2017 Goals Check In: January

It's been a month!

Let's see how I'm doing on those goals:

1. Log 250 miles of walking/jogging/running on the treadmill or at events (5Ks, etc).

I'm currently at 4 miles, which is super pathetic but my basement is cold and I know I'll put in the most miles over the summer. I need to remember that it's not much, but it's a start!

2. Go out with my husband 1x a month.

We had a great little date at a restuarant called Bailey's in Wareham, MA. Delicious food and huge portions! Seriously, I ordered a lunch size portion of chicken marsala and I ate it that night and for lunch the next day, plus there was enough for David to make a full meal!

3. Read 26 new books.

I've already started this too! 
1. The Girl On The Train - buy it from Amazon here (aff).
2. Salt to the Sea - buy it from Amazon here (aff).

4. Post to my Blog Facebook at least 2x per week.
Ehhh.... I got close-- I really need to focus on this...

5. Participate in a Blog Round Up, once per month.

6. Write a blog post at least twice a week.
I have a total of 6 blog posts this month, which isn't exactly my goal but I have 4 more drafts saved and ready to go next month so I'm still calling it a win.

7. Create a true crafting area and a gym area in the basement.

Hooray! I am so excited about this one! We already had an electrician come and give us an estimate on adding a few electric outlets to power the treadmill, Cricut machine, and sewing machine so that will be coming along soon! We now have an exercise bike, a treadmill and a rowing machine so I'm excited to use them when the kids are in bed.

The crafting area is also coming along, adding in some new cabinets and sehlves, plus a few new work spaces.  I love that where it is, I can see the whole playroom so both the kids and I  can be working at the same time.

8. Keep my car clean and get it detailed at the beginning of the season.
The kids and I did our own clean out. I really just love when it looks nice! I'll be planning on a real detail come April!

9. Have less stuff.

We started the year donating an entire van worth of things were are not using. I pulled apart all of the kid's outgrown clothes and seperated them by gender and size so that we can attempt to sell them in a consignment sale.  There's so much that I don't want to just donate it all but a handful of clothing has already gone to Gifts to Give, some to Savers and the rest waiting to be tagged and sold. My hope is to go through one area of the house every month and continue to get rid of clutter.  I have no problem holding on to things, but clutter is different. 

10. Stop comparing myself to others.

This one is especially hard for me. There is so much pressure as a mom to "keep up with" the others. I'm really working on myself, physically and emotionally, and can already feel the differences but I have 11 more months to go.

New Hampshire Ice Castles

Disclaimer: My family was provided admission to facilitate this review, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

For the past two years, we've been saying we wanted to go check out the Ice Castle sin New Hampshire. Since a certain snow queen came to a Disney movie, both of my children have been obsessed with it, and these castles seemed like the perfect family trip for us!

Our schedules are crazy so when we realized we both had a Monday off together, we decided to capitalize on it! We woke up bright and early and made the 3 hour drive to Lincoln, New Hampshire. I love the scenery on the ride up; it's just gorgeous.

The Ice Castles themselves were very cool as we pulled in-- towering 10+ feet tall. Getting in was a breeze. Pre-purchased web tickets are timed in 30 minute increments and they scanned us right in. We did have to sign a waiver of liability before we could go in. Tickets are $18/$20 for adults and $12/$15 for kids (weekday/weekends).  You can enter at anytime during your 30 minute window but once you leave there is no re-entry.

I could have spent hours looking at the ice formations- each one was enthralling.  I really wish I knew how they were made and how long it takes to make them... the really is just awe-inspiring.

In addition to the icicles, they have a couple of ice slides and tunnels for the kids to crawl through.

Ice slides! #icecastles #hosted

A video posted by Heather (@heathgiff) on Jan 16, 2017 at 7:10pm PST

The kids sized slide was perfect for the two little ones, but the larger slide was fun for all of us! The wait was not fun, it was almost 20 minutes of wiating, so we only went down once but the kids loved it!

When we finished hanging out, about an hour and a half, we grabbed some cocoa ($4) from a little cart near the entrance.

