PUMA!

I've been a complete slacker with this blogging stuff, I apologize. We have been pretty busy, for many reasons. Makenzie is a little over a month from turning three, and she sure is a handful! She's so much fun, but she has enough attitude for the both of us! I have a feeling three might be even more interesting than two. :) We also found out that I am pregnant not too long ago. I'm now 14 weeks, and am due May 27th! We are pretty excited. We planned to have two and be done, so this is the last piece of our family. I guess I really lucked out, because like with Makenzie, I have felt great. I had a lot more food aversions this time, but with the second trimester, those seem to have disappeared, and most of the time, I'm able to eat what I want (other than meat - yuck!). We will schedule an appointment to find out the gender on December 13th, so we will likely know within a few weeks of that. I'm anxious to know! Anyway, so we have been busy, and of course the holiday season always keeps us on the go. We finally did a layaway the other day, and still have a lot more to do. The tree is up (yes, already - it's been up a while actually!) I'm really excited, of course just for Makenzie. It's so much fun when you have kids. :)

So, getting back to the point of my post. I got an email with the chance to apply for a sample share from PUMA on Crowdtap. Being a runner, I was really excited about this one! I've honestly never tried any PUMA gear, and was anxious to see if I'd be picked, so I could give it a try. Low and behold, I was picked! Gus was also picked, which made it even more fun!

With all the changes to Crowdtap, I have been a LOT less active lately. I'm not a fan of the changes, and I think it encourages people to put in less effort, because they are still given a chance. This is really too bad, and hopefully it can get back to the point it used to be at. I really wanted to put in the effort for this one especially, though, because it's one that I can relate to so well, as a runner.

The sampling was for Mobium athletic shoes and ACTV apparel. Let me tell you what, waiting on the gear to arrive required a ton of patience. I've never seen a sample share or party take so long to ship. However, I know from experience that they will ALWAYS get your kits out to you, no matter how long it takes. It was worth the wait, because the gear is pretty sweet. The only issue was that, living in Maine, this time of year, it is SO cold outside. We have snow and ice already, and it's not really conditions to be running in, especially me, while pregnant. I was bummed the kits didn't make it in time to get at least a little outdoor use before the cold really hit. Oh well, I've always got the treadmill. While definitely not the same (I HATE the treadmill, but LOVE to run outside!), it was better than nothing.

The kits were supposed to include a long sleeved ACTV top. Gus' did, however, mine didn't. I was expecting this from posts I had read when others received their kits. The guys seemed to have gotten what was listed, while the girls got a tee, and a reflective jacket. This was fine by me, because both of these are really nice. Let me share with you what was included in my kit! I'm mobile, so I apologize for the lack of pictures. When I get to a computer, I'll share more with you all. :)

PUMA Mobium Elite Running Shoes

I am a big fan of bright colors when it comes to my running gear! It's not something most of us can pull off at any other time, so might as well make it fun when you run! I love this color! I tried the shoes on, and was a little bummed that they seem to run big. I got a 9, and probably would have been better off with an 8.5. I saw a lot of people say that they were too big. The shoes have quite the arch in the middle, which was a strange feeling when first putting them on. I wish I had been able to use them out on the road, because I think this arch would be a GOOD thing for your feet while you run. It feels awkward when just walking around, but your feet obviously move differently when you run. While I wish I had a slightly smaller size, I do really like the shoes overall, and am excited to put them to use when the spring hits. I intend to run while pregnant, YES, but am skipping out on winter running for now. After we have the baby, I'll really be getting back into it, to get in shape, and to get back to the point I was at before the cold hit.

V-Neck Training Tee

This is pretty basic. I was happy to see that mine came in a color matching the tights, because a lot of people had completely mismatched outfits. I guess I'm a little OCD about that kind of stuff. Anyway, the tee is comfortable, and just the right length, so you're not constantly yanking on it to keep it in place.

Pure NightCat Reflective Running Jacket

This was the second of the two unexpected items. I really like this! I was iffy when someone had posted the link to it, but it's one of those things you have to see on yourself to be sure. I liked the way it looked on me. I think I'd prefer it to be a little longer, though. I'm 5'7, which is super tall, but a little above average, and  I have long arms. It seemed to JUST fit, and I'd rather have a little extra room, so I'm not pulling on it all the time. I love that it's reflective of course, because I live on a really busy road, and that's important!

Puma Performance Bodywear Tech ACTV Endurance Tights

This, I have to be honest with. I laughed out loud when my boyfriend tried his on. When I tried mine on, I had to sit on the floor to even be able to get them on. The material on the inside makes it feel like you are painting them on, and they are just as tight as can be. Well, actually, they were tighter than I expected when I looked at the pictures. They look absolutely ridiculous on my boyfriend, I'm not even going to lie. I'm naturally pretty thin, and I think I'd even be a little self conscious actually going out in them. I've run in leggings before, but they didn't feel  nearly as tight. When I used them on the treadmill, they didn't bother me. They obviously keep in place, and you don't really feel any discomfort from how tight they are. It just feels like they are formed right to your body. I'm not the biggest fan of these, I have to be honest, but I wouldn't say I hate them either. I can't wait to try them out outside (if I dare, that is!), and see how I like them.

So, as you see, this was a really awesome sample share. I didn't have anything to share with a friend this time around, but I can tell you that PUMA's activewear is definitely worth checking out. In my personal opinion, the prices are kind of steep. We are currently a one income family, and I couldn't justify some of these prices. However, the quality seems pretty great! Click here to check out all PUMA has to offer, you won't be disappointed.

A big thank you to both PUMA and Crowdtap for providing these products for me to try at no cost! If you want the chance to sample products like these and others I have done in the past, click here to sign up with Crowdtap.

Oh, Life.

It has been such a long time since I have posted anything in my blog, and figured I would do so tonight, when the thought was actually on my mind.

Here's little Miss. Makenzie! Is she not the cutest little girl ever? I look at her, and always think about how much trouble Gus and I will be in someday with her. She is BEAUTIFUL! I was finally able to finish breastfeeding sometime mid-June. We made it for nearly 30 months! I'm super proud of myself for making it so long. There are so many people that give up on it so easily, and I'm happy to have been able to give her the best possible for such a long period of time. Don't get me wrong; I'm also so very happy to have my body back! She did SO great with it, too! Here's the story on how I stopped. 

