Minivan Momma's Top Five of 2014

Does it seem weird to anyone else that the year is 2014? Why aren't we driving hover cars and getting dressed with the push of a button ala The Jetsons? Anyway, as we start a new year, I thought it'd be good to reflect on this past year.

This past year? Woof. It was weird to say the least. There were long stretches of my not writing, despite the fact that I had two additional books published this year (Crazy On Board and Girlfriend Rules), to round out the TMI Mom series. Plus, I had my first piece of fiction publish with some of my girls, Weekend With Effie.

Despite the wonkiness of the year where I was thrown head-first into the sandwich generation, it was a good year. Let's remember the top five posts of 2014 on Minivan Momma!

5. (You have to count backwards on New Year's Eve.) Teal Toes and Mi Familia--I was able to connect with my daddy's side of the family and share the story of my cousin's life and death.

4. Giggling Uncontrollably and Laughing Inappropriately--Wherein I stood, flipping through bras for Hadley contemplating the idea of letting Brian go bra shopping by himself.

3. Obligatory Father's Day Post--So much of my happiness is due in no small part to my better half. I heart him a lot.

2. 20 Freezer Meals--I really kinda feel bad about this post getting so many views. Kinda. It was done tongue-in-cheek, but the meals were all real. So many readers emailed me asking for specific recipes (including my sister) and the truth of the matter is that I rarely use a real recipe, which makes the number one post that much funnier:

1. Lasagna--I'm still not a food blogger--It was a sponsosred post for Red Gold, but it clearly resounded with a lot of people. Who knew?

Happy New Year, Take Two

Seriously, my alarm must not be working. I really only want to wake up at 6:00 a.m. and get some writing or yoga or mediation or a shower by myself worked into my day. I've set my alarm every single day to do this and so far, I've woken up at 7:42, 9:33, and today at 8:24. I'm not hearing my alarm. Brian assures me that it's going off. He also assures me that I'm turning it off. I have no recollection of this mess at all. Brian also says that maybe I'd hear the alarm if I went to bed before midnight and didn't play on my phone right before I went to bed. But, what does he know.

Nonetheless, I will continue to have my alarm set for six in the morning and will do my best to not hit snooze, but to wake up and be productive instead. It's part of my monthly challenge.

The other part of this monthly challenge is twenty miles. D1 and I plan on walking a total of twenty miles this month. This is because we need to get moving and because she'll be starting golf really soon and she's taking a trip over Spring Break and needs to be ready to walk a lot. So far, we've done zero miles.

January 1 was the first, and we just chilled out. January 2 was yesterday, and I was in Tulsa doing this:



(Happy belated Creme Puff Day, by the way.)

I feel confident that we'll get our twenty miles in for this month, just probably not until school starts back.

And I do believe that this post sums up the beauty and the beast of what we call Christmas Vacation. During the school year, we go non-stop, ninety-to-nothing, pedal to the metal, balls to the wall (well, one of us anyway) that when Christmas vacation rolls around and the holidays and all of their obligations are out of the way, we collapse and our bodies go into full-blown rest mode and nothing else matters. It's a beautiful thing because we need it. It's a beastly thing because it's not endless and we have to get back into the swing of things just as quickly as we got out of the swing of things. Not that we're swingers ... despite what some have assumed based on my book title alone. (We're not. So there. Stop emailing me.)

Saturdays I'll be blogging about our progress, so you can rest assured that even though I'm not daily blogging about how we're meeting (or missing) our challenges, I'll keep you informed weekly. You're breathing easier already, right?

So, even though 2014 has started, I call a do-over on my monthly challenge on January 6. Until then, don't call me before 9 a.m..

So ... Happy New Year.

Instead of making resolutions, I decided to participate in monthly challenges. The problem with setting resolutions is that they are unknown destinations without a map. Saying that you want to lose weight, but not having a clear plan how that will happen is not going to be a successful venture. So, my monthly challenges will be lifestyle changes that I'll attempt for 30 days. Or 31 days. Or 28 days. You get it, right?

The first one for this month deals with my morning routine, or lack thereof. I realized that if I woke up when my alarm went off, I would have 45 minutes to work out, write, do laundry, whatever. So, my first challenge is to not hit snooze and to wake up when my alarm goes off.

This morning... Or the morning of January 1, my alarm went off at 6 a.m.. But, Jane Seymour was interviewing me, even though I'm pretty certain Jane Lynch was supposed to be interviewing me since I'd seen her on the NYE show. But, I was so embarrassed when my alarm went off during the interview that I turned it off and continued answering her questions. I was hanging with Jane until she started asking me Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman trivia, then I picked up the donuts, took off my mic and shook Carson Daly's hand as I left. (I told you it was supposed to be Jane Lynch.) I asked to go to the bathroom and at 8:49, I got out of bed to pee.

Technically, I didn't hit snooze.

I'll work in the "getting up" part tomorrow.

Happy New Year!

PS--I'll share the rest of my January challenges tomorrow. But, I'm already back in bed for the night.

2013, You've Sure Been Good

I love the New Year ... a time for new beginnings. That's always a welcome event, unless you're winning and the game isn't over and someone calls "Do Overs" then that kinda ticks me off. Nonetheless, I love the New Year.

In anticipation of this fresh start, let's look back over the year.

Source

In January, D2 celebrated her ninth birthday, and I harassed my cousins.

In February, I taught my kid the definition of rectal, and I took pole dancing classes.

March brought us strep throat (hallelujah!), and I showed off my dope rappin' skillz, yo.

April brought us (you, especially, but it made me happy, too) MY BOOK! And, I called out another author ... apparently you people like sap.

What a great month May was--I learned a lot and fell in love with my man all over again.

In June, we went camping, and I let it all hang out.

My husband pretended to be a Pretty Woman expert in July, and I entertained people in the Hellmart Parking Lot.

August found me in my gyno's office with a list of suggestions, and I reminisced about D1's first note from school.

In September, I met George Straight and D2 met a bull, and I got pissed about the VMAs.

October brought a wake-up call for us as a family and we counted down to Thanksgiving, and D1 and I chatted about spooky things.

In November, I had an opportunity to be kind and I took it, but it cost me, and Getting Lucky was published--you've read it, right?

And that brings us to December, where I felt a connection with Noah, and I had to help Brian take off his trunks.

Happy New Year!