Just Heather
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Once Upon a Fashion Disaster
Feb 24, 2010 | Filed Under: 40x40, Fashion Disaster

How Yummie Tummie is helping with my 40×40 list:

25. Overhaul my wardrobe. (Alternate: Hire a fashion consultant.)

This is one of the 40×40 items I’m working on for the year. I have come a long way, truly. I think most of my fall/winter wardrobe is pretty good but I still have to make it through the spring & summer before I can cross it off the list. Teaching Lorelai how to take pictures on my phone has been a big key. She sends pictures to MFJ for approval, and I’m starting to pick up on what looks best. I also made huge leaps & bounds earlier this month with one, single article of clothing.

Yummie Tummie poseMy Blissdom roomie won a Yummie Tummie fitting—and returned to our room looking absolutely fabulous! I was super jealous of her new Yummie Tummie and mentioned that to their PR gal when I met her at a cocktail party later that evening. She rustled up a tank top in my size, and it’s changing everything. With my Yummie Tummie, I can shop from the back of my closet or rock my favorite shirts solo instead of under a baggie hoodie.

I got so many comments last weekend about how great I looked. I finally admitted to my mom & sis that it was a bit of an illusion. I’ve stuffed myself into Spanx before (okay, their Target low-end brand) but this is much more comfortable. It’s just like wearing a t-shirt. That hides all your momma bits. It’s like dropping a size just by wearing an undershirt! Of course, this presents an entirely new problem as several of my jeans no longer fit. Are belts in style? I just never know these things—I told you I was a disaster.

I like the idea of being a size smaller, though, especially as I shop for bridesmaid gowns with my sister. (Yep, working on #33 next!) The new Slippie is coming to my fitting with me. In fact, I’m ready to buy one in every style—and my mom wants one too. The price tag no longer scares me—it will be the best $68 I’ve ever spent. But, I will definitely keep my eye out for a coupon! It’s just what I do.

I was given a free Yummie Tummie at Blissdom (because I am super charming after 2 martinis). However, I was not asked to write this review and the opinion is 100% mine.

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22. Visit Las Vegas.
Feb 09, 2010 | Filed Under: 40x40, Road Trip

I’m not much of a traveler, but when I think of places I’d like to visit it tends to be because of something I saw on television. My life is so glamorous! Of course, if I’d included everywhere I’ve seen in a movie on my 40×40 list, there wouldn’t have been room for anything else. I had to be very selective about my travel choices, but Vegas was always on the list!

When Deb invited me to join her Mom Bloggers panel at Affiliate Summit West, I jumped at the chance, especially since Vegas is on the hubby’s 40×40 list too! Combining a few days of vacation travel with a business trip sounded like the most inexpensive way to make it happen. We headed to Las Vegas a few days before the conference, got married by Elvis on our first day there, and spent the rest of the weekend exploring the strip.

Doing Vegas on a budget meant we weren’t planning to spend a ton of money on shows. I checked out a huge list of free things to do in Vegas, and discovered the popular Show in the Sky Parade is in the conference hotel. We managed to stumble on it our first night of the conference. In the meantime, we checked out the lions at MGM, watched the fountains at the Bellagio and saw the Volcano Eruption at the Mirage.

Our most anticipated—and geekiest—part of the weekend was not entirely free. It appeared on the free list because there is no admission fee, but we did have to take a cab off the strip. It was way, way worth it and the rest of our afternoon at the Pinball Hall of Fame Museum cost just one roll of quarters! There were pinball machines from the 70s, 80s, 90s and current models—play was at the original cost.

I played Star Wars pinball, Super Mario pinball, Q-Bert pinball and so many more! I also spent a single quarter playing Asteroids—and had a blast watching the hubby spend $3 trying to beat my high score. If we ever make it back to Vegas, this is definitely on the list again. Of course, a return trip to Vegas is practically guaranteed. The New York roller coaster was on the hubby’s 40×40 but it was closed for repair during our entire stay!

We did get see it, though, along with Ceasar’s Palace, Paris, Flamingo and Harrah’s. It was pretty much our goal to walk through every well known casino. We’re not huge gamblers, but it was tons of fun anyway. We did try our hand at Craps but my only money maker was the sports pit. If only the hubby had given me a larger gambling allowance in there! Next time, maybe he’ll have more faith in my sports knowledge.

Because there will be a next time! (Hopefully soon.)

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28. Ride in a limo.
Jan 31, 2010 | Filed Under: 40x40

I am 32 years old and have never been in a limo before. It always looks so glamorous, so on 40×40“>the list it went! When I found out the Elvis wedding package for our vow renewal included a limo ride from the hotel to the chapel, I was cautiously excited. I half expected it be some tacky, cheap “limousine” so I was pleasantly surprised when the white, stretch limo of my dreams arrived to transport us to our (2nd) wedding!

