Life As I Know It: January 2012

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Bachelor Recap #4 Link Up

Here is to hoping the link up works a bit better today!!

I'll be honest, I half-assed watched The Bachelor last night.... I suck, but we had some good conversations going at girls night instead!! Soo I will have to read up on all your recaps to fill in the blanks...

I did see his first date with Nicki - she seems pretty sweet -- had some wickedly bright nail polish on that is for sure! Their date seemed kind of boring to me, compared to the exciting things he has done previously.

Elyse went home - love her name, but I am not sure what happened! Then sneaky Courtney went skinny dipping with him. I found it very trashy of her to go and find him while she was in a housecoat, which she kept opening in front of him... and then jumping all over him in the water - naked - I wonder what else happened that night... dun dun dun...

I thought the group date was cute! Those girls played some impressive ball! I was surprised! I didn't really want Courtney's team to win, but then realizes Blakely and Courtney were on opposite teams. I also realized that Courtney's nose is screwed - one nostril is bigger than the other!

I honestly didn't catch who went home at the end of the night, but I hope it wasn't Emily!

Monday, January 30, 2012

Manic Monday

Today I have a case of the Mondays - not my typical awesome Mondays, but the true blue Monday. It actually started yesterday and I woke up today thinking "Today is a new day, those are yesterdays feelings". I made a few phone calls and turns out today has a few of yesterdays feelings after all, as well as some of it's own. I'm babbling...

Friday night M and I went up to see my sister and Brandon. They are both continuing to do better. Either way it's going to be a tough couple of weeks ahead, with Amy recovering and Brandon being in the NICU. However, they are both super strong and I know they will both pull through this struggle. I managed to get some great shots though as Amy held him!

10 toes!

Getting Amy's milk for the first time!

Reaching out for Mom - hand on her heart already!

He has the family chin already!!!

I could keep on posting... but that is enough for today!!

Today, my sister is being released and they will be staying at the Ronald McDonald House - such a blessing, as they provide a room to stay in for the families who have little ones in the hospital. They provide breakfast and dinner as well and they are very reasonable with how much they charge at night.

We had a nice soak in the hot tub during the snow storm on Saturday, did some groceries and gift shopping and then M and I went out for dinner together - it was nice to just have some time alone, as we have been busy with my family for most of the week! After dinner we went and hung out with N and K!

Also on Saturday, one of my best friends had her baby!! I can't even begin to say how excited I am for them!! She had a sweet baby boy as well! I was right about another baby - maybe I am getting better! He weighed only 5 pounds 15 ounces!! They named him Wyatt.

Sunday was a lazy day. M did an oil change on my car and I watched New Years Eve. We got nailed with snow this weekend, but it should be gone by Thursday as we are supposed to get positive temperatures again!

Overall, it was a pretty low-key weekend!!

Friday, January 27, 2012

Friday Letters

Today I am going to link up with Ashley - ya we share a wicked awesome name - for Friday Letters!! Hope you enjoy!

Dear Gracie, I absolutely love it when you squish your face up when you are sleeping! You are adorable... trouble, yet adorable!! Although you have been very well-behaved so far this year, I have a fear that you are planning to destroy SOMETHING... or maybe you have and we just haven't found out about it yet! I also love how enthusiastic you get when you see snow falling! You definitely didn't get that idea from me! Love your Mama!

Dear M, I love how willing you are to just fly by the seat of your pants, especially when the world uproots around us! Thanks for being there to support me and my crazy family! Also thanks for leaving the light on for me when I came home at 2:30 in the morning on Thursday and thanks for getting up and tucking my feet in too (I didn't even ask). I love you like crazy and I hope you will never forget that even when you are 80! - Love your awesome wife!

Dear Baby Brandon, Welcome to the world little man! I was soo excited to meet you and I know your uncle Mike can't wait to meet you this weekend!! You have given us a scare by coming early, but your strength continues to amaze us all! Soo many people are waiting to meet you and I can't wait to see you go home!! I can't wait to hold your hand and eventually hold you when you are up for it! Yes, I am crazy one with the camera, you better get used to it! Hard to believe how much you continue to teach us all at such a young age! I think someone has BIG plans for you and you had to get an early start!! Can't wait to see you again! - Love Aunt Ashee

Dear Amy, I just want to let you know how proud I am of you! You have done amazing things for your new little boy. You have tackled each week, problem after problem with such strength and we all know it couldn't have been easy. I know you wanted to make it a few more weeks, but life had better plans. Luckily, it looks like Brandon has got your strength, so good job Mom! I know the next few weeks, hopefully not months, will be hard for you, but just take it all moment for moment and day by day and remember how blessed you truly are! - Love your baby sister!

