Get Organized!

I love finding ways to make our life easier, more organized and keep small items from overrunning the house!! Recently in an issue of "Working Mother" magazine, I saw a picture of a really cool looking entry way.

So, I tore out the page and kept it in my purse, hoping to be able to recreate it somehow.

We do not have a large entry way and I have always longed for a mudroom, but I thought I could work with what we had, buy a few new items and hopefully transform our messy, unorganized entry into a sleek and useful one.

Here are the items I bought:

• Bench with 3 shelves underneath, $49 at Fred Meyer
• Fabric box for underneath, $12 at Fred Meyer
• Write on wipe off board, $6 at Fred Meyer
• Write on wipe off calendar, $6 at Fred Meyer
• Hanging Wall Organizer, $12 ordered online from http://www.wayfair.com/ (includes shipping)

So, for well under $100, I was able to make a very positive, fun change to our house! I love having a calendar right in front of me when we walk out the door, to double check and make sure we aren't forgetting anything. I absolutely love the hanging wall organizer...not only is it cute...but, it is so handy! It has a couple pockets for magazines, coupon books, outgoing mail or library books. It has several photo pockets and it even has a spot to hang invitations or thank you notes.

I love it when I can pull off a home project and not spend a fortune in the process! Yay Me!! Being organized has never felt so good!

Am I a Mess? Not anymore!

Look Ma! I pooped a comma!!!

Okay, so let me just apologize RIGHT NOW!!! This is a blog about poop....Yep! That's right! So, if you are one of those faint of heart, gag-at-anything, can't stand to even mention the word "poop"....well, then, you better just stop right now...Go ahead, "x"out, buh-bye, you are not going to offend me one little bit.

Still Here? Whew! Good for you. You are my kind of girl! You know that Everyone Poops. You've probably even read that book to your children a time or two, right? You also probably LOVE the Dr. Oz Episode that he dedicated entirely to that very same subject.

Pooping is a fact of life. In fact, it is a very important fact of life...and a daily necessity!! According to Louise Gittleman, author of The Fat Flush, "it reveals telltale signs of what's going on with your body." I adamantly agree with this. I can ALWAYS tell if I'm eating right, taking the right amount of flaxseed, eating enough fiber, drinking too much, you name it, from lookin' at my "you know what"!!!

Dr. Oz says that your poop should be shaped like letters....As, Bs, Cs, you name it...he says any letter is good and as long as it's not periods...you are good. Gittleman says they should be about 2 feet long and have a diameter the size of a half dollar. I don't know about you, I've never gotten out the ruler...but, I'm pretty sure I have yet to see a 2-footer!!!

One day, last December, I was so excited!!! I pooped a candy cane!!! I proudly told my co-worker at the time, who also shared the same poop affinity with me...and she looked at me strangely, and said, "Wow, Margie, it was red and white? You might want to have that checked out!"

I have pooped candy canes, commas, C's, J's, sometimes I can actually spell words with them! Sometimes, I can't help but think to myself, "Dr. Oz would be so proud!!"

I admit, I am a little "poop-obsessed"...and yes, I always check to see what letter of the alphabet I have produced that day....but, all kidding aside, I really do feel that it is the BEST way of telling if you are treating your body right. If you are eating right, exercising and taking supplements, you will know. If you're not, you will definitely know - and believe me, there is a huge difference between the two! Poop is sooooo underrated. You can tell a world of things from it (and yes, sometimes spell words with it!), if you'd just take the time to read it!!

On a sidenote: when I told my 10 year old daughter that I pooped a comma the other day, she very matter-of-factly replied, "Well thank god you didn't poop a colon!" Oh, so funny!!

