Peanut Butter Reboot

(Picture http://www.hdwallpapersimages.com/new-year-2014-gifts/16984/)

re·boot

 [v. ree-boot; n. ree-boot, ree-boot] Computers.

verb (used with object)

1.

to restart (a computer) by loading the operating system; boot again.

verb (used without object)

2.

(of a computer) to be restarted.

noun

3.

an act or instance of restarting a computer.

While the act of rebooting is clearly an IT term, in this little blog, it means a fresh start. I started off last year with big plans, but somewhere between January and December, I found that keeping up with a blog is so very difficult and time consuming. See, I tried to start out as some sort of thousand reader blog, when in reality, My mom and my husband read my blog. And only when I remember to tell them I have written something. 

I have taken the last year to really read up on how to run an effective blog and how to write and how to network and what to do and defiantly the thousands of others posts on what NOT to do, and so on. It has always been my intention, however, to be authentic. I really don't want to be yet another homeschool/crafting/mommy blog. Those are needed and great and have created their niche market without my adding to it. I want to blog about our daily happenings and possibly our silliness and occasionally our messiness. I want a running, year long, single view of our little family, and if no one ever reads these words but my mother and husband and myself, well that's just fine. One day, when my children are grown, I'd love to pull up this little nothing blog and show my them my words when I had things on my heart that needed to be said but I couldn't get passed my lips. I want them to read the words and hear my voice, see my struggles, read about times when I was unsure. I want them to read about what I thought when events happened in our small little lives.

It really boils down to the fact, that I am there for these two kiddos. I am present for homeschool lessons and park days. I encourage, instruct, direct and discipline. But my children don't get to hear my inner dialog of self doubt when letting them fly. They don't get to share in the personal journey of being their mother, just the security of their mother loving them. I want them to one day read these words and think "I remember that but to hear my mom's thoughts puts a perspective on it I didn't understand until now." 

When I was a child, I was playing in mother's makeup and putting on her clothes and I found her diary from when she was a teenager. I remember reading the words she had written before I was even thought of and feeling the same things as her. I was 14 at the time and trying desperately to fit in and find my voice. I read her words and there was a comfort to them. A sort of written confirmation that the amazing women who was raising me, was once unsure of herself, just like me. I read about a girl who had crushes and who lacked self esteem, just like me.  I read about a girl who wanted to be something before she had become something. 

It was awe-inspiring. 

It was chilling.

It was amazing.

To read her words, felt to me, that I had stepped into a world so like my own yet still different. It helped me realize that my mother was once a little struggling girl. It was the moment it sank in that she was ever my age, since before that, I had convinced myself she was born a women in a business suit who worked hard. It was the best book I had ever read. It was her words, her thoughts, her struggles that made mine seem similar. 

And I want that for my children.

I want them to read this blog and hear me, hear my words. 

I am not a big "New Year's Resolution" person. I am kinda lazy in that regard, as I think about making a list but never actually get around to putting the list to paper. This year is different. This year, I have had some time to really look at what I want to reboot in 2014. Through prayer and meditation, I come to realize that 4 areas of my life can be improved upon. These areas aren't broken or downtrodden, but as in all things, we can't be stagnant when it comes to ourselves. Continuously moving forward, ever evolving, changing, bettering ourselves is what keeps us fresh and alive. A New Year is full with so many opportunities to be a little bit better. For us to change things and reboot others. This year the 4 areas of rebooting are, in no particular order:

Family (being more present, more active, more involved with both my children and my husband)

Spiritual (drawing closer to God as a women, married couple, and family)

Health (Not only eating right and exercising but taking time to be still and meditate)

Education (learning, discovering, reading and building on my own knowledge base)

I'm praying that this blog helps to keep me accountable when it comes to these four areas. In the coming days and after the first of the year, I will be putting up links with these to help those who want to read (mom and Big B, this means you) to get to the blog posts faster. 

I also am praying that my voice in the blogsphere is authentic and uniquely my own. 

