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Showing posts with label Truth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Truth. Show all posts

Thursday, April 18, 2013

She's a Better Woman than Me!

I don't think this guest could have shared her post at a better time! I have the utmost respect for our country's military and their families! The sacrifice they make is a substantial one and for what?! My freedom, your freedom, our freedom. What they give up to protect our country is something I'm not sure I would ever have the courage to do and for that I can't thank them enough! They are brave, courageous, and selfless. They give up time with their families. Spouses are left to raise families a lone while they sit and wonder about the safety of their heart and soul! It's enough to bring me to tears just writing about it. While I dry my tears please enjoy Becca and her beautiful family and thank her for the sacrifice she and her hubby make for us! 

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Hi y'all!

My name is Becca. I blog over at Faith Love & Babies, my blog is about being an army wife, a new mama, random tidbits about my life and the things I love. I blog because it's a creative outlet and a definitive way to keep me on the path of becoming better. A better me. A better wife & mother. A better friend. Just an overall better person in general. I love to give advice and share things that I'm passionate about. I'm still fairly new to the blogging world but I absolutely love it and enjoy meeting other bloggers!

I'm 21 and became an army wife when I married my high school sweetheart, KC. We got married in September of 2012 and a few months earlier, we became parents to a precious little boy, named Wyatt. We also have two fur-kids; Cinnamon and Lucy.  

Meet KC, he's a solider in The United States Army, my very own personal mechanic, my best friend and just such a good man. He will make you laugh, I promise you that. He's goofy, quirky and has such a kind heart.
KC & I at our wedding.
Mr. & Mrs. Moss
Meet Wyatt, as of today he's ten months old and he's the happiest baby I've ever met. He's literally always happy, unless he's hungry or fighting sleep, because then he's a bear. Being a mommy is the best gift and the most rewarding thing I've ever experienced. You can see how much he has grown from the first six months he's been here in this post right here



Meet the girls; Cinnamon & Lucy. Back in 2010 KC & I rescued Cinnamon as a puppy, we believe she is a Lab/Beagle Mix. She's got a long body and short little legs. And as for Lucy or as we like to call her, Moose, she was in a litter of puppy's my brother-in-law's dog had, we got her in 2011. Moose is a Bull Mastiff/Boxer Mix. She does not like the snow but she loves to cuddle. 


As for me, I'm a simple girl. I love the color yellow, happiness and anything pumpkin. Colorful paper clips at work, the occasional margarita and of course some football (who-dey!). I have a positive outlook on life, I believe that there is always something to be thankful for, I truly believe that "Faith Conquers Fear", that everything happens for a reason and that all things are possible. 

Come on by Faith Love & Babies and say hi, I'd love to meet y'all!

Want to know some more facts about me? 


You can read a post dedicated entirely to facts & quirks about little ole me right here!



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How adorable is she and her precious family?! I love that we share a great abundance of love for furrbabies, pumpkin anything, and football! Not to mention, colored paperclips kind of rock my world too! Please be sure to head on over to her neck of the woods and say hello!!! She has a lot to say and share!!! 

XOXO, 

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

Howdy Hoo everyone!!! I hope you're having a stellar week so far! I am still trying to figure out how to maneuver through this crazy schedule of mine! Working a full time job, spending time with my little family, working on my fitness, and blogging regularly, as well as trying to do 50 billion other things is starting to take a toll on me! I don't know how some of y'all do it, but I give you mad mad props for doing it!! My sleep is suffering but I keep chugging a long! Maybe this is just training me for the future when we decide to have a wee one! None the less if you have any advice on how to juggle it all and keep your sanity, let a girl know! Other than not loving the fact that I'm losing sleep, here is what I AM loving this week!



1. That Easter is this weekend!!!! I love family dinners, lunches and brunches and we will have our fill of them this weekend! My mom is hosting a large family lunch on Saturday and Sunday we will be having brunch with Todd's family! I really do love spending time with all of our families and would love to do it more, not just on holidays! I'm also looking forward to reflecting on my God who is forever forgiving, faithful and understanding and who has blessed me beyond what I deserve.