Kenzie had been waking up in the night for a couple nights. She had started thinking there were monsters in her room, and the only thing that would calm her was if I nursed her until she fell asleep. I did feel terrible that she thought there were monsters in her room, but it was also getting to be super exhausting. I remember going back to sleep one morning, and Gus was going to bring her to Walmart with him. I thought to myself, "Yes! That means I'll get a solid two or three hours of sleep with no interruptions!" They came home MAYBE an hour later, and supposedly Kenzie was crying and asking for me, and so he let her in the room. I was sooo tired. I had just read the night before about a Mom who took her daughter to pick out a new sippy cup. She got to pick it out herself, and it was a "big girl cup". She wasn't allowed to have the cup until she was a big girl. The mom explained that someday, "Mama's milk" wouldn't taste good, and that'd be the day she was a big girl, and could use her big girl cup. Then, she used vinegar on her nipples, and long story short, the daughter thought the milk was yucky, and she was then a big girl, and over time was weaned and using her big girl cup! I knew since they just got back from town, buying a new cup right then was out of the question, so as soon as Kenzie walked in the room, I walked out and into the kitchen, with her right behind me. I took out the vinegar and poured some into a tiny tuppaware dish. I put just a small amount on my nipples, and let Kenzie watch me do it. She wanted NOTHING to do with me. She never even tried it. She told me it was yucky, and anytime I asked if she wanted milk, she would say no, tell me it's yucky, and even whine a little if I got too close. It was that easy for us! I was amazed. My child, who I thought I'd have to go off to college with to feed, was finally weaned. I gave her milk in a cup for the first few nights, and honestly, she'd only drink a few sips before bed, and never touched it throughout the night. She started sleeping through the night again, and slept better and longer. We now still give her a cup, but we put just water in it. Sometimes she'll drink from it before bedtime, but more often she doesn't. I'm so proud of how well she handled it, as it was a huge worry from me, and such a relief that it was such an easy process. I imagine it may not work as well for everyone, but with a kid this age, the reasoning the other woman did with her daughter seems to be a great idea, and could possibly work good for others. I lucked out with it being so simple!

Anyway, she has been doing really well otherwise, too. Her eating has improved, and as we knew, she is just meant to be small. She has small parents, so I think we knew this all along. There are some meals she still will almost completely skip over, but most of the time she does pretty well. We haven't been to the doctors in quite a while, and normally wouldn't go until she's three, but they have a weight check scheduled for sometime in August. They'll probably be happy to hear of the changes with breastfeeding, and with her eating. She's still such a peanut, but it's adorable. She is happy and healthy, and that's all that matters. She is always on the go! I love that my child would prefer to play ANY DAY over watching TV or movies. I'm not a big TV person at all, and we rarely watch it (drives Gus crazy that I can just sit around and be content without the TV on!), so I guess she gets that from me. Some people's kids watch way too much TV/movies! Kenzie loves Austin & Ally; that is pretty much the only one she will pay attention to. Funny that she prefers that over cartoons, but she definitely does. She talks a ton, and she has the best memory ever, for such a young child. It's crazy! She is very smart. 

As for me, I have made a lot of changes in my life. I have always had a high metabolism, and have always been pretty thin. I was blessed with my height, being 5'7". While this is a pretty average height for a girl, it is ideal, because weight is less likely to show as quickly the taller you are. I have never really had to worry about this, but after I had Makenzie, I went back to my usual: eating ANYTHING I wanted, without even thinking. This is pretty much what I have done my whole life, and it's never really affected my body, on the outside anyway. I only gained 20 lbs with Kenzie, and right after having her, my stomach looked like it went back to normal right away, for the most part. It wasn't until I stopped working to stay at home with Kenzie, that I really started to notice how bad the choices I was making were. I had gained a little weight, which with my height, wasn't super noticeable to others, but I noticed it. I had been working a job where I was constantly on my feet, running around and moving at all times. Of course, Kenzie kept me busy at home, but it wasn't enough to work off everything I was allowing myself to eat.

I ended up looking up a lot of info on health and nutrition in general. I remember that I started with nutrition labels, and how to understand them. As simple as they sound, I think most people DON'T understand them. I really began to look at the foods I was eating, and gave up a lot of things, simply because it was NO GOOD for my body. I learned a lot about portions as well, and how I CAN'T sit there and eat a whole bag of chips mindlessly. Did you know that even a small bag of Doritos has several servings? Most people would just assume one small bag is a serving, but I think it's more like three or four, I can't remember off the top of my head. The calories, etc. really add up fast! It is such a big help to read the label, and use the correct portion sizes. I downloaded the app MyFitnessPal on my phone, and have been using it for months now. I track everything I eat. I can either search for foods by typing them in, or I can scan the barcode, and the item will pop right up. It keeps track of calories, carbs, sugars, and so much more. It gives you target amounts, and your goal is to stay under those amounts. It also gives you an allotted number of calories you can eat each day, and this is based on your lifestyle as well as your goals. Of course, when you workout, that takes away calories, and a lot of the time you need to eat those calories back. You're not supposed to feed your body less than 1,200 calories, or it can go into starvation mode, which will pretty much put a halt to all weight loss, if that's what you're going for. I think that mine was originally set to 1,300, by MFP, but I ended up changing it manually, and I set it at 1,500. I run a lot, and 1,300 just doesn't seem like enough! As long as it's good foods, I won't go wrong anyway. I'm definitely far from perfect with my eating, but I am doing better, and it's still a work in progress.

