Chocolate Lovers Unite.

It is no secret to the fat kid inside me (and the chubby trolls that reside on my ass, thighs, & stomach) that I am a lover of chocolate in all its varieties. 

Men. Candy. Fondue. 

Really the list can go on. 

So would it be a surprise to any of you, that on our date day Sunday morning, I begged Big Man to take me to Hershey to go shopping and oh so subtly convinced him to take me to Chocolate World?!?

No? 

You guys know me too well. 

It's OK if you licked your computer screen. 

I won't judge you. 

Good Bye Turkey. Hello Christmas.

Now that Thanksgiving is officially over and shoppers are in the midst of grabbing deals left and right this Black Friday. I decided to jazz up Little Woman, Little Home for the holidays. 

So if your reading in Google Reader, click on over and check out the new design. 

And if you were wondering....

YES...

I was one of the crazies out last night in the midst of the madness getting some deals. 

I wasn't die hard for any particular thing but I did scoop up a storage bench, some towels, a down comforter, and some of the kiddies Christmas gifts for cheap. 

I can assure you I will never fight anybody for anything on Black Friday, especially for a cheap plastic toy or a slightly discounted electronic. Pass. But me and my sissy did have fun and the tradition continues. 

Hope everyone is enjoying their holiday weekend and getting some good deals. 

Now, I must go take a nap. 

Adios amigas. 

7 Tips To Survive Black Friday Shopping

I am an avid Black Friday Shopper. 

This is true. 

When it comes to Black Friday Shopping you are either: 

a.) the crazy ladies strategically planning aka me. 

or

b.) the ladies who despise it and groan at us 'crazy bitches'

To each their own but I have to say I agree with the gripers this year on one thing. 

Opening at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving is ridiculous.

It's not even Black FRIDAY then, it's Black Thursday. 

I don't know about other Black Friday shoppers but I like to watch the parade, get my grub on, take a nap, and then get my shopping on. And now this just throws me for a doozy. Will I still be going out to shop? Yes. Will it be that early? Debatable. Sorry, Wally World and Sears...but I give thanks and time to my fam first before a $100 40 inch TV. 

Anyways getting back to the point. 

I know for myself, there are a couple things that help me survive the craziness of Black Friday and I am here again this year to help you through it. 

So without further adieu...

 Research Your Deals 

Gone are the days where you had to wait for the Sunday before Thanksgiving circulars to come out before you could start looking for the deals you wanted. It is a new day and you can find almost all the big name retailers Black Friday ads online with a few clicks of your mouse. Visit here for a list of them. This is important because right now is the prime time to price compare and see which retailers offers the most of what your looking for and which is at a lower price. This will save you so much time at the store, if you have a list of exactly what you're there to get.

 Learn The Layout Of The Stores 

You may know the layout of your local stores from going in them regularly but if you are going somewhere you've never been than I suggest going ahead of time and learning the layout of where the products are located. Even if you do know your store, it is a good idea to get to your Black Friday destination early so that way you can learn where they put all the sale items. I know last year at Wally World alot of items were located in rather strange spots and if we didn't survey the area beforehand we would have been running around like chickens with our heads cut off.

 Plan According To Openings and Importance 

If your getting something of utmost importance than make sure to hit up that store first (i.e. electronics, TV's, etc.) before others have the opportunity to snag your swag. I rank my list of things by what I want the most and what times their stores are open. I can find a majority of my list at Wally World and they open at 10 p.m. so we will be hitting up there first to grab our most important goods. From there on, we list our destinations by store opening times and the importance of each of those items. Not all stores open at the same time so make sure to double check what time they will be letting people in.

 Dress Appropriately

 I know up here in Pennsylvania the weather for Thanksgiving can be unpredictable so when I dress up for Black Friday shopping I dress in layers and boots. My usual get up is some jeggings, a comfy cute tee, a hoodie and my boots. This usually keeps me feeling comfortable to where I'm not too hot crammed inside or not too cold standing outside. This will change depending on where you live.

