Shopping Sucks

If you ever want to feel really horrible about yourself just go clothes shopping....after giving birth seven months ago....while being on your period....and after gaining three extra pounds on top of the ten you already had leftover after you gave birth. It will break you people.

Hubby suggested we go clothes shopping because he is the greatest Hubby in the world and also because I have two pants and two shirts that I alternate if I'm not at work in my work clothes. I was really looking forward to it. I was foolishly excited to match some clothes and buy some cute outfits and heck maybe an accessory or two.

So there we were about two minutes from home and  I was practically skipping into the Cato's Clothing Store. Before you could say hello good lookin' I had a bunch of clothes and was trying them on. They fit, but they just didn't look right. One make my boobs look like they were trying to escape ( which is a magic trick ok...if you get what I'm sayin') and the others just highlighted some non-flattering areas. With a heavy sigh I put the clothes back and we headed over to Wal-Mart right next door.

There wasn't anything I wanted to try on. I was already wearing their jeans and none of their shirts jumped out at me so we decided to take this goat rodeo about thirty minutes down the road to Marshalls. I LOVE marshalls and TJMAXX ok...I really do, but when we went there was NOTHING even close to my sizes that was flattering. I started to wonder what type of crazy person decided that huge layers of fabric and wide angles would be a flattering choice for clothing. It was pretty horrible and I started to get a little down about the whole thing. Cheery Hubby however suggested we go to the mall right across the road.

I found some clothes that I immediately wanted to try on at  JC Penny but when I actually put them on I would have needed the next size up which of course they did not have and when I did find something that actually fit it made me look huge, or maybe made my hugeness stick out...either way I wasn't about to pay forty bucks for it. After trying a few more stores and clothes that were too small or just didn't look right...I swear a skinny saleslady snickered when I asked to try on some shirts at one store.... we headed back to the car where I started crying.

Hubby was just sitting there unsure about what to say or do and when he suggested that maybe we go to the other mall which has more stores I started wailing that I was just too fat for everything and deserved to just wear two shirts. Hubby being the saint he is headed to the other mall.

My sister met us there, which by the way was another twenty minutes from the first mall. I headed to a few more stores and had the exact same results as the first. We then walked into Charlotte Russe where I found one glorious shirt that actually fit. I was ecstatic. I gathered a few more up and happily walked to the dressing room only to find out that because it was six, which apparently was when they closed that I could not try the clothes on. I think the women literally heard my heart fall to the floor.

 I numbly put the other clothes down and paid for my one shirt. I cried all the way to the car. I had no idea that they closed early that day and I had so many shirts that could have fit, and they were just right there but I couldn't take the chance of them not fitting so there I was....with one shirt. My sister then suggested Target and I started crying like a baby mumbling about being too fat, and why bother.

Hubby and sis basically dragged me into Target and I grabbed two shirts not even having the hope that they would fit and miraculously......they friggen fit. I almost did jazz hands coming out of that dressing room. The sky was suddenly brighter, the air suddenly crisper, the world suddenly so much better. I ended up with a total of six amazing and fabulous shirts from Target.

It got me thinking, there are stores catering to skinny chicks, there are stores catering to curvy chicks but where are the stores for women who have just a little chunk on them? Where are those stores? Why can't there be a store for new moms who haven't shed the baby weight and are still in maternity pants ( don't you judge me) but who are too big for the small stores and too small for the big stores?? It's a crying shame people. It's just amazing how you feel pretty good about yourself then you go try on clothes and suddenly you're vowing to go jogging every morning for the rest of your life ( yeah right...)

Anyways....if you were too lazy to read the whole story it's basically this....I need someone to create a " short, stocky, and sexy" store for women out there like me. I would also accept " Hot Mama" as a store name. Serve coffee and have good lighting, cheap prices, oh and a dad bench....and a play center....wine bar? You get my point. Get to it people! 


--------- Sorry for the HUGE ( I originally typed humungous but it didn't look right in all caps) post, but I am leaving EARLY in the a.m. day after tomorrow so this may be my last post for a while. Please don't forget about me. I love all of your faces...wish me luck ----------------------------

Happiness and a Secret

First of all, we are over 10,000 page views people!!! WOOHOO!! 

