2018..

I don't know what made me want to start writing on the blog again but I'm here and so much has changed since my last entry. Anyone still reading, lets catch up!!

Since 2016, we have moved twice, I went back to work, I became a stay at home mom again, and I enrolled in school to get my Masters. Whew, that was a lot in a 2 year span!! What two places did we move?? Well, we briefly lived in Columbus, GA (2016-2018) where I worked in mental health and we just moved to Fairfax, Virginia in July. I am a stay at home mom again but I am in school with only one semester left!! I am super excited about finally accomplishing this goal and May 2019 can't come fast enough.

The girls are growing up so fast and Jayda is now in 1st grade! I know, I can't believe it either. Alyssa is 3 (soon to be 4) and goes to a PreK-3 program. I am not experiencing any types of depression like I did when I was a stay at home mom before and I contribute that to me doing something for myself. I don't know if I mentioned in a previous post but I have a undergraduate degree in social work and that is what I am getting my Master's in as well. I have been going to school full-time and the classwork was overwhelming at first but the finish line is so close. 

There isn't much else to update you all on at this moment but I plan to blog more about random things. Oh, I started a Youtube channel but I gave up on it. I think I like to write out my thoughts and feelings more than recording my life but I still watch my favorite YouTubers (when i have time).

So, this is it for now. As we begin to explore the area I should have more to post about. We are only 20-30 min away from D.C. and not to far away from other metropolitan cities. I look forward to living here and sharing my experiencing!!

Til next time, 

Maya B 

Update..

Hi !! I know its been a while since I posted anything. I've been busy with the girls and researching for our upcoming move. I can't wait to share the news of our new duty station but we are still waiting for it to be official.

I've also been in a funk about life and decided that I need a break from social media. Sometimes I find myself comparing my life to things I see my facebook/instagram friends post, which isn't good. Plus I was wasting hours watching YouTube videos! So, today I've deleted the apps off my phone and redirect my attention to enjoying my life. 

Anyways,  I forgot to post this Mani last month and I know it's not Monday but oh well I want to share it! Y'all already know I love dark purple/wine colors. This purple polish is from ELF and it really reminds me of a Wet and Wild polish I own called Through the Grapevine but a little darker. 

Elf Purple Pleaser

I added some stripes using your LA color nail decor polish. The polish with the thin pencil brush. I like to use them and you can find them at dollar tree. 

Well that's what I've been up to. Til next time!!

Maya B

"You were born with the ability to change someone's life - don't ever waste it." -Unknown

Motivational Monday

Hope everyone is having a lovely Monday.. 

Everyday is a new day to move forward, start anew or press on... 

Maya B

Exploring Rock Hill, SC: Fire Department Museum

Good afternoon, I'm trying to explore more of what Rock Hill has to offer stay at home moms or just families with kids. So today I met up with the ladies from my mom's group and we went to the 

Rock Hill Fire Department Museum. 

Pretend Play

 Ambulance Fun

Dressing Up

As you can see from the pictures above the kids really enjoyed dressing up, playing and pretending to be Firefighters! We stayed at the museum for 2 full hours and Jayda still didn't want to leave. So, if your child(ren) are into fire trucks or firefighters this is a great place to visit. Plus admission is FREE! The Museum is open Monday-Friday from 8-4 pm and a fun fact is that local firefighters help raise money to open it. You can read more about the museum in this Article.

 So If you are in the Rock Hill area check it out!!

Coupon Apps

What's up! I wanted to share some apps that I use to save money. I've been couponing for about a year and a friend actually introduced me to a couple of these apps last summer. There are a lot of different apps you can use but I'm going to share the  5  I use regularly. 

1. Shopkicks... This is the first app I downloaded and I really like it. It's easy to use and all you have to do is walk into your favorite stores. With this app you gain kicks (points) and when you reach a certain amount of kicks you can redeem gift cards (ex Target, Starbucks, Walmart..etc)

2. Ibotta......This is another popular app that gives rebates for everyday shopping. You simply unlock the available rebate, scan the item you purchased and upload your receipt. Once you reach the cash out amount you can opt to cash in for a gift card or hardcore $$! 

