Thirty Days of Thankfulness: Days 1-3

Thanksgiving has become one of my favorite holidays in the last couple of years. I enjoy the history behind it and I love the message that it brings front and center each year. While I am thankful for the people and blessings I have in my life, it's just nice to really focus on those blessings during a special time each year. For me, this time of year, Thanksgiving, is a time of reflection. Instead of celebrating a bountiful harvest, it's a celebration of the blessings I received and using them to  move forward. With that being said, here are my first three blessings that I am thankful for.

Day 1- I am thankful for my husband. He loves me unconditionally. He thinks I'm beautiful, smart, and perfect.Some days a girl just needs that validation because getting through each day is though. A person could lose themselves in it all, but he makes sure I'm always on the correct path.  Everyday he reassures me that I'm the one for him, and not everyone can say they have that. I am thankful for my best friend.

Day 2- I am thankful for stories. Whether they are told by family members, friends, movies or book, a story is special.  The ability to slip away into another world, real or imaginary, is a gift. It's also fun!

Day 3- I am thankful for the snuggles and cuddles from a sweet toddler. Everything in my world is put into place when I can hold my son in my arms. It's a privilege to know the feeling of trust and love without any hesitation.

Why Do I Do This?

Seriously? I haven't written a post since July? You think to yourself, "I have time to do it later." Later never happens though. I obviously lost a lot of "laters" because it's been nearly 3 months since I  have taken the time to sit down and write. Life gets too busy and I wait for down time, but when will I learn that down time doesn't exist? Nope, time flies by.

In the past three months a lot has happened. The Baby Monster turned one! I still can't believe it. He's such a vibrant little character. It may not be correct to call him The Baby Monster, he's a toddler  now. Where did my baby go? The Baby Toddler doesn't sound right. Baby Monster is here to stay! Parents are right when they say you will always be their baby. The Baby Monster could be 40 years old and he'd still be my baby.

You can't tell by this picture, but he did have a wonderful first birthday party. We did a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme since he LOVES Mickey. All of our friends and family came to celebrate our sweetheart's first year of life. It was all smiles and fun until the cake came out. The Baby Monster HATES cake. The icing freaked him out. He looked at the cake with huge wide eyes because it was pretty amazing, but the moment the icing touched his fingers it was all over. Maybe next year I should try a giant cookie?

Other things that have happened...I started my first year as a kindergarten teacher. It's been a fun ride so far! Kindergarten is where I belong. It's a joy to see my kiddos' smiling faces each day. They crack me up at least once a day and definitely make me see the world from a different perspective. It's crazy to think that I started my journey into the field of education thinking I was going to teach secondary education. I thank my lucky stars that I decided to teach elementary education.

In three months time I have watched my little boy grow and have taught my heart out. Coming home from a day of teaching to an active toddler is much more exhausting than teaching a full day of third grade and coming home to a newborn. The Baby Monster is keeping me on my feet. Oh, and making me go blind. He broke my glasses today!

So, I'm back in the saddle and plan to take time for myself to write. Maybe this month I'll focus on what I am thankful for. This time of year can get crazy for me, especially when I set my expectations too high for a perfect holiday season. I need to focus on what is most important- family, friends and the blessing of seeing a new day.  I need the reminder because I let the things that matter to me just slip away sometimes. Time does not stop, so I need to keep up, take it when I want to and appreciate the small things in life.

Remember Your Blessings

Today I had a doctor's appointment at an awesome office that is about 30 minutes away from where I live. While normally I detest driving, today's drive was really nice.  It was a feel good, music blaring, sing-your-heart-out kind of drive that allowed me a nice amount of time to reflect on my life.

This past month has left me in a funk. There are a number of reasons. My baby boy will be a year old next month. That fact alone has me wondering where the time has gone. I've also felt the extreme pressure of being the person in charge of our financials. I'm proud that I've provided for my family financially pretty much on my own this past year, but it has been hard, which took a toll this month. There a few other thoughts that have left me feeling lackluster but today's drive and a dose of sunshine helped me out.

It's easy to get caught up with thoughts like  "Why us?" or "Gee, it must be nice to have that," when you are constantly having the world share their blessings with you. Social media gives us the ability to instantly share our thoughts, feelings, and treasures. It makes sense that people want to share their successes and what makes them happy. I know when something makes me excited from my head to my toes I want to share that with the world because it's a good feeling. However, I've been so caught up in thinking I am not where I want to be that I stopped looking at the blessings right in front of me. My success is not measured by being in the same place as others. My life is only based on where my family and I are heading compared to where we standing in the past.

