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7.30.2013

20 Chore Tuesday! [3]

Last week I didn't participate. Womp womp.

THIS WEEK:
Sell:
- Kokadi Mandalina Ice wrap
- Easycare #25 WCRS
- Corso Como boots
- Bluetooth headset (if I can find it)

Computer:
- Put Kim pictures on CD
- Put Abby birthday pictures on CD
- Organize and delete pictures
- Find Fall babysitting jobs
- Post child care ad

L's 1st Birthday:
- make invites
- mail invites
- make shopping list
- order ugly copy of VHC
- wrap gifts

Cleaning:
- clean desk
- prints receipts from email
- clean out diaper bag
- car wash
- mop room
- clean S' car seat base

Must do all the things! I really hope that by the time this goes live (writing this on Saturday night), at least a few of the things will be crossed off the list. Especially the things pertaining to L's birthday. It's just three short weeks away!

Emily is traveling with her family right now, so there is no link-up, but I need to keep myself accountable!
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7.29.2013

If I Could Turn Back Time: Blogging with a Purpose

I'm having a lot of fun linking up with Becky of From Mrs. to Mama for this series! These prompts are really making me think and are producing some really great posts. This week's prompt is "If I could turn back time and do some thing over..."

It's not widely known, but Joshua and I dated for a few weeks before we really started dating. He asked me out in late October 2009, and I broke it off a few weeks later. I did because I was scared because I know it was real, even at that moment, just a few weeks in. I would go back in time, I wouldn't have broken up with him. I thank Him everyday that we were led back to each other a few months later and have been together ever since. Our anniversary is January 11, 2010. :)


Wow, that was really short. But that's the only thing in my life that I would go back and re-do. I loved my high school years, and am loving where I am in my life currently. Working more and going to school less has led me onto this amazing career path. Without it, I would've never found out about the things I'm most passionate about; like baby wearing, natural birth, cloth diapers, and breastfeeding. The path my life has taken, has allowed me to become more aware of things that I would've never been exposed to before. I would never wish to take that away from myself.

Past link-ups in this series:
Week 1 // Week 2 // Week 3 // Week 4 // Week 6
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7.27.2013

Family Fun Weekend

A few weeks ago, my cousin decided on a whim she was going to spend a week out here in Cali. And that she did. :) I haven't seen her in a few years so it was nice to get to hang out with her. The next time I see her will be at her big brother's/ my cousin's wedding next year!

We planned a few really fun days! We spent all day on Friday at Disneyland, went to bunch on Saturday morning, then went to the Angel's game and saw Billy Currington perform afterwards! It was amazing, and so fun.

Here are some pictures from our weekend. Happy Saturday!



I swear we went to other parts of the parks besides Cars Land. These just happen to be my favorite pictures. By the way, we grabbed fast passes for Radiator Springs Racers first thing in the morning. Our return time was between 3:30-4:30p. When we got there, the normal line was TWO HOURS long. Holy crap, y'all. I don't even think we waited 20 minutes. 





We tried to buy wrist bands to go down onto the field, but they were sold out. Boo. We got to the box office at 7:45p and they sold out a 7p. We just wanted to see Billy! My favorite part of this picture is the two couples dancing off to the side of the crowd. He performed at least eight songs, including Hey Girl, Must Be Doin' Something Right, and my personal favorite, Don't.

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7.25.2013

July Cara Box Reveal- Nautical

I am so incredibly excited to share my July Cara Box with you. The theme for this month is Nautical, which is right up my alley. If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter, you know it's one of my favorite things; from anchors, to navy & stripes, to all the crustaceans!


Desirée from Macke Monologues was the one to send me my box this month. After emailing back and forth all month, we realized we lived in the same general vicinity of Southern California! She definitely nailed this one, you guys. It was SO amazing and fit my needs and wants perfectly.

Here is an excerpt from the letter she wrote me:
"On your next nautical trip I hope your Cara Box has all you'll need for a perfect time:
- some reading material as you cruise about.
- plenty of nautical inspired snacks to keep you full.
- a spill proof cup in case the waters are choppy.
- nautical inspired nail polish to show off your bare toes.
- sunblock and lip balm to shield yourself from the sun.
- fun note cards to help pass the time as you lounge.
- and a cute bag to tote it all in."

