Foggy Eyes.

wow. those two little lines change everything! I seriously carried that stick into every room, under every type of lighting. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. Why does that first line have to be so faint? They should make THAT line triple thick and bold! Even in the middle of the night I went back to the bathroom to double check! hahaha!!!
We are so excited that we are expanding our family... I still can't really wrap my head around it. I haven't been able to sleep since we found out.
I feel like, almost everyone has one, two is average and expected.. but the world of three is a little different. I feel like, am I being accessive? selfish? then I think... no, I love my kids so much and feel like I would never regret having another... but I would regret not.
So with that said.. here we go again!
It was so cute because my daughter has been praying every night for a little sister. The morning after we found out I said "what have you been praying for every night" her eyes widened and said "WE ARE GETTING A BABY SISTER?!?!" and I said "well honey, we don't know if it will be a brother or sister.. but maybe" and she said "well, that means maybe it COULD be a sister" and I said "true, but if its a brother mayb the next one will be a sister". and she said "OR, they could both be girls and I'd have TWO sisters!".
The girl is right. and very smart.
Anyways, I have to admit I'm anxious about being pregnant again. BUT with the other 2 I was already super nauseous and throwing up at this point... so, so far so good :)
Every child amazes me. So once again, Drew and I have created something that will last for ETERNITY. how great is that?!

friends...

Today is my most beautiful friend Maren's birthday!!! We have been friends for almost fifteen years!! She is the most creative, beautiful and HILARIOUS friend. I am so blessed in so many ways to know her.
Good friends are hard to come by, and as you get older... it becomes even harder. To have a friend that you can be completely comfortable with, be yourself, share anything and know their love for you does not change is such a wonderful thing.
Hope you had a wonderful day! I so wish we were in the same country!!!

Fittingly here is a song for you, sung by our very good friend Eric. We totally know he is going to make it BIG. He is humble, talented...and has such a serving heart.

Spare Tires

I'm having a 'ick' day. Most women have them. Today is mine. My wonderful hubby gave me some 'fun money' to go shopping. Bad day to go. First off, I wore the WRONG outfit. Everything was way too tight, I felt like a stuffed sausage. Sitting in the car I reached down and grabbed handfuls of spared tires that seem to have gotten larger around my midsection. I let out a big sigh... and then, my husband's voice so clearly came into my mind. He always tells me I'm beautiful and that he doesn't understand why I get self conscious or think I look fat...men. Then I stopped myself. The road I was about to go down in my mind is not a good road. I've been there before, and I just feel worse. Then I thought.. who does God say that I am? He says that I am beautiful and wonderful. When I look at myself in disgust, I am insulting His creation. So, I went to McDonald's and got a big mac. HAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAAAA!!!!! I am not saying that it is okay to mistreat your body and fuel it with big mac's... BUT it is also not okay to beat yourself up for something you are not. So with that, I am going to eat better tomorrow... and think more positive thoughts tomorrow, and maybe slap on an extra coat of lipstick (just to be safe! haha!)

Pink Orchid Lips...another trend for spring is the bright pink lips. I fear to say maybe Nicki Minaj had a little to do with this. Either way, I embrace the bright... Here are a couple of suggestions for lipsticks, enjoy~

Jeanius...

So I've been 'trend watching'. One of the upcoming color trends for makeup is 'denim eyes' basically anything denim-y. blues...greys.. you get it.
MAC is coming out with a line called "Jeanius".. which, is genius. It comes out March 3rd. Isn't the packaging adorable?

so I did a quickie tutorial. hope you enjoy!

Igloo

It has been pourig rain outside. Which for me, who has been sick, gives me another reason to stay in an oversized hoodie all day. Light some yummy smelling candles and watch movies with the kids.
Yesterday out of nowhere my daughter goes "mom, where did the igloo outside come from?" and of course I was like, what is that girl talking about?
a couple of hours later I went out to get some groceries, opened the door.. and low and behold. There is a huge pet igloo on my front door step.



now of course I am so thankful to whoever would think about my dog in this dreary weather... but the investigator in me wants to know who it was! I started listing off people in my mind right off the bat. (really, I think it might be my neighbor whose backyard is connect to our up the hill. she always looks down and is really concerned about our dog. calls me every time he barks. really.plus they have a big truck) Anyways, my wise husband says "if they wanted us to know who left it, they would have told us. Be thankful and don't investigate. It gives us a reason to be extra nice to everyone". He is right. So, in light of that.. whoever it was, thank you thank you!

thought I'd make a quick video since people often ask me what kind of candles I'm burning cuz they smell DELICIOUS!!! enjoy~

Pretty Little Liars

Ok. I admit it. I watch Pretty Little Liars and... I love it. From the fashion to the teenaged drama. I love it. What can I say...

