Sunday, December 5, 2010

*Almost* 16 Weeks?!

First a big thank you to everyone who emailed me to see if I was okay--I heart you all! I am fabulous to be honest. I went home over Thanksgiving for a couple of weeks and it was a much needed time away from down here in the South. I ate, shopped, ate, got my hair done, and ate some more.


Just in case you're wondering what I ate a majority of the time? The BEST cashew chicken and crab rangoon in the world. I'm not even kidding--I've actually been craving it since we got back on Friday. *sob*


I bet you may be asking if I'm even a "blogger" anymore. That is the million dollar question. I think I started getting sidetracked away from blogging about me, my girls, my life...and I was missing it. Pretty sure I'm going to be blogging about life now. Maybe an occasional review/giveaway, but only if it's so fabulous (say, like, the Chi Rocket hair dryer...) that I must have it and my readers must have it, too.


Last, but not least, here is a belly shot of my *almost* 16 week baby belly. It's like it popped out overnight or something?! I took it with my phone, so the quality isn't fabulous, but hey--it's the best I can do. *smile* Heart you all! Have a fabulous Monday!


Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Wishin' and Hopin'...a Novel by Wally Lamb



When you read an author for the first time and you fall in love, you feel as if you hit the author jackpot. Well, if you're anything like me you do. There are so many authors out there today and when I find one whose name I remember I know that they must be good.


That describes Wally Lamb to me. An author who can wrap me into his words, his stories, his pages. The first novel that I read by him was She's Come Undone. It was fabulous and I still remember it to this day--I can't tell you how many years ago that I read this book, but for me to remember it today? That is saying something about Wally Lamb as an author.


I am now reading Wally Lamb's novel Wishin' and Hopin'. This book sucked me in from the moment I started reading the first chapter titled Flight.  Love, love, love it! He has an amazing way with words. Such an amazing way that you are drawn in to the book. I have no doubt that I will have the book finished by next week.


Wishin' and Hopin' is about a fifth grade boy growing up in 1964. Ten year old Felix is trying his best to navigate himself through the fifth grade which he finds somewhat hard to do considering that he gets nightmares from scary movies and he bears a striking resemblance to a certain adorable cartoon boy. There are, however, things that young Felix can depend on: the birds and bees are as puzzling as ever, television is magical, and this will be one Christmas that he will never forget.


In the beginning the book starts out by being narrated from the adult Felix. He tells of how in the fifth grade he is the reason for Sister Dymphna's nervous breakdown. I started laughing at his description of her melt down and how she had been mopey since morning prayer. Maybe it's the Catholic in me, but it made laugh even imagining!


I highly recommend this book if you are wanting something festive to get you in the Christmas spirit and if you ever sit and reminisce about holidays from your past. You know the ones you remember--the one where you got that beloved toy, the one where you got a bike, the one where you had strep throat. I think that that is one part of why Christmas is so magical to me, just being able to sit and soak in all of the memories.


If you do decide to check out Wishin' and Hopin' I don't think you will be disappointed one bit. Let me know if you decide to check it out!


Wally Lamb is also the author of many successful novels such as She's Come Undone and I Know This Much is True, both of which made it to the New York Time's bestsellers list and Oprah picked them both for her Book Club. He resides in Connecticut with his family.


Sunday, November 7, 2010

Teething Relief...

My poor, poor Madelyn has been teething and teething lately. I swear, it's almost as if every time I turn around and look in her mouth there is another tooth working its way through and making my babe miserable. Teething wasn't a problem for Maddie until her molars started coming int.


Since then we've had crying, lots of sleepless nights, bleeding gums and all around just not feeling good. It breaks my heart that I can't just take away her pain and I find myself hoping that the next tooth will make it's way through and have her feeling like her normal, chipper self.




I felt out of sorts at first, not knowing what I could do. So many products out there failed in comforting her. Until I tried Annable Karmel's Fill & Freeze Puree Pops. Serious genius! I had a feeling that these would work for a couple of reasons, the first being that they're frozen. Coldness on sore, teething gums? I had a feeling that it would be a perfect answer to my girl's teething woes. The second reason I thought this would work was that she would be eating something yummy therefore (hopefully) her mind would be taken off how miserable her mouth felt.


I visited her site and browsed for a yummy and healthy recipe. She has such a variety of recipes to choose from! I highly recommend that you check some of them out. I found a recipe for Traffic Light Ice Lollies. Instead of the honey I used 100% fruit juice (we didn't have any honey on hand!). They turned out wonderfully! Madelyn loved them--and I loved them that they were a nutritious and soothing special treat for my girl.


So my advice for teething (if your little one is older)? Get the Fill & Freeze Puree Pops from Annabel Karmel--it will make your life a lot easier and make your little one a happy little camper while getting relief from those painful gums!


I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for Infantino and have received various Infantino products as part of my participation.

When You Decide to Make Your Baby's Food...

When I gave birth to Isabella I felt flustered a lot of the time. There seemed to be an abundance of this or that scenarios. Breastfeed or bottle feed? Cloth or disposable diapers? Scented baby products or organic, all natural products? Buy baby food or purchase it? For a first time mom I almost felt over my head!


Then came Madelyn almost two years later. While I knew ahead of time what worked best for my family and for me, I still struggled on the baby food aspect. Sure, I would love to make my own baby food, but would I be able to do it with Isabella here, too?


In the end I decided to make Madelyn some of the foods that she ate. Whether it was mashed bananas, pureed fruit, or pureed vegetables that she refused to eat if purchased already pureed. Lucky for me I worked in dietary nutrition when I was in the Air Force--so foods at different textures came so easy to me!


Now with baby number three due to make their debut in May I am more sure than ever to try and make as many of their foods that I can. What makes it even easier? I have discovered Annabel Karmel's fabulous line of all things to making your own baby food even easier! When they arrived in the mail I couldn't believe it--there were so many amazing products that I fell in love with.




One of my favorites is the Mash & Serve Bowl. Do you know how much time I spent mashing up potatoes, bananas, green beans, etc with a fork? I had the bowl sliding around and it wasn't exactly the quickest approach possible.


The Mash & Serve Bowl makes mashing up your little one's foods a snap! It comes with a bowl and a handy masher--all you have to do is place whatever food you want to mash up in the bowl and start mashing away. No more crummy fork method for this momma--I can't wait to show Leo this, I'm pretty sure he's going to love it, too.


I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for Infantino and have received various Infantino products as part of my participation.

Friday, October 29, 2010

My Bump, My Bump, My Bump, My Lovely Baby Bump...Check it Out!

I know, I know, what a dork for turning My Humps into My Bump...but you probably already knew I'd do that, didn't you?


Where was I? Oh, yes--I have to show you this.


With this being baby number three I am showing much earlier than before I ever did with either girl. It's almost ridiculous, actually...And for the record? I have maybe gained one-two pounds. Maybe. That's on a day that I eat a lot.


Without further ado...my lovely baby bump:


psst-please don't judge my dresser or bed making skills (or lack of, haha!)

