Random Tuesday

Joining Stacy for another week of Random Tuesday Thoughts

Starting with some random links:
Awesome Marriage Links
Lately I've run across a stream of great marriage posts (must be due to Valentine's Day) and thought them well worth your time, should you be looking for encouragement and advise in this area:

- Still the Sea posted a two part series last week, starting with the mention of Heidi Klum's divorce, if she can't make it who can? Part two is a long list of advise from a 15 year veteran of marriage. Good stuff:
Part 1
Part 2

- Ann Voscamp has written about a time when she asked her husband how she could be a better wife.
Click here.

- Over at (in)Courage, Ann Voscamp also writes this piece "What you're trying to tell him when you're angry".
Click here.

Better Blogger Link:
- 10 social media tips for bloggers (who are really hyper serious about promoting their blog/brand).

Random photo:
In recent Orlando trip, Sam selected a football as his toy of choice. Now he goes to bed with it. But don't let that cute photo fool you into thinking he's the perfect guy! He's responsible for having a complete meltdown at Kilwin's Chocolate thus ensuring I didn't get any chocolate peanut butter cups last week! Hope they make it up to me in the near future - hint hint!!!

Random News Story
Hong Kong McDonald’s Is Now Offering Wedding Packages!

Have a great random Tuesday!

Sunday Family Time

I bet you want to spend Sunday with us! We have so much fun playing outside while dad cleans out the fish tank.

Mama my hands are wet from touching the nasty fish tank sand, can I wipe them on your dress?

But MOM! I think dad really needs help with the nasty fish tank sand!!! Maybe I can help with this orange shovel.

PLEASE can I go touch the neighbors windows and steal Sam's orange shovel and shake the neighbors tree really really hard???

Working Mommy Wednesday

Hi Ladies, welcome to a new week of Working Mommy Wednesday. I'm opening this up for you to link whatever you want to write about. See this as an opportunity to SHARE whatever is on your mind about work or anything.

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I'd like to share some helpful links that I find very inspiring

4 Word Women
http://www.4wordwomen.org/ - a website for professional Christian women 20's - 40's who are looking for mentor ship from a group of executives who have some really impressive backgrounds. Not sure where they are going with this site, but they keep adding professional women to the board who are sure to have incredible insights into finding balance as a Christian women in today's professional work world.

Be Positive Mom
http://bepositivemom.com/ - did you know our very own WMW contributor has many awesome tips on how to take the very best care of oneself? If you haven't been there I highly recommend a visit. It's right there in the name - be positive! You simply cannot visit without feeling better about oneself.

Susan DiMickele
http://www.susandimickele.com/ - did you know another WMW contributor leads a working mom's devotional every Friday?

MomWOD
http://www.momwod.com/ - our very own creator of WMW is still posting inspiring workouts! I can't wait to be done with pregnancy and join her on this journey. If you need a little push in the work out area, go check her out!

Still the Sea
http://stillthesea.com/learn/the-three-day-challenge/ - Ginny Reddick is the nutrition coordinator of the Chick-fil-A Wellness Program and now writes for Still the Sea. Check out her weekly advice every Thursday. Last week was the 3 day challenge to eat a more balanced diet for energy!

Pinterest
I'm loving this site, if you are pinning then link up with me here! http://pinterest.com/rubberbacon/

This is where I spend my time! I'm looking forward to your stories today!!

Saturday ~ time to get stuff done!

Okay enough with saying NO, I have some serious stuff to get done today.

Dog - rabies shot, dog must get shots today so we can leave him at kennel while we go on VACATION next week! So excited.

Old Navy - return Sam's shirts and pick up correct size, my 18mo is in 3T's!

Michael's - want to throw Charlotte a "Welcome Home Party" so getting mini cup cake pan and wrappers.

Publix (local grocery store) - for food and balloons

Home - cleaning, making cupcakes, homemade pizza and keeping up with 18mo demands.

Not as fun as Deerfield Island or Canoeing but productive!!!

Learning to say NO, to myself

I am a relentless taskmaster and aggressive when it comes to deadlines with all involved. If I say it has to be done by a certain date there is simply no alternative and everyone who gets in my way suffers.

