Travel Babbles | Living the (hockey) Life

Real Life >>> Blog Life

noreply@blogger.com (Kym Fox @ Travel Babbles | Living the (hockey) Life) — Wed, 22 May 2013 09:36:41 PDT

Have you downloaded the BeautifulMess app yet? If not, get with the program.

I've been pretty boring on my blog lately, but I update a few times a day on Instagram - are you following me there? If so, you'd see:

1. Too many photos of Brutus.

2. My nummy sushi dinner date with the hubs.

3. The trip I took to the zoo with TJ and my little brother. It was more or less a petting zoo - but we still had fun and saw quite a few furry friends.

4. Lots of fitspo. I've been really dedicated to working on my bikini bod these past few weeks. My Polar watch is the best purchase I've ever made - you can get yours on Amazon HERE for $65!

That's all - Happy Hump Day :)

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That Time I Confused My Husband For A Grizzly Bear Instead Of A Fox.

noreply@blogger.com (Kym) — Mon, 20 May 2013 09:52:26 PDT

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Sometimes, I think I formulate words and send them out into the world via my blog because I don't know how I really think or feel until I go back and digest what I've written.
I think I need to invest in a notebook with tear-out pages.
TJ came to visit me this weekend and his European agent just so happened to contact him with some "interest" from a team. I put that word in quotations because interest really means nothing ... but this "interest" left us researching the country, the city, the culture, the team, and excited about the possible opportunity.
I've been planning to stay home in the fall. I've been doing this, doing that, planning this, scheduling that. I've been busy mapping out what I want my future to look like professionally - but I never really considered what TJ thought about it. He's verbalized and I know that he supports me in everything that I do ... but I guess I confused him for a grizzly bear who doesn't have feelings, who wouldn't care if Brutus and I stayed home in the fall, and let him go off to wherever hockey takes him, by himself.
So we finally had an open conversation about it. What am I doing? Why am I doing it? What does he think about? What do I really think about it? Is it healthy for us to be married, but live apart? Can I take these business plans and professional goals, and bring them wherever hockey takes us? That's the new challenge that I'm facing - figuring out how to have both.
Sigh ... right when I thought that I knew what I was doing.
Damn you, hockey.
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Currently

noreply@blogger.com (Kym Fox @ Travel Babbles | Living the (hockey) Life) — Thu, 16 May 2013 00:11:02 PDT

Currently Loving Forever 21 right now. The last time that I went into the store with TJ, I was thoroughly disappointed in all of their clothing, and we left joking that maybe I was too old to shop there - hence why it's called Forever 21. I took a peek at their online store last night though, and I was surprised to find some really cute maxi's and summer dresses - most for around $25. We are heading to Riviera Maya at the end of July and I'll definitely be ordering a few dresses from Forever 21 for our trip!
Currently Listening to The Story by Brandi Carlile. You know, I've wanted to write about this topic before, but its never found its place here. As we've moved around for the past five years, I've lost touch with many of my friends ... I honestly don't have a best girlfriend, or a friend that I could call at 3am if I needed to. It's been me and TJ taking on the world and maneuvering through life's obstacles together. I know that a lot of my friends think that I galavant around the world and love every second of it ... but, sometimes I really do wish that I had a best girlfriend that I could rely on. On the flipside of this, I'm truly blessed that I'm married to my best friend. It's a Catch 22.
Currently Looking forward to traveling to Buffalo at the end of the month. Sometimes you've just gotta embrace your gut feelings, take a leap of faith and figure it out on the way down!
Currently Licking my lips over these Strawberry Margarita Freezepops! All you need are 2 oranges, 12 oz. of strawberries, 5 oz. of tequila and 3 oz. of triple sec. YUM!
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My Life In Puzzle Pieces

noreply@blogger.com (Kym Fox @ Travel Babbles | Living the (hockey) Life) — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:07:43 PDT

I don't know how to start this post.
TJ told me that he didn't think writing this post was a good idea ... that I might offend someone, or something.
Blog Tip #1: Never ask your husband what he thinks about your blog topic ideas, for you will question every word that you type.

via

Have you ever needed absolute closure on something?
That's where I'm at ... and as careful as I should be with my words right now, so that I don't pierce someones heart or sound like a complete whackadoodle ... I really can't find any other way to say this:
I think that my miscarriage was both the best and worst thing to ever happen to me.
And before you write me off as a wretched crazy person ... please let me explain.
Yes, my miscarriage was one of the worst things I've ever gone through. Our baby died. We were alone in Germany, and the entire thing was an incredibly emotional experience that took me to a dark and difficult place and shook me to my core.
But it also taught me who my true friends and family are ... and I've also decided that maybe I lost the baby because I wasn't truly ready for it.
It's weird to even type those words - I mean TJ and I tried for a baby in July, and in August, and in September, and in October, and in November, and in December. Six long months of baby making. Around November I started questioning if something was wrong - I mean first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in the baby carriage. It was supposed to be that easy, just like the rhyme says, and I think that a part of me wanted that baby so much month after month because I felt like it was almost expected from me ... at the time, it felt like the next natural step was to make a baby and to live happily ever after with my little family, just like you see on TV.
When we came home at the beginning of April, both the change of scenery and being surrounded by my family really helped to pull me out of the hole that I buried myself in in Germany.
I started to focus on myself, my health, my emotional well being, the relationships that are important to me, and what I want to do with my life.
It's true - when you hit rock bottom you have no other choice but to pull yourself up.

