"Organize One Thing Wednesday" Bare Bones.

I hate to be discriminatory, but I gotta do it.  If you're a boy and you're reading this post (dad), then you need to leave.  Also, if you're a relative or just generally uncomfortable talking about an issue that's a little more personal, you should probably skip out on this post too.  I'd love for you to come back tomorrow when I post something a little more appropriate, but for the time being....toodle-oo.  Seriously, go right now.  No boys allowed from here on out. 
Alright ladies.  This "Organize One Thing Wednesday,"  I want to talk about an area of organizing that's not usually covered.  Your "unmentionables" drawer.  Undergarments.  Underoos.  Skiivies.  "Unda-wares."  I don't know about you guys, but this particular drawer in my house was a daggone hot mess.  My morning routine involved lots of digging and moving items around to find what I needed.  And that just is not acceptable.  Because I love you guys, I'm going to show you the before picture:

Hot mess, right?  I told you.  The amount of items in this drawer were out of control.  Bras that fit me in high school, old underoos that didn't fit anymore or I didn't feel comfortable in (So I wear granny panties now...don't judge).  Nightgowns.  Slips.  Shape wear.  Ridiculous!  So I rolled up my sleeves and dove in (not literally.  that's gross.)  I got rid of the items I don't wear anymore and reorganized the ones that I do.  I picked up some drawer dividers at my local Wally World.  I weeded and folded and organized.  After:

I can breathe again.  It's not a hassle every single morning.  I pick out my undergarments and I move on.  Amazing what organizing a single drawer can do to shorten your morning routine and make you feel better about your day.  Because if you start your morning unorganized, what's that say about the rest of your day?  So, go forth and conquer your underwear! 

Sick Day. Not my idea of fun.

I really dislike sick days.  I wasn't always like this.   In college, sick days were amazing...except for the being sick part, of course.  I could go back to bed and sleep for hours, wake up, eat and then go back to sleep until whatever infection or sickness that was invading my body was gone.  Those days are no more.  Now, when I have a sick day, I feel horribly guilty.  I try to sleep, but thoughts of my messy house or my to-do list run through my head.  I don't want anyone making a fuss over me.  Don't get me wrong, I love to be pampered as much as the next girl, but not when a sickness is the reason.  I want to be pampered and waited on hand and foot when I'm at the picture of health.  Not when I feel incompetent and people have to get me hot tea and medicine.  Being at home alone right now is driving me insane.  I've told myself multiple times "Just go to sleep.  You're going to feel like CRAP if you don't get enough rest."  Except I can't.  I keep staring at the shoes in the living room floor that Avery drug out last night and I didn't get a chance to put away.  I'm thinking about the load of clothes sitting in my hamper that need to be put in the washing machine.  The outgrown clothes in Avery's room that need to be boxed up and put away are nagging at me.  I notice all the little things that I need to do around the house to make it ready for potential buyers (which hasn't been very successful so far....but that's another story completely).  Instead of doing all these things, I'm sitting on the couch watching yet another re-run episode of "What Not to Wear" and "The Chew."  I know that if I don't rest and take a break, I'll run myself down and feel even worse than before.  I just think it's a mom thing.  We're so used to taking care of everyone else and running around, fitting 12 hours of work into the 3 hours that we're home after working all day, that when we have a little downtime (no matter what the reason may be) we feel guilty about it.  We feel like we don't deserve to sit down and we see the things that still need to be accomplished.  Lets give ourselves a break ladies.  We do it all (No offense men.  We recognize all the amazing things you do too) and we still push ourselves to do more.  Enjoy your life more.  Don't feel guilty about sitting on the sofa and enjoying the latest episode of "Once Upon A Time."  Don't feel guilty about running yourself a bubble bath after the kids are down for the night.  Don't feel guilty about helping yourself to that last chocolate chip cookie every once in awhile.  While our husbands are a vital part of the home and family, we think that the successfulness of a well-run home is largely to do with us.  I have some news for you guys that might be shocking: we don't have to do it all.  If we take an hour break for ourselves every once in awhile, things are not going to fall apart.  Our husbands are perfectly capable men that can handle the kids for just a little while without our help.  I'm not suggesting that we ignore our kids and husband and home every single night so we can have some "me time."  What I am suggesting is, that if we do need that little bit of me time every once in awhile, don't feel bad about it.  Why should we feel guilty about being sick?  It's not like we can help it!  So ladies, sip that Nyquil, watch that soap opera and enjoy your sick day (crazy, right?).  It may not be fun being sick, but it may be the only rest we'll get for awhile.

