For as long as I can remember I've always had a Queen sized bed but when David and I moved into our new house we splurged on a King bed...while I love all the space in the bed I did miss having a headboard, for some reason it didn't feel like a "bedroom" to me without it.  Though I've done quite a bit of online research I just couldn't find anything that I liked that didn't fall into the $500+ price range and that my friends I'm just not going to do.

Then came Pintrest! Tons of posts from people all over creating their own DIY Headboards for a fraction of the cost of buying it online...immediately I knew I had to give it a shot, all I had to do was convince my amazing husband to help me, which of course because he's amazing he agreed to do!

First step was going to Lowe's, my total cost was around $30 and for that we got:

1.  1/2 inch Sheathing which the associates cut to 72" W x 42" H - $18.37
2.  Flat Picture Hanging Kit - $7.96

After Lowe's we went to JoAnn's Fabric, total cost that I spent here was larger but that was to be expected $74.37 which included:

1.  4 yards of fabric which was 50% off, original cost was $16.99/yard but I got it for $8.49/yard (by the way 4 yards was WAY TOO MUCH! I could have gotten away with 3 yards) - $33.96
2.  1 can of spray on adhesive to keep the foam on the plywood - $10.99
3.  2 rolls of foam (2 1/2 yards per roll) - $13.73/roll
4.  1 roll of batting for a Twin Bed - $10.99

Okay, so we've got everything right? Right! Now how to do this with 2 kids running around? Then enters my saving grace, my Mother-In-Law, she lives right around the corner and she offered to watch the girls while David and I got the headboard done, so we dropped the girls off, came back home and got to work!!

1. Set the Plywood (Sheathing) on sawhorses

3.  Place your batting over the foam, start from whichever edge you like use a staple gun to attach it to the plywood.  Batting will help keep your foam in place and provide a buffer between the foam and your fabric.

4.  Now onto your fabric...we chose a dark brown with some raised stitching on it that creates multiple diamond patterns, we were doing to do a plain fabric with tufted buttons but a texture seemed a little easier for our first try at this kind of project.  Lay your fabric on top of the batting and again use your staple gun to secure it to plywood.  We started with the bottom part of the headboard first then were able to keep the fabric tight while we stapled the top and sides.


5.  We are heading into the home stretch now!  It's time to attach your hanging method, we chose a flat panel instead of hooks but that was just what we chose to do.  David helped me attach this to the back of the plywood and also into the wall using toggle bolts.  I will mention here that when we went to hang this we needed the extra piece of plywood from when it got cut at Lowe's because of the foam on the back the panels wouldn't fit properly so we had to add the additional plywood then re-attach the hanging piece so it had enough room to stick out and snap together.


6.  Now it's time to take your beautiful creation inside and hang it up on the wall! Here my friends is the final product! Love it!  Looks great and I'm happy with it for being my first real DIY kind of thing.  What do you think??


YAY! All done! I really do think it helped the room feel more pulled together.  Because the stick on saying "Always Kiss Me Goodnight" was kind of crooked so we hung these little brown boxes I had above the headboard to make it look more even.

Extending a HUGE thank you to my hubby for all his help, I couldn't have done it without him and I really do like it!  Hope this helped any of you who would like to do something like this.  Next time I might attempt a tufted headboard (maybe for the girls rooms) but like I said this is a great job for a 1st attempt!

My next DIY project will be taking my husband's grandmothers antique mirror from brass and spray painting it white and roughing it up a little to give a vintage look to hang on our turquoise wall in our kitchen, so stay tuned for that!

We're back!!! Welcome to the 3rd installment of #AskAwayFriday, we've returned to our original format after last week and will be asking AND receiving questions from our featured bloggers!


This week I've chose the lovely, talented and super sweet Karen from Karen's Soiree...she's a party planner, wife, mom with a love for mason jars and pom poms...love it!

Please check out Karen's page for her answers to the 10 questions I asked her (I put some goodies in there!) but for now here are my answers to the questions she sent me:

1.  What is your favorite time of the day?  I would probably have to say it's a tie for 1st thing in the morning or just after naps...the girls are so happy to see me, smiling and in a really good/refreshed mood! 

2.  Who do you admire? As a whole I'd have to say the women in my life who are mothers, my mom obviously because she raised me and put up with me for all these years but I've also found great admiration for my MIL, she took care of my husband's grandmother for years and put her life on hold for so long and now she's retired and living her life for her and I think that's so amazing.  Finally, my cousin through marriage Rani, she's raised 2 really amazing kids and has just celebrated 14 years of marriage to her husband, they really are my idols for a relationship.

3.  What is the best part about blogging?  I would have to say the lovely ladies I've met so far through blogging, the support for my posts and what I've been writing has been appreciated more than they probably know.  I love interacting and getting to know a little more about everyone!

