I LOVE CVS!!

I love CVS so much that I am naming my next {if any} daughter after it...

I spent $6.18{including tax}and got all this stuff worth $141.07{not including tax}...

PLUS

$11 ECB & $20 AMX gift card!!

To make this deal even sweeter {if possible} I spent over $100 on beauty products {pre-coupon}, so the next time I visit CVS I should get $5 per $50 I spent on beauty products!!  What a money maker!!!  I am so excited!!

If you are not couponing I challange you to pick up next weeks paper and see what you can do.

You should NEVER pay for these items if you keep your eyes open....

1. toothpaste    
2. toothbrushes
3. razors             
4. body wash      
5. diapers           
6. baby wipes     
7. dish soap       
8. deodorant      

If you have any questions feel free to ask...I LOVE sharing my coupon "knowledge". ;)

 Also try visiting this site...Simply CVS...it has been very helpful pointing out good deals.

GOOD LUCK :)

Oh yea....in case you were wondering.....

CVS = Charlotte Victoria Smith

Costume

Scarlett has changed everything in my life.  From simple things like the clothes I wear to the big things like work {or lack there of}.  The most recent change I have noticed are the holidays.  Before Scarlett, Halloween was all about getting as sexy as possible and going out with the girls.  This year I spent hours looking at fuzzy costumes for the baby girl online and at every baby store within a 10 mile radius.  Not once did I look at an outfit for myself and God forbid I wear one of my old costumes trick or treating with my playgroup!

I am already planning the fun we will have at Christmas watching sweet baby open her gifts under the tree and playing in the snow.  Everything is a photo op.  Everything is about making memories for her.

Now check out my sweet babies costume.  She IS{the essence of}Halloween.

Lazy mommy = Lazy baby

Have I mentioned to you that I have been having some sleep issues?  I CAN'T sleep.  I go to bed and play solitar on my iPhone for HOURS!!  This has been a problem for the past month at least....

Scarlett {on the other hand} is a sleeper.
She sleeps in until 10:30am pretty regularly.  She is my alarm clock.
When I hear her I get up and bring her back to bed with me to eat breakfast {nurse}.  The problem today was she slept in until 1:45PM!!!!

Yes, that's right!  1:45PM!!

So I also didn't wake up until 1:45PM!!  My milk was so freaking full!!!  I was leaking all over the place!!!  How is it possible that a baby sleeps that long.  I don't know if I am lucky or if I am creating a monster. 

I am so shocked by this....how....why??  She goes to sleep at about 10PM every night.  I think it is time to start laying her down at 7PM or 8PM.  I just hope that I am not passing on my worst quality....oversleeping.

Birth Video

I want to share the most wonderful moment of my life with you.  I have made this short video viewer friendly (no blood or lady parts), but this is still the birth of my sweet Scarlett so viewer discression advised. :)

PS: you might want to get a tissue ready cause I cry EVERY TIME!

Mom and dad came to town today for my moms 48th birthday.  I helped my dad make reservations at The Signature room on the 97th floor of the John Hancock building for dinner and they stayed at the Windham hotel.

Isn't my momma and daddy so SUPER FINE!! :)

I love seeing my mom and dad happy together.  My dad is in the Army and is stationed in Saudi Arabia for 2 years, while my mom lives in Hawaii with my brother and sister.  They met in the middle here in Chicago.  Today they called me and told me they were coming over after they made a stop at the Wal-mart on North Ave.  If you are not from Chicago let me tell you that Wal-marts here in town are not like the Wal-marts in the 'burbs or in any other part of the country.

The first (and only) time I went it was to price check a camera.  Let me tell you what I saw.

• There is a HUGE car wash attached to the Wal-mart parking lot and outside along the car wash wall there are several tables set up selling knock-off perfume, sneakers and sweat suits.  NO JOKE.  

• Inside Wal-mart where normally there is a McDonnalds there is an Uncle Elmers Fried Chicken.

• This Wal-mart looks like a thrift store because there are boxes of unstocked merchandice lining the isles.

It was BY FAR the most ghetto Wal-mart I have ever been to in my life, BUT don't take my word for it, check out some of the reviews on google. Not one person gave it more than two stars and most people gave it only one...

 "toni ‎ - Jun 10, 2011 gave 1 star out of 5
Ok, lets start and acknowledge that i' m obviously not from here... (read my profile). Once I stepped into this Wal-Mart.. I regretted even walking in!!! The store was a huge mess; piles of trash everywhere, and many, many, employees running around talking about which woman they were going to "feel up" on at the local club. This store should never be out of stock, hence it looks as if they missed like 5 deliveries and it was in the aisles... I'm never coming back.."