I did one round of Insanity, which I have a love/hate relationship with. It's a workout where when I'm about to do it, I'm dreading it. I don't want to do it. Once I'm done, I'm so happy I did it, but so happy it's over. I started another month around the same time I first started running. Oh, how I hated running. It was so hard for me, and I could never catch my breath. But guess what? I am obsessed now! I seriously get excited at night knowing that I can wake up and run in the morning. I gave up on round two of Insanity, and have devoted the majority of my working out to running. I have gotten a lot better at it, and only hope to get even better than I am now! Since I'm not doing it to train for anything, I mostly do intervals, where I run, then I walk, repeat. I usually just run until I feel like I need to stop, then I walk until I feel like I can run again. My endurance has gotten so much better. I prefer intervals, as it burns a lot more calories, but I also really want to keep pushing myself and eventually be able to (if I choose to) run at least a 5k without stopping. I joined a runners club on Facebook, and heard about virtual runs in there. It is mostly runs set up by people to raise money for a charity of their choice. They set up the event, and everyone pays the fee, which gets them their medal. You run the race wherever you want, by the date given, and I think you usually post proof of completion, then your medal gets sent. It's not the same as running a race with a bunch of people, but it's a neat way to get you motivated to keep running. There also aren't many races/runs local to me, and I'm bummed that I'd have to travel so far for most. This is a fun alternative. We don't really have the money to spend on that kind of thing right now (although, it always goes to a great cause!), so I looked up free ones, and found a few. I signed up for one called Jamboree Free Virtual 5K. It's on July 30th and 31st. You just register, and then you run on one of the two days and submit your proof, and you're done. Since there's no fee, there's no medals, but for this one, you do have a chance at winning prizes. I'll post my stats once I have done it on Tuesday or Wednesday, to share how I did. I'm happy to have found something I love doing when it comes to working out. Most people dread working out in any shape or form, but really, you just need to find what you actually enjoy, and it makes it so much easier. I'm still learning. There are plenty of times where my legs feel like lead, my feet or thighs hurt, or I just can't catch my breath, but I'm amazed at what I can actually can accomplish if I keep pushing myself. I wish all people were more willing to push themselves, because they'd probably be surprised, too. Nothing worse than seeing someone uncomfortable with their body, but not willing to do anything to change it. It does take some sacrificing, but it's worth it.

Oh, and as for the picture: I haven't dyed my hair in God knows how long. I had a coupon for a box of free hair dye, and used it MONTHS ago. I must have been bored the other day, and dyed my hair. Of ALL colors, my hair would turn the ONE color I would NOT want - black. I guess I shouldn't say black, but close enough! A dark, dark, dark brown, that is as close to black as you can get. This is why I don't dye my hair anymore! It really doesn't look AWFUL, but I'm not a fan of black hair in general. Thank goodness it is a wash out dye, and will eventually wash out. It says 28 shampoos I believe, so we will just have to wait it out. Lesson learned, yet again. :)

Anyway, that is life as of lately, in a nutshell. Gus' sister is here from Colorado for a couple weeks, and Kenzie and I will get to meet her for the first time later this week. I have been considering going back to work for a while, but we really need to slowlyyy ease Kenzie into it. She has never been without me, and if I even mention going to work, she gets upset. I know it's likely going to be just as hard for me, but it will be good for all of us. I intend to go part time when I do, as I'm not working full time until my kids are in school. Yes, I said kids. We do plan on having another, but when, you'll have to wait and see. :)

Shore-ly a Beach Beauty in Old Navy Beachwear!

I was super excited to have been chosen for another Old Navy party through Crowdtap. The parties are extra fun, because it is usually several different items. This time around, it was for a free bathing suit, flip flops, beach towel, and beach bag. Fun, right?! I have been keeping active and working out lately, to become a happier, healthier me, and of course to get in shape for summertime, so this is like a treat for all my effort!

My sister usually gets all the same parties and sample shares as me, but she didn't get this one. That meant of course I was going to bring her along. I also decided on my other sister, and my friend Erica, who comes with me on these trips often. 

We all met up at Old Navy and decided to start with bathing suits, incase we wanted to build off of that with our accessories. 

To be honest, the bathing suit selection was a little crappy; the color selection AND style choices. I was more disappointed in the style choices. I would find a style I liked, but it didn't come in a color I liked, or vice versa. The bathing suit I ended up choosing is orange, a color I would have NEVER expected to pick. I loved the style so much, and would prefer it in a different color, but it didn't look as bad on me as I expected, so I'm still happy!

This was the first trip I've had to this Old Navy where we ran into a rude employee. She asked me, "How long do you have to wait before you get this kind of stuff?" (meaning how long on Crowdtap). I said, "You do usually have to be a member for a little while," and she replied, "Yeah, I signed up and thought I don't have THAT much time on my hands to do this." The way she said it just didn't sit well with us. It was as if she was saying I had too much time on my hands. She seemed annoyed with us taking pictures, so we have a few while shopping, but that's it. I guess the girls weren't about to come out of the fitting room anyway, since bathing suits are a little too revealing, and most people aren't comfortable with strutting their stuff in the store in a bathing suit. ;)

The flip flop selection always makes me happy. You can seriously find a pair to match everything you own! I love the fun, bright colors. I wanted to go with black, as it goes with everything, but I was in love with a coral color, and went with that. I love how bright they are.

There weren't many beach towels at all at our store, and most were zebra print. Luckily, all four of us loved that, and we all got the same one. 

We all loved the beach bags! They are really cute! My younger sister and I actually both use ours as a diaper bag, as it's so much cuter than most actual diaper bags. Obviously it'll be good for beach trips when we do go, but even better that it doubles as a diaper bag! They are the perfect size; not too big, not too small. The one I chose is in the picture above; the one in the middle.

Out of respect for the girls, I'm not posting many pictures to my blog, as they're a little personal.

We all had a blast shopping, and are very grateful to Crowdtap and Old Navy for the opportunity. 

If you haven't yet, click here to join Crowdtap. Get rewarded for giving brands your feedback, and have the chance to earn fun opportunities such as this one!

Old Navy Sweaters!!

There probably couldn't have been a better time for Crowdtap and Old Navy to offer a new sample & share, especially it being sweaters! I was excited about this one, because not only am I in need of fall/winter clothing, but it sure is cold in Maine!

I was anxious to pick and friend and tell them about the new sample & share, because I knew they'd be excited about it, too, considering the increasingly chilly weather. I decided to bring my friend, Erica. My friend, Megan, also got picked for this sample & share, so we decided to go as a group. Megan brought along a mutual friend, Nikki.

