Saturday Favorites

i can’t believe July starts tomorrow!!
where has this year gone already?
i can’t believe how much has already happened this year and how much we still have planned.
crazy crazy!! 

we are spending today organizing and planning for the next month.
and for my biiiirrrrrtttthhhhddddaaaaayyyyy!!!!
guys, BIG/AWESOME THINGS are planned for next week to celebrate!!
so be sure to check back every day next week for some great prizes!

but today, you should definitely take a gander at these links because they are pretty amazing as well. as in i just spent a ridiculous amount of time obsessing over them myself so you are bound to waste some time get some great ideas out of them!

love this post by Kim on the importance of saying “I Love You”
i need to remember to tell those I care about that i love them more often.
sometimes i assume they already know because of my actions or something,
but there’s something so much more special about actually saying it out loud.
i know i can definitely try better.

this series by Ashley and her husband Nathan is so fun!
i love getting to know them both better and hear a male’s perspective about things like The Bachelorette :)

i really want to try these Haystacks that Brittany made.
i think Elijah would absolutely love them and would make a great little snack for him.

love these cute engagements Alisha took recently!
first, i love that dress!
and second, i feel like i need to get some awesome cowboy boots now :)

i absolutely LOVE these sensory tub ideas from Counting Coconuts!
i had never heard of sensory tubs before my friend introduced me and i think they are such a great idea
{especially for busy and curious kids like Elijah!}.
we had a craft day a couple of weeks ago putting together things for our own sensory tubs too.
i have yet to actually put it all together though since we are in the process of packing stuff up and don’t want to have to have another thing to put away.
but i can’t wait to try it out and i know Elijah will really enjoy it!

i am obsessed with this piano.
OBSESSED!!
i have been looking over Craigslist for a very long time trying to find one that we can redo and paint.
i love it so so much and need something like this in my home!

i saw this tape measure a little while ago and have thought about it ever since!
i love the idea of keeping track of our children’s height and think this is such a cute and classy way to do that.
so simple and perfect!

 
love this simple 4th of July wreath Aubrey made and shared on After Nine to Five!
i never would have thought of doing something like that or using a cute frame.
it looks so awesome!!

and one more thing before i sign off.
i will be {greatly} decreasing the amount of sponsors i take on for August since we will be moving and getting settled into our new place. and then after that i will probably be making more changes to sponsoring as well since our life will be hectic for a while.
so if you are interested in sponsoring, July is a great time to do so since there will be lots of great opportunities for exposure before these changes take place
kind of like a last big hurrah!
{think HUGE birthday giveaways and guest posting while we pack}
so be sure to check out my sponsor page if you are interested
[and i also have one XL ad spot left as well :)]

 

HAPPY SATURDAY!!

simply lovely interview + giveaway

i’m excited to have Angel here today on the blog!
Angel is one awesome & talented lady and she has the Etsy shop to prove it.
she is a very strong, motivating, and inspiring woman and i have loved getting to know her better.
i hope you take the time to get to know Angel today!

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1. How would your friends describe you?
They would describe me as outgoing, funny and ridiculously organized. I love meeting new people and office supplies!

2. How long have you been married and what {honest} advice would you give to someone about to be married?
I am divorced so my honest advice is not to rush in. Make sure you know your partner and that you both want the same things from life, each other and your marriage. As long as you are on and stay on the same page, you should do fine.

3. How did you start your blog & shop and why?
I started my blog and shop because I wanted to share the things I love with the world. A friend of mine was the final push I needed. She opened her shop and gave me the courage to open mine. Thanks Jenelle!

4. What inspires you?
So many things inspire me. I have many boards on Pinterest but also have an idea notebook that I am constantly adding too. Sometimes it’s a sketch or photo and sometimes it’s something as simple as a fabric swatch. I also love vintage things and often find some of my best ideas that way.

5. What would your totem-pole animal spirit be? 
That’s tough but I think it would be a dog. I have a great passion for my fur babies and loyalty is one of my most important qualities.