Lucky Number 13

I've always thought of 13 as my lucky number...afterall, I got engaged on Friday, the 13th...and almost 21 years later, it's working out pretty well for me!! Today, number 13, worked for me again! I ran my 13th race...since I started running last September. It was a 5k for the Central Oregon Disability Support Network which is an organization that is near and dear to my heart! I work with a lot of children who have disabilities from downs syndrome to autism. I got to see a lot of those kids out there today, working at the race and running the kids 1 miler. It was awesome to see the smiles on their faces and the satisfaction in their eyes as they crossed the finish line and were awarded a medal! Most of them yelling, "I won!" as the medal was place on their little necks! I ran the 5k today knowing that I was doing it for them...and maybe that made it a little easier for me. I set a PR today...running it in just under 30 minutes!! I was stoked when I made the final turn towards the finish line and the clock said: "29:40". I kicked it up a notch and ran across the finish line at 29:55. It felt good. But, not as good as seeing those kids out there today with their families, having the time of their lives. Running has allowed me to give of myself in ways I never have before. I love being a part of something bigger than myself and having a bigger reason to run rather than just accomplishing personal goals. I felt like such a part of the community today...and it filled me with such joy and gratitude.

Three Good Books....

They say that you will be the same person in 5 years as you are today....EXCEPT for the people you meet, the places you travel, and the books you read. I love books. They have the ability to take you to a place and time you have never been, they can make you cry, laugh out loud, they can consume your every waking  moment until the last page...and as I have said before, I love the feel of an actual book. I love to turn the pages. I also love to roam my local library, bringing home treasures for my bedside table.

Recently, I've read three amazing books. They are all very different but, they have all touched me in ways I never knew they would. I am not the same person I was before I read them. And I wanted to share them with you.

The first one is Two Kisses for Maddy by Matthew Logelin. I had read about it in a magazine review and it immediately piqued my interest...although, I knew it would be a tear-jerker. It is a true story based on the love affair of the author and his wife, Liz. They are high school sweethearts, they get married, get pregnant and are just about to live happily ever after, when the unthinkable happens. Liz delivers a baby girl and 27 hours later, dies instantly from a pulmonary embolism, just as she is getting ready to go meet her new baby in ICU. It is so sad...the kind of "cry out loud sobbing" kind of book. But, yet so beautifully written and the story so poignantly told that you can't help but continue on. Sometimes, it is good to read something like this...it helps put your own life in perspective. It makes you see beyond your own problems and worries and focus on what's really important. I lent the book to my dear friend and she texted me later saying "this is not a good book to read on an airplane, I am sobbing uncontrollably, and people are staring at me!" It really is worth every single tear you will cry. Go out and get it.

The second one is The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. One afternoon, when I had an hour to kill at Barnes and Noble, I came across this book. I read the back cover and knew it was a book I wanted to own (not just check out at the library). I sat at Barnes and Noble and read it, bought the book, and came home and read it some more. The whole idea behind the book is that people really do not appreciate what they have, usually until it is gone. The author has dedicated an entire year of her life trying to find the secrets to happiness. She says "The days are long, but the years are short"...which is so true, especially when you are in the throes of motherhood. It made me stop and think, "I really need to learn how to live in the moment and get more out of life and enjoy my children more." Her chapters cover everything from "keeping a contented heart" to "lightening up". So much of what she says resonated with me that I knew I had to keep this book nearby and refer to it often. I also signed up for her newsletter and daily "Happiness" quote. I love opening my email everyday and seeing these little gems!! Sometimes I re-post them on facebook to share with friends - other times, I write them down for later. One of my favorites is: "I begin to suspect that the world is divided not only into the happy and unhappy, but into those who like happiness and those who, as odd as it seems, really don't". - C.S. Lewis. She also offers this little nugget of wisdom: "Feeling right is about living the life that's right for you - in occupation, location, marital status, and so on. It's also about virtue, doing your duty, living up to the expectations you set for yourself." Love that!

The last book, is called Mile Markers by Krtistin Armstrong. This book outlines the 26.2 most important reasons that women run. I had seen a review in Runner's World magazine and was immediately intrigued. The author, Lance Armstrong's ex-wife, is also a contributor to the magazine and she posts a weekly blog, by the same name. I got this book from the library and could not put it down. She was so "spot on" with all of her observations. There was one particular section I loved and have since quoted many, many times! She talks about how her running pals were discussing the benefits of turning 40 (the author at the time was 38) and how excited she was to get to that milestone. Here are some of the things they said....

