I got my first tattoo when I was 19 years old and a sophomore in college.  I drew it up myself, and worked on it for quite awhile.  I took it to a local guy to do it, and it's probably not the best work.  I didn't know much about getting a tattoo (no internet!), and my boyfriend at the time had gone to the same place.  But, I love it.  It's part of my story.  When I told my Mom one day while she was visiting me, she dropped an F-bomb.  She does not say the F-word, but it flew out of her mouth like she didn't know it was coming, "Where did you get a fucking tattoo!?!?"  Life went on, my parents still love me, and I went on to become a paleontologist.  

Then I got my nose pierced.  Well, that upset my parents so much that my Mom did not speak to me for several weeks (we talk often - many times a week if not daily).  She even wrote me a letter.  I didn't wear it home out of respect, and then while visiting family once, the little thing I used to keep it from closing fell out and it healed over within a day.  This was before the time of all the facial piercings that are fairly common now, so it was a pretty big deal that I had it.  But, I loved my nose ring.  My nose is perfect for it, and I was complemented on it often.  But, it fell out the summer before I went to grad school, and I didn't re-pierce it because I was worried what people might think of me.  I regret that.

I avoided getting more tattoos because I've always been worried about what people think of me.  In high school, a boy told me I was 'too stout' (I was not heavy at all), and while I didn't really like him, his words were hurtful.  You can't unhear words like that no matter how unimportant or dumb they may be.  And, in general I'm a people pleaser and I dislike conflict or disappointing people which makes me pretty sensitive to what people think.  

However, since having kids (daughters especially), I realize how important it is to be a woman who shows her children that it's important to be strong and confident, that it's not important what others think, and it's important to live your life in a positive way.  And, while you need to be very thoughtful about your choices, you shouldn't do (or not do) something because you're worried what others think (there are certainly exceptions - for example, you probably shouldn't tattoo your face because your life may become extremely difficult because you probably won't get that job you always wanted as a weather man.  Just sayin'.).

I gained a different kind of strength and confidence when I became a Mom.  I realized that there is absolutely nothing more important than my kids, and as long as I'm doing what's best for them (I could write a whole post about what this means) I don't really care about the rest.  I constantly question how my choices will affect my kids - and that's for everything from small things like going out of town for a few days to bigger things like quitting my job or getting a tattoo.

So, a few years ago, I tattooed my foot.  I'd wanted to do that for a long time, and I finally did it.  I got 5 stars and I love them.  I'd always been thinking about something on my wrist, and I couldn't figure it out.  I'd always wanted some kind of elephant or mammoth, but I couldn't figure it out.  Then, one day, it hit me.  I researched and collected images, etc., eventually consulted the artist I mentioned above, and the rest is history.  

I've heard what many people have said about what they think of tattoos, and I know some people are probably saying those things about me right now.  And, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't stressing a little about what people might think about me.  But, in the end, I'm the same person.  I have 2 Master degrees, I volunteer at a museum and my kids' school.  I manage a household of 5.  I quilt and sew.  I run (or, at least I try!).  I read.  I have my own business.  My kids are my absolute priority.  So, does a tattoo really change any of that?  No, but I do know that it will give some people more to gossip about.  I just hope they have fun talking about me.  

Fifteen years ago my cousin died unexpectedly at 33 years old.  Our families are very close, and it was devastating.  And as I've grown older I've known people who have lost their lives too soon.  Life is short and can be taken away from us at any moment.  I want to live my life in a way that I do my best to not have any regrets.  I know if something unexpected happened to me one thing I would regret is not getting my tattoos.  And, if someone has a problem with that, that's their problem.    

I got my tattoo for me.  It's the mammoth from the University of Nebraska, and I personalized it a little.  Paleontology is my first love - I knew as a young child that's what I wanted to do.  I grew up in Nebraska, but it's also where, in college, people took me in, guided me, encouraged me and gave me opportunities that allowed me to fulfill my dream.  It's where I found confidence in myself that I didn't know I had.  It's part of the very core of me and something that has always made me very joyful.  Though it's always been there, it's now just a little more visible part of me.  And that makes me happy.

