Back To Me

My new baby

I've been going CRAZEE ever since March wanting to tell you what I've been cookin' up and now I finally CAN!  So of course I'm all nervous and excited and happy and twitchy but that's to be expected, right?  So okay.  I started a new site.  But not just any site!  A site that was needed to fill a void on the old interweb. 

Here is it in a nutshell:

Live Well Spend Well originated out of selfishness.  I would read review blog after review blog with the hopes of finding some great products at reasonable prices, but everything was too spendy.  If there did happen to be drugstore options they were few and far between.  I also wanted to know how I could eat better and cook at home without having to be a gourmet chef with three hours to spend in the kitchen every night.  Ideally, I wanted one stop shopping where I could find everything in a single location.  This led to our Master Plan, where our goal is to have 90% of everything reviewed priced at $15 or less, and a Splurge Worthy section priced $50 and under.  I know with the economy the way it is people are cutting back on expenses, and yet we all want to feel good about ourselves inside and out.  Our hope is that this new site gives those on a budget a place to go to learn about fabulous beauty products and healthy living without feeling they need to spend and arm and a leg to get there.

Right?  RIGHT?  And I have partnered with some of my favorite people, Katie from pseudostoops and Kori from Two Adults One Brown Baby.  I am embracing the role of resident skin and hair care expert, Katie will be all about the healthy eating and fitness tips, and Kori is playing with make-up and helping us all look good.  I also need to sing Jen's praises, as she donated her fantastic blog design services for this endeavor.  Check her out if you ever want a make-over.  She's great to work with and comes up with fabu stuff, as you will see.

We will also have periodic giveaways from awesome sponsors so it seriously can't get any better.  In fact, we have some fun stuff going on right now to kick off our first week in town.  I'd love for you to bip on over, take a look around and let us know what you think.  We're on twitter too so please, come and join the party.  As we like to say, feeling fabulous inside and out shouldn't have to cost a fortune! (And I TOLD you I wasn't pregnant!)

Theo Of The Corn: Emo Edition

Either he's posing for an Abercrombie & Fitch cover shoot, channeling Robert Patterson, or taking a stand against big corporations for Farmers Of America.  I can't decide.

Victory lap

I absolutely DREAD well-check visits with Theo because I know they involve shots.  Shots that stab his fleshy thighs and make him cry while I help pin him down.  I can think of a million other things I'd rather do, such as unclog the shower drain with my hands and scrapbook with the contents.  But alas it needs to be done.

Theo's 15 month appointment was Saturday which promised to be better, with only two shots on the roster.  But he's getting older and more thrashy so I didn't know what to expect, especially because one of the vaccinations was known for stinging and being overall uncomfortable (Yes, a nurse actually used that descriptor. HA!).  For some reason on Wednesday I had a stroke of genius.  At our last appointment they needed to do a finger prick before the shots, and they put a band-aid on his finger after wards.  This distracted the heck out of him so I got to thinking. . .hey!  I'll just have the nurses put a band-aid on his finger right before the massive thigh violation and we'll be golden!

Well my friends, I am proud to say it worked wonders.  He let out a single scream-slash-yelp and then went to town on his finger.  Theo walked out of there chatting and flirting with everyone and did everything except sign autographs.  I might have even seen a nurse's jaw drop, but I can neither confirm nor deny this bit of information.

I don't pretend to get things right all the time when it comes to parenting my child.  And this is certainly a small success.  But man was I ever pleased with myself that I was able to come up with a solution to ease my son's pain.  Now if I could just find a band-aid to put on his heart when I tell him no Theo, you can NOT play with the glass bowls and bang them with a can.  Because my lord, the injustice is almost too much to bare.

Heavy heart

Yesterday at work, when I heard the news about Michael Jackson I was surprised with how it affected me.  Anyone dying, especially unexpected, is horrible and upsetting of course.  But my eyes quickly welled up with tears and felt a heavy sadness in my heart.  The King of Pop was gone.

I grew up in the '80's and his videos sparked such awe and wonder.  He was groundbreaking with is creative genius and raised the bar for those to follow.  We all wanted to move like Michael, to bust out a Thriller sequence with half as much finesse as him.  I'm not embarrassed to say I've tried to moonwalk a half a million times, without the slightest bit of progress.  Hey, there's still time.

I think what saddens me the most is how messed up his life was.  From a young age he was thrown in the spotlight, and even worked in strip clubs when he was eight.  He was abused by his father.  I think back to the young Michael in the Jackson 5 and mourn the loss of his innocence and potential to find serenity.  It just seems like he never found it. 

Because there was a settlement we will never know the truth about the accusations against him.  I want to believe in my heart that he wouldn't do that.  That he DIDN'T do that.  There are only a few people who know what really happened, and I'm just left with hope that he was innocent.

We watched all of Michael's greatest videos last night and they brought back a lot of memories, especially seeing his famous red leather jacket and fluid foot work.  He was an artist in every sense of the word and I truly hope he's now at peace. 

Coming clean

I wrote a few weeks ago about my mission to work out and live a more active lifestyle.  So many of you joined me and were on board to get on the fitness bandwagon and it was awesome.  I really appreciated your support and I'm being totally honest when I'd think of you when I didn't want to get up off the couch and Shred.  But I did anyway because I didn't want to let you down.  And it got to the point where I'd actually look forward to sweating and puffing up a storm after work.  I know, it blew my mind too.  But then. . .I got sick.

