I’ve got big news everyone!! (No, I’m not pregnant!) Keep reading…
On Monday September 23rd my new site will be up. You will be able to visit me here (eatnapplay.net) to see my new blog design and all future posts.
You’ll definitely want to be sure to stop by on Monday for a big surprise! Can’t wait to see you there!! 😉
I had the best day today! I got to spend the whole day with my girlfriends at the spa. It was my friend’s bachelorette party celebration, and it was a blast!! We laid out by the pools, took mud baths in red clay, got pedicures, and sipped champagne. It was exactly what I’ve been needing for awhile! Girl time. It’s hard for me to make time for myself to hang out with my girlfriends. Life seems to be so busy for everyone all the time, and it just doesn’t happen often enough. This made today that much more special though.
I’m so glad to have spent the beautiful day with my ladies and can’t wait to do it again!
If you’re in Southern Cali, you should definitely check out the spa we went to. It’s called Glen Ivy Hot Springs Spa. I can’t wait to go back!
I’m finally going to make the plunge and move my blog to a self hosted site. I’m also getting a brand new look. The new site should be up by September 1st. Stay tuned for more info!
Hi Everyone! I’m away today. I am guest posting at my friend Jen’s blog, Delightful Deets. We met at Elevate, and I have been following her blog ever since. She is such a sweetheart and has the cutest kids! Come see me over there, and check out her blog while you’re there. 🙂
Happy Monday!
It was the first week of my new job! It’s been a fun change and I am enjoying it so far. My body is still trying to get used to waking up an hour earlier and driving further, but I’m sure I’ll get used to it in the next couple of weeks. I got to catch up on my sleep yesterday though. I slept 12 hours!! Woo hoo!
The drive to work may be longer, but the view isn’t bad…
This weekend was a fun and productive weekend. I finally got around to cleaning the office. I can finally see my desk!!
The hubby was busy this weekend building stuff for Little Mr. and mounting our T.V.’s on the wall. He built a toy box and put together a picnic table for him. He’s such a nice daddy!
This is the TV in our living room. I strategically took the picture when the Cowboy’s logo was up on the screen. Don’t hate me; I’m from Dallas. Who else is excited for football season?!
This is the other TV that my hubs mounted in our son’s new play room. This pic was taken before he neatly tucked away all of the wires. Guess who’s favorite show was on? 😉
Here’s Daddy hard at work putting the new picnic table together. This will be the perfect spot for snack time! You can also see Little Mr.’s toy screw driver. He wasn’t anywhere to be found though. Ha ha! Hopefully, he’ll be a good helper when he’s a little older.
I was really happy when my package of free stuff from Ivory came in. I won it from Influenster from the Ivory 2-in-1 challenge. Score!!
Last, but not least, here is my favorite picture of the weekend. Cuddle time with my little man. 🙂
I hope you had a great weekend with lots of happy happenings too! What was the highlight of your week or weekend?
Yesterday I decided to use the Royal Design Studio stencil that I received from Elevate to make a simple wall art project for our home. I really want to use it as a pattern for one of the walls in our room, but for now I thought I’d try it on a canvas. Here is the stencil I used…
I centered it on a blank 12×12 canvas that I purchased from Michael’s and taped down the sides with a couple pieces of clear office tape that I had lying around.
Once the stencil was taped down where I wanted it, I mixed my paints and started painting.
I took a couple of acrylic paints that I had on hand and mixed them to make the perfect shade of turquoise. I mixed a small amount of black paint into my Aqua Cool Pearl color.
After I mixed the perfect color, I started painting. Luckily, I mixed just the right amount to finish the project. If you decide to mix your own color, I recommend mixing more than you think you will need just in case you run out because it may be difficult to mix the same exact color if you end up needing to make more. {Just a helpful hint that I learned along the way ;)}
I started at the top and worked my way down brushing in vertical strokes. I used quite a bit of paint in each section, and some paint ended up getting underneath my stencil. Fortunately, it turned out pretty cool looking. It looks kind of 3-dimensional. If you want your edges to look more crisp, I would recommend using less paint or even tracing the stencil with a pencil before painting it (if you have a steady hand). I also just learned that you can use a special stencil brush with short, firm bristles to help avoid getting the paint under the stencil. I will definitely go this route if I stencil our walls. I am pleased with the way mine turned out though. I decided to hang it in our hallway to add a pop of color.
What do you think? Let me know if you try this simple wall art project. I’d love to see your creation and hear about your experience!
Linking up with:
In honor of starting my new job, I got myself a new hair do. I chopped off about 6 inches and got some low lights. I also bought myself some new clothes. I am kind of excited to have an excuse to care about how I look. I was at my previous job for 6 years and ended up in a rut with caring about my looks. Everyone would show up in jeans and a t-shirt, and you were the weird one if you got dressed up at all. Honestly, I didn’t really mind it; I enjoy being comfortable, but it’s time for a change, and I’m fully embracing it. A new job, a new do, and a new wardrobe. I’m excited!
Here’s a before and after of my hair. If you follow me on Instagram, I’m sure you’ve already seen it, and if you don’t follow me there, then you should! 😉
I have been doing a little shopping throughout the last week or so to build up my wardrobe. Like I said, I am used to rolling out of bed and throwing on jeans and a t-shirt, so I had zero nice work clothes. I bought a pair of black, grey and khaki dress pants and a few new tops. I shopped at the Outlet Mall and found some good deals at Anne Taylor and Banana Republic. I found my dress pants at Costco of all places. You never know what you’ll find there! They are Calvin Klein too. Score! Here are some of the tops I found…
Polka Dot Tank from Anne Taylor
Blue Tee from Banana Republic. It’s so soft, and I love the color!
