My Chihuahua Bites!

Dear Douchebag...

2012-01-27T09:16:00.001-05:00

It’s back, friends! This is what many of you said was one of your favorite blog topics, so in an attempt to please my readers (ha!) I’ve decided to make this a regular feature.

Either write your own post (leave me the link in the comments section), or leave some of your own letters in the comments section!

Dear Speed Racer,

You know, it really won’t hurt you to park further from the store. I’ve been waiting behind you for 10 minutes in your search for the perfect parking space. Old Lady McGee seems to be cleaning her dentures, and I don’t think she’ll be pulling out of her spot any time soon. How about you move your car so I can get to where I need to be this century?

Beep beep! No, really.

Andrea

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Dear Wal-Mart worker,

I’m guessing you missed your Customer Service 101 training. If you had taken it, I’m sure you would know “I don’t know” is not the proper answer when I ask you where product XXX can be found. Nor is “did you look for it?” acceptable.

Sincerely,

It’s a poor economy and other people would love your job.

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Dear Daycare Worker,

I suppose I should tell you that my husband and I refer to you as “Sassy Sequin Pants”. Really, I adore your style. Tights, sequin shorts, and glitter Tom’s are an excellent look when you’re waist deep in poop and snot. Still, I can’t fault your ability to accessorize. Your beret is quite sassy.

Work it, girl.

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Dear Chick-Fil-A,

I’ve long referred to you as the Target of fast food. Seriously, I love you bunches. However, you recently stepped in it. Please explain to me why I must pay for cream cheese when I purchase a bagel? Really? Panera does not make me pay for cream cheese with my bagel.

Get it together.

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Dear Parents,

I realize your child is probably on your last nerve. Dropping him or her in the Chick-Fil-A play zone and immersing yourself in your iPhone probably seems like the only way to hold on to your sanity. However, if you don’t get your inattentive butt in the play zone and extract your 5 foot, 100 pound “under 3 year old” I will shank you.

Sincerely,

The woman who is disciplining your brat while you check into Foursquare.

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Dear Kohls,

Marking something up in price so you can put on sale for 40% off is not really a deal. I’m not dumb and I realize I am paying the same price for goods as I would elsewhere.

I love the Kohl’s cash, though.

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Dear Kristin Cavallari,

Well played, girlfriend. I guess he isn’t going to break off your engagement now, is he?

Mindless Fun on a Thursday Morn...

2012-01-26T10:03:00.000-05:00

Mallorie from Happy Home tagged me in a MeMe, and since I’m lacking in inspiration I thought I would play along.

11 Randoms About Me

1. I get super crazy about having a clean floor right after I’ve swept and mopped. I will literally get down on my hands and knees and pick up little bits of dirt or whatever is tracked in the house. It is absolutely insane.

2. I never wake up on time. An alarm is just a suggestion, right? Who wants to be on time, anyway? Make an entrance!

3. I am a huge fan of the Transformers movies. Jason and I watched the most recent movie this weekend, and I cried when I thought Bumblebee was going to die. I do believe I screamed “Noooooooooo! Not Bumblebeeeeeeeeeeeeee!” as I ugly cried.

4. I buy salad greens every time I go to the grocery store, intending to get my salad on, but those greens end up turning brown and slimy in my produce drawer. Good intentions and all that.

5. It drives me crazy when Cooper tells me no. I mean, I know every parent doesn’t want their child to tell them no, but I think I probably take it to another level. I float above myself when it happens and I actually see myself becoming my mother. “Don’t you tell me no, Mister! I AM YOUR MOTHER!”

6. I am a diehard Republican, but I have 0 interest in the Republican candidates. Political rant: While I think Gingrich has the best hope of actually balancing the budget, I think he’s a bit of a douche. Jason says that shouldn’t matter but it does. Cheater cheater and all that.

7. I am horrible about buying picture frames and never placing pictures in them. Jason forced me to go and get pictures printed before Christmas since we were hosting Christmas Eve dinner. He said he was embarrassed. Whatevs, Jason. Step one is the picture frame. Step 20 is the picture.

8. My house is only truly clean when I know someone is coming to visit.

9. My method of cleaning is to move things from room to room, until it finally ends up in the final room and I’m forced to put it all away. When I clean the kitchen, I put everything that doesn’t belong in the living room. What doesn’t belong gets moved to the stairs, and so on and so forth. I’m really just moving messes around the house, but it works for me.

It would literally make my year if Kim would rip off her wig and show us her real hair.

I used to spend a lot of time daydreaming about being a contestant on shows like American Idol, The Voice, etc. Now I daydream about being the parent of the winner of American Idol. In every situation where someone achieves something or wins something, I think how proud of a parent I would be if that was Cooper.

Mallorie's Questions

1. If you could live anywhere where would that be?

If money was no object, I’d have a beach house on Edisto Island, and I’d live in Columbia, SC or Charleston, SC.

2. What is your favorite board game?

Life.

3. What is your favorite season?

Winter. It goes far too quickly in SC/GA.

4. If you had to choose would you rather have a perfectly cleaned house each day OR never have to cook again?

Ooh, this is a hard one. I’d choose the perfectly cleaned house, though.

5. If you found out that you had unlimited funds and money was no longer a problem what is the first thing you would buy?

I’d pay off all our debt and I’d probably buy new cars for Jason and I – something bigger for me and more fuel efficient for me.

6. Do you get a bigger rush from a big splurge or finding a great deal?

I’m an impulse shopper… so really, both.

7. How do you sleep at night? Side, back, tummy?

I sleep on my left side.

8. What is your guilty pleasure TV show?

I love Real Housewives of Atlanta and New Jersey.

9. When you were younger what did you want to be when you grew up?

A writer – which I guess in a way came true!

1 What is your favorite blog post that you've written so far?

Probably my pregnancy posts or my post about depression.

11 Which would you rather have painted, nails or toes?

Nails!

I'm being lame and not tagging anyone... but feel free to play along if you would like!

Valentine’s Day Polka Dot Mani Tutorial

2012-01-25T09:18:00.000-05:00

Hey friends! Today I am guest posting at Stuttering Shell. Hop on over to Michelle’s blog and check out my tutorial for this super cute, super easy polka dot mani – it’s perfect for Valentine’s Day!

I hope to see you there!

2 On Tuesday: Music

2012-01-23T21:32:00.000-05:00

Happy Tuesday! I hope you’ll join in and link up today to talk about your favorite music!

Today’s topic is:

What is the song you play when you want to get pumped up?

What is the song you play when you want/need to cry?

What is the song you play when you’re cleaning?

What is the song you play when you’re exercising?

(You do not have to link videos – you can just list the songs if that is easier for you. )

I love old school rap music, and there is always one song I put on when I need a little boost.

Young MC – Bust A Move

When I want/need to cry (come on, I’m not the only one who puts on music and cries, am I?) I put on some Coldplay. I don’t even like Coldplay, and this song makes me cry.

Coldplay – Fix You

When I’m cleaning, I listen to the Glee soundtracks on repeat. I loved the Treble Tone’s performance of “I Will Survive/Survivor”!

Glee – I Will Survive/Survivor

As far as exercising, who am I kidding? I don’t exercise. I’m excited to see your recommendations, though!

And for a laugh – did you see the skit SNL did about Adele this weekend? It fits in perfectly with my second question. You must watch!

I hope you will link up today! I look forward to reading your answers!

A Case of the Mondays

2012-01-22T19:14:00.001-05:00

Don’t forget to take my Reader Survey and be entered to win a $25 gift card!

Dear Lord… ever feel like you need a weekend to recover from your weekend? We didn’t even do anything this weekend and I’m ready to tear my hair out. Cooper has been a crazy man and (as I write this on Sunday evening) I am SO ready for bedtime. I love you, kid, but… go to bed!

We have been so lazy around here since Cooper’s birthday, mainly because we’ve all been sick. I woke up last Friday morning and couldn’t hear out of my right ear. Jason convinced me I had a wax build up (I swear I clean my ears daily) so I ignored it, and it got progressively worse. On Sunday, it started hurting so I went to Urgent Care. The doctor was shocked I had waited so long to come in and told me it was the worst infection she’s ever seen. (Why I am always the best at these types of things?!) She started me on two different types of ear drops and one oral antibiotic. ($70 ear drops with insurance that did not work. Shoot me now!)

Being as I have never had an ear infection (at least not that I can remember) I had no idea what to expect as far as recovery. Even with the meds, instead of getting better it just got worse. I couldn’t hear at all out of my right ear. It felt like cotton was stuffed inside and I couldn’t hear unless I turned my left side to face the person speaking. I finally went back to the doctor this past Friday, and not only had the right ear not gotten better, but I had an ear infection in my left ear.

Super awesome. Thankfully he put me on a stronger antibiotic and a steroid, and the left ear has cleared up. I still can’t hear out of the right ear, but it does feel less “full” so I’m hopeful.

Now Jason and Cooper are both sick with colds and basically I just want to bleach my whole house this coming week.

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Anyone have any tips for curling short hair? This is the length my hair is now. I’m growing it out, but it is taking forever. I don’t want super long hair (because my hair is so thick, I think I would be miserable with super long hair) but it would be nice to have shoulder length hair, I think. My hair is a little longer than it looks because I curl it under.

I haven’t used a curling iron since college, and I have no idea what I’m doing. Way back when, you used to curl towards your face and under. I take it you are supposed to curl away from your face now? I’m clueless. I don’t even know if my hair is long enough to really curl without looking stupid.

I did buy this curling iron (1 inch) after hearing According to Nina say it was what she uses regularly.

Wal-Mart

So, any tips?

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I’ve raved about one of my favorite shampoos and conditioners to you guys before – Pureology Nanoworks – but I stopped using it because of the expense. (One 8oz bottle retails around $50.) Like I said, it is expensive, but it saved me from damaged hair after a coloring mishap. I was in Trade Secret Friday and they have all their liters on sale, buy one full price and get 75% off the second liter. That is a great deal on Pureology and you should check it out if you are a Pureology user.

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My Twitter friend, Jenn, sells Arbonne and a while back mentioned they were having a 50% off sale. I took the opportunity to snatch up the RE9 Advanced Face set. I’ve been using it for two weeks, and so far so good. I will give a full review after 6 weeks or so of use.

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Tomorrow is 2 On Tuesday, and I’ll hope you’ll come by and post! The topic is:

What is the song you play when you want to get pumped up?

What is the song you play when you want/need to cry?

What is the song you play when you’re cleaning?

What is the song you play when you’re exercising?

Can wait to read your answers! See you tomorrow!

Advertising on My Chihuahua Bites!

2012-01-19T21:13:00.001-05:00

This is a work in progress. Stay tuned!

Reader Survey & a GIVEAWAY!

2012-01-19T20:58:00.001-05:00

This month I’ve joined in with SITS to participate in the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog challenge. It’s been really eye opening… not only am I trying to assess my blog from my readers’ perspectives, but I’m also re-evaluating my reasons for blogging.

I’ve been blogging for a long time… since 2008. That’s three years of words, pictures, laughs, and tears. Sometimes it has felt like the most natural, rewarding thing in the world, and other times it has felt like a chore I have to check off my to-do list.

I told Jason tonight that I feel like I’ve stopped blogging for myself and started blogging for numbers. I sit around and try to think up topics that my readers will like instead of blogging about something that’s important or interesting to me. When was the last time I wrote a “Dear Cooper” post? I stopped because I thought y’all found it boring. I don’t really blog very much about my day to day life. Why? I just don’t know.

In 18 years when my son is grown, I don’t want him to read this blog and learn how to make a peppermint wreath. I want him to read this blog and know what kind of woman and mother I was at this point in time. Is that coming across in my blog? I just don’t know. I’m not saying tutorials, recipes, etc. are bad – I just want to try to balance things out with more posts about me.

Do you, as my reader, know who I am? Does that come across in my writing? Do you feel I’m “real”? Can you relate to me? That’s what is important to me.

With that said, what you think of my blog matters to me. I want this blog to be someplace you visit regularly. I want to build relationships with my readers. Your opinion is important to me, and I need your help.

I want to solicit your opinion. I’ve developed a reader survey, and in appreciation for the time you spend answering my questions, I’m going to give away a gift card to one lucky reader. All you have to do is answer the questions below in the comments section. One commenter will win a $25 gift card to the store of their choosing (Wal-Mart, Target, Amazon, or Sephora).

Please be honest. (Don’t be mean – be honest. ) I appreciate your honesty, and I know I’m opening myself up to criticism by asking for opinions.

Reader Survey

1. How long have you been reading my blog? Do you remember how you found my blog?

2. How often do you visit My Chihuahua Bites?

3. What do you like best about my blog?

4. What do you like the least about my blog?

5. What are your favorite types of posts to read?

6. What type/topic of post will you automatically skip right over? (For example, you hate Memes, or Brain Dumps, or posts about my child…)

7. If you aren’t a regular commenter, can I ask why?

8. Do you watch vlogs?

7. Is there a topic you’d like to see me blog more about?

8. What is more important to you – if a blogger responds to your comment via email, or if the blogger visits your blog and leaves a comment?

That’s it! Feel free to leave me any other helpful suggestions/comments.

Thank you everyone!

Birthday Wish List

2012-01-19T05:22:00.000-05:00

The wish list worked pretty well for me for Christmas, so I figured it couldn’t hurt to document my birthday wishes, huh? Dear husband/birthday fairy, are you listening?

Sidenote: have I ever shared that on the first birthday we celebrated as a married couple, my husband got me a salt & pepper shaker as a gift? (I don’t collect salt & peppers shakers, for the record.)

Everybody and their mama has a pair of Toms. I think it is time to jump on the bandwagon, and these glitter shoes will serve me well. A few questions about Toms: where do you order? We don’t have a department store that carries them. Are they true to size? Do you think they are comfortable?

I’d like every color from the China Glaze “Colours From The Capital” collection.

I’d like the Hourglass Veil primer, please.

I think every cook needs the Paula Deen Southern Cooking Bible.

Most of all, I’d like a date night to the restaurant of my choice, my pick of a movie, and to sleep in on my birthday. That sounds PERFECT!

I accept care packages! (Kidding. Kind of. )

Christmas Recap

2012-01-18T05:03:00.000-05:00

Happy Wednesday!

I know this is super overdue, but since this blog is supposed to document my life, I wanted to be sure to blog about Christmas.

We had such a blast celebrating this year. Cooper was at a perfect age to begin to participate in Christmas activities.

Cooper loved Santa. LOVED. We took him to see Santa, and he saw Santa three other times at various events. He’s the only child we know of his age that wasn’t scared. When Santa came to daycare, I’m told he was the only one in his class to run up to Santa and asked to be picked up.

Terrible pic of a pic

The Elf On The Shelf was a huge hit. Ollie (thanks for the name suggestion, Brandy!) ruled the roost in our household! Cooper would wake up each day, and as soon as we walked downstairs he would start searching for Ollie. As I mentioned here, I think next year I will separate Ollie and the book advent calendar. Cooper was very sad that Ollie left on Christmas Day, and he has asked for him a few times since.

We did pretty good on our Christmas traditions, although there were a few that didn’t get done this year. We did not go see a Christmas musical at church, decorate a gingerbread house, or make a birthday cake for Jesus. (I feel bad about the last one.) Not too shabby!

Now onto the pics!

My dad’s work threw a children’s Christmas party early in the month. This was the first time Cooper had ever seen Santa, and you can see his reaction. He didn’t quite know what to think, but he perked right up once he realized Santa had a present!

This year we decided to try something new and see the Lights of the South, which is held at a huge farm. You can walk through or ride on hayrides and see all the lights. It was freezing that night – it really made the whole experience less than enjoyable.

I hosted Christmas Eve this year, and I had about 20 people over for dinner. Cooper had a bit of a meltdown mid present opening and I had to take him upstairs and put him to bed. He refused to take any pictures.

We attempted to do a White Elephant gift exchange with my family on Christmas Eve, and it was a disaster. My grandparents just didn’t get the point, and people were more concerned with getting a “good” gift than just having fun with the experience. I was really disappointed in the whole thing.

My parents spent the night on Christmas Eve so they could be there when Cooper woke up and saw what Santa brought him! He got some good gifts.

His big gift was the train table, which he has absolutely no interest in. I am hoping he grows into it. All he has done with it so far is destroy the tracks my mom so painstakingly put together.

He does love the Mini Cooper, though!

Mommy got a new camera lens and this was my first shot.

I got Jason a Roku, a Dremmel tool thingamabob, the ESPN documentary set 30 For 30, some Elmo pjs, a laptop, some clothes, and a digital picture frame for his office. Funny: I picked up Tim Tebow’s book at Barnes and Noble and didn’t notice until Jason opened it that it was a YOUNG ADULT book! Haha! The pictures should have clued me in.

