How Many Times a Day Do You Say Yes?

It’s funny how little lessons and aha moments can be wrapped in the oddest things.  As part of my marketing for one of my sites I’ve decided to use video.  I’ve been meaning to do this for well, ever. I finally decided to get down to it and just do it.

I’ve done a few “inspirational” type videos before, and wasn’t exactly sure how I was going to create a marketing video, and for a site filled with easy chicken recipes no less.  It occured to me yesterday afternoon I could do it very much like the inspirational videos and just take pictures through the process of creating the meal.

I found a great recipe to work with and then realized I didn’t have one of the ingredients. A quick trip to the store here is a 15 minute trip each way. So I packed Hanna in the car and trekked on out there and back. It was getting late by this time . . . how does the day slip away so quickly?

I started pulling together the ingredients so I could get a group shot before we started, and realized I was out of garlic powder. How on earth that happens I have no idea. I use garlic powder in almost everything. Ok cancel the salt in the recipe and throw in garlic salt instead.

I started putting the dish together taking pictures after each step. That’s when my husband comes home and asks if I just took a picture of raw chicken lol.

After the chicken was in the oven I decided to make some cornbread to go with it and realized we had no milk. Who drank the last of the milk? Well since I pour for two people who live here, it must have been the third. I thought about running back to the store but the chicken wouldn’t take that long to cook.

I finally decided to call our “neighbors” (they live about a mile away) and ask to borrow some milk. They agreed and I ran over. When I got there I was bludgeoned by a Christmas decoration explosion. I forgot their house is on the Christmas parade of homes, and WOW. It was beautiful, but I can’t imagine having the time to put all that stuff up, and THEN have to take it all back down again! We barely got one tree up.

Dinner was delicious. If you’d like the recipe you can get it on this quick chicken recipes lens. It’s the Mexican chicken one.  I’m also going to put the video on there as soon as I get it finished.

Which leads me back to this whole video thing. I’m trying to decide whether I should use music in the background or just narrate the process.  Each thing brings its own difficulties, finding music I can legally use, or figuring out how to capture my voice on the computer and effectively put it together with the images.

It dawned on me through this whole process how many times in a day or a project I have the choice to give up. We are big on giving choices to Hanna around here, she seems much happier when she has control over some of the things going on in her life, but I never really thought about the choices I make.

I’ve always been one to say you always have a choice, but never really realized how many times in one day I choose to keep going, when I could just as easily just quit.

There are at least 3 or 4 times I could have chosen to throw in a pizza or call for chinese food during that meal. I could have chosen not to do the video because I didn’t know exactly how I was going to do it. I could have chosen not to make the corn bread when I realized I didn’t have milk. I could have chosen not to make the video when I realized I didnt’ know how to do the sound. I still can choose not to do the video when I realized I STILL have no clue how to make the audio work.  I could always choose not to do something that makes me money while I’m sitting here at this computer working.

I’ve heard a quote about the fact you make a choice every second of your life, and I suppose it is true. I guess this is where having an outcome in mind helps you navigate all those choices. No matter what it’s about.

My desired outcome for my daugther is to be a self starting, independant thinker, who is happy and healthy. That really makes a difference in how I make choices in relation to her. If I just wanted a kid who did what she was told I would probably be making very different choices in the way I deal with her.

It’s the same with being able to work from home. Man, I have had a million (at least) choices to say no to this and walk away. But I have a desired outcome I’m working toward, and I just keep making choices second by second that will drive me in that direction.

I am not a huge fan of goals. I think we beat ourselves about the head and shoulders with goals, but I do believe in knowing where you want to be, or how you want the situation to turn out. It gives me a great way to navigate, not only my actions, but the emotions needed to get there.

This is turning into a crazy rambly post, I guess I had some things in my head I needed to work through. Thanks for listening and I’ll let you know how the video turns out.

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Rethinking Toddler Craft Time

As a recovering “all or nothing” thinker I often times need to stop and get some perspective on my ideas/beliefs about things, just to make sure I’m not having a relapse!

Yesterday this came up with my expectations of “craft time” with Hanna. She’s 2 1/2 and I guess in my never ending quest to be the “perfect” mother, I try to plan these awesome things we can do. Well yesterday I was about out of ideas and patience, so I sent out an SOS tweet for ways to entertain her.

I received quite a few replies (thanks @evelynsaenz @inertiarus @sassyword @partyboutique and of course @steveweber with his spongebob suggestion!) I was surprised that many of them involved bowls of stuff and mixing.

