Category: Family
“I Have Failed as a Mother!”
It’s starting to become very apparent to me how much Connor is actually soaking in. For instance, Terence and I watch the morning news while we get ready for work in the mornings. Which is a tornado in itself. Connor is usually in our room too and I’m sure he’s been seeing all the news about the planes going down and stuff like that (let’s not even get started on the Ebola virus…which is scaring the **** out of me!!! Maybe I should just ban myself from watching the news? But it’s good to be in the know right? Whatevs.
So, Terence was on a business trip earlier this week and Connor saw a plane on the news and said “Did my Daddy die in an airplane?” WTH-eck? “Of course not!” “Why would you think that?”
Seriously that scared me and I was just thinking how in the world he would have picked that up!
Then earlier this week he told me “Mom I really miss my church friends and I want to go back to Sunday school”. Queue the MOM FAIL. We’ve had visitors from out-of-town every weekend for the last month and are too lazy to get our bums out of bed and go to church. But he’s noticing and that hurts my heart. That’s like God saying “BAM! You need a reality check Becky.”
In the words of Beverly Goldberg (My favorite TV Mom)
“I have failed as a MOTHER!”
I’ll be the first to admit I’m not a perfect person and definitely not a perfect wife or mom. I fail a TON.
First and foremost I want my family to feel loved and like they are my top priority. I hope they know this. It’s crazy how life gets in the way and all of a sudden you forget the little things that seep in the cracks.
Other thoughts:
Sure, I’d like to lose 30 lbs. But am I willing to give up my mean chocolate habit? Uhm…………..Occasionally.
I haven’t had that “Aha” moment and I’m certainly not going to go on a cleanse or post pictures of myself half-naked on Instagram showing how fit I am or how much weight I’ve lost. Although I am proud of these women…dang it makes me feel like poo.
Seriously how do these people exercise a bazillion hours a day and do everything else that needs to get done? Their stories are inspiring….but I want to read about something OTHER than before and after pics and how many calories they’ve burned that day. Gah. (That’s just myself saying boo on me) Guilty as charged.
Because frankly, after 8+ hours of work I just want to sit on my sofa & watch The Mindy Project and drink a glass of wine.
Also, the outfit posts. Oh the fashion blogging storm….mercy. I like fashion just like the next chick. I love to shop. But how in the WORLD do people post different outfits every.single.day and I’m sitting here wearing the same pants 3 days in a row? I love the outfits, I like the fashion inspirational posts…..but again….I want to read more than what brand of jeans you are wearing that day. And about your $3,000 shoes. Like, what is actually in your noggin?
I’m going on a little rant here that I didn’t intend to…..
I’m feeling out loud and probably over-sharing too much….blah….blah….blah. But I want to read about YOUR lives….as I know you want to read about mine. (Yes I have the occasional review post because I’m NOT made of $$$ and it doesn’t grow on trees and as long as it’s something I would enjoy doing…they why not!) DON’T JUDGE. And I don’t want to forget why I started blogging in the first place. To read about every day challenges and have that support system.
And someone to honestly tell me what it’s like and smack me over the head and say “Get it together!”
I’m not saying to stop what you’re doing. Just show more of yourself. Being honest, raw, and not being ashamed of what you have to say is something in itself.
Love you peeps. Thanks for listening and have a happy Thursday!
“Orange you glad it’s Thursday?”
Not the Money Pit — Revamping the House on a Budget
Home décor doesn’t come cheap, but there comes a time when you simply have to do something to make your home beautiful once again! Instead of breaking the budget (or making your credit card cringe away to the back of your purse) why not try out some or all of the following cheap and cheerful ways to brighten up your décor?
Light it up
Most rooms in the home benefit from having more than one source of light, so investing in a pair of table lamps could make all the difference to your living room. Position your new lamps carefully, so as to throw pools of light where they’re needed, banishing shadows and opening out the whole room. Simply changing the shades on existing table lamps can also have a great impact on your décor, but do be aware that darker shades will swallow up some of the light, whereas lighter ones will brighten up the room.
