Stages of Change

There is a model for behavioral change that smart people in the 80's used research to come up with to assess a person's readiness for change. This is called the Transtheoretical model and there are 5 stages: Precontemplation (either completely unaware of the issue or just unwilling to do anything about it), Contemplation ( Aware of the issue and thinking about overcoming it but mostly uncommited to taking any action), Preparation ( Aware of the problem and having good intentions about taking action within the next month or so but have unsuccessfully done so for more than a year or so),  Action (actually committing time and energy to change the behavior), and Maintenance  (preventing relapse from occurring).

So being a therapist, working in a mental health clinic, and being constantly surrounded by therapists of whom you consider your friends it's a little difficult to try and make changes without having to truly conceptualize what it means to make a change and the most effective ways to go about making that change. This is how I get to a blog post about the Trantheoretical Model of Change. So it's been a joke between one of my friends (and coworker) that I have been slipping in and out of the precontemplation, comtemplation and preparation stages. So I'm aware theres an issue and some days I'm unwilling to do anything about it, other days I just think about overcoming it and the rest of the days I do have good intentions about taking action, but they are not always carried out. I do think over the past month or so I've moved completely out of the precontemplation stage and have even dabble in the action phase because I have gone for a run a handful of times.

But now, spring has arrived and the time has come to announce that I am IN the action phase. No more dabbling around to the stages I find most comfortable for my mood that day...action it is!! Ugh. Just typing that kind of sends me straight back to precontemplation. Sigh.

This weekend Team Vic is gearing up for Season 3!! We will be running the Live Healthy Linn 5k in Hiawatha. Considering it's Wednesday and I'm just NOW declaring ACTION...I guarantee this race will be have to be a "get through it without throwing up" kind of run! :)

Wish me luck and considering donating to my cause! I'm currently attempting to raise money as part of a fundraising group called "Sole Mates". I will be running a half-marathon in Des Moines in October and all the money I raise will go to our local chapter--Girls on the Run of Eastern Iowa! Check out the website for more information on this awesome program and learn how to donate!!  www.girlsontherun.org or girlsontheruniowa.org

"You.Cannot.WING.A.Half-Marathon."

College-Age Me

There was a time in my life where I was in Really good shape. I enjoyed volunteering at summer camps and it was easy to stay in shape when you're chasing kids around for weeks at a time!! When I was in college I spent a lot of time walking around the UNI campus with a super heavy backpack. I pledged to take the steps in all the buildings and I remember specifically that during my senior year ALL of my classes were on the 3rd floor of Sabin Hall. I also drank gallons of water a day...by choice!  Strange.

Adventure Racing

After I graduated and moved to Cedar Rapids I was that much more exited about working out because I had a lot of extra time on my hands since I no longer had homework to worry about. One of my friends convinced me to participate in two adventure races one summer. One was four hours and one was eight. So I rowed my own canoe for 4 miles, biked 19 miles and then ran 3.1 miles all in a matter of 4 hours...by choice!

This is one of my very favorite wedding pictures of Matt fluffing my dress! :)

 I used to go to the gym in the morning before work and then again after work. I could run a 5k in under 30 minutes with little to no training.  I truly think I was my fittest on my wedding day-but who doesn't work a little harder to look nice on their big day??

The day before I delievered my baby boy

And then I decided to go to graduate school which was stressful!! I think I'm still stressed from grad school! Oh, and this happened...















But really, who could complain with a baby this adorable?

Team Vic was established in 2011, when my bestie Vicki and I decided to participate in some events together...

April 2011

The summer of 2012 was our biggest year yet with five 5k's completed and a 90 mile bike ride from Marshalltown to Cedar Rapids!! It was a fun summer!

In 2012 running took on a more philanthropic reason specifically last fall when a lot of hard work paid off and Linn County hosted their first season of Girls on the Run in 4 area schools. Watching the girls who participated grow, change, and realize their internal worth changed ME. Here is a post I wrote about Girls on the Run and what it means to me to be a part of it. I'm proud to serve on the Board of Directors for Girls on the Run of Eastern Iowa and will be coaching a team of middle school girls at Tanager Place later this month. I have wanted to participate in Solemates since I've heard about it but wasn't sure if I was ready for the commitment of anything more than a 5k because running is difficult and I am not in as good of shape as I used to be. But after completing a day of Ragbrai without training prior to the event (Huge mistake!) I've decided that I have the mental power to complete at least a half-marathon, I can raise money for a good cause AND cross it off my bucket list!! I'll try and keep up to date with my training on here, if for nothing more than to keep myself accountable BECAUSE I tend to suck at training for these kind of events but I must make my mantra "You.Cannot.WING.A.Half-Marathon."  :) Stay tuned! 