Without further ado...




I love everything Desirée included in my box! I totally already have those note cards but I'm so glad she decided to include them. I almost bought some when I was shopping for my buddy! The Chips Ahoy are gone and the Cracker Jacks have been opened. I just couldn't help myself. I'm not going to the lake again until Labor Day, but I'll definitely be bringing everything that's still around (aka, not the snacks) with me. Thank you so much, Desirée! 
Cara Box

To see what I decided to send by partner, Ashley, go check out her blog. Ashley and her husband recently adopted the most adorable baby girl, Ellie. They live on a farm in Washington with horses, chickens and goats, how stinkin' awesome is that!?
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7.22.2013

If I Could Be Anything in the World: Blogging with a Purpose

If I could be anything in the world, what would I be?

1. I would be a IBCLC. I see it all the time, those who give up on breastfeeding because they don't have support or encouragement. I want to be able to be there for new moms. To encourage, support, help and educate so that they can make it to and possibly exceed their breastfeeding goals. I'm currently working on general education classes so that I can transfer to SDSU and complete their program.

2. I would be a family woman. A wife and a mom. Being a full-time nanny is way different than being a mom, obviously. But I feel like it's given me a sense of the challenges of motherhood. Not gonna lie, I totally think I'd rock motherhood. ;)

3. A Newborn Care Specialist through NCSA. This is in the works, too. :) It's a shorter online course, but there is an end test that I have to pass, as well as having to complete 1800 hours of care with ONLY 0-3 month olds within two years. I'm super stoked about this. :)


I'm completely thrilled to be making my dreams come true and to be "grabbing life by the horns". 
If you could be anything in the world, what would YOU be? 
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7.18.2013

The Boys Behind the Blog #2

Today I'm linking up with Mallory and Stephanie for the second link-up in the Boys Behind the Blog series. I don't normally do this many link-ups in a week, but this one is monthly and I just couldn't pass it up.

I missed the first one of these, but I look forward to having more of Joshua's presence on my blog, and hearing his answers to these questions! After writing on my blog for a long time and only mentioning him in posts, I decided to decided a post entirely to him called All About J.

1. What celebrity would play you in a movie about your life? 
- Jim Carrey

2. What is your dream car? 
- A Bugatti Veyron



3. Do you have any tattoos? What, where, why?
- I don't have any tattoos.

4. Boxers or briefs?
- Boxers or boxer briefs.

5. List three random facts about yourself...
- I'm funny.
- I like to shoot.
- No matter how much he sleeps he's always tired.*

*The second fact was as far as we got, I'm adding in the last one. :)

Boys Behind The Blog
Happy Thursday! :)
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7.17.2013

Shooting Saturday!

As mentioned in this post, Joshua and I went shooting on Saturday with his step-dad and little brother. Of course I brought my camera and got some awesome shots!


J just finished building his AR-15, so we had to take it out for a spin. A big issue for me with shooting is the kickback of whatever weapon I'm using. I feel like I have less control of the weapon when it's really big, so I choose smaller caliber weapons to use.

J's gun has the same kickback as a 20 gauge shotgun, which is what I normally shoot with, so I was super excited! The only difference is that it was suuper loud. Louder than I was expecting but not as loud as some of the weapons that other people we're using! By the way, the ear protection we used that day totally sucked. Time to invest in the legit stuff. I'm totally asking for a pair for my birthday next month!







They charge by the clay at the shotgun range, so we use two shooters to avoid wasted clays. He's my favorite person to pair up with, obviously. :)

Have you ever shot a gun before?
By the way, I just made my blog a Facebook page! You can "like" me here for the time being, as a social media icon is in the works. 
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7.16.2013

20 Chore Tuesday! [2]

Just like last week, I'll be linking up with Emily today for 20 Chore Tuesday. I'm loving this link-up, and find that my Tuesdays are incredibly productive because of it. I've been trying to find my link-up "groove" without going overboard, and think I've found the perfect balance for me!



Last Week: 
Food
1. Eat lunch.
2. Eat dinner before 7p. I ate at about 7:30p...
3. Run to the grocery store.
4. Feed L Turkey Dinner for dinner at 5:30p.
5. Cook chicken & green beans.

