by Sarah | Feb 13, 2019 | All About Denver, All About Erik, All About Family, All About Me, All of Us, Redefining Perfect
Everyone warns you how tough the teen years are.
They were. They are. They sucked. They are just starting in the girls.
No one warned me about this nonsense.
I mean – they’re grown up, legal, and all of that…
But sooo not grown up.
Smart as can be.
Naïve about how the world works.
You can counsel, but you can’t discipline (not that they listen either way).
They still think they’re invincible.
But they have to call for help on some of the most basic tasks.
They still avoid talking about certain aspects of their life.
Then bombard you with inappropriate adult humor that you’re not prepared to hear from their mouths.
They impress us with his financial acuity and maturity.
Then they’re utterly careless with the maintenance and care of the vehicle still in our name – including it being impounded.
You still stress and worry over them daily.
They get so annoyed with your concern and see it as you not believing they’ll succeed.
You’re walking a fine line because technically they’re adults…
But they’re BABY adults…with their own minds and own passions and own beliefs….but still so oblivious to so many things.
No one warned me about this shit.
All I ever heard about was the terrible twos.
Terrible teens.
How much I’d miss them when I was gone.
To appreciate the now.
No one warned me that it would be a really weird place to be when they got into that ‘adult’ stage.
Some days I think it’s worse than those painfully awful teen years.
Some days, though…
No, most days…
Most days it’s infinitely more awesome.
by Sarah | Feb 12, 2019 | All About Denver, All About Erik, All About Family, All About Kennedy, All About Me, All About Molly, All of Us, Blogging Life, Redefining Perfect, Top Ten Tuesday
Continuing our weekly countdown of my top ten dream family vacations, we come to #8…
St. Louis, MO.
Unfortunately, to be honest, my kids beat me to this before I could even get back into blogging and complete this top 10 that I started ages ago (seriously, I started these probably a year ago originally, so plenty has happened)…this past fall, the near-adult took the teens on a road trip, and they started in St. Louis.
I’d like to make the trek again…this time with all of us together.
Erik and I went to St. Louis several years ago. We had a lot of fun when I wasn’t at my blogging conference, and there’s plenty of sights we didn’t get to see, and there’s sights my kids didn’t get to see last year.
There is so much to do in St. Louis beyond the arch. There’s so much FREE stuff to do in St. Louis…and not free stuff. We could really go for a week and not have time to see it all. From the Lemp Mansion for my ghost-hunting self, to the City Museum for the kids to have fun, to back to the brewery tour for my husband to have fun (again) and the girls to see the Clydesdales.
We live so close, relatively speaking, it’s a shame we haven’t day-tripped it once or twice. Maybe we can get a run in before we move.
Have you been to St. Louis? What was your favorite part? Better yet, do you live there? What’s an insider tip we have to know?
by Sarah | Feb 4, 2019 | All About Denver, All About Erik, All About Family, All About Home, All About Kennedy, All About Me, All About Molly, All About Ripley, All of Us, Blogging Life, Disney, Disney Mom, Florida Dreaming, Oola, Redefining Perfect, Universal, Universal Studios Mom
*disclaimer* I am writing this over a week before publication. All information is subject to change. I’ll try to update if that happens, but I’m working a LOT, so it’s not 100%
We decided on this move in June of last year.
For over six months I have been applying at hospitals all over the area we’re looking at moving to (central Florida – i.e. Orlando area where our son lives).
I have managed to garner an interview and a half in probably 50-100 applications over the past six+ months. It’s been rough with all of the no’s stacking up, knowing a good deal of them likely come because I am here in Indiana.
It’s not easy being entry level and trying to move. They keep touting they want “a quick turnaround” and none of my assurances that I can be down in two weeks, three tops seems to make a difference in their eyes. Although what company doesn’t want you to be conscientious and put in a two week notice?
Frustration is lacing into every second of this for me. It’s tarnishing the excitement and making me doubt it happening.
Then, after six+ months of doing nothing on his job hunt…
My husband finally jumps into the fray. He works in a pretty specific industry with 20 years experience there, but again…pretty darn specific.
He has sent out THREE resumes. Three. About two weeks ago.
In less than a week, he got a call on a potential job.
