I thought it might be time for a little Bowen family update. Mostly because I'm sitting at the computer and finally have some time and motivation to write something- but a particular topic doesn't come to mind.
We're all settled into our apartment in Herriman and it's totally great for us. A little more space, but all on one level and it's starting to feel like a new home. I feel like we're pretty adaptable and since nothing else in our lives changed, the move actually didn't end up feeling like that big of one. I miss my friends and neighbors, but I know I will make new friends and have new neighbors. We've already met a few and I look forward to getting to know more people as time goes on.
Football season has officially begun and Bart is pouring his heart and soul into the Cottonwood HS team. It's overwhelming and exhausting but also exciting and it's going to be a good year. Kenzie already walks around the school and field like she owns the place, so I don't see us having any problems adjusting.
Cooper seems to be crying more than smiling these days, but I remember reading that same sentiment about Kenzie around the same time frame so I just have to remind myself it's a stage! And his big smile still comes out on a regular basis, so he knows how to melt my mama heart. He's pulling himself up and even starting to stand on his own for a second or two at a time...we'll see how long it takes him to figure out that walking is an option. He's a fun loving little boy and I'm still his favorite. But Kenzie and Bart can get him pretty happy and excited too, so it might be a tie for second place favorites.
Kenzie never ceases to amaze me and I love just being around her (most of the time). She's so dang smart and the stuff that comes out of her mouth makes me laugh. Today she started saying "what the heck are you doing mom". I don't think "what the heck" is a catch phrase of mine...but I'm sure she heard it somewhere. She did start saying "that happens" after an accident (spilled drink, broken something, etc) and I know she got THAT from me. That one made me laugh pretty hard hearing it for the first time.
In general I've really loved having two kids. They both just add something totally unique to the family dynamic and it's a perfect fit.
That's all I have for now- but like I said, football season has started so this single mother and lonely lady will have plenty of time at night to write away all her feelings while her husband abandons her for a group of teenage boys. Don't worry- I'm making him take me on a vacation at the end to make up for it!
Showing posts with label home. Show all posts
Showing posts with label home. Show all posts
2.8.17
30.6.17
When your garbage can has to hide
This is just a public service announcement to let you all know that I will probably not clean my house again until July 20th.
I am all for a clean house. My home is kept clean and tidy. But...I also have two children who both happen to be mobile and messy and to make sure there isn't a single crumb on the floor while simultaneously keeping the laundry going so there isn't dirty clothes in the basket and oh yeah your trash can has to be out in the garage and did we mention you have 3 showings today and have to stay away from 1-7:30PM?
But before I explain that happy announcement.. Our home is under contract and we're set to move the weekend of July 21. Yay! It took 2 days to get an offer, and then a total of 12 to get everything finalized and on paper. And I have to say that it felt like MUCH longer. Having to have a home "show ready" every second of every day is a hellish ordeal I never want to do again!
I am all for a clean house. My home is kept clean and tidy. But...I also have two children who both happen to be mobile and messy and to make sure there isn't a single crumb on the floor while simultaneously keeping the laundry going so there isn't dirty clothes in the basket and oh yeah your trash can has to be out in the garage and did we mention you have 3 showings today and have to stay away from 1-7:30PM?
So every morning while getting 4 people ready and fed and lunches packed and out the door by 6:45AM and oh crap there's still the hand soap on the counter and we need to hide those towels in a drawer and WHERE IS THE EFFING GARBAGE CAN?!?!? Pull the blackout shades up every morning in case someone comes while we're at work but then take them back down so Kenzie can nap once we're back home and then after the nap PUT THEM BACK UP! NATURAL LIGHT! and then bedtime..back down because it doesn't get dark until 10PM and my sanity and happiness and will to live won't last if my kids aren't going to sleep until 10PM. And don't even get me started on the kitchen and cooking. Cook a meal? Okay but then you have to hide every trace that you ever existed in this room so put away the washcloth and hide the paper towel dispenser and IS THAT A CRUMB? DID YOU SPILL YOUR WATER!? I may or may not have forgotten to feed my poor children lunch/snack more than once because...crumbs and THE GARBAGE CAN IS IN THE STUPID GARAGE.