4.  What is a typical day in your life?  Hmmm...well we normally are up around 9:30 AM, we go through diaper changes, bottles and breakfast, from then until nap time we play, read books, watch Elmo or Baby Genius, watch YouTube videos, etc.  Savannah naps from probably 11:30 AM to 2 PM, I'm lucky if Hannah naps at the same time but recently she's been up with me, somewhere in there I sneak in lunch and maybe a shower if I'm lucky.  Once Savannah is up it's diapers, bottles all over again with 2nd lunch for the kids then we have a repeat of the morning until David gets home.  Then it's dinner, bath, bottle, bed, we are lucky if they go down at the same time but usually Savannah is up an additional 30 minutes after Savannah.  Once both kids are in bed, I blog, check all my social media and relax before crawling into bed to start the day all over again!

5.  What is your idea of a great date night? To be honest it's dinner and a movie...I know it's lame but my hubby and I LOVE movies and recently a new theater near us offers this really cool "speakeasy" kind of place that's all VIP style where you pick your seats and it's only 21+ so no stupid teenagers to worry about.  We have a drink, eat some food then see a movie and enjoy a couple more drinks!

6.  What was the last movie you saw in the theater? Haha see question #5 but we actually just went this past weekend and saw "You're Next", we enjoy horror/thriller movies a lot.

7.  What are some things you are looking forward to? GREAT QUESTION! We are actually prepping to go on our cruise to Alaska in a couple weeks, we haven't been away together for more than a night since we got married so this is like the honeymoon we never got!  I'm looking forward to spending quality time with my husband, traveling, seeing Alaska, doing my hair and make up without worry of a child breaking something and just to relax and really just breathe and rejuvenate myself.

8.  How long did it take you to realize your husband was "the one"?  Honestly, I knew pretty quickly...we met off Craigslist and he was just a really great guy and after dating awhile when I found out I was pregnant I knew he was the one when I told him and he said "well then we need to focus on being Mr. & Mrs. Chevalley, not just boyfriend and girlfriend"...the way he stood up to the plate and took on the responsibility of a family so willingly made me fall in love that much faster.

9.  What do you think your daughters will be like as teenagers?  I have no idea! I joke right now that Hannah will be my sporty, get in the dirt girl and Savannah will be my prim and proper ballerina but the more I watch them grow I think it might be opposite.  When I do my make up Hannah wants so badly to help and Savannah is so tough and aggressive that sometimes I wonder.  Overall, I just want them to be healthy and happy, I'll support them through whatever activities or things they want to participate in as long as it's safe for them. 

10.  Where was your favorite vacation that you took?  Can I count my wedding as a vacation?  We got married in Vegas and were there for 4 days, it was a great trip surrounded by our closest family and friends so I couldn't have asked for more.  We constantly say we want to go back because we really did just enjoy ourselves.  We are talking about going back for my 30th but definitely going back for our 5 year anniversary to renew our vows!

Okay, how amazing were those questions! Great job Karen! I hope she likes mine just as much as I enjoyed hers, she even made my husband happy because he loves being mentioned in my blog and he got 5 or 6 mentions in this one!  Definitely check out Karen's blog to see her responses to my questions!

This is a topic that's not really near and dear to my heart but one that's very personal and very serious for me.  During my 1st pregnancy with Hannah I had several complications including but not limited to High Blood Pressure, Placenta Previa and Pre-Eclampsia.  Some if not all of these complications led to weekly doctor visits with many ultra-sounds (this was the only perk, getting to see my baby constantly) and countless hours to and from labor and delivery for monitoring.  There was one point during my pregnancy that I thought Hannah was going to be born WAY to early and of course like any new mother it terrified me. 

When I went in for my induction based on Pre-Eclampsia and HBP I honestly believed that I would probably end up delivering her via Cesarean but it still shocked me in the moment after 18 hours of labor when the doctor suggested it.  I was so scared and tried so hard not to let it show but as soon as we hit that operating room to deliver my baby girl I was a wreck and poor David did the best that he could to soothe me.  After my delivery I noticed almost instantly that something was wrong but I refrained from saying anything...I wasn't pregnant anymore, it wasn't about me anymore, it was about this beautiful baby girl whom by the way I loved more than my own life but something in me was wrong.

Probably two months into being at home with Hannah my issues got worse, I was in what I thought was a state of depression, I picked fights with just about everyone I could, if I didn't get sleep I got very agitated and down right mean.  Again, I tried to just push through it and do the best that I could and things did get a little better when I went back to work but when I was let go and got a new job it definitely got bad, my anxiety attacks were worse and this time I knew I needed to see a doctor.

I made an appointment with my OB/GYN they said "oh, this is normal, have you tried talking to a psychiatrist?" I couldn't even ponder making that kind of appointment, wasn't there just some magic pill to make it go away and how was I ever going to find the time to talk to yet another person or make yet another doctor's appointment?  I asked about Xanax or Valium but my doctors said it was too habit forming so they would only do an anti-depressant, reluctantly I agreed.  Well that lasted about 5 days before my attacks were worse than ever and I was constantly flying off the handle, so I called my doctor and I said I wasn't taking it anymore.  About this time they had me come in and just run some blood work and make sure it wasn't a Thyroid issue.  Turns out I was pregnant with Savannah!  I had some of the same complications with Savannah that I did with Hannah so again I was constantly monitored and carted in and out of L&D.

