Friday, January 30, 2009

Please pray for my little man

(from happier, non sick times)


Jackson has been super sick this week and I would very much appreciate your prayers. He has RSV, ear infections in both ears, a fever and a cough. Poor little guy!

He is going to be ok eventually, and is on lots of meds, I just hate that he is so miserable.

He's been sick all week the poor thing, I'm just glad I pre-wrote all my blog posts last week...because I have been so busy trying to help him feel as comfortable as possible I haven't done anything else. I just want him to be well again.

I'll be back with an update this weekend.

Thanks in advance for the prayers!

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Thursday, January 29, 2009

Motherhood Defined

It's funny how being a parent changes your life. I know Johnson and Johnson have a campaign out with their advertising that says "Having a baby changes everything" and it's really true.

For instance, I love how the girl that used to be super obsessed with all her clothes and how they looked can suddenly let one of shirts double as a burp cloth at a moments notice.

Yep, that's me (then and now) ...and I think changes like that are super cool.

When I go to the mall during the week, and all the other moms are there with their strollers and Diaper bags, we smile as we pass one another in the aisles, secretly sharing in each other's maternal joy...if only for a second.

I really love the fact that I cannot go ANYWHERE without having someone admire my beautiful baby......let me tell you, I feel pretty good about that considering I'm the one who grew him for 9 months.

Something else that I'm pleasantly surprised at is that my friends who are unmarried and still in college have embraced the fact that I am married and have a baby......and still make time for me. :-) They also think of things that I can do with them that don't involve clubs, boos, or cigarette smoke. (Abby and Am you rock my world!)

So yeah, I'm just really happy with this whole mom thing, it feels great, even if this was my sloppy way of saying so.

**Originally Posted September 18, 2007**

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Wednesday, January 28, 2009

BlogHer 09 here I come!

So after Bliss'Dom 09 kind of snuck up on me...and I found myself financially unprepared to go, I decided I would start working hard and planning early to attend BlogHer 09, no matter what!

Well, that has already paid off, as I'm more than halfway to my goal right now, thanks to a couple of awesome Stampin' Up! parties! I also started selling AVON again, as another way to make funds for my trip.

So, I'm not even asking for handouts or anything this time around, but I did want to say...

  • If you need Stamping or Scrapbooking supplies you can get them HERE 24/7!
  • If you need Make-Up or other personal care items and super cute accesories you can get them HERE 24/7!
  • And if you need cute Handmade Valentine Items or Custom made scrapbook pages you can get them HERE 24/7!
  • I would also love to take custom orders for scrapbook pages, party invitations, and anything else you can dream up, right here on my blog. Just leave me a comment or drop me an email, and we will start working on your project!
Bottom line is, I'm busting my behind to get to BlogHer09, and if you can help by buying any of the things mentioned above, great! If not, you could just leave a nice supportive comment for me, and I'll be just as appreciative. Every little bit helps! Honest to goodness! :-)

After all, supportive readers are one of the many reasons I have been inspired to attend the conference in the first place!

Thank you to everyone in advance! You guys are truly the best ever!

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Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Tomorrow he'll be doing Multiplication problems

And I'm not saying that in the "my son is a baby genius way" but rather the "my son is growing at lighting speed" way.

Seriously, this week Jackson has decided that he would start walking more. Like today he went across the living room! He also is drinking from a regular cup sometimes, and with minimal spillage.




So I just know that while I'm so proud of these little feats in our life, I really will look up and tomorrow he'll be sitting at the kitchen table doing math homework. *tear*

Tonight while I was in the check-out line at the grocery store I noticed the girl in front of me and her adorable 3 month old. She looked tired, and I told her it gets better. She said "When will he start sleeping through the night? Because I'm ready!" I told her it varies and to be patient, that it would happen soon enough.

Little does she know that in the blink of an eye that little guy will be grown.

I'm still in shock that Jackson will be 2 in August!

So today the Big Boy cup, tomorrow multiplication, and next week? Maybe Harvard or Yale?

