September Currently + Life & Pregnancy Updates

September 19, 2017 by Angie Leave a Comment

Okay, so here I am with just over 11 weeks to go until my due date, and suddenly time feels like it’s flying. I mean, here we are half way through September and DID I MENTION THAT I’M DUE IN 11 WEEKS?!? Yeah… I felt like the first half of this pregnancy was dragging because I was so miserable, and now here I am at 28 weeks along and realizing that I’m pretty much nowhere near ready… Oh well, this feels like a good time to stop and post my September Currently and some life updates for those of you who’d like to know what’s going on.

September Currently…

In September, I’m currently doing the following…

Reading… The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley. I wasn’t kidding when I said I’d finish all her books by the end of the year… Though next up I’m switching over to Good Omens by Neil Gaiman.

Watching… Game of Thrones. I started it over from the beginning so Chris could watch it for me. He’s in and out of it, watching when he feels like it, but I’ve been really into seeing it all again and catching so many things I missed the first time.

Drinking… PSL frapps like some kind of basic white girl… I don’t care. I like them. The baby likes them too-she reacts to the cold and kicks more, which is fun.

Feeling… Tired and a little sick. I seem to have experienced some kind of morning sickness regression here in the third trimester, and I have nearly no appetite. I have not experienced cravings, just aversions, and I’m eating so much less than I was a few weeks ago because I just don’t feel hungry during the day. The middle of the night, on the other hand… I keep waking up starving.

Planning… More fun outings with C’s boys, and my baby shower.

Life Updates

I got new hair! Yep, I decided I was tried of dealing with my long grown-out blonde hair, and before the baby comes I decided short was a better way to go. So I went and saw my girl Jamie and she did an awesome job. It turned out SO pretty!

Plus, look how utterly perfect it is for Fall. I’m in LOVE! Those of you who have followed my blog for a long time may remember that I was a redhead for years, so I’m glad to be back to my old color and style. I’m hoping it’ll be easier to maintain once the baby gets here.

Pregnancy Updates

I realized the other day that I don’t have any pregnancy photos, not that show my belly, so I had Chris take one of me out in the yard. Here I am (above) at 27 weeks rocking this dress I have barely worn before, and my new floppy hat. It turned out to be the perfect outfit for a rainy day at the State Fair.

The Recent Ultrasound

A few weeks ago we went in for another ultrasound. We were happy to find that the baby’s growth was on track, there is plenty of amniotic fluid, and her Choroid cysts have completely cleared up. It’s nice to see, since they were the topic of some concern in our previous ultrasound.

28 Week Doctor’s Apt

Yesterday we saw the doctor and had a little update on how things will be going from now on.

Lots of Doctors Appointments Coming Up

We’ve been seeing her every four weeks, and the Maternal Fetal Medicine clinic at the hospital every 4 weeks, but it sounds like it’s going to step up quite a bit going forward. My blood pressure has gone down a bit, it’s still above average but not as high as it was, but I’m still considered “High Risk.” So, as of 32 weeks I’ll have to start seeing MFM at the hospital on a weekly, or twice-weekly, basis to check the amniotic and have NSTs (Non Stress Tests) done to check the fetal heartbeat. I’ll also start seeing my doctor every 2 weeks until 36 weeks, and then I’ll see her every week up until delivery as well. There are a LOT of doctors appointments in my future…

Baby Quarantine

We also learned that when the baby comes she’ll have to be quarantined for the first two months that she’s here because I’m allergic to the Pertussis vaccine, and can’t get it to help protect her against whooping cough. So that’ll be fun, I guess… lol Anyone who’s going to be around often during that time will have to get a TDAP shot, and one time visitors can always wear a mask around her. I just can’t take her out in public, which will be rough around the holidays…

From Left to Right: Uncle Shirl, Aunt Carma, Anna (cousin), Grandma D, Me, Mom, and Brooke (cousin)

Grandpa’s Birthday

Sunday we drove up to the family property to have a cookout with Grandpa for his birthday. It was extra fun because I got to see some family I haven’t seen in a very long time-family I need to see much more often!

It’s also great to hang out with my brother, who I don’t get to see often enough either.

C and S playing on the playground.

Doing homework with B.

Parenting Updates

As of our last court date we were able to get some more time with the C’s boys. We now have them 8 hours every other Saturday and 2 hours ever Wednesday. Our little during the week visit has meant we actually get to do some real parenting, since their mom sends homework with them. It’s less fun for B, who’s 8, because he has to sit and do homework while his 4-year-old brother plays… But he’s such a smart kid and it feels like some real parent stuff to sit and do homework with him. We go back again in December to see about getting more time-hopefully standard parent time this time.

Summer Adventures

We’ve had a lot of great adventures with the kiddos over the last month or two also…

Petting Cows at the State Fair

Bumper Cars at the State Fair

S petting a baby Chick

B playing with the prize he won.

The State Fair

A couple of Saturdays ago we went to the State Fair. The kids had a blast riding rides, eating fair food, and petting adorable baby animals. I, on the other hand, learned that if you go to the State Fair when you’re pregnant you end up being a glorified bag/prize holder while everyone else enjoys the rides haha! At least I had fun watching them have fun.

B staying cool in the Aviary

Playing at Tracy Aviary

Tracy Aviary & Liberty Park

A few weeks back we also went on a little adventure to Liberty Park and Tracy Aviary. The boys loved learning about the birds and also riding rides at the park. It was a fun outing, but we’d all recommend you go when it’s a little less warm out.

Also, look at that teeny tiny baby flamingo. They’re crazy fluffy and sooooo cute!

Tomatoes in my Garden

Zucchini in my Garden

C holding a Zucchini

My Garden

The Garden is overflowing with bushy green plants, tons of tomatoes that are currently ripening, and lots of zucchini coming in. We’ve eaten a couple so far, and it’s all so tasty! Can’t wait to have more.

How are you?

Angie

Angie is a coffee-fueled writer, artist-wanna-be, and over-worker who currently resides in a tiny fixer-upper near Salt Lake City with her boyfriend and 70lb rescue pittie. She works full time in Customer Service/Computers, part-time in retail and fashion, goes to school part-time on and off, maintains this and another couple of blogs, as well as volunteers with rescue dogs. In her free time, what little of it there is, she likes to read, play nerd games, craft and create art, and spend time with all of the awesome people in her life.

http://www.mysocalledchaos.com

August Currently + Life & Pregnancy Updates

August 14, 2017 by Angie Leave a Comment

Whew, time flies doesn’t it? I can’t believe the last time I talked about what was happening with my personal life and the pregnancy was in June… OOPS! I guess it’s about time for a little currently post with some life and pregnancy updates, isn’t it? Okay, I’ll get on it with it then…

Currently in August…

Reading… I’m in between books currently, but I just finished A Season of Storms by Susanna Kearsley. I’ve been on a streak of her books recently, having listened to Named of the Dragon and The Firebird not long before that one. I’m seriously contemplating trying to get through all of her books before the end of the year, and next up would be The Winter Sea. I own it in paperback, but with so little time to sit and actually read, I think I’ll use an audible credit to just grab the audio book because it’s been on my list forever…

Watching… I’m trying and failing to keep up with GOT since C doesn’t watch it with me. I do have him watching Pretty Little Liars on and off (he’s losing interest haha!) with me, and otherwise we’re watching Master Chef or Chopped together.

