OBABA, Part III, also known as "Settle down, woman!"

So for the last few days, I've been beating myself up about getting back on here and posting more about my quest to become a multi-tiered bad-ass. I beat myself about a lot of stuff. A typical conversation in my head goes something like this:

"Oh good, I'm getting some work done. Laundry. Oh god, there's like 12 loads. There are also dishes in the sink. Dishes! What are we having for dinner?? I wonder what the boys are doing? I'll go check on them ... right after I grab these 16 things that aren't in the place they're meant to be and put them back. Wow, I should really spend more time playing with the boys. But then there's work. I've got to make money. I'm a horrible mother. I'm a horrible earner. I'm a horrible housewife. I'm a horrible person ..."

You get the picture. It is ridiculous. So, after mentally flogging myself for a few days about a damn blog post, I decided that Part III here is going to be my last part for awhile. Until I get strong. Until I start volunteering. Until I calm the hell down and stop knee-jerk thinking about 12 other things I should be doing while I'm doing something that I'd be thinking about if I was doing one of those other 12 things.

The world will not fall implode if the toys are not picked up.
Nothing will break permanently if the laundry gets piles up.
No one is EVER mad at me because I'm not doing enough. Well, no one but myself.

And it's got to end. It's an utterly ridiculous source of stress. I'm expecting too much of me. And me is getting pretty pissed off about it.

So here's objective No. 3 of Operation Be a Bad-ass: Stop trying so hard to be a bad-ass.

I mean, sure, get strong. That is a worthy bad-ass objective. Do the volunteer work you've been thinking about for years. Yep, that's a good one, too.

But otherwise, lay off the crazy do-do-DO-DO!!!! all the time. (Heh, I said doo-doo.)

I took my first step today. I sat down at the computer to work and realized, I don't want to do any of this today. I don't want to do laundry or clean or work or straighten up the house. Screw that. I want to make some shit. (The boys are at school.)

And before I had too much time to think about it and guilt myself into, say, scrubbing a toilet, I got in my car and headed off. I went to the thrift store and found some cool stuff. I went to the hardware/garden store and bought some stuff. Then I came home and I made some stuff.

See!

 I used an old mason jar and wrapped twine around it, then planted a succulent in it. I LOVE succulents.

I have been wanting to make a terrarium for years. Today, I made two. Beginner's effort, for sure, but I still love them.

The three cute vases I bought at the thrift store. For about $3 total.

I also got that little birdie. I love that thing, and he goes nicely with my arrangement made from branches I collected from the front yard, rocks and moss.

The sum total of everything I did today. And I'm OK with that. In fact, I think it's pretty rad.