It's Fri-Day!!

Yayyy!! It's Fri-Day!!!

I wish everyone would get that joke. But on Power 96.1 (the radio station I listen to every morning on my very long, relaxing - yeah right, drive to work), Riley always says it's Fri-Day in a funny way on Fridays. It's silly, but it makes me smile. And that's all that really matters. Maybe nobody else in this world finds that cute, but I do. It makes me happy...

Anyways, today's new fad is royal icing and cookies. I think I will try to do some of these very soon, as I am sure Heath won't complain a bit!! I have been Pinterest-ing a lot today to get more and more ideas for baby girl's first birthday. Her theme is still a surprise, by the way!! I did get her invitations yesterday though, and I am getting VERY excited! I can't believe that in 2.5 months, my little pumpkin will be ONE!!! ☺

Anyways, back to the cookies. How STINKING CUTE are these guys?!?!

Cutest little monster cookies EVER!!!

Click the link below to get to her blog, you won't be disappointed. She has a ton of super cute cookie tutorials!! She's done all different holidays, but I figured Halloween was the closest! ☺ And, it's my favorite!! I hope that someone else can get some motivation from her site!! I will certainly be posting pictures of the cookies that I attempt!

Halloween Cookies

Go to her blog. ASAP. ☺ Trust me, you will want to make cookies all weekend! And it's the perfect time, because it's a three day weekend!! Woo hoo!!!

Everyone have fun and be safe!!

Crafties!!

So, they say that the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. Unless you are like me and work in the IT field, then the first step to recovery is to obtain the IP address from the terminal.... Ok, ok, lame joke, I know!! The best medicine is laughter, right? Even if it's just a chuckle? 

Anywho.. I have a SERIOUS problem. And it involves the internet. Anytime I have some free time on  my hands, I surf the web. Then I find these awesome craft ideas, DIYs for my house, the latest and greatest for baby girl, a new techy device, the list goes on and on and on!! And every time I see one of these things, I HAVE TO HAVE IT!! (or make it - whichever fits the situation) I am not kidding, guys. This happens almost every day. Yesterday I was completely convinced that I HAD to buy a new camera and one of these cool new photo printer thingys so that we could have an awesome photo booth at Ellie's party. It doesn't use ink and it prints out photos in just the right size for 'photo booth' pictures!!

Awesome Printer Thingy

Now, After looking more into it, I realized that I don't do much scrapbooking (the main purpose of this printer). So, it would be a waste. Then I thought, well then they must make another printer that will print regular 4x6 prints. And of course I found one.

4x6 Pocket Printer

Both printers had ok reviews, nothing fancy. A big complaint was that the colors didn't print out how they look on your phone. And then I was worried about what would happen to this ZINK paper once they invent something more awesome and great? That's usually my luck. I buy something new and expensive, and it gets outdated in a week...

Well, that was yesterday's big thing for me... Today I was playing around on Pinterest and I stumbled upon these bad boys!!! They are called KAM snaps... And you can use them to make just about ANYTHING!!! Any two things that you need to be put together, this thing can probably do it. You buy the KAM snaps, they are pretty cheap, and then you have to buy the pliers that actually attach the snap front to the snap back. It's a neat little gadget, and not overpriced for what you can make with it.. But, then my brain goes into overdrive and I have so many things I NEED to make right this second with KAM snaps!!! I forgot to mention before that I am always so behind on the newest cool things.. Some people have been using these snaps for years.

KAM Snaps

Tomorrow I will have some new obsession. I can't decide if it is good or bad that I already know this is how I react to things?! Either way, please tell me I'm not alone on this?? I have gone through all kinds of fads: cloth diapers for Ellie, wanting Heath to build some farmhouse tables for our living room, all kinds of new makeup tips, tricks, and brands, wanting to homestead, wanting to start my own business, and tons upon tons of crafting ideas. 

I really do want to start my own Etsy store. I feel like I could really make some cute stuff, and make a little money doing something I enjoy. Maybe I will bring out my sewing machine and Cricut and get to work!! Once I find the time, that is. ☺

This will be the end of my rant today!! Everyone have a Wonderful Wednesday!! 

