Starting With A Bang

10:59pm. It's my first post of 2013![1. Well...not really, but go with it!] It's the middle of February, but I'm here. I've actually been a pretty busy lady. I moved Adore Moi to a dedicated server, and I built a new theme.[2. Thanks to Blank Themes for the base.] I also moved over the posts and photos from Sugarcoating Me, since that domain is set to expire on March 1st.

I managed to do all of that while caring for a three year old and a two[3. Almost three] week old. That's right...

1.28.13 - Ivy Brielle

Ivy Brielle is here! She was born on January 28, 2013 at 8:37pm, weighing 7lbs, 2oz. It was another easy labor and delivery for me. I got to the hospital around 7:20pm, and I was 5cm dilated. My contractions weren't any worse than period cramps. I was actually laughing and holding conversation between pushes.

My parents claim that I was aiming for JJ's birthday, which was on January 26th.

Blow out your candle!

My baby boy is THREE! He got the Ninja Turtle and Power Ranger toys that he wanted, and ate most of the cupcakes by himself. He made us light the candle and sing "Happy Birthday" for each cupcake.

Fast forward to February... I spent Valentine's Day at home with the kids. J had to work all day since he took time off for the birth of Ivy. He woke me up to give me my gift before he left for work.

Valentine's Present from J

I got three new charms for my bracelet, ballons, chocolates, some tulips, and a teddy bear. I cooked dinner for him and treated him to a massage.

So that sums up 2013 so far! I'm hoping that I can get back into the groove and start posting more. We will see.

♥ Moi

Sole Society Review

As a part of my Holiday Voxbox, I received a coupon for $25 off a pair of Sole Society shoes. At first, I wasn't too impressed with their selection. I like wedged heels, so I decided to order a pair.

I placed my order for their Shiloh wedges on December 29th. The process was very simple and took maybe five minutes. I never received a confirmation of the shoes shipping, but they arrived on January 8th via UPS. The packaging was simple, but nice. The shoes seem to be a pretty good quality, but I'm not sure it's worth the $50 price tag.

According to reviews, the Shiloh is said to be a true fit. I found it true for the left foot, but the right foot seems too small. I couldn't even keep it on long enough to stand up, because it hurt so bad. I found myself checking the size to make sure it was the same as the other. I'm currently in the process of stretching it, to see if that helps.

Would I buy another pair from them? Probably not. I'd rather buy my shoes in person. That way, I know that the shoes will fit. With these shoes from Sole Society, I don't want to send them back and receive a new pair with the same issue.

Influenster Holiday Voxbox

A couple of weeks ago, I joined Influenster to keep me occupied during my days of bed rest. After a week on the site, I was chosen to receive the 2012 Holiday VoxBox.[1. The VoxBox is complimentary from Influenster for product testing purposes.] I got the box yesterday, and I have to admit that these are some pretty sweet samples.

The box includes: Quaker Real Medleys Oatmeal, NYC Liquid Lipshine, Kiss Nail Dress, Pink Lemonade EBOOST, a Goody QuikStyle Paddle Brush, and a Sole Society coupon.

So far, I've only tried the EBOOST, which I was not a fan of. I'm not big on powdered drinks, though. To me, EBOOST was grainy and tasted horrible.

I'll be sure to update this post with more opinions.

12/27 @ 9pm: I tried the Quaker Real Medleys Oatmeal for dinner. I'm usually a fan of oatmeal, and while it did have a great taste, there was just too much going on for me. There were more almonds, cherries, and pistachios than actual oatmeal. If you're big on wanting a crunch, this is for you. The oatmeal came in a Ready-to-Go container. All I had to do was add boiling water and stir. It was done in less than 5 minutes.

12/29 @ 12pm: I just used my $25 off coupon for Sole Society.[1. Clicking link will give you $25 off, too. Good until 1/1/13.] UPS ground shipping is free and shoes start at $49.95. You can read the review here.

1/11 @ 1pm: The other day, I tried the NYC Liquid Lipshine. The color that I received was Nude York City. The first day, I wore it alone, but I didn't like it. It was a bit too sticky for me. The second day, I put on a thin layer of my C.O. Bigelow gloss and then the Liquid Lipshine. Much better result! I can see me adding it to my "prettified" look.

2012 Christmas

Happy holidays, everyone! I'm a bit late, as usual, but our Christmas went well. We started out the day with gift opening. Then we had breakfast at a friend's house by the pond. After that, it was off to my parents for lunch with my huge family. We finished our day at my sister-in-law's home.

JJ was very pleased with his presents. His favorite is the Power Wheel, of course. He had a few hours of play. It rained most of Christmas and the day after. Hopefully it will warm up some, so that I can take him out tomorrow.

J's present is the ever so beautiful Jeep Grand Cherokee, which I have taken a liking, too. I'll probably be driving it more than him, though. My car is much better on gas. He wanted a F-150, but after seeing the Jeep, he fell in love.[1. And so did I!]

The boys got me a Pandora bracelet. I already have a traditional charm bracelet, but he decided that the Pandora is much better. I love it! I'm already making a list of charm ideas for upcoming "special days".

The day was great. It's great seeing my dad almost back to his normal routine. As for me, I'm out on bed rest for the remainder of my pregnancy. There isn't anything serious wrong. My doctor decided to keep me out as a safety precaution.

So...

...I had every intention of finishing that vent. Truth is, I'm over it, lol! I had an epiphany, and suddenly bed rest isn't all that bad.

The first day, JJ and I spent coloring and just plain having fun. I was happy...he was happy...win win. On Day 2, I decided to go back to the Mac. I updated WordPress; uploaded some pictures; browsed Baby Gaga. I also decided to start this whole potty training thing again.[1. He only peed on the carpet once...] I'm still trying to get him to tell me that he has to go, but progress is progress...right?[2. I really could use any tips you have. Really!]

I also decided to use my invite to Influenster. I spent a good chunk of my day reviewing products and doing surveys. I didn't think I'd like it, but it's proven to be quite fun. Before I knew it, it was 8pm, and time for Hubby to come home. I feel happy and rejuvenated. No complaints about that at all.

Today is day 3, and I'm kind of on pins and needles. My sister called me at 2am to tell me that they were flying my dad to ICU for a possible heart attack. I found out four hours later, that he did suffer an acute heart attack, but he's stabilized. I really want to go see him, but my mother already called, and warned me that I better not set foot out of the house. Eh. I'll try my hardest to stay home, but I can't make any guarantees. On top of that, today is also the day that Bank of America makes a decision about my short term disability. I'm expecting them to approve it, but with the boss that I have? Who knows what's going to happen.

To keep me sane and not worried, I'll be downgrading my phone back to stock and patiently awaiting the Verizon Samsung Galaxy S3 Jelly Bean update. I'll be downloading it, too...just in case they decide to change their mind...

P.S. You all should be proud. This entire post was typed using IE 10.