Things to Enjoy

It is a lovely rainy Friday, and I am off of work! I am sitting here this afternoon enjoying a quiet house while my little one sleeps. Tonight Nick and I are going on a fun date to see Jerry Seinfield live downtown! We both love the Seinfield show and he is a great comedian. It will be a great evening!

Today I'm just sharing some new things I have gotten recently! This was about a week ago, but my favorite coworker Viet gave me this bouquet from her garden They are peonies, sage, and rosemary. It smelled divine!

I branched out of my comfort zone of neutral-colored purses (white, black, grey or brown) and got an AQUA purse! It is my favorite color so I thought it was a good one to start with. I got a new wallet also with the same fake croc skin look but in black.

One thing my mother requested for Mother's Day was a hummingbird feeder. When I picked hers out I decided to get one for myself also! It is hanging in my back by the deck above my new birdbath....

Halfway thru the Month

I hope everyone who is blessed to be a mother had a wonderful Mother's Day! And as a courageous survivor of infertility, I urge you all to not forget those who are still trying, or have lost a pregnancy in their quest!

For mine, my darling husband got me some of my favorite snacks and some new sunglasses! He picked out a card from him, and a special card from our little one (who "signed" both). We all took my mother out for lunch then she came and hung out at my house for the afternoon.

This month has just flown by and now we are on the countdown till my birthday! Only 3 more weeks......then it's Brad's birthday and Nick's birthday....eek!

I tried a new nail polish style that I found here and I was very happy with how it turned out!

It is sort of an imitation--and much easier way--of the water marbling technique that has become popular. You can do any color, and try different swirl designs.

As we draw closer to August we are resigning ourselves to living here in Oklahoma for a few more years. As much as we would love to start fresh in a new exciting place, we can take a hint that the time is not right! There are several more houses in my neighborhood for sale now that summer is almost here so the competition is beefing up. Ours is still competitively priced for the area so we shall see!

I've enjoyed a couple days off after our getaway but tomorrow it is back to the grind at work. This weekend is the yearly Italian festival that we attend and we are all very excited about that excursion!  After that is Memorial Day, then June will already be here! We have lots of things to keep us busy this summer and our little man will be starting school in August so this will be our last few months with him here everyday with us. It will be very different with him gone, but I know he will love being around other kids and getting to learn new things everyday.

Our Denver Getaway!

We had a fun little vacay this week to Denver, Colorado! It was a spontaneous trip based on a super cheap flight! We all 3 went and had a fun time checking out the sights. It was not Bradley's first flight, but he was too small to remember the previous ones. I'm sure he'll remember this one! He was a big boy and sat in his own seat.

We got into Denver Tuesday afternoon and picked up our rental car. Our hotel was amazing--close to the airport, easy access, huge beds, and a to-die-for breakfast that included cereal, muffins, donuts, bagels, waffles, biscuits/gravy, eggs, bacon, french toast, coffee and juice! WOW.

We ate at a local restaurant for dinner, then Wednesday we went on some excursions. We wanted to go to the US Mint but there were no open reservations. Instead we toured the Hammond candy factory and got some free candy samples. I picked up several sweet souvenirs for family as well!

 After that we headed into Boulder, CO and went thru the Celestial Seasonings tea shop. We wanted to tour the factory but no children under 5 were allowed so we just browsed the shop and sampled several teas.

That afternoon we made it to the infamous Casa Bonita for a very entertaining lunch! The food was average but the ambience was so worth. Brad had a blast and we spent over an hour just checking things out and playing games.

 

After that the boys were tuckered out so we rested the remainder of the day.

 

On Thursday we spent the afternoon driving west of Denver to check out the little towns and see the mountains. We stopped at several lookout points and got some great views!

 

 

Our last day was Friday and we ate lunch at a little diner then hung out at the airport after dropping off our rental car. Our flight home was delayed an hour so we got home around 8pm. As soon as we got home Nick headed out to Guthrie to pick up a '57 Chevy--but I will save that for another post!

Product Review--Scrub Top!

For those who are nurses, we know it is important to have durable yet comfortable scrubs! They can really take a beating and they need to be able to hold up to a lot of washes and wear. I recently reviewed a nurse scrub top for Uniformed Scrubs and was very impressed with their quality! The top was soft and very comfortable to wear for a long shift at work. After a couple of washings it still has a vibrant color and nice shape to it. No ironing needed! My medium seemed a bit large and I could have fit into a small so keep that in mind with your sizing. I loved the 3 pockets on the front to put all of my gadgets in.

If you are looking for a durable yet stylish new pair of medical scrubs then you need to check out Uniformed Scrubs on their Facebook, blog, Twitter, or Pinterest!

BONUS------------>You can use coupon code "trueblue" before July 31, 2013 for 15% off of your purchase!!

Helpful Natural Remedies

Life has run off with me and it has been 2 weeks since my last post! It is already April 20 and I have only posted one time this month.

If you recall from early December of last year I wrote this blog about my solution to dandruff...well recently it seems to have come back partly (not near as bad as it was) and the Tea Tree Oil was not helping quite like it did before. Plus I ran out, so I was open to different remedies to try.

I have done a lot of reading on natural scalp and hair treatments since I have dandruff and am trying to grow my hair out. Apple cider vinegar (referred to ACV from here on) is one that kept popping up as very beneficial to both your hair and scalp. It naturally cleanses the build up on your hair and works to condition and soften your hair. The acidity helps neutralize the ph of your scalp and helps unclog pores that can prevent natural oils from moisturizing your skin thus causing flaking.

I tried a little experiment and here is what I did: I poured pure ACV on my scalp (enough to wet it but not dripping) and massaged it in--especially my problem areas. Then I let it sit for 15-20 minutes and shampooed/conditioned in the shower like normal. I did this every other day and after about 5 times I have noticed a significant improvement in not only my scalp, but also my hair! My scalp has much less flaking and no itching. My hair is soft and very shiny. Sure, I smell like a pickle right after I wash my hair but after it dries there is no trace of vinegar smell. It was harder to pour the ACV directly out of the bottle so I got a little squirt bottle to help control the flow better.

ACV is definitely cheaper than Tea Tree Oil so I would recommend those who are not having success with other remedies should try this!

If you read my last blog post you remember that I started cleaning my face with oil. Yes I am still doing it and I like it! I haven't noticed much improvement per say in my tone or discolorations, but I love that I do not need moisturizer any more. I love that it does not burn if it gets in my eye or when I am taking off eye makeup. I can also say that any blemishes I do get are quickly gone in a day or two instead of hanging around for over a week.

 

In short, I am sold on the oil-cleansing method. If for nothing else but for the cost! It is just pennies to make a small amount that lasts forever. It takes very little oil to get the job done and it has to be better for your skin if it's chemical-free and all natural pure ingredients! I do think for my next batch I am going to get some jojoba oil to throw in there for more blemish fighting properties.

On a different note, Nick and I met some friends for dinner by the lake and here is a pic of us at sunset :)