A couple months ago, I joined Origami Owl as an independent designer.  I initially did it to add to my income (which was zero!) and give myself something to focus on outside of my Mom job.  The time was right for me, and after attending a party myself, I loved the jewelry!  It's fun, different, high quality and reasonably priced.  I thought to myself 'Hey!  I can do this' and I dove right in.  This was a big leap for me as I consider myself fairly shy when it comes to getting myself out there, but it's been a fun challenge for me to overcome this!

Anyway, this weekend I attended the Origami Owl (O2) national convention, and I came away from it inspired with a new motivation for my business.  O2 proudly states their motto is to 'Be a Force for Good'.  They encourage their designers to focus on PEOPLE - building relationships, helping others and throwing out lots of positive energy - rather than making the main focus selling product.  

The convention was filled with motivational speakers, dancing, new friends, lots of learning, and above all, a feeling that the entire company really cares about their employees and designers.  They provided free massage stations, giveaways to ALL 5000 attendees, and amazing detail was included in all aspects of the conference.  Just when I thought they had pretty much wrapped things up after the Saturday night awards gala, they open up a curtain to a huge dance party featuring amazing dessert tables, a dj and performances by Elekrolyte - former champions from MTV's America's Best Dance Crew!  

The biggest thing they have done for their company is to offer health insurance to ALL designers!  It is affordable, and allows many women to empower themselves and their families.  They are also partnering with Grand Canyon University to offer amazing online trainings AND opportunities to take classes for college credit!!

I met A LOT of amazing women this weekend, and I did quite a bit of people watching as well (since it's probably impossible to meet 5000 people in a 3 day period).  Anyway, I noticed that there isn't a 'look' to Origami Owl.  There was every kind of woman (and a few men!) you can imagine.  Older, younger (Owlettes agest 12-17, boy or girl- can join with their mom, tattoed, pierced, teachers, stay at home Moms, country girls, city girls, and the list goes on.  And, together it is a beautiful picture of what the company is and stands for.  

I met a woman who sells O2 simply to raise money for children's cancer research because her child is a survivor.  I met women who are supporting their families on this business.  And I met many women like me - women who want to have an income but who also want to maintain their position as full time Mom and household CEO!  Everyone I met was amazing, inspiring, and kind, and I felt like we were all friends who just hadn't been introduced yet.

O2 also partners with ChildHelp, an organization whose mission it is to end child abuse by providing education to children so they know what to do when they are in danger.  And, soon, they will be providing all designers with an opportunity to be trained in the curriculum so we can all go out into the schools and educate our children.

As I have come away from this convention, I realize the potential within this company.  Their message is genuine because they live and breathe their mission to Be a Force for Good, and their actions reflect that.  And, it motivates me to be a better person.  And for all those reasons, I realize that my impulsive action that day in April to sign up with this company was truly meant to be in a way I couldn't have foreseen.  I'm looking forward to seeing what's ahead!

p.s. - follow me on twitter @nilesowl or facebook at https://www.facebook.com/origamiowlandrianilesindependentdesigner

*if you want more info on what it's like to be a part of this, please email me at [email protected]. I love to chat :-). If not, please just continue enjoying my crazy life through this blog!*

Yesterday while grocery shopping I saw they had some peeled and chopped butternut squash.  I love making squash, but I HATE cleaning it, so I jumped at the chance and decided to make some butternut squash risotto.  And, it was awesome!!

I love making risotto, and have tried several different kinds.  This was a big winner.  I used the recipe in the Williams Sonoma Risotto cookbook below, and it's awesome.  

If you've never cooked risotto, it may seem intimidating, but it's really simple.  It just requires a bit of time and patience, as the most difficult part is stirring the rice and adding the broth - it takes about 20-30 minutes to do this.  But, the result is a very tasty treat that makes a great meal for everyone.  And, the best part is that you can make it with just about anything - vegetables, chicken, mushrooms, seafood, even squid ink!  So, the next time you see some chopped squash at the store, consider making this!

Disclaimer - I do make a small amount of money from Amazon from products purchased on my blog.  I only put products on that I have personally used and would recommend to friends and family.  If you're considering purchasing the above product, I'd love if buy from the above link!  Thanks!

One of my four year old's favorite things to eat is the chicken and hummus box at Starbucks.  I'm glad because it's healthy, but it is a tad expensive if you are eating it every day.  

So, I came up with my own version, and she loves it!  I get a bit of hummus, some carrots, tomatoes and some pre-cooked grilled chicken strips and call it a day.  She LOVES vanilla yogurt, so I add that and a chocolate almond milk.  She begs for this meal every day for school lunch, and it's so easy and quick.  

