#OurProject52: Blue

I had a hard time coming up with something for this week's photo challenge. We've been enjoying the nice weather outside everyday and I wanted to capture that but I didn't like any of the photos I shot.

While cleaning the baby's room I looked at a picture his sister painted for him before he was born. I love it. The majority of the picture is blue with splashes of other primary colors. I remember being so proud of her. She was already being such a good big sister.

We decided to hang the picture in his room. It's a symbol of her love for him and the playfulness they share. 

To see more interpretations of the word "Blue" or to join #OurProject52 visit Mimi at Lipgloss & Binky or LaShawn at Everyday Eyecandy.

Monthly Meal Planning: February 2015

It's almost February which means it's almost MY BIRTHDAY!!! (screamed like Oprah)

Since so many of you said you would attempt planning out your meals for the month starting in February I decided to go ahead and share our meal plan early in hopes of encouraging you to stick with it. Remember, you don't have to grocery shop for the entire month like I do but you can plan your meals.

Having a meal plan for the month frees up so much more of my time during the week. I don't have to spend time thinking about what I'm going to make for dinner. All budgets and families are different but if you are a weekly or bi-weekly shopper I encourage you to still give this a shot. Even if you keep your same shopping schedule I bet you'll experience a sense of relief knowing that you've already selected your meals for that month.

So who's still planning to try this for February? Feel free to share your meal plan with me on Instagram using the hashtag #ChicFEBMeals. Don't forget to tag me as well, @chicsahm!

Weekend Recap: 1/26/15

Happy Monday.

By the time Friday came and went I was so beat down tired. I didn't have any energy or motivation left to try to make this past weekend a great one. Luckily, our scheduled dinner out was Saturday. It could not have come at a better time because I certainly did not feel like cooking.

Before heading to the restaurant we went shopping for new cell phones. We both were still you using the iPhone 4S. They were slowly dying on us after all these years. After checking out phones we headed to eat. I was happy to sit and be served.

Savannah and I had a fun little selfie session while we waited for our food to come out. Little Mike surprisingly ate everything he was offered. He never does that at home. At home, all of his food ends up on the floor. I don't know how he survives.

Sunday morning I did lots of sanitizing after Little Mike coughed so hard that he threw up. I hate the smell of milk regurgitated. Eh. That afternoon we had an appointment to get all set up with our new phones. I am loving my new gold iPhone 6. She's pretty. And the pictures that she makes...oh my gosh. Why didn't anyone tell me about how much better everything looks on a phone made within the last four years?! 

I am no longer dealing with blurry and fuzzy selfies. My videos are clear and the fact that this phone has iMovie is exciting to me on another level. I am happy. Sad that my old phone has been reduced to an iPod but happy all the same. 

Later Sunday afternoon I took the kids on a walk. Savannah wanted to ride her back. She rides that thing at a snail's pace. Super slow. She only knows two speeds. Super fast and super slow. Today she felt like riding slow so we strolled our street until she was over it.

This week is a busy one. I'll finally be getting my hair braided, working on some projects and getting back on top of my cleaning schedule. How was your weekend? What are you excited about this week?

Makeup Bag Must Haves For Busy Moms

I certainly do not wear makeup everyday. I normally work out in the mornings after dropping Savannah off at school and before starting on my cleaning for the day and neither one of those activities call for a face that's beat.

But when I do have errands to run or places to be I like to put on real clothes and a little makeup. Since I don't have much time to myself in the mornings I do what I like to call a two minute face.

Makeup Bag Must haves by thechicsahm featuring a mac cosmetics lipstick

My makeup look is a little concealer (or more if my skin is trippin'), a little foundation and a little blush. I give my eyebrows some color and depending on the day I might put on some eye shadow. I toss my lipstick or lipgloss in my purse and boom - I'm ready. So easy. So fast.

I think the key for me is to look polished but not "done" or "beat". This quick face works for me. What's in your makeup bag? Are you rocking a fresh face most days?

#OurProject52: Guilty Pleasure

I think I indulge myself with many guilty pleasures. I love fresh baked chocolate chip cookies, apple pie and sushi. I could also eat Chinese food every day without getting sick of it. Don't even get me started on my love for rap music and reality tv (The Alaskan Bush People - a must see!).

