{ a day in the life of ME - alli from bird dog press }

I'm so excited to have Alli guest posting here today! To say she is one of my favorite people in the world is an understatement...but she is! We have a blast together wherever we are - whether its on a river trip or attempting to navigate the subway system in Manhattan. I've mentioned Alli a lot on this blog - she designed & printed Henry's adoption announcements and made him a custom handbound letterpress envelope baby book. I must say that Alli is THE most creative person I know. Seriously. Just look at this yellow birthday bash she threw her son a few weeks ago! Does it get more creative than that?


I'll now turn it over to Alli who is going to share with us how she manages to run her own letterpress + design business while making time for her family, keeping the creative juices flowing and staying SANE....


Sunday nights, I try to sit down and conjure up an image of what my ideal week would look like. I try to list just five things to accomplish per day. It rarely goes according to plan. But I find, that having goals and attempting to balance a routine motherhood with entrepreneurship on paper helps me to at least have something to work toward. Being a night-owl by nature and living in the Mountain time zone makes me feel behind right off the bat each morning when I awake to start my day as the East Coast has been bustling for hours. A schedule of must-dos and exact time-slots only bring me to disappointment at the end of the week when everything isn't crossed off the list. I try to think of tasks bundled into categories such as having an "media & marketing" day or a "design" day as once you're in a certain mode, things tend to get done quicker as opposed to switching gears too many times in a few hours. I think that rhythm over rigidity is the answer {at least for me}.


Last week, my husband was out of town for work, which makes all of this that much harder. My little one's best friend lives just four houses down the street and so my neighbor {whose husband often works nights} and I planned our meals together using what we already had on hand or in the garden and had activities set up for the kids, trading off houses and workload. It looked something like this:

Monday : salmon on a bed of arugula with avocado & asparagus / play-doh
Tuesday : penne & bolognese sauce with garden tomato caprese appetizer / hand & feet tracing
Wednesday : fajitas with sauteed squash & zucchini from the garden / backyard playset
Thursday : bangers & mash / puzzles
Friday : garden veggie pizza / movie

While the above scenario isn't a typical week, we do dinner together a couple of times per month, lunch in the park often and meet up for walks around the block and pump track Strider bike sessions just before or after dinner with the little ones at least twice weekly.

And as for that elusive ME time, my favorite thing to do is sip a Bhakti Chai and write a letter to a friend. The hope is that they will write back and the next ME time will be spent sipping and reading a good, old fashioned, hand written letter. Ahh.


Thanks so much Alli for guest blogging here today! Be sure to visit Alli's fab blog here, shop here, tweet with her here, more amazing photos of her work + studio here and Bird Dog Press website here. ps - I'm in love with all of her feedsack designs and her new birthday and sympathy prayer flag cards.

{ organize ME - the fall routine edition }

You've heard me moan about how crazy busy my life is. That I can't seem to get ahead of myself...ever. There's a whole lot of fun, stress, joy, overwhelm, adventures, and very little control. I've been trying to figure out this past year what can I let go of? What can I turn over to someone else? What can I change? How can I do this better? How can I be a better mom? How can I find more simplicity? How can I be more in the now? How can I get more joy and less stress from this crazy non-structured life of ours? And how can I find acres of grace amidst chaos?

As much as I love my life, as much as I wouldn't change a thing, as much as I am thankful for all of it, I still have this very urgent sense that I need to somehow find a successful way to insert more structure into my everyday life and find a way to take something OFF of my plate. I want to have loads of time to volunteer at sam's new school; I want to be the one picking her up everyday afterschool with homemade snacks just like my mom did. I don't want to send henry to daycare. I need to be here...I need to be the anchor point of our home. We've been discussing all sorts of ideas - from part-time in home nanny for henry (decided i couldn't part with the little guy); to hiring a part-time personal assistant to help with shipping, errands, mailings, customer service, etc.; to selling one of the businesses. We've been throwing all options out there. We have hired a General Manager for our Boat business which we are really excited about. And that definitely frees up a chunk of time for Will (and a little bit of mine) but we still have more to LET.GO.OF.

I was reading Simple Mom's blog a few weeks ago and she posted about her daily routine...with certain time frames designated for homeschooling, house duties, writing, work, etc. I was partly envious and partly entertained. Clearly something like that would not work for ME, right? With 3 businesses and 2 kids, there is not a whole lot of consistency on any given day not to mention over the course of a week. But, could I implement a more detailed routine into my day that would help control the chaos more? And with Sam now in Kindergarten, this seemed to be a good time to attempt to.

I KNOW I'm not the only person working from home who struggles with schedules and creating structure (especially with all of the distractions so readily available to us) or asking for help, so I thought I would share what I've been doing lately to get my life organized, structured, simplified, efficient. We are taking baby steps in making things a little less crazy. The last thing I want to do is miss out on life by working all the time.

