30 Days of Me Photo Challenge: Day Six

Day Six: Post a photo of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day. Why did you choose this person? What do you admire most about their life? What can you do to make your life more fulfilling?


Roxanne!

I don't know if it's because my creative mojo isn't running full speed tonight, but I can't think of a person I know in my real life that I'd want to trade places with. However, I've said many times that I wish I could get inside my dog's head for a day, try to figure out what she's thinking. Not to mention we treat our dogs like they're royalty. So, being pampered like that wouldn't be too bad either.

Roxanne is the sweetest spirited dog I've ever known. So innocent, so loving and trusting. She's just a happy-go-lucky girl. I would love to be her for a day so I could be loved on in over-the-top gestures, I would get to sleep in and sleep all day when ever I wanted, I'd get lots of pets and kisses, I'd get so excited when my 'mom' or 'dad' came home, I could play with my toys all day, get belly rubs, etc. I think it'd be funny to get inside her head and figure out how that silly brain of hers works.

I don't think this is too crazy of a thought... I know alot of friends who spoil their pets rotten, and if they switched places with them it wouldn't be too bad of a fate!

30 Days of Me Photo Challenge: Day Five

Day Five: Post a photo of your favorite memory. Why is this your favorite memory? What made it so special?


we were a family divided.

I had a really hard time picking a photo for this challenge. It was like walking down memory lane, though, while looking through the pics on my external hard drive trying to pick my FAVORITE memory. I don't know if this is my favorite memory, but it's definitely ONE of my favorites. ♥

This was taken 2009's Thanksgiving holiday vacation to Florida; my last Thanksgiving with either of my grandparents. Here's a little backstory:

I am a die hard Florida Gators football fan. (Which is evident by the fact that I wore my Gators sweatshirt today despite the fact that they lost. Again. ::sigh::) My grandma was a die hard Florida State Seminoles fan. For many years we would pick on each other about our teams.

Our teams play each other the Saturday following Thanksgiving every year, so my grandma and I have watched these games together a few times since we'd usually spend the holidays with family. Even if we weren't together the fan of the winning team would call the other to brag. My grandma even sent me a sympathy card with the newspaper article about their win one year!! (It's safe to say she didn't like to lose!) She'd pick on me for wearing my Gators gear and go stomp down the hall to get her 'Noles gear on.

Now that my grandma is gone it's not as fun to watch this rivalry game since she's not there to huff and puff at my players, or to call me a turkey when I gloat about that perfectly executed pass. But, it was on today and I don't think it's a coincidence that the 'Noles won 31-7. For one thing, my Gators are having a HORRIBLE season and for two, those stinky Seminoles have my grandma up there pulling strings in their favor. ;)

Fine, Grandma... I'll let you have it this year! But don't think you can do this again next year! Until then, I'll keep wearing my Orange and Blue. I love and miss you. xoxo

30 Days of Me Photo Challenge: Day Four

Day Four: Post a photo that best sums up the night you've had tonight. What did you do? Why was it fun?


Thanksgiving Elvis!

Tonight was Thanksgiving dinner at my mom's house. It was a great night full of delicious food - especially pie - and great company. While the dessert was being plated up I decided to snap some pictures and my Maddy Jo had me cracking up with her facial expressions.

I am most thankful for her this year, however, I'm also so so blessed to have had Jeff by my side through all this year's crazy ups and downs.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! ♥

30 Days of Me Photo Challenge: Day Three

Day Three: Post a photo of the cast from your favorite show. Why do you love this particular show so much? Who is your favorite cast member & why?


Gilmore Girls!!

I loooooove Gilmore Girls. I've seen every.single.episode at least once, if not two or three times. I diligently watched it, every Tuesday night on the CW network while it was still a current filming show, I own all the seasons on DVD and watched every disk when I got each season's box set, and if I pass a re-run of it on ABC Family I watch it again. The one liners never get old. The romances never bore me. The quirky town people never lose their special jene se qua.