Drinking… I’ve recently added coffee (one-which is still not enough haha) back into my diet and man I’m glad… But otherwise I’m just trying to get a semi-decent water intake going on, and rootbeer too. Funny story, I don’t really like rootbeer as an adult, but the baby does. I guess that’s my one real pregnancy craving. lol

Feeling… Tired, but better on the sick front. I’m no longer nauseous all day, and I’m managing to actually get some things done here and there. Other than being tired, my back hurts-a lot. lol

Planning… To get the house all clean and organized before the end of the month.

August Life & Pregnancy Updates

Things have been going pretty alright for C and Me lately. We’ve been working hard to get some updates done around the house so it’s ready not only for the baby, but for when we finally get more time with his boys and get to have them over to the house. Plus, my nesting has finally kicked in and I’ve been excited to finish some projects around my house, which as you all know got a little out of control due to first working two jobs, second my grandmother moving and sending a ton of stuff over to my house, and third feeling like complete dog-poo for the first 19 weeks of my pregnancy. It’s coming together slowly but surely, and I’m so excited.

It’s a Girl!

Did I mention we’re having a girl? Oh man, we are SO excited. C has two boys already, and they both said they’d like a sister, so we were really ecstatic to get to tell them the ultrasound showed they’re getting what they want. We couldn’t be more excited to be welcoming a girl into our home come December.

The Ultrasound Findings

We had our 20 week ultrasound a few weeks ago and the baby looked mostly healthy and happy. She was moving like crazy, and the ultrasound tech seemed surprised by how much she was moving. She just kept saying “this kid is going to keep you running, better be prepared momma!” The baby also did not like being poked and prodded, so it took us a good half hour to get her to show us that she was indeed a girl.

Choroid Plexus Cysts

The ultrasound also turned up something called Choroid Plexus Cysts. They’re two little cysts in the Choroid Plexus part of the baby’s brain, and it’s perfectly normal in 1-2% out of all healthy babies. 1-2% seems like a very small number, but that’s roughly 1 in every 50-100 babies, and if you think about how many babies are born or that the doctor sees on a weekly basis, it’s not that small.

Possible Trisomy 18 Indicator?

However when it’s not present in a healthy baby, it’s also an indicator of Trisomy 18, which is kind of like a severe form of down syndrome. Babies with Trisomy 18 rarely survive birth, and those that do rarely live past a year. What was fascinating in my research regarding Trisomy 18, which I’d never heard of before that doctor’s appointment, is that there are actually a few survivors with Trisomy 18 out there. In 2013 there was even an article about a boy with Trisomy 18 who turned 21 which is kind of amazing…

Genetic Testing Options

However, babies with Trisomy 18 who present with Choroid Plexus Cysts almost always show other signs. Things like clubbed feet, cleft palate, not being able to open/close their hands, abnormally small heads or limbs, etc. My baby shows no other warning signs, and measures perfectly. While the doctor did her best to say it’s not impossible, she also tried to say how unlikely it was that we’d be seeing these. We were offered genetic testing to find out for sure, or for 99% sure anyway, but we have for now turned it down.

Why We Turned Down Genetic Testing

Honestly, the genetic testing turned out to be a high-out of pocket expense, and while the results could come back and make us feel better and nearly sure she doesn’t have any abnormalities, they could also come back with possibilities and just cause me to stress and worry for the rest of the pregnancy. The truth of the matter is that there isn’t anything we could do about it if she does have an abnormality, it would be too late to take any action against birth, and we’d agreed we wouldn’t do that anyway in our case. Plus, the likelihood that she has it is less than 1%, and she’s so strong and active I have a hard time believing she could have such a limiting disorder. She’s strong, I can feel her moving regularly, and she looks absolutely perfect in every other way.

Baby Shopping

We’ve been steadily preparing for baby shopping. Picking up an outfit or item here and there for her, including baby books and the adorable dinosaur shoes shown above. We picked up a crib, bassinet/cosleeper, and high-chair second-hand from a friend selling theirs and we need to start registering and preparing for our baby showers.

Spending Time with the Boys

On another note, we’ve been working hard to get more time with C’s boys. It’s been a bit of a battle, but we’ve gone from 2 hours unsupervised to 6, and we go back in on the 24th to see if we can’t get standard parent time. Our little Saturday visits have meant quite a lot of fun adventures this summer.

Art Festival and Leonardo

For our first visit we took them to the Utah Arts Festival where they got to paint and play, and then we went into The Leonardo. They were able to explore the airplane exhibit and pretend to fly a real airplane, and then play with legos and other brain-game activities. The also got to end our visit with a trip to the splash pad and some delicious shaved ice.

Bowling, Gaming, and Mini-Golf

For our second visit we took them to Fat Cats, which is a family center here that includes arcade games, bowling, and glow-golf. We bowled a game, played in the arcade, ate some pizza, and did glow-golf with the kids. It was such a fun activity.

The Planetarium

For our third visit we took the boys and met up with Kristina and her kids at the Clark Planetarium downtown. We took them to an educational star show, which they were fascinated by, and then explored the little exhibits and space stuff the planetarium has to offer. It was a blast!

Our First Longer Visit

The weekend before last we had our first longer visit, and boy did we fill it full! We spent a few hours at the Aquarium, then we went to dinner at Chilis (we let the boys choose), then we hit up Pirate O’s to explore imported candy, then went for fro-yo, and finally finished it off playing at the park. I was so exhausted by the end of the visit, but we all had SO much fun and it was so great to get to bond with the boys more.

Home & Garden Updates

As I mentioned earlier, we’ve been working really hard to get the house in good shape. C has been working really hard to take care of the yard work, he’s weeded, cleaned up after the dog, mowed (thanks to my awesome grandparents for giving us their lawn mower), and been in charge of all the watering lately. It’s looking better, though it still has a long way to go. Luckily for me, my nesting has kicked in and I’ve been getting projects around the house done. Such as the top two rows of my china hutch (above) and I’m so in love with how they turned out.

