It's a Vol

Earth Day at the Zoo!

2013-05-21T10:10:00.000-05:00

If you've been reading this little blog of mine for any amount of time you know how much we love The Memphis Zoo! This is our second year as members so you'd think we've seen it all, but the great thing about our zoo is that there is always something different going on. Back in April we went with Nana and Papa (my momma and daddy) and had a great day celebrating Earth Day and the 20th anniversary of Cat Country!
{KING of the Jungle!}

{We were joking that the conversation between the lioness and lion went something like this:

Lion: Hey get me my beer!

Lioness: Oh sure leave me here trying to figure out how to open this keg while you sit there and lick your balls.

On second thought maybe you had to be there!}

{snoozy cheetahs}

{OH HAI!}

{I cannot remember what this cat is called, but he is gorgeous! The reason it's blurry is because Cat Country is all open air and I'm focusing past some pretty heavy cable wires! Still a beautiful animal though!}

{A lot of the animals were sleepy!}

{Checking out the gorillas in Primate Pavilion!}

{Ok true story. A gorilla tried to attack my husband that day. I think this is a male silver back gorilla, and you are never supposed to look them in the eye. Well, Chris did. Mr. Gorilla got a little pissed, pulled up a huge hunk of grass, weeds and roots and hurled them across the moat at Chris. It was hilarious. Then Mr. Gorilla gave Chris a look like, "Come at me bro. Come. At. Me."}

{I love the look on this Orangutan's face! They are always so chill!!}

{Our favorite giraffe Marilyn & her new baby Maliki! This was the first time I got to see Maliki!}

{Pretty Flowers on the Teton Trek!}

{There was a Grizz game that night and Chris insisted that Evie go in her jersey. It was cold in the am so we put a long sleeved shirt on underneath it. Then it got hot so we took it off. So yes, my daughter is wearing a jersey with nothing underneath & drinking a cherry icee (always a treat at the zoo). Redneck Baby Look: COMPLETE!}

{African Elephants}

{Gorgeous hydrangea in the China exhibit}

{Komodo Dragon trying to eat my face. Evie thought they were dinosaurs and kept roaring at them!}

{Grizz Pride Baby! Believe Memphis!}

Yikes! Google reader is going bye bye this Summer! Make sure to follow another way so you don't miss a thing!

This Weekend!

2013-05-17T11:36:00.001-05:00

This weekend Chris and I are heading up I-40 to Little Rock, AR for the Jason Aldean concert! We decided to make kind of a weekend out of it and are driving up tonight and spending tomorrow poking around Little Rock.

I am so freakin' excited, y'all. I need this. We need this: a weekend to just be us again, not harried, hurried and oftentimes frustrated mom and dad. So we dropped the dogs off at the kennel today and tonight we'll drop Evie off with the grandparents.

I can't wait! Just think, two whole days of eating my meals while they're still hot and not worrying about if the sippy cup is still full or cutting up someone else's food before even glancing at my own. I've been promised breakfast in bed from room service (yes!) after I sleep in until I'm ready to get up. I get to drink my coffee without a toddler demanding "Watch Thomas Train, Momma!", dogs barking or a cat crawling all over me. There's an IMAX movie theatre and we may just go crazy and see a matinee of Iron Man 3 and pig out on popcorn and candy! I can't remember the last time we went and saw a movie. It was probably in November? I want a steak dinner at a restaurant that doesn't have a kid's menu; I'd like a martini (maybe two) to go with it. Then I want to go to an awesome concert to see one of our favorite artists! Hopefully at the end of it all we'll get to catch up with some close friends who we don't see nearly enough.

So this weekend we're kissing the terrible twos good bye and heading out town to remember how life was when we were just two crazy kids in love!

{Yikes! Google Reader is going bye bye this Summer! Make sure to follow another way so you don't miss a thing!}

Pretty in Pink

2013-05-16T10:53:00.001-05:00

Tough as Nails.
In the two years I've been a girl mom I've heard A LOT about being a girl mom.
Don't let her play with princesses, barbies or dolls too much. Don't pander to the male-centric misogynistic cultural view of little girls. Make sure you don't tell her she's pretty, but instead tell her about books.
Treat her like a princess. Dress her up in tutus and tiaras. Tell her how beautiful she is day in and day out. Help build her self-esteem by buying into a pretty obsessed culture.
I have a big problem with that dichotomy though. It assumes that you can only raise two kinds of little girls:
1) Tomboys who are tough, self aware feminists who likely don't shave their armpits and will need to find a submissive male to marry.
2) Self-obsessed vapid beauty queens with standards as limp as their brains who will likely go to college searching for an MRS degree and a man to take care of her.
What about the little girl in the middle though? What about the mother in the middle?
The little girl who loves dinosaurs, Thomas the Train, being outside and climbing as much as she loves bows, tutus, dresses and pretty shoes.
The mom who refuses to let her daughter wear anything with princess written on it, encourages a budding love of science but buys bows in bulk and has no problem dressing her daughter in head to toe pink.
That's the kind of girl I'm raising. One who demands a "pwetty bow please momma!" every single morning, but is happy as a clam playing in the dirt. One who loves to wear sparkly shoes but has banged her nose twice, scraped her knees and bumped her head countless time in the past week all in the process of adventuring and exploring. One who loves to put on her "makeup" but can already count to ten, sing her ABCs, knows her colors and loves nothing more than engineering a beautiful skyscraper out of blocks. I'm raising that kind of girl who will hopefully grow into that kind of woman. One who is confident in her body her looks, who is self aware enough that with femininity comes a certain power, but knows not to abuse that power by placing to much importance on it both when dealing with herself and other people. One who isn't afraid to get messy outside or in the kitchen. One who understands the difference between beauty on the inside and beauty on the outside. One who even though she might look soft and delicate on the outside is known for her inner strength, her courage of conviction and beautiful heart.
I hope she'll be the kind of woman my momma is, the kind of woman I still struggle to be, the kind of woman who inspired the phrase,

