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I used to have great self esteem. Then I had kids.

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The other day I was stalking perusing my new BFF Steph’s blog, A Grande Life, and she had this cute little link-up post full of cool graphics with funny things her kids said. And I was all, “Aww, I wanna link up to that but I can’t think of any zingers my kids have said lately.”

As it turns out, those were famous last thoughts.  In just a couple hours, this darling thing had given me a couple of her thoughts that made me re-consider my normally unshakable self-esteem.

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Do. Not. Be. Fooled.

We went to the pool last night after dinner, and Bobby met us there after work. By the time we got home and got everyone dried off and in PJs, I was so tired I was about to drop. (And it’s a good thing I went to bed at 9:30 like any good elderly person would, because Jonah woke me up at 11:45 saying he had to pee. Hmph.) So as I was telling Sophie it was bedtime, I said, “We gotta get you to bed. Mommy’s tired.” To which she responded with great emphasis and honesty: “Yeah, I can tell.”

Womp-womp.

Then, 10 minutes later as I was tucking her in, she presented me with her precious teddy bear and the zinger, “Mom, Teddy’s gonna call you ‘Grandma’ since I’m his mom.” Then she made Teddy do a little dance while she sang “Grandma Grandma GRANDMA” over and over again.

Right, well.  Can’t wait til that sponsored campaign for adult diapers comes along, because apparently I’m on the slipperly slope to my Golden Years.

What crazy things have your kids said lately? For more hum-dingers, check out “Kids Say the Darndest Things” at A Grande Life!

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A Different Kind of Beauty Contest

So this past week I was at iRetreat 2014 and some of the people I met there were remarking on my #Doyourmakeup Instagram photos and they were like, “I just can’t believe you make your face up everyday!” But – I do. It’s my routine, and to be honest, I know makeup is not what makes me beautiful – but I REALLY LIKE wearing it every day. I like it. I love it! That’s just me.

Last month I told you about how I recently visited Sally Beauty as part of a sponsored campaign to celebrate their 50th anniversary (remember? I got that SWEET hair dryer, which is still rockin’ my world!) To further celebrate this milestone, they are having a big ol’ beautiful sweepstakes which I tell you all about in about 60 seconds in the video below: check it out!


The gist is, you can nominate any woman who embodies beauty in your life- whatever that means to you. Finalists will be voted on starting next week, and if your nominee wins, they can win up to $5000 and you can win a $200 Sally Beauty gift card!

Head on over to Sally Beauty’s website, tell them congrats on the big 5-0, and nominate a beautiful person in your life. While you’re there, print off a $3.50/$10 purchase COUPON (you know I am ALL OVER THAT) so that you can save even more when you stop into Sally Beauty to check our their great 50th anniversary sale.

Like I said, I love makeup, but I know it’s what’s in a person’s heart that truly makes them beautiful.  (But a great mascara? Never hurt.) What does beauty mean to you?

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Things I Learned at iRetreat 2014

I’ve been going to blogging conferences for a long time, but I always learn something. Always. Here are a couple things I came away with after my 2.5 days at iRetreat 2014 in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

1) No matter how much technical stuff you learn, the best takeaway from a conference is the relationships you make. Exhibit A, the amazeballs women above, Joey and Steph. I had the BEST time with these ladies and now I’ve got two new forever friends, FER REALZ.

2) If you want to move forward with your blog or whatever is important to you in life, you need to silence your inner critic at some point and just GO FOR IT. Be willing to fail. This is a hard one for me.

3) Hershey, PA is a pretty cool place to visit. I am really looking forward to bringing my family back one day! Plus, you can’t walk two steps without tripping over a HUGE PILE of this:

4) If you need help, ask for it. If we are talking blogging, there are always other bloggers willing to help you promote or share your stuff if you are willing to do the same. Collaborate. There is POWER in partnerships. I think this holds true for just about every area of life. Struggling with a problem with your kids? Ask another mom. If she hasn’t gone through it, she probably knows someone who has. Reach out. Don’t try to do it all alone.

5) Don’t be a wallflower. You never know who is sitting next to you in a session or at breakfast. Open your mouth, introduce yourself, and be a person! You never know what kind of amazing connection might happen. You can lose a LOT by keeping to yourself.

6) I should never go anywhere without Emily.  I missed her A LOT! Also, when I was speaking, it was way too short, because I didn’t have her there to add in her brilliance. At one point I texted her: “I have never wished you were here with me so bad in my life!”

Also, the coffee might be gone after breakfast. When in doubt, get two cups!!

I loved all the people I met at iRetreat! It was great to speak as well – thanks for having me! If you guys haven’t checked out the organizers, the Double Duty Divas – check ’em out. I work with them on the Pampers Baby Board and I LOVE them!

That’s what I learned at iRetreat – have you gleaned any new life lessons lately?

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