Computer crazy

I got a new phone for my birthday and since then I have been on the computer trying to update all my computer info. I guess I'm behind the times. I had an old google email that was no longer in existence and it was hooked to my blog and everything else Google related. Plus we may be getting a new Internet service so my old email would not work if we do. Changes, Changes, Changes I do not like changes. But it's inevitable. Then I had to get my computer cleaned of viruses/malware and such. Sneeky little buggers get on there even with all the security I have. Well $90 is worth keeping this old machine working. 

I only have a few days left of being off track(or off of school because we go year round here) and all the grand plans of painting rooms and getting my craft room organized did not materialize. I did get he office clean and organized and the downstairs new and improved family/TV/game room cleaned up. I do have the paint and supplies ready for two bathrooms to be repainted. I guess it will have to be night work or wait until my next off track time the end of Jan. first of Feb.

Now I have to call IT to help with a scrapbooking program that I have on my computer that isn't working right. So glad for new systems that they can basically hack into my computer to look and see what's going on. Yea for technology :)  :(

Switchero Again



Well how life changes in a flash.

I now have left my retail management job at Kohl's and I am now back in the teaching game.

I am a full time para educator or commonly know as a teachers aid. I work in the special needs class with 1-4 graders and I LOVE it.

No more working overnighters and going in all hours of the day and night. I really did like the people and the work I did. I just did not like the hours and how much I missed a decent family life.

So now I get to dust off my crafts and my digital designs and start having some fun. I made this sign to help our kids learn ways to help with anger management. I used the super cute kit "Photo Bomb" by Fayette Designs at Pickleberry Pop. She's my favorite designer so go check her out. And if anyone needs to print this out and learn to control their anger you are welcome to it. LOL!

How I have enjoyed seeing my kids and husband after school and being there for homework, school appointments, my son's football games on Saturdays and going to church on Sundays.

I think sometimes you have to do something you don't love for a little while to get you where you want to be for the long while.

We have year round school here and I now am off for two week and have a list a mile long to get going on. So off the computer and on to cleaning, organizing, painting rooms, etc. etc. etc.

How my life has changed

It has been so long since I have had a chance to even sit down, let alone post on my blog. About 8 months ago I needed to get a full time job and quit substitute teaching which I loved so much. I had worked in retail management for 13 years before having kids. So it was really my only option when going back to work since I cannot do any kind of work where I sit all day (I would go bonkers).  I was lucky enough to have a husband that could earn enough money so I could stay home and be a full time mom when my kids were little. I did work when they were younger but it was things I could work around my families schedule like my scrapbooking business and substitute teaching. Now I work all hours of the day and night and I'm finding it hard and stressful and sometimes sad to miss things that are going on in my family. I know lots of Mom's are full time workers and then come home to do all the house and kid stuff too. I like to give 100% to what I do at work and home and I'm finding that it's just not possible anymore. I keep thinking that one of these days I'll get caught up on all the things I've neglected but that day never comes. I haven't had a lot of time for my creative outlet and maybe that would help, but that too is on the back burner. So I guess you do what you can do and then move on. I'm off work today and had a good workout at the gym and then I get to go see my son get an award of some kind at school. Then off to piano practice for one, guitar practice for another, laundry, and then the list goes on and on. But I have family members and friends who are going through much harder times with kids, husbands, money problems,violence and so on. And I realize that I'm very blessed with a great husband who works hard and does all he can to get us everything we need(and a lot we don't) Three kids who are respectful, kind, get good grades and are all around good kids. We have a beautiful home. We live near all our family members and get to see them all the time. When you look at things from the positive side you realize how good you have it and hopefully that will get me through my pity party.

Some Quick-Quick Pages

This page is using some of our first day of school pics.

This one was from our ward Halloween party. They had a ball.

And this one is of Nick getting his Arrow of Light and also getting a patch and certificate for getting all the badges that there were to get. Yeah, Nick.

I used this Quick Pages that were made by the fabulous Meredith Cardall. Her great designs are at Scrap Orchard. Her stuff is here.



Slacker Alert



Ok, so I'm such a big slacker on my blog and since I have a million and one pictures and things to say I just don't do it at all. I want to have a catch up post but I just don't do it. Maybe soon. Well obviously there has been a Disneyland trip, Halloween, Nick's Birthday, Thanksgiving, XMas, Vegas after Christmas vacation and now Valentines Day. So if you have a need to see what I'm up to jump onto facebook.

