Leave it to Martha.

I have never in all my life seen such an adorable no bake birthday cake. 

Well, clearly it is not really a "cake", but it is certainly adorable!  

And the kids will love it. 

Leave it to Martha to come up with this unique fabulousness.

Just one more thing to file under:  Why didn't I think of that?!  

Back to the Future.

Irina Werning’s “Back to the Future” takes old snapshots and re-creates them—painstakingly, with stunning fidelity—in the present day.

You’ll see the same people, wearing the same clothes and striking the same poses, in each set of paired photos. Most of the shots are separated by at least a few decades. In one instance, there’s a 54 year gap. Some of changed more than others. And some are a bit creepier than others (brothers in the bathtub is darling as wee ones but less so nearing middle age). But in every instance, I was struck by how much of their younger selves they’d managed to retain.

To see more in this series click here. 

If anyone runs across a brightly-colored fruit print shirt, 

I'd love to try to recreate the photo I posted here. 

Of course, I don't think I could recreate that hair if I tried.  

Clutch Crush.

source

Every girl needs a few fabulous clutches in her repertoire, does she not?!  {Rhetorical question - we all have to shed the carry-everything-from-crayons-to-tampons bag occasionally}. I own a few classics, but nothing that really stands out in a crowd. Well that is about to change. Check out these fabulous beaded clutches! I love the beading detail and ethnic prints. I’m having a hard time picking a favorite, so if this were a clutch clock, I’d take everything between one o’clock and ten o’clock. Check them all out here.

Me. Me. Me.

Thanks to Crystal Light for sponsoring this post. To learn more about how Crystal Light can flavor your day with 30 refreshing flavors, visit http://www.facebook.com/crystallight.


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

me (center) and my peeps circa 2007

It is a mommy mantra: I have no time for myself! We've all said it. We've all, at one point or another, fallen into the mommy abyss of play dates, music classes, sports, homework and volunteering at school. It is all for a good cause, but makes it much harder to squeeze in any portion of the day for "me time." And just as the kids heads' hit the pillow, there stands the hubs ready for "his" time. 

I have the same complaint as most: there are simply not enough hours in the day to accomplish all that falls on my plate. I do not dispute the veracity of that statement. Often there truly is not enough time. But it is during those times that I need me time even more. 

My solution is simple: I schedule it. 

If it is on my calendar I will do it. If it is not on my calendar something else will be. 

Exercise 

Since my children were two years old I have scheduled a pilates class 2 times per week. Every week. It is on the calendar and if I do not make my scheduled class I lose money {amazing incentive}. I have kept with this schedule now for almost six years. The days of the week have changed to accomodate my duo's school schedule. The time has changed as well. And summer breaks are a fact of life. It is a fluid schedule but it remains the one component I will not yield to the craziness of my life.

Friends

I also schedule lunches with friends on a consistent basis. This was not always the case. I remember yearning for a lunch with someone who did not request a PB&J. But now that kids are school-aged, I can again enjoy the company of friends without our strollers in tow. I cherish those moments and find the best way to ensure they occur regularly is to simply put it on the calendar far in advance. My good friend, Mel, and I used to have a set monthly lunch outing. We looked forward to it each month and both worked hard to protect that time.

I also have a monthly book club. It is the first Wednesday of every month {yippee -- that's tonight!}. Scheduling a girls' night out rarely happens, but setting a monthly date for a girls' night makes it much more probable. I don't make it every month because I generally will not hire a sitter if the hubs in out of town that night. But otherwise, I will feed my family and put my kids to bed and skip {literally} out of the house with a bottle of wine. We schedule the book club later in the evening so we can take care of our families' needs and then enjoy the time together. That's what works for us and it has most certainly required constant tweaking to make it work consistently for a group. But it's worth it.

Faith

Yes, scheduled as well. I have a bible study I attend regularly because it is on my calendar. I keep that  morning of the week free from other obligations and cherish those hours spent in God's word. It nourishes me in a way nothing else does. I know I need it. Unfortunately, during the weeks or months I do not have a regularly scheduled study, I find I am not as disciplined about spending the time. 

If it's not on the calendar it simply may or may not make the cut in the daily race.

I do not schedule time to pay bills. Or do the laundry. Or work in the yard. I do not need to schedule grocery store trips. Or time to do the dishes.

Those things seem to find a way into my day whether or not I "make" time for them. Amazing how that works. 

The only things I'm obsessive about scheduling is time for "me". Time away from the demands of my mommy world. 

Time for myself. 

Me. Me. Me.

How do you ensure you have time for yourself in the midst of the craziness that is life?

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Remember, visit http://www.facebook.com/crystallight to learn more about how Crystal Light can flavor your day with 30 refreshing flavors. I was selected and paid for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

Welcome home indeed.

It is always hard to get away -- finding the time, making the 

arrangements, justifying the expense. 

But we need deserve it. 

And I truly believe we all benefit from the perspective gained by spending a few days away. A few days with friends who do not expect us to wipe their runny noses {though my BFF did ask me to get out of bed to fetch water . . . by promising to be my BFF}. 

It is refreshing and renewing. 

And I love the entire family even more upon my return 

{though it's hard to believe that is even possible}! 

That did not surprise me, but this did: 

Perspective. 

I suppose she needed a little perspective too! 

A little time away from me to appreciate me. 

I suppose it only makes sense that it works both ways. 

So, I'm now planning another trip for next weekend.  

Apparently my absence brings out the best in Little Miss Thang!