A day at the zoo.... AKA my life.

 I'll apologize first off for the photo intense post- I hope it doesn't take too long to load for you!
 I finally took a few days off this week- Monday, we took EK to her ENT, Dr. Hollier in Shreveport.  All was well there, her breathing has improved and tubes are clear. My mother in law and I ran by the Carter's store in the Boardwalk and got all kinds of cute things for the munch.

Ryan got a new tractor Thursday. I am so happy for him... he has wanted one for a long, long time. To top it all off, we got rid of this old thing, which helped pay for the tractor! Craigslist works, the man who bought the Blazer drove almost 6 hours to get it, and paid what we were asking!

 Friday, I took off so that Ryan and I could take EK to the zoo. She was such a little trooper for the hour and a half drive! She let us eat at Chipotle before we got to the zoo, and rode in her stroller most of the time without any griping (this is rare- she always wants to walk run). I can't say enough good things about the Caldwell Zoo in Tyler- it is clean, inexpensive, shady, and always a good time.

                                     

The bird sanctuary is my favorite part of the Tyler Zoo- you can buy little popsicle sticks coated with bird seed for $1, and feed the birds. It is so much fun!

I am desperately trying to convince Ryan that we need goats :)

YES! Fall action. This girl is tough!

What? I can only get two?

In addition to the fun times, we got to PLAY. I love when I have time to just stop and relax with my babies-

Until next time (which is hopefully not a week away)-

What I Wore Wordless Wednesday

A little more time was all I needed....

I say that a lot. Really, I did need a little more time. Turns out, my kid's nap schedule isn't what holds me back from doing the things I want. It's the fact that I work from basically dawn to actually dusk. I was getting home every day to darkness. That was before that time change. After it, EK and I have gone for a 3 mile walk with her stroller, gone shopping with Daddy, and this evening we even planted those trees and flowers I wrote about last time.  It's amazing the things I can accomplish with a little more daylight to burn. Sleeping, on the other hand, is rough. We'll just focus on the positives for now, though.

Let's go. Let's go NOW.

Boring before.

Slightly less boring after.

The nowhere near boring mess in the middle.

Ever wonder what a kid with tracheomalacia sounds like?

We are approaching such a fun and busy time with our little girl. She's a handful, but she's ours and we adore the ground she walks on.

What I Do With My Free Time.

Rare is the moment where EK is asleep, Ryan is gone, and I am alone to do whatever I want.  The thing is, when I have this kind of time- I can't decide what to do.  I usually do a load of laundry and then sit. I look at Pinterest, and try to find something to make that won't require a drill, hammer, or saw. Damn you, Pinterest. I can't stray too far outdoors, or else the munch will wake up and fear for her life, confined in a crib until the rapture. Like I would let her sit there that long.

Anyways, I am pretty useless. I think and think... then she wakes up, and I can't do anything but play. Which is cool, not incredibly productive, but definitely important.  Here's what I WANT to do with my "free" time though... and just might. One of these days.

Shop for all of my pinned outfits.

Stain the concrete on our front porch.

Wrap the poles on the front porch in wood casings.

Plant a rose garden.

Grow grapes.

Teach my dogs new tricks. Too bad they are a little dumb still.

Paint my toenails.

Try a new 'do.

Make EK an outfit.

Buy a sewing machine, and learn to use it, so that I can make that outfit.

Plant a RED crape myrtle tree by the driveway entry.

Link Up with Nykki @ Another Day In Paradise for Perpetual Pinners each Monday!

Uniform Advantage Gift Card Giveaway!

I love, love, love,Uniform Advantage Scrubs. Want to know why? A few weeks ago, a nurse friend and I decided to pop into a local uniform shop while on lunch to check out new scrubs. We both were wanting something new and colorful for spring, and we were hoping to find just that. Well, we found a few things. There were two problems, though.

First, it was impossible to find appropriate sizing due to a very slim selection. If I found a top to fit, there were only bottoms which were 3 sizes too large. I can understand the need to avoid an overstock, but why are there 6 XL bottoms and 3 Small tops?

Second, the prices were INSANE. I just cannot afford to pay $60 for a Cherokee scrub set. It's just crazy. We walked away, empty handed and still in our boring, black, corporate issued scrubs. 

The next day, I had a surprise in the mail. It was my Uniform Advantage catalog. I get the catalog regularly, and always look at it, admiring the selection and adorable colors.  This time, I looked more closely. I noticed that their pricing is amazing. I could get two sets of scrubs for what one set would cost in my local store. I ordered online that very day, and found it to be such an easy process. They provide sizing charts specific to each different brand carried. Every size was available, I could even get pants with long inseams in some 

brands. 

