life by nicole

11 Things

2012-03-04T21:33:00.001-06:00

I would love to say I can sit down each morning with a cup of coffee and read through my blog roll but in reality, I'm lucky to read through my favorite blogs each night on my phone. Last week as I was reading through some blogs, I was quite surprised to be tagged by Sarah of pewter+sage in a little blog questionnaire. She posted 11 questions she wants me to answer and then I post 11 new questions, tagging 11 other people. It seems like fun and because it was such a sweet surprise to be mentioned, I'll play along!

Here are the rules:

You must post the rules.

Answer the 11 questions that the tagger posted for you; then create 11 questions to ask the people you've tagged.

Tag 11 people and link them in your post.

Let them know you tagged them.

Here are my answers to Sarah's questions:

1. Name two TV must watch every week or record to watch later.
I can be kind of a TV junky, especially now that we have our DVR. Two my Hubby and I regularly watch together are Modern Family and Parenthood (although I've heard it might be canceled...eek!). Two that I will admit to either recording or watching are Bethenny Ever After or any of the Housewives. Yep, I like reality TV.

2. Do you like to travel? If so, list three places at the top of your "must visit" list.
I do enjoy traveling although we haven't done much traveling at all since Nora was born. Of the places I've been, I would say one must visit in the US would be Washington D.C. There's something about being in the city where much of our nation's history sits. I've been there twice. Hubby has never been so I can't wait to take him there. Another spot in the US is Mt. Crested Butte, Colorado. We went nearly 5 years ago for Hubby's sister's wedding. It was beautiful in the summer and seemed like such a quaint little town. Our trip was brief and I would have loved more time to explore. I haven't been abroad to too many places but have been to England twice. Aside from London, which is amazing, I really loved my trip to Stratford-upon-Avon. Talk about quintessential England. The town was beautiful and as about British as I could have imagined. A must visit.

3. What's your current favorite decorating color combo?
I really love blues/greens/yellows right now and am wanting to explore a little more with gray as well.

Source: Apartment Therapy

Pinterst has been a great place to scope out some inspiration and I'm itching to do a little updating in some spaces in my home.

4. Do you use the snooze button on your alarm?
I do not. I even have my alarm on my phone set to never snooze. I like to get up when I am supposed to get up. Plus, if I want to get out of the door on time, I need to get up and going. My Hubby on the other hand...

5. Are you the oldest, middle, or youngest kids in your family? Or are you an only child?
I am the oldest and totally believe in birth order! I have one younger sister and one younger brother and totally value the different relationships I have with each.

{I'm next to my sister and my brother is in the back. My future sis-in-law is in the photo as well.}

6. Do you collect anything?

Not really. For awhile I was collecting postcards I received from different people from different places but no one really sends postcards anymore. I do keep important birthday, Christmas, and other cards I receive from people. I guess that is a collection.

7. What's your middle name?

Lynn.

8. When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I really can't recall. I did always play school with friends and my siblings so guess that may have always been my calling. I honestly can't pinpoint a day when I thought, "I want to be a teacher". Maybe it's just something I always knew I'd be because I loved school and most of my teachers.

9. Are you...country or city girl? girlie-girl or tomboy? a talker or listener?
City-ish girl. I've never lived in a town of less that 25,000 which isn't country by Midwest standards.
In between? I'm not super girly but am not a tomboy either. It's interesting raising a daughter and wondering what her preferences will be!
Probably more of a listener although I do like to talk with friends and family. But I'm a pretty good listener.

10. If you had to make up a fancy label for your decorating style, what would it be?
This one has me stumped. Honestly, I have no idea? I'd say at 30, I'm just coming into my style; deciding what I like, what I don't like, and being brave enough to follow that style.

11. What would your family and friends say is one of your best qualities? What would they say is one of your worst?
I think one of my best qualities is compassion and commitment. I'd say I'm pretty loyal and caring to those I'm close to. And I guess I'd hope they'd say I'm a good mom.

And my worst quality is that I worry...a lot. I really need to work on that.

Fun, fun, Sarah! Now, here are my 11 questions:

1. How long have you been blogging? For you is it a hobby or has it become more that that?

2. What is the last book you read?

3. What is your biggest design/decorating regret?

4. Where is the most relaxing place you have visited?

5. What is something you have found on Pinterest that you have made/created/cooked/done?

6. Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or none?

