I'd rather Make Monday More

There is always drama out there, but recently it feels like it's getting out of control.

Mommy drama

Swag fights

Balloon Boy

TSA

Ugh. Enough already.

My Monday's tend to suck already, I really don't need to add any fuel to the fire.

So, I'm doing something that will help. I'm going to Make Monday More. It's my quest - and I hope some of you will join in - to make Monday's better by doing something to make someone or something better.

Last Monday, I didn't do much. I'm hoping you'll forgive me, because I was mending from doing somthing huge the day before - walking 60 miles, and raising $2,400+ for breast cancer.

The Monday before that, I commented on a wonderful woman's blog - she doesn't get many comments, and she needed some support.

This monday, I put out a call to twitter, and asked my tweeps how I could help. I already voted for a blog in a "best blog" contest. (Oh, and I got a few more requests - I just donated to another person's fundraising and gave a #mamavation vote!)

This is my point - I'm making Monday better. Every Monday, I pledge to make someone smile, I plan to leave a comment, let someone go in front of me in line, I plan to donate. I plan to send out some positive energy. Not because I want something back for it. Not to get credit.

Just because, I can. Just because I'm kinda sick of Monday sucking. I'm Making Monday More.

**If you want to see what I did every monday, I'll be tweeting it from @amndaj with the hashtag, #makemondaymore - please feel free to do the same!**

I'd rather I won.

Today is a hard day. Not the worst, mind you. I know it could be a whole hell of a lot worse.

But, none the less, it hurts.

I did not get chosen to be mamavated. I didn't even reach the top 5.

It was hard to apply - as I imagine it was for all the applicants. It was an extremely hard thing to write about my weight and to put my vlog out there - into the world for all to see. I tried to do it during the first Mamavtion campaign, and couldn't even get the vlog done because I was so worried about who would see it. But I did it this time. I made a vlog. I wrote the words. I told you all that, yes, I am overweight, and yes, it sucks.

I knew the chances of me getting to be the winner were slim. I mean, not only did I need to be willing to work hard (and I mean, hard) but I needed to show commitment, and I had to get people to vote. So I basically had to find you all, tell you I was fat, then tell you to help me fix it. And get more of you to do it than others. (Again, I repeat, not easy.) Oh, and also compete with other ladies who probably needed it as much as I did.

I had my guard up. I couldn't tell you everything - about every last moment that I have had in my past 15 years that got me to this point. That would be too hard. And it would take far too long. No, that would only happen if there was a good chance that I could take the title home. Become THE Mamavation Mom.

But then I started hoping. And dreaming. And letting my head feel how much my heart wanted it. And I said it out loud. And I let my guard down. I even answered questions - and asked some of my own. And I felt good about doing this. I told my husband that I really wanted this and that it would change - everything. The man even went out and got a twitter account just to support me, for heaven's sake.

Then I waited. For what seemed like an eternity - but really, it was only less than 2 days.

It was announced.

I did not win. I did not make it to the finalists. Close, but, no cigar.

And then it started. The tears. And they just kept coming. And coming. And I tried to twitter, and I tried to dm, and I tried to distract or put on a happy face. But the tears kept coming.

Seriously, it was ridiculous.

I hate when I cry - and my freakin' eyes do it way too often, little twerps. It wasn't any diferent this morning. I was a bawling baby.

Then I realized why I was crying so stinking much. That, not only did I want to win, and that I needed to win, but that I had to do something. And do it now.

So I am. I am making changes. Ready, here it goes:

• I'm changing up the blog - new location, new look, new content.
• I'm changing my twitter id to go with the blog
• I'm going back to healthy eating and making dinner at home.
• I'm exercising.
• I'm getting my butt in gear and doing things. Things that make me move more, and sit in front of the tv or computer less.
• I'm taking my kids and husband with me. It's a one for all kind of thing.

It will be hard. I won't have the support of the throngs of people that the Mamavation winner will have. But I can do it. Maybe not at warp speed, but I can at least freaking start, for crying out loud.

But one thing I won't be changing: I won't stop supporting the other Mamavation Moms - or anyone who wants to stop the battle, for that matter. I know a few more of you will feel what I'm feeling in a few days, when the final cuts are made.

And I can help. I'll let you cry and I'll let you get pissed. I'll let you eat some chocolate and sit on the couch to watch a chic flick. But then, you're gonna join me. We will write it out. We will work it out. And we will kick some ass.

We will get healthy. Together.

I'd rather be mamavated

So here it is. For all of the world (aka, the handful of you who already follow this new-born blog, and those awesome mamavation ladies coming to check in on the competition) to see. I'm putting myself out there today. I'm telling you the cold hard truth. It might be hard to hear, but it is much harder to say.

I need to lose weight. A lot of it. (Think: the weight of a small child.) But more than that, I need to get fit. Healthy.

It is funny that I write this about a day before I go do the biggest physical challenge of my life. I know how much of a contradiction it sounds like, but it's not. I did the Breast Cancer 3-day last year too. You know how it ended? With me hobbling up the street, both my knees bandaged and iced, smelling like Bengay, only able to sit on the curb - because it hurt that bad. And in between the start and the finish, I spent plenty of time in the medical tent - icing, see the sports medicine people, and even the chiropractor. Why? Well, it's a long story, but in a nutshell, I was too heavy for the stress I was putting on my body.

