a shiny new name and other stuff.

a shiny new name and other stuff.

May 31, 2012

5 comments

it's a bright and shiny morning in our house today! well, it's bright & shiny outside :) 

we've got some tantrums going on and dog puke all over the bedroom carpet. that's kind of becoming a norm around here lately and it seriously bums me out. i don't know whats with the tantrums over every little thing every day. but days are really hard lately with my little one. and the dog? let's hope we can afford hardwood throughout the new house not long after we move in. it's getting built with hardwood just on the first floor and the stairs. wood floors are expensive, yo. expensive.

via weheartit

i wanted to pop in and tell you guys that i changed my blog name. i talked about it on twitter last night but i'm making it official here. first off, i LOVED my old name. i've been blogging since 2008 but i started this blog in april of 2009. it's been three years. i didn't change my name because i didn't like it or because i was bored. i wrote in this post yesterday that my twitter handle wasn't being used and people were trying to tag me by my blog name. but my blog name isn't an option for me to use on twitter. too many characters & the names i tried were taken. so i changed my twitter name. my blog tagline was "all the things that make my heart happy" so _happyheartblog isn't something off the wall from that. and then last night i had a lot of time to kill. M was working and i decided to try and get L back on a regular schedule. which means she was crying it out. for 30 minutes. this heart-broken mama took to being creative on the computer. i ended up changing my blog title to match my twitter handle. but my blog? it's still about the little somethings. those every day things that make my heart swell with joy and inspiration. those things that leave me happy. the URL is still the same. maybe one day i'll change it or get my own domain, but for now i think i've changed enough.

i just want to make it easier to be found and make connections!

i do like my new blog name. i guess it's just hard changing from something that was the name of my small corner of the web for the past three years. here's hoping we all fall in love with the new name. i changed all of my buttons so if you'd snag up a new one and maybe spread the word, that would be awesome!

here's the new details

twitter - {at}_happyheartblog

facebook

email - ahappyheartblog{at}gmail{dot}com

you can find my new buttons on the sidebar or in the button tab under my header. i'm also using passionfruit ads now! i LOVE it so far. so, to all of my awesome may sponsors, i hope you snag up a new spot. and to my new sponsors? i can't wait to meet you!

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sponsor-tastic!

sponsor-tastic!

May 30, 2012

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okay, that was cheesy.

but seriously, i've been seeing a lot of blogs & tweets about passionfruit and how it makes ad swaps SO much easier. and this month? life has gotten busy. things are changing and i haven't talked about all the changes fully here. but ads and sponsorship started messing with my head.

i LOVE my sponsors. i love making new friends and the connections i get from blogging and sponsor swaps. i know for sure i want to keep sponsors up on my blog. but i wasn't sure, creatively, how i wanted to go about it. i tryed something new for may and i liked it but it wasn't quite what i wanted. i was misplacing emails and confusing things up.

i checked out passionfruit today and i think i am gonna really like it. no more emailing back and forth or messing with codes. it's all pretty simple. choose the ad size you want. all of my ads are free! just use the promo code found in the spot info - this months code is swapfreejune. it'll lead you to a new page where you leave your button and info and you are done! 

easy and awesome!

currently i've got 2 featured spots, 4 medium spots and 4 small swap spots open. so for the month of june, if you want to continue sponsoring a little something (and i hope you do!), snag up a spot! the spots run for 30 days, starting from the day you choose one. whether it's the 3rd or the 23rd, you'll get a full 30 days. 

and two little tid-bits i've learned today about passionfruit. awesome customer service. the head guy, jason, was online so i shot him a quick question and he replied immediately! SO nice. also? it does cost a small fee per ad, if you charge for ads. since i do free ad spots, it charges nothing! 

i am going to like this new found organization.

you can "buy" your spots right here now or from the sponsor tab under my header.

  ps. i changed my name on twitter! i've noticed when people tag me, a lot of times they tag {at}alittlesomething which sadly isn't my twitter name or an option. therefore i created a new twitter handle and a pretty new blog banner to match. a little something is basically where i chronicle my life and everything that makes me happy. hence the new header ;)

i am now known on twitter as {at}_happyheartblog. i hope that any confusion in the beginning helps for better communication later! i hate to think i am missing tweets and such because of my handle. so please make sure you follow me on twitter at my new handle and if you have any questions about any of this, email me at blogalittlesomething{at}gmail{dot}com.