7. If you could do anything other than your current job, what would it be?

8. Which season is your favorite?

9. Heels or flats?

10. How would you describe your style?

11. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Now for my 11 tags...I know this takes some time (it took me over a week to get around to it...)to do so we'll see who can swing it.

Krystle @ Ruffles & Heels
Liz @ It's Great To Be Home
Dusty @ All Things G&D
Katie @ The Zeeb Family
Tara @ The Painter Family
Michelle @ The Herrig Family
Liz @ Mabel's House
Megan @ Loving the little things
Erin @ Tales of Our Journey
Sarah @ Highley Highlights
The Franglaise @ Smallesthings

Heat Wave

2012-03-01T07:00:00.000-06:00

I love mild winters.

So does Nora!

Eat Well, Feel Well

2012-02-20T07:00:00.002-06:00

Source: travelinfool55

I'd say I've thought a lot about what I eat for quite awhile. Before I go on, rest assured I eat gummy bears, goldfish, and drink diet Dr. Pepper with the best of them but when it comes to grocery shopping and meal planning for my family, I really try to be conscious of making good food choices.

I long for the summer with trips to the local farmer's market and plentiful supply of fresh produce. I try my best to shop the perimeter of the grocery isle and steer as clear as I can of the middle isles. But, inevitably I am often sucked in to buying snacks, crackers, cookies, and other things I don't really need. My goal is to eat healthier, buying more whole foods not only for my family but for myself.

There are so many resources out there to help accomplish those goals. Door to Door Organics is an amazing company that delivers fresh produce to your door step! We took advantage of this once and I really want to do it again. It was fun to cook with the fresh and new produce and we were determined to use it all and let none of it go to waste. One of my favorite all-purpose blog stops, Simple Living Media, has great blogs devoted to the idea of healthy living - Simple Bites and Simple Organic. I've found an excellent ebook, Plan it Don't Panic (and the author even provides a link to her blog which also has many excellent tips and ideas).

This weekend I went on my usual trip to the grocery store and like always, I start at the produce, carefully selecting the items I know we'll use for the week, and then somehow it never fails - I end up in the canned soup isle, the cracker isle, the chip isle. But this particular trip I stopped and thought. Did we really need a third bag of kettle chips at home? No. Did we really need another box of random crackers in the pantry? Nope. So I gladly skipped those isles and was pleasantly surprised by my lighter grocery load. And surprisingly, I arrived home to a plentiful pantry and a very satisfying supply of groceries for the week. Mission accomplished. Any other tips out there for whole and healthy living?

Snow

2012-02-13T10:30:00.000-06:00

Snow day! We finally had our first snowfall for the winter. So, I will be thankful for the day I get to spend at home with my visiting sister, coffee, blankets, warm socks, and extra snuggles from my sick baby --- another reason I am a little more thankful for this extra day at home.

I hate when they're sick but enjoy their need for love, attention, and willingness to be held and cuddled. It's a pretty awesome part to being a mom.

My 1/2 Marathon

2012-02-06T06:30:00.024-06:00

It's been 3 weeks since I ran my first 1/2 marathon. I honestly never thought I would run one which is kind of strange since I've been a distance runner over half my life. I ran long distance track in junior high and high school and ran cross country in high school. Throughout college and most of my adult life, I have run on a regular basis. I know some people don't enjoy running but I really do love it. It's easy for me and a great stress relief and mental release.

About two years ago, a good friend of mine from high school mentioned the running Rock and Roll Half Marathon in Phoenix. Leah completed her graduate work in Phoenix so knew of the race and thought it might be a fun thing for us to do in the future (at the time we were both pregnant with our first babies). So, we talked about it and said we'd do it someday. Well, that someday became a reality and one Sunday afternoon in July I registered for the half marathon. I had no idea what I was doing, had never trained for something like that but I was kind of excited. I was about to do something I never thought I would do.