6. What are some of your favorite items in your shop or blog posts [with links] and why?
I love my cabochon rings. I wear one almost every day. The little pop of color makes me happy.
Hot Pink Cabachon Ring
Cream Rosette Ring 

7. How do you define success?
To me success is any goal I set and accomplish. Happiness is the ultimate goal so if you’re happy then you’re successful!

8. What advice would you give to new shop owners/bloggers? What did you wish you knew when you first started?
Patience, patience, patience. I wish someone would have told me earlier on that this is a waiting game. I thought I‘ll just make my product, lit it and wham bam it flies out the door. There is so much more to it than that.

9. What is a talent you have that you wish you used more?
Writing. I love to write but I just can’t seem to find the time lately to put the pen to paper so to speak.

10. Do you squeeze the top of the toothpaste tube or the bottom? Which one does your fiancé do?
I squeeze from the bottom as everyone should! ;) My fiancé however just grabs the tube any old way and squeezes the crap out of. He also hangs toilet paper the wrong but I love him despite these faults!

11. What are your goals for the future {long and short}? Do you have anything you want to change?
Right now life is pretty good so I’m just going to keep plugging away. This year I would like to make it to a blog conference but we’ll have to see. 

blog / shop / twitter / instagram

 

AND A GIVEAWAY!

Angel is so nice that she is offering to give away one, peach cabachon flower ring with a silver tone adjustable band.

here’s how to enter:
[leave a comment for each entry]
**links fixed!! sorry about that!**

1. follow Simply Lovely Things blog
2. follow Angel on Twitter
3. visit Angel’s shop and tell me what your favorite product is

GOOD LUCK!

What Alice Forgot

what if you woke up & you had forgotten everything that happened in the last 10 years?
would you be proud of what had become of your life?
would you be disappointed in the kind of person you had become?

this month for the BlogHer Book Club i read a book that explored that very question.
What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty is about a woman {Alice obviously} who hit her head at the gym and when she woke up she thought she was still back in 1998 happily married to the love of her life and pregnant with her first baby.
she didn’t believe anyone when they said she actually had three kids and her marriage was about to end in a bitter divorce.

this book explored so many interesting facets of human emotion.
from the loss of love between Alice & Nick to the overwhelming feeling of loss from Alice’s sister Elizabeth who struggled for 6 years with infertility to the way pure happiness & love can cure all the bitterness you have ever had in you.

i really liked this book and i love the way it made me think.
the whole time i kept asking myself if my the younger Megan from 10 years ago would be proud of me or if she would be disappointed. or if 10 years from now would be what i truly hoped it would be or if i would be unrecognizable to my 23-year-old self.
i thought about what i can do now to ensure that as i grow and mature, i stay true to my core values
and continue to cultivate my marriage.
as a marriage research/advice/counseling junkie, this book was filled with great material that has really helped me analyze my own relationship and vow to be better.

this book was definitely captivating & kept me on my toes.
every time i thought i knew what was going to happen, it tricked me.
but with all the tricks it did tend to be quite a bit long… i felt like it could’ve been a bit shorter and gotten to the point faster, not have so many interruptions.
but i still liked it and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a good, thought-provoking book to read next!

this is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.

June Group Giveaway

it’s group giveaway day!!

there a lots of awesome prizes in store for you today!
like amazing prizes!
i love putting these together and seeing the creativity and generosity of my incredible sponsors.
if you haven’t visited all of my sponsors blogs & websites yet YOU SHOULD!
they are all so very talented and this is just a little snippet of what you could be enjoying right now!
:)

as always, i strongly encourage you all to only enter each sponsor’s prize if you plan on staying loyal and supportive fans of theirs.
none of this “fan now, delete later” business!!
they have all worked really hard and have donated their precious time, energy, and money to be a part of this giveaway and i would be so embarrassed if some of my readers did the follow & then dash thing with them.
so please show your honest support to these wonderful women!

now without further ado,
let’s get on to the prizes!

there are 10 prizes and a winner for each prize.
which means there will be 10 winners!!

