I will..... I do!

Happy Wednesday to all my beautiful little readers! It is a happy one here indeed. For no specific reason except that I have a lot to be thankful for! As I was driving today I had one of those moments. You know those moments where my mind just kind of stopped.... took a little breather.... and said wow I'm pretty lucky!! and indeed I am my friends. 

A few months ago, before summer even started, Kevin and I decided that we were going to have "the talk". You know that talk you think you need to have about when would be the right time to jump into some big life changing decision??? I know for most of you it was or probably will be "the baby talk" but no big surprise we skipped that conversation a while ago. No for us it was "the wedding talk". You see we've been engaged since March 19th (my birthday) of 2011. But with all the hustle and the bustle of buying a new house and having a baby we decided to put marriage off. We wanted to hold on to one special thing that we could say when and where since a lot of our major milestones were happening all at once. So fast forward a year and some change... add a couple glasses of wine {or maybe a bottle... I can't really remember :)} And yes we decided to have "the wedding talk" We had a lot to consider here... or so we thought. When it came right down to it, there really wasn't much to consider at all. So after a few back and fourths and a 48 hour span of wanting a Vegas get-a-way we decided on our original plan that we set back in 2011. Although we didn't discuss it much with anyone else back then, we surely discussed it with each other during those next few weeks that followed the proposal. We decided on the Fall of 2013 to be exact! 

So once we set a date we were uncertain of how to tell everyone. Most couples have engagement parties but we were so far past our engagement period we just weren't sure how to spread the word. Since we like to break the barriers of tradition a bit we decided on a "we set the date" party! We really just wanted to bring all our friends and family together to celebrate our decision!! We wanted something casual and fun! We love getting dressed up for swanky cocktail parties and fancy black-tie affairs ...... we just didn't want this to be one of them!! I spent some time searching about what we could serve that would be unique but easy! So often the hosts of large gatherings end up spending the party working and not enjoying themselves. And since we decided to host the party at the last minute..... I wanted something easy!! Then I came across the most adorable idea here: Hot Dog Bar Not only were there tons of pictures to give me ideas but they also provided all the cute signs and prints for free!! SO AWESOME! So with this creative little cookout idea I went ahead and created my own hot dog bar!

This picture does not really do the whole set up justice! I really am bad at capturing special moments on camera! I vow to start snapping away for my memory's sake! We had a bunch of appetizers, side dishes, and set up an alcohol bar outside too! Plenty of booze can make any party a great time!! Played some corn-hole, took some tequila shots, shared a ton of laughs, and had a really awesome night!!

We also took the evening as an opportunity to ask some special people to be apart of our wedding party!! We had such a blast with this I will have to give this topic its very own post!

A little sneak peak!

So for all of you who weren't there ....

I will say I do: September 14, 2013 <3

And I am so excited to share the ups and downs of this entire year with all of you!

A Sweet Personal Victory

Good Early Morning!!! I have vowed to squeeze this blog update in before the weekend, even if that means typing it at 6:30 a.m. with my morning coffee. Excuse me in advance if my thoughts are a little groggy.... I stayed up past 11:00 last night and well that RARELY ever happens!!!

My creative juices haven't quite started flowing yet so I am just going to jump right into what everyone is probably wondering..... THE MUD RUN!! And I will not beat around the bush here... FREAKIN AWESOME!!!

Morning wake-up came at 4:45 a.m.... Y'all know I have to have my coffee and the news before I start any day and a race day is no exception here. Even if this means the wake-up time must be before 5:00 a.m. After my little morning routine we quickly got our butts in gear and out the door by 5:50!! It was recommended by another veteran mud run racer that we leave early and get to the base right when the gates open or we risk getting stuck in traffic. So that is exactly what we did and boy am I glad!! We got in quickly with no problems but that was not the case for most of the racers. The traffic was so bad and moving so slow the race was actually delayed a bit to give people a little more time to get into the base! CRAZY!!

GETTING READY TO WALK TO THE RACE

SHOWING OFF MY NUMBER

READY TO ROCK IT OUT!

We were scheduled to take off in the 4th wave which was about 15 minutes after the first group. I will not lie, when our turn came around I was a little nervous. We had checked out the course map on the flyer but I still wasn't sure what was ahead. And more importantly I was anxious about hanging in there for 5 miles. "I can do this" " I can do this" "I can do this" repeated over and over in my head as the gun signal to start rang through the air. We took off for a mile on the beach....but little did we know that 90 percent of the race that lie ahead of us was also almost ALL SAND!!! Running in sand is a bit tougher than running on the pavement..... this definitely made it more of a challenge!!! But I was in kick butt mode (as I usually switch to in any form of physical challenge) and I was not going to let the sand beat me!! I was not going to walk!! I was going to run (jog at a steady pace is my definition of running here)  the entire course!! So no fluff here people..... THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT WE DID!!! We rocked this race considering it was our first race ever! We ran the last stretch towards the finish line holding hands as observers cheered us on!! Strangers were hollering for us and commenting on how great it was that we were finishing together hand in hand!! The support was amazing.... the feelings that came over me as we crossed the finish line were um amazing!!! I didn't know if I wanted to cheer, laugh, or cry.... to be honest I think I may have done all three!!! Out of 143 couples we came in.......... 24th place!!! AND we looked where I would have placed if I was running in the women's only wave..... I would have come in 16th place!!! I could not be happier with our performance and those results!! Now where we placed in comparison to other people is not important to me, although we impressed ourselves! What matters here was how far I have come. My challenge was with myself and I could have come in last place and still been happy because I did it!!! Simple as that.... I gave it 100% and I did it!!! Last year this race would have been extremely difficult for me. It is magical what a difference a year can make!!

