Clarisonic Mia

my sister sent me one for my birthday...thank you unni!!!! it is AMAZING!!! how am i ever gonna live without it!?! i totally suggest it....maybe if someone needs an idea for a Christmas gift? here is a link to a couple online stores, i think they are 20% off right now!

http://clarisonic.com/shop/special_sets_and_programs/bundles/index.php?gclid=CImmteLO36wCFQNeTAodEiyInw

http://www.skinstore.com/clarisonic-mia.aspx?affiliatecode=ppc_ggl_clarisonic&s_kwcid=TC|5625|clarisonic%20mia||S|e|8045726336

http://www.spalook.com/clarisonic-mia.aspx?affiliatecode=ppc_ggl_clariosnic&s_kwcid=TC|8081|clarisonic%20mia||S|e|9200216088&gclid=CNTkhuzO36wCFcpeTAodRiF3ng

Thanksgiving

1 hour after our family became a party of 5!

on Thanksgiving Eve.. I am thankful for so many things, but most of all I am thankful for a God who loves me so much that despite my imperfections and stubbornness keeps working on me :) and second, a family who is more beautiful than I could have ever dreamed or imagined. I have the most loving husband who is so patient and kind, when I watch him with my kids I feel like everything I ever wanted in a dad I get to watch my kids have with him. All three of my kids are full of so much joy and love. Each one so perfect. Thankful for so many things in life... but these I love the most! ♥ Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! you are unique and a one of a kind, and I am thankful for each one of you!

Christmas Gift Ideas

If you're still looking for some gifts, here are some things I like that might help you! I linked each picture below for easy shopping.... I'll keep adding stuff as I find it so come back if you're still looking!

$5 and under

$10 and under

$15 and under

$25 and under

$75 and under

$100 and under

$150 and under

Birthday Boy

It was my little man's birthday yesterday, and so for our first family outing we decided to go to Disneyland! oh I know... I was nervous, but we all did great. I think my biggest thing was nursing in public, but me and the baby did great and now I feel like I can conquer the world!

I cannot believe he is already 3. He is the sweetest most cuddly little boy. Every morning he asks me if I can sit with him and rub his feet. haha!!!

I cannot believe Christmas is already around the corner. I am a huge nerd and usually finish all my Christmas shopping by October. I'm not all into the big crowds and scrounging to find something on Christmas Eve. I feel like you end up buying something out of desperation that-that person won't really love.. but you have to give them something, so you settle for whatever you can find. This year I've been dipping into my Christmas stash for other things, so I need to replenish. I've been doing a lot of online shopping and thought I should remind you guys of Swagbucks..its an online search engine just like google, but you just randomly earn points while you are online. you can also do special offers to earn more, but I usually just use it as my search engine. I've redeemed over 100 giftcards between $5 and $25. I took a picture of the first page of my giftcard page.

its awesome because then I can buy stuff I normally wouldn't buy or spend the money on since it is free. I usually end up getting Amazon giftcards because it seems to be the best deal and of course, then you can get anything!

Anyways, here is the link to swagbucks. I think if you sign up you get extra points and I get some points too! woohooooo~~ happy online shopping!

11.02.11

Little Miss Evie 7.6 lbs 20.5 inches

so after my last post... i woke up the next day to having 'real' contractions. i always thought i wouldn't know the difference. there is definitely a difference. i started counting them at about 8:30am. by about 10am my husband kept telling me we should go to the hospital. I was like "no way jose, i'm not going in until i feel like i'm dying. i don't want to get sent home" so every 20 minutes when he'd ask I'd say 'lets just wait a little longer" finally noon rolls around and he says 'i really think we should go'... so i agreed. i told him that if they sent us home we were gonna go do laps and go back, i was not coming back without a baby!!

anyways we got to labor and delivery around 1pm, and usually the doctor takes a while to get there. not this time, she was there right after we got there to check me. i was so hesitant because i wanted to wait longer (if you are 4cm they keep you) so she checked and was like '5cm, ready to go' and i said 'uhm...does that mean i get to have the baby today?" and she laughed and was like 'the way it looks, its gonna happen soon!" so anyways i called before 6pm. when 5pm rolled around i was like, i'm ready!! and minutes later out came the most beautiful baby!!!

i am so blessed... she was so worth the wait. so beautiful and sweet. my older daughter and son are so in love with her... and are all up in her space 24/7. i am so overwhelmed with the love i have for my family. such a wonderful husband and 3 beautiful, perfect kids.... life is good! (even with no sleep!)

