Just Me!!

As I was laying in bed the other night I came to the realization that I am not myself. As a matter of fact I haven't been my true self in a very long time. I don't know where the turning point happened but I really miss being the happy go lucky person that would rather sit at home or enjoy a shopping trip and lunch with my best of friends. Instead I am the on the go, wanting to help with everything and being out there everywhere and wanting to be a part of everything because I thought it was the right thing to do.

I miss a lot of things that make me who I am and I would say that the biggest ones are my family, my church (which was a big part of my life growing up), my shopping buddies, my once a month lunch date, my date nights with my husband, sitting down with a bottle of wine and basking at all the things I am truly thankful for. 

I have become this person who is fighting to "fit" in to a place I don't belong with people who aren't meant to be in my life and who just are there because I seek them out. The so called friends who tell me they miss me  when they hadn't seen me, but really they are just saying that to be nice. I see the looks and know the routine because I myself am guilty of doing that to the people I love the most. You get that "oh no what do they want now"  look and then start looking around to send out the silent signal to someone to come rescue you because it is not nice to be rude and you would rather be talking to anyone but the person you are talking to. The I don't dare ask how they are because I don't have the energy to talk to them or yet listen to their nonsense.

I find myself wanting to go back in time and have a do over so I can avoid making the same mistakes. I know I would choose wiser and not go astray from the values that were instilled in me by my grandparents. My grandparents were and are my rock when things got crazy in life they were there with a load of advise open arms and a shoulder to cry on. I really leaned on them and now I hardly see or talk to those that are still living.

I miss my one and only "best" friends from high school. The one who if we did not talk to for a long time we could pick up right where we left off as if we had been there the whole time. I miss our lunch dates. I miss her introducing me to new restaurants, food, wine and drinks. I miss the long talks about nothing and everything. I miss the see who can bee later me or her since being on time is not one of our strong suits. I miss griping about the kids,significant other and the woes of life. I miss reminiscing about the crazy stuff we use to do.

I miss the late night calls to my most "Fave" cousin. I miss talking to her about the crazy times we had growing up and the trips we use to go on with grandpa and what new creations she has come up with in her addiction to crocheting.  I miss hearing about her adventures and telling her about the girls. I miss her period.

I miss my husband. I miss the silly little notes we would write to one another. The date nights which we would go to dinner and the go walk off the food we at at either Target or Walmart sometimes we would go to the mall and just walk around. I miss dreaming and planning with him. I miss snuggling with him. We still live in the same house but I feel as though we are separated, more like roommates rather than a couple. I feel like I have changed and yet he is still the same.

This is me venting wanting to change the unchangeable. My outlet, my story. Plain and simply put just me!!

New Direction

I decided to give this another shot since I have been pushing the blog world off to the side for the past year as life has been filled with changes in jobs, personal life changes, family illnesses and deaths.

I took some time to reflect on exactly why I wanted to start blogging in the first place. I needed an outlet to keep my sanity and then I foolishly tried to fit in the blogging world with trying new weekly segments but it didn't work out the way I had planned. I had imagined this awesome blog with everything from beauty tips to going green since I am a Hair Stylist and BeautiControl Consultant and I am trying to be more Eco- friendly, but lets face it I am not as good with words and advise as I was imagining. When it came time to put my thoughts into words I struggled and got so frustrated that I gave up. As a matter of fact I haven't logged on here since my last post until now. Pretty pathetic I know.

Last February I accepted a job as a Teacher's Associate (or Para) at the elementary school. I still work two nights a week in the salon, but I am finding the job at the school to be a little more fulfilling. I love working with children especially those with special needs. I wish I could talk about the things that happen at the school but I can't because of confidentiality but I will say that kids both say and do the darnedest things, They are so cute, funny, energetic and yet so stressful all at the same time.

I have hopes to post a new random blog at least once a week but I am not making any promises. I will gladly accept any in put, encouragement and criticism. Thanks for reading!!

Cleaning Green

I have discovered this past week the power of baking soda. I am in the process of trying out various recipes using baking soda. The first one is a recipe that cleans tile grout . I want to use it at the salon I work in. The building use to be a restaurant and it is made with tan shiny grouted bricks.. Not our first choice for decor but since we can't change it we need to try to clean it up. I was browsing the net looking for a solution to fix the problem without all the toxic chemicals and this is what I found:
   

Tile and Grout Paste
1 cup water and 3 cups baking soda mixed into a paste. Use a toothbrush to scrub the paste into grout.

