baby belly part 2

Well ladies and gents...4 months later, and 3 months late, here is the big update. (If you missed out on part 1, here it is).

I stink at working out. Especially working out the belly area. I stuck with the 300 ab challenge for about 30 days, and I did see results. I felt much stronger, I got to where doing 300 reps of ab exercises didn't bug me in the least. My back even felt better. I felt like super woman.

But, my mid-section started sticking out more. Almost like I was always bloated. Looking back, I think...come on, duh...the muscles underneath the baby blob were building and growing and obviously if I don't lose the blob, it was gonna stick out. But, I got frustrated, and busy, and lazy, so it only lasted 30 days.

I wish I had a spectacular before and after pic to show ya. Wish my miraculous post-baby trim-down would go viral and I'd have women stopping me in line at Target asking me how I did it. I wish that I could WELCOME the moments when friends and other women inevitably do the "belly stare," that look you get when you know they're trying NOT to judge your post-baby belly status, but they can't help but do the glance. My eyes are up HERE, ladies!

I will say that, at least for ME, losing the second baby weight has been 100 times harder than the first. Even though I gained a lot less the second time, it's staying on a lot longer. And hungry isn't the word for it. Constantly.hungry.

Let's be honest with ourselves, shall we? When I start the day at 6 am and go go go until 8:30 pm, the last thing I have energy for is 300 reps of ab workouts!

Ok, supermodel mom. Thanks for showing me up!

So, instead of making a promise that I know I might not be able to keep, I'm making a goal. The goal that by Hallie's first birthday, I'll be able to fit into the clothes gathering dust in my closet. The goal that I will no longer dread walking into my closet. The goal that my high-wasted stretchy pants will no longer be my go-to outfit every day. No gimmicks, no crazy fad diets, no wasted money on internet weight loss plans, just good old healthy eating and active living. Here's my 3-part plan:

#1- I will walk 3 miles every day with the double stroller (harder than it sounds, esp when you're battling wind!) to pick up Asher from "school."

#2- I will stop eating so many desserts. :) Like that goal? Bye cookies, hello carrots.

#3- I will not dwell on the number on the scale; instead, I will dwell on the blessings in my life.

Happy Wenzday.

Artsy fartsy

"This world is but a canvas to our imagination." ~Henry David Thoreau

Sigh. I love that quote.

I've always been drawn to bright colors, girly patterns, and eclectic art. I love to paint, mod podge, dabble in photoshop and illustrator. Before pinterest, I would cut out pictures from magazines or books and glue them in a special binder that I still have and cherish. I always knew that one day I'd have a home, and that I'd decorate that home to reflect my love for all things art. When I was 15, that meant painting each wall in my bedroom a different color. Hah. Now that I'm 27 (so old and well-versed in the arts, I know...), that means creating and collecting things that, pardon the expression, speak to me. :) I'm being serious, y'all! There is a painting at my favorite antique store that I stand and stare at every.time.I.go.there. It's a scene of an old Victorian street with ladies carrying umbrellas, wearing pale yellow and teal dresses, and a small white church with a gorgeous steeple, and you can tell it's lightly drizzling, and rainy days are by far my favorite kind of day. I want to jump in that painting and walk around carrying my own lacy parasol. Or better yet, hang it in my living room. I guess that's what it means to have art "speak" to you. I've thought about buying it a thousand times. If by Christmas that painting is still there, I'll take it as a sign that it's meant to be and add it to my wishlist.

Just past that crazy hair and those piles of laundry is my favorite yellow wall.

The first month we moved into our house, I was able to look at the whole place like an empty canvas. I painted a wall in my kitchen yellow. I took my favorite fabric to Lowe's, had them match it, then slathered on that paint the same afternoon. Shortly after that, I printed out a stencil template from one of my favorite blogs-and painted "wallpaper" on our entry wall. A year later, I've yet to finish it. Blame it on baby #1 and baby #2. There's beauty in imperfection, right?

Then, I decided the kids' bathroom was a snoozefest. White walls, blah. So I free-handed a stencil on some foam board, cut it out with an exacto knife, traced it on the wall across from the sink, and splashed on some lovely turquoise paint. This is my favorite project yet.

