You should know... {Pet Peeves Edition}

  Thanks for reading my blog today. If you are new here, then congrats, you are in for a treat. I'm sharing some things that have pissed me off lately. Let's call them pet peeves.     When someone reads my magazine before me. I don't do this to others. Magazines are sacred.   Self portraits. Self indulgent much?

I'm one of the offenders.
I hate myself for posting.

  Cats that puke all over the house when the Hubbs is at work.   Mean girls, aged 6. Yeah, you are so cool in your tutu and bun. But you've hit your peak, or you will. Would you like a package of bottled blonde now, or in 10 years?   Cancer. This is more of an overall hate. You steal some of the best people on earth.   Hard boiled eggs that won't peel.   People that will tell me how to boil an egg correctly in the comments. This is your warning.   Political Debates that push my favorite shows. Greys Anatomy and Scandal would have been much more entertaining.   The political comments that will follow the above.   Passive aggressive statuses on Facebook. I get it you are mad, and I'm pretty sure the person you directed your status at knows too.   I'm not the only one with some pet peeves. Meet Jennifer from My Not So Glamorous Life!    ******************

"Real Life, Real Kids, Real Messes, Real Mommy. REAL LOVE.That's My Not So Glamorous Life! "

    Pet Peeves. We all have them. Those terrible little nuances that just simply drive us batty.   Today I will share mine with you. In no particular order, here are ten of my biggest pet peeves:     ~Open Cabinet/Cupboard doors. (Seriously, is it that hard to shut it?!)   ~Chewing gum loudly. Enough said.   ~Rude customer service. I try to be kind and cheerful as a customer, and I expect it in return.   ~Lack of good planning. Yes, we all do it sometimes. I'm certainly guilty of it. But there are those among us who make it routine to just wing it. Which would be fine and dandy, if they didn't make others pick up the slack. Not cool.   ~Excessive channel surfing (I'm looking at my husband on this one...)   ~The word "retard". Not okay.   ~Being late. (Especially when I'm the one who's not on time. Ugh, I could just kick myself!)   ~Toilet paper being hung "under" instead of "over".   ~People who borrow an item, and return it in poor condition.   ~ When someone doesn't RSVP to an event invitation   ********************  Thanks Jennifer! Be sure to check out her bloggy, and tell her I sent ya!   What's eating you lately? Share your pet peeves with Lena.       Linking up with my gal Lena! Did you see her name change?  

Because it's Monday {Life Lately, Instagram}

  Because it's Monday. Because I didn't blog all weekend. Because I was going to blog last night, but Hot Tub Time Machine was on.
Because I can't say no to John Cusak, or my Hubbs John Crutchfield. Because I had to grocery shop this morning, Because I have laundry to do. Because I have kindergarten pick up in just under two hours. Because I couldn't go another day with out blogging. Because I love sharing my life in photos. Just because it's Monday.  

Pumpkin decorating party / Serious face Mac / Finding their pumpkins /

 Running through the rows of pumpkins.

 

 Pumpkins, Pumpkins everywhere!  Serious decorating or having fun picking one out. 

It's that time of year.

 

 Early morning play date. / New sassy dress / Scarecrow pumpkin created by me /

Poor crying baby because mommy was celebrating the Giant's win over the Reds

 

I scared that poor kid half to death! 

I was listening to the game on the radio

and then beat on the dashboard at the victory. 

I know mom of the year right?  And then I took a picture! 

I'm pretty proud of my pumpkin too.  It's for the school's Fall Festival Auction. 

 

 

Serious face dance contest no smiling/ Lipstick using my cell phone / A touch up and a photo bomb/ playing with the natural light and self portraits.   On Saturday night the hubbs and I were the finalists of the Serious Dance contest. It's where you dance without cracking a smile. Pretty easy after 7 years of marriage, right? I cracked and smiled, but only because my feet hurt. We danced for almost 5 songs! And yes we were sore the next day!!    

 

Also just wanted to share my new Blurb book.

It's fantastic quality and you can upload straight from Instagram.

Since I take most of my photos on Instagram,

this book makes me very very happy.

I was able to "scrapbook" 2011 in minutes. No they aren't paying me, but hopefully I can talk them into a coupon code!   How has your life been lately? Share it and link up with Alli.    

Best comment from last week!!

There is still time to be #DoveInspired!

Read my post on Dove's campaign to inspire Self Esteem!

Can't wait?

Check out their Facebook page and Twitter Feed.

Get involved and be #DoveInspired!

 