No matter what guilty pleasure I'm partaking in I also wash it down with a glass of wine. After the kids go to sleep I love to pop open a bottle and enjoy some peace and quiet.

We live on a military base and our kitchen is a decent size but we don't have a wet bar or a special place for adult beverages. I created this little space on my counter for my glasses. The WINE sign collects all of my old corks. I imagine that one day I'll have enough to make a DIY cork board.

Both photos were taken with my Nikon COOLPIX L100 and edited in iPhoto.

To join Our Project 52 visit Mimi at Lipgloss & Binky or LaShawn at Everyday Eyecandy. 

I'm Doing This Mom Thing All Wrong...

Today I accepted the fact that I'll never be the perfect Mother. Never. My house was a mess and the kids were playing a game that looked like a mix of hide-and-seek with peek-a-boo.

I was getting the kitchen cleared for dinner. My toddler likes to pull everything out of all the cabinets while I'm working on something in the other room. Another mess to add to my long to-do list. Then somehow I remembered a conversation I had with a Mom today at preschool pickup where I admitted to not knowing how to braid.

I wish I could've seen the eyes behind her sunglasses because her head tilt definitely revoked my black card. Yep. I'm a sista who can't braid. I've tried Youtube. I've practiced. It's not happening and I don't want my baby going to school with "practice cornrows" that even an inmate wouldn't be caught dead with.

That got me thinking about all of the other things I'm not necessarily doing right. I'll share them all with you here because I don't have a therapist and even if I did it's cheaper for me to vent here. So, let me impress you with all the ways I might be ruining (i'm kidding) these kids...

I don't know how to braid Savannah's hair. 
Sometimes her ponytail parts are crooked.
And sometimes I send her to school with Color Purple twists.

Little Mike is still breastfeeding. 
Mainly because I like sleeping at night.
He's showing signs of being ready to potty train but I don't even feel like entering that arena yet.
That's selfish, right?

I have yet to figure out how to balance education time and TV time.
I feel like I let them watch too much TV.
I also feel like so much of their time is so scheduled with activities, crafts and books.
How do you say no to TV when they've  been in "school" all day?

I threaten a lot without always following through.
I might be too soft on them.
Then there are days when I mean everything I say and I'm positive that they think I'm the meanest person in the world.
That's got to be confusing for a child.

I find myself checking my email too much during the day.
And saying, "Just give Mommy one more minute."
I find myself stuck somewhere between, "I need to actively pursue my goals."
And "I need to be present for every single moment because I'll never get this time with them again."

These are just a few of the scenarios that I play in my head over and over again. I need to be a lot easier on myself. We all do.

If you need a little free therapy share some of your Mommy issues or frustrations with me in the comments. Can anyone else relate to this?

Weekend Recap: 1/20/15

This weekend was a pretty good one. Very laid back. The weather was beautiful. On Friday I headed over to the mall to pick up some proactiv and lipgloss. After getting to the mall I learned that proactiv  is less expensive when you buy it online. That sucked because I really wanted it Friday.

Needless to say I decided to go with the new Mary Kay acne system for adults. I'm a former Mary Kay rep (I like to refer to myself as a Mary Kay drop out) and I had no idea they had a new skincare line. Looking forward to trying that out.

Anyway, once proactiv let me down I strolled over to the MAC store to get my lipgloss. I love me some lusterglass. I can never go in there without getting something extra. I had been eyeing dark purple lipsticks for a while. I tried this one in the store and fell in love. It's very dark. These pics don't do it justice.

Little Mike is looking at me like, "How many selfies does it take to get a good one?" LOL!

On Saturday I took the kids to the park for a play date. Savannah had so much fun and Little Mike slept the entire time. I had a chance to catch up with one of my girlfriends. Since the weather was beautiful on Sunday too we took the kids for a walk and to the playground in our neighborhood. I'll have to do better about getting pics of our Saturdays and Sundays.

Since my husband was off on Monday I took some time to myself and went to the gym for a work out. I started with the track and the outdoor equipment before heading inside to do a couple machines. I haven't had a workout that good in a while.

How was your weekend?