a blog about life as a mommy, wife & business owner
As you know, or at least I HOPE you know, I design stuff…and, by “stuff”, I mean these things, blogs – and websites, marketing pieces, etc.
And, as I’m preparing to go out on maternity leave I’m working on a re-brand for my business AND filling up a few more spots before I head out to leave and I am offering YOU guys an amazing discount!
Um…awesome, right!?!? Email me for details on how you can secure one of these spots!
Oh and this offer only lasts through Sunday, April 7th!!!
Yes, I’ve changed things up again and I am so happy! When I made the switch to JessicaStansberry.com I did it on a whim and I just wasn’t happy from Day 1, nothing seemed to click and even though it WAS “me”, it just wasn’t me. So, born is The UNdomesticated Momtrepreneur! I’ve been playing with this name ever since I switched from Freckles & Dirt and am in love with it and my design so don’t worry, nothing will change for a while anymore, PROMISE!
Ok, now back to our regularly scheduled blog post.
You might remember that I participated in my first blogging swap a little bit ago and I had SO MUCH fun, so when I found The Creative Exchange, hosted by Covered in Mod Podge, Covered in Grace & The Grant Life, I knew I had to participate!
The rule was that we sent items that we crafted or sent a box full of crafting supplies to the blogger we were paired up with.
I’m pretty certain that I got paired up with the most creative blogger ever, April from Illi Style. Seriously you guys, I was like “Crap, what am I going to make her, she already knows how to do EVERYTHING!?!”.
I ended up making her some mustache and camera coasters and a mustache mug and I couldn’t have been happier!
Wanna sneak peek? I honestly hate to do this because I just mailed her package yesterday (the deadline, procrastinate much?) and it won’t get to her until Friday/Saturday/Monday so this will ruin the surprise. So, if this is you April, DON’T LOOK!
Linking up today at the hosts of the Creative Exchange!
I got my new ErinCondren.com Life Planner in the mail the other day and I could NOT wait to get home and rip that box open and start using that sucker!
I have a 2011-2012 planner from ErinCondren.com and I liked it but the month-view pages were squeezed onto one page and you couldn’t hardly write anything in the stupid boxes. This may not be a deal breaker for some people but it was for me, the rest of the planner rocked but I love having my entire month laid out in one view and then I go into detail and make my to-do lists on the daily/weekly spaces. So, that being said, I was not planning on purchasing again, which made me sad because I loved it. I had all intentions of designing my own but I kept falling behind trying to do it and I knew I’d never be satisfied with something I designed for myself (any of you other designers TOTALLY know what I am talking about).
Well, guess what…
They made their month-view pages TWO page layouts with MUCH larger boxes, AND, AND, the month tabs are laminated…oh yeah, ordered me one of those suckers…they fixed the two things I didn’t like about the planner and now it’s PERFECT!
This year I chose this design and I love it so far! I toyed with the idea of putting some photos on the cover but couldn’t think of any I really wanted on there, plus, it always annoys me to have photos of kids on calendars because by the time you get to the end of the year they look nothing like the photo on the front…and…what if you have another baby, I just couldn’t justify it. LOL.
I ordered the adhesive pen holder and I LOVE it and I ordered extra blank stickers, because I think they’re fun and I love anything colorful.
You want to know how I use this thing to organize myself?
Well…ok, then.
On the inside front cover is where I put my contact information in case the planner is lost so it can be returned because I carry it with me basically everywhere I go.
There is an awesome way to keep track of birthday’s in the front, which I love. This was actually in last year’s model too but I honestly didn’t use it but one of my goals this year is to send birthday cards to friends and family and this will help a lot.
Onto the awesome month view!
See how I use it?
I use the colored stickers to add tasks, appointments, birthdays, etc to the dates and then if that event requires more details I place a sticker the same color in the week/day view and write additional notes. On the side of each month view is a “goals” and “to-do” list (this is actually at the beginning of each week view as well) that I use to list all of my projects for the month if they don’t have a date specified for them.
For the most part, I use the day/week view to make my to-do lists and check things off. If I don’t get everything done, I move it over to the next day. I sit down at the end of the day with my planner and work and then right before I go to bed, I check things off and move over if needed (it’s usually needed, I make unrealistic to-do lists).
In the back of the planner there’s a folder pocket and a zipper pouch (WHICH I LOVE). I generally don’t keep much back there but in the zipper pouch I will stash coupons or receipts I need to file, extra sticky notes, etc.
So yeah, I guess that’s all…you like? Trust me, this really is the best planner out there, especially if you like to write things down and organize (something I get better at each year but still suck at, lol).
I was NOT compensated for this blog post and I highly doubt that Erin Condren will ever even know that I posted it. I purchased the planner of my own free will and used my own hard-earned dolla’s. So yeah, maybe one day I will get to review awesome products on this blog (for free), but as of today, not so much.