Hot MAMA Monday

I think I'm going to change the name of today.  Instead of being a "Hot Mess Monday,"  I'm thinking it should be retitled a "Hot MAMA Monday" because that's exactly how I'm feeling.  Why? 

Original weight:  142.5 lbs
Last week's weight: 134.2 lbs.
This week's weight:

Loss from last week:  0.6 lbs
Overall weight lost:  8.9 (you might as well say I've lost NINE pounds!)

I'm back in the 133s y'all.  Finally.   It's been baby steps, as I'm not completely back into the swing of things and used to being disciplined and super healthy again, but I'll get there.

Biggest challenge:  Watching what I'm eating...again.  You don't think that a hamburger here or a trip to the drive thru there every once in awhile will affect your eating habits, but it completely does.  When I stopped disciplining myself and allowed myself to be a little more lax on what I was eating and how many calories I was consuming, I lost control.  Not to the point where I was binge eating or eating out everyday, but I definitely stopped watching and even caring what I was putting into my body.  Horrible mistake.  Now it's back to watching every snack and counting every calorie.  Not fun, but it produces results and it's how I'm going to get close to my goal weight.

What worked: 
Staying active.  I've been chasing after Avery, doing laundry, picking up, dancing...whatever it takes to not be a bump on a log and sit on the couch all day.  Still not "formally" exercising.  I just cannot find the motivation.  Ugh. 

See you next "Hot Mess Mama Monday!"

My Purse: The Inside Story.

I've seen this type of post floating around blog-world and I think it's just a fun way for you to get to know me a little bit better.  It's a glimpse into something that is really important to me.....my purse.  If you know me at all, you know that I have a slight purse addiction.  I'm MUCH better than I used to be (it used to be a struggle to go into a department store and not buy a purse...or at least go over to the accessories department and look at them), but I still love my purses.  I switch them out almost every day depending on what color my outfit is and I take pride in keeping it organized and clutter free.  Wanna take a peek inside?

If you can't tell, I keep everything in their own separate bags.  I CANNOT STAND having loose odds and ends floating around in my purse.  It makes it frustrating when I go digging through my purse trying to find something and it drives me bananas.  So, inside my purse is a bunch of mini-purses, if you will.

Mini-purse #1:  My makeup bag.  It contains:  4 chapsticks, 5 lipsticks, one eyeliner pencil, one eyeliner pencil sharpener, two nail files, one travel size hairspray, a makeup sponge, a concealer stick and a compact mirror.  I have a problem.

Mini-purse #2:  My medicine bag.  I have the world's worst immune system.  For reals.  If it's an illness and it's within 10 miles of me, I'm gonna catch it.  I have also been blessed with outrageously ridiculous allergies (if it lives or grows, I'm allergic to it) and a food allergy to carrots (dumbest. food allergy. EVER.).  Hence the band-aids, hand sanitizer, Zyrtec, Gas X, Benadryl, migraine pills, Advil and Epi-Pen.  If you're dying, I can fix you.

I also have a mini-purse #3 containing many, many, many pencils and pens.  You never know when you're going to need to take notes or write a check or sign a document.  Big believer in being prepared.

Now, for the rest of the story in my purse.  I have a little bag (the turquoise one) that contains all the junk I don't want floating in my purse....receipts I wanna keep, checkbook registers, etc.
Here's where I think I may have a little issue with OCD (the first step is admitting you have a problem, right?).  I have not one, but TWO coupon containers.  The blue one you see has all of Avery's coupons--broken down into diapers, wipes, food, medicines, toys and clothes.  Inside the blue container is a red floral coupon container that has all of my grocery coupons.  It has slots for freezer items, deli, household cleaners, pantry items, paper products, etc.  I LOVE it.  It makes the obsessively organized me very, very happy.
Finally, the little Coach handheld thingy is where I keep all of my cards that I use every day:  my license, insurance cards, credit cards, all that jazz.  It's in easy reach and I don't have to take my ginormous wallet or entire purse in when I'm just on a trip into the store to get two things.