Quite frankly, that didn’t seem like much of an activity to me.  But seeing as I was at my wits end I put some mini pasta shells, some beans, popcorn, flour and sesame seeds in small bowls. Gave her a large mixing bowl, a rubber scraper and wooden spoon.

To my surprise, she LOVED it!! She mixed the ingredients all up, stirred and stirred, and then looked at her new “kitchen set” and started filling the pots and pans with her mixture, and began baking cookies and cakes. She was involved in this for over an hour ~ and probably would have lasted longer, but Daddy came in from working outside and completely distracted her!

I was excited that she had a good time, but the rethinking didn’t really start until this morning when I came across this post on The Magical Childhood website.  In this post she talks about how parents look at craft time as a finished product, when most toddlers don’t have the attention span to complete a whole project.

That really hit me.

It really is all about the JOURNEY, and enjoying the process. It’s NOT about the finished product, but about the fun and learning involved in the process. This makes “projects” like she did yesterday make perfect sense. It also makes me a lot less dismissive of project, activity and craft ideas that don’t result in a fantastic “end product”.

With that simple change in thinking my life just got a lot easier! Now that I think about it, I have been dismissing a LOT of ways to entertain my toddler lol.

It’s really interesting how the way I think about things completely influences how I parent. It’s kind of scary but also very liberating since the way I think is about the ONLY I have control over in this world, so it is within my power to change it!

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Teaching Toddlers Colors

Now that Christmas is over, and things are getting back to normal, I actually have time to get back to work! Yay, it feels good.  Work is of course interrupted by the wee one frequently. I’ve been trying to think of something a little more “structured” but it’s hard since I don’t do structured well to work on different things with her on a regular basis.

We have been working on colors for a while. She gets them sometimes and sometimes not so much. I’m sure if we did something a little more consistently she would know them all by heart, but alas, we don’t.

I did find this very cool article today, that I thought was something we could incorporate into our color learning.  Instead of making the blocks I was thinking we could just get color samples from Home Depot. May not be as sturdy, but I can get more than one.

Some of the ideas in this article sparked some ideas for being more consistent with some of our learning activities throughout the day and the week.  Here’s the article:

How to Teach Your Toddler Colors Using Homemade Color Tablets
Easy to make color tablets can be used in lots of fun ways to introduce colors to your toddler
View more »

I am also working on putting together a site featuring activities for toddlers, both to entertain and help them learn and grow. If you would like to contribute with your favorite toddler activity or an article on how you entertain your toddler at the store, on a plane, in the grocery store wherever I’d love to hear it!

Feel free to send activity ideas/articles to me and make sure you include your name (so I can give you credit on the site if I use your idea) and your toddler related website if you have one (so I can give you some link love!)

I know sometimes I have a hard time finding things to keep Hanna entertained and learning while I am working. If it’s a problem for me, I’m sure it’s a problem for other moms. Look forward to seeing how you other moms (and Dads) solve this problem

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This WAHM Gets Organized ~ Well at Least a Little

As an affiliate marketer and niche blogger I find myself having to remember a MILLION differnet urls, usernames and passwords.  Which I’m not very good at.

I keep the sites I go to a lot in my favorites bar in Firefox, but it’s a pretty small space for a busy blogger. The usernames and passwords are usually there when I get there, but when they aren’t I’m well . . . screwed.

I can’t even tell you right now, off the top of my head what the username and password is for my flagship internet marketing blog.  I thought making usernames that were similar would be smart, but it’s made the process much more difficult.

So I started writing things down on scraps of paper.  Yeah whatever, that doesn’t work with a 2 year old in the house. All those scraps have been repurposed into toddler art! I then tried using a notebook for all my pertinent information (especially bookmarking info) but I could never find the site I wanted when I wanted it.

I struggled with this for a while. Then one day it occurred to me, and I’m sure I read it somewhere, to save my life I don’t remember or I would give credit where credit is due, to get a rolodex.

Now I don’t mean to fill it up with all the numbers of the important people I know (there aren’t many), although I think the trash guy’s number is in there lol, but I use it to keep track of all my work at home business information.  Wordpress site urls, usernames, passwords, affiliate links, hoplinks, hosting account info, all the stuff I need to get through a work day with relative ease ~ at least information wise. I don’t think there is a rolodex that manages toddlers, if anyone knows of one, please let me know!

I am not saying I’m an organized person. In fact, I had to clear all the crap off the top of my rolodex to take a picture of it for this post, but I DO know exactly where my “work stuff” is and how to find it. I have tried online tools like roboform, but it just didn’t make sense to me. It seems a little ironic that I work online and use all these high tech gadgetty kind of things, but when it comes down to it, I really love to write things down on paper.