Second of all, I have a pretty big secret folks....my Aunt has offered to fly Hubby, Munchkin and I to visit my Grandma in Louisiana. I cannot flippin' wait!! My Grandma has no idea, and we rarely get to see each other for the holidays so surprising her like this is pure amazingness!!! My Aunt is beyond loving and generous by the way, and when she called I almost started crying myself. I was born in Louisiana and we moved to South Carolina when I was little. I love going back, I miss my family, I miss the swamps, I miss the landmarks, and I miss the food.

Hubby and I have been wanting to take Munchkin down to visit everyone, but we just haven't had the time and monetary resources. When my Aunt presented this offer we made time and started making plans. I am so exited, but I also have no idea if there will be any WiFi so I might be MIA for a week.  I know...I'm sorry.

This will also be the first time riding on a plane for me, and I am deathly afraid of heights. It's going to be bad people. I literally lock up if I get on a step ladder that is too high. I have these horrible day dreams where I'm crying and Munchkin is crying and Hubby is like dear God please let this end.

I saw the article about the new parents who brought treats and ear plugs for everyone on the plane...ha! That is so not going to happen, I'm going to be too involved in trying not to have a heart attack and die than worrying over other passengers. So....If I do make it there....it will be awesome. If not then I bequeath my website to Hubby, who will probably turn it into a hunting and/or woodworking forum. You have been warned. We fly out this Wednesday!! Wish me luck!

Easter Subway Art Roundup!

Time for some awesome Easter Subway Art!!! Yay!

1. How to nest for less 

How precious is this?  The colors are just beautiful and she really did a great job with alternating the fonts.

2. Agape Love

Alright...when I saw this one I fell in love. It is so beautiful and keeps the true meaning of Easter front and center. Plus she has a few other colors to pick from if pink isn't your thing. 

3. Willow of Wonder

I love the vintage look to this one, just think how pretty it would look framed on the counter. It's really creative, and she has different colors to pick from as well. 

4. Because I wanted 2

I love the playful peeps on this one. The words just pop out on it, and the colors are perfect.

5. Over The Big Moon
A many thanks to the awesome Anonymous guest who found the source for this one. How beautiful are the colors and the message on this one? 

Fortune Cookie Blunders

It feels like a Sunday to me, does it feel that way to you guys? Maybe it's because my company left so the house is back to being just Hubby and I so everything is pretty quiet and calm. I honestly LOVE when family comes in because they live about five hours away ( his ) and fourteen hours away ( mine ) so when the chance pops up for us to be together we like to take it and enjoy it. I honestly get along with (most of ) his family so you won't find any horrible mother-in-law stories here...mine is an awesome one.

My father-in-law is one of the sweetest men in the world, he would give you the shirt off his back, and would do anything he could to help you if you needed it. He is also a pretty big redneck and has two bad ears....this of course causes a ton of hilarious happenings. I swear he is related to Si from Duck Dynasty. The following took place at our local chinese food place at the end of dinner, while we were opening fortune cookies.

Hubby: " You will know the heardings of your accomplishments will be fruitiful."
Hubby then gave a confused look at we all laughed.
Mom-in-law: " Patiences woman are of joyous beholdings"
Me: " huh....I think that one's a compliment..." 
Table laughing again.
Me: " You will soon have a new line of work.....well...hallelujah!"
Friend: " I picked that one for you....you're welcome." (all smugly)
Friend: " Travels to lands are bounty....?"
Me: "They need to hire an editor."
Whole table cracks up
Father-in-law then speaks
" You know...I've never seen them with this many grammerical errors." (ps- he totally emphasized the -erical part)


Needless to say we all had tears in our eyes from laughing so hard and do not hire my father-in-law to be a fortune cookie editor.

How to make time for yourself...bubble style.

I've had one of those months that just seem to go by in a crazy, blurry, stressful flash. We have had sickness, car wrecks, cars breaking down, work going crazy for BOTH Hubby and I, Munchkin starting to roll over and try to crawl ( and therefore smacking her head on the floor and giving me heart attacks), family coming in, family going out, six birthdays, one wedding,multiple Dr. appointments, Hubby and I having issues with not having any time together, a court date, then a court date being moved, family bickering, a future trip, getting a new pet, having a pet get pregnant, and a few other things but I'm so over it all that I just can't even think about them.