For me this meant that from the moment of Hannah's birth until I found out I was pregnant with Savannah my postpartum issues were never addressed, never corrected, medicated or helped.  I refused to take anything to help during my pregnancy because of all the possible side effects to the baby.  During my pregnancy I continued to have attacks but they were slightly more far and few between because I was now a full-time SAHM and didn't have a commute or work to stress me out additionally.  But after Savannah's birth (my 2nd Cesarean) everything came flooding back to me, I think it was probably 3 or 4 weeks postpartum with both girls at home that I had an emotional breakdown.  I mean I lost it.  David came home to find me curled up in a ball just crying on the couch, he had been getting frantic calls from me all day, I just couldn't deal.  He did his best to soothe me but he pushed for me to talk to my doctor again, and just like before they said they wouldn't give me anything for the anxiety only the depression.

About 2 months after that I went to a new doctor closer to where we lived and it was honestly the best thing I ever did.  I calmly talked with her about my attacks, what was happening, what I was feeling in those moments and what I thought that I needed...she agreed with me 100% "I don't believe you need to address the depression because I don't believe you are depressed, I believe you are dealing with Postpartum Anxiety (PPA) not Postpartum Depression (PPD)".  This was the first time I felt like someone understood what I was dealing with, she talked with me about her prescription of Xanax and how she would only do an allotted amount to see how I would react.  Should I be in need of something stronger we could address it then but for now this was the correct option to help me in the moment when I felt an attack.

Since working with my doctor and taking my new medication I would say probably 6 times in the last 2 months I've needed my prescription, it's amazing how much it helps me calm and center in that moment of chaos in my head.  I'm so thankful that finally someone was able to give me the help that I needed.

Medication is not for everyone, this is purely my story and what I needed to help me, some people might do better talking to a psychiatrist but for this moment in my life this does the trick for me and it works well enough that I don't think anything needs to change.  PPD & PPA are not made up, they are real, the feelings and reactions from them are very real and most people do not understand what they are dealing with until they talk to a doctor so I encourage every mom new or veteran to talk to their doctor if these things are affecting them, holding it inside and trying to figure it out on your own is not the best method, trust me I've been there.  I hope this helps at least one person understand what's going on with someone in their lives and if it's your wife definitely give all the support you can...I know that was the 2nd best medicine I got from my husband.

I was honestly going to do this about discipline and how it works in our home but I felt that was better for a different day.  It took some thinking but these are definitely just a couple of the things I said I would never do as a mom/parent that have happened...



1. I said I wouldn’t use a pacifier. After all, pacifiers are a bad habit and can mess up children’s teeth. It’s a crutch. It’s a cop out. It’s… LIFE SAVER!!! With Hannah I didn't have to use one, she honestly had no interest in it at all but Savannah wanted/needed it since Day 1 and now that she's just turned 10 months it's still really constant.  However, I have noticed recently more and more that she can be without it, she will spit it out and just crawl around, the only time she absolutely must have it is when sleeping.  I do have intentions of taking it away around her 1st birthday or at least starting to wean her from it.

2. No junk food. I failed at this the first time that I realized french fries from McDonald's were the easiest way to keep Hannah quiet on a road trip to see the grandparents.  It's not something that she gets all the time or even close to that but on the rare occasion that we know we are going to be in the car for long periods of time we do make a pit stop for those little salty devils.

3. I wouldn't rush time. Some days I find myself thinking or saying "I can't wait until you are older so I can be done with the baby stuff" but then I'll be in tears the next moment that some new milestone has happened and my "baby" is growing up too fast.  I try not to count the months or days until the next "birthday" or "month day" as I call them but I always find myself thinking "Wow, she's going to be 26 months or 10 1/2 months" so while sometimes I want it to rush by I mostly want to hit pause and keep them just the way they are.

4. I would always have all my attention on my child and never have my nose in a phone. Then I became a stay-at-home mom and I get it. My phone is my outlet into the world.  It's my direct line to my husband who is my never ending support on rough days and it houses my mobile blogging and Twitter/Facebook accounts which are my life lines to my family and friends.  I do catch myself being overindulgent in it from time to time and have to check myself but the second I hear the girls laughing or having a good moment I put it down because being in those moments with them is the best thing ever and I'd rather have that 1 minute of joy when them than 1 minute trying to capture it on Instagram to share with the world.

What are some things you said you would never do as a parent that you've caught yourself in?

A couple of weeks ago I was asked by Mrs_AOK A Work in Progress if I wanted to join a few other bloggers in a nail polish and card swap, I was flattered and the idea sounded so cool!  I mean what gal doesn't love a new nail polish?

So the budget was $10 for the polish and card.  The wonderful partner I received was Karen from Karen's Soiree, her quote from Twitter is "Blogger, Party Planner and Styler, Momma and Wife. Obsessed with paper straws, mason jars and pom poms".  She's so sweet and we've gotten to know each other a little better so I knew I was in good hands!