Weekend Instagram Update

2013-05-14T12:02:00.001-05:00

In a perfect world I would have posted this yesterday, but since Evie was sick I spent my day with a toddler in my lap, at the pediatrician's or at Walgreen's. Oh, and also catching up on mass amounts of laundry.
I hope all of you had a great weekend and for all the moms, moms to be and fur moms out there I hope you had a very Happy Mother's Day!

1) Mother's Day plant from Chris. I'm still managing to keep the one from birthday alive so we'll see how this one does.
2) Sweet sleeping acrobat baby.
3) Finger painting in the morning. Also known as this will keep our two year old contained and quiet so I can have some coffee.
4) Momma's got a brand new 'do! My mother's day present was a keratin treatment for my uber curly, super thick, frizzy hair!
5)We went to the Memphis Zoo for Mother's Day because no amount of pampering is worth more than time with my number one guy and gal.
6) While at the zoo we went to Sting Ray Bay again because our last trip was freezing cold. It was way fun! My brave girl got right into it and petted a few of the sting rays!
All in all it was a pretty great weekend! The Grizz won, we had pizza, went to the zoo and spent time together as a family! Not bad at all!
PS: Do you follow on Instagram? If not you totally should! Leave me your name below so I can follow you!

Mom Brain

2013-05-10T09:58:00.000-05:00

Because y'all, mom brain is a real thing, caused by juggling 873,654 things in our brains all at the same time.

Coffee sounds nice, wait, when are school picture dates again?, creative play ideas moon sand, play kitchen, sensory bins, mystery matter, toy dinosaurs and trains, I wonder if I can demonstrate the three states of being, science is so important, what were the three states of being again?, Solids, liquids and gas, OH! must remember: car needs gas, I wonder how many cents off we have on the kroger card, hmmm time to check the grocery and pantry status (must NOT run out of avocados), PINTEREST, I really need a hair cut, does Evie need more bows?, I want some coffee, those dishes really need to be washed, are we out of olive oil again?, ugh must get oil changed in car, I wonder if Chris can pick Evie up from school so I can go to the gym, wait. when is the next swimming lesson?, REMINDER TO SELF: buy new bathing suits before going to Destin, oh crap also order samples of soft rock, call the kennel and reserve spots for the dogs, is it raining again?, what should we have for dinner tonight?, Ok now I need coffee!, why the heck is the Xbox remote in the kitchen? why did I come in here again? was I hungry? ::opens refrigerator::, nope not hungry but what is the cereal doing in here?, am I going insane?, did Evie's teacher tell me today that she needed wipes or was that last week?, have I already done that?, guess I'll send some just in case, the laundry needs washing and folding, dog! why are you ALWAYS in my way, the dogs need a bath, wait, is bath night tonight or tomorrow? let's see we gave her a bath on Sunday so that means Tuesday and yep tonight is bath night, I'd really like to take a bath, it would be so relaxing and I'm so so ::yawn:: dang tired today, oh! now I remember why I went in the kitchen! coffee!

That? That's about a minute of my day, and it's like that all.day.long. I bet yours is much the same, and that's only the inner monologue never mind that I might have been dressing myself or Evie, feeding the dogs/cats, planning a meal, cooking a meal or cleaning all at the same time.

No wonder I put the cereal in the fridge, forgot to make the coffee and fed the cat dog food.

{What about you? Do you suffer from mom brain too?}

Today day I am sharing this post and taking over for Erin one of my blogging besties and my BlogHer '13 roomie! Go check it out and say hi to Erin!

Wordless Wednesday: Sprinkler Fun!

2013-05-08T10:01:00.000-05:00

Back before Mother Nature decided to go on an acid trip this past week we had a string of really beautiful days. So when I saw a little tykes sprinkler for twelve bucks at Wal-Mart I made an impulse purchase. Turns out it was money well spent. Evie loves it and even when it's cold out she'll ask, "Momma, Evie play water?".
Also note the Bella Bare Wear swimsuit from February finally in action! I can't wait to get the other one we ordered!

Rage Against the Muffin Top: Week Seven with Revolt Fitness

2013-05-07T09:36:00.002-05:00

Week Seven with Revolt Now Fitness was really kind of an off week for me. I felt bloated, icky and really frustrated when I stepped on the scale and kept seeing the numbers creep up (that's right, UP!). My pants felt tighter; I was really tired and had a nagging headache.

