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Wednesday, September 26, 2012

NOT a Wednesday Weigh In

Okay, so obviously you already know there is going to be something different about this post just by reading the title. So here it is: I'm not weighing in today. I'm just gonna tell y'all - I'm back up to almost 199 pounds this week and I'm a wee bit ticked off. So, instead of getting pissy and throwing my hands in the air and giving up, I"m getting a little help. I'm getting lipo. Kidding.

I am however getting a little help from a company called Creative Bioscience. Creative Bioscience has offered to sponsor me in a 90 day weight loss challenge and I will be supplied with a free 90 day supply of their hCG 1234.

Photo Credit
I've chosen the hCG 1234 for two reasons.

1) I've followed along with my friend Courtney on her journey with this product and she had fabulous results!
2) I've tried hCG (NOT through Creative Bioscience) before and it WORKS. I just didn't stick with it.


Creative Bioscience carries a wide range of products to help you meet your weight loss goals. You can find more information about Creative Bioscience here and more information about hCG 1234 here.

I'm really excited to begin this journey and hopefully shed these extra pounds for good. With the support of Creative Bioscience, you, my lovely readers and the sheer drive to get rid of the weight, I know that all of this will be in my rear view mirror soon.

Blogger friends! Are you interested in joining me on a 90 day challenge? If you would like to join me on this journey and chronicle your results on your blog, go here to sign up!

Creative Bioscience is sponsoring me in the 90 day weight loss challenge. They have provided me with a 90 day supply of hCG 1234 to use and review. All opinions are 100% my own.
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So Fresh, So Clean

Howdy y'all! Is it really Wednesday already? Thank goodness! I feel like I have a ton of stuff to catch y'all up on...maybe that's cause my head is spinning and I"m being pulled in a hundred different directions. Yup...that's probably it!

So actually, I wanted to talk skin care with y'all today. Confession: I'm the worst at removing my makeup/washing my face/moisturizing, etc., and yet I wonder why I sometimes have the skin of a teenager. It boils down to this: I'm lazy. I know, ridiculous, but it's true. Lately I've been doing more to keep my skin, specifically my face, looking great. I'm not getting any younger over here and it's time to take some preventative measures.

Lucky for me I got this lovely package in the mail last week:


Now I'd never heard of Mario Badescu products before, but apparently they are the biz-nass. About a month ago I was reading my friend Shanna's blog when I came across this post and then not long after that I was snooping around Meg's blog and I found this post. I took all that as a sign that I should kick my rump in high gear and get those fabulous samples Shanna was talking about.

I was so excited when I got my package of samples in the mail last week! I wasn't expecting such a variety of products and I was so anxious to try them that I washed all my makeup off and used them right away. I've been using the Mariod Badescu samples morning and night for a week now and I've gotta tell ya - I'm impressed! My face is smooth, no dry spots, my breakouts are getting fewer and fewer and my pores look smaller! To me this equals a huge success!

Anyway, my point is, go get your samples and try them for yourself!! This is not a sponsored post, I am just excited about these products and I wanted to share with y'all!

QUICK SIDE NOTE: If you are in the Houston, Texas area OR if you travel to Houston for the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo and you are interested in purchasing SEASON, MINI SEASON, SUITE, OR BULK GENERAL ADMISSION TICKETS, get with me! I'm a volunteer on the ticket sales committee this year and I can hook you up with seats. If you are interested or have questions, email me!
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Monday, September 24, 2012

Weekend ReCap {& A Winner!}

Howdy & Happy Monday!! Y'all ready to know who won the Willow House giveaway?!?!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congrats Joni! 

This weekend was a full one y'all. We were so darn busy all weekend long. Miss Addison's birthday is fast approaching and up until Saturday I hadn't done anything to prepare for her party. I was starting to freak out a bit because I've usually got it all done by now; I like to plan ahead. I was browsing Etsy looking for some cute invitations when I decided that instead of spending $10-$14 on a custom digital image, I'd just design my own.