How can I be in a funk when I have friends like these? I have been friends with these amazing women since high school. Through thick and thin we always find time to meet up with each other and be there for one another. We call ourselves "The Breakfast Club" because for four years of high school we always had breakfast together before classes started for the day. Looking back now, that was a gift many don't recieve and I'm happy we are still friends.

There's no time to feel sour when I can whip up a sweet treat that satisfies on a hot day. I successfully made iced coffee for the first time and it was delicious! The hubby loved it which means I rock. If I can make him smile then my day has been worth it. Iced coffee in a bubbly and bright owl tumbler makes life grand. This picture also means more than just enjoying a coffee. It represents having a life where I am able to sit back and relax for a few, letting the world go on its merry way without me. Not everyone has that opportunity. Life is a daily struggle with some of us struggling more than others. I am grateful that my burdens are few at this point and time in my life.

My greatest blessing of all is this little man right here. He's happy, healthy and that, my friends, is worth its weight in gold. Everyday I stress myself out because my dreams and hopes for my baby boy are huge. I worry about having enough money to provide for him. I wonder if we will be able to go on vacations that create lasting memories. I pray everyday that he feels loved, safe and secure. I just need to stop and look at him to let the stress melt away. He IS loved, safe and secure. This baby boy has a quirky, loving, happy personality that I need to soak in. I can learn a thing or two from this almost-one-year old.

There is no need to wait just once each year to count your blessings. Do it every single day because it's easy to lose sight of your life and get lost. My family is headed for nothing but amazing times if just remember my blessings.

ipsy Glam Bag- June Review

Where did June go? It seemed like it was taking forever for the month to arrive, then it did and now I have people asking me what my plans are for July 4th. Um...I don't know. I can't even keep track of what day it is since school let out.

I borrowed this from a friends FB page because it's so true!

Now that you are well aware of how I lose track of time during the summer months, you'll forgive me for my late-ish ispy Glam Bag review post. I've been too busy enjoying it!

This month's theme was "Pretty in Paradise". How perfect is the bag? Too perfect- I'm in love with it. The colors are just calling to me. I could stare it for hours thinking of all the great island getaways I want to go on. My bag featured (I'm listing produce from left to right- sort)   Marc Anthony Dream Waves Beach Spray, Be A Bombshell Lashout Mascara, NYX Butter Gloss in Crème Brulee, Realtree for Her fragrance, and OFRA Universal Eye Brow Pencil. Honestly, I enjoyed all of my treats. My favorite item has been the the gloss. I love the simple color along with the shiny, smooth finish.

Then, if I'm ranking from my favorite to least favorite, the hair spray comes next. I'm living in a Florida summer. That means hot, sticky weather with the daily thunderstorm. Even though it's sticky hot outside want to look nice, but I don't want to deal with blow drying and straightening my hair. It's too darn hot. The spray has been my best friend for styling my hair. Wash, towel dry, spray, and bam! I've got great looking beach waves.

Coming in third place is the fragrance. It's smells pretty, sophisticated and flowery. It was a refreshing change from what I usually wear which is fruity or woodsy. My hubs even liked it.

The mascara- I have a love/hate relationship with it. I was in need of some new mascara when I got my bag. I thought it was going to be a match made in heaven. A perfect match it has not been. First I had to get over the smell, once I got over it I liked how it applied and my lashes looked nice. Then there were moments when my eyes got watery and itchy. I couldn't figure out what was going on because allergies don't tend to bother me; then it dawned on me that my eyes got watery and itchy when I wore the mascara. This reaction could just be me. I don't think I'll be buying it again once it runs out.

Last, but not least is the brow pencil. There was nothing wrong with it. I just wasn't excited about it like everything else. It applies nicely and I have used it almost every time I've applied my make-up since getting it. I like that it has a beeswax base. Personally, I haven't given much thought to brow pencils. They seem to work so perhaps I will use them more often.

