Letters.

Dear Tuesday, I have high hopes for you.  I am looking forward to our weekly family Chick-Fil-A outing as if it's a breath of fresh air!  I am also hoping that I can make it a very productive day all around and keep that energy flowing throughout the rest of the week!

Dear Presley, I think my favorite sight in the world is the cheesy smile that you do these days... it warms my heart and soul.  You are so sweet and beautiful that it is hard for me to believe you are mine.  Your daddy and I are constantly taken aback by the things you do and your reactions to the world around you.  I just hope that I can return the favor by being an amazing mom for you because you deserve that and so much more!

Dear hubby, You are so great to me.  Thank you for all the sweet things you do for me and for Presley.  I know I don't tell you enough how much I appreciate it all.  Thank you for always entertaining my wild ideas and for believing in me!  I can't wait to spend our first special valentine's day together with our tiny valentine!  I love you two so much more than anything!

Dear body, I cannot believe it has been a year since I carried a baby inside of my body.  I cannot BELIEVE it's been a year since my labor and delivery.  I cannot believe it has nearly been an entire year since the moment when Presley laid on me for the first time, ever.  It doesn't matter how disappointed I am with the current state of my body... when I remember all the magic that came from these changes, I can't help but be in awe of everything that has happened in the last year and a half.

Dear Lent, I am so unprepared mentally and emotionally for you.  I have to be honest, we have not been attending church regularly AT ALL and that is the main reason why I am feeling so unprepared.  However, after talking to a friend, Megan, and my sister... I believe one of the things I need to take a break from for the next 40 days is Facebook.  It holds a large amount of my time and attention throughout any given day and I can't say that I've ever taken an extended time away from Facebook in the last six years (aside from my week-long honeymoon).  I just hope I am up for the task and that I can make the most of the time it frees up!

Dear junk, Please... vacate our house, PRONTO!

Dear February, This month we will celebrate surviving the first YEAR of parenthood.  We.  Survived.  And Presley will be ONE next week - which means we will be celebrating this upcoming weekend.  I am so excited to see our friends and family to have some fun!

Dear breastfeeding, Speaking of year anniversaries... I can't believe Presley and I are getting ready to hit the year mark in our breastfeeding relationship!  I swore if I made it to 12 months that I would quit the second that I had the chance - but the funny thing is I don't see that happening anytime soon.  I don't want to brag or jinx myself, but Presley has been in good health all year and I contribute a great part of that to breastfeeding.  She just had her first cold (runny nose, congestion, etc.) last week and it is hardly worth mentioning.  I realize how lucky we are and I really am nervous to break our breastfeeding relationship anytime soon!  (Breastfeeding moms, when did you end breastfeeding your little one?  And how was their health after the fact?)

Dear weather, I can't wait for the weather to warm up just a bit.  Today was bitterly cold!  And I can't wait to start complaining about the warm weather!!!  Spring is JUST around the corner... only five more weeks!

Dear nighttime, What a love/hate relationship we have.  I am exhausted throughout the day and so enjoy my alone time at night.  It's something that has been the same since I can remember and I don't foresee anything changing.  Any tips?

Dear life, You are certainly unpredictable at times and often catch me by surprise - but that is so much part of the beauty of being human; we are often surprised at how different our plans are from reality.

Dear bloggies, I can't wait to post about the family pictures we had made over the weekend!  They turned out so beautifully and we had such a fantastic photographer.  Until then, ENJOY your week!

Words from my 19-year-old self.

As some of you may know, I have been blogging for a long time now, though it always hasn't been here on Blogspot.  Sometimes I like to go back and read the musings of my former self through the years.  I stumbled across this entry and my jaw all but fell on the ground considering I wrote such a similar post just a few weeks ago (Top 5 Reasons Why I Love My Hubby) because I did not remember that this entry existed!  It floors me to be able to read these things now and then and mostly that these things are about the same man!  It's exciting to see where we are headed by looking at where we have been and knowing where we are now in our marriage.  This is one of the reasons I keep blogging - it is SO rewarding.

So, without hesitation, here is an entry from my former blog (complete with pictures) from August 10, 2007:

5 Reasons Why I know I want to marry Tony someday:

He protects me: He is very careful of my feelings so he doesn't hurt them, he respects me completely, he tries hard not to hurt me at all, he sticks up for me, and he is always there if I need him. I feel very safe around him. When I'm sick, he takes care of me, and he is SO selfless about it. He is always making sure I'm alright.