CROSSING THE FINISH LINE.... BEAMING WITH EXCITEMENT!!!

ALL WASHED OFF.... FEELING GREAT!!!

Feel free to check out more pictures on the link below... Just type in 1881 as the bib number and voila!! I must say I got pretty lucky with the candid shots!!

Check out some muddy pictures here!!

We are so pumped to run more races....we are getting ready to sign up for the TOUGH MUDDER that is coming to Virginia Beach in June. This race is designed so that you must complete it with fellow racers.... so we'd LOVE to complete this with some of our friends. What do you think... are you up for the challenge?? Any races you think I should check out now that I've caught the racing bug??

Until Next Time,

Tatiana

A Year From Now.....

Happy Friday my bloggy friends!! August is such a jam packed month in this household I just know time is going to fly by! Our weekends are completely booked up and the weeks filled with preparing for weekend festivities. I can't wait to share with you the exciting things we have planned this month.

I'd like to start off by taking you back to the beginning of last summer. I had just become a new mommy and was experiencing all the challenges joy that comes along with new mommy hood. {Adjusting to my new life took some time but if you want my opinion and you must because you're here.... I think I've done a pretty darn good job!!} Anyway.... one of the less enjoyable experiences of this time last year was getting into summer attire. As you can imagine most of my clothes didn't quite fit yet and getting into a bikini was NOT an option. Now I really behaved myself while pregnant and did not gain a whole lot of extra weight. I gained around 23 pounds and I acquired most of that at the VERY end. Not to mention....once you have the baby you automatically drop their weight and extra "water weight". {I'll call it water weight because after birth and all associations isn't a pretty picture} So yah yah yah I know I was lucky compared to a lot of other first time mommies who gain 30-50 extra pounds, but still 10-15 extra pounds on a 5'4 frame can really make or break your spirit. I didn't venture to the beach or the pool very much, but the few times I did I was so uncomfortable! {Even in my sexy retro ONE PIECE} Now I've mentioned in previous posts my concern with my weight and how I look. I don't see it as shallow... No I'd like to think of it more as being conscious. And the truth is.... I never wanted to feel that uncomfortable at the beach, pool, or in any other attire again. I vowed to get it into gear and not only lose the baby weight but the extra drinking/eating poorly weight I have occurred over the past couple years.

   

Now I don't really enjoy working out.... much less RUNNING! Last year's me could barely run a block before I was winded...tired...cramping...and convinced that distance must have been a mile!! But I was inspired by my sister over at Learning to Love Running {maybe a shout out and link up might get her posting an update} She turned me on to the Couch to 5k. The couch to 5k is a 9week program using a series of podcasts that tell you when to run and when to power walk. I'm sure you're getting the picture but if not.... as the weeks pass the podcasts have you running more and walking less. So this time last year I put my butt in gear and started my journey to lose weight and gain back my confidence. And I did just that.... until the holidays came around! I, like most of us, just got right into the holiday spirit with delicious foods and treats! All my hard work over the past couple months flew right out the window and before I knew it I was almost right back where I started. So again, like most, my new years resolution was to get it back together! Lose the recently gained holiday weight.... gain some muscle... tone up....continue training myself to run.... you know the WHOLE SHEBANG!

And I am happy to report my bloggy friends that I have stayed strong. I am part of that small percent of people who actually kept their New Years resolution!!! Now I haven't ACTUALLY weighed myself because I try not to put too much concern on the number itself. But I can tell by how my clothes fit....my dropping of sizes.... muscle definition..etc etc etc!! When you're feeling/looking good you know it... so who cares what the scale says!!! AND the big kicker is...... drum roll please..... tomorrow I am running in my FIRST RACE EVER!!!! OK OK OK....so it is only an 8k BUT the "I can barely breathe" "I hate running" "I could never run a race" persona that existed last year is officially gone!!! The "I love running"  "I can breathe" "I could keep going" "Running is a release" me of today will take part in the MUD RUN  tomorrow with my hunny by my side!! I am really excited and proud of all I have accomplished over the past year to get to this point!!

So my point to all this rambling on {yes there is a point here} is that , whatever your goal is, you have to start somewhere!! And a year from now you will be so glad you started today!!! Seize the opportunity...stop putting things off... make the most of the moment..... and you may surprise yourself at how far you can go!!

                                                     

I hope you can find inspiration.... motivation....determination.... whatever it is you need to get out there and accomplish that one thing you've been putting off!!! Wish me luck on my race tomorrow!! I can't wait to get muddy!!!!

Tatiana

A Blogger Award!

I decided to take a break from the last bit of my summer school assignments to type up a new blog post. This is my LAST summer school semester of my bachelor degree endeavor and I could not be more excited to begin my last year as an undergraduate. It only took me hhhhmmm 8 years to get here but the end is in sight and I can barely contain my excitement. As I said in my last post my friend Lauran...at Real Young Housewife nominated me for a blog award..... which I am convinced she did to get me to post an update about my RAOK!! And what do you know....it worked! :)

The Liebster Blog Award recognizes an up and coming blogger for their writing (surely she was mistaken...I'm full of punctuation and grammatical errors) and gives them a little shout out. (Yep... she was definitely trying to get me out of my blog slump) The nominated blog must have less than 200 followers (UH check) and "abide" by the following rules.

1.            Thank the blogger who nominated you and link them. {You should really follow her REAL YOUNG HOUSEWIFE if you are not already! She has tons of fun posts AND she posts 5 days a week consistently, which is more than I can say for myself! haha}

2.            Post 11 random facts about yourself.

3.            Choose 11 deserving bloggers and tag them in your post.

4.            Tell them you've tagged them.

5.            Answer 11 questions the tagger has asked you and give 11 questions to the people you've tagged.

6.            No tag backs.

SO...here goes!