2. The New/Prospective Member Jr. League event I attended Monday! This was the second event I have attended as a prospective member! The first one was nerve-racking being that I was "new" but I had my friend Tatiana there and we stuck together like glue! The only bad part about that was we stuck pretty close together and we didn't branch out as far to meet other ladies! We did meet a couple of gals and carried on some fun conversations that night but I think we missed some opportunities to gain more information about the group from actual members! I was able to do that Monday night! Why?! Because I was by myself and didn't have a friend as a crutch! Even the two members I do know weren't able to attend, so I was really on my own! Now if you know me, you know I do love to talk, but you also know I am very nervous about meeting new people, especially females! I'm not one to just walk up to a stranger and start a conversation and I'm certainly not one to join in on conversations already happening, so sometimes I end up standing awkwardly by myself! I made a greater initiative to walk up to different women and begin conversations and truth be told I really enjoyed it!!! I met some really great ladies who were funny and full of personality and who shared their Jr. League experiences with me, which makes me want to join this group 100x more than I did before! I'm already looking forward to next month's event!



3. My fitness accomplishments! If you follow me on IG you know that last Wednesday I ran my first mile {all the way through, mind you} in YEARS! On Saturday you learned that I went to the gym at 8 in the morning {yea, call me crazy, I called myself crazy} and Monday, well, I ran 1.25 miles during my lunch break! If you're new to my blog you should know that I've never been a fan of the gym or running for that matter {though I have been active my whole life} so this is a HUGE deal for me! I've been going to the gym regularly since New Years and I know that this hard work will pay off! Nonetheless, I'm proud of myself that I have stuck with it this long and that I am actually loving it!

4. Bates Motel! I hate admitting this, though I'm not sure why, but I am totally addicted to the new Bates Motel television show on A&E! I've never seen Psycho so once I read up on the plot of that movie it gave me a better understanding of the show! It's ridiculously odd but the kind of odd you just can't look away from! It's creepy, dramatic, strange, thrilling, peculiar, and heart wrenching all at once! In layman's terms, it's a freaking emotional roller coaster but it's a spectacular ride! I'm really looking forward to learning more about Norma and Norman and this town they are living in! To say their relationship is strange is an understatement!


5. Being told that I am an inspiration! Yea, you read that correctly. Someone told me Monday that I've inspired them to get back into the gym and work out! I still can't wrap my head around that and I won't lie, it makes me incredibly emotional! When I told the hubby about it, I couldn't even finish the sentence because I was crying! Crying because I feel incredibly honored that someone is changing their lifestyle for the better, because of little ole me, who hated the gym and working out my entire life and who has battled with weight loss and body issues for just as long! I don't feel worthy enough to be told that I am inspiring but I know one thing, a comment like that keeps me going! It gives me the inspiration and determination to continue to better my body, my mind, and my soul.


See you fabulous folks tomorrow!!! XoXo! 


Don't forget... The Give Away Contest ends Friday! Enter here!!! 

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

Yea, Yea, Yea, so I know I said here and here that I created a new series for my Wednesday's posting and here I am writing, yet again, another WILW. Well, that's because I'm going to keep WILW and move my new series to Friday! Yes, Friday will be the new day with the new posts!! I still plan on making it a link up so others can participate if they would like! Stay tuned, I'm really hoping to kick it off in April! Now... on to the good stuff!



1. Befriending someone who I had a rough first encounter with! E-mails suck when trying to  communicate clearly and effectively and unfortunately E-mails were how this new friend and I were first communicating! It didn't go very well, one because we are both passionate about what we were conversing about and two, because we were communicating passionately through an email! Over the last several weeks we've learned that we have more in common than we thought and decided this week to start fresh! Clean slates are good! Here's to a flourishing friendship!

2. Enjoying the gym for the first time in my life! I was always active as a child; dance, horseback riding, swimming, cheerleading, soccer, and the list goes on, but I have never enjoyed actually working out or going to the gym! Since January, I've been going to the gym every week and have even added a third night into my week! I'm thinking about adding a Saturday morning as well! I've been told my whole life how working out can make you feel great but never really enjoyed it until now. And while I'm not seeing results quite yet I am feeling them! Not to mention I just feel plain good about myself! I like these new feelings and hope my new found love for the gym and keeping my body going is something that doesn't fade!