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A few weeks after we returned home I checked in on a miscarriage forum that I had read while trying to cope with our loss in Germany. I found that many of the women who had lost their babies around the same time as me were obsessed with getting pregnant again. I wasn't. I'm still not. Getting pregnant again is literally the last thing on my "To-Do" list.
One of my girlfriends who had a miscarriage warned me that it may be painful to see pregnant women, or newborns, and that it's totally "normal" to dislike both right now. I've never felt like that once. It's almost like I've done a complete 180, and it's confusing and it's strange, and it isn't coming from a place where I'm afraid to try and conceive again ... I've just never been more motivated to focus on ME, and to become the best version of myself possible.
I think after sacrificing so much of who I was, who I am, and who I always aspired to be, giving up my career to follow and support TJ's career, and justifying that his career was more important than mine - I now realize that I'm not fully ready to sacrifice one more ounce of myself or my potential. There are things that I want to see, do and be, and after five years of putting myself on hold, right now just isn't the time to bring a baby into the world and continue to put myself and my own aspirations aside.

via

I know this all sounds completely selfish - it is! - I admit it, I'm being wholeheartedly selfish.
Unfortunately, being selfish is usually considered a major character flaw. As a society we honor selfless acts and sacrifice - women are expected to be as selfless as possible and to raise families and to put their children's needs before their own. And one day, I will be ready for that - but right now, I'm simply not. Right now I want to live consciously and focus on my self esteem, self confidence, self worth, self respect, and self accomplishments.
I think in the long run this will make me a better person, wife, daughter, sister, friend, and some day, mother. My husband, parents, siblings, friends, and future baby are all sources of happiness, but they won't make me happy, that's something that I have to do myself.
So for now, for those of you who have been contacting me wondering how I'm doing, and where I've been - I'm GOOD, I'm FINE - I promise!

via

I've been busy living my life like one big proverbial jigsaw puzzle. When I complete a puzzle I start with the outside edges, move to the corners, then work on the middle. The outside, smooth edges of my puzzle are complete, and I'm slowly working on the inside, interlocking the pieces together. I know exactly where our baby puzzle piece fits, but I need to work on completing its surrounding pieces first, and I'm confident that all the pieces will connect when they are supposed to.
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April Showers Bring May Flowers

noreply@blogger.com (Kym Fox @ Travel Babbles | Living the (hockey) Life) — Wed, 01 May 2013 15:50:48 PDT

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I had full intentions of finishing and publishing a post about something that's been on my heart to share, however the hubs received a surprise few days off from work, so he's here in Massachusetts to visit (yes, we're living apart right now - see, I have so much to catch everyone up on!) and once again this little bloggity-blog is getting put on the back burner.
However, I did want to pop in and say "Hi!" I've been a little MIA lately, but with good (great, actually!!) reason and I can't wait to share what I've been up to! :)
In the meantime, I just wanted to remind anyone who stops by until I post again to focus on the important things in your life.
Go pick up the phone and catch up with an old friend.
Go do something nice for your parents so they know how much you appreciate them.
Go take a child out for an ice cream.
Go outside and take a look around - I bet you'll see something that you've never noticed before!
Go indulge in your guilty pleasure. Chocolate? Ice Cream? Wine? Trashy TV? I don't judge.
Go to dinner with your significant other and leave your cell phones at home (gasp!).
Go read a book.
Go lie down in the grass and let the sunshine touch your nose.
Go watch a movie that you use to love as a child.
Go write a list of things that you appreciate right now, in this present moment. Go focus on what makes you happy.
Just go ... get off the computer ... right now ... do you know what makes you happy? GO! xo

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Getting Shit Done.

noreply@blogger.com (Kym) — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:33:06 PDT

I love this post from Chelsea at Sunny With A Chance of Sprinkles

Summer is coming, ladies - it's time to start working your ass off!

I love that this To-Do List includes a reminder to drink 8 glasses of water. *************** I use the iCheckClock app on my Mac to track my internet usage time. Working virtually, it's super easy for me to get distracted, so I make sure to track every minute that I'm on my computer, separated into different project "stopwatches", to ensure that my work time is superseding my dicking-around-on-the-internet time.
Some days, because I have no self control, I have to turn my SelfControl app on. The app blocks whatever websites that I "blacklist" for a certain period of time that I select, and there's no turning it off. I haven't been able to find anything similar for the iPhone (other than actually having real self control), but if someone knows of something, please let me know!
I always (try) to work for 40 minutes straight, and then I take a 10-20 minute break away from the computer. This week, I've been throwing the squat challenge into my break times ... and it's strangely become something that I look forward to??!
Is anyone else guilty of writing things down on their To-Do list after you've already completed them? I struggle with keeping a written To-Do list ... I keep a running list in my head, but that can quickly become disorganized. I just found the To-Do list printable up above on Pinterest this morning, and for some reason it looks motivating, don't you think? I currently have a weeks worth printing out right now :).
Do you have any tips for Getting Shit Done?
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Are You There, Universe? It's Me, Kym.

noreply@blogger.com (Kym) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 12:11:15 PDT

And I have three things to say today:
One Blogging is not something that I enjoy anymore. Truthfully, if I could quit and make this blog disappear, I would. It sounds so simple and easy, and I know that I could just delete Travel Babbles off of the internet and be done with it ... but there's a feeling of failure that comes with that "solution," and that's not something that I'm ready for yet. I've spent so much time over the past three years growing this space and pouring my heart into it, but when I take a step back and evaluate it all, I can't help but wonder WHAT is the point in all of this ... especially when I'm not passionate about blogging anymore. There is so much negativity and competition in this "blogosphere," and it's sucked the fun right out of me. I've lightly touched upon this subject before, and nothing has really changed over the past few months since I've begun to feel this way. With that being said, I am no longer accepting sponsors, and I'm going back to publishing simply whenever the inspiration strikes. I'm sure that I will lose readers ... but I would like to send a sincere "Thank You" to those of you who stick around for the randomness and intermittent posts that are to come.
Two I am focusing all of my creative juices and time into a new endeavor. Over the past six hockey seasons of moving around with TJ I've wanted to do this, that and the other thing. I've wanted to be a wedding planner, I've wanted to be a personal trainer, I've wanted to turn this blog into a book, I've wanted to be a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader, I've wanted to launch my own handmade jewelry line, I've wanted to own a dog cookie bakery. For real, dog cookies. I've wanted to find something that was my own "thing" but I always used the excuse that we move around too much for me to focus on anything in particular. I'm fortunate that I was able to find jobs that have allowed me to work from home, but those jobs aren't fulfilling me in the ways that I need, so I've made a commitment to focus on something that I've always wanted to do. I already feel happier and healthier, simply with the bare bones of the business plan. I'm incredibly confident that this is the right decision, and I can't wait to watch it all transpire over the summer. Are you reading this, Universe? I'm sending this out to you ... so you better take good care of me :)
Three I am teaming up with Cooler Cleanse and starting their three day juice cleanse tomorrow. Watch my "before" video below, and make sure to check back on Friday for the "after" review!