11 random facts about myself

 1. I absolutely LOVE music, but I am so musically challenged it is sad.

 2. My celebrity crushes would most definitely include James McAvoy AND Joseph Gordon Levitt. I have a "TYPE" and funny enough my fiancé is the farthest thing from it!!

3. I am shy. What has often always been mistaken for being "stuck-up", "bitchy", or "too good" is actually REALLY shyness/insecurity. Don't be so quick to judge someone.... if they don't approach you or immediately engage in conversation it is not always because they think they are better than you!

4. I care about the appearance of my body. I feel better about myself when I eat healthy and stay active. I feel better about myself when I work out. I am Italian, I like to eat, and I don't like working out.... staying thin does NOT come easy for me. I kick my butt daily as I bike ride, run, do insanity workouts, weight lift, AND watch what/how much I eat. I get annoyed when people accuse me of not having to worry about weight issues.... I do worry...that’s why I am small!

5. I have dance parties with my daughter and often my fiancé daily. I think it might be one of his favorite things about me as I have some pretty sweet moves!

6. I believe in abortion because I don't think all people should be parents. I believe everyone should be allowed to marry and have a family. I also believe that the rich shouldn't necessarily have to fund programs for the poor and our right to bare arms should never be taken away! I don't think socialism OR capitalism is the answer. I support the military but not always the war. This can make it very difficult for me to back any one political party.

7. I don't condone making fun of people..... and I rarely do. {I say rarely because surely I'm not perfect....and I have made fun of Kevin plenty!!}

8. I like getting up early. I cherish quiet early mornings when it is still dark outside and it is just me with my coffee watching the news. A little peace before the madness of the day begins.

9. I am terrified of snakes. Shaking... brought to tears petrified.... unless they are in a tank at the zoo then I am very much intrigued.

10. I considered my dog of 13 years my one true best friend. He may not have been able to talk but I am convinced he always knew what was going on!

11. I love to shop but I am very frugal. I will shop around for the best price...I will bargain shop... discount shop...wait for deals. I also like name brands and will not skimp on certain things like shoes... make-up....and purses. 

The 11 questions I have to answer

1.What is your full time occupation? MOTHER, STUDENT, HOUSE"WIFE"

2. How did you get to the place/location where you currently live? I'VE GROWN UP IN VB. ALTHOUGH I DON'T PLAN ON STAYING HERE FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE, MY FIANCE DOES. WE HAVE SOME NEGOTIATING TO DO. 

3. What is one thing from your childhood you miss the most? MY DREAMS. IMAGINATION, ABILITY TO MAKE BELIEVE. I WAS DREAMER WHO HAD BIG PLANS FOR MYSELF.... FUNNY HOW WE LOSE SIGHT OF THOSE DREAMS AS WE GET OLDER.

4. Do you have allergies? If so, to what? YES...TO POLLEN UGH!

5. What is the best feeling in the world to you? WHEN MY DAUGHTER GIVES ME A KISS OR HUG FOR NO REASON. JUST MELTS MY HEART!

6. What kind of person were you in high school? I WAS A CHEERLEADER AND ALTHOUGH I WAS STEREOTYPED AS SO, I WAS NOT THE STEREOTYPICAL CHEERLEADER. 

7. Are you doing what you love with your life? I AM TORN WITH THIS QUESTION. I GUESS I AM CURRENTLY IN LIMBO....I LOVE MY LIFE AS I LOVE MY DAUGHTER, MY FIANCE, AND MY HOME. BUT I HOPE TO GRAB A HOLD OF SOME DREAMS I LET GO OF A WHILE BACK AND EMBRACE LIFE AS WE ONLY HAVE ONE OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE.

8. How would you describe your style? I AM A COMBINATION OF FUNKY, TRENDY, AND CLASSIC. I LOVE ALL SORTS OF LOOKS AND WOULD NEVER CONFINE MYSELF TO ONE GENRE. I LOVE TO BE EDGY AND PUSH THE BOUNDARIES A BIT. WHY FIT IN WHEN YOU WERE BORN TO STAND OUT? :)

9. Do you have MAC or a PC? MAC ALL THE WAY.

10. Do you follow college football? If so, who is your team?! NOPE AND I PROBABLY NEVER WILL.

11. What is your favorite season and why? FALL! WHATS NOT TO LOVE ABOUT FALL??? THE TEMPERATURES, THE COLORS, NFL, THE FOOD, THE HOLIDAYS. I LOVE LOVE LOVE SEPTEMBER - DECEMBER. 

Ok now I have unloaded tons of information and you may have gotten to know me a whole lot better!! Now I don't have 11 blog friends to nominate because I don't even follow 11 blogs yet! SO I'm going to break the rules of the Liebster award a bit here. Here are 11 questions I'd love to read YOUR answers to in the comment section as well as 11 random facts about yourself!! Feel free to make it all about YOU down in the comment section as I enjoy getting to know more about my family, friends, and strangers!

11 QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO ANSWER

1. What is your favorite dessert?

2. What is your favorite movie?

3. What is one piece of fashion you could never live without?

4. One song that never gets old is?

5. The most inspirational piece of advice, quote, or thing you've read is?

6. The thing you like most about yourself is?

7. If you could tell your high school self ONE thing it would be?

8. If you could dine with someone from history who would it be?

9. What is the best restaurant you have ever dined at and what did you order?

10. What is the thing you love most about your best friend?

11. If you could do one thing in your life and you knew you couldn't fail what would it be? 

I really hope y'all answer these questions as I'd LOVE to hear your responses!!!

Back to reality for me.... one last paper to go!!

Tatiana

Hey Remember Me?

