This is a sponsored post, but all opinions are always my own.

I have had this blog for almost 10 years now. Along with my social media accounts I have shared my stories with you all and I love it. I have also over the years built it into a business, working with companies and other products. This has enabled me to continue sharing these stories. Using social media as a marketing tool is so important. Learning how to use it effectively is also so important though. This is why I started reading Traffic Secrets: The Underground Playbook for Filling Your Websites and Funnels by Russell Brunson.  

The book Traffic Secrets: The Underground Playbook for Filling Your Websites and Funnels with Your Dream Customers by Russell Brunson teaches the classic and foundational direct marketing techniques that will allow you to be at the front of new trends and see opportunities that are invisible to everyone else. Russell Brunson shares how to master evergreen traffic strategies in order to fill your website and funnels with your dream customers. I have started doing the 30 day challenge and I am really surprised at the response I am getting. On Twitter I started asking questions and thought I would get very few answers, but I am surprised at how much engagement I am getting and I am learning about my audience.

Russell Brunson is and entrepreneur and a Best-Selling Author.  He is the CEO of $100M software company ClickFunnels. He has built a following of over a million entrepreneurs, sold hundreds of thousands of copies of his books and popularized the concept of sales funnels. In 2014, Russell and partner Todd Dickerson launched ClickFunnels, which became the fastest-growing non-venture backed software company in the world. With this pedigree I figured it was definitely worth a read. Learning about business and growing your brand is extremely important to continue to stay relevant. 

I’m about halfway through the 30 day challenge and I’m encouraged by the way it is going. It is giving me great insight on what content I should be creating and better ideas on how to reach my dream audience. If you want to take a look at what I have been doing you can find me on Twitter @HalfCrazyMama.

If you are struggling to drive traffic online I recommend taking a look at Traffic Secrets. By doing the 30-day challenge you’ll learn key strategies to increase your site traffic. The biggest problem that most entrepreneurs have isn’t creating an amazing product or service, but it is getting their future customers to discover that they even exist. Every year, tens of thousands of businesses start and fail because the entrepreneurs don’t understand this one essential skill: the art and science of getting consumers to find you.

Click here to learn more about Traffic Secrets.

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Thank you for reading this sponsored content. All opinions are always my own. 

The post 30 Day Challenge Of Daily Social Media Posts- What I Learned appeared first on Half Crazy Mama.

When my daughter Lily said she wanted to start a business sewing and selling her scrunchies I thought it was a cute idea, but didn’t really take it very seriously. She is 10 years old and has always loved drawing, crafting, and sewing. When she was 5 she always wanted to help when I was sewing and I started by teaching her how to make a doll pillow and blanket. When she was 6 she asked Santa for a sewing machine. Now she has taken it to the next level.

At 10 years old, Lily opened her own Etsy shop selling her scrunchie hair tie creations. I showed her how to use Canva online to create her logo. She named her business ScrunchMe. Lily absolutely loves going to the fabric store and picking out fabric. She gets so excited when she has more sales, not because she wants a new toy, but because she has more money for more fabric!  

Back in March and April I was sewing face masks to donate and Lily loved to help. She cut all my patterns for me and helped pinning. She sewed my inside seams and loved being included in the project.

I remember growing up both my grandmothers were avid sewers. I LOVED when I was allowed to be in my grandma’s sewing room. It seemed magical to me. My mom sewed Christmas crafts when I was young and sold those at craft fairs. I am thankful that I had that influence going up because sewing always comes in very handy. When a dress needs to be taken in or a hole mended I am confident fixing it and I am so glad my daughter now has those sills too.

Lily was scrunchie obsessed before she learned how to make them. She would save up to order more scrunchies online. One day I told her about the good old days back in the 80’s when I would make my own scrunchies. Her eyes lit up and asked if I could show her how to make them. Lily’s business started just by making scrunchies for friends and of course herself. My best friend suggested to Lily that she should open an Etsy shop. She asked me about 17 times a day until I agreed we would look into it and start one. She has big dreams of wanting to start sewing more hair accessories to add to her Etsy shop, but right now hair scrunchies are keeping her busy. She even does the packaging, weighing, and printing the shipping labels on her own. 

I am proud of her that she feels confident enough sewing to create a business out of it. She works hard to get her orders done and it is always her priority. If you want to check out Lily’s Etsy shop you can click here. 

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I have sat down to write this post a thousand times…but it took me months to process it, go through the thoughts of what to share and what not to share, and actually do it. I started this blog almost 10 years ago to document our lives for my daughter to have when she gets older and to share with others…share recipes, motivation, travel, tips for running and just life in general. So here it goes, I am sharing so those that have followed along all these years know more about what happened and those that are new and finding this because they are going through something similar know they aren’t alone. A couple years ago when I went through my BRCA gene testing and my surgery I shared here and still get emails of people telling me their stories, asking good questions, and thanking me for being open about it because it has helped them. It can be hard to put ourselves out there, but I never want people to feel alone. Tough conversations that help others are worth it to me. Ok, let me start… my husband had open heart surgery May 15th, 2020 while in the middle of a pandemic. Like anything of this magnitude, it was an experience that will stay with my family forever. 

My husband had a faulty valve and Afib that had been previously diagnosed. We knew with some testing that he also had an aortic aneurysm. Because of this we knew that open heart surgery was in his future. At the time, we didn’t know though that a global pandemic was heading our way. 