 Accessories

 Try to bring as few as possible. The last thing you want to worry about is your bulky purse getting in the way or someone stealing it or you losing it along with all your belongings amid the chaos. I personally don't bring my purse because I'm afraid of losing it but I do bring my cell in case there is an emergency.

 Cash 

To each their own on this but I only bring the amount that I intend to spend in cash and leave my wallet and credit/debit cards at home. As you have seen some people are crazy out there and the last thing I need is me losing or someone stealing my card and then I'm SOL for the rest of the day and for the holidays. That is a stress that I think we could all agree, we don't need.

 Make Friends

 I go Black Friday shopping with my sister and Big Man and it actually works out well for us to travel in this little tripod. We don't have to worry about a large group slowing us down and this little trifecta allows us to work together to get all of our loot and I feel safer out shopping with a small group than by myself. I also think it is important to not be an asshole and try to make nice with those standing around you. They might me the ones to help you get that last Shark Steam Mop that your were trying to get : )

Happy Shopping Loves...and please be safe out there! : ) 

Getting My Sexy On...

I still have yet to post my vlog for Hope Squared's What's In Your Closet Link Up but in the mean time, I thought I'd show to two of the dresses I picked up while Big Man and I were 'cruise clothes' shopping, or as normal people call it....summer clothes shopping. 

And yes, I was laid off and yes we did get a decent amount of clothes, but remember kids....you get pretty things when you save your pennies. 

Take a look at my two lovelies...

I am absolutely in love with the dress on left and for only $17 at good ol' Marshall's....hells to the effin' yeah. 

I see all these fierce fashionable bloggers wearing these lace/eyelet one shoulder dresses and after almost no deliberation I put this sucker on and fell in love. 

I'm not the hottest thing to trot but I'm tooting my own horn on this one, because I feel awesome in this. 

A little Spanx and this mamacita will be good to go while dining with my love on the cruise. 

***

The second dress, I was a little ehh on because of the crazy print, but I figured the hell with it and decided to go out of my comfort zone on this one. It has that funky Aztec print and let me tell you it is pretty damn comfy and the pockets are def. a plus too. It was on clearance at Target so why not. It wasn't like I was going to leave empty handed. 

I have a bunch more that I would love to share via the vlog or pictures but in a way I kinda want to surprise you all with the pictures from the honeymoon when I will be glowing and tan, unlike my pasty white skin now. 

Trust me....no one wants to see that.

Our Weekend In Pictures...

It was a busy weekend so instead of being a chatty Cathy, I'll let the pictures do the talking on this fine Monday morning...

Friday Night: 

Bingo with my sister M...

Nope we didn't win but we did enjoy our Kahlua White Russians that we smuggled in...mmm!!

Saturday Morning: 

Big Man and I headed down to Allentown to get a little more of our Christmas shopping done. We are pretty much done except for a couple gift cards here and there but that is about all. There is a little glimpse of our wrapping paper too. So pretty, I loves it. 

Saturday Night: 

This is the car line into Christmas Village. 

If you think this is bad, you should have seen it when we left. It was ridiculous. The line went on for miles in both directions. 

This is Christmas Village and what gets people obviously excited where we live. 

It's like the Griswolds on crack : ) 

But seriously, it was very pretty and was lots of fun to share with Big Man, my sisters, nephew, niece, and BIL. Hot chocolate, for everyone! :)

Sunday Afternoon: 

My Dad's side of the family has an annual Christmas party and Sunday was the day for it. 

Spaghetti plus lots of Italian side dishes....yes and please! 

Plus, it was fun to see this side of the family that we rarely get to see. :) 

Your turn....

What did you do this weekend?!?!

Awaken From My Turkey & Black Friday Coma

Hope everyone had a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving...

Now that I'm finally coming out of the haze of the last two days, I decided to recap on it. 

On Thanksgiving, Big Man sadly had to work so I woke up at the butt crack of dawn to 

a. Start Cooking?!?

or

b. Blog and Watch The Parade?

Take your time....*Jeopardy music*

If you're a smart little lass or have Twitter, you'd know the latter was the one that was true....

Every year, no matter what I wake up at 9am on Thanksgiving to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. If I had a willing friend, I'd gladly drag them into the city to go see this with me but since I don't, me and Mia watched it from the comfy confines of the couch. 

I love everything about...

The floats

The balloons

The lipsynched musical numbers

The surroundings

♥ 

But I what I loved most was the end when I got to see that big guy in red. Seeing him meant that in a few hours after turkey and pumpkin rolls were consumed, that Christmas was underway.

Can I get a woooo hooooooo?!?

I did kind of feel jealous though when I kept reading on Twitter about everyone preparing their turkeys and making all their little side dishes. With my lack of cooking expertise, I was told by Big Man to absolutely not touch the turkey or do anything before he got home, with the exception of taking it out of the water after it was done brining...

This is Cecile. 

She's our turkey. I named her. She was delicious. 

Big Man was a complete Debbie Downer about photographing Thanksgiving. This was his first time making turkey and he was a little stressball so any time I tried to take pictures, I was shut down quick. He should have let me take a picture though because it was the best turkey I've ever eaten and was a missed opportunity in documenting our first Thanksgiving married. 

Oh well, atleast my belly will remember the turkey, baked mac and cheese, cranberry sauce and pumpkin roll of our first married Thanksgiving. 

After we ate, we lounged around for awhile in a turkey coma until it was time to meet my sister and head out for some Black Friday shopping...

Our first stop was Wally World to pick up a few things on my sister and our list. 

We got their early enough as you can see to split up and set up shop next to our loot. Big Man was grabbing our stuff and me and my sister were grabbing the stuff she wanted for my nephew along with a ShopVac for my cousin. 

This year WalMart started their sales at 10pm and in my opinion that was a big mistake. For starters, it isn't even Black Friday anymore, it's still freakin' Thanksgiving and secondly, alot more crazy people were out since it was alot earlier. 

There is alot of good hearted and kind people who are out on BF and I met three lovely girls while waiting to get a kid's table for my nephew. These girls were sweet enough to grab the table for me while I went down to grab the ShopVac for my cousin and that's where things took a turn for the worse and people got crazy. 

It was 9:40pm and as I was standing next to the ShopVac pallet all you heard was a bunch of people screaming. I later came to find out it was one of my friends sisters who worked there and she was yelling at some guys who were fighting over a griddle or something stupid. In the midst of the shouting people just started tearing open the pallets and started grabbing their stuff. Mind you, we still had 20 minutes till the sale actually started but I grabbed the vac and hauled ass. It was crazy busy in that section and if I would have got hit for some bullshit griddle I would have flipped my shit. 

Thankfully, we got all the stuff we needed from there and got out as quick as possible. 

Big Man had work the next morning at 5am so we split ways but me and my sister continued on and headed to Reading to go to Toys-R-Us and some of the other bigger chains. Soon as we got into TRU I went to stand in the check out line that snaked around the store as my sister shopped and that was the smartest decision we made. If your shopping in pairs or a group, do this so it cuts down on your time and you can get more shopping done. 

We hit up a couple more shops down there including the mall, but we didn't have it in us to wait in the insane lines of Old Navy and Target. 

At around 3am we headed home and went to bed but I was awaken two hours later when Big Man came to pick me up because he got out of work early. Not one to miss a shopping opportunity, Big Man and I continued shopping in the morning and picked up some more Black Friday goodies. 

I'll show you a picture once I bring everything in from the car but I'd say we got a lot of practical stuff. 

Our first married Thanksgiving was a success, now it's on to hosting Christmas for the fam. Eeeek!

How was your Thanksgiving and Black Friday?!? : ) 

It Is What It Is, Son....

Just kidding...

But seriously stay out of my way people.

