The Not-So Bare Necessities

My Project 333

2012-03-15T11:37:00.000-04:00

I'm finally partaking in a new endeavor. Project 333 is where you choose only 33 items from your wardrobe and accessories, and wear only those things for 3 months. Sounds fun right? Its a lesson of making beautiful outfits, and being grateful for what you have. I chose my 33 items, and am excited to start in April. Here is what i am including:

2 pairs of jeans, levi's slight curve skinny, and AE jegging jeans.
1 pair of shorts
1 scarf multicolored
2 pj bottoms, pants and shorts
5 cardigans, purple, grey, light blue, dark blue all long sleeve, and a grey short sleeve.
1 blue button down shirt
3 necklaces, amber, silver long, and multicolored
2 bags, small and large
9 tops
2 cami's, brown and pink
1 outdoor sweater
3 shoes, brown boots, brown toms, brown sandals
1 pair of sunglasses

Catching up

2012-03-01T10:34:00.001-05:00

Well hello there. I havent been here in a while, pretty busy with life. Ive still been donating stuff every other week or so. Not sure where this stuff comes from, but i love tossing it out! Im going to get back into the swing of things by inventorying my stuff. Here we go! 3 Jeans: AE Denim Jeggings, Levi's curve id slight curve skinny jeans, old flare jeans 2 Chinos {gray and navy} 2 Pajama Pants- Pink and Grey 1 lounge yoga pants 2 house sweaters, brown and mauve 1 sweater {blue peace} 25 tops {7 cardigans, 14 shirts, 4 layering tops} 1 jacket 1 light hooded sweater Seasonal or non-everyday clothing 1 Snowboarding jacket 1 Snowboarding Pants 1 Snowboarding gloves 1 winter coat 1 bathing suit 1 Workout top 1 Workout pants 1 Bathrobe 1 winter hat 1 gloves My Things 1 snowboard 1 snowboarding boots 1 Bicycle 1 Longboard 1 blue flower thing 1 marriage pitcher thing 1 colorful cross 1 bible 1 nook ereader {+ accessories- case, nook light} 1 ipad2 {+ case, charger} 1 canon DSLR camera {+ accessories- camera strap cover, camera bag, zoom lens for surfing pics} 1 jewelry bowl 1 planner 1 gussy clutch 1 madebyhank clutch 1 madebyhank bag 1 O'neill purse {will be donating..} 1 brown purse 1 Large Bin for out of season clothing Beauty and Toiletries Yes To Carrots {Cleanser, PM moisturizer} 1 face scrub {st ives} 1 origins day serum 1 origins eye gin-zing cream Aveeno Nourish + Shine Shampoo and Conditioner 5 nail polishes {plum, pink, silver, coral, mauve} 1 flat iron Make up {eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, blush, concealer, Aveeno Tinted moisturizer, bare minerals foundation-if needed-} 5 body spray/perfumes {love spell, freesia, pink, clean, ralph lauren} 1 Toms deodorant **There is, of course, all of the household items, and the stuff my husband and son own.

Blogging for lazy people 101.

2011-10-01T20:22:00.001-04:00

A. Age: 22, wont be 23 till december
B. Bed size: We all sleep in a queen. Me, jay, noah AND the dog. Its all good. Except, i could live without the dog at my feet.
C. Chore that you hate: Dishes. Hate hatehate. I have todothem by hand. Our dishwasher (the only oneive ever had!) crapped out after1 month of using it.
D. Dogs: One big ol dog: Sawyer.
E. Essential start to your day: waking up with noah next to me. So wonderful. Then coffee, immediately.
F. Favourite color: Dark purple, or teal.
G. Gold or Silver: Silver. But, my wedding ring/engagement ring are white gold.
H. Height: 5'6"
I. Instruments you play: used to play guitar and piano, now i dont remember a thing about them.
J. Job title: Mama.
K. Kids: noah! Just turned 2 last week.
L. Live: Long island
M. Mother's name: Lisa
N. Nicknames: Gumbea, babe, mama, moooommmmy, susti, sue.
O. Overnight hospital stays: giving birth to noah
P. Pet peeve: The sound of people crinkling plastic bags. Especially when im trying to sleep.
Q. Quote from a movie: "There is a fine line between coincidence and fate" -the mummy 2.
R. Right or left handed: Lefty!
S. Siblings: lil sister, 2.5 years younger than me.
T. Time you wake up: 7-730am
U. Underwear: thongs during the day, bikini type at night.
V. Vegetable you hate: Red onion
W. What makes you run late: my husband. He likes to take his time.
X. X-Rays you've had: None! Besides the regular dentist ones.
Y. Yummy food that you make: Roasted roots, eggplant parmesan. Soo good!
Z. Zoo animal: Elephants, pandas(?), tigers

