I hate the Holidays

I can't be the only one, right? To me, it's just a giant pain in the butt. We have to go out and buy a tree, I have to decorate it, then I have to clean up the house for guests, and clean up after the tree, and then, when it's all over, I have to clean again. I hate cleaning, with a passion, so the Holidays just means I get to do something I hate for my entire winter break. I thought my winter break was supposed to be a relaxing time off from school. I'm always wrong! And you'd think that Anthony would be willing to help me, right? Wrong! He's always "too tired" after coming home from work. Don't you think I'm tired after running around after a toddler who's learning how to run, climb on the oven, desk, etc, as well as color on EVERYTHING with pens he finds who knows where, and cooking and cleaning? Plus, I am the only one who actually walks the dogs, while carrying the toddler on my back. Plus, he's bragged before about how all he does at work some days is watch netflix on his computer. Seriously? SERIOUSLY? And you want to tell me you're so exhausted when you come home that you can't even take out the garbage?!?! Not only do I have to clean but I have to go out and buy gifts for people with money that I don't actually have. I never know what to buy people! Of course, there are things that I know people would really like but they're always way out of my price range. Luckily, my sister and I agreed that we would just put a small cap on gifts for each other this year. We decided a ten dollar limit would be just fine for something small and cute. However, I went over the limit with her a little because I found something for $15 that is perfect for her. I can't even buy the gifts for Leo that I would like (a year long pass to the children's museum) so I think I'm going to end up selling some of my baby carriers to fund it. And to top off my Christmas Hell, we have to do Christmas at our apartment. Nevermind that my parents have a huge house with a full kitchen and a nice dining table that sits at least 8-10 people, and even more if you add all of the extenders to it. We have a pretty large apartment, but not large enough to comfortably fit 8 people plus Leo's highchair. Our table sat 5 people at Thanksgiving, and that was it. Leo couldn't even sit at the table, his chair was a little off to the side next to me. Oh, and since we're hosting, we're cooking...which means we have to buy all of the food. How is this fair?!?! I just cannot wait until January, when things will be back to normal and I can breathe and take a nap or something fun like that.

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This year has gone by so fast

Obviously, I haven't posted since Leo started walking, which was back in the summer. This semester has been living hell. My classes have been AWFUL and require a lot of work. I'm still working, and working doubles a lot of days. And I still have to be a mommy, first and foremost. I haven't had time for anything else (my house is a freaking mess!) Luckily, this week is finals week. I look forward to being able to spending more time with my baby boy (who is no longer a baby =(!). Hopefully I'll remember to post more often!! Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Walking!!!!

Leo is walking! It's been coming for the past month or so, so I've been preparing for it..but I didn't expect it to just happen practically overnight! He went from just cruising and holding on to Mommy and Daddy and walking to just walking around the house, holding his blocks like it's nothing. It's bittersweet. My little man is growing up and getting big! Yet, my sweet little baby boy is no longer a baby and is officially a toddler. Noooo!!

Harp Diapers Review & Giveaway!!!

As promised, I am finally posting another giveaway for diapers. This time, it's from someone I actually know and trust and have come to know as a friend. Not only that but the diaper is actually functional!

Deborah is the lovely mama behind Harp diapers, which is named after her adorable baby girl.  She's been  sewing her own diapers since she found out she was pregnant.  After she and I both had an extremely bad experience with another WAHM, she decided to open up her own online store to sell her cute, functional, and fully customizable diapers. Instead of pocketing the money she makes from her sales, all of the money goes into a savings account for her daughter.  Since she is a single mom with no support from the father, she plans for her daughter to have every opportunity available to her without any financial set-backs.  So when you order a diaper from her, know that you are helping to allow a beautiful baby girl to have money for college!

With her awesome prints, I was itching to buy a diaper from her for months but, luckily, I held out until she ordered my absolute favorite Snoopy print ever and I just could not resist any longer!  My first diaper was a hybrid fitted diaper, which has a fleece core making it virtually leak-proof for a couple of hours.  I was a little skeptical since I had never used a fitted before, I honestly thought they were pretty pointless since they aren't waterproof.  

She not only makes custom and pre-made diapers but also creates a ton of other things.  She is one creative person (I'm extremely jealous of her skills!).  She makes cloth wipes, blankets, hats and scarves, bibs, jewelry, mama cloth, and more.  Basically, if you name it, she can sew it.  I'm completely serious about ANYTHING you name, she can make.  Someone custom order diapers...for their dog.  

Look at these custom throw pillow covers!  Once I actually buy throw pillows, they will be a must-have for me!

And here are the doggie diapers!

I have this 100% wool sweater that was accidentally put in the dryer. It no longer fits me and would only fit a 12 year old so I'm contemplating asking her to turn them into longies or soakers for Leo.  Since I couldn't sew anything if my life depended on it, I'm glad I know someone who could do it and wouldn't charge an arm and a leg for it!

Finally, what you've all been waiting for, the giveaway prize!!  Deb is offering one person the chance to win the twin to this adorable Charlie Brown AI2 diaper!  There are only two of this exact diaper in existence.  I own one and you'll (hopefully) be the lucky one to own the other!!  

It is very hard to get a good action shot with a baby who likes to constantly be on the move!

