What's New-Life Catch up and stuff

We hit 25 weeks this week with baby. If you didn't see our gender announcement on other forms of social media we are having a boy! 

Baby is doing well in face the doctor said she is very happy and everything is going perfectly. I cannot tell you how awesome that was to hear.

I haven't gained any 'weight' this pregnancy so far. I actually am down about 15 pounds because I was having some serious food aversions throughout the first trimester and since then I have just been trying to eat as healthy as I can whenever I can. I'm having a hard time eating for the most part and find myself getting super full really quickly. I'm totally not complaining since I gained like 40 pounds with Kyra and if I come out of this pregnancy actually smaller than I went in? BONUS. Baby boy is gaining weight just fine though so no worries there.

My pup Arya knocked over my old computer the other day and now it has finally bitten the dust. That was a huge bummer but at least it let me save all my files and everything to a hard drive before it finally powered down for good.

Since I'm working from home I decided to take my taxes to get done by a professional this year. I'm glad that she is taking over honestly because I have never had to deal with self employment tax and all the things that go along with that. It's just worth it to me to have the piece of mind that the taxes will be done correctly and I don't have to spend a day doing it and learning how to do it properly. #worthit

I've become obsessed with cleaning videos on YouTube. Like watching people clean their house. I'm sure it has to do with nesting but honestly it has also made me want to clean my house more and more so that has to be a good thing right? However it has also made me want to try new cleaning products. I see a lot of these women use Mrs. Meyers or they go through Grove Collaborative. Now this may just be because they are sponsored by these products but I'm honestly curious, have any of you used these products or this site? Is it worth the hype? This mama needs to know because I honestly just want to clean this house from top to bottom while I still have the energy to do so!

Speaking of energy it comes and goes. Monday I was fully of energy for the most part because I had a doctor's appointment and had things going on all morning, then I had a small nap, and then a birthday celebration with my in laws. Tuesday I felt like a truck hit me. So tired and so worn out that I didn't even get out of bed until 9 am despite being awake for about 2 hours by then. I was just there listening to Kyra breathe and feeling baby boy moving around and trying to stay as still as possible because if the dogs know I'm awake then they will promptly be all over me. Anyhow I did eventually get up but the whole day I felt like I should have just been in bed instead. SO TIRED. And then Wednesday I was full of energy all morning and got so much done but by 1pm I was napping on the couch with Kyra. It's just so up and down. 


And lastly I'm finally one of those to join the essential oil club. I bought a 3 pack at Ross with the intention of making some wool dryer balls and infusing them with scents to replace using dryer sheets. I haven't gotten my wool done yet but I did infuse some baking soda with the lavender and sprinkled it all over the mattress while I was washing the sheets and comforter. It made my bed smell like HEAVEN. Seriously game changer. Now I need a diffuser because honestly if it made my bed smell that good then I need my whole house to smell that way. Sold. 

Be sure to join the linkup and share what's new with you! 

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What's New With You...

Kyra is starting preschool in a few weeks. I'm so excited for her but also a little heartsick over it. I mean she has been my buddy for the past 4 years and we have never spent more than 12 hours apart since the day she was born. Not that we will be spending that much time apart I mean it is only a few hours a week but still....my baby girl is growing up and it's happening to fast! 

Kyra also started gymnastics this summer. She has loved it since day one and I am so proud of how much she has learned these past few weeks! She can now do a bridge and climbs the ladder all the way to the top! She was so scared she would cry when it was time for the ladder in the first weeks but then about 2 weeks ago she just did it and reached the top and hit that big red button. Seriously I am just so proud of her I could burst into little fluffy bits of pride. She's growing and learning and I just cannot handle the cute of it all! 

I know it is fuzzy but she did it and I am just so proud!

I'm also planning on taking a whirlwind trip in just a few weeks. I don't have a lot to say about it yet because it is kind of a surprise/crazy thing and I don't want to jinx it but man I am excited and I cannot wait to see how it all turns out! It's going to be an adventure! 

Working from home has been amazing this summer. Though it is not without its challenges. Sometimes I find myself utterly annoyed at taking on an assignment when I know that I've got a million other things going on at home. But I want those dolla dolla bills yall. It's been nice to contribute after so long of not having any income at all. I love knowing that I'm helping in any way that I can to keep our family going. 

