Halloween 2012 - A Raggedy Start.

Islanders, do you remember when Munch dressed as Willow Smith last Halloween? It was amazing.  If you missed it, you can check out the post here.

This year, Munch announced that she was SO excited to be Raggedy Ann.  I admit that I love classic costumes so I set out to find a high quality outfit.  I ordered it and had it scheduled for delivery on Monday, October 29.  

Hurricane Sandy hit.

The package didn't come. I freaked out but things slowly returned to normal and I received notice my package was scheduled for Halloween.  I contacted UPS, I tracked online every hour, I had Hubbs log into his UPS account with a message to leave the package on the porch.  FINALLY, we received an alert that it arrived - woot!

IMAGINE my shock when I pulled up and there, on my porch, was an envelope.  PANIC.  SHOCK.  WHAT IN THE- I know a red wig, a poofy dress and a pair of tites aren't in that little ol' envelope.

It's 5:00 p.m. A group of little ones darts past the car in their adorable costumes.  I hear Munch gasp in the backseat and tearfully ask,

"MOMMY, do I have a costume?!"

Step 1: Silently cry because you paid a LOT of money for that costume (and more for the shipping.

Step 2: Close your mouth while you silently cry.

Step 3: Pull it together, Tabitha.  The kid is watching.

Me: It's ok... We'll uh-- we'll play dress-up at Target.  

We jumped in the car, I called Hubbs to check Party City and we were off... In a whirlwind of a mad dash for the costumes, we grab a dalmation puppy, a pink cat and a tiny lala loopsy costume.   They were ok but not Raggedy Ann...  Suddenly, Hubbs called and reported that he FOUND A RAGGEDY ANN COSTUME.  

SAVED!  I know, it's not nearly as awesome as the 1 ordered but with a little makeup and a whole lot of excitement from Munch, we made 2012 another adorable Halloween to remember.  Check out the pics:

The kid got into character and started posing like a doll.  Don't ask because IDK:

After trick-or-treating, we returned home and Munch enjoyed counting 3 pieces of candy for each child:

O and I almost forgot our Halloween recipes!  For lunch(during Sandy's visit), I made Halloween-shaped grilled cheese sandwiches and homemade chicken noodle soup.  It was SO delish!

A cat cookie cutter made a cool shape:

The moon cutter was my favorite:

We also had dirty rice stuffed "pumpkin" orange peppers for dinner one night:

And ghoul-y good treats of hot chocolate:

I think Munch had a pretty amazing Halloween... I'm glad a dramatic start made the reward that much sweeter!

How was your Halloween? Awesome, I hope!

Day 31 - All I Need

Islanders, the bittersweet end to this month's series is upon us and I'm happy to report I learned a lot.  First, I learned that focusing my thoughts on a single topic for the past month has quieted my mind long enough to hear important lessons.  Second, I learned that no matter how much he works my nerves, my husband is my soulmate.  Our connection is undeniable.  I love him and I can feel how much he loves me in his touch.  Third, I learned my daughter appreciates the little things we do as family.  She's working as hard as she can everyday and deserves for us to continue to give our best.

Most importantly, however, I learned:

Source.  It's a free printable and it comes in many colors read the nester's post, it's amazing.

>end<

I don't owe anyone anything when it comes to me and mine.  My house. My rules.  My husband.  My choice.  My daughter.  My decision.  My life is complete because the moment I accepted Christ, everything was made RIGHT.

No more fighting to fit in or feeling pressured to be perfect.  As a matter of fact, I've found when I remove the requirement to be perfect, my home INSTANTLY becomes more welcoming, my marriage more relatable and my family more genuine.

I hope this series was as real for you as it was for me. I promise to keep the island a safe space.  I feel safe to admit my marriage, my family, my home, my job, my life takes WORK.  Let's keep this progress going, shall we?

I am one of more than 1200 bloggers who made a choice to change everyday of October.  Want to see more?  Check out the Nester's blog.

Day 30 - As I Go

I hear so many people say it, 

clean as you go.  

It never really hit me until I realized how much I hate doing the following:

Cleaning bath tubs (ugh!)

&

Doing laundry (gag!)

I hate cleaning tubs.  I don't enjoy cleaning toilets BUT at least I can have them sparkling in less than 5 minutes.  Something about slaving over this ring around this tub from activities like the pumpkin patch fun makes no sense to me.  

*Queue the angels singing... and the birds*

I found a clever idea that helps keep my tubs clean AS I GO!  Check it out:

The Dish Wand Tub Cleaner

1. Fill your wand with equal parts vinegar and dish soap.

2.  Place upright in shower (to avoid leaks) and use while you are in the shower everyday.
  

That's it!  It's really easy, right?  I just wipe everything down the last 2 minutes of my shower and the pain of scrubbing is gone...  

The shower is clean, I'm not burning my nose with cleaning products and I have more time to spend doing other things like... Laundry.  O hush, I'm serious!

Speaking of laundry, I'm on top of it and I reached this point by doing a little(1-2 loads) everyday.  It feels pretty awesome and, get this, I MAY be changing my opinion of laundry altogether... I said maybe, don't get excited.  

Islanders, I am bursting with excitement about the small changes we made over this past month.  My house, my marriage, my family have all changed for the better... I'll DEF keep this momentum going.  OOPS, I've said too much.  NEXT is the wrap-up post that sings this series' praises.  

MY BAD! 

MORE TO COME...

Day 29 - Pumpkin Patch, A Tradition

Every year, we take a trip to the pumpkin patch.  I usually drive 30+ minutes away to find one with all the bells and whistles (hay rides, ponies, etc.)... Well, I found one 10 minutes from our home and decided this weekend was the weekend for us to go...  $12 for adults and $8 for kids got us live music,  train rides, a cup of animal feed FOR THE LIVE ANIMALS:

A haunted town:

She was so scared daddy had to carry her through.

Hay rides:

Face painting:

Yes, Chazzy stopped by for the fun so Munch had to show her the ropes:

Now, back to what my money covered, lol.

Pony rides:

Big slides:

Train rides:

Can you see Chazzy's little wrist? The kid is rockin' rings and bangles... DIVA!

They signed the chalk wall (my kid writes her name in cursive now... I'm amazed, lol):

Cotton Candy Hugs:

A complimentary pumpkin was included in the price of admission.  It took them no time to find the perfect ones:

They had a decorating station and the girls had a blast.  On our way out, I got some cute pics (with my iPhone):

They had a blast (and their clothes were proof, lol).  We headed home for baths, UNO and a dance competition:

Happy fall, y'all!