Merry Christmas, 2014!

From our family to yours, we hope that your Christmas is full of warm embraces, happy homes and stuffed bellies! This season is all about celebrating love and life and family, and we're definitely thankful for all of the above...Merry Christmas!!

Flashback Friday "Halloween" Edition

On this day last year we were "trick or treating" as a family of five (with one on the way!) -- We had a rotten little witch, an adorable Draculaura, and a pokey puppy. This year, our littles are going as the cast of Frozen (we've got Elsa, Anna, Olaf & Sven) -- it's crazy how quickly time flies and how many things can change in 365 days. 

The weather this year is supposed to be pretty terrible for being outside, but we're going to do our best and make the most of things! We've got an evening of movies, pumpkins, popcorn and cookies (and hopefully the spoils of candy!) lined up for when we make it home. 

I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful Halloween -- or as someone on Facebook said the other day, Elsaween (seriously, I can't wait to see how many Frozen costumes are out there this year!) 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

***MERRY CHRISTMAS***

I'm taking the week off from blogging to focus on the holiday season and just enjoy myself - I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas surrounded by family and full of yummy treats (and some special presents!) 

I'll be back next week to pick up where we're leaving off...MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Halloween 2013

Hooray, the rain held off! We were able to do a little trick-or-treating under perfect conditions with three happy little grublets who all seemed to have a good time :)

Our Draculaura, witch and dalmatian were too cute for words and behaved even sweeter than they looked! Sidney wanted to trick-or-treat at the speed of light, often running ahead of little Rhealen by about 20 steps -- but Rhealen didn't seem to mind. She tried to swap out candy at every house, offering something from her bucket in exchange for new candy :) Jaxon was perfectly happy just hanging out in the back seat of our new (to us!) stroller, eating M&Ms and cheese puffs. That white costume didn't stay very white for too long...

We made it to about 30 or so houses before Jaxon (and my pregnant self) hit "the wall" and then we were done in an instant -- we had as much fun as we could int the hour or so we made it -- and we wouldn't have been able to coordinate or pull off any of it successfully without my wonderfully sweet mom and step-dad. They made it work for us working parents, we just love them!

And a wonderful Halloween was had by all -- we're already looking forward to next year and FOUR little costumed kiddos to chase around :)

Halloween//TBT

It's Halloween!

And it's Throwback Thursday!

So let's just combine the two and look at some photos of Halloween celebrations gone by....

2006-2012

Halloween (especially with kids involved!) feels a bit like a marathon workout -- there's the running of the children, the corralling of the candy, the constant checking and head-counting and making sure to keep an eye out for all the other dozens of trick-of-treaters running amuck (amuck! amuck! amuck!) -- seriously, it's a workout!

But just like most other things in life, having kids to celebrate holidays with makes them 1,000x more enjoyable (in my opinion!) I love being on the parent side of the equation, and it's awesome making memories with my own family :)

This year, I'm really really really hoping the weather cooperates just long enough for us to get our trick-or-treating done -- the weather was absolutely beautiful in the days leading up to Halloween today, why can't we just have a few more hours of that sweetness before the rain gets here? Pretty please and thank you!

Look for another round of costume pictures tomorrow!

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all...

To the man who is the father of my children, I love you and respect you beyond measure.

To my own father, my step-father, my grand-father, the grand-father(s) of my children, to all the men who are called father, dad, poppa and such -- thank you for stepping up to the plate. For loving your children, wholly and equally and without question or hesitation.

For those of you raising children who aren't yours in the eyes of science, the eyes of the heart see all. And I'm so lucky to know so many amazing men in my life who are amazing fathers and grand-fathers and great-grand-fathers.

It's your day, so celebrate it any way you choose -- and remember, this momma right here is thinking and loving you all, each and every one, and again, I say, thank you.

Our St. Paddy's Day Crew

All three of my little leprechauns in their St. Patrick's day green! It's so hard to get them all in one spot looking in one direction for one single second - so even though this isn't the most perfect of shots, it's a shot! 

Justin and I have some stinking cute kids, no doubt about it!

 (And yes, I'm as biased as they come, duh!) 

2013*

Here it is, the new year! The year (and month) of the baby boy, the year of our new home, the year of ten years for Justin and me, the year of growing and learning and falling even more in love with my life. The first of the year always feels so refreshing and inspiring, like anything is possible and everything will happen! I can't say I have any resolutions or commitments this year. I'm just opening myself up to the knowledge that my life is what I choose to make it, and I am in control of my destiny if I choose to take control. I can leave it all to chance or take charge, it's all up to me to make my choices and live with the results no matter how this year unfolds. Happy new year to all, may 2013 be everything for everyone and then some!

