I know she's controversial, but...

So Miley Cyrus has definitely turned a few heads over the last few weeks.  She's honestly one of those people that I can't believe I'm writing about because I hate to give her the satisfaction of knowing that I'm just one other person giving her more attention and publicity.  But I can't help myself.  As hard as it's been to accept...Miley will never come across this little blog of mine.  Her performance at the VMAs was...interesting, to say the least.  I tried to ignore it.  It was weird, watching a 20 year old girl, Hannah Montana all grown up and rubbing a foam finger all up in her business.  Strange. I used to babysit a lot...so needless to say, I've watched a lot of Hannah Montana.  This....this is not Hannah Montana. She's definitely shed that image.  I know in a lot of ways America is afraid of sexualization...sometimes I wonder why.  Why aren't we all more open about our sexuality? Why aren't we proud of our sexuality?  Why are we so afraid to show it?  Why, if you do all of this, is it frowned upon?

Well, Miley. You've just taken it to a whole new level. You, and this video, and your VMA performance, that's why people are afraid to show their sexuality.  Because when not done tastefully, this is what we get.  Being proud of who you are, showing that your sexy and confident is one thing.  But your Wrecking Ball video...is a little over the top.  You're 20.  And you're engaged. And you're naked, rubbing your lady business on a wrecking ball and chain.  I'm mortified for you. No one needs to see that. What happened? But well done, because here I am writing about it.

Well, friends, I'll let you decide what you think... Oh, and if you're at work? You may want to wait until later to check out this little gem...

Live More Weigh Less

You guys...I know I'm new to the blogging world.  But have you heard of the amazing Sarah Jenks? Well neither had...until yesterday.  It's crazy how you can find new and refreshing blogs weekly just from reading your "regulars." These ladies probably don't even know that I read their blogs...but weekly I check in over at How Sweet It Is because I know I'm going to find a bunch of amazing recipes.  Well, Jessica linked over to this super inspiring post, which naturally lead me over to Sarah Jenks.  All I had to do was read one paragraph to be on board.  So let's back up: Kristen over at Dine & Dish (still with me?) posted about not committing to do all or nothing anymore.  Her post was about me right? I know that when E reads her post he's also going to think she's writing about me.  That diet that I needed to start five, six years ago? Yep...still on hold until, you guessed it, "tomorrow."  I always commit to go all out.  I'm going to start a great diet and keep on it forever, yeah! I'm going to work out like crazy! Remember, after all...I'm going to run until I don't jiggle anymore.  I should know better by now. I make crazy commitments that end up being virtually impossible for me to fulfill.  I've worked out only a handful of times since that last post. We're already up so early that I know I won't workout in the morning. At night by the time B-Man is sleeping, I'm exhausted and I'm lucky if I'm awake for another hour. And at work? Well the time always gets away from me and I never seem to have the time.

I realized I've been struggling to find a balance in my life.  And it just gets too easy to blame it on the circumstances of life...whatever they are. Sarah's Live More Weigh Less challenge embodies finding balance.  In even the smallest ways.  So you know what? I'm going to do as many as possible.  Just looking at the first week I think I might have to rearrange some of the days, because I joined late, and I can't go hiking on a Friday that I'm working.

*Sigh* I'm not sure why writing this whole post has made me feel so much more at ease, but it has.

We're also going to look at houses today.  I probably shouldn't be as hopeful as I am.  But there is one house we're [hopefully] going to look at that I am most definitely crushing on.  The home is gorgeous (from the pics...) and backs up to a little lake.  I guess all we can do is wait and see!  More on that tomorrow!

Girl Crush, Anyone?

Don't get me wrong now.  I love my hubs...but there are some good looking ladies out there these days!  This post was definitely inspired by the amazing Carolyn over at Plum Noir Vintage and her Things I Love post....I should just call this girls I love.  If I had to choose...these sexy ladies make my top 3!

I don't know what it is about these three but they get me every time.  Okay, I know exactly what it is.  They're hot! And two of them are hot mommas...even better!  I wasn't even trying to make this a post with minimal clothes on but it just so happens that these were my favs!

1. Kate Upton - I don't think this even needs an explanation.  I mean...have you seen the Cat Daddy?  That hair...those eyes...that body?! Even if you have no interest in women...she should make you think twice!

2. Kourtney Kardashian - I haven't been able to keep up with the show lately, but I'm pretty sure she's the main reason I watched any of the Kardashians.  I think she's the smartest of the three and a nice balance of boldness between Kim & Khloe.  And let's face...girlfriend's not afraid to be who she is  (even if it means no deoderant while breastfeeding)!  I do think she gets annoying sometimes...but I'm super envious of how good she looks...after two kids!

