How Quitting My Job is Like Rock Climbing

5:02 am ByFiled UnderWork & Career

Next Friday is my last day at my job. I’m leaving to spend more time with my family and to explore some options for more meaningful and flexible work.

In other words, I quit my job and will soon be a stay-at-home mom.

A few years ago, Mark and I went to Colorado for vacation. Our first stop was at Bear Lake in the Rocky Mountain National Park, where we hiked around the lake and up a supposedly “easy” trail to a waterfall. Then we decided to venture off the path and climb up a wall of rocks.

Climbing up was so much fun. But climbing down? Terrifying. That “wall of rocks” was maybe 10 feet tall, but I seriously thought I might die on the way down.

In other words, I’m not much of a rock climber.

Nevertheless, as my last day at work has approached and my anxiety level has flown past “slightly worried” and straight into “almost panicked but not quite,” I can’t help but compare this new phase of life with the very scary practice of rock climbing.

You have to let go of one thing in order to grab the next one.
It’s not hard to let go of my job. But letting go of my career – even if temporarily? And my idea of what “work” means? And my identity that, for better or worse, has a lot to do with going to an office and getting a paycheck? That’s real hard. But I can’t embrace this new adventure until I let go of those things.

Once you get to certain point, you can’t stop. You have to keep moving.
Mark and I discussed this for quite a while before finally deciding it was the right choice. Even then, though, we weren’t 100% sure. But there came a day when I had to put in my two and a half months’ notice – or lie about my plans for the third and fourth quarters.

So, I made the announcement. And then, there was no going back.

You need to have a spotter.
I don’t technically know how spotting works in rock climbing (you know, not being an actual rock climber). But I know you’re supposed to have one. And it’s kind of the same when going through major life changes, like quitting your job to stay home with your almost-three-year-old who’s recently developed serious behavior problems.

This one has come easily so far. Several of my friends responded to my announcement the same way: “Yay! Now we can have play dates !” Seriously, much squealing was involved. So, I already have two play dates scheduled and two others in the works. I’ve also scoped out our local MOPS group and plan on joining a Bible study at church once we get settled into our new routine.

It’s scary, but SO worth it.
I’m not sure about this one yet. But I’ll keep you posted…

Have you experienced any big life changes lately? Do you enjoy rock climbing?

Photo by Alex Indigo

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Veggie Tales Birthday Party Plans

4:45 am ByFiled UnderHome, Money & Organization, Marriage, Parenting, Family & Friendship

Thanks for visiting Giving Up on Perfect!
Click here to see how my plans turned out
(including centerpieces and a Bob and Larry cake).

Ten days from now, I’m holding a Veggie Tales themed party for my daughter’s third birthday. And, I’m sad to say, I’ve barely started planning. No, it’s not like me. But it’s been a little crazy around our house lately, and I just haven’t had the brain power to plan. It’s like I don’t even know me anymore.

When Annalyn requested “Bob music” a couple months ago, I knew I’d scored. Sure, it’s been fun to sing along – and hear her singing along – to “God Made You Special” and “Where is My Hairbrush?” But more importantly, this resurgence in Veggie Tales love provided the perfect opportunity for diverting her attention from the princesses.

I know it’s just a matter of time before my opinionated little toddler turns into an opinionated little girl – and I’ll have to let her have some say in things like birthday party themes, Halloween costumes and the like.

But for now? I’m all for convincing her that SHE had the idea that I came up with in the first place. As soon as we picked up those CDs and popped one in the stereo, I started prepping her. “Veggie Tales are fun. I love Veggie Tales; don’t you? Wouldn’t you like a Veggie Tales birthday party?”

I know. I shouldn’t manipulate my own daughter. But I figure this might be our last non-princess-themed year for a while – and I wanted to make sure we made the best of it.

Since deciding on the theme a couple months ago, I have scribbled out four or five lists and plans. I have reserved the park shelter and sent {adorable} invitations. And I have periodically reminded Annalyn that she’s going to have a Veggie Tales birthday party and isn’t it going to be so much fun?

