Gotta have it!

Here are some things that i dont know if we could live without right now.

Touch of Purple.  An all purpose cleaner. Seriously, rings, computers, glass, anything.  So awesome.

Touch of Purple bought at the Home Show

Cracked Heel by Blue Goo is totally awesome for your feet.  Especially during the summer when flip flops rule over all other shoes.

Blue Goo bought at Walmart

Calmoseptine. Best diaper rash cream ever.  You can find it at the pharmacy (in Walmart at least), and nothing i have used compares to it.  It is creamy yet powerful.  I have tried Desitin and Balmex and they are both really hard and you have to "warm them up" in order to go on baby's bum smooth.  I also tried Butt Paste, but it just didnt seem to do anything about the rash, but it was smooth going on the bum-bah-lum.  Calmoseptine is the best of both worlds.  It is powerful yet creamy.  I even put Neosporin on first and then the Calmoseptine on second and it seals in the Neosporin. Awesome.  No more painful oozing, bleeding diaper rash (it was a quick onset- bacterial rash, but the combined power of Neo and Calmo the baby bum is fine...)

Calmoseptine Bought at Walmart

Anti- Monkey Butt.  I definitely laughed when i saw this, but no kidding, everyone in my small family loves it (Im not sure if Noodle loves it, but being her narrator, she has no choice but to love it.)  It is Baby Powder on steroids or something.  It has calamine mixed with the powder so that if there is some chafing the calamine is there to cool the burn.  I love to put it in my shoes, my husband uses it when he runs whenever there is leg chafing, and it can also be used in baby's diaper.  Win,Win, Win.

Anti-Monkey Butt Bought at Walmart

Last but not least, Hersheys Kisses with macadamia nuts (the specia;l Hawaiian Hersheys.)  So good, so fattening, but so good.

Hersheys Given by a friend

Happy Mothers Day!

Shock

My reaction to the death of Osama bin Laden.

I agree with Kathie Lee in this clip:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Trendy

So,

I was looking at the new J. Crew blog, and for their new line all the colors are from sailing and muted colors from paintings and what not.  I still love bright pink and blues and greens.  But i think the warrants a blog overhaul...  We'll see how this goes since i just barely created the blog.  But i think its has to be done.  I like the changes and how it looks, but im not 100 % loving the current style.

Here's to change!

LOVE, HATE

So The Hubbster is a huge hater- well he used to be- I've softened him up a bit.  But because he says that he hates certain things, its kind of rubbed off on me.  Like he HATES the Lakers.  So i tell him i hate the Bulls, (but i dont really hate them because i watched the game with him last night, and was totally cheering for the Bulls, Indiana was just play a really physical game last night, but the refs werent calling it.  Totally inconsistent refs.  But i digress.)

Anyway, I was catching up with all my wonderful blogs (after a harrowing finals), and i realized that i hate them so much.  But its the hate brought about by envy.  I just want so much to be like them i hate them for being so good.  I especially  hate(love) clothing blogs.  People are just so cute and so unmatchy- but so stylish.  I dont know if i could successfully not match and still look good. *sigh*

I guess i was just not blessed with the stylish genes (or jeans, however you want to look at it.)  Even now i sit on my bed in sweats.  Not so cute.  I dont know how my poor husband puts up with me.

Enough moping!!  Im going to get dressed and be cute dang it!

Swimsuit Season!!!

So it has been in the 80's for a few weeks here in San Antonio and today we officially hit 90. We are SO ready to hit to pool! Now that I've lost a few inches (and intend to lose a few more in the upcoming weeks), I decided it is finally time to look for this season's swimsuit. Last year I was in a maternity suit, which was cute, but I can't wait to get into something "sexy."

I found a lot of great choices from the following websites:

Lime Ricki Swimwear--
Modest and stylish. Unfortunately all of the designs I like are only good for small bust sizes... not gonna work while I'm still nursing my baby! But, I did find this 15% off promo code, good until June 30: DESBOOK (Thanks Deseret Book!)

Rey Swimwear--
Definitely says chic. All of these suits have a kind of classic elegance. Or maybe its just the way they edited their photos :)

Divinita Sole Swim Collection--
I seriously am in LOVE with these suits! I will most likely get one of these. But I like them all so much I'm having a hard time choosing!

Happy Hunting!!

UGH, school

Every time a semester is over i feel surprised by finals.  I have been in school for forever... and i still am like "what?!?!  finals?!? no way."  I just wish for once i would plan out the best way to study for finals and then actually follow through with that plan.  This semester the hubbster and i are just hoping for the best.  We both have like 6 finals, each.  Crappy, right?  Who needs it...  I guess me.  Just gotta keep telling myself its only one more year.  It will all be worth it.  *sigh*

Hung out with some friends yesterday that were already graduated and stay at home mommas full time, and i got so jealous.  I cant wait to not have school hanging over my head...  I just want to be a good mommy and not have to split my time and energy between school and the rest of life.  (I know that ill have other things to do when im not in school, but i dont think ill be so stressed all the time.)

Here's to you noodle.  Mommy is working hard now so that when you get older you will be motivated to finish school, and be the best you can be.

Dear Jillian,

We've spent the last 30 days together and although I don't feel totally shredded, I can say that your training has definitely helped me out.

I followed Anita for all of the workouts and modified all of the moves, but I DID make it to Level 3. Wow, you really know how to design a workout!

After 30 days here are my stats:
chest -- lost 1.5 inches
waist -- lost 3 inches
hips -- lost 2.25 inches
weight -- lost 0.5 pounds

These measurements teeter-tottered throughout the month, but I'm glad that the overall change resulted in a loss of inches.

I think I'm going to start back at Level 1 and do another 30 days but see if I can follow Natalie and stick with the harder movements. We'll see what happens.

