LIVIN THE LIFE

House for rent

2011-12-29T10:04:00.000-05:00

Our house is for rent!! It's 1343 Laurel Ave Toledo OH 43614

Available in February

$700/month + utilities

2 bedrooms
1 bath
living room
dining room
kitchen
huge walk-in closet
finished basement with laundry room
appliances included (including washer, dryer & a portable dishwasher)
1 car garage
great big back yard
screened in front porch

no smokers or pets please :)
email me for more info shuboo19@aol.com

why i love these shows

2011-09-30T23:58:00.000-04:00

your lying if you tell me that you didn't get goosebumps

get pumped

2011-09-03T09:36:00.002-04:00

i have to try this!

2011-08-26T22:20:00.001-04:00

head scarf tutorial

2011-08-22T16:34:00.000-04:00

here's another cute idea for your scarves-- i will def do this one!! click here now!

DIY Turban

2011-08-22T16:16:00.000-04:00

turn your scarf into a turban---i don't know if i have what it takes to rock this look but i might at least have to try it at home anyway and possibly go out where i know i wont run into anyone i know just to see if it works.

here's another diy that might be more helpful-- diy turban

no heat curls

2011-08-11T22:18:00.001-04:00

tried it--it works and it's going to be my go-to style!

awwww

2011-08-01T00:00:00.000-04:00

David & Victoria Beckhams little baby girl Harper Seven

i know it's old news but i just love this photo

i can not wait to see this little girl grow up because we all know she's going to be the cutest thing ever

i like this

2011-07-31T23:50:00.003-04:00

apples & pears

2011-06-06T21:45:00.000-04:00

my first attempt at making elli's baby food was so fun! i made apples & pears. It was so easy! Now she's been eating store bought baby food for a month now because she got a bunch for easter presents but we ran out of fruit so i decided to make my own. Up until now some of her favorites have been pears, sweet potatoes, bananas, berry smoothie. Here's what i did...

peeled and cut apples & pears into chunks (make sure to get sweet apples)
boiled for 20 mins (just until tender)
added some cinnamon & nutmeg
pureed in my new food processor (score! $40 at target)
put into baby food containers and freeze
--I used 3 apples & 2 pears and it made 6 jars--

now----elli must be some kind of food snob because she hated it! i was so surprised! i think i may have gotten apples that weren't sweet and too bitter. this was so fun but unfortunately not too successful. I'm not giving up though. I'm going to keep trying! I'll keep making small amounts for now until I know what she likes, just so i dont waste.

next im going to try some of these:

just pears

sweet carrots

peas

peaches

sweet potatoes

avacado

wish me luck!

2011-06-01T22:26:00.002-04:00

shes dedicated

Dinner at La Scola

2011-05-16T17:50:00.000-04:00

married 4 years

drinking a huge sangria that was sooo fantastic

eating a salad with vinaigrette dressing

& Nick's chicken marsala

my manicotti w/ pesto, marinara, & alfredo sauce

& nick's potato lasagna (potatoes with cheese & alfredo sauce)

this was the best meal i've had in a long time!

not pictured: hot mama bread and caramel cheesecake--yea we ate like barbarians!

anniversary

2011-05-13T17:14:00.000-04:00

Thursday was our 4 year wedding anniversary. Nick & I both had to work but we had a morning date at Plate 21 before work. Elli joined us...duh.

Elli's eating big girl food now- bananas!

for me: apple pie & ice water

for nick: everything bagel w/ cream cheese & strawberry smoothie

so good!

this girl....

We are going to go on an actual date tomorrow night w/o Elli. Im looking forward to some hubby time!

Sleep training

2011-05-03T22:25:00.003-04:00

Our precious little 6 month old Elliot does not like to fall asleep on her own. We've tried everything! Rocking, using a fan, white noise machine, the swing, swaddles, "shushhing", vibrating infant chair, soothing lights....ughhhh!
Most of all of these techinques work to get her to sleep but the second we put her down in her crib she wakes up crying so we'd pick her up and keep trying until eventually she gets so worn out that she'd stay asleep. This became a 1-2 hour process getting her down at night. We decided that this was no way to live and we need to teach her how to fall asleep on her own so she could be more independent!

So here is what we do now:
keep her on a routine (as much as you can do with a 6 month old). I get home from work around 8 pm so we decided to make her bedtime 9. This way I'm able to nurse her before bed and see her for a bit before bedtime.

So I get home, give her a bath around 8:15 then I swaddle & nurse her around 8:35. She nurses until about 9. Then I lay her down in her crib (she's usually either sleeping or very drowsy), she will usually give me a look and either start crying or just close her eyes again and start crying 10 mins later. I turn on her noise machine to the "ocean" sound.

So if she starts crying, I just have to let her cry. There's probably been 4-5 times that she hasn't cried at all in the last week. She's never cried for more than 20 mins. It's bad! It was a lot harder in the beginning but after a week it's a little bit easier to stand. I know she's dry and fed so shes absolutely fine. So she usually cries between 5-20 mins. By the end of her cries they slow down and she eventually gives in to her sleep.

Some people dont like the cry it out method but it's the only thing that has worked for us and she is learning how to self-soothe and it really makes a difference in her length of sleep. She sleeps between 10-12 hours a night because if she wakes up in the night she doesn't freak out, she's able to fall back asleep on her own.

She's getting much better at falling asleep now...she naps a little better and she cries for less time, the goal eventually is to have no crying but even if its just a couple of mins i will be happy.

We are so lucky that she sleeps so long at night! I talk to other moms with babies her age and they aren't as lucky. Her naps aren't very long, 2 naps 1 hour each...but once in awhile she'll go an hour & a half or 2 hours.

Thanks for all of the advice from my fellow mommys out there! It was all really helpful!

Elliot 2 weeks old when I could barely keep her awake--miss those days sometimes! ha!

Catherine

2011-05-03T22:24:00.001-04:00

I know it's old news but isn't she lovely?

30 photos

2011-04-18T21:52:00.012-04:00

I saw this over at Dream on Haley and thought it would be fun to do...enjoy.

