This ONE Thing has changed my SAH Mommy Life

Everyone has asked me - how do you like Staying at Home????

I always answer that I love it (which I do), but it has come with some interesting challenges.  One of which is figuring out how to actually get something DONE with all of this free time. This is what I mean:

• I put Mia down for her nap at 9:00am, ready to get ALL THE THINGS done during this 2-hour window
• Clean up kitchen from breakfast
• Bring toys from the kitchen back to their "toy area"
• Walk past 3 pairs of my shoes on the floor, bring them to my closet
• Look in the mirror and remember that I haven't showered in 3 days
• Take a shower
• While in the bathroom I notice some random items in a drawer
• Decide to re-organize my bathroom drawers
• See a photo album in the bottom drawer.
• Look through photos for 5 minutes
• See a picture of my sister and realize I haven't talked to her in over a week
• Text back and forth with her 
• Bring a random camera battery from one of the drawers to the office 
• See a mess on the desk
• Clean off desk and notice my computer
• Decide I should check some email
• Open a tab for Facebook while my email loads (who can wait those 4 seconds?)
• Waste 20 minutes on FB
• Read a post on my moms group page about an interesting parenting approach
• Look up on Amazon for a book about the approach
• Remember that I should order some X,Y and Z 
• Read reviews and compare products for 20 minutes
• Remember my to-do list and leave the computer to get the laundry
• Throw a load of laundry in the wash
• Come back to hear Mia crying, awake from her nap

And there goes my precious window for prime productivity.  With half of one to-do list item done.

So, a few months ago I listened to an interview about a book called The ONE Thing by Gary Keller.  I honestly haven't read the book yet (though coincidentally Joel just read it and loved it), but the interview explained it well enough that it is about how we need to stop trying to get so much done at once, and just focus on one thing at a time.  It can even translate into one thought / thing for a week, month, or a whole year, which I also think is a great idea.  I'm pretty sure he even suggests the One Thing should be narrowed down to one word.  Whoa.

ANYway, since being a SAHM I have realized how little I can get done with  seemingly "so much time!"  So I remembered this idea of the One Thing and started deciding that at the beginning of every day (and sometimes before) I would decide on the One Thing that I want to accomplish, the thing that if I just get this done today, I will feel satisfied.  It may be a load of laundry (washed AND dried) or another chore, an errand or a blog post, but whatever it is, I write it down on a weekly tear-off calendar on my fridge and make sure I get it done.

You guys, this may seem like it is a small goal, but it has changed my life.  Going from a 9-5+ job to an "Every Day's a Saturday!" feeling (which can be very good, and very bad), I feel like I finally have a handle on my days, on realistic expectations for my to-do list, and so much better focus.

She just couldn't wait to eat those eggs.

I usually do this One Thing during Mia's first (and sometimes only) nap of the day.  Which means, often I get it done before noon which is - seriously - the best feeling ever.  Anything I get done after that is like a huge bonus!

Because babies are notorious for un-folding your to-do items.

One of my favorite bloggers Jen wrote an awesome blog post about daily routines that has equally enhanced my life.  She reflects on the schedule that Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity follow, and how their day isn't what you might expect, and the lesson you can take from it.  She has 6 (I think?) kids, so her struggles are NOT my "I keep getting distracted by FB" struggles, but actually real daily routine struggles.  Anyway, it is a great read if you are looking for even more inspiration.

Have a great day!

7 Quick Takes about books, sewing, gifts, and hair bows for sale...

Linking up with Jen for some Quick Takes!

1.
As you may remember, Joel got me an awesome Sewing Machine for my birthday!  I have been playing around with it here and there for the past few weeks and have successfully completed 3 projects. I have decided to bore you with the details.

a) I added button holes and buttons to close the opening to a duvet cover.  Not sure why the company thought it looked fine with it open, but, problem solved.
b) I made a pillow cover that I am a little too proud about, even though Joel asked me the other day: "So....what are these pillows for again?" They're pillows, Joel. 
c) I hemmed a cupboard skirt (I'm not sure if that's an official name?) that I have had up for 2 years to cover a bottom cupboard that doesn't have a door.  Of course nobody notices that it's hemmed, but I just know that it's hemmed. 

After crushing these beginner projects I'm about to give in to my beaming confidence and make Mia a dress. Enough of this kiddie pool swimming, I'm ready for the high dive!

