Blessings at the bottom of the Bucket

It has been a rough week. Between the nausea, vomiting and migraine... I felt like my body could not feel any worse. Ended up going to the hospital yesterday after talking to my doctor and her strongly urging me to come. I spent the day hooked up to an IV for fluids and meds. All of this to say... It has been rough... but I've been blessed.

 

I've been hiding in a dark room by myself the last week. I'd kind of come in and out of sleeping, throwing up and just being icky. In the distance I could hear my kids giggling, daddy roaring and them laughing over silly things.  He took them everywhere with him this week. To meetings, speaking engagements...everywhere.

 

I know he is a good dad, and am always thankful for it...but in these moments I realize how thankful I am for him. I know its not easy being around a miserable sicko... so that in itself deserves a medal.

 

I've also been pleading with God. More like trying to bribe Him and negotiate me feeling better. I know it doesn't work that way...but when you feel bad enough... you start pleading.

 

So the other day I was pleading. Asked Him if He saw me... and that I KNEW He didn't want me to feel this bad. That day I had this song on repeat:

 

 

 

My wonderfully talented friend Eric was nice enough to record it for me. I spent the day crying and praying. Thanking God for His goodness. I was reminded that God's goodness isn't dependant on my feelings or circumstance. So I thanked Him... over and over.

That night my husband told me a couple had  stopped by. They didn't know I was sick, or feeling bad. They just said they were in the area and felt like they wanted to do something nice to me. They left me with a beautiful bouquet of yellow roses and treats. (the guy is ironically Eric's brother! this family... knocking my socks off!)

and I knew. I know... God sees me. He cares... and I am thankful.
So in the midst of feeling horrible, my heart is happy. I have happy kids with a wonderful husband and a God that sees me....what do I have to complain about?

now back to my lair of darkness.... haha!

Mommy 2.0 TAG

MOMMY TAG 2.0 questions:

1 How many children do you have? And how old are they?

2 What is your proudest moment as a mom ? (of your child/children)

3 What is your most frustrating moment as a mom?

4 How do you discipline your child/children?

5 Cursing, do you do it in front of your child?

6 Do you think your relationship with your spouse has changed since you had children? Better or worse?

7 Since becoming a mom, do you notice you act more like your own mother?

8 How are your relationships with your girlfriends?

9 Your favorite place to take your child/children?

10 Your least favorite place to take your child/children?

11 Piercing baby's ear: do or don't?

12 Favorite skincare for you and child/children?

13 Must have mommy makeup item?

14 Bath or shower? (for you and child/children)

15 Are you back to your pre baby weight?

16 College dreams: Do you expect your kids to go to college? Or would you let them decide for themselves?

17 What is the one show your child/children love but you secretly HATE?

18 Cloth diapers: yay or nay?

19 Finish this sentence: "you know you're a mom when you______?"

20 Have you done the first mommy tag?

If you are a mommy I would love for you to do this and share your answers!

January 2013 Seasons Box

Hi Everyone! I wanted to share the beautiful January Seasons Box with you!

All about relaxation, rejuvenation...and calm. Something we all need at the end of holiday season. 

You can purchase Seasons Box as a monthly subsription, or a one time gift for yourself or someone you want to treat! 

They are packaged so beautifully and are priced at $29.95 + $4.95 shipping and handling. Which is good for a luxury gift like this! here is what is inside!

 

*alittleaboutalot receives sponsored products  for review. all opinions are 100% honest and my own

Morning Sickness Relief

So I am one of the lucky ladies that has horrible morning sickness. With the other 3 I had it the whole way through, until labor day. lucky me!

I have tried prescription medication as well, but I thought I would share some remedies that you can get at your local grocery store or drug store. I hope if you are having morning sickness too something here helps!

Saltines. Yes everyone's first suggestion is always saltines and ginger ale. But it does help...a little. I find that it helps the best as soon as you wake up to chew on a couple to put something in your stomach before you literally get UP. (which for some reason makes it so much worse!) I also chew on a couple before I go to bed to settle my stomach a little.  So these are permanently on my nightstand.