So its no big surprise I haven't posted an update in a month and several of my friends have noticed. I have been meaning to take the time to sit down and whip up a new post but I just haven't set aside time in the the day to do so. Yes you read that right....days have gotten so I need to set time slots for things that are not apart of our daily routine. Then my friend Lauran nominated me for a blog award over at Real Young Housewife....surely she is trying to drag me out of my blog slump? But secretly I'm honored and can't wait to fill out the questions!

The truth is July just got so busy and before I knew it the month was over. Seriously it feels like with a blink of an eye we went from July to August. My little brother came into town on 4th of July to surprise my mom....which was the driving force behind all my patriotic excitement. My little brother is not so little anymore as he as been putting all of his time and energy into his military career. That was the second time we have seen him in well over a year. He has missed out on so many family milestones: Ruby's birth, Tasha's wedding, Ruby's first birthday party, our upcoming engagement party, etc etc etc and while at times it can make us all sad he is not around, I could not be more proud of him. Not many young men {I use the term "men" very loosely these days, as in my opinion our society is no longer raising men, but rather immature, spoiled, mama's boys.... more on that some other time cause I could really go off on a tangent here haha} But anyway, yes there are not many young men in {our area at least} that would quietly enlist in the military before telling anyone, spend his 21st birthday in bootcamp, and willingly leave his family, friends, and girlfriend for an unknown amount of time. Its hard to believe my bratty little brother isn't so bratty and little anymore! {ok ok maybe a little bratty still? juuuuuuust kidding} Needless to say I'm very proud of him and was very excited about the secret visit!

So I'm sure you are all wondering about the rest of the RAOK in my 30 day challenge. Well Ruby came down with a fever for multiple days during the first week of July, then Kevin was sick the following couple of days, and yup you guessed it....I came down with whatever summer cold sickness was passing through our house. I became a little overwhelmed with the abundance of summer assignments I had to complete {I have 2 papers and 2 tests to knock out this week and I'm finally finished until the fall semester starts in two weeks woooohoooo} We had more family come into town for a week which kept us on the go go go!! Yes.... I know what you're probably thinking..... excuses excuses these are all excuses! And you're right! While they are all true, they are simply just that EXCUSES. The truth is I fell off the wagon and I used every other thing on my plate as an excuse to make myself feel better. As silly as it sounds and I'm maybe even a little ashamed to admit it, but coming up with RAOK and putting forth the effort to complete them daily became very time consuming. My days started to revolve around the RAOK and what I needed or where I needed to go to complete them. I supposed I was a little ambitious to shoot for 30 days..... perhaps I was better off aiming for a week or even 2 but 30...30 days became a chore challenge.

The truth is I'm ok with it! Its part of life you see...... to set goals, challenges, resolutions. Sometimes we succeed but not always. No.... a lot of the time we fail  fall short of our original objective. It's a fact of life and I wouldn't be real or honest with you if I tried to paint it any other way! I promise to still continue with RAOK and document them along the way..... but I'm not going to hold myself to completing one EVERYDAY. If I can continue to be real here... there are days when I don't even have to leave the house! Shoot as a stay at home mom/ student ....there really are days I COULD stay in my pajamas all day, not brush my hair, and hibernate in front of the television. I surely DON'T do that....but I see how it could be very easy as a stay at home mom with few mommy friends to stay behind closed doors. While I have been MIA from the blogging world, I have also spent WAY less time in the internet. Which again.... I'm ok with. I have thrown myself into several other daily activities with Ruby as well as more yard and house projects. July has been a really self satisfying month in so many others ways than performing RAOK. It is so easy to get caught up on the internet with facebook, pinterest, blogging etc etc etc. and I like to put some effort into what I'm typing here {which can also take up a good amount of time from our day}. It has become very important to me that I limit my time here in cyber space.... especially while Ruby is awake and present. I'd rather play and interact with her than surf away on the internet as she occupies herself. It is impossible to truly LIVE if we spend all our time on the internet, on our phones, using apps etc. Technology can interfere with our ability to really experience life..... so remember to get out from behind the t.v/computer/phone screen and live a little!

Alrite.... now I've already taken up more of my morning than I intended to! I promise to complete the award questions on my next post.... and it will not be another month before I get to it!! :)


Tatiana

4th of July Inspiration Part 2

Happy 4th of July Eve everyone!! Today has slowly dragged by as I anxiously anticipate tomorrow!! I cannot wait to kick off our little beach bash!! So I spent most of the day doing prep for tomorrow.... which included a lot of running around. Running errands with a baby is no little task but I managed to get through it and I think I got everything we need!!

While I was running around trying to cross things off my personal list I managed to pick up few extra things. For what you ask? Well a little while back I came across a website for a nonprofit Any Soldier.

http://www.anysoldier.com/

I fell in love with the concept here!! It is 100% voluntary and YOU are in charge of everything!! What is EVERYTHING you ask? I'll try my best to sum it up! YOU pick a military service member who has signed up to be a volunteer with the organization. There is a list of names provided and several search criteria options. You can pick someone based on their location, their gender, their return date etc. Once you pick a person, their address will be sent to your e-mail. Once you get their address YOU can send a letter .... a care package.... or another form of support. {What a great activity to get your children in on!!!} Once the volunteer soldier receives the letter/package they turn around and deliver it to someone in their unit who does not receive mail, has never had a care package, etc. Basically, someone who is not receiving a lot of support from back home! PRETTY COOL HUH? Today we picked up a bunch of things for a care package. Think trail mixes, pringles, zip lock bags, magazines, beef jerky, gum, playing cards, cross word puzzles, toiletries. {DO NOT MAIL FOOD ITEMS WITH TOILETRIES AS THE FOOD ENDS UP TASTING LIKE THE SOAP, MOUTHWASH ETC THEY SUGGEST DOING EITHER ONE THEME OR THE OTHER.}

