Lamberts Lately

What's In My Makeup Bag?

2013-05-24T07:47:00.000-05:00

I consider myself a pretty practical person, and that extends into things like my makeup collection. I'm not fully stocked in very expensive makeup...but, there are a few staple items that I think are worth the money.

What's In My Makeup Bag? by leslieflambert featuring urban decay eye-shadow

Rodan and Fields Unblemish Regimen - I've talked about this plenty of times before - I love how it keeps your skin beautifully clear! Revlon Colorstay Foundation in Medium Beige, mixed with Rodan and Fields moisturizer and applied with a Beauty Blender. This is a great foundation for the price - applies a matte (but not clumpy or thick) finish. I read a few weeks ago about mixing your foundation with moisturizer for a lighter look, and it works wonderfully! I dab a little bit of foundation and moisturizer all over, then pat it in with the Beauty Blender. It gives such a natural (but covered) look. Mac Loose Powder in NC40 - I use just a little bit of this over my foundation...just to keep the shine away. I apply it with an E.L.F. Kabuki brush. E.L.F. Mineral Blush in Rose - this is a fabulous value for the price...I love it! I apply it with a Mac 129 Blush Brush.
Naked and Naked 2 Eyeshadow - absolutely obsessed with these palettes - I use both, just depends on what mood I'm in. The primer that comes with Naked is so great (but E.L.F. makes a great one too), and I love the brushes that come with Naked 2! From Naked, I typically use Virgin/Sin mixed together, Naked/Buck in the crease, and Darkhorse to blend my eyeliner. In Naked 2, I usually use Foxy/Bootycall all over, Chopper/Tease in the crease, and Snakebite to blend my eyeliner. Sometimes I'll get experimental though. :)
E.L.F. Mineral Eyeliner in black - love this eyeliner...I'm not great at applying a straight line, but I use a shadow from my Naked palettes to blend it after I apply, so it really doesn't matter if it's perfect. It blends very easily!
Lancome Definicils Mascara in Black - I had a sorority sister in college that always had the prettiest, longest lashes. One day she told me this was the mascara she used, and I've been hooked ever since!
Mary Kay NouriShine Lip Gloss in Pink Sateen - This gives great coverage, but isn't too thick...just gives your lips that perfect finishing shine!
I've also become a little bit of a nail polish junkie lately! Here are a few of my favorites...

Favorite Nail Polishes by leslieflambert featuring a matte finish nail polish

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Gray Area (has just a little bit of a purple finish...and I LOVE this line! Great value for a great formula. I'd say it works almost as well as the expensive stuff!)
Essie 3 Way Glaze (In my opinion, the best base/top coat out there.)
OPI Bastille My Heart (A great, deep red color.) Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Mint Sorbet (Such a fun summery color!) Essie Smooth Sailing (This is my nail polish for when I'm feeling experimental...I had it on my toes just a couple of days ago!) Essie Ballet Slippers (The BEST neutral pink you'll find!) OPI Cajun Shrimp (This one is super popular in salons around here. It's a great, bright pink!) Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Lacey Lilac (I just happened upon this one in a store a few days ago, and it immediately caught my eye. Very pretty, light shade of purple.) Alright - what am I missing out on? What are a few of your current favorite beauty products?
**Random note: If you follow daily deals and discounts sites, Totsy is one of my favorites! They are having just an insane sale today...I'm talking $9 smocked dresses, $2 board books, and lots of deals in household items, toys, women's clothing, etc. It's a great time to stock up...click here!***

Create It Thursday #3 (Plus Features)

2013-05-22T20:02:00.000-05:00

Hi Friends! Welcome back for another fun week of exploring your favorite creations!

There were almost 200 participants in Create It Thursday last week...another incredible turnout! Here are a few of my favorite posts shared. Holy COW...this Crock Pot Chocolate Lava Cake shared by Love, Pasta, and a Tool belt is right up my alley! I was just amazed at this idea of starting seedlings in old toilet paper rolls! This was shared by Designed Decor.

I'm obviously on a chocolate kick as I write this post. :) These Chocolate Chip and Toffee Cookie Cups by From My Perspective just look amazing!
Missy's Homemaking Adventures shared this 15 minute pin cushion that looks so convenient! I might need one of these. I certainly needed this tutorial for Perfectly Fried Chicken from Hope In Every Season...I've always wondered what the secret is! She makes it look so simple.
This Pinata Cake by Loving Life in Pink is just precious! This would be so cute for a Mexican-themed birthday party, or a Cinco De Mayo party. I don't know about y'all - but if you're an iPhone family like we are - you probably get your cords and chargers mixed up. This is a fool-proof way to organize them, brought to you by Life in Ryans'! Big Mac Salad. Let me repeat - BIG MAC SALAD. I know those terms kind of contradict each other, but this looks delicious! Thanks, Far From Normal!

Mounds Bar Lip Balm by My Lamp is Full - YUM! Looks great for your lips, and you get to taste a Mounds Bar without all the guilt. :) These gorgeous no-sew curtains are by Glitter, Glue and Paint! I think everybody needs a trick like this up their sleeve. If you were featured this week, you can grab your button below!

On to this week! Here are the rules... -Please link to your actual post, not just your main blog link. -No giveaway links or shop links, please! -Visit a couple of other links in the collection...you never know, you might learn something. -If you'd like to add my link or button (below) to your post, I'd appreciate it! -Linking up means you are giving permission to be featured on next week's post, possibly using a picture from your post (see above for examples). Of course, all features include a link back to your site!
Show me what you've got this week!

The Great Yard Resod of 2013

2013-05-21T11:27:00.000-05:00

I'm pretty sure I worked harder than I ever have this weekend.

Let's get a little bit of a backstory. When we moved into our house, it had been vacant for months, and the lawn hadn't been very well kept. We live in the middle of what used to be a cow pasture...so there are a few hundred years of weeds just waiting to grow underneath any grass. Well, when the grass isn't maintained, the weeds will grow.

And that's what we had. Our front yard had become nothing but weeds...most of which were dead from trying to treat them. It was embarrassing. I would see these gorgeous yards when we walked, then come to our nasty yard. Something had to be done. So, for Mother's Day, I got a new yard! First, the old stuff had to be removed...not an easy task. We basically had to till the whole yard and just scoop away the old stuff (mostly dead weeds).

So, my yard looked like this for a couple of days...gorgeous, isn't it? We just worked on it after Noah got done with work each day last week.

This girl was a trooper. She loves being outside anyway, so she got a little bit of sidewalk chalk and a snack, and she was set. Noah and I took turns removing the old stuff and watching her.

(Did I mention she can use the sidewalk chalk now?? When did that happen? Now, if we can just keep it out of her mouth, we'll be in business.)

There were huge sections of our yard that sat lower than others, so it flooded and killed any grass that was there...so we had dirt delivered to fill that in. It had to be spread next. So we had it spread, everything was great...then the rain came. And y'all - I am talking MUD PIT. Like, if somebody wanted to hold a mud wrestling competition in our front yard, they could have. It was DISGUSTING. Our sod was delivered Friday afternoon, right in the middle of the rain. Well, sod has to be unpacked and laid within 48 hours, so we had no choice but to lay it on top of the mud. So, for two days, I raked mud flat and pounded sod into it.