Dear Jazzy - thanks for our cuddles and your dirty looks! It made my morning better! - Love Mom

Dear Lux - thanks for our bathroom time, even though I know I get mad at you when you bust through the door - sometimes mama wants some privacy. But you just want to snuggle with the bath mat and purr up a storm. I don't know why you continue to head butt the bathtub - it might cause damage to yourself one day. I also love that you sit on the other side of shower curtain when I am showering, so you don't get wet, but love it when I spray the curtain! You really are too stinkin' cute! Oh and please catch that mouse! Thanks! - Love your Mama!

Dear Binx - thanks for being a secretive lover cat! I know you only want to be loved on when YOU want it, so it makes it all that more special! Thanks! - Love Mom!

Dear Lily - You are too beautiful for words! I love your sweet puppy nuzzles and cuddles! I also love it when you pretend to chase the cats! - Love Mom

I think that is enough letters for today!! Oh wait I forgot one!

Dear Winner Of My Give Away - Thanks soo much for participating! I really hope you enjoy these wire tags! The winner is Meg from Henning Love!!! Congrats!!! I will be contacting you shortly!!

Happy Friday!!

Thursday, January 26, 2012

My Sister Had Her Baby!!

Original title right?

However, yesterday around 5:00 a sweet baby boy was born via emergency c-section. Brandon Peter John was born weighing 3 pounds 14 ounces and 39 cm long! He doing great - breathing on his own and all! He did suffer a cut to his head when they cut Amy open, but 6 stitches later and he is as good as new!!

Both Amy and Brandon are doing well! They are both very lucky! The doctor didn't even think that they had 30 minutes and both baby and Amy's lives were on the line. Turns out she had a major blood clot between the placenta and uterine wall. But someone was watching over them both and now we are blessed with a healthy mom and baby!!

Please continue your prayers for this sweet boy as well as my family. Thank you!

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

So What Wednesday

So it has been a while, but after the past few weeks like mine.. I am ready to unleash! Can't say I didn't warn you!

You can link up here.

So What if my hair is beginning to look highlighted with gray hairs... I get that it is far from trendy, but my hair dyer has gone on strike... aka my hubby! So now I will have to try this new foam product - maybe tomorrow! I did get an awesome deal on it!!

So What if the weather is crazy... I think Mother Nature may be suffering from bipolar or something... one minute its warm (like +6 degrees Celcius - yes you Southern Americans that is warm here in Canada...especially in the winter months). Don't get me wrong I am not complaining, just make up your mind! Because now today it is like -13 and snowing!

So What if my skin is still acting like hormonal teenager.... and So What if I can't find anything that works!

So What if I am pretty sure that my cats think I purchase mice for entertainment and by mice I mean the real thing. Disgusting! M and I woke up this week to a mouse squealing - who knew they made noise or THAT much noise - apparently that is what happens when your cat catches them! Although Binx has caught one before, it didn't squeal, but it also didn't lose most of its tail... Yes even more disgusting - that's not even the best of the story! I heard scratching in the corner, lifted the ottoman and dropped it quick - a mouse, right there in front of my eyes and the cats are getting into place. I actually had the hope that they would get it for good this time. I move the ottoman and the mouse is moving slow - it is injured after the morning brawl. Jazz books it down the stairs, Luz and Binx play with it. It goes down stairs. I grab a bowl and follow. I find Jazz sitting infront of the couch (she is the detector - that's it), Binx is pacing around the couch, Lux is nowhere to be found, but the mouse is squealing from under the couch. Sure enough after a few minutes of squealing, the mouse staggers out and Lux follows. I try to drop a heavy bowl on the mouse to capture the thing, sure enough I drop it on the mouse, it squeals and breaks itself free. It then enters the back basement and cannot be found! Damn It! I hate mice! I need some mean cats too.

So What if I wonder if there is a course I can put my cats in to teach them how to successfully mouse?!

So What if I made a fantastic dinner from Pinterest Monday night! I will show hubby that Pinterest is not ALL bad!!

So What if I cannot decide if I want to paint the great room/kitchen, it has only been 2 years with the current paint and I like it, I really do, I would really like to repaint the dining room. But the color I have in mind for the greatroom would be more cozy, where as now it is fresh, light and airy! Oh decisions - will you ever get any easier?