3. Kendra Baskett - Weird...she'll always be Kendra Wilkinson to me...from Girls Next Door.  Her laugh is annoying...annnnd let's be real, she's pretty dumb.  But I love her tomboy style and even though she's not 100% real I'm pretty envious of her bod!

So tell me, who are your girl crushes?!

Love Story

Our love story began back in the spring of 2007.  Our wedding invitations actually had a reference to girl meets boy, boy and girl fall in love, boy and girl get married.  But it's the details that are the interesting part, right!?  E and I went to a little university in New England together.  We were actually in the same French class from day one.  Me? I was the over-achiever in the class who actually liked French.  In fact, it was my minor.  Everyone else? And please note, by everyone else I believe I mean the other 12 people in the class.  They were there to get an elective out of the way because they had taken French before in high school.  E and I didn't really talk a whole lot in class.  We sat on opposite sides of the room and he was actually pretty quiet.  Our first actual encounter took place when I was coming back from studying before midterms on a Thursday night and he had been out with some friends being his mischievous self.  Now, even though we didn't interact much, we did live in the same building - he lived two floors beneath me.  And to get into our building there were two sets of doors.  Anyone could get in the first but you needed a fob in order to get into the second.  I came back from studying to find E, a kid from French class sitting in between the sets of doors because he didn't have a key fob.  I think I said something of the lines of "You okay, pal? Need to get in?" Well he looked up at me...paused for a second and said "oh yeah, you're that girl from French class that everybody hates!"  ...And thus began our love story.  Ok, ok that's not where it began.  And *apparently* E didn't really mean that everyone hated me, just that they didn't like me putting so much effort into a class that they just needed to get through for an elective credit.

Turns out at the start of the next semester, someone decided to move his seat next to mine.  And now the love story really begins.  Any thoughts as to how he initiated some actual flirting with me? By kicking my flip flop off any chance he got.  At first it was a little irritating, but the more I talked to him, the more I liked him.  We became friends and chatted quite a bit, chose each other as partners to do some French projects together.  And then it got to be sometime in April.  He told me that his anniversary was coming up and that he didn't know what to get his girlfriend. Now I can't say that I was floored because I knew that he had a girlfriend.  I wasn't trying to steal him away [necessarily] but I thought we were flirting a lot and got along really well so of course I was holding out hope that something would happen.  My heart was crushed when he asked me that.  I was in a place where I thought we were on two completely separate pages.  His anniversary came and went and he still had a girlfriend.  A few weeks came and went and we still talked and flirted but I didn't have a whole lot of hope.  Until we were working on a French project one day. And my roommate was out of town.  We talked. laughed, looked at pictures and I enticed him with so French rap played some really awesome music that he fell in love with before he fell in love with me somehow managed to put up with and see that I wasn't really that fake and was just trying to impress him.  I honestly don't remember how exactly we ended up talking in bed and cuddling but we did.  I remember things started to get passionate, and I told him no, he had a girlfriend.  He said okay and we just cuddled.  But when he started to kiss me again...let's just say it lead to a night of passion [sorry, mom!].  I spent the next few days with a knot in my stomach...not wanting to talk to him, address it or tell anyone else about it.  We ended up meeting in the library one night (why the library? I can't answer that...) and I don't remember what we talked about.  What I do remember is that he still had a girlfriend at that point.  The "in between" here is really all a blur.  What I do remember is that one weekend (probably only a week or two later), he called me up one evening and told me that he had ended it. It was over and he didn't have a girlfriend.  I had been cleaning our dorm room because it was towards the end of the year and we were getting ready to move out...I didn't want to see him right away because I was covered in dust and cleaning materials.  When I was finally ready to see him, I called him and no answer.  I waited a bit, called him again...no answer.  Weird since I thought we were going to hang out.  I went to study with a friend and texted him once or twice but hadn't had an answer.  It wasn't until later that night that I came back to my room and he texted me back saying his ex had come back to try to convince him that it was a mistake and they should be together.  Good thing that I was texting and calling him that whole time. Anyways, you know what they say, the rest is history.  We've had tons of adventures since then.  Adventures, trying times, joyous times and just plain crazy times.  Since most of our stuff is in storage right now I don't actually have the pictures that I took of us from our first date, but I suppose I can always update this posting later on with that.  For the record, we walked to a restaurant right off campus for our first date because neither of us even had a car!

