Feeling like a mom

Over the past 4 years I have gotten many laughs from my older sister's tales of motherhood (semidesperatehousewife.blogspot.com) and today I felt like I was living one of those stories. Logan, my 4 yr old stepson always gets up at 6-7 and sits at the end of our bed to watch cartoons until we get up and make breakfast. Today however.....I woke up at 4:30 to him jumping on the bed and shaking me saying "Turn on my shooooowwwwss!!!" over and over until I finally realized I wasn't dreaming and turned on cartoons. I then attempted to go back to sleep but every time I started to he would randomly jump on my stomach (did I mention I also started my period last night so I had HORRENDOUS cramps at the time?) I never did go back to sleep, so when Clint got up to shower I tried to sleep because I figured he would let the dog out etc. (The dog always sleeps under the covers with us so you actually have to pull him out to get him to go outside in the mornings) At 7:15 I hear "Umm Rachel the puppy peed and pooped and daddy's in the shower!! BAD DOGGY!" Apparently Clint figured the dog could wait until I got up to go out but as soon as he got in the shower the dog crawled out and used the basement floor as a restroom. Does anyone else have a minpin that does this?? He hates going outside even when it's nice and sneaks off to corners in the house and goes to the bathroom as soon as we take our eyes off of him.

In other "parenting" news, I have found a way to not lose my mind watching endless hours of cartoons. Since I work from home most of the time and am always on my computer I simply plug in my headphones to the computer and either turn on Pandora.com (which is an awesome radio online that plays only songs and genres you like with no commercials.) or my iPod playlist. This way I can keep an eye on Logan, do my work, enjoy some good music, and not want to break the tv just so I don't have to watch Little Einstein's big adventure one more freaking time!

Changes to the Wedding Plan

Because my fiance is amazing....he offered to have the wedding in my hometown so that everyone wouldn't have to travel so far, etc. We still want to have it outside so we moved the date up about 4 months too. This means...now I have bridesmaids, and a reception menu to plan, and a dj to hire, and florists, and photographers....wow. Luckily, the Hilton has an amazing wedding package! At $55 a head (which is expensive but we're having like 50 guests so it isn't that bad) we get the wedding ceremony outside (very pretty location) with a room just in case it rains, a ceremony with a gourmet meal (2 appetizers, 2 salads, 2 entrees, 2 sides - all of your choice) , the wedding cake (anything you want...literally), an open bar for 4 hours, all the reception decor, tables and furniture, servers, etc. , plus the honeymoon suite complete with champaigne and chocolate covered strawberries in our room after the wedding and breakfast in bed the morning after. Pretty freakin sweet. I'm excited!

Get kids to drink their veggies!

Seeing as I'm new to parenting most of you may already know this. If so, ignore how excited it makes me. I feel like I've accomplished something here! Logan, my 4yr old soon-to-be-step-son does not like veggies. The only fruit he will eat is golden apples- no skin of course. I love fruits and veggies but don't always have time to have them so for years I've been drinking V8 Fusion, Peach Mango flavor. The Fusion (as opposed to the splash or Fusion Light) has a full serving of fruit AND a full serving of veggies in each 8 oz serving. And it actually tastes good! It doesn't taste like most veggie juice. I only drink the Peach Mango but their are 3 other flavors.

But I digress.... Anyways, when I moved in and started experiencing the diet preferences of a 4yr old I thought I would see if he'd drink the V8, that way I wouldn't feel bad about his diet of meat, eggs, and more meat. Turns out, he loves it! Now it's the only juice we keep in the house and he drinks 3-4 glasses a day. Mission accomplished! Now he gets all the fruit and veggies he needs and doesn't even know it!

VOTE NOW!!

If anyone else is confused as to why Heidi and Spencer are even considered "famous" please go to this website and vote! E! News is asking viewers to vote whether or not to make E! Speidi free. I saw this on Chelsea Lately last night and almost cried from happiness. VOTE NOW!

http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b129655_Should_E_Be_a_Speidi-Free_Zone_You_Make_the_Call.html

At Home Spa

In light of the ever-worsening economy and the fact that every spare cent is going to home renovations (I'll post pics soon!) .......I have given up on my massages and manicures. (Not that I got them that often before)

So I thought I would post some great at home spa treatments for those of us looking to save money and pamper ourselves.

(All treatments should be accompanied by a glass of wine or martini and Sex and The City.)

*** All of these treatments were found at http://www.spaindex.com/HomeSpa/HomeSpa.htm

COFFEE BODY SCRUB
2 cups of coarsely ground coffee 1/2 cup raw sugar or sea salt 2-3 T massage oil
Mix all ingredients together. Take a hot shower to moisten your skin and open your pores. Using wide, circular motions, rub the coffee exfoliant onto your skin with strong, even pressure. Shower off, pat skin dry, and apply a thin layer of your favorite body lotion.

AVOCADO DRY SKIN MASQUE

Beat the yolk of an egg until it is light and frothy, then add the mashed pulp of a half avocado, blending it well (you may use a blender at this point). Cleanse your face thoroughly before using this masque (or any masque). Spread the avocado mixture over the face and neck evenly; relax on a slant board or bed for about 20 minutes. Remove with clear tepid water and a face cloth, followed by a rinse of cold water or a mild skin lotion. The result should be a marked improvement in skin texture, and all-around revitalizing.

AVOCADO OILY SKIN MASQUE

Put the white of an egg, a teaspoon of lemon juice, and the mashed pulp of a half avocado into a blender. In seconds, you should have a lovely green mixture. Wash your face and neck thoroughly, then apply masque evenly on those areas. Relax for 20 minutes; remove with tepid water and a face cloth. Follow with cold astringent or skin tonic.

