Friday, September 24, 2010

Home Tour Friday

So I see a lot of people posts photos of their houses and what us mom's live and work with on a daily basis. I moved into our new house about a month ago. It's pretty much put together, but there are some things that aren't unpacked yet. I've been intimidated to upload photos of my house, because everyone's houses seem to be so well organized and well decorated. Anyway, I'm going to share anyway so all my followers can see my house and give me some pointers and ideas for my house. 

Living Room/Dinning

Front Yard

Kitchen 

Living Room


Mackenn'a Bathroom


Guest Room/Office/Sewing Scrapbooking Room
(Sorry For the mess) This room I still need to figure out what I'm doing in here.



Another angle of the Guest Room/Office/ Scrap Booking area


Hallway


My Bedroom :)


Opps I need to Finish laundry


Entry way and Front Door



Kitchen (Full View)

Mackenna's Room

This is what a 2 year old's Room looks like. It's impossible
to keep clean. Mackenna is actually is taking a nap in crib while I was taking photos :)



Thanks for taking the Tour. Sorry for some of the messes. 

Thursday, September 23, 2010

I'm a procrastinator

Ever feel like life is passing you by so fast you can't remember last weekend, a few days ago, yesterday, let alone last night. I've been so focused on being organized and having a clean house and doing and doing. I never set time aside for myself or just to be stupid with my family and laugh. I feel like I need to have schedules, budgets, calendars blah blah. At the end of the day I'm the one exhausted, tried and stressed not anyone else. 

hmmmm.. I'm most be a crazy bhatch sometimes. I feel like I'm loosing it and will have a mental break down if I don't just S.T.O.P and really try to capture the things that I'm missing. 

For example, I work 6-3 so yesterday I was at home at around 3:15 and from the minute my friend left that watches my daughter I went straight to my daughter's room and started cleaning. I didn't stop cleaning until 8:30pm last night. Ok, I'm a fatty and I stopped for 20 minutes to eat dinner. 

By the time I was actually done and in bed, it was 9pm. I've tried cleaning schedule's and calendar reminders and nothing seems to work. I wait for the last minute for everything. I mean EVERYTHING!

This week I'm going to really focus, I can't keep procrastinating anything, because I'm going to fall apart with stress and anxiety. I've been a procrastinator since I was born I think. I've been real good at it, because I work well under pressure and even better. My best work and creativity happens when I'm crammed for time. 

I'm going to try and eliminate some extra things for awhile and doing extra's and focus on the home front and my family. Otherwise I'm going to Fracken loose it. 

How do you mom's out there deal with all the things that are on your plate?
What tools do you use to help you remember everything?

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

My Budget Plan, It might work for you

I know once you here the word's Debt and Finance's we run like the plague is over taking our world. It's the one thing that can end marriages, relationships and your overall composure. I'm going to start posting my new debt and budget regime on Wednesday's because I'm over wordless Wednesday's. They are boring the Frack out me. 

So, the hubbs and I make some real decent money. You go through the motions and then at the end of the year, you look at your income level and wonder to yourself where the hell did all that money go. When you start to think about it, you become baffled. There are times when I'm rolling in it and embarrassingly enough their are times when I'm flat ass broke. I'm sure we can all relate to this roller coaster bank account balance. I'm tired of just paying bills and then spending the rest after bills on whatever we feel like for the remainder of the time till we get paid. It's a waste on nothing but bullshit. To be quite Blunt. 

So, instead of arguing and yelling at each other the crap that we both buy, or who went to lunch and how much I spend at whatever, I decided to make a very distinct budget and cut out extra spending for now. We have credit card debt, like every damn person on the planet. It's not an obscene amount, but its decent. 

The Budget on Paper:

1. Made excel spreadsheet with all our bills and the amount's they are (including their due dates).
2. Added other expenses, like how much we SHOULD be spending on groceries, household items, entertainment, Beer fund, and Eating out, Gas, Daycare, kid stuff. 
(Beer Fund WTF!, I know I have to give the hubs a budget for beer, or there is no motivation or interest in any of the overall budget. It's a tactic to get the men gender to listen. It's worked so far.)
3. Figure out the amount of your paychecks for the month. 