Like, horrible sick with a sinus/cold trauma that left me unable to move without fearing death.  I had a stabby headache behind my eye that felt like an ice pick was hacking away at my brains. Then when that finally subsided we moved effortlessly into a monster cold where my throat was swollen and I couldn't breathe.  Joy.  So, because I love you all while simultaneously fearing your judgment, I want you to know I have not worked out in two weeks.  And y'all, it bums me the eff out.

So I'm going to put down the Pirate's Booty treats tonight and huff and puff with Jillian not only in honor of you, but in honor of my committment to myself.  Because these jiggly bits have got to GO.  And also because I so desperately want to see this fitness routine through to the finish line, whereas the finish line equals a smokin' behind in a pair of these.

Ready, set, GO!

Weight: lifted

Something momentous has happened.  A day we knew would come of course, but euphoric just the same.

Our car is paid off.  We OWN that bad boy.

Holy geeze if I would have known that last month was my last time writing a check to GMAC I would have savored it a bit more.  Maybe taken a picture of my elation or something.  Instead, it smelled like milk hork and off it went in the mail.

Then again, maybe that is just as poetic.

So crazy happy

Originally uploaded by bryan campen.

Wee bebes

Someone I know is having a baby today and my mind pretty much looks like this:

"AIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"

so it's hard for me to formulate sentences that resemble anything coherent.  But in the meantime, I did a guest post over at Look What Mom Found about preterm labor and bed rest.  This is obviously a topic I know a bit about and it's something I have a passionate for, as all preggos in that situation need as much help as possible.  Come on over and say hello!

Skillset

Becoming a mother brings about some amazing super powers.  And honestly, I think it's only fair considering all we have to do to keep the little darlings alive.  The ability to tell a happy-reading-a-book silence versus a danger-playing-in-the-toilet silence comes in handy multiple times a day, and sometimes an hour depending on the cosmos.

But a skill I'm not thrilled to have?  The uncanny knack for being able to tell when Theo is going to get sick.  This weekend we were busy and that threw off his sleep schedule.  So Monday when I called daycare to check on how he was doing, I was horrified to hear that Theo took a two hour hap in the morning and another two and a half hour nap in the afternoon.  Folks, that NEVER happens.  I immediately feared he was getting sick.  Bryan, daycare and my mom all assured me he was just catching up on his rest from the busy weekend and that everything was a-okay.  I had to reluctantly agree.

I was then putting on his jammies for bed when he felt warm to the touch.  Took his temp and it was 101.9--not uncommon around teething time so I dosed him with Motrin, said a prayer and put him to bed.  Cut to five o'clock in the morning when we were woken up by screaming and crying and an overall miserable boy.  I went in the nursery and felt how hot he was before I even picked him up--THAT'S how much heat he was radiating.  Temp was 103.5.  The poor little chicken was crying and fussing and so uncomfortable so we did what we could until the Motrin kicked in.  His fever went down around 7:00 and he started acting like his normal self, which was a welcomed relief.  Theo went down for another two and a half hour nap (which mama appreciated because boy howdy was I tired) and woke up in time for his doctor's appointment.  He was still warm but jolly.

Turns out it's just a virus.  OH HOW I LOVE WHEN IT'S JUST A VIRUS because that means no drugs.  Gah.  So Motrin/Tylenol/fluids/snuggles rinse repeat for us, but at least he doesn't have an ear infection or Strep.

I like being right as much as the next guy but really, couldn't I have been wrong just this once?

*******

And because I'm Pure Evil I'd like to taunt you by saying I have a super awesome amazing surprise for you in two weeks (AND I AM NOT PREGNANT) but it's almost equally as thrilling.  Okay, maybe not, but I'm yippy and squealy about it so you'll just have to fake it.

I would buy you a monkey

When I get the urge to blow serious amounts of cash but am unable to, due to lack of serious amounts of cash, I fantasize about winning $25 million dollars.  I'm sure lots of people play this game and I'm insanely curious to hear your answers.  But this time, I don't want obvious things, such as paying off all debt, getting a new car or buying a house.  I want to hear your big splurge-worthy items that would make your life immensely better that may not be fit for front page news.  I will give some of my own examples:

I would replace our mattress and Theo's crib mattress with an eco-friendly alternative that doesn't use harmful toxins or chemicals.  It pains me that we couldn't get him an organic one but someday we will, regardless of a major lotto win.

I would fly us out to California and get a professional photo session done by Tara Whitneybecause OMG her shots are the best.  I'm not a fan of the beach but that's what she's known for and I'd totally wiggle my toes in the sand for her.

Get a wicked expensive Pilates class membership.  There's a studio within walking distance from our house and it looks glorious.  Everyone in there is so long and lean.  THAT COULD BE ME!

I would welcome back high-maintenance hair.  I used to be much MUCH blonder but I had to tone it down a bit due to finances.  Well not anymore baby--standing appointments every six weeks so dark roots would be a thing of the past.

Holy chiropractor.  My back is so crooked from someone (coughTheocough) demanding to be hefted all the time, and regular adjustments would ensure I don't walk like a question mark.

So I ask you, what are your fantasy things to splurge on?  I need some more ideas!