new hope

its been a rough week. had quite a few false alarms. went into labor and delivery just to get sent home. on thursday my stomach was so painful all day so finally we called my husbands parents to come watch the kids so we could go in at around 10pm. went to labor and delivery, they told me i was 2 cm and 70 % effaced so to go brisk walking around the hospital for an hour and come back. i did, came back and they sent me home. told me i wouldn't make it to my appointment the next morning because they were convinced i would be back sooner. got home and then started throwing up like i've never thrown up in my life. there was so much force it literally hit the toilet and back out all over the walls behind me. my poor husband. after rounds of that i laid down with a fever, good thing his parents were there. i guess at the same time my daughter had started throwing up too (my son already had it) so needless to say it was really long night. woke up to my doctor's appointment where she said was 2.5 cm... that's progress right? went home and then my husband got sick. throwing up... fever.. the whole shabang. so with people lying all over the ground and buckets everywhere, for the first time i thought... hmm.. maybe today is NOT a good day to have a baby!!! so my husbands mom decided to stay to make sure we all recovered well. on Sunday i had to miss church.. which made me feel so weird, i never miss church. that evening we thought, hey..i've been having a lot of contractions, maybe i've progressed... lets try going in again. when we went in, the nurse wrote our names on the board and wrote "welcome baby girl evie" so it made me feel so optimistic that it was happening. the doc came in and said " you're only 1 cm". WHAT IN THE WORLD?!?!?!??!?! your cervix doesn't close back up!!! so i had to really fight back my tears.... cried in the elevator and came home.

its so hard when you are so anxious, have hope each day and feel let down. it is so weird, never had any false alarms, painful contractions or discouragament like this with the first two kids. so i feel like its the first time for me!

anyways today is Nov. 1. beautiful day out, i woke up feeling like today would be a good day... Thanked God for keeping her in while we were all sick.... and then pleaded with Him. haha!!!!
so anyways, i am feeling hopeful again today. every day is just one day closer right? i think inside every mom, you just want to see that the baby is healthy and everything is okay.
thought i'd share this song with you to help remind you that God is in control and things aren't so bad!!

staying in

so today is probably the first day in over a month that would NOT be a good day for baby to come. my little boy came into my room this morning to cuddle (my favorite part of the morning) only to start throwing up all over our bed. took the sheets off, and put him in his bed... threw up again. we are on round 6 at this current time. poor little boy. i hate it when my kids are sick.. i'd much rather be sick for them. (although i do feel kind of nauseous myself, i'm trying not to admit it)

So i got my package from my insomniac online shopping binge the other day. i feel like i'm so scattered, but i thought i'd share what i got from ULTA.com

have a good day! (omg, my friend lives in colorado and they are making snowmen, its gonna be in the 90s here next week! weird world)

39 weeks and counting

Today's Makeup:

Foundation: Revlon Photoready in Golden Beige

Concealer: MAC in nc35 Powder: MAC MSF Medium Dark

Eyebrows: Anastasia brow duo Eyeshadow: Wet N Wild Comfort Zone

Liner: Milani Liquifeye Blush: Milani Baked blush Lips: L'Oreal Enduring Berry

So here is a VLOG of my 39 weeks... I always seem so unanimated and boring. Sorry! Hope you all have a good weekend!

insomnia

Whenever it gets late in the evening I kind of dread the night. Everyone falls asleep and I am WIDE AWAKE. The odd time I fall asleep, its like full on drooling snoring, scratching unaware sleep...but it only lasts like an hour. Then I start tossing and turning, getting up to go pee, thinking, watching the clock until its morning. I am so uncomfortable!!!
A couple of weeks ago my doctor gave me a muscle relaxant/sleep aid to help with my back spasms and to help me sleep. I took it ONCE and will never take it again! I was like in zombie mode for 3 days. couldn't snap out of it... so while I had a good nights rest, I missed half of the week!
Anyways, When I started this blog I thought I would be more diligent and do more stuff on it daily.. but then I lost motivation. So maybe I'll try doing a better job. Mine as well try to do something while everyone is asleep right? Last night was bad, I pulled all my store credits, and gift cards out of my wallet and went bonkers online shopping. Bought a mass amount of lipgloss from ULTA.com (there were good deals!) and a bunch of accessories from forever21...oh, and some other makeup goodies using my swagbucks giftcards on Amazon. So after everything, I think I spent a total of $1.27 of my money and have all this stuff coming. I love packages!! Then I decided to dye my hair ( I hate roots!) and do a facemask. I think I scared my husband half to death. When he opened his eyes and saw me in a shirt covered in red hair dye and my mask on. Oh the joys of marriage.