Training was a great thing for me. I started officially training in September although I had been casually running throughout the summer. I was ready to get back into shape and have the stamina I once had before Nora was born 13 months earlier. Leah found our training program and I loved it. It worked perfectly for my lifestyle. What you see here are my actual miles. The program was designed for you to run 30 minutes a day, three days during the week and then do your longer runs on the weekend. I notice some very obvious breaks in my training (tired, traveling, sick, lazy) but overall, I really did feel prepared.

I really do prefer running outside so enjoyed my longer weekend runs. And for some reason, I run faster outside as opposed to on the treadmill so was able to work on my pacing during those longer runs. But the time week 18 was approaching, I was ready and felt like I could do this and I had a goal - to complete my 1/2 in under 2 hours.

On the morning of the race, Leah and I got up at 5 am so we could eat before we were picked up by another friend who lives in Phoenix and was running the race with us. We got to the starting area around 7 am. There were so many people there! We checked our gear, used the bathroom, and waited for the race to begin. There was a lot of waiting and a lot of standing. The race began at 7:30 but our corral didn't cross the starting line until 8:00. Once we were off, I felt great. The girls graciously told me to go ahead so I could aim for my goal so I told them good luck and I was off. The run was incredible. The scenery was great and I felt oddly inspired the entire time. There were all kinds people, so many different types of runners. The run benefited MS and I saw people clearly stricken with the terrible disease on the course walking and running. Humbling.

I was feeling great from the start and was able to maintain a pace under 9 minutes per mile. Shortly after mile 4 I had to step to the side to lose my long sleeve shirt but aside from that and the jog through the water stations, I ran the entire thing at a good pace. I did have a moment around mile 8 where I realized I still had 5 miles to go and felt some aching in my feet and toes but because of my training I knew I could finish it.

One of the most incredible things was the people along the way. I didn't know one person cheering along the route but I felt like they were cheering for me. It was a huge boost to come around a corner and see a small crowd of on-lookers cheering us on. People lined the road for the entire last mile. I needed that. I told Hubby we are going to be spectators at this fall's KC 1/2 marathon because it meant so much to me to have those people there.

Finally I came around the curve and saw the finish line. It was pretty surreal crossing it. And I met my personal goal finishing in 1:56:52. I was pretty pleased with my splits too --- 5K = 27:49, 10K = 56:09, 10 mile = 1:30:07, average pace = 8:55. I guess what I am most impressed with is my last 3 miles. I ran them in 26 minutes. I feel like that's pretty darn good after running 10 miles.

Will I do this again? You bet I will. It was a huge feeling of accomplishment. And, it kept me accountable to get out there and run again. The early mornings, long run on Christmas Eve, and sore, sore, sore muscles were well worth it. I can check this one off the life list.

And the real hero of the day is the Hubby. He had to help a ton with Nora the entire weekend. He stayed behind to watch her the day before the race when I had to go pick up my packet and number, he got her dressed, fed, and to the finish line to meet me on the day of the race...he just was an all-around support that weekend. I'm pretty lucky.

DIY Breakfast Tray

2012-02-02T06:30:00.000-06:00

A breakfast tray is something I don't have but have always wanted. About a year ago we went to Minnesota and stayed with family. Each morning, the hostess offered us freshly brewed coffee and cream and she presented it on a breakfast tray. There's just something special about being served on a tray, in my opinion. I wanted one of my own for my guests.

I definitely could have bought one. Nearly every store offers some variety of the tray but one day, after putting away Nora's Christmas presents, I got the idea to make one myself. It all started with a band in a box. I got a great deal of a version similar to this for Nora for Christmas. I then transferred the instruments to a tub and was left with the empty "box". I hated to throw away a perfectly good wooden crate and then the idea came to me: I could attempt to fashion a breakfast tray out of this box. After a quick trip to Michael's, I had all the supplies I would need.

First up: Spray paint. I used Krylon Short Cuts in Antique Bronze. After giving it several light coats, it looks a little more silver than bronze, but I'll take it.

Next: Cut paper. One of my favorite things is using scrapbook paper. I've framed it, made cards from it, and today, I was going to use it as the mat for my tray. I bought two pieces and cut them to fit.

Then: Glue down paper. I put a thin layer of Mod Podge on the bottom of the tray and placed the paper on top make sure it would stay put.