Here is a website with a ton of ideas: Soldier package ideas

A lot of people are against "The War" or have no clue what we are even doing "over there". A lot of people are angry with the government and we all disagree on how to solve our nation's problems. But none of the hostility we feel towards the politicians in charge should be directed at the men and women who serve our country. It takes a certain kind of individual to enlist in the military, ship off to boot camp, and spend long periods of time away from their family and friends. It takes a certain type of person to willingly sign up for a job where the chances of death are high. These people should be appreciated... celebrated.... and thanked! {providing they aren't acting like a bunch of drunk goons in the bar...I speak from experience here.}

We should all take a moment to think about what Independence really means. How so many people in this world live in horrible conditions...conditions we could not even imagine. We are a fortunate spoiled  nation and I think people often forget how truly lucky they are!! 

{I have fallen in love with this quote}

I will probably skip out tomorrow and update on Thursday! 

But it will be a GOOOD ONE.....I promise! :)

I sure hope you'll take some time to send some love to soldier over seas!

Tatiana

4th of July Inspiration part 1

I cannot believe June has come and gone. Here we are July 2nd and before you know it, it will be August...then the beginning of Fall...then the holidays!! AAAHH I LOVE the Holidays!! OK OK... I better stop before I get ahead of myself here! Right now my focus is on July 4th woohoo HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA! In honor of our nation's independence and all the men and women who fought and continue to fight for just that, we have been planning a big beach bash!!{And I seriously cannot wait} Just how big you ask?? WELL lots of family..food...friends...beverages...sun....sand....and hopefully a little paddle boarding too!! I cannot articulate exactly how big because there really are no words to describe how wonderful it is that we get to spend an afternoon relaxing on the beach with the people we love!! BUT maybe I'll try to convey the pure awesomeness we will be having with some pictures in a follow up post!!

I will be completing some 4th of July inspired RAOK throughout the week....all of which you can do too!!

But first I'd like to rewind and talk about the weekend!! 

In short: We had some awful luck this weekend!! 

Now I certainly am not going around town doing RAOK to improve my Karma....but geesh we could have used a break this weekend!! Saturday was supposed to be a fun day on the water. Took all morning to pack and get down to the bay so we could take the jet ski out for a fun filled afternoon! WHAT FUN RIGHT?? No sooner did we get out of the "no wake zone" and jerk up the speed before we were pulled over by a boat cop! YAH FUN!!!  The cop, with his hasty attitude about a certain sticker displayed front and center of the ski, gave Kevin a ticket! What for you ask? LISTEN UP VIRGINIA WATER BABIES: Anyone operating a personal water craft must have the certified water safety card regardless of your age! You can obtain this by paying to take the class online and purchasing a card!! AND anyone under 30 driving a boat must also have one of these little cards as well. I am continually amazed at all the NEW ways our state/city try and make money! Kev was rather polite given his newly acquired ticket....I remained silent and looked the other way after the sticker situation. Like they say "If you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all"  that or "don't mouth off to a power tripping cop who would love to arrest you just for laughs" ...yah maybe that! And I hate to say it but that incident ruined my mood for the rest of the day! However...I did stick a little note on my neighbors door step that read "You are special."

Sunday was a new day with a new agenda. We loaded up the car and headed to Williamsburg{45 minutes to an hour away depending on traffic} for a little trip around historic Jamestown and some shopping of course! Long story short: Most of Williamsburg was without power after a storm that blew through the night before. The museum was down, but Kevin paid for tickets prior to the correct knowledge AND half of the outlets were closed! The good ones too i.e.: Kate Spade...BCBG...JUICY....ETC! UGH!! We did manage to find a cute bistro for a delicious little lunch that consisted of assorted cheeses, meats, and fruit with a nice glass of wine on the side!! Truly was the highlight of this little weekend gone wrong! Sunday's RAOK was already done a couple days prior...but the situation just presented itself so I hoped on the opportunity. We stopped into the grocery store on our way home and when we went to grab a cart there were 4. I am not exaggerating....ALL of the grocery carts that belong to the store were outside in the parking lot. On our way back to the car there was a young female employee trying to round them all up and back into the store before it stormed! So I offered my assistance and helped her get a bunch of carts together. I couldn't tell if she found my help annoying or what but regardless it came from a good place!

So I'd like to forget about the unfortunate luck we had this weekend and the massive amounts of homework I've been tackling to focus on my RAOK for today! Since I recently joined the blogging world, I have been interested in following other blogs! Naturally, I'd like to meet new people and also have new people start following me. A process that has proven to be much slower than I had hoped. {I wish I had more time to devote to reading other blogs and connecting with new people, but the truth is I'm having a hard enough time squeezing my own updates in} But anyway, a facebook friend posted a link to a blog that I ended up checking out. He didn't mention what the blog was about just that they were looking for a little help. Whats that you say...HELP? I'm on a helping mission this month lets check it out! I was not prepared for the level of awesomeness I was about to stumble across. The blog is titled "On A Whim and A Prayer" and it is about Kristen and Andy and their journey of adopting a child. But wait it gets better!! Not just any child....a child with special needs! A beautiful baby girl with down syndrome who currently resides in an orphanage in another country. Just typing this gives me goose bumps and brings tears to my eyes! How incredible are these two?? Words just cannot express how amazing I think these people are and I have never even met them! So when I said earlier how they needed a little help, well it is because they do! The costs associated with adopting are extremely high and they are facing massive expenses in their effort to bring this little girl to America and into their loving home! What better way to celebrate America, 4th of July, Freedom, etc. than helping these two remarkable people??? Today I made a contribution to their paypal fund. I hope that by sharing this story you too will whip out your card and also contribute! If we all donate $5.00-$10.00 dollars and then pass the story along to our family, friends, facebookers, blog followers etc. than we can all help made a difference in a BIG WAY!! Typing that also gives me goosebumps! Here is a challenge for YOU....I hope you will except! Check out their beautiful blog which includes their story and all the information you may need to help!

 http://awhimandaprayer.com/

Check me out tomorrow as I have another 4th of July inspired RAOK you can do as well!!

