Motherhood Monday {Why All Moms Are Like Drag Queens}

As all mothers know, every day life with a baby (or two, or three) is not as glamorous as it looks on the mommy blogs. Since Cy's wake up calls usually start around 6am, getting myself ready for the day isn't something that is at the top of my priority list. I stay at home with him, so the thought of wasting a chic outfit, make up and a nice hairstyle just to get food on me, walk to the playground and have snot wiped on me, makes me cringe.

#RealLife (kinda)

With all of that being said, I make sure I am able to "get ready" at least a few times a month. I love being a women and all the sparkly things that come with that, so transforming into the "hot mom" version of myself is something I have so much fun with. But, it got me thinking how much mom's are just like drag queens. We (Or maybe just me) only get dressed up when we get "paid" to do so. Aka we only get dressed up when there are dinner and drinks involved. I think that even working moms, who have to look presentable every day, have drag queen qualities too. You have your work clothes and you have your going out clothes....most likely two very different types of outfits/looks.

#SocialMediaDragQueen

One of these days I am going to film a "Get Ready With Me" YouTube video so y'all can see the transformation....it's a crazy one that takes just about 3(!) hours and sometimes weeks ahead of time to achieve..I mentioned this in a previous blog, but I can do ugly very well. The amount of attention I get (or lack there of) when I am in "mom mode" vs. the attention I get when I am in "drag queen mode" are interesting to say the least.

I have a few beauty vlogs (#flob) planned for the coming weeks plus a ton of Halloween stuff in store for you guys in October!

xoxo

(Hot) Mom's Night Out {#OOTN}

I had the pleasure of hanging out with some lovely ladies last night for a (hot) mom's night out. We had a yummy dinner at Mezcal in Worcester and also went to the Brantley Gilbert concert at the DCU center. Well, all the other girls did...I didn't make it through the opening act as I think Cy may have given me his most recent sickness... #MommyProblems

Even though I was in bed with a fever by 9:30, my #situationalDressing was still on point -

Blazer | H&M | Sweater | Forever 21 | Shorts | Wet Seal | Leg Warmers | American Apparel | Boots | AMIClubwear.com

#RHOWPI

Confessions Of A Stay At Home Mom {Mom Friends}

While I was still pregnant, one of The Mister's co workers said to him "once you have a baby, you meet so many people that you would never be friends with unless you had a child." Of course that, among all the other info and tips, got lost in the crowd of information that was thrown at us.

Well, fast forward to now and Cy is of the age that we are going to social groups and playgrounds, and this is something that totally rings true. Having a child completely opens up your social circle in ways that you never thought possible. Just yesterday, I met a mom and her two sons at the playground. We bonded over things like us both being bloggers and both having sons with unique names. After we left, I realized I never got the mom's name...but I do know her two son's names! #MommyProblems

I am sure once Cy starts sports, this circle will be opened even wider. Although my biggest fear is becoming one of "those" sports parents so hopefully I can avoid becoming one and avoid being friends with one. I'm going to be the mom at the little league game in wedges and short shorts sitting in a pink camping chair. I'll be one of "those" #MilfySportsMoms.

Fitness Friday {TRX}

I haven't been able to make it to the TRX class at my gym lately. Life has gotten in the way but I am hoping I will be able to make it back soon as it is one of my favorite classes to take/fitness things to do.

Shirt purchased on FitForABelle.com

Since I haven't been able to make it to class, I thought I would blog about it for Fitness Friday! For those that don't know - TRX is a suspension training system that uses ropes and allows the user to work against their own body weight.

For me, the TRX really transformed my upper body and abs. I love the idea that it uses your own body weight because it my mind that made it less intimidating to try out at first. I also love that the possibilities are endless as to what you can do....You can literally use this suspension system for every muscle in your body! If you are creating an at home gym, I would highly recommend getting the TRX as you pay for it once and get tons and tons of uses out of it. Not to mention it's a space saver because you can mount it to the wall or ceiling. (Disclaimer - Make sure safety is always your first priority while using the TRX)

Some of my favorite exercises are upper body simply because I can feel my guns getting bigger with every repetition (#notvain). But, some of the cardio-centric moves are also fun and make great YouTube/Instagram videos!