I don't know if I can pick a FAVORITE character - it's like picking a favorite child, ok?! But I reallllllllly love Lauren Graham's character, Lorelei. Truth be told, I aspire to be more like Lorelei. For one, she's beautiful. She's confident. Her success is self-made. She's sarcastic. She's the woman who all the men in town want, but she's too much woman for most of them to take on. She's the mom that EVERY single teenage girl wishes they could have. She's fashionable. She talks super fast - which is something I completely 'get'. I've been told I talk to fast for as long as I can remember. Maybe I don't talk to fast, maybe everyone else listens too slow.Ok, so her skills in the kitchen are pitiful, and she seems to need a man in her life... and I could do without those qualities... but over all, Lorelei is the bees knees.

For realsies though, I really really love this show and as silly as it is at times, I really do think that the characters that the writers created are awesome. They learn great lessons, make mistakes, have hilarious dialogue... they really make you want to live in Stars Hallow, irritate Luke while ordering breakfast at the diner, participate in one of the many town organized events and go to town hall meetings.

My mom and I used to have a Gilmore Girls date night every Tuesday, and if when Madeline is old enough for mother-daughter bonding tv nights if there isn't a show that we both enjoy watching, perhaps I'll just pop in one of my DVDs and I can fall in love with Gilmore Girls all over again.

30 Days of Me Photo Challenge: Day Two

Day Two: Post a photo of you & the person you have been the closest with for the longest. Why is this person special to you?

nina, me, ashley and shannon

I couldn't pick just one person, so I picked my girls.

I've known all of these girls since middle school. Different schools, different times, different situations, but that's when I met them all. When we were at our most awkward, most vulnerable, and most impressionable.

We've each got such strong, but SUCH different, personalities. We've kinda got a SATC thing going on.

Over the past 13 years; there have been times when two girls were closer than the other two. Or when someone wasn't talking to someone. We've all gossiped about one of the others. We've all seen each other cry, laugh, grow, hurt, and learn hundreds of times over. We've sworn we would never talk to each other again, but always come back together. We've laughed until our sides ached and we couldn't breathe. We've cried on each others shoulders until they were soaked and we ran out of tears. We've fought over guys, we've fought about guys. (worst idea, EVER, by the way.) We've chinked many a glass, and we've held each others hair when too many glasses were chinked in one night. We've cheered each other on when it was needed, we've defended each other to sh*t talkers. Some of us have had babies, gotten married, moved away, gone to school, and become young professionals in completely different fields. Countless minutes have been spent on the phone between the four of us. The number of photos we have of each other is unbelievable. The number of memories is unexplainable.

There are times when I'll talk to one of them every.single.day for a few weeks, and then not at all for a month or longer. It doesn't seem to matter, though. These are MY girls. They know me. They get me. I know that if I need them they'll be there. They know that if they need me, I'll be there. I'm so unbelievably blessed to have them in my life, and in my heart.

I love you, lovers. ♥

30 Days of Me Photo Challenge: Day One

Day one: Post a picture of yourself and 15 facts about you.




15 facts about me:

1. I was raised as an only child, as I'm my mom's only child, but when I was in high school I met my half brother and half sister and their families. They're from my father's first marriage and are 18 and 19 years older than me. Now, almost 10 years later I just consider them my brother and sister. None of this half business.

2. I'm kind of nerdy about how much I like animals. I watch more animal planet than what's probably 'normal' and I'd MUCH prefer to go to a zoo or aquarium than a theme park.

3. I've been a vegetarian for 13+ months now. I never really ate meat anyway as I never really LOVED it, and being the animal lover that I am, couldn't continue eating it - even rarely - knowing how horribly the animals were treated before being slaughtered. I have no issue with eating meat, but I am not ok with the fact that the meat industry has lost sight of the fact that these animals have souls and personalities and integrity. Sure, they were 'put on this earth for people to eat them' but that doesn't mean they have to be abused during their life time. They deserve to be respected.

4. I used to HATE the fact that I had red hair, but now that I'm getting older - and away from the playground bullies - I actually really like my hair color. And get sort of defensive if someone tries to tell me that I don't have red hair. It may not be orange, but AUBURN is a shade of red hair!!

5. I can't stop myself from buying the smooshed pennies when I'm on vacation. I don't DO anything with them once they're smooshed and pressed with the image on them. They collect in cups, drawers, ash trays and eventually get lost in the shuffle. But, I'm unable to not spend the $0.51 any time I see the machine.

6. I'm a scardey cat. I'm afraid of the dark, spiders, heights, roller coasters, ghosts, scary movies, deep water, needles, murky water, hospitals.... the list goes on and on.