"daniel ‎ - Apr 13, 2011 gave 1 star out of 5

these walmart isnt worthy of a one star but without rating i cant post this....but omg ghetto is not the word to describe these place, i am not racist but after going there i came out thinking like the kkk. never seen so many rude monkeys in my entire life. i will never shop there until they get new staff including managers that are worthless aswell. death to these walmart i hope it burns down with all their staff in it."

"VESEMIR ‎ - Sep 9, 2011 gave 1 star out of 5

CANT BELIEVE PLACE LIKE THIS EXIST...."

"Mark Pio ‎ - Jul 6, 2011 gave 1 star out of 5

Worst store ever doesn't do justice"
"Briana ‎ - Apr 20, 2010 gave 1 star out of 5

rude! Whoever is responsible for the employees at this Wal-mart ought to be ashamed themselves. These people are just plain rude. It is absolutely ridiculous."

How I love you...let me count the ways

My sweet sweet Scarlett,

You have only been the center of my life for four and a half months but already I can not imagine my life without you.  Everything that I do....I do for you.  Everything I want....I want for you.  Everything I have....I'll give to you

I love everything about you.  I love waking up hearing you coo-ing in your crib.  I remember the first time you rolled over in your crib and I was so proud of you. 

I love it when I nurse you, your toes wiggle against my arm.  My heart melts and I feel the need to suck your toes....until I see the lint, and realize I might need to give you a bath.  

I love it when I take a shower and you lay in your bouncy seat between the tub and the jon giggling at me until its your turn.  When I pull you in, your sweet soft skin all clean and I nurse you under a warm shower.  I can't tell you how much joy you bring into my life.

You are the best sleeper at night and happy baby in the morning which makes my job easy in addition to the most exciting, fulfilling, satisfying (really this list of happy words go on and on) job I have.  Thank you for being my baby.  I love you.

Change is Good

I received some advice this week from a reader and one of my personal favorite blogger mommies with some wonderful advice on how to better the look of my page.  I learned 2 things:

1:  Someone is reading my page!!  YAY!  :)  

2:  The motivation she gave me to want change made me realize, I can learn anything in the world on YouTube!!!

I have found so many great ideas trolling around YouTube that I keep finding myself still sitting on the couch as my husbands morning alarm is going off.

I found some great tutorials teaching me how to use Adobe Illustrator AND I also found this....

Water marbling nail art!  Prepare to be amazed!  Whoever came up with this is a genius.

The point of this post is that I will be making some visual changes in the very near future so be ready :)

Mastisis

On Thursday night I was feeling some tenderness in my left breast.  I thought that my bra might have been too tight so I said a prayer and went to bed.  I guess I might have said my prayer a little late because when I woke up the next morning I was immobilized with pain.  My left breast was swollen and extremely tender.  I had a fever and my entire body was tingling.  My husband wanted to take me to the hospital but of course as stubborn as I am, I said no.  Now after how HORRIBLE yesterday was and today is not looking any better I wish I would have listened to him.  Maybe sometimes he is right....SOMETIMES.  :)

Rant: Baby Killers

What is wrong with these evil mothers killing their babies! 
It makes me absolutely sick to my stomach to see the pictures of babies who are missing and mothers who are acting as if their dog ran away!! 
This is not a pet....it is your flesh and blood....a human being with a future and a soul!!! 
How are you not losing your mind without your baby. 
How are you sleeping without knowing where your baby is??? 
OBVIOUSLY you are an EVIL B*** with no heart. 
Death penalty to any woman that can kill their own baby with their own hands.

Lindsey Lowe, 25, Hides pregnancy and smothers twin boys at birth.

Crazy mother suffocats her 4 month old they carries him around in her baby bjorn for hours of shopping!!

I am literally crying as I am typing this because it hurts my heart so much.  I don't understand how a woman can carry a life inside her and hold a precious, innocent baby and not feel complete love.

I have to go.  I need to hold my baby right now and tell her how much I love her and assure her that I will NEVER hurt her.  She has to know that for the rest of my life I will be devoted to her happiness.

Poop & Puke

Baby girl blew out her diaper for the first time today...time to move up to size 2 diapers.  I didn't realize it but I had yellow poop ALL OVER MY SHIRT as I strolled around CVS & McDonalds. 

Yep, I am the mom that lives with my hair in buns, poopy shirts and baby puke running down my back.  

Oh well, at least my legs are shaved and I wore deodorant today.  Success!!

Oh, Yea.....click here please.....we need your vote. :)

Disney Movies

I was baby sitting the other day and the kids were watching the Lion King.  I have always loved this movie.  I remember crying when Mufasa died.  Watching it again as an adult I was thinking how inappropriate some of the content is in kids movies.

For instance....

Lion King:  A power crazed brother of the king plots to kill both his brother and nephew in order to enslave the queen and the rest of the pride.  SAD!!