01/ someone you spend a lot of time with- this little girl

02 / a picture of you

03 / a random picture of you and your sig. other

04 / a picture of something that makes you happy

05 / an old picture of you

06 / a picture of your sibling/s

07 / a picture you never posted on your blog before

08 / a picture of a person you miss

09 / a picture of people who know you now and then

10 /picture of your fav place- Yangs with the fam

11 / a person you can tell everything to

12 / a picture of your everyday life- me in my robe with elli

13 / a picture from a place you love- anywhere with my hubby

14 / a picture that reminds you of great times- road trip with friends

15 / a class photo- cant find one
16 / a picture from the best day of your life- ellis birthday

17 / a picture that always makes you laugh

18 / a picture of your spare time- going to concerts!

19 / a picture from a great night- wings game

20 / a picture of the people who are closest to you

21 / someone you always have a good time with

22 / my parents when they were your age

23 / picture from last summer

24 / closest friend of the opposite sex

25 / me on my fav vacation- honeymoonin

25 / a picture of an accomplishment- being prego

26 / picture of your closest friends

27 / random picture from photobooth- cant find one.
29 / photo that makes you smile

30 / someone you will never let go of

HGTV Green Home Giveaway

2011-04-16T22:03:00.002-04:00

It's that time again! Another sweepstakes to win a brand new home in Denver, Colorado, a 2011 GMC Terrain, & $100,000!!! Enter here & here once a day until June 2nd for your chance to win!! It's a beautiful home---I hope I win this time! ha....ya never know.

life update

2011-04-10T22:58:00.003-04:00

hey ya'll! life has been a bit crazy lately which is why i haven't blogged lately. Here's what i've been up to....

bad news:

Nick's dad had a stroke on april 1st- it was a very scary 24 hrs but he's so much better now. he has surgery tomorrow b/c his carotid arteries are 98% blocked so please pray that surgery goes well.
We found out that Nick's old dog IKE died a couple of months ago. (he was with a new owner for that last 6 mos.) He lived a long 14 years and will be missed.

good news:

Elliot has been a very happy baby lately which means i've been a very happy mom :)

The weather is getting me so very excited for summer! Can't wait!

With all of my father in laws craziness, his dad and dad's wife are in town from FL and it's been sooo nice visiting with them. We love them so much and I'm happy that they get to see Elli while she's still a little babe.
Elli now sleeps between 10-12 hours a night! WOOHOOO! Now if we could only take better naps during the day...

easy sweets

2011-03-15T11:23:00.003-04:00

Im not much of a baker these days with Elliot needing so much mommy time...so I've learned to find other "baked goods" to make that are sooo delicious and easy! Here are my two favorite sweet treats to eat:

Nestle Toll House Jumbo break-n-bake cookies--- love these so much!! I like the jumbo ones bc it only makes one dozen so you don't end up eating a billion cookies all by yourself!

Martha White Cinnamon Streusel Cake Mix--Good stuff! I make this in a bread loaf pan instead and bake it for a couple of extra minutes. It's so good and moist!! The best when it's still warm with a little butter melted on top.

Give them a try! Sorry I'm not the betty crocker type- maybe someday....

bloggin

2011-03-14T11:00:00.005-04:00

I just love reading blogs! I just got a few more added to my list recently i they're great. So I have to share some with you:

baby blogs--
dear baby
baby blackbird
i heart baby

fashion blogs--
see jane
kendi everyday
bluebird vintage-- baby & fashion

enjoy!! If you have any more good ones let me know!!

POTD #15

2011-02-21T20:37:00.001-05:00

STINKER FACE

Shopping for spring/summer!

2011-02-20T17:17:00.004-05:00

We went shopping yesterday...got some good deals for spring/summer clothes for the babe!

These 2 skirts are from The Children's Place for $10 each.

These next 3 things are from Old Navy. The one piece was $4.99 and the dresses were $10 each.

We got some other stuff--way too much! Girls dresses are just too cute!

HGTV Dream Home 2011

2011-02-01T19:01:00.002-05:00

I'm a little late in the game this year but it only takes one entry to win right?

The 15th annual HGTV Dream Home grand prize includes:

A custom-built, luxuriously furnished modern mountain home located in Stowe, Vermont
$500,000
A new 2011 GMC Acadia Denali
High-end appliances

You can enter to win twice a day. Once here & once here until Feb. 18. Good luck!

Praise baby Jesus

2011-01-26T17:04:00.001-05:00

OMG! This is hilarious! I couldn't believe it when i saw it--i still can't get over it!

POTD #14

2011-01-17T12:04:00.002-05:00

did i mention i have a crush on Gwyneth Paltrow? Well i do....this cover is from 09 but i love her hair here. If i had the courage i'd cut mine like this.

fashion for Elliot

2011-01-15T19:43:00.002-05:00

yup i bought this yesterday at carters online for $8.49

cant wait for summer and dresses for Elliot!!!!

The Band Perry

2011-01-15T18:57:00.001-05:00

Love this song......... "If I Die Young"- The Band Perry

baby must haves

2011-01-12T19:49:00.007-05:00

1.AVENT NIPPLE PROTECTERS
I know, this might be a little personal but what the hell- these things saved my life! Breastfeeding was the hardest thing in the beginning, so painful and frustrating until i got nipple guards. Im not going to describe them, so google it if you want more info but all i know is that they are the only reason I was able to nurse Elliot and I'm so thankful for them!!!!

2. MY LITTLE LAMB CRADLE & SWING
I love the swing we have for Elli. Its a swing & cradle so it can be adjusted to sway or swing. She hated the swing until she was about one month old, now it's the perfect helper when I want to clean or shower.

3. MUNCHKIN CRIB LIGHT

This was a lifesaver in the very beginning and still helps a lot still. It plays a heartbeat sound to help soothe and lights up in all different colors to entertain baby. Elli likes to be "shhhhushhed" so the sound is great when I feel like im going to pass out from "shhhhing" for 10 mins. It has a "voice activated" setting too which is great for when they start fussing.

