Viva Las Vegas: Red Rock

My amazing husband was asked to come back this past year and speak on another panel for the Auto Financial Group.    My mom came up from SC to spend some time here and watch our kids so we could get away.  My sister took them over the weekend and brought them back home to us by Sunday.  We left on Tuesday afternoon and returned Sunday evening.

I was so worked up and anxious about leaving the kids; it's never easy and we were flying across the country and I literally had to plan out every day/detail with schedules, eating habits and try to make transitions smooth as possible.  I can see why many parents don't bother leaving their kids, as it's hard physically and emotionally!

I knew my babes would be in excellent care and I knew in my heart, Joe and I needed this getaway.

Once the plane took off, there was nothing I could do but relax and enjoy the ride.

We stayed at The Red Rock Casino, as that is where the conference was held.  It was a bit of a tease to see the strip all lit up each night and the sunrises were spectacular.

We got into LV about 730 their time, but it was 10:30 in our minds/bodies.  Luckily I slept on the plane and was ready to stay up a little while.

The next morning we got up and headed to our first Vegas buffet.  In all the times before, we've never eaten at a buffet!  I had an incredible omelette and croissant.  I pretty much devoured it all so quickly--darn time change! I didn't snap a shot.

We had some time to relax before our spa appointments, so Joe played black jack and I lost some money at the slots.  Not a terrible way to spend a Wednesday.

We hung out by the pool for a bit and lounged in the sun.  It felt so good!

I don't know when I'll see this type of blue sky again.

I can't ever get over how cool the mountains are.

So after a little lounging by the pool, Joe wanted to go back in and play cards.  I was told that there was a mall super close, so after a few mimosas I walked over and found The Guess store.

I was the only person there besides the girls working, so I told them I needed some clubbing outfits.  I'm obsessed with the faux fur vest and it was half off!  I may have bought this entire outfit.

I realized the time and had to scoot back over to the hotel to meet Joe so we could go to our spa.

I had the best massage.  She worked the knots out of my neck and back and I literally felt like I was floating.

Joe headed back to the cards and I went upstairs to get ready for the meet and greet.  I went with my red tunic dress from Express, the Harper statement (without feathers)

We had fun catching up with the people from last year and enjoyed meeting some new people.  There were some fancy eats, mashed potatoes in martini glasses etc, but we were still hungry... we had to hit up Fatburger.  OMG worth every fatty bite.  It's probably a good thing we don't have this fast food joint around here!!

We knew we'd have a long day at the conference the next day, and well I learned my lesson the year before to not get too wild this night, so we went up to bed at a decent hour.  This was also the night the Cubs won the world series!! Pretty cool to see everyone in the casino going crazy.

Monday Madness

I'm happy to say that I'm over the whole "election blues" or whatever the heck I was experiencing last week. I think I have successfully talked through every possible thing and am now okay! (Who knew it'd be so dramatic!!)

That said, I've had a whirlwind of a month, hello November, and I am feeling mighty fine.  I'm sure it helps that my hubby is on his stay-cation right now and we have a little date night planned this evening.

I saw this and it really resonated with me.  You know how I hate the "victim mentality" and this is right up there.  Let's stop being part of the problem, simply by not participating in it!  Half the time the issue is in our heads anyway, so...let. that. ish. go.

If you don't know, now you know...this scarf is only $14.99 when you make a $50 purchase. What?!

It matches the #redcups nicely!! Seriously, scoop yourself up something nice and grab the scarf for someone's Christmas gift, or the other way around.  Life is short, buy the Stella!

Oh heyy....#mcm (man crush Monday for you folks that may not get that #) . I have a million photos and fun little stories to tell about our Vegas trip. I will get them out of me and onto this blog one way or another, I swear!!  Okay, so you know you're in Vegas when...you are so giddy to be on the strip and you order the first fun fruity major caloric alcoholic bevvie you see...and the total comes to $44.

#thatswhatyougetforwakingupinvegas

I think Katy Perry did say it best.

Back to Stella, if you're not part of my VIP, get on it!! I'm doing a super special (read: cheap) right now and you don't want to miss it!!   I'm also looking for December hostesses, let's chat!