GOOD LUCK! 

 

“Little Mister” Mustache Blanket & Burp Rag set from Nana’s Hugs & Kisses

i think Annette is one of the most talented people i have ever met. EVER!!
did you know she just whipped this up in a day??
and she has so many other cute things in her shop as well AND does custom designs.
seriously, so so so incredible!
and not only is she talented but she one of the kindest, sweetest, most caring people i know.
it has been the greatest pleasure working with her! and you will love her prize SO much!

the blanket is a single layer of really soft, snow white flannel, approximately 31 inches square. the edges are rounded, rolled and stitched in black and the mustache is made of black fur. the burp rag is a double layer of that flannel, is approximately 8x16 inches, and is stitched in black and ragged on the edges.
and it is the most adorable thing i have ever seen!!! 

shop / facebook

Hanging Heart Picture Frame from Girl in Flight

i have really enjoyed getting to know Laura and learning from her example!
although her life is pretty busy and her husband works a lot & far away, she has such a good attitude about things. i have loved reading her blog and reading her funny stories!
always a highlight of my day for sure!

today, Laura is giving away this hanging heart picture frame from Shabby Chic and i love it!!

blog / twitter / bloglovin’

Handcrafted Ceramic Tile Coasters (set of 4) from Hello Sunshine Photography 

Annie is another really talented lady and can do SO much!
she is currently getting ready for small business week and Arizona Local week {which i’m excited to be a part of}. she is a lot of fun and so incredibly kind & patient!
i’m so glad i have gotten to know her and start an awesome friendship with her!

today she is giving away a set of 4 handcrafted ceramic tile coaster in your choice of purple damask and polka dots, cereluen blue damask and houndstooth or black polka dots and floral damask. they are sealed for cleaning with regular products and won’t scratch or damage your surface.
and they are so cute!!

blog / shop / facebook / twitter / bloglovin’ / pinterest

Pearl Dangle Earrings from Bagatelle Designs 

i absolutely LOVE Bagatelle Designs jewelry and wish my bank account was large enough to load up on all my favorites! each piece is so fun & classic and would go perfect with anything. so so so lovely!

today Bagatelle Designs is giving away petite pearl dangle earrings made of purple freshwater pearls and pink swarovski crystals.

shop / facebook / twitter / instagram: @bagatelledesigns

Small Ad Space on Dearest Lou 

Cecilia is pretty much one of the coolest/prettiest/nicest/loveliest people i know!!
she has such amazing style and i wish i had her closet.
i’m so SO incredibly grateful i have been able to get to know her and call her my friend.
cause seriously, she is one you MUST know!!

today she is giving away one month of small ad space for her blog.
and being a sponsor on her blog myself, it is awesome!!
you will definitely grow from working with her :)

blog / facebook / twitter

Two 8x10 Prints from Singledou[b]t (Kim’s Knits & Prints)

Kim is another one of those “it’s not fair that you get all the talent” kind of people!
she cooks, knits, does photography, writes, runs, does other amazing crafts… guys the list goes on!
seriously why did i get so gypped?
i love Kim and it has been so fun to get to know her {and her many talents} and work with her this month!

today she is giving away winner’s choice of two 8x10 prints from her photography shop and ad space on her blog.

blog / shop / facebook / twitter / bloglovin’ / instagram

Adorable Clutch from Ninth Street Notions 

Amanda is an amazing seamstress and comes up with the cutest items!!
she definitely motivates me to want to get better at sewing so i can just make cute bags & clutches like this one like it’s no biggie at all.
she’s awesome!

today she is giving away a adorable floral clutch that is easy to pack around or collapse if necessary.

blog / facebook / twitter / pinterest 

Red Rose Ring & Custom Subway Art Digital File from Live.Laugh.L0ve 

Cassie is the best.
for real.
you will not find a kinder & more genuine person than Cassie.
she’s beautiful inside & out and has blessed my life is more ways than i can ever describe.
love her always!! 

