Skinny Doesn't Sell

Last night I saw on the news that skinny is out. I've been saying for years that I don't want to see a skinny person modeling clothes for my size. One of my favorites is the skinny person modeling spanx. Of course you look hot under your clothes with spanx on because you look hot in your clothes without spanx.

They said they would start to actually use "reverse airbrushing" to make models have curves. Now my question is why not allow bigger sized girls to model instead of skinny girls (unhealthily skinny & airbrushed). Are we still not saying that only skinny girls are pretty enough to be models?

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While a part of me got excited that skinny doesn't sell anymore, I kind of wonder what this will tell young kiddos. I can see it going several different ways to be honest. Perhaps will skinny no longer be idolized and therefore less women will deal with things like anorexia, body dysmorphic disorder & so on. Or perhaps we will all start to feel okay with our bodies being out of shape and start to let loose when we really do need to be seeking out healthier eating & living styles. 

I am curious to see what this reverse airbrushing ends up looking like. Are the formerly skinny models just going to be normal skinny girls, average girls or a little bit larger than average? My guess is they will still be skinny but maybe just not look so unhealthy.

What's your thoughts? 

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School Lunch Tips with Earth's Best plus Giveaway

This morning my facebook page was adorned with images of first day of school photos. We are officially back in school which really doesn't mean a lot changes for me personally. There will be less people out and about during the day when I'm out, but other than that my life continues on as usual. However, for many of you that is not the case.

Since many of you have sent your kiddos on to school today (or maybe a few weeks ago) I wanted to share with you some excellent lunch tips from Earth's Best.

 

Earth's Best has a variety of products for your growing children that are delicious, nutritious and are also the perfect size to pop in a lunch box! Earth's Best Sunny Day Snack Bars are naturally sweetened cereal bars filled with real fruit! Sunny Day Snack Bars come in two delicious flavors, strawberry and apple and are individually wrapped, making them perfect for on-the-go kids. Sunny Day  Snacks Bars are also excellent sources of calcium, iron, zinc and contain six B vitamins.

• When it comes to feeding children, finding a balance is very important. Adding different fruits like grapes, strawberries, blueberries and melons in a fruit salad so your child's lunch is a great idea as bite size pieces are easier to chew and it may even look more visually appealing to your child.
•  Stay away from sugary soft drinks. Include low-fat milk, water or 100% juice drinks like Earth's Best juice boxes.
• Sending along carrot sticks? Put a little bit of veggies dip in a container as a fun addition on the side.
• Make it a healthy habit to go to the store at least once a week  to stock up on necessary lunch items. Having a variety of items on hand will make the early morning planning process much easier. 
• Instead of packing chips and cookies, try including whole wheat pretzels or crackers.
• Let your child feel like they are in control by offering them two healthy snack items to choose from. That gives them a choice while parents still maintain ultimate control. 

And don't forget your note for your little one!! Here's some printables from Hoosier Homemade:

Now for your chance to win Earth's Best Sunny Day Snack Bars:

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West Nile: A Declared State of Emergency

They have officially declared a state of emergency in the county I live in for West Nile Virus. I am glad they have done this because it means there is hope for treatment now and maybe just maybe we won't be affected by it. I just wanted to show you the map of the city I live in. Each red dot is a human case of west nile & each black dot is a mosquito case. The blue dot is my house...

I believe the death count for the metroplex is up to 41 at this point. That's crazy! And the county I live in has stated that there are 6-7 cases per day of the WNV (West Nile Virus). I wouldn't be nearly as concerned if it wasn't for having a baby but its scary to think that Emily could get WNV. 

We can't live in a state of fear and let fear dictate our lives, but at the same time we do have to take precautions. We don't get out at dusk or dawn and we rarely play outside or take walks & when we do I stare at her the entire time making sure no mosquitoes get to her. I've sprayed myself down with OFF & I've even sprayed the outside of the stroller. I put dryer sheets in her stroller too. I also make sure we have no standing water around our home. And am extremely thankful that they have decided to do aerial spraying in this area now!

But with all this said I can't help but come back to this entire Emily is only on loan to me thing. My God has been so gracious to me to let me be Emily's mother, but ultimately He loves her far more than I will ever love her. He cares deeply about her. He knows full well all the days of her life already & I should not have fear because my God is far bigger than the stupid West Nile Virus. 

