Life with Dylan

Category: Mom

  • Quiet mornings, coffee, and making plans

    Today was my last day of winter break. For the past two weeks I have not had to think about work or schedules or being anyplace that I didn’t want to be. Two weeks of vacation that didn’t require packing a suitcase or staying in hotels. Exactly what I needed. I have enjoyed my quiet mornings with a cup of coffee and my late nights with hot cups of tea.

    My mind has been in overdrive, which is strange considering I took two weeks off from blogging and haven’t been writing. Instead, I have been thinking and making plans. Thinking is so much more than just solving a problem or getting a good grade in school. I am talking about really thinking – deep thoughts about the world and your life and what great things you will do next.

    Nothing is finalized yet, so I can’t give you too many details. However, I can tell you that I will be doing something very special to help with rhino conservation and that I will be taking on a challenge of something that I have never done before. It is all very exciting and a little scary at the same time.

    For now, I will continue to get lost in my own thoughts. I will enjoy the next two days – the weekend – before going back to work on Monday. I will keep taking life one day at a time and while my mornings may go back to being a little hectic, I will cherish my quiet mornings with coffee.

  • Do you listen to your body?

    Recently I’ve been feeling run down and very extremely tired. While we were on break last week I was up until 1 or sometimes 2 a.m. – I slept until at least 10 most days and a few days it was almost 11 before I could peel myself out of bed.

    My to-do lists seem to be never-ending. The things I want to do and events I want to attend seem to be put on the back burner to make room for more projects I keep saying yes to.
    When am I going to learn to say no?

    Sure, I keep saying that I am going cut back and make time for me – do what I really want to do – even if all that means is sitting on the couch to read some magazines, walking on the beach, or writing a blog post.

    Yet somehow this is not what is happening. For every one project I said no to, I seem to have said yes to three others. There is definitely something wrong with this scenario … and my body is trying to tell me something.

    My body is saying “Hello, snap out of it. Listen to me. You’re not a spring chicken anymore and you need to slow down.” So why am I not listening to my body? Why can I not say no to people?

    When your body is so tired that you can’t wait to go bed, but when you finally lay down your brain goes into overload … there is a problem.

    When insomnia sets in and you lay in bed for 2 hours watching the clock … there is a problem.

    When you don’t listen to your body … there is a problem.

    Starting today, starting right now, I am going to listen to my body. Some people may be upset or annoyed with me when I tell them that I can’t finish something I said I would do and the house might not be spotless. The laundry and dishes may pile up, but that’s OK because I am going to start saying yes to me and start listening to my body.

    How often do you listen to your body when it’s trying to tell you something?

  • Is it a phone or another toy?

    Don’t get me wrong, I love my iPhone as much as everybody else does, but sometimes I wonder whose phone it is. It seems like I am constantly telling my son “It’s a phone – Not a toy”

    Yes, I play games on my phone, who doesn’t? And if you say you don’t then you are probably in denial. However, the majority of the time I am making an actual phone call or checking my emails from my phone. OK, I might be texting, tweeting, instagraming, or checking in … but it’s my phone. I paid for it. I’m the adult.

    The other day I was looking for a picture that I took for a blog post and stumbled across something that caught my attention.

    An alligator on ice skates pushing another alligator in a shopping cart? What is this?

    Did I take a picture of something and not remember?

    Oh wait, this looks like a game my son was playing the other day. So I ask him if he took a picture on the phone? Nope. I said, “really – because there is a picture of an alligator on ice skates” … Oh, yeah that’s from my game Where’s My Water?

    This is just a brief account of the conversation because in reality this went on for about 5 minutes before he admitted taking a picture. Although he didn’t really take a picture – he just saved the reward he got in the game. I don’t care that he plays games, nor do I care that he saved a picture of the game. What I do care about is that he realizes it’s a phone!

    You know that thing we use to call people? If he keeps playing games and draining the battery, then what happens when we actually need to use the phone to call someone?

    Do your kids take over your iPhone? What age is the appropriate age to get a kid their own iPhone?

  • Sometimes dreams do come true

    Today I want to do something a little different. I want to thank all of my friends who have supported me and my new blog – Beautyisms.
    I really do love writing about beauty and sharing tips, sales, new products and the ideology of living a life filled with beauty.

    One person who stands out and deserves some individual recognition is Jill. Many of you know her from her blog sandy toes & popsicles – but did you know that she is also an amazing designer? I had a vision for Beautyisms and with just a few bits of information, Jill was able to make my idea a reality.

