LuLu Mom

Three Months (a little late)

2013-11-20T15:57:00.000-07:00

My little man is 3 months old.... 3 months!!!!

Where has the time gone? I have no idea?

This is more than likely our last kiddo, so I am trying to savor every minute I can. And no matter how hard the time is still flying by.

This little guy has stolen my heart. He's such a mama's boy and I just can't get enough of him.

He loves to smile and talk to us all the time. He's trying so hard to laugh but can't quite get there, but I know it's coming any day.

He is sleeping through the night. 8:00pm- 7:30pm.. He's actually been doing this for the last month, but I didn't want to jinx myself, but after a good solid month of this kind of sleeping, I think it's safe to say he likes bed time.

Naps are still a little spotty. He snoozes off and on through out the day, but really needs at least 2 solid QUIET time naps. (Having a big sister (who is pretty loud) makes napping anywhere in the house a little difficult) He takes 1-1.5 hour morning nap, and then a 2.5-3 hour nap in the afternoon. In the last couple of weeks the napping has improved quite a bit so hopefully we're on to something.

Eating... yeah he's a champ eater. In fact, I'm a little nervous about what that says when he gets older. I have a feeling my grocery bill might double. :) I mean look how much weight this boy has put on.

Newborn

One Month

Two Months

Three Months

It's just so crazy to me to see how much babies change in the first few months!

And me, well I finally feel like I'm getting into my groove with motherhood. Days are still exhausting and chaotic at times, but my heart is full.

Pause for a Moment

2013-11-12T14:35:00.002-07:00

Imagine wandering the streets witnessing the destruction of your town.

Imagine hearing the cries and the feelings of hopelessness.

Imagine not knowing the whereabouts of your very own children, your spouse, your parents, your loved ones.

You don't know if they are dead or alive.

You fear that they are in pain somewhere and desperately needing your help.

My heart breaks!

A Super Typhoon hit the Philippines. It caused so much death and destruction. Something that most of us will probably never experience in our life time! The news is reporting that over 10,000 men, women and children were lost and many more people have lost their homes, food, drinking water, etc.

I think when things like this happen we have a choice.

We can not internalize it and move on with our day, or we can stop and say a prayer for those people.

If we have the means, we can give to help those in need.

Today I ask that you pause for a moment.

Say a prayer for the people of the Philippines.

Pray for the mothers who have lost their babies, the father's who can no longer protect their missing children, and the kids who will now grow up without the love of their parents.

God hears our prayers and answers them.

And if you feel the call to donate to bring these people relief then you can do so HERE.

Editors Note: Our family chooses to support Compassion International in the work they do in times like these and to help those in poverty in other countries. We feel that their money goes to where they say it goes and the relationships we've made with our sponsored child and other people has truly blessed our lives. If you have more questions about Compassion or what they do feel free to visit their website for more information or send me an email. I'd love to talk with you more about our experience.

Link Up, Share your Christmas Crafts and Recipes!

2013-11-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

It’s Christmas Giveaway Event

Organized by: Mom Powered Media. Co-hosted by: Bay Area Mommy, My Dairy Free Gluten Free Life, Barbara's Beat, Giveaway Bandit, Slick Housewives, Love Me Some Coupons and Coupons and Freebies Mom.

I can't believe Christmas is just around the corner.... Seriously, decorations are rolling out everywhere. So it's only necessary that we celebrate the Christmas season early by providing you with a gift card to do some Christmas shopping! I love the holidays. I love decorating my house, giving gifts, making my famous gingerbread men and even a little bit of Lulu Style Dog Sledding. Nothing is better in my opinion. So link up, and enter to win this awesome giveaway!

MPM Network Bloggers are super excited to share their Christmas Recipes, Crafts, Decor Ideas and much more with you this holiday season. Make sure you take a peek at the fabulous posts below. Surely you will find something that makes your holiday even brighter!

One lucky reader will receive a $500 Sears Gift Card!

Giveaway ends December 2nd at 11:59pm, open to US, ages 18+. To enter please use the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck.

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Disclosure:The Lulu Mom is not responsible for sponsor prize shipment. Please contact teri@mompoweredmedia.com with questions or to see your business or blog featured on the next big event!

Foolproof Green Chile

2013-11-05T11:17:00.000-07:00

When I married my husband, I knew that some how I would have to figure out how to make Mexican Pork Green Chile.

Nothing makes my hubs more excited than a bunch of green chile smothered burritos (breakfast or dinner).

Here was my problem.... I'd never in my life made that kind of chile. Didn't have a clue where to start, didn't even know how to buy fresh green peppers.