I'm also on the hunt for a new planner. I have loved bullet journaling but I have found that since my schedule is picking up I need something with a lot more structure that I can just grab and not worry about making a layout for it because the week is already there set up and I just need to fill it out. That isn't to say that I don't want something pretty and full of adorable stickers and cool markers but I need something that has some of the work done for me. It's going to get crazy around here once school starts and with gymnastics and with work.....yeah. So if you have any planners that you are legit happy with please let me know because I am overwhelmed with options. Also if it isn't too expensive that would be awesome because I want to get the absolute best bang for my buck! 

Well that about sums up the current situation. I'm back into reading again and writing again and that is making me happy. I've also been focusing on taking an hour out of each day for my own personal use and that is helping me feel like a human again and thus everyone in the house seems happier. Who knew? 

Happy Thursday.

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In Which We Gave Thanks, Found Fantastic Beasts, and met a Strange Doctor

On Saturday we had our first Thanksgiving of the year at my parents' place. It was delicious as always and a lot of fun. So much good food and talking, visiting, playing games. We had a really great time. Lots of pictures of Kyra were taken because she was especially adorable. 

After our dinner we decided to take a family trip to the movies and see Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. We used to go to the movies after Thanksgiving when we were little and it was great to relive that tradition this year. We also went to see all the Harry Potter movies together when they came out. It was awesome to have our big group of 8 head to the movies and all get to sit together and watch a movie. 

The move itself? BRILLIANT. It was wonderful to get to be part of the Harry Potter world again even with different characters. Actually it was even better because this was totally new. I loved the stories and the Fantastic Beasts were like something out of my childhood imagination. I want to see the movie approximately a billion more times. I would drop everything and go see it again today if I could! 



Sunday morning Robert mentioned going to see Doctor Strange and after seeing Fantastic Beasts I was ready to go to the movies again. Kyra was so well behaved during the movies and I think that part of that was due to the awesome theater seats that they have installed. You can recline them and she was having a great time making hers go up and down before the movie started.

Doctor Strange was good though not as good as Fantastic Beasts in my opinion. My biggest issue is the whole world flipping thing, it always makes me a little nauseous and gives me a bit of a headache. But Benedict Cumberbatch was great to watch and the actual story line was good. 

After the movie we had to stop by Walmart so I could pick up some Christmas gifts I had ordered and then stopped by the Redbox to pick up a few more movies. (What can I say, it was a movie weekend.) The rest of Sunday was spent curled up on the couch together watching Tarzan, Star Trek: Beyond, and Warcraft. 

All in all the weekend was pretty much amazing. 

How was your weekend?

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In Which it is Monday Again

This weekend was short but sweet. Robert was gone (deer season) so it was just Kyra and me at the house this weekend. We spent it happily watching Disney movies, Musicals, Reading, and going to the park enjoying the beautiful weather we have been having here. I didn't get many pictures because instead I was playing with my little lady and just enjoying myself, but here are the ones that I managed to snap. 

Swings are the favorite right now. I cannot get over how tall she is though!

She loves SnapChat filters. So cute.

So now it is Monday again and it feels like the kind of Monday that requires a bit of motivation to get the week going. So here is your Monday Motivation post.

 

Have a Great Day Everyone.

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In Which There Were Many Festivals

Saturday: Our town was having the annual Applefest and of course that meant it was a madhouse around here. However Robert decided that this year we would try and benefit from it a little and opened up some space to let people pay to park in them. I have to say that it was a HUGE success! It was super easy and people were so happy to get to park so close to the festivities. We actually made a good amount of money and will be for sure doing the same thing next week during the annual Irish Festival! 

We also did a little bit of Halloween crafting but nothing is finished yet so I don’t have pictures to show you all. Hopefully we will have them completed within the week!

Sunday: We made plans to go to the Renaissance Festival with Robert’s brother and his family. It was a really beautiful day out and it was the perfect day for walking around. Kyra dressed up as an archer and she LOVED the costume. It was super comfortable and she loved getting compliments. 

The festival always has awesome things to do and see but Kyra really loves the petting zoo. Goats, a donkey, pigs, and sheep…she loves them all.

She also convinced Daddy to carry her around for a bit. We had the stroller but she still managed to get him to carry her on his shoulders for a while. 

The Children’s realm was a big hit this time too. I only got the one picture because I was busy chasing her up and down the slides. Sometimes you just have to put the camera down and just join in the fun! 

I did snap a selfie before we went in because I was feeling my makeup. I needed photo evidence!

It was a great weekend and very busy too! How was yours?

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In Which Games, Beauty stuff, and fun happened.

