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The Mystery of the Missing Taco Seasoning

8/30/2011

A couple evenings ago we had taco night at our house. Bart and I tag-team this meal, so we both were in the kitchen milling about.

"Lori, I can't find the Taco Seasoning. I know I picked some up Saturday. You put groceries away the other day. Where did you put it?" He asked.

"I don't remember a Taco Seasoning." I answered while starting the tea.

Bart and I commenced into going through the ENTIRE pantry. No Taco Seasoning was to be found, but we did come across some canned corn from 2009. (yikes!) It was decided that he would start the hamburger, and I would run to the store and pick up another seasoning. Kiddos would continue to be kiddos at home.

I jumped in my car and turned the radio up. Admit it, after toting around kids all day it's kind of fun to drive by yourself for a bit. If you read my blog, you know that me, alone in a car, is a recipe for rock.

As I was turning into Wal-Mart one of my songs ended. I heard my cell phone ringing in my purse. I quickly turned off my tunes and answered the phone. "Hello?" I said all normal-like.

"I have been trying to call you for 10 minutes. You were rocking out again, weren't you?" he asked.

"Maybe???" I sheepishly responded. Man, this guy knows me.

"I found the taco seasoning. It was in the fridge, underneath the shredded cheese you put away." he said.

Whoops.

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Happiness

8/29/2011

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We are all looking for it, aren't we?

"You gotta do what makes you happy in this life." "If only I had a bigger house, I would be happy. If only I made more money, I would be happy. If only I drove a nicer car, I would be happy. If only my husband paid more attention to me, I'd be happy."

Sorry, sweet cheeks, but that's not the answer.

Real happiness is not something you feel when you get everything you want. Although, It does feel pretty darn good at that moment. But, it is fleeting, isn't it? The newness wears off after time, and you are left with that same unfulfilled feeling. You then suddenly discover something different that you need to make you happy. The cycle is never-ending.

Everyone has this huge hole in his or her soul. You can try with all your heart to fill it.....money, clothes, jewelry, shoes, purses, houses, cars, flat screen TVs, friends, children, spouses. None of these things will work. Sure, they might feel ok for a while, but none is meant to fill that hole. That's why you feel so empty when you try to do so. The one and only one thing that will fill it?

The Big Guy upstairs.

(Don't turn me off quite yet, peeps. This is not meant to be a sermon, it's just a life lesson I learned that I am sharing with you.) You can search this whole wide world for true, lasting happiness, but if you don't have Him, you are not going to find it.

I have met many people in the 31 years I have been on this planet. The happiest people I have met?

The people of Haiti. I went on a mission trip to the country 11 years ago. You can't really imagine the poverty until you've seen it with your own eyes. I cried for 2 hours straight as we drove to our compound on the day we arrived. They have no fancy possessions or cars. They live in shacks and struggle to find food and clean water. There is no money, no fancy shoes, no flat-screen tvs.....they have NOTHING.

Yet, these people are full of joy. It radiates from them. They are content with what they have. Their God-shaped holes are filled. They understand happiness much more than we do.

I've tried to pass this on to my children. One of my main goals as a mother was not to raise spoiled kids. (It's harder than you think when they look at you with those huge eyes!) I wanted them to have nice things, but you walk a fine line of creating a child with the Give-Mees. I felt like Bart and I were doing the best we could in this area. But, then I read a blog a few months ago that my sister-in-law found. (Gotta give her credit!) It really stuck with me, and it altered the way I think about happiness and my children. The title? "I Don't Want my Children to be Happy."

Say what?!??!

Stay with me here. It's worth reading. Here's what I took away....

I want my children to understand that happiness is fleeting. No woman, car, job, vacation, house, or new TV will fulfill them. I don't want them to search those things out in their lives. I want them to know their Father in heaven, be content with what they have in this life, and experience not happiness, but true joy. Joy that is unconditional. Joy that is not of this world.

I know this makes me crazy in the minds of some people. I don't really care. Please take the time to read this blog. (The link is below.) My hope is that it will impact you the way it has me.

Also, she's an amazing writer, so it's OK if you get hooked into reading her other posts. I did!

http://itsalmostnaptime.blogspot.com/2010/02/i-dont-want-my-children-to-be-happy.html

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Pardon Me, I'm just having an Identity Crisis

8/24/2011

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I'm sorry for the lack of posts this week. I'm going through an identity crisis at the moment.

I used to be a teacher....did you know that?

I was lucky enough to get a job teaching 2nd grade right after Bart and I were married. If you have taught before you know how stressful of a job it can be, but it can also be so rewarding. You are changing lives everyday. Our "plan" was for Bart and I both to teach for while and then start our family. God's plan was a bit different. I found out I was pregnant with Drew about halfway through my first year of teaching. He was born right after the start of my second year. Our "plan" was for me to go back to teaching after my maternity leave. There was only one problem....

