Who are you?

I've been thinking for the past few days on what to write a blog about. I would like to write some really great things but you know what? Those things will come. All I can do is write about what I feel, what I think, and who I am. (No, this is not going to turn into a Disney song.. Ha Ha..)

I read another blog about being un-perfect. Surprisingly, It made me feel pretty good. I could not be more UN-perfect! I really like when things seem that way but the reality is that the un-prefect things are what make those perfect memories. 

Proud Momma

Labor Day!

A couple weeks before my due date for Noelle, I made sure I had my hair done every single day, I shaved my legs every single day, I tweezed my eyebrows every single day.. well you get the point. You should have seen me in my tiny shower at 200lbs! I literally couldn't shave my legs anymore!! By the 5th day I was overdue, I said "heck with it all!" Then, the 7th day.. she finally came. My legs were already hairy, my hair was a mess, and lets not go on to my brows. Anyway, I was so focused on having things like our first picture look great, that I almost forgot about everything else. I'm so glad I threw it all out the window because after almost 24 hrs of labor, it all wouldn't have mattered. We didn't too much of a typical "first" picture anyway, because I had some complications and then a cesarean section and was on a lot of meds. Well.. anyway, I looked like HELL, but it would have looked ridiculous if a mother who was just in labor looked any other way. It was beautiful. 

My day generally consists of what most mommy's go through; poo, spit up, and oh! slobber. ha ha! I love, love, love it! It's not 400 thread count sheets, it's drool on my pillow. It's not looking like an angel, it's having the makeup from the night before that you tried to take off before bed, staining your waterlines. I get out of bed with my eyes literally closed for the first 2 minutes to change Ellie's diaper. Then, they barley open enough for me to see my way to the bathroom while almost tripping over Jayden's toys. I force myself to brush my teeth before I desperately try & go back to sleep. Glamorous? Um.. no. I WISH! The funny thing is that when Maxx and I first started talking, we would talk on the phone for hours. We would play the "question game" of course. Well, I admitted that I ALWAYS had to match. No matter what, everything on me had to tastefully match in some way. HA! I am sitting on the couch right now with dark blue, red, and brown Mickey Mouse pajama pants and a bright green USF shirt on! My hair is a mess and I probably need a shower. lol! How UN-perfect is that? But I'm happy. Who cares if I'm not wearing an adorable pajama outfit you'd see in a movie?! I wanted to do something productive tonight now that Noelle is in bed but guess what I'm doing? Sitting here in my mis-matched Pj's watching Iron Man for the 3rd time (because I can't figure out how to change it back to cable on this tv) with no one but a piece of fried chicken! Ha Ha Ha! The best advice I can give anyone is to be different. That doesn't mean you can't aspire to be like someone, but do your own thing. Don't go out looking as plain as you can! Put something on you might not wear on a normal day and have some fun! Wear a broach or something! Spice up your outfit a little!! (I'm still working on bringing broaches back, by the way) 

I was pregnant and felt a strong neeeed to look different! I felt too plain! Even though these bangs turned out to actually look horrible, I was happy (mostly) that I changed it up, lol! :)

When I had the time to put a creative look together!

Make someone look at you twice! If they give you a funny look then you're doing great! lol! I'm not saying to go out of your way every second to trryyy and be different, but just let the inner you finally make an appearance. If someone doesn't like you, at least you know you're being true to yourself.   

My point is, don't lose focus on what's important to you, but go with the flow. Be who you are! Don't have such a tight rein on your plans but go with what happens. Sometimes I am not the best model for that but the point is that I try. I like the quote "Don't break but bend." Bend your plans to things that come along unexpectedly, or just bend to something you'd rather do than something you think you need to do. Encourage creativity in yourself and people around you. Try to inspire someone in your presence. I'm absolutely no one in particular. Just Kara. But I have my family and close friends who think I'm pretty great. I just want everyone else to know how great they are, too- just in case no one has told you yet. Let yourself free and be you.

XOXXOO

Weekend fun!

This weekend was a nice one. I was able to mainly spend it with the people I love. I was planning on spending my Friday poolside with Ellie but Missy asked me to drive to Tampa with her to make a quick visit to Spencer. She conned me into it with a suggestion to tour the mall up there. And if you know me.. of coursseee I went! lol!!

I was about to get in the shower at about 12am when she suggested it but then as usual we got to talking. I told her she should scrub her face before the trip to look extra fresh and she insisted on doing it before my shower. So, I decided to make the most of my time and go ahead and whiten my teeth.

To say the ABSOLUTE least.. we had a few laughs...

                   Her "fresh" face and my gelled teeth!

This is me trying to say that I need to take Vitamin B for my hair!! HAHAH! The teeth whitening gel wouldn't allow me to get the "B" out correctly!!

