my excuse
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Fab Mother's Day Gift Guide & Giveaway!
Monday, May 6, 2013
Are you ready to hear about our amazing Mother's Day celebration?! I've teamed up with My Chic Bump and a group of fabulous bloggers to shower one lucky mom with everything from this year's Mother's Day Gift Guide! That's right! All 12 of our favorite items for you and baby! To enter, simply use the Rafflecopter below to complete all of the mandatory entries for your chance to win. The giveaway will run until Saturday, May 11th at Midnight. The winner will be announced on the morning of Mother's Day (May 12th) and gifts will be shipped shortly thereafter.
1. We are obsessed with the these sassy mugs from Ashley Brooke Designs! No, but really. My personal favorite it's the 'Everyday I'm Hustlin' = story of my life! hehe Check out all her cute designs here, .
2. Talk about neck candy! Swooning over the Ellandemm's Emmie necklace! Jenn's jewelry collection is both classy and chic. Head over to her site, we dare you not to fall in love!
3. Featured on Pregnancy & Newborn Mag, these trendy Solly Baby wraps help you get things done, while cozing up to baby! This is a great idea to begin with but with baby #2 it becomes an essential! Check out Mom's Hot Product winner here.
4. We love Livy Love Designs' fun and playful prints! Check out her cute Etsy shop to look for the one you love!
5. Featured on Time Magazine, Martha Stewart Living, and Food Network Mag, AHeirloom's state shaped cutting boards are a piece of art in any kitchen! The 'Heart' on the board is a custom feature that is placed on the city of your choice! I have my eye on the one of Peru! See more of her designs here.
6. We all know and love them! When the Six Sister Stuff's cookbook came out we were one of the first to check it out! We love their yummy recipes because they are easy to follow and great for family meals! More of their favorite family recipes here.
7. Being a mom never looked so good! Our friends over at Sassy Babies have teamed up with us to give one of you the Petunia Pickle Bottom 'sashay' satchel! Their online shop has the all essentials you'll need for you and baby. Check them out here.
8. Your little man had never looked cuter than with his Henry bow tie and other adorable items from Colin's Closet. Andrea is giving away 2 bow ties of the winners choice. Check out her Etsy shop here.
9. When we first discovered Fingers & Toes crib bedding designs it was love at first sight! Their custom crib bedding and cute fabrics makes them a must for every new mom! The winner will receive a custom hooded towel made from the fabric of their choice. Etsy shop here.
10. For the little one in your life, Little Nugget Noggins have made hats, headbands and leggings cuter than ever! The winner will receive 2 headbands OR 2 hats of their choice. Find your favorites here.
11. Give your mini me a set of 10 mini bloom flowers from our friends over at Bloomies Handmade! They have the cutest collection of girl's accessories! You have to check out their site here.
12. You don't want to miss the chance to win one of Juniper Wilde's hip, eco-friendly pillows! More of Nicole's hip, nursery designs and decor here.
All of these wonderful contributing vendors have great social media accounts with insider scoops, deals, and news so be sure to follow them!
Our Fabulous Group of Bloggers
My Chic Bump | Fun, Cheap or Free | Glam Hungry Mom
Mom's Best Network | Livy Love Designs | Keeping It Simple Crafts
Bird A La Mode | Eloise & Me | The Dime Diary
The Freckled Fox | The Fashionable Hostess | Our Thrifty Ideas
a Rafflecopter giveaway
1. We are obsessed with the these sassy mugs from Ashley Brooke Designs! No, but really. My personal favorite it's the 'Everyday I'm Hustlin' = story of my life! hehe Check out all her cute designs here, .
2. Talk about neck candy! Swooning over the Ellandemm's Emmie necklace! Jenn's jewelry collection is both classy and chic. Head over to her site, we dare you not to fall in love!
3. Featured on Pregnancy & Newborn Mag, these trendy Solly Baby wraps help you get things done, while cozing up to baby! This is a great idea to begin with but with baby #2 it becomes an essential! Check out Mom's Hot Product winner here.