Thursday, October 28, 2010

The Wish List. Correction: The Food Wishlist.

Even though I feel like crap I still want to eat. *sigh* I would do anything to eat. Well, I eat, but right now you wouldn't want to know what it consists of...some of it is healthy. The rest? Not so much. At this point I'll take anything that sounds good--even if it a spicy chicken sandwich or a pack of those Reese's peanut butter wafer things dipped in chocolate. Yum...


Ahem.


Back to what I do want now--and what I would do pretty much anything for at this moment.


Let me clarify before I continue: I know right now I am becoming one of those annoying pregnant women who all they do is talk about is food and how they feel and blah, blah, blah. But I do it for two reasons. The first being because the hubby is not here--I have to drive him insane in some way, right? And the second being that unfortunately this is all I think about. Food.


1) Taco Cabana. I want the crispy beef taco meal. Two tacos, chips & queso and an ice cold coke. I love TC's fountain Coke. It's pretty much the only place I drink regular Coke.


2) Spicy chicken sandwich from Chick-Fil-A. Since I didn't get one yesterday, I have a feeling I'll be going there tomorrow....


3) An omelet with green peppers, mushrooms and tomatoes. Kid you not, I think about this one every nite while I'm trying to go to sleep...sad, I know. Maybe I'll take the girls out for breakfast instead of lunch/dinner tomorrow.


4) Ham and cheese kolache from Shipley's. Hello, lover...mmm...


And that's it. My version of a wish list. Except instead of things with food...Please share what you're craving right this second--and if I start craving it? I know who to blame!


PS-I'm not huge on sweets this pregnancy. And I'm not throwing up as much. Maybe a boy this time around? I lived on sweets during my pregnancies with my chicas!

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Yep, it's a Post! Crazy Right?

*Still feeling the morning sickness...I am SO over being sick. I told Leo this is our last little one--boy, girl,  whatever. This? Is it. Ha! Thank God I'm over 10 weeks today. Just a little bit longer until the "magical" second trimester...come on normal feeling magic fairy--come spread your dust over here, please?


*I had my appointment with my midwife. LOVE her. She gave me an ultrasound so I could see the little one--my little teddy bear! If you know anything about the military they don't do ultrasounds just because. Hence why I love her.


*I bought the girls a few Christmas gifts. I'm trying to cut back on the amount of toys we have. I took a ton out to the storage room last nite...the house looks so much better!


*Last nite after my hard work of cleaning and picking up I popped (um, totally almost left "pooped" ha!) some popcorn. Bella wanted some so I got her a bowl. A little bit later I heard Macy barking at her...I went into the kitchen and Bella had made MOUNTAINS of salt all over the freshly swept kitchen floor. Awesome.


*Madelyn has been teething like mad. Poor babe is getting all of her molars in at the same time. Totally makes my heart break to see her so miserable.


*Tonite I wanted Chick-Fil-A. We went to this pos mall by our house--where they've had it forever. There are really no stores in said mall and I've always been so happy that they have that there so we don't have to drive forever. Anyway, get to where it should have been. It's closed down. I was so sad--and annoyed. No yummy chicken for me tonite...


*On another note I totally want Panera. Yum! It's in Mobile--around an hour away. I am so tempted to go there soon...


*Totally want to watch Paranormal Activity 2. I don't really want to go alone though...I'd be the one screaming and grabbing a stranger's arm. *uncomfortable...*


*Considering I'm feeling a little bit better I hope to be back to reading you all soon! I miss y'all--seriously. If anything big is going on with you feel free to email me. I love getting emails from my bloggy friends even if I'm not reading that much. Heart you, friends. xo

Thursday, October 21, 2010

KT Tunstall: Tiger Suit



 Being a music lover there are all sorts of genres of music that I love. You name it--I am sure I listen to it! One of my favorite artists for sometime has been KT Tunstall. You may have heard her in the past-and you may already love her like me!


KT Tunstall is a grammy nominated, multi-platinum recording artist. I am sure you have heard a few of her grammy nominated songs such as Black Horse and the Cherry Tree or Suddenly I See. I just heard Suddenly I See the other day and was belting it out in my car with the girls. I had fun and they were squealing out in delight of the fun song.  It's definitely a song to sing out loud in your car!


Her newest album, Tiger Suit, recently released on October 5th. Fade Like a Shadow, one of her newest hit songs, has been on the top 20 chart already! You can also catch KT Tunstall on tour 10/31-12/. I suggest that you check out her new album and possibly even purchase one or a few for stocking stuffers this holiday season! Right now on Amazon.com Tiger Suit is available for $11.88.


Thanks to One2One Network for the opportunity to receive a copy of the CD for my review. No other compensation was given.

Monday, October 18, 2010

First Ultrasound Pics...



This morning was my first ultrasound--I was a little nervous, but more excited--and even sad that Leo had to miss out.

The girls were so tired--we had to leave our house before 8 am--but they were troopers. Well, partly because mommy had Dum-Dums and promised a muffin to them from the coffee shop as a thank you for being good treat.

The baby was adorable--yes, even by that picture he/she is beyond cute. Baby G started wiggling their booty and danced a little and the heartbeat? Such a beautiful sound. *loves* Oh--hr was 179. Another girl perhaps?

My due date has changed, which doesn't surprise me considering I got a negative test before Leo left....the new date? May 24th. It's a perfect day in my eyes and I am willing to bet this little one will be debuting early...

So, here I am in all my glory. 9 weeks pregnant on Tuesday. Still feeling exhausted. Nauseated. Grouchy--but that's improved! Once I regain some energy I will be more of a regular poster/commenter. I miss you all tremendously...

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Dear Santa, I Want a Vacation...

Sponsored By:


Cheerios® is giving you the chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, your ultimate family vacation. As part of a paid promotion for their “Do What You Love” Sweepstakes, Cheerios® is sponsoring my post today about what my ultimate family vacation would be. Read mine, Enter the Sweepstakes for a chance to actually win your own fantasy family trip or one of a bunch of other great prizes.

***

Before Leo left for Afghanistan we talked about our dream vacation. Where would we go? Would we like to take the girls or would we prefer to take the honeymoon that we never got?


Collectively we decided that we would bring the entire family--even now with our newest addition growing away and getting ready for their big May debut--and make it the ultimate family vacation. Vacations to me would be somewhere to relax, somewhere to unwind and get away from the everyday chaos that is usually surrounding our lives. We love the beach--preferably a little cottage on the beach. We could have lazy mornings of delicious breakfasts, afternoons on the beach with one of us taking the sleepy babies to go and nap while the other one stays to play with Isabella.


Collecting seashells, fresh fish for dinner, cooking up some delicious fresh vegetables that we would buy at the market...that to me is a vacation. My motto is lazy days, lazy nights and more than enough love to get us through. While someday we will do the whole Disney World vacation, for now? A lazy few days at the beach would be the perfect ultimate vacation for us.

***

Don't forget to enter the  “Do What You Love” Sweepstakes, for a chance to win your own ultimate family vacation. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Crazy? I Think I Have Arrived...

