A Babbling Brunette

FQF: I got nothing.

2012-02-10T06:00:00.004-05:00

I am SO happy it is Friday. This has been such a long week. We have NO plans this weekend except for church, of course. I'm super thrilled to do nothing!!!

FQF time!

1. How often do you shave your legs in the winter? About once a week, at least. I can't stand to have hairy legs!!

2. Valentine's Day cards for your spouse: funny or romantic? A little of both? I bought the cheap $1 cards at Target this year. :)

3. What are you most looking forward to about spring? Days at the playground with M! She is finally at the age where she can (and will) play by herself and I can relax. :)

4. What's your favorite way to pamper yourself? Pedicures!!! I've only ever had two or three but it's a nice thought. :) Honestly, just getting to stay up late by myself makes me happy.

5. Does your tax return go into savings or do you spend it instantly? Well, in the past we have spent it on needless things and maybe one bill. This year it is ALL going to bills. I'm excited about it too! We are (very) slowly working towards getting out of debt!

This is a great Friday for the movies! The new Denzel Washington movie & The Vow come out!!!

It's OK! {Week 20}

2012-02-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

It's OK!

...that I coordinate my nights to put M to sleep so it doesn't interfere with my shows!

...to hope that Courtney "wins." She and Ben deserve each other. He is SUCH a jerk!

...to have lots to blog about and not feel like blogging.

...that I just went on Olive Garden's website to find out what their new desserts are.

...to be super excited about the purple glitter Toms I ordered!

...to hope that hubs gets me cupcakes instead of flowers for V Day.

:) Happy Thursday!

The Friday Five

2012-02-03T14:12:00.001-05:00

I saw this on a blog and although the host isn't doing it anymore, I'm gonna! It looks like fun. :)

The Friday Five:

1. What I'm reading: Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella. Okay, I have read ALL of her books and all of the Shopaholic series but I can't get into this book. Maybe it's because I've taken a very long hiatus from Chick-Lit to read more intellectual (?) books like Sarah's Key, The Hunger Games, and Water for Elephants; or, maybe it's just not that great of a book. I'm going to try to finish it though because I paid $12 and for an ebook - that's a lot!!

2. What I'm listening to: No Other Name by NewSpring Worship! I love, love, love this cd!! Our church released this album last week and it was #4 on iTunes (under Christian music) almost immediately! Go here to get it!

3. What I'm watching: How I Met Your Mother. Oh my gosh why am I just now watching this show?? I'm on Season 2 (thank you Netflix) and I can't stop watching it. Hilarious!!!

4. What I'm eating: Okay I have no idea why but I have been obsessed with oranges lately. They are SO good! Who knew?? Only downfall they have is that I can't eat them while blogging or reading because they are super messy. Boo.

*all images above via

5. What I'm pinning: Recipes, mostly! Madi and I made these adorable monkey cupcakes a few weekends ago. They turned out great and we had so much fun!

Breaking Out of the Shell

2012-01-30T11:11:00.001-05:00

On Saturday Madi and I were on our way to the playground. It was a really bright, sunny, beautiful day. She asked me “Mommy, is it Sunday?” I said no, it’s Saturday. She replied with “but it’s sunny outside.” J I love the minds of little children.

I am so so proud of my little girl. We took her to the playground on Saturday and Sunday because it was gorgeous both days. She played with the other children so well. If you know her, you know this is a big deal. She is typically extremely shy and reserved. She totally broke out of her shell and laughed and chased the other kids. She did this at church Sunday night too! Her teacher came to my room twice(I’m in the nursery Sunday nights) and told me Madi was playing with the other kids, participating and having a blast. I cannot express how happy that made me. She absolutely loves church and absorbs everything they teach her but she has had trouble opening up and really getting into it and last night, she did it!

I am so happy that she is growing into such a strong, independent, socialable child! She really is a gift from God and I couldn’t be any happier! God is good.

Happy Monday!

Team Peeta!

2012-01-25T06:00:00.004-05:00

image via

I know I may be late on the bandwagon, but I just finished The Hunger Games Trilogy. Oh. my. gosh. I loved those books!! If you ~~have been living in a closet~~ haven't heard of these books here is a synopsis about the first book:

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

excerpt taken from Goodreads

I didn't think I would like these books. I don't usually read this genre, but I am so glad that I gave it a chance. The suspense + love story + action keeps you on your toes the whole time. Go buy these books or borrow them from a friend (they are lendable on the nook)! The second book was my favorite!

Have you read them? Which book was your favorite? Are you Team Peeta or Team Gale?

PS. The movie release may or may not be on my planner with a million !!!!

The Not So Perfect Friday Night

2012-01-24T06:00:00.001-05:00

Friday night was supposed to be a magical, wonderful, perfect evening out with my family. So, I picked M up early from her grandma's house and met Justin at Mellow Mushroom for some pizza before the circus!

Well, anyone with a toddler should have known better, but I have the world's most well-behaved kid, right? WRONG. Oh boy was I ever wrong. Justin had to take M out to the car for a talk while I waited on our food. We thought she was going to be good from then on, wrong again. I didn't even get to take a bite of my food and we wasted money buying her mac & cheese that she would not eat. So, I took her to the car and Justin got the food boxed up.

Before her ridiculous temper tantrum.

My perfect evening turned into us going to the McDonald's drive thru for a happy meal and eating our cold pizza in the car. Am I the only one who doesn't have these glamourous family nights out? Because I feel like I am.

Despite Madi's behavior, we still took her the circus. We spent a good bit of money on the tickets and knew she would enjoy it. After buying $8 popcorn and $12 cotton candy we watched the show and had a great time. Madi was more intrigued by the numbers on her seat than the clowns dancing around, but still - we had fun! She was ready to go about 10 minutes before the show let out so we left early. Worked out, because we missed the rush and traffic.

Mommy and Madi <3

Watching the elephants and dancers!

All in all it was a hectic evening with a few hours of fun. So is the life of a toddler mom, right? :)

Madi Moment Monday - Age 3

2012-01-23T06:00:00.001-05:00

Boy, it's been a while since I've done a Madi Moment Monday. I need to get back on top of things!

Well, my MMM today is, not surprisingly, a quote I took during one of her many lectures recently. She is definitely embracing the terrible three's!

While Madi and I were at Chick-Fil-A earlier this week she wouldn't eat her dinner. I asked her "Do you think you get to go on the playground?" Her reply - "I don't know what answer I'll use mommy. What answer will I use?"

:) Such a clever thing she is. I just love her response. She was totally playing it safe. And guess who got to play on the playground? (She did end up eating her dinner, most of it.) I have to tell y'all also, how proud I am of her. While on the playground another boy (he was 8 years old) came in to play. She played with him and ran around with him and talked to him!!! Anyone who knows my daughter, knows this is a big deal. I was just so proud of her for finally opening up!

Daddy taught her the art of oreo dunking this past week.

______________________________________________________________________

Side note - I'm thinking of starting a link-up so you all can share the funny, sweet, silly things your children (or friend's children, etc.) say. I think this is a great way to document all the things I don't want to forget. If you would be interested in linking-up could you please leave a comment below letting me know? I think it would be fun but want to make sure enough people are interested! I'm trying to come up with a name for it now! So excited about this. I just love hearing the funny things kids say!

Domestic Bliss?

2012-01-20T06:00:00.002-05:00

This is what happens when I cook every night...

Oy. Fast food is SO much easier but not as tasty at all!

And for all of you type A's out there:

I cleaned up, don't worry. :)

Also, go check out this giveaway. Emily is giving away an ereader cover with your choice of many gorgeous fabrics!!

The Blogger Game

2012-01-18T20:30:00.001-05:00

You all know what this is by now! I've been tagged by Monica from Monica's Notebook. Check her out, I love her blog!

The Blogger Game

The Rules

1. You must post the rules.

2. Post eleven fun facts about yourself on the blog post.

3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and then create 11 new questions to ask the people you've tagged.

4. Tag 11 people and link them on your post.

5. Let them know you've tagged them!

11 Fun Facts About Me!

1. I love to talk about myself. It's true!

2. Sometimes at work I put headphones in even though I'm not listening to anything. It's a good way to "ignore" people without appearing rude.

3. I often go too far out of my way to help others. I don't think it's a bad thing though.

4. I like the idea of having a dog but I definitely do not ever want another one.

5. I have now gone 5 full days without Diet Coke (or any soda). I'm insanely tired, but hoping that will wear off soon.

6. When I get around people who have a strong southern accent I draw mine out, unintentionally. Justin always gets onto me about it!

7. I wear black pants pretty much every single day to work. I just don't like myself in other pants.

8. I miss my maiden name, because it's so uncommon. (I love being married - but I just liked my last name.)

9. I'm starting to really enjoy cooking. I just need some new recipes. Got any you can share? Keep in mind that I don't do veggies. ;)

10. I change my mind about 15 million times. I can never make decisions and stick to them. Evidence found throughout this blog, if you pay attention.

11. I'm working really hard to read my Bible every day for the next 28 days. Want to join me?

Monica's Questions for me

1. What would you do if someone handed you a million dollars?

I'd kiss them, and then pay all our bills and then go shopping. DUH.

2. What is one beauty product you can't live without?

Mascara. I prefer Maybelline.

3. What is your favorite alcoholic drink?

I don't drink. My favorite fun drink is an Icee. Yes, I'm 5.

4. What made you want to start blogging?

I was reading other people's blogs and thought it looked like fun!

5. What's the first thing you do when you wake up?

Pee. Well, you asked!

6. Where was your first kiss?

In my bathroom. hahaha.

7. Describe yourself in 3 words.

Quirky. Caring. Spontaneous.

8. Favorite type of candy?

Sweet tarts!

9. What's your natural hair color?

I'm a true brunette! I've only it dyed once and probably won't do it again until I start graying!!

10. Dog or cat person?

Eh, neither. I just don't want fur all over my house, or the smell. Sorry animal lovers!

11. If you had to eat 1 thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?

French fries!!! Well, only if they had no calories. If we are counting calories then...um, idk.

My Tags:

My Questions for You!

1. What are your favorite boy and girl names?

2. What is your dream job?

3. Do you use Twitter? If not, what the heck not? :)

4. If you could visit anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?

5. Are you a mac or a PC?

6. How many speeding tickets have you gotten?

7. Do you prefer the mountains or the beach?

8. What is your favorite snack?

9. What's your ideal date night?

10. What's your favorite thing about blogging?

11. What do you do during your "me time"?

Testing Mama

2012-01-16T09:39:00.000-05:00

This weekend has been, well, challenging. Over the past few days I've found that having a mature, intelligent toddler is not always a plus. Boy is she testing us!!! This past weekend has been full of hour long temper tantrums, back-talking, and crying fits. I don't really even know why. All I know is that it has been TOUGH. I have no idea how people have more than one child. I totally and completely admire those who do!

Madi is very stubborn. She will scream for hours non-stop if I let her, and I have. We are trying to get her to start sleeping in her own bed, the WHOLE night. I can get her to sleep in her bed but she always wakes up in the middle of the night. I have no clue how to get her to go back to sleep. The good thing is that she just stays in her bed and screams. She doesn't walk into our room...yet. So, I'm open to any and all suggestions/tips/advice!

The temper tantrums are another issue that I could use advice on. We have tried everything, it feels like, and nothing affects her enough to make her understand she can't speak to us in a certain tone or throw her toys. It's been difficult. Not to say she is always like this, because this morning she woke up and was singing songs to me. She is a very sweet child, but she's testing her parents and so far, she's winning. HELP! :)

In other news, I'm SOOOOO happy to have today off of work. Hope all of you are off too!!

FQF: I wanna be a sweet tart.

2012-01-13T05:13:00.002-05:00

I'm linking up with Mama M today for FQF! She is in Mexico (lucky!) so Kate is hosting the link-up. Check it out!

1. What's the last thing you bought yourself?
Well, I take this to mean something snazzy I bought myself, not just like groceries. So, the last cool thing I bought myself is the Clarisonic Mia. I will post my thoughts on it soon!

2. What is your favorite meal on a cold winter day?
Uh, pizza? I don't know! I don't really eat things based on the season. Well, I do eat sausage & cheese balls, typically, only in the winter. So, there, that's my answer.

3. Have you started looking at swimsuits this year, and do you buy a new one every year?
No, I have not started looking and I do not want to either. I usually do buy at least one every year. Sadly, this will probably be the first year I don't wear a bikini. Depressing.

4. If you could be any candy, what would you be and why?
A Sweet Tart!! I'm obsessed with sweet tarts. They are sweet, tangy, and pretty. Who wouldn't want to be those things?

5. What are you most passionate about?
JESUS!!! I love Jesus, my church, and learning more about Him. I love talking to others about Him and changing every day (hopefully!) to be a better Christian.

Bonus Question - 6. What is your favorite thing to pin on Pinterest?
Probably food! Ha! Not because I'm actually going to make anything on there (although I have tried once, surprisingly), but because I think food pictures are really pretty.

Bonus, Bonus Question (by yours truly) - Who can help me fall asleep for approximately 45 minutes?
M was awake from 3:30-4am screaming that she was hungry. I caved at 4 and gave her a cereal bar. Now she and J are fast asleep and here I am, wide awake at 5am. Oy. At least it's Friday, right? Oh wait, I work tomorrow too. Okay, at least I have off on Monday. That works. :)

It's OK! {Week 19}

2012-01-12T06:00:00.005-05:00

It's OK!

