It's a cake walk

Doesn't the expression "It's a cake walk" refer to something being unbelievably simple? Tomorrow is the Fun Fair at school. I thought I would simplify my life and NOT bake for the cake walk. [Why? I don't know? Because if I have established anything on this blog, it's that I LOVE to bake.] Most people buy grocery store cakes anyway. My idea was to run to the dollar store and buy a plastic jar of some sort and fill it with slice-and-bake cookies. Then, I remembered the very delicious pretzels, with Hershey's kisses and m&m's our friends brought over once. What could be simpler than that?

Got home from work just before the bus at 3:00. It was a beautiful day so the kids played outside. I told Ellie she had to be in by 5 so she could eat a little something, she could get her homework done, we could go to the dollar store for some sort of container, then go to the candy store for the chocolate. Darrin went to the grocery store and bought pretzels and slice-and-bake cookies. Here it is 8:30 and I realized if I baked rolled butter cookies - I could have been done by 4:00. I always have the ingredients on hand and I could practically make them with my eyes closed. But, I did need to make a trip to the candy store anyway. Ellie's troop will be playing store as part of earning their Penny Power Try-It. The girls are all to bring $2.00 worth of small items to sell at the next meeting. I suggested 8 bags of candy to sell for 25¢ each. Did I say I needed to go the candy store? Maybe that's where my simple scheme de-railed. If I skipped the trip to the candy store I could have gathered my supplies without waiting around for Ellie to eat, play, and do homework. The dollar store didn't even have a container, but I bought the plastic tray at the candy store. Looks like I spent 60 seconds in the grocery store, not 5 hours of running around like a maniac. Life is simple, sometimes I make things more difficult than necessary.

Most people don't realize they have a mantra that they have not consciously chosen. I am at least conscious that I need to change mine, even though I am not always disciplined. For example, every time I cleaned the house all the while I would be thinking "I hate cleaning... I hate cleaning.... I hate cleaning..." I've changed that one to "I love a clean house." My other most recurring thought "I am so busy... I am so busy... I am so busy." Now I can consciously replace that with "Life is a Cake Walk!"