oh, the life of me.

on slumps, home improvements, and NYC.

Caitlin — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 19:59:37 +0000

The Blog | Over the past month or so (okay, probably longer), I’ve found myself in a very big blog slump. Actually, not just blogging but photography also. I’m just very unmotivated both creatively, mentally, and to some degree physically. There’s been a lot of stress lately with stuff that school is putting me through (that’s another blog post, for another day), and just life in general. I just ran out of time and motivation to post. I’m trying to fix that now. I also tried to work on a theme with the Thesis framework, and didn’t like the way it came out. It’s still in the works, but I’m revamping it for the millionth time. I told you I was in a slump, right?

Home Improvements | Since repainting our kitchen, Ryan has been on a mission to re-do and finish our entire downstairs. It’s been fun, but time consuming & somewhat irritating. We did manage to score a new kitchen table from Ryan’s grandmom (she spoils us with pretty new things) since ours broke and we were having a hell of a time finding one ourselves. We have a long, but somewhat narrow kitchen which made it really hard to find something. Luckily, she did and bought it for us.

On top of her buying that, she also gave us her living room furniture. She wanted new stuff, and hers is only a couple years old & in fabulous condition (she lives alone, so it’s like it barely got used). This saved us a TON of money, and gave us a fabulous (like) new living room for NOTHING! Score! The only thing about moving out old furniture and in the new stuff, is all the cleaning involved. It’s amazing that you find under the couches (even after cleaning under there a little over a month ago) when you’ve got two preschool aged children. Between all of that, unpacking, and arranging the new stuff — last week turned into a total bust.

NYC & 20sber’s | Thanks to an invitation from Rachel, I headed up to NYC yesterday to see some wonderful 20sbers who were there for BlogHer. Despite the early wake up call (6am!) and a bit of a trip , Rachel (and Matt!) and I headed into the city and made it there right around 10am. It was a fabulous day, filled with meeting some really cool people. It was my first time meeting everyone other than Rachel, so of course I turned into the quiet and shy me. But it was still awesome, and I hope I can hang out with these people again!

To everyone I met (Doni, Lacey, Katelin, Jamie, Jeanna, etc) — it was so great to finally meet you guys! Thanks for an awesome day, and hope to keep in touch with you guys! And of course Rachel — so glad I got to spend the day with you, love! Let’s not go months without seeing each other again, okay?

So what has everyone else been up to?

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Money, oh money.

Caitlin — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 17:09:52 +0000

Dear old money. You are both one of my dearest friends, and greatest enemies. We’ve had some really great times, you & I. However, I was irresponsible and took advantage of you. There, I said it. I WAS IRRESPONSIBLE!

I was eighteen, almost in college, and I thought that the Amex Gold card my parents had just given me was the coolest thing since sliced bread. I was the only one of my friends to have a card, and still be a senior. It was utter bliss to me at the time.

At first, I was awesome with it. For the first two years I was consistent with my payments, and was on my way to building a great credit score. And then I got a little lazy, forgot a month here or there…but caught up.

Fast forward to 2005. That’s when the Bank of America card with the $8,000 limit came. Seriously?! Who gives a 22 year old a credit limit that high? Apparently they thought I was a responsible enough adult. Hell, I thought I was too. And for a while, I took what I learned from the Amex card and stayed on top of it.

For a while. But then came the temptation of clothes, wine outings, and all the other ridiculous stuff a twenty-two year old could find to spend money. And then there was the house that Mr. and I purchased. Let me change that — HE purchased, I helped furnish. Before I knew it, I was racking up money that I didn’t have (I was in between jobs). I paid here & there, and didn’t think twice about it. At least I was paying every other month or so, right?! Wrong. Dead wrong. I found myself with my money on my card than I could afford, in a somewhat crappy job, and trying to pay off a credit card while still paying school & my car.

Long story short, I ruined my credit. After almost a year of screwing around, and repeated calls from my credit card company, I realized how dumb I had been. I found myself getting married, having a baby, and in a state financially that was absolutely horrible. And embarrassing. My credit score was hovering around 510.