...that I vow to give up diet coke at least once a week, but never do it.

...that I am a hypochondriac and think a colonoscopy and a mammogram should be covered when I'm 30 not when I'm already old.

...to wish Emily Thorne was my BFF even though that may mean she'd stab me in the back {literally}. She's so likable, in such a weird way!!

...to think it's sad that Emily Maynard is going to be the next Bachelorette because that means she's leaving her daughter again. :( I'm a mom, what can I say.

...to use two different email addresses to get free Chick-Fil-A breakfast twice instead of once this week!

...that it's 11:30pm and I'm still up. Oh crap, that's so not okay. Must be up in 6.5 hours and at work in 7.5 hours!! GOOD NIGHT!

*side note - If they celebrate birthday's in heaven, I hope it's a great one Tay Tay! I <3 you forever!!

Anniversary Trip!

2012-01-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

December 29th was my 5th wedding anniversary! I was a bad blogger that week and totally slacked on posting about it. Husband came to my work with a dozen red roses and took me to a very nice lunch! Totally surprised me. :) This past weekend we took a trip to Chimney Rock/Lake Lure, NC to celebrate!

Sadly, we have only had one other trip away without Madi so this was really special. We stayed at a gorgeous inn with a great view of Chimney Rock.

View from our room - Chimney Rock

Justin ordered flowers ahead of time so they were in the room for me when we got there. They are my favorite color too. :)

This Inn reminded me of Lorelai's inn on Gilmore Girls. It was just so cute! Not quite a bed & breakfast, but not quite a hotel either.

Friday when we got there we checked out the local shops and grabbed a lunch by the river. It was really like a ghost town! I figured winter + mountains = tourists but apparently that only happens if there is snow?! Turns out it was off season and they are crazy swamped with tourists in the summer. Anyway, it was nice being somewhere so quiet. Once we checked into the hotel room we didn't want to go try and find somewhere for dinner so we ate at the restaurant in the inn. Such a downer - kidding! We totally splurged and had an excellent, romantic meal. Justin got a filet mignon and I got chicken alfredo. I have pictures of course...

Saturday we planned on hiking Chimney Rock but turned out many of the trails were closed due to renovations and Justin's knee was acting up so that was a no go. We went to breakfast and then went to the mall to do some shopping and then drove to Asheville and walked around downtown. We had a nice dinner at a local restaurant, La Strada on Lake Lure. It was really good!

The inn had a game room on the second floor with fussball, air hockey, and a pool table. Justin and I had so much fun playing games!! He is currently undefeated in air hockey which may or may not have made me really mad and I beat him once at fussball. He also taught me how to properly hold a pool stick so we had fun playing a game of pool too.

It was such a nice, relaxing, fun weekend away from everything! We decided we want to make a trip to the Esmeralda Inn every year! I love the town, the inn, and the fun things to do! Next time we will most definitely go to the Biltmore House!

Here are a few more pics from the weekend. :)

Justin at the inn.

Grove Arcade in Asheville, NC

What's your favorite place to vacation?? Have you ever been to Chimney Rock?

BAM!

2012-01-10T06:00:00.007-05:00

I have always been a bad {butt?}. I just needed pictures to prove it...

Last Monday I went with my dad & my brother to the shooting range. I hadn't been to a range since my 19th birthday so I was really excited.

I needed a little coaching and got it from the best...

1st gun I shot was the Henry - my dad's "baby." I didn't like her. She was heavy. Yes, a girl named Henry.

2nd one I shot was the pistol. I liked this one a little bit better, but still not a huge fan.

But this one is my favorite. Told you I'm a bad aaaa....

AR-15. Yes, please.

(so maybe saying I'm scared it's going to hit my face is not so hard core...)

What's your idea of fun? :)

It's OK! {Week 18}

2012-01-05T06:00:00.002-05:00

It's OK!

...that if I see one more post/tweet/status update about losing weight I might barf.

...that this is my third link-up of the week.

...that my life feels complete again now that Pretty Little Liars is back on.

...to have no activities planned for our trip this weekend. The goal is to relax!

...to be extra nice and go out of your way for others.

...to go to Which Wich just for their lemon juice packets. (and not take a bunch for later...)

...that I took my Christmas tree and all decorations down on Christmas day. Can't stand clutter!!

...to have drooled a little when I tried fried pickles for the first time.

What are you saying "It's OK!" to this week?

WILW: Fun Finds!

2012-01-04T06:00:00.002-05:00

I have been wanting to post this for a while now but I've been exhausted every night after work lately. Having a few days off is great!! Anyway, here are some things I've been loving lately and want to share with you all!

My favorite new toy and gift to myself from all that overtime $$ - Clarisonic Mia!

Aly tweeted about this and I googled it and instantly fell in love. It's a sonic skin cleaning device. I have horrible skin, always have. I can't wait to see the results and will definitely do a post about it!

I found this on Pinterest and really want it!

So simple and so cute! I'm really starting to like gold too!

And what girl can't use more Toms? I can't decide which ones I want most but these are probably #1 on my list!

Love the pop of pink!

Oh and I would be a bad friend if I didn't share this awesome app with y'all. If you have an iPhone go download the app Cuptakes now! Super, super cute backgrounds for your phone! Totally worth the $1.99.

I change my background every day now so it's never boring!

What are you loving this Wednesday??

Ring Bling!

2012-01-03T19:28:00.002-05:00

Check it out!

I've been waiting for a good time to show y'all my new wedding ring so I'm linking up!

If you missed our "love story" you can read it on Lindsey's blog here.

I absolutely love my first engagement ring. Not only is it sentimental but it was picked out by my husband just for me. It's so special to me!

Butttt, hubby has been wanting to "upgrade" my rings for a while now. He bought that right out of basic training and did not have the salary he has now. So for our 5th wedding anniversary this month he bought me this:

ECK! I'm in love. I stare at my finger a bit too often. I'm not really sure of the specs but I know it's just under a carat and it's white gold. I love it and I love what it symbolizes!

*I just had to come back and add that I now know why women don't (typically) go with men to pick out their engagement rings. I drove those poor sales people nuts! The girl helping us even got someone else to come help so she could slip away! Not even kidding. I looked at every diamond they had. I found the one I wanted though! :)

My BFF started a blog!

2012-01-02T14:20:00.000-05:00

New Years Day was a great day for us! My best friend Carrie and her husband Josh came over to hang out. We all had lunch at Olive Garden, with just a little bit of begging from me! It was delicious, as usual. After OG I helped Carrie start her very first blog! I was so excited when she told me she wanted to start a blog. Her blog will be focused on fitness and healthy eating as she works towards reaching her goal weight this year! I'm so excited for her.

We had a lot of fun coming up with a blog name for her blog. The guys even offered suggestions - some of which are completely inappropriate to share! Thanks to my twitter blog friends who helped us too!

You can go here to check out her blog and show her some love! :)

The rest of the evening was spent lounging around and watching TV- the best way to spend a holiday, if you ask me!

1st Mommy/Daughter pic of the year!

Bye bye 2011, Hello 2012!

2012-01-01T20:11:00.004-05:00

I've seen a lot of bloggers do this and I don't think I have that much to recap but I figured it'd be fun anyway!

Here's my 2011 year review:

January

We ditched the crib and bought Madi a "big girl bed!"

February

Madi got her first haircut!

March

Madi kicked the paci habit.

Justin & I spent a week at MUSC.

April

I had sinus surgery.

I almost died, seriously.

May

Madi is potty trained!

My friend Adriane came to visit from Alaska!

June

I threw Justin a surprise birthday dinner!

My 1 year blogiversary!

I volunteered at KidSpring for the first time!

July

I met Lindsey & we went to the NKOTBSB concert!

August

I turned a year older.

Went to my BFF's bridal shower.

September

I did my first vlog.

My BFF got married.
Justin & I got baptized!

October

I posted about a friend's sweet boy.

We went to the pumpkin patch!

November

Sweet girl turned 3!!

December

Hubs & I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary.

Wow that was fun! I just realized I still haven't posted about M's birthday party or our anniversary. I will definitely get to that soon!

Hope y'all had a very happy New Year and did NOT have to eat black eyed peas & collard greens. BLEH! ;)

Y'all can't make fun of me.

2011-12-31T18:28:00.000-05:00

I'm a ~~loser~~ mom so I'm home on NYE. What better to do than a survey? I took this off of one of my fav blogs - Hungry Meets Healthy.

1. What time did you get up this morning? 7:15am. I had to work for 4 hours. :(

2. How do you like your steak? Medium well. Mmmmm I love steak!

3. What was the last movie you saw at the theater? The Fighter, I think. It was really good!

4. What is your favorite TV show? Sister Wives and The Gilmore Girls!

5. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? Where I live now. I love the South!

6. What did you have for breakfast? Sausage biscuit, courtesy of my boss!

7. Do you wear glasses or contacts? Glasses in the winter, contacts in the summer. I have a system, yo.

8. What food do you despise? All veggies, but if we are being specific - peas. Peas are the devil in disguise.

9. Favorite place to eat? Olive Garden. I am craving it sooo bad now!! Oh and Chili's - only for the chips & salsa. I could drink that stuff.

10. Favorite dressing? Olive Garden's!

11. What's your favorite movie? The Devil Wears Prada.

12. What are your favorite clothes? jeans and t-shirts. I'm simple.

13. Where would you visit, this weekend, if you had the chance? NYC! I've always wanted to go there.

14. How many tattoos do you have? Just 1.

15. Where would you want to retire? Possibly Alaska, but only if Madi moved there too!

16. What is your desktop photo? Okay. Y'all can't make fun of me.

17. Where were you born? Columbia, SC.

18. What is your favorite sport to watch? Does gymnastics count?

19. How many siblings? 1 brother.

20. Favorite pastime/hobby? blogging, reading.

21. Coffee drinker? bleh!

22. Are you a morning person or a night person? I really don't know. I don't like to get up early, but once I'm up - I'm good. I like to stay up late but usually fall asleep early. ?!?!

23. Do you have any pets? no and no thank you.

24. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share? I just bought a Clarisonic Mia!!! Yayyyy!

25. What did you want to be when you were little? A teacher, ever since I was 2! Then I went to college and totally changed my mind!

26. What is your favorite color? pink & purple. Yes, I know that's two colors. My survey, my rules.

27. Are you a cat or a dog person? no and no.

28. Are you married? 5 years!

29. Always wear your seat belt? always!!

30. Been in a car accident? yep, nothing serious though thank goodness.

31. Any pet peeves? oh boy. I have lots: hearing people drink/chew, slow drivers, people who brag, slackers, etc.

32. Favorite pizza toppings? pepperoni, is there any other kind?!

33. Favorite flower? tulips!!

34. Favorite ice cream? chocolate with cookie dough but oh my gah I have a new fav. I'll tell you about it later. It deserves it's own post.

35. Favorite fast food restaurant? This is a tough one. I love all fast food. Gross, I know but so good. Probably Zaxby's or McD's. I love little cheeseburgers!

36. How many times did you fail your drivers test? ha! once here, but in alaska - ummm like 3 times. Oh wait, that was the permit/book test. I didn't fail my drivers test!

37. From whom did you get your last email? Facebook.

38. Which store would you chose to max out your credit card? hmmm idk. Target probably.

39. Like your job? Yes!

Christmas!

2011-12-27T06:00:00.001-05:00

HOW is the Christmas weekend over already?? :(

I had a wonderful Christmas. We went to the NewSpring Christmas service on Friday night and then volunteered all day Saturday. Sunday we opened presents and then went to my in laws for family time and presents for the kids. It was a great day!

And it didn't hurt that I got just what I asked for! :)

MK iPhone Zip Wallet

VS Flannel PJs

maybe next year Santa can make me look like this.

zebra Snuggie!!

and my favorite gift:

A painting from Madi.

What did you get for Christmas?

The Little Things

2011-12-21T07:00:00.001-05:00

I've been working a lot of hours lately, hence my lack of blog posts and commenting on other blogs (sorry!). The thing is though, being away truly makes me appreciate the time that I do have with my family.

The other night I was playing with Madi and showed her the snow globes we have. She saw them last year but this year she is actually old enough to appreciate them. The look on her face when she saw the "snow" falling was absolutely priceless. It was the most amazing thing she'd ever seen! I must have turned the globe upside down at least 50 times. I would do it another 50 to keep seeing her face light up.

A child's innocence is something to be treasured. That moment with my girl, watching the snow fall in a snow globe, was more than I could have asked for. Jesus blessed me with my amazing daughter and I love having moments like that!!

We had another fun moment tonight. I picked her up after I got off work. It was late - 7:30. I knew we needed to get home and get ready for bed, but we were both hungry. Instead of grabbing some food and taking it home to eat while rushing around cleaning up, I thought it would be fun to have a "picnic" in the car.

She loved this idea, so I got us some food and she sat in the front passenger's seat with me. We ate dinner and listened to the radio and took pictures together. It was really special and she loved the idea. She thought it was so much fun. I'm so glad that I got to spend some quality time with my girl even though I worked all day and didn't get to see her near as long as I'd liked.

