Back and Refreshed!

There are few things I love and enjoy more than good rest.
Seriously, if you gave me a bed to lay in, it wouldn't matter what time of day it was, I would have no problem sleeping in it.

This past weekend, my Santa Barbara trip was a dream. Sleep, no schedule, no responsibility, and no hearing "mommy." For a few short days, it was just me, my mom- who in school most of the time, and the beauty of Santa Barbara coast. I came back ready to face the world, and motherhood, again.

So, naturally this video has to do with some fun things from my weekend getaway.
Everyone should do a weekend getaway if you can.
You wont regret the peace and rest you give yourself.





HERE is a link to the hair video from last week's Thursday Latelies. Try it! Seriously, it taught me how to curl my hair how I've wanted to, but didn't quite know how to do.  You couldn't see the back of my hair in the video, so the picture below shows it. So easy, so fast, and I'm loving the look!

Hammered Gold ring- Similar HERE .
Shellac nails. Picture below gives a good look at both.





Gold chain and Link bracelet- Similar HERE. Fun!
Pictured below.





Target Sweater for under $10 ...Who woulda thunk something that price would be complimented so much?! If Target has any left, go snag one!





I am seriously in. love. with this teal/seafoam/aquamarine color I've been seeing on Pinterest. I'm pretty sure it's quickly becoming my "must have" spring/summer color.
Is it not simply gorgeous?!
What do you all think?!

And for random fun... I'm thinking these pink pants are making my "must have" list, too,




What's reminding you of the
good, wonderful, and lovely this week?
Go check out Bex, to meet some other ladies who are
inspiring and sharing their lives, too.


See you in February!
~Jessica

Snow Week and Photo Shoots!

Some things are better experienced and explained through pictures.

This is one of those weeks.

Snow, Impromptu photo shoots, etc ...Pictures say it better than I could.

The video explains it all!





Snow Day, anyone? How about a snow week?
No school, means fun for everyone.

The Waterfront by our house

The road we live on. Silent and still.

 Impromptu Winter "Bridal" Photo Shoot? Ok!
Sonja, from Simply Sonja Photography, took these fun pictures. If you're in the Seattle area and need a photographer, she's a great choice!

 

Hair Curling Tutorial

This is such an easy way to curl your hair and curl it well! She does a great job explaining how to get the look that she has- which is the look that I love, but have never been able to figure out!
Check out The Small Things Blog  for more hair tutorials.

"Beauty and the Beast" in 3D
Taking 2 young kids to a movie proved to be an adventure, but the popcorn and diet coke
sure helped. Cullen was wandering while I got this picture of me and Layla.

While you're watching this, I'll be making my way to my mini "mom" vacation.
Santa Barbara, I'm coming for you.

Have a wonderful week, and I'll see you next Thursday!

~Jessica

What's a "Supermom" Anyway?

My kids are awesome: Fact
I love them so much it hurts: Fact
My favorite of times of the day are naps and bedtime: Double fact

I'll admit, that even in my deep affection for my children, most of the time I'm worn out, tired, and tightly wound. Not that I'm complaining about having kids, because surely they are two of the biggest gifts in my life, but they are 24/7. Do anything that long and that consistently, and you'll be just as worn out, tired, and tightly wound as I am.

Maybe it's the phase of parenting I'm in with two young kids, maybe it's my personality, or maybe it's just that I'm discovering the truth of motherhood, but I'll be honest, the rewards are few and far between. Most days I am battling bad attitudes, managing fights, dealing with messes I've already cleaned up, carrying loads of stuff in my arms, and praying that somewhere in between all of that, I can maybe sit for a few minutes to get centered again. There are moments here are there where I see small fruits of my labor, but mostly, it's hard work with glimmers of accomplishment coming slowly, and vanishing quickly.

I do believe that being an active and present mother, is the best and most loving way to show your kids they matter, but the amount of self-sacrifice that's required for your kids to know and feel that, is remarkable. I still want to be selfish, and am at times. I want to do what I want, when I want, how I want. I want to be able to leave the house without having to lug so much around. I want to go to Target in peace. I want to be able to go see a movie without worrying about childcare. I want to go on vacations with my husband just us two. I'd love to have a meal where my food isn't picked at, and I want to take a shower without a head poking through the shower curtain, to which I have to reply, "I'm almost done!

Motherhood is all or nothing. You can't half ass being a good mom, and end up with healthy, functioning children. Which, is obviously the goal.

Most days this is how I feel....

I am not supermom. I don't do crafts, amazing home activities, or cook. I clean and de-clutter obsessively. Sometimes I want to do that more than I want to play with my kids.

I'm not supermom. I can resort to raising my voice quickly- I startle so easily.

I am not supermom. When it comes to life circumstances, I'm patient, rational, and can have a clear head, but when it comes to my kids, I'm snappy, impatient, and often times easily annoyed.

I'm not supermom. We don't do a bajillion extra-curricular activities. The thought of having Layla and Cullen in 17 different programs, makes my blood pressure rise just thinking about it. We spend a lot of time at home watching movies.

I'm not supermom. I can't run around the entire day without a break. From 2:00-5:00pm, I want to drug me and my kids so we can sleep through that part of the day. Those hours are from the devil. I get so sleepy in the afternoon!

I'm not supermom. I would rather go get my hair done, then play with barbies and cars.

I'm not supermom. I microwave most of my kids meals, and they usually get dessert after them.

I'm not supermom. I don't wake up early to work out, make an amazing breakfast, and get everyone up to put on their perfect clothes. We're lucky if we get out the door on time with half of our hair brushed, and a couple bits of food in our mouths. It's a mad dash to the car that I just remembered was on "empty." Shoot, now we're going to be even more late.