3. A BLT! This sandwich could be why I'm not seeing results quite yet from the gym! Ha! Granted I had my first one last night in what seems like forever! This has to be the best sandwich on the planet, probably because bacon is involved!!! Toasted bread, a little Dukes Mayo, Lettuce, Tomato {depending} and some good ole Bacon! Yummmmm!


4. People talking to me in person about my blog, who actually read my blog! In the last few weeks I've been approached by BOTH of my boss's husbands on how they actually read my blog! I couldn't help but laugh thinking these grown men are reading my girly rambles {whether it's out of boredom or interest} but while laughing it also made me feel humble! I realized my words reach A LOT of people and a variety of people at that! Sometimes I really do forget that people actually read this thing and that I'm not just writing to myself!

5. Baby Reef's Daycare! Baby Reef goes to daycare once a week! Usually Wednesdays so that he can get his mid week energy out! Some folks may think we are nuts for taking our pup to Doggie Daycare, but we believe it's one of the best things we can do for him! Reef isn't a crazy lab! He doesn't tear up our home or mess with things he shouldn't. He listens well and is ridiculously calm for a 20 month old yellow lab! Because of his calmness we don't "see" the point in walking him. We know it's good for him but he never begs to go or needs to "get his energy" out! He is that calm and he enjoys just hanging out in the back yard! We enrolled him in Doggie Daycare to help with his social skills around other dogs and people and so that he could have a day to play, play, play! And goodness gracious do we love that day! He is always so worn out when I pick him up! He sleeps on the commute home, eats dinner  as soon as we get home, and then curls up on his couch {our loveseat that he only uses} and passes out for the rest of the night! It's glorious! He literally remains like that for the next two days! He gets so excited about going and seems to know Wednesday's are the day! We can't say "School" around him or he will totally freak out and run to the door, hoping and skipping, literally. We he sees me open the closet for his leash,  he knows what it means and makes a beeline for the back gate! When we turn the corner on the main road this Doggie Daycare is on, he starts pacing in the back of the car and whines with excitement! I love how he knows where he is going and has so much fun that he can't wait to get there!

Baby Reef is the Giant One ;)
It's Hump Day and the First Day of Spring!!!!!!! Hope you are having a fantastic week so far! Unfortunately, I've been suffering from a migraine for the last 24 hours and the workers who are cleaning up the town home next door left the radio on FULL BLAST last night, which I could hear clear as day in our bedroom, so I am running on empty! A 5 Hour Energy maybe in my near future! XoXo!



Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Sorry I'm Not Home Right Now, I'm Walking into Spiderwebs!

... So leave a message and I'll call you back! Okay - Who is laughing with me that they just belted out some old school No Doubt?! Oh that Gwen Stefani! You have got to love her!!!

Anywho, as the title implies, I'm not here today! Why?! Well because I'm guest posting over at Horseshoes and Pearls with Ashley today! Head on over to see what I'm jabbering on about and if you are a soon to be bride or will be attending a wedding in the near future as a guest, you're going to want to read this post! Not that I'm a know it all by any means about wedding related adventures however, I've been there, done that, and bought the teeshirt so I can give y'all some of my own personal insight!

Check out Miss Ashley! A girl after my own heart for her love of Labs and Horses! 
Hope you loves are having a fantastic Tuesday! I'm definitely enjoying the daylight savings change, even if I am a wee bit on the sleep side! There is something just spectacular about leaving work and the sun is still shinning bright! See you darlings tomorrow! XoXo!

Friday, March 1, 2013

February 2012 Mini Goals Roundup!

Is February really over?! I mean, I know that it is always the shortest month of the year, but dear goodness, this one flew by! I'd like to think I did really well with my goals, however, that will be determined once I write them out below!