I feel like every time I plan to sit down for a moment and take time to myself to write and savor the blog a million things pop up and it's off to do something else. So this month I apologize because I feel almost like I'm on cruise control and just sort of trying to keep my head above the water. Things will get better, things will slow down and everything will be fine....at least that's what I keep telling myself.

This post literally took almost two full days to write. Every time I sat down it was something: the baby woke up, Hubby can't find something, family wants to come over, cat broke something, cat woke the baby up, passed out from sleep exhaustion....you get the picture. 

This stressful, crazy, non-stop month has gotten my sarcastic humor side in overdrive so please enjoy the top five ways to make time for yourself:

1. Get completely under the covers with your laptop and put a sign on the outside that says " Trapped ghost....do not bother it or it will escape and haunt you." I don't recommend this for smaller children, instead use the word "Velociraptor" and "murder you"....shouldn't scar them too much....I think....

2. Tell them you visited the doctor and he said that you have a horrible rash that will only go away if you take an hour long bath. The rash causes you to cook lots of vegetables and force children to make their beds if it doesn't go away, so really this is in their best interest.

3. Lock your bedroom door and announce loudly that you are getting a jump on spring cleaning. Feel free to pull the mop and broom in there for show, and be sure to emit a few grunts for good measure. If they knock on the door as them if they're offering to help. When you get some peace open the door and if they comment about the still dirty looking room....cry.

4. Just remind ( pick a kid this could apply to) that they have a research paper due tomorrow and when they obviously have no clue what you're talking about huff and exasperatedly say you'll do it for them, but just this one time. You require a computer, snacks, and at least three or four hours of silence. When they question it the next day just tell them you were testing their memory and they failed.


5. Fake your car breaking down and spend the afternoon with some coffee, a book and someplace quiet. Call Hubby and tell him the mechanic guys said it might take a while, but you're totally keeping a calm head and the insurance will cover it all.

Chicken and Waffles, Superstitions, and Teenage Cats

 Just a few things on my mind.......

Dine Delish Photo

1. Chicken and waffles. Alright, I'll be the first to admit that I was a big skeptic when it came to how good this meal was, but Hubby and I decided to try it one night and I fell in love. The combination of the crispy, salty chicken and the sweet, bready waffle is just amazing. The only problem is that I feel like the whole time I'm eating them that I'm eating it wrong. I take a bite of waffle, then the next bite is of the chicken with honey mustard. Hubby eats the chicken with the same bite of the waffle, but I don't think you get a good flavor that way. I need a chicken and waffle expert to show me how to eat it. Maybe I should call Pawn Stars because they have an expert for everything, I'm sure they have a food one too.    Maybe I should post this on some sort of Food Network message board. Knowing some of the snobby cooks on there though I think my question would be mocked for all of eternity, but it's a valid one by gosh! Where's Paula Deen when you need her?


2.  Speaking of questions, have you guys ever heard that when a lightening storm is in the area you shouldn't take baths because lightening can strike the pipes and electrocute (thus kill) you? I'm from the South so of course my mom was on top off all things (even though they might have been just superstitions ) that could possibly harm her brood...I get it honest people. I told Hubby this and he laughed at me for a whole day, but then two of our friends came over and they too had a mom who wouldn't let them shower in a storm for this very same reason. I could probably Google this and find out if it's true, but I think it's more fun to poll you guys and see if either Hubby or I is right. We;re cajun so really I'm not surprised that other people had never heard of some of the things that I religiously live by.

3. I call shopping carts "buggies" and apparently that is only a southern thing. A lovely couple from New York was visiting the store and when I said " all of our buggies are outside" they literally laughed for ten minutes straight. First I was like it's ok, they're laughing at our differences, then after the seven minute mark I was more like...nope...laughing at you actually.

4. My cat is going through her "teenager" phase. It seemed like only yesterday she was so small and loving, and now all she does is run through the house clawing and climbing things. I will get home and sit on the couch expecting her to cuddle to me, instead she jumps (out of friggen nowhere) on me, claws me, then takes off running. What the heck?!? When did this happen? It doesn't make me look forward to Munchkin's teenage years I assure you. The bad thing about a cat is you can't distract some of that hormonal runaway train with a new pair of shoes or a trip somewhere.




Alright, got those things off my chest. Feeling much better now. Some people have unsolvable questions about the universe...mine is about chicken and waffles....diversity makes the world go around people.