Now that I am over 10 weeks pregnant (well, I'm guessing...I don't have an u/s until next Monday...) I can definitely tell. Remember the bragging that I was doing saying, oh...I don't even feel pregnant?

Yeah. I don't feel much of anything these days accept moodiness, cry babyish ways, exhaustion and nauseated. That sums up my life right now--and I am sure that Leo is so sad that he has to miss out on the "fun" 1st trimester, ha!

The thing with my pregnancies is that I hate smells. I hate how everything smells. Poopy diapers. Dog breath. Animal food. Air. I hate it all.

I have gone on a few crazy rampages lately...rampages of getting rid of anything and everything that has a scent.

Laundry detergent, dryer sheets and stain release tabs. Body soap. Kids body soap. Lotion. Bubble bath. No body sprays. Traded in my mint toothpaste for cinnamon. The mint made me despise brushing my teeth.

I'm ready for the 1st trimester to be gone--I am all about having some energy and some sort of life back.

I miss everything!!

Saturday, October 9, 2010

The One With the Eye...

This is what I woke up to on Saturday morning:


After nearly passing out {ahem. I claim I got up too quick when I heard her screaming and sobbing...},

I rushed us out to the ER.

The culprit?

An allergic reaction--the doc said it was from an insect from the looks of it.

We're home and she is on steroids and Benadryl.

I'm just praying that it looks much, much better very soon!

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

The One Where I Reappear. Well, Sort Of...

Crap. Has it honestly been almost a week since my last post? I'm not sure what my deal is. Well, besides the nausea, exhaustion, zombie like behavior that has taken over my body.

Add to that the fighting between the girls, the tears from the girls, and the death of my great-grandma...well, it's been a week of hell.

I cannot remember the last time I was this freaking exhausted--it's like I go through the motions of our days and nap when I can squeeze one in....

So, anyway--that's where I've been. Oh--and shopping, too. Lots of shopping...

Saturday, October 2, 2010

The Big "3"


Happy 3rd Birthday, Isabella!


I hope our day of Oreos for breakfast (what you picked out)...


Shopping...


Eating yummy princess cake...


And snuggling with your momma....


Is the best birthday ever.


I love you, sweet Bella!


And I'm still in shock that you?


Are the big 3...




Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Happy Day Indeed...






Today we made a Halloween card for Daddy...


Played outside for a couple of hours...


Had our windows open for fresh air...


And ordered pizza for three.


A happy, smile filled day.


Just what this momma needed.

Sometimes? LIFE Happens...

A big topic in my household in the past has been life insurance. Due to Leo being in the military he has the option of purchasing life insurance for himself--which he opted to do. The person that we discuss a lot is me. I need to look into purchasing life insurance on myself in case of anything unfortunate happening.


When I first became a stay at home mom I would wonder why I would even need life insurance? I mean, I don't get paid for my daily duties as a mom, so why would I need to consider buying life insurance?


The answer is easy--I do a lot around the house. I am the childcare provider, the one who is home in case the girls are sick, the lawn mower, the house cleaner, the chef--I do it all. Well, when Leo is home he does help out a lot, but right now I am doing it all--and it's exhausting! If anything were to happen to me Leo would need to start finding someone to cover in the area that I was providing.


September is Life Insurance Month--were you aware of that? I know that I wasn't. Right now the LIFE Foundation has created a Facebook app called "What Matters Most to Me". With this app you can easily create a slideshow which will show others what matters most to YOU. Is it your children? Your spouse? Parents? A pet? Your home? It can be anything!


Go and check out the LIFE Happens Facebook page--and it may just show you how important it is to have a plan in case the unfortunate were to happen. Also--if you create the slideshow by September 30 you will be eligible to win a trip to Aruba!


I was not compensated for this post. I am eligible to win a gift card from Mom Select for writing it.

She's Ba-ack....

Remember how I said that I was only having a little bit of nausea? I guess that the morning sickness queen decided to give me a sprinkling more....


Because I? Have been so unbelievably nauseous for the past two days. There are a few things that I do love to eat right now:

  • pepper jack cheese sticks that the father in law bought a few weeks ago...I am craving one as I type...
  • craving ice cream. milkshakes. waffle cone...from marble slab. Think we may make a trip there today...

And that's it. Everything else is disgusting. I was craving bacon yesterday, but the thought of that now? I'll spare you on the details what I think of bacon today...


Thank you all for your sweet comments on my post yesterday! I go in for an ultrasound on October 18th--I can't wait to see my little baby! I'll be 11 weeks then...give or take some days...


Oh! And my find out what you're having ultrasound should be in September December (sorry--my brain isn't functioning as of yet...)--and I'm not going to tell Leo what we're having. Instead I'm going to buy something pink or something blue and mail it to him for a surprise. He's already dying to know if we're having another girl or if this will be a boy, so I laugh when I think that he has to wait another week to find out....

Sunday, September 26, 2010

The One w/Paranoia

Back in May of 2005 I had a miscarriage. It was shocking, sad and it honestly took Leo and me a long time to mentally feel better. It was a blighted ovum and my symptoms of a miscarriage weren't the typical miscarriage symptoms when you think of what someone may go through.


Anyway. With both girls I was paranoid and freaked out for the entire first trimester. Once I could feel them move around I was pretty comforted for the rest of my pregnancies. With Leo gone I swear my paranoia is in overdrive. I am terrified that something is wrong, that I'm not pregnant, scared of every twinge and feeling. I'm also freaked out because I am nowhere near as sick as I was with the girls. With Madelyn I took a break from blogging I was so sick...and here I am with this pregnancy. A little nauseated, but not too bad.


I hate feeling like this. And to make matters worse I am alone here, you know? I have the girls, but I can't exactly talk to them about it. They do make me feel better just knowing that I have them already--does that make any sense? Probably not...I'm sure this post sounds like a lot of rambling, but I just need to get it out.


I know there is nothing that I can do except pray that everything will work out. I wish I knew when my first ultrasound was  going to be. I have my first appointment with the nurse tomorrow to turn in my paperwork. Maybe they will help ease my fears? Ugh. Who knows...the military health care system is totally different than most health care systems.


So, here I am 8 weeks pregnant today and praying my little heart out that everything is okay...and sorry if this post just jumped around and had your head spinning. I just really needed to get out my fears and realize that I cannot always control every aspect of my life--no matter how much I wish that I could.

Eye Buy Direct Winner!

eyebuydirect




Congrats to Kimberly the winner of the Eye Buy Direct giveaway! She has been contacted and has 48 hours to reply to my email.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Because We Had a Bad Day...

With fall's big debut arriving the girls and I had a plan. The type of plan that can instantly turn a day of tears, yelling and disobeying better.


We had some oh so fabulous waffles for dinner. Complete with tall glasses of ice cold milk for all of us.


We then said to heck with baths tonite--we're getting our jammies on! 


I folded up the three loads of clothes while the girls played happily together in their kitchen.


I then searched high and low for the best fall movie ever.