We all looked online beforehand, but we have learned not to fall too in love with anything until we're in the store, because they don't always have what is shown online. The sweaters I were eyeing said they weren't available at the store we'd be going to, but I was happy there was such a wide selection, that I was bound to find something I loved!

Sure enough, when we got to the store, the selection was pretty awesome! There seemed to be a lot of the basic sweaters, available in many, many colors. I love that they offer the basic, neutral colors, but also brighter colors! I'm fair skinned, so neutral colors can wash me out sometimes. Plus, neutral is also sometimes boring, in my opinion!

We each had grabbed several colors of the basic sweaters, and after, that is when I spotted the sweaters I had been eyeing online. They WERE available in the store after all! I was pretty excited about this! I'm talking about the Fair-Isle Cardis. They were also available in more colors/patterns than I had seen online, and look better in person and on than they do on the website; all good things!

Along with the Fair-Isle Cardis, the Softest Sweater Cardis and the Dolman Sleeve Tunic seemed to be the most popular among the four of us. The basic sweaters are great, but I think we were all going for something not-so-basic.

I must say, this was probably the best experience I've had yet as far as employees are concerned. I never had any major problems in the past, but the looks we were given while trying on clothes often got to the point where we were uncomfortable to take pictures, or even leave the dressing room! We had two girls telling us what looked good, and even taking a few pictures for us (which was a first!).

Once in the dressing rooms, we each had a variety of sweaters to try on. I was surprised by the basic sweaters. At first glance, I thought I would hate how they fit. I'm more a fan of longer sweaters, and they didn't look like they'd be long enough. They seemed to fit me just fine! My only worry would be washing them, and having it shrink, which I think is part of what held me back from making them my top choice.

I really like the Dolman Sleeve Tunics. They are cute and would be easy to dress up or down. My only concern was that it is only 3/4 sleeve. As much as I loved how it looked on, I knew I needed to go with something a lot warmer than that!

The Softest Sweater Cardis are super cute! To me, they seem like a dressier version of the basic cardis. I think it was a toss up for me between this and the Fair-Isle Cardis. In the end, these aren't as thick as I'd like, with winter on its way!

I think all of the Fair-Isle Cardis caught my eye! When I looked online, my top choice out of all the sweaters was the "In The Navy" print. I love pink, so it stood out. I tried every single color/pattern choice that my store had, and while I loved the "In The Navy", I ended up choosing the "Camel" print. I have brown boots, so it just went perfectly with them. I figure that I can wear them with more, since it's a neutral color. I know, I know, seems kind of hypocritical, with me saying earlier that I really like brighter colors. ;) I went with what I thought looked best on, though!I'm super happy with my pick! It was the thickest of everything I tried on, and this was an important factor for me. It's warm, cozy, and comfortable! It's cute, and perfect to keep me warm this time of year.

My friend, Erica, had a really hard time choosing  between the Fair-Isle Cardi in "In The Navy" and the Softest Sweater Cardi in black. In the end, she went with the Softest Sweater Cardi.

Megan ended up choosing the Dolman Sleeve Tunic in black, and Nikki got the Fair-Isle Cardi in charcoal.

It was a lot of fun to not just bring a friend along, but to have another friend get chosen for this sample share, so we could make it a group thing. We had a blast as usual!

Be sure to check out Old Navy's selection of sweaters (on sale right now!). The selection is great!

And if you haven't joined Crowdtap yet, do so now! There are always so many great opportunities once you join!

Thanks again Crowdtap and Old Navy!

* Side note - computer crashed and this is being done on a phone, so it wont look as neat as most of my posts usually are, and the pictures will likely all post at the bottom, but its the best I can do for now. I promise I'll fix it when I'm able, and hope you all understand. ;) *

Blah.

It's just one of those blah nights. I haven't been feeling like myself today. For one, I'm just not happy with how I tried convincing myself to keep in shape, and yet I feel like every single night, instead of working out, I just sit around and do the things I'd RATHER be doing. I know I'm not overweight; I'm actually at a pretty perfect weight for my height, but jeez! The way I eat, and then the fact that other than walks during the day and playing with Kenzie, I'm not doing much else! And I honestly think the way I eat just makes me feel horrible. Don't get me wrong, I know MANY who eat so much worse than me, but it's a combination of needing to eat better, and just needing to broaden my horizons when it comes to food, haha. I just thought I was going to stick with it, and definitely didn't. Now I need to get with the program, and stick with it this time. :) I'm restarting Insanity tomorrow. I went a little crazy with the eating healthy ideas last time around, and figured out fairly quickly that it wouldn't work 100% for me. I also want to enjoy life, and not constantly worry about what I eat, lol. Anyway, I don't know why this is something that has been bumming me out, but I just want to be healthier. I think in doing so, I'll have more energy and will just be happier. Who is going to be my motivator? Haha.

And then there's friends...this is one that goes through my head often. I miss my friends! My real friends. It seriously sucks when everyone moves so far away. I miss the kind of friends I can tell ANYTHING to. There are a handful of people who know me REALLY well, and they are the ones who are too far away to just hop in the car and go to. That's a part of growing up though, and growing up sucks. :P Just miss my best friends!

ANYWAY! Little Miss Blythe is finally here! She is adorable! Alicia was in labor for 31 hours and then wound up having a c-section due to it taking so long to dilate. Poor girl; so far probably the worse labor story I've heard yet, but of course it was all worth it in the end. We went in the morning after she had her. I was nervous about it because I know she had a long labor, and had no clue how much or how little she slept. Gus had to work, so we did a couple things in town, then headed to the hospital. It was like 8:15. They were sleeping, but when the nurse went in, she noticed Alicia look up. I still feel bad, because I could tell they were tired, but it was nice seeing them and meeting the baby. I'm SO SO SO happy to have a baby GIRL to shop for! I have the worst obsession with baby girl clothes, and I guess just everything baby girl related haha. We brought her a lot of things Makenzie has outgrown, and are giving her Makenzie's swing. Ugh, baby girls give me the worst baby fever EVERRR! I'm pretty sure we'll hold off until next year, but ahhh. We are going to visit them Tuesday. I miss old times at Cheech's house with everyone (well, with a couple exceptions)! It'll be fun to hangout with them, although in a completely different element. Megan will be there, too. We are all now parents. :) Then there are the others that are still living with mommy and daddy...