Anyways, I am hormonal and moody... Maybe I'll do an update VLOG tomorrow (had a doctor's appointment today) Hope you have a good night, and if you have any suggestions let me know!

38 weeks

I just realized I forgot to post my 38 week vlog... hope you all have a good day, its still WAY too hot here.. there should not be a temperature in the HUNDREDS in the middle of October!!!

smudgeproof eyeliner

so.... had contractions all day yesterday again, the ones that hurt. so once again I thought it was gonna happen. it didn't. :( I wish they never told me she was gonna be early!!! anyways, did a quick video on smudgeproof eyeliners... especially for you mono-lidders! enjoy

37 weeks & Birchbox

Hey everyone. Still pregnant. I'm not even technically due yet, so I don't know why I'm so impatient! I think it was all that worry she would come too early, now I feel like she's been 'ready' forever!! waaaahhh... every day I feel like it is "the day" but not yet! for instance, today I feel nauseous, tired... extreme pressure in my BUTT and I can't stop going to the bathroom *sigh



And, I got my very first Birchbox. So excited about this. You get a set of deluxe samples from beauty companies every month to try out... like a little present! helps that it is in a cute hot pink box :) Enjoy!

cool. calm. collective?! not really...

I love that it finally cooled down here in Southern California...but there is a little part of me that feels like its just playing a joke on me and tomorrow its gonna be 100 degrees again. Today the high is 64 and I love it. Busted out a sweater, lit my cinnamon sugar donut candle and turned the heater on. I forgot that the first time you turn the heater on after its been a while there is a funky smell. Luckily its masked by my delicious candle.

I have been so emotional. Watching A Baby Story on TLC doesn't help either...but I feel like I've been so anxious, irritated.. and well, a major B.
I feel like God gives me dreams, not always.. but once in a while I'll have a dream that I knew was from Him. Or I wake up in the middle of the night with a sense of enlightenment. (even though I'm half asleep. Maybe He needs to talk to me then, because in my half sleepy state I won't try to justify or control things). Anyways, I woke up in the middle of the night and felt like I had a switch in my brain go off. I have been so whiny and frustrated. When I woke up I just had the thought "any time I want to whine, complain, ASK for something, barter...I'll just say thank you. I'll start thanking Him for anything and everything that comes to mind". So I woke up a couple more times to go to the bathroom or b/c I was uncomfortable and every time I just simply thanked Him for something. Woke up and said thank you again. I realized how negative I am, b/c every time a negative thought comes in.. I replace it. Needless to say I've probably said thank you a gabillion times already and its not even 10am. haha!!!
anyways, gonna give the kids a warm bath and put some snuggly clothes on them.
have a good day everyone!! and THANK YOU if you read this... I know its always senseless babble!

is it time yet?!

I feel like I'm going crazy! I swear I am going to go into labor soon.. and even though I'm early, isn't that why I was on bedrest? So I've been this kooky nut lately and every day I google _____ an early sign of labor? the blank being: crazy nesting, boost of energy, emotional wreck, loose stools, lower back pain, shooting pain in leg, nausea, stuffy nose, itchy, tired, can't sleep, anxiousness, feeling off, achey body blah blah blah. and of course every time I google I find all these forums of people who say that it was an early sign of labor. You'd think after 2 kids I would know. All I have to say is, I don't think.. or I hope its not wishful thinking... I have been sleeping on towels the last 2 nights. I feel like a mess!!! waaaahhh... ok. here is a vlog.

BB Cream

Ok, so I know I'm way late to the party on this one... BB cream has been around forever, but better late than never right? so basically BB cream was made by Korean cosmetics companies originally for people who had just had some sort of skin treatment/facial peel... so that they could wear makeup that wouldn't harm their 'new' skin. so the BB actually stands for "Blemish Balm" a lot of BB creams say 'blebish balm' and I don't know if that is an asian typo or what, but you know.
anyways BB creams usually consist of uv protection/sunscreen, skincare, treatment, calming, makeup primer and foundation all in one. You will rarely find a line with a lot of different colors... as its suppose to just even your skin tone. more like a tinted moisturizer rather than a heavy duty foundation. There are many different brands, but here is my quick review on the one I got the other day. My skin feels great and my pores look strangely smaller! enjoy!

