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Except for this morning, not realizing that J was supposed to return to school today and not tomorrow. Poor kid, we woke him up when the bell was ringing and made him get up and go to school, there were many tears and a lot of drama, but I reminded him that we took off a few days to travel for Thanksgiving and will be doing it again before the end of the year… little does he know he will miss the entire last week of school because it overlaps with our beach vacation!!

Although we have spent the last few days relaxing after a busy time leading up to Christmas and Hubby’s birthday we also spent some time organizing for the new year.  I couldn’t take the mess and clutter and the fact that my second office (not the one in my family room with the comfy chair, but the one in the loft with office chairs and filing cabinets) was a disaster.  I had no room to package orders any more and my December files were scattered amongst wrapping materials and {gasp!} junk. I spent a good two hours decluttering and organizing my house last week.  It doesn’t mean that it is done, but at least I can see where I am working and go from there.

I also almost past out with glee on New Years Day when Hubby decided to do a little project I had been asking for since we bought this house.  I have a little half wall in my family room/kitchen area that acts as my downstairs office.  I have asked for him to build shelves in it since we bought the house and on New Years Day he did it, he cut it out and built it and is on his second coat of mud.  I am so excited because my mini-office will finally be in order and I won’t have piles and piles of stuff surrounding my computer and work area.

Here is a sneak peek of the work in progress.  I can’t wait for it to be finished.  The mess on the top is only part of what is usually up there.  All I need is to find a few containers that will fit the area nicely and I will be all set. I love organized spaces and I finally feel like I am back in the game.

Shelves2 shelves

One last area that needs to get back in the game is my meal planning.  I was really doing well last year and then we fell apart.  Meal planning makes everything so much easier.  I don’t have to think about what to make on that day because it is already decided for me.  And when I shop then I only seem to get what I need instead of thirty things I didn’t need.  I didn’t make a proper list this morning, but this is what I was thinking for this week.

Monday: Dominoes Pizza – Because J had to go to school we asked what he wanted for supper and that was his request.

Tuesday: Beef Stroganoff – an easy peasy fave around here made with ground beef instead of cubed beef.

Wednesday: Spaghetti Bolognese – another fave and so easy to make.

Thursday: Chicken!!  I love chicken but Hubby doesn’t so I make it with a yummy white wine sauce spiced with Cajun Seasoning for some kick.

Friday: Roast Beef.  I have been doing a roast every couple of weeks to the enjoyment of everyone, so Friday it is.

Saturday and Sunday: We fend for ourselves, which means that Hubby has to help in making something at least once or we finish left overs, nothing can ever be planned for the weekend because everyone seems to eat at different times.

Now to organize all my 2010 files to get ready for tax time!

Categories: About Me, Meal Planning, Organization, Work at Home
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The best way to start out 2011 is to look back on 2010 and ask if it was a good year.  And I can honestly say it was.

The end of my year as a blogger wasn’t what it usually is, I felt a little like I was ignoring my little bit of my beach, I didn’t have time to visit my happy place and tickle my feet in the sand.  But going forward it is a new year and with this new year a few small changes will be happening at my beach. Nothing major, just a little more focused on who I am now as a ‘Work-at-Home Mom’ rather than a ‘Stay-at-Home’ Mom.

Looking back on 2010 I can only think of one word to describe it all, Blessed.

My year saw me travel to Maryland for a Photography Workshop without my Husband and Children (a first for me) with such great success that I went on to New York City for BlogHer and Toronto for Blissdom Canada.  This was a huge endeavor for me and my family and would not have been possible at all if not for the help of my Mom.  For this I am truly grateful.

Our annual trip to Rehoboth went from a one week affair to a solid two weeks of beachtime.  The last couple of years had us leaving Ottawa in utter exhaustion only to finally get to the point of being relaxed and have to pack up and head home again.  Our first year at two weeks was wonderful, we absolutely loved it and look forward to our two weeks again this year with hopes of adding another week in a couple more years. And got to spend some time with some wonderful people I have met, thanks to this wonderful world of blogging.

In blogging and social media news, I spent the last year becoming better aquainted with Twitter and all the tweet goodness that follows.  I have met so many wonderful people that I can’t even remember what it was like without Twitter.  When I first started blogging five and a half years ago, I didn’t want anyone to know or to know who I was, now I feel like it is amazing to connect with other bloggers or people in my own city that I would have otherwise not known.  And thanks to Twitter, I was able to attend the She’s Connected conference in October where I met many more out of town people that I have been chatting with online for months and months.

I also got to share in some time with some of my oldest (although younger than me) blogging friends Brenda and Bethany. I saw Bethany twice, once at the beach and once for Thanksgiving in her new home.  I look forward to our next meeting and seeing Brenda again soon, as I know she will either be out East again or I will be West one way or another we will see each other in 2011 again, this I know.

Here in Ottawa, I was hit with a Random Act of Cupcakes, thanks to my good friend CupcakeCowgrrl.  She took it one step further over the holidays and spent four or five weekends driving across the city randomly hitting strangers with this kind act of goodness. And then if that wasn’t enough, she even got me involved with helping out at the Mission for Christmas dinner. I see many good things happening in 2011 both for and with CupcakeCowgrrl.

Last year, I joined a bookclub with a bunch of women on Twitter. Some I knew, others I did not. And although we fell a bit behind last Fall, I truly enjoyed meeting with them.  I got to read a bunch of books, I would have otherwise not even looked at and had some great conversation and fabulous friendships.  Thanks to Shannon, Brie, Lara, Chantal, Vicky, Julia and Barbara for bookclub, I look forward to us picking it up again soon.

I could probably continue, but I am sure I have rambled on long enough.  I look forward to 2011 for more time with new friends, family and my business.  I look forward to continuing my journey of being in great shape so I can play with my young children.  I look forward to growing my business and I look forward to learning how to manage it all efficiently so we all have enough time with each other.

Happiest of New Years to all my Blogging and Tweeting friends,

Sincerely,

BeachMama

Categories: About Me, Catching up
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Day 4 and 5

Day 4 and 5 slipped by and I almost didn’t get in a photo of me.

Day 4 I titled ‘Working’ as I was either behind my camera or behind my computer on Tuesday. This was pretty much how I looked all day.  (taken with Photobooth on my Mac)
Day 4 - Working

Day 5 – Egg Nog, after a day of fun with friends where I again took lots of pictures but forgot one of me, I packed it in after a long evening of editing instead of wrapping then remembered I needed to get in my Seven Days shot. I was grabbing a last little Egg Nog to take to bed while I read my book, so I took a festive photo of it on the table.
Day 5 - Egg Nog

Categories: Uncategorized
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