4. We love Livy Love Designs' fun and playful prints! Check out her cute Etsy shop to look for the one you love!
5. Featured on Time Magazine, Martha Stewart Living, and Food Network Mag, AHeirloom's state shaped cutting boards are a piece of art in any kitchen! The 'Heart' on the board is a custom feature that is placed on the city of your choice! I have my eye on the one of Peru! See more of her designs here.
6. We all know and love them! When the Six Sister Stuff's cookbook came out we were one of the first to check it out! We love their yummy recipes because they are easy to follow and great for family meals! More of their favorite family recipes here.
7. Being a mom never looked so good! Our friends over at Sassy Babies have teamed up with us to give one of you the Petunia Pickle Bottom 'sashay' satchel! Their online shop has the all essentials you'll need for you and baby. Check them out here.
8. Your little man had never looked cuter than with his Henry bow tie and other adorable items from Colin's Closet. Andrea is giving away 2 bow ties of the winners choice. Check out her Etsy shop here.
9. When we first discovered Fingers & Toes crib bedding designs it was love at first sight! Their custom crib bedding and cute fabrics makes them a must for every new mom! The winner will receive a custom hooded towel made from the fabric of their choice. Etsy shop here.
10. For the little one in your life, Little Nugget Noggins have made hats, headbands and leggings cuter than ever! The winner will receive 2 headbands OR 2 hats of their choice. Find your favorites here.
11. Give your mini me a set of 10 mini bloom flowers from our friends over at Bloomies Handmade! They have the cutest collection of girl's accessories! You have to check out their site here.
12. You don't want to miss the chance to win one of Juniper Wilde's hip, eco-friendly pillows! More of Nicole's hip, nursery designs and decor here.
All of these wonderful contributing vendors have great social media accounts with insider scoops, deals, and news so be sure to follow them!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The Latest Happenings
Thursday, April 11, 2013
It's been a long time since I have posted about what is going on round these here parts. It's been hard to find 2 seconds in between work and Young Women's and Ava, and husband. I feel like I am running around all the time! I like being busy though:)
A couple weeks ago I took a personal break to take care of a medical procedure. In the meantime I was taking a medication for help me heal (it was a steroid). Never had to use those before, and about a week after I stopped it, my face started to get really bumpy and I broke out in this flaky weird rash. My face was so tight and bright red! It was like a got a sunburn all over my face! I couldn't wear makeup or anything! Not to mention my face was on FIRE. It felt like someone poured acid all over my face and I couldn't even cry because my tears would burn it more. After 3 miserable days I went to the dermatologist and they informed me that I had a rare reaction to the medication that only 1 in 10,00 people would get. Apparently I had steroid induced Rosacea. It was not rosacea, but acted similar to it. I was told that if I didn't go on an anti-biotic then it would take several months to clear up on its own. I was extremely glad to have some answers at least. My skin has been slowly healing, and some days are worse than others, like if I eat spicy foods or take a hot shower it will flare up. I can't wait for this to be gone for good! Any of you out there suffering from real rosacea, kudos to you, because this has been seriously no fun.
In the meantime Ava has been filling my days with new adventures. She is fireball I'll tell ya what. The terrible two's have already crept up on that baby and she is manifesting her independence in way I never expected. She has figured out how to climb onto the kitchen chairs, which then leads to her crawling on top of the table. If I take her off...blood curdling screams, kicking, and throwing herself to the floor. I can't help but laugh sometimes about how ridiculous she is acting just over not being able to stand on the table. Even last night I went to dinner with a couple girlfriends from work, and after spilling my lemonade all over her dress, by the end of the night we was only in diaper, shoe-less, and trying to rummage through the trash cans at Cafe Rio. Misery taking her to dinner.