Jason did so well with my gifts this year! Apparently he took his phone to Sephora, pulled up my wish list, and told the girl to get the items on my list. Yay! Y’all know how happy that makes me. He also got me some cocoa from Williams Sonoma as well as a few stocking stuffers. He said he went to the Apple Store (he shopped on Christmas Eve) to get me an iPad but turned around once he saw the line. Haha!

I know I’m late asking, but how was your Christmas?

2 On Tuesdays: Red Carpet Fashion

2012-01-16T18:20:00.001-05:00

Hello friends! Thanks for sticking by me through my absence. I hope you are all ready to dive back in to 2 On Tuesday!

Today’s topic is:

What celebrities do you think have the best red carpet fashion? What celeb’s closet would you like to raid?

Last night was the Golden Globes, and while I don’t really love the award shows themselves, I sure do love the red carpet! Here are a few celebs I think got it right last night.

Source

If I could raid any celeb’s closet, it would be Lauren Conrad’s. I love how classic she always looks, and even though she’s quite a bit younger than me, she isn’t super trendy.

Source

Do you think I could pull off blonde hair? Hmm…

By the way, Lauren and her style team (hair, makeup, nails) had a fab beauty blog with wonderful tutorials and tips. Check it out!

How about you? Don’t forget to link up!

Happy Birthday Cooper!

2012-01-16T18:05:00.001-05:00

What a weekend! Y’all, I am very happy to report that I made it through my baby’s second birthday with a minimum of hysterics and tears. I can’t believe I have a 2 year old! Stay tuned for my obligatory “Dear Cooper” post.

I took Friday off work so I could clean the house and prep for Coop’s birthday. Let’s deviate from the topic at hand, shall we? Am I the only one who severely underestimates my time? I had plans that I would get the whole house cleaned while C was at daycare and Jason was at work. Instead, I got the downstairs clean. The problem, Jason says, is that I cannot *just* clean. I have to clean.

There is a difference. Instead of simply wiping down the kitchen counters, washing the dishes, sweeping, and mopping I defrost the freezer, organize the pantry, and bleach the grout in the tile. Sigh. I just can’t simply pick up a room. To me, it isn’t clean unless it is clean. Am I the only one? I wish I was different. Cleaning is a lot of extra work and stress for me, as it is not something I really love to do.

Back to Cooper Bear! Here’s the bear in his birthday gear. Can you guess what his birthday theme was? (And again, by theme I mean cake.)

Cooper’s sweater and button down are both from Target. His shoes are New Balance and have Grover on the side. You can find them on Ebay!

The cake is from Sam’s Club. It was super cute, but I heard it was a little dry. I was running around and didn’t get to have any, and for whatever reason I haven’t had any since.

Here we are opening presents! We got Cooper a Schwinn guided tricycle.

Funny fact: my son shares a birthday with three other family members. My dad, my cousin, and my sister-in-law all have birthdays on January 14th.

My immediately family – mom & dad, brother’s family, and my family

All in all it was an amazing day! I can’t believe my baby is 2! Time sure does fly, doesn’t it? (And on a TMI note, guess who went #2 in the potty today? Yay Cooper!)

Please check back tomorrow – 2 On Tuesdays will resume! I’ll have it posted by 9:00 p.m. eastern Monday night.

Playing Catch Up

2012-01-12T22:06:00.001-05:00

Y’all. I just can’t seem to catch up with life. I feel like a hamster on a wheel that is headed no where. All day long I run and run, yet I never actually get anything accomplished.

Let’s have a brain dump, shall we? There’s lots of stuff I’ve been wanting to share with you, only to store the tidbit of the day in my “things to blog about later” mental file, which I admit leaves my brain within 2 seconds.

Cooper’s birthday is January 14th. As in Saturday. As in one full day away. I thought I was handling this milestone slightly better than his first birthday (after all, I haven’t had any embarrassing meltdowns at Party City this year) yet I spent the last 30 minutes ugly crying in the living room whilst reminiscing over the past year.

Can you guess the theme? And by theme I mean cake, as I have done absolutely nothing else to prepare for his party.

Can we talk about RSVPs? Specifically, the people who don’t bother. YOU SUCK. Seriously. It’s a freaking evite. I couldn’t have made it easier on you. Click yes or no, losers. I don’t even CARE if you don’t come, just freaking RESPOND.

Work has been crazy. I’m super overwhelmed and stressed out, and because I work in the healthcare field, that’s all I’m allowed to say about that. Let’s just say there was an audit, and it did not go well.

Fun times. Not.

Remember when “Not” was the cool response to your friends? “That’s so cool… NOT!” It was almost as awesome as “PSYCH!” Yet no one will ever be as cool as my brother, who used to end his phone conversations with “Appreciate.”

Jason has started a year of school to become a Senior Reactor Operator, also known as the hell in which I don’t have a husband for 52 weeks. I thought military deployments were bad – at least he wasn’t home and therefore I had the freedom to do what I wanted to do, when I wanted to do it. Now I have a small toddler screaming “Daddy! See Daddy!” while my husband holes up in his office, cramming for his weekly exams. I’m left to do the fun stuff, like create meals my toddler will eat and clean the bathroom, while my husband has fun studying four hours a night.

This is made worse still by the fact that my husband is a bit of a whiner, and spends the 30 minutes per day we have with one another talking about how much his life sucks right now. Because I am a good wife (and because this is only week 2 of 52) I smile and nod instead of screaming “THERE ARE STARVING CHILDREN IN NEW GUINEA! IT COULD BE WORSE!” I open my eyes wide and let my thoughts wander while he talks to me about things like atoms and physics and nuclear… oh my god I barely passed geometry PLEASE SHUT UP.

My birthday is January 29th. You know, just in case you wanted to shower me with cards or Edible Arrangements. I’m registered at Sephora. (Kidding. Although how awesome would it be if Sephora had a registry?)

Jason (actually, I bought this for myself but passed it off as a gift for Jason) got a Roku for Christmas, and we’ve been tearing up Netflix. The Twit recommended we watch The Walking Dead, and we’re hooked. I’m ready for February! Y’all know I have a zombie apocalypse plan, and all this zombie fiction is helping me perfect my escape.

I’m doing really well with my goals. So far I’m accomplished… nothing. Wait a minute! I did take down the Christmas decorations last night. Oh wait… the trees themselves are still up, so I guess that doesn’t really count.

Boo.

Tag, you’re it! What’s new with you?

52 in 52

2012-01-04T20:55:00.001-05:00

I suppose this is where I should apologize for my absence. Perhaps I should offer an explanation? Or maybe I should just be one of those people who waltz in (post) and pretend there never was an absence at all.

Hmm. Y’all, I’m not sorry. Sorrynotsorry, as they say. December was crazy busy, made even more crazy by the fact I was hosting Christmas for the first time ever for an insane amount of people in the new house most of my family has never seen. Y’all can imagine the depths to which my crazy reached. I packed 6 months of home improvement, cleaning, and decorating into just a few weeks.

Yet I still didn’t manage to hang one thing on my walls? And I forgot about the hole my husband and brother knocked into the wall whilst moving furniture? And I made a wonderful olive and appetizer platter and completely forgot to serve it? And my toddler had a wildebeest meltdown during dessert?

Fun times.

Anywhoodles, the holiday recap can wait until later. Because I know most of you have moved on, but I’m sure you’re dying to know how my husband did on the gift giving front this year. (As opposed to years past, when I got NADA and we didn’t speak until after New Year’s.)

I’m copying my girl Shawn and posting my list of 52 things I want to accomplish in 52 weeks.

Don’t be fooled by this list. I’m predicting I wait until Thanksgiving, and then I’ll try to cram 50 of these goals into 4 weeks of pure insanity.

HOME

1. Hang pictures/etc. on the walls.

2. Decorate the dining room. Purchase a new light fixture for the dining room.

3. Paint the downstairs bathroom.

4. Decorate the playroom.

When I showed my husband this list, he laughed at my goals. “Goals? Those aren’t goals. They are to-do lists.” WHATEVER, HUSBAND. I haven’t gotten it done in 6 months so to me it is a goal.

Let’s review how much I procrastinate, shall we? When we first moved in, I painted a swatch of turquoise paint on the downstairs bathroom wall to see if I liked the color. That was in July. That swatch is still in the bathroom. I even purchased the paint and supplies, and I still haven’t moved farther than that swatch.

ORGANIZATION

5. Get craft supplies organized.

6. Get papers/filing organized and keep it that way!

7. Set up a filing & bill paying system.

8. Set up a family calendar.

9. Create a home organization and meal planning binder.

10. Make a running list of pantry/freezer items.

11. Organize/clean garage.

12. Organize the master closet and keep it that way!

13. Do laundry 2x a week. Fold as soon as it comes out of the dryer and put it away.

14. Prepare breakfast/lunches at night.

15. Put together Cooper’s and my outfits each night (including accessories) before I go to bed.

My garage is a place where things go to die. Roaches, ants, and broken electronics are never seen again. It will be a miracle if I pull this one off.

HEALTH/BEAUTY

16. Cook/eat at home at least 5 nights per week.

17. Take breakfast/lunch to work instead of eating out – at least 3-4 days per week.

18. Lose 40 pounds in 2012.

19. Take better care of my skin.

20. Keep my nails painted at all times.

We eat out… a lot. Like a shameful amount of money is spent on eating out. I’m embarrassed to say how much. Which is why my butt looks like cottage cheese, I’m guessing.

I’m getting the wrinkles, y’all. Must avoid old lady lines in forehead.

Jason laughed at #20…. but I feel polished when my nails are polished. (Hah.)

COOPER

21. Organize Cooper’s closet. Put outgrown clothes & shoes in bins.

22. Create a “lesson plan” for Cooper. Focus on one topic per week. Spend time each day on that topic.

23. Do one craft project with Cooper per week.

24. If weather allows, spend time outside with Cooper each day.

25. Do one family activity together per week (park, zoo, Monkey Joe’s, etc).

26. Create a meal plan for Cooper. Introduce new & healthy foods.

27. Create a chore chart for Cooper.

28. Set limits on TV watching for Cooper. Watch 2 shows per day (1 hr of TV).

29. Read a bible story to Cooper each night.

I know #22 sounds like I don’t teach my kid, but I really need to focus more on specific topics to feel like he’s learning something from me.

Coops has turned into quite the picky eater, and I must expand his current palette of fruit snacks and Cliff bars into something slightly healthier.

We have a tendency to hibernate on weekends, so #25 will force us to get out of the house and do something productive as a family.

#28 – Cooper is capable of picking up his toys, filling up the pups food bowl, and helping me unload the silverware out of the dishwasher. I figure this will be a fun way to teach him age-appropriate responsibility.

FINANCES

30. Really work on only buying what I NEED and not what I want.

31. Discuss purchases with Jason.

Jason busted a gut when he read these. “52 goals and only 2 are about money?!” Well, husband, they are an important 2, no?

FAMILY

32. Have a family meeting one time per week to check in and discuss goals/schedule/finances/etc.

33. Do a weekly devotional with Jason.

34. Have one date night (out) per month. Have one date night (in) per week.

35. Take Cooper to visit his great-grandparents at least once a month.

36. Be more “in the moment” when I’m with my family.

37. Do a small act of love/encouragement for Jason per week.

38. Compromise more in my marriage.

#36 – aka put the dang phone down and stop tweeting during family time. The end.

SPIRITUAL

39. Spend time in prayer each day. Pray for others as much as I pray for myself.

40. Join a church!

41. Read a devotional daily.

#39 – I’ve noticed lately my prayers are 90% me and 10% others. Me thinks I need to worry about others as much as I worry about myself. Self, it is not all about you.

BLOG

42. Blog at least 4 times per week.

43. Create a Facebook fan page for my blog.

44. Set aside time each week to return comments. Be better about responding to blog email.

45. Explore ways to monetize my blog.

Are y’all laughing at #44? I promise to try harder!

FRIENDS

46. Send 4 handwritten notes per month to friends.

47. Get involved in some sort of women’s group.

48. Put myself out there when it comes to friendships.

I am so shy when it comes to friendships. Friendships are a little like dating, I think, and it involves making that crucial leap from “we should get together one day!” to “hey, want to go for coffee on Thursday?” I need to work on putting myself out there more when it comes to friendships.

OTHER

49. Take more pictures of Cooper!

50. Create photo books of Cooper’s first and second year.

51. Participate in project 365.

52. Learn to use Picnik.

Y’all, it is sad the amount of pictures I have taken lately of my kid. Poor poor baby. He will have no pictures to document the past 12 months.

Yes, Picnik confuzzles me. Photoshop would really blow my mind, huh?

What are your goals/resolutions in 2012?

Home For The Holidays

2011-12-21T17:10:00.001-05:00

I remember well the many holidays that Jason spent under the sea, in a submarine. I was 3000 miles away from my family, spending Christmas by myself.

Those were hard times.

Thankfully, we are together this Christmas and we have the opportunity to spend the holidays with my family.

I’ll always remember those Christmases spent away from my loved ones, and my wish for you this season is that no matter your situation or location, you are with people you love.

Happy Holidays!

This post was sponsored by T-Mobile.

Oh What Fun It Is To… Decorate!

2011-12-15T21:15:00.001-05:00

Today is the final day of the Oh What Fun It Is To… series and I’ve had such a blast visiting the hostesses and reading everyone’s posts. Today I’m linking up with Erin at Blue Eyed Bride to talk about holiday décor.

This is the first year I’ve decorated the whole house for Christmas. I’ve always intended to do it, but traveling, pregnancy, and a baby have prohibited me. I love Christmas decorations! They just make the house look so festive and joyful.

I mentioned earlier this week I put up multiple trees. I thought this was common, but when I mention it, someone people look at me like I’m crazy. We have four trees up this year, and my goal is eventually to have a tree in every room1

A few years back, I hit up the after Christmas sales and got two trees. Then I happened by Goodwill and found two more Target Christmas trees – new in box – for less than $20! Score!

*I apologize in advance for the terrible pictures. My mom messed with my camera this weekend and I can’t figure out how to restore the regular settings.*

Here is the living room tree. I have to confess my mom did the mesh and the bow since I am not capable in those areas.

And Cooper’s sock monkey tree…

This tree is upstairs in our hallway.

This tree is in our bedroom.

The are not decorator perfect by any means but I love them.

This is the first year that I have had a mantle, and I had so much fun decorating it for Christmas!

I’ve been drooling over that Santa picture for years, and I finally pulled the trigger on Black Friday. He’s standing with his sack on his back and has his finger to his lips telling you to “shhhh!”

This is an iPhone photo but it shows the detail a little better.

A few other odds and ends…

I can’t wait to see your pictures! Please link up and show off your Christmas décor!

Etta is the winner of the Father of Joy Designs print! Congrats Etta!

Oh What Fun It Is To… Create!

2011-12-14T09:32:00.000-05:00

I’m back today to link up with Meredith from The Tichenor Family to talk about our holiday creations! I love to craft, and I especially love Christmas crafts. I tend to get the most use out of my glue gun during December.

My favorite Christmas craft (even though it gave me a horrendous glue gun burn on my ankle that hasn’t faded even after 3 years!) is my peppermint wreath. SO EASY! All the supplies were less than $5 and it took me a few reruns of Grey’s Anatomy to complete.

Peppermint Wreath Tutorial

Are you looking in need of a great teacher or neighbor gift? This cute Santa pot makes a beautiful gift basket!

Santa Pot How-To

If you need an inexpensive gift for a coworker or Chinese gift exchange, these frames are stunning and are so easy to make! This is another $5.00 craft. I gave these to my grandparents with my maternity pictures and they loved the frames almost more than they loved the picture! Ha!

Bejeweled Frames

I made monogrammed plates last year for my aunt, best friend, and SIL, and they were a huge hit! They were so easy to make, and again, were very inexpensive. All you need are plates, a computer (a Silhouette/Cricut helps but you can make this with Word as well), ceramic paint, a Sharpie, and a paintbrush.

Monogrammed Plates

Beverage tubs make great hostess gifts (I stock up on these tubs at the end of the summer when they are on clearance). These are easy to do if you have a Silhouette or a Cricut and can cut vinyl!

Monogrammed Beverage Tubs

What are you creating this Christmas?

Oh What Fun It Is To… Make Memories!

2011-12-14T08:52:00.000-05:00

Today I’m linking up with AP from I Love You More Than Carrots to talk about making memories during the holidays.

This is Cooper’s second Christmas. Last year he was less than a year old, and he didn’t really get it. This year he is very into the idea of Christmas and he loves Santa!

I want to create/introduce so many traditions to my family, but I know I need to tweak everything so that Cooper can understand and participate in each activity. This year I was very excited to introduce Cooper to Elf on the Shelf, and it has been a huge hit with C!

