Goals Update

I posted back in December about a list of things that I want to accomplish in 2014, so I thought I would post an update. Spoiler alert: I'm not off to a good start! The good news is that it's only February and I still have time to redeem myself.

1. Start blogging again! 
This is only my second post of 2014. I will try to do better!

2. Run a 5k! Yeah....wish me luck on that one. I'm so out of shape. 
Well, I have started running on the treadmill in the evenings. I'm not anywhere close to being able to run a 5k, but thanks to my new obsession with Game of Thrones, I can at least be entertained while I suffer run!




3. Read a new book every month. I've not been able to read much since becoming a mom and I need to catch up on some good books. 
I didn't read a new book, but I did re-read 4 Harry Potter books, so that still counts right????

4. Find a new church and get involved! Not even close...and I feel really bad about not taking Jacob.
5. Do the 52 week money challenge  Never started!

6. Learn a new skill. Well, I did customize this planner. So I guess that's a start...

7. See a Bruno Mars concert! Because I love him! UPDATE: Phillip and I will be floor level when he comes to Birmingham in June!!!! I can't wait!!!!



8. Go on a trip with the hubby! Does a trip to Target without Jacob count???


9. Once a month Mommy/ son dates with this handsome boy! I have been doing pretty good with these, considering this is only the second month of 2014!



10. Spend more time with my nieces and nephews. I've been doing good on this one as well. Plus, I gave them iPods so that's gotta be worth extra points.

11. Lose my tummy flab. Two years after delivering a baby and it's still there. In all honesty though, I've not tried very hard to get rid of it...  I've been running on the treadmill, what more do you want from me?!? :) 

12. Wear a bikini at the beach WITHOUT being self-conscious! See above!

13. Start the house projects I keep putting off. And thanks to this little gem, I actually feel like the hubby and I can accomplish all most of the things that we've been wanting to do. Young House Love is one of my favorite blogs and I adore every project that they do.





14. Drink more water. I'm actually drinking a Dr. Pepper as I type this, so this should go well... 
I have been doing better with this. I'm not drinking as much as I should, but at least I'm trying.

15. Eat less junk and more good stuff. Let's just say I'm making an effort and leave it at that!

16. Relax more! I don't even know why I put this goal on here. It's not even measurable!

17. Quit being so hard on myself! Goals 11 & 12 are not helping me reach this goal. And if I'm being honest, neither is 15!

18. Stop biting my nails!  Done! I am proud to say that I have not bitten my nails in 3 months. I am incredibly proud of myself for breaking that nasty little habit. And it's soooo fun having pretty nails that I can paint!

19. Do a Girl's Night Out with my sisters! We don't have one planned, but I KNOW we will make it happen!

20. Visit a place I've never been. I'll need to work on this one!

21. Do something different with my hair. I'm being serious when I say that I have pretty much had the same hairstyle for the past 15 years. Yes! I got my haircut into a long bob and had highlights put in. Not a drastic change, but it's a start!

22. Pay bills ON TIME every month! I've really been bad about this since becoming a mom. I just forget to pay them and the late charges really add up! Nope!

23. Balance check book every month! Again, I'm going to blame this one on the mom-thing. Nope!

24. Own a Louis Vuitton bag!  Done! I bought it used and I LOVE it! 




25. Do at least one Pinterest project a month. You can follow me here if you'd like! I didn't do one in January, but I still have time for February! I've not given up yet!

What do you dream about for 2014?

I finally found time on New Year's to read through my latest copy of Marie Claire. It had gotten stuck between the couch cushions. Sigh...life with a toddler! :)  Anyways, I really liked the survey results they posted about what their readers are dreaming about for 2014 and of course I answered for myself. Most of these are silly things, truly dreams, so I decided to put my own spin on it since my answers didn't really match up with most!


Who would be the best celebrity life coach?
Choices: Rebel Wilson, Beyonce, Kate Middleton, or Hillary Clinton. 37% said Hilary. Really?!?
Obviously I would choose Kate Middleton, with Beyonce a close second!


Would you rather snap and change your:
Salary, weight, zip code or credit score? 46% said salary.
This is a tough one for me! I feel like I should say salary because, well, who doesn't want more money? But the reality is I'm kinda lazy when it comes to working out, so I might choose weight. Actually, it's my dream and I can do what I want so I choose salary and weight! Boom!


You would rather be:
On the cover of Time, in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, a MacArthur "Genius" award winner or in the Guinness Book of World Records? 41% said the cover of Time.
I'm gonna go with "other" on this one and say a guest on Jimmy Fallon with Justin Timberlake as the musical guest!


