The Great Pacifier Debate

So here's another debate about the pacifier or binky sparked by another celebrity. Years ago I remember everyone talking about how crazy it was that little Suri Cruise was still hanging on to her paci. A little girl that had been known to wear a slight heel on her shoe was still tossing back the binky. 

Credit

Fast forward a couple years and now we have the great debate but this time it's about Alicia Key's son, Egypt. Pictured below with his Dad, rapper and producer, Swizz Beatz and his paci. Now. Egypt is only two but when he was pictured with his mother and his paci recently the world wide web went ablaze. I've seen blogs pulling studies on pacifiers out of their research files and diagnosing this little guy with all kinds of behavior issues. All I could do was laugh. One site even posted a comment from a reader that called Alicia a lazy Mom.

Credit

Really? Lazy? Now. I completely understood the hoopla about Suri because she was a walking, talking heel wearing fashionista. This craziness about little Egypt just seems ridiculous. He's only two, give him (and his Momma) a break. I can't relate to the binky addiction because I got rid of Savannah's when she was about nine or ten months old. However, I will say that what's good for one duo may not be good for another. I could have never looked at a pacifier that long. With that said I'm pretty sure it's some stuff that Sav does that other Moms would never put up with.

What do you all think about the pacifier debate? 

Chic Quote from our FB Wall

"This morning it came to my attention that I have trained my ear to hear two things no matter what: A baby crying and a rinse cycle on the washing machine!" ~ Tia (The Chic SAHM)

Join the fun on our new Facebook page!

My Box Braids Experience

So. I took my braids out a couple days ago. I couldn't make it to two months. I really did love having them and they were pretty gorgeous but it was time for me to say goodbye to them. The best part about having braids was that it gave me a break from thinking about my own hair. I also got to try out a new hair color. I plan to dye my hair that color if I can find it. The downside to having braids was that they broke my skin out for some reason. My forehead has been jacked up like a pubescent teen for the past few weeks.

It took me from eight o' clock in the morning until about four o' clock in the evening to take my braids out. I took about an hour break to make Savannah lunch and put her down for a nap. No one told me that taking braids out was pure torture. It was the task that just would not end. After they were all out I ended up with a very fluffy Afro. It was gorgeous. I was kind of sad because I knew that it would be gone the second I washed my hair. My hair has major shrinkage so my curly Afro is no where near as big as my post braids 'fro. I've been doing a little youtubing and I plan to recreate that look. 

Since I didn't want to shampoo my hair and start that whole process in the evening. So I did a prepoo of coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil and honey. It sat all night. When I was done shampooing my hair the next morning it was super soft. Still is actually. All the softness in the world couldn't make up for how tangled it was though. It took me two whole hours to get my hair detangled and into some two strand twists. During this process I decided that I would probably not be getting my hair braided again. Like ever. It was a task and a half. I would have paid someone to do it. 

My soldier snapped some pics of me while I was taking my braids out. Savannah must have seen that I was struggling because she starting helping me at one point, ha ha!

Chic Obsessions: The Food Edition

I thought I would do another edition of my chic obsessions. This time I thought it would be fun to do a round up of my favorite meals, snacks and kitchen gadgets. I am a big food person. I love cooking and eating. No lie. I could probably watch the Food Network all day if given the opportunity. I live for Top Chef and Around the World in 80 Plates had me at hello. Here is a list of my must haves in the kitchen. Oh. And that salad from Instagram that everyone was excited about made the list! Eat your heart out!

Super Chic Salad

I could probably eat a salad every day. It's absolutely one of my most favorite meals. Here is the fastest best salad you will ever make. Keep these items in your fridge and pantry and you will never be lost for lunch or dinner. Remember, if you take your salad to lunch do not pre toss the salad in dressing or you'll end up with a limp bed of spinach. And no one likes a limp bed, of well, anything really.

- Spinach (or your green of choice) Arugula is good too.
- Almond slices
- Craisins (Dried Cranberries)
- Boiled Egg
-Avocado
-Bacon Bits
-Feta or Bleu Cheese
-Red Onion
-Mushrooms
-Protein of choice (Sometimes I skip the meat and it's just as good and filling.)
-Dressing (I use Ken's Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette.)

On the Go Snack
I love Sargento Pepper Jack cheese sticks. They are amazing.

Things every Kitchenista needs...
As I said I love cooking. The one thing I have learned about the kitchen is that if you have the right tools for your job you can things done much faster. I know these tools may seem like your every day kitchen gadgets but I know there's someone out there who just needs to know the chic basics. Here they are...

- Decent Knives. Notice I didn't say good or expensive. Get the best knives your money can buy. Anything is a step up from what most people currently use.