In October 2018, my husband had a cardioversion, which is a procedure to shock the heart to try to get it to beat regularly, sinus rhythm. After that he had been on medication Amiodarone, to keep his heart beating in sinus rhythm, and Eliquis, which is a blood thinner to help prevent stroke. In February 2020, the medication was no longer keeping him out of Afib and his cardiologist had determined it was time for heart surgery. It had been scheduled for March 22, 2020. Well, if you remember, March 13, 2020 is kind of when the wheels fell off of the US and the pandemic really took hold with schools, many businesses, and even Disneyland closing. Because he wasn’t at a complete emergency state the doctors, not knowing what the next few weeks would hold as far as the pandemic goes, pushed the procedure out until beginning of April. Beginning of April came, and much to my disagreement my husband chose to push it out to May because on the news at the time was constant Coronavirus updates, death tolls, and news about the hospital spread unknown. When May came we all knew it needed to happen. 

Let me add at this point, that my husbands cardiologist and thoracic surgeon are located in Scottsdale, AZ…and we are not. We live in a completely different state, but this was my husband’s trusted cardiologist and friend for years, so there is no one he wanted to put his life into the hands of (especially during a pandemic) except for him. Before the pandemic, when preparing for the surgery, we went back and forth on what this would look like when he had his surgery because our daughter is 10, in school and heavily committed to dance. We had gone through scenarios of my mom staying with her while we went to Scottsdale, but had a hard time reconciling the idea of her being away from us A. for that long and B. for such a major surgery for my husband. While the pandemic greatly complicated matters, school and dance having to social distance and being on Zoom gave us the opportunity we needed to be able to all travel together to Arizona and no one had to be apart (except for the hospital, but we will get to that in a bit). So we loaded up the car and drove the 13 hours to Scottsdale, Arizona. We packed a cooler with food to eat along the way to limit our exposure to the public. We rented a house there, which again during a pandemic complicates things a little. I remember getting to the house after driving for 13 hours and having them wait in the car while I went in and disinfected and wiped down everything.

My husband’s surgery was actually suppose to be on Thursday, May 14th. It had been scheduled for the morning, but was pushed to 1pm, which meant we had to drop him off at 11am. That morning was gut wrenching. We couldn’t go in the hospital because of covid precautions. We pulled up out front and gave our hugs and said our goodbyes with tears pouring out of all of us. I had a really hard time wrapping my head around the whole idea of pulling up to a door and saying goodbye to my husband for him to go in by himself to have open heart surgery and us just driving away. My daughter and I drove away…to the parking lot across the street to hold each other and cry. We went back to the house to wait. I was told by the hospital that someone in the operating room would call periodically to give me the progress of the surgery. At 1:15pm my phone rang and it was my husband’s cell phone calling me. I was thinking he was already in surgery so I quickly answered and it was him saying they were running a little late, but calling to say he loved us and they were preparing to take him into the OR. He had a slight sedative to relax him and I could tell. Around 4:00pm I am getting a little antsy that I hadn’t hear anything yet and my phone rings. It is my husband’s cell phone again. I was like WTF? He said that the surgeon had been in an emergency surgery that took far longer than expected and they could do the surgery that evening, but they recommend doing it first thing in the morning so the surgery team is fresh. Of course we agreed, a fresh surgery team is always ideal instead of a tired team. Because he was already admitted to the hospital, had his IVs in, his sedative in, and his covid test done, they were going to keep him there in the hospital for the night and take him to surgery for pre-op at 4:30am and surgery at 6:30am. That night was rough, because we were separated, but no surgery had even taken place yet. My cell rang at 4am and it was my husband starting to mildly freak out. He said, “maybe having the surgery pushed was a sign I’m not suppose to have the surgery and you should come get me.” I said absolutely not. You are having the surgery and it will be fine. That was the last time I was able to talk to him for days. 

I waited for my phone calls, but didn’t receive any. So after 6 hours I called, teary and scared, and the hospital connected me through to the operating room. The nurse told me he was still in surgery and doing well. She said that they were just taking him off the bypass machine and they would call when they “close him up”. 3 hours later I still hadn’t heard. Teary again, I call the hospital and was told that he was out of surgery and in the ICU and “surprised no one called you”. I was really annoyed that because of the hospital covid rules we couldn’t be there and I was promised phone call updates and never received any. But I was relieved to know my husband made it through surgery. The ICU nurse told me that hopefully around 11pm he would be off the ventilator and they would help him call us. Phew, I was relieved that surgery was over, he was in the ICU, everything was all good. We made it through the hardest part right?

At 10:48pm my phone rang…but it was my husband’s cardiologist and friend calling me. I answered the phone and could tell he didn’t sound good and my heart felt like it was stuck in my throat. I feel like moments like this is something you see on TV or think about how it might feel, but it was REAL this time. My whole body started uncontrollably shaking. He told me that my husband was extremely acidotic and that his kidneys never started working after surgery. They said that his heart, blood pressure and body in general was having a very hard time. I didn’t know what this meant so I just flat out asked, “but is he going to be ok? He isn’t going to die right?” and when I heard back wasn’t reassuring. He said, “well he had extensive heart damage and heart damage can be hard on the kidneys, so he came out of surgery in critical condition and he is still in very critical condition.” This was not the answer I was looking for. At that moment all I wanted to hear was that he won’t die. He told me that he won’t leave my husband’s side and would stay all night to personally make sure everything is done that can be done. I got off the phone, hugged my daughter, and told her we needed to pray. 

I didn’t sleep all night. Around 2am I had another call from the cardiologist saying that it was basically the same thing, but that he was still there with my husband and talking to him, even though my husband was still on a ventilator. The next call was to tell me that my husband hadn’t got any worse, so I took that as a plus and continued to pray. The whole next day was basically the same thing. Still on a ventilator, kidneys still not working. They pumped him with tons of fluids trying to get the kidneys to kick in because urine output was extremely poor. I have never talked to people so much about urine output as I did in those next 4 days. Meanwhile, I am in a location that I don’t know, in a house that isn’t mine, unable to visit my husband in the hospital, and with our 10 year old daughter who every time my phone would ring was worried her dad had died. I wouldn’t wish this situation on even my least favorite person. The days seemed very long waiting for news which rarely came and I would call and the ICU nurse would try to nicely tell me that they know how hard it is that we couldn’t be there and they are taking good care of him. 

