Life Lately + Weekend Goals

1. Jack is sleeping better (I know I should bite my tongue) and that has been such a blessing. I've actually been able to stay up for an hour after he goes to bed to watch tv, play on my phone, or read a book. Once 8 o'clock rolls around I'm done, whether all the stuff gets done or not. He has been going to bed at 9 and I try to be in the bed by 10 but will often stay up for another 30 minutes once I'm in the bed.

2. The weather has cooled down and I love it. I've switched back to hot coffee, we have been playing outside, and we are all enjoying planning all the fun fall activities.

3. I've been loving the new fall shows. Some are just new seasons and some new shows. How to Get Away With Murder is an all time fav and I'm loving the comedy Speechless. I'm also "trying" to watch Big Brother Over the Top which is solely online. I would much rather it be on tv but I'm trying to make it work with it being an online show.

4. Weight Watchers is going okay. I didn't have the best weekend but I still lost another pound which is better than a gain. My plan going into the weekend is to have only one cheat meal. So far I'm finding that I can live with doing WW. One obstacle I faced this week is we had Parent Teacher Conference and our PTO provided so much food. The picture below is just one of the tables. I did okay but wish I could have refrained a little more from grabbing a cookie here and there.

5. The Christmas shopping has begun! When you only have one income, and you are paid monthly, you really have to be intentional about shopping early and budgeting. I picked up this for Jack.

For my nephew Bennett I got this super hero set and I know he and Jack are going to have hours of fun with them. 

6. When Jack gets super whiny or the day is not going in a good direction I have found that sticking Jack in the tub is a game changer. I'm pretty lax about all the shenanigans that go on in the tub. If he wants to stay in there an hour, then so be it. I will happily read a book or clean up the bathroom. All the water that ends up in the floor helps that cleaning process right along. 

Weekend Goals

1. Watch lots of football.

2. Cook a pot of chili.

3. Stick to my diet.

4. Catch up on some of my shows.

5. Go to the Fall Festival.

6. Get caught up on all the laundry.

7. Put out my fall/Halloween decor.

Fall Bucket List

My love for fall runs deep. For one, I hate being hot and I hate mosquitos so fall is a serious relief for me. The humidity in southeast Arkansas is AWFUL and then all the mosquitos force you to stay inside. Summer around here is like winter for people up north-you can't go outside without it being a health risk. I don't feel like I'm talking this up, the struggle is very real for me. We have three more days of this literal hot mess and then we have 70's next week. I may or may not have jumped up and down when I saw the weather report tonight. I'll be able to breathe! I can wear my hair down all day! I won't be scratching at mosquito bites at every turn! I won't start sweating as soon as I step outside!

I'm looking forward to all those things plus so much more. I'm looking forward to taking Jack outside to play. The pumpkin patch has always been a favorite place of mine so I'm excited about that adventure. Jack did the fair rides for the first time last year and loved it so going to the fair is going to be a highlight. We are a major football family and will continue watching games all day on Saturdays. My sister and her family come over and we cook something. I'm also going to travel to Fayetteville in November which is a tradition. Jack's birthday and my niece's birthday are both in November so there will be lots of celebrations. 

Come on all things fall! I'm ready to put on a scarf or a hoodie. My absolute favorite part about fall is the weather. It is so cozy to me. Nothing I love better than a cool day with me laying on the couch with a good book, a cup of coffee, all the family bustling around me while a football game is playing in the background, with the smell of chili cooking. Sounds lovely doesn't it!

Happy Fall Y'all!!!!

Halloween Costumes

I was never a huge fan of Halloween until I had Jack. I'm not one who enjoys dressing up but I adore dressing Jack up. I also like putting Jack's costume together myself. After many days of looking on Pinterest I have narrowed it down to these six costumes.

I'm really leaning towards the Jack in the Box costume. I am nervous that the box will be too much for him. I'm going to make the box so we can wear it and then I'm going to let him try it on before I buy anything else or decorate the box. I don't want to put in too much effort if it isn't going to work.

Jack loves to pretend that he is a dog so that would be fun for him. He is also obsessed with Paw Patrol so I could make him one of those characters.

He also love the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and this Mickey costume is too cute.

I think the cotton candy is super unique. I would just do blue cotton candy. It might would be a pain to make though.

The gumball machine would be easy to make and Jack looks adorable in hats.

I also think the pinata is different but I think it would be a pain to make. It is super cute though.

Do you already know what your kids are going to be for Halloween? Which costumes above are your favorites? I love hearing what others think.

My Favorite Phone Apps

I love apps! I use apps every day of my life. Some apps I use to make my life easier and some most are for entertainment. Today I want to share with you my favorite apps and hopefully you will help me to discover some new ones that I need to download.

Here is the third page on my iphone

Entertainment Apps

Instagram is my favorite social media app. Oddly enough I follow more people I don't know in real life. I love looking into the lives of other people and seeing what they are doing, wearing, and loving. I find it interesting to because the people I'm following aren't near me. It is like taking a tour of the world from my phone.

Candy Crush is the only game app I have. It is a good time filler when I'm waiting, going to bed, or during those times when Jack is playing in the tub and I have to be nearby. I don't get to play much each day which is fine but I enjoy it for those few minutes. It's great that I can stop playing mid-game and then pick right back up where I stopped.

Podcast app is my most used. I listen to podcast every time I'm in the car. My new car picks it up via bluetooth and I start listening right where I was when I turned my car off. My all time favorite podcasts are The Mom Hour, The Big Boo Cast, Mom Struggling Well, and The Girl Next Door.