L'Oreal HiColor Highlights

So I took a chance and dyed my hair after 3 years!!! I discovered a new developer for sensitive scalps... today my head is totally fine, no reaction! (I know.. can you imagine if I HAD-had a reaction while pregnant, not the wisest decision I've ever made!) Anyways, here is a review for the L'Oreal HiColor Highlights and Ion Sensitive Scalp Developer vol. 30.

little packages

Good morning! (this is my sons new 'camera face'!) haha!

My little niece Selah was born yesterday evening. I wish I could be there. She is so cute and looks just like my sister. Childbirth never ceases to amaze me. In some ways it is weird thinking of my sister with a baby. When I think of the two of us I think of us still as little girls... not as grown ups. Now we are both grown and have kids. How weird. It made me so excited for when our little one comes. I can't wait! I have been praying that my water breaks so I know when to go to the hospital for sure. The last two I didn't really feel the contractions until they were the BAD ones, and when that happens its too late!!

I've been signing up for all these free baby samples and freebies. So I've been getting all these little samples in the mail, plus random packages from friends and family. So when the doorbell rings I get so excited. I love packages!!! Oh, and I signed up for Birchbox, so I can't wait till I get my first one. I will film what's inside. (for those of you who haven't heard of birchbox, its a $10/month service that sends you full sized samples from high end cosmetics/beauty/hair/skin companies!)
on another note, the other day me and my pregnant friend went shopping (I know, but I needed a break from bedrest!). We were at Target we decided to get the scooters since it hurt so much to walk. I was taking down all the displays and could not stop laughing, my sides still hurt! anyways, we were at Marshall's and when we were in line to pay she discovered this little perfume that is AMAZING!!!!! We ended up searching the store for more, I found one more.. but if I see them again I am going to buy them all!!!

It's a Body Shop perfume, and I'm not sure if its discontinued or if they still carry it in the store.. but if you ever see it.. smell it!!! I wish there was a such thing as smell-o-vision! If you've ever smelled "Polka Dot Skirt" from Anthropologie..its along those lines. warm, sweet and fresh all at the same time. kinda nostalgic and reminds of something from my childhood but I can't remember what. I have been sniffing my arm all day the past few days.. its SOOOOO good. The Marshall's price is $7.99 it says original price $25.00.

Hope you all are doing well! I don't know how to respond/reply when people leave comments on posts.. if you know how let me know!

34 weeks

I am hyper turbo now going on about an hour and a half of sleep. I was so uncomfortable last night, and then my son was crying in his sleep... finally at about 4:30am I put him in our bed with dad and went into his bed, to wake up at 6:ooam. So I feel all awake right now, but I'm assuming in a couple minutes here I'm gonna look like a zombie and need some coffee.
So I am 34 weeks now. Or atleast that's what I'm saying. Originally (according to my period tracking) My due date was Nov. 5th, but when they did all the measurements and stuff at 4 months, they said that I was due Oct. 28th. Now each time I go they go back and forth. why?! lets just go with the measurements people!!! I am feeling in some ways better... she is dropping lower and lower (which I don't understand, because I swear I was walking around with a head between my legs) so I feel less pushing and pressure in my ribs.
I have a doctor's appointment on Tuesday and I'm hoping we can set up an induction date because of all the pain. They said to try to keep her in until 37 weeks. Been on bedrest since 31... so 3 more weeks to go and then I'm going on a looooooooooooong walk, doing lunges and possibly jumping jacks! hahaha...
My husband and I are so excited. Can't wait to smell new baby and see what she looks like. My daughter is going to be such a helpful big sister. She was with her brother at just 2 years old, but she just has such a natural nuturing and caring side. It is helpful to me that she is like that! My son.. I think he understands a baby is coming, but then he tells me there's a baby in his belly button too. haha!! he still is a baby to me and I don't want him to grow up. He's just so cuddly.
Oooh, and my sister gets induced this Thursday. I'm so excited!!!!

Anyways, gonna move some things around while I have energy... my nesting is in full affect!

babies babies all around...

I feel like everyone around me is pregnant! I get to go visit a newborn today, and my sister gets induced next week. I'm kind of jealous, I want it to be labor day for me too (well, no... not really she needs to cook a little longer... but you know what I mean). Childbirth is so amazing to me and never fails to make me an emotional mess. God is a genius.