Four days later, a phone interview.
The job? Not ideal…but if they match his current income…we are GONE.
So fingers crossed.
We could make this a reality.
Our target date: July 2019
Current status: One positive interview for husband, still plugging away for me. Savings is on target. Would feel more confident if I knew tax refunds were coming.
We’re heading toward our dream #Oolalife…we are getting there. Every day another inch closer.
*~*
Edited for update: I have also had a promising pre-interview this past week. No set date for a real interview yet, but hoping to have one soon.
by Sarah | Jan 25, 2019 | All About Erik, All About Family, All About Me, All of Us, Oola, Personal, Redefining Perfect, Story of Me
I’ve been carrying on for a while now about this Oola stuff, I know. So, I thought I would share a little about how I came to find it, what it is, and what it means to me/us.
One day about a year and a half ago I was perusing netgalley (as I love to do) and saw the cover over there <—.
I was intrigued, but saw it was self-help/non-fic and thought maybe it was too crunchy crazy for me because of the VW bus on the cover and moved on past.
About a month later one of my local friends on twitter posted something with the hashtag #oola. For some reason, the word had stuck with me from that cover and I immediately tackled her on it, asking what she knew of it. Her response is lost to the twitter gods…but it was along the lines of “It’s amazing.” I said I remembered seeing an oola book on Netgalley and I’d go see if it was still available.
It WAS! I snatched it up immediately – and then promptly forgot about it for probably five or six months.
One weekend after I’d quit the job I hated, I took a chance to run some surveys at a local movie theater. I was only to survey people coming out of a couple of particular movies. Not sure if you know this, but movie theaters run movies in chunks. So everything goes in and releases within a half hour span every couple of hours. That left a LOT of time sitting around staring at this –>.
While sitting on a bench during one of the lulls, I opened the kindle app on my phone, pondering what to read.
I’m not sure what called me to it, but as soon as I saw Oola, I downloaded and began to read.
Within an hour I was sending my husband screen captures saying “Read this! And this! and this! This is amazing!”
Whether it was the right timing, or the right words, the book spoke to me. Some of the stories didn’t speak to me, but many left me in tears. It inspired me, uplifted me, and made me look at EVERYTHING in my life differently. It changed my life.
I know, I know…I’m using the words “It was LIFE-CHANGING.” The thing is…I don’t say this lightly. I’ve read my share of self-help books that didn’t do anything for me. Again. I don’t know if it was the timing, the words, or the simple complexity of the whole theory…but it struck me. It didn’t hit my husband in the same way…at first. Now? He’s fully on board. We’ve both read an Oola book (There are currently 2 versions with a 3rd to be released soon and a 4th planned) at least twice. I’m on my third go right now.
Okay, so what is it?
From the Oola website:
oo-la (noun): That state of awesomeness. It is when your life is balanced and growing in the seven key areas of life – the 7 F’s of Oola (fitness, finance, family, field (career), faith, friends and fun).
It’s a book that guides you on how to find balance in the 7 key areas of your life. (Heads up, the authors are deeply Christian and as someone who isn’t this could have easily turned me off…but in the Faith section they admit they’re Christian and say “but you do you.” Which, for me, made them a-ok in my book).
The book leads you through every one of the key areas, talking about how you can attain Oola in each, or what it means to attain Oola in each.
They break down what are called “Oola blockers” – like Fear, Guilt, Anger, etc. Then, they talk about my favorite – the “Oola accelerators” like Gratitude, Love, and Passion.
You are given quizzes to see where you are in each area so that you might create your Oola Wheel and see what you need to work on. You’re also given steps to find three daily tasks that take you closer to your Oola goals. By working on one area of your life, the Oola spreads to other areas so you see a general lift in each area. I’ve experienced it, I’ve seen it have a huge impact on our lives. It sounds hokey, but it works.
I met the Oola guys
In June I got to head to a local Barnes & Noble to get my Oola books signed by the authors.
I even got to put my own Oola goal on the Dream bus…on the layer of stickers covering the VW. (My dream is not in this picture…it must have been before I placed it…but it was to move to Florida – weeks before we made the decision to do just that).
