Too Late?

I'm embarrassed to be writing on here again, even though it's my blog. It's been a year? more than a year? since I've written, but tonight it just seemed appropriate.

Lately I've felt like I'm drowning. Not with family or friends, but at my job. I keep Addie with me two to three days a week, and on the days I don't have her, I throw myself into my work to get as much finished as I can. On the days I do have her, I try to balance: work a little while, play a little while. Nap time? WORK WORK WORK. With Addie though, she's very demanding of my attention. She doesn't like to play on her own. She MUST touch my keyboard. She MUST have my phone when I'm talking on it. It's a battle I fight often, and it's exhausting. I DO NOT want to be frustrated with my child because of my job. That upsets me most.

I was doing an excellent job this year. I was kicking some ass. For once I finally felt like I had a good grasp on my job and thought that I was actually going to have great numbers. That is, up until we returned from Christmas break and they added more to the workload. Since then, it's been little things adding up to make me more and more frustrated, more and more anxious, more and more resentful of my entire choice to be a teacher. I'm in debt so far that, if it weren't for my husband, I couldn't support myself and would have to live with my parents because my student loan payments are so high. I didn't go to an expensive school, but I did have to get my Master's degree in order for my school to release my teaching certificate. It was a requirement in Ohio for teachers to have Master's degrees within five years anyway, so what the heck? I went ahead and did it. Six months or so after graduating with my Master's, Ohio removed that requirement for teachers. Of course. In case you were wondering, DO NOT go to Wright State University for teaching!

If we could afford it, if it weren't for two unnecessary Master's degrees, I could stay home and raise Addie, maybe take a part-time position somewhere fun like my beloved Skyline. But I HAVE to work, we have too many bills to pay.

I've been thinking lately about how unhappy I am with my job. Is it my place of work, or teaching in general that I am over? I'm not sure. All I know is that I am often exhausted, and very emotional after shutting down for the day. I dread what the next day will bring. I cry a lot more (but I'm a cryer anyway). I've been thinking about nursing. I have two aunts that are nurses and love it. I have a few friends that became nurses and are very happy. I'm attracted to the idea of working three twelve-hour shifts a week, and having four days off. I like the idea of being on my feet all day (or night) and talking to people, working with people, getting my job done, and then going home leaving my completed job behind me. I like the idea of having those four days a week with Addie. I like the idea of extra income (hallelujah!)

I don't like shots or IVs. I can't even watch them on television, though I know they're fake (or are they?) I also don't like the idea of more debt. (Ellen Degeneres, care to donate $15,000 for me to go back to school?  Or heck, just fly me to California to watch a show and dance, I'd be happy! Or hire me! I can be your eastern US partner so Jeanie can stay closer to California.....) Anyway these, right now, are my only cons.

If someone is actually reading this, what do you think? I don't want to spend 30 years in a profession I'm not truly happy with and wish that I had made that jump, yet, I don't want to lose my house or go bankrupt for this either. Should I just do it, or hope that this, too, shall pass and next school year will be better?  Why can't I just get paid to read Harry Potter or Nicholas Sparks books all day? I'm good at that!

Oh and one more thing to rub salt in the wound. Jeff has to go to Arlington, Virginia in May for school, and I can't go because of WORK. Of course it would be wonderful to see Keebs and Britt, my only super close friend left from grade school and his wife, but alas. Jeff will just have to hopefully stop in for me and take pictures. I'm so jealous.

I suppose that's enough venting for one year. Here's until next time!

Lindsay

Frienemy

As you may or may not know, Jeff has been running for about a year now. This past summer he actually committed and did really well, and can run a couple of miles. His blood pressure is down, and he lost 30 some-odd pounds. Well, I was pregnant this past summer. So what does that tell you?

He wants to keep running, but won't in Ohio's confused, crappy weather patterns. I am a sucky runner, always have been. Even when I had a six pack and played three sports year round, I was a sucky runner. I don't want to do it out in public where strangers can see me about to pass out (or actually passed out, who knows), and so we've been looking for a cheapo treadmill on Craig's List. So far, two have been bought out from under us because Jeff was at work and could't pick them up any earlier. 

Then I got the bright idea this week that I would jump rope. I read somewhere that it burns about 200 calories (for someone around my size) every 15 minutes. So that's where I wanted to start, 15 minutes. I was committed, I was excited.

