A Look Back

A friend posted this vintage pic of me to Facebook last year. 

There are more recent days that I can't remember, but this moment is pretty clear. This was during my junior year of college. My sorority was hosting a fundraiser, and my BFF and I were co-chairs. The tuxedo shirt was the evening's uniform. A Soror snapped this pic while we were setting up. 

That event (DST King of Hearts Pageant) was the first event I'd ever planned. There were so many moving parts, and I was a bundle of nerves. One of the contestants was driving me batty, and I remember screaming at him at some point. There were a few other hiccups, but overall, the evening went well. 

I didn't appreciate this photo until I ran across it a couple of weeks ago. I make my living as a project manager and event planner, so this pic is a glimpse of how I started. 

One thing I wish I had known then is that the unexpected will always happen, no matter how well you plan. What makes the difference is how you navigate the bumps along the way. Keep a cool head, a calm demeanor, and treat your team with respect. 

Oh, and wear comfortable shoes. I had on heels that night. My feet were killing me by the time I got home. 

Five Minute Baby Bag

Last week, I took Lil Ma to a birthday party. Not long after we arrived, it was time for a diaper change. The hostess graciously escorted us to the birthday girl's nursery and offered the use of their changing table.

"Feel free to use whatever you need," she said as she left the room.

I put Lil Ma on the floor so I could look in my bag for supplies. I unzipped it and was met with chaos. Tissues, burp cloths and clothes spilled out. I pushed the mess aside and pulled out a diaper. While trying to keep Lil Ma from going into the closet, I kept looking for wipes and diaper cream. I knew they were in there, but I couldn't find them.

So I took the hostess up on her offer and used whatever I couldn't find in my personal black hole.

About an hour later, Lil Ma was getting cranky. I went back to the bag and fished around for what felt like ages before I found a baggie with baby food.

When I got home, I was determined to get the bag in order. It took less than a minute to figure out the problem. Instead of checking the bag's contents before packing, Hubby and I would just grab new supplies and cram them on top of the old ones.

Five focused minutes has my diaper bag ready for the next trip. Here's what I did.

1. Toss. I found two crusty spoons, a half-eaten jar of food and a gaggle of dirty clothes. I shudder to think how long those things were in there. Besides being a waste of space, they're just gross.

2. Reduce. While I do need a supply of diapers when I run an errand, it's highly unlikely that I'll need 10 of them. Cutting down to four or five saves space. I keep a few extra in the car for emergencies.  

3. Refill. My wipes container, once I found it, was empty. The zip bag I use for extra clean clothes was empty too. I refilled them both.

4. Compartmentalize. I have a gazillion cosmetics bags from various free gifts with purchases. Those are perfect for holding little items like tissue, lip balm, lotion, or diaper cream.

5. Repeat. To maintain order and keep science projects at bay, I'll have to do a clean out after each use.

I'm going to take my newly organzied bag on the road tomorrow, so I'll see how it goes. It will be a win if I can find the A&D ointment.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Parents Say the Darnedest Things

Bill Cosby once had a show about the delightful things that children say. I never watched an episode, but I remember how much my dad loved it. I was a single girl focused on starting her career, and the thought of motherhood gave me the willies. The show had zero appeal.

Funny how things have changed. I'm now a mother of two energetic girls, and I'm exceedingly tickled by their interpretations of the world. Hubby and I were just laughing about how Mini Me once believed frogs rode schoolbuses thanks to a Leap Frog toy she had. Lil Ma hasn't learned to talk yet, but her expressions say plenty.

As comical as those moments can be, I sometimes find what I tell my children even more hilarious. Hubby and I have said things in the past eight years that I never thought would need to be said by anyone. 

Here's a sample from just this week:

"Don't eat your shoes!"

"We kiss with our lips, not our teeth."

"Is that poo on your hands?"

"Say goodnight to the beach ball."

This just might be my favorite of all time:

"Please don't step on Daddy's man parts."

What's the funniest thing you've said to your children?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

#31WriteNow Blog Challenge

When writing and I are in the midst of a love affair, things are good. Sentences and turns of phrase come to me without hesitation. Paragraphs feel as if they write themselves. And the best part? I like what I've created.

But writing and I aren't together right now. Putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard feels like a chore. I often face a blank screen instead of inspiration.

Life has pulled us in two different directions. A new baby, a new job for Hubby, and a quasi-new job for me are just a few of the forces that have grappled for my attention. Over the past few months, I've been trying to get us reunited. It's been a series of fits and starts.

So when I ran across Awesomely Luvvie's post about a 31-day blog challenge for August, I was intrigued. The challenge is to post new content every day from now until the end of the month. No throwbacks.

After my initial interest settled, doubt began to creep in. I have too much to do. Work is starting to pick up. Hubby will be leaving town soon. The three posts a week I've been trying to write are hard enough; there's no way I can handle a post a day.

Doubt moved to worry: What if I fall off after a week? What if I can't think of anything to write?

Worry gave way to fear: What if I my writing is awful? What if the love affair never returns?

Our relationship may not become what it once was, or it could come back stronger that ever. I won't know, though, until I try. So I'm closing my eyes, taking a deep breath, and digging in.

I hope you will come along for the ride.