Welcome 2014!

The Christmas holiday turned out to be a bit of a downer this year because our entire family had the stomach bug. No big holiday dinners, celebrating or opening gifts with our extended family. We were simply in survival and recovery mode. 

Regardless of how we felt, the spirit of Christmas went on and though we were weak, we still rejoiced in the birth of our Savior! 

I can say that I am happy to close the chapter on 2013 and look towards the new year with anticipation. Each year I try to decide on a word that will guide my goals for the year. I thought of quite a few, but I kept coming back to one.

I want to use this year to encourage...encourage others and myself. 

I want to encourage my children to try new things and challenge themselves.

I want to encourage my husband, friends, and family to deepen relationships and to lift them up. 

I want to encourage myself to learn new things, make confident decisions, and take risks.

This will be a year of encouragement! This verse is one to remember...

Liebster Award

Thank you to one of my favorite blog reads Confessions of a Northern Belle for this award!

RULES:

1. Link back to the person who nominated you

2. Write 11 facts about yourself once nominated

3. Answer the 11 questions from the person who nominated you

4. Come up with 11 questions for the 11 people you nominate 

11 Facts About Me

1. I am left handed so I'm very particular about which seat I sit in when we go out to eat.

2.I have never read any of the Harry Potter or Twilight books.
3. I started my blog "while trapped under a nursing baby" and I now find myself in the same situation. I wonder if it will be my last time? 
4. I have a special place in my heart for lists. I love to make them and check things off of them.
5. I have one tattoo, but I'm planning another. 
6. I've now officially been with Nick for over half of my life.
7. I would rather shop for shoes and handbags than clothes.
8. I didn't have an epidural with any of my three children. 
9. I love a good midnight snack. 
10. I've never been to Disney World...but one day we'll take the children.
11. I will always (ALWAYS) turn into Krispy Kreme when the Hot sign is on!

Catalyn's Questions

1. What is your favorite movie?

I'd have to say Dirty Dancing...perfection!
 

2. Did you sleep with a stuffed animal/blanket growing up? If so, did it have a name?

I don't think I did, but I did have my two baby dolls (Hannah and Katie) that I took everywhere and were my real babies. I've always been a mother at heart. Lilly-Belle is their mommy now.

 

3. What is your favorite flower?

Easy. Tulips! They make me think of Springtime, which is such a happy time.
 

4. Did you have a signature scent in high school? What was it?

Not really. I wore Gap Dream and Heaven body spray if anything.
 

5. What food do you turn to after a bad day?

Chocolate. Chocolate candy. Chocolate iced doughnuts. Chocolate milk. Chocolate in any form is my food therapy. 

6. What is one item of clothing you could not live without?

Not really clothing, but my Frye boots. I love them so. 

7. Ugliest piece of clothing in your closet?

This dress. I bought it after my second child when nothing fit. I don't know why.

 ...and yeah, I can't rotate it. It's prettier this way. :)
 

8. How did you meet your best friend?

I have several very close friends, but the very first one I met was my friend Camey and we were in Kindergarten together.  

9. How did you find out there was no Easter Bunny?

Honestly, I can't remember.  

10. Do you like cheese?

Ummm...yes! Who doesn't?? 

Hey...where's #11?? ;)

Questions for YOU from ME:

1.What celebrity have you been told that you look like?
2. What is the most memorable moment in your life?
3. Do you find it difficult or easy to say, "I'm sorry."?
4. What is your dream job?
5. Do you eat breakfast?
6. What song best describes you?
7. Coffee or Hot Chocolate?
8. If you could hop on a plane right now, where would you go?
9. What is your favorite season of the year?
10. Someone gives you $1,000. What do you do with it?
11. Why do you blog?

I nominate some real life blogger friends:
Stephanie @ Waiting on Pink Lines
Amanda @ The Sweet Life of Poella Divine
Kelly @ The Crim de la Crims

Currently...

Weekend Update

What I'm reading:

 Ha! With a newborn, the most reading I do is on Twitter (140 characters at a time).

What I'm watching:

Downton Abbey  Can I just say I love this show!

