Confession: I love house shoes! It may seem weird getting home and taking off your shoes, only to put on different shoes, but there are so many reasons it works for me! I feel like I am more productive when I have a pair of shoes firmly on my feet (and "firmly" is key-flip flops don't cut it), and I avoid tracking whatever I may have stepped in while out through my house. I remember watching Mr. Rogers change his shoes every episode, and it seemed strange to me then, but i get it now. :-)
I recently shared on my Facebook that I was looking to buy a pair of house shoes and was having trouble choosing, and asked which was more important- average comfortability and cuteness, or flat out comfort? I got mixed suggestions. So I decided to order two and try them out! Here's my reviews and final decision.
Mad Love Lynn canvas shoes vs Merona Mab driving moccasins
A girl at work had a pair of Mad Love shoes she got at Target, and I liked how cute, yet casual they looked. My friend Crystal (who blogs over at A Series of Fortunate Events) thought they looked kind of like TOMs, but questioned the comfort of a knock-off.
I've had moccasins before, so I did a quick Target search, and picked this one based on reviews. Almost every reviewer said these were the most comfortable shoes they ever had, and that they were ordering a second pair. I didn't think they were very cute, but who can argue with reviews like that?!
The Mad Love shoes came first. I spend the afternoon wearing them around the house putting them through a typical day in my life; standing at the sink doing dishes, cooking dinner, and chasing after 2 kids. I usually wear a size 10, and they were true to size (without socks). They had a snug, comfortable fit, without rubbing or pinching. The bottoms seemed a little narrow, but I didn't notice anything while wearing them.
When the Merona moccasins arrived I put them through the same test as the Mad Loves. The insides were very soft, and they had a nice arch cushion. I liked the rubber bottoms too. The size 10 was a little big though. They were loose and kept slipping off my heel as I walked around.
So what did I decide? The Merona moccasins did come in half sizes, so I could have ordered a 9 1/2. But since I didn't want to return both and wait for them to come (even though Target usually has fast shipping), and I really did like the Mad Love shoes, I decided to keep those. I've been really happy with my decision. The only problem I have is that I like them so much, I don't want to switch shoes before I walk out the door! :-D
Monday, May 13, 2013
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Yay May!
Welcome to May! To me, May is Hope and Smiles and Joy and Anticipation and Love. I just love May!
This year, the first day of May marks an occasion as I'm now counting down to my last day of work. Later this month when we have our closing program I'll be done! That's right, I'm "retiring"! :-) I love what I do, but it's time for me to be done.
Why quit if I love it? Working with children is tiring! When I take care of children, I give a myself to them... I care about their growth and development, their home life and parent's concerns, and that they're eating their veggies at lunch. I'm coloring and building with blocks, showing how to share, teaching about shapes and numbers and letters, and potty training a room full of kids. Don't throw toys! Get off that chair! Don't pick your nose! Don't lick your friends!!
Then when I get home I am tired and hardly have enough in me to get through the rest of the day. I can play OR clean OR do laundry/dishes. And on good days I can do those things with patience and joy in my heart. I'd love to say I could do it all, but I can't. That's ok, I'm human after all. There's definitely a balance to having a happy family and home life, and I had to find it.
After months of praying and discussing with my husband, the balance for our family is for me to quit working and stay home. After all, if I give of myself to other people's kids and my duties at work, and then don't have enough left for my own kids, family and home, what's the point?
Staying home with my children was always what we had planned for our family. I had promised my husband one more year of work to help pay off debt. Now, the credit card that my paycheck was going toward is paid off! Woohoo!
I'd say all kinds of sentimental things about missing my coworkers, but they're not letting me get away that easily! I'll be subbing, and I was "convinced" to sit by the pool this summer and be a lifeguard. They really had to twist my arm...
The kids will also be going a few days a week to give this momma some much needed time to do personal things, like go to the gym, or go grocery shopping without extra items ending up in the cart. :-) My hope is a less stressed momma = more patience = happier family. Sounds good right? Right.
This year, the first day of May marks an occasion as I'm now counting down to my last day of work. Later this month when we have our closing program I'll be done! That's right, I'm "retiring"! :-) I love what I do, but it's time for me to be done.
Why quit if I love it? Working with children is tiring! When I take care of children, I give a myself to them... I care about their growth and development, their home life and parent's concerns, and that they're eating their veggies at lunch. I'm coloring and building with blocks, showing how to share, teaching about shapes and numbers and letters, and potty training a room full of kids. Don't throw toys! Get off that chair! Don't pick your nose! Don't lick your friends!!
Then when I get home I am tired and hardly have enough in me to get through the rest of the day. I can play OR clean OR do laundry/dishes. And on good days I can do those things with patience and joy in my heart. I'd love to say I could do it all, but I can't. That's ok, I'm human after all. There's definitely a balance to having a happy family and home life, and I had to find it.
After months of praying and discussing with my husband, the balance for our family is for me to quit working and stay home. After all, if I give of myself to other people's kids and my duties at work, and then don't have enough left for my own kids, family and home, what's the point?
Staying home with my children was always what we had planned for our family. I had promised my husband one more year of work to help pay off debt. Now, the credit card that my paycheck was going toward is paid off! Woohoo!
I'd say all kinds of sentimental things about missing my coworkers, but they're not letting me get away that easily! I'll be subbing, and I was "convinced" to sit by the pool this summer and be a lifeguard. They really had to twist my arm...
The kids will also be going a few days a week to give this momma some much needed time to do personal things, like go to the gym, or go grocery shopping without extra items ending up in the cart. :-) My hope is a less stressed momma = more patience = happier family. Sounds good right? Right.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Welcome!
As I mentioned on my Facebook page awhile back, there have been big changes afoot in our house! Since implementing some of those changes to our life, I have had several great conversations with friends about the adjustments we were making. It got me thinking, "Wouldn't it be fun to share some of the things we're going through with others, and open the topics up to a larger discussion?" And so this blog was born. I am a mom and a wife, and I'll talk about those roles, but I hope to also talk about family and life in a larger sense, and I hope that everyone can relate and find a topic worth discussing here. Welcome! :-)
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