- Blender. If you get a good blender you can do just about anything with it. You can make cocktails, salsa and I even made Savannah's baby food with mine.

-Chopper. This thing is a lifesaver when you need a fine chop.

What are some of your chic obsessions when it comes to food and kitchen gadgets?

Stylish Saturday: The LB(lue)D

I absolutely love this shade of blue. It's so deep and bright. I found this dress for eleven bucks at a Gap Outlet store. The fit is perfect and the dress was so comfy.

We were out running some errands and I wanted to look pulled together but not overly done. Sometimes it's nice to look effortless. Like you're not trying so hard. I paired the dress with some natural colored flat sandals and my favorite fedora. It's so nice being reunited with all my accessories!

We are all unpacked and things are starting to feel more settled. Posts will be going back up like normal starting Monday. I know you missed me :-) Have a great weekend!














Dress - Gap Outlet
Shoes- Bakers
Belt - H&M
Fedora - Target

-posted with my chic iPhone

Now That She's Two...

Yesterday my little family celebrated Savannah's second birthday. We had a nice low key outing and Sav had a blast. It could not have been more perfect. Since we're currently knee deep in boxes and our family and friends are time zones away I felt there was no need to throw together a party. We did a nice party last year so honestly I was happy to have this year off. 

Now that Savannah is two I feel a huge sense of urgency to do more. I feel like I should be feeding her brain everything from letters and numbers to animals and shapes. Should I be signing her up for a ballet class? Is she still too young for a toddler a bed? I could go on forever with all the things I think I should be doing with her. She's in that in between stage of no longer being a baby but not quite a (pre) pre-schooler. Or is she considered pre-school now? See. I don't even know.

I think the age of two comes with a lot of new and exciting things for kids. For example, Savannah is now using regular toothpaste, which she was very happy about. We picked some out together at the grocery store and she's asked to brush her teeth at least three times today. I decided that she will abandon her crib and we converted it to the toddler bed version today. Since we were putting it back together from the move I figured it was no point in making it a crib again. We'd eventually have to take it down. She's a big girl now. Which means she's not flying for free anymore either. That sucks. We also have given up on the high chair and booster seat at home. Savannah has been eating at the kitchen table like a big girl. See. So much is changing already and she's only been two for twenty four hours.

I can only imagine what this year is going to be like for us. We'll be doing lots of new things and she'll be learning a lot. She's like a little sponge. I'm going to do my best to prepare her for pre-school, but I honestly have no clue where to begin. A few days I taught her that she now lives in Texas. So if you ask her where she lives she say, "Teck-shizz". I've also been going over shapes with her and today while we were out she identified a star and showed it to me. I was so proud of her. That's when it hit me that she's actually listening and retaining the things that I'm teaching her. She's definitely not a baby anymore now that she's two. 

Chic Link Up: Sunday Social

I'm linking up with the girls from Sunday Social again! I love their Sunday surveys. If you're a blogger you should join the fun! Today was pretty low key for us. We all went to the gym this morning and this afternoon we're having dinner with some family members that are also stationed here in San Antonio. I can not wait for a home cooked meal. You can only eat out so much before you get sick of it.

Tomorrow the furniture store will be delivering the new pieces of furniture we ordered. I am so excited. We finally have a grown up bed and a kitchen table that's a little more family friendly. I'm on the hunt for the perfect comforter for our room. I found a gorgeous Ralph Lauren comforter at TJ Maxx, but they didn't have it in a king. Womp. Womp. I'll keep checking them out or maybe I'll hit up Macy's clearance section. Where do you find nice sheets at a great price?

1. What are 3 items you can't live without on a daily basis? (water, food, shelter, and clothes don't count) I honestly can't live without my iPhone (who can?), lip gloss and my glasses or contacts. I am blind as a bat without them.

2. What is your all time favorite book? There are so many books that I am in love with. I would have to say my favorite book right now would be DeVon Frankilin's Produced by Faith. Why? His book gives a great road map on how to place your faith at the forefront of your career. It has been a tremendous help. I've been sharing some excerpts on Instagram if you want to check them out.

Credit

3. What is something you'd like to accomplish before the end of 2012? Gee. That's a tough one. I would love to say that I'd like for my children's book to be finished but that goal is a little unrealistic. I'm still working on getting the illustrations right. Before the end of 2012 I would like to be more fit. I would really love it if I could get my blood pressure down into the normal range. Right now my levels are borderline. Not cool.

4. If you could go back and relive any year of your life which year would it be? If I could be 19 again that would be great. I didn't make the best choices back then. I did learn a lot from my mistakes but I would definitely accept the opportunity for a do over.

