4
Jan
Posted by lainebroxton in Business, Can't sleep, I miss my Dad. Leave a Comment
As our little guy would say, "Yep, it is."
It’s been 6 months since Dad died and I still get a lump in my throat when I see his picture or something that so strongly reminds me of him. His handwriting makes me want to cry. I feel like the last few months have been a total blur and I need to get it together. Did we have Halloween? Thanksgiving? First day of Kindergarten? Yeah… I guess we must have. It seems like they all happened 10 years ago instead of just a few months ago.
Our business is growing leaps and bounds and I’m trying to keep a cleaner house and be a better parent. I feel like a mother hen gathering all her chicks up close so everybody and everything can be safe. I don’t sleep well. Without makeup (which I have recently started wearing) I’m repeatedly asked if I’m sick.
Tomorrow, I will feel better. Maybe even later today. Right now, I realize how much I missed talking with you and am so glad you hung in there. Thank you.
13
Jul
Posted by lainebroxton in I miss my Dad. 1 Comment
One day, I will write something beautiful and meaningful about my Dad’s passing. Right now, the feelings are so raw I wouldn’t be able to finish it. Here’s what I can tell you. He knew it was his time and was at peace with it. He whispered “I love you” to me twice, kissed me on the cheek and then within 1-2 minutes his heart stopped. I miss him beyond words.
30
Jun
Posted by lainebroxton in Business, Home Office Organization, Working Mom. Leave a Comment
Annamarie and I have concocted a plan. We are going to repurpose some rooms in our house based on how we use them, as opposed to the way we have them structured right now. I will take pictures and document the whole home office and playroom organization. Right now, I am so exhausted I feel like my eyeballs have sandpaper in them. This is going ot be a fabulous and honest project! 
Stay tuned!
21
Jun
Posted by lainebroxton in Business, Entrepreneur, Home Office Organization, Working Mom. Tagged: Business, children, clean, company, confessions of a working mom, Entrepreneur, home office organization, home office organization ideas, military wife, office, organize my office, organized office, parenting, small business, tired, working. 2 Comments
- Looking at this picture is almost as good as eating Hershey’s chocolate.
Every few months, I look around at the paper clutter and stuff in our home office and I literally consider pulling on my hair. Not pulling it out, mind you, because that would create a whole new set of problems and I don’t look particularly cute in a hat.
Here are some problems and possible solutions for us to de-clutter our home office for good. Well, at least for awhile.
- Kids… everywhere. Our kids come in and out of our office like it’s another playroom. They drag out our stuff, want to use our computers, use up all the staples and tape for various craft projects that will later be thrown away, move all my sentimental stuff around, etc. It drives me really nuts. Some possible solutions:
- Move our office to the playroom, which has a door. The door does not lock, but that could be changed. The only problem with that is that the playroom doesn’t have all the wondows our office does. Plus, I love our office. I just don’t love our stuff being disorganized and finding my best thank you notes stuck in Daddy’s work shoe or in the back of a Tonka truck. What is the solution? I don’t know. Now, this is depressing.
- Stop working from home. Is this even possible? I would have to shut down our business, which is probably not the most genius thing in this economy.
- Build a wall to separate the walkway from the office. Could be done. Might decrease the value of our home because, to anyone else, would look very strange.
- Teach our children to stay out of the office. This idea has merit. Maybe we can try it when we are not both working 7 days a week and totally exhausted.
- I have run out of ideas. Maybe a great idea will come to us in the form of a comment. Ideas? Send ‘em on over!
- There are more problems, but at this point they seem like symptoms of the above-named problem rather than new problems. Plus, I need an epiphany. Like, by the weekend, please, brain.
This could be me. So scarily easily.
20
Jun
Posted by lainebroxton in Couch to 5K, I'm fat. Whatever., Working Mom. Tagged: couch to 5K, find time to work out, organize my body, over worked, parenting, tired, work out with kids, working mom. 1 Comment
Yay for Sunday dress photo ops!
Not one to leave a stone unturned or science experiment unfinished, there were no adverse affects (do not click that link if you have a weak stomach. It’s for the sickos like me who take one look at that and yell OMG while spewing soda from our noses) from eating chips and running.
Ava and I worked out together tonight again – her choice! It was really fun. I’m going to get her some running shoes, which I think will make the “heel – toe” thing easier for her to understand. She is really after me about me not having a flat stomach. She’s like, “Why don’t you have a flat stomach? Well, so-and-so’s mom just had a baby and she has a flat stomach. Well, so-and-so’s mom has had two kids, too, and SHE has a flat stomach.” This happens on a daily basis. When we work out, she’s all excited and encouraging, saying stuff like “Wow, Mom! Your stomach is already getting flatter! Good job!” I keep telling her (and myself) that I am NOT working out to get a particular body. I am working out because it feels great and is good for me. Plus, I am looking for overall better body fitness. Sigh. Little does she know of the miracle of tummy tucks. Just between you and me, if I can’t get this stomach tamed I’m going to have a doctor do it when I get my tatas done for my 40th birthday or when I hit my goal weight. When I come home miraculously hot, I’m thinking about telling her it’s because I always listened to my Mommy, and “poof” it just happened to me on my 40th birthday. That might be my most brilliant idea yet.