Not a post...post.

 I have family in so I don't really have time to write anything awesome so instead please substitute writing for funny posts from Pinterest:

 

 This is also true for Husbands. 

Every friggen time.

I don't know why, but I absolutely love this. It cracks me up every.single.time.

Spelling is hard.

The day after....

Well I nervously headed out to the wrap party last night, and although I knew my friend who invited me I was still worried over being around a whole bunch of skinny " healthy foods only" women. The type who make you feel like crap for having one soft drink and not eating your veggies. These women were not like that. The ladies who hosted it were really awesome, and they immediately welcomed me and before I knew it we were all chatting it up. The atmosphere was pretty relaxed, and when I first got there the lady brought me to the back to put on the wrap.

She asked me where I wanted the wrap done, and of course I aimed for the tummy. She brought me to a room in the back and she asked me to lift my shirt. She said she was going to take before and after pictures of me and swore she would never share them with anyone.

I admit, it was beyond unnerving to have a stranger not only look at your stretch-marked, bloated belly, but also have her less than a foot away snapping pictures of it. She was literally on her knees snapping the pics and when she unbuttoned my pants I thought things were going to get weird, but no....she just applied the wrap and began telling me about the wrap itself.

When everyone was wrapped the ladies gathered us all around and we listened to them talk about the products. I was interested in the weight loss part of course, but the more they talked and shared their stories the more it encouraged me to not only strive for eating better to lose weight,but also to get my body where it wants to be naturally and I think that when that happens the weight will come off too.

Don't get me wrong I'm not about to throw out all the bread and wage war on cheese or anything, I just simply want to give my body all the healthy, natural things that it needs to function. I'm going to start taking the "greens" vitamins mixture which is suppose to alkalize and detoxify you plus give your body all of the nutrients, and fruits and veggies that it needs so you stop craving junk food and it boosts your mood and energy. I'm excited, and Hubby is going to start taking it too!

The wrap honestly did work. I didn't lose weight, but it did take off some inches and made my tummy visibly smaller. Hubby could even tell a difference, but I'm going to see how long these results really last before I do another.

Anyways, the point is that it was really fun, the wrap honestly works, and if you're ever invited to do one I totally encourage it. I'll keep you updated on how well the "greens" mix works I'm placing my order today!

It's going to be an interesting night....

Well my Thursday was not much better but I wasn't bending over in pain either so that's something. an interesting thing happened to me though, I was invited to a " Body Wrap Party". I'm not going to say the name of the company because I wasn't paid for it I don't know if I'm going to like it or not and I love the person who invited me and don't want anyone to be influenced over my opinions.

Listen folks, I had a solid ten pounds of extra weight from the baby that I was holding onto and last night I checked my weight, and I had gained another three pounds so I'm not in a happy place.Can I hear a collective "screw baby weight" please?!?  I've looked at a lot of "before and after" pictures from this company which look amazing so it really picked my spirits up, and supposedly they guarantee results to last anywhere from 2-6 months which I'm tickled pink about, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm still pretty dubious.

All I can picture is this:

Although.....I'm from the south so instead of a dog head man it would probably have to be a mosquito head or something? I'm fairly certain a large mosquito-headed man holding a religious symbol would pretty much scare the fat right outta me. The lady with the peace pipe wouldn't help the situation either, and I'm pretty sure it's going to take more than two bald dudes to wrap my chunky self. However, I am jealous of that leopard throw she's wearing.......( faux...obviously)

 The party is tonight so I will tell you all how it goes! Wish me luck and pray I don't get my brain pulled out of my nose like the poor sap in the illustration. Curse you love of Young Adult Fiction books!!! I'm looking at you Rick Riordan!

Truths

It wasn't too long ago that the awesome ladies from Rants From Mommyland made an awesome post about " What I say vs What I actually mean" and I couldn't help but add a few more:


What I Say: 
" Aw, babe I'm sorry you had a hard day."

What I Mean:
" Really?!? I just changed my nineteenth poopy diaper and haven't gotten to sit down for more than three minutes all day. Oh and I managed to wash clothes, clean the house, and set something out for supper but please....go on about your "hard" job."



What I Say:
" Does my hair look ok?"