I go nowhere without my planner.  I feel lost without it.  And, because I'm a color coded nerd when it comes to my planner, I carry colored pencils so I can literally "pencil you in" when something comes up.  I also carry a little notebook because you never know when you're going to need to remember something and jot it down.  Yes, I know my iPhone has an app to take notes.  I like handwritten, physical notes.  Call me old-fashioned.

I do actually carry a big wallet with me too.  It's kind of a wristlet type wallet that contain my checkbook, register, gift cards, cash, change and store loyalty cards.  Also, a picture of my Peepaw because my day is instantly made better when I get to pull out my wallet and see a picture of a man who always brought sunshine when I was around him.

Finally, the very few random things that are floating around, un-bagged:  my Disney World zebra sunglasses (each side has a Mickey head), a name tag from my recent trip to the National FFA Convention and two Andes mints from a fabulously yummy dinner at Olive Garden (my favorite). 

There you have it.  My purse.  If you were to stop me on a regular, unexpected day, it would look exactly like this, give or take a few packs of gum.  I realize that I'm obsessive.  But I am in my every day world, shouldn't my purse be reflective of that too??  It's so funny what the contents of a purse can say about a person.  What's in your bag?

High Sixes!!!

I'm going to make up for not having a High Five for Friday post last week by giving you a High SIX!  (Heads up, a lot happened this week and I went picture crazy.  Prepare for a bunch of photo collages). 

1!
These little beauties have been getting together for playdates for almost a year now.  At our first playdate, they didn't really want anything to do with each other--except to steal each other's snacks and sippy cups.  They now range in age from 14-18 months old and are actually kind of "hanging out" with each other.  I hope they become great friends!!

2!
I found THE cutest Halloween costume at a consignment sale a couple of months ago.  I was so excited for Avery to wear it.  I'm not really a "let's wear whatever TV character is popular this year" kind of costume fan.  I want something unique, something adorable.  Avery obviously has other plans (doesn't she always??).  If I even bring this costume out of the closet, she starts to whimper.  Don't ask me why.  So would you like to see the Halloween costume that never was?

*sigh*  Good thing it was only $7.

3! 
I was hugely involved in FFA in high school.  I got the opportunity to serve as the 2005-2006 Kentucky FFA State President.  Naturally, I had to have the "I Wore the Blue Jacket" shirt.  FFA is in my blood and I hope that Avery catches the blue and gold bug too.....hence the "Future FFA Member" shirt. 
Finally, on Wednesday, my sister Dayna (the redhead on the left) and I got to go up to Indianapolis for the National FFA Convention to judge the Agricultural Issues contest.  Our youngest sister Kristen (the blonde in the middle) is a senior this year, so she was in Indy with her chapter.  My dad requested that we all get a picture at National Convention together.  He was at National Convention in Kansas City, Missouri thirty-someodd years ago and never dreamed that, one day, his children would all be at a National FFA Convention together.  :)

4!

I saw this at Barnes & Noble last week and almost died.  It would make an awesome Christmas present (hint, hint Marty)......

5!
Last week, my family went to a Fall Festival--where Avery got the opportunity to paint a pumpkin (and mommy's hands), pie her Granddaddy in the face and show her pumpkin off to Aunt Dayna.  I hope my child inherits my love of Fall.

6! 
Our Minnie population in this house is getting a little out of control.  Minnie plates, silverware, cups, pillows, shirts, hats, pajamas, beach towels, socks, toys and stuffed animals.  They're taking over.  I'm a tiny bit nervous.

Hair.

I have a hate/hate relationship with my hair.  I hate it and it obviously hates me because it refuses to do anything I want it to.  Lately, I've been undecided on the status of my hair.  I look at pictures like this....

...and I think I want long hair again.  It was pretty, I felt younger and skinnier.  Then I remember that it was always a pain to curl and make it look just right and most of the time, it looked messy and heavy.....

