I was sitting at Tippy's Taco House today on my lunch break, waiting for my chicken burrito and queso dip, and I decided to people watch as I typically do when I get bored. As I stared around the restaurant full of people, there was one common ground I noticed...they were all on their cell phones. I first noticed the couple across from me were sitting in the booth, facing each other, not conversing, but typing on their iPhones. It dawned on me that this is what America has become. I am more than likely just as guilty as all of the people I saw today, but it was a real eye opener. I am planning to just leave my cellphone in the car from now on, to alleviate becoming a zombie to this social networking propaganda that is going on. Not only did I see adults on their phones, but a little girl, who could not have been more than 10 years old was on a phone. What is this world coming to? Are we not able to communicate face to face anymore? Or even have a conversation on the phone aside from texting?
Just food for thought.
-D
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Background.
Iolanda Danielle
I figured I would take the time to bore you all with my life story ;)
I am 22 and I was born on 2/13 in the DC area. I have a huge family. We are mostly a bunch of crazy Italians. I'm talking spaghetti loving, loud mouth, tight knit people ;) I have a little brother, Ben and a little sister that I met in 2006, Heather.
I have a few VERY close friends. My best friend April has been my rock since we were in 3rd Grade. She has seen me struggle and seen my succeed and she always has my best interest at heart. Linzi is my best friend from Frostburg and we still don't miss a beat.
I attended Frostburg State in 2008/2009, but did not attend the following semester...in order to do some "soul searching" I should say.
In 2009 I moved to CA, and spent time with someone who I thought was the one. Well as we all know, if something is too good to be true..it probably is! SO, I moved back here.
My Grandmother was probably the best person I have ever had the pleasure of knowing and we were very close. She passed away on Christmas Eve 2010. It was a very traumatic time for me.
In the summer of 2011 I was blessed to find that I was pregnant with my wonderful son. My pregnancy was difficult, it was tiring, and full of stress and sickness. After I had him, my world completely changed. I have lived my life since March 7th 2012 for someone else, other than God.
I have a few VERY close friends. My best friend April has been my rock since we were in 3rd Grade. She has seen me struggle and seen my succeed and she always has my best interest at heart. Linzi is my best friend from Frostburg and we still don't miss a beat.
I attended Frostburg State in 2008/2009, but did not attend the following semester...in order to do some "soul searching" I should say.
In 2009 I moved to CA, and spent time with someone who I thought was the one. Well as we all know, if something is too good to be true..it probably is! SO, I moved back here.
My Grandmother was probably the best person I have ever had the pleasure of knowing and we were very close. She passed away on Christmas Eve 2010. It was a very traumatic time for me.
In the summer of 2011 I was blessed to find that I was pregnant with my wonderful son. My pregnancy was difficult, it was tiring, and full of stress and sickness. After I had him, my world completely changed. I have lived my life since March 7th 2012 for someone else, other than God.
LIKES
- Blogging
- Spending time with my son
- Being Adventurous
- Going to the Ocean
- Penguins
- Exercising
- Fruit Smoothies
- Crocs
- My iPhone4s
Being on the water- Scrap booking about my life :)
- Denzel Washington<3
- Clubs every once in awhile
- FALL
- Reading - its a great escape
- Driving [Road trips]
- Taking pictures of EVERYTHING
- Pinning [Pinterest]
- Lord of the Rings
- Meeting new people [Social Butterfly]
DISLIKES
Being lied to [Women always find out the truth, fool]- Watching the news...it's pretty depressing
- Traffic. Bleh
- Justin Beiber
- "Teenie Boppers"
- The mall on the weekends
- CoverGirl make up
- Being late..FOR ANYTHING
- Sleeping in (yes odd, I know)
- Rain
- Sitting at a desk 8 1/2 hrs a day
- Math
- Mustangs [worst car ever]
- DALLAS COWBOYS
- Awkward situations
I still have a lot to learn and there is more room to grow as I become older. I know that I have been blessed with a wonderful life and I pray that my knowledge and experience can be beneficial to my son as he becomes a toddler, teen, and young adult.
