me gain weight (remember, muscle weighs more than fat!) which is a little frustrating since I lost 8 pounds since thanksgiving, but I'll roll with the punches.

Why do I want to lose 30 pounds?  Because that's how much I've gained since I gave birth to my son.  Funny thing is that I actually was down to my pre-pregnancy weight within a couple months of giving birth to my son.  Sad part is that while breastfeeding, I got comfortable not having to work too hard to lose weight, so when he was weaned, those 30lbs crept right back.  Yep, no baby, no reason except my own neglect.  Now, I'm at my (almost) peak pregnancy weight and not pregnant.  YIKES.

What now?  Now, I'm facing the fact that I will not be down to my pre-pregnancy weight before my honeymoon in less than a month.  I'm okay with that, I can accept this reality.  One thing that I can't accept is becoming pregnant again at my peak pregnancy weight to start.  Not happening.  So, I've come up with a realistic goal of getting back down to my pre-pregnancy weight by May 2014.  On my son's third birthday, I hope to be the same weight I was when he was conceived.  Bring it on!

Spring Semester

As I wait patiently for the books I ordered almost 2 weeks ago (the curse of renting textbooks), I'm still not saved from the start of my Spring 2014 semester that began on Monday.  Despite having four of the six books I need for my courses, it seems the most important two books are the ones I'm still waiting to receive.  Same goes for Papa Fox, who has his in person class tonight, and no book for the course because the company we rented our books from seem to be a little ditzy this time around.

Last semester was pretty easy because it was a transition into the schooling habit, freshman level courses and all pretty simple beyond belief.  Not to say that this semester looks challenging, but it seems as though many of the classes get started into the real heart of the work from pretty much the start.  It's been a few days and already I've come to realize that I've got a 3 page paper due on Sunday (for one of the classes whose book I don't yet have) in combination with various other assignments that already demand much more than some of the courses last semester.

Regardless, I'm up for the challenge and more than ready to buckle down to get all this done as quickly as possible.  In an 18-month associates program, it's expected that I might feel a bit overstretched at times, but I feel it's more than worth it for the end result.  In addition, I have yet to pay up a single penny in tuition thanks to the community college tuition rates and federal financial aid.  Even with all this, I think it's more exciting that this is Papa Fox's final semester to get his BSBA and is worth much more attention than my second semester back to college.

Starting anew

Just trying to write this, I feel guilty and disappointed in myself.  I won't let it stop me, though, because I want to start fresh, restart my habits, and push through like a trooper.  Once I decided that I was going to go back to school, everything besides school and family just became mud - stuff that slowed me down and distracted me and had no purpose or value in the big picture.  Only after the semester ended and I sat down with no school work to distract me did I realize the absurdity of my evaluations.

For the sake of my own sanity, I defend my full concentration on school based on the fact that I am taking 6 classes each semester (including this Spring 2014) for a total of 18 credit hours which is pretty demanding.  Although I realized the disappointment I have in myself when I do nothing but family and school, I don't regret my choice to be fully immersed in my first semester back.  Walking away with a 4.0 GPA and the knowledge from my experience, I now know what luxuries I can afford and how to best balance my school/home/self life.

It's time to pay more attention to myself.  I know that can sound selfish, but it's not at all.  I dedicated  the last 3+ years to focusing on growing, birthing, and raising my amazing son and becoming a wife to my loving husband, wedding planning included.  Slowly, as Baby Fox continues to grow, Papa Fox and I are coming out of our shells and learning how to be ourselves and how to be married and how to be adults and parents all at the same time.  As the new year embarks, it seems I have so much to look forward to and I don't want to feel like I missed out or that I should have done more.

No one said this would be easy, and it certainly isn't at times, and yet, it can be so effortless at other times.  Regardless, I want to be a living example for my son and I want to be an amazing wife for my husband while simultaneously pursuing goals and achieving dreams for myself.  Giving attention to myself is for more than just myself because it's for my future, Baby Fox's future, Papa Fox's future, and for all the hopes and dreams that we all share as a family.

So I'm back.  To the best of my ability.  I may not be back often and I may not be the model citizen I had hoped to be when I started this journey some time ago, but I'm not giving up.  For now, that's all I need to get started.

Back to School!

Phew, it's been a pretty busy few months and I've been so not present (sorry!) as of late.  Between watching the babes, Papa Fox's promotions, the wedding, and getting everything ready for the beginning of the school year, things have been pretty crazy.

And...
I'm officially a student!!

Can you tell I'm excited?  I'm super stoked to be back in school, slowly beginning to get my bachelors in teaching starting with an AAT at Leeward Community College.  Whoo!

Officially Married!

And so excited!

Adventures in Toddlerhood: Bishop Museum

Oh, the joys of childhood!  It has literally been years, maybe even more than a decade, since I went to the Bishop Museum in Honolulu, HI and so much has changed.  However, the things that haven't changed, are that it's tons of fun for kids of all ages and the planetarium is still totally awesome.

If ever you get the chance, I think their new science building is the favorite of those little toddlers you see above.  I've been lucky enough to have the chance to watch my gorgeous little niece for the next few weeks at my house with my son and they're a handful, but so amazing.  Today, we'll be going back to the Bishop Museum since Papa Fox purchased a family pass to the museum and we'll be having a play date with my bff and her 6 year old daughter.

Seriously, even we had fun at the museum as adults.  If you get a chance, there's an 11a showing at the planetarium that's for small children and we took two 2 year old children to watch it and it went off without a hitch.  It's a bit boring for adults (we almost fell asleep), but "In My Backyard" is a fun take on astronomy for the kiddos.