Next: Ask Harry for help. The glue on the bottom of the paper cause the paper to bubble a little. Luckily I had two heavy books handy to help flatten the bumps.

Last: Mod Podge. I spread two thin layer up and down and then two thin layers across. Since I might use it for coffee/drinks, I really want to ensure it will stand up to liquid.

Finally: Tray complete. I'm pretty please with how it turned out. It does have a bit of a sticky feel when you lift things off of it but overall, I'm happy with it. Now I'm set for some weekend guests.

Discovery

2012-01-30T06:30:00.005-06:00

Since Nora has been walking, we have enjoyed watching her explore and discover new things. Hubby is so good about it. This fall they would go for walks up and down our street. Rather than restrain her in the stroller, he would let her walk. I went a few times with them. It made me nervous. She wasn't yet a pro at picking up her feet at every crack and lip in the sidewalk. The effect was some stumbles, falls, and even a few first scraped knees. I wanted to catch her; to keep her from falling. But Hubby assured me it was all part of her experience. And as hard as it was for me to watch her stumble, he was right She didn't seem to mind it at all. She was more interested in picking up a small acorn, watching a car drive by, examining the water drain cover. The world was hers and she was set to discover it.

Just the other day, we were upstairs in my bedroom and I opened the curtains to let the sun in. Nora stood there, in the stream of light, mesmerized by the dust particles visibly flying through the air. She was trying to catch them. My first instinct was to smile at how cute the act was but the more I thought about it I was in awe of her awe. What must she have been thinking, reaching out, trying to catch these little particles? Each day is full of new discoveries for her, more than I can probably fathom. I love catching her in the moment. It's those moments that help me remember to slow down and let her do more for herself, get into things, figure life out. And it's allowed me to slow down a little bit too. To take some time and appreciate the beauty in dust.

DIY Prints

2012-01-26T06:30:00.001-06:00

So just like everyone, I've been known to waste an our (or two) on Pinterest from time to time. I'm not on there very often but when I am, I can get sucked in! I have seen so many cute prints and have even pinned and downloaded a few for my own use. I've seen this clever one as well:

Source: a.steed's.life

Super cute but after I read her tutorial, I knew I would not have the patience or ability to make something that elaborate, but I liked the idea. Then, just the other day, I was reading a post on Thrifty Decor Chick about creating your own prints with Picnik. I was pretty excited because I had just started playing with Picnik** and was becoming familiar enough with their software so knew this was something I could at least attempt. Sarah's tutorial is wonderful so if you'd like to know how it's done, click over to her post and give her a visit. Here is my finished project - keep in mind, it took me about 3 minutes to create so it's not very fancy, but I plan to spruce it up a bit with a nice frame and mat...

I choose the color based on an evolving color pallet in our living room and I thought to font was kind of fun. The dates do offer significance in our family...

Hubby's birthday

My birthday

Engagement date

Wedding date

We're pregnant!

Nora's birthday

Something that has always fascinated me about our family is our dates. Both Hubby and I were born on the 17th, just two months apart, in the same year. He coincidentally proposed to me on the 17th. And kind of funny we were engaged in December, married in August and then a few years later found out we were having a baby in December and she was born in August. I'm not much for lucky dates/numbers or any of that but if I were, I think I'd have a few to pick from.

I like this idea and am really happy with how easy it was. It will be a simple task to someday change it out to accommodate for the changing events in our family's life.

**I received a notice this past weekend Picnik is closing but they are merging with Google+. I really hope their new program will be just as user friendly and free!

How to Travel with a Toddler

2012-01-23T08:30:00.000-06:00

Last week marked a first for our little family: flying with a 17 month old. Nora has typically been a great traveler. Since 3 weeks she has had to travel hours by car to visit grandparents. At 4 months we traveled over 9 hours on snowy and icy roads to see family in Minnesota. And thankfully those all have been painless journeys.

When we booked our trip to Phoenix, I was a little nervous. My only relief came in knowing my good friend and her husband would also be embarking on their first flying adventure with their 15 month old. I guess misery loves company. But, true to form, Nora did beautifully (and so did my friend's little one). There were, however a few things that saved us and probably others.