House
6. Load dishes in the dishwasher.
7. Clean living room.
8. Sweep.

Personal
9. Clean out car.
10. Get a car wash.
11. Write BWR post. Didn't ever happen. Taking a break I guess? 
12. Pay for MommyCon Portland. Not yeeet.
13. Buy babywearing bag. Haven't deposited the check.
14. Check movie times. J did this. 

Work
15. Figure out new daily log. 
16. Packing list for babywearing playdate. We didn't go.
17. Wash diapers.
18. Go to the library. 
19. Order L birthday invitation. I'm thinking about making them now, I only need three.
20. Make a grocery list.

This Week:
Errands:
1. Target.
2. Old Navy.
3. American Eagle.
4. Active.
5. Post Office.
6. Bank.
7. Boot Barn.

Work: 
8. Try to go to playdate today. 
9. Sweep.
10. Meal ideas.
11. Email MB activity ideas.
12. Plan school time. 
13. Stuff cloth diapers.

Personal:
14. Clean desk.
15. Put away laundry.
16. Read 100 pages of July book club book.
17. Post items on eBay.
18. Meal plan.
19. Work out schedule.
20. Catch up on blog posts.

I'm really hoping to get this all done today! This week is busy and full of exciting things!
What's on your list today? 
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7.15.2013

Busy Weekends

This weekend has been one of the most jam packed weekends I've had in a very, very long time. Like probably the busiest weekend I've had since around the holidays. That means that all the blog posts that were supposed to get written, didn't.

It all started on Friday, the day I worked two and a half hours. After those few hours were over, I headed down to the OC Fair to help out my alma mater's agriculture program (also known as, FFA) get ready to show their lambs. This week is market week, so it's a crazy, exciting, chaotic, busy time for those kids and their animals. Friday was also opening day. Holy traffic, you guys. It took me way longer than it should've to get parked and in the gate. I stayed until 5p. Got home around 6p. Left for J's moms around 8p.

Saturday, we went shooting after we (of course) had to go to Bass Pro Shop. Joshua recently finished building his AR-15, so we were dying to get some rounds in. It was freakin' awesome! We also went clay shooting at the same range. Of course, I took pictures! I also didn't take my computer to J's mom's house because I was only going to be there for one day. Rookie mistake.

Today (Sunday) I spent the entire day at the fair grounds, with BFF (Kimberly) helping the steer kids. My day is approaching 18 hours long with only two, fifteen minute cat naps. I know, I should really go to bed already. My lips got sunburnt and I have a newfound farmer's tan. How fitting. :) But it was, and is always, such a thrill to be a part of that group!

My meal planning post was supposed to go live today. I haven't even shopped for the week, nor decided what I'm going to eat. My Blogging with a Purpose post may not go up tomorrow, if at all, although I'm hoping I can squeeze it in during one of L's nap times. This week is another crazy, weird, irregular week. With more fair days, more work, and a visiting little cousin. Please bear with me during this organized chaos called my life! :)
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7.12.2013

Timi & Leslie Dual Bag: A Review

About a month ago, I pulled the trigger and bought a new diaper bag. I finally decided one the Timi & Leslie Dual Bag because it was marked down an extreme amount. Unfortunately it's not available for purchase on their site right now. I wrote about my first impressions on the bag here. While I liked it a lot at first, and it got us through a trip to the San Diego Zoo that included a blowout and lots of hills.

But now? I'm just not loving it. It might be perfect for some people, but that just wasn't the case for me.



Pros
- It has lots of organizational components and pockets.
- The print is SO cute!
- Includes stroller straps and messenger strap.
- Was able to fit a lot of things inside.

Cons
- The messenger strap was too short for me to use while babywearing. This was the ultimate deal breaker. I wear my bags cross body if I'm wearing and will be walking for a while (i.e. the mall).
- Dual pockets.
- Thin profile didn't allow me to lay anything flat in the bottom, everything had to go vertical.
-Could only fit two cloth diapers, one in each inner pocket.