2.
I've also been making more hair bows lately, for Mia and for gifts. Many people have told me I should sell them, so here we go: If you want a hair bow just shoot me an email! I'd love to make something for you, and have tons of different colors and kinds of fabric, elastics, hair clips, pins, etc.  Here are a few examples, and they cost $5 each.

I also wrote a tutorial about making fabric flower headbands - if you'd rather make one yourself here it is!

3.  Mia got a little blow-up pool for her birthday from my parents, and wow - she loves it.  I just wish it was big enough for me to play in it, and especially go down the slide.  Since it's been 108* out lately, water is definitely our friend.  We also have incredibly kind and generous neighbors who let us use their pool anytime.  I'm pretty sure Mia will grow up thinking it's normal to waltz over to your neighbor's back yard basically whenever you want.  We might have to clarify that at some point.

4.  Ok.  Does anyone else love reading books, but seldom actually reads? Or starts 5 books, all at the same time, and doesn't ever finish them?  That's usually been me.  Until recently.  It all started when I read Jen's Something Other Than God, and turned into a book-finishing-marathoner. I just realized how much I love reading, and how much more fulfilled I feel after having done so, as opposed to how I feel after watching TV.  Bleh.

So in the past 4 weeks I have read 2 books and finished another one I had started months ago.  You may think, wow, Kristin, what are you some kind of Awesome Reading Professional?  But listen people, this is a lot of non-internet-based reading for me.  And since I would recommend them highly, here's what they were:

1. #SOTG as noted above, awesome book
2. Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman (much different than the Netflix version. MUCH. )
3. Carry On, Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton, a gift given to me by a friend that I am SO grateful for.  It reminded me of The Last Lecture, in that it was just chock full of wisdom. I didn't agree with 100% of it, but I loved it all anyway.  I read on her blog that she's working on another book, and I will definitely be reading it.

I have also started Dad is Fat, by the funniest of the funny Jim Gaffigan, which was dropped off at my Little Free Library! I was literally about to buy the kindle version (that I read from an iPhone app: game changer), but it showed up in the library a few days later. I call that Amazingly Awesome.

Joel and I decided on a new "norm" to shut off the TV (most nights) for a 9-10pm reading hour.  Kind of like Happy Hour, but, no, wait, that's way different.

5. I ALSO want to find a few of these at the library this summer, especially the audio versions.  What a great list for a business-y dork like me.  

Summer reading is taken to a whole new level here in Phoenix, where we spend most June-August indoors gazing at Facebook pictures of our friends at backyard BBQs.   SO, instead of that, (ahem) I have set a goal for myself to read or listen to 10 books between now and August 31st. I'm typing it out loud so I will stick with it.  Hopefully this tactic works.  Stay tuned for the report!

6. My dear sister Maddy turned 20 a few weeks ago.  

This is her surprising me at the airport back in April for Mia's Baptism

I'm not sure if you all know how excited I get at every one of her birthdays, but it's exCITED.  I am just so ready for her to be an adult and for us to be able to be a new kind of "friends!"  Like real, peer-to-peer friends.  Being 9 years apart was fun and all when I was 9-15. But now we get to be adults together, forever, and age and life stages won't really be that big of a deal.  And next year I can buy her a cocktail! I just can't wait.  Happy Birthday Maddy!!!

7. As mentioned already, we are very blessed to have some awesome neighbors.  The family that lets us use their pool has a daughter who Mia just adores.  One day she asked if she could take a picture of Mia for a project at school.  Then, months later she gave me this:

Oh my heart. It is just the cutest thing in the world. I told her, in complete honesty, that I have very few things I would grab from my house if it were on fire, and this will now be added to that hypothetical list. 

People are awesome.  Let's be more awesome to each other.

Have a great weekend!

7 Quick Takes: Life Update

Well, I decided to take a bit of a break..apparently.  But I'm back! To clear my head and try to cover the past month (or so), I decided to do some quick-ish takes.  {Linking up with Jen!}

1. 

Maggie's Place Christmas.  What can I say?  It was like every other year...crazy..awesome..ness.  Every year Maggie's Place provides gifts for all of the moms that have ever lived with us, and their families!  The last count I heard about a week before Christmas was around 480 people we were providing gifts for. 

Awesome, I know!

