Sunday, November 7, 2010

Holiday Cards Rock

First of all, I love mail. I love pretty, girly stationary. I love hand-written letters. I love walking to the mailbox every day and finding something just for ME inside. During the holidays, I love choosing a cute and funny picture to send to our friends and family. I love receiving cards and yearly updates from our loved ones. I. Love. Mail.

This is only our third year for holiday cards, because it's our fourth married Christmas together and apparently I missed the year my son was born because I can't remember sending cards. The first year I bought cheery green cards from Target. No pictures, just a holiday greeting.  Last year I printed picture cards from Walmart with my son's crying face sitting on Santa's lap. Because OMG it was funny. Maybe this year we can include a shot of all 3 of us! But that's doubtful because my husband doesn't really like pictures.

Shutterfly has super cute (and affordable!) cards. Not only for the holidays, but for all of your card sending occasions. They even have OMG ADORABLE Thanksgiving cards. I love the idea of sending autumn cards. Get the envelope-stuffing and stamp-licking done before the Christmas whirlwind begins. I really like the Falling Leaves card and Letterpress Thanks invitations. I've never had an autumn/Thanksgiving party, but maybe next year! The colors remind me of my bestest Autumn Bliss and my sister Sister (ok, her name is Cheryl, but I always call her Sister and so does everyone else I know because they don't know her name because I never say it).

You can also order gift tags from Shutterfly. I love little personalized details. Just look at the cuteness! Makes me wish I had all the money in the world.

I like their story cards. A little holiday card and yearly update all in one! Love 2010 and Family Memories are my faves.

I'm not sure which card we will send this year. It will probably depend on which picture we decide to use. My son will meet Santa Clause again during Thanksgiving, so we will see what he thinks. Maybe my husband will behave long enough to have a picture taken. Or maybe we'll just insert some other family's perfect picture and keep our loved ones guessing. Oh, who knows. But I will be sending cards. And waiting by the mailbox for mail from you!

(This post was prompted by 50 Free Holiday Cards from Shutterfly. Check it out!)

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Craft Crazy

This Christmas I want to make the majority of the gifts I give. I've been feeling super crafty and there are a lot of easy AND cute craft ideas out there.

For my sister's birthday, I made this rag wreath with some leftover fabric from my mother-in-law's quilts and a wire wreath frame. I just tore 6-7" strips of fabric and tied them around the frame. I made the flowers out of felt and buttons (check out the tutorial here).

My Craft To-Do List:
  • I really like these cute yarn wreaths. You can make a wreath for every season/holiday/occassion!
  • Mod podging has caught my eye. Decorative letters like these look like a good place for me to start.
  • I can't sew, but these fabric headbands look easy enough and cute cute cute. (Thanks Maggie!)
Do you have any cute crafts I should check out? I'm always looking to expand my crafting repertoire. Have any favorite craft blogs? I love tutorials :)

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Not Very Good At This...

I have had no motivation to blog lately! I feel boring and BLAH. I really want this to be fun for me. This week I will spend more time thinking about my blog and trying to create a more appealing set-up. I need a little more creativity and originality...will ponder.

I've also had no motivation for my C25k program. Stuck on the beginning of Week 3. Partly because it's been colder and partly because my son has been staying up later and I don't like running in the dark. I don't see this changing any time soon, but maybe I can find some inspiration while re-vamping my blog.

On a completely unrelated note, look at my little dinosaur!

Roaarrrr!
 Feliz Dia de los Muertos!

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

C25K Update

I took a 2 week break from my Couch to 5k program, but I'm back on track! Since I was lazy for so long, I'm going to do a couple days of Week 2 before moving on to Week 3. I was a little nervous about how I would feel after not running for so long, but it felt great! I'm excited to run today.

My new shoes still rock.

I think the stickers are getting meaner.

Not excited about running when it gets cold. I hate the burning lungs feeling.

xo,
Jamie Lynn

Saturday, October 16, 2010

MIA

I apologize for my absence (I've always hated that word. I wrote so in my 4th grade journal after missing it on a spelling test). (I had to spell check it and spelled it wrong. Sigh..)

This past week has been fun and busy. My mother-in-law and sister-in-law came into town for my other sister-in-law's baby shower (is that confusing enough?). There was a lot of shopping, eating, playing, and talking involved. I had a great time and so did my little boy.

We had to put our cat, Myrtle, down. She was acting weird and not eating so we took her to the vet. $600 later we learned nothing and couldn't afford anymore. We had her for four years. She was anti-social but loved to sit on your lap while you were going to the bathroom. Our other cat, Princess, misses her and so do we, but I'm glad she isn't suffering anymore.