Living Simply Isn't Simple Sometimes

2011-09-27T14:55:00.000-04:00

As you know, I kinda have a knack for donating things. I've donated probably 40% of my family's belongings within the 2 years. All of it being things we never used, given to us, passed down to us, or was just a compulsive purchase that we later regretted.
I've given my son's clothing away. Bags & Bags. To friends and strangers, anyone that needed some. Otherwise they would be just sitting in my attic right now.

Next week Lupus Foundation will be picking up 2 large bags of things. Some of it is mine, some is my sisters.
When they haul it away, my house feels lighter. Its hard to describe. Its a sense of everything having a place, and that place isnt stuffed in the back of a closet.

But, do you want to know something? I'm not sure if I'd call myself a minimalist anymore.

After buying this house, and painting it, and decorating it, I just cant seem to label myself something as extreme as "minimalist".
If you look around my house, you'll see couches, dvds galore, autumn decorations, lots of toys for my son, and more.

I think lately, you could say I'm just frugal, and realistic.

I know I don't need a closet and a dresser full of clothes. And I know I don't need several bath towels, lotions, hand soaps and perfumes.
I know some handmade soap, a good moisturizer, mascara and concealer is what it takes to make me feel pretty. I know a few rags, vinegar and Bon Ami is all I need to keep a clean house.

Maybe that's not what you would call normal, but that's who I am. And I'm still learning just who I am.

My all natural, simple, frugal hair and skin care methods.

2011-09-07T20:49:00.002-04:00

If youre like me, you try to eat healthy and organic where it matters.
Meat, dairy, fruit.
But do you think about your beauty and haircare supplies?

A year ago I researched all natural, homemade ingredients that can be used for skin and hair care.
Thats when I found the 'Oil cleansing method' for your face, and the 'no 'poo' method for your hair.
While theres different variations of the two methods, they are both simple and easy to make.
You can find most of the ingredients in your kitchen!

And to be clear, this isnt some 'avocado and lime facemask' or 'mayo and eggwhites hair deep conditioner'.
This stuff actually replaces skin and hair care products, for good.

OCM face cleanser recipe:

First, you start with an empty bottle.
If you have:
Oily skin, fill it 1/4 of the way with extra virgin olive oil.
Normal skin, 1/2 with extra virgin olive oil.
Dry skin, 3/4 with extra virgin olive oil.
Next, fill the rest with castor oil.

You can tweak these amounts according to your skin type, and how it reacts with the mixture.

To 'wash' your face simply pour a quarter size amount into your palm and rub it onto your face using small circles. It may feel weird at first rubbing oil onto your face, but just wait, your skin will be glowing when youre finished.
Next, take a washcloth and wash it under hot water. Not scorching hot, but hot enough.
Wring it out and place it onto your face. This opens your pores and lets the oil do its job.
Wait 20 seconds, then wipe away the oil. You can wash the washcloth again and wipe some more if needed. Your face will look and BE more moisturized and cleansed immediately.

This works as an AMAZING makeup remover, for eyeliner, mascara... anything!

Do you remember in science class we learned like dissolves like?
The oils in the cleanser remove the excess oils on your face (and all dirt and impurities as well) without stripping your skin which most face washes do. Therefore you wont need to use moisturizer either! The olive oil is a natural moisturizer that is amazing for your skin.

Now, onto our next all natural beauty routine:

The 'no poo' method.

Have you heard about the chemicals in our shampoos, called sulfates, also known as SLS? These are known carcinogens, and used in detergents used to wash our clothes and dishes.
Why are we pouring these harmful chemicals onto our scalps?
There is an easy, natural way to avoid these chemicals, without spending big bucks on "organic" hair care products.

First, I'll start with the 'shampoo'.

Baking soda. Also known as Sodium bicarbonate, is an amazing powder with so many uses. In this case, were using it to clean our hair. (use one that is aluminum free!)