With which power player would you want to do lunch with?
Michelle Obama, Melinda Gates, Miuccia Prada, Sheryl Sandberg. 53% said Michelle Obama.
Again, I'm gonna go with a write in and say Kate Middleton.


Road Trip! Which celeb would you want calling shotgun?
Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Justin Timberlake or Mindy Kaling. 
30% said Ryan Gosling.
Well, obviously I would choose Mr. JT. BUT I would also be smart and take a large SUV and put Harry Styles, Sophia Bush and Rachel McAdams in the backseat. And if I take Rachel, I need to take Ryan Gosling because they need to get back together. Don't judge, it's my dream! :)

Happy 2014! I can't wait to see what the year becomes.

Cheap planner hack

I realize I'm a bit old-school on this, but I seem to just function better with paper to-do lists. When I'm proofing a document for work, I also prefer to print it out because I feel like I do a better job editing. So what does this have to do with anything? Since you asked....

In order to help me meet my 25 goals, specifically number 22, I decided to revert back to high school and buy myself a paper planner. I've been seeing all of these really cute ones online and on Etsy, but I can't justify paying $50 for a planner that I may not even use more than a couple of months. I needed to run to my local Wal-Mart to grab a couple of items and saw this little planner in the office supply aisle. The best part? It was only $5.97! 

 

I, of course, bought the pink one! I decided it needed a little something extra on the cover, so I made myself a quick monogram, laminated it and taped it to the front cover. Voila! 

I have the perfect little planner to keep inside my purse. It's overall size is about 5"x 7" and it is really lightweight. 

The inside is laid out in a monthly calendar and then each week has it's own page and notes page.

And at less than $6, I'm not out a lot of money if I don't use it much!

30 at 30

I'm back! After a year-long hiatus, I am finally showing this blog some love. This has been the fastest year of my life and it really doesn't seem like it's been a year since my last post. I've truly thought about blog posts almost every day in the past year, but life has been so busy and it took me awhile to find my balance.

So how about we start fresh? I thought I would post something to kind of hold me accountable since I have recently developed a bad habit of saying I'm going to do things but never actually getting around to finishing them. I really wanted to have 30 goals that I could accomplish in 2014 since I just turned 30, but I really could only come up with 25. That's ok, because, well if we're being honest here, I hate to fail and I really wanted these goals to be tangible and realistic. And if I can lose 10 pounds during the process, that would be an added bonus. 

So here we go!

1. Start blogging again!

2. Run a 5k! Yeah....wish me luck on that one. I'm so out of shape.



3. Read a new book every month. I've not been able to read much since becoming a mom and I need to catch up on some good books.

4. Find a new church and get involved!

5. Do the 52 week money challenge

6. Learn a new skill.

7. See a Bruno Mars concert! Because I love him!



8. Go on a trip with the hubby!


9. Once a month Mommy/ son dates with this handsome boy!



10. Spend more time with my nieces and nephews.

11. Lose my tummy flab. Two years after delivering a baby and it's still there. In all honesty though, I've not tried very hard to get rid of it...

12. Wear a bikini at the beach WITHOUT being self-conscious!

13. Start the house projects I keep putting off. And thanks to this little gem, I actually feel like the hubby and I can accomplish all most of the things that we've been wanting to do. Young House Love is one of my favorite blogs and I adore every project that they do.





14. Drink more water. I'm actually drinking a Dr. Pepper as I type this, so this should go well...

15. Eat less junk and more good stuff.

16. Relax more!

17. Quit being so hard on myself!

18. Stop biting my nails!  Done! I am proud to say that I have not bitten my nails in 3 months. I am incredibly proud of myself for breaking that nasty little habit. And it's soooo fun having pretty nails that I can paint!

19. Do a Girl's Night Out with my sisters!

20. Visit a place I've never been.

21. Do something different with my hair. I'm being serious when I say that I have pretty much had the same hairstyle for the past 15 years.

22. Pay bills ON TIME every month! I've really been bad about this since becoming a mom. I just forget to pay them and the late charges really add up!

23. Balance check book every month! Again, I'm going to blame this one on the mom-thing.

24. Own a Louis Vuitton bag!  Done! I bought it used and I LOVE it! 




25. Do at least one Pinterest project a month. You can follow me here if you'd like!

So there you go! 

