tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46224940323612620822024-03-05T01:01:50.930-08:00Starting Out SawyerThe Inner Ramblings of a Newlywed...Little One Sawyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510841958942182806noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622494032361262082.post-84982939774747607942013-01-13T07:52:00.001-08:002013-01-13T07:54:06.945-08:00Teachers that make a difference...Good Morning!<br />
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Last night, Jeremy and I discussed a lot of things about our childhoods. And during this conversation, I came to the understanding that thought parents have much to do with who we become in life, I can honestly attribute many of my successes to help received from my teachers. It was eye opening, and I wanted to share it with you.<br />
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Honestly, school was rough for me. I made mistakes left and right during my elementary years, I wasn't great at math or science, or any subject for that matter. I tried at everything, but always came up short. It wasn't until 5th grade when my teacher, Mr. Gravely (said Graahv-lee) somehow spotted that I had dyslexia that I started to shine. He taught me tips and tricks to somehow 'double check' my work (be it math or writing papers) before turning it in - or speaking aloud in front of my classmates - that gave me confidence and the courage to try.<br />
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A few years later in 7th grade, I was still doing well in school when my world started to collapse around me. My cousin (which I adored ) and my pseudo-grandparents (really the only grandparents I had <i>known </i>until that point) had all passed away within a matter of months. My spanish teacher, Mrs. Soto, noticed that I was withdrawn and worried most of the time - and when she asked what was wrong I doubled over in tears and told her. She was the first person to ask, and she was ready for it. She enrolled me in TAG - Teenage Grief classes, and even jumped through the hoops necessary to make sure that I could go to them, without ever involving my parents.<br />
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Those TAG Classes taught me <i>so much more</i> than I could have ever hoped for. They helped me to learn how to cope with <i>any </i>form of loss, and they gave me the understanding that I wasn't alone or without hope that I would need over and over in my lifetime. Without these classes, I am not sure I would have been equipped for the losses of my Daddy or my Best Friend that were looming in the distance.<br />
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Lastly, Gary Lindberg - though I had good grades and could have went on to do anything in my adult life, I really enjoyed printing my own designs in Graphic Arts. Art wasn't something that I had ever thought about as being a career, but with his help I came to understand that I could indeed do what I love, and prosper. He encouraged me left and right, and allowed me to 'do my own thing' and was impressed with my results. I was excited when I finally decided to do what I loved to do, and continue on to get my Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, which lead me to where I am today!<br />
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Now these are three teachers that 'formed' my youth for the better - there are a few teachers that tried to set me back - one was a year or two before Gravely - her name has changed these days but I recall her thinking that all of her students were thieves and accused us left and right for stealing from her. She was quite persuasive too, and bullied some of my classmates into taking blame for things they did not do.<br />
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Another professor that I had in art school decided to tell me that i was wasting my time, that my goals were not high enough. Why spend all this money on schooling to do something that Joe Smith is doing in his home office right now... ? Well, one - to pay your salary lady! (though she should have been fired at that moment) and two, I am ACTUALLY doing exactly what I said I wanted to do in that forum, even without her belief in me.<br />
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She too was a bully, and her bullying may have worked on my other classmates, but she didn't know who she was talking to... and really should never have said those words to any of her students. That is what separates a good teacher from a bad, <i>encouragement</i>, and a desire to help others succeed, despite the challenges that come their way.<br />
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<b><i>Was there a teacher that made a difference in your life? I hope that everyone has had someone in their life that motivated them, and encouraged them to pursue what makes them happy. </i></b><br />
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If not, I can tell you that I do! I know that YOU can do anything if you put your mind to it and follow through. Baby steps or giant leaps... you really <i>can</i>. And there are other people in your life that believe in you, even if they don't make a point of saying it.<br />
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Best of luck in all of your adventures,<br />
<img height="60" src="http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/2771/sawyersig.png" width="200" />Little One Sawyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510841958942182806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622494032361262082.post-64470267660721557192012-06-26T20:51:00.001-07:002012-06-26T21:01:26.346-07:00Never underestimate the power of a plan...Hello Friends!<br />
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I have been trying to reorganize my life since I have been married. There is just TOO MUCH to remember when you have others to take care of (in my case: husband, dogs) and too many things get overwritten in my brain. The most important (to my stomach at least) is Dinner. <b>How often have you realized 30 minutes from dinner time that you didn't take out anything to thaw or you are missing an ingredient?</b><br />
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As I have mentioned before, I had been reading <a href="http://startingoutsawyer.blogspot.com/2011/12/our-first-christmas.html" target="_blank">Organize Now!</a> for awhile now - and one of the very last chapters in the book happened to be one of the first ones that I tackled, <b>Meal Planning & Groceries</b>.<br />
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Here's a sneak peak at how Meal Planning and Grocery Delivery has saved me from those mental lapses!<br />
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Meal Planning 101</h3>
Here are the basics:<br />
• Pick a day to meal plan - (best if its the same day each week - and the day before you shop!)<br />
<i>(I use Google Cal for everything - God Bless Reminders!)</i><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">•</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">Make a list of your family's favorite meals, stuff they liked, and </span><span style="background-color: white;">recipes you would like to try. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><i>(HAVE YOU SEEN MY <a href="http://pinterest.com/luvmanda/" target="_blank">PINTEREST</a>? Seriously, this list would have been massive!)</i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">•</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">Separate meals by Weekday and Weekend Cooking<i> (cook time determines this for me)</i> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">• Pick a meal for each day!</span><br />
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Sounds easy right? Well, my first attempt WAS A FLOP. I tried to do it all by myself - and though I was eager, I made about 4 trips to the grocery store that week. EPIC FAIL. <br />
I went back to the drawing board and tried to perfect it - when I stumbled upon a great time saving tool....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMVk4cVJwcTKYqNOmTHsfJVSIb_5Z6GIGmtTFgFVpC2uLUCA9GdkxCzrBqF2uwe47wOTRGlEPZAJ5zGVLq15hdTSPEowjzhYThJMnGcyVtIPk70d7TLMzzdHRNBiNIEHTke49eTcDakP1l/s1600/pepperplate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMVk4cVJwcTKYqNOmTHsfJVSIb_5Z6GIGmtTFgFVpC2uLUCA9GdkxCzrBqF2uwe47wOTRGlEPZAJ5zGVLq15hdTSPEowjzhYThJMnGcyVtIPk70d7TLMzzdHRNBiNIEHTke49eTcDakP1l/s320/pepperplate.jpg" width="320" /></a></h3>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><u><a href="http://www.pepperplate.com/">www.pepperplate.com</a></u></b></span></span></h3>
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<b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b><br />
<b style="background-color: white;">Why do I heart Pepperplate? </b><br />
It loads recipes from the most popular sites <i>(realsimple.com, allrecipes.com, myrecipes.com, skinnytaste.com, etc)</i> by just copying and pasting the link into their system.<br />
{<u>Hint</u>. I know that all of your favorite recipes arent going to be online at one of these sites. <span style="background-color: white;">You can also add your own recipe manually - but </span><span style="background-color: white;">I just go to MYRECIPES.COM and copy and paste or type in my favorite recipes from cookbooks, other sites not offered, my memory, etc. and once its on myrecipes.com it will populate into pepper plate.}</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">With a couple of clicks you can add it to your meal plan calendar.<i> (above)</i></span><br />
Another click will add the menu plan to your shopping list. <i>(below)</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3hCxrW-O9TJFnMNpNsSMTTwDwjFqbx8v1160ylv1w5JERT4_LNJJvOz_sLhzSRyVN9SPgDkyPJZoKVHKjEldThANaFxvRs7okA3lE037cqFJoZfbgbdCtVUVAgUWGVd5wLzLULzeGwKF8/s1600/pepperplateshop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3hCxrW-O9TJFnMNpNsSMTTwDwjFqbx8v1160ylv1w5JERT4_LNJJvOz_sLhzSRyVN9SPgDkyPJZoKVHKjEldThANaFxvRs7okA3lE037cqFJoZfbgbdCtVUVAgUWGVd5wLzLULzeGwKF8/s320/pepperplateshop.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The shopping list combines all of your like items together, gives you a proper count of what you need, and then breaks it down into what each recipe needs beneath.<br />