After organizing the DVD's with not much luck in finding said DVD I then decided to go and search the car.


Bingo!



 I popped up some Homestyle popcorn.


Got our bowls overflowing with our favorite popcorn.




And settled in for an evening at home. A fall evening.




Because even though it's just the three of us?


We are determined to still have fall fun...

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Did I Tell You? I Have a Walker!



As in the cutest almost 14 month old little girl ever type of walker! Love her--and love how she gets so happy to just walk. Whether it's playing in the sprinkler with Bella, playing with Bella inside or just holding onto her momma's finger around the yard...she loves it all.


And why not throw in another picture of my little camera lover? Seriously, she loves it when I get the camera out--which makes for an easy subject.


A Few Early Gift Ideas...

Leo is one of the hardest people to buy for when a gift giving opportunity arises. The guy has so many neat things that I have begun to run out of creative ideas. Until now. He loves grilling out and it hit me--why not look around at some great BBQ sets? That is a win-win situation for us all. He can have fun with an awesome manly BBQ set and then the girls and I can eat his delicious masterpieces!



BBQ Set


I know that if you were to ask Leo if I was easy to buy for or difficult, he would choose difficult--there is no doubt about it. I have to argue with that as there are lots of things on my wish list. To go along with Leo's outdoor BBQ set theme I wouldn't mind him searching for picnic baskets for myself.



Picnic Basket


I have told him for so long that I think having a picnic basket to take on a date with just the two of us would be so romantic and fun. There are so many gorgeous places where we live that I think to myself having a picnic basket would be awesome. We could put in some fresh fruits, a bottle of nice wine...relaxing and a great way for us to just hang out with the two of us.


Then I start thinking that maybe we should browse around and look at the different picnic backpacks would be a better solution for our family. As nice as a romantic picnic for two sounds, right now I don't see that in our future--especially with our newest member of the family due in early May! I better start browsing and searching for our perfect family picnic backpack--and I'm sure the girls would get a total kick out of it.


I was compensated for this post and all opinions are 100% mine.

Healhty Choice Steaming Entrees

Lunchtime is always difficult for me--both when I had a job outside of my home and now that I am a full time stay at home mom. A lot of times I will make the girls both something to eat and by the time I am done preparing their meals, getting their drinks, cleaning spills, cleaning up the lunch mess I have no time for myself to think about what I should eat.

Photobucket

Healthy Choice meals has a new line of entrees that are making it easier and less complicated for us all--perfect for those of us who do not have a lot of time to try and guess all of the ingredients in a frozen entree. The all new Healthy Choice Steaming Entrees have cut out the guess work for us all. They include fewer ingredients in their all new entrees--and the ingredients that are included are easily identifiable. Perfect! How many times have you popped a meal into the microwave only to take it out to find out that you can't recognize all of the ingredients--and a majority of the ingredients that you do see are wilted and don't taste well?


What sets the Healthy Choice Steaming Entrees apart from others is that they use steam to cook your meal. For my Rosemary Chicken & Sweet Potatoes meal I didn't have to slit the cover, peel the back of the cover back or anything. I simply popped into my microwave for the allotted time, let it sit for a minute or two and then I could eat. It was really, really good, too! The vegetables were crispy, the food all tasted fresh. And the best part? The ingredients were all recognizable and no hidden ingredients greeted me upon me opening the meal. Yay!


You can purchase your own Healthy Choice Steaming Entrees meal at your local grocery store for the low cost of $2.50. Also be sure to go and check out the Healthy Choice Facebook page to learn more about their products, tips on losing weight and more!


I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Healthy Choice and received samples of their new steaming entrées to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central also sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Sheer Beauty

I just have to tell you--I am going to be doing a wonderful giveaway soon from Sheer Beauty. I know you're probably asking what is Sheer Beauty? Let me tell you...



SheerBeauty


Sheer Beauty is a fabulous shop where you can find items ranging from mineral makeup--which is awesome and a lot of times really expensive--, to jewelry, handbags, scarves and more! Their prices are inexpensive and their products are wonderful.


Take a look around her shop and let me know, what would you like to see me giveaway? You never know--it could be the item that you want!

How I Told the Husband About Baby #3....

I can honestly say that September has been a month full of crazy emotions--from telling the man that I love goodbye until he returns, from trying to be the super mom that I am now in the role of filling, to finding out that--surprise!--I'm pregnant again.


So, here I am, happily knocked up and feeling pretty good. I've had a little nausea, but (I'm knocking on wood at the moment) nowhere close to how I felt w/Madelyn or Isabella...especially Madelyn. Ugh. Those were the worst feeling few months of my life. But now I have my butterball and life is grand.


Anyway. This is how it all went down....


The week that Leo was leaving I had a feeling that I had to take a test. I begged and pleaded, but Leo didn't think anything of it. I have a weird addiction to sticks that I can pee on. Seriously--it's somewhat of a sickness. He bought me a pack of knock off brand sticks...and I swear that I saw a faint, faint line. He didn't see anything and then I agreed that he was probably right and tossed them.


Fast forward to over a week later. I thought I was just stressed and really late. After my Grandpa died the same thing happened, so I didn't think much of it. I told Leo last Thursday or Friday that I was still late. He told me flat out to go buy a test.


I totally forgot about it until we were at the store Saturday nite. I decided what the heck and tossed a 99 cent test in the cart. I didn't want to use a nice brand and pay over $10 when I just knew I wasn't pregnant--after all I hadn't had really any symptoms whatsoever which is totally unlike any pregnancy that I've ever had.


Get home, take the groceries out of the cart, set Maddie in the highchair and give the girls a snack. I decide to use the test and set it down while I unloaded the groceries to put them away. I called my Mom to tell her something when I picked up the test a few minutes later.




Anyway, my Mom answered and I blurted out I'm pregnant. She was in shock to say the least as was I. Then our power went out. Maddie is screaming and my phone is almost dead. I told my Mom that I would call back and I had to call Leo's Mom...so I called her and told her. She wasn't in as much shock as both my Mom and I were...


This whole time I keep thinking that Leo should have been the first to know...and how much it sucked that I couldn't call him to tell him. I wrote him an e-mail with the subject line of So...And Baby Makes Five... . I attached the above test in the e-mail and waited for him to write back. I hardly slept at all that nite and kept checking my e-mail from my phone throughout the nite. He finally wrote back that he had a feeling.


So, that's it in a nutshell. I'm pregnant. Again. Excited. Nervous. But more happy than nervous or scared. Still in shock a little...I mean, three little ones?! Yikes!

Monday, September 20, 2010

Corn Refiners Association

It seems like there has been a lot of scrutiny against sugars lately--and one that comes to mind immediately is HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup). Have you heard of HFCS? If so, what is your thought or what are your thoughts? Have you been researching it?


I ask this because as a parent I find it very important to be knowledgeable about what our children are consuming. It's not a secret that our country has an obesity problem. I constantly see headlines about sugar foods and where they come from has been under a lot of pressure lately. But the key to all of this is how much sugar we're consuming--not the origin. It's our consumption amount that is so high.