A couple days later the nurse that morning told me that the doctors were planning to take him off the ventilator later that day to see how it goes. This was encouraging. I waited and waited and called back and the ICU nurse said that he was still very out of it, but that she would go in and help him call us. We heard his voice for the first time in days and both my daughter and I started to bawl our eyes out. It barely sounded like him and he was very out of it, but it was a gift to hear him talk. Later when I talked to the cardiologist he said that it was troubling that his kidneys still weren’t functioning and that he might have to start dialysis, but they want to avoid this if at all possible. I had no idea that kidney failure was something that could happen after open heart surgery. Going into surgery we were told he would spend a few days in ICU and then a few days in regular hospital room and then would come home. We were also told that within the first 24 hours after surgery they get them up out of bed and want them moving and how important that is for recovery. So after days in the ICU and knowing that my husband couldn’t get out of bed, I was mentally panicking at how bad this was. When day 6 came, and this had been the day that before surgery we thought he would be coming home to us, came and went and he was still in the ICU I was battling a major panic attack. 

Because of all the fluids they pumped into him to try to get his kidneys working, but they still weren’t working, his body was very very swollen with fluid retention. He went into the hospital weighing 221. He was 263 at this point from fluid. He was miserable and didn’t understand what was going on. His dexterity from being so swollen was so bad that he couldn’t even grip the phone and kept dropping it when we tried to FaceTime. This was the lowest of the low. One of the things that I had read and what the doctors told us all along is that the mindset is so important. That the patient needs to stay positive and never give up. This FaceTime call was when I could feel my husband giving up. He called me early the next morning and was so mad. Mad at everything. He was convinced that he would be an invalid for the rest of his life and was so upset that I told him that fateful morning before the surgery that I wouldn’t come get him and he needed to have the surgery. I felt like I was carrying the weight of the world on me then. I got off the phone, called my best friend, and started bawling that my husband thinks I ruined his life and what if I did? What if he is like this forever? We all need friends like this because she calmed me down, assured me things won’t stay this bad. I then called the cardiologist and told him that I was worried Joe was giving up and that he thinks he will be an invalid forever and could he please talk to him and check on him. 

The next day my husband’s cardiologist’s wife called me, who is also a friend. She asked how we were doing and asked if I needed anything and told me that her husband went to my husband and gave him some tough love telling him he can’t give up. Weeks later I found out from my husband that the cardiologist basically had a come to Jesus moment with him and didn’t sugar coat it. He said that if my husband hadn’t had the surgery he would’ve been lucky to make it 6 more months. My husband’s attitude got better after this. The extra fluid made it really hard to walk, but he got up and tried. It was hard for him to eat, but he tried. Being away from him and not being able to be there in person to encourage him and help him was the hardest part. He called me after trying to eat lunch one day and was so frustrated that because of the dexterity problems he spilled more food all over him than he was able to get in his mouth. I got off the phone and cried, yet again, because if I was allowed to be in the hospital I could’ve been there to help him eat. I called the ICU nurse and told her that he was having a really hard time gripping anything because of the extreme swelling and asked if anyone could help him the next time. She said they know that it’s hard family can’t be there because those are the kinds of things that they normally help with, but she said that got him cleaned up after he spilled all over and changed his gown. That didn’t make me feel much better.

Then the ray of light we had been praying for. His kidneys weren’t getting much better, but they weren’t getting much worse. The doctors felt he was stable enough to move from the ICU to a regular hospital room. He spent 8 days in ICU and it is like a fishbowl with glass walls and sleeping is hard to do. I was hopefully that being moved to a regular room would help correct his sleep pattern. Spoiler alert, it didn’t. But at least it was a little quieter in that room and the best part of all, he had a window! After not seeing him for 9 days, not being able to visit him IN the hospital, we decided to find his window and be outside. With the help of a nurse, we figured out where on the hotel complex his window was. My daughter made a sign and it was glorious. We called him on the phone so we could hear each other and he came to the window and we were able to see each other. He was on the second floor, but it worked. We did that several times a day.

My husband’s doctors never started dialysis. Very very slowly the kidneys started to wake up. He was begging to go home. He just wanted to be with us and knew he would be in a much better mindset with us as well. He was very depressed from being in the hospital for nearly 2 weeks without being able to see us except through a window. (Looking back, I think we realize how much the pandemic has effected all aspects of life, but one thing I didn’t previously think about was how having loved ones around you in a hospital can help the healing process.) The doctors agreed with him, but worried if I was up to the task of the level of care he needed. I’m not going ton lie, I was 100% scared of that as well. I had a conversation with him that I wasn’t sure I knew what to do and with no formal medical training I was worried I wouldn’t be able to do it. He was so adamant that he needed to get out of the hospital that I agreed to do whatever I needed to do.

He was released from the hospital weighting 252, still 30+ extra pounds of fluid retention. Walking was painful and he had to be on a super strict food and liquid diet to help control the swelling. I had to try to wedge compression socks on his tree trunk legs (tip: using a plastic bag helps slide them on a little better). Showering, walking, sitting up, EVERYTHING needed assistance…but we did it. We made it work. He still had some fluid in his lungs which made sleeping hard. He couldn’t lay down. When he would actually fall asleep he would wake up every hour because of the diuretics he was on to help reduce the swelling. I was so tired that I gave up trying to sleep in a bed and just slept whenever I could, which usually meant on the chair next to my husband and he would just wake me up when he needed help. One night I woke up with him trying to get up and move around by himself and got mad for not waking me up to help him. He said that he just felt so bad because he could see how tired I was and wanted me to be able to sleep. I agreed that I was exhausted, but that I would rather him wake me up than having to call an ambulance because of  fall or injury. 