...and I think that it wasn't worth it.  So then I look at pictures of my hair right after my wedding when I'd had enough of the long hair business and chopped it all off....

...and I think I want short hair again. It was easy, it was efficient, it looked cute.  Then I remember that I have craptastic thin hair that even the best root boosting, volumizing product can't help and I'm afraid I look balding with short hair....

...and I think I want to shave my head.  Not to mention my bangs.  My $*@(!* bangs.  Without mincing words, I HATE them.  I was cursed blessed enough to get a cowlick right in the middle of my bangs near my natural part.  Needless to say, having cute, bob style bangs was never an option for me.  So I thought I could pull off the side swept bangs that seem to be all the rage.  But, because of my cowlick, my bangs separate away from the rest of my hair:



So I'm trying to grow my bangs out to avoid this issue.  Except, right now, it's in the "growing-out-in-my-face-looks-totally-stupid-and-drives-me-crazy" phase and it's all I can do not to take a pair of scissors and chop them down to my scalp.  *sigh*  What do I do?  I've never been good at hair.  I don't know what products to use, I don't do hairstyles (although I wish I had time to do them) and I'm just at a loss on how to make my hair look good.  What's your vote?

Disney World as a Mom

Is there anywhere in the world that's as magical as Disney World (hint: the answer is no)?  The Disney Channel may be a complete disgrace to Walt's memory, but when you walk into the parks, you can clearly see his imagination, motivation and sheer determination to make families happy everywhere you look.  I LOVE Disney World.  If I had the choice, I would live there year-round.  I would take out a hotel room, turn it into my house and then visit the parks whenever I wanted.  Since that's not an option, I treasure every visit I do get to make to my favorite place on Earth.  At the beginning of the month, we had the chance to take our Avery to Disney for the first time.  Let me start by saying that NO, 14 months is not the ideal time to take your child to Disney for their first trip.  There were a lot of naptimes, snack breaks and diaper changes.  I know she won't remember our trip, but I will.  Disney is so great as a child and as a young adult, but it doesn't compare to Disney as a parent.  No, I didn't get to ride Splash Mountain (my faaaaavorite ride in the history of ever) and I didn't get to spend as much time shopping on Main Street as I would have liked and yes, it was a lot of work having her there, but that didn't matter because it meant I got to spend time at Disney with my little girl. 

There were crazy moments (like her very first haircut):

There were some family moments (on It's Small World):

There were some sleepy moments:

There were some snacky moments (discovering ketchup for the very 1st time at Pecos Bills):

There were some special moments (Avery, her "Gaga" and her cousins):

There were some absolutely magical moments (meeting Minnie Mouse):

There's also some little hidden secrets at Disney for parents that "regular" people don't know about.  Disney World thinks of EVERYTHING.  Even the comfort and convenience of those of us with little babies/toddlers at Disney.  They have this little gem called the Baby Care Center.  At first, I thought it would just be a room for parents to change diapers.  It was so much more than that. 

Although I didn't get pictures of the whole thing (I thought people might not like it if I took pictures of their kids), I can describe it to you--and you can look at pictures here.  There was a room full of everything you would need for a baby that you might have forgotten to pack for a day at the parks:  Infant Tylenol and Advil, Desitin, diapers, baby food, teething gel, baby toys, snacks, high SPF sunscreen, Infant Benadryl...everything.  Of course, you have to purchase them, but they're there for your use.  The next room had chairs for breastfeeding moms to sit in and feed their babies in private, along with highchairs, books, toys and a TV playing none other than a Disney movie (the selection of the day was Tangled).  The next room had changing tables everywhere, complete with fiberglass Disney characters hanging on the wall for the babies to look at.  It. Was. Genius.  To you, it may not seem like much, but to me, as a parent with a baby that needed to be changed 15 times while we were at Magic Kingdom (that MIGHT be a slight exaggeration), it was a Godsend.  And just proves that Disney goes the extra mile to provide excellent service for their guests. Just another reason for me to love Disney World. 

It was amazing to discover Disney World all over again through the eyes of a mom.  And through the eyes of my little Avery.  I hope to go again soon.  Very soon. 