I was really unhappy when I got on the scale for weigh day (I weigh throughout the week, but have a "weigh day" I count as the official day) and I saw 146.9. Yes, 146.9. Definitely NOT a loss. A gain.

At first I freaked out and was like ERMGERD!!! Then I remembered the bloating, headaches and fatigue. Three little letters folks: PMS.

Duh. I always gain about three pounds of water weight when I am PMSing. I drop it the next week so I decided not to stress, and even indulged Aunt Flo's desire for Subway. Sorry, not sorry. I'm making a lifestyle change here and for me, that lifestyle will include some not so good for you foods occasionally. I am just glad Nichole has shown me how clean eating can really improve your overall well being. It's amazing how eating nutrient dense foods improves the way you feel, and I have found that nine times out of ten that's what I want to eat. I don't want the white bread sandwich or burger and fries. I'd actually rather have that salad and steak.

So, the run down:

Starting Weight: 158.1lbs

Weeks 1&2: 149.0 lbs -9.1

Week 3: 149.2 lbs +0.2

Week 4: 147.2 lbs -2.0

Week 5: 145.8 - 1.4

Week 6: 145.3 -0.5

Week 7: 146.9 +1.6

Total Lost: 11.2 lbs!

GOAL WEIGHT: 125lbs

Weight left to go: 21.9 lbs

Go Grizz!!!

2013-05-03T14:26:00.000-05:00

I know you all know that we are huge University of Tennessee VOLS fans, but did you know that we are also huge Memphis Grizzlies fans also? If you follow me on instagram then you might already know.
Anyway tonight is game six of the first round of the NBA playoffs! If we beat the LA Clippers then we will advance to the second round of the playoffs! I am kind of nervous because I think the last time I was this excited for a sporting event it was last year's debacle of a football game when we played the Florida Gators (God I hate even typing that. Ick.) and well we all know how that one turned out. So yeah we are stocking up on rum and coke and vodka cranberry for tonight's game.
Now for the whole point of this post the world's cutest Grizzlies fan! She is always so excited to wear her ZBo jersey!

GO GRIZZ! BEAT FLOP CITY!

Easter Sunday Photo Dump

2013-05-02T10:36:00.001-05:00

So yes I know I'm a month late. Let me explain. Evie's birthday party was on March 30th. On March 31st we celebrated Easter Sunday AND the baptism of one Miss Anna Lee. April 6th brought Leo's birthday party, followed by Evie's redo. Couple that with the mass organizing of photos from the past two years into one central location for the family to be able to download and view (Flickr Pro) I am just behind on editing
& posting.

Better late than never though!

Happy May!

2013-05-01T11:46:00.000-05:00

In honor of the fifth month of the year (where the hell is this year going by the way?) and in hopes that Spring really is here to stay I'm offering 50% off of all ad spots from now until May 5th! Unless I've had one too many margaronas that day and forget to take it down in which case, you might have until May 6th.
Visit my PR Page to purchase!
Use code: May50
Happy May y'all!

Wordless Wednesday: Evie's Two Year Old Photos

2013-05-01T10:16:00.001-05:00

Since we missed our chance to have Evie's two year old photos taken by Jessie from Big Leaps I decided I'd give it my best shot and do what I could myself. I am still learning this camera and toddlers are hard to shoot, yo. Props to anyone who does this for real. I'm also really lucky to have such a beautiful subject who really loves dinosaurs. :)
We live in a small Mississippi town, and historic old towne has some great spots for backdrops. I hope to continue to use them as Evie grows.