He makes me feel like one in a million: Not only does he remember all my favorite things, but he treats me by surprising me with them all the time. He does the SWEETEST, kindest, nicest things for me and doesn't expect - or even want - recognition for it. He does those things because he honestly loves me and wants to see me smile and make me happy. He doesn't look at other girls in front of me and tells me I am the only one for him... he acts like he only has eyes for me.

He loves me, knowing all my imperfections and shortcomings: Seriously, I fart on this guy and he still likes me... haha. But really- I tell him everything from what I'm feeling to venting to him about what upsets me. He listens to me, he is so patient, and he rarely ever loses his temper with me (and I am a provoker!!!). I am such a brat and instead of hating me he makes me feel like I'm not crazy. He helps me become a better person - whether its just being a better sharer or making major changes in myself because of how great he is to me.

He is sure of us: He doesn't go back & forth about his feelings for me, no matter what. He tells me he knows we are going to get married and when he talks about having kids of his own in the future, I'm always part of that.

He is my home: He is my rock- he is what I ALWAYS turn to and lean on when I am not feeling strong enough to do it myself. When I am with him even if I have a million things to worry about he has a way of putting his arms around me (yeaaah its cheesey, but true) and just calming me down. When I was away from him it was a really tough thing for me to do because he is such a big part of me. I feel so comfortable around him and I don't know what I would do without that comfort.

Hope you enjoyed.  If you love somebody, let them know why and just how much you adore them for you NEVER know when you will get the chance again!  Happy Tuesday and have a wonderful night.

Homemade Baby Wipes Tutorial (Easy & Inexpensive!)

As a thrifty stay-at-home mom, I am always looking for creative ways to stretch our dollars.  If you are a mom who has ever purchased baby wipes, you know that without coupons or store deals, they can get pretty pricey!  Not to mention, your child may have a bad reaction to certain brand, so you can't always just grab whatever is least expensive on any given week.  In addition to that, I have heard all kinds of rumors about the additives in commercial baby wipes which makes me very leery to use them on my little one.

I am not an extreme couponer (or really an extreme anything for that matter) and I don't buy newspapers for coupons mostly because I am too cheap and lazy.  But what I do love is online coupons and I use them often!  I currently stumbled upon the Healthy Essentials website which is simple to use and while they offer just a few coupons, they're for great products.  Healthy Essentials is currently offering $1/Johnson's Baby Oil and $1/Johnson's Baby Wash which will cut down the cost of these homemade baby wipes considerably!

With that being said, I stepped out on a branch and decided to make some baby wipes for Miss Presley right here in our house!

Here are the 5 things you will need:

• 1 Paper Towel Roll (You will need an unused roll.  For the purpose of this "recipe" of baby wipes, however, you will only be using half of the roll.)
• 1 Tablespoon of Baby Oil (1 Tablespoon = .5 Ounce)
• 2 Tablespoons of Baby Wash (2 Tablespoons = 1 Ounce)
• 2 cups of Boiled Water (maybe a little bit less water?)
  
• 1 Container (One that is big enough to contain half a roll of your favorite paper towel brand; I used a tupperware-type container from the Dollar Tree which will cost you a whopping $1!  Though, I imagine a large Ziploc bag would work as well.)

I started by boiling the two cups of water in order to sterilize the water.  (You could also use distilled water from the store.)  While the water was heating up, gather your supplies! 

*Side note:  If you use boiled water, you want to wait for it to COOL DOWN all the way before pouring it on the paper towel roll!*

I got one of the largest knives in my knife block and started cutting the paper towel roll in half.  At first I used a bread knife but that made a complete mess - so I started using our santoku/chef knife and that worked much better.

This is the result of cutting the paper towel roll in half - not anything too difficult!

Next, you are going to carefully pull the cardboard roll away and out of the roll of paper towels.  Again, this is easy-peasy.  Afterwards, set the roll down into your container (I faced the side I just cut downward) and begin mixing your ingredients together in a small mixing bowl.

And let me just tell you, this smells MAGICAL!
It is honestly that sweet baby smell that is incredibly infectious.

Finally, pour the solution all over the roll of paper towels - don't be shy! - make sure you pour the solution over the entire roll. 

Once the solution was added, I put the lid on my container and let it sit for about 10-20 minutes.  Then I flipped the container upside down and let it sit for another 10-20 minutes so the solution could settle in all over the roll.  And voila, you've got some fantastic smelling, homemade baby wipes!