4. CARTERS SOOTHE N' SLEEP BASSINET
I mean this is essential for us because it's what she's sleeping in right now. We will put her in the crib when shes sleeping through the night (soon i hope). I like the one we got because its pretty and easy to wheel around and has storage underneath for diapers.

5. SOOTHE & GLOW SEAHORSE
She got this for Christmas and its our new favorite toy. We take it with us when we leave the house. It lights up and plays 5 different tunes.

6. SWADDLES
Elliot has to be swaddled to sleep at night usually, if not her arms flying around keeps her up. We've used blankets and the special swaddles with velcro. We prefer the velcro ones-they're easier to do and harder for Elli to get out of.

Halo Sleepsack Swaddle (we got this free from the hospital)

7. MEDELA PUMP IN STYLE BREAST PUMP
This works great! Very easy to use and Medela has a ton of great products to go along with it to make life easier (like freezer bags, and cleaning wipes). This will be my new best friend when I have to go back to work!

8. MYLICON GAS DROPS
Our little woman has sooo much gas and it really makes her uncomfortable so these gas drops are a must! A lot of babies have gas and it can even get as bad as colic (pretty sure Elli is colicky...poor girl) so doctors say gas drops can help relieve the gas.

9. BOPPY
I love my boppy, it's great for nursing and even just plopping Elli in there to lounge around on. My only complaint is that it wraps around me too much...I need one that isn't as long i guess.

10. BOPPY WATERPROOF LINERS
We use these all of the time!! We have one on her changing pad and her bassinet. She's definately peed and pooped while being changed and these things are much easier to clean then stripping off a sheet or cover.

"home is wherever im with you"

2011-01-09T11:01:00.003-05:00

father & daughter....gave me chills...pure joy!

Oh Johnny boy..

2011-01-07T18:18:00.000-05:00

John Mayer is looking pretty crazy these days eh?

water for elephants

2011-01-01T18:37:00.001-05:00

looks pretty good don't ya think?

Elliots birthday!

2010-12-29T20:41:00.002-05:00

Elliot's birth story November 8th, 2010

8:30 am my water broke while i was in bed sleeping (not a huge burst, thank god). It was a weird "pop pop" sound so i jumped up and ran to the bathroom. Woke Nick up freaking out! I wasn't quite sure if it was really it, so i called Lyndsay and got some advice then called my doctor. She said go to the hospital, so i got in the shower and we were off to the hospital. I was so excited I had that feeling in my tummy that i used to get when I was a kid and i knew we were going on a field trip the next day and couldn't sleep. haha! It was perfect timing too because the day before we got a big painting project done on our basement! Thank you Jesus!

We got to the hospital at 9:30, my contractions were about 5 mins apart and they weren't too bad yet. I was dilated 2 cm.

I got into my room shorty after and the contractions were getting stronger and closer together. I did ok with breathing through the pain but by noon i was 4cm and ready for the epidural. I knew i wanted to wait as long as i could before i got the epidural but when there was no relief between contractions i couldn't stand it anymore.

After the epidural i was good to go! Instant relief! The nurse checked me a couple of hours later and i was only 6cm. I wasn't happy because i felt like it was taking forever. I just had to hang in there, at least i wasn't in pain.

About 3 hrs later they checked me again and i was 10 cm! I was so happy--it went so fast in the end! So it was time to start pushing. I did some practice pushes for awhile, then it was the real deal. After some big pushes Elliot Rae was here at 6pm 6 lbs. 15 oz. 21 inches long. It was the best day of my life! I had such a pleasant experience with my labor & delivery im so grateful for that! Thinking back to everything makes me very happy...it was such a miracle- the whole process is unbelievable and it's so crazy how everything happens perfectly to make a little precious baby.

I was so happy and Nick was just so proud and excited that we just stared at Elliot for the rest of the night.

Recovery was hard- I didn't think I'd be that sore but i sure was. I stayed in bed for the next couple of days letting nick handle diapers and i did feedings.

I would do it all over again for sure! I'm so thankful to God for such a healthy and perfect baby girl!

Peyton & Elliot

2010-12-28T13:30:00.001-05:00

This is Peyton & Elliot--they are best friends just like their mothers!

boots

2010-12-27T11:11:00.001-05:00

Elliot got these cute boots for Christmas from her grandma...love them!

mommyhood

2010-12-15T18:08:00.004-05:00

So it's been awhile since i've posted- and im sure you know why! ELLIOT RAE is here and my life has been a crazy, but beautiful mess! She's 5 weeks old and we just went to the doctor today and she's a whopping 9lbs. 6 oz. ( she weighed 6 lbs. 15 oz at birth). She's getting so big, i cant believe shes been here for over a month already- it flew by!

Shes doing a lot more interacting these days- smiling, making more noises and it's a lot of fun! I like to do photo shoots with her haha it's fun- i have a billion pictures of her already (im sure you've seen them all on fbook).

Im going to write a post about her birth story soon, but dont have the time for that right now.

Other than being a mom now, not much is going on. Just getting ready to spend Christmas with family and friends. Im really looking forward to it! Ill try to be better about posting again...

heads up

2010-11-19T14:00:00.002-05:00

heads up: Justin Timberlake will be on Ellen on Monday! Im sure it will be great! He's my favorite!

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T14:32:00.001-04:00

Happy Halloween!!!

(nick painted this pumpkin-hes pretty good yea?)

we dressed up as Juno & Bleeker!!

POTD #13

2010-10-21T09:59:00.002-04:00

Glee Gone Wild----whoooaaa!

I love me some JT

2010-10-06T19:51:00.001-04:00

Too Cute!!

2010-09-21T21:37:00.002-04:00

ruffle butts

2010-09-21T11:07:00.002-04:00

So I have a little problem, I look at a website daily called babysteals.com and it has one new sale item every day at 11 am. Well I bought these ruffle butt bloomers today. They're normally $20 but I got them for $9.50-- I just couldn't resist!! I cant be looking at this website anymore this is the 3rd thing I've bought. I'm done- mark my words!!

aren't they sooo cute! I got her 6-12 mos size so she can wear them next summer!!!