So What if I would like to find out how to purchase hotel pillows. I love them! They are always PERFECT! There must be a way. I am thinking of calling the hotel we were in last week and asking them! That may be strange, but probably not the strangest thing I have done!

So What if I secretly like the collar I made for Lily better than the one I made for Gracie! Shhh!

Lily's

Gracie's

So What if I don't quite get this "ombre" look... don't get me wrong I like it in some colors, but in others it just looks like they need their hair dyed - that they grew their roots out.

So What if I continue to watch Teen Mom - I am sucker for punishment really. It isn't getting any easier to watch... Jenelle may need to be admitted to the psych ward, they don't wear seat belts, they yell way to much.... and following them on twitter - why? But I do? You really wouldn't think it is all that entertaining!

So What if I am hosting a give away and only 10 people have entered... hello people free stuff, easy to enter.... so go enter!! (After all you have great odd at winning!)

So What if I still wanna post some great Pinteresting finds, just in quote form... it's my blog and I will do what I want to!

You can visit Michelle to link up!

Happy Wednesday!!

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Bachelor Link Up #3

I'm sure we are all watching the same show and I am sure that everyone is finding the drama never ending?

Last night Blakely drove me crazy, but not as much as Courtney - she gets under my skin! I definitely don't blame Emily for ratting her out. I am also glad Ben didn't send her packing because of it. Courtney would have been better on Survivor - to her this is all a big head game, I highly doubt she even cares for Ben. It is all about winning. If Ben picks her at the end and watches the show back, she will be in dumpsville!

I think that before the bachelor or bachlorette choose, they should be able to watch the footage back.

I kind of like Jennifer, aside from her badly dyed red-hair - although her hair look less red last night, must have been a wash out. She seems pretty down to earth. Her date with Ben was great!

Ben seems to have a plan behind how he chooses the girls for the private dates as we found that out with Samantha. Although she says she cared about Ben, I don't know that she really did, but she took the early dismissal with a smile for the most part. She seemed more upset to be leaving the girls!

Monica was also sent home! I was not upset by this at all!

Did you guys here about The Bachelor Canada? I am PUMPED!!!

Also, don't forget to enter my give away found HERE - super simple to enter!!

Link up below with your thoughts on last nights show!!

(I had issues with the link up so hopefully this works...)

Monday, January 23, 2012

Operation Organization - GIVE AWAY

Most of this past weekend was spent organizing the basement. Another big bag of "stuff" to give away. I have the Canadian Diabetes Association Clothesline coming pick up my donations on Wednesday!! M's tools are now in their new home in the garage, we have old flooring all together now and big furniture up on cinder blocks/skids (I have a fear of things being ruined by water). We also went through and organized a whole wall of shelving!

I also managed to get some more fabric for dog collars!! Soo pumped!

Now on to the GIVE AWAY!!!

I am doing another wonderful give away for Lovable Labels!! I am soo pumped!

Lovable Labels is now offering new colors, new packages and new designs!! They also have a great selection of household labels. I have recently been sent the Wire Tags to try out.

No more guessing which cord goes to what!! It is awesome, especially if you have cats. We used to use those wire from the plastic bags to wrap around cords, but Jazzy can get them undone. They are 100% stuck on the cord! You just wrap them around the cord and then stick it together. The name is displayed on both sides!

In the package, you get 12 sheets of stickers that are all organized by equipment: Power Cables for both Audio/Video and Office, Chargers, Connection Cables for both Computer and Audio/Video, Ethernet, as well as Other Household items! Here is a list of what they include and how they look! They are very bright and colorful, so you can't miss them! Waterproof, UV Resistant, Peel and Stick, Pre-printed and Handy, just like most of their other products!

Lovable Labels has allowed me to give away a package of these labels to one of my followers!! How awesome!!

How do you win!?

It is simple:

1) 1 entry for being a follower of my blog's page on FACEBOOK. - leave me a comment here saying you follow!

2) 1 entry for being a follower of my TWITTER - leave me a separate comment here as well stating that you follow.

Open to both Canadians and Americans!!

That is 2 chances to enter!! I will be drawing a winner on Friday!! Good luck!!

Also if you are wanting to place an order - remember my discount code AshleyVLB1 at the checkout and save 10%!!!

