Tag Archives: mom blogs

A Day in the Life

Posted on August 13 by Jillian416 • 2 Comments

A few blogs that I follow have been doing “day in the life” posts and I thought it would be fun if I did one too. If you want an example of another “day in the life” post, you can check out Healthy Tipping Point.

4:40 – 4:45 AM – My alarm goes off and I remark to myself that I think I’ll go sleep for a bit on the couch. I’d love to stay in bed and snooze a few times but Seamus has a hard time getting back to sleep after my alarm, so snoozing it repeatedly isn’t fair to him, so I get up.

Once I’m up I realize that I’m not actually as tired as I felt while still in bed and can use this time to get some things done.

5 AM – I’m wide awake now, and flipping through Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/Pinterest or trying to catch up on reading some blogs. I’ll also occasionally write a blog post, but not this morning, a little too slow mentally.

5:20 AM – Hop in the shower. I always try to get in and out before I wake Seamus up at 6, that way once I’m in the bedroom again I can dry my hair right away. With it being shorter, it air dries quickly and if I don’t handle it right away it looks messed up.

6 AM – Head into the bedroom, wake Seamus up, blow dry hair.

6:10 AM – Do make- up and hear Emmett starting to stir on the monitor. I’ll usually let him roll around and sing to himself for a bit before getting him, unless he’s bawling, then I get him (or Seamus gets him) right away.

6:20 AM – This begins my whirlwind of dressing, styling hair, packing bags, brushing teeth, walking back and forth across our house about a million times, ensuring I haven’t forgotten anything and finally loading Emmett into his car seat and heading out the door.

7:15 AM – We are on our way to school. Typically Emmett falls asleep on the ride in, sometimes he’s mad and just shouts the whole way. This morning, he was nice and content and dozed within minutes of us driving away from our house.

7:50 AM – Arrive at day care. I drop him off, put his sippy cups of milk in the fridge, take him over to the younger baby room because his normal teacher his helping with breakfast. Get him buckled into his high chair, open a banana for him and chit chat with the teacher for a few minutes.

I realize I’m already running late (I have a meeting at 9 that I need to prepare for), I give Emmett about 20 more kisses and head out the door.

8 AM – Even though I’m running late, it’s Monday and what better way to start the workday than with a Venti Iced Coffee from Starbucks? So I stop and order just that with a shot of vanilla and 1 cream. Perfection!

8:15 AM – Pull into work and hustle in with all 4 bags I have. Normally I only have 3 but since I decided to workout during lunch today, I had a fourth one with my gym clothes in it.

8:20 AM – Begin the extensive login process to my computer and other necessary systems. Bunker down and get to concentrating on what needs to be covered in my 9 o’clock meeting.

9 AM – I have a series of morning meetings which all go smoothly and then I’m back at my desk trying to get through all the new work that I have since being promoted. All stuff I am enjoying doing, but I am trying to work on my time management since all of my old jobs had hard and fast deadlines that were a long distance out, and now my deadlines are ever changing.

11:30 AM – Emmett is still nursing and I’m still pumping once a day, I head down to the lactation room for my one pumping session.

12:15 PM – Get changed, go for a 5.88 mile bike ride. Come back and eat my delicious lunch, a salad with chicken, hard boiled egg, blue cheese crumbles and sunflower seeds and 2 locally grown plums.

2:30 PM – Another meeting and it also goes well. The rest of the work day is spent trying to get through everything, I do a pretty good job and knock some big things off the ‘to do’ list.

5:15 PM – Leave work, head to pick up Emmett.

5:35 PM – Get to day care, find out that he had tripped earlier in the day and has a big bump right above his eye. He’s fine, it looks worse than it is but I still feel bad for the poor boy.

6:20 PM – Get home, IMMEDIATELY change and head outside with Emmett while Seamus cooks our dinner, burgers and corn on the cob tonight.

6:45 PM – Sit down to eat. Seamus is an amazing cook and his burgers tonight are no exception, I savor every single little bit.. Yummy!

