Best worst decision ever

I've made some bad decisions in life.  Any of my high school photos can tell you I don't know how to style my hair. I typically make dinner decisions based off what would best be topped by cheese, not by what's best for my waist line.

But the decision I've made recently is easily the best worst decision ever.

Abby (my BFF) made a bold decision to get motivated and organize a team to run the Marine Corps Marathon this year for the organization she works for. She was apprehensive and gung-ho all at once.  I mean, she's a Marine vet and has run the MCM once before.  It was the organizing a team of 25 people to come out and run in honor of Disabled American Veterans PLUS running a marathon that was daunting for her. 

So I did what every best friend does and said, "Sure! I'll help you."

Somehow (my memory is a little fuzzy how this happened) we got from "That's so exciting! I'm all about helping you organize the team and finding runners," to "Hey! Why don't I run it with you?"

Yeah. I decided to run the Marine Corps Marathon... just like that.

How does that even fucking happen? I HATE running.  In fact, some of my most popular blogs talk about how much I really hate running.  Like really, really hate it.

So why not go ahead and decide I want to run 26.2 fucking miles.  Psssh! No big deal.

Then I started to think about the people I've seen running the MCM when I cheered on Abby. I saw tons of disabled veterans running.  I saw a double-amputee running.  I saw a couple blind guys running it.  I saw guys juggling and girls in tutus. I saw thousands and thousands of others out there running it like it was no big deal.  All in support of the Marine Corps and the sacrifices service members and veterans have made.

That's when I realized that if they can all do it, so could I. I have no excuse in the world big enough to get me out of it.  Because if a guy without legs can run 26.2 miles, then my fat ass needs to get out there and suck it up. 

It helps that I'm running to bring awareness to others about DAV and what they do to support veterans.  It also helps that Abby will be there to support me. And it also really helps when the MCM public affairs team posts videos like this that make me cry and motivate me to do it. Because honestly, I can, I just need to get off my ass and do it already.

So from now until Oct. 27, please expect plenty of bitching and complaining updates about running to go along with the crazy crap Elly does. And if you'd like to travel to the D.C. area to support me along the way, feel free.  Because honestly, I'm going to need it!!!

Linking up this week with Yeah Write. It's a great community for writers who blog and bloggers who write.

Mondays suck

Mondays are terrible.  They flat out suck.  This week especially.

I didn't have a very restful or peaceful weekend.  It's my own fault.  I have 10 million projects and side jobs going on right now and I'm over extended a tiny bit and grumpy about it.  Getting paid for these extra jobs makes me a tiny less grumpy. Coffee and/or booze also helps.

There were some snow flurries when I woke up this morning.  For me, that's not a big deal, for the rest of the D.C. area, you'd think the sky was falling. Traffic sucked even more than usual, which means it's not a great way to start the week. 

And on this particular Monday, the exhaustion from last week, coupled with the non-restful weekend, plus lack of good coffee creamer for my joe, makes for a really crappy Monday.

To add insult to injury, this week will seriously blow at work.  This week I get my formal letter stating Congress officially can't do their job, forcing the Defense Department to drastically cut spending.  And by cut spending I mean cut my pay by 20% starting next month until the end of September.  Fucking glorious.

It's like a pink slip, but worse. It's a slow-moving amber slip.  This is a warning signal to let you know to slow down (especially your spending) and brace for impact. I'm going to have one day off a week to figure out how to live off of 20% less of my income.  (Did I mention that I live in one of the most expensive places in the country to live.  If I could find a job elsewhere with as much career growth potential, I'd move.)

I've begun applying for second jobs.  I've updated my sitter-city profile. I've been taking on crazy ass projects to make extra cash. All in the attempt to survive this. 

What blows my mind is I don't think people across the country understand how this budget crisis can and will affect them.  It's not just going to be me taking a cut.

