Feb Photo a Day

So I was kind of late on joining the January Photo of the Day challenge but I am sure as hell not missing the February Challenge. Starting tomorrow will begin a month long photo taking adventure of these challenges. Join in and we can share pics :)

It's a Jungle Out There!

Yesterday, my mom threw us the most amazing baby shower I could have hoped for. She really outdid herself by making all the poms, hand painted a canvas drawing of our invite, came up with all the fun details down to the decorative chargers that sat underneath the favors. We had such a wonderful time talking baby talk, eating and of course keeping warm due to a little blizzard that decided to make it's way through. We got so many wonderful gifts for Vincent and I cant wait for him to arrive to put it all to good use. Here are a couple pictures of the wonderful day.

My handsome hubby!

My beautiful mom!

This jacket was my older brothers when he was a baby boy. My mom passed it on to her sister in law when she had her boys and yesterday, my aunt gave it back to me. It brought tears to my eyes.

Wishes for baby from everyone.

Friend, Erin who is due one week before me. :)

My favorites.

Happy Friday!

Source: ohhappyday.com via Joy on Pinterest

So happy today is Friday! This week was incredibly busy at work which left me coming home each day cooking and promptly falling asleep on the couch. Poor husband, i've been pretty bleh the last couple days. This weekend should be super fun:

+ Friday, hanging out with one of my longest dearest friends to catch up. Here's to hoping I dont fall asleep at 8:00!
+ Saturday morning manicures/pedicures with my mom
+ Getting my eyebrows threaded
+ Shopping
+Cleaning the house and getting everything organized
+ Sunday getting my hair did
+ My first baby shower is on Sunday!

I am so excited to see everyone and eat some delicious food. What are your plans for the weekend?

Quote

One of my favorite blogger over here at Life as an Artistpreneur posted an article on her twitter page that I was so blown away with. She recently gave birth to her first child recently, a baby boy. I frequently drop by her site because she is going through what I will be going through in less than 2 months. And when she posted this article on Being a Mother of One - I decided to read it for myself and was in awe of it's moving words especially this:

"Dear mother of only one child, don’t blame yourself for thinking that your life is hard. You’re suffering now because you’re turning into a new woman, a woman who is never allowed to be alone. For what? Only so that you can become strong enough to be a woman who will be left."

Book Review: My Year with Eleanor: A Memoir

I have been in a reading rut! I'll pick up a book and put it down - never to finish it. And i'll be honest with you, it took me for what seemed like forever to finish this book. My Year with Eleanor follows the story of a young woman with a high salaried, high stress position, jobless after getting laid off. As she sat in a coffee shop she read a quote from the chalkboard that read

"Do one thing every day that scares you."
—Eleanor Roosevelt

She began to do a lot of research on Eleanor Roosevelt and the woman she was. She fell head over heels with her accomplishments, goals, how she handled herself, carried herself and how she did so many interesting and daring things. It was then that the author Noelle decided to take the year off to conquer a fear everyday. Some of those fears were simple others were daring like going swimming with the sharks, do a stand up comedy routine, conquer your fear of heights and she even climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. Despite the obvious things she wanted to conquer she realized how scared she really became in life. How her fears stopped her from going out and meeting new people, sticking up for herself or trying someplace new and exciting. A couple of my favorite quotes:

"Mindfulness will help you stay in the present, where fear does not exist. Fear exists in the past, like worrying about the dumb thing you said to your boss yesterday, or in the future, as in fretting over whether your plane will crash"

"Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people"

"Fear can paralyze our lives. Fear of making the wrong decision keeps us from making any decision at all"

"Do things that interest you and do them with all your heart. Don't be concerned about whether people are watching you or criticizing you. The chances are that they are paying any attention to you at all."

The most unhappy people in the world are those who face the days without knowing what to do with their time. But if you have more projects that you have time for, you are not going to be an unhappy person. This is as much a question of having imagination and curiosity as it is of actually making plans."

"Procrastination is the lazy cousin of fear. 'When we feel anxiety around an activity, we postpone it - whether its doing our taxes, working on a project we're not sure we can handle, or having a painful conversation' You'll never feel ready. You have to do things now - even if you dont feel ready."

I really enjoyed this book though it took some time to finish it because it's something I am going through currently. Lots of fear is clouding my head because I am afraid of the unknown, afraid of what someone will say, afraid of the failure, afraid of disappointment. This book taught me some valuable lessons. It was a great read for the beginning of the year for a fresh start and a fresh outlook. Loved.

*****

An Interview with a Puppy

What is your name? Mimi

What kind of dog are you? I am a Yorkshire Terrier

Are you a boy or a girl? A beautiful lady dog thankuverymuch

How old are you? Human years I am 1.5. I was born July 6, 2010. If you're thinking about sending me a gift, I love socks and doggie treats most.

Where do you live? I live with my mom and dad in Michigan.

