New In The New

It is no secret I have been struggling with this space.  Some of it is good old fashioned writers block, and some of it is the actual space.  I'm just not inspired by it anymore.  I've wanted a redesign forever, and Doug has been promising to do one for forever but we came to a realization early in the month that he just didn't have the time.  And I did what any grown up blogger would do and I went out and hired someone.

I hemmed and hawed about it.  Jodifur is a hobby after all.  It is not like I make a lot of money from it. But I am at the point where I had to do something or shut it down. And I'm not ready to shut it down. And Doug understands that and is 100% supportive of it.  So stay tuned, in the next couple of months jodifur is going to be a 100% new.  New look, new platform, new design.  

I for one, cannot wait.

I also got a new haircut.  I have bangs.  And after watching the Golden Globes clearly bangs are in.  I'd post a picture but can anyone take an iphone picture of themself without looking like a complete and total idiot?  

Just me?

Shoe Friday #159

The shoes my friend Julia wore when she got married in December.

Mazel Tov!

 

You Take The Good, You Take The Bad

This week kind of sucked.  Doug's car was in the shop, and required an expensive repair.  There was this financial kerfuffle with Doug's new job and they took too much money out of his paycheck and we have to wait to get it back.  Michael got in trouble at school.  We are all feeling the grind of the holidays being over and the routine of being back in school and work and homework.

And did I mention I gave up liquor and sweets?  It may not have been one of my brighter ideas.

And then, I reach into Michael's backpack and I pull put his reading homework and I realize that all of my worries about his reading levels are gone.  He has officially caught up.  In fact, he has more than caught up.  He has surpassed where he needs to be.  We could fire the reading tutor and move on with our lives, all done, bye, bye.  (We are not doing that, we are now working on writing, and spelling.)

When I think of where we were last year, and where we are now, here is a pretty good place.

Even if here includes road bumps now and then.

 

In Which Shapewear Is Out To Get Me

In my search for the perfect leggings, I stumbled upon the "suck you in" kind of leggings.  Or more appropriately, "shaping" leggings.  And I decided that they were perfect.  Because one of the things I was worried about with my much loved outfit was that I wasn't thin enough.  But shaping leggings would make me thin enough. And in an effort to get free shipping, I also ordered a suck you in shapewear top.

I decided to wear the top to work today.  And such, the comedy of errors began.  I could not figure out how to get the shirt on my body.  It has this "slimming liner" and every time I put it on, my head got stuck in between the liner and the shirt.  Every, single, time. 

I struggled with this thing for 45 minutes.  I once got it on and I did a triumphant fist pump in the air.  I looked in the mirror and it was on inside out.  And then there was the time I couldn't get it off.

I don't know how I graduated law school either.

I thought about calling my mom, but I wasn't sure how to explain a shapewear emergency at 8 o'clock in the morning.  Actually, I don't know if you can ever explain a shapewear emergency at any time of the day. 

I was upstairs getting dressed for so long that Michael came upstairs and asked if "I ever planned on serving him breakfast."

In the end, I put on a different top.  The shirt is now here:

Stupid vanity.  

I May Be A Fashion Don't

I consider myself a relatively fashionable person. I know what is "in style." I know what looks good on me. I am complimented on my clothes regularly. I have a whole my style pinboard on pinterest that is frequently repinned and liked and commented upon. 

I have a confession to make.  I have fallen unabashedly in love with leggings. I keep buying more. I had a $50 amazon gift card, and I bought leggings. Leggings! (The amazing thing about that is that I did not buy shoes.) When I am not at work I am wearing leggings, sweaters, and uggs. (I need another pair of uggs, desperately.) I KNOW. It is awful, horrible, and I look like I'm 18. The first time my husband saw this outfit he said "are you going to class?" I'm convinced Stacy and Clinton are going to hop out from behind a tree any second. But it is so cute. And comfortable. 

Like this, but with uggs:

Today I'm meeting a friend for lunch. I think I'm going to mix it up and wear boot boots instead of uggs. Call me crazy!

I see other people dressed like me at school pick up and the grocery store so I know I am not way off base as far as what is in style, at least for the suburban mom. But seriously. Someone tell me to stop this. Or something. Or tell me what their favorite leggings are. Because I've stopped drinking and I've replaced it with shopping.  

Image credit: polyvore.com via pinterest

-I'm featured on Tots 2 Tweens today.  Check it out!  And you can still jump into our totally awesome Get Your Body Back Community, where soon, I will look even better in my leggings.  2 pounds down!

 

 

Shoe Friday #158

Reader Meredith sent me these.  They are from my shoe love, Kate Spade.

