Love this giveaway!

The College Prepster is giving away one of Nico and Lala's products!! I would love to have one of the trays!!

Click here to enter, and good luck!

It's Friday!

I came home from VBS (Vacation Bible School) yesterday to find these beautiful flowers waiting for me!

Last night, the mister and I had a wonderful anniversary date!! We left the house for an early dinner at Fin and Filet, where after a great meal, we enjoyed Hershey Black Tie dessert.  It was an enormous brownie topped with an entire hershey bar, with two scoops of ice cream and chocolate syrup! YUM! I want to eat it again now...but probably won't eat anything that sweet again for awhile!

Next, we went bowling!  We bowled 2 games.  We agreed that the winner would be whoever had the highest total at the end of both games.  The first game, the mister scored a 124 and I bowled 121.  But, the next game I dominated!! I somehow bowled a 165...to his 130!! I guess Wii bowling is helping out some :)

After that we rode around for awhile...it was only 8:30...and we weren't ready to go home.  We drove by the civic center, and the mister had a great idea! Let's go play tennis!  We haven't been able to play in so long!  So, we went by the house, changed clothes, and hit the court.  It was still 85 degrees outside at 10:00 at night, but we had fun.  He won 6-4. (yes, only one set!)

(not the best pic, but the only one we took)

On another note, I ended up having lots of fun with VBS this week.  I had some adorable 4 and 5 year olds...19 of them to be exact!  Here are a few pics from today.  

We were in Ancient Egypt, and our "family" wore matching belts and collars all week.

Drawing and telling about their favorite thing about VBS.

Two of the cutest kids!!

Singing and Dancing!

Hope you have a great weekend!

On this day 4 years ago...

The mister and I got married!  

My mother-in-law is coming over this afternoon to watch Baby W, and we are going on a date!

So excited!

Happy Thursday!

Wordless Wednesday

Tuesday's Tip for New Mamas: Wii!

I'm going to make this short and sweet today because I am loaded down this week with Vacation Bible School amidst other things!  But, if you are ever feeling stressed, while your baby is sleeping, or even while your baby is playing around in the room with you...play Wii!! It can be a great stress reliever.

I started playing a couple days ago while Baby W was crawling around me.  I was playing the baseball batting practice on Wii sports.  I didn't realize that he was even watching me until I heard a little squeal every time the ball was pitched towards the screen.  The little squeal turned into hysterical laughs every time I hit the ball!  It was hilarious :)

The mister (stealing that from Cool Gal, because I don't really like using "hubby") and I play Wii before we go to bed sometimes.  We are both very competitive, so sometimes it isn't as much of a stress reliever as I would hope!

What do you do to relieve stress?!

Monday Message: Blog Book Study!

I love to read, and I got a Kindle for Christmas.  The first few weeks I read whenever I had the chance.  Especially at night...I would get into bed early, and read until I fell asleep.  I read 4 pretty long books in a month!  But after that, I got busy with other stuff, and stopped reading.  I am so excited that I now have a good reason to read.

Short Southern Momma has invited her readers to join her in reading this book:

We are starting it on Sunday, August 1st!  You are welcome to join if you would like.  Just leave a comment with your email address at this post and Short Southern Momma will send you the blog address and the email and log in password so you can make a post!  

This will help me get back to reading and also help with guiding me in the right direction in my relationship with God! Can't wait to start! 

I am also teaching the 4 and 5 year olds at Vacation Bible School this week from 8:30 to 12 everyday! AHHH! What have I gotten myself into? Just kidding.  I am excited, but seriously, say a prayer for me :)

Have a blessed Monday!

Five Question Friday!

1. What were your school colors?

Are we talking about high school or college?  My high school colors were green and white--the Mustangs.  And my college colors are the best in the world...Carolina Blue and White...Go Tarheels!!

2. What's the best compliment you ever received?

The best compliments I get are from my husband, letting me know that I am a good mom and wife. :)  Even though he does complain that I could do better sometimes, he lets me know that what I am doing is good work!

And if I had to think of something more specific, it would be from my first year of teaching.  I had never had a teaching class, but was thrown to the wolves two weeks into the school year.  I was 22, teaching 15-19 year olds.  I had never created a lesson plan...and my classes were an hour and a half long.  Usually the lessons ended before class was really over, and my students were free to talk and be CRAZY!  And crazy they were.  But when I started getting the hang of it, and planning well-thought-out lessons, one of my students came up to me after class.  His name was Sean.  He said, "Mrs. G (before I was married), I just wanted to let you know that your lesson today was GREAT!" and he gave me a thumbs up.  That was one of the things that made my first year of teaching worth it :)

3. Do you buy cheap or expensive toilet paper?

I gotta go with the expensive.  Gotta have the best :)  I can't stand the cheap stuff.  My husband will buy the cheap stuff for himself and get the expensive stuff for me...I'm really not that high maintenance...but some of you understand...right?