T is for TWO (take 2)

Well, it happened...it came and went--my darling baby turned two and now I have to read articles under the "preschoolers" section to understand his age group. So apparently I missed the "toddler" stage because he has been my "baby" right up until his 2nd birthday and now he is my "big boy". I just want to know since when is 2 years old not a toddler??

Well, anyway...I didn't get to take the whole day off to spend with him but I did go watch his music class at school and then took him out for lunch :)

When we got back to his daycare (we call it "school") after lunch it was nap time. I didn't want to upset him and disrupt all the kids already sleeping so I thought to myself  "Well, I'll just stay a little while so he doesn't cry and once he's asleep I'll go." Well about 10 minutes later my sweet boy says "bye, mom"  I thought for sure he doesn't know what he's saying, he doesn't want me to leave! So I asked him, "you want mommy to leave?" and he said "yea". Heartbreak!! So I think to myself that if I stand up and start to leave he'll for sure make a fuss because he doesn't want his mommy to leave! So I stand up and just kind of look at him waiting for him to start whining for me to sit back down...but no he just blew me a kiss then turned over on his tummy and started sucking his thumb. So I walked out and kept looking back at my little boy who is independently laying on his cot with not a care in the world. Of course he's still my cuddle bug who adores his mommy and daddy but for that moment I really had to grab a hold of the fact that he won't always be my "baby" no matter how much I say he will!

This growing up thing is so bitter sweet and though I'm sure this is a feeling that all mommies in the world feel as their little ones grow (or grew) up...it's still difficult for the mommies who experience it for the first time with their first child. The sweet part is watching him grow and learn. Listening to him talk and have thoughts of his own...the bitter part is when I miss that baby smell, his soft hair and gummy, drooling mouth. When I miss those little clothes and baby giggles.
The baby toys have been replaced with big boy toys like trucks and tractors. That soft, fine baby hair has now become unruly, thick hair that wants never wants to stay in place. That gummy smile has turned into a mouth full of  little pearly white teeth and a sponge bob toothbrush. Those cute little clothes have been replaced with big boy clothes that don't say things like "I love mommy" or "Team Daddy" on them. Those baby giggles have turned into BIG belly laughs with a constant plea for "mowe tickle". And he goes from being my baby to being my little buddy. As things change and I attempt to hold on when I think about the the great things to come for this little boy and his sentimental momma the sweet definitely takes over the bitter!!

I created this slideshow on www.onetruemedia.com so that I can remember his second year of life; so I can move on with him as he grows but look back whenever I need to. I did this last year to remember his first year of life and enjoy watching it from time to time and seeing how much he has  grown and changed. This video took me FOREVER to finish because I did not sort his pictures very well through the year and I had to find the perfect songs. But am so glad I took the time to complete it because I will cherish it forever!!

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

T is for TWO

I haven't written a post in a couple of weeks! Which also means I haven't spent any quality time with Carmen in a couple of weeks! But you see, my sweet baby boy is turning TWO next week and like the (un)organized mama that I am I have been trying to get his two year video done!

Riley Matthew, age 2

Last year for his first birthday I made this video:

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

I love this video, I ordered the DVD of it and love to watch it from time to time because he has been SUCH a joy!! Riley turning two is so bittersweet...I love watching him grow and learn but I also just want to keep him little, sweet, and innocent. It's a scary world out there!

So I definitely want to make a video for him every year. Right now I'm having to go through all my pictures from the last year (there are A LOT) and organize them into months and then organize them onto the video. I already have a couple of songs picked out but I will have to narrow down the pictures to fit the two songs. I want it to be awesome so I just keep going over it and over it (read about my perfectionist tendencies here). I think this year my goal will be to keep them organized by month through out the year so I don't have to do so much work just to get started on the video. So for now Carmen will have to collect a little dust and understand that my boy is only little once and I'm sure once he is grown she and I will have LOTS of time together...I'm sure she understands!!! :)

Sunday is Sew Relaxing!

