How I spent my Saturday night....

It is 11:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 6 and myself and 4 other amazing mom bloggers are locked inside a furniture store, have I peaked your interest yet? We are sitting here to raise money for Belle, a two and a half year old who is battling for her life against ALL leukemia. She was diagnosed late in 2012 and and has already endured more than than any child should. Belle has had to have spinal taps, platelet transfusions, chemotherapy, amongst other medical treatments and this will be her life for the next two and a half years. So for the weekend of April 5-7 members of Rhody Bloggers and Rhody Bloggers for Good were holding a "Sit-A-Thon" to raise money in order to help cover her medical expenses.

Over the course of the weekend there were bake sales, face painting, visits from retired Patriots players, and even Santa showed up!!! The raffle prizes were amazing and included gift certificates, paintings, home furnishings, and gift baskets. Throughout the weekend friends were made, stories were shared and tears were shed. This event would not have been possible without the help of La-Z-Boy of Warwick and their amazing staff, the professionals that donated services, or the mutual love that that we all shared for sweet Belle and her family.

Here are a few pictures from the amazing weekend.

This hair clip was created by Kayleigh's Klippes to help support the family

The amazing Belle and the poster that was circulated on Twitter, Facebook, blogs and Instagram

Belle's mom, Melissa accepting the check for $10,000 that was raised this weekend!!!!!!

Some of the Rhody Bloggers who participated in this amazing event this weekend!!!!!!

Friday Funnies....

TGIF!!!! To wrap up this week I thought I would share some of the funny things the littles have said recently. Whether in the car or in the bath they always have something to say.

H recently explained how some baby animals eat "Baby reindeer drink from their mothers corks, just like baby cows". I've never heard it explained like that before.

"It wouldn't be cold in the garage if we put a hot air conditioner in there".

One day while flipping channels Z had this to share with me "Mommy you should buy that mascara and look like Lady Gaga".

At dinner recently H said "see these pieces of food? Well they are a little shy about going to my stomach, so is it ok if I just throw them away?"

During a game of Hungry Hungry Hippos H says "I've lost my marbles, where are they?" Ummm I will let you know when I find mine I wanted to say!!!!!

Last night Z says to her Bubby "I'm done with these necklaces, can I put them in your dressing room?"

As the saying goes "from the mouths of babes", kids say the darnedest things!!! What are the funny things you have heard from a child recently? Have a great weekend and remember to enjoy the little things....

WBW....Well Being Wednesday

Process - a systematic series of actions directed to some end.  Also defined as a continuous action, operation, or series of changes taking place in a definite manner.

Journey - a traveling from one place to another, trip or voyage

Process and journey, these are two words that have become a big part of my life this year. Together with six amazing women, I am on a journey towards better health, a journey that will allow me to be here for my children, my family, and my friends for many years to come. As with any journey there was preparation, I had to prepare myself for setbacks, I had to prepare my mind for change, and prepare my house for a path towards healthier eating. As I mentioned above I am not on this journey alone, with me are six other mom's, we all have young children, some of us work and some of us are SAHM's, we each bring our own challenges to the table. We share ideas and support each other in our own journeys.


"It's not the product, its the process". As a teacher this quote applied to my students daily, but now I find it has a new purpose. I am in the process of becoming healthier, the process of setting a good example for my children, the process of becoming a better me. While of course I want the end product to be a healthier, better, stronger (both mentally and physically) wife and mother I must remember it is a process. These things are not going to happen overnight, they take time. It is not about fast and drastic changes, but rather small changes each day or each week that will stay with me for a very long time!!!!


Are you on a journey this year towards a better you? What is your process? Each Wednesday I will be posting my successes, failures, tips and tricks I've encountered that week. I invite you to check out my friend Michele's blog over at Dodging Acorns and link up with her to share your story!!!

Now for the stats:
3/20/13 - 138 lbs
Seeing as this is my first week doing a Well Being Wednesday post I will start posting my weight beginning today, and not from January when this journey first began.

The following statement has been making its way around social media outlets lately and I look at it daily and think about what means and apply it to my day.

Throwback Thursday!!