Until tomorrow,
Tatiana

Hey everyone....remember me? UGH! It was a little difficult for me to find the time to for posting the past couple of days! We have been staying quite busy/active and to be honest...I'd prefer it that way!! {And before you start wondering...NO NO NO it is not because I am suddenly addicted to the 50 Shades of Grey books. I've only managed to get through 5 chapters! Apparently I am one of the FEW who actually can put it down. :( I've been told to hang in there....that it gets better...so I will finish it.(Eventually) }The computer can be an addicting place especially with Facebook and my new blogging hobby!! I'd like to think I'm doing a pretty good job at the mommy role when there is no time left in the day to dedicate to the computer :) SO I won't be beating myself up if I don't post everyday!

You will be happy to know that although I slacked on my posting....I have not stopped my daily RAOK!  Start from the beginning here. 

Tuesday evening I got my betty crocker on and baked some chocolate and peanut butter chip cookies. I LOVE to cook and I have become quite good over the past couple years but I have yet to successfully master the baking! I know a lot of  baking is about being technical but I am impatient and I don't have time to let my butter get room temperature before I use it {isn't that what the microwave is for?} WELL....the truth is no! The key to baking is doing it 100% accurately. I've always colored outside the lines a bit...so baking is a challenge! One I will master eventually {hhhhmmmm....30 day baking challenge?}Although it was not the best presentation they weren't bad on flavor!! 

WEDNESDAY: I sent Kevin off to work with a bunch of these little bags of cookies to give to all the secretaries in his office! Although Kevin does not have a secretary of his own.....a lot of the ladies still help him with certain things. Everyone likes to feel appreciated including the secretaries that take care of all the busy work!! I thought it would be a good RAOK AND I could make Kevin participate in it with me! 

THURSDAY: Around the time of Ruby's FIRST birthday {April 17th} we started receiving all kinds of coupons for formulas, 3D ultra sound and new born pictures, and samples of stuff. Only a year late haha!! Ruby doesn't drink formula anymore and I had a $4.00 gift certificate for GERBER. Anyone who has ever been down the formula route knows how expensive it is! I'd flip for a $4.00 discount on that pricey little number!! So I went ahead and taped it onto a shelf in the baby formula aisle at the grocery store! Hopefully that brightens someones day because formula really can add up!!

FRIDAY: I ran to target during our lag time in between the beach and dinner! When I pulled into the parking lot along the side of the building their were carts all up and down the building. Yesterday was also HOT HOT HOT! So I took the liberty of rounding up all the carts and bringing them inside! I hope that helped the person who had to go round up all the strays! SERIOUSLY PEOPLE.....I always put my cart back in correct place and I have a baby with me most of the time!! It's not that hard.... think about it next time you're feeling lazy! The picture only shows three carts but thats cause I'm not techy and don't know how to get a wide angle on my phone! :) I think you get the idea!! I also stopped and gave a man directions to another store when he asked :) 

Today we are off to another "beach day" at the bay so we can launch the jet ski. Although I am a FALL lovin person....I have to say I LOVE how summer time brings so many "family days". I'm not sure what kind of RAOK I will complete today but I'm sure I will figure something out!!

Ruby just came to me with a book in hand {her new obsession} so I'm going to wrap it up and read her a book before the beach!

Until next time,

Tatiana

Don't rain on MY parade...

So if you're reading this and you live in the Virginia Beach/Hampton Roads area than you would probably agree with me when I say TODAY WAS ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!! The mid 70's weather combined with the low pressure breeze aaaaaahhhh it made for an enjoyable day! We often complain when it is too hot and complain when it is too cold....but today my friends there was nothing to be complaining about!! Not to mention I feel like super woman because of all the stuff I accomplished today. (Thats easy to do when you've made it your mission to wake up in between 5:30-6:30 )

I worked out, ate breakfast, fed Ruby breakfast, went for a bike ride, popped into Michaels for some ribbon I needed, and hit up the grocery store all before.....10:00 a.m!! Initially I wanted to take Ruby back to the water park, but I felt like I would be wasting the day this way! Water park fun is perfect for the hot often unbearable days but today....today we could actually be outside and enjoy it!! We had a picnic in the backyard and took a trip to Mount Trashmore where I learned Ruby would much rather play in the mud than at the park! I'd like to think of her as adventurous :)

I love food!!

How do you get water out of this thing??

Ok So I know I'm a little late on the Tervis Tumbler thing but I just picked one up and it has got to be one of the coolest inventions!! I'm amazed at how long I can keep ice in my drink!! Seriously ...PERFECT for these hot days!!

It was really nice today to just relax and enjoy some time outside with Ruby. I love watching her do things and am amazed at how smart she is. While soaking up the sunshine today I had one of those moments where everything just stopped and seemed so perfect!! Which brings me to the conclusion that it's those small moments that end up being a really big deal!

On our way home from the park I stopped into Barnes and Noble. Book stores hold a very special place in my heart. I love everything about a book store....the way they smell, the way they look, the quiet atmosphere...EVERYTHING!! 

Barnes and Noble is one of my places.

You know one of those places that you can go to get away from everything.....to make everything better....to gain some sanity or clarity....one of those places that heals your soul! Any book store would do really...Barnes and Noble is just the closest one in my area.