I have not:

  • Ordered a cake
  • Purchased streamers, tablecloths or paper goods
  • Decided on – much less started making – decorations
  • Finalized a menu
  • Received more than one actual RSVP

Oh dear. Just putting that on paper {okay, screen} makes me nervous! Maybe you can help me with some ideas? Here’s what I’ve thought of so far (this makes quasi-list and semi-plan #6):

Veggie Tales party décor and more

  • If I do centerpieces (maybe just one on the food table?), I thought I could fill terra cotta pots with something cute.
  • Also, I could use small pots filled with dried beans to hold the utensils. (Get it? Beans are veggies?)
  • Red, green and yellow streamers, maybe even a streamer backdrop like Mandi made
  • Regular red balloons and long green balloons (as far as I can tell, nobody makes or sells actual Veggie Tales Mylar balloons anymore)
  • I’m debating on tablecloths to cover the picnic tables. It’s fun for color and nice for, well, clean-ness. But SUCH a pain if the wind is blowing at all.
  • I’m going to buy plain red, green and yellow plates, cups, napkins and flatware. (Okay, flatware might just be white.) But if I can find Veggie Tales stickers, that would be a quick and easy way to customize the cups.
  • I love birthday banners. Etsy is full of them, and the blogosphere has a million tutorials. But actually finding the time and/or money is the issue here…
  • I bought Annalyn a Bob the Tomato shirt to wear. And I’m making Mark wear a green shirt (like Larry the Cucumber). Red is my favorite color, so finding a red shirt to wear won’t be hard. Not feeling like I actually resemble a round tomato might be. I’m just saying.
  • I bought a Veggie Tales greatest hits CD to play during the party. (Finally! Something that’s DONE.

Veggie Tales party food

  • Even though it’s a little weird (cannibalistic and all), I’m going to have a huge veggie tray (carrots, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, cauliflower, pickles, broccoli).
  • My plan is to scoop out the insides of pumpkins, gourds and/or peppers to hold a couple dips for the veggies.
  • Fruit kabobs – I know. Melons, grapes and apples aren’t veggies. But what kind of birthday party only serves veggies?
  • And in that case, we might as well give in and have some candy, too: M&Ms and Skittles.
  • The Cake. Originally, I planned to make cake pops that looked like peas and cupcakes with red frosting to look like tomatoes. But Annalyn has her heart set on an actual Veggie Tales cake, so I have to make a trip to the HyVee bakery and pray we don’t end up with a Cake Wreck.

Veggie Tales birthday presents

  • Fisher-Price Tricycle: Annalyn has been practicing riding in physical therapy, and I think it will be great (and fun) for us to have one at home.
  • Sweetpea Beauty Veggie Tales video: Okay, so this is a compromise between princesses and Veggie Tales. I can’t wait to watch it! I mean, give it to her.
  • Two Veggie Tales books: We’re having Annalyn’s party a week before her birthday, so I wanted to have a small gift to give her on her actual big day. When we were at the bookstore, I found two big board books (I know, she’s not a baby anymore. Yes, they’re board books but they DO have words in them.) for $10. Total. I thought it was a good deal and snatched them up.

So, that’s it. Any ideas for making it easier/more fun? What’s the best party you’ve ever thrown?

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Top Ten Tuesday: Memorized Movies

11:40 pm ByFiled UnderBooks, TV, Music & Movies

A few weeks ago I made the mistake of leaving the TV on while I finished a blog post and some e-mail. Mark was working and Annalyn was in bed, so it was just me and the cable TV.

I flipped around and just as I was about to turn it off for the night, I landed on the beginning credits of Three Men & a Baby.

It had been years since I’d seen that! But even though it may have actually been a decade or more since I’d watched Tom Selleck, Ted Danson and Steve Guttenberg run around in circles when a baby lands in their laps, I still knew every scene and most lines by heart.

That night, I started thinking about the movies I’ve seen so many times – mostly ones I watched over and over with my family – that they’re imprinted on my mind. And once I started thinking about it, I couldn’t stop until I got up, turned on the light and scribbled down all my thoughts.

[Does anyone else do that? I just had to get it out of my head.]

In no particular order – although, now that I think of it, chronological order would have been nice – here are the top 10 movies I have watched so many times I pretty much have them memorized.