Our Garden

Most of you know I’ve been talking about having a garden since I bought my house, and we finally got one set up… I mean, it was like the fourth of July when we went and finally got it done, so it’s super late for our garden, but at least we got it started.

What We Planted

We planted four different types of tomatoes, a zucchini squash, and a spaghetti squash plant and set up our garden in a little raised bed.

Our Garden Currently

Currently the garden is getting big and bushy, and the rains lately have helped quite a bit. All we’ve gotten so far is four of the small tomatoes, but man they tasted good! I can’t wait to get more!

The Boys’ Room

Another great project we’ve gotten done so far is the second bedroom for the boys. We’ve been collecting things for the room over the past year, but finally got it all set up and ready to go in hopes that we start getting them for more visits. After talking to the boys we decided they wanted a Space and Dinosaurs themed room, which is right up our alley.

The Boys’ Beds

We wanted the boys to each have their own bed, and since we got a crib and a bassinet for the baby, we’ve set it up now so that the older one has the twin bed and the littler one can sleep in the toddler bed (the crib converts) until baby girl is ready for it. We figure she’ll spend a good 6 months in the bassinet/co-sleeper before we need to move her to the crib, and at that time we want to get some bunk beds for the boys.

How have you been lately?

Angie

http://www.mysocalledchaos.com

June Currently + Life Updates

June 9, 2017 by Angie Leave a Comment

It’s June, and we’re nearly half way through the year… I can’t tell if it’s going fast or slowly at this point in my life. Some things feel like they’re crawling while others feel like they’re zooming past me faster than I can catch up. I know it’s been a little while since I posted some personal life updates, so I figure a June Currently is in order, as well as some life and pregnancy updates.

This post does contain a few affiliate links. If you purchase something through my Affiliate links I may receive a small compensation at no extra cost to you. This goes into making the blog better and growing here. I appreciate your support.

June Currently…

Currently in June, I’m….

Reading: I’m just about finished with Somebody I Used to Know by David Bell. It’s a bit of a thriller following a guy who lost the love of his life nearly 20 years ago in a tragic fire, and after running into her young look-alike in the grocery store (who flees the minute he tries to talk to her), unwinds a huge conspiracy that takes him back in time to events that may or may not have happened. It’s intriguing enough that it’s only been about two days since I started it and I’ll be finishing it today. Also, in the last month or two I read American Gods by Neil Gaiman, A Desperate Fortune by Susanna Kearsley, The House of Velvet and Glass by Katherine Howe, and The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden. All of which were pretty good.

Watching: American Gods on Starz, The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu, and currently on a Friends binge on Netflix. Oh oh oh, and Orange is the New Black is back today so I think I’ll be watching that this weekend.

Drinking: Water and Sprite. That’s basically what I’m consisting off of lately… I’ve almost given up Caffeine entirely and man I miss it… But I need the water and Sprite is all that feels good on my stomach.

Feeling: Like crap. Honestly, this pregnancy thing has been really rough on me and I’m basically sick and/or dizzy all of the time. I have anti-nausea meds now, but they only help a little.

Planning: To get some plants in the ground for my garden soon… I’m running really behind on that but I still have a little time for my climate and I definitely need some Tomatoes in the ground ASAP. Also, I want to get my little yard pool set up so I can go out and swim/soak in it a bit when it’s hot. Oh and we’re getting the house clutter under control finally… Everything is just much more difficult since I feel so crappy.

Hoping For: My second trimester to hopefully come along and take away some of this sickness I’ve been feeling 24/7. Otherwise, mostly the pregnancy to go by smoothly and quickly.

June Life Updates

It feels like nothing much has been happening, but things have… I just feel kind of blah about it all because I’ve been so sick. I haven’t been able to get as much done as I like, or devote time to being creative or working on stuff I’d been planning. It kind of blows, but what can you do? All I can do is try and get through the rough parts of pregnancy and hope it gets better soon.

The Pregnancy

You know those women who just love being pregnant? Yeah, I’m not one of them. It’s been a pretty miserable experience. I feel like I have a permanent case of vertigo, and I’m not taking way more medication than I ever did before I got knocked up. I’m on Thyroid medication, tons of B6 to help fight the nausea, nausea meds, and my blood pressure is really high so I had to buy a blood pressure cuff to track it more regularly and there’s a big chance I’ll end up on blood pressure medication also. It’s not been a fun 13 weeks so far.

However, getting to see my baby on the ultrasound at 10 weeks was pretty rad. It was moving around like crazy, twisting and turning and kicking it’s feet. Last week in my appointment I got to hear the heartbeat for a few seconds… My baby is crazy active and did not want to stay still long enough for the doctor to count it or for us to hear it long, it kept moving all over. I can’t wait until I can actually feel it moving in there so I know everything’s okay.

Baby Annabelle Lee

My best friend from High School, Melanie Grace, gave birth to little miss Annabelle Lee on May 12th. I was supposed to be there for the birth, but she came nearly two weeks early. So I flew into Georgia at the time I had tickets for, and got to spend a week loving on her. Isn’t she perfection?

The trip itself was no real vacation, but it was interesting spending time with the baby. I’ve helped raise a lot of kids in my time, but I haven’t spent significant time with a brand new infant before. At first, as I helped take care of the baby in between feedings and dealt with hungry cries and a poor irritated bum, I thought “I can’t do this!” I was really terrified of when my baby comes and I’m the main provider. But as the week went on I became more confident, and now I can’t wait to hold my own child. December can’t come soon enough!

The Pride Festival

Shawn and I volunteered again this year to work the company booth at the Pride Festival. It was a lot of fun, and a lot of work, and all-together WAY too hot to be out there long. I got a bit of a sun burn, but enjoyed quite a few snow cones. I think snow cones and slushies will probably keep me going this Summer.

Work

Well, work is… work. What can I say? I’ve been so sick even at work that it’s not been a very fun ride, and I’ve used all of my sick time up (and most of my vacation) and we’re not even halfway through the year yet. Boo. It’s going to be a rough 5-6 months… trying not to take much more time off… But I’m just holding out for that sweet sweet maternity leave come December. My company has some pretty good benefits when it comes to maternity and parent time, so I will get about 3 months with my baby before I have to return to work-that will be SO nice!

I did quit my second job in retail. I was trying to hold on and go in once per month to help with floor sets, but headquarters required I work once per every two weeks and I just don’t have it in me right now sadly. I’ll miss the discount, but I’ll probably save more money not working there… I basically spent everything I made on clothes anyway!

How have you been?

Sorry I’ve been away so often, as soon as I feel better I’ll be back in full force here on the blog. But, I do want to know how you are, so leave me a comment and let me know?