An Elf’s Story aired on CBS the Friday after Thanksgiving (and again last week, I believe) and I give this movie 2 thumbs up. It is a great way to introduce the idea and purpose of EOTS to your child. The movie is sold at Barnes and Noble, but I believe it is out of stock right now. I had Cooper watch the movie several times prior to the appearance of our elf

Another tradition we started this year was the book advent calendar. After Christmas last year, I went and purchased 25 children’s Christmas books while they were on clearance. I won’t lie – it was a big purchase, even with the books being on sale. However, now that we have all 25 books, I can reuse the books year after year. (If you aren’t able to purchase 25 books, you can get out library books for this purpose – just keep a record of when they need to be returned.). I wrapped the books and numbered them for Cooper to open each day.

I decided that this year I wanted to tie the book advent calendar and the EOTS together. I thought that getting a present from Ollie (our elf’s name) would get Cooper really excited about EOTS. I had planned on having him open the book on December 1st, but the night before Cooper found my hiding place for the book, so Ollie came to our house early.

Jason and I explained the concept of the elf to Cooper, and we read the book together. The next day, Ollie was waiting downstairs with a book. We built up his appearance and let him run around downstairs searching for Ollie. When he found him, we stressed how important it was not to touch Ollie. He’s only touched him once, and when he did we explained how he looses his magic if touched. He hasn’t touched him since.

Cooper does not get the concept of his behavior being reported to Santa. Honestly, I think he’s too young for that. However, he finds Ollie very exciting and he loves opening and reading his books. Ollie has helped enforce the idea of manners for Cooper. I used to have to remind Cooper to say “thank you” but every since Ollie arrived he is saying thank you whenever someone does something for him or gives him a present.

Next year I will separate the EOTS and the book advent calendar and they will be separate activities. I think we’ll push the idea of Ollie reporting his behavior and will have him be more mischievous next year.

I know a lot of you already have an elf, but for those of you that don’t, I wanted to share how wonderful Ollie has been for our family. I hope this helps some of you with younger child get ideas on how to introduce the elf to your child.

I’ve shared this already on the blog, but here are a few of our other traditions:

Make a special evening of putting up the tree and decorating.
Go get Cooper’s picture taken with Santa.
Do several local Christmas events around town (Lights of the South, Lights Before Christmas at the zoo, holiday parties).
Listen to Christmas music.
Drive around and look at Christmas lights.
Watch Christmas movies.
Bake cookies.
Decorate a gingerbread house.
Make a Christmas craft.
Purchase Christmas pajamas for each member of the family – open on Christmas Eve.
Purchase Christmas ornaments for each member of the family.
Display a nativity.
Make treats for Santa.
Make a birthday cake for Jesus.
Read Luke 2 on Christmas Eve. Celebrate Jesus’s birthday!
Make a special Christmas morning breakfast.

How do you make memories at Christmas time?

Keepin’ It Clean at Christmas

2011-12-13T20:51:00.001-05:00

I don’t know about you, but I find it to be such a struggle to keep my house clean during the holidays. Not only am I crazy busy, meaning I have less time to clean than I normally do, but I also have more stuff in my house. I absolutely love how festive and cheerful my house looks during Christmas, but the upkeep can be a pain!

Y’all know I am for sure a sequins and glitter kind of girl, and this means my Christmas décor contains lots of bling bling. Case in point… le tree:

Tree #1

I love my tree. I mean, I big pink puffy heart love my tree. However, said tree has left about 10 tons of glitter all over my living room floor. I vacuum and vacuum and vacuum some more, and the glitter never leaves. It’s the same thing all throughout my house. Glitter in abundance, and y’all know glitter likes to migrate. Which is why I went to work today with glitter all over the butt of my dress pants. Nice.

I’m the epitome of a frazzled mommy, and I struggle to keep the house clean in the best of circumstances. I’m here today to share some tips with you on keepin’ it clean while decorating for and during the holiday season.

Tip #1: Decorate in one weekend. Yes, I know it can be a handful, especially if you’re like me and you put up four Christmas trees. However, 15 tubs of Christmas decorations strewn throughout your house is bound to cause you undue stress. Do yourself a favor and knock out the decorating in one weekend. Then you’ll have weeks to enjoy the ambiance before you have to drag those tubs back out and put it all away!

Tip #2: Put your tree(s) up on one day, and decorate the next. (Of course, this only pertains to us using artificial trees.). I hate hate HATE putting together my Christmas tree. There is nothing worse to me than “fluffing” the tree. I’m paranoid about gaping holes and will spend 2 hours post-fluffing contorting myself to see “is that a bare spot?!”. Get the painful part out of the way on day one so that the actual decorating can be an enjoyable family activity.

Tip #3: If you have young children, take a few minutes when you’re breaking down your tree and put together a separate box of shatterproof ornaments. That way your younger children will have ornaments to hang next year, and you won’t have to worry about searching through your ornament stash to find something they won’t break.

Tip #4: If you have lots of glitter frou frou for your tree, consider putting down trash bags around your tree until you’re done decorating. This will cut down on the mess. This helps during the “fluffing” process – I usually lose little bits of the tree as I pull apart and arrange the branches.

Tip #5: At the end of the holidays, have a tub for each room. Pack the decorations for that room in one tub, and label it. This will make it easy peasy to decorate next year. If you have multiple trees, have an ornament box/tub for each tree. I decorate my trees by color/theme, so if they get mixed up, it takes me lots of time to sort it all out.

Once you’re fully decorated for the season, the key to keeping your house beautiful is to maintain. If you are anything like me, your messes tend to snowball. I have to clean every.single.day or my house is a giant chaotic mess. I spend 30 minutes before bedtime picking things up, putting them away, and vacuuming, and this routine keeps my house clean and company ready.

I hope this was helpful to you! What are your tips for keepin’ it clean during Christmas?

I am sharing my holiday home decor and cleaning tips for the chance to win prizes from The SITS Girls and Great Cleaners.

Oh What Fun it is to….

2011-12-13T09:03:00.000-05:00

I wanted to link up with Nina yesterday, but sadly I have no mad skills in the entertaining department. I’m excited to read everyone else’s posts on the subject though!

Today I’m linking up with The Duchess of Fork to talk about cooking. I have some great recipes to share with you!

My family is very traditional in the sense that we make the same things year after year. My mom makes a ham and turkey, and everyone else brings the sides and/or the desserts. If you’re celebrating Christmas with us, you can always count on having dressing, sweet potato casserole, and my mom’s famous “pink stuff” (congealed salad). Yum! In years past I have not contributed a dish as I have been traveling and there was just no way for me to keep a dish hot for a three hour drive.

This Thanksgiving I made my infamous (in the sense that people say “you’re making WHAT?”) grits n’ greens casserole for our potluck… and the same haters that scoffed at the idea of grits paired with collard greens came back for seconds and thirds. If you love collards, grits, and/or parmesan cheese, you will love this dish! I’ve even had people who didn’t like collards or grits say that it was delicious. Try it…. I promise you will love it. Not to toot my own horn (toot toot!) but every single person who I’ve made it for has asked for the recipe.

Grits N Greens Casserole

Ingredients:

2 cups whipping cream
8 cups chicken broth, divided (6 cups if you use canned collards)
2 cups quick cooking (5 minute) grits (not instant!)
1 bag frozen collard greens (I used Glory canned collards, or you could make your own)
2 sticks butter
2 1/2 cups parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1 cup cooked and crumbled bacon

Directions:

Grease 13x9 casserole.
Combine cream and 6 cups chicken broth and bring to boil. Stir in grits and cook over medium heat until grits return to boil. Reduce heat to simmer and stir frequently to keep from burning. Add milk if needed to thicken to proper consistency.
Cook frozen collards with remaining 2 cups of chicken broth until tender (omit this step if you are using canned collards. If using canned, simply heat and drain). Drain well in colander, squeezing out remaining liquid.
Add butter, parmesan, greens, and pepper to cooked grits. Pour into baking dish. Top with additional parmesan and crumbled bacon.
Bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned.

If you need an easy dessert to take to a potluck, how about Caramel Apple Dip? It takes 5 minutes to make and is so delicious! (Just beware of the double dippers…)

Caramel Apple Dip

Ingredients:

One block cream cheese, softened
One tub caramel dip
One bag of Heath crumbles
Apple slices – I recommend Granny Smith

Directions:

Spread the softened cream cheese into a pie plate.
Top with a layer of caramel dip.
Sprinkle a generous layer (who am I kidding – the whole bag) of Heath crumbles on top.
Serve with apple slices!

We used to do Christmas morning brunch at my aunt’s house, and every year my mom would make grits casserole. Yes, my family loves grits. This just serves comfort food to me! I make up big batches of this and freeze for mornings I want a hot and hearty breakfast. This would be great for Christmas morning!

Grits Casserole

Ingredients:

Quick cooking grits, cooked according to package directions (NOT instant)
Sausage
Butter
Cheese
Eggs
Milk
Salt and pepper

I don’t have exact measurements for this recipe. To begin, you'll need to decide how many servings you need for your family. I usually make 4-6 servings, according to what's written on the side of the grits package. 4-6 servings feeds about 8 people. If you make more than 4 servings, you should use more than one package of sausage.

Start by cooking your sausage, and set aside to drain. Prepare your grits according to the package directions. Once they are ready, season them to taste, adding in butter, salt, and pepper to your preference. Add cheese, as much as you like, keeping in mind that you'll be topping with cheese as well. Add in 1 egg (2 if you have 6 or more servings of grits) and enough milk so that it is not a super thick consistency.

Pour into your casserole dish, and top with a layer of cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

If you want to freeze this, stop before baking in the oven. Just cover with foil, and on the morning you want to cook, pop in the oven frozen and back at 375 for about an hour.

What are your tried and true holiday recipes? I can’t wait to see what you have to share!

2 On Tuesday & a GIVEAWAY!

2011-12-12T19:48:00.001-05:00

Hey friends! I hope you are doing well. Sorry I have been MIA lately. Lots of stuff going on around here… some good and unfortunately some bad. But isn’t that life? I’m just trying to soak up the Christmas season with my baby so some things have been neglected… namely the blog. I apologize for the lack of posts and the absence of 2OT last week.

You’ll find today’s topic at the bottom of the post, but right now I want to tell you about the awesome giveaway I have for you today!

I’ve been reading Abby’s blog for awhile, and I was super excited when she asked me to review a print from her Etsy shop. I truly envy people who are talented at graphic design… I only wish I had the talent to create some of Abby’s prints! Abby asked me to pick something to review, and though I love all her designs, I was immediately drawn to this Jingle All The Way print.

Jingle All The Way 5x7, $5.00

Please excuse the terrible iPhone photos… they do not do Abby’s creation justice!

The print arrived super quickly, and it is printed on high quality cardstock in vibrant colors. I love the whimsical design, and you can’t beat the price of a holiday art! Here are a few of my favorite designs from her shop:

Merry Christmas, Y’all 5X7, $5.00

May Your Days Be Merry & Bright 5X&, $5.00

And I love this print for a nursery! Don’t forget you can order any print in custom colors.

Jeremiah 29:11 5X7, $5.00

Abby is giving one of you the opportunity to win any one print from her Etsy shop of your choosing. To enter to win, you simply need to visit Father of Joy Designs and tell me which print you would like to win. Please leave the link to your favorite print in the comments!

Abby is also offering my readers 10% off your order. Simply enter MYCHIHUAHUA when you check out.

On to 2 On Tuesday!

What are your two favorite Christmas songs? What is your favorite Christmas movie?

I love, love, love the entire Point of Grace Christmas CD. Point of Grace is a Christmas musical group, and if you like classic Christmas music with beautiful harmonies, this is the CD for you!

Christmas Story

I’m also loving the Glee Christmas CDs!

As far as movies, I’m really snobby about Christmas movies. I’ve actually never seen It’s A Wonderful Life or Miracle on 34th Street. I love old school claymation and I’ve already expressed my love of Elf on the Shelf.

What are your recommendations? What Christmas movies do I need to see?

Thanks for linking up, and don’t forget to visit Father of Joy Designs to enter to win the giveaway!

How To: Lush, Full Lashes Without Falsies!

2011-12-06T19:37:00.002-05:00

Thanks to L'Oreal for sponsoring my post about my favorite beauty looks, tips and tricks! Check out Makeup.com for beauty advice from the experts.

Hey friends! I hope you all are doing well. I’m here today with a vlog! Yes, I vlogged. Bad hair day and all.

I wanted to share a beauty tip with you. Want to know how to get lush, full lashes without using false lashes? Check it out!

My absolute favorite mascara is Loreal Voluminous. I’ve been using it for years and years, but a few weeks ago I decided to branch out and try Loreal Double Extend mascara. I really love this mascara! It’s a lash primer and mascara in one. The extender acts as a conditioner and fortifier for your lashes, prepping it for your mascara. The mascara coats your lashes with a mascara that won’t clump or smudge!

The beauty tip I want to share with you is how I get lush, full lashes without applying falsies.

Step One: Curl your eyelashes.

Step Two: Apply the fortifying extender (white side of the Double Extend mascara). Let dry.

Step Three: Use a tissue to lightly wipe off your mascara wand. This removes excess mascara and prevent clumps.

Step Four: Apply one coat of mascara just to the very tips of your eyelashes.

Step Five: Apply a coat of mascara to your lashes, root to tip. Using a lash comb, comb through your lashes to remove any clumps and prevent the dreaded spider lash look.

Step Six: Repeat step five!

Source

Bat your eyes, because you have lashes like a Kardashian!

For more great beauty tips and tricks, check out Makeup.com!

How to Look Pretty in Five Minutes

Strokes of Genius: The Four Best Ways to Wear Eyeliner

What to Keep in Your Office Beauty Kit

I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. Click here to learn more about Makeup.com or become a Facebook fan by clicking here.

2 On Tuesday

2011-11-28T16:13:00.001-05:00

What are your Christmas traditions?

Today I want to talk about Christmas traditions. What were your family traditions as you grew up? What traditions are you implementing (or do you plan to implement) with your own family?

Growing up, we always got to open one present on Christmas Eve, and that present was Christmas pajamas. We also received a personalized ornament each year.

I made Christmas cookies with my aunt, and we drove around looking at Christmas lights on Christmas Eve after our family supper.

Now that I have a child, I am so pumped about Christmas! This is my favorite holiday, and I want Cooper to know the commercial aspect of Christmas (Santa) as well as the story of Jesus’s birth.

Here are some things have done/plan to do as our family traditions:

Elf on the Shelf – this will be our first year with our elf. We’ve watched the movie several times, and I plan let him open the elf/read the book on December 1st.

Meredith had a great idea… let your elf make a special breakfast for your children. Please go see her blog post about Cookie’s surprise breakfast for her family! I’m planning on doing this and at the breakfast, Cooper will write his letter to Santa. (I purchased the Letters to Santa kit she referenced in her post.)

Book advent: Last year after Christmas, I scoured Target, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and other stores for discounted holiday books. I now have 25, and they will be wrapped and ready on December 1st (the first book is Elf on the Shelf). He’ll open one book per day, and we’ll read the book to him. The great thing is that the books can be used year after year once you purchase them! If this is out of your budget (which I completely understand – even buying on sale I still spent about $100) you can always use library books!

Make a special evening (with a special meal – chili, maybe?) of putting up the tree and decorating.

Go get Cooper’s picture taken with Santa.

Do several local Christmas events around town (Lights of the South, Lights Before Christmas at the zoo, holiday parties).

Go to see a Christmas musical at church.

Listen to Christmas music.

Drive around and look at Christmas lights.

Watch Christmas movies.

Bake cookies.

Decorate a gingerbread house

Make a Christmas craft (which will end up being a gift for the grandparents).

Purchase Christmas pajamas for each member of the family – open on Christmas Eve.

Purchase Christmas ornaments for each member of the family.

Display a nativity.

Make treats for Santa.

Make a birthday cake for Jesus.

Read Luke 2 on Christmas Eve. Celebrate Jesus’s birthday!

Make a special Christmas morning breakfast.

What are your traditions? Please share!

Brain Dump

2011-11-27T20:24:00.001-05:00

Happy Monday! I hope you are all recovering from the Thanksgiving let down. Am I the only one wearing stretchy pants today?

First things first – Julia is the winner of the Scentsy giveaway! Julia, I’ve passed along your email to Susan, so you should be hearing from her soon.

How was your Thanksgiving? I am super lame and did not get a single picture of my family. My mother-in-law came into town last Sunday, and she went home this past Saturday. This was the first time she and Cooper had met, and they became fast friends.

(Insert picture here, but because I am LAME I have no record of her visit)

Did you shop on Black Friday? I did! I refused to go out at midnight, but my mom & I headed out around 9:00 a.m. We hit up Wal-Mart, Kohl’s, Target, the mall, Kirkland's, Joann’s, Old Navy, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Hobby Lobby, and before we finally made it home at 9:30 p.m., we hit up Target again. Black Friday is generally not good for my health (my blood pressure skyrockets when I’m confronted with stupid) but I made it through the day without loosing my cool. (Although several people did earn my eye of death.)

