First and Second Pregnancies is as Different as Night and Day.

Hello World! It's been a hot minute, I know! As you all know I've been more than busy with my now one year old, and halfway through my pregnancy with our surprise twins!

Well anyway, Happy Fall Y'all!

I just woke up today thinking, I wonder if first time moms really believe the rest of us when we try to explain the differences between the first pregnancy and the second (or third).
First off, I think more often than not, I don't know what week of pregnancy I'm in, let alone even the trimester I'm in... seems impossible, but its true. With Little B I researched everyday what he weighed, what was maturing, what would happen if he was born on that exact day of gestation...This wasn't a weekly thing either, it was literally every day of my 40 weeks. I would Google '26 weeks 2 days gestation' or whatever I was wondering about. I got nothing accomplished at work, I spent all day everyday on my phone or the computer looking up things about my growing baby. This time around, I am so busy with my first baby & completely forget I'm pregnant, until its Little B is down for a nap and I get to sit down, and all the sudden feel kicks all over the place, & it all comes back to me. "oh ya! there's 2 babies in there! oops!"
You don't get to be exhausted until baby's down for the night. I don't get to pay attention to how heavy my belly is, or how much the pain in my leg hurts because one of the babies is laying on a nerve... I get to work through it and act like it's not there. Because at the moment, I'm Little B's mom first, and a pregnant miserable lady second, and I think all mommys of more than one will agree to that.I do take it easy with if I'm having stomach cramping, or braxton hicks, I only work a half a day (on the few days I am able to work), and I go to bed at the same time as Little B, to make sure I get plenty of rest, and am ready for the next long day I am sure to have tomorrow.
The amount of things I have for these new babies, compared to how much stuff I had at this point in my pregnancy for Little B, is so drastically different, I'm almost a little embarrassed to share it with you. Literally the day I found out I was pregnant with Little B, I went out and bought a pair of baby shoes (that's how I was going to tell Big B), but the next day, and following weeks, for the length of my pregnancy I was constantly shopping for items, big items, clothes for him, decorations for his nursery, maternity clothes for me. So far, at 25 weeks 5 days (yes I just had to look at my pregnancy app to see how far along I am), I have about 2 girl new born outfits... and that is the end of my list folks! Thankfully my family is just as excited this time around as they were with Little B (I'm excited too! Just too busy to be constantly thinking of online shopping 24/7) My mother has gotten two more high chairs for the twins, although they will be staying at her house, since she has them 3 days a week so I am able to work...so that doesn't help me at my household, but at least someones got that base covered! Other Aunties have shopped sales at all the local stores and have not just gotten girl clothes, since this will be our first girl, but they also have gotten a few boy outfits as well, since the sizes and seasons will be different from Little B, we don't have very many new born/ smaller outfits in winter sizes.I do know that we have not stocked up as much on clothing for them because with Little B I spent all Yard sale season looking for baby boy clothes...well this year I didn't know what I was having until the End of August, which around here also marks the end of yard sale season, so I wasn't able to stock up on second hand clothes for months, like the first time around. So we are keeping an eye on the Facebook Yard sale sites in our area for big baby items and baby girl clothes.
I am cherishing every second of this pregnancy. With Little B, when I was miserable, I would make jokes all the time about how he can hurry up and get out of me. I am not even joking about it with these little hooligans. This is the last time I will be pregnant, and I stop and enjoy the kicks or braxton hicks every chance I get, they can stay in there as long as they need, and I will not complain, they will be our last babies, and I am so mixed up about not ever being pregnant again. Stay in and cook for 13-15 more weeks sweet little babies!!
You have a whole new aspect to look at and deal with emotionally. I am no longer Little B's Mom... I am a mom of three. Which to me means I have to be a real functioning adult, hah! You're first baby you're figuring it out, and it's mostly trial and error, which I think is the life story of most first children. Well when you have three kids, I think I should probably know what the hell I'm doing for at least a good chunk of the time.The emotional part I'm talking about is I've taken away my undivided attention to my Little B, the second these new ones get here. He only had a year of being the star of every ones life, the guilt of thinking about it will bring you to tears more than once. In reality, He's so young he'll never know anything different than being a trio of my three favorite people. I feel like that will be easier on him, than if he were 5 or 6 and then had to start sharing the spotlight. I'm coming to terms with it more and more everyday, knowing that by this time next year they will all be playing so well with each other, maybe momma wont be a jungle gym, and they'll play with their millions of toys instead....maybe.

These are the major differences I've noticed so far in my second pregnancy, let me know what all you have to add to my list! I know theres probably half a dozen I've left out!

 

Boys? Girls? One of Each?

Just a quick post to update you guys before I publish my next entry! I've been out of touch for a while, and wanted to let you know what we found out a few weeks ago!

Some quick information about our twins, besides obviously, it's Girl/Boy Twins. They will not be identical, for those of you that think Boy/Girl twins can be identical haha, they can not!