What I'm eating:

The RedHead and I are trying to eat clean so there's lots of veggies, quinoa, chicken, oats, pitas, hummus, and fruit smoothies.

What I'm drinking:

Gloria Jeans Butter Toffee Coffee for the Keurig

What I'm loving:

Morning snuggles with my babes, enjoying a beer for the first time in a long time, and having other new mamas to talk "baby talk" with!

What I'm hating:
The promise of snow that doesn't deliver. Only a dusting the first time, and sleet and freezing rain the next. Boo Hiss!

What I'm wearing:
Pre-pregnancy jeans...yeah baby! (Nevermind the muffin top. If they button they fit and nobody better say anything to me about it.)

Where I'm going:
How about where I'd like to go? Back to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic where the RedHead and I honeymooned.

Where I'm shopping:
Not doing any actual shopping these days, but I do enjoy perusing online. Here are a few things in my imaginary shopping cart.

Marley Lilly Tank

These awesome sweatpants...I need either Fancy Pants or Sassy Pants

Old Gringo Boots (because I'm a sucker for boots!)

What's going on with you?

Express Yourself

How did we ever express our thoughts with humor before someecards??? I'll never know.

 Yes, yes we do.

 Because I will always think of my suite mates as my Golden Girls (and I'll always be Blanche)! Love you Lyds, Ash, and Erin!!

 Housewife Problems. And I don't iron...ever. I can't do it because I'm left handed. Seriously.

 My true friends know this to be true. ;)

When else would it be??

These could go on all day! Do you have any favs?

Top Five Friday...Me and Monkey

This week has been a huge adjustment for our family as school started back. I was just going to do my Top 5 on how I had to adjust, but Colson had such a big week at school I thought I'd share a bit about his week as well.

Colson's Top Five Best Moments: 
First Week in First Grade
1. Day 1- His sweet teacher traded popsicles with him because he wanted grape flavor.

2. Day 2-The principal chose him to come to the office and pull the fire alarm for their first fire drill!

3. Day 3- He got to watch a video about manners. (Watching videos in school rocks!)

4. Day 4- Getting to write about people from his bubble map. (I remember teaching my first graders to write stories using a bubble map!)

5. Day 5- Getting to go to the prize box and get a mini Hungry Hungry Hippo game. Colson's words, "I don't know where she finds all this cool stuff!" -on the game and the rubberband ball he saw in the prize box


 My Top Five Biggest Adjustments:
Back to Work
1.  Getting up before 7am. It's not for me.  Especially not for me when I'm pregnant. Who do I lobby to change the start time for school?

2. Trying to remember everything. Folder signed, lunch packed, snack packed, clothes laid out, my bag packed, Lilly's bag ready for the sitter, and on and on. I need a checklist!

3. Letting the little things go. There's just no time or energy to be spent "tidying up". Only the necessitites are taken care of, the rest just has to wait.

4. That thing called dinner. It doesn't seem quite as daunting when you're at home during the day, but it's just about the last thing I want to think about when I get home. I just want to SIT.

5. No naps. :(  I'm not going to lie; this third bebe has wiped me out and I loved the fact that I could take a nap if I needed to during the summer (Bug still sleeps 3 hrs and Monkey will nap if I tell him to).  Now that precious gift is gone. I miss it dearly!

I NEED this!

I know that I will adjust, but this week's been a hard one.  Thankfully we have a three day weekend to recover before we are back at it again. Happy Friday friends!

Duh...Duh...Dirty Thirty!

That's right...goodbye 20s, hello 30s! My twenties were very good to me so I can't complain, but I'm always looking forward to what's next and I think my thirties will be fabulous!

Here's a recap of what's happened in the last 10 years.
21- I marry the love of my life! (Dec. 2003)
21- 5 months later I graduate from Appalachian State University and prepare to begin my first year of teaching. (May 2004)
22- I buy my first ever brand new car. A green Nissan Altima that I drove for 7 years. (Aug. 2004)
23- My Monkey, Colson, is born! (March 2006)
26- Nick and I celebrate 5 years of marriage! (Dec. 2008)
26- The Bug, Lilly-Belle is born! (April 2009)
26/27-Weeks before I turn 27 I decide to start a blog while trapped under a nursing baby.(Aug. 2009)
27- We begin building our forever home.(Jan. 2010)
28- We move into our forever home! (Sept. 2010)
29- The RedHead throws me the best surprise party to celebrate the last year of my twenties! (Aug. 2011)
29- I get pregnant with little ButterBean!(April 2012)

Then it was time to celebrate turning 30. We actually did most of our celebrating a week before my birthday. The babes went to the beach with their YaYa and Poppy, so it worked out for the best (plus the first day of school was the day after my birthday).