What I mean:
" I haven't shampooed my hair in two days....ok three....can you tell? Alright...just how noticeable is it?" 

What I Say: 
" THAT is going to be an awesome movie, I can't wait to see it."

What I mean:
" I can't wait for half a year to go by so I can finally rent it from RedBox."



What I Say:
"  Hey.....did she make a noise?"

What I mean:
" I totally heard her make a noise, and I'm pretty sure you did too so I'm going to call attention to her next noise because I'm fairly certain you'll go put her paci in if I do."



 
What I Say:
" Do you think she would benefit from some socialization?"

What I mean:
" I need some socialization with another adult or mama is going to lose her mind."





What I Say: 
" We need to get a few things at the grocery store before we can cook tonight."

What I mean:
" I don't feel like cooking, and I know you hate grocery shopping so I think we're going to end up at Olive Garden."

Thanks Tuesday...You Were A Douche

It is 8:07 as I type this out, so it totally counts as a blog post for today. I had to go into work this morning and while I was there I developed a migraine that made me want to literally shoot myself in the face to end the pain. It was the type of migraine that went past minor irritation to light and sound, and instead was making me gag and the room spin just from the shear pain of it. I came home shaking, and spent the afternoon crying and trying to go to sleep to make it all go away.

I woke up at about six and miraculously the pain was all gone, and everything was right in the world again. Hubby needed to go to the store so we packed up munchkin and headed out. It wasn't until we were at the store when we realized we had completely forgotten the diaper bag. The only thing she had was a bottle that we made right before we left. Fear set in immediately and although we only planned to be gone for less than an hour we were panic stricken.

Hubby began practically throwing things into the shopping cart, and I was doing everything I could think of to distract her. We were practically running through the isles like we were on Supermarket Sweep and when we were about half way done with our list she began to get fussy. She didn't want the bottle and she was starting to get louder so I picked her up and held her on my front chest facing me which seemed to make her happy.

It was then that I noticed that the whole front part of my shirt had a big, round wet mark on it. It literally covered my whole front like she peed on me. Apparently her bottle had overturned in the car seat and soaked her butt which I then held to my chest. Awesome.

So there I was having to hold the wet butt baby to me because of the huge wet mark on me, and try to entertain her through the store without letting people see because of course you know their going to think she peed on me. Then I'll be that mom whose walking around with pee on her and before you know it I'LL be on People Of Walmart.com.

I kept waiting for someone we knew to come by and ask to hold her, but that didn't happen thank God. We wrapped up the trip with no further incident and vowed to never forget the bag again. Never in my life have I depended so much on one little bag. I think they should invent a button that beeps when you leave the house without it. Yep....my next invention....don't steal that America, I know where you live.

yeah....I suck again.

I have been running around like crazy all weekend, and haven't had a moment to sit down and think, much less write an awesome blog post so I basically sat at the computer and my night went like this:

Hmmm.....Celebrity Apprentice is on. Does that Baldwin guy really talk like that? How did that family become a family of actors?  Tina Fey really made 30 Rock....I miss Tina Fey. Which made me Google some funny Tina Fey quotes.

 

That put me in a good mood so I then popped over to Pinterest and looked at the Humor section for a while hoping to get some sort of hilarious muse. I pretty much ended up with this:

 

Then, I was like...ok....focus. Yet.....I could not for the life of me think of anything useful, informative, or anything even remotely close to what you guys would ever want to read about so I was basically like I give up:

Sorry guys, I promise really hope to have something awesome tomorrow.

I heart your faces ladies!

Made at Wordle

Well, apparently yesterday was International Woman's Day and I had no idea about it until about 11:50 last night. So I wrote this post and am posting it the day after so...Happy Belated International Woman's Day.

I first want to give thanks and honor to of the amazing women that I have in my life who encourage and uplift me daily. I want to thank them not just for the support, but also for being a source of wisdom and guidance.I also want to thank all of my amazing readers, and supporters of this site....I love you, like really creepily love you all. And no, I am not winning an Oscar...I just wanted to give a quick shout out of thanks.

Secondly I began to wonder exactly what International Women's Day was all about. It wasn't technically "Honor Women Day" or "Respect The Women Day". It sort of sounded like " Mother's Day" so I'm fairly certain I was suppose to get a gift.