Baking soda has a high PH level, which opens the hair shaft to help clean away dirt and excess oils.
It does not strip the hair of its natural and healthy oils, unlike shampoo.
See, shampoo strips your hair of its healthy oils, thus your hair makes even MORE oil to replace what was taken. Conditioner is then used to coat the hair shaft with superficial oils to replace what the shampoo took. This causes hair to be oily, limp and weighed down, needing styling products to keep it looking nice.

With this new method, your hair will have a balance of how much oil to make, therefore making your scalp and locks very happy and beautiful.

I use about a tablespoon worth (i have short chin length hair, so use a bit more if your hair is longer)of baking soda. I make it into a paste in my hand and rub it directly onto my roots, and above my ears, where the sebum (oil) tends to be most. Scrub your scalp for a minute then thoroughly rinse.
You will notice it didnt suds up like shampoo, and thats OKAY. Dont fret, your hair is clean.

Now for the second part, the 'conditioner'.

Theres a few things you can use. I recommend either apple cider vinegar, lemon juice or green tea. These all have low PH levels which close the hair shaft.
Apple cider vinegar smells like, well, vinegar, but once you rinse it out of your hair, it doesnt smell anymore. This is probably the most popular one used.
Lemon juice is recommended mainly for blondes.
And green tea is my new favorite. It is known to help with hair growth, prevent hair loss, and it smells yummy.

The recipes:

Apple cider vinegar and lemon juice: 1 tbsp per 1 cup water.

Green tea: steep 1 tea bag in 2 cups of water. Make sure you let it cool!

You can pre make these solutions and store them in empty shampoo bottles to make things easier.
And you can also tweak these solutions to suit your hair type. Some people use very little ACV/lemon juice/green tea in the water.
It just takes some experimenting, and youll find what works best for your hair.

If you were using harsh shampoos and heavy conditioners previously, your hair make have whats called a 'transition period'. This can last froma few days to a few months. The more 'green' your haircare routine was, the less of a transition it will be for you.

This is a very frugal and natural way to take care of your skin and hair. Have fun!

If you have any questions, or if youre doing one of these methods, please leave a comment. I love feedback!

Preparation for a Hurricane

2011-08-27T17:53:00.000-04:00

Hurricane irene is crawling up the coast, claws digging away unmercilessly at homes and lives. Our town called for a mandatory evacuation 8am this morning. I packed diapers, wipes, favorite momentos; just in case our home gets blown to bits. We're bunkered down in Jay's father's basement. Beef jerkey, chips and pretzels in tow. Ive always preferred underground dwelling during big storms. Something about the muffled sounds of wind and rain; being hidden from the chaos happening out in the world. Predictions say this one is going to be a doozy; a first for the northeast. Hopefully our little home can brave the worst irene's got.
But us; weve got eachother, some dry clothes and a safe place to temporarily call home. Which really, are the things that matter most.

Good luck & stay safe.

Jackie

Random Ramblings

2011-08-09T22:59:00.000-04:00

My computer was falling apart so we made the big decision {after weeks of contemplation} to get an ipad 2. This thing is awesome. It completely replaces my laptop, and is so gorgeous!
Ive been thinking about what id like to do once my sister moves out of the 3rd bedroom. Were planning on making it an office-type space, where we can go on our laptop/ipad and where jay can play his xbox games. Im planning on just getting a big comfy chair to sit in, drink my tea and read. I was previously thinking about getting or building a little desk, but i figured that wouldnt be very comfortable and a chair would be better.
I also want to make a little fort in noahs room in the corner. I found some cute ideas on pinterest and cant wait to build it.
Im still trying to exercise more and eat better. Coffee is now just an occasional drink i have maybe twice a week, so that will help. Ive started making pancakes in the morming with fruit or yogurt mixed it for noah and i. Keeps me feeling fuller longer.
Noah finally loves the sprinkler. He was afraid of it at first, but now he runs through it and even picks it up and soaks jay and i, haha. His favorite thing is the water. Whether its the pool, a bucket of water, washing his hands or bath time.
Im also still trying to wean him from nursing so much. Ive definitely cut down on the morning sessions, but late afternoon is hard. Thats when im getting worn out and noah is pretty inconsolable if he wants something he cant have.