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A Case Of The Blah-Blah-Blaaaaag

noreply@blogger.com (Kym Fox @ Travel Babbles | Living the (hockey) Life) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 07:02:46 PDT

I've been a quiet jellybean this week.
Yes, I just referred to myself as a jellybean - because yes, I am back home where my F bombs have to be censored due to my ten year old brothers presence ;)
I have been working N-O-N-S-T-O-P. I don't hate it. But I do hate it. More on that on Monday.
I have a case of the blah-blah-blaaaaag, so please let me introduce you to Mrs. Mia so that your stop by isn't a complete waste today!
*************

Hi, lovely Travel Babbles readers! I'm Mia and I blog at The Chronicles of Chaos!

No, it's not a comic book, although sometimes I like to pretend I'm Super Woman! With 2 boys (ages 4 and 2), a full-time job, a crazy dog, AND a blog, chaos definitely reigns supreme in my life. I love hot wings, Coke (not Pepsi!), Justin Bieber (what?!), and Target (duh!). And I truly love, love, love to read. So... if you like crazy people who blog about their crazy lives... well then stop by and visit me ASAP! :)

Follow Mia on

Twitter

Facebook

Bloglovin'

*************

Do you have anything fun planned for the weekend? My little brother kicks off his dirtbike racing season on Sunday and I'm very excited that I'm home to be able to cheer him on.

I hope that you have a great weekend! xo

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H O M E

noreply@blogger.com (Kym Fox @ Travel Babbles | Living the (hockey) Life) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 08:43:02 PDT

Yes, this really happened.

Yes, this did too.
Dunkin Donuts is lucky that I have a sense of humor, our luggage was delivered this morning, I'm thrilled to be teaching dance classes tonight, and TJ starts his summer job on Monday.
Life is good in our hood. Happy Hump Day! xo
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This Blog Post Is Brought To You By My Funny Bone and Friends

noreply@blogger.com (Kym Fox @ Travel Babbles | Living the (hockey) Life) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 09:05:00 PDT

By the time this post publishes we should be right about ...

Dusseldorf --> Frankfurt --> Boston

While I hope that we remain high and dry today (Brutus can't swim, you know),

I didn't want to leave YOU high and dry, so I have my fabulous friend Misty here guest posting.

*************

Hello! I'm Misty from Handbags & Handguns. I often blog about family, friends, celebrities, fashion, and my love of vampires. Today, I'm happy to be guest posting for Kym.

I'm here to tell you about some of life's greatest lessons. Many of life's lessons can be learned from watching an episode or ~~two~~ twenty of Friends. I honestly don't know where I'd be without the wisdom of Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Ross, Chandler, and Joey.
Here are a few of the lessons I've learned while watching the best show ever.

#1
Don't ask a guy out unless you're sure he likes you.

Joey: Alright Rach, the big question is, does he like you?
Right, because if he doesn't like you, this is all a moo point.
Rachel: A moo point?
Joey: Yeah, it's like a cow's opinion. It just doesn't matter. It's moo.

#2
There are seven basic erogenous zones on a woman's body.

Monica: Now everybody knows the basic erogenous zones. You got 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.
Chandler: There are seven?
Monica: The important thing is to take your time. You want to hit them all, and you want to mix them up. You gotta keep them on their toes.
Rachel: Ooh, toes!

#3
When getting a Mystic Tan, it's imperative you follow directions.
If you don't, you'll end up AN EIGHT!

Chandler: Hold on. There's something different about you.
Ross: I went to that tanning place your wife suggested.
Chandler: Was that place... the Sun?!

#4
If you can't get your baby to laugh, rap Sir Mix-a-Lot's Baby Got Back to them.
It works like a charm. Babies love big asses.

Rachel: What did you do to make her laugh?
Ross: I, um.. Well, I sang.. Actually, I rapped Baby Got Back.
Rachel: You what?!
You sang, to our baby daughter, a song about a guy who likes to have sex with women with big giant asses?

#5
When your best girlfriend is having a bad day, you grab some beer, pop some popcorn
and sit around in wedding dresses.

Rachel: You know, I gotta tell ya. This really does put me in a better mood.
Monica: I wish there was a job where I could wear this all the time.
Maybe someday there will be...

(follow Misty on Twitter or Facebook and make sure you stop by her blog to say hi!)

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If You Want To See The Stars, Get Up Off Your Astronaut And Get Flyin'

noreply@blogger.com (Kym Fox @ Travel Babbles | Living the (hockey) Life) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 07:23:21 PDT

1 . 2 . 3 . 4

TJ and I are spending the weekend cleaning and packing up our apartment. Our flight leaves Germany bright and early on Monday morning, and arrives in Boston around 2:30PM. Yay!

The one thing that I'm most looking forward to (besides seeing my family and friends, and eating lots of American food, of course!) is to pull myself together. These past few months have been stressful and crazy, to say the least ... and it was too easy to allow myself to become a mess, too.