Happy Fitness Friday Y'all!

Cheap & Chic

I recently found out that Robert and Cortney Novogratz have a new collection of housewares at WalMart! They have everything from bedding to decor. I may have to take a trip there tonight because all of the stuff looks so chic! I know a ton of designers have teamed up with Tarjay before (mainly Nate Burkus) but it's nice to see high end designers also teaming up with a "lower end" store and making their wares available for everyone.

For those that don't know, Robert and Cortney are a husband and wife interior design team. Their esthetic matches right up with mine...mixing the old with the new. They also had a reality show on Bravo a while back called 9 By Design...9 being the number of people in their family as they have 7 children! All just as chic and beautiful as them. They have since made a move to LA but on the show they were known for taking run down NYC buildings and turning them into livable masterpieces. Here's some of their work -

#Swoon

Here are some things for their WalMart collection -

#DoubleSwoon

If you are interested in any of their pieces I would either order online or get to your nearest store ASAP...I don't think this collection will stay in stock for very long!

Tuesday Truth {Why I Hate Scales}

I have never been a fan of scales. I actually think that selling scales in stores like Target or Walmart should be illegal. I also know that muscle weighs more than fat...so why, if I was working hard and eating right, would I allow myself to get on a scale for it to only tell me the exact opposite of how I am feeling inside and how my clothes are fitting. IMO, the minute someone decides to start a "diet" and decides to buy a scale to keep track of said diet is the minute they set themselves up for failure. It's also why I don't agree with any "diet" program that requires you to weigh in before you get started. Any program that does that simply wants to prove that their product works by referring to that number on the scale. They really don't care how much weight you lose or how you lose it...they only care that the number goes down and in turn that proves their product is effective.

I think my hatred of scales came from having to weigh in at the Dr.'s throughout my pregnancy. First it's every 4 weeks, then it's every week. At one point I had them stop saying the number out loud because whatever number they would throw back at me would cause me to stress eat and gain another 5 pounds for my next visit. It was at that point in time that I decided I would never let a number on a scale define me again.

Instead of using a scale and obsessing over a number, I always went by how my clothes fit...I know that the rule is to always "dress for the body you have and not the body you want" as far as fashion goes, but for me, I decided that my clothes were going to be my "scale." I knew I wanted to fit back into my skinny jeans...so every week or two I would put on the jeans and see if they fit any better. I can report now that those skinny jeans still don't fit because now they are too big for me.

I've said this a million times before, but I would rather be able to do 50 burpees and then post a cool video on Instagram of me doing something on the TRX than post a picture of what my scale says. The minute you change your thinking and realize that health is much more important than how much you weigh is the minute you will flourish and succeed in your weight loss/lifestyle change journey. Don't let a number define you!

Sidenote - I have to apologize for the lack of blogging lately. There's a lot of things going on behind the scenes at Decidedly Delightful that have left me creatively tapped out. Hopefully the impending holiday season will stimulate my creativity and get me back to normal. Cy is also starting at daycare soon for a few days a week so I am hoping that having a little bit of time to myself will also allow me to focus more on this lovely little blog! I would like to thank everyone for their support...it means more to me than you will all ever know!

Musings

eBay - 

I finally posted some more items in my eBay store! I am not sure how to include a direct link to my store but if you go to the search bar, and type in my user name - jlb1187 - you should be able to find what you are looking for. And keep checking back because I will be adding more and more items over the next few weeks!

$1 Finds -

If there is one thing I love, it's getting things for a dollar. If there is another thing I love it's getting holiday themed things for a dollar! So, you can imagine my excitement when in the last two weeks I had great dollar bin finds at Tarjay and A.C. Moore -

#Tarjay

#ACMoore

Stay Tuned - 

The Mister has a busy few weeks coming up at work. Once it for him slows down a bit, we have decided that every Sunday in October we will be devoting to cooking a meal from last year's Epcot Food and Wine Festival. Since we went in October last year, we found it fitting to reminisce a bit and take the opportunity to cook some good eats! So stay tuned for all the yummy food pictures and recipes. 