**Disclosure** The product in this review was provided to me free of cost for the purpose of conducting this review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and are not influenced by monetary compensation.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

4 Years!!!

My sweet sweet Lily is 4 today!! Hard to believe it! On January 22, 2008, our lives changed for the better and we gained a new best friend! I'm not saying that as a puppy she didn't find trouble... a few remote controls, my old camera, shoes, books, coffee table, kitchen floor, kennel liner and several dog toys may have been chewed and she can pretty much get out of anyway you contain her, including a kennel. Luckily those days were short lived and now I can say we have a "pretty" perfect dog and to be honest, I would do it all over again!

1 out of 11 siblings:

Shes the one in the front right with her nose burrowed down (still does that)

Her mom (Molly) and dad (Rocky) - she is a spitting image of her dad!

5 weeks

7 weeks - first nap at home!!

Getting acquainted at home with her toys - gather them all and lay in the middle of them all!

Learning from and copying Diamond!

4 months!

First swim - 6 months!

8 months

9 months - she LOVES swimming!!

10 months

1 1/2 and Gracie - 9 weeks

I would be lost without the 2 of them!!

Happy Birthday Lily!!! Here is to many more years of love and excitement!!

Friday, January 20, 2012

Finally Friday!

Here comes a bunch of randomness for you!!

Sorry for the lack of blogging yesterday! M and I have actually been in the city since Wednesday! M is on the board of directors for LICO and there was a big drainage conference that he needed to attend.

I headed up Wednesday afternoon. I managed to schedule my doctor's appointment while I was there and then got ready for dinner banquet at the hotel.

Thursday morning M had some meetings to attend, so I went and visited my sister while I was in town. I usually park across the street from the hospital in the Staples parking lot because it is FREE and I don't mind the walk, but yesterday morning I had a parking ticket lady knock on my window. She asked me where I was heading, I was honest and told her. She told me that she just saved me a $30 parking ticket and to go park at the hospital. She also told me to pay it forward - which I wasn't sure what she meant by that, so I clarified and she said to do something nice for someone. I told her I bought my sister breakfast! She told me how great of a person I was and sent me on my way. I still didn't park at the hospital. There was a lab in the next parking lot, so I parked there instead! I just find hospital parking prices CRAZY, especially in the city! Not to mention it takes like 15 of your pricey minutes to find a spot and get into the hospital. So I try to save when I can.

We got a snow storm yesterday as well. But that didn't stop my mother and father-in-law from going and picking up our flooring for us! They only got 120 units in and I needed 22, but the guy said on the phone that he didn't expect it to last long, as he had gotten a lot of calls about it. Luckily he put some aside for me! Sooo that means that we are now flooring equipped!! I am pumped!!

M and I had lunch at Pizza Hut after his meetings and managed to spend the afternoon together. He even suffered through BRA shopping! Bad wife alert!! Good sale alert!! I hate bra shopping, but it needed to be done and they had a great sale! I managed to get 7 bras and a pair of slippers for ONLY $60! I was more than pleased!

When we got back to the room, we chilled for a bit and then went swimming! We had another banquet dinner to go to last night, although this one was formal. So I wore the dress with the sparkles on it that I showed you Monday.

This morning we were up by 8, got all packed up to realize we were missing a room key. We spent 20 minutes going through everything and found it in the garbage. Neither one of us knows how it got there, but we were happy to find it! We got all checked out, M had another meeting and I headed into work, but stopped to pick up my calendar at Costco beforehand. I LOVE it! I will totally be buying more in the future! I think I will also be going there for my enlargements, they seem to do them right on sight!

I am pumped that M has the weekend off - for real this time!! And we don't really have much on the go! I am hoping to make Lily's dog collar too! Maybe we will get some organizing done in the basement! I might even get around to getting that give away post going! I also have some TV to get caught up on!

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Is It Just Me?

Is it just me or do Wednesday's seem to be falling closer and closer together!! Maybe it is that I have a specific subject for Wednesday's blog topic?

But before we get to that... I am fighting off M's cold! I only have the sniffles, but fear the worst.

I would also like to take a minute to thank the A-Hole who phoned my house at 1:00 AM.... they must have forgot that I have a sister in the hospital and a palliative grandmother?! 1:00 AM calls are strictly EMERGENCY - not call and hang up - the least they could have done was say sorry wrong number, you know so your can stop worrying and checking your cell phone afterwards for texts/bbms. Luckily, my sister is still hanging in there, but I fear the end is near, as she has come across some hiccups like bleeding and contractions and a partially torn placenta. My Grandma is still hanging in there too!

Now for what I am loving: