Dear sinuses: The whole upper respiratory thing you have given me is not quite what I wanted when I'm going away for the weekend. I really would like to swallow again without feeling like I'm swallowing my tonsils. Ick.

Dear Amazon Prime: What would I do without you? This past year you have saved me from fashion emergencies (last minute need for a blanket scarf and you got me), gift emergencies and just been all around great with your 2 Day shipping.

Dear Carrie Underwood: How do you do it? Seriously, Hot Mom Goals. And I am eagerly awaiting your new album and some tour dates I am hoping?! Heartbreak has been on repeat for the past few days and I can't wait to hear the new one released today.

Dear husband: Thank you for being so diligent with your fantasy football statistics and talking about them a lot. Maybe I will listen just a little bit more now because you are clearly very good at it. So very proud of you! Now, can I get my new bed and a shopping spree??


That's all I got for you this week. Although, I could go on a long rant about Lamar Odom and the Kardashians...maybe later.

What are your weekend plans?

Why Women & Budgets Do Not Mix

Recently, we have put ourselves on a budget of sorts. We situated all 7 of our bank accounts to make sure we are saving properly but at the same time having fun. Now, when it came to each of our budgets for the month, things got tricky.

Trying to explain why I might need to be outside my budget some months was found to be quite hard. Men just do not understand that yes, we actually have to spend money on a lot. Don't blame us. Blame society.

//Makeup
First, there's primer. Then you have to contour. After there is blush and a translucent powder. Don't forget there is eyelid primer, followed by multiple eyeshadow colors. If you're really into makeup you can also have an eyelash primer. Mascara and then you can never forget the eyebrows. And let a woman loose in Sephora and you're in trouble.

//Hair

Just getting highlights can start you off at an easy $100. Add a full head of color on there and a cut, that can bring you to about $200. It's not cheap to achieve the perfect hair color.

//Clothes
Unlike men, we like to change our clothes every season. What might have been popular last season just does not cut it the next season. Case in point: flares. I need a pair.

//Cute Bras & Undies
All I really need to say is Victoria's Secret.

//Skincare
There's adult acne, no fun. yet, you are getting wrinkles. And sometimes the cheap stuff no longer cuts it as you are past your college years. It's the expensive stuff in the hopes it will rid you of reminders of your younger years.

//Nails
Whether you are a DIY girl at home or go to get your nails done, it costs money. You have to either buy all the supplies or pay someone to do them every few weeks. I can say, the past few months actually getting my nails done has put a little extra pep in my step.

//Accessories
Rings, purses, necklaces, shoes, oh my! Theses are all of the things we need to pull an outfit together. Have you ever seen a woman that does not have the right pair of shoes to match her outfit? My husband has and it's not pretty.

Looking at all of these, yes, they are technically more wants. Yes, I could not dye my hair but when you've been doing it since you were 15...kind of have to. I know I don't need a new whole wardrobe every season, just a couple of pieces will do. See, I am slightly reasonable, but it's still hard and expensive to be a girl.

Make sure to share this list with your husband or boyfriend when they want to tak about your "budget" or "spending" to let them truly understand.

What do you like to have in your budget?

Don't Just Dream It. Do It.

From the time you are little, people start asking you what you want to be when you grow up. Teachers, parents, relatives want you to have big dreams. You work towards those dreams from the time you start kindergarten.

As time goes on, some dreams might shift or change completely. For example I learned that I couldn't very well be a CSI when blood makes me faint. That dream was replaced with another dream. And that dream with another. As I achieved certain dreams, it was replaced with another.

Once I became a wife, it was my dream to have a marriage that lasted, a dream I work on every single day. Our dream was to save enough for a house, that meant budgets and not spending all my money. Your dreams can become a reality, you just have to work at them and know which ones are your true dreams and which ones are just another hobby.

I add a new dream to my list weekly. My husband has gotten used to the phrase," You know what I want to do?" But even if it's a temporary dream, I give it a shot. I try it. I see if I am capable of fulfilling it and if I really want to.