See ya tomorrow!

Im a model.

Since kate started her ruffle event i cant stop thinking ruffles...  But something else i cant stop loving is twiggy makeup!  For the past couple days i have been rocking the twiggy make-up, and i love it.

Super easy, and kinda fun to do because it makes you feel like super model.

 

I dont have any super expensive make-up cuz of the whole starving student thing with a baby on the side.  So even though everywhere i looked said that its important to have "good" make-up, i think mine is good enough.

Start with the base.  If you use foundation, under eye concealer, or powder, you can do that how you normally do it.  I only use a little foundation just to even my skin tone and hide my pores, and some concealer under my eyes to hide the fact that im up all night with my little noodle.

Next is a cream color all over the eye lid. (You dont have to do this, but i do so that the eyelid is all one even color).  Just a nice base for the rest of the eye make-up to go on smoothly.

For the crease i use an eye liner pencil, i layer two colors.  The first is a silver taupe color that i smudge a little, and then i use a black eyeliner to add a little darkness and definition to the line.  Then you line your eyes with the black eyeliner, and put on mascara and voila.  Twiggy.  Sometimes i will put a highlight under my brow and in the corner of my eye to just brighten the look a little.  But seriously i love it.

(I would show you pictures of my make-up, but its a sweats day- i gotta finish some independent study classes. hooray!)

Ruffle what?!

So... growing up i never wanted to admit it but i love girly things.  I always wanted to be a cheerleader, and be super girly girl, but i never really knew how.  So just was a t-shirt and jeans kind of girl.  So now im finding my inner girl, what with ruffles and lace, and whats really fun is dressing up noodle in cute girly things with bows in her hair and flowers on her clothes.

The whole point is that when i saw the Ruffle Event on seekatesew, i was super excited.  I could always have more ruffles in my life.  My hubby would beg to differ, but i think he just has to deal with it.  So hopefully ill get my ruffle on, for the next couple weeks.  AWESOME!

A couple ruffles that i love:

ruffled tote bag

found here

ruffle skirts and dresses (too bad i have hips... cant pull that off to well)

found here

ruffles, ruffles, ruffles

found here

I especially love the ruffles on the last picture, the ruffle purse and shoes were what got me. but man so cute!  and so feminine!  One day ill learn how to dress like a real girl... One day!

Be yourself.

All the things i read about starting a blog emphasize being yourself.

How do i be myself?  I dont exactly know anymore.  Somewhere between growing up, high school, college, marriage, having a baby and now... i lost myself.

I think it started when i was a little girl.  I was really really hyper, yep i used to jump all over my family and run around the house.  I would climb up our door jams like a monkey, and i used to wear a summer dress that buttoned all the way up (top to bottom)- but instead of wearing it like a real dress, i would wear it like a cape and run all over the house (yep literally run).

vanessa, lauren

I used to go into the back yard and play with the water hose,  I pretended that it was raining and i would get soaking wet and then have to yell from the back door (to my mom) that i was wet and she had to bring me a towel or i would freeze to death.  I jumped off the wall by our alley with a trash bag over my head hoping that one day it would catch and i would float down slowly like i was sky diving.  I played with barbies well into my teens, and i would wrestle my dad on the floor of our living room.

Now most of these things sound kinda normal, but one day for some reason ( i dont even remember what i was doing) but my mom told me i had to stop being so annoying or else nobody would want to be my friend.  Yep. Sad i know.  Sadness aside, thats when i realized being me wasnt good enough.  Or at least good enough to the outside world.  So i did what anybody would have done.  I played it cool.  I was quiet around others so that i wouldnt make stupid comments.  I changed how i acted just enough.  But over the years i always remembered that i had to stop being so annoying.  (I know that my mom meant what she said as just a comment aimed towards whatever annoying thing i was doing to her at the time, but that has always stuck in my head.)

So people were always at arms distance- little did i know i was pushing them away by keeping them at arms distance.  And now, when i look on facebook, my heart pangs a little everytime i see my "friends" getting together and im never invited.  When people i know have these inside jokes that i was never a part of, i feel hurt inside because i thought we were friends, apparently not.  I asked a girl once why we werent friends anymore (you know as a joke to someone that you havent seen in a long time...) she aswered back with a scathing "well i gave you the chance to be my friend but you never took it..."  I never knew i was being tested... but apparently i failed.

Maybe realizing that i am a bad friend, that i am lucky to have my husband beside me, and maybe that will help me relearn who i  am and that its ok to be annoying every once in a while.

Its ok to be me, whoever i am.  My Heavenly Father loves me, my family loves me.  Its ok for me to love me.

hi-de ho winslow...

Hey this is lauren. I got my girlfriends in on this blog so that we could stay in touch even if we are in different cities in the US.

A little about me.  I am 23, a full time BYU student, a mom to an 8 1/2 month old baby girl who we call noodle (yeah its a nickname), and a happy wife.  My hubby is the best in the entire world (as im typing he is proofreading a paper i had to write for my chronic disease class, YIKERS!)  My major is in Public Health: Environmental/ Occupational Health.  Which means that i learn Disaster relief and health in the workplace, exciting right... well its more interesting when you get into learning about diseases and how to prevent them and trying to help other people become more aware of hygiene and health practices.

 Anyway.  I know its so exciting to just hear me ramble on about my major but here is a little taste of me

me and my hubby

nessa-nu (also known as Vanessa) also my older sister

Heidi, my oldest sister

 (there were only girls in my family, but we are all married and have kids, yay for boys in the family too!)

my baby bo. otherwise known as noodle, doodle, or dood. (none of which are her real name. )

she only makes faces...

just like her mommy.

this is what bre and i do when we get together. yup thats me on the left.  dont ask me how i do that face i have no idea, but i do know its super creepy.

Thank you, Thank you.