Am I superwoman? Hardly.

I get the comment from amazed and bewildered people from time to time regarding my many hats (veterinarian, jewelry artist, art gallery owner, mom, agnerd, volunteer -- and not necessarily in that order depending on the day).

"How do you get it all done?"

I don't know that I do anything much different from anyone else, but here's my take on how I get things done (outside of my magic wand):

1. I don't sleep much. Caffeine and I are close friends, and I don't spend much time with my head on a pillow. While this let's me get a lot done, I am working hard on trying to change this. I have a sneaking suspicion that it's affecting my health in not a good way, so this one has got to get remedied sooner rather than later.
2. I don't do anymore housework than absolutely necessary. Not kidding. I do my best to make sure my kids go to school in clean clothes and don't get sick from a food borne illness, but the rest gets done......whenever. My little peeps (or Hurricane three boys as I affectionately refer to them sometimes) can destroy a house in minutes. Seriously. So why spend hours (yes, hours) cleaning up only to have chaos again in a matter of minutes? I have just learned to live with the chaos and not have people over to visit without 3 weeks notice and a cleaning crew scheduled.
   
3. This next one is a biggie. I didn't even realize my advantage here until a couple of years ago. My husband works at the grocery store. I send a list with him every day or two and I almost never have to go. I figure this one saves me three to five hours a week, easy.
   
4. I don't watch much TV. Okay, I do like watching a few shows, but when I do, it's on the DVR or online. Zip through the commercials and that 1 hour show is now down to forty-two minutes (and I'm usually making jewelry while I'm watching).
   
5. I have a great babysitter. She is fantastic at helping to keep my kids in line and fed...and my kids LOVE her. (More than me sometimes as they have been so kind to share as I'm taking away their favorite monster trucks for beating the crap out of each other.)
   
6. I spend every possible moment doing something. This probably isn't quite the best as my brain probably does need some down time, but if I've got a minute, I'm busy. The ten or fifteen minutes I might have waiting on a client or getting to my next destination early is perfect for catching up on blog reading, sending out emails, or returning a few phone calls. And since I also spend a lot of time in a vet truck, I subscribe to some killer business podcasts and listen while driving.
7. I have the best, most supportive spouse in the world. Parenting is something we both do. He knows when I'm in my office working that he's in charge. I can't also thank him enough for the help he gives me in the business.

I am anything but superwoman. I just play her on my blog.

Let me hear from you. What do you do to get through your day?

Friday's art website - ARTCYCLOPEDIA MUSEUM LISTINGS

With summer travel plans being discussed, why not add an art museum to your list? Artcyclopedia has a directory of all the art museums in the United States. You can select a state to look at all the museums by cities within that state. The museums are also listed with their website links.

Monday's agriculture website - Farmer Bloggers

Have you ever wondered what happens on the farm?  Do you want to know how the milk gets from the cow to you?  What does a rancher ride the prairie for?  If you've ever wondered about this or other farm and food questions, head over to the Farmers Blog, a collection of farmer blogs in  "one stop shop" setting.

The group of blogs consists of several farms and ranches from the California Valleys and Mountains to the Midwest plains, organic, conventional, large, small, grain, livestock and more.   Click here to see a complete list of the farmers and their backgrounds.

Monday's agriculture website - Beef, It's what's for dinner

Did you know that May is beef month? In celebration, I'm linking today to Beef, It's What's for Dinner. What can you expect to find if you go there?

• An interactive meat case display, explaining the different cuts of meat
• Recipes! Recipes! Recipes!
  
• Beef terms defined
• Nutritional information

The website is maintained by the Cattlemen's Beef Board, which is comprised of cattle producers and importers who direct the national Beef Checkoff Program, with oversight from USDA. National Cattlemen's Beef Association is a contractor of checkoff dollars used for beef promotion and research efforts on behalf of the Beef Board.

Monday's agriculture website - Krazy Coupon Lady

Okay, so this technically isn't an agriculture website, except we all have to eat right? As the price of gas and grocery shopping continues to squeeze wallets, who hasn't thought about using coupons? There are tons of couponing sites out there, but the one I've been using most lately is for the Krazy Coupon Lady. Not only does the site list the sales and coupons for a variety of grocery stores, it also shares coupons for major department store chains. The site also gives other tips for saving money and points to other links that share coupons. For me, the most useful part has been the listings of the items on sale at my local grocery store, plus a link to an online coupon to make the item an even better deal. It also has a "10 day boot camp" article to make you a bona fide coupon shopping "krazy lady".

Monday's agriculture website - Grilled Cheese Academy

Did you know that April is National Grilled Cheese month? What a great idea! (and sounds like a fun way to celebrate) In case you need recipes for inspiration, head on over to the Grilled Cheese Academy. The site is maintained by the Wisconsin Milk Marketing board and includes a variety of recipes within a variety of cheese types. The academy also encourages users to submit their recipes for inclusion on the site.

Monday's agriculture website of interest: MIDWEST DAIRY ASSOCIATION

*For those new to the Cow Art and More blog, every Monday, gallery jewelry artist and blog writer Kathy Swift shares an agriculture themed website or article with readers.*

Did you know June is Dairy month? June Dairy Month, an annual celebration that began in 1937, is traditionally a time to reflect on dairy foods and the industry that makes it possible. It was created as a promotion to help distribute extra milk when cows started on pasture in the summer months. Today, its rich history continues, with communities, companies and people from all over the country observing June Dairy Month in a variety of ways.

Head over the the Midwest Dairy site to learn more about June Dairy month and dairy farming. You will have the opportunity to meet some dairy farmers, learn more about how they take care of their cows, and learn how to cook with dairy products. Moms can also get nutrition advice and recipes.

The Midwest Dairy Association is a non-profit organization financed and directed by the dairy producers in nine states in the midwest. The association implements programs that help increase sales and demand for dairy products and dairy ingredients and help improve the economic well-being of Midwest dairy producers. The association's education division promotes a healthy diet through nutrition education and the use of dairy products to consumers, health professionals and teachers.