The Real Housewives of New Jersey Reunion- My take

 My love for reality television has always been very obvious through my blog posts.  It really grew to new heights when I discovered Bravo, and all of the reality TV goodness that it offered.  (I discuss the love here.)  Being such a big fan to Bravo, I, of course, have grown to love my housewives; the Real Housewives that is.  I am not a big fan of Atlanta (shocker, I know), but cannot get enough of New York, and currently, New Jersey.  Last night was Jersey's big reunion show, and since my bedtime is 10 pm these days, the DVR was set up and ready for all of the name-calling, hair-yanking, and screaming that was sure to ensue............and ensue it did. 

Let me just say, I am not a fan of Danielle by any means. She acts like a victim, but is constantly threatening everyone else through her "thug" friend Danny, and I find the fact that she literally uses the plural form of woman as "woman," horrible; these are just a couple of annoyances to top off the list.  However, after watching the first part of this reunion show this morning, I honestly feel a little bad for her.  Within the first five minutes of the show she was verbally attacked by Teresa, and at this point we were only 3 minutes in.  Granted, Danielle acts terrible and does awful things, but what happened to showing a little class and respect for other people?  (Teresa, I'm looking at you. "Just stay on the couch!")  Jacqueline, on the other hand, attacked Danielle throughout the show by throwing out little jabs here and there.  Is it just me folks, or do you feel that the only reason Jacqueline even says anything against Danielle is to show-off in front of Teresa?  I like Jacqueline, but what happened to standing your own ground?  You were the one housewife that had a friendship with Danielle at one point, why continue to kick a woman while she's down?  I have been a big supporter of Teresa throughout this season, but after watching last night's episode my fondness of her has dwindled, just a little.  There was no class whatsoever; we all know Danielle is a crazy loon, but getting in her face, screaming profanities, chasing, and throwing pillows, all because Danielle threw a little jab your way.  Grow up.  What happened to the art of saying your peace, and ignoring what someone else has to say?  The only person that showed any class during the reunion show was Caroline.  The rest of them need to take notes.

With all of this being said, I cannot wait until next week!

What was your take?

The weekend review

Adam and I returned home from our weekend trip to Dahlonega tired and hungover, but happy to have had such a great time.  The bride, Jessica, was absolutely stunning in her vintage wedding gown, and the groom, Christian, was the picture of a happy man.  Here's some pics:

Mr. and Mrs. Webster

Love this......

Cute idea!

We had a fantastic time.  The wine was flowing, the food was scrumptious,  and "Imma Be" was definitely played at least two times.  Doesn't get much better than that! ;)

Congrats Jessica and Christian!  

I'm still hungover..........

Weekend Wedding Shout-out!

Happy Friday, everyone!  I am packing for a weekend getaway for Adam's sister's wedding.  She's getting married at the Montaluce Winery in Dahlonega, and I know it's going to be a blast!  Congratulations and best wishes, Jessica and Christian!

 Kidding, but not really.......... ;)

 Pictures to be posted next week........

New Threads

I ordered some new loot from Express last Friday, and it came in today.  Whoop whoop!   (As a side note, I know there's an Express down the road from our house, but I had a free shipping coupon, it was rainy outside, and I was having a good hair day.)  The shipment arrived today, and I could not be more excited about new fall clothing!  Here's what I purchased:

A basic, black tee that I can dress up or dress down.  Love it.

They're called Eva's Barely Boot's and they fit perfectly.  Love that the jeans will look great with both pumps and flats.

I needed a cardigan so badly, and I love the flattering fit, and long flaps on the side.  So chic, yet comfy.

In.love.with.this.trench.  I think I'm going to find a way to wear this every day.  I needed a new jacket so badly, and this one most definitely fit the bill.

I did purchase some jean leggings, but I will be exchanging them tomorrow.  This is my second "try" at jean leggings; they are obviously not made for curvy girls, unless I want to go up at least 3 sizes which does not sound appealing in the least.

Ready for fall!  Summer, get the memo.

It's here!!

I opened my mailbox this afternoon, and guess what I found??!

My Aaron necklace!!!  You can read about it here.  I absolutely love it.  Here's another picture:

Basically, that was the best picture I could get.  My camera is not that great, and if I got too close or zoomed in, the picture became super blurry.

Do you love it??  I do!  Thank you juliethefish designs!!

I'm feeling crafty

Lately, I've been feeling that I need to be spending my free time more efficiently.  When Aaron naps during the day, I mostly use that free time to catch up on email, read a book, figure out what's for dinner, clean, laundry, etc.  I don't know if this is the mom in me coming out, but I really want to sew something.  I'm also aching to paint a canvas.  I want to make an outfit for Aaron so badly that I cannot stand it.  I suppose this is the frugal side of myself rearing it's head, and I'm kinda' digging it.  I see all of these fabulous blogs with great home design ideas, and fun projects that are done inside their homes, and I feel a whoosh of excitement run through me.  Can I do this?  I don't know, but I feel that LL just might have some hidden creativity. 
In the meatime, I'm going to check one of these books out to get this crafty train going.  Here are some options:

I love a good " (Blank) for Dummies" book














Might want to look into this book as well......














