The Thing About Parenting...

You know, you read eight million books while you're pregnant + ask all of your mommy friends for advice so that by the time your sweet peanut comes into the world you think you're super prepared. Too bad you were wrong. The thing they don't tell you about parenting is that really you are undergoing more vigorous activities than Olympic athletes. No really, parenting legitimately should be an Olympic sport. Let me give you some examples why.
1} You give up sleep. Like for 18 years. Even if you're blessed with an angel baby in the sleeping department, guaranteed you will never sleep as well as you previously did. In the early days its out of fear/nerves. When you reach toddler-Dom it's because after the little one goes to sleep you have to be productive and REclean the house that your wildabeast destroyed all day or anything else you had high hopes of doing during waking hours. I'm not even going to breach teenage years, I know how bad I was so I am bound to suffer through some hellacious years with BK.
2} You get way more physical activity than you used to pre-baby ( even if you don't go to the gym anymore). I am constantly on the go with BK. For one, she has the attention span on a peanut so we are constantly changing activities. For two, she has the ferocity of a hurricane and creates similar paths of destruction that I continuously run around trying to clean up. Lastly, when IF you eat it is usually a much more wholesome meal. I cook better for BK. Toddler eating is a fight of its own, but on the days that she does eat I have to be sure to get the best food possible in her. Therefore you eat better too.
3} Changing a diaper 100% should be an Olympic sport. Once your child surpasses the age of four months they no longer lay sweetly and coo at you while you change their diaper very easily in about 30 seconds. They start kicking + bucking + rolling + arching, pretty much doing anything that makes it impossible for you to smoothly and efficiently change a diaper. You're forced to resort to extreme tactics. Bribery works well. The "evil eye" is hit and miss. Sometimes i enlist extra help so i dont get hit by a flailing limb. But at least once a month, at least in the summertime, you have to add in he dreaded diaper cream to equation. It's cold, it's thick, and its messy. Sounds fun right? It's not. Well not until I was introduce to Dr. Smith's Diaper Ointment. It has been our saving grace this summer, especially with all of our time on the go. We keep one in the swim/beach bag and one in the diaper bag. I highly recommend it!
And now Dr. smith's is available nationwide at Walgreen's stores, and you have the chance to celebrate their new venture! You can win a $50 Walgreen's gift card and a supply of diaper rash cream! Just enter using he widget below. You won't regret it!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

4} Children make EVERYTHING better. Literally everything. Though things may take more planning, the joy you get in return is SO worth it. I have never been happier. And hey, winning an Olympic medal must come in pretty damn close to parenthood.

So tell me, what were you surprised to learn about parenthood?

This post was sponsored by Dr. Smith's but all thoughts are my own.

Posted with Blogsy

It's All About the Balance

Hey, hey, hey! I am ashamed at my lack of blogging lately, but I am also not going to lie I have been thoroughly enjoying our summer. S is finally back from all of his work travel, I got myself a little part-time j.o.b. {that I love}, we got family pictures taken, BK is walking all over and a 100% toddler that is into everything, we took a mini trip to the OBX, and it is hot as hades here. We spend most of our days at the beach, meals are usually cooked outside, the inside of our home often looks like a tornado hit it, and we have just been making the most of our time together.

I do need to be better though, I need to allow a little more time that is just about me. I miss writing, writing is such an escape for me and it truly brings me so much joy. So I'm determined to find the balance.

How do y'all do it? When is your designated "blogging time"?


And because no post should go without pictures...

Check out my amazing sponsor:

Back to {Pre}School...

My baby went to school today y'all! It was only a trial, and it was only for about three hours, but SHE WENT TO SCHOOL!!! How is she old enough for this? I cannot even believe that a mere 16 months ago she was a tiny, five pound, perfect little baby, and now here she is a walking, talking, amazingly happy, ray of sunshine. That.is.old.enough.for.school! I feel old. Is that normal? The only tears that were shed were on my behalf, and when I called (I only allowed myself one phone call don't worry) they said that she was just the hit of the classroom. Little sassy sunshine got along with everyone and had the time of her life.

She even brought home her first artwork. Bestillmyheart. I die!

And here is us when I picked her up! You know, us bloggers, have to document every little thing! 

Now I have to find her a lunchbox and school stuff. Any suggestions on great little monogram places?

Check out my amazing sponsor:

Do NOT Sext your father in law...

My husband has been gone for nine days. Now don't get me wrong, to many, many admirable couples, nine days of separation is nothing. I mean really its the equivalent of  a Spring Break vacation with a hangover on either side.

However to me. To me it's long, it's cold, and its damn lonely. I have a teething toddler damnit! And she's getting molars at that. So there are my excuses and this is the result.... I SEXT my father in law. Yes you read that right. Now go say a prayer for me. No really, do it.