There are things that I want to see, and do, and be, and it's time to focus on making those visions a reality. I keep seeing friends achieve their goals of opening their own business or taking control of different aspects of their lives. I'm wholeheartedly motivated by these people and I'm ready to be my own inspiration.

This move back home - to my familiar, happy place - is just the thing that I need :)

Be your own inspiration, friends - and have a happy weekend! xo

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True Life: This Post Has Been Sitting "In Draft" For Six Months | Products That I Can't Live Without

noreply@blogger.com (Kym Fox @ Travel Babbles | Living the (hockey) Life) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 08:06:34 PDT

I had intentions of finishing this post before we moved in September.
And then I had intentions of finishing this post before we moved in November.
And then I had intentions of finishing this post before I moved in January.
And now, as we're packing up to move back home (on Monday, yay!) I figured that there was no better time than now to publish a post about the products that I can't live without - specifically, the ones that make the cut each time we pack up our things and move again.
When we first moved over to Germany two seasons ago, I brought e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. I was pretty ignorant (and dumb!) and thought that only German products would be available here. I packed every single stitch of makeup, giant bottles of my favorite shampoo and conditioner, etc. I'm pretty sure, if I remember correctly, that I had one suitcase dedicated purely to vanity items (Okay, I'm lying, I absolutely packed fifty pounds of makeup, creams and the like ... what a dummy!).
I guess since then, I've become a little smarter. Here are the only products that came across the pond with me this time ... and you can click each product individually for more information or to purchase!:

(all ItCosmetics products c/o & loved ♥ !)
My "normal" makeup routine (when I actually do color my face, which is usually only for hockey games or if we're going out to dinner) is pretty relaxed and simple. For my foundation I mix Revlon PhotoReady and Clinique's Even Better together because I love each of them individually but not separately (Revlon provides a true airbrush finish while Clinique has SPF 15 and is great for the skin). I apply a small bit of blush, and I love the three in one shadow from ItCosmetics because it's comparable to MAC, and it can easily go from daytime to nighttime depending on how much I apply. I always finish with the Laura Mercier Mineral Powder as a finishing touch.
Most days I'm fresh faced, but if I do go out during the day and I don't want to scare people, then I just apply some BB cream, curl my eyelashes, put on a coat of mascara, and apply my favorite lip gloss.
If you haven't been introduced to Not Your Mother's dry shampoo, you must run out to your nearest drugstore and purchase it! I found mine at my local Walgreens for under $6 and it's 100x better than a more expensive brand that cost me almost $20. Not Your Mother's doesn't leave behind white powder, and it instantly dries up an oily scalp. (You can trust me on this, I'm on day 4 of dry shampooing.) A+++++, I love it.
I received the Versace Bright Crystal for Christmas, and I refer to it as my Sex in A Bottle. It's that good. I've always wanted a "signature scent", and Bright Crystal has definitely become mine. Thanks mom and dad :)
Everything else that I have listed above is a personal favorite, and all items are small and lightweight - which are perfect for travel! The heaviest item that came over to Germany with me was the Vaseline Cocoa Butter, which I definitely wasn't making an exception for!
Do you have a favorite product that you couldn't live without? Tell me about it in a comment below!
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Once You Lose Yourself You Have Two Choices

noreply@blogger.com (Kym Fox @ Travel Babbles | Living the (hockey) Life) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 07:11:54 PDT

Over the weekend someone DM'ed me a simple message on Twitter about how I "shouldn't feel pressured to publish good, happy feeling posts for my readers right now."

Those words stuck with me all weekend - (PS, thank you again, my friend).

I guess I do feel pressured, but not so much to convince everyone else that I am okay ... it's more or less to convince myself that I'm okay. I'm not sure if this is a healthy means of coping, or if I'm asking for trouble, but I guess I'll figure it out as I go along.

As I admitted on Friday, in the past couple of weeks I kind of lost it. In losing my baby I quickly lost myself. I'm not an alcoholic by any means (ha!), but I self medicated myself with a giant bottle of wine every single night for ten days straight. Those drinks made me laugh through each night - which is when my new reality hits me the hardest - and they helped me to fall into a blurry sleep until morning.

I realized on Friday while writing that I was quickly falling down a hole and that I needed to snap out of it. I'm proud to admit that I haven't had a bottle of wine in the apartment since Thursday.

Holy balls, I feel like I'm in an AA meeting right now just for typing that last sentence! "Hi. My name is Kym and I have a problem." ... ha ... I swear I'm not as ridiculous as this all sounds ... but I am patting myself on the back for realizing that I was taking a slow turn for the worst and that I needed to pull myself together.

via live.laugh.love & kaybella on Pinterest

In a Google search that led me to blogs from women who have experienced a miscarriage, I read a wonderful post from a woman who explained that in losing her child, she re-birthed herself.

She went on to explain how she wanted to become the best version of herself, and to nurture herself like she had planned to do with her baby.

Loss changes you.

Well, it's changed me, anyway. It has forced me to take a deep look at myself. It's forced me to evaluate myself, my relationships with people, my goals, my routines, my responsibilities, my priorities, my faith, and I'm sure a whole bunch of other things that I haven't even focused on yet.

I've learned first hand that this life, my life, all life, is fragile.

And I've learned that NOW is the time to make some changes in my life, and to create a life that I truly love living.

*************

I realize that unless you've had a miscarriage you probably can't relate to much of anything that I write about here when I write about my actual experience or feelings - but I'm sure that everyone can understand and answer the following questions:

Are you living the life that you always imagined? Are you doing what you love to do? Are you surrounding yourself with people who bring you up? Are you happy with your true self?

If you answered "No" to any of those questions - what are you waiting for to turn it all around?

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Does Anyone Know....

noreply@blogger.com (Kym Fox @ Travel Babbles | Living the (hockey) Life) — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 07:15:19 PDT

How this....

translates into THIS?