The fit on her diapers is great!  There are four rise snaps and Leo is on the second to the top (on all of his other diapers, he is on the last row), which means he still has plenty of room to grow on the rise.  The elastic on the legs is super stretchy and gently so never leave red marks, which makes me happy since I know he's comfortable in the diaper.  And, since the diaper is lined in super soft minky fabric, I know his little butt is nice and dry (and it doesn't stain, yay!).  I'm pretty sure Leo thinks this particular insert is a stuffed animal; he enjoys hugging it and rubbing it on his cheek. Also, I love that she matches the top material of the insert with the inner material of the diaper; this means I can never mismatch inserts.  She also did this with my fitted diaper, which had an adorable and soft microsuede inner with stars and moons.  I need to order some extra inserts so I can actually use this as an AI2, or I can just line it with bamboo inserts.  However, this is his favorite diaper to poop in so I haven't been able to actually use it as an AI2 anyway!

See, no gaps and it leaves no red marks!!

In a very short time, these diapers have become my favorite diapers.  I'll be ordering more when I have more money and, hopefully, whenever I have another baby, I'll be able to order some cute newborn diapers from her.

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Having a hard time

I haven't posted in awhile. Things have been tough here in our little household. I think Anthony and I may be splitting for good. I love him, I really do, and he claims that he loves me but only sometimes. I found out he was cheating on me, again, only he doesn't consider it cheating. This is what he does: he opens a new email account, emails some girls on Craigslist (I don't really know if they live here or not), and then he chats with them acting like he's going to start a relationship with them. For example, one girl he was chatting with said, "I can't wait to start a family with you." to which he replied, "Me either, baby." He already has a family, with me and Leo. I don't understand why he does it. He says it's just boredom but he won't let me read the rest of the chats. I got into his email account and he changed his password right away. It just makes me think he's hiding something. He claims that if I don't believe him and don't trust him, there's no reason for us to be together. So, I'm heartbroken. Not only that, he just claims that he only loves me sometimes. He says some days he wants to be with me and, others, he doesn't want to be with me and dreads coming home. I get that I can be a nag and a downright bitch sometimes...but I thought the person you loved was supposed to go through that with you. I have no idea what to do. I am so depressed. He doesn't seem to understand why any of this hurts my feelings. He has no idea why I just can't trust him, despite everything he's done. He will not let me see those emails or chats, even though I've told him that's all I want from him. Everyone is telling me to just leave him but I don't even want to do that, even though I probably should. I never wanted to raise a child alone. I always wanted him to have a loving family and I feel like I'm a failure for not providing it to him. That's what hurts the most, that I have failed to give the absolute best possible thing for my son. I can't even afford to live on my own so I don't know what I'm going to do.

Happy Birthday Baby Boy!

This post is a day late. Yesterday (August 1st) was Leo's birthday. I just didn't have time or energy to write it. I can't believe my little man is already a year old. The time really flew by. I remember his first few days like they were just yesterday. It's amazing how much he has grown! I'd update with pictures but I'm just too lazy right now, maybe I'll come back and add pictures later. Anyway, Leo is walking now. Well, kinda. He's taken a few steps here and there and walked about 3 feet today before falling down. It's the cutest thing I have ever seen, and the scariest. I know how fast he can move crawling so I can't imagine how fast he'll be once he starts actually walking...I'm so exhausted as it is! His grandparents (Anthony parents) are coming in tomorrow morning at 5am and Leo's birthday party is Saturday. Wish me luck with all of that!!

Life is Exhausting!

When school ended, I was so excited because I thought that I would finally get to catch up on sleep, relax a little, and spend lots of time with Leo. I admit, I have gotten to spend a lot of time with Leo, but I cannot say that I've gotten to sleep or relax much. Instead of relaxing at home most days, Leo and I have been meeting up with other mommies and babies and trying to have fun! I figure we won't be able to have any play dates once school starts back up so I may as well take advantage of it now. On top of that, Leo has stopped taking multiple naps throughout the day. He's now transitioning to one, maybe two, decent naps throughout the day. The two-three hour nap in the afternoon is nice because I can actually clean in that time frame, but, at the same time, I can't get my own nap in. I've also been planning for Leo's first birthday. I thought it would be easy planning a first birthday but, no, it's so hard. Figuring out where to have it was the worst, we thought we'd have it at the Park District but it turns out you have to reserve those things months in advance. Who plans a party 6 months in advance?! Had I known planning things was going to be so difficult, I would have starting planning as soon as school let out. The worst part of it all is that I sent out invitations over a month in advance, and wrote down both my phone number and Anthony's phone number (we don't have a house phone) asking them to RSVP by the 14th. Most people didn't RSVP and the ones who did decided to call my parents, not me. It's annoying having to track people down and call them to make sure they are coming to a party. So, here's a tip for anybody reading, just call someone to RSVP, even if you don't plan on going!! I think I have everything pretty much settled now, I've bought all the party supplies, ordered the cake, and decided on the "menu"...now I just have to buy food, so I'm crossing my fingers that the stuff we need will be on sale next week. And I FINALLY uploaded all of the pics from one of my cameras. Looking through all those pictures, deciding which ones were worth keeping, is also exhausting. Since it took me so long to finally upload them, I now need to search through the ones I kept and sort them into folders since I want to divide them up by months. Unfortunately, I didn't think to do that when I uploaded them...it would have made this whole thing much simpler. Once I get some more recent pictures of Leo uploaded, I will post some on here. He's grown so much! On a happy note, Anthony got a new job! Yay! Hopefully he will actually like this job since he was miserable at his last one. Luckily, he has a set 9-5 schedule during the week. The only unfortunate thing is that he has to work on Saturdays for a little while, who knows how long. However, since we don't have an actual sitter and my mom lives too far to come up an extra day, I had to quit working on Saturdays. My salary on Saturdays isn't enough to justify paying a sitter. It's pretty depressing actually, to realize that a teenage babysitter probably makes more per hour than I do. Again, I'll attempt to write here more often...but that may be an empty promise. I always say I'm going to write after Leo goes to bed, but then I usually pass out on the couch. Plus, I've been trying to stay off the computer as much as possible to spend time with Anthony when he's home.

