A quote from my daily devotional:

"Marriage is a life-long process designed to teach you to see the needs of another person as more important than your own."

I need to practice this!

LOVEly Day

the table set the night before

We had a great Valentine's Day! Brunch at our house. Time with family. I looooovvvveee Valentine's Day. Picture of my table above. It will take me years to perfect it to what my mom had ready for me when I got home from school.

And, next year I am going to make this:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hannah-hoosier/2204375523/

happy heart day

I love Valentine's Day... I don't care about all the haters out there. Valentine's Day doesn't have to be about the card companies or flower companies making a profit. Valentine's Day is about the heart. In our house we make things, we decorate, and we have fun! This Valentine's Day I'm throwing the kids and hubby a Valentine's Day brunch and I can't wait. I think we might have a Valentine's decorating contest too. And I'm going to make sure everyone knows I love them (you included). So Happy Valentine's Day and have a great weekend! If you don't have a Valentine, buy a box of candy and leave it on someone's doorstep who can use a pick-me-up.

p.s. Thanks V for dropping these goodies on my doorstep. You made our day!

it makes me feel happy just looking at it

This bag is like $1 at Michaels. I swear it's my favorite reusable tote ever. I have all my sewing stuff in it and it sits next to my sewing machine. It makes me feel happy every time I look at it and I want to buy more of them to take everywhere.

make time for you

I always knew I had amazing friends, but I never fully realized until now that I am surrounded by the most amazing people. Recently I stopped and really looked at the people Mark and I have surrounded ourselves with, and let me tell you, we are freaking lucky. Mark and I have separate friends, couple friends, work friend, old friends, etc.

One thing that has become very important to me is seeking out girl time. I am lucky to have a husband who is supportive of this time. I have a friend I meet for happy hour and we talk about real life. I have a group of girls that we meet for coffee and we laugh about everything and talk about kids & husbands. I have a best friend whom I can meet anytime or anywhere (with or without kids) and we just can't stop talking. I have a dear friend with whom I have started a monthly pedicure ritual where we can relax and gab. I have preschool mom friends that I go to dinner with and we talk preschool mom life. And I have a lovely friends that we try and get together to just catch up with what has been going on in our busy lives over dinner, breakfast or coffee.

I'm not trying to brag here at all. I am trying to tell you that if you are not spending alone time with girlfriends, you need to. If you look around and you don't feel like you are surrounded by great people.....start making new friends or call old friends. Plan a girls' night. Just do something. I am now realizing that that you can't live alone, you need to laugh and cry. You need to vent and give advice. You need to have time that does not consist of your family at home or your job.

A dear friend always tells me that to have good friendships, you need to be a good friend. I am lucky to have such great friends who continue to teach me what it means to be a good friend.

I know we get busy and we barely have time to take care of ourselves. But it is important, plan something at least once a month. Now get off your computer, call a girlfriend and make time for you.

from the heart

I have this thing where we have to do homemade Valentines for school. My body won't pick up a box of premade ones.

Last year we made these cute mini Valentine boxes with mini M&M's.

This year we didn't have the time to make something chic with the new baby and all, so we did them simple. We cut out hearts, used stickers, added some Team Umizoomi pictures and gave Brody glitter pens and markers. Then we glued them to Conversation Hearts.


All 24 are done and ready to deliver to preschool tomorrow (they have Friday off). They aren't my perfect Valentines, but Brody had fun making them and they are straight from the heart.

keeping everything straight

I'm not going to lie, I have been selfish. I purchased this calendar a few months back for 2010 and I love it. I wanted to share it with you, but didn't because the company I bought it from also does invitations like me. Who wants to give someone else your business right? But alas, I love my calendar so much I have to share. I need to have a calendar/planner that I can write in, see and touch. This calendar is far from boring, it is colorful, whimsical and even has stickers! It's not cheap, starting at $48. But I use it every day religiously so I figured it was worth it (I also upgraded the cover). They have more cute designs. Check them out here! Hopefully I will be making my own line of calendars in the near future!

try it

All of my dedicated readers know that pilates kicked my butt and worked wonders for me after I had Piper. However, it can be an expensive form of exercise. Well my fav pilates teacher opened her own studio here in Ladera Ranch called Studio 5 Pilates & Yoga. Her prices are more reasonable than the last studio I went to and she is amazing at what she does. If you are interested at all you need to try it. I'm telling you, it's amazing!

cute addition to any outfit

I'm really into tights and leggings for Piper right now. So far I love the ones from GapKids/Old Navy and Target. I'm looking for more places to get cute ones so keep your eye out for me. I swear they make any dress extra adorable!

good fun

Does anyone else watch the comedy "Community" on NBC? I love Joel McHale on "The Soup" and as soon as I heard he was on a series with Chevy Chase I set my dvr to record it. I really wasn't into the first episode I saw, so I stopped watching. A month or so later I gave it another try and fell in love. I added it back to my dvr and we now have a weekly date!