Hot Mess Monday {week 13}

I have been a TERRIBLE blogger this week.  I've had a bunch of post ideas floating around in my head and absolutely no time to even think about doing them.  I apologize.  So I'm starting again with a Hot Mess update.

Original weight:  142.5 lbs
Last week's weight:  134.2

This week's weight:

Loss from last week:  0 lbs.

Overall weight lost:  8.3 lbs.

Craaaaaaaaaaaaaap.

Biggest challenges:  Life is ridiculous, whirlwind, pure chaos right now.  I don't know which way is up, I haven't been to the grocery in over a month (leaving nothing but spiderwebs in the cabinets) and the drive through has become my best friend.  Lately, I can't sleep.  I wake up a lot during the night, have trouble going back to sleep and I feel like complete and utter crap every single morning.  I don't feel like making a lunch in the morning because I barely feel like getting up to take a shower.  So I've had a love/hate relationship with the drive-thrus.  I love it because of the convenience.  I hate it because of the expense and the havoc it's wreaking on my smaller stomach.  But I can't find the motivation to get up early enough to pack a lunch and make healthier choices.  Maybe I can invest in one of those shock collars that will give me a little jolt of electricity any time I even think about pulling into McDonald's.  Any suggestions or tips on how to avoid the fast food would be greatly appreciated.  Or tips on how to sleep through the night without drugging myself would also be appreciated. 

Becoming a Proverbs 31 Woman....Step 1

Last week, I made the conscious decision to be the best "Proverbs 31" woman I could be.  I am going to strive to be better in my relationships with my family, provide food, wisdom and love for my husband and daughter and become closer in my walk with Christ through this project.  Before I start this project though, there's something that needs to be done.  Before I can tie on my apron strings or start praising my husband and bring him good, not harm, I have one step I need to take that's pretty crucial.  I first need to work on loving myself. 
I've always struggled with low self-esteem...pretty much my entire life actually.  I've never felt pretty enough, cool enough, fashionable enough, funny enough.  Basically, I just have never felt like I'm good enough.  Because of that, I am constantly comparing myself to everyone around me. 

"Gosh, she's so witty.  Why can't I think of funny things to say like that?" 

"Her child is so well-behaved.  What have I done wrong that Avery isn't perfect like her little girl?" 

"Man.  Her blog has 150 followers.  What am I doing wrong that I can't get that many?" 

And on and on and on the cycle continues.  Instead of thanking my Heavenly Father for giving me friends that are funny or great moms or good bloggers, I envy their life.  I compare them to me and always come up with the conclusion that I fall short.  But who's to say that their life is the standard for how things should be?  Why does my friend with the perfect child embody a perfect mom to me?  So my kid cries when she's hungry and has learned how to stomp her foot when things don't go her way....does that make me a bad mom?  So what if my friend's blog has more followers than mine?  I should be excited for her successes and thankful for the readers I do have.  Instead of always comparing myself to others, I need to be thankful for what I've been given.  Judging myself compared to the people around me is always going to make me feel inadequate.  This quote has now become my life motto.  I'm writing it down and carrying it in my car, pocket, wallet, purse so I can see it wherever I go. 

"Someone will always be prettier.  Someone

will always be smarter.  Someone

will always be younger.

But they will never be you."

How true is this?? She may have better clothes or a more successful blog, but she isn't ME!  She isn't a 5'4" brunette married to Marty, mother of Avery, daughter of Dennis and Lisa.  She can't spout out Disney quotes like it's her personal information and she didn't grow up with the best cousins a girl could ask for.  She doesn't have a small scar on her left hand from a curling iron burn right before her ballet recital.  She isn't the big sister of Dayna and Kristen. She's never had my Granny's fried chicken or watched golf with my Papaw.  She doesn't know what it's like to be rocked by my Meemaw or have memories of my Peepaw.    She isn't me.  I'm me...and I'm the only me there is.  God made me special...and HE loves me.  So what if I don't have her life or her looks or her cooking skills?  I do have a plethora of skills and abilities that God DID bless me with.  While I was brainstorming about this post, I was trying to think of my best features.  Sadly, it took me awhile to come up with more than 5 things that I currently like about myself.  There's something so wrong with that!  How can I ever expect Avery to respect me or Marty to love the unique things about me if I can't be confident and love myself?  How can I ever teach my daughter to have self-respect and self-worth if I don't embody that belief myself?  So, every morning (and hopefully multiple times a day), I'm going to start giving myself praises.  During my lather, rinse, repeat routine, I'm going to name 5 things that I like about myself.  And they can't be the same every day.  Five DIFFERENT things that I like about myself or think that I do well.  Or maybe I'll just repeat the mantra from The Help daily: 

"You is kind.  You is smart.  You is important."