I've been MIA

I thought once school was over that I'd have more time to post. On the contrary, I have absolutely no free time. I'm either working or babysitting Leo; now that he's crawling and very close to walking, I have to keep a constant eye on him! Leo and I have been able to go on quite a few adventures; we've been to the zoo, strawberry picking, many parks, and the beach a few times. It's nice to be able to get outside and do things now that it's finally warm (extremely hot) here in Chicago. So what's happened in the past month and a half? Leo has two teeth! I think he's currently teething again because he's been running a fever for the past two days and we're going on night two of a sleepless night. He's starting to stand on his own for a few minutes at a time so I'm sure the first wobbly step isn't far away. He claps now whenever you say, "Yay Leo!" So maybe he hasn't had THAT many achievements but I'm still very proud of him and everything he's done. I'll try and write more here, especially since I think I'll be doing a cloth diaper giveaway...if I can find a sponsor. I'm crossing my fingers! On another note, I despise the new blogger setup. And, I think it's time to change my layout, I'm a little bored with the one I have.

Yeah...We've Changed.

I don't know if it's just Americans or if all people like to think that they've bettered themselves based on past experiences.  I don't mean personal experiences, I mean people as a whole.  I remember being young and learning about the Nazis and concentration camps, I didn't think Americans would ever do anything like that.  In fact, I believe most Americans think that Americans have always been rational people who would never treat people the way Hitler did.  I think most people forget that America, too, had internment camps for Japanese-Americans.  They must forget (or possibly not even know) about the Trail of Tears.  America has had it's share of awful things it's done to people.

Now, people have come a long way; slavery no longer exists, religious persecution is null and void (at least in America), gay marriage is allowed in some states, but I wouldn't say that humans have changed all that much.  Most views are still the same.

What made me think of this was the release of The Hunger Games.  Now I've never read the book so I cannot take a stand either way on this, I am completely neutral.  Supposedly, there are a lot of people who are more or less pissed at the fact that they cast two black actors as characters in the movie...actors which some people said were portrayed as white in the book.  Honestly, who cares?  It's just a movie..it's just a book..why does it matter what color their skin is if they play the character well? It really bothers me that people are out there on Facebook and Twitter calling the girl a n*****.  Really?  It comes down to this?

Despite the fact that slavery has been abolished and the Civil Rights movement was successful, racism is still rampant.  I cannot lie when I say that whenever I hear about a murder in Chicago, I tend to think of a black man.  I know, it's awful, I'm not racist in the least bit but it's just what tends to come to mind thanks to media, movies, tv shows, etc.  Isn't it time that we start to change these attitudes?  I really don't want my son growing up thinking that Blacks are all criminals; that Asians are math whizzes; or that Hispanics breed like rabbits.  It is my main goal to make sure that not only does he grow up healthy and physically strong but to also be humble and accepting.

Friendly Debates with the Danielles: Kids in the delivery room

                                                          
I never really ever write about anything in particular..usually just whatever pops up in my mind.  I recently came across a post from another blogger about Friendly Debates with the Danielles.  If you read my blog, you should know by know that I'm a super opinionated person so it'll be fun to post my opinion and read other's opinions on certain topics.

Kids in the delivery room?  Yes or no?


Since I've never had kids before, this is a topic I've never really thought of.  When I was younger, I used to think it was disgusting.  Then again, I thought birth in general was disgusting.  However, know that I have a child, I'm all for it depending on the age of the child.  I think it is a great learning experience for young children and I really think that young children would be both proud and excited to be in the delivery room to welcome their younger brother or sister.  However, I really do not believe that a 15 year old boy would want to be in the delivery room with his mother.  For one, I've been 15, they believe birth is gross.  Two, no teenager wants to see his or her mother's genitals.

Even though I am all for it, I don't think I would ever want Leo in the room with me for the actual birth.  I would be fine having him around in the delivery room up until the point where I'm pushing.  When I had Leo, it was an intimate moment for Anthony and I.  Granted we had to have our midwife in the room almost the entire time, it was nice for it to just be Anthony and I and have it be a calm, relaxing experience...at least, in the beginning.  My labor was tough so it ended up not being a calming experience after all.