I guess the moral of my stories are to take some time out of your day to look at the little things. They are really special. :)

I heart mustaches.

2011-12-19T06:27:00.001-05:00

Best. Christmas. Present. Ever.

Happy Monday. :)

Madi Overload!

2011-12-12T06:00:00.000-05:00

Madi Moment Monday is back!

Madi: "Where's grandpa going?"

Grandma: "He has an appointment."

Chandler (Madi's cousin): "Why does he have to have an appointment?"

Grandma: "It's a lunch appointment, he's meeting someone."

Madi: "It's sort of like a date Chandler." :)

I also have a video for you all. Madi learned this at church today. This just made my day.

I'm also linking up with Lindsey for the kid's edition of My Style Monday!

Shirt - Kohls

Leggings - Wal-Mart

Boots - Children's Place

Shirt, Vest, & Jeans - Old Navy

Boots - Target

Isn't she the best little model? I wish I had these clothes in my size. :)

Mumbo Jumbo

2011-12-06T22:36:00.000-05:00

This post is going to be all kinds of mumbo jumbo. Yes, I made that up.

I'm kind of seeing double right now. I worked 12 hours yesterday and 11 today, and 11 the rest of the week and 4 hours on Saturday. I'm too tired to sleep. Never knew that was possible.
My less than 2 years old car's battery decided to stop working on Sunday. We replaced it and now I need a code to get my radio to work. Where is this code?!!? Driving without music is awful. Dreadful, even.
I had more to say but I just forgot it all.
Madi is sleeping in her bed right now. This is probably the first time in a year. No really. I think it's just as hard for me as it is for her.
I would love some chocolate oatmeal pb cookies right now. You know, the no bake ones. I just don't feel like not baking them.
Dexter is freaking crazy this season. Talk about some cliffhangers on the last few episodes!!!
Work Christmas party is in 2 weeks. I still can't fit in my dress. This is a problem. (prob a good thing I didn't make those cookies.)

Well, that's all of my babbling for now.

Oh, one more thing - are you coming to the party?

Birthday Weekend: Part 2

2011-12-02T06:00:00.001-05:00

Sunday was Madi's actual birthday so I woke up early and fixed her chocolate chip pancakes! She had never had them before but liked them a lot. We went to church and then out to lunch with Pop!

Birthday girl ready for church!

Pop & Madi T at our fav place, Lizard's Thicket

After lunch we met up with Justin's parents and her cousin at the zoo! Madi absolutely loves the zoo. It is her second favorite place to go (Monkey Joe's being the first). We had a great time!

I just adore this picture!

Being a gorilla!

Her first pony ride!!! (too bad daddy cut off the pony's head!)

I may or may not have cried while she was riding the pony all by herself!

I was so proud of her for riding it. Last time we tried she wouldn't put on the helmet or go on the pony since J & I couldn't go with her. She's really growing up!!

After the zoo we went home so she could play with her new toys. Justin and I got her a color magna doodle, a veterinarian kit (this is what she wants to be when she's grows up...this week!), squinkies and a squinkie van, and a Barbie guitar.

Look out Britney - you've got competition!

And because you all need a good laugh every day...check out this cake I made...hahahhaahaaaa...

The world's ugliest cake!

Madi's birthday was so much fun. I'm so glad we got to celebrate with family. She is truly growing up to be a caring, funny, smart little lady. She loves Jesus and her family and that's all I could ever ask for!

Birthday Weekend: Part 1

2011-11-29T16:51:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was a very eventful one for us! Our baby girl turned THREE! Yes, THREE! How did that happen??? Madi T's birthday was on Sunday. We celebrated all weakend, as you should do with any birthday!

Saturday we asked her what she wanted to do that day and of course she picked our version of well, a torture chamber, to say it nicely - Monkey Joe's. Ahhhh whyyyyy. But of course, we said yes and took her there to bounce her little socks off! She had such a blast! She is finally jumping on the bouncy castles instead of just walking around in them. She also goes up the stairs to the big slide all by herself now. It's nice to see her being so independent but sad at the same time! We bribed her to get her to leave and said she could open one present that day. It barely worked, but we had had enough of correcting other peoples kids for one day!

She chose to eat at Chick-Fil-A, although, she didn't actually eat. She had fun though and we went home and let her open her color magna doodle. She loved it!

That night we made her birthday cake (aka world's ugliest cake). Then Madi and I decorated the Christmas tree and pulled out all of the Christmas decorations. She was a lot of help and put on a lot of the ornaments by herself. We had a great time decorating and listening to Christmas music! (The only time I will listen to it!)

Saturday was so much fun! Her actual birthday will be another post. :)

An Honest Post

2011-11-28T10:33:00.001-05:00

I don’t really feel like blogging today. I don’t really feel like doing anything. I’m having a difficult time, but I think getting this all out there may help me to feel better.

Over the past few months I’ve gained about 7 pounds. To me, this is a big deal. I’m really upset about it. What’s even more frustrating is when people say “you have not!” or “but you look great!” Yes, those are nice comments and I do appreciate people’s kindness; however, I know my body. I can read my scale and my clothes not fitting is not because they shrunk in the dryer. I’m not sure what’s going on with me, but I’m gaining weight like crazy.

I’ve been a bit more stressed lately and I do eat more when I’m stressed. The other issue I have is that I don’t like anything healthy. At all. Nothing. The healthiest thing I like is probably turkey. I can’t eat vegetables. I will gag. Like CAN.NOT.EAT.THEM. Fruit is okay. I can handle some fruits, but they don’t fill me up and they are not easily accessible. (ie: snacking at work)

So anyway, I was pretty close to tears driving into work today after not being able to button my pants and noticing my shirt fit tighter than I remembered. I didn’t want to come to work, I didn’t want to talk to anyone, and most of all I didn’t want anyone to see me. I feel like I have a big sign on my back that says “I’VE GAINED 7 POUNDS!!” I’m not going to say I stopped my pity party completely – as you can see, I’m whining. But I did decide that diet coke HAS GOT TO GO. I truly think it makes you hungry. I have been drinking way too much of it lately and even after eating a huge meal, I’m still hungry. I blame the diet coke. I’m not going to let it control me anymore!! Sounds silly but diet coke is an addiction to me and I’ve got to end it! So, this morning when I got to work, I had some crystal light lemonade. And guess what? I’m still alive! It didn’t kill me! I just have to stick it out.

Also, this morning, I took the 5 flights of stairs to my floor instead of the elevator. Boy am I out of shape. My calves were burning by level 3. Ridiculous. And I’m going to start exercising. This is a must. My friend is giving me her treadmill and I’m going to get it this weekend. I cannot wait. I need this! I think it will really help my mood and my weight. Bottom line is – I’m depressed about this, to the point where I’m having dreams about gaining weight BUT there are things I can do about it. I’m not all happy go lucky right now but I know that I can feel better if I just make the effort.

I know this was probably boring for all of you to read, but I feel much better just having “said” it all. I can’t wait to feel like myself again. Right now though, I still want to go back home and crawl under the covers.

"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." -Phil 4:13

It's OK! {Week 17}

2011-11-24T18:28:00.002-05:00

It's OK!

...to not want a dog but absolutely love my friend's dogs. I'm dog sitting for 3 days. :))

...to eat 10 sausage & cheese balls and then whine because I feel sick.

...to be more excited about M's birthday than she is!!

...to do things you say you'd never do.

...to think wreaths are the best things ever.

...to eat the entire pickle from Jimmy Johns. If you've seen these bad boys then you know what I'm talking about.

...to do Black Friday shopping online this year! Okay well mini-shopping. I'm only buying one thing.

I hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving!! <3

Things You Do Not Know...

2011-11-23T06:00:00.006-05:00

I just want to say THANK YOU to all of you uplifting, supportive comments on my post about our mission trip. Your prayers and sweet comments really mean the world to me and I am so thrilled to be sharing this part of my life with y'all! Please continue to spread the word!

Jes over at My Happily Ever After gave me a blog award! It's my favorite kind too. She must know me well - the kind where I get to talk about myself. Woot! Thanks Jes!!

Now I am supposed to tell y'all 7 things about myself and then pass it on to 15 bloggers.

Fun! But I don't know if I can come up with 7 *new* things. I've already told y'all 100 things! I shall try. Here we go!

I'm an extremely independent person. I can almost always get everything done by myself and I don't like asking for help. I didn't used to be this way but once you marry a military man, you just have to learn how to be independent!! It has made me stronger though so I love it!
I'm completely and utterly socially awkward. I always say the wrong thing, am ignored, or just misunderstood. I tend to avoid social events whenever possible. I hate being invisible and this is how I seem to come across. I'm just not a loud, look at me person unless I'm around my closest friends and sometimes this makes people assume I'm snobby. I'm not, I promise!
I will not put up Christmas things before Thanksgiving. It's disrespectful to the Pilgrims!!
I threw away my daughter's art because it has cotton balls on it. She'll forgive me, I hope.
I haven't seen the last Twilight movie. No, not Breaking Dawn, the one before that. Shame, I know.
I eat lunch everyday at 11:30. I can't wait any longer. I am always SO hungry by then and I even eat breakfast!
I just realized I missed Criminal Minds & SVU last week. This is going to be a late night. BYE!

Ohhhh. The bloggers I give this award to are....dun, dun, dun:

Amber @ Brunch with Amber -- because she likes to talk about herself as much as I do! ;)

Lindsey @ Running Down A Dream - because she's my bloggy BFF. Oh and I took off the captcha's Linds. You're welcome! :)

and anyone else who wants to do it! Let me know if you do so I can come read your answers!

Xoxo!

We're going to AFRICA!!!

2011-11-21T06:00:00.001-05:00

About four months ago Justin and I tried to have a baby, for a month. We thought, at the time, that was what God had planned next for our lives. About a month after trying we both felt God telling us to do something else right now. Our church takes mission trips every year to Segera, Kenya. I had been wanting to go for a while and Justin did too but it wasn't until we both prayed about it that we felt that was truly our next step in our walk with God.

So, in September, we both put in our applications for the trip. I checked my email everyday hoping to hear back. Finally on October 26th I got my acceptance email!! Justin got his last week and now we are taking a HUGE leap of faith. We put down our deposit (which we only had by a gift from God) and are thrilled to be going on a mission trip to Kenya August 2-11th in 2012!!!!

Here is a little bit about what we will be doing in Kenya:

Our church, NewSpring, partners with The 410 Bridge. We'll be going to communities around Segera - a rural, dusty town approximately 3.5 hours north of Nairobi. In Segera, we'll work with the Kenyan people to make a difference in their community and therefore change their country and make a difference in the Kingdom. -taken from an excerpt here.

Some of the projects that groups have worked on in the past are repairing roofs and digging ditches, and putting up fences. We will be working with the Kenyan people on whatever project we do and will be spreading the word of God!

When I said we are taking a leap of faith, I mean that! The overall cost of the trip for both Justin and me is $7000, not including passports and shots. We plan to raise this money through fundraisers, saving, and donations. We are truly putting this in God's hands and know that if this is something we are called to do then God will provide in some amazing ways!! Justin is planning an athletic fundraiser and I am planning on holding a yard sale selling donated items.

If you feel like this is something you want to contribute towards whether through prayer or donation, we would greatly appreciate it! Jenn at Munchkin Land Designs created a donation button for my blog. (She is awesome, btw!) It's at the top, by my header, and if you just click on it you can donate to our Kenya savings fund through PayPal. ALL funds will be put towards getting us to Kenya. We will be accepting donations until June 17th, 2012.

If you'd like to keep up with how we are doing and what awesome things God is doing in our lives to help us reach our goal, please like our Facebook page, Kenya on our hearts.

We are SO excited about this trip and cannot wait to see what God has in store for us in Kenya! I just know it will change our lives for the better and help others get to know Jesus!!

“...and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” —Acts 1:8

photos shared with permission from a friend who went on the trip last year.

I'm Blank Because...

2011-11-17T20:20:00.002-05:00

Doing this from Little Miss Momma's blog! Join in on the fun!

I'm weird because...

I can't sleep unless hair is covering my ear.

I get the creeps when sitting on other people's couches.

I can't touch wet shower curtain liners.

I can't drink water in the mornings. I'll gag.

I love to vacuum.

I'd rather buy pretty much anything other than clothes.

I don't wear coats in the winter. Too much of a hassle.

I snack while waiting on my food to cook.

I think soup is dumb.

I mess with my eyes 153516415 times a day.

I still don't like for anyone other than ~~Justin &~~ me to drive Madi around.

I get the urge to clean when I have the least amount of time to do it.

I think ketchup, pickles, and french fries should be free for all to enjoy all times of the day/week/month/year.

I'm a bad friend because...

I'm terrible at making plans and keeping them.

I have mini-panic attacks and leave you so I can take my screaming toddler home. (this may or may not have happened this weekend. Sorry Melanie!!!)

I'd rather text than call.

I always say what I'm thinking.

I'm a good friend because...

I try my best to keep in touch and check-up on those I love.

I'll have a dance party with you any time, any place.

I always text back.

I love my friends dearly.

I'm here - day or night to talk, laugh, or cry with you!

I always say what I'm thinking.

I'm sad because...

Some of my friends/family don't know how awesome NewSpring is.