Hot Mess Monday...and More!

It's a Hot Mess Monday, but I have a TON of stuff to cover!!  It's been a busy weekend for the Super Messy blog!  First things first though, a Hot Mess update:

Original weight: 142.5
Last week's weight:  134.8
This week:

Difference from last week: 0.6 lbs

Overall loss:  8.3 lbs.

Biggest challenges this week:  Getting back in the swing of things and trying to diet after "letting myself go" and not watching what I was eating for a couple of weeks.  It was hard to pass up the drive-thrus and cut back on my Coke consumption.  But I'm doing it....slowly, but surely....

What worked: 

{1}  I'm using My Fitness Pal app again.  Counting the calories, avoiding the fatty stuff, making myself more aware of the food I'm eating again.

{2} Pinterest.  I swear, I don't know what I did without this website.  How did people lose weight/make dinner/be creative before Pinterest came along?  I've found so many health conscious and low-cal recipes from there.  I feel so much better when I'm putting healthier stuff into my body.  Check out the recipes I've found on my Hot Mess-->Hot Mama board on Pinterest.

I'm feeling good and I'm determined to lose those last 14.2 lbs.  Shew, that seems like so much when you figure up how much I have left....but I've already lost 8.3 lbs...I. Can. Do. This!

Next, and I'm SO excited about this one y'all....I participate in several blog hops and link parties throughout Blogland where I share different projects or blog posts from the Super Messy Supermommy.  I usually get some new readers from these blog hops, but this weekend, I was one of the FEATURED links over at Be Colorful!  She liked my Minnie Mouse Highchair post and put it up on her blog for everyone to see.  I mean, this is pee your pants exciting stuff here people!  Big deal for a little 'ole mommy blogger like me.  But seriously, if you're visiting from Be Colorful, welcome :)  I'm super glad you're here!

Last, today was the deadline for me to get 50 blog followers and 100 likes on my Facebook page.  I actually ended up with 51 blog followers and 82 likes on the Super Messy Supermommy Facebook page.  *sigh*  Maybe I'll do another challenge again soon for another giveaway....maybe a BIGGER and BETTER one??  Thanks to everyone that is a new follower of the blog or on Facebook.  I appreciate each and every single one of you.  You're rock stars. :) 

Happy Monday all!

High Five for Friday...finally!

 I've missed the last couple of "High Five for Fridays" because of vacation, so I'm excited to get back to this one.  Without further ado......high fives!!

{one}

This past week, we visited Disney.....AND Avery got her first haircut in the Magic Kingdom.  It was an awesome/sad/tear-filled moment for both Avery and Mommy.  My little girl is growing up so fast.

{two}

After Avery screamed and cried through her entire haircut, everything was made better....when she got to meet the real live Minnie Mouse.  She kept pointing at her while we were in line waiting and, at one point, she got down to walk and tried to cut line to see her beloved Minnie.  She was at little nervous at first, but then warmed up and gave Mickey and Minnie hugs and kisses.  It's going in my book as one of my Top 10 Favorite Avery Moments. 

{three}

My great aunt and uncle came in from Colorado this weekend and my Meemaw had a bigger dinner for the whole family to see them.  Somehow, the dinner got turned into a family jam session with Meemaw and my great aunt singing and my uncle and great uncle playing a guitar and mandolin.  I wouldn't trade my family for anything in the entire world. 

{four}

Marty and I are trying desperately to move back to our hometown and have our house up for sale.  After two weeks of being on the market and no calls, I was feeling pretty crappy about our chances of getting to move back home.  But my husband talked to our realtor last night and he's had THREE calls from interested buyers and is going to show the house sometime next week!  Pray that these interested buyers turn into sold offers (I know I am)!!