Here is the price breakdown:

• 2 cups of water: FREE!  (If you use your at home tap water & boil it beforehand.)
• Bounty Paper Towel 3 Pack of 103 - 2 ply sheets: paid $4.99
  =$.83/half roll, which is what I used for this "recipe"
• 20 oz. Equate Baby Oil: paid $2.47
  =$.06/tablespoon, which is the amount I used for this "recipe"
• 28 oz. Johnson's Baby Wash: paid $3.97 (orig. $4.97 before $1 coupon found here)
  =$.14/ounce, which is the amount I used for this "recipe"

Total Spent: $1.05 for 103 baby wipes!
*compare to $2.37 for a 64 ct. of commercial wipes online
 

My purpose for sharing this is to simply encourage all parents out there that if you have been considering making your own wipes, that it is very doable!  It's very cost-effective (especially considering that most parents have these few items on hand) and doesn't take any time at all to put together.  So don't be intimidated because if I can do it, so can you!  As we start putting these wipes to good use, I will make sure to update on how the review of how we like the wipes as well as our favorite paper towel brands to use!

If you enjoy Chasing Moonlight & Roses, LIKE us on Facebook or vote for us at Top Baby Blogs!

Miscellaneous.

So, I bought this adorable little dress last year for Presley to wear this year for Valentine's Day.  It's precious and has little hearts all over it and my favorite part is that I got it after the holiday so it was super clearanced out!  The worst part is that I've had to stare at it for a YEAR hanging in her closet before getting to dress her up in it.  Since it's officially February now, I am finding all kinds of excuses to finally put her in it.  I'm thinking about putting her in it this weekend for church!  And of course on Valentine's Day when she goes on a date with her mommy and daddy!  Can't wait for that and of course I will post about it afterwards.  This will be her last "first" holiday since her birthday is less than a week after Valentine's Day, so she wasn't here to celebrate with us last year.  And then two days after her last first holiday is her FIRST BIRTHDAY!


February is going to be such a fun month; this weekend is the Superbowl, next weekend I've scheduled family/first birthday pictures, and the following weekend is Presley's birthday party.  We were going to do cake smash pictures but Tony and I decided we wanted her first time digging into some yummy cake to be at her party and I just can't wait to see her reaction.  I've decided to make her a pumpkin flavored cake and I can't wait to post about it!  And for her birthday party we're going to get some pizza with friends and family a the weekend before her actual birthday.  It'll be a blast!  So far all we've gotten her (and all we really plan to get her) is a Little Tikes Cozy Coupe!  Though, I'm sure as her birthday gets closer I will start justifying small gifts for her here and there.

In other news... I've gotten so fed up with my post-baby body lately and it mostly stems from the fact that I'm not really doing anything about it.  (Stupid winter...)  I've thought about joining a local gym that's only $10/month, but until I make up my mind about the gym, I've started doing a pre-shower mini workout routine.  (The base of the routine is... 50 jumping jacks, 5 pushups, 20 crunches, 20 mountain climbers, 30 second plank, & arm routine with my weights.  It doesn't seem like very much of a routine, but it's a start and it really is what I need to get started because it's not a HUGE commitment.)  I'm only 10 pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight but those ten pounds look dramatically different on a mommy's body!  I gained some weight back after I stopped doing the couch to 5k program - which I hope to start back once spring hits. 

That's about all for tonight, but I hope everybody is busy having a fantastic and relaxing weekend!  Soak it up.

A Method in the Madness.

My blog friend, Ryanne, included me in the "Liebster Award" which is a way for the blog world to get to know one another!  It's such a fabulous idea and I loved reading Ryanne's entry (which you can check out here) so I decided to take part as well.  I filled out something similar (Sisterhood of the World) a few months ago, so I will try not to repeat myself!

The first part is telling 11 things about myself.