Some people won't have a meal on Thanksgiving.

I miss some of my friends who live far away.

I still miss our dog Lucy.

I'm happy because...

My daughter says her blessing by herself now.

It's cold in my house and I'm wearing my slippers.

I get 4 whole days at home with my loves next week!

I have magnum chocolate bars in the freezer.

I'm excited for...

August 2-11th, 2012! (more on this soon!)

Family time over the holidays.

Christmas services at church.

Whitney Houston singing with my cousin & bff.

Cookie decorating and gingerbread house making.

It's OK! {Week 16}

2011-11-17T10:33:00.000-05:00

It's OK!

...to be extremely annoyed when people keep secrets (i.e.: sex of babies, names, news, etc)!! I'm way too impatient!

...to not send Christmas cards this year. I love to do it but people don't keep them so I don't really want to spend the money.

...to be super excited about my Christmas bonus even though it's all going in savings or to bills!

...to eat pb&j for breakfast.

...to VOLUNTEER to work on a Saturday. I'm that desperate for extra $$ I guess!

...to just know I won't like a book and then get sucked in after the first 5 pages. (The Hunger Games)

...to be super excited about M's bday party because I'll get to play skee ball! :)

Happy Thursday y'all!

New Ink!

2011-11-15T07:42:00.000-05:00

Have you read my 27 While 27 list?? If you haven't, you should. I need to be held accountable to achieve these goals!!

I am now able to cross one off the list:

~~26. Decide for good if I want a tattoo or not.~~ DONE!

On Saturday, Carrie came down from Greenville and we went to get tattoos!! This was my first and her second. I have been thinking about getting a tattoo for a while now. I decided in church, while singing a song, that I wanted to have "awake my soul" tattooed on my wrist. Well, Thursday night I was texting my friend Kelleen and she suggested "In Christ Alone" from another one of my favorite songs. I instantly loved this. It has SO much meaning. So, I decided to get that instead.

To me, it really sums up my life and my whole purpose in this world in just three words. Everything I do should be for Jesus and for the good of others. I shouldn't do anything that isn't for His purpose in some way. I feel like having this on my wrist will be a constant reminder of how I should live my life and how I should raise my daughter. I didn't want to get a tattoo "just because." I really wanted it to mean something to me and this definitely does.

A friend suggested a tattoo shop downtown so that is where we went. I was really pleased with the artist that gave me my tattoo. He wrote the script himself so it has imperfections that no one else's will have. I love that.

It's kind of crazy but I wasn't nervous at all!! Justin has had three and he said I was going to cry like a baby. Guess what? I DIDN'T!! HA! I was a pro! It hurt a little and worse in some spots but it didn't take too long. I just held my hair really tight and was fine. Haha!

All done!

It's bigger than I wanted, but as my friend said "it's a big tattoo, with a big message."

TRUE!

All wrapped up!

Carrie decided to wait a bit to figure out what she wanted to get. We went to another tattoo shop later that day and got hers. She got love on her wrist. It's really cute!

We had such a fun day and I'm glad I got to do this with my best friend!

Do you have tattoos? Love them? Hate them?

Madi Moment Monday

2011-11-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

Madi stayed with her Pop one day last week and he texted me some of the funny things she said. She has been extra hilarious lately!

Madi "passed gas" (to put it politely) and Pop asked her if she did. She said "yes, sorry about that. ... I'm okay though." :)

Later that day Pop was leaning over in front of her doing something and she said "Pop, your booty is in my way."

That same day she told him, "I'm having a very hard time staying here." He asked her why and she said "You don't have enough toys." ... yes, I have my hands full!

And my favorite of the week that she said at home - I asked her if she was excited that one of my friends was coming over and she looked at me straight in the face with a very serious look on her face and said "Do I look like I'm excited?" OH MY GOSH!! Hello 16 year old Madi. I didn't expect you so soon! I tried my hardest not to laugh, told her that was rude and she shouldn't say that and then continued to chuckle to myself.

It's OK! {Week 15}

2011-11-10T07:00:00.004-05:00

It's OK!

...to be obsessed with the sound the newer Ford's make when you turn them on. I'm trying to find the ringtone but can't find it anywhere!! If you find it, I'll buy you a present. For serious.

...to change my 27 While 27 list to be more specific so my goals are more acheivable!

...to think the music on Dancing With the Stars is BEGGING you to turn the channel. Dumbest show ever. Yes, I realize I may lose followers over this.

...that my favorite hobby is car shopping. Latest obsession is the Nissan Murano (& yes, I would have to have the Ford start sound installed). :)

...to never want to be famous. All those parties and events and meetings. No thanks. My pjs and me are just fine on the couch!

...to trust in God and know that he will take care of everything! After all, He WANTS to take care of us!!

...to know that all my parenting cred just flew out the window when Madi said "do you call your husband daddy?" Uhhh...no more watching RHOBH in front of her!!

...that I'd rather exercise than just eat less. Uh, is that okay?!?

I just love these link-ups. Click on the button above to see everyone else's posts! They are fun to read!

Also, Hailey over at Tied Together with a Smile is doing a favorite things giveaway! I'm telling you to go enter, but really - don't, because I want to win! ;) Giveaway is posted here!

Also, big thanks to Tara at Fabulous But Evil for my Earth to Alice bag! I won her giveaway and absolutely love my new bag!!

Better than sliced bread!

2011-11-08T07:00:00.005-05:00

It's no secret that I'm slightly obsessed with my iPhone. I think it's the best thing since sliced bread. For reals.

So, today while looking at an iPad 2 case that Justin wanted, I saw some of the coolest accessories for the iPhone EVER. Sad thing is...they are for kids. Oh well, I want them and you will too.

How cute is this!!! It's called a Woogie and I need it.

And this!!! Best. Case. Ever.

Now I don't have an iPad, but hubs does and I'm thinking I need to borrow his and buy this...

Who doesn't like to color?! And on an iPad, with pens!!! Eck!!!! Pinch me, please!

I found all of these things here. The prices are really good too!

And then I started browsing more websites for more things I've been missing out on.

iPhone + Chocolate = BLISS

found here

This just might make me want to talk more than text.

found here

Do you have any unusual iPhone gadgets? What are you obsessed with?

Madi Moment Monday: A Prayer

2011-11-07T07:16:00.002-05:00

It's been too long since I've done a Madi Moment Monday post!

This past week she was full of witty sayings. My favorite moment of the week though was the prayer she said all by herself on Friday night. (We say prayers with her every night but this is the first time she's said one herself.)

Dear Jesus,
Thank you for today. Thank you for letting us love you. Thank you for letting us stay up late and be together as a family. We love you. Amen.

:) Melts my heart. Happy Monday!

My Dad

2011-11-06T13:09:00.003-05:00

A while ago Lindsey wrote a post about telling people how much they mean to you before they are no longer around to hear it. I completely agree with her. Why do we wait to talk about how much someone means to us until after they have passed away? It really doesn't make much sense to me. This is why I'm sharing this with y'all today.

When I was 5 years old my mother married the man I call my dad {yes, like the Brad Paisley song. See below! :) }. I often refer to him as Alan on my blog, but only to avoid confusion, because my biological dad passed away a few years ago. My dad was a part of my life. We saw each other a few times a month, and we had a good relationship but it was more like a friendship. Nothing wrong with that. I love my dad very much but it's just a fact that I didn't live with him so he wasn't as much a part of my life as Alan was and is. This post is in no way meant to belittle my dad. He was an amazing artist and I miss him everyday. God just happened to bless me with two dads.

Alan has been there for me through everything. He raised me from the time I was five years old until, well I guess he's still raising me. :) He went to every dance recital, every school play, he took me the doctor and got me braces. He taught me right from wrong and showed me how to get along in this world. Even now, after I'm married and a parent myself, if I have a problem or if I'm just wanting to talk - he's the person I call. Most importantly, he's the person I WANT to call. He's everything to me. Absolutely everything. He accepted me into his life when he didn't have to. He could have called me his step-daughter and only done what he had to but that never entered his mind. When he introduces me to people, I'm his daughter, just like his other 2 biological daughters. I'm his daughter. If you say step-daughter, he will correct you. Because of him, I had a father/daughter relationship that I otherwise would have been lacking.

And now, he's my daughter's "Pop" and I thank God that she is getting to know my dad, the man that has made such a difference in my life.

Alan - DAD, I hope you know just how much you mean to me. I really do thank God that you are my dad. You are one of the best men I've ever known. Talking to you and spending time with you is one of my favorite things to do. I look forward to many more conversations, hugs, and time for you to spend with your granddaughter. Thank you for being the dad you didn't have to be.
I love you.
Love,
Britt

If you haven't told that special person in your life how much you love them lately, go do it now. Life is short. :)

It's OK! {Week 14}

2011-11-03T10:39:00.005-04:00

It's OK!

To not enjoy carving pumpkins.

To get super sad looking at M's tiny newborn clothes.

To ignore people who come to your desk and don't speak up. Stop hovering and whispering!!

To put a tanning bed on my Christmas list. I'm pale but don't have time to go to a tanning bed. Bring one to me!!!

To just now realize I've been cooking my food on the wrong pans for 10+ years now!

To send texts like this in the middle of a 30 minute temper tantrum:

To eat cheese fries once a week for lunch. :)

What are you saying "it's ok" to today?

What I'm Loving Wednesday

2011-11-02T15:07:00.000-04:00

This Wednesday...

I'm loving that even though I'm home sick, I get to spend time with this precious girl!

I'm loving that it is Madi's birthday month!
I'm loving Jeremy Camp's "Mighty to Save."

I'm loving these Toms.

and these for Ms. Priss...

I'm loving that I now have over 300 followers!! I want to do a giveaway. What do y'all want?!? :)

Sawyer's Story

2011-10-30T14:27:00.003-04:00

Some of you may have noticed that a few months ago I added a button to my page. This sweet face:

I feel privileged to be able to tell y'all about Sawyer's story today. I met Sawyer a few short months ago and have since become friends with his parents. I get to watch Sawyer each week in the church nursery and look forward to every moment of it. Sawyer See's Hope was started by his parents, Brianna & Pat. Sawyer is a sweet, almost one year old, who loves to talk, smile, and laugh. When he was three months old he was diagnosed with Optic Nerve Hypoplasia and Septo Optic Dysplasia. What that means is Sawyer's optic nerve's are severely under developed, leaving him legally blind to the point where glasses cannot correct his vision. As any parents would, Brianna & Pat are doing all that they can to help Sawyer get the treatment he needs to one day be able to see. There is a stem cell treatment in China that could possibly correct Sawyer's vision but this treatment is costly. Sawyer See's Hope is hoping to raise $35,000 to get Sawyer the treatment.

To read more about Sawyer's story check out Brianna's blog here.

The first day I met Sawyer I saw what a sweet and precious child he is. He loves to feel my face with his hands and mimics the sounds I make to him. I left church feeling so overwhelmed with joy. Sawyer can't see, but instead of being sad I felt so blessed to have met such a precious child of God. Brianna and Pat are two of the most loving, caring parents I've ever met. They only want what is best for their baby boy and know that God will provide what is His will for Sawyer. Brianna posted this verse on her blog and it is so powerful that I want to share it with you.

John 9:2-3 declares, "His disciples asked Him, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?' 'Neither this man nor his parents sinned,' said Jesus, 'but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.'

How incredible is that?

If you feel this tugging on your heart, as I do, please help send Sawyer to China by donating to Sawyer See's Hope by clicking on the button above. If you want to contact Brianna and Pat about Sawyer See's Hope please email them at sawyerseeshope@yahoo.com. Also, please spread the word about Sawyer's Story. Thank you!!!

Here are a few pictures of Sawyer that I just love!

Sawyer at his 1st birthday party, this past weekend!

You can also read about Sawyer on Megan's blog here.

A Beautiful Sunday

2011-10-30T14:12:00.002-04:00

This morning I woke up feeling awful. I could barely talk because my throat hurt so bad and my face hurt from all the congestion and I had a sinus headache. I looked at the clock and realized we were running late for church. Justin had already left so it was just Madi and me. I told her we weren't going to go to church today and she looked at me and said "but I want to go to church Mommy!" Seeing her sweet face, I said "okay but we have to hurry!!" She was an angel. She got ready without fussing and didn't even cry when I brushed her hair (which is usually a nightmare in itself). While I was getting ready she stayed in the bathroom with me and sang a song I recognized. She was singing "all of my days, I want to phrase...something something LORDDD" Phrase instead of praise. :) Totally made me happy. I asked her where she learned that song and she said "at church." Awesome!

So anyway, we got to church in time and I dropped her off at her class as usual. As I was in church and we were singing one of my favorite songs. Specifically, while I was singing the lyrics "You are worthy God," it hit me - my 2 year old daughter got me to church this morning. I was completely humbled. I didn't feel good, didn't feel like rushing and just didn't want to make the effort - but she did. This is something we look forward to every week and this week her excitement was not faded like mine. At that moment I was so incredibly grateful to my little toddler for getting me to church so I could worship our Lord and Savior. Jesus never ran out of energy or motivation to help us so we should never run out of energy to thank Him and worship Him.

I have been feeling really down lately about the kind of mother I am but today I realized that I'm doing okay.