A miracle occurred yesterday, I'm not sure if you heard about it. It was the strangest thing, I put my 2 year old down for a nap and then chose not to take a nap myself! This was a big decision for me, one that I almost always regret later...one truth about me is that I love naps, a lot! There was mild regret right around 5:30 but not too bad  because I spent the afternoon in my craft area and FINALLY got to start my online home ec class!! For today at least, sewing trumped napping! I can promise you that there has been nothing in the past at least 5 years that has EVER trumped a nap!! It is truly a miracle!

Anyway I have to be a little careful about what I share regarding this class because of copyright so I won't give any tutorials just some pictures of before, after, and maybe a few in between! :)

First things first, I grabbed my trusty sidekick Ernie and a sparkling beverage that was necessary due to the zero nap situation.

A sparkling beverage

My sidekick: Ernie

There is one tool that in a very short time has become very invaluable to me! That tool is painters tape.

KNOW how important this is!

I would think (hope?) that all beginning sew-ers find it very hard to sew in a straight line. I also find it very hard to cut in a straight line but that's another story for another time. I was so glad I read this post on http://prudentbaby.com. Actually I'm just glad in general that I came across the Prudent Baby website, it's great!! They suggest the following:

         

           "Painter’s tape. This is my trick for sewing straight especially when working with            

            large fabric pieces...just measure from your needle over to the tape edge and sew straight             

            for days."

GENIUS!! I always use it on my sewing machine now and I USED to use it to cut fabric straight, however I recently purchased a rotary cutter and self-healing mat (for 50% off at JoAnn Fabrics!) and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it...but again, another story, another time we've got to stay focused here!!!! 

So the first project is a fabric gift bag! It's supposed to look like this:

                                  

So here's what I ended up with:

Mmmmm...not bad if I do say so myself. it definitely looks better scrunched up than flat...That's not what I was exactly going for but I'll take it. There are a couple of things that bother me and I plan to make another just to try to perfect the skill a little more. So until this point I explained all the ups now lets talk about the downs...and, as a personal favor, please frown while you read.

#1. Oh those lines!! I know that what seems like just one paragraph ago I sang praise to the almighty painter's tape which makes me sew so straight BUT I've decided that the reason (excuse?) these particular lines on my project (pictured below) are sooo crooked is because this line had to go all the way AROUND and then meet up again on the front...WITH a gap between! So when one struggles with straight, it's no surprise that   there would be a struggle with around (can I get an AMEN???)  Here's a closer look:

This is where it got scary...

The back: really not too bad if I do say so myself

I'm not really sure how I'm going do this differently the next time around but I'm hoping for practice to make perfect and maybe a little extra help from Carmen!!! What'daya say Carmen...you in??

Well put!

#2. Those moments of sheer panic where you say to yourself "You dumb-dumb you just ruined this whole project!" I hate those moments!! I almost gave up on this one but I took a deep breath and looked back through the instructions.See if you can follow me here-o.k. the instructions said to sew a line around this bad boy and leave a 1.5-2 inch gap on the front. THEN you're supposed sew a second line around leaving about a quarter inch space between the two lines. So I'm  thinking to myself that a quarter inch space is not going to accommodate my ribbon at all! Thinking I was ahead of the game...or at least the head of the class I pinned my ribbon on the bag and sewed above it leaving about a 2 inch space between the two lines (pictured above). But THEN the instructions got even more complicated and the panic continued building up. Next I was supposed to sew a perpendicular line that would literally close off that space I just made for my beautiful ribbon! Well, that doesn't make sense, how will I get my ribbon through?? Ahh, I'll just skip that step. But then even MORE confusion set in when instructed to handsew a rectangle between the two lines. That was it, top of the panic chart instantly!! I must have just stood and stared at my mess at least 2 minutes before deciding what to do...and what, you might wonder, did I do? Well, I went back through and read the instructions again. Which brings me to bother #3.

#3 Hooked on phonics? Sewing for Dummies? Somebody help me out!! I think I missed the most important note of the entire project. Doh!