So after seriously 4 years of trial and error and MANY failed pots of chile... I have finally hit the jackpot! I feel it is only necessary for me to share the wealth. It's a perfect fall/winter dish.
Serve it up with some black beans, cheese and whole wheat tortillas and you have a delicious wonderful meal.

Here is your list of ingredients:

4 TBSP of cooking oil

1 pound of pork stew meat

5 TBSP of flour

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

9-10 fresh roasted green peppers skinned and blended

1- 14oz can of diced tomatoes (I use salsa style diced tomatoes but any kind will do)

3 cups of cold water

1 cup of ice

- Start by peeling your peppers. I use Big Jim peppers- it give the chile a good kick to it without make your mouth catch fire. But use however hot, or not hot, of peppers you'd like.

Make sure you get all of the skin off and most of the seedy insides.

Once they are all peeled I give them a rough chop and throw them in the bullet. Blend them up and you will get a lovely green paste. Set aside.

- Next, chop your pork stew meat into tiny 1/2" pieces and throw them into the oil.

Allow the meat to brown, but don't cook all the way through

Remove your browned pork and set aside.

- Add your flour and whisk constantly... allow your flour to turn brown, like the color of a brown paper bag. Once the flour is the desired color take off the burner and let it sit for a couple of minutes.

- Add 2 cups of cold water and one cup of ice. Whisk the flour and water together until there are no more lumps.

Put your pot back on the burner and add your blended peppers, tomatoes, meat and the seasonings.

Bring to a boil and allow to boil for 5 minutes stirring occasionally to keep the bottom from burning and sticking to your pot.

Turn down the heat to a simmer and allow it to simmer partially covered for 1.5-2 hours.

Serve it up and enjoy!

Great for breakfast burritos, beans, tortillas, the possibilities are endless!

Bloggers Needed

2013-11-03T14:37:00.002-07:00

It’s Christmas Event

Organized by: Mom Powered Media

Grand Prize: $500 Sears Gift Card

Event dates: 11/11 - 12/2

Open to US

Referral prize: $50 Amazon E-Code or Paypal Cash

Bloggers: Sign Up HERE

Family Pictures

2013-11-01T22:53:00.003-06:00

In an attempt to make amends for failing miserably the 31 day challenge I am giving you some pictures that will just make you smile with delight. (one can hope)

These were taken when Mr. Jaxson was 3 weeks old.
Little Miss is quite the little model and loved every second of this shoot. (if you can't tell)

Enjoy folks.

Marriage in the Home

2013-10-04T09:49:00.001-06:00

When I was a senior in high school my parents started having serious marital problems.
It would be another couple of years before the officially divorced, but that was a tough year.
Yes, the divorce itself was very painful, but I remember that year being full of so much heart ache.

Watching my parents essentially hate each other was really hard.
At that point in my life, I promised myself that I would never put my children through that kind of pain.

Now that I'm a parent, I want our kids to see that mommy and daddy love each other very much.
I want my kids to see that we put our marriage first even above them!
Yes, you heard me right, I want my kids to know that our marriage is more important than them.

That might sound crazy to several people and before you go accusing me of not loving my kids, let me explain.
My church back home has a very famous saying. God is your #1 and your spouse is your #2. You have to keep your #1 relationship strong in order to have a strong #2 relationship. Well, I'd like to take that a step further and say that if you don't have a strong #1 AND #2, the home you provide for your kids will not be the best it can be.

In my opinion, the best gift you can give your children is a strong loving home. (Hints why I'm writing this series) And having a secure, loving (not necessarily problem-free) marriage is the first step in getting that home.

You see, my parents hadn't divorced but their marriage had not been a first priority for awhile.
After several years, it started to crack and crumble and everyone felt it.
It was that year that our home started to crack and crumble.

While everyone needs a solid relationship with the Lord (that's another post), the home needs a solid marriage from the parents to thrive.

By the end of the day, I'm exhausted. I'm usually covered in spit up, tired from cooking and cleaning and keeping whining and crying at bay.
It's so easy to throw the kids at my husband and go hide away the rest of the evening.
I challenge us women, to spend our evenings really being with our husbands.
I challenge us to keep our marriage the first priority. Pour into that relationship even when you don't feel like it.
Passionately love your man and remember why you fell in love with him in the first place.
Schedule date nights. Even if it's just at home after the kids are in bed.
Pray for your spouse and your marriage.

Keep your marriage first.
Your home WILL thrive with such a strong foundation.

A Home Unplugged

2013-10-03T12:57:00.002-06:00

Before I start, let me be the first to say that I struggle with this.
Over the last few months, I have really felt God tugging on my heart to make some changes.

I have the urge to always be checking something on my phone or computer.
Whenever I sit down, social media woos me to check my email, instagram, twitter, etc.
It's an addiction really.
But I think it's a pretty common addiction.