I am such a pushover

For those of you that know me well, you would probably agree that I am a people-pleaser. I don't like to make people upset and I HATE knowing that I have disappointed someone. Since having Jacob, I have become a little more assertive and have gotten better at actually saying "no" to people if I am too busy. Well, that streak ended last Friday when I tried to cancel our diaper service...for the third time!

When Jacob was born, we decided to use Pampers diapers. They seemed to fit him the best and I liked how soft they were. As he got a little older though, we tried to switch to different brands and see if we could get out a little cheaper. In my search for different diapers, I came across the free trial from The Honest Company. They had super cute patterns and a great company message. They send you several free diapers to try out their products and I liked them enough to go ahead and order a one month supply. This was last June and the first week went fine. I really wanted to like these diapers, but then they started leaking. Not just a little leak here and there, but like goopy disgusting mess over night! I could not deal with that! When I called customer service to cancel, they offered to send me two free packages in the larger size to see if that fit him better. They did, but I still wasn't crazy enough about them to keep ordering them. When I called customer service to cancel, they were so nice and offered to delay my service to December to give me time to think about it.

Let me just say that the customer service people at The Honest Company are the absolute nicest! I really feel like they could be my friend and they seem to really care. I know, I know....they are just doing their job, but it makes cancelling so hard! When I called back on Friday to end this once and for all, I get sucked in again. They now make training pants which seem to fit toddlers really well. Jacob is built more like a toddler since he is so tall and skinny so I said to go for it. Phillip is probably going to kill me. Actually, maybe he will be mad enough to call and cancel for me since I obviously can't do it myself. Am I the only one with this problem?

Speaking of Phillip, some really good news came his way recently and I can't wait to share the news in a few days. So stay tuned! :)

Also, the new diapers should arrive by Thursday. I will post an update on if I like them any better. Regardless, Jacob will look super cute in the new patterns.

Where Did the Time Go?

Wow...it's been 3 months since I have posted. Where does the time go? I have been so incredibly busy since starting back to work in marketing. And add the fact that Jacob has been walking for 5 months now, I never have a spare moment anymore!

But I do really enjoy this blog and I like being able to just sit and write. So...I am officially back! Here are some random photos of the past 3 months. Enjoy and I will post more soon!


The past 3 months...

Jake turned 1! We had a baseball themed party for him and he loved it! And he also loved cake! :)

We bought a camera from my bestie Ashley and have so enjoyed taking pictures of the little guy!

We took these the week before he turned 1!

Jake got to meet "Melmo" at the local Learning Express toys. He followed him all over the store and wasn't the least bit scared!

On his first train ride! He has become obsessed with trains!

He is also great at throwing tantrums...these started right around his first birthday...

Love this picture of my 2 boys! Our first time at a pumpkin patch!

Look at my handsome hubby!

I was having a terrible hair day!

LOVE my new camera....and the subject! :)

Halloween 2012!

I was the official photographer for a work function that required me to spend my days about 50 feet in the air.

And at the end they made me rappell down...scary, but so glad that I stepped out of my comfort zone and tried it!

Fall fun in the leaves! This hat is kind of ridiculous, but cute at the same time!

He loves to say the word "jeans" and asks to wear them all the time!

Most recent pic of Jake, from this morning. Because doesn't everyone grill at 6:30 a.m.? In jammies and boots?

We also went on our first family vacation. We were supposed to spend a week in Destin, but a hurricane (I think it was Issac) ruined that for us. We decided to head to the mountains instead and still had a really good time. For some reason, this is the only picture I can find right now. Jake looks a little creepy, but it was dark at the aquarium. But I actually like the pic of me, so I'm posting it! :)

 

Talk to you soon!

One Year Ago....

One year again today, Phillip and I were driving to the hospital with a cyclone of emotions running through us. We were so excited to meet our little boy, but terrified of actually becoming parents and scared to go through the labor process. And even though I had a horrible labor experience, meeting this little guy for the first time was worth it all.

First photo with Mommy!

Tomorrow will be Jacob's 1st birthday and I just can't believe how fast this year has gone by. It really does seem like yesterday that I had him. And although it hasn't always been easy, I know that I was meant to be a mom and I get so much joy from watching this sweet baby grow and learn new things. To think that at this exact hour last year, he wasn't even born yet and now he is walking and talking and has become our world. It blows my mind!

I am truly blessed to be Jacob's mom and through him I have learned so much about love, patience, kindness, family, etc. I see the world through much more compassionate eyes and everything holds a much deeper meaning. I have cried at every single one of Jacob's "firsts" and am so incredibly proud of him.