This is a snippet of what my phone book looks like. I thought I was being "grown and mature" just using everyone's first and last names, whelp obviously I need to be a little less mature and embrace nicknames more.

See how I could accidentally send a text mentioning solo shower activities to the man above my husband? His name is right above, and damn that autotext prediction. I mean i guess better to him than a girl that babysat for us maybe twice. Especially when I'd already begun said "solo activities" and they would be best performed without the phone.

Well damn me and my need for speed. I waited nine days before taking matters into my own hands {literally}. Nine more minutes of carefully placed texting wouldn't have killed anything, though those few short minutes did manage to destroy my pride.

I died. Part of me died right there.

So now that I've learned that "sexting" is out, any ideas on how to keep the spice alive in my relationship? Buehler? Anyone? Anyone?




Check out my amazing sponsor:

Love is love

Dear Baby-

This summer has been just magical so far. You have grown and blossomed, your personality has just exploded. One trait that I have noticed that you most definitely got from me is the way that you love. You love fiercely and with abandon, you love with your whole tiny soul and you do not hold back. Kisses come freely and your hugs are so tight and sweet, you dole them out to anyone and everyone whether it is mommy and daddy or a random child at the park. It makes me so proud to see how sweet of a girl you are. But I also worry, because I know that with that much love to give comes so many extra chances at heart break. I pray that you never, ever have your tender heart broken. I will do anything in my power to keep your heart as safe as possible, but I know that you also have to live and take your own chances.

Since I cannot promise you that you will never experience heartbreak, I can promise you this Brooklyn Grace. I promise that you are free to love and cherish whomever you please. You may love a man or a woman. You may love someone who is black, white, purple, or any other color of the rainbow. I don't care if they are from ten or ten thousand miles away. I don't care if they are a lawyer, a teacher, or the trash man. Every one on this Earth is deservant of love, and whoever is so blessed to win your heart will most definitely win ours. Love in our family has absolutely no limits or boundaries, so please never fear bringing someone you love home to your mama and daddy. I promise that they will be welcome with open arms. {Though daddy doesn't plan on you dating until you are 28 he will be receptive none the less}. We don't expect them to be perfect, or for y'all to never fight. Sometimes relationships are not easy, every one experiences growing pains. All that we ask of them is that they love you as fiercely and passionately as you deserve. That they respect you, that they are two hundred percent devoted to you, that they make you laugh, that they want to go on adventures with you, and most of all that they make you happy. Because that is what every parent wants for their child above all, their happiness.

I love you so much Brooklyn Grace. Thank you for letting me be your mama.


Also - *Single parenting* is freaking hard. Serious props to all those single parents out there. Whether it's military spouses holding down the home front or just a solo parent situation, you rock! Brooklyn is seriously keeping me on my toes with Stephen gone, throw in some molars coming in and welcome to my shit show, and by the time that she lays down all I want to do is grab the bottle of wine and lose brain cells to trashy tv. So my whole return to blogging thing did not go as well as I would've hoped last week, but I'm trying and thats what counts right?!




Check out my amazing sponsor:

Twice as Posh

Hey fashionable mamas!This is for you.BK is always dressed to the nines {she is my greatest assessory after all}, she definitely has a much better wardrobe than myself. I dress her like the little diva that she is, everything in her closet is something that I would wear myself. I dress her to be cohesive with mine and Stephen's style. Dressing little ones to be little divas or studs can get really expensive. So what if there was a place you could go to find fashionable baby or kids clothing in one place? At lower prices?So Kaitlyn & I teamed up to create something super fantastic.
And, Twice As Posh was born.I wanted to create a marketplace of posh, chic baby and children's clothing.(I may have created this idea out of purely selfish desires...)Twice As Posh is a place for you to buy and sell fashionable kids clothing.The cool thing is, is that it will be run completely through a central instagram account.Anyone can buy from Twice As Posh!If you want to sell items, all you have to do is email me to get approved. Once approved, you will have the password to the Instagram account.The only requirements to buy or sell is that you must have your own personal instagram account and be able to use Paypal.When you want to sell something, you just snap a picture, include your personal instagram handle (so we know who is selling), and you're all set!Other mamas can comment when they want to buy something and then you deal with them directly. There is no catch, no fees and no middle man.I really just created this because I wanted there to be something out there like this - and now there is!So go follow @twiceasposh on Instagram and spread the word!If you are interested in being considered as a seller, please email me!

 

Posted with Blogsy

Citrus Chicken Salad

I feel like Summer is the season of the sandwich. Our family is always super busy, whether we're headed to the beach or Busch Gardens or just scrambling to make a quick lunch after a long morning in the backyard. That's where the sandwich comes in, because it's fast + easy to make + and super tasty. 

