{ we did it }

Woo-hoo!! My team, The Iron Maidens, finished the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic this past weekend! We had so much fun (especially at the finish line eating well-deserved cupcakes & drinking beer). We started as a team and finished as a team and I don't think I could have slogged over that last mountain pass without them! The 50 mile/half-century race started in downtown in downtown Durango at 6,500 ft and climbed to Purgatory Ski Area at 8,879 feet and then onto Coal Bank Pass (10,660 feet) and then summit Molas Divide Pas at 10,899 feet then a fast descent down into Silverton finishing at 9,318 feet. It was a beautiful day and the sun was shining with clear blue skies. It was impossible to not be smiling while riding our bikes over the San Juan Mountains. And my teammates were there for me when I bonked part way up the last & final pass. I kept saying to myself I can do this, we can do this. We are almost there. I am almost to the top. And we did it! note to self: a bit more training would have helped. ;-)

So what is it that YOU'VE been wanting to do but think you can't or think its too hard? Just do it. Sign up for it with some friends. Schedule it in. It's go time people. We aren't getting any younger and life isn't getting any longer. GO!

{ on my mind }

stressed out is what is going on in my mind this week. i was sick most of april (with this annoying dry cough that wouldn't/won't go away...the kids have had a stomach flu thing on & off the past 2 weeks and have been at home and not at school or daycare) so i haven't gotten an iota of work (or training done). it rained + snowed all of last week so i couldn't ride & train. i pulled my hamstring and am limping around with 5 days to go until the big race.

anyway, i've been trying to come up with some solutions to the (MY) stresses. stresses which I realize in the grand scheme of things are pretty small.

i've got the big bike race this weekend which i've barely trained for (ouch) but am going to hammer it out anyway. i raised over $2500 towards Livestrong & our local breast cancer center. thanks to all of you who generously donated. and i'm not going to quit now.

my garden is full of weeds and nothing else and i decided that is the way it is staying this year. i will buy my spinach, kale & tomatoes from the farmers market. a year off from my garden won't kill anyone.

i didn't get into any of the marathon lotteries i tried for and none in drive distance work out timing wise for me, so i'm putting that off until next year (it's a relief actually). and its okay.

i've got tons of people interested in buying LobotoME (and i just need to be patient) even though I'm ready to be DONE.

interested people in the camper have fallen through (again, i just need to be patient).

I keep trying to remind myself that SIMPLIFICATION doesn't happen overnight. in will ferrell's case it did, but you know he's will ferrell. i cannot wait to see this movie.

i also keep reading this quote. it speaks to me so much right now. "This is what endurance means to me right now. This is what I’m training for. It’s the ability to show up and keep up. It’s the ability to persevere when I’m tired. It’s the ability to sustain a good mood when I’m fading. It’s the ability to be there and mark moments with my precious kiddos while they still want to mark moments with me." ~ Kristin Armstrong ---- isn't that a great quote?

so that's what I'm going to do this week. show up & keep up. smile when i'm fading. be present with my kids. all else will fall into place.



image above via pinterest

{ the spending diet... week 9 + 10 }

Hmmm... Okay, no beating around the bush. Here's what I've acquired so far this month.

1. Four $1 bubblewands for the kids. (See if I start with the small and inconsequential perhaps you'll get bored and not read on...and see how bad I've been)...
2. This skirt. Adorable. Probably will wear it everyday this summer.
3. A grey & white striped tank top from Target. Can't find it on the website but it was $8.
4. This cute summer dress. It has pockets! :)
5. A pair of Lululemon Astro Crops off of ebay. Love them.
6. New pair of bike capris (with extra padding) for the LONG bike race coming up memorial day weekend. My butt has been KILLING me after long rides, so I think this falls in the necessary category.

That's all. Back to saving for this.

{ on my mind }

“Waking up this morning, I smile.
Twenty-four brand new hours are before me.
I vow to live fully in each moment …”
~Thich Nhat Hanh

1. Loved this post.
2. And this post.
3. And this post about planning a summer schedule.
4. And this post about living a mindful lifestyle.

Have a great day & an awesome week!

{ on my mind }

1. Love this idea for a teacher appreciation gift!
2. This post is amazing.
3. I gave a big amen sister after reading this post.
4. This is brilliant.
5. Really want to see this film.
6. Great toddler activities list compiled by Marta.
7. And this great post on what it really means to take care of yourself. This really resonated with me.

Hope all of you mama's had a wonderful Mother's Day! I certainly did! Breakfast in bed - green smoothie ;-), snuggles, homemade goodies from the kids, more snuggles, a long bike ride, brunch with my parents and a relaxing evening at home....perfect!

{ cha cha changes }

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. As you simplify life the laws of the universe will be simpler." - Henry David Thoreau

We've been figuring some LIFE stuff out lately...or attempting to at least. The one thing we have concluded is that 2 kids + 3 businesses + 2 rental properties + 2 work from home parents = chaos. With that said, and without going into the whole long story...we have decided to start the process of selling LobotoME. We hope to be able to have it sold by early 2012. We've had some interest in the past but I wasn't ready to part with it, but now I am. It's been a great four years...our products have been in Real Simple Magazine, on E!News and in The Container Stores nationwide. It grew far wider & larger than I ever dreamed possible. I hope I've helped many of you find systems to help you & your families stay fit, healthy, organized + sane... But its time for me to move on. I've spent four years cultivating something that needs my constant attention. And I'm ready to put that attention elsewhere.

Anyway, I wanted to let you all know that some changes will likely be in store for LobotoME and also see if perhaps any of you stay at home or work at home mama's might be interested in taking over the reins of this eco-friendly paper goods company... email me if you are interested (serious inquiries only please at least until I have my broker lined out then you can bug him all you want). Bottom line is this will allow me to focus more on our main business, my health and my family...I'm grateful for all of your past & continued support & enthusiasm...And don't worry I'm not totally disappearing, I'm just putting this sale of the business out to the universe right now and seeing what happens. Whatever happens, LobotoME will continue with or without moi.

We also decided to put one of our rental properties on the market...anyone interested in a condo in beautiful, sunny Moab, Utah? The other property in Durango will go up for sale next spring we think. Dealing with renters isn't all that it is cracked up to be. I'll leave it at that. And we've listed our beloved Airstream (upon hearing about this plan, Samme said that it is "unacceptable" to sell it) that we don't have very much time to use during the summer...Oh and we're selling our piano that the kids don't play on and have no interest in. We are getting rid of all of the things that are weighing us down.

We are making some massive changes to our lives...all of which will allow us to spend more time together, to travel more, to work less and play more...

xoxo~

{ on my mind }

1. Have I introduced you to my new favorite blog?
2. This has me all sorts of fired up.
3. This is one of the best parenting posts I've read in a long time and so right on.
4. And love everything about this inspiring post via Zen Habits (of course).
5. And of course the big news...


Love this print above via etsy. This is the quote that is at the top of our momME weekly planners

{ the spending diet...weeks 7 + 8}

What can I say? It's confession time but I think I did pretty darn good the 2nd half of the month... The only non-essential things I bought were this PERFECT shirt for Henry and this new yoga DVD for ME. And I'm still on a mission selling misc. stuff on ebay and craigslist. How y'all doing?