Mama Maulieu

I Love My Husband!

2010-03-21T22:39:00.000-07:00

There are a couple occasions a year where gifts are given to the Maulieu girls, Mama included. Christmas is a major holiday for us and our girls, they love presents, who doesn't? They also love to give gifts. With each child we have comes more and more gifts under the tree. It started with Mike and I in our one bedroom apartment with our Charlie Brown tree. We were lucky if we each got a book. Broke college students is what we were. Then Mike graduated college and grad school and we had Maddie, and so the gifts increased. Nowadays Christmas shopping is a strategically planned event that we must start planning mid October.

Birthdays are of course gift giving holidays. When Maddie was born and Mike got his first job one of his co-workers told him about "Push Presents" - a present a new father gives a new mother when she gives birth to their child. In our household Mama gets a present and so do all Mama's babies.

The girls got new American Girl Dolls and Bitty Babies from American Girl, I got a beautiful Tiffany ring with my birthstone, Baby Alise got a prefect Kate Spade diaper bag, and The Maulieus as a whole got a brand new iMac. My husband works his ass off so me and our girls can live the good life. We are so thankful everyday for our wonderful Husband/Father; we could not ask for more, and that is the truth!

complain, complain, complain...

2010-02-13T21:42:00.000-08:00

So I started my diet on Tuesday... I was excited at first and went to the grocery store to get my food and spent a shitload. Then I bought my scale. I wanted a nice one so I spend another shitload. Then this afternoon I realized I had run out of food so I went out and bought more to hopefully last me a few weeks...

Yesterday I was really down in the dumps (do people still use that expression?) because I weighed myself in the morning, which you shouldn't do until week 4, and I wasn't losing weight. Then I dropped my food at work and since it was yogurt and not an apple or something that could have been washed it was uneatable. Unless I licked it off the floor, which I probably would have done had there not been coworkers around. Strangers, fine. Coworkers, I have to see them everyday so probably not. I had my snack and lunch like planned and come home for dinner, drop that on the floor as well and dog comes and eats it. Leila has had a cold for about a month now, so I couldn't drop everything and drag my poor little girl out to the store. So I ate some fruit and a little chicken. Then I made the mistake of weighing myself again and found I gained 2lbs.. How? I don't know, but I do know this is why its very specific you should NOT be weighing yourself on an hourly basis or you will be sadly disappointed and pissed off, as I am.

Typically I would have given up by now.. pathetic, I know. The fact that I have invested so much money is whats keeping me going. That and the fact that my daughter is three years old and I still have a baby gut. Uggghhh, I have a long long road ahead of me and I am ready to suck it up and be skinny. I have made Leila lunch and dinner all week and watched her eat Valentines treats from her grandparents and been super strong in not "just tasting one". Tomorrow is my niece's birthday party where there will be cake. I love cake. If I had to pick one thing to eat for the rest of my life I'd pick ice cream cake. Tomorrow I get to stare at it and drool. That's the worst part, when its right in front of you.

I have been eating a lot of omelettes loaded up with veggies and to me that's a meal I would eat if I were on a diet or not. There is no alcohol allowed!! I am not a big drinker to begin with, as I think I mentioned before, but its hard to not drink when everyone else is.

I am so grumpy from all the cravings and the fact that my crappy car needed maintenance this week so I had to dip into my new car savings. Tomorrow I will try to be a little more chipper but for now I am a grouch. Tomorrow is Valentine's Day and we're going to have brunch at my mom's then Leila and I are getting our nails done and then my husband and I are going to dinner and a movie. Something for this bitchy hungry woman to look forward to. Diet Sprite and Dunkin Donut iced tea are my new BFFs! Black coffee (with splenda) is going to take some getting used to. Whether or not I like it doesn't matter since I need coffee to wake me up in the morning or I'm useless. Also I haven't been drinking my two liters of water as instructed. Its so hard to drink that much water! After awhile it starts to taste gross. Yes, it can happen.

I took pictures to do a before and after but I think I will wait until after to post them. I'm just not ready yet.

It's here!

2010-02-07T22:41:00.000-08:00

I got my personalized 1st Personal Diet today!! I just finished reading everything and totally forgot I need a scale to weigh out my food. Crap. I meant to buy one over the weekend but I have to go grocery shopping for my food so I may as well just get one then. After reviewing my blood work results it looks like it wasn't as much of a hot mess as I thought it would be. Everything looks normal, I'm not even close to diabetic, which I wouldn't have been surprised about.

So far my personalized diet is not what I was expecting. Its pretty plain and simple. Three meals a day and it lists 3-5 choices of what you may eat per meal, none of them are much. I suppose the diet will not change for 12 weeks or whenever I reach my goal weight. Then I will begin "re-feeding" which is basically introducing normal foods to the body. The good news is the food is pretty basic and plain so I wont have to go out and spend a ton of money on new food.

Tomorrow I will weigh myself, measure myself and take pictures of my hot bod. I cant wait. (sarcasm) I will officially begin my diet on Tuesday.

The real shitty part is that I am going on a mini weekend vacation. I will have to be the party pooper who has to bring my own food. Other than all that, I am excited and very determined and motivated. The plan says that my ideal weight for my height should be around 103-109 but that seems a little too small to me. Its more important to me on how I look and how my clothes fit than how much I actually weigh. YAY!