I used to go there a lot!! Particularly when I was feeling blue. I've willingly spent many hours browsing the biography section, the decor section, and yes...THE SELF HELP SECTION.

The self help section is particularly funny in the sense that so many people want to find a book to help them with whatever they are struggling with but yet they don't actually want to be seen in the self-help section. Generally I'd grab a coffee and take a seat somewhere in the aisle with a pile of books I've carefully selected. And people would quickly stop in...notice me...quickly grab a book and leave. It is almost as if my presence added some kind of pressure. I could have made a game out of seeing who could come into the aisle and find the book they needed in the least amount of time. The "cure all" book they located in under 30 seconds!! 

It never seemed to bother me to sit in the aisle with a pile of books almost willingly admitting "I NEED HELP." Which is interesting considering I've spent many years worrying about what people thought about me. This year I officially entered the later side of my twenties and it has caused me to reflect a lot on what I have accomplished in the previous years. Sure I've succeeded in learning some important lessons.....making some great memories....and getting rid of some toxins in my life. But what I realized is I've always restricted myself for fear of what others might think about me...say about me..etc. As I get older....I'm starting to realize WHO CARES? I mean sure...we all want to be liked...no one wants to feel rejected....thats human nature. But I won't be liked by everyone and my beliefs, values, ideas won't always be accepted. ME...MYSELF...I may not always be accepted. But in the end does it REALLY MATTER?? The people who know and love me will accept me....be happy for my accomplishments...help me with my flaws and will not think twice about doing either! 

I'm working on gaining control of my insecurities and not letting them help define me anymore. I'm learning to care less about what everyone else thinks about me and focus on how I feel about myself. Focusing on what my fiance, daughter, family, and close friends see!

I'll tell you what...I'm far happier trying this than I was worrying about the impressions of others.

SO in honor of my love affair with book stores....I left a gift card in a book for someone to find one day when they are looking for a new read!

Inside the cardholder I wrote: please enjoy this random act of kindness and please feel free to pay it forward the next time you get a chance! :)

Until tomorrow,

Tatiana

Oh ...What made me stop into Barnes and Noble in the first place you're wondering???

I've decided to hop on the 50 Shades of Grey bandwagon.

I don't know where I'm going to find the time to dedicate to reading it....but everyone is nonstop talking about it so naturally I am intrigued!

Obviously I was going to have to see what all the fuss was about eventually!! :)

Just Another Manic Monday

The most original title for a Monday right? Ha....Seriously Mondays are always busy busy busy!! NORMALLY...My mom takes Ruby for a couple hours so I can have some free time  so I can clean and do homework!! By the time Monday gets here it honestly looks like a bomb exploded in every room in my house. Between Ruby and Kevin (not the neatest housemate) things get scattered everywhere as I have a temper tantrum internally. Its hard to concentrate on papers, reading, and test taking when things are not neat, tidy, and smelling good. So generally.....I clean all morning and do h.w. till Ruby comes home! My Ruby free day was rescheduled this week.....so I have diligently cleaned and shut doors so as to keep her from messing it up immediately! :)



Besides being a house terrorist Ruby is a real treat. to be perfectly honest, I never longed to be a mother. Some women want nothing more than to become a mom and truly can't wait for the day to start making babies.....I was not one of them! No...for me it was more of an accident.....but an accident I wouldn't trade for the world. In many ways Ruby saved me....saved me from myself. I won't go into all the details....but it is safe to say my life changed the day Ruby was born and I have never looked back!

The night she was born...all swollen and puffy <3

Ruby now: 14 Months

Loves: eating, going for walks in her race car, carrying a purse, and the beach.

Favorite foods: Berries, Popsicles,broccoli, spinach, and OK she loves everything!

Words: Dada....everyone everything is Dada.

Signs: Thank-you, Please, and More

Dances, blows kisses, and just started wearing shoes!

So my original plan was to introduce my little pop tart and continue on to the RAOK... kind of in her honor, but its something I can do another day.  Because instead I mailed a card(yes the old fashioned way with hand written words and a stamp) to someone who I think just may need to read the words!! Hey.....random acts of kindness don't have to be just for strangers!! Never under-estimate the power of a hand written letter, card, or note. It is a simple gesture that can really make a difference. I won't go into the sudden details that prompted me to send a little love snail mail because I'd like to respect this person's privacy.

But I will say....I am shocked to know that such mean spirited behavior still exists in adults. We are supposed to teach our children to treat others the way they want to be treated.....and most adults themselves need to remember this golden rule!!

Love,

Tatiana

The Weekend

Good Morning, (Afternoon, or Evening).....depending on when you are reading this!! I decided to combine Saturday and Sunday's RAOK into one post. Because the weekend has just kind of been all over the place...and with a little tot running around there is never a time lull. Kevin works a lot during the week so we try to maximize our time together as a family on the weekends(when we are not driving each other crazy) and I try to stay away from the computer during this time!!

I'm going to cut right to the chase today because we are taking a certain little someone to the water park for a couple hours before I have to go to a bridal shower. Which I put together the cutest basket for the bride.....Maybe I'll share tomorrow so as not to ruin the surprise! Anyway I had to run out yesterday to get some extra ribbon for a bow. You know the kind of ribbon your curl with a pair of scissors?? So while I was out I popped into the dollar store with this.

Now I could have brought a wad of dollar bills and had fun placing them around the store (which is what I originally wanted to do) but I'm no millionaire AND I still have 27 days to go! So I figured one dollar strategically place in the TOY aisle of the dollar store would be good!!

I would have loved to wait around to see the look on the kid's face who came across this dollar!!(But busy busy weekends remember??) A dollar is a whole lot to a child....and I'd like to think it helped some parent on a budget!