4. Have you ever had a surprise party thrown for you? Or have you had one for someone else?

I have helped throw a surprise party for my older sister, and I threw one for my best friend in high school.  The one for my friend was crazy because she thought that everyone was talking about her behind her back...and it really bothered her.  At least we had a good reason to explain it when it was all said and done :)

5. What is one material possession that you "can't live without"?

That would probably be my laptop! Can't live without my MAC!

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Hope everyone has a great weekend! I have a busy week coming up, but I will try to stay in touch with the blog world as best I can.  If you have time, check out my new etsy shop!   

Thankful Thursday: Etsy Shop

I finally have my Etsy shop up and running!  I am still working on some new signs.  A couple of you recommended making signs for Holidays, which I will start on soon.  A few of y'all wanted to see some Florida Gators sign, so I will try to get some of those up as well.  Any other suggestions are welcome.  If you want a customized sign, just start a conversation with me on Etsy, and I will take your suggestion, post it, and if you like it, you can buy it!  

Visit the site at mamasmessages.etsy.com!

Sweet Carolina Girl Giveaway!

Sarah at Sweet Carolina Girl is having a great giveaway! You can win these Lilly tumblers and mug!

Click here to enter, and good luck!

Almost Wordless Wednesday: Baby W is 10 months old!

Baby W turned 10 months old on Monday!

You can see the rash we've been dealing with!

Good thing it doesn't bother him!

He loves to tilt his head and look at you.

When you do it too, he laughs!

Then you gotta do the other side! :)

Right before bed...the Vaseline has been applied to his face.

Handsome like Daddy...with little rash to be seen the next night :)

Happy (almost) Wordless Wednesday!

Construction Complete

For the time being, I am done with the redesign. 

I used tutorials I found on google and my photoshop to complete it.

I created my own header, background, post dividers, and an all new button!

Feel free to grab the button and add it to your site :)

Good night!

Construction Zone!

Please bear with me as I try to redesign my blog!  I might be in the middle of something and then have to leave, so it may look like a mess for awhile!  If I don't win a blog redesign from Webbisodes, I want to be able to do it myself :)

Tuesday's Tip for New Mamas: the Face Rash

So the other week I asked for help with Baby W's face rash.  I know he gets it from drooling (which is most likely from teething!) A couple of y'all suggested that we try Aquaphor, and that's what our pediatrician suggested as well.  So, when I was visiting my parents, they happened to have some Aquaphor, and we tried it.

Hours later, Baby W's rash on his face seemed a lot redder and drier!  I decided we were going to need to try something else.  His skin must just be too sensitive for that!  (I would still recommend trying it because I know that it works for some!)

We decided to try something I read about on babycenter.com.  Neosporin.  I put it on his rash before he went to sleep a few nights ago...the next morning, his rash looked a little better, but it wasn't what I wanted it to be!

So someone on babycenter and a neighbor also suggested using Vaseline.  Two nights ago we tried it out, and the next morning, his face looked great!!  Vaseline was the first thing someone suggested, but I wanted to try the real baby creams first because I thought they would be more reliable.  Thank goodness the Vaseline works!  His rash is much better and I don't have to spend too much money to get the job done!

 Happy Tuesday!

Cool Gal Giveaway!

Cool Gal at It's the World I Know is having a giveaway...and if you have visited her blog, you know her giveaways are always fabulous!! This time around you can win Kai perfume and body polish!

Click here to enter, and good luck!

Monday Message: Do this in remembrance of me.

We shared Communion yesterday in church, and my pastor used the following story as an illustration of how we should experience the Lord's Supper:

A certain family lived on a farm alongside a dirt road. Only on rare occasions would an automobile pass by. But one day as one young member of the family was crossing the road on his bicycle, a car came roaring down a nearby hill, struck the boy, and killed him. An older brother said, "Later, when my father picked up the mangled twisted bike, I heard him sob out loud for the first time in my life. He carried it to the barn and placed it in a spot we seldom used. Father's terrible sorrow eased with the passing of time, but for many years whenever he saw that bike, tears began streaming down his face." The older brother continued, "Since then I have often prayed, 'Lord, keep the memory of Your death as fresh as that to me! Every time I partake of Your memorial supper, let my heart be stirred as though You died only yesterday. Never let the communion service become a mere formality, but always a tender and touching experience.'