I’m working with @theflylady to overcome my CHAOS (can’t have anyone over) syndrome and this little rolodex definitely helps get through my work day a little more smoothly and saves me scads of time searching for my information.

I’d love to hear what you do to keep yourself organized working from home.  Give me a tweet @momtohanna or leave me a comment below.

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Making Magic In the Middle Cookies

I’m not much of a baker, but it is the holidays, and these cookies looked just too good to pass up.

So Hanna and I decided to tackle this delicious baking project. She and I have never really baked together before. She loves to cook, so she was all about it.

She helped pour the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl,and roll the “magic middles”.

Then she was all about rolling the big chocolate balls in sugar.

I didn’t realize how fun it would be to bake with the little monkey. She is very “me do it”, but she was able to be patient and help with the parts that were good for little fingers.

All in all we had a blast. The last batch is baking in the oven, and I can’t wait to sink my teeth into them.

I found the recipe for these “Magic in the MIddle” cookies on The Recipe Girl, a great recipe blog.  The cookies are a chocolate outside with a yummy peanut butter surprise in the middle.  It was a little complicated, but not difficult, just quite a few steps. It was a nice treat to spend a while with Hanna baking though.

Here’s how our cookies turned out.

Hanna has just declared them “delicious!”

Grab your kids and cook some yummy Magic in the Middle Cookies.  We’ve got some Sugar Cookies to make on Wednesday for Santa, so we’ll be back in the kitchen soon.

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Free Gifts Mom Can Give Herself for an Easier Holiday

I know as a work at home mom I am working ALL the time. It seems there is always something to do. In this holiday season (and really all year long) it’s smart to remember to take some time away from all the work, and even the dishes and spend some time with your kids and family.

I find if I have a special project it’s easier to build in that time to my schedule. Not sure what you can do? Here’ some ideas and free gifts to help you get started.

Build a Gingerbread House. This is one I would like to do myself. I think Hanna is old enough to help (and not destroy) the house as we go along.  Grab a free step by step guide to building a gingerbread house. If you don’t want to build the real thing, why not try decorating a virtual Gingerbread house. No sugar involved.

Why not do a little caroling? Whether it’s in the living room with hot cocoa or around the neighborhood. Here’s a great caroling song book you can print out and take with you.

If you want to try something fun the kids are sure to enjoy, why not do a little facepainting. Here’s a free guide to show you how to facepaint snowmen!

Once the holidays are over you can keep some positive vibes by planning meals so you never have to panic when you hear “what’s for dinner”. Here’s a free guide to meal planning. It will help you plan healthy meals, and save some money.

Merry Christmas Moms.

Remember, even in the holiday rush, take a minute for yourself. It only makes you a better mom.

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Free Hugs

This video has been around for a couple  years now, but it’s still one of my favorites.  It brings tears to my eyes and hope to my heart every time you see it. If you are having trouble finding the Christmas spirit this year, this video might help you find a little. at least I hope so.

There’s something about this video that just makes me open up and let love fill my heart.

How many hugs have you given away today?

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Hanna’s first Christmas Tree

Well, not exactly. We had a tree her first Christmas, but she probably doesn’t remember that, and last year we didn’t have a tree. This is the first tree she will remember I imagine.

I wasn’t really planning on getting a tree this year either, but when we went to the Christmas party earlier this week she started hanging candy canes on the tree and had a ball. It made me realize just how much she would enjoy putting a Christmas tree up.

I have started getting a little more Christmas spirit so we went out with Grandma and let Hanna pick out a tree today. We grabbed some apple cider and some Christmas music and let her go to town.

She had a blast. She enjoyed hanging the ornaments on the tree, although she was a bit frustrated that Grandma was in charge of the hangers, she thought she could have done it all just fine.

Here’s Hanna putting a new decoration on the tree.

Here’s Hanna after we finished decorating.

One try is all ya get with her!

Grandma got us both under the tree. It’s not the best shot but like I said, you only get one try with her.  Grandma’s not caught on to the “click it fast” if you want to get the pic yet.

After the tree was up we “watched” Happy Feet.  It was the first time I saw it. It looks like it’s going to be this cute little movie for kids. It’s not.  It was a good movie for the grown ups, but it was pretty sad. I had no idea it was so political.  Guess sometimes the commercials are deceptive.

Well those are memories I will cherish forever, and I hope we have started a family tradition we can carry on each year. (maybe with a different movie)

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Got the Christmas Blues?