On another note... The Saints win Super Bowl XLIV!! WHO DAT!!! They deserved it, that was exciting. What was not exciting was to come home this afternoon to find many many messy men in my front room surrounded by a 50" plasma TV that I had never seen before. Apparently it was a steal. I'll be the judge of that when I check out my credit card tomorrow. Not tonight, I'm just not up to it right now.

Titanic is on and its taking me right back to Leo's Romeo and Juliet days when I was but a wee girl writing letters to Leo confessing my love. Ahh, its nice to know I am in the same mindset I was when I was eight years old. Not much taller and not really any more mature either.

Happy February!!!

2010-02-03T19:38:00.000-08:00

Saturday I got my blood taken for my diet. It sucked. As I previously mentioned, I am terrified of needles. I hate shots, but having blood taken.. gah. Did I mention I have three tattoos? They're all small, about the size of a quarter, but getting them didn't bother me one bit. I'm obviously a freak.

Anyway, the diet should come in my email (I'm guessing) in a week or so, so I will do measurements and weight when it arrives. I'm excited!

iPad Thinga Majigga

2010-01-27T20:44:00.000-08:00

So, we are a Apple family. My dad bought me my first MacBook a few years ago right before I had my daughter. At first I was irritated since I had grown up using a PC and I didn't really feel like learning how to use a Mac. I was pleasantly surprised when it took me less than a day to get the hang of things. Now there's no way you could get me to buy anything else. Even at work.

Same goes for MP3 players and cell phones. I love my iPod and my iPhone. Just when I was ready to buy myself an Amazon Kindle, Apple comes out with something that looks very similar but seems to do much much more. Now I know that my husband and I each have our own laptops and we have our family desktop we share, along with our iPhones. As if we didn't need another silly electronic. But seriously, if someone told me I could never have another iPhone I don't know how I'd survive. Life changing. Kind of. Anyway, I think I will hold off on buying the Kindle until I can check out the iPad and see if its worth the hefty price tag.

Speaking of iPhone, I get bored easily and love to change the cover on my phone. I found a really cute Paul Frank cover

I don't really have the time or money to shop but Valentine's Day is coming.. And as I always say- Go big or go home.

Leila Alaina Babula-Shanley

2010-01-25T19:05:00.000-08:00

The other day I was in a carpool line picking up Dan's nephew, Kyle. As I waited I had no choice but to eavesdrop on a conversation had by two of the moms about a women they knew who was recently divorced and about to embark on a new life co-parenting her son with her ex-husband and a step-mom. I had to bite my tongue, hard, as I listened to her trash her "friend's" decisions about letting her child spend time with her new step-mom.

When I was 21 years old I got pregnant. I didn't find out I was pregnant until I was almost four months along. Luckily I took care of myself without the knowledge I was having a baby. I found out one day at a doctor's appointment. The emotions were very mixed. I was so very excited I was going to be a mom in a few short months but I was also very nervous. I had a lot to do; I had to find a place of our own and begin to start our life together. Alone. Just the two of us.

The baby's Daddy and I were never an item- if you will. He didn't know. He had by this point found a lady he really liked and they were on the road to beginning their own future.

Meanwhile, I was working very hard to make sure my child had everything it would ever need. I saved up every penny I earned at work. I was lucky, I had a great job that paid more than enough to support my single lady lifestyle. But was it enough to support the new lifestyle I had set out to achieve for myself and my baby? Time went by and I was beginning to bump in the belly region. It was time to break the news to loved ones and friends. Was it realistic to think that my partner in this particular crime would never have to know? Perhaps if I changed my name and picked up and moved my life. But in this case, that was a big NO.

Why was I so worried? My family took it okay, they weren't mad or upset, but just as I was, they were weary. How was I going to pull it off? More importantly, why did I not want my baby's father to know of his or her existence?

I didn't know the response I would get. He was in a relationship and I didn't want to come in between that with my news. I didn't so much care about me, but I was concerned that no matter how much I already loved my baby that her father may not want to be a father. I didn't mind being denied, but I didn't want my baby to be denied. It didn't deserve that. So I waited.

I was avid about keeping my body in shape during my pregnancy. I knew what a cupcake did to my thighs, I could only imagine what a BABY would do. So for weeks I worked and ran to the gym to workout. Then I met him.

I looked forward to going to the gym everyday because that's where I would see him. He was perfect. I felt like for 90 minutes each day I didn't have to worry about what was going on in my life. It was perfect. Working out left me feeling great and my little conversations with Dan were just what I needed. The best part? I wasn't hiding ANYTHING. He knew what was going on in my life just from little snippets of conversations we shared for just a few minutes everyday. He knew I was pregnant, he knew I was planning on making a life for myself and my child all by myself. My bump was becoming more distinguished and the time to tell the father was looming. I needed a male perspective. He was there for me. He talked me through the whole conversation. He even rehearsed best and worst case scenarios with me. I couldn't believe it, but I had a HUGE crush on him. It was so inappropriate given the circumstances but, it was there none the less.