Hey y’all! I plan to post my Vlog for the Girl Behind the Blog series a little later BUT, before that…
I am fully aware that my social media icons aren’t on my site yet, I’m still not loving my design so I’m still playing, so, they don’t have a home, but i want you guys to follow me…because I’m cool…right?
Right.
Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & subscribe to my RSS feed. If you do all of those, I’ll be your new best friend, really…well, yours and the sweet little girl at JCPenney who I promised I’d be her best friend because my bathing suit was on sale the other day, but you’re a close 2nd, for real.
I just have a few random thoughts on my brain today, so I thought I’d share them with you, because, I mean, everyone should experience this.
Well, there’s your randomness for the day. How’d ya like it? Yeah, me neither. Have a good Friday!
Oh Britney Spears before she was crazy, hmm.
Anywho.
If you’re seeing this you’re probably thinking “what in the heck is she doing now?”, or if you’re Aimee “what are you up to, didn’t you just change things around?” . Well. Yeah.
I’m not nuts, I swear.
You probably remember when I quit my personal blog, only to come back again, only to change the name back to the original name a few months later? Well, give a girl a break, aren’t we allowed to be indecisive? I decided during that journey that I didn’t fit into just one mold of type of blogger. I like to blog about whatever I want, not just my son, not just design, not just crafts, everything.
So yeah, that’s not changing.
What is changing is the fact that I was neglecting my business blog (I’m still keeping my site, just my blog is being redirected over here now) and there were times where I felt like I wanted to post things both places, but that, honestly, would have been a waste of time. So this should solve that problem.
I’m me. Hence the blog name. I have wanted to do this for a while but a few other bloggers did it right around the time I was thinking of it and I didn’t want to look like a copy cat.
So, welcome to JessicaStansberry.com , I promise I am not changing it again…I mean, I don’t think I can, haha, at this point all of my URLs are so jumbled up that I just don’t know what to do, haha!
Enjoy!
You guys, I am so excited for this Fit Friday, I have Clare from Fitting It All In here with us sharing her YUMMY smoothie recipe with us! How cool, right? If you’ve never been to Clare’s blog, make sure you do it now, she’s awesome and so inspirational AND shares lots of fun CrossFit and outfit photos!
Make sure you go to the bottom for an update on my goals/fitness and for the link-up!
Oh and be sure to stop by tomorrow for the first Small Business Saturday where I’ll be showing you a day in my life!
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My Favorite Smoothie Recipe
Hi everyone! My name is Clare and I blog over at Fitting It All In. I started my blog to share my efforts at living a balanced lifestyle after my eating disorder, and now I write about my favorite workouts, healthy meal ideas, work outfits, and random musings. Come say hi!
I don’t know about where you live, but it is HOT in Dallas. It’s been pool weather for a few months, but now that were in June we’re going to have 100+ days frequently. That means that if I exercise after work, or honestly even just walk from my car to my door, I’m craving something quick, easy, and cold.
I’m sure you already know what I’m going to say: a SMOOTHIE. Ever since I learned about Angela’s Green Monsters a few years ago I’ve never gone back to the plain old fruit kind. I love that even when I’m eating something sweet and creamy I can still be getting in some nutritious veggies. That means I can have smoothies for dinner every night, right?
I change up my smoothie recipe every once in a while, but currently I’m on a berry vanilla kick. Here’s what it takes:
I layer my ingredients in a blender in that order and stop to stir a few times so all the spinach gets incorporated fully. Then I poor it into a bowl (it’s way more fun to eat it with a spoon!) and dig in.
Enjoy!!
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Isn’t she awesome?!? Thanks so much Clare for stopping by the blog today!
Not much to update you guys on as far as I go, I lost ONE pound this week, which is great…would I have liked to have lost more? Sure, but at least I didn’t gain…right? I hadn’t been to the gym in a WEEK before yesterday, I was a little sick and tired on Tuesday so I didn’t go and didn’t get a chance over the weekend but by-George, I went today and it felt great, oh, and…Casen normally screams when I drop him off at the childcare room and then runs to me when I get back and wants to leave immediately, well, I guess his little 2 week break (my parents were on ‘vacation’ last week so they watched him while I went) really helped him because he didn’t cry at.all, in fact he WANTEd to get down and go play and could have cared less that I left. Oh and when I got back, he didn’t want to leave, I kept saying “Ok, are you ready to go now?” and he’d say “No.”. Well, okay, I’ll take it. I hate making him cry!
Ok ladies, link away!
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I know I’ve been MIA, I know it sucks, I know you miss me, I’m trying to crank out lots of work this week as I get prepared to start my July clients next week AND my sister-in-law, nephew & niece are coming home next week (they’re living in Okinawa, Japan right now) so I’m trying to make sure my workload is as light as possible while they’re here.