My daughter may eat chicken nuggets 4 times a week.
She may still sleep in our bed.
She may watch way too much tv.
She may still not understand that time out means sit down and be still.

But - she LOVES Jesus and always remembers to say her blessing. She plays "large group" and sings songs from church and she always tells me what she learned in her class. To me - If she loves Jesus at 2 years old and knows He loves her unconditionally then we must be doing something right.

Thank you sweet girl for humbling me today and thank you Jesus, for opening my eyes to see the bigger picture. YOU ARE WORTHY of so so so very much.

It's OK! {Week 13}

2011-10-27T07:00:00.002-04:00

Sorry I've been MIA from blogging this week. I just haven't had much to say. Shocker, I know! But, I have noticed that I have a few new followers and I just want to say Hi!! Also, if you haven't yet, please say hi also. I love to "meet" new bloggers!!

It's OK!

...to get excited about going to a new store so I can get more points on Foursquare.

...to vow to myself to brush my teeth longer and better while sitting in the dentist chair getting cavities filled. Pure torture.

...to put things in my planner after I've done them.

...to eat cold pizza for breakfast and think it's completely acceptable.

...to smile while watching shows and not notice it. I get way into my shows!!

...to miss instant messenger! Remember that? And screen names!

...to dream of a day when I can just lay on the couch in my pjs and not get up.

What are you saying It's Ok to today?

Oh and I can't believe it but M will be 3 a month from today!!!!

Elevator Etiquette 101

2011-10-21T08:47:00.001-04:00

This post is long overdue. How to behave while waiting on an elevator, in an elevator, and exiting. Brought to you by yours truly.

· If you arrive at the elevator after me, do not cut in front of me to get on the elevator. This is rude and gets under my skin. Stop it.

· Once in the elevator, we can make conversation or not, either is fine with me but please don’t have conversations with yourself or that little thing in your ear. Weird.

· If you want to know what floor I’m going to, that’s nice of you but don’t bark at me. A nice voice is much more acceptable.

· Now my biggest no, no à when exiting the elevator if you are in the BACK or BEHIND someone, wait until they get off to exit!! Even if it’s just 2 people, if you’re in the back then wait for the other person to exit. You aren’t saving any time!!!

· Also, if you smoke. Take the stairs. The rest of us don’t want to stand in a smoke-filled sauna. K, thanks. (okay maybe that’s harsh. My apologies. But really.)

Am I alone in this? Does this drive anyone else bananas?! Please tell me I’m not alone.

It's OK! {Week 12}

2011-10-20T07:00:00.002-04:00

It's OK!

...to wish that Dexter was my friend. (wait, is that ok??)

...to want to go deer hunting so I can buy Hunter boots and cute camo. (this WILL happen. my brother goes all the time, although I think I will pass on the deer blood on my face if I ever get a deer...)

...to get sad when I don't get any comments on my posts within the first few hours.

...to go to a restaurant solely for their pickles.

...for my blog design to look like a (flip-flopped) maxi pad. There I said it. I've been thinking it since I saw the design (thanks to hubs being oh so observant) but wasn't gonna draw attention to it...may as well...it's funny!

...to be extremely upset with EA Games for selling a game that doesn't work with Lion OS X but not to list this anywhere on the product. GRRR.

...to be in awe when people say they don't know what blogging is. For real?!!?

...to talk to blog friends more than IRL friends.

...to be bummed that I don't like coffee because then I can't say "hey, wanna grab some coffee?" Seriously. Makes socializing difficult. "Hey, wanna grab a coke?" just doesn't have the same appeal.

So glad it's already Thursday. Can't wait to do nothing this weekend!

Tuesday Smuesday

2011-10-18T07:00:00.010-04:00

Just a little randomness for this fine Tuesday...

image via

Eating a monster bag and a normal size bag of cotton candy in less than 24 hours is completely acceptable.
I'm officially no longer a natural. :( The highlights I got a while back grew out and looked horrendous so I got my hair colored on Friday night. It's darker than my normal color. Idk if I like it. I am sad yet happy the tackiness is gone.
My sweet friend's baby shower was beautiful! Can't wait to meet her baby girl in a few months!
Updated my iPhone to the iOS 5 and lost all my apps and all my music. Yes, yes I did back up my phone first. Idk what happened and my mac-genius of a husband won't help. :(
That being sad, iOS 5 is pretty awesome.
Boss's Day was yesterday. I hope you wished your boss a great one!
My daughter wants a blueberry cake for her birthday. Does that exist?!

I think that's all I have. What are your thoughts on this fabulous Tuesday?

What are you watching?

2011-10-14T07:00:00.004-04:00

I haven't been on a reading kick these past few weeks which means I have been on a tv kick. Well, hulu kick that is. Here are a few of my fav shows right now!

Pan Am - This show is SO good!! I honestly had no clue what it was about but kept seeing things about it on Twitter. I was bored one night and watched a few minutes on tv, then had to go watch the previous two episodes on hulu. It follows the story of 4 stewardesses of Pan Am and is set in the 1960s. There's a bit of suspense thrown in there too. I love the clothes and the actresses. I find myself smiling at my computer while watching it. Kinda strange, but true!

Criminal Minds - So glad the new season just started. If you've never seen this show you are totally missing out. It's like Law & Order but better. I love L&O: SVU but this show takes it to another level. These detectives are criminal profilers and really study the crimes to figure out the suspect. It's a great show to watch with your spouse!

New Girl - This is a new sitcom about a quirky, unusual girl who moves in with 3 guys. It's hilarious. I laugh out loud and want to be best friends with Jess (Zoey Deschanel). I was looking for another funny, light-hearted show and this is it!

all images via

What have you been watching lately? Do you like these shows?

On another note - THANK GOODNESS IT'S FRIDAY!!! This has been such a long week. Tonight I'm going out to dinner with my best friend Melanie and tomorrow I'm going to an out of town baby shower and then to the fair!!! Lots to recap next week. :) Have a great weekend!!

It's OK! {Week 11}

2011-10-13T07:00:00.001-04:00

It's OK!

...that every time I cook it only reiterates why I don't do it often.

...that I jumped for joy when I finally booked Madi's party venue. That is now stress off my shoulders!

...to need a little mommy pat on the back when I'm feeling sorry for myself. Thanks Lindsey! :)

...that it's 9:30 at night and I still haven't eaten dinner. It'll either be doritos or ice cream.

...to randomly quote Despicable Me even though I've never paid much attention to the movie and have no clue what the storyline is.

...to change my mind about things. I do this all the time, if you haven't already noticed. It's who I am. I embrace it, you should too. :)

...to love Jesus with all my heart and be forever grateful that I found an amazing church to worship Him in!!

...to reapply my mascara at least 5 times a day. I'm a bit obsessed.

Link up with Neely & Amber if you want to say "It's OK!"

Hurry up Friday!!!

Bandwagon, count me in.

2011-10-12T07:00:00.005-04:00

This is long overdue and I know you've all been on pins and needles waiting for this -- my Erin Condren review!

I totally jumped on the bandwagon when I heard about the Erin Condren Life planners. I mean I contemplated for a week or so and then totally caved. No my life is not so busy that I need a planner, but it's so much more than that! I keep track of things I need to do, goals, dr appts, bills to be paid, etc. And I get to do all of this in a beautifully organized, brightly colored, monogrammed planner. What could be better?

even the packaging is pretty!

here she is - my gorgeous planner!!

I splurged a bit and also got an address book. My old one was just plain ugly and had old addresses and was just a mess sooooo I got this pretty thing:

and because EC is so awesome they threw in these neat, personalized stickers.

(these came with both the address book and matching ones for the planner)

I've filled in my new address book and still have a million pages left. I don't think I'll ever know that many people but it's great to have the space in case I get famous all of a sudden!

What cool things have you found on erincondren.com?

Corn, Sand, & Pumpkins OH MY!

2011-10-09T10:10:00.000-04:00

Funny how we tend to do things around the same time each year without evening knowing it. Last year, this same weekend, we took Madi to a pumpkin farm. We took her to another one this weekend! This year we went to Clinton Sease Farm. There was so much to do that we didn't get around to everything.

The first thing we conquered was their 8 acre corn maze. This was my first corn maze, and probably my last. Getting lost in 8 acres is not my idea of fun BUT we laughed our way out of it and I'm glad we did it. It's such a cliche Fall activity!

Madi was not happy about the sand.

After the corn maze, we went on a hayride and then played on the playground and went down the big slide!

Madi & me on the hayride!

Driving the tractor Gamecocks style!

That took a lot of bags of popcorn...

"Push me higher!"

This slide was insanely fast. I got a little scared.

This was such a fun weekend! I'm glad we checked out a new farm this year and we'll definitely be back next year! What fun fall activities do you and your family do?

We are off to church now! Don't feel like getting out of your pjs this morning? You can watch NewSpring LIVE online at 11:15am & 6pm. Check it out here! :)

Book Club Friday {Week 7}

2011-10-07T07:00:00.001-04:00

I finished reading Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay 2 weeks ago but was too busy to write a review last week. Lame, yes.

I got the sample of this book to read before buying it because I wasn't really even sure what it was about. I read the sample and was hooked. Here is the description from Goodreads:

Paris, July 1942: Sarah, a ten year-old girl, is brutally arrested with her family by the French police in the Vel' d'Hiv' roundup, but not before she locks her younger brother in a cupboard in the family's apartment, thinking that she will be back within a few hours.
Paris, May 2002: On Vel' d'Hiv's 60th anniversary, journalist Julia Jarmond is asked to write an article about this black day in France's past. Through her contemporary investigation, she stumbles onto a trail of long-hidden family secrets that connect her to Sarah. Julia finds herself compelled to retrace the girl's ordeal, from that terrible term in the Vel d'Hiv', to the camps, and beyond. As she probes into Sarah's past, she begins to question her own place in France, and to reevaluate her marriage and her life.

This book was hard to read at parts. If it doesn't break your heart, I don't know what will. The depiction of what went on behind those fences at the camps is disturbing beyond words. I think it's important, though, that de Rosnay wrote this book. It's important for people to know what happened, even if this book is Fiction, we all know the holocaust was not. This is a great story and I love the two different perspectives from two different time periods. I highly recommend this book!

Oh and BONUS! There is a movie!!! I found this out when I was about halfway through the book. I waited a few days and then watched the movie (learned my lesson with The Help) and I loved the movie. It really did a great job of telling the story just as it was in the book. Seeing the horror that went on though was much more difficult than just reading about it.

What good books have y'all been reading? I need a new one to read!

It's OK! {Week 10}

2011-10-06T21:11:00.002-04:00

Blah, I know this is late. I've been lazy lately but didn't want to miss this link-up! I love it! And can I just say I'm SO happy that tomorrow is Friday. I need a relaxing weekend so bad. Anyway, here we go!

It's OK!

...to hate my new glasses even though I professed my love for them here.

...that the only fall decor in my house is a single wooden pumpkin thingy.

...to be really bitter (and confused) that husband is eligible for the iPhone 4S upgrade and I'm not, even though we bought our phones at the same time last year.

...to be really excited that the girls at work asked me to dress up with them for Halloween!

...that I ran again this week (this time by myself) but don't know if I'm going to try and do it again.

...to pick my daughter up with dirt on her face, in her nails, and on her jeans. That just means she had a blast playing with her Pop all day!

...to throw my baking pans straight in the garbage today so I will be forced to buy new ones next time I'm out instead of making excuses.

...to want to throw Madi's potty away too, and I think I will. (Well, not throw it away. I'll probably give it away, after cleaning it of course.)

That's all I've got folks! Have a great Friday! :)

Little Blue Box

2011-10-04T18:56:00.001-04:00

This is probably the only present in a "little blue box" that I'll ever be able to afford:

Nope, it's not jewelry...

Yes, I've finally replaced my 12 year old glasses (and prescription - whoops) with these pretty things. Don't ya just love them? And the blue box. I die.

Weekend with the fam!

2011-10-02T09:18:00.001-04:00

Gosh, I feel like I haven't really blogged in ages. My excuse is that I worked 48 hours last week, 48.5 the week before, and 50 the week before that. Oh and tomorrow I have the "chance" to work 14 hours. How many should I work!? Hrmm. My paycheck sure was nice this month but 14 hours?? Idk if I can handle that.

So, this weekend was great. It was just what I needed! Friday after work we surprised Madi and took her to Monkey Joe's. (It's one of those bouncy house places.) Justin's brother and his son also met us there. Madi and her cousin had so much fun playing on everything! It was hard to realize that she doesn't need help getting up the slides anymore. So bittersweet! After MJ's we all went to dinner at Chick-Fil-A. It was a great Friday night!

All week we had been planning on taking a trip to Ikea on Saturday. It's about 2 hours away in Charlotte, NC. We love Ikea and wanted to get some things for Madi's birthday present from there. I'll fill y'all in on that in another post. On the way there we realized we haven't used our Carowinds season passes enough this year sooooo why not stop by on the way to Ikea? That's just what we did. Madi LOVED it. She loves rides and although Justin and I couldn't ride anything, we had a great time taking her on the helicopters, boats, trains, etc. Oh and another bonus - we only spent $5 while we were there and that's because I had to have cotton candy.

First ride - the BLUE helicopter!

I don't even want to recognize how grown up she looks.