Fashion

2010-09-19T12:12:00.001-04:00

My 2 favorite dresses from fashion's night out! So cute!

Ruche

2010-09-14T23:31:00.003-04:00

A friend of mine told me about this RUCHE website and it's perfect! Check it out!
Here's the description given on their website:

"RUCHE is a modern women's boutique with a vintage touch. We try to find items that are new, in-style, trendy, yet still inspired by a vintage look. We handpick each product to give you the perfect selection of clothing, accessories and more."

here are 2 of my favorites from the SALE section, both around $30.

Now most of their items are still summer but they have a fall lookbook with crazy cute stuff and also some other fall stuff under "new arrivals".

Ellen is back!

2010-09-14T11:03:00.003-04:00

Im so happy that Ellen's new season is finally here! I've missed her so much over the summer! Her season premiere was fantastic i must say, including Justin Timberlake, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Usher & Katy Perry. I'm so happy she's back!!!!

This week on Ellen:
Tues: Lauren Graham, Usher, Cast of Jersey Shore, Dancers from SYTYCD
Wed: Jane Lynch, Daughtry
Thurs: Ben Affleck, Mike Posner
Fri: Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen, winner of Americas Got Talent

chick movies

2010-09-12T13:45:00.003-04:00

Ive recently watched some chick flicks- some good, some bad.

First, I was really excited about seeing "Going the Distance" with Drew & Justin. Well, i was disappointed. It was a great story with great actors but a lot of unnecessary "weiner" jokes and F bombs. It was so weird because the trailer led me to believe it was one thing and the movie was a whole different scene. I don't mind dirty jokes if they're funny but most of the random dirty jokes in this movie were out of place and awkward. Bummer. I give this 3/5 stars.

Next I watched "Backup Plan" with JLO. This was a rental. I watched this when i was at the doctors office for a lab test that took me 3 hrs!!! (torture) Anyways, this was a really cute movie. I obviously could relate because its about pregnancy, but it was really funny and soo true! Plus Alex O'Laughlin was in this movie and I've never seen him before. He's so cute! I have nothing bad to say about this movie- typical romantic comedy. 4.5/5 stars.

Now this last movie is a little embarrassing to admit that i watched it, only because Miley Cyrus was in it. "The Last Song" was another rental. Minus Miley this was a pretty good movie. I always love a good family bonding movie with a sad ending. I love Greg Kinnear who played the father- he's great. I cried a little bit, it got to me a bit because I could relate with the sadness. It was a good cry though- cute movie. 4/5 stars.

Avett Brothers

2010-09-01T16:33:00.000-04:00

i'd like to share this with you all- a friend shared it with me.

etsy

2010-08-24T22:41:00.002-04:00

i love this Etsy website! If your not hip to it yet you need to check it out. Its a place where you can buy handmade things from other artists. I'm always adding things to my favorites list but tonight i made my very first purchase.

I got this cute birdy pillow for the baby's room (to put on the glider). They've got great stuff on Etsy--im hooked!

tutu tutorial

2010-08-11T21:57:00.004-04:00

I made these cute little tutus for my friend Lyndsay's new baby girl Peyton.
These were so simple to make and were only about $10 for both. (these things sell for up to $35 in stores)

Here's how to do it:

buy whatever color you want of toole in the spools. if you cant find them in spools then just get it by the yard. (the brighter the better b/c it never looks as bright as is does all wrapped up on a spool- my light pink looked white)

2. You will also need to by elastic bands, either by the yard or in a bundle. Using a hot glue gun, glue the waistband into a circle to fit the size of baby/child you want.

3. Now you cut the toole down the center (if its on the spool) and cut them in strips to the length you want. If you bought it by the yard just cut into strips about 2" wide.
4. Tie the toole around the elastic in a knot with the 2 tails hanging down to create the skirt. Make sure you push the knot to the bottom.
5. Do this in any pattern or color until you fill the whole band up nice & fluffy.

THE END

People these days...

2010-08-06T14:03:00.002-04:00

I swear the minute I got pregnant people started saying the most outrageous things to me ever. It's weird how they think that I want to automatically hear all about their pregnancy stories just because I'm pregnant. Don't get me wrong, I like to learn and listen to certain people but when complete strangers tell me very detailed things about delivery it kinda freaks me out.
For example...yesterday I was at Jo Anne Fabrics and the lady at the register was one of those TMI tellers.

She first asked when I was due to get the convo started and i told her. She then goes on to tell me that when she was pregnant with her son who is now 29, she craved so much sour stuff. Like grapefruit- but she couldn't eat grapefruit because she'd get yeast infections from it, and she had yeast infections through her whole pregnancy yadda yadda. She kept going and going for a good 4 minutes talking about all her cravings and her multiple pregnancies. I was like is this lady seriously tell me about her yeast infections---gross!

Another woman, who is one of my good clients, responded to my pregnancy news by telling me that she thought my face looked fuller.---thanks Mary, you're so sweet! haha This didn't bother me too much I thought it was funny. If you knew her you'd understand. She'll say anything on her mind and I lover her for it.

I don't like a ton of attention so as my belly continues to grow, I'm getting more and more looks from people. It's not my favorite but I can deal. I'm sure as I get even bigger it will get even more crazy!

I feel loved

2010-07-30T00:49:00.003-04:00

One of my most favorite clients ever got me a wonderful present today! She got me a Vera Bradley bag to use as a diaper bag. I really like the colors and i think it will be perfect for me! She's so sweet and I love her! She always gets me gifts and I'm so thankful that she is my loyal client & friend!

Zac Brown Band @ the Toledo Zoo

2010-07-15T09:33:00.003-04:00

We were lucky enough to go to the Zac Brown concert at the zoo. The night just kept getting better & better too. I'll explain....