I never go out on Black Friday looking for some spectacular doorbuster. Saving however much money just isn’t worth standing in line for 10 hours to me. (Time is money!) I enjoy shopping, and Black Friday just adds a layer of excitement to the shopping experience. I did finish up all of my Christmas shopping so I am DONE!

On a side note, self-righteous people who go on and on about how they would never go out on Black Friday, it is so stupid, there is nothing they need that much, BLAH BLAH BLAH make me irate. I respect your right to shop or not shop, but don’t act like you’re better than me just because you stayed home. Seriously?

Did you catch the Elf on the Shelf movie that aired Friday on CBS? Man, this movie was pure marketing genius. It is just 30 minutes long, but it introduces the idea and purpose of the EOTS in a way your child can understand. I’m having Cooper watch it every night until our elf makes an appearance on December 1st. The movie is very cute, and is appropriate even for young toddlers.

I got my hair colored on Wednesday. I’m letting it grow (story of my life) so I just did a trim. My hairdresser darkened the base to a dark brown and added lots of caramel highlights. I’m still on the fence as to whether of not I like it… pictures to be posted later.

Are you linking up for 2 On Tuesday tomorrow? The topic is:

What are your Christmas traditions?

(This is one that I give you permission to write more than 2. )

Happy Monday!

At Home Manicure

2011-11-23T06:31:00.002-05:00

Have you entered my Scentsy giveaway?

Today I have a guest post for you! My dear friend Holly (I was there when her youngest son was born - I cut the umbilical cord!) is a Certified Nail Tech. I asked her to give her some tips on how to get the best manicure possible at home. Read on for her tips!

Step 1: You want to clean your nails and remove all the polish you may be wearing.. You can use any type of nail polish remover or Acetone and a cotton pad.

Step 2: Soak your nails in a small dish with some soapy water. If you have some marbles they are good to put a few in the bottom to swirl around while you are soaking for relaxation. (If you don't have time for a full soak, remove the polish from your nail before you take a shower and then after you can continue with the next step).

Step 3: Remove your hand and apply some cuticle remover/softener to the base of your nail bed and let sit for a few minutes. Then, using an orange wood stick, gently push back your cuticles. *If you have any any hang nails or loose pieces you can trim those with a pair of cuticle trimmers but DO NOT CUT your cuticles. You only want to push them back.

Step 4: You want to trim and file your nails if desired. You want to use a 180 or below grit nail file moving in one direction. You don't want to file back and forth like you are sawing.

Step 5: Using a cotton pad with some rubbing alcohol remove all traces of residue on your nail beds and apply a base coat. Then apply 2-3 coats of your nail color and 1 layer of top coat.

For best results let each layer dry a little before the next. Here is a diagram showing you the best way to paint your polish on. This is great to limit clean up. You want to keep your polish away from your cuticles so they can breathe.

Great photo instruction by Michele from Lacquerized

Step 6: After your nails are dry you want to apply a cuticle oil or a cream to help keep them soft. Here are a few good ones.

Winter is here and we need to make sure we hydrate our bodies and our nails. Apply lots of lotion, watch all that washing of your hands, and moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!!!

Thank you, Holly! I can't wait to try out that chart the next time I paint my nails. Maybe I won't have to do any clean up to my cuticles!

Do you have any questions for Holly?

2 On Tuesday: Thankful for Blogging

2011-11-21T22:51:00.001-05:00

Don’t forget to enter my Scentsy giveaway!

Hey lovely friends! Thanks for coming back and once again participating in 2 On Tuesday. Last week was so much fun! I had a blast hearing about your pet peeves. I identified so much with so many of you.

Thanksgiving is this week, and I know we all are thankful for so many different things. Today I want to know:

Why are you thankful for blogging?

Specially, what have you gained from blogging? How has blogging changed your life for the better?

After I had Cooper, I suffered from severe post-partum depression. I wouldn’t talk about it to anyone – at all – for the longest time, until I broke down one night last spring and wrote a post about the way I was feeling. I was completely lost and alone, and so many of you reached out to me with prayers and offers of support. You gave me the courage to seek help, and I feel as if I’m living a different life these days. I didn’t realize how dark my world was until I began to see light once again. I’m happy and well, and I contribute that to the love and support of my blog friends.

Based on your encouragement, I swallowed my pride and admitted my feelings were out of control. I confessed to my husband that I wasn’t feeling normal. I went to the doctor. I got on medication. I asked for help, and you gave it to me.

Some time after I wrote that post, I came home from work feeling so overwhelmed and defeated. I felt so dark – I felt hopeless, like my life didn’t have meaning. I didn’t think I had anyone in the world who cared about me, and I confess to you I was thinking thoughts I’m ashamed to admit even now.

That day, as I walked up to my porch, I saw an Edible Arrangement from a friend. She wanted me to know she was thinking of me. I walked inside, sat down on the floor, and cried. I cried because I felt hope. My joy had been stolen for so long that I didn’t think anyone cared if I existed, and God had shown me that someone did care. I think that was a turning point in my journey, that realization. People loved me. I mattered.

Y’all, I can look back now and see how far gone I was. I honestly think had I not written that post, received that encouragement, and saw my doctor that I wouldn’t be here with you today.

So thank you. Thank YOU. You, the person reading this post. You’ve changed my life for the better. Thank you for reading. Thank you for supporting me, encouraging me, challenging me, and praying for me. You are such a blessing in my life.

I hope I am the same for you.

I am thankful for you.

Scentsy Review, Giveaway, and PAR-TAY!

2011-11-21T22:33:00.002-05:00

I am so excited about today’s post because today you can enter a giveaway for one of my favorite products! Make sure you read to the end for your opportunity to enter!
About two (ish) months ago, I did a Q&A post. My friend Sarah from Vintage Chic Home asked me if I had ever tried Scentsy and if so, what was my favorite scent? My answer was no, I had never tried Scentsy, but I would like to because I had heard such fabulous things about the company and products.
A wonderful reader, Susan, emailed me and asked if she could send me a few products to review. I said yes, and a few days later a big box of goodies arrived at my door!

Susan sent me the Capri Full Size Scentsy Warmer along with the Groovy Rust Plug-In Scentsy Warmer (below).

I also received the Pumpkin Marshmallow, Oats & Honey, and Vanilla Cream Scentsy Bars.
I immediately plugged in my warmer, and I fell in love! There is so much to love about these products. Let me count the ways…

The Scentsy bar is heated by a bulb, and not a flame. I love the idea of scented oil burners to fragrance my home, but I don’t use them because open flames + toddlers don’t mix. I can put the Scentsy warmer on my counter and not worry about little fingers getting burnt.
I had heard claims that the Scentsy warmers never get too hot to the touch, and of course (me being me) I decided to test out those claims. It’s true! I wrapped both hands around the warmer after it had been sitting on for a few hours. It was warm, but not overly so. I did not burn my hands. I also was feeling brave, so I stuck my finger into the heated wax. The wax did not burn my finger. Promise. (The things I do for you guys…)
The warmers are just pretty! Choose from elegant designs, holiday themes, collegiate designs… the possibilities are endless, and they are sure to match your décor!
The scents are divine. So far I’ve only tried the Pumpkin Marshmallow and the Vanilla Cream scent, but I am in love. Seriously. When I have the Pumpkin Marshmallow scent in the warmer, Cooper will walk into the kitchen and just sniff. I’ve had company over and been complimented on how good my house smells. Now that’s a great compliment! (You fellow pet owners hear me on that one.)
The bars last forever. I used three pieces from the Pumpkin Marshmallow bar, and I’ve had the warmer turned on an average of four hours a day. It looks like the first day I put them in the warmer!
Scentsy ships so fast – I placed an order on a Thursday and had my products by the following Tuesday.

Boho Chic Plug-In Scentsy Warmer

I also really love the Plug-In Warmers. I loved the Plug-In Warmer that Susan sent me so much, I ordered the one above for my upstairs! The Plug-In Warmers plug into any three prong outlet, and can be turned on or off via a switch at the bottom. I much prefer the Scentsy Plug-In Warmer over Bath & Body Works Wallflowers or other brands because you have an option to turn them on or off without unplugging them completely.
I really can’t stress enough how much I love, love, love Scentsy. I promise I’m not getting paid to say that. Susan did send me these items to review, but she understood I would write my true opinion. I loved the warmer and plug-in warmer so much that I placed an order a week after Susan’s package arrived. I bought another warmer and plug-in warmer for myself, and I also purchased warmers, plug-in warmers, and bars for Christmas gifts for three of my family members.

So… good news! Susan Kopp, Independent Scentsy Consultant, is offering a fabulous giveaway to one of you! One lucky reader has the chance to win one Plug-In Warmer and one Scentsy bar of your choice! All you have to do is visit Susan's site, find your favorite product, and then come back and tell me what it is! Leave your answer in the comments, and I’ll announce the winner next Monday.

I am also hosting an online Scentsy party, courtesy of the lovely Susan. You can have the opportunity to buy some Scentsy of your own! Please visit Susan’s site to browse all the wonderful Scentsy products and place your order. My party is listed as “Andrea House’s Blog Party!” As an incentive – Susan is offering a special gift to any of my readers who make a purchase! Please email her at SusanMKopp@gmail.com for more details.

I hope you love Scentsy as much as I do!

Amazing Party Look #1, Using Drugstore Finds!

2011-11-19T22:45:00.001-05:00

Thanks to Walgreens for underwriting this post. I was paid as a member of the Clever Girls Collective, but the content is all mine. Visit http://moms.dailybuzz.com/channel/style.

The holiday season is upon us, and for most of us that means we will be attending at least one party. How about you? I know offhand that I have a party at my mom’s work, my work, and Jason’s work. My dad’s company has a children's Christmas party and so does our HOA. I’m excited about celebrating the season, but I have to admit I’m a little stressed about dressing up!

It can be a little pricey to buy a new outfit for each party you have to attend. I have two little black dresses I plan to rotate. I plan to punch up my outfits with some fun accessories, colorful shoes, and fun makeup! Because my dresses are black, I can really have fun with what I wear on my face. I wanted to share one of my planned makeup looks with you.

I do have quite the makeup stash, but I picked up a few fun finds at Walgreens the last time I was there. I don’t know about you, but my budget is stretched pretty tight with all the names I need to check off my Christmas gift-giving list. There’s no need to blow your budget on high-end makeup when drugstore dupes can give you the same look for a fraction of the price!

Here’s the look I am going for:

I love Lauren’s classic makeup, and it is an amazing party look. Read on for how to recreate this look with products from Walgreens!

$7.49

Start off by covering any blemishes, dark spots, or undereye circles with concealer. Maybelline Cover Stick Corrector/Concealer ($5.99) is an oldie but goodie – it covers anything and everything. For foundation I recommend Rimmel Lasting Finish Makeup – it’s 25 hour promise means you can party for hours and your makeup will stay put! Top with Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder($5.79).

Your eye shadow should be very light and neutral as you want your liner and lashes to really pop. Above is Revlon ColorStay 12 Hour Eye Shadow in Neutral Khakis. Use the top shade from your lash line up to your brow bone, and smudge the second color in your crease. Blend, blend, blend.

$2.99

The absolute best (and cheapest!) liquid liner out there is made by Wet N Wild – Mega Liner. This stuff does not budge. I am not kidding when I say you will still be wearing this in the morning. The only way to get it off is to use a oil based eye makeup remover. Prop your elbow on your bathroom counter, and look down into a mirror to apply. Use short strokes and apply the liner all the way across the lip, tilting up slightly at an angle when you reach the end of your lashes. Go over the line again, making the line gradually thicker towards the end.

If you’re liner challenged like me, here is a great YouTube tutorial on how to apply liquid liner!

$8.99

Next: lashes! My favorite mascara is Loreal Voluminous. I use the waterproof version since I wear contacts and my eyes water constantly. Apply the first coat only to the tips of your lashes; let dry. Apply a second coat all over. Use a mascara comb to remove any clumps and apply a third coat. You should have thick, lushes lashes at this point!

For blush, I recommend Wet N Wild Mega Glo – it is a light bronzer and blush in one. You want a subdued cheek with this look. This will give you just a hint of color.

Source

I don’t often wear lip liner, but when I do it is Wet N Wild Willow. It is a great pink/nude liner, and it is less than $1. Score! Outline your lips with liner, and then fill in.

One of the top selling red lipsticks is actually a drugstore brand - Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Fire & Ice. Slick on one coat of lipstick, then blot with a tissue. Apply a second coat. I always like to finish with a light coat of lip balm, since I find most lipsticks to be a tad drying.

Before you shop, print off the Walgreens coupons here. You can get $1.off any Wet N Wild product, any Loreal product, and and Revlon product. Save $3.00 on the products I mentioned above just by printing the coupons before you shop!

I hope this was helpful! Please let me know if you have any questions in the comment section.

**I was selected to write this post by the Clever Girls Collective. This post was sponsored by Walgreens, and I will be compensated for writing this post. However, I do own the products mentioned in the post. All opinions are my own and I would never recommend products I don’t personally use.**

Southern Born & Bred

2011-11-16T08:30:00.000-05:00

I grew up in the same house. I came home from the hospital to the same house my parents live in now. Until I went away from college, I’d never lived anywhere other than my hometown. I always imagined I’d return there to marry and have kids once I graduated. God had other plans in store for me.

I married a submariner in the US Navy, and I followed him around the country as he served his country. We met in Charleston, South Carolina. Our first duty station was Kingsland, Georgia and from there we moved to Silverdale, Washington. From Washington we moved back to Charleston, South Carolina, which is where we finished out his time in the Navy. Now we live in Augusta, Georgia.

No matter where I’ve lived, I’ve always been a Southern girl at heart. I have roots so deep in the Southern culture that they’ve just carried with me wherever I go.

I know people from other parts of the country don’t get it. They don’t understand the copious amounts of makeup. The hairbows or headbands. They don’t get why we have to monogram anything and everything. Maybe they don’t understand our predilection towards eating grits or having two first names.

That’s ok. I’m by no means putting down other parts of the country. Californians have pride just like Floridians have pride. If you love where you live or where you came from, you think your state is the best. I get it.

But I’ll always think girls from the South have a little edge.

Reasons I Love Being From The South

Your belongings will never be stolen because they are all monogrammed.
“Bless your heart” is as insulting as it gets.
At a church potluck you can be sure you will be served two things: poppyseed chicken casserole and fried chicken.
SEC football is sacred. Mark off every Saturday during the fall because you’ll either spend it in the stadium or in front of your television.
You have visited at least one of the following: Charleston, Savannah, Ashville, St. Augustine, or Nashville.
If you’re from South Carolina, you have some sort of palm tree decoration (or an actual palm tree!) in your home.
Pearls are still a girl’s best accessory.
You’ve seen Steel Magnolias or Gone With The Wind at least once, and can quote passages from each.
Flip flops are worn year round – and your “good” flip flops are monogrammed Jack Rogers.
When you don’t know who someone is (which is rare) you can ask your mother, and she will reply “That’s Mavis’s son! You know – the one who married Sally? They had a girl a few years younger than you. Her name was Lissie.”

Southern girls – what other things can you come up with?

2 On Tuesday–Pet Peeves

2011-11-14T20:03:00.000-05:00

Happy Tuesday! Thanks for coming back and linking up!

Just a quick reminder of the rules – please link directly to your 2 On Tuesday post and not to your blog. Thank you for participating!

This week I want to know:

What are your pet peeves?

I hate when people go through the drive through window and order enough food for 15 people. I hate it even more when the workers don’t tell them to pull up and wait – they make the whole line wait while they make 15 hamburgers.

It’s called FAST FOOD for a reason.

I hate when you get all the way home, only to find your salad is missing or your fries are cold. Cold fries are terrible!

I strongly dislike word verification. If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, you know this about me.

I hate people who present themselves as one type of person but then through their actions prove themselves to be something else. For the record, saying “I’m a Christian” does not make you a Christian. Your belief in God, your belief in His teachings, and your application of said teachings makes you a Christian.

Sometimes I don’t like Twitter, because the constant back and forth makes you realize people aren’t who they portray themselves to be on their blogs.

I dislike whining. Which my son has perfected over the last couple of weeks. Maaaaaaaaamaaaaaaaa is not a 20 syllable word.

I don’t understand why plus size stores sell an abundance of clothes that are either sleeveless or have super short sleeves. There’s a big chance that if you are plus size, your arms are not your best asset. Why can I never find 3/4 length sleeves?

What are your pet peeves?