I will say that it would be completely different if there were complications with the birth.  Obviously, kids may get in the way and it may not be the best thing to have them around for that!

Are you for or against kids in the delivery room?  Have you had children present for your own childbirth?


Possible topics: organic food for babies, Is sterilizing baby items really necessary? The development of allergies depends on how the child is raised.

Baby #2

I don't get why it's natural for people to constantly ask, "so when are you having baby #2?"  Every time I meet someone they ask if I'm breastfeeding, if he's sleeping through the night, and then when we're trying for another.  It's annoying, especially from my family, they know we don't have the time or money for a second kid right now.

Anthony and I have discussed it many times.  At first, we decided we'd wait around 5 years before trying for number two.  We figured I'd be done with college by then and I'd have a pretty stable job, we'd possibly own our own home.  That would be the ideal situation.  After a few months went by, and some arguments made by family and friends, we decided maybe we'd wait three years before trying for baby #2 (by trying, I mean stopping to not-try..I will never actually try for a baby).  

Today, out of nowhere, Anthony comes up to me and says, "You know, I can see why people want to have another baby."  He said he had a dream that we were getting an ultrasound done and that we were having a baby girl.  He didn't really come out and say it but I think he wants to have another baby soon.  Maybe too soon for me!  I definitely want another baby, I have dreams of it too but I definitely don't want two right now. Maybe after Leo is at least a year old...

True Love

There is a girl I work with who's life is pretty similar to mine.  She's just a little older than me; she just recently turned 24 and I'll be 23 this summer.  She cloth diapers.  Her baby is only two months younger than Leo.  And her and her boyfriend are not married, like Anthony and I.  So we have a lot in common...we like working together because it's so nice to talk to someone who is in the same situation you're in.

Anyway, we were working together early Sunday morning.  In the midst of our opening duties she turns and asks me, "So do you love Anthony?"  Of course, my instantaneous reaction was, "Yes, of course."  I do love Anthony, more than anything.  She paused and looked at me and said, "No, I mean, like the same as before you had a kid?"

It got me thinking.  As I said, I do love Anthony, more than anything.  We have our beautiful baby and we're happy together (for the most part..what couple doesn't have fights?)..but it is different now after having a child.  I love him but the fairytale of the relationship isn't there anymore.  We're planning on getting married but I don't get to dream about a surprise proposal or a dream wedding.

I wouldn't trade my life for anything, I'm happy.  But it is different now.

Does anyone else feel the same way or understand where I'm coming from?

The Ex

When I was 19, I stupidly dated this guy who was 25 and in the Navy.  He seemed like a good guy, had his own place (which any guy who is 25 should), had his own car, had a job, etc.  He seemed like he was on track.  I probably shouldn't have been dating a guy who was 6 years my senior but I wanted someone mature and it didn't seem like any guys my age were mature (they weren't).

Since he was in the Navy, he lived near the Navy base here in Waukegan.  I live in Chicago...so it was over an hours drive to get to his place.  This was obviously before I had a baby, or even had three dogs, so I used to pack up my one dog, Cheeks, and I'd spend the weekend at his place.  We dated for about 7-8 months and adopted a dog together (my pit, Doc...actually named by said ex!).  I realize now that we were moving way too fast but this is all in hindsight.  Anyway, since I was only allowed to have one dog at my apartment, Doc stayed with him.  Since I stayed at his place so often, I had a ton of clothes there, shampoo, and even my Wii.  He also started to hint that he wanted me to move in and wanted to have a baby.  I did NOT want a baby, I was only 19, still a student...still wanting to live my life, so I said no.

After the 7-8 months we had been dating, things started to change.  He would make excuses for me not to come out for the weekend, ignore my calls, forget to call me back, etc.  He said some girl from work was staying with him while she got back on her feet but I had never had a chance to meet this girl so I was suspicious.  After about a month of this crap, I finally decided to make a trip up to his apartment to just take back my dog and all my stuff since we were obviously breaking up.  He had given me a set of keys to his place about 2 months prior to this.  When I got there, he wasn't home because he was out of town (visiting his other girlfriends family!).  To make a long story short, I found out he was cheating on me and got really angry and texted him.  He called the cops and had me arrested for breaking and entering, claiming that I had stolen the keys to his apartment and let myself in even though we had been broken up for months.

I was released that night as no formal charges were taken.  He called me two weeks later begging for me to go back with him, of course,  I said no but he would continue to text me periodically and call every now and then to see how I was doing.  Come to find out that his other girlfriend is pregnant.  Looking back, there is no way she got pregnant after this guy and I officially stopped dating.  The whole "arrest" happened in February, she had to have gotten pregnant in December.  We never talked after that!

Fast forward about 6 months, I got a ticket for an improper turn on red. I went to the courthouse to pay my ticket and I'm arrested, fingerprints taken, photos taken, and my bond is set to $500 bucks!  The arresting officer only said that the warrant was from Waukegan but couldn't tell me what the arrest was for.  Luckily my parents were with me and posted bail and I headed to a court date in Waukegan thinking it was for a ticket I had gotten over a year prior.