They are Due January 1st, 2017, but because twins come sometime between 35-38 weeks (usually), they will be here closer to Christmas. I'm not sure if they don't come on there own by then, if they will induce me, or let me go to 40 weeks and see if they come.

I'll keep you guys updated more regularly now that I'm having regular ultrasounds every 4 weeks, not just check ups. . So far everything has been normal! Baby A, the boy is at 1lb 9 oz. Baby B, the girl, is 1lb 11oz., as of my 24 week appointment. I am now entering my 26th week of pregnancy in 2 days. So we could have as little as 9 weeks left! Although I'm hoping they stay put until closer to 38 weeks at least.

Surprise, SURPRISE!

I've been away from this blog for a minute due to the unexpected (but excited for!) second pregnancy we found out about a while ago. I've been busy with all of the initial appointments they do when you first find out, talk to a nurse, then meet with the doctor, blood work, and then the first semester ultrasound (all separate appointments of course). Well I'd like to say things should be slowing down for a while now while I'm coasting into my second trimester...but our ultrasound we had yesterday revealed quite the surprise! 

I've been searching blogs, and the internet for tips for Two under Two... Well jokes on me!

I should have been searching for tips for Three under Two, because we're having TWINS!

This isn't a blog post full of tips & tricks, because, well, I haven't got any just yet, but I wanted to update with this exciting & terrifying news. Feel free to clue me in on any advice you guys have if you're in a similar situation!

Thanks for reading guys! wish me luck!

7 Tips to Help Mentally Handle an unexpected (2nd) pregnancy

You guessed it folks...We found out two weeks ago that we are expecting baby number two! If your trying to do the math, our babies will be 16 months apart from each other. I am going to be joining the 2 under 2 club! Any of my readers out there a member of that club? Or a far scarier club (in my opinion), the 3 under 3 club?

Well over the last two weeks since we've known, I've been trying to slow myself down, and take note of what all is going on with myself, & what all my thoughts are, so as I figure them out, I can tell you guys how it all worked out! Because I know it'll all work out, not immediately, but eventually. That's what being a mom is all about, making it all work.
I don't know about you guys, but with my first pregnancy (which I will explain how it was completely different than this one so far!) EVERYTHING that could go wrong, did, and it did so all at once. Nothing with the pregnancy went wrong, just everything else in my life, I was so uncomfortable I couldn't work, our living situation, Big B's Job situation, everything. I had mental breakdowns a few times throughout those 10 months about nothing going my way (hormones I'm sure). But you know what? It feels that way again. I don't know if its the instant stress of all of it, or if it's just poor timing. So for this second time around, I am still dealing with the feeling of nothing going my way, and the world being against me.

My first tip for you guys, would be deep breaths. It's a simple one, but when you feel the tears welling up, and panic setting it, block the world out, and take 10 minutes to just breath, and not think about anything. I've been doing it daily, because my anxiety is actually affecting my ability to take deep breaths, so I am really having a hard time doing such a simple task.

I would also like to remind you guys to not feel guilty about having a second baby so close with your first. I have been feeling really guilty about not giving Little B more alone time before there was another little munchkin. I'm sure lots of mothers have that initial feeling. But kids close in age will always have a playmate! He won't realize he didn't get years alone with us, because all he'll know is being with his sibling & us. I know once the baby comes, one of my main focus' will be to continue to spend alone time with him, & give him the attention he deserves. Of course I am using Pinterest to learn about great tips from other mothers with 2 under 2.

My third tip is to not feel guilty about getting pregnant when it comes to your husband. Big B and I did not plan this baby, we were open to another one in a few years, but due to our VERY hectic schedule the last 2 1/2 months, I did not make an appointment to refill my birth control. I figured we're so busy we don't have time for "adult" shenanigans... well evidently we did find time, at least once, & that's all it took. I was so scared to tell him, not one part of me was excited to break the news to him. I was shaking and fighting back the tears, which led him to guess the big news! He has always said "one and done", & I've always wanted 3 kids, & we are still working out a compromise, so I was really afraid he would think I planned this without consulting with him first. But he understood that it just happened.We tried for 9 months to get pregnant with Little B, I charted, and had a dozen different ovulation tracker apps on my phone. Researching, and reading articles was all I did all day everyday, I was obsessed & had terrible baby fever....and this time, I didn't do one thing, I can't believe it. I still can't believe it.

Look on the bright side, you've been through it all before. You know all the steps you have to do. You know to update your insurance, what appointments to make, whether you want to change your doctor or hospital, & it all happened not too long ago, so you should remember most of it! You also know what to expect, you'll know if you're having a contraction or not, you'll know if something doesn't feel quite right, you'll know how uncomfortable you'll be when your 39 weeks pregnant.My personal silver lining is that Little B was born in August, I was 9 months pregnant when it was 102 degrees outside, I basically hated everything and everyone because I was so uncomfortable & hot. This time I am do in January, so I will still be little during summer, and getting bigger throughout fall and winter! I'm pretty darn stoked about that!!

