HerStory (instead of His...get it)...nvm

I should have started this 3 months ago, but, I didn't have the idea until today.  I have always wanted to blog with purpose, not just blog about my every day life...I have Facebook for that.  :)  I, like many, am hooked on Pintrest and want to make everything I "like" on there.  I don't know if I understand that "pinning" and "boards" are about just yet, but for now, I just use it for ideas, (and for dreaming).  Well I have found a few things that I can actually do.  And for some reason, I want to share it. 

The theme for my blog is My New Life as a Stay at Home Mom.  If anyone knows me, I have been working (for a paycheck) since I was 14 years old (that would be 15 years ago).  Before that I was at work with my mom every day (M-F) from when school started at 8am until the last kid left "after school care" around 5/5:30pm.  So pretty much, all I've known is leaving the house early and not getting home until late.  So I didn't even have afternoons to hang out after school...ever.  When I was 17, I started working for Publix and by 20 years old, I was working full time (40 hrs/wk).  When I was part time, that was the only time I knew what it was like to not be working almost every day as I only averaged 20-28 hours.  I was promoted to management with Publix when I was 23, working 50 hrs/wk.  Now, I am not saying that retail is the hardest job, I am not dumb.  But it can be trying, there is no set schedule and you are expected to work long hours and deal with "unique" people, both co-workers and customers.  You have to have a great deal of patience (as with many jobs).  This was my life for 6 years (just in management), 8 years with working at least 40.  Now I am not trying to make it sound like I am this work-a-holic, just a little blip of why this new life is SO different for me.  I have never been able to just stay home, I held the same job for 11.5 years and before that I worked at the schools I was going to at the time, so it kind of felt like I was always either working all day or at school all day.

In 18 days, it will be one year since I found out I was pregnant.  This was very much a surprise, seeing as how we were not planning it (yet).  I don't think Berkley (DH) and I are such planners that we should be institutionalized, but we plan things as to not run into unexpected situations.  I was 3 weeks 5 days pregnant when I found out so we had LOTS of time to figure out what we were going to do.  Ever since we have been together (dated for 4 years + one day, the day we got married and have been married for almost 4.5 years now), we had a busy schedule and really had to plan when we were going to see each other.  When we got married, we were both managers for Publix with not at all the same schedule.  If we had dinner together 3 nights out of the week, it was a good week.  Anyhoo...back to 2011, we decided that I was going to be a stay at home mom (well that decision didn't happen until 2012).  I have long dreamed of being a stay at home wife and if children entered that life, that would be ok.  I have wanted to be able to use that "free" time to keep a clean house, cook, craft, hobby, work from home, whatever my little heart desired.  Well now I am home 24/7, but it's because a baby came along first.  Now I am trying to figure out how to do the wifey chores, with the mommy chores, and still have a little energy to do the fun things I always wanted to do.

Ayden is 3 months old (well 14 weeks today) and I am about 10% of the way there.  "There" being the SAHM I want to be.  If you've followed me on FB, you know I can be hard on myself at times when it comes to accomplishing things I want to do (clean house, weight loss, etc).  This is because Berkley has to worry about getting enough rest to get up at all hours, or stay at work for all hours, and bring home the paycheck.  I feel that he should be rewarded with not having to worry about the other things of the house (unless it's something he wants to do or I need him to do).  Now, I have enough on my plate with just keeping the house clean and trying to cook meals (he still does a lot of the cooking because he enjoys it), but I started my own graphic design business, VJS Graphic Designs.  Now I want this business to do good, so I need to spend time on marketing it and getting my name out there.  In addition to all that (forgot to add taking care of a 3 month old to that list), I have now decided I am going to keep a blog.  What, am I crazy?  I don't know if it's because it I am insane, or if it might be a way to keep some organization of the things I want to do.  Ever since my parents showed me the movie, Julie&Julia, I have wanted to start a blog.  On Pintrest, I found a "blog planner"...yes, a planner for bloggers.  I thought it was ridiculous except for the fact that I love anything involving organization and planners.  So I downloaded it, but it wouldn't open on my Adobe, so I made my own. 

...pause to rock baby to sleep...(that was at 4:24 and now it's 4:29, and I told myself I had to start the potatoes for dinner at 4:30, so off I go, I don't want the blog to rule my life...seeing as how I was originally supposed to start the potatoes at 4, until I decided to start a blog...also, for anyone who knows me, I am the worlds best procrastinator...which doesn't help my situation)...more pausing...Ok, potatoes are on to boil.

Ok, where was I?  Oh yes!  The blog planner.  (in addition to procrastination, add ADHD to the list...lol)  If you want the blog planner, you can use the one I found on pintrest, or you can use mine.  I can email mine if you would like me to, just ask.  So TODAY begins my journey as a blogger, an organized blogger.  I am going to try to do 3 topics per week, one new meal, one new crafty project, and something from my new mommy experience.  I can't promise that it's going to be exciting, but I am going to try. 

Wish me luck!