I grabbed a few items from my pantry: a box of cereal (an unsweetened, non-sugary coated), a box of muffin mix and a jar of creamy peanut butter, marinara sauce and ketchup.


For the box of cereal I found that there were 4 gm per serving. Not as low as I had thought originally, but okay. My peanut butter for one serving had 3 gm. I thought for sure my peanut butter would be higher than my healthy cereal choice. And then for the muffins. Growing up I assumed muffins were healthy--well, in my opinion now I call them a breakfast cake. Anyway, they have a whopping 14 gm per serving! The marinara sauce contains 7 gm per serving and finally the ketchup contains 4gm in a serving--so it looks like my peanut butter was the winner in the lowest amount of sugar per serving--definitely not what I had thought would win!


When preparing meals and reading the ingredients, be on a lookout for words that don't come out and say "sugar". There are a lot of different words that could mean sugar such as agave, stevia, dextrose, fructose, glucose, lactose, maltose, sucrose--and many more. Just remember to read your labels to know what you are consuming and what you are feeding your family.


I also have found out some interesting science based facts about HFCS:

  • Studies conducted with abnormally high levels of pure fructose have been inappropriately applied to high fructose corn syrups. HFCS and table sugar are equally sweet, contain the same amount of calories and are handled similarly by the body.
  • Calories: Both HFCS and sucrose contain the same amount of calories (which is 4 cal per gram) equal parts fructose and glucose. Once absorbed into our bloodstream, the two sugars are indistinguishable. American Dietetic Association, Hot Topics Paper on HFCS, Dec 2008
  • Read the complete pages of facts on high fructose corn syrup to see what the professionals are saying on this sugar that has grabbed a lot of media attention.

Want to see how your foods stack up? Be sure to check out  http://www.sugarstacks.com/. It's a neat site to visit and I recommend that all of my readers check it out!


I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of the Corn Refiners Association. I received a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Between the Lions {A Review}

Can you believe when we first moved into our home that our satellite provider didn't offer local channels? That also meant that we didn't have PBS Kids. We switched satellite providers recently and we now have local channels! I am so ecstatic that my girls can watch PBS Kids. Their shows are full of learning yet they make it fun which makes both my girls and me happy.


between the lions

Image credit: ©WGBH/Sirius Thinking

One of my girls' favorite shows is Between the Lions. Have you or your child(ren) seen this show? We love it in our house! The song is catchy, the characters are lovable and what is more the show teaches children about reading and letters. It's a win-win situation for my entire family.


Between the Lions is an award winning series that fosters the importance of reading and focuses their shows on ensuring that the children who watch it will grow up to be readers. They make reading fun (which I believe!) while teaching our children about letters and reading. The characters demonstrate on how to say words, what letters they are focusing on and the sounds that certain letters make.


Isabella has learned the letters of the alphabet as well as she recognizes letters now! I am thrilled that she is learning about reading and writing--as an avid reader and someone who loves reading this makes me happy to no end. I hope to teach both of my girls the importance of reading and that is indeed a fun thing to do.


I was provided with a sample DVD in order to write this review. No other compensation was given and all opinions above are based on my own experience.

The One Where I Started Seeing Double...

Ummm...there are no words right now...


Totally speechless.
 
 
Although, in reality, I shouldn't be.


But I am...

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Porcelana Skin Lightening Creams {A Giveaway!}

I have had freckles for as long as I can remember. I loathed them while I was growing up, but I have eventually learned to embrace them and love them. There is one freckle on my face that I have noticed--and unfortunately for me it is more of a sun spot--basically a big freckle.


It has been there for years, asked my doctor about it and was reassured that although it is sun damage from years of being an outside kid, it is nothing to be worried about right now. I have seen different products on the market that would help to fade the color away, but had yet to buy one. Why? I'm not sure. But it is always in the back of my head to try something to see if that one spot will fade away and give me a healthier look to my skin.


porcelana


I just received two bottles of Porcelana Skin Lightening Creams--one bottle for daytime and the other for nighttime. Porcelana is a brand name that has been associated with helping skin discolorations for more than 30 years. Their day and night creams have helped fade the appearances of discolorations, blemishes, and dark spots that have shown up due to sun exposure, age, acne, pregnancy and/or oral contraceptives.


When you use the creams it is said that they will help create a more even skin tone and complexion while it works away to improve your skin's appearance. You can use the creams on various areas of your body which includes your hands and face. Which is wonderful if you have any freckles or other darker areas that you would like to be faded and looking like new again.


Porcelana is available at Wal-Mart, Walgreens and other mass market retailers--to include drugstore.com. It sells for $6.99 (3 oz jar) each. That's an amazing price--especially when you use just a thin layer on the area that you would like to be lightened.



***Win It***

One lucky winner will be receiving a jar of Porcelana Day Cream and a jar of Porcelana Night Cream! The mandatory entry is to tell me what you would use this product for. That's it! Super simple.



***Bonus Entries***

1 entry each: Be a follower of my blog, subscribe to my blog via email, and/or subscribe to my RSS feed

1 entry each: Follow Winey Mommy on Twitter and/or "Like" Winey Mommy on Facebook

1 entry daily: Click the "retweet" button on the top of this post. Can be done daily--make sure to leave the tweet's url in your comment

2 entries: Place my button on your blog

5 entries: Blog about this giveaway with a link back to this post. Leave your post link in your comment.



***Rules***

This giveaway will end on October 1st @ NOON CST. Open to all US residents 18+. To be eligible to win you must do mandatory entry. If you do not follow that rule all entries will be void. Leave a valid email address in comment or available on profile. Winner will be drawn via Random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to notification email. If winner does not contact back w/full name/address a new winner will be picked. All winners will be posted on blog when picked. This blog is not responsible for prizes not being delivered, getting lost, etc. I will try my hardest to work with company if something should go wrong. This blog is not responsible for anything regarding to your use of product.


I was provided with a jar of Porcelana Day & a jar of Porcelana Night Creams. No other compensation was given and all opinions expressed above are my own.

Remember...She's a Princess...

I have a feeling Isabella is about to embark on the year that she is a princess. She is obsessed with all things princess related and has told me on numerous occasions that she is indeed a princess. From wearing Mommy's shoes, to wanting to play with makeup, to wearing a crown--it is all focused on being a princess.


But there is one area that she is in love with. Jewelery. She is beyond in love with necklaces, earrings, bracelets--the works. She has been known to wear her favorite jewelery pieces to church, too, which has everyone smiling at my little princess. See? It makes everyone happy to know a princess!


For her upcoming 3rd birthday I have been on the hunt for the cutest childrens jewellery. I have bought her items in the past, but they were not very well made. In fact, from all of the ones that I have bought her none of them are still in working order and most of them have made their way to our trash can. I don't want to spend a fortune on jewelery for a three year old, but at the same time I don't want to be basically throwing money down the drain for a few days of play time before it breaks.