 She said to be out the door by 8am... I lol'ed and told her to wake me up. Well, she did but I don't really recollect. It was about 8:05 or so when I actually got out of bed and rushed to get myself and the baby ready. I was ready by 8:20, at least. Melissa was still rummaging around the house looking for her portable dvd player. At least I wasn't the one who kept us waiting. (wink, wink)

The ride was fun except Melissa insisted on playing slow songs when I demanded some fun music.. she jammed all on her lonesome while I took some self photographs... hahahah

Spence had some meetings so we didn't see him for long. By the time we were going to the mall I realized I forgot Noelle's stroller!!! What a let down! I decided to blame it all on Missy ;-) haha. So, we decided to just drive back home. Right as we were pulling onto the interstate.. a recently potty trained Jayden decided he had to go potty. We pulled off at the next exit which happened to be Martin Luther King Blvd. Missy took Jayden in to use the bathroom and but of course they were out of order! We pulled from the gas pump into a parking spot and.... well....

 

Whew.. that was absolutely the highlight of my afternoon! We made the best of the 2 hour drive home by singing, dancing, and joking as always.

                                                       ...Forever Friends, Forever Family...


Saturday I cleaned most of the day till about 7 and then went to visit my favorite people, my best friend, Franccesca and my god daughter, Avelyn. It was SOO good to see them since it's been a few weeks. We didn't catch up as much as we could have hoped but I had to get the little one home to her own bed. I wish we didn't live forever away.. this time at home was supposed to be mostly spent together :-( That's okay.. I love her as much as ever!

Today I am proud to say that I have relaxed with my princess ALLL day! We just spent time playing and having some fun. I was trying to get her to crawl and talk. She's so much fun to be around. Feeling like a lucky woman!
                                                     

*`*Beauty Blog*`*

These past few days I've been busy catching up on some things I needed done so I'm sorry I haven't posted anything. At least now the baby just went down for a nap, no one else is home, and I'm sitting in front of a window watching the rain pour down. Ahh.. no better time to sit and write. Everything else can be put on hold and I can just think :) The only thing that could make this better is a nice cup of coffee (with a straw! ) lol. read on..

I did want to share some things I've been trying out & have been working really well for me. I've been trying to find new things to do for myself because being a mom (and just a woman in general!) doesn't give me much freedom to do the million different things that I might want. So, my goal is to maybe do the leg work for everyone else and help people find things to do for themselves that makes them feel great  and confident so they can feel happier and maybe save a few bucks while they're at it! :) I'll try to find new things and try them out and see how it works! Any and all feedback would be appreciated, whether you subscribe here or send me a message on Facebook or on my email at Bpgoddess002@yahoo.com. And, anything you would like to see or have me find out about would be great, too!

Today, I want to share about a teeth whitening gel I found out about from my favorite YouTube'er. I have always had normal teeth, I guess, but they've never been as white as I've wanted. The front few are pretty white but those couple on the corners of my smile are a little yellow. You know what I'm talking about. I know I'm not the only one :) and I KNOW you've all looked in the mirror very closely at your faces like I have. Haha! I used to not brush as often as I should- only like once a day.. but then I actually realized how bad it is for you!! I started to picture myself as a middle aged woman with bad teeth! And I surely have too much style to let that happen, lol! Now, I definitely take way better care of my teeth than before. It's easy to overlook if they seem to just look o.k.

Anyway, I found out about about "Plus White 5 Minute Speed Whitening Gel." 

You can get this from Walmart for like $4 as just the gel or you can get the kit for about $6. The kit comes with teeth trays, I believe, but I just got the gel. In the sports department you can get two mouth guards for 96 cents each, so it comes out to around the same price. BUT- if you buy your own mouth guards, you can customize them. Bring some water to a boil and put the guards in for just a few seconds. Take them out and put them in one at a time, bite down hard and remove. Now, you have your very own custom mouth trays to put your gel in! That option is up to you but after trying the trays.. I ended up preferring to use q-tips and dabbing it on my teeth. I just didn't like too much of it in my mouth at once and didn't want to even risk swallowing any since I'm nursing. But it really doesn't taste too disgusting. lol. 

                                                                   My teeth trays! :)

I do all of this in the shower because I'm usually only in for 10 minutes or so and I don't have to walk around looking silly (and believe me you do, but that's the fun of it.) I keep it on for a little longer than 5 minutes anyway to get some extra shine. I use it about 3 times a week. I wouldn't do it too much more than that with the risk of decreasing the enamel on your teeth. I have been using this for a few weeks now and I honestly notice a difference. And I mean for around 6 bucks or so.. you just can't beat that for whiter teeth! It's not going to change overnight or anything but it's definitely going to make your pearly whites more beautiful! 

Just some other tips to keep in mind if you haven't thought about it before..