On Friday, my Mama took me to lunch at the Chop House in High Point and I had the most delicious crab cake salad ever. Then we did a bit of shopping and I found a cute blanket for ButterBean and we got icecream at Brusters before heading home. Can I just say I'd marry Graham Central Station if marrying icecream were legal! This is the lovely purse Mama gifted me...she understands my handbag addiction.

Friday evening Nick got home from work and I guess the secret was killing him because he went ahead and gave me my birthday gift, a Slane and Slane Bee Pendant. It was above and beyond anything I expected and I even gave him the opportunity to just take it back, but he really wanted me to have it. I made him promise that it would be my birthday, anniversary and Christmas gift all together (oh, and push present) ,but I have to say I'm quite smitten with it. As is that weren't enough, he gave me a sweet Marley Lilly clutch too. Not sure what I did to deserve this guy!

The next evening we went out to eat at Salty Caper with our friends Jed and Emily and not only was the pizza delicious, but dessert was heavenly. It's called a fritta and they take a candy bar (we had reeses and milky way), deep fry it in this sweet breading and put powdered sugar on top. Sugar heaven! I really with I had taken a picture of it, but we were too busy eating it.

Jed and Emily gave me a precious birthday/early baby gift for ButterBean. Some Aden and Anias swaddle blankets and a Sophie teether (which I've had my eye on).

Since we did our main celebration the weekend before, my actual birthday was pretty relaxed (which is exactly what we needed the night before school starts). We went to church and went out to lunch together. All of the fun and gifts were amazing, but I feel truly blessed to have such a loving husband, precious children, supportive family, and caring friends. God has given me these gifts to enjoy on my birthday and every day!

 

Thanks Andrea!

A big Thank You to Andrea @ The Blonde Ambitions for a sweet blog award!

1.  Someone "gave" this award to you? 

Create a blog post including 11 random facts about yourself

2.  Also in that blog post, answer the 11 question the person that nominated you has given you, and make up another 11 questions for the people you will nominate

3.  Give this award to at least 5 blogs (up to 11) and link them in your post!

4.  Tell those people that you have nominated them for the award

5.  You cannot nominate the person that has nominated you

6.  Remember to tag blogs with less than 200 followers (I may have broken this rule...oops!)

11 Facts about ME
1. I am NOT a morning person! Adjusting to waking early for work this week has been a nightmare.
2. I will never pass up dessert. Never.
3. I was a cheerleader all through school, but I always wished I was a ballerina.
4. I'm not a dog or cat person. (Don't tell anyone. People think you should just love animals.)
5. I absolutely love baby feet. I don't know why, but I just think they're so sweet!
6. I will turn 30 this weekend!
7. I am addicted to handbags. They're my favorite accessory!
8. I love fried green tomatoes.
9. I have dated/been engaged to/been married to Nick for half of my life.
10. My favorite Starbucks drink is a pumpkin spice latte. I really wish they served them year round.
11. I pride myself in having very neat handwriting.