I'm pretty sure she eats the healthiest out of all of us!  Anyway, hummus is a great snack or lunch, and it's great for kids since kids love to dip food in stuff!  

I'm always looking for more ideas, though, so what's your favorite healthy snack or lunch that you feed your kids?

My husband and I finished the first week of P90X3 (X3) this week.  We only did 5 days because we had baseball stuff pretty much all day on Saturday.  We may work out today, but I don't know.  

Anyway, I really like it so far.  I really liked P90X when I did it, as well as Jillian Michaels Body Revolution.  You can read my review comparing the two here.  Now that I'm not working and don't have access to extensive equipment (and I don't want to buy more weights), P90X doesn't make sense for me.  But, I still recommend it if you have the time and equipment.    

X3 is great because it's 30 minutes, and Tony keeps time so it doesn't go over.  Although, the workouts are pretty intense so I've had to spend a few minutes just cooling down and/or doing some extra stretches before I get ready.  I find it hard to jump in the shower and get ready immediately after a hard workout anyway.  But, I also have the luxury of being able to wait - I can clean up the kitchen, take the dog for a quick walk, start laundry, etc. on most days before I need to make myself presentable.  

The workouts are intense and fast moving.  They work multiple muscle groups at the same time which ups the cardio.  Jillian Michaels' workouts are also based on the same idea, which is great because it means you can get a great workout in less time while still working your whole body.  

So far, there is less straight up muscle building (lifting weights), but I don't really miss it.  It does have some pull-ups, and we have a pull up bar.  My husband used the pull-up bar (hung in a doorway) and I did the modifier with the band.  I just don't care about pull-ups for me, though I would like tone shoulders.  Much of the exercises use body weight or light weights (you can use a band), and it's effective.  We've been sore this week, although I admit not nearly as sore as when I did P90X.  I'm OK with that though!

Tony is still same old Tony - total nerd with silly jokes, but I like his style.  Jillian Michaels is really in to being motivating while she is talking, which I appreciate, but I think I like Tony's style a little better.  With that being said, though, I would still do JM's workouts again.  They are also very good.  

So, overall, X3 has been great this week.  The workouts are challenging and offer modifiers and challenges, and have left us sweaty and tired at the end of the 30 minutes.  For both of us, 30 minutes is doable, and in my opinion it's the perfect time for a home workout.  I can easily do it while the kids are home if I need to.  

Also, it is doable if you haven't worked out before.  It's been a long time since the husband has done anything like this, and while I think it took his body a little by surprise on day 1, he's able to do the workouts.  If you feel like you're out of shape, you can do the modifiers and take a few extra breaks and you'll be catching up in no time. 

My one negative so far is that I didn't think the X3 yoga was that great.  It's hard to get a great yoga session done in 30 minutes.  I much prefer the yoga from the original P90X, and if we have time I may do that on occasion.  But, if you don't have the time for a longer yoga session, it's OK.  The workout is good (I was sweaty), it's just not as good as a yoga workout could be, especially after such intense workouts earlier in the week.  But, Tony is sticking to the 30 minutes promise which is great.  Most P90X workouts were about 60 minutes, plus the 15 min. ab-ripper, and the yoga was about 90 minutes.  You will get results with that for sure, but it's a huge time commitment, especially if you have kids, a job, etc.  

So far, I highly recommend X3.  I'll continue to give updates.  

Disclaimer - I do make a small amount of money from Amazon from products purchased on my blog.  I only put products on that I have personally used and would recommend to friends and family.  Thanks!

Some days just suck.  That's all there is to it.  No matter what you do, how hard you try they just don't work out.  My day sucked today.
  
The whole thing started off pretty well.  I got the kids off, got showered and ready and got a nice chili going in the crock pot - all before 8:30am!  I thought that was pretty successful.  But that's where the goodness ended.  The rest of the day was pretty uneventful until after school, which is when the shit always undoubtedly hits the fan.  They got home and immediately ravaged the kitchen, which is no big deal, but sometimes I'm just not in the mood to have peanut butter smeared all over the counters and to have them arguing with me about why they can't eat every sugary thing in the house.  But, we managed adecent snack and homework time ok.  

