Claire the Afena Mom Blog

So it’s been a lousy week for going outside. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very thankful that we haven’t had subzero temperatures and two feet of snow. But I still have three young children in the house, and all of that energy has to go SOMEWHERE. I think I’ve mentioned my admiration for Pinterest in the blog before, and when it comes to “indoor winter activities to save mom’s sanity”, there’s a whole lot of suggestions out there. So here’s how my week went down.

Since I’ve been writing this blog, I’ve been talking about my family’s journey to get out of debt. We’ve been successful in only owing a mortgage and using our home equity line of credit as needed, which is a huge relief, especially when we see the high heat bills coming in during these arctic winters. But it has been a journey, and not always an easy one, especially when you’re looking forward to it, instead of back on it. Sure, there are tips and tricks that will help you save money, and sometimes, a surprising amount. Brown bag your lunch, make your own coffee, sleep on a purchase before making it…these are all techniques I’ve used to help us manage our spending. But sometimes you need more than tips for saving.

The beginning of January and winter has finally decided to hit our little piece of Indiana full force this week. With the freezing cold temperatures and snowy conditions, I chose to avoid driving as much as possible. Before we had kids, I might have braved the roads a little more, cabin fever pushing me out the door, but with our three little ones, I’m not willing to risk getting stuck in a snow drift, or a stalled battery. Driving through snow and ice always leaves me with hunched shoulders and dry eyes, because I’ll literally have my eyes peeled open and won’t blink nearly as often as I need to.

The beginning of another year always brings a little bit of panic to my home. We’ve taken down the Christmas tree, braved the dusty weight scale in our bathroom, and took stock of where we are after three big holiday meals, countless cookies, and half of a gingerbread house. Losing weight is a pretty common resolution, at least for me, and it’s one that I have a really tough time sticking to. It’s not because I don’t enjoy exercising, and with three little ones, there are plenty of opportunities to get moving!

This time next week I’ll be on my path to achieving New Year’s Resolution glory! I’ll be counting calories, dropping pounds, and hitting the gym. I’ll be building a budget that will get my family to Disney and my husband and I to retirement at the same time. Probably, literally, at the same time. Disney can be expensive. I’ll be cleaning the house on a schedule and conquering dust bunnies on a regular basis. I’m exhausted just thinking about it.

It’s almost Christmas. We’ve shopped, we’ve decorated, we’ve looked at the lights. We’ve pet reindeer and visited Santa. We’ve made Christmas cookies, hung Christmas stockings, and sung Christmas carols. It’s been a fun month, and I’m in shock that the much anticipated holiday is THIS WEEK. After being good all year, the kiddoes are all eagerly awaiting Christmas Eve, when I’m sure at least one of them will be staying up to wait on Santa.

Have you been through the Walkway of Lights this year? I would go through the Walkway every year growing up, amazed and delighted by the twinkling snowmen, angels, and gingerbread men. The Walkway of Lights started in 1992, and I was just entering those wonderful teenage years. But despite my youthful independence and stubborn desire to “grow up”, those trips through the Walkway brought me back to myself as a child, still in love with the magic and wonder that is Christmas, especially here in Marion.

Every year we write a letter to Santa with our children. Granted, little man has a pretty flexible wish list, and it centers mostly around my cell phone and the television remote, but his big sisters are starting to get fairly detailed with their requests. This year, my middle child is totally in love with Paw Patrol, which is her favorite cartoon, and Skye, the helicopter flying cocker spaniel/poodle mix is her absolute favorite character. So this is the toy that has topped baby girl’s letter to Santa this year, and as Santa’s secret helper, I had every intention of making sure it was under the tree come Christmas morning.