Questions from Andrea:
one: what was the most recent thing you bought online? Goodies for the baby! The crib, bedding, and some decor from etsy.   two: if you could meet one famous individual who would it be? It would have to be the President. I think he is fascinating!   three: do you prefer snow/cold or beach for a vacation? Send me to a bed and breakfast in the mountains with snow falling any day of the week.   four: do you have a pet? what kind? what is their name? (sorry I know that is 3!) No pet. We used to have a cat and dog, but they now have better homes.   five: if you could change jobs to anything else, what would you be? I think I'd like to be a play therapist for children with special needs.   six: tap or sparkling water? Tap. (But I'd rather have sweet tea.)
seven: what was the first car that you owned? A blue Honda Accord. 
eight: what is your favorite pizza topping or type of pizza? I love pizza from the Salty Caper with bacon and artichokes. Delicious!   nine: what kind of camera do you take most of your pictures? (Nikon, iphone, etc) Usually on my phone. Thank you Instagram!   ten: what is your favorite reality TV show? I love cooking reality shows like Master Chef and Hell's Kitchen.   eleven: where is the farthest from home you have ever traveled? To Punta Cana, Dominican Republic for our honeymoon. Only time I've ever flown as well.    {Questions for my nominees} 1. Coffee or Hot Chocolate? 2. What is your favorite accessory? 3. What magazine do you love to read? 4. Dream travel destination? 5. What is your favorite childhood memory? 6. Your biggest achievement in life {so far}? 7. What was your favorite subject in school? 8. Chinese or Japanese food? 9. How do you "treat" yourself when you're having a rough day or need a pick-me-up? 10. Driving pet peeve? 11. Shower or bath?   I'm nominating: 1. Paige @ Boots, Bows, & the 5-OH 2. Laura @ Cowboy Boots & Baby Booties 3. Laura @ Lillypie Accessories 4. Mrs. Bear @ Think Happy Thoughts 5. Brittany @ Living in the Moment



 

Birthday Wishes

Next month I turn 30. Lately I've found quite a few things to put on my birthday list. Just in case anyone needs ideas for gifts. ;)

#1: This gorgeous Kate Spade watch. It is at the top of my list! I need a silver watch since the Bug was sneaky sneaky and hid mine in the recliner and it was smashed to bits.

#2: A Marley Lilly clutch. I love this cream one.

#3: These Anderson Bean cowboy boots...because every girl needs boots with flowers on them! (Size 7)

#4: This monogram bracelet from etsy. (I'm kinda on a monogram kick.)

#5: The Green City Bike from CWonder. It's green. It's slightly retro. It's on my life list. I need it.

Bonus: And if there are any very generous gift givers out there, I could really use a Suburban. With kiddo number 3 on the way, I have a feeling the Impala might get a bit cramped. ;)

Yay!...Boo!

Here are a few things I can say "Yay!" about, and a "Boo!" or two.

Yay...my new planner arrived today. Hopefully this will help me stay organized since I can't remember things from one minute to the next due to pregnancy brain.

Yay...I get my hair cut on Friday. I've been growing it out about 2 years now and have only had it trimmed every few months or so, but I guess I've been really hard on it lately because it's split end city over here. I also want to get some of this miracle moroccan oil when I go.

Yay...I get to have a girls night out with my college roomie on Friday. Dinner and a concert (that I won free tickets for last week!).

Yay...I got to hear that sweet little thump thump of ButterBean's (yeah, I'm switching from BeanBean) heart today.

And two Boos:

Boo...I got my first 17p shot today and my leg is uber sore. Only 19 more shots to go!

Boo...I have to go get a cavity filled tomorrow, and I'm pretty sure I lost a filling in another tooth. Oh, and I have a wisdom tooth that needs to be pulled. This should be so much fun!

At least my Yays! outnumber my Boos! and that's something to be thankful for.

Words

Words are powerful. Here are some words I try to abide by, words to ponder, words to believe.

Source: southernbellesecrets.tumblr.com via Misty on Pinterest

"Good manners are free, but forgetting them will cost you dearly."

Source: google.com via Misty on Pinterest

Our dreams are powerful...believe in them.

Source: imperfectlypolished.com via Misty on Pinterest

This lady knew what she was talking about. Be happy. Don't let others put you down. Love yourself.

My Symphony

To live content with small means,

to seek elegance rather than luxury,

and refinement rather than fashion,

to be worthy, not respectable,

and wealthy, not rich,

to study hard, think quietly,

talk gently, act frankly,

to listen to stars and birds,

to babes and sages with open heart,

to bear all cheerfully,

do all bravely,

await occasions, hurry never.

In a word, to let the spiritual,

unbidden and unconscious,

grow up through the common.

This is to be my symphony.

-William Henry Channing

This is one of my very favorite quotes...I'm thinking the last line would look lovely on my wrist. Maybe one day...