My To-Read List for 2013

I'm making one of my resolutions for 2013 to read 30 books.

I'm picking a low number because I know how I get with school and everything. 

So here's what I'm wanting to read in the New Year!

 

I'm currently reading this right now and I'm almost half way through. 

And of course, I'm going to finish the Mortal Instruments Series:

And the Uglies Series:


And more!

 

And much more! You can check out my To Read list on Goodreads.
  And you can add me as a friend!    

2012 in Review

I can't believe 2012 is almost over.

Here are some of the most memorable things that happened on the blog this year!

I talked about my personal struggles, and felt much better.

I talked about the things that no one told me about being a mother...it's pretty crazy!

My daughter became a superhero. And learned to fly!

 I got baby fever! Staaaap it!!!

I had a Mommy/Daughter date to see Brave.

Kenzie turned FOUR and Tucker turned TWO! They celebrated with a Spongebob Party.

 I posted my first recipe, Cheesy Chicken Lasagna!

I posted some really embarrassing childhood pictures of my husband and I....

My first born child started PreK.... *le tear*

 Dougie and I celebrated being married for four years!

My best friend, otherwise known as "my person", and I took a road trip! Much needed girl time.

 I talked about how awesome my kids are.

Beauty is all around me.

 I dressed up like a cat for Halloween. Along with a zombie, Bat girl, and a skeleton:)

I wrote one of my favorite posts ever...It's all about Loving YOU.

 We went to our first Tacky Christmas party and it was so much fun!

Also, I reached 340 followers on my blog!! I feel so blessed. I'm hoping I can be better at keeping up with the blog next year. I'm a slacker sometimes:(

 

Love YOU.

I write this post to tell you all how beautiful YOU are, regardless of what you may think or what other people may say.

 I'm also writing this for myself. And for my daughter. 

Because we are living in a cruel, vicious world where a size 8 is fat but a size zero is sickly.

The scale is our enemy.

Food is our weakness.

Society is the devil.

Your body is your own. No one else has one just like you.

MY body is my own. And it's the only one I will ever have.

So why do I hate it so much?

Why do we give ourselves so much grief over a number on a scale or the size of our jeans?

Guess what?

I'm fat.

I'm 5'6" and I weight 220 pounds.
I wear a size 16.

 I have stretch marks on my stomach and boobs.

I have love handles.

I have two chins sometimes.

My stomach looks like an 80 year old woman's stomach.

My boobs aren't perky anymore.

My thighs have cellulite.

But you know what else?

I'm HAPPY.

I'm happy with my life.
I consider myself to be pretty awesome.

I love food and wine and cooking and baking.

My husband still loves me the same as he did when I was a size 9.

My children think I'm beautiful.

My family loves me.
My friends don't judge me.

I know that I will never ever have the same body I did before I gave birth.

But from my "not-so-perky" boobs, came milk to feed my children.

From my larger hips, I was able to push out two babies.

From my stretch marks, I let my body grow and stretch in order to hold and carry healthy babies to full term.

My body was their home.

  And for this sacrifice, I gave life to two precious children. 

 

So from this day forward, I will be happy with myself.

And you will be, too.

You are beautiful in your skin.

I hope to raise my daughter to be so self confident, that she will never compare herself to others.

Because I know for a fact, my Kenzie is perfect just the way she is.

And I'm sure my Momma and Daddy wanted the same thing for me.

I just wish I would have realized that before now.

So here's to a new beginning.

 I'm not going to focus on losing weight anymore, or trying to be "tiny" like I thought I wanted.

I'm going to focus on living healthier.

But I will STILL eat that damn piece of chocolate cupcake if I want.

Will YOU choose happiness?

In a funk. Sort of.

I just want to say THANK YOU to all my new followers! I'm so excited to have reached 300+!!

You can also follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!

Check out my Sponsor page to be placed on my sidebar!

Thanks for following along!

Let's start this post on a good note....

I'M DONE WITH THIS SEMESTER!