Ava also has learned how to take off her diaper. That has been a real treat. We will wake up in the morning to her diaper-less and pee all over her crib. We quickly got wise and started putting her to bed with pants on every night. She figured out how to get her pants off. That was the greatest too when I heard her squealing and jumping up and down in her crib during her nap time. I went in to get her up and she had gotten the pants and diaper off and painted a mural for me all over everything in her room. Lucky for Scott he was at work, and I got to bust out the bleach all by myself. These experiences as of late have kind of sealed the deal on me wanting to wait for a little while to have another baby. I think I'm ok with my one for right now:)
Scott and I have been much more seriously putting thought towards buying a house. It's hard right now because he is still in school and we don't really want to settle down in Utah, so buying a home right now would be kind of a waste until we know exactly where we want to end up, but we are ready to take make the big move to a home. I would love to move to Texas, or maybe back to Colorado, but with with how much I love my job, and depending on what kind of job offers he gets after graduation, staying in Utah for a while is starting to become more and more a possibility. So if we are going to stay here for many more years, a house all our own is going to be our next step. Either way, we are preparing financially to make that decision here in maybe the next year. It's kind of a huge decision, and I am hoping that a year will give us enough time and planning to make the right choice.
Well that is all for right now. I will be back soon because I some really really awesome sponsor pieces I want to share with you!
Oh yeah, and Ava has a new favorite word...cow. I she says it over and over and over. Instead of everything being baby now, everything is a cow. Luh dat sweet baby girl.
A couple weeks ago I took a personal break to take care of a medical procedure. In the meantime I was taking a medication for help me heal (it was a steroid). Never had to use those before, and about a week after I stopped it, my face started to get really bumpy and I broke out in this flaky weird rash. My face was so tight and bright red! It was like a got a sunburn all over my face! I couldn't wear makeup or anything! Not to mention my face was on FIRE. It felt like someone poured acid all over my face and I couldn't even cry because my tears would burn it more. After 3 miserable days I went to the dermatologist and they informed me that I had a rare reaction to the medication that only 1 in 10,00 people would get. Apparently I had steroid induced Rosacea. It was not rosacea, but acted similar to it. I was told that if I didn't go on an anti-biotic then it would take several months to clear up on its own. I was extremely glad to have some answers at least. My skin has been slowly healing, and some days are worse than others, like if I eat spicy foods or take a hot shower it will flare up. I can't wait for this to be gone for good! Any of you out there suffering from real rosacea, kudos to you, because this has been seriously no fun.
In the meantime Ava has been filling my days with new adventures. She is fireball I'll tell ya what. The terrible two's have already crept up on that baby and she is manifesting her independence in way I never expected. She has figured out how to climb onto the kitchen chairs, which then leads to her crawling on top of the table. If I take her off...blood curdling screams, kicking, and throwing herself to the floor. I can't help but laugh sometimes about how ridiculous she is acting just over not being able to stand on the table. Even last night I went to dinner with a couple girlfriends from work, and after spilling my lemonade all over her dress, by the end of the night we was only in diaper, shoe-less, and trying to rummage through the trash cans at Cafe Rio. Misery taking her to dinner.
Ava also has learned how to take off her diaper. That has been a real treat. We will wake up in the morning to her diaper-less and pee all over her crib. We quickly got wise and started putting her to bed with pants on every night. She figured out how to get her pants off. That was the greatest too when I heard her squealing and jumping up and down in her crib during her nap time. I went in to get her up and she had gotten the pants and diaper off and painted a mural for me all over everything in her room. Lucky for Scott he was at work, and I got to bust out the bleach all by myself. These experiences as of late have kind of sealed the deal on me wanting to wait for a little while to have another baby. I think I'm ok with my one for right now:)
Scott and I have been much more seriously putting thought towards buying a house. It's hard right now because he is still in school and we don't really want to settle down in Utah, so buying a home right now would be kind of a waste until we know exactly where we want to end up, but we are ready to take make the big move to a home. I would love to move to Texas, or maybe back to Colorado, but with with how much I love my job, and depending on what kind of job offers he gets after graduation, staying in Utah for a while is starting to become more and more a possibility. So if we are going to stay here for many more years, a house all our own is going to be our next step. Either way, we are preparing financially to make that decision here in maybe the next year. It's kind of a huge decision, and I am hoping that a year will give us enough time and planning to make the right choice.
Well that is all for right now. I will be back soon because I some really really awesome sponsor pieces I want to share with you!