Hope your Monday is fabulous and you're doing well...and that you enjoyed my super short and totally random post.  #boom

Post-Election Blues

I keep swaying back and forth between trying to be light & fluffy and allowing myself to read, and scroll, and scroll and read.

I wonder how this election would make us feel if it weren't in front of our faces 24/7.

Everyone has an opinion.

Everyone is sharing her opinion.

I don't even care who anyone voted for any more.

I don't even care who I voted for!

I'm sad when I read Hillary posts.

I'm sad when I read Trump posts.

It's making me sick and appalled at how we are treating each other.

The media is blowing things out of proportion; people are being overly dramatic.

I'm not a very political person, but my God, this has been a tough few days for me.

I know my heart is in the right place and that really all that I can do is within my own four walls, be the best mom, wife, friend, sister, daughter & human that I can be.

I have so much I want to say and yet nothing wants to really come out.

I pray for this world we live in and the future of our country.

It's not up to Mr. Donald Trump to solely make America great again; we the people have to do our part.

Get off social media.

Go be a good citizen.

Stop being ignorant.

Live your life fully and present and enjoy the season that you are in.

I truly believe there will be greatness after this chaos; it's all part of life.

I sincerely vow to not read another political post the rest of this week/end.

If it weren't for my little gig being online, I would stay off it entirely!

I've been listening to Joel Olsteen's The Power of I am.

This stuck with me today:

"Don't pray for a bigger blessing if you're going to complain about a bigger burden."

Be big, my friends. Stay positive. Spread light. Send love.  The world needs lots of it today.

Happy Halloween!

I did it! I successfully blogged every day in October.  That feels really good! Today I'm sharing our kids' costumes.  Joe and I did not attend any parties or dress up, but we will enjoy taking the kiddos out and about tonight. I can officially say that we have DONE Halloween all month long.  

Donuts.

Pumpkin patches.

Cider.

Scarecrows.

Corn.

Haunted.
Spooky.
Crafts.

Carving.

Painting.

Pumpkin everything!!

Thanks to a snap chat filter I can "appear" dressed up.

I love this shirt with some Stella!

Remember to treat yo self!

Have a Happy and safe Halloween! 

Bring on the Turkey!!

Top 10 Health Tips

I am by no means an expert, but I thought I'd share a few important health reminders.  As I've mentioned before, we really put a huge emphasis on our health because of Joe's Crohn's and we value our bodies so much!! We only get on body, so we should treat it like gold.  That said, I know that it's impossible to be perfect 100% and I'm totally guilty of enjoying a glass of vino every now and then.  Heck, I even give my kids McDonald's every once in awhile.

However, it's 90% of the time where we try our best to do the following.

1.  Sleep

I find that I work best on 7-8 hours.  It's not always easy, but man when I don't get my sleep--I feel awful, I act terrible and I just can't think straight.  Getting enough sleep would be my BIGGEST suggestion if you're irritable.  Mama I know it's tough when the babes are small and not sleeping through the night; it's insane.  DO NOT load up on coffee and other caffeine drinks. Simply try to get more sleep.  Get a sitter. Have your husband get up.  I wish I had taken my sleep a little more seriously with my second kid.  I definitely feel like I got a little nutty with no sleep.  Now we are BLESSED to have to babes sleep through the night.  It was a lot of tough love and work, but we never co-slept or even had the babies in our room. Personal preference, but man I am so thankful we did that today.  Our kids sleep 12 hours a night now, most nights.

2.  Drink Water 

I mean only water.  I learned that you should drink half of your body weight in water daily, and I swear it helps me stay alert, my skin is clearer and I don't eat too much junk.  Play around with the water to see what you prefer; I like mine ICE cold and Joe likes his water room temperature.  I'll add grapefruit essential oil to give it a new flavor.  Lemon or strawberries can be added to give it a different taste too.  I also have found how amazing products like Yeti or Corkcicle can keep your drinks super cold all day and all night.

