Is It Naptime Yet

I let my girls fold and put away their own laundry. This is a good and bad thing. One, it’s good because I don’t have to do it. Two their clothes aren’t really folded nicely, so they always look like they’re wearing wrinkled clothes from the clothes hamper. And three, even though we have the drawers somewhat organized, they can still never seem to find what they need at times, like a matched pair of socks or even underwear on some occasions.

The girls each have two large drawers. One drawer is the regular clothes, shirts and pants, not a big deal, the other drawer is the underwear, socks, tights, undershirts, and pajama drawer. Lets just say socks and underwear get lost and it becomes a really big jumbled mess.

With my bringing out of the Spring clothes, just in time for it to get cold again might I add, I wanted to get things a little more organized and into actual compartments in their drawers. I thought I might buy some plastic containers to put in the drawers, for socks and underwear, then my friend Sam mentioned I could buy some drawer things to split the area, or make compartments. I thought I’d buy some, if I knew where to get them since I hadn’t seen them before, and mentioned it to Jon. Of course being the thrifty, waste not want not, kind of guy he mentioned that I should just use cardboard.

Cardboard?

I wasn’t too hot on this idea, but then I figured it was in their drawer, which only we see, I did have a big vacuum box I needed to recycle, and the final nail in the coffin, for two things, it was $20 at Bed Bath and Beyond. I needed 3 sets for the four drawers, so I would have needed to spend $60, and that seems silly when I got the dresser for free.

So I went to work making my ghetto fabulous drawer compartments, and I’m hoping it helps keep things a little more in order. Sure, they look cheesy, but hey, they get the job done and it only took a couple hours of cutting cardboard and taping them so they’d stay together, and not get cardboard bits everywhere.

So am I cheap or inventive? I think a little of both.

What I could have done for $60:

What I did for pennies, since the tape did cost me something.:

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So recently I’ve been doing a few things to try to improve myself. I’m wanting to be the best “Lacey” I can be.
For now it’s mostly taking voice lessons and exercising.

I’ve finally decided I like my voice, at least for the most part. I’ll be making a CD later this year with my voice teacher, so I’ll post some songs once that is done, maybe. We did a fun recording a couple weeks ago, and I was like, “Wow, that’s what I sound like.” It sounded much better than what I have on my voice recorder that I use for classes.

With accepting my voice, I think I’m also able to accept other parts of me, like my body.

I know I’m not over-weight or very large, but I have the weakest cardiovascular system ever, and like zero muscle mass. I know if I work on toning my muscles, especially my stomach, and build my cardiovascular endurance, then I can sing better. I enrolled the girls in a once a week class at our local rec center, and got myself a monthly gym pass to the gym there. The class is an hour an fifteen minutes long, so I can get a decent workout on the treadmill and elliptical. Then the girls also “babysit” for Sam once a week, and I go to the gym then, and she’s able to get things done while they entertain Matilda. It’s a win, win situation, because she also pays the girls, and they have lots of fun doing it, and we both get things down that we need to. (I now have to let them know when they’re “babysitting” and when Sam is the one watching them, so they don’t expect to be paid every time they go over.)
I also workout at home 2 to 3 days a week, and a man in my ward bugs me to make sure I’m doing what I’m suppose to do. For some reason being accountable to him helps me, since he’s a friend, but has little mercy for me or whatever excuses I might give. This is my third week and I’ve been able to go to the gym regularly, though I have slacked a little for my at home work-outs. One step at a time, right?

I’ve decided my motivation to exercise is not solely to lose weight. It would be so nice to lose weight, but I want to be a better healthier me, and live a healthier life in the long run. I’m really hoping that by making small changes, I can make them habits and keep them for life.

I’m also hoping that I can be a better dancer for when the play comes around each year. I’m always so out of shape, and I figure as I get older, I need to work harder so I’m not left in the dust.

A lot of this so far is so I can be a better performer, but it’s only been till now that I’ve ever felt courage enough to do these things. I’m so thankful to have Jon as my husband because he is so supportive and kind and very encouraging.

