I absolutely love getting out and doing things with my children. I love to be excited to experience anything big or small and getting to experience that with my kids thrills me. I hope to pass on this enthusiasm to them. In life, I definitely sport a pair of cranky pants now and then. And I also own a pair of "My-Patience-Is-Getting-VERY-Thin" shorts as well... but over all, I want to be happy. I want life to be good. I want things to appropriately be exciting, thrilling, magical, fun, happy, relaxed, loving. Worthwhile.
Down moments? Sure. Of course. But I want them to know that those "bad" moments aren't all encompassing. You can move on. You can choose not to dwell. There is something brighter just a few steps ahead if you are willing to take the steps towards it.
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| Jump! |
lv,
Court
So it happened. I just celebrated a BIG* birthday. It insistently thrust itself upon me the way birthdays do... whether you are ready for them or not. My birthday always marks the end of the holiday season. In my family, it is game on from Halloween through my birthday (the 3rd).
We quietly celebrated with dinner out and cake/gifts at our house. I plan on having an actual party at the end of this month... something fun with a pretty cake. It has to be PRETTY, I instructed to Kyle. I learned a long time ago that I am the only real party planner on both sides of the family. If someone gets a neat, thought out party... I'm involved. It used to hurt my feelings because I would put a ton of effort into all the little details and such that make an event really special... but my birthday would arrive with no agenda, no thought out plans, no real effort. You know what that equates to in your mind... no one cares enough to put in that special effort. I am a pretty dang positive person but year after year, this would get to me. I would feel sorry for myself. BUT... I decided a couple of years ago to get over that and not be so sensitive about it. Now I know if I want something more special, than I can make it happen myself or nudge someone in the right direction... and that is TOTALLY okay. Plus, I get to be involved in the planning, which I enjoy. =)
So, long (whiny) story short... I told Kyle: We must play games. They (the games) must be mindless so that we can all talk. It must involve black and white attire. And pink. But not a dumb shade of pink. It must contain a photo "booth" room. And it must have a FANCY PRETTY CAKE.
Why am I being so demanding? Because, like I said, this is a BIG birthday. You know... the milestone kind.
Tangent:
Sophie sang and/or wished me happy birthday starting 2 weeks before my birthday. "Happy Birthday, Momma!" So sweet.
Sometimes birthdays don't seem as big a deal when you get older, but I don't like or agree with that. They should always be a big deal even if the celebration is low key. They're important, just like you.
lv, Court
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| Red Velvet |
I am a cami girl. You kind of have to be when you are sporting D's (pre-pregnancy) and like people to look at your face. The more weight I lose the worse it gets b/c my ladies stay mighty but I need smaller tops and... well, you are looking at some indecent exposure cleavage. I actually have never thought of myself as that modest but for some reason, I have never been cool with the girls being too out there. Plus, camis can really add some cuteness to certain outfits. My sister is the same way. She is also addicted to camis.
Now that I am (very) pregnant, the issue is even more grand... double DD grand. I pretty much wear a cami with 85% of my wardrobe. That is all well and good, but there are certain situations where the camis are kind of annoying. When I wear them with a dress, I DESPISE the line you can see at my waist or hip line through the fabric. And now that it is very, very hot, sometimes I just can't stand one more layer to deal with (especially when I am already dealing with full panel maternity pants).
But that leaves the ladies, out there for the world to enjoy (or be offended by).
Do you all want to know an embarrassing secret? A few weeks ago, I went on a hunt for those cami secret tops. You know, the ones that are just triangles of fabric that clip to your bra? Yup, the "As Seen on TV" ones that look like something my Grandma may wear. Let's just say, they didn't deliver. They don't stay in place and the fabric doesn't look like a cami.
So that brings me to a product that I was actually excited to find.
I can tell you from personal experience, that they are comfortable, stay put, and actually look like a cami under my clothes but without the bulk. They come in flavors instead of colors. (Oh, the cuteness!) My favorite is the white chocolate mousse because it goes with all my bright summer things.
So now for the giveaway part. You can enter to win one Cupcake Covertop in any flavor and size through this Friday (May 27) by noon CST. Simply:
1. Visit Cupcake Covertops on YouTube
2. Subscribe to their channel
3. Leave a comment telling them Court from KyleandCourt or Go Team Hale sent you! =)
I will be keeping a list of all those that enter and using random.org to pick the winner. This is open internationally. =)
If you are like me, and feel like you never win anything, than I have another perk for you. I talked to the owner and they agreed to do a "Go Team Hale" special where you can get a three pack for a discounted price. Huzzah! This special is only good for one week from today (May 24), so head over to their site Cupcake Covertops soon to order yours. (Just look for the "Go Team Hale / KyleandCourt Banner/Shopping icon via the main page or the "Shop Online" page.)
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| Black Forest Cake |
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| Black Forest Cake |
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| Red Velvet |
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| Red Velvet |
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| Red Velvet |
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| Red Velvet |
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| White Chocolate Mousse |
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| White Chocolate Mousse |
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| White Chocolate Mousse |
Lv,
Court
PS: I usually wear these over my bra just like you would with a real cami but.... they are just supportive enough, that with certain tops I can totally get away with just wearing them alone under my shirt and going bra free which feels pretty great in this hot weather. Don't judge. I am very, very pregnant. ;-)
We had a sick Sophia this week which was no fun at all, but like most toddlers, she took it in stride. Still, you just feel bad for them!
Our 4D ultrasound was yesterday and it was so exciting! My mother, Mother-in-Law, sister, sister-in-law, Kyle and I all watched as the tech showed off our son, Grayson. Kyle pretty much summed it up when he said it was so neat that we get to see a baby like this. It is incredible. It is hard to grasp that this little thing bumping around inside of you is a real life person. Amazing!
We went and visited the Easter Bunny, got a cookie and some water, and then it happened. Sophie kept trying to run to the Easter Bunny but there was a line and lots of kids who hadn't seen him yet and it was just too much for her to take. She had a total melt down. She has never EVER been like that in public (Thank the Lord!) and it was awful. She really liked that Easter Bunny. We got back in line so she could see him again and that was great, but as soon as we went to leave, off she went again. It was like the end of the world and to her, it probably was. It would have been funny if we weren't so frazzled! We got home, stripped her down to her diaper and out of her frilly Easter dress, gave her a capri sun water, and she was happy as could be. We suspect she was still not feeling tip top and us telling her no repeatedly set her off. Aside from us mean parents denying her a giant bunny, I think it was a successful morning. And later, at home, she said "Easter Bunny!" and that pretty much made our day.
Now, she is off to play at Grandma's and Kyle and I are going to paint the nursery. =)
lv,
Court
