Skinny Jeans

I'm a day behind on my Love Month entries... but that's ok, right?? I love not being perfect... but I'll save that post for a different day.

Today, I am loving how great I feel! I have been going to bootcamp every Tuesday and Thursday at my gym... and I am HALFWAY DONE!!! Woot!!  And even thought I have had some awful weeks and some soreness that I wish never ever happened... today, my friends... I am wearing my skinny jeans... the ones that have this in them...

Not only is this the smallest I have been in YEARS... like since sophomore year of college... I am also rawking SUPERlow rise jeans. No long-bottomed mom over here! It makes me wonder if I should grow my hair out to mid back and be that mom that everyone hates at soccer practice.

Don't worry... I won't do it.  At least not on purpose.

But I am just loving that I am finally on top of things! I made it a habit and kicked coke (although I will admit that I still have one every now and then but that *need* is long gone). I spend hours at the gym... and I will go for silly reasons like how I know if I get a workout in that I will be able to shower in peace, blow dry my hair, put on my make-up and someone else will watch my kids. That alone was enough reason for me to extend my gym membership from a month-to-month to an 18-month contract!

What do you do to love yourself?

Mom of Boys!

I love being the mom of boys. I really do! I was never a real girly girl... and I grew up with sisters (until I was 7, then my brother came along). I thought girls were a lot of drama and thought boys had it so easy!

And when I was pregnant, we chose not to find the sex out of the baby... and deep down, I know it was because I didn't want a chance to be disappointed... not that I would have NOT liked having a little girl... but I definitely wouldn't have known what to do with one!

But, now, being the mom of boys has a different challenge in that I love to craft and make pretties... that boys just don't need or want. And it's so hard to find fun things to make for them!

I have to thank my friend Alli for turning me onto the Celebrate The Boy Month over at Made by Rae and Dana-Made-It! Check out the buttons on the left to see more! I can't get enough!

Woohoo and Letting Go!

Welp, I won! I was the lucky runner up winner of Kevin&Amanda's blog makeover giveaway... which really means that I was winner #2!! Stay tuned for a brand new look! I am excited!

Also, since this is the month of LOVE... I am going to be posting every day in February with something that I love... and today, I love my ability to let go and let God.

I am not sure if you have heard this expression before... It's only be part of my life forever... haha! I grew up like a lot of kids... full of complaints about how the world wasn't fair and about how everyone was out to get me. And I lost friends. And I felt as though I needed to control everything. And I just couldn't.

One day, my mom told me "Just Let Go and Let God."

And boy... that has changed me.

I can't say that I let everything go. But a lot of times, I realize that no matter how many times I beat myself up about something or try to control it or do everything I can to change it... it's out of my hands. And it's then that I realize that if I just Let God, my life becomes easier. I can lose the stresses that bog me down and I can deal with things that otherwise become debilitating.

Whether you are a believer in God, Karma, or just life itself, the concept of just letting go of the things that weigh you down the most is absolutly freeing. And it's terrifying. What happens if the world falls apart the second you let go? What if all of your hard work gets lost and you have to start over.

But what if it doesn't? What if it fades away and you realize that this whole time... it didn't even matter. Not even to you.

How awesome would that be??

So, your daily challenge: Let Go. It'll be ok... life will go on... and I want you to LOVE the way that it looks on the other side!

Win a Blog Makeover!

I know that I love to change up my blog all the time... but today, Kevin&Amanda are giving away 2 blog makeovers! Check them out!

Pennies in the Dryer

Ryan has gotten to the point that he has discovered pockets. And money. And he will go into my pockets to get money to put into his pockets.

And I am not used to this... and I forget to check his pockets before they get into the wash. And now I have pennies in my dryer. Well, pennies and matchbox cars. One day I will learn.

As I was cleaning out my findings of 11cents out of the dryer today, I remembered a rule that we had growing up... whoever finds money in the dryer is the owner of it, regardless of whose pockets lost it. It made it much easier than trying to figure it out. And so I realized I needed a little bank to set in the laundry room. And I wanted something prettier than a mason jar with a slot cut in the lid.

I don't know about you... but I got one of these in my stocking... a Tootsie Roll bank. I loved these growing up... and I figured it would be perfect!

I cut some paper to the right length and width, then used my trusty Mod Podge.

First, I covered the bank in Mod Podge, which acts like glue and stuck the paper right on.

Then I coated the entire thing in another coat of Mod Podge to seal it on... mostly since it will be in a more humid room and I don't want it just peeling off.

It looked pretty cute, but I decided to stick a little tag on with a ribbon remnant to cheer it up... and to the Laundry Room shelf it went!

I think I'll use that money at the end of the year (or whenever it's full) to buy me something pretty... just for doing the laundry. ;o)

Success Rituals

I do a lot of reading online while I nurse Corbin. It's not that I wouldn't rather be doing something productive, but for those 10-15 minute stints, I am captive to my chair. And every now and then, in the middle of all those random blogs, photos, and Facebook updates, I find something that makes me sit back and say "hmmm".

And today that little gem was something called Success Rituals. Now, I don't know the specifics on what the person who created this little idea meant... but I know what I am going to take it as: little rituals that I will do every day to lead me to be a successful person.

My definition of success is going to be very simple for right now... because I live a complicated enough life! But these are the daily rituals that I am adding to my life, and the lives of my little boys... and I encourage you to think of a few little Success Rituals that will make you happier, healthier, and more "you"!

1. I will drink 20oz of water when I wake up... on an empty stomach. I have been reading how poorly we hydrate and how inefficient our bodies are when they don't have enough water to do what they need to do.

2. I will start the day off with a good breakfast, or at least one that isn't laden with sugar. This will make it easier to keep up a healthy trend rather than begin with a "Welp, I screwed the diet at breakfast, why not make a day of it" attitude.

4. I will work out several times a week, at the gym. I am bound and determined to be healthier.. check out this picture of me only 10 years ago... I *will* be this girl again soon!

5. I will do educational activities with my boys daily! This will include field trips, art projects, and NO TV! Yep... we will turn the tv off from 12 to 6 every day. I am not above letting him watch tv... but we need to do things other than be couch potatoes!

6. I will get offline. Haha... you can stop laughing... I will unplug also... and dedicate only an hour a day to my online antics. As well as nursing time... somethings won't change. ;o)

Confessions

A lot of my friends are familiar with Confession Wednesday... a weekly ritual that involves spilling details that would never leave your lips as they wouldl do nothing more than incriminate you... and, well... I have a few confessions.

1. My house is regularly a wreck. Not like "OMG... I forgot to wipe up a small little spill over here!" kind of wreck... a "Honey, have you seen the floor lately" kind of wreck. Don't believe me? Here are two rooms of my house... and they look like this every.single.day.

2. I just barely took down my Christmas Tree. As it right before I started typing this post. It needed to come down so that I could feel like I accomplished something.

3. I co-sleep... and by co-sleep, I do mean in the same bed. With the same blankets. And my pillows. And I actually love it. There is something great about being able to get up with a crying baby, feed them, and put them back to sleep, all without stepping out of my bed.

....

Ok, so my confessions aren't really that good... and I am sure I could have whipped up something better... but I did want to say that confession #1 is my next focus... I am going to be doing some major purging... I really want to gut these rooms out, paint, organize, and then live in them. I am tired of feeling like my life has absolutely no order. I'll be posting some updates on these rooms as they become what I want them to be.. a fully functional laundry room, and Ryan's big boy room!

What do you have to confess today?