Last week I received a package in the mail (yay, yay, YAY!) from Ms. Karen and I ripped it open!  There was a beautiful handwritten card and a GORGEOUS Merlot color from Cover Girl, definitely not a color I had in my collection but loved it!  This is going to be a great color for the fall which is perfect for me because I love being lighter and brighter in the summer and darker and more rich in the fall and winter!

I'm so thankful I was included in this and please check on Karen's site for her post about the polish I sent her (we were on the same wave length I think haha).



There is also a contest going on for Essie's Fall Collection (plus a goodie or two) from Mrs_AOK so be sure to check that out!

We are switching it up this week with our Blogger to Blogger: 10 Question Swap.  This week each of my co-hosts (linked below) have selected one blogger each to feature.  We each asked our chosen blogger 10 questions which they will answer on their respective blogs (again, linked below).

Please take a moment to check out all my amazing co-hosts!  As always I encourage you to not only read their blogs but add them on Twitter, Facebook and all social media...these gals are amazing and have made these #AskAwayFriday posts so fun!
To see our questions to our featured bloggers and their answers please click the links below.  This week I was able to ask my questions to the wonderful Kate from The Sticky Mom!  She has 2 babes that are 13 months apart! My girls are 15 months and 3 days apart so she gets how crazy it can be having 2 kids so close together!  She's stunning and I just love her blog so definitely check it out along with all the others below!


Enjoy and as always #AskAwayFriday!!!

Recently there's been A LOT of controversy over breast-feeding vs formula feeding, I've stayed out of these arguments because honestly, no one can win, no one person is right or wrong.  Like I said in my previous post My 10 Survival Tips for Expecting Moms, you MUST do what is right for your child and you and only you can make those decisions, you can't let what's the new hype or popular argument keep you from doing what is best for your family.

For me personally, I come from the family of the Big Breast Club, breast feeding was not something that came easily to me even the slightest bit.  With Hannah I tried breast feeding probably 3 weeks while supplementing with formula.  Then when I was having problems with my milk production I tried pumping.  Unfortunately, no matter how hard I tried or what I did, Hannah was losing weight, she was constantly hungry and my body just couldn't give her what she needed.  So as much as I wanted to be a breast-feeding mommy (cost above all other reasons) I had to make the RIGHT choice for her and me and put her on formula.  I experienced the same thing with Savannah but my milk was even worse off, barely producing 1 oz a day, so Savannah went onto formula much faster than her sister.  Formula was much easier for both girls, they eat well, they are more than healthy and happy and even when Hannah was in daycare it was easier to handle for her provider.

I still remember being in the hospital with Savannah and a family member came to visit, I was feeding Savannah a formula bottle and she said "well, breast is best, that's what I'm going to do when I'm a mom" and I just so wanted to snap and say "well, when your a mom and you realize it's not as easy as it looks, you'll see", but instead I said "research and studies have shown that children on breast milk or formula don't grow any different, they are getting the correct nutrients and that's all that matters".  Regardless of her words or any other opinion both my girls are perfectly healthy, in their correct height and weight percentages for their ages and great eaters, they even sleep better than about 50% of the breast fed babies I know.  

I personally believe that formula was the best decision for me, my girls and my husband.  He loves being able to feed Savannah and I love watching him interact with her during those feeding times.  Having his help made sleeping so much easier as well.  I would get up one time, him the next, because of formula we were able to share the responsibilities of feedings rather than it falling solely on me because of breast-feeding.  Him being able to help with feedings also allowed me to not build resentment or be overly tired and get grumpy which is overall healthier for the entire family....trust me, me and grumpy don't go well together!

Again, this is my own experience and what worked for me and my family, it might not work for you and you might be great at breast-feeding and I applaud that 1,000% but don't feel like formula is the enemy or that you have to exhaust yourself and possibly hurt your child just to not get looked at wrong because you aren't breast-feeding.  Just like picking out the diaper that works for your baby, not everyone likes Pampers Swaddlers but I do, some prefer Huggies but I don't, I feel this debate can go either way, but I don't think there's a right or wrong way to make sure your child is getting everything he or she should be getting nutrition wise.

Not a sermon, just a thought (I've always wanted to put that in an post!!! eeekkkk!)

These girls are my everything. They are what I live for everyday.  Everyday as a SAHM isn't the easiest or the most pleasant and some days I just want to escape but whether I'm gone for 5 minutes, 5 hours or 5 days there is a whole in my heart only they can fill until I'm back with them.  I'm proud to say that not everyone can do my job, it's hard work but it's the most rewarding job I've ever had! 

First and foremost, any and everyone you know can give you advice, you don't have to take it and every story and experience is different for each person based on their situation so anything I have to share is definitely based purely on my own experience both as a first time mom and a 2nd time mom.