Not long after that I broke the news to the father. "Whats next?" he asked me. Half excited, half terrified. "You are more than welcome to come with me to find out the sex of the baby," I told him. I could not have asked for a better father for my baby. Even though we were not together, nor did we love each other, but when I told him that he was about to be a father a smirk came over his face. Then when I mentioned that we could work it out so he never had to lift a finger and I would be more than willing to raise the baby alone and not disrupt his life as he knew it, the smirk disappeared and he gave me a look like I was nuts. "No," he said "we'll work together." We planned and talked and planned some more.

Dan was still in my life but a little more so than before. He took me out to dinner every once in awhile, or came with me to register for baby gifts. He acknowledged that I was pregnant and was so supportive. He was becoming my best friend.

When Jake and I went to find out the sex of our baby Jake came in the examination room with me. He sat next to me and held my hand. We heard the heartbeat together. And then the doctor said it. "Congratulations, it's a girl." I cried and he cried. We cried together. It was our first moment together as parents. I knew at that second he was going to be just as great a parent as I planned on being. If our baby was as important to him as she was to me, everything else would somehow work itself out.

That night we celebrated. He brought Libby, who was so supportive and seemed to be just as excited as we were. We had a very long heart to heart and gained mutual respect for one another. I brought Dan. Dan and Jake and Libby and myself all grew to be great friends in the coming months. Soon moving day came. I was extremely pregnant which worked in my favor because I didn't have to lift a finger. I just did what I do best and bossed Jake and Dan around as they moved my furniture and new baby belongings into a two bedroom condo, one room for myself and one room for baby. Jake moved several floors under us, but in the same building. Libby moved in with him.

A month later I went into labor. My family was there, and some even flew in for the birth of my daughter. Jake's family was there too. So was Libby. And Dan.

I was so overwhelmed at how many people already loved my daughter. How could this be possible? A little girl who hadn't even taken her first breath or opened her eyes had more people awaiting her arrival than I had at my Sweet Sixteen or at my graduation.

My sister and Jake were in the room with me when she was born. I couldn't believe and didn't even know how much I could love one person. I loved her a million times over than I even loved myself. She was the single most important thing in my life. From now on everything I did was either for her or because of her. Her daddy felt the same way. We named her Leila Alaina Shanley-Babula. With a name bigger than she was a little piece each of the mommy and daddy that already loved her so much.

Leila technically lived with me but had many many visits throughout the day from Daddy and Libby. Sometimes one, sometimes both. Sometimes they took her home for a few hours while I did laundry or worked from home. Dan came over once a week with dinner. Soon once a week turned into twice, and then some. Leila and Dan had a very special bond. He loved her so much. He loved her [almost] as much as her mommy did. Dan's and my relationship went from strangers, to acquaintances, to friends, to respect, to love.

When Leila was 9 months old Dan moved in with us. He took care of her like she was his own. So did Libby. People sometimes asked me about our situation and asked how I felt that I was not the only mother like figure in my daughter's life. I told whoever asked plain and simple. My daughter has four parents who all lover her equally. Was I ever jealous of the relationship she had with Libby? No. Was Jake ever jealous of the bond Leila and Dan shared? No.

The way we all saw it was that Leila had more than most children had. We might not always be able to buy her exactly what she wants but there will never be a limited supply of love. She has two sets of everything. I know that its not in a child's best interest to have parents that are not together, but what's the rule if she does times two?

Leila, Dan and I still live in our wonderful condo, along with Noelle, Harlow and Lexi dogs. Jake and Libby still live just floors below us. When Leila was a baby she left all the time but always had to come back to me. She was new and physically needed her mother. I needed to know she was sleeping within arms reach of me whenever I would wake up in the middle of the night and wanted to kiss her little forehead and whisper in her ear how much Mommy loves her.

Leila is spending her very first night with her daddy and her Libby tonight. Even though she is not only a phone call away or a twelve second elevator ride away I miss her. My heart hurts when she is not here. This is the first bump I have had in my little motherhood road. Yes, it sucks my little girl is growing up and becoming just about as independent as a three year old can be, but I am blessed that this is the first and worst bump we have hit I consider myself very very lucky.

I am so thankful for my daughter and everyone that loves her and cares for her just as they do. She's a little bit of all of us. She's grown up with what naturally I believe to be the four people with the best personalities. She looks like a mix of her mother and father. She has our light eyes and dark hair. She has my freckles. She's even picking up a little bit of her mother's leprechaun accent, as it is so kindly called around these parts. Already Leila has a heart of gold just like her father. I couldn't ask for more. I am truly blessed.

Claaaaassic Peg.

2010-01-25T15:48:00.000-08:00

Anyway..

Victoria's Secret had a tiny bit of clothing leftover from the Semi-Annual Sale, so I got a pair of PINK jeans for $14 and a PINK Nation tee shirt for $6... pretty good. I think that's just about all I can get until the sale comes around again in June-ish?

I also got this cute tee shirt from the new Spring line and a free mini-dog! My daughter has a small collection of mini-dogs, so she was quite thrilled with my purchase. My shirt is actually a v-neck. I like myself a nice v-neck.

Today was the day I had been dreading. I was supposed to have my blood taken for my diet that I wanted to start at or before February 1st. This morning I had breakfast with my Aunt and as I was getting ready to leave for my doctor appointment she asked me if I was supposed to fast. SHIT. I totally forgot and I don't think that two huge blueberry pancakes and several glasses of orange juice is considered fasting. I forgot. Whoops. Oh, and you also see why I desperately need to go on a diet. So now I have to go on Saturday early in the morning.