Top 10 Movies I’ve Seen Too Many Times

  1. The Wizard of Oz: I watched this over and over with my family but really came to love it my senior year of high school – when I played Glinda the Good Witch in our school’s spring musical. I didn’t necessarily LOVE my part (or my costume) but I loved watching my friends turn into lions and tigers and bears. [Go ahead and say it. You know you want to. OH MY!]
  2. Mary Poppins: How could I not love a movie that features both dancing penguins and a song called, “It’s a Jolly Holiday with Mary”? And don’t forget, “What’s the name of his other leg?”
  3. City Slickers: My dad is a quiet, laidback guy. So seeing him laugh so hard I thought he might fall out of his recliner? Priceless. And this movie never fails to make that happen. So we watched it a lot. (Although, as I scrolled through the quotes on IMDB, I realized we watched the heavily edited version!)
  4. Secret of My Success: You may know Michael J. Fox from Family Ties or Back to the Future – and so do I. But I also know him from this little movie. It seems like most people haven’t watched it, but my family – for some reason – loved it. As a matter of fact, I even owned the soundtrack. Copied from my cousin’s tape, of course.
  5. Big: This is a movie where I may not have memorized a lot of lines, but certain images and scenes – like dancing on a keyboard and a creepy carnival psychic machine thing – seem to be stuck with me forever.
  6. Back to the Future: Speaking of Michael J. Fox, this is a classic, am I right? Now, we need to settle a friendly dispute I had with my friend, Josh. He says that the second Back to the Future is the best, apparently all due to the wonder of the hoverboard. I, on the other hand, believe the first is the best and the third is a close second. Follow me? And, more importantly, agree with me?
  7. Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade: One of the first two Indiana Jones is gross (I think Temple of Doom), while the other one is just fine. But the last one is by far my favorite. “Don’t call me Junior!”
  8. Grease: I’ll admit it. Like most of these movies, the more adult themes went right over my head when I watched them many years ago. I didn’t understand why our drama teacher said we couldn’t do Grease as our annual musical. Until I did. And, yeah, she was right. But still. How can you resist the innocence of Olivia Newton John, the smirk of John Travolta and unforgettable lines like, “Tell me ‘bout it, stud.”
  9. Dirty Dancing: I’m pretty sure I’ve covered this one. But during our conversation last night about classic – or, at least, often-watched – movies, my friend Brittany admitted that she’s never seen this movie. I see a viewing in our very near future…
  10. Ferris Bueller / Breakfast Club: The music, the lines, the small rebellion that seemed so big at the time. Both of these movies are classics, and I love them both. The end.

What movies have you watched a million times? And which Back to the Future is your favorite?

Affiliate links were used in this post. So, if you happen to be in the market for these classic films, feel free to click away. I’ll make a teeny tiny commission, and you’ll have a movie delight of your very own. This post will be linked to Top Ten Tuesday at OhAmanda.

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Monday Morning Mmmm: Fiesta Chicken Enchiladas

4:31 am ByFiled UnderRecipes & Food
Chicken Fiesta Enchiladas by Mission Foods

I'm so fancy with the cilantro garnish, right?

I’m always looking for an excuse to cook something new, and my friend Chelley recently gave me a great reason to experiment with Fiesta Chicken Enchiladas. She came to visit over Labor Day, and I loved having her here for the long weekend. Really, she was coming to see our mutual friend’s adorable new baby, but she’s sweet and pretended to be interested in me and my not-so-adorable non-newborn-ness.

After frantically scrubbing our bathtub and pulling out the best blankets a girl sleeping on the couch could want, I e-mailed her a question. I asked her if she’d be willing to eat several new dishes I wanted to cook.

In other words, I asked her to be a guinea pig. Honestly, I don’t know why a teeny tiny pink baby was more of a draw than me.

Chelley was very gracious and said she’d eat whatever I fixed her, so I started planning the weekend’s menu. In the end, I only fixed two new dishes, but they were both good, AHEM, learning experiences. Up first: new and improved chicken enchiladas.

Chicken Fiesta Enchiladas by Mission Foods

Naked enchiladas. Sometimes it's so hard to decide what to wear...