So how many times will God have to teach me how big He is?!?

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Come To Me

I have to share this song with you because it's absolutely beautiful & draws me closer to God every single time. I can only imagine how much more beautiful this song would be during difficult days. Hope that you will take a few minutes to listen to this & then download it so you can listen to it on the hard days which I often do!

The song is called, "Come to Me" by Lauren Chandler the wife of our Senior Pastor. The song is beautiful & she has such an amazing voice to top it off. Here is the youtube video so that you can see the lyrics, but you should download it on itunes!  

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Sea Life Aqurium

It's safe to say that Texas summers can be kind of hot so we have been trying to do as much as we can to stay out of the heat. So we decided to visit the Sea Life Aquarium. I had noticed Emily had started really paying attention to all of her surroundings including watching butterfly's or squirrels in our front yard so I figured she was ready for a trip to the aquarium.

I was right because she was absolutely into watching all the fishies swim around. We went with a good friend of ours and then went shopping afterwards & got some great steals might I add. I bought nearly $300 worth of close for like $60 :) Fall wardrobe for Ems complete!

Here's the girls enjoying each other & the fishies...

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Be the Change

I've noticed a lot of negativity & bitterness in the lives around me lately. I tend to pick up on it & let my own attitude transform into the attitude of others. Instead of being the voice of encouragement & standing strong I fall right into it.

So today I've determined I need to be the change. I need to make more of an effort to not let others pull me down but perhaps try to lift their spirits. Why must I let the negativity of others pull the joy right out of me? I think it will be a challenge to stay positive when others are grumbling or to do things I don't want to with joy, but it's time I do it.

"Do all things without grumbling or complaining, that you may be blameless and pure, "children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation." Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life." - Philippians 2:14-16

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A Little Craft Show Inspiration

I am going to be joining a friend on September 22nd at a craft fair here where I live. From what I understand it's pretty popular so I am excited. This will be my first ever craft show. I have NO clue what I am doing or what my booth will look like. Praying I can get enough stuff made for my half of the booth. Good thing I found a steal of a deal on onesies yesterday!!

So I must come up with a method to display my onesies, tutus, leggings, etc. I will not be taking my headbands unless they are part of a set because she sales hair bows so I don't want to undercut her in any way. I'm thinking I should probably have Halloween, Thanksgiving & Christmas stuff ready for this show plus some of my other stuff. 

Should I have a custom option where they can place an order to fit their needs? Eek--so nervous!

With all that said I need to make my craft space & need to get to it. Here are some things I've found, but any of you happen to have a good idea?

 Check out my pin board to see how I'm being inspired!

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Greek Yogurt Smoothies

 Allow me to introduce you to one of Emily's new favorites, the Greek Yogurt Smoothie from Earth's Best. I mean it when I say it's one of her favorites. The first day we gave her one we were at Target buying some stuff when hunger hit. Thankfully I had one of these tucked away in her bag, but little did I know she would want more than I had to offer her.

We gave her the smoothie & she finished it off quickly, but then had a minor meltdown when it was emptied out. Thankfully daddy carrying her around was enough to make her happy. 

As you can imagine these also make this momma happy too. They are a natural, sweet blend of real organic fruit, yogurt and whey. One of these contains 3 grams of protein compared to the 2 in regular smoothies. This would be perfect for some of those hard to feed toddlers needing more protein in their diets (I have a few friends I'll need to talk to). Plus Earth's Best Organic Greek Yogurt Smoothies are a good source of calcium with at least 20% of the daily value of Vitamins C & D in each serving. And just like Earth's Best baby foods their new Greek Yogurt Smoothies also contain no artifical flavors, colors or perservatives and contain no Genertically Modified Organisms. Love what Earth's Best has to offer my child when it comes to nutrition!

Here's Ems enjoying her Banana Greek Yogurt Smoothie: 
(She loves the other flavor too, cherry & apple)

*In the spirit of full-disclosure, I've partnered with Earth's Best as part of the "Earth's Best Blogger" program. Throughout the year I'll be receiving product, coupons, giveaways and promotions. However, no payment was given or expected for posting about the program, and as always, all opinions given here are fully my own.