Angie

http://www.mysocalledchaos.com

Baby On Board: Suddenly Life Just Changes

April 28, 2017 by Angie 2 Comments

Unless you’ve already seen my Instagram feed, or you’re friends with me on Facebook, this may come as some sort of a surprise… But hey-I’m pregnant. I’m going to have a baby. Can you believe it? ME!?!?

Finding Out About the Baby

C swears he knew since the moment of conception. I just kind of roll my eyes at him… But I guess he wasn’t wrong.

I Thought I Was Getting the Flu

Two weeks ago I stood up to go to lunch at work and was suddenly hit with a wave of nausea. I spent a half hour in the bathroom, and when I got out I begged my manager to send my home early. I was too sick. I went home, crawled into a pile of blankets on the couch and slept the entire rest of my day. The following day, I left work an hour early because I still felt off.

Taking a Test

That night we ran to the grocery stuff to get Easter stuff for C’s boys and he made me grab a pack of pregnancy tests. I waited until the next morning, while C was still fast asleep, and took the test. I thought for sure it would be negative, but the test did its thing, and it didn’t even take the full 3 minutes… It was about 2 seconds and then bam-a very visible positive sign. I was in shock.

Telling People

I ran down stairs and immediately woke C up, I said “Well, you were right. I’m pregnant.” and then I burst into tears. It’s scary-even if the baby is wanted-and in that moment I was utterly terrified. I texted a few friends, who were all extremely over-the-moon with the news. Otherwise, I figured I’d keep the news to myself for a little bit.

Telling My Family

We waited until Easter Sunday to tell my family. I bought some adorable children’s books about grandmas and grandpas and wrote a little note in the cover that said “Dear Grandma/Grandpa, please read this to me when I get here in December.” My mother looked at me in sheer confusion, and I just looked at her and said “Yep.” She raised her eyebrow, still not getting it, and then my dad caught up and said “Are you really?” by this time my grandparents were wondering what was going on, so I blurted it out. Everyone was very excited.

Pregnancy So Far

I’ll be 8 weeks along tomorrow, which means it’s almost time for my first OB appointment. I’m anxious to see the OBGYN and get an ultrasound, something about seeing the fetus and hearing it’s heartbeat will make everything so much more real. It hardly feels real, when you know it’s in there but you can’t really feel or sense it.

How I’m Feeling

I’ve been fairly lucky to not experience actual morning sickness, not a lot of vomiting or running to the restroom. However, I live in a constant state of exhaustion and nausea. I’m never not nauseous these days. Sometimes I have to force myself to eat, and sometimes in between bouts of nausea I’m suddenly starving-even if I’ve eaten recently. Such a demanding little bundle of cells.

Also, I managed to come down with a severe chest cold over the last week that had me completely knocked down for 3 days-and I can’t take a dang thing for it. Herbal remedies only get you so far, but cold meds are super risky during the first trimester. That’s been pretty miserable.

Giving Up the Things You Love

The hardest part of giving things up for me has been coffee and my medication (ADHD/Anxiety). I quit both cold turkey the minute I found out I was pregnant, and even though my regular doctor gave me the go-ahead to have a little coffee/caffeine every day, my body rejects it. I can only get through a few swallows of coffee before I feel ill, so I’ve given up on it. Pretty much the only thing that makes me feel okay is vitamin water, and it’s not even something I drank before I got pregnant. I just tried it because it’s full of B-vitamins and I’m exhausted. Turns out that it works!

My Diet

Surprisingly, my diet has drastically improved since being pregnant. More often than not I’m craving things like fresh fruit and turkey burgers, and I’ve been eating really well. Trying to take time to snack on things like cheese and almonds in order to keep my energy up. I may end up coming out of this with a much healthier lifestyle after all.

Slowing Down

One thing being pregnant, and subsequently giving up caffeine, has taught me is that I need to slow way down. Most of you know that I’m an overachiever, and often I sign on for WAY too much. I can’t do that anymore. I need rest. I need extra sleep. I need to not overdo it.

Two Jobs

I put in my two-week notice at my second job, but after discussing it with my manager there I’ve decided to stay on for a once-a-month shift to help with floor sets. I love floor sets, and I love the people I work with, so this will be kind of fun and I’ll get to keep my discount which is awesome.

Back to Blogging

This will also give me some time to get back to blogging and work on my home business I’d like to get up and running before the baby comes. You’ll seem ore about this soon, but expect to see me around here more from now on. 🙂

Have any pregnancy/baby advice for me?

So far, I’m just taking this one day at a time. We have plans for things we want to buy, names in discussion (but it’s still so far until we know whether it’s a boy or girl that things seem to be mostly on hold for that knowledge.) We’re both so very excited for this baby. I couldn’t have picked a better partner to do this with either… He’s been out running errands on his bicycle in the rain for me when I have a craving or need something. He’s just the sweetest, and he can’t wait to be a dad again.

Angie

http://www.mysocalledchaos.com

Our 1 Year Anniversary & The Story of Us

March 28, 2017 by Angie Leave a Comment

Friday I celebrated my 1 year anniversary with the kindest, sweetest, and most loving man I’ve ever been with. From here on out, instead of calling him “boyfriend” on the blog, I’m going to refer to him as C. I feel like a year earns you a legitimate name. 😉

We’ve Come A Long Way

Sometimes I can hardly believe I’m the same girl who didn’t know what to do with a boyfriend. I mean, I remember being there… I remember how weird the transition was from years and years of single life to couplehood was… I remember dating, and hating it… But after a year with C I can no longer imagine my life without him.

Our Story

It’s amazing how easy it all came together after we got past some of the initial hurdles. It’s like everything just fell into place when we got together.

How We Met

C and I met on OKCupid-an online dating site that I can now say was officially a success (after many many many fails on it… lol). We texted each other for a week or two prior to meeting since he was in San Francisco for Alternative Spring Break. That’s one of the first things I loved about him-he chose to spend his Spring Break feeding the homeless and helping with their mobile showers.

Our First Date

I’m a big fan of keeping first dates casual, so that Sunday as we were discussing where to meet up I suggested a local coffee shop in the area. That’s when he broke it to me that he didn’t drive and asked if we could meet somewhere close to the train or that he could bike to. At first, this was a huge red flag for me. I’d dated guys who didn’t drive and I wasn’t keen on the idea of playing chauffer or having to carry someone financially again. But after I learned that he doesn’t drive because he was in a car accident and is partially disabled due to a traumatic head injury, I figured I had to give him a chance. We chose to meet up at freaky Dee’s (think ghetto Denny’s) for a bite.