We spend the two weeks before our big party literally living the elf life...gathering gifts, sorting, distributing, wrapping, etc. etc.  It is so fun, so much work, and so worth it!

Here's Mia helping me wrap some gifts..

As my mom used to tell my sister when she was a messy, unhelpful toddler.."Just sit there and watch me...watching is helping!"

2. 
We flew to South Dakota to visit family, and it was an awesome trip!!  We got so much QT in with my family, the 8 days went by way too fast.

My favorite part of the trip was when my dad and Joel built a snowman for Mia.  It was such a beautiful day, and Mia loved the snow!  Here's my little snow angel:

And the Snowman himself:

She loves her Papa Joe -

And her Grandma Kathy. And of course - she LOVES her cousins!!  I see lots of girly play-time with these two in her future.

3. Mia has been waking up one extra time per night for the past 5 weeks, and I am so excited that it *seems* like this habit is on it's way out.  We tried numerous things, but in the end it seems like it was one of those milestone-stage-cusp things.  Becaauussee..

4. She has cut her first two teeth (the first one came on Christmas day!), and..

5. This week she reached two milestones: crawling AND pulling herself up to stand!  These are super exciting!  And of course mama must record every second of her life, even if it's grainy bedtime quality...

Go Mia!

6.  So three weeks ago I came back to Maggie's Place full-time. This has been both really great in many regards, and really hard.  I am so excited to be able to focus on my current projects at work and spend so much more time with my co-workers and friends!  But of course it comes at a cost...full-time daycare and less Mia time :( .  

Luckily I found a wonderful friend-of-a-friend who was willing to take Mia into her home with her 18-month old.  And I must say, Mia loves it so much!  She loves Zac, her new bff, and is such a social, happy kid, it hasn't effected her at all as far as I can tell.  

7. But, if going back to work full-time wasn't a big enough change, I decided to pull another 180 and put in my "3-month's notice." This means I plan on leaving my job at Maggie's Place at the end of March. (!!)

You're getting whip-lash, I know.  Back full-time, then leaving for good...uughhh it is all tugging at my heart strings in so many directions.  As most decisions like this, it is and will be bittersweet.

I don't have any major plans as for what I'll do next, but my brain has been going for about.... OH the past 4 years, on "what I want to do when I grow up" and all that.  I am sure I'll try a few things, fail at a few things, and learn a lot along the way.

So we'll see!  There's a lot to get done in the coming months, and that means I will be doing a little less blogging, but I promise to check in when I can, and of course will be updating my Instagram more frequently with random Mia happenings.

So Happy Friday everyone!  And as a full-time working mom, I can whole-heartedly say - Thank Goodness It's Friday!

5 Favorites Vol.3: Podcasts

If you are my husband, co-worker or friend in person, you have probably heard me utter the words,

"So I was listening to this podcast the other day.."
"Oh!  This reminds me of something I heard on a podcast once."
"I learned on a podcast that.."

I love me some podcasts.

I consider myself a constant learner.  An ADD constant learner.  I will be totally engrossed in a subject for an entire day or week, and then completely switch, usually half-way through a book / website / blog / podcast.  There is just so much to learn!!.. I tell my husband who I just "know" finds this part of me endearing.

Right honey?

Anyway, I thought I would share with you guys my favorite podcasts in case you haven't heard of them, and/or you are looking for a new way to be entertained / educated / feeling productive during down time.

(By the way, my favorite times to listen: in the car, out for walks with Mia, and doing chores around my house.  When a new podcast is aired for one of these I usually immediately pick up Mia and say "Do you want to go for a walk??" 

 She readily obliges  Listening and strolling the neighborhood with this kid is my current favorite activity.)


1.  The Simple Mom Podcast

This podcast is hosted by a blogger / writer named Tsh (not a typo, pronounced phonetically) who pretty much calls up a friend of hers (usually another blogger / writer), and they talk about absolutely anything - kids, family, traveling, favorite things, blogging and writing books, what they're reading, organization, marriage, etc.

She has 3 (I think?) kids and I consider her like a mom mentor who I can sit with and listen to her talk about life.  She is super wise and humble, and also founded the multi-writer blog www.simplemom.net, which covers all sorts of topics but has an undertone of keeping your life simple and the important things at the forefront.