Well thats it i think. Its almost 11pm and i cant sleep so i figured id just blab on here and update everyone on the random things going on in my life haha. Have a great week!

My Favorite Household Cleaners

2011-08-02T13:51:00.000-04:00

Today I made a schedule of what days to clean what in my house.
I think having it written down and organized will help me keep track of this house easier.
Today is: clean the rooms, mop, clean windows, and laundry.
I already did the laundry sunday.. so today is a pretty easy day.

Now onto my favorite household cleaners...

We purchased a Haan Steam Mop and it is AMAZING. No chemicals, completely sanitizes, dries in seconds, and is super easy to use. This replaced my Libman Mop (so gross, and doesnt clean at all!) and my Swiffer Mop (not cost effective, leaves chemicals, doesn't clean deeply enough). I was looking for something that didn't need replacement pads, worked without chemicals (uses just water!), and can also be used on upholstery and rugs. Ta Da! I Love this thing!

I also purchased the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser. This beauty takes the place of thousands of sticky rollers that don't even work well. How freakin annoying is it cleaning the couch with one of those? and they're like 3.99 a roller. The Pet Hair Eraser has 2 nozzles; one is a flexible rubber which is good for pet hair, and the other is a hard plastic, great for spilled cat litter or Goldfish Cracker crumbs {ahem..}.

These two things have made my life so much easier.

Now if you will excuse me, I will be scrubbing my kitchen floor grout because it is apparently supposed to be white.. not brown.

Sidenote: I was not paid to talk about the aforementioned cleaners. Bissell and Haan don't know me and my little ol' blog. Just sharing my 2 cents. :)

The Final Push

2011-07-26T16:34:00.003-04:00

I've lost over 35 lbs since Noah was born.
At the most, I weighed 172 {when I was 9 months pregnant}.
After I had noah, I waited 2 weeks and weighed myself, I was down to 147.
After months of watching what I ate and breastfeeding, I am now down to 120.

The day Noah was born.. I weighed 172.. not sure what size pants I wore since I just wore stretchy shorts

2 Months later, at 147lbs, Size 8/9 Jeans, Medium Size Shirts

Lost some weight on weight watchers..Size 6 Jeans

halfway there! Size 5 Jeans {im in the middle with Noah}

Almost there! Size 2 Jeans {even though you cant see them ;)} Probably around 127lbs

Today- Size 0 Jeans, XS-Small Shirts

My goal is to get to 115.
I was 115 when I was dating Jay, and I love that weight. I feel good about myself, and the way my body looks at 115.

So now I'm going to challenge myself.
I'm giving myself 2 months to get down to 115.

I know its only 5 pounds, but I want to lose those pounds and stay there.. no more up and down yo-yo weight gain.

I'll share what works for me on here, and hopefully help someone else out there that needs to lose those last few pounds that just wont go away. Someone else who needs the final push.

22 Months & Ready to Wean

2011-07-22T09:08:00.000-04:00

Lately I've been feeling like nursing Noah is coming to an end.
He eats real food all day long, and drinks water from his sippy like a pro.
My goal was to at least get to a year, then it changed to 18 months.
And now that we're at 22 Months, I think its time to stop.

I'm tired of having these F-cups, and I'm just plain ol' tired from waking up several times a night to nurse him back to sleep.
I'm kinda sad this big part of our relationship is coming to an end.
Whenever he's hurt, he nurses.
Whenever hes cranky and NOTHING will console him, he nurses.
When its time for a nap, or bed, he nurses and is out within minutes.
What will I do when nursing isn't an option anymore?

This is just another sign of my baby becoming a little boy, and how fast time is flying by.

Any tips on weaning your toddler? Any advice will be greatly appreciated!

My Best Friend

2011-07-15T22:23:00.000-04:00

I want to be the smile
I want to see the change
I want to be your friend from the start and once it starts it never ends

I want to be your pal
I want to be around
I want to be a friend when you are down
I want to be the sunshine on your smiling face

I want to be the moon
No, I want to be the ocean
Where all we do is float under the sun on the rolling sea

Whoa, I want to be the sunshine,
No I want to be the moonshine
I want to be the nighttime lullaby when you are so afraid

I think I found a way, a way to break down all the walls
I think I found a way to say hello
I think I found a way
Without saying anything at all

1 2 3 4 Tell Me That You Love Me More

2011-07-15T11:31:00.000-04:00

Today we are...
.Relaxing listening to the Adele Station on Pandora.
.Cuddling, looking at the scrapbook I made of Noah's life.
.Recuperating, I messed up my back painting Noah's room.
.Enjoying this wonderful weather.
& being thankful for this sweet angel I spend every moment with.