7. I'm a bit irrational when forced to face my fears.

8. I LOVE pizza. Seriously, it's kind of an issue just how much I love it. I could seriously eat it every.single.day. from almost any restaurant, frozen brand, homemade... it doesn't matter. I've found very few pizzas I didn't like, and honestly, even if I didn't LOVE it I'd still probably eat it again if it was offered to me.

9. I have 3 tattoos. I want more. 2 more at least that I can think of.

10. I didn't get my ears pierced till I was 19... because I was scared of the needle.

11. I moved across the country 4 times before I was 8 years old. I've been in Las Vegas since then. Now that we're FINALLY moving to Colorado I'm so so SO nervous about the move! Not the living in Colorado part... but the actual move.

12. I'm pretty lazy. To a fault. I love to do so many things; cook, bake, craft, sew, etc. - but don't like to do the clean-up work after any of it. So, I often times just don't do the things I want to do. Nice, huh?

13. I danced jazz/hip hop for 9 years growing up. I LOVED to dance but really injured my knees. I quit dancing in 11th grade and haven't really exercised since. I never liked to exercise, I liked to dance. BIIIIIIG difference.

14. I was a girl scout for 13 years. Seriously. Kindergarten till my senior year. I never really told people about it, because when I did they'd make fun of me. But I loved it. I loved the friendships, the camping, the cookies - HELLO!, I loved the trips we took. Maybe I just got lucky with the group of girls I was with, but I really hope that it's something Madeline will enjoy once she's old enough to join.

15. I thought I was a 'cat person' until we adopted Molly. Apparently, I'm a maine-coon person. Maine-coon cats are totally different personalities than other cats. My cat, Whitney, growing up was a maine-coon and she rocked my socks. She's so independent and relaxed - and has been since she was a kitten. I didn't realize just HOW hyper and destructive kittens are. Adopting Molly helped me to realize that I'm a dog person. I still like cats, but I don't think I'll be adopting anymore kittens anytime soon.

30 days of me photo challenge

My good friend Holly started doing a 30 day photo challenge on her blog, and I'm going to give it a whirl and see if I can hang. I'm not anywhere near the photographer that she is, nor as edit-savvy, but I think it'll be fun to try to challenge myself. What with our move coming up right after the holidays I might not be able to post one every day, but by golly, I'll finish the whole 30 days... it might just take longer than 30 calendar days! ;)

The List
Day One: Post a photo of yourself along with fifteen facts about you.
Day Two: Post a photo of you & the person you have been the closest with for the longest. Why is this person special to you?
Day Three: Post a photo of the cast from your favorite show. Why do you love this particular show so much? Who is your favorite cast member & why?
Day Four: Post a photo that best sums up the night you've had tonight. What did you do? Why was it fun?
Day Five: Post a photo of your favorite memory. Why is this your favorite memory? What made it so special?
Day Six: Post a photo of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day. Why did you choose this person? What do you admire most about their life? What can you do to make your life more fulfilling?
Day Seven: Post a photo of your most treasured item. Why is this item special to you? How did you come to own this item?
Day Eight: Post a photo that makes you laugh. What made this moment so funny?
Day Nine: Post a photo of the person who has gotten you through the most. What did this person do for you during your troubled time? What made you turn to them out of everyone else in your life?
Day Ten: Post a photo of the person you do the most crazy/silly things with. What is it about this person that makes you able to be crazy/silly? What is your most favorite crazy/silly memory with this person?
Day Eleven: Post a photo of something you hate. Why do you hate this? What is it about this item/person that you despise?
Day Twelve: Post a photo of something you love. Why do you love this? What specifics can you give me about why you live this item/person?
Day Thirteen: Post a photo of your favorite band or artist. Why do you love this band/artist? What song(s) in particular do you love & why? Post the lyrics to your favorite song by this artist/band & bold the ones that hold the most meaning for you.
Day Fourteen: Post a photo of a person you could never live your life without. What is special about this person? Tell me the ten things you love most about them.
Day Fifteen: Post a photo of something you want to do before you die. Why did you choose this? Do you have a plan set in action so you can accomplish this? If not, what can you do to be sure you do this before you die?
Day Sixteen: Post a photo of someone who inspires you. Why does this person specifically inspire you? Can you tell me a story about this person?
Day Seventeen: Post a photo of something that has made an impact on your life recently. Why did this impact you? Was it negatively or positively? What did it make you change in yourself?
Day Eighteen: Post a photo of your biggest insecurity. Why are you insecure about this particular thing? What can you do to change it? Do you want to change it?
Day Nineteen: Post a photo of someone close to you who has passed. Write a letter to them.
Day Twenty: Post a photo of somewhere you would like to travel. Why this location? Is there something special you would like to do there? Describe for me what you imagine your perfect day there would be like.
Day Twenty One: Post a photo of something you want to remember forever. What is special about this memory? Describe the smell, sounds & tastes of that moment. Who were the people with you? What did they do to help make that moment special?
Day Twenty Two: Post a photo of something you wish you were better at. Why do you want to be better at this particular thing? What can you do now to help yourself in being better?
Day Twenty Three: Post a photo of your favorite book. Write down a favorite paragraph. Why did you choose this paragraph? How has this book influenced your life?
Day Twenty Four: Post a photo of something you wish you could change. Can you still change it? What about this would you change & why?
Day Twenty Five: Post a photo that best sums up your day today. What did you do today? What was the best part of your day? What was the worst part of your day.
Day Twenty Six: Post a photo of someone/something that means a lot to you. Why does this item/person mean so much? Tell me the story behind the item & if it's a person, tell me your favorite story about them.
Day Twenty Seven: Post a photo of yourself & an extended family member. Why did you choose this photo? What is so special about this family member? Tell me your favorite memory about them.
Day Twenty Eight: Post a photo of something you're afraid of. Why are you afraid of this? Do you have any irrational fears? If so, what are they? What can you do to try & overcome these fears?
Day Twenty Nine: Post a photo that always makes you smile. What about this photo makes you smile? Is there a story behind it? Who is in the photo? What makes them special?
Day Thirty: Post a photo of someone you miss. Why do you miss this person? Tell me the three things you miss most about this person. Why are they special to you?