We all were VERY homesick. We missed our own bed, our own kitchen, and we were tired of wearing the same few things over and over again. My daughter had been doing distance learning (more or less) and dance on zoom this whole time. She was in tears after every zoom and I couldn’t blame her. She was tired of it all just like the rest of us. Most of all we missed our dog, who is like our second kid. He was staying with my mom and all we wanted was to be home. My husband had regular doctors appointments and after a couple weeks of being out off the hospital our sanity was wavering. It was 110 on a daily basis in Scottsdale, which meant I would take my husband outside at 5am to walk and even then it was still in the 80s. We wanted to go home so bad we were all cranky because of it. My husband was sore, but willing to do whatever needed to be done to go home. At his next set of doctors appointments it was our goal to get the OK for us to travel home. Because of the pandemic, telemedicine visits were normal and we could meet with his doctors that way. His surgeon was worried about blood clots forming, but said we could make the long drive home as long as we stopped every couple hours for him to walk around. We had to have his INR checks and follow up appointments booked at our local doctors before we were allowed to leave. We jumped through all the hoops (I might have literally begged once or twice for our local cardiologist to get us in sooner than they were originally willing to do). Once we got that ok I loaded the car up with everything that night so we couldn’t the road at 4am the next day. 

I never said this out loud to anyone, but I want to be real here in case anyone reading this is going through the same thing. It was a long drive, but we made it. I was so mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted by the time we got home that I just went to my bed and cried. I cried out of exhaustion, but also tears of joy. I was so happy to be home, but most of all happy to be home with my WHOLE family. When my husband had been in critical condition, one of the thoughts that came to my head, that is still disturbing to me to this day, was “if my husband dies, I don’t know if my daughter and I will ever be able to go home.” I couldn’t even fathom getting in a car, just the two of us, and making that long horrible drive home. I don’t know why this kept coming into my head, but it did. So the day we made the drive the 3 of us and we were home was like my prayers had been answered. 

The road since has been up and down, but my husband lost all that fluid weight and then some extra pounds too. He is very good about regular exercise and… mostly good about his diet. He is on coumadin still and is good about going for his INR checks. He has cardiac rehab twice a week. He takes all his meds each day and we are extra grateful to not be in Arizona heat anymore.

About a month after being home he had an appointment for just a general checkup with his general practitioner. She ordered general blood work and we expected everything to be… well general. But of course, it’s 2020 so that wasn’t the case. Something showed up that spurred the doctor to order some other labs and blood work. The results came back and we were referred to a hematologist/oncologist. Now we were both like, WTF? Yep, here we go again. Multiple myeloma. To be honest I don’t think I even knew what this was prior to this diagnosis and had to google it. (Word to the wise: don’t google it. It’s scary and horrifying to read about it on google). 

I was mad. I was so so mad. I yelled at God that how could this happen just a couple months after everything we just went through. But here we are, this is where we are, so after being mad I put my head down and focused on what needed to happen now. Bone marrow biopsy, PET scan, and many many blood draws and various lab works later we know it hasn’t spread to any organs and there are no bone lesions. THANK YOU GOD. It is just another battle, but we are getting through it and I know that we can get through anything. (I would like to add a middle finger to 2020 though!)

We are super incredibly lucky for the support system and friends what we have. I am so grateful and there are no words to truly express how loved and supported we felt, even while being miles away from home and while social distancing in a pandemic. Without that support I don’t think we would’ve made it. With daily checkins from friends, cookies delivered to our rental house, groceries, DoorDash gifts, cupcakes, fruit basket, and so much more, it kept us going. (Not to mention a treadmill, but that is a whole blog post on it’s own coming soon!) Thank you to each and every one of you. 

If I could share ONE thing I know, that is to be your own, or your loved ones, advocate when it comes to health matters. You sometimes need to push to get what needs to be done. Your gut is often right. If you feel like something is off get it checked and checked again. If you don’t get the call you are waiting for, CALL. If you feel like you haven’t heard from a doctor and you should have, check in with them. Our medical workers are often so overworked, have so many patients, that things can slip through the cracks. It is usually to no ones fault other than the medical system we have in place in this country that had created this atmosphere. If you aren’t your own advocate, no one is going to do it for you. 

If you made it to this part of the blog post you deserve a medal! I will periodically keep you updated, per usual. I hope you all are staying healthy during this crazy year. I can’t wait until we can all safely be together again. 

Here are some other relevant posts:

Waiting for BRCA Gene Mutation Test Results…

My BRCA 1 Test Results Are In…

One Week After Surgery…

My Daughter’s Birth Story

The post Open heart surgery during a global pandemic… appeared first on Half Crazy Mama.

I am new to homeschool. To be honest, I never in a million years thought I would be in the position I am now. My daughter has been going to school tradition public school her whole life. Now, because of the pandemic and family decisions, I am homeschooling her for 5th grade. 

I don’t know if it is all mother and daughter’s or if it is just me, but sometimes the dynamic is tough. My daughter and I have a very close relationship, but also can be a roller coaster at times. This is why I never in a million years thought I would homeschool because I didn’t think she would take direction and correction well from me. Well, homeschooling has taught me a lot. Here are 10 real confessions that this mom has learned about home schooling this year.