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OUR ADVENTURE

OUR ADVENTURE

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it's only the start of our adventure.

when we moved from new york to north carolina, we were excited. we thought it would be fun to take a little break from life and spend time with my family. we thought it would be great to have every day to spend together, without the worry of household bills and work and normal blah-blah everyday life stuff. 

but let me tell you, i missed all the blah-blah. the beginning was fun. and then jobs weren't being handed to M. the house was crowded. i missed our stuff - our comfy sofas and my white dishes. i missed my best friends down the street and being 30 minutes away from the city. i even started missing those loud families parties we'd go to with his family in the city. i missed tucking L in bed and just relaxing with M at night. i missed everything about our old life and i was quickly starting to hate our new one. it took a toll on all of us. there were days that i really didn't like M and he really didn't like me. i know that's kind of mean, but it's true. it was a huge test.

until one day we got the best call. i won't forget that day. i had taken l-bug out for a girls day. we had gone to target and had just stopped at coopers. they sell new orleans style sno-cones. we got banana that day - they were amazing. but i had just got lia settled in the car and she was yelling about her ball when the phone rang. at that time, M was working a temp job with the state to help with hurricane cleanup. he worked long days & weekends and we rarely ever saw him. hands down, that's one of the best phone calls i've ever received. he told me the news. he was offered a GS position in Parris Island, SC and of course, had accepted. we were moving!! i was shaking and crying. i was just SO excited. i didn't have words at first. i just saw there, relishing in the moment. knowing god had finally anwsered our prayers. life was going to change again and i will always be grateful for that day.



we moved to south carolina roughly a week later. after a quick two day trip, we found a house to rent then drove back to NC to pick up L and our stuff and drove back to SC the next day. i remember during that two-day trip, we went to dinner at the house of his former boss from new york who also works with him now in south carolina. they were talking to us about buying houses with a VA loan and such. i sat back thinking, what a dream that would be, but not really thinking we'd buy a house anytime in the near future.

but here we are. almost 8 months in to living here and we are buying a house. actually, we're building a house. it's crazy! it's nerve-wracking and scary and HUGE. but it's fun and exciting and happy! we signed the paper work yesterday and we'll have a few more appointments in the near future but then our house will get started. we are hoping to be in by november.

this is the sample of our home. we'll get to customize colors and whatever goes inside. and we'll be putting a stone ledge on the front of the house. we are EXCITED! it's actually something thats on my bucket list that i didn't think i'd get to cross off - but hello, we are blessed. it wasn't the easiest. we went through several neighborhoods and fell in love with all of them. i had to say goodbye to my dream of having a southern charleston style home because what went with that dream just wasn't realistic. we lost out on our top two lot choices in the neighborhood we chose, but everything happens for a reason and we are happy with where we stand. 

i am sure there will be trials and hard times in the future. but for now, we are just so darn excited that we are becoming homeowners. and grateful. we are extremely grateful that we made it through last year and we are where we are now. just pray that everything works out as it looks it should!

ps. thanks to my amazing husband for dreaming this dream with me. and working so hard to make it come true.

house image belongs to landmark 24 homes.

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today.

today.

May 29, 2012

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i could barely drag myself out of bed this morning. i tried every trick in the book to keep L in bed a little longer. in our bed, of course. it was another rough night for her.

i turned on the cat and the hat. she's still obsessing over it. i gave her juice and applesauce in bed. i gave her motrin & orajel. i think those two year molars are coming in. little buggers. i changed her diaper and wiped her nose. i let her jump all over me. let's just say she won the battle.

so i got up. i made breakfast, cleaned up all the dishes, wiped the counters and got dinner in the crockpot. today is going to be a big day. hopefully.

we've got story time this morning. it's the last one until Fall. and tonight, we're meeting up with our realtor and planning on signing the contract to start building our new home!!! we're pretty much nervous as can be. it's a huge step and i just keep praying that it's the right one for us now.

i will post more about the house-hunting game, but for now we've picked out our lot and it's being held with a deposit. we've gotten the numbers of what things will cost and what our monthly payments will look like. we've picked out our floorplan. we go in tonight to go over the contract and if everything still looks good, we'll sign it! i have a feeling that the knot in the pit of my stomach is going to be here until the house is finished.

and on top of all of this, my car registration is expiring. which means i need to get a south carolina license and register my car here. am i the only one who gets nervous about taking these driving tests? i know how to drive, obviously haha, but i am afraid i'll forget something on the written test or a road sign name. there's another knot in my stomach.

as much excitement as this week may hold, i'm ready to just get past it. i'm ready to know all the hard work is done and we can look forward to the future and our dreams.

 i'm off to get us ready for the library and hope that the teeth pain and snot fountain of a nose L has decides to leave us alone soon. hope you have a great tuesday!