Happy New Year and welcome to the Reboot

Mama Jelly  

Work Over My Wardrobe Wednesday

For the next few weeks, I will be making over my existing wardrobe. Being a stay at home mom of two small children, and living on a budget, I don't have the funds or resources to shop for me like I once did.  Gone are the days I could pop into the mall on the way home from work and purchase what I wanted to. No, our money needs to be spent wisely and we are saving for college and purchasing homeschool supplies along with an expensive Gluten free diet my daughter and myself need to stay healthy. I've been on a search for "new clothes" since I will be heading to South Texas Ladies retreat and I know there are going to be some nicely dressed women there. This will be my first time to go somewhere where I won't have spit up on my clothes or an Ergo carrier clipped around my waist. I won't have to worry about Miss A or nurse Little B during service. I am going to sit still (I am so excited about sitting still) and listen (this part thrills me more than sitting still) to women as they speak on family and service and God. I am beyond thrilled!!

So in my excitement, I started thinking about what I was going to wear. I am a mommy, but I try and dress nice, while still being able to go down a slide or finger paint if the need arises. But looking at my wardrobe makes me just a bit sad. My body has changed so much since having children and there are a lot of cute things I refuse to get rid of in my closet. I think every women can sing this song, mommy or not, working outside, inside the home or only with your children. We all have those outfits in the back of our closets that are a reminder of a time when we weren't called mom. A sort of tribute to the women we were and living proof of the women we are today.

I have come across a few tutorials that I love and have helped me to move my wardrobe from okay to fantastic! One of my favorite blogs ever is Choose to Thrive. This mom of 6 is facing 2 lay offs and budget cuts to the family budget but she manages to create for FREE and use things around her house. She is even remodeling her kitchen for FREE. I am smitten with her blog and get tons of ideas from her to, as Nike at Thrive coins "rock what you got". Stop by when you have a chance and tell her how amazing she is!

I have also been searching the Internet to include Pinterest (as if your surprised) for refashions of everything. I have tutorial after tutorial for turning your husbands' dress shirt into a little girl's dress, turn your old tshirts into scarves and ruffles and little girl dresses, turn that onesie with a stain into a onesie baby can wear, and so on and so forth. But what I haven't come across too much is turn mommy's old skirt into something new or turn Mommy's old sweater into a new sweater. I did come across this amazing ruffled long skirt blog post that I absolutely love. And I came across this blog post about refashioning your old sweatshirt into a nice asymmetrical jacket. So using my own imagination and these as inspiration, I bring you the ruffled sweatshirt re-do.

So lets start the refashion with the very first "Work Over My Wardrobe Wednesday".

I had the girls from the Pinterest Party (go here to read about the fun) leave the scraps from the tshirt scarves since I knew I could come up with something for them. This project was super easy and only took a few minutes to refashion a sweatshirt I picked up at "Closet Del Jelly". I like the feel of the fabric of the sweatshirt and the color, but I hated the over sized, bulky look. Plus an all black shirt, with no color washes my fair skin out. I need color!

What I love about knit material, is that you don't need to hem it, the more you wash it, the nicer it looks and it is a very forgiving fabric in that regard. However, you do need a special needle if you do knit material pieced with knit material, and the ability to stretch that makes it great for t-shirt scarves, also makes it difficult to work with if you don't have the correct tension on your machine.

I had my husband take these pictures and I am in no way a model. I prefer to take the pictures instead.

Here is the front

I ruffled t-shirt material around the hood and the v-neck. I didn't like the sleeve length, so I shortened the sleeves to be 3/4 sleeves.

Here it is with the hood up

Yes, I know I don't look "happy" but I was trying to not bust out laughing at Big B who was crouched and seconds away from falling over. This is me, biting my cheeks to not laugh.

This is a close up of the hood

And finally, the rolled roses on the pocket. I liked the pocket for holding things like "magical rocks" and special leaves for Tinkerbell's house as well as keeping my hands warm. I also added two colored roses to bring some other colors to the shirt.

I think it turned out pretty nice and will look nice while still being comfortable. I think this is a win/win.

So head to your local thrift shop, pick up some tshirts and a sweatshirt or better yet, refashion your own at home for FREE.

Mama Jelly