This morning I got right into my RAOK!! I don't major grocery shop anymore because we try to eat as fresh as possible and when you buy a huge amount of fresh fruits and vegetables they tend to go bad before you can finish them! (Although my kid is like a garbage disposal) So I tend to stop into the grocery store every day or every other day for just what we need that day/or two days! Obviously it is more time consuming, but I throw a lot less food away AND I plan dinners by what sounds good that day instead of whats already in the freezer!! Anyway the pickins were slim around here today so I got up early and went out for breakfast. At 7:30 A.M....at the grocery store there were two young guys loading all the bags of ice into the ice cooler. It was a huge mountain of ice bags and they were like little worker ants!!(I really never took the time to consider who exactly had to fill those big coolers until now) Long story short... as I picked up some berries and yogurt I also grabbed this:

So I was being checked out and the woman at the register said "Oh I'm glad they started selling these like this" and she continued to ring me up and bag my breakfast. I smiled and said "Yah I know" Then as I loaded my bags into the cart I turned to her and said "Actually these are for you!" to which she stopped with the most shocked/amazed/confused look on her face and replied "SERIOUSLY?". I said "Yes...you and the two guys over there loading that cooler"(The 3 of them were the only ones working up front) I told her it was early and they were here working and I hoped that helped their morning. The one little guy was so thank-ful and said" This is the BEST part of my day!!"

OK I may be a baby but I was fighting back tears as I walked out of the store! I was instantly in a better mood!!!

So there you have it.....my kindness for the weekend!! Which brings me to a small little lesson I've learned....If I'm in a BAD mood or having a BAD day....the BEST remedy surely has got to be to do something nice for someone and make them feel appreciated!! Seriously.....try it and let me know what you think!! :)

Now I know I promised to talk about a group RAOK.....but I'm going to do that later. Either in a separate post later today or in tomorrows post. Because I promised my family a trip to the water park on this time crunched morning and that promise just HAS to come first!!! :)

Anybody else do anything nice for someone else this weekend?? I'd love to hear about it!!

Until next time,

Tatiana

Behind the name

First off I just want to comment on the unbelievable amount of support I have received after only one post!!! Thank-you all for such kinds words of encouragement and messages of support. A lot of people even wanted to do their own act of kindness today! I'm thrilled to have inspired people to stop and do something nice for someone else. So with that said, come check me out tomorrow as I have an exciting opportunity for my readers to participate in a RAOK(the super cool acronym I was unaware of till today) and it gives me chills just thinking about how cool it will be!!

Second I'd just like to let everyone reading know that A: I am very bad with technology and this is no understatement. I am really challenged in this department so please bare with me as I make an attempt to learn how to personalize my bloggy home and also follow other bloggers. I promise I will figure it out!! B: I tend to type like I talk which sometimes results in grammatical and punctuation errors. Please forgive me in advance...... there is an english teacher in my family its just not me! :)

So I thought I'd give a short little background on why I chose to title my blog Lipstick and Sippy Cups. For as long as I can remember make-up has always been a passion of mine. I remember at the age of 5 having a basket full of department store cosmetics that were handed down to me from my mother and meme instead of tossing it. You know the colors that you decide you don't like anymore, the old stuff you know you shouldn't use anymore, or just the almost empties that don't benefit you but would make a little girl happy....yes all those! I loved giving my friends make-overs and even myself when I was supposed to be cleaning my room! No big surprise to you then that for the longest time my dream was to take my make-up talents to the big leagues. I was fortunate to get a lot of side work around the area with my mom's clients (she's a stylist don't ya know) and my sister's friends (at the peak of the everyone's getting married years) But before I could get up enough money courage to take myself to a big time city....I met a man and a year later we ended up having a baby.....a beautiful baby indeed. As joyful as this was....for me it meant letting go of the New York City girl dream.

One piece of advice that I will never forget after having Ruby (my daughter) was from my mom. She told me to always take the time to fix yourself up for the day. Because it is a lot easier to fight post partum when you're feeling good!. Becoming a mom does not mean you have to let yourself go or stop feeling good about yourself. Now I'm not talking about a full blown face and stilettos ladies....a sleek pony tail and a pretty gloss will surely do! Just a little something to say Yes world I am a mom....and a foxy one at that! :) No really all that matters is that YOU feel good about YOURSELF!!! For me taking thirty minutes to make myself presentable helps! So lipstick and and sippy cups kind of represents the two sides of me and my balance of the two!! I could go on and on about the symbolism here people but I'm pretty sure you get the idea.

Which brings me to my RAOK(I'm lovin this abbreviation): I had a bunch of errands to do today and decided that I'd like to leave a little reminder to other women that they are beautiful! With or without make-up. (Kind of sticking with the theme of my post) My original idea was to post this in the make-up aisle when I swung into walmart.... but that was my last stop of the day and I was antsy. So I went ahead and posted one everywhere we went!!

Ready to run errands....haha isn't she the cutest lil thing?

So today we posted notes at: 

                                  The Courthouse DMV Ladies Restroom -Not pictured

                             The Ladies Restroom at Bed Bath and Beyond-Not pictured

                                                        The Ladies Restroom in Starbucks

The Cosmetic Aisle in Walmart-Not Pictured

and

The Gas Pump!! :)

Simple?? Silly?? Maybe....but I'd like to think that somebody who came across that little reminder today really did need to be reminded!

Well I think I've typed a whole lot so I won't continue to ramble...but don't forget to pop on by tomorrow to check out the super exciting way for my readers to help me complete a RAOK in honor of (a little hint) 4th of July! Oh the thought just tugs at my heart strings....I cannot control my excitement!

Until then....be kind to one another!

Tatiana