FIVE ON FRIDAY!!!!!!

On Saturday...  WOMP WOMP WWWWOOOOOMMMMPPPP.....

I think I will probably be late to my own funeral.  This week has been 50 Shades of Crazy for Mama Mac.  I am finding that I am in a happier state of mind when I am busy but this week may have been a little too busy and my messy house is proof.  Oh well, YOLO.

Let's get to the gossip and what is going on with me:

O-N-E
I am a working woman.  Sort of.  I got a call from a former coworker whom I still substitute for asking me if I would be interested in tutoring a little girl on homebound for the remainder of the school year.  Homebound is for students with severe health concerns that prevent them from attending school for the day.   I see her twice a week for an hour and a half.  It is good because it is just enough to fit into my crazy busy baseball mama schedule.   This little girl is PRECIOUS and I am really enjoying my time with her.    The family is supportive and have welcomed me into their home.  This is a nice change from my past teaching jobs where I had no support from the home!

T-W-O
I am writing this post at 6:30AM on a Saturday morning inhaling my second cup of coffee because I have been awake since 5:30 thanks to the hubs alarm.  I rolled over to turn it off and said a few not nice words to the pillow because Chad was already up and gone for a run.  All I wanted to do was to sleep in this morning.  We have a big day ahead!


T-H-R-E-E
Why was Chad up at o'dark thirty to run?  He's signed up for this 100 MILE trail race against my wishes.  He had talked about it when they announced they were going to do it and I voiced my concern about it to deaf ears.  The reason I was opposed to it is because he has a highly stressful job with at least 12 hour days (sometimes longer), travels a lot, is helping coach a baseball team, has two children and a wife at home, and a home to maintain.  I am most concerned about how he was going to fit training for this asinine race into his already busy schedule and how his body would react to the intense training.  He's doing it though and I am not happy about it.  I did realize though, that running is his drug and that I would rather him be addicted to running as opposed to be addicted to drugs or alcohol.  The race is in May.  I am planning on going and hanging out with friends while he runs.  I think I might even treat myself to a mani/pedi for surviving his training!!  :)

F-O-U-R
This weekend is opening weekend for baseball!  You will find me on the ball field the next fifteen weeks.  I couldn't be more excited!

F-I-V-E
I ordered these last week and I cannot wait for them to arrive.

I got the light gray classics.  This is my second pair of TOMS.  I got bleach on my first pair.  :(  I tried to love them but they have absolutely no arch support so I had to put them away for a while.  When I was shopping for spring shoes and saw that Shay raved about them, I decided to give them a try because when Shay talks, I listen! :) I got the bright idea to go to our local shoe repair store (the owner is super nice) and ask him if he could add something to the arch to help my poor dancer feet.  He gave me AT NO CHARGE some inserts to try when they came in.  He even offered a second option if those don't work.  How cool!  I am anxious to put these to the test when we head South to see a certain Mouse!

That's it folks!  Have a great weekend!

See Ya Real Soon!

#TinaEveryday Weeks 8 and 9

While I have done well at taking a picture everyday in 2014, I haven't done well at posting all of them here on my blog.  Life gets all kinds of crazy sometimes but that is the main reason I am doing a pic a day.  I want to remember what our normal and not-so-normal days are like!

Let's rewind to day 48:

This was back on President's Day so I hit the outlets to get a couple of things for our Spring Break trip to see a certain Mouse.  The outlets are about two hours from our house so I headed down after kid drop off and had the in laws pick them up from school.  I scored several things for everyone else in my household but only managed to buy myself one thing.  Carson squealed with excitement when he saw the UA bag.  He could be a model for Under Armour!

 Day 49:  Love hearing the sound of a baseball when it is caught in a glove.  The boys throw or hit almost everyday.  We have become a baseball family!

Day 50: One of my favorite times of the day is listening to Caylee read her take home book to me.  We usually do this right before bed.  She and I both need pedicures!

Day 51: It was 70 degrees that day!  Sunroof open and no gray roots made me HAPPY!

Day 52: The night the dismantle of the master suite began.  Stay tuned for a big reveal!

Day 53: We disassembled our closet and decided to paint it instead of having the painters do it.  The kids had gone to their cousin's soccer game two hours away so we had a day and part of the night to ourselves.  Some couples have romantic dates- we paint.

Day 54: The result of our "romantic Saturday."  HAHA!

If you are wondering where all of our stuff disappeared to, this is what I had to live with for a couple of weeks and sadly, I still need to put things away or donate them!

Day 55: The boys are back on the field!  Our first practice on the field.  

Day 55: Bonus:  After baseball practice the kids and I went to Buffalo Wild Wings cause Daddy was out of town and Mama don't cook when Daddy is gone.  BWWs is Carson's heaven.  My view the entire evening:

Day 56 started out with this: 

I ran over something and blew my tire out.  Two hundred dollars later, we are all good and life resumed.  And Chad was out of town.

Day 57: I started the task of sorting out closet stuff.  Little did I know I was getting a jump start on 40 bags in 40 days.