Poopy in the pants

Poopy in the pants from Nicole Singleton on Vimeo.

Let me just take a second here to laugh my ass off.

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!!!!

I barely remember recording this. I have no recollection of when, age wise, I took this. I was clearly running on empty. I don't remember Madeline EVER being so little, but OHEMGEE I want to pinch those cheeks of hers!

I can't stop watching it and laughing at my ridiculousness.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Afraid of the dark

I've always been afraid of the dark. ALWAYS. I slept with a nightlight on till I was 14 years old, and even then I only stopped using it because I was afraid I'd get made fun of if I had a friend sleep over, not because I stopped being scared. I don't watch scary horror movies because bad things always happen in the dark. I don't go outside of my house once I'm in "for the night", for any reason. If I have to walk through the house in the middle of the night (which I do, often when I have to pump in the middle of the night) I turn on all kinds of lights so its bright like noon inside.

Here I sit, in my Nugget's house, at 12:30am by myself waiting until I have to pump again so that I can go to bed after... but I'm so scared I want to go wake her up and make her sit with me. She lives in the country. The middle of the dark, scary, country. It's REALLY super dark out here in the country and there are alot of creepy sounds. And all her blinds are pulled open - which is great in the day time - but right now is scaring the crap out of me. I'm doing everything in my power to avoid looking out the windows into the dark abyss that is the 5 acres that she lives on.

OHMYGOSHYOUGUYS I don't know what's going on outside, but it sounds like a pack of wild hyenas are circling outside, howling and yipping. It doesn't sound like "regular" dogs, do they have wolves here?! coyotes?! something else I can't even think of? I know they have something out here that eats people's goats from time to time... a pack of wild chupacabras?! OH.EM.GEE! Why are these animals making this weird noise? Are they hunting something? I am not in Sub Saharan Africa on a safari, this is not ok noises to hear right now.

And then, there's this weird shuffle/scuttle/rustling noise I keep hearing come from the front room, where NO ONE is. No people or dogs are in the room.... why do I keep hearing the noise?

I know there's nothing to legitimately be afraid of in the dark, but I am. Oh, and I'm afraid of spiders and they have those out here in the country also.

It's these times in my life that it becomes blatantly obvious that I'm a city girl.

EEK!! What's that noise?!