So Hannah often wears this really pretty berry colored lip that I always catch myself wondering what it is the whole time she is in the scene. So I've been on the lookout, and I think I found one very comparible. L'Oreal's new infallible reds line has a beautiful berry color in #130 "Enduring Berry"

So today we are thinking of getting solar panels put on our house to create energy. Lower electric bill and in 12 years we will no longer have an electric bill... what are your thoughts?

Romeo and Juliet

Today we finished a series we are doing with some couples (and singles). Its filmed in the 80's, but there are so many good nuggets of wisdom. One that stuck out was "Even if you think you are not Romeo, I assure you, she is Juliet... so you better find the Romeo in you".
So true.
Every woman wants tenderness, love, gentleness.
He shared many stories of what love should be. One of the points was that the last act of love as a married couple is to release them when they pass away to the Lord. A loving act he remembered as he recollects a time when he visited a couple and the old lady was sitting by her husband's bedside stroking his hair, wondering if each breath would be his last.

I am so in love with my husband. more deeply than ever before. the thought of him ever not being there makes my heart so sad. I often see the couples out together, at restaurants... and they will sit through a whole meal without a word to each other. I don't ever want to become stagnant, lazy, or apathetic like that towards him. I enjoy and savor every moment. I have made it a point to try not to make a 'big deal' out of small things. There might come a day when I would give anyone for just one more moment, so I need to make each moment now count.

He is my Romeo.

On a totally different note, it has been a weird week. I often think things, and totally want to blog about it.. but then think "what if they read it". Then I think, maybe it wouldn't be so bad, they need a kick in the butt!
I just find that people who have the must 'suggestions' are the people who do the least. do you ever notice that? those who serve with good hearts rarely complain. Then there are those who have a suggestion, idea, complaint about everything and then they don't even show up. Someone told me this week, "don't expect so much from people. just expect from them what they show you". Good advice.

I am glad to see certain people resurface in my life. It is hard to watch people make choices that you know will hurt them, and even though you tell them over and over... they do it anyways. I wish I could save people from heartache, but I guess that is part of the learning process. So I pray hard, love them, and try to be a good friend. I'm determined to see people live beautiful, blessed, joyful lives.

On another unrelated note, today I discoved Puffs Plus with Lotion and Vicks. one word. AMAZING.

its been a rough week, and with raw noses and sore throats, this was a pleasant surprise. when you blow your nose or wipe, the menthol actually clears it. (not forever, but for the moment it feels amazing)
so that is all for now lovely people. leave me a comment, question or thoughts so I know you were here!

Tattoos

Ok. So I was hesitant to blog about this because there is so much to say regarding it. So I am actually going to bypass that whole discussion and just explain my tattoos.

First is Cosmetic Tattoos:
I got mine done in 2001, Cosmetic tattoos are semi-permanent so they last a couple of years and you need to get them touched up. I haven't yet...



Now tattoo-tattoos:
I thought for a long time about what I wanted, and where I wanted it. I had actually wanted one on my foot for a very long time, and then decided on getting it on my shoulder. My only advice (or atleast that I will give) is take your time. Don't do it on a whim... even if you have to wait to get an appointment with a really good artist. This is on you forever, you want to make sure it is what you want, where you want, and how you want. that is all.

Love Nails

Did another variation of the "love" nails...

its so fun doing them. I did these using the Konad Nail art system. I think its available in most mall now in the free standing kiosks.

B.R.A.T.

Our family went up to big bear this week.. only to be cabin ridden the whole time. my little munchkins got sick.. so we got cabin fever, literally.
We are back home now and on the BRAT (bananas, rice,applesauce, toast) diet until their tummies settle.

I was flipping through some magazines while I was there. sidenote: I do not do good with too much free time and nothing to do. I thought I was going crazy!
anyways, flipping through magazines... and I noticed a lot of the model's in different ads were sporting the half moon manicures.

I've always been on the border about the half moon. Part of me thinks it looks really cool, and then part of me thinks it looks weird. Either way, the trend is back. If you want me to do a video on how to, let me know.. it's super easy.


So Sue, if you are reading this... I went out and got the new One by One mascara, after you asked me if I tried it...I got curious.

Ok... So if you have thick eyelashes naturally, you will love this mascara. If your eyelashes are sparse like mine, not so much.
It does a really good job of separating the lashes so they look pretty and natural, very natural. It almost separates each lash too much for me. I need a little clump and thickness to my mascara. So for me, its a no go. but if you have lashes like my sister in law.. you will LOVE. that's it for now! let me know if you were here and what kind of things you like reading.

Hope you have a beautiful day...