Bueller? ... Bueller? ... Anyone? Happy Easter, xo

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Dear Diary,

noreply@blogger.com (Kym Fox @ Travel Babbles | Living the (hockey) Life) — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 07:18:23 PDT

I cried last night.

Actually, I laid on TJs chest and I wailed heavy, uncontrollable sobs that came out of nowhere.

But you know what? It felt good to feel.

I've kept myself very busy - almost too busy - these past two weeks with work and wine.

Work, wine, sleep. Work, wine, sleep. Wash, dry, repeat.

I've tried writing three other posts today, each with an inspirational, happy image,

but I've decided to acknowledge how I'm actually feeling,

and remember that it's okay to not be okay.

I've been told that grief comes in waves. I'm going to ride this one out.

via

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Hearted ♥

noreply@blogger.com (Kym Fox @ Travel Babbles | Living the (hockey) Life) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 08:49:22 PDT

I enjoy spending time on Etsy, exploring the many different types of shops that one can find there. The creativity, heart and soul that many owners put into the goods that they sell in their shops is motivating and inspiring. Take a look at a few of my most recent favorite finds:

Aquamarine 14K Gold Nugget Necklace - $49

by friedasophie on Etsy

Pastel Pink Sugar Goat's Milk Soap Bar - $3.45

by SakuraBathAndBody on Etsy

Paint Splash World Map - $23.40

by artPause on Etsy

Custom Paw Print Necklace - $100

by SayWhatCreations on Etsy

Four Cupcakes in a Jar with Buttercream Frosting - $24

by The Blooming Cupcake on Etsy

Shabby Chic Handmade Jewelry Organizer and Corkboard Wall Shelf - $138

by datedbydesigns on Etsy

Sea Salt & Caramel Body Lotion - $6.50

by SouthernTwistedSoaps on Etsy

Coral Pendant Necklace in Dipped Gold - $40

by SeashoreLove on Etsy

Vacation Travel Journal - $17

by makingthishome on Etsy

Glitter Berries Resin Post Earrings - $10

by JerseyGirlDesign on Etsy

Six Gourmet Dog Treat Doughnuts $12

by Pupakes Treats on Etsy

Do you have an Etsy shop? Leave your link in a comment below, I'd love to check it out!
Happy Tuesday, Friends ♥
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That's A Wrap.

noreply@blogger.com (Kym Fox @ Travel Babbles | Living the (hockey) Life) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 08:45:36 PDT

Dear Husband, You have 24 hours to act on this message:

Welp, the 2012-2013 hockey season is officially over.

We will be packing up (yes, again) and heading home to Massachusetts for the summer.

Solidified flights are still TBA, but my heart is happy.

European hockey is a funny thing - guys start resigning with their team or sign with other teams elsewhere in as early as December/January for the following season.

TJ has yet to do so.

And I'm okay with that.

After six seasons and dozens of moves, I'm finally okay with not knowing where in the world we will be living a few months from now.

I've finally learned that I cannot control one thing in my life - and I guess developing this acceptance is one thing that I can be thankful for as this season comes to a close.

source

TJ and I tried to control a lot of things this season. I've never written the following on my blog before because I didn't want to sound like a "bragger," but TJ had six different offers over the summer. Three in the States, and three in Europe. TJ tried to buy time with every single coach, claiming that he wasn't thinking about hockey contracts until after the wedding.

But that was a lie.

In reality, we were waiting on the call from Orlando, and decided that if we didn't hear from them by the wedding, that TJ would sign elsewhere.

And wouldn't you know it, Orlando called the very first night of our honeymoon. We thought for sure that this was going to be the best hockey season ever ... but that quickly went to shit.

TJ and I sometimes wonder if the same situation would have happened had he just taken one of the other offers that came before Florida. It's nice to be able to pass blame on the NHL lockout for being a main factor in the fuckery that quickly became our life this season ... but we just don't know.

All I do know is that I'm glad that TJ had a job, because so many guys ended up without one this year.

A few people have told me that they think that I'm so brave for keeping myself together through all of the adversities that we've faced since October. But to be honest - I haven't been strong. I've carried a lot of bitterness in my heart this season, and I'm so relieved to finally be able to put this year behind us and move on.

I'm looking forward to whatever the future has in store for us ... but first, I'm focusing on enjoying today, tomorrow, and every other day of this offseason.

Peace out 2012-2013.

source

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What You Shouldn't Say To Someone Who Has Had A Miscarriage

noreply@blogger.com (Kym) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 04:59:14 PDT

The influx of love and support that I've received over the past couple of days has meant so much.

Thank you. From the bottom of my heart - THANK YOU.

Being that we're currently in Germany - everyone, even my family and friends back home in Massachusetts - have had to send their love and hugs through the phone or via text massage, Facebook message or Skype.

It's been difficult, but we're getting better.

TJ and I are laughing again. We're looking forward to tomorrow. We're carrying on.

A few people who have contacted me have mentioned how strong I am for sharing my story here. I guess, because I often have to sort my feelings, emotions and experiences out through words, it never really occurred to me that it was a "strong" thing to do before I hit the "publish" button and told the entire cyberspace world that I miscarried our baby.

As therapeutic as it was for me to share, I wanted other women who have been in my situation, or other women who someday find themselves in my situation, to know that they can talk out loud about their loss ... and to know that they are not alone.

Too many women have suffered in silence, which is evident by the countless messages that I have received from such women who have felt like they couldn't or shouldn't share their early pregnancy loss ... many women wanted to extend a virtual shoulder to cry on if I needed it, so that I wouldn't feel alone like they did when they lost their babies so early on. It's difficult telling people you've miscarried when you hadn't even announced that you were pregnant yet, you know?

