A Day in My Life: October 7, 2014

Eleven months ago I did a "Day in the Life" post...and haven't done one since then!  Crazy!  

So yesterday I decided to document a day again...a very regular, very routine Tuesday....but I already enjoy going back to read my previous "Day in the Life" posts to see how much we've changed as a family, so I know I'll enjoy reading this one some day, too! 

Sorry about the photo formatting...I'm still having to use Blogger instead of Live Writer and I can't figure out photos here yet! 

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6:45 am - This is when I am supposed to wake up.  Do I? Ummmm, no. You can see I'm already basically putting my best foot forward here.  Annnnd I forgot to plug my phone in again last night (Why can't I remember to do that?? Why does my brain forget this??).  Awe.some.

7:03 - I'm up for real now.  Not saying I like it, but I'm up.  Ha! 

I head straight to the shower since my kids miraculously aren't awake yet (thank you, extra-dark fall mornings!).  Chris is home and he's started coffee.  Bless him.

7:25 - I'm showered and dressed...it's coffee time!! Fiiiiiinallly!! I'm on the Trim Healthy Mama plan so my coffee is with stevia now, not sugar.

7:30 - Luke is awake and quietly drinking his milk.  I can't find a straw anywhere so my 5-year-old is getting a toddler sippy cup.  I'm amazing.

7:35 - We pray with Luke about his day at school (he's been facing some struggles recently) and Chris leaves for work. I love, love, love the flexibility of this job he has now and how he can often see the kids before he leaves for work.  Such a blessing.

7:40 - Baby girl is up (way later than usual!!) and we're snuggled on the couch with her bottle.  Yup, she's 20 months old and takes her milk from a bottle still.  With Luke I packed away all his bottles after his first birthday because that's what you were "supposed" to do.  Now I know that it comforts her...and she drinks happily from a straw or sippy cups the rest of the day.  I realize now that it's sooo not a big deal. ;)

The bow is a small attempt to contain the mass of curls...Sister's bedhead is EPIC. :)

8:30 - Brother is safely on the school bus (A huge dog was running around the neighborhood scaring the daylights out of me (I'm terrified of dogs!!) and I was standing there at the door with him, wondering how on EARTH I was going to make it with my child safely to the school bus.  The dog stared at us from across the street but did not come close! Thank goodness we were okay! Ahhh! My heart was pounding!!)

Finally able to sip some more coffee....I've been awake for an hour and a half and I've only gotten about 2 sips so far! 

I fry up some eggs and onions for me and Liv and pull her next to me in the booster while we eat.  A friend of mine has linked to this groom dancing for his wife at their wedding and we watch this video together.  I can't help it - I'm mesmerized by people who can dance well!  Have you guys seen this?! It's seriously adorable.

Also? It's crazy to me how my kitchen is always spotless at night before bed and then it can look like this after breakfast (and Luke's lunch prep) in the morning.  Insane.

At this point the power randomly goes off for about 2 minutes and then comes back on....

I put my makeup on and do my hair while this cutie reads next to me  ;)

9:30 - We're ready to go do errands! My shirt and jeans are thrifted from the last few weeks - it's so fun to have new clothes, even if they're thrifted. ;) 

First stop - the bank to deposit a huge amount of checks from my Thirty-One party on Saturday night.  Yowsa! That's a good thing though. ;)  Liv is making sure I notice something outside the window (don't worry we were parked!!)

  

We head to Goodwill to see if they have any cute clothes (I have way more time than money, so I've been trying to pop into Goodwill once a week to browse for clothes to build my fall wardrobe.  Now that I've finallllly lost all of my baby weight from Liv (Hallelujah!!) I need more clothes (I didn't buy hardly anything last fall since I was still a little fluffy.  lol)

No luck with clothes, but I do snag this cute little frame for her room and two white milk-glass dishes.  All 3 things for $1.48 total! Yay!

Next up is the grocery store and Livi nearly hyperventilates when she gets her cookie.  Such a shame she has zero personality... ;) 

12:30 pm - We're back home! And the car is mostly unloaded.  I get Livi some lunch and she eats while I put food away.  She gets down but still munches on her pretzels, and we take some silly photos.  And then I lay her down for her nap.