1. I grew up always thinking the more friends I had, the luckier I was - but over the last few years it's been proven that it is quality over quantity that's so important.
2. I never liked Led Zepplin until a few years ago.  My husband (he was my boyfriend at the time) was pretty obsessed with them and for some reason it made me like the band even less and I refused to give them a chance.  Now, I just love listening to their music.
3. The first concert I remember going to was Nsync.  And Lance Bass waved to me and my little sister.  I swear.
4. I've only gotten into one (physical) girl fight and it was in the 4th grade at recess.  I'm not gonna say I won... but I'm pretty sure I won.
5. I am not only obsessed with Coca-Cola but I really, REALLY dislike Pepsi!
6. Tony and I started dating March 20 (2003), got married May 20 (2011), and Presley was born February 20 (2012) - so the 20th is a very special and meaningful day/number for us!
7. The most difficult time in my relationship with Tony was the time we were long distance.  Not for the faint of heart!
8. At one point in my childhood I had a banana-seat bike and I loved it - it was pink and girly and different - and then people started making fun of me for it so I asked for a new bike.  I wish I would have had the confidence back then to realize it didn't matter what anybody else thought because I really loved that freaking bike!
9. My sisters and I definitely played Barbies passed the age that it is socially acceptable.
10. I was so against the idea of a smartphone.  Why do we need them when we already have iPods?  (I mean, we paid a lot of money for our iPods and now they will basically be obsolete?)  Why do you need a phone that does everything?  I didn't like how consumed people were with them and especially didn't like the cost associated with them.  But now that we have them and see exactly how resourceful they are, I couldn't be more happy with the switch! 
11. I used to love staying in hotels as a kid... but now they gross me out.  Who knows what kind of people have laid in that bed before you.... YUCK!

The second part is answering the following 11 questions.

1. Why did you decide to start a blog?
   Well, I began writing in my first blog back in 2004 on a different website.  At the time I started it, a few of my friends had blogs and I thought it was a pretty cool concept.  I wanted to be able to keep up with their blogs and found journaling on the computer rather than on paper suited me well.  It was a rough time in my life and blogging really helped me by giving me an outlet.
   
   Then in 2010 I felt like I had outgrown my previous blog and that my life and taken a new turn away from the direction I was headed in years past - so I started this blog.  My last one was more private and was centered around pain and anger; I wanted to move away from that and felt I had blessings to share with others and that's how I started my current blog!
2. How did you know your spouse was the one?
   Well this is certainly going to be difficult to answer!
   
   The way has always treated me and spoke to me - with respect and compassion and forgiveness that goes on and on forever.  He is kind and respectful and carefree.  He is easy on the eyes, has the best scent in the world, and no matter what we went through together I never got sick of him.  He has been my comfort for so many years and my protector and he never holds me back.  We have a connection that has always felt soul-deep.
   
   Short answer:  Everything.
3. Name 3 of the most important people in your life.  Why are they so important?
   Tony and Presley (my husband and daughter) are a given - so I am excluding them from this question since my blog is always centered around what they mean to me!
   
   My big sister, Amanda.  She's not only my sister but my best friend.  We are 2.5 years apart and she has always been such a blessing - got me my first real job and watched my back at school and everywhere else we went.  One of my favorite memories is in my first year of highschool, I realized I forgot my lunch at home that morning.  Without a second thought, she gave me her lunch.  Another one of my favorites was letting me borrow her locker - we went to a pretty huge highschool and if your locker wasn't near any of your other classes it meant having to carry heavy books around all day, which is exactly what happened to me - until she told me I could use her locker anytime I wanted (which was located by several of my classes).  She's so giving and dances to the beat of her own drum and I love her.  We talk almost every day and have kids 5 months apart and my life would be so empty without Amanda!
   My little sister, Ashley.  My little sister has always been one of my best friends.  We are about two years apart and just had one grade between us in school and had a lot of the same friends - so we spent a ton of time together!  We'd always say that we shared half a brain.  Not sharing a whole brain, but half a brain, because we were so much alike and we made some pretty questionable choices back in the day - haha!  She was literally always there for me and I have so many good memories of her and I - we would spend our summers together staying up late playing video games, eating snacks, watching movies, and listening to our favorite CDs.  We butted heads a lot - and we still do to this day - but she still just understands me in a way that other people don't... not even my husband knows what I'm talking about sometimes and I'll say, "Well... must have been an inside joke with me and Ashley then..." :) 
   My best friend, Betsy.  And one of the first real friends I had here in the Quad Cities.  Went to high school with her, college with her, and we've worked together.  She's been here through some of my worst days (dragging me to bed after I've had too much to drink) and through some of my best days (stood by me on my wedding day) and she is absolutely irreplaceable.
4. How do your personal beliefs (social/religious/philosophical) differ from your upbringing now that you are an adult? How have they stayed the same?
   I think my personal beliefs reflect very well of my upbringing and I don't think they differ much at all.  We've always been taught to treat others with respect and I feel that is still one of my top priorities today.  I grew up in the Catholic Church and still consider myself a practicing Catholic today.  It was also important in my family to do good for others and not just yourself (to be giving, to recycle/take care of our resources so that future generations could also reap the benefits, etc.) - which is even more important to me now than ever.
5. If you had a million dollars, how would you spend it?
   On my family.  First up would be a house.  I would like to travel the United States with my family and possibly other parts of the world.  Beyond that, we'd probably try to save as much as we could.
6. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
   Great question.  In ten years I would be 35 and Presley will be almost 11.  I would like to live near family and have deep roots in our community, wherever that may be.  I would LOVE to be out of the Midwest and possibly well out of the baby stage at that point - hopefully with at least two kiddos at home.  I would love the opportunity to focus on myself and my career goals at that point in my life.
7. What is one way you are seeking to improve yourself this year?
   Geez... these are really great questions!  I would like to improve my temper - which is something I have been constantly working on over the past 4+ years.  In addition to that, I need to get my body to a better place than it is right now and to make it a priority to become active every day!
8. What is the best book you have ever read?
   I'm not sure if there is one book above all other books that is my favorite, per say, but the books that really sparked my love of reading as a young adult were the books written by Nicholas Sparks and Stephenie Meyer. 
9. What song describes your mood today?
   Mark Salling's "Lone Ranger"
10. Do you have any pets?
    No, but one day we'd like to rescue a pup and add him into our family!  We'd like to wait until we are living somewhere more permanent and possibly after the baby stage is over.
11. Do you have a bucket list?
    Yep!  Not only do I have an ongoing bucket list - but I have a family bucket list for 2013.  I'm not obsessive over the lists, but they are nice reminders.

