38 Wake-Ups – DisneyWorld Social Media Moms Countdown!

March 17, 2012

That’s what we used to say when I was in basic training. We knew exactly how many times we had to wake up in that place before we were about to go somewhere better.

This isn’t exactly the same, but we’re counting down…

Steve would like to announce that he’s giving up his Hawaiian vacation to take his family to DisneyWorld! 

Well, maybe he didn’t say it like that… but we were heading to Hawaii in October, and now we are heading to Florida in April. I promised that he wouldn’t be disappointed. And there still may be a trip to the islands in it for him. 

For the past few years, DisneyWorld has hosted bloggers and their families for a social media celebration. Lots of family time, lots of meeting and greeting old and new blogging friends, and a whole lot of enjoying DisneyWorld at it’s best – resort style.

The boys are over the moon excited, and I am humbled that we received an invite this year.

We took Spring Break as an opportunity to plan our trip to Disney. The boys are a little out of the character meeting stage, and more into the scary rides and fun experiences stages. Steve and I are excited to take the boys at an age that we can all enjoy the park without strollers, inconvenient nap times, or height restrictions.

Jack and I made a visual countdown calendar:

Also, I have been working on a Pinterest board {DisneyWorld With Tweens} that features all of the things the boys want to do or see while we are in Florida. It has been fun (virtually) exploring the parks and picking out their “must see” attractions and rides.

Now I need your help.

For those of you who have been to DisneyWorld, what are your “must see” attractions? We will be there for a week, so we need recommendations!

If I’ll be meeting you at the #DisneySMMoms celebration, please leave me a link to your blog! I’d love to visit.

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My Freak Accident (and a great chicken recipe)

March 15, 2012

Spring break started out awesome. Knowing that we would be at wrestling practice every night this week, I even thought I would make a big batch of chicken for tacos and quesadillas during the week.

4 organic chicken breasts? Check.
1 cup of fresh roasted green chilies? Check.
1 cup of fresh salsa? Check.

All I had to do was carry the full crockpot over to the island where I left the chopped onions, add them in, and turn the crockpot on. Carrying the onions to the crockpot might be messy, and since I was running late that morning, I wasn’t looking for messy.

I took the ceramic inside out of the metal heating part of the crockpot and added my onions. As I lifted the bowl to put it into the heating unit, it started to slip. I put my left hand under the bowl to steady it and as I did, it shattered into my hand.

Yup. Into.

I sliced my pinky and my ring finger, but the gash on my pinky was pretty deep. Like, I could see inside my finger deep. *gag*

Me: Michael, come. here. now. please. I need help.

Michael: What?! What’s wrong with your hand?

Me: I cut it. Just help me get the food off of the floor. There is raw chicken all over.

Michael: Can I see it?

Me: See what?!

Michael: Your hand. Can I see it?

Me: Michael {as I’m cleaning the floor and counter with one hand}, you can see whatever you want after you help me.

Michael: Are you not showing me because it’s… bad?

Jack: What happened? Mom?! {in his so sad panicked Jack voice}

Me: I’m ok, but can you take my slippers into the tub and rinse them off?

Jack: Is that blood?!?

Me: No, it’s salsa. I dropped the crock lot and salsa fell onto my slippers.

Jack: Are you sure?

Michael: Mom, can I see it now? Is it really deep?

Jack: Mom… Is it bad?!

This is how it went until I finally convinced Jack that the salsa wasn’t blood and showed Michael the inside flesh of my finger.

Did I mention that I was also watching the three little girls across the street, ages 3, 5, and 6?

I decided quickly that I didn’t have time for stitches and called a friend over to help me play nurse to myself. Thankful for the medical glue that my SIL gave us, we glued my fingers back together.

All was well. Except I just wasted $20 worth of food and a lot of my time.

Four hours later the glue decided to quit working.

Steve brought home butterfly bandages and we re-wrapped my fingers.

The next morning, the big cut had opened again. I re-wrapped, but it didn’t help. Every time I moved my hand, my fingers split open again.

Do you know how much you move your pinky on a daily basis?!

Thankfully, Kelly brought me some steri-strips. They are like a very strong piece of tape that you use as a bandage.

Also? She brought me a splint so that I would stop moving my fingers and opening the cut back up.

If it weren’t for my friends, I tell ya’.

Now? I look like a bit of an idiot.

It’s overkill, right? But it works.

20120315-194841.jpg

This was my first freak accident. I can’t even explain exactly how it happened. Dinner, a crockpot, a cut, a splint. Crazy.