I made this list completely up did a ton of research and if your spouse is confused about the holiday just tell them this:

The following is entitled to all women and MUST be done or someone will pay the pied piper...I assure you. And it wont be me because I'm poor and I don't even know the going rate of a piper is, much less a pied one.

1. The Woman must be granted a day of no diaper duty. period. If you have to come home from work to change a diaper then so be it pal.

2. The Woman is allowed to get out of a speeding ticket, no wearing of a low-cut shirt necessary. I'm looking at you patrolmen....

3. The Woman is allowed one free dessert from any restaurant of her choice.

4. The Woman is granted a puppy or kitten of her choice for the day, and the kids/and or Hubby shall clean the doodies up.

5. The Woman shall be entitled to an hour long free massage, by a tall handsome muscular professional masseuse.

I don't know about ya'll but I think these rules should take effect immediately and guaranteed by law. Yup, I said it. I'm totally willing to bend on the speeding ticket thing if I can trade it for free coffee all day. That is all. Happy Belated International Women's Day Ladies! 

How this family coupons

Earlier this week I wrote about my favorite coupon sites and mentioned that I was going to post about how we use our coupons. Well, here ya go. Keep in mind that I am an organizational freak so don't feel like you have to do things this way to be successful couponing. I mainly wanted to post this to give you some ideas on how to keep everything organized and make things a little more streamlined when at the grocery store.

1. TOOLS

The first step is having the right tools.You don't want to spend a lot of money because that sort of defeats the purpose, but I've found that having these few things really helps make this all easier.





The first tool you will need is a sturdy binder. Mine I believe is a 2 inch which is plenty enough room, but be sure it's a hard binder and not a flimsy one.

The second tool you will need will be a few sheets of page protectors, and baseball card sleeves. I got my sleeves from Ebay ( you can find 10 pages which hold 9 cards for around $4.00 with free shipping).

The third tool will be Excel, or any program like that which can sort through lists. To get started you will also need a sharpie and some time.

2. CATEGORIES

Take a few sheets of paper and label them as whatever categories you want in your binder.

We have "Baby Stuff", " House Things", "Health & Beauty", and " Groceries". Take those sheets and stick them in your page protectors.


 
I also took a sticky note and wrote the category on that so it sticks out easier and I can just flip to whatever I need.

3. Coupons

Start at the beginning of each category and number your coupon sleeves. We put brands together in one sleeve to maximize space.

* For the record...that is HUBBY'S handwriting on the numbering, not mine*

4. Sorting

Alright this is where it gets a little tedious, but I promise that once it's done it's a lot easier to keep up and stay organized. 

We made an Excel document and made separate pages for each of our categories. On each page we have 5 lists. 

1. Product ( name of product coupon is for)

2. Value ( value of coupon)

3. Expiration ( when it expires...duh)

4. Quantity ( how many we have of those coupons)

5. location ( what number it's in inside the coupon book)

This makes it easier because if we need to look up a product to see if we have a coupon for it all we have to do is type it into the search tab and Excel will find all the coupons with that product's name.

We also print this list out before we go shopping so we know EXACTLY where that coupon is and exactly how much it's for so there's no digging, mess, or drama. 

I'm sure there's a way to sort it alphabetically and make it show you when one is out of date, but I'm not that technologically advanced. Well there it is. Maybe you can take a tip or two from our little system and put it to use! Happy couponing guys!

submitted to the amazing Amanda over at Serenity Now

The 15 Best: Pampering Edition

 The best thing about these DIYs ( other than the fact that they are cheap, easy, and quick) is that most of them make enough to share with someone else or give as a gift! So you can pamper yourself and make an awesome gift for really cheap! Need I say more?




1. Eye Makeup Remover by Thrifty and Fabulous
I like this eye makeup remover because she uses olive oil and not baby oil. I've heard A TON of people comment about baby oil irritating their eyes and developing little white dots on them because baby oil isn't meant for eyes. She uses olive oil instead, though I would probably try this one out first with coconut oil.

2. Remove Calluses by Prevention
This just sounds like an awesome treat for your feet never mind the fact that it actually makes your feet look amazing. This is perfect for those spring sandals that are just a few weeks away from being worn!