The third part is assigning 11 unique questions to the people I am asking to take part in this.

1. Did you grow up listening to music in your house?  What are some of the albums/artists/songs you remember listening to and liking?
2. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? In 10 years?
3. What is your favorite TV show?
4. When and why did you start your blog?  What is the significance behind the title of your blog?
5. What song is fitting to the kind of day you've had so far?
6. What do you consider your worst trait?  Your best?
7. What is one of your most embarrassing moments?
8. What do you look for in a significant other?
9. Do you have any regrets thus far in your life?  If so, how have you tried to or hope to amend them?
10. What is one of your biggest hopes for 2013?
11. When you're having a bad day, what is it that helps you make it through the day?

And the fourth part is nominating 11 blog writers to take part if they so choose.  I adore and respect and enjoy the opportunity of getting to know these ladies through blogging.  I really encourage everybody to check each of them out!

1. Caitlin at Catholic Cooke Jar
2. Megan at Life Lessons of a New Mommy
3. Lindsey at Style, Shopping, and Secrets
4. Heather at According to Me
5. Hali at Out of Complicated Theories
6. Jessica at Letters to Wyatt
7. Nikki at Life of the Lasseter's
8. Mandi at Messy Wife, Blessed Life
9. Ashley at Every Little Beautiful Pieces
10. Jen at Mise En Place
11. Lisa at The Sweet Life of a Southern Wife

Also, if you're on Facebook, you can LIKE the page I started for my blog so you can stay up to date!

Happy 11 month birthday, Presley pants!

Well I do declare!  (That particular expression was for you, Amanda...)  I cannot believe it is already time to write this blog.  Today our little girly is 11 months old!  Let's delve into what's going on in Presley's life these days...

• Chompers:  At the present moment, she's got 4 teeth up top and 4 teeth on the bottom of her mouth!  Two (of the four) top teeth are still fairly new and haven't come all the way down yet.  And man, she loves to use those teeth.  Her and I play this little game where she tries to bite my nose and usually she just pretends like she's gonna bite it and other times she actually does bite it.  I thought I was going to lose the tip of my nose the other day... geez Louise... I think we are going to have to discontinue this game pretty soon.

Excited about all her teeth!

• Loves to SNACK!  Cheerios, puffs, green beans, bits of peaches,  raisins, Baby Mum-Mums, teething biscuits, bread, etc.... anything that is edible and as long as it is something she can pick up herself, she is usually thrilled about!  This also means she is liking pureed baby food less and less, unless it is out of a pouch!

The aftermath of a teething biscuit!

•  Loves her Baby Einstein DVDs while mommy brushes her teeth in the morning or the rare moments mommy or daddy clean!