CHOCOLATE FACIAL MASK

This decadent mask is actually an excellent moisturizer -- it leaves your skin baby soft. Recommended for normal skin.1/3 cup cocoa powder3 tbsp. heavy cream 2 tsp. cottage cheese ¼ cup honey 3 tsp. oatmeal Mix all ingredients together (a bullet blender is ideal) and smooth onto face. Relax for ten 10 minutes, then wash off with warm water.

SAVORY CRANBERRY FACIAL WASH (MY FAVORITE!)
Did you know the acidity in cranberries works as a mild astringent and toner? Did you know that the Greeks originally considered Savory to be an aphrodisiac? Cranberry and Savory posses antiseptic properties similar to those found in oregano and thyme, and help cleanse the skin of excess oils.1 tablespoon dried savory leaves, crushed
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cranberries
Steep the dried savory in boiling water in a small bowl, for fifteen minutes. Strain the liquid and set it aside. Puree the cranberries in a blender, and strain the fruit from the liquid. Discard the fruit, and save the juice. Combine the savory water and the cranberry juice, soak into cotton pads, or a fine textured washcloth, and press against your face for fifteen minutes, avoiding the eye area. Remove pads or cloth and rinse with warm water.

HAIR REMOVER - BODY SUGARING (I haven't tried this one yet..)
Juice of 1/2 a lemon 1 cup sugar 1/4 cup honey cornstarchclean cloth cotton stripswooden stick or spreader.Dust the area to be waxed, with cornstarch. Combine the first three ingredients in a clean glass bowl, and microwave for two minutes. Stop and stir your sugar mixture every 20-30 seconds. Let it cool to a comfortable warmth, and, using a wooden stick, spread a very thin layer onto your clean skin. Immediately cover the mixture with a strip of cotton fabric. Briskly stroke the strip several times in the direction of the hair growth, and then, pull the skin taut, and quickly rip away the cotton strip, against the direction of hair growth. As you proceed, you may need to reheat your sugar mixture in the microwave to keep it warm. Do not boil it or overheat as you could easily burn your skin.

Wedding Ideas....need opinions!!

This is my wedding jewelry...I think. I got them on ebay and haven't received the necklace yet so I'm not sure if the colors will match. Oh well....they cost $5 : ) I wanted to do something that would be different and add some color to go with the beachy sunset theme. (These are amber set in white gold)


These are some of the choices for beach "decor". Since it will be at sunset I will have candles no matter what. I'm just not sure if I like the setup with tables surrounding the couple. Thoughts?
These are my favorite hairstyles. I'm torn between doing a veil or doing just flowers in my hair....keep in mind I have thick dark hair that will be fairly long by the wedding.

I'm a horrid slacker...I know

At the nagging of my mother.....I found time to blog, although I've probably lost all my readers by now~sorry!

Let me tell you why I haven't blogged in a almost a month......

1. I moved in with Clint a few weeks ago and now have an HOUR long commute
2. I started working at Victoria's Secret and they love me and have been dumping almost 30 hours a week on me (good for my wallet, not good for free time)
3. We've been re-doing the entire house, because let's face it ladies.....bachelor's houses need A LOT of work. Such as:
4. painting the entire upstairs
5. redecorating the entire upstairs
6. oh yeah...working my regular job at which I'm constantly working on documents that are freaking POINTLESS and time consuming
7. ripping up all flooring in the upstairs
8. laying down laminate flooring in the upstairs
9. helping take care of a 4 year old 3 days a week
10. getting the house baby-ready so we can have his 3 month old at the house finally!
11. reading up on how to be a good step-mom (any tips? thankfully my mother was a great stepmom to my halfsis so I had a good role model)
12. sleeping..when I can
13. visiting my parents for Memorial Day weekend (26 hours total roundtrip driving time, not fun!)

Am I forgiven? I'll try to be better about blogging when I have time........

I got my wedding dress!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was planning on doing a custom made dress since I'm so picking but I found the perfect dress!!!! On Friday I went to David's Bridal just to see how the different styles looked on me to get ideas for my custom dress. Within 20 minutes I had found my dress...... I love it!! It has every element I wanted. Its light and comfortable, the material is perfect for travel, it fits my body perfectly, and IT WAS ON SALE! : ) The picture shows it in white but I got it in ivory. It looks even better up close. You can zoom in if you go to Davidsbridal.com and search for style number T9845 I plan on wearing my hair down and curly with a flower in it, no veil, flip flops, just casual beach style. Let me know what you think! : )

8 Things Post

Jess tagged me in the 8 things post....so here are my answers.


8 Things I'm Looking Forward To:

1) My wedding!!!

2) Meeting my future step-son tomorrow night

3) Introducing my fiance to my family Memorial day weekend

4) Going to sleep tonight ; )

5) SUMMER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

6) Finishing physical therapy so my knees stop hurting

7) Losing 10 lbs (ok...15 lol)

8) Buying a house!!

8 Things I Did Yesterday:

1) Went to work

2) Ate wings with my man

3) Slept in until 10....yay

4) Watched Enemy at the Gates with Clint

5) Got a migraine

6) Took a shower

7) Cuddled

8) Went to sleep

8 Things I Wish I Could Do:

1) Lose 10-20 lbs

2) Sell more cash registers : )

3) Take a vacation

4) Have a stress free wedding

5) Win the lottery

6) Find more time in the day to get things done

7) Be a better person

8) Help out more at the women's shelter (having more time would help)

8 Shows I Watch:

1) Chelsea Lately

2) Law and Order SVU

3) Law and Order Criminal Intent

4) Scrubs

5) Sex and the City

6) Friends

7) Project Runway

8) Top Chef

Now I'm supposed to tag 8 people:
I tag....anyone who wants to join! I love all your blogs so I want to read your 8 things