Anyway, I've created a super realistic daily schedule....I'm going to be more productive (and less distracted) during work hours (about 8hrs/day, 3 days a week) - these hours come in from various times (before the kids wake up, while henry naps during the day and during the evening)...and not blow off my most important tasks. {The most important items of the day are in boxes on my weekly momME planner.} A fun family/kid thing is planned for each day (eg. playdate, trip to the pool, family walk after dinner, time on the trampoline, etc.) But not too much activity just a splash of fun into the day. And we eat dinner together EVERYnight. And I'm going to continue to be balanced with self-care and play during non-work hours. Work hours are broken down to specific days/times for marketing, to-do lists, shipping, running errands and so on. I've made a list of must do daily tasks, weekly tasks, and monthly tasks (related to personal and biz) and I've written them all out accordingly on my Bite ME edward notepad (and then transfer daily & weekly ones to accomplish onto my momME weekly planner). Friday night is Family Movie Night, Saturday's are for getting together with friends potluck style and Sunday's are chili, family hike & football days.

I deleted the blogs I follow from 100+ to ~20. Harsh but a lot less distraction. I deactivated/deleted my facebook account...again. I only ship orders 3 days a week. I increased the inventory I have available so I have to deal with press runs/press checks less. I am waking up earlier to continue to have some quiet yoga & meditation time and 30 minutes to get my daily internet fix (news, blogs, personal emails, etc.) before the kiddos are up. I am going to kickboxing 2x a week and one yoga class per week (more if possible). When the kids are home and awake being a mom is what I am doing. I fit in my exercise (either kickboxing, yoga, TA workout video, bike ride or run) smack mid-morning when Henry is napping and when I have the most energy. I meal plan and grocery shop once a week. I divide my household duties into one big item a day. I organized my shipping area so all of the supplies are readily and easily available. I am saying no to more things. I am only scheduling one play date for the kids per week. I am volunteering one set morning a week at sam's new school. I am only allowed to read twilight books after everyone is in bed (and some other "bed" related things have been taken care of...TMI? ;-)

I've also got Sam on before school/morning & afterschool routines using these FREE cute printable charts for kids from Living Locurto.


Also, we've been dreaming big and planning big over at our house. Sometimes that helps make all of the work appear worthwhile, right? I'll share more on this later. We decided we needed to shake ourselves out of the end of summer doldrums - something big to look forward to. Will & I sat down and listed out some grand adventures we'd like to have in the next few years (with & without the kiddos, but mostly with) & some grand goals to accomplish (and of course our upcoming Mexico jaunt sans kiddos!)

Anyway, sorry for this jumbled, rambled post... what are your fall routines? What works for you & your family?

{ fall purge }

Out of clutter, find simplicity.
- Albert Einstein

Won't you join ME this fall season, in getting rid of STUFF?

I really find that Fall & Spring are good times to sort through the endless amount of STUFF we have and get rid of it (either via ebay, craigslist, freecycle or donating it). It's a good time for a fresh start and the weather is still good enough to open up the windows and air out the house. Clearing space makes room for new (new simplicity, new peace, new routines, etc.)

It’s time to declutter our home + my life...again... what about you?

Turn on some music. Make your family help. Get 3 large boxes (sell, donate, recycle). Hit your closets. Yank out all kinds of old clothes that don’t fit or are out of date. Get ready to donate or sell. Go through your bookshelf and DVDs to do the same. Clean out under the beds and inside the drawers. Clean out the inside of your refrigerator and pantry and get rid of the crap (and the mold). Go grocery shopping for healthy items to re-fill it with. Clear out a corner of a room for space to put down a yoga mat. Clean out a spare bedroom to turn into a playroom for the kids. Rearrange your desk and bookshelves to make it feel like you have more space.

It sounds kind of silly but I always feel that if everything around me is more organized, other things will start falling into place.

image via potterybarn

{ redbook brain buzz }

LobotoME's Check ME notepad appears on page 188 of the October issue of Redbook Magazine.

{ spending hiatus - month 5 }

{aka...the I'd like to go out and buy a bunch of super cute fall clothes but I'm not going to edition, because we are going to MEXICO!}

"To live a pure unselfish life, one must count nothing as one's own even in the midst of abundance." - Buddha

So, its been awhile since I've done a spending hiatus update...I've been continuing to purge, sell some stuff on ebay and craigslist and donate a ton of stuff to goodwill and the woman's shelter. I haven't been shopping in {oh so long}. But, boy do those fall catalogs tempt ME. But, I'm resisting because we are SO ON TRACK to pay off all of our non-mortgage debt (school loans & cars) by Dec. 1st. So, to celebrate doing that and busting our butts to do that this year, Will & I are going to Mexico for a week this winter. Just him + ME. No children. We sort of feel guilty SPENDING $$$ on a vacation when we are kind of used to not spending anything (and when many people we know are struggling), but we will have it saved and set aside for the trip and we really feel strongly about the need to celebrate getting closer to financial independence and we just really, really want/need some time to ourselves. This is our first non-family trip since the kids were born. As Samme would say "For reals people."