Then Jon had to go to Omaha for work so Nate and I went to my parents' for a few days. Nate LOVES his Bumpa (and Grammy Pie). I love that they are such great friends. Nate is Bumpa's little farmer. He loves the moos, the red car, the toys, the choo-choo that goes by their house.

Now Jon is on his way home from Texas after a La Rue gun show with his uncle. Nate is asleep after waking up late and not taking a nap. Princess is sitting on my lap, giving herself a bath. I'm so excited to FINALLY have a desktop with Internet after two years of mostly just using a Blackberry and laptop.

I promise to write more often.

xo,
Jamie Lynn

Monday, October 4, 2010

There is two of us....

Do you remember Homestar Runner? What? You mean to tell me you didn't spend the majority of your college years staying up for hours with your roommate watching online videos, writing on Xanga, and playing Sims (probably at the same time)? You actually studied? And had a regular sleeping pattern? What's wrong with you....

Anyway, this is the best Strong Bad email ever. I had all but forgotten old Homestar and Strong Bad until I was thinking of a title for my entry and all that came to mind was "Come back Ali...Come back Ali's seeester..." Which has NOTHING to do with what my topic.

The more I blog, the more I'm pretty sure the only people who will be interested in reading anything I have to say are my college roommates. Which is good, because they think I'm cool.

On to the real reason I'm here...

I WON!

I entered a giveaway over at Loralee's Looney Tunes Review. AND WON! I get a six month supply of soy milk and $100! And all I had to do was tell the blogging world how I'm a not so super mom.



Blogger Jamie Lynn said...

While taking the trash out, I locked myself out of my house and my 2 year old son in the garage. Alone. I had no keys, no phone, and didn't know my neighbors. I finally had to go introduce myself. "Hi. We just moved in next door. Can I use your phone? My son is locked inside." Of course they were in a hurry and my husband didn't answer. After 30 mins of calling my son through the door to make sure he was okay, the neighbors came back with my husband on the phone.

My son was fine and my husband was laughing in hysterics. Mom of the year, I know.

I enter a lot of giveaways on blogs and this is the second (and biggest) prize I've won. The first was an
awesome coffee cozy at Moments with Love. I LOVE GIVEAWAYS!

Do you enter giveaways? Have you won?

message saved. forever.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Babies on the Brain

I had to double check I didn't type "Babies on the Brian" because that would just be weird.

Today I started thinking about future baby nurseries. We don't plan on another baby for a while, but I like to think about things in advance, because I'm indecisive. Yes, so indecisive I need to pick out nursery themes several months (if not a year) in advance. At least I realize this and try to plan accordingly. If I know we're going to a restaurant, I will check their menu online before we go so I will have an idea what I want. Even if we're just going to Taco Bueno. Don't tell anyone.

I look at a lot of girl decor, because I have a boy and I want a girl. I LOVE the idea of decorating with Russian nesting dolls. They're so colorful! Russian nesting dolls accented with flowers. If I ever have a girl, I might do that. I like this bumper because it's so colorful (don't like it because it's expensive). I also like these pretty girls. Oh pretty babushkas!

With boy decor, I like this MiGi Alphabet bedding. LittleMonkeyDoodles on Etsy has this cute wall art prints and door sign to match. I like the letters and animals.

I also like farm themes. There are soo many cute farm nursery things on Etsy. My dad's a farmer so it's double cute for our family. Nate loves "Bumpa's moos" and I'm sure he'd teach his little brother if he had one.

What nursery themes do you like?

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Race for the Cure

My mother-in-law was diagnosed with breast cancer last year. She underwent chemo, radiation, and three surgeries in about a year. She is now in remission (hallelujah!) and only has reconstruction to go. She has been so strong and positive. She says cancer was a piece of cake after raising five children and everything they've been through.

My husband and his twin sister have joined a team to raise money for Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. If you have the resources, would you donate to a great cause? They'd love your support.

Help us fight breast cancer!

Thank you, friends.

xo,
Jamie Lynn

The Sweetest Thing

After watching "The Cat In The Hat Knows A Lot About That" (an awesome new OETA cartoon), my little boy walked to his room and said "Nap!" When I picked him up, he put his head on my shoulder and we cuddled. He may be a toddler but I'm glad he's still a baby. I'm not ready for this growing up business.

xo,
Jamie Lynn

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

C25k- Week 1 Complete

I have finished Week 1 of the Couch to 5k Program!

