Hellloooooo!!

Hey all!

Its been a busy past couple days... 

and I've missed blogging!

My oldest came down with a second bout of STREP throat in 3 weeks:(

My lil one is getting the sniffles now too.

And brrrrrrr... its COLD here!!

We haven't gotten too much snow in Northern Indiana the past week but its been very chilly and windy!

Making me yearn for Spring even more!

Some exciting news...

1. Well this one was EXCITING for me...

I tend to be a procrastinator when it comes to writing papers for school:(

I had an essay due yesterday for my Art History class on the topic of 

"Gender Roles in Ancient Greek Art".

I wrote it out AND typed it on THURSDAY... a WHOLE DAY before it was do, lol!!

That is a HUGE accomplishment for me:)

2. This coming week is my last week of tutoring with the boy I've been working with since December.

We then have a couple weeks off till our new tutoring session begins.

I've decided to NOT return as a tutor!

I just NEED to cut back on all the crazy running around that I do and focus more time on my family and my school work.

I will continue to work 2 mornings a week at the home daycare but am considering NOT doing that this summer either.

Which leads me to my #3...

3. I told my hubby that I would really like to "Stay Home" this next school year and NOT work; I want to take classes full time to graduate in Spring. Then I would transfer in the Fall to another college to finish the last 2 years of my teaching degree. I am like 95% sure he is ON BOARD!! Woo-hoo!

I told him that we will need to possibly cut back on some things but that I think we can make it work!!

4. 2 weeks from today we are heading to Chicago for the weekend to see this...

Oooh, I can't wait!

Our little one is turning 3 in April so this Nick Jr. Storytime Live show is part of his birthday present!!

He will be so THRILLED to see all his favorite characters in action!

We found a really great priced NICE hotel to stay at with a pool!!

And we plan to get some yummmmy Chicago pizza while we are there too!

Its been a rough past couple months with the death of my dad and having to put our kitty to sleep so we thought it would be so nice to take a short trip and get away!

Back to the idea of a HOTEL POOL and well the thoughts of summer...

Give me a show of hands as to WHO HATES shopping for a SWIMSUIT??

I do! I do!

I've tried to go the cheap route and settle for a suit thats so-so... NO LUCK!

So this year I told hubby since I lost weight and my old swimsuits are too BIG now,

I am splurging a little on a suit that FITS!!

I found this one...

I love this top!!

Whats even better is that the boob part is made LIKE a bra!

And... you order it in YOUR bra size so that the "GIRLS" have SUPPORT!! 

Amen!!!

My middle section is similar to this gals; I carry my belly weight in the very front due to my Insulin Resistance issue. So I am HOPING and PRAYING that it looks HALF as nice on me as it does on this chic!! 

I opted to try BOY SHORTS for a bottom this year...

My tummy is NOT that flat but I like the boy short fit, so we'll see how that goes...;)

The nice thing with the bottoms is that you order them according to your hip measurement, so you know you are getting a good fit!

* I won't lie... the suit was pricey... but with a 25% discount, I only ended up spending $60 on it! *

To me, its worth it for a proper fit that I'm not gonna feel uncomfortable in:)

Have you had good luck finding a swimsuit, or do you dread shopping for one??

Hope you have a great weekend!

I'm taking the boys today to a fun museum we have here in town, we got a 

free pass from the library! Then I'm letting them choose where we have dinner:)

Today is THEIR day since I've been so busy lately!

Hugs,

Noelle ♥

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

Hey there!

Welcome to WW!

This lil doll shown above is my youngest son Gage!

He's lucky to be so cute cuz...

last night at 4 am he WOKE me up to tell me that his "suit" (pajamas) were feeling "so dorky"!! LOL

His words, I promise you!

They were "so dorky" because @ 4 am he decided to wake up, and unzip them!

He was WIDE awake and started talking about how daddy "shave, shave, shaves his head..." and was laughing hysterically!!

I don't know about you, but at 4 am... I DON'T FIND too many things FUNNY!

I laugh now cause he is such a stinker and one of the loves of my life but seriously, son...

SLEEP ALL NIGHT!!

Check out Wee Shenanigans for more WW posts!

Hugs,

Noelle ♥

Easter Cuteness and a Proposition!

Good Morning!