At my trial, I am called up to the bench (all prepared to show my evidence that my ticket was paid, etc) and the Judge says, "You're being charged with breaking and entering and destruction of private property."  WTF?!?!  This was from that same ex who had called the cops on me with his BS story.  After 7 court dates later, I got it taken off my record but I still had to pay a $200 restitution fee and, of course, had to pay my attorney for all 7 of those dates.  I believe it cost me a total of two grand (Yes, TWO GRAND for that idiot) to get it all cleared up!

Obviously, I moved on with my life.  I haven't talked to him since the day I found out his other girlfriend was pregnant (which was long before I got "arrested" at the courthouse).  I've forgotten about him, aside from the fact that I hate his guts and I may just have to punch him in the face if I ever see him.  But what do I see when I check my email this morning?  He's following me on Twitter!!

A Giveaway Tip

In the history of my little blog here, I've only done two giveaways.  By now, I was hoping to have done more but I'm not really sure of how to get my foot in the door (If you have tips, please share!!! =) )  Despite that, I have entered in a TON of giveaways and I've been lucky enough to win quite a few items.  Usually, once I send my address in, I get my items within the week.  I even got Fuzzibunz diapers the next day..I don't know how that was possible!!

However, there are still some items that I won and never received.  For example, there are two items in particular, a bottle and a dog leash, that I've been waiting for for over three months!!  I emailed both blog owners a couple of times in the time period and both said they'd fix it but, still, no items.  It doesn't really bother me that much since I don't really need the items so much anymore.  The bottle was a 4 ounce bottle and Leo pretty much eats nothing less than 6 ounces at a time and the dog leash seemed like it may have been too small/weak for using on my beastly animals...but I could have given them both as gifts to friends. What really bothers me about it is that the retailer/company agreed to do a giveaway and the item should be sent out.  If you don't want to giveaway an item, then why agree to do a giveaway in the first place?  I'm not really sure whether or not the blog is to blame (I don't think it is but who knows) or if it's the company's fault!

Another issue is that the item should be as described.  If I enter a giveaway for one brand of diaper, I don't want to receive a different brand.  If it's a custom item, I should be able to actually customize it.  I've personally had experience with a giveaway where the item was not made to order and then the retailer claimed that the winner should pay return shipping since "she received the item for free anyway."  I don't view that as proper business practices and I don't think it sheds good light on you as a person.

Right vs. Wrong Ways of Parenting

I recently went to a local store here in Chicago.  I won't mention the store because it's not really that big of an issue as to what store it was.  Anyway, this store sells baby carriers, cloth diapers, nursing wear, etc; it's the ultimate store for a mama who would generally consider herself a "green, natural parenting" type of mama, i.e. me, for the most part.  I was talking to one of the sales clerks and she mentioned something about co-sleeping, when I mentioned that I do not co-sleep, she gave me this, "Oh....well...".  You know, with that annoying tone that says the person is judging you.  I. Hate. That. Tone.  It is for people who think they're better than everyone else but they're really not. 

In almost every way, I am a natural parenting mom.  I babywear, I use cloth diapers, I am all for natural remedies and I do what I can when it comes to natural fibers and natural toys, etc.  I just don't co-sleep.  If I were to do it, neither Leo nor I would get any sleep what-so-ever.  He refuses to fall asleep next to us and if I even try to get into bed after he's fallen asleep, he wakes up and cries.  It's ridiculous.  He likes his crib, he falls asleep almost instantaneously, everyone gets sleep...everyone is happy!

I don't get why there is this necessity to put a label on what kind of parent you are.  I also don't get why people have to call out others saying there is some sort of wrong way to parent.  I won't go out of the way and say that there is no wrong way to parent because there are plenty of wrong ways to parent but I wouldn't say that there is only one right way.  Just because I don't co-sleep and let my kid cry a little does not mean that I am, in any way, a bad parent.  I am an awesome mom and I know it.  I know Leo knows he is loved and I know he loves me back, isn't that all that matters? 

I'm back!

I haven't written in so long.  I've been so busy with school and work that I just haven't had time.  Then a family member passed away and spring break came along.  Now I finally have a (semi) clean house and the weather is starting to warm up!

Obviously, I never finished my photo-a-day challenges.  Maybe I'll try again sometime...this summer..when I have time!

More posts to come when I actually have something to write about.

Time to lose the baby weight

I've finally started to work on losing my baby weight.  I know, Leo is already 6 months old so it's a little late to be starting but, better than never, right?  Anthony and I both decided we're tired of being fat!  I mean, neither of us are obese, I guess, but I could definitely stand to lose a few (more than a few) pounds!  Plus, it's time for me to buy new jeans.  If I buy them now, I have to buy the next size up...if I lose just a couple of pounds, I'll be find in my pre-baby weight jeans.  I'd love to lose more but who knows if that will really happen.  I am addicted to all things sweet and chocolately AND I work at Panera so you can only imagine how hard it is to resist.

It's Day Two of our workout regime but I feel awesome.  I forgot how good it feels to run for half an hour and feel totally energized.  Here's to hoping we can keep this up!!

The In-Laws Are Here!

Leo's Baptism is this weekend.  Yay!  Okay, to be honest, we're really doing the whole Baptism thing to please the grandparents.  Neither Anthony nor I are very religious.  While I do plan on teaching Leo that God exists, I'm not going to be the type of parent who forces my child to believe in something he may not necessarily actually believe in.  My mother forced us to go to church and I think it only hindered my beliefs.