Saying Good Bye To A Really Lucky Cat

2013-04-30T11:16:00.001-05:00

Things you need to know. We have some best friends. Their names are Stephen and Libba. Libba is a vet.
There is a cat of legend from Chris' childhood. A black Tom cat named George. George was more dog than cat. He followed Chris to school every day and would sit outside the window of his classroom. Before George died he hugged all of his people good bye and disappeared.
We lost our cat Lucky yesterday. It was very sudden and very sad.
Lucky came into our lives very unexpectedly. With four dogs, one cat and a baby on the way the inn was full. We had no real intentions of adding another pet to our family.
One early Fall afternoon Chris and I went to Holly Springs to visit our friends. Libba had a few patients to check on at the clinic before we all went to dinner. Being a former vet tech I informed Chris that I was going to ride with her, "just in case she needed help." I knew there was a litter of kittens there and had heard that there were a few orange and white tabbies. I've always wanted an orange white tabby and thought maybe there would be one that I could convince Chris to take home.
After we arrived at the clinic and visited with the kittens for a bit Libba said, "You've got to come see this little one. She's so sweet and sad." I walked over to a cage and inside was a tiny black kitten with bright yellow eyes. Libba told me that their preacher, Bruce, found her outside the VFW starving, full of fleas and worms and unable to bear weight on one of her rear legs. Bruce brought her to Libba. The leg would have to go, but Bruce agreed to pay for the amputation, spay and shots if Libba could find her a home. It would be a long shot. Black cats are a dime a dozen and hard to adopt out under the best of circumstances.
As I peered back at the kitten currently staring at me she made a mewling sound, made her way to the front on the cage and started purring so loudly you could hear it in the next room. I fell for that tiny neglected kitten instantly. Somehow I convinced Chris that she was so much like George and that she needed us as much as we needed her. Being a smart man, and recognizing that denying his pregnant wife the rescue of this baby animal would be a bad idea, he agreed. We would name her Lucky and wouldn't that be a funny name for a three legged black cat (as if we were the only ones clever enough to come up with that)?
After a small miracle and lots of steroids and TLC Lucky regained the use of her lame leg and about a week later came home to us. The first few days were a bit interesting and fur occasionally flew as she adjusted to her new brother and sisters, and they her. However, it became very clear that giving Lucky a home was a good idea. She proved to be the sweetest most loving cat. She always wanted to be in your lap, wrapped around your neck or getting her belly rubbed. Like George it was clear she was more dog than cat. She had nerve damage from whatever trauma caused her to be lame as a kitten and her tail dragged on the ground and she had trouble retracting her claws, but we didn't care. We loved her dearly. I told her (as I tell all of my animals) that she was really Lucky. She fell into roses and didn't do anything to deserve it.
Yesterday after mystifying Libba and her associates Lucky died. Sunday morning she began meowing pitifully and started throwing up. After a few text and phone consultations I called in the favor of having a best friend who is a vet and picked Libba up and headed to the clinic around 9pm. All of the radio graphs and blood tests were inconclusive but it was clear we had a very sick kitty on our hands. The only thing she tested positive for was a UTI. After hooking her up to IV fluids and giving her a few shots of antibiotics and some meds for vomiting I headed home. Before I left I made sure she was curled up in her blanket from home and reassured her over and over that we were not abandoning her, that we loved her and once she was fixed up she'd be back at home with us. Maybe some people think I'd be silly to have a conversation with a cat, but I truly believe that animals have feelings and know on some level what we are trying to express. They know the difference between comfort and anger. I was so worried she would think she was being abandoned on top of already feeling terrible.
The news yesterday morning wasn't good. She'd deteriorated over night. After a few more tests the diagnosis was still unclear. Lucky's health continued to decline throughout the day while Libba sent me text updates. Libba said she would hold off on euthanasia just yet. I told Chris if she made it through the night, but did not improve and there was no clear diagnosis that we'd have to make a decision on euthanasia. I couldn't prolong her life for me (or anyone else) if it was clear she'd not pull through and was in pain. I made arrangements for care for Evie and planned to go to Holly Springs either to visit her or be with her as she died on Tuesday. I've held countless animals as they've been put to sleep and comforted them when their owners couldn't. I was determined that if she was euthanized that she would die in my arms.
I turned out that I needn't have worried as Libba and I spoke shortly after and I learned that Lucky was already gone. It was incredibly sad. Libba offered to autopsy to try and determine cause of death, but really, it won't bring her back. It won't let me hear her purr again. So I guess we'll never know.
One thing I do know though is that for her name and all the times I would tell her that she was lucky to have found us, that she had a great life for a former dumpster cat, we were the lucky ones to have her in our life even if it was only for a short while.
Be peaceful Lucky Cat.
"You will always be lucky if you know how to make friends with strange cats."-Colonial American Proverb-

Rage Against the Muffin Top: Week Six with Revolt Fitness

2013-04-29T10:09:00.002-05:00

Week six was interesting to say the least.

Chris was out of town all week which left me scrambling to find time to go to the gym, but luckily I was still able to go four times (thanks to the inlaws).

I didn't eat the meal plan basically due to lack of time before Chris left. I stuck to a low carb, low fat, high protein and high fiber diet though and seemed to do ok.

It's always hectic when Chris is out of town and I'm left in charge of a toddler, four dogs and two cats, but I still managed to make it work for me.

One weigh in day I the scale read 145.3. So not a huge loss -- but a loss all the same!

Starting Weight: 158.1lbs

Weeks 1&2: 149.0 lbs -9.1

Week 3: 149.2 lbs +0.2

Week 4: 147.2 lbs -2.0

Week 5: 145.8 - 1.4

Week 5: 145.3 -0.5

Total Lost: 12.8 lbs!

GOAL WEIGHT: 125lbs

Weight left to go: 20.3 lbs

Here is to the second uprising and really dropping the number on the scale and toning up!

Thanks to Revolt Fitness for sponsoring this post. My opinions are real and my own. I think the results speak for themselves.

Wordless Wednesday: A Birthday Redo

2013-04-24T10:53:00.000-05:00

Since Evie's birthday party turned out miserable due to the crappy weather I, of course, waited until the first sunny warm day and put her back into her birthday shirt from Embellished Bayou* and her ridculously cute tutu from The Hairbow Company to take some pictures!

I was super excited to get these photos of the tutu, because who doesn't love a good tutu and also because it came in a big box of girlmom goodies from The Hairbow Company! It was filled with bows and pettiskirts, flowers and tutus. I really like their company because you can get all sorts of girly things at wholesale prices, which means more bows and photography props for this momma!

We saved her present from Grammie and Grampie for picture taking purposes!** There were also bubbles involved because, duh. Bubbles.