I was wrong.

The "rope" I bought is cheap, from the grocery store. It didn't want to spin as I spun, so it kept wrapping up on itself and eventually either tripped me, or slapped me in the legs. Combine the constant stop start stop start from being tripped with my wheezing, and you get five minutes. A lousy five minutes that weren't even solid because of my darn tripping on that darn 'rope'. You feel me?

So this is where we are. I'm a little bit frustrated because what I REALLY want to do is join a team. I want to play softball and volleyball again but I know of none around me except for the teams at my old job at Honda. I doubt they'd supply the cardio I need anyway. Anyone have any good ideas? Suggestions? The Zumba classes around these parts are filled with 70 year old women and no one my age except ME. That lasted one class. 

I want something that will be a life style change: a hobby. Something I look forward to on a regular basis. Not just something I have to do to keep weight off. And I also don't want to pay much at all. We're already very strapped for cash because of forced unnecessary Master's Degrees, but that's a whole 'nother post.

I'd like to hear what  you all think. Maybe you have another witty way to keep the weight off without bundling up A to go out in this crap.

xoxo~Lindsay

Busy Week!

Wow, I've been meaning to update this thing all weekend. Starting Thursday, I've been busy outside of work. A certain someone turned four months old last week and was due for shots, so I took off work just in case it wrecked her day. Last time, it wrecked three days, so I was playing it safe. 


Since I had the morning free, I took it upon myself to take her four month portraits! I ended up with about 150 pictures, half of which I ended up deleting. Still, that's a lot to choose from when making prints! Here are some of my favs:

I actually really like the colors in the one above, I should have taken more like this!

Friday was COSI for work. I know, it's freaking sweet that I get paid to go places like this sometimes ;) Anyway, I took my friend Brandy's daughter, C, since A isn't old enough to enjoy it AND because the poor girl has to sit around all day while her parents work and/or tend to her baby brother. I knew she'd love it, and I knew I'd love her company. We ended up having a blast and were both quite exhausted upon leaving.

C in the Littlekid Zone at COSI sporting glasses with interchangeable lenses. Of course she would pick yellow.

Saturday evening was craft night at my house. First we met up for Sushi!!! It was only my second time trying it, and it's been about 5 years. It was good though. For being a picky eater, I give myself credit! 
Later, I had a bit of crafter's block--didn't really have any good plans on what to make, plus I didn't know if my husky would have anyone using it or not, so I just winged it. 

The girls brought me---aaack! I almost spoiled it! They brought over something to make for their husbands for Valentine's Day, and brought me one as well. We, ahem, made those (note to self to post those pics later, not now!) along with some V-Day hair pretties for their girls; Lindsey ended up with a rockin' chunky amethyst necklace; I ended up with a Mod Podge'd necklace charm, and a hair pretty for me. 

I had to crop this photo so I wouldn't give away the boys' gifts!

Hair pretties and wine, anyone? I used Jess' tutorial for the flower.

Lindsey making her necklace!

Sorry the pics are so dreary. My house is naturally dark, and this all took place after 8 at night!

All in all, it was a great end to the week. As we are right now, it's currently ten at night, and I still didn't finish my checklist for the day (jump rope 15+ minutes, clean the bathroom...) but Addie did get her bath, work got completed, and dinner got eaten. We even had time to run to the grocery and craft stores! I'm off to relax and read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. J recently finished it, and since I recently finished The Hunger Games series, we traded :) We'll see how I like murder mysteries.


Goodnight!!!


Oh! One last thing! You may not know, but I read Lil Blue Boo on a regular basis. I'll leave it up to you to read up on Ashley's story, but I decided to Choose Joy three times today alone (instead of getting angry or irritated at small stuff), and I decided that I really must share her website with you. I'm going to try to get her button somewhere on my sidebar, if I can figure it out ;) **Update-done!** Her outlook on life is inspiring, and I want to be more like her. Thanks, Ashley! 

Pinteresting Etchings

Oops, now I've gone and done it. Actually, Lindsey started it. I've gone and joined Pinterest. Honestly, it was just a matter of time. I had to force myself to click to the blog--I only pinned two things so far but man, I'm in trouble. It's going to be a late night. Darn you Lindsey and Brandy!