Giving Thanks and Thinking Things Through

The holiday season is upon us - family, food, shopping and more. I'm sure most of you have little or big plans to spend Thanksgiving with your loved ones, and if your family is anything like mine, we'll begin our Christmas decorating at some point this weekend. (Sidney has been asking for two weeks to start decorating, and I've made her wait 'til at least the day after turkey day!) 

I have many things to be thankful for this year, as I do every year, and while I'm sure I could go on and on about each individual thing, I won't. Just know I'm blessed and lucky and grateful and so painfully aware of just how wonderful I have things, even at the darkest times in my life. That fact is not lost on me, although I do tend to wallow in self-pity from time to time, I am always making an effort to be present in my blessings and be thankful for each thing, small and large. 

I'm working on disengaging some things in my life (my internet addiction is a top priority), so you may notice things get a little quiet over here for a few days. I plan to "unplug" this weekend and do my best not to over-share. I'm not going to live-update this holiday season with endless Facebook, Twitter or Instagram posts. I need to let go and work more to be "in the moment" with my loved ones. Face-to-face is becoming more and more important to me, so I really want to tackle this hurdle and scale back a little. We'll see how it goes...

I wish all of you a very happy and safe Thanksgiving weekend. I hope your bellies and hearts will be filled! 

Flashback Friday

There we are. My two best friends in the world. We were seniors and still acting like we were 12 years old.

This was, to date, the best homemade costume I've ever made. We didn't have to buy anything, and we still looked awesome.

Plus, Cassie and I were nice enough to finally give in to Dobby's insane Tinkerbell obsession and fulfill her dreams.

I'd bet you $100 if you ask Cassie or Dobby what they think about this picture now, they'd both say, in perfect unison, "I miss being that skinny!"

Me, too, girls. Me, too. 

Our Christmas

Wow! Did Christmas fly by for you all the way it did for us? It was a three-day whirlwind of presents and food, family and friends, and all the good things that make life wonderful.

I think the girls are both in sensory overload after opening all their presents and seeing so many faces and sights. I can honestly say it's a hundred times better being an adult giving my children a special Christmas than it ever was being the kid receiving a special Christmas. My parents made the holidays wonderful, and I aim to keep on keeping on with my family.

Sidney was really into Santa this year; the cookies, the milk, the waking up early on Sunday morning. I know there's only a few more years left like this where she really believes. I'm savoring every sweet second of it!

All in all, it was an amazing Christmas - I couldn't have wished for a better holiday season. Next up: New Year's! 

lately

Beau accompanied me on a workday last week - he's my "other" baby! 

Sidney was all about the karaoke at our Christmas party.

She's an expert present-opener nowadays!! 

My darling girls at dinner - they both behaved so well! 

I see so much of her Daddy in her sometimes, it's scary. 

My sweet smiling baby - she's really started babbling this week! 

My little cousin Samantha and I have the same fashion sense! 

Sidney at her school Christmas dinner - she was so proud of her reindeer hat! 

My girls at Gran's house...

The many sweet faces of Rhealen Jo - that top left picture kills me with cuteness! 

Pajama day at school - Sidney's favorite! 

Two funny ladies: Dobby & Rhealen 

for those of us with curves, lumps, rolls and muffin tops.

(All links open in a new tab, for your viewing pleasure.)

The holidays always bring fancy parties and family get-togethers that require a certain amount of style. I have zero sense of style, but I like to put my best foot forward at least one day a year and do the whole girl thing and dress up...properly.

But being a big girl as I am, it can be hard to find options for shopping online or in stores. Luckily, more and more brands are expanding their lines to fit those of us with expanding waistlines F21 is one of my favorite stores for clothes and accessories on the cheap, especially now that almost every store has their plus-sized section included.

I've also been a huge (ha!) fan of Torrid for years now; I find a lot of their clothes are geared more towards teenagers, but they always have an amazing section of dresses, swimwear and shoes (especially boots with wider calf sizes than most retailers).

City Chic is another great site for dresses that are drool-worthy, but they also carry an amazing collection of clothes, lingerie and accessories.

Virtu is a great Australian shop that has flat-rate international shipping and "hassle free" returns; they have a huge (ha!) sale going on right now, and just looking at their breezy clothing makes me long for summer.

Asos is a one-stop shop for all of us out there doing our best to stay "on trend" without breaking the bank. Just make sure you are shopping on their US site and not the UK site! (And when I say "us", I mean "you" - this girl right here is never on trend)

Jessica Simpson has a collection that isn't specifically geared for those of us that are plus-sized, but a lot of her pieces mix and fit well for us curvy ladies. Also, the girl has damn good taste in shoes.

