High Five for Friday.. It's been a while.. and it's Thursday night...

Okay, so my last post was lame.com. I had a horrible, terrible, no good, very bad day today. So, I am going to be a good girl and blog about good stuff.

1. Waiting all week to wear a cute outfit that you are saving for Friday. For obvious reasons.

http://www.loft.com/loft/product/LOFT-Apparel/LOFT-New-Arrivals/Drapey-Crepe-Blazer/294152?colorExplode=false&skuId=13210861&catid=catl00009&productPageType=fullPriceProducts&defaultColor=5228 (The WHOLE outfit)

2. Snow Dances. Please Baby Jesus!!! Sister needs a day away from the children of the corn. (I say that with love!)

3. Losing 10 pounds in 3 weeks. Go me. I am awesome. Sometimes. ;)

4. Had a Kindergartner tell me.. "Ms. Mooney, when I see you I think of rainbows and yellow because it's like your hair and sunshine." I am kind of a big deal on the 1st floor at school. 2nd floor.. Not so much these days!

5. Having my mentor tell me that a Superintendent from another District was impressed with me after our conversation. After the day I had today, I am holding onto that bit of "feel goodness."

Oh yeah! It's February. The LAST month of winter! Woot.

Have a super week.

xoxo-mere

Getting There....

I had a friend post on my Facebook.. "Where has your blog been?" I was a little taken aback when others chimed in and asked too. I am not going to lie.. I have drafted and deleted and drafted and deleted about 12 posts. None of them just worked or did anything for me. It didn't feel right. I think one lesson I have learned (especially the past few years) is that I do things in my own time and if it doesn't feel right, I don't do it.

Which leads me to about... 3ish weeks ago. It happened. I had to face the one person I have tried to completely delete from my existance. I was strong, kept my eye on the prize, and sucked it up. Until.. after we left the realtor and I had a not so great conversation.  Reason why I even type this, I have been riddled with worry with this whole house situation for too long. Especially lately. I have not been myself, I have been pushing people who are trying to help me away, and I slowly feel myself reverting back to how I was when I was still involved in this situation in a different capacity. I like to be alone, okay, I am used to being alone when something is bothering me. I like to pretend like stuff just isn't happening and I stay busy. I don't feel like I have been the daughter, sister, teacher, friend, and girlfriend I should be lately. Then, I worry about all that and how that is making people feel. Worry, worry, worry. Lather, rinse, repeat.

I feel so conflicted lately. I also feel like I have two different sides to myself and I used to be very good at keeping my worries to myself. I guess it's boiled over and it's written all over my face. I also realize that I need to get it off my chest. That whole "I am tough, I don't need anybody" facade I am so good at really isn't working. Then, I started running again and eating a little better and actually facing the things I am worried about slowly. At my own pace. I am getting there. The next few weeks are going to be very stressful, uneasy, anxious, and the only thing that is getting me through is that I know there is an end in sight. An end that is to be followed with some really good rewards.

I started to think about what I would like to do once this stuff is behind me and that lead to a list. A list that will not be published in my blog but I can keep track of and know that each cross off the list will lead to less worry, worry, worry in my life. I am getting there. Slowly but surely and if it doesn't feel right, it won't get crossed off. ;)

This post is very haphazard and probably doesn't make a lot of sense but "it is what it is."

Have a good week the 5 of you that read this!

xoxo-mere

Order

The new year. 1-1. It marks so much for so many people. I have been asking friends and family about what a new year means to them and I got a lot of one word responses. "fresh" "clear" "hope" "beginnings" "ends" and the one that shocked me the most is "promise." It got me thinking about my own feelings for a new year and the first thing I thought of for 2013 is "order."

Not chronological order (I just taught that concept to my students before our break) but security. I am in need of a major overhaul in a couple of areas in my life. I wrote down 3 areas that I want order in and why? Here is what I came up with in no particular order.

1. Selling the abyss that is my old house. It's baggage, I don't like having baggage, and I am in the need for my OWN space. I can't get there until this is taken care of but also... I am over playing "victim" in this situation. I am the kind of person as many of my close peeps know that if I do something, I do it. 110%. This situation... I haven't been as aggressive as I should have been. Guess what? That ended today and hopefully in the next week. I put my helmet on for battle. :)

2. Finances. O.M.G. Every flipping year I say the following words, "I will get out of debt." Then, I find some cute necklace or go on a Target tangent and I say.."next paycheck." That also ended today. I opened up a few accounts to pay off silly debt and I am working on my impulse. :/ "working" is a relative term. Note to self, stay off Etsy for a while... In all seriousness, I told myself a long time ago that "I will never be financially dependent on another person again." I am going to get there. This year!