18
Jun
Posted by lainebroxton in Bi-Racial, Working Mom. Tagged: biracial, biracial hair, biracial hair conditioning, biracial hair in the summer, biracial hair styles, biracial hair tips, how to comb biracial hair, how to keep biracial hair moisturized, what to do with biracial hair in the summer. 3 Comments
We get scads of hits from Google searchers looking for info on biracial hair. Here’s where we are on the hair with two kids, ages 5 and 2.
Summer “Ouchless” Biracial Hair Tips:
Moisturize! During the summer, it’s super important to keep biracial hair moisturized. We use olive oil based products because they typically don’t stink and it seems like most of them don’t end up making your biracial child’s hair look like it has jerry curl in it.
Keep it up! If your child has long or medium length hair, keep it up off your poor child’s neck. For one thing, it’s hot out there and all that hair probably feels like wearing a fur stole in an oven. Here are some tried and true ways to keep your kid’s hair out of his or her eyes:
- One ponytail on top, in the back, at the nape, or to one side. Try different variations with this – it’s fun!
- Two ponytails on top, in the back, or at the nape.
- Part your child’s hair down the middle on top and then across the head from ear to ear. Put a rubber band or barette on each side, then put up in a pony tail. It’s super cute.
I’ll start taking some pictures of the kids’ hair and posting it. I’m no cosmotologist, however; I am a mom who is happy to share what I do know about how to keep biracial hair healthy and growing. Here are some that might be helpful to you:
When both kids were young, we used the lustrous pink stuff. It worked great for their baby hair. We used the spray when they were newborn and then moved to the cream until they were about 2.
Little Man with a good haircut at about 13 months.Little Man, pre professional haircut. Pre any recent haircut, actually.Little man, post haircut. With a bribe sucker.
Experimenting with parts bows, and rubberbands.
17
Jun
Posted by lainebroxton in I'm fat. Whatever., The Art of Getting Happy, Working Mom. 2 Comments
Let the Jr. High science experiment commence. I am about to go running after a snack of potato chips and dip. There’s a reason why they call it a ”Couch to 5K” training program. We couch potatoes are strongly affiliated with the fried potato variety. See ya in 30 min!
16
Jun
Posted by lainebroxton in Business, Entrepreneur, Working Mom. 1 Comment
Ah-dorable
Something big happened yesterday. I can’t wait to tell you, but it’s too soon. Once I have some final details, we’ll talk all about it. Here’s what I can tell you now:
1. I am not pregnant nor are we adopting 2. I am keeping the same job & home 3. My husband and I are super excited about this!
Moving on, have you guys found Etsy.com? It’s awesome! A friend just had a baby and here’s the page to the adorable gift I’m thinking about getting little Ms. Wonderful
15
Jun
Posted by lainebroxton in The Art of Getting Happy. Tagged: does he like me, does she like me, get happy, he doesn't like me, she doesn't like me, the art of getting happy. 1 Comment
:)
There’s a woman I know who does not like me. This is not supposed or hypothetical. There really is a woman who literally cannnot stand the sight of me. To my knowledge, I have never done anything to her or had any cross words with her. The funny thing about this is that for the first time in my entire life, I’m starting to like myself.
A few months ago on Oprah’s Master Class, Oprah said that we should live our purpose. It was profoundly changing to me and the six months since then have been an amazing journey. Do we all have obligations to keep fulfilling? You betcha. Is our purpose clear immediately? Nope. Living well takes work. I used to think living well was about a particular paycheck. I used to think I would be happy with the next promotional title. In reality, none of those things made me feel the way I thought they would. That empty, sad feeling just wouldn’t go away.
Thanks to my life coach, G., there have been some major “aha” moments happening around here lately and the results are phenomenal.
13
Jun
Posted by lainebroxton in Entrepreneur, Go Go Gadgetry, Home Office Organization, Working Mom. Tagged: couch to 5K, get in shape, iPhone, iPhone accessories, organize my body. 3 Comments
So, earlier today we discussed the fact that my body needs organized – things are just not where they’re supposed to be … A friend clued me in to a great program called “Couch to 5K“. First, let’s go over the basics. 5K is not five miles, for my fellow Americans who, like me, know literally nothing about the metric system. It’s 3 miles. See? That’s achievable, right? Right. Plus, I really like the fact that we can be honest about the amount of time my behind has spent on a couch over the last 5 years.
With this new body makeover in mind, I got great cute pink shoes today at the sport store. I tried to seem like I knew what the hell I was talking about, however; my flabby body may have betrayed me to the practiced eye. The shoes are hot pink, they feel great, and at this point it’s all about motivation to actually put them on and do something, so all is well.
Here’s a FYI for you: The iPod “new” arm band to hold iPod Touch/iPhones doesn’t work with iPhones that are from 2009. Silly me. I questioned the guy repeatedly at Walmart who sold it to me. He assured me that it would work. He showed me an iPod touch and it sorta looked like it would work. I hoped it would work. It really does not work. The guy was like 72 and I seriously doubt he has ever even held an iAnything in his hand. Why do they do that? Who in their right mind would put a senior citizen in the electronics department unless they were totally hip and… techhie… and.. is this like asking for the impossible? Has anyone ever seen a person over, say 65, who was a techhie? I know one person, but I don’t think he’s over sixty five….and he’s been working on techhie stuff in his basement since rocks sparked and made fire.
You might like: Return to Hotness: Losing the Baby Fat and Yes, But What Shall I Wear?