I have really tried to limit my online time to times when the kids are napping, and my husband is at work or sleeping. Basically, if there is an opportunity to be pouring into the members of my family, I have TRIED to make sure I'm not on social media.

I must admit, it's so hard.
I don't know why but it's so easy to check out and play on the computer or the phone.
But how can I build and sustain my home if all of my time is spent scrolling through the wonderful pictures on Instagram. Yeah, it's pretty tough.

So I challenge you.... give yourself boundaries when having family time.
And if you are a rock start, and already do this, let me know what you do.
How do you set this boundaries?

Your Safe Haven

2013-10-02T05:00:00.000-06:00

I don't know about you, but there are days that are just rough.
You get a flat tire, you deal with some very rude people at work, another parent puts you down for your parenting or even worse talks negatively about your child, deadlines, bosses breathing down your neck, etc.
Among the chaos of this world, there should be one place that you feel comfortable going.
That one place, that you know that when you walk in the door you can sigh a breath of relief.
You can rest assured, that although not perfect, it is a place where you will feel loved.
You know you will leave feeling refreshed and you know that you can face the next tough day because you have a wonderful place to go to when the going gets tough.

I will be the first to admit that our home as not been the picture of peaceful lately.
Life with a newborn and a 3 year old can make for some pretty loud and chaotic days.
The house is not always clean and picked up. It's a true gift when both kids are happy and content. Usually one is crying or whining, so peaceful, refreshing and a haven might not be the best words to describe where our home is these days.

But I strive to make our house a place where people feel loved and accepted.
I want my kids to feel cherished and have the courage to learn and to fail.
I want my husband to come home and know that his kids and wife think he hung the moon.

A home doesn't just happen. Just because someone builds you a house does not mean that you automatically have a home.
No, a home requires work.
A home requires love and an intentional effort to daily make it a safe haven for your family.
Most of the time the work falls on us as women.
What a huge honor that is, but yet what a huge responsibility.
I pray that over the course of this month, we really focus on giving our families one of the most precious gifts.... a loving home!

31 Days- Turning your House into a Home

2013-09-30T22:33:00.000-06:00

Happy October, everyone!
To celebrate (and get me back in the blogging swing of things), I'm proud to announce that I will be participating in the Nester's 31 day challenge.

Yep, that's right.
For 31 days, I will be blogging about how to make your house a home.

Now, I'm no pro. In fact, I am still working on implementing these things at our house.
I grew up with a fantastic mama, who is the best at turning any old house into home, including a hotel room. (Don't worry, I'll give plenty more details on that during this series)

I truly believe that having a home, a safe haven, a place to relax is one of the most important gifts you can give your family.

It is not always an easy task.
It is not something that is always appreciated.
My hope is that in these 31 days, we can learn together and support each other as we build our homes.
From home decor, to family relationships, and even how to keep the homemaker (you) from burning out. All of these topics will be covered in the next 31 days.

This page will serve as the main page for the series.
Every post will be linked below to make it easy to follow.

Your Safe Haven
A Home Unplugged
Marriage in your Home

Are you participating in this challenge?
If so, comment and let me know so I can make sure and follow you.

All right, folks, this do this!
31 days!

Nothing Can Prepare You

2013-09-10T15:57:00.005-06:00

When I was pregnant, everyone always warned me how difficult it was to go from one child to two.
I thought I had mentally prepared myself for the switch. After all, being the oldest of 4 kids I knew how chaotic life could be.
But nothing could prepare me for the one to two switch.
I mean.... Wow!

No child is bad. In fact, Jax-man is a pretty easy baby and outside of the normal toddler behavior, Blake is a very good child. It's just the fact that I have 2 little people to take care of.

Two mouths to feed. Two kids who need mommy. A baby I'm trying to get into a routine, and a toddler who craves outing and adventures. Thank goodness I only have one diaper to change. Mom's with 2 in diapers.... my hat's off to you! You are my heros! I have no idea how you do it.

I'm pretty lucky to have my hubby home for 8 weeks. Yes, 8 weeks!!! I realize that is a luxury. As much of a transition as it's been, it's also been just as wonderful to have so much family time. I love my kids. I love watching my husband be the amazing father he is to two children.

I may fall into bed utterly exhausted at the end of the day, but oh man, my heart is full.

And that my friends is the crazy world of parenting. The hardest job you will ever do, yet the most rewarding.

Introducing Little Man

2013-08-28T13:22:00.002-06:00

I'm pretty sure that about half way through my pregnancy, I officially stopped blogging.
After being a wife to a hunk, working, being a mommy to Little Miss and a attempting to keep up with the house, blogging always lost!
I just didn't have the peppy energy to write.