I will post more pictures from his birthday party later this weekend. If you see me around town looking like a crying mess, you know why. This is just another first that this proud mama is going to cry through!

Enjoy a few pictures from Jake as a newborn, Jake at 6 months and then at (almost) 1 year. Crazy!!!

First photo! Poor little guy; it had been a rough 27.5 hours for him too!

Looking much better the next day after getting cleaned up!

6 months!

Almost 1 Year!

Look out world! This is just the beginning!

If what you are doing is not your passion, then you have nothing to lose...

It's official....I'm going back to my marketing career! This whole thing has not been easy for me, so I guess I should start at the beginning. I was so excited to graduate college and could not wait to start working a "real" job. A year after I graduated, I did just that and felt so fortunate to be using my degree. And although the work situation wasn't always perfect, I really enjoyed my job and loved working in the corporate world. That all changed after I got pregnant with Jacob.

At that time, things were really stressful at work. We were unexpectedly without a department director and there was so much work and only 3 people to manage it, without much direction. I was very conflicted about what to do. On one hand, I didn't want to leave my team and put all the work on them. I took pride in my career and was proud of all that I had accomplished. But on the other hand, my son was most important to me and I wanted to make sure that I could be there when he needed me. And working  7 days a week and taking phone calls from reporters in the middle of the night would not be very family-friendly. Ideally, I would have liked to have worked part-time, but that wasn't a possibility either. I was so confused and didn't know what to do. And as my delivery date approached, I started getting more and more anxious about what to do, but I knew that my maternity leave would help me gain more perspective. I prayed constantly during my leave about what I should do because I knew that not going back was not an option and I really did enjoy my work.

My first week back after maternity leave was a disaster! I missed Jacob terribly, was jumping from one meeting to the next and barely had time to pump. By the end of that first week, my milk supply was virtually gone and I was a physical and mental mess and just felt overall like a failure. Jacob wasn't sleeping at night, which meant I wasn't sleeping and I couldn't see how I would ever balance working and being a mom. I am fortunate to work for a great group of people though, and they offered me a new position as an administrative assistant. I got a little bit of a raise and my schedule would be set. At 5:00 in the evening I could leave work and not think about it again until the next morning. I was so thankful to have that opportunity, but I wish someone would have made me stop and think about it, and realize that I would not always feel so overwhelmed. Although I was very appreciative of my new job, my heart still belonged in marketing.

A little over a month ago, a position became available in the marketing department and I decided to pursue it. There was a new director and I felt like I had been given a second chance to do what I loved. Under this new director, I feel like I have someone who believes in me, will encourage me, and will be genuinely happy at my success. I believe I am finally in a place mentally where I know I can work and be a good mom. Phillip was so helpful to me while making this decision and said that I needed to do what made me the happiest. And I knew that the answer was returning to marketing. So last week I was offered the job and I accepted! I officially start my new position after Labor Day and am really excited to be back where I belong. I feel like having Jacob and being a mom has made me more assertive. If I have to work, I might as well do a job that I love...I know it will keep us all happier in the long run.

I know the transition may not be easy and that sometimes I will have to work late or plan an event that takes place on the weekend. But I know going forward that I don't need to put so much pressure on myself. Just take one day at a time and pray for God's guidance throughout. After all, it is by His hands that I got this new position and if I lean on Him, he will be with me every step of the way.

Oops

I have not been a great blogger lately. In my defense, Jacob has started walking since my last post. And he is FAST! You would think he would have eased into it, but nope. Not my son. I have a feeling we are really in for it with him. He is awesome and so smart and I really love his adventurous personality. But man, that kid sure does keep us on our toes! Oh and he loves to eat food off the floor. He really has a talent for finding rogue Puffs or Cheerios that no one else can see.

We took him to Stride Rite over the weekend to buy him his first pair of shoes since he is walking and he needed a size 6! That child has the biggest feet I have every seen on a baby. He did great trying on shoes. Check out his #sickkicksfortheladies! :)

And here's another photo of the little wild man. He is obsessed with his baseball bat (and Elmo). We are doing his first birthday party in a baseball theme and I think he will love it!

In other news, Phillip and I just celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary! I love that man more than I ever thought was possible and I can't believe he has been in my life for a total of 11 years! I am one lucky lady!

Oh, and I am not doing so great with not biting my nails. In fact, I have failed miserably! I had to wait at the dentist office to get a cavity filled and bit off all of my nails. Oh well...here's to second chances!

Living in Fast Forward

I can't believe that it is almost July! Jacob is now 10 months old and I just can't believe how time flies once you have a baby. My days are so busy and I catch my self constantly being amazed at what all I DON'T get accomplished any more. Oh well!

