Blonde Story Short

Charlotte and I took our first Mommy-Lotti trip, to North Carolina. I spent the entire week prior packing during nap times so that I felt as prepared as possible for two 9-hour days of travel and a week away from home (also to satisfy some freakish compulsion to be organized and in control of things that intimidate me). If Delta didn't think an overstuffed diaper bag, bulging *CK hobo and a baby carrier (fit for Everest should we chose to climb it someday) were appropriate for the allotted carry-on allowance, well...they had another thing coming.  *Become a mom and kiss wearing your favorite purses goodbye, unless you can stuff some blankets and bottles in them and take them on a flight. Booya. The first leg, to Minneapolis, went better than expected. The subtle motion of the plane taking off was enough to rock my little pook to sleep for almost the entire flight. Her awake time was spent snacking on puffs (best baby time waster ever) and being entertained by whatever tric

Last night I had my first, yes FIRST, night out with friends ...like just  girls!    I really hate saying "girlfriends" because I shouldn't need to specify since I'm probably not hanging out with a bunch of dudes. Since I'm not cliche when it comes to calling every female-non-relative in my world a "girlfriend" I have to make up for it elsewhere...I called last night's event a "Moms' Night Out."  That's right.  I planned it and called it a MOMS' NIGHT OUT. What have I become? Answer: A mom...who likes Happy Hour every now and then for cryin' outloud We moved to Idaho on October 6, 2014 and to be clear, it did NOT take me this long to make friends. It did  however take approximately a year to get them all in one restaurant without husbands and children present. Apparently not everyone is of the camp that there are times when men and kids should be left at home. To you I say, Welcome. I was actually a bit nervous.  And t

All I want is a King bed and a big bathtub. These were my non-negotiables as the hub and I discussed the specs for our recent Anniversary celebration. Not only did my wish for a bed and a bath come true, but bikes and booze were on the scene too.  I feel like a degenerate saying booze (instead of something nicer like "cocktails") but there's kind of an alliteration thing going on here so... We are creatures of habit and usually go to a fancy steakhouse on our anniversary.  It's always a chance to dress nice, have a long and quiet dinner (except for romantic talk of the previous year's adventures and what the future holds- huh?!).  Of course dropping some dough on a nice meal without feeling guilty is always appealing too. We then continue the evening by staying somewhere for the night.  Last year was especially memorable since it was our last summer in San Diego and I was pregnant with our now 7-month old baby. This year things are just so

Here is my quick and dirty on the remaining Bachelor contestants (and a few other poor schmucks)... Shawn :  Ryan Gosling + Matthew Maconahay Shawn is still hanging in there but I'm thinkin' he blew it with his overzealousness about being "the one" and his deep seeded hatred for Nick. If you ask me, and you obviously did, Kaitlyn is over it but doesn't want to send him home.  Wouldn't it be the BEST if in real life we called dumping people "sending them home?"  She told  Shawn  about her premature naughty night specifically because she wants him to break up with her.  Then she doesn't have to! You feel me? Eager Beaver Nick : The guy you should stay away from We all know his kind. He wants what he can't have...and seriously wears skinny jeans and man sweaters all. the. time. It's just too much. A glimpse into Nick's head- "This chick is cool (and totally puts out) buuuuut if she doesn't chose me, here's hopin&

So up until this week I had respect for Kaitlyn.  She was straight forward, appropriately confrontational, confident and fun. I was even willing to look past the double bird elbow tats and constant reminder that she likes to rap. Well, I lost half of that well deserved respect the week she let Old-News-Nick   join the perspective husbands  team-  or as ABC calls them, The Cast. This tool shows up aaaaaand....POOF! Typical stupid girl appears within minutes! It was almost magical. Here's what's happening Kait... I'm writing to her  directly because I'm sure no one else on the internet is doing that right now. Some hipster you were once "talking to" (code for he used texting you as a cure for boredom ) is now back on the scene after ya'll mysteriously "lost touch." The simple fact is this: you are getting a LOT of attention from a bunch of other dudes ON A NATIONAL TELEVISION SHOW THAT CHRIS HARRISON HOSTS and Nick has once again become cu

With millennials home for summer, I've become hyper aware of the various lists that hit the internet scene daily...I think I've heard "Buzz Feed" referencecd at least 3-5 times in the last two weeks. Let's face it, I'm not cool at all so knowing what's going on is probably a step in the right direction.  Or shall I say knowing what's "hip." (No one says "hip" without "ster" at the end of it anymore, what a shame...that everyone is a Hipster...not the sudden halt in using the word "hip," just so we're clear) My little six month old princess is keeping me busy these days, babies sleep less as the months go on, did you know that?  I didn't. And so...writing has become quite a commodity. This is a real tragedy when my morning caffeine rush has blog ideas flying like mad in this head of mine.  If only I could get them all down, what a substantial difference I could make in the world! So today, in honor of