The boats with daddy!

On the choo choo train!

Madi was a little worn out once we got to Ikea...

Good thing I needed a bath rug!

Some of you may have seen the shoe organizer from Ikea that I pinned on Pinterest.

Well I didn't get this one because it was a bit out of our budget, but I did get this for only $25!! I love it!!

image via

Our foyer looks better already! No more shoes all over the place.

Have you been to Ikea? If not, you must go - NOW! :)

It's OK! {Week 9}

2011-09-29T20:34:00.000-04:00

It's OK!

...that this is only my 2nd post this week. (sorry, typical excuse - busy at work!)

...that I tend to watch the same show each week but have no idea what it's called.

...to be OVER THE MOON that I ran 1 mile today. Yes, 1. :)

...to get really excited when I have an appointment or event because that means I can write it in my new planner!!

...to be super excited about the fair in a 2 weeks, because all military get in free every.single.day. This could be bad news for my wallet (rides) and my thighs!

...to go watch a movie right now so I can post about it tomorrow!

Xoxo!

Madi Moment Monday: Pumpkin Edition

2011-09-26T07:20:00.001-04:00

Last night we decided to let Madi paint the little pumpkin her grandma bought for her. I was super excited because she's only painted once and that was with her GiGi.

Madi loved painting. She did a great job too! Picture overload below.

The Madi Moment today is a great one.

Me - "Do you like painting?"
Madi - "It's my best first day to paint."

Uh, ok. :)

It's Ok! {Week 8}

2011-09-22T07:00:00.001-04:00

It's OK!!

...to be missing cable (HGTV, Teen Mom, Real Housewives).

...to add my fav TV show premiers to my calendar with alerts. (New Criminal Minds, SVU & The Amazing Race this week!)

...to miss my dad terribly when I hear a great guitar solo. He could rock out like no other!

...to be sad that I'm not going to Blissdom.

...that I don't like (or understand) Google Reader. I know, I'm like the only blogger to ever say this.

...to be hesitant to enter blog giveaways because the last few you've won never sent the items. :(

...to wish our anniversary wasn't during a holiday weekend. We always have to celebrate the week before or after. Boo.

...to constantly check the Erin Condren Facebook page for more pictures. I just love looking at all of her products!! (oh and go enter Our Little Urban Life's Erin Condren giveaway!!...well not really, because I want to win!)

...to keep snacks in your car because you live 235068068 minute away from everything. (I don't do this yet but I'm going to start asap!)

The Smith Wedding!

2011-09-21T07:00:00.000-04:00

Saturday morning we got up bright & early and drove down (up?) to Pawley's Island for Carrie & Josh's wedding! Remember this post? Yep, time flies! Carrie looked gorgeous, the weather was great, and it was a very special day for my wonderful BFF! This is going to be picture overload, but everyone loves wedding pics!

My sweet M. I love this dress on her!

Pawley's Island, SC

Ready to become Mrs. Smith!!

Carrie & me before the wedding.

(My dress is the one the majority of y'all voted for here. It looks nothing like it did on the website and I was miserable in it!! I should have gone with my gut feeling and exchanged it.)

Announcing Mr. and Mrs. Joshua Smith!

Love this picture with her dad and her dress is gorgeous!!

Madi would not get down the entire time and then of course at the very end she had a blast!

The reception was really nice. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of that. We ended up leaving early because Madi fell in the parking lot and scraped up her knees really bad.

Carrie & Josh - have fun in ANTIGUA!!! I'm crazy jealous!!!

Target Tuesday: Pantry Organization

2011-09-20T07:21:00.001-04:00

I'm linking up with Tara for Target Tuesday!

After putting groceries away in my pantry this evening I realized I desperately need to organize it! Of course, Target has everything I need for this project!

This is #1 on my list - a few cereal containers.

Although, this would be much more fun...

Maybe this should be hubs' Christmas present. He'd be so excited! He eats cereal for breakfast and dinner ~~most~~ some nights.

Grocery Bag Dispenser

I really need one of these too.

Currently all the grocery bags are just wadded up and stuffed on a shelf in the pantry.

Contact Paper to line the shelves.

*I can't find a pic, but I know they have it!

Our pantry has wire shelving so things tip over easily. I saw on a blog that contact paper is a great solution for this!

Cannister Set

This would be great for random foods like cereal bars, spaghetti noodles, etc.

Shoe Storage

That's right - shoe storage! This is another great idea I got from a blog. You hang this on the inside of the pantry door and it's great for storing spices and those odd things that just don't seem to fit anywhere!

Well, that's what I'm shopping for at Target this week! (Weekend project perhaps!) What are you wanting?

*all images from Target's website

Madi Moment Monday!

2011-09-19T09:58:00.001-04:00

Madi is such a smart toddler. Really, she knows her abc's and can count to 17. She knows her shapes and her colors. She's been talking in complete sentences since she was 1 and I'm talking looong sentences.

So, I was a bit surprised to hear what she wanted to be when she grows up....

"I WANNA BE A BUBBLE BLOWER WHEN I GROW UP!"

A bubble blower. Hm. That'd be a pretty cool profession actually.

Happy Monday!

I'll Show you my Vlog!!

2011-09-18T08:40:00.001-04:00

I'm linking up with Laura for her vlog series!

Here goes nothing...

I hope y'all stick around after watching this. I may have a bird association coming after me...

1.How did you come up with your blog name?

2. What do you think about blog/twitter drama?

3. What's your favorite place to shop?

4. On your ideal day off/free what would you do?

5. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

6. What's your favorite beauty product?

7. What's your most prized possession (not a person, so your baby/kids don't count!)?

8. What's your favorite food?

9. What are your pet peeves?

10. What are your fears?

11. What's been your favorite Halloween costume?

12. Did you/ do you play sports?

13. What famous person do people tell you that you look like?

14. Any freaky talents? Show us! (As long as it's not vulgar... we aren't running a porn link up here!)

15. What's the stupidest thing you've done for money?

Book Club Friday {Week 6}

2011-09-16T07:00:00.001-04:00

It's been a couple of weeks since I last linked up. I kind of got away from reading for a bit but now I'm back into it! This past week I finished Keeper of the Light by Diane Chamberlain. Yes, another Chamberlain book!! I'm addicted and want to read all of her books!!

Really short synopsis from Goodreads:

Midway through emergency surgery, Olivia Simon learns that her patient is Annie O'Neill, the woman with whom her husband has been having an affair.

This is really only the tip of the iceberg with this book. The aftermath of the ER visit is really an overwhelming story!!

It took me a few chapters to get into this book, which is unusual for Chamberlain books. Once I got into it though I was hooked. I realized something while reading this - if I don't like the characters it doesn't mean it's not a good book - the opposite in fact. Chamberlain does such a great job of depicting her characters and really making them seem like real people. I got mad at some of the people, didn't like others, and wanted to hang out with some. I really enjoyed reading this book and am very excited that it's a trilogy! That was a surprise to me. I am bummed though that the next two books are not ebooks. Kiss River, the next one, is being rereleased in November though so I'm hoping they will release an ebook too. The third book is Her Mother's Shadow.

Read this book!!! It's full of secrets and will totally shock you at the end! Love those kinds of books!!

It's OK! {Week 7}

2011-09-15T07:00:00.005-04:00

It's OK!

...to take a 24 hour break from Facebook, deactivated account and all. I didn't mean to go back after only 24 hours. It's sort of an addiction and Google + is not much fun.

...to not even wait a day after last week's "It's OK" post to check out Klout. Yeah, I caved.

...to spend time with your hubs by simply being in the same room - blogging while he plays COD, and being perfectly fine with that.

...to get opinions of a dress from 4 different friends before deciding on whether or not to wear it.

...to wish I was a runner just so I could buy cute running shoes and wear stylish exercise outfits. Someone come train me.

...that my attempt to make french toast muffins failed miserably. I'll buy a sifter and try again!

...to wonder if my child is really mine because she's a bagillion percent smarter than my husband and me put together. (okay I don't really wonder this but ya know)

...to buy myself clothes. I have to tell myself this because I always feel so guilty when I do it!

Okay, that's all I got. Adios!

Temper Tantrum Survival Kit

2011-09-13T07:00:00.002-04:00

Oy.

Last week was a tough one. I don't think I've been that stressed in a very, very long time. I couldn't tackle all of the sources of my stress but hubs and I did find out how to nip one thing in the bud.

Toddler Temper Tantrums. Here is your survival kit to toddler temper tantrums {in the car}. You ready? Pay attention.

image via

That's right - a portable dvd player. You don't need anything else, well except your child's favorite dvd. No threats, no empty promises, no turning up the radio to tune out the screaming (come on, you know you've done this). Just buy a portable dvd player for your car. It's not a present for them, but a present for you.

Try it. Let me know how amazing that drive is on your way home. UH-MA-ZING.

Promise.

Collector's Item

2011-09-09T07:00:00.002-04:00

Think I should put them in a shadow box frame and give it to him for Christmas?

I mean, he must be collecting them, right?!

It's OK! {Week 6}

2011-09-08T07:00:00.006-04:00

Let's see if I can make it through this post without falling asleep...

I've been crazy tired lately. M has been waking up in the middle of the night screaming and kicking. I have no idea why but I hope it stops soon. I'm sure she does too.

Anyway, moving on!

It's OK!

...to not even want to go to Klout's website for fear of being sucked into yet another social networking site. (check out Tara's blog to see what it's all about. I didn't know until I read her post!)

...to not turn around and look at people when they ask me questions anymore. I'm busy, people. I can multi-task. Not trying to be rude!

...to still let my dad know when I've gotten home safe, even after I'm married.

...to defriend/unfollow people who cuss insistently. I don't want to read your dirty mouth. (I've said this before - here, and I'm saying it again. Ha!) :)

...to love with my whole heart the people who created Max & Ruby. It has provided me with hours of blogging, reading, and cleaning time. I heart them.

...to start planning Madi's birthday party 2.5 months in advance.

US Weekly Deal!

2011-09-06T20:55:00.001-04:00

I was just browsing blogs and found that Living Social is having a crazy good deal today!

You can get a YEAR subscription to US Weekly for $30! It's usually almost $100!! That's 52 magazines for only $30!! Want to get your deal? Click on this link before the end of the night!!

Living Social - US Weekly Deal!

Bachelorette Party Recap

2011-09-06T07:00:00.001-04:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Labor Day weekend!! The bachelorette party was a lot of fun! We left early Saturday morning and got to Myrtle Beach around 2pm. We went downtown to ride the SkyWheel and the Sling Shot and then walked on the beach for a bit before going back to get ready for dinner and a night out! I'll let the pictures do most of the talking (picture overload)! We had a blast but I sure did miss my Madi T and hubs!

Decorating the car in the Five Guys parking lot.

Sling Shot that Breana, Carrie, & I went on. It was fun but way too short!

I love this picture of the SkyWheel with the palmetto trees!

Carrie & me on the SkyWheel. It was actually really scary!

We started singing a song to distract ourselves!

View from the top!

Sonya, Carrie, & Breana

Feet in the sand!

All ready for the night!

We loved our shirts that Carrie had made for us!!

Bling!

We got this awesome band to serenade Carrie.

They sang "Let's Get It On." So classy!

Had to get a picture with the 3 military boys and their Dr. Seuss shirts!

One of Carrie's dares was to get a boys boxers!

She gave them back, don't worry!

Hope you enjoyed the pics! I can't wait for the wedding in 2 weeks!

I think I can, I think I can.

2011-09-02T06:33:00.001-04:00

Lord, please let me get through today. Oh how I do not feel like working today. :(

I'm up bright & early this morning (for once!). Madi wet the bed for the first time (2nd night in underwear, but the past month in pull-ups she only had 1 wet one). She felt sooooo bad about it that it just broke my heart. Poor girl is too hard on herself! Anyway, after I cleaned her and the bed up I was too awake to go back to sleep so here I am!

Tomorrow is Carrie's Bachelorette Party Weekend!!! Carrie, Sonya, & Breana are picking me up on the way to Myrtle Beach! I seriously cannot wait! I don't even drink but I'm still so excited. I went to Party City last night and got us some accessories. :) I think Saturday we are going to try to lay out if we get there early enough and then go to Broadway at the Beach that night and hopefully we'll have a chance to go on the new Sky Wheel. This sucker right here:

image via

I've come up with some kind of dare items that Carrie has to do while we are out that night. Any thing else we must do at a Bachelorette Party? Believe it or not, this will be my first one! I didn't have one and I was in Alaska when most of my friends got married!

That's what my weekend looks like! I'll take a ton of pictures I'm sure! Hope you all have a great Friday and a great weekend!!

It's Ok! {Week 5}

2011-09-01T07:00:00.000-04:00

First, let me say thank you to all of you for giving me your opinions of which dress to wear!! I decided on the first one since that was voted for the most! I'm really excited to get it. I ordered it online so I'm hoping it fits!!

Second, so bummed that my "tweets" didn't show up in yesterday's post. They show up on my computer so I'm not sure what happened. Any one out there have a Mac? Could y'all see them? I did a screenshot of the tweets so maybe it will only work on Macs. Not sure. :-/

Anyway! Time for my fav link-up!

It's OK!

...to use my phone camera as a mirror because I'm too lazy to dig through my purse.