The reason for my needing to blog is because I've been etching to share something with you! BA haha! (Horrible humor, I know.) For those of you who don't know, my husband got me a Silhouette Cameo for Christmas. I'm in love. Oh yeah, with Jeff too ;) Shortly after Christmas, he also ordered me some glass etching cream so that I may utilize it just a bit more. Honestly, being the science geek he is, I think he was just etching to see how it worked. (Sorry, had to throw it in there!) He also bought me some glasses to etch and sell on Etsy eventually, but I wanted to try it out first.


First, I dug through my drawers and picked out a home-party-brand mixing bowl with a lid that I decided needed branding. I had already cut out my name using the extra, would-have-been-wasted space on the vinyl when I cut out Addie's wall stickers.

Second, I had to gently pick out the letters of my name fron the vinyl, leaving the majority of the vinyl behind. You do it this way so that you have a stencil. I utilized the letters to give my sewing machine a branding too! Then, I covered the stencil with transfer tape and scraped it multiple times with a popsicle stick to remove any air bubbles. I'd rather use a scraper made for this, but the stick came with the transfer tape, and I'm cheap.

Then, I gently removed the vinyl from it's backing by pulling off the transfer tape, picking up the vinyl in the process. Then, I stuck it to my glassware and smoothed out the bubbles again. I found it was easier to use my fingernail, since the surface was round.

Next, I slowly pulled off the transfer tape, leaving the vinyl sticking to the glass. I went over it again with my nails to ensure it was stuck well and that I didn't have any bubbles left. Then, I globbed on the etching cream with a sponge brush, while wearing vinyl gloves mind you.

 I let it sit for a few minutes, wondering out loud how long it would need. Then it started bubbling out and ruined the seal at the top of the W. The cream bled a bit in the short time it took Jeff to look it up and realize it's only supposed to sit on the glass for 1-2 minutes. Crap. We grabbed a shop towel (which luckily Jeff brought in for me before I got started) and wiped away the majority of the cream. Then, we rinsed it under water to remove the rest. We pulled off the vinyl and voila! My name, right there on the glass!

See the top right part of the W? Just remember, it only needs one or two minutes! I washed it in the sink with soap just to ensure we removed all of the cream from the glass and my hands. Even with the minor glitch, I still think it looks so great, and I did a little dance as soon as I was finished. Did I mention I was in love?

And that's a wrap! Next up, Addie's window. It's going to take a lot longer because the pattern I picked out is intricate-of course. Oh well, it'll look awesome when it's finished. 

Check me out on Pinterest while you're at it! Yasdnilotis is my user name! I'm just getting started, but I'm sure I'll have plenty pinned in no time.

Table Treasures!

Tonight at my in-laws' house, my mil (hi B!) showed me this picture that her friend had pinned on Pinterest:

I found the pic again on this blog.

It was pinned as a toddler bed, which is what I like it as. However, notice the rope bone on the bed? Someone has lavishly spoiled their pooch. Not that I can talk...Sadie has a wrought iron bed to match ours, but it was given to us! Don't judge!

Addie's crib is supposed to break down into a toddler bed and eventually become a full size head board, but this is SO much cooler. Just sayin'. I may have to try this. First, I guess I'll have to knock out some other projects that I've been waiting for free time to start, like etching Addie's window. It's not her actual window to the outside, just an old wooden one I hung on the wall. You'll see ;)

Lindsay

Woohoo! I did it!

Welp, I guess you have to start somewhere!
I've been debating starting a blog for quite a while now, and I'm relieved to begin! I can honestly say that the ladies over at Craftiness is Not Optional, Crap I've Made, and Enjoying the Small Things are the ones who convinced me to jump in. I read their blogs daily, and I'm going to strive to be as interesting as they are ;)


I chose "Turtles and Chocolate" because I wanted a title that was catchy and fun, but didn't relate to anything but me. I'm a busy girl and I want to be able to share about all topics including mommyhood, sewing and crafting--not limited to one or the other.


For those of you who don't know me well, I've been collecting turtles since middle school. As far as chocolate goes-- I don't know many women who don't love it. Originally, the blog was to be named "Turtles and Chapstick." I had my fingers crossed tight that the brand was spelled differently, but in the end, I lost. "Turtles and Lip Balm" just doesn't ring as nice! 


Addie is sleeping at the moment... I can see this quickly turning into an evening routine! I hope you check back often, because I've got a lot to talk about!