Shipt

Shipt is life! When you sign up for this grocery delivery service, you download an app, choose your store, and start creating a shopping list that your Shipt Shopper will buy from. In Omaha, Shipt serves Target, Hy-Vee, CVS, and Petco stores. As long as you spend $35, there is no additional delivery fee. You can tip if you want. The other bonus? If you buy certain promoted items, you get money back. My subscription has already paid for itself a few times over!

Sign up now using my code and get a year subscription for only $50!

Grove Collaborative

If I’m being honest, I originally joined Grove Collaborative just to get their awesome Mrs. Meyers gift set. I had planned to cancel my subscription after that. However, I’ve loved trying so many of their products, and getting to try all different scents of Mrs. Meyers that I ended up staying on for more than a year now!

Grove has cleaner living items that are more eco friendly. I’ve purchased things like dryer balls to swap out for dryer sheets, walnut scrub pads, and even makeup removing wipes that are more natural. So many household and beauty products to try! Another bonus? You get free gifts every now and then. Plus, share with your friends, and make money!

Get this free Mrs. Meyers Gift Set now!

Young Living

Young Living has been a game changer in our household. I used to roll my eyes at people who used essential oils; now I’m a believer. I joined after being at my wits end with sickness in our household. We had a bad winter for illness in 2018. My baby boy had even ended up in the hospital for 4 days.

I tried Young Living because I kept hearing about Thieves. My trusted friend who is very practical and a nurse swore by it. She had me convinced. It’s a special essential oil blend they make that supports your immune system. It can be diffused or used to make household cleaners. They even offer a whole Thieves cleaning set. We’ve been so much healthier since we first started using. I then started ordering oils like lavender to help with my anxiety. I roll it onto my wrists at night, diffuse it at bed time and now I’ve become lavender obsessed. I’ve also used oils for teething pain, diaper rash, energy boosts, carpet cleaning and more!

Want to get started with Young Living? Sign up here!

I consider it a “subscription” because I am part of their essential rewards. Basically I buy about $50 of products each month to get the lower prices, but there’s so much you can do with oils, that you end up saving in other spots- like making your own bath scrubs, flavoring your water with lemon EO, diffusing instead of using candles (which put lots of toxins into your air!), putting drops of oil on your dryer balls instead of buying dryer sheets, etc. and the best part is, you’re getting the health benefits, too!

Check out my Pinterest page for diffuser blends and other essential oil recipes!

But why Young Living instead of some $10 oil at Walmart? No fillers. You know your product is really coming from the earth. You can actually visit and walk through Young Living’s fields across the globe. It’s part of why they have the reputation they do.

Have questions, comments, or want to talk about your favorite subscriptions? Drop a comment below or follow me on 潦草影院: @the.潦草影院.《肉体偿还》在线观看.mom

Visit a new destination

This doesn’t have to mean travel across the globe. I wanted to make sure this list was doable for anyone on any budget. Maybe it’s visiting a new campground in town. Maybe a new state. Certainly if you can afford an international trip, do it! 2020 should be all about the experiences!

Try a new restaurant

Again, this doesn’t have to be a fancy dinner, but it could be. Save up for a nice meal or just check out a new dive with a greasy burger. I love to search Yelp and find hidden gems when I’m looking for a new restaurant.

Have a self-care day

Hit the spa. Get a massage. Get your nails done. Get highlights. I’ve started splurging on getting my hair done. No more box color for me. I work too damn hard to put myself last all the time. If you’re still concerned about money, doing something as simple as buying some masks and soaps from the dollar store and doing your nails will go a long way. Or maybe it’s just taking a day to sleep in, pop in your ear buds, read a book, or go on a walk.

Go on a date

Finding time for your significant other is important, especially if you have a demanding job or kids. For Josh and I, we haven’t lived near family in years so it was hard to find a babysitter. We used that as an excuse for far too long. Find someone on Care.com or use a vacation day to have a day date while the kids are at daycare or school. If you’re not in a relationship, date yourself! You can’t expect someone to love you if you don’t love yourself. Enjoy your time alone. Go to dinner alone. Find confidence in your solo dates. Or grab your best friend and make it a girls/guys night out. Reconnect. Reminisce. Laugh.

