Making a list, checking it ten times

Lately I've had some major anxiety going on. Weekday mornings, my stomach has been a mess & I'm sure it's related to the massive to-do list that's in my head as I drive to work in the morning, knowing there isn't much I can do about it.  I've felt much better today since I've had my usual Wednesday off & have gotten an insane amount done!  Mike sent me a saying today that he said made him immediately think of me:  What screws us up most in life is the picture in our head of how it's supposed to be.  My response was, "obviously the picture is supposed to look perfect & tidy & smell fresh & clean!"  Sadly, I'm not at all joking.  I have insane expectations for myself which is where the anxiety stems from.  Stupid brain.

I got the teacher's presents done for Cameron & Reese to take to school on Friday.  I wasn't sure how much was an appropriate amount to give as a gift card & the consensus on Facebook was $10-15.  I decided to go with $10 a piece since there are four teachers & I don't want to break the bank.  I also made peppermint bark which was super easy & quick.  I wrapped it in a clear gift bag & tied it with a red ribbon.  Click here for the recipe.  It's a great gift or snack for the holidays!

I've also been meaning to paint the wall at the top of the stairs since the previous owners put a hole in it during their move.  I patched it before we moved in, but have yet to paint it.  Until today, that is!  We did so much painting before we moved in & I meant to paint this all along but the patch I put over the hole took forever to dry & I was so over painting.

I did a chocolate brown that matches a few other accent walls downstairs.  The framed picture that goes there isn't yet in place since I got overzealous & tried to hang it before it was dry & ended up scuffing the wall.  Dang it!  Since we're hosting both Christmas Eve & New Years Eve, I'm relieved to have this project done.

My Wednesday buddy & I went to "our" park to enjoy the insanely beautiful day & have a picnic lunch.

This boy is an absolute delight to be around.  I cherish our days together & will miss them so much when he starts real school.  It amazes me how sweet & loving Cameron is & I always say that he'll make the best husband.  When he woke up this morning he said, "I'm saying with you today, Mommy?"  After I told him yes, he said, "Yay, I love spending the day with you!  You're my best friend."  What a love.  As good as he is to me, he's even better to his sister.  That girl is beyond lucky to have such an awesome brother!  I'm so proud of my guy.

 

After the park, I made a batch of broccoli cheddar soup which is a knock-off recipe of Panera's from the Food Network.  It tastes awesome & I know the kids will love it.  I'm serving it with some crusty bread & a bag mix of Southwestern chopped salad.  Easy peasy.  I love meals that can be made ahead.  Click here for the recipe, it's delish!  I used whole milk instead of half & half to cut calories & avoid buying another ingredient.

After the soup was made, I moved onto cleaning.  I'm continuously both amazed & disgusted by the filth that comes out of my carpet!  One day I hope to be done with carpet since these darn pets shed so darn much!  

It feels wonderful to have some of the items on my to-do list checked off and hopefully it will help take away some of my anxiety!