Summer Blog Swap Linkup!

Hello everyone! I am so excited that I was able to connect with Rachael through this blog swap. I blog over at Work from Home with Kids and would love for you to stop by! Since connecting with her I have been brought back to last summer. We had a fantastic summer, but we spent a lot of time at home. This summer I needed a change, especially with now three kiddos walking/running around my house.

Today, my little Monkey turned one and I am remembering and appreciating the changes that have come to our lives since her birth. Last summer I had a newborn and an 18 month old, well actually two 18 month olds, including my daycare boy. We didn’t do much outside of our home, but this year I wanted it to be different. Money is tight, so I didn’t want to spend a lot of money. Originally I was a bit hesitant because we live in a smaller town, but I have been surprised with my results!

 

First, I thought about how many days a week I would want to go out of the house and what I wanted to do. I also took into consideration that I would need to get 3 car seats and 3 kids into our van. I set our schedule for two days a week for outings; one of the days would require car seats and the other would be within walking distance. Next, I set out to find events. I only had to look in two places, our public library and parks and recreation. I was amazed at the events that I found; we are going to a magic show, an inflated jump room, several water activities, story times, ice cream shops and the beach! In addition to these “field trips” I have at least one art activity planned for each day, many that extend past the making, like our DIY Binoculars. To help keep all of my ideas organized and maximize the kids learning I do weekly themes. For example, the week that we are going to the beach, we are doing a beach theme. Learning about the ocean, what lives in/near the beach and how to take care of it.

 

 

 

Rachael, thank you again for having me, I hope we can do this again soon! Enjoy your days approaching and following the birth of your sweet little baby. My favorite part of having two is seeing the bond between them grow. It’s truly magical!

 

 

Written by Heather a wife and WAHM of two little girls ages 1 and 2.5. I blog over at Work from Home with Kids sharing work from home ideas, kids crafts and meal ideas. You can connect with me on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Sverve.

 

 

Isn't she amazing?!?! If you get a chance pop over to her blog, and read the post I have written for her today! I hope you all like it or find something to groove about!

 

 

See you later lovebugs,

 

 

 

Rachael

Desire to Inspire - I Am Beautiful

 

When I saw this link up opportunity on Lena's blog a few weeks ago, I knew I had to join in. Body image is something that I think every girl struggles with at some point in their lives, and I have also dealt with personally for a good chunk of my life. There have been times when I have done something about it like pick my lazy butt up and get to the gym, and there are other times where I did nothing more than cry into my pillow when yet-another-stupid-boy called me fat or ugly.

 

Now that I have a daughter, I feel like it's even MORE important to feel comfortable with myself, just the way I am, so that I can lead by example for Natalie. Now, while I'm not currently "doing anything about it" I already have plans in place to get back into the gym, start my Waist Watcher Wednesday posts, remain accountable, and shed that baby weight. Then following that, get down to a place that FEELS healthy on the weight scale. I'm not SO worried about weight, more how I feel in my clothes and in my skin.

 

Also, at the same time I want to be ok with whatever point I am at in my weight loss. I want to feel confident and I am working on that. I am hoping that I will be successful in helping Natalie to have a positive self image as well. I don't know yet how exactly that will happen, other than to love her and tell her how beautiful she is, which isn't hard because she really is the most beautiful little girl to me!

 

On another note, more recently I have seen this great video that I am going to link here call the Dove Real Beauty Sketches, where girls describe themselves, and then a woman (or man) who has just had a brief conversation with them individually sit down with a sketch artist. The drawings are then placed side by side, and....well....just watch. It's amazing, sad, and revealing all at the same time.

 

 

Moral of the story:

 

 

You are more beautiful than you know. Embrace it. Live it. Flaunt it.

 

BE YOU, because you can't be anyone else.

 

And above all else:

 

See you later lovebugs,

 

 

 

Rachael



 

Mascara and Lip Gloss Swap!

I am so excited to share this with you! This is my first swap and I couldn't have had more fun picking out things to send to my partner, Ashlee of On The Front Porch! There was a $20 limit, and I still went over the limit because I just couldn't NOT send her that last lip gloss! It was too pretty of a color!

Ashlee is such a doll, and I have been reading her blog nonstop since we got paired up! It's also a plus that we have similar color schemes for our blogs, and that makes her that much more awesome! I'm so glad that we got to meet and start to get to know each other! Check her out!