today she is giving away a beautiful red rose ring and a custom subway digital art file.

blog / facebook / twitter / bloglovin’ 

Floral Make-up Bag & “The Passion of Jesus Christ” book from Jenni.Austria.Germany 

Jenni is who i aspire to be in another life.
hilarious, adventurous, fun, kind, gorgeous…
she is all those things and more!
i love reading about her adventures on her blog & hearing her stories.
i am taking meticulous notes for when i get up enough courage {and money} to have awesome adventures all over Europe like her.
she is awesome and if you haven’t been following her stories then you are missing out big time!

today she is giving away a pink floral make-up bag and a copy of John Piper’s book “The Passion of Jesus Christ.”

blog / twitter

Crochet Headband from From the Guest Room

    

Mary Kate is a blogging bestie that really everyone needs to be friends with too.
she is so amazing and probably one of the most supportive people i have ever met in this blogging world. whenever i get down or frustrated or stressed, Mary Kate is always there to offer encouraging words and help boost me up.
everyone needs a Mary Kate!!

today she is giving away one of her adorable crochet headbands that i need in my hair right now.

blog / facebook / twitter / bloglovin’

 

awesome prizes huh??
you guys always get the good stuff!
:)

remember, 10 prizes = 10 winners!
GOOD LUCK!!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

also, i just realized i didn’t pick a winner yet for the Life of the Not So Ordinary Wife giveaway!
i’m the worst! so sorry!
the winner is #29: Rachel
CONGRATULATIONS, RACHEL!!
please email me to claim your prize
{and sorry it was so late!}
:)

mommy time-out

there’s no doubt that Elijah is cute.
and there’s absolutely no doubt that i love him.
but that doesn’t mean i always enjoy every second with him.
and to even say that out loud makes me sick with guilt.

but if i learned anything in therapy it is to be honest with my feelings.
so this is my honest struggle.

this weekend i was completely at my limit with Elijah.
he was just constantly in my face {literally}, thought my stomach was the best kind of trampoline, yelling, hitting, running around like a mad-man in circles, not sleeping, not listening, just going nuts. 
at one point on Saturday night i told Adam that i just could not take it anymore and i needed a mental break.
i mean, i knew he was cute. i knew he was sweet. and he was doing really funny things!
but i was just so overwhelmed i couldn’t appreciate it all.

so i took a nap.
Adam was nice enough to take over from there and deal with Elijah {even though he was a little fed up too} and i took a little nap and cooled off.
by the time i woke up, Elijah had gone to bed only to wake up a couple of hours later refusing to go back to sleep.
even though i had just been frustrated with him an hour before, i was able to go get him out of bed lovingly, cuddle with him on the couch, and try to sing him back to sleep.
i was calm & collected.
i showed him love when he needed it.
and i was able to be the mom he needed most after taking a moment to accept how i was feeling.

when i first started talking to my counselor, one of the first things he taught me was to take the time to address my true feelings and take a time out. 
he helped me see that it is just not realistic to be happy/positive/upbeat/calm every single second.
especially with a toddler.

and i have tried to do just that.
when i start feeling myself getting overwhelmed or frustrated, i have tried to open up more about it instead of pushing it down deep, slapping on a fake smile, and waiting until i boil over.
if Adam is home, i tell him, “i am getting a little frustrated right now and i need a break.”
he has been really amazing to step in when he sees me getting tired and let me have a break {or quick nap}. 

and when he’s not home, i open it up to the universe & to God.
“right now, i’m getting really frustrated with Elijah. help me get through it.”
and from there i can understand how i’m really feeling and what i need to do to overcome it.
it helps me understand that i’m reaching my breaking point and i need to adjust my sails accordingly.
i try to get Elijah distracted with something else so i can go in the back room for a breather.
or we take a trip outside.
or {most of the time} i realize it’s time for Elijah’s nap and that’s why he’s being cranky anyways.