Oh yeah, and Ava has a new favorite word...cow. I she says it over and over and over. Instead of everything being baby now, everything is a cow. Luh dat sweet baby girl.
Easter!
Sunday, March 31, 2013
I'm sorry I have been MIA for what seems like the entire month of March! What was going to be a week or 2 break turned into a 3 week + break, and I have had so much going on, I just haven't had time to update! I will fill everyone in on the latest Allen happenings on my next post, but as for now I will share what we did for Easter!
This year I was pretty excited about Easter because I felt like Ava could actually participate a little more than last year! This morning before we left for church we gave little lu her easter basket full of of eggs filled with jelly beans (sort of for me) and then reese's eggs (mostly for me) and she loved it! The only thing I did not consider is that Ava would squeeze her eggs so hard that jelly beans would explode all over the floor. I am currently surrounded by jelly beans in the entire house, but she loved it and that is all that matters.
After church we headed up to my in-laws ranch in Huntsville where we spent the day with Scott's parents and sisters Ember and Jessica and their husbands. Scott's mom put together an easter egg hunt that consisted of 26 eggs hidden through the house, outside, and in the horse barn, and we split up into husband and wive pairs. I didn't get any pics of the egg hunt because it got really intense REALLY fast, as we were all trying to find as many of these eggs as possible. (NOTE: these eggs had money in them *wink *wink) 20 minutes into the easter egg hunt I stressing out pretty bad cause I had not found a single egg, and my mother-in-law offered me some not so subtle hints to find one. I've never been great at hunts of any kind, but I was completely thrilled and satisfied when I finally found one. Even if I needed to basically be shown where it was.
After the easter egg hunt, my in-laws gave each of us a a small Christus statue and read us stories of what Easter means to them. My in-laws are such wonderful people:) Then we had an awesome ham dinner and more desserts than you could shake a fist at, complete with a bunny shaped ice cream cake!
I had such a wonderful time today and loved spending every precious moment with the family I married into. I love them so much!
Also lets all take a moment to stop and appreciate how ridiculous this picture is...
I hope everyone had a wonderful safe Easter!
This year I was pretty excited about Easter because I felt like Ava could actually participate a little more than last year! This morning before we left for church we gave little lu her easter basket full of of eggs filled with jelly beans (sort of for me) and then reese's eggs (mostly for me) and she loved it! The only thing I did not consider is that Ava would squeeze her eggs so hard that jelly beans would explode all over the floor. I am currently surrounded by jelly beans in the entire house, but she loved it and that is all that matters.
After church we headed up to my in-laws ranch in Huntsville where we spent the day with Scott's parents and sisters Ember and Jessica and their husbands. Scott's mom put together an easter egg hunt that consisted of 26 eggs hidden through the house, outside, and in the horse barn, and we split up into husband and wive pairs. I didn't get any pics of the egg hunt because it got really intense REALLY fast, as we were all trying to find as many of these eggs as possible. (NOTE: these eggs had money in them *wink *wink) 20 minutes into the easter egg hunt I stressing out pretty bad cause I had not found a single egg, and my mother-in-law offered me some not so subtle hints to find one. I've never been great at hunts of any kind, but I was completely thrilled and satisfied when I finally found one. Even if I needed to basically be shown where it was.
After the easter egg hunt, my in-laws gave each of us a a small Christus statue and read us stories of what Easter means to them. My in-laws are such wonderful people:) Then we had an awesome ham dinner and more desserts than you could shake a fist at, complete with a bunny shaped ice cream cake!
I had such a wonderful time today and loved spending every precious moment with the family I married into. I love them so much!
Also lets all take a moment to stop and appreciate how ridiculous this picture is...
I hope everyone had a wonderful safe Easter!
Very Jane winners & and a leave of absence!
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Sorry the long wait on the winners of this awesome giveaway! it has been a crazy week or 2 and I am just now getting around to putting this up! First of all, thank you SO much to everyone who entered! Also huge thanks to Very Jane for giving us such a fun giveaway! I am super excited to announce our winners, and as usual, if you didn't win this time, DO NOT BE SAD! I always have good giveaways and I'm sure there will be another soon:)
Since there were 4 winners for this giveaway, the winners were randomly chosen based on number of entires and color of necklace desired. So without further adieu, here are the winners!