That was almost 5 years ago, and to this day I’m still paying for my mistakes. There are things I want to do, and spend money on (like a bigger house that I’ve been eying up for the past few weeks, and that trip to Disney in December) that I know are not good ideas financially.And truthfully, we might not get a house right now because I’m back in school, and the hubby has school loans from UDel that he still is paying off. I can say that I’ve learned a lot over these past few years.

I know how & why not to be stupid with your money, and with that beautiful piece of plastic. But most importantly, and I think Rachel put it best when she said that we’re not alone. Debt is something very real (and very important) for people in their 20’s like us. I wish I could take back a lot of the mistakes I’ve made, but I’m glad I’ve been able to learn from them over the years. I hope to take what I’ve learned and show my kids the proper way to use their money when they’re older.

***Want to play in 20sb’s Blog Carnival? It’s not too late! Just send them your link for a chance to win 100 smackeroos by midnight tonight. Deets are here.***

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Wordless Wednesday — At the Philadelphia Zoo

Caitlin — Sat, 22 May 2010 15:03:33 +0000

Last Friday, I took the children to the Philadelphia Zoo to enjoy our first (of many) trips & we saw this incredibly playful Jaguar cub. Big thanks to my parents for the membership they gave us for the kid’s birthdays.

PS: this was supposed to be posted on Wednesday, but WP didn’t post this as scheduled.
PSS: Also, the picture quality isn’t as great as I’d hoped because it’s through glass.
PSSS: this was supposed to be a “Wordless” post.

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On copyright, stalkers, needing opinions, and figuring out how or when I became a “fauxtographer”.

Caitlin — Wed, 12 May 2010 19:03:46 +0000

I understand copyright. I respect copyright. I’m all for originality, and for giving credit when credit is due. But when is it too much? At what point does one get carried away with the whole copyright thing? And when does someone become a copycat?

Somehow in the midst of my photography business, I became labeled as a copycat & fauxtographer (really?!). I’m not upset by this, merely amused. Everyone faces criticism when embarking on a new adventure. However, I hate drama..you know me. I stay as far away from it as possible, and yet somehow here I am smack in the middle of some HS copyright debate. Or war. Whichever you prefer to look at it as.

The short version? My business “Caity G — The Lifeographer” is under scrutiny over my choice of brand name. Because my blog is titled “Life of Me”, I wanted to stick to a similar business name. I did searching, came across something similar, and followed up with extensive research on trademark & what I was allowed/not allowed to use. I used Lifeographer which does not, in any way, shape, or form equal Lifeography. I’m in the Philadelphia area, she’s in Virginia so there’s no conflict there. All is good, I’ve booked a few clients, I’m ready to go.

Or so I thought. Apparently the owner of Lifeography isn’t pleased one bit about my business venture. She’s emailing, slandering, and all out stalking (she found my Twitter account which isn’t linked to my business site or email, or my Facebook). She’s got friends doing the same things. Seriously. Her argument? That Lifeography is trademarked to her, so I’m not allowed to use anything similar (Lifeographer) because it’s hers & she is the Lifeographer, so I’m violating some law by doing so. She also claims that I plagiarized Meta tags, which is just plain silly.

Wait…that wasn’t the short version. Damn. But here’s where you come in. Opinions are greatly appreciated here…so I ask, what would you do? Would you…

Continue on, and hope it doesn’t hurt your business?
Change the name, start over, and hope you can still do business?

Either way, this is turning into a mess that I had hoped (& tried so hard to plan out) would never come to be. Maybe I am a copycat?! But I refuse to subscribe 100% without outside opinions. Thoughts?

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10 Little Things that Lead to a Happier, Healthier You.

Caitlin — Sat, 01 May 2010 15:19:46 +0000

Nothing is more important than remembering to take of yourself. Unfortunately for us moms, that rarely happens as often as it should. The nagging of everyday life gets in the way, whether it’s working a job or taking care of kids. I know for me, it’s the family & school work that keeps me from taking too much “me” time. I’m always putting my needs on the back burner, because the family comes first.