Mama's haulin' ass and getting deals and doesn't have time for any shenanigans. : ) 

Big Man, my sister and myself are up all night and out this morning hitting up all the Black Friday sales. We will be dropping Big Man off at work at 5 a.m. (he's a trooper!)  and then continuing on our journey of  more stores. Then we will be wrapping it up with a yummy breakfast and a nap. 

That's the plan, atleast. 

To all my other Black Friday crazies out there, good luck and be safe. 

To my all my other lovies that are still home in bed, sleep tight loves. 

Whoa...Black Betty (Bam-Ba-Lam)

That song really has nothing to do with this post but everytime I think about Black Friday shopping that song pops into my head and I can't get the chorus out. 

Anywho...

It's that time of year again loves. 

With Thanksgiving coming next week I am preparing for not only that holiday this week but I'm also making my wishlist for my Black Friday excursion. Now, there may be some of you out there that hate Black Friday and despise all the traffic and commotion that the day after Thanksgiving brings but I'm sure there is also another half  that enjoy this day where were set upon our favorite stores trying to snatch up deals for some of the most coveted gifts or most mundane of household items all in the name of a sale and deep discounts. 

I, myself fall into the second category. 

I'm not that big of a shopper year round but I love going Black Friday shopping and feeling the adrenaline of trying to find my favorite things at extremely low prices. 

This...

Is usually frowned upon by many but I look at this as a challenge and in all honesty I kinda get excited by all the chaos going on around me. No, I don't want to see anyone trampled or killed but I enjoy seeing the looks on peoples faces as they feverishly scour for their coveted items. I'm not there to get in a knockout drag out fight over towels and tableware, nothing is worth that much but I have learned over the years some valuable lessons that have helped me and I'm here to share them with you today.

If you have plans to go out Black Friday shopping, here are some helpful tips that might save you some time and hassle....

Research Your Deals

Gone are the days where you had to wait for the Sunday before Thanksgiving circulars to come out before you could start looking for the deals you wanted. It is a new day and you can find almost all the big name retailers Black Friday ads online with a few clicks of your mouse. Visit here for a list of them. This is important because right now is the prime time to price compare and see which retailers offers the most of what your looking for and which is at a lower price. This will save you so much time at the store, if you have a list of exactly what your there to get. 

Learn The Layout Of The Stores

You may know the layout of your local stores from going in them regularly but if you are going somewhere you've never been than I suggest going ahead of time and learning the layout of where the products are located. Even if you do know your store, it is a good idea to get to your Black Friday destination early so that way you can learn where they put all the sale items. I know last year at Wally World alot of items were located in rather strange spots and if we didn't survey the area beforehand we would have been running around like chickens with our heads cut off. 

Plan According To Openings and Importance

If your getting something of utmost importance than make sure to hit up that store first (i.e. electronics, TV's, etc.) before others have the opportunity to snag your swag. I rank my list of things by what I want the most and what times their stores are open. I can find a majority of my list at Wally World and they open at 10 p.m. so we will be hitting up there first to grab our most important goods. From there on, we list our destinations by store opening times and the importance of each of those items. Not all stores open at the same time so make sure to double check what time they will be letting people in. 

Dress Appropriately

I know up here in Pennsylvania the weather for Thanksgiving can be unpredictable so when I dress up for Black Friday shopping I dress in layers and boots. My usual get up is some jeggings, a comfy cute tee, a hoodie and my boots. This usually keeps me feeling comfortable to where I'm not too hot crammed inside or not too cold standing outside. This will change depending on where you live. 

Accessories 

Try to bring as few as possible. The last thing you want to worry about is your bulky purse getting in the way or someone stealing it or you losing it along with all your belongings amid the chaos. I personally don't bring my purse because I'm afraid of losing it but I do bring my cell in case there is an emergency. 

Cash

To each their own on this but I only bring the amount that I intend to spend in cash and leave my wallet and credit/debit cards at home. As you have seen some people are crazy out there and the last thing I need is me losing or someone stealing my card and then I'm SOL for the rest of the day and for the holidays. That is a stress that I think we could all agree, we don't need.