Let's wear Self Esteem {#DoveInspired}

  A few weeks ago I wrote about Confidence. Something that took me a while to get back after becoming a mom. Then on the first of this month, I wrote a post about 10 year old me. When I look back, age 10 was a magical year. The last year I liked who was looking at me in the mirror. The last year that I knew nothing about the words "fat" and "chubby". Age 10 was the beginning of a long journey with my weight and my looks. Fortunately for me I have come full circle.   I'm sure that you are well aware that self esteem issues are alive and well. Young girls are growing up in a critical time. Can you imagine going through puberty on Facebook. I'm sick at the thought.   Dove, the company that makes hair and skin care products did some research of their own. In an effort to empower young girls and women, they are uncovering the truths about self esteem today. I'm not surprised at the results.   Dove® research shows that it is still important for us to address girls' anxiety about looks, as there is a universal increase in beauty pressure and a decrease in girls' confidence as they grow older. Key findings from our latest research include:   • Only 4% of women around the world consider themselves beautiful (up from 2% in 2004) • Only 11% of girls globally are comfortable using the word beautiful to describe themselves • 72% of girls feel tremendous pressure to be beautiful • 80% of women agree that every woman has something about her that is beautiful but do not see their own beauty • More than half (54%) of women globally agree that when it comes to how they look, they are their own worst beauty critic   SOURCE: Dove Research: The Real Truth About Beauty: Revisited   Let's be honest, were any of us in that 11% growing up? What many of us find, now as adults, is that we were beautiful back then. We weren't as fat as we thought we were. The braces weren't so bad. That zit was't as bad as it seemed. I saw a picture from my 8th grade dance and thought, your hair looks great, and you weren't fat at all. Ever have a moment like that?   All jokes aside, isn't it time to embrace self esteem as a right and not a privilege?   As a mother I have so many jobs, so many hats that I wear. I want to make sure that I'm helping my girls build their self esteem in positive ways. Sure I tell them that they are beautiful and precious, but I also want them to embrace who they are. They look so different, but equally beautiful. My goal is to teach them that what makes them different is what makes them beautiful.   Let's inspire ourselves and the young women around us to wear Confidence. Not just today, but everyday. We Tweet our favorite skinny jeans. We pin and re-pin images of outfits that inspire. We even watch hair tutorials for the perfect sock bun. Why not tweet, inpire, and pin Self Esteem?   Let's get this conversation started. Let's talk Self Esteem.

    To start this conversation Dove is making it easier for us. We can start by downloading the Let's Talk Tool Kit. Created with Jess Weiner, Dove Global Self-Esteem Ambassador, this is a great resource for all women on starting a conversation in a simple way. Ask, Share, Listen and Act -- you’ll find unintimidating ways to do make these a natural part of your talk about Self-Esteem.   You can also visit Dove on Facebook. Share your commitment to girls’ self-esteem with your friends on Facebook! Visit Dove’s Facebook Page or use the Send a Note of Confidence Link to select your message and share with your friends.   Follow Dove on Twitter For updates, ideas, and articles outlining their Let's Talk Campaign. New ideas for empowering young women with confidence and strength.   Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. Colors and creeds. Embracing our differences is what makes us beautiful. But it can also make us powerful. Share your own stories of self esteem with the young girls in your life. Tell them all the things you wish you knew about yourself when you were their age. You never know, they just may need to hear about that bad perm from 5th grade.         A big thanks to Dove for sponsoring this post. All content provided via the Let's Talk Campaign. However all opinions are my own.

Mrs. Crutchfield {The Room Mother}

 

 

I am Mrs. Crutchfield.

Every Tuesday from 12:30 pm to 2:00 pm and every Friday from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm.

This still sounds strange to me.

Just as I never had any aspirations to be a SAHM,

I really had zero aspirations to be a room mother.

Until I had a kindergartner who asked me to come and help like the other mothers.

Other mothers who help with number tracing.

Bake cupcakes for the class parties.

Help out at lunch time, opening juice boxes and cleaning messes.

I remember being a kid and seeing all the other moms helping.

I remember wanting my mom there too,

but my mom worked.

Trust me Saint Linda did go above and beyond for me.

Cutting work to attend a party or assembly or two, late nights of homework,

even being my taxi to after school activities,

but she never had the luxury that I do.

The luxury being that I get to stay home with my girls.

 

So I am thankful for this opportunity.

I'm surprised I like it as well as I do.

Kindergartners are no joke.

They say the honest to God truth.

Which can be fun and embarrassing.

They are loud even when they are using "inside" voices.

They are so sweet and utterly sensitive.

Both the boys and girls still cry at the drop of a hat,

a broken pencil, or an untied shoe.

 

Kindergarten is keeping me busy.

And exhausted.

What have I got myself into?

I'm not even sure yet.

But I realize that helping over worked teachers, donating supplies,

and trying to organize 28 five year olds in the lunch room is something of a luxury.
A luxury that many mommies do not have.

So I'm not going to complain.

I'm going to smile and be gracious.

I know how lucky I am to share these moments with these little humans.

 

I will say this:

The Mrs. Crutchfield thing is a little strange.

Even my BF pointed it out the other day.

Who is this "Mrs. Crutchfield"?

She must be that lady that who is continually learning new things about herself.

Every Tuesday and Friday, with the help of some pretty cute five year olds.

 

 

Pinning my a@$ off ... {Pinterest}

  My Pinterest addiction continues. On all boards. Yummy fall recipes? Yes. Cold weather fashions? Of course. Hilarious e-cards? Absolutely. So I apologize if you follow me on Pinterest. You will never know what you are going to get. I thought it may be fun to highlight some of my favorite today. Also since it's Monday, I hope to brighten your day, and inspire you to pin you ass off.  

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Pinned it. Made it. Delicious. Score.   

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This is so simple, yet is such a statement. It's just three long mirrors horizontal instead of vertical. Say what? This is a dream for my "office" on day.  

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 This gal is my style idol. Because you know she woke up, had this in her closet, and rocked the shiz out of it. Is it really this easy to look this put together?  

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 As I was looking for Halloween costumes, I found this. Cute. I also thought of How I Met your Mother. Who else can see it? I love this idea, but I'm going to need some pants. You know as an accessory.  

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Why should gingerbread men have all the fun at Christmas? I've gotta have these little vamps in my life. They are so cute. I'm thinking I'm going to add some sparkles, and one definitely needs to be in a Fangtasia shirt.   ********** Oh, and I've saved the best for last. My pins are random at best. But every once in a while I find something so good. When that happens I have to share it with the world!  

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You will never forget this will you? Your welcome.   What have you pinned lately? Have any boards I should follow? Leave them in the comments!       Lining up with Winning at Pinning. Courtney and Kimberly are rocking it!!