Greece! Grilled and marinated calamari, htipiti, eggplant dip, olives and pita bread and griddled Greek cheese with pistachios & honey. And to drink - Ouzo

The Bubble {Celebration, FL}

If you've been hanging around this blog for a little while you are well aware of my obsession for Celebration, FL - A planned community a stone's throw away from the Happiest Place on Earth. Because of my obsession I am always looking for any information I can find about my dream place to live. Recently I found a documentary filmed in 2011 all about Celebration titled The Bubble - A Documentary Film About Celebration Florida. 

While the documentary got very few stars on Amazon and was essentially made to air some dirty laundry, I thought it was a great little film. Many of the residents were interviewed and it was interesting to hear their POVs. One of the things I always want to do when we (creepily) drive through the town every time we are in Orlando is talk to some Celebration residents. So this documentary allowed that without me having to ring doorbells.

I also find Celebration interesting in that everyone moved there for a very specific reason and that was to be a pioneer in this town that Disney built. With that, the stories that these people share are very interesting to hear - everyone has a different story but they also had the same goal in mind.

I would totally recommend this mini film (it's only an hour) for anyone looking to find out more information about the "town that Disney built." You can find it on Amazon Instant Video to rent for $2!

Sidebar - I finally got The Mister to watch this after a few months of begging...it made me feel like we were one step closer to moving to my dream place...unfortunately after we were done watching, he said it made him want to move there less than he already did. For me, the documentary made me want to move there more (duh)! These people (with the exception of a few ornery highschoolers) are so happy with where they live and their lifestyles that I can only hope that one day I can move to Celebration and get a job as a Disney princess/blogger/spin instructor/hawt housewife.... :)

Summer Favorites

Happy September everyone! With fall (and Halloween related posts) looming upon us I think it's high time to wrap up the summer.

Beauty - 

I discovered the magic of cream based makeup applied by a Beauty Blender this summer. I found a new (to me) beauty guru on YouTube, Nicole Guerriero, who has a highlighting & contouring video in which she uses drugstore products on one side of her face and high end products on the other side of her face. IMO by the time she was done I could not see the difference. With that, I went right to my local CVS and picked up all my supplies (minus the Beauty Blender, you can find that at Sephora). You can find her video here.

Fashion - 

Rompers, jumpsuits, short shorts, menswear...these were a few of my favorite summer things. Also, this was my first summer with a very active child (last summer he was just learning to walk). So I developed a new appreciation for flats. I rocked a pair of black Forever 21 sandals literally all.summer. Note to self for next summer - stock up on cute sandals and flats! I will always look back fondly on the summer of 2014 as the summer of the onesie.

Fitness - 

I am happy to report that after my beginning of the summer injury I have finally lost the last of my baby weight. Although my body will never be the same as before (that's what tummy tucks are for) I have a new found appreciation for the human body and am in the best shape of my life. Coming off such a great summer of fitness I decided to parlay that into getting my Spin instructor certification! I am so excited for a new chapter in my life (and fitness) and I am looking forward to kick ass via Spin bike!

Mom Stuff - 

We went through two types of flotation devices for Cy this summer. One of them was a life vest with an Orca fin on it (so cute) which Cy hated and a Puddle Jumper (which we discovered by the end of the summer) that he (and we) loved. The Puddle Jumper is well priced and Coast Guard certified. It's also not super bulky which I think is what Cy's problem was with his Orca vest. 

My favorite blog post of the summer was a #TBT post where I wrapped up our Disney trip. I love going back and reading this post every so often. It quells the "Disney vacation itch" for a little while. 

My least favorite blog post of the summer was my Science of Twitter post. Although I liked the idea of this blog post, I feel like it came off all wrong. One day I will do a rewrite.