What's Up Wednesday (4/25/17)

It's the last Wednesday of April, and it is time for What's Up Wednesday!  This month really flew by and we have so many exciting things coming up next month.  

On the last Wednesday of every month I'm linking up with Shay to answer these questions:

1.  What we're eating this week...
We are one month away from our no-kids vacation to Las Vegas and California, so we are eating healthy.  Lots of protein and vegetables for dinner this week. 

2.  What I'm reminiscing about...
I had a trip to Kansas City for work in the middle of the month, and I was dreading it.  It sucked being away from Mike and the kids for an entire week.  However, the Plaza area, where we stayed was actually a cute little part of town, and I really enjoyed myself.  

3.  What I'm loving...
How cute is this bibdana that I ordered for Arianna?  It is functional and stylish, and didn't really bother her to wear, as you can tell by her staring at the computer screen watching The Wiggles.  A friend of mine from high school has her own Etsy shop and has a ton of designs. I ordered one for a gift as well :) You can find her shop here.  

4.  What we've been up to...
April was a busy, busy, busy month - here's a look at some of our fun!

Riding bikes at Nana and Pepaw's house

Sprinkler fun in the front yard

Coloring :)

Growing so big too fast!

Annual dying of the Easter eggs

Easter egg hunting

Each kid had their face painted for the first time

Hunting for eggs Easter morning

Checking out their goodies from the Easter bunny

Love my family!

It's pretty cool when you get to help your Great-Grandmother 

blow out the candles on her 102nd birthday cake!

5.  What I'm dreading...
Is it crazy that I am dreading Vincent starting Pre-K this year?  I am excited that he's learning so much and getting older and more mature, but Pre-K means that next year he'll be in Kindergarten, which means he's growing up!  #timepleasestop

6.  What I'm working on...

I have been working on my spring cleaning.  If you missed my post about it, you can read it here.  We have our neighborhood garage sale next weekend, so I am working on getting all of that stuff ready.  

7.  What I'm excited about...

This month I finally launched my new business, I Do Yoga!  You can read more about it here.  I am offering private and group yoga packages leading up to or on a bride's special day. All classes are taught by Yoga Alliance Certified yoga teacher and customized for individual needs.

 

8.  What I'm watching/reading...
I've been trying to keep up with Dancing with the Stars this season.  My favorite is Simone :)

I have been traveling for work, and wanted something good to read.  Mike recommended The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann.  It was amazing!  I don't want to spoil too much about the book, but I can share the 5 key takeaways, or Laws of Success - The Law of Value, The Law of Compensation, The Law of Influence, The Law of Authenticity and the Law of Receptivity.  

It is a very easy read, finished it in a few hours.  I have been trying to incorporate these principles into my lifestyle and they are definitely easier than I thought they would be.  Go get this book!

9.  What I'm listening to...

I recently started listening to a podcast called From the Heart.  The speaker is Rachel Brathen, aka on social medial platforms "Yoga Girl."  She recently had her first baby, Lea Luna, and shares her experience as a new mother and lessons learned along the way.  The podcasts are insightful, inspiring and real.  I get excited when she publishes a new one.  

We have also been listening to the Trolls, Sing and Moana soundtracks on repeat....because kids! 

10.  What I'm wearing...
I got the cutest outfit from Madewell while I was in Kansas City.  I have always wanted to check out their stores, but there is not one anywhere near Tampa.  I think the closest one is in Palm Beach Gardens or Jacksonville. Now that I know how their clothes fit, I will be buying more from there in the future. 

11.  What I'm doing this weekend...
This weekend I have fun plans with my college besties, some family-time planned and maybe even a possible trip to Disney.  We've been putting off updating our flower-beds in front of our house, so hopefully we'll find some time to work on those as well.  

12.  What I'm looking forward to next month...

Next month, there are so many fun things to look forward to!  My nephew is turning 3, we have a Derby-themed birthday party to attend, and of course our childless vacation and anniversary celebration with our cousins.  

13.  What else is new...

In April, Mike passed his broker's state licensing exam.  He studied so hard for it, and finally got it done.  I am so happy for him! #proudwife

14. Bonus Question - What's your favorite spring/summer shoe?
Ok, these aren't "my" shoes, but how cute are these shoes I got for Arianna for the summer.  They are crocs, which I'm not generally a huge fan of, but I just couldn't resist.  They go on easy, are water-proof, and will be perfect for running around with her this summer.  

*Bonus - she loves them too! (p.s.  she has found her favorite cabinet and makes that mess EVERY DAY!)

XO

Shari

Workin' It Wednesday - Spring Cleaning

Happy Wednesday!  I'm linking the 2nd Wednesday of the month with Mix and Match Mamma and A Little Bit of Everything for a series where we share how we are working to keep it all together!  

If you want to join the link up too, it's not too late to join us!  Here are the topics we are covering this year :)

You can see my January post about new year's goals here

February post about keeping my marriage strong here

March post about balancing work & home life here

So, if you know me, or ask my husband - my house is far from organized and clean.  Although I am an organized person, my home-life doesn't always reflect that, sadly.  Part of me blames it on my one and three-year-old, but another part of me knows that it is because I always find other things to do with my time.