I couldn't do it.

Not that I didn't want to do it, not that I didn't think I could do it, but I physically and mentally couldn't.

My brain is wired weird; I know this. I have this sense in me that if I am given a job I need to pour 100% of myself into it. I want as close to perfection as I can get. If I was going to be a gymnast I would strive to be in the Olympics. If I was going to be a golfer I would shoot for that Green Jacket. If I was going to be a teacher I would be the teacher-of-the-year. If I was going to be a mother I would pour my heart and soul into raising that child.

There are no splits in this dedication for me. Most people can do this easily (and I truly envy you that you can), but my brain is broken here. There was no way I could teach and have a child at the same time. My mind couldn't handle it. I knew I would go crazy with guilt on both sides if I tried.

So, I gave up my job. My job that I had worked 4 long years in college to get. I kissed my husband goodbye in the morning and became a stay-at-home-mom.

*disclaimer* This blog is not a working-mom vs stay-at-home-mom debate. Please don't make it that. I feel that both sides are right, and it depends on each woman and her child. Just because I chose to stay home doesn't mean that I think it is the "right" way. It was just what worked for us. I know fabulous working women who are amazing mamas too. No judgments or fights about this, peeps.

So, for the last 8 years that is who I have been. Lori, the stay-at-home-mom (who also dabbles in sewing purses on the side.) And.....I LOVED IT. It wasn't easy. (Hello potty training? Thomas the Train overexposure insanity? Sleepless nights and days? Feeling like the old Lori was disappearing? Toddler meltdowns? 24 hours a day!?!?)

But, I wouldn't trade one moment of it for a million dollars.

My youngest, Ben, started preschool this week. There are no future Wade bambinos in the "plan," so the sands in my stay-at-home-mom hourglass are dwindling.

Yes, he is only gone a few hours each week, but I'm no fool. I know what is looming in the shadows for next year.

So, I can't help but wonder....... who will I be? I feel a bit lost at the moment. I've given 100% of myself to this gig for so long I don't quite know what to do now. I know I will still be Mama, but life is changing again. I can feel the new season coming. Part of me wants to throw a toddler fit, scream and stomp my feet...... "I don't want this to be over! Give me more time!" But, the other half of me who is emerging (Lori, the Prim & Posh Lady) knows better. I know that this season will surely be different, but it will be just as amazing as the last.

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Preschool

8/22/2011

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Today, he jumped out of my car without looking back.

How can it be time already?

I'm not ready.

What do I do now?

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Who will you be? An Elizabeth or a Skeeter?

8/19/2011

4 Comments

I finished reading "The Help" a few weeks ago. I highly recommend it. There is a movie out right now based on the book, but I haven't decided if I want to see it yet. We all know the movie is never as good as the book. So, if you haven't read it make sure you pick up a copy. You will fall in love with the characters and their stories.

The book's main theme is racial segregation in Missisippi circa 1960's. The story revolves around a group of maids, or "the help" as they are called. A young white woman by the name of Skeeter decides to interview these woman and write a book. This part of the story is so moving, so enlightening, so important.

Two of the maids, Minnie and Aibileen

Skeeter

But I also saw another theme in there.

Skeeter was friends with a girl named Hilly.

Hilly

Hilly was wretched to her maids. She went on a crusade to fill the homes in her town with separate bathrooms so they wouldn't have to share a toilet with them. ("Everybody knows they carry different kinds of diseases than we do.") Miss Hilly was the "queen bee" of this story. She led around a group of girls who catered to her every command, and she made one's life insufferable if she deemed you an "outcast." (We all have encountered this type of person. Admit it.....you are nodding your head with me. They are rare, but they are out there.)

One of Hilly's minions was a girl named Elizabeth.

Elizabeth is on the far left.

Elizabeth did whatever Hilly said, even when she didn't agree or knew it was horribly wrong. Elizabeth wanted Hilly's acceptance so badly she would do anything to gain it.

Skeeter was different. She befriended the beautiful women who were the maids. She wrote their stories, she gave them a voice.

You can see how Hilly would not be happy about that.
This led to Skeeter being frozen out and deemed an "outcast" from her group of friends. Queen Hilly had spoken, and her word was law. Skeeter stood up for what she knew was right, even though she knew she would be mocked and could lose everything.

Great story, right?

Surely nothing like that ever happens in today's world. (sarcasm) If you think clicks don't exist in adulthood you are in denial. I've seen them at my kids school functions, the ball diamond, and community events. There are still Hillys among us, my friends.