I hope for today to be a lovely day, its cold 'n cloudy here but...

I am going to TRY my hardest to make it a good day!

This post shows a few of my new Easter finds from my FAVE PLACE ON EARTH...

The Christmas Tree Shops!

I thought this wreath for my front door was cute; if you look at the close-up you can see it has bunnies on it!

When are you putting Easter decor up? 

I usually skip St. Paddy's Day and get the Easter up right after Valentines Day,

mostly because I am SO ready for Spring to get here!

This bunny box is actually kinda heavy!

The bunny is beaded and it makes him weighty.

I have a feeling my youngest son is going to figure out that he can open this box up,

and lil toys will be stashed in here;)

Close up of bottom of box...

I thought these lil easter baskets were really cute!

One boyish and one girly ♥

My 1st ever Easter House...

isn't she cute?

Love the little bottlebrush Easter tree!

These bunny and chick boxes are really cute too!

Here they are standing up...

I love the light colors and glitter on them.

A whole lotta Easter eggs...

beaded as well...

Close ups...

And the best part... they were 3 for $1.00!!

Everything I bought here, I got for less than $12.00!!

Don't ya love a great deal?!?

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I have to share something exciting with you all...

I've been in a weight loss FRUMP the past couple months since the wedding:(

I lost quite a bit to feel really great and to look better for our wedding...

since the wedding, I've been lazy about eating better and exercising.

My hubby would like to lose some weight and get in better shape as well.

Soooo... he propositioned me!

Which ever one of us loses the MOST weight in 6 weeks (which is the day before Easter)...

gets to do something special as a PRIZE for the weight loss from the other person!!

If I win, I chose an overnight stay at a HOTEL by MYSELF so I can scrapbook for HOURS on end WITHOUT INTERRUPTION!!

My hubby chose an evening at the Casino; he loves to play cards!

So, I HAVE to WIN this one!

I'm really behind on scrapbooking and would love a night AWAY!

So far I'm down almost 2 lbs since Friday!! Yipppee!

Cross your fingers that I win girls!!

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Hope you all have a wonderful day!

Noelle ♥

~Feelin' like a Fashionista (for once!)~

Hey gals!

I've been feelin' frumpy this winter even though I have lost weight. 

But I think shedding some long sleeves and winter coats has been helping!

I had a fun afternoon today... 

My mom and I went to a Lia Sophia jewelery party then hit up Kohl's!

Kohl's... you are the NEW love of my life!

I could NOT fit in Kohl's clothes for many years, at least not any of the cute stuff!

And NOW I can wear their XL's in the Misses dept-- woohoo!

At the jewelery party I picked a couple pretty things...

The earrings on the left center are MINE and the cutie necklace on the right side is MINE too:)

The earrings look so HOT on!!

The black earrings on the bottom right are MINE now too!

I had a cool pair of long black earrings BUT after a wild night of bachelorette fun 'n dancing back in November, I came home that night missing the earring in my right ear, lol!!

Time to find a new cute pair!!

Lia Sophia has a great host incentive program too,

so I decided to book a party for early June too!

So at my party I get both of these pretty necklaces for $20 each only!!

The pretty blue on the right is my pick; its a longer necklace which

 will look super cute with a solid color shirt!

Oooh and I love the one on the right with all the pretty colors!!

Many of these pieces can be pricey but they offer a LIFE TIME warranty and allow you to EXCHANGE any piece that you purchase if you "get bored" with it, for any NEW piece that you'd like!! 

I think that is AWESOME!!

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My Kohl's finds...

This pic came out terrible... I HATE my camera!! Ughhh!

Anyway this top is BLACK and is super cute!

Love the medallion in the bust area...

This brown is really cute too...

the light brown you see doesn't look that light but its chiffon in those areas so I think it shows up that light with my cruddy camera...

This one is SOOO CUTE...

Looove it!

Love the green,

love the beads on it,

Looove how it fits!!

Such cute colored beads:)

The tops were $20 each and I save $57.00 total!!

Wooo-hooo!!

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I wanted to add something...

We've (hubby and I) have cut waaay back on spending in the past year.

Its been so nice to get our heads above water to purchase some new things for ourselves and our boys with the change of seasons.