Y'ALL - not easy. Every bone in my body ached. That is tough stuff.

It was a disgusting, hard job, but I am so pleased with how it turned out!

We are still working on getting some of it a little greener...I'm a little worried we didn't water it enough initially (the brown parts sat on a higher part that was dryer), but it's starting to pep up. And there's a nice coat of mud on my driveway and sidewalk that needs to be pressure washed this week. But overall, we're done! A couple of notes... -I am so, so saddened by the devastation in Oklahoma today...a lot of long-time readers here know my experience with tornadoes, so this just strikes a chord with me. If you'd like to help - prayer is by far the best thing you can give. I always encourage monetary donations to local charities (possibly funds set up by the school system, local churches, or the local hospital)...I found, with our tornado, they did a much better job of getting the funds to people that needed them. If you'd like to donate items, I'd recommend diapers (especially newborn sizes), baby formula, work gloves, feminine hygiene products, school supplies/teacher supplies, cleaning supplies, and plus-size undergarments...those were the things needed most with our area. Used clothes and water bottles were the most donated items for us...so, even though I'm sure those are appreciated, they will be overwhelmed with those kind of donations. If you know of any specific local funds set up for Oklahoma, or if you've heard of any needs they have, please comment on this post and I'll get it added to this. -On a much lighter note, I'm guest posting at The Chirping Moms today! Check it out!

More Ways to Save on Fuel with Shell's FRN™ Program

2013-05-20T11:00:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, I told you a little bit about the Fuel Rewards Network™ program, or FRN™ program. This is a fabulous way to save on gas...something that can be difficult to find sales and discounts on.

One of the best things about this card is that it takes things you are already doing to help you save on Shell fuels! I told you a few ways you can save with the FRN card in the last post...here are a few more ways I've found to save with your FRN card!

Shop through FRN's online mall that includes more than 700 name-brand online merchants. For every $50 you spend, you earn 5 cents off per gallon at participating Shell stations! Some merchants might even offer 2x, 5x, or 10x rewards...what a great way to save when shopping at popular online stores!

Some retailers offer FRN incentives for buying items in their store. For example, you might see a 5 cent per gallon reward for buying a certain brand of detergent at your local supermarket. You might also see some retailers offer double rewards on certain days. This varies by retailer, but check your local stores to see if they offer these perks!

Earn 3 cents per gallon at participating Shell stations for every $100 you spend when you use your MasterCard to pay at participating FRN grocery stores. You can also earn 5 cents per gallon savings off Shell fuel the first time you use your MasterCard when dining at participating FRN restaurants. You can stack this on top of savings you're already earning!

The average FRN member is saving $0.31 per gallon at Shell (according to fuelrewards.com on 5/20/13). I was amazed to check out fuelrewards.com today and see that there were some members paying as little as a penny per gallon when fueling up! I know fuel costs have been a big part of our household budget lately, and I'm sure they've been a big part of yours too...saving anything you can is so helpful. Imagine taking your fuel cost down to next to nothing...many members of the Fuel Reward Network program are doing it every day!

Check out these fun videos about FRN: If you'd like to sign up, you have two options: head to your local participating Shell station to pick up a card pamphlet (like the one above), or go to fuelrewards.com and sign up. They'll send one right to you! Once you select “Fuel Rewards Network” for your card, enter your card number and pin, then follow the remaining steps to complete enrollment. This can also be done on the FRN Mobile App for iPhone or Android. They make this program so easy and accessible! One note – if you are a member of Kroger Co. and/or Ahold fuel rewards programs, you will redeem these separately from Fuel Rewards savings through the FRN program. If you'd like more information on the FRN program, you can check out their website or their Facebook page! If you haven't entered already, don't forget you have the chance to win a $100 Shell Gift Card from our friends at BlogHer! Check out my first FRN post to enter.

Another quick note...

2013-05-19T09:40:00.004-05:00

I'm all about these quick notes this week, aren't I? :) I'm currently running a sale on custom blog designs over at Sweetie Baby's Designs!

Today is the last day of this promotion, so I thought I'd give y'all a head's up. You can order here (use the code above for the discount) or email me for more info!

Guacamole Potato Salad Recipe

2013-05-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

As many of my recipes are, this one was created out of necessity. Namely, the necessity to clean out my fridge. I was swimming in supplies from Cinco de Mayo, but quite frankly, we were sick of Mexican food. We had Mexican for dinner Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday night of that week...it was old. Luckily, I was able to kind of give these ingredients new life in a fun take on potato salad!

This is a light salad that's really great for summer. I hope y'all enjoy it as much as we did! Guacamole Potato Salad Ingredients 12-14 New Potatoes, boiled until fork tender and cooled 2 avocados 1 pack guacamole mix 1/2c Fat Free Sour Cream 1/4c Salsa Salt/Pepper 2 tbsp Butter 1 handful Cilantro 4 oz cheese, shredded or thinly sliced Directions Take your potatoes and cut into 1 inch pieces. Sometimes, I like to just smash them a little...it gives a better consistency, in my opinion. It's up to you though! Mix in butter until well distributed. Puree avocados and add in guacamole mix. (Confession time - I just used Wholly Guacamole in the pack. 1 full pack equals about 2 avocados worth of guacamole.) To guacamole, add in sour cream, salsa, and about half of the cilantro. Mix with the buttered potatoes. Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with cheese and remaining cilantro.

A Quick Note...

2013-05-16T13:04:00.000-05:00

Hey guys! Just a quick note for your Thursday... One of my fabulous sponsors, Crystal Faye, is offering a great deal today! If you use the code Lambert10 at checkout, you'll receive 10% off your order and a free koozie with each purchase! This is for today (5/16) only. You'll also help me win a contest she's running!

Many of the items you've seen me feature on here lately, including my monogrammed water bottle and monogrammed baseball hat, are from Crystal Faye. I just love her products, and I know you will too! Also, scroll down to see the amazing entries on Create It Thursday this week...last time I checked there were over 150!

Create It Thursday #2 (Plus Features)

2013-05-15T20:09:00.000-05:00

Guys - I cannot tell you how blown away I was by the response to last week's "Create It Thursday" link-up! Over 200 of you linked your best recipes, DIY adventures, and crafts. Not only were there a ton of entries - but there were a ton of amazing ideas! Here are a few of my favorites from last week. These are also featured on my Create It Thursday Pinterest board! This Sinfully Sweet Strawberry Cobbler from Craft Cravings looks absolutely divine! It's a low-fat, low-calorie recipe too. YUMMY!! There were several Mother's Day crafts, but I think this plant in a glittered pot from the pretty bee was my favorite. How gorgeous is this? Such a cute idea for Mother's Day!
If you are trying to get into the meal planning game, this post from The Resourceful Gals is an excellent resource!

This recipe for copycat Bang Bang Shrimp by From My Perspective has my mouth watering! I love anything buffalo - so these Slow Cooker Buffalo Meatballs by Little Kitchen, Big Bites had me at hello. And it's an easy recipe! This is just pure genius...it's been so trendy to store things in mason jars lately, why not have a spout on it for easy pouring? So convenient! Great job, Far From Normal! Strawberry Cheesecake Streusel Muffins - need I say more? Turtles and Tails brought us this fabulous recipe!

