Just Heather :: 2010

Jan 21, 2010 | Filed Under: 40x40, Road Trip

stays on the internets! It was actually harder than expected to be sure I took a picture each day in Vegas. It wasn’t always me behind the camera, plus we tended to take a ton of pictures one day then just wander around without our camera the next. I actually missed yesterday completely—we spent the day traveling home. I meant to take a picture of the new Indy airport and completely forgot. I did get an iPhone picture from the airplane, though, so I guess my streak is still in effect!

: Day 14: View from our hotel room

: Day 15: My first limo ride – on our way to the Elvis wedding chapel!

: Day 16: Mirage: Fire, fire, fire!

: Day 17: Bowling for Boobies
(Real Men Wear Pink)

: Day 18: The hubby really likes the penny slots

: Day 19: Why do they keep giving me 2 straws?

: Day 20: I think I fly better at night – when I can’t see where we are!

: Bonus: Fountains at the Bellagio

: Bonus: The Mirage before the flames

Read the comments.

Review: Busy Couple’s Guide To Sharing the Work & Joy

Jan 19, 2010 | Filed Under: Love It, Sponsored Post

I’m a lucky girl—while I have been a stay-at-home mom for years, the hubby has always understood that mom ≠ maid. We’ve tried to do a 50-50 split, but as Kathy states in her book, it just doesn’t work! I haven’t always been great at defining how I need him to help. We made a lot of progress after we read His Needs, Her Needs a few years ago, but I was excited to have the opportunity to review The Busy Couple’s Guide to Sharing the Work and the Joy. That’s what we need—something to guide us along the way.

Kathy’s book is divided into several categories of household management. She provides tips & advice for splitting the workload for every category. Each chapter includes worksheets for figuring out what each half of the couple considers “normal” as well as guidelines for finding a compromise. The author’s husband even chimes in with a guy’s perspective on each topic.

My husband and I are reading this book together, which means it’s taking a lot longer to get through it. We’re sifting through one chapter at a time, completing the worksheets for each aspect of home management. I have high hopes this will give us the guidance we’ve been looking for to build on the progress we’ve made over the last few years. I’m a big non-fiction fan, though, and lucky enough to have a husband who will play along. This book will be good for those who are willing to put in a little homework, sit down together and work out solutions. I’m not sure how many couples fall into that category.

The Busy Couple’s Guide to Sharing the Work and the Joy by Kathy Peel
Publisher: Tyndale House
Price: Softcover $16.99
Author Bio (from Tyndale Site):
Kathy Peel is founder & CEO of Family Manager, a company that trains women in the art of family management. She has written 21 books, selling more than 2 million copies. Her latest works are The Busy Mom’s Guide to a Happy, Organized Home (winner of the 2009 Gold Mom’s Choice Award) & Desperate Households. She is AOL’s Kids & Family Coach and she contributes to many publications, including FamilyFun, Parents, Woman’s World, Family Circle and HomeLife. A popular speaker & media personality, Kathy’s Family Manager makeover stories have appeared on Oprah, The Early Show, The Today Show & HGTV.

This is a Mama Buzz review. A copy of the book was provided by Tyndale House for this review.

Project 365: After Bedtime Edition

Jan 13, 2010 | Filed Under: Just Because

Okay, so we’re 2 weeks into the year and I’m already forgetting to take pictures. This week’s Project 365 turned into Sokol Family Nightlife since I would panic somewhere between 8 and 10 pm that I forgot to take a picture!

: Day 6: You’re growing up, girl.

: Day 7: Someone is way too excited about the cold, wet stuff.

: Day 8: New jammies for her big, birthday slumber party.

: Day 9: Next year? A baker’s dozen!

: Day 10: Crap – the kids are all asleep. Where’s the dog?

: Day 11: Quick – I need a picture before midnight!

: Day 12: *Who’s* not a cat person?!

: Day 13: I’m going to be a Brownie girl when I grow up!

Introducing Project 365

Jan 06, 2010 | Filed Under: Almost Crafty

I am definitely not the photographer that some fabulous ladies around the blogosphere are, but I love to take pictures. I’m more of a scrapbooker (although, try telling that to the abandoned supplies in my craft closet). My new(ish), really awesome camera has been a lot of fun to have and produce fantastic portraits of my girls, but I’ve realized recently that I’m not taking as many random snapshots as I did when my camera fit into a purse. I have jumped on board with Project 365—a picture a day for 2010 (because I just don’t have enough projects around here) in hopes of getting back into the habit of recording everyday life. And, after that very wordy introduction, I present our first week of the year for Wordless Wednesday: