this quiet house on a thursday night.

I'm sitting here on my couch, listening to Sara Bareilles, the faint sounds of the hubs snoring in the other room, and little N's sleepy breathing on the monitor and I realize ... I'm good.

I'm really good right now, in this moment. The migraine that left me listless earlier is gone. I have some quiet time. I'm good.

I know I posted earlier today that I've had some of "those" days this month ... and the best part is that they are over and tomorrow will be a new month & a fresh start.

See, I have this problem. I don't get out much anymore. When I'm home with N, I'm HOME with N. I get caught up in the things I need to do around the house and we don't go exploring. This is one of the major things the hubs & I discussed while on vacation last week.

We gotta get out.

I've mentioned before that we live in a little house. It's cute, it fits us right now, and it's easy to take care of (well, besides some quirks). But, it can also feel stifling and cramped.

So, we're getting out. We've been to the park twice already this week. We've been to Target for fun trips (the kind where you go for a gallon of milk & end up with a new movie and popcorn instead) and we're going someplace awesome tomorrow (more on that in the AM).

And we're also focusing on the small moments. Y'know, the ones that are so easy to miss? That's why we've put down our laptops, our fancy cell phones, and the remote this week and we've enjoyed a lot of hilarious & a lot of touching moments with our precious girl.

I'm good.

a thought for thursday. {love edition}

{via}

I'll just be honest ... the hubs and I have been bickering more than usual this week. It hasn't been over anything serious, mostly completely ridiculous, but it's been apparent enough that we'll stop, hug each other (I know, total mush), laugh at our stupidity, and move on. 

I'll admit ... I've had some doozy of days over the past month or so and I can always count on the hubs to lift me up, encourage me, and make me laugh with some totally appropriate TV or movie quote. We've always had this lovely ebb and flow where if I'm up, he's down and vice versus. God knew what He was doing when He brought us together, I tell ya. *smile*

Question for you, readers and friends ... would you participate in a linky if I made "a thought for thursday" into a meme of sorts? Would you find your own quote to fit your mood for the week and join in? Let me know down there in the comments, please and thank you!

 



P.S. Have you entered this week's giveaway yet? Hurry! It ends tomorrow! Click here.

my blue-eyed girl. {wordless wednesday}

P.S. I know I'm supposed to be without words today but just a friendly reminder to enter this week's giveaway, if you haven't already!

a girl & her shoes.

No, I'm not talking about me. I'm talking about N.

She loves shoes. She likes them on, she likes them off. She puts them on by herself now and likes to walk in her mini-Crocs the most. She's been sorting OUR shoes for months now. She finds the matching pair and lines them up just so.

Last night, she was particularly entertaining with her favorite fashion accessory ...

... and because it's been awhile since I've posted a video of the cuteness ...




Please excuse her lack of bottoms. I don't know why she keeps insisting on doing cute stuff when she's pants-less. Oh well. *smile*



P.S. It's the hubs' birthday today ... love you, hubby o' mine!

P.P.S. Have you entered my giveaway yet? Go now!

this enchanted pixie. {a giveaway}

Bohemian. Eclectic. Beautiful.

Those words describe my sweet friend, Polly, perfectly ... and it's also what she creates! She's inspired by birds, flowers, leaves, feathers, vintage fabrics, lace, and earthy colors as she designs her lovely pieces of jewelry & art.

Polly has graciously offered $20 store credit to her etsy shop, this enchanted pixie, to one lucky winner of this giveaway! How fabulous is that?

This giveaway is closed.

Here's how to enter ...

MANDATORY ENTRY: 
1.  Follow my blog publicly through Google Friend Connect, visit Polly's etsy shop, & leave a comment here telling me what your favorite item is! 

OPTIONAL ENTRIES (leave a separate comment for each that you do):
1. Follow Polly's blog, Pixie Mama, publicly through Google Friend Connect.

2. Follow me on twitter.

3. Follow Polly on twitter.

4. Heart Polly's shop on etsy.

5. Tweet about this giveaway (using share button below) & include @mamamarchand and @pixie_polly in the tweet.

6. Blog about this giveaway & leave the link in your comment.

You have lots of ways to enter! This giveaway is open until this Friday, July 1st at 5 pm (EST). The winner will be randomly selected by random.org and will be announced that evening. This giveaway is open to everyone, everywhere!

Good luck!

the post where i share a lot.

And I mean A LOT. Here goes ...

I thought ruching on a bathing suit was supposed to camouflage any unwanted belly flab? Notsomuch. *shudder*

For the sake of blog honesty, I wanted you to see me in a bathing suit. There are actually far LESS flattering photos of me from vacation but I'm saving you (and myself) from that. I promise I won't post anymore of these on here. You're welcome.

I just want to say that I'm done. D-O-N-E. Done with the flab, the yo-yo-ing number on the scale, the lack of willpower when it comes to what I eat, and how I feel. I know this is a journey but it's not moving fast enough. Because of the vacating-my-normal-life mentality I had last week, I gained back FIVE pounds of what I'd lost. *sigh*

So, I'm ramping it up from here on out. I promise this time. I double pinky swear that I WILL lose weight and it WILL stay off. This calls for a lifestyle change and here's what I'm going to do:

1) Starting TODAY, we're not eating out for at least one week (longer if we can stand it). I will NOT be wooed by delicious temptations such as truffles, brie, crab quiche, free bread with spiced dipping oil, key lime pie, and chocolate lava cake. I'm sorry if I just caused you to stumble.

2) Starting whenever the FedEx man gets here, I will be doing the Skinnygirl Cleanse & Restore along with eating more fruits & veggies, leaner meats, and whole grains. I will be cutting out as many processed foods as I can! We did some SERIOUS grocery shopping yesterday so I'm armed & ready.

3) I will be held accountable. My friend, Maegan who blogs at Chesterrific, is joining me in doing a cleanse and we're holding each other accountable. Here's how that happened:

Awesome, huh? Thanks, twitter, for making it so easy to find an accountability partner!

4) I will be exercising every single day. The kit I bought from Bethenny contains her yoga DVD which I plan to do in the privacy of my own home, thankyouverymuch. I'll also be starting the workout Wii game that I've mentioned before (but haven't even unwrapped yet) as well as getting out with N when it's cooler to walk/jog with her in the stroller.

I know it sounds a little drastic. But, it's totally necessary for where I am physically & emotionally right now. There's nothing like seeing yourself in a bathing suit to motivate you to get back on track, am I right?

Here goes!



P.S. Stop back this afternoon for a FABULOUS giveaway!

no reservations, please.

I don't cook much.

It's something that I'm embarrassed about. It's something I want to change. I can follow a recipe, sure, but what I always tend to make is either boring and sometimes even gag-worthy. The hubs ends up picking up my slack in this department ... thanks, hubs!

I've considered taking some online nutrition classes or taking some classes at a local cooking school. I even found Guide To Online Schools which is an incredible site that has compiled a list of online degrees & certifications in all subjects, including nutrition science. The hubs' degree program that he just finished is near the top of the "most popular" list!

But, I digress.

This week, Ashley has challenged us to eat at home. So, for the next seven days (minus Friday night when we're going out for the hubs' birthday), we will be eating at home or from home.

That means that I'll be packing my lunches for work, encouraging the hubs to cook (just being honest here), and we'll be doing a serious grocery shopping trip today to gear up for this. I'm actually excited because I ate SO MUCH FOOD on vacation (stay tuned tomorrow for my return to McFatty Monday) and need to get back to eating healthy stuff. No more loaves of bread or half a key lime pie for dessert (I kid you not). I'll post a follow-up next Sunday to let you know how I did.

Want to join in? Check out what the 7 Day Push is all about here.



