Momma Needs a New Wardrobe...and a Giveaway!

Ok ladies I need your help! This year I am turning the big 3-0...and I am actually excited! I have never been more confident in my life and feel like I am truly comfortable in my own skin. The only thing I wish a little different for me is my wardrobe.

I don't know if I am stuck in a niche of going to the same stores or maybe just afraid to step out and try something new. I mean for like years on end when we would go out to eat I would order the same thing! So I'm thinking it maybe the scared part. I also feel that maybe I could shop a little less in the juniors department (after a wakeup call of the selection they had at Kohls) but I am struggling to find a place that is inbetween juniors and old lady section (*gasp)! I feel like all I wear is jeans and a matching top but I am not good with accessories or making myself not look so plain!

So this is where I need your help. Where do you shop? I am looking for new places to go. I don't mind online shopping if it has good sales. I am also not looking to spend 50 bucks on a shirt either.

So let the ideas flow ladies...please!!!

Oh and the giveaway...as long as you comment below with some clothing advice you will be entered to win a $25 gift card to the store of your choice (randomly drawn) so that way you can go buy a cute top for yourself!

52 Weeks of Saving

I just wanted to make a short post as I have seen this all over Facebook and I finally decided to take the challenge!
It looks fairly easy and by the end of the year you will have over 1500 bucks saved...so who's with me!!!

Goodbye 2012...Hello 2013!

Happy New Year from my family to yours! I am back from my holiday hiatus and I am so excited to see what 2013 has in store for my family.

Here is a quick trip back in time through 2012 for my family.

1. The hubby came home from deployment the end of January....he subsequently left again the first week in May and came back in September. (He should be home all of 2013!!)

2. We took a mini vacation to Memphis...the first one as a familly of four and we survived! We actually had an awesome time!

3. My beautiful sweet mom lost her almost 3 year battle to breast cancer this summer. She fought so hard and was such a warrior through it all. Even though she is in a better place I miss her so very much!!

4. Taylor started 3rd grade! Gosh I officially feel old! Sometimes I look at her and think "Where has the time gone?!?!"

5. The hubby came home from deployment! Best thing ever!

6. We bought a house! We still have our house in Utah but with renters in the house we can afford to buy another one! (Yes we may be crazy!) I love it because it is brand new and we got to pick out everything. It is so cool to watch it go from dirt to a beautiful home.

7. Olivia turned 1! This first year has been a whirlwind and I wouldn't have it any other way. As much as I wish that sometimes life would slow down I think I would get a little bored if it did! She has grown into a sweet and sassy little miss independent girl. So very different from Taylor but also so much like her sister!

8. Vacation to Florida. The Memphis trip went to well that we took a trip to Florida since we haven't been down there to see family since 2009! It was a long car ride but I don't even want to know how much it would have cost to fly! We had lots of fun seeing everyone and meeting our new niece.

9. Christmas with both families! The hubby's family came in town for Christmas and stayed with us. My family also came into town but stayed at my grandparent's home. Either way it was lots of people in town! We also got 9 inches of snow in Arkansas on Christmas...needless to say it broke weather records and Olivia saw her first white Christmas! 

10. We survived 2012! We had a very mellow New Year's Eve by watching movies at home. Little Miss tried to stay up but only made it to 11!

(watching the neighbor's fireworks)

2012 was eventful and I would only expect the same for 2013! I am not big on making resolutions because 9 times out of 10 most people forget about them! However the one "thing" I will say for 2013 is that there will be lots of family trips so I know making memories is on our list!

Love to all and good luck to you with the New Year!

AWB Secret Santa Ornament Exchange

Back this past summer I found out about Arkansas Women Bloggers and was so excited to find a site that is local to my state! Well we had an Ornament swap earlier this month and it was so much fun! I love to craft and this is my first time trying an ornament craft. 

I thought about doing the craft with a plastic ornament but I was worried that the decorations wouldn't stick as good as a glass ornament.

I got an idea for my first ornament from Michaels Projects section. Thankfully Michaels organizes their crafts into how long it will take (ie how crafty you need to be!). The details for this ornament are included in the link above but it mainly consists of double stick tape, silver glitter, a decoration adorned to it and add a bow at the end.

