Planning a Baby Shower!

I'm going to be a GREAT aunt-my niece is having a baby girl!  To help the shower guests with gift ideas, I made a list of items she doesn't have around a "time" theme.  Traditionally with this theme, each guest is assigned a specific time; however, I don't plan to make assignments.

Here is the original post I found on a baby time theme: Time of Day Baby Shower

I created both of these photos using my favorite app, here is her website: Rhonna Designs

Only a few more weeks and it's baby shower time!

Spring Decor

Our shelves still had some Christmas decor on them and I was tired of the darker color scheme; so once Spring came, I was happy to change them and aimed for a lighter color scheme with pastels.

I spent the morning TRYING to redecorate the shelves and was super frustrated and was positive the only solution was a trip to TJ Maxx &/or ROSS.  I texted Ivan who graciously reminded me of our financial goals.  So with that, everything I used was stuff I already owned; it's grown on me and it was EXTREMELY satisfying to use what I had on hand instead of buying MORE stuff. 

I printed the Spring banner from Shanty to Chic here

Pleasure or Pain?

For YEARS, Ivan has voiced his belief that raising a puppy/dog is no different than raising a child.  He has never raised a child but he HAS raised a puppy Rottweiler named JD.

I fought him for months on this topic but despite our differing beliefs on parenting we eventually got married and 4 months later, we got our first puppy, Noa.  Isn't he charming?!

Pretty soon, Ivan had won me over to his philosophy: raising a puppy IS like raising a child.   I too have not raised a man child.  (So, you can all laugh at our ignorance and assume we'll both be in for a surprise when we decide to have our own man children).

As our spoiled only puppy child developed some very not so charming habits, I found an audiobook-The Loved Dog by Tamar Geller.  She explains pleasure and pain in regards to training a dog.  Instead of focusing on punishing a dog for bad behavior,  focus on rewarding a dog for good behavior.  In the words of Tamar Geller, "When you coach your dog using The Loved Dog method, your wishes will become his favorite behavior because he will associate it with great pleasure—not pain" 

If raising/training a puppy is like raising a child then surely these same principles apply to the "other man child" I am raising/training....my husband! Eureka! Raising a puppy is like raising a child but raising a puppy is ALSO like raising a husband.  My husband not only responds better to pleasure, he's MOTIVATED by pleasure not pain.  So, nagging (pain) about how we never get outside and move, doesn't get the results I desire. Pleasure driven...pleasure and exercise? Does it even exist?! I know it does, but convincing Ivan of this, is the challenge.  Here's my best attempt to make fitness pleasurable-our fitness bucket list.

The goal is to complete 2 a week.  We are starting week 2 of Couch to 5K Training tomorrow.  We are planning on running a 5K Color Run on June 6th!