Note: Say what?? You're not being clear...oh wait, yes you are!!

 What's a girl to do? My panicked brain said "just dump it you failure" but my (still developing) crafty brain said "just finish it best you can, learn from your mistakes, and try again!" Oh crafty brain, you're so nice, thanks!!  Stay tuned for Project 1, Take 2 :)

the BIG reveal

Well, now that I've had my pity party about the lack of time, I actually feel much better and am ready to talk about my renovated craft area in our basement!! As you may recall (or can learn about here) I recently got a sewing machine and have had a lot of fun trying to learn what to do with it. I've attempted to familiarize myself with the online "sewing" community and I think I have most of the rules down. My first project was a disaster! But when I tried it for the second time it turned out alright. I was pretty proud of my little sewing area where I could go for some peace and quiet...that is I WAS proud of it until I took a picture of it! Oh the shame...alright well, here it is:

So...after seeing this I declared that before I could really sit down and learn to sew I MUST do something about my craft space! So I started thinking and the original plan was to purchase two bookshelves and a board and do a DIY craft table. First I had to clear off the a large space in our basement and that means two SUV loads of junk to Goodwill. Once I got the area in the basement completely cleared out I was able to focus again on what kind of table I wanted. The more I got into the details about what I would need to make a table the more I realized that DIY when it involves wood, measurements, cutting, etc....it's just not for me. So I grabbed my coupon that I received from  Hancock Fabric and was able to get an AWESOME table for 25% off the regular price and then use a $5.00 off coupon. It ended up costing $120.00 which, when all would have been said and done that is probably about what building a table would have cost, besides buying one is a lot less of a head ache!! WAIT...or is it??

Here's the instructions and the (literal) nuts and bolts

Here's my "table"

The instructions clearly said that this could be put together in 3 hours. Here is what I had done in 6 hours:

This is a SERIOUS project. So after 6 hours I had to stop and go to bed for the night. The next night I  was able to finish putting the table together and to make my "craft area" official!

So without further delay it's time for the big REVEAL!!

Ta-Da!

Yay! I love it! OH the possibilities!! Much more cozy, much less embarrassing to post a picture of! Much less chaotic!! I love it!! AND on top of that a great place to showcase my son's artwork!!!! So NOW I'm (FINALLY) ready to start my home-ec class!! I cannot wait to start my FIRST project...a fabric gift bag!! Stay tuned for updates on progress!!

Couch Potatoes, Silverware Drawers, and Haircuts

http://signopress.com/signo-publishes-youre-way-too-busy-to-read-this/

I'm not a jealous person, I'm truly not. I like my life the way it is, I like myself the way I am and what I don't like I know that it is within me to change. I know better than to envy other people because everyone is fighting their own inner-battles. With that said I admit that there is apparently an exception to my school of thought because I'm suddenly super envious of successful bloggers! How do you keep up? I mean, really?? I LOVE writing! Putting thoughts into words is my forte, I would rather write than talk, so WHY is it so hard for me to actually sit down and write on a regular basis?!? For example I have been going on and on about my poor sewing area and how pathetic it looked. A month (or so) ago I was on a MISSION to get it into shape to the point where I couldn't even start my home-ec class  until I had that space organized!  I was (and am) so excited to redeem myself with a picture of my upgraded digs and well excitement or not I have had my craft area of the basement finished for a good two weeks now...and I STILL haven't blogged about it! I think this is a great example of the dilemma that brings me back to my first post about why blogging, and really this on-slot of  never-ending interests, will eventually be the death of me. And by death I mostly just mean becoming a tired, uninterested, couch-potato.

http://justanothercouchpotato.blogspot.com/

Understanding how to thrive in a time crunched, busy world has been such a dilemma to me lately that there has been several questions swimming through my mind as I try to figure it all out. These are probably mostly rhetorical but I truly welcome any answers or insight there is out there!

#1. How does one hone in on an interest?