My husband is out of town, and all three kids have something at the same time on Tuesdays.  So, I got everyone ready and loaded up into the car realizing that they'd only had a snack and wouldn't be home until well after our normal dinner time.  So, I scrounged a snack for the girls and hoped the peanut butter would keep my son full for baseball practice.  

I dropped my youngest daughter at her singing class.  Then headed to drop my son off at baseball and while driving away I had a fleeting thought that I didn't check which field he needed to go to.  I figured he would just find his team.  After that, I head home to get my other daughter and her friend, and drop them off at dance.  I had about an hour before I had to go make the rounds to pick people up so I thought I might get my toes painted quickly somewhere.  In the middle of that thought the phone range and it was my friend saying her husband was at the baseball fields with my son and his team must have canceled practice.  

I was sure I had just received a notice that practice was ON, so I checked and sure enough I dropped him at the wrong field!  And of course the field he was supposed to be at was on the other side of town (our town isn't big, but driving through it during rush hour sucks).  So, I went straight from dance to pick him up to drive back and drop him off one hour late for practice.  I then ran a short errand and went back to pick him up, but practice went late making me late to pick up my 4 year old.  So, I called a friend to pick up the 4 year old (she was already there).  

Things were OK for a few minutes after we got home, but then my daughter slipped on the stairs giving herself a huge purple knot on my shin.  We did baths (because they STUNK!!) and then I realized I never really fed them dinner.  So, I made them eat a few bites of my chili (which was really good, but they were all cranky by then probably because they were starving) and decided it was just best if they went to bed.  

So, I get in my youngest daughter's bathroom to brush teeth and see the bathtub is full of some very strange winged ant-like bugs.  WHAT?!?  Right now?  What. the. hell.  So, I kill them all and get that taken care of only to have my daughter now terrified that the bugs are going to come and get her.  She finally went to sleep after crying for awhile.  Oh, and the dog desperately needs a walk.  

The house is a mess and I have a ton to do, so I sat down to write a blog instead.  A beer would be really nice right now, but of course my fridge contains nothing but capri sun.  Oh well.  Tomorrow's another day.  

I finally had the stitches taken out of my finger last Friday.  The stitches were holding a little piece of what looked like tin foil on my nail bed.  It was inserted under my cuticle to ensure that the cuticle did not heal to the nail bed because if that happens the nail will not grow back!  The stitches were really bothersome, so I was glad to have them taken out, but now my nail bed is super sensitive!  The slightest touch or bump on my finger is rather painful, so I have to do everything 9-fingered or one-handed while being very careful.  I didn't realize how much my hands do and bump into things.  Patience is not my strong point, so this is very challenging.  I just want to get back to doing everything normally!

The nurse said I just had to wear a band-aid and hopefully the nail would start growing back in 4-8 weeks. I was more than a little disappointed when she said that - I mean 1-2 more months!?!  Yikes!  It looks pretty weird, feels pretty crappy and I'm just really hoping I get my nail back.  I never truly appreciated how important our fingernails really are and how much we rely on them to do things.  

Anyway, I'm feeling better, and I've been sewing, though with great caution!  Scroll down for a picture of the tin foil thing on my nailbed.  

I was happily working on one of my quilts on Friday afternoon when all of a sudden I had a needle stuck in my fingernail.   I truly have no idea how it happened - it happened in a millisecond.  

I looked at my impaled finger in disbelief and then said 'Oh Shit!' in a rather calm voice.  There was a guy in our house installing some new cabinets and I really didn't want to freak out in front of a total stranger.  I pulled out the needle and could have sworn the tip was still attached.  There was string coming out of my nail and it wouldn't budge! I actually had to cut myself loose from the machine! 

I then ran outside to call my husband and totally broke down.  He said he had to do a couple things and then would be home.  "It's going to be fine, put some ice on it," he said, thinking I was just over reacting.  My hands were shaking, my arms felt all tingly and cramped up as I was in a bit of shock.  I called my doctor and drove myself to the office (just a minute away) only to have her tell me it was pretty serious and I needed to go to the ER.  I drove home just in time to meet my husband there.  

My finger was throbbing and I could feel that something was in there, but I just thought it was the thread.  The kids were going to be coming home in about an hour so I made arrangements with my neighbor to watch them, thankfully.  The ER was not busy at 2:30 Friday afternoon, so I got in pretty quickly.  They x-rayed my hand, and the expression of the PA and my husband looking at it in the hallway suggested the situation was not great.  It's never good to see a grimace on a medical professional when viewing an x-ray!