That being said, the hunt for the perfect diaper bag is still on. 
What diaper bag do you have? Do you love it? Have you written about it? Share with me in the comments!
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7.10.2013

20 Chore Tuesday, on Wednesday!

Today I'm linking up with my friend Emily for 20 Chore Tuesday! I really hope that I can get everything done today. It's already two o'clock and I haven't even started yet. L might be on a sleeping spree (teething, growing, and "leaping" all at the same time) as of late, but I still have things to do.


Food
1. Eat lunch.
2. Eat dinner before 7p.
3. Run to the grocery store.
4. Feed L Turkey Dinner for dinner at 5:30p.
5. Cook chicken & green beans.

House
6. Load dishes in the dishwasher.
7. Clean living room.
8. Sweep.

Personal
9. Clean out car.
10. Get a car wash.
11. Write BWR post.
12. Pay for MommyCon Portland.
13. Buy babywearing bag. 
14. Check movie times. 

Work
15. Figure out new daily log. 
16. Packing list for babywearing playdate. 
17. Wash diapers.
18. Go to the library. 
19. Order L birthday invitation. 
20. Make a grocery list.

What's on your to-do list today?
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7.09.2013

Fourth of July: BFF and Baby

*Written on July 5, 2013*

Yesterday, the fourth of July, was one of the most fun days I've had with my best friend, Kimberly, in a long time. We've been best friends since we were 14, and over the years life has changed. We're turning 23 this year. She is a toddler mama, wife, student, and working lady. As you can imagine, "normal" life gets in the way of us having time to hang out quite often.

Yesterday our family (remember: J is her cousin) was out of town, neither of us had to work, and magic happened. We spent the day together with her son, Bryce. We found one of the only places open yesterday that wasn't super expensive and spent a good chunk of the afternoon there, then went swimming at a family member's house. T'was an amazing day!


After that, we made dinner at her house, picked up my mom, and took off to see fireworks super last minute. I'm not usually one to make a big deal out of seeing them, but B absolutely loved it. Every time he so much as heard a firework go off, he'd say something like "Dats a fiewouk! POP! BOOM!". It was 100%, totally worth it. Even if I thought my bladder was going to explode the entire time we we're at the fireworks thing.


Babywearing for the win, yeah? I love that carrier. We had to walk a few blocks, so I helped Kimberly wrap B in my Wrap Conversion Mei Tai from Earthy Bliss.

I hope your 4th was as amazing as mine! How did you celebrate?
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7.08.2013

52 Weeks of Blogging with a Purpose: My Biggest Weakness

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Let's be real here. I don't just have one biggest weakness, I have a lot. I'm sure I'm not the only one. This is totally what I thought when I saw the word weakness. Then I browsed other blogs who are also doing this link-up...


1. J's REAL Smile. His fake one is cute but is real, that-is-so-funny smile makes my heart melt and beat just a little bit faster. Oh goodness. I can't wait to see his face! He's been at the lake since Wednesday and is finally came home yesterday!

2. Clearance Items. Am I right? They're discounted, cheaper than normal, and so cute. I bought a white board the other day for the sole reason that it was on clearance. I don't even have anywhere to put it at the moment. I don't know what I'm going to write on it, yet. But it was THREE DOLLARS!

3. Natural Parenting Items. I want all the wraps! All the AppleCheeks! All the things! No, I don't need anymore. I know. Well, I do need more cloth diapers in a bigger size soon. But not right this minute.
-----
In terms of personality? Procrastination. I am pretty much a professional at waiting until the last minute. Even with this blog post, it's 11a on the day it's "due" and I'm just now finishing it. My posts normally go live at midnight. In my defense? I did work on other blog posts this weekend though. Even though they weren't as urgent as this one.

What is your biggest weakness? 
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7.07.2013

Whole 30 Meal Plan: Week 1

Here is my meal plan for my first week of Whole 30! There is no structured meal plan, so I went off the grocery list and made meals out of things I like. Now, I'm a super weird picky eater. I don't like a lot of things on the grocery list. So by the end of the month, you will definitely be able to tell which foods I love, and which foods I definitely don't like.