3. DIY Moisturizing Lotion by One Good Thing by Jillee
I have quite a few things on this list from her. She is amazing at coming up with super easy pampering treats. I love this lotion because you can use that heavenly smelling baby's nighttime lavender lotion and kick this recipe up a notch.

4. Get Pearly Whites  by Aqui
You probably have everything you need right at your fingertips for this one and who doesn't want brighter teeth? This is the best.

5. Eyelash Thickening Serum by Camp Wander
YAY! Another recipe that utilizes the amazing powers of coconut oil! I have really long lashes, and I love the idea of using all-natural ingredients to strengthen them.








6. Gardener's Hand Scrub by One Good Thing By Jillee
Alright guys, this is suppose to be a dupe for Mary Kay's Satin Hands, which I adore so I am so excited to try this one out!! Think of all the scent possibilities you could do with the dawn too!





7. Chocolate Lovers Bath Salt by Homespun With Love
This bath salt recipe sounds delicious and I think it's going to make a heavenly bath. Just think of that chocolate aroma surrounding you in a warm bath!







8. DIY Finishing Powder by Accidentally Wonderful
This is suppose to be a dupe for Bare Escentual's Mineral Veil which I use almost everyday. The original is pretty expensive so I can't wait to test out this DIY and save some money!






 9. DIY Bronzer by Well To Do, You
I love the fact that this bronzer is made of pure all-natural ingredients plus you can customize it to YOUR perfect shade. This will be a must when summer is here!







10. DIY Lip Exfoliater by ModCloth Blog
Have you looked at the prices on lip exfoliaters? They are so expensive! This one however is not, and it looks like it will not only do the job, but also taste good too!







11. Dry Shampoo by Gimme Some Style
I have really oily hair that I have to shampoo everyday, especially if I'm going out in public. I'm so excited to use this dry shampoo on those days when I just don't have time to shampoo, condition, blow dry, and style ( which is a lot).






12. Summer Scrub by Deliciously Organized
Everyone knows the awesome benefits of using a scrub, and this recipe is not only easy, but just from the ingredients you know it's going to smell amazing.

13. Oatmeal Shower Bag by One Good Thing by Jillee
When I was pregnant I had PUPPS and at times I would have set my skin on fire to relieve the itch. I really, really wish someone would have shown me this DIY back then. This sounds just heavenly.








14. Bath Fizzies by Martha Stewart
This little DIY is perfect because not only is it easy, but you can change the scents and colors to match your mood or to give as a gift. Think of how perfect these would be after a long day at work!










15. Skin Smoother for Silky Soft Legs by One Good Thing By Jillee
I told you guys I had a lot of great DIYs from this girl! I can't wait to try this smoothing recipe for summer. I know baby oil does really great on your legs, but I never would have thought to also use lemon juice and sugar!

Did I feature you today? If so then feel free to grab a " Featured " button for your awesome blog.

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It's like they don't even know me

Apparently a big part of  your blog finally getting out there goes hand in hand with getting hit by spammers about 50 times a day. It's the worst in the world. I'll get a notification on my email that says " four new comments awaiting approval for Life Inside Nickie's Little Bubble" so I get all excited and rush over to Blogger only to find that it's only ads for electronic cigarettes ( I don't smoke) or Vera Wang top Fashion Blog ( I'm too poor) at least do your re-search spammers. If you really knew me you would post things like:

1. Awesome Pictures of Sharks
2. Bloody Hell! Harry Potter behind the scenes movie photos!
3. New Museum exhibit featuring Egyptian stuff and/or Dinosaurs
4. Anything with salted caramel in the title
5. Anything with " vampire " in the title....ok...almost anything.
6. Free Sewing patterns
7. How to grow a garden like a friggen boss

You know...I just realized that this list could be from either a seven year old boy or a 60 year old woman, I'm eclectic like that.

In other news:

I was browsing pinterest and found this little gem. YUP, it's a pregnant belly ring with a car sign on it. I cracked up laughing on this one. Why the baby on board sign? Are people trying to run into your belly/vagina so much to the point where you need a sign to make them use a little caution?? If you're still in the love making stage of your pregnancy wouldn't that creep your husband out???





Hubby and I apparently have NO more boundaries. I was in the bathroom doing the things you do in the bathroom and Hubby walked in once to ask me where his shirt was and then again to see if I thought it looked right on him. Now....first of all.....I don't think there is one man in the history of husbands who knows where every things is in his own house. Seriously, it's like he thinks I move things around every half hour.