*I was not compensated by Embellished Bayou. I purchased Evie's shirt myself. I just really want to give Christy a shoutout because she is awesome and helped me out. Basically the chick who was supposed to make Evie's shirt flaked at the last minute, and I could not find a shop to work with me on turn around times. I put out the SOS on twitter because I had that Eviesaurus shirt stuck in my head. I knew it was a big fat first world problem, but I was like a dog with a bone and could not let it go. Sure enough Twitter came through and my friend Andie hooked me up with Christy. Christy graciously agreed to rush the order (even with all of her Easter orders she had to do). Within an hour she had emailed me a design that was exactly what I wanted! Less than a week later the perfect shirt was in my hands. Evie loves it and always wants to wear her Bihosaur shirt!

**In case any of you were wondering Evie's present from Grammie and Grampie was a pull behind for the boat. Now if it would only freakin warm up so the boat could open she could use it!!!

Disclosure: I was not compensated by The Hairbow Company. A product was provided for review purposes only; my opinions are honest and my own.

Live & Unplugged

2013-04-22T16:15:00.001-05:00

It may be an unpopular stance but when the news of the bombings at the Boston Marathon broke I chose to unplug. I made the same decision when the fertilizer plant blew up and then again when the avalanche happened in Colorado.
It is terribly easy to become addicted to the news reports in times like these. It's even easier to become bogged down in it, clicking, clicking, clicking away only to read the same story rehashed again as each new detail emerges. If there is one thing the American news media has down pat it's sensationalism. I'm not saying it's right, and I am not saying that these stories don't merit media attention (they absolutely do). However, in these times when ratings rule it is their job to suck you in with gruesome details that may or may not be accurate. I fell prey to this trap after the Newtown, CT school shootings. I ravenously devoured every media update I could find, and in doing so put myself in a position of being consumed with anxiety for weeks.
I still pray for those children and educators that were lost in Newtown, just as I've been praying for the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings, the West Texas Explosion and the avalanche in Colorado. I've prayed for friends in Boston, Texas and Colorado. I have people I love in all three states. I've prayed especially for the service men and women as they engaged in a dangerous man hunt through the city of Boston. I've been praying for them, but I am afraid that I cannot engage in their story.
It's too simple to jump from tragedy to "what kind of world have I brought a child into that this must be her inevitable fate?". If you live with anxiety that jump is terrifyingly simple, and I bet a lot of people made that jump.
I however made a decision to unplug from social media and live in order to prove that there is still good out there, that this world that contains such vileness also is home to ice cream cones, days at the zoo, time with family and hot afternoons perfect for playing in the sprinkler.
We have to believe we have brought our children into a world that is still essentially good. Sometimes in order to do that you have to allow yourself to live fully in the moment to enjoy the simple pleasures of today. You have to revel in the unsullied silly innocence of a child and realize what a beautiful world we still live in.

Wordless Wednesday: Girl's Dinosaur Themed Birthday Party

2013-04-17T11:25:00.001-05:00

I knew when I planned Evie's birthday party to be outdoors at the city park I was taking a risk. March down South is a fickle fickle creature. You are looking at anything from snow, freezing rain, warm sunshine, tornadoes, thunderstorms to cold spring rains. So I played the weather roulette game and I lost, miserably.

It rained all. day. long. on the day of Evie's birthday party. It was windy and freezing cold. Since ~~my house was a disaster~~ ~~I am really stubborn~~ I am perserverent I decided to go ahead and move forward with the park idea. So what if it was raining? We rented a pavillion, we would be dry and just fine thankyouverymuch.

Haha. Oh, hahahahahaha.

No. Just no. It was complete and total misery.

Long story short, all of the signs I made for the food were droopy and ugly from the humidity. The kids (the ones who bothered to show up)* were freezing (so were the adults). I am amazed that somehow my father-in-law and husband manged to get the (non-sheltered) grill to work. This was clearly not their first rodeo. The chips? We went through two bags, and not because we ate them. The first bag got stale before the dogs were already done so I had to open a second. The table cloths had to be taped down because they kept blowing away. Even the helium balloons were lying on the ground when they got too bogged down with water from the rain.The shirt that I panicked over and Embellished Bayou rushed in and saved the day with was never seen because it was under Evie's fleece jacket. The cute tutu that The Hairbow Company sent for Evie to wear to her party was barely even visible as well.

All my hard work - for patootie. Anyway, here are the details:

The invitations were made by my awesome friend Christine. She doesn't have an etsy shop, yet. More on that later, I hope!

The cake was inspired by this Betty Crocker tutorial and took 3 lbs of butter, 2 bags of confectioners sugar and countless amounts of food coloring to frost. I was pretty pleased with how it turned out. I did make mine from two double layer round cakes instead of a single layer. We didn't even bother with blowing out a candle because well, we couldn't even get the darn thing lit. So we gave up because basically everyone just wanted to eat cake, open presents and leave. I can't say that I blame them.

All of the food was labled with a dinosaur theme! I wanted to print these labels but our printer was on the fritz! We had things like Brontosaurus Bites, T-Rex Treats, Stegosaurus Snacks, Echinodon Eats and Raptor Refreshments! The goodie bags were labeled Gadolosaurus Goodies (I really really like alliteration).

For activities I had crayons and dinosaur coloring sheets, which of course were damp, and I did a fossil "dig" basically I got a large shallow tub, filled it with small animal bedding and buried plastic dinosaurs in it and provided plastic shovels and rakes.