First off, we have friend that works there and was able to sneak us and 2 friends in for free through a sneaky gate.
Tickets= $0

Then once we got inside our friend gave us tons of tickets for drinks and a few tickets for food
Eating & Drinking= $0

So we didn't technically have seats b/c no tickets, so we planned on just finding open seats to take. But then our friend got us "relocated" to floor seats.
Great Seats= awesome

So by the end of the night, I was very very satisfied with the concert and the free corndog I got. Thanks to our friend for being a baller!

My favorite song of the night was "free" b/c he mixed in a little Van Morrison "into the mystic" with it and it was amazing!

It's Kind Of A Funny Story- Sept. 24th

2010-07-15T09:30:00.001-04:00

This looks like a great movie- i'm excited for this one!

my wonderful EMT hubby

2010-07-09T10:37:00.002-04:00

Crazy story....

Nick & I were at meijer doing some late night shopping the other day and it was quite an event.

This mentally handicap man had a seizure and fell to the ground hitting his head.bad.really bad.

We heard the screams from his sister/caretaker and went over to help in some way. I told the woman that Nick was in school to be a paramedic so maybe he could help until the EMS got there.

There was a lot of blood (I was about to pass out) but all Nick could do was hold this large man down on the ground and keep him from moving. I guess when you have a head trauma you shouldn't move in case its a spinal injury. Nick couldn't do much because of this but hold him down and keep him on his side so he could breath.

The EMS got there and got him on the stretcher and said he would be ok. He suffers from a condition that causes seizures if he doesn't take his medicine and he didn't take it that day.

It was cool to see Nick in his zone and stepping up to help this man and calm the sister down. It was crazy b/c everyone saw the blood and ran away and didn't want to help, but Nick knew he had to at least assess the situation and make sure the man didn't need CPR or something.

Since Nick was a good samaritan we got a $10 gift card to Meijer from the manager who was very thankful for Nicks kindness.

Bath Update

2010-07-03T22:07:00.006-04:00

So back in the winter we needed to remodel our bathroom. The ceiling had water damage and we needed to add an exhaust fan. Nick took on this project himself with the help from friends. He had to tear down the entire ceiling and put up new drywall along with the fan. I did some updating of my own with a new mirror, light fixture and I painted the vanity and added new hardware. We finished this up a few months ago. Now that its finally done, here are the before and after pictures.

BEFORE.....

AFTER....

How we are onto the next projest which is finishing our 325 sq. foot basement. This will be a big one!!! We hope to have it done before baby comes in November! We'll see.

total ECLIPSE of my heart

2010-06-30T22:07:00.004-04:00

Of course I saw Eclipse last night at midnight-duh! So here's what I loved and hated...

loved:

that the 13 yr old girls next to me weren't annoying just humorous. they asked me if i was team edward or jacob and we got to talking about that for a bit...they were cute
all the action in the movie--it came at just the right time of the movie as my eyes were getting really heavy
eclipse is the best story so far out of the saga (my fav book is breaking dawn) so i just really enjoyed seeing the images from the book in this story
there were a lot of flashback stories about the cullen family members and that was great (especially Rosalie's)
jacobs humor
charlies humor (love him)

hated:

waiting in line for an hour outside (boooo)
the Paranormal Activity 2 trailer that I had to witness for 5 seconds before I closed my eyes
Bella had to wear a wig because of her mullet from The Runaways- and boy was it bad! Some scenes were worse than others but it was disappointing.
waking up at 7 after getting home at 2:30am
the new Victoria actress' hair- like the old girls hair way better

Breakfast at Tiffany's

2010-06-26T19:27:00.005-04:00

I am obsessed with all things that are tiffany blue. Ive been reading alot of blogs lately...i mean alot. And most of them are baby blogs with super cute nursery ideas- and i cant tell you how beautiful they are. I've fallen in love with a few that use the tiffany blue color. So I decided, depending on the sex of this nugget, I will be painting at least one room of the nursery tiffany blue.

movie night with rock

2010-06-25T22:17:00.002-04:00

today i worked til 5, went shopping- managed to score 2 new pairs of shoes at shoe carnival on clearance, stopped at target, came home to rock (nicks working late) and made a delicious sofos pizza! Yummy!

Then I put in a movie- "Remember Me".....

I really enjoyed this movie. I wanted to see it in the theater when it first came out but never made it. I didn't know much about the movie before i put it in- I just knew there was some sadness along the way somewhere.

It was sad!

But sooo good (and not only bc Rob was in it).

I recommend it- most definitely.

Now I'm onto a couple of other movies this weekend. 1. Green Zone 2. Youth in Revolt

I'll let you know how those go next time.

P.S.- Monday we get to find out whether im incubating a little lad or a fine young lady- stay tuned!

yum yum

2010-06-15T10:11:00.004-04:00

So everyone keeps asking me if i have any weird cravings--here are some but they aren't too weird yet.

yum yum
oh i almost forgot I could eat this everyday if i allowed it

Just keep swimming

2010-05-29T09:36:00.003-04:00

After much convincing, we got a pool! It's the perfect size to just float around in! I'm so pumped to use it all summer. It's about 3 ft. deep and 13 ft. wide- pretty substantial! I was out floating for the first time yesterday and got a little pink in some areas that the sunscreen missed. I'll have to be more careful with this super-white super-sensitive skin next time i guess.

Summer movie preview- cant wait!

2010-05-22T17:40:00.002-04:00

Going the Distance-Aug 27

Easy A- Sept 17

Inception- July 16

You Again- Sept 24

3 year anniversary

2010-05-21T11:35:00.003-04:00

May 12th was our 3 year anniversary! It doesn't seem that long ago that we got married!
To celebrate we went on a date.

We ate at the yummy

He got me some of these

and I got him a gift card to get one of these

which nick wasn't as excited about getting a massage as i thought he'd be...he thinks it's weird having a stranger massage you--he's freakin crazy! I will make him go because he doesn't know what he's missing!

