Attack of the Under-Productive

Why is it that some people are either under-productive or severely counterproductive? I can't stand it! I watch people everyday and it's the same thing. Over. And Over. And Over. I mean get real! At what point to you stop moping around about bullshit that clogs your life and just be happy? It would be really amazing to realize how much more you could get done and how much happier you could be if you just made an attempt to change your own life and not just complain about it! I get to the point I want to rip my hair out because I can't stand to hear about how tough someone else's life is, when in all actuality, all that needs to happen is 'trimming the fat'.

I think that our culture has gotten so lazy that we just complain to hear ourselves. A long time ago, I realized that we are all blessed. You need to take each day for that day and thank God at every chance possible.

I wish for everyone that they just become at peace with their life. They saying goes, "You don't know what you got 'til it's gone." Just stop complaining. Kiss your loved ones. Call that friend you haven't spoken to in a while. Help an old lady cross the street. Whatever you do, please, pretty please, realize that your attitude affects other people whether you want it to or not. People by nature will listen and try and comfort you, but everyone gets to a breaking point. Most people won't tell you when they get there, they will just start to resent you. Little by little, everything you will push them closer to the edge. One day, they might even let you know how they 'really feel'.

All in all, I want to give people the benefit of the doubt. We all have problems and life sometimes gets in the way. There is nothing you can do about it. Put on your big girl/boy pants and a happy face and GET OVER IT! That way we can all be in a happy place.
Thank you.

Getting back in to the swing of things...

It has been some days since I have blogged. Being new to this blog, I have yet to engrain in my brain that in order for it to be successful, that I must actually write on here. So here I am.

The past few weeks have been busy. We have all felt under the weather, especially our little man. Respiratory infections are no joke. He pulled through it just fine, and the doctor has giving him a clean bill of health. We have spent many days and nights on the couch re-watching out favorite SpongeBob episode - if I hear this song again, I will die!

But I am back to cooking & baking, and sewing, to boot! I had given up all of it. Life was getting frustrating...but dinner tonight was nothing short of amazing. Moo Shu Pork it was. If you like the stuff from the chinese restaurants, then try this. (It came highly recommended from my lovely mother - she never steers me wrong!) It was light, delicious, and seriously only took 15 minutes from start to finish.

Quilt Blocker

So I have begun a new adventure. Sewing. Well, quilting, if you can call it that...

Everyone needs a hobby and reading only gets you so far. I feel like if I can sew a quilt, it would make it easier to be able to hem my own pants. I decided that I would start off small (sorta) and make a carrot.

Easter will be here before we know it, and Valentine's Day was too close for me to be able to pull off anything that looked remotely good, so that was that. I spent an hour at Jo-Ann's picking out fabric. (left)

     So tonight I successfully cut all the strips and began to sew. I don't have a backing fabric, but I have batting. Sewing on the outside looks quick and easy...boy, was I wrong about that. But here is my progress...   

For poorer...

So I finally filed our taxes. And it put me in a bad mood. I love how TurboTax shows you how much money you get back as you proceed through each step of the process. The number just kept going down. I suppose I need to be thankful for getting any money back at all - I could have owed money. But I don't think that I have ever know anyone to get back a considerable amount of money. That's the government for you. Take, take, take. It seems redundant to me that I work a million hours a year, and I feel like I have nothing to show for it. When I get my big lottery win, however, I won't have that problem.

But it did get me thinking. This year I am trying to take a positive approach to things. Money isn't everything. Happiness and health are much more important. With that being said, Jimmy is sick, for the second time this year. (What day do you have? FRIDAY the 13th! EEK!) When are we going to catch a break? I do have to say, though, that 2012 isn't so bad. Job is great. Husband is great, well, other than the sickness. Corbin is great. Life is great :]

Having the flu when your 2 1/2 year old doesn't...

I used to be able to stay up late. Burn the midnight oil. I could party with the best of them. (Some people pride themselves on facts of that nature.) Well, after figuring out yesterday about 6pm that I had the flu, it made me think about the night ahead. Corbin, undoubtedly, brought it home from another kid in his class, who's parent did not care to send them to school sick. (To that parent, thank you, by the way. I hate you and I don't even know you.)

So the best part? Corbin is cured. I spent $130 on daycare this week and he went Tuesday and Wednesday. I could have spent that money on shoes or bills or even thrown it out the window and gotten more use out of it...I could have even giving it to his doctor's office and felt like I got more use out of it. Not only was he sick all week, but he would wake up after being sick in his bed. We would clean him and change him and settle him down. Then we would go to work or stay home and make sense of a house filled with chaos due to sickness.

Now, Jimmy and I are both sick. I have washed all of Corbin's sheets, twice. Nothing like waking up to "Mommy! My bed is wet!"And I want nothing more than to curl up in my bed and sleep this off, but I am playing trucks. And watching movies. And making peanut butter crackers. Sad part is, Corbin doesn't have a clue we both feel yucky. Bless his heart because he has no idea. I love him for that. But I also wish he just wanted to relax and go to sleep early. Is that too much to ask?

RE-growth!

So...one of the reasons that I am a Pintrest FANATIC(!) is because you can find the most interesting things on there. I was contemplating making Jambalaya and love to add green onions as a topping in the end. So low and behold, I CAN NOW GROW MY OWN! Cut them down to the white, submerge that in water, and voila! In about a week or so...new growth. Pretty cool, huh??

***UPDATE: Friday, 1/13/12 - I put some green onion ends in water the day I wrote the above mentioned post. They have been growing in the window in the kitchen for a little over a week now. They are HUGE! I have been changing the water every other day and they just grew...fast!

So I was home all day today. Most people were sleeping late,watching football, and catching up on life since the holiday season seems to swallow everyone whole. Was I doing those things? No. I was attempting to clean my home. HAHAHA! I am laughing now because I always attempt this while Corbin is awake. By the time he laid down for a nap, I was ready for one myself. So all in all, don't try to clean, much less take down/put away enough Christmas decor to rival the holiday section at Target, with the help of a 2 1/2 year old. I did manage to get 9 loads of laundry done. (Who wears all those clothes, I do not know...) All in all, it was nice to take just one more day off. 2012 isn't starting off so bad. 

The Gilliard's. Exhausted. (Can you tell?!)
1.2.12

WELCOME to 2012!

In starting this blog, I am welcoming 2012 with open arms. The past few years have been tough and I, like most people, are looking optimistically towards the future. I don't think one can ever feel too blessed. I don't think there can ever be enough great days. I know that it has taken me a long time to realize that my life is perfect in every way, and I want to channel that in to stories, antidotes, great advice, tips, and laughs for all to see.  I want to wish everyone the best year they have ever had. I hope health, wealth, and especially happiness exudes in everything you do and are part of. Remember life is short.  Laugh more. Cry less. Party harder. Work because you want not, and not just because you have to. Follow your heart. Dance in the rain. Take long walks with the ones you love. Do all the things you said you would do last year...and didn't. SIEZE THE CARP!