5. What do you wish people knew about you without you having to tell them? I wish people knew that I was kind and open minded. I also wish people knew that I have a pretty great sense of humor. Some even say I'm funny. I think I walk around with such a straight face that my actual personality is probably a surprise to most. I should work on that!

Just a Little Update...

Wow! What a difference a week makes! We have finally arrived in the Lone Star State. My little family survived the sixteen hour drive from Georgia. In one piece. And we don't hate each other. I consider that a success on many levels. While we're on the topic of success, let's talk about our first giveaway. It went extremely well! Thank you all for your participation!

 

I was recently contacted by two different companies that want to offer you all some amazing goodies via a giveaway. Be on the lookout for those giveaways, they are coming soon! Now, back to my move. We arrived in San Antonio Wednesday afternoon. We're waiting on our furniture to be delivered so that we can start the unpacking and getting settled process. In the meantime, we're hanging out in the temporary lodging. It's gross. I can not wait to get into our house! It's so cute! It's old and historic and the floors creak when we walk. Ah, it's heaven!

 

I'm in the decorating phase of our move right now. I'm trying to decide how to layout our furniture, which color we should go with for window treatments and how to make the house feel like a home. The walls are concrete so hanging anything will be a challenge. I'm thinking command hooks will be my new BFF. We'll see. I'll be instagramming a lot of ideas and our San Antonio adventures so be sure to check me out. Oh. And did I mention that a certain little lady turns two in two days! Yikes! Where does the time go? Any home design tips are greatly appreciated!!

Giveaway: Macys Gift Card

I am so excited to announce my very first giveaway! As a thank you to all of you for spending a little time with me everyday I would like to raffle off a $25 gift card for Macy's. I love Macy's. My favorite thing about Macy's would have to be the shoe department. Not surprising I'm sure, ha ha! Just last week I found an amazing pair of shoes for twenty-one bucks! Take a peek at those beauties below. So many goodies, so little time and budget. Hopefully, the lucky winner can experience the magic of Macy's (I couldn't help myself) for themselves.  The rules for the giveaway are very simple. All you have to do is:


-Be a follower of this blog via Google Friend Connect
-Comment on this post telling me what you'd get if you win
-You can earn additional entries by following me on Facebook, Instagram, twitter and tweeting about the giveaway.
*If you join my Instagram party be sure to let me know you're following and leave a comment on this post with your Instagram name.

The gift card will be delivered via the US Postal service to the winner. It can be used in stores and online. Good Luck everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*This giveaway is open to residents of the United States and Canada only.*

this pic isn't really doing them justice. be on the lookout for a stylish saturday post featuring these!

Le Corner Blog Hop

Hello everyone! I am co-hosting a blog hop with Reese from Being Resse. The rules for the hop are below. Please click to follow my blog and all the other ladies labeled as hostess and co-host.

Hello there!

Welcome to the first Le Corner Café Weekday Blog and Social Media Hop! I don't discriminate here, so if you've got it, please feel free to link it up.


I'm looking forward to getting to know you guys! Don't be shy, shoot me an email every once a while :) Now, grab a nice hot cup of coffee, get comfy, and prepare to go meet some new friends.

However, I have a few simple requests

• Please follow me, the hostess of this lovely gathering. I worked hard to get this hop established, so please return the love.

• Be sure to follow the lovely ladies labeled as co-hosts. You will find them at the top of the list. They're great so you won't be disappointed.

• Make sure that you spend a bit of time mingling with the other people. You can't just put your name in the linky and expect people to magically come to you. Get out there and work for it :)

• Finally, if you could, just spread the word. Grab a button, tweet, or facebook share. It's not a requirement, but the more people who know about this hop, the better for you. If you're interested in co-hosting, shoot me an email at tasutton22@gmail.com.

Enjoy!

<a border="0" href="http://beingreese.blogspot.com/p/about-me.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee376/reese2211/LeCornerCafe.jpg"/></a>

Chic Review: Glade Expressions Collection

I am very excited to be reveiwing my very first product as a Buzz Agent! Buzz Agents get to try out amazing products and share the news (and coupons) with our readers. This campaign was all about the new Glade Expressions Collection. I got to try out the Oil Diffuser and Fragrance Mist kits. I love trying something for free!

I decided on the lavender and juniper berry oil diffuser and the cotton & italian mandarin fragrance starter kit. I really enjoy the fragrance of the fragrance kit. The cotton and mandarin scent is amazing. As for the oil diffuser, it smells good but it isn't as strong as I was hoping it would be. Every now and then I get a whiff of it and it's divine. I was expecting it to be a constant aroma floating through the house. It is really pretty to look at. Have you tried these products?