Here are some memorable photographs/memories I wanted to share :)
This is my cousin Jesi and I [2008]
My Bestie from Frostburg and I [2008]
Holly (a great friend of mine) and I a month before I left for CA [2009]
My Sister Heather and I in WV [2010]
Oliver's Cake for my Baby Shower [Jan 2011]
My Co Worker Jasmine (ME) and My Best Friend April at my Baby Shower Jan 2011
Oliver was brought into the world in March 2012 :)
-D
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
PAULY D-isaster
Well, this weekend did not turn out as planned and I blame it all on my s h o e s.
My cousin and I got tickets to see Pauly D (MMM) DJ at Ibiza Nightclub in Washington, DC. I had no desire whatsoever to wear a dress or heels. She's 18, I am almost 23 and just had a baby of March this year, not to mention it's October folks, it is starting to get chilly. So here is what I ended up wearing, which I thought was completely appropriate!....
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On a postive note, I am in love with Pauly D and I am so happy I got to stare at him even if was for only 20 minutes ;)
-D
Yes, I am totally blaming the disaster that was my weekend on my footwear.
My cousin and I got tickets to see Pauly D (MMM) DJ at Ibiza Nightclub in Washington, DC. I had no desire whatsoever to wear a dress or heels. She's 18, I am almost 23 and just had a baby of March this year, not to mention it's October folks, it is starting to get chilly. So here is what I ended up wearing, which I thought was completely appropriate!....
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A Sparkly Top from Forever 21 $9 bucks and Leggings from Kohls $12 bucks (Cheaper than a dress!)
I wanted more than anything to wear flats...but she did not want to be the only one wearing heels, so I went with it. MISTAKE...my ankles were giving out in line, I could barely even walk around for more than 10 minutes without having to take a break. It was pretty darn embarrasing, considering that nightclubs were my "scene" and short dresses and high heels were my "wardrobe" about a year and half ago and now I can't even take two steps without looking like a goofball! I also must say our pre bought tickets said that the doors opened at 9:00pm, we were finally let in at 10:30...and guess what, Pauly D wasn't even on stage until 1:30am. Such a waste of time...so we saw him for a total of 20 minutes before I decided we had to leave. I felt horrible, but good thing I left, Oliver ended up waking up at 5:00am. So I would have really gotten ZERO sleep.
All in all, I have learned that having a baby COMPLETELY changes everything. Gone are the days of partying until 3am, hell gone are the days of taking a shower longer than 5 minutes. But I would not trade it for the world, I am quite content sitting at home watching tv with Ollie on Saturday nights.
On a postive note, I am in love with Pauly D and I am so happy I got to stare at him even if was for only 20 minutes ;)
-D
Thursday, September 27, 2012
You've got a bagel on your forehead!
Has anyone seen the new craze going on in Japan? Apparently, sticking an IV that drips saline solution into your forehead for two hours until it swells up enough to push a hole in the middle is becoming popular.
BAGEL HEAD?
What is the purpose of this? I have yet to find that it does any good for you, it doesn't help with wrinkles, or relax you. In fact it carries a high risk of infection! Who is administering the IV into your forehead? Probably not a professional since all I read is how Tokyo states that this fad is unsafe. The individuals who are into this trend, do this "procedure" before a night of r a v i n g. They also do not refer to this as "Bagel Head". Will this fad spread to the US? Dear Lord, I hope not.
Here is a picture... Can anybody tell what is appealing about this?
BAGEL HEAD?
What is the purpose of this? I have yet to find that it does any good for you, it doesn't help with wrinkles, or relax you. In fact it carries a high risk of infection! Who is administering the IV into your forehead? Probably not a professional since all I read is how Tokyo states that this fad is unsafe. The individuals who are into this trend, do this "procedure" before a night of r a v i n g. They also do not refer to this as "Bagel Head". Will this fad spread to the US? Dear Lord, I hope not.
Here is a picture... Can anybody tell what is appealing about this?
That has to be the most horrifying photograph. What is the world coming to?
-D
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
FALL IS HERE...
Fall has to be my favorite time of the year. The leaves turn gorgeous colors, the air is crisp and perfect and the temperatures are perfect during the day! It's the time of the year when you can wear a hoodie, with shorts and flip flops, stand in the sun and feel just right :)
I am beyond excited to play in the leaves with Ollie, now that he's crawling. I am also excited because FALL colors look the absolute best!