this has helped me tremendously!!
i cannot even fully describe how much better i can handle the day when i choose to honestly say,
“right now, my son is getting on my nerves.”
because when i am honest with myself & my feelings, i can then know how to be a better mother and change how i react.
i can give myself the mental & emotional break i need to be the best, healthiest, loving mother Elijah needs.

it might seem kind of backwards.
i mean, how could saying your kid frustrates you make you a better mom?
but it’s the act of being genuine with how i feel that has helped me find the way to get back on track.
and knowing i can take it all one day at a time so that i can give my son the most love he deserves.

from Eli’s perspective

[this post might not be funny/cute to anyone else but it’s something me and Adam laugh about and want to remember about our funny little guy :)]

the other day Elijah figured how to get to the camera app on Adam’s phone and decided to take pictures of everything!
he loves flashlights {or anything in light form} so when he figured out that if he pushed the camera button a big flash would appear it was immediately a hit that kept him busy for a few minutes.
Adam and i didn’t even realize what he was doing or taking pictures of until we looked at his photo album later and saw all the things Eli deemed picture worthy.

i know these pictures are obviously of nothing seemingly important to anyone else.
but for one reason or another, me and Adam love them.
we love that they each symbolize something that we will remember Elijah’s childhood by.

like his little chubby feet that you can see peeking out at the bottom of each picture.
and the way he crosses his legs on the couch.
and the way he has to explore every room every day.
and his little chubby BYU football picture on the desk in his room.
and the way he hangs by Adam and i as we do the dishes.

and {almost especially} his love for the vacuum!
that kid loves the vacuum even though they got off to a rough start.
every day he asks, “vacuum? vacuum?” and likes to point it out any vacuum he sees [at other people’s houses, on TV, he even thought the lawn mowers at Lowe’s were vacuums].
so the fact that he took a little picture of it from his small point of view just makes me happy.
such a sweet memory i’ll have of him for years to come!
:)

the kid drives me nuts some days
{especially when he hasn’t slept through the night in the last couple months… ugh!!}
but i absolutely LOVE that chunky/funny/sweet/cute/silly little man of mine!!
and i’m so glad i have these little pictures to remember this fun stage in his life!

Inspiration

i love this song and i love Hilary Weeks.
i got to see her perform this song live with my mom at Women’s Conference.
she is an absolutely amazing!   i have had this song on my mind lately especially today and really wanted to share its message.
i hope that it can help bless your life and give you inspiration through your tough times!  

Saturday Favorites

after feeling like crap all week, i finally got out of the house yesterday to go see some of the GORGEOUS homes in the Utah Valley Parade of Homes.
these homes were absolutely amazing!! 
from indoor basketball courts and in-home movie theaters to GIANT master bedrooms and the most beautiful little girl room i have ever seen… these homes had it all!
if you need any motivation to become ridiculously & superfluously wealthy, you should definitely check out these houses.
they.are.nuts!

so while i think about ways to make our tiny 600 sq. ft. apartment look like a million dollar designer home,
here are some fun links for you to check out!

love the 5 Tips series that Ashley does each week and i especially loved this week’s “How to improve your blog right now” post. so great & helpful!!

Bonnie wrote a great post about anonymous & rude commenters this week and how they really must go.

i needed this motivation & reminder from Brittany this week to move forward with faith.

so excited for Jen and Laryssa as they change up their blog and make it a space they absolutely love! i love those girls and think they are so talented. they have great stuff in store :)

a little while ago i got some pretty amazing samples from Tiffany of Perfectly Post and LOVED them!
once i finally found myself with time to pamper myself, i realized i need to make this date with Perfectly Posh a more regular thing.
i tried the Sugar Fix and the Sinful Skin as well as some others and loved them!
be sure to check out Tiffany’s website and order some of your own products.
promise you will enjoy them greatly!

i love nurseries and the creative ways people decorate them!
i wish we had the space {and money!} to do more with Elijah’s room.
but this cute nursery from Christine for her little girl is just so precious yet perfectly simple.
i love it and it just gives me another reason why i really need a girl next :)

so i didn’t really know if i was into the whole tapered skirt trend. but then i saw this skirt from Couture Luv and i kind of absolutely love it!! maybe it’s the bright color {or maybe it’s the shoes!!} but it totally captures me.
i think it’s time i branch out!

 
and who doesn’t love absolutely cute free printables??
this one from Ninth Street Notions is so fun and a perfect summertime decor addition to brighten up your little space!