Make Friends

I go Black Friday shopping with my sister and Big Man and it actually works out well for us to travel in this little tripod. We don't have to worry about a large group slowing us down and this little trifecta allows us to work together to get all of our loot and I feel safer out shopping with a small group than by myself. I also think it is important to not be an asshole and try to make nice with those standing around you. They might me the ones to help you get that last Shark Steam Mop that your were trying to get : ) 

Do you go Black Friday shopping or is it totally not your thing?

What are you looking to get this year??

Why We Shouldn't Watch TV While Bored...

It was a lazy Sunday night in the Little Home and when Big Man and I couldn't find any good programs to watch we switched to the crazies of Extreme Couponing. 

You know those people who stock pile a gajillion rolls of toilet paper and baby wipes and with a $600 checkout end up only paying $15.

Yeah, them.

I'm intrigued by shows like this and like watching the madness unfold of some of these people. This is not just a sale to them, this is a way of life that they take extremely seriously. While watching on Sunday, we even witnessed a 16 year old boy who was an extreme shopper who stock piled on pads (like AF pads) for no other reason than that they were on sale. 

That is the one part of this whole system that I don't understand....

Yes, sure it might have been free and oh how can you pass up something that your not even paying for but really what is the purpose in getting it if your not going to use it? 

(i.e the boy with the pads...???)

Maybe it's just me, but I have enough clutter in my house already and I don't need to be adding 60 cases of coffee on top of it when I don't even drink it. 

With that being said...

I think Big Man and I are embarking on this crazy journey and are going to 'treme' couponing. Not as extreme as the people on the show but we want to get the most bang for our buck and want to use coupons and sales to our advantage.That is why if you would have came to our house on Sunday night you would have found us buried under 4 newspapers sorting through and clipping coupons to our little hearts content. 

I'm not sure how this we'll go since I don't want to cause a scene at a supermarket with 4 carts of groceries but I'm willing to suck it up so me and my baby can get deals. We started meal planning and it only seems logical to try to find savings for the dishes and essentials we need. Times are hard and I think I can speak for alot of us when I say that now more than ever we are looking for more ways to pinch pennies and get savings where we can. 

Do you use coupons or do couponing?

What do you think of it?

How are you and your family saving money this year....I'm always looking for new tips and ideas. : ) 

...And It Was A Success...

...Christmas shopping that is. 

Big Man and I headed down to Allentown yesterday to hit up the stores and to get the majority of our Christmas shopping out of the way. It was a freaking zoo, let me tell you. I figured it would be considering it was a Saturday and there were lots of sales going on but wowzer.

I'm glad though that we went now because I couldn't imagine what it would like in December when everyone is in the crazy Christmas state of mind and acts all irrational. I love Christmas and I love Christmas shopping but one thing I can't stand is ignorant people in public places. 

Due to some sneaky readers, I can't show you any of the goodies that I picked up for anybody but I'm pretty happy with what we got and think we tailored alot of the gifts to people's personalities.

What I can show you though, is this adorable ornament that I scooped up at Tarjay...

How freakin' cute is this...I am in love with it. 

If you've been a long time follower, you know the petition I went through with Big Man to get me this for many Christmas'. Last year, my dream finally came true and I got one and my baking has been awesome ever since. I've been looking for a stand mixer ornament to put on my  kitchen candy/food tree but never was able to find it until yesterday when Tarjay came to the rescue. 

I love it. 

It's red. It's glittery. And the perfect addition to my ornament addiction. 

Moving along....

After a couple hours of shopping, this little ladies belly was starting to rumble and Big Man knew to feed the beast soon. We decided on Olive Garden but they had a long wait, then Red Lobster but they had a ridiculous wait, so we thought Cracker Barrel but of course they were filled too. 

C'mon people, go home and cook. ; ) 

After a ride from Allentown to Reading where we saw this beautiful sunset...

We decided to just head up our way and hit up the Cracker Barrel there. 