Can't forget this!













Excited for new ventures!

Some things never change.......

Happy Monday, friends!  Hope everyone had a superb weekend.  Mine was great, just busy.  After spending 3 hours studying for the frickin' GACE exam Friday night, I went to bed at 11:30 pm feeling pretty confident about acing this test.  Saturday, I was a hot mess.  I'm not going to bore you will all of the details; basically, I arrived at the test site at 1:00 pm on the dot (the test started at 1:00 pm on the dot).  Trying to print my ticket, turned into a printer malfunction, which led me to FedEx Express at the last minute to use their computer to print out my ticket, which led me to be the random straggler walking into the classroom while everyone was already settled in.  Oh well, at least when I was having to do the whole "excuse me, sorry, oops, didn't mean to knock over your purse" song and dance while managing to walk my ass down those skinny aisles of school desks, I had on my Miss Dior Cherie fragrance.  As my late great-grandmother said, "It's always best to smell your best, Lauren Hayley."  Hope they got a good wiff! Anyhow, I think I did pretty well on the exam.  I guess we'll see in a month!

Yesterday, me and my monkey man went to a bridal shower for my best friend's sister.  She's getting married in Mexico in less than a month (jealous!).  After getting back to my parents house, (Aaron and I are visiting for the weekend) I realized that I was almost out of diapers and wipes.  I jumped back in the car and drove to the nearest supermarket to pick up the toiletries.  As I was walking down the diaper aisle I spotted a girl that I went to high school and college with.  She was on that same aisle with her hubby and precious son, looking for diapers as well.  This girl has never liked me.  She didn't like me in high school, didn't like me during the college years, and obviously, still doesn't like me.  I say this because as I was walking past her I made eye contact and smiled at her, and she looked directly at me, didn't smile back, and turned her face.  WTF??!  This girl still hates me and it's been over 8 years!  Granted, she shows up on my Facebook page as "People you should know" and I never send her a friend request because in the past she hated me.  I guess some things never change.  But seriously, we are grown women now; we are married with children (both boys, nonetheless) and she still cannot get over a grudge she's held for me since 2001??  Grow the eff' up! 

In other news, I have something I want to share with you soon that I'm really excited about.  (No, I'm not pregnant.)  It's not set in stone yet, but when it is I'll be sure to let you know.

Have a great Monday, peeps!

What am I thinking??

I'm taking the GACE Early Childhood Content Assessment tomorrow.  I am so not prepared.  Why am I such a procrastinator??  I swear I am ADD.  I cannot concentrate on one thing for longer than thirty minutes unless it's a Glee episode or an Emily Giffen book.  For example, at this moment I should be studying; Aaron's finally taking a nap, and I have at least 2 hours of good study time ahead of me.  Instead I'm whining about the fact that I'm lazy when it comes to reading about what civilizations Pizarro and Cortes conquered.  Mothereff...........

I'm still waiting on my Aaron birthstone necklace from juliethefish designs.  I'm getting a little impatient.  She sent me a follow-up email stating that the estimated ship date was yesterday, the 19th.  I scooted on over to the UPS website today with my tracking ID number to see if it was en route, and came across nothing.  No status update whatsoever.  Uhhhhhh.......I hate waiting!

On an excited note, I stepped on the scale today and I have lost 5 pounds!  Sticking with a 1,200 calorie per day diet, and it's working.  I think I'll reward myself with take-out Japanese tonight......haha!

My ten-year class reunion is almost a month away.  I don't know how to feel about this; happy, excited, sad, anxious, dreadful??!  Anyhow, I want to find something fun to wear.  Any suggestions??

Also, I need some input on good lipstick/lip gloss shades.  I bought two tubes of the new Cover Girl Lip Stain last week at CVS and am not happy with the color.  What colors do you like?

Happy Friday!

Why I love Ebay.......

In the past four months I have become an Ebay fanatic.  I know Ebay has been around for years and years now, but (I'm really embarrassed to admit) I've always been one to buy my purchase at the retail price.  Eeekkkk........Anyhow, I have officially gotten wiser with age (and poorer with now being a stay-at-home mom) and retail is no longer an option.  I'm learning to coupon effectively, snatch up a bargain, and SHOP EBAY-woot woot!  Friends, I cannot tell you the many steals I have acquired from this online market.  Cowboy Boots for twenty beans, an Ipod Nano for Adam for Father's Day for fifty buckaroos, a White House Black Market LBD for fifteen dollars- the list goes on.  All of this in the name of smart bidding.  

This morning called for an Ebay fix and fast.  Bottom line, I was trying to unsuccessfully download some Microsoft Word documents that were emailed to me because my old-school Dell laptop did not come with the Microsoft suite- what's up with that sh*t?  I kicked it over to Ebay, typed in Microsoft Office, and was hit with a bevy of Microsoft Office deals .  Luckily, there was a Buy It Now option with free shipping.  The cost??  $9.95 with free shipping.  Whaaaa????  I had to take the deal; these Microsoft Office Suites go for $150-$200 bucks.  I am super pumped.  At first I was a little skeptical of the super low price, but the seller has a badge entitled "Top Rated Seller" on their profile so I'm not too worried. 