Day 58: I am constantly finding little things to do while waiting in the car for the kids.  This day, I cleaned out my purse and found some pretty random things.

Day 59:  We are in Georgia prepping for a shower!  

Day 60: Beth's cupcake wedding dress.

Day 61: As we said our "see you laters" to the Georgia Hamptons, I look over and see my mother in law holding a knife (long story) while hugging the bride.  She hosts a shower for you one day then stabs you in the back the next! 

I think I am all caught up!

Five on Friday!

TGIF!  I'm linking up for Five on Friday.

O-N-E

I am giving up Facebook for Lent.  I know I've talked about this on my blog before.  Facebook would, at times, just bring me down.  I would find myself getting hurt or angry about the pettiest of things yet it still would suck me in and I would find myself checking it several times per day and end up wasting ten minutes here and there.  It is amazing how much time is wasted.  I decided that I need to be more intentional with the relationships in my household instead of reading what my friends on my news feed had to say or what they did.   The straw that broke the camels back for me was over an article about fast passes at Disney that I had posted in hopes of returning to read later when I had more time.  An "acquaintance" (read: unfriend now) blasted me over it.   His comments were silly, hurtful, and completely incoherent and he made absolutely no sense.  I let it sit with me for a day or two then I responded.  Chad asked me not to because it would do no good but I was so mad about it that I did it anyway.  I am typically not one to be vocal just because I want to maintain peace with my people but this was just crazy.  In his comment, he essentially called me "bad and classless" because we use fast passes  then tried to cover it up after reading my response. He said that it wasn't directed toward me though clearly it was when I (and a couple of my friends who saw the post) reread what he said.  The only word I can think to describe him is IDIOT.  I can think of more, but I don't use those words on my blog!

T-W-O

Another project I am doing for lent is 40 Bags in 40 Days.  I got the idea from Mel over at The Larson Lingo.  Since we just finished our paint job in our master suite (still need to blog about that), I am in the process of going through our stuff before we put it back in so I got a jump start on the project earlier in the week and didn't realize it  Sweet Mel also offers tips for doing the project as well as a cute printable to help plan the project.  I am with her though on getting the kids involved.  My kids would go through the trash bags when I am not looking and put stuff back!   

T-H-R-E-E
Sticking with the Lent theme, maybe I should have vowed to give up something, or somethings, in my diet.  Since I haven't been running and my visits to the gym have been less than normal, I have put on a couple of pounds.  I never do well with eating and exercise in the winter which equates to being angry at myself come summer and bathing suit weather.  I think this may be part of the problem:

O to the M to the G.  Holy Batman this stuff is amazing.  On our way back from Atlanta we stopped at Trader Joe's in Knoxvegas.  I had seen several people on Instagram and Pinterest comment about this so of course being the nosy social media person that I am (hence the reason I gave up Facebook), I had to check it out for research purposes.  I bought some waffle cone cracker type things and spread the cookie butter over them.  Pure heaven!  In fact, a boy on Carson's baseball team came home with him Sunday after practice and we all tried it together.  The player has requested that I bring these to baseball tournaments he loved them so much.  He's just fueling my justification for another trip to TJs!

F-O-U-R

This is our final weekend of "freedom" before fifteen plus straight weekends of baseball tournaments.   My project list is a mile long!  We are trying to cram a lot in this weekend because our weekends will revolve around tournaments but I wouldn't have it any other way!  GO INDIANS!

F-I-V-E

I don't know how in the world I missed Sam's post on Instagram but I saw this last night.  Sam has become somewhat of a big brother and mentor to Carson.  He is an awesome young man and we have come to value his and his families' friendship.  I think you will see what he means to us from his comments on his Throwback Thursday post on Instagram.  I wish I hadn't cut his head off.  :(

I cried when I saw this.  How awesome is it that a high school boy would take my kid under his wing AND dance with us in the Nutcracker?  :)

Have a great weekend!  The time changes this weekend!  SPRING FORWARD!

Just Call Me The Old Bag Lady

Ok, maybe you can omit the word old, but I have an obsession for tote bags.  I didn't realize it until about an hour ago.

My mom is doing some early spring cleaning and asked if I wanted a couple of Vera Bradley bags.  Hello?  YES!  I was excited to get my hands on them.  Why do I need so many bags?  I don't know.  The good news is that I didn't pay for most of these.  They were either gifted or got them for free!  I hosted a Thirty One Gifts party back in October as a fundraiser for our baseball team so I got a nice hostess credit and used the credit to get me several things as well as Christmas gifts.

I got this wild idea that I'd do a blog post on my love of bags and showcase my favorites.  After I loaded my pictures I realized that forgot to take pics of two other bags that I really like.  Ooops...

It is no secret that I love Vera Bradley though I must admit I've stopped carrying VB purses.  I love her prints- they are beautiful- her bags are functional.  I guess I just got tired of carrying them.  I still use the turn lock wallet.  I got one for Christmas.  I love it because my iPhone will fit inside of it so I can just carry the wallet when necessary.