Tip #1: Expect the Unexpected! I can't stress this enough...no one and I do mean no one, not even the doctors can tell you exactly what's going to happen from your labor and delivery to your first days, weeks, months even years as a parent.  Again, each person experiences something different.  Be okay with adapting in the moment and taking each day as brand new, babies have a memory of seconds, not minutes, hours or even days.  Every day you get a clean slate to try again.

Tip #2:  Do what you believe is best for your child.  You and only you know your baby, your bond is stronger than anyone else.  I received a lot of flack for a long time about not breast feeding my children however I KNEW that I couldn't give them that type of feeding so I went with what I KNEW would give them the nutrition they deserved and needed.  You have to do what's best for you and your baby and stand firm on it, don't let anyone tell you you are doing it wrong.

Tip #3:  Take lots of pictures!  They are only this small once in their lives, no matter how annoying it might seem to everyone else around you, you will want those memories and one day your baby will thank you for that snap shot (or hate you) but either way they will also have that memory on print.  

Tip #4: Don't Invest in Expensive Clothes.  I mean besides your nursery furniture and car seat don't go crazy on outfits or shoes or blankets. Clothes will get dirty (or outgrown very quickly), so while they are cute they aren't always worth the pricey investment.

Tip #5:  Take help! I mean this one in the most serious manner...if someone offers help, take it! Let your family and friends be there as a support.  I can't tell you how many days I was so exhausted I could barely keep my eyes open but ignored hubby's requests to take a nap while he watched the baby....man I wish I could get those hours back.  Let people cook and clean and help all they can, because when the newness wears off they will back off and you'll be wishing you had those helping hands.

Tip #6:  Take care of your health.  I know this is important in pregnancy but it's vital as a new mom too.  Eat well, get sleep (revisit Tip #5) and take care of yourself because if you aren't okay then baby won't be okay.  This little person depends on you for everything so you have to be at your best to give them whatever they need.

Tip #7:  Get out at least once a day.  I don't care if it's a walk or just sitting on the porch but get out.  Being cooped up in a house is very hard and I know so many new moms are scared to bring their baby out into the world but trust me you have to do it sooner or later so definitely try sooner.  This will also help you with feeling good and positively taking care of yourself.

Tip #8:  Find a mommy and me group.  I can't tell you how vital this one was for me.  None of my friends had kids when I did so I felt really alone in everything I was dealing with, once I reached out to a mommy group it was an amazing feeling to finally have other people who knew what I was dealing with.

Tip #9:  Be in the moment.  Enjoy those moments at bath time or even those little gas smiles after a feeding, you'll never get those back. 

Tip #10: Make time for you and your significant other.  SO IMPORTANT! Not only are you both new parents but you are still partners and your bond needs to remain strong.  It's easy to get wrapped up in all things baby but make time for dates or even small gestures of romance. You'd be amazing at how much easier it is to make it through a rough night of a colic-ridden baby when your partner is there to support you through it rather than upset because he/she isn't getting attention they need as well.

Overall I would say that my biggest tip is just to go with the flow, enjoy it, be in the moment and relish this time, it flies by so quickly, you'll blink and it's gone.  This is sometimes hard to do as a new mom but I know you can!  I hope these tips helped and if you need any additional tips or have questions about anything I'm just an email, tweet or Facebook post away!  :)

I LOVE Instagram...my husband doesn't understand my fascinations with the old school filters but I just love it...today's favorite moment is my girls at my mom's house today, we were having lunch at her place and randomly both girls started licking the windows on her porch doors and making faces...probably the funniest thing I've seen them do together in a couple days! I love these 2 crazy kids to the ends of the earth and just felt compelled to share their silliness :) Enjoy!

I'm SUPER excited about this, last week Amber over at The Bold and Fab Mom and I traded 10 questions and surprisingly everyone loved the idea, so this week we are adding 6 other bloggers into the mix!  This is so great, I'm super excited to see what everyone's Questions and Answers are!

To make things a little easier we paired everyone up and also instead of mentioning everyone there will be links below for each blogger to add their questions and answers from their respective blogs.  This is how the line up goes:

The Vanilla Housewife swapping with Mrs. AOK: A Work in Progress
Get Fit, Healthy Life swapping with Southern Mess Moms

and of course...

I am swapping with the wonderful Mrs. Tee: Love, Life, Laughter

Can't believe this many wonderful ladies wanted to participate in this and I'm so thankful for each and every one of them and their support!

Now onto my questions from Mrs. Tee:

1. Who was your favorite female character/heroine as a kid? I guess I would have to go with Super Woman...I mean she was just so cool and pretty much the only one that wasn't a blonde!

2. What was your favorite cereal as a kid? Is it weird that I didn't really eat cereal? But I guess if I had to pick one it was probably Cheerios...as an adult I like the Multi-Grain Cheerios now.

3. Were you the sporty girl or a book worm in high school?  If I had to pick one I was probably sporty, I never DID any sports but I was a team manager with the JV and Varsity Football teams.  When I was a freshman I joined just so I could get to know all the cooler kids haha how lame!

4. Did you walk, take the bus or get a ride to school?  The 1st 2 years of school while I lived with my mom I used to get a ride of her or one of my football player friends.  When I moved with my dad my junior and senior year I had a car so I was cool beans :)

5. Did you ever have a beeper/pager as a teenager?  Oh yeah, do you remember 143 and 911 and 411 and all your friends had a different pager code so you knew who to call back?

6. What was your first job?  I was a service cashier for a car dealership, I remember hating going to work but it got me out of school 3 times a week earlier and I had my own money and didn't have to borrow from my parents as much.

7. What's a weird fact or quirk about yourself that people may be surprised by?  Maybe I've seen too many horror movies but to this day I will NOT look up into the mirror if I'm using it in the dark at nighttime, I'm paranoid to look up and see some gruesome face.

8. What's your favorite color?  It's probably purple, although my husband would tell you black cause I wear a lot of it but I do love purple.

9. Have you ever done an extreme hair style change?  OMG, yes and never again!  February (not this past one but 2012) I did the pixie cut...big mistake.  Oh well hair grows back and now it's back at my shoulder so I'm happy but NEVER AGAIN!

10. Would you ever go bungee jumping?  I'd probably jump out of a plane before bungee jumping but given the opportunity and my husband was with me I'd probably do it...it's on the bucket list but I'm too scared to die and leave my kids mom-less.

Great questions!  Thanks Mrs. Tee!

Please check each and every one of these awesome ladies out!  They are so amazing!

I guess I'm getting in the mood for our anniversary and finally taking the honeymoon we never got...this is still one of the happiest days of my life and becoming Mrs. Chevalley is single-handily the best thing that ever happened to me!  Love you babe!

Wow, that's quite a thought to wrap my brain around.  I know I'm a good mom and I know I have an idea of who I want the girls to be as they grow up but my goals to get them there, hadn't really processed that...doesn't it just happen?  Obviously not.

Actually, today on our way home from an overnight trip I was telling my husband "I always want our girls to know their self-worth".  They get told by me, their dad, their grandparents and even the occasional Home Depot employee "you are so gorgeous" or "you are so pretty" and truth be told, they are!  My kids are probably some of the most beautiful girls I've laid my eyes on but I don't want them to believe their self-worth is based only on their looks that's why I also try to tell them all the time "you're so smart" or "that's brilliant, you're a genius!".  I want them to know that their insides, their integrity and smarts make them just as beautiful as their physical appearances do.

I also want my girls to know that a man doesn't make you.  Don't get me wrong, I love my husband and as a SAHM and wife I appreciate that every morning he puts both feet on the floor and makes a promise to do everything in his power to provide for us and keep our lifestyle one that we are now accustom to.  But before my husband I was in a heavily dependent relationship (amongst other things, but that's for another time) and I needed that person to give me what I needed to feel whole in several categories (money, affection, emotions, etc.).  It wasn't until I left that relationship that I learned I'm in control of my own happiness and being alone doesn't make me less of a person.  It also made me appreciate this amazing man who would probably go to the ends of the earth for me on any given Sunday.  In attachment to that, I want my girls to look at our marriage and know that's what they deserve, a man that showers you with affection, compliments you and makes you his whole world.  They are more deserving of that than any man who puts them down, degrades or belittles them into thinking they are less amazing than they truly are.

Recently, we also starting giving Hannah left over change and have her take it over to her piggy bank and put it in.  We applaud her and tell her she's going to be a great saver!  I grew up in a upper-middle class family in basic Suburbia so the value of money never really hit me until a couple years ago when we had a mortgage, car payments and kids to pay for.   I want both my girls to know that money is worth something and it's definitely worth how much work you put into it.  I hope to take Hannah (and Savannah when she's old enough) once a month to the bank, hand over that piggy bank and watch them smile as they see the bank tellers make a big deal about them adding money to their savings accounts.  Also, as they get older if there's a special treat they want they can also learn to save for it and earn it.  Having things to call your own that no one can take from you is a very rewarding feeling and I want them to have that experience.

I'm sure now that I think about it that I have a ton of goals for my girls as a mom, I want them to know healthy competition and that it's okay to win or lose, I want them to know outdoor activities and that life doesn't begin and end with a TV show and so much more but I think I touched on my Top 3 Goals.

What are your goals for your kids?  What lessons do you want them to learn as they grow up and become the amazing adults we are creating?

Most of you probably don't know that David and I got married in Vegas, yes, we eloped but our wedding was just what we wanted, with people we love around us (our families were even able to watch over a live internet feed so they were there in spirit)...I was dusting in our bedroom and like always I have to move a ton of our wedding memorabilia but for some reason today I really looked at these items and realized how important they were in our wedding day and how perfect they are to how we got married.