12:53 - Finally...lunch for me!! I'm starving at this point, so I make up a SUPER fast wrap using leftover beans and brown rice (an E meal on THM) and take a few minutes to browse through my Thirty-One magazine for consultants.  

1:03 - I finish lunch, put the rest of the groceries away, and continue to work on my party order from Saturday.  I like to triple-check everything, especially monogrammed items.  Happy customers are my priority!  I call Lindsay to ask her about a Christmas order she's putting in and we end up talking for about an hour.  I clean the kitchen while I talk to her.  I hang up with her, check some e-mails, pick up around the house, and then Amber calls to chat for a little while, too.  

3:20 - Luke is home! yay!  He is TRHILLED that I've picked up Oreos for him while he's at school -  they were on sale, whoo hoo!) He tells me he made Mickey Mouse. :) 

He settles in to color (his most favorite thing ever - it relaxes him) and I make myself a quick THM chocolate coffee shake and work on Gideon - I'm doing this in Women's Bible Study this fall and loving it!!

I get a texted order on my phone to add to the party, so I add it and then input payments while Luke colors.  Livi is still sleeping!! Small miracle. 

Luke's moved on to cutting (which is great for him because he has fine motor issues) and I finally click "Send" on the order screen...hold my breath...it went through!! Whoo hoo!! Another party in the books. ;) 

4:30 - Liv is up and she's subdued with milk.  I let the kids watch Peppa Pig while I make dinner.  I was going to make Cheeseburger Pie but this chicken sausage was on sale at the store today, so I'm making this instead.  I chop the sausage and then fry it up with onions (mmmm smells so good!) and serve it with salad.  Chris and Liv eat a baked potato with their portions.  

5:15 - We eat. :) 

5:40 - We're done with dinner and it's on to the dishes while Chris plays "Mystery" (a game Luke created) with the kids.  It's so mundane but I take a literal step back from doing the dishes and I "choose gratitude" that we have delicious healthy food to eat and that I have a husband who loves his children so much.  

6:30ish - Chris gives the kids baths and I make myself one of my FAVORITE THM desserts: Cheesecake Berry Crunch. MMMMmmmm!! So good.  We do jammies, stories, and bedtime routines.  

7:45  - Liv is down for the night (normally it's 7, but tonight it's late since she woke up so late!) 

8:00 - Luke is down for the night too.  

8:20 - Luke cries because he wants it to be morning already and the darkness to go away. (Ha!)  Go in and talk to him.  My MIL calls to talk to Chris and I briefly.

8:30 - Send an e-mail to Luke's teacher about an issue we're dealing with at school and have Chris read it too to make sure I worded everything the right way.  

8:45 - Ahhhh, finally!! I make some vanilla herbal tea (not because I like tea but because it's warm and calorie-free! Ha!) and settle down to watch the latest Parenthood online.  Chris works next to me on his laptop at the kitchen island but is close enough to hear and laugh at the funny parts (umm, Crosby).

  

I browse Facebook when it's over. 

10:30 - I realized I start and end my days with this coffeepot!  Haha! Our favorite blend is Starbucks' Pike Place Roast.  We both like to inhale the beans at night when they're going in to the filter.  LOL

10:41 - Goodnight world! 

And there you have it....my very ordinary, very regular day.  

God is good. 

:)

I'M BAAAAAAACK!!!!!

Did you guys miss me or WHAT?!  Umm…no joke, I literally had to stop and think for a second when I turned on my computer this afternoon, because for the life of me I couldn’t remember the name of the program I have used to write out my posts for the last several YEARS.  

Oh yeah…Live Writer….. 

Haha! It has been waaaay too long!! (Ironically, I'm currently locked out of Live Writer and am using good ol' Blogger to write this!)

So….what have I been up to during my summer hiatus?!  

We had a great summer checking almost everything off our family bucket list (leaving 2 things empty by accident, which may or may not have seriously stressed out my eldest child who likes everything to be perfect and finished –lol!).

     

We went to the zoo, had beach afternoons, went to Pennsylvania to see Chris’s family, celebrated Luke turning FIVE (!!!) two times – once in CT and once in PA, and hosted friends and family here at our house for weekend visits.  

And you KNOW I decorated my house for the season, naturally… ;)

Because I just can’t help myself.  I MUST decorate seasonally. Ha!!