Little Mermaid:  A teenage girl rebels against her father turning to witchcraft to seduce a prince.  Once her plan backfires her father must turn over the kingdom to an exiled witch to save his daughter.  In the end her father gives in to his daughter and allows his 16 year old daughter to GET MARRIED!!  Scarlett better not think that works at our house....nope.

Beauty & the Beast:  A cursed prince holds a woman hostage in hope that she will fall in love with him.  In the end he gets his way.  Did anybody mention that kidnapping is a crime and crime doesn't pay?!

I don't know....maybe I am thinking to much about this.

Perfect Fall Day

Yesterday was a perfect Fall day. 

 

12:30PM - 77 degrees:  Scarlett and I started the day off at Cornucopia @ Eugene Field Park with our new friends Andrea, JJ & baby Keaton.  The weather could not have been better.  The air was crisp and clear and the leaves were falling with every burst of wind.  There is no other word to describe it.....perfect.

 

2:00PM - 80 degrees:  Scarlett and I went downtown to eat lunch with my honey-bunny at his new Jason's deli.  His new job is in the center of downtown Chicago so while I was driving around looking for parking I came across this.....

....an anti-war protest marching down State St.  I don't understand the point of protesting.  Three hundred people marching down the street with a blow horn and a piece of finger painted cardboard doesn't change anything.  I am all about making a difference but anything less than 100,000 people is not enough.  Anyway....It was good to see my hubby.  He worked 108 hours this week at work.  I miss him so much.

3:00PM - 80 degrees:  We headed down to Oz park for another meetup.  This meed up was mostly for couples but since honey was still working I me up with my "day-wife/Chicago bestie" Megan and her husband and my other fun mammas.

Being a mamma in Chicago is a full time job :)

24th Percentile

Scarlett had her 4 month doctors visit yesterday.

I am always nervous when we go into the clinic because I have elected not to give Scarlett her shots yet (possibly never).  This is such a touchy subject for moms and so far I am not sure that the risk of the actual illness is worth the risk of the side effects.  I have no idea what to do.  My mom told me that when I got my shots as a 4 year old she noticed that my behavior changed drastically.  My best friend had her daughter in the hospital 3 times in a month with a high fever after her 1 year shots.  I get so nervous because Scarlett is SO SMALL.  She is in the 24th% for her weight and height.  My doctor is wonderful and I love her but she is very pushy about getting her vaccinated.  Yesterday she tried to bribe me into getting her vaccinated by promising to pierce her ears after her first set of shots.  IDK what to do.

In my confused and terrified state, I have decided to read 2 books....

and.....

 I hope this can help me understand what the best decision is for my baby.  All I want is the best for her for the rest of her life.  I don't want her to get sick from lack of vaccines or because of the vaccines.  SCARY!

Cooking = Domestication

This week my husband has been working from 5AM - 12AM!! (19 hours a day!!!)  He works for Jason's Deli and is in the process of opening a new store in downtown Chicago.  I feel so bad for him!! 

So to show my support the past 2 days I have been cooking for him.  As a stay at home mom, some people might think that it is just expected that cooking for my hubby is "obviously" my wifely duty, but for me it has been a struggle.  I am literally afraid of the kitchen.  I feel totally overwhelmed and emotionally challenged standing in front of the stove.  Today was the first time in our marriage that I have cooked a full meal (a meat, starch and a veg.)

I was so proud of myself and think I might start making this a routine. 


By the way....

I honestly believe that by getting dressed with hair and make up done has been the motivating factor behind getting my house clean and cooking.  :)

Chicago Moms Network

Today was a PERFECT fall day!!  It was a crisp 75 degrees out side with a cool breeze, ideal for an outdoors play date under a shade tree on a picnic blanket.  When I moved to Chicago I didn't know anybody.  Thank GOD for Meetup.com!!  It has introduced me to some amazing moms.  These moms, like me, are not from the area so we are leaning on each other for the support we are missing from our family and friends back home.  Just a month ago I was itching to go back home to Alabama but after a day like today with my new friends and this perfect mid-west fall weather....I feel like this could be home.  :)

If you live in a metro area (like Chicago) check out meetup.com....you might meet your new best friend. :)

Hair. Make-up.

Since I was about 8 months prego I have been wearing my hair in a bun.
Not a cute and sassy bun...I am talking about a just got out of the shower, not brushed annoying bun that when I take it down it is such a rats nest that the only way to fix it is which a shower.

SOO.

I am making an executive decision to do my hair and make up EVERY DAY.

I don't plan on a full face or curls everyday but I promise to at least use a brush and mascara every day.

(lets see how long this lasts)

Now for some cutie-pie-punky-face pics. :)