...what Betty read, heard, recommends or just wants to say.
Terrible twos.
Tantrums.
Teething.
Tough diaper changes.
Tears.
Toe still throbbing.
Tired.
I hope your day started off *a bit better than mine.
Insert your words of encouragement below please. Needing the love today and not too proud to beg. Thank you dear readers!
Marion Wulz image
update: correction! *a LOT
What an amazing year!! 2012 brought me a new blessing, new work, and new enlightenment! I remember that a year ago I had no new resolution, no creative outlet, and no professional goals. By mid January of 2012, I decided to start this blog. By May, I had my third baby boy and decided to train my body hard for a personal lifestyle change. By late fall, I decided to help others start viewing life a little bit more positively. A collaboration of my life and passions for My Friend Betty Says = 29,000 pages that have been viewed on my blog this year!
There’s more! The amazing Alma Flor Ada found my blog and sent me autograph copies of her work!! Warner Brothers hosted my first giveaway and I am now writing for Mommy Maestra too!! What an honor! Three great achievements. I understand that some blogs become instant overnight success stories and others that I admire so much, have grown slowly and fabulously. I see and hear what you like to read on My Friend Betty Says and you will continue to find it here.
With three beautiful busy boys and an amazing hubby, I plan to continue these steps and add new goals for 2013. I plan to work hard (but with balance) so I can enjoy my family, do great things here and to continue to grow as a person (must do lots of reading!).
I would love to hear the highlights of your 2012 and I hope you all have a fantastic 2013! May all your wishes continue to come true as well. THANK YOU for stopping by, commenting, and sharing my blog. It means the world. Truly!
Remember to work hard to play hard, keep healthy, smile and be positive!
P.s. Pictures from my Instagram. Follow MyFriendBetty!
Maria Kang’s FB page inspired today’s post. Today is 12-12-12 and she challenges her readers to write down 12 goals to achieve. Twelve professional, physical and personal goals that come to mind should be written down. I can do that! It’s true that if you write it down, stick it on your fridge or bedside table, it will become a manifestation. To help with that, for my blog and the continuation of my Positive Series, I’m proposing a reflection: What makes you happy now? What helps you stay positive day in and day out?
Here are my 12 and I hope this list gets my brain ticking for my new goals and new resolutions! [Read more...]
Well, these past two weeks were interesting! I feel like I have been hit by a truck. I am ending these last two weeks with a nasty cold that has knocked me on my behind…hard. I’m also mentally and physically exhausted. When it rains it pours (no pun intended) and when it snows it creates a huge mess out here. Sandy met Athena in New Jersey and they both checked Betty really well.
Our world was definitely rocked and displaced and we were left in the dark and cold but thankfully we were one of the lucky ones. We had no damage to the house (a tree collapsed on a house about four doors down, taking electrical wires down with it. Image above). You probably saw a lot of it on TV-it was bad out here. [Read more...]
This has been the longest weekend ever. I don’t watch a lot of TV so I was surprised when I overheard people discussing a hurricane approaching our area. I was in denial for a few days after that but woke up on Saturday and realized this was no joke. [Read more...]
Surprise! My Friend Betty Says…got a makeover!
When I started this blog 10 months ago (!), I never intended for the blog to be a showcase of my life. I wanted to put out here what works for me and my family and because I enjoy reading, believe in the benefits of bilingual education, was a teacher and now a mother of three, I thought about a few things. I thought I could be of good use to other parents that were looking to make little positive adjustments in their child-rearing. But now, I want to be a bit more honest with my writing and share with you how I have arrived to the many choices I make for me and my family. Behind the scenes, people are still asking me for advice. I appreciate that wholeheartedly but it makes me wonder, “Am I not giving people the whole story?” What makes me think I have the right answers for you? Honestly, I don’t. But I will figure it out with you.
What’s my experience? I have been through a huge journey with Jose over the last eight years. [Read more...]
Hi everyone! Do you like this photograph? I have been enjoying it more on Instagram than in my actual home! Forget about finishing a cup of coffee around here! I keep saying to myself, “I. Must. Sit. There!” to enjoy the stack of magazines, the gorgeous roses and the scent of the candle. But life happens. And my four guys keep me really busy. I don’t know what it has been lately…wait a minute yes I do: [Read more...]
Life is good (even w/out Photoshop)
Wow Labor Day already! I have to say that for me, this was the LONGEST summer ever! Maybe because I was HUGE in April and the weather was really warm then? I am just so ready for fall clothes and a little chill in the air. I am also so ready for a regular back-to-school routine. I have been trying to squeeze in some reading and writing and it has been tough with all the busyness we had around here!
We just got back from an awesome trip to our dear friend Kinsey’s beach house in Connecticut and we also went to visit another great friend Donna and her family in Baltimore. Didn’t I tell you how much I love the East Coast? The boys were so happy visiting old and new friends. So this Labor Day weekend we had one of my BFFs over from Brooklyn with her kiddies and Isabella (she’s back!!) for a wet BBQ (why does that always happen to me?). I continued to be nice to myself and felt really inspired to learn some new things as well. Check it out:
I am embarrassed to tell you that as much as I love photography, I have never played with Photoshop. So I tried it this weekend and after hours of making beautiful images…HUGE FAIL! I also tried to re-design this website on my own and another HUGE FAIL. What else? Oh, I wrote this long blog post because I hoped to end your suffering and negative thinking…blah, blah, blah and we had a power outage!! The whole town! Not even a storm!!! Ahem, I did not save my work. I’m sure it was the Gods of the blog universe sending a message to literally pull the plug on that one. Sigh.
My summer end was a bit of a bust but that is the balance of life. No real crises of course! Just a few let downs. All in all, I learned and I was able to write this piece with no fancy photography, no new design to wow you, and no lecture this time (ha!). I will squeeze in that when it is time to say, “the hell with it”, then the hell with it. Surrender and see all the other awesome stuff that was accomplished.
Hope you had a wonderful Labor Day! Talk to me! SEE how many words are in ALL CAP and how many times I used the word “huge”? I’m excited to be back. I’ve missed you.
Your friend,
Betty
Happy Friday!! Next week is Diego’s last week of summer vacation. There will be no soccer, no play dates, just us. It is his last summer before he starts his real academic life! I can’t believe my first baby is starting kindergarten. Wowsers. I still have two little ones to enjoy at home and we will all have our last summer hurrah next week as a family. So I will be taking a little time off from writing but I hope to practice a lot of photography and finish a couple of books that I have started. The most important part of taking a little time off? To enjoy Diego and the rest of my boys of course. I’ll be back in about a week!
Here are some new discoveries I want to share with you before I go:
A cool photography site: Humans of New York
Another great photography blog: dustjacket attic
A blog about an American family who sold everything and decided the world will be their home: A King’s Life
Enjoy and have a great weekend!
Your friend,
Betty
Just look at the faces of these little boys. How old are they? They are acting like teenage boys and I thought I had at least twelve more years for that. I’m sitting there thinking, “Amazing picture of the boys and I! And they have really nice shirts on…” But they are probably thinking, “Another picture and these shirts…” Sigh.
Another wordy Wordless Wednesday.
Your friend,
Betty
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