Have a goal writing session

Sounds corny, but do it. Block out an hour or two and write down all your goals for 2020. What do you want out of your job? Your personal life? Your finances? Where do you want to go? What do you want to do? What do you need to organize?

Get your yearly physical

This one is so important. My husband hasn’t been to the doctor for a physical in years! I’ve got to get him there in 2020. For one, you get a free physical each year. Use this trip to talk to your doctor about any concerns you might have; A strange spot, a pain that won’t go away, abnormal stressing. By attending your annual physical, you may also catch a problem early- like pre-hypertension, pre-diabetes so you can start fixing it before it becomes a problem.

Find your tribe

Humans are 卫生间做 beings whether we like to admit it or not. At work, if I see an employee struggling, I encourage them to connect with their coworkers. Attend a net《肉体偿还》在线观看 event. Talk to the moms in your child’s class. Put yourself out there. In this day and age, the nice thing is, even if you’re 卫生间做ly awkward or an introvert, you can also find your tribe online. Maybe it’s a Facebook group for moms, maybe it’s connecting with travelers on 潦草影院. Have you heard of Mastermind groups? They’re groups (in-person or online) where you brainstorm with people who have different strengths. You’ll inspire each other, get new ideas, and find motivation.

Play like a kid

Yes! Just have a night of good old-fashioned fun this year. Go bowling. Play laser tag. Have ice cream. Hit up the arcade. Go swing at the local park. Slide down the slide.

Donate to a charity

Do. Some. Good. Donating doesn’t have to mean money. Donate your time. Go visit the animals at the shelter. Ring bells for the Salvation Army. At the very least, take Facebook up on its offer to ask people to donate to a charity of your choice for your birthday.

Read a book

I’m the worst at reading. I can read 卫生间做 media for four hours straight on my phone at night, but somehow I can’t find time to read a book. I only seem to do it on vacation. I’m going to try for at least five books this year, which I realize is nothing compared to some of you.

Try a new activity

Go axe-throwing. Paint. Try calligraphy. Step outside your comfort zone and try something new. If you’re bad at it, you’ll have a few laughs. If you’re good at it, you might just find a new hobby!

Have a board game night

Monopoly and the Game of Life are my favorites! Grab a couple board games and play with the kids. Pull out Cards Against Humanity and play with your friends. Pull yourselves away from the screens for a few hours and make some memories.

Go see a movie by yourself

I know this strikes fear into some of you. How can I be seen at the movies alone? We’re not 13 anymore. It’s cool to do stuff solo. When I worked overnights, I went to the movies sometimes by myself and it’s pretty liberating. For one, you get to pick whatever you want to see. You don’t have to worry about someone talking to you during the movie. You can laugh, cry, and no one will judge. PRO TIP: Go to a weekday matinee if possible. You might have the entire theater to yourself!

Try a new style

Spend a day off trying on clothes you’d never wear; Put on that bold, red lipstick. COLOR IN YOUR EYEBROWS! It took me 32 years to figure out how to color in my eyebrows. I should’ve been doing this for years! You’ll never know what you like and what you’ll look best in if you don’t try!

Do something to connect with your spiritual side

Maybe it’s reading scripture or praying. Maybe it’s just taking a walk in nature and breathing in fresh air. Maybe it’s yoga.

Compliment a stranger

We should do this more than once a year, but make it a goal. There have been many times where I liked someone’s outfit or thought they had beautiful hair– I should have told them. They may have needed that compliment that day. You can never go wrong saying something nice to someone.

Organize something

We all need to organize something. Maybe it’s your closet, your drawers, or your finances! Decluttering your life is good for your mind. Check out Marie Kondo or A Bowl Full of Lemons. They’re organizing geniuses who will help get you motivated!

Do something artsy

Find a new appreciation for beauty by doing something artsy. Sketch, paint, craft, body paint (wink, wink)… grab some color pencils and one of those adult coloring books. It’ll be good for your stress level!

Take a bubble bath

We have this huge, deep-soaker tub in our apartment, and yet I never take a bath. Always showering because I feel like I never have the time for a bath. MAKE TIME. Force yourself to decompress. Get one of these cool bath trays and multi-task by reading, too!