Friday: My husband took off for the weekend the day before leaving me to single parent again for the weekend. No big deal, he does this trip yearly but I am beginning to feel like maybe I need a trip now? Seriously I think he could handle a weekend with his daughter on his own. (Longest time without me: 1.5 hrs)  Mama needs some downtime.
Anyhow my youngest brother came over and hung out with Kyra and I and a lot of time was spent chasing Kyra and watching Critical Role.

There was also a wildlife siting. 

Also I took the opportunity to take care of beauty stuff because 1. I enjoy it and 2. My pores needed it.

Then I spent a huge chunk of the evening getting caught up on blog reading and working on this week planner setup. Yep I know how to party. 

Saturday: Pretty much a chill day. My brother and I hung out some more, watched a ton of movies and basically were slugs all day. It was glorious. There is no photographic evidence of the sluggery.



Sunday: My brother wanted to go to the Tabletop store so Kyra and I tagged along.

After that we stopped by the mall and wandered for a while. It was SO MUCH FUN. We don't have an indoor mall close to us anymore (this one is about 45 minutes away) and I miss them so much. Outdoor "shopping centers" are pointless here in Missouri because it is either so hot you melt into the pavement or it is so cold you don't leave the one store you go to. Stupid. Anyhow this was awesome fun and we got to walk around for a good long while and let Kyra play at the play place which made her super happy. Also I got a Milk Tea which made my day. 

After goofing around at the mall we headed home and my other brother came over and Robert came home from his trip away and we all had a game night. It was great fun and we drug it out until 1am before I finally threw in the towel and headed to bed. 


All in all it was great weekend! 

How was yours? 

Happy Monday Everyone.

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Life Lately...

So last week was a bit topsy turvy for me. I'm not going into it because it is all personal stuff but today I am back to blogging and I thought I would share some of the pictures from some happy times these past few days. 


The weather has been better around here so I've been trying to make sure that Kyra and I get out and about to explore the world. 

Park time fun; caterpillar, MASSIVE mushroom

Also last week we went to the Renaissance Festival and while it was fun it was also pretty hot that day. Still Kyra was cute as ever. 

Pumpkin Spice is taking over. I don't mind. Still...is there a flavor Oreo won't try? 

People keep telling me that avocados are the best. I have never gotten into them. However I was told to try it on toast with red onion, salt, and pepper....and I really liked it. Damn it. 

Now for a bit of fun motivational/inspirational stuff: 

Welcome back Monday. 


Don't forget to join the Show Us Your Books Linkup tomorrow!

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Weekend Recap: Fall is Coming!

Saturday: We decided to get out of the house for a bit and headed up north to check out the "McDonald's of the Future". It was pretty nice all in all. The touch screen order system was cool but the Mom in me kept thinking about germs....and while they are currently offering unlimited fries we did not partake in that. Kyra really enjoyed the play place, which was pretty cool. 

She is so cute. Seriously.

After that we stopped by T.J. Maxx to do some searching. I didn't find what I was looking for but I did find a pretty awesome Headless Horseman to add to my Halloween decor! 

He is pretty awesome.

Then we stopped by Michael's and got my favorite purchase of the weekend. 

This is Thaddeus. I Adore him.

He is huge. Kyra LOVES him, but insists his name is Toad.

Then it was time to do some thrift shopping and that meant more Halloween fun and goofing around. 

She was so excited to take this picture.

Epic Halloween Thrift Store finds!

After playing around we finally hit up the grocery store for necessities and then headed home. Honestly by the time we made it home we only had the energy to make some sandwiches for dinner and then it was bath time bed time! 


Sunday: Kyra and I woke up extra early for some reason and we spent the morning playing Peppa Pig and Little Charmers. Then Robert took over for playtime and I did I few chores. I knew we were going to my parents' for the afternoon so I wanted to make sure the house was at least decent before we left. 

Sunday dinner at my parents' is always fun. Also my mom and I are of the same mind. BRING ON FALL. 

I swear she is like Martha Stewart of the Midwest. Everything is so nicely decorated and of course the dinner table looked lovely. 

We stayed and visited for a long while and then headed home. I wasn't feeling super awesome at this point so we decided to just watch movies and relax. We ended up watching Heart of the Sea which was surprisingly really interesting. I had thought it might be a bit boring but honestly I was completely into the story. Also...Chris Hemsworth. YUM. 

That was our weekend! What did you all get up to? Anyone else over eager for Fall???

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