1. Some days are smooth sailing and some…aren’t. I can’t expect it to all be unicorns and rainbows.
2. Not having “homework” at night is MAGICAL!
3. Teaching math was something I never wanted to do and now I am going it. 
4. As much as I want my child to behave at homeschool how she would at at traditional school it just isn’t going to happen and I need to accept that. The first couple weeks I was shocked that all these years at parent/teacher conferences my daughter’s teacher as told me she was the perfect student. At home? Not so much, but she gets it done.
5. All that history and science that I studied years ago? I am pretty confident that about 87% of it did not stick.  
6. We are doing a structured curriculum, but finding ways to make it fun is important too. It’s weird for me to have to find that balance.
7. I worry regularly about whether she is learning enough, retaining enough, or doing enough, but then I realize that many of us are all in the same boat.
8. I also worry about her returning to traditional school next year, but I know that we are all just doing the best we can and it will be ok.
9. Confession: I like the freedom of not being on the school’s schedule. I like that we usually stick to the same schedule, but it can be flexible when it needs to be.
10. Another confession: I miss having my alone time during the day to get work, errands, and running done, but on the plus side she goes to dance 4 hours in the afternoon/evening, so that gives me some time. 

I know that for better or for worse we will get through this and learn a lot (both curriculum and about life).

Here are some other posts you might like:

25 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Me

Open heart surgery during a global pandemic…

12 Things That Being A Dance Mom Has Taught Me

12 Things That Being A Dance Mom Has Taught Me

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2020 has been a year that all of us will never forget. A global pandemic sprinkled with a crazy presidential election, not to mention hurricanes, murder hornets, saharan dust cloud, RIP RBG, a much over-due lesson for many on systematic racism, homeschooling, no toilet paper, wildfires, and just think, the year isn’t even over yet!

For my family we also had an open heart surgery and some blood cancer thrown in. It wasn’t all horrible though because I think we have all learned a lot. 

Let’s start with the fact that we have a better idea of who people are. I feel like this global pandemic and contentious election has really shown some of our “friends” cards. People thinking face masks are political, others hoarding toilet paper while some have none, viscous angry words spewed so easily out of some mouths, and some even showing they are flat out racist with no regard for others. I would like to say nothing will shock me anymore, but that isn’t true because I am still shocked by some behavior. I have a really hard time wrapping my head around how some people who can so easily dismiss others because of race, sex, or socioeconomic standing. However, 2020 has taught me to take a much deeper look at certain friendships and who some people truly are and what, if anything, they have ever given me in our friendship (and I don’t mean physical gifts, I mean have they returned help, favors, love and would they be there for me like I would be there for them?) If you would be one of their first phone calls when they need something, but they wouldn’t be one of yours because you know they wouldn’t drop everything to help, that is usually a sign of how good of a friend they are to you. 

2020 has taught me who I want on my team, who is in the arena with me, who I want to fight on my side when the zombies show up. You know what I mean? I think we all have a way better idea of who is truly going to go to battle with and for us and who will help hold us up when we fall. 

I have also learned that sometimes compassion, kindness, and love comes out of places where I least expect it. The world is not bad. People are generally good. While we hear of so much hurt, vengeance, and wrong doing, we can also see kindness, love, and compassion if we look. 

A lesson I think we all learned is to not take ANYTHING for granted. I will never take toilet paper for granted, that’s for damn sure. I will also never take our health, our home, and family time for granted. While we have all been together FAR more than I ever imagined, it also gave us moments that I don’t think we would’ve otherwise had. Playing boardgames, crafting, sitting down together for a movie, and just being in the same room for longer than 10 minutes.

I will not take travel for granted. I use to fly several times a month and visit amazing places regularly. Travel feeds my soul and I miss it so much. I have always loved it, but I never imagined not being able to do it. 

Another thing I learned is I will not take running all those large races for granted either. I have loved being able to work with so many races to write about them and share on social media. I never in my wildest dreams thought a global pandemic would take that away though. I think this actually speaks to all large gatherings. The theater, concerts, movies, dance competitions, marathons, weddings, and so much more. 

2020 has also taught me that I can do hard things. For better and for worse, in sickness and in health, really has so much meaning. Administering shots, wound care, bathing assistance, special diet preparation, and so much more I think are things we all wonder if we can handle and help our spouses with if and when the time comes. 2020 taught me that yes, I can do those things because love is strong and so am I. Dropping my husband off for open heart surgery was hard. Not being able to be at the hospital or see him for 12 days was hard. Holding my daughter as she cries a gut wrenching cry when my husband took a turn for the worse and having her ask if her dad is going to die and not being able to assure her he isn’t, is HARD. But I did it and I will do it again if I need to and I will survive and carry my family with me. I can do hard things. We all can. You can do the hard things. Sometimes it takes digging deeper than you ever thought possible, but you can. We go this. 

This year reminded me that even when things are hard, you don’t have to look too far to find someone who has it much harder. I don’t know anyone who hasn’t felt sad, depressed, worried, or filled with anxiety at some point during this pandemic, but there are others who have lost everything. Their businesses, their jobs, their homes, their health, and their loved ones. I know I am truly fortunate and for that I give thanks and pray for those who are suffering. 

Probably the biggest thing I have learned this year though is that I have such an incredible tribe of people around who can love from afar. While I desperately miss dinner out with girlfriends, vacations with best friends, conferences with blogging friends, races with running friends, and family gatherings, I can feel loved even when apart. Text messages, FaceTime, Zooms, letters, DMs, and random packages showing up remind me that I am never alone. We are all still a tribe and are here to support each other. 