My “summer” Pryex – don’t worry,  there’s way more where this came from! Haha!!

May was a big month for me personally, since I both started as a consultant for Thirty-One (best “job” EVER!!) and also started the Trim Healthy Mama diet/eating plan.  Thanks to THM I’ve lost between 10-11 pounds depending on the day, and countless inches (I need to take new measurements sometime soon!)

Now we’ve entered a new phase of life with Luke as a Kindergartener.  It’s weird and different and wonderful all at the same time.  I miss him very much during the day, but we’re in week 5 of school now and thankfully that’s getting easier – or at least, I’m getting used to it.   

Chris and I jokingly titled this photo, “How everyone in our family *really* feels about Luke starting school!” :) 

I spend my days with this little cutie going to library story-time, shopping and errands, women’s Bible study, and housecleaning. 

In the afternoons and evenings I’m busy working on Thirty-One, taking care of my home and family, helping Luke with homework, and….

running.

Yes people, I run now!  It was one of my self-discipline goals earlier in the year and last time I went out I ran a mile and a half – my longest time ever!! I currently run a mile in about 11:30 so I have a loooong way to go but it has been good for me.  Considering that in the beginning of August I could barely run the length of three houses without wanting to die, this is huge progress for me! I still hate prettttty much every second of it (I have zero athletic ability and hate all sports), but it’s rewarding to both see my core tightening up – thank you, 2 c-sections – and to have that feeling of self-discipline every time I get out there and run a little farther.

Fall is here in CT and we are loving it!  Last week my in-laws came down for the weekend and we went apple-picking and celebrated Chris’s birthday (décor by Luke – lol!).  I could not for the life of me get them to both look at me  – but these two cuties loved their wagon ride from Daddy around the rows of apple trees!

 Well, I think that brings you up to speed!  My plan is to be back on a regular blogging schedule now that the fall is upon us!  I have lots of post ideas swirling around in my head that have been waiting for months to be typed out! Stay tuned! ;)

The Reason for My Blog Hiatus: Fun News! :)

Nope, I’m definitely not pregnant, and we’re not adopting…yet.  ;)

BUT I did just become an Independent Consultant for Thirty-One! YAY! 

I’ve literally been contemplating this and praying about this since February.  I’m pretty sure I’ve watched every single YouTube video about Thirty-One you could possibly watch, listened in on a new recruits call, spent hours reading posts on the Thirty-One Facebook and Pinterest pages…yeah you get the idea.  This girl is a liiiiittle obsessed! 

{Oh, and in case you’ve never heard of Thirty-One before, we sell totes, purses, thermals, bags, home organizers, etc….all in adorable prints and nearly all able to be MONOGRAMMED!  Be still my heart!!}

 

I got my first Thirty-One product at a home party in 2011 (the Organizing Utility Tote, to use as a diaper bag!) and have loved their products ever since.  Over the years I acquired a few more things, but since I didn’t personally know a consultant, my collection stayed small. 

In February, through a long series of events, I ended up getting a new {monogrammed!!!!} diaper bag to use for Olivia and fell in love with Thirty-One all over again.  I thought about it day and night and it got to the point where I couldn’t fathom NOT selling it.  I didn’t want it to just be something I owned…I loved the products and the company so much I wanted to be a bigger part of it. 

So I joined!!!!  On May 2nd, to be exact.  My enrollment kit arrived last week, and it is BEEEE-YOUTIFUL.  I am in love.  I’ve already had 2 orders, but my first “live” party is this weekend at my house.  CAN’T WAIT! 

I am *super* proud to represent a company that makes beautiful, functional, high-quality and durable products…that was also founded by a woman who shares my faith {Thirty-One comes from Proverbs 31, the chapter about the virtuous and hard-working woman}. 

 

My journey just started and I can’t wait to see where it takes me!  I keep praying so, so hard that God will let this business succeed (even if it’s small).  I just want to be a huge blessing to Chris and help contribute to our family financially!

Anyway, if you are interested in ordering anything, I’d love for you to take a look at my website!  We are currently running a crazy awesome sale on these items/prints {sadly both Fun Flops items you see below are sold out but the others are all still available}:

 

This month, the customer special is Spend $31, get any of the three thermal options below {come in multiple prints!} for 50% off!  And the awesome news is, you can use the clearance prices above ^ toward your $31 total to qualify for the monthly special!  YAY!  You can order a $20 item and a $10 item from above, throw in a $2 nail file you can find on the site, and you can qualify for ordering a special.  How fun is that?! 