Pamper

2011-07-07T08:00:00.004-04:00

No, not the diapers.

Maggie at GussySews asked: "How do you pamper yourself?"

Hmm pamper. pam-per... myself? Haven't done that in oh... 22 months.

Does quickly painting my own nails before noah sees and tries to grab the bottle from me count?
Or running out to get a long overdue (9 months) haircut so my mullet {the hair dresser said it, not me!} can be controlled?

I think it's time Mommy starts to get a bit more Me Time.

Sure, being a Mom comes with a few different hats. I feed the child, change the child, entertain the child, protect the child, console the child, and so on.
But theres times I can sit and watch an episode or two of The Office on Netflix and kinda veg out while he's eating his Strawberry and playing with his "vroom-vrooms".

But to go out and actually Pamper myself? That sounds dreamy. Almost too self-indulgent. It's hard to even imagine what I'd do. Maybe get a pedicure? Grab a coffee with a friend and catch up? Is that what people do?

How do you pamper yourself? Please, let me know. Maybe we can go together sometime. Or are you in the same boat as me, finding it hard to fathom how to pamper one-self?

Hi, My name is Jackie, and I'm a landscaper.

2011-07-05T11:29:00.002-04:00

Note: Due to unforeseen technical difficulties it seems the pictures aren't working. I will do a vlog tour soon :)

I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while.
I've been way too busy doing yard work.
But, to be honest, I kind of LOVE IT.

I love going outside while Noah's napping or when Jay's home and get dirty with my Hoe... and Shovel. ;)
I get a nice tan, a workout and visible progress each time I go out. Who wouldn't love that?!

Ive been digging up old bricks that were supposed to line the garden beds, but went about 3 feet too far out and were 2" beneath the grass, and moved them to where they should be.
I weeded the gardens, put down new soil, chopped up some saplings that were choking my About Face rose bush. I also raked out old leaves and twigs from the whole east fence. And helped the hubs cut down some low lying branches on the blackberry tree out front.
Boy, oh boy. No wonder I've been losing some weight while eating Sonic and Ice Cream all too often.

This is the west garden bed, as you ca see in the next picture, the bricks were so far out.

The east garden bed, had to round the border a bit since there are some shallow roots from the bush. I may go back and move the line of bricks out further.

This is the blackberry tree and the birch tree. Jay had to cut so many branches out that were practically laying on the ground. The birch is kind of surrounded by the blackberry tree, but were going to cut down some more branches to let it breathe soon.

My AWESOME teal door, and the brand new mailbox, house number and light fixture. So cute!

And my little curious cutie wondering what Mama is doing outside. :)

I'll take some pictures of the backyard and inside the house soon!

The one where I rant about my Mother: Part 2

2011-06-22T15:15:00.001-04:00

Its been a few days since my mom left her dogs here and fell off the face of the earth. If you didn't read that post, I encourage you to go back and read it. You'll probably be completely confused if you don't.
As you can see in the little update, one of the dogs bit Noah's face. It wasn't that bad of a bite, but it could have been so much worse. I'm just thankful he didn't get Noah's eye {but came pretty close} and I was right there so scoop him up and away from the dog right away.

I called mom, and texted her "EMERGENCY CALL RIGHT NOW.. NOT A JOKE!". She didn't respond or call.
So I looked up her husband's number online and left him a message hoping either she would hear it or he would get in touch with her.
I tried calling Mom once more from a blocked number and she answered.
Noah was still crying when I told her he got bit. She sat on the line for maybe 20 seconds just listening to him cry. When I asked where she was she told me Center Moriches, a few towns away.
I asked why she was there and she said {use an 'uh, DUH!' tone}"UHH to figure out the DRAMATIC situation I'm currently in..."
I told her to come pick up the dogs right away and she told me she couldn't. So I called her selfish. She then said {use a bitchy, 'I don't have time for this' tone} "oookay, I'm going to call you later..." and hung up on me.