This ones a no brainer, SPEND TIME WITH YOUR 1ST BABY. As much as possible, cherish every moment with them until baby number 2 comes. Focus on having more patience, & try to go out and do more things, not just sit at home on the weekends. I know the park has Little B's name all over it for this weekend! I'm holding him a little more, and kissing him a little longer ever since I found out our alone time wont be all the time shortly.

My next tip is an extremely important one; have a plan for your birth control in place for after you give birth (unless you want baby number 3 not far behind!). I however am not planning on having 3 under 3, because I think Big B would lose his marbles. So I plan to get an IUD placed once I'm healed. That's the method I used before Little B, but after I had him I didn't want to go that rout because I wasn't sure if we wanted to wait 5-10 years before having another one. I know I can get it taken out anytime, but it is SO uncomfortable being placed and removed, so I wanted to use it for a longgggg time before getting rid of it. So I went with the patch after having Little B... Well my 6 month supply ran out, and then I was busy with our wedding, then we went to Montana to visit family, then once we got back we had to turn around and go back for the death of Big B's Mother...and then bam, we we're pregnant. So this time I know the importance of not putting something like that off unless we plan to have another baby! So this will be one of my top priorities after I am healed, no postponing, and no excuses.

Last but not least! Get excited! Try to not focus on all the stress of everything, and focus on the fact that in a short period of time you will have another sweet perfect baby!! I think the fact that you know you only have so much time before they're here is what stresses us out, we know we only have so many days to get so much done, and try to make our home, and their whole world perfect for when they arrive. But the reality is is that they're babies, and for the first few months they are pretty easy to please (for the most part!). We're stressing over things that the baby wont even know about, notice, or remember. We just need to stay calm while we're pregnant, for both ourselves, our little peanut, and the others in our family. I can't be having mental breakdowns and crying fits every night before bed, for multiple reasons, the stress it puts on me, the stress it puts on Big B, it could wake up Little B, and it's just not worth it. Everything will be FINE. 

I know a lot of it is my hormones, but it is still hard. But on the plus side, this pregnancy so far has been much easier! I feel great (absolutely exhausted) but great! No morning sickness of any sort (so far! knock on wood!) no food aversions, with the first one I couldn't eat eggs! I also couldn't even brush my teeth without throwing up, or swallow pills. So far nothing like that with this one! The only thing I've noticed that I did with the first one and this one, is that I am so tired, I spend my lunch hour napping in my car.
Maybe since this ones so different it'll be a girl this time?
Here's to hoping!

Are any of you expecting your second little one to make you a member of the 2 under 2 club? Was it planned? was it the surprise of a life time? Do you have any tips for me while I'm still figuring my Sh*t out?

Thanks for reading!

7 Tips to Help Mentally Handle an unexpected (2nd) pregnancy

You guessed it folks...We found out two weeks ago that we are expecting baby number two! If your trying to do the math, our babies will be 16 months apart from each other. I am going to be joining the 2 under 2 club! Any of my readers out there a member of that club? Or a far scarier club (in my opinion), the 3 under 3 club?

Well over the last two weeks since we've known, I've been trying to slow myself down, and take note of what all is going on with myself, & what all my thoughts are, so as I figure them out, I can tell you guys how it all worked out! Because I know it'll all work out, not immediately, but eventually. That's what being a mom is all about, making it all work.
I don't know about you guys, but with my first pregnancy (which I will explain how it was completely different than this one so far!) EVERYTHING that could go wrong, did, and it did so all at once. Nothing with the pregnancy went wrong, just everything else in my life, I was so uncomfortable I couldn't work, our living situation, Big B's Job situation, everything. I had mental breakdowns a few times throughout those 10 months about nothing going my way (hormones I'm sure). But you know what? It feels that way again. I don't know if its the instant stress of all of it, or if it's just poor timing. So for this second time around, I am still dealing with the feeling of nothing going my way, and the world being against me.

My first tip for you guys, would be deep breaths. It's a simple one, but when you feel the tears welling up, and panic setting it, block the world out, and take 10 minutes to just breath, and not think about anything. I've been doing it daily, because my anxiety is actually affecting my ability to take deep breaths, so I am really having a hard time doing such a simple task.

I would also like to remind you guys to not feel guilty about having a second baby so close with your first. I have been feeling really guilty about not giving Little B more alone time before there was another little munchkin. I'm sure lots of mothers have that initial feeling. But kids close in age will always have a playmate! He won't realize he didn't get years alone with us, because all he'll know is being with his sibling & us. I know once the baby comes, one of my main focus' will be to continue to spend alone time with him, & give him the attention he deserves. Of course I am using Pinterest to learn about great tips from other mothers with 2 under 2.

My third tip is to not feel guilty about getting pregnant when it comes to your husband. Big B and I did not plan this baby, we were open to another one in a few years, but due to our VERY hectic schedule the last 2 1/2 months, I did not make an appointment to refill my birth control. I figured we're so busy we don't have time for "adult" shenanigans... well evidently we did find time, at least once, & that's all it took. I was so scared to tell him, not one part of me was excited to break the news to him. I was shaking and fighting back the tears, which led him to guess the big news! He has always said "one and done", & I've always wanted 3 kids, & we are still working out a compromise, so I was really afraid he would think I planned this without consulting with him first. But he understood that it just happened.We tried for 9 months to get pregnant with Little B, I charted, and had a dozen different ovulation tracker apps on my phone. Researching, and reading articles was all I did all day everyday, I was obsessed & had terrible baby fever....and this time, I didn't do one thing, I can't believe it. I still can't believe it.

Look on the bright side, you've been through it all before. You know all the steps you have to do. You know to update your insurance, what appointments to make, whether you want to change your doctor or hospital, & it all happened not too long ago, so you should remember most of it! You also know what to expect, you'll know if you're having a contraction or not, you'll know if something doesn't feel quite right, you'll know how uncomfortable you'll be when your 39 weeks pregnant.My personal silver lining is that Little B was born in August, I was 9 months pregnant when it was 102 degrees outside, I basically hated everything and everyone because I was so uncomfortable & hot. This time I am do in January, so I will still be little during summer, and getting bigger throughout fall and winter! I'm pretty darn stoked about that!!

This ones a no brainer, SPEND TIME WITH YOUR 1ST BABY. As much as possible, cherish every moment with them until baby number 2 comes. Focus on having more patience, & try to go out and do more things, not just sit at home on the weekends. I know the park has Little B's name all over it for this weekend! I'm holding him a little more, and kissing him a little longer ever since I found out our alone time wont be all the time shortly.

My next tip is an extremely important one; have a plan for your birth control in place for after you give birth (unless you want baby number 3 not far behind!). I however am not planning on having 3 under 3, because I think Big B would lose his marbles. So I plan to get an IUD placed once I'm healed. That's the method I used before Little B, but after I had him I didn't want to go that rout because I wasn't sure if we wanted to wait 5-10 years before having another one. I know I can get it taken out anytime, but it is SO uncomfortable being placed and removed, so I wanted to use it for a longgggg time before getting rid of it. So I went with the patch after having Little B... Well my 6 month supply ran out, and then I was busy with our wedding, then we went to Montana to visit family, then once we got back we had to turn around and go back for the death of Big B's Mother...and then bam, we we're pregnant. So this time I know the importance of not putting something like that off unless we plan to have another baby! So this will be one of my top priorities after I am healed, no postponing, and no excuses.

Last but not least! Get excited! Try to not focus on all the stress of everything, and focus on the fact that in a short period of time you will have another sweet perfect baby!! I think the fact that you know you only have so much time before they're here is what stresses us out, we know we only have so many days to get so much done, and try to make our home, and their whole world perfect for when they arrive. But the reality is is that they're babies, and for the first few months they are pretty easy to please (for the most part!). We're stressing over things that the baby wont even know about, notice, or remember. We just need to stay calm while we're pregnant, for both ourselves, our little peanut, and the others in our family. I can't be having mental breakdowns and crying fits every night before bed, for multiple reasons, the stress it puts on me, the stress it puts on Big B, it could wake up Little B, and it's just not worth it. Everything will be FINE. 

I know a lot of it is my hormones, but it is still hard. But on the plus side, this pregnancy so far has been much easier! I feel great (absolutely exhausted) but great! No morning sickness of any sort (so far! knock on wood!) no food aversions, with the first one I couldn't eat eggs! I also couldn't even brush my teeth without throwing up, or swallow pills. So far nothing like that with this one! The only thing I've noticed that I did with the first one and this one, is that I am so tired, I spend my lunch hour napping in my car.
Maybe since this ones so different it'll be a girl this time?
Here's to hoping!

Are any of you expecting your second little one to make you a member of the 2 under 2 club? Was it planned? was it the surprise of a life time? Do you have any tips for me while I'm still figuring my Sh*t out?

Thanks for reading!