I am a very "black and white" person...mostly white (okay sometimes red).  I realize at 30, and through some early 20's counseling that this kind of thinking often doesn't work. In the past it was a method of self-protection, now its purpose is to create a nice platform for me to be opinionated. Before Charlotte came, I had many black and white ideas about caring for her. I disclaimed most of them with something like, "But I'll just go with the flow, see how it goes..." Right. The reality is parents have NO CHOICE but to go with the flow, unless they want to spend a lot of their time being frustrated. I say all this to preempt sharing about  my baby that sleeps in my room. Having Charlotte occupy her expensive (and not to mention coordinated-with- our -bedding) bassinet for hmmm 4-6 weeks, then move smoothly into her beautifully thought out crib was just a lovely idea. Almost as good as breastfeeding and keeping her away from the pre-3-month bink

Since I was clearly going to breastfeed my child (only weirdos have problems breastfeeding), we were never planning to visit Binky Town, USA.  Maybe after three months of age, when we were past: 1. Confusing her #nippleconfusionhuh? and 2. Making her lazy #thoselazyinfants Then Day 8 of Charlotte's life was here.  Not only was she all up on the formula, but I was super into any pacifying I could get my hands on. And so we packed our judgy bags and hit the BINK. We hit it hard. I can't tell you how many moms see pictures of my kid with bink-in-mouth and say "I wish (insert cool kid's name) would have taken the binky!" Apparently regardless of the extensive literature against pacifiers these days, most moms would prefer to risk the terrifying ill effects of the binky and make their kid happy again.  I say "again" because literally seconds ago he/she was in fact happy.  Then the wind blew, they got pissed and you had to decide:   Baby wrath or B

I don't know about you but I really enjoying knowing everything.  Obviously I. Know. Everything. Especially about babies, even before I had a baby...and now that I have one- watch out. Like every other mom,  I could talk all day long about being a mom and my kids (*don't forget they range from 3.5 months to almost 20).  We've got lots to say.  Sometimes we even emulate a bunch of hens clucking, it's impressive. What I want to share most recently are three things I KNEW I would never do as a mom. For the sake of this three part post we'll stick to things I'd never do with the baby- my journey with female teenagers is flawless...or would just take too long to write out * Obviously I started having babies at 11 years old. PSYCH.  It's a much better story than that.  I figure I'll start with the biggie .  It's mostly "big" because everyone else thinks it is... BREAST FEEDING Don't be confused.  I never KNEW I would N'T breastfe

If this is confusing it's because you haven't read my last post.  Take a few moments... So as promised I'm posting more detail on  Tone it Up's Five Day Slim Down that I'm attempting this week. Even though I've been walking daily and doing things like lunges blah blah blah, getting in shape after having a baby is just not happening quick enough.  I thought I'd try something a little dramatic for a jump start of sorts. Below is the plan (Perhaps a variation of it- finding things on random blogs can be like playing telephone). Keep in mind that I've added the times that I do everything so that you get an idea of the schedule, obviously the intervals are more important than the actual time shown. I took the awake hours of my day (not including 2am and 5am feedings) and divided by the amount of "meals." You're smart, I'm sure you could've guessed that. 8am Bombshell Spell - see last post for recipe. Yesterday (Monday) was my fir

While my sister was visiting us in Idaho (by the way, please visit us in Idaho) we discussed fitness and dieting per our usual obligatory slew of topics.  She turned me onto Tone it Up . As always, I'm behind on anything that is cool.  I'm sure Tone it Up is old news, but still all the rage.  I have been doing their free videos that work on any and all body parts and their HIIT's , High Intensity interval Trainings.  All amazing.  The best part, my baby is willing to sit in her *Rock and Play and watch me for up to 12 minutes. The "Rock and Play" is the only way my child will sleep outside of our bed. It's a miracle worker and the best piece of baby gear we own.  Tomorrow I'm starting Tone It Up's 5 Day Slim Down.  This is not a free product like the videos...getting this information is part of the $150 Nutrition plan that I will not be purchasing. Instead, I scoured the internet and found bits and pieces of the plan, put them together on a piece

I mentioned in my last post that I had plans to write about delivering my Charlotte. I have thought about this a lot to be certain that I'm not putting down all the details for the wrong reasons.  It's like every girl on The Bachelor,  "I'm here for the right reasons." Apparently there are wrong reasons- none of us are here for any of those. I love that all the girls say they wouldn't be there for any other guy...just Chris (or whatever dude is the Bach that season)  Ummmm, I'm preeeeeetty sure you would be. For another post... I want to put my experience down "on paper" for a couple reasons: 1. I think what I went through (call it my "Birth story" if you want- I won't stop you) is an example of having to put expectations and "Birth plans" (ugh) aside and work with what you've got.  2. If you are having similar issues or the same potential roadblocks that I had, perhaps you'll be encouraged and able to relat

As of December 5th we have a BABY. I'd love to make my first post with said baby (Charlotte Grace, the most precious baby in the whole entire world) be my...ready for it..."Birth Story" but I'm not going to. And let me just say, I'm really against (or maybe intrigued with?) everything becoming a "thing" these days- including how one has their baby. It's not just telling people about how the delivery of your baby went. It's your "Birth Story" and is a "thing" that must be both inspirational and horrid at the same time. Good thing mine totally is, but that's for another day...and that post won't be titled "My Birth Story," I promise. Today I have to instead write about having the flu, in the midst of the holidays, with a newborn. I completely understand NOW how entire blogs are devoted to having children, running a household blah blah blah. There's kind of a lot to it.  Until 3 months ago I had never ow