This Thanksgiving I will be extra thankful. While it is so hard not having a huge table of people like I normally would, I will remember that we are being safe and not taking our health or the health of our loved ones for granted. I know there will be a time that we will all gather again and have a huge Thanksgiving. There will be a time when we can sit around and drink wine without the thought in the back of our minds of worry that we could be spreading a deadly virus. There will be day when we won’t have to worry whether everyone has a mask. There will be a day when we can all go see Hamilton in real life, run a marathon with our besties, wait in crowded lines at Disneyland, send our kids to school safely, fly to new destinations, eat at our favorite restaurants, make 3 pumpkin pies instead of 1, take pictures again with our kids sitting on Santa’s lap, and drink too many drinks in a real bar. For that I give thanks. 

What has 2020 taught you? Drop a comment below.

Here are some other posts you might like:

20 Things To Do With Your Kids While Social Distancing

13 Ideas To Keep Runners Busy While Social Distancing

How To Eat Healthy Over The Holidays

Open heart surgery during a global pandemic…

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The post What 2020 Has Taught Me appeared first on Half Crazy Mama.

We made it through 2020! Let’s all give each other a high five for that one. We are now looking into 2021 and this year really needs a good New Year’s resolution. Are you wondering what New Year’s resolution you should make? I put together a list of New Year’s resolution ideas to help you think of the best one for you. 

Here we go, in no particular order, here are 50 of the best New Year’s resolution ideas. 

1. Read more books. Download Goodreads and set a goal for the year. Then track each one. 52 books for 52 weeks? If that is too ambitious, how about 12 books, one a month?
2. Start using reusable shopping bags. The plastic disposable shopping bags are horrible for the environment, so start throwing all those reusable totes in your car to use when you shop. 
3. Up your daily steps goal to 20,000. If you are currently at 10,000 raise that goal!
4. Meal plan on Sundays. This will help you be organized for the week and gave a plan. You are less likely to each fast food when you already have something to cook.
5. Meal PREP too! If you want to take it one step further than just planning, you can also prep! Cut the vegetables or cook what you can ahead of time and then you have meals almost finished already.
6. Eat more fruits and vegetables at every meal. Your diet should consist of a rainbow of fruits and vegetables.
7. Run streak! No, that doesn’t mean running naked. That means run at least a mile each day. Even on the busiest days you can set aside 10 minutes to run a mile.  
8. Drink more water. Get a large refillable water bottle and make sure to drink it and refill it often. 
9. Keep a gratitude jar. Everyday write down something you are thankful for.
10. Pack a lunch more often to bring to work instead of eating out. Or if you are working from home, meal prep your lunches so they are ready for you ahead of time so you don’t reach into the pantry for unhealthy snack food. 
11. Spend more time in nature. Hiking in the mountains, a walk in a park, reading a book under a tree. 
12. Sleep with your cell phone in the other room. You are less likely to get a good night sleep if your know is right by you. Unplug at night time.
13. Eat less processed foods. Shop the perimeter of the grocery store more and the aisles less. The permitter is where the unprocessed food is. 
14. Park further away at the grocery store, mall, work, etc. so you log more steps.
15. Try something completely out of your comfort zone, like online cooking classes.
16. Save money for a specific purpose like a vacation, new iPhone, or even a car! Saving can help you rethink how you spend your money and you might learn you don’t need that $5 latte everyday.  
17. Sleep at least 8 hours a night. Having your phone in another room can help this.
18. Try a new hobby. Sewing, knitting, kickboxing? 
19. Write handwritten notes. It is a perfect year to start sending real notes and letters again. Check in with friends, write thank you notes, send a card to relatives. Everyone loves getting something in the mail.
20. Call more often instead of just text.
21. Lend a helping hand more. Volunteer, pick up trash on the beach, look for ways to help in your community on a regular basis. 
22. Don’t just tell them you love them, show them too.
23. Keep a journal. Now better time to start than now. 
24. Put all your loose photos in an album. I am so guilty of just having a ton of photos in a box and I think they will get ruined if I don’t put them in an album. This can also be good motivation to print photos off your phone and have them in an album.
25. Unsubscribe to emails instead of just deleting them everyday.
26. Learn a new language.
27. Unplug an hour a day, a day a week, whatever works for you.
28. Do the dishes everyday. Don’t let them sit.
29. When you workout or run spend 15 more minutes a session.
30. Clean out all the clothes you don’t wear and donate them.
31. Wear sunscreen daily.
32. Plant a vegetable garden.
33. Try a new cookbook each month and cook through new recipes.
34. Take a dance class. It would be fun and good for you.
35. Plank each day. Build that core strength.
36. Have a family game night each week where the whole family is unplugged and together. 
37. Take vitamins daily.
38. Spend less time on social media and more time in the real world.
39. Train for a marathon.
40. Learn how to make French macaroons. Getting those circles perfect is HARD. Make it your resolution to master it by the end of 2021.
41. Go into Target and only buy the things on your list.
42. Learn to cook some of your grandmother’s recipes.
43. Start jump roping regularly. It is a great cardio and coordination activity.
44. Watch more documentaries and less action movies.
45. Practice random acts of kindness.
46. Draw more. Even if it is just a notebook of doodles. That can help your brain.
47. Lose weight, but set a realistic goal. Have a plan too. The best way to do this is just eat healthier and exercise more. 
48. Watch a movie from your childhood each month. 
49. Set a grocery budget and stick to it. 
50. Reach out to the people important in your life more often. Call grandma more consistently. Email your cousin to just check in. Send your mom some flowers just because. 

Remember that your resolution doesn’t have a to be a huge undertaking to be good. Pick one that you can stick with. No matter what your resolution is, setting a goal is always a great thing to do. Here are some other posts you might like:

5 Things To Jump Start Your New Year’s Fitness Goals

10 Reasons You Might Not Stick To Your New Year’s Resolution

15 Simple Tips For Sticking to Your 2020 Fitness Goals

The 50 Books I Read in 2020

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The post What New Year’s Resolution Should You Make?- 50 of the Best Ideas appeared first on Half Crazy Mama.