    She created some wonderful logos and designs for me to use. In one of her emails she actually said “Are you that easy? There’s nothing you want changed?” Well … no … because she nailed it on the first round of design choices. Jill took my whimsy, flirty style … added a touch of my love for Hawaii and plumerias … and there you have it.

    Thanks again Jill for bringing my vision of what Beautyisms should be to life.

    If you need invitations or logos or anything designed, I highly recommend contacting Jill Parkin. Check out her site www.jillparkindesigns.com – because first impressions say it all.

  • Follow your Passion

    Have you ever done something for so long that you just burn out?
    The thought of doing something one more time is just unbearable?
    Well, that was me 6 months ago. After doing bridal makeup for close to 12 years, I had to just walk away. I couldn’t imagine packing my kit one more time, or cleaning my brushes, or dealing with one more small cramped hotel room with poor lighting.

    It felt great – no wonderful – to have my weekends back, but something has been missing. I started getting depressed and unmotivated to style my hair (the ponytail became my new best friend) and only wore makeup when I had to. This was and is not me.

    I love makeup. Makeup is my passion.

    I recently spent 2 whole weeks home with my son for the holidays and spent more time than I care to admit on the computer. Tweeting. Pinning. Googling. Writing. You name it and I did it. However, one thing I realized a few days ago is that all of this activity seemed to be focused around one thing – Beauty.

    I was drawn to it. Makeup, skincare, beauty articles, and fashion magazines seemed to fill my days and nights. Is this just a coincidence? No. It’s my passion – and I’m good at it. Beauty is what I know. I can pick apart a photo in a magazine and tell you what is real and what is airbrushed. I can take that photo and recreate the look. I can tell you which ingredients are good for your skin and which ones you should stay away from.

    So I started asking myself why did I leave? Why did I give up on my passion?

    The answer was really quite simple. I just needed a break.
    Rather than quit, I should have scaled back. Less weddings and more photo shoots. More variety.

    Sometimes it’s good to take a break, but even better to know you still have a passion for something and just needed some time away to realize it. Michelle Fryer, Makeup Artist never left – I was just hiding out for a little bit – but now I’m back and ready to make 2012 amazing. One beauty article and one face at a time.

    The Facebook fan page is back, Beautyisms is new and the website will be getting a makeover soon. Now it’s time to hit the beauty stores and start revamping my kit!

  • The Great Weight Debate

    One week into the holiday season and I already feel like I have gained 5 lbs. after the Thanksgiving leftovers. The older I get, the harder it is to work of the weight gain and I still have Christmas and New Years to get through.

    I try to resist, really, I do. I read all the articles in magazines about healthy eating, you know the ones right next to the amazing recipe for a holiday dessert you just have to make. I scan the blog posts about eating healthier and how it’s soooo easy to keep the weight off. Yeah, right … what world do you live in and how fast is your metabolism?

    It’s not that I eat that bad either. French fries – sure, but only 1-2 times a month. That’s not that much. I happen to love cooking, I’m Italian for heaven sake, we cook and we eat! And I bake – double whammy!

    So I am left with what I like to call the great weight debate. It wasn’t too long ago that I lost 30 lbs. and felt awesome. I kept the weight off for about a year and then it slowly crept back up on me. A few pounds here, another 5 lbs. there – and before I knew it, I had gained 20 lbs back.

    Do I exercise? No, not really.
    Would that make a difference? Probably.
    Do I have the time? No, not really.
    Could I make the time? Probably.

    So, as I enter the month of December, I will not deprive myself of my Peppermint Lattes or the occasional Cranberry Bliss Bar. Seriously people – these only come around once a year and I love my Starbucks.

    Instead, I will once and for all accept that this is the weight I should be. No matter how much dieting or changing of eating habits I do, I always come back to this weight. My son will love me regardless of the number on the scale. My family will do the same. As for my friends, my true friends, the will love me and accept me too. For those people that look down on me because I’m not a size 4 anymore … well, I don’t need people like that in my life and neither do you.

    Do you struggle with the great weight debate? Why do we, as women, put such an emphasis on the size of our clothes and that damn number on the scale?

  • Change is Good

    You may have noticed that things look a little different around here. The blog Life with Dylan is going through some changes, but change can be a good thing.

