Like weeds

My boys are growing like weeds.

It's so easy to get caught up in the day to day.  

Me Hubsy and I are always talking about those days where all the sudden one 

of them seems to have aged a year all the sudden.  

You start to realize a little more roundness is gone from their face.  

They've mastered a new skill.

They all the sudden do something you've been begging them to do forever, 

but this time they do it without you even asking.

Gone are the Backyardigans, Little Einsteins, and Diego....

they've moved on to alien fighting teenagers and superheroes.  Sigh.  

I will miss those Backyardigans for sure.  Such good music ;)

But that's all part of the plan right?  

This moving on.  

To the next stage of life.

Why can't it go a little slower?  

Why can't I have more hours in the day to soak up their littleness?

My heart breaks at how much they've grown up and yet I am immensely proud of them.  

The little men they are becoming.

I'm so blessed to be their mother.  

I could not have asked for two cooler kids to raise.

They were handpicked for me and Hubsy ;)

But with this new stage comes a lot of fun.  

We get to be goofy with them and shout out songs at the top of our lungs in the car.

We can even go sans nap on occasion.

It's a good time to be their mom.
A good time to share with them and teach them the next steps in becoming themselves.
They are such special little men.

And they have my heart forever.

My peace I give you

Source

Just breathe.

Be still.

My friends,

It has been sort of a rough 8 weeks for me.  

It's like I've been an almost-single parent.

While I have actually handled this much better than I would have earlier in my life

 (thank you God) it is starting to wear on me.  

Even through the stress Hubsy and I have found little ways to keep connected 

and the general attitude in our home has been the best it's been in a while.  

However, this past week I've grown weary. 

Discontent is creeping it's way back into my heart and therefore out my mouth as well.  

I do NOT want to go back to the way things were.  

I've been praying hard that God gives me the strength to get through these next few weeks 

with sincere gratitude in my heart and a smile on my face.   

I need to have endurance in this new practice of serving my husband with a grateful heart.  

We need it for our marriage and my kids need to see me handle this in a loving and appreciative way.

So I'm trying to keep Christ's peace in my heart and praying John 14:27.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not

give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be

troubled and do not be afraid.

May peace be with you as well my friends.

A little pampering does a mama good

We all know that as moms that we spend so much time being there for our husbands and children but that we really need to spend a little of that TLC on ourselves too.
This is so much easier said than done.  So many of us still let ourselves fall by the wayside.
But I'm slowly finding a way to pamper me a bit too.

I haven't spent much money or time on beauty for the majority of my life but in the past year I've become much more aware of putting a little effort into it.  To me when I feel pretty, it overflows into other areas of my life and my entire mood is just a bit more pleasant.  I find it easier to put on that smile and take the world head-on with a positive attitude.

And who couldn't use a little bit more of that huh?

So on my quest to actually put a little effort into myself,
I have found several blog resources that are extremely helpful. 
Unfortunately even with all this new found knowledge and inspiration, I still don't have much moolah

to devote to the cause.   But I'll take it one baby step at a time.
A new shirt here, a new hair tool there....

My favorite blog for hair inspiration
Miss Kate over at The Small Things blog

My favorite blog for fashion/style
Miss Anna at In Honor of Design

And of course Pinterest is a never-ending source of info for beauty tips.
Follow me here. 

And now I finally have somewhere 
to go for some make-up help.

About a month ago I attended my first organized "vendor sale"
and during that evening I had the pleasure to meet Melissa....a mother and entrepreneur,
a girl after my own heart if you will.  Well a few days later I received an email from her that I had won her giveaway that I entered.  I was thinking it may be a bottle of lotion or something when lo' and behold I won a hand treatment, spring makeover, and a $20 gift certificate!
I was completely floored!  

I needed a little pampering....like BAD.  