Sores be gone

2010-05-20T10:56:00.003-04:00

This post is a little random but I feel that I need to share my discovery. Ever since I was younger, I would always get canker sores, especially when I got braces and would get cuts in my mouth...or if I ever bit my cheek I almost always would get a sore there. Some people are just way more susceptible to them and I was one of them. I used to think it was because I eat a lot of acidic food but I learned that there is something called sodium lauryl sulfate found in almost all toothpastes that causes canker sores.

So I bought this Sensodyne Pronamel toothpaste that doesn't have sodium lauryl sulfate in it. It was literally the only toothpaste I could find without this ingredient.

I haven't had a canker sore since I started using it about 6 months ago!!! So if you're like me---try this stuff and see if it helps you too!

prego

2010-05-15T15:15:00.003-04:00

Im pregnant! 13 weeks today. I just wanted to start by saying just because im pregnant doesn't mean im going to turn this into one of those baby blogs (no offense to them, i like them but its not my style). But at the same time, of coarse I will share my baby life with you all in moderation. Last monday i had my first ultrasound. I was 11 weeks at the time and the baby was approx. 2.5 inches long. It was super cool to watch! The baby was moving all around, stretching it's legs and arms out- it was pure joy!

So here is baby T's debut picture....

It's a profile shot so you can see the face with the nose and eye. It's so crazy that they can get this photo and the baby is only 2.5 inches long!!! AHHHHH! When I start to think about it my mind goes far far away--the whole process of a baby in my stomach growing is just total insanity. God is good!

OH-IO

2010-05-15T11:13:00.000-04:00

eclipse trailer #2

2010-04-25T22:19:00.001-04:00

Gross...

2010-03-18T11:55:00.003-04:00

All I'm going to say is if you have to apologize to anyone after a night of drinking- maybe you should slow down and get your crap together! Is it worth it? Really? Gross...

Greektown

2010-03-18T11:44:00.002-04:00

We went to Greektown last week for a couple of nights, it was very fun! We went to a Red Wings game (boo they lost) and did some gambling. We didn't win anything, we lost about $50 but it was fun- i played roulette and the nickel slots, while nick loved blackjack. We were winning at one point but like any gambler- you play long enough then you start to lose. We ate some good food-pizza papalis, hard rock cafe, and other jip joints. It was an overall nice time, nick and i needed to get away and have some fun. The hotel we stayed at was beautiful! The only negative of the trip was in MI they can smoke anywhere so that was gross, and we were planning a shopping trip for the day we left but I was sick so we couldn't go. That's ok though!

Good Deals

2010-03-14T12:18:00.004-04:00

Lauren Conrad (my fashion hero) has her collection for sale at Kohls. It's very reasonably priced too- $39 for dresses, $10-$20 for tops. I looked on Kohls website and theres not too many pieces in her collection but they're all pretty cute!

Liberty of London is at Target right now--love the commercials they have too because it gets me pumped for summer with all of the bright colors. I don't love everything they have but i do love all of the bold floral prints in the home decor. Some of the dresses are cute, but i like the home stuff better.

its here

2010-03-11T16:32:00.001-05:00

I am...

2010-02-28T19:01:00.003-05:00

Here's what I am doing these days...
excited about getting a week off work in 5 days, Zach Galifianakis on SNL 3/6
worried about nick getting his homework done
reading the Love Dare
loving hanging out with my doggie Rock
hating all of the snow in toledo
wondering who will Jake pick? haha!
shocked about our fairly large tax return
craving PF Changs lettuce wraps and warm weather
listening to Carrie Underwood-getting ready for her concert!
watching lots of sad movies (netflix recommendation- "Boys are back" w/ Clive Owen)
DVR-ing so much! (American Idol, Shear Genius, Project Runway, Amazing Race, Ellen)

(I got this list idea from my friend ali @ ali in lala land)

Rob & Kristen- it's official?

2010-02-28T18:51:00.001-05:00

So reports are finally saying that Rob admitted to being exclusive with Kristen. But they've been told by producers from Twilight to keep it hush hush so it doesn't become a distraction for them while they are still in contract for the next 2 movies. No juicy pictures have been shot of them actually snuggling except this one of them holding hands.
I just realized i sound like a celeb gossip reporter and i feel a little pathetic.....

Love Jessica's New Hair

2010-02-25T22:42:00.003-05:00

I love her short new haircut! Good for her-she's one good looking mother!!
On the other hand, I saw Valentines Day and it wasn't good, i knew it would be cheesy but it was just dumb.....sorry, i tried to like it.

Well Played Kristen

2010-02-25T22:39:00.001-05:00

Kristen Stewert has really been sassing it up lately and I'm proud of her! She still needs some hair advice but her stylist is making her look very good lately!!

my 42inch love

2010-02-17T23:56:00.003-05:00

I've been catching up on sooo many of my shows that air on HBO, Showtime, or DirecTV.

Season 2 True Blood- Way too much gross sex for my liking, I thought season 1 was racy, season 2 blew that one out of the water. It was a little more evil than I would have liked too. Too much dark god stuff for me- very religious this season and it was interesting. I still hate how "Bill" talks. Ugh! I don't know why I even watch this show- I think I just love Sookie.

Season 4 Friday Night Lights- I just love love love this show! I really enjoy all of the new characters they introduced. I like where everything is going, I wish I could be more like Tami Taylor- she's my idol! A little bummed about not seeing some of the old cast as much (especially Matt) but a positive was that Tim Riggins stuck around this season!

Season 4 Dexter- I already spoke on this one! CRAZY ASS ENDING!! Cant wait to see what happens next!

What am I looking forward to?
Glee
90210 (i know its a disgrace)

Mini-Vacation w/ my hubby

2010-02-09T20:47:00.004-05:00

In a few weeks, me and Nick are going to...

for a couple nights to stay at this hotel...

and eat at this bistro.....

and sleep in this fluffy bed...

and lastly, going to see these guys play...!

Hooray for getting out with my husband!!!!

3 days til Dear John

2010-02-02T23:42:00.001-05:00

The Dear John Premiere was on Monday in Hollywood. I'm jazzed about this movie! (if you didn't already know by all of my blogging about it)

POTD #12

2010-01-31T23:55:00.003-05:00

This friday i'll be going to see Dear John because of this:
(and because it looks very good)

This is Channing Tatum at his cover shoot for Details magazine. For more sassy pics go HERE.