The next day she texted me saying she was coming to get the dogs. So I put them outside with their things and someone pulls up in front of our house. It wasn't my mom; of COURSE not! Her friend came instead to get them. I guess Mom didn't want to hear what I thought of her fun surprise.
Today, I heard her friend listened to all of the angry voicemails I had left for my mom the day she left the dogs here. Then deleted them.
I kind of wish people would mind their own business and keep what's private, between mother and daughter, private.

I haven't heard from my mom in a few days. Last I heard, The Douche kicked the dogs out so now mom's sleeping in her car with the dogs.
Maybe if she had asked me to take the dogs in the first place things would have been different.

Hopefully this is the end to all of this drama. But I won't hold my breath.

Thank you for your encouraging, and sometimes hilarious comments. I really appreciate them!

The one where I rant about my Mother.

2011-06-18T23:28:00.003-04:00

Starting on a happy note: It was GORGEOUS out today!

Jay went surfing super early and got back about an hour after noah and I woke up. We got ready and went out to breakfast with Jay's cousin and wife.
Noah was pointing at the little baby there saying "beyy-bee" and pointing to himself saying "MEH! MEH!" Love it!

After breakfast we stopped at the bank and deposited Jay's check and some cash. When I got back in the car he told me to read my texts from my mom. I could tell by the way he said it that it wasn't good news.

It read "You were out..I left the dogs in your backyard..I had no alternative.. I can't leave them at home.. I don't trust them.. they'll just let them out and leave the gates open and let them run away..you'll probably never forgive me for this..but this I will have to live with.."

RAGE.
RAGE.
R.A.G.E.

She didn't even ask me; or wait till I was home to drop them off.

We got home and there they were. Two little shih tzus sitting in our backyard, panting from the 80* weather we had today.

Does she not know I have a toddler and a full sized I-will-eat-those-dogs-for-a-snack-and-look-for-something-else-thats-not-edible~~-like charcoal or diapers-~~to-eat-again dog???
How dare she not ask me if she could leave them here.

Heres a little backstory... Her new husband? A total douche. {sorry nana if youre reading this, but it's true.} and my mom? Total PSYCHO. {also true nana}. put the two of them together and you get a whole messy sticky shitty situation that no one.. not even my mom apparently.. can handle.
So today, my mom decides to leave the Douche. Well thats all fine and dandydoodles until we get hit with the shit from the shit storm she blew up 30 miles away back home.

I can understand if this was a physically abusive relationship and she needed to get the hell out of there pronto. but this isnt that situation. this is my mom needing some time to herself to be miss drama queen and eff up everyone elses weekend.

This past week my sister and her boyfriend watched the dogs for 3 days while mom was supposed to be at a hotel so she could get away from her husband. but instead? she got a facial. microdermabrasion. yay. for. you.
Then when nighttime rolled around, she crawled right back into bed with her husband.

So my question is: Why? Why must we have these dogs in our backyard, in our home fighting with my dog when all she wants to do is have some free time to go get facial and have lunches with friends?

Is it that hard to ask me if its okay to watch them for a day or two? She can't be mature enough to actually ask me?

She won't answer my calls or texts. Or anyone's calls from our family really. Our relationship was just hanging on by a thread. Bitch went and snipped that shit up today all by herself.

UPDATE: One of the dogs just bit Noah's face, right below his eye, completely unprovoked. I called my mom and she actually answered (I did *67.. probably the only reason she answered) and she didn't care noah got bit. and hung up on me.

People, speak up. What do you have to say about this? Do you feel what she did was not bad? Talk to me!

Purgeday Thursday: Moved in, Renovating and feeling good!

2011-06-16T09:13:00.002-04:00

In the past 2 weeks since we moved into our first house we have:
Painted the front door teal
Planted plants in the garden
Replaced mailbox, house number and light fixture
Got a new security system {Vivint}
Painted the bathroom
Replaced storage cabinet and medicine cabinet in bathroom, as well as all of the gold fixtures for nice new brushed nickel ones
Started to paint the dining room.. took a few tries with samples but we found a great color! {Tobacco Leaf by Martha Stewart.. in Valspar}
We also bought a new washer and dryer {Whirlpool Duet}.. love love love them!!!