The shirt it in the closet where shirts are hung, it doesn't take a genius. Second of all the first time was bad enough, I gave him a look of horror and yelled " CLOSET!" then he opens the door again and just stands there asking how it looks like he's suddenly a JCrew model. I was horrified. So ladies, here's the warning: when you have a baby with a man all mystery is out the window. Kiss it goodbye, along with your baths.

Describe thyself in a recipe. Harder than it sounds

I'm a member of the Circle of Mom's blogging world. It's really neat, they basically asks bloggers ( and other mommies too) random questions and if they like your answers they'll feature you within their posts on their main webpage at Popsugar Moms. It's pretty cool, and a great way for your blog to get exposure. I've only been featured once Here and it almost made me wet my pants with excitement.

They recently sent me an email asking for a recipe that describes my blog, and I was like...hhmmm. I went to their recent submissions from other bloggers who apparently are world class chefs. The ingredients are hard to pronounce, much less the actual name of the dishes.Very polished and perfect looking which makes me wonder if they're cheating or lying about their blogs. I'm onto you people.....

This of course got me thinking. What would my dish be? It couldn't be fancy, I only have two pairs of jeans and they are both from Walmart. It could be a dessert because I adore any type of sweet treat and I'm also kind of chunky...chunky fudge maybe? Then I was thinking that my site is all about the hilarious and sometimes horrible things that happen in real life, mistakes even. So if I truly followed that rule and gave them a recipe that was true to my website it would be one that was pretty messed up looking and not at all how it was suppose to turn out, but still pretty awesome tasting.

I may send them the recipe for " Sweet Corn Muffins" with no corn mix. Who knows? If you have any ideas I would love to hear them!

My Fav. Coupon Sites

Well, I realized yesterday that it had been a really long time since I posted anything about couponing or any really good deals. I'm not like those people on TLC who can get $500.00 worth of groceries for $10.00 or anything, but we do like to coupon. I don't understand why more people aren't out there using coupons, you're buying the stuff anyway so why not save some money? Every little bit counts nowadays. I know that the main reason is that sometimes there is just not enough time in the day, and I can completely understand that one, but maybe with all the money that you save when you clip coupons late at night you can grab a guilt-free extra large (or grande-frande-whatever it is) Starbucks.

1. The first few deals were ones that I found locally so I'm not sure if everyone will be able to find them, but it wont hurt to check.
* Huggies Little Movers Diapers large pack of 96 (size 3), rollback price at Walmart for $22.00. They had most of the large pack sizes on sale for that price.
* Target has baby and infant " Valentine's Day" clothes for .20 cents! Most of the pieces just have hearts on them or are pink and red so they can be worn all season long not just for Valentine's Day.
* Michaels Craft Store has acrylic paint for .77 cents until Saturday which is a REALLY great deal.

2. The second is a little website called Cuckoo for Coupons. This lady is amazing! She breaks everything down into stores and shows you exactly how you can get the deals plus compares that deal to other places where you can use it. This is basically the cheater's guide to couponing. If you're looking for more websites like this might I suggest these: I Heart The Mart, The Krazy Coupon Lady, and Hip2Save




3. The third site is Coupons.com. I'm not a fan of having to add all those apps and add-ons to your computer just so you can print coupons so I decided to stick with just one coupon printing site. I chose coupons.com because that's mainly what Deidre (at cuckoo for coupons) uses and I think it's just simpler. If you don't mind adding all the add-ons a few other printing sites for coupons are: Coupon Suzy, Smartsource, Coupon Network, and Common Kindness.

 




4. The last site is one for online shopping. I NEVER, EVER pay retail for anything I order online. I always visit Retail me not and type in whatever I'm looking for, or the website's name and can usually score either a percentage off or free shipping. They have SO many codes it's unbelievable and they are usually in date and accepted. Trust me, check this site out before you pay for anything online, oh and they have printable coupons as well.


Well, there ya go. Maybe this can help alleviate the pain of those high grocery bills. I plan on posting later this week about the way my family plans our meals and the way we use and organize our coupons. You don't have to go all TLC Extreme Couponing, even if you're just saving a quarter or two here and there it helps and you can feel all smug and happy knowing you didn't pay retail.