    When I started this blog 4 years ago, the main purpose was to inform friends and family of what Dylan and I were doing. Many family members who live out-of-town appreciated this and still do.  However, things have changed over the years – I changed – my life with Dylan changed … and so must my blog.

    I will still write about the places we go and our visits to LEGOLAND, but I will also be adding more articles from OC Moms, more thought-provoking blog posts, and a few surprises along the way.

    Mondays will have a new feature on beauty and makeup.

    Wednesdays of course are Wordless Wednesday.

    Fridays will be a mixture of Fill In The Blank Friday and Five on Friday

    and my newest favorite … Say It! Saturday

    The focus of Life with Dylan will be changing from Dylan to me, Michelle. My thoughts, put into words, to tell a story. Sometimes the story will be heartfelt, other times it will be funny, and sometimes it may simply be about my life with Dylan!

    So stick around … I think you will like what comes next.

  • I Am Who I Am ..

    Day turns to night and the months pass by. Seasons change and the years seem to go by faster as I get older. I change. I evolve. I am not the person I was 5 years ago, nor am I the writer I was 5 years ago. I have changed.

    However, one thing remains constant in my life. My son. My life has evolved, but for the past 8 years one person has remained by my side giving me the support and love I could not find anyplace else. My son – Dylan.

    Although I am a me, Michelle, and I have a life of my own as a grown woman, my life would not be the same without him. That is why this blog is called Life with Dylan … not because my life has no meaning without him, or because I want to continually talk about my child, but because this is what I choose.

    I am many things …

    I have been a Beach Baby since I was old enough to walk. Therefore, my twitter handle is @bchbby
    I am a makeup artist. Maybe not in the business sense anymore, but I will always be a makeup artist.
    I am a Mom. Some may say I am a Mommy Blogger.
    I am a college graduate who made sacrifices for 2 1/2 years to get my BS in Psychology.
    I am a writer who loves to tell stories.

     … and right beside me through these sacrifices, triumphs, challenges, and life is Dylan.

    We have a bond that cannot be explained. There is no Dad in the picture here. We are together 24/7 with the exception of school and work of course … and I always find time for me because I know that is important for both of us. I am going through a lot of changes in my life right now. My career is changing and who knows, maybe one day I will change the name of this blog … but for now this is one thing that will not change.

  • Is it a Slump or another Mountain to Climb?

    We’ve all been there. The feeling of listlessness, completely unmotivated, sitting on the couch … in a slump.

    Some slumps only last a few hours, others days. My slump has lasted about 4 days and frankly, I’m tired of being in a slump. Mostly because I can’t pinpoint why I’m here. What has caused me to be so tired and unmotivated to do anything?

    I managed to go through some paperwork last night and create some reasonable to-do lists. I feel like this is something I can accomplish this weekend. I have enjoyed relaxing and watching some of my favorite TV shows at night. I’m not feeling stressed out and I’m not getting sick.
    Then it hit me like a book in the head. Just like the stack of books I have cherished for so many years that sit beside my bed.

    My slump is caused by the realization that my life as I have known it for over a decade is ending. My life as a makeup artist is no more.

    (more…)

  • Is the American Dream Still Alive?

    What is the American Dream? Many would say it is the promise of the possibility of prosperity and success. I would tend to agree with that.

    Being your own boss. Working from home. Owning your own business. This is another version of the American Dream. Many people have this and many more make the attempt to achieve this.

    I spent 11 years as a Makeup Artist specializing in Bridal makeup. I helped brides look and feel beautiful on their special day. In 2008, I branded my own line of cosmetics and ran Shel Cosmetics for almost 4 years. This was my American Dream.

    While I worked full time, I spent my off hours trying to get Shel Cosmetics off the ground. I managed to keep the business going while I worked full time and went to school full time. I am by no means trying to justify anything. Well, at least not to you – maybe a little to myself.

    The past few months have been difficult and I have had some tough decisions to make. The weight I have felt looming over me is not good for me or my family. Not all businesses survive in this economy and I am wise enough to read the writing on the financial statements before it’s too late.

    Today I announced that Shel Cosmetics will be going out of business. This was a very difficult decision to make and one that comes with a heavy heart, yet at the same time I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I am proud of the businesses I have owned.

    I will always be a Makeup Artist because I can create masterpieces with a little makeup and a makeup brush. I do not have to have a business card to tell me this.

    There is no way to know unless you try … I tried … therefore, I did not fail. I succeeded.