♥♥♥♥

Transformation Tuesday

I said in my very first post that I am writing this blog to somewhat alleviate my pains of not having any social media accounts. Well, today would have been Transformation Tuesday. I would have posted a picture of Ellie when she was younger and compared it to now, would have gone hashtag crazy; the picture would've gotten a ton of likes, and maybe a few comments. 😄 On the flip side, if I posted pictures of myself I would have gotten 2 likes: Heath and my dad. They are my biggest fans. 😉 Ok, back to my story. I want this Transformation Tuesday to be about me and how much I have changed over the last 9 months and 14 days. Really even longer than that. My life changed on April 3, 2013. I found out I would be a mommy!! I can't explain how excited I was. Any mom knows what I'm talking about. You feel so many different emotions at once! My main ones were excitement and fear. I had never been around tiny babies before and I had NO idea how I would grow one inside of me!! Not to mention take care of her and keep her safe once I had her!! I was terrified. (And I still am, every day.) I couldn't imagine myself as a mommy. I didn't know how I could function on no sleep. That's really all people tell you about babies: they poop a lot and you will never get to sleep. I love my sleep. But the fact is, you just do. Everything feels like it's going to fall apart and that you are going to lose it. But it never happens, it always works out. And every time things get crazy, I learn something new. Ellie and I are insanely close. (Or at least that's what I think!!) I was fortunate enough to take a few months off and stay home with her. I learned a lot about being a mommy, but better yet I learned who my daughter is. One of the scariest things, to me, is that Ellie can't tell me what she needs, wants, or feels. Spending so much time with her and being her sole caretaker (Daddy helped after work - but taking time off of work allowed Ellie to be my 'job') helped me to really get to know her. I can tell, most of the time, if she's tired, hungry, has a tummy ache, or is just fussing. It has been stressful, but I wouldn't change one second of it for the world. My heart is a gajillion (that's the biggest number is Julie-land) times bigger than I ever thought it could be. My family means everything to me. And I have finally found my calling! Being a mommy and a partner. I love taking care of Heath and Ellie. I enjoy doing laundry, dishes, picking up toys, giving baths, changing diapers, cooking, making Heath's lunches, and a million other things. I don't get much me time. But, why would I want that when I have two amazing people to spend my time with? Some people would give anything to be sleepy and stressed out. Just to have a family. I am more than grateful for mine. 

I used to be so immature and irresponsible. I feel like life has lead me down a great path, and I intend to make the most of it!!  

Ironically, as I was typing this, poor Ellie woke up and started having a breakdown. Heath had school tonight and then work, so we were going to stay at my moms. Ellie fell asleep and I was laying next to her like I do every night. She woke up startled and was VERY upset. My mom, stepdad, and myself all tried to soothe her and calm her down. Nothing worked. So, we hopped in the car and drove 45 minutes home. She fell asleep in the car and is asleep in my bed as we speak. It's nights like these that will test you. I can't tell if she is in pain, had a bad dream, or is just upset because she misses Daddy. It makes me feel like I'm failing as a mommy. But I have to remind myself that this is how I learn. I have to figure out what works best for Ellie and just remember it for the next time!! :) 

Anyways, long story short, I feel like my entire mentality has changed since I became a mommy. I guess this post turned more into a big rant about me being a mommy, not how I have changed. The old me wasn't a lady like the new me, so we won't talk much about her!! I like this new me, I have a purpose in life now. And it's a great feeling!!! Here's a #tranformationtuesday for you all!!! 

Sidenote: I apologize if this post is a little all over the place. This is the first post I've done from my phone, and I don't have much time to edit!! 😁

❤️❤️❤️

The picture on the left is Ellie at 2 months old. On the right is about 8.5! I love her sweet face to the moon and back!!! 

Goodnight everyone!!

Manic Monday

Well guys, it's Monday. And oh, what a Monday it is!! 

I really wanted to post something on Friday, but it was such a hectic day! Then the weekend flew by way too fast... And here we are... 

I posted before that my daughter was born with clubbed feet, and that she has been in and out of casts. Well, Friday they decided that since she has been getting out of the 'baby casts' that they would put real, fiberglass casts on her.. These are the kinds of casts you or I would wear if we broke a bone... On my 9 month old child... It made me nervous to say the least. She has no way of telling us if something isn't right. And sure enough, a few hours after she got them on, one of her feet pulled up into the cast. This has happened before with the 'baby casts', but they come off after being soaked in water. Fiberglass only comes off with a saw. Long story short, my mom and I had to take her up to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (an hour drive for me) to have them take off the casts. This was INSANELY traumatic for all parties involved. Ellie was NOT a happy baby. Then, come to find out the casts were way too tight and the technician accidentally cut her leg with the cast saw. This sounds a lot worse than it is, she didn't need stitches or anything. But, the fact remains, they CUT MY BABY!!! I was upset, Ellie was upset, my mom was upset, the nurse and the technician were upset. I was crying with Ellie. It was just a bad bad bad night!!! Everything turned out ok, and she is doing just fine now. We just have to wait until her appointment on September 2 to find out about surgery.

As for this weekend, I had an awesome time with my family! Ellie got to play with her cousin Emree, who is 8 days younger than her. It was a lot of fun seeing her interact with another baby. ♥☺She loved Emree and kept trying to play with her. But, she is a big baby, and it seemed like she was trying to run her over!! LOL!

