Fall Favorites

Fall is probably my favorite time of year. My birthday is in October so I try to stretch that out as long as possible. It's all about me! Below are a few staple pieces that can be incorporated into your fall wardrobe. Neutral pieces never really go out of style. Unless they are hideous. The purse is stupid expensive but a girl can dream, right?

Joe Malone Cologne//Suede Ankle Booties//Cape//Denim//Hat//Bag//Sweater

These boots were made for walking...

I have a bit of a boot obsession. It's a problem. I wish it was fall/winter all the time so that I never have to wear anything else. Find a tall black over-the-knee boot and your legs will look super skinny. The short booties are perfect for a more casual look. An over sized sweater, blanket scarf and some black skinnys with any of these boots/booties would be a perfect fall look.

I've been after those Stuart Weitzman Lowland boots for a good year now. Ahem Isaac.

It's like a jungle sometimes it makes me wonder...

I've been listening to the 90's rap station on Pandora for the past few weeks and have come to a few conclusions. Rappers of the 90's/early 2000's were really just stay-at-home moms. Everything else was just a front. Here is my life, as told by some of my faves.

Wake up in the morning. First thing I hear is screaming radiating out of the baby monitors. 

"Get me OUT OF HEREEEEE. I POOPEDDD" -Noah

After letting the dogs out/feeding cat/ making 300 different breakfasts that nobody eats I finally get a chance to sit down and drink my coffee. This is usually about the time the cat jumps on my lap and knocks the coffee all down the front of me. 

Party Up (Up in Here)
DMX

Y'all gon' make me lose my mind
Up in here, up in here
Y'all gon' make me go all out
Up in here, up in here
Y'all gon' make me act a FOOL
Up in here, up in here
Y'all gon' make me lose my cool
Up in here, up in here

Right before nap time is when my brain turns to mush. I've been trying to reason with a 4 and 2 year old all morning. I try and throw something in the crock pot so we have dinner and half way through have to break up a fight and forget about the dinner. Forgetting to hit start on the crock pot is infuriating. You are so close to having your shit together...

Gangsta's Paradise

Coolio

Power and the money, money and the power

Minuet after minuet, hour after hour

Everybody's running, but half of them ain't looking

Whats going on in the kitchen, but I don't know whats cooking

They say I've got to learn but nobody here to teach me

If they can't understand it, how can they reach me

I guess they can't

I guess they won't

I guess they front

That's why I know my life is out of luck fool.

After I put the kids down for naps/quiet time I really have a chance to reflect on my life. 

Crossroads

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony

Hey and we pray, and we pray, and we pray

Everyday, everyday, everyday, everyday

And we pray, and we pray, and we pray

Everyday, everyday, everyday, everyday

Fresh air is good for the soul. We try to make it outside for a little bit in the afternoons. I should know by now that I just shouldn't own nice clothes. It's a losing battle. 5 minutes outside and one of my 2 kids has hurled a shovel full of dirt/rocks down the front of me.

Dirt off your Shoulder

Jay-Z

You gotta get, that, dirt off your shoulder

You gotta get, that, dirt off your shoulder

You gotta get, that, dirt off your shoulder

You gotta get, that, dirt off your shoulder

Dinnertime is what we like to call "the witching hour" around here. No matter how hard I try, this will always be the worst time of day. Something is usually blowing up in the kitchen. The kids are cranky and tired and pick at each other non-stop. The dogs are all up in my business trying to get scraps that fall on the floor. Noah is typically naked in anticipation of bath time and peeing all over the house. But it's 6:30. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. And the end of the tunnel is bedtime. 

The Message

Grandmaster Flash

It's like a jungle sometimes it makes me wonder

How I keep from going under

It's like a jungle sometimes it makes me wonder

How I keep from going under

Broken glass everywhere

People pi**ing on the stairs, you know they just don't care

I can't take the smell, I can't take the noise no more

Don't push me cause I'm close to the edge

I'm trying not to lose my head, ah huh-huh-huh

Isaac gets home from work and I am typically a raging bitch. That's assuming I'm still alive..."How was your day?" Response:

No Diggity

Blackstreet

Please excuse if I come across rude

That's just me and that's how a players got to be

Stay kickin' game with a capital "G"

Ask the peoples on my block I'm as real as can be

Isaac's response:

I Ain't Mad at Cha

Tupac

I ain't mad at cha

'Till I Collapse

Time to get my fat ass back in shape! I went on a month long breakup with the gym while on vacations and I need to get back at it. I always find it a lot more motivating when I have a good playlist. And a cute outfit. I always love other peoples recommendations for workout playlists so feel free to leave some of your favorites in the comments. 