Basically all of it would have been way cooler if it wasn't freezing cold and raining. I am very seriously considering ordering a cake and doing a "redo" sometime in May, not a party just a fun cookout for our family and close friends.

So yeah. To close here are some pictures of Evie. And yes we did do a redo photo shoot of Evie in her tutu, shirt, and bow. I'll post those next week!

*What is up with people's lack of ability to RSVP for something? For the love of God, it's not hard. I provided you with my email address. So freaking rude. If you are invited to a party and an RSVP is requested take the thirty seconds out of your day and either call or email. Geeze.

Is She Hearing Me?

2013-04-16T10:26:00.002-05:00

Every day, at least once a day, I talk to my daughter I would talk to another adult.

The topics of conversation vary somewhat, ranging from scientific topics like weather or nature to my thoughts on baking or cooking like how to reduce a sauce. Invariably though, I find myself talking to her about her self worth in an effort to combat a world that is already telling her that her looks determine her value.

It's a weighty conversation to have with your two year old. Maybe. I'd posit however that it's probably the most important one I have with her on a weekly, if not biweekly, basis and that all mothers of girls should be having similar conversations with their girls.

I find myself starting off with the question, "Evie are you a smart girl?" After she nods her head I always reply that, "Yes! You are such a smart girl." Then we talk about how beautiful she is on the inside. I tell her how much value she has as person and how much her father and I value that. I tell her she has such a kind heart, that it's loving, and we talk about the importance of being gentle with other people and their hearts. We talk about the importance of compassion and being a cheerful helper. We talk about the signifigance and consequences of her actions. Then I ask her another question, "Evie, are you such a pretty girl?" After she nods her head in agreement I tell her that she has the most beatiful eyes I've ever seen, how gorgeous her blonde curls are and how bright her smile is. Then I tell her she is never to let anyone devalue just how wonderful she is inside and out.

She smiles at me and sometimes I wonder, if it matters. I wonder if having these conversations early and often with my daughter will make a difference. I sometimes wonder if my darling two year old daughter who loves dinosaurs, bubbles, sunshine and her puppy dogs is even hearing me.

I have to believe she is though.

Golden Hours

2013-04-15T10:51:00.002-05:00

Saturday after Chris left to go to the gym Evie and I ventured outside to soak up some vitamin D and enjoy the fading Spring sunlight with a tub of sidewalk chalk and bubbles. After a brief nature walk down the sidewalk and through the front yard to look at leaves, sticks and rocks I asked Evie if she wanted to go color and blow bubbles.

As of late I've been obsessed with my DSLR taking every opportunity to practice and document Evie's toddlerhood. I figured this would be a great time to practice outdoor shooting in the golden hour.

Instead Evie looked at me with her blue eyes wide and asked, "Momma lap?"

"Yes baby. Momma lap", and I patted my legs. She walked over sat down and leaned her back against my chest to happily blow bubbles. I gently set the camera down and instead of clicking away leaned in to bury my nose in her blond curls and breathed in a combination of the fading scent of Johnson's baby shampoo, little kid, the strawberry milk her Daddy gave her earlier and the smell that is unique only to her, the one I recognized the first time I held her in my arms. Once again I thought, oh my heart, and felt the peculiar combination of utter joy and bittersweet that is the hallmark of motherhood.

The realization that capturing the golden hours of our lives through living them instead of photographing them came to me swiftly and I left the Nikon on the ground and instead concentrated on the smell of Evie's hair, the warmth of her back, the smoothness of her skin and the sparkle in her smile. I couldn't resist grabbing my phone for a quick snap shot of the moment, but didn't press it further realizing that no photo, no color representation and no picture in frame could be as perfect as that moment right then.

It may have only lasted twenty minutes before Evie was up running back to the yard yelling "Sticks! Leaves! Rocks!", but it was truly a golden hour, and the smell of Johnson's, little kid, strawberry milk lingered long after my darling girl was off to dream dreams.

I still love you beyond words or measure my baby bug, and my heart is still full from you.

Rage Against the Muffin Top: Week 5 With Revolt Fitness

2013-04-12T10:36:00.000-05:00

This week I want to talk a little about exercise and anxiety.

I'm pretty frank about living with generalized anxiety disorder. I have a very mild case and control it very well on my own without medication using deep breathing and visualization techniques. Now, I can add exercise to that list.

Over the past six weeks working with Revolt Fitness I have noticed a huge drop in my anxiety. I'm more relaxed and I smile and laugh a lot more (not that I was always cranky and on edge before, I'm not Daria). I've been told for years by doctors and friends alike that exercise would help with anxiety, but I never really got on the bandwagon. I guess I thought they meant you would be too tired to feel anxious or something. Either way I was entirely wrong!

Turns out, that not only does exercise release endorphins (which is why you feel awesome after a workout), but it also helps your brain produce more serotonin (which I always refer to as the happy neurotransmitter). For a person dealing with anxiety this is huge.

Since I started this program I feel less and less touched out and more receptive to giving and receiving hugs. I feel happier and lighter and intrusive thoughts are almost gone. That feeling of worry in my gut (if you deal with anxiety you know what I mean) doesn't happen so much anymore.

Now let's get to the good stuff, the numbers and such!