Monday Mish-Mash

2011-11-13T10:39:00.001-05:00

Hey friends! Friday was a crazy day at work for me, so I didn’t have time to get a blog up for Veteran’s Day. My sweet friend Becca hosts a Friday linky called Friday Daydreamin’ on her blog R We There Yet Mom? and she had asked me to participate by talking about my favorite veteran. I’m sorry this is late, Becca!

As I military wife, I have so much respect for the men & women who serve our country, and the families that stand behind them while they do it. My grandfather served in World War II. My uncle served in Desert Storm. Both willingly served during times of war to ensure the safety of ones they loved.

I have so much pride for my own sailor. My husband Jason served as a submariner in the US Navy for 10 years. He made the decision to get out of active duty this last summer, and has now committed to the Navy Reserves. He had completed his tour of duty, but he has a love for the Navy and a desire to serve, so he joined the Reserves.

Thank you, honey! I am so proud to be married to you!

Link up with Becca (it’s ok to be late like me!) if there is a veteran you’d like to think! Come back on Fridays to share a favorite vacation or other daydream.

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The winner of the Tiny Prints giveaway is Leeann at Join the Gossip!

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I feel like I need to apologize in advance if I’m late of replying to emails, visiting your blogs, or if I miss posting for a few days. This is such a crazy time of the month at work, and my mother in law is coming to visit next Sunday. I’m so excited she is coming and that she will get to meet Cooper for the first time, but my house is a MESS! Horrible work hours and sickness have conspired to make it look like a Hoarder’s entry, so I will be getting my Cinderella on every available moment between now and next weekend.

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A few of you wanted to know more about the ex-boyfriend I spoke of in this post. No, he didn’t speak to me that day. It was him, his wife (whom I used to be friends with), and his wife’s sister (who was one of my besties). The wife’s sister spoke to me; they did not. My former youth pastor, who was leading the class, spoke of me by name so he knew I was there.

I did not go out of my way to speak to him, either, so…

He has not been back to parenting class (three sessions since then). I don’t know why. The vain and paranoid part of myself says it is because me. Jason says I am crazy because who would care that much about someone they haven’t seen or spoken to in 10 years?

I did see him again on Halloween night, when we went to Trunk or Treat. Again, he and his wife passed right by me and didn’t speak. The sister stopped to hug me and say hello.

Seeing them again has brought up lots of feelings…. nothing bad. I don’t hate him, or her, or anyone for that matter. Most of all I’m just sad I never spoke up for myself. If I felt he treated me poorly, I’m just as guilty as he is for not telling him it was the wrong thing to do.

Most of all it has just made me determined to raise a boy who understands just how much his actions can affect other people. If he doesn’t like a girl, I want him to have the courage to kindly say so. 10 years later that girl will respect him for it, don’t you think?

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Cooper is feeling so much better. But, just our luck, we had another injury this week. TMI warning: when he had his circumcision, the skin re-adhered on some parts of his penis. The doctor told us it would fix itself eventually. Earlier this week, I pulled back the skin to clean it. Within the next two days, he apparently got a little *excited* and the skin ripped off. His penis is very swollen and painful, and he doesn’t want us to change his diaper at all. It’s getting better, and we knew this would happen at some point.

Poor bug. He just can’t catch a break.

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I had tossed around the idea of putting together an ornament swap for le blog, but I just don’t have time. Katie emailed me yesterday and is hosting one on her blog! Please visit Life with the D’s for more details.

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I’m so happy that so many of you participated in 2 On Tuesday last week! I got some great ideas for my Christmas wish list. I hope you will come back and participate tomorrow!

Tomorrow’s topic is (thanks to Etta!):

What are your two pet peeves?

I know we all have pet peeves, so I want to see your post!

Happy Monday, friends!

Nails of the Day

2011-11-10T08:02:00.000-05:00

Hey friends! Happy Thursday! Thanks goodness it is almost Friday! How are you doing today?

Don’t forget to enter to win 50 free holiday cards to Tiny Prints! I will announce the winner tomorrow!

Lately I have gotten so into doing my nails! I think it is one thing I can do for myself to make myself look more pulled together and polished. I find polishing my nails so relaxing. I do it at night after Cooper has went to bed, while I watch TV. I paint my nails on average 1-2 times per week.

I wanted to share with you some of my favorite products for manicures!

I should start out by saying I have bitten my nails for years. It’s just an awful habit of mine. The only way I can grow out my nails is to keep polish on them. I won’t touch them if they are manicured.

I don’t really care for long nails… once they get to fingertip length I cut them down and let them grow back out. They are short right now because I bit them to the quick while I was sick and had to veg out in bed. Again, bad habit!

I am not a pro. My friend Holly is a certified nail tech and I’m trying to convince her to write an (educated) guest post for us on how to do a professional looking manicure.

My favorite nail polish remover is Sally Hansen Moisturizing Formula Remover. I do have a bottle of pure Acetone, but I only use that on glitter polishes (which are notoriously hard to remove). I find that pure Acetone makes my hands and cuticles super dry.

source

Here’s a tip for removing glitter (or other hard to remove) polishes. You’ll need cotton balls or pads, scissors, polish remover, and aluminum foil. Use your scissors to cut your cotton pads into squares big enough to cover your nail. Soak them in polish remover, and lay the square on the pad of your nail. Tear off a strip of aluminum foil, and wrap it over your nail. The aluminum foil effectively serves as tape, binding the pad to your nail. Let it sit for about 5 minutes, and remove the aluminum foil. Rub the cotton pad on your nail, and the glitter polish should come off easily.

I start off my manicure with clean, filed nails. I swipe my nails with alcohol or polish remover to make sure I don’t have any lotion or oils on my nails. The first coat of my manicure is OPI Chip Skip. I have terrible ridges on my nails, so I use Seche Vite Ridge Filling Base Coat. I typically do two coats of polish, and I finish with Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat. This is my HG (Holy Grail) top coat. My nails are completely dry to the touch in 10 minutes, and I’m able to go about my day with no smudges. I also really like Out The Door top coat. My only complaint about Out The Door is that it thickens up after time and can be hard to apply.

My favorite nail polish brand is OPI, followed by China Glaze. Sally Hansen would be my third favorite brand, then Orly, with Essie coming up last. I know people rave about Essie, but I find it applies streaky. I own lots of different brands of polish, but those are my favorites.

Here are some recent NOTD (Nails of the Day):

Candy Corn Nails

OPI Gone Gonzo

Butter Wallis

China Glaze Black Crackle & OPI Greenwich Village

I think I have a slight nail polish problem… these were all bought (plus 2 you don’t see) in the past two weeks.

Someone stop me.

Do you guys have any nail related questions for me?

Kardashians & Guilty Pleasures on a Wednesday

2011-11-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

Have y’all seen the SNL Kardashian spoof? It is pretty hilarious if I do say so myself.

On a serious note, I’m so disturbed by the attention this is getting in the media. First of all, I think the Kardashians are nothing but attention whores. I’m usually mildly entertained by their shenanigans, but this just disgusts me. Marriage is a serious commitment, and unless you’re being abused I can’t fathom any reason that your marriage should be shorter than the football season.

I did watch the wedding special on E! and it was apparent to me that Kris was a total douchebag. I’ll just put this out there: if your entire family hates your fiancé, perhaps you should not get married.

I believe that Kim probably realized she did not want to be married at some point during her engagement, but she knew she couldn’t back out of the wedding for contractual reasons. I also believe (but I hope this isn’t true, because if it is GROSS) that even if this wasn’t originally intended as a PR stunt, it is going to be spun by Momma Kris until it is.

What do you think?

Off my soapbox. How about a little MeMe on a Wednesday?

Guilty Pleasure? Celebrity gossip magazines, Starbucks unsweetened black iced tea, nail polish, naps

I can't travel without? A fully stocked purse. I simply must have $20 in change, nose spray, three chapsticks, and Lego in my purse at all times.

Recent Splurge? I got a few items from the Old Navy F&F 30% off sale. And by few I mean 8. I also slipped in little something something for me when I was ordering my mom’s and SIL’s Christmas presents. Oopsie.

My go-to flower? I’m not a huge flower girl. Could you get me an edible bouquet, please?

In bulk, I buy? Cliff kids bars for Cooper, Luna bars for myself, toilet paper and paper towels, K-cups, tea bags, and tampons. Don’t judge. You know you don’t want to run out of tampons.

I sleep on? A bed? An old bed? With a memory foam topper that has been hosed by my chihuahuas? I need a new bed stat.

Comfort Food? Macaroni and cheese, Dairy Queen blizzards, anything from Carrabbas

For Breakfast? Coffee or Dr. Pepper, a Luna bar, and a banana

For Dinner? We eat Mexican at least once a week.

Love/hate relationship with? Gossip. Love to hear it about other people (celebs) but hate to hear people are talking about me.

Can't Stop Watching? Two Broke Girls, Glee, Modern Family, Happy Endings, Big Bang Theory, Revenge

Best online shopping find? Marley Lilly – the monogrammed scarfs make perfect Christmas gifts!

Dreaming about? See below. Yowsa.

Crushing on? Jason and I watched Crazy Stupid Love this weekend. Two words: Ryan Gosling. Deee-licious.

Every girl should have? Friends. People you can Hey-Tell any time of day and they’ll do their best to make you laugh.

My style in five words? Where are my PJ pants?

I love wearing? Nail polish in fun and funky colors.

Dream Job? Lately I’ve been dreaming about starting a non-profit aimed at promoting tolerance and stopping bullying in schools.

Tiny Prints Giveaway

2011-11-08T09:38:00.001-05:00

Hey friends! I was so happy to hear that so many of you loved the Tiny Prints holiday cards that I showed you yesterday. I love Tiny Prints, and I hope you do, too!

As I stated yesterday, Tiny Prints has so much to offer you for the holiday season.

Doesn’t this Christmas card remind you of a candy cane? I love red & white holiday cards!

Love & Cheer: Siren

Do you often find yourself late getting out your holiday cards? Tiny Prints offers New Year’s cards, so why not send wishes for a happy 2012 to your friends and family?

Colorful Numbers: Milk

I am so excited that Tiny Prints is offering a free card from Santa! On Wednesday, 11/9/11, visit the Tiny Prints Facebook page. Make sure you “like” Tiny Prints on Facebook! You will be able to personalize one of the cards below for FREE! This offer is only available on 11/9/11, so don’t forget to stop by!

Would you be interested in blogging to receive 50 free Christmas cards from Tiny Prints? Sign up here! If you sign up and post by Thursday, you will help me win free address labels. Please and thank you, friends.

Tiny Prints has so generously offered to give one of my readers 50 FREE HOLIDAY CARDS! Would you like that reader to be you? All you need to do is visit Tiny Prints, peruse their holiday card collection, and tell me which card you would chose if you won. Then simply come back and post your selection in the comments section!

**I was offered 50 free holiday cards for my original post. I did not receive compensation for this post. If you chose to sign up to blog about Tiny Prints holiday cards and you blog by Thursday, 11/10/11, I will receive 10 free address labels.

2 On Tuesday: Christmas Wish List

2011-11-07T20:29:00.001-05:00

Hey friends! Thanks so much for joining me again for 2 On Tuesday. This week is a fun one… I hope you’ll participate this week! I want to know:

What’s your Christmas wish list? What do you hope to receive from Santa?

I think Santa (aka Jason) forgets me each year. At least he has every year in the past, but I’m hoping by directing him to my wish list, I’ll have a little something in my stocking this year.

I’m pretty easy to please. I love makeup, and I’d be happy to have any of these pretties in my stocking this year.

Tarte The Starlet Limited Edition Makeup Vanity

bareMinerals READY™ Eyeshadow 8.0 - The Cocktail Hour

Sephora by OPI Glimmer Wonderland Eighteen Piece Mini Nail Colour Set

Gap Bow City Flats in Pewter (and Black, too, please Santa?)

Marley Lilly Monogrammed Pashmina Scarf (leopard print with red monogram, please!)

Monogrammed Necklace from Tootlebugs Facebook boutique (pink and white disc)

What’s on your wish list?

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2011-11-06T22:22:00.001-05:00

Have you guys heard about Tiny Prints? Tiny Prints is an amazing website dedicated to chic and modern stationery. It is your resource for stationery or print of almost any type: birth announcements, invitations, business cards, address labels, wedding stationery, and more!

I’m so excited about Tiny Prints holiday collection. I had actually decided not to send out holiday cards this year, but after seeing what they have to offer I have changed my mind. I absolutely love their selection of chic and colorful holiday cards!

Chevron is so hot right now, and the Colorful Collar card incorporates the pops of color so perfectly! The back of the card is covered in the chevron print.

I think A Retrospective would be perfect for those of you who take lots of pictures of your family (cough:notme:cough). Grandparents would love to receive this card!

The Photo Strip Cheer card is a great way to include many different pictures on your holiday card. Show off your whole family, as a group and individually! I love the crisp red and white colors of this card.

I’m leaning towards ordering ornament cards this year. I feel like so often cards get tossed after the Christmas season is over, and that is such a shame! Ornament cards allow your friends and family to keep your card year after year, and remember you each year! This is the Think Peace card.

Don’t forget to pick up some holiday address labels! There are tons of options to match whatever card you choose.

Are you hosting a holiday party? Tiny Prints has you covered for invitations! Isn’t this invitation the cutest twist on the “Keep Calm” prints?

I hope you’ll consider ordering your holiday cards from Tiny Prints this year. Tis the season is just around the corner! Tiny Prints has you covered for all of your holiday needs.

**I was offered 50 free holiday cards in exchange for this post. The opinions, however, are my own. I would never endorse a company or product I wasn’t passionate about, and I think Tiny Print’s quality and service can’t be beat!

**Would you like to receive 50 free holiday cards? Sign up here!

Monday Tidbits

2011-11-06T21:11:00.001-05:00

I feel like I owe you guys an apology. I have been a horrible blogger and an even worse commenter, and I apologize for that. I’m especially sorry that I have fallen behind with 2 On Tuesday and just got around to catch up this weekend. Please forgive me.

About three weeks ago, I got sick with a sinus infection. This coincided with a visit to the doctor from hell, and due to her caring ministrations, I never got well. About a week later, I broke down and went to another doctor, and was told my sinus infection had developed into acute bronchitis. Lovely. Long story short – I cannot shake this bronchitis. I’m tired to the bone; really, the kind of exhaustion that makes you struggle to get out of bed and even move every day. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but I’m slowly getting on the mend. At least I hope so.

This sweet baby has been sick as well. Poor bug! I got called on Wednesday to come pick him up from daycare because he was running a 104 degree fever. He ran that fever for two days, and since it broke he’s just been extremely lethargic and whiny. For the entire weekend, he has just wanted to be held by me or Jason. Today he has slept the majority of the day. We aren’t sure what’s wrong – he’s on an antibiotic and a steroid to clear his lungs. Tonight he broke out in a rash all over his stomach and I’m hoping that is just because his fever has broken.

Here are a few more Halloween pictures of my precious Elmo…

My dad’s company, SCE&G, had an awesome Halloween party on the Friday night before Halloween. They had a catered dinner, a bonfire for marshmallows, jump castles, hay rides, scary stuff for the older kids, and all kind of games. Cooper had a blast playing the games and staring at the older kids in their costumes.

On Halloween night, we went to a Trunk or Treat event at a local church. Cooper was hilarious! He would march himself up to each car and hand out his bucket for candy. I tried to hold the bucket for him, but even when it got heavy, he just would not let it go. He wanted to sleep with his candy that night!

Jason and I got to go on a date night last weekend and we decided to go see Footloose. I was so torn on whether or not I wanted to see it. I’m a purist when it comes to dance movies – movies like Dirty Dancing and Footloose have no business being remade.

That said, I LOVED it. I thought they did an amazing job with staying true to the original while updating it for the current time. My worst fear was that they were going to do a hip-hop Footloose, and while there was one hip-hop dance, I thought it fit in. Julianne Hough was a great actress, and the guy who played Ren was a phenomenal actor. The sidekick, Willard, made the movie. I loved that they kept the final dance the same, and the Ren & Ariel even wore the outfits from the original movie.

Two thumbs up! Go see it!

I have a bit of a nail polish problem. I’ve picked these all up within the last week. Someone stop me, please.

I’ve had a rough couple of weeks with blogging. Honestly, I’ve been on the verge of shutting the blog down for quite awhile now. Only the fact that I love the community I’ve created has stopped me.

These are some of my tweets from Saturday… read from the very bottom up.

I’ve seen so much hate lately on the webs that just hurts my heart. People I thought were friends have talked about me behind my back. “Friends” have made heartless, cruel statements that they try to excuse by saying they were jokes. Long time blogging friendships have come to a natural ending. I’m just worn out, and it came to a head for me Saturday morning when I got a nasty blog email.

You can see above my thought process. I was very, very close to pulling down my blog and walking away from it all. At that point in time, it wasn’t worth it to me anymore. I didn’t feel like I got enough love and support to balance out all the attacks and harsh words.