Do you have any nick names? Mimoo, mooloo, mimi moomoo, mims, moomooloo, moo to name a few. Humans are weird, aren't they?

What do you like to do? I like to be with one of my parents all the time. I love to sleep with them too, eat my food and look adorable so my parents will give me some of theirs, play tug of war with a sock, give a ton of kisses, do tricks, bark at nothing...

Speaking of tricks, what can you do? I sit, lay, play dead, roll over, dance, high five, stand to name a few

What's the best part about being a dog? Sleeping whenever I want, getting scratched and rubbed all the time, treats for doing tricks and pooping and peeing in the right spot, sleeping in a big comfy bed

What's the worst part about being a dog? I'm stubborn just like my mom and we get into fights sometimes, don't worry we love each other too much. I sometimes forget my size and think i'm a big scary dog that could tear you to shreds.

The Bump

I don't think I posted any bump pictures on here. But hey - figure I might as well share one with you today. Here is my 31 week 2 day bump pic:

Updates:

Lately I have definetly felt a difference in how i've been feeling and moving. I've been feeling more stiff, my lower back hurts like a motha, I've been experiencing Braxton Hix contractions a little more frequent and for the sake of keeping it really real on here, my groin hurts really bad. The last appointment I had he said everything is looking great, my blood pressure has been steady the entire time, glucose is good, weight gain is on the lower side (not that i'm complaining) so I need to pack on some lbs. Cue the 3 ice cream drum sticks I had on Sunday. No shame. I'm moving a little bit slower and I just feel really - stiff.

This weekend is my first baby shower. I am excited to see everyone and get excited about our little boy and go crazy over all the adorable boy stuff out there. I am excited to get the room in order. All the big pieces are in and up. Crib, dresser and glider - THANK YOU JESUS! The stroller is also put together and car seat is ready when he is. And tomorrow will officially be 60 days till he arrives. Yowza!

I am very fortunate how well things have been going so far, thankful for a healthy baby who is busy growing and moving. Thankful that my husband has been so patient and understanding. Thankful for all the support I get from both our families especially my mom (words can't describe the love I have for that woman) and Thankful for this beautiful gift. I can't wait to meet him and kiss his sweet cheeks.

I'll be posting pictures of the showers as they happen, should be a great time!

Favorite Beauty Products

Here are a couple of my favorite beauty products I have been using lately. Especially in the winter months number 3,4 and 5 are especially nice.

1.) Yes to Cucumbers Facial Towelettes - I dont know about you, but I use to be terrible about taking off my makeup at the end of the day and would wake up looking like a freaky deeky raccoon in the morning. With these towelettes, I use one at the end of the day right before I got to bed and it takes off all my makeup while leaving my face feeling and smelling wonderful.

2.) Bliss Fabulous Foaming Face Wash - I am so happy I stumbled upon this face wash! I use it every morning before I put on my makeup and it smells so good and it really has left my face feeling smooth and glowy.

3.) CoverGirl Lipslicks in Daring - This is by far my favorite lipstick/chapstick. My lips get really chapped (especially in the winter) and as much as I looove lipstick/glosses it just doesnt moisturize the way I want/need it too. These lipslicks not only moisturize my lips but give it a fun color as well. I cant tell you how many compliments I get when I wear this!

4.) Wen Pomegranate (Gluten Free) Cleansing Conditioner - Holy moly this stuff is amazing. My hair is notorious for being super dry and super itchy. One day as I was itching my head in a fury my mother in law introduced me to Wen products. She gave me a bottle to try and seriously, it works! It doesn't foam up like a shampoo and this is all you use. I use about 15 pumps for the amount of hair I have and I just massage it in reallllly good. Let it sit for about 2-4 minutes then rinse out. Immediately you can tell the difference in your hair. I give it one last pump before I'm done with my shower for extra smoothness.... smells divine as well.

5.) Wen Pomegranate Replenishing Mist - I use this stuff in my hair for extra volume or on my face for a quick pick me up and the smell, as you can imagine, is glorious! Or if I didn't wash my hair and I have my hair up in curlers for second day hair, i'll mist my hair while it's still in the rollers with the mist which leaves it smelling fresh and gives a little boost. Love!

6.) Klorane Gentle Dry Shampoo - Dry shampoo is my BFF. I have so much hair that I just dont wash my hair everyday. I usually go every other day and this dry shampoo and I get along great. It's gentle on the scalp and really helps leaving hair looking brand spanking new and freshly washed while making styling just as easy.

Be Daring...