Now I'm a chicken salad girl, I just feel like there is nothing better than a fresh chicken salad. Since we grill out a lot when the weather gets nice there is almost always leftover chicken to be used. So here is my tried and true recipe. 

Citrus Chicken Salad

2 grilled chicken breasts, shredded
1 rib of celery, finely diced
1/2 onion, diced
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 lemon, just the zest
1/3 cup mayo
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients. Add/subtract mayo to your preference. Sometimes I squeeze in a quarter of the lemon juice as well, it just depends on how lemony you want it. Feel free to toss in some grapes too. I usually alternate between batches when I add them in.




Check out my amazing sponsor:

How to survive with children

Yesterday I thought I was dying. For real. I just knew that at any moment my head was going to split right open. I haven't had a migraine like that in years, well since before I got pregnant with BK. Life has changed a bit and now I have a toddler on my hands, I can't exactly sleep the day away. So needless to say I had to get a little creative on nursing myself back to health. Here are my migraine survival tools {though these would also work fabulously if you're nursing a hangover}.

survival by tinymrsh featuring henri bendel

1. An eye mask. This a must. I didnt want to completely freak BK out and have the room pitch black so this was a life saver. This particular mask is baller in that you can just use it regular or with the ice pack.
2. Cartoons. I'm not a huge advocate for plopping your baby in front of a television for long periods of time, but sometimes you just have to do what you have to do. Doc McStuffins most certainly helped in nursing me back to health yesterday.
3. Sick pillow. At least that's what we always called it in my family. Growing up we had a special pillow and blanket that my mama pulled out when you were sick. I loved the tradition so much that I adopted it into our family.
4. Caffeine. For me this is coca cola. Ok so maybe I drink one every day anyways, but with a migraine it is extra delicious.
5. New toys. BK has really gotten into coloring thanks to her bath crayons, so yesterday I busted out a coloring book and some crayolas that I had stashed away. She though it was so neat, and it kept her entertained for quite a while. Well until she tried to color my eye mask, then Doc McStuffins got turned back on.

A helpful husband was also super wonderful. Love you honey. Do y'all get migraines? How do you cure them?

Two Years

Yesterday was my two year wedding anniversary. It marked two years since we had said "I Do". Two years since we were in paradise surrounded by wonderful fantastic people. Two years that sparked the beginning of the rest of my beautiful, very blessed life.

In all honesty I dont feel that whole lot changed when we got married. We lived together before, so that wasnt new. But our feelings, our relationship, most definitely intensified. My love grew a little deeper, my desire for S a little stronger, and my appreciation exploded ten fold. A lot has changed in the past two years though, it has been quite the ride. And I have had the time of my life experiencing this journey with my incredible man.

A few times while we were on trip other guests at the resort would make comments about us getting married, things like "dont do it" and "it's not too late". At first I thought those people were so, so rude. Then my heart ached for them. How horrible to not believe in everlasting love, I pray that they find it. How terrible to never find the other match for your heart. The one youre meant to walk through life with, to grow old next to. Love is such a wonderful, and specatular, life changing occurence. I can't imagine my life without it.

I found the one whom my soul seeks. I found my true better half. The man that balances me out. The man that can always put a smile on my face. The man that I laugh harder and deeper with than I ever have before. The man that is the hardest working, most intelligent man that I have ever met. The man that can make me weak in the knees with a single look, the one still gives me butterflies with every touch and every kiss. The man that gave me the greatest gift ever, our daughter. And my goodness is he an amazing father. He is polite, talented, funny, strong, incredibly smart, and he is so kind to every single person he meets. He might have stinky shoes and corny jokes, but he is all mine and I wouldnt have it any other way.

I am in love. Deep, passionate, wild love. And I am thankful for every day that I get to experience it.

All pictures are by the super fabulous Andi Grant

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Spring Bucket List

Spring has finally sprung in Virginia and our little family is more than excited. Yesterday we spent the day at the beach, and then had a super delicious meal al fresco. It got me to thinking about what else I want to do while the weather is in the perfect phase. You know the place where it's warm but it isn't miserable outside, before all the pollen starts falling and everyone's allergies are acting up, the place where you have to drag yourself inside at the end of the day. So I created a little bucket list...

1) Have a picnic Like a legit picnic with a basket, wine, and super yummy food. 2) Coordinate a wedding I truly want to have a career in events so I am working towards that goal. 3) Visit the botanical gardens The botanical gardens in our area is gorgeous, and they have a super fabulous kids area. I plan to make full use of this gem. 4) Go on a bike ride at the beach Stephen and I used to do this all the time, but we havent gone on a beach bike ride in like 2 years. I want a new cruiser too {a pink one} and we have to order a little trailer for BK to sit in.  5) Host a dinner party A fun & fancy adult dinner party. Like bust out the china and get a sitter for BK kind of dinner party. How dreamy would it be to have one on the beach?
What do you want to do this spring? Any suggestions to add to my list? 