When I got on the scale for my weigh in I saw this number 145.8!!! Sorry friends I forgot to take a picture this week. But still! 145.8! I am crazy excited!

Starting Weight: 158.1lbs

Weeks 1&2: 149.0 lbs -9.1

Week 3: 149.2 lbs +0.2

Week 4: 147.2 lbs -2.0

Week 5: 145.8 - 1.4

Total Lost: 12.3 lbs!

GOAL WEIGHT: 125lbs

Weight left to go: 20.8 lbs

Here's to finishing off week six and this uprising strong! I am looking forward to starting the next uprising on Monday!

If you want to start your own Revolt with Nichole Huntsman email me for more info!

Thanks to Revolt Fitness for sponsoring this post. My opinions are real and my own. I think the results speak for themselves.

BlogHer 2013: Chicago Conference Sponsorship

2013-04-11T12:19:00.000-05:00

It's a Vol! is currently seeking sponsorship for BlogHer 2013. BlogHer is annual conference for bloggers who are seeking to grow their networks both professionally and personally, expand their blogging knowledge through attending various classes and learn how to better serve their readers and the brands that they work with. This year BlogHer is taking place in one of the most exciting city America has to offer, Chicago, IL. Along with over 5,000 other bloggers I will travel to Chicago for a weekend of networking and growing, and I need your help to get there!

I want to be YOUR brand ambassador during BlogHer '13! There's a lot to be said for media advertising. However, a bouncy, smiley, relatable person is even better! I would love to put my skills to use for you and your company as your brand ambassador. Please take a minute to select which of the following packages works best for you and your company. Don't see something you like? Email me and we can talk more! I would LOVE to work with you!

The Cost Breakdown:

HOTEL: $300

FLIGHT: $450

MISC (food, cabs etc): $250

TOTAL COST: $1,000

You will notice that I did not include the cost of the ticket in the sponsorship price. I'm shouldering that responsibility myself!

Sponsorship Packages

ONLY ONE AVAILABLE!
Vol Nation Advertising for one year.
Two full length posts with links to your site and social media leading up to the conference, and one full length post after the conference.
Mentions on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram leading up to the conference.
Live Tweets, Facebook mentions and Instagram posts during the conference.
Weekly Twitter and Facebook mentions of any sales or events from now until July 2013.
Your name on the back of my business cards.
I will carry any swag that you provide with your company logo on it, such as iPad/iPhone cases, laptop bags, tote bags etc.
I would be willing to run a giveaway near the time of the conference to help generate buzz for your company and brand.

ONLY TWO AVAILABLE!
Vol For Life advertising for one year.
One full length post featuring your business with links to your site and social media before the conference and one full length post after.
Mentions on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram leading up to the conference.
Live Tweets, Facbook mentions and Instagram posts during the conference.
Weekly Twitter and Facebook mentions of any sales or events from now until July 2013.
Your name on the back of my business cards.
I will carry any swag that you provide with your company logo on it, such as iPad/iPhone cases, laptop bags, tote bags etc.
I would be willing to run a giveaway near the time of the conference to help generate buzz for your company and brand

ONLY FOUR AVAILABLE!
Daddy Vol advertising for six months.
One full length post with links to your site and social media sites before the conference.
Tweets, Facebook Mentions and Instagram posts leading up to the conference.
Live Tweets, Facebook & Instagram mentions during the conference.
Monthly Twitter and Facebook mentions of any sales or events from now until July 2013 (two per month)
I will carry any swag that you provide with your company logo on it, such as iPad/iPhone cases, laptop bags, tote bags etc.

TEN AVAILABLE!
Mommy Vol Advertising for six months.
One short length post with links to your site and social media sites before the conference.
Live Tweets, Facebook and Instagram mentions during the conference.
Facebook & Twitter mentions of sales or events from now until July 2013 (one per month).
I will carry any swag that you provide with your company logo on it, such as iPad/iPhone cases, laptop bags, tote bags etc

If you have a smaller budget but still have a business to promote, this is the one for you! If you'd like to provide a service such as business card design, luggage, clothing, electronics or accessories, this is the one for you! Includes:

Three months of Mommy Vol advertising.
Mention in the group sponsor post with one link back to your site.
Live Tweets, Facebook mentions and Instagram posts about your company during the conference.
Facebook & Twitter mentions of sales or events from now until July 2013 (one per month).

Select the package that fits you and email me today to save your spot!

I'm Late

2013-04-10T15:40:00.003-05:00

Ok ok. I'm late to this party I know.

We've all known for weeks now, but GOOGLE READER IS DISAPPEARING INTO CYBER SPACE!

So what are we all going to do?

It appears the blogging powers that be have decided that Blog Lovin is to be the next big thing in blog following.

So if you wouldn't mind pretty please follow me over at Blog Lovin so you don't miss a thing. It really is super easy to use and honestly, it's where I've been migrating my reader to over the last few weeks. My google reader is out of control.

It's easy just click the button below!

Wordless Wednesday: Just Because

2013-04-10T11:24:00.000-05:00

Just because sometimes you open up the new boat bath toy that your kid got for her birthday, break out the Nikon & Speed Light on a Thursday night and you get this.

In case there was any doubt, I know this erased it: I officially have the cutest kid ever.

