Who's That Girl?

With everything I've been accomplishing around here, I've been feeling like THIS is what I should see in the mirror in the morning:



In a couple more months when my hair has grown out even farther and I've kept up with kick boxing, that might be the case but, so far, it's still just me. Well, to be fair, it's me plus... something. I still haven't figured out where my newly acquired super powers are originating from but I am enjoying them nonetheless. Is it better organization? A better head space from being more open & honest? More exercise? More intellectual stimulation? Some crazy amalgamation involving all of the above is my guess and I'll be doing my damnedest to keep it up because, ladies & gentlemen, I feel full of energy and just plain fierce about 90% of the time now. My mysterious gastrointestinal woes have almost completely disappeared. I'm experiencing less frustration with the kids and being a stay at home mom in general and I'm accomplishing things on par with the rate that I did when it was just me and Ada all day. Does this boggle your mind? It certainly does mine. Here's a short recap of what I've been up to this month (and it's terrible that it has almost been a month since I've finished something for posting):

*Took and passed two DANTES tests, which earned me six college credits. I have two more tests on February 9th that I need to pass and I'll be set to start the last two years of my degree on February 16th. I've been shooting for between an hour or more (preferably more) of study time each day and, based on the practice tests I have access to, the information is sticking. I'm starting to get really tense about these upcoming tests because there's even more riding on passing them than there was the first two.

*I've managed to keep up with all household chores including the weekly scrubbing of tubs, toilets, kitchen sinks, and floors for almost the whole year. This is due in large part to having downloaded this printable chore list from Motivated Moms. I had a $1 off coupon for it and, let me tell you, that's the best $7 I've spent all year. Mike had been asking for me to make him a chore list and I straight up refused to do it, for various reasons, but it turns out I'm loving this. If you're looking to become better organized and use what little time you have to get the most done, GO GET IT. Seriously. (Also, for the record, I don't think having a weekly chore chart posted is helping him get any more done around the house either. Not that he isn't helpful at ALL, it's just that having this chart wasn't the miracle cure he seemed to think it would be. JUST SAYIN'.)

*One of my goals for this year is to pay off at least one of our large debts and it seems I've discovered a way to manage to pay them BOTH off in 2012 if I stick to the budget I've created. That's barring something crazy coming up that throws it all off of course. I've been paying cash for purchases too which has really made me think a little bit longer before buying. Having to trade actual cash money tends to make me a bit more stingy.

*I've been kick boxing every other day for at least 30 minutes and make an effort to find something else to do for a half hour on the days that I'm not boxing. I attempted to do some yoga with the kids and that was partially successful. They thought it was hilarious fun for about ten minutes and then decided it would be even more fun if they were to try and use me as a jungle gym while I was doing poses. I probably won't try that again. My entertainment center contains some long neglected exercise DVDs that might hold the kids interest longer. Ada is stoked for belly dancing and I'm curious about Zumba as I've heard nothing but rave reviews.

*I'm meal planning with ease (and hardly any whining!) and have been doing a lot of cooking and baking from scratch again. I don't think there's a single person in this house that isn't thrilled with that change. I plan to try out this copy cat recipe for Hardee's biscuits Saturday morning on the twins' THIRD BIRTHDAY because they do love them some fresh biscuits. Mike's birthday is the next day so he's stoked to have biscuits and gravy for himself too.

*I have managed to do a better job keeping in touch with people both in writing, over the phone, and in person. I am REALLY excited about this and want to step it up even more because, as it turns out, interacting with other people really does make me live. Don't get me wrong. There are still times where I want nothing more than to hermit the hell up in this house and sit quietly for hours on end. But, mostly, people feed me. Don't worry though. I have no intention of eating your brains! (Yet.)

I'm probably forgetting at least one or two things that I'd been planning to mention but, if that's the case, it's just fodder for another post that I'll have to be gently nagged into getting finished and posted. (Thanks Kat!)

Fashion filled new year!

As some of you know, I like fun clothes. I like classic pieces. I like COLOR. And right now, I'm not very happy with my winter wardrobe. When I'm not happy with something, I like to set about fixing things as soon as possible. Here are a couple of recent wardrobe pieces I've picked up at various places around the internet to liven things up a little.