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I am beyond excited to play in the leaves with Ollie, now that he's crawling. I am also excited because FALL colors look the absolute best!
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Me! September 26th 2012
Here are some ideas for Fall activities to enjoy with your family and friends...
- FOOTBALL SEASON (spend time watching some good ole Football)
- Play in the leaves :)
- Go for walks in the park...it's the perfect weather for it!
- Check out the Renaissance Festival
- Kings Dominion...Fright Fest for around Halloween
- Oktoberfest! (they have activities for children as well)
- Take photo's outside
- Trace leaves on paper, then color them in! Classic
- Pick a pumpkin
- Carve a pumpkin
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Bucket List
Everyone has one...I thought it's about time I create one :)
These are just some ideas. I'm sure I will come up with more.
- Skydiving - Cliche? Who cares.
Swim with the dolphins- Road trip across the Unites States
- Visit another Country, preferably Italy
- Win a prize on a radio station - Dorky, I know.
- Hike a mountain
- Learn to Salsa :)
- Complete a marathon
- Successfully learn another language
Learn to surf- Live on a beach for awhile...
- Bungee Jump!
- Put together a charitable organization
- Visit the Everglades
- Go out on a Yacht, MY yacht ;)
-D
Mom. Mommy. Mama.
During my adolescence, I butted heads the most with ONE person, and ONE person only. My mother.
Now that I am older and have the opportunity to look at the past, I see now that it is because we are probably just alike. Being a parent has broadened my views and I can see now why she parented the way she did. For example, "Mom can I go to the mall with my friends Friday night?" "No, the mall is not a hang out place." "OMG MOM WHY NOT." WAAA WAAA WAAA...If Oliver asked me at 14 to go "hang" out at the mall with his friends, my response would sound very familiar..."No, the mall is not a hang out place." I see now the number of things that COULD happen with the way society is now. As my mother said, "It's not that I don't trust you, I don't trust other people." Growing up and becoming a mother gives me to look at the choices that we have to make in order to provide a safe life for our children. These are things 8 years ago, I had no interest in even trying to understand, because I just thought my mom was a meanie, but now I can see the underlining reason, L O V E. Now I understand that there is a love that is greater than anything else and it's the love for your child. Oliver will always be my baby, even when he's 42. I can see now that I will always be my mom's baby, even at 22. Sometimes we need to appreciate our mothers for all that they have done for us. I sure didn't look back and think "Gee mom, thanks for changing all those diapers, and staying up late with me when I didn't feel good." NOW that I am doing this with my child, I can understand the amount of nurture and love that was given to me. It's an awesome feeling :)
Knowing that someone will be there for you no matter what in life is amazing and I hope to give my son the same love and understanding of that as my mom has given me.
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Now that I am older and have the opportunity to look at the past, I see now that it is because we are probably just alike. Being a parent has broadened my views and I can see now why she parented the way she did. For example, "Mom can I go to the mall with my friends Friday night?" "No, the mall is not a hang out place." "OMG MOM WHY NOT." WAAA WAAA WAAA...If Oliver asked me at 14 to go "hang" out at the mall with his friends, my response would sound very familiar..."No, the mall is not a hang out place." I see now the number of things that COULD happen with the way society is now. As my mother said, "It's not that I don't trust you, I don't trust other people." Growing up and becoming a mother gives me to look at the choices that we have to make in order to provide a safe life for our children. These are things 8 years ago, I had no interest in even trying to understand, because I just thought my mom was a meanie, but now I can see the underlining reason, L O V E. Now I understand that there is a love that is greater than anything else and it's the love for your child. Oliver will always be my baby, even when he's 42. I can see now that I will always be my mom's baby, even at 22. Sometimes we need to appreciate our mothers for all that they have done for us. I sure didn't look back and think "Gee mom, thanks for changing all those diapers, and staying up late with me when I didn't feel good." NOW that I am doing this with my child, I can understand the amount of nurture and love that was given to me. It's an awesome feeling :)
Knowing that someone will be there for you no matter what in life is amazing and I hope to give my son the same love and understanding of that as my mom has given me.
