Whirlwind!

So I'm looking at my blog today after adding a new widget and I realize the last time I posted was to ring in the new year!
In that post I wanted the new year to be better than 2010... and, by my lack of posting, it has certainly been a whirlwind of a year so far.

January I spent out of work. Shortly after the holidays, I was suddenly no longer working at the Clinic I had worked at for almost 6 years. A new company had come aboard and took over and it was suddenly not the same place to work as it had been for all those years. It felt like I was never home with my family and I didn't have a free weekend anymore. I just wasn't happy there anymore and it carried over in to my personal life as well. So I closed the door on that aspect of my life and hoped another door would be open soon.
It took a month, but I was able to find another job that fit much better with what I wanted for my family. A Monday-Friday, 9-5 job that meant I was home every evening, every weekend, and every holiday. It did mean having to give up some of the other things that I had enjoyed over the years - volunteering at Sweetpea's school, getting together with friends during the days I wasn't scheduled to work , and just plain old having some time to myself on my days off - but overall those were little compared to the bigger payoff of having a more regular work schedule where I knew when I was working and I could be home in the evenings to give Sweetpea, and the family, a proper evening routine. I also had to get used to a 30 min drive to work compared to a 5 minute drive, but, again, in the long run the pay off is worth it.
I've been there a month and a half now and it's been wonderful! I'm still trying to get over the fact that there really are things called weekends :) And I can go to work every day and know that I am appreciated for what I am doing - and am told so on a regular basis. That definitely makes for a more enjoyable work environment!

February went fast for us. January-March is Girl Scout Cookie season and, being the troop Cookie Mom, I have a big hand in the pot on that one! February and March just flew by before I knew it. Cookies come in the end of February and then March is cookie booth month. It seemed every weekend in March was accounted for with Girl Scouts in one form or another.

March was also a tough month for my family - marking the year anniversary of that black day in my life when my Dad suddenly passed away. But we got through it as a family. And from here I'm hoping it just starts to get easier. Of course, there will always be those moments, but I think it's getting a little easier for me to handle every day. We have been trying to get together more often as a family and I think that helps Mom out more too. You really don't know how lucky you are to have such a close-knit family until something like this happens and you need to lean on each other a little more. We are certainly blessed.

And now it's April already - with no sign of a slow down in activities. April 17th marks hubby and my 12th Anniversary. We also have family and friends coming down to visit the end of the month. And then, of course, we have Easter... it just seems like it's never ending!

But even with all this going on, I am going to try to bring this blog back to live again. I will keep my eyes open for interesting things. I will try to have some witty and insightful posts on those quiet days :)
I'm still trying to come up with a "theme" for my blog. Some topic to focus on. But as of yet I haven't been able to think of anything exciting. If you have any ideas for me, feel free to let me know! But, for now, you'll all just have to deal with my ramblings on life.

That's it for my ramblings for now. I will try to post a little more often from this point forward :)
It's a beautiful day outside! I'm off to enjoy my weekend!

Rebirth

So it's been just over 3 months since my last post. Obviously, I haven't been in the right place to do any blogging - it's been pretty rough for me these past few months and for a long time I wasn't really in a good place.

The time has gone fast and it's hard to believe it's been 3 months already since that black day in my life. Although it's still not all sunshiny, I think it's time for a rebirth, so to speak, of my blog.

Time to get back to the book reviews, movie reviews and whatever else I find entertaining enough to talk about.

Hopefully it'll be something worth reading :)

Southern Living Blogger of the Week goes to...

... my good friend The EcoChic!!
I know it's kinda late in the week for me to pass this along - but it's been a crazy week for me.

I remember when EcoChic just started out - doing it for a hobby, just for fun. And now she's famous! LOL She's done a lot in the past few years and I am very proud of her for what she's accomplished. I love you C!!

Take a second and check out Southern Living's Mama Blogger of the Week and see for yourself how great she is!

Lunchbox Love

My friend MommyDoodles has a new, awesome giveaway going on that I think is the coolest thing ever - Kids lunchbox cards!

Say goodbye to the "napkin notes". Send your child to school with an illustrated, fun lunch time riddle.

Head on over to MommyDoodles and check it out for yourself!

A Ring-er of a deal!

So a couple of days ago I get an email from my friend MommyDoodles. I had won the latest contest on her blog! A Tungsten Ring!

Just for reading her blog, commenting, following her on Facebook and on Twitter, I got myself entered and by a random shuffle I got chosen.

I think I'm liking this whole online thing more and more :)
Stay tuned - I am finding more exciting and interesting things to send your way!

Thank you MommyDoodles!!

It's Party Time!

It's July 1st and what does that mean? Besides being Canada Day it's also the kick of my good friend The EcoChic's Eco-Summer Blog Party! Tons of fun, tons of giveaways - head on over to The EcoChic and check it out!

And while you're there, take a look at her new page! She's had a makeover courtesy of MommyDoodles. I just love it! If only my page looked so good LOL

EcoChic's Eco-Summer Blog Party

My good friend, The EcoChic, is hosting her first annual summer blog party and she would like to invite you!

What exactly is a blog party? The EcoChic says: It’s a combination of networking, marketing, and social media. For readers it will give you a chance to meet other eco-minded people around the world. You will learn about new and innovative green products and services. You may even win one of the many giveaways our sponsors will be providing. For businesses it is a great no (or low) cost marketing opportunity. You will be able to reach an audience as far as the Web can reach. The great thing about the Eco-Summer Blog Party is that everyone is involved. Readers are encouraged to spread the word to their friends via their own blogs and social media tools.

Interested or have any questions? Email theecochic@gmail.com or visit The EcoChic's website.