Savings:

1. You need to save at least $1,000 in your saving's account before you can do the actual budget plan I'm doing. So, the amount after everything is budgeted.. including: bills and expenses for the month are paid for, the left over monies get deposited into your saving's account. 

2. Once you have reached the goal of $1,000 in saving's you then take that left over amount after your expenses and bills are planned out and that that amount goes to paying off your debt.  (if you have any.) If you have no debt, then you are a god, and I want to know how you do it. 

3. You keep doing this until your debt is paid off. Phew! After the debt is paid off then you go back to saving's. But you don't have to do the whole amount, but set an certain amount per month to send to saving's. 

Cash & Envelopes:

1. Make envelopes for all of your expenses. 
Ex.  Envelopes 
a. Gas
b. Groceries
c. Household's
d. Ian's Beer Fund (in my case)
e. Entertainment
f. Eating out

2. Once you have made the envelopes you pull out the cash for each expense and put it into the envelope. 
(Take the figure from your budget plan. Since we get paid twice a month, I take that amount and divide it in half and that is the amount I get in cash every paycheck.)

3. Once your envelopes are loaded with the cash, the rest of the money in your account is for the bills you budgeted for. Then you use the cash in the envelopes for your other expenses.

4. Once the cash runs out it's gone, if there is left over cash, you leave it and then your expense envelope has more the next time and so on.

Ok, If you are still reading at this point, you made it through my training sesh. I'm sorry, but there is a lot of wordiness to it when you try and explain it. It's really easy. If you are really interested in trying comment back or if it's private email me @ kristina.j.ruth@gmail.com 

My new motto is eff the credit card companies, because they don't care about me. :)

Happy Saving's! 

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Tada! The Wedding Photos

So, back in august I said that I was in a wedding of my good friend Autumn. She got her photos yesterday and I wanted to share them with all of you.

Caution: I look like I'm the whitest FRACKEN person on the planet in these photos. The
dress didn't really fit my huge ASS boobs and well I don't know why, but I'm squinting in all of the 
photos take of me. Dear Lord, I'm sorry. 


Autumn and I. You can even see where the makeup stops on my neck. Eff. 




Ian and the Groom Tyson. 




The Wedding Party




Look at my face. WTF. It was cold and that's all I can think of. 


The Married Couple




Autumn and her Sister Dawn. Dawn is so awesome. She had the balls to tell
her sister that our dresses were ugly. hahaha! I love u dawn. 


Well, here are the photos, enjoy!

Mackenna 2 Years and 2 months


Mackenna Jane is 2 years and 2 months old today. I can't believe it's 
been two months since her 2nd Birthday. 

Weight: 34 lbs

Height: TBD

Food: Mac and Cheese, Bananas, some meats, Yogurt
(she has become very picky already)

Words: Hi, bye, mommy,mum, daddy, thank you, welcome, kitty, cow,
home, sky, airplane, bath, teet, eyes, nose, ears, it's ok, uh oh.
(so many more)

Sings the ABC's all the way through
counts 1-10
Sings twinkle twinkle

Children grow up way too fast. I always feel bad and sad back in the days, when she was younger I would wish that she would hurry up and go to the next stage, because it would be easier. I guess just easier for me. Now that I look back at it, why did I rush it. Now, my daughter is 2 years old and all I can think about is doing it again. Oh boy, the expense of another child, are your shittin me. I'm am crazy that I have baby fever right now. Maybe so. 


Monday, September 20, 2010

ACL & LCL & Vicodin

So, due to a knee injury yesterday and the amounts of Vicodin that is consuming my blood stream I'm not even going to attempt to write anything else on my blog today, but this. Hopefully I will be back tomorrow.

I tore my ACL and LCL in a soccer game yesterday. So lot's of pain today.