I am so excited for this month's link-up.  Not only did it influence me to actually work on cleaning up some things in my house, I'm excited to read the expert tips that other bloggers share.  I certainly am no expert and can use all of the help I can get.  We have a community garage sale scheduled for early May, and I am excited to try to get rid of some stuff that has been accumulating.  EVERYTHING that doesn't sell will be donated :)

When I took the BEFORE pictures for this blog, I just asked myself WHY??? Why have I been living like this, and how did the areas even get like this?  They are some-what embarrassing to share with everyone, but I want this post to be real, and I'm proud of the AFTER pictures. 

My first project was our kitchen organizer.  I love this area of my house, its my little central command area.  I update the calendar every month, which I shared in last month's post, and Mike and I use it to stay on the same page with our schedules.  The envelope sorter had become a catch-all for everything I didn't want on my counter.  After the cleaning, it is actually a functional area again!   

(Before)

(Before)

(After)

(After)



My next project was my kitchen counter top.  I look at this picture, and say - WHY?!?  So many RANDOM things thrown here, that just made the house look soooo messy.  Random antibiotics (sick kids), snacks, a light saber......sigh...I will not let this area get like this again!

(Before)

(After)

My last project I worked on was this little catch-all area near our dining room table.  I have no idea WHY I let this stuff pile up.  Some of it started with the office renovation last year.  I really have no explanation for the rest.  I think Mike threw that high chair on there recently when we needed to use the chairs for the table for guests.  Now, all of this stuff is gone, and my house instantly feels bigger!  WHY didn't I do this earlier?? 

(Before)

(After)

My cleaning is not done, I have a lot more rooms to go through and projects to tackle, but I am proud of what we've accomplished.  I have a few more weeks to get ready for the garage sale, and a lot more will be going :)

So - here are my tips, take them for what they're worth.  I am no expert, but these are what I have found works for me.

1.  Do one section/project each day

Breaking the cleaning and organizing into a few smaller projects makes them more reasonable and easier to manage than trying to tackle everything at once.  At the most, each of these areas took a half hour to go through, so spreading that out, made it feel easier for me, and I was able to celebrate the small wins along the way. 

2.  Involve your significant other

Depending on which area of your house you're trying to clean, you will need your partner to help you keep it that way (because truthfully, they helped it get that way in the first place, right?!).  It's probably because of my training in Lean Six-Sigma principles, but involving those who live with you, will help for sustainment of your cleaning/organizing. 

3.  Keep it up!

After you've done the hard work, keep it up!  Take pride in your space and don't keep all of the crap you don't need :)

Lets be real, like I said earlier - my little monsters keep my house messy and full of love, so it's never entirely clean...one can hope :)  What tips do you have for spring cleaning?

XO

Shari

I Do Yoga

I am so excited to share my new business with this community!  I officially launched I Do Yoga on Saturday, April 1, 2017.  

Almost one year after my best friend's wedding and my friends pushing me to "do this for real," I am combing two things that I'm passionate about - yoga and weddings!  You may recall me mentioning in a few of my "What's Up Wednesday" posts, that I've been working on getting this launched for a while now.  It took me more time than I thought to come up with the perfect name and create meaningful content for social media sites.  I also had to make sure that there were no copyrights on it, and purchase domains for the website.  

Last year, my best friend, Lindsay, got married.  I had recently completed my yoga teacher certification, and suggested it as a fun event for us to do the morning of her wedding.  It went so much better than I had planned and was the perfect way for her bridal party to connect and refresh themselves from the rehearsal dinner partying the night before.  I also think it helped calm her nerves a little too, and feel the love we were all sending her.  After we were through, all of my friends told me, "you know...you really should do this...you could charge people for this, people would pay for it!"  Since then, I've been brainstorming about this business venture and am so happy that I am finally able to launch it.  

I Do Yoga is a wedding and event yoga business, customizing each practice to the clients individual needs. All classes are taught by a Yoga Alliance certified yoga teacher.  Classes can be taught on location, or in a studio space.  I will travel to the bride.  I hope to be able to bring the practice of yoga to brides on the most special day of their lives. Taking a moment to breathe, be mindful in the moment, either by themselves or surrounded by their closest friends and family will be a way for them to fully be present in their perfect day.  I truly will be so honored to share in these special memories with my clients.  

I want to thank all of my friends for pushing me to do this, and supporting me along the way.  I want to thank my family for being there for me, and supporting me in everything I do.  I want to thank my better half, for not only creating the most perfect logo for my business, but for supporting me in my passion for yoga and teaching and spreading the benefits of the practice.  

Do you know anyone recently engaged or planning a wedding? Send them my way! Yoga is the perfect way to complete one of the best days of your life. Contact me at idoyogatampa@gmail.com for more information!

Connect with me on Facebook here
Connect with me on Instagram here
Website coming soon...

(photos were taken at Green Locus Yoga Studio in Tampa, FL)

Namaste! XO

Shari