Sounds fun, right? Maybe for my employers because I meet impossible deadlines but for my poor family I can be a nightmare.

As I count down the days until baby #3 arrives I've had to sloooooow down because my body is slowing down and I'm too tired to do all the things I think I should be capable of.

For example:
* I planned for husband to take 3 cats to the pet clinic set up on Wednesday from 5:30 - 7:30 for Rabies shots. I planned on getting off work at 5:30 to come home and help him but left at 6:30. Normally I'd still expect to go but in driving home I thought, I'll get home by 6:45, if husband has not started loading pets into crates he will have to find all the crates, probably rebuild them if they are flattened, wrestle 3 angry cats into cages and put all in the van while I distract Sam. Even if we somehow managed to do that in 15 minutes, there would be mass stress to get to the clinic on time and we'd be hungry. So we canceled and had a lovely evening at home.

* Today I planned to stop by Costco for tax software but ended up leaving work right before lunch because I felt too tired to get through the rest of the day without a nap. If I can't manage to sit at work all day then I certainly shouldn't be waltzing into a warehouse for tax software on an empty stomach! Besides, isn't the tax deadline mid-April Miss Overachiever???

* I haven't finished my meal plan for the week, um, it's Thursday. How did that happen? Spent too many evenings watching TV with husband instead of sitting at the computer. We are flying by the seat of our pants this week, and surviving!

Working Mommy Wednesday

Welcome to a new week of Working Mommy Wednesday. I've been reading Diane Paddison's book "Work, Love, Pray" and these prompts were inspired by Chapter 2.

1. Name the people who influenced you into becoming the professional you are today.

2. Does your job take advantage of your natural talents and abilities?

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I'll take prompt #2

Yes, my job does take advantage of my ability to manage a very wide, diverse workload that goes beyond my title and position. My job as Director of Product Development is to manage the creative process of currently 425 projects. I handle all costing details of each product developed, negotiations with clients/Asia factories and manage the costing questions and issues that come up internally. I also support the packaging and some production details of each even though there is a totally separate department for production.

I have always relished in the ability to do more than is expected of me but lately I've had to push back. My top girl left in December so the creative department is short staffed, I've had to reorganize internally, press more responsibilities to our capable Hong Kong office staff and accept the fact that I can't do every task that is asked of me.

I am also preparing for maternity leave and trying to get an entire office un-dependent of me! This has required a new level of management I haven't previously experienced. In the past 2 pregnancies, I'd train the girl directly under me to handle my work load while I was out for 5-6 weeks (yes I take short leaves). I'm down to 10 weeks before babies due date - potentially 5 weeks considering my first daughter came early so I don't have the luxury of relying on one person to step into my role for the interim.

I have had to push back on many issues, every single day. It's actually becoming fun to make others more independent. Hopefully I can come back to a more supervisory role. Hopefully I've made enough strides they will not flounder without me. I hope!!

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I am looking forward to your stories! Link up below and I'll stop by your blog later this week.

Random Tuesday

Welcome to another week of Random Tuesday!

Random Links:

• "The most inspirational people keep to their principles whether or not anybody is watching them." My favorite line from this post.
• Only about a Third of Tweets are worth reading, according to this study. Read more to learn how to improve your tweets!
• Are you looking for a good coupon blog? Around Christmas I started following 5+ blogs but I've slowly whittled them down to one blog, because the host is just so awesome and consistent at finding the best deals. Check out Mommy Saving Mom for great savings!!

Random Kid Update:

• Charlotte appears to be having a blast in Texas, she got her nails down at the salon with grandma! Sounds like a Princess day to me!!
• Sam is having fun playing with all of Charlotte's toys and having no one take them away but he's starting to miss her. He's clinging to us and wanting more attention lately.

Random Pregnancy Update:

• I had to take the 3 hour glucose test last week and I passed! No more tests, no gestational diabetes!
  
• Yesterday was the first day I walked out on a doctor's appt. I had been there for 1.5 hours and they still did not seem anywhere close to seeing me and I had the all important Monday morning work debrief with the entire team at 10:30, so I rescheduled for Thursday at 7:45am! Sometimes you just have to walk away.
  

Hope y'all have a wonderful Tuesday! I'll stop by Stacy's blog later today to check out other Random followers.