3 months

I can't believe my Madeline is already 3 months old! It seriously doesn't seem like that much time has passed! But I will say that I don't miss those first 3 months. I would not like to relive them. I really like who she is at 3 months old. She's really got her personality figured out, she's on a pretty good - self set - schedule, and she's really fun to interact with. Her colic symptoms are all but gone and she's becoming a much happier girl.

This is not to say that I haven't enjoyed the last 3 months, but I was sleep deprived for most of it and it was emotionally draining at times - especially when the colic was bad.

I'm really enjoying 3 month old Maddy Jo and look forward in anticipation for what new developments this month brings. ♥


12lbs 9.5oz

Nuggets

Nugget: (Nuh-get) noun: 1. Sister from another mister. 2. BFF 3. Chelsea Handler's Little Person assistant. (which is where we stole the term of endearment.)

My Nugget bought me a plane ticket so Madeline and I can go up to Northern California for a week to visit her!!! We leave Wednesday and will be there for a week. I'm really looking forward to spending so much time with her and her boys, and am looking forward to her getting to snuggle Miss Maddy Jo. <3 I hate that we live so far away from each other now, but am so thankful and blessed that she's been able to fly me up there a few times since she moved away.

I'm not, however, looking forward to Madeline's first plane ride.

I'm terrified that she's going to be a holy terror on the plane. She doesn't like to just sit still. Ever. She likes to be up, walking around, looking at the world. She also doesn't like to take naps unless she's at home, in her bed. When you try to make her do either of those things she yells and cries about it.

I don't want to be THAT lady with THAT baby on the plane.

I know I've got to have a bottle ready for take off and landing. I know I need to bring some of her fave toys to (try to) entertain her. I need to bring one of her blankies so it smells like home. I need to bring a bink so she can suck on something after her milk is gone; I don't want her ears to hurt her.

I need to remind myself that it's only an hour and a half long flight, so even if she is acting a fool it won't last for too long. And she's only 3 months old for goodness sake! People can't expect her to be an angel! (Though, I know that when her cries are making them want to gouge their eardrums out, that they won't take her age into consideration... they'll just want me to shut her up... NOW!)

And finally, I need to make sure to not have any cash on me, otherwise I may be forced to buy the little bottles of alcohol, and then I'd be the drunk version of THAT lady with THAT baby on the plane who everyone wishes they could strangle.

If any of you readers are veteran plane+baby travelers PLEASE give me any advice you have. I'll need all the help I can get!
(No, she doesn't have her own seat so she won't be strapped into her car seat. That wasn't an option money-wise, so she'll be on my lap/in my arms.)

Pink!

The singer, P!nk, that is. Her "FUNHOUSE" album, to be exact.

Madeline LOVES P!nk. I don't know what it is that makes her love her songs, but it's the ONLY cd I can listen to all the way through in the car. I have a 6 disk cd changer in my car, but have only gotten to listen to the other cds in the changer when she's not in the car with me.

If she's in a good mood when I put her in the car she'll tolerate another cd, or radio station, for a little while... but after about 20 mins she's OVER it. If she's in a bad mood from the get-go she won't tolerate anything else.

And I'm not joshing you, guys. Literally, she'll fuss and whine at me. I hit the button for the #4 slot and when P!nk's "FUNHOUSE" cd starts playing the fussing stops. She's quiet. I swear, I see her feet kicking along to the beats. alright, maybe not... but her feet ARE kicking, and I can pretend it's to the music, ok?

It's like magic. It's a good thing I like that cd, otherwise I wouldn't be very happy while driving around town. However, I would like to find other artists/albums she likes because the same 12 songs are getting kind of old.

Photo Editing

I wish that 1.I really knew how to edit photos 2.I had money to buy nice photo editing software 3.I had/took the time to teach myself how to edit photos using said editing software.

This was edited using the Pixler Grabber/Editing software. It's a free editing program, but seems to be able to do more than, say, Picnik and the grabber feature lets you right-click and edit anything you come across on the internets... pretty neato if you ask me!

Doesn't ^that^ editing make my Maddy Jo look artsy and so cool? Yea, I thought so too. ;)

Here's the original photo for comparison:

Here's to new adventures!

He did it. He passed the tests. I knew he could do it!

After the holidays we'll be moving to Colorado.

Gulp. Now it's real... bum bum BUMMMMMM!