Sure, delivering a stillborn baby at 31 weeks is a little bit different than having a miscarriage at 11 weeks, but the loss of a baby at any week is as real as when you see the two lines on a pregnancy test.

A baby is a baby. A loss is a loss.

And the taboo of speaking out about early miscarriages needs to be broken.

via

I understand that just the word "miscarriage" in itself makes people uncomfortable.

It's a very sad, confusing, and emotional subject to talk about.

But let me tell you something - if someone that you care about has experienced a miscarriage, the one thing that you shouldn't say is to not say anything at all.

These angels need to be acknowledged, and their mothers need to feel supported - not alone.

Many of the messages that I've received that have touched my soul were as simple as this:

"I know there's nothing I can say or do to make you feel better, but know that I am thinking of you, keeping you in my prayers and hoping you can find happiness sooner rather than later."

Nothing more. Nothing less ... there really isn't anything that you can say or do to take the pain away from the woman who has experienced the loss of her child, but you can offer your love and emotional support ... and that is more than enough for a woman who is grieving.

*************

This is the last time that I intend on writing in depth about my miscarriage. I can't promise that it won't ever come up again, but I like for Travel Babbles to be my happy place. From here on out, I'll be switching back to "regularly scheduled programming" and sharing the many things that make me smile. Thank you again for your love and support during this difficult time. xo

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Eventually, I Will Be Okay. Just Not Today.

noreply@blogger.com (Kym Fox @ Travel Babbles | Living the (hockey) Life) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 14:04:26 PDT

I started writing this post in my head before the miscarriage was even confirmed.

I guess that's the writer in me. And I guess that a "mother's intuition" is a real thing.

I had half-known for the past couple of weeks. I was continually questioning why I never experienced morning sickness, why I wasn't tired anymore, why the soreness in my breasts had gone away, and why I felt "normal."

"Maybe I'm just one of the lucky ones?," I wondered.

Google quickly became my best friend in the days leading up to our ten week appointment. Some women had experienced the same decline of pregnancy symptoms that I had while rounding the corner into the second trimester. Some women went on to deliver healthy children - while other women were not so lucky.

TJ and I saw our first positive pregnancy test very early, at 3 weeks and 3 days along. After six months of trying, we experienced "is this real life?" emotions, which quickly turned into confirmed happiness after seeing those two lines appear on four tests. There was no denying it - we were finally pregnant.

We had no idea what we were doing, but we quickly started to imagine and daydream about what life would be like with Baby Fox.

Two days before my appointment this past Saturday, I was wide awake at 3:30am, and I went to use the bathroom. I saw shocked to see a little bit of blood. I woke TJ up, who had to be out of the door four hours later for an away game, and I somehow forced myself to fall back asleep.

When I woke up, the day was pure torture. I was still spotting, and TJ wouldn't be home until the next day. There are no girls here, meaning no physical support system, and I spent most of the day Googling for answers and texting with my mom and one of my best friends.

All I wanted to do was get on an airplane and go home.

I managed to pull myself together and take a shower. I put my hands on my belly, closed my eyes, and tried to talk to the baby ... but there was nothing. This is when I finally let the tears flow and let it sink in. I know that bleeding during pregnancy can be normal ... and I don't even know why or how to explain this, but I just knew that something was wrong with our baby.

TJ got home from his road trip the next day, and crawled into bed at 7:30am. I let him sleep.

We arrived at the hospital at 1pm.

The doctor that I saw was amazing. It was my first experience with a male doctor - whom I've always been so terrified of seeing - however he was honestly the best doctor that I've ever had. I feared that he would have broken English and that he wouldn't have the empathy skills necessary to be the bearer of bad news - but I was wrong.

He took my background information, asked about my last period, confirmed that I would be 10 weeks and 5 days along, and congratulated us on our first pregnancy.

I was in a daze and I forgot to thank him.

There's really no privacy when you visit the Lady Doctor here in Germany. There was a curtain in the corner, and the doctor instructed me to go behind it and undress from the bottom down. I did, then I took an embarrassing butt-ass naked walk halfway across the room, past TJ, the nurse, and the doctor, and hopped up on the scary stirrup chair.

I asked TJ if he could leave the room. The chair that he was sitting in was positioned just right, and I was not comfortable with him having a front row seat at my pap smear.

The doctor then gave me an internal ultrasound and we looked at the monitor. The nurse who was by my side suddenly touched my arm and began rubbing it. I couldn't take my eyes off of the monitor, and I whispered to the nurse, "Can you please go get my husband?"

They both returned within 30 seconds. TJ was now by my side, and by that point I had pulled my scarf up to my face and I had tears welling in my eyes.

The doctor hadn't said anything yet, but I knew that something wasn't right. I've YouTubed enough 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 week ultrasound videos to know that something was very wrong with our baby.

The doctor finally spoke. He asked me if my dates could be off. I arrived in Germany on January 10th and I had a positive pregnancy test 3 weeks later. The dates were definitely not off.

He went on to check my ovaries and everything else. He said that everything looked perfect. He went back to the baby and explained what was not perfect.

He confirmed what I had already known - that our baby did not have a heartbeat.

Everything after that was a blur. I somehow got off the chair, ended up behind the curtain, dressed myself, and found myself sitting next to TJ.

The doctor spoke but I wasn't listening.

The doctor discussed what would happen next. I went through the motions, occasionally saying "Okay" or "I understand," while he explained the surgery that I'd have to have to deliver the baby.

I couldn't take my eyes off of the last photo of the baby, who was still up on the monitor.

I heard the doctor say things like "the "loss" of pregnancy is very common in the first trimester" and that "1 in 4 women experience such a "loss."

But my baby wasn't lost, I could see it right there in front of me on the monitor. And it was dead.