And then I found out that TwitterMoms and Tropicana Trop50 have teamed up to ask bloggers the 10 Little Things that Lead to a Happier, Healthier You. I was intrigued because it got me thinking. 10 little things, huh? I can come up with ten little things to make a BIG difference in my life. There are tons of little things I can do to improve my mental & physical health, relieve a little stress, and get that little bit of “ME” time I deserve.…so here’s my list.

Take a coffee break. Lord knows I love coffee, and can’t get by without at least a cup a day (caffeine junky? yes ma’am, I am). Instead of feeling guilty about wasting time, I’m just going to sit for those few minutes & refresh myself. I’ll end up being more productive throughout the day if I’m relaxed a bit when I start.
Exercise. In the last month or so, I’ve really turned into a bit of an exercise junky. I used to worry about not having time to get to the gym, and swear I’d do some pilates after the kids went to bed. Well, that never happened. So last month when a friend asked me to go back with her, I took her up on the opportunity. We found one with a daycare (and even got hooked up with an awesome discount from our employer), so I had no excuse to not go. And ya know? I feel fabulous now! Exercise is an amazing way to feel good, and relieve stress!
Great wine. I love a good glass of wine after the kidlets are in bed. There’s something so relaxing about curling up on the couch with a blanket, some shows, and a great glass of wine.
As with said wine, there’s nothing like a good book. Getting lost in some other world, even if it’s only a few minutes a day, is a wonderful way to relax, destress, and refresh yourself.
Laughter. Laughter is such a great mood brightner, it’s amazing. Especially when it’s the belly laughs of toddlers. It’s almost impossible to not join in the laughter when my kids are being silly. And there’s nothing like the happiness I feel when I see my kids giggling away.
Hugs & kisses. I love hugs and kisses, especially when they’re from my kids (the hubby too of course). I cherish those more than anything, but I definitely could cherish them a little bit more.
Bubble baths. I LOVE a good, relaxing bubble bath. It’s a big destressor in my life, and I should definitely take the time to do it more often. I especially love it when Ryan is coming home late, and the kids are sleeping. There’s something so peaceful about the quietness in the house, and warm bubbles.
Cook more. I love to cook, and eventhough I do cook most meals because of L’s allergies, I don’t really cook. Because I’m so busy, I usually take the easier ways out when cooking. Instead, I want to cook an entire meal from scratch at least once a week.
Pamper myself. I don’t always have the money for an all out spa treatment, but when I do I’m definitely going to take the opportunity to get one. Us mommas need to look good too
Take more time for my hobby (and hopefully profession), photography. Sure I snap picture away with the kids, but I don’t always focus on it like I should. And I’m going to make much more of an effort to do so, now that I’m trying to make a business out of it.

So there’s my ten. I plan on sticking with these, so that I can be more relaxed, stress free, and overall healthier. I’m excited & motivated!

And since you’re still here, I might as well offer you something pretty awesome! Because you read my 10 Little Things list, I’m offering you a very special TwitterMoms Juicy Rewards code². Use this code (TWMOM-READR) over at Tropicana Juicy Rewards program. The code is worth one Juicy Rewards point – that’s up to $5 in savings! How will you spend your rewards? Massages, sneakers, yoga, pilates?

Leave a comment & let me know how you plan to spend your rewards, and any additional things to lead to a happier, healthier YOU!

1.I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Tropicana Trop50 blogging program to be eligible to win 6 free Juicy Rewards points and a $30 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.
2.This one-time use code is valid for new accounts ONLY. Must be entered within 6 hours of creating your account. Limit one new account bonus code per new account. All accounts must be created and all codes entered by May 7, 2010 at 11:59 PM EST.

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I’m counting on you, Interwebz.

Caitlin — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 03:57:47 +0000

Interwebz — I’ve seen you do some pretty amazing things, and now I’m counting on you once again. I’m talking help of epic, life-changing proportions — completely Love Harder style. Can you handle that?