Jason and I had a long talk about the situation, and he feels as if I would really regret ending the blog, if I chose to do so. He’s probably right. I’ve been blogging since 2008, and three years of friendships and hard work are hard to walk away from. He asked me to sit on this until 2012, and I’ve agreed to do so. I do promise you if I decide to shut down My Chihuahua Bites! that I will let you know first and give you a way to stay in contact with me. I do not plan to take my blog private – at least not for the purpose of continuing the blog. If I went private, it would just be to “save” the blog.

I do want to say thank you, so much, to all of you who have read this blog, prayed for me, supported me, and been my friend. You make blogging worthwhile, and I love you to pieces.

Please come back tomorrow and participate in 2 On Tuesday! Tomorrow’s topic is:

What’s on your Christmas wish list? What do you want to receive from Santa?

2 On Tuesday: Halloween

2011-10-31T22:33:00.001-04:00

Hey friends! Happy 2 On Tuesday! Rabbit Rabbit!

Today’s topic is:

Tell me your 2 favorite Halloween costumes! Did you celebrate Halloween this year?

My mom made my costumes when I was younger. This is definitely one of my favorites! I was Raggedy Anne and my cousin was Andy.

Jason and I dressed up for a Halloween party on base a few years ago. I was a 50’s girl and he was Napoleon Dynamite.

Of course I dress the boys up, too! This was the year they were crabs.

I don’t have the pictures downloaded from this Halloween yet (they are on my “big girl” camera) but I’ll be sharing them soon. Cooper was the cutest Elmo you have ever seen!

Can I just get up on my soap box for a second? When did Halloween become so slutty? I swear every girl costume I’ve seen is inappropriate. Even little girl costumes are too short and tight in my opinion. We went to Trunk or Treat at church this year, and I can’t tell you how many costumes I saw that revealed way too much. One teenage girl had on a dress so short you could see her butt, and knee high socks that I’m guessing was meant to draw attention to her lack of undies. AT CHURCH. Halloween is NOT an excuse to slut yourself up, ladies. There is a time and place, and that is not a holiday meant for children.

Now I’ll climb down from my soapbox.

Next week’s topic is:

Share two items (or more, who am I kidding?) from your holiday wish list.

Please link up your Halloween posts! I can’t wait to see your costumes!

Initials Inc Review & PARTY!

2011-10-30T21:40:00.001-04:00

Hey friends! I hope this Monday finds you doing well. I have some exciting news to share! I am having an Initials Inc. online party this week!

A few weeks ago, a friend I had met on Twitter mentioned that she was starting an exciting new adventure as an Initials Inc. consultant. I offered to help Sonya promote her new business, and she sent me a product to review with you guys.

Sonya gave me a few items to choose from, but I ultimately decided to review the Take Along Caddy. I thought it would be the perfect car tote, and it is!

I’m at the stage now where I don’t want to carry around a huge bulky diaper bag, but I still need to have items for Cooper on hand. The Take Along Caddy is perfect for those “just in case” moments. It holds a pack of diapers, wipes, several boxes of juice, snacks, and a few toys. It fits compactly in my back seat or trunk, and when it is not in use it folds up perfectly flat.

One thing I love about Initials Inc. is that personalization is free! Y’all know I am a Southern girl and I love to have my name plastered on anything I own. Shipping was very quick, and my Take Along Caddy came straight to my door.

I was so excited when Sonya suggested having an online party. This is the perfect time of the year to stock up on items for yourself and for Christmas presents!

The Dish is perfect for any cook! I want one of these for myself. I hate having to bundle my casseroles into towels to take them to potlucks. Let your Pyrex travel in style!

The Resort Box Cooler would be perfect for my mom. When she’s out and about for the day, she takes several bottles of water with her so she can get her daily dose of H20. The Resort Box Cooler would keep her water cold! This would also be perfect for picnic lunches, the beach, or trips to the playground!

I need the Marvelous Magnetic Pocket for my fridge. I’ve been searching for a way to organize my incoming mail and bills, and this would be perfect!

I hope you will take the opportunity to check out Initials Inc. and possibly put in and order! Go to Sonya’s personal Initials Inc. page, and click on “Shop” or “My Events.” Then simply click on “Shop Now” and fill up your cart! When you check out, remember the items will be sent directly to your front door, so enter your shipping address accordingly.

There is a great Customer Shopportunity this month! When you spend $35.00, you can purchase the Cinch Duffle for only $16.50! That’s 50% off the regular price!

If you have any questions, please contact Sonya at sonyajsells@gmail.com. Happy shopping, friends!

Don’t forget to join me tomorrow for 2 On Tuesday! Tomorrow’s topic is:

Tell me your 2 favorite Halloween costumes! Did you celebrate Halloween this year?

Talk To Me Tuesday (On Wednesday)

2011-10-26T06:00:00.000-04:00

I’m linking up with my friends Shawn and Impulsive Addict for Talk To Us Tuesday. Please go visit these girls – they are some of my besties!

Jason and I are taking a parenting class at the church I attended when I was a teenager. Last week was the first session, and it started uneventfully. We were making small talk with some of the other parents, when out of the corner of my eye I saw something that made me freeze.

It was him. HIM. The guy that rocked my world (and not in a good way) during my teenage years. He made me laugh. He made me cry. But what I remember most about him is how he made me feel like I was never good enough.

His name was *Edward. Looking back, I realize there was nothing special about him. He wasn’t Mr. Popular. He didn’t have big muscles. He wasn’t even the cutest guy in the school. Still, I was drawn to him like I am to sparkly nail polish.

It all started when I was a freshman. He started out as a friend. We’d call each other at night and talk for hours on the phone under the pretense of friendship. I, of course, imagined in my head there was more. There never was on his end – until I would tire of the dramatics and decide to move on. The instant there was another boy on the horizon, he was on the phone confessing his “feelings” for me. Feelings he didn’t want us to tell anyone else because they were “our secret.” Inevitably, a few weeks later he would decide we were better as friends, and I’d go back to being just his pal Andrea.

This went on throughout the entirety of high school. It was a never ending roller coaster ride of “do you like me or not?” and despite my knowing how the ride would end, I never could get off. I spent the years that should have been carefree and fun pining for a boy that never thought I was good enough to be his girlfriend.

Seeing him again last week brought all those feelings back. No, I don’t still have feelings for him. I don’t hate him. I certainly don’t love him. I do feel pity for a boy who didn’t know the value of friendship or love. Most of all, I feel bad for the teenage me who wasted buckets of tears on someone who wasn’t worthy of such emotion.

The pain of those unrequited feelings was carried in my heart for a long time. I didn’t date at all in college. I didn’t trust myself. I wasn’t sure of my emotions or of my ability to handle the affection of the opposite sex. In way, the emotion I feel most when I think of him is anger. Anger that he had the ability to wound me in such a lasting way. Anger that he soured an experience (dating) that was a rite of passage for every other teenage girl in America, but not for me.

I wish, as the adult I am now, I could go back and have a conversation with my teenage self. I’d tell her to move on. Life is too short to waste tears on someone who isn’t worthy. You are good enough – and he’s not because he doesn’t see that.

God had something special in store for me. If God had listened to me, I’d be married now to this man. Thank you, God, for unanswered prayers.

*Names have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent.

2 On Tuesday: Favorite Pictures

2011-10-24T20:06:00.001-04:00

Hey friends! Happy Tuesday!

Thanks so much for joining me again this week for 2 On Tuesday! This week’s topic is:

What are your two favorite pictures of yourself?

Now I know some of you aren’t going to want to participate because I’m asking you to share pictures of yourself. I get it. I hate taking pictures of myself because I always think “is that really how big I am?” or “oh my, do I really look like that?” But there are good pictures of each of us out there. Maybe you don’t look perfect in them, but perhaps the picture is a special memory or a snapshot of a moment in time that you want to always remember. I want to see those pictures. It’s ok if someone else is in the picture as long as you are too!

I look like a mess in this picture. I’m rocking a double chin, my makeup went on vacation, and I’m pretty sure you can see my moustache. For once I don’t care. This is one of the most precious moments of my life, and you can see my happiness far more than you can see any of those other things.

I was 20-something weeks pregnant in this picture and had just stopped throwing up every 5 minutes. Good times. You can see the relief in my face.

I miss those shoes. My feet grew when I was pregnant and I can’t wear them anymore.

Lest you think I am vain, let me share some not-so-flattering pictures…

Sexy beast.

Apparently this is all the rage in maternity photography?

I don’t know, y’all. I just don’t know.

Show me your pictures, please! Link up!

Dear (Fill In The Blank)

2011-10-24T09:07:00.000-04:00

Hey friends! Happy Monday!

I say that as if I am sitting at my desk, bright and chipper, when in reality I came to work in wet hair and am wondering when in the world I can get back in the bed again. Ugh… Mondays!

Before I get started with my ever so snarky “Dear ____” series, I wanted to let you know Erin Condren is on Plum District today! I know you guys probably think I’m getting paid to advertise for her, but I’m not. While I don’t lovelovelove the EC Life Planner like some do (and most do, believe me) I think the rest of her products are rad. I am stocking up on address labels for me and stationary for Christmas gifts. The deal is $25 for $50, and you can use the code 2011off for 10% off your order!

And now… drum roll please.

________________________________________________

Dear Doctor,

You suck. I don’t say that word lightly, but you suck big lemon balls. Thanks for telling me my sickness was “all in my head.” It is not, in fact, all in my head. In fact, because you didn’t treat me when I first came in, my sinus infection turned into bronchitis.

Have I mentioned I hate you? Cause I do.

Sincerely,

You’ll see me on Yelp

________________________________________________

Dear Coworker,

When you invite someone to lunch, it is poor form not to show up to the office until 1:00 p.m. It’s even worse form when you say “I’ll be just a minute” and then disappears in your office until 2:30 p.m. Don’t get mad at me if at 2:45 I head to an early linner by myself. Thanks anyway!

________________________________________________

Dear Body,

Darn you for making me think I was pregnant. My hysterics are not due to pregnancy; they are due to crazy Andrea. I’m tired because I’m sick, not because of first trimester exhaustion. I’m convinced you’re conspiring with my mother to tell me it is time.

I don’t think so… yet.

________________________________________________

Dear Readers,

Please consider participating in 2 On Tuesday tomorrow! The topic is to share your two favorite pictures of yourself. Yes, yourself. Don’t be shy. It can be with other people, but I want it to include you. Why do you like those two pictures?

Love you forever,

Who do you need to write today?

Candy Corn Nails!

2011-10-19T21:55:00.001-04:00

These are perfect for Halloween and they are so easy to do!

Prime your nails with a base coat. I use OPI Chip Skip and Essie Ridge Filler.

Do two coats of yellow over your entire nail. I used Sally Hansen Lightening. Wait at least 2 hours before proceeding to the next step.

Take a piece of scotch tape and cut it into four strips. Make the strips as straight as possible. Place the strip on the middle of your nail, leaving the top & bottom free. Press down firmly on the edge of the tape to seal the edges.

Paint a coat of white (Sally Hansen White On) on the top and bottom of the nail. Do another coat just on the top of the nail.

Once the white is dry, paint two coats of orange (Sinful Colors Cloud Nine) on the bottom of the nail. You paint the orange of the white so that the color doesn't mix (yellow + orange).

While the polish is still wet, peel off the tape.

Paint on a top coat.

Voila!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Brain Dump

2011-10-19T12:12:00.000-04:00

Ever had one of those weeks where it just seems like it will never end? That’s me this week. I is tired.

Cooper has been waking up at midnight wanting to party. What he really wants is to get in the bed with me & Jason. I’m not sure if he is going through a growth spurt or if he isn’t eating enough during the day, but he screams until I go get him some milk and crackers. Then he says “Mic” 10,000 times until I cave and let him watch an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. This kid loves to cuddle! He will lie on the bed, put his arms out, and call me until I come and lay down beside him. Part of me thinks he is incredibly sweet and loves the times when he lets me hold him. The other part thinks “I’m tired, kid, GO TO BED!”

I was so glad to hear so many of you identified with my Super Freak post. Zombies are real, y’all. The CDC even acknowledges that it could happen. What’s your disaster plan?

If you are signed up for the Snail Mail Challenge, please send mail to your partner! I’m gotten several emails from people stating they haven’t heard from their partner. Y’all… this makes me irate. It was optional to sign up, and if you chose to sign up, you should fulfill your end of the bargain. The whole purpose of the challenge was to encourage people. Can you imagine how discouraged you would be to realize your partner doesn’t care enough to take 5 minutes to write you a letter? FOR THE LOVE.

Have I mentioned it makes me crazy when people don’t do what they say they are going to do?

I’m having an Initials Inc. party in November on the blog, and I’m so excited! I hope you guys will consider doing some of your Christmas shopping then. The car tote is a favorite of mine! How much would your family member love a tote bag?

I’m also having a Scentsy review/giveaway soon. Susan contacted me after my Q&A post in which I admitted I had never tried Scentsy. She wants to remedy that, and she has offered to do a giveaway for you guys too! I’m so excited! I hope I get to try the pumpkin marshmallow scent that everyone on Twitter is raving about.

Jason is finally off the schedule from hell. Thank goodness! He’s home at night now and is able to help me with Cooper. As a result, my blogging time has suffered because I want to spend quality time with the husband. I’m back to struggling to find time in my day to balance the things I want to do vs. the things I need to do. Can you relate?

Erin Condren is on Zulily! You can get a $50 credit for $25. This is a steal, y’all! Stock up on address labels, gift tags, or even Christmas cards!

I downloaded the HeyTell app for my iPhone, and yes, it is addictive. I only have about 5 friends, though. If you have HeyTell me, let me know so we can be friends!

I’m thinking about discontinuing 2 On Tuesday. The participation hasn’t been what I had hoped in recent weeks, and I don’t want to continue a linky party where only 5 people link up a week. What do you think? I want your honest feedback. Is there a reason you don’t participate? Do you not like the topics? Please be honest.

That’s all for today! Happy Wednesday!

2 On Tuesday: Restaurants

2011-10-18T00:01:00.000-04:00

Hey y’all! How are you today? Thanks for joining me again for 2 On Tuesday!

Today I want to know:

What are your two favorite restaurants?

I absolutely love Carrabba’s. To me, it is a more upscale & authentic Olive Garden (no hate for the OG because I lurve their breadsticks). I love the Chicken Marsala and Chicken Bryan, and the Sicilian Chicken Soup is out of this world.

I also love Chili’s. I could go to Chili’s and eat queso and salsa all day long.

What are your two favorite restaurants?

Just Another Manic Monday…

2011-10-17T08:00:00.000-04:00

I can remember being a teen and thinking weekends flew by so fast. It seemed like you blinked and it was time to go back to school. Things sure haven’t changed since I was a teen! Saturday and Sunday fly by, and before you know it Monday is here yet again.

We had a full weekend. A friend of mine offers up locations for seasonal pictures and photographs families and children in order to raise money for a charity. We went to get pictures taken Saturday morning. How cute is my little man?

We went to the State Fair on Saturday. Yikes. I do not do well in large crowds, and it was absolutely packed. I was also freaked out because the security was crazy. There were metal detectors and searches at the entrance, and police stationed about every 20 feet in the crowd. I can handle Disney-type crowds because at least it is organized chaos, but this was just madness. This is the first year Cooper has ridden rides, and he loved it!

Because my brain is fried, I’m going to leave you with a little MeMe this Monday morning.

My current obsession is painting my nails, as you have seen. If the rest of me looks a hot, droopy mess at least my nails look good.

Pinterest is such a time suck. But it is the best kind of time suck. It’s my go-to meal planning resource of late.

My greatest strength is ?? I have no idea.

{See above} is my greatest weakness. I have a complete inability to see any good in myself. However, I can rattle off all my weaknesses in 2 seconds flat.

My life is blessed. My son is the best thing that has ever happened to me.

In high school I was such a good girl. Seriously. My mom complains about my attitude all the time but I never got into the trouble that some teens do. My biggest problem was juggling my church activities with my school work.

When I’m super tired I can super cranky. I’m a mega bitch on wheels.

How is the Snail Mail Challenge going? Did you get something from your partner this week?

Don’t forget to link up for 2 On Tuesday! Tomorrow’s topic is: What are your two favorite restaurants?

2011-10-14T13:06:00.000-04:00

I’ve hesitated to talk about this here on my blog, but when a reader recently asked me about my experience getting pregnant I decided it was time.

(Note: this may be TMI for some of you. If you don’t want to hear about TTC, sex, or have no interest in pregnancy, please move on. If you are trying to get pregnant or want to get pregnant in the future, this information may be of interest to you.)