Do you feel like the mess just creeps up on you until it feels like too much to handle? Do you wish your house was cleaner on a regular basis? There are six things you can do every single day to keep the chaos at bay. If you get into the habit of completing basic daily tasks, you will find that your house is happier and your life is more organized.

Each Morning, As You Roll Out Of Bed, Make It!

Let’s be honest, your room can be a mess, but if your bed is made, it looks just so much cleaner. If you make your bed each day, you are less likely to let other things, such as clothes, bills, papers, etc., pile up. If you want to be better about keeping things tidy, start with your bed; it takes only minutes, and yet it makes a huge impact on the room.

Keep Things In Their Place By Doing Quick Pick Ups Frequently

When you let the clutter and messes build-up, that is when you do not want to clean it. That is when you will not have the motivation to get things done. So, each time you leave a room, do a quick look around and see if there is anything out of place, and see if you can get it in place. If each time you leave a room, you pick things up and put them where they belong and insist that everyone else does so as well, the messes will never get so out of hand that you can’t control them.

Don’t Let The Paper Mess Pile Up

Each time you get the mail, come in and spend a few minutes opening, reading, and sorting what you get. If you pay bills when they come, and you file the copy away, you will never have a cluttered desk or missed due dates. You will be organized, and you will be much happier. Keep a trash bin near you as you do this for recycling, junk mail, and discarded envelopes. This is where I end up getting a pile of mail. I go through it when I first check it and throw away junk mail, but then I just stack up all the things I need to keep. I need to be better at filing it away right then and there. 

Clean Up The Kitchen While You Cook

For many, the room that gets the messiest in the house is the kitchen. You cook meals, and in your hurry to get dinner on the table, you leave a mess in your wake, then after dinner, you are too tired to clean up. So, what you should do, is before you start, make sure the dishwasher is cleaned out. Then you can load it with the pots, pans, cutting boards, etc., that you use to make dinner. This is my biggest tip. You are way more likely to clean up if your dishwasher is already empty. My husband is now in charge of emptying the dishwasher and he makes sure to do it before I cook dinner. Teamwork makes the dreamwork

Wipe Spills Immediately

Whether it is on the stove, in the microwave, on the floor, or in the bathroom, spills happen. Tomato sauce here, make up there. If you do not clean up the spills as they happen, then they become difficult to remove and sometimes leave a stain. So, to eliminate chaos and keep things clean, wipe up spills as soon as they happen. 

Sweep The Floors

No one really enjoys mopping because it always seems like there is tough to clean dirt and grime built up. So, to help keep this build-up from happening and to make your house look cleaner and feel better, sweep the kitchen floor after dinner. If you feel up to it, you can also run a vacuum over the other floors really quickly. This takes only moments, but those nicely fluffed carpets and crisp vacuum lines can give your home a clean feel, even if you haven’t deep cleaned in weeks. I also keep my little handheld vacuum near by to do a quick cleanup.

I hope these tips help you get a handle on the mess chaos and not get overwhelmed when it is time to clean the house. Little things all add up to help in a big way. I know that having a messy house can feel daunting at times, but it doesn’t have to feel that way. Good luck! 

Here are some other posts you might like:

Why You Should Be Taking A Probiotic Daily

Fun Family Exercise Ideas

Affordable Backyard Play Equipment That Is Fun For The Whole Family

15 Fun Kid Friendly Party Snack Ideas

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The post 6 Things To Do Each Day To Keep The Mess Chaos Away appeared first on Half Crazy Mama.

Just thought I would post an introduction for all those that are new around here. My name is Emelia and I have had this blog for going on 10 years now. You can also find me on social at @HalfCrazyMama. Ok, let’s cut to the chase, you guys want the goods right? Hoping to see something cool or weird or totally relatable right? Well, here you go!

