Five on Friday # 9

Hi Friends!! Linking up with Natasha over at Hello!Happiness and the ladies, for a 5 on Friday.

Here is our week in review. 

[one] Monday: I took Mason to his speech therapy class. As we pulled into the driveway he started to whine a bit because he didn't want to go but once we walked in the door he was all smiles and eager to see his teacher and go in the playroom. After speech class, I took the boys on a Costco run. Owen was a little under the weather on Mother's Day so he didn't feel 100% on Monday either. After our naps, we played outside and had popsickles - my kids favorite snack now! They definitely aren't my favorite because they are SOOO messy! 

[two] Tuesday: Normally I work on Tuesdays but this week I had the day off. The boys and I went to the local splash pad in our neighborhood since it was SCORCHING hot.... What is with this weather?! Ugh, it's draining me!! I love watching my boys play because they are at the age where Owen wants to do EVERYTHING that Mason is doing. It melts me. 

[three] Wednesday: On Wednesdays, Mason has his skating/hockey lessons in the morning. This was his second class and he actually did improve quite a bit since last weeks class... Mom was impressed! He still hasn't completely figured out the skating on his own yet, but he's close..... He has some hockey skates of his own but this week, they advised us to switch him to the regular figure skates to learn on. Apparently the hockey skates are like learning to skate on bananas.....Whoops! Daddy got in trouble for this one =) After skating and naps, we played outside and Owen got stung by a bee =( It was so sad.... Mason had just started to "squirt water" as he refers to it (playing with the hose) and about 3 bees came out. Owen was playing at the water table and suddenly came crying to me with his finger pointing out.... I automatically assumed he got stung and looked at his finger. Sure enough, there was an entire stinger and the butt of the bee in his middle finger, poor little Owen! He was such a trooper and let me pull it out and put some baking soda paste on it. If one good thing came from this, it was that we now know Owen is not allergic to bees! Lastly, after dinner, we watched the Kings game with daddy. Victory!!! GKG! 

 

[four] Thursday: On Thursday we had a big morning. I took the boys to Scooter's Jungle and we met some friends there. They had a toddler time which was basically just an open play. Scooter's Jungle is an indoor inflatable jumper place. They have THE BEST and biggest inflatable slide that both of my boys love. After Scooter's Jungle, we all went to Wahoo's for lunch. The boys were pooped after this! After our LONG naps, we went to Home Depot and I picked out some sample paints/stainers for our next DIY project - painting our backyard fence!! We put the samples on the fence and made our selection so we are hoping to get this done over the weekend.... Wish us luck!! 

[five] Friday: Today, I had my first ever chiro appointment this morning. It was an examination appointment and the chiro did find some trigger (?) spots on my back and a couple areas on my spine that are out of alignment..... I don't think it's a huge deal but at my next appointment I will find out how we will go about fixing my back pain! Any other moms out there have some crazy back pain from lugging their kids around & breastfeeding?! It's horrible!!! My husband finally told me I need to stop relying on him for back massages and go get checked out! After my appointment, we went with my mom to the mall (since it's about 100 degrees here & smokey) and had lunch at Ruby's... my boys LOVE Ruby's. They are now napping and after naps, they get to go to grandma & grandpa's house to hang out for the night while mommy and daddy head down to a bar in Newport to watch the Kings game..... GKG!!!! 

That's it for now.... Here are some pictures from our Mother's Day last Sunday! Hope everyone enjoys there weekend!! <3

Treat Yourself Tuesday # 5

Linking up with Becky over at Olives 'n' Wine for a TYT post (It's been awhile since I have done a TYT post)!

Well I just realized that my treats throughout the week are very poorly documented, whoops. The below pictures are the only ones I could find where I treated myself over the past week..... I know there are obviously probably more treats than just these two, but my mommy brain isn't turned on right now and my kids are about to wake up from naps! =)

Coffee Bean seriously has THE BEST coffee drinks EVER! I love them. This was SUCH a treat because ever since I got started with AdvoCare, I can count the number of times I have had coffee on one finger. This was my second coffee since Dec 2013...Wow! This tasted A-Mazing!

Last Wednesday night, I went out for dinner and drinks at Casa Ranchero with my moms group... I seriously love these ladies! We are all so different & unique which is what I love about this group. It's always fun to get away and talk with other moms WITHOUT kids around and this was just what I needed!