My second ornament was a blend of ideas that I have seen over the internet. A friend had completely handpainted her ornament red and then painted the santa belt. I had also seen the pinterest idea of putting rolled up red paper in the ornament and then painting the belt around the ornament. All I could think about is me not being able to keep the belt straight the whole way around so I figured that the double stick tape I used with the first ornament would work perfectly.

Having never made ornaments I give myself an A- (or maybe a B+) and it was so much fun that I am making more ornaments for our own tree at home with my 8 year old.

I received the cutest ornaments in the mail earlier this week from Jodi at The Coffee House Life and they are absolutely beautiful on my tree. 

 I have seen these before on Pinterest and so glad to have them on my tree! I also received a sweet note with my ornaments and bless her heart she has 3 little girls (5,3,1) and still was able to craft these up! I thought I had it rough with a rambunctious one year old! I love that my angle one had the word hope on it because there are some days in life where you need a little hope and this angel reminds of it. 

Thanks again so much Jodi and Arkansas Women Bloggers for this fun time!

Latest Comestic Surgery Fad

Ok ladies we all have that one pair of shoes we just love...you know the ones that go with any outfit, that fit our feet just right or that show off our legs when we wear them with a skirt or dress.

Then there is that pair of shoes that you have that no matter how many times you wear them by the end of the night your feet are blistered or your toes hurt from being crammed in the dang shoes. Well apparently there is a new and "upcoming" surgery to fix all that....

I was listening to the radio on the way home from work the other day when the radio host mentioned this and I couldn't belive what I was hearing. It is called stiletto surgery. This surgery is done to remove your PINKY TOE so that way you can fit your feet into your stillettos better!!!! SERIOUSLY?!?!?!?!?!

Who does that!!! And to top it off it is apparently one of the hottest growing cosmetic surgery trends! For the life of me I can't understand how wearing a dumb pair of heels is worth cutting off one of your toes! Has society gotten that materialistic that we will do ANYTHING to make ourselves look good? Trust me I am not above putting on a good pair of flats and calling it a day.

Besides I know my husband would think I have lost my mind if I were to seriously ask him about getting that surgery. Not only that but could you imagine that if you were single and had that done how many guys might think you are just a little too weird because you have 8 toes....I know I would!

And lastly here is the thing that is the most scary to me...if this is one of the hottest new trends what is next!?

A Whole New Christmas

I am a creature of habit. I live by routine and joining the military only furthered that need for habit even more. I get ready for work the same way everyday, get the kids up the same way so when something throws a wrench in my plans I usually just have to take a step back and breath. 

Well this Christmas a HUGE wrench in the decorating was thrown my way. Since I am in our new house (which I LOVE) I have had to sell some furniture and buy some new furniture to accommodate the new layout of this house. No biggie right?...well like I said creature of habit. So suddenly with the new layout of the house and how we arranged the living room furniture there isn't room for the tree in there. So taking my husband's suggestion I put it in our breakfast area of the kitchen. 

What Do You Tell Your Kids??

So what exactly do you tell your kids when they question whether Santa is real?

Taylor has asked me before if Santa is real or if I believe in him which I of course reply that I do and she pretty much leaves it at that. And thankfully she hasn't inquired any further because to be honest I don't know what I would say. The best answer that I can think of is to tell her is that if you don't believe in Santa then no more presents from Santa come...other than that I am at a loss! 

We have already established with her that the "Santas" at the malls isn't the real Santa because she knows that he can't be at every mall at the same time. I explained to her that they are Santa's friends that help him out so he can stay at the North Pole longer and finish all the toys. She of course replied that she knew all along that "Santa" at the mall by our house wasn't the real one because while he was out "feeding his reindeer" she saw him go into the bathroom area and a few minutes later come out in real clothes!!! Kids don't miss a thing!

So this year we have decided to do Elf on a Shelf with the kids in hopes that Taylor can hold onto the innocence of Santa for at least another year. Last year was just too hectic to do it with my hubby deployed and Olivia was only a newborn. I have already been given lots of good ideas for our Elf and found some funny ones on Pinterest too. Have you all done Elf on the Shelf with your kids and if so what are some of your favorite places you have found your elf at?