I have heard that warm ginger ale or dr. pepper settles your stomach the best. I don't warm mine up, but I do keep it room temperature. I feel like it helps because it makes you burp a lot..and isn't as sweet as other sodas (plus it has ginger in it...and it is has 'Canada' in it!)

I got a recommendation on Facebook to use peppermint. So I've been keeping these in my purse. Honestly, I think to have anything in your mouth at all times help. This breaks it up, and give you fresh breath too!

I don't know what it is about sour. but it helps. Between runs to hot dog on a stick for the lemonade... I keep these in my purse too (the strawberry slurpee from taco bell is kinda sour and helps too FYI)

the Preggie Pop Drops are awesome. unlike other sour candies, they stay sour from beginning to end. most sour candies end up turning sweet. PLUS they contain vitamin B6 which is also suppose to help combat nausea! These drops are sour rasberry and lemon! The pops you can get in sour or in ginger/peppermint/lavender or in combo packs like this one. (you can get them at babies r us, maternity store or threelollies.com)

Ginger. yep. some of us love it, some of us hate it. I personally don't like it. I only like pickled ginger. My friend sent me a picture of these and I had never seen them. So i figured they were only available in Canada...and then a friend here gave me 2 packs! These taste much better than the sugared ginger bites I got previously. More smooth. And these you can drop in hot water and turn into tea!

and if you really can't stand the taste of ginger. there are always ginger tablet. you don't taste anything. I haven't seen any improvement with these but I know people who swear by them!

last but not least...mouthwash. With baby #3 I had really bad dry mouth. I feel like it contributed to my gag reflex. I started using this and it really helped. I also use the regular minty mouthwash several times a day just to clear out my mouth.

Good luck to you. if you have any remedies you love please share them with me!

 

Blooming Pink Sparkling Eyes

 Freshkon Sparklers in blooming pink

I have to admit, I haven't watched any of the Twilight movies...but I feel kinda Twilight-y!

I got these pink circle lenses from contactlensxchange this morning from mr. postman. 

I remember when I first heard of pink circle lenses I thought "really? pink? who has pink eyes? besides mice and rabid animals" haha!!! but they seem to be pretty popular in asia...so of course I was intrigued!

When I first put them in with no makeup, I have to say... I looked scarey.

then I put on my makeup...and I still looked scarey. kind of an intriguing scarey though. 

I feel like a character in a movie that turns into something else and  the only sign of it is in the eyes. 

I've had FreshKon alluring eyes before and I really like them. I have super dry eyes and as I type this I'm going on hour 14 of wearing them and they are completely comfortable. Which says a lot for a dry eyed, sleep deprived mom.

Each pack comes with a pair, so if you are like me and have a different prescription for each eye... you are gonna need to order 2 pairs. One pair for $17.80 isn't bad. They are monthly lenses, but I personally wear them longer since I don't wear them every day. 

I normally wouldn't have picked pink, of all colors...but I'm glad I did. I'll wear them when I need to feel extra mysterious... or werewolf-y.

*alittleaboutalot receives sponsored products  for review. all opinions are 100% honest and my own

random trips

i love this little picture my friend made from our trip!

One of the hard things about 'growing up' is that friends move away, you move away...everyone is doing their own thing and you get lost in life. Once in a while I feel lonely. lonely for my friends that are far away that I hold so dear to my heart. I've been blessed with those friends that have stood the test of time and distance. My husband is so good about pushing me to make time to go see them and spend time with them. 

(I think he realizes that when I get a little time, I'm a lot nicer! haha!!)

So me and my friend Amy gathered our airmiles and tried to figure out a little trip we could do for free. Being that we are both mommies we don't have a whole lot of extra cash floating around. Since she is from Colorado and I am from Southern California, the middle point was Utah...and luckily our airmiles covered it!

Then we were so blessed by a friend to provide a free hotel for our stay!! wooohoooo!!!