Do you get my point? Are my caps coming across as a crazy person? Because that's how I have been feeling. But now...now we can be total slobs if we want because no more strangers will be coming over. So now there is a corner for my dirty laundry, soap on my bathroom counter and a garbage can in my pantry. And if you need me, I'll be making a mess cooking dinner and watching a movie with my children on our own couch because...priorities.
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| OMG THE LIVING ROOM IS A MESS - me the last two weeks (eyeroll emoji) |
14.6.17
Home For Sale
I can't believe I'm typing out these words, but we're moving! Our home is going up for sale this weekend. It started with a "should we sell our house" 10 days ago and here we are. We have lived in our little town home for almost 4 years and we've really loved every minute. When we bought it as a young couple with no kids we felt like we had all the space in the world. And here we are two kids later and we still love this place.
This is where I brought two new babies home from the hospital. This is where my baby girl took her first steps and said her first words. This is where she learned to walk and run and play outside. She's biffed it on every sidewalk around the neighborhood. She knows where all the parks and swings are. This is her home. She can find her way back after we go on a walk and she knows this place like the back of her hand. This area is where we have trained for half marathons and have gone on countless evening walks. This is where we have built our life.
It's crazy how much can happen in 4 years! So much has changed. We have friends here and Kenzie has friends here. We really love it. But we've been told it's time to go on to our next adventure. We weren't planning it. We weren't hoping for it. We thought we'd be here for a few more years at least! But sometimes changes happen overnight. So here I am, typing away when I should be deep cleaning and getting ready for the photographer and open house. We've filled up a handful of boxes so our house looks less like "a family lives here" and more like "YOU could live here". Our walls are empty and our hearts are full.
I'm scared and nervous and excited and anxious and ready and not ready. We plan on living in the same general area so I'm hoping we can still keep the friends and little tot playmates we have made here and I look forward to meeting new people too. I've grown and changed a lot these last 4 years, now it's time to take that new Megan somewhere else and see what happens.
Wish us luck!
This is where I brought two new babies home from the hospital. This is where my baby girl took her first steps and said her first words. This is where she learned to walk and run and play outside. She's biffed it on every sidewalk around the neighborhood. She knows where all the parks and swings are. This is her home. She can find her way back after we go on a walk and she knows this place like the back of her hand. This area is where we have trained for half marathons and have gone on countless evening walks. This is where we have built our life.
It's crazy how much can happen in 4 years! So much has changed. We have friends here and Kenzie has friends here. We really love it. But we've been told it's time to go on to our next adventure. We weren't planning it. We weren't hoping for it. We thought we'd be here for a few more years at least! But sometimes changes happen overnight. So here I am, typing away when I should be deep cleaning and getting ready for the photographer and open house. We've filled up a handful of boxes so our house looks less like "a family lives here" and more like "YOU could live here". Our walls are empty and our hearts are full.
I'm scared and nervous and excited and anxious and ready and not ready. We plan on living in the same general area so I'm hoping we can still keep the friends and little tot playmates we have made here and I look forward to meeting new people too. I've grown and changed a lot these last 4 years, now it's time to take that new Megan somewhere else and see what happens.
Wish us luck!
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| A million memories like this one in our home! |
31.5.17
Questions to ask yourself as you minimize your stuff
I thought it might be nice to write down a few things I say to myself as I'm going through a cupboard, drawer or closet and letting things go. As you gain momentum and a habit for letting go of things that no longer add value, the process becomes a little easier.