1. I am afraid of mustard. Yes I am telling the truth. I don’t just not like mustard, I am actually afraid of it like someone would be afraid of spiders.  Really weird…I know.
2. 2. I have on sister who is 7.5 years older than me. My parents didn’t think they could have anymore kids and poof along came me.
3. I am almost legally blind. I wear contacts and glasses. I sleep in my glasses every single night. This started when my daughter was born and she weighed 3 lbs 15 ozs and would “lose her oxygen” at times and I would wake up every 15 minutes to check on her. Instead of reaching for my glasses every time it was just a lot easier to sleep in my glasses and it stuck. Here I am, 10 years later, still sleeping in my glasses.
4. I played soccer and field hockey when I was younger, but was never a “runner”.  That only started when my daughter was born and I loved putting her in the jogging stroller and getting outdoors.
5. Because I played soccer for years, when I had my daughter there was no question in my mind that she would be a soccer player. But when she was two she wanted to take dance. When she was four I put her in soccer and it became very clear that soccer wasn’t her thing. She would run the entire time and basically in circles around the group with the ball. If the ball came near her she would run away from it. She is now 10 and still dancing, definitely not playing soccer.
6. I love to fall asleep with the TV on, specifically Friends on Nick at Night. My husband hates that I love this. (This might also contribute to me sleeping with my glasses on)
7. My father passed away from colon cancer when I was 16.  He was only 49 and I am still convinced he was the best man ever. Take your health seriously and get checked regularly! 
8. If I get to watch TV and Dirty Dancing is on I will watch it again and again and again.
9. I LOVE shoes. I think gorgeous shoes are like art and I like to “collect” them.
10. My husband is not a runner at all and “doesn’t get it”, but he is still proud of me.
11. I went to England, France, Switzerland and Senegal Africa all before I was 16 years old and the impact those trips had on my life was amazing. I strongly believe that travel is one of the best educators and I can’t wait to take my daughter to certain places too.
12. Outdoor activities bring me joy, fill me up inside, calm my anxiety. Specifically hiking and paddle boarding. We live just 40 minutes door to door to Lake Tahoe, which was one of the big benefits of our move last year.
13. Please don’t get mad, but I don’t understand why people love ranch so much? Blue cheese is SO much better. I will dip almost anything in blue cheese, which is why I don’t have it in my house. Not super healthy.
14. I already told you I’m afraid of mustard, but I also don’t like most condiments. I’m not afraid of ketchup though, just don’t like it. Same with mayonnaise. The only sauce I will eat on a burger is the In N Out burger sauce, otherwise I eat my hamburger plain like a 5 year old. 
15. When I was pregnant I craved milk and also Cuties (seedless tangerines). Weird right?
16. I have ran close to 40 full marathons, over 120 half marathons, and countless other races.
17. I love cooking and entertaining. This also feeds into my cookbook obsession. 
18. In the Inaugural Tinker Bell Half Marathon, I was running and not paying attention and looking at this dad with 2 little girls holding signs cheering on their mom and I tripped over a road reflector and fell!  Bad!!  Like slid along the pavement and ended up bloody. Bloody knee, both hands and my whole forearm. I had just finished running the Goofy Challenge at Disney World (half marathon + full marathon) and was also getting my coast to coast medal at this race, so I was determined to finish. This was at mile 5 when I fell.  I found an aid station around mile 7 that assisted in removing the gravel from my wounds, bandaged me and made me promise that I was ok to finish. I did with a time of 2 hours and 34 minutes and a little bit of a limp.
19. I have the absolute worst handwriting in the whole wide world. I wish I could change it. My handwriting has been compared to a drunk 4 year old writing with their foot. 
20. I have a birthmark, that is actually a hemangioma, on my right arm. I have been asked about it my whole life and here are some of the things people ask: is it ring worm? cigar burn? reaction to a shot? allergic reaction? bruise? bite mark? eczema? was I punched?
21. I am VERY allergic to avocado. Not just hives, like violently ill and feel like I’m dying. This didn’t develop until I was older though. I don’t have to eat it for the reaction to happen. Even if my food is cut with a knife that has just cut an avocado I will get ill.  A big bummer for a person who loves sushi and mexican food.
22. I took 5 years of French in school and still wish everyday that I took Spanish. 
23. My name is Emelia, but growing up everyone has called me Emy. If you have met me over the age of 18 though you probably didn’t know this unless you are my husband or heard my husband call me Emy. However, if you met me below the age of 18 and I went to school with you, you probably didn’t even know my name was actually Emelia and not Emy. 
24. I met my husband at a 4th of July party. It is now one of my favorite holidays.
25. I started my blog to be able to share my life stories with friends and my daughter when she got older.  I never thought anyone would actually read it, so thank you for reading and I love hearing about your life stories.

I would love to hear a random thing about you!  Anyone else afraid of mustard, because that would make me feel a little better about myself? 

Here are some other posts you might like:

Open heart surgery during a global pandemic…

What You Need To Know About Runners

When I Had An Aha! Moment That Even Oprah Would Be Proud Of

Waiting for BRCA Gene Mutation Test Results…

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The post 25 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Me appeared first on Half Crazy Mama.

Every year we hear stories from women about Valentine’s Day blunders. Valentine’s Day gift ideas for women don’t have to be overly complicated. I thought I would compile a list of what NOT to give a woman for Valentine’s Day, for those of you who have no clue…or just need a good laugh. 

1. A String Bikini- unless she is either Brazilian or specifically asked for it, don’t do it.

2. A BOX of wine– I don’t care how trendy the box looks, if the wine doesn’t come in a bottle, don’t buy it.

3. Spanx– nothing says romance like…Spanx? you can buy her lingerie…if you want…but don’t make it offensive or tacky.

4. A Gift Card for the Grocery Store– she will just spend it on groceries for the family and that isn’t fun. Get her a gift card to a store she wants to shop at for herself.

5. Slippers– save those for Christmas…not Valentine’s Day. They aren’t sexy or something heart warming…just feet warming 

6. The Cheap Candy– Women know when it’s the discount priced box of candy because the candy is gross. Don’t do it.

7. An I.O.U.- Come on guys, I can understand not knowing when Easter is because that date changes year to year, but Valentine’s Day is February 14th EVERY YEAR. Get it together and show your love, even if it’s a handmade card.

8. Proactiv– Yes, she may have complained about the zit she had.  No, that wasn’t a hint that she wanted Proactiv.

9. Carnations– They are cheaper than roses…but we know that. Either get the good flowers or pick something else all together like a heartfelt handwritten card.

10. A Coupon Book– it is cute coming from a kid, but realistically when she wants to cash in that “clean the toilets” coupon or the “foot rub” coupon the chances are slim to none that you will actually do it.

I hope this inspires you to dig deep and come up with a heart felt gift.  A woman always wants to know she is appreciated. That is my biggest tip. Don’t overthink it, just make sure she knows that you appreciate her. Happy Valentine’s Day! 

Here are some other posts you might like:

Valentine’s Day Gifts For Runners

10 Reasons Why You Should Marry A Runner

Win Your Child’s Class Valentine’s Day Cards With This Easy Idea

Last Minute Valentine’s Day Present Ideas for the Wife, Mom or Woman in your life

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The post The Reality of Being A Caregiver appeared first on Half Crazy Mama.