Useful Apps

Wunderlist is a list making app. You can create folders within folders and even share your lists for others to add items, as well as just send the lists to other people. Once you mark something off it disappears. Most of my lists are ones that can be ongoing. Here are a few of my lists: Christmas lists, questions (things I need to look up when I can), personal goals, work goals, to do, packing list, and books to read. I try to take a minute or two each day to look over what I can mark off or what I might like to add.

Groovebook is an app where you upload up to 100 pictures each month and you get a booklet of them for only $2.99. I love that once you upload the picture it marks it so you don't upload it more than you want. Lately I've been loving going to friends's Facebook photos, capturing them, and then uploading them to my Groovebook account. I've then been putting the pictures into a photo album and giving them as gifts.

Amazon is the main place where I shop online. I have a prime membership and I enjoy the free two day shipping. My favorite part about Amazon is getting to make wishlists and being able to view other wishlists. During Christmas I really use this feature a lot.

So now that I have shared my favorite apps, I would love to hear what apps you are using to make life easier and the ones you use for entertainment.

40 Book Challenge

1. A book based on a fairy tale
2. A National Book Award winner
3. A Young Adult bestseller
4. A book you haven't read since high school
5. A book translated to English
6. A romance set in the future
7. A book set in Europe
8. A book that is less than 150 pages
9. A NY Times bestseller
10. A book that is becoming a movie this year
11. A book recommended by someone you just met
12. A self-improvement book
13. A book you can finish in a day
14. A book written by a celebrity
15. A political memoir
16. A book that is at least 100 years older than you
17. A book that is more than 600 pages
18. A book from Oprah's book club
19. A science-fiction novel
20. A book recommended by a family member
21. A graphic novel
22. A book published in 2016
23. A book who the protagonist who has your occupation
24. A book that takes place during summer
25. A book and its prequel
26. A murder mystery
27. A book written by a comedian The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo
28. A dystopian novel
29. A book with a blue cover
30. A book of poetry
31. The first book you see in a bookstore
32. A classic from the 20th century
33. A book from the library
34. An autobiography
35. A book about a road trip
36. A book about a culture you are unfamiliar with
37. A satirical book
38. A book that takes place on an island
39. A book that guarantees to bring you joy
40. A book set in your home state

I'm participating in this year long 40 book challenge. A lot of librarians in my area are doing it also. We are sharing our books and getting great ideas from each other. I am not looking forward to reading some of these books. I'm not a science fiction person at all. I'm just going to do my best and have fun with it. 

Have you ever done a book challenge? 

September Goals

Here is a quick rundown of my September goals and BTW this September picture makes me so happy. I always consider September pre-fall and sometimes the anticipation is almost as good as the real thing.

September Goals

1. Read two books. I'm currently reading The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo. I love books by comedians. I'm also reading The Energy Bus which I love!

2. Cook more. I actually made tacos last night which isn't original but it did get me back into the kitchen.

3. Work on potty training Jack. Seriously, thorn in my side. I've had to learn to breathe and let it go at times. He is just stubborn. He knows what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. He is just lazy most of the time.

4. Putting together some fun work outfits. I'm looking forward to scarf weather!

5. Make our fall bucket list. I enjoy making this every year. I get out the calendar, call my sister to coordinate, and put the plans to paper. It always gets me excited.

6. Have fun at the beach. My friends and I are going next Wednesday and will be back that Sunday. It is the longest I've ever been away from Jack. I know it will be difficult but I'm going to do my best to not bore all my friends with my misery of missing him. They all have older kids, who of course they miss, but it is different when your baby is a toddler who doesn't grasp where Mama is going.

7. Make my decision about Weight Watchers. I'm thinking about joining WW once I get back from vacation. I'm worried with the holidays approaching that I'll gain weight. Over the summer I lost ten pounds but I have at least another 30 I want to lose. I've had success in the past with WW so I'm thinking about going that route again and a friend wants to join up with me. Any thoughts on your experience with WW?

8. Get into a happy after school rhythm. I almost wrote routine and that isn't what I want or need. Life is crazy and messy and there will never be a tried and true after school routine. I just want to add some more happy into that space of time.

Transitioning

I'm back today but don't know just yet when I'll be back more full time. Transitioning back into a full work schedule has been fairly difficult. Today marks our third full week back at school and although we aren't running like a well oiled machine, we are getting there.

Our mornings are pretty flawless and I'm getting to work early. This year I have an added job that is both stressful and exciting. I hope to do an amazing job, become a critical part, and hopefully add more to my resume. More money would not make me sad. Being on a single mom budget takes a lot of balancing. I get paid once a month and so once that money is gone-it's gone, but let me not ramble.

I'm doing fairly well with packing my lunch. The key is packing it the night before. I often have to tell myself "get in there and just get it done". I find it hard to think about food when I've recently had supper. I try to pack it while I'm making supper.

So let's talk about supper. I'm a big fat failure in this category. I'm talking corndogs, chicken fries, and noodles type of failure. Basically, I'm rocking it at work so I'm white knuckling it at home.

By the time I make the commute home I'm mentally and physically exhausted. The sickness has hit.  We've spent a few evenings outside enjoying the nice breeze. However, the warmth and humidity has come back full force and the tease I got hasn't made me too happy.

Our nightly routine is going pretty well. Jack still isn't the best sleeper. We have both good and bad nights. There are literally some nights where I go to sleep and he is just playing around me. I'll wake up a little while later and he will be fast asleep beside me.

I want to spend this week working on finding more energy after school, cooking more, and putting together more creative work attire. I am pretty basic but this year I've added in some colored pants and I want to work off that and mix things up.

Here are a few pictures from the past week.

Jack stacked all the pillows he could find to reach the light, and well, he feel. He's fine and he didn't learn his lesson.

My Secret Pal surprised me with a much needed large iced coffee from Sonic. I was pleasantly surprised how good it tasted!

My mom got me this cute bag that I will be taking with me to the beach.