LOL! I can dream, right. :-)

Slow down Baby J, Mommies heart just can't keep up!

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Monday, January 26, 2009

Favicon

Another Bloggy Meet-up!


I have to say that if you don't read The Miss Elaine-ous Life, you should probably start. I say that because Elaine is just as cool, if not more so, than she comes across in her posts.

I spent all day with her Saturday, and we had an awesome time! I go to meet her whole family, even some of her extended family...and they are all such wonderful generous people!

I walked into Elaine's house to scrapbook and it felt like we had been doing that every Sat. for months! This is why I think Bloggy Meet-ups are the best!

Seriously, I think they are just the kindest people ever! I hope to go back really soon!

Thanks for everything Elaine, I had a wonderful time!

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Sunday, January 25, 2009

Ecostore Winners!

Hey guys! I know you all have been waiting patiently for me to announce the winners, and I'm finally here to do it!

Sorry for the delay, but I spent all day yesterday in Dallas with Elaine from The Miss-Elaine-ous Life....and I didn't get home until almost midnight, at which point I collapsed onto the bed. :-)

So without further ado! The Winners!!! I put all the entries into a bowl and let Jackson draw out 2! At first he grabbed like 20, but after a few tries I got him to pull out one name with each hand! :-)

Congrats goes to:

Jenna from- Jenna's Life She won the Laundry Liquid!

and

Steph from- Adventures in Babywearing She won the Baby Shampoo!

Thank you to everyone who entered! Stay tuned, there will be more contests really soon! :-)

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Thursday, January 22, 2009

My Little Hombre




Here are photos from Jackson's school fundraiser that was last Saturday. Each class had a different country to represent and Jackson's was Mexico. That explains his super cute poncho!

I think it's really funny that the little boy next to him in the first photo is crying...because he only does that in school shows....seriously the rest of the time that kid is SO happy.....funny what going in front of a crowd does to you.

The photos aren't that great, but they wouldn't let me get very close, or use a flash! :-( ( They should know by now I need great shots for my scrapbook! LOL) All that leads me to believe that my next big purchase will be a zoom lens.

Hope you are having a great day!

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Wednesday, January 21, 2009

I'm around....I think

Right now I'm knee deep in Strep Throat(fun, fun!), homework, and plateau in my weight loss. All this has me very tired, busy, and a little bummed.

I will hopefully return to my regularly scheduled blogging in a few days. Until then hang tight, and I'll announce the ecostore winner on Saturday morning!

Talk to you soon!

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Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Because the first one is so awesome!

Just in case the first Evolution of Dance wasn't enough for you! :-)



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Monday, January 19, 2009

Having a bad day?

Just watch this video! I couldn't stop smiling the whole time I was watching it!



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Sunday, January 18, 2009

Win a free blog design!


Doodlebug Designs Giveaway

Judi at Doodlebug Designs is giving away a free blog design! You should totally go and enter! :-) If you don't. that only increase my chances of winning! Hehe!

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Friday, January 16, 2009

For Me?


Awww! Sherrie at Boogers, Screams, Headaches and Dreams picked me for this super sweet award! Thanks Sherrie!

The Friendship Award means:"These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.

I have to be honest and say that while I would love to sit here and type out 8 specific bloggers and my reasons for choosing them, I just can't. This semester of school is already insane, and I only have a 15 minutes a day to devote to blogging....SO If you are a bloggy friend of mine, YOU deserve this award!

Feel free to post it on your blog! Seriously, all my awesome readers and friends deserve this award! :-)

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Thursday, January 15, 2009

Ecostore USA Review and Giveaway!


"Green" never smelled so good!

That was my first impression when we used a bottle of Baby Sleepytime Bath from Ecostore USA! It smelled awesome!

This was surprising to me because I had already formed ideas in my head about what a "green" product would be like.

These were:

1. That "green" products would have little or no fragrance since a lot of chemicals are used in adding fragrance to products.

and

2. That "green" cleaning products wouldn't work as efficiently as regular ones since it was the "hard chemicals" that got things clean in the first place.

Boy was I wrong!

Not only did the products I received from Ecostore smell WONDERFUL, but from my experience they all worked just as well as their (chemical containing) commercial counterparts. The best part is that Ecostore products contain No Nasty Chemicals.

All their products are made using plant-based ingredients, essential oils, and other natural resources.

As it says on their website, No Nasty Chemicals is the foundation of the entire product line and philosophy of Ecostore. For more about Ecostore's beginnings, go HERE.

I had the privilege of trying out 4 products from Ecostore USA.

First was the fabulous Baby Sleepytime Bath I mentioned earlier. The smell really was wonderful, and Jackson was very relaxed after his bath, so I think this product lives up to it's name. :-) I enjoyed it because the smell lasted around the bathroom for almost 2 hours after his bath was over! Everytime I walked by I would catch a whiff and I felt soothed by the smell myself.

Next came their Baby Shampoo which smelled great and lathered up easily. Jackson's hair was noticably shiny the morning after we used this...and I liked that alot.

I also received a bottle of Laundry Liquid and a tub of Pure Oxygen Whitener to use with my laundry. Trying them out had me actually looking forward to laundry day....and let me tell you, that doesn't happen often around here! :-)

The Whitener got a really good test because I added it to a load of my husbands socks and white T-shirts, both of which had their share of stains. Not only did the whites come out looking brighter, now all but one of the stains was gone (it was BBQ sauce, so I'm not surprised)! I was very impressed with the results I got from this product, and I didn't even use that much!

The Laundry Liquid came last and it left me with a good impression as well. My clothes came out of the washer clean and fresh, and I actually feel like the Eco Store liquid cleaned my clothes better than some of the Bigger Brands I have purchased in the past.

Overall I was very pleased with all 4 of the Ecostore products I tried. The big thing with all of them was that I didn't have to use very much of the products to achieve my goal, and that was really nice.

Ecostore says: We know that it can be expensive to buy natural or organic products, but we've found a way around this by safely super-concentrating each formulation. This means that a little really does go a long, long way. The result is saving money by significantly cutting down on cost per use.

In these hard economic times, that made me feel really good!

Now, onto the GIVEAWAY!

I have one bottle of Ecostore Laundry Liquid and one bottle of Ecostore Baby Shampoo to give away, so there will be 2 winners!

1st Entry: Visit the Ecostore USA website and leave a comment telling me which item (NOT MENTIONED HERE!) you like best.

Additional Entries (after you have completed the 1st Entry):

2. Blog about the giveaway with a link to Ecostore USA and another to my blog, Love, Life, Family...and then some. Leave a comment with the URL.

3. Add me to your Twitter (I'm @princesshaley) and Tweet about the giveaway. Leave a comment telling me that you did and include your Twitter name.

4. Follow my blog and leave a comment telling me you did so.

So, you can have a total of 4 entries! Good Luck everyone! :-)

This contest closes Jan 23rd at Midnight CST.

The Winners will be drawn and contacted shortly there after.

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Monday, January 12, 2009

Harley D you will be greatly missed


I'm a so sad to say that today my Mom's "baby" and our families beloved dog, Harley D, has died due to Kidney failure. This was VERY unexpected, and is just so hard on our family.

Please, keep Harley and my Mom in your thoughts and prayers this week. My mom is beside herself.

Thank you.

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It's ok

Thanks to several wonderful ladies in the blogosphere, I can now say to you that it's ok.

  • It's ok that I don't get every single crumb swept up off the floor at night.
  • It's ok that I feel insanely overwhelmed while going to school myself and trying to manage a one year old at the same time.
  • It's ok that I'm not a tooth pick, and that I don't dress like the women on Desparate Housewives everyday.

It's all ok because I am still a loving mother and wife, who tries to give 100% of her heart to her family everyday. That is all that matters, not all the other superficial stuff. Who cares if I'm not super Mommy...I'm Jackson's mommy, and to me that's all I need to be!

****Originally posted Oct. 10, 2008****

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Sunday, January 11, 2009

Week 1 of Diet and Excercise

Success! I feel so much better it is just unbelievable! I have lost 3 lbs so far an I'm doing cardio at the gym 6 times a week.

My secret to long,awesome cardio workouts???? Using an Elliptical Machine that has a T.V. on it where I can watch TLC while I workout! You might think this is silly, but since we do not have cable in our home (to save on expenses, as well as save my child from being lazy and brain dead, heck to save myself from those things as well!) it is a nice little indulgence for me to take in one or two episodes of "What Not To Wear" while busting my butt.

I also went and bought some Vitamins and supplements yesterday, so I'm hoping those will help as well!

I am very pleased with this weeks results and the diet will continue in full force next week!

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Saturday, January 10, 2009

It's no wonder!

This morning as I was sitting here trying to think of something special to do for myself today, I realized it's no wonder that I am a fat cow right now trying to lose 70 lbs!

Each time I would think of something special for myself this afternoon, it would involve food. Fast food or sit down food...inevitably food that is all high cal. and carb. :-(

I realized then, that the way I have been treating myself since Jackson was born was by eating! I guess because I could do it with him right there, and it didn't involve a lot of effort, but the satisfaction I would get from it would be so great!....And so I now know why I am so fat. :-(

Boy, how sad...

So, can you all out there help me think of ways to treat myself besides with food, obviously I need help in this area.

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Friday, January 09, 2009

Consignment stores, Etsy sellers, and Toy Makers in GRAVE Danger!

Check out this post by Heathen Family Revival.

She has an awesome post about how much Consignment Stores, Etsy shops and Toy Makers will suffer if the government put into affect The CPSIA on Feb 10th. The Act doesn't just affect toys, if put into affect it would make selling used Childrens Clothes in consignment shops (and at garage sales) illegal!

Please, please, read her post and do whatever you can to help! I now have two buttons in my sidebar, and I've written all my representatives. As someone who sells on Etsy and who is close friends with a Consignment shop owner, I feel this issue needs lots of attention right now!

Thanks readers!

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Thursday, January 08, 2009

Let's get serious

Well really, you don't have to....but I do! Yesterday I had a good long conversation with myself about my health and weight and then I began what I hope the most successful diet to date.

Not just because I want to be a thin, Hot Mamma, but because I'm really REALLY tired of feeling bad all the time.

And I only have myself to blame, so I went back to the gym yesterday, and will continue to do so regularly. I'm also on the Nutrisystem diet, thanks to a generous Christmas gift from my Mommy! I went on that diet for a short time after I had Jackson and I lost 20lbs, but since then I h ave of course gained that back, and then some.

I'm not even embarrassed to tell you all any of this because I am truly ready for a change! I want to lose 70 lbs overall, but if I get to 5o I'll be thrilled!

So yeah, if I'm a bit crabby it's because me and McDonald's have broken up, but it's good thing. :-)

I'm so ready to feel better, inside and out!

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Wednesday, January 07, 2009

Stampin' Up! Inventory Blowout!

Dates: January 5-18, 2009

Get retired, retiring, and current products up to 50 percent off regular price!

Items retiring from the Fall-Winter 2008 Idea Book & Catalog:

Item Page Description Regular Price Discount Price
109190 180

On Board 9" x 9" clipboard

$7.95 $5.99
107925 181

On Board Bitty Book

$9.95 $6.99
105384 183

Mellow Moss 6" x 6" Linen Post album

$19.95 $14.99
105381 183

Real Red 6" x 6" Linen Post album

$19.95 $14.99
103977 187

Bold Bright buttons

$6.95 $4.99
104389 188

Double Circle punch

$5.95 $4.49
114447 n/a

Country Living Holiday Collection Stampin' Kit

$49.95 $24.98
*Items available while supplies last; page numbers refer to the Fall-Winter 2008 Idea Book & Catalog