Credit

I pray that we could all remember and serve the Lord in our lives each day in all of our words and actions!  It is so challenging, yet the most important thing in life!

Thank You!!

I have received a few awards in the past week or so...and I wanted to say thank you and pass them on some great bloggers!

First off, thank you to Sweet Southern Prep for the Versatile Blogger Award!  If you are into fashion, Lilly, fun drinks, and more-check out her blog!

For this award, you must tell seven things about yourself.  Read my answers here!

Next, thank you to Little Miss Can't Be Wrong at How I Met Your Father for the Honest Scrap Award!  Please check out her blog! It is lots of fun learning about what's going on in her family and with her "Sequel!"

And finally, thank you to Cool Gal at It's the World I Know for the Sugar Doll Award!  She is one of the sweetest gals you will meet, and you definitely need to check out her blog!

For these awards, you must share 10 things about yourself!

1. I am somewhat of a perfectionist when it comes to handwriting.  (Yes I used to be one of those students who would rewrite their notes if they didn't look exactly right!)
2. I am not a big fan of ice cream or chocolate.  Some may call me lucky...others think I'm crazy!
3. I hate clutter!  I was just talking to my husband today about becoming minimalists... Our next goal is to rid our house of everything we haven't used in forever or forgot was even there!
4. I am a photo fanatic! I feel like I need to capture every moment on camera.  Sometimes I wish I could just put down the camera and enjoy the moment more!
5. I am a Christian.  I try to live for the Lord and follow His will in my life.  Managing my time well is something I have been praying a lot about lately!
6. My dream job has always been to be a mother and housewife.  Now that I am, I realize I have TONS to learn!
7. My favorite chore is doing the laundry.  I once read a book called "The Quotidian Mysteries." It helped me realize that chores can be a time of prayer and reflection!  Most of my chores are a time of sighs, huffs, and puffs! But I have tried to make laundry a time of peace.
8. My favorite season is spring before the weather gets too hot!  I would much rather live where it's hot.  I am a fan of snow if it's only a couple days out of the year!
9. I am not a huge shoe person.  If I could, I would wear my rainbows with everything (And I pretty much do as often as possible!)
10. The only place I have traveled outside of the US is Sweden! My college roommate freshman year was Swedish, and I stayed with her for two weeks one summer.  I would love to travel other places in Europe!

I would like to pass the Honest Scrap Award and the Sugar Doll Awards on to the following wonderful blogs:

Fried Pink Tomato

Heidbrink Happenings

Juleps and Jon Jons

Living a Beautifully Blessed Life

Llama Tales

Reckless Bliss

Webbisodes

The Paro Post

Lily Lemontree

Shrimp and Glitz

Hope everyone has a great week!!

Arbonne Giveaway!

You MUST check out Shelby at Living a Beautifully Blessed Life!

She is giving away Arbonne's Awaken Sea Scrub and Awaken Body Lotion!

Click here to enter! Good Luck! Please let her know Mama K sent you! :)

He's On the Move!

Yes I know he is getting a late start with the whole crawling thing, but Baby W FINALLY started crawling yesterday!  I don't think he's too far from walking either, because he has been pulling up on everything and walks around the edge of his crib and the coffee table.  I really don't want him walking anytime soon.  It's nice to be able to plop him down in the middle of his toys and be able to walk out of the room for a second and have him in the same place when I come back...but I know it's inevitable.

I also wanted to share with you some of my finds at the Sip and Shop here in Greenwood last night.  Sugar (Store Website), The Frilly Frog (Store Website), and Blossom all had great deals, and although I kept Baby W up past his bedtime, it was worth it!


Before I get to the goods, let me start with the champagne! I rarely drink any alcohol, but the last time I was at Sugar for their anniversary, I tasted a sip of my sister's champagne, and it was delicious.  They had mixed a little bit of fruit punch in with Verdi as well as plopped a strawberry in the glass.  I had to get one for myself.

Verdi Spumante


Tonight they had Verdi Raspberry Sparkletini! It was so tasty.  I stuck with one glass, but may have gone for another if I wasn't worried about keeping Baby W out so late!

Raspberry Sparkletini

I did not buy any clothes for myself because my husband would probably not be too happy with me, but I did find lots of cute earrings and a couple of adorable outfits for Baby W.

These first three pairs of earrings are from Sugar.  I am planning on giving some of them as birthday presents to a couple of my sisters with birthdays coming up (Sisters that read the blog...don't tell the sisters that don't!)

This pair of earrings came from Blossom:

And these two sweet outfits are from the Frilly Frog:

I can't wait to see how Baby W looks in them.  He may have a little growing to do first!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!