Flip Houses

We've all seen the HGTV shows. Fixer Upper. Make it worth a million dollars. It's what I desired to do for the longest time and really researched it thinking we could do it. Now, I've learned that buying/selling a house is so tedious that I couldn't imagine myself going through it over and over. Let's leave that to the people on the TV shows.

Start an Etsy business

Remember my Framed Ring Holder? I thought it was the perfect excuse to start an Etsy shop. There are supplies sitting in a drawer and pins on the logistics of it all. But I haven't gotten down to it just yet. Maybe this will be saved for my stay at home days. Maybe it's meant for a different season in my life.

Sell It Works
You know those crazy wrap things? I have been debating whether I can sell them and supplement my current income. I don't see myself being one of those "I am a millionaire from selling this!" but I have entertained the idea of trying it out. How would my introvert self work that out I might wonder.

Blog full time

First step: Signed up for Helene's "Quit Your Job to Blog" course that starts next week. And she makes over $7k a month off her blog. Goals to be a one day stay at home mommy blogger because I am supposed to be my own boss. I would be great at it.

Write a book
Somewhere in my storage totes of memories, I have a 3rd grade 20 page book I wrote. Something along the lines of a girl on a journey. If I ever find it, I will share with all of you the words that came to me at such a young age. I want to sit at a blank space and really write. See what I can come up with.

Be a Hot Momma
Still holding strong to this one. Some might label it as MILF status. Some might label it as fashionable momma. Plain and simple, want to be given the opportunity to be a mom and be the best one I can be. 

Be a professional photographer
Ask any friend or family member and they would say I was the one always with the camera. I love candid shots the best and being able to capture memories. With my mom gone, I really treasure the memories from the pictures and I always dreamed about being behind the camera for big moments. As much as I love taking pictures and playing around with the DSLR camera, I see it more as a casual hobby. I won't start my own photography business but I will gladly capture special moments in our lives and everyone close to me.

What are some of your dreams?

Accessorize with GlassesShop.com

Choosing new glasses is hard. Like really hard. I spent a good amount of time in the doctor's office trying to find the perfect pair but they were all so trendy or overpriced. And if you want to add coating or get thin lenses for your severely challenged eyesight, you're really asking for a hefty price tag.

What also makes it hard is only choosing one pair of glasses that you have to wear all the time. If you're plagued with bad eyesight shouldn't you be able to have fun with prescription eyeglasses and count them as an accessories? 

GlassesShop.com is the perfect solution if you are looking for cheap glasses that are still of great quality. The lenses and frames are so affordable and a great way to really be able to build your glasses accessory collection. One day, you might be feeling fierce with cat eyes but the next day it's all about business with the classic square frames.

Being offered to try out these glasses for free was great timing as I was the girl from above scouring the eye doctor for the perfect pair. I knew I wanted cat eye shaped glasses and they make it so easy to narrow down the shape. Then, you can narrow down with the color you are looking for. 

Make sure to pay attention to the width they give you on the site. I skipped over it and my glasses do a nose slide occasionally. But GlassesShop.com provided all the info I just breezed past it thinking no big deal. But it kind of was. It's very easy to put in your prescription and verify the lenses you want and any extras. Make sure you have your pupillary distance (PD) available. 

My glasses came quickly, with a hard case and cleaning cloth and I really like them. I will pay more attention to the width next time but will be ordering another pair really soon! I might even venture into prescription sunglasses (which they offer too!) territory. Nothing bums me more than days I want to wear glasses but have to squint in the sun. 

It's a great time to add another glasses accessory to your collection. GlassesShop.com offers First Pair Free which means all the new customers can have a pair of free glasses, just pay for shipping and handling. This is a much better price tag than you would find at your doctor's office. 

On top of that, I can offer you 50% off ANOTHER pair of glasses. Just use the code GSHOT50. That means you can get one free pair and then order another one at 50% off. Two pairs for not even a quarter of what you would normally pay. I say a win, win.


Do you wear glasses? How many pairs do you own?