My #100HappyDays Finale!

I couldn't close out the 100 Happy Days Project without an update, so here it is. After 100 crazy, wonderful, happy days, I am finally finished. My social media obligation is over! ...And I have to admit, I have mixed feelings about it. There were nights I had to scramble to find a picture - Shoot! My Hundred Happy Days! My cute kid is already asleep! What will I take a picture of? And a few times I had to find something small to be happy about when I didn't feel particularly happy.

Now that it's over I have the constant urge to snap a picture of a special moment, big or small. I'm sure my friends, family and colleagues appreciate not having a camera shoved in their faces every time I recognize a "moment." But even my husband - who inspired me to put down the smart phone in exchange for family time - suggested that I can always take on the challenge again, whenever I want.

I don't have to take pictures anymore - I'm just more attuned to capturing those moments, because human memory (especially Working Mommy Memory) is fleeting.

Monday

I bought these Sesame Street slippers because I thought my son would like them (and he does: he points to them and tries to say "Toes!"). Who knew they would be the most comfortable thing to wear around the house and even to bed? I love comfort!

Tuesday

It isn't every day I get to come home to this! (In our current, "We don't hit people/ourselves/random animals" phase, hugs are very appreciated.)

Wednesday

Grammy and Pops doting on Johnny even while he's asleep!

Busy day! Registered Johnny for child care, worked until 8pm, and Matt's parents flew into town for his graduation ceremony. They live in Indiana and haven't seen their newest grandson since he was two weeks old. It was quite a moment.

Thursday

Did anyone else know that one year-olds don't pose well for pictures? Here is one attempt to capture the three of us in our matching shirts from Grammy and Pops.

Friday

Graduation day! After lots of hard work and what felt like a decade (!) the whole family watched Matt's graduation ceremony.

Saturday

Our families got together to celebrate the milestone. We could never have done it without their support!

Sunday

Pops bought Johnny a new kite after ours got stuck in a tree.

Last day. After a whirlwind visit filled with activities and fun, the 100 happy days ended like this. A kite in the sky on a windy day. I feel calm, grateful, and yes - happy. #100happydays


It's never too late to join the challenge! Sign up here. Just remember...

Source

P.S. - Learn how I overcame my smart phone addiction.

Weekend Roundup: This Week's Happy Days

Here's my latest 100 Happy Days in review!

Sunday
We finally bought our little guy his OWN toothbrush - so he can stop pretending to use mine (and, occasionally, carefully placing my husband's on the dirtiest section of the bathroom floor).

Johnny clearly doesn't think I'm using enough toothpaste.

Monday
This is what happens when my husband is in charge of filling out childcare paperwork.

 

Other gems include:

Q: What would you most like your child to get out of this experience?

A: Care.
Q: What would you like us to know about your child?
A: He's a cool little dude.

Tuesday
Said husband had his last official day of school, ending with a 4.0 GPA and a job he already started!

Wednesday
What does no more night school for him mean for me? Among other things, delicious grilled dinners together again after a long nine months!

Thursday
What does it mean for our family? All three of us TOGETHER after work! No more evenings spent missing Dad!

Friday
I've only ever received performance awards at my job, but this one meant more to me than all of them combined.

Saturday
Whenever our dog comes around, Johnny imitates his panting ("huh, huh, huh"). Now, when he turns to the animals page in his flap-book, he pants at the dog picture. It's amazing to watch him put things together in his growing little mind!

Bonus: He spent the day with his dad at the pool - hence the chlorine-enhanced hairstyle and shirtless attire.

Sunday
Finally got some cleaning and organizing done around the house. It's amazing how difficult this becomes when your 1 year-old would love to help by taking everything out and leaving it scattered around the floor for you to trip over.

Want to feel happier? It's never too late to join the challenge! If you don't believe it, check out my #100happydays and prove that if this busy working mom with a dog, a cat, a husband and a 1 year-old can do it, you can too!*


*Seriously, though, why did we get a puppy when I was 8 months pregnant? Feel free to question my logic there...

Better Than a Flat-Iron

Got cowlicks? Live in a humid environment? I've been there. Don't waste your time (or the health of your hair) straightening with heat! Give your straightener a break and try Osis Slick Flattening Liquid for flat locks that behave the way you style them.

No kidding ladies: It was recommended to me by a hairstylist years ago and it works. Smooth it over problem areas or rake it all the way through. I use a round brush to achieve the desired effect.

Happy styling!

 



Buy it here or check out more hair care tips.

Isis' Style

Here she is - as always - dressed to impress for the work day!

 

Belt, scarf and earrings from Express.

Blouse from Forever 21.

Watch from Coach.

Shoes from Guess.

 



 

 

 

  

PS - See more of Isis' style or learn about her fashion sense and where it comes from!

Could You Work With Your Significant Other?

Could you work with your significant other? Annie and Chris do, so they shared some tips and insight into what it's really like to go to work with your significant other - in the same building - and how they make it work.

 



Meet Annie and Chris. They are bartenders at The Hut on Fourth Avenue in Tucson. No, they don't work in a corporate office - typically, he works the inside bar and she works the outside bar. But they schedule their shifts together and they live together. So how do they make it work?

What Is the Most Interesting Part of Working With Your Significant Other?
Annie: "Watching each other get hit on. For most people, this would be a relationship problem. But we're very driven by money, so when Chris sees a customer hitting on me he walks by and says, 'Flirt it up, baby! Make that money.'"
Chris: "It's funny to me. People come in and hit on Annie, and I know she'll get a bigger tip. It doesn't bother me, because I know she's coming home with me."

What Is the Best Part About Working Together?
Annie: "I have a sense of security knowing that Chris is here. He has more experience than I do, and if I feel like I have a stupid question I can ask him without risking judgment. He's also on top of stuff - I trust him the most out of all my coworkers."
Chris: "Communication. Because we're so close, it's a lot easier to communicate with Annie than with other people at work. We're together, so we're more in tune with each other. We can read one another's needs and moods."
Annie: "We're able to ask more of each other than we could anyone else. And we help each other more readily because we have the common interest of getting everything done at the end of a shift so we can go home!"

What's the Biggest Challenge?
Annie: "I talk to him differently than any other coworker. I'm more demanding and don't feel like I have to be polite with him. I don't worry about the usual workplace etiquette, and I worry sometimes that it might affect our relationship."
Chris: "We don't really get to see each other as much as you would think. When we're at work we're doing our own thing, and when we're not at work we're exhausted."
Annie: "I know this will sound annoying to some people, but one of the hardest parts is that we love our dog. Because we work together all the time, we're never really home enough to be with him."

Could you work with your significant other? Most people say no! (My husband said he couldn't listen to me talk all day and all night.) Take the poll or share your thoughts below!