{I love this picture more than words can express. I absolutely hate that the top of her head is cropped off. I was sitting in the bathroom floor taking the pictures. She was slowly leaning forward towards me and saying, "nooooo momma. nooooo camera." and I just couldn't pull the zoom back fast enough. Maybe my MIL can photo shop her head on.}

Rage Against the Muffin Top: Week 4 with Revolt Fitness

2013-04-04T10:18:00.000-05:00

Last week I confessed my dietary transgressions to you all.

Week four with Revolt Fitness was much better (we are currently in week five), although we did have kind of a crappy weekend because of Evie's birthday party, but it was worth it. It's hard though to not slip up when you are taking 3 lbs of butter and 2.5 bags of powdered sugar and turning it into buttercream. In fact, it's impossible not to slip up because you have to taste it to see if it's right. Same goes for the strawberry cake filling. It is what is.

Despite a somewhat iffy weekend, I've begun to notice changes in my body. My pants that I could barely button? Those are now loose. My size 8 jeans that I could not button in January? I can now take them on and off without unbuttoning them. My muscles are growing strong, and things that used to make me out of breath no longer do.

Along with the changes I was quite happy when I stepped on the scale and saw this:

Wahoo! Another 2 lbs lost!

Starting Weight: 158.1lbs

Weeks 1&2: 149.0 lbs -9.1

Week 3: 149.2 lbs +0.2

Week 4: 147.2 lbs -2.0

Total Lost: 10.9 lbs!

GOAL WEIGHT: 125lbs

Weight left to go: 22.2 lbs

Want to start your own revolt? Email me for more information on Nichole Huntsman and Revolt Fitness!

Thanks to Revolt Fitness for sponsoring this post. My opinions are honest and my own. I think the results speak for themselves.

The Force Is Strong With This One

2013-04-03T11:19:00.001-05:00

Evie got a triple hit, of the shoe loving gene that is.

Both grandmothers and her mother are notorious shoe hounds.

As I've mentioned before, this girl loves shoes.

This is (most of) her current collection.

These are her, as she calls them, "pretty shoes" or just her "pretties". That's right my two year old has FOUR pairs of Toms and they all sparkle (her black glitters are not pictured here).

In the morning the entire time I'm getting her dressed she's asking me, "Pretty shoes? Pretty shoes momma?".

Every day as soon as we walk in the door Evie runs to her room takes off whatever pair of pretty shoes she's wearing and carefully selects another pair of pretties to grace her feet. She adores stealing my shoes, especially my high heels and wearing them around the house. She even loves to try on her Daddy's boots although those come up so high she can barely walk.

The force is strong with this one. I can only imagine life when she's a teenager!

I Think It's Time (How to Fix The Mommy Wars)

2013-04-02T10:35:00.000-05:00

I think I've found the solution to the mommy wars. No seriously, hear me out.

From what I have gathered through observation the mommy wars all stem from feelings inferiority we have about ourselves.

The impetus to defend ourselves as wonderful, fantastic, amazing (because let's face it good just doesn't cut it any more) mother is greater than ever before because the pressure of motherhood is greater than ever before. The lovely invention of the Internet brought us that gift. The ability to share, like, photograph, tweet, instagram and blog about every minute of our lives leaves us comparing ourselves to others.

That has to stop.

It's time that we learn to become responsible for our own feelings, our own lives and no one else's.

I've read many many times how proud a woman is for exclusively breastfeeding her child. It used to seriously upset me, and hurt my feelings. I felt like her being "proud" of her accomplishment meant that I had nothing to be proud of after switching to formula exclusively at four weeks. Then I realized, I don't have to feel that way. I can get all grumpy and stabby about it, or I can commend her for her accomplishment AND commend myself for my accomplishment. That woman is just sharing that she's proud. Nowhere in there did she say anything that should make me feel bad. I let myself feel that way. I made a choice which was the best thing for our family. It's time I own that decision. So I don't get gold boobies, but I get a gold star. Go me! And go you!

The stay at home mom who says I just can't imagine leaving my kids with someone else? She's probably not judging me for working, for having a career. Maybe for her that's true, but I bet it has absolutely nothing to do with me and my child. I can't imagine ever being a full time stay at home mom. Seriously, I would pull my hair out and we'd have to buy stock in a vineyard, but that has nothing to do with anyone else but me. If either of us feels put out or judged then that's our own deal.

Maybe there are women (in fact I am sure there are) who sit around and judge all of us other mothers every day for not breast feeding, for nursing in public, for having kids that are too big or too small, for how we gave birth, what kind of diapers we use, how we taught our kids to eat, how we sleep, how much TV we let our kids watch, how much time we spend with our kids, how we discipline, how we teach our kids and for the love of all that is good and holy, how elaborate we make holidays for our kids (fellow bloggers you know this is no joke). You know what? Screw 'em. Seriously, screw 'em, in five different languages. You have a choice, you can get pissy because people are judgemental and mean or you can just let it go, take some responsibility for how you feel, move on and get back to living your own life without comparing it to anyone else's.

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."

So let's stop giving our consent. I think it's time we own up to our responsibility to control our own feelings, realize, as long as we are doing the best we can, that we have no right to feel inferior to anyone for any reason; it's time we reclaim our consent and get back to the business of mothering and being friends.