...to reference back to my old "It's OK" posts to make sure I use the same format each week. Yes, I'm OCD like that.

...to eat a snack while waiting on dinner to cook.

...to look forward to rainy weekends so I feel no pressure to make plans.

...to not be thrilled about fall because I do NOT look good in skinny jeans therefore, no cute boots for me.
:(

...that I haven't kicked the Diet Coke habit yet. I have, however, switched to caffeine free! It's a start...right?

...to smile and nod when your husband makes a 5 minute story into 20 minutes.

...to pray that he doesn't read this. Love you hubs! ;)

...to think about posting emails on my cubicle wall so when I get asked the samequestioneverysingleday I can simply point to the email and keep working. I doubt that would fly though. Pft.

That's all for today folks! I hope y'all do It's Ok! so I can read your posts!

Week in Review: Twitter Style

2011-08-31T07:00:00.001-04:00

I had some good Twitter action going on this week. Here are the highlights:

He's such a dork, but a sweet one!

Looking back - I should have let out like a blood curdling scream. That would have taught 'em.

and a few twit pics:

At the park - being ~~ourselves~~ stupid.

Lemon Meringue Pie. Yes, this is all I ate for lunch.

It was superb.

What was your week like on Twitter? I'd love to know!

You can follow me here!

Verses for Tuesday

2011-08-30T08:39:00.001-04:00

I don't know about y'all but somedays I get so caught up in worrying about tomorrow that I completely miss today. Here are a few verses I've found to help me remember that it's all in God's hands. Hope you all have a great Tuesday!

"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matthew 6:34

"And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?" Matthew 6:27

"do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." Philippians 4:6

Style Help Needed!

2011-08-29T07:00:00.001-04:00

Can you believe it's almost September? I cannot. But I am so excited because Carrie's bachelorette party and her wedding are in September!! Yay!!!

Carrie decided to have a small wedding without attendants so now I need a dress!! She is getting married on the beach so something casual and summery is what I'm looking for. I've found a few dresses I like.

Which do y'all like best? I'd love your help!

Forever 21

Super casual, inexpensive

Maybe it looks too much like a curtain though?!

Lauren Conrad LC Collection at Kohls

Love this dress. I will probably buy it either way; it's on sale for only $24!!

Francesca's Collections

This one is a bit dressier. Not sure how I feel about it for the beach...

Francesca's Collections

Love this dress but the belt doesn't come with it.

I wouldn't even know where to find a cute belt like that.

I can't wait to get y'all opinions! And if you don't like any of them that's okay too!

Where do you shop for dresses?

It's OK! {Week 4}

2011-08-25T07:00:00.000-04:00

It's OK!

...to not think Ryan Gosling is hot. Yes, I realize I am alone in this.

...that I still have not finished watching The Help.

...to enjoy eating pb&j for lunch everyday.

...to always mention food in my "It's OK!" posts.

...to be jealous of people who make friends with others super fast.

...to refuse to watch any kind of wedding/bride show because I never had a wedding.

...to be crazy tired but still stay up late just to get in some "me" time.

Well, that's my list. What's yours?

Wee Bit Wednesday!

2011-08-24T07:00:00.003-04:00

Let me just say THANK YOU to Leigh Ashley for posting these questions early!!! I was just sitting here looking for some blogspiration and decided to check her blog just in case she posted the questions and she had! Yay!!

I haven't done a Wee Bit in a while. I've missed it!

{one} What's your guilty pleasure TV show?
This is tough one. I used to watch tv all the time but not so much anymore. The one show I have to watch is Pretty Little Liars, but I don't think this would qualify as a guilty pleasure show. It's way too acceptable for that. :) Guilty pleasure - hmmm, probably The Real Housewives shows.

{two} Ears pierced on men: yes or no?
Ew. Noway.

{three} Do you have dish or comcast?
What's comcast? I don't have either. We used to have cable, but we cancelled that.

{four} What's your favorite current fashion trend?
Toms. I'm buying the glitters next.

{five} If you could learn to do anything, money not being an issue, what would it be?
Sing. I would love, love, love to ~~not be tone deaf~~ learn how to sing. I think I may need a new voice and ears for this though.

{six} Red or white wine?
Neither. I don't like wine.

{seven} What type of food is your favorite? (ex. Italian, Mexican, etc.)
Italian. I love me some pasta and pizza!

{eight} hp or mac?
Oh my gosh. I'll give you 2 guesses and the 1st one doesn't count. MAC. If you saw my original blog design and got this wrong then shame on you! I am obsessed with apple computers. We have 3 in our house. Anyone who doesn't like macs just hasn't been properly introduced!

{nine} What color is your bedroom?
Yellow. Bleh. Since when do builders use yellow as a standard color? Shouldn't it be tan? I'm currently accepting volunteers to re-paint my bedroom a more acceptable color.

{ten} What's your favorite form of exercise?
Lying on the couch and lifting my legs to head twice.

No seriously. Favorite and exercise should never be paired. Oxymoron if you ask me.

Finally halfway through the week! Hurry up Friday!!

The BFF's Bridal Shower!

2011-08-23T07:00:00.002-04:00

Saturday Madi & I drove up to Greenville for Carrie's bridal shower! Carrie's mom and I hosted this for her and it turned out really great! I must say though that her mom really did everything. She is the sweetest mama ever!! We all had a great time eating, laughing, and talking about the big day!

The happy couple!

(Ignore the shadow at the bottom of most of these pics. I took Justin's fancy camera

and obviously do not know how to use it!)

The pretty buffet table!

Gorgeous Pink Lemonade cake!

I have to say it's crazy how emotional I am about my best friend getting married! We have been friends since 7th grade. That's 15 years ago!!! I went with Carrie to get her dress altered on Saturday before the shower and seeing her in it just made me so teary-eyed! I am so happy that she found such a good man to spend the rest of her life with!

"It all begin in Ms. Westbury's 7th grade homeroom..."

Who do you think started this?!

"Do I have something up my nose?"

Saturday was so much fun! I can't wait to be there for her big day in less than a month! But first we have the Bachelorette Party to look forward to!!!

XOXO!

Madi Moment Monday: Featured Art

2011-08-22T07:00:00.004-04:00

This week I'm featuring another picture from my little artist. She is still drawing smiley faces, but they now have toes!

Eyes, nose in the middle, line is the mouth and then the toes of course.

Isn't she talented? :)

Also, tonight as I was putting her to bed she reached up and gave me a hug and said "Mommy, I love you more than a floppy french fry." It just totally melted my heart. I was so touched that she remembered that was our little thing that only the two of us share! She's the sweetest child ever! God is great!!

I wish you all a marvelous Monday!

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."
Proverbs 3:5-6

Diet Coke Cupcakes

2011-08-21T10:10:00.001-04:00

My two favorite things are Diet Coke & Chocolate. These are also my best friend's favorite things. SO, for her bridal shower this weekend I made her Diet Coke Cupcakes. YES. You read that correctly. Can I just say genius? I mean really. These are even better for you than normal cupcakes. Unless, you know - you are one of those who think Diet Coke is going to kill us all in 2 years. Anyway.

The recipe for utter bliss is below:

1 box cake mix (chocolate - duh)

1 12oz. can of Diet Coke

Yes, that is it. Instead of putting in the oil and eggs (or whatever else), put in Diet Coke. Simple as that, and that's why it's less calories than normal cupcakes.

The batter tasted like diet coke and chocolate (obvi) and was delicious. I may or may not have licked the spoon 10 too many times.

Once baked these things taste like regular cupcakes (you can't taste the diet coke) making it perfect for your hubs who has an aversion to the stuff.

YUM. Trust me. Just make them. Carrie loved them and I stuck one up her nose.

Well, I'm off to church now! Wanna get your church on, but don't wanna get out of your pi's? Watch it live at 11:15am or 6pm HERE!

Book Club Friday {Week 5}

2011-08-19T07:00:00.003-04:00

So, I finally jumped on the bandwagon and read The Help by Kathryn Stockett.

The summary of the book is pretty long. I pulled this from the end of it to give y'all an idea of the plot (from Goodreads):

In pitch-perfect voices, Kathryn Stockett creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town, and the way women - mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends - view one another. A deeply moving novel filled with poignancy, humor, and hope, The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we don't.

I am certain I am the first person to give this book less than 4 stars. I give it 3. I didn't love it. I liked it. Maybe it's because the past few books I've read I have been instantly hooked, or maybe it's just because this isn't my kind of book. It just wasn't a "must-read" for me as it seems to be for everyone else. I did really like the message of the book though and it truly put into perspective how much we take for granted these days.

I will say that I liked the book a lot more than the movie. It took me 3 days to watch the movie. I don't know if it's because I started it immediately after I finished the book or because it was just boring. I know I'm going to take some heat for this but I just did not like it at all. I thought it was lacking so much and the end just seemed to be a collage of events pushed together.

I want y'all to know though that I did like the book - I just didn't think it was "the best book ever."

It's Ok! {Week 3}

2011-08-18T07:00:00.000-04:00

Wahoo for Thursday!

It's OK!

...to not like going to football games. The heat, the crowds, the walking -- it's just not my thing.

...to not have cable. Hulu works just fine, when I'm not reading, that is.

...to eat a bowl of pickles as a snack.

...to plan vacations before you have the money to pay for them.

...to be a "jeans & t-shirt" kinda girl.

...to be super excited about church every Sunday!

...to be extremely sad after the first fight with my brother (since we've grown up).

...to enjoy playing Madi's Leapster with her.

What are you saying "It's OK" to today?

The Marathon Runners

2011-08-16T07:00:00.002-04:00

It's a typical Tuesday night. You know, just got home from work, make dinner, bathe toddler, sit around and read or watch tv, go to bed. Well, husband had a different plan for himself - have his friend meet him at our house at 7pm to start a 26 mile run at 8pm across town. First, let's do the math -

26 miles

avg of 8 minute mile

that's 208 = approx. 3.5 hours

Husband home at midnight...on a work night...a man who typically

requires 351510647601 hours of sleep to function,

which ultimately = DISASTER.

But see - we are women, we think like this. Men do not. Men think oh sure 26 miles, couple hours, hey and let's even leave our phones and our wallets in the truck. No biggy. WRONG.

Except when this girl's husbands knee gives out at mile #18 and husband's friends legs give out because hey, it's been 18 miles and that junks ridic.

Now these two ~~boys~~ men decide to walk to husband's parents house because it's the closest phone they can get to. Cop sees two men - one with no shirt, walking around a neighborhood close to midnight so he stops them - they explain they were running, cop moves on. Now husband gets to his parent's house and knocks and rings the doorbell and no one answers, so they walk to Wal-Mart down the street and call me at 11:45 at NIGHT to come and get them. (This means, me waking up M, putting her in the car, and driving in the rain and fog to pick up my goofy husband and his friend, take them to their car two towns over and then drive back home. Did I mention we live forever away from anything?! I digress.)

Here's the kicker (besides the fact that my husband owes me BIG) - while at Wal-Mart another cop approaches them and says "hey aren't y'all the marathon runners? Someone from 'insert parent's street here' called about you guys. Said there was someone strange at their house ringing the doorbell." JUSTIN'S PARENTS CALLED THE COPS ON THEM! hahahhahahaha! I die.

So so so so funny. Justin is never living this one down.

Yes I realize I could have told that in like 3 lines but it's so much funnier this way. Happy Tuesday!

Madi Moment Monday!

2011-08-15T07:00:00.000-04:00

Oh there have been so many Madi Moment Monday-worthy moments this week. I just love how her little brain works. :)

While playing with her cash register she said "Paying things is a really hard job. You gotta ask fermission." (permission) love love love it.

And this one probably takes the cake for my favorite thing she's ever done:

"Madi, what are you doing?"

"I"m watering the flowers."

Oh my gosh I couldn't control my laughter.

XOXO & Happy Monday!

Book Club Friday {Week 4}

2011-08-12T02:05:00.000-04:00

First - I'm loving Heather's new button for Book Club Friday, aren't you? Her blog has a whole new look too. It's super cute!

I literally just finished The Midwife's Confession by Diane Chamberlain and I had to get out of bed to write this review for you guys.

image via

This is the description from Good Reads:

Dear Anna,

What I have to tell you is difficult to write, but I know it will be far more difficult for you to hear, and I'm so sorry…

The unfinished letter is the only clue Tara and Emerson have to the reason behind their close friend Noelle's suicide. Everything they knew about Noelle—her calling as a midwife, her passion for causes, her love for her friends and family—described a woman who embraced life.

Yet there was so much they didn't know.

With the discovery of the letter and its heartbreaking secret, Noelle's friends begin to uncover the truth about this complex woman who touched each of their lives—and the life of a desperate stranger—with love and betrayal, compassion and deceit.

This book is full of so many different twists and unsuspected lies. I read at least 200 pages tonight in one sitting and I'm a slow reader! It was that good. The book is separated into 3 Parts. Part 1 was good but Parts 2 and 3 get really good. Once again with Diane's books, I feel like I know the characters in real life. I feel like I could be friends with Emerson and Tara.

For real though, go get this book now! The last 100 pages or so I was reading as fast as I could to find out what was going to happen. It's just the kind of suspense I like! I'm off to pick out my next Diane Chamberlain book now!