{five}

I had to bring Avery to work with me a few times this past week.  Doesn't she make a good little receptionist??

Happy Friday all :)

The Proverbs 31 Project

Recently, I finished reading a book called "My So-Called Life as a Proverbs 31 wife" for a church book club (nevermind that the club met back last winter and I'm just now finishing the book....that's completely irrelevant) and it had a profound impact on my view of my status as a wife and mother. 
Basically, the book is about one woman's journey to be the perfect "Proverbs 31" wife.  In the book of Proverbs in the Bible, in chapter 31, is a description of a wife of noble character--the wife we are all supposed to strive to be on a daily basis:

^{10 [b]}A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
¹¹ Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
¹² She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
¹³ She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.
¹⁴ She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.
¹⁵ She gets up while it is still night;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her female servants.
¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
¹⁷ She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.
¹⁸ She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.
¹⁹ In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
²⁰ She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.
²¹ When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
²² She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
²³ Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
²⁴ She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.
²⁵ She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
²⁶ She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
²⁷ She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
²⁸ Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
²⁹ “Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”
³⁰ Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
³¹ Honor her for all that her hands have done,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Seriously?  Who are you kidding, book of Proverbs??  "She gets up while it is still night and provides food for her family"??  "She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands"??  Where's the verse about the husband rising up at night to see to the affairs of the household?  Or the husband doing his part to raise a family?  Why is it all about the woman's duties and things she should be doing?  When I first analyzed this verse, I was really miffed...to be completely honest.  I didn't see why it all fell on the woman's shoulders to keep the family fed, clothed, clean and happy.  This is the 21st century, for goodness sake!!  But after my self-rightous thoughts subsided, I was ashamed.  Does my husband "rise up and call me blessed and praise me?"  Do I always "speak with wisdom with faithful instruction on my tongue?"  Unfortunately, I know the answer without having to dig very deep.  So that inspired me to start my own "Proverbs 31 Project" to become the wife, mother, homemaker and daughter of God that I am supposed to be--that I NEED to be.  I have got to get out of this lazy mindset that the wash can wait until tomorrow and that it won't kill us to eat fast food just one more day this week until I can make it to the grocery.  Today, I'm going to start striving to be a "Proverbs 31" wife of the 21st century and I'm going to show you how you can too.  It doesn't mean that we have to make our family's clothing from scratch or wake up in the morning before the sun rises to ensure we get everything done.  It is about taking responsibility and realizing that the home and our family's happiness does depend on us--like it or not.  I don't expect to become June Cleaver by the end of this project, but I do expect to be a darn good wife, mother and Christian when it's over.  So......day 1 initiated.  



Avery's First Haircut.



Hi, my name is Devan and I have a slight obsession with all things Disney.  I know every single word to The Little Mermaid movie (not a joke).  I worked at the Disney Store through college and loved every day I got to go to work.  I am a whiz at Disney trivia.....seriously.  Try me. I become infuriated at myself if I miss a question on Disney Scene-It.  One day, I WILL work at Disney World.  So, when the opportunity arose to take Avery to Disney World last week, I giddily jumped at the chance.  So far, I've done a pretty good job of brainwashing encouraging her to love Disney and Mickey Mouse like I do.  I could just picture her meeting Mickey and Minnie and the memories we would make.  But, while I was planning our trip to the most magical place on Earth, I discovered a hidden gem.  Since I like you guys, I'll share it with you too....in the Magic Kingdom off to the side, there's a little shop called the "Harmony Barber Shop."  You can get your haircut at Disney World for a small fee.  Big whoop, right?  Wait.  This little barber shop specializes in BABY'S FIRST HAIRCUTS.  When I read this, I almost died.  I knew Avery's first haircut just HAD to happen at Disney World.  How many kids can say they got their first haircut at Disney World??  I almost peed my pants with anticipation over this haircut.  Like most things in life though, the reality of my baby's first trim was so, so, SO different than I imagined.  Would you like to see the pictures?

Last, but not least:  the picture that sums up the chaotic moment.

Wait.  There's a video.

 

Good thing was though,  they gave her a set of Mickey ears (which I quickly had her name added). 