Friday, September 17, 2010

All about me


So I was doing some thinking and I realized that everyone reads my rambling's that I go on and on about like being a mom, work, school etc. Well I realized that I really want to get to know the bloggers a little bit more that I talk to on a more regular basis. I'm going to give this a shot and tell all you lovely mom's a out there a little bit more about me. 


Ok, in case some of you don't know my name is Kristina. If you didn't know that by now, then maybe you should un-follow me. I'm kidding. :) Anyway, where was I, oh ya my name. I live in Truckee, California 15 minutes from Lake Tahoe. I live in the sierra mountains where the summer's are hot and the winter's are ass cold with several feet of snow. It's the best of both world's and I love living where I live now. 

I grew up in Seattle, Washington. The stigma city where it rains all the time and everyone is depressed and runs around listening to grunge music. It's really not that bad. I love Seattle and it's a great city. There is so much to do in the area not to mention our sport's teams, like the mariners that I have never won a world series or made it more than the second round anyway. But, hey! we have an awesome stadium that is fairly new. Is anyone dying to go to Seattle yet?!? It was a great place to grow up. 

Let's see how did I end up in Truckee. My dad's sister lived in Lake Tahoe and Truckee for a while and I've been visiting since I was around 13 several times to go snowboarding. Let's just say once I graduated High School I was Truckee, California bound!


I started college at 18, I'm still attending, but that is way besides the point HA! I'm going to school for my BA in Business Finance and a minor in Accounting. My plan is to finish before I'm 30, please god! When I was 20 I learned that I was pregnant with my now 2 year old daughter Mackenna. I took 6 months off of school after she was born and went back once she was six months old. Anyway, all this talk about school and when I'm going to finish is boring me. 

Let's see what else. I've been working for the same company for the last 4 years. Love it and the people I work with. It's a place I enjoy coming to everyday. I love to scrapbook, read, snowboard, go snowmobiling and hanging out and watching a good movie. I'm 23 years old now and just enjoying my life with my little family in the mountains. 

I want to get to know you. Tell us about yourself, brag to me if you must. HA!
Don't forget to link up with me so I can see your about me post!



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Thursday, September 16, 2010

New .Com Domain



Please note that my new blog URL is MountainMum.com

In the next couple of week's I will be transitioning the name of my blog to 
Mountain Mum

Please be patient with me and make sure that you are still a follower of the Mountain Mum. 

Thankful Thursday



This week I'm Thankful for the help that I've been receiving with Mackenna while I'm in school this
semester. I just want to give a little shout out.

Ian - Thanks for taking on the mom and dad role Monday-Thursday. Feeding, bathing and putting Mackenna
to sleep. It's a big help, and I know she loves being with daddy. 

Mom - Thanks for taking Mackenna @ your work for a half hour on Thursdays till Ian is off. 

Drae - My awesome brother, thanks for watching Mackenna on Tuesday night's and actually staying the night. It helps a lot. 

I really thought that I was going to be able to post regularly and still work full time and go
to school 4 days a week. I was wrong. I'm thankful for my readers this week for still 
stopping by even if my posts are ill regular. Thanks for sticking with me. 


54.. Mackenna's Daddy
55. Sleeping in a comfortable bed
56. Having tons of firewood for the winter
57. 35 degree morning's, snow is coming
58. Living in the mountains
59. Friends and New Friends
60. Great job
61. Still alive after 3 weeks of school
62. That Ian still loves me :)






Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Blog Design Giveaway by Happy House Wife Designs


The Happy House Wife Giveaway


This is my biggest giveaway yet! I am offering TWO blog designs! Yes, TWO! What the winner will get is their blog designed in a Halloween theme and then once Halloween is over they will get their blog redesigned with a kit from Scrapkitchen Designs! What could be better than that!? 

The Halloween kit is from one of my favorite designers which you can find here - Libby Weifenbach. She has crazy talent and wonderful kits that I just can't get enough of! 

