May Day and Beyond

It’s officially May. Call me Captain Obvious, but I felt it needed to be mentioned. As an educator, this is the time of year that suddenly feels like a slippery slide has sloped its way down toward the end of the school calendar (for better or for worse). For me, that means, among other things, hunting down overdue books and a complete inventory of the elementary library (partial of the high school), all while in my 8/9th month of pregnancy. I’m lucky to have an incredible library assistant, but as it is we’re spread between two libraries, so it should get interesting. Majorly interesting. *prays for the nesting instinct to kick in ASAP*

Of course, the other “big” thing about May is the simple fact that…well…I turned 30. Yep, only a few days into May and I’ve already fit my birthday snugly into the schedule. May 1st was the big day, to be specific, and between the hubs treating me like a queen and some friends checking in, it was a pretty darn good day. Of course, the major heartburn and slight nausea didn’t help, but if nothing else it grounded me. 😉

So, this also means that my “deadline” for my 30 Before 30 has passed. I really thought I heard a huge, old-school game show buzzer go off in my head and everything. I’ll admit: I didn’t get ’em all done. There are several reasons, but let’s see how I did, shall we?

1. Try a yoga class. Woohoo! This is the most successful (not to mention fulfilling; see why here) achievement off the list so far…although I skipped this past Friday, but sometimes time with a hubby needs to be a priority. Oh, and I’m thinking of adding a yoga DVD to one of my registries for some post-baby activity (I love that it’s physical, mental, AND spiritual). Unfortunately, the class is at risk of being canceled due to low attendance – so if anyone knows of any local pregos who may be interested in trying it out, send ’em my way!
2. Start adding to savings. I’ve been adding a bit each month (sometimes $50, sometimes $200, but every little bit helps! Especially when I consider that I won’t be working this summer), plus I have yet to utilize my overdraft in 2012. That, in itself, makes me feel better ’bout myself.
3. Organize the office. But it’s STILL, admittedly, not done. D’oh. It looks lots better, though.
4. Go for a walk. FINALLY! After helping a bit at the theater last Saturday morning, I called the hubs to see if he’d like to take advantage of the gorgeous (albeit a tad windy!) day. It wasn’t by any means a long walk, but we felt good about getting out and about. I’m hoping to become a “walker” when the baby comes. Oh, and of course Dave had to show me up by then going outside to do the first mowing and weed whacking of the year. Talk about a workout! 
5. Go antiquing. Yay! I did this, too!! A couple of weeks ago, Dave and I went for a cheap but delish breakfast at Ann St. Deli in Little Falls – which just HAPPENS to be quite close to our go-to antique center. We were able to get out without spending much – in fact, Dave bought a co-worker look-alike action figure, and I didn’t get ANYTHING. I can’t believe it. I’d like to have a SUCCESSFUL antiquing adventure, but it’s good to just say that I crossed it off the list.
6. Get some more Etsy goodies posted. I was admittedly okay with not getting this done by the big 3-0, in hopes that my nesting instinct would work towards this. HOWEVER, I’d consider this one at least halfway done. I ordered some high quality prints of some photography I’ve always been proud of, so I just need to write up my posts and we’ll be in business! Pretty good for lacking in the energy department. 🙂
7. Organize the ol’ blog. Some of this is done – have you noticed my “Archive” tab lately? I’ve got more to do, but it took a weekend just to organize those links…sooooo, let’s call this baby DONE-ZO!
8. Get rid of 25% more of my wardrobe. Not sure if it’s 25%, but lots is gone! I’m currently wearing maternity pants (or sweatpants when I know I’m not leaving the house – hello, spring break!), but still have some tops that are long enough to cover the bump. I’m in the midst of some spring cleaning, so I’ll be organizing and purging a tad more. Isn’t it weird that I still don’t wear 100% of my clothing, even with the maternity clothes?? 
