What's Up Weekend? April 14th, 2017

I'm patting myself on the back for making it through THE LONGEST WEEK EVER!! Well hello, Friday! I sure have missed you. Linkin up with my girls, Charlotte, Lindsay and Chrissy from the PP. Here is my list of  the 5 things that made me happy this week in no particular order.


1. Spring- First pic made me call Minnesota a Bitch. I felt really bad about that about 8 hours later when I took the second picture. I love you Minnesota. I apologize for what I said. 

2. His face. Seriously! Ah, Mom..Not another picture?! This kid makes me laugh. 

3. These two. They love each other. I love just sitting back and watching them together(and snapping pics, of course). I am blessed to have a partner that loves my child the way he does. 

4. I failed miserably with my 5 Day Goal Challenge. We move in 2 weeks to Our Happy Place I'm happy to report that I actually packed a little this week. To say I have procrastinated is an understatement 

5. How could this mug not make me happy?!

What made you happy this week??

How To Be A True Friend

I've had this blog since June 17. 2008 and one of my most favorite things is going back and reading my old posts. In the past 9 years there have been years were I've neglected my blog and some where my blog was thriving and I felt like I was hitting my stride. As I was looking back on different posts throughout the years I came across this post I'm about to share. I thought it was fitting to share  as I have recently joined a pretty amazing blog support group and am starting to form new friendships. I found these tips in The Happiness Project. 



Here twelve tips for how to act like a true friend:

1. Be supportive when your friend has bad news. This is perhaps the most critical duty of a friend.

2. Be supportive when your friend has good news. This is trickier; surprisingly, it’s sometimes harder to be supportive when someone gets a promotion, gets engaged, or enjoys other good fortune, than it is to be supportive when someone is going through a hard time.

3. Don’t gossip. It’s not nice. Also, although it may be fun to gossip about Pat with Jean, Jean is probably going to feel wary of being your friend—you’re not trustworthy. Along the same lines…

4. Keep a secret. One of the most satisfying aspects of friendship is that it allows two people to confide in each other. Spilling secrets will destroy that. Ah, it’s so delicious to disclose a secret—but you have to resist.

5. Exchange favors. Along with the feeling of intimacy, one of the best parts of friendship is the feeling of support it provides. And while getting support is important, giving support may be even more important for boosting happiness.

6. Don’t criticize a friend’s sweetheart or spouse—and, at the other extreme, don’t flirt with a friend’s sweetheart or spouse.

7. Be kind to a friend’s children.

8. Be friendly to a friend’s friends. In fact, in a phenomenon called “triadic closure,” people tend to befriend the friends of their friends – and this is very satisfying. Friendships thrive on inter-connection, and it’s both energizing and comforting to feel that you’re building not just friendships, but a social network.

9. Show up. Sometimes a friend wants you to show up someplace when you’d really rather not: a wedding in a different state; a surprise party that falls on New Year’s Eve, when you’d rather be doing something else. Recognize a command performance, and don’t miss it.

10. Remember birthdays.

Confessions Of My Obsessions

There are a few things I feel like I couldn't live without. My obsession to these things I'm about to tell you about, runs deep. While I know I wouldn't actually die without these things I tend to think my life would be meaningless without them. (OK not really)


Pinterest
Ask Mr. J about this one. I love you Pinterest!Follow me!

AmazonPrime
If you don't have a Prime membership I highly recommend getting one. The monthly membership fee pays for itself with the free 2 day shipping. Click here to get a list of the benefits you get when you have a membership.

Friends
I'm not sure how I can watch the same show over and over and over and still love it. Greatest sitcom of all time(besides Roseanne of course)

MAC Lipstick
You may cost 17 dollars a tube but I will pay it because I love you. 

Heavy Whipping Cream 

I follow a Keto WOE(way of eating) and this is a staple for me. I love it in my coffee. I buy in bulk. 

FitBit Charge HR

I explain my obsession with my fitbit HERE

Kerrygold Butter

Try it! You will never buy another brand once you do. Some say it is hard to find but my local Aldi's carries it.

13 Reasons Why

If you haven't watched 13 Reasons Why, you are missing out. If you want to read a really good review check out Jenn's blog . Her review is the reason I decided to watch.

MAC Lightful Tinted Cream

If you want light coverage, a moisturizer and an SPF, I recommend this product. It's 35 dollars a tube but It lasts a long time(you only need a little) I wear this everyday. 

Goats and pigs

This picture needs no explanation. Once again, you're welcome!

What are you currently obsessed with?

Random Ramblings

I take pictures of everything I see and do(OK not everything. Most things). Last weekend Mr.J is like, Why the F are you taking a picture of mushrooms?! Well, because that is just what I do. You never know when you might need a good picture of mushrooms. Random?! Possibly. 

Hey, guess who forgot their purse at work last night? Me! By the way, who forgets their purse?! 

Guess who white knuckled her steering wheel the entire drive to work?? Me!! That is right ladies and gentleman. I guess I know what it's like to live my life on the edge. Tip(leave a 20 in your glove box for occasions like this)

WTF Minnesota!! You can be a real bitch sometimes. You said you were going to be 52 and sunny today, so I will apologize if you can redeem yourself and lose the white shit!

His hair is driving me nuts!!! 

Did you know that radishes when cooked taste like red potatoes? You can get pretty creative when you go low carb.

Went through this entire pile of shit and still didn't find what I was looking for. The life of an HR Manager. There is a reason why I ask you to DOCUMENT DOCUMENT DOCUMENT!!

This shirt speaks to me

 You're Welcome!!