Anyway, Anthony's mother, her fiance, and two of his cousins are all staying over in our small, two bedroom apartment.  It's hectic!  I don't like it.  Not because I mind people staying with us but it's just the fact that they are loud and obnoxious at times.  If we had a huge house, it wouldn't be so bad.  But, right now, Leo has to sleep in our room which means that I can't even pee in my own bathroom..I have to use our guest bathroom.

At the same time, I feel bad for my Mother-in-Law, who desperately wants Leo to like her but he's in this separation anxiety stage where he literally only wants to be held by me.  The second I hand him off to anyone else (except Daddy for short periods of time), he screams.

Luckily, they are only here for a few days and then things will (kinda) be back to normal!

I've been lagging

Well I've been SUPER lazy with my photo-a-day challenges!!
I haven't taken ANY pictures lately.  I've decided that I'll just post a super long picture post tomorrow for all of the pictures from the past week!!! I took a couple of pictures today but I always pull out the camera when it's dark outside.  I'm supposed to take a picture of the sky...for day 5 or something!...but I can't take a picture of a dark, yucky sky!!

I don't know who's idea it was..

To put an air conditioner vent directly underneath this computer desk.  I'm sitting here in the IC (kind of a huge computer/work study lab at school), in a private study room..pumping.  Since I don't think many 18-20 year old college students would be okay with seeing this, I sit all alone in a room with my back to the windows so nobody can see me and I do homework on the computer station in the room.  Most of the time, it's fine.  However, in this room, it sucks.  There is an air conditioner vent directly underneath  me and I am FREEZING.  First off, who's idea was it to put the AC on in February, in Chicago, when our school is literally ON the lake?  It's never hot by the school since we always have a "breeze" (Breeze is an understatement, my car door was almost blown off one day!).  It is cold...also an understatement.  And second, who would put a computer directly over a vent? In case you did have the heat on, it would just cause the computer itself to overheat! 

If you're wondering why our school puts vents on the ground, it's this whole concept that they only heat and/or cool the floors to a height of about 6 ft.  Since nobody is walking around in the space at the top of the ceiling, it's pointless to care if it's hot or cool..so pointless to heat or cool it and waste energy.  Overall, the building is pretty cool because of that, along with the fact that the blinds are light activated so that they close when the sun would be in your eyes...and the walls are all windows.


Anyway, I realize that I'm a little behind on my Photo-a-Day challenges!  I haven't had time recently, plus it was our anniversary last night so we opted for a movie.  We were going to go out for dinner but my mom missed the memo that it was our anniversary and decided to make dinner for us.  It was a nice gesture I guess but, still, everyone wants to have a special anniversary!!  I'll try and post something tonight after I get off work, we'll see how I feel in terms of exhaustion!

I've got a bad case of the Mondays!

Normally, I treat Mondays like any other day.  I mean, I work ALL weekend, all the time, so Monday is never a snap back into reality.  Actually, I was talking to a girl at work the other day and I realized that I never, ever get a day off.  I may not work one day but I go to school, which despite what many people say, is still work.  If I don't have school, I have to go to my job.  And after I'm done with either, I have a baby...which everyone should know is also a job in and of itself.  Let's just say...when school ends this semester, I will be taking some much needed personal days with friends!!! 

Anyway, today is an exception to my normal rule.  This Monday is awful.  Despite the fact that I went to bed at 11 pm last night (which is super early in my book), I am exhausted!!!  I had a reading quiz due in Calc which I couldn't do at home because the browser wouldn't work and didn't make it to school early enough to do it!  Luckily, the professor said he knew that most browsers couldn't open it so to talk to him after class to get the points...I was so tired that I forgot to talk to him and I just walked out.  Of course I didn't realize this until I'm all the way across campus in the library.  I could smack myself!

So now I'm chugging my coffee trying to wake myself up for my next class!

Show Me Your Love Photo a Day Challenge: Day 5

Day 5:

Website you love

People of Walmart.

If you enjoy laughing, you should visit the site.  It almost makes me want to hang out at Walmart 24/7 just to submit a picture.  However, every time I walk into a Walmart...I soon realize why I never go into Walmarts.  Walmarts here are disgusting, disease ridden places where you go if you want to catch syphilis.  Maybe in other parts of the country, they're cleaner...or maybe they're the only large stores within driving distance..I don't know!

Photo-a-Day Challenge: Day 5

Day 5:

Your handwriting

Straight from my Organic Chemistry notes.  Aren't you impressed with my drawings?  Haha.

Photo-a-Day Challenge #2: Day 4

Day 4:

Your feet

I really am not a fan of my feet.  I have awkwardly long toes, aside from my little pinky toe.
I know this picture is a day late.  That's okay!!

If you want to join in on the picture fun, head over to Freshly Simple and see what the next day is!  If you're already participating, leave me a link to your post!