It seems every year as the days get shorter, the sun shines a little less, and the snow comes in I get a little bit down.

This year things are tight financially, with new businessess both offline and on. I see myself falling into the old pattern of Christmas blues. It’s frustrating to be blue at Christmas, if you haven’t heard “It’s the happiest time of the year!!”. Not only am I feeling a little blue, I’m feeling guilty for not being festive and happy during the happiest time of the year. lol.

Not many people know this about me, as I can put on a happy face with the best of them.  However, yesterday I was thinking about the law of attraction, and how this is really an easily solved “problem” just by changing my focus, and my thoughts.

Seems I have this thought every year lol.

So yesterday I decided to do more things that make me feel good, and welcomed any and all suggestions from the Universe.

As they say, “ask and it’s given”. I have found so many wonderful things this morning.   I don’t feel like I’m getting much work done, but I think that is perception as well. I thought I’d share some of my cool finds with you today so in case some of you are having the holiday blues maybe one will make you feel good too.

Now remember I’m a work at home mom, so sometimes the things that make me happy are kinda strange.

TwitThat Am I the last person on Earth to have heard of this? What fun, now whenever I see something cool online I can tweet it right then and there.

Free Banner/Header Creator Thanks to my very dear friend @MaryKW I finally found a very easy and free banner creator. It also does headers and even those cool peelaway ads. I’m so excited to work on some banners for LearnItStepbyStep.com, that will be fun.

Shelfari.com A whole social network for people who love books. OMG. No WAY!! I can’t wait to see who I meet there. I’ll be setting up my bookshelf today.

(wow the weight is lifting as I type, and it feels so good)

Daily Messages From God via Neale Donald Walsch It is amazing how just what you need to hear shows up just as you need to hear it. Here’s today’s message:

On this day of your life, Jackie, I believe God wants you to know…

…that there are choirs singing in your head. If you listen,

you will hear the music. It is the song of angels.

Pay no attention to the sounds of the world. They are

just noises, and even when added up all together they

have no value, make no sense. Strain to hear the song

of angels. Listen to the melody within your soul.

This message is a metaphor. You know exactly what

it is trying to tell you.

Peppered Oil Recipe This year is a “homemade” kinda Christmas. I have done some mosaics for people, and this peppered oil recipe looks perfect for my mom who loves to cook. If I get it on today, it should be ready just in time for Christmas!

A gentle kick in the but I needed Sometimes a story or a poem or just words from another are all it takes to remind you what you DO have. That’s what the law of attraction is all about anyway right? Focusing on what you want or have instead of what you don’t.

Well I have to give a huge shout out to the Universe for pointing me in the right direction and @mariebeausoleil for posting the words i needed to hear. Thank you.

Funny how social networking can seem like a crazy thing ~ meeting all these people online, my husband is always telling me,  “You don’t know these people, you don’t know who they are.” I beg to differ. I think it is pretty easy to see who people are, and through this Christmas season I have found more support through my social network online than any social “network” I have in “real” life.

So to all of you out there thank you.  Have a merry Christmas, and may your heart be filled with joy. If it is your intention, there can be no other way.

I’m sure today will bring many more exciting things so I may be back to add to the list.

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Potato Soup Mix in a Jar

Today Hanna and I were invited to our local club Christmas party.  The local club is something I only became familiar with when we moved to the middle of nowhere. It seems country/farming women gather once a month to visit with neighbors and have lunch.

My mom is a member of one such club and invited us to the Christmas party which is always thrown by her neighbor.

The Christmas party is always quite nice. The house is decorated with about 250 angels. In fact, today that was one of the games she had us play. We had to count the angels in her house. The person who came closest won a prize.  I counted and counted and only came up with 199!

It was a little surprising when she announced there were 250. lol.

There is also gift giving, and this year I received Potato Soup Mix in a jar.  it was handmade and quite lovely.  I thought it was such a great gift, I asked for the recipe. It’s so easy and would make such a great gift I thought I’d share it with you.

Potato Soup Mix in a Jar 

1 3/4 cups instant mashed potatoes
1 1/2 cups dry milk
2 tbsp. instant chicken bullion
2 tsp. dried minced onion
1 tsp. dried parsley
1/4 tsp. ground white pepper
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/8 tsp. turmeric
1-1/2 tsp. seasoning salt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix. Place in 1 quart canning jars to store.

Makes 6 servings.

Instructions to attach to jar:
To Serve: place 1/2 cup mix in soup bowl and add 1 cup boiling water. Stir until smooth.

So if you haven’t gotten everyone bought for, why not put together some nice handmade gifts?

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