2.  The EntreLeadership Podcast

This is one my fellow co-workers are probably annoyed about the most because it's usually where I get all of my work, managing people, and leadership inspiration and tips.  It is basically about Dave Ramsey's company and the culture, policies, norms, expectations etc. they have created to make work an awesome, successful place to be.  There are also guest interviewees on each podcast that also cover similar topics.

It is great for the entrepreneurs out there too..totally motivating to go start your own business, and be altogether awesome.

3. New Moms, New Babies & PregTASTIC Online Radio

These two podcasts are pretty much one in the same - they are a group of women, often the same ones in each podcast at a different stage in their motherhood, talking about what their podcast names would imply - PregTASTIC is all about pregnancy, and New Moms, New Babies is all about new motherhood, and everything having to do with babies during the first year.

Even though I am a card-carrying member of a mommy group, this is like being a part of another one that you can tune into anytime (until you have run out of episodes at least).  There are often guest experts on to answer questions, or birth story episodes...all of these were particularly great for me to listen to before I had the baby.  

4. Dollars and Roses Podcast

This one is a very new podcast, but I have really enjoyed it and learn a lot from it. It is a husband and wife blogging team who interview other bloggers about their success in blogging, and some episodes are just their own blogging tips.  They are super successful bloggers, and while I understand blogging (and the road to blogging success) to be much different for every type of blogger out there, I have really enjoyed their take on things.

5. Freakonomics Radio

This one is a must-listen for any podcast listeners out there.  If you don't know what the book "Freakonomics" is about, you also need to check that out too.  Whoa.  What an eye opener.

I really like this podcast because they are sometimes short and sweet, and sometimes a little longer, but I *always* walk away learning something so interesting I need to talk about it with the nearest human being.  They take things in life and have the resources and connections to get the back story, extra details, etc. that make you think about life and how the world works totally differently.  At the very least I would look them up and download one episode with a subject you find intriguing.

And there you have it - my five favorite podcasts.  Grab one of these, and as Tsh sometimes says at the beginning of Simple Mom...get your laundry basket and start folding.

Let me know if you have any podcast suggestions - I'd love to hear them!!

And of course, don't forget to go check out all the other Favorites over at Hallie's!

My Grandpa Joe

So I have gone back to work - part time.  Yes I miss Miss Mia, and yes I'd love to be able to sit at home, play with her, and watch Ellen.  BUT - I am glad in many ways to be back.

One of the things I love about where I work is that we stop every day at 3pm-ish and say a quick 15 minute prayer together.  On Thursdays, we add on what we call "Thursday check-in" where we all go around and answer a random question, and also add anything we need to tell the group work-wise.  

Yesterday's question asked "Who do we admire, and why?"  I thought I would elaborate on and share my answer.

One of the main people in my life that I admire is my late Grandpa Joe (my dad's dad).  He was a simple, humble farmer from South Dakota.

No this is not my grandpa.  But it IS my sister Maddy on our farm!  I helped farm a few summers in college with my grandpa, and this rusty red tractor is what he used to come check on me with out in the field.  You know, making sure I wasn't in any danger and/or slacking off.

Here's what I remember about him, and the ways that I would like to emulate him in my life:

1. He had an amazing faith.  It seemed like he always believed that God would provide for him no matter what.  And in a business that is contingent on the weather, he never seemed to stress about it.  He put in the hard work, and trusted that he would be taken care of come drought, hail, or beautiful rain.

2.  He LOVED my grandmother.  I will never forget this as long as I live.  Once, when he was in and out of the hospital during his final years, I walked into the hospital room and there was grandma, sitting on the bed with grandpa, kissing.  Practically making out!  They were still so in love, and that was so cool.  

3. He had a great sense of humor.  He was often teasing my grandma or his grandkids about something, and had a few inappropriate jokes up his sleeve.

4. He worked incredibly hard, and he took care of his family.  Sun up, to sun down.  At Christmas, he and my grandma would hand out envelopes to every kid and grandkid with cash in it.  We later found out that he would save money little by little all throughout the year and put it in the freezer till Christmas, no doubt with much sacrifice.  

While I remember a lot about my grandpa, these are those that always stick out.  I hope at the end of my life I can look back and feel at peace with how I loved and laughed.  I hope I can look at my work and life and say I put forward my best effort.  And I pray my faith stays strong even during hard times.

And of course - I hope my husband always, no matter where we are, takes me up on a little spontaneous make out sesh! 

Who do you admire and why?