Eating Alone is Awkward

One thing about C is that he’s always early (which wholly contradicts my tendency towards lateness) and on our first date he was over an hour early and he ate without me. So then there I was, thinking about what a weirdo he was, and trying to eat some fries all by myself because he didn’t even want to share with me.

The Worst Kiss Ever

After dinner we did end up venturing over to the coffee shop. We left his bike and I drove us, and after a while talking there we decided to head home. As we were walking out to the car he said “Hey, come here!” and when I did he asked if he could kiss me… I awkwardly said yes, in spite of the fact that I didn’t really feel ready for something like that, and it was awful. Not only was it not something I wanted, but he just shoved his tongue down my throat and slobbered all over my face. I was ready to run. (Sorry babe, that had to go in the story! Haha!)

The Second Date

Our second date came on Primary voting day. I stood in line to cast my vote at the local elementary school and then headed out to meet him at… Wait for it… Denny’s. Noticing a theme? C’s all about those chain diners… lol The second date went much better. I told him I wasn’t ready to be physical and didn’t want a repeat of the kiss, and he respected my boundaries. We sat and talked until late and I found myself actually getting on with him very well.

C and Kat

The Third Date

For the third date I decided to just put him to the test. I was starting to feel for him, but I needed to see how he interacted with my people. That weekend I was babysitting for my friends who were at FanX all day. The goal was to have him over for a little bit before they got home, and then he could meet them and I could get their opinion.

Baby Kat Was Crushing Hard

We all hung out for a little bit together, and then I decided to start cooking dinner. While I cooked, he entertained the 3 year old for me. His patience was endless. He listened to her sing “Let it Go” repeatedly. He played her version of cards (which I still have no idea what rules she was making up), and he let her stick stickers on his face and arms.

Kat became so attached to him that she wouldn’t let me sit next to him. If we were sitting by each other she’d squirm in between us and push us apart. She’d give me dirty looks if I tried to take attention away from her. It was really cute.

My Biological Response

You can imagine the kind of biological trigger that had on me. It was pretty much the way he was with those children that sealed the deal with me. I was watching him play and thinking what a good father he’d make, and bam-I realized definitely wanted kids and I really wanted to give him and I chance to be that together.

An Accidental Forever Sleepover

We had a bit of an accident that night, which we don’t really want to talk about just yet, but it involved me patching up his wounds and him deciding to stay the night so he didn’t have to take the train home. The next day I drove him home before heading to my grandparents’ house for Easter, and then that night I picked him back up and took him home with me. He basically never left again… He started spending every night at my house. Even when he wasn’t around during the day, he’d swing by to check on the dog and let him out while I worked. He moved in with me in July, and that was it-we were officially living together.

Everyone Loved Him

Everyone seemed to love him, and he loved everyone. My friends and family took to him pretty quick, and in spite of a few hurdles we had to get past with history and a little of his past drama (ex wives, legal stuff, etc.) everyone was extremely supportive. They knew what was good for me, and it was C

This Past Year

In the past year we’ve experienced quite a bit together. Here are a few highlights:

Our First Family Photo

We took our first family photos less than a month into our relationship. I know, that’s weird, but it just kind of worked out so that he could take part in my thirtieth birthday photo shoot.

At the Panic! At the Disco Concert

At the Panic! At the Disco & Wheezer Concert Concert

At the Panic! At the Disco Concert

At the Panic! At the Disco & Wheezer Concert Concert

Volunteering at Pride 2016

Volunteering at the 2016 Utah Pride Festival.

July Updates: Ortie's Baby Shower Chris and Angie

Hanging out at Ortie’s baby shower.

Ortie's Baby Shower

The gang at Ortie’s baby shower.

Halloween All Year Long

I joked that I knew he was my soulmate because he wore this in August.

Holding Elyan

C and Bub

Best friends…

Out to dinner for our six month anniversary

Out to dinner for our six month anniversary.

True Love.

Happy anniversary babe!

Here’s to many more years together. I love you.

Angie

http://www.mysocalledchaos.com

Currently… Feburary 2017 (& Life Updates)

February 17, 2017 by Angie Leave a Comment

Wow, can you believe we’re more than half way through February already? Man, the months go by faster than ever as you get older, and this short month goes by extra fast. It’s been a while since I shared very much personal information, so I thought I’d sit down and share where I currently am. I’m also planning on visiting some of you (a.k.a. your blogs) soon… I miss you guys.

Currently… February 2017

Currently, I’m…

Reading/Listening: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. I just started this one today and I didn’t really read up on it first (just got it on a special Audible deal of the day and knew people have been raving about it). Also, I just finished the All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness which included A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, and The Book of Life. I enjoyed it, but I feel like there should have been more?

Watching: Boyfriend and I just finished Breaking Bad and got all caught up on The Walking Dead together, which was fun. We then went on to Don’t Call Saul (which we marathoned in like a day and a half one weekend) and while I’ve started watching the new Netflix series Santa Clarita Diet, he doesn’t really care for it and wont watch it with me.

Word of warning, do NOT start this series when you’re eating. Nooooope.The first few scenes are SO gross (we’re talking nasty vomit everywhere) and I happened to be eating nacho cheese and bean dip mixed at the time… It was not an appealing combo. I had to turn it off until a time when I could better stomach it… haha

Drinking: Coffee… Pretty much nothing but coffee these days… I seriously need to up my water intake.

Obsessed with: Planner stickers and supplies. Seriously, so obsessed with it all. Also pens to use in my planner… Holy cow, gimme. I’m not even being good about doing my planner layouts but I just keep wanting to buy all of the things!

Working on: Getting my life together, getting my home organized, getting a work space set up where I can get creative again, getting back in touch with my creativity by blogging and creating art.

Excited for: I broke down and backed the new Chameleon Pens Color Tops Kickstarter project… I got a bigger package (I scrapped together enough barely by selling a TON of lightly used clothing) and barely was able to afford one of the lower big packages that includes all of the pens plus all of the tops. I really couldn’t afford it without selling a ton, and still shouldn’t have, but I realize I’ll never be able to get them for this price again and it was a huge opportunity.

Planning for: So, in return for investing in these costly pens, I made myself (and the boyfriend) a promise that if I back that project I will be taking more time to commit to creating art and starting a new home business we’ve been planning on and working towards which incorporates it. I backed it. I will be re-dedicating myself to my art and opportunities it pulls me towards.

Excited for: New possibilities in art and creation. I have missed being creative so much, and I’m really dying to get back to it. Also, helping my second job move stores in March… I know I’m a total freak, but I love that sort of stuff. I love the creativity of visual merchandising and placing product, and this is like one big floor set.

February Life Updates

New Hair DO Care

I mean, I mentioned that I do have new hair right? Right. Sooooo pretty… See more pictures in my February Goals post.