It was FREEZING there. I left cali at 70 degrees and landed in Utah at 29 degrees. shiver me timbers!

What a beautiful city. surrounded by mountains, and really just gorgeous. It was an interesting city to say the least, but I always like going to different places and discovering new things.

all of this to say.

I am so thankful for friends that aren't "work". You know what I mean? they just get you. understand you. know you....and you can just be. So refreshing and nice to be around. 

It was a quickie trip with really only one full day..but so worth it. my heart is full...and so is my belly. all we really did was eat, and then eat again.

 I wish this morning sickness wasn't kicking my butt and I could have enjoyed all the yummy food a bit more!

one step at a time

Sometimes everything is too much. Dishes need washing, bills need to be paid, you have dreams too big and vast that seem impossible to grasp, belly fat needs to go away, lonely socks can't find their partners, dust bunnies keep coming back and closets keep messing themselves up.

its just too much. all the time....

if you think of it that way. 

I think often we just keep adding to our big ball of stress. its just gets bigger and bigger. then we feel overwhelmed and feel like we can't do anything. We can't separate it all. So we just feel overwhelmed, stressed, anxiety stricken.

The one thing I love about having young children is that I learn so much from just watching them. Watching them fall, try, and figure things out.

Things I've learned from my kids this week about my big ball of stress:

if you fall, get up

if you need help, ask for it

if you fail, cry about it..then forget about it

do one thing at a time

voice your opinion

don't let people make you do things you don't want to

protect what is yours

laugh freely

take naps

take one step at a time

and when you really don't know what to do. ask someone who does. 

Bright & Bold on a Gloomy day

woke up to a rainy gloomy day. which I actually don't mind. reminds me of rainy days in Vancouver. 

I have always been a color lover. I don't think I owned anything black in my wardrobe until I was well into my twenties. I feel like color just makes me happy, and make people around you feel bright. am i right? I hope so! my favorite color is yellow... like lemon, sunshine yellow. its just so happy. after yellow, anything bright and happy is good with me. 

is it sad I can't wait to be a old little lady so I can wear REALLY bright stuff and have lipstick all over and everything bedazzled? I envision myself as a jolly old lady with lots of color on and laughing a lot. I hope so. 

sweater: kohl's

scarf: target

bag: marshall's

jeans: vigoss from nordstrom rack

boots: love culture

belt: 50 cents at the thrift store!

hope you all have a bright and colorful day!

those 2 little lines!

so crazy how 2 little lines can change your life!

we are so excited to be adding one more to our family!

yes we planned it. yes we are excited. yes we are crazy!

I have to say though. Before we got married I was told I could not have kids and after we got married my doctor was certain we would have to go through fertility treatments and would not be able to conceive naturally. I am so thankful that God is bigger than my limitations and that He has blessed me and my family! so here with go with number four!

 

Croup and the letter W

so we are all sick. 

one gets better, another gets sick. I guess its kind of inevitable in a family with little kids.

the littlest one has croup. such a horrible thing. the honking barking cough and wheezing makes me so nervous. been taking a lot of bundled up walks in the cold air to try to help.

my heart hurts when my kids are sick, especially when they are too little to tell me what hurts.

I wish I could take away all their sick days!

its funny how when they are sick nothing else seems to matter and you just want them to feel better again. Being a parent has made me understand God's love for me so much more. 

it is so much deeper, wider, longer than I can possibly imagine.

on a different note, my kids are OBSESSED with this song....we listen to it ALL day. I have to admit, its pretty catchy. all of us end up singing and dancing along.

they have a song for every letter, but W is definitely the best!

 

the end of the world

do I believe its the end of the world tomorrow? no.

do I live as if each day was my last? yes.

Every day I look at my kids and my husband and I am thankful. I cannot understand or fully grasp how my life has changed and become what it is right now. God has been so good to me. 

In light of all that happened last week I have spent less time fussing, nagging, shushing and being busy. 