1. Purge and Organize house, one room at a time. Donate all to Goodwill. WIN/FAIL. I am labeling it this way because it really is an ongoing process! I did donate a car full of stuff at the beginning of the month and I do believe it's time for another load to go!

2. Finish reconstructing resume. FAIL. I did work on some added information but did not complete the entire resume. I think, in my subconscious, that I am scared to actually complete it because that means I will have to actually start applying to jobs, which then means I will sit and wait to hear from companies! Sitting and waiting is excruciating and as much as I aim to be positive about applying to positions, one must also be realistic! Not every job I apply to is going to say yes, which means there will be some rejections, and well, that just sucks!

3. Schedule actual planned date nights with the hubby! WIN! My idea is to plan at least one adventurous, out-side-of-the-box- date night, once a month and that I did! Last Friday, we went to a beer tasting! I blogged about it in our weekend recap! I am definitely, looking forward to planning something fun for March! I'm thinking ice-skating before the temperatures start to rise!

4. Book our June trip to Jamaica. WIN! I am beyond thrilled that we finally booked our trip. However, I did learn in the process that I have to renew my passport to my married name! I'm really glad we booked the trip this month as if we had waited another month I would have been cutting it WAY to close with renewing my passport!

5. Have at least one girls night with any or all of my gal pals. FAIL. This was a fail unless you count a happy hour event put on by the Jr. League of Norfolk/Virginia Beach where I got to see my love, Tatiana! I know, we are way lame for not getting together sooner, but in both of our defenses, we've been busy!! Same goes for all my closest gal pals! Busy schedules juggling work, husbands, pets, kids, outside activities, etc. Do any of you have any ideas on how to work around so many schedules including your own?!

6. Arrive on time to work, every morning. FAIL. I was on time for 5 days out of 19 work days! I know, I know, I know, before you tell me how lame I am, I already know! The funniest part about me always being late for work, is that my WHOLE ENTIRE office knows it! We had a humorous little awards show and I won the "Jeff Gordon Award" which was for the person who is always "racing" to work! Ha yes, I received the most nominations for that award and I got a sweet $25 gift card to Home Depot for it too! Running late isn't that bad is it?!

7. Save my bonus and then some to purchase a long coveted luxury item I've been eyeing for a few years. WIN! This is an ongoing goal since I do have to save more money than what my bonus was, but I do hope to have the item by summer time, if not sooner!

8. Stop expecting so much out of others. WIN for now. This goal is a lot harder than I thought, but I did noticed that when I didn't expect anything from anyone I didn't feel as stressed, upset, or hurt. Trying to remain positive on life and events has allowed me to not be SO hurt by the carelessness of others! It's a bit liberating! I know I am not perfect and that I have and will disappoint others because I don't meet their expectations. It's a bit like the circle of life, in a way. However, I believe if we all stop expecting so much from each other we can learn to accept people more easily for the exact person they are! That doesn't mean that people can totally get away from not doing certain things, but it does excuse them from the little things we tend to sweat that really don't matter in the grand scheme of life.

9. Stay off of phone and computer on evenings we are both home. WIN/FAIL. This isn't that difficult but it is difficult when the hubby isn't trying to reach the same goal for the month! He enjoys his time checking surf report after surf report on the laptop, which then makes me want to check things on my phone! I've stayed off the laptop til after we get into bed for the night! I did make it a point to not be on any electronic device when having conversations with the hubby and talking about our days events. He deserves my undivided attention! Now if only I could get him to turn the television off when I'm chatting about my day!

10. Leave more "honey do" lists to relieve myself of some responsibilities. WIN! This has been a lifesaver and I wish it was something I had started earlier and stuck with! Leaving the hubby a couple of tasks to accomplish each day before I get home, allows me to come home and not stress about all of the tasks I need to do! I made sure to leave him tasks he is good at and knows how to do like, separating, washing and folding laundry, unloading the dishwasher, cleaning our bathroom, vacuuming , and changing the bed linens! Laundry and putting away clean dishes has really been the biggest help as they are continuously on going in our home! Not only am I learning to hand over responsibilities, I am also learning to keep things the way my hubby does them. While I did point out that the bathroom mirror was streaky {because he did, in fact, use all purpose cleaner and not Windex}, I had him correct it with the Windex. No, it may not have been 100% as clean as it would have been if I had done it, but he did it and I'm not going to go down behind him and fix it. I know he tries and that really is all I can ask. I'm certain that with more practice he will improve and he'll be happier with me not nagging him and making him feel inferior about how he can't clean a mirror.