Relationship Stuff

Things between the boyfriend and I are good. We have our disagreements, but mostly it’s really good. We mesh well, we’re there for each other, and we each work our roles out very well. He keeps me grounded, as I’m prone to get lost in the cloud some days or throw myself head first into something (usually something expensive) without thinking things through first… And I boost him up and calm him down when he starts obsessing or worrying too much. We have good balance. It feels good and healthy. Plus, we’re coming up on a year next month-can you believe it?

Our Family

I’m just loving our little family. Here are two videos I shared on Instagram Stories recently showing our family nap time adventures. I, of course, am incapable of napping. But that doesn’t stop my boys.

Valentine’s Day

For Valentine’s Day he took me out for a really nice dinner at Christopher’s Prime Steakhouse… That was probably the most expensive meal of my life, and I still cringe thinking about the amount we dropped there, and that was considered a cheap-ish option on the menu. It was good, but I don’t know that I care to eat there again, because it didn’t feel THAT good. lol But my amazing boyfriend also spent the day scrubbing the two bathrooms in the house and they look amazing, and he got me gorgeous “I love you to the moon and back” necklace. Swoon!

Handsome Bub the Rescue Pittie

Handsome Bub’s Currently…

Eating: Anything and everything, including socks and washi tape.

Loving: The fact that dad broke the rules and started letting him on the couch.

Hating: That he had to be left at the vet for an entire day (a few hours) and his foot that’s bothering him.

Obsessing over: The steak he knows is stored in the fridge…

Planning: How to convince mom to let him eat at the table with her.

A Spoiled Dog

Bub’s getting to be quite the spoiled boy these days… Boyfriend broke the rules and started letting him on the couch, and after a few snuggly nights, I caved too. But he still has boundaries, he can’t be up there when we have company or when we’re eating. The Place Command is super useful.

Bub’s Surgery

When I rescued Bub, he had a giant skin tag on his foot. We left it for a while, but recently it changed colors and was bleeding so we booked him an emergency surgery to get it removed. The vet agreed that it looked bad and sent it to Histo for testing, but luckily it was just a nasty skin tag. Man has it been an ordeal… He got blood all over the counch multiple times, wouldn’t leave the dang thing alone, and I’ve had to wrap it and constantly make him stop obsessing over it. Poor boy.

Home Updates

My house is pretty much still a disaster area, but luckily it’s slowly but surely getting to a good place. I’ve been dejunking and organizing whenever I possibly have a chance to, and have made some real progress. I still have a ways to go, but we’ll get there…

The Second Bedroom

Many of you know I have a crazy small second bedroom in my house (it fits a twin bed with barely enough room to walk past it sideways haha). It’s currently existing as storage for the clothes I’m selling in my Poshmark closet, but we’re working on transitioning it into a kids’ bedroom over the next few months. We hit up Savers and found a TON of awesome children’s books (of course reading is the first thing I’d go for) and some really cool and fun toys as well.

ISO: Space-Saving Bunk Beds

We still have to find a solution for beds (we need two to accommodate the boyfriends’ kids once he starts getting parent time) because we need space-saving bed options. I’m thinking about tracking down some second-hand military or dorm style bunk beds (they’re narrower than typical bunk beds) or trying to figure something out like that. Maybe two fold out beds? I just don’t know… That room is ridiculous. lol

Desk/Creative Space

I’ve also been talking for months about how I’m desperate for a desk/creative space of my own. This becomes increasingly important as I work towards getting a new home business set up. The problem is, without the use of my previous office (which was turned into a room for the roommate we had for a while and is now being transitioned into the kids’ room), there aren’t many options. I think we’re going to move the boyfriend’s computer down into the spare room (we can play movies for the kids on it when they’re there, and he can use it as his office when they’re not) and I’m going to convert the little nook corner of my living room into my office.

via Pinterest – Pin It!

Image via a tour of Megan Nielson’s Workroom

Image via Apartment Therapy

A Space-Saving Desk Option

Since that little nook area is so narrow that it won’t fit my nice art table I bought a few years back (which now resides in the garage sadly) but I still need some good space. I took to Pinterest to come up with ideas for long and narrow workbench-style desks and was super inspired by some really adorable options. Luckily, before I went out and spent money or tried to build one, I remembered my grandmother’s old sewing table which is just the right dimensions for that corner. Fantastic! It just needs a good paint job first, but then I’ll be one step closer.

The Day Job

I think I’ve finally reached a less frustrating place with my day job. I’ve thrown myself into projects with other departments to help build my resume a bit, and my manager has set me up with some options for growth and new training. I also recently found that in my work’s education center there are UX design/coding classes listed for free, and I’m going to take advantage of them and stay a while.

The Part-Time Job

Man, I probably shouldn’t have signed on as a keyholder… I should have known it’d mean extra hours. I love that job but I can’t work as much as they want me to, so we’re trying to find the balance right now. Also, one of my most favorite manager is leaving us which is sad, but it also means I’m taking over one of her tasks and am going to manage our store’s social media. It’ll be a great resume builder as well.

Weekend Goals

Well, it’s about time to hit the door and head out for the weekend… Here are a few of my goals this weekend to keep me on track:

Get the bedroom finished being organized
Make it to the Pharmacy
Be on-time for my super-early shipment shift tomorrow
Avoid spending any more money
Sit down and set up my planner for the upcoming week

What are your plans this weekend?

This post may contain an affiliate link or two. Purchasing something through an affiliate link on this blog may result in me receiving a small percentage at no extra cost to you. This helps me keep the lights on around here, and lately to put it towards my upcoming business goals. Thanks!

Angie

http://www.mysocalledchaos.com

Life Updates from January + February Goals

February 13, 2017 by Angie Leave a Comment

Hello lovelies, how was your January? Mine? Crazy. But with the way my life is, how could it be any other way? It couldn’t. Crazy begets crazy begets crazy, and so on and so on. Man, it feels like I’m stuck in a never-ending cycle of “busy” and I’m getting more and more exhausted each day. Something has to give, but honestly? I just don’t know what yet… Anyway, we’re here today to talk about goals… Specifically to recap my successes and failures in January, and set a plan for February Goals. We should also touch base on my yearly goals too…

January Recap & Goals Progress

Whew, January flew by, didn’t it? Or maybe it dragged on waaaaay too long… I can’t decide, but I do know I’m glad it’s over. It was politically stressful, exhausting work-wise, and of course it’s that one month of the year where I feel like my depression/S.A.D. kicks in hardest. But, there was some really good stuff in January too, and since I didn’t post a life update last month, I’d like to do a little one here.

Memorable January Happenings

Here are some of the best things that happened in January.