 

HAPPY SATURDAY!!

RevolutionizeHer changes

Back in November, Ashley from After Nine to Five and i teamed up to launch a really awesome website called
RevolutionizeHer.
We had lots of big hopes & dreams for the website and for the most part they came true.

But if you have been following along, you have seen many changes with RevolutionizeHer as we tried to embrace the purpose that we dreamed of when this blog first began. Some changes worked, some did not. in the end, they never quite brought us to where we hoped the community would by at this point. which led us to a decision in regards to the community's future and where we wanted it to go.

Due to the success that the Better Blogger Network has already seen, we have made the decision to switch RevolutionizeHer over to a Ning community website as well. This type of site allows for easy communication, a central location to ask and answer questions, and a way for all members of the site to interact with one another in a way that this blog has not allowed for in the past. Our hope from the beginning of RH was to create a sense of community for women wishing to live out their dreams as well as a place to discuss those aspirations with other like-mined individuals - and we think that this is going to be the best way to do this.

We need your help!

We're looking for a small group of women that are interested in helping us achieve your goals as we make the transition. Currently we are seeking bloggers, forum moderators, and social media/marketing gurus. If you're interested in helping us out and getting in at the beginning of our newest endeavor, send us an email and we'll get back to you within the next week with more information.

Whether you're a shop owner, an entrepreneur, or a woman with a dream . . .
we hope you'll join us on our new journey!

 

seriously guys.
it’s going to rock.your.world!!

Guest post: Living with Fletch

i’m excited to have another funny girl guest posting on the blog today!
Nicole from Living With Fletch has such cute blog loaded with hilarious stories about her adventures with her husband, Fletcher.
i actually went to school with Fletcher when i lived in Arizona so when i found Nicole’s blog i was totally shocked to see him in the sidebar, ha!
what a small {blogging} world it is!
i know you guys will love getting to know Nicole as much as i have
:)

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Hi readers! I am Nicole from Living with Fletch!

This is me and this is my smokin' hott husband Fletcher.

If you have ever read my blog you know I LOVE DISNEYLAND.

Here is the thing... We are Obsessed. And the facts are as follows:

The Paper Chain: The other day I show up at my mom's house and see a paper chain on the wall (we love paper chains in our family). I asked who made it and what it was for. My mom told me to guess. I said, "Jill, and the countdown to Disneyland." She said, "....and?" I look closely at the writing on each link and Coco says, "There is a Disney movie quote everyday until we leave."

The Nightmares: One morning I wake up and tell Fletcher, "I had a nightmare that we went to Disneyland with a bunch of jokers and they didn't know what they were doing. I was sooooo stressy." Fletcher with wide eyes says, "I had a dream your dad called and told us the park would be so busy we could only pick one ride to go on."

The Phone Calls: There is a Disneyland app that allows you to view wait times as long as you are in the park. Fletcher, of course, found a way to let the GPS think you are in one place when you are really in another. Lately I have been receiving many phone calls that go like this:

Me - "Hello?"

Fletch - "The wait line at Space Mountain is only 15 minutes!"

Me - "Wow that is awesome!"

Fletch - "OK talk to you later bye."

Me - "Uhh... OK bye."

Overall it was a much needed vacation! Even though we did go for our honeymoon not to long ago which you can check out here (this is when I convinced Fletcher Disneyland was AMAZING). You can also see here how I was almost swept off my feet by a cute little boy at Disneyland.

But don't worry people I still find time to blog about other things. Like that one time I fell at ASU, how I live in the ghetto, or that one time my teacher told me my babies would be ugly.

Everyday at our house is a new adventure but how could it not be when your husband has got a name like Fletch?