*Did you know that people that don't use toothpaste usually have healthier teeth? It's not all about your mouth feeling minty.. it's about how clean they really are! Once a week, try making a paste from baking soda and peroxide and brushing with it for extra whiteness! You might want to use a mouthwash after because this one isn't such a pleasant taste. :-/

*Personally, I drink a lot of coffee & tea and those are obviously not great for the front of your teeth. If you can't avoid them, try to remember & use a straw when you can to try & keep those kinds of drinks from staining your teeth. 

*Crunchy foods like carrots, apples, broccoli, and celery are really abrasive so they can help remove plaque buildup.

*Dentists say to brush after every meal but I just can't. So, if I'm out and about as usual, I suggest getting a travel sized mouthwash to fit in your handbag and using it after your meals.. or at least after eating anything sugary, which is really bad to sit on your teeth. 

**And just a really personal tip.... Google "yellow teeth" and it will seriously make you want to have pretty white teeth!! haha!

Anyway, those are my tips for the day that I find success in. Hope you can try them all out and they work for you!

..xoxox..

People helping people

So we meet again!

Today was pretty great! I woke up to a fantastic smiley baby and a few minutes later to a call from my sweet. We were able to talk for a while and catch up <3 It feels so good to talk to him!! :) Then Ellie ate oatmeal & bananas for lunch! After her afternoon nap we went to visit Nana. We set up the bouncy seat for her to play in and she loved it! She was so curious and really seemed to enjoy the music it would play. 

Then, we went shopping for dinner & also the things for Maxx's package. I really like going to Publix. It sounds crazy but it's such a nice store compared to Wal-Mart & other places. It's like the Starbucks of grocery stores. Kinda like Panera is the Starbucks of eaterys. Anyway, I went in and did my shopping. When I was checking out, the cashier was friendly and the bagger nicely asked if she could help me to my car, I politely declined. It was nice to hear someone ask, though. Then, on my way to my car, the cart guy asked if he could help, too. I still didn't need it but was impressed that he asked while in the middle of something else. As I unpacked the groceries from my cart, a fellow shopper asked if they could take my cart to use so I wouldn't have to take it to the cart corale. How nice? I left the weekly ad in the cart and as the other person walked away, someone getting into their car asked if they could take the ad from the cart. People helping people. I like it! AND, as I pulled out, I politely let that same person pull out before I drove off. At other places it's so frustrating.. people are always unhappy and rude. I hattee these environments! Every time I've walked out of Publix, I've been in a better mood than when I walked in. (Unless I spent more money than I planned on, lol!) Well, that's my happy piece of news for the day. :)

I made a nice salad and stuffed bell peppers for dinner. It was Yummyyy! Ellie had green beans and didn't really like them too much. I'll try again tomorrow, though. 

        Day 3 of baby food.. and I was able to snap this right before she started spitting it everywhere :)

I think tomorrow I'm going to try to post a beauty blog. I found this makeup artist on YouTube & I LOVE HER! She's been around forever and most people know about her but as usual, I'm late for everything. I've really enjoyed her postings on different things relating to beauty. She's really good! http://www.youtube.com/user/kandeejohnson?feature=chclk I just got distracted watching her videos just to get that link! HAHA! But I think I'm going to maybe re-post some things I've learned from her for my friends to see from a person that's a little closer to home :) I would really like that. We'll see how it goes.. just people helping people :)

HAVE A GREAT NIGHT!

Just an ordinary day..

Good evening! :)

Well my good ole' plan to go to sleep early didn't really pan out as well as I'd hoped. I ended up finally getting into bed around 2. Haha! Well, that's better than 4, anyway. Today is looking better to get into bed at a good time. I'm setting my self up for success tomorrow. I woke up really early but when I looked over, Ellie was just smiling at me. I'm sure if she could have talked she would have said "Wake up and play with me, mommy!" It was so precious to look at first thing. I woke up for a bit and talked to her, held her and tickled her to death. It's crazy how much she makes my heart melt.

Then, we fell back asleep around 10am or so. After waking back up and watching some Barney, we took another nap. LOL! Needless to say, it was a late starting day. We got up and got dressed for the pool. Long story short, it was a no go so I grabbed some Starbucks and headed home to clean.

While Noelle played in her Pack N' Play with her toys, I vacuumed and did some laundry. I enjoy things like this. Just hangin' with her and being her momma. She took a nap so I started dinner. When she woke up, I fed her in between finishing up dinner. She had the rest of her sweet potatoes. She ate so well! Then, she seemed a little hungry after she was done so she ate a little bit of green beans! Yummy! She watched me dance & sing to her while I cooked.