PS.  I think it's so important to think deeply about and celebrate the people in our lives that we look up to!  If you are a blogger and want to link up a similar post, I'd be happy to link it here...just shoot me an email! kristintsanders@gmail.com.  

My Life, Pageant-Style

I heard on the radio one day that getting a tan makes you look 7-8 lbs lighter.  Does that mean that since my spray tan washed off, I look like I gained 8 lbs?

I believe not.  But it’s an understandable thought right?

So last April when I started thinking about the possibility of doing this pageant, I think one of the main fears I had was that I would regret it.  That I would inadvertently stick myself in some sort of category, or that I would embarrass myself, or that people would think it was stupid, inappropriate, a bad idea….yes a part of me cares what “people think.”  But basically, that I would have this huge, forever lingering regret and embarrassment. 

Well, I will say, it is one of the coolest feelings to put yourself out there and do something so vulnerable, so outside your box, a little risky, a little costly, and be 100% glad you did it.   And I will attest…the only way that will happen, is to be “OK” stepping into the unknown.  I mean, the unknown is all there is.  We might as well get used to it.

The weekend of the pageant was one of the coolest weekends I have experienced.  It had a lot of really cool things…fun, meeting new and great people, stretching myself, looking cute pretty much all the time, hard work paying off, and doing something, anything, even just standing there and being OK with it, in front of a thousand people.

So what are some awkward situations that can only come during pageant weekend?  Well let’s go through the list.  It’s not long, thank goodness, but they did manage to color my weekend.

First I have to say that when my dad was laughing with me about my sister’s to-do list (see previous post), he couldn’t believe she needed to write down even the “little” things…bobby pins for instance.  I told him, Dad, sometimes when you have a million things to do, the little things are the easiest to forget!  So, what did I forget the first night of competition? 

To Shave.

Yes, I forgot to shave.  Shave what you may ask?  People I forgot to shhaaayyVuuhh.  And let me tell you, this wasn’t just one of those “oh it’s ok, I just shaved yesterday” situations.  It was one of those “oh I only got to shave before my spray tan Thursday night, and have sort of been distracted for the last 48 hours and now need to go out on stage with a spotlight” situations.  So, there I was, in a room with two mirrored walls and 25 girls, with no room to even scratch your behind without somebody seeing, so I went into the bathroom stall, in this crowded dressing room, to check things out.  And I’ll have to say…a spray tan sure deals out some massive forgiveness in an unshaven situation.  I mean, if you got up CLOSE to my calves and other areas you could tell, but other than that, it wasn’t a disaster.  It was even close to magic.  Here was hoping a spot light, those fast-paced arm movements in the opening dance, and a zoom lens would be just as forgiving.  Moral of the story:  when changing up your routine, focus!  And to-do lists can really save you sometimes.

Next up:  Sunday morning: 6:30am.  So 8:05 am was my scheduled one-on-one interview appointment with the 5 judges, which entailed being all dolled up and in a cute little interview dress, ready to talk about…yourself, basically.  After getting to bed at about 1am the night before from all the omg I was just on stage adrenaline, I awoke at 6:30 to get ready for the important morning.  I plugged my Hot Tools curling iron in, and noticed it wasn’t working.  Not Working!!??  My awesome roommate Layne came over to help (she was Miss Congeniality of course), and while we are both standing there, in our pj’s, messing with the cord and trying to get it to work, a loud CRACK, Sparks, and smoke came flying from the metal rod.  Layne threw it on the floor and after we realized we weren’t starting a fire, we laughed our butts off.  Not for long of course…I had to get ready!  But there goes my curling iron, right before my Interview, and before the most important night!  Moral of the story:  Always room with Miss Congeniality.  She’ll be sure to bring the Almond Butter, and let you use her curling iron anytime you like.  I think my hair looked better using her curling iron anyway.

One more little mishap:  90 minutes from Show Time.  So after a long day of interviews, packing, and more rehearsals, it was 5:30pm, time to get ready for the big show.  We had all done our hair and make up earlier that morning for the interviews, so I had planned on just touching up like I did the night before.  Some extra eye-liner, fresh lips, a few extra curls, and I’m all set, right?  Well everyone around me was in the “this is a bigger deal than fresh lips” mentality, and I sort of got a little inadvertent peer pressure.  If everyone ELSE is totally re-doing their make-up, maybe I should too!?  So I asked one of the girls for an extra make-up removing cloth and took it aaallll off.  Time to Re-Do.  Well, that was until I realized that I left my foundation, my all-important, can’t really do your make-up without it foundation, in another bag far far away!  What the heck!!  Well, thank goodness I was in a room with 25 really nice girls and more make-up than a MAC counter.  So really nice girls AND my pick of foundation shades.  Problem solved.  Moral:  Surround yourself with great people and you’ll be fine.