As it turned out, the tip of the needle broke off in my finger.  I measured later and it was about 1/4 inch long!!  Thankfully it didn't hit or damage my bone at all.  But, they had to pull off my nail (the shots for numbing my finger were the worst!) then pull out the needle which did a fair amount of damage to my nail bed.  

I visited a plastic surgeon on Monday to look at the nail bed (not really how I thought I might ever be visiting a plastic surgeon . . .).  He said if I hadn't visited him my nail definitely would not have grown back!  I had no idea it was so bad!  He put a little piece of metal like tin foil under my cuticle and stitched it in place.  It will prevent my cuticle from healing so my nail can grow back.  If the cuticle heals, the nail would never be able to grow back!  It looks pretty wild and he'll take it off after 2 weeks or so.  

Of course my husband was going out of town this week so my Mom came to help me, which turned out to be something I really needed.  I can't really use my hand for anything substantial because it pulls on the stitches.  What a pain!!  So, I've been hanging with my laundry fairy/chef all week. 

The positives of this whole situation is that I'm right handed and it happened to my left hand, it didn't happen to my kids, and I now know a lot about fingernail injuries and nailbeds.  It is so annoying and I just can't believe I sewed my finger.  I guess I've just got another interesting story to tell, kind of like the time I stabbed myself in the leg with grass clippers when I was 8 or the time I severely sprained my ankle on a stupid pinecone!!  

If you never make any mistakes it means you've never tried anything new, right?  

I love my minivan.  Love.  It.  For many reasons which you can read here.  And, three years later I still feel exactly the same.  My Odyssey is about to round 100,000 miles, and I've been thinking about upgrading to a newer version in the next year or two.  Until I saw the VW Microbus.

I. Love.  It.  So.  Much.  I've long loved the VW Beetle, which is perhaps the least practical family vehicle next to a smart car.  But not this beautiful little VW bus!  It is surely a family car, despite it's long running association with hippies, pot smokers, surfers and Scooby Do over the years.  I see myself loading up the kids, and looking awesome as I drive down the main drag of suburbia.  People would look and think someone really cool was driving that car.  Not some tired, carpooling, chauffeuring, PTO Mom jamming out to One Direction.  And should I ever drive it sans kids, people would not make automatic assumptions as is inevitable when a woman is driving a mini van solo.  "Oh, look at that Mom in that minivan.  She must be going to the grocery store or to pick up her kids".  

Oh no, this car could change the face of Moms and families everywhere. We could be cool. People would look past the tired eyes, yoga pants, snot-filled shirts, and know that underneath all that we are just regular people trying our best to not entirely lose ourselves to our kids.  We would no longer have to justify why we have the car we have, or continually explain why our car is just as awesome as anyone else's ride. 

I love the rounded hubcaps and it's cartoon-ish, happy appearance.  I love the retro green color.  I love it's sleek cuteness, and it's tiny wheels.  I love that I could put a surfboard on top for added awesomeness, even though I don't surf.  I love that it appears roomy enough for all three of my kids and the dog.  I would even trade the automatic sliding doors in the swagger wagon (possibly the best feature of the min-van) for this little beauty.  You can read and see more pics here.  

I would buy this car tomorrow if I could, but unfortunately I can't seem to find any reliable info that it's actually on the market at this time.  Oh, the sadness!  It's seems there are many rumors, and I will continue to monitor if this becomes a reality.  Oh, please, please, Volkswagon, make this car!  If you do it right, it will fly off the showroom floors.  Just be sure to include a DVD player so I can turn my kids off and enjoy the feeling of freedom and happiness while still being the responsible, tired, chauffeuring Mom I am.  

This is such an easy valentine dinner for your kids!  I made regular ol' meatloaf, and shaped it into little individual loafs a heart using a heart shaped cookie cutter.  I used a ketchup bottle like this one to write the messages on the plate.  

Just use your favorite meatloaf recipe, add your favorite sides and you've got a fun Valentine dinner for your family.  Find some old leftover V-day stickers, etc. and decorate your table for a special dinner in!  Who wants to pay for all the overpriced dinners restaurants serve on Valentine's Day?  Not me!