First, where to start? If there is a space that stresses me out every time I look at it/open it- I know there is work to be done. First you need to take everything out. As you're removing do the initial purge of things that are clearly good to toss. Expired food or stained clothes. A random piece to a toy you no longer own, etc. it may or may not be garbage, but these things are pretty obvious and easy to get rid of. Next when you have that pile go through it again without putting anything back yet. Ask yourself these questions as you go "when was the last time I used this?" "When was the last time I even thought about this?" "Have my children outgrown it and is it worth storing?" "Why am I keeping this?" "Would I buy this again right now?" "Is it useful?" "Do I really need _(insert number here)_ of these? "Does this go somewhere else?" Etc
At this point if there is a lot of stuff you can start making piles. Make a mess before making everything clean and organized. Make the following piles:
• for sure to keep
• goes somewhere else in the house
• donate
• garbage
• can't decide
I usually give myself just a few seconds with each item. What is your gut telling you? If you go to toss something don't second guess yourself or put it in the "can't decide" pile. Just get rid of it. I have come to trust my subconscious and instinct and it makes the process go by much quicker. I NEVER go back through my get rid of pile. If you give yourself long enough you can talk yourself into keeping almost anything.
It's time to put things back. The goal is to organize as you go. Do you have an extra plastic tote lying around that would work well here? Go get it. Need to refold all those towels to fit better? Now is the time to do that. If you find yourself over-stuffing the space- get brutally honest and either find a new home for things or get rid of them. Remember, fear or greed are the two things keeping us from letting go. Be honest and give yourself permission to lighten your load. You will NEVER regret it.
At this point your space should feel light and stress free. You should be able to open and close the door without having to adjust everything. Everything should have a place. Remember our family's needs change and so can your storage places. If you're kids are growing up you can switch things from down low to a little higher now that they can reach, etc.
Address the other piles. Go put things away in their actual home. Don't just shove them somewhere for now. Put the garbage in the dumpster and your donate stuff in the trunk! You shouldn't put your donate pile/bag/box in a place you can see. Get it out of your line of sight and out of mind until you can drop it off.
This whole process can take 2 minutes if you're re-addressing a small kitchen cabinet or 2 hours if you're going through your closet. Even after purging my home I find myself adjusting and making changes whenever I feel the "flow" is off somehow. Again, if you feel any kind of stress or discontent when you open a drawer/door/cabinet it's time to make a change.
Hopefully this process will help you! What space comes to your mind as you read this? Let me know how it goes as you simplify and minimize :)
Xo
First, where to start? If there is a space that stresses me out every time I look at it/open it- I know there is work to be done. First you need to take everything out. As you're removing do the initial purge of things that are clearly good to toss. Expired food or stained clothes. A random piece to a toy you no longer own, etc. it may or may not be garbage, but these things are pretty obvious and easy to get rid of. Next when you have that pile go through it again without putting anything back yet. Ask yourself these questions as you go "when was the last time I used this?" "When was the last time I even thought about this?" "Have my children outgrown it and is it worth storing?" "Why am I keeping this?" "Would I buy this again right now?" "Is it useful?" "Do I really need _(insert number here)_ of these? "Does this go somewhere else?" Etc
At this point if there is a lot of stuff you can start making piles. Make a mess before making everything clean and organized. Make the following piles:
• for sure to keep
• goes somewhere else in the house
• donate
• garbage
• can't decide
I usually give myself just a few seconds with each item. What is your gut telling you? If you go to toss something don't second guess yourself or put it in the "can't decide" pile. Just get rid of it. I have come to trust my subconscious and instinct and it makes the process go by much quicker. I NEVER go back through my get rid of pile. If you give yourself long enough you can talk yourself into keeping almost anything.
It's time to put things back. The goal is to organize as you go. Do you have an extra plastic tote lying around that would work well here? Go get it. Need to refold all those towels to fit better? Now is the time to do that. If you find yourself over-stuffing the space- get brutally honest and either find a new home for things or get rid of them. Remember, fear or greed are the two things keeping us from letting go. Be honest and give yourself permission to lighten your load. You will NEVER regret it.
At this point your space should feel light and stress free. You should be able to open and close the door without having to adjust everything. Everything should have a place. Remember our family's needs change and so can your storage places. If you're kids are growing up you can switch things from down low to a little higher now that they can reach, etc.
