The Nest

My babes come home today!! I made them muffins. Muffins are the answer to almost everything, especially on a jadeite cake plate. Swoon.

The best thing that ever happened to this little birdie was a week off of work for October Break. I was tired and broke so the plan was to stay home. I came home to a messy, unorganized house with dishes in the sink that may or may not have had pond scum growing across the top of a few. I'm not kidding. Piles and piles of laundry, like Mount Everest had settled in my room in the form of dirty clothes. A floor that made me CRINGE every time I looked at it. Bathrooms that were just as gross, dry cleaning that was a week over due in being picked up, and a pile of unpaid bills. I came home after work on Friday, after grading, cleaning, and organizing my classroom and the guinea pig cage to another mess. Yuck.

An older man from Croatia gave me some excellent advice once. He said, "If you are tired when you come home from work, the first day you rest. Then you work." So that is what I did I sat down when I got home for ten seconds and promptly fell asleep on the couch. The next several days were peppered with fun activities with friends, cleaning, and sleep. I finally felt like myself again by Wednesday. I had decided over break that I would:

1. Get back to running consistently, this was today...man it is HARD to get back into running especially when you are out of shape. I have to keep reminding myself that the three mile hump won't get any easier until I get over the four mile hump. So I have been working on that I ran about three miles today. It is such a mental game.

2. I would take care of myself. That meant many different things from attending the temple, dinner with friends, going to four movies, watching endless hours of Fixer Upper, running, taking care of finances, and I had a great meeting with a life coach where I realized why I was so exhausted all of the time. I have been neglecting the feminine.  So to balance that I bought myself flowers, I set the table pretty, my friend got Chinese take-out and I had a girls night in sesh. It is amazing to me how much nesting and taking care of my home and JUST being home completes me. Oh, and I bought a big old fat piece of carrot cake for my friends and I to share from AJ's. It was so good and we couldn't even eat it all. 

3. I counted my blessings. I have spent so much quality time with my friends this week. Whether it was going to dinners, or movies, or a long walk and talking. I fell rich for sure. Rich with the most precious of gifts, friends. I went to my Mom and Dad's one night to visit and watch Survivor. I stopped over at The Old Brick House sale with my sister and then we perused the antique store. I am feeling blessed and rested with a clean house!

4. Each day I tackled a new task in my house. Whether it was laundry (still doing it, I seriously told you Mount Everest) or cleaning. Little by little the inside of my house began to sparkle and feel like my nest again. 

5. I got a manicure and pedicure and a massage. I have learned it is important to paper yourself too. The house wasn't the only thing that needed a little spruce up. 

6. I went to my favorite store. Last Chance. Look what I found....to die for, they were LITERALLY calling my NAME!!! However, I could NOT justify spending $100 on shoes even if they WERE Christian Dior AND my exact size. Yes, shed a small tear right here for me. Where is the new apple update digital touch broken heart when you need it. I settled for a CUTE pair of flats that WAS in my price range...$10 and I am super happy about it. 

Week at a Glance:

Friday..nap, shower, two movies in a row with one of my BFF's and a super weird food ordering experience at Rubios I wish I could act it out for you right now on a video. 

Saturday-sleep in, clean dishes/kitchen, watch seven hours of Fixer Upper...OK slight exaggeration maybe it was only six hours, met another BFF Laura for dinner and a movie. See isn't this shaping up to be a great break? 

Sunday- Woke up early, church, taught a lesson about our commitment vs. a contribution in Relief Society, I love the women in my ward. I love their thoughts and comments and every time I teach I marvel at how WISE everyone is. Came home...FOUR HOUR GLORIOUS NAP..do you hear angels singing? You should, that was some nap. I woke up, ate left overs and headed to the sad, lonely, single people like myself fireside, where I had a lot of fun actually because I saw ANOTHER BFF there and was so happy to visit. Then I came home watched several more hours of Fixer Upper and went to bed. 

Monday- Cleaned, groceries, finally picked up that dry cleaning, and then went to The Yard for a friends birthday dinner. It was  a lot of fun...granted I WAS fighting a bit of my social anxiety but I ran into the life coach here and set up a meeting for Wednesday. 

Tuesday- Slept in, until like 9. DREAMY. Went to the temple and ran into two of my favorite women from my ward. I just felt so happy and loved and had such a special experience in the temple. I also noticed that I had washed my dress and there is now GUM mashed to the shoulder of my dress. Nice. I got a mani/pedi, flowers for my table, cake and two of my BFFs came over. Just Delightful. Then decided to meet up with more friends and walk four miles, I had to work off that carrot cake. 