I've been spending more time loving, hugging, laughing, giving full attention, reflecting and appreciating.

my mind cannot go there. I cannot imagine.

all I know is that God is a God of peace, love and joy. in ALL circumstances.

so I am praying that for all those who need it and cannot utter the words to a God that seems so far away. 

Hope you are all staying warm, your hearts are filled with love and your spirit full of peace.

Crowd Tap

Have you guys heard of Crowd Tap? 

The other day some friends came into town and our friend gave me a glorious coupon for Old Navy. She said one was to share with a friend. woohoo!!! I didn't fully read it until the next day, but it was for a top AND bottom from their active line (not including sale items). So I took a stroll to Old Navy to look at their active wear. I am NOT an 'activewear' person because, c'mon lets be honest. I'm not so active. but ooooohhh.. I got some active pants that I will wear as super comfy leggings and a zip up with sleeves that actually go all the way down to my hands! this was a $60 value! 

so on the card it said 'oldnavystylecouncil'. So of course when I got home I had to look it up. She had mentioned that it was similar to swagbucks... which I am a HUGE HUGE fan of. Over the past couple years I've earned more than a hundred giftcards! (mostly to amazon).

Oh gosh.

this is starting to sound like an infomercial.

ANYWAYS.

so I joined crowdtap (hopefully under my coupon giving friend Amber) yesterday and I am addicted! you earn points and it seems eventually get samples/products from companies such as the old navy deal and you can redeem points for giftcards, just like swagbucks!!!

anyways I thought I would share with you guys! if you want to join click the crowd tap logo above and we both get points! happy crowd tapping!

Seasons Box Review and Giveaway!

I love services like this. They make gift giving so much easier! I usually opt for a Harry & David fruit tower or something when I want to send a little something that nice...but this.. this is fabulous. 

you get FULL sized products that are neatly and beautifully packaged sent to yourself or to someone you love! You can do it as a one time gift or you can do it as a subscription. ( I personally think this is a great treat to get yourself or someone you love because then they get a surprise every once in a while!)

So seasonsbox.com wanted to give one of my subscribers a box of their own! wooohooo!! I love gifts and I love free! So here are the rules:

1. go and 'like' their Facebook page Facebook.com/seasonsboxhttp://www.facebook.com/seasonsbox

2. write a comment on their page saying that I "alittleaboutalot" sent you and something you love about the holiday season

3. be a subscriber of mine on YouTube

4. like my Facebook page (optional, i don't wanna force anyone to like me!!! hahaha!)

Facebook.com/alittleaboutalothttp://www.facebook.com/alittleaboutalot

Good luck everyone! I'm gonna go make some chocolate tea and get this nose drip under control!

Today's Tidbit: Fear is NOT your friend

hey err body! I took a little break. Just wanted to enjoy family and time. Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I cannot believe how close Christmas is!! so crazy.

Been thinking and reflecting a lot lately on why I let fear dictate anything I do, or don't do for that matter. Fear is not my friend. It does not want the best for me and stops me from doing great things...but only if I let it.
I had the thought the other day, what if God could not do anything BUT bless me. then what would I do? then I had the other thought, He DOES bless me. shoot. simple but huge lightbulb over my head!!!
so now what am I gonna do? I need to think up something great!

anyways I hope this encourages you just a little bit to do something, try something or even maybe just realize a little bit that you CAN do great things. :)

my skincare routine

A couple of people asked me to do a skincare routine...and although I by no means have perfect skin, over the years I have found some products that work with my skin (and an under the sink  full of products that do not).  Everyone's skin is different so it takes a while to figure out what will work best with your skin type.

My skin is:

dry

sensitive

VERY porous

It needs:

deep cleaning

moisture

anti-aging/eye cream

age spot removal (haven't found one that works yet)

hope this helps in your skincare journey!

NEW Cirque du Soleil China Glaze colors

 New China Glaze colors!