********** ********** ********** ********** **********

1) Bring a bag full of tricks. I had toys that played music, toys that lit up, books galore, pipe cleaners, and crayons. And her favorite (no surprise) was a notebook and crayons. They were the one item she hasn't really had much exposure to yet so it possessed a different appeal.

2) Bring a bag full of treats. Our girl loves to eat. Loves it. She especially loves snacks. So I was prepared - puffs, Cheerios, animal crackers, dried strawberries, fruit and veggies pouches - we were stocked. And that was probably a good thing considering I wasn't really thinking about it being dinner time when we booked our 6 pm flight. Oops. And, when all else fails, a bottle of water is pretty entertaining.

3) Be happy you haven't weaned your toddler from the pacifier. See the picture at the top of the post? Yep, this puppy saved us!

4) Break down and give your child what they want. For us, it's Baby Signing Time. Nora is OBSESSED with this series and we were able to calm her for about 20 minutes at a time thanks this this video.

5) Flexibility is key with scheduling. The first night, we didn't get to our hotel until after 10 pm. During our days there, we did our best to put the kids down for two naps a day and stick close to a normal bedtime but when you're not at home and are staying in a hotel, things don't always happen right on schedule. Sometimes, naps were even taken in arms (which I secretly enjoyed). But, the kids did great and adapted. And the parents adapted to sitting in a dark hotel room or out in the hall until the kids fell asleep.

6) Remember you are not the first to travel with a _________ (baby, toddler, child, teenager, etc.). Truth be told, that idea is what got me through the plane ride. Many people before us had done this and if Nora were to melt down on the plane, I knew we wouldn't have been the first. And it actually turned out better than both Hubby and I had expected.

I will definitely fly with a little one again. I think the key to Nora's success was she was already a veteran car traveler. She knows when we go somewhere she'll have to sit and it could take awhile. And we'll continue to travel with her. Maybe eventually my bags of tricks and food could be downsized...but probably not!

A Very Short Success Story

2012-01-16T20:03:00.000-06:00

This weekend I did a few things I have never done before.

I flew with a toddler. We have driven many, many, many miles with Nora via car but never via airplane. She did amazing. A few squaks and squirms but overall, it was a good experience.

Brushing up on safety.

I ran my first 1/2 marathon. It was an incredible experience that I'll share more about later. Let's just say I am currently thrilled, relieved, tired, and sore!

Having tried these new things with success, I think I'll attempt them both again.

Balancing Act

2012-01-09T08:30:00.000-06:00

via vitalist

Coming back to the blogging world wasn't a decision I took lightly. I did my best to keep up with my previous blog once my daughter was born but after while it became less fun, less interesting. It became more of a chore, something to cross off my to-do list. It was then I realized I needed to take a little break. While I missed the outlet to write, I did enjoy the freedom I felt. I read blogs at my leisure and didn't worry about what posts I had or didn't have on queue to be published. It was a nice and simple summer.

Still, there was still a sense of longing. I missed writing. I missed thinking. I missed blogging. But I knew if I came back I needed to have a sense of balance to it all. I would blog only when I wanted to blog, only when I wanted to share thoughts or inspirations. And I feel like I have plenty to share.

You see, balance has become the recipe of my life. Even before husband and child I had to balance. It may have been work and play, work and graduate work, sleep and exercise. But this, is so much bigger. Work and family. And unfortunately, I want to be the best at both. Balance has been difficult at times as I've transitioned through life events. The year I got married, I switched to a new position. The year after I became a mother, I switched back to another position. I often feel guilt on all ends. Guilt that I only see my daughter for a mere 15 to 20 minutes in the morning and 2 to 3 hours in the evening during the week. Guilt that time I should be spending with my Hubby is sometimes spent grading papers or sitting in front of the TV or computer. Guilt that I need to put more time into my planning, classroom, and students. But, I am slowly learning this is all a great balancing act and though it doesn't prove to be easy and takes some sacrifice, I can learn to be the best at this too.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-02T14:52:00.000-06:00

Happy new year and a new blog! I'm sure I lost most of my readers during my months of blogging hiatus but if you've made the jump to my new home, welcome! Blogging is something I truly enjoy so one of my goals for the new year is to continue writing, sharing ideas, thoughts, and inspirations. If you've waited, thanks for coming back and I look forward to sharing with you!