Here are the two kits that will be used - 







What you will get (with both designs) 

- a custom background 
- a custom header 
- a blog button with the "grab box" 
- choice of one or two sidebars 
- up to 10 sidebar tabs 
- signature 
- post divider 
- two sidebar pictures with frames 

How to enter 

- leave a comment on here telling what your favorite candy is 
- follow me on Twitter 
- follow Happy Housewife Designs on Facebook 
- do a post about this giveaway 
- tweet about this giveaway (can be done daily) and each Tweet will count as a entry 
- by putting my button on your blog 

Make sure to leave a separate comment for each of the above entries! If you are already following on Twitter/Facebook leave a comment just letting me know! 

Deadline to enter 

The last day for entries will be September 25th. The winner announced on September 26th! 

If you are the winner you MUST reply within three days otherwise a different winner will be picked. You are also stating that you have read and agreed to my giveaway TOU which you can find here - Giveaway TOU

Check our her Blog site: happyhousewifedesign

Wordless Wednesday.. Sort of.


Traffic... blah. The commute to school that is a little over 30 minutes can be 
brutal at times and test ones patience. Then after they have finished the construction
I can deal with driving with other's that can't drive in the snow. 

Two season construction and winter where I live. 

Friday, September 10, 2010

Happy Friday




With another week of school done, this weekend I can't wait to hang with my
girl Mackenna. Just me and her, and maybe daddy :) 

Stayed tunned tonight for my meal plan for next week. I'm going to 
start doing them on Friday's. It's just easier. 

Oh my, I downloaded the photos from the wedding I was in last week, and will maybe add them
to my meal plan post this evening. 

Make it a fun Friday! 

Thursday, September 9, 2010

I'm really pissed :)

So, I rarely read news online or even watch it. I refuse because everything is so negative, blown way out of proportion and it just makes me depressed. Although, once in a while I pull up cnn.com, not my favorite source for the news, but I like how the top news story are just easy to access on the home page for easy quick viewing.

With 9/11 coming up, there is a lot flying through the headlines. One that particularly hit me was the fact that a man, sorry (minister), in Florida will be conducting a burning of Quran's on the anniversary date of September 11th. I'm not judgmental at first, but I was interested in what this guys ultimatum was to do this on a very highly sensitive day. 

I don't want to be too direct and touch on other's feelings on the thing, however I will say this, this is the most absurd thing I've heard of. This man is endangering our troops, that are still fighting for us over the attacks 9 years ago. He is also endangering the American people.

Anyway, I'm sorry for the rant and the post. I guess sometimes us mom's need to rant and rave about something and this is mine today :)

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Wordless Wednesday


I love to play outside with Mackenna. I hope the snow stays away for a little longer than 
normal this year. She calls her car her "Beep, Beep" 

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

First Day Of School


So last night was the first day of school. How did summer go by so fast. I live in Lake Tahoe, California just to reiterate. We had an especially longer winter this year and summer was real short. It's hard to get back in the swing of things of going to school and nights and even having less time when I get off work to go the home duties, and dinner rolling for the night. I've doing some thinking and realized that I need to make sure that I'm taking care of my family even while I'm attending school.



This semester I'm taking 4 classes and going to school 4 nights a week and I work 5 days a week. You can already see the time I don't have already. However, it's important that I still use time management skills and be as organized as I can. 

Here are my promises to my family....

1. Keep to the Meal Plan
2. Stick to my cleaning schedule
3. Be positive, even on less sleep then normal
4. Try and do homework when mackenna is sleeping


It's going to be a tough semester, but I'm lucky to have my Ian, my mom and brother
to support and help me with Mackenna. 

Cheers to a good semester. 

Monday, August 30, 2010

Wedding, School, Hair, Makeup

Wow, I haven't had a spare moment to blog in the last couple of weeks it feels like. My friend got married this weekend and school starts for me today for the next 15 weeks. I'm taking 12 credits. Yikes. I'm sorry I've let my readers down with lack of posting, but I will be on top of my game this week. I promise.

Everyone have a good monday!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

My Support & Rock...My Grandmother.


I give a lot of credit to my mother's, yes I've had a couple of mom's. :) But, when I sit and really think about the make-up of my life and who were my supporters from day one like my (mother's). There is one person that is most incredible woman ever, my grandmother. She remarried close to around when I was born to her now husband Herman. She has always been MorMor to me since I took my first breath on this world. 