Yay for Ebay!

Inspiration & Future Plans

Sunday night me and four of my girlfriends went to see "Eat Pray Love."  I must admit, I tried to read this book back in January.  I hit a brick wall somewhere in between Liz's carb-tastic journey to Italy and soul-searching voyage to India.  To my credit I was in my third trimester of baby-building, and the only thing that really held my interest at that point was picking out the perfect baby blue for Aaron's nursery.  

Y'all, I loved this movie.  Granted, I am a Julia Roberts fan, and she did look absolutely fantastic in this movie, but it was the story that struck a chord with me.  Elizabeth Gilbert's bravery to leave a life that she built to go explore and find herself amazed me.  I'm not saying that I want to leave my husband to indulge in pasta and a little flirting with the HOT Javier Bardem, but I love that she was able to check off places on her to-do list while searching within herself for forgiveness and ultimately, love.  I cried, laughed, and cried some more while watching Julia (AKA Liz) during her year-long voyage, and I fully intend to pick the book back up and finish what I started.  In the meantime, I am making a to-do list of what I want my journey to look like.  Here goes:

• I want to raise a kind, smart, and confident man who will be way better than both Adam and me.
• I want three kids.  Yep, I said it correctly- the number 3.  I want all boys- they love their mama's. :)
• I want to travel to Paris and Italy with my husband.  Just the two of us.
• I want to pray more.  I don't pray nearly enough.  
• I want a big, beautiful, cozy home that our family can grow in.
• I want my bangs to hurry up and grow out.  I hate them!
• I want to cook more.
• I want to write a book.
• I want to find a job that I love, and make some decent $$ while doing it!
• I want to go back to NYC for a girls trip!  I also want to visit California, Seattle, Chicago, and Vancouver.
• I want to fall in love with yoga.
• I definitely want to meet Ryan Gosling.
• And lastly (for now anyway), I want to grow old and gray with my husband.  I want us to ride around in our Cadillac, visiting our great-grandchildren and working in our yard on Sunday afternoons.

What's on your to-do list?

Okay, Gisele.....enough already!

I was going to write a sweet little post about our first family trip to North Carolina to visit Adam's dad and stepmother.....that was until I read this on People.  For those of you that don't know, Gisele has gone to every magazine possible to tout of her "amazing" body after baby, including her workout regimens, what she ate, and her "natural" childbirth.  For the past few months since having Aaron, I have seen Gisele's face splashed on magazine after magazine cover, and her quotes discussed on my fave shows like E! News.  I am so sick of this woman that I cannot stand it!  I can no longer take her ignorant comments, and I have to discuss.  Basically in her latest magazine interview she states:

• She reclaimed her fabulous body 6 weeks after baby.  All of this through Kung Fu, Meditation, and breastfeeding.  Must be nice; I still have a spare tire of 10 pounds around my belly and the stretch marks to prove it.
• She practiced Kung Fu two weeks before giving birth, yoga thrice weekly while pregnant, and meditated every day.  Guess what I practiced?  The art of eating an entire DQ Butterfinger Blizzard while driving home from work at least once a week.  Doesn't that count as exercise, Gisele?? ;)
• She refused to give birth in a hospital and refused an epidural because so many women before her did it that way.  I LOVED having my baby in the hospital and I LOVED my epidural.  It does not make me any less of a woman because I chose to have medication to help me deliver my 7 1/2 pound baby boy, nor, does it make me any less of a woman to want nurses to take care of me for a couple of days after having a child, and bring me the fantastic crushed ice to munch on before giving birth.  I can't forget to mention the fabulous pecan pies that were sneaked inside my room by my lovely nurses when I couldn't stand the sight of the bland cafeteria food!
• She also believe there should be a law requiring breastfeeding for at least 6 months after birth. Yes, I know that breast is best.  If I could have breastfed for longer than one month, then I would have done it for as long as possible.  However, when your child is not gaining weight as they should, do you continue to deprive them of what they need, or do you give them the nutrients they need in powder (or ready-to-feed) form?  I think we all know the answer to that question.

After reading this article (and seriously fuming inside) I decided to post this comment:

How many times do I have to read Gisele’s opinion on her body, breastfeeding, and natural childbirth? So over it! I just had a healthy and beautiful baby boy in March; I delivered my child in a hospital with the help of an epidural and it was the best decision I could have made. Yes, I think it’s amazing that there are women out there who can have a vaginal delivery without medication; however, you are just as much of a strong woman whether you deliver your child vaginally or by c-section with medication. Yes, I agree that “breast is best,” but some women cannot nurse for 6 months, let alone 3 months. I nursed for one month, and while I wish I could have nursed longer, my child was not gaining the way he should so I started him on formula. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. He is healthy, happy, and growing and that is all that matters to me.

Can you believe the nerve of this woman?  Who does she think she is to preach to women about how to take care of their children when there have been millions of women before her to give birth, and go on to produce happy, healthy babies with or without breastfeeding?  

My son is the most important person in my life, and I will continue to do everything in my power to keep him healthy and happy.  Doesn't that count for something?