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Me, Ollie, and My Mom, March 2012
Monday, September 24, 2012
Social Network-aholic
If you are anything like me, you belong to more than one social networking site. Just to show you what I am currently signed up for;
Who has time to update all of those? The only websites that I visit EVERYDAY are Facebook and now Blogger.
Facebook- I have the opportunity to keep up on common life events from High School friends, (I never have to wonder, what happened to that girl/guy?). My family is spread out in different states, which stinks, but I can see what's going on in their lives and they can see new pictures of Ollie. Facebook has an events section where you can create invites to anything online and invite Facebook friends (which is the majority of who you know in real life anyway).
Twitter- The only reason I use twitter is to stay updated on my Hollywood gossip. Pretty cheesy huh? Almost every celeb has a Twitter and they put out a new tweet almost daily. Cheaper than paying for a magazine every time I want those new celeb deets!
Myspace- I would probably check this, just to look at all of my old info from HS...but unfortunatly, it's been so long, I've locked myself out! HA
Google+- The way that Google has branched off from just a search engine, into a social network, email source, blog site, just amazes me. I truthfully rarely use Google+, but the idea of circles is much easier than any other website, given the fact that anyone can add you and see your updates without needing approval.
Pinterest- This website is AMAZING! The only way I can sum up "pinning" is that you can link anything you find online to your pinterest boards and share them with ANYONE. It is categorized, therefore you can place what you find in whichever category, "board" you choose!
Tumblr- I used Tumblr, when I was promoting Melalueca products. (Even though I am no longer an Independent Sales Executive, I will be more than happy to provide information) It was a pretty decent site for blogging. The only use I get out of it now is quotes and photography.
Instagram- This is more of an application that I use which allows me to edit photos taken and share them with other Instagram followers. The photos you take can be shared on Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites.
It's a huge world and with technology constantly improving, our means of communication is as well.
Instagram
Who has time to update all of those? The only websites that I visit EVERYDAY are Facebook and now Blogger.
As much as I would like to state how sad it is that this is the only way people communicate now a days, I partake in it, so I would be a big-fat hypocrite. I find myself struggling to keep updates on all of these sites and it drives me insane. What's worse is that as a whole, my real life social network uses a variety of these, therefore I can NEVER keep up. Someone will tweet, another still uses good ole' Tom's creation, I use blogger, a few friends have never even heard of pinterest. These are all fantastic sites, with different ideas for social networking and have various purposes. Here are my personal perks of each...
Facebook- I have the opportunity to keep up on common life events from High School friends, (I never have to wonder, what happened to that girl/guy?). My family is spread out in different states, which stinks, but I can see what's going on in their lives and they can see new pictures of Ollie. Facebook has an events section where you can create invites to anything online and invite Facebook friends (which is the majority of who you know in real life anyway).
Twitter- The only reason I use twitter is to stay updated on my Hollywood gossip. Pretty cheesy huh? Almost every celeb has a Twitter and they put out a new tweet almost daily. Cheaper than paying for a magazine every time I want those new celeb deets!
Myspace- I would probably check this, just to look at all of my old info from HS...but unfortunatly, it's been so long, I've locked myself out! HA
Google+- The way that Google has branched off from just a search engine, into a social network, email source, blog site, just amazes me. I truthfully rarely use Google+, but the idea of circles is much easier than any other website, given the fact that anyone can add you and see your updates without needing approval.
Pinterest- This website is AMAZING! The only way I can sum up "pinning" is that you can link anything you find online to your pinterest boards and share them with ANYONE. It is categorized, therefore you can place what you find in whichever category, "board" you choose!
Tumblr- I used Tumblr, when I was promoting Melalueca products. (Even though I am no longer an Independent Sales Executive, I will be more than happy to provide information) It was a pretty decent site for blogging. The only use I get out of it now is quotes and photography.
Instagram- This is more of an application that I use which allows me to edit photos taken and share them with other Instagram followers. The photos you take can be shared on Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites.
It's a huge world and with technology constantly improving, our means of communication is as well.
-D
Unsolicited Advice...
Throughout life, we face struggles, make choices, learn, and develop as individuals. The quote "Learn from my mistakes" is often thrown about in conversations and I find it to be a completely invalid argument. You cannot learn from another individuals mistake. Personally, I look back at numerous choices I have made in my teenage/early adulthood years and say to myself, "I'll never do that again!". I learned from MY past. Observing others just makes me realize that the more you tell someone your opinion and what you believe they should do, will only make them R U N for the complete opposite.