I love this dressed up step stool from The Wandmaker's Mother! We definitely need one of these around here. A big THANK YOU to everyone that participated last week! If you were featured, you can grab your featured button for your blog below:

Now, let's get going for this week! Here are the rules... -Please link to your actual post, not just your main blog link. -No giveaway links or shop links, please! -Visit a couple of other links in the collection...you never know, you might learn something! -If you'd like to add my link or button to your post, I'd appreciate it! -Linking up means you are giving permission to be featured on next week's post, possibly using a picture from your post (see above for examples). Of course, all features include a link back to your site!

Now, show us what you've been creating!

Operation: Organization - Bathrooms

2013-05-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

Well, it's that time of the year. The time that I just get the biggest urge to throw everything I own out in an attempt to have an organized house. Ok, maybe that's a little dramatic. But it happens to me every year - I look around, things are just a mess, and I have to organize them right.this.second.
The only difference this year? I'm actually doing something about it! I am going to get every room in my house organized and pretty if it kills me.
First stop - bathrooms. Ours were a hot mess a couple of weeks ago.

Do you ever look around and think "How in the world did I let it get this bad?" That's where I was with our bathroom. I've always hated that we had so much on the countertops, but I didn't really know what to do about it. And underneath the sinks was just atrocious. It was such a big space with no rhyme or reason to where things went.
I decided to put the things on the counters in an organizer on the side! We had one in Emma Ramey's room that wasn't really being used for much, so I just attached it to the side of our cabinet with picture hangers from The Dollar Tree...

Works wonderfully! And the best part?

No more clutter on the countertops. Say it with me...AHHHHHH. (Now if I can just keep that mirror clean, we'll be in business. :))

For underneath the sinks, I found these great organizers at The Dollar Tree...seriously...it was my go-to store for this project! I have one for hair products, one for skin products, and one for nail products on my side...Noah's has one for medicines, one for cleaning products, and one for his miscellaneous guy items. :)

It's just one room so far, but I'm so happy it's done! Next up are closets...I've tackled them a little, but they are getting a good organizing coming up. Stay tuned!

Mother's Day

2013-05-13T10:20:00.000-05:00

I'm a lucky girl - I don't think I need to tell y'all that. But yesterday was a reminder of just how lucky I am. Yesterday, I... -woke up to breakfast in bed, served by the most handsome guy and the cutest pajama-wearing munchkin I know.

-went to church and had Mexican for lunch with my girl. As she said hi to everyone that passed out table.

-got tulips from my sweet parents and my sweet husband...I'm going to have a flower garden after yesterday!
-was able to take a 3 hour afternoon nap...praise all that is good. :)

-got to spend the afternoon with my mom, and got to be her mom.

-had my very talented husband make barbecue for dinner...who knew...the guy can cook! He shouldn't have given his secret away.
Yes, I am one blessed girl.
I know yesterday was hard for some of you reading...Mother's Day was very, very difficult for me for a few years. Please know I thought about and prayed for those that are waiting for your miracle for a good bit of the day. Your time is coming...I pray that it is here soon!

Weekend in Mississippi

2013-05-10T11:39:00.000-05:00

I've had so many posts already planned for this week that I haven't even had the chance to blog about our trip to Mississippi this past weekend! Many of you that know us and/or read here know that Noah's brothers both live about 12 hours away, so we don't get to see them very often. My sister in law had planned a trip to Mississippi this past week with our niece, so we took advantage of it! There was lots of picture taking...

...that two little girls didn't seem to agree with. Getting a 1 year old and a 2 year old to sit still for a picture is no easy task. But, those pictures above are super special because they are the same 2 cousins, on the same front porch swing, from this time a year ago.

Be still, my heart.

There was also lots of playing! It was basically one big play date. These girls love their Nana and Supe's house - it's just 1 big toy store! :)

And there were also goats. YES, goats. :) My in-laws' neighbors took in a baby goat for a few weeks, and the girls got a chance to play with it. My niece, Avery, was OBSESSED - she freaked every time she could see it from the window.

It was kind of funny to see it just hanging out with the girls! It was a very sweet animal - I promise we knew it wasn't going to attack our children. :)

This girl had an absolute blast seeing her cousin. She was on the go all weekend!

It was a fun weekend for all of us!

Don't forget...you have the chance to win 3 fabulous giveaways on the blog this week!

-Enter for a chance to win a $100 Shell gift card here

-Enter for a chance to win a cruise voucher for a family of 4 here

-Enter for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card here

I am also just astounded by the turnout for the first Create It Thursday...over 200 entries so far! Go see how creative and fabulous these entries are (and maybe enter one of your creations) here!

Create It Thursday #1

2013-05-09T11:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Create It Thursday #1! I am so excited to start this link-up series. This is a chance for y'all to show off your recipes, home DIY projects, crafts, and anything else you've created that you'd love to share! In the future, I will have 5-10 featured posts of my favorite link-ups from the previous week in this area. Those featured pages will also be featured on my Pinterest page! In the meantime, here are a few of my favorite finds over the past few weeks.

If you'd like to mention this link-up on your blog post or include the button above, I'd love it! Definitely not required, but would be very appreciated. :)
Rules for linking up: -Please link to your actual post, not just your main blog link. -No giveaway links or shop links, please! -Visit a couple of other links in the collection...you never know, you might learn something!
Now, show us what you've been creating!

Gearing Up For Summer with Outshine (and a $100 Giveaway!)

2013-05-08T11:00:00.000-05:00

Around here, we're gearing up for summer. You can just feel it in the air - it's a little bit warmer, clothes are just a little bit brighter, everything seems fresh and new.

Food is absolutely not excluded from summer prep in these parts. :) I'm sure you have your favorites...think for just a second, there are several mainstay foods that just make you think of summer, right? And I would guess a frozen treat is part of that line-up.

I'd like to introduce you to one of my favorite new treats - Outshine Bars. The Edy's brand you probably know and love has a new name! These frozen fruit bars make your day a little brighter, no matter what time of the year it might be.

We definitely use Outshine Bars to gear up for summer. Not only are they a delicious treat on those hot days, but they make a healthy snack that help you look your best in that summer swimsuit. They are made with real fruit or fruit juice and almost all varieties are fat free!

Outshine recently provided me with a few of their delicious varieties to sample. I tried the Strawberry, Mango, and Pineapple. Yum!

We broke one out on one of those amazing, pre-summer afternoons. It was just hot enough to need a cool treat...this made the perfect snack, especially because I'm trying to get to that summer body. The strawberry variety is only 70 calories per bar!

This awesome snack brightened an already fun afternoon. This girl played and I snacked...can it get more fun than that? This was great to enjoy a delicious treat without the “calorie guilt.” You can really tell these bars are made with real fruit!

There are many other flavors of Outshine bars that I can't wait to try – coconut waters, peach, and raspberry are among them. There are 24 different flavor varieties to choose from. Outshine is easy to love with so many different options!

You can check out Outshine's Facebook page here for more information. Thank you to Outshine Bars for the opportunity to snack brighter!