So Hubsy offered to occupy the boys so I could get my "girl" on.
I was afraid Melissa might be a little turned off because I wanted to
post about the makeover but she was totally cool about letting me take a few pictures,
even if I was struggling with the self timer ;)

Meet Melissa, my new Independent Beauty Consultant with Mary Kay!

Setting up

I got a fantastic hand treatment that left my hands feeling so smooth but not greasy at all.

I got to try the entire Mary Kay TimeWise skin care system.  It's time to face it girls, I'm at "THAT" age where I really need to be taking care of my skin.  And can I just say my face felt FAB-U-LOUS!  What a difference it made, I can only imagine what it will feel like after weeks of using it.  

My beauty routine is so basic it's almost comical.  Not that this system is complicated in any way, 

the coolest part is that each step is made to build upon the others.  

No washing in between.  Talk about quick!

Feeling cheesy in front of the camera

She also helped me branch out into some other colors of eye-liner, blush and lip gloss.  And one of my favorite items was the Cream Eye Color which Melissa said is like a primer for 

your eye make-up but can also be worn alone.  

Versatility? Yes please.

Matching my skin tone

It was so much fun to actually have someone knowledgeable to talk to one-on-one about my skin and make-up routine.  And Melissa was so patient and helpful with all my questions.

Needless to say, I'm realizing that you get what you pay for and my usual regime is pretty crappy.  

Why not invest in my face?  After all,  it's the only one I'm going to have.

Feeling a bit sassy after my makeover :)

If you would like to talk to Melissa about any of the wonderful Mary Kay products or 

about how she can help you too, please contact her below.  She can help you no matter where you live.  And if you happen to be in the Pittsburgh area, she can schedule a one-on-one with you too :)

Check out her website!
Melissa Rorabaugh
mrorabaugh@marykay.com

Her website is awesome, there's even a virtual makeover tool, lots of tips, and of course info about all their amazing products.

Thanks Melissa for introducing me to Mary Kay products but also for treating me
to such a wonderful and much needed makeover!

And now I encourage you to take a little time to pamper yourself....

even if its in baby steps like me :)

Don't let all the "stuff" of life drain you.  
As women we tend to take care of everyone else first.   
When you take care of yourself, it's so much easier to take care of everyone else.

Please make sure you are taking some time for yourself, you'll be so glad you did.

Call me Blessed 

They're here, they're here!

finding joy

I haven't linked up with Rachel for Friday Favorites in a while but when I do,
it's usually filled with moments of peace, love, and family that are highlighted.  

Well this week it's a little different.  

Not that I didn't have those other great moments because believe me I did but occasionally 

I get to have these fun little *squeal* moments as well.

Ok most of you will probably roll your eyes but if you didn't know already,
I ADORE BEADS.

Everything about them.

the endless array of colors

the subtle textures

the various shapes

 the sparkle of Czech glass

the warmth of Rosewood

I could go on and on.

Since selling almost completely out of my current stock, I've been blessed to order some new items for some new designs that I'm so excited to transform from my mind's eye to actual wearable pieces.  

I branched out this time and bought some beads on Etsy for the first time.

It feels really good to support other small business owners.  

These particular beads came from Bead and Ribbon and I couldn't be more pleased with my purchases.  

I mean, just look at them!  And I have another shipment from a different supplier due any day!

Enter the *squeal*

I'm like a kid on Christmas morning when I get a new shipment of beads.  I mean who else gets inspired to do an impromptu quick and dirty photo shoot of their beads...ahem...this goober.

 Anyhoo, I'm dying to get started on my new designs but my time is being monopolized with preparations for our weekend plans (not a bad thing though).  

Can't wait until next week when I can hopefully get started :)

 

Happy weekend all!

Do you have something that gives you this 

crazy-nerdy-ridiculous sense of intense joy?

Do tell!

May Photo-a-day Part 1

Can you believe it's May already? 

Not to mention it's halfway over!