• Not only has she perfected her speedy crawling, but she has also started pulling herself up onto her knees this week.  She's even gotten to do it in the crib - looks like daddy will be lowering that crib VERY soon.
• We're still using the infant car seat instead of our convertible car seat... mommy and daddy are DEFINITELY still in denial!  She still fits in the baby seat, but I think she would be more comfortable in the big seat.
• Finally getting plans together for Presley's first birthday!  Looks like we'll be having pizza and cake with some of our friends and family!
• Still breastfeeding.  Still love it.  Can't imagine not having that time to bond with her but of course I will revisit the decision again next month!  To be honest, though, I don't think we'll stop there.
• When we're in the car, I will turn on "Disney songs" Pandora and seems to really enjoy music intended for little kids!  Already showing preference to Disney - definitely our child!
• Loves her shower time again!
• She likes to take a few steps here and there if we are holding her hands.
• Still reading her "Night-Night Little Pookie" every night and sing songs with her Twinkle Twinkle Little Scout.  She sleeps through the night with a fan and a few of her blankies!
• She mainly wears size 3 Pampers Cruisers and we still absolutely love the fragrance-free Parent's Choice wipes!  Also still using her wipe warmer.
• We started brushing her teeth in the morning and night and she thinks it's silly but she likes it.
• She's been a tough cookie when it comes to bumps and bruises that come along with the territory of crawling and exploring.  She hasn't really had her first injury yet and I hope we can keep it that way because I'm not sure how Tony or I will survive it!
• Presley love to clap when we say "YAY!" and also when we ask her to clap - depending on her mood, of course.  She waves when we say "Hi!" or when we ask her to wave.  She's so friendly and loves to get people's attention when we are out and about.

And that's what's new in our home.  Take heart everybody, I guess tomorrow is known as "Blue Monday" and is supposed to be the most depressing day of the year.  Don't be afraid to do something special for yourself tomorrow - and while you're at it, be considerate of how you treat your coworkers, friends, family members, and others you come in contact with tomorrow.  Make the most of your week!

Make it Count.

Tony and I decided to start a "Wish List" of things we'd like to do as a family in 2013 in order to make the most out of the next year.  (Hopefully will be able to cross some of these off my on-going bucket list, as well.)  So far, this is what our list consists of:

• Visit a new zoo.
• Go to an NBA or NFL game.
• Make going to church as a family a priority.
• Go OUT on a date once a month.  (Somewhere different each month - no repeats!)
• Have weekly date night in!
• Donate blood together.
• Complete a 5k together (again)... this time, no stopping (for me)!
• Share peak/pit moments each day.  (Either at dinner or bedtime... still undecided.)

Hopefully we will add more to our list as the week goes on.  We talked about some of the goals we have individually, as a couple, and as a family and it just made the most sense to start a list of things we'd like to accomplish in order to move closer to those goals.  (For example, one goal for us as a couple was to spend quality time together to celebrate our special marriage - so we added going out on a monthly date to our wish list.)

I was talking to a married mama friend of mine earlier today about how easy it is to reflect on our blessings during the good times.  Though Tony and I have been together for a chunk of time now when you consider dating, we are still considered newlyweds to some.  We all know that things are typically well-maintained in the beginning and as time goes on you are put through many tests which can really wear and tear a relationship.  I recognize this and I don't want to come off boastful when I write about our happiness and assure you even in these early days, our relationship has so much growing to do.  I don't want anyone to be under the impression that we are perfect (because, we aren't!) - we have tempers and egos and sometimes we let them get the best of us... or that we just sit around giving each other googly-eyes at home (because, we don't!) - not every day is particularly romantic... or that I end each day completely fulfilled in my roles as a wife or mother (because, I'm not!) - somedays there is nothing more that I look forward to than just some quiet time alone!  (It's also a little harder for me to want to publicly share any of those "pit" moments of our marriage here on my blog versus the "peak" moments.)  I feel like the true test of our marriage will be our resilience through the trials... how we treat each other through the happiness as well as through the tough times... and put those vows to work! 

Side note: The friend I was talking with, Lindsey, just recently launched her own style blog offering women her personal tried and true tips on dressing themselves as well as their children and all things in between - I encourage you to check it out here and let her know what you think!

So, what are some of the things you'd like to add to your 2013 Wish List?

Here's to making it count!

Once in your life you find someone
Who will turn your world around
Bring you up when you're feelin' down
bryan adams