The Raspberry are on sale at Endless.com.  Hold me back.  (affiliate link.)

Pin It

The Old Days Of Blogging

I find myself thinking a lot about where we are, and where we have been, and where we are going.  The we in this metaphorical story is my family, myself, and this blog.  I joked tonight on twitter that 2012 is the year that jodifur ran out of words and in some ways it feels like that.  There are times I feel I have nothing left to say.

I have read a lot of the social media predictions for 2012 and where will the mom bloggers go and I was left with a big shrug and a huh?  I don't vlog, I don't have a niche.  I don't plan on blogging about the Olympics or Politics, I don't even like the Olympics, or appearing on a commercial.  I'm not going to junkets.  I don't really work with brands (although I was just selected as a Nintendo Ambassador, yeah!). I'm just here, writing, and more and more it seems as if I'm throwing words out into an empty space.  If a tree falls in a forest...

I want a redesign (cough, Doug, cough).  I want to move to wordpress even though the move to typepad from blogger almost killed me and my marriage.  I'd like to find a niche.  Fashion?  Health?  Fitness?  I want to be more than a "mom blogger." What?  I don't know.  I used to write so many places.  I miss it.

I feel like every 3 months I circle back here and write posts like these.  These meta-blogging what am I still doing here posts?  Are you sick of them yet?

I miss the old days when I used to blog uphill in the snow both ways.  Before twitter and facebook. When we used to read and comment on people's posts. When there was conversation.  In 2012 I'm taking back the comment.  I will stop reading blogs through reader and on my phone and READ blogs again and comment. Because I miss the conversation and I'm sure other bloggers do too.

Let's take back the comment.  Let's get back to talking to each other.

Resolutions

I've never been a huge New Year's resolution person.  I tend to make random changes whenever.  Like 2 years ago on a random Monday I declared I was done with diet soda and I was.  (It was a bit more complicated than that, it was giving me terrible headaches, but it really was a random Monday.)  I took up running, I don't know, in March, or something like that.

My point is, I don't really do the whole New Year's resolution thing.

But 2012 is the year of change, and in honor of the year of change, I'm making some New Year's resolutions.  

I'm committing to running a 10k this year.  It is totally, absolutely, entirely insane, but I am.  I ran my first training run on Dec 31st.  I'm trying to remember if I wanted to die when I started couch to 5k. Because the very first run in bridge to 10k almost killed me.

People who know me in real life are about to fall off their chairs, but I'm giving up alcohol for 6 weeks. (And sweets, but that is not really that big of a deal.)  6 weeks, January 2nd to February 18th, the day we leave for vacation.  (I'm not flying without liquor.)  I'm doing this for a variety of reasons.  To kick start some weight loss (also a resolution, because when is it not?), to get my butt in gear, to get serious about changing some bad habits.  But more than anything, I want to know that I can do it.  So I'm going to.  6 weeks. Alcohol free.

Yes, I'm serious.  Really truly serious.  So serious I took a picture of my last drink. It was sangria.  I also ate a lot of chips.  

Our family resolution is to keep the house neater.  The cleaning service comes and the next day the house is a disaster again.  I can't do it anymore.  We bought this house two years ago and as much as I love it I just want it to be clean, and neat and grown up.  But I can't do it by myself.  So we are going to put things away and keep it clean.  At least we are going to try as best we can with a 6 year old and a dog.

I have one more resolution but I'm still keeping that to myself for now.  

I'd love to hear what some of your resolutions are.

**If losing weight, getting in shape, and healthy eating are on your list I'm moderating a forum on getting your body back and all that good stuff.  With some really awesome people,  @musingsfromme, @ciaomom, and our fearless leader @dumbparent.  Come, talk to us.

 

What Are You Doing New Years Eve?

When I thought about New Years Eve 2011, I wanted grand plans. I looked at flying somewhere. I looked at going away to resorts with kids club and dancing away 2011. I wanted to forget job loses and failed friendships and the kindergarten year from hell.

But there was a new dining room set and a new washer and dryer. And instead, we are looking at a spring vacation in 2013. That I'm already planning.

Instead of grand plans we are at the beach house for a long weekend just the three of us. We shopped this morning, Doug is going to make a nice dinner tonight, and I just got in from a long run. My first 10k training run. In the end, this was exactly what I needed.

2011 ended as it should have, with a broken iPad and lost diamond earrings. Kind of fitting if you ask me.

May your 2012 be filled with health and happiness. And whatever you are doing tonight, small or grand, I hope it is just what you need.

Shoe Friday #157

The shoes Amy wore Wednesday night to her awesome party. 

(Thanks Amy!  I had so much fun!)