MIA

It has been absolutely CRAZY the past few days. I have been working overtime in preparation for leaving for the Type-A Conference in Atlanta on the 17th. WHICH, btw, is completely sold out now!! I have been planning a Disney outfit to wear for the DisneySide party. I finally settled on Linda Flyn Flecher and am pretty stoked.

I have also been making a packing list for all of my other needs. I get to meet up with a co-worker on Monday for a lunch before I fly out. Just totally excited.

However, while planning all of that, we had our annual Birdwell Family Birthday Party on Saturday. That meant driving 7 hours to get stepson and then drive to the party ... and then repeat the drive after the party was over. I am still pretty wiped out from the event ... but it was totally worth it. Plus, I got a really awesome tea mug cozi!

Wait ... Hold On ... I got this!

It never ceases to amaze me how much work goes into being a mom. Whether you are a stay at home mom or a working mom ... the work is ENDLESS. Moms who are at home all day have to keep up with the kids and the house. There is no real break. Most also do the cooking and schedules. Then if you work from home ... well, just add all that in. Working moms have to make sure their kids get to the sitter/school and figure out arrangements when the kids are sick. There is going to work all day and then still having all of the nightly chores. Neither one is a better option! This is COMPLETELY how I feel this week!

Source

Let's back up a little. This past weekend, I decided it was high time to get some set food in the house again. It is hard to cook for a family and drink a shake for myself. I figure, if I have all of the food ready to go ... I can have my shake made and ready to consume by the time their dinner is ready. THEN I thought ... you know, it has been a LONG time since I have done my "convenience food at home" baking spree. Sometimes it feels like "long ago, in a galaxy far, far away" ... but it really has only been about four years since my last freezer fill.

What do I put on my list for my convenience foods?

• Hot Pockets (17 different kinds)
• Breakfast Burritos
• Breakfast Egg Rolls
• Pop Tarts (2 different kinds)
• Homemade trail mix (dehydrated fruits, nuts, this & that)
• Prepped snacks (orange slices, carrot sticks)
• Fruit leather

So for today (and tomorrow off and on), I will have peeled and cut 3 bags of carrots, cut up 4 onions, chopped 6 heads of broccoli, turned 3 potatoes into hash browns, and cooked & divided up 3lbs stewing beef, 4lbs sausage, 5lbs hamburger, 5 full chicken breasts, 1lb ham, and 1 turkey roast! (of course, I am also making 8 batches of bread dough, 6 batches of biscuits, and one batch of wontons)

HOWEVER ... I will be able to grab a bag of stuff for dinners and not have to think about it. We will have no excuses because the food is there. It IS a lot of work and it does make me crazy ... but I absolutely LOVE the feeling when I'm done. (note - this is only on the cooking marathon ... I also have a couple dozen articles, several blog posts, 2 websites, school supply pickup, and my own school work on top of this list).

What are some things that you do that when you look back on it, you are not sure how you pulled it off? Let me know in the comments!

Week has gone crazy!

Okay, so I know I owe you some themed posts, but it has just been a chaotic week. This week has been awesome for review products (and things I will get to give away!) including flowers, new body wash, prize candle, and green tea powder. I also got to go to a sampling at Noodles & Company so I will have all of that to share with you too!

Another note, since this is just a short post ... I have finally gotten some organization done on my website. I have Redbird Empire up and running. It is the parent (or umbrella) company for BCM, Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant, and Team Birdcage. I really hope you check it out and let me know your thoughts in the comments below!! I am now working on re-doing Birdcage Media because it has changed to BCM.

In August, I will be starting a Back to School theme. If there is anything you would like touched on ... please let me know. You can message me on Facebook, comment here, or email me! I love to hear from my readers. Also, make sure you sign up for my newsletter so you do not miss any special announcements or giveaways!

What Would You Do?

You HAVE to go back in time and choose a different career path for yourself. What do you choose?

So I came across this question when I was looking for journal topics for my kids. I decided that it was a perfect fit for this blog. Why? Because my life today is nothing what I would have expected. What is funny is I didn't choose this career path originally. So, instead of talking about choosing a different career path, I will talk about the career path I thought I was going to take.


When I was growing up, I was so in love with animals that I focused on training dogs, pet sitting, and working at the zoo. I was in the Wildlife Explorers club in high school and took Companion Animal Management in College.

So, instead of being a writer and an independent consultant, I would continue on my path of companion animal management. I do have to say ... I love my job! :)

Purex Crystals Sweepstakes

Making your clothing smell great has never been easier. In addition to making it smell awesome, it has fabric softener in it so you do not have to add anymore. Oh, and it is cloth diaper FRIENDLY! You simply put the crystals in with your laundry detergent at the beginning of the wash, and the scent infuses with your clothing during the wash cycle!

There are currently five scents available:

• Fresh Spring Water
• Lavender Blossom
• Tropical Splash
• Fresh Moutain Breeze
• Fabulously Fresh

 

Just recently Purex Crystals added a new product to their line that is safe for all of children's clothing (including sleepware). Purex Crystals for Baby is hypoallergenic and dye free. It will not affect the flame retardant properties in your child's clothing!