Anyway, how are you all doing? I know some of you have been purging and some have been tempted by the fall goodies... Onward & upward people.

{ happy birthday little man }

Henry turned ONE today!

Happy Birthday sweet Henry! You are almost walking. You get into everything (including but not limited to: the rolls of toilet paper in all the bathrooms, trash cans & recycle bins and barley's dog food). You are saying lots of little words - mama, yes, ssss (for samme), barley (which sounds more like boy-e). You smile lots, sleep all night long and eat everything in our house. Your favorite things to eat are avacado, tofu, yogurt, peaches and your favorite of all is watermelon. You love your big sister even when she carries you around the house like a football. You love to swim, swing in your swing and eat rocks. You love to listen to music and have figured out how to turn the ipod on in the docking station. We love you to pieces and can hardly believe that it has been a year since you came into our lives. We love you to the moon & back. Wishing you many more fun, happy & healthy years to come....

{ LISTEN to your body }

September is National Ovarian Cancer Month. As an ovarian cancer survivor (Stage III C) - diagnosed when I was 23 years old)....I can tell you for a fact how easily misdiagnosed this cancer is, especially among young woman. I had over a dozen doctors over a 4 month period tell me that my fatigue was due to: working FT, going to grad school, training for a triathlon; that my stomach pain was due to: PMS symptoms and "normal" cramping; or that perhaps I had had Irritable Bowel Syndrome (which I didn't have). I even had a doctor tell me it was all in my "head."

Luckily, I listened to my body (and my MOM) and went to another doctor, who fortunately did all the right things - did an ultrasound immediately, ordered a CA 125 blood test and had me get a CT-SCAN on Friday night at 9pm at a hospital in Boulder. Low and behold I had a grapefruit size tumor on my left ovary and other tumors elsewhere. On Monday morning I was having my pre-op surgical appointment in Denver with a surgeon from the Rocky Mountain Cancer Center. There was no time to waste - ovarian cancer spreads quickly. They call it the silent killer because to a certain degree the symptoms are common. So listen to your body and find a doctor who will listen to YOU.

Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecologic cancers in the United States and is the fifth leading cause of cancer death among U.S. women. The American Cancer Society estimates that 21,650 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the U.S. in 2008 and about 15,520 women will die from the disease. It is an insidious disease that can strike without warning or cause.

Symptoms:

* Listen to your body, do not ignore symptoms and have an annual rectovaginal pelvic exam

- Vague but persistent gastrointestinal complaints such as gas, nausea, and indigestion
- Frequency and/or urgency of urination
- Unexplained change in bowel habits
- Pelvic and/or abdominal swelling and/or pain; bloating and/or a feeling of fullness
- Weight gain or loss
- On-going fatigue
- Abnormal postmenopausal bleeding
- Pain during intercourse

* If you have a history of ovarian cancer in your family or have one or more of these symptoms, ask for a CA 125 blood test (note: this test is not an exact indicator of ovarian cancer for everyone).

Risk Factors:

• Increasing age, with highest occurrence in women over 50

• Family or personal history of ovarian, breast, endometrial, or colon cancer (only 10% of cases are linked to family history, however)

• Uninterrupted ovulation (having no pregnancies; infertility, low parity)

• Presence of BRCA1 or BRCA 2 gene mutations

* Note: I did not have any of these risk factors. I was 23 and healthy.

A great resource for more information about Ovarian Cancer is the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.

I'm glad I listened to my body - I knew I didn't feel right. That is what saved ME. That is why I am here to be a mom to these 2 wonderful kiddos. It is why I am almost at the 10 year remission point. I am grateful. So very grateful.

{ inspired ME... }

Here are some great finds to add some inspiration into your weekend...

Leo at Zen Habits new "mnmlist - life with the bare essentials" blog... Love this post.

These images from Alli / Bird Dog Press lifestyle shoot.



These prints & sayings from Freya's Art via Etsy.


The Feel Good Bag

What's inspiring you lately?

{ got blood? }

I'm so sorry I've been so absent from the blog...I do have a few very valid excuses though. I have been so busy shipping Bite ME pads...I had no idea there were so many Twilight-lovers out there. WOW is all I can say. Then, I actually managed to draw blood from my body (a large amount of it on a bike ride the other day that has left me SORE). And then I've been volunteering a ton at Samme's school making sure that the bullying she was experiencing is over & done with and that she is happy & safe there...It is getting better each time I'm there and she still seems to love it despite the chaos, so all is well in public school land. But, I've been there a lot. Will keeps joking with ME that I have LESS time to work now that she is in school 5 days a week because I am there so much. And little Henry's 1st birthday is coming right up! Can you believe it has been a year since we were anxiously awaiting his arrival?