Hopefully I can get the coupons to link to my new Facebook page for the blog. Find me there at The Chic Stay at Home Mom. 

Sunday Social

1. What is the name of your blog and how did you come up with it? The name of my blog is The Chic Stay at Home Mom. Since I consider myself to be somewhat of a chic person I figured I'd attach that adjective to my new job. Boom. There you have it.
2. What do you love the most about blogging? I love connecting with other people and reading their stories. 
3. What are your 2 favorite posts you've written? My two favorite posts would be my series on potty training and Don't Judge. Some other notables would be Love and Embrace Change.
4. What is something you'd want to tell someone just starting out in blog world? I would say relax and have fun. Join blog hops and find other blogs that you love. Send lots of support out and you'll get it back ten fold.
5. Biggest blogging learning experience you've had? Quality is better than quantity. In all aspects of blogging.
6. Give us 3 blogs we NEED to be following that you love. Lipgloss and Binky This Cookn' Mom Southern Glamourista
Please check out my Friendship Friday label to see all of the amazing blogs I follow!
Have a great Sunday! We'll be having a small dinner today in celebration of Savannah's Birthday. It's still a little early to be celebrating her birthday but what the grandparents want, they get!

Stylish Saturday: The Savannah Edition

Today Savannah and I had quite a few errands to run. I had really been hitting up the clearance racks lately and wanted to put her in this super cute tank I found by Genuine Kids by Osh Kosh. This line is available at Target and offers cute affordable items. I scored this tank for four bucks!! Before we left the house I snapped a few pics of my busy toddler. Happy Saturday everyone!

busting a move

Shirt- Genuine Kids by Osh Kosh

Shorts- Gap, thrifted

Shoes- Payless Shoe Source

Headband- Target, clearance

-posted with my chic iPhone

Coming Soon...Giveaway & Blog Hop

Just in case you were wondering next week there will be a fabulous giveaway going on here! I am so excited about launching the giveaway and having some with it. For the other chic bloggers out there you will also be able to participate in a blog hop. Blog hops are a great way to find new blogs to read and get the word out about your own piece of the world wide web. Be sure to swing by here on Monday because everything goes down then!

Oh and just to update you, in case you missed it, we got a house on post in Texas! I am thrilled! Beyond thrilled actually. It will be bittersweet leaving next week but I know great things are in store for us. I love positive growth. Right now I feel like I am surrounded by it. What's something positive happening in your life right now? I would love to hear about the great things happening in your life too!

Labor Day Weekend Review

Summer is officially over. Womp. Womp. Unless you live somewhere that keeps the heat until mid October you're probably already getting some cooler temps already. I'm still in Georgia and I have been loving the cooler days. By cooler I mean anything below one hundred degrees. You can actually be outside during the evening. It's been amazing. 

I love Autumn. So the fact that I'm pretty much extending my summer with this move to the Lone Star State makes me kind of sad. It will get cooler there eventually. I can't wait. I even got the little one some fall boots today, so cute! Anyway, I spent my last weekend of the summer with my little family bouncing around Atlanta. We started off at the Imagine It! Children's Museum of Atlanta. We had a blast...until it got really busy. Even though I'm a Mom I still haven't gotten use to tons of kids running around. Places like Chuck E. Cheese still drive me nuts. 

I thought the museum was great. There were tons of activities for the kids to enjoy. I even enjoyed the live show that they put on. I would definitely go back. It was also great seeing some of our friends from our previous duty station one last time.

The Soldier, me, Sav, my teenage brother (Uncle Reege)

She made a little friend

Giving apples to Daddy

Going shopping

Going up the slide. Against the rules.

You can actually milk this cow. Educational but gross.

Everyone is ready to go

                                            

                                                          Closed eyes. She's giving someone the mean eye, LOL

After the museum we ventured over to Atlantic Station to meet up with some of our friends from college. They were in town on a couples trip to see some of the college football games over at the Georgia Dome. It was great to see them and have a little lunch. We ate at The Burger Joint (BGR). I had a delicious Greek burger. I highly recommend it. The lamb was cooked to perfection and all the toppings were super fresh. 

If you can believe it we went somewhere after lunch. I couldn't believe it either. Savannah seemed happy as a clam. At one point I asked her what she was doing in her stroller and she said, "shopping". We ended up at Lenox Mall. A place one should never go on a Saturday. Between all the football fans, black gay pride weekend and the local fashionistas I could not handle Lenox. Which really irritated me because I wanted to check out a couple stores while we were so close. We zipped inside a couple stores before calling it quits. I was done. I enjoyed my busy little weekend. How did everyone else spend their last weekend of the summer?

on our way home. happy.