So my gestational diabetes (if I really have it..grrrr) is going okay. I'm watching what I eat, eating more frequently...my doctor told me I didn't have to stick to the strict diet as long as my numbers are good. I haven't had a high number yet...and I've been sneaking stuff, so I think its all good! I think the hardest thing for me is not drinking yummy drinks and forcing myself to eat in the morning. I'm not a breakfast person.. but for this little lady in my belly I will do anything! (I'm so curious what she is gonna look like and be like!

I discovered this liquid liner by Milani the other day. Its kinds of a weird consistency, Its kinda jellyish...BUT it stays on! because of the way my eyes are shaped I have a really hard time with liquid or pencil liners because they end up all under my eye.

Here is a quick video on my skincare routine.

Up & Up makeup remover wipes

Neutrogena: Acne Stress Control foaming face wash

Clean & Clear Sensitive skin foaming face wash

Clinique Clarifying Lotion

Clinique dramatically different moisturizing lotion

Garnier Dark Spot Remover

beautiful morning

So the whole family..and extended family went camping for a couple of days. I stayed home due to bedrest. Part of me is sad that I'm missing out, but maybe it is time I needed alone to remember the how good God is. Today I blasted some worship music, drank a big cup of coffee (to get rid of my headache) and my spirit feels lifted, renewed and good again.

I am thankful this morning for a husband who takes good care of me, who is a good dad to my kids and honestly... puts up with all my crap! hahah!!!

so I have totally neglected blogging and video making and thought this would be a good opportunity to catch up. not that I have anything interesting to say or share whatsoever.

*cue sound of music

"and here are a few of my favorite things..."

33 weeks

bedrest and agespots

so I've been put on bedrest. its been almost a week and I am going crazy!!! waaaahhhh. I wish I had a laptop, I could be blogging up a storm. I don't know how people stay in bed all day. I get all achey and cranky. Plus, they told me to eat every 2 hours. I'm going to be ENORMOUS!!!

In other unrelated news, I've been getting age spots. I have 2 really big dark ones on my cheek bone that have been bothering me. Every time I see the commercial for the Clinique dark spot remover I am intrigued and tempted. I snuck out to Target the other day and saw that Garnier had a new dark spot corrector (much cheaper tan Clinique) so I decided to give it a try. It says it takes about 2 weeks to see results so I will let you know. Has anyone tried either or have a better solution? let me know!!

I can't wait for fall!!!

I love fall. The colors, the crispness in the air... the smells. I like it when its cold outside, but you are all warm and cuddly. I love soft sweaters and cozy scarves. (too bad it was 110 degrees out today!! waaah!)
so the other day I got a coupon in the mail for a free sample size at Bath & Body works and I'm so glad I went in. Found some stuff that makes me even more excited for fall. I've been burning this magnificent candle my husband got me called "cupcake" and it makes the house smell so yummy. Anyways, when I walked into Bath & Body Works they had these little samples of their fall candles coming out (and I got a 20% off coupon! woohoo)

they come in: marshmallow fireside, cinnamon sugar donut, hot chocolate, pumpkin caramel latte, apple crumble.... this is why i LOVE fall and winter!!!!
I'm usually not into buying such expensive candles, so I left the coupon by my husbands side of the bed and went on and on about how good they smelled ;)

I also splurged and got a body butter, this belly ain't getting any smaller!
I am so glad I did, I only wish I discovered it sooner. I so don't like cocoa butter so I have just been using eucerin on my belly. this seriously gives you the softest skin, isn't stuffy and sticky... its like whipped awesomeness. keeps you supple for 24 hours! LOVES IT~!
anyways, I'm soft, smooth and smell good now.. and you can too!! :)

How To: cut & thin your hair

Hello! So, I am a lazy cheapo.... even though I don't even brush my hair, I'm picky about who cuts it. SO, I've been cutting my own hair for about 4 years now. It's a weird oxymoron. I never get my hair cut, and then I'm too picky to let anyone else to do it?!? anyways, the last time I cut my hair I said I would make a video the next time I do it... uhm, that was almost a year ago!! waaah!! So here goes:

What you will need:

Thinning Shears, Scissors, Comb, Flat Iron, Hair Ties or Clamps

DIY: wall design

Here is a quick and easy way to add a little spunk to your walls. I did this room in about 3 hours. hope everyone is well!

before

after

What's in your hospital bag?