Suz's podcast really helped. I enjoyed the music and it kept me motivated. She did a great job with the songs. By the end I would be tired, but when "Gossip Folks" by Missy Elliot came on I was energized. I'm so excited to listen to Week 2!

I got cat-called while running. Who does that??? I probably don't want to know. I know I don't look attractive with my jiggly thighs, bouncing belly, and pigeoned-toes.

What I've Learned:
  • I actually like running (Who am I???)
  • I probably need new running shoes
  • I definitely need an iPod armband
  • And better running clothes
  • Our neighborhood needs to spray for stickers
  • People shouldn't block the sidewalks, even in their driveway
  • I wish I had a dog to run with me
I know Week 1 was the easiest of all the weeks. I hope I have progressed enough to stick with Weeks 2. It is really encouraging to know that the running will stop and I will get to walk for a bit.

 At the end of the 9 weeks I may actually try a 5k with my friend Autumn. She has been doing 5k training for a while. I wish we lived closer so we could run together, except she's about eight inches taller than me so she'd probably leave me in the dust right now. But we'd for sure have a good time.

I'll keep you updated on my progress. Hopefully no creeps this week!

xo,
Jamie Lynn

Monday, September 20, 2010

Save Me Money

We have decided to get serious about saving money. We aren't just throwing our money around, but we could do a much better job about putting more in savings.

First, we're going to take our television down to basic cable. Since moving here, we've watched much less TV. Jon plays Xbox Live and watches Netflix. Nate and I watch OETA and the movie Cars. Instant Netflix through the Xbox is pretty awesome. We're also looking into cancelling Jon's cellphone and taking the internet off of my Blackberry. Jon hardly ever uses his phone and has a work cell I can call him on.

All of that will save us about $115 a month!

We'll eat out less, buy fewer luxuries, and have free fun.

What will we do with the extra money? Buy a house. Pay off the credit card. Have another baby. Save for college. Maybe take a vacation???

I love saving money. I fell, as a stay at home mom, my job is to save our family as much money as possible so we can keep up this lifestyle. Plus, what in the world would I do if I had to get a job?? :)

Wish us luck on our journey. I just hope we can stick with it!

Thursday, September 16, 2010

C25k

Last night I started the couch to 5k program. I had a baby two years ago and still carry around 15-20 lbs of the 60lbs I gained. (I don't recommend gaining 60 lbs. Pregnant or not. It's miserable. Especially in August. And heavy.) I did some Googling and finally got motivated when I found Sporty Pal and Suz's Couch to 5k Running Podcasts

Sporty Pal has an application you can download to your Blackberry that tracks how long, how far, even the actual route you run. By using the GPS, it can tell you how fast you are running and your average speed for the workout. Then you can post your workout to Facebook and show all your friends that you are actually doing something!

Suz's Podcasts are excellent! She made playlists for each C25k week with upbeat music and interrupts to tell you when to run and walk. So much easier than trying to figure it out on your own. Each week she uses a different playlist and music genre to keep you motivated.

I'm really excited to keep this up. I don't especially love running, but it's free and I love free. The only money I spent was $10 for new headphones. Oh, and the $1.60 I spent on candy for my husband to tie him over until I got dinner. Even if I don't lose weight, I'm sure it will help shape and tone my body and get me ready for when we decide to have Baby #2.

Wish me luck! I need it...

xo,
Jamie Lynn

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

25 Things About Me

A random list of me to fulfil my list-making needs!

  1. I've been getting grey hair since I was 15
  2. I'm pigeon-toed
  3. We have a toothless cat
  4. My blood type is A-
  5. I've been scared of snakes since I was 3
  6. I graduated high school with 17 kids
  7. My high school girls basketball team won the state championship 3 times
  8. I love Diet Dr Pepper
  9. My favorite candle is Voluspa Crisp Champagne
  10. I graduated magna cum laude from Oklahoma State University
  11. Being a stay at home mom has been the hardest thing I've ever done
  12. I almost passed out while having blood taken when I was pregnant
  13. I like learning about people and hearing their story
  14. Spellcheck and predictive text are ruining me
  15. When I was in kindergarten, I wanted to be a 911 operator
  16. I can be really awkward in social situations
  17. My husband first saw me in our HR class, but first talked to me via Facebook
  18. I've traveled to Australia, Spain, Switzerland, France, Italy, Portugal, and Germany
  19. My dad is a farmer
  20. As a kid, I spent a lot of time and made a lot of friends in Yahoo's Oklahoma Teen Chat
  21. I have huge tonsils
  22. I'm indecisive, but think I'm getting better
  23. I want to open a craft store with my sisters-in-law
  24. I use commas where it feels right. I don't remember all the grammar rules, but I'm usually correct.
  25. In college, I went to Paris by myself without a place to stay and couldn't speak French. I met a nice Canadian woman who gave me some pointers and some girls from Tennessee who helped me find a hostel. I had the time of my life. I love Paris.