But then this magical thing happened....

Jaxson was born!!!!
I'm feeling good (a little sleep deprived) but overall good.
And bonus... I'm no longer pregnant! :)

So allow me to introduce you to my Little Man. He is the perfect completion of our family and a perfect little partner for Little Miss.

We are incredibly blessed.

Jaxson came two and a half weeks early. He made his entrance much like his sister.
My water broke in the middle of the night. Hubby was working, hubby had to come home and rush me to the hospital.

By the time I got admitted to the hospital (at 2am), my contractions were pretty consistently every 3-4 minutes apart. I got the epidural (which once again did not work on my dear lady parts) and when it came time to push it HURT!!! I screamed bloody murder, yelled at my husband a few times, and am just glad I only pushed for 20 min instead of 2 hours like Blake. I have officially lost hope in all epidurals.

But we made it through. He was born at 8:27am and weighed 6lbs 14oz. With a weight like that, I'm just glad he came 2 and a half weeks early.
Perfect Little Man if you ask me!

He looks EXACTLY like his daddy! EXACTLY!
Same facial expressions, same everything. Caleb has a mini-me!

Our Birth Story and My Birth Plan (or lack there of)

2013-04-26T13:00:00.001-06:00

Blake Elizabeth

Oh this crazy daughter of mine.

They say that you forget all that happens when you give birth, and that's how women have multiple children.

I beg to differ, I say, you remember every little thing, but it is so worth to pain to meet your child.

So I'm doing this again... I know what's to come. I know it won't be fun, but man, is it worth meeting the wonderful little human that God gives you to raise for Him.

As for a birth plan. I didn't have one. You see, before having Blake, I was a fly by the seat of my pants kind of girl. I hated planning and I loved just "rolling with it". We didn't do any birthing classes or anything, I was literally was going to roll with it. Crazy as that might sound, I'm going to do the same thing with Mr. Man I'm carrying. Just go with it.

The only 2 things I had planned were, I wanted an epidural, and I wanted my husband and my mom in the room with me and that was it. Well I got my second thing, but my first... I got the epidural but it sure didn't help all that much. And that my friends, is why I don't plan! :)

Moving on....

Well here is one of my favorite pictures... Caleb, absolutely exhausted and a little nervous about what is getting ready to happen, and me smiling away because for the first time in a month I haven't felt a single contraction for the past 4 hours.... Little did I know, that was all about to change.

1:15am- my water breaks while I'm sleeping!!!! SLEEPING! I had been walking, cleaning, eating spicy food, you name it and it breaks while I'm doing nothing but sleeping.

1:20am- after calling the doctor I called my husband at work! After weeks of trying to be available at work, I call him in the middle of a "paper" call, which means, he's swarmed with paperwork galore from a pretty crazy night.... He is superman and his boss helped him leave so he got to me within half an hour! VERY IMPRESSIVE.

2:30am- we're at the hospital. I didn't tell anyone but my mom that I thought my water had broken. I was so scared that we'd get there and they would just tell me that I just had poor bladder control. So in effort to save face and getting made fun of for peeing the bed, I waited until the hospital confirmed I was being admitted to tell people what was going on.

7:30am- My mom (who lives in Oklahoma) and my friend, Kodi make it to the hospital to help relieve Caleb, get him food, and let him sleep. My mom was pretty phenomenal. She got a call at 1:15a from a frantic daughter and immediately books a 6am flight to get to me ASAP. I love that woman!

8:00am- They decide my contractions weren't strong enough to start the labor process in the time frame they wanted. (when your water breaks they worry about infection so you have to have the baby rather quickly after that happens) so we started Pitocin. That stuff SUCKS! I went about 2 hours on my own and then got my epidural around 10.... yeah more about the epidural later... the times from here on out were a little fuzzy so I'll consolidate.

I went through the labor process of dilating pretty much pain free until I hit a 9 and then it was hurting. It was hurtin real bad! My legs were numb and paralyzed, and my stomach was numb, but where Blake was going to make her entrance, yeah that wasn't so numb. So I did what any normal mom to be would do.... I panicked! I realized that I was probably going to do this with some pain..... and after the doctor says they've done all they can do in the pain management department, well I knew I was in for some fun....

I started pushing at 2:45, and she came out at 4:43... it was a rather exhausting and painful 2 hours of my life but it was so incredibly worth it. Now I have to give credit to my amazing husband. He was phenomenal during this whole thing. He kept me calm, focused, and I mean it when I say I COULD NOT have done it without him. I remember at one point, looking at him exhausted, scared, in so much pain and telling him I couldn't do it anymore. I will never forget the look in his eyes... he had so much confidence in me and told me I could do it. That man's strength is something that God knew I needed and I desperately needed it that day.