Anyway, I promise some non-Twilight related blog posts soon... on getting back into a fall/school routine (which has been HARD for us, what about you?), the Raising Foodies Cooking group, some reviews of some inspirational products, quick & easy fall meal plans (think lots & lots of turkey chili used multiple ways throughout the week), healthy school lunch & snack ideas, a guest blog post from the fabulous and uber-creative Alli from Bird Dog Press, etc. I promise...good things come to those who wait!

{ Bite ME...edward }

Our new, limited edition, Twilight-inspired notepad is now available in the shop!

Objective: Fuel your O.C.D {Obsessive Cullen Disorder}

Introducing a Twilight-inspired Limited Edition Notepad {Bite ME} - 5.5" x 8.5" (50 Sheets). A notepad for all of your lists and to-do's, even when you'd rather be reading Twilight.

Make writing your to do lists, class notes or doodling, a lot more pleasurable on our Twilight-inspired notepad. Jot down things you need to do when you aren't daydreaming about Edward and doodle on him when you are...

Twilight..the beginning of the end of my sanity.

{ organize ME }

A great article in the Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal this weekend entitled "To mesh paper, digital calendars, moms get creative" by Kathy Flanagan who interviewed me last week about LobotoME goods.

{ bite ME }

....a sneak peek at our NEW limited edition notepad Bite ME. {It will be available on our website by Monday and begins shipping the following week.}

Bite ME {objective: Fuel your O.C.D. - Obsessive Cullen Disorder}
"Twilight...the beginning of the end of my sanity."

{ i'm back... }

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

I've been working hard this past week on getting {out of the aforementioned FUNK I've been in}. It's helping. I'm feeling more like ME everyday. I want to thank all of you who sent the nicest emails {my blog friends are wonderful}...the thing that surprised me most was how many of you said you had been feeling the same way...which brings me back to the conclusion that FALL is a good time to press re-set on all of our buttons. After a summer of fun, lack of routine & structure & eating too much ice-cream, its a good time to figure out what we need to do to live the best lives possible.

Some things that helped ME to get out of my funk...Hopefully this list will give you some ideas...

1. I got my hair chopped off and colored a chocolate brown with red & purple highlights. So fun! (Although my dad asked me if I dunked my head in a vat of red wine by accident!)

2. I've been going back to my weekly yoga class...It's amazing how time on the mat always makes me feel better and more connected with those around me.

3. I've been going to kickboxing class twice a week - it is such a fun way to release some of that angst and frustration...you must try it!

4. I have been attending a workshop at the Durango Dharma Center entitled {Cultivating Happiness}. YES, YES, YES! It is amazing...and I will report more in detail about it soon...But I have to tell you that my yoga teacher & friend, Elise, sent me an email about this workshop about 30 seconds after I posted about {my FUNK} on the blog. She hadn't read my blog post yet but said she thought I'd enjoy this workshop lead by her dear friend Erin. I think the world sometimes works in mysterious ways to give us what we NEED when we need it most...

5. My husband & I had our first date night of the summer (yikes, that is really way to long in between dates!) We kind of took date night off the table this summer due to our crazy event travel schedule and to save some $. We have now re-inserted them back into the monthly budget because sushi, mojitos and uninterrupted time to talk, plan, reconnect, dream IS priceless.

6. I bought lots of fresh flowers from the farmers market that are spread throughout the house.

7. We are planning a week away without the kids this winter! I have never been away from the kids for more than 2 nights (while at a race for work), so I'm kind of freaking out about this. We also weren't going to travel this fall as we have been on our debt payoff, save money mission. BUT, we realized that we hadn't been away without the kids since before they were born! Almost 6 years when we went to Costa Rica by ourselves. We don't even remember what that is like. We don't. So, we are researching different options, but are thinking of Tulum. We are just going to make it happen. Somehow.

8. I been hard at work on a new notepad design fueled by my Twilight obsession...stay tuned for a sneak peek but it is AWESOME! It helped to have a FUN work project to work on. One that isn't about making money or generating something for a client, but just a fun project.

9. I cleaned and purged some more around here and took another load of stuff to the womens shelter. It feels good to get rid of STUFF.

10. Really inspired by this list of mondo-beyondo dreams! Stay tuned for my list...it's big + bold. Is yours?

Thanks again for all of your love & support...I leave you with this quote to ponder:

“ You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land, there is no other life but this.”
- H.D. Thoreau

image via tumblr