The doctor finally wheeled his chair closer to me, breaking my attention from the monitor, and said "I need for you to understand something that is very important. This is neither of your faults. These things happen and oftentimes we will never know why, but it's usually because of a chromosomal abnormality, and your body just knew that something was wrong with the baby. I like to look at the positive side of every situation, and the good thing to remember here is that we know that your body can make a baby."

Something about those words just sunk in and gave me peace.

And I know that eventually, I will be okay.

That's not to say that I'm not experiencing random episodes out of nowhere where tears just start streaming uncontrollably down my cheeks ... but eventually, I will be okay.

I know that I just wrote a couple of blog posts back about not wanting to over-share here anymore. That post came from a place where I was preparing to share the news of our baby, and I knew that I wouldn't want to share it's sweet face all over the internet once it arrived.

I actually considered sharing our baby news a couple of weeks ago. Since we had found out so early at three weeks, it was quickly becoming difficult to keep our secret, and I was very anxious to spill the beans.

I remember thinking to myself when I considered writing the announcement post, "I understand why women wait until 12 weeks to share their pregnancy - because they think that they are out of the miscarriage clear - but plenty of women have miscarriages at 20 weeks, or deliver stillborns at 25 weeks, 35 weeks, or 40 weeks. Books and doctors and websites stress that you should keep your pregnancy a secret just in case something "bad" happens, which also infers that you should keep it a secret if in fact that something "bad" does happen. But if I do miscarry, I certainly won't grieve in silence, so what does it matter whether I share that I'm 8 weeks pregnant or 12 weeks pregnant, if I'd share that I had a miscarriage at any week? "

Ultimately, since I felt so uncertain about my decline of pregnancy symptoms, I decided to wait until confirmation that all was good - or not good - with the baby.

I planned on making our special baby announcement yesterday.

But now, here I find myself ... sharing that we experienced a missed miscarriage just shy of 11 weeks.

Over the course of the past six months, TJ and I have been continually tested, brought up, thrown down, and forced to pick ourselves back up. Since we got married in July, we've dealt with the worst experiences of our lives together ... and I think that we're so easily at peace with this miscarriage because we've made it through those awful moments together.

Together, we've been forced to deal with grief when we didn't want to, we've been forced to be mentally strong when we didn't want to ... and I think that in a way, all of those experiences prepared us for this.

Months ago, we developed the belief that everything happens for a reason.

And as painful as this is, I truly believe that eventually, we will have an understanding as to why right now is not the right time to bring a sweet baby into our world.

I know that someday, this will all make sense.

But right now, it doesn't.

We were just getting accustomed to the idea of life with a baby, and now we need to figure out how we're going to proceed without one. Together, TJ and I have spent nearly every night for the past seven weeks in bed Googling the babies growth and development, wondering if Brutus would be a good big brother, envisioning TJ taking the baby out on the ice for the first time after a game, wondering if we'd have a tiny dancer or a husky athlete, and laughing about how we'd never sleep through the night ever again.

I know it's a quick decision, but I think that we've decided that we're going to wait quite a few months until we try again. These past few months have been strewn with many disappointments, and we just want to enjoy the offseason, the summer, and most importantly - each other - without any more stress, anxiety or devastation.

I'm sure that anyone who reads this post will understand that it's going to be quiet around here until I can pick myself up again, and until I can figure out what my new normal is.

These emotions are still very raw, and this is all still very, very real - but I needed to release these words from my heart today, so that I can acknowledge my feelings and begin to move on.

I am not going to pretend that I am okay, because I'm not ... but I know that eventually, I will be okay.

Even if this is the fourth time that I'm typing those four words into this one post ... (and maybe it's because I'm just trying to convince myself) ... but eventually, I will be okay.

Just not today.

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Five For Friday: Things That Made Me Smile This Week

noreply@blogger.com (Kym Fox @ Travel Babbles | Living the (hockey) Life) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 06:18:48 PDT

1. Did you know that a dogs coat can change as they grow? Brutty is starting to look like a(n overweight) dalmatian, and the little spots that keep popping out make me smile each time we're outside for a walk.
2. My new favorite banana pancake recipe. Mash one ripe banana, mix in an egg, throw in a dash of cinnamon, cook like a pancake and enjoy your foodgasm. You can thank me later.
3. Daily "Good Morning, Sunshine" texts from my Dad. His most recent one continued and informed me that I forgot to mention in Brutty's birthday post that the pup also enjoys ruining my brothers skateboards and soccer balls. Hi Dad, I love you :)
4. Learning of the possibility that GFC might go bye-bye. Am I the only blogger who is excited about this?
5. Realizing that I have 25 days left until I head back to the grand old US of A.
What made you smile this week?
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Happy 4th Birthday Brutus!

noreply@blogger.com (Kym) — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 09:49:55 PDT

Age: 4 Height: 17 inches
Weight: 84 pounds Favorite Food: Lamb Favorite Toy: Plastic water bottles Favorite Snack: Sliced green apples Favorite Stuffed Animal: My blue turtle Favorite Game: Tug of War with dirty socks How many times have you moved?: Fourteen Current Interests: Naps, long walks, begging for cookies What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?: A soccer player Education: Graduate of PetSmart's Beginner Education Training Program Favorite Thing To Do Outside: Chase snowflakes, falling leaves, or kicked pebbles

I might be a little bias ... But I think that I have the cutest bully in the entire world.

Happy Birthday Chubby Bubby!
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Remember When Privacy Was More Than Just A Setting?

noreply@blogger.com (Kym Fox @ Travel Babbles | Living the (hockey) Life) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 10:09:23 PDT

Something weird happened over the weekend.

Well, nothing in particular happened over the weekend, but all of a sudden I became really aware and cautious about how much personal information I broadcast over the internet.

Let's get real - we have personal information shared on the interwebs whether we want it to be shared or not. Google your name ... heck, Google your grandmothers name, and I can 99.9% guarantee that something pops up.