P.S. Psssst ... I want to let you in on a little secret. I'm also going to be hosting a FABULOUS giveaway, which I'll post about tomorrow afternoon. That's right, folks. You get a tell-all McFatty post AND a giveaway, all in one day! Stop back tomorrow!

P.P.S. A portion of this post is sponsored. All opinions are my own!

my favorite people.

This past week of vacationing has been a potpourri of emotions for me ... stressful, exciting, relaxing, and a lovely break from our little house. The most fabulous part of all of it is that I've spent it with my favorite people (my parents included, but I don't have many photos of them).

Some of my favorites ...

We're driving home today, back to normalcy. But, I think we'll be carrying a little bit of this vacation with us always ...

date night.

Since we've become parents, the hubs and I have committed to at least one date night a month. We go out for a nice, quiet, & delicious meal, discuss the latest, talk about the future, and enjoy quality time, just the two of us. It's bliss ... and it's SO VERY important for the health of our marriage. It's so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day and forget the most important (human) relationship we have!

While we've been on vacation, we've had TWO date nights and we're getting ready for another one tonight. That's THREE in ONE week! Thanks for babysitting, Mom & Dad! It has been FABULOUS and we've felt like we're dating all over again. My parents even tried to enforce a curfew (I kid).

We've been out to two favorites (here & here), gone for a late night stroll on the beach, shopped a little, and talked about the rest of our summer. We're actually excited to go home because we have a lot of fun things in store to make the next two months count before the school year (a busy time for the pastor/teacher hubs) begins again.

Happy Friday night, folks! Hope you're doing something fun tonight. *smile*

thoughtful thursday.

{via}

"You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense." Yep, EXACTLY that.

MY old nonsense is what I like to call those slip ups, fails, and all other ridiculous things I do or say or think.

I leave it in the past, I move on, I rise above. 

Today, I am beginning my day in a place of serenity. Forgetting the nonsense. Looking forward to this new day. How about you?

the burning question is ...

... what did we do before kids? 

We're on our first beach vacation as a family. Well, let me rephrase ... we're on our first vacation EVER.We have spent the last six summers of our married life either using vacation time to move or we've gone to visit family (which I don't count as vacation). This is the first time the hubs and I have taken a REAL vacation.

Last night on our date night (which was WONDERFUL), the hubs and I discussed this tragedy. How in the WORLD did we not make the time to go on vacation before N was born? WHAT WERE WE THINKING?

Yes, this has definitely felt like vacation because of the golfing, the beach, the pool, the luxury condo, and the delicious seafood but it's still A LOT of work. Just to spend an hour at the pool takes about 45 minutes of preparation for ONE child. What will it be like when there's more? Will we just build a sand box in the backyard, blow up the mini pool, throw them in their suits, make some fruit smoothies, and call it a beach vacation? We'll need a mini-van, a car top carrier, a nanny, and some serious medication (for me) to go on a family vacation when we have more than one.

Yeah, I know I'm being dramatic and I know there are families out there with 6+ kids who manage to go on vacation. The photos look like they had fun but maybe they're just faking it. Maybe not because they've figured something out that I haven't?

I'm tired today, can you tell?



P.S. I'm linking up with Shell for Pour Your Heart Out today!

r & r.

We are finally getting the rest and relaxation we've so desperately needed ... and it feels SO GOOD.

For Father's Day, the hubs and my dad played golf for the first time in, literally, years. We're staying right on a golf course in a luxury condo (it is BEAUTIFUL) so we got to wave (or yell "hiiiiiiiii" like N did) when they got to the 13th hole:

We took N to the beach for the first time at dusk on Daddy's Day. It was cool, breezy, and beautiful:

 

Our vacation hasn't been without challenges, lest you think our time has been perfect with our toddler. Her sleep schedule has been WAY OFF which has caused a lot of anxiety in this mama but here's hoping she's back on track today. She's also busting out a new tooth (oh, the joy) so that has caused some eating woes and we tried so very hard to go to a real restaurant (ya know, one that doesn't have a playground?) for Father's Day. At some point throughout the meal, we all spent time walking & playing with her outside because the little person would NOT sit still. *sigh*

Those are small issues, though, compared to how fabulous it has been being away from the daily grind. We just might stay here. *wink*

from the heart of the hubs.