Fire burning me up

2010-01-27T22:43:00.005-05:00

"fire burning me up, desire taking me so much higher, and leaving me home"

This song really stood out to me while watching Friday Night Lights tonight. It's older but I'd never heard it. It's called "fire" by Augustana. I've only watched the first 7 episodes from season 4 of FNL and so far i've cried through about half of them. Has anyone else watched them yet?

On another note....WTF Dexter??? That was the biggest twist of a season finale I've ever seen!! I just don't even know what to think...(im not going spoil it) soooo good but soooo wrong. Also, so sad to hear that Michael C. Hall is battling hodgkin's lymphoma but good to know that he's on the road to recovery along with winning a Golden Globe and a SAG Award for Dexter! GO HIM!

Hold My Hand

2010-01-26T14:00:00.006-05:00

Here's a very short video from the encore performance of Darius Rucker & Rascal Flatts singing an old hootie song "hold my hand". (the sound isn't that great...sorry)

The concert was really great. I personally enjoyed Darius Rucker the most. He sang oldies and newbies, i was glad he sang some Hootie songs too. He just seems like a very down to earth guy by the way he was talking. I love him!

Movies like whoa!

2010-01-23T16:15:00.003-05:00

I've seen quite a few movies lately- and they've all been very very good!

Julie & Julia
As always Meryl Streep is a genius! I really enjoyed this story, I thought it was cool to see Amy Adams character challenge herself. I would love to do something like that someday. It was good- not great but Meryl was great!

It's Complicated
Once again Meryl Streep is a genius! This movie was suprisingly hilarious! I laughed a lot! It's nice to see a love story with an older couple for a change. I also loved John Krasinksi in this one-he's humorous. Just good stuff, so funny.

Avatar
AMAZING! I had 3 glasses of Sangria at dinner before this one so that may have influenced me a bit but I really loved this movie. I'm not normally into this type of sci-fi story but I really enjoyed the love story and all of the cool little things (like how the hair would connect to the banchie things they rode). I liked how everything looked and how nature was so appreciated. Plus Sam Worthington is hot.

Lovely Bones
I never read this book but I thought the movie was very good. It's an unfortunate story but I appreciated all of the fantasy "in between" scenes and I picked up on some of the symbolism and connection to later parts of the movie. I heard about some of the things that were cut out of the book and I'm happy about it. I'm very glad that they didn't have the rape & murder scene in the movie because that always makes me uncomfortable and gives me an instant stomach ache. I read in EW that Peter Jackson was getting bad feedback because he didn't have the rape and murder scene, in his defense he said that he didn't want Saoirse Ronan (Susie) to have to go through that scene and he mentioned he didn't want her to be know as the "girl that got raped in that one movie". I agree. Your left with love in the end of this movie even though the story is heartbreaking.

POTD #11

2010-01-18T20:40:00.001-05:00

My sis had this on her blog and I wanted to share it too! Its my mom & dad in the 80's. Classic!!! Miss him, love her!!!

Walleye Game

2010-01-10T12:29:00.004-05:00

I went to my first Walleye hockey game last night. It was pretty fun, they won against Trenton (I dont know where that is, im guessing Michigan). I'd definitely go back for another game. Funny thing- there were these 2 guys sitting next to me that were hardcore walleye fans (jerseys and all) drinking the whole time of coarse, and they started this "cheer" yelling "carusso, carusso, carusso-YOU SUCK!" And Carusso was the Trenton's goalie. As they did this over and over I was wondering what Carusso was thinking ya know? The one time he started tapping his stick on the ice, but one other time almost 2 seconds after they yelled "YOU SUCK", walleye scored on him! It was perfect haha. I sound cruel, but i wasn't yelling it so I can laugh about it.

Also, just to give you an idea of what kind of people go to these games- there was this 50 something year old man that was sitting right behind the rink and during this "hype" moment he took his glasses of and slammed his head against the boards and was like being a tough guy cheering. It was hysterical--he was very hardcore apparently.

POTD # 10

2010-01-01T22:55:00.005-05:00

Daphne Guinness, 43, is some kind of fashion icon and a rich woman from a rich family. That's not important- whats important is how insane her shoes are!!!!!! I found this picture on one of my fav celeb gossip blogs and i had to share it with ya'll.

Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts, & Darius Rucker

2009-12-26T20:35:00.005-05:00

I'm very excited because I have tickets to see all three of these great artists when they drop by the Lucas Co. Arena soon. I haven't really been into country music in a long time but it always has a place in my heart- and i can never pass up a concert in TOLEDO. I've seen Rascal Flatts 3 times before, but as for the others-never before. The Rascal Flatts/Darius Rucker concert is Jan 24th. I'm extra excited for Darius because I really enjoy his music and it should be great. Rascal Flatts always puts on a good show but I haven't really gotten into their newest album so I'll have to listen to it a little bit before the show.

Carrie Underwood- I just love her and am most excited about this show. I'm going with a bunch of girls and its not until April 24th. Nick got me her newest album for Christmas so I'm listening to that right now. Cant wait!!

HGTV Dream Home 2010 Giveaway

2009-12-25T02:13:00.004-05:00

Starting Jan 1st until Feb 19th you can enter daily to win these prizes at HGTV's website:

A custom-built luxuriously furnished home located in beautiful Sandia Park, NM

$500,000

An all-new 2010 GMC Terrain

High-end appliances

I have followed this sweepstakes for the past 2 years and it's about that time again to try my luck!! This house is amazing and i would be honored to live there!!!!