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MEMORIAL DAY 2012

MEMORIAL DAY 2012

May 28, 2012

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we've had a great weekend. full of some shopping and grilling out and house hunting. 

but i can't help but feel the whole day should be all about our heroes. the enlisted, the veterans, the amazing guys & gals fighting overseas for us. FOR US!

i am the proud wife of one amazing veteran. i'm so blessed to have him.

marine corp ball 2009 and 8 months pregnant with L || our last marine corp ball in 2010 with our best friends || M's last day in the corp

remember to say thank you. it's the smallest act of kindness but trust me, it lights up their worlds. it takes a special person to be a hero. we're lucky to have our own.

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STUFF LIA SAYS

STUFF LIA SAYS

May 25, 2012

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lately L has been talking up a storm. sometimes learning several words a day. it's SO much fun but we really have to watch what we say around here.

here's some things she's been saying lately.

calling us honey or babe to make us listen to her. ya know, because that's what i yell at M when he doesn't hear me haha.

she got a new animal puzzle and has learned to say monkey, frog and snail. 

whenever she sees a baby, she points at them and shouts "baby!" and then she tells me everything about that baby. "juice!". "milk!". "bobo!". "sleep!". "feet!". "stroller!". she's an observant one, my gal.

every dog she sees outside is "dog! potty!?". 

her new fascination is turning the "amps" (lamps) on and off at night. 

and just this week, she's learned to tell the difference in poop and pee. so when her diaper dirty, she immediately tells me what it is and then waddles to her room for a change.

we've been working on animal sounds and she's mastered a horse, a dog, a cat, a cow, a duck and a pig. she's also getting pretty good at counting to 10 with some help.

she can name all of her favorite shows + movie. olivia - she calls it olivia, mom, dad, dog, cat, because those are the characters in the intro. yo gabba gabba - is called gabba, toodee, brobee, plex, muno, foofa. dora the explorer is dora & boots. she always tells us which episodes she wants to watch. circus, baby or bugs. oh and her new favorite movie? the cat in the hat. which she lovingly calls cat or hat and some other word that i can't make out.

she's very bossy and is always telling us to "sit!" or "come!" or "go away!". but she does have some manners. she says "peease" alot. we're still working on thank you.

and that's just what i can remember from the past few day. i'm going to work on turning this into a regular series. because this girl is funny.

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LITTLE BITS OF HAPPINESS | 14

LITTLE BITS OF HAPPINESS | 14

May 24, 2012

4 comments

playing with papi in savannah || s'mores made in the microwave || L's first board game

this week wasn't my best. i've just felt odd. i can't quite put my finger on it, but i lack the motivation and energy to do just about anything. i am hoping it's a funk i can shake by the weekend. but these moments brought pure joy. and the large cheese pizza from my favorite place didn't hurt last night either.

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currently.

currently.

May 23, 2012

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inspired by this girl and every one else doing this "currently" series.

  

 

reading: just finished bloom by kelle hampton. i cried. i was inspired. i felt raw emotions for kelle and her family.

watching: tangled. the little girl of the house rules the tv during the day time hours. 

thinking about: the future! what my adventure in selling thirty-one will hold for me. will we get pre-approved for the house we want? if we do, is it the right house? are we sure all the goods outweigh the not-so-good? is it the right move for us? is another baby in our near future? i feel like as a family, we are coming up on one of those crossroads that can change your entire future. it's exciting to dream up what it will be like when our dreams start coming true. but on the other hand, i am a worry-wart by nature.

loving: the bright blue skies and sunshine that south carolina brings to the table. strolling down the streets of savannah. L's laugh.

anticipating: july! we're going to north carolina to see my family for the 4th and M's sister will be staying with us for a few weeks.

listening to: my playlists have been full of matt nathanson, andrew allen, train and andy grammer lately.

eating: healthier! or at least trying. i slacked off the last few weeks and stuffed my face full of sweets & mexican food. but this week, i want to get back on track. egg whites were the breakfast plan this morning.

feeling thankful for: a lot! M, for knowing when to be amazing. L, for always making me laugh. my friends who keep me sane during the week and have helped support my thirty-one business. having a roof over our heads and food on the table. good health. living so close to the beach. our bikes. the library.

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may sponsor highlights | part two.

may sponsor highlights | part two.