It also lets you delete items that you already have on hand, and add to the list items not on the food plan <i>(like candy bars or trash bags)</i><br />
It also has a handy dandy app for your smartphone so you can see what you need at the grocery store, look at a recipe, etc while you are out and about. <i>(or as I do - walk through the kitchen and cross off the items after ive populated my list! hehe) </i><br />
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Once I am all done planning on PepperPlate - I post it on the fridge on a 2 week calendar board (it was a one week calendar board from staples dollar drawers - but I drew a line down the middle and split it into two.) This serves as my reminder each night when I am done cooking dinner, I pull out what's needed for the next day's dinner. (THAWED!)<br />
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Time for Groceries</h3>
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First thing's first - to keep peace in my household, I have made a printable grocery list with all of our favorite and most purchased items listed with a little check box on the right. This list includes all of the products needed for the stuff that Dovey is responsible for - making coffee, feeding the pups, taking out the trash, etc - this way when Dovey uses the last of something, he can just check the box before he forgets. I print two copies a week and leave them on the fridge <i>(that way if I am using one of them for any reason - he still has a sheet and wont get in trouble for not writing it down... lol) </i>I generally pull this off the fridge once I am done Meal Planning and add the items checked to my PepperPlate list.</div>
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I used to go to the store once a week - when I meal planned that way, now I have been going once every two weeks - and it has been AWESOME. Just think what you could do with one whole weekend without grocery shopping duties! That's like 2 or 3 hours free'd up! <span style="background-color: white;">I hurt my neck a few weeks ago, and that's when I started Grocery Delivery. It's truly been a Godsend.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> I get lots of this free time now!</span></div>
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I use VONS since there's one nearby and delivery is so easy. It's only about $10 more for delivery, and you don't have to shlep to and from the store or carry all the heavy groceries. I first go to the two different coupon menus to make sure that all of my savings are added to my rewards card - and then I knock off my shopping list one aisle at a time. I choose a delivery time that suits me <i>(you can save money by choosing the least busy time frames - like 6$ off for Sunday from 11am-3pm... that makes delivery only $4!) </i>Pay the bill and VOILA. Groceries just appear at your door when you want them to. They even substitute items that are out of stock with other brands/sizes so that you don't have to go to another store! {Dont worry! If there is something your keen on a specific brand/size you can mark those ones no substitutes}<br />
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So my dear friends. That is how I survive the <b><i>"HOLY COW I FORGOT TO THAW DINNER AND DOVEY IS GOING TO BE HOME IN FIFTEEN MINUTES!"</i></b> ordeal. Hooray for having a plan in place THAT WORKS!<br />
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<img height="60" src="http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/2771/sawyersig.png" style="background-color: white;" width="200" /><br />
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<b><i>Do you meal plan? How often do you do your grocery shopping?</i></b>Little One Sawyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510841958942182806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622494032361262082.post-59136283688987548922012-06-18T20:09:00.002-07:002012-06-18T20:11:32.068-07:00A letter to my 16-year old self...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;">So, I have been reading this book - it's a compilation of letters from some amazing people to their 16 year old selves. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">It's been a great read - some are scrawled on a napkin, some came on letterhead from their fancy-pants jobs, some are typeset... but the jist of it is clear - DON'T GIVE UP. At sixteen, we can't imagine the amazing things that are in store for us. </span><span style="background-color: white;">If I could go back in time and deliver a letter to myself at that age, it would probably go something like this....</span><br />
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<i>Dear Manda, </i><br />
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<i>I know things are pretty crazy right now. Your world has been falling apart for the last few years, loved ones leaving you - parents breaking up, dad getting sick... right now SUCKS. And truthfully, it is going to suck for awhile. I wish I could push fast forward for you - but you learn so much at this time. You are going to change a lot in the next few years, simply from just getting up every day and fighting the good fight. Your friends will start to cycle out because they don't know what to say or how to deal. It's okay. You will reconnect with the most important ones. </i><br />
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<i>Daddy is going to get sicker... and sicker... and sicker. And one day, he too will leave you. And though you are the only one to see it coming, you will still be lost in a sea of broken dreams. It is going to hurt more than anything else in your life. Make every minute count - and take more pictures of him and you - those are the ones you will cherish the most.</i><br />
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<i><span style="background-color: white;">In high school you will meet a boy - and he will break your heart over and over again. It's only when you finally say goodbye for good that you will be able to find out WHO YOU ARE and WHAT YOU WANT out of life. Follow your dreams first - the rest will come into place. You are an artist - and a damn good one. Embrace it! And when you get that job offer in a far off land where you know no one - TAKE IT. It is by far the best decision you will ever make. You learn the most about YOU when you are by yourself. Enjoy your yearlong </span><span style="background-color: white;">sabbatical</span><span style="background-color: white;"> - and then come home and enjoy life like never before. </span></i><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><i><br /></i></span><br />
<i>Sadly, one of your closest friends will leave you far too soon, so make every moment count. Enjoy every laugh, every tear, every smile and every frown. She has been in your heart since the moment you set foot at CHS - and she will be your best friend until the moment she leaves you. Cherish her - and tell her she is special - she needs to hear it!</i><br />
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<i>The next boy that steals your heart in one swinging hug... that's the one you want to hold on to. And wanna know the best part? He wants to hold on to you too. ;)</i><br />
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<i>It's only been 15 or so years that have passed, but I can tell you that right now - You are happy. You are secure. You are hopeful. Trust me, your hope does come back - be patient. </i><br />
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<i>You're worth it.</i><br />
<i>And most importantly, I love you! </i><br />
<i>xoxo,</i><br />
<i>Futuristic Manda</i><br />
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Now if only Marty McFly could deliver it for me!<br />
I guess she'll just have to find it on the internet! ♥ hehehe.<br />
<img height="60" src="http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/2771/sawyersig.png" width="200" /><br />
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<b><i>What would you say to your 16-year old self? </i></b>Little One Sawyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510841958942182806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622494032361262082.post-14468808074127913102012-06-11T20:43:00.000-07:002012-06-14T09:32:58.185-07:00Mean Girls...<div style="text-align: center;">
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I was reminded today of some of the 'Mean Girls' I grew up with. Now, don't get me wrong. I know there are good and bad people, and a bit of good and bad in all of us. But whether it be their upbringing or circumstance, these girls were just plain mean.<br />
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Sadly, the worst offenders weren't from my school at all, they were from church. Whether they went to my church, or my bible camp. The ones that left the deepest cuts for me were the girls from that part of my life. Maybe it was because they didn't really understand the love that GOD teaches, or maybe they were just raised to be MEAN.<br />
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I distinctly recall a few of the girls that hurt my feelings the worst, going to the church's private school. Some of them stayed with me while touring for choir. Some of them were mean to me at camp. I was always amazed at how judgmental they were. I couldn't believe that they were being taught the same as I was in church (and school!) and could still say the things they did.<br />
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Don't get me wrong. I know I was poor. I know my clothes were second hand. I know that my house wasn't cool and my life wasn't the best. I KNOW THIS. But it hurts most when those you expect to be the most understanding totally let you down.<br />