My thoughts

2009-12-14T23:43:00.003-05:00

I hate trying to pick out gifts for family you barely know- its so frustrating!!!
Happy Birthday Taylor Swift (my grandma got me the cd the other day out of nowhere)
My dog is crazy, but i love it. He has soo many quarky habits for example at about 10pm most nights he runs around the house like a pyscho dog getting all of his toys and shaking them to death.
I watched Taylor Lautner host SNL- not impressed...although i was impressed with his martial arts skills in his monologue.
So annoyed that all of my shows are on a super long break right now!
I'm very much looking forward to seeing all of my friends and family from out of town for Christmas!
I'm going to start trying to ask myself each night "what did God try to teach me today?"
I cut a 9 year old girl's hair today and I asked her what she asked for for Christmas and she said this- "well im into ghosts and supernatural stuff so i asked for a black tshirt with a skull & crossbones on it" and i asked "what'd your mom say about that?" and she said "well she just stared at me". Hahahaha! A little creepy huh?she was great though! She told me about how she's been taking french for 10 weeks and was teaching me some things to say to start a conversation.
My client made me a very nice scarf!- i love when clients bring me gifts!

The Blind Side

2009-12-09T00:20:00.003-05:00

Just saw Blindside tonight and it was very good! I loved the story and the character that Sandra Bullock plays is sooo good. She plays a wealthy mom that takes in a teen from the projects and helps him in so many ways including academics & football...she did so well and is the kind of mom I would like to be (in most ways). It was surprisingly funny too! Good story-good stuff!

ROCK

2009-12-02T22:20:00.004-05:00

We got a doggy and here's the story:

2 1/2 years ago my dad passed away, his really good friend Eddie bought a yorkie puppy a few weeks after and named it "Rock" after my dad (that was his nickname). Well sadly, Eddie just passed away leaving Rock behind and thats where we came in and adopted him. So he's sooo freaking cute and already trained and just sooo obsessed with Nick too which melts my heart. He has a few bad habits that we will have to break but he's very good! He loves us and we love him too! It's crazy how it all worked out, but it's also just ironic.

Great Movies!

2009-11-26T12:37:00.005-05:00

There are alot of movies coming out/already came out that I want to see really bad!!! Here's my list:
1. Precious
2. Dear John
3. Brothers
4. Lovely Bones
5.Valentine's Day
6. Remember Me
7. The Blind Side
8. Youth in Revolt

12:15 am friday

2009-11-21T00:36:00.002-05:00

Of coarse I went to opening night of New Moon! I got so many warnings about how long I'd have to wait in line and how annoying all of the other viewers would be, can I just say it was nothing like that so HA! We didn't get to the theater until about 10 pm and we got seated around 10:40pm. It couldn't have been any better! No screaming, annoying girls- just fun "screams" like twice. The movie was really good. The whole "cinematography" was way better then Twilight. The special effects were great too! I had a blast and I'm glad I got to experience the midnight showing! I cant wait for Eclipse in June 2010!

POTD # 9

2009-11-21T00:35:00.001-05:00

The Boys from Glee!!!

WHAT??!!!

2009-11-18T19:38:00.003-05:00

Crazy little story- I got Nick a new wallet because his was falling apart...so I switched over his cards for him and went through old cards and such. Threw out some old gift cards and there was a Lowes card that I asked Nick if he had any $ left on it, he said "proly, but only a few bucks".
So we had to go to Lowes to get somethings for our bathroom mini-renovation. Got to the counter and there was $100 on that gift card! We still cant figure out where that came from- we know that we used it already specifically for a weed whacker and leaf blower last year. We were sooo shocked and thankful that we didn't just throw it away! So that was a nice little blessing that we will never be able to explain, but thank you Jesus!

AAAAHHHHH!!! SO MANY NEW PICTURES!

2009-11-13T21:45:00.006-05:00

New pictures from Entertainment Weekly & Vanity Fair!!!!!!!!

SNL Short- Firelight

2009-11-11T19:47:00.001-05:00

Retro wedding

2009-11-09T22:00:00.003-05:00

On Saturday my sister Sarah came in to see me at work to get her hair done! She was going to her friends' "50's theme" wedding at the Toledo Museum of Art. So I did her hair and makeup and it turned out fabulous! I love that it was a "50's" theme- how fun & creative! I did her hair in these waves that looked almost like finger waves and she had a really pretty flower clip I added in. Here are some photos...

Glee

2009-11-06T23:12:00.005-05:00

Have I mentioned that I love the show Glee? It's so fantastic!! It hasn't been on in two weeks and I'm a little annoyed but it will be back next week! I love the cast and the characters--it's just a great show that a lot of people could really enjoy. It's about a high school Glee Club from Ohio made up of a wide variety of kids that are trying to make it to a regional competition. Very very funny, and great music! Its on Fox on Wednesday nights. They just put out a soundtrack of some of the music already featured on the show! I'm going to buy it this weekend!

New Moon Obsession begins

2009-11-05T01:10:00.002-05:00

Rob & Kristen are going to be on the cover of Decembers Harpers Bazarr! Here are some of the photos!! Very Nice!

New Moon Premiered around the world this week: here is Kristen and Taylor in Mexico!

Dear Taylor,

2009-11-03T13:11:00.003-05:00

Dear Taylor,
Why are you only 17? You've managed to make me feel "dirty" for loving these gorgeous pictures of you from GQ. I cant wait to see you in New Moon!
Love, Shannon

I'm ashamed to say that I am 99% sure that I will convert to Team Jacob after seeing new moon. Not only because he's a hunk, but i reread New Moon and Jacob is just sooo nice and perfect it will be hard not to fall in love. My heart will always be with Edward (haha) but Jacob is a whole new story!

TSA Thriller Tribute

2009-10-29T20:19:00.004-04:00

My co-worker Raquel has a son that goes to Toledo School for the Arts and as a tribute for the new Michael Jackson movie "This is It" a huge group of students got "zombied up" and performed thriller at the franklin park mall opening night of the movie. This video is a little annoying at first but gets good towards the middle and end- hang in there. It's pretty awesome that so many people were involved!!!

Top 5 things i hate with a passion

2009-10-29T10:13:00.002-04:00

1. Going to the dentist for a filling
2. Sunburn
3. Canker sores
4. Girl cramps
5. Waking up before 9am

I've had to deal with a few of these lately and they just suck!