Sunday Social

Happy Sunday Everyone!!  Since I've been gone, I have so missed my link ups!  When you get a chance, please link up at A Complete Waste Of Makeup & participate, because it is really a lot of fun!!

Questions For This Week!!!

1. What are 3 items you can’t live without on a daily basis (water, food, shelter, and clothes don’t count).

I can't be without my iPhone, I literally walk around the office with it in my hand or in my pocket.  I am BIG on dental hygiene, so I am all about brushing and flossing.  Last but not least would have to be something I can pull my hair back with...sunglasses included!

2. What is your all time favorite book? Why?

I absolutely loved reading this book in high school.  It was the first book that I actually read all the way without Cliff notes.  

3. What is something you’d like to accomplish before the end of 2013?

 At the beginning of 2013 I wanted to be a mother again & be the proud owner of a home.  God has blessed us with both!  Now, I would love to have the garage cleared of boxes from moving before we celebrate 2014!!!

4. If you could go back and relive any year of your life which year would it be?

 Hmmm....if I were going to do it over, it would be my first year of college.  If it was to do over because it was so much fun, it would be the year I got married and had my daughter.

5. What do you wish people knew about you without you having to tell them?

 I wish people knew when the conversation was over.  Uh....bye!

Top Five Saturday Laughs 8/3/2013

It has been so crazy around these parts recently!!  I have been so busy with work, the pregnancy & the new house.  Don't worry, I will cover the previous sentence in another post.  We have had a lot going on at the Ladybug Mansion!  Okay, now to indulge in a past-time that I have so missed doing!

Be sure to check out The Mommyhood Chronicles and link up!  Share your funnies!!!

Top Five Saturday Laughs!!!

1.  Ladybug woke up at about 11pm one night crying.  When I went into her room, she was crying & complaining that her "clothes hurt".  As you can see in the picture, she was not at all happy with the situation she had gotten herself into.  I had placed these clothes to give away, which means they are too small for her & explains why it hurt for her to move.  She has on her night gown, some capri shorts, a pair of skorts, and four dresses.  She is so silly.

2.  This little Diva shushed me at the local library when I tried to take a picture of her.  I just thought it was cute that she was playing on the computer, but evidently she didn't like the volume I was using in the library!

3.  Nothing is safe in her bed!  This is not how she was put down for her nap.  Somehow her laundry basket got into her bed & she decided to put her bathing suit on.  Then....when she actually took her nap....she woke up with her pajamas on!

4.  This is how she's been walking around the last month.  She wears one of her many tiaras at least 3-5 times a week.  It hard work living with royalty.

5.  She loves Doritos (also known as "Orange Triangle Chips".  They are finger licking good!  Her dad bought her some a couple of days ago & she would only share the little pieces with him.  When her dad complained, she replied, "you get what you get and you don't throw a fit"!  She is a mess!!!!

I'm Back!!!!!

So, you may have noticed that I have been gone for awhile.  Still on Pinterest & Instagram, but definitely neglecting my Blog!  Sorry about that!  Well, I have just really been trying to focus on my goals for 2013.  I wanted a house and a baby.  One comes in June and the other in October...in that order.  We are feeling very blessed and excited about both!  I will have to give more DETAILS later, but it is late and I need to get to sleep.  This tornadoes make for long nights.  That's another thing that I haven't gotten used to.  I've had enough of tornado alley!  Our first purchase is a tornado shelter for our family!

It's Okay Thursday!

It's Okay........boy is it ever!  It's been one of those weeks!

As many of you know, I love this link up!  Please check out A Complete Waste of Makeup, & link up!  Leave me a friendly comment, b/c I love finding new blogs to read/follow!

It's Okay!

It's okay to be so F'ing exhausted!

To be so over this "looking for a house thing"

To be behind with work........and tomorrow is Friday!

To take a break and go thrift store shopping!

To drive around and find a drive thru so I don't have to get out of the car for coffee!

To be super excited that it rained so that I could wear my  $36 boots I bought for $10.

To have Daddy take Ladybug to a party.......it's his turn!

Balancing It All!

Messy Motherhood Link Up:
Balancing It All:

I absolutely love this topic.  Sometimes giving your all to God, family & career does feel like a balancing act.  Sometimes the balancing beam I'm on is no problem, but....sometimes I wobble & have actually fallen off.  I do several things to help stay focused on my goals, but the best advice I can give is to make sometime for myself and my husband.  If you haven't figured it out yet, my family likes to "Ball on a Budget".  Which means...we like to have fun....but not spend a lot of money.  :)  I hope this is encouraging to you ladies.  Please leave a message because I love find new blogs to read.

1.  QUIET TIME
This can be time alone with your Bible, devotionals, homemade mani-pedi, DVR catch-up or sleep.  It is definitely hard to come by, but you have to take care of you.....even if it comes at 11pm!  Hey....I've been there and visit it often!