I'm not supermom. I get pissed off and yell when my son headbutts me, or hits me just because my face happens to be in the line of fire when he's angry.

I'm not supermom. I answer my daughter with a super sarcastic/annoyed tone, "Yes, Layla"

I'm not supermom. There are days where all I want to do the entire day is watch "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," and drink diet coke.

With heavy sarcasm I say, I love it when someone- usually older,  asks , "Don't you just love being a mom?," because it's normally on a day where I'm my most tired, I've broken up a thousand fights before we've left the house, and I have a scratch mark across my face from my son mauling me while I was holding him. "Yes, being mom is awesome. I love being hit, scratched, needed, and exhausted all the time."

Not to paint motherhood in the worst light possible, but let's just be honest here, it's not rainbows and butterflies. The work is constant, the feeling of isolation is real, and the desire to find and maintain yourself is stronger than ever.


I don't know how to move out of feeling that way except to keep trekking along, asking for help when I need it-which is often, and trying to be as honest as I can about my experience with motherhood.

It's one day at a time, for sure. On the good days, I am grateful. On the hard days, I want to lock everyone in their rooms and sleep the whole day. On the in between, mundane days, I try and remember that my longing to be a good mom may be manifested in these things...



I'm not supermom, BUT I don't go a day without telling my kids that I love them.

I'm not supermom, BUT I give my kids as much affection as they'll let me.

I'm not supermom, BUT  I wake up with them every morning and make sure they have what they need to start the day.

I'm not supermom, BUT I vow to always say sorry, when I know I'm in the wrong. Layla and Cullen hear I'm sorry a lot.

I'm not supermom, BUT I have vowed that as much as I can control, that I will be on time to pick Layla up from school, so she doesn't have to sit and wait, wondering if I'm coming or not.

I'm not supermom, BUT I do my best to heavily consider the well-being of my kids when making tough decisions.

I'm not supermom, BUT I look at those lil' goobers sometimes, and couldn't imagine my life without them. Craziness, mess, frustration and all. They are my heart.

You don't have to supermom to be a good mom. Sometimes we need to leave "good enough" alone, and stop to celebrate the small victories in our day. Sometimes we underestimate the little things, that end up not being so little. And sometimes there will 5732402347345 days in a row, where you are at your max, are tired, are worn out, and want to leave it all to drink by a pool, far far away.

Hang in there. Your kids will better for it.
I'm trying to believe that myself.

Thursday Latelies!

Hello! It's Thursday!

What are you loving this week?


I'm not loving the lack of sleep my son has been giving me and Bobby, but I'm sure loving him. I thought I'd kick off this week with a little "Hi Guys" from the little man, himself-crazy hair and all.





I could squeeze Cullen. My little love.
Now, let's talk about this week's fun stuff!





Thank you, Rach, for a beautiful symbol of our tattoo experience together, and an constant reminder of why I got what I did in the first place.

Celtic Cross

Baby Lips is a fun lip balm, with just a little touch of color. Bex talked about it a few weeks, and I agree with her that it's worth a try.


Thanks to the pictures below and some encouragement/inspiration from Jenny, I took the plunge, and purchased a denim shirt and leopard print scarf... and I am SO glad I did! What fun outfit ideas are you  hoping to bring to life?

Denim Shirt, Black Skinnies/tights, brown boots. YES.

Scarf Inspiration. Black, brown, gray...love.

Scramble with Friends is a blast-y blast. Download it on your iphone or droid. Such an addicting game!


I'm off to take a nap. For reals.

Santa Barbara will welcome all of us next week!
~Jessica

Thursday Latelies- Pinterest Fun!

Welcome to 2012!

Despite my pessimism surrounding the month of January (which I talk about in this week's videos), I am actually having a decent start to the new year. I hope the same for you, my friends.

I actually did some of the things that I pinned on Pinterest recently, so this week is dedicated the website that I can't pull myself away from.

Shall we begin? Ok!





Avocados are a gift to my taste buds. Why I didn't discover this sooner, I do not know. I'm just glad that we have a friendship now.


The lemon/aspirin face mask is wonderful. Boy does this make your skin feel a-ma-zing! Get past the burn, and you'll be happy with the result. Promise. You can do it once a week if you'd like. If you try it, let me know it goes. Below is my experience. Good luck with the burn.... buahahahahaha (evil laugh).





Apple Pie Oatmeal is a huge hit for me. Super healthy, filling, and tasty. Why didn't I try this sooner?! Top it with a pinch or two of brown sugar or some honey, and you have yourself a fine breakfast. The recipe I linked doesn't include cinnamon, but I would recommend it- it adds to the flavor. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have this week!

"Apple Pie Oatmeal"

Zombies, blood, guts, and gore are not my thing, but a good story is, therefore "The Walking Dead" has been a hit with me and Bobby this week. I was surprised at how much I have liked this show. It's certainly dark, and there isn't a whole lot of warm fuzzies, if you will, but we are hoooooked. We've enjoyed trying to put the pieces of the story together. Season 1 is on "instant stream" on Netflix, and season 2 starts February 12th.


"Downton Abbey" has given me more settling thoughts to fall asleep to, instead of ending the night with psycho zombies on the brain. The story takes place in England during the early nineteen hundreds, and follows a family who owns an enormous estate. The characters are rich, the acting is great, Emmy awarding winning actually, and the stories are very intriguing. Season 1 is on Netflix on "instant stream," and season 2 begins on January 8th.


That wraps it up for me! Have a great weekend, and don't forget to head over to Bex's blog, and see what all the other ladies are loving this week!

See you next week!

~Jessica