Riding in the limo

Inside the limo—the lights above us change colors!

A pic of our wedding shoes

A pic of our wedding shoes—note the colorful lights

How hot is that?!

How hot is that?!

My first limousine ride

My first limousine ride

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7. Get a College Degree.
Jan 28, 2010 | Filed Under: 40x40

…I’ve spent the last 11 years as a stay-at-home mom, adding kidlets along the way. Going back to school was always on the radar (and, of course, made the 40×40“>official list) but I didn’t have a timeline and it wasn’t on my radar. Then, my business began to grow, and I frequently wished I knew more about managing it. An MBA was out of the question since I didn’t even have an undergraduate degree.

At one point, I looked into a business major but I would have been practically starting over after my previous 4 majors. I really didn’t have the motivation to start college as a freshman. It all seemed so pointless to me but I was determined to make it happen eventually, even if just to prove to my dad that I could. Then, a simple, passing conversation changed everything.

My parents were upset that my cousin didn’t invite people to her December ceremony. Dad commented that none of his kids had made it so this was a huge deal to him and they would absolutely have been there—even with Christmas days away. She turned to me in shock and said, “You never graduated? Didn’t you go to Ball State forever?” Let’s see…4 full years, as a matter of fact—including summers. They kind of don’t like to give you a degree, though, when you skip around and drop majors all the time.

That’s when she asked why I couldn’t just get a General Studies degree to be done with it. Huh…never occurred to me. It really got my wheels turning, and I contacted my former advisor at Ball State to see how that worked. She told me I was completely finished minus 1 core science course but I needed a few extra hours plus a BGS requires 2 minors. She turned my El Ed work into 1 minor, and gave me a list of all the minors offered completely online.

To make my decision even easier, she also highlighted 2 minors for which some of my other classes already qualified! I picked Psychology of Human Behavior—mostly because it required less classes but partly because understanding that can only be helpful to a parent. I would later find out that I took so many education classes I didn’t need the minor anyway. One “major emphasis” would count so I was able to stop with the horrid science classes to complete my last few hours of coursework with the business class I would actually use.

For two years, I have completed classes (mostly online), written papers, taken tests and had real &amp actual homework! It was a lot of work, and my family deserves all the credit! The school stuff was actually quite easy—it was just time-consuming enough to take me away from cooking, cleaning and managing things at home. (Not that I was ever good at those to begin with.) Spencer picked up a ton of slack, our marriage suffered (though this was certainly not our only issue) and the Mommy Guilt was frequently overwhelming.

Through the success of our alphabet dating project, the magic of a meteor shower and a lot of hard work, we are happier than ever. The Mommy Guilt, I’m sure, is here to stay. However, I am pleased to announce after 14 years, 10 moves, 8 towns, 5 majors and 3 kids, I am an official college graduate!

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Back to School
Jan 24, 2010 | Filed Under: 40x40, Waxing Nostalgic

heather-at-high-school-graduationAlmost 15 years ago, I graduated from high school. At the end of the summer, I packed up and moved to Muncie, Indiana for college. Because that’s what you do next. I was enrolled in the College of Architecture & Planning—after 4 years of architectural & drafting classes, I thought for sure I knew exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up. Oh, to be young again and so sure of myself! Before the year was up, I had moved on to Landscape Architecture but that was only the first of many changes.

Just a few short months later, I met the man who would soon become the love of my life. Freshman life continued—I gained the requisite 15, drank a little, flirted with Spencer a lot and went to class when strictly required. Due to the intensity of my architecture program, classes continued through the summer. Most of my friends went home for a few months, but Spencer and I were left behind. The rest is history, and plays a big part in the twists of this story.

1997-010I had never really intended to get married and never saw myself having children. As a teen, I ignored all the people who told me everything would change when I found “the one” but I’m a believer now! Suddenly, my entire future changed. I had visions of Elyse Keaton, but it just didn’t feel right. My heart wasn’t in architecture anymore. Before school resumed in the fall, I changed my major to the only thing I could see working with our plans for a family—education.

My exact major was Early Education—I was going to teach preschool like my mom! She was always there for us before school, after school and in the evenings. It was what we wanted for our children. It only took a semester for me to widen my focus and change my major (yes, again) to Elementary Education with an Early Ed minor. I was actually enjoying my classes, and, once again, continued work through the summer to catch up on the time I lost with my first 2 majors. By then, I officially had a ring on my finger. I wanted to finish college as quickly as possible so we could move on to planning our wedding.

1998-025That’s when life threw us a big curveball—her name is Stacia, and she just turned 12. Because when I make plans, God laughs. Wedding plans shifted to immediately. We were married in August, I continued school and our daughter was born the following January. Just 6 days after she was born, I returned to classes (part-time) since my parents were convinced if I didn’t stay in school, I would never go back. As long as I continued college, they agreed to continue helping with my portion of the rent & groceries. As a broke newlywed with an infant, free money seemed like a good idea at the time.