Booooo

Well, after declaring that I was going to participate in You Capture, I broke my camera. So sad :( I am now in the process of sending it back to Canon and waiting to hear how much it will cost me. It is still under warranty but I doubt it will cover the damage. No pictures from me until further notice...

Here are a few pictures my nice little point and shoot took before biting the dust.

Cupcakes from Nate's birthday. I made them!

Neighbor's flowers in Tahlequah

Flowers through the fence


xo,
Jamie Lynn

Thursday, September 9, 2010

New Week Resolution

On this fall-ish morning, Nate is exploring the backyard after yesterday's rain. I'm sitting at the picnic table, trying to ward off the stray cat that thinks he lives in my house. We're still in our pajamas. I'm pretty sure that's why privacy fences were invented.

When I started reading blogs a few months ago, I stumbled upon Beth at I Should Be Folding Laundry (and a few other mommy blogs listed over there ---->). I like that she doesn't sugarcoat being a mom. It's not all cupcakes and bon-bons at her house and it's not at mine either. Beth is also a talented photographer. If she lived in Oklahoma I'd hire her for all my family pics! (If we ever did that kind of thing...)

ANYWAY, Beth challenges people to take more photographs by doing a weekly You Capture. I meant to start this week, but of course I procrastinated and forgot. She comes up with an interesting topic and you take the pictures that week. My new week resolution is to start You Capture. This week's topic is Photographer's Choice. Let's see what I can find.

While trying to type this we had to put on warmer clothes, Nate let the stray cat in the house 5 times, stray cat knocked over my Diet Dr Pepper, and Nate decided long sleeves and shoes were for losers. Updating from outside seemed like a good idea but it's a lot of work! Maybe I should stick to nap time...

xo,
Jamie Lynn

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Being a Stay at Home Mom....

.... is not easy.

I still work. And I don't get paid.

Sure, I don't GO to work.

Because my work is always here.

It's a lot harder than I expected.

But SO much more rewarding.

I wouldn't trade the cuddles, the kisses, the dance parties, the playgrounds, the tantrums, the diapers, the lack of sleep, or the headbutts for anything.

I know I'm very lucky to have this opportunity to be with my boy.

...just remember it's not easy.

Friday, September 3, 2010

30 Things Before I'm 30

This was inspired by Maggie's 25 Before She's 25 list. And the fact I LOVE making lists. I turned 25 in February so surely I can do 30 things in 5 years? I hope so. Now that I'm posting this online I HAVE to stick with it. Because the internet works like that.

In no particular order...

  • Buy a bicycle
  • Find a signature perfume
  • Read 30 books
  • Learn to walk in high heels
  • Get a tattoo I love
  • Take more pictures
  • Adopt an angel at Christmas
  • Grow a garden
  • Skydive
  • Buy a stranger's dinner
  • Get a massage at a spa
  • Have another baby
  • Go to an exercise class
  • Throw a surprise party
  • Buy a house
  • Learn to order coffee
  • Paint a canvas
  • Start a blog (YAY!)
  • See Grandpa Brady's grave in France
  • Go to a concert at Gruene Hall & Luckenbach
  • Be 125 lbs
  • Adopt a puppy from a shelter
  • Learn to knit and/or crochet
  • Make exercising a habit
  • Research my Mom's family tree
  • See the Aurora Borealis
  • Run a 5k
  • Organize and beautify our home
  • Go on a wine tour
  • ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR #30???

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

My Baby's First Haircut

I guess it wasn't really my "baby's" first haircut since he is now 2, but it was his first time under the scissors.

Whaaattt are you doing????


Why are you letting them do this?
Why me?



I'm OK with this now!


BEFORE

AFTER


A special thanks to my friend Lauren for coming to the salon to watch Nate and take pictures for me! And a big thanks to Claire at Velvet Monkey Too for being so kind and patient with my little guy AND for my great new haircut!

Stylin'!

xo,
Jamie Lynn

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Number 1

Well, I guess I am entering the blogging world! Only about 5 years late, but that's always been my style. A trend has to grow on me before I partake in it. Gaucho pants, big sunglasses, Blackberry phones. And now blogging.

I don't know if I will have a lot to say. I mostly want to write about my 2 year old son, being a stay at home mom, and post some pictures. We'll take this journey together and see where we end up.

Until next time....

xo,
Jamie Lynn