What do you think? I designed them at home with a program I already had, and then took the digital file to Staples and had them print them on card stock for me. Total cost, $4. Score! Of course the mustache and lips are not part of the invite ;)

On Saturday, I had to get my hands a little dirty. Eww. A few months back my little man busted up our pretty flat screen television. We've since replaced it and hubs has been wanting to hang it up above our fireplace to hopefully prevent any future mishaps. I have been terrified to do this because it just seems unsafe to be, but, do it we did!


We aren't completely finished with the transformation - some wires need to be run through the wall so they won't be visible but for now it's good. The t.v. used to sit on this beautiful stand:


Y'all, this thing is SO heavy. Hubs was worried about how he was going to move it out of the living room and into our bedroom. I thought he was being a bit of a baby about it, but whatever. Well, he left it in the middle of the living room floor when he left for work this morning. Seeing as how it had been sitting there since Saturday afternoon, I was tired of looking at it! I felt I had no other choice but to take matters into my own hands. I pushed this beast all the way down the hall and into my bedroom. Now, my back is killing me. I'm hoping to DIY this piece in the near future. I want to sand it, paint it, make it look a little shabby. Any pointers would be appreciated!

Anyhow, once I got the t.v. stand out of the living room, I had to get the new furniture in place.


TWO NEW BOOKSHELVES! I know y'all probably think I'm a total spaz for being so excited over a couple of dumb bookshelves but I have literally been buggin' the hubs for bookshelves for the longest time! Of course when it's his idea to buy them...Can you believe I still have 3 empty shelves?  I plan to fill them up with more books & my overload of magazines!

Are you exhausted yet? Well, after all the hard work was done, Mama needed a reward. So...I got my hair did. Yup, did. (ha!)


I feel pretty...oh so pretty! I got 3 inches cut off! I think its just was the doctor ordered! 

OH, and Happy Fall Y'all!! My favorite season is here!! 
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Friday, September 21, 2012

Friendships {and a guest post}


Hallelujah, Thank ya Jesus, it's Friday! Oh, sorry, had to get that off my chest! WOO! It's almost the weekend!! Not that I have awesome plans or anything...maybe a hair cut..some birthday party planning..I'm still excited! TGIF.

Anywhoo....I want to talk to y'all about friendships for a minute.


Friend 
noun
- a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard.

Friendships come in all shapes and sizes, they are made differently, last different lengths of time, and they certainly all function in their own fashions. I believe that the best friendships form unexpectedly.

Sometimes you may hit it off with a new friend instantly, or it could take you weeks or months to really get to know someone and appreciate who they are. Maybe your friend of 10 years is more like an acquaintance these days but your friend of 2 months feels like she has been by your side for an entire lifetime. Or maybe your closest girlfriend lives hundreds of miles away.

Lindsey and I have been friends for just a short time but I feel like we've known each other forever. We hit it off instantly. We don't always agree on everything but we listen, share, and laugh together. While life is changing fast for the both of us and throwing unexpected curve balls our way, we're just rolling with it. I'm excited for this new chapter in your life Lins. I'm gonna miss you like no other, but girlfriend, we're gonna tear up that town! ;)

Image Courtesy of Paige Budde Photography

Lindsey is here today to share the story of how we met with all of y'all. Please welcome her and leave some comment love. She loves me, so she loves all y'all too!

Take it away lovebug!


Hi And They Call Me Mommy readers! I am Lins and I blog over at Country Roots City Living!  My blog is more of a lifestyle blog, and here lately I've been talking mostly about our moving shenanigans. My family moved from Indiana to Houston three months ago and now we are making a move to Oklahoma! No, we are not gypsies, we are moving for my husband's job. I hope this is our last BIG move for awhile!

What I thought I would chat to you about today is how Lacey and I met! When the move to Houston was getting closer I was starting to get nervous because I was moving to a brand new city where I wouldn't know anyone. I mean I am a stay at home mom so I am not out a lot to make friends. Since I'm a blogger, I searched online for bloggers in Houston and found several that I began to read on the regular. Then, I also stumbled upon a Facebook page that a lot of those Houston bloggers were connected to.