Now, the catch to this is, that the advice I am writing about is UNSOLICITED (thank you to my Meme who broadened my knowledge of this), which means, unwanted, unnecessary, basically not asked for, e.g.; I walk into a store and a woman says, "You know that shirt would have looked much better on you if you had bought it in a green color." (Yes, this really happened)
First, I never confronted her and asked, "What do you think about my shirt?" If that were the case, I would have deserved her comment. I could not believe she had the nerve to say anything about my brand new shirt. Those are the times I wish people truly had a filter system placed into their brains which controlled their mouths!
Advice coming from family can also be a real pain in the behind, primarily due to the independence factor that comes with now being a "grown up". Now now now, the advice coming from them is out of love.. but it is almost the hardest to receive, for various reasons. First, they are your support, your love, and your backbone...so what they say holds a greater value to some degree and chances are you will not like what they say because as in my previous example, they will hold no filter with you. There are some angles where it could seem like they are trying to vicariously set up your life for you. I cannot lie, I have felt this way numerous times. When it comes down to it though, their advice probably means the most at the end of the day, but you will still end up choosing whatever is right for you and will make you happy. This is how we ultimately learn and grow.
This post was inspired by a rant from a good friend this morning about advice being thrown at her from an unwanted source and she was not sure how to deal with it. Bottom line is to just smile, nod and say thank you, knowing that you are an adult and will choose wisely for yourself. Do not cut out friends or family for telling you what they think, just realize that it comes with the territory.
I will close this with a little advice from me...
Just remember to stop relating your experiences and life lessons to someone who is not asking to hear your life story :)
-D
PS- Here is a great article I found online a couple weeks ago about advice...
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/freedom-learn/201012/unsolicited-advice-i-hate-it-you-hate-it-and-so-do-your-kids
Now, the catch to this is, that the advice I am writing about is UNSOLICITED (thank you to my Meme who broadened my knowledge of this), which means, unwanted, unnecessary, basically not asked for, e.g.; I walk into a store and a woman says, "You know that shirt would have looked much better on you if you had bought it in a green color." (Yes, this really happened)
First, I never confronted her and asked, "What do you think about my shirt?" If that were the case, I would have deserved her comment. I could not believe she had the nerve to say anything about my brand new shirt. Those are the times I wish people truly had a filter system placed into their brains which controlled their mouths!
Advice coming from family can also be a real pain in the behind, primarily due to the independence factor that comes with now being a "grown up". Now now now, the advice coming from them is out of love.. but it is almost the hardest to receive, for various reasons. First, they are your support, your love, and your backbone...so what they say holds a greater value to some degree and chances are you will not like what they say because as in my previous example, they will hold no filter with you. There are some angles where it could seem like they are trying to vicariously set up your life for you. I cannot lie, I have felt this way numerous times. When it comes down to it though, their advice probably means the most at the end of the day, but you will still end up choosing whatever is right for you and will make you happy. This is how we ultimately learn and grow.
This post was inspired by a rant from a good friend this morning about advice being thrown at her from an unwanted source and she was not sure how to deal with it. Bottom line is to just smile, nod and say thank you, knowing that you are an adult and will choose wisely for yourself. Do not cut out friends or family for telling you what they think, just realize that it comes with the territory.
I will close this with a little advice from me...
Just remember to stop relating your experiences and life lessons to someone who is not asking to hear your life story :)
-D
PS- Here is a great article I found online a couple weeks ago about advice...
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/freedom-learn/201012/unsolicited-advice-i-hate-it-you-hate-it-and-so-do-your-kids
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Sibling Love:)
I must say that it has been a long time since my little brother and I have spent quality time together... It makes me sad to see that he now towers over me and has a mustache! HA. Family is so important and it is always good to remember to create those memories, even if they are just making dinner together and playing video games until midnight on a Friday! I miss my brother.
-D
-D
My Brother Ben and I on September 23, 2012
Friday, September 21, 2012
Battle of the Babies?