A quick apology

I just wanted to take a moment to apologize to anyone & everyone for being completely absent for the month of April. Big B's mother passed away, and we had to make an emergency trip to his home town for a week or so to pack up her house, and then travel to see his grandparents. It was sad circumstances, and a very long stressful two weeks, but Big B got to see family he hadn't seen in a decade, including his little brother, and his grandparents. I can't even discribe the bonding I could see going on between all of them over that short period of time, and they all got to meat Little B. We are VERY grateful that we happened to have just honeymooned to Montana the month before, and stopped in to see his mother, so she got to meat Little B. I've attatched a few pictures of the happy moments we'll never forget from the trip, & of course the beautiful Montana scenery (we drove back a different way, and ended up driving along the side of Glacer National Park, & it was SO beautiful!) I am happy to announce that even though our savings is depleted from this unexpected trip to Montana, it is now feeling like life is slowing down a tiny bit again, and we are getting into the swing of our work schedules again. We are taking deep breaths while remembering that we can get our savings back up to what it was, and crossing our fingers that our paychecks will be enough to cover all our bills. Feel free to say a little prayer for us, it would be appreciated. I am also thinking about writing a blog post about how to help, and how to deal with the grief yourself, when your spouse suffers a loss, but I am still working on a list of tips, if you have any ideas please feel free to leave a comment!

Bluum Box for Mommy's

I don't think I could be anymore in love with a subscription box!
This is NOT a sponsored post (as my tiny baby blog is far from bringing me in income (hah!)).
I was researching beauty boxes, such as IPSY, or glossybox, thinking I should treat myself to a little something, at a bargain... Well Moms, you will relate to this, I then decided to see if theres something more mommy-ish, rather than a glam bag... Because moms always end up getting things for their babies, instead of themselves!

Well folks! I found Bluum Box & it is the Bees Knees! You can choose to be surprised by the products they send you, or hand pick out each item your interested in. They gather your infomation, such as if your pregnant, if it's a boy, or girl, and when their birthday (or due date) is & then they show you products offered for either pregnancy pampering, or age appropriate items available for your little one!

You can choose to go month to month, pay for 3, 6, or 12 months up front, & of course the more you buy, the greater the savings! & bonus HERE is a link to a coupon site with a long list of coupon codes for Bluum! I was able to use a %50 off code, and got my first box for $17, & shipping is always included for most of the united states. You can cancel you subscription at anytime, if you decide they aren't absolutely the best, which is nice, because Mommys are allowed to be indecisive.

All the other Details you want to know:

• You can also choose to just buy single products they offer (creams, lotions, body scubs for mommy, toys, clothes, food, and hygiene products for baby), & not have to wait to choose them for your next months box. 
• They are very geared towards natural, and eco-friendly products. Which is great for our babies with sensitive skin.
• They have a points system. I repeat, they let you rack up points towards a free box, or discounted products of your choice. For every $2 you spent, you get 1 point. For referring a friend you also get points, for leaving reviews on products you've tried, you also get points. 500 points equals a free box! It'll add up quickly as you fall in love with more and more products for yourself and for baby each month.

 My April box was a huge success with Little B! I chose to hand pick out the items for him. The first item was Poncho the pony blanket. This blanket is all organic materials, and you can tell it is made from quality products, its soft, and he love the rattle in it! The second product was a Fish bath book, it hasn't made it to the bath with him yet, but he loves to gnaw on the detachable fish that is a squirt toy. The third product, which I think is so great, is an emerald green teether that looks like a tiny watch that he can wear on his wrist, so something to put in his mouth is always close at hand! The last product, and certainly not the least, I think these are absolutely brilliants, are twist on spoons for the pouches of baby food. I haven't used them yet, but as soon as I saw these on their website I knew I had to get them! All the road trips we've been going on lately, feeding Little B baby food while we're in the back seat is a serious task. We hit a bump, and the spoon goes flying, & Little B touches everything he can while covered in pureed green beans. I seriously can not wait to try these spoons!

Let me know what you think of your bluum box, & what your favorite products are! I would love some recommendations for Little B's next box!

6 Things To Focus on, When You have No Time to Focus on Anything.

We're all busy. Life is busy, and every month we take a deep breath and say a silent prayer that this is the month things will slow down. I am a firm believer that once one thing ends in your life, instead of life slowing down, it's just replaced with another task or event. Here's a shout out to you working moms of multiple kids! I have one, and am down to working only about half the week, and still am just not thriving as much as I'd like to be.  Maybe once Baby B is a year old, I'll be more in the swing of things.
And to think when I was little I wanted to join every club and group so I was always busy and never home... If only I had that energy again. Now I just want to go to The-Middle-of-Nowhere, Montana & build my own one room cabin, & live off the grid... Sadly I have student loans, & a car payment, that just doesn't agree with my next to no income life style I wish to have... One day Big B, Little B, & myself will move & be self sufficient, but for now, while my life is just one GIANT scrambled up mess on high speed, these are the things I prioritize, or at least the things I try to remember need to come first.

ONE: Baby B.