3. Receipt Hog.... Is another easy app to use that only requires you to upload your receipts to gain points. Like the other apps you can cash these points in for cash or gift cards. 

4. SavingsStar...This app is like Ibotta but offers are limited so if you see a rebate for an item you use it's best to immediately unlock it.  

5. Walmart Savings Catcher.... I just downloaded this app the end of last year and I wish I had downloaded it sooner. If you shop at Walmart often then you really should get this app too. It's easy to use you just upload your Walmart receipt and the app will search for lower prices at competitor store. If a lower price is found you get the difference which you can cash out for a Walmart gift card. 

I hope that this is helpful for anyone interested in saving some coins! 

 Happy savings...

Maya B  

Manicure Monday: Peep Toe Pumps

Happy Monday!! I finally have another manicure to share with you. Since the new year I've been trying to minimize my nail and hair products. I gave away a lot of polish and I haven't been painting my nail but this week I decided why not?! So, with Valentine's Day coming up I chose this cute burgundy color by Julie G.

Julie G Peep Toe Pumps

I have a couple burgundy/wine colors but this  polish seem to be one I always reach for. Which is why it't still in my stash! I found this polish last year on clearance at Rite Aid and I'll be sad when the bottle is empty.

 Hope everyone has a great Monday! Talk to you later,

Maya B 

Adventures with Ms A: Wee Wednesdays

Hi everyone, hope you all are having a fantastic day! Now that Jayda goes to school and Alyssa is older I'm trying to plan social activities for her to participate in. So, this morning I took Alyssa to the Children's Museum for Wee Wednesday, which is a program for children 1-3. When we  moved to Rock Hill I would take Jayda and she loved it. Here is the post I wrote about Jayda's experience. I really enjoy this program because it includes story time, dance/movement, arts and crafts as well as imaginary play. Being a stay at home mom going on these outings also gives me a chance to interact with other moms. Which is always nice. So let me post some pictures of Alyssa...

                     

                                               

 

 

As you can see Alyssa has fun playing with new toys and I think the more we go the more social she may become with other kids. I plan to take her every other week. 

I'm always open to other activities to do with my girls. If you have any suggestions feel free to leave them in the comment section!! 

Until next time..

Maya B

Hello??!!

Anyone still following me? It's been  a LONG time since I posted and last August I had high hopes of being committed to blogging but such is life. I know it's about to be February but Happy New Year! I hope that everyone's year has started off on a great note.

So I guess I'll post a couple pictures to bring everyone up to date on my life:

- Jayda started Preschool in September and loves it! She has made a lot of friends and is learning so many things. Enrolling her into this part day program was the best decision we made.

- On January 9th Alyssa turned 1~ We had a low key celebration just the 4 of us. Alyssa started walking in December and is running all over the place. She also has a mouth full of teeth and is still breastfeeding but we are in the process of weaning.

- We are also getting ready to move again, Yay! I'll let you all know where once we have more information. I am excited and ready for a new adventure.

Well this about sums up what's been going on! I promise not to be away as long as before.

Blessing,

Maya 

It's Been A While..

It's been way too long since I wrote a post and a lot has happened. First of all I had my baby girl,  Alyssa, on January 9th and the transition from one to two children was rough. I suffered from PPD (Post Parturm Depression) and the first couple of months weren't the best. Being the sole caretaker of my toddler and a baby 24/7 is draining. My husband's job also became more demanding and most days he leaves before we wake and doesn't return until bedtime.

I don't remember if I shared that I'm a military spouse or not. Well, I am and we aren't stationed in a typical military town/installation and I've yet to make any friends here so that added to my depression. I'm glad to say that now I feel much better even though I have some off  days, I'm human.

Anyway, luckily this is our last year of recruiting duty!! So we will be moving again and hopefully to a decent military base.

In other news Jayda is starting Preschool next month (tear). I found a nice part day preschool program at a local church and she will attend 3 days a week. We are both excited and I can't wait to see how she blossoms over the school year.

As for Alyssa, she's about to be 8 months! She has started to do the army crawl and loves to eat. I'm still breastfeeding her and I need to work on night weaning. Right now she still doesn't sleep through the night and wakes to nurse. I think she's using my more as a pacifier. Other then that Aly is a very happy and relaxed baby.