Speaking of living in fast forward (thank you Kenny Chesney), I left Jacob for the first time last weekend (yikes!) to go with one of my very best friends to the Brothers of the Sun tour featuring Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw in Nashville. Jacob got to spend some quality time with his daddy while Mommy had a night out on the town. I was so anxious about being away from him like that for the first time. I mean I obviously leave him everyday to go to work, but this was different since it was an overnight trip. I had nothing to worry about though. Jacob was just fine and I had a blast! The concert was outdoors at the Titans stadium and it was HOT! I have never been so sweaty in my life!

Yes, the sun was in our face for most of the concert. But it was worth it!

I am more of a Tim McGraw fan and he definitely did not disappoint. He was looking fine in his white pants and white shirt and we even got a special surprise when Faith Hill came out to sing with him.

Kenny Chesney!

Then the sun went down (hallelujah!) and it was time for Kenny to take the stage. That man is one of the best live performers. He truly loves his job and it definitely showed. The concert started at about 4:30 and did not end until midnight. The Tennessean was reporting that there were roughly 50,000 people in attendance and I definitely believe it. This was by far one of the best concerts I have ever been to and I had a blast! Thanks, Ash, for taking me with you!

Father's Day

I know, I know! It has been too long since I last updated. The funny thing is, I actually wrote out a couple of blog posts (and they were quite good) and somehow lost them. And yes, you read that right. I actually write my blog posts, then type them on here. I know...so old-fashioned, but I just feel more creative when I actually put pen to paper. That fact right there is why I will probably not reach my goal of writing a book before I'm 30.

Anyways, Sunday was a very special day for us because we got to celebrate Phillip's first Father's Day. I grew up with a great Dad. My dad always believed in me and gave me so much love and support. He pushed me to always be my best and I would not be the person I am today without him. He was my softball coach for many years and never missed a game I played in. I didn't get to actually see my dad on Father's Day because his wish was to spend the weekend fly-fishing. His wish was granted. After all, this man helped raise three girls...he deserves whatever he wants!

With my Daddy at my wedding. This is the only photo I have access to right now, so it will have to do!

I was so excited to celebrate Phillip's first Father's Day. Words cannot express how much I love this man. And I fell even more in love with him when Jacob was born. He is the very best Dad to Jacob and every day I thank God for him. Jacob really adores Phillip and Phillip just lights up every time he sees Jacob. I am truly best to have both of these boys in my life.

Jacob LOVES to have Phillip read to him.

Happy Father's Day!

Kicking a Nasty Habit

For all of my neurotic tendencies (and yes, I have many, but we aren't going there right now) I really wouldn't consider myself to have a habit so bad that it needs to be broken. I have never touched a drug in my life, I hate smoking, and am not even a drinker really. Heck, I'm not even a big coffee drinker although I do enjoy the occasional vanilla latte and don't even get me thinking about the peppermint mocha at Christmas. Yum! I also may have a slight addiction to Dr. Pepper, but I have learned to limit myself in drinking those so it's under control.

But there is one little nasty habit that I am embarrassed about and have decided to do something about it ASAP! I bite my nails. I know, I know... Disgusting! I stopped once before and actually had pretty nails for my wedding. I am tired of having gross, stubby finger nails, so this is me officially declaring that I want to break this habit. Well, at least I will try. I have been biting my nails for as long as I can remember. But if I can stop once, then I can stop again, right??? And since I have now published this on the internets then I guess I am accountable. And I'm sure that all 2 of my blog readers will help hold me to it!

On another note, Jacob has started singing! He really likes listening to Elmo's song and will sing along to the "La La La" part. So stinkin cute!!!! But of course every time I try to video him, he quits. I can't get frustrated with him because he acts just like me!

Here goes nothing! Yikes...they look much worse in a photo!

Memorial Day

We had so much fun celebrating Memorial Day redneck style by sitting up our own mini waterpark in my parent's backyard. The kiddos had a blast and that's all that mattered. It was Jacob's first time in a swimming pool and he had so much fun. I am so thankful for all of the veterans who have and continue to serve our country so that I had the freedom to celebrate with my family.

Here are some pictures from the day. Enjoy Jacob's cuteness and please excuse my extreme paleness. My son is darker than me for goodness sakes and I look like the long lost member of the Cullen family!

Me and the kiddos!

Jacob and my mom. I obviously did not inherit her skin color!

He loved going down the slide!

That's a wrap!