And, for the record, as much as I loathe Las Vegas I really and truly love my friends and I will miss them terribly. Ever since I found out he got the job, when I think about saying goodbye to my friends I've gotten a huge lump in my throat.

Colorado is where I want to be. But, can't I take my friends with me?

Colorado

Colorado is my happy place. I seriously can't think of anywhere more wonderful. Sure, there are places that are more exotic, interesting, historical, or whatever... but for me, there is nowhere more beautiful. The weather, the scenery, the wildlife, the landscaping, the people... everything about it makes me happy. Sure, there are ugly parts/things about Colorado... but "Colorado ugly" isn't the same as "Las Vegas ugly", or "Orlando ugly" and I'd gladly take "Colorado ugly" any day if it meant I was finally out of Las Vegas.

Right now, as I type this, Jeff is in my Aunt and Uncle's guest bedroom in their home in Colorado - hopefully sleeping - in preparation for the final test to see if he qualifies for an operator position with the county's roads and bridges department, that's set to take place tomorrow at 8am MST.

I know he's sssooo nervous, but I'm a pretty even mix of nervous and SUPER excited! The nervousness comes in to play because of what that job will mean financially. In Las Vegas, construction workers are CRAZY overpaid... and that is really nice in a good economy. But, just because you make good money hourly doesn't mean you make good money over all if you're only working 10-20 hours a week. The job working for the county in Colorado will pay him about $10 less per hour (GULP), but will be steady work. And if he puts in his time there, eventually it'll pay off by way of promotions, job security and a retirement fund. He's been completely unappreciated at the company he's been at for the last 10 years and it's time that he leaves and tries to better himself professionally.

Anyway... I don't want to talk too much about it, because I don't want to jinx anything.... but I'm just so antsy with anticipation that I had to say something!

I know he's going to do great and am SO proud of him for going and trying to do this to get us to where we want to be to raise our daughter.

And if he gets this job, and we move... even if we're struggling money wise I know we'll make it work........ Colorado is my happy place, after all... how would it NOT work out? Impossible.

seriously, flowers like these just grow along sidewalks in CO, what's not to love?!

Scentsy

Have you heard of Scentsy? I'm finding that a lot of people haven't yet heard of Scentsy, and I ask to show them how awesome it is.

I've always wanted to be a candle person. You know who I mean... a candle person... they have a beautiful home and every time you walk into their beautiful home a new, inviting, smell hits you and makes you feel welcome and comfortable. Yea, THAT'S a candle person. But first, in high school, I wasn't allowed to light candles in my room since my mom didn't want me to forget about them and burn the house down. I have friends like that now, candle-people-friends ahem! Holly, Fancy... and I'm totally envious of their beautiful homes that ALWAYS smell delicious. But even now that I'm allowed to burn candles I don't. I set the rules now, but I'm still afraid of leaving a candle burning and coming home to a pile of smoldering ashes where my house once was. I buy candles with the intention of burning them and just don't. I forget and they just sit there collecting dust.

Scentsy is a company that makes wickless candles. They make wax burners that don't use a flame of any sort. You don't use a little tea light candle to warm the wax. No, the warmer plugs into the wall and a little light bulb warms the wax. As the wax melts, the aroma of whatever scent you put in the top fills your house and instantly you get a little closer to becoming that Martha Stewart-y lady with the delicious, inviting, home.

The warmers are pretty cute too! They have about a million different designs to fit your decorating style, or the current holiday - even your favorite college football team, or the branch of military you wish to support. You actually want to have the warmers sitting out on your counter to be seen and enjoyed by your guests. They're not only a way to make your home smell good, but also a way to help decorate your home.

They now also make good-smellys for your car, locker, to bring with you when you travel, etc. Scentsy is quite the company, and they offer quite the selection. Honestly, what ever your style/taste they have something that you'd love.

Which is why, despite my crippling fear of speaking in front of groups of people, I've signed up with Scentsy to become a consultant. I'm already a customer who believes in the product, and it wouldn't suck to earn a little bit of extra money here and there.

So, whether you're that person with the delicious smelling home, or you know someone who is please consider Scentsy for a gift idea. I promise you, you will not be disappointed. The quality of their product is unsurpassed, and you'll be hard-pressed to NOT find a warmer/scent that you don't just fall in love with. They make great gifts for the holidays and I can hook you up with bundling different items together so you get a great deal and get you the most bang for your buck. Ask me how you can take care of 7 - SEVEN!- people on your Christmas list for only $150!!