It is called the World Wide Web for a reason. The second you publish something on your blog, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or whatever your social media vice may be - boom - it's sent off into cyberspace for anyone, anywhere to see.

And that, my friends, is all of a sudden deemed pretty damn creepy in my book.

There are a handful of people who I've crossed over the past 27 years of my existence who I wouldn't even enjoy sharing a "Hello" with - but here I am, sharing my life on my blog, 140 character thoughts on my Twitter, and too many photos of Brutus on my Instagram.

And for some reason, all of a sudden, I'm just not totally comfortable with everyone in the whole entire world having that all access pass.

What ever happened to Stranger Danger, people?!

Sharing our lives via social media has become as much a part of life, as life itself ... and I honestly think that's pretty sad.

It's actually embarrassing how many times I've held off on eating dinner because my plate needed to have it's Glamour Shots taken first. I'm guilty, I admit it.

I think social media and the many technological advancements that have happened over the past twenty years are amazing - don't get me wrong! - but that's not the point of this blog post.

Over the weekend I considered making all of my social media profiles private, and monitoring who has access to see what I'm publishing ... but then I realized that privacy is so much more than a setting. It's up to me to decide what I make public and what I keep private.

I've realized that I don't need to share every itty bitty tidbit of my life anymore just because I write a blog and I want to pretend that my life is actually interesting ;) ... Emily from Cupcakes and Cashmere, for example, hardly ever shares any personal information about herself, and her blog is more popular than this little space by tenfolds.

Hot damn, I think I grew up??

What are your thoughts on social media sharing/oversharing?

Are your social media profiles public or private? Why?

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Beyond My Peripheral Vision

noreply@blogger.com (Kym Fox @ Travel Babbles | Living the (hockey) Life) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 10:29:09 PST

(via)

Traveling has given me the opportunity to see the world through different eyes. It forces me to look beyond my peripheral vision, to experience different ways of living, to learn new "normals", and to develop interesting perspectives about life and what inspires me.

Whether we're living abroad or in the States - I tend to live more "in the moment" when we're in a new hockey home. I feel like I'm actually awake, doing things that are out of the ordinary, simply because those things are happening in an unfamiliar place.

Life isn't so automatic and habitual when we're away from home ... simple things like going to the grocery store can turn into an adventure. Every day feels new, interesting, exciting and stimulating.

I wish that I could bottle these feelings up and take them home with me for the summer.

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Natural Beauty

noreply@blogger.com (Kym) — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 09:33:34 PST

Today's ingredients are not for a cake.

Or a cupcake.

Or a cookie.

For the past three weeks I've been experimenting with baking soda as a natural facial cleanser.

I've also been treating myself to bi-weekly honey and cinnamon face masks,

as well as a weekly olive oil and egg hair treatment.

The results?

I'm quite certain that I will never purchase chemical concoctions for my face or hair ever again.

(According to Pinterest this is Baking Soda, not drugs ;))

The benefits that I've experienced while using these products as part of a natural beauty routine (as well as additional tidbits that I found by Google researching) are as follows:

Baking Soda for the Face

Natural exfoliant

Antibacterial (less breakouts!)

Brighter appearance

Gentle on the skin (compared to chemical products)

Environmentally friendly

Honey for the Face

Antibacterial

Hygroscopic (keeps skin hydrated by drawing moisture into the skin)

Full of antioxidants (which fight skin damage and lighten scars)

Cinnamon for the Face

Naturally dries out oily skin, then

brings blood and oxygen back to the skins surface

Excellent exfoliant properties

Olive Oil for Hair

Lightweight, great for moisturizing

Improves the strength of hair

Wonderful to massage into scalp; promotes hair growth

A more moisturized scalp = less dry flakes/dandruff

Quick fix for split ends

Egg for Hair

Contains essential vitamins and nutrients (which help strengthen hair follicles)

Egg proteins can temporarily "stand in" for keratin protein loss/damage

Fatty acids in eggs help to brighten dull hair

The sulfer and B12 in eggs can aid in hair growth

Do you have a natural beauty tip, trick or recipe?

Share it in the comment box below! xo

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Rabbit Rabbit | Hello MARCH!

noreply@blogger.com (Kym Fox @ Travel Babbles | Living the (hockey) Life) — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 12:25:59 PST

I don't know about you - but I am PUMPED that it's finally March! Spring is almost here!
Don't get me wrong - I love winter, but for all of the wrong reasons - like Christmas cookies, hiding in baggy sweatpants, sitting my butt on the couch watching the snow fall, extra chocolatey hot chocolate, heavy belly-filling meals, and hibernating.
Since I arrived in Germany on January 8th (or was it the 9th? I can't remember), we've only had two whole days of sunshine.
It's been incredibly cold, dark, or snowy every other day.
Belch.
Just once, I'd really appreciate it if TJ could play hockey somewhere warm ... like Tahiti, perhaps? ;)

Along with kicking my winter blues to the curb, this month I'm looking forward to:
1. That first smell of Spring You know what I'm talking about, right? When you walk outside of your house one day and all of a sudden - BAM - you're greeted by that fresh, clean smell of spring. It's my favorite.

2. Completing the March Photo A Day Challenge Silly, I know. But I've attempted this challenge a couple of times and failed after day two.

3. Completing 31 days of barre workouts Fact: I HATE working out ... but with my dance background, barre workouts are something that I naturally enjoy doing. The only problem is that studios are not always located in each city that we move to ... and I'm sorry but $20+ for a one hour class is just plain ridiculous in my book ... so you can imagine how excited I was when I found Barre3. Hello (challenging!) at home barre workouts for only $15 per month!

4. Announcing two new adventures I know, I know, I get annoyed by those people who only spill a bean or two, too ... and trust me, I'm bursting at the seams to spill them all ... but I need a couple of more weeks to get myself organized :)

via

Have a lovely weekend! xo
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