The reason I haven’t wanted to broach this subject on my blog is because I worried I would sound insensitive or that it would be hurtful to those who struggle to get pregnant. Please understand before you read this – that is not my intention. This is simply my story of my journey to pregnancy. I know there are so many of you out there that do struggle with infertility and miscarriages. I have not experienced that myself, but I feel so much empathy for you. I cannot understand what you must go through, but my prayers are with you all in your journey. If you’d like to share your name and story, I will be certain to lift you up specifically in prayer.

I’ve shared before that Jason and I were never on the same page about when to have children. We got married in 2003, and I *thought* I was ready then. He was not. Throughout the years I went back in forth with “are we ready?” and “can we handle this?” and for whatever reason, the answer was always no. Jason, as most of you know, was active duty in the Navy, and was deployed for a good portion of our married life. He did not want to have a baby while he was on sea duty and risk missing portions of our child’s development due to deployments. I could understand that, so we agreed to postpone baby making until he was sent to a shore command with no risk of deployments.

We moved to Charleston in 2008, and it should have been the perfect time to have a baby. At this point, I was not ready. I kept pushing it off because I was scared, honestly. I was worried about money. Could we afford a child? I was worried about my ability to be a good mother. I was selfish, and I wasn’t sure if I was ready to give up “me” time to have my life become all about baby.

I would probably still be pushing it off if it weren’t for Jason. To me, there was always another reason to wait. “Let’s wait until we take that big vacation.” “Let’s wait until we get XXX paid off.” “Let’s wait until I turn 30.” And so on and so forth…

In April of 2009, my uncle died. We went home for the funeral, and Jason and I spent the majority of our time at home taking care of my cousin’s 5 month old child. I forced Jason to hold her just because I wanted to see how he would react, and he was smitten. He was a natural with Mari Claire. It wasn’t more than 2 days after we got home that he said “I’m ready to have a baby.”

For me, that was the time. In the back of my mind I always knew I could handle a child. I’ve been around children my whole life and I (thought I) knew what having a baby entailed. My husband did not, and to be honest, I wasn’t sure if he was emotionally ready to have a child. I knew when he made that statement that he had thought things through and he was truly ready.

So, we started actively trying in May 2009. I was not taking birth control at the time, so that was not a concern. For the previous year, I had been keeping stringent records on when my periods occurred, so I was fairly in tune with my body. I used the website Fertility Friend to track the days I ovulated, and I really think this was the reason I got pregnant as quickly as I did.

Listen, y’all – it is hard to get pregnant. I spent my teens thinking you could get pregnant when you sneezed, only to realize as an adult that it is harder than it seems. I think a lot of people think they will come off birth control, have sex like bunnies, and get pregnant. It does work for some, but not for everyone. There are a finite number of days of the month when you are fertile. If you don’t have sex on those days, you don’t get pregnant. Period. (And even then, it isn’t as simple as just having sex on your fertile days.)

There are a number of ways you can track your fertility. I won’t go into the specifics here, but Fertility Friend is a great resource. I also recommend Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler. I, personally, charted my temps and examined my cervical mucus. Yes, it is gross. But it is also a great indicator of ovulation. I kept a thermometer by my bed, and before I got out of bed each morning I took my temp (orally – I was shocked to learn some take it vaginally.) I would enter the information in my Blackberry, and input it into Fertility Friend later that day. Same with my CM – I would take note when I saw it and input it into the computer later that day.

Jason and I had sex every other day. I made sure we had sex on my days of ovulation. I tested on May 25th and got a faint pink line. I tested the next morning and got a definite positive. The weekend before I tested I was absolutely exhausted. I feel asleep during a car ride and even slept through a movie we went to see in the movie theatre. Looking back, I know that was an early sign.

I think knowing whether or not you are ready is so personal. For us, it made sense to wait until we were older. (I was 2 weeks from turning 31 when I had Cooper.) It does feel odd sometimes to be an “older mom” when I see kids Cooper’s age with moms that are 10 years younger than me. I will be almost 50 when he graduates high school. Still, I think it was the right thing for us. We were financially ready and had plenty of time together as a couple.

I will say this – I both agree & disagree with the statement that “you are never 100% ready to have a child.” I think there is never any way you will be 100% ready. There will always be one more goal to accomplish, one more bill to pay, more weight you want to lose… HOWEVER, I think you need to make sure you are both financially and emotionally ready to have a child. Don’t have a child thinking your husband will change or “man up” once the baby is here. He won’t. Don’t say “we’ll make it work” when you don’t have room in your budget for daycare or diapers. Having a baby is expensive, y’all! Make sure you can afford the basic things they need before they arrive.

Questions/thoughts/concerns? I want to hear them.

Nailed It

2011-10-13T08:00:00.000-04:00

Hey guys! I’m back for part 2 of Pretty Painted Nails. Thanks for all the compliments! I am by no means a pro, but I do like nail polish. I’m working on getting my friend Holly, who is a former nail tech, to do a real pro how-to post for us.

A new trend is nails is having a glitter nail on your ring finger. I think this is super cute, and I’ve done it myself. I used Martha Stewart glitter, which is the best glitter out there in my opinion. Simply paint your nail, and while it is still wet, sprinkle glitter heavily over your finger. Tap off the excess, and once it is dry do at least two layers of top coat. You want a thicker top coat to ensure the glitter doesn’t come loose and that your nail surface is smooth.

As I said, I had done the single glitter nail, so I decided to try a twist on the traditional french manicure. Um… no. I do not advise this. It was super cute, but despite using three layers of a top coat, the glitter was still coming loose. I wear contacts and rub my eyes a lot, and I ended up with glitter in my eyes.

Not cool.

A few of you have asked my opinion of the new gel-hybrid manicure, such as Shellac, Axxium, and Gelish. I have had this done once, and I would not do it again. Here’s why:

I had the OPI Axxium manicure, and it ran me about $35.00. It is like a manicure in the sense that the technician applies a base coat, two coats of color, and a top coat. The difference is that you put your hand under a UV light after each coat for about 2 minutes for the polish to “cure” and harden.

The pros: The polish lasts up to 3 weeks with no chips at all. It wears like iron. You won’t have tor repolish/go back to the nail salon until the nail growth starts to bother you.

The cons: Axxium is billed as being non-damaging to the nail, but I don’t see how that is possible. You have to remove the previous manicure before you can repolish. To do this, you have to soak your nails in pure acetone. This is extremely drying for your hands! They also use a orange stick to scrape the polish off. Then they file your nail to get the remainder of the polish off. Too much filing can lead to weaken nails, ridges, and even nerve damage if you aren’t careful. My biggest problem with Axxium/Shellac is the UV light. UV rays are damaging to your skin, no matter what form they come in. Your hands show age before other parts of your body – do you really want more wrinkles and age spots on your hands?

Final thoughts: I, personally, will pass on the Shellac manicure. If the cons don’t bother you or if you regularly get manicures, this might benefit you. If you like to change your polish often or if you don’t intend to keep up with the Shellac manicure, you should probably pass. If you do decide this is right for you, it might be a good idea to put on some sunscreen prior to the use of the UV light.

Have you had the Shellac manicure? What are your thoughts?

Super Freak, Part 2

2011-10-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

Y’all had so many great responses to my She’s A Super Freak post that I had to write a follow up! Y’all made me think of a million other ways I wave my freak flag.

I have to have the lights on when it is dark, or even during the day if it is gloomy. I’m talking lights so glaringly bright they hurt your eyes. Even when we’re watching television or a movie, I want to have the lights on.

However, I cannot have even the slightest hint of light when I’m trying to go to sleep.

I’ve spent a lot of my married life alone – because of deployments, Jason’s work schedule, duty days, etc. I don’t sleep well nights I am alone. Normally Jason and I sleep with a fan on as white noise, but when he is gone I can’t have any noise at all. I want to hear the killer approaching me. Since we moved into our new home, I insist on closing & locking both baby gates. I can barely get those suckers open, so I know the psycho killer will have trouble. I figure by the time they figure it out, I’ll have snuck up behind them and worked my sweet ninja moves on their unsuspecting ass.

When I drive at night alone, I am super paranoid about checking the backseat. I have this terrible fear I will be driving along, singing at the top of my lungs, and someone will pop up in my rearview mirror. Once when I was in high school, I was driving home at midnight from a babysitting job. I swear the entire time I drove home I felt like someone was in the backseat. The funny thing is that I refused to look! My thought process is that if I looked, the killer would be forced to kill me. If I didn’t, I could conceivably get a pass somehow.

I’m strange.

None of the picture frames in my house have pictures in them. I always mean to get some printed off, but yet all my frames still have the generic laughing couple in them. I claim it is me…. 50 pounds lighter.

I drive Jason crazy with how organized I insist the DVR be. Once a show is watched, it absolutely has to be deleted. I’m the same way about my email inbox. Once the email is read, its gots to go. I won’t save voicemails for the same reason.

I like to call myself an unclean clean freak. Here’s how it works: I will work my fingers to the bone cleaning my house. I can’t just “pick up” the house. I have to deep clean every single time I clean. I work myself so hard that I obsess about it getting dirty. I will literally walk through the house and pick up each individual speck of dirt on the floor. However, Hurricane Cooper will eventually roll through, and I get so upset about the mess that I say to myself “forget this!” and let it all go until it bothers me enough to deep clean again.

It’s a vicious cycle. I wish I could learn the art of just simply cleaning a little each day.

When I was in graduate school, I had a phobia about driving over bridges. I had to cross the Cooper River bridge to get to Mt. Pleasant, and that was a drive I made several times a week. I developed this elaborate plan of what I would do if I ever went off the side of the bridge. The plan was completely unrealistic (i.e. roll down my window and jump out at the halfway point) but I found it very reassuring to think these things through. Years later, I lie awake some nights and plan how I would react should a zombie attack break out.

It could happen. Haven’t you seen I Am Legend? Doubters, don’t come running to me when a zombie tries to eat your brain.

(Hint: my plan involves pretending to be a zombie until I can escape the zombie crowd. They don’t eat their own.)

This weekend I was watching The Strangers (which freaks me out big time. I watch because I love Scott Speedman (Felicity!) but seriously, this movie is mega scary.). If you haven’t seen it, it is about a couple who goes to a remote cabin in the woods and gets terrorized by strangers. They are stalked, tortured, and killed. Y’all… this is my worst nightmare. Have y’all seen The Last House On The Left?

I.would.die.

Anywho. I’ve gotten a bit off tangent. Tell me -

Can you relate? What are you freaky about?

Erin Condren sale!

2011-10-11T09:28:00.000-04:00

Hey friends!

I just wanted to take a quick opportunity to let you know Erin Condren is on One Kings Lane today. It starts at 11:00 a.m. EST so I'm not sure exactly what the deal will be, but I'm almost certain it will be a $25 for $50 voucher. You can't pass up this deal!

You can get a life planner for half the price! Check out my review of the life planner here.

I'll be using my voucher to get some address labels. This is what I got with my last OKL voucher, and I love them!

How cute are the Christmas cards? You can custom design them with your family picture, text, etc.

I think the Lucite trays would make great Christmas gifts!

If you are going to buy a voucher, please use my referral link. I would be so appreciative! Thank you so much!

2 On Tuesday: Fashion Mistakes

2011-10-10T20:06:00.001-04:00

Hey lovelies! How are y’all this Tuesday? Thanks for joining me again for 2 On Tuesday!

Today I want to know:

Tell me your two biggest fashion mistakes. Shoulder pads? Bike shorts? Banana clips? I want to hear it.

My fashion mishaps started in the 5th grade. Check out my rocking bangs, turtleneck. and Cosby sweater. I was allergic to silver, so I had to wear these little plastic dot earrings instead of normal, cute earrings. Just as well. I’m sure I would have been sporting some light up Christmas trees or something.

I didn’t learn to tweeze until I was in college. Unfortch for me! This was the year of Sun-In… which lightened my hair to a terrible orange yellow and eventually lead to a good portion of my hair falling out.

I sported glasses as big as my face until the 8th grade, when I finally convinced my mother I was responsible enough for contacts. This was the year that I thought that my brother’s clothes were cooler than my own, thus the striped Polo shirt.

He never did forgive me for stretching his shirts out.

Do I need to explain this one?

This was the year Friends premiered, and I absolutely had to have the Rachel cut. However, the Rachel cut was not for me (or my hairdresser hated me – not sure which one). My hair looked like it had been butchered, so my mom’s solution was to perm it.

This was the last perm I ever consented to. Never ever again.

I also rocked colored demin shorts (that came to my knee and were rolled up), neon shirts that I pulled to my side with one of those stop sign clips (anyone know what I mean? I forget what they were really called), and scrunchie socks. I wore two pairs on each foot and would alternate colors.

Hot. And of course my hair was in a banana clip. CLEARLY.

In high school, I went through a phase where I wore pleated skirts and knee socks. I thought I was some kind of naughty school girl. (Surprisingly, this was before Hit Me Baby One More Time was released. Britney stole my look.) I also had the most terrible taste in shoes – I clunked around in these terrible platform shoes. One pair looked almost like Keds sneakers, but they had a 5 inch platform on the bottom.

Geesh.

Now that I’ve embarrassed myself, I want to hear from you. What were your fashion mistakes?

Your Questions, Answered!

2011-10-10T08:00:00.000-04:00

Before we get started, some bloggy business. I have sent out partner information to everyone who expressed interested in the Snail Mail Challenge. If you didn’t receive an email, let me know ASAP. You should send out your first item of mail this week!

Thank you so much to everyone that participated in the giveaway last week! Cole, thank you for sponsoring the giveaway! Please check out Cole’s etsy shop for all your knit needs! Annie, you are the winner of the candy corn hat!

As usual, I am on the ball with my scheduled blog posts. I did a Q&A post quite some time ago, and every person who asked a question was entered into a drawing for a Starbucks gift card. Shawn is the winner of the Starbucks gift card! Yay Shawn!

Now, onto the questions!

Amber asked: What do you miss about your old house or neighborhood?

I took this picture of our house as we were driving away for the last time. I miss a lot about this house – the kitchen, which was huge, and the backyard, which backed up to a pond. We even had a friendly neighborhood river otter and alligator that liked to stop by!

I don’t miss my house as much as I miss my old job. I don’t necessarily miss the job itself, but I do desperately miss my coworkers.

Shawn wants to know: Are settled in your new house and ready for fall?

Oh Shawn. How little you must know me to ask that question. Technically, yes we are settled. Settled meaning boxes are unpacked, but I’m not done decorating and nothing is organized. I actually don’t think I am decorating for fall as a result – it just seems silly to drag out the Rubbermaid totes and add more clutter to the clutter.

Don’t you want to come visit and whip me into shape?

Etta asked: Have you ever considered finding new homes for your chihuahuas since having your baby?

Yes, it has crossed my mind. I have never given it more than a passing thought, but my husband has less patience with the boys than I do (if that is possible). The chihuahuas are still on their “destroy the house” kick and he has had enough. I can’t say I blame him. We’ve been in this house for less than 6 months and I think we may have to replace the living room carpet soon.

Where is a dog whisperer when you need one?

On a serious note, I’m committed to the chihuahuas, and I would not rehome them unless they did something to hurt Cooper.

Impulsive Addict wants to know: What is the most embarrassing situation that you've ever been in?

That would be the time I peed in my pants whilst running through a Haunted House. When I was 16. And I was on a group date with a cute boy.

A very sweet Katie (who has a private blog) asked: How long does it take you to get ready in the morning? You always look so put together and I always feel like I'm always pressed for time.

Oh, Katie. You are so very sweet. I actually kind of look like a swollen, fat Elvis most days, but thank you very much.

I have to be at work between 8:30-9:00am, and I get up between 6:45-7:00. 6:45 if I need to dry my hair. 6:30 if I need to shave. I take ridiculously long showers (seriously, my shower/bathroom time is about 30 minutes), and I am slow as molasses in the morning. It takes me about 20 minutes to dry and style my hair, and I can do my makeup in 10 minutes. I always pick out my clothes the night before, so that is one less thing I have to worry about in the morning.

Cooper wakes up about 7:30, and he watches Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and runs around my room while I’m getting ready. It takes me about 10 minutes to get him ready for the day. We spend another 10-15 minutes downstairs getting the dogs situated, packing lunches, getting milk for Cooper, etc. We leave the house around 8:00-8:10 and arrive at daycare somewhere around 8:30. I get to work somewhere between 8:45-9:00.

My lovely friend Cole wants to know: What is the ONE beauty product you can't live without? If you could live anywhere in the world (aka not USA), where would you choose?

I could not live without eyeliner. My eyes disappear into my face without it.

The second question is hard to answer! Y’all, don’t hate me, but I don’t think I would want to live outside the US. I would like to visit but I don’t know that there is anywhere I would want to live permanently.

Sarah asked: What is your ultimate favorite item from Sephora? Do you use Scentsy? If so, what's your favorite scent?