You have the chance to win a $100 Visa Gift Card from Outshine and BlogHer!

To enter, comment on this post with your answer to the following question: “What Outshine flavor would you most like to try?”

Sweepstakes Rules:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
b) Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: "#SweepstakesEntry"; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
c) Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 5/8/13 – 6/12/13.

Be sure to visit the OUTSHINE brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!

Vacation Experiences for the Whole Family (and a chance to win a cruise!)

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

As young, carefree newlyweds, we wanted to travel the world. We chose cruises to do this – they were by far the best “bang for your buck” to have a great vacation and see many different places. We loved the entertainment options available, the range of foods to try, and just the general freedom of cruising.

In the summer of 2011, we went on a Norwegian Cruise Line cruise...it was fabulous. The amenities were top-notch and we couldn't get over the flexibility and range of dining options available. It was far and away the nicest cruise we had been on. We were sold from that point on...Norwegian would be our preferred way to travel!

Fast forward a few years...our vacation planning has changed just a little bit. It's crazy how much a baby changes about your life – vacations definitely fall in that “life turned upside down” category. But some things never change – and cruising is still one of those mainstays in our life. That's one of the interesting things about going on a cruise...there are options for newlyweds, young families, even older couples – there is just so much to do! I have been researching cruises a little bit recently, especially what options they have for younger children. Norwegian Cruise Line's youth program has a wide range of activities for so many ages. One of my favorite activities available for children is Cirque Du Jour – a family circus show where children can learn how to perform circus-themed tricks. This sounds like it would be fun for everyone in the family! I also love that there are sporting events and activities for kids, Nickelodeon-themed activities, and family events. It is so important to me that we would be able to spend time with Emma Ramey on a vacation. Norwegian offers kid-themed pools and entertainment options that are appropriate for the whole family. As much as I loved Norwegian before, I am completely sold knowing they offer a vacation experience that would be fun for my whole family! And, when we do decide to have time for ourselves, I know she would be in great hands with fun and energetic (but responsible) counselors. Of course, Norwegian's youth program is in addition to their already stellar amenities (that happen to be great for kids and adults). You can't beat the value and convenience of a cruise. We love the wide array of dining experiences and entertainment options available on Norwegian....not to mention the opportunity to see so many interesting places around the world! There are lots of different factors that go into deciding how to vacation – children definitely add a few elements to that decision. Knowing that our favorite way to travel is as great for kids as for adults makes it such an easy decision to choose Norwegian for our next vacation! You can visit Norwegian's site to find out more about their family vacation experiences!
Who wants to win a cruise voucher for a family of four? To enter, comment on this post with the answer to the following question: “What is your dream vacation for your family?” Rules: No duplicate comments. You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: "#SweepstakesEntry"; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
Entries from all participating blogs will be pooled for winner selection; only two entries per household.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected. The Official Rules are available here. This sweepstakes runs from 5/7/2013-6/2/2013. Be sure to visit Norwegian Cruise Line's brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ posts!

Save with the Fuel Rewards Network Program (and a Giveaway!)

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

Many of you that read my blog know that I am a total bargain hunter. Looking for the latest and greatest deals is almost a game to me – I think it's fun! I clip coupons for groceries, buy clothes at rock-bottom price, and use coupons/vouchers for dining out. It's rare that we pay full price for something.

But gas? That's a tricky one. It can be very difficult to save on gas. I'll occasionally find a deal on a gas gift card, and I try to find the lowest prices in town, but those are really the only ways I've been saving on gas purchases.

That is until now! A few weeks ago I was introduced to the Fuel Rewards Network™ program, or FRN program. This is such a great concept – save on gas with everyday purchases that you're already making! Here are a few of my favorite ways to save with this card (these vary by market):

Earn 5 cents per gallon for every $50 spent at a participating grocery store.

Earn 10 cents per gallon for every $50 spent at participating restaurants.

Earn 10 cents per gallon by using multiple eCoupons at participating grocery stores.

Purchase specially marked products, car washes, and auto services at participating Shell stations.

My favorite thing about the FRN Card is that I can combine all of these ways to save to make the rewards really add up! The average FRN Member is saving $0.31 a gallon on their Shell fuel purchases (according to fuelrewards.com on 5/6/13). Imagine taking one, two, or even three dollars a gallon off of your purchase...that adds up to huge savings! You can save on all three grades of Shell Nitrogen Enriched Gasolines including Shell V-Power® Premium Gasoline and Shell Diesel through this program.

Signing up for the FRN Card is so easy. I dropped by my participating Shell station and picked up the pack above. I activated my card at fuelrewards.com...and voila! I started saving on my Shell gas purchases by doing things I already do. You can also request a card at fuelrewards.com, or use the FRN mobile app (available on iPhone and Android) to sign up. The app can be used to find nearby savings, check balances, and more. They would seriously have trouble making this program easier to use!

You can find more information about the Fuel Rewards Network program at their website and Facebook page.

You can win a $100 Shell Gift Card, provided by BlogHer!

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Noah's Version of "About Leslie"

2013-05-03T07:06:00.000-05:00

As I was browsing through blogs a couple of days ago, I came across Jennifer's "About Me" post, from the viewpoint of her husband. How genius is that? I had planned on doing one of those "random facts about me" posts sometime in the next couple of weeks, but let's face it...once you've seen one, you've pretty much seen them all. I feel like I'm kind of out of things to tell y'all about me, so I thought, why not let Noah?

A picture of two babies, circa 2007

Here are the things Noah thinks you should know about me...with my explanation, of course, because it is my blog and I can justify every last one of these. :)

She is incapable of being on time, and this is my biggest pet peeve. Ok, this is so not true. I am capable of being on time, I just choose not to be...most of the time. Anyone with a child can tell you that being on time is crazy difficult, and Noah has no concept of how long it takes a girl to get ready. I am a little bitter he can go from pajamas to walking out the door in 10 minutes.
She is a phenomenal mother, who couldn't be happier doing anything else. Ain't he sweet? :) And he's right - I truly have my dream job right now.
She is one of the most cluttered people I know, until she gets the itch to clean. Ok, sort of. I am not cluttered...I just have my own way of organizing things. And yes, I absolutely do get on cleaning streaks. As referenced by my mad run through this house in the last week - Noah was laughing at me Sunday night as I was categorizing things in our hall closet.
She hates eggs, unless they are an omelet. YES. ONE HUNDRED PERCENT TRUE. Blugh...I can't deal. My mom actually told me a few days ago that she used to have to hide eggs in other foods when I was little to get me to eat them. The hate runs deep. But omelets are kind of yummy, as long as I can't taste the egg.
She thought she hated fishing, until she went. Yep! I had never been...it seemed like such a "boy thing." But I love it!
She has become a fantastic cook, unless you want dessert. "Become" being the key word there. I was so awful when we first started dating...but a lot of attempts and a lot of Food Network later, I can cook most things. Dessert is (usually) not one of those. I can assemble a dessert, but baking is a no-go. Noah actually called one of the desserts I tried a few weeks ago "Satan Cake." No lie.
She is a terrible back seat driver, but always denies doing it. I can be. I've tried to get better...but I apparently still have "tells" that get on his nerves (gripping the side of the seat, putting my hand on the glove box).
She gets so mad at my sense of humor, no matter how many times I make her laugh. In all fairness, most of the time is "sense of humor" is making fun of me. But, the jokes are funny, even if they are about me.
She has TERRIBLE taste in television, and truly enjoys her bad shows. I think his taste in television is bad too. Take THAT Noah.
She is developing a green thumb, after killing a lot of plants. We're getting there. I've made it a whole month without killing the plants this year!
She really enjoys a bad joke, and makes fun of me when I laugh. I like the stupidest, corniest jokes ever...I'll admit it. But Noah's just laughing because he's making fun of how bad the joke is.
She will probably tell me most of this list isn't true, but we all know better. I think my justifications were pretty good, thankyouverymuch.
She is the greatest wife I could ever imagine, and that makes me a very lucky man. I like this guy. I think I'll keep him around. :)

I linked this up on Becky's post!