I’ve made chicken enchiladas before, and at least two friends declared them delicious. But I wanted to try something different. I found a recipe on the Mission Foods website for Fiesta Chicken & Black Beans Enchiladas. And since I enjoy chicken, black beans and fiestas, I thought this sounded like a good fit.

{Side note: This was before I remembered that last month’s Mission Foods recipe was also for enchiladas. I promise more variety with the tortillas next month!}

If you’re wondering what compelled me to make these enchiladas – other than the promise of a fiesta – just read the description from the website: “These enchiladas will make your taste buds tango! A healthy spin on enchiladas that’s sure to satisfy.”

Seriously? Tango and healthy? Bring it on.

You will not be surprised to learn that I didn’t follow the recipe. You may also be less than shocked to find out that the process didn’t necessarily go as smoothly as I’d hoped.

{Another side note: Mission Foods and their 98% fat free tortillas are not to blame for my recipe rebellion. As has been previously demonstrated [Exhibit A: Chicken Quesadillas], I have this strange compulsion to tinker with perfectly good recipes for no good reason at all.}

Chicken Fiesta Enchiladas by Mission Foods

No more fancy cilantro. Turns out I don't love it as much as I thought.

Fiesta Chicken Enchiladas

 

  • 8 Mission Life Balance flour tortillas (or 98% fat-free)
  • 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
  • 1 medium onion, diced (approximately 1 ½ cup)
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup corn
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 can diced green chilies (4 ounces)
  • 2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
  • 2/3 cup fat-free sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shred the [baked] chicken. Mix onion, pepper, beans, corn, chilies, cheese, sour cream and cilantro together. Spoon chicken and veggie mixture into eight tortillas, roll and place into 9×13 (sprayed) pan. Pour sauce (see below) on top and bake for 30 minutes.

Here’s where it gets tricky. The recipe calls for pouring red sauce and sprinkling shredded cheese on top. I, however, don’t like red sauce. So this is where things began to take a turn.

Chicken Fiesta Enchiladas by Mission Foods

Is it a dip or an enchilada filling? We decided it was delicious as BOTH.

I’m not saying a turn for the worse. Because for the record, Chelley loved the enchiladas – and we decided that the veggie, cheese and sour cream mixture could double as a dip. Bonus! But this is where my recipe differs from the original. (Never mind that I reduced the amount of cilantro by a WHOLE LOT. That is my personal preference and completely beside the point.)

I decided I would make a white cheese sauce for the top of the enchiladas. So I mixed butter, onions, heavy cream and grated Monterey jack cheese in a saucepan. It wasn’t bad. But it needs some work.

{Side note to self: When attempting something fancy like a roux or a béchamel or whatever it’s called when you actually make a cheese sauce instead of pouring it from a jar, don’t rely on memory of the Rachael Ray show. Look it up, for Pete’s sake.}

The final result? I learned that I like cilantro; I don’t love it. I learned that Pioneer Woman is right about grating cheese myself: it really is better. And I learned that either way you slice it, adding a bunch of veggies and healthy tortillas to my chicken enchiladas is a good thing! (I’m not saying it made me tango, but we did have quite the fiesta – both cooking it and eating it!)

Have you ever tried to make up a recipe on your own? Or do you tend to follow recipes and cook by the book?

This post is sponsored by Mission Foods, one of the largest producers of tortilla products and a dedicated supporter of Share Our Strength and its goal of ending childhood hunger in America through employee volunteerism and nationwide fundraising efforts. However, the experience and opinions are my own. For more information, you can read my Disclosure Policy.

This post will be linked to Mouthwatering Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Tuesdays at the Table, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, What’s Cooking Wednesday, Works for Me Wednesday, Foodie Friday, Grocery Cart Challenge, Friday Firsts and Food on Fridays. It will also be linked to Ingredient Spotlight at Eat at Home Cooks.

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Weekend Links, 9.18.10

4:07 am ByFiled UnderUncategorized

I have read a lot of good stuff recently. If you don’t have time to read everything, please skip down to the Mercy House post at We Are THAT Family. Kristen is doing a HUGE thing, and if you haven’t already heard about it, this is your chance!

Parenting

Blogging

Compassion

Life, Faith & Other Good Stuff

Have you read anything good lately? Share in the comments! This post will be linked to Saturday Stumbles at It’s Come to This.

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