3. Insecurity. The bain of my existence. I have been really insecure lately and I am not sure what the heck is triggering this reaction? I have always struggled with feeling "good enough" "attractive enough" "smart enough". Just.. enough. I need to get off the whiny pants train and be happy with what I have and what I do. It is what it is...

So there you have it. I, Meredith C. Mooney, in order to have order in my life, must work on these 3 areas and the rest will just fall into place. Right?

Happy New Year Loves.

xoxo-mere

*ps. my next blog will be a contest to see how long it takes before I go to Target and hand them the magic $96.*

This is Me Challenge

I saw this on Pinterest and I pinned it and didn't give it much thought. I have been thinking about my life and reflecting with the New Year and I was trying to come up with goals (I refuse to call them resolutions because they usually fail). The thing about goal setting (to me) is that you have to look at who you are and what you want to change or improve upon in the next weeks, months, year, etc.

I came back across this pin. I clicked on the link and started looking at the questions. Some of them were easy and I felt like I was filling out an old AIM(Instant Messenger for you fetus') survey from HS. lol Others.. Not so easy. So, here you go. This is me. I would love to see those of you who blog or have kiddos do this because I think it would be a great memory and conversation.

*I also apologize for spelling errors. This took me for-freaking-ever.*

Here we go..
Your birth and family:  
*What is your full name and how did you get that name?  Do you have any nicknames? Meredith Craig Mooney (My Grandmother's middle name and GGrandmothers Maiden Name) Mere, Mimi, and now Boozus (don't ask)
*What are your parent's full names and birth dates and places? Both of my parents are from Louisville. William Joseph Mooney, Jr. 12-13-61 and Jayne Marie Greenwell Mooney 1-3-62
*What is the date of your birth? 8-23-82  Where were you born?  Baptist East Hospital in Louisville
What are some of the circumstances of your birth? I was 2 weeks late and when my Mom went into labor my Dad went awol in the Navy. Also, my Dr. delivered me in golf cleats. My maternal grandfather passed in May of 82 and was a large, bald, red-faced, man. They called me Junie (his nickname) and it was even more relevant I was him reincarnated when I started talking...
*What are your sibling's full names and birth dates? Ryan Joseph Mooney 2-17-89
*How was your relationship with your siblings and parents? I literally cannot put into words how lucky I am to have the family I have been given. My childhood was amazing. My brother got on my nerves but I grew to appreciate him as I got older. My teen years were rough with my Mom and I am convinced I will be in huge trouble if I ever have a daughter. (paybacks... sorry mommy)
*What are some lessons you learned from you parents? My work ethic, loyalty, and tenaciousness. 
*How did you help in your home? I was *supposed* to take the garbage cans around, dishes, keep room clean, and clean basement. Thank God for my Grandma! ;)

  
Growing up, early years: 
*Where did you grow up? I grew up in Hikes Point/Jtown in the house where my parents live today.Describe it. Brick ranch style house in a neighborhood full of crazy but sweet boys who I loved very much and were great friends. 
*What was your earliest memory? Building a snow man with my Dad when I was four and driving around in my Paw Paw's car. (Random)
*What games did you play as a child? We had a pool in our backyard so we would play jail break, bass and minnows, marco/polo (taco/bell).. We played basketball a lot, Uno, and woofle ball.
*Where did you go to school? Guttermuth Elementary (K), Sts. Simon and Jude (1st), St. Martha (2-8), Mercy Academy, UofL, IUS, and Spalding.
*Who were your friends? Christine, Scott, Shawn, Steven, Amy, Angela, Alex, Michael, Jill, Marie, Jamie, Carol, and Susan.
*Who were your favorite teachers and why? This is an ironic question since she just recently passed.. My 3rd grade Teacher, Mrs. Eckert. She was tough, fair, and kind. She challenged me. I needed that at the time..