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I am glad that I have had the privilege of learning how to be understanding and compassionate through my faith teachings. I wish that these girls would have had the same gifted teachers. I hope and pray that they have learned the kinder way of life... and that they can forgive themselves for some of the awful things that they said and did. I know that I have.<br />
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Forgiven, but not forgotten. The sting will never fully disappear, but alas. I do forgive you.<br />
<img height="60" src="http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/2771/sawyersig.png" width="200" /><br />
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Did you survive a mean person, too?<br />
If so, I am PROUD of you for overcoming it.<br />
It takes alot of courage to take a beating and get back up. I commend you.Little One Sawyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510841958942182806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622494032361262082.post-42089670938613073142012-05-19T07:22:00.001-07:002012-05-19T07:32:24.029-07:00As the World Turns...Ok - So I suck at blogging. I only check in like once a month (or two) and my blogs just ramble about with no real direction. I apologize for that. I can't promise that I will be better, but I do promise to try!<br />
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There has been so much going on for the last few months, I completed the 10-lb challenge under goal (<i>at 9.5 lbs! SO CLOSE!</i>) and have signed up for my Diabetes walk in October! It's a great excuse to stay healthy, and its for an amazing cause!<br />
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Dovey has made some big changes this month - he left his job of 8 years (<i>somewhat unwillingly</i>) but after a new job fell into his lap and his interviews went smashingly - there was ALOT of thinking to do. It took him one week to weigh the pros and cons (<i>seriously</i>) and with a list that went on forever - he closed his eyes and pressed SEND on his resignation email.<br />
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<b>Sidebar. </b><i>YES - email!? I was totally confused. Somethings should NOT change that much! He is in IT and they are definitely all about the internet there - so he cc'd everyone that needed to know immediately, and then (after much coaxing) printed out a copy and laid it on the HR lady's desk first thing the next morning. I insisted that after 8 years, many traditions have changed, but that shouldn't be one of them!</i><br />
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Anyhow.. we made some big changes - and he has completed his first week at the new job. The first day was hairy. The second was a little easier, the third - bearable, and the fourth - golden. I knew he would get the hang of not working 24-7, it just took some time! He is still adjusting to the change, but is enjoying the benefits, like having time with his wife in the morning! (<i>Wow</i>!) and time to watch TV at night! and reading a book during his lunch break! (<i>Ooohhhh</i>!) and not having to check his email WHILE DRIVING so that he isnt bombarded when he gets to the next jobsite... (<i>Aahhhh</i>!)<br />
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Because he had grown with the company, he didn't see it as bad - (<i>hmmm slave drivers maybe?</i>) any way you look at it, it wasn't healthy. I am surprised he even had time to meet me and fall in love while working there... lol. Even when he had 4 weeks vacation time, and we were ON vacation, most of the time was spent on the phone, helping the office or clients or checking emails. It was just too much. and I am glad that he has made the move on to a 'normal' work environment. The new job is challenging, BUT HEALTHY. It's definitely a move in the right direction!<br />
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And now back to me. ;) Because of all of these changes, my goals have all been thrown in a blender and chopped to bits. I seriously need to reassess them. My jewelry business is going to be placed on the back burner (though I enjoy it immensely! and still will have 1-2 parties per month, it wont be my whole focus.) because Jeremy will be farther away and I need to be home at certain times to care for the pups... And I have decided that I might shift my 'part time' focus to doing more graphic stuff on the side.<i> </i><br />
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<i>I know, I know... It should have always been my focus. </i>It's what I love to do, and what I am best at! I was just getting burnt out the last time and needed a break. I am feeling more confident about my design these days, and ready to try my own dabbling. I love my day job, I get to be creative and do what I have always LOVED doing - magazines! I am referring to side jobs... to subsidize our income and save up for a house. (as was previously goaled with the jewelry goodies - just doing something I am far more familiar with to get there!)<br />
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So here's to new adventures!<br />
May your Summer be filled with them!<br />
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<b><i>What new adventures are </i></b><b><i>in store for you this Summer?</i></b></h4>
<img height="60" src="http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/2771/sawyersig.png" width="200" /><br />
<i>PS </i>if you or someone you know needs a wedding/baby/birthday invitation, logos, business cards or just about anything else that's printed... Email me! I will send you the link to my portfolio. ;)Little One Sawyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510841958942182806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622494032361262082.post-5932525462601006432012-03-15T22:45:00.000-07:002012-03-15T22:45:30.032-07:008 week check in :)Wow. I cant believe that March is almost over. As you all know I have been doing the 10-lb challenge with Newlyweds on a Budget, and I'm excited to report that today I weighed in 8.2lbs less than my starting point!<br />
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SO EXCITED!<br />
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Its been kind of rough at times because Dovey and I have been doing the Monthly Weekender setup. Its really hard to watch what you eat when you are surrounded with amazing choices! :) Santa Barbara was AWESOME. We ate yummy food EVERYWHERE, caught a movie at the DRIVE-IN <i>*yes a real old school drive in*</i> and played on State street. It was an amazing weekend away in celebration of our first year together.<br />
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Fun little side note, on the way home we got a wild hair and decided to ADOPT a new family member! :)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi16G9tlOyBgIGAHRoEefW7p03YBvbiF0_8ZCuU4ZrFgIvvu3SkPFIm7VPX9ErMLP6w9G2x-VA8vwEzUCRonj0fXgt8JXpiKv65sZyyzg68a4ZmDcuIWifByZ607fbB4UjkVfdSmubWT88C/s1600/417746_10150717915720883_629700882_12266502_822810530_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi16G9tlOyBgIGAHRoEefW7p03YBvbiF0_8ZCuU4ZrFgIvvu3SkPFIm7VPX9ErMLP6w9G2x-VA8vwEzUCRonj0fXgt8JXpiKv65sZyyzg68a4ZmDcuIWifByZ607fbB4UjkVfdSmubWT88C/s320/417746_10150717915720883_629700882_12266502_822810530_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Everybody meet Chance, he got his second chance at life when he was rescued from a random shelter on our way home. ;) Isn't he cute! So yes, our family IS expanding, but only in the furry variety. We'll leave the chitlins by the wayside for a few more years. ;P<br />
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This weekend we head to Las Vegas, (Sin City! lol) for Dovey's birthday. ;) The land of BUFFETS! haha. I am not sure how I will navigate those bad boys and keep to my diet, but I plan to fill up on veggies (because they're FREE on WW!) and tally every last point. We aren't big drinkers so it shouldn't be too bad! Dovey loves a good poker tourney, and all he wanted was to play play play this weekend... so off to Sin City we go. Not sure what I will be doing in the midst of all of this, but ITS VEGAS. There is always SOMETHING to do, right?<br />
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Not much else to report, but super excited to be only 1.8 lbs away from my goal! :) CANT WAIT!<br />
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Have a fabulous weekend everyone! ;) xoxo<br />
<br />
<br />
<img height="60" src="http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/2771/sawyersig.png" width="200" />Little One Sawyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510841958942182806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622494032361262082.post-14235474860878585322012-02-21T13:38:00.000-08:002012-02-21T13:38:40.084-08:004-week Check-in & Anniversary Goodness...As you know Im participating in the<a href="http://www.newlywedsonabudget.com/2012/01/the-10-pound-challenge-are-you-in/" target="_blank"> Newlyweds on a budget 10-pound challenge</a> to lose 10lbs in 10 weeks! Just to check in I have lost almost 6 lbs already! :) I hope that I can keep it consistent and continue to see change! This is by following (loosely) the weight watchers program and just being mindful of what i put into my body. I had originally planned to up the exercising, but my time has been quite limited this month - it's a goal to fix for the future. ;)<br />
<br />
I still however have been partaking in yummy treats, all within moderation of course, but for Valentines day I had a wedding cupcake from lady dis with my hubby. :) And this weekend - for our first anniversary - we are going out of town to Santa Barbara. You can bet that I am not going to deny myself a celebratory sweet for making it thru year one! <br />
<br />