On Saturday, I joined three of my fellow AdvoCare friends and worked, yes worked, a booth for the neighborhood expo.... It was work, however it was a lot of fun!! We got to hang out, get a nice tan (more like, awesome BURN lines), and drink spark all day!! This company and these ladies have been a huge part of my life this year and I can't wait to see what's in store for us over the next years to come!

(This picture scares me because we look SO PROFESSIONAL!!! haha)

Hope you are all having a fabulous week!

My Second Half Marathon - OC

13.1 miles... I. Did. It. (again) ! This is such a huge accomplishment coming from someone who didn't know how to run a year ago. I was never a runner and always "thought" I could only run short distances because I got severe shin splints. Well after some training, motivation, and running buddies, it was possible! You can read about my first half marathon here, but here is all the info on my second half:

I signed up late because I was honestly debating and going back and forth with the idea of running this race. I wanted to run it with my friends & wanted to continue to go for my beach cities medal (run HB, OC, and LB, consecutively), however, after my HB half, I was iffy as to whether or not I actually enjoyed running races. So while I juggled the idea of running the OC half, I didn't stick to a training schedule and almost exclusively only ran one day a week, on the weekend for my long runs. Each weekend, me and my friend would get in a long run and worked up to a 12 mile run over the course of several weeks. After we did our 10 miler, I signed up for the race. I felt good. Really good. We were going way faster during these long runs than our previous training runs we did for our HB half. So naturally, I figured that I would set a new personal record and everything would be awesome ...... WRONG!

Mile 1 & 2, side aches. Miles 3, 4, 5, & 6, extremely tired legs. Miles 7, 8, & part of 9, I felt okay going at my established pace (which was slower than I anticipated). Miles 10 & 11, slow uphills where I felt exhausted, legs were gonna fall off, body aches, etc (I will admit it, I walked for about 20 seconds uphill). The last mile I picked up the pace to get myself to the finish line.... For. The. Free. MASSAGE!! That was the best part =)

I think this race was more mentally tough on me than the previous one. I don't think I'm quite there yet with my mental focus. Now I need to figure out how to mentally get myself focused and into the race for the Long Beach in October! I guess I have awhile so I should be okay? haha... Here are my results. 1:58:05 (about 3 minutes slower than my first race)

Here are some pictures from race day.

May 2014 Stitch Fix Review # 2

Hi Friends! I got my second Stitch Fix on Saturday and just went through the box and tried everything on. If you are new & haven't heard of Stitch Fix before, head over to my first review here and check it out!

Here are some beautiful pictures of my fix along with my style card..... Can you say bright & fun!? Love it!

This by far is WAY better than my previous fix. I love everything about it.... except when I first saw the aztec print blouse, I was shocked I got it because it is SOOO not me, however after trying it on, it wasn't half as bad as I was expecting. I was really excited about the maxi dress because I don't have one....I am so short that most look ridiculous on me.... you be the judge of this one! So here it goes -- let me know your thoughts. I would really appreciate it since I'm not sure on some of the items =)

[one] Mimi Wavy Chevron Print 3/4 Sleeve Blouse. Love this top... it's so cute and stylish! It's styled with what looks like a black pencil skirt on the style card (so not me) and also with white skinny's. Now I need some white skinny's!!! I like the fit of the shirt and how it can be casual or dressed up. I have read some complaints about the sleeves being too tight on some women, however, it fit pretty good on me... no complaints!

Verdict: Kept

[two] Brigitte Striped Raglan Thermal Top. This top is so my style. It's casual and cute - win, win! I love the stripes (what's new) and the colors. It's styled with a mid length skirt (no way jose) but also with skinny's.... yes please! I love this top with my skinny's. And this shirt is so soft & feels so good to wear =)

Verdict: Kept

[three] Ivy Aztec Print Tab-Sleeve Blouse. Now this top I initially looked at thought "WTF?!" Seriously, so not me in any way, shape, or form! I still didn't like it two days later when I went to try it on for this blog post..... Then I actually liked it! Now I'm not the best at styling an outfit by any means so please ignore my no sense of fashion outfit below..... Do the skinny's even look good with the top? Wedges? No clue... but I am thinking twice about the shirt. What do you think?!