"You do the things you used to talk about but never did. You quit playing small. You spend time with the friends who lift you up and cut loose the ones who bring you down. You finally wake up and realize that you are as hot as you are going to get in this lifetime, so you might as well enjoy it."

I don't know what it is about that last statement that makes me so happy, but ever since I read that, I feel lighter and more carefree than ever. At 46, I feel like I am finally starting to understand that saying about "feeling comfortable in your own skin"....and I don't want to look back in 10 years and say "Wow, I really had it going on ... wish I had known it/appreciated it at the time!" Now is the time to OWN all of it, to look in the mirror and say "I like what I see." It's time to take back our confidence as women and be proud of our bodies and all the amazing things they can do, from running marathons to pushing out babies. It's time to look past the superficial wrinkle lines, acne scars, cellulite, whatever it is that causes us grief ...and say "I am ALL that and I am enough just the way I am!" Amen.

All 3 of these books have the same central theme of living in the moment, appreciating what is right in front of us, because at any moment, it can all be gone. They teach us that life is precious and that none of us has the right to take a single breath for granted. God did not promise us that life would be easy...but, He did promise that it would be worth it.



Recipe for the perfect girls weekend...

Start with:
8 Gamma Phi Betas (from 1980-somthin')
1 Roll of Caution Tape

Add:
1 case of Coors Lite
1 Batch of homemade bloody mary's

Combine with:
Equal parts laughter, tears and nostalgia

And top it off with:
1 Rockin' 80's playlist

I just returned from a fabulous weekend with 7 of my college, sorority sisters...We had the best time! I have not laughed that hard in a long time!

Here are a few things I learned:

10. A celery stalk & an olive does not constitute lunch!
9. When the bartender refuse to serve you, you will thank him in the morning.
8. Caution tape on a group of 8 gals is funny and cute...sitting alone on a bleacher with caution tape wrapped around you, is just plain creepy...and awkward!
7 AMF. Alcohol Makes Friends. 'Nuff said.
6. There is a cardboard duck missing from the hotel lobby. I know nothing.
5. Asking people if they "are there for the duck game" is a great icebreaker.
4. I have no idea what the Duck Knows, but it's a great slogan.
3. Dancing on the hotel bed with a group of gals, beats dancing at a club any night.
2. Going to bed at 10pm after drinking for 12 hours is a good idea.
and #1 thing I learned this weekend....(drum roll, please...)
1. Time and distance don't stand a chance against the bonds that are created amongst sorority sisters.

Thank you to all my Gamma Phi sista friends for coming out to play this weekend....I enjoyed every minute, it was food for my soul and music to my heart. I can hardly wait for our next adventure!!! Hugs to you all, Margie

The 12th Race...

A year ago today, I couldn't have run from a burning building to save my life. Today, I ran my 12th race! It feels so good to look back and see how far I've come in the past year...MS or not, running has been a huge accomplishment for this 46 year old gal!

I'm one of those people who has to have a  goal to work towards or I will lose all my motivation to keep at it. At the beginning of this year, I told myself I'd run a race a month...and I did it!! Some months, I even ran two! So far, I've conquered 8 5ks, 3 10ks and a Half Marathon! I made a point to run the entire race - no matter what...and if I walked at all, I told myself, I couldn't hang my number on my "wall of fame". So far, all 12 bibs have made it to the wall!

I love everything about the race...I love signing up for it and writing it down on my calendar, I love picking up my bib number and t-shirt the day before the race and seeing people I know at the running store, I love the pre-race excitement that I feel, I love lining up at the start line and taking off, I love crossing the finish line...and I absolutely LOVE the feeling of accomplishment once it's over! I love waking up the next day, checking the sports section to see where I finished...The whole experience is so worth the entry fees to me!

Racing, to me, is the best way to gauge where I was last month and where I am right now. It gives me the push I need to keep running and training...and there is just something about a race that makes it virtually impossible for me to stop and walk.

Today's race was especially poignant. It happened to fall on the 10 year anniversary of 9/11 so, no matter how tough it was, or how hot it got, I had to remind myself that there were thousands of people who went through a whole lot worse, ten years ago. When I found myself complaining of the heat, I had to remember those people who tried to flee the Twin Towers and were unable to or the heroes who went down in that Pennsylvania field. I had absolutely no right to complain...