We went to Shannon (Steven's sister) and Eric's wedding yesterday. I was a little worried, since it was outdoors, and the weather didn't sound too promising. It actually was pretty perfect! The ceremony was probably one of the shortest I've ever seen, but it was nice. 

Desirae and Dylan were in it; they were ring bearer and flower girl. Khloe (Shannon's daughter) was also one of the flower girls. How cute are they?!

Here's my little girl at the wedding. She is headed in the direction of the neighbors swingset/slide, lol. She was eyeballing it the entire time before, during, and after the ceremony, and at the end, I finally told her she could go play. She looked so cute it her little dress. :)

I changed her when we got to the reception hall. I kept seeing this little dress (which actually fits as a top on her, since it's 12 months and she technically should be in about 24 months lol) at Walmart, but the smallest they had was 18 months - considering even this 12 months is fairly big, not happening! I found this one online though, and was pretty excited. It's SO cute! She's being silly and pointing out her nose (like she does often, along with other body parts), but oh my goodness, isn't she seriously SO pretty?! I really think we will have our hands full when she's older. I know EVERY mom thinks their child is perfect, but she really is. If you say there's no such thing as perfect, she's as close as it gets. <3

She has been SO lovey with Dylan lately. I think she's warmed up to him a lot because Desirae is gone to school so often now, that for a few hours, she only has him to play with. She's always saying his name, too, now, not just hers. If I say, "Desi is coming!" she'll go, "And Dynin?" Lol. She is always randomly going up to him and hugging him, and not just a simple hug...she will hug him, put her arm around his neck, press her cheek against his, kiss him, haha. It's so funny, and Dylan isn't really into it! :P In this picture, she had just kissed him, or was going in for it, I can't remember, but my camera was too slow to capture it either way. Way too cute though :)

Oh my, did my child LOVE the dance floor. She had SO MUCH FUN! I'm not surprised, because she's always loved to dance, and is the best baby dancer I've ever seen lol, but she would literally throw herself backwards and scream and cry if I ever tried to pick her up and take her away, even if just for a second. Most of the night, I let her stay out there, and just kept a good eye on where she was, since occasionally she'd wander around. I'm not sure who the little boy is that she's dancing with; I think he's the son of one of the bridesmaids and groomsmen. So funny :)

And here she is really breaking it down, LOL! The guy beside her is the dj. He seriously has to be like 70 something, but he was SOOO funny! He would start a song, then come out and dance...and I mean DANCE! :P He was twirling, shaking it, getting down. Haha! I think in this picture, Kenzie might be copying him when he's pumping his arms. She loves to mock pretty much anything and everything people do, so needless to say, her dancing, on top of her cuteness, everyone thought she was a BIG hit (as was the dj haha!). Kenzie had a BLAST, and I'm pretty sure she didn't want to leave. She slept most of the way home, and went right to bed when we got home.

We still haven't decided on a date for pumpkin picking. This month is fairly busy, but I really want to go so we can take Kenzie. :) She's at such a fun age right now, where she actually REALLY enjoys things. I'd like to get a few friends together to go, too, but not sure how it'll work out. It seems the more people you invite, the more difficult it is.

Anyway, for some odd reason, ALL I can smell is Vick's vapor rub, lol. No clue why, but it smells like I have a Vick's vaporizor on in here or something (which I don't; I don't own one) haha. I love the smell of it, but not quite sure where it's coming from?! And to end my blabbering...I'm off to bed. :)

Mondayyy

We had a fun weekend. On Friday, we left for Nana's in Corinth. Kenzie insisted on holding her Elmo, Minnie, and Glowie, which was fine, but maybe five minutes after sitting them all with her, she threw up probably a good five times all over them, herself, and her seat. Luckily we were stopping in Newport anyway, so when we got to Walmart, I brought her into the bathroom and just changed her into pjs. She was completely fine after that.

We went to Lexi's second birthday party on Saturday. It was nice to see family we don't see often (they live out of state). Lexi is adorable, and she and Kenzie had so much fun together! Pictures like these remind me even more why I love having a little girl so much, and why I want another. <3 Ugh, I love having a little girl to dress up. These girls are about four months apart. I wish they lived closer, because they would be great friends!

It was a rainy weekend, so we spent the entire time inside. It was a bummer, because Kenzie loooves to be outside. She did pretty good though. She did say outside several times, but never had any meltdowns when she was told no. She has definitely grown out of being so scared of everyone there, and it is the funniest thing to watch. This girl talks so much! I have NEVER seen a child her age or close to say as many words as she does; and not just words, but sentences. It's crazy! Everyone always says to me how she has a big vocabulary for her age. There are also times where she has a complete conversation with one of the kids, or talking on "the phone", and nothing makes sense, haha. But I am amazed with how smart she is!

Great Nana bought Kenzie a new mini Minnie Mouse. She loves her, of course. She also got her some Minnie Mouse slippers. They are soo cute! I think they are size 5/6, so they are HUGE on her, and look hilarious because they make her feet look ginourmous, but adorable. She would walk around and just look at her feet the whole time and grin and giggle. :) I never even thought to look for slippers!!

Ahhhh - I have the cutest kid EVERRR. She kills me! I looked at her and said, "Kenzie, do this and say cheese!" (putting my hand on my hip and sticking it out to the side) - and she did just that! Lol! She is so funny! All weekend, she'd randomly stand outside Valerie's door and go, "HIII!" and wave to her, just like when people leave, and she yells, "BYYYE! Wuh yew!" then blows kisses. She also has learned how to give Eskimo kisses, and thinks it's sooo funny! She always has everyone cracking up. Today at Walmart on our way home, an older man stopped and was saying how cute she was, and said to her, "You're the boss, huh?" and Kenzie instantly replied, "The boss!" Hahaha!