Okay, here’s my story — I’ve been known to get personal with you guys, and I don’t tend to hide anything. But the one thing that you may not know, is that my husband is deaf, and losing his vision. It’s something that I’ve never really thought to mention, as I’m accustomed to it. However, after seeing a few doctors over the past couple of years we’ve recently gotten a diagnosis. My husband has Retinitis pigmentosa (RP), as a result of a condition called Usher’s Syndrome. Usher Syndrome is an inherited condition characterized by hearing impairment and progressive vision loss. And RP is a degenerative eye disease, which cripples night vision and reduces visual ability in the periphery until the sufferer essentially has “tunnel vision.” Many people with RP eventually become legally blind.

What that means is that not only is my husband over 60% deaf, but he’s also losing his vision. Close your eyes for a second, and imagine that. Imagine what it’s like to have two little children and know that most likely you won’t be able to watch them grow up, at least in any normal sense of “watching” them. Things like sporting events, graduations, weddings. Sure some vision will be there, but not like you or I know. It’s a horrible dreadful feeling, especially knowing that it’s out of his control, or my control. There’s nothing I can do to make that go away. My husband doesn’t it show it much, but the loss of vision that he already has upsets him. And truthfully, it upsets me. It break my heart that he may never be able to see our children do things that every father should have the right to see. It’s depressing, and it’s something that I tuck away…I keep it hidden to mostly everybody how it hurts, and how it makes me angry. I need to be the strong one for us, but sometimes it’s hard.

But here’s where you come in. On May 8th, our family business is hosting the first ever fundraiser in honor of the Foundation Fighting Blindness, and my husband. I realize that we’re all from different areas, and don’t expect anyone to show up. But what am I hoping for is a donation, even if it’s $0.50. I hate (and I mean HATE) asking for money or anything of the sort, but this time I have to. There isn’t enough government funding out there for research, so your contribution (even the smallest of one) is fighting retinal degenerative diseases through critical research.

Interwebz, I’m reaching out. It’s not in my nature, and this is something extremely hard for me to do.…but I need you. I need help in giving my husband a chance at a better future with our children. Pass this along, even if you can’t afford to donate anything…help me reach as many people as possible & raise as much money for research. Help my family have a brighter future.

For more information, links, and how/where to donate — CLICK HERE.

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This post brought to you by Starbucks, a sleeping child, and my wonderful Blackberry.

Caitlin — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 18:47:13 +0000

For the first time in a long time (maybe ever?), I’m sitting in a coffee shop in peace. And one of my children is with me, sleeping in a stroller, but with me. It almost seems too good to be true…

And then there’s me, in the comfy chair, in my white, coffee stained shirt that screams “I’M A MOM!” as loud as it possibly can. Yes, I’m clumsy…but hopefully not the only mom to splash coffee on herself while pushing a stroller.

But as I’m sitting here enjoying this bit of much needed peace in my day (before I go home and clean like a crazy person), it got me thinking. Thinking about life, and what mine has become. Granted, I wouldn’t want to trade mine in for the world — I have my love (4 years married today, 8.5 years in total — holy shit!), two amazing, healthy, genious (or so I like to think) munchkins, a career path in the making, the most amazing family + friends…what more could I want?

But I can’t help but think about how it could somehow be different. What I have and haven’t (yet) done with my life. How different my life could be, what would have happened if I ended up with some other guy?! All these questions popped into my head for whatever reason. I mean, when did life suddenly turn into Starbucks trips made peaceful by a sleeping three year old? It went so quickly from young twenty-something, to Mom. I complain about balancing house + school work, the kids being bad sometimes, and my biggest complaint of all — not seeing my husband enough because he works like a maniac.