Take a look at my obsession:

Vera Bradley Miller Bag.  This is my "purse" when we fly.  That way, I can also have a carry on.  I use this as my gym bag now.

This is a bag Mom gave me.  Not sure of the name of the bag but it is Vera Bradley.  I love it because it has many inside little pockets.  I am going to use this for a little tutoring job I took. 

My first large utility tote from Thirty One.  When I had my party, I added the zipper pouch.  A great find!  I use this for EVERYTHING.

Perfect for tailgating!  I didn't have to pay for this one (except for monogram).  

I will be taking this to Disney.  I got it for free when I opened my Disney Visa card.  

Another free Thirty One (again- I paid for monogram).  I use this as my toiletry bag when I travel.  I like the outside pockets.

This is the Retro Metro Thirty One tote.  I was dying to get this one but I haven't used it yet.  My other totes have worked out so well, I just haven't used it.  

No explanation necessary!  This will be on my shoulder for the fifteen baseball tournaments we are playing in.

This is the Retro Metro weekender from Thirty One.  I haven't used this one either but I am thinking it would make a great bag for a weekend away.

I keep this bag in my car for miscellaneous things.  My main reason for getting it is to take to Dobyns-Bennett football games this fall since Carson is going to be on the field crew.  It can also go to the baseball field too!

I forgot to take pictures of two other bags I use a lot!  Caylee has the Vera Bradley weekender.  A whole week's worth of her clothes will fit in that bag!  

I also love the Vera Bradley large duffle.  I used it as a weekender bag.  It will hold so much stuff!  When I googled the image to post, it took me to an auction site and the current bid for this bag is $284.  I paid $50 for it.  YIKES!  I am definitely hanging onto this bag!

It is so odd that I have an obsession for tote bags yet I am VERY picky when purchasing a purse.  I have a list of requirements and seldom I get a bag with everything on my list.  

Do you have a particular brand or style of bag that you are crazy about?

The Beebs' Bridal Shower in Atlanta

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of helping host a bridal shower for the hubs' cousin (a member of the Georgia Hamptons as I call them), who has become a dear friend of mine (and my cousin).  We have all prayed for her to find her match and our prayers were answered!  She and her love are getting married in May.  I can't wait for the festivities!

A little background:
Every year, the women in Chad's family gets together for a girls' weekend away.  We've been to several locations within driving distance between our house and Atlanta and have done everything from inner tubing, had our pictures made in saloon attire (don't ask), slept with sheep, went honky tonkin' in Nashville, and almost burnt down a cabin.  Yep, fun times! :)

There are two generations that attend the weekend and sometimes you can't tell who is the older and who is the younger!  I love these women so much and look forward to my time with them.

This year, we decided we'd give Beth (Beebs, BeBe as she is called) a bridal shower.  I had so much fun planning the decor and activities and assisting with the food.  I'll shut up and let the pictures do the talking.

 Here is the lovely bride and me!

I was in charge of decor and being the extrovert of the bunch.  Check and check!  My sweet mother in law tells me I am the only extrovert in our family.  When guests arrived, I asked them to sign this mat that held Beth's shower invitation.  I thought she could hang it in her house.  Speaking of the invitation, we got them locally.  Turns out, an artist had hand drawn the artwork.  AMAZING!  All we had to do was choose the font and wording.

I found the next idea on Pinterest.  I had everyone take a wooden utensil (if you can find just spoons, they work a little better) and write advice for a happy marriage on one side and their name on the back.  I LOVED this.  I asked the guests to hold onto their spoons until Beth opened gifts.  As she opened the guest's gift, they read their advice and presented the utensil to her.  I think she really loved this idea.  It will be neat to pull these out years down the road and read what people said.

This wasn't my department- I am not gifted in this area but this is the fabulous cupcake wedding dress my MIL made. She made the cupcakes and designed the dress.  They were delicious but I think people were too afraid to tear apart the dress.

Of course, we had extra cupcakes on hand.

Since the shower was an afternoon shower, we kept food to a minimum.  We did have trail mix.  This stuff was out of this world good.  I was happy to see that the leftovers made it back to my jeep.  It was a  nice snack to have while traveling through Knoxville!

Another Pinterest find:  Bridal bouquets and veil to welcome the guests inside- but guess what- most of the invitees entered through another door we tried to block off.  I felt bad because that is where we hid all the stuff we had to move out of the big room to make it look like a shower.  Oh well.

Another Pinterest find: This is all the rage right now- tagging pics on social media.  I asked Beth about this and she loved the idea.  I thought it would be nice to have all the celebration pics in one place.  I've seen online that you can have a collage printed off all the pics hash tagged and I am thinking about doing that for her once they are married.

I loved these "devil dusted" candles.  Beth hates glitter (didn't know that when I was planning).  I took jelly jars and sprayed them with spray glue and rolled glitter around the inside and stuck a votive in.  Chad's aunt added the other things.

Here is the finished wooden spoon project.  LOVE LOVE LOVE!

The sweet Bride to Be!  So glad for her friendship!