I started full time again the following fall, and hated it! During the spring semester, I took a Foundations of Education class with a professor who changed my life. During a lesson on the purpose of education, he posed the question, “Why are you here?” My answer? Because my parents said I had to be. The discussion that followed was involved, thought-provoking and heart-wrenching.

I aced the class, with high praise on my final paper titled “Why I’m Dropping Out of School.”

I see I could have worked harder in all my classes, but I have also realized that it is not because I didn’t want to learn. My motivation lies at home with my family. I am much more concerned with my daughter and our relationship than I am with completing homework assignments. For this reason I have made the decision not to return to school next year. I am going to take a break until my family and I are more prepared. It is this class that made me realize I am in school for all the wrong reasons.

I should not force myself to take classes I do not care about just because it is important to my parents. School can wait until is a priority for me. When I return, it will be because I am ready to learn. The things I have learned over the last semester have empowered me to do what I feel is right for me and my family. Education is very important to me, and I do intend to return. This is just not the right time, and I now see that it is doing more harm than good for me to continue.

I wrote those words more than 10 years ago. I was practically still a child but clearly wise beyond my years! They still ring just as true to me today. I fully stand behind my decision to withdraw from Ball State. My parents, however, did not. I remember my dad telling me I’d never go back. I remember the look of disappointment on his face, and I became determined to replace it with pride. But only on my schedule. My time arrived 2 years ago, when I re-enrolled at Ball State University…

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Project 365: What Happens in Vegas…
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!

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2010 To Do List
Dec 29, 2009 | Filed Under: 40x40, Hectic Holidays

In lieu of traditional New Year’s Resolutions, I am creating a list of Someday items to complete in 2010. I almost put “Get remarried” but since that is already planned (in Vegas with Elvis!) for January 16th, it felt a little like cheating. I am pulling a few leftovers from our Summer Fun list, declaring a timeline for a couple 40×40 items and throwing in a some fun things I’ve always wanted to do. In no particular order, 2010 will be the year to:

  1. Take a Florida vacation.
  2. Overhaul my wardrobe.
  3. Eat at a hole-in-the-wall diner.
  4. Watch a movie at a drive-in.
  5. Fly a kite with the girls.
  6. Make homemade ice cream.
  7. Get a tattoo.
  8. Play more games.
  9. Be the best bridesmaid EVER.
  10. Picnic at the ocean.

That looks like so much more fun than last week’s to-do list! Some of the items are already in the works (we just announced our fall Disney vacation to the girls!) and some will take a bit of planning, but it will all be fun along the way. If you have resolutions for the New Year, be sure to link them up in today’s Money Saving Monday at my second home, Inexpensively.

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Planning to Plan Ahead
Nov 30, 2009 | Filed Under: Household CEO, Living Inexpensively, Picky Eater

freezer-cooking-day
Last month, I stumbled on a #bakingday hashtag through my Twitter feed. The idea is to tweet and/or blog about your freezer cooking progress to give one another ideas & encouragement. It sounded fascinating, and I wanted desperately to jump in. However, as I was not prepared or stocked for 2 days of baking, it just wasn’t in the cards. I was paying attention this time around, though, and have been buying ingredients here and there for the last few weeks.

I RSVPd on Facebook, and have been watching Money Saving Mom and Life As Mom for all the details. I was all set to blog about my plans when I realized I didn’t really have any. Basically, at this point I know I want to use up the leftovers from Thanksgiving, and put together some breakfast & lunch options since the next few weeks will be very hectic and exhausting. It’s time to put together an actual plan.

The Freezer Cooking Menu:
Turkey Pot Pie (leftover turkey & veggies)
Ham & Potato Casserole (leftover ham & amp; broccoli)
Stuffed Baked Potatoes (leftover cheese & Hormel bacon bits I got triples shopping last week)
Baked Potato Soup (Seriously, I bought a ton of bacon bits)
Lasagna (the sauce is ready from doubling the recipe last time; I just need gluten free noodles)
Cranberry Muffins (leftover cranberry relish)
Banana Nut Bread (I just have a lot of bananas right now)
Breakfast Casseroles (I way overshot on the eggs we’d need for Thanksgiving baking)
Ham & Cheese Omelets (Again with the eggs!)

That gives me some lunches, a few breakfasts and several dinners to get us through my last few weeks of college. I think the ingredients overlap quite nicely to make it easy on me. I’m not getting too ambitious since I’ve got homework, Girl Scouts and a 4-year-old, but I’m hoping to make some progress. If you see me tweeting tomorrow without the #oamc hashtag, make me get back to work!

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