it's ok thursdays

it's ok...
...that i've already started planning Owen's birthday party, and he just turned 6 months old
...that i went to Publix yesterday and bought nothing but junk food
...i wanted to punch out the nurse who gave O his shots yesterday. you make my baby cry, i'll make you cry!
...to feel like screaming the next time someone tell me Owen looks like Beau. don't get me wrong i couldn't be happier that he looks just like his daddy, but i don't need to be informed 5x a day!
...that i feel so proud of myself for standing up against online bullies
...that i'm supposed to be cooking dinner for 8 tonight and have done zero prep work
...to go enter this giveaway now before its too late!

30 second thrusdays- hideous clothing {vlog}

i'm linking up again this week for 30 second thursdays!

it's so much fun, so if you haven't done it yet click over to one of the hosts and join the party!

beautiful hosts

Kaitlyn // Wifessionals Samantha // Hooah And Hiccups Hallie // Life Oceanside

question

what is the most hideous piece of clothing you own? (you must wear it in the video)

Owen is 6 months old... already?

my sweet baby boy,

when i think about the past six months of my life, i can honestly say they have been the best months of my life thus far. you have brought so much light and joy in to your daddy and my life. each and every new day with you is an adventure and i love rediscovering the world as you discover it for the first time. 

time seems to be flying by so quickly, i sometimes want it to just stop so i can keep you my sweet little baby forever, but at the same time i never want to hold you back and watching you begin to become an independent little man is amazing. 

God blessed me far beyond what i deserve when he gave me you. my promise to you is that i will always try my hardest to be the best mom i can be.

i will always always love you, son. 

no matter what, no matter where, no matter when.

love,

Mama

stats:

weight- 18lbs 10oz (75%)

height- 271/2in (90%)

clothes- 9 months

diapers- size 3

some of this month's milestones and accomplishments-

blowing raspberries

sitting (supported)

sitting up in the highchair and feeding himself

bathing in the big tub

sitting (unsupported)

swinging at the park

feeling sand

nursery canvas art {tutorial}

when i was pregnant with Owen i searched high and low for the perfect canvas art for his nursery. i found a ton of cute options but none of them matched the picture i had in my head.

for 6 months he's had an artless nursery and then it hit me... why not make the canvas i was imagining in my head?

so i headed out to hobby lobby and bought everything i needed for under $20 (that's way less than the cost of purchasing similar canvas art)

and guess what? it was so easy!

supplies

a small blank canvas, a pack of adhesive letters, foam paint brushes, acrylic paint in ocean green and naples yellow

STEP 1

arrange the letters however you'd like them. this was honestly the most difficult step for a perfectionist like myself. it can be frustrating trying to line the letters up perfectly.

when you have the letters where you want them, make sure they are stuck to the canvas well. you don't want paint seeping under!

STEP 2

paint over the entire canvas with the background color {ocean green} let dry and then paint a second coat. 

STEP 3

when the blue paint has dried completely paint a sun in the bottom right corner of the canvas using naples yellow. start with a small arch gradually getting larger until the sun is the size you want. then using the edge of the brush paint sun rays about a half inch apart going out at an angle.

STEP 4

when the paint has dried completely (about an hour or so) carefully remove the adhesive letters. i used the tip of a sharp knife to get underneath the letters more easily. once the letters are removed your canvas is ready to hang anywhere you'd like!

weekend update

FRIDAY

friday evening my baby sister had her first ever school dance. she had me curl her hair and borrowed one of my shirts. when did she start fitting in my clothes!?!?

i went with my mom to pick her up and it was so cute to see her having fun with her friends. thank goodness she said boys and girls didn't dance with each other! she's way to young for all that yet!

SATURDAY

saturday was a busy busy day. Beau took off to the dmv first thing in the morning to get his license updated so i =t was just me and Owen for most of the day, which normally would be fine... that's how it is every week day, except that i had set aside this day to make mass amounts of baby food and bake Beau's anniversary goodies.

yeah. not an easy task when you've got a baby on your hip the entire time.

why not put him down you might ask?

well, because my baby has this hidden talent. he can sense when i'm trying to be productive (or eat) and immediately needs to be held.

nevertheless got it all done just in time to pretty my self up for my hot date.

since our anniversary fell on a sunday, we decided to celebrate the night before.

we had big plans to go to this comedy club down town.

we drove to the club - walked to a nearby restaurant for dinner - walked back over to the club 30min before the show - found a big "sold out" - got bummed out - decided we couldn't be bummed out on our anniversary - drove closer to home - grabbed a drink (or 3) at a restaurant nearby - spent hours and hours talking and laughing and falling deeper in love - went home and acted silly 

i have to say it was a better anniversary than i could have ever planned.