Pantry Moths

Let me just start off with saying that I have had this yucky heebie jeebie feeling for the past couple of days.
About a week ago, I noticed a couple of little moths flying around our house. Didn't really think anything of it... then I started seeing more and more... I thought, hmmm.. I think they are coming from the pantry.
Upon further inspection I discovered something I would never wish on anyone. Lets just say, One moth can lay up to 300 eggs in one shot. They turn into larvae, then turn into a moth. sick.
So I started doing some research online like I always do.
All the websites seemed to have the same information.
Pantry moths usually come home with you from the market. Either inside of rice, grains, or other dry foods. Once you get home and put it in the pantry, GAME OVER.
for real.
To get rid of them, you have disgard all food in the pantry, clean the pantry with warm soapy water, vacuum, repeat... you can even get traps, and most of the time you see another infestation before its over.
I almost threw up. I held my breath and I swear I felt creepy squigglies on my body. Every time my hair fell on my face I freaked out.

~deep breaths~

So, I cleaned out the whole pantry. Washed, disinfected.. prayed over (haha!!) and left it empty for a couple of days.
Today I invested in a whole bunch of air tight containers... and I'm watching everything like a hawk.
so gross. AND a lot of work.

ick.

anyways, on a totally unrelated note. I sell Avon. I have for a while, and I totally forget that I do until someone mentions something about Avon. (shows how dedicated I am to it! haha!)
I've been asked a couple of times to do reviews on products I like and dislike, I've kind of put it off because there are so many things I've tried that I didn't know where to start. So here is me starting. This it the beginning of Avon Review central!



Here is a link to my Avon Shop too.... www.youravon.com/jbrattrud

Love in Little Packages...

you know how they say 'good things come in small packages'? It is so true.
my kids are little, compact, tiny little people...but they are so intuitive, full of love, non-judgemental, encouraging rays of light in my life.
My daughter truly has a loving and compassionate heart and always says the right thing at the right time.
"mom, are you sad a little? well, God made you perfect and I think you're perfect..so you don't have to be sad anymore"
or she'll just hug me and say:
"momma, you're the best mom I ever had" and I would say "I'm the only mom you ever had!" and she would say, "but you're the best mom in the whole wide world"
Every day this little girl brings color into my life. shows me a little more beauty, and reminds me of basic principles of love that I need to remember.
My son is smile. I know that is not proper english. But he is the essence of the word 'smile'. I can't look at him and not smile. He is joy in a dandelion head. haha!! Hearing my kids laugh and giggle is the best medicine. I really do wish I could bottle it and send it to people around the world. I think it could heal any sad heart.

I got a little package in the mail of these SPLENDID Wet N Wild eyeshadow palettes. who knew Wet N Wild was so hard to find nowadays??
anyways, here is a quickie every day look tutorial for one of the palettes, enjoy!

Dolce Vita for Target

I am the biggest cheap-o and normally would not pay $30 for shoes, especially ones I can't wear every day. Yes, I'm a grown woman...just a frugal one. Anyways, fell in love with these....




Today I am thankful for:
my coffee maker
nail clippers
my kids laughter
fine point pens
crisp cool air that hits you when you step outside after being in a hot kitchen

2011 spring trends

Here are some fashion trends I love coming up for spring 2011....

Lace, Macreme...I think if its done right, worn right is so beautiful.. feminine and romantic. I always think of lace, pearls, silk and satin in warm champagne colors... I was at Target yesterday and they had some cute little lace dresses on sale for $10!
The "belt purse". c'mon people. This is straight up a fanny pack WHICH I love. I got a hip/fanny pack last year, also at Target that I absolutely love. Kind of biker/rocker-ish. I wear it every time we go to Disneyland. I kept telling my husband fanny packs are gonna make a comeback... and I think they are! woo!

Bright, bold colors. I love colors. Especially yellow. Its just so happy and bright. Citrus colors look like they are popping up everywhere. I love it. Also stripes.. and the whole 60's thing.

Biker. I love biker jackets. Halle Berry wears them a lot and I love the sexy, tough feel they give off. This one is a longer version which I thought looked more 'feminine'. The short black with the collar up is a great option, and you can find them anywhere for pretty cheap. I got mine... again, at Target for $20 (is there anything I DON'T get at Target?! hmmm..)

Oh my goodness. I got clogs at.. yes, Target in the clearance section for $3.98 over the Christmas break. I love them. I feel cool. There are so many variations of the clog that I've seen. Forever 21 has some really cute ones right now for under $20. I think of my mon in the 70's wearing a pretty long flowy dress and her clogs. the 70's are making a comeback too.. love it.

Flared jeans. Thank you 70's... Skinny jeans have been in for too long. and lets be honest, they ony look good..well, if you're skinny. Every time I put them on, I see my reflection when I'm out and think.. "what was I thinking?! I look like a stuffed sausage!" Flares are great for more body types... and great with clogs!
Eclectic Florals. I like the whole mismatched-ness. Vintage colors...

anyways. that's a little fashion forecast.. hope it helps!

Purederm Sheet Mask

I discovered these korean sheet masks when I was in canada at walmart! they are a dollar something there so I picked up a few and then my mom sent me some she had got from korea... I think they are pretty accessible, and affordable!
I love them, I have seen a real improvement in the texture of my skin.
just make sure you warn your loved ones before prancing out of the bathroom looking like this!