Lightning Strikes Twice

{Written- Tuesday April 2, 2013}
Tonight was just a typical Tuesday night. We made dinner, my husband went to the gym, we read a story before bed. Everything was within our normal routines. Tonight was just a typical Tuesday night, except that it wasn't.
S got off early, so we had an extra three hours together as a family. One third of that was spent visiting the puppy store at the mall where BK screamed "dawg" every time she saw a new puppy behind the glass and then laughed hysterically. One third was spent pushing BK in her pink whip to the park. The park is our haven. She swings and is in her own personal heaven. S plays like a little kid on all of the equipment. And I, I soak in the both of them. Their smiles, their pure joy. The last *extra* hour was spent in the kitchen while I cooked dinner. BK carried around pieces of Daisy's food and giggled uncontrollably while Daisymae chased her. S sat in the kitchen while we caught up on our day and snuck kisses.
From an outsiders perspective it was nothing special. Just your typical family of three going about their evening routine. But to me, to me it was heaven. I had a permanent smile on my face. My happiness just radiated from every pore.
It got me to thinking though, as happy as I am {truly 1000% satisfied with my life, not lacking a thing}, does it get any better than this? Can lightning strike twice? Will we be so lucky to be blessed to one day expand our family and have another baby so perfect and delightful as BK? It just seems impossible. I know it isn't, I know that God's grace is SO good. I'm not saying it will happen, I'm simply saying that it could happen.
Life just doesnt seem like it could possibly get any better than it is. I am so blessed. Blessed with my true soul mate, the man that God picked specifically for me. Blessed with a beautiful, crazy intelligent, sweet, funny, perfect daughter. My family is kind and supportive. I have good friends that the Lord brought into my life for a reason. I have wonderful worldly possessions.  I am blessed.
My life was not always this way. It was not always everything I dreamt it to be. But now I wake up and I think to myself...

You have everything you ever wanted. Welcome to your happily ever after. 

DC Minication Recap

DC was absolute heaven. Relaxation and fun and exactly what we needed. After sitting in traffic we finally made it to our hotel around 4pm. Our hotel was the Rouge and to be honest I don't have a single complaint. The decor is kind of kitschy but the accommodations are new and very nice. Our room was super large and we had every amenity that we desired. Plus all of the Kimpton Hotels are super pet friendly and they were amazing with Daisymae.

We relaxed for a little while, watched some cartoons, unpacked, and then headed out to explore our area of the city.

We were in the Dupont Circle/ Logan Circle area and it's mostly residential, but they have everything that you could want for {I mean we were two blocks from Whole Foods}. So that night we grabbed dinner at Agora. It was a Mediterranean tapas style restaurant and super delicious. they were very accommodating to BK and she did fantastic all through dinner while we ate and enjoyed a beverage. 

After dinner we headed back to the hotel to hang out for a bit before I set off on my mommy adventure to DryBar. My time at DryBar was nothing short of amazing. I mean you drink champagne while watching great movies i.e. Mean Girls & Bride Wars. My stylist was not only super sweet, but amazing at what she did. The rest of the staff was so kind when I was the last one in there a few minutes past closing time thanks to my MASSIVE hair. I even met a training manager who sat down and took an active interest in me. Needless to say I will definitely be back. If you're thinking about going, just do it! For real, I promise you will not regret it. It will be the best $40 ever spent on your hair. 

 I mean my hair looked damn good y'all!

Saturday morning we woke up bright and early to meet up with one my bestest friends, Brea. She took some beautiful pictures of us, we gallivanted the city, but most of all we got some quality time together. Love her. 

After Brea headed back to Maryland for a prospective client meeting, the hubs + baby + I set off to the Kite festival on the National Mall where we met up with his family. It was so beautiful to see the historic spots in the city, and we got to relax and enjoy each others company, and the weather was perfection. 

Saturday night we left Miss BK with her Gigi and Grandpa while S & I headed out to dinner with his brother and our soon to be sister in love. We had an amazing time. Some yummy dinner, lots of laughs, gelato, and we finished off the night with a few beers back in our room before we grabbed the baby for bed. Unfortunately we only have one picture, but I have to say that it's a good one. 

Sunday brought Easter baskets, bloody mary's in the hotel lobby, lunch at  2Amys, and then the road trip home. It was the perfect way to spend Easter weekend. I couldn't have asked for anything more.