First off, I wanted to find another pair of loafers that would be as much fun to look at and wear as a pair of blue Tod's loafers that I picked up for crazy cheap on eBay a while back. I thought that a fun fuchsia color would work with quite a few of the pieces I like in my existing wardrobe so that's what I went for. I'm happy to say that I found my blue loafers some friends in short order thanks to eBay as well. Don't they look happy together?

Next I set out to replace my black heels that gave up on life at my friend Angela's wedding to her lovely wife Denise on 11/11/11. I didn't realize how much I'd miss having the perfect pair of black heels until I didn't anymore. So, again, it was eBay to the rescue! I found a pair of Cole Haan heels in black patent leather for a STEAL ($30 on eBay compared to retail of $198) and they're on their way now.

Since I'll have fancy, comfortable new black heels, I started browsing around for fun pieces to wear out with them.

From Kiyonna, there's this magnificent little black dress:



It's on sale AND I found a coupon on Retail Me Not for an additional 20% off (ACCOUNT20) otherwise there's NO WAY I would have picked it up. As an aside, I hate that having such good taste isn't compatible with being a one income household. That said, I'm grateful that I'm good with budgeting and can treat myself when the opportunity and right price present themselves.

Also from Kiyonna, was this peacock feather maxi dress:



I've tried on maxi dresses in the past but none have ever been the right length on me as I'm rather tall apparently. Here's hoping...

I also ordered what will hopefully be the perfect black cardigan:



I have SO many things that I'd like to pair with a good black cardigan but the ones I keep finding are SO close, but just not perfect.

Besides loving most of the things on the Kiyonna website, I'm also a big fan of one Issac Mizrahi's line over at QVC. In particular, I fell in love with this lace skirt in black and this cabeled eternity scarf in pink. I wanted one in gray too but, when I ordered, they were sold out. I guess now I have the opportunity to try out the pink one and pick up gray if it's love.

Coldwater Creek is also having a blowout sale so I picked up a couple of pieces to try on there too:

*A denim tunic to wear with some of my leggings and happy loafers

*A garden printed tank to wear under the denim tunic and a few other pieces I already own.

*A herringbone zip front vest because I've been loving sleeveless vests/sweaters this season for some reason.

*This drape body top in mauve will join one I picked up on clearance this Summer in blue. These shirts are good examples of pieces I need my dream black cardigan with to wear during the winter.

To complete this edition of my look book, I'd like to show you another pair of Cole Haan shoes I'm lusting after (and bidding on) over on eBay:

The auction is over in a day and a half and, while I'm winning, it's right on the edge of what I'm willing to pay. I'm hoping whoever it is that's been bidding against me has reached their upper limit and I come out the victor. Seriously, people. Those are some KILLER shoes.

And now, I will no longer regale you with ramblings and links about clothes. I'm just too excited about these things to keep it to myself and no one here has any interest in them either. Now all that remains is this: which of these things do I wear to the next drag night out?

(***Author's note: All of these items were purchased on sale, with coupon codes, and/or did not require any shipping fees. Don't let the price tags on some of these items fool you into thinking I've lost my mind and frugal inclinations.)

More is... better?

Things have been more hectic around here than in a long time but, for the most part, I'm feeling like I'm in a much better head space. Physically, I haven't been having too much in the way of stress related awfulness either, which is a very welcome relief. Last week was pretty epic socially with a play date on Wednesday morning and a visit from two friends I hadn't seen in some time on Thursday and Friday evenings respectively. Mike has also been home an extra day each week since Christmas and New Years days fell on weekends this year.