Got any random ramblings you would like to share?

First Day Jitters

As we quickly approach moving day to our Happy Place, I can't help but feel anxiety. This stems from my overwhelming fear of Jake's move to his new school and how he will transition. I feel a lot of guilt moving him out of a school he loves with friends he knows and his para Karla that has been with him for years.
Moving my child to a new school isn't just about enrolling him a new school, getting his teacher assigned and then starting his first day. It is a long process and a lot of people are involved. Jake is requires a team of professionals to ensure that his needs are met. Some things that are needed and things that need to be done are

IEP needs to be switched over to the new districts format
Paraprofessional (one that jives with Jake's personality)
Orientation and mobility specialist
Vision teacher
Adapted laptop
VisioBook
Magnifiers
Classroom has to be free of clutter and once staged can't be rearranged
Locker placement has to be the first locker in the group
Lunch process(if eating hot lunch he needs to be told what everything is) this is why I started to send cold lunch.


The list above sounds like a lot but what gives me the most anxiety is how scary it must be for him.  I know that kids can be cruel and Jake is a very sweet sensitive boy. He doesn't pick up on a lot of social cues and doesn't' understand sarcasm. One thing that I have noticed about his current classmates is they are very protective of him and I pray that the new kids are too. I'm sure that everything will be fine but the fear of the unknown has this Mama Bear nervous.

What settles my nerves is knowing that we will soon be exactly where I know in my heart we are supposed to be and that is with Mr, J.


Stayed tuned to hear more about mine and Jake's journey and Jake's transition to his new school.


xxoo

What's Up Weekend? April 7th, 2017

It's FRIDAY!!! Finally! This week I've been fighting a pretty nasty cold but surprisingly my spirits are high and I am in a good mood. Not only have I been sick but it was also a busy week with work and appointments. I went 2 days without even looking at Facebook. Shocker! Sorry Peaceful Posse for my neglect. I will make it up to you! 

So here is my list of what made me happy this week! 

1. Last night was fine arts night at Jake's school. Jake had two pieces of his artwork displayed. Hi love for art and music makes me so happy.

2. The entire school made a chandelier out of recycled water bottles. The colors made me happy! 

3. This beautiful mug makes me happy!! 

4. Some of my lunches and dinners over the past couple weeks. So easy to have good meals and not have to pay 12 dollars for a salad at a restaurant.Saving money makes me happy!  I keep several items on hand so I whip up a good salad. My staples are bacon, blue cheese crumbles, blue cheese dressing, hard boiled eggs and guac. Gotta love low carb living. 

5. Sunshine makes everyone happy!

6. I was craving egg drop soup so I whipped it up. Super easy and yummy. I love having a stocked pantry and fridge so that I can cook good meals without having to run to the store. 

7. Mr. J 

8. Finding bedroom furniture that both Mr J and I like. We haven't purchased it yet but we will be and the thought of our new bedroom(sanctuary) makes me super happy. 

9. Since going low carb/no sugar it has been difficult to enjoy an occasional adult beverage. I found these and thought I would give them a try. I tried all the flavors but the only one I like was the grapefruit one. They have 2 carbs but only 1 net carb. Yes they have 1 gram of sugar which is a no no for me but in moderation I will partake. These make me happy. Matter of fact I think I will have one tonight. 

10. The Wild won last night. That makes me SUPER happy!!

There you have it! All in all and pretty good week despite missing my man and having a cold. I'm looking forward to a sunny spring weekend. 

What made you happy this week??

Thinking Out Loud Thursday-My Fitbit Addiction

It's Thinking Out Loud Thursday with Penny's Passion. Do you want to know what I am thinking about today? My fitbit addiction. Hello my name is Kim and I am a Fitbit-Aholic. You heard it here first ladies and gentleman. 

I feel like even if my fitbit came with this disclaimer, I still would have bought one because "everybody is doing it". I am on my 4th fitbit. Yep! my 4th! These little suckers aren't cheap either. Hey, shout out to QVC easy pay.

I can literally relate to these tweets. I will hold my pee if my fitbit is charging because if I go without it, my steps won't count. Shit's gettin' real!

If you don't have a fitbit you wouldn't understand. It's a love/hate thing. Who am I kidding, I love you fitbit. 

And now there is a new feature where my fitbit vibrates every hour to tell me to get off my ass. Oh hey! It just told me it's step O'clock! Gotta get my step on! 

Girls Day- April 1st, 2017- Stillwater, MN

Saturday I attended a woodworking class with some of the ladies in my family. My Sister-in-Law Lori planned this after we recently had a HUGE loss to our family. On February 19th my Auntie Vicki lost her husband of 47 years in an instant. This loss hit us all very hard but no one harder than his wife, children and grandchildren. As a very LARGE close family, we rally around those we love in good times and in bad. This day will go down in my books as one of the greatest days with the strong ladies in my family.

Me and my Lovely Auntie Vicki.

This was what I made.

 After our class we walked over to The Freight House for lunch and drinks. Stillwater, Mn is by far one of my favorite cities in Minnesota to visit. 

One waiter handled the entire group and I will say that he was pretty good. Food was awesome and the company was even better. 

I allowed myself to have one drink that was not on my low carb WOE(way of eating) Yum!

Holy COBB SALAD!! YUMMY!!

My Sissy, Niece and Mama!!

My Sissy and Niece

My Mom and her little Sis

My cousin Laura and me

Riding the TUK TUK WOO HOO with my Auntie Debbie and Sissy

Thanks for the free ride to our car Tuk Tuk