I just felt gratitude to be running and to have been given the chance to live another day.

Racing keeps me on track.

"We are shaped and fashioned by what we love." -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Free to a Good Home...

I have been wanting to write a little somethin' about our dog, Maggie....and what better day to do it than her 4th birthday!!

We got Maggie in December of 2007 when she was 12 weeks old. Our kids had been bugging us for a dog for awhile now and we finally caved! My husband had been at a local pet store (where he was selling advertising) and saw a flyer on the bulletin board, advertising puppies. The sign read "Free to A Good Home" so, he tore off the phone number and the next thing you know, we had a puppy!

Maggie is a lab mix...her mama is a chocolate lab and her daddy is well, ...we aren't really sure since he didn't stick around long enough to meet us! But, we are pretty sure he was a pit bull, as Maggie's face definitely has some pit bull-ness in it.

Since bringing her home, she has been everything BUT free!! She immediately chewed everything in sight....hot tub cover, garden hose, cords, many pairs of shoes, swim trunks, undergarments, etc....We finally built her a kennel outside to stay in when we weren't home because she couldn't be trusted to roam the backyard at will.

The next thing we bought her was an expensive, re-chargeable bark collar because the neighbors complained that she barked when we were not home. Who knew? We thought she was content as could be in her little 4-walled cozy kennel outside!

Throughout the first few years, my husband and I would joke that, although she was "free to a good home", she had cost us an arm and leg...but, we always agreed that at the end of the day, she was well worth it. Each night as she would snuggle into her position at the bottom of our queen-sized bed, and give out a little sigh once she got comfortable, we would both look at each other and say, "She's a good dog...and we wouldn't trade her for the world."

Last summer, Maggie got into a little trouble with the law. She was out front, off-leash with my husband while he puttered around in the garage...Suddenly a guy went flying down the street on a skateboard at about 50 miles an hour, holding onto 2 leashes with dogs attached. Maggie, of course, went running after them..."Heck, she'd never seen such a thing like this and wanted to see up-close what the heck this was!!" Unfortunately, the 3 dogs started going at it, the guy, trying to do the right thing, and trying to get Maggie away from his dogs, started kicking and hitting our dog ... and Maggie bit the guy on the hand. After several minutes, the ruckus was over...but, my poor husband who witnessed the whole scene, was distraught and upset to say the least. I still remember him coming in and telling me about it, shaking and close to tears.

The next morning, as I was getting out of the shower, my 9yr. old daughter came in the bathroom and said, "Mommy, there's a policeman at the door who needs to talk to you." Now we all know, nothing good has ever come for those words, so I quickly got dressed and brushed my hair and went to the front door. Sure enough, the guy had pressed charges and we had been summoned to court to deal with the whole mess. In the mean time, the dog had to be quarantined and could only go on walks around the neighborhood and MUST be on leash at all times.

One night, when my husband was taking Maggie for a walk, he came face to face with the bitten skateboarder...He lived 3 doors down from us!!! Talk about awkward!!

Well, the day came and we went to Doggie Court. We told the judge our story, we groveled, we apologized...and in the end, they dropped 2 of the 3 charges...but, the biggest one, being "Dog At Large" set us back a few hundred dollars. We were also told that Maggie had to have a chip put in her (expensive!), that she would be labeled a "dangerous dog" and we had to put up signs on our fence, warning people about our dangerous dog. She also was sentenced to a "life of doggie probation" where in which she can never be off-leash again, except at the dog park (since the incident didn't happen at the park).We left the courtroom, tail between our legs, paid our fine, and just looked at each other, saying..."Free to a good home, Really?"

Since that incident, Maggie has been a model citizen. She never leaves the house without a leash. She hasn't bit another living creature since, and she still continues to charm and win us over every chance she gets!! She no longer gets to run free along the river and chase squirrels or chase the waves at the beach, but she still seems pretty happy and we'd like to think she has a pretty good life! We love you, Maggie...you can be a total pain in the ass at times, but we wouldn't have it any other way..."Happy Birthday, Sweetie!! Woof! Woof!"