First there's my bouquet, it was white roses.  I'm not really a fan of roses, I think they are generic and easy to get (I mean 7-11 has roses) but these roses are probably the most beautiful I've seen, there was exactly 12 of them which was perfect because David and I met on July 12th.  I don't think I would have felt like a bride in Vegas without this bouquet, but what I've never told anyone is that I broke 1/2 the stems walking down the aisle with how hard I was squeezing it.  I was cool calm and collected that whole day but that moment I walked down the aisle I could barely keep my knees from collapsing I was so in love.  They are obviously dried out now but just having them in our room helps me remember that day and I love that they dried so perfectly...not a single petal fell off, still intact.


One of the next items we have from that day still makes me laugh...it's the champagne flute that we took our first drink as husband and wife, now I'm sure you ask, why is that funny?  It's funny because David had never had champagne before, so instead of sipping it, he took it like a shot...that's my classy man right there!  The whole room, reverend and all burst into laughter, every time I see these flutes I think of that moment.


The final wedding favor we have is probably my favorite, after our wedding we had a dinner at Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab inside Cesar's Palace.  We ordered a very nice bottle of wine and all of our guests, David's brother (best man), my best friend Dawn (Maid of Honor) and our 4 cousins signed the cork for us.  We really love this piece of memorabilia because again when we see it we remember that amazing meal surrounded by people who love us and support our relationship and marriage so much.


I really love having these pieces to look back on and remember what was one of the most important and memorable days of my life!  What are some of your wedding items that you kept that are special to you?

I never expected that I'd actually be blogging this long, much less be good enough at it that a local magazine would want to feature my blog on it's online portal...I mean how cool?  I'm definitely flattered! 

My blog with Fredericksburg Parent and Family Magazine will be some different content than what I do on here (that's what they would like anyways), so I'm thinking more DIY and stuff on that blog with the occasional copy from this personal blog.

Please go check out my first post with them...An Introduction: The Real Housewife of Caroline County.

Above all that I just want to say thank you to any and all of you that have been supporting me whether personal family and friends or my mommy blogger community that I'm building friendships with.  It means a lot to me that you all come by, read what I have to say and even care about it and me.  I'm definitely feeling blessed!

xoxo
Penny

The other night I as literally so bored that I just wanted someone to ask me questions...I could have asked my husband to do it but he was enthralled with his new video game so I started talking to Amber over at The Bold and Fab Mom and we decided to do a Blogger to Blogger question sessions...so exciting!!!

We each sent each other 10 questions, nothing off limits, could be as random as favorite song to personal stuff about one another.  Here are the 10 questions that Amber sent me...

1.  What inspired you to start blogging? To be honest I was looking for an outlet, so many days I had pent up emotions and thoughts in my head, sometimes so many that I couldn't sleep.  One day while on Twitter I noticed all these other moms I interact with had blogs and I thought "why not?" so I gave it a shot and so far so good.  It seems to be going well and now that I'm in a rhythm of posting it's definitely a lot easier.

2.  What's your least favorite chore?  Hmmmm....that would probably be a tie between unloading the dishwasher and folding laundry.  I wish I could snap my fingers and both could just be done.  I always forget that I've got clean dishes in the dishwasher so when I go to put dirty stuff in I'm like "ahhhhh, man....no not again" but folding laundry is just a pet peeve especially when I know Hannah will end up in the drawers ripping it all out anyways! Nothing like folding the same t-shirt 5 times in one day to motivate you.

3.  Where would your dream vacation take place?  Actually the hubs and I are going to one of our bucket list places this year...ALASKA! We aren't really hot weather people so Alaska is a definite must do for us!  But after Alaska I would say it's a tie between Iceland or Australia.

4.  What is your worst fear?  Leaving my girls, not for short periods of time or even a day or two but leaving them for good, obviously by that I mean dying and leaving them all alone in this world.  They would of course have their daddy but no one can ever replace mom, you know?  I want so badly to always be there for every scrap on their knee to their first heart break or hold their hand as they prepare to walk down the aisle.  The thought of not being there for those moments with them gives me a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach and makes me tear up (yes I'm crying as I type this, I'm a wuss I know!).

5.  What item could you not live without?  If we are talking purely materialistic here it would probably be my cell phone.  We don't have a land line and before I had my fancy new lap top my hubby got me it really was my connection to the outside world with Facebook and Twitter.  If you want to talk about an ultimate item I couldn't live without it would probably be a pot of some sort...with a pot you can boil water, cook food and provide your body nourishment to survive in most any situation.

6.  What is your favorite and least favorite part of being a parent?  This can be touchy for some people but I'm game...

Favorite would be that I'm a SAHM (stay at home mom) and for the past year or so have been apart of my girls lives all day every day.  I'm their one constant and I don't think I realized that until I went to leave one day and Hannah had the worst tear scream as I left, it took that moment to hit me in the face of "they don't know a life without me" and that's a very intense feeling to know.  

Least favorite would be the gross factor of poop and pee and diapers and spit up and all things that come out of babies.  It's not like it gets better as they get older, it actually gets worse and more gross as they grow.  I definitely don't look forward to potty training for the gross factor of accidents in the car or beds...it's part of being a parent and I do it the best I can but I wish I had a robot for diaper duty.

