Spring is In the Air!

"Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!"

~ Robin Williams

I love an amusing quote and this one is perfect. Well, I guess these past few days aren't too springy but there were days last week that definitely gave me spring fever! After 70 plus inches of snow and weeks of sickness (shingles, chicken pox, and colds... Oh My!), I was definitely enjoying the warm weather and sun. The spring air makes me feel energized so in the past two weeks we've been taking lots of walks and making sure to stop at one of the many parks we're lucky to have in our community. This has led to a whole new list of things that Abby has found to love: swings, slides, ducks, grass, and flowers to name a few! We've also made a trip to the zoo, where Abby enjoyed people watching more so than animal watching. And of course the less exciting side of spring... we've been cleaning and organizing!

But the change of season has also given me the crafty bug. I'm sure this bug is due in part to boredom after staring at the same scenery for months but I also wanted to bring a bit of spring inside. I headed out to Michael's for inspiration and came up with these two flower arrangements. They brighten the house and I was able to make them for less than $10 a piece (perfect for someone like me who changes her mind all the time!).

I've also been working on a wreath that's unfinished but already hanging on my door to remind me whenever I go out that I need to get the rest of the supplies!

Fundraising.... Harder than I thought!!

So, here we are and my last donation was the day I registered for the 3-Day. We have 7 people on our team so our goal is astronomical! I know fundraising is meant to be hard because if it was easy it wouldn't take so many people to raise so much money... but my oh my!!! My main problem is a lack of initiative... taking my ideas and making them happen. For example, days ago I printed a flyer to hang in some local stores. It's still sitting on my table waiting to be taken to Staples so I can make copies. I've always been this way. In college I would have these ideas for project but since I would wait until last minute none of those ideas would come to fruition. My personal life the same thing. My husband and I are trying to budget our money so I made a spreadsheet and budget but continuously fail to update it. If I'm left in charge of writing the checks, well, I may write them and put them in an envelope but will forget to mail them. Initiative and follow through... two huge problems! I can say I'll work on it but I'll probably be this way forever.

On the plus side, I have put the wheels in motion for a few ideas but now I just have to wait to hear back. I'm hoping to be able to host a Murder Mystery Dinner which even includes casino games. I found a company now I just need to find a venue, which I'm hoping to have donated. See, even the ideas I've acted on are still hopes!

We have until October so as a team I'm counting on us keeping each other motivated. This post may make me seem like I'm hopeless but deep down I'm still positive! I know we can reach our goal but it is discouraging when I see how slowly the donations are coming in for all of us.

Through a Child's Eyes

"While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about" ~ Angela Schwindt


All parents think their children are amazing, and I am no exception! I think my 11 month old Abby is the smartest and most amazing kid in the world! Most days are spent playing and trying to teach her everything from colors to how to use the potty. Some days, like today, she teaches me. I'll never forget the day soon after my mom was put in hospice care. I was sad and talking to my dad on the phone to fill him in. Abby was about 2 months old and was starting to get fussy. She was laying on the floor and I knelt beside her, still on the phone. All of the sudden she smiled at me. In that moment, I realized that no matter how bad things are or what happens life goes on. Not only does life go on but there are still reasons to smile and be happy. What a valuable lesson to learn!
Today was another 'lesson from Abby' day. Thanks to this beautiful weather we have been able to go for walks and to the park. She loves the swings but today we put her in the grass. She was amazed! I wish I could know what she was thinking, but I think it sounds something like, "Grass? What is grass? I'm not sure but this is cool!!!" Then we gave her some sticks and for the longest time she just looked at them wide eyed and lips pursed together. After a moment or so, she got so happy. I mean, shear joy! Over sticks! I couldn't believe it. I don't think a single toy we've bought her has made her that happy! This is the first time she's held a stick or a blade of grass. Can you imagine? Can you remember when the world was so new? She looks at the world with a sense of awe. I think the coolest part of being a parent is watching her and it reminds me to take it slow. Although the grass, leaves, and sticks aren't knew to me it doesn't make the world less amazing. That's my 'lesson from Abby'... enjoy the world!

I am not there. I did not die.

Easter is around the corner... the first one without my Mom. I thought of her a lot today while dealing with the usual holiday problems of where to go and who wants to do what (sometimes I hate being the oldest). It made me think of when I was younger, after my parents separated, and how we would travel to my Dad's in New Jersey. My whole family, aunts and uncles on both sides, live in New Jersey. Easter was my Dad's holiday but my Mom would always make us stop by my Aunts. My Dad would get annoyed but wouldn't say anything. It was super inconvenient but I am so happy she did that. Don't get me wrong, I love both sides of my family equally but when you are at a house filled with Italians who love to eat and talk it gets hard to sneak away. Leaving always felt awkward and it never felt like the timing was right. It's so funny that sometimes the things that you hate the most will end up making the biggest impact on you. She instilled in me that family is everything. She would always remind to visit with everyone even if we were only there for a day. She was the type of person who on a long car trip would say, "doesn't cousin/aunt/nephew/etc live around here? We should see if there home!"

Everyone says that the first year is the hardest. I haven't made it to year 2 yet so I'm not sure. You have to figure things out from the start again and that's hard. All new traditions. As I was thinking of her and feeling a little lonely I remembered a poem. This poem was found after my Grandma passed away when I was young. My Grandma wasn't sick or really old and the way she died was not only tragic but also shocking. Someone (one of my Aunts or Uncles or maybe even my Mom) found it in her stuff and it was comforting to the whole family. It was almost as though it was put in a place it would be found when the time was right. I hope someone reading this feels the comfort I do.

Do not stand at my grave and weep;
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die.

By: Mary Elizabeth Frye

Pink Glove Video Update

Pink Glove Video Promotes Breast Cancer Awareness

When I first posted the Pink Glove Dance video I thought it was just a cute video. It is so much more! The company who makes the pink gloves is donating a portion of the sales to fund mammograms for uninsured women. I think that's awesome and wanted to make sure to give them credit. Click above to read a short article about it!

Pink Glove Dance

I was searching for fundraising ideas and thought this was pretty funny... Enjoy!!

Cupcake Candles!

I've been making my own candles for a few months and wanted to be a little more creative. So, I tried to make cupcake candles and think they came out ok after 2 tries. I just can't seem to get the "icing" to look quite right. The wax needs to be at the right temperature and I don't think I'm working fast enough!

My First Post!

This is my very first post and I am super excited!!! It took me so long to decide to start a blog and even longer to find a url that was available :). I've been thinking a lot about what I want to blog about. At first, it was to raise awareness and fundraise for the Susan G. Komen 3 Day Walk for the Cure that I'm participating in on October 8th 2010 in Washington, D.C. But there's a much bigger reason for this blog. I am doing this walk in honor of my mom and, although the true reason for it is to fund breast cancer research, for me its more about healing. My mom passed away this past July at age 52 from breast cancer. She battled for 6 years. She was in remission for a few years but it came back in 2008 and she was told she only had about 6 weeks to live! But, thanks to a great doctor and advances in medicine, she was with us for over a year. Through this blog I hope to connect with others and provide comfort to those who might need it. My mom showed me there is a reason to smile everyday! I hope I can give my followers reasons to smile. So, in the upcoming months you can expect to see fundraising updates, family updates and anything uplifting that I feel should be passed on!