MorMor,

I'm writing you this letter to remind you of how much of an impact you have had on my life. You are an amazing, loving and caring woman. From the day I was born you were there. You have introduced me to so many things and told me that I can do anything I put my mind too. You taught me to sew, bake, play piano, shop for a good buy. You are the most unselfish person I know in this world, and your love is something everyone should have in their life. 


I remember when we bought my first pair of saddle shoes and I wanted you to make me a poodle skirt to match. You have spent countless nights of sewing dresses all night, so that I could show off my new dress for church the next day. Memories, like these, are ones I will never forget and will remember for the rest of my life. 

When I was little, I have so many memories with you I can hardly pick just one. I used to come and visit you almost every weekend. We would go shopping, the movies or get lost in your sewing room. I'm sure it was easier when I was younger and sweeter. We went out for ice cream, or to the beach. 

As I got older, I became more and more independent, but I still had time to give to you. Most recently in the last 5 years, since that day I moved in with you. I was a very angry and broken person. You helped me pick up the pieces of my falling apart life. I swear if it wasn't for you, I would not be the person I am today. No matter how depressed and angry I was, you still tried to be my MorMor no matter what. I have to apologize, because there were some occasions, where I didn't treat you well or was angry at you for no reason. I'm sorry, for those moments, but I'm glad you didn't give up on me. You took care of me and made sure I had everything I needed. Even when I moved to California, you still helped me. Although, you freaked everytime you saw in the newspaper or news that we were going to get 2 Feet of snow and you called me to check to make sure I wasn't burried, you did it because you cared. I know at the time I would say, " Oh MorMor, don't be silly." and we laughed about it, I know that you did it because you care and love me. 

You are a worrier, and overly cautious person, but these are your best qualities. God gave you those qualities for a reason, and you have always used them for everyone's best interest, including mine. You are a irreplaceable person and I want to remind you how special you are to me. You have had such an impact on my life, and I want you to know that. We've always joked that you will live to be 100 or more and I would have to tape your crumb of body to my dashboard of a car, but who knows by then they might have something even better than tape. I just wanted to say I love you MorMor, and thanks for being there for me no matter what. 

Love,
Kristina


Wednesday, August 18, 2010

I'm Tired.... New Cleaning Schedule



Do you ever feel like when you get home from work, you have so much to do and you do to much, that you don't finally sit down for a break until 4-5 hours later. I've been feeling like that lately. I've decided that I'm doing to much on any given day. I understand that I have to clean everyday, but there has to be a method to my madness. It is time for me to have a cleaning schedule. I love organizing and being organized. Now I will spend 45 mins max a day cleaning... hopefully, because I have to fit in cooking dinner and hanging out with Mackenna when I get home.


Sunday: 
Laundry
Wash Bedding
Clean out cars

Monday: 
Dust/wipe down house
Vacuum Living area

Tuesday:
Bathrooms
Mack's Room
Deep Clean Kitchen

Wednesday: 
Mack's Laundry
Mop/Sweep Floors

Thursday:
Vacuum Bedrooms

Friday:
No Cleaning
Meal Planning and grocery list

Saturday:
Bathrooms
Grocery Shopping


The things I can't avoid are picking toys up every night before I got to bed, and cleaning the kitchen and dishes after dinner. I wish those things could do them all by themselves. Ha, dreaming.. :) How do you other mama's out there keep your house's in order and clean? What is the method to your madness?



Tuesday, August 17, 2010

An evening after work


Yesterday after work, Mackenna and I just played in the grass.
After working a 12 hour day, how can you not be in a good mood when you 
see you daughter laughing and playing like this. 