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Eight Months

 

Dear Emily,
 
Another month has come & gone, we of course had a blast. We have been going to the pool and having play dates with friends plus we took our first road trip. Turns out you don't sleep in the car anymore. We decided to travel during your bedtime so you would sleep the entire time, but little did we know you would only sleep 45 minutes of our nearly 6 hour drive. But you were happy so I can't complain!

You have lost your interest in learning to crawl now that you've discovered that rolling gets you pretty much wherever you want to go. You keep trying but it's pretty frustrating for you. You are learning to stand & play with some of your toys and a lot of times won't sit down for us. At this rate you may decide to walk before you crawl.

You are picking up on sign language now which is fun to watch. It all started with you learning to clap. Once I realized you could clap then I knew you could probably learn sign language too. I started signing "all done" & you quickly picked it up. You are working on "more" but it's a little bit difficult still. I catch you working on your signs when you are laying in your bed. 

I can tell you are learning so much right now. You are constantly taking in your environment and really watching when we show you a new toy. You also try to read your books with us when we read them to you. Love it!

We love you more today than yesterday and this will be true tomorrow and every day after that. You are the best thing that has ever happened to us.

Love,

Mommy

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Dessert Reception

When the wedding planning started I instantly knew I wanted a simple reception at the church. I hate dancing so if we kept it at the church seeing as it was a Baptist church it meant there was no dancing allowed. Perfect! So I planned a dessert reception to satisfy the sweet tooth in everyone.

So of course we had the wedding cake & punch:

 

 

 

And groom's cake (German chocolate cake) & Dublin Dr. Peppers:

 

A candy bar with all brown & orange candies:

 And then the dessert table filled with glorious treats:

 From left to right, top: Teacakes, Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars, Mini Pecan Pies

From left to right, middle: Cheesecake Bites, Stuffed Apple Pies, Fresh Fruit

From left to right, bottom: Mini Teacakes, Brownies, Fruit Dip

Not pictured: Oreo Balls

 And of course a coffee bar with 6 different flavored creamers:

Only thing is I wish I could have had a little bit of everything, but only got a few bites of cake...

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Moms Group

After having Emily my life completely changed going from a working woman to a stay-at-home mom clueless as to what was going on. I had no idea how badly I’d crave adult conversation & interaction. I kept finding myself in a place of longing with nowhere to go. My sister encouraged me to pursue that need & to initiate friendships. So I started texting groups of friends that I’d be somewhere at a specific time if anyone wanted to join me & could even bring a friend. There were a few times a couple of people would come & there were others that it was just me & my little girl hanging out.

The more moms I talked to the more I realized there was a real need for a moms community so I recently created a mom group on facebook. I have taken it upon myself to host at least 2 events per month, one mommy only event & one playdate. I have to say I think I am gifted in the area of event & party planning so this quickly became the perfect thing for me. 

I honestly can't believe how well it has taken off. There are so many moms who were desperately longing for this type of community. I am actually meeting with the leadership team of our churches moms group to talk about combining our efforts. I am so excited to see what the Lord has in store for our group and for the moms in our community.

All this to say, if you are longing for a mommy community than step out and create one. I have been more than blessed by these women. 

And now I leave you with this just because it's cute, Ems playing with her cousins (yes they are triplets):

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Adios Facebook

I have for some time now felt like I should close my facebook account for a variety of reasons, but I haven't because I know how much our families love to catch updates on Emily. Plus I run my business page and a moms group on facebook so I just didn't see how it was feasible. However, I finally came up with a solution & created an alias account. My alias runs my business page & groups and has only family members as friends. So now my family can keep up with Emily & I can become more disengaged from facebook. A much needed move for me. 

I feel like in this day & age we are too connected causing us to be way less engaged in our lives. By that I mean we are so involved in the lives of 100s of friends we only keep up with on facebook & are hurting the friendships & relationships that we actually are a constant part of. I would hate for my daughter to be trying to talk to me one day and I'm too involved in checking my facebook page or any other social media for that matter. I want her to know that what she has to say is far more important. Same goes with my friends and my spouse. Sometimes when dead air strikes I fill the time with checking facebook instead of trying to come up with something else to talk about. I seriously think I have an addiction to facebook, a very unhealthy addiction.