So let's count them: 5 Wins, 2 Win/Fails, 3 Fails! It looks as though the WINS won this go round! This makes me smile and I really feel accomplished. I won't lie, I have felt very motivated this month and hope it continues in the months to come! I'm keeping busy, have been active in the gym since the New Year, have changed some things in my diet, and I really feel that they are all correlating in making me feel good! Now... if only I could finish that resume and get that banging career I want... I'd be all set!

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Hope you darlings have a fabulous Friday and weekend! I'll be busy bowling away with the YAAA! group to help in the awareness of Alzheimer's! If you missed my post Tuesday, please take a moment to read it here! We are still accepting donations and would love for you to assist in helping us raise money to help find a cure for Alzheimer's! Follow this link and just click on the green donate button!  Every little bit helps! Even if it's $1.00! See ya Monday!!! XoXo!

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

I love short work weeks because Wednesday is always upon us before we know it which, in turn, means we are closer to Friday! I enjoy the half-way day of the week! Here is what I've been loving so far this week!!



1. My Nanna being Okay! I know many of you were curious as to why I needed serious prayers for my family! Sunday evening we received a phone call notifying us that my Nanna was at the hospital! She had suffered a mini stroke but I didn't want to divulge too much information publicly until we knew exactly what we were dealing with! Because of your prayers and countless others, Nanna is fine! They kept her in the hospital for two nights and ran numerous tests on her only to find nothing! It very well could have been a small amount of plaque passing through that caused the stroke. Regardless of what it was, I am beyond relieved that she is okay! Honestly, I'm not prepared for her to leave anytime soon! She is a HUGE part of my life and I can't ever imagine her not being there! I know we have to prepare ourselves for the days when the ones we love will no longer be with us, but I would much prefer the whole "ignorance is bliss" when it pertains to my Nanna! I can't thank y'all enough for the prayers, the texts, the private messages, and the comments! I am a firm believer in the power of prayer and I know everyone rallying behind our family was what allowed her to heal perfectly!

2. These shoes I ordered yesterday! I just happened to be checking out Julianna Hough for Sole Society on the Nordstrom website and ran across these beauties for sale - IN MY SIZE {which NEVER happens}!! The plus side?! Free shipping too! You may now find me sitting at the front door waiting for their arrival!

Via
3. The Cardio Dance class I attended last night! As I've stated before, I normally attend Zumba at the gym on Monday nights. With this Monday being a holiday I was preoccupied doing some things around the house and didn't make it. I decided I would go to the Cardio Dance class last night so I could have my beginning of the week work out and boy am I glad I went! The instructor kicks our booty non-stop for an entire hour! I left the gym literally soaked! I'm pretty sure I am going to start attending this class on Tuesdays when my Zumba instructor starts a Thursday class in March! That way I can be sure to get two workouts during the week! I am also entertaining the idea of a personal trainer, but I'm thinking I'll revisit that option in the coming months!

4. The 3rd Annual YAAA! for a Cure Black Tie Bowling Event being held on March 2nd! I am so excited to be a member of YAAA! {Young Adults for Alzheimer's Awareness} and to help out with this amazing event! There will be tons of bowling, a silent auction, prizes, food, flowing beverages, and FUN FUN FUN!!! If you are local to my area and would like more information on attending let me know! The event sells out EVERY year so you'll want to act fast if you would like to attend! 




5. Jackson Rathbone on last nights episode of White Collar! It's no surprise that I am a Twilight fan and it's no surprise to you that I am a White Collar fan! Put the two together and I'm a happy camper for sure!!! It was really fun seeing Jackson play a character outside of Jasper! He pulled the Bonnie and Clyde esque couple very well!! I still prefer him as Jasper but this character was different and I enjoyed watching it. 