This is my first week back to work full-time. Actually I start again tomorrow but its almost a full week. I'll be working 7:30 to 5, Monday through Friday until June. I am probably going to lose my mind. I am one of those people who hates getting up in the morning. I normally have to be up by 6 in order to leave by 7:15 but I have to set the alarm a good hour before I have to be up, as I snooze about five.

I am already ready for the weekend. Unfortunately, as previous stated, I must be up early on Saturday for my make-up appointment.

"No Mommy, I Not a BABY!"

2010-01-23T21:39:00.000-08:00

The other day Leila had a play date with her cousins, Mia and Ava. I picked her up and we came home. It was just the two of us, Dan was working late. We sat at the table to eat dinner when she said "Hey Maaaammy.. uh, can I talk to you for a minute.?" I giggled to myself whenever she says something grown up in her little person accent. "Maaam. Ava and Mia BOTH have big girl beds. And I don't."
*side note- Leilas starting to talk more like a little girl than a toddler. She's in her cute stage where she repeats things she hears (regardless of what that might be). She has a toddler accent mixed with a Chicago accent she gets from her dad mixed with the awkward Chicagoan/Irish accent I have acquired through the years. People think I'm a little mixed up, imagine how they feel about my child.

Anyway, Leila's bed is for a toddler. We retired the crib at a very early age (actually we didn't, but she had Super Crib that will transform into any bed she so desires until college). I know its awful, but fifty percent of the time she sleeps in my bed with me. Anyway now she wants a "big girl bed". I was looking at fancy princess beds, or beds with cute little trundles underneath, or even beds with pink canopies and butterflies. Dan shat on that by actually making a good point- I hate to admit. Kids grow up fast. By the time shes nine she won't want a princess or butterfly bed anymore, so we'll have to do this all over again. "WHAT is your solution then?" I snapped at him.. sorry honey. "A queen bed woman, a queen bed!" We're going shopping this weekend for a queen bed that she can comfortable sleep in until shes 18, respectively.

Soon we will be shopping for a new home where an elevator ride to see Daddy will turn into a car ride. Leila is growing so quickly and life is changing whether I want it to be or not. We have lived the past three and a half years perfectly without so much as a glitch. Will our new memories be just as easy to make? I tend to look back and miss the most obsolete moments from my past without expecting that I just might miss the moment I am in.

TRYING to Get Pretty Without Spending Billions

2010-01-23T10:37:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Heather and Mike on their new little girl, Annabel!
You can read Heather's Blog at www.thespohrsaremultiplying.com

As I've mentioned before, killerstrands.com is really great resource for those of us who try and color or take care of our hair from home. I'm not ready to color my hair by myself, seeing as I've been there done that and it ended in disaster way more than once. I did however order a ton of products from the website that will hopefully get my hair back into great condition. When they arrive I'll post before pictures to keep track of the great results I'm expecting.

I also am looking for a new skin care routine. I love Proactiv but I've noticed that especially when I go tanning, the Repairing Lotion bleaches my face and freckles. My face also feels tight after using it so I'm going to try out a few more products and see what works best for me.

I've seen infomercials for Murad Acne Complex, which looks good on the commercial but after doing some research and reading reviews on acne.org it doesn't seem to be all its hyped up to be. As I am writing this (and watching a Teen Mom marathon) there has been a Proactiv ad at each commercial break, and apparently there is a NEW Proactiv. I might give that a try. If the "new" formula doesn't work as advertised then I'm DONE! As you can see, I am all about second chances. I love Arbonne products, but they're kind of expensive. We all know beauty products are expensive but there's only so much I can pay for an entire face kit.

Aside from facial cleansers I'd love to find a wrinkle cream that works. I've never used any wrinkle cream before because I'm still young (I'm only 25!) and I just haven't had the need. Lately I've noticed the skin under my eyes is a little thinner and sometimes darker. I also have a few wrinkles around my eyes and would like to stop those lines in their tracks before they worsen. I think I'm going to give Olay ProX a try, I've heard good things!

I love Crest White Strips! I first started using them about six or seven years ago and they worked right away! Typically I use them once a year, the results never fade but I like to use them anyway.
I haven't tried the newer versions they've come out with, I normally buy the original ones you use twice a day for half hour each time for fourteen days. They work fabulously!!

What Have I Gotten Myself Into?

2010-01-22T12:00:00.001-08:00

Last night I sent in my $250 to 1st Personal Diet, then I got a very quick response and an order form for a blood test. The blood test could be paid for online ($35) and then you print the form and bring it in with you when you have the blood taken. I looked online at locations and they're all in pretty shitty areas, which makes me very weary. So I picked the one that was in the nicest area and they wouldn't answer the phone. So I went to the second one. No answer. SO I called a further one and got an answer from a nice women with an accent. She gave me directions. In her directions were listed a couple things I'm not so sure of. McDonalds, Burger King, Buona Beef, and Chinese Buffet. Don't get me wrong, I like all four, but when they are used to describe the location of your "medical office" that gets me a little concerned. There was also no need for an appointment, they are open for walk ins. Not sounding too great.