I can't believe the words that are about to come out of my mouth, I mean I'm vulnerable here and admitting the truth to something I've pretended didn't exist...

 I crave attention sometimes and facebook is a great place for me to get it. I can log on & make a whitty, funny status and instantly get responses. I find myself thinking long & hard about what my status will say in hopes of getting more than just a few likes, I need some comments. In some sick & twisted way this affirms who I am as a person. I literally felt pride in the 1000+ friends list I had going all of whom were people I really knew. Look at me...I really am popular, take that high school! I seriously probably checked my facebook 4-5 times an hour just to see if someone had commented on my page or my status or heaven forbid I miss someones status update. It's sick right? I mean who really engages that much of their time in some stupid website? I do evidently. 

I seriously can't believe I'm admitting this stuff...

So it's come to a point that I need to push it away, really get away from it. I've watched many a people fast from their facebook accounts for lent or other reasons, but I've never done it. I've always tricked myself into believing that I needed my facebook page. There is something about being a mom that provokes more change in me so now I can walk away with strength I didn't have before. My daughter is more important than these stupid petty things. I don't need facebook to affirm who I am & I sure don't need it to distract me from my life. 

So this week I'll deactivate my account for a season. I am not sure how long this season will last & I hope that I can come back to it some day because I really do want to keep up with the lives of some past friendships. I love being able to see that a good college buddy of mine had their baby or is adopting kiddos. Social media has allowed for me to pray over friends as they've lost loved ones, experienced health scares, etc. Social media isn't a bad thing, but I've created it to be. I need to walk away and learn some lessons before I can come back. I need to spend more time involving myself in the relationships I have in my life. I need to focus more on my family. I need to spend more time with Jesus. This is good for me.

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Things That Make Your Marriage Work

Yesterday I posted the survey I asked my friends about The Best Part of Marriage. I also asked my friends how long they had been married and what made their marriage work. This is the response I received:

4 years...learning to say I'm sorry :) -Krystal

Married for 8 yrs: There's too much to choose from!

My fave Prov 31 and what that looks like in my life - Kristie

I'm actually divorced, but was married for 7 years- one major thing that I took with me out of that situation is a little grace towards one another can go a long way. Express appreciation often...
I'm so excited for you! - Pamela

1.5 years...enjoy being a newly wed and all the stereotypical things that come with it, rather than eagerly trying to get to the next stage of having everything and doing everything. Being creative in the young, early years is fun if you go into it with that mind set that it will be. - Jenna

communication, communication, communication...stay in love every day and have fun...3 years for us next week! - Phillip

31 yrs...respect for one another, love, patience, forgiveness and so much more. Marriage is not 50/50, it is 100/100. You and Cody have a great future together. - Diane

8 years. My best advice is to perservere. And follow all the other advice!;) remember you are puzzle pieces not cookie cutters! ;) - Brie

Remember no one is prefect, even you. Be slow to anger, consider why the issue came about. Love is deeper than the issue, don't confuss them. Ask God to help you through not change the issue. With Him all things are possible! Been there dont that, far better to make this one work!! 26 first time and very ignorant, almost 27 second time and much more learned and still very happy. - Agnes

3 years--I'd say what has kept us going strong is always making an effort each day to put the other before our self. Also, praying together and being active in God's work together has been really important to us. Marriage is such a beautiful picture of Christ's grace and mercy. He has such an awesome journey for you and Cody! - Holly

The three C's that should be in every marriage: Christ, communication, and compromise. We will celebrate 10 yrs of marriage next month. - Desiree

1.5 years. Not going to bed angry. And being able to admit when you are wrong. - Sarah R.

18 wonderful, challenging years! Find your identity in Christ - your husband can't "complete" you; but you can compliment each other! You can make each other better people. Choose your words carefully - once it's out of your mouth you cannot take it back. Words can build up or tear down. Finally, never quit dating! Romance each other, laugh together - alot! - Julie

It's been 5 fun, learning years with Beau and I would say communication is huge. Also if you make it a point to show each other an act of appreciation, respect, or love daily, it will make life that much easier. I said easier, not perfect. One last thing... don't try to change each other to be your ideal person, there is a reason you fell in love with one another in the first place!! :) I can't wait for the big day!! - Chelsey

When you fight, fight naked! ;) --1 yr. 9 months! - Ginger

we got some great advice from our pastor and his wife right before we got married. if you are starting to argue or get frustrated with each other, take a minute to go off on your own and pray for yourself and your spouse. it humbles your attitude and reminds you in that moment that God wants you to have grace toward each other the way He shows it to us! - Christina

Im not sure I can post that on facebook without getting flagged~but it works! --married almost 17 years to my highschool sweetheart! - Ashley K.