CONGRATS GIRLS! Please e-mail me as soon as possible at thedimediary@yahoo.com
In the meantime, I am going to be taking a little mini break for about a week or 2! I will be back shortly:)
Since there were 4 winners for this giveaway, the winners were randomly chosen based on number of entires and color of necklace desired. So without further adieu, here are the winners!
CONGRATS GIRLS! Please e-mail me as soon as possible at thedimediary@yahoo.com
In the meantime, I am going to be taking a little mini break for about a week or 2! I will be back shortly:)
Changes
Friday, March 1, 2013
So if you read here often, you probably noticed some changes that have happened recently. Most obvious being the design. I am very happy with how clean and organized everything is now, and I think it goes hand in hand with a couple other things changing round these parts.
I have honestly put off writing this post for a long time, due in part to the fact that I was not sure what to say or if what I was going to say was the right decision, but now I am confident in my choice and ready to make the changes that I have been considering for some time.
When I started blogging (a long time ago when I first got married) it was only about my life with Scott, and in fact it was a completely different blog. In March of last year I thought up starting a "budget friendly fashion blog" that would be purely dedicated to showcasing awesome finds on a modest budget. Over the last year my blog has grown SO much, and with it fast approaching a quarter million views, I can honestly say how appreciative I am of all the readers who love my blog, and letting me share all of this with you. I have loved blogging, and I am so grateful to my supporters who helped me keep this going. But recently I have felt somewhat constrained by the current focus of my blog.
With me being a stay at home mom, and no job to keep me preoccupied during the day, I started writing and posting about clothes, but at this point in my life it isn't my top priority. I have an amazing job that keeps me as busy as can be. I have a gorgeous baby girl who is growing each and every day and I don't want to miss a minute, and I have a hot husband who I just want to cuddle and talk to every minute that he is home.
I want to keep doing what I think is fun, so I am shifting the focus into whatever I feel like writing about. I want to focus more on my family, friends, goals, and things that make me happy. Those come first no matter what! I hope all my readers understand the decision that I made. I will still do some giveaways and outfit posts every now and then, so if you want to, stick around :)
I don't know how The Dime Diary is going to grow from here on out, but I am happy with whatever comes from it<3
I have honestly put off writing this post for a long time, due in part to the fact that I was not sure what to say or if what I was going to say was the right decision, but now I am confident in my choice and ready to make the changes that I have been considering for some time.
When I started blogging (a long time ago when I first got married) it was only about my life with Scott, and in fact it was a completely different blog. In March of last year I thought up starting a "budget friendly fashion blog" that would be purely dedicated to showcasing awesome finds on a modest budget. Over the last year my blog has grown SO much, and with it fast approaching a quarter million views, I can honestly say how appreciative I am of all the readers who love my blog, and letting me share all of this with you. I have loved blogging, and I am so grateful to my supporters who helped me keep this going. But recently I have felt somewhat constrained by the current focus of my blog.
With me being a stay at home mom, and no job to keep me preoccupied during the day, I started writing and posting about clothes, but at this point in my life it isn't my top priority. I have an amazing job that keeps me as busy as can be. I have a gorgeous baby girl who is growing each and every day and I don't want to miss a minute, and I have a hot husband who I just want to cuddle and talk to every minute that he is home.
I want to keep doing what I think is fun, so I am shifting the focus into whatever I feel like writing about. I want to focus more on my family, friends, goals, and things that make me happy. Those come first no matter what! I hope all my readers understand the decision that I made. I will still do some giveaways and outfit posts every now and then, so if you want to, stick around :)
I don't know how The Dime Diary is going to grow from here on out, but I am happy with whatever comes from it<3
3 year anniversary
Saturday, February 23, 2013
On Wednesday Scottifer and I celebrated being head over heels in love and married for 3 whole years! Sometimes it feels like we have been married A LOT longer, but sometimes it blows my mind that 4 years ago we were just a couple kids flirting at Costa Vida after Institute. My my, how things change:)
Our little anniversary actually started out the night before when we handed off Ava to Scott's mom. I'd be lying if I said I did not shed some tears...this was the 2nd time I had ever been away from her for a night since she was born! I quickly got over it when we stopped at the Cheesecake Factory on our way home, and I ate so much food that I had to unbutton my pants. If you are gonna eat, you better do it the right way I suppose.