So finally, what are my biggest takeaways from the weekend?  One of them: That stereotypes are always there for a reason, but stereotypes are never the whole story.  I hope you got a taste of that after reading previous posts about this experience, about our pageant director’s advice, about everything.  Nothing is ever as it seems!  And that goes for pageants, “pageant girls”, everything.  I am happy I was able to (hopefully) help prove this fact.

And another takeaway:  back to one of the reasons I did this:  I learned a lot about myself, and I learned about things I can do that I never thought I could.  Remember that post a while back about “I could never do that!”  Well adding this situation to my “I did that” list literally makes me feel like I could do, or try, about anything.  I get to keep this in my back pocket anytime I get nervous about anything (like my first speech at Toastmasters a week ago) and remind myself…Hey.  You stood on a stage.  In a bikini.  With a spot light.  You even forgot to shave.  And you did… Awesome.   

What the heck is a better feeling than that?    

And that my friends and family, is worth the price of Pageant Registration.

Our Deepest Fear

Alright, I'm heading to the hotel tomorrow (where I'll be staying the whole weekend with the other contestants with little contact with the outside world) but I have one quote to share before I go.  It pretty much speaks for itself.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

-Marianne Williamson

Maybe read it one more time.  Let it sink in.  Write it down.

And with that....it's time for some fun!!!!!!!!!!!

If you are interested in watching the prelims or the pageant live online, check out
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/miss-arizona-usa-miss-arizona-teen-usa-pageants
7pm MST (AZ), 8pm Central

3 Days To Go!

A few weeks ago we had our Contestant Orientation.  Our Pageant Director (Britt) pretty much spoke to us for 6 hours about logistics, rules, tips, everything we needed to know about the upcoming weekend.  The main thing that she kept drilling into us was that “This. is Just. a Pageant.”  I really appreciated that, because with the amount of money, time, energy, and outward support connected with this weekend, it is really important to keep it in perspective with the rest of our lives, the rest of our world, etc.   So I think this is something we can all think about in the midst of the “big things” in our lives (not that they’re not big of course), and I hope that this attitude carries over in my next big adventure, whatever that may be.  In the Grand Scheme of Things, i.e. family crises, childbirth, learning to love others, getting to Heaven…this is just another experience to prepare me for the next thing to come in some way or another.  I mean…knowing where to find body adhesive?  Check.

Another thing our Director talked about which has stuck with me even more, and I hope to carry this into the rest of my life as well, is to have a Goal beyond the Goal.  This weekend, my goal is to win Miss Arizona USA.  That would be great, right?  But this is sort of something I can’t control once the weekend begins…I can do my best, but it is completely up to the judges.  So it’s good to have another Goal, something that I can control, that will make me feel like I “won” Sunday night no matter what, to make this an even more meaningful experience.  What a great way to live our lives, if every time we tried for a certain “goal” (wanna win State Volleyball anyone?) we had another goal in mind as well that we had 100% control over that we can still shoot for and WIN at, and make our experiences that much richer…AND to realize that there are more important things than winning and losing.

So I’ll just tell you a few of mine (of course I have more than one!  Do you know me?!). 

1.  To be fully present at all times.  This is definitely something I struggle with… “I can’t wait to go to college..”; “I can’t wait to get married..”; “I can’t wait for Bootcamp to be here..”; “ I can’t wait for Bootcamp to end!!”  …on and on.  I am making it a general goal in my life, but especially this weekend.  This also includes having fun in every situation.  Rehearsals: fun. Sharing a room with (sort of) a stranger: fun.  The frightening experience of being on stage: fun.  Bleeding Blisters from fancy heals right before I step out on stage: dude so not fun.  But I promise to smile.