Shipping was very prompt, and I received my exact order in perfect condition within just a few days. I chose to order two sets from the UA Buttersoft line. These scrubs are not made from the typical stiff fabric found in most scrubs I have worn in the past. They are soft, and wear a lot like "normal" clothes do. There are several options available for the pants, my favorite is the "crossover" style that is shown above in Tiffany blue- it has a flat front with elastic in the back. This helps to keep me from looking any bigger around the middle than I have to! The tops don't tent out from my body, and it actually looks like there is HUMAN underneath. Buttersoft scrubs are available in at least 35 solid colors, and there are different contrast color combinations as well. If you like other brands like Urbane, Cherokee, Peaches, Koi, Iguana Med, and Grey's Anatomy, you can find these at Uniform Advantage as well for great prices.

I wrote to let Uniform Advantage know how pleased I am with their amazing service and adorable, nonfrumpy scrubs. They have graciously offered to give two lucky readers a $25 gift card, good towards the purchase of new scrubs!  I am so excited to share this with you all. To enter, follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter. 

What I'm Listening To- Nostalgia Version

I've spent a little more time in the car than normal over the last week. I'll admit- I kind of like it. The weather has been gorgeous and I've been in the music mood. I've also been just a tad bit nostalgic.... when did I get to the point where I feel almost 30? This is nuts. Here's what I'm listening to this week:

#1  "Virginia" by Whiskey Myers You should probably just go watch this one... I love a good sad song with a story to go along. I talked about their second album, Firewater, last time I wrote about songs I love. 
"Earthquakes and hurricanes, slow moving freight trains... Girl, that's how you make me feel sometimes" 


#2  "Lonely East Texas Nights" by Whiskey Myers When you are married to a state trooper, this song title could totally describe your life.  This song's been on the playlist for a while, I remember driving home from working the hospital in Nacogdoches while listening to it.. Just a little nostalgia. This one's from their first album, Road of Life. 
"Somewhere in East Texas, you're out alone... but I can't dry your tears on the telephone. I'll come back to you I swear I'll make it right, I'm making my way back home on a red-eye midnight flight..."

#3  "1968" by Turnpike Troubadours When I was in high school, my best friend, Abby, and I would take my granny's 1982 Cadillac Brougham out on the town nearly every weekend. I have so many memories in that car, I learned to drive in it. I can park anything after driving that thing. 
"There ain't a thing in the world could take me back- like a dark haired girl in a Cadillac on the main street of an old forgotten town..."

#4  "Seashell" by Micky and The Motorcars I just like this one. The guitar gets stuck in my head every time I hear this song. The dude keeps the key under the seashell on the porch... I used to keep my house key under a seashell Ryan found on our honeymoon. There you go. 
"We don't ever really talk, and I guess that's all right with me. Seashell sits on top of rock, you know that's where I hide my key. Come the light of day, I watch you take your things and go, and I can't hardly sleep through the night anymore. "


#5  "Lonely River" by Curtis Grimes  Another old-ish tune, I fell in love with this guy at Banita Creek Hall in Nacogdoches. He ended up being on The Voice, and made out with some ugly chick... then ruined my whole view. Whatever, I have been on my nostalgic kick so here you have it.
 " I met her there a year ago, vacation time down in Mexico. A couple drinks and a couple songs, I had her laughin' all night long. She said she wanted to settle down, so I took he back to my hometown. All she wanted all along was just another name on her telephone. "


#6  "Whatever You Like" ...TI  Snort. Snort. I totally loved this at one point in time. I was probably quite inebriated. Is he still in prison?
I have no idea what they say????????????????????????????????


#7  "Texas in 1880" by Radney Foster and Pat Green  I'm a Pat Green fanatic. He was my introduction into the Texas Music scene when I was at the ripe age of 14. This song makes me want to load up and go to a livestock show.... or at least drive a little faster :) I just adore it.
"Be young, and wild, and free... just like Texas in 1880..." 


#8  "Songs About Texas" by Pat Green  Last one. What can I say? I love my state.
"So sing me one more song about old San Antone- it seems like a dream now, it was so long ago. Jerry Jeff Walker, he could be just like a coat from the cold, I'm going home. "  

You tell me- what song takes you back? 

How I Conquered Dead Bugs.

A few days ago, I drove my car  through the awesome car wash in town. I even splurged for the $12 wash, just because it makes my tires shine. When I got through the tunnel and out to the vacuum area, I was quite sad to see these dead, splattered bugs still hanging out on my front bumper and grill. The tar splatters were still on the side of my car, too.  If 2million PSI of water spray was not enough to get them off, I must be stuck with them.

Bug massacre.

I really, really got tired of those bugs. So tired, in fact, that I decided to hand wash my car. I scrubbed and scrubbed with a sponge, trying to get those damned bugs off. It wasn't happening. I then got to thinking about how quickly and easily those dryer sheets took stuck on food of my pan. Remember this?

Yeah, so, I wiped the grill and bumper down really well with a dryer sheet. Pure magic happened.

Bud had to photobomb. As usual.

Bugs=Gone.

The bugs, the tar... everything came right off. My fingers weren't even bleeding from scrubbing. I would definitely recommend doing this before you actually wash your car. The dryer sheet left a film, but it came right off with a little soap.