SUNDAY

sunday morning we went to Mass early and then headed over to Beau's parent's house for lunch. we had a fun time there and they had so sweetly decorated to celebrate our anniversary. i also go to meet some of Beau's extended family who i hadn't met before!

Samantha's birthday giveaway!

this is a special week...
it's Samantha's birthday week!

if the fact that she is generously giving away a gift for her birthday doesn't tell you how awesome this girl is how about the fact that she is the bravest military wife, an amazing momma, a stand up for what i believe in woman, and author of one of the best blogs on the interweb.
you kinda get what i'm saying now?
this chick rocks!

so do me {and yourself} a favor and enter the giveaway and then pop over an wish Samantha the happiest of birthdays!


***

I absolutely love celebrating birthdays; I love getting all dolled up and celebrating the day loved ones, family, and friends made their way into the world. 

Well ladies, at the end of the week, yours truly will be 26! I know what you're thinking,   I'm one year closer to 30. But to me, it's only going up hill from here! I've been so blessed and these past few years have truly reminded me of that. 

So to celebrate my birthday, I've teamed up with 28 other amazing girls to bring you one of my favorite things.

If there's one thing I CAN'T live without, it's my Keurig. Ask my husband, if I don't have my coffee in the morning, it's not pretty. So now one of YOU will be winning one! 

I haven't tried the new Starbucks Verismo but if you would like to choose that instead, your wish is my command.

Not only can you drink coffee with these babies, but you can drink tea, hot chocolate, etc. So even if you're not a coffee junkie, there's something for everyone!

Still not interested? How about winning the CASH instead? Excited now?!

Just enter the rafflecopter below and cross your fingers! Contest will remain open until Friday, February 1st at 12:00 a.m. EST and the winner will be announced once all entries are verified. 

Good luck! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

what i wore sunday

so since sunday is pretty much the only day i wear anything more than yoga pants and a t-shirt, i decided to link up with fine linen and purple for what i wore sunday.

{dress- forever 21; blaiser- forever 21; scarf- forever 21; tights- forever 21; shoes- steve madden}

this outfit is a clear example of my slight obsession with forever 21.

my weekly inspiration

if you haven't yet heard the story of Connor and Cayden Long i encourage you to watch this video. 

the love and support Conner shows his brother is nothing short of inspirational

we should all strive to care for our siblings the way that Conner cares for Cayden

this week i will make the effort to make sure my siblings know how much i love and care for them

the newlywed game {link up}

1.   What is the worst thing that happened on your wedding day, if anything?

K: Beau arrived at the court house just in time. i could have killed him... except i wanted to marry him so bad!

B:  i guess me being late

2.   Who is the better driver?

K: ME- cause i don't test the cars limitations

B:  me cause i know the cars limitations

3.  If someone had to play your spouse in a movie, who would it be?

K:  Shia LaBeouf. when he worked at qt as a teenager a lot of people told him he looked like him

B:  i don't know any actresses

4.  What’s your spouse's favorite comfort food?

K:  bbq ribs

B:  pizza or mac-n-cheese

5.  Which one of you hogs all the covers in bed?

K:  i'll admit it... I do.

B:  i used to try, but now i just give up

6.  The saying “opposites attract must be true because 

my spouse and I couldn’t be any more different when it comes to _________?

K:  saving money

B:  spending money

7.  If your spouse won $5000, what would they spend it on?

K:  supping up his jeep

B:  she probably wouldn't. she'd probably save it.

8.  If your spouse could be married to any famous person, which would it be and why?

K: he doesn't know any celebrities, like really, if knowing the least amount of celebrities was a talent he'd have it mastered.

B:  again, i don't know any actors

9.  Who controls the remote??

K:  we don't have tv, but it would probably be Beau if we did.

B:  me

10.  If your spouse were a superhero, what would their "super power" be?

K:  just saving people because he's so good at that

B:  super mom knowledge

H54F

HAPPY FRIDAY!

can you believe the weekend is already here? this week flew by!

i'm extra excited for this weekend because sunday is Beau and i's first anniversary!

as usual i'm linking-up with Lauren to share with you my five favorite moments from the past week

1. O sitting like a champ and playing with his new toy!

2. i made the most delicious lemon chicken, using fresh lemons. {recipe coming next week}

3. lazy evenings watching hulu with my Beau.