2.  Connect, even a little bit, with each contestant (I think there are 49??).  So I also have a tendency to stick with who/what I am comfortable with, and in doing so I miss out on connecting with others, stretching myself, etc.  So sitting with a different group of girls each meal, hanging out with different people, etc. is the game plan.  OH and making them laugh of course.  This could potentially make blisters fun.  Noted.

And Lastly, Britt told us to set an appointment on the Monday after the pageant to do something for someone else.  Another great idea!  Seriously, especially during the last 2 weeks I have felt like everything has been about me…what we talk about at lunch, what I talk about over drinks with friends, emails and texts and Facebook messages, going to fitting appointments, wardrobe advice, people consoling me when I cry… I mean I am kind of gagging on myself to tell you the truth.  At the time Britt told us to do this, I was like – “ya, great idea…this is right up my alley.”  But lately I have realized just how wise this advice really is when we do something like this!  I literally am SO Excited to do something for somebody else, and not talk about the pageant, and just focus on what I’m doing and who I’m with.  This needs to be about Them.  A little humility, a little back to reality, and we’re all set.  And of course I’m not telling you what I’m doing.

I don't know how these two are both true at the same time, but they just are:
This is just a Pageant.
This is more than just a Pageant.

I hope you take away some of this for your next Big Thing.  Stay grounded, and have fun!

ONE WEEK TO GO!

So TOMORROW is the one week mark (oh. em. gee.), and apparently my grandmother keeps bugging my dad about what I have been doing to prepare in these final days.

Knowing how often I get this question as well, I might as well answer it here huh?  Even though Grandma doesn’t get the internet, somebody please fill that woman in!

1.       I’ve started with the Tan.  I’m not super excited about this since I swore it off years ago, but it’s back one last time.  Maybe leave this out for Grandma.

2.       Alterations!  My evening gown -I just tried it on today and it is looking AWESOME; Swimsuit – maybe the most awkward thing to get fitted…two ladies with strong (Brittish??) accents in my nether regions.   The experience may have tied with the lady without the private changing room. Interview dress – standard;  Heals – yes I needed to get my heals altered.  This is pretty much because I bought them online, and then subsequently got a tongue lashing from who I like to call my Russian Cobbler Couple (extremely nice) about the idiocy of purchasing ANYthing without trying it on. 

3.       Working out…same ol’.  Though a big black guy asked me the other day if I was an athlete, because my leg muscles “were so defined”.  I will admit this pretty much made my day.  Now if he had said “Are you training for a Pageant?”…… I may have been a little weirded out.

4.       Kicking the clean eating up a notch.  Plus No cheating, i.e. no sweets. I will have to say…working the discipline muscle on a regular basis, though causing fatigue at times (and failure), does make you stronger!  This has surprisingly become less of a big deal each day. 

5.       Going in for a hair practice appointment (something I made up) at my hair salon!  This is going to be fun.  Um, how can I make my hair bigger please? 

6.       Reading the local newspaper and the Huffington Post.  

7.       Practicing answering questions…I downloaded 200 pageant questions to my phone (great first date questions too, if anyone is going on one of those..) and I usually answer a few while I drive each day...mmm, probably leave that out for Grandma too.

8.       Wearing my heals at home….walking around at commercial breaks, wearing them while I make dinner…it’s quite the sight my roommates will assure you.

Thank you thank you THANK YOU to everyone who has helped me along the way!  All your support and encouragement has gone a LONG WAY, and just being there when I cried (which actually happened each day for the following four days after I wrote that silly post), or helping me out financially, or giving me advice, or "liking" my posts, has meant so much to me.  Rally Hats people...One week to go! 

Four States of Crying

I’ve got to be honest, watching, hearing and reading people’s reactions to the news that I’ll be doing a pageant has been very interesting.  I would like to discuss one such reaction.  Let’s call it the “I could never do that!” reaction.  I’ve done more than a few things in my life that has caused this to come out of people's mouths, and finally it is time to set the record straight.

On my most recent road trip I was reminded of the time I decided to transfer to a college all the way out in Ohio when I was 19.  This was a pretty big deal for me, my family, everybody, you know?  I mean, people (amusingly) called it the “east coast” for goodness sake!  Even though it was so exciting to me, I cried and cried and cried.  I mean, I cried in my car with my little 9-year-old sister crying next to me until we got to Illinois.  That’s four states of crying!  These types of things aren’t easy.  But I went for it. 

