

Here's what you'll need to make the peppermint candies:
Sign me up!!! That's what I told my lifelong friend, Lorry, when she told me about this seminar that she and I attended last night. Mainly because I need all the sanity I can get these days!! The 2 hour seminar was sponsored through First Things First. FTF, is a local not-for-profit organization dedicated to strengthening families in our community through education, collaboration and mobilization. FTF is a community resource that collaborates with and is supported by a broad cross-section of community organizations, groups and individuals.
The topic was "Staying Sane in a Working Woman's World" and it was held at a day spa - how perfect!!! Everyone got to indulge in great food, and our choice of spa services. She and I chose to have a foot massage/reflexology and the paraffin wax hand treatment. It was so nice and relaxing and a rare treat as well. At the end, we all gathered for discussion and here were some things that I took away from the meeting:
We were also asked to list our top 5 priorities in life - the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing!!! So often what we would like to think is our #1 priority, often times falls to the bottom of the list.
I know that I struggle on a daily basis trying to juggle all that life gives us and I'm constantly torn between work and family and keeping my house halfway straight. I am so very blessed that I am able to work from home and have since I had Addie. BUT, and I do mean a big BUT - it's not all it's cracked up to be....As much as I truly love being able to work from home, it definitely has its ups and downs, just like working at an office would. I sometimes think for me, it's even harder because I feel that I have to work twice as hard (at my big girl job) for fear that the rug will be swept out from under me at any given moment and I will have to return back to reality....One of the downsides to working from home is that I never get away from it and it is constantly looming in my head all the things that I need/should be doing even when I'm "off". Another side to that is that I have become a FREAK about my house because I cannot focus on my work when I look around and see an untidy house!!! I don't know what it is about me, but I cannot focus on anything when my house is a wreck. My sister and I have discussed this before and she feels the same way. It's like when my house is clean and in order, my mind is clean and in order....I know, I'm nuts!!!!
I do realize that a lot of the pressure and stress that I stay under - a lot of it I bring on myself. That's really a hard thing to admit but there, I said it!!! I think a lot of us do that to ourselves - we try to be WONDER WOMAN!!! I'm sure that there are those of you out there just like me that at the end of the day, sometimes I'm amazed at myself for all that I was able to accomplish in one day!..... I guess the most important thing is to just take a deep breath and take one day at a time. Do you know what really helps me when I'm so stressed out with work, trying to raise a 3 1/2 year old and everything else - I just think about how Jon & Kate do it and then I realize that I don't have it so bad!!!!
My sister is my best friend and I treasure time spent with her. She and Addie carved the pumpkin while I was making the caramel dipped apples. That was actually Addie’s first time ever carving a pumpkin. That was very cute to watch and it took a while before Addie would touch the “guts”. She took these pics of Addie after they were done - too sweet. She loved her pumpkin & was very proud of him!
Mom came over too and helped me get things together for the big night. All our neighborhood friends came over and we took all of the kids trick-or-treating and then came back to my house for food & fun. Halloween in our hood is always fun and full of activity.
Addie did wear the 50’s girl costume and she looked so cute - even if she is mine! She had so much fun and it was so much fun watching her having so much fun. Shane and I were married 12 years before we had her and sometimes I wonder what we ever did without her…..life is so much fuller now with her in it.
I'm a bit sad that Halloween is now over & all the decorations must be put away until next year......