I know a lot of people say that you should be number one, but if I have to wait to take a shower until after we play all morning, and he goes down for a nap, then so be it. I'm not the type that wont leave the house without a full face of makeup, or spend an hour and a half on my hair. Even if I had all the time in the world, I still wouldn't take the time to do all of that. So in my particular situation, Baby B is number one, but don't feel bad if you are the type that can not function until you have a hot shower in the morning. Baby B is the easiest to keep happy, it doesn't take much, and it's quick to find something to entertain him, so once I get him situated and taken care of, I move on down the list to what else needs some attention.

TWO:

Myself.

 I do know the importance of not forgetting how important your mental health is. I can put off my shower for 3 or 4 hours if it means tuckering Baby B out, but I do need my me time once in a while, and it's not just 'no baby' time, I am a very un-social person, and I need my alone time. Being around people drains me very quickly, so I am tired most of the time. Once or twice a week, Big B will take Little B fishing with him. This is the greatest thing. Baby B loves sitting in his seat, staring at the lake, or napping, he's happy with it for hours! Meanwhile, mommy lays in bed at home, watching netflix, until I decide to take a nap. Sometimes I drink a pot of coffee, and power clean the house, because it feels SO nice to actually get something finished without being interrupted .

THREE:

Big B. 

He works so hard, and more often than not, on his one day off, he watches Baby B, so I can go to work. He doesn't have the Mommy Drive we have, so he doesn't get off work, go pick up Baby B, come home, start dinner, play with the baby, feed everyone, clean up the house, play with the baby, shower, bathe the baby, play with the baby, put the baby to bed. If you have a man that can do all of that, you my dear, hit the jackpot! He is still adjusting to having more than himself to be responsible for, and recently he has TOTALLY stepped up his game! He doesn't understand everything I do on the daily, but I have faith one day he'll see it. I try to make sure he knows I notice everything he does, and let him know what a help he is & how much I appreciate it. I show my love how I'm sure most of you do, I pick up after him sometimes, I don't turn on the light in the bedroom in the mornings, when it's a rare day that he actually gets to sleep in. I surprise him with his favorite dinner, I make him brownies, I let him pick out what we watch on Netflix...You all know the special ways Mamma's show they care. I just don't want him to feel like he is lost in this crazy whirlwind that is our life.

FOUR:

Our House

We have a very, very small house that we are renting at the moment, and we are desperately searching for another place to rent, or to buy, but for now, we have to work so hard just to make this house function. It is a full time job itself. Our living room is long and narrow, so narrow that we can't even have a coffee table...so if there's a pair of shoes, or a TV tray, or Baby B's swing left out at the end of the day, it pretty much makes for no walkway through the room. Which leads to both of us being irritated, I'm sure all of you can relate to just wanting to throw in the towel, and see how long it takes for someone to step in and clean up after themselves once you stop. If that ever works out for me ( I try that approach often), I'll let you all know... Making my house a priority, keeps my anxiety down when its clean, makes Big B happy to come home to a clean house, and keeps foreign objects out of Baby B's mouth, when he has all sorts of room to crawl around. So my house if high on my priority list, even when my entire world is upside down and on fast forward.

FIVE:

Family Time.

The majority of both sides of our family's live in the same town as us,  and we are both close with them. So dinners out at my moms house, or going over and helping with yard work at Big B's aunts, are both weekly things for us. We usually just meet somewhere after work, and head to their house, or just meet at their house, instead of running home first, so it doesn't make everything that much later. We both like to go to sleep early, since Big B usually works early mornings, and I have to wake up with Baby B early, whether I work or not. My mom only works half the week, so if we both have the day off, we spend it together. She sees Baby B almost every day. It is important to us that we are close to our family, they are the ones that we love the most, and they wont be around forever, so they are on my list of things to focus on when everything else is lost in chaos.

SIX:

My Car.

I just got a New (to me) car. It's 10 years old, but I am planning on keeping it as nice as possible. When you get a new vehicle you feel like a Bad *ss, and over time that feeling fades, well I paid damn good money for my car, and I'm going to keep the new excitement in our relationship! Don't let your vehicle get cluttered with baby things, or even your own things. Because in that rare moment, when baby's not in the car, and your cruising by yourself, and a good song comes on, turn it up, and rock out, take a timeout from being a mommy. And if your rear view mirror is reminding you of the heaping pile of baby clothes, toys, and blankets in your back seat, that just doesn't sound like a nice mini break to me. Keep it clean, and dusted, and take good care of it. It's a big financial commitment, and I would imagine most of you are hoping your vehicle lasts you as long as I'm hoping mine last me, so check your fluids, drive safe, heck you can even get a 'New Car Smell' air freshener!

I'm sure all of you have very different things to list for your top 6, which is great, this is just a reminder to keep your top 6 a priority, even when life is absolutely bonkers, keep the important things straight, and give them the needed attention and love. Comment and let me know your top 6, and how you keep them feeling special!

Paying Off a Degree I Do Not Use

I hope & pray some of you can relate to this post, so I know I'm not alone.

I went to college for a degree that my job has nothing to do with.