On our way home, she was fine. She did act strange, so I really don't think she was feeling well. :( We left Walmart, and when we were almost home, she threw up three times again. She's not sick. I believe it's car sickness, though. It has happened fairly often on longer car rides. I feel awful because now that I know, I pay more attention to her face in the car, and she looks so miserable! I tried rolling the window down to get her some fresh air, but it didn't help. I got bad car sickness as a kid, too, and would always fall asleep because it was the only thing that kept me from throwing up. Pretty sure there's nothing I can do other than let her outgrow it. Poor girl though, she must be so miserable!

Our site to store order is at Walmart. I'm excited that we are pretty much done with our Christmas shopping. We did reeeally well this year, and have one very lucky little girl. :) I also got her Halloween costume last week - oh my gooooooodness. Cutest.costume.EVER. I love it, and she looks ADORABLE in it! I got her birthday outfit today, and am SO HAPPY with how it turned out. I tried it on her and it's way too cute! It's short sleeved though, so gotta figure out how I'm going to do her pictures in it, but we will figure something out. I'm hoping to do them soon. I know her birthday isn't for another three months, but I'd rather do her pictures when it's not FREEZING, and when there's no snow on the ground. Plus, I love the leaves and the colors right now. :) November everything just starts turning ugly outside, because the leaves fall, and it's just bare trees.

Ugh, so I ordered from Payless online for the first time ever. They were doing a BOGO sale, and of course, because of my complete obsession with little girls things, I had to check it out. I chose two ADORABLE pairs of boots for Kenzie, and my total came to about $47. This was fine. I got an email with my order confirmation, and it showed one pair of boots at $30 something dollars. Um, no! I ordered TWO to take advantage of the BOGO offer. I emailed them right off hoping they'd cancel the order, or fix it. I didn't hear from anyone for two days, and sent another email. I got a pretty quick reply telling me she'd credit me back 25% of my purchase, saying that with the BOGO sale, it usually applied an average of 25% to each item. Uh, no. When you see your order on the screen, it clearly shows one item at full price, then the other, and it says BOGO in red, and the half price also in red. Therefore, it doesn't look at all as though it's 25% off each item. I emailed her back saying it was fine, but asked if I decided to order the other pair, if I'd get the 25% off I SHOULD be entitled to on those too, since afterall, she claims it's 25% off each item. She replied giving me a number to call, "since we couldn't resolve the issue through email." I'm so irritated about it. I was hoping to have them soon, but that's not likely. She never told me if she put the credit through, or if my order was on its way or not. So, I'm just waiting it out. I AM going to call tomorrow, because it just pisses me off, and I guess they should be able to let me know. I'm thinking I might just go into the store and see what they have instead of ordering again online. Definitely wasn't a good first time experience, and I wouldn't recommend them to anyone - at least not online.

Anywayyy, we'll take a break from my proud mommy moments (haha <3) and ranting...I'm so disappointed in myself for never picking up on Insanity again! I told myself I'd take a week off, and was going to make myself start over on day one for quitting. That never happened. I always said how so many people complain about things they don't like about themselves yet do nothing about it, yet here I am, haha. I don't really think I need to lose weight, but I really do need to get into shape! If I don't do something to stay a little more active, I probably eventually will have weight to lose, lol. I keep contemplating if I want to start running, and I SHOULD while it's not too cold. Mom has a treadmill I should drag out, but it is so louddd!

So a guy slammed on his brakes right in front of the house earlier, and the guy behind him had to slam on his. Anyone that travels this road knows how dangerous it is, and how fast people drive. Well, he swerved to avoid hitting him, went off the road, and completely tore up the front of the yard right by the road. His tire marks are literally from one end of our yard to the other side - the whole yard! He stopped, got out, and knocked on the door. Gus answered because he knocked at the outside door (which is just a door to lead into the apartments). He showed Gus the marks and asked for a piece of paper so he could leave the landlord his name and number and what not, incase he wanted him to pay to fix it. This was a younger guy, probably about our age, so I was surprised!! Most people would have just taken off. I really don't think the landlord would make him fix it, but it was nice of him to be decent enough to stop to explain what happened, especially when it wasn't his fault, and someone almost caused him to get into an accident. He's also lucky when he went off the road that he didn't hit the tree that is at the end of one side of the yard, right near where his tracks stopped.

Well, we have a lot to do tomorrow. We need to pick up my order, meet a few people to sell some things, get some groceries, go to the PO, etc. I guess I will be heading to bed soon. Goodnight!

Cardi Party!!

I was so happy to once again be chosen for another Old Navy hosted party through Crowdtap. These parties are so much fun! It's awesome that I get to chose an outfit for free for not only myself, but for three friends as well. I love being able to not only sample products from Old Navy, but give my feedback as well.

When I got the invite to apply, I didn't really know what would be included in the party kit. I have noticed in the past, that with the parties, there's usually more than one item. All the invite stated was cardigans. Of course, I was still super excited about this. Who doesn't love cardigans? And what better time for them than now, when it's really starting to cool off fast? I ended up getting chosen - YAY - and went on to come up with who I wanted to invite, while waiting for the party kit and coupons to arrive.

When the coupons came in the mail, I read that we got to choose a free cardigan, skirt, and scarf! So fun! I made plans with three close friends to go shopping with  me; Erica, Nikki, and Michelle (my sister). 

During the wait for the party, I looked online a lot to see what they had to offer. I was loving the color and style options! It definitely got me excited to go shopping with my friends.

When we arrived to the store, we grabbed a cart and went on our way. We headed to the skirts first. I had stopped into another Old Navy in a different town the weekend before, and their selection was awful, so I was pretty worried about the skirt part of this party. Luckily, our store had a better selection. All four of us have pretty varied body types from one another, but we all found something that worked for us. 

We then moved on to the cardigans. This was what I was most excited for. It seems like we've had a very sudden and drastic change from hot to cold this year in Maine. It has been so chilly some days and most nights! I love fall and everything about it, so I can't complain! :) Cardigans are perfect for a fall wardrobe! I still love wearing tank tops and tees, but the weather doesn't really allow it. Throw a cardigan on top, and I'm good to go! Plus, they're perfect for that not too hot, not too cold weather that we're having right now. We had choices from full button up to half button up, lots of colors, and a few patterns. We loved the color options! I probably had the most cardigans in our cart, since I loved so many of the colors! 