Update your resume

Even if you’re not looking for a new job any time soon, it’s always a good practice to keep your resume updated. For one, you may forget some of your accomplishments if you wait too long in between updates, or your company could reach out to you out of the blue for a promotion.

What’s on your 2020 Bucket List? Drop ideas in the comments below or connect with me on 潦草影院: @The.潦草影院.《肉体偿还》在线观看.Mom

If I’m being really honest… that feeling has lasted all day. (In my defense, I think I’m getting an inner ear infection because I’ve been dizzy, off balance, and my head hurts.) But alas, that’s nothing compared to what so many people are going through.

This year, I’ve decided to put down what I’m most thankful for.

My dad’s in remission from prostate cancer

When I got the call in late March that my dad had Stage 4 Prostate cancer, everything changed. I think it’s particularly tough to hear it when you live 11 hours away. I’m a daddy’s girl, I call him everyday, so you can imagine the rollercoaster of emotions this year has brought. But, it was great news to hear just days before thanksgiving that his PSA level dropped from the high 220s now down to .02! He’s been responding well to treatment, and doctors consider him in remission. He said he saw the words in remission on a piece of paper, and I can only imagine what that felt like for him.

My Marriage

We just celebrated 7 years of marriage on November 24 and this was probably one of our best years yet. We got out and had several date nights this year, we went on several trips as a family. I’m thankful to have a good teammate, a good co-parent, and a funny and handsome one to boot!

My Children

I’m thankful both children are happy (for like 60% of the day) and more importantly, healthy. (Although the doctor just said Hayden needs to switch to 2% milk ) They are exhausting and drama-filled little mini versions of Josh and me, but they make me smile and make me proud.

My Career

I love my work fam and I love my job. This has been a particularly rewarding year. I’m now 16 months in and it’s really starting to feel like 卫生间做. Because of our position in the Omaha market, I feel like I have a bigger opportunity to make a difference. We have a large reach, surprisingly bigger than what I had 《肉体偿还》在线观看 in larger markets because we have such a bigger piece of the pie. We’ve gotten to do some meaningful stories and investigations that have been inspiring to be a part of. Management can be really stressful and draining, but also very rewarding. I’m thankful this opportunity found me and looking forward to what’s next.

My Squad

I’m so thankful to be making friendships here in Omaha that I suspect will last for years to come, and I’m also thankful that I still have a large support system that spans the country. Technology I has certainly helped this. I get to FaceTime my family often, I have so many group chats that still connect me to buddies from college, Detroit, Pittsburgh and beyond. I love that if I need to vent, need a shoulder to cry on, or just want to reminisce or have a few laughs, they’re only a text away! Also so thankful that I actually got to see Mary, Jackie, Cindy and Barrett over the course of a few trips… and the entire Yobbi family when we went to Natalia’s wedding this year!

Travel

One of my favorite things about Omaha is how it is within road tripping distance to some other great cities. We had so many adventures this year. And with both of us making more money, there have been more opportunities for getaways! We spent a week in Denver, I visited Minneapolis twice, went to Kansas City twice, spent a week in Michigan, had a quick trip to Pittsburgh, got to meet up with Cindy and Barrett in Sioux Falls, day-tripped to Lincoln. And in just a couple weeks, Annabelle and I will be flying to New York City to get into the holiday spirit!

Memories Made

We’ve made more of an effort to use our weekends and time off the clock to make memories. Annabelle and I have seen so many shows this year like Cats, the Wizard of Oz ballet, Phantom of the Opera in the front row. Josh and I saw Hamilton and went and saw Third Eye Blind in Concert. We’re going to see the Nutcracker next week. Josh and I did one of those “float tanks”. We’ve been to the zoo and museums multiple times this year and of course the pumpkin patch and local farms!

I think our generation has overcome a lot of obstacles, like the Great Recession hitting at the same time we started our search for jobs, or the mountain of student debt we had to incur just to have a fighting chance for a job that would pay $27,000 a year.

I also believe our childhood will forever be marked as the last generation of innocence. We couldn’t Google if there was a Santa, we didn’t have unlimited access to pornography at our fingertips, and we didn’t know that 9/11 was coming our way.

But then two major incidents would forever change our world while we were still kids.