Blake had some problems arriving. She had swallowed the poo in the womb, AND she had the cord wrapped around her neck. She came out and she was as white as a ghost and dead silent because they had to cut the cord before she came out. Oh I was freaking out. I knew something was wrong but I couldn't do anything. Caleb stayed with me, and mom kept us posted on her! It was awful!!!! When I finally got to hold her and see her I just cried out of relief. I had run a fever through all of labor, and was exhausted and sick in every which way but seeing her made it all better.

Little Miss was so pale when we first saw her... think I'm kidding, check this out.

I am not an overly tan person but the contrast here between me and her is crazy.

Just 24 hours later, her color returned.

Thank, God, she was a healthy baby girl and nothing worse happened.

Get Yourself One

2013-04-24T19:25:00.001-06:00

Welcome to the Photo Ready Giveaway Event

Organized by: Mom Powered Media

Please take a moment to say hello to our sponsor: Giveaway Booster

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Canon EOS REBEL T4i 18.0 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 3-inch Touchscreen and Full HD Movie Mode (Body) - Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II SLR Zoom Lens - Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS Telephoto Zoom Lens - Telephoto & Wide Angle Lens Set - 3 pc Filter Kit: UV/ Polarizing filter/Fluorescent correction & Case - 32 Gigabyte SDHC Secure Digital Memory Card - Secure Digital USB Card Reader - Universal Memory Card Wallet - Pack of LCD Screen Protectors - Additional LP-E8 Rechargeable Lithium-ion Replacement Battery Pack - Well Protective SLR Camera Gadget Bag w/Pockets & Strap - Full Size 59" Tripod W/Case - Focus DVD Guide to Digital SLR Cameras - Focus Digital Grey Card Set for color correction - Focus 5pc Deluxe Lens Care & Cleaning Kit - HDMI cable

Special thank you to our lovely co-hosts {make sure to stop by and say hello}: Thinking Outside The Sandbox, Tiny Tidbits of an NC Diva, What's Up Reviews and Giveaways, 3 Boys and a Dog, Panlasang Pinoy Filipino Recipes, Mom to Bed by 8, Baby Costcutters and Powered By Mom.

One lucky winner will receive the Canon EOS REBEL T4i Prize Package {detailed above}!

Giveaway ends May 14th at 11:59pm, open worldwide residents, ages 18+. Residents outside of the US will receive a $750 Amazon GC instead. To enter please use the Rafflecopter form below.

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Disclosure: I received no compensation for this publication. My opinions are my own and may differ from those of your own. The Lulu Mom is not responsible for sponsor prize shipment. Please contact teri@mompoweredmedia.com with questions or to see your business or blog featured on the next big event!

And the Baby is a......

2013-04-10T15:37:00.000-06:00

So on Monday, we went in for our 20 week ultrasound.
And as you can imagine we were so excited to find out if baby was a boy or a girl.
I fought the urge of doing an earlier ultrasound after several of my friends had the gender "change" on them so 20 weeks could not come fast enough!

Well we are proud to share that Baby #2 is......

Yep, a boy! I don't think I have seen my husband so excited.
He probably would have hugged the tech if he hadn't been so busy trying to explain to Blake that "Baby Sister" was actually going to be Baby Brother.

So please allow me to introduce you to

Jaxson Dale

(named after my little brother, with different spelling, and Caleb's Dad)

And here is Caleb's favorite shot of the baby.

He finally gets his boy.

Most importantly, Little Man is healthy and growing beautifully.
We are so blessed!

Bloggers Wanted

2013-04-06T19:45:00.001-06:00

Photo Ready Giveaway Event

Organized by: Mom Powered Media

Prize: Canon EOS REBEL T4i 18.0 MP CMOS Digital Camera Prize Package {RV$950+}

Event dates: 4/23 - 5/14

SIGN-UP HERE!

How to Register for Baby

2013-04-05T11:06:00.000-06:00

First off, CONGRATULATIONS!

If you are reading this then I'm assuming you are expecting which deserves a big fat CONGRATS!

Life can seem pretty overwhelming and exciting right now.

I'm so excited that Kaitlyn decided to host such a wonderful series. So if this is your first or 5th child, hopefully you can find some new advice along the way. I have a 2 and half year old and another one on the way. So although I'm no pro, I did make quite a few mistakes my first go round so I feel like I should share.

Let's get down to business now, shall we.

Registering! What the heck do you need?

I remember when my husband and I registered for our first, we were completely clueless.

So hopefully you can learn from our mistakes.

Pick at least 3 places to register.

Think, high end, middle of the road and low end.