We went shopping, and got some awesome things to start up my collection of items for baby girl's first birthday. I can't wait to be able to post pictures of it all coming together. It's all still a big mess in my brain! 

Heath and I both got a few books. He bought Ellie a new toy and some sippy cups to make her feel better about Friday night's catatrophe!! She is so spoiled by her Daddy!! We also watched Law Abiding Citizen last night. It's insane how behind I am on movies. That was definitely a sad, but good movie. I enjoyed it! (and the cuddle time with my Lovie) 

Another thing that happened this weekend: Ellie went to sleep at 7:30!!! She has never been a good sleeper. Going to bed at 11:00 and waking up every two hours was our routine for a verrrry long time. Ok, I know, she's only 9 months old. But, it seems as if this has been going on for 900 months!!! Well, Saturday night and last night, that little girl was asleep by 8:00 and slept pretty well throughout the night. She sleeps with me, and wakes up a few times for a bottle. ☺ I felt so refreshed after getting some good sleep!!

That's it for me now, I am headed back to my crazy party planning mess for a few more hours!!! :)

Dinner Time!

I meant to post this earlier, but it has been a crazy day, with my new obsession of red lipstick and all. ☺

 A little over a week ago, a friend of mine gave us some deer meat. Now, I know it's not for everyone, but I was raised on the stuff and I love it. So, back to the story. Marc gave us some FREE deer meat (awesome friend). Well.. We saw that he gave us some back strap steaks (along with ground venison and some cubed deer).. Neither one of us had ever had a back strap steak before. It doesn't sound that appetizing to me.. Well, I had NO idea what a treat I was in for. Heath took them out of the freezer yesterday, thawed them out, and cooked those bad boys up on the grill for dinner.

A little fact about Julie (that's me!) I LOOOOVE Longhorn... love... To the millionth degree. I could eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner there every day for a year and be happy! It's just so dang expensive - for my budget anyways... So we save that one for special occasions! This little tidbit of information comes in handy later in my story.

Anywho. I went and got Ellie bug after work yesterday and when we got home, dinner was just about done. Thanks to my wonderful Lovie!! :) He had never cooked deer back strap before, but he did a fantastic job!! He took a bite and told me that it was better than Longhorn's filet... I went on and on about how he was lying until I tasted it!! And oh my!! He was right. That steak was so tender and juicy and just oh my goodness!!!

He cooked two back strap steaks, mashed potatoes, and green beans. A true southern delicacy!! We had enough for dinner and leftovers. I just ate mine for lunch a little while ago. To my surprise, the meat didn't dry out and it tasted just as good as last night!

Here are the before and afters of our amazing dinner! Please excuse the paper and plastic dinnerware, we just moved and are still unpacking everything!!

The steaks seasoned and ready for the grill!!

My meal before I dug in...

And my plate afterwards!!

As you can see, I cleaned my plate and was an overstuffed, yet happy girl!! :) I am lucky to have a man that cooks, since I get home so late most nights... He feeds me well!! I am hoping that this winter he gets a chance to go hunting and can bring us home a few more of these steaks!!

I hope everyone has a Terrific Thursday! It's almost Friday!!! 

Here is a picture of my sweetie pie to put a smile on anyone's face!! 

Notice the prissy hand on the left!! She is just like her mommy!! ♥

                              

♥♥♥

My New Found Love

I really hate to admit this, but I have not ever been a fan of Taylor Swift. The bad part? I couldn't even tell you why. Maybe because she is so famous and popular? I am NOT a band-wagoner... I have always been the kind of person that will dislike something, just because everyone else loves it. Recently, however, this is changing. I keep finding myself being interested in the newest fads, the most recent being Taylor Swift.
I am IN LOVE with her new song 'Shake It Off'. Not only am I in love with the song, but the video is probably my favorite thing ever... besides Ellie and my Lovie of course :) She is just so lighthearted and goofy throughout the whole thing. I am a very silly person, so I can relate to the video! Also, I can't dance and her dance moves are a lot like mine (sporadic and crazy, but FUN!) Not to mention, she is GORGEOUS!!! I have always said that she looks too plain, and there isn't anything spectacular about her...hater-ade... i know! BUT!! In the video, her makeup floored me. Now I have this need to cut my hair and wear red lipstick every day!! I went home and showed the video to Heath. I don't think he was as impressed as I was, but he agreed that the video is a lot like my personality...☺

This new found love for Taylor Swift has got me doing a little bit of Googling on her new album and her new look. I found a clip of her and Jimmy Fallon, and I was in tears. I can totally relate to her silly attitude, I love it!! I hate that I have kept myself away from such an awesome person for so long!!

My new found love is for Taylor Swift and her awesome attitude. It is so inspiring to see someone go completely outside the box and open up in front of the world! She doesn't care what anyone thinks of her. Nobody is perfect, and it's fun to be different and true to who you are! :) I need to take some notes and be more like that.. I think we all do!

Here are the 2 clips I can't stop watching:
Shake It Off
Taylor Swift and Jimmy Fallon

They make me laugh, and I hope someone else can get a giggle in, too!!

Until we meet again!
♥

My Blog's Personality

So, after yesterday's post, I have been doing a lot of thinking about my blog. I want it to be interesting, funny, intriguing, fancy, just all good things. The one thing that kept coming to mind was the blog type... The first thing someone asks about a blog is 'What is it about?' or 'What type of blog is it?'. Because, after all, that is the part people care about. They want to read interesting facts, watch videos about the latest and greatest, or learn how to make a coffee table out of 2x4s... My favorite blogs are ones about babies, makeup, and DIY!   My dilemma is that I can't decide on just one topic to write about.. I only know so much, and I think I would eventually run out of things to say if I stuck to one topic! :) So, for now, my blog is just going to be about me and my babies! Expect posts on lots of random and different topics!!

Anyone who knows me, knows that I have an obsession with makeup... I have to say that Kandee Johnson is mainly to blame for this. I have read her blogs and watched her vlogs for a long time now. I guess we could say that she is my blog hero!! :) She has 2 blogs: one for makeup tips, tricks, and info. and one just about her day to day life. I find them both interesting and I have taken a lot away from reading what she has to say. I do have to admit that I got a little bit stalker-ish there for a while. Heath started worrying when I talked about Kandee like she was my best friend!! I really could sit here and talk about how awesome she is all day, but you can just find out for yourself! Below are the links to both of her blogs!

Makeup and such:
http://www.kandeej.com/
Personal Life:
http://kandeelandkandeeland.blogspot.com/

Also, this is the link to her vlog on youtube.. It is just all amazingness!! She is such a good artist!
http://www.youtube.com/user/kandeejohnson

Anywho, I will get off the crazy wagon for a while and get back to work.


I hope everyone has a FANTASTIC day!! :)

♥

First Post!

I recently decided to try and pull myself away from social media (Facebook, Instagram, etc..). This has not been an easy task for me: I am your typical Facebook stalking, Instagram overloading American! However, the Lovie and I decided that with all that we have going on, we should spend the small amount of time we get together....well... together.  So, long story short, we both deleted our social media accounts and I am dying to show off pictures of my baby girl and have some sort of public diary!!

So here we are... at mamaloohoo.blogspot.com... Welcome!

Let's start with me. My name is Julie. I am a mother of one and a lover of one. I enjoy makeup, cooking, crafting, and spending time with my family. I have very few true friends and I like it that way. My favorite thing to do on any given night is to cuddle up with my daughter and my Lovie. I am easily excited, and I love to learn new things. Reading is one of my favorite past times. However, I am NOT by any means an expert in writing. I will try to keep my posts all fancy and smart, but again, not an author here! I use a ton of exclamation points and smiley faces. And I put words in CAPS when I am really excited or need to emphasize. So, please, excuse any grammatical errors.

Next up is my boyfriend. Heath. He is my Lovie, my squishy, and I shall call him mine! He is everything I could ever ask for in a partner. He is a great provider for his little family, and we love him so so so much!! :) He works a full time job, goes to school full time, is a full time daddy and boyfriend. His hands are definitely full. I have never met anyone who will put other's needs and wants ahead of their own like he does. He is definitely the most selfless and caring person I know. Talk about a true gentleman!! :) He even holds the door for me! Sorry ladies, he's taken! We have decided to wait on getting married for a while. The money just isn't there and things are working out just fine how they are... If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right? 

On to my baby...  My daughter was born on November 13,2013 (Watch out for posts about her birthday party soon! Planning is already in the works!!). Her name is Elizabeth, or Ellie for short. She was born with bilateral clubbed feet. For those who don't know what that is, (I had never even heard of it until we found out about Ellie) it means that her feet were turned in when she was born. It has not been an easy experience for us; Ellie has been in and out of casts, and she will have to have surgery in about two weeks. She is such a trooper, though! Talk about inspiration! My nine month old daughter can crawl around and still pull herself up with thigh-high casts on both legs with a smile on her face!! I couldn't do that if I tried! Nobody is perfect, but, let me tell you... That is her one and only flaw! Yes, I am biased, and no, I don't care. She has the biggest and sweetest personality of anyone I have ever met, child or adult! You will certainly be hearing more about Miss Ellie!

Here is a picture of my oh-so-awesome family!!

Alrighty... Now everyone knows all about my little family and my normal-ish life!! :) I hope that I haven't bored you into hibernation. I am off to look up fun things for Ellie's birthday party!!! 

Until next time!!!♥♥♥