Hi sweetie ive been married 5 years and am so happy! Just remember to not be too hard on him because your both going to mess up from time to time, but never go to bed angry and dont let him either, fighting is a part of marriage and its normal and you can get through it - Tammy

We've been married just over three years, and I think the best advice we've gotten was when a dear friend talked to us about apologizing. I'm terrible at it. He told us that apologizing is acknowledging that what you did or said ran over/hurt the other person. It doesn't mean you were necessarily wrong. This has helped me so much! There are times ... Read Morethat I know I've hurt Chad when I didn't mean to, and I simply need to recognize that I hurt him. Now, I often have to add "I was wrong" to my apology. I hope that makes since. I'm so excited for you! There is nothing more beautiful on this earth than being loved by a godly man. - Carrie

6 years - learn how you drain each other and how you fill each other up. Always work to maximize the latter. - Kevin

7 years in 2 weeks. Been a rough road only because I thought marriage just happened but really is takes a lot of work and perseverance. I second the communicate and never stop dating. And don't get too caught up in what you thought marriage should be. I am totally guilty of expecting marriage to be just like I dreamed it as a little girl. I have learned so much about reality. No one knows exactly how to be married until they learn. Be willing to forgive each other. I wish you two the best of luck:) 

- Marisa

9...when there is a time when things just don't seem right....one or both of you are not where you need to be with God.....the closer you are to HIM the closer you are to each other.....

ps. but you are not allowed to tell the other person that they are the one fallen away...unless God gives you permission.... - Nicole

So, How long have you been married and how do you make it work?!

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The Best Part of Being Married

Before I got married I took a facebook survey regarding "The Best Part of Being Married". I took everyones responses and put them in a word document for me to keep. Honestly, I haven't looked at them since that day & just found them. So I thought I'd share them with you guys...

Having constant help with any obstacle, be it emotional or physical, figurative or literal. Also, someone who loves you regardless of how you feel about yourself. And Cody is the type of man who will always see the best in you! In laws are also a great part of a healthy marriage. ♥ - Lindsey

when everything is all quiet in the night and your ready to go to bed.... rolling over and getting to put your feet and legs all over the hubby and he just grins and massages your toes (sometimes my feet and legs end up on his head too). that is the best part of being married. - Soo

Inside jokes. Planning your future together. Being poorer than you realize but being totally content in it. Learning from each other. - Amelia

Getting to wake up with you best friend every day!!! (You dont have to worry about putting make-up on or looking pretty for him) - Jody

Knowing you have someone who will love you unconditionally, who will share this journey called life with you, and most importantly, will be with you in Heaven. - Desiree

amen to all of the above. you always have someone there who understands you better than anyone in the world... Read More—someone who gets excited for you when you're excited and someone who lifts you up when you really need it. someone who is able to laugh with you about nothing and who you can say anything to without worrying about what they'll think of you. and what's amazing are the moments when all of this hits you and you realize that you get to be all of those things for him too. marriage really is incredible. - Christina

Wow, I think the best part of being married is knowing that you can conquer anything together. Just knowing that no matter what happens your best friend is there holding your hand! The number one thing is having a child together! Watching Trav play with Taylor melts my heart!!!!! - Ashley I.

Unconditional love. :) - Shawn

Having a human bed warmer. AND knowing that although he knows your secrets, bad habits, and morning breath, he still loves you more than anyone. - Kimberly

Having someone who will always be there when you need them most, and being there for them. Team married! - Rachel S.

That it gets better every year! Every year you get to know one another at a deeper level and you truly feel like one person. I don't know how God does it...but, trust your marriage to Him and it will be the most exciting (and sometimes difficult) ride of your life. And, don't ever stop dating one another! So happy for you! - Julie

So, what's the best part of being married for you?

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