I never thought I'd be someone who sells a product as an independent contractor - outside of all those Girl Scout cookies I sold year after year - but I really do believe in these products and I really do buy them to use in my own home already, so it's not a hard thing to wrap my head around. I'd love it if I could introduce you to Scentsy so that you can enjoy it as much as I do.


Click here to contact me to learn more!

Election Day

Today was election day.

I actually voted early, yipee, because I didn't want to have to stand in line today.

Being that I live in Nevada it was a pretty serious election. Reid or Angle. Harry or Sharon. It seemed like the whole country was wanting to know who'd win.

I'm not going to say who I voted for, because some people are unable to separate politics from friendship and I'd hate to rub someone the wrong way just because of my political beliefs.

BUT! I will say that I think voting - educated voting - is important. I don't really care which side you identify with; Red or Blue, but I think that educating yourself on the issues and candidates and going out and voting is important.

If you're unhappy about the way the country is being run, then you need to vote in a way that you think will make it better. If I hear you bitching I'll want to know if you voted. If you didn't vote, please shut your mouth. Even if the person you voted for didn't win, at least you voted and you can complain all you want. If you didn't take the time to vote, I don't want to hear you complaining.

So many countries don't have the right to vote and have to take what they're given... at least here we have the chance.

I voted. I got the sticker to prove it. I hope you rocked the vote too, peeps!!

Bath Time

Madeline has a love-hate relationship with the bath. Although lately, it's been more hate-hate.

When we first brought her home from the hospital she HATED the bath. My friend Angi suggested we put a warm, wet washcloth on her belly while in the tub to keep her warm; we did and VIOLA! she no longer screamed bloody murder during bath time!

I tried to incorporate bathtime into her bedtime routine, but quickly found that the bath would wake her up too much and then I'd have to deal with an overly tired, but not ready to sleep, baby for hours on end. I nixxed the bedtime bath and replaced it with a middle of the day bath.

That plan was working just fine until I noticed that the bath was seriously drying her skin out. "Just put lotion on her afterward." Is probably what you're thinking, but my girl is not a happy camper once you take her out of the bath. She doesn't like to be cold, and no amount of towels keep her warm enough. She screams and cries when you take her out of the bath and the ENTIRE time you're getting her diapered and dressed after. So, while I TRY to put lotion on her it doesn't always happen, and even when it does it's done half assed and she's left with ashy shins.

So, because babies don't really get dirty I cut her baths down to once or twice a week depending on how busy we are out of the house during the week. I use this heavenly, all natural, lavender bubble bath from California Baby and try to make bathtime like a spa-time. She seems to enjoy it, and it seems to calm her down.

Finding the perfect water temp is tricky, though. If it's too warm, she freaks out. If it's too cool, she freaks out. She's almost 3 months old and I still can't seem to get the temp right. When the temp is wrong and you put her in it she does this silly gasping for air, eyes wide in disbelief, arms flailing all around bit that I can't help but laugh at - but then feel bad about once she starts crying. Which is inevitable. But, it usually stops as quickly as it starts and then she continues to enjoy the aromatherapy of the bubble bath and the relaxing body and scalp massage I give her while washing her.

Today, however was a different story all together. Today she screamed, nay shrieked, at the top of her lungs for nearly 20 mins. At first I pulled her out of the tub to try to console her while I had Jeff try to adjust the water temp. She did not calm down, but she needed a bath so back in she went. With every cup of water over her head or body the crying got louder. With the application of the shampoo the daggers being shot in my direction flew faster. It didn't stop her ENTIRE bath. Nor did it stop after her bath. Or during the getting-dressed-after-the-bath. OR when I gave her her bottle. She actually cried during the first ounce, or so, of her bottle. Then about another ounce later she PASSED OUT asleep and proceeded to sleep for an hour and a half.

Geeze Louise! Just because you're tired doesn't mean you have to act a fool, Bean!

My mom has many pictures of me as a baby/toddler where I'm completely red faced screaming in the tub. Supposedly, I liked the bath but DID NOT like my hair being washed. I fear that her outburst is genetic. What goes around comes around.


This is me, circa 1986 melting down in the bathtub.

I guess we'll have to wait and see when I bathe her next. *sigh*