Greetings!

My lovely bride has given me the opportunity to do a guest post. Over the past 15 ½ months, many of you have followed our journey with N. You have read about our many adventures including Norah’s first time crawling, you’ve seen "sword" fights in the kitchen, and also the misadventures of trips to the emergency room and other times when Tricia and I have felt like failures. 

For this post, I’d like to share my top ten reasons why we celebrate Father’s Day & why being a daddy is so awesome.

#10. She needs me more than I ever expected. Little N loves her mama. At times it has been hard when all she wants is for her mommy to hold her. I know Tricia wishes she was made of duct tape so she can just stick the little one to her side sometimes (Tricia: never). But, there are times when N just needs her daddy. I cannot explain it, but she’ll just crawl over on our Wednesdays together and plop herself in my lap and she knows that everything in the world is perfect. 

#9. Midnight trips. Soon after little N’s arrival, I remember going to CVS at 1 am with the task of getting infant Ibuprofen. I am not a “wake from sleep and do” type of person. I do remember being in the aisle…half asleep…and trying to not only make a good parenting decision, but also trying to remember what I was actually there for. The manager must have wondered if I was on a narcotic from my bloodshot eyes and my slurred speech. I think all dads should have a “New Dad Card” which we can flash people so that they’ll accept us for being and acting like total idiots sometimes. Nevertheless, little N got her much needed medicine and we got some much needed sleep. 

#8. Bodily fluids.  I’m a sympathetic puker. There is an episode of The Office in which Dwight eats his hard boiled eggs at his desk during Pam’s pregnancy and she and the rest of the office goes into a vomiting frenzy (Tricia: gag). I cannot be around throw up. I can assist in the removal, washing, or disinfecting…but, cannot stand the smell. Being a Dad is much like those men who walk behind the elephants during parades. We follow mom and baby around with a mass of paper towels, clean sheets, and are always on call when a massive poop is about to go critical on the changing table. When it comes to bodily functions, dads are always ready to go! 

#7. Hidden treasures. Little N does two things that just melt my heart. She takes her favorite toys (little pink cups & animals from her Noah’s Ark) and puts them in special places. From time to time, I’ll open my work bag at church & find one or two items she picked out for me. In my heart, I can hear her saying “don’t forget me at work, Daddy”. When I’m in a hurry to go somewhere, I’ll put on my Nikes and there will be a special something inside.  It’s Norah’s way of saying “hurry home so we can play some more.” Imagine that. Only 15 ½ months old and she knows when one of her best friends is gone & already has the hope that the door will open and her daddy will be home again. 

#6. Bath time. I loved baths as a kid growing up. My grandparents had an old claw foot cast iron bathtub that must have weighed about a thousand pounds & it was the best.  From the toys to the bubble bath, sometimes I’d take a bath because I didn’t have anything better to do. I am in charge of baths at our house. I love that I taught our little one how to splash in the water and that playtime doesn’t end in the living room. Every once in awhile she’ll want to “get daddy” … she’ll thrash her arms & will cover every inch of me with water. Little N loves bath time so much that once I turn on the water, I can hear her starting to race into the bathroom, ready for some squeaky clean goodness. 

#5. Keeping her safe.  To my knowledge, Tricia has not made Norah cry (Tricia: yes, I have). But, unfortunately, I have. When we discovered that she could open cabinet doors, I pulled out my tools and hardware and got to work on baby-proofing, thinking that N would watch TV while I did important stuff. HA! She was like a baby kangaroo. She wanted to see and do everything that Daddy was doing. But, my heart sank as my little one picked up a screw and was about to munch on it. I said, “NORAH, NO!”. She dropped the screw, her little lip curled up, and this small little one reached for Daddy, knowing something wasn’t right, but wanted my reassurance that everything was okay. I felt awful but, more delighted that I didn’t have to poke through her poop trying to find that screw. 