I am by no means a fitness guru. I puked the first day I worked out with a trainer last winter. I cheat in bootcamp. I try not to take myself too seriously when I'm at the gym. One time I went to get on a treadmill and whoever used it before me didn't shut it off. I went flying off the end of it at probably a 6.2 speed. I'm sure it looked really awesome to anyone who got to witness that. I might start leaving the treadmill on when I get off it too. 

So one thing you need to know about me is that I have really random taste in music. If you don't like the first song just skip along to the next one. If you don't like that one either I don't know what to tell you. You probably have really bad taste in music. 

Workout Playlist 

Warm-Up

Slackstring: Lend Me Your Love & Stranded

Bob Marley & The Wailers: Is this Love

James Morrison: Undiscovered

When you are running and feel like your about to die and need a pick me up

Mika- We are golden & Big Girl (you are beautiful)
Hendersin- All I got 

Pitch Perfect 2 Soundtrack: Anyway you want it & Lollipop

B.O.B- Magic

Green Day: 21 Guns (The original Broadway cast recording ft. Rebecca Naomi)

Lil Jon: Act a Fool (featuring Three 6 Mafia) 

Hercules Soundtrack: Zero to Hero

You got this. Set that pace. Run like your kids are chasing you with greasy fingers and you are wearing white, girlfriend

Kid Cudi- Pursuit Of Happiness (Nightmare)
Dean Alexander: Live a Little

Milkey Chance- Stolen Dance & Flashed Junk Mind

Chiddy Bang: Opposite of Adults
Rufus: Tell Me Something Good

Craig Campbell: Keep them kisses coming

Miley Cyrus: FU (feat. French Montana) & 4x4 (feat. Nelly)

Three Dog Night: Never Been to Spain
The Band: Atlantic City

Nobody is watching. You can start walking now. 

The Head and the Heart: Rivers and Roads

Hillsong: Oceans

Sam Cooke: A change is gonna come

A few other places to check out for cute workout clothes

Albion Fit

Without Walls

Calia

Back to the grind

My goal of keeping this blog updated weekly slipped through the cracks the last month or so of summer. We had back to back vacations and I think I left my sanity on the last trip to Scottsdale. Nothing like having a delayed flight and then sitting on the runway for an hour the night before the kids are supposed to start school! Mom of the year over here. We got home at 2 am and then immediately turned around and went to school at 9. Their poor teachers didn't know what hit them. And if something or someone did physically hit them hopefully it wasn't my 2 years fist. He's going through a bit of a phase.

The first day of school is always really emotional. This is the first year Noah is doing Mothers Day Out and Levi is doing Preschool 4's. I basically have 3 days a week that are kid free for the first time in 4+ years. I did cartwheels cried all the way back to my car. I had no idea what to do with my new freedom. The possibilities were endless. All the things I complained about never being able to do with the kids tagging along, I could finally do. I could listen to Tupac in the car without worrying if Noah was going to pick up a new vocabulary. I could plan out meals for the week and make 1 trip to the grocery store instead of 5 trips because of forgotten items. I could go to the gym and work off the 3 pounds of vacation weight I put on. I could clean my house without Hansel and Gretel leaving a trail of ritz cracker crumbs behind my vacuuming efforts. In reality though I went home and slept, caught up on episodes of Naked and Afraid, got frazzled because there wasn't enough time to go to the store and pick up the kids and my house continued to stay a dog hair ridden pit. Im sure we had take out that night. So much for meal planning.

In all seriousness though I hope my kids really blossom in school this year. I keep seeing all these Facebook posts with moms posting their hopes and dreams for their kids futures. Be compassionate, respectful, giving. Heres what mine would say...

Levi,

You are such a sweet and loving kid. My hopes for you this year are that you learn to say your ABC's and not sing it to the tune of that really annoying girl on the Disney channel who is dressed up like a train conductor. You know the one. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kX-m4XWgcu8 

I also hope that the teachers give you a good head start on math. If you are anything like mommy you will need it. I actually had to ask your dad a fractions question when measuring out waffle mix this morning.

 **side note** Its really sad that I could memorize a Bone Thugs & Harmony song growing up but couldn't recite my times tables to save my life. Also, you will never know who Bone Thugs & Harmony is. -Muah

Noah,

Even though you are not in real school yet I have big dreams for you this year! I really hope you learn what not to do this year. Like bite your friends. I also hope the teachers potty train you so I don't have to. Kidding. Kind of. Also, if they can get you to nap and sit still while eating meals that would be a plus. -Love you, boo.