I went to Culinary School, for a degree in Baking and Pastry. Fast forward four years later, I'm working at my family's mechanic shop.

Please humor me and tell me one of you lovely people out there has also had this mishap in life. Quite frankly, I love my job...except for the two times a month that I have to pay my student loan bills...On those days I just want to bang my head against a wall....hard...and repeatedly.

whyyyyy did I go for baking, that's a hobby not a job...

whyyyyy didn't I think it through...

whyyyyy didn't I listen to my parents, (who were telling me to go to community college for a year or two while I make sure I know what I wanted to do when I grew up).

Honestly, I LOVE baking, & I was good at it, & it IS a job (a hard one at that too!). I know some of you are thinking "it's not hard to bake"...But the school I went to was a one year program, for a degree that takes two years to get, so it was very intense, it was a full year (no summer for me!), and I loved EVERY second of it. It wasn't perfecting grandmas apple pie...It was making $10,000 wedding cakes, making 5 foot tall sculptures out of chocolate, it was burning ourselves while pulling sugar to get it so thin you could see through it, and making a flower, or a balloon out of it, without breaking it, and it was making plated desserts so pretty we didn't even want to eat them, made of a dozen different components, that were all different flavors, and making them all work together, while it either looked so effortlessly they couldn't believe the flavors that came out of it, or making it so complex, they didn't understand how it was put together, or how we defied gravity while it's plating.

I don't know if you can hear the passion coming out of me while I write this, but my heart is pounding just trying to explain it to you.

After this year was up, I had to do a three month externship at a bakery. I did mine in Portland, OR... Which if anyone has been there, it is a very large city.

And to let you all in on why I no longer bake (professionally)...I have very bad anxiety, and thanks to my mother being over protective, and a worried mother, I also get very paranoid and am a professional at thinking of the worst possible thing that could happen. So as soon as my externship was over, they offered me a job, but I couldn't take the stress of being a 19 year old girl living by myself in a big city, with so much crime daily, & all of my family was hours away, & I had no friends in that city. 

So I came home to my small town that I grew up in, and started working at my familys business, managing the bills, while I went to community college to pursue my second degree, which was going to be accounting.

I wanted to open my own bakery & be able to do the books side of it myself as well as the baking, because I LOVE office work, & paper work. I started taking accounting classes, & halfway through my first semester, the college informed me that once you have a degree you lose you scholarships, and all of your student aide.. I had to immediately halt attending all my classes, until I could figure out how to pay for it. The School board told me I would have to take my case to them and argue why I need to continue receiving financial aide. Long story short, I had to pay for half a semester out of pocket, when I was a broke college student with no savings, had a lot of headaches for a couple of months trying to find the correct people to talk to on the board, could not get all of them together to have a hearing for my case, and to put it simply, I gave up. I was spread to thin, jerked around too much, and threw my towel in.


I have a full time job, that I can get any days off for appointments, or 'me' days, I get to do paper work, book keeping, and payroll. With the economy in the town I'm from (and would like to continue to live and work in), they would not support a high end bakery like I would have liked to have.
But now I have Little 'B', & I enjoy spending my time with him, and baking has to be your number one priority if you're going to do it.

My life changed in ways I never imagined. I had the time of my life at school, I loved EVERY SECOND OF IT. But I also love my life now, managing my familys business, and having enough down time to try to start a blog!

But I still have those two student loan payments every month that remind me of my not so well thought out plan. Oh well, life happens. A lot, (and I mean A LOT) of people do not use their degree in their career that they are currently in... So at least I'm not alone.

Please comment if you can relate at all! Or tell me some of the famous people you know that have useless degrees. I don't know if you know Jenna Marbles, but she's the one I think of when I get down about my not-in-use degree. THIS video gives me great comfort

Gluten Free- Grain Free Muffins

I'm learning to go gluten free whenever it's a choice, I'm not going all crazy about it (yet).
I definitely love the idea of it, and feel like a super star whenever I know I just successfully made an entire gluten free meal.

I do not have a gluten intolerance, nor does Big 'B', but with the research I've done about gluten, I've made a personal choice to eat less gluten, I believe it makes me feel less 'blah' after eating, & make my energy last longer after I eat a meal.

So of course one of my common searches on Pinterest is Gluten Free Meals.
I also love baked goods. There for, gluten free muffins pop up a lot. I learned you can substitute the grain in a recipe with oats (quick or old fashioned). Here is a conversion chart that shows you a lot of options to replace grain with, full discloser, I have not tried a lot of the options listed, & do not know how accurate the conversions are. I will update once I've tried more of them!

The muffins I tried last week, I used 2 cups of oats, & 1 cup of Honey Greek Yogurt, once the oats were blended down into all the ingredients, you couldn't really tell the different texture. And they were delicious.