Announcing: Create It Thursday!

2013-05-02T08:15:00.000-05:00

I am so excited about a new link-up series on Lamberts Lately! Create It Thursday is a chance for you to show off your favorite creations. Whether it is a recipe, a new craft project, or a home DIY project, you can show it off at Create It Thursday. I love surfing these kinds of link-ups for new ideas. I think this will be a fun chance to get ideas from other bloggers and meet new people!
Create It Thursday will go live next Thursday morning (5/9)...stop by and link up your latest and greatest creation. Or, if you don't have something to link up, stop by and get a few new ideas!
If you'd like to put a link on your post back to this site, that would be great...not required, but would let others find us. Here's the button if you want to include that!

Each week, I will pick 5-10 features from the previous week to showcase on Create It Thursday...they will be linked to my Pinterest account as well. If you're wanting to get your idea out there, I'd love to help! I can't wait to get started! The first post will go live May 9th.

May Sponsor Love

2013-05-01T07:58:00.000-05:00

Ok, first and foremost - HOW IS IT ALREADY MAY?? Is this year just flying by, or is it just me?

I am so lucky to be back with another fabulous group of sponsors this month! Keep reading for details of how you can find giveaway/discount offers exclusive to Lamberts Lately readers!
If you are part of a business and you'd like to be featured on this post next month, I'd love to have you! You can click here for details...and, until Friday, you can use the code LLMay20 for 20% off of your ad space! Valid for any space.
Of course, if you have a blog that you'd like to feature on Lamberts Lately, I offer button swaps for free! Check those out here too. Crystal Faye

I have just loved working with this fabulous company! They offer so many precious, customized options - anything from jewelry to hats to iPhone cases - and some of the most trendy jewelry right now! SPEAKING of iPhone cases - you have the chance to win one right now through this giveaway! And, Crystal Faye has been so kind to give a discount to Lamberts Lately readers - use the code Lambert10 at checkout for 10% off your order.

Bridier Baubles

I always know that if I see a new piece on Bridier Baubles, it is probably going to be all the rage in a month or two. :) This company just has a knack for picking the latest trends in jewelry! I have several pieces from Bridier Baubles (that necklace in my About Me picture at the top? You guessed it - a Bridier piece!) - and I believe my next piece is going to be that gorgeous Reagan necklace in the top left picture! Check out their site here...get ready to drool over their fabulous statement pieces. :) Rosie Posie Designs I am in love with how customizable the products at Rosie Posie Designs are! I'm telling you - you can choose the pattern, color, font - you name it! They offer anything you can think to personalize - anything from melamine trays to wine bottle holders to calendars. Just some of the most precious items imaginable!
You can see their site here!

They Call Me Mama
Sweet Emily just has the coolest blog! She writes about everything from her babies (a boy and a girl) to crafting to decorating her home. I love reading along with her story!
You can click here to see her blog.

Julie The Fish Designs Julie the Fish Designs has such special, hand-stamped jewelry! I love their selection of pieces that include a child's birthday or name...how special would this be for a mother or grandmother?
SPEAKING of Mothers...this site's cutoff for receiving orders by Mother's Day is TODAY! Orders placed by today will ship to arrive by May 12th. So get those orders in for these precious, one-of-a-kind pieces! You can click here to see their site. Rodan and Fields - Melanie Gould

My favorite skincare line is back for another month! Rodan and Fields is a high-quality line that is tailored to your individual skin care needs. I use the Unblemish regimen - it keeps my skin clear and beautiful. They have products for many other different needs as well, including anti-aging and skin soothing lines. Melanie has a couple of specials this month - everyone who signs up as a PC and purchases a Macro E will receive free Redefine Eye Cloths! And, all Macro E's are at a 15% discount the month of May. Email her for details on these! You can click here to see their site!
Lil Sweetie Designs Lil' Sweetie Designs offers just the most beautiful personalized clothing for babies and toddlers. I am absolutely in love with their gowns and bibs - they almost make me want to have another baby now to put in a gown. Almost. :)
They also offer the personalized pocket tees that are SO big right now! I love their personalized return address stamps too - I have been absolutely drooling over these for awhile!
You can see their site here.

Sunglasses Shop
In need of a new pair of high-quality sunglasses? Sunglasses Shop is a great resource! I have a pair of Vogue sunglasses from their site and absolutely love them...by far the best quality sunglasses I own. They have so many different styles for both men and women!
You can see their site here. Collage Maker I love the concept of Collage Maker - make your own collage for free and buy personalized goods, like pillow cases, mouse pads, and t-shirts. Wouldn't this just be the coolest idea for a grandparent for Mother's/Father's Day?
You can click here to check this great site out! A huge thanks to all of my May sponsors! Remember, click here to join in on the action for next month, and use the code LLMay20 for 20% off of your ad prices!

13 Months

2013-04-29T10:38:00.001-05:00

Alright, I said I wasn't doing monthly posts past 12 months.

I lied.

It's just that Emma Ramey has changed SO much in the past month. I thought it would slow down a little - it hasn't! I love every little thing that's happening with her and I want to document it. Emma Ramey, here's what up with you at 13 months!

Weight:

Right at 24 pounds...in the 80th percentile! You're definitely slowing down in the growth department.

Height:

You're at 31 inches this morning. I can tell a big difference from when I measured you last month! That's in the 86th percentile.

Clothing Size:

Very much in 18 month clothes. It's great that it's finally starting to warm up - most of your 18 month clothes are for Spring/Summer, so we're finally able to wear all of them!

You're in a size 4 shoe, almost in a size 5. If I can keep shoes on you.

Diapers:

Still in size 4...I think we'll be in those for awhile. You're going through about 4-5 a day now.

Feeding:

You eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner about the same time that Mommy and Daddy do...the times vary now. It's nice that we don't have to feed you at exactly the same time every day! You're finally getting a little bit of wiggle room in your schedule.

You go through milk like a champ. :) You drink about half almond milk and half whole cow's milk now...probably 3-4 total cups a day. We're starting to get more and more water into your day too, and lower the milk just a little.

You love anything carby, broccoli, turkey bacon, crackers ("cah-cuhs"), bananas, and eggs. You're really getting a sweet tooth! You had cake Saturday and LOVED it. And, you love to steal food off of Mommy and Daddy's plates. :)

Hair/Eyes:
Big pretty blue eyes! We get comments on them everywhere we go.