Lastly, we were on to the scarves. I was iffy about this, because I just don't often feel like I can pull the scarf look off. I loved a lot of them though! I prefer the solid colors, because they're a lot easier to match up to other things.

After goofing off a bit and picking out the scarves we liked, we moved on to the dressing rooms. There was still NOBODY in the store. I was pretty happy about this, because sometimes, the dirty looks we get from other customers make it slightly awkward trying to take pictures! This time was a lot more laid back and fun.   My sister just recently had a baby, and she ended up having to leave early, so we didn't get any group pictures with her. Luckily, I was able to snap a couple of just her before she left, though.

CARDIGANS.

I love them! I wish I could afford to buy one in every color. I love pairing them with a pair of jeans and a tank top. The color selection was great; a lot of fun colors that work perfectly for fall. They're really comfortable, too! I usually wear a medium, but they seem to run just a tad bit big (at least in my opinion), so I went with a small. Since getting mine from my party, I have bought two more, and I wear them often! The color I chose during the party is this coral-ish color. I LOVE the color! I have since bought black and purple as well, and love them both as well!

SKIRTS.

I love, love, love the stretch to these skirts! This definitely makes them really comfortable, although it also makes me think you could go down a size and still pull it off. I still can't decide whether I like the length or not. No, I'm not into the super short skirts, but I'm usually not a fan of this length either. I guess it depends on the occasion. I can see wearing these skirts to a job interview, a job where you have to dress up, or more fancy/professional things. The colors were fun, but I stuck with black, because it's so much easier to match stuff to. I won't lie though, if they had the red in my size, it might have given the black a run for it's money! :)

SCARVES.

These are really cute and fun! Erica is a scarf lover, and was showing off how to wear a scarf. I found this pretty handy, since I always feel a little awkward wearing them. She's gave me a little confidence with it! ;) I was drawn to the solid colors, because, once again, I like things that will much pretty much anything and everything. I went with black as my final choice. It goes great with my cardigan, too.

OUR PICKS.

Me-

Not the best picture to show off my outfit, but you can see it in the group picture, too, so I guess it's alright. I went with the solid black skirt, the light coral cardigan, and the black scarf. I kept it pretty simple because these things are so easy to pair with pretty much anything! I especially LOVE the color of the cardigan. It has been a favorite clothing color of mine for a short while now, and I was excited to see it as one of the options. I still like the brighter colors even in the fall and winter, but this is a color that works well during those seasons, too, so it's the best of both worlds. I have worn my whole outfit a few times since getting it, and the cardigan MANY times. They have come in very handy during these somewhat chilly days and cold nights!

Erica- 

Leave it to Erica to be able to pull anything off! I wasn't a big fan of this skirt, but she can rock it. :) She really loved the color of this cardigan, and it looked great on her. She has a slight scarf obsession, but this is the one she went with. I think it makes for a surprisingly cute outfit. Still not sure if I can pull it off though! :p

Nikki- 

Okay, yes, I'm aware Nikki's outfit doesn't match completely, haha! However, we figured it wasn't totally necessary to have to choose an outfit that goes together, but rather choose the items you love! We all have things at home that we can match up any of the items to, so it doesn't matter if they don't match what you're trying on in the store. I think she pulls off the red cardigan really well, and the skirt and scarf are both really fun!

Michelle- 

Michelle went with an orange cardigan, black and white striped skirt, and a black scarf (not pictured, but the same one I chose). This is a cute outfit, and once again, the color is so fun! It is also a great color for fall. I must say that she pulls it all off quite well for just having a baby not too long ago! 

Our checkout was simple. The associates are always amazed that we're getting all these items for free. My cashier asked me how I got the coupons, and wanted to sign up, so I ended up giving her my booklet, so she could read about Crowdtap on the back. I kept joking that I need to start carrying my referral link around with me. ;) We all cashed out without any hassles, and were able to see the amount of money we saved printed on our receipts. Awesome, Old Navy; thanks!!

I must say that this party was by far the most fun one I've had so far! The four of us have similar personalities, so it made it extra fun. I think I honestly prefer when the store is quiet, too, as it just made the whole process a lot easier. Although, had it been busier, you know that wouldn't have stopped us. :)

I'd like to take a minute to thank the following for making this party possible...

CROWDTAP

If you haven’t yet, check out Crowdtap today. Who doesn’t want the opportunity to make money, try new products, or give your opinion on many different things? I’ve had so much fun with it; click here to join!

OLD NAVY

Definitely check out Old Navy's selection of cardigans, skirts, and scarves. So many cute options to put together the perfect fall outfit! Click here to check out some of the cardigans, and to see all the others cute items they have to offer. I bet you can't look without buying something! :)

9/18/12

Oh my goodness, am I tired. I have no idea WHY I'm so tired, just know that I am! 

I met up with a bunch of ladies to sell some stuff today, and for as many people as we were meeting, it went really well! We planned on 11, and everyone showed up, and we left before 11:30. Not bad for it being so many different people. Such a good way to make a little extra money. It's kind of a pain to do, but worth it. This morning, people were adding onto things they were picking up today, and I already had it all packed back away, and still had to try to get Kenzie down for a nap, plus sort through all that, and worry about having her up in time to get her ready and out the door in time. Lol. She didn't want a nap this morning, which, go figure, on a day where we have stuff to do. This kid ALWAYS takes her two naps. We brought Dylan with us, met up with everyone, then went to Walmart to work on our layaway. That didn't happen, because Kenzie was starting to get fussy, and we wanted to pick up lunch before coming home. By the time we got in line, she was pretty cranky - which she NEVER is when we're in stores, or anywhere out and about really. We stopped by Chelsey's work to drop off some things to a girl she works with, but she wasn't there, so we're sending them in tomorrow. Swung by McDonald's, and came home. I didn't even bother giving Kenzie her food, just got her down right away. She was definitely tired. 

