"FML" is now banned from this blog.

I'm guilty of saying this all the time throughout my day.  In fact, it's become a habit that's been really hard to break.  I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in this.

It's so much easier to say "f*ck my life" or "just shoot me already" when something goes wrong than to suck it up and deal with the problem.  We're already stressed out with the hustle and bustle of our daily lives that when something doesn't go our way we get overwhelmed and suddenly it feels like the end of the world.  But guess what?  It's not.

I know that I personally have been on my last nerve the past couple of weeks due to an extremely chaotic (and extremely hot & humid) summer.  The hubby's been home a lot while getting his business set up, the girls have been getting ready to go back to school, we've been renovating the house little by little, and the temperatures have been making Trace's nose bleed constantly.  All of these things have been stressing me out so much that I've been freaking out over the little things.  Crying over spilled milk?  More like screaming "F*CK MY LIFE!!" and having a meltdown over it.

But I'm putting all that behind me now.  I don't want to be the crazy frantic mother who freaks out over every little thing.  That's my mother...sometimes.  My sister and I jokingly call her "Manic Mary" or "Panicky  Patty" sometimes when she's in her freak-out mood.

My friend Mae wrote a post the other day that inspired me.  Her last lines were "Life is amazing. Just open your eyes a little. And if it’s not… change it."

Instead of sitting on my ass and complaining about everything that sucks, I'm going to get up and do something to change it and make it amazing.  This is part of the reason why I've been M.I.A. lately in my real life - I've been focusing on cleaning, rearranging, and redecorating the house because since this is where I spend most of my time, I want it to be a place that I love to be rather than just a place I have to be.

I've also mentioned in one of my previous posts that I've also started doing a little yoga at home and I really do want to take a real class one day soon.  This has helped me to relax a little more and has also showed me how valuable a little "me" time can be.  I just need to remind myself not to freak out when something goes wrong.

So from now on, "FML" will be a thing of the past.  I am going to to turn "f*ck my life" into "I f*cking love my life".  I hope this post inspires you to do the same.  Stay positive.

"You put your whole self in..." [Life lessons from the Hokey Pokey]

We all know how it goes:  "You put your whole self in, you take your whole self out, you put your whole self in and you shake it all about..."  So what does it mean and why am I writing about it?

Well, it's been a whole year since I became a stay-at-home mom and I've been getting a little stir crazy lately.  Maybe it's the weather, or maybe it's just been a long crazy summer for us - but whatever the reason, I've been taking on project after project to occupy my time and keep my sanity over the last couple months.

Working on another project yesterday.

Don't get me wrong, being a mother is hard work.  And staying home with my 4-year-old son will keep me busy throughout the day, but I'm one of those people who thrives in a fast-paced environment.  I feel like my life is missing something if I'm not constantly working on something or trying to accomplish a goal.  I need that instant gratification that I used to get when I met a deadline, helped a client, or cleared the files in my in-tray.  It's not the same when I'm doing a project for myself.

So, I've started job hunting again.  But the thing is - I don't know what I want to do or if I even really want a job.

I was good at what I used to do, but my heart wasn't in it.  It was just something I had to do to pay the bills.  And now I find myself applying to the same kind of jobs - not because I want to, but because it's something I know I can do.

That got me thinking, "If I don't put my whole self in it, will it really be worth it if I get it?"  Would I really get the fulfillment I'm looking for by throwing myself into some job?  Or would it be better to wait it out until the opportunity that I really want is available?

There was one job that I did apply for that I really, REALLY am hoping to get.  So far, I haven't heard any word from them yet but I'm still crossing my fingers for it.  It is something entirely different from my previous career path so I know it'll be a learning experience for me.

We're not so strapped for cash right now that I need to find a job right away, but it would allow us a little more room to live comfortably.  So the question is, should I get a job I don't really care for, or should I do what makes me happy (when I figure out what that is)?  What do you think?

P.S.  Here's a couple pictures of yesterday's project, a transparent messenger bag I made for my god-daughter.  I don't have a tutorial yet because I kind of just made it up as I went along, but I'll be perfecting it and putting a tutorial together for you soon!