And your baby mullet just keeps getting better. :) Your hair in the back is probably 2-3 inches long, with almost none on the top. It's so funny when it gets curly!

You have so much we were able to put it in pigtails a few nights ago. I DIE.

It's a really pretty sandy blonde color.

Sleep:

Nighttime is still great...you go to sleep 7:15-7:30, and usually sleep until about 8. Daytime naps are better...you still take a great one in the morning (about an hour and a half), and I can usually get you to take a decent afternoon one if we wait awhile (at least 3 hours) between naps. I'm going to start waking you up earlier to help with that too.

Fun Stuff: You are SO chatty now! You "talk" to yourself all the time now...I wish I knew what you were saying. I can make some words out...in addition to these, you've also started saying "baa do" (bless you) and "ha dae" (Happy Birthday).

You absolutely love being outside. We've been spending a lot of time outdoors - walking, playing in your outside house, using sidewalk chalk on the driveway. I wish this weather would just stay put! Tantrums have started. I'm ignoring (like everyone tells me to), but you can be one stubborn child. Most of the time it's because I won't give you some sort of food or I won't pick you up. You have two of your four 1-year molars! It's the top and bottom on the left...I'm not sure why they came in in that order. I think the other two are cutting soon - your sleep has been a little off and you haven't been in the best mood today. Your favorite toy is the big cardboard box your playhouse came in - seriously. I have this huge, tacky box in the middle of my living room because you LOVE it and I can't think of throwing it away. You'll run in there if we're trying to change you or you're hiding from Daddy. You love to tell us when Hardy needs to go outside...as soon as he scratches on the door, if you hear it, you find one of us and start screaming "GAH!!" (your word for outside) until we let him out. You can tell us what a ducky says now (cak cak) and what a sheep says sometimes (baaaa).
You've stayed in the church nursery twice now! The first time was a little bit of a disaster - you made it about 15 minutes before having a meltdown. Yesterday went much better though! You made it the whole time, and only got upset a couple of times. I want you to like it SO much - I think you're starting to!

You are the light of our lives, sweet Monkey Moo! We love you so much! **Don't forget - you can enter my giveaway for a Crystal Faye personalized iPhone cover giveaway here!!**

Personalized iPhone Case Giveaway from Crystal Faye!

2013-04-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

Crystal Faye is back with another exciting giveaway this month! I am so pumped about this one. A few weeks ago, sweet Crystal had one of her new gingham iPhone cases delivered to my doorstep. I have been absolutely drooling over her personalized phone cases...they are all so adorable! Plus, I needed one badly after a certain 13 month old literally chewed off my old one.

The gingham print is just precious...perfect for summer! I love that Crystal Faye allows you to customize your phone. Noah and I can finally tell our phones apart! :)

I have also been so impressed with the quality. This case withstands even toddler wear and tear. It's made of a thick acrylic that has done a great job of protecting my phone from my frequent drops.

Crystal Faye has so many more patterns and personalization options! You can check out her site to see all of them, but here are a few of my favorites...

The Floral Case

The Tory Case

The Cheetah Print Case

The Polka Dot Case

And there are many, many more to check out!
Now, who wants to win one of these adorable iPhone cases? One lucky reader is going to win a personalized iPhone case of their choice!

Enter with the giveaway tools widget below. I will close entries next Friday night, and pick a winner Saturday.

Entry -Form

Good luck! And, don't forget you can use the code Lambert10 for 10% anything at Crystal Faye!

How to Make a T-shirt Quilt

2013-04-24T19:11:00.000-05:00

For years, I've had a pile of old sorority t-shirts sitting in the corner of my closet that I just swore I was going to make a quilt out of one day.

Well, y'all know the story…life happened. I got pregnant, had a baby, and proceeded to take care of that baby through her newborn stage. Finally, a few months ago, I got a little bit of "breathing room" and was able to start doing fun, hobby-like things again!

One of the first things on my list was this quilt. I knew it was probably a big undertaking to learn how to quilt, but I was committed to it. I think I've mentioned before that my grandmother taught me how to use a sewing machine…I regard this skill as the best gift she ever gave me. But quilting is a whole new ballgame.

So I sat down a few weeks ago to actually learn the basics…and was shocked to find out it's not hard at all! You just need a little bit of patience and a couple more supplies.

Here's how I did it!

1. Gather your supplies.

Yes, there are a few things I regard as "essentials" when you're making a quilt. Here's a list of things I think you absolutely have to have to make it successful.

Rotary Cutter*
Self-Healing Cutting Mat*
Large Acrylic Quilting Ruler*
(*I was able to find all three of these in a set…by far the cheapest way to buy them that I could find.)
Sewing Machine
Good, sharp pair of scissors
New sewing machine needle (so it's nice and sharp)
Fabric (see below for measurements on my quilt)
Quilt Batting
Quilt Back (I used a twin-sized flat sheet I found at a local discount store for $3!)
T-Shirts (9 would be minimum…I used 12 and it made almost a perfect twin-sized quilt) Big Safety Pins Bias Tape Maker

Here are a few things that would probably make it easier, but aren't essential.

Walking foot (This is a foot for your sewing machine that helps feed the fabric through easier…I did fine without it, but a lot of sites I read swear by it.)
Nylon Thread (I loved using this - it's very thin, so kind of hard to work with, but it can be used on any fabric when quilting because it's so thin and see-through.)

2. Gather measurements.

First, I sat down and drew out a "blueprint" for my quilt.

Don't you love how professional this looks? :) Kidding.

The gray pieces represent my t-shirt squares…they were cut to 15"x15" (more on that later).

The dark purple were each cut to 15"x3.5"…and you need 17 of them for this pattern. (You'll need a half yard of fabric for this color.)

The light purple pieces, my end pieces, had 2 different sizes…2 of them were cut to 69"x7.5", and 2 were cut to 71"x7.5". (You'll need 2 yards of fabric for this color.)

The light blue pieces were actually a pretty pattern I found at the fabric store…you'll need 6 3.5"x3.5" squares. I also used this fabric for my bias tape that sealed off the edges (more on that below), which requires a half yard of fabric…so go on and get 3/4 yard of this fabric, and you might have leftovers.

3. Cut your fabric.

Now to the scary part! I say scary - it's really not that bad.

First, the shirts. Here's the best way I found to do this.

1. Start at the bottom of the shirt, right below the armpit, and cut straight up to the armpit of one side of the shirt. Then, follow the seam of the shirt all the way around the back of the shoulder, neck, and other shoulder…don't actually cut the seams out, just use it as a guide. Get as close as you can to them so you have more fabric to work with! Once you get to the other armpit, cut straight down to the bottom of the shirt.

2. Lay your piece out on your cutting mat….try to get it straight with the grid on the mat. Take your ruler and cut a straight line across the top of the shirt with your rotary cutter as high as you can above the design.

3. Go to the bottom of the design, measuring 15" from the top cut, and cut another straight edge using the ruler and the rotary cutter. If that bottom cut is looking a little close to the design, and you have a little bit too much room up top, you can go back and make another cut at the top.