4. i finally made the canvas print i've been imagining since before O was born for his nursery {tutorial coming next week}

5. daddy/baby bath time = cutest thing EVER!

have a fabulous weekend!

30 second thursday- the worst gift {vlog}

i'm linking up again this week for 30 second thursdays!

it's so much fun, so if you haven't done it yet click over to one of the hosts and join the party!

beautiful hosts

Kaitlyn // Wifessionals Samantha // Hooah And Hiccups Hallie // Life Oceanside

question

what is the WORST present you've ever received

melissa & doug giveaway {free blogger event}

Free Blogger Event!

Hosted by Coupon Gator Mommy

Prizes: $250 Melissa & Doug Toys Gift Card

2 Runner Up Prizes: $50 Melissa & Doug Gift Cards

Free Link with Announcement Post

Event Dates: 02/01 - 02/26

Bloggers Sign Up Here!

january birchbox review

for those of you who don't know what birchbox is, it's a beauty box that comes straight to your mailbox once a month, full of the latest beauty and style products catered specifically to you. 

click here to find out more.

i was so excited to get my birchbox in the mail last week.

embryolisse 24-hour miracle cream: this stuff is a great moisturizer, especially for me- i have sensitive skin that can get really dry in the winter. 

100% pure nourishing body cream: i think it's awesome that this product is so natural. it's even vegan! but... i didn't like the scent (smelled like one of those sugar cookie candles) and my hands felt really oily after using it. 

ojon total hair therapy: this product is great! it gives my hair a pretty shine without leaving it looking greasy. the heat protection is an added bonus!

aerie shimmer fragrence: i'm usually really picky with perfume, but i love this scent! it's so light and fresh.

eyeko skinny liquid eyeliner: this is definitely my favorite product this month! i normally have a really hard time with eyeliner, especially liquid, but this liner goes on so easily and doesn't smudge!

it never gets old getting a a box full of beauty surprises each month!

vegan rustic bread lasagna- recipe and review

last friday we had a welcome home celebration for my brother Luke. i knew i wanted to cook a fancy (looking) meal for him, but it wasn't that easy to find the perfect recipe. you see, Luke is a vegan. that means no animal products, whatsoever! i eventually came upon a recipe that not only sounded good but looked delicious so i gave it a shot. 

everyone loved it and it's so good for you!

vegan eggplant lasagna

* note: the sourdough pictured is not vegan. when i discovered this i bought a different loaf. be sure the bread is rustic.
ingredients
5 tbsp olive oil + some for drizzling
12 tsp minced garlic +/- according to taste prefrence
2 (28oz) cans of crushed tomatoes with basil
2 tsp salt
4 tsp italian herb mix
2 eggplants sliced to 1/2" thick
2 lbs of spinach, cleaned and chopped
12 slices of day-old rustic sourdough bread
olive oil, non-stick cooking spray
1/2c panko breadcrumbs
2 large tomatoes sliced thin
balsamic vinegar for drizzling
1/3c fresh basil, chopped

directions

preheat oven to 400 F

in a large pot, heat 3 tbsp of olive oil to medium and then add 4 tsp of garlic. cook for a minute or so, stirring constantly to keep garlic from burning. add crushed tomatoes, salt, and italian herb mix and allow to simmer for about 30 min.

place the slices of eggplant on 2 parchment lined cookie sheet. it's ok for the slices to overlap. drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper and then place the pans into the preheated oven for 30-40 min. eggplant should be tender and browned.

while the eggplant is roasting, spray each slice of bread with olive oil cooking spray and toast using either a heated grill pan or a pop-up toaster.

in a wok (a large saucepan would work too) heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. add 8 tsp of minced garlic and sweat for 1-2 min, then add chopped spinach and wilt.

now it's time to assemble the lasagna!

spread 1/2c of sauce in the bottom of a large casserole pan. layer with bread until the bottom of the pan is completely covered. add half of the remaining sauce to cover the bread layer. layer all of the spinach and eggplant on the sauce. add the remaining bread and top with remaining sauce, making sure the bread is completely covered.

sprinkle with breadcrumbs and top with sliced tomatoes. sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

bake in the preheated oven for 40 min. allow to sit for 10 min before drizzling with balsamic vinegar. sprinkle with fresh basil if desired.

slice your lasagna and enjoy!

recipe adapted from here