I got my french toast while Big Man got his meat and potatoes meal and even when we got home Big Man made some hot chocolate for the two us.

Shopping bags in the trunk and full bellies to boot....I'd def. label our shopping excursion a success.  : ) 

Let's Get This Show On The Road...

Today Big Man and I are venturing out in the Saturday madness to do this....

Yes, it's a Christmas miracle that not only are we getting our holiday shopping done early but also that I have Big Man accompanying me on this journey, that I usually take alone. 

Big Man is not much of a shopper but the stars aligned and my sweet husband decided that we should get this out of the way earlier and he would help this year in the gift giving. If you know anything about the hubby, you know that questions that go like this...

"What do you think? Should we get it?" 

usually are followed up with responses like such

"I don't know....you decide."

It's like an automated response from him, I swear. 

Since he is joining me I can't snatch up any of his goodies, but I am hoping to get the majority of my list knocked off today and be able to score some deals in doing so. Even if I don't, I will be still enjoying the the hustle and bustle and the decorations adorning the mall.

I don't know what it is but just seeing all the wreaths and bows and pops of red and green everywhere  while listening to the Christmas music lightly playing in the background makes for a much more enjoyable shopping experience. 

Wish me luck ladies :) 

Have you started your Christmas shopping yet?

Where are your fave places to shop??

My Inspiration...

On Monday, I talked a little bit about getting of rid of my old clothes and my plight to lose some weight. I lost  about 10-15 lbs. last year but I am pretty sure I've gained almost half, if not more of it back since then. I'm not happy with it, especially since it is right before the wedding, but I am motivated to lose as much as I can before then. 

Now, it's not just for the wedding. 

I want to lose weight in general to feel better and to not be labeled in the 'overweight' BMI category but I also want to shed some of these extra pounds to be in the best possible shape to make some babies. Don't get any be ideas....it's not happening quite yet but I want to be in the best possible shape so that I hopefully have better chances when the time does come. I'm not sure that makes sense....I want to lose weight just so I can gain it back but I hope you know what I mean. 

Anywho, since I've cleaned out my closet...it is pretty bare and will be in need of some new threads when I reach my goal weight. I am going to grant myself a mini shopping spree when I reach that goal and in the mean time, I am checking all the new pretties I want to get....

A nice casual jean and cardigan combo

This little number for when I want to bring my sexy back : ) 

I'm not sure if I will be able to pull off the ruffle sleeves but that will just make me work harder on my arms

Purple is one of my favorite colors and I just like the style and sheer-ness at the top

And what's a shopping spree for if a girl doesn't get some new shoes....

Be still my heart ♥

What gives you inspiration when you're trying to get in shape?!?

And if you say the the simple joy of it....I will have to defriend you : ) 

Sometimes Old Is Better...Other Times It's Not

This weekend was pretty chill for Big Man and I.

We partook in a little bazaar this weekend in our town. I thought it was going to be like other block parties I've gone to but this was a pretty bunk bazaar. With what they lacked in entertainment they made up for with good bleenies (or so I hear), food, and bingo. 

On Saturday though after a little debacle about what to do, Big Man and I hit up one of my favorite spots Country Junction and then decided to walk around this cute quaint town. 

We always pass through the town on our way to Country Junction but never really stopped to take in all the sights. On Saturday we did and I was in awe of all the old buildings and cute little shops they had. 

Because I'm a nice gal, I'll taking you on a little virtual tour of this cute, historic town called Jim Thorpe.....

In the center of the downtown is this amazing train station where you can actually take train rides. It was bustling on Saturday with families and children all ready to hop aboard and take a ride on one of these guys...

They have open air seating (on left) and regular cars (on right) that you can choose to ride one. Big Man and I were going to go but we decided to come back on another day and chose to just walk around and take in the sights. 

After we got done looking at the trains, if you turned completely around you would run into this sweet, shaded courtyard...

 They had food vendors and tables to sit at to unwind from walking around and even from those seats you could hear the live music that was playing up the street. 

The down was full of old buildings that seemed to be kept in great shape or either refurbished very well...