Growing up, teenage years:
*What activities did you participate in?  I was in cheerleading, chorus, NHS,  Student Council, Service Projects, too freaking many to list. Look at my year book. LOL
*How did you learn how to drive?  hahahahaha this is hilarious. My Mom and it was awful. She enrolled me in drivers ed after two lessons in JTOWN Kmarts parking lot. What kind of car did you have? 1999 Mazda Protege (remember Buffy, Jamie??)
*Who were your friends?  Jill, Marie, Erin, Jamie, Christine. Top 5 of the era.
*Did you have a girl/boy friend? Yes, unfortunately 7 years later.. I did.Talk about him/her (if your spouse is okay with it!). Rather not..
*What did you like/dislike about school? I liked not caring what I looked like at school (all-girls), Mercy girls are the best girls, and I liked the atmosphere at Mercy. Hated typical stuff. Gossip, petty crap, homework.
*What was your first paid job? Carlton Cards
*What were your chores at home?Watch/pick up my brother, dishes, laundry.


College years:
*Did you attend college or a trade school of some sort? Yes. College
*How did you choose what you wanted to be when you grew up? I have always wanted to be a Teacher and it took a long time to get here.
*What did you think was the hardest thing about your chosen profession at that time?  I had an unsupportive person in my life. Did it turn out that way? No. Not during this time in my life...
*What dumb things did you do during those years? Settled and lowered my standards, gained weight, and didn't stand up for myself.
*What good things did you do? I always put others before myself.
*Did you live on your own? Yes, for a little while. How well prepared were you for that? I liked it and like most things in my life, I just sort of did it..
*What life lessons did you learn? The lessons I learned didn't really hit me until years later. I learned that I am a lot smarter and stronger than I thought, I am fun, I am fierce, and you can't keep me down too long.
*What choices did you make that affect where you are now? LOL... I could right a novel on this one. 


Work:
*What jobs have you had?  Oh sweet Baby Jesus.. Another Novel. The card store, Laura Ashley, Loft, The Chopping Block Day Spa and Salon, Preschool Teacher, Learning House, Kaplan, Photographer, and now the BEST job, Teacher!
*What did you like/dislike about each job? Really? I don't have enough time.
*Who were your bosses?  I will list my favorite. Becca Ramey Did you like them/get along? Yes, she was a great mentor.
*How did you get along with your co-workers? Learning House and Temple introduced me to some wonderful people!
*Which was your favorite job? Teacher and Photographer, duh.
*How many years until you retire? 25...
*Do you have any big plans for your retirement?  Travel with my sweet husband (if I have one) or my much younger boyfriend. ;)



Marriage:
*How did you meet your spouse?  Was it love at first sight or did it take some time? Pass.
*How long did you date before you got engaged?  How long was your engagement? Pass.*How did you get engaged?  (The story.) Pass.*Who did most of the wedding plans?  Who helped? Pass.*Who were your bridesmaids/best men? Jill Impellizzeri (my bff)
*Describe the details of your wedding:  It was beautiful. End of story. 
the colors, the cake, the decorations, etc.
*Where did your wedding take place?  Pass.Who performed the ceremony?  Do you remember any words of advice given? I WILL answer this one because it is hilarious and I should have listened. My Dad said two things to be 2 mins before walking me down the isle.. 1. We can sneak out and no one will ever know. 2. You will always be a Mooney.
*Who attended your wedding? Pass.*Where did you go on your honeymoon?  Pass.Pass.What adventures did you have?


Children: Not Applicable....
*Give your children's full names, birth dates and places.
*How did you choose their names?
*What were the circumstances of each child's birth?
*What are some funny things that each child does/did or says/said?
*What do you love most about each child?  What are their strengths and weaknesses?
*What are your children involved in?
*How do you spend your time with your children?
*What are your favorite family activities?

Sleep:
*How many hours do you like to sleep at night? As much as possible.
*Do you take naps? No, it screws me up later.
*Do you like a lot, or few blankets and pillows? A lot of both.
*Can you sleep anywhere, or does it have to be in your own bed?  I love my bed and someone else's. :)
*What are your favorite conditions for a good-night's sleep? I have learned I like noise but dark.  