So why am I walking the 60 miles again? Obviously, it is an incredible and moving experience. And if I didn't train and do the walk, I would have spent all that time sitting on my butt and avoiding sweat like the palgue. But, more than that, I thrive when I am challenged. That is where mamavation comes in.

I need to be challanged. To be pushed. I work at losing weight - but I give in and give up too easily. I need the support mamavation will lend - and I, in turn, will pass it out too.

I need this. Badly.

I don't want to buy another pair of jeans one size bigger than the last. I don't want to laugh when someone asks me to go run. I don't want to eat grease as my meal the majority of the week. I don't want to cry when I go meet people I haven't seen in a while. I don't want my kids to see my unhealthy ways and think it's okay. I don't want to be the fat girl anymore.

I want my jeans to fall off of me. I want to run a 5K. I want to eat yummy, but healthy meals. I want to be self confident. I need to be self confident. I want my kids to be healthy, active, and self-assured girls that grow into healthy, active, confident adults. I want the person I used to see on the inside to match what is on the outside.

I want this. I need this. Please help?

If you would like to help me become a mamavation mom, you need to tweet to Leah, @bookieboo to get me into the finals. (include @bookieboo, #mamavation, and @amndaj in your tweets.) Example:

Hey, @bookieboo I vote for @amndaj to be the next #mamavation mom!

Thank you so much for reading what I just let ooze onto the blog, straight from my heart. This is something that, for the most part, I keep bottled up. I hope that by putting myself out there, you will feel what I'm saying and lend your support. Or at least a fist bump.

With out further ado, here is my mamavation vlog entry:

I'd rather you felt your boobs.

I'm back! It has been a while, but I think I've found my mojo!

And to prove it, I'm running a breast cancer awareness contest on my other blog, The Pink Purpose. Won't you come over and join in?

Don't forget - FEEL YOUR BOOBS!

ps - I am going to be starting new posts soon, including a weekly post on making monday more! More what? You'll just have to come back and see!

I'd rather have a better blog title.

It's true, I would rather be crafting sometimes. And sometimes I'd rather be a much better mom than I am. And sometimes I'd rather be much healthier than I am. I'd rather be a lot of things. It doesn't always happen.

Take, for example, this blog. I'd rather it have a different web address. I want to post about more things than just crafts, so "I'd rather be..." would be a better name than "I'd rather be crafting." But, I'm not going to change it. Mostly because what I want isn't available on Blogger.

Anyway, this is my long winded way of telling you that I'm going to be posting about non-crafty things. About being a mom, why the sky is blue, or what ever else strikes my fancy. I'll still get crafty, though, trust me. But in between, life will happen.

I'd rather NOT be at blogher...

That may be a lie. But I'm not gonna tell. And I may have or may not have any idea what the parties sound like when I listen in on blog talk radio. And it may or may not make me a little green. And if I were, it would certainly be silly, as I have not been blogging for more than a minute or two and I am a virtual ant on the internet.

(An aside, for those of you who have NO idea what blogher is...it is a big...really big...conference of bloggers happening in Chicago this weekend. The bloggers will learn a lot about this blogging thing, and be able to socialize - and win swag - even more.)

I do, however, know this: there is a remedy for my insane, I mean *possible*, jealously. It is blogher@home. So, instead of reading the countless #blogher09 tweets, I will be finding new blogs (hopefully some with lots of crafty goodness) and chatting with like-minded internet-addicted folks.

And as a reward to the few of you that follow or read, I plan on linking to some of the super awesome stuff I find while blog trippin'. Let's do this BHAH!

PS...I have written a few posts, but not as many as I would like. But, please check out CristyNelson.net for a guest post I did about taking a nasty undershirt from your husband and turning it into a cute dress for you daughter. It will be up June 28th.

PPS...The other blog that has been taking my time lately is The Pink Purpose. This is my blog for all things related to the breast cancer 3 day walk. It has some really powerful interviews from those touched by cancer. And, yes, I plan on walking the 60 miles (or as many has my broke-down body will let me) this October.

PPSS...Wow, this is really annoying. Sorry 'bout that...but I am planning on doing a header. One day. Sorry for the lack of eye candy!

I'd rather teach my daughter her ABC's

Actually, my daughter knows her ABC's pretty well. She can spell her name, make most of the letter sounds, and name most letters. But, she has a problem with lower case letters....it's like a foreign language right now. Plus, she says some sounds wrong -- R's and L's make W sounds. So, in looking at this cute paper I have that would never be put to use (I have had it forever and never did anything with it) I came up with a quick game to help her learn and have simple fun.



I just cut up the paper with a circle dye cut, then drew the alphabet -- all lower case, then all uppercase letters. After playing a few rounds of memory, we decided it was smart to write which letters were upper and which were lower, along with a line to use as reference. If you play memory with them, break up the cards into smaller sets first, and as your child gets better, add more cards. Ask how they look different. Ask what sound they make.

I plan on putting them in a leftover gift bag as storage. And I think I'll come up with a bunch of uses for them. Pulling on at the beginning of the day to have a "T" day. Pulling one out of the bag and having her go get me an object that begins with that letter. I'm sure they'll be well used.