I already spend the non-refundable $35 on the blood test from this specific lab, so I will drive there, look for the strip of various fast food joints and judge the book by its cover. If this place looks like somewhere I'd be most likely to contract something then I'm forgetting the $35 and hauling ass over to my regular doctor, which I should have done in the first place.

I'm going over there on Monday so we'll see what happens.

Favorite iPhone Apps

2010-01-21T22:03:00.000-08:00

I LOVE my iPhone! I don't know what I ever did without it. I am one of those women who have about 9 million applications for everything! I'm all about making life simpler.

Here are a few apps that I can't live without:

Bank of America - I have always been very OCD about my banking. I am guilty of checking my balance at least 48 times a day which was a pain in my ass because I would have to call the bank, type my sixteen digit account number and my nine digit social security number then sit through the automated system. Who doesn't love that? Then if something for some reason was awry there was no way for me to access it unless I was in front of a computer. This app lets me save my username and all I have to do is type in my password then I have all my info. Its secure and so easy.
Facebook, duh. Enough said.
Twitter - although I don't "tweet" I have stalkerish qualities I guess you could say and I like to know who's doing what.
Google - I tend to Google anything and everything, so its great to have it at my fingertips when ever should feel the need to Google.
XM Sirus Radio - So easy to use, just type your username and password and there you have it. I haven't figured out yet if that means my husband is unable to use his from his car too since I'm logged in on my phone but either way, its nice to have satellite radio when I'm cleaning or doing laundry.
AOL radio - I love AOL radio, its very similar to Sirus, except free, and in my opinion there's more to chose from.
Target - I like to check weekly deals and clearance items and that's the first thing that pops up. Simple. I love it.
Dictionary.com
Starbucks - This app is pretty awesome. I've been behind customers when they've ordered what sounded like extravagant beverages and I've always wondered what choices I had to make my perfect coffee. The app walks you through all your choices and then you can repeat verbatim to your barista (or baristo) whatever drink you so desire. You can also save your drink for future reference.
Web MD - Just like the website. Its awesome!
Yelp - I like to do my research and read reviews on products or places before investing time or money so this app is helpful. Its also just like the site.
RedBox - I can search which RedBox has the movie i want to rent, then have it held for me until I go pick it up. It tells me which RedBox is closest.
Ebay
Weather Channel - the phone comes with an already installed weather app but I like the Weather Channel, because even though half the time turns out to be inaccurate, I like being able to read a more in depth weather report.
Bejeweled - I'm an addict and in my opinion the phone version is easier to play than the computer version. $2.99 I believe
TFLN (Texts From Last Night) - Hilarious.. I think this one is $.99 but worth the dollar.
traffic.com - I haven't figured out the easiest way to use this but my main concern is highway travel so it gives me an idea what the traffic is like.
urban spoon - This is pretty cool. Just shake the phone and it will bring up a random restaurant in your area. Takes the annoyance out of the twenty minute "Where do YOU want to eat?" conversation.
imdb - I literally use this app five times a day
USPS/Fedex/UPS - Great for tracking packages. Very easy!
Sit or Squat - This is good for city living or if you have children. It compiles a list of usable restrooms in the area.
TV Guide - easy to use, very useful if you're on the go and need to know whether or not your show will be a repeat. You can search shows and it will bring up a list of when its on next. You can save favorite shows or channels.
Taxi Magic - This is perfect for those nights you know you need to get home but maybe had a little too much to drink. I've been there and its my opinion that trying to call for a taxi and figure out the exact location can be close to impossible when you're not of a sound mind. This app does all the dirty work for you, it literally is magic!

As I said, I have about a million apps but these are just a few of my favorites!
All the applications listed are free with the exception of the ones with the price listed.

My Name is Rachel and I am a Trypanophobiac.

2010-01-21T21:01:00.001-08:00

Today I registered and sent my payment in for the 1st Personal Diet. The next step is to have a blood test taken and sent in. I HATE needles. This is a bizarre phobia seeing as I work in a hospital, never the less I'm terrified! Once I had blood taken was when I was in high school. I stayed home sick all day and by the end of the day when my mom got home from work I was having shooting pains in my right side. What else could it be than appendicitis? So my mom took me to the 24 hour emergency care right by my house. The first thing they did? Draw blood. It makes me cringe just writing about it. I had blood taken and waited for hours on end only to find it was an extreme case of...... gas. That actually sums up the story of my life. Any enigma always finds its way back to gas one way or another.

Anyway, I have to have my blood taken and I don't know what will happen. Maybe they will take pity on my pathetic display and let me get it done the old school way.. aka- a finger prick for ages 12 and under. Great.

Aside from that I'm pretty excited! When I begin, hopefully in a week or two, I will start logging everything.

On another note, I've decided to redo our front room. I'm going to Ikea tomorrow to see what I can come up with and perhaps purchase a new comforter since ours is looking a little dull and heat seems to be unable to find its way into our bedroom.

Aside from losing the baby weight I had a few other New Year Resolutions. I decided to get my hair back into healthy condition. Its taken quite a beating from all the box color black to bleach blonde back to black and so on. I think I'd like to try to get back to my natural color, whatever that may be, and most importantly.. healthy! I'm waaaaay overdue for a haircut as well.