What are you loving this week?! Make sure you stop by tomorrow to meet a very special guest of mine!  Have a fantastic Hump Day my darlings!!! XoXo! 


Friday, February 8, 2013

Friday's Letters!

It really has been one hellacious week and when I say hellacious, I mean I feel like I got in a fight with the week and the week won! I'm usually pretty excited for Friday's but I can assure you I'm not just excited... I am ecstatic it is finally Friday!! I mean, actually get-up-and-get-moving-in-the-morning type of excitement! Between a hormonal migraine lasting two whole days and zapping me of all energy, a trip to WalMart {also known as Hell on Earth}, and having to deal with a crap ton of rain this morning in rush hour... I am just OVER IT! Luckily I'm sporting my bubblegum pink Hunter wellies this morning and praying today goes by fast so I can get home to my hubby, my furrbaby, and my weekend!! The combination of wellies and prayers makes everything better!

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Via
Dear Coffee, I think I am giving you up! Considering I only drink one cup a day and I'm not a Starbucks junkie, I don't see why I really need you. I find Chai Tea to be much tastier for a morning pick me up, Green Tea is really becoming my beverage of choice besides water during the day, and I'm really loving drinking Chamomile Tea at night to help me relax. I'm really having a hard time seeing where you fit in anymore! I love you, I do, I'm just not in love with you. Sorry I'm not sorry! Dear Self, Am I completely nuts for wanting to apply to a summer internship in NYC? I kind of feel like I am but then again, I've never done ANYTHING career related outside of the box. I've never taken a risk or a chance! I mean seriously, who knows if I would even get the internship, but how will I know if I don't try? Is it silly though to leave my hubby, furrbaby, family, and home for a whole summer for something that technically isn't even a real job?? Is it worth it?? You've got a lot of questions to answer and not much time. I think maybe I should just do it, what do you think? Dear Readers, I feel like I am starting to fizzle on topics to write about! What do you all like to read, especially from me? What is it that keeps you coming back to my little neck of the blogging woods? There are some things I don't feel comfortable blogging about {my fashion/style for instance} but in given time I hope to expand upon those subjects and branch out of my comfort zone. Until then, though, what types of subjects to y'all like to follow and read?! I need a wee bit of inspiration here! I feel as though I'm losing my blogging moe joe! Dear my American Girl Doll Felicity, I randomly think about you from time to time. How you were my very best friend for so many years of my early pre-teen life! You were seriously the best doll a girl could ever ask for! I know you are safely tucked away at mom's house but I hope to unpack you and all your accessories and clothes one day soon to reminisce about my childhood with you and to maybe even share you with my future daughter {if I am lucky enough to have a girl}! I also hope, with the help of Ebay, to finish your collection! I am quite certain there are only 5 sets of items from your original 1991 collection that I do not currently have! I have no doubt I'll pay big bucks for those sets, but I think you are plenty worth it and you'd be even more worthy with a complete original set, not that I would ever sell you! I just want to be able to say I have the ENTIRE original collection! I loved you a heck of a lot, spent countless hours playing and talking to you, and I can blame you for my love of anything and everything colonial! I've even entertained the idea of naming my future daughter after you... that's how much you impacted my childhood! Dear Special K Pastry Chocolate Crisps, You.Are.Heavenly! I really enjoy the strawberry and blueberry ones as well, since they do remind me of pop tarts, but you my dear, you rock my socks! So tasty and how quickly it helps me sooth my sweet tooth and ALL for 100 calories... as long as I don't eat the whole box! I think I may treat myself to you right now!

Happy Friday my loves! If you had a pretty crummy week as I did, I hope that your weekend is full of nothing but greatness! And if you had a pretty stellar week, well I still hope your weekend is fan-freakin-tastic! Here's to a glorious weekend and a fabulous week next week! Cheers! XoXo!