As for what to get the hubby for our one year present.. I am at a loss - One year is officially a PAPER present, so I might just have to get CRAFTY for this one :) I wonder if I can enlist some help! :) hehehe. <em>"Oh Valetta... ;)"</em><br />
Im sure that I will figure something out :) <br />
<br />
AND FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER - I am not going to plan ANYTHING! It'll be a "fly by the seat of our pants" weekend away. Much deserved as well! <br />
<br />
Until we meet again,<br />
<img height="60" src="http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/2771/sawyersig.png" width="200" />Little One Sawyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510841958942182806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622494032361262082.post-79963833925323837952012-01-31T09:24:00.000-08:002012-01-31T09:24:49.756-08:00Checking in...Wow. I cannot believe that a month has passed since New Years Day. It's crazy how time flies when you are making changes!<br />
<br />
<b>Healthy</b><br />
Just wanted to write in a quick progress report. As you all know I am doing my 10 lb challenge with Newlyweds On A Budget (See the button on the top right of the page!) and am really impressed with my results so far. Now as you know I am a pretty busy girl, but have been doing small changes to my eating habits, like portion control and paying attention to what I put in my mouth. I had signed up for WW online to keep track of what I am doing.<br />
I am not a crazy tracker though, for example this past weekend on a conference I didn't whip out my phone to count my points at every second, but I did pay attention to my portions and my choices. :)<br />
So far so good! I have lost 2.2 lbs since I started the weight tracker on Jan 16! Now if only I can get the exercise portion down I will be well on my way! LOL<br />
<br />
<b>Green</b><br />
I've streamlined my hostess packets and am working on a few new ideas I picked up at conference. Also alot of the girls said they way they are going green in their business is using a "Tablet" at their shows and emailing the receipts. GREAT IDEA... however I'm not a tablet fan - too many variables and not enough stamina - so I have modified it, I am going to bring my laptop and do it that way. :)<br />
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<b>Business is Booming</b><br />
Well January wasn't the greatest of months, but I am hopeful and determined to make a difference in my business. I have started making little adjustments and picking up the 300 lb phone ;) I am still planning to promote within <a href="http://www.liasophia.com/amandalynn" target="_blank">Lia Sophia</a> soon - by the end of summer, and this quote said it best...<br />
<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">"You've made the choice, </span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span style="font-size: large;"> now make it happen!"</span></i></b><br />
I'm working on it. ;)<br />
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<b>Vacation Station</b><br />
So we had already planned our Santa Barbara weekend for the anniversary, and now we have a few more on the docket. Santa Barbara in February, Vegas in March, Redding in April, Palm Springs in May, and San Diego in June. :) I cannot wait to get started on checking off those bad boys! :) hehehe.<br />
<br />
<br />
Well, That's all for now!<br />
Hope you all are succeeding with your goals!<br />
All my best,<br />
<br />
<img height="60" src="http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/2771/sawyersig.png" width="200" />Little One Sawyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510841958942182806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622494032361262082.post-68953176982513191122012-01-08T09:59:00.000-08:002012-01-08T10:46:52.819-08:00Ready, Set, GO!I know that 2012 started a week ago, for everyone else but me! My career as a Creative Director keeps me busy the first week (1st - 7th) out of every month. So that means that life begins on the 8th, and pauses on the last day of the month. It's cool though, this is one of the many reasons I LOVE that I met my husband after I had my career set in stone... he's used to the deadlines.<br />
<br />
This week has actually been pretty productive, despite the deadline!<br />
<br />
<b>Goal One: Healthy & Green</b><br />
I used my elliptical 3 days this week, and have kept an eye on my eating patterns. I also got involved in<a href="http://www.newlywedsonabudget.com/2012/01/lose-ten-pounds-in-twelve-weeks/" target="_blank"> "The Ten Pound Challenge"</a> with several fellow bloggers this week! I know I wasn't worrying about a number, but this challenge gives me an extra incentive to stick with my goals this year. ;) <i>Gotta love incentives!</i><br />
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As for being green, I ordered presentation folders for my jewelry hostesses - and have made up "Help me recycle, return this folder and any unused contents" stickers :) I am also going to laminate a few pieces that wont really change, so that they wont get weathered over time. We shall see how the girls do with that new concept. With the 'green' changes being made all over, I hope and pray that they are very receptive.<br />
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<b>Goal Two: Business is Booming</b><br />
As this is my Creative Director deadline week, I didnt get much done for the jewelry business this week, aside from the green folders above, however I did participate in my leadership call on Friday and got a few great tidbits. The homework in that class is challenging, but great for business. We were also reminded of our challenges and incentives for the next few months... :) <i>Gotta love incentives!</i> haha. I know, I said that already. I am usually not an incentive driven person, but its definitely nice to get rewarded for good deeds, going unseen (as they have in the past) is fine, because I KNOW that I did them - but having others notice too makes you feel good inside. I have some great parties scheduled the next few weeks, and then SUMMIT in AZ at the end of the month! :) This is my second business rally, and I learned so much at the first that this is going to be great. Plus, I love having the chance to get to know my team better. ;)<br />
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<b>Goal Three: Vacation Smarter</b><br />
Dovey and I planned our first 'weekender' vacation for our anniversary (I love that Dovey still calls it "Our Honeymoon") in Santa Barbara. It's close enough to not take forever to arrive at vacation, but far enough away that we don't feel sucked into our work vortex! LOL. Plus Santa Barbara is a romantic getaway, beachy sunsets, delicious restos... walks through downtown on State Street... itll be great!<br />
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We are also trying to plan a cohesive vacation with my parents, renting a house for a week in Ventura. It will be nice if it works out, since we exhausted our resources for Nor Cal trips last year, I went three times in three months! And the stupid Rapid Rewards credits arent working because they havent changed my maiden name to my married name yet! UGH. ((it's on the list of to-dos!))<br />
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<b>Goal Four: Organize the Love Shack</b><br />
No improvement here. Deadline week is when cleaning gets tossed by the wayside. The only thing we get done that week is laundry, and VOILA its done already. ;)<br />
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Other than that we have a plan of attack for this weeks meal schedule... and a forward thinking approach to the months to come. We chose our absolute fav restos and put them on a rotation for our date nights (every friday)... so we can hit each of them over the course of a few months. The more ritzy choices are what we rotate, so one month we will hit our favorite italian place, and the next we will hit our favorite steak place (out here.. <a href="http://www.saltcreekgrille.com/valencia" target="_blank">Salt Creek</a> is still a regular! We loved that place enough to get married there, lol.. its on the monthly regimine forEVER now. YUM YUM YUM.)<br />
<br />
Great, now I am hungry again! LOL...<br />
Here's to chipping away at the goal list! XO<br />
<img height="60" src="http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/2771/sawyersig.png" width="200" />Little One Sawyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510841958942182806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622494032361262082.post-4533282148114409462012-01-01T12:05:00.000-08:002012-01-01T12:17:57.398-08:002012... Here we come!<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>2012.</b></span><br />
<i>It's going to Epic!</i><br />
Last week we worked out our resolutions. I teased you with them in my <a href="http://startingoutsawyer.blogspot.com/2011/12/our-first-christmas.html" target="_blank">Christmas Blog</a>, but wanted to go into a little more depth.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">FIRST. </span><br />
<b>Be healthy and more "Green".</b><br />
<i>Part One.. Healthy</i><br />
I don't want to put a number on my health goal this year. I was EXTREMELY bitter about last year, where my husband and I did the SAME workouts, and he lost 36lbs and I lost 6! We figured it out that it was because he had muscle when we started, and I did not.. so I was gaining muscle (which weighs more than fat) while losing the fat, which is FINE. I definitely SAW changes, but the numbers were screwing with my head... so THIS YEAR I am just goaling myself to <i>Be Healthy</i> and leave the numbers at the wayside. This was a concept that Dovey had trouble grasping. He asked me HOW MUCH do you want to lose, moments after I said that I didn't care about the numbers. LOL.<br />
