Retail

Apologies... but I need to gloat for a minute. This is my first holiday season NOT in retail, in about 11 years.  As we're heading into the biggest 5 weeks in the (retail) year, the enormity of this change is sinking in. Tomorrow is my last day of work for the week, and I feel like I'm telling everyone. Many people either have time around holidays off, or have the ability to take the time off. Neither of which I've had in a very long time! So, it may seem silly but its huge to me.

Actually, if you count my very first jobs (I worked at a video shop and a music shop in high school) I've worked 15 of the last 20 years in a retail environment. Wow. Quite honestly, since I'd worked so many Black Fridays and Christmas Eves, I was used to it.  Although it didn't make me any less jealous on days like these, when I had to head into work while Brian and the girls hang at home. Not to mention how I'd start each Thanksgiving feeling wonderful and thankful, and end it each being bitter because I was the only one of the group of 20+ who had to go to work the next day.

I'm one of those people who is most productive under the gun. I like being busy, an part of me sort of enjoyed the craziness of these holidays season - the very busy days and the longer hours.  However, my shopping often fell to the wayside, and I was a zombie most of time that I was outside of work. Being a working mom has it's own challenges, but my past jobs added so much more stress than I needed. I don't think I realized until recently, how negatively my work was effecting me personally.

Anyway, this year, I kind of feel human. I got an early start on our Christmas cards, have started Christmas shopping and things are work at quiet.  Honestly, it doesn't quite feel like the holiday season to me yet. In addition to the time off this week, I have a few days off throughout December too, again - something I've never had before. The balance that this job provides is immeasurable, and this new change has literally been life changing.

So, no matter how much time you have off this week, I hope you enjoy it! This year will certainly be different for me, but I am grateful for the years in retail because that experience has made me appreciate this time off, even more. Do me a favor though - when you are shopping this year, be kind to everyone in retail!

You can bet I'll be grinning from ear to ear as I run errands, make treats for Thanksgiving, get a mani/pedi, decorate for Christmas and just eat up all the time with my family :) I.cannot.wait!

Happy Thanksgiving! Xo

King or Queen? HELP!

Queen...? King...? Queen. We have a pretty good sized master bedroom. Since we've moved in, we've made a few small changes, but it's just not quite there. We've been mulling over ideas on things we can change, but we can't seem to make a decision. Around and around, we go. Feel free to weigh in because we've googled it and looked on pinterest, at tons of photos - but we're having trouble deciding what size bed is best for our room.

 

Last year for Christmas I got a new dresser and mirror from my family. A perfect upgrade which helped the room look more like a master, and not a kids room ;) Along with that, we have a hand-me-down armoire that Brian uses for his clothes, and two tables that we use for nightstands that were accent tables in our old house. So, there are a lot of mixed wood pieces, and it just irks me. Funny that the rest of the house can be a mess, with dust balls and dirty dishes but the mismatched wood in our bedroom is what really irks me ;) A friend recently explained it well though - housework is like a drug. I can totally relate. One project is done, and I can't wait to update the next thing. So, now, I'm fixated on our room. 

The catalyst for all of this, is that we are desperate for a new mattress. Ours is only about 6 years old but it's terrible. At the time, we did a little research and were on a tight budget, so the result was a cheap mattress that's too plush and bad for our backs. We both have back trouble as it is, and I swear our bed makes it worse. So, if we're doing it, do we go big - and get a king? Everything is that much more expensive for a king... and is it really necessary?! Will it make our room look bigger? smaller?

Then, like everything, one thing leads to a next, and then I start thinking... lets get a real frame/head and footboard. Lets get real nightstands. We're still on a budget, but I'd really like our space to finally look like the real thing - a space for adults. For some silly reason, a full frame with headboard and foot board is the real deal, and I daydream about it. j/k... sort of. I'm afraid of too much wood, so recently I've been looking at metal frames. But, I feel like you never see metal frames in master bedrooms... at least not on pinterest :) So, I'm hung up on that too! What do you think? 

I'm most excited that once we decide and make these changes, I'm going to hang prints over our bed. I already have the prints in mind, and I can't wait to be surrounded by pictures of our family in our little nook. I've been dreaming about those accents since we moved in, but could never make up my mind for design based on these little hangups. So, we're two years into this house, and we're getting there. Slooooowly but surely! We better not decide to move anytime soon ;) 

Happy Thursday! XO

Sweet Madelyn is 4!

Miss Madelyn Jayne, is 4 years old! I look back on the photos and realize how much she's grown each year, but this first picture feels like yesterday. Our sweet little baby, became a happy, gentle toddler and big sister. Now at 4, Madelyn is a kid. She is a beautiful little girl with a kind soul, and huge heart. She cares so much about her family and her friends, and boy does she love her little sister. She loves to draw, loves to learn, loves dramatic play, and has a million and one questions a day :) I am so proud of her and feel incredibly blessed to be her mom. Cheers to you my sweet girl - I love you more!