I waited all month for a new episode of The Office and tonight was the night. Kind of. It turned out to be one of those episodes that re-airs old clips from various other episodes. Every show does that at some point or another and its a pet peeve of mine, especially since I've seen every episode at least three times each.

I stopped in Bath and Body Works this evening and I bought some aromatherapy "pillow mist".. You spray it on your pillow and its supposed to make you fall asleep or something along those lines. Hopefully this will help me with the snoring issue. If not I've tried everything on MY part, the next step is having him wear some kind of nose strip or mouth guard or whatever one who wishes to rid themself of SNORE might sport.
I also bought another Wallflower. I have a few around my home and they work great! This one however has a night light attatched! Its perfect! I plugged it in the wall right by the Diaper Genie in Leila's room. Stank free AND shes got a lovely new nightlight! Win-win!

Each were on sale at Bath and Body Works, the mist was $2.75 and the Wallflower was $1.75. Now that I think about it I should have gotten a few. I'm waiting for their giant rubber duckies to go on sale!

Speaking of B&BW.. my roomate in college used a lotion called Bring Up the Rear by True Blue Spa. Its a lotion you put on your arse, thighs, or really anywhere thats got cellulite on it. She was very thin to begin with, but we all have a little cellulite.. According to her and reviews online it works pretty well so I plan on trying it out in a desperate attempt at reducing my dimply bum.

"How does it feel knowing you're gonna have to wake up to the same face everyday until you finally have the sweet release of death?"

2010-01-20T19:36:00.000-08:00

My husbands work hours changed. He normally lets me fall asleep first and then he wakes up a good hour before I do and since I'm in a pretty solid coma while I'm asleep I never have to hear THE snore. His work hours changed about three weeks ago, now he's in bed and asleep before I am. I can hear him right now and he's on another floor with closed doors in between us. I can not wait to join him.......

I bought these little pink ear plugs that come in a pack from Target. Fail. Although muffled, these earplugs are for a more mild case of Husband Snore than mine.

Plan B.. My father is an Aeronautical Engineer, I remember him taking me to a hangar that housed jets used in the Air Force. He must have the hookup to the good earplugs, right? Yes, score! So he got me a less attractive, yet more effective pair of ear plugs. But did they keep the hog snoring at a lull? NO! Son of a....

I have been putting my industrial strength ear plugs in then on top of that putting some heavy duty headphones on, which gets the job done. Finally. Then this morning I had to be up early to get everyone ready and drop the kids off at my mom's wake up early since I was scheduled to cover a coworker's [very] early morning shift. I woke up after an unusually fabulous sleep, looked at the clock and that's when the poop hit the fan. It was 10:30! I was supposed to be up at 6:30! I took the headphones off.. and removed my earplugs only to hear the sound of two different alarms going off and children talking. *side note- when I try and sleep in on a weekend the girls will have none of it. But thanks for letting me sleep in this morning ladies!

Suffice to say I did not make it to work and now owe my coworker an "I'm sorry" alcohol beverage or some kind of tasty treat.. Since I'm not going to start going to bed at eight, there's nothing I can do about the snoring pickle, except endure it.

For better or for worse. Ugh.

The First Step to a Healthier Lifestyle

2010-01-19T21:07:00.000-08:00

I've always been very small, during high school my weight fluctuated but I was always petite. At five foot, two inches, my ideal weight is 115-120lbs. After I had my girls I gained a crap load. And in a very short period of time. I am a big fan of King of Queens and have seen almost every episode and watch re-runs nightly. I noticed Carrie (Leah Remini) was very small as well then she gained weight after having a baby and was about the same size am I am now. A few seasons after she gave birth she lost the weight and was tiny once again. I did a little research because I was very curious as to how much weight she initially gained and how much she lost.

After reading her blog I learned she lost 80 pounds by going on Dr. Cohen's First Personal Diet. So I did a lot of research on the diet. It sounded too good to be true. Here's the gist: you have blood drawn and tested at your doctor, the results are sent in to Dr. Cohen's "team" and then your diet is personalized. Its all through e-mail and from what I read there is a lot of support. There is also an official forum online which non-members can also read, which is exactly what I did. It is $250 for 12 weeks and if your goal weight is not achieved in that 12 weeks its another $179 for 12 more.

I looked online everywhere for before and after pictures and blogs of dieters out there who have successfully completed the diet or is currently in the process of shedding all their unwanted weight. After a diet pill fiasco I decided to try the First Personal Diet. I was going to start January 1 for the new year but I am going to send my money in on Friday and get blood work done hopefully next week.

The day I begin my diet I will post before pictures, my weight, and measurements and I'll update regularly. Hopefully this will work, I am very excited and VERY motivated. Summer is coming and I'd like to lose the weight by June/July/August. I plan on losing 80 pounds. We'll see how it goes, I'm serious about getting fit.

From what I've read, if you don't excercise now its better to wait until you have lose the weight so that you're not hungrier during the day. Once I [hopefully] lose my weight I will get a trainer. A worry I have is that I will have excess skin, especially around my boobies. I have huge boobs but that's just because of the weight I've gained. My worst fear is that they will sag. Oh dear...

I have also heard great things about p90x, so maybe I'll try that out after my diet as well.