I hate to admit it, but I have a tendency to be an Elizabeth. I've never done anything horrible to gain acceptance from a Hilly, but I have tried very, very, very hard. I want people to like me. I've danced the dance, I've worn the right clothes, and I've said the right things.

Let me tell you, it's not all it's cracked up to be. In fact, it is a miserable way to live. I see that now. The only person I should worry about pleasing is the Guy upstairs. And my, how He and the Hillys of the world differ in their definitions of "good."

I want to be a Skeeter. I want to buck the system; not be normal. I want to love and accept everyone, not just the ones that are deemed cool. I want to smile at strangers and give them kindness. I don't want to live my life trying to please a Hilly.

How about you? Whose acceptance are you trying to gain? Don't be an Elizabeth.....stand strong and be a Skeeter!

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Mortification.

8/15/2011

8 Comments

That pretty much sums up today.

Let me back up a minute. I am still working on losing weight. There have been some changes since my last fitness post....

I had to break up with Jillian.

I lost my first 10 pounds thanks to Jillian, and I will forever be grateful to her for that. But, the lady was KILLING my knees. Both of my knees were in braces after a few weeks, and they eventually hurt so bad I couldn't do anything. Exercising was out of the question. I also talked with a friend who had done the Jillian workout. She had knee trouble too, but she kept pushing on through it. She ended up having to have operations on both of her knees. (yikes!) She said she couldn't be for sure it was the workout, but common sense tells you it probably had something to do with it.

So yeah, I dumped Jillian's crazy butt.

If I work out each day, Healthy Lori is there reminding me of all the hard work I did that morning. "You worked so hard! Remember those crunches?!?!? Don't ruin it with that Reeses Cup! Put it down, Sister!!!" However, days when I don't work out Lazy Lori rules the roost. I eat terrible, and I guzzle cokes all day. I have to have something to keep me on track.

My Aunt Meleah has loaned me a new set of workout DVDs called "Slim in 6." It's by Beachbody, and I have heard awesome things about the company. I tried the first workout this morning and did ok. There are some lunges I am going to have to skip due to the sensitive knees, but all in all it seems better. The program also comes with a little chart to hang up so you can keep track of what workouts you do each day. I proudly hung up my little chart this morning and marked my workout.

Now, this program also suggests that you take a "before" photo. "Swimsuit photos are the best" they claim. This is to show the person how his or her body has changed after 6 weeks. I decided to go for it. How bad could it be? I had already lost 13 pounds!!

I dug through my clothes and found a blue bikini that fit about 50 pounds ago. I squeezed my fat heiny into it, set the timer on the camera, and did the pose.

"Sweet Mother of Abraham, is that my derriere?!?!?"

Let's just say, things are a lot worse than I thought.

So, the Slim in 6 crew suggests that you print this picture and place it next to your chart for motivation. I laughed. Yeah, right. This is never seeing the light of day!!!

Then I remembered that little "Photos in a Few Minutes" machine at Wal-Mart. You select your pictures, you pick them up out of the printer, the photo tech just scans your bar-code, and you are set. No one sees the photos except you. Hm...... it just might work.

I plugged my little SD card into the machine. I looked over both of my shoulders to make sure there wasn't a soul in sight. I hurriedly selected both photos (front and back shots) and a few others to help hide the horrid photos. I sent my order and grabbed my receipt. "An hour and a half wait! What!??"

Suddenly, the sickening truth dawned on me. I was at the wrong machine. I had just sent my big-butt-blue-bikini photos to the ladies behind the counter.

Oh. My. Gosh.

My stomach dropped, my cheeks flushed, and my heart started to race. I suddenly imagined my big-butt-blue-bikini photo dropping off of the printer, getting picked up by the tech lady, and her waving it around for everyone to see. "Can you believe this!!?!? Look at that HUGE BUTT! HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!

I ran to the counter. Maybe it wasn't too late..... With panicked, fear-filled eyes I asked the lady, "Can you cancel my order? I don't want these prints anymore." She looked at me strangely and told me that no, she couldn't. Once and order is placed it can't be stopped. "Is there a problem?" she asked.

I bit my lip. Do I tell her? Maybe she won't even look. No, with my luck that baby will be the talk of all the Wal-Mart's in the tri-state area. I had to do it.

"Well, uh....you see, I have an embarrassing photo in there. I thought I was printing the instant prints where only I would see it, and I am so embarrassed!" I squeaked.

She raised an eyebrow. "Just what kind of picture are we talking about?"

"Oh my, no. I mean, it's for my weight-loss program. It's a before shot....you know, to give me motivation?" I explained. "It's me in a bikini." I whispered and gave her the most pitiful look. (the kind of look that begs mercy from another person)

She smiled. "I'm the only one back here right now. It should print in the next 10 minutes. I'll make sure no one sees it."

I wanted to hug her for being so kind. I sheepishly thanked her, took my pictures, and ran away.