Shoes shoes glorious shoes, ahhhh how I love thee....I have a lot of shoes, different colors and styles, sneakers and heels, boots and flip flops, fashionable and non necessarily fashionable but comfortable. Comfortable, isn't that what shoes should be?? I know plenty of people who wear shoes that are either too tight or too big, some are too high while some are just good looking.

The shoes that inspired this post aren't fashionable, aren't too tight or too big, in fact they aren't any of the things I mentioned above except comfortable...they are my "Crocs". I love these shoes, I own 3 pairs black, pink and my favorite pair navy blue. Like most of the world I wasn't in love with these shoes when they hit the shelves of mainstream America, but not long after I found out I was pregnant with H, I discovered them. They were the only shoes I could comfortably get on and wear for part of my pregnancy and afterwards!!!! They are great to wear in airport security lines too, no laces to contend with, and can be taken off and put back on without any exertion.

I like these shoes for many reasons besides comfort, I can walk in the ocean water without them becoming heavy with absorbed water, they dry quickly, I can throw them on and run errands, they can be tossed in a bag without taking up much space, and I can wear them when gardening...ok, that last one was a joke but I do know many people who wear them when gardening. Now that I have a bad back my Crocs are surprisingly the only shoes that do not bother it. Why is this, I don't know. All I know is that I am a proud Croc's wearer, and sing their praises to anybody who will listen.

Now I know these shoes aren't exactly a "throwback" and I'm not sure how long something has had to be around to be considered a "throwback", but I thought this may be a good starting off point!!!

I received no compensation, or reimbursement of any kind for writing this, just a Croc's fan.

What TGIF means to me...

TGIF...Thank God (goodness) It's Friday, boy has this term changed for me. At one point these words meant the work week was over and welcome to the weekend. I could hang up my teaching hat (mostly) and be me, I could stay up late watching Leno or SNL, sleep in a little, take it easy...ahhhhh!!

It used to be come Wednesday Mr. O and I would start making plans for the upcoming weekend. Dinner out with friends, catching that great movie we had been wanting to see, maybe heading to Boston for the day. Of course every weekend wasn't this exciting, but we were able to do these things if we so chose.
Fast forward....now I'm a stay at home mom and many people would probably say that I don't get the privilege of saying "TGIF" to which I would say "WHAT"!!! Of course I do, my weekends may be very different than they once were, may be a little more child friendly, but I still look forward to each and every Friday!!!

Friday still signals the end of the work week and while I may not be working in the traditional sense, I do work. Friday also means that Mr. O will be home for 2 days which allows us as a family many opportunities and allows myself the chance to get caught up from the week or a chance to steal sometime for myself, who cares if its at Stop & Shop.

Now that the warmer weather (cross fingers) is coming I am excited about the weekends especially!! Neither of the children take naps or rests on the weekend so that means no "we have to get home for Z's nap" or plan our day around it, that leaves the whole day open. We can go on many adventures together. We are looking forward to spending many weekends outside, either playing at the water table, swinging at the playground among many other things. Much different than how our weekends once were....

The weekend is now full of going to the zoo, meeting friends for ice cream, taking a day trip to the aquarium or maybe just staying home and playing "Candyland", which is our new favorite around here!!! Saturdays and Sundays are a time to get laundry caught up (ideally), make those arts and crafts that maybe we didn't get to during the week, maybe for Mr. O and I watching a show that we DVR'd during the week because we were too tired to stay awake. Once and a while it even means the chance for a "date night" and going to dinner at a restaurant we normally wouldn't go to!!!

Whatever the weekend brings, whatever TGIF means to you I hope it is enjoyable, relaxing and most of all fun!!! What does TGIF mean to you? Has it changed in the past few years? Do you still look forward to it?

A gal can dream....

Now that winter is officially a month away from being over many people are not only thinking and wishing for warmer days but are planning for them too. My inspiration for this post comes from a writing prompt I saw on Mamaslosinit.com, she rolls out a new list of writing prompts every Tuesday, so if you are stuck check her out. One of this weeks prompts was to "Describe your pretend vacation home"...well twist my arm.