Fun Bus and Wendover Fun

The night before New Years Eve, my friends and I hopped on board the Fun Bus to Wendover to join our dear friends Katelyn and Callie for their bachelorettes party. If you’re not familiar with the Fun Bus or Wendover, you’re likely not from Utah… Haha, it’s about 90 minutes to the small border town of Wendover Nevada from Salt Lake City, so it’s a popular destination for those who want to get away for an evening and party or gamble. Thus, a whole business has boomed when it comes to Wendover, including the Fun Bus-a charter bus that runs regularly and can be hired out for things such as group events.

Basically, you catch the Fun Bus and they drive you out to Wendover for the evening. It costs about $20, and you can drink and play games the whole way down, spend a few hours in Wendover, and then they drive you home so you can sober up on the way back. They also include fun things like coupons for the buffet, a free drink, etc. Katelyn and Callie’s fun bus was probably the most fun I’ve ever had on one, and the evening was great. I drank more than I have in a while, and Josh and I wandered around (because neither of us are big gamblers) while our friends tried their hands at table games. It was a blast, but I learned that I’m basically super old now and I would have liked to have headed back at midnight instead of 2AM.

Callie & Katelyn’s Wedding

On the 6th, my dear friend Callie married Katelyn, the love of her life. I was so lucky to be one of the few invited to the wedding, and it was probably one of the best weddings I’ve ever been to. The ceremony was sweet, the food delicious, and there was dancing and an open bar. It was marvelous!

It was an absolute blast, so much so that Chris and I both went home and talked about it and obsessed about it for weeks after. “Remember how much fun that was?” “Remember how adorable they looked?” “That photobooth was a fantastic idea!” We felt very blessed to be included in their special night, and there was just so much love.

Melanie Grace, Travis, and Grayson

I can’t believe I didn’t get any photos, but Chris and I were lucky enough to get to spend an evening with some of my dearest friends who were in town for a super-short (too short) visit from Savannah. We hung out at the hotel and had dinner with Melanie Grace, Travis, and their little one (who I was able to give holiday presents to in person) for one short but really fun evening. I love them so, and I can’t wait to see them in a few months when I head their way.

Rose Gold Hair

I Changed My Hair

I made the tough decision to part with my purple hair. Seriously, it was a tough one. I LOVE having purple hair, but part of me felt like it was time to start thinking about grown up decisions like possibly switching careers (I have made no decision towards that yet, and am probably staying put for a while still), so I felt like I needed more grown up hair in case I decided on job interviews. I was struggling with it though, and had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do other than I wanted to go lighter.

My stylist Jamie did a FANTASTIC job though, and I’m in love with the rose gold blonde she acheived. It’s so pretty!

January Goals Recap

Okay, let’s get down to how I did on my January goals… Not well…

January Home Goals

~~Pack up and put away Holiday decor, move it out to the garage~~ – SUCCESS!
Organize the living room closet to hold games and craft/art supplies – In Progress (I just haven’t had time to finish…
Move kitchen table into the living room – FAIL (still in the works)
Move grandma’s hutch from her house to mine, set it up in the kitchen – FAIL
Clean out Fridge/Cupboards – FAIL
Organize cookware and drawers/cupboards – FAIL
Deep clean the kitchen – FAIL
Deep clean the Living Room – FAIL
Find all the plants new homes – In Progress
Organize shelves, unpack boxes of books/decor stacked in the corner onto them – FAIL
Hang some decor on the kitchen and dining room walls – FAIL
Move A/C window unit & Packed Pool out to the garage – FAIL

January Blog Goals

Finish new design updates – In Progress (mostly done, just a few changes left…)
Write & schedule out new and awesome posts – In Progress
~~Put together a killer monthly giveaway~~– SUCCESS! Go enter the HUGE Planner Supply Giveaway!
Figure out my 2017 sponsorship program changes – FAIL
Get back into the groove of blogging – In Progress

January Work Goals

Suck it up and figure out how to be happy at my day job – In Progress
Work less at my part-time job – In Progress

January Finance Goals

Figure out my budget and how best to stick with it – FAIL
Start the snowball effect to pay down some debt – FAIL
Set a strict no-spend budget – FAIL
Leave 80% of my LLR Facebook groups (I have to stop buying it) – In Progress (I haven’t bought any, but I haven’t gone and left groups yet…)
~~Start listing more things to sell in my dejunking process~~ – SUCCESS (still have more to go, but getting there.)

January Life Goals

~~Read/listen to at least 2 books~~ – SUCCESS! I listened to 3!
~~Have a great visit with Josh before he heads back to Canada~~ – SUCCESS!
~~Have a great visit with MelanieGrace and her family~~ – SUCCESS!
~~Attend Callie and Katelyn’s wedding~~ – SUCCESS!
Visit my grandmother more often – FAIL. I only saw her once. 🙁
Visit my parents’ for my mom’s birthday or for my parents’ anniversary – FAIL
Get my planner set up and in use – In Progress… Set up, but I’ve been bad about using it.

So yeah, so far I’m failing at my yearly goals too… I need to get my crap together.

February Goals

Okay, it’s a new month. It’s a short month. I’m already way behind… I think that means I’d better take it easier on myself this month and set myself up for success in March, but I still have a lot to do. I set up a yearly plan and now I’m behind schedule on it.

February Home Goals

Finish getting January’s organization/cleaning goals
- Move Table from Kitchen to Living Room
- Move Grandma’s Hutch from her house to mine (and into the kitchen)
- Organize all shelves/cupboards/drawers
- Organize Living Room Closet – Games and Craft Supplies
- Desk Area – Clean and Organize
- Deep Clean
Finish February’s Organization Goals
- Clothing
- Closet
- Shelves
- Drawers
- Deep Clean
Start setting up a desk/workspace area for creativity (desperately need one!)

February Blog Goals

Finish new design updates
Write & schedule out new and awesome posts
Figure out my 2017 sponsorship program changes
Think about new direction and rededication

February Work Goals

Figure out a better morning routine to be more successful with arriving on time/early to work

Retiring The Monthly Goals Linky

I’ve been struggling the last few months to post it on time (I mean hello, it’s 10 days into the month now and I’m just getting to these goals) and I haven’t been able to visit all the participants as much as I’d like either. When my linkytoolz account came up for renewal I decided not to renew it… For now, I’m going to retire the Monthly Goals linky, but continue to share my goals nad progress, as well as look for yours as well. Please feel free to link to them in the comments-I’d still love to see your progress!

What are your February Goals?