I really don't know what I want to do with this blog. I've started a Beachbody program called the 21 day fix and I might document it. I'm currently in week 2 so we will see...

Until next time..

Maya B

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's Thanksgiving Eve and as I sit here watching my mom prepare for tomorrow's feast I know I have a lot to be thankful for:

 My Amazing Husband

 My daughter

My unborn child

 My family

and the list could go on and on....

So, I hope that you too have a wonderful day tomorrow...!!!

Maya

Terrible 2s..

Ahhh..Help! What happened to my little girl and how can I get her back? Seriously..

Ms. J's tantrums have been on 100% and her new favorite word is "No". I don't know what to do but my patience is tested daily. For example, today I had to go register at the hospital and she acted the fool. Even though I brought her Nabi tablet she wanted to play with the stuff on the desk. When I placed her beside me the tantrum started and she bucked until she fell on the floor.. Geezzz.. Luckily the lady was understanding and finished my paperwork quickly.

Again, I don't know what to do. My mom always raves about how well behaved I was as a child and I guess I expected my toddler to be the same. I know, I know this behavior is normal I just wasn't prepared for it.

 I've been stern with her but I find it hard not to spend the day saying "no,no,no" or raising my voice. I'm just overwhelmed and its embarrassing when we are in public.  With another baby on the way I need any suggestions to help prevent this from becoming worst. Though I'm preparing for it to anyway...

CVS Haul....

This week CVS is running some great deals on tide pods and diapers (spend $30 recieve $10 gift card). So, i woke up early before heading to church to snag some things before the other couponers got to them! I had a 20% off coupon but misread it and because everything was already on sale it only took .72 off..I wasn't happy about that at all..

Anyway I still think I did pretty good for a newbie. I brought all of this for $28 (recieved 1 ecb) and it retails $79. Picture doesn't include 2 cases of water and one Palmolive dish soap.. 

I'm pretty happy with my haul. I brought one bag of tide pods on saturday for $2 and got the rolls of paper towels for free(cvs card promotion). On Sunday I purchased the tide pods and diapers for $26 recieved a $10 gift card. Then I used the gift card to purchase everything else. 

My laundry and dish soap stockpile is growing! 

Maya

Coupon Newbie..

For the past couple of months I've been trying to find ways to save. So I decide to try using coupons and I must say I wish I had started sooner.

Now, I'm no pro but I have found some decent deals on household and grocery items. For example, this week I snagged 5 Mott Juices for 1.25 ea which is 1\2 what they typically cost. How?? Well, Target is running a sale on Mott's 2\$4 and I used 2\.75 off coupons making them 1.25 ea. 

Where do I find my coupons and deals? 

Well I started following krazycouponlady.com, southernsavers.com and a coupon group on BBC. On Sundays I purchase a newspaper or two. There are also a couple coupon sites you can print additional coupons from (klip2save.com , coupons.com. etc). I also register my store rewards cards to gain more rewards and have access to digital coupons. 

I hope to get better at using coupons but so far I am happy with my little stockpile.

I've been able to get free dish detergent, soap and great deals on laundry detergent, toothpaste and hair products (not featured)! With a baby on the way I hope to snag some great deals on diapers and wipes. Wish me luck.. !! 

Maya

Monday Mani..Red Velvet Lounge

So I've been having some issues with my nails these past weeks. Not only did three break but I've also been dealing with them trying to peel. I've dealt with this issues before so I guess it time to take a break from painting my nails for a couple weeks, boo.

But.. I do have a manicure to share before I take a break! For this manicure i choose a red polish from the Fergie Wet and Wild line. 

A020 Velvet Lounge

This is my first time using this polish on my nails (Ben isn't a fan of red nails, o well) and it's very pretty. I did have to use several coats of polish but it went on smooth.  I love wearing this red on my toes and will probably rock it for a couple weeks! 

Hope these issues with my nails resolve themselves quickly.

Have a lovely Monday! 

Maya

Adventures with Ms. J: Halloween Fun

Hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween! Ours was very low key because my husband had to work. So, I took Jayda to a truck a treat event at our church and she had a blast! We dressed her up as a bumble bee and I'm proud to say that I made her tutu. My first time making one and I was very impressed how awesome it turned out!. Check out the picture...