I am BLESSED that I've lost some weight and my hubby is enjoying how I look in my new clothes:) (and doesn't pitch a fit that I've been buying some new stuff too, lol!!)

*I don't want to turn into "one of those" bloggers who constantly talks about how much money they are spending on stuff. I like to share the deals I find with ya, we all know how exciting the hunt for a good deal is!!:)*

I feel confident enough with all my bloggy friends that I can share these exciting moments in my life with you all... including little splurges, shopping trips, etc. Its not everyday that I get to do these things.

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I am staring to get some Easter stuff out this week, cause I am yearnin' for some SPRING!!

I also just started working on a cute Easter project that I can't wait to share with all of you!!

**Did you all have a great weekend? I sure hope so!

What did you do? Find any good deals?**

Love,

Noelle ♥

Letters to God, a Possibility Pictures Production

Have you all heard of this movie?
Its about a little boy who is diagnosed with cancer and begins to write letters each day to God.
The letters then "touch" the lives of all of those around it.

CLICK below to watch the trailer, then grab a box of tissues cause its a tear jerker!
I hope it plays in theaters around me, I really want to see it!

Letters to God, a Possibility Pictures Production

~sassy 'n glam 'n fun~

Hey chickies!

Today is such a BEAUTIFUL sunny day!

Actually a bit warmer too.

Its A-M-A-Z-I-N-G what some nice weather can do for your mood!

I worked a couple hours this morning then headed to do a bit 'o shopping (hubby approved, lol) then I went to get a massage compliments of my mom (a Christmas gift)! Its been a fab day:)

I'm smiling, I got some deals, I ate good today so I don't feel like too bloated of a cow, lol!

(Yes, my not-so-fave aunt will be visiting soon.. you know that b*@#* named Flo)

T.M.I, I know (sorry) tends to happen when I'm in a silly mood;)

Anywho, here's a few of my sassy 'n glam finds from today...

New purse= LOVE!

Isn't she a cutie!!

Half price, I nabbed her for $14... I was a GOOD WIFE and passed on a new Vera purse this spring!

Not too crazy about the new patterns they have out.

I LOVED the color of this purse and it just screamed FUN and SPRING to me!!

Cute new embroidered shirt... 

GET THIS it was marked down to...

$6.98 and I got another 40% off!!

It was like $4.22!!

What a freakin deal!!

Again,my new fave color for Spring!!

Love me a new lil cute jean jacket, on SALE!

$17.49 with an extra 40% off...

Got it for about $10!!!

Its super cute and flattering too!!

Loved this silky one too and it plays up my "girls" very nice too!

My hubby will be ga-ga for this one! (hehehe)

It was on sale and got it for under $20!

It goes very well with this earring/necklace combo I found at Target...

So pretty!!! I am not a HUGE fan of gold but its more of a bronze and I'll wear that if its got colors;

look at all the pretty spring colors!!

This one was a keeper for $13!

Here it is with the oooh la la top I just showed...

HOTTT!!! With some jeans and heels...

sounds like a romantic date night needs to be scheduled for this outfit;) ♥

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And lastly, my fave magazine in the whole wide world came yesterday...

All You!! 

Have you read this one?

Omg, my mom got me hooked on it!

Its like less than $2.50 @ Walmart but I got a subscription to it!

It has everything in it...

health advice, beauty and fashion tips, recipes, exercise tips, cooking, cleaning and organizing tips and LOTS OF COUPONS!!! 

It is THE BEST!!

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It felt sooo good to go buy myself some new things for SPRING!

Since last April I have lost 31 pounds!

Still not close to where I'd like to be weight wise...

as I mentioned before I'd like to lose another 20 by June 1st.

If you haven't seen my other blog about my weight loss journey, its called Phat Bottomed Girl; feel free to check it out. Its been a nice outlet for me to track my progress.

I'm NO longer hating the curves that my body has due to weight gain from pregnancies, eating bad and health problems. I am making myself believe that I am pretty and my hubby thinks I'm HOT (lol!). 

I am working towards making myself a better person both OUTSIDE and INSIDE!!

I think you can feel good about yourself, whatever size you are!!

I'm 31 now, there is NO need to feel like I have to be SKINNY; I'm not.

I want to lose more and be HEALTHY!