Anyhow, this goal is in effect. I wanted to be accountable by documenting my results, and decided to give <a href="http://www.weightwatchers.com/index.aspx" target="_blank">WW</a> online a try. My boss at the day job has been doing this since my wedding with great results. I like that it doesnt limit you from splurging here and again, but being responsible about it.. and that fruits and veggies are FREE! No meetings, Im too self motivated, and get psyched out by others successes and failures, so I knew (from past experience) that meetings wouldn't work for me. I have downloaded the mobile app on my phone (which I love) because it allows me to look it up as I go, and started following some "Skinny" blogs that have delicious looking recipes. :) I plan to blog my favorites as I try them, too. So, be ready! I've also DUSTED OFF the elliptical and have organized my schedule so that I will be using it several times a week ;)<br />
<i>Part two of this goal was Becoming Greener. </i><br />
As far as food goes, we eat only whole grain and organic foods mostly, because of my fibromyalgia I follow a no preservative diet - its good for our bodies and the environment. So in the kitchen, we are pretty green. One thing I have noticed about this business is that it has quite the papertrail. I have come up with a plan for my hostesses to return their unused items so they can be reused. :) With a few other changes, we are working smarter, not harder and doing our part to keep our Earth healthy for the future.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">SECOND.</span><br />
<b>My business is BOOMING. My life is IMPROVING.</b><br />
As you all know, I started a business last year in September - it was a little consuming at first when I was getting the hang of it so I didn't have much blog time... (sorry about that!) but now I have a better handle on it, and foresee some business-y blogs too. ;) I have reassessed my goals for the business, and am TRULY interested in helping others find success (financially, personally, etc) through my business. I have set sales, bookings and team building goals.. and GOD WILLING I will earn my ab-fab trip to the Mayan Riviera this year, and have made enough to pay off the student loan I am goaling to kill from the bill list in 2012. When I meet my goals, the bill will be gone, we will have earned a vacation for 2013 (FREE!), I will have a team, and a consistent second income!<br />
Lots of good things in store for our family with acheiving this goal. A new house, an expansion in our 2-man crew... AND LET ME TELL YOU - I cannot wait to leave our, (best described by a fellow blogger) LOVE SHACK. This spacious one bedroom will begrudgingly be a part of our 2012... but I ASSURE YOU it will not be included in 2013. Manda needs an office with a door, and Dovey needs a garage for his MAN STATION. Plus Little Diva (chihuahua) could use a yard to burn off some of her energy during the day in, and my Morkalicious (turtle) REALLY wants a pond of his own. Plus we could use an extra bedroom if we indeed grow our family in 2013!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">THIRD. </span><br />
<b>Vacation smarter.</b><br />
We love a good vacation, and it was really nice to leave on a Wednesday, and return to work on a Wednesday for our honeymoon.. but we were definitely started to feel stuck and had worn out our 'vacation' mindset before it was time to come home. After several discussions, we decided taking several long weekend vacations would solve this problem. We get to see more places, do more things AND get a little break from our high-stress day jobs ONCE A MONTH! Instead of only having one big vacation for the whole year. I REALLY like this plan. We are going to make a plan in the next few weeks with where we hope to go and when the best time for the mini vacations are. ;) And if Dovey decides to rethink his anti-flying mentality, perhaps we can go a little further every so often.<br />
<i>He just decided NO MORE FLIGHTS last month when we took a weekend trip to visit my parents in Northern California. The flight home had a lot of turbulence and sadly I ended up with the WORST earache I have ever had. In the midst of this, I bit down quite hard and cracked a molar. I had to have an extraction the day before thanksgiving, followed by bridgework and implant discussions... that flight cost us SO MUCH money, and my mom had even paid for our tickets with her points! LOL. Needless to say, he wasn't happy!</i><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">FOURTH.</span><br />
<b>Organize the "Love Shack".</b><br />
As I stated on my Christmas Blog.. I bought an amazing book called "Organize NOW!" and plan to implement it in 2012. It gives you week by week checklists that you tackle each part of your home, business, life to get you more organized so that your life flows more seamlessly. I REALLY love this book. I have already conquered my worst spaces, the home office and the coat closet *(aka World's Largest Junk Drawer)* and am EXTREMELY HAPPY with the results. I hope to conquer something new each week and make our lives a little saner and our house a little easier to maneuver. :) Heck I even plan to attack the scariest part of our current setup, STORAGE. Where my unmarried life has been hiding for the last nine months! LOL. <i>God bless me with patience and perseverance while I tackle the hard ones!</i><br />
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Well, that's what we have so far... lol. I'm sure that it will ebb and flow a little bit each month, but by 2013 I know we will have made VAST IMPROVEMENTS in all of these areas. ;)<br />
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Wishing you all a prosperous and goal-achieving 2012!<br />
Happy reading!<br />
<img height="60" src="http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/2771/sawyersig.png" width="200" /><br />
PS. Do these goals sound like any of your goals for 2012? I'd love to hear how you plan to achieve them! :)Little One Sawyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510841958942182806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622494032361262082.post-19898482758460224052011-12-26T04:43:00.000-08:002011-12-26T04:43:09.984-08:00Our First Christmas!Last year for Christmas Eve's Eve, Dovey proposed to me at our absolute favorite Italian Resto, over a cannoli! It was pure bliss because we are definitely foodies. ♥<br />
<br />
The following night his family came over to have a game night, and the rest of the year was a whirlwind! Complete with a Wedding, a Move, and a whole lot of commuting!<br />
<br />
This year, we decided to start a few traditions of our own.<br />
<br />
<b>Tradition One: Christmas Cards! </b><br />
Being a Creative Director has its perks, like being able to design the perfect Christmas Card all on my own! lol... Now Dovey was raised sans Christmas... so that made the wording a little sticky, as well as who we could share our cards with on his side... but I was determined.<br />
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We had quite a time trying to get the photo of our family complete, Turtle didnt want to come out and play, and Little Dog was totally not having the picture day. In the end we opted for one great shot of just him and I... with a wish for 2012.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHUDgTXeV3Nw9sqV7f9X_myv6NVd7DS3OtApBFVWTVuj97HnvypZwzdDyEF8CiSZAguGUuhjsT4Miyxt7mUu_g_ul6tzuRTuE0gE-P3-JsNylmrxsvM1xJwQUfJLepMZ5M5I0vDo0XS6m7/s1600/wJAS_XMAS11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHUDgTXeV3Nw9sqV7f9X_myv6NVd7DS3OtApBFVWTVuj97HnvypZwzdDyEF8CiSZAguGUuhjsT4Miyxt7mUu_g_ul6tzuRTuE0gE-P3-JsNylmrxsvM1xJwQUfJLepMZ5M5I0vDo0XS6m7/s320/wJAS_XMAS11.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First Christmas Card</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<b>Tradition Two: Christmas Tree.</b><br />
You should have seen how difficult it was to get his help... it was like pulling teeth! And the only part I needed help with was fishing it out of storage. (he was SO grumpy!) But in the end, our tree looked perfect!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWP3tZtUCk6z-5g8wsKnULlLNKldbwUWOempgOkY5VN4CNfxAF5-BjWXHymrvtlCQUSvfHRYvWSb4mynNTIspt9u7bErmvhg_GBuJcvn2bZes8TS6_DFEn8oAE1WLidW8gOHZbAe0gddg_/s1600/xmastree2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWP3tZtUCk6z-5g8wsKnULlLNKldbwUWOempgOkY5VN4CNfxAF5-BjWXHymrvtlCQUSvfHRYvWSb4mynNTIspt9u7bErmvhg_GBuJcvn2bZes8TS6_DFEn8oAE1WLidW8gOHZbAe0gddg_/s320/xmastree2011.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First Christmas Tree as a Married Couple</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
I love my snow white TiGgeRs and my woodsy Christmas tree! :)<br />
<br />
<b>Tradition Three: Holiday Plans.</b><br />
Dovey wanted to repeat last year, Dinner at Italian Resto on Eve's Eve, then Family Fun Night on Eve... Christmas just the two of us at home...<br />
DONE!<br />
<br />
<b>Tradition Four: New Years Resolution Planning</b><br />
We wanted to do this before the mad rush to resolutions, so we made this our Christmas Tradition. We assessed last years' plans, saw our improvement and epic fails.. (this year there werent many of those!) and we wrote our individual goals for 2012, and our family goals - which included vacations, an ideal timeline for buying a house and procreating, plans to eat better and be more Green, and lastly - making our tiny one bedroom apartment make sense since we will be here throughout 2012.... (ORGANIZE NOW in full effect!)<br />
One of my favorite bloggers wrote a book about 'Organized Simplicity' - which I purchased and read, but found it to be a little advanced for our current family state (on the shelf until we have kids!) and in the end of the book it talked about a book called 'Organize Now!'. This one spoke to our RIGHT NOW state... so I of course purchased it immediately, read through it completely, and have been organizing my plan of attack for 2012!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ6Sp0Ul-B1krjh-Ud7gW2QInzfJtXG0Y3p9yLHi0FC__yDqMMGqF0K1iycc2q_6-rENH1ItkwgZQv9KzPkt-rkktT9Ta_skpo-Qp3Lg3ROTrHeJzTmNYw9EyE7nPjInMVe_cyzpcyfOki/s1600/organizenow.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Organize-Now-Week---Week-Simplify/dp/1440308632/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324902939&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Available at Amazon</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