It should come as no surprise to people that know me that my vacation home would be on a beach, or at the very least less than a one minute walk from one. Now I wouldn't want to be on a tropical island surrounded by palm trees and coconuts, that's not practical...I mean after all who feels like going to the beach when it's 100 degrees, not this girl. So I would rather my pretend vacation house be on a quiet beach, somewhere that it is not too hot. Preferably not too close to the hustle and bustle of the beach community but not too far away from the necessity's.

My vacation house would also be well insulated, after all I want to enjoy this pretend house all year around. It would be 2 floors, with all the living space on the first floor and bedrooms on the second floor. I would definitely take advantage of the amazing views I had by having large expansive windows. With big comfy chairs right in front of them for enjoying the views. The furniture would be comfortable and not too stuffy, after all this would not be a museum. Big oversized sofas and chairs, a large square coffee table where. We could play a board game on a rainy day or put snacks on for everyone to munch on after a day in the surf.

Now these next two things would be a necessity to me, and outside shower and a sleeping porch. I have always loved the practicality of an outside shower, wash off when coming back from the beach or even from just building sand castles. Imagine taking a shower with just the light from the moon and stars before retiring for the night....The next thing I would have is a sleeping porch, that's right a whole space devoted to sleeping besides a bedroom. The sleeping porch would be off the master bedroom (but also accessible from another point of entry), it would be a place to read, spend some time alone just gazing out at the ocean, or my favorite, dozing while listening to the sounds of the ocean. Comfy pillows, soft light blankets, and a selection of books sounds delightful!!!

The kitchen would be an open plan kitchen so that we could take advantage of those amazing views once again. Just like the other living spaces it would also be comfortable and able to be lived in. A big table with plenty of extra chairs to accommodate any last minute visitors would be the main eating table. An outdoor pizza oven would be a great place to prepare dinner and then eat on the deck, with the aroma of the pizza lingering in the air.

In the bedrooms all beds would be facing the ocean, once again to take advantage of the view and listen to the waves. The rooms would all be painted white with colorful accents inspired by the ocean, flowers, and natural landscape surrounding the home. Ultimately I would want any vacation home either pretend or real to be comfortable and able to accommodate many people visiting either for the day or longer. Any vacation home of mine would not be a showplace but rather a fun place where my family and I could come to recharge our batteries, spend time together, and ultimately have fun....after all isn't that what a vacation is all about????

Where would your vacation home be? A cozy chalet in a ski destination? An apartment in a high-rise right in mid-town Manhattan? Somewhere familiar or a new adventure? Let your imagination go and tell me where it took you....

Live in the Moment

Live in the moment, such a short sentence 4 words in fact that can change a persons whole day, whole year, whole life. That is what I'm trying so hard to do, Live In The Moment. Not to worry so much what I have to do or where I have to go next, not worrying about the future and what it may or may not hold both for me and my family. I'm good at telling other people they need to do that very thing at various points during life, so why is it that I have such hard time doing just that? Why do I have a hard time living in the moment?

What does it mean to Live in the Moment? Does it mean to forget about the dishes that need to be done so that you can play, to forget about the loads of laundry that need to be folded and allowing yourself to do something fun instead or does it mean to not worry about getting clothes dirty while digging in the garden? I've come to realize this simple sentence can mean different things to everyone.
For me it means not folding the laundry and play matchbox cars with H, or not cleaning my bedroom because Z wants me to color with her. One night it meant doing something that wasn't planned but turned out great when Mr. O said (while getting ready for a night out) "lets go get our tattoo's tonight we have nothing else planned".

When my children were babies it seemed so much easier for me to live in the moment, wanting to witness every step, every coo, every word, but as the children have gotten older it seems harder for me to do this. It seems we live in a world where we always have a reason not to be present or in the moment. Whether it is a work commitment, or a phone call that needs to be made, there is always a reason.

I want to be a mother who is busy creating memories instead of missing them, I want to be in the moment and appreciate whatever is going on, I want to Live in the Moment whatever the moment brings. Now I know it isn't going to be as easy to do this as I am making it seem, but I am going to try to be more in the moment. And just in case I forget I have my newest Alex and Ani bracelet to remind me. Right now I am off to go play restaurant with my babies....
What does Live in the Moment mean to you? How do you live in the moment?