I registered at Pottery Barn (high), Babies R Us (middle) and Target (low end)

The majority of the stuff I needed came from Target and Babies R Us... but there were a few special high end items that I registered for at Pottery Barn that a lot of the hostess' gifts came from.

DO NOT register for clothes

People LOVE, I repeat, LOVE giving baby clothes so there is no need to register for this. I'm not talking cute shoes and outfits, I'm also talking onsies, socks, bibs, etc. I know it may seem tempting to go straight there because it's easy to pick and choose and let's face it, they are all so dang cute. But this is honestly a waste of time. People will load you up with more clothes than you can imagine.

Outside of crib bedding, don't register for blankets

I love blankets! So naturally I figured my child would.

Which she does, but she has 2 huge drawers full of blankets. Both receiving and fluffy blankets.

And we have honestly only used half of them. I loved registering and getting baby blankets and I refused to take any of them back so now I have a million.

Blankets are right up there with clothes, people love giving them so don't bother.

Now that I have covered the Don'ts of registering... here are the Do's.

The following items are a must:

Stroller, Baby Swing, Baby Wrap/Carrier, Bobby Pillow, Crib Bedding and now for a the controversial one.... a breast pump.

I personally did not register for this. I was to embarrassed to put this on a registry, but this is a definite must have for a breast feeding mom.

Now you might be a stay at home mom and not need to pump much. But if you ever plan on letting your husband feed your child, or leaving your baby with a grandparent so you and the hubs can go to dinner alone, then you must invest in a breast pump.

Manual, hand held pumps are a pain in the butt, but they are cheap and get the job done.

But if you plan on pumping more than twice, I'd go ahead and get yourself an electric one.

Now here is a trick.... Buy a pump from a mommy who is done having kids. Now before you freak out and tell me how gross it is. Keep in mind that you can buy and replace all of the parts. So really all you are purchasing is the actual plug in pump bag. Everything else you can buy brand new for around $30.00

So now it's up to you. Put it on your registry or not. But please buy yourself one of these bad boys.

It will make your life much much easier.

Well there you go. My tips on registering. You will get lots of things you don't need, so make one big trip and return everything you don't need and buy stuff you do. And enjoy all the hand made sweet things everyone makes for you. No it might not be practical, but it is very sweet and thoughtful and make with love for your little bundle of joy.

Dress that Bump!

2013-03-20T08:48:00.002-06:00

My Mama drove in from Oklahoma.
Along with my dear sweet little brother and his friend.
Life has been pretty fantastic over the last few days.

Even at 29 years old, my mom still makes this momma feel so much calmer and so much more confident!!
She's given me a break and cooked some meals, played with Little Miss and helped me pick out maternity clothes! YIKES!

Maternity clothes and I have a love hate relationship. I love how comfortable they are when you're pregnant, but I hate trying them on because they show me how big I'm going to be by the end of this journey!

I found quite a few steals on the clearance rack yesterday, so I want to share my favorite places for finding cute maternity clothes to dress that bump.

Not only are the selections pretty cute, they also have AWESOME clearance racks. So if you are a thrifty shopper like me then hit these guys' clearance racks.

Now let me know... where are your favorite places to find cute clothes to dress the baby bump?

Head over to my friend, Kaitlyn's link up for pregnant mamas. Can't wait to meet all the beautiful women are doing the hard but rewarding job of growing a little one.

Click on the image above to join the link up!

Daddy Daughter Dance 2013

2013-03-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

Last year, Little Miss went to the Daddy-Daughter Dance but she had just turned one and wasn't quite sure what to think of it.

This year... well, this year was a different story!
Little Miss is all girl and a complete and total prissy girly girl.

So when the Daddy-Daughter Dance rolled around you can only imagine the level of excitement at our house.
She dragged her new dress around the house for a solid 2 days before the big day, and couldn't stop talking about it.

Of course, I took care of dressing her and presenting her to her Daddy.
He was a great dad and told her how beautiful she was.
She then floated on Cloud 9 for the next 2 hours.

It was such a special time for both Daddy and Daughter. And she boogied until she couldn't boogie anymore.

Blake and her handsome date... excuse our latest "Cheese" face

Face Painting...

A fun little lunch with lemonade and cookies.

And of course... lots and lots of dancing... I mean, running circles around Daddy.

Can't wait to see her next year at the dance.

My Monthly Surprise

2013-03-05T12:48:00.000-07:00

So you can't be apart of blog world to long without hearing about the famous Birch boxes everyone gets. And for some reason it took me awhile to jump on the band wagon... but now that I'm on it, I'm loving the ride!!!!

In case you don't know about it, allow me to be that super cool person to tell you about it.