Lately, and especially since I work at home and have to stare at my own walls ALL day, I've been a little underwhelmed. Yeah, I've painted here and there, but ART is what I'm craving.

Well, I'm slowly getting my groove back, accepting that I don't have time to make my own art, so thanks to a couple birthday gift cards, I'm adding some character to my canvas. :)

This baby is going in our master bath, above the tub. I just love it. So fun, different, and I love that it's a limited edition...not a mass-produced box store print.

Much to my delight, today I stumbled across this darling print on sale at Land of Nod, only two days after I saw the same print in a nursery and thought how I'd love to have it for Hallie's room. I even spent longer than I'd like to admit searching for where one could buy this peachy little pear, to no avail.

Well, look no more! Get the 11x14 print here! Such a good deal. There's a cozy little corner for Miss Pear right next to Hallie's antique mirror. She'll be the perfect final touch to my baby girl's room. Picture courtesy of my friend Katie!

Anyway, a little art here, a little art there, and suddenly your blank canvas starts to feel like home. Not everything has to match, has to make sense (I mean, a sad-face gray pear with pink cheeks?), or has to be super expensive. Search until something speaks to YOU and your own wacky senses. :)

Happy Toozday!

Friday home tour

So one of my favorite blogs always showcases a home tour each friday. I'm almost not embarrassed to admit that I look forward to her new post at the end of each week, because I get to ooh and ahh over each Friday's beautiful and inspiration-worthy home. And yes, I secretly wish that on Fridays, my house looked just as shiny and clean.

Well, I'm here to showcase my home tour, which shall be titled, "Nope, we didn't have guests over this week, so yep, we better make plans soon." (See bottom of post in case you haven't had the pleasure of seeing one of my favorite e-cards). Welcome to our world, the world of diapers, and dirt, and stray socks, and broken crayons, and leftovers that didn't make it to the fridge, and unmade beds, and all sorts of other perfectly imperfect disarray.

First, the foyer. (And please, make sure to pronounce it foy-ay).

Just beyond this grand entrance is the children's wing.

As you wind your way through our grand hallway, you'll be greeted by the nursery.

If you're lucky, you may find this little lady excitedly awaiting your arrival.

If you're not so lucky and find yourself lost in the master bath, be careful to avoid the laundry hamper, which if you're not careful might tip over and bury you alive.

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you enjoyed le tour. If you are a busy mom and are looking around at a mess that seems hopelessly never-ending, be encouraged that you aren't the only one! Be thankful that you have enough STUFF to even make a mess, and don't forget the old saying...

Good moms have 

sticky floors

messy ovens

and happy kids

A month in pictures

This last month...

 We got dressed up (anything other than sweats and messy ponytail=dressed up)! Oh, and I chopped off 9 inches of that hair. Loved the hairdresser, miss the hair. :(

I made THE most delicious dessert ever. Almond Joy cupcakes. A better name would be chocolate-dipped coconut cream cheese buttercream chocolate pudding candy bar cupcakes. Yup, pretty much sums it up. Here's the recipe!

Hallie had a pre-Christmas Christmas morning. Two packages in one day! New highchair- check. New walker- check. Now she can eat in comfort and get her groove on!

Asher played for hours outside with a neighbor friend. Oh the joys of sand! And little plumber butts. :)

Asher mastered the art of the potty. He's da man! Pretty much trained himself. I couldn't help but snap this shot when I peeked in on him. I can't count the amount of times he just cracks me up during the day. That kid truly lives out the meaning of his name-happy and blessed! Love him.

We added some new artwork to the living room. Painting courtesy of Asher van Layton.

Hallie is no longer on a breast-milk only diet. Although she says it's done wonders for her thighs, we thought it best to introduce her to the wonderful world of rice cereal. 6 months already...how time flies!

I was gone for ONE evening, left the boys alone to fend for themselves, and my creative hubby decided to make bacon hotdog mac and cheese. He was quick to reassure me that he added in spinach and peas, though!

If that doesn't inspire gourmet food cravings, I don't know what will.

Can't wait to see what this next month has in store!

Happy Monday!