Here is what she sent me:

Covergirl Wetslicks Fruit Spritzers Lip Gloss in Fig Splash: The color is nice, but it's a little too light for my skintone, and the smell gave me an instant headache! But, I love and swear by these lipglosses so I know they're a great product! Maybelline New York Baby Lips Lip Balm in Quenched: I love the way this feels on my lips when I apply it, and the fact that it has 8 hour moisture and SPF 20 makes this chapstick my new Blistex Silk and Shine! (love that stuff - it really does feel like silk!) P&G (which I think is still Covergirl) Lashblast Volume in black brown: I love CG mascara! It's the only one that doesn't make my eyes irritated (I am a contact lens wearer) This one does not disappoint! =) She also sent me a cute pencil case/makeup bag by Sonia Kashuk. Super cute! This was so fun! I definately will do this again soon!

On My Heart...

Lately, I have been thinking alot about what I want to be when I "grow up." Yes, I am almost 28 years old, and still don't have a "career" to speak of. Let me recap:

I recieved my Associate's Degree in Medical Transcription in 2005. Searched for a job online for over a year. Finally got a local job doing work for ONE doctor in a local nursing home. The director or said nursing home wouldn't let me offer my services to the other doctors working there. I was only making about $20.00 a week. So I quit.

Found another job online, which was using archaic software (who even uses the F keys anymore??!!?) and they wouldn't help me learn how to navagate their system. I typed up one document for them. THREE CENTS. I quit, right then and there.

So, I got my insurance license and was an Allstate agent for two years. Loved it, hated the sales goals (way outta my reach, unattainable so I never got my commission) and eventually I moved on from that job as well.

I am back to serving, which I have been doing off and on since I was 17 years old. Nowhere to go in a job like this, unless you want the drama of management, which I don't want to deal with.

So now I am enrolled in an online school for my Pharmacy Technician degree, which I think I will like. The only thing is....


It's not what I want to do.


I have always been told "Find a job that makes you happy, because if you don't you won't want to get up in the morning." I totally feel like that now. I have a severe love/hate relationship with my job right now. I love the customers, my regulars, and I'm good at what I do and I enjoy the actual serving part of my job. I can't stand the drama of a restaurant. Everyone always in bad moods, constantly getting screwed over, no seniority/paying of "dues" even though I had to "pay" mine, etc. etc. etc.

I'm not sure that I'm going to love my job when I become a pharmacy technician. I think that I will like it, but I don't think I would love it.


But...


I would love to be a photographer, professionally. I think I'm pretty good, although I have no proof other than a few photos of my kid and some flowers. I don't have a decent camera, and so I don't know if I consider myself "up to par." But, I think I could learn, and I think I could be good. It will probably be something that I will eventually do on the side a few years down the road.

An idea that I have been playing around with lately is opening my own Etsy shop. I searched on that website, and there are a lot of people who sell the same thing I am interested in making, but I have a ton of ideas in my head that are slightly different from everything that is on there at the moment.

Photo courtesy of SlyRaven on Etsy

I am thinking about making bracelets. All different kinds - beaded ones, knotted ones, wrapped ones, ones with charms, ones with patterns, cuffs, dainty bracelets, EVERYTHING!

The only thing I need? Embroidery floss, and interest. I casually mentioned it to the girls at work tonight and they said that if I made them they would buy them from me. I'm thinking about starting out with custom work and once I get some "themed" ones made and photographed offering those PLUS any bracelet customized in any colors they want.

So, what do you think? It's been on my heart a lot lately, and in my mind bouncing around. Every time I think about it I start to get excited and nervous...now...

What do I call it?????? (HA! Any of you who have read for a while know that I can't seem to stick to a title for my blog, so how am I going to name my shop!!) The enternal debate begins!!!

Linking up here:

Special Monday Edition: WIW - Wedding Style

I will probably still be posting a Man Candy Monday post today as well, but I saw this link party and I knew that I had to participate.

I've been wanting to talk about my wedding for a while, and I probably will do a few posts around our anniversary this year. I just loved that we did it all on our own, Hubby pretty much let me do what I want, and it turned out amazing!

So with that being said, here is what I wore on the best day of my life - 7/5/2009:

Dress - David's Bridal

Flowers - fake: I MADE THEM!

Hair - free as a wedding gift from a girlfriend

done in similar fashion to Hermione @ The Yule Ball

Necklace - freshwater pearl from Friedmans Jewelers

Bracelet - fake pearl (HA! fooled you!)

Earrings - also fake, made by my very talented cousin, Dana.

Hair piece - fake craft store pearls, made by me!

Shoes: Sparkly red "Dorothy" costume heels

There you have it! I had such a blast, and you know it was a true West Virginian wedding because I didn't even bother to get a bustle, I just used some safety pins!!