But then my crazy head takes a completely different spin, and I start thinking about how blessed I am. The silly questions in my head, gone. And I can’t help but chuckle at how Abby (notice the new spelling? Yeah she didn’t like the way ‘IE’ looked when I wrote it for her last week) and Liam are becoming these adorable little people, or how Ryan calls me his “pint and a half” on almost a regular basis, or how a day doesn’t go by that I don’t at the least talk to my parents, or how I have this little blog that people actually read and have given me some amazing friendships. And I realize how blessed I am to have those little luxuries in life. I can’t help but say thanks.…

And thanks for reading this post that was more of a rambling

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On where I’ve been…

Caitlin — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 18:23:08 +0000

Over the past month (okay, more like almost two — who am I kidding?) I’ve really slacked off here at my blog. I hadn’t been feeling the whole interwebz…lack of motivation in combination with recent stress of my own, I suppose. So where’ve I been, what’ve I been up to? Not a lot, but I’ll bullet-ize to make to keep from over boring your (although, I might anyway) heads off…

Work. Work has been hectic, both for the hubby & I. The couple days that I worked were crazy busy because of a big state tournament, which resulted in A LOT of thirsty, frustrated bowlers. And pretty much every hour that I wasn’t working, R has been there. So not only have I been left with the kidlets on my own a lot, it also means that there hasn’t been a whole lot of “just us” play time. Do you know what that can do? Do you?! Anyway, it’s been a crazy few weeks in that sense…which isn’t helping the whole stress level.
Cooking. I’ve been putting a lot of time into cooking lately, both because I love it & it calms my nerves. I’ve been whipping up a lot of soups (I’ve always wanted my own little soup place — think Soup Nazi-ish, got it? Okay…) along with some dishes for L. I’ve been keeping a record of both the soups, and the allergy-free dishes I’ve been making, and am hoping to get some sort of online collective/food blog about them. We’ll see how that ends up, haha!
The Gym. So Westbrook now has a corporate discount over at Bally’s, so I’m taking full advantage. Not only am I paying an awesome $24 a month, I scored an awesome deal of personal training sessions (24 for $399). I realize that it might sound a little crazy to spend that much money, but it’s totally worth it to me. I need to get my butt in shape, and unfortunately I need the motivation of a) a trainer and b) not being able to slack off because I in fact paid for this, and will be wasting a crap load of dough if I don’t do it. So operation get hot & run a marathon is now underway. I’ve also joined the wonderful folks over at In It to Gym It! to share & motivate myself along this fun journey…
Various events/random things. Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve had some various get togethers planned. Bacholerette parties, weddings, school reunions (HS Bowling FTW!). The few spare minutes that I’ve had, have still been tied up doing something. I’m exhausted! I’ve also been trying to put more effort into my photography. I want to start my own business of some sort, so I’ve been experimenting with different thing to really get my portait/child photog skills moving along…

I think that’s about it? Not all that interesting, I know. But I’m back, and I’m working on tweaking this Thesis theme — I’m still not satisfied with some aspects.…

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testing…

Caitlin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:52:48 +0000

Testing. Testing 1, 2, 3. Sorry folks, I’m just trying to figure out what’s going on with my feed & my feed reader. It seems my feed doesn’t show up in Google, and I’m not sure about other feeds. If you read this blog via a feed — please help a sister out & let me know if everything shows up properly or doesn’t! Thanks loves!

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On finally escaping…

Caitlin — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 22:36:39 +0000

Thanks to sick kids and snOMG ’10, I haven’t left the house since last Sunday. Sunday as in January 30th, Sunday¹. I think it goes without saying that I’ve gone beyond stir crazy. Until tonight that is…

After some deliberation about trains, roads, etc. I’ve decided that I’m sticking with my plans to go up to NYC for the night & spend it with my sister & brother-in-law. Our plan is to go see Tramps Like Us (fake Bruce FTW!!), and then who knows…whatever the night holds! And sometime tomorrow we’ll make the trip back down so they can spend the weekend at my parents house.

I’m really looking forward to tonight, especially after the hellish week I had. I mean, the week was filled with sick kids, horrible doctors, and endless fights about taking medicine. Who wouldn’t need a night out after that madness?! I promise there will be lots of pictures of our crazy night in the city!

¹ ok so that was a lie…I left the house three seperate occasions. But only going to the pediatrician those three times is close enough to not leaving, haha!

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