#4. The best tour guide to life. Parents are tour guides. We have been “there” before. We know stuff. We know that peanut butter mixed with chocolate is awesome! Sharing all of this with little N has been exciting. Introducing her to our friends on Sesame Street, The Jetsons, CareBears, and the whole cast of Disney characters has been awesome! Sharing with her our love for “Big Breakfast” which my dad would make my brother and I on Saturdays growing up. I cannot wait to teach her more!

#3. Cuddle time.  When N was just a little thing, there was a time when I was the only one who could put her to bed. It was exhausting but, I’d walk out of her room & Tricia would be in disbelief, knowing that that the screaming banshee she heard only moments ago was sound asleep (Tricia: I usually gave him a death glare). I cannot explain it. No, I don’t have magical powers and no, I will not come to your house to put your kids to sleep, but there was something that N needed during that time that I guess I had. I call it the “Sully Syndrome.” In Monster’s Inc., Boo and Sully have a connection that is almost magical. There is something comforting about the big blue monster which did not frighten Boo just as there was something about me that assured her that everything was fine and she could rest peacefully. 

#2. Singing. I sing to little N. I’m not any good (Tricia: yes, he is), but when I need to do bedtime, we sing. I have to give props to David Crowder, a mainstream Christian artist, for writing the best bedtime song in the world. It’s How He Loves. If you just change the words around a little, it’s the best thing you can tell your little one anytime of the day. That the God who created little N loves her with such a strong passion that what you’re feeling as a daddy in that moment is nothing compared to the love that He has for her. 

#1. Prayer. I’m convinced that nothing of eternal importance happens apart from prayer and being a parent will definitely increase your prayer life. Whether in the ER waiting room, nursery, or right after I drop her off at daycare, I cannot help but always say this prayer for little N: (adapted from the Prayer of Jabez) “Father, bless her indeed. You’re all that she’ll need. Expand her horizons beyond what she sees. Keep your hand upon her and keep her from evil today. This is what I pray.” Praying for little N is the most important thing I do. Being a prayer warrior for your child is a silent honor, because while they might not be able to see it, the very act is making all the difference in the world.

Happy Father's Day!

our backyard Disney movie.

We live in this little house, but we are surrounded by humongous trees (and we all know how I feel about trees, right?). Our backyard is like a little forest habitat complete with deer, birds, squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, and an occasional cat that comes to snooze under our little deck. Often, I'll walk outside, feel like I've just stepped into a Disney movie, and half expect these creatures to start singing.

Don't believe me?

Well, our fur baby is a curious one and just because he's an indoor cat does not mean he doesn't enjoy our little collection of backyard animals. He inevitably ends up on top our trash can in our kitchen (classy, I know), perched, and "talking" to whatever is outside. This usually leads to ...

the sassy mama 'do.

Remember this post? And how excited I was to have a new 'do?

Well, my hair grew. And grew and grew. And turned into this hot mess:

I couldn't grow the bangs out. They made me feel like I was a 70 year old man with a comb over. It was bad.

So, I visited the salon this week and got my hairs cut. I told my stylist "I'm not afraid of short so feel free to keep cutting and cutting." I also told her I wanted texture and layers.

She did not disappoint:

I love it. It's short, sassy, and perfect for headbands.

The next change on the menu is color. Should I get the highlights touched up? Or do an all-over color? Something simple like dark brown or something daring like auburn? What do you think?

a{nother} thought for thursday.

By the time Thursday hits each week, I'm worn out. Most likely, my week has already been filled with too little sleep, not enough coffee, and moments of chaos. It's called life as a wife & mom!

If you haven't noticed, I've been a little ... umm ... stressed this week. There's a lot going on in this mama's brain AND heart. So, for today, I want to share another favorite quote I found. It made me stop, breathe deeply, and nourished my soul a little. 