I've been doing as much studying as my brain can take for the four DANTES tests that I need to pass by February 11th. Each test will earn me three college credits and I need to pass them all in order to begin the series of classes for my major on February 16th. If I don't pass all four, then I won't have the 60 credits required for the program and I have to wait until September to start with a cohort. The positive side of not starting until September is that it gives me time to complete the other four DANTES tests that I need to complete in order to earn my Bachelor's degree. So, at this point, I would imagine you're asking yourself "What the heck IS a DANTES test anyway?" Well, if you followed the link a couple sentences up, there will be a more technical description of how the process works. The tl;dr version is that it's basically testing out of a class. You study and then simply take a multiple choice test on the subject. The tests are strictly pass/fail and are a CHEAP way to earn credit. (I'd highly suggest these to those of you who are going back to school like I am for that reason alone.) It's $15 at the time you register to take the test and then, on the day of testing, you pay an additional $80. Three college credits for only $95? Uh, yes please! I've done one other DANTES test and that was on World Religion back when I first moved to the Twin Cities and was living in Eden Prairie. I drove ALL the way up to Shorview to take the test at Bethel so it's kind of entertaining to me that I live practically down the road from there now. Oh life, you so crazy!

The first four DANTES tests that I'm working to complete before February 11th are:

• Substance Abuse
• Environment & Humanity: the Race to Save the Planet
• Principles of Supervision
  
• Personal Finance

(If you're interested in more specifics on each class, there are fact sheets with more details to be had here.)

The first two classes I'm registered to test on January 19th and I'm scoring above 85% consistently on Substance Abuse already. I started studying in earnest for Environment & Humanity last night and I think that should go pretty well. Having grown up with the "Just Say No" & "Give a Hoot, Don't Pollute!" campaigns, these seemed like no brainers for easy credit. I ordered text books for each from Amazon and they were each only @ $25 each used. All in all, an excellent way to get started with going back. I'm not set on Personal Finance as the last of the first four classes that I'm going to take but it looks stupid easy so it might be foolish to even consider anything else. I was a bookkeeper so I'm pretty sure I understand how debits & credits, etc. work at this point. I took a sampling of five questions that came directly from the test and answered all of them correctly so that's a good sign.

If you're interested in the titles of the other four classes I'll be testing on before I can graduate in approximately two years, here they are in no particular order:

• Human/Cultural Geography
• Technical Writing
• Lifespan Developmental Psychology
• Foundations of Education

These four will definitely be the more challenging of the eight I need so hopefully it's not a mistake to separate them out the way I am. I had considered taking all eight DANTES tests I need between now and September and then starting the core classes for my degree, but I really am a "sooner rather than later" girl. I just couldn't get comfortable with waiting when there's even a CHANCE that I could get done with my degree seven months sooner by pushing myself hard for about six weeks. Am I capable? Other people seem to have no doubt but I'm still on the fence. As cliché as it sounds, I'm going to do my best and let whatever happens, happen.

Fun, non school related things going on lately include using some of the vouchers I've purchased from various daily deal sites. Today we ordered two cakes and picked up half a dozen brownies from the Roseville Bakery since my voucher expires on January 9th. I let the kids decide on which cakes to get and they selected a kitty and a dinosaur. Only problem? They're so cute I don't really want to have to cut them up and eat them.

I'll also be attending Girls Only: the Secret Comedy of Women at the New Century Theater on January 18th through a voucher deal. I've heard nothing but good things about this from people who have already seen it so that should be fun too. It's the night before my first DANTES test date so hopefully I'm not so tense that I'm nothing but a downer to have along. (For the record, this month's drag night will be either the 20th or the 21st. Hopefully I'll be celebrating that I passed the tests and am halfway to meeting my starting goal...)

We'll also be having pictures taken of all three kids at JC Penny's on January 22nd to use up a voucher I purchased quite a while ago and expires the 26th of this month. That works alright for me since it's only a couple of weeks before the twins turn three. (THREE. WTF?!?) I need to get on planning their birthday party since normally I have all of that done already. Mina is desperate to have their party at Pump It Up like Ada did and I'm inclined to just go with that since it was awesome fun and required little to no effort on my part. Was it the cheapest birthday party we'll ever throw? No but, with everything else going on this month, I might just be inclined to do it again. Plus, it's not really fair that I'd do it for ONE of my kids and not the other two.

As always, I have plenty more to say but not enough time to say it. Perhaps later after my brain is fairly oozing out of my ears because of all the facts it's suddenly stuffed with.