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i LOVE all the great spring must-haves the girls shared yesterday. i'm excited to share more. please show some love with the rest of my sponsors.
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------

meet josephine from letters to sophia

spring dresses

i LOVE having a lot of fun, bright colored, spring dresses to wear during this season. i never feel comfortable in shorts so dresses work perfectly and they always seem so fancy looking even if you're having a casual day. i also love putting sophia in dresses.

spending lots of time outside

i think it's very important to take your children outside to play. and spring weather is perfect for this! i know this isn't really a must-have but it's a must-do. sophia loves being outside and i love just sitting in the grass and watching her play.

a camera

 spring is just so beautiful and i find myself wanting to take pictures of everything during spring. so my camera, whether it's my actual camera or iPhone, is a must-have. i am constantly snapping pictures of sophia outside or flowers blooming during this time of year. all my pictures seem to be prettier in spring.

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------

meet jessica from sweet green tangerine



roadtrips

music festivals

a good book to cuddle up with on those rainy spring days
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------

meet erika from te and baby 



i am so excited about the warm weather. are you!? here are three things on my "must-have" list for this spring.

a cute swimsuit
like this one!




my body is kind of all over the place right now after having my baby and this tankini is perfect to cover up the sagginess that is my new belly. plus, it has a built-in bra, which makes this big boobed girl pretty happy.

a kindle or a nook
like this one!



i used to be completely against nooks...but, i have since been converted. it's so easy to just throw into my bag and i find myself reading so much more now. i just bought the cheapest one (no bells and whistles) and it is perfect for my needs.

yellow pants

like these!

 

i'm serious. i just bought a pair and they changed my life.
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i think these girls are on to something too. yellow pants, lots of spring pictures on the camera and a roadtrip. i'm in!

i'm looking for sponsors for the month of june! if you want to swap, email me at blogalittlesomething{at}gmail{dot}com.

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lia and her bubba.

lia and her bubba.

May 22, 2012

1 comment

i wish we got to see family more. i wish we could easily afford to take all the trips we want. and i wish they would just come down our way more. but that's not the way it is, and we don't see them very often.

that doesn't stop lia though. she has some fierce bonds with family. she's only been close by her bubba for a few months and already they are best friends. i mean, the second she sees him, it's "bubba this" and "bubba that". she always keeps him in her sight. i see so many similarities in those two.

last week, she got to see her bubba for a day. he wanted to watch the cat in the hat movie. the funny one with mike meyers. we own it but L has never seen it. she has never sat through a whole movie. she'll watch plenty of episodes of YGG or Olivia. but never a movie. that movie has now played at least 6 times in our house. six! and for the most part, she'll sit through the whole thing. and then all she talks about is the cat.

these two just have such a bond. it makes my heart happy knowing that even if we can't see the ones we love very often, lia knows them and has them in her heart.

i overhead her talking to her poppa on her play phone the other day. she received a post card in the mail from my sister, her boys & my mom. she was gripping that tightly this morning when she stumbled out of bed and through the house to my room. and she has a small notebook that she has me draw in every day for her. it always has to be tywer, bubba or pop pa. sometimes she asks for mom (meaning grandma) or the dogs.

she loves them SO much.

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may sponsor highlights | part one

may sponsor highlights | part one

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i decided to go for a fresh take on sponsorship. and this month, instead of blurbs & highlight posts, i'm doing a fun post on their top three spring must haves!

 so please welcome my may sponsors and give them LOTS of love! these girls have been awesome. some have let me guest post for them, some are great friends and some support me in my weight-loss journey.

may is all about the start of spring, bright colors and being outdoors for me. so i asked my sponsors what are their top three spring must-haves.

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meet Liliana from lilixoana

nail polishes 

i always start painting my nails regularly starting in spring all through-out summer and fall and usually give my nails a break in the winter keeping it all natural. some of my favorite must-have colors in the srping are bright colors like orange, hot pink, yellows and turquoise. you name it! it gets me in a happy mood!

colored jeans

 

love bright colors so when they start having a lot of them this spring as a trend i was in love. i think you should own at least one pair of colored jeans :) so cute.

spring scarves

 

spring in new york is still breezy so it's always nice to have a scarf on hand and i love light-weight spring scarves in tons of different colors and patterns to coordinate with my outfits. they are also fun to wear on your head or as a belt for an added accessory!
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------

meet emily from writings of an air force wife 

 

a light airy sundress
like this one!

shimmery bronzer
like this one!

a 3 barrel curling iron for bouncy wavy hair
like this one!
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meet crystal from life of a mother 2 three  

 

spring is here and it's my favorite season! i get to shop for bathing suits for my darling girls and trunks for my handsome little men. spring is also the time when it's warm enough to dive in the pool or beach and we LOVE the beaches.

hot/bright colors in the bathing suits

cookouts

a nice glass of wine
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okay ladies, i totally agree! colored jeans, a light sundress and cookouts are on the top of my spring list as well.

thanks for sharing!

i'm looking for sponsors for the month of june! if you want to swap, email me at blogalittlesomething{at}gmail{dot}com.