With only two weeks left before the big birthday I am now on a hunt to find some awesome jewelery for my princess--I have bought her the crown, the shoes, the makeup, her own vanity set--so I am almost complete with this party that will be suited for, well...you know...a true, real life princess.


This is a sponsored post in which I was compensated for writing.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Because They? Make Me...


Love.



Smile.


Love.


Laugh.


Live.


Breathe.


Be joyful.


Forgive.


Cry on occasion.


Love unconditionally.


Be my best.


These two girls are me.


And everything I do I do it better.


Just for them...

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Thank God it's Thursday...Wait, Is Today Thursday?!

I feel like I am in a zombie like trance right now. It has been a, well, let me just say that this week was full of adventures. Not all good, not all bad--but still, for our first week alone it has been a little on the hectic side.

Since I am such a big fan of all thing bulletized, let me break down my week for you:

  • Maddie is now a walker 80% of the time. Holy cow...my baby is walking?!
  • Maddie also caught some nasty cold complete with runny nose, cough, fever. Good times.
  • Said cold got passed onto Isabella. More good times. 
  • Macy, our puppy/giant dog, chewed up my laptop cord.
  • Spent an extra $200 yesterday for new laptop cord and a huge dog crate. Even more good times.
  • Maddie slammed her finger in a drawer. My poor babe!
  • Isabella ran away from me at Wal-Mart enforcing me to play an oh-so-lovely game of get your butt over here now...is this really my life now?
  • Lost a few pounds
  • Made a loaf of banana bread
  • Made a pot of tortilla soup
  • Haven't had a second to read a blog or really write any blog posts that were personal
  • Got my new laptop cord home from Best Buy only to find that the cord was frayed which meant yet another trip to Best Buy. With both girls in tow. Thankfully they behaved...
  • Maddie woke me up yesterday morning covered in puke. Two baths and shampoos later she still smells slightly throw up like. 
  • I didn't win the photo contest. Looks like I'll be doing cute pictures for Leo from us girls--that's okay, though, because I love doing photos of my girls.

I am sure there  are things that are missing from that list...but as an end note to this list of a post, I am exhausted. Tired. And so ready for us girls to get in our groove alone. We miss Leo SO much--and I'm happy that after much traveling he is settled into his new "home" and has already started work.

Love y'all...and I hope to get in some post reading soon...I am having withdrawals!

Prima Princessa's The Nutcracker

Isabella is in love with anything that involves dance. She has been in love with ballet for quite some time now--and when I showed her that we received Prima Princessa's The Nutcracker? She was over the top happy! She has now worn her tutu daily to watch, dance and learn all about ballet. I love The Nutcracker--and am happy that I can watch it with both of my girls.




This adorable DVD is a great video for any child that loves ballet, dance or if they love watching shows that involve music and dancing. Featuring England's famed Birmingham Royal Ballet doing a performance of The Nutcracker-which if you are unsure of what The Nutcracker is about it contains snow fairies, waltzing flowers and toy soldiers. It truly makes me think of Christmas time when I hear someone talking about The Nutcracker.


Isabella watching and dancing with The Nutracker


The DVD is wonderful in the fact that it is broken up into sections--one section is the Royal Ballet performing the true ballet and has a narrator to explain what is happening during the actual ballet. Most of children are so young they don't understand the story behind the ballet. The other section is filled with mini dance lessons from the New York City's Ballet School of American Ballet as well as everyday children dressed up in their tutus.


I love that the Prima Princessa DVD's are made my mompreneurs Mary Kate Mellow and Stephanie Troeller. These two moms are on a mission to bring the beauty and magic of ballet to children everywhere. Are you interested in purchasing a Prima Princessa DVD for your child? The Nutcracker would make for a fabulous stocking stuffer or birthday gift and can be purchased for $6.99 at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble online, Target.com as well as other select stores across the country.


I was provided with a copy of The Nutcracker in order to facilitate and honest review. All opinions are my own and no other compensation was given.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

The Perfect Christmas Card...

One of my favorite parts of Christmas would have to be the whole Christmas card process. From designing them, to ordering and receiving my shipment in the mail, to addressing them and mailing them, to receiving them in the mail from friends and family--I love it all! There is something fun to me to about picking out the perfect Christmas card that truly reflects my family for the year.



I Love Storkie Invitations


I recently found what could possibly be my new favorite card site, Storkie Express. Storkie Express is the cutest card shop that I have ever seen! They offer a huge card selection from wedding invitations, shower invites, to all of your holiday card needs.


Storkie's selection of holiday and Christmas cards does not disappoint. When you first log on you can pick from Christmas, Hanukkah, or holiday. I knew that I wanted Christmas so from there I chose photo Christmas cards. I loved the option that you don't have to use a photo if you don't want to--but I knew exactly the picture that I wanted for my card this year and I decided to go that route.


Picking which card would be the card was so hard! There are so many fantastic Christmas photo card options to choose from that I browsed and browsed until I found the card--the card that just popped out to me. Once the card was picked you can watch a clip on how to take full advantage of customizing your card so that you will be 100% satisfied. I went to editing and had a blast! I LOVE my end result:


Storkie card


 I also had my envelopes add my address to the back flap in the same fun pink font. They are perfect and I am thrilled with my choice to use Storkie Express. Storkie is fabulous for many reasons:

  • Their prices rock--seriously. The end product is amazing and the prices won't break the bank.
  • Shipping is fast. And we all know how hectic the holiday season is--this is a huge plus to me.
  • The cards' cardstock is of amazing quality-my cards are durable and not flimsy whatsoever.
  • Free digital proofing
  • Raised, digital and foil options are available
  • Wonderful customer service--which is an important part of any company's success
  • Safe online shopping

Bottom line? If you are starting to do your Christmas or holiday cards check out Storkie Express, have fun and have faith that the cards you will receive will be amazing! Be sure to also follow Storkie Express on twitter and "like" Storkie Express on Facebook to stay up to date with great tips and card ideas.


This product review was made possible by the Double Duty Divas.  I was not compensated for this review other than a product sample provided by Storkie Express Inc. All opinions are 100% mine.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Marshalls Saves Me Money & Helps Me Look Good...

I remember when I first became a stay at home and it hit me--I won't be able to shop like I used to. Gasp! If you knew me pre-children you would remember my love of clothes and my love of shopping. There was nothing like going to the store and feeling the newness of clothes in my hands, having an arm load of clothing to try on and leaving with some great finds.



marshalls logo


I had heard of Marshalls before, but hadn't shopped at one until we had a Marshalls built in our new shopping center last fall. I was floored! The clothes? Gorgeous AND cheap! If you haven't been to a Marshalls before, ohmygoodness. You must. There are name brand clothes at a bargain price which for this momma on a budget works out perfectly for me, my husband and my bank account.