Lastly, I’ve also been reading, like novels. As silly as it seems, I read Pride and Prejudice after Christmas and it was the first book I had read for myself, solely on my own, and completed since I graduated from college 4 years ago. It was fun to read and I’m now reading Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. It feels nice to be improving my mind, or at least exercising it a little.

So I’m working on being the best me. Never mind that my house is a disaster a lot more since I’m home less, and we still use the same amount of dishes, and the girls still love to play and make messes.

I’m still learning how to balance me and the house, and the girls and life. It’s been hard, but I think overall I’m happier and I know that being the best Lacey is more important than an empty sink, or spotless house. (Not that I had a spotless house before.)

How can you be the best you?

So I was not cast as a lead this year. 🙁 But I am pleased with my auditions and how I did at callbacks. I feared I would go back into my old singing voice, but I was able to hold my own, and the poor guy who auditioned with me for the mayor’s part had to sing a little louder than he’s use to, but he’s a great singer and adjusted well to my very loud voice. I got a lot of good feedback and even though it’s on Facebook, I really don’t want to lose some of the encouraging comments I got, so I’m putting it in this post. 😉

Back story: My friend Heidi Green was called back with me for the Mayor’s wife. She was First girl last year, while I was Second girl. I told her and her husband how this was the part I wanted, and immediately she felt a little bad, since she didn’t know there was a Mayor and Mayor’s wife part till she and her husband were called back. We talked and of course, it was all about whoever is the best person will get the part, and not to worry about hurting my feelings. She was really cute and I thought she might get the part. In the end our Cinderella from last year was cast, which I kinda thought would happen when I saw we were in this callback together, and it was the only callback she had.

FaceBook comments after the cast list was sent out:

Heidi: Lacey, all I have to say is that I wish you were Mrs. Mayor. Especially because you’re humble. You did great at auditions.

Kelly (The Director): You both did great. This is why cast lists make me sad.

Me: I know. It’s hard. I’m happy to have put myself out there and actually say I wanted a part. That was a big step for me. I’m still happy to grow and learn from wonderful actors and directors.

Kelly: There were alot of tough choices made. You should be so proud of how well you did Lacey because you made it very hard for us.

Me: Thank you so much Kelly. You’re positive comments mean so much to me.

Kelly: I really mean it Lacey. Keep working and you’ll see that lead sooner than you think. Be more confident in your abilities because there is alot of talent and potential there. Trust me and ask my students when I say I don’t BS to make people feel better. I mean this from the bottom of my heart. You really did shine.

Me: I totally plan on working hard on my singing, acting, and even dancing ability. I’m slowly gaining that confidence and am happy to be surrounded by such wonderful people.
Thank you so much Kelly.

~
I was also called back for a Bird Girl part, but I wasn’t holding my breath since I had to be able to dance, like really dance. I knew I could probably sing in a trio, but dancing proved to be my biggest hurdle. I won’t go into too many details, but I did fine while learning the dance, though I was not great, but when it came time to perform it, I came in early, forgot parts of it, and I’m sure looked a fool a little. It was fun, and I’m still happy I hung in there and didn’t cry when it was all over, or even feel inclined to cry, which is something the old Lacey would have done.

I’m still happy to be in the play, sad no doubt for not getting a lead, but I still have a lot of nervousness when it comes to singing and performing, and I hope that I’ll be able to get over some of it over the next year. My voice teacher is having a recital later this year, that she wants her adult students to be in too, and I still need to sing in church.

I will say I’m finally liking my voice when I hear it on recordings. I usually can’t stand to listen to it, but I’m gradually liking it, and that helps me to sing louder and more confidently.

This has been a great learning and growing experience and I just hope I can continue to put myself out there.

See you in Whoville this June. 🙂

Update: Due to a few drop-outs, I am now a Jungle Animal in the Jungle of Nool. I think I get to be a Zebra. If anyone has tips on how to “be” a zebra, let me know.