So, yes, the photo is now hanging next to my chart. It's painful, but I need reminding. It's easy to hide in big clothes and pretend it's not as bad as it really is. When I am tempted to skip a workout or pig out like crazy, big-butt-blue-bikini girl will be staring me down.

If something like that doesn't give me motivation, nothing will.

8 Comments

A Chance to Give Back

8/11/2011

1 Comment

This blog post is very near and dear to my heart.

If you have watched 5 minutes of news these past few weeks you know that Ethiopia is suffering through a terrible drought. Conditions have never been peachy there, and this added on top makes for very horrible conditions. Our little niece is still in Ethiopia. Let me tell you, that kind-of rips your heart out.

You know how I believe that we can DO something to change the world? We are given a chance today. There is a fundraiser going on today to help with this famine. Here's the thing.....it is for ONE DAY only. Even $1 would help. Here is the link to our brother and sister-in-law's blog with the details:

http://ourethiopiandaughter.weebly.com/2/post/2011/08/adoptive-families-for-famine-relief-one-day-fundraiser.html

Please give if you can. Please spread to word through facebook and twitter. We only have one day, so we have to make this count, my lovelies!

Click on this photo to go directly to the famine relief site.

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My Sour Sweeper

8/10/2011

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Friends, meet my sweeper.

We switched to a bag-less one about a year ago, and for the most part we really like it. No bags to worry about..... just dump out the canister and pop it back in. There are 3 filters throughout the sweeper that I usually take out and dust off. Now, look at what the front of this sweeper proclaims:

Washable filters? Really? I had never been brave enough to actually wash the filters out until last week.

I rinsed all 3 filters and left them by the back door to dry. After about 5 days I deemed them dry (well, dry enough....) and put them back into the sweeper. I shut it back up, and parked it in the closet.

I pulled it out yesterday ready to sweep my floors. I have to admit, I was a little excited. "New, clean filters! Oh baby! This is going to be awesome!!"

I started the sweeper, and within seconds the room filled with the most putrid, horrid smell. Imagine a combination of week-old sweaty socks, dirty diapers, and rancid soured milk. My children ran gagging to their rooms, and I just about fainted.

Washable filters, my foot.

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My Crush

8/8/2011

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Let's talk celebrity crushes.

You can have Brad, George, or Leo. Johnny I might have to think about. But, the one that makes me swoon?

Adam Levine. Oh my goodness. I used to think it was that bad-boy rocker vibe he has going that intrigued me. Tattoos, 5 o'clock shadow, messy hair, and playing that guitar. Oooooo, baby.

I finally figured it out the other day.

My husband, Bart, teaches 3rd grade. He usually rocks a sweet Polo shirt, khakis, and a pair of fancy shoes. He shaves every day. But, in the summer he works construction with my dad. He shaves maybe once a week, let's his hair grow longer, and he wears killer sunglasses. His Polos and khakis do not leave the closet in the summer.

I was sitting across from him the other night at supper and suddenly it dawned on my that it is not Adam that I am fascinated with......

It's my summer-time husband.

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Prim & Posh Spring/Summer Line

8/4/2011

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I am back open for business, my lovelies.

The Order Hiatus is over, and I am currently taking Spring/Summer orders. I've been creating the fall line, and it is looking fab-u-lous. I'm really happy how the fabrics and bags are turning out. I can't wait for everyone to see them!

So, here's the sad part. A new season brings new fabrics and styles, which means we have to say goodbye to some of our Spring/Summer P & P. All of the current fabrics will be retired except Blossoms and Java. I tried really, really hard to keep Sapphire Blooms, but alas, it was not meant to be. :( Never fear though.....I have some beautiful fabrics ready for the fall. I promise.

So, if you love Dreamers, Flamingo, Sapphire Blooms, Spring Green, Painted Pretty, Blue Bird, Tangerine Dream, or Perfect Posies, you need to snap a bag up quick. They will be discontinued September 20th.

As for styles: The Retro Bag, the Business Bag, the Mini Wallet, and the Hobo Bag will be retiring. There will be 3 new styles and a ton more accessories to take their places.

If you would like a Spring/Summer bag, you can email me at:

lori@primandposhhandbags.com

Since I am currently finishing up the fall line it is still a two week wait time. Remember it is first come, first serve on the remaining fabrics I have in stock. All orders must be pre-paid the day the order is placed.

Till next time, my sweets! :)

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The Mystery of the Missing Taco Seasoning

Happiness

Pardon Me, I'm just having an Identity Crisis

Preschool

Who will you be? An Elizabeth or a Skeeter?

Mortification.

A Chance to Give Back

My Sour Sweeper

My Crush

Prim & Posh Spring/Summer Line

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