New summer clothes...yay!

So...I posted a while back how I've been neglecting my wardrobe.

Well...let me tell you...I've been busy replenishing it!

Had some fun at Old Navy the other day.

Got a few things for summer.

I spent a little more than I'd hoped...but sometimes, in order to get WHAT you need in the SIZE you need...you have to go ahead and just do it.

Honestly though, I still didn't spend THAT much...I'm just used to being such a bargain shopper that it was weird to shell out a bit more.

I started off with this short little black pencil skirt.

LOVE how it fits!

Next I got this short little cotton denim skirt.

I love how it flairs out!

I'm thinking red or yellow with this number!

This little denim skirt is "similar" to the other...but just a little longer and lighter in color.

Maybe I'll pair PINK with this one!

Shorts are where I'm having issues this season.

Have you SEEN the length of shorts this year?!?

Hello butt-cheeks!

NASTY!

Sorry young ladies...this is not becoming.

I LOVE this little pin-striped denim pair I found!

They are short enough to be trendy and long enough to be modest (and cover a few spider veins, LOL!).

Again...I'm thinking red would look great with these!

The next three pair are identical.

Just different colors.

They are all longer...mid thigh length...yet very fitted and slimming.

No baggy/frumpy bootay!

I got these in tan...

Black...

And navy!

Now between all this...and my previous post of goodies a couple weeks ago...

I think I'm set for summer!

Just need a couple pair of shoes!

Yay for new clothes!

Belated Easter Fun...

 I'm a little late posting our Easter fun...but better late than never, as they always say!

We colored eggs just as we do every year.

 Nate begged me for the Disney Cars coloring kit, and as it turns out...it was on sale...so we got it!

 My hubby asks every year, "How much longer are you guys gonna continue to color eggs?"

AS LONG AS WE WANT!

Haha!

 Besides, it makes for a great week of egg salad sandwiches!

 After they dried, the boys put them in their little stands and applied the Cars stickers.

 A few cracked eggs during boiling...

But...

 No other major catastrophes!

 I always love the look of colored Easter eggs.

 When my boys outgrow it, I may just have to do it all alone!

 And I don't think we ever outgrow Easter baskets either.

Yum!

The boys got Reese's Peanut Butter bunnies, Hershey's Chocolate Bunnies, Nerds Ropes, Nestle Crunch Eggs, Starburst Jelly Beans...and...

A $5.00 gift card to McDonalds!

The Easter Bunny always hides their baskets.

Can you find them?

Nate checking out his loot.

Evan seeing what he got.

And...for the first time in several years...

I treated myself to a new dress!

We hope you had a very blessed Easter we well!

He is risen!



20 pounds in 20 years...

This August, it will be 20 years ago that I met my husband.

Today, I stepped on the scale and discovered I am 20 pounds heavier than the day I met him.

That's 20 pounds in 20 years.

Not saying he's the reason I gained 20 pounds either, haha!

I guess some folks call it "contentment fat", or so I've heard.

Even with the extra 20 pounds, my nurse practitioner says to me, "You're still not even considered overweight."

Well...even still...

I'm ready to shed some poundage...is that a word?  Hehe!

I'm ready to get fit and look better in my clothes.

I want to look good.

I just turned 40 and this is the year.

Fit At Forty!

Right now, I'm sitting here hungry.

Dying to go dig into that bag of Funions in the cupboard.

But I won't.

I am starting a food journal.

I will track what I eat and how many calories.

I will get back on the treadmill each day.

I will do my crunches on my ball again.

I will work out on my Total Gym.

I am setting a goal of 15 pounds.

I don't believe 20 is realistic for me.

Even though I've gained 20, back when I met my husband I was SKINNY.

I don't want to be SKINNY.

I like curves.

I like toned muscles.

I want to look good.

Any honestly...numbers really don't mean as much to me as HOW I LOOK.

If I can see that my tummy is getting flatter, my clothes are fitting better, and my arms/legs look more toned...then I'm happy.

So here we go...again!

I'll keep ya posted!

$138.00 worth of clothing for $21.00...and a few other "rewards"...

My closet has been looking really sad.

I used to LOVE to shop all the latest styles.

I never really quit loving the styles.

But I quit shopping for myself.

I had babies...and I started shopping for them.

I got a house...and I started shopping for it.

I started some hobbies...scrapping, stamping, knitting, baking...and started shopping for those.

But as I looked at my clothes lately...I decided it was time to go shopping for ME.

I have always been a bargain shopper...but I am willing to pay a little more on something I really like that I know is good quality as well.

However, today was my lucky day.

I found some amazing bargains on clothes at JCPenney and I had to share my steals!

I got this white/aqua tee...regular $14.00 for $3.00.

