for us.

So.

I've been unhappy with my blog for a while.

I tried to instigate some changes back at the beginning of the summer to garner more interest in my webpage, and to keep myself interested in blogging. BUT.

BIG BUT.

I don't care. I mean, I don't want to do features. I really don't. So you can all pretty much assume that Pinnable Me is gone unless I bring it back on occasion to share things I'm working on. I don't want to be a blog that has no identity. I started this blog to keep my family updated on our family and that's the long and short of it. I don't want to blog about shit other people are finding on the internet, or about how mean people are to other people, or things I think you should be doing. I want to post about my family.

And I didn't realize how little I'd posted about my family until I came across the 3 Peanuts blog. I am completely in love with this blog. The mom, Kim, is just simply an amazing mother. She doesn't post about what SHE does to make everything so wonderful FOR her children, she posts about how amazing her children are. And you can tell, her children are wonderful, amazing, giving, loving people because of who she and her husband are and how they're being raised. THIS is the standard I want to live up to. This is a beautiful blog, full of memories and beautiful pictures, a family that shares love and laughter and you can tell in every single thing she posts. Also, if ever there was a child that makes me want to adopt, it's their precious girl, Kate.


SO.

I'm taking some time off. I'm going to focus on what I want to focus on in the future. And if you want to unfollow, I'm fine with that. Because when I look back at my posts this summer, I'm disgusted. I don't want to post about that. I completely missed out on blogging about the things I did with my child this summer, the fun backyard things we did, the games we played. I was trying too hard to make people want to read my blog.  I don't want to be a turbo-mommy blogger. I'm not that person. I don't need to show you how hard I try, or how wonderful I am, because what will define me in the future is not ME, it's the impression I leave on my child, the people I love, my nearest and dearest friends.

And for right now, I'm really okay with this decision. Blogging has become something that I see as a task, not as enjoyable hobby. We've got an awful lot on our plates right now. And when I say an awful lot, I mean an AWFUL lot. Which, when the time comes, will all be talked about. But right now, I just want to step away and spend the rest of December not blogging. I hope to be back with a vengeance in January, revived, and with a whole new direction for myself and this blog.

Peace out, peeps. Enjoy the holidays. Love your family. Bid 2011 farewell in whatever manner it deserves.  Personally, I'm thinking a big double-bird in the rearview mirror. More than anything, I hope to see you in 2012.

unreLENTing.

I've never "given up" anything for Lent. 

It's not something we really do.

But I really, really love the sentiment. 

Chatting online with a few other girls, there were discussions about Lent and how people approach it. I really connected with somebody who said that their pastor didn't focus on GIVING UP something, but instead suggested challenging yourself and making yourself a better person during Lent. 

So, that's what I've decided to do. 

I am CHALLENGING myself to make myself better.

I'm working out daily.

Yes. 

Scrape yourself up off the floor. CORY.

(We love you and miss you. Come see us. I'll make you Oreo Ice Cream Desert so we can totally blow what I'm about to write. For serious. I need BFF time!)

I eat a healthy breakfast (read, whole wheat cereal), and a big lunch. I'm not drinking any soda at home. I allow myself one small snack a day. I eat a small/moderate dinner (not because I don't want to eat dinner, I don't feel like it. Working out at around 3:30 leaves me with zero appetite for the rest of the day. Love it!) I make sure at least one of my meals has veggies. IF I drink a soda during the day, I am not allowed any iced tea lemonade at home. I drink water all day long. I alternate between two workout DVDs. 

Now, don't judge.

Or do, I don't care.

I alternate between these two: 

My Tae Bo has an extra workout on it called the Ultimate Fat Burner or something and that's the one I'm doing now, because I'm not advanced enough to do the 90 minute workout (yesh!). I will say, in the beginning, I had to stop a couple of times and catch my breath. 

I love the Carmen Electra DVD. In fact, I swear by it. I have all 4 of the Aerobic Striptease DVDs, but I don't even pay attention to the other 3. This one is won-der-ful. I love it. I look forward to doing it, and it's not because of Carmen, but because of the guy she has actually DOING the work, Michael Carson. He is fan-freaking-tastic. I am just doing the 30 minute workout until I feel like it's getting easy, then I'll add on the quick <10 minute sections targeting legs, bum and abs.

Before we got married, I did the Carmen DVD every night for about... oh, two months before the wedding? Maybe not even that much and my results were pretty fantastic: 

I'm thrilled to say that after 13 days of really making an effort, I am truly seeing results. Seeing the results has me so enthusiastic about maintaining my current pattern. I am not even tempted to use Liam not napping as an excuse to lay off my workout. 

I'm pretty proud of myself. 

NEXT?

My next project is to start doing something during nap time. I do my workout as soon as I put Liam down. This takes between 35 and 45 minutes. When I'm done, I've been plopping on the couch in front of my computer until he wakes up. NOT a very productive use of my time. I think I'm going to start doing a different thing each day of the week during nap time. Things like, reading my Kindle, painting (watercolors), working with my pastels, writing, cleaning... ANYTHING besides sit on my bum and do nothing. And something that doesn't cost money. That'd be nice. 

What are YOU doing for Lent?

Are you challenging yourself?

{images: Carmen, Billy}

new goals for a new year

{source}

I think resolutions are silly. All a resolution does is make me feel guilty at the beginning of the year because within two weeks it's gone down the drain. And you all know what I'm talking about, don't you?

So instead, I prefer to make a list of goals. They may be lofty, they may be miniscule, but as long as I can accomplish a few of the things on this list- if not most... if not all- then my time will not have been in vain. So here we go, goals for 2011.

Stefanie's 2011 Goals:

• Finish 1st, current work-in-progress novel
• Create display/chalkboard in hallway
• Add landscaping in back yard
• Make progress towards BA. 
• Read at least 20 books
• See Lindsay at least twice
• Write at least 3 short stories
• Write TV tie-in novel
• Throw a barbeque
• See someone I love get married
• See Brenton & Leah
• Meet baby boy Kennedy #4

There, 12 goals for 12 months. Some are easy, some are time consuming, some take a lot of work, some take a lot of money. So maybe I'll skip the ones that will cost a lot (meaning, landscaping and flagstone in the backyard, home improvements). Maybe I'll skip the ones that are just impossible (seeing people). But if anything, I hope I can keep to the ones that will be hard and take a lot of work.

Because this time next year, I'd like to be really, really proud of what I accomplished in 2011.


(oh, PS- I say BBK #4 because it'll be the 4th baby boy born to Zach and his cousins- or the fourth boy of this new generation. Nobody's on their 4th kid. Woah!)