Here's the recipe I whipped up;
In a blender or food processor add the following;
1 cup Honey Greek Yogurt
2 Cups Oats (quick or old fashioned)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
This is the base of the muffin mix.

After this you can add whatever you want the flavor to be.
So far I've tried Banana dark chocolate chip, & Banana Cranberry.
For the banana, I used 2 Ripe Bananas, you add them into the blender, and once theyre mixed in, thats when I sprinkled in the dried cranberries, & poured the batter into lined muffin tins.
This recipe makes 12-15 muffins. I baked them at 400F for 12 minutes, then I set the muffin tin on top of a cookie sheet for another 3 minutes, so the bottoms didn't burn.

I did not take pictures along the way of my little experiment because I wanted to make sure they turned out, & honestly I'm a little knew to this blogging thing, and am not used to taking pictures every step of the way of everything I do. Hah!
Let me know what different flavor combinations you come up with and how they turned out! I want to make these EASY PEASY MUFFINS all the time, and want to try all different kinds of flavor combinations! 

Fiesta Shredded Chicken

This is not only Big B's favorite dinner, but it is my favorite thing to cook; because it is SO simple!

It's easy to say it's a win-win, & you should probably make it for dinner tonight.

Technically, I don't even know what this should be called...

Big B eats it in corn tortilla shells, I eat it with chips, as a dip. you can pour a cup of water in it before you cook it & call it Tortilla soup (that's Big B's favorite). Some similar pinterest recipes mention eating it over rice as well. It's also delicious cold, as a midnight snack by itself...

The reason this meal has stolen my heart, is because there is no measuring. 

The only thing you kinda-sorta have to pay attention to, is the package size of chicken your buying, find the one closest to 1 1/2 pounds. That's it. the rest is a full can of this, one jar of that, a packet of this, pour in the whole bag of that. No measuring things out. Which is nice, because crock pot meals take all day to cook anyway, I love that it's not taking any extra time to prep.

pro tip; Every time I make this, I have learned to double the recipe, which allows me to Seal-a-meal at least two large bags of it to freeze, so we can have the delicious meal without having to wait all day for it every time.

What you'll need:

• 1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 packet of taco seasoning
• 16 oz. jar of salsa
• 15 oz. can of black beans
• 8-12 oz. bag of 'southwest' style frozen veggies.

Directions:

• place chicken evenly in crock pot
• sprinkle taco seasoning packet over chicken
• pour jar of salsa over chicken
• top off with can of black beans, and frozen veggies.
• if the chicken is not completely covered by ingredients, pour a little water in it until its covered.
• let it simmer in crock pot on high for 2 hours, then switch it to low for 4-6 hours.
• shred chicken with forks, and stir all the ingredients up.
• keep on warm until ready to serve.

The following ingredients are the exact ones I like to use;

Newman's Own Medium Pineapple Salsa

Birdseye Steamfresh Southwest Style Protein Blend Frozen Vegetables 

Kroger Classic Taco Seasoning Sauce

I believe I also use Kroger brand can of black beans

The chicken I use, is ones that I got on sale, & froze, so I don't know what brand it was.

Please feel free to comment any variations on how you improved this recipe! I'd love to try them!

A Little About Me

My name is Angela, I'm 23. I am starting a blog because I feel like I should share the tips and tricks I've learned lately, and most of all, my struggles I've been facing the last year, with being pregnant, having a baby, not having that great of a budget, & a (soon to be) husband that has ADHD.
 I'm very into spending time with my family, enjoying days off, being organized, & naps.

"Big B" & I put the cart before the horse, & did things in our own order. With that being said, I am the PROUD mother of "Little B", who just turned 6 months old, and is the happiest baby in the world.

 Big B & I are getting married next week actually (Leap Day!), he is my best friend, but he's also a little like another child of mine. He's big into the outdoors, camping, fishing, hunting, shed hunting, and guns. Due to his interests, my blog may contain some posts about how to make camping easier, especially with a baby.

We are actively looking for our first home to buy. We both work full time (with the exception of recently I am without a babysitter, so I now only work on days Big B, my mother, my sister, or my neighbor are able to watch Little B for me.) Due to the cut in our income, I am passionately searching the internet for thrifty ways to save money. My crock pot, Pinterest, & our new chest freezer are some of my best friends in the last couple of months! I'm also a fan of my good gas mileage car, my new budget binder, and yard sales, 

I will be posting all sorts of How To posts, about the above listed, and much much more.

Women can do it all right?

Women, not just moms, have far too many things expected of them. Nobody could possibly accomplish all of it right? Wrong. Women can, it's ridiculous it's expected of us, but we roll up our sleeves, push our husbands out of the way, and do it.
I've never blogged before, but being a new wife, and mommy, I keep thinking to myself "I bet so many people feel this way", so I am going to attempt to keep you up to date at the latest tips and tricks I've learned, to make your life the tiniest bit easier. Enjoy!