Epic Fail...and some success

Well it's true.  Do you remember this post? Unfortunately, I do too.  And I don't have good news to report! I worked out twice last week.  Twice.  Unacceptable. That for sure was an epic fail.  BUT I'm still determined, and I am going to get better.  The worst part is that I didn't even do anything over the long weekend!  We went and looked at some houses (with no outcome, again) and I didn't workout once.  In fact, I think I took about 1500 steps one day.  For anyone who knows how many steps you need to get in a day to be considered active (*ahem* Carolyn) don't judge me. I was super lazy this weekend.  But we enjoyed some quality time with the B man this weekend, and you can never argue with that.  Plus, before we went house hunting, E and I drove about half an hour away to an estate sale (yep, half an hour in the opposite direction from the houses we were looking at).  E found this sale posted online and spotted some China that we figured we could flip.  So we drove out there, and the folks running it meant business. We thought some things would be set up outside or you'd just be able to walk inside and take a peak at what you might want, so we showed up about 20 minutes early.  Well, wouldn't you know, we actually got a number and ended up lining up to get into the house.  Luckily we were in the top 10 of people to get in so we got there right away.  We scooped up the China (AKA I happened to find it and E got stuck wrapping and packing every single piece of it while I changed B's diaper and played with him in the car) and headed out.  Before that we had stopped at a yard sale, as well and I had grabbed four books for $1, total.  Turns out the books I grabbed are actually collectively worth about $30!  E was awesome and somehow took pictures and listed everything the same night! Just as well since someone already bought 2 platters from us and one of our other pieces already has a few bids!  I guess he found a steal?

It's pretty, too!  Unfortunately, this picture doesn't even do it justice....and even worse? I'm pretty sure the only pictures taken this weekend were from our estate sale finds...and all taken by E! The good news is that we'll be away for the weekend and some of the time it will be just me and the B Man but E should be able to spend some time with us, too...and I've already got my camera all charged up so we'll be ready to go!

I said I would never...

I'm sure that this will be the beginning of a never-ending list.  I know I've mentioned on here before, but B-Man was a complete surprise.  E and I had loft goals of where we wanted to be in life before we started a family...and that was not in the plans for another 5-7 years.  Well...sometimes you can do all the planning you want and it doesn't make a difference in the world.  Before you start asking questions, YES I was on birth control and YES I am living proof that it is NOT 100% effective.  More on this little story another time.  B-Man was a surprise.  I was scared. Actually, I cried. We weren't ready.  We weren't prepared.  We hadn't talked about what we would ACTUALLY do if we ever got pregnant because there was no way we would be having kids anytime soon.  I will never forget coming in crying, and E (being the calm and logical one that he is) asking me why I was crying.  We both have good jobs, a house, savings...we were married.  It really wasn't a bad spot to be in.  And while I hated nearly every minute of pregnancy, I love nearly every second of motherhood (...so far, anyways).  I've quickly learned that there are several things I "knew" I would never do that...well, I've done.  And so begins my list.

1. Bring my baby out without shoes or socks on.  You read so much about how babies can't regulate their temperature and this is an ABSOLUTE must.  B-man doesn't even have a pair of shoes right now.  And socks...forget about it.  I used to always make sure he had socks on...for him to rip them right off.  I learned quickly that if it's chilly out, a cozy blanky tucked in under his feet in the car seat was DEFINITELY the way to go.  I'm sure my opinion will change on this once the New England winter sets in...but for now, I'm just happy he's in a onezie when we leave the house these days. 
2. Co-sleep.  I swore this one off as soon as I found out I was pregnant.  And admittedly, if we were in a different situation we probably wouldn't co-sleep.  But when you have a screaming infant in the middle of the night along with your in-laws in the next bedroom over...you will do anything you can to calm him down.  I know this is developing some terrible habits.  Terrible.  The concept of self-soothing is nearly non-existent at this point.  B-Man's been teething recently and I think between that and a little cold he had he was starting to wake up earlier and earlier, and get into bed earlier and earlier with us.  The past few days it's been at 5/530 AM, which isn't too bad.  And let's be real, he's pretty darn cute and cuddly.  Sometimes circumstances are a game changer!
3. Lose my patience.  Especially this young.  B is almost 9 months old.  I knew the first couple of weeks, maybe two months would be tough.  But he was so good after that for so long that I really didn't think I'd lose my patience with him until we hit the terrible two's.  But now.  Guess who doesn't like to lie/sit down while getting his diaper change.  Changing a poopy diaper on a squirming baby who just wants to crawl, is not fun.  There have been more than a few times where poor E hears "TOOTS I need  you in here....NOW."  It's not his fault.  And it's not B's fault...I know he doesn't understand yet.  But that doesn't make it any easier. :) 

I'm sure there are more that I can't even think of right now...and without a doubt there will be more added to this list in the coming years...it's just a matter of time.

And because no post is complete without a picture....

Yep, that's B in our bed...sleeping right next to where I was sleeping a few minutes before I snapped this...