Basically, you spend $10 a month and every month you get a cute little goody box delivered to your door. It's contents are always a mystery so it's super exciting when you open it to find what you got. If you like the contents there is always an option to buy it online at a discounted price!

I beg you... if you aren't a Birch box member... sign up now!!! You'll thank me and you'll get a fun surprise every month!!!

Click HERE to sign up!

Now moving on the fun stuff. Here is my February box for you to enjoy with me.

A leave in hair conditioner. This stuff is AWESOME! It smells fantastic. Leaves your hair super shiny and healthy feeling and it protects it against the sun and heat styling tools. What more could you want?

I've almost used the whole bottle so I'm off to buy myself the full sized one.

Oh chocolate... how I adore you.

And oh how I wish I could tell you that I let you live longer than 2 minutes before I ate you.

Beauty Balm... this stuff I was skeptical about. I'm always skeptical with new face products, but this one is pretty cool. It's a light color that blends in with your face and covers any of those imperfections (that I know none of us have) It's great to wear on those no makeup, low maintenance days!

Green nail polish... ok maybe it's more Emerald, but whatever color it is it's so fun for spring.

I've never worn a green polish before but this color is to perfect not to wear!

And then my little squirt bottle of Juicy perfume. YUM! It smells fabulous!

Well there you go.. there are the contents of my Feb. box (a little late... I know) and I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of my March box and when it gets here I'll be glad to show you what surprises are in store.

Now get yourself one and share with me what little treasures you get. BIRCHBOX SIGNUP

My First Cara Box

2013-02-27T18:46:00.000-07:00

This month I participated in my very first Cara Box exchange!

Oh my goodness, I absolutely loved it.

I'd wanted to do this for awhile now but never felt like I had the time or energy to devote to it.

Cara Box

So this was my first month and I LOVED it.

I got to know a new blogger friend, Melanie.

And get to know Kaitlyn even better... we even got to meet in person for a fun filled lunch!

It was great!!

So Melanie was my amazing Cara Box giver. The girl could not have put together a more perfect box for me.

Her goal was to put together a perfect date box for Caleb and I.

And she did just that.

I got some wonderful caffeine free tea that is just delicious.

A notebook for Caleb and I to exchange notes in.... right now we're in an off schedule and don't get to see that much of each other. So this was the perfect idea.

A deck of cards and instructions on how to play rummy. I'm so excited to play!

A bar of chocolate! No explanation needed, it was just what I needed.

Lotion to help me relax and the end of a LONG day.

This was perfect and appeared in my mailbox on the most perfect day!!

Thanks, Melanie, it was a pleasure getting to know you and I can't wait to get together in person soon!

The New Trend in College

2013-02-16T10:00:00.000-07:00

So if I want to be honest with myself, I'd have to admit that it's been 8 years since I graduated college.... ok now that makes me old!

And 8 years ago this AMAZING program was not around.
If it was, I can pretty much guarantee you that I would have used it... so if you are in college, have a sibling in college or maybe even a child headed that way then you must check this out!!!

Remember the days of waiting in a HUGE long line to get your books for the semester? Remember that if you avoided that long line then you'd be pretty much guaranteed not to get the good "used" prices on the books (if you got one at all)? And then remember that awful feeling when they told you how much your total was once you checked out with all of your necessary books? Mine were always in the 3 digit totals... and by senior year, it was in the HIGH 3 digits. Terrible!

They want you to think it looks like this...

But really it's more like THIS!

Well CampusBookRentals.com and RentBack.com have solved the problem!
(I mean really, why didn't I think of this???)

If you rent your books instead of buying them
- You save 40-90% off bookstore prices.
- They'll take care of you shipping wise. (meaning it's free)
- You can highlight away in your rental book (sweet!)
- And by renting a book a proceed of the rental fee goes to Operation Smile

Ok that sure as heck sounds a LOT better then standing in a line for books and then spending WAY to much money on not interesting books.

WAIT!! There is more! If you have a bunch of books that you decided to keep for some crazy reason or you couldn't sell them back for yet another crazy reason then check out RentBack.com. This wonderful site will let YOU make money by renting out your books to current college kids. Smart huh?? Ok I think I have give you plenty to think about.
Now get your booty over to the NEW and IMPROVED way of buying college textbooks! :)

What Motivates YOU to Give?

2013-02-15T13:26:00.002-07:00

I love blogging for Compassion Intl.
I love what they represent and what they do, and I love how their blog topics always make me think.

Every month our family has chosen to donate a very small portion of our income to help care for our sweet girl, Melly.
We love to make presents and crafts for her and in a way she is part of our family even though I have yet to meet her in person.
And in return I have developed a letter writing relationship with a truly special girl and met some pretty amazing people.