Please enjoy ...

{via}

It's almost Friday, friends. *smile* We CAN make it through this week.

Until tomorrow ...

i need a break.

{via}

Do you know that awful feeling of being totally stuck in your daily routine? That culmination of mediocre? That desire to just scream at the top of your lungs because you're so tired of the same old, same old?

I'm so there.

I had a meltdown a few nights ago over this frustration. Tears and all ... the hubs thought I'd lost it. I just really need a break ... a good long break from this little house and the normal day to day boredom that has wrapped around my soul. I need time to reevaluate my time management (or lack thereof) and some of my relationships. I need a chance to step back, let go of some baggage I've been holding onto too tightly, and gain some perspective.

I need a vacation.

And as it turns out, we're going to get one soon. Thank ya, Jesus.

Do you feel like me? What do you do (besides going away) to break out of the mundane? To spice up your daily life? Help a mama out!




P.S. Linking up with Shell's Pour Your Heart Out today!

yesterday was one of those days.

It was.

And I'm still tired from it.

So, this is all I've got today:

This was the best moment of yesterday. She tried to say "quack, quack" & it was cute.

I'll be back tomorrow with a thoughtful & insightful post. I promise.

will blog for food ... ideas.

People, I need help. Well, y'all probably already know that. *wink*

But, seriously, I need some new food ideas for little N. I am in a toddler meal rut. Breakfast? No problem. Fruit, oatmeal, pancakes, waffles, eggs, and even a little bit o' bacon (not all at the same time). Dinner? No issue there either. She eats whatever we're having.

Lunch is the problem. I have run out of ideas on what to feed this little person. The girl cannot eat one more meal of chicken nuggets, corn, and cheese. I'M sick of it and I'm not the one eating it. I'm also tired of this face:

Please leave (simple) lunch ideas. Please & thank you.



P.S. I'm not doing a McFatty Monday post today. We got cable last week & I haven't moved a whole lot. Yes, those two things are totally related. Also, I haven't gained or lost so nothing exciting or devastating to report. I SHOULD mention that I DID do fifteen minutes (actually more) of house cleaning yesterday that I'm totally counting as exercise for the 7 Day Push. Totally.

ladies & gentlemen, we have a walker.

Remember this post? Well, this mama has been worried ever since. Even though she's been cruising along every piece of furniture in our house and walking with her walker, she hasn't taken independent steps.

Well, my fears have been relieved because our little N is WALKING. Yeah, she's still crawling, too, but, she's FINALLY walking. WOO HOO!

Please enjoy these videos of our little person walking for the very first time and please excuse the laundry on the floor, the lack of clothes on her, and the sound quality. My phone was the only thing in reach, of course.

First time walking:

.... and more walking:


I'm a happy mama on this Sunday evening. *smile*

i need to move it, move it.

Today is the kick-off of the 7 Day Push! I am so thankful to Ashley for hosting this simple yet fabulous improve-your-life-a-little weekly theme. Our first week's goal is to exercise every day, for 7 days, for 15 minutes a day.

I NEED TO DO THIS.

No doubt about it, this mama has slacked since mamacation ... actually, since N had the stomach bug. But, life is back to whatever normal we have in this little house and I need to move it, move it!

So, I'll be starting today even though I actually started (on my own) last week. I will tell you ... I did go to sleep before 11 pm every night except last night. I got caught up in catching up with the Real Housewives of NYC and lost track of time. Oh, Jill Zarin ... anyway, I'm committing to exercising this week and 15 minutes a day is 15 minutes more than I've been doing. Hopefully, I'll see a difference in next week's weigh in!

If you want to join in, visit this intro post over at After Nine to Five. The more the merrier!

my new mantra.

I mentioned this in my guest post at Good Women Project ...

... it's my new mantra.



P.S. Feel free to grab this and share it, if you want. *smile*