3.  Move

I hate to say you have to exercise, but we really should try to sweat for 10-20 minutes (if not more) daily.  Get outside, get some fresh air, walk the dog. Chase your kids. Jump rope. Go on you tube and workout for free.  Find something that you enjoy and do it. A lot.  If you just make it a habit to do 10 minutes a day, I bet you'll surprise yourself and end up moving even more.  It's so good to keep our bodies stretching, moving and sweating.

4.  80/20

I personally feel my best when I don't eat packaged or processed junk. I know it's easy and convenient, but it's not worth the price of feeling like garbage.  I think our plates should be mostly veggies/greens, fruits--basically anything that has been grown! Also focus on lean proteins like organic chicken, pork, and lots of fish. I know it's so tempting to eat pizza, burgers and fries all the time but it's just not good for us.  The more veggies and fruits you eat, and reduce the starchy carbs, you'll be amazed at the energy and awesome feel good vibes you will have!

5.  Limit Sugar 

It's a tricky one, that sugar! It sneaks into everything we eat and drink, even if we are trying to be aware.  Watch those expensive Starbucks drinks; I am guilty as charged.  Just had to reign in my bad habit with over 40 grams a pop for most of them, it's not good for our guts OR bank accounts. Just sayin.  Sugar is so addicting and really does a number on us.  I try very hard to limit sugar going into my kids' mouths and will definitely be donating or throwing away most of their candy after Halloween.  2 & 4 they don't need all that junk! Enjoy the holiday, but don't overdue it. That's my motto.

6.  Don't stress

Stress kills.  Slow down and breathe.  Take some time for yourself; if I'm getting worked up, I try to stop and ask myself, will this matter in 5 minutes? 5 days? 5 months? 5 years? Most likely, no.  Chill out and stop stressing.  Find some good habits like taking a walk, a bubble bath or reading a book to take your mind off of whatever is bugging you.  Essential oils helped me a lot; I breathe them in, do some yoga and move on. #namaste

7.  Personal Development {PD}
Kind of becoming a trendy thing, and I'm super excited about this! I think EVERYONE should listen or read something motivational every single day.  Just like our bodies, we have got to take care of our minds.  What we think about, becomes.  What we believe, we can achieve. If you can learn to train yourself to "not go there" down the path of worry, stress, anger, madness...and focus on positivity, gratitude, and becoming better than yesterday, life gets so much better. I'm not perfect. I still get upset, yell, become frustrated, but I know each day I work at it to become a better version of myself. (see these posts for more)

8.  Laugh

I do believe laughter is the best medicine. Once I learned to stop taking life so seriously, I've become a happier person. Watch more comedies. Hangout with people who are funny.  Enjoy being silly and goofy with your kids. Lighten up. Life is too short to get all twisted over a bunch of garbage; so just laugh it off. I am so thankful my husband taught me this 9 years ago.  I was so uptight and worried about so much, it's a wonder I enjoyed much of anything!  Pull up some funny memes, go to you tube, whatever makes you crack a smile, go do it on the daily.

9.  Vitamins/supplements

Obviously work with a Dr. or healthcare professional.  I strongly believe in taking some supplements to stay healthy.  I think vitamin D is super important up here in NY because we never see the sun from October until pretty much May it seems.  I know that omegas help immensely with a lot.  A solid multi-vitamin is also key to staying healthy.  Probiotics have got to be my #1 recommendation if nothing else.  Good gut bacteria is essential and with all of the "food" we eat, it's not always helping our guts.  Find a good probiotic or two and add them into your diet. Kombucha is also really good, along with Kefir.  Even yogurt in moderation is awesome.

10.  Green Tea {matcha}

Since my reflux, I just can't do anything that has a lot of caffeine.  I've always enjoyed green tea, so I usually have a cup of that.  I have however, found a new love: Matcha.  I've talked a lot about it lately, but I can't stop raving about it.  It gives me a slow released energy all day. No high. No crash. It's just a subtle calming energy.  Google it; there are TONS of benefits!  Sure I love one from Starbucks but it is loaded with sugar and it's $$.  Here is my homemade recipe; I ordered the matcha powder from Amazon.