So there it is. My Glam Bag review. Here's a recap: DO get the NYX Butter Gloss and the Marc Anthony Dream Waves Beach Spray. If you're looking for a fragrance change Realtree for Her is the way to go. Be A Bombshell mascara could go either way. And if you like eyebrow pencils than ORFA  Universal Eye Brow pencil could be for you!

Links to find the product:
NYX Butter Gloss - http://www.nyxcosmetics.com/
Marc Anthony Dream Waves Beach Spray - http://www.walgreens.com/
Be A Bombshell Lashout Mascara- http://beabombshellcosmetics.com/
Realtree for Her- http://www.realtreebeauty.com/
OFRA Universal Eye Brow Pencil- http://ofracosmetics.com/

No, Never, Yes

It has officially been a full week since I started my summer break. We've had a few great moments happen in the last seven days. The Baby Monster went swimming for the first time. The hubs bought him a nifty pool float for him. I think I like it more than he does because I want one for me! The float has an overhead cover to shield his delicate baby skin from sun. It's awesome. We made it 25 minutes before the Baby Monster decided he wanted to drink the pool water. I call that progress because for the first ten minutes he had his little legs locked tight and was not a happy camper. I'm looking forward to more swimming adventures this summer.

It's been a big week for the Baby Monster. Not only did he go swimming for the first time, but he also took his first step all on his own. I'm not ready for him to walk yet. He gets into enough trouble as it is and he only crawls. I can't begin to imagine the amount of mischief he will get himself into once he begins walking. I guess it's a good thing that he has shown me he understands the word "no".  At first I thought I was being ridiculous when I told him, "No, you may not climb the cat tower." Really? How in the world could he understand what I was telling him? It was natural to say it, but I felt silly. Duh, he's only 7 months. He only says "mama" and only when he's not happy with me.  Well, I've been getting good at telling him "no" these past two months because he doesn't hold back with how he feels about it.

This is the result of the word:

He does exactly what I tell him to. Today it was, "No, you cannot eat that piece of paper." He put the paper down and then gave me this face to let me know he was NOT happy that he stopped. I guess paper tastes better than I thought. That face! It will not break me. 

After The Baby Monster decided to smile again it was time to make up my Bikini Body Mommy work out from last night. Before I continue on about how I will NEVER miss out on a workout again, let me just gush about how much I love this free workout program by this really cool woman named Briana. I stumbled across the 90 day fitness challenge while talking on a mommy forum. I am so glad that I did because this was just what I needed to kick up my get- healthy journey. 

The workouts take about 20 minutes and I can get them done without the Baby Monster getting upset. Each workout is intense, but when I don't think I can do an exercise somehow I am able to. She is very motivational and comes across as genuine in her videos. I'm on day 11 of 90, but in the first 6 days of work outs (and watching my Weight Watchers Points more carefully) I saw a 6 pound weight loss. Check out the Bikini Body Mommy website here!  

Last night our power went out so I hightailed it over to my mom's because dealing with the summer heat and a  baby is no joke. I stayed over late because I did not want to go back to my place sooner than I had to and deal with a home without A/C. There was a moment when I thought I could get my day 10 workout in until I realized that I only had my flip flops and my weights were at home. I made the promise to complete the missed workout the next day and proceeded to watch Extreme Weight Loss ( love Chris and Heidi Powell!) 

Never. Again. I will never miss a BBM (short for Bikini Body Mommy) workout again unless it's absolutely necessary. It felt like a day of the Insanity workout all over again. I hate Insanity and I can't tell you why exactly. Maybe because each session felt like forever? I didn't have sneakers? Oh well I should have gone barefoot. No ten pound weights? I'll find canned food next time so it feels like I'm lifting something. I wanted to die. However, I am proud of what I accomplished today. I made a promise to myself, I followed through with that promise and I feel great! So whenever I think I can't accomplish something that seems beyond difficult, which today felt like that, I'll tell remind myself by saying, "Yes, I can do this." There will not be any more no's or never's coming from this girl when I feel like I can't do something. It will be yes- though I may make a face like the Baby Monster in the process. 

The Joys of a Baby Boy

Phew, I made it! Summer Vacation 2014 has arrived and is in full swing. This was my third year closing out a the school year and it doesn't seem to get any easier. Why is there so much paper work?  It never feels like all the work is going to get finished and then some how it magically comes together and I am standing in the middle of  a bare bones room when it hits me - it's all done. 

. 