The next morning we had both taken off work, we slept in a bit, and then got ready for an entire day of planned activities all masterminded by the Mr. himself! As we got ready to leave I was surprised by a beautiful bouquet of roses! Ahhhhh that little heart throb, I'll tell ya what. We then went to lunch (since our original plan was breakfast but I took way too long getting ready), and then we went to see a movie!
After the movie, Scott took me to City Creek to go shopping! I was so excited cause he actually wanted to let me do what I loved doing, AND spend some time together while I did it! We also stopped by Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory before leaving to throughly spoil our dinner (no we didn't).
Then Scott drove me to my most favorite place EVER! The Melting Pot. OMG. We went there last year for our anniversary, and we ended up getting 2 desserts. One for Scott and I, and one for Scott, because obviously he has a problem, and this year was no exception. If you have never eaten there, you must must must! It might be the most expensive meal you ever eat, but it is SO worth it. It also takes like 3 hours, but that's kind of why I love it. It's romantic, and really makes you take your time, enjoy your meal, and enjoy each other. Besides, who wants their anniversary dinner to be over in 30 mins anyway?
Just when my day could not get any more perfect, Scott surprised me with a trip to Vegas in April! We have to wait till school is out to go, so that is why we are waiting a few months, but I don't care! We have been dying to go back since we went while I was pregnant, and we are convinced it will be 1 trillion times funner now that I wont be. I don't know where we are staying or what we are doing down there, that is all still a surprise until we get there, but I can hardly wait.
I am so grateful for my sweet husband who makes everyday better and better, and I fall more in love with each day. I made the best choice ever. Happy Anniversary babe!
Our little anniversary actually started out the night before when we handed off Ava to Scott's mom. I'd be lying if I said I did not shed some tears...this was the 2nd time I had ever been away from her for a night since she was born! I quickly got over it when we stopped at the Cheesecake Factory on our way home, and I ate so much food that I had to unbutton my pants. If you are gonna eat, you better do it the right way I suppose.
The next morning we had both taken off work, we slept in a bit, and then got ready for an entire day of planned activities all masterminded by the Mr. himself! As we got ready to leave I was surprised by a beautiful bouquet of roses! Ahhhhh that little heart throb, I'll tell ya what. We then went to lunch (since our original plan was breakfast but I took way too long getting ready), and then we went to see a movie!
After the movie, Scott took me to City Creek to go shopping! I was so excited cause he actually wanted to let me do what I loved doing, AND spend some time together while I did it! We also stopped by Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory before leaving to throughly spoil our dinner (
Then Scott drove me to my most favorite place EVER! The Melting Pot. OMG. We went there last year for our anniversary, and we ended up getting 2 desserts. One for Scott and I, and one for Scott, because obviously he has a problem, and this year was no exception. If you have never eaten there, you must must must! It might be the most expensive meal you ever eat, but it is SO worth it. It also takes like 3 hours, but that's kind of why I love it. It's romantic, and really makes you take your time, enjoy your meal, and enjoy each other. Besides, who wants their anniversary dinner to be over in 30 mins anyway?
Just when my day could not get any more perfect, Scott surprised me with a trip to Vegas in April! We have to wait till school is out to go, so that is why we are waiting a few months, but I don't care! We have been dying to go back since we went while I was pregnant, and we are convinced it will be 1 trillion times funner now that I wont be. I don't know where we are staying or what we are doing down there, that is all still a surprise until we get there, but I can hardly wait.
I am so grateful for my sweet husband who makes everyday better and better, and I fall more in love with each day. I made the best choice ever. Happy Anniversary babe!
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