Verdict: Unsure

[four] Fiona Embroidery Detail Striped Maxi Dress. I saw this maxi dress and thought there was hope.... now I'm beginning to think not. Maybe I'm too short but the dress is a little long unless I wear high heels or wedges. In the pictures below I have on high wedges. (Ignore all the wrinkles in the dress) What do you think? I love the pattern and especially love the white lacey top part but I'm still unsure if the dress fits me well or looks good... and it's not cheap, $78. I'm thinking of saying no to this one. 

Verdict: Unsure 

[five] Kahlo Embroidered Racerback Tank. Love this top! It does run a little baggy but who cares.... It will be perfect for the summer!

Verdict: Kept

Such a great fix, I am happy with it! Now I need to hold off on getting another one for awhile =) hehe. 

Do you want to join in on the fun? Try it out here and I will get a referral credit.... Then once you sign up, spread the love and keep the fun train going! 

Have a great day friends!  Come Follow Me on my New blog https://www.whittneyhills.com

Five on Friday # 8

Hi Friends!! Linking up with Natasha over at Hello!Happiness and the ladies, for a 5 on Friday.

It's been a fun and mellow week for us with SCORCHING HOT weather - in the 90's!!! This week has gone by so fast but in a great way. I got to spend some quality time with my two little boys and I always love doing that! On Monday, we had friends come over and play in the backyard with us. Tuesday mommy worked and the boys got to hang with grandma. Then when I got home, we hung out in the front yard and played with neighbors. Mason got to "shoot water" as he calls it.... aka, play with the hose - his favorite thing in the whole entire world! On Wednesday, I took the boys to the baby beach in Dana Point and we had so much fun together - just me and my boys =) Thursday was filled with fun too - before naps we went to a splash pad in our neighborhood with friends and then after naps, the boys helped (if that's what I can even call it) me wash my car!! To top off my week, I received an email this afternoon that my stitch fix shipped (see below)!!!!! ahhhh, it's a great day!!!

[one] I realized that all of my bathing suits that I own are from before I had kids. I haven't purchased a "nice" suit in years so I decided it was time to spend the money and invest in some new ones. Yes, I use the word invest because the bathing suits I like aren't cheap. I recently fell in love with Vitamin A bathing suits... google them, they are AMAZING! Here is a picture of one that I purchased this week..... I call it my "adult" bathing suit. Isn't it sad how we have to have two separate types of bathing suits being moms - kid friendly ones & then some "mature" ones. Being that the hubby and I are going on a little weekend getaway (Palm Springs) at the end of the month with hubby's work, I splurged on some more mature ones for the trip!

Here's another one I am about to purchase, just waiting for my size to come in!! Love this new wrap around style for the top. (In case you were wondering, yes this is exactly how I look in it ;) lol)

[two] I bought some popsickle trays at the dollar store on Tuesday and today I filled them with some crystal light water for the kids. They are going to love me for this. My next round will be filled with some AdvoCare Rehydrate for mom =)

[three] Here are some pictures of my two handsomes at the beach on Wednesday. They were so hard at play they wouldn't pose for pictures. =)

[four] This is a beautiful thing! If you are into fashion, have no time to shop, or a girl, you need to get on this! Let me introduce you to Stitch Fix!!!!!! More to come on this, stay tuned!

[five] Thought of the day: The past month, specifically, these past few weeks, I have realized that as a mother, it makes me happy to be able to stay at home with my kids and watch them do everyday things - walk, eat, play, just hang out. I get to enjoy the times of doing absolutely nothing but yet doing so much at the same time: reading books, playing with trains, going on a walk around our street, etc. I am so lucky and fortunate to have this time with my boys and I wouldn't trade it for the world. That being said, I have recently picked up some jobs of my own that allow me to keep this valuable time with my kids. Through these jobs, I have learned how much I love contributing financially to my family (and that my husband might love it even more!). One of my side jobs is being an independent distributor for AdvoCare. AdvoCare changed my life when I decided to try out this "24 day challenge" nonsense that my mommy friends had been telling me about. In 24 days, I learned how to change my lifestyle from a normal one, to a healthy/fit one (Oh and I lose the rest of my baby weight AND 10 inches). For that I am forever grateful.... But more recently, it has begun to change my life financially & it has opened my eyes to the financial possibilities with AdvoCare. I have started building  a business in something that I truly believe in & I have some great role models to look up to who have taught me everything along the way. Whether you want to lose a few pounds or make some extra spending money, AdvoCare has something for everyone. Please reach out to me if you are looking for a healthy lifestyle change & I would love to help!

On another note, GO KINGS GO!!!!!!!!