 

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so funny!!
i know people love Disney but the nightmares definitely takes it to another level
:)

you can read more of her stories on her blog
and also connect with her on facebook and twitter

and be sure to check out the guest post i did on her blog here!

the {hilarious} life of Bon

i’m so excited to have Bonnie from The Life of Bon!
this girl is hi.lar.i.ous!!
she is so much fun and i know you will all love her as much as i do!

take it away, Bonnie!

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I know what you're thinking right now.   "Guest post today?  Well, shoot. Alright, toots, you've got exactly seven seconds to impress me before I click out of this site and don't give you the time of day ever again."

The pressure is intense, I tell you, it's intense! Deep breath.  And here I go. First things first.  My name is Bonnie.  This is me.

 

I used to have pink hair before I got a real job.  Now I have a real job.  But I don't have pink hair.  You can't have it all, people. I write over at Life of Bon.  If it weren't for blogging I would have long been driven to insanity by now.  That's because I spend my days in the company of punk seventeen year olds.  Mostly I try to teach them how to write thesis statements and how to tell the difference between your and you're. It's a lot harder than you'd think to get that rule to stick, I tell you.  Even though those high schoolers can be a bunch of bratty ingrates they have somehow completely stolen my heart. Ain't that always the way it is with bratty ingrates?!?! When I'm not trying to cram grammar into the heads of hormonal teenagers, I try my best at being a wife- a gig that is new to me this past year.  I guess you could say I've got a small crush on this guy.

 

 

Ahem... the one without all the hair... If you're wondering why my hubby has got a giant teddy bear on his shoulders, it was an experiment to see if we are ready to have babies.  We are not. If you're wondering why the walls are lime green in our apartment, it's because I made a terrible, terrible mistake.  It's fixed now. I feel like now would be a good time to let you know what a smartie I am.  I've caught on to a few things around this internet,  and you know what's really in right now?

 

How-to articles. Everyone and their dogs are doing it, you know. I know how to do lots of stuff and so I will share that knowledge with you and impress you with my pure intelligence.  Just wait!  I will win you over with my smarts! Here goes! HOW TO: Paint your toenails. Take off all old nailpolish. Clip nails if necessary. Put on fresh nail polish. Put a clear coat on the top to make it shiny. If that's what you're in to. Don't put socks on until they're dry. The last step is the most important- trust me on this one! HOW TO: Do laundry. Throw clothes in washing machine. Whites in one pile. Darks in the other. OR Wash them in cold water and wash them all together. When you hear the buzzer, move the clothes to the dryer. Turn it on. When the buzzer goes off again the clothes are done. Oh. I forgot to tell you to add detergent. Add it to the washer, not the dryer. That could be bad. You can find detergent at any grocery store. HOW TO: Get seventeen year olds to like  you. Get a twitter account Make fun of the other teachers with them. Shop at Forever 21. Say something borderline inappropriate every once in a while. HOW TO: Get seventeen year olds to hate you. Take away their cell phones. Write them up for truancies when they leave class five minutes early. Yell at them in front of the class when they do something out of line. Send them to the principal's office when they drop the f bomb. HOW TO: Make dinner. OPTION A Chop an onion and fry it up. Add meat to it.  Chicken or beef usually. Twirl your spice rack thing around chosing at random which spices you want.  You really can't go wrong! Cook until it smells burned. Microwave a potato for ten minutes. Eat potato with meat. OPTION B Order a pizza from Papa John's. $10.76. Feeds two people for two meals HOW TO: Seduce your man. Cook dinner (I would suggest option B in this post.  Option A doesn't always turn out.) Wear perfume Laugh at everything he says Tell him you will watch whatever he wants for the rest of the night. Tell him his muscles are looking bigger. Works every time. Guaranteed.