I hope that all of you started some traditions this year, and that you made them your own!<br />
Wishing you a New Years' filled with fun and friends and amazing changes for the future!<br />
<br />
<img height="60" src="http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/2771/sawyersig.png" width="200" />Little One Sawyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510841958942182806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622494032361262082.post-31442558515449226692011-12-24T08:12:00.001-08:002011-12-24T08:18:17.069-08:00She's Crafty...<div><p>Several years ago I went to a holiday gathering with a friend and their grandmother had made these 2 liter bottles for everyone... we were awed and amazed! I remembered all this time and finally made my own! I used diet coke because I heart the juxtaposition of it all. :)</p>
<p>Its easy just cut the label carefully at the seam, Peel back. Cut a large C shape under the label (about four inches wide) add tissue paper to the bottom. Stuff the large pieces first, then fill with the small stuff! </p>
<p>I stuffed these with a small game (skipbo, left center right, and sting) a full size starburst and hersheys, Altoids, Reese's trees, marshmallow Santa, and Reese's cups, rolos and kisses.</p>
<p>Are you awed and amazed? At the least, its a fun conversation piece. ;)</p>
<p>All my best,<br>
Madam Sawyer</p>
<br/><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqOhmWM01kRazT9UkYtmZ_h5s1Zo7WR_TsFsmJkjo5YKFE9RePYFXp5Dm2W5Q_Ugy4KrDi67lEXLGubjG33FUd0SIzKHTeAefv3CjwbKPRnawbnDG5jmsh48a9nCO3zWDcYUyaH78SHQxo/' /></div>Little One Sawyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510841958942182806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622494032361262082.post-82262919834929287552011-12-23T12:19:00.000-08:002011-12-23T12:19:33.689-08:00Holiday Goodness...Today is the 1 year anniversary of the day that Dovey asked me to marry him. ONE YEAR! And there was the act of planning a wedding involved but we still survived! LOL.<br />
<br />
Right now my head is just about everywhere! I have some very close friends going through huge changes, one having a baby (AS I TYPE!) and the other getting married (NEXT WEEKEND!). Though not complete surprises, both have been a little taxing on my mental state. I wish I could be there more for both of them, but ITS TRUE, being married does add alot to your daily workload. <br />
<br />
Instead of just getting out the door in the morning, you have to pick up a mess, feed the dog (and the turtle of course!), load the dishwasher, do the laundry... the tasks are all doubled and take twice the time. You are constantly wondering "Where has the time gone?" and its gotten even worse since I started a business. <br />
<br />
Not that I am complaining, I just really need to get this time management thing under wraps soon. I am consistently overwhelmed by the amount of things requested of me, and the amount of things I wish I could get done! <br />
<br />
My one hope before tomorrow evening, is that I get the craft done that I have been planning for 2 weeks but havent had an entire hour to complete it. I have EVEN added it to my schedule, and still 'life' gets in the way. <br />
<br />
I know it will get better, I know that I will get the hang of this married thing and all that comes with it yet! LOL. It just takes some time. <br />
<br />
I dont envy those who jump into it feet first, doing it all at once. Its nice to have some time to figure things out, make mistakes and learn from them. <br />
<br />
Everything in life follows the same rulebook, one day at a time, minute by minute. Every change is for the betterment of you, no matter what!<br />
<br />
May your holiday season be filled with small changes and big miracles! <br />
All my love,<br />
<img height="60" src="http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/2771/sawyersig.png" width="200" /><br />
PS. I am always open to new ideas and tips on organizing my schedule and my life... got any? or books that you recommend?Little One Sawyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510841958942182806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622494032361262082.post-33197518074709716332011-11-22T19:40:00.000-08:002011-11-22T19:41:40.774-08:00One of the hardest things...One of the hardest things for me about being married, is that I met my husband after losing two very important people in my life. My father died 10 years ago, and my best friend died just 2 years ago. I am saddened that these two amazing people never got to formally meet the man I chose to walk with all the days of my life.<br />
<br />
I wish every day that I could have met him sooner, that he could have shared even just one memory with the people that helped me become who I am today. I wish too that he could have known my daddy's mannerisms and wish that my best friend could have teased him and kept him in check the way she did with EVERYONE else in my life. Even a handshake with my Dad would have given him insight into the wonderful man that he was.<br />
<br />
If he had met them, perhaps he would better understand why my heart hurts a little more during the holidays, and why my traditions - though silly - mean so much to me. This is not to say that he argues any of these points. On the contrary, he allows me to follow my heart when it comes to all things holiday - but I know because he was not raised to put such high value on tradition and holidays that he must question my need for them. To me, the holidays and traditions I hold so dear are the manner in which I hold on to my memories of the amazing people that once touched my life.<br />
<br />
Today, on my Bestie's birthday, I look back on the memories that we made together and forward to the memories that I am making without her - and I am grateful every minute to have Dovey in my life. I hope that he feels like he knows my dad and my Jo - even just a little bit - because of my love for them.<br />
<br />
♥Happy Birthday Jo - I hope Daddy, Mimi and Papa are up there helping you eat dozens of those delicious confetti cupcakes that you love so much! ♥<br />
<br />
With a heavy heart,<br />
<img height="60" src="http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/2771/sawyersig.png" width="200" />Little One Sawyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510841958942182806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622494032361262082.post-20763162151716720522011-10-25T19:17:00.000-07:002011-10-25T19:17:25.980-07:00It's been awhile...Hi everyone!<br />
It's been quite awhile since my last post. Dovey and I did some thinking and decided that we need to put the pedal to the metal when it comes to buying a house. :) Yay for a new house! However in order to buy a house in the next few years, we needed to have more income to put into savings! So... I started my own business! I am now a Lia Sophia jewelry advisor. The first few weeks were pretty crazy... I had to learn everything I could about direct sales - as this was my first feet first plunge into the world of Sales!<br />
Thankfully, Lia Sophia offers TONS of information in the Lia Sophia University section of the advisor website, so I did every webinar I could find, read every piece of material, learned every way that was available to conduct a show and finally found my own groove in the Lia Sophia family. Ive completed my first 5 weeks, done 7 shows and have earned my first jewelry bonus! I'm also well on my way to earning a gem kit or two - MORE FREE JEWELRY!<br />
And the best part?! While building our savings (in just 6 three hour shows a month) I can also earn a trip to the Mayan Riviera in Mexico! :) woot woot. Vacation planning at its best - because its FREE!<br />
This business thing is quite the challenge, but I'm up for it!<br />
I know that I've been neglecting my blog the last few weeks - and this is why.... :) But I promise to try harder to keep up with posting, as well as my business - and the magazine... ;) and of course time with my hubby! Considering he is the inspiration for everything I do these days, he has to come first!<br />
Thanks for listening! xoxo,<br />
<img height="60" src="http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/2771/sawyersig.png" width="200" /><br />
PS. If you dont know what Lia Sophia is, check out my website... :) www.liasophia.com/amandalynnLittle One Sawyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510841958942182806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622494032361262082.post-32543301984183956702011-08-22T09:06:00.000-07:002011-08-22T09:06:18.357-07:00An experiment in commuting....Dovey and I were house and dog-sitting this past week while our friends were on vacation in South America. This friend lives in Moorpark, CA - about 40 miles away from our house. We decided to look at this adventure as an experiment on how we would do as commuters.<br />
<br />
We gathered up a weeks belongings and the pup and headed out on Sunday afternoon. We just love their house, huge backyard for the dogs to play in, 4 bedrooms a big kitchen and lots of room to spread out. Moorpark has beautiful weather, in Ventura County so it has the beachy weather. Its a quiet neighborhood too. Its the equivalent of our 'dream' home except the distance from the city. Suburban living is the trade off for space! We did enjoy the weekend time, relaxing in the back yard with the dogs and enjoying the quiet, suburban life.<br />
<br />
<b>Test 1: Early mornings and late nights! </b><br />
Dovey works all over the city with different clients. The first day he was working near our home, and left an hour earlier than usual <i>(at 7am)</i> to get there on time. He said that he arrived on time - barely - and that traffic was horrendous. In the evenings, he had to hang back for an hour until the traffic broke up - and didnt arrive at the house until about 8pm. <i>(We usually eat dinner around 645 - so we were both starving by that time)</i><br />