{1} Peace - My happy meadow

{2} Skyline

{3} Something you wore today - My Calming Waters necklace and silver bangles

{4} Fun - Another vendor sale with my Mom by my side :)

{5} Bird - My son's angry birds on his bed

{6} You

{7} Something that inspires you - all these beautiful beads....oh the possibilities :)

{8} A smell you adore - The smell of my Hubsy

{9} Something you do everyday - Try to find two matching shoes in this mess of a closet

{10} A favorite word - Hangs by our entry

{11} Kitchen

{12} Something that makes you happy - re-reading cards I've gotten over the years

{13} Mum - My mama...how do you ever express JUST HOW MUCH you love them?

{14} Grass - Our Elijah Blue ornamental grass

{15} Love - Can you tell which is me and which is Hubsy? 

He's a man of few words hehe...but they still mean a lot.

Happy Thursday my friends!

Simple and Sweet Mother's Day

We've been so busy lately that a simple and sweet 

Mother's Day was just what I needed.

Friday started it off perfectly with a Mother's Day Tea at my son's kindergarten class.  Songs and poems and cards and sweet kid voices....what more could you ask for?  The absolute best part was having L say "I love you Mom" and "I'm so glad you're here" about 20 times while I was there.  

MELT. MY. HEART.

I recently won a Mary Kay makeover (more on that later) and was treated to some good old girlie fun on Friday night trying all sorts of wonderful beauty products.  Man it really makes my cheapie stuff seem well, kinda crappy.  I little pampering sure did this tired mama some good!

Saturday evening I got to spend some time with my awesome Mom just relaxing on the porch and we may or may not have gone out for ice cream ;)  I can't believe I didn't take any pictures!  My bad. 

I guess I was just too busy enjoying my time with my mom.

Sunday I was greeted by two adorable boys yelling Happy Mother's Day!  Then my sick Hubsy proceeded to make us all a scrumptious breakfast of homemade waffles.  What a man!

I got these lovely gifts from the kiddos.

After spending some time with my lovely MIL, Hubsy took us out for Chinese.  One of my favorites.  

I just can't get enough General Tso's :)  And the boys weirdly love Chinese even though they are generally picky eaters so the fact that everyone is happy and we don't have to "work" 

to get a meal in is such a treat.

Felt taco

We went home for a family nap (aka food coma) then I enjoyed some crafting with the boys.  We made some felt play food.  It was so nice to just stop and do something simple and fun with them.  After that it was business as usual.  Laundry, cleaning, packing school bags and lunches but little did I know Hubsy had one more trick up his sleeve....

Such a sweetheart.  

And what do I do?  Yell at him for spending so much money.

After he reminded me that gifts are to be accepted graciously, 

I straightened up and thanked him properly.  He thanked me for being such a good mom and picking up the household slack while he has been working such crazy hours lately.  

Nothing could have meant more.

Isn't that what Mother's Day is about anyway, letting all moms know how appreciated there efforts are?

 the laundry

 the nose wiping

 the listening

 the boo boo kissing

the hugs

the meal preparation

just being there

Big or small...

it ALL means so much.  

We should be proud of the job we do.

I hope all you moms out there were made to feel appreciated and loved this Mother's Day!

We're so blessed to have been given this title of  

Mother.

Found - Meadow

This is where I have been finding God lately, not just this week but for several weeks now.  

I'm blessed to drive past this beautiful meadow everyday on my way to work.  It has become my "happy place".  It just looks so peaceful and every time I pass it I imagine myself laying down in that meadow, looking up at the sky, and just breathing in the quiet.  Of course in my fantasy, those beautiful golden weeds would not produce any sneeze inducing allergens :)

Sometimes God just throws something like this out at me and sometimes I need to be just a wee bit more intentional in my looking.  But He is always there, and you can always find a glimpse if you look.

Where are you finding God this week?

Beautifully Rooted

Amens and underwear...a great start to my day

source

I was talking to my bloggy friend Stephanie the other day and came up with a new term for myself.