It was nice actually seeing buildings in there original state and not plastered with siding and other new architectural  features. 

Besides the actual buildings themselves, they housed a bunch of little shops, restaurants, and inns...

This awesome hotel/inn that was obviously called The Inn reminded me of the buildings that you would see in the French Quarter in New Orleans. They had a beautiful restaurant and pub that I will def. be visiting on my next trip up there. 

Street lined with different shops

 I absolutely adored this shop that we went into. 

I was trying to be sly with taking pictures hence the crappy quality but this was the ultimate girly girl store. If was whites, light cremes, pinks, and pastel with the softest lighting and chandeliers everywhere. If I ever had my own girl cave....I would def. style it after this store!

Big Man enjoying the scenery after he said he felt claustrophobic in the girly store  : ) 

Besides the stores they had a few of little restaurants and cafes that had outdoor seating. This had to be my favorite outdoor setup...

How freakin' cute is that to have an old ironing board as table with some stools pulled up....love it!

Here is some more of the sights we got to see...

An Opera House

Another cute gift shop 

An

An hippie head shop called Horizons.

It was an great day to get out and walk around and this little town was the thing for a lazy Saturday afternoon. If you ever get the chance, def. check out this town

It's called Jim Thorpe

And if shopping isn't you or your families thing they also have biking trails, Segway tours, and white water rafting. Little town with lots to do. : ) 

After our day out, we came home and just relaxed. 

Ok, we didn't relax....more so Big Man did while I did the dishes, straightened up, did wash, and cleaned out my closet...

I'm trying to lose weight for this wedding and in general and yesterday I was in a mood to just get rid of things. After a meltdown yesterday, I decided to start becoming more focused on  my eating and exercising and make a serious attempt at losing weight. 

In the state of mind I was in... I decided to go through and aggressively get rid of clothes that I 

a.) haven't worn in the last 1-5 years

b.) didn't fit...mama put some weight on or

c.) wasn't my style anymore

I had clothes way back from high school that I was still clinging onto and for what reason I don't know why. So yesterday I went through everything and got rid of about 40% of my wardrobe. It doesn't look like much but this garbage bag full of clothes will be making a new home at my sister's and if she doesn't like them than maybe at the Salvation Army. 

I feel much better about the clothes I decided to keep and when I get to my goal weight I plan on taking myself on a little shopping spree....hopefully that's a motivator.

How was your weekend?

Do anything fun?!?

A Dreambook For Serious, My Friends...

Ok, so maybe not for you fashion loving, recipe digging, JCrew sporting, HomeGoods buying peeps this is not your ultimate magazine or dreambook but to a Christmas Crazy Person (CCP) like myself it was a magical moment when I walked into Hallmark on Saturday and witnessed what truly was...

Christmas In July

*Squeal*

It's ok, I know I am nuts and I fully accept it but let me tell you how freaking excited I was to see this book and the array of ornaments they already had on display. I was like a kid in a candy store but then imagine if you gave that kid a Red Bull and then topped him off with a flurry of Pixie Stix. 

I was on the next level, my loves, the next level. 

Big Man and I were on our way to a movie so I couldn't swoon over them as long as I would have liked but I did grab the free Keepsake booklet to take home. Except I didn't wait till I got home. As soon as my ass touched the car cushions, I whipped out my handy dandy red Sharpie and started going crazy...

It wasn't my proudest moment when Big Man turned to me and said..

"Are you seriously circling them?"

But I couldn't contain myself and that Sharpie was on a freakin' mission.

If I was sane, I would stop my self inflicted shame and embarrassment here but I am not that girl, so I will continue on to show you the ornaments I covet from this year Keepsake Ornaments Catalog. 

You can see the three pictured above but I'll give you a close up look at one that I'm especially fond of...

If you've been around this blog long enough you know that Big Man and I affectionately refer to ourselves as chocolate milk. He obviously being the chocolate....me surprise surprise being the milk. It's corny but we love it and I know love this ornament.