Address the other piles. Go put things away in their actual home. Don't just shove them somewhere for now. Put the garbage in the dumpster and your donate stuff in the trunk! You shouldn't put your donate pile/bag/box in a place you can see. Get it out of your line of sight and out of mind until you can drop it off.
This whole process can take 2 minutes if you're re-addressing a small kitchen cabinet or 2 hours if you're going through your closet. Even after purging my home I find myself adjusting and making changes whenever I feel the "flow" is off somehow. Again, if you feel any kind of stress or discontent when you open a drawer/door/cabinet it's time to make a change.
Hopefully this process will help you! What space comes to your mind as you read this? Let me know how it goes as you simplify and minimize :)
Xo
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| sometimes what you needed or used even a few months ago- isn't adding value anymore. learn to let go |
1.1.15
Rice and Beans January
For the past 3 years Bart and I go on a spending pause in Janury. We call it "rice and beans" because only half joking- we eat a lot of it during this month.
The rules are simple but hard to follow. The outcome is always awesome because it helps us restart our finances for a new year.
Rule: no buying anything extra* this month
* extras include anything other than groceries and gas which are our two bills that fluctuate. Even groceries get cut back because I can only go grocery shopping once a week (none of those quick trips that always cost at least $20) and when I am at the store I can't pick up goodies or other food that doesn't go with our planned menu.
So basically we pay all our bills and that's all the money we spend for the month. No Amazon, no Redbox, nada. If we do go out to eat it can only be if we have a gift card.
What do you think? Does that sound hard or easy for you? In our experience the first few weeks are not bad. But by week 3 we are going a little crazy. Part of me doesn't think it will be as bad this year because with a baby we don't go out as much as we use to anyway. I guess we will find out!
At the end of the month we look at our spending (we love Mint.com!!) from the last 6 months and reevaluate our budget. We haven't reevaluated since Mckenzie got here so it will be good for us to have things figured out on paper again.
Bart and I are EXTEREMELY fortunate and blessed to have regular paychecks every month that make budgeting a little easier. The only downside to knowing that you have another paycheck coming for X amount is going over your budget because "the next check with cover the next thing".
We made a 2015 resolution to be more aware of what we are spending and be more PATIENT. we are going to try a new rule that says we can't buy anything the day we find it (online or in store) and if after a week we still want/ "need" it then we can talk about it. I'm hoping this cuts out the spur of the moment OMG I NEED THIS!!!! and help us distinguish between wants and needs.
So here is to another Rice and Beans
Month, I'll keep you posted!
15.9.13
Crazy Chick
My clubhouse key is going to turn me into a crazy chick. Or rather, the lack of having a clubhouse key is turning me into a crazy chick.
Each month Bart and I pay an HOA fee. Most of that fee goes toward the beautiful clubhouse with 24 hour fitness room plus pool and park and other things I don't care as much about as the fitness room. We are up to date on our HOA fees. In fact, we are 6 months AHEAD on our HOA fees. And yet here I am, sitting in my home we bought TWO WEEKS AGO without said key.
I have contacted the idiot HOA lady who has repeatedly lied to me. She first told me we would have to pay $50 if we wanted a key since the previous owner didn't leave hers. I then informed her that since it's not OUR FAULT the previous owner didn't leave the key there was no way in hell we would be paying that $50. She said okay fine I will put one in your box tomorrow.
That was 10 days ago.
Every other day since then I have called and emailed inquiring about my key. Each time she says she will put it in the next day. So either she has put 5 different keys in some mystery mailbox or she's been lying to me to get off the phone.
Well guess what biotch. The claws are coming out tomorrow. Watch out.
Each month Bart and I pay an HOA fee. Most of that fee goes toward the beautiful clubhouse with 24 hour fitness room plus pool and park and other things I don't care as much about as the fitness room. We are up to date on our HOA fees. In fact, we are 6 months AHEAD on our HOA fees. And yet here I am, sitting in my home we bought TWO WEEKS AGO without said key.
