Happy Labor Day

Daniel and I thoroughly enjoyed our Labor Day!  We rarely get a day off together, so we tried to live it up as much as possible.  Our favorite meal is breakfast...anywhere!  I had recently tried The Cottage in La Jolla and couldn't wait to take Daniel there.

It was delicious!  I am in love with this place!  I  couldn't resist from their delicious latte, either.

After breakfast we took a walk around by the cove.  It was pretty gloomy outside, but I loved the weather.  The ocean was deep blue, and the seals were very active in their cove.  Being able to just walk around and enjoy the beauty of the ocean was the perfect start to our day.

After much needed chores and errands we headed up to Ramona to spend the rest of the afternoon with family as well as go on our first bike ride together.  Daniel couldn't wait to ride his new bike, and I couldn't wait to try it out again. I don't know why but it definitely takes me a while to get used to the whole feet being strapped to your bike, but after a few miles I felt pretty confident.  Except...I got a flat!  All in all, it was a great 13 mile ride with Kevin and Joni.

Big Sis

Amanda and I

The other day I got to play fashionista to one my "adopted" little sisters.  I have long known the Barrett Family, which consists of four girls and one boy.  They are the cutest bunch ever and I have known and watched all of them since they were born.  The youngest just started kindergarten last week, so I decided to call him and see how his first day was.  All he did was rave on how his card stayed on green all day long!  Now I know what will really matter to my kids come tomorrow.  It was utterly adorable!  I love going up to visit the whole gang, see how school and sports are doing, and be a part of their family.

Lauren, the oldest, was invited to a very cool sweet 16th birthday party and asked me to come do her hair and make-up for her.

She has gorgeous red hair, and I loved getting to play around with it.  Plus, she isn't the biggest fan of getting all dolled-up, so it was fun seeing her squirm with all of the hairspray.

I think I missed my calling somewhere...I LOVE playing with hair and make-up, but teaching suits me perfectly right now.  I hope Lauren had a blast on her limo ride, fancy dinner, and Belmont rides!

The Balancing Act

This week was my first taste at the balancing act I have taken on.  Those who know me know that I can rarely say no, and the tasks that I already have are enough to keep someone occupied pretty well.  Right now I am a wife to Daniel, and although I love him like crazy...he's not the neatest guy in the world.  I am a full-time teacher. 

Now, I am a graduate student at SDSU.  These don't include seeing friends, family, being involved in our church, and countless other things that are going on.  When I did tell Daniel what I was writing tonight, he gave me a hard time...but knows that I keep it together pretty well.  I have always thrived on being busy, it just seems to work for me. 

I wanted to blog about the things that I do to keep everything in order...

My Assistant= My Planner:

 It was ingrained in me since the beginning of college that schedules and planners are the #1 organizational tool.  Well, it is my number one friend.  I can keep any and everything in it.  Whether it is work, school, dates, appointments...you name it, it is there!  Sometimes I double book my self, but my planner always saves me!

Lists, Lists, Lists

Jamie Fun Fact:  I am obsessed with post-it notes.  On my desk are at least 5 post-its with reminders and notes.  I downsized my stock earlier this year, but I am pretty sure I have every color they come in.  When it comes to meal planning and grocery shopping I have finally masted it!  I make a menu (on the left) for the next week's meals, taking into consideration nights I have classes, Daniel works late, I babysit, or we have bible study.  I look at ads to see what's on sale, flip through my favorite magazine to find easy recipes, and look in our pantry to see what we have on hand.  Then, I make my grocery list and note what items I need at other stores (on the right).  It keeps us on our budget and we always are prepared!

Routines

I love to work out, and it helps me stay positive and feel great.  I try to work out in the mornings, and it jump starts my day and fuels me with energy to get through everything.  However, that does mean waking up at 4:45 or 5:00am with workout clothes all ready to go.  Getting out of bed is hard, but 2-3 morning during the week I make it!  I make my lunch the night before and set out my outfit for the next day.

Find Things You Love

Luckily, I LOVE to cook and try new recipes.  This helps me decompress when I come home and it fits right into my schedule.  Tonight was a perfect example.  I couldn't wait to come home and put my own twist on my chicken tortilla soup.  I forgot to defrost the chicken today, but this one was amazing!

This is usually Daniel's face before he tries something I made up on my own:

But, once he took a bite he couldn't stop raving.  It got a 7 on his scale!

Relax!
If you look closely, I have "relax" scheduled in my planner.  Relaxing for me means spending time with friends and Daniel, and doing things that aren't work, school, or housework. 

Daniel and I finally have a hobby!  We recently fell in love with roadbiking, and Daniel's bike came in yesterday so he is on cloud 9.  We already have a short ride planned for Saturday morning.  It is something that we can do together that doesn't cost us money every time, gets us outside together, and brings us closer.

Even though I try my hardest to follow all of the things, every now and then the plate is just too full.  Crying sessions have happened, but I like to think that I keep everything balanced pretty well!