So now it’s time to introduce a little idea I got from my bff Stephen Covey.  The idea of the “Personal Integrity Account.”  For today’s subject, we’ll call it the “Personal I-Can-Do-This Account.”  It works just like a bank account…you make withdrawals and the account lessens, you make deposits and it grows.  Sooo every time I do something a little crazy, far from home, FARTHER from home, in a desert, in a delivery room, in a leadership position, etc. etc., I make deposits. Every time I convince myself I can't do something and don't even try, I make withdrawals.  Deposits obviously help me become more confident that I can at least try whatever I set my mind to.  It’s just a matter of building up the account, you know?

Remember that the next time you say to yourself “I could never do that!”  What we tell ourselves usually becomes true.    

Did I cry on my trip down to Arizona?  Yes. Probably 20 minutes.  Did I cry the morning of the first day I was the new Director of a house with 3 other staff plus 6 pregnant and hormonal women who were NOT happy I moved in?  Yes.  Have I cried at some point along this pageant journey?  Yes.  Did I cry on the plane to study abroad in Europe?  No.  Who cries on their way to Europe?

I hope you get my point.  Try something new!  Build up that Personal I-Can-Do-This Account.  It gets easier, you get stronger, and it’s a LOT of fun.  Crying about something just means you’re being stretched…which usually means it’s worth it.

Pageant Prep

So..Whatever does it take to compete for a pageant? 

Let me tell you.

1.  Dating a professional “trainer”.  Then hiring a second one.  A girl can’t have too many men calculating her body fat % right? (Just kidding..Joel only did that once, after a nagging request by me). 

So what does this really mean?  This means much more purpose (and weight training!) to my workouts, which means early to bed, early to rise, spending time on YouTube looking up the new workouts my (hired) trainer “prescribes”, which actually means…a little hard work and a lot of fun!  A specific goal makes working out more enjoyable for me, which was one of the reasons I decided to do this crazy thing anyway…a fun way to shoot for a new goal.  Call me crazy.

The less fun part: food journals emailed weekly.  Yuk.  I just want a dessert everyday.  With a scoop of peanut butter on top.  Whats so wrong with that?!  Well I haven’t cut those out Completely (let’s be real), but that doesn’t mean I don’t have in my possession rediculously space-consuming 5 lb containers of both Vanilla and Chocolate protein.  Oh and a little 2 lb one of "Cinnemon Roll" for breakfast!  Upside:  Well I could sing the song of body-transforming benefits of upping one’s protein intake throughout the day, but let’s get to the real benefit: apparently joining the Protein Powder Club is “a turn on” for some.  I won’t name names.

2.  Paying more attention to fashion, hair, make-up, etc.  Usually this is already on a girl’s list, however I guess it takes a little thing called a Pageant to get on mine.  So to my stylists Lisa, Chariti, Kim… and make-up and hair consultant Joni Laree…THANK YOU!

3.  Formulating my "WHO" (coachspeak); Paying even more attention to news, current events, etc.  No repeating the Pageant Contestant stereotype here.  This also includes some soul searching and critical thinking…formulating concrete yet malleable opinions, brainstorming ideas, knowing what I believe, knowing why I believe it, etc.  This will definitely be a lifelong process for me, and in my opinion, should be on everyone’s list.

4.  Finding sponsors…this is not a free gig!  There’s the hefty contestant fee, plus everything that goes along with it….The studded and flow-y Evening Gown; The Swimsuit that will both cover and enhance…well things that need covering and “enhancing” (lets be real again.  I love my body, but in competition?  Another story.)  The trendy-yet-classy-but-not-too-business-y Interview Outfit; The Shoes;  The appropriate Jewelry for each; The extra hair and make-up Stuff I do not already own; The Tan; The Elmer’s Spray Glue; The extra Training advice…Yup I think that about covers it.  So….Thank you so much to my generous Friends and Sponsors who have helped so far!!!  I seriously could not be doing this without you!              

5.   Practicing, practicing, practicing.  Practice walking right, standing right, sitting right (hello exercise ball turned office chair), walking in Heals, experimenting with make-up, experimenting with hair…etc. etc.  I told Joel he has to take me out to fancy places every weekend now so I can practice the heals, make-up, hair, etc….hmm..maybe THIS is why I signed up for this.

So – all in all this has shaped up to be a pretty fun journey towards an interesting and fun new goal.  I can’t wait to see what the next 6 weeks brings!