I am loving Make Up For Ever HD Invisible Cover Foundation. I have never been a fan of liquid foundations because they make me look greasy and feel oily, but I love this foundation. It provides amazing coverage, and it stays put all day long. It is a little pricey at $40, but I think it is worth the expense.

I don’t use Scentsy. I should probably try it, but I’ve just never pulled the trigger and ordered from anyone. I have heard from my tweeps that the pumpkin marshmallow scent is divine.

Abby wants to know: How did you and Jason know when you were ready for kids? Do you mind sharing how long you tried for before you got pregnant/ elaborating on the trying to get pregnant process?

I’m actually going to do a separate blog post about this, so stayed tuned later this week.

This was fun! Thanks for sending me questions, everyone! Remember, if there is anything you want to know you can always send me an email or leave it in the comment section.

Happy Monday!

Friday Randoms

2011-10-06T21:41:00.001-04:00

This week has been brutal. Cooper had pinkeye the week before last, and on Tuesday I woke up with a raging case of conjunctivitis. On top of that, I have a sinus infection. Fun times.

I’m working on matching people up for the Snail Mail Challenge right now. I’m a little behind because I’m sick (I’m also behind of commenting, for which I apologize). I will definitely have your matches out by Sunday.

I had a horrible experience at the doctor on Tuesday. I went in primarily to get eye drops for the pink eye, but I also knew I had a sinus infection, and I wanted to get antibiotics. I told the doctor my symptoms and explained that I get sinus infections frequently – every 2-3 months for the last 10 years. She kind of blew me off and said “oh, it’s allergies” and I told her no, in fact it wasn’t. I’m already on 3 different allergy medications & there is nothing else I could take that would help, short of surgery. She also blew me off when I said I had pink eye (even when I told her my son had just had it) and she made me put these awful drops in my eyes that burned like acid because “maybe you have a tear on your cornea.” She leaves the room & a nurse comes in and tells me they are going to do allergy testing and “it will probably be covered by my insurance, but if not it is only $100.” Um, no. I get my prescription and leave, only to have to turn around and come right back because I realized she hadn’t given me anything for my sinus infection. I went back in & the receptionist told me “well, the doctor thinks it is all in your head.” I got so mad! First of all, she didn’t even examine me. She made up her mind it was allergies just based on the fact that I told her I was on allergy medications. I demanded to see the doctor again and she was so rude – she told me she saw no signs of a sinus infection (um, you didn’t examine me, you fool) and if I wanted to kill myself with antibiotics, I’d have to find another doctor to prescribe them.

I despise doctors like her. They think they know it all, and they make up their minds what is wrong with you before they even examine you. Listen, this is MY BODY and I know when something is wrong. I have struggled with this for years and I know what it feels like and what the symptoms are. Yet here I am, suffering through this because she refused to listen to me. Seriously – this is how diseases go undiagnosed. Some cocky doctor ignores a patient who tells them something is wrong, and it turns on to be something serious.

Have I mentioned I desperately miss my doctor from Charleston?

Anyway.

Do y’all watch The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills? This Taylor situation is killing me. Taylor’s husband, Russell, (who was on the show) recently committed suicide. Rumors are that he said he couldn’t live with the way Bravo was going to portray him this season. Before his death, he & Taylor announced their intention to divorce, and she came out in the press & said he abused her. Since he died, Taylor released photos of the “proof” he abused her and is doing major press talking about him and their marriage in detail. She claims he had beaten her throughout the marriage and she even required plastic surgery on one occasion to repair the damage. She’s even writing a book about the abuse (she signed the deal after his suicide).

You guys… she makes me SICK. I don’t condone abuse in any way, shape, or form but the man is dead. He can’t defend himself. It is clear to me all she cares about is profiting off this horrible situation. They have a daughter together, and one day the daughter is going to grow up and read these things. Russell has a family, and they have to read these details. If someone beats you, go to the police and your lawyer. Don’t go to the press.

Off my soapbox.

I did a mani earlier this week that was a twist on the traditional french tips. The base was black and the tips were silver glitter. It looked awesome, but it was a health hazard. Even through I did three top coats, the glitter was still flaking off. I mess with my eyes a lot because I wear contacts, and glitter got in my eye. That was fun to get out. Moral of the story: use heavy duty shellac as a top coat when you use Martha’s glitter.

So… what’s new with you? What are your plans for the weekend?

Pretty Painted Nails

2011-10-05T08:00:00.000-04:00

I love to paint my nails. I find it oddly relaxing since I do it while I’m watching television. My nails don’t gain weight, so I like to show them off.

I also like to take pictures of them and share them on Twitter for some odd reason. Partly because I think they look pretty, and partly because I want to show other people what different colors look like on the nail.

Here’s some of my recent pictures:

Top Left: OPI Catch Me In Your Net

Top Right: China Glaze Emerald Sparkle

Bottom Left: OPI Ink (from the Suede line)

Bottom Right: OPI Dating A Royal

Top Left: OPI Teenage Dream

Top Middle: Zebra mani created with Milani polishes – white polish for base and black for stripes.

Top Right: OPI Extravagances

Bottom: OPI with OPI Bring On The Bling layered on top.

Left: Essie Flirt for base. Ring finger has a top coat of Sephora by OPI Only Gold For Me.

Top Right: OPI Mod About You

Middle Right: Sally Hansen Lightening

Bottom Right: My attempt at ombre nails, using various OPI polishes.

Left: Sally Hansen The Real Teal

Top Right: Sally Hansen Teal-y Fast

Bottom Right: Essie Power Clutch & Martha Stewart glitter

Do you like to do your nails? What is your favorite nail polish brand? Color?

Next week I’ll be writing a post about my nail favs: bottom coat, top coat, colors, brands, etc. as well as coming trends in nails. Do you have any nail questions? Leave them in the comments and I’ll answer next week!

2 On Tuesday & a Giveaway!

2011-10-03T21:30:00.000-04:00

Hey friends! Thanks for coming back for another week of 2 On Tuesday. I’m so glad you are here reading and participating!

Mandy was last week’s winner of the special surprise from me! Your package is already in the mail, Mandy!

Before we start 2 On Tuesday, I wanted to share with you that my super sweet friend, Cole, is opening an Etsy shop. Cole is so talented – she makes hats, scarves, baby blankets, and more! Check out this adorable cupcake hat! Your little princess needs one of these!

Cole has been knitting since childhood. She loves finding new projects, and she is more than happy to do custom orders. If you see something in her shop that you like but want to tweak (different color or size) just let her know!

I love this frilly pink scarf!

Cole sent me some goodies, and I tried to make Cooper model them this Saturday. As you can see, the photo session did not go well. He is not loving the camera these days.

Cole has so generously offered to giveaway a hat to one of you! One of you will receive the candy corn hat, which is absolutely perfect for this time of year! All you need to do is leave a comment. You get an extra entry if you link up to 2 On Tuesday this week! I will announce the winner on Monday, and will have it in the mail by Tuesday so your little one can get lots of wear out of it this month.

Be sure to visit Cole’s blog and her Etsy shop! Please contact her if you have any requests for custom orders!

Now on to 2 On Tuesday! This week’s question is:

What were your two favorite childhood toys?

I was absolutely obsessed with the game Mouse Trap. I used to play with it for hours in my room.

This wasn’t a game, but I did spend the majority of my childhood with my nose in a book. I read every single book in The Babysitter’s Club series. I wanted to be Stacey. Minus the diabetes, that is.

My second favorite book was Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. I confess I did practice chanting “we must, we must, we must increase our bust!” Apparently it worked for me.

How about you? What childhood toys did you love?

The Little Green Monster

2011-10-03T08:00:00.000-04:00

No, I’m not talking about the smoothie.

I’m talking about jealousy. The kind that comes wanting things that you can’t have. Where you are jealous of others for their blessings or their accomplishments. Where every post or tweet makes you feel inadequate.

In the spirit of keepin’ it real, I feel I should tell you I am very prone to fits of envy. I find myself wishing for things other people have a great deal. I try to “keep up with the Joneses” when I have no business doing so. I beat up on myself about my looks/weight/belongings/house/abilities because I’m constantly comparing myself/my life to the lives I see depicted on blogs.

It pains me to admit this, because I really want to be this pure, selfless person. But I’m not. And I’m willing to bet that if you are honest with yourself, sometimes you are not either.

Twitter has been both a blessing and curse for me. On one hand, I’ve made incredible friends and gotten so much support and advice from those people. On the other hand, Twitter gives me instant, detailed access to other people’s lives. I see people tweeting about something that is fabulous-must have-can’t live without it and I want it now now now. (Cough *erincondrenplanner* Cough) I want to be one of the cool kids who has the it planner, the designer shoes, or even the feather hair extensions. (Which I did not get. But I felt very uncool for passing on this trend because according to Twitter, all the cool moms were doing it.)

I subscribe to a great many craft/home improvement blogs. One on hand, I love the inspiration I get from these bloggers. It inspires me to see crafts done on a small budget or with items I probably already have lying around my house. On the other hand, I feel inadequate because my crafts don’t look like that and I could only dream of doing home improvement projects on my own.

I see pristine, perfect, beautifully decorated homes and I know these bloggers have kids. I find myself wondering '”why doesn’t my house look like that?” I see bloggers who dress impeccably and are always so well put together, and I feel jealous because I look like a hot mess 99% of the time. Why can’t I have her hair/her figure/her perfect skin? I hear about shopping sprees, Jimmy Choo shoes, Tory Burch revas, or Louis Vuitton purses and I want to have those things. And I find myself asking “how come they have all this money and I do not?”

One of my blog friends recently had a birthday, and so many people wished her Happy Birthday and sent her gifts. And I was jealous because I didn’t get that attention on my birthday. Do people not love me? (That was my train of thought.)

I know – it is awful. I hate that I feel this way, and it is something I struggle with every day. This is one way Satan works in my life to make me feel like I’m not good enough. He doesn’t want me to focus on what I am blessed with… he wants me to focus on what I don’t have instead.

One thing I’ve learned from blogging is that it is far to easy to compare yourself to the depiction of life you see on someone’s blog. No one is perfect. No one posts the pictures of their house, strewn with 10,000 toys from an afternoon of toddler mayhem. You don’t see dishes piled in the sink or the fashion blogger in her sweats. You don’t know anything about so-and-so’s finances.

I’ve always had a policy of being real on my blog, but that isn’t for everyone. Let me rephrase – my kind of real isn’t for everyone. Not everyone wants to post about their struggles or the arguments they have with their spouse. Some people purposely try to keep their blogs positive and upbeat because those are the things they want to look back on in the future when they read their blog.

In case you have ever felt this way when you have read my blog (which I don’t see how anyone would ever be envious of me!), let me assure you my life is not perfect. Right now I am in my MC Hammer pajama pants and the remnants of my makeup are smudged under my eyes. There is a dirty diaper on my coffee table that needs to be taken out to the trash can. I have dishes in my sink. My floor hasn’t been mopped in a week and I won’t even tell you how much laundry I have to do. My husband and I are arguing right now, and I’m pretty sure my toddler is counting down the days until he turns 18 and can move away from his helicopter mommy.

My life isn’t perfect, but neither is anyone else’s. That’s what I need to remember when I have these feelings. My life is perfect in its own way, and so-and-so’s life is perfect for them. It’s pointless to compare ourselves to one another because we all have unique gifts and situations.

How about you – do you ever struggle with jealousy? Has blogging/Twitter/Facebook ever caused you to feel inadequate? How do you deal with those feelings when they happen?

Taking Care of Business

2011-10-01T11:16:00.001-04:00

Bloggy business, that is.

I emailed everyone who said they were interested in the Snail Mail Challenge. Jodi, I have no way of contacting you. Please email me.

If you are interested, it isn’t too late! Email the following information to andrearhouse at gmail dot com.

Name: (we need your actual name for mailing purposes)
Address:
Email Address:
Blog Address:
Twitter/Facebook, if you choose to share:
Tell your partner a little bit about yourself. (Age, family information, job, interests, etc.)

Here's how it will work: Email me the above information no later than Wednesday. I will match you up by Friday. I will send you your partner's information, and for the next month, I would like you to send at least one letter/card per week. You can send more but please send at least one item per week. I also encourage you to contact your partner by email and through their blog. There are tons of free greeting card sites out there so why not email them a card to brighten their day?

Remember, the purpose is to uplift and encourage one another! And to make new friends!

While we are on the subject of addresses, can you all please (for the love of pete, PLEASE) make sure your blogger account is linked up to your email address? If you haven’t specified an email for yourself, every time you comment on someone’s blog it goes to their email from a generic “noreplyblogger” email address. That means the person can’t respond to you. If you do link your email, the blogger can email you right back about any questions/comments you have.

(If I contacted you through your blog, it means you are a noreplyblogger. )

Log on to your blogger account, and go to your blogger dashboard. Click on “Edit Profile” which is right beside your profile picture. Under “Identity” there is a box to enter your email address. Save and you are done!

If you are worried about security, simple create a gmail email address (it is free!) for your blog and then no one will have your personal email.

Thank you friends! Happy Saturday!

TGIF!

2011-09-30T08:54:00.001-04:00

Happy Friday, friends!

I wish I had something of substance for you today, but I'm blogging from my iPhone so this will be short.

This is the end of my second week at work, and I feel slightly less panicked about my ability to do this job. As you can see, I decorated my little space. Bling bling!

Jason's work schedule is horrendous right now. He's working 14 hour days and we work opposing schedules, so we only see each other for about 20 minutes a day. It has not been good for us as a family. Jason & I tend to squabble during times of stress, and the timing of his new schedule with the start of my job is just terrible. However, I love all the time I get to spend with Cooper.

I'm hesitant to say this, but Cooper seems to be doing much better at daycare. (Knock on wood.) There has been no biting this week & every day when I have dropped him off he has walked right in without crying. He learned to draw circles this week & was so excited to show me his work. :)

I don't have any big plans for the weekend. I'll be cleaning, doing laundry, & catching up on blog business. Maybe we will escape to the playground if the weather is nice.

What's new with you guys? What do you have planned for the weekend?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Dear (Fill In The Blank)

2011-09-29T08:00:00.000-04:00

Please join in. It makes me feel better about being such a snarky witch.

Dear Citgo,

You know what makes me mad? I mean super steaming mad? When I pay at the pump with my credit card and the machine tells me to come inside and get my receipt. Doesn’t that kind of defeat the point? If I wanted to come inside, I’d pay inside. What I want to do is hop in my car and leave. Fill up the dang paper thingamajig.

Work on that, please.

*********************************************************************************

Dear Pants,

Did you shrink in the wash? No, because I haven’t washed you yet. Did I pick up the wrong size? No? Then please tell me why you are so tight that you can clearly see the outline of my undies. I mean, you’re so tight I had genuine fear I was going to split my pants. When I took you off, I swear I had a bruise where the waistband had been. What is the problem?

Love,

It’s not me, it’s you.

*********************************************************************************

Dear Self,

Have you ever heard of the word willpower? You should look it up. You just bragged on your blog the other day that you had lost 15 pounds. You should probably admit you gained 5 of those back, and the pants in your new size are suddenly uncomfortably tight. I realize ice cream is delicious, but nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.

Love,

Fatty McFatterson

P.S. Blizzards totally taste as good as skinny feels. Maybe better.

*********************************************************************************

Dear Lacey Schwimmer,

Oh honey, no. Just no. What has happened to you?!

*********************************************************************************

Dear Ryan Murphy,

I think you are one of the smartest guys on the planet. I love your show. However, can I give you some constructive criticism?

Please dial down the show tunes. I love Broadway just as much as the next girl, but a whole episode of Broadway songs? Can’t we have something contemporary? Also… I’m a little tired of Kurt. Last season was the Kurt show… can’t we focus on someone else this year?

Also, could you give Lea Michelle a few notes from me? It really drives me bonkers that when she sings, she squeezes up her eyes for half the song. Tell the poor girl she’s giving herself wrinkles. Yes, she’s emoting, but it looks like she’s constipated.

What’s the deal with Quinn? She’s always been one of the most unlikeable characters on the show, in my opinion, and you’re just making me hate her more. However, bravo on having Mr. Shue bring her down a peg in this week’s episode. Someone needed to tell her what a whiny, ungrateful brat she really is.

Lindsey from The Glee Project was fabu. Please bring her back for more. I can’t wait to see what you’ve got in store for Damien and Samuel. However, I can’t even imagine what you will write for Alex that will make him likeable. I am not a fan.

I think you are fabulous. Please write me a guest role. kthanksbye.

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Dear Producers of Every Talent Based Reality Show (or almost any reality show, actually):

WHY in the world do shows have to be 2 hours long? I really don’t care to see Brad Womack or Brooke Burke for that long on a weekly basis. I end up fast-forwarding through most of the show because that is the only way I can stand it.

Sincerely,

The girl with too much on her DVR

Who do you want to write this week?