4. On the cutting mat, see what number on the grid is in the middle of your shirt's design (it was usually around 12 or 13 for me). Take that number and subtract 7.5 from it…make a straight cut at that number. Now, add 7.5 to it…make a straight cut. This makes sure your design is centered in your square.

And voila! You have a centered, pretty t-shirt square. Really rely on your cutting mat's grid and your rotary cutter for this. You need to also cut your fabric strips for the rest of the quilt...not that hard, just make sure they're nice and square. It makes sewing so much easier! 4. Start putting together! This is the fun part! Start pinning your pieces together.

Take one of the 15"x3.5" strips and pin two of the small squares on the ends, lining up the edges and putting the right sides together (ignore the picture, they are right sides apart...learned that was wrong the hard way. :/). Sew these outside edges with a 1/4" seam (you're going to use a 1/4" seam for everything in this project, unless otherwise noted). The easiest thing to do is to measure 1/4" on your machine and mark it with masking tape. I lucked up - the end of my sewing foot was exactly 1/4", so it was pretty easy for me!
Once you get those sewn, unfold and pin a 15"x3.5" strip to the on the top of each square, right sides facing each other, left side lined up...sew the edges, so you have one big straight line of pieces sewn together. You just finished your first section!
You'll need 3 of the sections listed above.
Now, start on the t-shirt squares. Lay them out in the floor to make sure you're order is correct and there's no funky colors together.
Take the t-shirt square on the far left of each row and pin a 15x3.5" piece on the right-hand side of it, right sides facing each other.

Sew down the edge of this with your 1/4" seam and unfold. Now, take the second t-shirt square in the row and put it, right side down, on top of the 15x3.5 piece...pin the right-hand sides together and sew. Keep repeating, alternating t-shirt squares and 15x3.5" pieces, until each row is done!
All of your rows should be finished, and now it's time to put them together! First, iron all of the seams open on the back of the quilt...this makes sure your seams lay nice and flat in the finished product.

Now, take a skinny row and pin the bottom edges with your top t-shirt row, right sides facing each other. The important thing here is that you line up the ends of each individual piece in the row so that there won't be any funky lines. Sew this, unfold, and lay the second t-shirt row, right side facing down, on top of the sewn-on skinny row. Align the edges and pin. Keep on repeating this until your squares are sewn together with your skinny rows! Now, the end pieces needs to go on. Take the 71.5x7.5" pieces and pin them onto each side (left and right) of your big piece, right sides together. Sew and open up...iron your new seams open. Now, attach the 69x7.5" pieces to the top and bottom, right sides together, sew, and that's it!

You have a finished quilt front. Not so bad, right?
5. Make your "quilt sandwich."
This is apparently a pretty common term in quilting - "quilt sandwich." It just means you layer your quilt backing, batting, and quilt front to prepare for the actual quilting part!
Like I mentioned, I just used a sheet I found at a discount store for the quilt back...I'd recommend this. Not only is fabric more expensive per yard, but it's hard to find it big enough to fit in one big piece.
I used cotton quilt batting I found here. Several places recommended cotton over polyester batting because it is more stable and longer-lasting. If I'm going to put this much effort in, I'm going to get something that's going to last! It was only a few dollars more - I used the twin size for this project.
Layer your pieces, make sure everything is nice and flat and lined up, and start pinning! The sheet and quilt batting will probably be bigger than the quilt front - that's ok - don't trim it yet. You'll need to safety pin every few inches, all over the whole quilt, so it will stay together while quilting. 6. Get to quilting! Start in the middle of your quilt, with it facing up, and use your nylon thread (or thread to match the quilt) to start quilting! This is where the walking foot would come in great if you have one.
I did what's called "stitch the ditch"...just stitching along each seam line, all the way through the quilt sandwich, row by row. It made this nice pretty pattern on the back of the quilt!

It is a little difficult to squeeze all of the quilt in the sewing machine when you're doing the middle. I found it easiest to roll up the end, like this, so all of it would fit. 7. Trim the edges.
Once you have stitched all of the ditches, horizontal and vertical, bind the end of your quilt. You'll need to sew a seam all the way around the quilt about 1/4" from the end of your quilt topper. This makes the ends stay together.

After you've binded, trim the edges of the backing and batting. Personally, I would trim all the way down to the end of the quilt topper, leaving just a little bit of an edge (even less than shown - maybe 1/8").
8. Prepare your bias tape.
I'm not even going to try to explain bias tape...it's what you use to make the edge of your quilt pretty. Just go here and thank me later...this easy method is what I used, and it worked perfectly! 9. Attach bias tape.
Again, the site mentioned above has a fabulous tutorial for attaching bias tape to the end of a quilt...click here to see!

My bias tape attaching wasn't perfect...but none of the quilting process was for that matter. That's ok with me - it's supposed to look handmade. It adds character, right? :)

I absolutely love the way it turned out! And it wasn't a very time consuming project at all - I just worked on it for an hour or so here and there for about a week.
So get to quilting! I promise you'll love it as much as I did. :)

Just Tuesday

2013-04-23T20:43:00.002-05:00

If you've read my blog for awhile, you probably know that I like to do these posts every once in awhile. I'm sure 95% of the people that read here are bored to tears by them, but I love having these sweet memories of our "everyday moments" written down. I've also always thought it was fun to get a glimpse into others' everyday lives...I hope you do too! Here's what we did on our Tuesday... 8:00 I wake up. If you know me, you know I'm a total night owl...I usually like to work a little later into the night, just so I don't have to do it when Emma Ramey is awake, and sleep later...luckily, I have a little girl that cooperates with this plan. :) I had a late work night the night before, so I slept in a little. I get up, water my plants, clean up a little, and start a Banana Pudding cake...I'm slightly addicted. 8:30 Emma Ramey is up. She eats - an egg and a banana (her usual breakfast these days), and I try to scarf something down too. She plays for a few minutes afterwards, and comes to snuggle with Mommy on the couch for a few minutes.

9:30 I get Emma Ramey dressed and I get dressed. We head to a quick grocery store trip for a few things.
10:30 We're home, and Emma Ramey goes down for a nap...I get to work! I do a few things on my cleaning list...closets are up for today. After that, I start a few blog posts for the week and answer emails. The morning nap is usually really busy for me...I try to get everything I "have" to get done for the day done during this one, because the afternoon one isn't a guarantee these days!
12:45 Emma Ramey is up...this was one of her longer naps recently! She had a fussy few minutes, but rebounded pretty quickly. She eats lunch - oven fried chicken, pineapple, and orange (and a few Vanilla Wafers afterwards). But, she's more interested in Mommy's turkey sandwich for lunch.
1:15 We head outside...it was so nice today! Emma Ramey plays and I ~~sit in the sun and try not to let it relax me into a coma~~ watch her.