 

Think about teacher gifts, graduation gifts, wedding presents {monogrammable, people!!}, and more.  We have something for nearly everyone. ;)

Anyway, if you’d like to order, shoot me an e-mail at blessedlifeblog{at}gmail{dot}com and I’ll be MORE than happy to send you my website info, how to order, etc. 

Anyone else out there in love with Thirty-One?!  What’s your favorite product?  Anyone out there never even heard of this company before?  I’d love to know that too!  lol!

 

{And soooo sorry to anyone out there who is awaiting my last Essential Oils post!  I’m so sorry…l didn’t mean to break my word about it being my next post on the blog.  Real life got in the way but it really is coming and I haven’t forgotten!!}

Thrifting It Up

You guys have heard me mention 9,564,842 million times once or twice how much I love thrifting.  It is just SO fun for me.  A hobby born out of necessity…although I did grow up yard saling with my mom so maybe it’s genetic too. ;)

Anyway, I’ve recently had some awesome scores and I wanted to share them all!  Because half the fun of getting great deals is sharing them, right?!

We traveled to PA this weekend for a family visit and Lindsay and I hit up a local church’s bag sale.  This church does a sale twice a year and basically it is THE MOTHER OF ALL GOOD DEALS.  They only charge a dollar – yes, ONE DOLLAR for anything you can shove in a paper grocery bag.  It is insane.  So people….may I present to you all that I found there for only TWO DOLLARS.  Prepare yourselves.  Hahaha ;)

First, these Madden Girl peep-toe flats!!! And they fit!!!! I mean really!

2 shirts and a scarf from Gap and an American Eagle hooded shirt {I only got one pair of shoes - they just made it in the photos twice.  lol}

Pj pants from Target and Eddie Bauer, sleep shirts from Old Navy and Gap, a pink Penn State shirt and THE SOFTEST vintage sweatshirt ever.  I will be living in this thing come November. ;)

For Liv some Old Navy pjs and assorted clothes from OshKosh, Cherokee, and Children’s Place.  An adorable fall shirt for Luke. And a vintage homemade elephant pillow case I seriously just could NOT pass up!

Wait, I’m not done!!!! ;) 

S&P shakers, milk-glass mug, vintage Tupperware bowls {great for painting days for Luke!}, a Glasbake divided dish {matches a pattern I already have}, and a super awesome vintage coral ice cream scoop that works awesome for muffin batter {yup, I used it this morning!}

I also got a working fan, a cute little “lunchbox” for Livi to play with {she already loves walking around the house with it}, a big roll of butcher paper and a Nordic Ware cookie sheet {needs a good scrubbing but it is hefty!}

So seriously…..TWO DOLLARS, you guys!  Isn’t that insane?!  See why it’s basically my favorite church sale everrrrr?!

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Nothing can ever top that sale, really, but in the last month I’ve also had some other good finds:

This sweet little dress with bloomers was $3 at Goodwill and the metal caddy was either 49 cents or 99 cents {can’t remember}.  I filled it with grass as you already saw from my Easter post. 

I also go to a bi-annual huge kids’ consignment sale with my friend Amber and a few weeks ago I scored all of these pieces for $114 for the kids.  That’s 37 items….some still with tags on! Happy dance! :) The Saturday before we went we did a yard sale and I was able to make $214…so it was all more than paid for! :)

I also have been loving the clearance deals at Target lately: new lampshades for my bedroom re-do were only $5.98 each {aren’t they gorgeous?!}

And assorted gift supplies and a glass water bottle for me were only $5.62 for everything below!

Oh and lastly this isn’t a sale price but it’s better than most sales: these big grosgrain bows were on a huge end-cap at my local Wal-Mart in the baby aisle for ONE DOLLAR!  Stock up mommas! :)

I’m so grateful to have found all these good deals to help my family out!  I could never ever afford 90% of this stuff full-price but we are able to enjoy it all greatly reduced.  Thank goodness I like thrifting as a hobby, right?!  ;)

Linking up my fun finds with the Thrifty Treasures party over at Southern Hospitality!