Monday, August 16, 2010

Monday Meal Plan





I've been slacking on my organizing of my families meal plan and haven't followed through with hardly
any of my meal plans. When you are both working parents and there is things such as overtime,
friends, family and just plain out trying to have a life, our meal plan turns into a jumble mess on whatever
I decide to cook for that night. I'm starting school in a couple of weeks, yes summer went fast and too short
as always. However, since I'm taking 4 classes this next semester I really need to be on my A game and follow
through with my meal plan for my family. Otherwise, I'm going to go nuts. :)

Sunday: Kiwi Style Sausage Rolls
& Salad

Monday: Homemade Chicken Strips 
& Salad

Tuesday: Pizza (Softball night)

Wednesday: BLTA's &
Ta-tor Tots

Thursday: Last Truckee Thursday's
(Eat downtown). This is a local event
held downtown Truckee where we live. Music, good eats and local merchants.

Friday: Family out to dinner night
(decided the 3 of us haven't gone out to dinner
in a while, so tonight is the night.)

Saturday: Bake Cookies with Mackenna
Turkey Loaf, Salad and Homemade Scalloped Potatoes.

Sunday: Rice, Chicken, Cheese Casserole 


Hope everyone had a good weekend. 
Please remember to give me a click!

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Friday, August 13, 2010

I Bought a Hot Mama Bag


It must be around 2-3 months ago, ok maybe not that long ago, that Alysha had a free giveaway
@ thetarrpit for a Hot Mama Bag. I didn't win, but that how it goes with giveaways right... :)

Yesterday, I jumped onto Etsy and remembered that I wanted to take another look at her shop:
Hot Mama Bags
and see if she had additional patterns that were more recent or new. I took a browse and
I finally purchased one yesterday.



I choose this one!


I love the pattern




Not Actually, mine, photo from her shop...



Also, I got a really cute Key Chain to match the Bag as well. 

I will get back to you and let you know how it works and do a little review for you all. I haven't been
asked to do a review by the seller, but I really want to, because they are too cute of bags and I
want you all to see what you can fit in there. 

Happy Friday! Please also click and vote for me. 

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Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Potty Training in Full Swing


My daughter now 2, is ready to be potty trained. I'm ready too. You finally reached a point where you do not want to deal with buying diapers anymore, cleaning the mess up when you child decides they don't want the diaper on anymore. 

For the last couple of night's when I get home from work I've been changing Mackenna out of her diaper and slipping on her training underwear. They are actually really cool. The ones that my Grandma sent to me are made from Gerber. They are like underwear, except they have a padding in them, So if they start to go, it's not going to make the biggest mess they kinda soak up the pee in a way. She seem's to really like it and enjoy getting the diaper off when I'm home. 

I've set up her portable potty in the living room, in case we need to make a mad dash to get her on the potty if I start to see she is peeing. She kinda squats or stands perfectly still and looks down. That's my Queue. We also, have in our bathroom a 2 step stool and a little seat that sits on the bigger seat of the toilet.


{My Tricks}

1. Running the water with the faucet while she is sitting on the toilet. 
2. Having the portable potty in the living room
3. Sticker Chart, she get's to put a sticker on paper after she goes potty 
(or every time she sits on the potty)



I think the most important thing to do when potty training is to always be encouraging them and never get mad if there is an accident. Also, trying not to get anxious and being calm. If they feel your anxiety and feel pressured they will not be interested. What have you done with your toddler's during potty training? Anything that's worked for you?



Real Quick Can you Vote for me.. Please!

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Monday, August 9, 2010

100 Followers


Thanks to all of my awesome followers and reader's I've hit 100 followers.
This is so exciting. 
Thank you to everyone that has followed the Mack to My Cheese.


This weekend recap....
Friday night I went out to the bars with my sister-in-law and Jenny, for some drinks to celebrate,
my sister-in-law Amber's 30th Birthday. I even sang karaoke. :)
Saturday I really enjoyed doing not much of anything. I've been so busy at work, I feel
like I'm never at home. So, when I'm home I don't feel like doing much of anything, but
being a couch potato. We rented movies, and watched movies all day and I slept like crazy.
It's weird after I look back on those days I feel guilty for doing it, but in no way did I feel that 
way on Saturday. Everyone needs a lazy day.. Right!?!

Hope everyone has a good week!

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