For example, in my home state of Michigan, the mitten will lose approximately $22 million in funding for primary and secondary education, putting around 300 teacher and aide jobs at risk. In addition about 25,000 fewer students will be served and approximately 80 fewer schools will receive funding. (Don't believe me? Or just want to know more about how much your state is going to lose? Check this out.)

And that's just one state.  People are up in arms about military service members' tuition assistance being suspended because of the budget cuts.  And I get it, I used TA when I was active duty.  But who is worried about the medical care they're not going to get because 40% of the medical staff in military hospitals are furloughed just like me?

Oh, and I love how everyone supports hiring our veterans... even the federal government.  But what they don't tell you is that they've hired us (yes, I'm a vet) and now they're giving us yellow slips.  So much for the support of the country's heroes. (Where's the Facebook petition on that?!) 

It's exhausting to think about how much this is going to suck.  I've been preparing for it for weeks.  But now, today, this Monday, the week is finally here.  The week my life as I know it for now comes to an end and I'm going to have to get creative financially and craft my way out of this financial burden. And right now, there's not nearly enough coffee or hot glue for that!

Mondays seriously suck.

Make Monday a little better, and come check out some great blogs linked up with Mod Mom.

Birds of a Feather

I've been crafting a lot lately.  I'm bouncing around from project to project.  I said I wasn't going to do that, but I just can't help it.  I have crafting ADHD. But I've got a lot of super cute things I'm working on.  The lastest is a super cute owl pillow.

I'm in a few diffent facebook groups (who isnt?). Someone asked if anyone could make this pillow:

Finding stuff on Pinterest to covet but with no way to buy
or instructions on how to make on your own- losing!

As a crafty girl, I responded.  I mean, I can make just about anything I see.  So a bunch of women requested pillows!

Here's what I did:

1) Find soft flannel fabric for the pillow and coordinating felt fabric for the owl body.

2) Cut out owl pieces.

3) Lay out to make sure it all fits right.



Everything cut and laid out.

 4) Start hand stitching all the pieces.

5) Sew the owl to the pillow.

6) Make the pillow and stuff the pillow.

7) Enjoy!

Pillow is done and super cute and soft!

I used felt to make all the owl pieces and then used embroidery floss to do all the owl sewing details.  I did add a "Baked by Betty" tag into the pillow.


I've gotten a ton more felt and fabric to make some more pillows for customers.  I can make them in almost any color based what felt is available.  But first, I need to finish the Jedi capes! Stay tuned for more details on that Star Wars adventure!

Snow Day

We've got a snow day today! YAY!!!!  I love snow days! They're the best.  I'm a Michigan-American and have enjoyed a few snow days in my life.  I probably enjoy them even more as an adult now because I have plenty of craft projects to complete and my DVR is nearly full.

Usually on snow days you get to sleep in.  Turns out that's not the case when you're a parent to a toddler.  I woke up a little after 4 a.m. to start notifying the masses (a.k.a. my job). Elly woke up at 5:51 a.m. to start her day. Awesome.

But you know what? The great thing about snow days is you get to do things you don't normal do.  On this snow day, I'm going to be the kind of mom I always dream to be, but am usually too busy with work to actually be.  I'm going to be the kind of mom who has time for a cup of coffee in a regular mug (not a travel, spill proof mug) in the morning.

I'm going to be the kind of mom who makes freshly baked muffins for breakfast for my daughter.  And I'm going to be the kind of mom who enjoys the day with my daughter doing fun inside activities and hopefully putting on our boots and snow pants and playing in the snow (when it actually accumulates).

Muffins and coffee on this perfect snow day.  I even made them in my heart-shaped tin!

I'm jealous of my stay at home mom friends who get the opportunity to be this kind of mom every day.  They make it look fun and easy (I know it’s not always).  They all seem to have such a great time doing amazing things for their kids.  I’m jealous. There, I said it.

I greatly respect my SAHM friends. They are amazing.  And their choice to stay home and raise their kids is, I’m sure, not always an easy one. I also greatly respect my working mom friends.  They work hard for their families and the sacrifices they make aren’t always easy either. But I’m still jealous.  I’m a single mom now.  I have no other choice but to work. 

As a working, single-mom, there's never enough time in the day for doing everything I want to do as a mom and as a professional.  I’m stuck leaving work at a certain time so I don’t get overcharged by the daycare, even though my work day really hasn’t ended. There's not always time to make homemade dinners from scratch. And there's definitely no time to make muffins in the morning (unless I was on some really awesome drugs and could survive on only a couple hours of sleep).

So this snow day is a blessing.

Tomorrow I'm sure I'll be ready to get back to my job and get back to work, but today I'm going to embrace the snow day and be the mom I always dreamed to be.

Check out all the great work over at Yeah Write Me. It's a place where bloggers who write and writers who blog hang out. And don't forget to stop back over on Thursday to vote for your favorite blog!

Elly do it

Last night wasn't a great night for me and Elly.  I picked her up from daycare, give her a hug and a kiss and she proceeds to pick up her jacket.  I go to help her put it on and she says yells "ELLY DO IT!!!!" 

Zipping her own coat

Ok fine.  So I let her put on her coat. But I was in a hurry and she was taking forever since, you know, she's two and hasn't quite master figuring out which hole to put her arm through.  So I try to help a tiny, little bit and get her going in the right direction. 

"ELLY DO IT!!!!!!!!!"

Ok. FINE!

Finally we're dressed and ready to leave. But before we can walk out the door, she has to press the button to open the door.  She has to walk out to the car on her own.  She has to climb into the car on her own and she has to get into her car seat on her own.  Because after all...

"ELLY DO IT!!!!"

We get home and she's trying to help open the door.  It's really more of a pain in my ass for her to do this, but she's screaming again.

"ELLY DO IT!!"

Time to make dinner, "ELLY DO IT!!!" (It took 15 minutes to convince her that she needed to play in her sensory bucket and not try and help me cook the taco meat.)

Time to clean up the house, "ELLY DO IT!!!" (This took an additional 25 minutes to clean up after her, but not let her know I was doing it, since “Elly do it.”)

Walk up the stairs to bath time, get the bubbles in the bath, take off clothes and try on the potty, climb into the tub...

"ELLY DO IT!!!!!"

Except she can't do it all yet.  The kid takes for FOR.FUCKING.EVER. to get things done.  Probably because she really has no actual life experience doing half these things yet.  I mean, she's only two, but she thinks she can do it all and won't accept any help. 

So here we are, in a conundrum. I'm the experienced 30-year-old know-it-all mother.  She's the stubborn and independently-minded child who won't accept help. I want things done quickly and efficiently.  I have limited time to get everything done and don't have 15 minutes while she figures out pulling her arm out of her sleeve and sticking it through the head-hole of her shirt will not equal a successful attempt at undressing herself.

Yet, here she is, all needing to do everything on her own. And I know she has to learn all of these important life skills.  I have to encourage her to learn or else I'm going to be stuck still wiping her ass when she's 30 because she still won't have figured that out. (She'll probably blame me because I never cut her hair.)

I have to take a moment and realize that her stubbornness and desire to do things on her own, learn new skills and take charge are all qualities I love about her and that I've given her. (The apple doesn’t exactly fall far from the tree.) It's this desire to learn and take on new challenges that will make her successful in life. 

I should be grateful that she is excited to help me put the soap in the dishwasher and start it.  I should be thrilled she wants to help me put the clothes in and out of the dryer. I should be happy she wants to venture on her own and learn how things work. After all, this means in a few more years I'll be able to put her to work around the house, right?

After a deep breath, a mental regroup and a few bedtime stories, I asked her to help turn out the lights for the night. I picked her up so she could reach the light switch and said, "Elly do it."

She looked at me with big eyes and said, "Momma do it." 

You're killing me kid.