I made pork chops in gravy with mashed potatoes and peas. It was SOO gooood! I miss cooking dinner every night. I would really like to but sometimes it just gets so busy. I'm so excited to go back to Tennessee. I feel like it's home. It's because that's where we are all together at. I'm loving being home in Florida and being with family but having our own life is wonderful. We have been wanting to buy a house for a while now but things haven't really fallen into place just yet. Which, I'm sure is meant to be. We would really love to buy in FL and rent it 'till we move back one day but maybe we'll just buy in TN. Things will turn out how they're supposed to either way.

I don't know what I'm doing tomorrow just yet but hopefully It's a fast productive day. I want to make Maxx some music since he hasn't heard anything new for a while. And I also need to buy him stuff to send out a package (if he'll ever make me a list, HAHA) I'm just going to be as happy as I can be as much as I'm missing him. All I can do is stay positive. I just want to smile everyday and laugh as much as I can.. whoever doesn't feel the same needs another person to be around. And on to wait for his call <3

Mobile blogging!

Ahhh! I'm officially mobile blogging! Could this be bad? Hmmm... we will find out!! This is just what I need! Hahaha!

Dragging along

Well, I definitely went to bed entirely too late last night! Although, "Date Night" was hilarious... it wasn't worth it. Especially because Melissa fell asleep half way through. :) Noelle decided to wake up at 7am and start being fussy first thing. I was frustrated & dead tired to say the least. I've told myself before that I wasn't going to stay up late but it hasn't worked. Partially because I wait for Maxx to call and I want to be able to talk to him. I am a girl who likes a schedule. Not to say I don't enjoy a little spontaneity everyday here and there, but I just always feel better and secure with a decent schedule to follow. I have Noelle on a pretty good night time schedule but her day schedule could use a bit of tweaking. My goal is to feed her dinner, cook /eat dinner, give her a bath, put her to sleep, take a shower, read, blog, talk to my prince then bed! Woah! Haha! I just like a general outline.. lol!! I'll keep up to date on that!

On a different note, little miss ate her first actual baby food today; sweet potatoes! She ate half the jar!! That's pretty good for her 1st time eating it so I'm really proud of her. I could tell she was really enjoying it. She's opening her mouth when the spoon heads her way, too! She's a character! Wish her daddy could see her growing up like this.

Today, I had to get my blood work done, then we went downtown to the library to browse for a bit. After that, we went to this consignment shop that I saw on the way downtown. I found a pair of jeans for $4 marked to $2!! So.. well.. obviously I got them. I was just going to check it out for when Maxx comes we have a new place to see. I also found a cool antique shop downtown we haven't discovered yet so hopefully we can check that out :) Then, I just came home to feed Noelle & give her a nap. Jayden and I made a video to send Maxx, too. Jay told him that he wanted Maxx to get all the bad guys! haha! I gave Ellie a bath (without accidentally drowning her) and put her to bed. She's been going to sleep mostly by herself now, I'm so proud of her. Of course, I have to be there to cuddle for a bit. Some days are better than others, though.

Aunt Tammy made an amazing cornbread chicken pot pie and now I'm so sleepy! I'm going to make dinner tomorrow so I'm looking up recipes on Food Network to prepare myself. (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/smothered-pork-chops-recipe/index.html) Then, I'll write my love a letter then hop in the shower & wait for his call. Pretty boring day to most but it's my life & I love it <3

Taking a swim

Hi everyone! I am hoping this blog turns out to be everything I have envisioned it to be! I want to have a space to talk about my lovely family and remember everything there is to possibly know about our little girl, because lord knows I'm learning how fast she can grow up! I have enjoyed every single bit of these past 5 (+9) months she has graced my life. As a new mom everyone has a billion bits of advise (which I appreciate most of it, haha) The best thing about advise is that it's something you can take or leave. Sometimes advise can help you out SO much, and other times it can just make you frustrated. I'm stickin' to my guns, though! I am doing what I think is best for her and us as a family. I've loved trying new things and learning about everything. It has been incredible just watching her grow. AND IT'S ONLY BEEN 5 MONTHS :) 

About a week ago I bought Noelle a little foam bath cushion because she seemed to outgrow her baby bathtub overnight. Well, she sits up really well but of course she wobbles! I've been worried about her on it because she can slips out of my grip really easily when she's wet and soapy and today that's exactly what happened. I thought I was going to have a heart-attack! She went under and definitely swallowed a lot of water. I grabbed her out and put her over my knees and started smacking her back. It took a second but she started crying. Then, two seconds later she was laughing and smiling again. Haha, wow, my heart stopped beating and she is miss smiley again! I sat her back up and rinsed her off and she let out a long burp. But at least I know she let it all out! I walked out after her bath & told Aunt Tammy & Missy what happened and they laughed! They said it was common and it happens to everyone! Who would've thought!? I thought I had the worst mother of the year award!! Whew! LOL! Maybe I should try attaching a harness next time??