While the place was awe-inspiring and whimsical, I wish there was a place to sit to enjoy our cocoa, more to "do"- like a meet and greet etc, and a warm place to sit for a bit. It was chilly when we went and we needed someplace warm to take off the cold edge.


It's one of those really cool bucket list places to visit so if you're local to Lincoln, NH, you have to check it out! Don't forget: My readers get to save off admission! Use Code USFamily17 and Save 15% off admission on IceCastles.com

24 Organizations to Support so America is Great for Everyone

I don't get political all that often. I like to believe that the government works towards the common good but it seems like the country no longer knows what the common good is...

We are such an absolutist, hyperbolic society now. I can't say " I like peanut butter and jelly" without someone attacking me for not liking Fluff, and honestly, it's a bit ridiculous.  When did every day become "the worst ever"? When did we start attacking people for saying they support something and assume that it means they are against something else?

It is no secret that I lean to the left.  I went to public schools. I grew up having everything I needed, and much of what I wanted, but I knew how much my parents worked for it. I went to a state college and used Federal and Private loans to finance it. I got a job working in a public school.  For years, I worked multiple jobs. Weeks before my daughter was born, my husband and I needed assistance after a series of unfortunate events and found ourselves changing from a couple who had 2 full time salaries and a savings account to a family that needed WIC and SNAP.

Maybe I'm a bleeding heart liberal. Maybe I understand how important these programs are because I know how quickly life can change and how you may not have ever expected to use them, but they end up saving your, or your child's, life. Maybe I just know what empathy is.

I will not be watching the Inauguration  I respect the office of the President.  I respect our government and our flag, but I do not respect the ideals that have been spewed during this election. Instead of watching the Inauguration, I'll be making lots of donations to lots of organizations that have been attacked in the election. I don't make a lot and I won't make a huge difference but I'll be able to show these organizations that they still matter, at least to me.

If you want to follow suit and make some donations today, I invite you to check out the following organizations that need support, now more than ever.

If you care about education, might I suggest making a donation to one of these organizations?
Network for Public Education: donate here.
Peace Corps Let Girls Learn: donate here.
The NEA Foundation: donate here.

To continue supporting for equal rights regardless of who you love, check out these organizations:
Human Rights Campaign: donate here.
The Trevor Project , Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention for LGBTQ: donate here.
National LGBTQ Task Force: donate here.

Think that women should be treated as equals and allowed to take control of their own bodies? These organizations could use your support:
Planned Parenthood: donate here.
Center for Reproductive Rights: donate here.
Know Your IX: donate here.
RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network): donate here.
DOVE (Domestic Violence Ended): donate here.
End the Backlog (of untested rape kits): donate here.

Agree that climate change is a real thing? Donate to these:
The Natural Resources Defense Fund: donate here.
Greenpeace: donate here.
EarthJustice: donate here.
National Resources Defense Council: donate here.
350.org, a climate focused campaign: donate here.
Citizens Climate Lobby: donate here.

Want to support all US Citizens, even those who may not have been born here, or are working to become citizens? Look at these organizations:
National Immigration Law Center: donate here.
American Civil Liberty Union: donate here.
Feeding America: donate here.
Families USA, which fights for high quality healthcare for all: donate here.
International Refugee Assistance Project: donate here.
Race Forward: donate here.

There you go! 24 amazing organizations that need your love and support, now more than ever.

If these 24 organizations are not enough, or maybe too much, but want to keep making a difference, every month the amazing people at Effing Fight will pick a different organization to donate to so you can continue to support those who need it most!

And if you're looking for a souvenir, might I suggest grabbing a Less Hate More Love Tee ($19.99 - 15% of proceeds donated to the Orlando Victims Go Fund Me) or a Feminist AF Tank, only $30 - and there's also a matching mug (only $15)! Seriously, go buy anything from the Human Rights Campaign, like their braided bracelets or the new Hate Won't Make Us Great shirts, because anything bought from HRC directly supports HRC's fight for LGBTQ equality.

And then contact your representatives and let them know what you feel and who and what they should and shouldn't be supporting.  Their job is to fight for their constituency; you need to tell them what you want them to fight for (I promise their information is easy to find!).

I don't know what the next four years hold for this country, but I know in my heart what I support and will continue to.