Today we're having someone from Alternative Earthcare come to look at a funny tree in the backyard.
Some branches need to be taken down. We also need some little trees cut back along the back fence. I hope it won't cost too much money.. I can't imagine cutting 6 branches or so out of a medium sized tree being too much work/money.

We're going to paint Noah's room a nice grey blue color, but that project is on hold till we finish the dining room.

I'm so excited for this house to be exactly the way we want it. It's all little cosmetic changes that will make this place really feel like home.

I haven't really bought more things for the house. We got a new hose holder, hose, 5 nautical themed accessories from Home Goods {my Kryptonite when it comes to not shopping} for on top of the tv stand, the tv console, 2 large paintings, and an american flag for the front of the house.
I'm still purging a bit. I'm getting rid of 2 shopping bags worth of clothes, and some old cellphones that don't work.

One of these days, I promise I'll do a video tour of our home!

Life is Good.

2011-06-03T14:42:00.000-04:00

Not to sound too much like a slogan you'd spot on the back of a jeep, but.. life IS good.
We've moved into our new house, and it. is. perfect.
We moved in 1 day, including packing up some more stuff, going out to lunch for a break and picking up/dropping off the moving truck.
It wasn't stressful at all and the baby handled it all very well.

I unpacked everything the day after we moved in, then went out and got 2 paintings for above the couch and above our bed. They are gorgeous! I bought them during my first trip Home Goods. {My new favorite store. Its like Pier 1 but half the price. heck, maybe even 1/4 of the price.}

I've already done so much in the week we've been here. I power washed the front stoop, spray painted the light fixture outside black, and got a new one for the front, took down the vertical blinds, put up new curtains, painted the front door a bright aqua, planted some flowers and some plants from my Nana's yard, cleaned all of the windows and put the screens in, sprayed the yard for mosquitos and ticks.. phew. I know there's more, but I'm sure you don't want to read all of that haha.

We've had a lot of family and friends come by already. I'm so proud to show them my new home.
I will probably post a vlog tour of the place.

And this weather! You can't beat it. 75 and Sunny. My favorite weather.

Well, I'm off to enjoy the day and run around outside with my child.
Have a good one!

The Big Move- a long boring post about moving day.

2011-05-24T13:42:00.001-04:00

Were moving in 2 days.
2 DAYS!

I am so excited.. but maybe 2% of me is holding back, just waiting to hear some more bad news.
Buying a house really is so much harder than I thought it would be.
Maybe if I worked for a living it would have been easier.
But I'd never give up my time with Noah in order to get some more income... if we can afford it.

Everything is packed. well, almost everything. Our dishes and clothes aren't. but ill probably just pile my dishes into the front seat of our car, and toss the clothes into a garbage bag, haha.

Thursday morning we're picking up the moving truck and loading it up.. along with Jay's Bronco and the Escape.

Then at 3pm we're meeting with our lawyer and signing all of the paperwork. {enter a high pitched 'eeeeeee!' here}

Then I'll probably drop jay off at the old apartment and we'll head to the new house and drop off whatever we have loaded. Come back and load up again {if needed.. we don't have a lot of stuff} clean up the place, and say buh-bye!

My grandparents and cousins are coming over in the morning and evening {respectively} to help load and unload the trucks, while someone entertains Noah. I'm so happy we have help.. it makes everything so much less stressful!

So, next time I post, we'll be in our very own house! {ahhhhh!}

Beach Day!

2011-05-15T10:42:00.001-04:00

Yesterday we drove onto a beach out here in the Hamptons. It was a gorgeous secluded spot.

Jay and his cousin surfed while Noah, the dog and me played on a blanket.

It got pretty chilly out so I packed up the truck and loaded up Noah and the dog.
And then cuteness ensued.

Afterwards we got some mexican food and some treats from Tate's bakeshop.. so yummy!
Fun Saturday!
Glad we enjoyed our day outside since the forecast says rain for the next 5 days. {boo!}

Hope you're enjoying your weekend!

129/365

2011-05-09T09:47:00.000-04:00

Last night I went a little nuts on Soap.com and bought a bunch of beauty supplies. But nothing that I didn't already need.