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

As I type this I have had a mind splitting headache for over 24 hours! This is nothing new. I get them every 3.5 weeks and they always occur on a Tuesday and last through Wednesday! It's absolutely debilitating but I have to trump through an eight hour work day, 2 hours of rush hour, and all my day to day responsibilities! Nothing relieves them either, no Excedrin, no midol, no hot relaxing showers, no dark rooms, no silent surroundings, NOTHING! I won't lie, I am miserable and so desperate for relief that the pain can cause me to suffer a break down! The constant pain is enough to make anyone go bat shit crazy! Since I'm in a horrible mood, I HAVE to talk about what I'm loving today and this week to give me some sense of positivity!



1. The Vine Iphone App! Have y'all seen this?! It's a bit over the top but it is pretty fun! Twitter has status updates, Instagram has photo updates, Vine ...Vine has VIDEO updates! Six seconds of video fun! It was only a matter of time before someone figured videos would be the next big thing! I'm not sure if it will be as popular as Twitter and Instagram but none-the-less it's a new social media outlet folks can add to their list! Bloggers are no exception.


2. This blog. Holy Moly I have found my home decor redesign heaven! The complete look I am going for in our home is ALL here! This gal has inspired me big time now that I can visualize everything! I have finally decided on what to do in our kitchen! Let the renovations begin!

3. My mom's new yorkie, TinkerBelle. My mom got a new eight month old yorkie puppy last week! She already has Duchess, who is a yorkie mix and is my mom's little best friend. but mom received an opportunity last week that she couldn't pass up and now Duchess and my mom have a new pal! TinkerBelle is the sweetest little gal ever! She loves to spend time and sleep in your lap and she isn't timid around anyone! Very much a social butterfly! I can not wait for Baby Reef to meet her! I'm just hoping he doesn't think she is a stuffed animal!

TinkerBelle with Momma at work!
4. Plumbing issues being fixed! We've been have some issues with the drain pipe of our washing machine recently! About six months ago we had someone come and snake the line because water was overflowing out of it! Well a month or so later the problem came back! Not severe, but add a few months to that and it ended up being a dern water fall every time we did laundry! After a few days of checking drains and trying to find the issue, we had to call a plumber again! Luckily they found the problem, fixed us up and now we are back to normal! It's amazing how little things can wreck havoc! I couldn't use the washing machine OR dishwasher for a week! It was driving me bonkers!

5. Supporting others! I like to think I'm a natural born cheerleader, especially when it comes to others! There are so many people in my life {Real Life and Blog Land} who are trying to achieve their goals and dreams and I couldn't be happier for them! It's really uplifting to me when I see people being supportive of one another! It's how the world should be! I hope the people in my life continue to feel inspired and reach their dreams, no matter what they are and I promise to continue supporting and cheering them on!!

 
 
Hope all of you are having a stellar day and an even better week! I hope to be as good as new tomorrow! Until then, I'll be the chick at her desk with her sunglasses on in the dark with her office door shut to block out ALL the noise! Here's to hoping my lunch time power walk will help me feel better! XoXo! 

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

TV Time!

Super bowl Sunday equaled great football, live performances, annnnd some awesome commercials!! I'm basically just going to cut to the chase and show you my top three of the night!

1. Budweiser - This one made me cry... literally! Maybe because I used to ride horses growing up or that I think horses are just oversized dogs, either way it made me emotional! As much as I hate crying, I loved loved loved this commercial! Hands down it was my favorite! 



2. Dodge - I'm from a farming town and have many friends who come from farming families so this hit very close to home! I think there are many people out there who have NO idea what goes into farmer and Paul Harvey's narrative did a great job at explaining parts of a Farmer's life!



3. Audi - I always like to root for the underdog kid, hence why this one made the list! 



I have another fun video for y'all! I recently joined a young professional group called YAAA! Young Adults for Alzheimer's Awareness! One of our local news stations, has a morning show called The Hampton Roads Show and YAAA! was the studio audience yesterday!!! Take a look at this clip of us and one of our members explaining more about the organization and the great Black Tie Bowling Event we have coming in March! It was so much fun being a part of the audience and seeing the behind the scene details of the show! If you are local to my area and want more information on this event, please let me know!!! And if you would like to become a member feel free to contact me as well!



