Humble Beginnings...

I can look back and smile at the progress that Button has made.

I shared last year the story of our little lady coming into this world at 24 weeks and 6 days and how it was a trying time for my husband and I.

Those days seem so long ago as Button is almost 2! I sometimes look back at trinkets and pictures from her younger months and sit in disbelief because she is doing so well physically and mentally (Praise him!).

With help from the man upstairs as well as the hospital staff at Duke ICN, TCN and March of Dimes we can look back on her humble beginning and smile.



Want to know more about premature birth and how you can help support babies and families?

♡♡♡♡CLICK HERE♡♡♡♡

No Fast Food February| Update

UPDATE



Hello, back and give an update on the February challenge of not eating takeout food whatsoever...

I DIDN'T MAKE IT
*hangs head in shame...not really*

Of the 29 days I made it 19 without any sort of fast food or takeout. The temptation was real and at times it slipped my mind that I was suppose to go without:

• Invitation to go out for sushi
• Kind gesture of someone bringing buying fries
• ...or pizza...
• ...or ice cream...

Yeah, it was a bust however, I will say that I'm better off than I was 2yrs ago because I'm not compelled to buy a "quick meal" to combat hungry.

Avoid the easy way out (ie: fast food) has helped me realize that I'm an OK cook and I don't always need a recipe to follow to create a meal.

Aaaanywho... two meals that I really enjoyed to during the challenge and actually made multiple times in February were:

Vegetable stir-fry 

Spinach panini with creamy chicken soup

Even though the challenge is over and I failed miserably, I am still working on it because it helps save money by forcing me to cook what is already home and not allowing groceries to spoil. 

Did you participate in #NoFastFoodFebruary or any other monthly challenge?

Easy DIY| Headband/Bracelet Holder

Attempting to organize Baby Girl Button's room (yes, she had been home for almost 3 months and we're still getting her space together) I am already building up a collection of headbands but no place to store them so, I got the idea to make a holder for them. I have created this before to store my bracelets and figured "why not use the same concept for headbands?"

Items you will need:

• Toilet paper and/or paper towel rolls
• Duct Tape
• *optional* rocks, sand or something weighted for the base

Easy list right? 

Lets get Started!

1  I chose to use one paper towel and 2 toilet tissue rolls. I inserted the 2 toilet tissue rolls into each other to get the desired height for the holder. Once that was accomplished, I wrapped duct tape around it to secure them together. 

2 Now that the base is together, I set the paper towel roll horizontally and attempt to make it line up evenly on the base. Once I have it set evenly, I duct tape it to the base.

3 LAST STEP! Now you duct tape the entire piece. I decided to use white tape for the base and then pink on top as the pick tape was pretty thin.

*Optional Step* I put rocks in a bag and inserted it in the bottom of the holder then taped the bottom closed so helps keep it steady.

There you have it. The easiest DIY project I have ever done. I know this has been circulating on social media for years now but wanted to share in case there is someone out there looking for inspiration to create. It may just take one simple project to get your gears turning. 

Pick 6 - Winter

Well, hello Spring. Even though the warm weather hasn't officially settled in  I must say that I am looking forward to any sight of sunshine and warm weather BUT, before we move on past the chills let me share my...

Hair: African Braid Durban Twist Hair - I lucked up on this at a nearby beauty supply trying to figure out a quick way to style my hair. What really caught my attention was the definition: as if it were in large twist. The texture of the hair is softer than other braiding hair I have used in the past which is also a plus for me. I wasn't in the mood to do any detailed styling so I resulted to simple top knots to keep my hands out of my hair for a while. I buy this hair again and attempt to install kinky twist.






Fashion: Trench coat from Target - I purchase this coat well over 4 years ago for $13.00 from Target and I absolutely love it. With the cold weather that hits North Carolina, it is nice to have a nice long coat to wear. It is also machine washable so I have no problem keeping it clean.






Beauty: Very simple for the this Winter - A cocoa butter stick. Along with dry skin I suffer from hyper pigmentation  on my face which happens very easily when I mess the the acne on my face. If I catch these dark spots soon enough, I'm able to correct them by slathering cocoa butter on spot before I go to bed.








Skin: Shea Moisture Massage Oils - If you didn't know already, I'm #TeamSheaMoisture. Once out of the shower, I simply apply this to my skin without completely drying off to help lock in moisture. I've been enjoying the Olive and Green Tea oil.








Accessories: Stud earrings from Target - I wear these literally everyday when I'm  not looking to over do the ear glam. They are simple but "blinged" out a bit where I do not feel like I am doing too much.

Random: Hmmmm. I would have to say that my random this Winter is BAGELS - I've really been leaning with them hard this season as a quick breakfast. I have  enjoyed all wheat and poppy seed bagels 

with Garden Vegetable cream cheese.




Share with me your favorites from Winter :)

FabEllis Soiree Mini-Haul

Saturday I was able to attend A FabEllis Soiree hosted by Ms FabEllis  (click click here to view information about the event) and walked away with some items:


The 1st 25 attendees received swags
bags with products samples from Eco-Styler,
Beautiful Textures, Organics Oyl, coupons,
a go green bag from Value Village Thrift Store,
and more.





There were lots of giveaways and
I was lucky to win the shampoo, conditioner,
deep conditioner, and hair milk from
Eden Body Works Jojoba Monoi line









I browsed the racks while at the event and
spotted a black Lane Bryant skirt.
That was scooped it up for only $7.99  (ow!)

Operation No Buy Update

 ...UPDATE!

If you read my last post you'll find that I did end up purchasing some products from the Curls Gone Wild event in Greensboro. HOWEVER, before you boo and hiss, Operation No Buy is still in full effect. I'm happy to report that I went 5 weeks without the purchase of products. This includes lotions, fragrances, and hair products. I've put a pretty good dent in my collection. Along with using up what I already had at the house, I've gave away majority of the free products that I received from the Expo to friends and family.

And with that being said I'm still on a mission to get rid of as many products as possible. 

#OperationNoBuy