Photo-a-Day Chellnege #1: Day 4

Day 4:

Furniture you love

I'm skipping this one today.  There is absolutely no furniture in our house that I can say that I love.  I bought most of this furniture before Anthony and I met.  Since I was a college student working a measly part-time job and paying for everything on my own, I bought almost everything at Ikea or used off of Craigslist.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not unhappy that I bought any of this stuff off of Craigslist...but I just don't love my furniture.  I can say that I absolutely HATE my couches.  They were crappy when I got them used, most of the cushions (especially on the arm rests) were worn down.  Then...our dog decided that he was going to eat the couch cushions on one of the seats.  Then he ate another one...and, again, another one.  Let's just say they are not comfortable because you literally fall into a hole when you sit on them.  Since we never have company (this is partly the reason!), it's not a huge deal.  New couches are on the "important" list of things to buy.

Picture Mood Photo-a Day challenge Day 1, 2 and 3

I knew I was planning to do one of these Photo-a-Day challenges this month.  I started late but found two that I wanted to do.  Not being able to choose which one (I have a little trouble when it comes to choosing things), I just decided I would do both.  So here is my second Photo-a-Day challenge

Day 1:

Celebrity you love

Rachel McAdams.

Not only is she gorgeous but I think she's a pretty great actress too.  That and I LOVE her hair. I have tried (and failed) many times to get my hair to look like that.  I've given up!

Day 2:  First love

Leo.

I thought long and hard about this one. I thought about posting a picture of me and my first "boyfriend" in first grade.  I used to chase him and kiss him.  For my 6th birthday, he got me a sunflower dress which I wore until I was about 12.  Then I thought I'd put Anthony since we're obviously together and made such a beautiful baby.  But Leo is my true love and definitely the most important man in my life now.

Day 3:

Person You Love to Hate

Rush Limbaugh.

Really, who does love this guy (aside from my super Republican father)?  

Plus he's a smoker.   Hate is a strong word so I cannot say that I "hate" him...but I do strongly dislike him!

If you want to play along, check out the list at Unexplained x2.  If you're doing your own photo challenge, leave me a link so I can check it out!

Daily Photo Challenge: Days 1, 2, and 3

I may be a little late...but not too late!!

Day 1:

Self portrait

Mind you, this was just after a bunch of classes...and I have yet to shower.  Isn't Leo getting big?!

Day 2: View from my window.

Now, this is not the view from my bedroom.  The view from my bedroom is actually much uglier than this.  This is the view from Leo's room.  Not the prettiest but it does bring in decent light.  Our front window may be the "nicest" view but you don't see much green anyway since it's winter time.  This is what living in Chicago is I guess...I'm jealous of those of you who have open space!!

Day 3:

Where you've slept

No, I do not make my bed.  Ever.  Despite the fact that it makes the room much tidier (I will admit to that!), I believe that it is a giant waste of time and I could be spending that time eating breakfast...or sleeping later.

And yes, the dog is always there in the bed.  They sleep with us.

"30 days of pictures"

I love taking pictures and I've always been wanting to do one of those "1 picture a day" things. I told myself I'd do it in January...then my point and shoot camera broke. I have my D-SLR to take pictures with but it is very difficult holding one of those cameras with a single hand while trying to focus it and whatnot. It does not automatically zoom in and out and only focuses so much. It's annoying.

Despite this, I told myself that I was going to do it this month. Now it's already the end of the 2nd here in Chicago and I still haven't done it once. I may be putting it off until next month!!

Maybe tomorrow I will just post three pictures and stick to my word.

On an even sadder note, I got a parking ticket already this year!!! For what, you ask? My stupid license plate renewal sticker expired in January. I assumed that the plate sticker expired January 31st and then you were supposed to get a few days grace. I guess not. Stupid police trolling the streets just trying to pass out tickets to make their quotas. If my brother becomes a cop, I'm gonna have to use him.

Baltic Amber Teething Necklace GIVEAWAY! Ends 2/23

Finally, here it is!  The giveaway for a Baltic Amber Teething necklace.
The necklace is made by Hazelaid. The winner will have the choice to choose either the Lemon-drop necklace or the Multi-colored stone necklace. Both are raw amber, 13" baby amber teething necklaces.

Here is the "Lemondrop"

And here is the "Multicolored"

The giveaway ends Thursday, February 23rd at midnight EST!

Also, this necklace was sponsored by me, not Hazelaid so please do not contact them in regards to this giveaway.

Good luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Musings of my Mind

While I haven't been writing much on here lately, there has been a lot that has been on my mind.  I just haven't had time to get on here and actually write a post.  Now that I'm sitting here in a study room in my school's library, pumping, I have nothing better to do than sit on the computer.  I could either play facebook games or write a post!

Since I enter in a lot of giveaways, I end up signing up for a lot of email alerts from other bloggers.  I get around 200 emails a day; I know, it's nuts.  (Which is also another reason why I don't post more than a few days a week..I really don't want you guys to feel overwhelmed by these posts!)  Anyway, every now and then I will open these emails and I will see a post that I think is very interesting and I will read it.  The first half of the post is about something personal to the blogger....I think, "Great!  This blogger actually remembers what blogging is really about and is going to post a personal blog."  Then I get down to the last paragraph and they mention something about some company and how it completely changed their life around.  Obviously, they wrote this post because they were paid to do so.

