Hodge Podge

I've been blogging lite (low fat blogging?) while I'm hard at work putting together the video montages for both Bella and Oliver's birthdays. Bella turns 3 in 3 days. I'm thinking about attempting this rainbow cake (or something similar) since she has been requesting "a rainbow cake AND cupcakes" for months.

Rainbow Cake at MarthaStewart.com

• Are you on Instagram? It's my favorite of the social medias and the one I'm most active on. I'm navigatingthemothership. Tell me if you are on there so I can follow you, too. And while we are at it...you all know that any pictures you post there are public, right? Including pictures of you in your underwear. Capisce? If you want us to all see you in your sexy bra and undies, then good! Lovely rack! But if you just meant that for that special someone? Erm...maybe a private account? Anyway. That's my PSA of the day.

• Wait, another PSA. JoAnn's is selling these wooden face mask things for $1 a piece. Bit hit around here. And I like that it's an art project that will continue to be fun for more than 5 minutes after painting them.

• I fell just short of my 30 days of yoga and managed to do 27 days in a row of power yoga. I got tripped up when Husband's work schedule (and travel) meant that I couldn't go. I think I'll try again in the future to do 30 or 40 consecutive yoga days. I'm also toying with the idea of getting certified as a yoga instructor, not so much because I want to teach, but because I would love to learn more and do something learning-related without having to actually go back to school. I should see if I can somehow make that count towards my continuing education for being a dietitian..

• Speaking of being a dietitian, I would like to start doing more information-based nutrition posts. Would that be interesting? Or douche-baggy? Both, I bet! I've been writing one in my head about supplements, particularly those for children and what I give to the kids, but like most of my posts, in my head it has remained.

• Oh wait, I had one more bullet about exercising. I have decided to train for a 10-mile race in Stillwater, MN on July 14. I'm feeling particularly gung-ho to pursue some challenging athletic goals since I know there won't be another pregnancy to derail my fitness. Anyone else running that? I'll be using the Hal Higdon training plan and alternating yoga and running.

• Speaking of there not being any more pregnancies in the future - I think I want a copper IUD for some extra security in preventing a future wee one. Would love to hear if you have personal experience with a copper IUD.

• And one more about pregnancy - I don't have a lick of pregnancy amnesia. Like there is no rose-tinted memories about that time creating feelings of longing to be pregnant again and/or feeling sad that I won't get to be pregnant again. This was especially brought to light as I look through pictures from the past year while working on the kids slideshows. This was just about a year ago exactly. 

• I DON'T MISS THAT BODY! And I'm not talking about the weight gain, though that was substantial. I'm talking more about the fact that I couldn't walk or sleep or drink water without it being all complicated and problematic. Everyday, even now, I am delighted at things like being able to breathe and exercise and chug ice water at 10 pm and skip a snack without major repercussions and not gag my way through the morning. I'm eternally grateful and lucky and so happy to have gotten to be pregnant twice in my life. And now I'm very happy that I will never have to do that again.

• I'm feeling so burdened by keeping the house clean lately, especially the deep cleaning since we discontinued using a monthly cleaning service.  The burden feeling is partly because cleaning simply sucks, but it's also related to the fact that we never did much to improve this place so cleaning the house only brings that to mind. I can vacuum the carpet for 30 minutes and walk away thinking that it still looks dingy and gross. Same with cleaning the bathrooms and the kitchen. I know that moving won't magically cure my dislike of house cleaning, but I'm excited to make our next house into a home. It will be great to make improvements right away versus putting things off because "we're just going to move very soon." And I'm hoping that cleaning the new place won't feel so discouraging. Anyway, back to the point - anyone have a genius cleaning schedule or book or blog or something to help me figure out how to tackle cleaning stuff? I'm in need of some direction.

• We are going to OFFICIALLY start looking at houses this weekend. We will be using a realtor who recently got certified. I'm hoping it won't be awkward because I have had sex with him like hundreds of times in the past. Oy. Apparently he's got what it takes though.

• Here is what the realtor looks like: 

[dramatic spacing]

• HAAAAA. So! Here's a piece of news: Husband is now a realtor. This was very important to him (remember he has those rental properties?) and even though it has proved very challenging to fit into his schedule given his, you know, FULL-TIME job plus wife and children, he finally completed everything and is officially with a realty company and all that. I won't lie, this was a catalyst for arguments over the past year and a half but now that it's all said and done, it will be a good thing. And this doesn't mean a major career change, it's more so that he can buy our new home and sell the other properties (eventually, depending on the market). But now Husband can help you to buy a home, marry you, and bury you. Inquire within.