9. Organize/clean out my laptop (pictures & iTunes — need room for the baby’s music, after all). Eh, not s’much. Not yet. This is one of those “I can probably work on this during my ninth month of pregnancy” procrastinations. BUT, I did completely empty out my old tablet computer to pass along to my father-in-law, which was quite the task (as well as a trip on the ol’ way-back machine).
10. Do some major curb appeal work (spray paint the shutters, kill the ivy , paint the side door, paint the “porch”, hang the numbers, plant some pretties) Nope. None of this got done. Lots of it had to do with bad weather. At least we’ve got our deck relatively ready for folks to hang out. 🙂
11. Switch the living room from red accents to… As the Beatles would say, “It’s getting better all the tiiiime.” Just gotta work on ADDING some OTHER color. We’re getting there!
12. At least organize the craziness that is The Basement Monster. This one’s kind of reliant upon us finally picking out some cheap paint to do the walls. It’s totally waiting on us. Sorry, Basement Monster!
13. Find someone to take the bed in order to change “guest room” into “nursery.” As I said before, it sounds like we’ve achieved this! *crosses fingers* Now, to actually get the deed done!
14. Get a hairstyle. Up in the air on this one…and it seems a tad frivolous right now. I’ve got lots more on my mind (like, y’know, baby names…baby classes…the baby’s room…and about a million other things, many baby-related – running theme much?) I’m fine with switching this out for other priorities.
15. Make some paper cranes (or other awesome origami art). I’ve got some ideas, but am currently working on a different mobile project…and I’ve found some art ideas to “recreate” – e.g. steal – to use in the nursery. I <3 Pinterest. So, again, this one’s being “switched”.
16. Do some painting…not in the home improvement way. This has been another frivolous possibility. *sigh*
17. REDO. THE. BATHROOM. (And I MEAN it!) (I’m workin’ on it!) When the energy strikes me, I promise, I’ll be sanding/painting up a storm in there.
18. Learn how to use a plain ol’ digital camera in the best way possible. Eh, what better way to practice than on a baby? 😉
19. Try to post more original pictures on the blog. Haven’t been posting much, but I’d say I’ve had 50% more original pics. It’s a work in progress. 🙂
20. Gain weight, but not too much. (Seriously, I haven’t gained a pound yet, even though my stomach’s gotten a bit bigger. How is that possible?!) Definitely happening, but healthily. By no means “over-gaining” but big enough to show that I’ve got a healthy (hopefully happy) baby growing.
21. Make some DIY soap — be it hand soap or laundry soap. I’ve bought the ingredients for diaper- and baby clothes-washing. I’m calling this one done.
22. Go through all my dust-collecting books and donate/sell what I’ll never read/didn’t like. Hmm…gotta get on this one. We DO need more space.
23. Go some place new with the hubs. I’m gonna call this “Mission: Accomplished”. We checked out an incredible restaurant in Cooperstown with our awesome friends, B+B, called Alex & Ika. Mmm…fingerling potatoes with chipotle aioli. Need I say more? 😉 ‘Twas an awesomely fun, delicious time. 
24. Plan a smaller, but manageable garden. Planting will have to occur well after May 1st. We also need to amend the soil in our two raised beds since they’ve become kitty potties for our beloved backyard cats. *sigh* So, this has been delayed until we know the weather is settled.
25. Pick some baby names that we both can live with. (It’d be nice if we both LOVED them, but live with is the current goal.) Working on it…still!
26. Set up Amazon Affiliate. Dude. I’m just happy that we finally set up our two registries!
27. Take a road trip. This has been put off several times, so a short one will have to do. But, honestly, other much more important, family-related occurrences have taken priority, so it’s all good.
28. Find enough room to actually be able to have every piece of my wardrobe put away simultaneously. Then follow through. The “following through” part is tough, but it’s a continual process.
29. Reupholster the wine chair and slipcover/paint the ottoman. This is another one that relies a lot on a) my energy level and b) the weather outside. We’ll git ‘er done! But, again, I have a different priority: the dresser that will work as storage and a changing table in the nursery.