Retired items from the Spring-Summer 2008 Idea Book & Catalog:

Item Page Description Regular Price Discount Price
109013 163

Blue Bayou Classic Stampin' Pad

$5.25 $3.99
109012 163

Groovy Guava Classic Stampin' Pad

$5.25 $3.99
109011 163

Purely Pomegranate Classic Stampin' Pad

$5.25 $3.99
109010 163

River Rock Classic Stampin' Pad

$5.25 $3.99
109009 163

Soft Sky Classic Stampin' Pad

$5.25 $3.99
109014 163

Wild Wasabi Classic Stampin' Pad

$5.25 $3.99
109179 178

On Board Ginormous Pieces

$14.95 $10.99
109189 190

Beachfront Ribbon Originals

$12.95 $7.99
109187 190

District Ribbon Originals

$12.95 $7.99
109188 190

Fairy Tale Ribbon Originals

$12.95 $8.49
109185 190

Jersey Ribbon Originals

$12.95 $8.99
109184 190

Sherbet Ribbon Originals

$12.95 $8.99
109186 190

Theater Ribbon Originals

$12.95 $8.49
109062 191

River Rock double-stitched ribbon

$8.95 $6.49
110716 191

Wild Wasabi striped grosgrain ribbon

$7.95 $5.49
*Items available while supplies last; page numbers refer to the Spring-Summer 2008 Idea Book & Catalog

Current products appearing in the upcoming Spring-Summer 2009 Idea Book & Catalog:
Item Page Description Regular Price Discount Price
111349 162

Tangerine Tango 8-1/2" x 11" card stock

$5.50 $4.49
111345 162

In Color (2008-2009) 12" x 12" textured card stock

$11.95 $8.99
109110 185

Fire Circle Rhinestone brads

$10.95 $7.99
109112 185

Fire Square Rhinestone brads

$10.95 $7.99
109113 185

Ice Square Rhinestone brads

$10.95 $7.99
111325 185

Styled Silver Hodgepodge Hardware

$29.95 $22.49
112454 185

Styled Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware

$29.95 $22.49
113451 n/a

20th Anniversary Embosslits die

$11.95 $9.49
*Quantities at reduced price are limited; page numbers refer to the Fall-Winter 2008 Idea Book & Catalog


Order now to get these products before they are gone! To order leave me a comment or shoot me an email....or you can order online HERE 24/7!


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Tuesday, January 06, 2009

A little bit of Love




Here are a few Valentines that I listed on Etsy today! Enjoy! The color is just a bit off in the photos, but it was rainy here today, so that was the best I could do! I love the one with the owl because of the cheesy sentiment "Love Owl-ways!" I'm such a nerd!

Have a great day!

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Monday, January 05, 2009

We grow together

If there's one thing I've learned from parenting, it's that even little victories and triumphs are to be celebrated.

Case in point: Over the holiday break, in which there was no preschool for the last 2 1/2 weeks, I have made mountains of progress with my little man.

My patience with him is better than ever and I'm proud to say that now when he has a tantrum, I can respond calmly and diffuse it rather than get angry and all wrapped up in it myself.

I also have grown more firm in my parenting, because after several nights of Jackson staying up until 2 am, I drew the line, and started putting him in the bed at 9 and closing the door. To all you seasoned parents out there, this probably is no great feat...but for me it is HUGE! It was so hard for me to close him in there and hear him whining, and still stand my ground...but the payoff has been fabulous! We have now successfully gone to bed at 9 for over a week! Yay!

We also worked on his signing so much...he is becoming such the little communicator! His new words are doggie, no no, and toy. His new signs are water and Thank you!

The biggest news is that this weekend while we were at my Mom's house we were encouraging him to walk and he took several steps and came right too me without falling! That's HUGE in my world.

Being a mother is such a blessing in that you can take delight in your fabulous relationship with your children everyday! I'm so happy where we are right now...I can't wait to see what comes next!