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OUR ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND

OUR ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND

May 21, 2012

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we celebrated our anniversary this weekend! it's been five years since i walked down the aisle and promised to love M forever and a day. i'm happy to say we are both still holding strong to that promise ;)

we kept the weekend low-key. friday night we did some house-hunting and caught up on some dvr shows. saturday we had lunch at moe's and spent the afternoon walking around downtown savannah soaking up as much city life as we could. we stopped by this teeny bakery and bought a chocolate cupcake. i made M do the twisted arms/feeding cake to each other thing. ya know, we had to celebrate five years some way. everytime i am in savannah, i miss new york with every fiber of my body. but in turn, it makes me SO thankful that i have a quirky, historic city to roam around in close by with the suburban life i am used to and awesome beaches. i'm pretty lucky. 

yesterday we did a bit more house-hunting. i love dreaming of our future and i think we may have found the one. afterwards we hit up the freezing cold pool for a bit and i made arroz con pollo for dinner. i think i've finally mastered spanish rice.

now it's monday and time for a new week. playgroups to prep for, laundry to tackle, story-times to attend. there's a house to clean and a house to figure out how to buy. and lots of good moments to sneak in with my girl. my girl who is trying to get out of her nap by quietly playing in her room.

happy monday.

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this is why i love my job.

this is why i love my job.

May 18, 2012

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i love my job. i really do. i don't think i've ever really meant that about other jobs. and i am not talking about my job as a mom. that is, of course, my first priority and i have & always will love every minute of it.

but that's why i love my current job. it lets me keep being a mom as my priority. no one sets my hours. no one tells me what to do. i can work while my hair is pulled back into a scrappy ponytail and i'm in my least attractive but most comfortable pajamas. i'll spare you a photo of that.

this is me working. this is my virtual office.

it's nestled in one of my favorite rooms in my house. surrounded by pictures of people i love, smell-good candles, the ever-famous matroshkya dolls, l's toys & artwork. i get to work from home. and when i am working out of home, it's for fun conferences or parties. hello, jackpot.

i started about two weeks ago. i held a yard sale, took my earnings and bought my starter kit. i am now a consultant for thirty-one. you can do anything with this job! you can sell every now and then on the side. you can sell a lot. you can get a job promotion and become a director. you can recruit people. you choose.

i am using this as my job. M has a full-time job that is amazing. but we have dreams and goals. we want to buy a house. we want to pay off our debts and take family vacations. i want to be able to let L take whatever hobbies she dreams of. 

the company is amazing! if you've ever thought of selling thirty-one or just love the products, i encourage you to jump in. it's fun. it's easy. and best of all, it's your business! oh, and there's that business of earning rewards and free products.

if you ever want to know more about it, email me at kavilla19{at}gmail{dot}com. i have plenty of information i can give you. it doesn't matter if you live in south carolina or across the country! and we could learn the fun business together.

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LITTLE BITS OF HAPPINESS | 13

LITTLE BITS OF HAPPINESS | 13

May 17, 2012

8 comments

i missed last week's bits of happiness link-up. so here's a little of what has made me smile the past two weeks.

 

 

her stink face || new blog look || new phone cover || my thirty-one kit || amazing jewelry i won from the altered chain giveaway || hilton head island || my debut party || lia-bug

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i guest posted. again!

i guest posted. again!

May 16, 2012

6 comments

because i am so lucky with such awesome sponsors, i got to do another guest post today!

go here to read all about my traveling with a toddler tips while josephine & sophia enjoy their vacation!

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lately.

lately.

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lots of lately.

blue skies. a  sweet sleeping babe. cold treats. my laundry helper. my love. pink lipstick. a yardsale. yummy food. my thirty-one kit arrived. she likes hanging out on the treadmill. new shoes. new jewelry. the beach. spaghetti for breakfast. working out. bloom. a storm. playing outside. 

life has been good.

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