April 20, 1999: Two teens walked into their high school and shot up their classmates. They killed 12 students and one teacher. 21 others were injured.

The Columbine Massacre would shatter our innocence forever. Our nation would fight for decades about whether it was our video games, the guns, the bullying, or the music that caused it.

September 11, 2001: 2,996 lives taken. 6,000 injured. A nation unites temporarily through tragedy.

Columbine set the stage for kids to realize we weren’t safe in our schools. 9/11 would remind us we weren’t safe anywhere.

Now we’re grown, and the country is no safer.

In fact, it’s more dangerous. Our churches and synagogues are under attack. The terrorists are our neighbors, our colleagues, our children’s classmates.

While everyone is busy blaming Millennials for the closing of Toys ‘R Us or making fun of Millennials for eating avocado toast, we are spending our days in the workplace worried our babies won’t make it 卫生间做 from first grade.

I often ask myself how can I parent in this climate? I never know whether I should share these concerns with my kids so they can be prepared should the day come they are under attack.

Annabelle’s already been through lockdown drills “in case a bad guy or a deer” gets inside her school. She’s aware of the opioid epidemic and I’m trying to pass on critical information that pills won’t fix everything- despite the commercials on TV telling her there is a pill for every problem.

But, there are lessons Millennials are learning along the way…

…that it’s okay to be who you are. Whether that’s straight, gay, bisexual, transgender, black, white, Hispanic, Muslim, Christian, male, female, a stay at 卫生间做 or an 潦草影院 《肉体偿还》在线观看 mom!

Millennials are “whiny” because we want better for you, for our kids, for the future. We just might make up for the security taken from us at such a young age.

Will we screw our kids up? Maybe. But we won’t go down without a fight. Millennials are lazy? We’ve been fighting our whole lives. Fighting for a sense of safety, equality, a 卫生间做 we can afford, and an educational system that is fair for all.

As we take power in this country, we will be cognizant of the financial burden that families carry. We will recognize corporate corruption is not okay, that the earth needs our attention. That racism is not okay. That love is love is love. And we will teach those messages to our children.

For lighter moments, fun, and reflection…come follow me on 潦草影院: @the.潦草影院.《肉体偿还》在线观看.mom

《肉体偿还》在线观看 in news can be exciting, fun, rewarding, and often desensitizing. We see the worst (and sometimes best, but mostly the worst). People complain we show only the negative things, but it’s our job to expose reality in hopes of creating change.

This week, we lost three children in three separate, but equally awful tragedies. First, a toddler just a few months younger than my son Hayden, who drowned in a pool. The very same day we were doing a story on the first-responders who went to that incident, they were called to a 10-year-old girl who was hit while crossing the street with her brother. She died two days later. The following day, an 11-year-old boy on his bike was hit and killed by a semi. My heart ached, my stomach hurt.

I won’t even touch on the standoffs, shootings, and other situations we covered this week.

Oh, and to top it off, we started our week with active shooter training— just two weeks after the El Paso and Dayton mass shootings, and just days after I sent my daughter off to first grade.

Guys, it was just a lot. Sometimes we do “feel” the news.

I see some of our newest hires, and they get into this business to try and expose truth, tell stories that need told, and they have this sparkle in their eyes.

I saw that sparkle dim in the eyes of one this week.

The reality— sinking in— that as beautiful as this world is, man, it sucks.

The best journalists are the ones who’ve had their hearts broken, the ones who have lost, the ones who can relate in some way to the heart breaking stories we have to tell.

But at the end of the day, at the end of a long week, this job is a reminder that life is precious, and short, and we should be soaking up every moment we get. That we shouldn’t hold grudges. That we shouldn’t sweat the small stuff… and that we should always end every goodbye with a hug, a kiss, and an “I love you”.

It’s real. It’s something men don’t understand… and it’s something we all try to hide.

If you’re a 《肉体偿还》在线观看 mom like me, you know the feeling: it’s 2pm, daycare calls to tell you that your baby has a fever and has to be picked up within an hour.