I have contacted the idiot HOA lady who has repeatedly lied to me. She first told me we would have to pay $50 if we wanted a key since the previous owner didn't leave hers. I then informed her that since it's not OUR FAULT the previous owner didn't leave the key there was no way in hell we would be paying that $50. She said okay fine I will put one in your box tomorrow.
That was 10 days ago.
Every other day since then I have called and emailed inquiring about my key. Each time she says she will put it in the next day. So either she has put 5 different keys in some mystery mailbox or she's been lying to me to get off the phone.
Well guess what biotch. The claws are coming out tomorrow. Watch out.
9.9.13
13.1 Miles and a Whole Lot More
The craziness has finally subsided! We moved into our beautiful new home and have most everything unpacked. I am back to producing just ONE show a day instead of TWO. The half marathon is OVER and school is in full swing.
I can finally breathe!
Bart and I have been internet-less the last 10 days since moving in and it's been interesting to say the least. I spent most of my evenings/afternoons on Campus (40 minutes away from home) and Bart has been going to work early to make his lesson plans. Who knew we needed internet so much?? Hopefully we will have it by the end of the week.
On a side note, we LOVE our new house. It's so big and quiet compared to our past apartments. Our bedroom echos because the ceilings are so high. We have an empty second bedroom and not enough stuff to fill up the space, but I love it. I know it will fill up eventually. We haven't seen much of our neighbors which isn't a bad thing since we both hate most people. Someone parked in Bart's assigned spot and he through a little bitch fit...but other than that there have been no problems :)
I was finally able to figure out how to log video from home (without a MAC computer and without internet) and to be honest I was almost more excited about that discovery than I was about finishing my first half marathon (which we will get to soon). Now I can spend countless hours logging video from the comfort of my own couch instead of paying $23974 for parking at the University of Utah library (F-YOU for raising prices BTW). This semester is going to be long and time consuming and honestly I have been making it a priority over work, but I just have 3.5 more months left...forever...so that is what I keep telling myself.
Week 1 of my new responsibilities was last week at work and I thought it went really well! I have a good groove down and everything seems to be working out.
Now for the exciting part of my weekend...I ran my first half marathon! My official time was 2:27:11! It was really fun..until about mile 11 and then I just wanted to crawl to the side of the road and die. It was fun to have Bart run with me. Since we were running a few minutes/per mile slower than his usual pace he was fully enjoying himself and was a great cheerleader..especially toward the end. I sprinted to the finish line even when my body was all out of juice. I almost passed out after the finish line but I'm just going to take that as I really did give 100% to that race! We made a few friends along the way and I achieved my goal of finishing without having to walk.
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| 6 am it's-dark-outside-keep-me-warm pic |
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| matchy shoes. matchy bibs. |
 |
| WE DID IT!! I'm so happy Bart was able to run with me! |
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| After I finished..before I almost passed out. |
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| All done :) It's amazing what our bodies are capable of! It never ceases to amaze me. I am so proud of myself and really happy training is over :) Around mile 10 when we were feeling pretty good we started talking about training for a full marathon...we may or may not start training when football season ends...stay tuned! We have the Dirty Dash this weekend which is always a good time! Who doesn't like to get dirty every once in a while?? |
25.7.13
Buyer's Market
Hi my name is Megan and I'm all sorts of grown up!
Bart and I looked at houses today..like to BUY. Yes...we will hopefully be homeowners soon. So exciting!
We saw a few good and a few not so good ones today. The last one we checked out I got all sorts of warm and fuzzy inside. (good sign). We're moving forward and seeing what happens. I will keep you posted!
p.s. Once we buy a home I'm going to have to channel my inner Sarah-Gardner and be crafty..that should make for some interesting posts.
xoxo
Bart and I looked at houses today..like to BUY. Yes...we will hopefully be homeowners soon. So exciting!
We saw a few good and a few not so good ones today. The last one we checked out I got all sorts of warm and fuzzy inside. (good sign). We're moving forward and seeing what happens. I will keep you posted!
p.s. Once we buy a home I'm going to have to channel my inner Sarah-Gardner and be crafty..that should make for some interesting posts.
xoxo
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