For example, I was reading a very popular blog who wrote a post about how she was divorced and had major money problems and was forced to live in her parent's basement at her age of 30-40, whatever it was.  I thought it was a great personal post about how she wanted to share her mishaps with the world....then the last paragraph was like a bomb hitting.  There was no real resolution to her problem, she didn't mention what she learned from her past...she just said something about this product and that was it.  Really?  That's your great story?  It would be like me saying, "My freshman year of college I failed one of my classes because I worked until 3 am the night before the final and ended up sleeping through my final...after almost getting kicked out of college because of a low GPA, I realized I had to work harder.  This book, "Title here", helped me figure out that I was being an idiot."  If I were to read that post as a reader, I'd be pissed.  I want to know how you're doing now...what did you do to get yourself out of the rut?  How did your struggle teach you to do  better?

Am I the only one who is annoyed by the fact that all bloggers these days are just writing blogs for the sole purpose of getting paid?  I mean, yeah I would love to get paid for writing a blog but that doesn't mean that those would be the only things I posted.  Maybe it's just me...but I really hope not.

Anyway, on a happier note, thanks to Nagisa's suggestion, I will post the giveaway to the Baltic Amber teething necklace sometime this week..when time permits (hopefully Tuesdays sometime!)

Busy as a Bee

I haven't posted in forever!  I feel like I've been neglecting my blog.
Never again will I register late for school!  There has been a hold on my account since last semester because my father still does my taxes for me.   I know it's sad but since they still list me as an independent so that I get good health benefits and help from the government it's better than way.  Anyway, my dad listed that I made $46,000 dollars on my FAFSA.  I work at Panera, I make close to minimum wage.  I made a total of around $7,000 last year!  So, unfortunately, I did not get all of the financial aid I was anticipating.  Thankfully, I have an extremely generous Grandfather who thinks that a college education is extremely important and he helped me out!
Anyway, I didn't think missing a single week of school would be detrimental.  It was the first week, I figured it'd just be a bunch of introductory stuff and syllabuses being handled out.  I was WRONG.  I have been so busy this past week just catching up on random crap.  I've had to read over 160 pages in a single book (in a single night), read 5 chapters in my calculus book and take the corresponding homework quizzes, study for a quiz that was already given in the first week, take another quiz in the same class for week 2, write a paper, and read all of this drama.  Now this may not sound like much but it is time consuming when you have to be in school all day, take care of a baby, work, and then do homework!  Also, I have never taken drama in my life.  It is a lot harder to understand than regular literature.  It's really not my cup of tea but I figured I'd give it a try.

So now I'm going to try and blog a little more.  By a little more, I mean once or twice a week.  I know I'll be doing a giveaway soon!  I have another baltic amber teething necklace to give away but I figured it'd be better to wait instead of having two teething necklace givaways in a row!  The next giveaway should be for wool dryer balls.  Let me know which one you guys want first!

And this puts the cherry on top of my already awesome New Year!

Our car is, for lack of a better word, broken.  I mean, it drives, sure.  But is it safe to drive? Probably not.  Every time you press on the brakes, there is an eye piercing screech.  On top of that, it also grinds so loudly that you clench your jaws and close your eyes just praying that you'll brake soon enough to stop before you hit the car in front of you.  Yeah, it's that bad.

I don't drive, ever.  I don't even have my license right now (that's a long, sad story of how I get caught for every stupid thing).  So it's all on Anthony to notice when things on the car are not so hot.  I blame this on him and his idea that yellow means "Stop" and insists on slamming on the brakes as soon as the light turns yellow.

So now we have to pay to get this fixed and I'm really worried that it's going to be something more than just the brakes.  It certainly sounds serious.  On top of that, we have TWO months rent to pay right now.  TWO.  All because my lovely husband can never seem to get the money that's needed into my checking account.  Why don't we have a joint account, you ask?  Well..that's a good though..again, direct your questions to him.

I really hope someone has a significant other in their lives who is a daft as mine is.  He gives me a perpetual headache.

Great Start to a New Year....yeah right.

Lately, the hubby has been complaining about the amount of time I've been spending on the computer.  So I've been trying really hard to not get on as much when he's home.  Which means I hardly ever post because I don't have time to get on the computer when I'm home alone with the baby either!  So I'm going to work on posting more often while the baby is sleeping! (He's napping now!)

This New Year's Eve, we decided to just stay at home and spend time with each other.  We were, of course, each other's New Years kiss at midnight and gave Leo a kiss later when he woke up to eat. Overall, it was a good night--nothing special but who says that spending time with the people you love the most isn't?

But then I woke up at 5 AM for work only to find myself running to the bathroom to put my face in the toilet.  Wonderful way to wake up to the New Year!!  Anyway, I wish I had been able to call into work but I don't have that luxury at my job.  I had to go in to open the store but luckily got off only a few hours later and was able to go home and sleep.  What really made me mad was that people kept assuming that I was either hungover or pregnant.  Of which I was (or am) neither...at least I hope not!

Now that I am better after having a loving mother and sister come to take care of me and the baby for the time while Anthony was at work and then Anthony taking over when he came home, I plan to start this new year right.  I will have another giveaway soon, I hope.  Since I have to sort of fund my own until I get more followers, what types of items would people like to see?