Wednesday-Woke up, cleaned the bathrooms, laundry, went running, saw the life coach, went to Last Chance, visited with my Mom and Dad, started a puzzle because I really like puzzles. Then saw another late movie with one of my BFFs. 

Thursday-Slept in..this is the best pattern ever. Cleaned, watched more Fixer Upper, I am nearly through season two and have decided it is necessary that I visit Waco, Texas. I worked on the puzzle, got a massage, cancelled my gym and massage envy memberships and then met my sister in down town Mesa to the Old Brick House shop. There are so many cute things there. I didn't buy anything though, it was fun to look. I came home and cleaned a bit and went to bed early. 

Today is Friday. I ran, cleaned, baked muffins, ran to the store to get milk for the kids. I planned dinner the meat is defrosting and I just can't help but think how lovely and good life is. I can't wait for the next two days! 

XOXO- Nesting is the key to my sanity. Home really is where the heart is. Sometimes a vacation isn't the answer but a REST is.  The Sunny D. 

I Rock Mom Jeans and Dating

Before heading out to a friends birthday dinner in an effort to be social

Dating. 

The struggle is so real.

I am frustrated. Is it me, is them, is it a combination of the two? 

Who knows. 

What I know for sure is I rock Mom jeans. I mean I work so hard in those Mom jeans that in an effort to get out one evening, to be social....

I literally fell asleep on my friends floor and they made a snap chat of me. This is the quintessential problem in my life. I am working so incredibly hard that I am finding it difficult to meet people to go on dates because I am EXHAUSTED. I was a much more successful dater when I taught preschool because I had Monday and Friday off. I was able to devote some energy into dating but now.....now, I fall asleep on my friends floor in my Mom jeans at 9pm. 

When I do go out....

Dating Effort #1

Like last night for instance I went to a fireside, I met some nice people there. There was one guy that I thought was cute. As we were talking though I found out he was in a multi level marketing company and invited me to the Tuesday night meeting. UH no thank you. Later that evening a friend in my ward called me to let me know that she was SURE he was interested in me as he was following me as I was helping clean up. I told her that I was pretty sure he just wanted someone to come to his MLM meeting and I made it very clear that I would in no uncertain terms EVER be involved in a MLM again in my life as I had been there and done that. 

Dating Effort #2

So then I think well since I don't have time maybe I will try online dating. Here is an excerpt from a text conversation I had the other day. Let's just say when he started to talk about horoscopes and anthropology as being linked I pretty much checked out, here is how the text conversation went...I would post the picture but this guy's phone number is at the top and I would feel bad having that on here. 

Leo's are fun and affectionate

How do you even know this stuff?

Ha Ha I read a lot and love observing people and anthropology

What does anthropology and horoscopes have in common?

I am a little nerdy although I am rugged around the edges (I am thinking...huh????)

Ah, well one of the gifts is seeing connections, anthropology is just studying history, people and habits.

It's strange but horoscope can be accurate for personality in my experience.

What do you enjoy reading?

Fortune cookies, I have found they can be extremely accurate. It's so weird like the other day I received one that said I would be receiving a special surprise and when I got home there was a delivery from Amazon Prime!!!

And you know maybe this is why I don't go on dates. I just can't do it, I can't be fake, I can't go on a date with a guy I'm not actually interested in to "just see." Because then you get snarky fortune cookie for reading material Dior. 

I have SEVERAL friends who have met their boyfriends and husbands on Tinder. Tinder has a reputation for being a hook up site but maybe that's changing? So I gave it a try, here is what happened.

I'm doomed. DOOMED. Creepy chin/chest man. 

So I am literally at a loss just living my mom wearing jean life and working my tail off. I am giving an effort to go to activities here and there to meet new friends and that is the best I can do because pretty much I am at a total loss in the dating department. It is frustrating and I am sure I am not the only one. Help! Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions? One of my problems is I am not an aggressive woman, I kind of figure if someone wants to go on a date they will ask me, right? So I have been whole heartily involved in work and my children but I feel that I need an adult social life too and maybe am going about it all wrong? Who knows. Clearly I don't. 

XOXO- It is October Break so all of a sudden I have a WHOLE week to think about dating or lack thereof. Awesome. -The Sunny D