The sinking feeling hits immediately. You have to tell your boss you need to go. You feel guilty leaving in the middle of work. Then you feel guilty for not thinking 100% of your sick child. And then you’re thinking, “If it’s a fever, that means he can’t return for 24 hours. Now one of us has to stay 卫生间做 tomorrow, too.” That means you’re either letting work down, letting your husband down, or letting your sick baby down.

I’m here to say, it sucks, but stop.

Feeling guilty does no good. It’s not good for your baby, it’s not good for your marriage, and if you’re not focused, you’re probably not being a good employee either.

But it’s not just sick days? I feel guilty leaving them at daycare.

Ahhh… the old daycare vs. staying 卫生间做 battle. Look, you have to do what feels best for you. Bottom line: a happy mom is a good mom. I don’t know where people get off on hating daycare. Do you judge parents who send their kids to kindergarten? Of course not… and quite honestly, that’s no different than daycare. I loved it when my kids were at daycare. They were around new people and 卫生间做izing with other children. Annabelle thrived in daycare. Her capacity to learn amazed me. She knew all these songs and concepts I never would’ve taught her. Just like any situation, be aware of where you’re sending your child and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Besides, they’d probably rather be around other kids than you all day!

Our family of four (plus two dogs and a cat) packed up and moved 1,000 miles away to Omaha. Seemingly out of the sky, I got a job offer as Assistant News Director at our sister station and after visiting Omaha, we realized it would be a wonderful place to raise our family.

However, timing is never perfect. As you’ll notice on the blog, we were mid-renovation on our 1930s Craftsman. The upstairs had the old, raw hardwoods that we couldn’t afford to finish. The kitchen still had the yellow linoleum and dark green painted cabinets. Our downstairs bathroom desperately needed an update. We had a month to figure out how we were going to get it ready for market and move across the country with basically no savings. (Remember, I was just a couple months back from maternity leave.)

Welp, with help from my dad, our friends, and a freshly opened Chase Sapphire card (I would have to wait to be reimbursed for relocation) we got to work.

My dad drove from Michigan and stayed for a two-day flooring blitz. He extended the Pergo floors from the dining and living room into the kitchen.

He also helped us get started on the main bath remodel and started to lay the tile for us. I did all the painting though!

Our friends came over and spent their Fourth of July helping us paint the kitchen cabinets and install new hardware which was a great update for under $100. I’m so mad we didn’t do it sooner. It wasn’t hard and made looking at the kitchen way less painful!

Upstairs, we laid carpet throughout. It cost us about $1300 from 卫生间做 Depot which was labor and materials. I was happy with that. It was an acceptable quick fix to get it listed. We also finished painting the master bedroom to match its 撩起老师旗袍挺进去玉足 half-bath reno we had completed a few months before and hung the black and ‘crystal’ glam light fixture.

Then came the time where I had to leave, but Josh had to stay behind. There was still work to be done, but I needed to be in Omaha to start my job. I had a 5-year-old, an 8-month-old, a yorkie and a goldendoodle all with me in the van. Josh packed up what we needed for our new apartment in the U-Haul and we made our way for Omaha.

After getting us settled in, Josh flew back, my mom and cousin flew to Nebraska, and for two weeks they helped me care for the kids while I started my new job.

But Josh had a big job to finish in the main bath so I had to FaceTime in to help with the design. We picked things out over the phone… and luckily, I think we did alright. Check out the before and after.

I love the oil-rubbed bronze finishes and off-center sink! I wish I would’ve had all that extra space for doing my hair and makeup!

We listed the house on the market for a short time, but due to the fact that we were bleeding over $1400 a month in mortgage costs, utilities, you name it… we couldn’t keep it up long enough to sell. Instead, we decided to become landlords! So that’s where this blog is going to pick up next… Stay tuned!

In the meantime, Omaha has been such a welcoming place. If you’ve never visited, you should put it on your list. The food scene is incredible, it’s so easy to get around, and super affordable. We’re living in a lakefront apartment with some high-end finishes (Josh’s favorite is the bidet)– such a big change from the renovation environment.

Annabelle started kindergarten and Hayden celebrated his first birthday. Josh is slaying his new engineering job here, but there still aren’t enough hours in the day. We’re still trying to figure out how to keep our 1,200 square feet here clean and get everyone to where they need to be on time. As the hashtag goes… #AdultingIsHard.