7.  What's the biggest lesson you've learned in your life?  I learned a long time ago that I have to take the time that I have with those I love for the moment and enjoy it thoroughly.  When I was 16, I was exactly 34 minutes too late before my best friend committed suicide.  There's not a day of my life since that day that I don't wish I was 34 minutes earlier or more.  But I've learned from that moment in my life that no one is here forever, people can go out of your life just as quickly as they came in and you really have to enjoy the time and moments the best you possibly can.  I've tried to keep my arguing and tension with people to a minimum because I know how important it is to just "be" with the people you care about.

8.  If you could change one thing about you, what would it be?  I could say physically that I wish I could change my metabolism and be back into my skinny-skinny jeans again but honestly I'd probably change my judgement on people.  I can be harsh, mostly because I'm protective of those that I care about in my life and usually once I get a bad vibe off you that's the end of it for me and I probably won't make too much more effort to get to know the person you are.

9.  What's your favorite dessert?  See, this isn't fair for someone with a super sweet tooth like me but if I have to focus purely on dessert it would probably be Breyer's Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream...good gravy that made my mouth water just typing it!  It's just perfect, I can't explain it, it just makes me happy, happy, happy!

10.  What is one random fact about you?  I used to be on the professional circuit for hunter/jumpers (equestrian riding).  I miss it but when I was 17 I had a bad fall and severely injured my right arm in several places and now I can't put the pressure that would be required to continue to compete.  I still have a strong love for the sport and of course the horses, that will never change.

Ohhhhhh...Amber, I LOVED your questions!  Thank you so much for doing this with me and I look forward to reading your responses to mine.  Check out Amber's answers to my questions here.

P.S. If you are interested in doing this with me as well, let me know! I'd love to!

This is probably one of my favorite pictures of life, from my 25th birthday celebration...with my 4 favorite people at that moment...through thick and thin they've always been there when it really counts...this photo embodies our love for each other like no other I've ever seen!

Time Manipulation...


There are many days that I wish I had a fast forward button, just to push through the laundry, cleaning the house or even a cranky baby, this is also followed by days that I could hit slow motion...moments like watching David and the girls play that are just so adorable it warms my heart.  But there are days I wish I had a rewind button, that I could go back to places I've been before and live those moments again, like days at my grandparents old farm just riding on the John Deere with my Grandpa.

I think everyone wishes they had more time, we all say "I just need an extra hour" or "I wish I had a pause button", the reality of that would be a very cool thought but I think it would get scary.  What if you just shut everything off, hit pause or fast forwarded through a milestone of life?  Like any super power this one especially would have to be looked after with extreme care because it could easily get out of hand.

Personally, I want FAST FORWARD for changing dirty diapers, doing laundry, cooking, cleaning and basically anything that's a "chore".  I want SLOW MOTION to enjoy the beautiful moments in being a wife and mom, all those days at the pool or play ground, even just rolling around on the floor at home, just to have a few more seconds to take those in would be amazing.  PAUSE, I'd only use in extreme conditions, like the kids are screaming and driving me nuts and I need a 2 minute break to clear my head and adjust or even be able to pause before Hannah runs to the street or I burn the biscuits.  REWIND to visit old memories. 

I don't think I'd ever hit STOP, that means my life would stop and I love my life, I don't ever have thoughts of leaving it or wanting to, it's me, it's who I am, it's everything that I love and every piece of me. 

Time manipulation...yup, that's one cool super power!

I'm really excited about this new venture, I'm working with Growing Up Madison, Pink Candy & Stilettos and Me and My Mini Me on a fun and interactive way to join mom bloggers and their kids together!

So my idea was a Mom & Tot Box Swap, this means that once every quarter (our first box will be in September) each mom and toddler will receive a box from another mom and toddler with all sorts of goodies in it for them.  For example in September Morgan and Hannah will be box swapping, so both mom and toddler will put together any items within our budget ($40) for just toddler or mom and toddler.  Items can range from educational items to books, arts and crafts to clothing/accessories, food can even be included if it's perishable and will ship well.  If each mom wants to include an item(s) for each other as long as it falls into the budget that's totally fine too.

Another twist on this to help fit into the budget is if you have anything laying around, a old baby shower gift or a birthday gift you never used or something along those lines you can include it and it won't go towards your budget (handy for moms like me who get products that sometimes I end up not liking/using). 

I thought this would be a fun way to each out to the moms that I know through blogging and Twitter, we can get to know each other through these boxes and our kids get presents at the same time...very cool! 

The only condition of the box swap is that we blog about what we received in our box...the good, the bad, the not wanted. 

I'm already prepping and getting things ready for our first box to Morgan! We're very excited and hope that he and mom enjoy what's inside...we especially look forward to their post on what they received and how they are liking it.

If you are interested in joining in on this definitely let me know...we do need equal amounts of moms to do this (2, 4, 6, 8...etc) so that everyone receives a box but I think this is going to be a fun project even if it only happens once!!! Stay tuned for our post on what we get and I will also be linking all the other ladies posts once they have them as well!