Animal Print top from Banana Republic
I also bought a black cardigan from Banana Republic to wear over the tanks.
I’m so happy to have some new outfits that I feel confident wearing. It’s been awhile since I’ve felt this good, and I’m getting really excited (and nervous) to start my new job on Tuesday. Wish me luck!
Where do you like to shop for dress clothes? How often do you treat yourself to new outfits? I think I need to do this more often!
Let me start by saying that I rarely cry. I have never been one of those girls that can cry at the drop of a hat. Sometimes I actually wish I were able to cry more. I think it would make me feel better to get it all out when I get really stressed or sad. But, I’m just not a crier.
This morning I was sitting outside in my backyard drinking my coffee and watching my son play in the yard. I was watching him look around at the trees and stomp through the grass. He was in his own little world, picking up pieces of mulch and picking flowers, just exploring and doing what he loves to do. I sat in awe watching him. I thought about how much he has grown over the past 14 months. I thought of his innocence and how I never want him to lose that part of him, but how I know it’s inevitable that life will eventually take that from him. I thought of how overwhelmingly happy I am to have him in my life. And, I cried. I only shed a couple of tears, but I cried today. I cried happy tears.
Sometimes it feels good to cry and release emotions that get tucked away behind the hustle and bustle of everyday life. This was one of those times. Watching my son play in the yard at this young age, where it is his whole world, will be a memory that I treasure forever. I love you my little son, more than words.
Hello, hello! I am linking up with Megan today for Workout Wednesday. It’s perfect timing because I am off today (until I start my new job next week), and I have recently started a new workout plan that I want to share. The plan that I’m on was created for me by my hubby who is an aspiring personal trainer. He is in the process of studying for the exam and he works out six days a week. So proud of him!
I would say I am in the beginner/intermediate level in the fitness world. My main goal right now is to put on some muscle. I have lost a lot of fat recently by eating clean, and now I want to get strong. My plan is to start lifting weights three times per week. I will start with small and work my way up to heavier weights so I don’t injure myself. I have picked a Tues, Thurs, Sat schedule. This is my Tuesday routine which targets chest, shoulders, and triceps.
See below for routine with links to each exercise:
Tuesday  —  Chest/Shoulders/Triceps
Bench Press – 3 sets
How to video
Dumbbell Flys – 3 sets
How to video
Dumbbell Shoulder Press – 3 sets
How to video
Dumbbell Lateral Raises – 3 sets
How to video
Dumbbell Front Raises – 3 sets
How to video
Dumbbell Upright Rows – 3 sets
How to video
Dumbbell Tricep Kickbacks – 3 sets
How to video
I take a 30-45 second break between sets and I do reps of 10. This is the first week of the routine, and I am really enjoying it so far. I will post the other two days of my routine soon! Let me know if you want to join me in my routine. We could help keep each other accountable. 😉
What types of work outs do you enjoy?
Hello Monday,
This is the last Monday that I will go to the job that I’ve had for the past 6 years. This is the last Monday that I will sit at my microscope and check emails, the last Monday that I will chat with friends, enjoy lunch together and go on walks during our breaks. This is such a bittersweet time in my life to realize that today was the last full day at the company where I first started my career as a Cytogenetics Technologist. I have many fond memories of my journey there. I even met my husband there. I grew, I learned, and I experienced so much there. I will miss many things, mostly the people. I have worked with some amazing people in my career, and I will miss the strong working relationships we shared. I am hopeful that I will build new ones at my new job, I am hopeful for new beginnings, a new sense of motivation, and new friendships. I am excited for my new journey!
After work, I went to return some dress pants that I bought last week. I ended up finding some much more affordable ones at Costco of all places. So, I returned the others, but of course I ended up buying something else while I was there. I’ve been in a buying mood lately! I bought a starter kit of Bare Minerals make-up. I have always heard good things about it, and I like that there are only five ingredients used in it. I was hooked when they asked if they could put some on me. I don’t often wear make-up, but I think I should start since I am getting older, and my skin isn’t as young looking as it once was. Do you use Bare Minerals or have you heard anything about it? I am kind of having buyer’s remorse, and I can’t decide if I should keep it or not. Heehee.
After my shopping trip, I picked up some dinner and headed home to my boys. After an early dinner, I took Little Mr. to the park where he explored and explored. He loves walking around and picking things up off the ground. He loves to pick flowers and play in the dirt. It was a really nice evening. All in all, it wasn’t such a bad Monday.
Oh yeah, we also got a new dishwasher delivered (after suffering with our barely functioning one for a year!), and my hubby installed it. I’m so proud of him! He’s never been much of a “handy man”, but he’s been doing a lot of projects around the house lately. I’m excited to start making some home improvements now that he’s in the handy man mode! 😉
How was your Monday? Eventful or just another Monday? Hopefully, there was some excitement in it or something that made you smile. 🙂
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Hello, I'm Natalee. I am a wife and a mama to a one year old little boy. I live and work full-time in sunny San Diego. I started this blog to share my day-to-day adventures of family, healthy living, crafts, and more. Feel free to say hello and stay a while.
eatnapplay 