I'm still in shock that summer break is here. Maybe it's because I have 2 and 1/2 glorious months with my son. I never got that 6 weeks of maternity leave with him.I'm just beyond happy that I have more time to keep falling in love with this precious soul. 

The Baby Monster is 9 months old. He blows me away. Everyday he reveals a new facet of his personality. I had a feeling it was going to be a big, mischievous and sweet personality from the moment he was born, but in the past couple of months, as he's started transitioning from infant to toddler, he has confirmed it. 

A few of my friends and a cousin are going to have (or just had) baby boys. It really got me thinking about how lucky I am to mother a son. I always thought I was going to have a little girl first. The day of the ultrasound when I found out that I was going to have a boy left me feeling a little deflated  as well as shocked and confused. Every day dream that starred mommy and daughter playing Barbies, having tea, dressing up and getting our nails done flew out the window. All I kept wondering is how could I raise a little boy? How did being a mommy to a little boy work? I had to accept that tea cups needed to stay in the cupboard, manis and pedis would be done alone, and Barbies would stay boxed up in my closet. Instead it meant embracing trains, trucks, baseball, soccer or any other sport that I a look into the life and workings of what it means to be a little guy. He’s such a bruiser and I can see the mischief in his eyes. Like any little boy, and yes, starting a very young age, he smiles when he passes gas and enjoys making all those silly bodily sounds on his own- on my arm, on my leg, on the couch. It cracks my husband and me up! I've never laughed so hard in my life. He makes me laugh all the time.

What makes having a little boy special is that you see the rough and tumble part and then you, only you, are allowed to see the sweet part that indicates you have a little gentleman on your hands. It’s also the venerable, innocent side that  many guys have but refuse to let us women see. It’s the smile he gives you because you’re his everything, that little kiss (or slobber) on the cheek, the hug that he gives you because he never wants to let go. Oh, and just wait until he says “mama’ for the first time. My heart was ready to burst from all the love and joy that filled it when I heard that two syllable word. I've realized that I will be my little boy’s first love. There is a sacred bond formed between mama and son from the moment he’s brought into the world.

The moment his big, bright eyes looked into mine I was hooked. There was an unspoken agreement where he let me know that he would trust me, love me and bring all the joy in the world so long as I was there to take care of him and be the person who would always love him back. I will. I always will. 

The June DietBet

I think I like throwing my money away. A couple of weeks ago I entered a diet challenge at work with a $10 buy in. I only lost about 4 pounds for the entire month so I'm confident that I won't be placing for the first, second or third place prizes. What do I do next? I enter a DietBet with my lovely virtual mamas I met through Facebook and put in $20. I have to lose 4% of my weight to get my $20 back. That means I have 27 days to lose just a smidge more than 8 pounds.

It's day two of the DietBet challenge and I'm already failing miserably. The challenge started on Monday which is my Weight Watchers weight-in day and is also my Points reset. I was ready to start off with a bang. Instead I'm down to 8 Weekly Points, have not counted any exercise and only drank three of my five 20 ounce bottles of water that I have been committed to since the beginning of May. The only thing that I'm proud of is that I have tracked every food and drink that I've had since Monday. So, what am I going to do about it? I'm going to make a plan!

My June DietBet Plan:

1. Track, track, track! My Weight Watchers app is going to be my best friend and I will measure EVERYTHING.

2. Begin the 6 week exercise plan using BBM (Bikini Body Mommy) or Dance Fitness with Jessica as my preferred activity.

3. Begin C25K after my last day of work which means I have to either wake up before everyone else to get my run in or take the Baby Monster with me so he can get his morning walk in. The Florida rainy season has begun and that makes trying to get our evening walks accomplished too much of a gamble. Will it rain or will it not rain? That is the question...from now until November. The rainy season conveniently coincides with hurricane season. You either get drenched or blown away.

4. Take my measurements because the scale is evil and shows weight gain when I KNOW I've lost something (inches I suppose) because my clothes fit better.

5. Continue to drink my water.

6. DON'T GIVE UP!

Losing 8 pounds or more in 27 days is possible. I want to see Onederland again. I'm so close! The proof of my hard work is in the low-fat pudding!

Left: December 2011      Right: March 2014

Now, time for that beauty rest because there is no way  I will be able to take this all on and come out on top with some decent sleep!

Sweet dreams.