Though I'm not much of a church goer these days, I think this ornament is adorable and it plays "This Little Light Of Mine" which was one of my favorite songs to sing when I was in the choir as a child. Brings back wonderful memories. 

Just like Big Man and I do with each other, we also buy Mia a new ornament every year for the Christmas tree. I think this one is so cute and she is a good dog......when she's listening : ) 

And last but not least....

A slew of Christmas movie related ornaments. 

My favorites are:

- The dad from A Christmas Story with his sexy leg lamp

- The Griswold Family Christmas Tree that plays the opening sequence to the movie and

- The silver bell from The Polar Express that say 'It Stills Rings For Me'.....I love that movie and was actually looking for an ornament like this for awhile....so score for me. 

I know I'm not the only CCP since I saw a few of my blog friends also posting Christmas related blogs in July but I'm here to help out all CCP's far and wide and let them know that if they need a stroke of Christmas cheer than Hallmark got them covered. 

Happy Holidays ...errrr Hump Day! : )

Wedding Wandoms...Sorry For My Wisp : )

If you didn't get that, that was my try to be funny and keep with the 'W' sound.....no?

 Ok, moving along then...

It's Friday and my first week of vacation is now officially over. Boo, I know. Butttttttttt.....I still have another week to go, so yay to that. With the I Do's only 50 days away (OMFG!!), I have nothing but wedding, wedding, wedding on my brain. I wish I had more interesting things to document but this is really my life right now and  lucky you (?) get to some straight bridal babble from this soon to be bride on this beautiful morning. 

Your welcome ;  ) 

- Did I mention that THE BIG DAY IS 50 DAYS AWAY!!!!! 

Seriously where the hell did the time go?!? I can't believe that in a little over a month and a half that I will be Mrs. Big Man...it is starting to get real real now.

- After an afternoon of shopping with my mom and sister yesterday, I am feeling a little more prepared for the day. Some of the things we purchased were: an aisle runner, a pillow/guestbook/basket combo, our toast glasses and cake cutters, favors, ribbon for favors.  and a toss bouquet. 

- I mentioned on Twitter yesterday that I was having bouquet blues and the reason is, is that my 'toss' bouquet is bigger than the actual one that I'm carrying. I love the one that I got to carry but feel stupid now that it is so much smaller than I anticipated. I'm thinking that maybe I'll add some flowers to the the toss one and then use the other for the toss but that one is double the price of the other. Confused yet? Yeah, me too.

- MY DRESS CAME IN!!!

I am so so so (no number of so's could explain) how excited I am for this. I am calling today to make an appointment to get fitted and see how it looks. I can't wait to see how it looks since it's been taken in some. I really hope it turns out how I envisioned it.

- As mentioned above, I got my favors yesterday and I actually got them cheaper at a popular party outlet than I thought I could get elsewhere. Score for LW! : ) If I arrange them correctly they can also work as a secondary centerpiece.

- My custom garter should be coming in today and I am very excited to see how it came out. Eeeek...everything is coming all at once...be still my heart : )

- I got another bachelorette party dress, shhh don't tell Big Man. I bought one a couple months in red but while out shopping I couldn't pass up the chance to get it in white. It is the same style dress but I thought it was more appropriate since I am indeed the bride to get it in white. It worries me since we will be on a party bus and there will be lots of drinks around but I'm bringing the red one as a back up. Momma didn't raise no fool.

- Speaking of bachelorette parties, mine is next Saturday and I am super stoked about it. Big Man's bachelor party on the other hand is tomorrow!!! Yup, my fiance will be taken out by his groomsmen and lots of friends in what I believe know to be drunken debauchery and most likely seeing a stripper of some sort. And I am ok with that. We've gone to see strippers together on more than one occasion so that's not a problem, but I have threatened his groomsmen that if his penis gets touched in anyway they will lose theirs.....fair enough right?

I think that's all for now. I'm sure I will have much to update on after this weekend but until then, fairwell and have a great weekend friends : )