Anywho, I’m still here, Fit Friday is going to be fun this week, we have a guest poster with an AWESOME smoothie recipe. Go ahead and get your posts ready and link-the-heck-up-darn-you.
So, do you read the blog 5 oh Wifey? NO! What? Go. Now. I’ll wait.
………
Ok, so you probably saw, she does an awesome “Girl Behind the Blog” Vlog series every month and I’ve been a slacker and haven’t been linking up…until today. Because I’m awesome.
First of all, sorry for my absence; I had family in town last week for LOTS of surprise parties (photos coming from those next week) and didn’t have time for ANYTHING including this little bloggy blog and since they’ve left I’ve spent all week catching up on work…so, yeah…busy and SORRY!
Secondly, I have some EXCITING news for you!
As you know, I’ve recently gotten into fitness and healthy eating and decided it was time for Freckles & Dirt to start a fitness link-up and guest posting series! The new series will be called Fit Friday and will debut TOMORROW! I am going to start the series and link party out with giving some tips and and an update on my journey and you guys are welcome to link up and join in on the fun! I have some guest posters lined up and each Friday will be a new and fresh Fit Friday geared towards helping each other with our goals and linking up to show our progress. I am hoping to have my post up in the morning tomorrow but it could be in the afternoon but from then on, I’ll be MAKING SURE the post and link party goes up by 7:00 AM EST.
If you’re interested in guest posting or you have any questions, please let me know. Also, spread the word!
And now, onto the SECOND new series!
I am going to be starting a series called Small Business Saturdays (I am certain that’s not an original title, lol) and each Saturday I will have a new small business showcasing their talents and business in a way that most don’t normally do…by showing us a day in their lives! I always enjoy looking at the “a day in my life” posts with pictures and times allotted, it’s always nice to see how someone else plans out their days so I thought it’d be a neat way to spotlight a business, particularly small businesses, where their day is probably pretty hectic. I, again, am going to be starting off the series next Saturday, June 30th with a day in my life and then from then on will be new and fresh small businesses showing you through their daily lives!
If you own a small business and would be interested in guest posting, I’d love that, just send me an e-mail!
Well, I guess that’s all for now, it’s 12:30 AM and I am SO tired and SO sore (I’ve worked out HARD the past few days because last week was a little off with my family being here)…so, NIGHT!
I loved doing the “let’s have a cup of tea” post so much, I think I’ll make it a fairly normal, weekly occurrence.
If we were having tea today I’d tell you to go read my post about my goals & rewards that I have made for myself for my weight loss AND I’d add that my husband told me today that if I hit 30 pounds that we were going to start saving for a ring to replace my 9-year-old engagement ring, so yeah, that’s DEFINITELY motivation! I’d also tell you about my awesome bike ride I had over the weekend.
I’d probably tell you how Casen has been asking to have his “blith” (um, that means Daddy, lol) rock him to sleep at night and it’s adorable, Jonathan’s LOVING it!
As we were talking I’d mention that I have LOTS of family coming into town in about a week that I’m SO EXCITED to see, so excited, but that I have A LOT of work to do before they get here and it’s a little scary, lol. I might tell you that my design schedule for July is filling up fast! I’m only taking on 2-3 clients in July because my sister-in-law, nephew & niece will be here that month and I want to be able to spend as much time with them as possible. Oh, head over and check out my site, I redesigned and I l.o.v.e it. Like really…go!
I’d probably ask how you were and what you needed prayers for or maybe even what you needed help with. Ask all of my friends, I’m a helper, if you need it I’ll do it so feel free to ask!
We might talk about fitness/nutrition, actually, we definitely would talk about this since it’s become a pretty big part of my life. I’d tell you how I have plans to work out every single day this month, for at least an hour – homegirl, I’m trying to lose 12 lbs this month…that’s lots but I’m going to do it! Oh, did I mention that I am not a quitter? Like, Ever? Well, I’ve quit jobs and such but doesn’t everybody do that? I attribute this to my parents, they’d never let me start something and not finish it, if I started playing soccer and hated it (which I did), I still had to finish the season so not to let the rest of the team down. Anyway, during our crazy bike ride on Saturday when my father-in-law realized how much of an uphill battle (literally) it was for me on the way back, he offered for me to turn around and go back to where we were and wait with my MIL to be picked up by them. What? You crazy, I started this…I WILL finish it! That’s just my mindset and that’s one of my favorite personality traits.
Oh, so, I’d casually bring up the fact that I’m scheduling posts for a week straight right now…on Saturday night and it feels darn good. But I think sleep would feel better!
Please come back over for tea, I love it and next time, don’t let me talk so much!