so a friend asked me to do a quick list of what to take the hospital when you go into labor. here is a list and a video! good luck all you preggo mama's!

hoodie. sweats. socks. slippers. nursing bra. eyedrops. chapstick. mints. moisturizer. facial wipes. toothbrush. wisps. extra contacts or glasses. lens solution. dry shampoo. dermaplast. mineral powder. concealer. eyebrow powder. mascara. eyelash curler.hair tie. bobby pins. bag of quarters. energy bars. trail mix. cany. extra clothes for hubby. camera. camera and phone charger. prizes for your other kids... and OH! don't forget the carseat, outfit for baby and blanket :)

over the range grill & kabobs

I'm addicted to the show Chopped.

I've always wanted a grill...

I noticed on the show they use an over the range grill... it covers 2 burners and you just set it on your stove and use it as a grill. I've been on the lookout and hunting for a good one I could get on sale, use my Kohl's or Bed Bath and Beyon coupon or find one on sale. They are expensive! all the ones I've seen are atleast $50. So the other day I discovered some 'fun money' I got from a garage sale we did a while back and was gonna bite the bullet buy the George Foreman Indoor/Outdoor grill... (my mother in law has it and its amazing!) Trekked to Bed Bath and Beyond with my coupon, only to find out they don't sell them in stores anymore! anyways. I'm blabbing. Was at Kohl's, carried around an over the range one... and couldn't do it. I'm such a cheapo! So I found one at Target, not cast iron like the real ones... much lighter, non stick and a fraction of the price. So I thought I'd give it a try. Worked pretty amazing! I don't remember the brand name, but the logo had a viking on it.

anyways, made some super easy kabobs with rice pilaf the other day for the hubby and the boys... here's the recipe!

Ingredients:

1/4 vegetable oil

1/3 cup of honey

1/3 soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

6-8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes

2 cloves of garlic

1-2 onion (I used a red onion)

3 bell peppers cut into cubes

1 pack of mushrooms (I use the whole and cut, so they are thicker)

skewers

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together oil, honey, soy sauce, and pepepr. Before adding chicken, reserve a small amont of marinade to brush onto kabobs while cooking. Place the chicken, garlic, onions, peppers and mushrooms into bowl and marinate in the fridge for atleast 2 hours... the longer the better

2. Preheat grill for high heat

3. Drain marinade and discard. Thread chicken and veggies onto skewers

4. Lightly oil grill. Place skewers on grill. Cook for 12-15 minutes until chicken is no longer pink. Turn kabobs frequently..

enjoy! YUMMMMM

23 weeks

So we decided to go to the beach the other day, I haven't gone in like a year! which is suprprising as we love the beach and its not that far. Initially I was horrified at the thought of exposing my belly.. but then I realized nothing fit... so ce la vie!
I feel like my body has doubled in size. I waddle when I walk, grunt when I try to get up... and occasionally my butt and legs go numb. oh joy!
watching my kids play in the water was so nice. they are good kids...and so beautiful. they really light up my life. Love them so much.

been feeling kind of down lately, so i am trying to focus on the things that are good and that matter. people that matter. life is too good to spend it being in a bad mood!
on another note, i got my first real sunburn...now i feel for my husband so much more and am gonna do a better job with his sunscreen next time!

Body Clear for Summer

Oh dreaded bacne!!! I remember in highschool girls with acne on their chest, back and shoulders...and I always wondered why they didn't do anything about or IF there was anything you could do about it...well, I now get to experience it myself! woohoo for pregnancy hormones! I discovered this little bottle of 'body clear' by Neutrogena that has worked wonders... here's a little video, hope it helps!

How To: Hair Bows

I picked up some more ribbon today and filmed a 'how to' on the hair bow/clips I made yesterday. Hopefully the video is easy to follow along and you make some wonderful creations! Enjoy :)

Kindness

So I've been reading this book on Kindness.. and it is funny how it is so fitting that I read it now when I do NOT feel like being kind to certain people. I am continually reminding myself that I cannot control how others are, I can only control how I am and how I react to certain situations. So hard.... especially when hormonal and moody!!

My little girl is such a girly girl. She loves anything pink, sparkly, princess-y, and that is 'fancy'. I thought I'd make her some quick little hair bows while the kids napped today (hair pins all magically disappear.. how is that?)

It took me about 10 minutes to make these ones, super easy...I didn't video tape it this time because I wasn't sure if they would turn out, but if you like them I can certainly make some more!