That will make me the HAPPIEST:)

Hope you all have a great day!!!

Love,

Noelle ♥

My Next Project...

I recently saw  decoupaged clipboards (somewhat similar to these) in a magazine of mine, I'm drawing a blank on which one now...?

Anyway, the idea was to make on for each person in the house...

I was thinking of using chipboard letters on the clip to spell out our names- just using mom and dad for my hubby and I... to save space.

The idea behind this in the magazine was to reduce the cluttered appearance on your fridge...

which ours is a HOT MESS full of artwork, school papers, etc.

I LOVED the idea of cleaning off the FRIDGE,

and clipping important notes, artworks, etc. to these clipboards. 

So... this is my next project!

Fun, easy and inexpensive!

I cannot wait to pick 4 of these clipboards up and get started!!

~~Have you ever done one of these? If so, any advice??~~

~Noelle ~

Valentines Weekend!

Morning! How was your Valentine's Day?

I felt like mine was stretched out over the whole weekend...

not bad cause it was a GOOD weekend!

The indoor flea market I mentioned was a BUST on Saturday:(

My mom and I agreed we should have done something else.

I did get a couple garden flags and Tastefully Simple items, nothing

too exciting. Mom and I went out to breakfast shortly after the flea market,

and had a nice chat.

After taking my hubby to work, the lil boys and I hit up THE CHRISTMAS TREE SHOPS!!

Jackpot!!! Got lots of NEW Easter pretties... will be posting those soon!

Went to my sister in laws Scentsy Party and got a couple new bars for my warmers...

I came to the conclusion that CRANBERRY scents are my NEW fave smell!

Sunday, ♥ Day was mostly spent with the boys, as hubby had to work again:(

The boys woke up to some lil Valentine gifts and their own personalized mailboxes!

I filled the mailboxes with some candies:)

Lil Mr was so excited to open his goodies...

He loves the show Ni Ho Ki Lan, so I found him a little playhouse from that show at Target a couple weeks ago... reg. price was $14.99 and I got it for $3.49!

I'm a sucker for gift giving and holidays,

so needless to say... 

our boys are just a TAD bit spoiled!!

Gavin is such a goof when it comes to taking pics anymore! LOL

He won't give me a toothy smile since he's begun to lose teeth:(

Oh wait, there's a lil smile but of course, he's not looking at me!

I got him a Valentine set for the Pixo Maker he has.

I made some Raspberry pancakes for breakfast that I tinted pink,

the boys didn't like them,

 but I thought they were pretty good!

Later in the day we had some Sugar Free Cherry Jello with FF Cool Whip... YUM!

Cutie!! ♥

I decided to be a ROMANTIC this year for ♥ day and surprise my hubby with some White-Chocolate Dipped Strawberries...

Yummmmmmy!!

We have needed a new comforter for some time now, 

but I've had a terrible time deciding what color scheme to get!

I love warm colors for our bedroom and came across this set from

Better Homes and Gardens before our wedding...

The colors are so warm and pretty!

Gold, browns, oranges and burgundy's!

So I bought it to surprise hubby.

Funny story...

We ALWAYS fight over the blankets at night.

Our bed is Queen size so I thought if I bought the King size set, 

it would give us more "blanket space".

Me and my BRIGHT IDEAS...

I get the set home and want to wash it so it smells all comfy and cozy!

Welllll... come to find out that a KING size comforter REALLY does NOT FIT in our washer! 

Soooo... the washer couldn't really spin ALL the water out and...

a SOPPING WET comforter had to go in the dryer...

it took 6 HOURS to DRY that THING!

OMG!!!

But on the bright side,

its really comfy and cozy and we both can be covered up at night!!

For dinner on ♥ day,

we went to visit daddy/hubby to eat our Heart Shaped Pizza!

Yummy!

I even wore red for the occasion...

I'm NOT usually crazy about wearing RED but I felt a little sassy 'n romantic in it...

oooh la la!

On Monday, hubby and I took off for a few hours without the boys to do some Spring shopping for clothes at a local outlet mall, brrr! It was cold!

We had dinner at my fave, Olive Garden... where it was so nice to chat and eat and NOT have to argue with our boys as to who sits where, etc!

~~ So how was your ♥ day??~

....Noelle....