I know we are almost done with the first month of 2012, but I wanted to take a moment and post a couple of my hopes/goals for myself and 2012. In 2011, I did a lot of things that were new to me, I went to a book signing of a favorite blogger, Quit my job of 3 years and started a brand spankin' new one, I went to Chicago with my mom (our first mother/daughter vacation) Mike and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary with one another and we continued to settle into our lives together, we found out we were pregnant end of July with our first child, visited Washington DC and some friends and saw some great monuments and history. It was an whirlwind of a year! However, I felt as though I didn't challenge myself enough. So for 2012 my theme is to:

I want to challenge myself in new ways. In 2011 I became a huge introvert - and not that there is anything wrong with that, but it became unhealthy for me. I didn't get out there. I didn't meet as many new people as I wanted, I didn't experiment with new adventures, I didn't read as much as I wanted, I didn't try new recipe's, I didn't get off my ass and work out, I didn't work at keeping my house in order the way it should, I judged too much, I didn't stand up for myself, I was stagnant when I should have been mobile, I didn't give people a chance, I was let down, I let myself down, I waited for others to act before I did, I played it safe. I let others dictate my own happiness, I wasn't as giving as I should have been. I didn't pray as much as I should have. And I worried far far too much.

This year I am going be daring in everything I do, even the small stuff like cleaning out my kitchen cabinets. I am going be daring and raise my son the way I planned on raising him. I am going to be daring and try new recipes and meet new people even if it scares the crap out of me. I am going to make my house a living breathing well old machine. I am going to work hard on myself and be the best version of myself physically, mentally and emotionally. I am going to push myself harder this year than ever because if I don't who will? I wont count on anyone to get the things I need to get done, done. I will be more independent and spend my precious time on things that truly matter. I want to be daring with this blog and grow the non-existent readership into something. I don't have a vision as to what I want to do with the blog but I want to make more time for it and write out more meaningful post. I also want to put myself out there more and comment more on the blogs that I follow and love, growing my friendships through here would be wonderful. I want to be daring with my looks. I want a new cut and color, try experimenting with new scarves, jewelery and accessories. I want to live a more authentic daring life. That's the dream for 2012.

What is your theme for the year?

MLK

Source: 1.bp.blogspot.com via Kristen on Pinterest

Here is to a man who stood up for what he believed in despite the hardships, pain and persecution. Thank you Martin Luther King, Jr.

Hoooooch!

Last weekend we celebrated my brother in law's 30th birthday with some bowling and arcade games. We had such a great time (even though I was unable to bowl) lots of drinks and laughs had. Hooch is his alter ego and he definitely came out to play after a few drinks/shots.

LOTS OF OWLING GOING ON

We went to Lucky Strike in Novi. I was shocked at how nice their bowling is, it's on the second floor, very classy and clean. From what everyone told me the lanes were pretty amazing too! We'll be back!

Who I Hope to Be...

I haven't written anything in my little spot in the blogging world for a couple weeks. It's intentional. I've logged in and logged out. Read through my list of favorite bloggers (but never comment) I've jumped on twitter and poked around. I'm just hanging out... with no plan. I've even started a couple blog posts but then deleted them... what gives? Has this ever happened to you? You have so much to say but don't even know where to begin? You don't know how to organize your thoughts into a meaningful post? That's where I am at. I'm also trying to figure out my voice on this blog... do I want it to be a collection of pictures and video's and small thoughts here and there? Do I want it to be where I write down some meaningful posts about meaningful things going on in my head? Do I want it to be a thought catalog of random whatever, or a lifestyle blog where I plug in a bunch of pictures of my daily life.... I just dont know. I would like it to be more of a meaningful blog where I can go back and read through what was going on in my life at that time. I think it's more authentic and I want to be more authentic.

So in an attempt to be more authentic, I want to share with you who I hope to be... I am constantly changing and evolving and the one thing about me is my mind is never stagnant which is a good and bad thing. I hope to always grow and evolve no matter how scary it may be. I hope to never settle because it's the easy thing to do. I hope to always stand up for myself, because if I don't who will? I hope to always push myself to do better and to be better. I hope to always try to handle myself with grace. I hope to to continue to work hard in my job because I have always reeped the benefits of hard work and dedication. I hope to never settle. I hope to continue to understand how much I've grown in the last 2 years and how the choices I have made, no matter how difficult, have been the best decisions I have made. I hope to grow in my marriage to be a better person and wife to Mike, I hope we continue to grow closer and closer to one another everyday and appreciate the good and the bad about each other. I hope to be the kind of mother I had(have) growing up, I hope our son grows up knowing how much he is loved and how much I want to see him be the best person he can be. I hope to be the kind of mom who doesn't take the easy route in raising him. I hope to be the kind of mom who puts in the time, energy and effort with him so he raised the way Mike and I intended. I hope to be more patient and not loose my temper. I hope to be better at managing my home. I hope to be more organized and diligent with household chores, I hope to coming up with a system and sticking to it till it's stuck. I hope to try more things this year, I hope to find peace within myself. I hope to be more calm and let negative thoughts that creep into my mind to leave just as fast. I hope to be the best version of myself I can be. I hope to be more me than I ever have.

Who do you hope to be?