2.  MARRIAGE
I love my husband and I want my home in order.  To have a happy marriage, be successful in my career and to be the mother I want to be.  I have to have the marriage God wants me to have.  If you're not religious....have a marriage that rocks!  I often buy things from Union 28.  They have great inspirational websites, clothing and advice for building a stronger marriage.  Things that you can do with your spouse on the weekends, once the little ones are down or a small gesture you can do during the day.  A sweet text, little letter left on the windshield.  Just something to let your spouse know you are so glad that you said YES! to him.

Funny story:  I was in Target and a woman came up to me & said she liked my shirt.  I told her about the website & then we talked for a bit.  Then....I overheard a husband tell his wife, "I wish you would wear a shirt like that for me"!  I love that !!!

3.  MOMMY

I really try my best to create & capture tons of opportunities to create memories with my Ladybug.  Now that she is older, she really enjoys helping me clean.  I like to clean with her, shop with her, read with her, silly play w/her & educational play with her.  Who cares if the kitchen is a mess or the laundry needs to be done.  I need to spend time w/my daughter and she needs to spend time with me.  

4.  CLEANLINESS

It's supposed to be next to Godliness, but I'm pretty sure at this point I am rubbing elbows w/the Devil!  I try to keep a clean house, but I work...inside & outside of the home.  That is really big part of the stress I have.  I try to clean dishes as I use them & do at least 1 load of laundry a day.  Its really difficult, but I try to clean a little during the week, so that I can use my weekends for my hubby and my Ladybug.  I mean....I want to clean my house, but if anything...I mean anything can distract me....I like to let it!  My husband is also a great help in cleaning.  He folds & hangs up the clothes....& that is a great help!

Don't let the organization of this post fool you!  I am not organized and sometimes I don't have enough time for everything, but my mommy cape is still going strong.   I try not to get down on myself b/c I try my best & I do my best for my marriage and my family.  Like many women...I have two jobs & I try to give them 100%!  But....that is actually impossible, so something has to give.  Something has to be neglected at times & something doesn't get the 100% that I would love to give it.  But.....that's okay.  The world keeps turning, my family keeps getting stronger, God keeps blessing us & we keep waking up to see another wonderful day.  In a perfect world I could wave a wand and get it all done!  But....I'm a mom and that is basically the same as being a super hero!

Saving Money Monday!

Well, since we are trying to buy a house & are working on expanding our family, we have been really sticking to our budget.  Something that helps us stay grounded and our finances in order is tithing, the fact that we follow Dave Ramsey's rules & the fact that we both respect the financial goals we are working towards.  Long story short, I wanted to be able to share with you ladies the deals that I find and money saving tips that can help you "Ball on a Budget"!  LOL!  I love that phrase.  Oh, please share your money saving tips with me!  I love hearing new money saving tips and reading new blogs!

1. I love to go grocery shopping, and I have found that shopping at more than one store is not wrong!  Some places are not for grocery shopping, but sometimes they do have good deals.  My staples to go shopping are Aldi and Crest, which is a local chain of grocery stores in my area.  I go to two different places, b/c I target the stores where I can save the most money.  Also, if I go during the week on my lunch break to the grocery store, I can save money on meats b/c they are marked down and ready to sell.  
2. Also, make a grocery list.  I can walk around the store for hours picking up random things and still not get everything that I need!   Making a menu of what you want to eat for the week, sticking to that menu & not going back to the grocery store until the week is over.
3. Blah blah blah coupons!  Yes, they work, but no I don't buy the paper....that defeats my purpose of saving money.  Very rarely do I find coupons for items that I actually buy.
4. FUN STUFF!!  I am an end of the season shopper!  I recently went to Carter's and got my daughter some super cute rain boots that were on clearance, plus 20% off.  I got them big b/c she can wear them this year and next year. 

They are for boys, but I am thinking that I can bedazzle some bows by the eyes, to make it more feminine.  I will post the end results soon.

I also went to Target and got two pairs of boots for myself, a dress and a fabulous faux fur shrug for Ladybug.  My total was $30 for all four of these!!

Sunday Social

It's that time again!  I have neglected my blog this week.  I was a little freaked out by one of the blogs that I follow.  Someone created a Facebook account using her images and her family.  Very odd...very weird and pretty scary, since her children were the ones mainly targeted in the blog!  I was disturbing.  To read more, please go to Growing Up Geeky and read her story.  Now for the fun stuff!  Don't forget to leave a friendly comment, b/c I love visiting new blogs.

 

TOP 3!!



Top 3 Favorite Kinds of Food:
Fried Pork chops
Sushi
Pizza

First 3 Things you do in the morning:
I turn on the news before I even have my eyes focused!
Make sure the baby monitor is on and go to the restroom.

Last 3 Things you do at night:
Get on the internet while talking to the hubs.
Take a shower.
Watch a DVR'd show.

3 TV shows you NEVER miss:
Well, I DVR the shows, so I think that counts also.
A new show I watch is Scandal!  LOVE!!!
Real Housewives of Atlanta!  Gone w/the wind fabulous, Honey!
Dance Moms!  You would think these women didn't know how silly they really look.

3 Places you want to visit:
Africa
Bahamas....or anyplace Bahama-ee
Washington DC & New York.......again

3 People you can always count on:
Hubs
Sisters
Parents
-----Babysitter!  She is awesome!