7:15 PM – Play time! We all hangout in Emmett’s new play room and play with his toys and every so often our sweet boy will climb up in our laps and cuddle. Such fun!

7:35 PM – Emmett’s bath time, then lotion, book, nursing and finally bed.

8:15 PM – I fill my water bottle and sit down to work on this post. Phew!!

9:15 PM – Seamus and I will usually watch something on TV. Currently we’re watching Dexter, starting from the very beginning. We are two episodes in, Micheal C. Hall plays such a good creep.

10:15 PM – In bed with my iPad, reading some blogs.

10:45 PM – Time to Crash! Zzzzz

Are you as exhausted from reading that as I am from living it?! Life is so so busy right now, but I would not change a single thing!

Your turn!

What does your “day in the life” look like? Are you a snoozer, or do you jump right out of bed?

Filed Under: All About Me, Daily Updates, Family

Life Hacks

Posted on August 11 by Jillian416 • 0 Comments

I believe as moms and busy individuals, we are always looking for a quicker, safer, better way to do things. As I’ve gotten busier over the last year, caring for another human being, I’ve looked for ways to make things easier on myself and I wanted share some of my favorite life hacks here.

My Top Life Hacks

We love berries in my house, every week I buy strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. The thing is, we weren’t getting through them all in a week and I was starting to just throw them out, if I purchased them on Sunday by the following Friday there was mold growing in them. We were wasting SO much money in produce, enter the vinegar bath! I found the Food Lush article one day when I was randomly scouring the internet for a way to stop the growth of mold, I tried it after the next shopping trip and I can tell you it really TRULY works! I currently have blueberries and strawberries in the fridge from last Sunday’s shopping trip and they are free from mold and still taste amazing.I know you might be wondering whether you can taste the vinegar after you’ve washed the berries in the vinegar/water solution. Absolutely not! The mixture is so diluted that after a quick rinse, you can’t taste a thing but the delicious berry taste.
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More berry hacks! As mentioned above, we love berries but there is nothing more frustrating than cutting off the stem of a strawberry and losing so much of the fruit or having the hard crunchy part left behind. Try using a straw, you push it through from the bottom and it pops the stem right and any crunchy part right off. Easy peasy!
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I always buy lettuce, I’ll have a salad or two but the lettuce gets gross and slimy in just a few days. I went on a hunt for a way to keep lettuce fresher longer. Try this – wash and thoroughly dry your lettuce, lay a paper towel on the bottom of the container you’re putting the lettuce in, put the lettuce in and then lay another piece on top. This works! My lettuce lasts so much longer, but check out this post on AndreaDekker.com, the lettuce in her pics is 2 weeks old and it looks fresh from the store.
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Tis the season for iced coffee, but stopping to buy it every single day can get pricey. Making it at home is much more affordable, but making it in the morning and pouring hot coffee over ice just makes it watered down and taste lousy. Try making coffee ahead of time, pouring into an ice cube tray and freezing for the next morning. This way, as the “ice” melts, it not watering your cup of Joe down.

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5. And finally, because we all need more brownies in our life… How to make a single serve brownie in a coffee mug. Yum!

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Your turn!

Have you tried any of these, have they worked for you?

What other life hacks have you used to enhance your life?

Filed Under: All About Me, Daily Updates, Food & Recipes

My Finds Friday – Motivation

Posted on August 9 by Jillian416 • 3 Comments

My have Friday’s changed…

I’m sitting on my porch typing this, while up and down my street are younger folks, on their porches (because tonight is gorgeous) having what I can only guess are dinner parties. Laughing loudly, drinking wine, plainly enjoying themselves. I’m sure they’re all having fun, but me? I’d rather sit on my porch and quietly write a blog post, that is fun to me. 😀

Boy do I have some great Friday finds for you this week, so much motivation! Be sure to click the links and give everyone some love.

(These are in no particular order.)

As I continue on my quest to find a healthy and motivational balance when it comes to working out, I love reading things about different workouts. Reading what others have done to lose weight and get on the right track to health is so motivational. This week I came across this post on Fitocracy about a guy (the author of the article) who lost 150 lbs, just by getting into running. Check the post out here, I swear you’ll be moved to put on your shoes and head out the door.
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Carrots ‘n’ Cake made the list again this week, this girl seriously inspires me to be my best! Every single one of her posts is about working out hard and eating healthy, what’s more motivational than that?! Check it out here. Tina’s a crossfitter, so she is frequently writing about her WODs and her Paleo diet, both of which interest me to no end.
I think most of us are trying to live a full life but also save money in the process, one my favorite blogs that deals with issues like these is Living Well Spending Less. Recently the author, Ruth, made a post about a service that assists in meal planning called eMeals.com. I haven’t signed up yet, but from what I gather the meal plan and list are pretty comprehensive and will work with whatever kind of diet restrictions you have (including Gluten-Free and Paleo). If you’re interested, you can visit her post here, and use her coupon code to get 15% off your new membership.
If you’re looking for a serious calorie burner that you can do in about 30 minutes, check out She Rocks Fitness. She recently posted a workout that looks like an extreme calorie torcher, you can check it out here.
Finally, one of my favorite mom fashion blogs is Ain’t No Mom Jeans. She recently made a post with tips on how to layer necklaces, check it out here. I love the look of layered necklaces but am never really sure how to do it so it looks right, this post has some really fantastic advice on how to do it.

It’s your turn…

Have you worked with or used eMeals before? If so, weigh-in below.

What are some of your favorite fast workouts that get you moving and provide you motivation?

Filed Under: My Finds Friday

Hot Forever? {August NaBloPoMo}

Posted on August 7 by Jillian416 • 0 Comments

Is someone hot forever once they’re labeled hot? Or is hotness fleeting?

Well, certainly not forever, but I don’t think hot is fleeting. Despite what I said in my post yesterday, I do believe just about anyone can be hot because it comes more from the person’s attitude than it does their actual features or clothes.

The thing that makes me laugh is that the individuals who think they are most hot, typically are those who have negative awful attitudes and come across as very superficial. Sure they may be hot, but do they have any more than that? Do people actually want to be friends with them? I wouldn’t, I’m more interested in being friends with someone who is honest and true, than someone who is attractive (that’s not to say my friends are ugly, they’re not).

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I know it’s cliché, but in my opinion, age truly is just a number. There are older actresses who are absolutely beautiful, it has so much to do with their confidence. One of my favorite instances of an actress who was likely labeled as hot at a young age and continues to be today is Helen Mirren. She is stunning, then AND now! Just Google her and you’ll be overwhelmed with the number of gorgeous pictures that come up.

So, no, hotness is not fleeting. If you’re beautiful on the outside and as you age, continue to be beautiful on the inside your tag of hotness will remain. I can almost guarantee it.

Your turn to weigh-in, do you believe that someone is always considered hot or is it fleeting?

Filed Under: August NaBloPoMo

Would you want to be known as hot? {August NaBloPoMo}

Posted on August 6 by Jillian416 • 2 Comments

Remember how I said I was joining into the festivities of BlogHer’s August NaBloPoMo?

August NaBloPoMo

Yeah, well I didn’t! I signed-up, was super excited about it (still am) and then the month of August proceeded to start and NaBloPoMo left my brain. I’m going to try and go back to catch-up on what I missed, but today I’m starting with August sixth’s prompt, (see them all here).

Would I like to be considered hot?

Hmmm…

Yeah, I think I would. I’m sure it goes back to the good ole self-esteem, that I seem to lack so much of, all the time. It’s a pretty superficial judgement but we are taught and conditioned, by TV, movies or magazines on what is considered “hot.” When I look at the women (or men) who fall into this category, I always assume they have the life, that things just come easier for them, however I do realize that this is likely untrue. That many of the folks who are considered hot still probably had to work to get where they are.

I also associate hot with being thin or fit, and I so desperately want to be either. I know it doesn’t just happen and it takes hard work but I constantly like to imagine myself with a fitness instructor body and just magically waking up that way, it consumes almost every free second I have.

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So if I were “hot” in my eyes, I’d be sexy, thin and fit, I’d have abs like those above. Well technically, I could have abs like those if I cut out the junk and worked hard. Now, I just need to work on motivation and find that HOT!

Question of the Day:

Would you like to be known as hot?

Are you joining NaBloPoMo, if so please share your posts and blogs below?

Filed Under: August NaBloPoMo

First Birthday Party Madness!

Posted on August 5 by Jillian416 • 1 Comment

We celebrated Emmett’s first birthday party Saturday!

Let me start off by saying that I am not a party planner, never have been, never will be, but I think the party turned out pretty decent. If it weren’t for my mother asking my probing questions about whether I was buying this or that, or whether we’d be serving one food or another, the whole thing would have been a disaster… So, if you’re reading this, THANKS mom !

My parents live about an hour away from us and the party was scheduled to start around 1, because my parents were just hosting the party, not throwing it, Seamus and I needed to get down there early to put it all together. We got down there around 9 and spent a little time just hanging out and visiting with my mom and then we went right to work. My mom had rented a tent and some tables, which required us to set up the tables and chairs, and decorate.

We went with a monkey theme, our thought was that his entire first year of life has been monopolized by monkeys, why would his first birthday party not include them too. Thank goodness for Amazon Prime, seriously! Remember how in the first paragraph I said I wasn’t much of a party planner? I wasn’t kidding! I waited till pretty much the last minute to do everything, but we found these super cute monkey decorations (see below) that had a matching banner, plates, napkins, tablecloths, etc. We didn’t buy all of that, just the hanging decorations, the banner and some cake plates (of which I only bought a pack of 8, for a party of approximately 15). So, yeah, don’t hire me to plan your next party. Ha!

Once the tables and chairs were set up, cleaned and then covered, I had a half hour to sit and chat with my sister. I hadn’t seen her since late May and we had so much to catch up on. I had missed her!

The whole day was a bit of a whirlwind for me because I feel like I was talking to Bridget and then, boom guests were arriving, then food was being served, then presents, cake and clean-up.

Emmett was especially adorable the entire day, thanks to a nap on the ride down and then one at grandma’s house. He was smiley and giggly and was okay with anyone holding him, I think he knew it was a special day.

Emmett also got to play with his cousin for the first time. This meant there were two adorable babies in one location, just take a look and you’ll see what I mean.

This my absolute favorite picture from the day! This was Emmett’s present from his Uncle John and Allison, a Buffalo Bisons hat.

We have a tradition in my family where we put a half dollar, a rosary and a shot glass, in front of the baby turning a year old. The first one they choose is supposed to speak to their future and what direction they’ll head in (it’s all just superstition but it’s fun). The rosary is obviously for religion, shot glass is for drinking and the half dollar is for money. My boy chose the half dollar! Woohoo! He’ll be able to take care of momma and daddy in old age. 😉

And then cake!

We made him his own cake in hopes of a cake smash. No such luck, he just daintily picked at the peanut butter mousse, and then rubbed it all over himself and his hair. We took a splash in grandma’s baby pool after cake.

There are so many more pictures! I’ll try share some periodically throughout the next few posts I make and also on the Baby Doodah! Facebook page.

Question of the day:

How did you celebrate your child’s first birthday?

Filed Under: Daily Updates, Emmett's Birthday, Family

Birthday Party Teaser

Posted on August 3 by Jillian416 • 0 Comments

Whew! I am exhausted!

Here’s a birthday party teaser for you…

Oh yes, today was Emmett’s first birthday party and I’m pretty sure a good time was had by all. I will share the whole experience with you tomorrow, but tonight (because I’m pooped) I’ll share just a few of my favorite pics from the day. Enjoy!

Filed Under: Daily Updates, Emmett's Birthday, Family