Looking back, it was still a magical moment.  Avery got her first haircut at Disney World--my very favoritest place in the entire world.  She wasn't perfect, but when is life ever perfect?  I made a memory with my sweet girl that I'll treasure forever.  I just hope she doesn't look back at the pictures and think that we tortured her. :) 





Hot Mess Monday--back from vacation!

You may (or may not) have noticed that there was no Hot Mess Monday last week.  That's because I, along with my hubby, in-laws and sweet little girl were soaking up the rays in Daytona Beach and Disney World (more on that later).  Now that I'm home, it's back to reality and back to my diet.

Original weight:  142.5
Last week's weight: 134.0
This week's weight:

Change from last week:  +.8 lbs

Overall loss: 7.7 lbs

Strangely, I'm okay with this.  I went on vacation.  I ate things that I wouldn't normally eat if I were at home and trying to watch everything that went into my mouth.  I didn't count calories, I didn't second guess my food decisions, I didn't feel guilty.  This doesn't mean that I went crazy and ordered the most greasy, fattening-ist (I know that's not a word) things on the menu.  In fact, I did try to eat somewhat healthy.  I chose grilled options instead of fried.  I pased on the drive through breakfast and Krispy Kreme donuts in favor of a small bowl of cereal.  I didn't finish everything on my plate, therefore not stuffing myself to the point of being sick.  And these are probably all reasons why I only gained 0.8 lbs in 9 days instead of 5 lbs.  But now it's back to real life and back to making good decisions.  Hopefully next Hot Mess Monday, I'll be seeing the number "133." 

Don't Ever Grow Up....

I have a (somewhat) crazy confession to make.  I don't want my kid to grow up.  Not because I'm not ready for kindergarten or her terrible twos.  Not because I'm  not ready for her getting older or hitting new milestones, but simply because I think I'll miss this version of her that I have right now.  Is that crazy?  I don't want my baby to grow up anymore because I love this Avery that I have with me right now.  The Avery that is full of life and personality.  The Avery that's learning something new every day and loves showing off her new skills.  The Avery that learns a new word and insists on saying it every 5 minutes so you're completely aware that she's learned a new word (word of the week: uh oh!).  My Avery that giggles uncontrollably when I smell her stinky feet and loves trying on mommy's shoes.  I love my Avery that loves her Minnie Mouse doll and needs to lay her head on my shoulder to let me know it's time for a nap.  I love my Avery that's going through a MAJOR Mommy's girl stage.  I love this Avery that is still unsteady when she walks sometimes and is easily amused by the smallest things in life.  This Avery with the chubby feet and the downy soft hair.  I love my Avery that loves to dance to Jake and the Neverland Pirates and becomes mesmerized when the the Small Potatoes comes on Disney Junior.  I'm afraid I'll miss this Avery when she's 2, 3, 5+ years old.  Yes, I know that she'll still be the same person, but what if her personality changes?  What if her sweet, happy-go-lucky demeanor changes and she becomes a completely different person?  Yes, I loved Avery as a newborn, as a 3 month old, as a 6 month old.  But this Avery is so different.  She's so much fun to be around and watch as she learns about the world around her.  If she changed so much from newborn Avery, is she going to be completely different as 5 year old Avery?  Will my love for her be any different?  Or will I constantly be thinking about this Avery that I have right now and how much I miss her?  Does my mom love adult me less than she loved child/infant me?  Is this normal?

Thirty for Thirty {days 16-20}



Without further ado, days 16-20 of my Thirty for Thirty challenge.  

I think I've hit a stride with mixing and matching my outfits.  I was particularly proud of days 17 and 18.  For someone that isn't very fashion forward, I was impressed that I actually thought to put day 17 together....not only that, I wore it outside around other people.  It may not seem anything too wild, but for me, I was nervous about it.  I almost cried on day 20 because it was actually cool enough for me to wear a scarf and boots.  Fall, I thought you'd never come. 
Maybe sometime before November, I'll get the last 10 days of my challenge on here. 

By the way, are you a follower?  Reminder that when I reach 50 blog followers and 100 likes on my Facebook page, I'll be doing a unique, handmade giveaway!