I did a review of the Fabulously Fresh Crystals a short time ago and this week Purex is offering a Purex Sweepstakes for a FREE four pack! The sweepstake ends on May 30 and there will be FIVE winners! Click on the graphic to enter (don't delay!)

Affiliate Link

My oldest child is a middle schooler!

I cannot get over the fact I now have a middle schooler in this house. How in the world did this happen? I swear it was only yesterday that she was born! I love my little Peanut and couldn't be prouder of her. However, age can slow down at any point! We celebrated her achievement today and thanks to Chinet, we were able to do it in style.

*Note - we were given a package with plates, napkins, cups, and other goodies from Chinet through House Party. We were not required to blog about it, and all opinions are my own.*

Late in the evening of February 28, 2003. We all waited impatiently for Adella (Peanut) to make her presence into the world. Grandma Mo and daddy were present, and mommy was so tired. After HOURS of waiting and very little time for actual delivery, we were greeted with our first child at 10:01pm.

While Adella is my only child that went to preschool, the pictures really started when she started school. In 2008, she was enrolled in Crestview Elementary in Overland Park, KS. Between 2008 and 2014, she attended Crestview, The Birdcage (home school), Indian Valley Elementary, and New Chelsea Elementary School. I cannot believe she has grown up so fast. I made a video slide show and be warned ... you MAY just tear up.

Today, we got to have a graduation celebration with family and friends. Through HouseParty, I threw a Chinet party with their new plates, "It's Hip to Be Square." We LOVED them. Their cups are awesome because they look super classy, without looking cheap. Here are a few of the photos from the party. We had a taco bar, chips & dip, cookies, cake, and punch. Adella really enjoyed herself and I was happy to give her the party she desperately wanted!

Most of the group ... there are 5 people not in this photo that were there. :)

Celebrated our anniversary early

Before I get into today's post, I must first state a correction in the last post I made. I stated in that post that I love Shakeology but couldn't afford it at the moment. I then stated that I would purchase Fit n' Full by Next Step ... and THAT is where the correction has come in.

I have joined Team Beachbody and now get Shakeology at a discount. I have made it a priority to care for my health. I have firmly believed in Shakeology for a year now, so this is not a new love. I will have posts on this blog about my weight loss journey, as I want others to see that it is possible that with hard work and dedication, it is possible to lose weight without surgery. This will be coming from a person who has battled weight issues for 20 years.

NOW ... onto the real point of this post! My anniversary!!

Jeremy and I started dating in August of 2000. We had known each other since high school and we both had crushes on each other but neither of us knew it. When he started dating one of my dear friends, I backed off. However ... when I heard they no longer were together, I reached out and started communicating again.

In December of 2001, Jeremy was preparing to leave for Kansas City to work with his dad at Treat America. I drug his butt to Wal-Mart and showed him the engagement ring I had been eyeballing. We then got married on May 25, 2002.

We had our honeymoon at the Riverwalk and really enjoyed it. We didn't do anything big for our anniversaries due to having two little ones, but for our 5th anniversary, we got a sitter to watch Peanut & Bullfrog. We went to Chateau Avalon and spent a lot of time at the Legends.

For our 10 year anniversary in 2012, we went to Fort Scott WITH the kids and stayed at the Lyons Cottage. We had our 2 dogs and 3 kids with us so ... yeah, it was a great trip but NOT as romantic as we had hoped. Not to mention ... I was sick as a dog being pregnant with Willow.

This year, we saw an opportunity and we took it. There is a new theater in Overland Park and they had their social media weekend last weekend, and this weekend was their Groupon Preview weekend. The Groupon rates were $9.95 per person for four movies (although they stated otherwise on their page originally. It didn't matter though because we only had time for four). We went for it when we secured a sitter.

We watched Serenity, Star Trek (2009), Star Trek: Into the Darkness, and Raiders of the Lost Ark. Here is my review of Cinetopia, because we had a movie in every type of theater they have.

GXL - This theater (for us) was no different than most of the other theaters we have gone to. I do not believe it is worth the $13.50/ticket, personally. Not when I can go to another theater for only $10.50 with the same quality of seats and sound. Sorry, Cinetopia. We watched both Star Trek movies in this theater.

Living Room - This was our FAVORITE room. The seats recline with a power button and they are grouped by two. There is an age limit of 21, so those who want to take alcohol in, can. The sound is amazing and the seats are UBER comfortable. I TOTALLY feel this is worth the ticket price. We watched Serenity in this theater.

Parlor Room - I was so excited about this room with the cuddle couches. There are only a few couches though and they are all the way in the front. TOTAL disappointment. The rest of the seats are ... meh. Also, the lights do not go completely down so where we sat, we had lights on dim the ENTIRE time. So frustrating. We actually talked about leaving a few times. This is another theater that is 21 or older only. We watched Raiders in this theater.

Overall, we were disappointed with their popcorn but the prices of everything else (snack bar) was on par with other theaters we have gone to. They are opening Memorial Day weekend with X-Men.

The area was really nice and reminded us a lot of Aggieville and the Plaza smushed together. It was really nice. We had a great time on our kid-free date ... and apparently, our children had a blast too!

*Note - I went to the movies on my own finances. I was not compensated for this review, nor was I asked to give one. Everything stated here is my own opinion.*

Busy Day!

Today has been one of the best in a long time. I told Monkey last night that we were going to go purchase a book or two with her money from Aunt Shannah. She was SO excited. What I didn't tell her was that Dora was going to be at the mall as well! I had been looking forward to today all week long!
On the way to Barnes & Noble, we talked about how many books we were going to get. Chloe told me she was only going to get one book today. I was totally okay with that, although I knew the selecting process would take longer. It was okay though because we had two hours to just have fun.

Taking in all the books

Starting the selection process

She had a HARD time deciding between these two

After we settled on a book (the musical one), she was ready to go play. We still had an hour before Dora was coming so I took her to the play area of Oak Park Mall. Monkey was cracking me up with her sitting on the car and waving to me like a princess. She had lots of kids wanting to talk to her and that was causing her to shut down a bit though.

After playing for quite awhile, we went to wait on Dora. She was SO excited that she talked about it non-stop. Well, that was until Dora came out. It was great while Dora was in the distance ... as she neared, and her size grew .... Monkey was a little more than intimidated. She did let me get her picture taken with Dora ... as long as I held her!

After coming home, we got everybody ready to go and then headed to the church. It was the day Bullfrog was being baptized. He wanted it done when he was 8, but he wasn't home on his birthday. We waited until he was home and we got back into a routine. Then he had to go through the missionary discussions since he was over 8 years old. It was nice having them over weekly. One of the missionaries got transferred to the Independence stake, but he came back for the baptism (which was awesome).

Many of the family members were able to make it! <3

Bullfrog was bummed because he was told to be serious

Missionaries on the left are our current ones, and the one on the right came back

The day was just overwhelming for our Monkey ... she collapsed in the car on the drive home ... and then again on daddy's lap after dinner & ice cream.

With the Minnie Mouse hat MeMa made for her birthday

So ... how did you spend your Saturday?

In need of a good planner

This mama is beginning to lose her mind! I LOVE Cozi and I LOVE Google Calendar ... BUT I need a paper planner as well. It is just who I am. I know it drives my husband crazy, but it is the only way I feel like I can keep my life organized.
My daughter, Peanut, is in Art Club, Allegro, STEP Team, and in the Black History Program. JJ is in Cub Scouts (oh and Adella is in Activity Girls). The younger two are starting to potty train. I am working on my novel, other people's novels, several websites, house parties ....

Did I mention I am also taking online classes? So ... anyone have suggestions on a good PAPER planner?!

Finding Gratitude

Everyone thinks about gratitude on Thanksgiving, but that is about the farthest it goes. I know it bugs me when people only post the things they are grateful for from November 1 through November 27. Then they go back to complaining on  November 29th. It is kind of crazy really.

For a person who has bi-polar, it can be difficult to find gratitude. I joined a blog roll back in September for Suicide Awareness Day, and I was invited to blog roll for tomorrow.

USC’s Gratitude Campaign

1. Family

I know many people say they are thankful for their family, but my gratitude was pushed full into my face. I lost my children for 10 months and during those 10 months, my husband and I braved the fire. We passed the tests, we grew stronger, and we bonded together. Our relationship is stronger than it ever was and now that our children are home, my gratitude spills over.

2. REAL Friends

We learned in 10 short months who we could trust, who were only friends for appearances, and who we could truly rely on. We were very surprised where people ended up falling. The friends who are in my rely category know who they are ... There is NO doubt. We tell them as often as we can. They could have taken the time to turn their back and judge us, like many did, but they held firm and took our hands. They walked through the fire with us and helped heal the wounds when needed. I am so thankful to call them my friends.

Only a few are pictured!

3. Small blessings

I am thankful for small blessings. For the last three years, my husband and I have struggled financially. We had everything going the right way, so we decided to try to conceive. Succeeded, and then 8 weeks later my husband's checks were cut in half and I was out of work. We scrambled, worked payment plans, cut into our budget, and sought help.We expect to finally see the other side January 2014. We have been soooooo close the last few months but not just there. What has pushed us has been the small blessings we have received. One of those blessings came on Thanksgiving when we were gifted $50 to purchase a Thanksgiving meal for our family. It was courtesy of Scary Mommy & the Thanksgiving Project. We have every intention of being on the donating end next fall, to pass on the blessings that we have received.

Scary Mommy

So, what are you grateful for this year? How has this year changed your views? Let me know! There are so many more things I can add on here now that I have the grateful train moving. It is very true, positive thinking and smiles are quite contagious.

Wow ... just realized ...

It is AMAZING how fast this year is just FLYING by!

In 2 days

JJ will be 9!


In 6 days ....

Thanksgiving will be upon us!


In THIRTEEN DAYS (only 13!!)

Willow will be ONE






Finally ... in 16 days, Adella will have her last Allegro Concert of 2013 (have you bought your tickets yet?) and not have rehearsal again until 2014!