I truly have so many interests, I promise I'm not making this up! In no particular order I have a rough draft list of interest to be a dog groomer; to work at an online shipping place where I receive an order to be shipped out to the buyer and I have to get all the items from the warehouse, package them and send them off (yes it's THAT specific!); I want to sew all my own clothes; I want to be good at everything I try; I want to hang out with my friends;...and I also just want to take a nap! If I hone in on just ONE of these things, does that mean that I have to give up the rest?? I mean this list goes on and on and on, and changes daily. My mind is always coming up with new things I want to try, it doesn't stop! Just the other day I was thinking to myself, why stop at a master's degree maybe I should go back to school for a doctorate. WHAT? Go BACK to school?? Am I crazy??  Maybe, but mostly I think  my brain's "standby" switch is broken!

#2. How does one balance working, raising child/ren, blogging, crafting, (insert other interests here) AND keeping a clean house??

Oh my how my life has changed after having a child! First of all I now have to add to the list a plethora of interests that involves kids! Like the fact that I can't wait until my son is old enough to put together those cool Lego kits! Those are so fun! Ok, wait see what I'm dealing with here? Just now-new interest, add it to the list!  I enjoy watching him play with other kids, I pretty much enjoy any interaction with him (even the tantrums), and also I add to my list any (healthy)  interest in the things he is interested in (currently this mostly includes Toy Story2 and trucks). He's my world. If I never get ANYTHING done in life but I raise a healthy, happy, confident child I will have conquered EVERYTHING, this interest/goal trumps them all! :) 

With that said, I also enjoy working (most days). I have spent A LOT of time in college in order to be able to get the jobs that I want to get. I have a lot of interests within my career field and it takes a standy-by switch that has been repaired-with-bubble-gum and heavy-duty duct tape not to go after them all! The word BALANCE has become my mantra, but I'm still so obviously a novice. 

On top of that as I reach 30 I seem to slowly be getting in touch with my traditional house-wifey type roles, the ones that even two years ago I would have laughed in the face of! These "roles"  are the exact ones that would make a feminist cringe at that last sentence...those are the things I'm actually starting to enjoy! Except cooking, I could redeem myself  to that same feminist by promising that I will ALWAYS let that be my husband's deal. It's not a bad thing to like it, it's just definitely not my thing. The measuring, the temptations to munch all day long, the waiting and waiting, the MESS....no thanks! Moving on, currently I just like to clean and organize my things, and make stuff.   I like things all neat, tidy, and in their place. Definitely not "in their place" to a museum level where it's impossible to comfortably LIVE in the house; but to a peaceful level where I can pursue my interests (i.e. reading, sewing, cleaning, building lego kits) in a non-chaotic environment and without having to pretend I'm not home if someone unexpected rings the doorbell. This mostly includes keeping the laundry in the laundry basket, the silverware in the silverware drawer, and the toys in the toy box. My almost-two year old seems to disagree with each one of these. He likes the laundry on the floor so he can sit in the empty basket, the toys anywhere but the toy box, and well, luckily we have a child-lock on our silverware drawer so at least that stays tidy! Well, for now...

http://peachorchardproject.blogspot.com

I will say though, my two year old is WONDERFUL at finding little pieces of paper that are on the floor and showing them to me and then taking them to the trash and saying "all gone". I'm not sure what that is all about, but I'm hoping it means he'll be vacuuming and mopping the floors soon!
So I guess I understand "balance" to mean juggling all these things with grace. But does "grace" have to mean that what you see on the outside is what I'm experiencing on the inside?? My favorite quote in the whole word (and I have no idea who originally said it) is "Success is like a duck swimming. Calm and cool with unruffled feathers-on the outside; but on the inside-legs paddling like crazy!" This, unfortunately is how I operate more often than I would like to admit. This is not what I would consider balance though. I would consider balance to be calm and cool, unruffled feathers on the inside and leisurely paddling legs on the inside. But if a duck swam like that....wouldn't he sink??

3. My final, most baffling question of all...WHY when I typed the word "busy" into google images did this picture pop up???

http://blog.madcityads.com/tag/tma-peritus/

However, this answer came to me like a divine intervention  when I went to the website that posted this image! The post is titled:"Blogging while waiting for a haircut, The Rule of Three and three articles that make a lot of sense…" And suddenly I feel the need to end this post so that I can check out all the resources on this page about  how to be faster at writing posts...because, yes, this site has suddenly been added to my list of INTERESTS. :)

So the exciting factor of all these interests is you just may never know where my blog posts will go!! :) Happy reading!!