Then the question was sent to me,

"What verse Bible verse prompts and guides you to give?"

When I think of giving I automatically think of the poor widow who gave 2 measely coins. (Luke 21) People judged her for that gift but Jesus was proud. She gave more than anyone else because she gave ALL she had.

What would it look like for me to give everything? Honestly, the answer makes me panic and that's when I realize how far I have to go.

We give a very small portion of what we make to Melly. This doesn't make me a professional giver. Honestly, it's not a financial struggle to give that every month.

How much of my money goes to building treasures here on earth? I hate to say it, but a little to much.

I want my heart to be in the place that if God asked me to give everything to follow His plans, I wouldn't think twice about it. But unfortunately I don't think it's quite there yet.

Now I'm not suggesting that the poor are the people who are living lives pleasing God. That shouldn't be the measure. For me the measure is the reaction in my heart.

"If God asked ____ of me, could I do it, happily?"

Oh sweet friends, it's times like these I realize I am truly a work in progress.
It's times like these that I realize how grateful I am for a loving Father who loves me and guides me even when I mess it all up.

Today, I pray that we all learn to be responsible with the gifts God has given us. I pray that we are in a place to give to those who are hurting and in need. I pray that our hearts grow closer to Him and further away from our "control freak ways".

This One's for the Ladies!

2013-02-08T14:21:00.002-07:00

I'd like to think that my husband married a fairly even keeled little lady.
I don't have out of control emotions and am pretty in tune to myself.

Now this is not to say that I don't have the good ol emotional breakdowns or PMS irritability, because I do. I wish I was perfect, dad gum it, but I'm not.

I don't believe in the excuse of "its my time of the month which is why I'm acting like a complete lunatic". I'm a pretty firm believer that as women we CAN and SHOULD control our emotions. Might be tough at times, but it is possible and should be done so we don't kill our husbands or families. (or they kill us)

*Note: I understand there are extreme circumstances and that is not what I'm addressing here. *

But now I'm back to a problem area... PREGNANCY. The emotions are a totally different ball game. And the poor hubby has to practice EXTREME patience.

Point in case, I specifically remember at week 35 of being pregnant with Little Miss, I lost my mind on my husband for taking a nap! I was mad because sleep just wasn't happening for my big ol preggo self and I was IRATE that my husband could so easily pass out on the couch.

I did what any normal gal would do. I felt the smoke coming out of my ears, so I grabbed one of the 3 huskies and made myself trek out on a 45 minute power walk around the neighborhood. (this I'm sure was quite a sight, a mad, very preggo person, trying super hard to quickly puff her way around the neighborhood)
After 45 minutes I was still a mad mess so I walked in the house, slammed the door as hard as I could and watched in pleasure as my husband jumped up from his comfortable napping position on our very comfortable couch. The pleasure of watching him wake quickly dissipated and I then proceeded to yell and cry about errr... his napping ability.

I'm not proud of this moment... in fact, I'm pretty embarrassed even though it is kind of funny looking back.

Well, I've been working EXTRA hard to control these preggo emotions lately and it's been tough. I haven't yelled and screamed at my husband, and I've remained pretty mellow with my daughter, but I have let out quite a few snide comments and huffed and puffed around the house. And I may or may not have sobbed inconsolably for 25 out of my 30 minute drive home from work last night.

So as good as I am about controlling PMS and other gal emotions, pregnancy emotions are NOT my forte. So if anyone has any great tips on how to control the psycho other half of you while pregnant, I'm all ears. I thought I'd be better at it for round two, but so far I'm not and I'm only 3 months in.

Love Me Some Michael!

2013-02-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Valentines Month, ya'll!

I don't know about you, but I LOVE Michael Kors' watches!!

I purchased my first MK Watch about 3 years ago, and to this day, I adore it.

Well, in honor of Valentine's Day and my incredible love for all of you,

I'm giving away the Michael Kors Watch of your choice from above!

I've teamed up with Shanna & Kaitlyn and all the other ladies below to bring you this amazing giveaway.

They all voted, and these were their top 6 choices.

1// Kaitlyn 2// Shanna 3// Emily 4// Stephanie 5// Robin 6// Kalyn

7// Samantha 8// Lisette 9// Kristyn 10// Jami 11// Courtney 12// Ashley

13// Erin 14// Hallie 15// Jessica 16// Kim 17// Michele 18// Rebekah

Happy Valentine's Day to you my dear, sweet friends!!!

To enter, please use the Rafflecopter below!

This contest is open to US Residents only.

The giveaway will run from February 7 - February 13, 11:59pm EST.

Winner will be announced on Valentine's Day.

***All entries WILL be verified to make sure the winner has completed what she said she did (:

a Rafflecopter giveaway