It's OK! {Week 2}

2011-08-11T08:00:00.002-04:00

I'm linking up with Neely & Amber again for "It's OK Thursdays!"

It's OK!

...to eat Cheetos Cheese Puffs for breakfast.

...to use a registry to see what someone wants, but then buy it somewhere cheaper. (Maybe that's not ok. Maybe that's just tacky. Guilty.)

...to stay inside all summer because it's just too hot to do anything else. Yes, even swim.

...to want a new blog design even though mine isn't even six months old. (Husband, do not freak. I'm only wanting, not getting!)

...to lie to your child. Yes, I did keep your crumbly, greasy biscuit in my purse for later. Ahem.

...to get a ridiculous thrill from finishing a bag or box of food because you'll get to throw it away.

...to enjoy cookie dough more than baked cookies.

I don't typically post three times in two days so if you missed my late night post from last night check it out here.

Humbled.

2011-08-10T21:33:00.001-04:00

Tonight as I was going to bed at 8:30 for the 3rd night in a row because my toddler refuses to sleep in her own bed, I was complaining because I wasn't tired yet and just wanted "me" time.

God truly opened my eyes and I realized I wouldn't trade these moments with my daughter for anything:

Madi's favorite song is "A Little Bit Stronger" by Sarah Evans. I don't know what it is about this song but it's the only song that I listen to that she likes. It's known as "our" song if you're ever in my car with us. So, tonight as she was having trouble falling asleep I played it really low on my phone and sang along, holding Madi in my arms. She started singing along too - just at the end of each verse because those are the words she knows and half asleep, she held her hand up to spin her finger at just the right time. At that moment my heart smiled and I felt the biggest rush of pure love imaginable. My baby girl and I were singing a song together and nothing else in the world mattered at that very moment.

Here I was, whining about having to go to sleep with my daughter, and then God gives me this amazing moment that can never be lost from my memory. Thank you Jesus for blessing me with my daughter and for humbling me when I need it most.

I wouldn't trade these moments with my little girl for anything in this world.

Bridal Shower Ideas Wanted!

2011-08-10T07:00:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it's almost here!!! Yes, my best friend's wedding is next month!! So, that means that the fun stuff is right around the corner - the bridal shower and the bachelorette party!

Carrie's bridal shower is this month and I am in charge of games. Eck! I have only been to a few bridal showers, one of which was my own, so I need guidance ladies! I looked up bridal shower games online but nothing caught my interest. So, do y'all have any game suggestions for me? Any ideas/tips/tricks for the shower? We have to keep it clean though - her mom and I are hosting! :)

I really would love your help with this! I'm not the best event planner!

Thanks & xoxo! :)

You won't steal my happy.

2011-08-09T07:00:00.001-04:00

We all have them. You know - those people in your life who you know will totally ruin your good mood but you tell them what you're excited about anyway.

WHY? Why do we do this? Why do we tell them knowing that they won't be excited or happy for us? I'll tell you why. We tell them because we hope that just this once they will be happy and they will share our excitement with us. But each and every time they fail us. They bring us down and take away our good mood.

Maybe I am alone in this. Maybe everyone doesn't have this person in their lives, but I assume I'm not the only one. Well you know what, I'm not going to give up. I'm going to keep hoping that one day this person becomes happy enough with her life that she is capable of being happy for others. Possibly, one day, we can then share excitement together. Until then, I will try my hardest not to let her bring me down and I'm still going to BE HAPPY.

image via

The day I turned 27!

2011-08-07T08:00:00.001-04:00

Last Tuesday was my 27th birthday!!! I had a great birthday, despite the fact that I had to work.

My birthday wasn't well known around the office so I was really surprised when the sweet girls I work with brought me a the biggest balloon they could find, my own huge cupcake, cupcakes for everyone else, and a sweet card signed by the office!

My bosses also gave me a Tervis Tumbler with our work logo and a classy portfolio to make me look snazzy at meetings. Sorry, I forgot to take pics!

After work Justin, Madi & I went to my favorite restaurant, Olive Garden, for dinner! I could totally just drink that salad dressing and I definitely ate 3.5 breadsticks. Hey, calories don't count on your birthday! We had a really nice dinner and after we went to Barnes & Noble and y'all know I loved that!

really wish that straw wasn't in the way

1st picture as a 27 year old!

I got some super sweet gifts from family and friends! My sweet hubby got me the Sedu flat iron I've been wanting (& I LOVE it), my MIL & FIL gave me a gift card to Barnes & Noble, and so did Lindsey so now I can get more books for my nook (which my parents-in-law also gave me)! My sweet friend Jill gave me a gorgeous necklace and Madi gave me something so special that I just have to show y'all...

Book Club Friday {Week 3}

2011-08-05T07:00:00.001-04:00

Last week, I read The Shadow Wife by Diane Chamberlain. I was anxious to read another book by her since I loved The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes so much. Here is the Amazon description of The Shadow Wife:

Life and death seem to go hand in hand in Joelle's life. When she was born while her parents were living at a commune in Big Sur, California, the cord was wrapped around her neck, and Carolynn, a famous healer, saved her. Thirty-four years later, she's contemplating asking Carolynn for help again. While giving birth more than a year ago, Joelle's best friend, Mara, suffered a brain aneurysm and has been left in a semi-vegetative state. As Mara's husband, Liam, and Joelle visit her in a nursing home, they end up romantically involved until guilt destroys their friendship, leaving Joelle to face the consequences when she discovers that she's pregnant. Driven by her desire to see Liam and Mara happy, Joelle decides to contact Carolynn and find out if she truly is a healer and will be willing to help. As Chamberlain examines myriad forms of love, her complicated novel will bring tears to her readers, but they won't regret the experience.

This book was not as suspenseful as I hoped. The beginning was good, the middle was a bit slow, and then the end picked up again. There was a big twist at the end of this book which definitely came as a shock. I am glad I read this book and I would recommend it but it's less mystery and more about relationships and life. Diane did an excellent job of depicting each character just as she did with the other book. She's an excellent author.

It's OK! {Week 1}

2011-08-04T13:57:00.000-04:00

I'm linking up with Neely & Amber for their first "It's OK!"

It's OK!

...to not have posted about my birthday as promised. I'll do it soon!

...to enjoy working! I love my job!

...to complain about said job because it's crazy stressful.

...that I'd rather read, catch-up on blogs, or pin pretty pictures rather than watch TV.

...that the idea of going anywhere but home on a Friday night makes me tired.

...to keep a bag of chocolate at my desk, at all times.

...to get my child to do things I don't feel like doing, like throw things away.

...to tell your best friend you'll cook her Sunday lunch and then serve her "gourmet" bagel bites and tator tots.

Do you have things you want to say "It's OK" to? Go link up with them!

27 While 27

2011-08-03T07:00:00.002-04:00

Hello!!

My BIRTHDAY was yesterday!!! :) It was one of the best I've had in a long time. I'll tell y'all all about it tomorrow!

I've decided to make a "27 While 27" list. These are 27 things I want to do while I'm 27 and before I turn 28!

They are all very much attainable goals, but things I will definitely have to work on to achieve. I will be marking them off as I go and posting about some, I'm sure!

1. Read the entire Bible.
2. Save at least 2 months salary.
3. Read 12 books. (0/12)
4. Be on time to work for a week. (0/5)
5. Do not eat out for a week. (0/7)
6. Take an overnight trip with just Justin & me.
7. Pay off my credit card.
8. Invite (& have them come) 4 people to church with me. (0/4)
9. Set up the guest room. (paint it, clean out the clutter, decorate, etc.)
10. Pay for someone else at a restaurant or drive thru.
11. Stop drinking diet coke.
12. Print pictures, frame them, and hang them up in my house.
13. Set a budget for Christmas, and stick to it!
14. Travel to somewhere I've never been (near or far).
15. Get a passport to use in 2013 for Kenya mission trip.
16. Keep my car. (I have a bad habit of trading in before necessary.)
17. Send flowers to 2 friends. (0/2)
18. Bake blueberry muffins from scratch.
19. Watch a movie at home once a month with Justin. (0/12)
20. Carve a pumpkin.
21. Print pictures and put them in M's photo album.
22. Cook dinner every night for a week. (0/7)
23. Do not make any large purchases without "sleeping on it" for at least one night.
24. Hand write a letter to Madi in her baby book.
25. Learn to do something new. Suggestions?!
26. Decide for good if I want a tattoo or not.
27. Come up with a cleaning plan for my house and stick to it!

MMM & My Style Monday 2

2011-08-01T07:00:00.004-04:00

Madi Moment Monday now has a super cute button! Yes, it's simple because I did it myself but oh well!

Let's get to it:

This week Madi has been full of whitty sayings. She is just hilarious.

The other day I was changing and she said "Don't put your booty in my face!" I cracked up! I wasn't even that close to her!

Yesterday I said "thank you" to her and she responded with "my pleasure." Umm, we apparently go to Chick-Fil-A waayy too often!!!

What cute things did your kids say this week? I'd love to hear!

Now time for My Style Monday with Running Down A Dream! I find it fits with Madi Moment Monday because I captured her outfits too. :)

Shopping on a Saturday!

My shirt - Kohls

Jeans - GAP

Shoes (sorry, not in the pic) - Rainbows

Madi's shirt - Gymboree

Skirt - Crazy Eight

Shoes - Target

Dressed for church

My dress - Target

Shoes - Target

Madi's dress - JcPenney

Shoes - Target

I hope y'all enjoyed seeing what M & I wore this weekend! Happy Monday!

Book Club Friday {Week 2}

2011-07-29T08:00:00.002-04:00

Time for Book Club Friday again! This week I'm posting on two books so I can get caught up and start posting on the book I read the same week!

Lindsey suggested I read The Sunflower by Richard Paul Evans and I'm so glad she did. When she recommended it she didn't realize I'd been to Peru. The book is based there and it made it that more interesting to read about somewhere I'd experienced. Below is the description on the back of the book (from Amazon).

In the wake of personal tragedy, two people meet on a humanitarian mission in Peru. Christine is a shy, unadventurous woman whose fiance broke off the engagement only a week before the wedding, and Paul is a former emergency room doctor whose glamorous lifestyle, stellar reputation, and beautiful fiancee are cruelly snatched from him one fateful, snowy Christmas Eve. Deep in the Amazon jungle, against a backdrop of poverty and heartbreak, they must confront their deepest fears and, together, learn to trust and love again.

I really enjoyed this book. The love story was so natural and realistic, not ridiculous like some can be. Parts of it felt more like a history lesson on the area of Peru but for the most part it was a great book. I'm glad I read it and recommend it!

I also recently finished reading A Stolen Life: A Memoir by Jaycee Dugard. This book is written by Jaycee and depicts her horrible, tragic life of 18 years in captivity.

I cannot say that I liked this book, considering the contents but I will say I have a different look on life after reading it. This book was very difficult to read; it's obviously an emotional book. I finished it in a day. I wanted so badly to get to the part where she was rescued. If you read this book, be prepared to be heartbroken for this innocent child. It's hard to fathom that this is a true story. (I wouldn't pay $12 for it though. Borrow it from someone or get it at the library.)

What have you been reading? I still need more books to add to my "to-read" list!

Wife Rant #1

2011-07-28T07:00:00.004-04:00

I've been blogging for over a year now. I'm very surprised this is my first "wife-rant" post.

THIS

has been sitting here for ~~THREE WEEKS~~ ONE MONTH!!!!

THIS

has been sitting here for ONE WEEK!!!

I work 40+ hours just like he does. I am a firm believer that if you do your laundry, you fold it and put it away too!! I have no problem doing his laundry, but if he is going to do it himself - don't expect me to fold it! When I do it, it's because I have time and energy to do the laundry from top to bottom (wash, dry, fold, put away).

Now, I could just do it myself. But you know that now, it's just "fun" to see how long it will actually take him to fold these baskets of clothes.

Conversation tonight:

Justin - "I'm going on a run."
Me - "Um, okay but I thought you were going to fold your clothes like you said you would last night ~~(and the night before, and the night before that)~~."
Justin - "I know you don't believe me, but I promise I'll do it tonight when I get back."
Me - "I believe you."

...and I did. But guess what? He's upstairs asleep, or prob actually playing on his iPad.

So, wagers are open - how long do y'all think those baskets will sit there? 'Cause I'm not doing it!

Basket # 1 - I give it to the end of the week (it's gotta be almost empty by now).
Basket #2 - 2 weeks.

What's your guess? Am I crazy? Am I the only wife out there who refuses to do EVERYTHING?

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

2011-07-27T07:00:00.003-04:00

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

#1 - I'm loving that my birthday is in less than a week!!!!!

#2 - I'm loving that we cancelled our cable (& are saving $100 a month), but still get a ton of channels. I have no clue why.

#3 - I am loving my new nook cover with a light! Thanks for telling me about it Lindsey!

#4 - I'm loving Goodreads! Thanks for telling me about it Tara! Are you on Goodreads? Follow me!

#5 - I'm loving that I'm getting this for my birthday! Do any of y'all have one, do you love it?

#6 - I'm loving that Madi is exactly 2 years & 8 months old today!

#7 - As always, I'm loving Jesus and my amazing family!!

What are you loving this week?