Domino Dollhouse is a great site with a little something for everyone; and extra bonus points for being budget friendly!

H&M houses a variety of styles and budget-points for all of us. I could spend hours just browsing through their site, drooling of course.

I'm sure there are a lot more sites and resources out there, these are just a few of the online stores I swear by. Being a big girl in a skinny world isn't always the easiest thing; but that doesn't mean we should settle for less-than-stellar clothes and shoes. I may not dress to the nines every day, but when I do feel like dolling up, it's nice to know there are retailers out there for girls like me.

Do you have any awesome sites you'd add to my list? I'm always looking for new sites to browse!



PS: Be sure to check out my favorite plus-sized fashion lady, Nicolette Mason. She's so sweet and I'd kill for her shoe and sunglasses collection!

the late shopper

There's how many days 'til Christmas, and I just bought the first few presents today...online?

Procrastination by any other name would be Mary Ruth. Because that's just how I am. I keep thinking that'll change with time. I'll get older and my life will stop being one late assignment after another. I'll grow into doing things on time and not being so rushed for the rest of my days. But, no. It's not meant to be. I'm going to be late for my own funeral at this rate.

I like the hustle and the bustle this time of year, and I'm so proud of those of you that can get your shopping DONE by Dec. 1st. That just ain't my style, apparently.

I'm the one on Amazon praying they have last minute delivery and then watching for the UPS man like a maniac, hoping to have just a few minutes left to wrap up the gifts (or throw them in gift bags) before Christmas Eve. It's not that I don't love to shop for those I love. It's just that I love procrastinating even more.

Sorry, folks. I may have put a lot of though into what gift(s) I get you this year - but I definitely didn't put a lot of time in them. Doesn't make them any less awesome, though, right?

What about you? Are you a "get it all done on Black Friday so I can sit back and watch you lazy bones go crazy" kind of shopper - or are you a "wait on the delivery truck at midnight on Christmas Eve at WalMart to get the camcorder I want" kind of shopper?

Three Christmases ago, the latter was my dear husband. True story. I guess that's why I married him.  

Christmas Gifts: For My Friend Who Can Sing in the Car With Me for Hours and Who Never Mixes Brown and Black in One Outfit

Pretty Cupcake Kit - because she loves all things pretty and this might inspire her to bake for me! 

Jumbo Cocktail Rings - because she loves all things gaudy just like me! 

Red Peep-toe Heels - because she rocked the shit out of that Betty Boop Halloween costume way back when. And she likes that Kellie Pickler song, too. 

Key to My Heart necklace - because she's getting married next year and is stuck on all that sweet stuff.

Carrie sunglasses - because we share a love of over-sized shades. And making fun of other girls in over-sized shades. 

Mini Robot Vacuum - because she's OCD about cleaning and will never let you forget how her side of the dorm room was always spotless when your side looked like a tornado was living there. 

I Like You by Amy Sedaris - because even though she'd never admit it, she's nervous about having her own home and entertaining new friends in KY. This'll make her the talk of the town. 

Kate Spade 2012 calendar - because she needs to go ahead and make plans to come back home to VA to see me every weekend. 

LOVE YOU, butch. 

All gifts from HERE. 

Christmas Gifts: For My Friend Who Has the Most Random Collection of Mixed CDs and Cries at Forehead Kisses

Wacky Bandages - because you need more "mac n cheese" talks in your life! 

Tinkerbell necklace - because she's twenty-four going on twelve forever. 

Pet's Eye View Camera - because she loves her dogs like babies and would love to see the world through their eyes. 

What's Your Poo Telling You? - because she's the only person out there that finds this shit interesting. 

Cardboard Buck - because she lives to make her daddy proud but she'd never kill one in real life. 

Desktop Pink Pong Kit - because it will remind her of "Forrest Gump" every day. 

Condiment gun - because she'll have way too much fun squirting ketchup on everything with something like this! 

Pasta Boobies - because even though she's a total hetero, girl can still appreciate a nice set of boobies. 

LOVE YOU, best friend. 

All gifts from HERE. 

lately

My girl helped me graduate!!! It was all for her :) 

Night out with Poppa

RJ and I took a good nap on T-Day

Coolest baby EVER, right? 

The many faces of Rhealen Jo

She gets girly-er and pretty-er by the second...

The sweetest smile

Just Married! :D

I tried to talk Sidney in eating RJ for T-Day; they were both against it. 

That's what friends are for.