The net has so much to offer in the way of natural and may I say cheap alternatives  to the standard  Clorox, Soft Scrub and Comet we are use to using. Not all "Green " cleaners are chemical free and are still harmful My goal is to publish a new web site with cheap eco-friendly ideas and recipes to clean green using thing in your pantry. If you discover a site, book, magazine, or have some advise of your own please share by posting a comment in the comment section of this blog.

On http://greenlivingideas.com/topics/eco-home-living/housecleaning/natural-cleaning-recipes  there is even a recipe for pampering you tired hands naturally.

Makeover Monday's - The Introduction

I have decided to add yet another segment to try and attract more readers to my blog.. I get the feeling I am either very boring, not writing enough or I have more readers than I know..

As those of you who know me very well I am a hairdresser, some of my client think of me as "a miracle worker" and then I have some who think I carry around a magic wand (if that was the case I would be skinny and have the best hair at all times and not to mention rich).  I have been a hairdresser or as I like to say Stylist for 14 years. I have worked most of the 14 years in Muscatine, IA.  I am not a self proclaimed know it all but I am very confident that I can accomplish almost anything. It has been thru the last many years that I have had trial and tribulations in the salon and have faced many a problems. Some accomplished and some not. Hey, I am human and I do make mistakes but I will try my hardest to give my clients what they want..

My clients are the best. I have the ones who aren't scared to try something new and I have those that just like to stick to the usual, some I can joke around with and some that I am serious with. I love and hold both types near and dear to my heart, after all they are all my bread and butter. My life line.. I am always looking at the new trends and I will be honest some scare me to death but that is what I like about my profession it is constantly changing.  I myself have changed too. I ended Cosmetology School with semi long hair and within 2 years I had short permed hair. For a year after that I grew it out to then turn around and cut it off again until 61/2 years ago when I grew it out again. In the process of all the cutting and growing I have had various shades of color as well. I have had red, red with blonde, dark brown with blue and blonde, dark red, blonde on the bottom with dark brown on top, dark brown, dark brown with blonde hilites, to now being almost all dark blonde. I am sure I have had more in between but these are the ones that I remember.

It's amuses me to think about how color use to scare me and I swore that I would never understand it and here I am today loving it. I would rather do a color than a perm any day. Color is my passion. It is where my creative juices kick in. I can take a color formula and make it my own. I feel the most alive when concocting a color formula or figuring out how to correct the famous "I used a box color at home and don't understand why my hair looks red , grey , green, or ashy?" or even better "I have used the same color for years and this time it looks black!" and yet another is "why does my hair look so splotchy?" HELLO!!! do you think it has anything to do with the fact that you "did it in the kitchen" I want to say but I just smile and figure out how to fix it.

Next week is the big debate over professional products vs. store bought products and how each affect your hair. If there is any topic (hair related) you would like me to talk about post it in the comments section following this blog and I will pick a new topic each week.

Turning Over A New Leaf !!

I purchased a book titled "Green Cleaning" in hopes of trying to be more eco- friendly.  In the last few years I have become more aware of the chemicals that are in the air we breath, the food we eat, and the cleaners we use on a daily basis..

Since I have taken to cleaning houses on Tuesdays with two of my friends for some extra cash, I have learned quickly that vinegar is my new best friend. Granted I don't especially care for the smell by it's self but mixed with water it's not so bad. It is wonderful on hardwood floors and ceramic tile. It doesn't streak on glass and it does kill germs, bonus. I learned (and can't wait to put to use) that if you mix 2 parts cream of tartar and one part hydrogen peroxide you can shine up your stainless steel sink. Since I don't have a stainless steel sink I am going to use my bathroom garbage can as a testing tool or maybe my toaster. 

Baking soda and salt are mentioned in the book so I can't wait to read on and learn how to use things in my pantry to clean and disinfect my home.. Maybe this could be a "blog of the day". I could even call it "Green Tips Tuesdays".. I am not good a creating catchy phrases so name ideas are very much welcomed. Hummm do I see a contest in the future.. Maybe !!!