Food:
*What are your favorite foods? Cheese, carbs, and ethnic foods.
*What are your favorite desserts? I am not a big chocolate fan so I like raspberry flavor, carrot cake, strawberry, fresh fruit desserts.
*Do you like to cook or bake?  This is tough but I love to bake. What are your favorites to make? Cakes, cheesecake bars, I could go on. Carrot cake is my favorite cake.
*Do you have any food allergies? Nope.
*What are some foods you have a hard time saying "no" to? Cheese, Beer, Pasta, Wine, Sushi, Rum, Mexican Food, and tequilla. ;)
*What foods do you HAVE to have name brand? Peanut butter, cheese, Pretty much everything. I am a snob. Which can you do generic? Not much. Again, I am a food snob.
*Do you try to eat healthy? Yes.
*Do you prefer eating out?  No, I really like to cook and miss having my own kitchen..


Health:
*How is your overall health? Pretty good for the most part.
*Have you had any surgeries? Yes.(If yes, give details.) None of your business. Although, if they were plastic surgery related I would tell you. There would be no shame in my game. 
*Have you had any broken bones?  Yes, thumb, knee cap.(If yes, give details.)
*Do you have allergies? (If yes, give details.) Small ones..
*What are you doing to keep healthy now? I work out, try to watch what I eat, and run, run, run.


Around the World:
*What major world events have happened in your lifetime? Berlin Wall came down, Iraq Wars, 9-11, War on Terror, geez.. the more I think about it is a lot of sad stuff.. Moving on..
*Has it affected who you are now? Most definitely
*Who was the President when you were born? The great "Ronnie" Reagan. Who is it now? Obama..
*What natural disasters have you been in? Tornado, Hurricane, Blizzard, Earthquake.


Politics:
*Are you involved in politics?  Not as much as when I was younger. How so? I vote. lol
*Are you a specific politic party? I am a Republican but I tend to be a little more middle of the road as I get older.
*How do you choose who to vote for? The two E's. Education and Economy.
*Are you happy with the Government? Nope..
*What would you change if you could? Education funding and testing.Also, I would like to keep  social issues out of politics. I am very fiscally conservative, not morally.


Nature:
*Where is your favorite place to go to get away from it all? It sounds crazy and no one knows this but I drive out to this farm out in Taylorsville with my camera. I just sit on a fence and I never take a picture. I also like to run outdoors.
*What outdoor activities do you like to participate in? Running.
*What are some of your favorite outdoor memories? Running the mini in under 2 hours. Boom.


Traveling:
*Where in the world have you been? Chicago, Nashville, Las Vegas, Indy, Florida. SAD.
*Where was your favorite vacation?  Florida as a child and teen. Not sure on adult..(As a child, as a teenager, as an adult, etc.)
*Where would your dream vacation be? Greece 
*How do you like to travel?  I don't know because I never do..


Miscellaneous:

*What is the most daring thing you've done? Walk into my house on 8-7-10, start Grad school, rebuild my life.
*What is the stupidest thing you've done? Get married and quit School of Ed in my undergrad.
*What is your most embarrassing moment? Legends Bar with Jessica Klein. Hands down. 
*What choices in life would you like to have a redo on? Getting married, college life, and health choices in my early 20's.
*What is your general attitude toward life? I wear my heart on my sleeve. I love hard, I fight hard, and for the first time, I am truly living. True story.


Personality:
*What kind of personality do you have?  I am outgoing when I get to know you but I am very guarded. 
*How has your personality changed over the years? I have become a lot stronger, I have less of a BS tolerance, and I am happier.  What made it change? Getting my life back.
*How well do you associate with others? I am kind of a big deal. People LOVE me.
*What makes you nervous/happy/angry/surprised/scared/etc? I am happiest around those I love, my friends, family, bf. I get nervous with confrontation. I am surprised by generosity and selflessness. I get angry with liars and tools. 


Hobbies:
*What are your current hobbies? Photography and Blogging
*What hobbies have you had in the past? Not many.. Shopping. LOL
*How often do you get to do your hobbies? Pretty much whenever I want.
*What hobbies do you wish you could start? Learning to play the guitar.


Death:
*What would you like to do before you die? Be a Mom. Corny.. I know. If that isn't in the cards for me I would like to be a Principal, retire, and travel. I want to leave footprints everywhere. (Bucket list)
*What are your beliefs about death? I believe in Heaven.
*Are you scared to die? Yes.
*How would you like to go? In my sleep.
*What are your final wishes? I haven't really thought about this.. I just started living.
*What are your wishes for your funeral and burial? This is depressing. I want Russ Smith to give my eulogy. :)
*What would you like people to say about you when you're gone? I don't know? You would have to ask them.