One hot summer day, I posted about The Color Run, a 5K that was coming to Houston. I was so excited, I knew that I wanted to do it, but I also knew I did not want to go at it alone. So I posted about it in the bloggers' facebook group and this sweet little southern belle reached out to me and told me I could join her running team because she was doing it The Color Run too. We started emailing each other and I asked her 148,323,874,380,209 questions about her and just about anything else you could think of!  Hey, I had to make sure she was a normal person and not some crazy! HA

It seemed like it took forever for us to both have our schedules cleared at the same time so we could get together, but FINALLY the day came that we were going to meet up. I was so excited the entire day; I was like a little school girl bouncing off the walls. I was never nervous that we were not going to hit it off, I knew we both were very authentic in our emails and texts and I was just not worried. I got to Starbucks first (the wrong one, but in my defense there were like three on one block together) got my drink and waited. When she walked in we both gave each other a huge hug and it was like we had been hanging out forever.



                                                                          Source: imgfave.com via Carla on Pinterest



I know that our friendship is going to be on that lasts a lifetime! She laughs at me when I get fired up, but she is always there to listen to me when I need to vent. She is also always there to give me good advice when I'm leaning towards being irrational, and then we end up laughing about it. I am there for her when she is upset and so overwhelmed with her never ending to do list. Girlfriend likes to spread herself thin, she does not know how to say no, BUT that is one of those things I love about her!

                                                                                        Source: via audrey on Pinterest



Lace,

Girl I am so glad you came into my life! I am totally going to miss you when I move but we are going to plan trips to visit each other often! We are definatly going to do that market weekend one of these days! We already know where our halfway point to meet for girls weekends and we can start getting some ideas together for a few shenangians we can get into while we are there. I love you girl! Thank you for being there and helping me for the short time we have known each other! :) 

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Oh, How Pinteresting!!!

Sooo, sweet Michelle hosts this pretty little link up every week, and while I've been peepin' it for awhile, I've never joined in. Well, this last Saturday I had the pleasure of meeting this lovely lady and now I've decided I need to partake on the fun. Michelle, so fun meeting you, can't wait to do it again!




Let's get to pinning, shall we?

                                                                            Source: showerfilterhome.com via Lacey on Pinterest

                                                                 Source: tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com via April on Pinterest

                                                             Source: someecards.com via Kristine Foley on Pinterest
                                                                        Source: weheartit.com via Teri on Pinterest



                                                                       Source: twitter.com via Brynna on Pinterest

             Source: kaydee-lady.tumblr.com via Brynna on Pinterest

Wednesday Weigh-In

Well hello there sweet friends!! I hope you are all doing well on this fine Wednesday. I'm not. I feel like  shit, but I'm trying to make the best of it...when I'm not calling my husband whining for him to come home and take care of me.

It's Wednesday, so of course you know what that means...I was dreading my weigh in this morning even though I've been "on my game" this past week. I was pleasantly surprised when I stepped up on my scale though! Love it when that happens.



I'm down 1 pound this week. I talked last week about how I was going to only drink water and lots of it. I can actually say I really stuck to this. I think only 3 times I drank either a glass of iced tea (sweetened with Stevia) or water with 0 calorie water flavoring.

I also talked about going for morning runs and not once did that happen. I've been working out in my living room but I promised myself I'd get out and go for a run. I'm doing The Color Run in about eight weeks AND I found out recently that I'll be doing the TXU Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. That's two 5K's in less than two weeks. Who the hell am I??? Anyway, I ran leisurely walked the Turkey trot last year and it was a blast. Side note: if you are a Houston area blogger and you are interested in participating in the trot, email me!

So the moral of the story here folks is this: I need to get my ass in gear and at least attempt to get myself ready for these two races. So...a little pinspiration for me and hopefully you too!



                                                                                       Source: via Jourenne on Pinterest


                                                                               Source: bbc.co.uk via rayna on Pinterest

                                                                         Source: itsfitnessbaby.com via Jaime on Pinterest

                                                       Source: better-faster-strongerr.tumblr.com via Michelle on Pinterest

                                                                             Source: via Tegan on Pinterest


Did that help? Anyone? Hello? I hope you ALL have a fantastic week, especially in regards to your fitness!