It's a Trap-eze: milky glitter

Surreal Appeal: gorgeous coral

Escaping Beauty: hot pink

Running in Circles: glittery green

Def Defying: lime

Whirled away: black and white chunky glitter and stringy glitter

I have always loved the colors and consistency of China Glaze polishes. They aren't thick and goopy (and they don't get that way with age either) BUT they are super pigmented...enough that you could get away with doing one layer with most colors. 

"whirled away" away looked like it was a black polish with glitter in in. Once you put it on you realize it is actually a clear polish with such dense chunky glitter that it only looks that way. I like that once it is on the nail it is reminiscent of cherry blossoms or something organize like that.

"Its a trap-eze" is the other glitter that looks kind of milky in the bottle and on the finger I've never owned a milky glitter and I love it! it gives the glitter a little more of a muted look. 

love love love all of these colors~!

Zit Fighter

This is my new go-to when I get a zit. Seriously brings down inflammation and redness over night and reduces the life span of my zits!

I got this at lioletexas.com when they had their big grand opening sale and I'm so glad that I took a chance on it! Thank goodness for sales! 

I hope this is informative and helpful and if you try it I hope it works as well for you as it does for me!

M.A.C. Rebel

So I bought this lipstick months ago and for the life of me could not find it after using it a couple of times. I kept thinking it would show up again....but finally caved and got another one. (I'm sure it'll show up now!... at least I'll have a backup now!)

I love the formula of this one because it isn't too drying and gives such a beautiful saturated color. A very dark, wine, berry color. Perfect for fall and winter and definitely a statement lip!

I love it!

Winter Green Eyes & Nudey Pink Lips

One thing about cooler weather I love is that I can play more with makeup without the fear of it melting off! So seeing as today was a lot cooler I thought I'd do a wintery green eye with pretty pink lips.

hope you enjoy!

Classic Red Lips

i love red lips... especially when its not 'dressy'. 

this is a favorite look for me in the winter when you wanna feel a little sassy

my go-to red is Ruby Woo by MAC. Just a classic red lipstick that looks good on everyone!

enjoy!

First Birthday Party!

 Yesterday we got to celebrate our little girl's first birthday. So much fun...so much pink! haha! I was going to do a little video blog about it, but I didn't want to get distracted in having fun with the kids. I did manage to take a couple of pictures of the things I made for decorations and thought I'd share since everything was super easy (and cheap!)

these little feather hair clips were actually my older daughter's idea. I just bought:

a bag of feathers

flat wood shapes

hair clips

gems

all from Michaels. all you need to do is gather the feathers, glue gun them to the wood chip, glue the wood chip to the hair clip and then glue on gems where all the feather tips gather! so easy!

This is what I used as a back drop:

2 yards of fabric (if you get the fabric that was pre-cut and probably returned, its super cheap)

foam circle

wrap foam circle in tulle

and made a strip of tu-tu to add to the top to frame the fabric and hide the edges.

the #1 is just cut out of sparkly foam paper

the tutu on the highchair is just tulle on elastic, but you can really just wrap it on a strip of tulle like I did to frame the polka dot wall.

flower tissue paper poofs and lanterns were like $6/3 at Party City and Target

The backdrop is so cheap, but really made good for pictures!

we had face painting and playdoh outside...and of course  a bounce house!

love days like this. luckily I get to do it again in 2 weeks for our son!

first birthday

Today is my little lady's first birthday. It is crazy thinking that only a year ago I was at the hospital in labor! She is such a blessing to our lives and brings such a joy to our family. I have been so blessed to have 3 amazing children that love each other and have such joyful personalities. 

I can't believe that me and my husband contemplated whether or not to have more after our first 2. I can't imagine life without this little one. Also crazy to think that she is a result of one decision. amazing.

So today (which was actually cold out for once) I decided to bust out my older daughters hanbok (korean dress) I got from my good friend when she turned one. Ran outside and tried to take as many pictures as I could in about..... 2 minutes. haha!!

anyways for 30 days of thanksgiving, today I am thankful for my sweet little girl!!!!

 

my head wrap thingy is from Savers Thrift store!