<br />
One day this week he also worked in Long Beach - a trek he takes every other week on average, so this was the true test! He went to the office first so he wouldn't be counted as late - that took about 1 hour - and then left after his morning huddle to LB - another 2 hours one way. He was on the road for about 6 hours that day and decided that the 2 more than usual really wasn't nice. He was exhausted from dealing with traffic, and starving when he arrived home at 8pm.<br />
<br />
I work the opposite direction, but the first day I also left about an hour earlier. My drive took just 15 minutes more - and I was stuck close to the office with about 40 minutes to kill.<i> (Target here I come! Best place to window shop! haha)</i> Every other day I just gave an additional 15 minutes, so the commute didn't bother me that much. But waiting for him to get home at night was the kicker.<br />
<br />
<b>Test 2: Carpooling!</b><br />
In order to save gas and mileage - we decided to try carpooling from the house a few times. This way only one car would make the trek to Moorpark. It was nice to be together on the ride there and back, have a little more time together - but we still had the early mornings and late nights. We also ate out during the 'hang back' time on those days - which would have been nice except we were paying more for gas, mileage AND food as a result.<br />
<br />
<b>Our Decision:</b><br />
Overall, we decided that we weren't going to cut it as a 'commuter couple'. We would rather pay more to live in the city and sacrifice size and space for quality of life. We really missed our morning and evening walks - spending that crucial fresh air and cool down time behind the wheel was an awful trade-off. We were both grumpier and super tired all the time. We ate out more because we lacked the energy to cook - sacrificing our healthy homemade cooking for convenient, bad-for-you food just wasn't our thing. Once in a while junk food is a treat, but all the time is just bad news bears!<i> (At least in our opinion!)</i> We aspire to be healthy and happy - and this was definitely not the way to achieve that!<br />
<br />
I'm glad though, that we had this chance to see what life would be like - so that we didn't just assume it to be a better choice and buy further out without knowing.<br />
<br />
<img height="60" src="http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/2771/sawyersig.png" width="200" />Little One Sawyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510841958942182806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622494032361262082.post-47631959393845189022011-08-11T08:42:00.000-07:002011-08-11T08:44:19.240-07:00A surreal visit to the DMV...Yesterday I paid a visit to my local DMV office to obtain my new Driver's License and pay my vehicle registration. This time I planned ahead and scheduled an appointment online for first thing in the morning. I arrived at 8:59am, just before they opened the doors and noted the line around the building for those without appointments.<i> </i><br />
<i>{Thank goodness for being a planner! Really though, why WOULDN'T you schedule an appointment - nowadays you can do them online and even from your cellphone!}</i><br />
<br />
I joined the line of 5 appointment people, and shuffled my way inside. I was AMAZED at the cheery disposition of all of the employees. The woman processing the queue greeted me with a smile, was very informative - making sure that I had all of the necessary documents to complete my transactions and giving me the application to fill out. She then told me when it was finished to 'just pop in front of everyone else' and she would get me to a window. <i>CHA-CHING!</i><br />
<br />
Within minutes I was at a window, where another very kind woman greeted me with a smile and began processing my requests.<br />
<i>{Seriously folks... did someone slip some happy pills in the coffee pot?!}</i><br />
Then she tells me that she apologizes for the delay (I've been standing for all of 1 minute at this point.) but that they began implementing a new system this morning and that they have never used it before.<br />
<i>{Hold up. So everyone's smiley and happy AND your learning a new system? How is that even possible?} </i><br />
She completed the name change and moved onto the registration in no time at all - and then pointed me in the direction of the photo booth...<br />
<br />
<b>THANK GOD</b> I get to take a new picture... the last one was stretched horizontally by their system - making me look about 30 lbs heavier! Fingers crossed that doesn't happen again!<br />
<br />
The man at the photo desk was being silly and smiley and happy too.. he was joking around with me and all of his neighbors... keeping the mood light and airy. Fingerprint. Signature. Photo. <i>Done!</i> The man said that I will receive my actual identification in 2 - 4 weeks and to <i>Have a great day!</i> I look at the clock on the wall on my way out, stunned... all that happiness and it's only 9:20am.<br />
<br />
With a cheeseball smile on my face, I was off - <b>with my new 'Sawyer' paper identification in hand</b> - ready to face the day!<br />
<img height="60" src="http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/2771/sawyersig.png" width="200" />Little One Sawyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510841958942182806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622494032361262082.post-63135732278888745532011-08-07T10:29:00.000-07:002011-08-07T10:29:27.208-07:00The most amazing part of marriage...I know there are too many things that fall under this heading, but Ive only been married for just under 6 months, and the most amazing part SO FAR has been "family."<br />
<br />
Growing up it was my sister and I, my mom and my Daddy... with the addition of two half brothers, my dad's first wife and her husband and all of my brothers best friends (there were about 5 at family gatherings! plus their significant others if they had them!) A big extended family was the most amazing part of the holidays. When everyone grew up and got their own spouses, things changed again... less time together, more time for them and their families.<br />
<br />
And then my dad passed away. I know that it was no ones intention but tragedy does some strange things to people. There were serious cracks in our family's stability and a lot of separation. Sadly, it took ten years to repair a few of those cracks and a few of them seem to be permanent. Though there were survivors, to this day we struggle to survive as a family unit.<br />
<br />
Enter Dovey - though his family has had its ups and downs, they continue to be strong and remain close. Mom & Dad are still together (after 35 yrs!), and live close enough to have monthly visits. He has 5 siblings, two older half brothers (like me!) and three that he grew up with. And when we married I became an aunt to 10 amazing kids! I'm even going to be a great aunt in just a few months!<br />
<br />
I feel as though I am learning from all of them every day. Learning about myself, and what I value most. And when Dovey and I decide to become parents, it makes me happy to know that they too will be part of a very large family circle.<br />
<br />
With hope for the future,<br />
<img height="60" src="http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/2771/sawyersig.png" width="200" /><br />
♪ ♫ We are family... get up everybody and sing! ♪ ♫Little One Sawyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510841958942182806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622494032361262082.post-40620074344401564132011-08-01T08:01:00.000-07:002011-08-01T08:01:24.350-07:00The Great Wall of Los AngelesToday, Dovey and I decided to take a field trip. We recently found out that we are just a mile away from the 'world's largest mural' in the Los Angeles River. Dove was having some trouble getting started that day, so before we knew it it was 1pm. We decided to walk over there since it wasnt too far away.<br />
<br />
They had just completed the renovation project and the colors were beautiful and vibrant. It took you through LA in prehistoric times, through wars and strikes and political agenda's. The Spanish conquistadors, Mexican rule, there was the Japanese Internment camps and the Indian Relocation. There were some less depressing parts too, like the beginning of Rock and Roll and the Movie Era (with Mr. William S. Hart!). It was AWESOME. So many years, so many artists - all keeping true to the original. I am attaching some photos too. :)<br />
<br />
If you have a day and are capable of walking a mile, I suggest you pop on over. and take a look.<br />
Happy travels!<br />
<img height="60" src="http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/2771/sawyersig.png" width="200" /><br />
<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX-nfmiteqIPk4lLb2thP2Wo9ZAq89Vc_q6LMphS77stYIG_jyR-1oDLTxOY2_6Nnl1gzt-tsAi4gNBSNpcXikaemkvWX9XxDQ5j5jdNaU8a5HhJjaBdeKBvILo_S0mdcd53bvWWFXa_Qc/s1600/gw1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX-nfmiteqIPk4lLb2thP2Wo9ZAq89Vc_q6LMphS77stYIG_jyR-1oDLTxOY2_6Nnl1gzt-tsAi4gNBSNpcXikaemkvWX9XxDQ5j5jdNaU8a5HhJjaBdeKBvILo_S0mdcd53bvWWFXa_Qc/s320/gw1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Little One Sawyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510841958942182806noreply@blogger.com0Tujunga Greenbelt, Los Angeles, CA 91607, USA34.172975993520417 -118.4136602539672934.167614993520417 -118.41450725396729 34.178336993520418 -118.4128132539673tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622494032361262082.post-35178236405448506422011-07-30T12:25:00.000-07:002011-07-30T12:25:38.229-07:00A look into the past...Last night Dovey and I were discussing our family trees, and how we really don't know much past our grandparents. After much deliberation, we decided to start an Ancestry.com family tree. Though it is quite simple to get started, there are already a few issues we have come across.<br />
