@TheRealErinNau

[therealerinnau]

Here is all the hair I donated today! My hair grows so quickly and it's so thick- I might as well share it with those who need it. I woke up this morning and thought- I am done with this hair- time for something new! The cut was free for donating the hair. It's cute, but I'm not used to it yet.

[therealerinnau]

I love this coconut water- it is the best! Comes in a can too.

[therealerinnau]

Fall

Welp - seems like fall is here. I really enjoy fall, the colors are so pretty, everything pumpkin or apple flavored is delicious. Halloween is a bit away, but the cooler weather and the changing colors really puts me in the fall mood. Earlier today, I had my air conditioner on, When I walked to my sons school mid afternoon, it was still pretty hot and muggy. A few hours later, we took the dog out and it was COLD! I opened the windows but it got too cold in here! That went fast My son has picture day tomorrow at school, he was going to wear a tee-shirt but with the whether change a waffle long sleeve shirt it is! The weather seems to really affect me - all day I was lethargic and didn't feel like doing anything. My allergies are kicking in too which is not fun what so ever. I napped majority of the day today and I feel fine with that - sometimes its what the body needs. I am looking forward to this weekend. My husband, son, dog and I are going up to stay with my grandma. I love visiting her - we never accomplish much but thats better than having a packed schedule. During the summer, her apartment pool is open so we spend lots of time floating in the pool. We will probably watch a couple movies this weekend and visit. On Sunday we are going to her family reunion which is also my family reunion of coarse. I haven't gone in a few years, and I am looking forward to it - though its the first one I've been to since being gluten-free and I am nervous about the potluck choices I will have to choose from - I will probably end up bringing a gluten free dish that way I know of at least one thing I can eat. I also don't drink soda - I had in the past, I drank a lot of soda - but I just don't like the taste anymore, plus its so bad for you - its better to just not drink it in the first place. I really like coconut water. There is one we have been getting, its a Thai young coconut water in a can with pulp. I don't know the company or brand name but its in a green tall can and is the best... I would live on that stuff if I could. I drink tea quite often - I enjoy iced tea mostly during the day and I drink hot herbal tea at night. I have my mug of tea steeping next to me right now. The day started out rainy - which is weather I enjoy, then it was hot and muggy wen I took a couple walks so I got to experience summer - now its colder and windy and feels like fall... all seasons but winter in one day - yep... this is Wisconsin.

[therealerinnau]

Me- take it or leave it.

[therealerinnau]

Glass Animals

I am obsessed with the band Glass Animals! I cannot get enough of them! their sound is so unique, I want to keep listening and listening - I get lost in it! Their videos are very trippy, which I like. each one is like being on a psychedelic journey. Easily - my new favorite band!

[therealerinnau]

The Dime Ghost

I am going to tell you a true story... Since my husband and I have been married we have had what we call a "dime ghost". This "ghost" leaves dimes all over for us (pretty sweet, right?) I first noticed this oddity when we lived in our condo shortly after our honeymoon. I was home alone, the door was locked, I was on the phone looking out our patio door when all of a sudden I felt a tinge on my back, like I had been hit with something small. "That can't be, I'm the only one home" I thought to myself, yet I turned around and on the ground there was a dime. After that incident, I started recalling all the dimes I was finding, joking about how most find pennies on the ground, but I find dimes, and so does Brian. I even once found a dime stuck to my back - really not sure how that one happened. Now, this didn't just happen then, or in that one place... we have moved quite a bit... 8 places in 5 years to be exact, some places were in different states, we found an abundance of dimes at each of these places. For a while we thought the dimes were leading us somewhere, giving us clues on the direction our life was to take. When times were tough, we likened the dimes to leading us to failure. Honestly, I don't know what the dimes mean, or if there is any meaning at all. In the 3 months we have lived in this apartment, we have found $3.00 in dimes - that's 30 dimes! We are living in the 21st century as well as you - its not often we have cash, we mostly use our debit cards, the times we use cash, it usually goes straight into the tip jar at the coffee shop here in town. I don't know what reasonable explanation there is, but It rains dimes around us. We had taken a family trip to Los Angeles a few years back, none of us had been to California before, so we explored a bit. We drove down to Laguna Beach, parked in the lot next to Coast Hardware (we were in search of a beach ball) when I opened my door, what was on the ground? A dime. We ended up opening an art gallery in Laguna Beach last year, when my husband went to scout a location, he parked, opened his door and - yep - a dime was on the ground right outside the door. While living in California, we saved up all of our found dimes and bought a scratch off ticket, thinking maybe it would be lucky - it wasn't. We had to get the dimes changed into dollars, which then the register wouldn't open - so it was a whole ordeal, then the dollar got stuck in the machine, the card that eventually came out was ripped in half, and we won nothing. In a way, I think this signifies the importance on not gambling with our future, and admittedly, that is what our venture there was - a gamble. Another strange theory of ours - well mine - on our honeymoon, we went to Cave of the Winds in Colorado Springs, Colorado. At the end of the tour, we walked past a rock formation in the cave with coins all around it and chicken wire surrounding it. The guide told us there were 2 women who originally came to that cave, 50 years ago or whatever, both of them were lonely single women. They tossed coins at the rock, made a wish they would find husbands... the coins landed and years later they both returned with their husbands. It was said if the coin lands, you will find your mate, but if the coin falls - your love wont last (don't quote me exactly, its been 5 years since I was there). Well... Brian decided our honeymoon was the best time to seal our eternity together and land that coin on the rock. He flicked a dime... it rolled off. So he tried his luck again, and again - each time missing. I have wondered if the dime ghost is the spirit of those women leading us toward destruction, this is why I am cautious about the whole "dime sign". Who knows. Anyway, I bring this up, because on a whim today, I googled "dime ghost" and there is a whole phenomenon about dime ghosts! So we are not the only ones with this kooky idea. Whatever it may be, we now save our dimes in a mason jar - maybe we will build our fortune one dime at a time.