Leah Remini Blogs About First Personal Diet

Official First Personal Diet Website

Zebra Bedding

2010-01-19T21:03:00.000-08:00

I don't know how my husband would feel if I tried using this bedding on our bed. With all of us girls (even the dogs are bitches), I think he deserved one place where he can feel like a man, and where better for it to be than the bedroom.. jk. But seriously.. =)

Zebra Peracle Bedding from The Company Store

QVC Diamonique

2010-01-19T19:20:00.001-08:00

I love QVC and my newest obsession, along with everything else, is Diamonique.. This is just an example of how much this "simulated diamond" really looks like real diamonds.. I might have to get me some!

marc by marc

2010-01-19T17:12:00.000-08:00

I love these Marc Jacobs handbags.. There great for any use.. diaper bag, school bag, or just a purse!

Abercrombie Spring 2010

2010-01-18T20:53:00.000-08:00

My Makeup Must Haves

2010-01-18T19:04:00.000-08:00

Proactiv works great, I'm not crazy about how it dries out my skin, but as far as clearing acne, its wonderful!

This little sponge works with your foundation to give you a perfect airbrushed look.

Normally I don't use waterproof, but its a must have when you're pregnant!

OPI's Lincoln Park After Dark or Lincoln Park at Midnight are my two favorite darker nail polishes.

These MAC false eyelashes are great for a night out, my natural lashes aren't very long at all. The lashes I chose are criss cross, which you don't notice when they're on. To me these are MAC's most natural looking false lashes.

Lip Glass by MAC, any color! I love them all!

Blush or a little bronzer.. Again, I go with MAC or RedEarth.

Concealer and Mascara are the two things I can't leave my house without. They're life savers, and each is so easy to use. I used a pressed concealer MAC makes for awhile but this little one in a tube is much more convenient.

Satinfinish Foundation by MAC - it doesn't glop up and its not obvious you are wearing makeup.

I love eyeliner. Especially any liner in the form of gel for my top lid. For the bottom I always go with a pencil.

These nose strips are great to grab the gunk stuck in your pores off your nose. I like to put them on my husband and see what gross debris comes off his face =)

My Newest "Wants"

2010-01-18T18:23:00.000-08:00

Woot woot!!

Okay, So I Have a Sickness.. So?

2010-01-18T14:33:00.000-08:00

I love to read. I have shows I watch regularly. I have a lot of laundry and cleaning to do each day. But when I'm done with all my chores and the girls are taking their simultaneous two hour naps (thank god!) I can be found on my laptop; shopping. I mainly shop for the girls but every once in awhile I'll buy myself a little treat because, yes, I have an addiction. I like to post the goodies I buy, that's how I get my kicks. So there you have it.

I also got this cute bikini from VS in just about every single color. Hopefully I'll be able to fit in it by summertime.. Although, my body will NEVER look like Miranda's. Son of a bitch!

Top and bottoms are sold separately. They're each about $15, give or take.

Second Christmoooos

2010-01-17T21:40:00.000-08:00

I loosened up the purse strings and bought this Louis Vuitton Luggage Duffle when I was going on my honeymoon. That was clearly before I had any kids.. Well, right away the strap just riiiiiiiped thanks to a little man-handling from a flight attendant... or stewardess, if you will. How shitty.
I got this Louis Speedy for an anniversary gift. About two weeks later my sister and I went to San Diego for a weekend where we partook in about a million touristy activities, and my new handbag was lugged all around. On the way home the handle on my bag broke. In the airport. Coincidence? I think not.

Anyway, about 7-8 months ago, maybe even longer I dropped them off to be fixed and forgot about them. I had an appointment at the eye doctor this morning and drove passed the place that was fixing my bags (and then never called me to let me know they were done). Super excited, I poped in and they had them still! Its like Christmas!

Not to mention, at the eye doctor I ordered a new pair of glasses and got a pretty sweet ass pair of D&G sunglasses. Score!

Guilty Pleasures

2010-01-16T14:55:00.000-08:00

My biggest addiction is all the trashy reality shows. I love Keeping Up With The Kardashians and Teen Mom (I know, trash!) but no matter how bored I am while I'm laying in bed during my normal television watching hours I refuse to watch Jersey Shore. Everyone I know watches it religiously so I figured I'd give it a chance to grow on me. I can honestly say I would rather walk on hot coals than watch another minute of that show. THAT, my friends, is trashy TV at its finest. Personally I do not see the appeal whatsoever.

On another note, my husband and I had date night Friday night. My mother in law watched the girls so we went out for a small dinner at an Italian restaurant near our home and then went to a "two-for" (I'll explain) at our brand new movie theater, also right by our home. Our "two-for" movie dates consist of one movie we paid for, and one we just happen to accidentally walk into right before it starts. At $11.50 a pop we take it upon ourselves to get our moneys worth. With careful planning We were able to see It's Complicated and Did You Hear About The Morgans?

Did You Hear About The Morgans? was ooookay... It had its moments, and I will admit I'm a sucker for anything Hugh Grant. I give it a seven out of ten on the Rachel Movie Scale Rating. With that having been said, It's Complicated was by far the funniest movie I have seen! Definetly in my top five of all time. The cast could not have been any better and the entire movie had me in tears from laughing. I LMAOed if you will. Typically in a theater this packed I would have been the only one laughing at parts of the movie deemed stupid or corny, but this movie had the entire audience in stitches. I give it an eleven out of ten!