If you haven't shopped at a Marshalls before you may be wondering how do they get fabulous clothing (and much more!) for an equally fabulous price. The buyers for both stores travel the country for 40 weeks out of year to meet with more than 12,000 vendors which allows them to snag the season's trends for up to 60% less than the department store prices. Every week more than 10,000 brand new items arrive to stock your stores' shelves which helps the store feel like it's "new" each and every week. Cool, right?


marshalls outfit


Bottom line: if you love saving money, and let's be honest, who doesn't?!--you must go check out a Marshallsmar near you. My store is stocked with amazing and gorgeous clothes. If my girls weren't throwing such huge fits I would have and could have spent hours in there! There were that many racks of clothes from Michael Kors, Calvin Klein, Juicy Couture...I could go on and on.


Happy shopping, friends!


A HUGE thank you Rocket XL and Marshalls for giving me a $50 gift card to have an amazing shopping experience. All opinions are my own and based on my shopping experience. No other compensation was given.

The One Where I Should Have Stayed Home...

I should have known that today was going to be hell when I left my house with the girls. I have a fun review that I had to go shopping for--while I love to shop, I should known when Isabella was screaming for the park that I would be best to just turn around and go home...

We got to our destination and it was hell. Isabella screaming, Madelyn pulling Isabella's hair, more screaming from both of them. I am sure my two girls cleared the store out with their unacceptable behavior. I grabbed a few things and practically ran up to the register. I paid, thanked the girl and asked the girls if they were ready for lunch--it was already 1 p.m. and I knew how hungry I was...it's only realistic that they, too, were starving.

We got to to Chick-Fil-A where everything was going great. The girls and I were enjoying our nuggets and munching on our waffle fries. I actually thought to myself that my day was turning around. I mean, look at us--three girls laughing and smiling, me giggling at their ketchup streaked faces and us all having a nice moment. So much better than earlier...

Isabella then asked to go in the play area. I cleaned her up and told her that I would be in after Madelyn was done eating her waffle fry. As I was gathering our trash and making sure I had everything a little girl comes running out of the play area. Right then I knew that Isabella had done something.

The girl's Mom (who was there with a friend...) asked her if she was crying. The little girl said yes, that little girl scratched my face.

I leaped up from the table and climbed up the stupid spiral stairs to Isabella. I asked her what happened and she told me...

I scratch her cheek, Mommy.

I felt awful for the little girl. No parent wants to see their child in either one of these girls' positions. I marched Isabella out to where the little was with her Mom, got down on Isabella's level and told her firmly Isabella, you HURT her. We do NOT scratch other children. Tell you are sorry and give her a hug. NOW.

The woman's friend then piped up YOUR little girl just SCRATCHED her all over her face!

Was she serious?! I just wanted to tell her no shit, really? Why the heck do you think I am out here--MORTIFIED at Isabella's behavior--and apologizing profusely while having Isabella do the EXACT. SAME. THING.


Isabella finally apologized and hugged the girl. I apologized once again to the Mom, I felt horrible. I have no idea why she hurt the little girl...and I'm mortified that my child is the one that hurts other children. She is constantly scratching Madelyn and it's hell. I have tried time out, placing her in her room, the corner. I am at my wit's end on how to deal with her behavior.

This woman's friend was a bitch. It wasn't as if I had sat out there all smiles while watching this all unfold. I ran up the entire play area stairs to pull Isabella down and marched her out there--while scolding her and telling her how wrong that was--to apologize.

I (with my eyes full of tears) tried to grab my stuff, throw away my trash, carry Madelyn and drag my screaming child out of Chick-Fil-A. It was awful. As we were pushing through the doors tears were streaming down my cheeks. As I write this I am crying again. I miss my husband. I have an out of control child that sees no wrong in harming other children.

What can I do to stop this behavior? I would really love advice from parents who have gone through this. She does go in early October to her pediatrician for her 3 year check up. I am already planning on talking to them about her hurting other children.  I feel like a failure of a Mom. Did I go wrong somewhere?

*sigh* Going to go and curl up and cry some more. I wish I had someone to just give me a hug. Today royally sucked.

The First Day...

Yesterday was a day of firsts. My first morning waking up without the snuggles and scruffy face of Leo. The first where our entire day is up to me--from the moment we are up and running to the moment I have to tuck them into bed with a story.

It's hard to describe the feelings that came over me this morning as I woke up happily and then suddenly realizing why I tossed and turned all nite long. He wasn't next to me.

I could have started my day just feeling sorry for myself and moping around declaring it the first of many more to come pajama days. But when I saw my girls' smiling faces at me? It hit me.

I am the strong one. I am the one to hold them when they cry and kiss them unconditionally. I am the one to greet them every morning with a kiss, a hug and a promise of a good day.

I kicked the other Chelle to the curb and started our day. We started with 8:30 mass which I have been a little nervous about doing by myself...but the girls? Did a fabulous job. No tantrums, fits, nada. Love my girls, it's as if they know that I need help right now...

The rest of our day was insanely busy. A trip to the park, some pb&j sandwiches, nap for Madelyn, vacuuming out my car, picking up dog...well, you know, the brown stuff outside...ew, cleaning both bathrooms, cleaning the mirrors and patio door.

We finished our day with a bubble bath, some tears for Daddy, and a reading of our favorite bedtime story, Knuffle Bunny Too (we love all of the Knuffle Bunny books--if you haven't read them before you must run out and see--they? Are one of our faves by far....).

Pretty sure my heart broke at bedtime with the tears...my chest felt like it was weighed down and I had to just breathe to calm down and be strong for the girls. They're just so little--even little Bella doesn't understand what "Daddy's gone for a long, long time sweetheart" means.

So until tomorrow, I love you all for your kind words, your prayers, your uplifting thoughts, your offers to come and visit you for a mini getaway. You have no idea how much you have comforted me in the past couple of days...thank you, thank you, thank you.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

The Crown Jewels of My Life...

FriendsYouLove



This week is the second week of the Friends You Love Blog Hop and I am so thrilled for my guest blogger this week. Meet Amanda from Enchanting Havoc--a sweet as sugar blogger who I have had the honor of "meeting" through the blog world. I love Amanda for so many reasons--but in honesty I have to say that I love her so much because we have so much in common. Our pasts, our stories...sometimes they give me chills with how much we have in common. Hope you love her as much as I do--and enjoy her fabulous post below!









“A true friend comes in when the whole world has gone out.”

Growing up I moved around A LOT. You’d think I grew up in an army house, but I didn’t. I just had the annoying honor of growing up within the walls of a very dysfunctional family.

I was very hesitant on allowing myself to become close to friends, because either I’d end up moving, or they’d be the bearer of unnecessary drama. Drama with friends was something I never allowed in my world, because unfortunately my family supplied a nice dose of that all on its own.

I’ve always had this attitude on friendship as it being the crown jewel in my life. I have strived to always be the true friend that comes in when the whole world has gone out. When you offer your friends that unconditional love and acceptance, odds are you’ll be attracting those type of friends in return. {Now, why in the flipping world doesn’t that work with family? OH! I know, because friends are the family we get to choose!}

I’m not overwhelmed with this huge abundance of friends in my life, because while I moved around a lot I gained one true life long friend while growing up. We actually started out from preschool together and remained close friends all through my unstable life journey. After we graduated high school I became a mom and had a job and started my family life. It’s hard to find time for friends when you’re raising a family. It might not be a challenge for you, but for myself it is.