<br />
One... adoptions! How on earth do I show that my mother was adopted by her aunt, and that three of my husbands sibs were adopted. (CONFUSING).<br />
<br />
Two... Historical references. For example, how am I to obtain a photograph of a great grandparent for the tree? or know what wars they participated in, and where they resided? <br />
<br />
Three... it looks like the only way Ancestry.com can assist is if you have more than JUST a name (meaning a birth city, death city, dates of birth or death) once you have that the little leaf appears and VOILA! you have access to official documents. :( If I barely know their name, how on EARTH am I going to know their birthdate!<br />
<br />
UGH. What have we gotten ourselves into!? I have sent out a call for help to all of our family members... perhaps they can shed light into the shadows and we can end up with a substantial family tree, complete and filled with little tidbits of uniqueness.<br />
<br />
Filled with hope,<br />
<img height="60" src="http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/2771/sawyersig.png" width="200" />Little One Sawyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510841958942182806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622494032361262082.post-90894206416594211492011-07-28T19:58:00.000-07:002011-07-28T19:58:32.014-07:00Becoming a Sawyer: Part One - Second Attempt!So this morning I paid my second visit to my local Social Security Office to start the process of legally becoming a Sawyer.<br />
<br />
When it came to changing my name, I was faced with quite the conundrum. Drop the maiden name? Hyphenate it? Keep it the same? I finally settled on adding my maiden name as a middle name to honor my father's memory. Of course a name change has a few steps - the Social Security office being the first, followed by the DMV and the US Passport service. Then to send off proof of the name change to all of my banks and creditors. Oh the joys of changing your life.<br />
<br />
Today ran a lot smoother than the last time, I was the first number called, no waiting! There were no hitches with the paperwork or the documents either!<br />
<br />
Thankfully, today I am one step closer to becoming a true Sawyer!<br />
<img height="60" src="http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/2771/sawyersig.png" width="200" /><br />
<br />
PS. Dovey and I made BBQ Sloppy Joes for dinner this evening. DELICIOUS! We had tried them at Saddle Ranch a few months ago and decided to give it a go. We found a recipe that was capable of a perfect two portion split, substituted ground turkey meat and added green bell pepper and jalepeños to the mix... it was scrumptious! ;)Little One Sawyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510841958942182806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622494032361262082.post-26446645982821315162011-07-26T21:03:00.000-07:002011-07-29T08:53:59.819-07:00A trip to the market...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">Dovey and I have been trying to get the whole<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Cooking at home - Cooking for two - Cooking healthy - Cooking on a budget<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>thing down... and boy has it been a challenge.</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">On our first attempt, we picked up a random cookbook, bought tons of new ingredients and made WAY too much food. That was when our weekly bill was almost $200! <span class="apple-style-span"> The food was delicious, but SUPER high in calories. Not for two - not healthy - not on a budget. You know there's a flaw in the system when you can eat out all week long and spend LESS! </span></span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">For our next try, we started with a healthier cookbook (the calorie counts were printed clearly at the bottom of the recipe). However, it was still 8 servings! We tried to cut them into two portions, but that didn't work out - the flavors and consistencies were all wrong. The ingredients were costly as well... we were able to get the budget down to $125/week, but we thought it was still too much.</span></span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">Then we went back to our roots - trying the 'meat and potatoes' diet. It worked pretty well because we were able to make the proper serving size and included lots of veggies - but the meals were heavy and the variety just wasn't there. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">I was ready to throw in the towel, when I decided to ask my boss what her secret was to cooking for two... she smiled and said "Trader Joe's." So after dinner this evening, Dovey and I took a field trip to TJ's.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">Seriously folks, how did I not know about TJ's? They have an amazing variety of healthy foods, perfectly portioned for two people and <span class="apple-style-span">- </span>the best part - One weeks’ worth of goodies including Chinese, Mexican, Italian and American menus totaled just over $50!</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">Did you hear that dinner?! This week, you're mine!</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img height="60" src="http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/2771/sawyersig.png" width="200" /></span>Little One Sawyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510841958942182806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622494032361262082.post-22966112672444000432011-07-25T19:58:00.000-07:002011-07-25T19:58:57.399-07:00Becoming a Sawyer: Part One<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This morning I decided to head over to the Social Security office to start the process of changing my name. I was on a roll - I had worked out, walked the dog and still made it to SS before 9am! I used the self check-in machine, got my number printout and had a seat amongst the 20 or so people that ALSO made it to SS on time. <i>Boo.</i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">While I waited, I couldn't help but notice that the person to my right reeked of cigarette smoke, and the person behind me had one of those very loud oxygen machines. <i>Pleasant. </i>As I slathered on the antibacterial gel, I kept thinking, "Pahleeeeeeeeez... call my number so I can get out of here..." </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">9:22am.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A-151! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">FINALLY, that's me! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I jumped up and walked over to the desk and pulled out my paperwork... SS Card. <i>Check! </i>Application. <i>Check!</i> Passport. <i>Check!</i> Marriage License.<b> <i>UH OH.</i></b> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I had asked Dovey to put the important paperwork from the safe into my purse last night, only to find out that he forgot to give me our marriage license. DOH! <i>Silly husband!</i> </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The grumpy woman said she couldn't complete the name change without the license, but that she would double check my application to make sure that I didn't need anything else. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">She scrolled down the form and stopped midway, and said... "I'm sorry ma'am, but the birth place you have listed is wrong." </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">(WTH?! Miss, I am thirty-something years old - I think I KNOW where I was born.) </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I politely assured her that my birth city has been the same since the day that I was born, and that she was quite mistaken. She begins to rifle through her computer only to find that I have TWO birth cities on file... (hmm.) one of which is the city that I had listed on my application. She said that she would delete the other from the system and that I am good to go. <i>Phew.</i> So glad that is settled. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I then gathered up my documents and moped out of the office - still <i>married </i>to my maiden name. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img height="60" src="http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/2771/sawyersig.png" width="200" /></span>Little One Sawyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510841958942182806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622494032361262082.post-50953257713987281912011-07-24T19:33:00.000-07:002011-07-25T19:59:40.851-07:00It's just the beginning...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Just five short months ago, my life changed forever... For the Better. I married my best friend, who I will refer to here as "Dovey". The wedding was amazing, a very intimate family gathering at our favorite eatery. There was dinner and merriment, a surprise singing performance by my sister, and the happiest day of my life. (so far!)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Dovey and I FINALLY were able to take a proper honeymoon this past week (to Montego Bay, Jamaica!), where I met some amazing people - one of which had a blog... which got me to thinking, maybe its time for me to revisit my old hobby of writing. :) But what to write about? And then it hit me! I will write about the one thing I know nothing about, but am learning day by day... marriage! So herein you will learn about my day to day lessons of becoming a wife, deciding how to follow our dreams and ... drum roll please... living happily ever after.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Fingers crossed and away we go!</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img height="68" src="http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/2771/sawyersig.png" width="248" /></span>Little One Sawyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510841958942182806noreply@blogger.com1