Anyway, I have been on a Christmas shopping frenzy! It's seriously ridiculous. We have a layaway, but I have carts saved on Walmart.com, Amazon.com, and ToysRUs.com. Kenzie is going to be super spoiled this year. :) It's nice having plenty of extra money to spend, even with her birthday being right after. Speaking of, I found what I'm going to buy for her birthday outfit. It's a lot less than I was expecting, but completely the same idea. I was so excited! She seems super nice, too. Between everything, pretty sure we've already reached, or maybe passed, $500. I cringe when I add it up, because it sounds like a lot, but honestly, when you have a kid who now is into so many different things, as well as several people to buy for, it gets expensive. Whatever, I'm happy we can have a REALLY good Christmas this year, especially for Kenzie. I can't wait til she sees the stuff we are getting her!!

Chelsey's baby shower is this weekend, then the next, we're going to Nana's for the weekend, and Lexi's birthday party is Saturday. October we will have Desirae's birthday party and Halloween. I hate how busy things are right before Christmas and her birthday. I think I've decided on Kenzie's costume. I did a lot of searching online. There was almost nothing that stood out to me. All the places that have costumes nearby have some of the weirdest things I've ever seen, and don't really see why someone would want to dress their kid up as, lol, but to each their own I guess! Actually, the one I have in mind is from Target, but I think only online. Pretty sure my daughter looks cute in anything, so it doesn't really matter.

Gah, going through all Kenzie's clothes lately, I look and think, Hoooooly, you used to be that small! She's still tiny, but has come a long way from newborn size. :) I miss my itsy bitsy baby. Plus, I am completely obsessed with baby girl clothes...or I guess girl clothes in general. I soooo want another girl. :) Especially so Kenzie has a sister fairly close in age, but shopping for girls is so much fun. 

Speaking of baby girls, I was sent three little crocheted items to take pictures of. Hopefully when Alicia has her little girl, we can have her model them. They are really cute. :)

Well, time to grab something to eat and relax for the night.

:)

We had a pretty good day today. When we got up, we waited for Daddy to come home, then I got ready, and we went into town. We did some Christmas shopping and put stuff on layaway. I was super excited to go Christmas shopping!! We got Kenzie some fun toys that I KNOW she'll love. :) We tried putting her bed on layaway, since it IS furniture, but since it's from the infant/toddler section, it wasn't allowed. That's okay though, not like we can't just go and buy it. I have so many ideas for not just Kenzie, but everyone, this year. We have done a good job with saving this time around, and just my money alone is a HUGEEE help. All of this is especially good with Kenzie's birthday so close to Christmas. I also have so many fun ideas for that. :) I want to try for a Saturday this year, and for Gus to just get the day off. It was too much of a hassle doing it on a Sunday last year, when we had to wait for church to get out. It was cutting it pretty close!

Marcy ended up messaging me and telling me to come down because they were having a yardsale. We're all of two houses apart, so I walked down and hung out for a while. Kenzie loved playing there. They have a lot of outside toys, and she liked being around other kids (Parker, Tamara's daughter, Addysin, and other kids that I believe are Marcy's nieces and nephews). It's always nice to get out of the house and hang out with people, and especially nice that they live so close by, with a kid the same age as Kenzie. Her boyfriend works with Gus, too, so they're friends as well. Kenzie didn't want to leave, haha, but we had to come home for supper, her bath, and bedtime. We bought her a nightlight today, but I'm so paranoid about those things. I hear too much about them causing fires, so of course I HAD it plugged in, then unplugged it. 

I have been making a lot of money selling Kenzie's clothes. Let me tell you what, theeee biggest pain in the butt. First time around, I took them all with my camera, which was okay I guess. It took forever because we have so many things. After taking them all, I realize my camera settings were on RAW, which means I had to open each single photo into photoshop, then save it from there. It took so long, when had I changed the settings, I could have just uploaded them all into a FB album at once. Once I added them, I realized I never even thought about sizes, and had to go through almost all of it to put in the size. GAH. I did things a little easier tonight, so it went WAY better haha. Our living room looks AWFUL! There are clothes everywhere. I think I've gone through all her clothes now though, so I think I'm gonna bag them back up and bring them to the shed, then bring in anything if someone is interested. I can't stand having all this clutter, it drives me nuts! But yeah, the amount of money I have made by selling stuff we don't need is insane.

So, not to brag or anything...but is this not the cutest kid ever? Gah, we are SO in trouble when she gets older. She is sooo pretty! I know, I know, I may be biased, but we are told this all the time, but literally everyone. That and how tiny she is - which drives me insane. I've heard it a million times, and she's my child, I KNOW she's tiny! I took these pictures yesterday while trying to mess around with the settings on my camera. In my WTE photography group, a few of the girls helped me out with what I need to change to get the look I'm going for. These came out much better than some previous attempts, but there are still a few little things I want to work on. I finally figured out a way to get Kenzie to look AND smile at the camera. :) It doesn't work every time, but most of the time. This girl never wants to stay still!

I'm so happy it's fall! Honestly, I'm over summer. I love being able to go outside and all that, but ick. I much prefer fall. I'm thinking I'd probably prefer a fall baby over a summer baby, which is what I've said I wanted next ever since having Kenzie. That would mean being pregnant ALL summer though, ha. I've bugged Gus about a second baby several times, but honestly can't decide whether I want to wait and try next fall/winter instead. I'd kind of like to have some more time with just Kenzie and I, but on the other hand, want them close in age. I go back and forth between this all the time. I'm thinking next year would be better, but we'll see.

Finally did my Old Navy party. Erica and Nikki ended up coming along and it was so much fun! We are all so alike, and there was literally nobody else in the store, so it made it even more fun. This time, we got a free skirt, cardigan, and scarf. We had an extra coupon, since normally four people go, and they let us use it to each get one more free thing, so that was pretty sweet. :) We definitely had a good time though, and I think these two will be set in stone to come along to any I do from now on.

WELL, I have kept telling myself all week that I'm going to go to bed early, and each night, never fails - I'm up til 11. So, I guess I'm going to end this here and at least relax a little so I can try to get some good sleep tonight. :)