 

 

HOW TO: Love your life. Don't take it too seriously. Say thank you. Take a bubble bath if you feel stressed. Remember everybody's got probs. Dye your hair pink if you feel so inclined. Look in the mirror and repeat: "I am a sexy mama, I am a sexy mama, I am a sexy mama." Just kidding about that last one. Please. Who would ever do that? There you go folks!  You're not going to find much better advice than that on the whole world wide web, so you might as well hop on over to Life of Bon for more incredibly insightful advice.  Or for a laugh.  Whatever floats your boat, people.

See you soon?

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isn’t she great?
be sure to stop by her blog for more funny stories and how-tos
you can also find her on facebook and twitter

dad: a son’s first hero

i have this theory about Adam that i have thought about for some time.
one that i haven’t really shared with him for the risk of sounding kind of ridiculous.
but as i’ve laid here in bed the last two days listening to Adam interact with & take care of Elijah, it has solidified my theory more and more.

to understand my theory you first have to know this: Adam was born on Father’s Day.

when Adam tells me this his face lights up with a small sense of pride that he was the special gift for his dad that day. and in addition, his dad has the same light on his face when he mentions the day as well.

birth can be thought of as a lot of surprises, nothing totally goes perfectly as planned.
birth dates usually seem coincidental and most of the time you don’t know when the baby will decide to come.

but another thing you have to know is i don’t believe in coincidences, there are reasons why these events occur. including with birth dates.

in my own experience, i believe our birthdates are specifically for us & perfectly meant to be.
i know Elijah was meant to come on the 21st.
and i know Adam was meant to be born on Father’s Day.

which brings me back to my theory.
i believe that because Adam was born on Father’s Day, he was given SUPER Father qualities.
i believe he was born on Father’s Day because he was meant to be a great father himself.
and i believe he was born on Father’s Day because the Lord knew he would need those extra qualities when the time came.

that he would have a wife who gets overwhelmed easily
that he would have a more active & rambunctious child 
that fatherhood would come at difficult period in life
that it would be easy to forsake fatherhood responsibilities & give up
that there would be a lot of pressure to provide for a new, little family
and that there would be lots of cards stacked against him from the outside world to be the father he was meant to be.

so Adam was blessed with love
compassion
understanding
energy
hope
faith
determination
kindness
the willingness to serve
positivity
greater perspective
so that he could be the best father {and husband} the Lord knew he would need to be.

many times I hear Adam reading or playing with Elijah quietly and immediately my heart grows ten sizes.
he is so patient with Eli especially when i’m not.
he reasons with him [as much as you can with a 2-year-old] and explains simple ideas.
he is constantly teaching him new things whether it be counting, colors, shapes, ABCs, food, plants, songs… he’s always pointing out something new to him ever since he was a tiny infant.
he has the magic touch to get babies to sleep in 10 minutes. [it literally takes me 2 hours!]
he has more stamina and positivity to get through the hard days.
and he hardly ever complains and never ever regrets our situation.

[also please note that i was the one that took all the child development classes and yet I learn so much from adam everyday]

he is by far the better parent in this partnership
and i am grateful every day that i am doing this parenting thing with him by my side.
and get to have a true superhero helping us along the way.

 HAPPY {belated} FATHER’S DAY, ADAM!!
we love you!
hopefully this makes up for being sick on the actual day
:)

he had a birthday shout hooray!

before i got sick and ruined Father’s Day,
i at least got to give Adam a pretty good little birthday celebration!

 

i’m pretty sure Elijah was more excited about Adam’s birthday than Adam was.
when we went shopping the night before he kept saying “er-day, er-day!” at any mention of Adam.
then that was the first thing he said when he woke up,
“er-day, er-day!!” and he couldn’t wait for daddy to open all the presents.
and he knew right away there was going to be cake.
it’s so fun to see him catch on to these things!

we had a simple little celebration with breakfast in bed, lots of balloons, HUGE Costco cake, presents, McDonald’s chicken nuggets, and hanging out with friends to celebrate Adam’s 26th year of life.
he felt so loved, Elijah was so hyper, and i was so exhausted at the end of the day.

[how i felt!]

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY ADAM DEAR!!
me and Eli love you with all our heart!!