Here are just a few pictures of what I have been doing the last couple of weeks. Above is a pic of the treats I made my husband and kids.

Here's some treats I made for my young women's basketball team.

 

A little laundry room update. Paintable embossed wallpaper- who knew. Love it!

 

Then I had beadboard and mouldings put up in the entryway and kitchen. I have been painting like a made woman. Boy do I love remodeling and redecorating.

Volleyball motivation

Well I saw this cute idea on Pinterst and I needed to take a reminder around for my young womans volleyball team so I made these. I used a cute tag from Fayette designs.

Teacher stuff

Well I'm back doing substitute teaching for the year. 

First class was not the best so "NO TREAT FOR YOU!"

I also had a teacher ask me to make her some of my name magnets. I had previously made them for her class when I was subbing for her.

I use fun (small print) paper. I use one kind for the boys and another for the girls. I put each child's name on the paper making sure it will fit within the size of the clear flat glass marble. Then I put diamond glaze on each marble and place on top of the names. I let it dry and then cut out around the marble and use hot glue to put a round flat magnet on the back. 

You can use rub-ons, or clear stickers of any image you like.

Easy personalized magnets.

Teachers Rule

 

Well I used an older kit of Meredith Cardall called "Bushels of Fun" to make this for my sons team teachers. I printed on photo paper then cut in half and tied it to a multi pack of tissue boxes and a pack of sparkly magnets.

Back to School, Cool!

Well I have a 5th grader, 7th grader and a 9th grader. And I'm glad they are back in school on a regular routine other than sitting around playing Minecraft all day- except my daughter luckily has not found it interesting- she on the other hand found twitter.

Josh gets an extra picture because as a 7th grader he got to start on Monday and learn his schedule and figure out the whole Jr. High thing.

But luckily I still have Nick in elementary school and I walked with him to school and got the traditional picture by the school sign and he didn't even mind me waiting around to see him line up and walk in with his class.

The house is quieter during the day and I like it. But after school it's hustle and bustle just the way it should be.

 



Girls, Girls, Girls!

I finally made some scrapbook pages and probably only because I needed to put them up at church to show everyone the fun we had at girls camp. I used the new kit "Keep Calm-Garden On" by Meredith Cardall so go check it out along with all her other fabulous designs.

I am the girls camp director and copied this awesome art idea that my sisters had done in their ward. By using an art canvas, pieces of scrapbook paper, mod podge (homemade too- 1 cup water to 1 cup white glue.) paint and then all sorts of embellishments. With the words: I AM and then they could pick any of the other words to represent who they are. They seemed to really like it and I think they turned out fabulous. I only got a few of the leaders to do it so I included their pics too.

Disneyland #2 of 4 for 2012

Well my husband likes to buy things on Ebay and he was buying a truck from San Diego so we decided to make it into another Disneyland mini vacation. We flew out early on a Wednesday morning. He dropped the kids and I off at Disneyland and then drove down to pick up the truck while we played a while at Disneyland. This happened to be the week that the new Cars Land was opening up at California Adventure. So we hit a few things at C.A. on Wednesday because it was closing on Thursday so they could have a media and celebrity day. So Thursday we just enjoyed Disneyland and took in a few sites that we had previously missed like the Lincoln show, the parade and the train ride around the park. Plus the normal fun rides we enjoy like Space Mountain, Indiana Jones ride, etc. I wasn't going to bring my camera since we were just there 2 months ago but thought better of it and got a lot of new pics. On Friday we waited until the huge line to get into California Adventure went down and then we ventured in. WOW! 4+ hour wait to ride the car racing ride. There were even lines to get into the shops there. We just walked around and looked and then headed out. Then we drove to Las Vegas and stayed the night. The next day we hit the M&M factory, Coke store and the Hard Rock Cafe and got some tee shirts. Stopped and saw my brothers new house in St. George, UT. It was 109 degrees when we were there (too hot for this girl) and then made it home by about 1 in the morning. It was a mini vacation that felt like at least a weeks worth of activities. Now I have about a billion pictures so hope you like.

We also went to downtown Disney for dinner at The Rainforest Cafe and went to the LEGO store. They had the mose awesome displays.

They had some cute buses too

We saw the area that they were going to have a Mat Hatter party but sadly it was for Friday and Saturday and we wouldn't be there. Maybe next time.

Then off to Vegas