[therealerinnau]

I have decided to learn Spanish. I’ve always wanted to and what better a time than now! I’m using the free app Duolingo (the little green owl on the bottom right of my social folder). So far so good- I mean, I’m not good yet but the app is!

[therealerinnau]

Setting my intentions for the week

I am carving some time out of my evening to set my intentions for the week. What I plan on accomplishing, what needs to be competed, what should I start. What do I want to get out of this week? I wont know where to start if I don't know where I want to be.

[therealerinnau]

Day 1

Hey everyone! Sunday's are our family's funday's. Mathew is off of school, and Brian was off of work (which doesn't happen every Sunday so we take full advantage of the days he has off). We played video games together as a family, watched a documentary, watched Hook... It was very enjoyable. I made buffalo chicken dip which we ate with corn chips and celery, very tasty. We watched YouTube together as a family... We just enjoyed our day together. I didn't accomplish much, but I didn't have much planned for today anyway. Sunday is the day off, for all of us. It was fun and much needed. The boys were both asleep by 10pm, I got the kitchen cleaned up, the living room cleaned up, Mathew's lunch & snack packed for tomorrow and I'm ready for the week to start in the morning. Good night everyone!

[therealerinnau]

Facebook Hiatus starts tomorrow

I read a blog entry this morning about procrastination which reminded me of the same time last year which was the first week of school for Mathew, my son. I felt very unorganized, unsure what to do with my life, I felt lost. I just didn't know what to do with my time - honestly, I knew what I wanted to accomplish but instead of doing the work involved, I would scroll through post after post, getting trapped in a Facebook loop. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy seeing what everyone has going on, but I have noticed we have little to talk about that is new because Facebook has already told us. Last year, I took a 30 day Facebook Hiatus. On this hiatus, I accomplished quite a bit - I quit my old, crappy job with horrible hours and terrible pay after finding a new one which I truly enjoyed, I read books, cooked meals, spent quality time with my husband, my son and my family. I started the ground work on our gallery we had opened later in that year. The hiatus was a good thing. I have decided to take another Facebook Hiatus... this is Facebook Hiatus II.. I have some specific goals in place for this Hiatus which I will starts tomorrow, Sunday, September 7th 2014. Discipline. I have a list of what what is important for me to accomplish, most of these things in the past, I have started, yet I let fizzle out because of distractions. Here are my goals; -write a blog entry each day - get the creative juices flowing -write more. Whatever comes to mind. Write, write write. -yoga. #yogaeverydamnday -run. I am on week 4 of the Couch to 5k app. My goal is to finish the app before winter. -learn software I already have. Learn to use it and master it. -read regularly. expand my horizons. Now - there is obviously more to it than this, I can't just check this list off after 30 days, but this 30 days is meant to start me up. Then I will continue the good practices I have learned. This will also (I am hoping) lead my life in a new direction. After the 30 days, I may even not be back to Facebook - who knows. I am sending out a Facebook message to my close friends and family today, giving them my numbers, address, link to my blog - and letting them know about this Hiatus (so it doesn't get lost in their feed) I will also make a post stating my hiatus so anyone looking for me, knows whats going on. This blog is a way to keep me motivated, and still feel I get my opinions out in the world - even if they go nowhere. I unsubscripted from some other distractions I have found myself getting lost in as well, like marathon watching seasons of shows on HuluPlus, following people I don't even know on twitter... etc. I encourage anyone to take this challenge with me, and lets see how much we each can accomplish when we take the focus off Facebook and focus on ourselves and our goals. I love you all!