"Emotionally Dynamic"

Like it? 

Ok. Most of you would probably just say moody but I think 

emotionally dynamic sounds so much cooler and exciting don't you think?

Anyway, in my usual fashion I've gone from sublimely happy to in a funk and back again 

all in the span of a few days. 

On to my funk....

I have two days a week where I go in to work a little later and usually spend that extra time in the morning watching my "Once Upon a Time" show from the previous week since me Hubsy and kids have already left for the day.  Well, this week I had already had the chance to watch it so I decided to address some laundry.  I still wanted to take advantage of being in control of the TV so I turned it on while I folded. 

Can I just say there is not much good on TV at 6:30am.

But in my browsing I found a Joyce Meyer show on.  I've watched her briefly before so 

decided to see what she had to say this time.  

Now I'm not one to watch evangelical TV shows, usually it is the preacher's delivery that turns me off but I've been watching a little more lately as I come across them.  Trying to look past the delivery and focus on the message, but I actually like Joyce Meyer.  

The topic for the day was uncluttering your life.  

Both figuratively and literally.

It was funny because I was sitting there folding underwear, socks, and such and started saying "Amen" 

and "So true" and shaking my head and laughing at myself 
I swear I was having some serious church up in there.

Joyce had some good words of advice though....

Put it away.

Throw it away.

Or give it away.

Hubsy and I have been trying to simplify our lives for several months now, with some successes but I still think overall we have just ended up replacing that which we got rid of, sigh.  I have certainly been feeling overwhelmed lately, and with good reason.  I know the end is in sight but I'm finding it hard to keep motivated.  Like I don't even want to clean my house these days because I know it will be trashed again in 5 minutes.  Regardless Joyce's words have spurred me on and I have resolved to clean up my house ASAP.  I know my mental state will thank me for it.  

I also came to the realization that I am spending WAY TOO MUCH time on my phone.  That ridiculous compulsion to check emails, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest...it's got me well and secure in its claws.  I mean every red light I come to I am whipping that baby out to see what's new.  Or when I'm out and about, and think "ooh that would make a good Instagram pic".  Don't even get me started on Pinterest, you KNOW there is a never ending stream of new stuff to check out on there.  It's cluttering up my brain.  Robbing me of my ability to concentrate on more important matters.  

Like being present.  Fully in the moment.

So I have vowed to cut back on the ridiculous phone checking as well.

I. need. clarity.

And how can I ever get it if I have all this extra "stuff" cluttering me up?

How about you?

What clutters up your life?

April Photo-a-day partII

Dontch'a just hate when a program you've been using suddenly changes everything on you?

Well until I get the new way figured out, you'll have to suffer through a long row of photos.....

at least I broke the month up in two parts for you ;)  

Enjoy!

{16} Flower - magnolia from my yard

{17} Something you don't like - Olives, the only reason they have infiltrated my fridge is 

because Hubsy eats them.

{18} Hair - love the way the color looks in this pic, wish it REALLY looked like that.

{19} Orange - sunrise

{20} Something you drew - a page from my sketchbook

{21} Bottle - Drinking while driving in the woods, now that's redneck :)

{22} Last thing you bought - some supplies for some custom work.

{23} Vegetable - Asparagus for dinner

{24} Something your grateful for - Starting my day listening to K-Love, 

definitely makes a difference!

{25} Looking down - the slide in our backyard.

{26} Black and white - the woods at my Dad's

{27} Somewhere you went - Dunderave Castle in Scotland (our ancestral castle)

This is a painting my mother had done for us *love*

{28} 1pm - In church, for a 1st Communion

{29} Circle - '07 college line mug from Target.  Still using it :)

 {30} Something that makes you sad - unpainted toes in sandals,
poor things are just screaming for some happy color to make them pretty.
 

Here's May's prompts....

I love seeing what you other ladies come up with!

*Follow me on Instagram at krista2021 :)