Yes, you heard right...$3.00.

I have a little aqua cami that I thought would look cute to layer under it as well this summer.

I also got this purple tee...regular $14.00 for $3.00.

How great is that!  Again, great for layering with camis this summer!

This fushcia tee was also $14.00, marked down to $3.00!

Another great one for layering!

This lime green tee was another $14.00 one marked down to $3.00.

This raspeberry long-sleeved tee will be great in the winter or spring for layering.

This one was regular $18.00 and I got it for...

Wait...

Are you ready?

$1.00

Yes!!!

$1.00

But wait there's more!

This coral long-sleeved tee is just like the raspberry one...also regular $18.00...

also marked way down to the amazing low price of...

$1.00!!!

This cute little striped number was marked down to $1.00 as well, from $18.00.

It is marked a size small...I normally wear a medium.

I am planning on going on a diet and doing some major workouts this month...

But...

If I don't get down to the size I want...

I'll just give it to some teeny tiny size 0 enemy friend, LOL!

(no jealousy intended in that sentence, teeheehee)

I also got this purple lace trimmed tank for $3.00.

It was regular $14.00 as well.

Another one great for layering with.

I love this ivory tank.  It has a little tulle/mesh rosette on the side strap.

Another $14.00 find marked down to $3.00.

This little cropped jacket...wasn't on sale...it was not part of my "bargain tally" that I mentioned.  This was strictly a "treat" to add to my pathetic excuse of a wardrobe.

However, it wasn't very expensive!

It was only $13.00 and that was full price!

I have a neat yellow skirt/dress I'm planning to wear it with this summer!

I liked the white one so well, I got one in coral too, teehee!

At $13.00 you can't go wrong.

This cropped little white sweater wasn't on sale but was very reasonable at $17.00.

I thought it would look cute with either some skinny jeans and my wedge heels.

Or maybe my denim capris and some strappy sandles?

Or my long fitted cuffed denim shorts!

I also went into Cato.

I had never shopped there before.

For some reason, I thought it was a Plus size store?

But it's not!

I got this cute little yellow/navy plaid top there and LOVE it!

And lastly...

My favorite outfit of the day!

This outfit has many looks to it!

This is a two in one!

It can be worn as a skirt...

Or as a strapless dress...

Or it also has straps to make it into a sundress!

How cool is that!

I got this adorable little royal blue ruffled cropped jacket to wear over it for when I wear it strapless.  They had it paired with long blue beads at the store but I wasn't impressed with the price, so I'm still looking around for some long blue beads.

I am back in the game!

Watch out closet...I'm coming to clean you out!

All of you ugly, faded, pathetic clothes of the past...

BE GONE!

Bird Study Merit...

The boys are moving right along in Royal Rangers.

Nate is working on his Bird Study merit right now.

Last week they made bird houses!

I was truly impressed!

Such a sturdy little bird house for such a little guy to make!

He was so excited because he got to use a hammer and nail and...

POWER TOOLS!

What man (even the youngest) doesn't love POWER TOOLS?!?

(I have to admit, I have a slight love for them too, teehee!)

Before and After...It Was Worth It All...

Doing home daycare...it seems when it rains, it pours.

We go through dry spells...when the number of clients drops dramatically.

And then, all of a sudden we have phonecalls coming in like crazy!

This was the case during the month of March.

Our daycare grew dramatically...which is good.

And so, we needed more space.

We decided to move our FAMILY'S space/living area downstairs to the family room.

It's a bit smaller, but big enough for us.

The living room upstairs is much larger, which will accomodate our growing number of children in the daycare.

We decided we would paint our family's living area and start afresh before we moved our good furniture down there.

So last weekend was a horrendous weekend of painting and moving furniture.

But...the hubs and I prevailed and made it, LOL!

The first two pictures are the "BEFORE" pictures.

The walls were a "burnt orange"/"brick red" type of color.

VERY OUT.

For our new color in our family room, we went with a color called "RAFFIA".

It's in between a tan and a gold.

Very neutral.

I really like the way it coordinates with the toss pillows on our couch/love-seat and also our chair.

We didn't have any major "incidences".

A few touch-ups have to be done.

But things are in living/working order now and we and the boys are really enjoying our new space.

This area is for OUR FAMILY ONLY.

No daycare children.

This chair is what Nate refers to as "the reading chair".

It got this name because it's not angled correctly to see the tv.

So the only thing he thought proper was "the reading chair".

We do have a valance up on the window (you can't see it).

But we are still looking for some longer sheers to go along with it for a little more privacy.

I feel like the whole world is staring in at me, especially at night.

I'm silly that way.

It was a LOT of work...and we were VERY sore the next day...but it was well worth it.

We love our new family room!