Comfort with cushions
Interior designers love cushions, no matter if they’re working in luxurious mansions or small two bedroom cottages and there’s good reason for this: cushions are fantastic! They inject that much-needed pop of color to any room, they infuse the décor with comfort and can help to properly finish off any décor scheme. They’re also very handy if you need a quick nap during the day!
Reflect on mirrors
Mirrors aren’t just for checking your appearance before leaving the house, they can work for your décor in a number of ways. First of all, mirrors reflect light around the room and can effortlessly brighten up a dull corner. Secondly, they create the illusion of space in your home. As the room is effectively doubled in the mirror, you can make even small and poorly proportioned rooms look spacious and attractive.
Blessing of the windows
Your window treatments — be it curtains, blinds or opaque vinyls — are the décor equivalent of the room’s clothing, so make sure that they fit well with your intended décor look. Long, floor-length curtains (which should start from high up the wall, near the ceiling) give a room gravitas and elegance, while shorter curtains are more practical and are ideal for children’s bedrooms and the kitchen.
Walk around your home and look for “easy fixes” such as those mentioned above. You might not be able to redo the whole house (or want to!), but you’ll be delighted at how simply you can minimize or improve a lot of the problem areas, leaving behind a comfortable and attractive home for you and your family.
Discover Boating This Summer
I participated in an Ambassador Program on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Discover Boating. I received a promotional item to thank me for my participation.”
We are in the middle of summer in Texas and you betcha it’s HOT outside folks! So, what do we do to cool down? We head to the water!
My husband’s best friend, Kyle, has a pretty awesome boat and we’ve had some fun times on it throughout the years.
Terence and Kyle have always loved the lake and waterskiing. Kyle even does tricks and is a very talented water skier.
This is one of my favorite pictures of Terence and Kyle on the boat:
I’m not really a skier myself, but I love to go tubing and things like that. By reading up at Discover Boating we’ve found activities that would be fun for our whole family.
I liked this chart below to help you discover if boating is right for you and your family & ease into the decision to own a boat:
Through Discover Boating we’ve found lots of ideas for things we can do this summer. After a long work week it’s nice to escape to the lake and just relax. Discover Boating has great resources and educational tools for boaters of all levels!
Especially if you haven’t had a chance to get your feet wet this summer:
Boating Activities
Spousal Conversion Kit
Youth Boating Programs
Big Name Boater, Jake Owen: Learn more about country star Jake face, the thrill of catching a fish, or seeing the smiles on your kids’ faces as they go tubing.
Happy boating this summer friends!
Keep up with all the latest Discover Boating summer fun on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.
Weekend With My Favorites
My Mom and Nannie drove in from Arkansas to visit us this weekend. I’m so glad my Nannie felt like visiting, she’s the most special person you’ll ever meet (so is my Mama!).
We did what girls do best…shop and dine 🙂 Connor just loved having them around and Terence and I even had a fun date night while they were here (see post below).
We went to the mall and hit up the Nordstrom anniversary sale. Lots of pretty things…I ended up getting a pretty Kendra Scott necklace at a great discount!
Connor wanted to ride the escalator up and down really quick. So I took him up it and he jumped on like a surf board and as soon as the stairs popped up he tumbled down about 3 steps and screamed bloody murder for about 30 minutes afterwards. Everyone was staring and I think he was just horrified and scared. The girl behind us on the escalator didn’t know WHAT to do! It was awful. I wanted to go hide in a large clothing rack afterwards.
Nordstrom has a great coffee bar FYI:
We also shopped at Five Below. If you’ve never been there is a super cool store where everything is $5 or less and they actually have some pretty good stuff. It’s the perfect place to go for Christmas stocking stuffers and toys. Connor and I got new sunnies for $4 bucks!
Mom, Nannie, and I took a selfie before our shopping excursion! Woohoo!
Terence bought Connor his first Nerf gun a couple of weeks ago. I seem to be the primary target. I told him I want nothing to do with it…but he and Terence seem to have a lot of fun Nerf battling and shooting at ME! Silly boys!
Nerf guns are expensive yo! I found this deal online TODAY ONLY for 50% off and includes a bundle package. Normally $28.98, on sale for $14.49.
Just in case any of you Moms were interested (click the picture it should take you to the sale):
Date Night at P.F. Chang’s
Thank you P.F. Chang’s for a lovely date night with my hubby.
My Mom and Grandma were visiting this weekend and last night they graciously offered to watch Connor so Terence and I could have a date night 🙂
I was so excited because it’s been awhile since we’ve been on a date just the two of us. We started off the evening at one of our favorite restaurants P.F. Chang’s.
P.F. Chang’s is rolling out a new menu in the Dallas area with items like sushi, to small plates, to happy hour!
Here is a sampling of the new menu items:
JICAMA PORK TACOS 3 FOR $6.95
Lemongrass seared pork, topped with a refreshing tropical pepper slaw served in jicama “shells”
ASIAN CARNITAS BAO 3 FOR $6.95
Carnitas with an Asian twist. Seared chili marinated pork stuffed in soft steamed pillow bao buns, served with a fresh pineapple salsa
HAND-FOLDED CRAB WONTONS 4 FOR $4.95 / 6 FOR $6.95
Crispy wontons filled with crab, bell peppers and green onions, with spicy plum sauce
SAIGON SUMMER ROLLS 2 FOR $6.95
Lemongrass chicken, julienne carrots, celery root, cilantro, peanuts, Thai basil and mint wrapped in cool rice paper with a sweet chili dipping sauce
EDAMAME HUMMUS $4.95
Our twist on hummus is a signature blend
of fresh edamame, sesame seeds, ginger,
and a hint of chili. Served with house-made crisp plantains
CRISPY GREEN BEANS $6.95
Tempura-battered with our signature spicy dipping sauce
SPICY TUNA ROLL* $8.95
Sushi-grade Ahi with cucumber, daikon sprouts, sesame-seasoned rice and a dash of sriracha
CALIFORNIA ROLL* $7.95
Kani kama, crisp cucumber, avocado, sesame-chive rice and sweet soy sauce
TEMPURA SHRIMP HAND ROLL 1 FOR $5.95 / 2 FOR $10.95
A sesame-soy wrap, hand-rolled with crisp tempura shrimp, avocado, cucumber and Japanese rice
NEW 3 TO 7 HAPPY HOUR
$3 – $7 FROM 3 – 7 PM
MONDAY – FRIDAY
RED SANGRIA $5
Absolut Mandarin Vodka and merlot mixed with fresh fruit
CHANG’S MAI TAI $6
Bacardi Light and Myers’s Dark Rum with orange liqueur and tropical juices
ORGANIC AGAVE MARGARITA $7
Patrón Silver Tequila and organic agave nectar shaken with fresh lime juice
TWISTED WHISKEY SOUR $7
Woodford Reserve Bourbon, Cointreau, orange juice, honey with orange bitters
(And MUCH more not listed here- check out the website for full menu)
I started the night off with a Pear Mint Mojito…it was SO good!
Our super nice waiter started us off with some refreshing veggies.
Next we tried the Crispy Green Beans and they were SOOOOOO good!
Followed by a California Roll
Everything was so yummy, but we just kept on eating…ha ha!
Next we tried the Edamame Hummus.
I tried another drink called Red Sangria. It was DELISH!
And last, but not least no dinner would be complete without a little chocolate right?
Meet the Chocolate Dome in all it’s glory. Secretly I wished we ordered two so I could have one all to myself…but I probably didn’t need it after eating all this food!
Thank you so much P.F. Changs for a wonderful date night with my honey and the food was absolutely DELICIOUS as always! Can’t wait to come back soon for Happy Hour!