Someone make me feel better. I want to know about your freak accidents…

Go.

{ 18 comments }

Five Desert Easter Traditions

March 10, 2012

We love Easter.

I think the boys actually love it more than Christmas. Santa doesn’t usually hide toys, you know.

Easter 2011

Here in Arizona, we can’t “do” Easter like those of you in other areas of the country (and world!). We have a few traditions of our own because of where we live.

1. By Easter, spring has sprung in the desert. Our baskets are filled with a little bit of candy, a lot of outside toys, and absolutely none of those little sponges that look like capsules.

2. We hide camouflage colored plastic eggs because of all of the grass, rocks, dirt, and concrete in our backyard (which is very common in Arizona – we’re not crazy). Hiding real eggs isn’t a good idea, as they get lost. And warm. And smelly.

3. Here in Arizona, we search for hidden eggs both inside and outside, but there’s one important rule. No chocolate in the outside eggs! Melted chocolate syrup isn’t nearly as fun to eat as chocolate is.

4. Easter ham? How about a barbecue? We only heat up the house for Christmas and maybe Thanksgiving. By April, it’s all about the grill.

5. The tradition that has nothing to do with the desert? Eating candy before breakfast. It happens every year, and usually involves a chocolate bunny or two.

Easter 2011

Need some more fun desert facts? There are a ton of things I never knew about the desert until living here.

We’ll take the warm desert over a snowy Easter any day! We’re kind of used to it now :)

——-

I was lucky enough to meet the Hershey’s team at Blissdom. They have set up a virtual bunny trail that I hopped on! I was provided with a fun custom easter basket in exchange for participating in their campaign, but to be honest, all they had to do was ask. We’re big Hershey’s fans here! 

 

 

 

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Who Inspired Me At Blissdom…

March 5, 2012

I knew from the moment Jon Acuff started speaking at Blissdom that I was exactly where I belonged.

I may have even been a dork and teared up through his entire keynote.

See, the week before Blissdom, I quit my job.

Wow, that sounds worse than it was. Let’s try it again.

The week before Blissdom, I told my boss that I was going to take a year off from school speech therapy.

Ok, that sounds better, right?

I am taking a year off to write more. Blog more. Interact more with the people who are interacting with me.

I was encouraged by my husband to do something that I’m passionate about and see where this road goes.

Things that Jon Acuff was saying during his opening keynote at Blissdom made me think that he was talking directly to me. He obviously knew about all of the thoughts that ran through my head prior to, during, and after making that decision to leave my job.

Quit sounds so final. And angry.

I’m not angry at all, and to be honest, I’m not sure if it’s final.

In a year, I may decide that writing and blogging and working with social media isn’t where I want to be. I may miss my students so much that it won’t even be a difficult choice to go back to working at the school.

Or, I may love it and decide that I can’t go back to sitting in my classroom for one more day.

It could go either way, because I love them both the same.

I’m leaving my dream job for my dream job, and it’s tough.

Jon Acuff spoke about some things that are still going through my head – 10 days after I heard him speak at Blissdom.

1. Never compare your beginning to someone else’s middle. I find myself doing that a lot, but never put it into words.

2. Instead of “What do I want to do with my life,” ask “What have I done that I loved?” Then, do more of it. Exactly!

3. Watch for hinge moments – moments that speak to you and open up your mind to another path in life. Hinge moments aren’t always bad. I’ve had a few of these in the past year (good and bad), and I’m finally seeing these moments for exactly what they are. 

4. You’ll never say “Ok, I tweeted enough,” or “I finished my blog today.” Make sure to take breaks to be with the people in your life. Working part time out of the home and part time from the home while trying to juggle a blog is time consuming. I’m hoping to manage my time better and carve out more quality time with all three of my boys.

5. You’re going to disappoint people. It’s a fact. Make sure you disappoint the right people. Hearing this was huge for me. I find myself not wanting to disappoint anyone, and in the end I disappoint the people who are most important to me.

Jon’s keynote was inspiring, and reading the book on my trip home helped to solidify my decision. I know I made the right choice, and am so thankful for a supportive husband who encouraged me to follow my passion.

What is your dream job?

Jon Acuff graciously provided all Blissdom attendees with a copy of his book Quitter. I read it and plan on reading it again over the summer. I’d highly recommend it!

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Blissdom In A Picture

February 28, 2012

If I had to use one picture to represent Blissdom…

I would cheat a bit and use this one:

Don’t worry… there were sessions in there, as well. But they weren’t quite as fun to photograph.

Linking with my wonderful friends Kristi and Amanda.

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