Now let's start the bad stuff, shall we?

After failing my College Algebra (yeah..huge ego booster right there), I decided that maybe I'm not cut out for the big league (K-6th). So I changed my major to Early Education, which involves Pre-K age and under. I think I'm much more suitable for that age group anyways. 

Therefore, the majority of my classes that I've taken since January of this year till now, don't even count towards my degree. 

I pretty much wasted a whole year.

Even though it was MY choice to change majors, I still feel like a loser.

I can't afford to waste time and I did.

I just feel like I'm letting people down, even though I'm trying. I'm trying to finish school.

And I just can't help but feel that some people see me as being lazy/not productive, because I'm not contributing financially to my family by having a job.

But I think I AM contributing.

Having a job involves daycare. And daycare is outrageous. And we are DEF not made of money.

Having a job and going to school would be nearly impossible for me. I just can't balance everything.

So right now, I'm hoping everyone bares with me for the next two years. 

As I continue to pursue my dreams of actually finishing college and starting a career.

As I continue to raise my own children without daycares, just as I was raised.

As I continue to contribute to my family the best way I can right now, which involves putting everyone else's needs in front of mine.

Eventually, I will look back on this post and say, "Lauren, I'm so proud of you. YOU did it. You finished what you started and now your family can be financially stable."

So there's my soap box for the day.

For now, I will just use my motto:

I didn't get this tattooed on my body for no reason!

GFC Blog Hop!

So excited to be co-hosting the GFC Blog Hop today! Thanks Melissa!

Join in and find some amazing blogs!

It's Tuesday again which means it's time for the GFC Blog Hop!

When I want to follow a blog the first thing I look for is GFC (Google Friend Connect), it's so easy and  nice to be able to go and see all of the blogs you follow in one spot. It's really a great tool to have. 

One side note- Did you know you can follow through GFC using your Twitter Account? TRUE, it's definitely an option!

Ok, so let's get to the party, shall we?

RULES are simple:

1. Follow your host via GFC

The First link below

2. Follow your co-hosts via GFC

The Next 8 links below

3. Link up below using your main blog url not a specific post.

4. Make sure to visit some of the blogs in the link up and follow them via GFC 

and if you want to leave them a comment, I'm sure they'd appreciate that as well.

5. Tweet about this blog hop

Tweet

6. Share about this blog hop by grabbing a button and putting it on your sidebar!

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Oh, you fancy?

Two words:

Ugly. Sweater.

 

We went to a Tacky Christmas party at my sister-in-laws this weekend. It was too fun! 

LOVE LOVE LOVE these girls. (But I'm missing my BFF here!)

Is it just me, or do I look like I'm 3 feet taller than everyone?

Best friends. Without ugly sweaters. But that's okay because I still love them. 

PS- My husband won first place in the tackiest outfit.

Camo hat, ug sweater, basketball shorts rolled up, baseball socks, and golf shoes.....

We also had friends from Nebraska come to visit for the weekend.

I introduced our Northern friends to sweet tea.

They will never be the same.

It was such a fun weekend!

We were supposed to go to see Starry Nights in Memphis but it got canceled because of the rain. So next weekend it is!

How was your weekend?

Things I {Don't} Like Thursday

I bet you guys think I'm like Grumpy cat.

But I'm really a happy person!

Deep down inside.

BUUUUUTTTTT.

For now, it's........

1. I don't like that Sons of Anarchy AND The Walking Dead is over for this season.
So for now, we will have a moment of silence as we look upon the gifts to all women.

Channing Tatum who?
 Disclaimer: Obvsi I have a thing for bad boys.

2. I don't like when my husband buys me super cheapo coffee.
Umm, hello? I'M the one who has to drink that stuff.
Don't be a coffee Scrooge!

3. I don't like my bitch face.
I think that's why most people don't approach me.
I always look like I'm like a mean person or something.
See this for example:

It pretty much sums up my life.

So there ya have it.

Be sure to link back up with Melissa every Thursday!