30. Pick up the house once a week. Sure, there are still messy parts to the house, but I’m picking up the already-livable spaces once a week. Woohoo!
I’m thinking of revamping my list a bit to replace the items on the list that were frivolous or just didn’t mean as much to me. If it meant a lot, I would’ve done it, I suppose – right? Then there are those that I’ll just keep plugging away on (y’know…like baby names ;-)). Keepin’ it simple, keepin’ it simple. And I’m continuing with the list mostly because they a) keep me somewhat accountable and b) organize me. 🙂

Ending on a good note, we’ll have a tad more “yay, I’m 30!” festivities this upcoming weekend with some close friends (some of those friends including family – isn’t it great when you can put them in both “categories”??), then baby and I will be “showered” next weekend – just in time for Mother’s Day! It’s looking to be an uplifting month.

Birthday List

May Day and Beyond - image  on https://megactsout.comI haven’t been very focused on the fact that my 30th birthday is coming up in less than a month (ack! May 1st, if you’re keeping track). We’ve been a tad distracted by the growing little being in my stomach. Lots of reading, planning, and even a little chatting going on around here. As it is, I’m not the type of person to chat about “my special day” or draw tons of attention to it. Everyone has a birthday, right? As long as I get a shout-out here and there and get to spend some special time with the hubs and family (whether it be the day/night of, or the weekend following), I’m fine. I actually prefer less of a fuss.
But, the big 3-0 is a pretty big deal. Again, not that I want a fuss (hey, it’s not like I’m taking the day off or anything silly like that), but the fact that I’m the “baby” as far as my siblings are concerned, I tend to think more about them and my mother when the ol’ birthday rolls around. Even my sister once said (when she was asked if she felt old when SHE turned 30), “No, not at all. When Megan turns 30, then I’ll feel old.” Yep.
Not to mention that whole “when my mom was my age, she already had 3 out of 4 kids” thing freaks me out. It makes me feel like I’m way behind on things! I know it’s not a race or anything, but…it’s hard not to think that way. And be overwhelmed.
So, I’m not great at saying, “I want *yada yada yada* for my birthday.” With a baby coming, I want as little cashola spent as possible – and don’t want to have to find SPACE for a bunch of stuff. (Considering that my shower will be shortly after my 30th, and I’ll be getting to that “Whoa, you’re gonna pop, huh?” stage, simplicity is a great thing.) While that limited edition glass-and-stainless-steel pump of Mrs. Meyers’ hand soap looks appealing, my mind is less on “things” and more on “wishes” for the big day (besides, we’re still working on our soap stash from our anniversary trip to Middlebury). So, here’s my birthday list this year:
– A happy, healthy baby. Kinda self-explanatory, eh?
– Baby names. We’ve had some good conversations about names, but I can’t say that there are many (if any) that we’re both gung-ho, in lurve with. If we could have at least one per each sex that we are confident with, I can officially go into labor. (No. No, I can’t. Stay in there!)
– One, count it, ONE night a week where the cats don’t try to kill each other so that we can get some uninterrupted sleep. I know, I know – “uninterrupted sleep” will be a thing of the past when Baby D comes. But, that’s my point! I’m trying to get it while I can!! It’s almost always Winston who instigates it, and usually Jasper as his sparring partner. C’mon, guys, can’t we all just get along?! (We hardly ever hear any distress cries and practically never any hissing, so they’re playing and wrestling as much as anything, but MAN does it wake you up when you hear the “rolling” start.)
– To actually tackle some of that 30 Before 30 list. More for the guilt factor (and the fact that I WANTED to do this stuff!) than anything else. 😉
– To be able to say that I accomplished some stuff over my impending spring break. That’ll be good.
– Overall, a happy, satisfying life. We’re ecstatic (albeit nervous and, at times, overwhelmed) about our soon-to-be-new-family-member, and we’re pretty darn solid as far as friends and family are concerned, but there are parts of our life that feel like an unfinished puzzle. Gotta put those pieces together!
– Continued enriching writing experiences, such as the one I just had as a contributor to Kaia Magazine. I loved writing for them, and already know that I’ll have an article in their upcoming edition, as well! It’s such a great publication. I’m just looking to continue branching out – and, hey, maybe even get a bit of dough in the process! *And a HUGE “Hey, how ya doin’?!” to any folks who are reading this because of the ezine. Feel free to leave a comment!*
– Hmm. Yeah. If I could stop running into setbacks (and I’m a snail in the first place) as far as my bathroom reno (if you could call it that), and finally get the nursery done, that’d be golden.

The neat thing about most of my “birthday wishes” is that I have control over them! (Again, MOST of ’em.) So, maybe I’m just wishing for a bit of empowerment, confidence, and a truckload of motivation for my 30th. Yeah. That’d help.

Six Down…

I started a post about Davy Jones, but found myself getting far too bummed-out. You’ll see why (other than, of course, the terrible, surprising loss of a fun, talented man) when I finally am “able” to post it.

So, I thought I’d just share the few accomplishments from my “30 Before 30” list. A few of the items listed, I think, will end up getting edited a bit or switched out for something altogether awesomer, but for the most part I have a hard time not sticking to a list. It’s like breaking a promise. Publicly. Shameful! And, yes, I just kept right on goin’, assuming that we’d all just pretend that “awesomer” is, indeed, a real word.

1.
Try a yoga class.
Woohoo! This is the most successful (not to mention fulfilling) achievement off the list so far. See why here.
2. Start adding to savings.
3. Organize the office. (But it’s, admittedly, not done. D’oh.)
4. Go for a walk. (You’d be surprised at how hard this is!)
5. Go antiquing.

6. Get some more Etsy goodies posted.
7. Organize the ol’ blog.
8. Get rid of 25% more of my wardrobe.
9. Organize/clean out my laptop (pictures & iTunes — need room for the baby’s music, after all).
10. Do some major curb appeal work (spray paint the shutters, kill the ivy , paint the side door, paint the “porch”, hang the numbers, plant some pretties)
11. Switch the living room from red accents to… I’d say part-way done. 🙂
12. At least organize the craziness that is The Basement Monster.
13. Find someone to take the bed in order to change “guest room” into “nursery.” It sounds like we’ve achieved this! *crosses fingers* Now, to actually get the deed done!
14. Get a hairstyle.
15. Make some paper cranes (or other awesome origami art). (Nope, but I’ve found some art ideas to “recreate” – e.g. steal – to use in the nursery. Back to Pinterest I go!)
16. Do some painting…not in the home improvement way.
17. REDO. THE. BATHROOM. (And I MEAN it!) (I’m workin’ on it!)
18. Learn how to use a plain ol’ digital camera in the best way possible.
19. Try to post more original pictures on the blog. Haven’t been posting much, but I’d say I’ve had 50% more original pics. It’s a work in progress. 🙂
20. Gain weight, but not too much. (Seriously, I haven’t gained a pound yet, even though my stomach’s gotten a bit bigger. How is that possible?!) Okay, I’ve finally gained a tad – maybe upwards of 5 pounds. I’m eating healthily and generally not over-doing it, and the baby seems happy enough. We’ll see where we go with this one.
21. Make some DIY soap — be it hand soap or laundry soap.
22. Go through all my dust-collecting books and donate/sell what I’ll never read/didn’t like.
23. Go some place new with the hubs. (Does a new restaurant, along with some great friends, count?)
24. Plan a smaller, but manageable garden. (Planting will have to occur well after May 1st. Unless we continue to have a #cancelwinter.)
25. Pick some baby names that we both can live with. (It’d be nice if we both LOVED them, but live with is the current goal.) Working on it!
26. Set up Amazon Affiliate.
27. Take a road trip. I foresee this happening in the next month or so…
28. Find enough room to actually be able to have every piece of my wardrobe put away simultaneously. Then follow through. We’re definitely “getting there” on this one…
29. Reupholster the wine chair and slipcover/paint the ottoman.

30. Pick up the house once a week. (Yes, once. It doesn’t look horrible the rest of the week if I do it this way. I know myself; once a day isn’t gonna happen.)

Some of my leftover “to do”s are fun, and I look forward to diving in when the energy strikes me. Admittedly, some of the others are makin’ me feel “blah.” But, it’s all good! Like I mentioned above, I might just have to do me some editing. After all, if it’s all based in what’s ultimately a birthday celebration, some amendments slightly one way or the other won’t hurt anybody. I hope. 🙂

30 Before 30

May Day and Beyond - image  on https://megactsout.com

I saw this “30 Before 30” idea on Making It Lovely and thought “I should so do that!” Actually, I first thought that I had already turned 30…don’t even ask me why I thought that. Call it pregnancy brain, or the fact that the pregnancy has got me feeling, emotionally, rrrreeeeeaaaally way older than I actually know I am (and feel).

My thirtieth birthday’s on May 1st. This means that, from today, I’ve got about 2 1/2 months to do some of this stuff. Plus, I’m preggers, and quickly feeling that “gut pain” thing that happens upon over-excursion. You child-bearing ladies know what I’m talking about. It’s like when Jasper uses his hind legs to push all of his weight (which is sizable) into your belly in a spring-loaded take-off. I’d know; he did that yesterday. It’s the epitome of “OOF!”

While I’m not into the whole “let’s have a huge party” thing (one exception: the surprise shindig Dave threw for me a couple of years back with the help of my mom and sister – who expects a huge 28th birthday surprise party??), I am into the “let me reflect upon this milestone” aspect of things. So, a 30 before 30 list seems manageable. Especially if I take it easy on my pregnant self. Let’s see what I can come up with here…

1. Try a yoga class.
2. Start adding to savings.
3. Organize the office.
4. Go for a walk. (You’d be surprised at how hard this is!)
5. Go antiquing.

6. Get some more Etsy goodies posted.
7. Organize the ol’ blog.
8. Get rid of 25% more of my wardrobe.
9. Organize/clean out my laptop (pictures & iTunes — need room for the baby’s music, after all).
10. Do some major curb appeal work (spray paint the shutters, kill the ivy , paint the side door, paint the “porch”, hang the numbers, plant some pretties)
11. Switch the living room from red accents to…
12. At least organize the craziness that is The Basement Monster.
13. Find someone to take the bed in order to change “guest room” into “nursery.”
14. Get a hairstyle.
15. Make some paper cranes (or other awesome origami art).
16. Do some painting…not in the home improvement way.
17. REDO. THE. BATHROOM. (And I MEAN it!)
18. Learn how to use a plain ol’ digital camera in the best way possible.
19. Try to post more original pictures on the blog.
20. Gain weight, but not too much. (Seriously, I haven’t gained a pound yet, even though my stomach’s gotten a bit bigger. How is that possible?!)
21. Make some DIY soap — be it hand soap or laundry soap.
22. Go through all my dust-collecting books and donate/sell what I’ll never read/didn’t like.
23. Go some place new with the hubs.
24. Plan a smaller, but manageable garden. (Planting will have to occur well after May 1st. Unless we continue to have a #cancelwinter.)
25. Pick some baby names that we both can live with. (It’d be nice if we both LOVED them, but live with is the current goal.)
26. Set up Amazon Affiliate.
27. Take a road trip.
28. Find enough room to actually be able to have every piece of my wardrobe put away simultaneously. Then follow through.
29. Reupholster the wine chair and slipcover/paint the ottoman.

30. Pick up the house once a week. (Yes, once. It doesn’t look horrible the rest of the week if I do it this way. I know myself; once a day isn’t gonna happen.)

I think I can live with these. I’m fully expecting not to have the energy/time to accomplish ALL of the above-mentioned items, but lots of them – yup. Besides, it’s not like 30 is the end of anything (except one’s 20s, I suppose), so what I don’t finish, I’ll put into my next “To Do” list. Some pressure (like in the form of posting 30 things that you’d like to work on publicly)