I got all the supplies at Michael's for under $10, but you can buy all these things at Wal-mart and it'll probably be a bit cheaper. I had a lot of ribbon left over too... the clips I used were the smaller ones in a multi pack, so if you can find a pack of smaller clips it works better... or alligator clips would work great too.

Here's a video of our ultrasound this week.. so cute to see her moving in there (even though I feel it all the time, she's kicking my butt!)

change of heart

"Love me when I least deserve it, because that is when I need it the most"

Interesting quote I came by the other day. And fitting to the way I have been feeling the last couple of weeks towards myself and to others. I feel like my heart and mind have been invaded by emotion. Granted I AM pregnant, and apparently my emotions are hightened...but that's not necessarily a bad thing right? Kind of like a super hero.

Anger, frustration, grief, sorrow, dissapointement, annoyance, disgust, confusion, abandonment, helplessness, pride, judgement all bundled into one happy package that consumes my mind.

When things happen to you, there are so many routes you can let your mind go. The difficulty is finding the right one and acting on it. I think its especially when you feel 'justified' in the bad thoughts..and you very might well be, but that doesn't mean that the outcome should be more negativity.

This morning I woke up and all the heaviness of my heart had transformed to peace. I realized that I am capable more than just getting mad or offended, hurt and pitied. I am going to be a better woman, be kind and loving to those who I might feel don't deserve it. Not because I am so great, but because I don't deserve it...and I would want the same. love, gentleness and tenderness...it can heal a lot of mean. so that's what I am going to try to do.

wish me luck.

Manners

So I got asked to speak about manners to a camp of boys this summer. The program is for fatherless boys in the community. It teaches them life skills and provides mentorship in areas that they lack in their every day lives. Last year I got to share about my life and how God has changed it.
This year they asked me to speak for a session about etiquette and manners. Where do you begin? from holding the door open to meaning the words you say... there is so much that I don't know where to start.

It's funny how things kind of happen in cycles and in themes in your life. I've become more and more aware of the kids around me. The kids we spend time with, the kids at the playground or park, the kids at the mall. I have to say... the majority of the time I am completely horrified. Kids have no manners, foul mouths and no discipline. It's scarey. Now that I have kids it affects me and it makes me think hard about what I want my kids to be around and how they are influenced.
We do a lot of stuff in the community so our kids are exposed to a lot, and I don't mind that.. I don't want them to be narrow minded snobs, but at the same time I want to protect them from a lot of things that no child ever needs to see or hear.

I feel like every day my husband and I talk on the issue of schooling for our kids. Frankly, it makes me nervous. *sigh. One year at a time, one day at a time I guess.

It's kind of like, you don't want your kid to be a bully..but you don't want them to get picked on. You don't want them to be TOO cool and do bad things, but you don't want them to be nerdy and awkward either. Part of me wishes I could live in an enchanted forest or on a farm in the middle of nowhere! hahaa!!

anyways, my brain is all a muddle which means I should probably take a nap while everyone else does.
have a good day!

2ne1

ok, so I'm a secret undercover hardcore fan of 2ne1.
they are all adorable and I love their style!

it's a GIRL!!

before we were even thinking about getting pregnant again (which at that point seemed unlikely) our daughter would pray every night for a little sister... when we got pregnant, she would always say "i want a sister, but i will be thankful for whatever i get).

So I am 17 weeks pregnant and the ultrasound department didn't have any appointments for my ultrasound until the end of June... needless to say I am impatient and anxious. So we went today to get an ultrasound to find out what it was!!

if you guessed what you thought it was on the previous VLOG, I'll post the winners in the next couple of days!

Lace, Pink Tips and Panera

I did some girly lace/pink nails today. The only thing is.. I used fast dry top coat which made the lace stickers wrinkle a bit... after they were completely dry they lay flat (better than the picture)

A Panera Bread opened up right down the street from my house.. HALLELUJAH!!!

If you ever go, you have to try the cinnamon crunch bagels. they are so yummy. taste like cinnamon rolls. Perfect timing for this hungry preggo lady. (actually my husband is there right now picking up a frontega chicken sandwich for me! hah!) Hope you are all doing well and had a nice long weekend. We served some veterans a Memoral Day dinner last night. It is a privelege to live in a country with so much blessing. When they did the pledge of allegiance I was so embarassed I didn't know the words. I'm Canadian, but I figure if I live here I better learn it quick!!!