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Sunday, January 04, 2009

Someone read my wishlist...

Because I got one of THESE in my stocking this year! (I love you Dav!) Needless to say I have been doing housework while singing very loudly and off key. :-)

I'm currently looking for new music to load it up with, so if you have a favorite song or band you think I'd be into, just leave it on the comments! Thanks!

What awesome thing did you get for Christmas?

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Saturday, January 03, 2009

I need a little "Bliss" in my life

get-your-bliss-on Badges

Bliss'Dom09 that is! Let's face it, all the cool mom's are gonna be there, including one of my faves, and I would really like to meet her!

Most importantly however, I really feel that I could gain tons of knowledge on how to blog better for YOU, the reader! :-) That would be fabulous for me as well, because I could cross one resolution off my list early this year, and perhaps make a little extra funds for my family. So really, everyone wins!

So here's the deal. I need around $550 to go. I would LOVE to work out a Sponsorship Deal with you/your company! I'm open to reviewing products/services as part of the deal. Please feel free to contact me through a comment or email. Serious inquiries only please.

Bottom Line is, I really want to go, and if you/your company helps get me there, I will do ALL I can to make it worth your while!

Thanks folks!

After all you're the reason I blog to begin with!

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Friday, January 02, 2009

Love You Much Promotion!

Happy New Year! Now that's it's January, it's time to get started on all those Valentines for next month! Here's a great deal to get you going!



Now - January 31, 2009 Get 20% off the Love You Much Bundle!


Everything you need to get ready for Valentine's Day with the exclusive Love You Much Bundle (item 115405).
The Love You Much Bundle includes the following:

Description Retail Value

Love You Much stamp set

$25.95

Candy Lane Designer Series paper (Close to Cocoa, Pink Pirouette, Riding Hood Red, Very Vanilla)

$9.95

Heart To Heart punch

$15.95


Bundle Retail Value

$51.85


Love You Much Bundle (20% off; item 115405)

$41.48


To order go HERE or contact me through a comment or email! Thanks!

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Thursday, January 01, 2009

New Year, New Ambitions, Same Me?

So here I am, with another year gone by. Boy was this last year a big one too!

My little man had his 1st birthday along with a ton of other firsts.

We had a huge Disney vacation, while the terrible Ike raged through our home state.

I got just a little closer to finally finishing my BA (woohoo, I graduate in the summer!) and I've found a good balance for housework and family time.

I became more passionate than ever about preserving our families memories with scrapbooking, and through LOTS and LOTS of photos.

So for 2009 I have just few goals, most of which coincide with things that I started this year.

In 2009:

I want lose weight (surprise, surprise). Seriously, this last year I got way to comfortable with both eating and looking like crap. I want to get thinner, but also I want to try and dress nice again. I need to be a Hot Mamma! :-) So, better foods and working out are in order.

I want to take pictures EVERYDAY. Jackson is growing to fast, and making too many memories for me to just sit back and let them slide away.

I want to scrap as often as possible. This goes along with the last one obviously, but I really need to do this. I really con not stand the idea of letting photos pile up, so if I'm consistent, I can keep up with things as they happen.

I want to love myself more. Being SO in love with the hubs and the little, I have almost totally forgotten about myself. This year I want to splurge on myself occasionally, and try not to compare myself to others...because really... I am an outstanding wife, mother, and woman...I just get so wrapped in other things (and what other people are doing) that I forget.

I want to get back into music like I used to be. It gives me so much inspiration and joy, I can't believe that I let it fall to the wayside with so many other things this year.

I want to develop my Etsy and Stampin' Up! businesses better, as well as develop the business aspects of my blog.

The last thing is that I would like to try and start meal planning and cooking more, but that might be hard for the first few months of this year, since I'm planning on going on a diet. For this one, we shall see.

I hope you have a fabulous New Year, and that you have all your resolutions together! Please feel free to share yours in the comments!

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