What's Up Wednesday - November 2017

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Well, apparently I missed the memo about WUW being moved to last week.  #Oops  But since I like to keep consistency on the blog, I couldn’t skip a month, so it’s What’s Up Wednesday for November a week late… and on a Thursday.  Haha.

November, as usual, did not disappoint.  We stayed busy, we spent loads of time with loved ones, and while it was a hard month for me transitioning to the SAHM world from the corporate world, I’d say that after getting through my final goodbyes, I’ve been passing with flying colors ever since!

What We’re Eating This Week

Mon – Eggs, grits, bacon, and toast

Tue – Sausage, peppers, and onions tacos (I feel like this is in all of my WUW posts!)

Wed – Pizza Joe’s, broccoli

Thu – Out before the Christmas tree lighting at Brian’s work!

Fri – Out before the downtown Christmas tree lighting!

Sat – Not sure yet, but we won’t be leaving the house for dinner because we’ll be watching our Dawgs play!

Sun – Momma and Daddy’s for Sunday dinner

What I’m Reminiscing About

I have been out of the work force for exactly 12 days and I’m still missing my coworkers something fierce!  It’s hard not seeing them every day now and my mind keeps wandering back to the good ol’ days at work when I used to love my job and we would all go out together a lot.  I have gotten to see a few of them already since leaving, but most I have not.  And I know my missing them will fade a bit over time and it will get easier, but for now I’ll just keep on wondering, “Is today still too soon to go visit them?”  Haha.

What I’m Loving

Being a stay at home mom!  Yes, I’m missing my coworkers like crazy, but several things I do not miss?

Actually working and being there for 40 hours a week.

Dealing with issues and putting out fires all day.

Rushing in the morning to get Jacob to school so I can get myself to work on time. 

Rushing around like a crazy woman trying to cook/clean/help Jacob with homework/do all the things in the tiny window between getting home from work and dinner every day.

And wearing real pants. 

Just kiddin’, I’m still mostly wearing those.  ;o)

You know what I love the very most, though?  Being able to take Jacob on a field trip yesterday and not having to worry about making up my time at work.  It was the first guilt-free school event that I was really able to enjoy because I was not having to worry about how long I was going to be gone or having to use vacation time.  We went to a play, we had lunch, and we played outside and I was able to enjoy every single second.  And then afterward I was able to spend a bit of quiet time at home before heading back to pick Jacob up when the rest of the school day was over.  #Winning

What We’ve Been Up To

A LOT.  November brought on Jacob’s last soccer game and end of the year party, me leaving my job after almost 13 years and transitioning to being a stay-at-home mom (for now), our first Georgia footballgame as a family of four (Olivia’s first game), happy houring with my old coworkers, and lots and lots of family time for Thanksgiving which also included crossing off a few more things from our bucket list.

What I’m Dreading

One of my cousins who is just slightly older than I am, who has kiddos the same ages as our kiddos, was recently diagnosed with two kinds of cancer, both of which are in the later stages, and one of which is very aggressive.  She has been undergoing chemo for the last few weeks and her first surgery to remove the aggressive cancer is in early December.  I'm dreading it for her, but we are praying and praying that she beats it.  She is so full of life, she is one of the healthiest people I know, and she is one of the most optimistic people I know, so if anyone can beat it, it's her.  <3 

If you're the praying type, she needs as many prayers as she can get.  2017 just keeps beating us down, and we are praying that 2018 is a much better year.

What I’m Working On

Getting all of my to do lists organized and coming up with a plan of attack for the new year.  Now that I’m staying at home I’m looking forward to whittling my to-do lists down to practically nothing.  I kid you not there are several hundred things on there.  Like, for real.  Some of them are huge projects that will take lots of time, like, cleaning out the entire house from top to bottom and organizing and decorating our laundry room, and then some of them are things that won’t take long at all, like, updating pictures in frames and catching up the last few pages of the kids’ baby books. 

I’ve been trying to organize my to-do lists into one big to do list and I’m also hoping to set goals for myself so I can try to get a lot of the things done before the kids get out of school for the summer.  I’ve also been working on a loose daily schedule for myself to help keep me on task with household chores, laundry, and all of the everyday life kinds of things.

I just received my new planner for 2018 so I’m also working on getting it organized and filled in.  And spoiler alert, I totally ditched my Erin Condren Life Planner for a new brand this year.  I can’t even believe it and I’m hoping I don’t regret it… more to come on that soon!

Lots of people have asked me to do a post on how I use my planner and I’m hoping that I’ll finally have time to do that early in the new year!

What I’m Excited About

Oh my word, where to even begin… having Brian to myself for an entire day on Friday, going to two Christmas tree lightings this week, going to the Santa breakfast on Saturday, watching our Dawgs play for the SEC title, going to Fantasy in Lights and doing all of the other Christmas activities on our Christmas Bucket List, celebrating Christmas with our loved ones, and most of all, HAVING MY BROTHER, SIS-IN-LAW, AND NEPHEW HOME FOR THREE GLORIOUS WEEKS IN DECEMBER.  Y’all, it has been one whole year since I’ve gotten to see my sweet baby nephew in person and I am DYING to get my hands on him!!  He’s one and a half now and he is at SUCH a fun age.  Jacob and Olivia are going to adore him.  It is truly going to be the most wonderful time of the year!

What I’m Watching/Reading

Watching – Aaaallll the Christmas specials – Trolls Holiday, Pentatonix Christmas, CMA Country Christmas, Christmas in Rockefeller Center, The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show!  I am a SLAVE to Christmas specials.  And Brian’s rolling his eyes at this as he’s reading this.  Hehe.

Reading – the second installment of Elin Hilderbrand’s Winter series… this one is Winter Stroll.  It’s really good and it’s the perfect time of year to read it!

What I’m Listening To

CHRISTMAS MUSIC!  Oh, and lots of Taylor’s new album.  I LOVE it.

What I’m Wearing

Lots of Christmasy tops, boots, scarves, the whole wintery nine yards.  And loving every second of it. 

What I’m Doing This Weekend

Can you say Christmas stuff?  Christmas tree lighting and parade downtown, breakfast with Santa Saturday morning, watching the SEC Championship game on Saturday afternoon, and celebrating my nephew’s birthday on Sunday!

What I’m Looking Forward To Next Month

Everything. 

What Else Is New

Emily told me about this tea she is loving called Hot Cinnamon Sunset Tea, and I tried it for the first time this week.  YOU.  GUYS.  It is the best tea I’ve ever had in my entire life.  If you love cinnamon then you need to buy some of this pronto.  You know how deliciously strong a Red Hot is when you first put it in your mouth?  This tea tastes just like that!  It is so rich that it even satisfies my craving for Starbucks.  I don’t even have to put anything in mine.  I just steep the teabag in hot water for five minutes and then drink up.  I’ve already had three cups this week!  Thank you thank you, Emily for discovering this and sharing the wealth!

Another new thing for this month - Maui finally got a hair cut!  Woo hoo!  We rarely had time to get her there when I was working because they have such weird hours, but now, I can take her any time!  Isn't she adorable?  

Enjoy your day, everybody!

*Linking up with Sparkles and Lattes for Confessional Thursday and Home of Malones for Thoughts for Thursday.