Ever since I graduated highschool I've come across a few more friends that have grown into my heart. Some of these friends I consider to be best friends. Friends I know will continue on with this life journey with me. Friends that understand where I'm at in my life as being a mom and can relate to my frustrations and excitements. I always thought I could only have 1 best friend, but as I'm growing I've learned that's not true.

I've always been very hesitant on letting walls down and friends into my heart. I'm sure that throughout my life's course I've probably missed out on what might have been some very lasting and amazing friendships, but the few friends I've tucked in my heart along the way have been the gems I've treasured and am so grateful for.

A few years ago I was pregnant with our second child, who we ended up losing, but being pregnant with her introduced me to the world of online friends. It started with forums, and it ended here in the blog world. I've found my nook, my place where as my fingers tap along the keyboard my heart is opened, and friends I never thought I'd have are peeking into my soul.

In the beginning of me forming friendships online I know that many IRL friends mocked me. Thought of them as "fake" friends, and never truly understood. I can tell you with my experience I haven't formed fake friendships online. I've formed lasting, beautiful friendships with friends that truly know me as me. They know the matters of my heart, because I'm constantly pouring it all out right on my blog. I don't open my heart and pour it all out IRL like I do on my blog, and I think that because of that my online friends {and friends IRL who actually read my blog} know me in a different way than others in my life do.

This blogging community is nothing short of pure amazing. The beautiful friends I've formed are friendships that I will hold close my heart forever, because we know each other. We've gotten that glimpse into their soul that a good ol' conversation over a cup of tea or coffee or whatever you drink can't truly give. Our writings and our words have opened the gates to our hearts and how can a true friendship not be formed that way?

Being somebody like myself that is hesitant on which friends she allows into her life, the blogging community is the best thing ever, because there's ALWAYS somebody there with advice on what you're going through, or somebody who knows how you're feeling.  You form these bonds that indescribable.  And I can say that friendship has taken a whole different meaning to me.

I feel overwhelmingly rich in life with the friends I have both online and in my life.  They each have brought something so special to me at one point in my life.  Even the friends I'm not as close with now, at one point they were the world to me ~ and that's something I will always hold close to my heart.   Friendship is something I treasure with all of my heart, because it is true that a true friend comes in when then whole world has gone out ~ no matter how much time or distance is between them.

Mable's Labels Winner!

Congrats to the winner of the Mable's Labels giveaway:




mablelabel


Congrats, Susan! 

Winner has been contacted and has 48 hours to respond. Thank you to everyone who entered and don't forget to enter my other two giveaways that are going on now!

Saturday, September 11, 2010

And My Tears Poured Out...He is Gone

Today has been the day at the top of my dread list for the past few weeks. Not only is it one of the worst days in our nation's history, but Leo left today. The irony of him leaving for a country that had a huge impact on why our military is doing what they're doing has been numbing to me. I just want to yell at the guilty that because of their hatred towards us, my husband is gone away from his family until next spring.

This morning my tears have been on overdrive...making our bed and smoothing down our covers and thinking of how long it will be until my husband will be lying next to me made me bawl.

Pulling out of our driveway and admiring all of the hard work that he did this week to our yard and tree made me lose it.

Driving to the airport  brought on a new flood of tears and caused more mascara to pour down my cheeks.

And the goodbyes. Oh, how the goodbyes sucked. The hurt in my heart, the emptiness that was left by my side where my husband should be...it's killing me inside.

For the next six months my blog will be chronicling our days, our lives, our happenings for my best friend...I hope that by seeing the girls and reading my words it will help us all get through these next few months.

And if I'm sappy, crying, making no sense? I apologize in advance--but hopefully each day that goes by will make me a little happier knowing that I have one less day without my honey. 

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

I Heart Glasses--A Giveaway!

I remember the day I got my first pair of glasses. They were gold and navy blue rimmed. Wire frames. I thought they were the coolest things ever. And it should be known that I didn't get this pair last week or even last year. Nope. I got them the summer of 5th grade--I was 10 years old and went to go get them with my two best friends. Afterward my Mom took us to Blockbuster where we picked up the movie Shag.


Anyway, this post is about my 21 years wearing glasses. The good, the bad, the super cute, the not so cute. Anyone that has worn glasses in their life can understand that you have to really, really love your glasses. I have to wear mine to watch television, drive, read, to see your face--basically anytime unless I am sleeping.


I now have a new favorite pair of glasses from EyeBuyDirect.com. EyeBuyDirect.com has a great selection of glasses, it honestly took me awhile to pick out a pair. I knew I wanted plastic rims because having two children who absolutely adore my glasses, I need to have something that won't get bent or broken easily. I finally decided on this pair:


Photobucket


This pair is called the Bremgarten and they sell for $39.95. That includes a lens prescription for single vision. They are black plastic rimmed eyeglasses and I love the look that they give me. In three words: I love them. Love, love, love them! I didn't tell Leo when they got here--I put them on (super comfy by the way) and went up to him. He was holding Madelyn who did a double take and Leo? He told my that they looked great.


I am thrilled with my glasses that I received. When I need a replacement pair I know that I will be shopping with EyeBuyDirect.com. They ship quickly, they're affordable, and they have an amazing selection. Perfection!


***Win it***
 
One lucky winner will  (US residents only) win a pair of prescription eyeglasses from EyeBuyDirect.com valued up to $100 (frames + lenses)! Fine print: this giveaway excludes designer frames and sunglasses as well as excludes lenses option of "as thin as possible".


For your mandatory entry please visit EyeBuyDirect.com and leave me a comment on which frame is your favorite. Super easy! This must be completed before any and/or all bonus entries will be counted. Please leave a separate comment for any bonus entries that you leave.


***Bonus Entries***
 
1 entry: Post your "Eye Try" photo to their Wall of Frame. This is a virtual dressing room of sorts that enables you to "try on" your frames before you buy them.


1 entry: Post a comment on the Wall of Frame.




1 entry per day: Click the retweet button on the top of this post. Leave the url to your tweet in your comment


2 entries: Place my button on your blog


5 entries: Blog about this giveaway! Be sure to include links to EyeBuyDirect.com & The Winey Mommy in your post. Leave me the url to your post in your comments.



***Rules***

This giveaway will end on September 23rd @ NOON CST. Open to all US residents 18+. To be eligible to win you must do mandatory entry. If you do not follow that rule all entries will be void. Leave a valid email address in comment or available on profile. Winner will be drawn via Random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to notification email. If winner does not contact back w/full name/address a new winner will be picked. All winners will be posted on blog when picked. This blog is not responsible for prizes not being delivered, getting lost, etc. I will try my hardest to work with company if something should go wrong. This blog is not responsible for anything regarding to your use of product.


I was provided one pair of eyeglasses in order to conduct this review and giveaway--no other compensation was given. All opinions above are based on my own experience. A huge thank you to EyeBuyDirect.com for the chance to review a pair of glasses!