I love a good movie or book but afterwards I always feel that the next movie is inadequate. Since my husband was such a good sport and saw my two movies (chick-flicks) of my choice, I promised him Avatar this weekend.. it would be The Lovely Bones if I had it my way...

The time to donate is now...

2010-01-13T19:01:00.000-08:00

My heart goes out to all those affected by the earthquake in Haiti. To support Red Cross Haiti Relief visit www.redcross.org

Wildcat Pride!

2010-01-10T14:18:00.000-08:00

I got a few tops today when I went to the Northwestern campus to have lunch with my friend Jeanine and her new little boy.
I also got Noelle and Harlow little doggie jerseys. They love to sit with Daddy and watch the game!

hint hint

2010-01-09T17:55:00.000-08:00

My Birthday wishlist!!

There's Nothin' Like Dick's!

2010-01-09T12:15:00.000-08:00

I got all this cute stuff at Dick's Sporting Goods!

Reebok EasyTone

2010-01-06T12:57:00.000-08:00

So, I've heard a lot about the Reebok EasyTones, I do a lot of walking around the house all day, so I figured I'd check them out, if I can get nice legs just by doing what I do why not? I went to my Lady Foot Locker this morning and immediately was discouraged. I am a Nike kind of gal, I always have worn Nike.. I feel they are the more attractive shoe. I guess you could say one of my many bizarre pet peeves is an ugly athletic shoe. I came home and realized I must be nuts to not buy the shoe just because they're butt ugly. So I held my breath and went on the website to order a pair. Surprise! You can customize your own shoes, which is exactly what I did! Everything from color, to sole, to even putting your name on the heel! Fantastic! $129 and 5-7 business days later I'll be the proud owner of the shoes pictured above!

Vicky Secret Sale

2010-01-04T13:24:00.000-08:00

By far my favorite time(s) of the year! Not only does VS have a sale but typically all retail stores have a sale or clearance seeing as a new collection of clothing will be coming out for the upcoming season and they're desperate to get rid of old items for new items! A couple times they also have random sales (hoodies for $25, sweats for $20 and tees for $10), but thats just every once in awhile.

What did I get, you ask? Well I'll tell you... I bought about 6 pairs of PINK sweats for $7-$14 each, some PINK solid tanks and tees for $3.50 each, a lot of bath gel and perfume for 75% off, and of course $3.99 undies and $15 braziers. Ahhh, I love it. Its so comfortable; you can wear their sweats around the house or even out and about while running errands.

Shopping Score!

2009-12-22T13:16:00.000-08:00

Since my hair is a natural hot mess and typical drying time is about 22 minutes, plus straightening, which could take up to another 45 minutes, I bought myself a new blow dryer. I decided to spring for the Farouk Chi Blow Dryer, which is the same one my hair stylist uses when she attacks this fro. It works fabulously! I'm able to cut back drying time by about ten minutes.

$99 at Bed Bath and Beyond.

A Picture Is Worth A Million Words

2009-12-02T18:27:00.000-08:00

My husband came home with this for me today. WOW! I have been hinting (okay, begging) for this camera. I've always loved photography. Now if only I could get out to take a class to learn about the thing!

Canon 12.2 MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm Lens - XSI

Beauty Secrets

2009-11-17T23:06:00.000-08:00

Over the years I have spent thousands of dollars on beauty products. Makeup, hair products, teeth whiteners, lotions, potions, you name it, I've tried it. Here are a few of my favorite.

I love anything Redken, especially Glass.. it really gives my hair a healthy shine.

Kenra makes my favorite hair spray. It doesn't make my hair crunchy or sticky and the best part of it is that it smells AWESOME!!Moroccan Oil is one of my must haves! It smells great and leaves my hair soft and shiny.

During an unfortunate hair minfortune my stylist gave me this Toger Masque.. It wasn't cheap but after all the chemicals put into my hair during a 24 hour period it really did the trick.
Awhile ago I was looking for some info on DYI hair coloring. This was during the time I decided to go Pamela Anderson and bleach my hair to a crisp. It was pointless though because my hair grows so fast that by day three I has massive black roots. So anyway, upon browsing information on the internet I came across Killer Strands. A few products that worked to turn my around around from nasty/fried/hay-like^^^

Take it from someone who has had many many babies, theres nothing better for your skin than Cocoa Butter or Vitamin E. I use Bio Oil right when I get out of the shower everyday. It prevents stretch marks and it dims the ones that you already have, some of my existing ones are totally unnoticeable after having used Bio Oil. It also works great on scars!

Sadly, I am one who needs to have a nice tan, even in the winter time. This tanning lotion is one of the best. I normally look for a new one each year but I'm sticking with this one for now since its able to give my pale complection a nice bronzed glow.

Happy Fourth of July!

2009-07-04T21:18:00.000-07:00

Happy Fourth of July to everyone! I have to admit, next to Christmas... and Halloween... and St. Patrick's Day... this is my favorite holiday! I suppose I'm just very festive and have a sweet spot for Holidays. Anyhow, I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday! God Bless America!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T19:48:00.000-08:00