Click here to read week 9

All In My Twenties




Also, be sure to enter my Willow House Giveaway!
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Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Me, Myself & I {Link Up Party}

Howdy y'all! I'm linking up for the September edition of the Me, Myself & I Link up party!




So let's just get to it, shall we?

1) When you're feeling down, what do you do to pick yourself up?

Honestly? When I'm down, I want to be alone. I want to take a hot shower, climb in bed with a good book, and then take a nap. I need time to decompress and regroup.

2) If you had to live in a different time period which would you prefer?

I'd love to go back to the early 1900s. My great grandmother was born in 1913 and I"d love to experience what things were really like for her when she was young.

3) What is the most creative Halloween costume you've ever worn?

Y'all, I"m the lamest Halloween dresser upper ever. As in, I haven't dressed up since I was a kid. I always want to, it just never happens. Coolest Halloween costume ever? A leopard? I dunno. Lame.

4) Five weird things about you we wouldn't know without being told?

I don't like for my face to be touched.
I take ridiculously long showers.
Tapioca pudding makes me hurl.
If I polish my  nails you can bet that I'll peel it all off within 24 hours.
I"m a chronic list maker.

5) What would you tell your 16-year-old self?

Go out and DO something. Forget about the boy. Save your money. Do new things, not just the same 'ol stuff. Plan for the future. Save up for vacations with your girlfriends. Be bold because you are amazing. Don't be scared, don't procrastinate, don't make excuses. You've Got This!

P.S. There is an awesome giveaway happening HERE. You should enter it :)


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Monday, September 17, 2012

I'm Having a Party! {A Giveaway Too!}


So two weekends ago I went to a Willow House party and y'all, I fell in love! They have some of the most beautiful and well made products I"ve ever seen.

Take a look:


I know I'm not alone when I say I want EVERYTHING I see in this picture. Every page of my entire catalog was turned down because I literally want it all!

So instead of spending all of my husband's money, I decided to have a party! I'm hoping to get enough hostess credits to get this little beauty for free or at least half price.


That's where y'all come in! Wink, wink!

My awesome Willow House consultant, Anne, has decided to treat all of you, my lovely readers, with a  chance to win these gorgeous Drake Firefly Lanterns!


Aren't they beautiful? The giveaway is very simple and I've thrown in a few extra fun ways to earn entries! Good Luck to you all!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
*All photos are from the Willow House website and were used with permission. This giveaway is sponsored by Willow House consultant Anne Walls. All thoughts and ideas expressed are indeed my own.*


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Sunday, September 16, 2012

Sunday Social {A Link Up}

Howdy! Hey y'all, how's it going? I'm sitting on the couch this morning, snuggled up with my little man watching Team Umizoomi for the 1,698,536(th?) time! I just love this show! (sense the sarcasm?) 

Anywho...I had so much fun doing the Sunday Social Link Up with Neely from A Complete Waste of Makeup last week that I decided I should do it again! 


1) What are the 5 items you can't live without on a daily basis? (water, food, shelter, and clothes don't count)

Okay, so I could totally live w/o these things but I certainly wouldn't want to - laptop, cell phone, internet connection, lipgloss, & my hair tie. 

2) All time favorite book? Why?

I read this book when I was in middle school and it has always stuck with me. The story was so good and I've just never forgotten it. Plus, it won a medal so it must be great! Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech.

3) Something you'd like to accomplish before the end of 2012. 

I'd like to meet my 2nd & 3rd weight loss goal. (that's another 20 pounds for those of you keeping track!)

4) If you could go back and relive any year of your life which year would it be?

2007. I made some crappy decisions that can't be undone now. I was living in the moment and I wish I'd looked ahead a bit more before I made those choices.

5) What do you wish people knew about you without you having to tell them?

When you find yourself in the same room as me and we've never met - the reason I'm not talking to you? It's not because I'm a total b*tch, it's because I'm shy folks! That's right, shy. It doesn't take me long to get over it, but until we've met and chatted for a bit, I'm shakin' in my boots. Yep. Me. SHY.

Happy Sunday y'all! Make it a great one!!

