At-home shellac kit

Ok, we all know I am a sucker for nail polish, but even more for a shellac manicure.  I was walking through Kroger a few days ago and I found this SensatioNAIL gel polish started kit on sale for only $44! I picked one up and rushed home to see if it would work.  I have tried so. many. different polishes and finishes to get that shellac look and feel and I had zero success. This kit worked its magic and my nails look like they were done in a salon! 

The kit includes 10 full manicures and you can buy additional colors for only $8. It took about 10 minutes to do both hands with zero dry time. Winning! Painting your nails with a toddler is hard stuff and when they are napping, you only have one million other things to do! I could not be happier with how my nails turned out. 

Finding time (and a sitter) to go to the nail salon and spending $35 just for my nails is hard for me to be okay with. I spent $44 for 10 manicures and I'm pretty sure you can use this kit to give yourself a pedicure, too.  

Do you guys have any affordable beauty tips to make your life easier? Please share! 

Staying organized

Two years ago, I took my last semester of college when I found out I was pregnant with Liam. Everything was put on hold and I took some time off to be with our baby.  Now that he is almost a year and a half (what?!), I am going back more determined than ever. I will be 22 in a few short weeks and most of my friends from high school have already graduated and have started their careers.  

I couldn't be more excited about having the opportunity to finish my education.  But here is my confession....I am so nervous. How am I going to juggle a toddler, a home, my relationship with Eli AND 15 hours of school this semester? I am that girl who has pinned four thousand pins on "how to stay organized" or "top 5 study tips" and while I hope these work, it is ultimately up to me. With being out of school for so long, I don't really know what to expect. I'm hoping to find the perfect schedule that will help me balance all aspects of my life. I think my biggest fear is that while I'll still make time for Eli and Liam, I will be so worried about my school work that I will be stressing and not 100% engaged in spending my time with my boys.

I know it will be hard, but it will be so worth it in the end. Do you guys have any suggestions on how to stay organized while juggling so many other things in life?

Staying at home

I have been a stay at home mom now for a little over a month. When I first decided to quit my job, I was like "oh ya! free time with Liam...play dates...the house will be spotless, I can enjoy my coffee in the mornings, the clothes will be washed, folded AND put away....this will be the life". Yeah.....NO. Our house isn't clean, the clothes have been folded five hundred times to only be thrown on the floor five hundred and one and they are not put away and I have only been able to enjoy maybe five cups of coffee. Being a stay at home mom is tough stuff! 

Liam is 16 months old now and he is in full force.  Don't get me wrong, I love staying at home with him and there are projects that have gotten done, but the dirty truth is deep cleaning your two story home with no baby gate at the top of the stairs is hard shit and Liam will only stay in his pack and play for so long. ;)

Nap time is nice. Half the time I use nap time to clean and get last minute stuff done before Daddy gets home from work. Other times, I use nap time to catch up on my shows or browse through Pinterest. 

Lately, a few blogs that I follow (and love!) have been talking about how the blogging world is all about showing your best and there is nothing wrong with that! Besides, who wants to post pictures of their dirty ass house with 4 hampers full of clean unfolded clothes on the floor and mounds of dust on their TV stand? Ok...I'll stop describing our room now. ;) But in all seriousness, I am guilty of only showing the good in my life on my blog and even on IG when in reality, my house really isn't spotless and my make up isn't done daily. What is important is that we are healthy, happy and in a good place right now and that is what is so fun to share!

Am I the only one who leaves out the picture with the dirty background or refuses to post a house tour because it will never be clean enough?

Happy Birthday, Kevin.

On October 19, 2012, our nephew Kevin passed away for reasons unknown (at the time) that later turned out to be a blocked artery in his heart. Last Wednesday, July 16th, would have marked his 18th birthday.  To honor him and celebrate Eli and Treven's 28th, Eli's family came down from North Texas for the weekend.  Liam LOVES being around little kids! He had so much fun. 

Eli and his twin brother, Treven, were ALL over tanning last weekend. In fact, we couldn't stop joking about how all that was on the agenda was GTL. Holla to all my Jersey Shore fans! ;) 

Liam, Eli, his uncle Treven, and cousin Alaster.

We had a balloon release in memory of Kevin. We miss him so very much and know he was with us on his birthday! 

This was taken back in 2011 when Kevin and the rest of the family made a trip down to Houston for Spring Break.  We sure do miss him being around.

The Fault In Our Stars

Am I the only mama that sits down to write a post, saves it to finish once the babe is down for the night, and gets back to it weeks later? I am so bad at that! I have been working on this post for weeks now and finally have the time to sit and finish it up to publish!

Ok. If you guys want to read a "page turning" book, this is the one! I am not much of a reader, but when I heard some reviews about TFIOS, I had to pick up a copy. I don't know that I'm not really a reader, but maybe more of I don't really have much time to actually sit down and read for long periods of time. This book took me all of 4 days to finish, and I was so sad when it ended! TFIOS is written by John Green, and I am in love with his writing! I finished this book on Monday night and yesterday I found myself in the target (guilty ;)) book section purchasing the rest of his work! I have yet to start reading any of the other books I purchased (imagine that), but I am super excited to start! :)

Have you guys read the book or seen the movie?

#plannerprobs

You guys.

I don't know about y'all, but keeping a planner for more than three months is hard work for me.  I get so annoyed with the cover design or my handwriting, that I make yet another trip to Target and buy a new planner to get me through the next three months.  After months years of debating whether or not I really needed a $50 planner, I decided to make my first Erin Condren purchase.  Not only does this planner offer anything and everything you could ever need to stay organized, but Erin Condren also now offers changeable covers! BINGO. I could not be happier with this purchase!

I think what sold me on this purchase is that I can change the cover any time I want for only $10. I have also decided to purchase washi tape, not only dress up my entries, but also to avoid me hating my handwriting and having to white it out.  For only $5 more, I added July through December of this year so I can get started right away!  With school starting in just over a month, I am finally starting to feel confident that I will be organized enough to keep my shit together. Yay!

Do you have a favorite planner?!

MIA

It is CLEAR that I have been a little MIA, but that's because so many fun things are happening! Two weeks ago, I quit my job to stay at home with Liam for a while. In August, I will be going back to school and it will be full on crazy business from there on out. I do intend on working again, but while I am home with Liam, we are making sure to enjoy every minute! 

A couple weekends ago, my two best friends and I went to lunch and had a great stress-relieving visit! These girls have been in my life since junior high and I am so blessed to call them my best friends! (They even drove all the way here from Austin and Nacogdoches for my baby shower-they rock!) 

Love them to pieces. 

Eli, Liam & I have had lots of fun bath sessions. Eli and I sit in the bathroom while Liam stares at us and laughs because we are weirdos with our phones out snapping a million and one pictures. 

Daddy bought us a pool and we are LOVING it. Each day, when Eli gets home from work and the gym, we eat dinner and jump in the pool for about 30 minutes before it's bath and bedtime. Best $100 spent! :)

Aunt Booboo even comes over to play! :)

A few days ago, my mom came with Liam and I to get my oil changed and he was not having it. He was so bored and the 6x6 play room they have in the dealership was not big enough to occupy him for 90 minutes. We resulted in putting (clean&unused) diapers on our heads to distract him. It worked...but only for a minute or two. ;)

And several days this week, Liam and I woke up and got ready to exercise with my mom! We drive to her house and walk the neighborhood before it gets too hot outside. It has been so much fun and so encouraging to see my mom active!

Eli (and his twin brother, Treven) will be turning 28 this Sunday. To celebrate, his family is driving down to Houston to spend the weekend with us! We are so excited to see everyone. :)

I will leave y'all with a picture of my girl crush and a photo of my new erin condren planner that came in today! 

I love fun mail days!

What have YOU been up to lately!?

Xoxo