Happy Tuesday my loves! Hope you have had a fantabulous start to the month of LOVE!!!

XoXo! 

Monday, January 28, 2013

Legit Fear!

 I realize that Friday I hinted that I would explain why I had such a long annoyance of a week, however, when I sat down to write about it I couldn't pin point the problem. Instead I've decided I would share one of my deepest fears with you today. I think it's only normal for us to have fears, but is it normal to have those fears exist in your everyday living? No. I don't think it's normal to allow fears to inhibit you from living life daily. One thing I admire most about small children is they really seem to have NO FEAR! I want no more than to be able to live my life as so. Unfortunately, I don't see that happening anytime soon!


You see, I seriously fear being raped and murdered. I don't laugh at this fear at all. It really is a legit fear I have. I lose sleep over it. I fear for my safety when I am home alone or out in public alone. I constantly think of ways to escape in my home if someone was to break in. I contemplate ways to scream if I am in public to catch someones attention. I think about how fast I could outrun someone and for how long I could keep running. When out alone I am constantly looking over my shoulder, especially if I pass only one other person {this happens most often when I am out walking and getting exercise}. Even in a parking garage at the mall I am on high alert and my mind races with ideas of what I would do if someone were to attack me!

This fear keeps me awake at night, even when my hubby and pup are sleeping next to me! Sometimes I'll hear a noise and then continue to hear odd noises, creaks, cracks, moans and groans. At times it'll take me hours to fall asleep! Other times after the hubby leaves for work at 3 a.m. {if I wake up when he leaves} I'll hear a noise and won't be able to fall back asleep! This doesn't happen every night but it happens at least a few times a month. Nothing has ever happened in our neighborhood to make me feel unsafe so I am really unsure why I am constantly in fear of it happening to me!

This is not a fear that has developed in recent years. I remember growing up in my parent's home and being terrified if I was there by myself. The house sits in the country, on seven acres of land, with a quarter of a mile drive way that winds into the woods. When I was younger and usually baby sitting my little sister or home alone I would close every blind in the house and usually barricade us upstairs in the playroom. I would literally run to the bathroom and turn ALL of the lights on in the house. When my sister was at the age where she was too young to run fast but too heavy to carry for a long distance I would create "get away plans" if someone were to break into our house. I would think of where I could possibly hide her so I could run for help and I would devise several different routes on how to get outside and to the nearest neighbors house. To this day I still get uneasy when I am outside in the dark at my mom's home.


I'm actually really embarrassed by this fear or at least talking about it to the public. I mean, I've never even really talked about it with my hubby! I suppose I think others would assume I am losing my marbles! I've also wondered if I should talk to a professional about this fear! I don't want to live my life scared and constantly looking over my shoulder or staring at the bedroom door shaking because I think someone is walking up my stairs {sounds completely nuts right?}! I don't even like showering at home alone because of this fear and if I do, I usually talk to Baby Reef to drown out the made up noises I think I hear.

I feel scared a lot. When the hubby is out of town, I usually stay up till the wee hours of the morning until I am so tired I know I'll completely pass out as soon as my head hits the pillow. I also keep the television on to distract me from any noises I may hear or think I may hear. I constantly double and triple check the door locks and window locks. I sleep with a baseball bat under the bed. When writing all of this out, I seriously feel like I may be losing it... just a bit! I'm not sure if it comes from watching too many news stories on raped and murdered woman or television specials on the same kinds of stories, but one thing is for sure, I usually DON'T watch programs like that. I avoid the news as much as possible but I can't avoid it totally, that's not possible!

I really do wonder if I should talk to my doctor about this. If maybe I need to be on some kind of anxiety medication, but I hate the sound of that! I hate the thought of being off my rocker! I know I can't be the only one with a legit fear like this. What are your mechanisms for coping?! Feel free to leave a comment about what you are terrified of and if it would make you feel better, leave it anonymously! If I can use this blog to help someone feel that they are not alone than I've done my job and if I can find ways to cope with my fear, well it's a win win situation!