2:00 I decided I needed to do something or I was literally going to fall asleep outside...nothing can put me to sleep better than laying out! We went for a walk. She loves riding in her stroller! 2:30 Emma Ramey had some independent play time. This rarely happens...she's been in a really clingy stage lately. So I take advantage of it - I was able to get a blog proof revised in that time. 3:00 I decided not to put her down for her afternoon nap, since she took such a long morning one. She's slowly phasing down to 1 big nap...some days I get 2, some days she has 1 longer one. We had a little bit of inside play time! Emma Ramey had her afternoon snack - crackers and milk. 4:00 I get dinner started while my child screamed - she was starting to melt down about this point. Once I get it in the oven we head back outside, and she's happy.

5:00 Emma Ramey's dinner time! She has chicken from lunch, corn, and rice.

5:30 Daddy's home! Noah and I eat on the back porch so Emma Ramey can play. We've been waiting until she goes to bed, but it's hard...we're both STARVING by 7:30. This works much better. We clean up and spend some time outside...Noah and I measure the yard and discuss possibly resodding soon (UGH). But very necessary - our yard is gross.
6:00 I go to get a shower - I've found this is a great way for me to get a little bit of a break when Noah gets home, and gives her some one-on-one time with her.
6:30 We have a little bit of family time! Emma Ramey and I read "Goodnight Moon" and "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?"...Emma Ramey's favorite. She starts saying "Ba Ba Ba" when you pull it out.

Aaand the evening unwinds, as it does for a few minutes about this time each night. What, your child doesn't parade around your living room wearing your bracelet and holding your water bottle?

She was in a sweet spirit though. I purposely left this picture unedited to show you how pretty her eyes are. :)
7:00 Noah gets Emma Ramey ready for bed. She's down by 7:15, and we both get to work. We don't do this every night, but both of our jobs require a little bit of after hours work. I schedule blog posts and get drafts submitted while he does something insurance-related...I'm not really sure what he's doing over there. :)
7:45 Emma Ramey is up for some reason, absolutely screaming and terrified. :( No idea what happened, but we brought her out into the living room for a second and she was fine...I'm guessing a nightmare.
And that gets me to the current time! :) Like I said, not an enthralling day, but it's a normal day in our lives right now. I'll look back and want these memories!

Last Week in iPhone Pictures

2013-04-22T11:05:00.000-05:00

I have been using my iPhone camera so much lately. I love my "big camera," but it can be a hassle to get out sometimes, and I don't always have it with me. It's so easy to pull your phone out really quick and snap those special moments! Here are a few of the shots I got last week. Monday

Enjoying the beautiful sun on the porch! It was such a pretty day. This little girl is loving outside time more and more...she is constantly running to the door and saying "gah," which is her word for outside. :) Tuesday

I am obsessed with these little cross-back outfits! This was about as good as that day got - we realized that day that Noah's yucky feeling he had for a few days was actually food poisoning...yuck!
Wednesday

This was my big project of the day! We had never cleaned our driveway...because of storage, Noah always parks his car outside, so there was a big nasty oil stain where his car usually is. I (yes, ME!) pressure washed it...I was proud of myself!
Thursday

We had a fun afternoon Thursday! One of my good friends had her baby Wednesday, so we took a field trip to the hospital to meet him. Afterwards, we went to Summer Snow (our FAVORITE summer snow cone place) for the first time...so much fun until this munchkin face planted and busted her lip. :( You can really see it in the second picture. She recovered quickly though - we took a trip to Hobby Lobby!

We also had a little outside time that night since Daddy was feeling better...could you not just eat a baby in an oversized t-shirt up? Friday

My brother was in town, so we all went out to eat with my family! This child LOVES Mexican food...she gets it honest. Saturday

A-Day! We had planned on going to Noah's fraternity house...they normally do a big thing for Alumni on A-Day, but their Spring party just happened to fall on A-Day this year, so they didn't. But we got to go to Buffalo Wild Wings instead...yum! She got her first kids meal here!

And this was my big project for the weekend. I've been saying for years I was going to make my old sorority t-shirts into a quilt, and had just been putting it off. I finally decided to do it this week! I'm almost done - more on that later this week. :) Sunday

This little girl had her first Sunday in the nursery at church! Yes, I know she's over a year old...our pediatrician told us to hold off until flu season was over, just to be safe. She made it about 20 minutes before she had an ABSOLUTE meltdown...it made my mommy heart hurt. :( But at least she was happy after church!

Sugar Boutique Discount and Giveaway!

2013-04-19T07:33:00.000-05:00

Here's something to pep up your Friday - a giveaway from the adorable Sugar Boutique! I first found this cute online boutique a couple of months ago. I am loving the selection you can find online these days! Sugar Boutique offers some of the most precious apparel and accessories. Here are a few of my favorites for summer! Karlie Minty Mint Lace Dress Pretty Little Bow Back Blouse in Blush Lilly Pulitzer Drew Top in Shorely Blue (They have a great selection of Lilly Pulitzer items!) LK Darling Bow Skirt - Black Pinstripe with Garnet Bow (PERFECT for gameday!) They also have adorable accessories!

I received this adorable starfish bracelet from Sugar Boutique a few weeks ago...I am in love! It is going to be perfect for summer...I'm thinking beach pictures!

It is such a cute little statement piece! If you'd like to go on and get your shop on at Sugar Boutique, they have a fun offer just for my readers! Enter the code LL5YEAR20 at checkout for 20% off your order. This is only valid through Sunday night, so get those orders in this weekend!
Here's your chance to win a little bit of "arm candy" from Sugar Boutique as well! One winner will receive a cute bangle from Sugar Boutique, as well as a $25 gift card to satisfy "the fashion you crave." :) Enter with the Giveaway Tools widget below.

Entry -Form

I will close entries next Thursday night and pick a winner Friday morning. Good luck!

I received a bracelet for review from Sugar Boutique, and they provided the giveaway items. All opinions are my own.

Recipe - Banana Pudding Cake

2013-04-17T07:55:00.000-05:00

So, in the past month or so, I fell off the dieting bandwagon...big time.

So much that I started making treats like this again.

I've seen "poke cakes" on Pinterest, and thought they were such a neat idea! You basically just pour pudding into a cake to make it super moist. So I thought, why not combine pudding and cake into one big dessert?
Here's the recipe!
Banana Pudding Cake
Ingredients 1 box Yellow Cake Mix, prepared (so you'll need the eggs, oil, and water for it too) 1 box Sugar Free Instant Banana Pudding Mix 2 1/2 cups Milk 1 tub Whipped Topping 1/2 box Vanilla Wafers, Crushed 2 or 3 Bananas
Directions
Prepare the yellow cake mix according to package directions in a 9x13 Pyrex dish. Immediately after baking, take out of the oven and, using the back of a wooden spoon, poke holes every 1-2 inches in the cake. You want to go all the way down to the bottom...get in there good!
Mix pudding mix (I used sugar free and couldn't tell it wasn't regular) and 2 1/2 cups milk...stir well to get all of the lumps out of the mix. Pour this mixture into all of the holes in the cake. Use a wooden spoon to get all of the mix into the cake. You want very little on top.
Pop this in the fridge for a few hours (I did it overnight). This gives the cake time to cool and the pudding time to set.
Once cooled, "frost" the cake with the tub of cool whip. Sprinkle crushed vanilla wafers over the top. Just prior to serving, slice the bananas over the top (you don't want to do it before, or the bananas will brown).
Enjoy!