•I'm out of face moisturizer, so i bought day and night cream from Yes To Carrots.
•I also bought body lotion, since I have none and my body is crying for some moisture.
•Sticking with Yes To Carrots, I bought the cleansing milk, cause I'm almost out ofOCM oil to wash my face :(. But its so easy and cheap to mix up a new batch, I'm sure I'll be going back to it now and then.
•Last but not least, I got Aveeno Nourish + Shine shampoo and conditioner. I was using dr bronners soap as shampoo and Organix coconut conditioner previously, and I guess I didn't realize just how horrible my hair looked until 2 days ago. So I showered with my sister's awesome shampoo and conditioner and I can almost hear my hair whispering "THAAAAANK YOUUUUU" into my ears.

I didn't spend a lot {$40}, and saved about $19!!

I don't really feeling guilty about these purchases. Maybe the new years resolution is starting to wear off? I hope not...

125/365

2011-05-05T15:30:00.000-04:00

Wow. its been a long time since I updated you all about my new years resolution!

Well, lets just say, having the resolution has helped A LOT when it comes to me shopping.
now I have that little guilt, and the thought in the back of my head about not buying anything whenever I'm shopping.

Since my last post I have bought a few things..
-a new top today, it was 40% off, and gorgeous.
-a new rug, cause our old ones were DISGUSTING! {but this is more for the household than me...}
-tinted moisturizer, but I'm out of moisturizer/foundation, so thats good and not against the rules.
-Lipstick and concealer. the lipstick is PERFECT for summer, and I didn't have a great concealer till now..
-I got another top a few weeks ago, which was also on sale, and I've worn it so many times since then.
-Sunglasses, cause I lost mine {i hope to find my other ones though, I LOVED those!}
And i think thats it.

Without my resolution, I can assure you I probably would have bought a lot more things.
but we are buying a house right now... so maybe not.

I'll try to update more often, I've been SO BUSY with everything I need to do to get this house. But hopefully all of the hard work {and stress} will pay off soon enough, and we'll be in our very own house!

Purgeday Thursday: Coming to the End

2011-04-28T13:57:00.000-04:00

Wow! These Thursday's just sneak right up on me. Thank goodness the child is asleep and I can blast out a post right now.

So I donated a bunch of things this week to the lupus foundation.
Which is great since we are moving within 2 weeks.
They keep pushing off the closing date for the house.
Hopefully "2 weeks" is for real this time.

But anyway. This is probably going to be one of my last "Purgeday Thursday" posts.
I feel I've got no more to give.

We really don't need anything for the new house.
Besides new curtains for the living room, and I just ordered a pretty damask terra cotta rug to replace the icky smelling one we have now.

I'm excited we don't need much.. hopefully friends and family don't go nuts and get a lot.
I DO want one of those awesome ceramic Cimineas for the patio for those chilly summer nights. Also this adorable birdbath from Dayspring.

So, Hopefully the next Purgeday Thursday post will be about packing and moving in a few days.
We'll see!
But for now, were sitting tight, waiting to hear when the big day will be.

Do you have any tips about owning your first home? What you should buy, or not buy?

Easter Sunday

2011-04-25T19:17:00.000-04:00

Easter Sunday was a fun-filled crazy day.
We got up around 930am and started making my yummy eggplant parmesan.
My husband actually LOVES the stuff, and he will eat it for 3 days straight.
I wanted to introduce my grandparents to the awesome-ness of my homemade dish, so I had to get crackin' early to get it done on time.

Everyone loved it! Even my little man {duh.}

Noah got a wheely bee toy and some little cars that he LOVES.

Noah and great grandpa

After my grand parents house, we went to Jay's Uncle's house for some more food and family fun.

Next year we're going to hide eggs. I remember back when I was little how excited I was to go on the egg hunt and open up my easter basket. I can't wait to start that tradition with my little family.

Hope you had a great Easter!

Spring Is here!

2011-04-25T17:57:00.002-04:00

Spring finally arrived to Long Island friday.
We went for a walk with Noah in the stroller, and admired all of the beautiful trees and flowers blooming.
I love spring so much!
The feeling of the sun on my skin and a warm breeze in the air {especially after this long drawn out winter we had} gets me so excited for the fun spring and summer ahead.

I walked outside with Noah again today. It was gorgeous out.
He nommed on Wheat Thins while looking around gleefully.
This kid is so easy to entertain.

Heres to many more walks on warm sunny days with my little love.

what is your favorite thing about spring? tell me in the comments..