Category Archives: uncategorized

I should be writing about Blissdom (it’s coming I swear), I should be working on the things I have to do that are due tomorrow, I should be posting with lots of well lit photos to break up the text, I should be going to bed soon, I should be creating, I should be posting about something I made . . . but instead I’m going to get real for a few mins.

I’ve had a busy, busy few weeks. I feel like life hasn’t stopped. I was sick last week, putting out fires at work a lot lately, away for the weekend and yesterday was my son’s 7th birthday. I sort of hoped today once the school bell rang at 3:10 that I would get to breathe. I did run out of my classroom almost right away but I had to go get gas, stop at the bank, make it to an appointment, stop for groceries and then get the kids from the sitter. That happened at 5 and I usually like to be home with them before that.

Then I had to unload the car, Wesley wanted me to build his new LEGO with him, I said I would but just needed to do some things first. Some things turned into – put groceries away, make dinner, clean up the kitchen, empty the dish washer, eat our dinner, clean up and oh hit the washroom. THEN I helped Wesley with his LEGO creation, which Nate asked me if he could try the Mario Cart game Wesley got for his birthday yesterday. So I move onto that . . all the while needing to get to my homework . . . so I make Nate his mii, load up the game, show him how to work it only to have him scream and cry because he’s hitting walls. I irrationally try to explain to him that I’m 38 and that’s why I could drive the car and that maybe at 4 years old it takes more practice. My strategy wasn’t working out.

I ask them to tidy the living room. This request is met with whines and complaints. “Why can’t you clean my LEGO!” “Because it’s your LEGO. I just cleaned the kitchen, it was all our mess but I did it. I’d rather be playing” “It’s because you’re the grown up Mom.” Great.

Then I get them up here to run the bath, and while it’s running Wesley yells his lamp lightbulb is burnt out and I’m try to fold some laundry, so he comes in and tells me he needs a lightbulb and Nate comes and asks for something else. And I hear ‘mom’ a zillion times during all this.

Sometimes I wish I had one of those little clicker things they have at fairs and stuff to count how many people attend. I want to know how many ‘mom’s get said in a day here. It’s a lot I bet.

So I put them in the bath THEN I remember I have to make lunches.

I’m sort of grumbling while I do. Then with the noise of them on the floor above me, having a blast and being silly in the tub I have an idea. Hopefully when they open their lunches they’ll smile a bit and forget I was sort of crabby tonight.

Annnnd I’m a community leader! Along with all these great peeps. If you don’t know who this particular person is, please take a moment to meet Shannon. She’s an amazing writer, bring up topics I’ve either never thought about or says things on topics I’ve thought about in the most perfect way. After some Tweeting last year, and a delayed flight for her, she walked into our hotel room to find me in my PJs sitting in bed. We said hellos and went to sleep! But then we went on to have a great time together at the conference and it’s been a pleasure to know her for a year.

There are some other fantastic people speaking as well. Last year was my first time and I have to admit I wasn’t very savvy about who people were ahead of time. I’m hoping this year to recognize some faces and also to go stalk all these community leaders before Blissdom starts.

I’m going to be speaking about Etsy, affiliate programs, Passionfruit, sponsorship and basically how to add all those fun things to your blog or business. I’m hoping to sound all professional like.

If you happen to be going to Blissdom, and I don’t know that yet, please let me know now and I’ll be sure to seek you out! And be happy I know someone else.

I was listed in the Etsy October Gift Guide email.

A rush on my store followed. The Etsy iPhone app is awesome, price it goes “cha-ching!” when you get a sale. My phone was going nuts while I was at work. Sadly, I work in a windowless classroom with very poor signal so I had trouble keeping up with renewing listings and replying to convos all while working. But it was a good day.
I treated myself to some items I was lusting for and then I responsibly left some money in my Paypal account and moved a chunk into my bank account. Savvy business woman right here!

This is what my kitchen has ended up looking like for the past few Sundays.

I’ve been taking over the counter and going nuts on meals for the week, lunches I swap with friends, baking for my kids lunches and just general cooking. Then I go nuts with a few dishwasher loads and lots of general cleaning. But I’m also learning, I’ve been putting on informative podcasts, or TED talks and such. I’m kinda a force of nature lately.

For now. Whew.

Sometimes when I leave work, where I spend my day in a windowless classroom with cement brick walls with wonky wifi, I’m greated with a little icon that says I have 50+ emails.

I feel good about this ‘All read’ thing.

Wow it’s been crazy at work, you know since it started 11 school days ago! It’s just been nuts. In case you’re new around these here parts, I teach a special education class. While some people say I *only* have 10 students, many of them are very high needs. Not to mention I’ve got 5 different grades in my class, which really doesn’t mean anything because I’ve got 10 different levels going on in my 10 students. So it’s kinda madness.

Those are some lavender scented eye pillows I made for my class to use in our sensory room. We put calming music on, like something you’d hear at the spa and for some the smell is too much but other students really enjoy smelling or feeling the pillows.

That said, Friday is my birthday and I totally plan on having some fun this weekend and also getting some time to make a something since I worked really hard on the weekend to tidy my craft space and now it deserves to get used!

We did this fun little booklet where you have to put the right number of apples on the trees. I carved each of my students their own little apple stamp.

I’ve been trying to fit creating in with this whole work thing, or combining them if I’m tight on time.

Stay tuned, I promise I’ll be back ;)

I’m at school :(

I’d rather be creating. Well that’s not true, I love being a teacher.

I get to be a teacher by day, get paid for it, come home and be a mom to my 2 little boys who I love more than anything, then I get to spend some me time working on myself or creating.

It’s going to be a great school year.