Also keep in mind that I'm don't have a family or husband to feed, which results in a lot of left overs, although I don't mind. My work schedule plus the drive make prepping food after I get home torturous as I am normally absolutely starving by the time I get home. I get off work at 6:15p, and my drive is about 45 minutes. Add on food prep and cooking time and I would be eating every night around eight o'clock. Now you understand my love for leftovers? Kay good. :)


My meal planning sheet is from The Joy Cottage.
Don't know what Whole 30 is? I can help with that. :)
What is Whole 30?, as well as the reasons why I'm participating... 
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7.06.2013

What is Whole 30?

As mentioned in previous posts, I have had a lot of trouble in my paleo journey as of late. Things have been busy, I've had family visiting, etc. I just haven't been on my game.

One major part of eating paleo, and eating clean in general, is making sure that you have time to grocery shop and prep. For me, this absolutely has to happen on the weekend. My work weeks are too hectic and busy to make that happen. Ideally, I'd grocery shop on Saturday & prep and cook on Sunday. Obviously people like to plan things on the weekend, but I just try to work around things I have going on.

Enter Whole 30.
My friend Emily is the one who turned me onto a paleo diet when I went to visit her a few months ago, she also does Whole 30 a few times a year. When I first heard about it, it seemed like an extremely daunting task and I didn't think I would be able to do it, but now that I have fallen further and further away from paleo, the more I know I need to do a Whole 30.

What is Whole 30? Whole 30 is a thirty day program that cuts out food groups that could be having a negative impact on your health, fitness goals, and digestive system. It's essentially a reset for your body, and it's exactly what I need right now to get back on track. I have gotten all information I have from Whole 9 Life.

I decided that I wanted to be informed as possible so that I could do this 100% correctly. I put together a folder that has everything I need in it, including my calendar and weekly meal planner.

In my folder you will find:
Whole 30 Program
The Butter Manifesto
Whole 30 Shopping List
Whole 30 Meal Planning Template
Weekly Meal Planning Sheets
July 2013 Calendar

I'm super excited, and can't wait to get started on Monday! :)

The
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7.01.2013

Blogger Book Club: The Help

Right now I'm supposed to give you my opinion and full review of The Help by Kathryn Stockett, buuut that's not gonna happen. Because I fail at life. I only got about 75 pages in. Today I'm linking up with Madeline, Melissa and Taylor!


I'm loving the plot and characters so far, so I will definitely finish The Help in addition to reading July's book (America the Beautiful by Ben Carson). I obviously can't answer these questions to the fullest because I didn't read the entire book, but I'm going to answer them based on the 75 pages I have read.

1. What was the book about?
There is A LOT going on in this book, even in the beginning. There are a lot of characters, and settings, and a fair amount of drama. But what else are wealthy white women in the South to do in 1962 besides gossip? I'm really enjoy the different point of views throughout the book, even where I'm at. I haven't even gotten to the whole "write a book about the help" part.

2. What were your initial thoughts on the book? Were you impressed? Disappointed?
The plot is definitely still being set up and impressions are still being made, but overall I'm definitely impressed. After I finish the book, I'm going to have to watch the movie, obvi.

3. Favorite quotations from the book?
No really, it is, so far. I'm a nanny, so this one kind of "hits home". I always want the children I care for  to feel this way. 

4. What did you like most about the book?
So far my favorite character is Minny and her big old mouth. :) Can't really say much more than that.

5. Would you recommend this book to a friend? 
Absolutely. Especially if said friend was a fellow nanny.
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52 Weeks of Blogging with a Purpose: 5 Years

Where do I see myself in five years?

Oh man, so many big, life changing things will hopefully happen within five years. For those who don't know me or my blog-- I'm currently 22 years old (birthday is in August) and J and I have been dating for 3.5 years. I'm a daydreamer and a planner, and have thought about my life five years from now tons of times. What I see...

I will be married to Joshua.


...with a baby, who was born into the water-- hopefully at home.
...a house of our own.
...and a few pups.


I will be an IBCLC, NCS, and my resume will look badass.
This blog will grow and change as things in my life grow and change. I hope to still be writing and sharing life events with my followers.
I will attend my 10 year high school reunion, and not dread it. Because I will be wedding day hot.
Most of my Thirty by Thirty will be done, because I will almost twenty-eight.


What does your life look five years from now? 
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