Enjoy :)

What A Week!!!

I know I am late getting published this week but I have been super busy and haven't had a chance to get caught up.. I know excuses, excuses but this week you get a glimpse into my life with two very active daughters.

Monday was a busy night at the salon. I worked from 12pm to 8pm. The salon I work in just changed ownership at the first of the year and the new owners are in the process of remodeling so between clients i was trying to get some much needed cleaning done (gotta love snow and dirt) Very exciting as it is time for a change and a fresh start but with the same wonderful women.

Tuesday I worked my second job (cleaning houses) from 7:30 am to 2pm. This is my weekly exercise (not really) but it allows for fun stuff like thrift shopping and eating out and dance classes for Dakota. Dakota need picked up from Honor Choir practice and then off to dance class she went. Ashley in the mean time needed to be at the High School for Pep Band at the basketball game GO BEAVERS!!! I had yet another cleaning job to do at an office 30 minutes from home and in the meantime Terry is sick :(   Ashley and Terry would go to Tae kwon Do if he wouldn't have been sick. I got home at 7pm, ate dinner and picked up Ashley from the game and  Dakota from dance then it was home for showers and bedtime routine..

Wednesday I rode with my friend to her doctors appointment in Iowa City and then did a little shopping, had lunch and shopped some more. I didn't spend much but we did find a new store we are going to stop at as much as possible. Home by 3pm to get Dakota from school and off to Piano lessons. After Piano lessons it was off to Tipton to pick up our deer meat and make a stop at Wal Mart to find a micro sd card for Dakota's phone. Home by 6:30pm made dinner and picked up Ashley from Youth Group at 8pm. Showers and bedtime .

Thursday was Mommy / Daddy date day and I needed to get supplies for the salon , lunch at Red Lobster more errands and then home to get Ashley from School, take the band t shirt order I forgot to send with Ashley and Dakota's t shirt order form to the Elementary. take Ashley to West Liberty to the Orthodontist. Home to get Dakota from the Library and then take some papers to a friend and then back home to get Girl Scout Cookie order forms ready to be picked up and then out the door to deliver a order form, pick up another friend and head to the Girl Scout Service Unit meeting in Walcott. Normally Ashley and Terry have Tae Kwon Do but they played hookie this week Home by 8:45 pm to catch the last of Grey's Anatomy and actually watch Private Practice while switching out laundry since I was rudely woke up  at 7am to a huge pee spot lovingly left by Leila on my bed (even after I let her out before bed ). Download music onto Dakota's sd card and off to bed.

Today I left for work at 8:30 am picked up a co workers client who doesn't drive ( this is an every Friday routine) went to Walgreens, Menards and then dropped the dry cleaning off at Burke Cleaners got to work at 9:50am, unloaded the supplies purchased yesterday and was back to back with clients all day til 9pm. Now i am catching up on laundry and blogging. Not sure what we are doing tomorrow but I know that Sunday is church and then who knows..

This is a peak of my daily life and I know that there are people out there that have way more hectic lives than mine but when you don't know if you are coming or going I feel it is pretty crazy... Ashley really need to take interest in learning how to drive or I need to be more organized or have my kids not be overly involved..

I NEED TOPIC IDEAS!!!!

2010 Here I Come.

I have been so lax on posting on my blog and that is going to change, not making any promises but I am going to give it my best shot.. I don't do the whole "New Year's Resolution" thing but I have resolved to:
1. lose weight
2. be more positive
3. be more adventurous ( that is scary)
4. daily devotions (failing so far)
5. use the golf clubs Terry bought me over 5 years ago. (my putter still has the plastic on it)
6. read my bible more than just on Sundays during church
7. go camping
8. date night with Terry at least once a month
9. date day or night with the girls individually once a month
10.save, save, and save some more
11. shop smarter
12.girls weekend at least 3 times this year
13. be more outgoing
14. finish Super Mario Bros. on the Wii on my own.(that is the hard one)
15. enjoy my job again
16. play with our animals more
17. take on a new hobby like knitting or card making or something (I am open to suggestions)
18. scrapbook more (I only have 4 years before Ashley graduates)
19. blog  at least once a week
20. get organized for real

I hope to achieve most of this over the year but am not going to be hard on myself  if I don't.. Cheers!!!