I wasn't sure which blog to post this one to, mine, the one about parenting, or on the Facebook page of the one this is directed at LOL...but I feel like this relates more so to the mommas, so I decided to put it here.
Does being a parent ever feel like a competition to anyone else? Every time he does something new, or a friends baby does something new, it's all over Facebook, or you receive text messages/phone calls. Now I have to admit, I am guilty of this...to a degree. Sometimes I get the feeling that the chit chat is almost condescending...! "Well my kid is doing this, is yours?" Or "Oh I bought that too!" "I let so and so do this, why don't you?" ...
Does being a parent ever feel like a competition to anyone else? Every time he does something new, or a friends baby does something new, it's all over Facebook, or you receive text messages/phone calls. Now I have to admit, I am guilty of this...to a degree. Sometimes I get the feeling that the chit chat is almost condescending...! "Well my kid is doing this, is yours?" Or "Oh I bought that too!" "I let so and so do this, why don't you?" ...
Quite frankly, I didn't realize that they are in a race to grow up! In my opinion, I'd rather keep my little guy tiny forever ;) Just my thoughts! One of these days, I might actually get the nerve to say this to one of these competition obsessed moms!
-D
-D
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Beats Please!
Anyone else have a complete and utter love for music? I can't make it through an entire day without jamming in my car, my desk, in the hallway, or at home. Music is a major part of my life and I pride myself in my expanding knowledge of different genres. Today, as I am sitting at my desk listening to David Guetta station on Pandora and the song skips to Ellie Goulding: Lights (Bassnectar Remix)...Pandora must have known that I was having a bad day, because that is one of my current FAVORITES.
It inspired me to break down my 5 favorite songs in every genre new and old, so you music lovers out there can listen in if you don't already know these songs! & YES, I have a wide music selection.
Rock:
-D
It inspired me to break down my 5 favorite songs in every genre new and old, so you music lovers out there can listen in if you don't already know these songs! & YES, I have a wide music selection.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Electronic:
- Ellie Goulding: Lights (Bassnectar Remix)
- David Guetta: When the lights go out
- Inna: Like a woman
- David Guetta: Titanium
- Deadmau5: Moar Ghosts n Stuff
Rock:- Smile Empty Soul: Bottom of the bottle
- Staind: Everything
- Linkin Park: Shadow of the day
- Three Days Grace: World so cold
- 10 Years: Picture perfect
Rap:
- Coolio- Gangsters Paradise
- Cypress Hill: Insane in the brain
- Jay Z: New Yok state of mind
- Gucci: Don't love her
- Lil Wayne: Watch my shoes
Country:
- Nitty Gritty Dirt Band: Fishing in the dark
- Jason Aldean: Don't you want to stay
- Garth Brooks: The thunder rolls
- Carrie Underwood: Cowboy casanova
- Reba Mcentire: Fancy
-D
Post Partum Acne. EW
I thought that acne was just something I would experience during my teenage years. Well I thought wrong. After having Oliver it seemed like my face got worse and worse! I tried everything, Aveeno, Clean & Clear, and at one point in my teenage years, I even bought Proactive, what a waste of money that was. I also found a few links, that helped temporarily...
Maybe they will work better for you?
http://www.everydayhealth.com/skin-and-beauty/home-remedies-for-acne.aspx
But overall, I couldn't shake these embarrassing mountains on my face! UNTIL I found this....
Cheap way to stay acne free :)
-D
Maybe they will work better for you?
http://www.everydayhealth.com/skin-and-beauty/home-remedies-for-acne.aspx
But overall, I couldn't shake these embarrassing mountains on my face! UNTIL I found this....
^
This my friends, is the Garnier Skin Renew.
It's about 7 bucks and lasts for a couple of months! You can use it as a simple face wash, an exfoliating wash, and a face mask. This cleared up the majority of the redness and acne in two days!
-D
Greetings!
Hello! This would be my second blog on here. I figured if I was going to take the time to share my journey of Motherhood, I may as well give the whole picture. That's right, we can't forget about the key word that's in there...MOTHER. So as a full time working mommy, life can be overwhelming and every dollar counts. This blog is just to share some of my personal routines, daily events, tips on saving some extra $, and maybe just a vent session here or there.
-D
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-D
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This is me :-)
This is my little guy :-)
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