 I loved seeing her face light up when we approached each car and was handed candy to put in her pumpkin. She is such a big girl now I just can't believe it.


I must admit I have been concerned about her language development because she doesn't talk as clear  as some 2yr old. I can understand the majority of things she says but most is still gibberish. I have to remind myself that children development at their own pace. Right now she loves singing songs, planes, the colors pink/red and the numbers 9/10! Every time we walk down stairs she says "9, 10" lol..super cute.  Jayda is 100% potty trained during the day and wears pull ups at night.

I am still in the Mom's group and I signed Jayda up for toddler time at the Library (starting Wednesday), which should be interesting. I hope she sits still for story time and is willing to participate in the group activities.

Anyways, hope everyone is having a relaxing weekend.

Maya

28 week Pregnancy Update..

Well, Hello 3rd trimester! Saturday I turned 28 weeks, like where has the time gone? Seems like I just announce this pregnancy and here I am in the home stretch. Today I went in for the glucose test. I chose the orange drink for the glucose test and it was way better than I remember. I get my results on Monday, fingers crossed I passed! I can't imagine not being able to indulge during the holidays.

Its also time for me to register at the hospital. So next weekend I plan to tour the women's center and register. I also saw my doctor today and my belly is measuring right at 28wks, baby's heartbeat is in the 150s and she was kicking the doppler during the examine! I now see the doctor every 2 weeks but will continue to do these updates every month unless I have some news to share.

Anyway,  my belly is definitely getting bigger as you can see in the picture below.

How far along:  28 weeks and 4 day

Baby is the size of a: large eggplant about 14 1\2 inches and a little over 2lbs. 

Total weight gain:  18lbs

Maternity clothes: ..Its still pretty warm here so I'm still living in maxi dresses, skirts and leggings but I've worn my mat. jeans a couple time.

Stretch marks:.. Still no new ones. I've started using Trader Joe's organic coconut oil which has help soothe the itching.

Cravings: Chinese food, dried mango and dried pineapple.

Symptoms:..OMG heartburn has been really bad. My friends suggest tums and I think I might have to invest in some. I sure hope the wivestale is true and Ms. A comes out with a head full of hair..

Labor signs:..Thankfully none yet! 

Looking forward to... Visiting family for Thanksgiving and having my baby sprinkle!

Maya

Inspirational Quotes.

I haven't really feeling like myself these past couple of days, guess it's the hormones. 

So instead of a manicure I'm sharing some inspirational quotes. 

Hope everyone had a lovely Monday.

Maya

Monday Mani...I'm a Flirt

Hi y'all, its time for another Monday Mani. This week I'm wearing one of my favorite fall polishes from the Sally Hansen Extreme Wear line called Flirt.

Isn't this a beautiful rich burgundy? Perfect for this fall and winter!

Maya

Nail Wrap Haul..

Hi Guys!! I stopped by the dollar tree  today and found some awesome deals on Essie nail wraps. These wraps retail from $9-$10 so snagging them for a buck is awesome!

 I only brought 2 because these designs stuck out to me. As you can see I also picked up some by the brand Edge. I can't wait to try these out and don't worry I'll let y'all know how long they last!

Enjoy your Thursday!!

Maya

Monday Mani.. Disturbia

Happy Monday!! I'm super excited to share this manicure with you this week! I have been trying to find new ways to jazz up my manicures so I tried some nail wraps. I actually purchased these wraps some months back but never used them. Now I wish I would have tried them out earlier. I really love how this manicure turned out.  I chose to only use the wraps on two nails and I used my favorite dark purple to compliment the design.

Wet and Wild Disturbia

Isn't this Mani HOT!!?? The wraps were easy to put on and I just used a  top coat to add shine. This Mani lasted a whole week and the wraps didn't lift and I only experienced minor tip wear. Removal was also easy, all i had to do was peel the wrap off. I definitely plan to see what other nail wraps I can snag for a dollar!!

So if your looking for a cheap way to jazz up your nails check out the nail aisle at your dollar store..

Maya