I kid you not, I was like a kid at Disney World when I walked around the corner and saw that bus outside. It was real, and I was adding MY dream to the bus.
I know I keep saying it, but it’s made a big change in our lives. We keep each other in check by reminding each other “Oola” when things get rough. We have open discussion about Oola Blockers and Accelerators. We’ve taken steps to better our lives using the principles and are seeing positive changes.
We stumble, sure. Of course we do. Lately, my biggest struggle has been in the fitness aspect and it’s bringing me down everywhere. So, I’ve quit smoking finally (over 2 months now), and I’ve gotten back on a healthier diet, I’ve been working on quitting pop, and am doing exercise program that worked for me in the past. My goals don’t involve a number on a scale, but a general return to the healthy level and excellent shape I was in almost 2 years ago.
We are living the #oolalife as best we can – and knocking out our Oola goals as we can.
I know, I’m one of THOSE people…never thought I would be, but I SO am.
Come on in, the water’s GREAT.
by Sarah | Jan 4, 2019 | 50 before 50, All About Denver, All About Erik, All About Family, All About Home, All About Kennedy, All About Me, All About Molly, All of Us, Bucket List, Community, Florida Dreaming, Oola, Personal, Redefining Perfect, Story of Me
Several years ago we decided that we wanted to leave the land of the midwest and journey south to Florida. Our son moved down two years ago, and his move rather cemented the idea in my head – and with a bit of nudging (or years, you know…potato/potahto), the husband was on board as well.
In 2017 we made actual plans to tackle our debt, get things in order to move in five years. 2022 seemed a good year. The girls would be nearly grown, and we could make our way down much more financially settled .
Eyes on the prize, we dug in. Lapses occurred, things bounced forward thanks to my new job, then went back again. You know, life. We did what we could.
Then, 2018 happened.
2018 brought about trigger points for many changes in our lives – and our future.
We found Oola in late 2017 and used it in 2018 to refocus our goals.
A slimy, underhanded, jerk of a man bought land on our quiet street and plans to build as many rentals as he can.
We were told in no uncertain terms to go for it.
Relationships in our life took turns.
Most of all – we got tired of waiting to chase our goal, and decided to make a mad grab for it.
In June we sat down and had a good long talk and decided we didn’t want to stay here any longer. We decided we were done waiting for our life to happen. We decided to go for broke and make the leap.
With a target date of mid-2019, we’ve set things in motion to move. In some ways we still don’t know how. Finding a job in another state, in a low level position is NOT easy. I’ve been at it six months, so I know. I took the holidays off, but come next week I’ll be back at it hard, with two letters of reference in hand to help boost my resume. I’m going in full bore. The husband is going in full bore.
This is going to happen one way or the other.
2019 is the year of redefining so many things in my life…but the biggest is how we’re going to redefine our future by no longer staying where we’re comfortable. We’re breaking out of our comfort zone. It’s terrifyingly exciting.
by Sarah | Dec 23, 2017 | 45 before 45, 50 before 50, All About Erik, All About Me, All of Us, Bucket List, Personal, Redefining Perfect
I am a total ghost geek.
I watch every ghost hunting show that comes along. I don’t stick with them all, but I take a gander to see if I like it.
So one of my bucket list/45X45/50X50 items was a ghost hunt.
And I managed to swing my way into a ghost hunt right here in Indiana at the Randolph County Infirmary.
It was through a company, and though there were issues, it was a really cool way to spend my 40th birthday weekend.
There were 40 of us there (issue primo uno). There was instruction on the devices, and a session with their psychic.
Then we went on our hunt.
I willingly went alone into a very dark, creepy, boiler room to do a solo EVP recording where I got pushed on the shoulders (so cool). Unfortunately my EVP session was contaminated by the people talking super loud in the next room, and the people walking heavily up and down the stairs.
I caught orbs in my pictures, and got to use EMF detectors and Spirit Boxes. It was awesome.
I’m not one of those people that got mopey and depressed over my 40th. Even through the rough year I was having…but this?
This was an awesome way to spend my birthday. I want to do it again. With less people, in a more notorious place.
Hubby is all in with me.
Next stop…Waverly Hills. Next year…hopefully.
Everyone warns you how tough the teen years are.