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Friday, September 14, 2012

Home School Update + Weekend Forecast

*Edit* Winners from my Sponsor Giveaway have been chosen! Emails are being notified via email right now! Be on the lookout*

Home School Update


Photo Credit

I've been homeschooling my oldest for almost 3 weeks now. Some days are easy breezy and others are intense.

Addison turns 5 in just a few weeks and we've started this year with Kindergarten curriculum. I've found in the past few weeks that almost everything I've given her has been way too easy and she completes her tasks in little to no time at all. I can barely keep up with her. In preparation for this year I spent a lot of time planning lessons, printing worksheets, writing out project ideas and planning field trips. A lot of what I've done is no longer applicable to her. A lot of it is, but with a serious amount of tweaking.

I honestly felt that with a lot of planning, this year would just go very smoothly. I'm realizing that  homeschooling my children will be a continuous adjustment on my part as their needs change. Homeschooling is not as easy as I thought it would be, but that is okay. We are still, even 3 weeks in, trying to find our groove. We're tying to figure out what works best for us. We don't have a set schedule, although I'd like to have one. I do have certain goals that I would like to meet everyday and so far, we've been able to do that. Going forward I"m going to try and focus on Addison's interests and let her learn about what she is into at that moment. This means I have to let go of my need to plan everything.

Weekend Forecast


I'm SUPER excited because tomorrow I'm headed to the Houston Blogger Symposium!

Photo Credit
This will be my very first blogging conference and I just can't wait! I'm stoked to meet some new faces, hang out with some blogging friends, and hopefully learn a whole lot! Plus, Lindsey is going with, which is fabulous since I'm trying to spend as much time with her as possible since she is leaving me in a few weeks! Also, this mama just needs a break in general so it will be nice to get out of the house and away from the kids & husband for a bit.

If you've been to a blogging conference before leave me some tips in the comments! I need all the help I can get :)

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Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Wednesday Weigh-In

Howdy! Before I get started on the 'ol Wednesday Weigh-In I have a few announcements/things I want to bring to your attention.

I guest posted over at Country Roots City Living yesterday and like the genius dingbat that I am, I forgot to tell y'all about it. Would you mind popping over and leaving me some guest post love?

I also had the pleasure of guest posting for Mom It Forward and my post is live on their site today. I'm talking D.I.Y Beauty. If you have a moment to go over and comment or share the post, I would greatly appreciate it. I'm really hoping they will invite me back again sometime.


Last, but certainly not least, have y'all entered my giveaway yet? It ends soon!



All In My Twenties



Alright, back to the business at hand. You may or may not have noticed but, I didn't check in last week. I almost didn't check in today either. To be honest, I just...



Yet, here I am again. The worst part y'all? I have been really watching what I eat AND I've been exercising 6 days a week! SIX!

First, let's look at the kinds of things I've been eating shall we?


Roasted Cauliflower: A head of cauliflower tossed in about a tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkled with Tex Joy (steak seasoning). Put in the oven (350*) uncovered for about 40 minutes or until you can easily put your fork in it!


Sauteed Spinach: A large bunch of fresh spinach and one diced clove of garlic sauteed in about 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. Salt & pepper to taste.

This was my lunch today:


All of my meals have seriously been healthy! Not to mention that it's been about 2 1/2 months since I've had even a sip of soda! 

I'm also on day 10 of the #mamavation #2weekchallenge. This is where the 6 days a week work outs come in. I feel like I'm pushing myself but not killing myself with these workouts either. I'm extremely sore from each and every workout. 
AND STILL..


I guess you could say I've maintained since I'm only up .2 pounds but this is getting so frustrating!! I'm really putting forth a lot of effort and I"m not getting anything in return. In the beginning I was losing 1-2 pounds a week and I was happy with that. I am NOT happy with this.

This week I'm going to do a few things differently to see if it helps.

1) WATER only WATER.

I've been drinking lots of water but also unsweet tea & 0 calorie flavored waters. 

2) Morning or Afternoon Runs

The weather has been amazing here lately and I've been itching to go for a run. I will MAKE this a priority this week. 

Do you have any tips for me? Is there something more or different that I could be doing?


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