Angie

http://www.mysocalledchaos.com

September Updates: Currently + What’s Up in My Life

September 6, 2016 by Angie 18 Comments

You know, normally I start a month out lamenting about how fast the time has gone… But I am feeling so good about September that I just can’t lament it… It’s off to a great start. The air is cooling down, there’s that whiff of change floating in on the breeze, and I can feel Autumn in my bones… It’s nearly here. I mean, I know it doesn’t technically change seasons until the 22nd, but in my life it can be Fall when I say it’s Fall… I’m ready to put up some autumnal decor and start sipping on those PSLs-but first I’ll provide some other September Updates for you…

Currently in September

Currently this month, I’m…

Reading: Mariana by Susanna Kearsley. Well, I’m listening to it via Audible (Pssst – Try Audible and Get Two Free Audiobooks), which is proving difficult since my car has decided it no longer will allow my phone to connect to the sound system and instead I’ve just started using a portable Bluetooth speaker instead… It’s been working okay, but the girl narrating this particular book is very soft spoken and it’s sooo hard to hear in the car which is rough. The book is really good so far though! I also just finished Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth and it was AMAZING.

Watching: Boyfriend and I are still making our way through Gilmore Girls off and on (he’s not good at the Netflix binges) but we’ve also started watching The Strain together and we’re pretty hooked.

Listening to: I’m pretty much just listening to my book 98% of the time, but for the other 2% I sat down and made a really fun oldschool hip hop/rap/R&B mix that I’m digging on. I mean, it has everything from some explicit Ludacris, to Tupac, to old school Destiny’s Child. Man, I’d forgotten how much I LOVED Destiny’s Child back in the day… Plus, I found out that the version of a song I knew versus the one that Boyfriend knew, was totally different.

Turns out the one I knew is a cover… Suffice it to say, that explains the funny looks he gave me when I sang the lyrics to him… But I think the cover is almost more fun than the original…

Drinking: Coffee coffee coffee! Seriously though, my work has the amazing Tassimo machine and Boyfriend bought me a Keurig. Best. Boyfriend. Ever.

Obsessed with: Selling my unworn or lightly-used clothing because I have too much of it… And also buying from other sellers. Do you use Poshmark?? You should. It’s fun, there are fab deals, and you can totally shop my closet.

Excited For: Fall… Halloween. All of that fun stuff.

Planning: An overnight at my second job-we’re working 7PM to 3AM to do some stuff in the back room and it’ll definitely be interesting! Also taking Bub into the Vet to get some skin tags removed and his nails done.

Working on: Getting back to my blog in a big way.

Outfit Details
Striped Ponte Skater Dress // Ponte Cutaway Blazer

September Updates on Life & More

Life has been one wild ride this Summer! As most of you have seen, I got a bit behind on the blog and there were a lot of times when I had to just step back and breathe because I was so overwhelmed with everything. I was working 70ish hours between my two jobs, trying to manage a house that was a total wreck because I had no time to clean it, and it was all building up so fast that it set my anxiety off the charts.

Outfit Details
Me — Skull Floral Strappy Mesh Bralette // Strappy Fishnet & Lace Push-Up Plunge Bra // Crochet Trim Tank Top // Mystic Moon Kimono
Him — Men’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles T-Shirt

The Relationship

Things with Boyfriend and I are really good. Things with us just seem to work, and we have a pretty nice flow. He’s so tender-hearted with Bub and takes care of him most of the time since I’m working so much. I love knowing there’s someone at home that will care for Bub as much as I do. I also got the kitchen and some of the upstairs deep-cleaned and he has worked so hard to maintain it. It’s nice coming home from a day working both jobs to find out he’s fed the dog, cleaned the kitchen, and gone and gotten groceries. Plus, he’s very thoughtful and often has a bag of M&Ms or some flowers waiting for me. It’s very sweet.

The Pup

Handsome Bub celebrated his first Gotcha Day on August 29th. I can’t believe this kooky boy has been in my life and home a whole year! It’s been trying at times, that’s for sure, but also the most rewarding thing I’ve ever experienced. There’s no one a sweet and loving as this boy. Even though I can’t socialize with him or ever get other pets, and he sometimes eats things he shouldn’t (remotes, socks, loaves of bread, my new bralette…), I wouldn’t trade him for anything in the world.

Last week we had to go to the vet and get his Rabies and Distemper shots and update the records with the city. We also made him an appointment to get the skin tag removed from his foot on the 19th. He’s had it since I got him, and the vet checked it out and said it was okay (even though it’s ugly), but it’s been growing and getting in his way so I think it’s time. I’m nervous about dropping him off for surgery, but it’ll be great to get his nails trimmed and everything too.

The Wheezer & Panic! At the Disco Concert

At the end of July we went to a fun Panic! At the Disco and Wheezer concert. They were SO much fun to see live-and I didn’t know that the lead singer of Panic! is also from Utah. Wheezer was amazing, but the single best moment of the evening was Panic! at the Disco singing a Bohemian Rhapsody cover. AMAZING. We had a really good time, and I really enjoyed getting to hang out with some of my favorite people and singing along.

Camping

Last month we were able to go camping up to my family’s ranch. It’s unfortunately been too long since I’ve been up there, but it was nice to gather up Ken and Kristina, their kids, Chris, the dog, and me. We cooked, drank, colored, played games, tried not to melt from the heat of the day, and enjoyed star-lit evenings by the fire. Handsome Bub definitely approved of the sleeping arrangements, because for some reason he figured his camping self could crash on the couch. Man he was cute though.

Shop the Looks:
Me — Torrid Skinny Jean // Floral Pintuck Georgette Cami // Space Dye Drape Cardigan // Sanuk Yoga Slinged Up Sandal (Turquoise Peacock)
Becky — Floral Button Front Hi-Lo Top // Ponte Trouser Bermuda Shorts // Strappy Lace Bralette // Birkenstock Florida Soft Footbed Sandal
Mindy — Torrid Jeggings – Black Wash // Floral Print Chiffon Crochet Inset Top

The Second Job

While it’s been kind of stressful working two jobs, it’s also been a lot of fun. I actually really enjoy my time at the store and I love working with people and picking outfits. Even more, I love doing the store set and organizing, dressing mannequins, etc. It’s so much fun! Like playing grown-up dolls with outfits you could just take off and wear yourself. Anyone remember My Size Barbies? Yeah, I was the fat kid who couldn’t wear My Size Barbies dress, but I loved helping her pick out outfits! Haha

Anyway, we’re actually going to be doing an overnight on tomorrow from 7PM to 3AM to clean up the back room and get everything nice and functional. I’m going to be so tired, but it’s with two of my favorite people, so I think I’m going to have fun. I am going to run to Walmart and find some Awake caffeinated chocolate though… They sell them at my work in the cafe and I’m thinking they’ll be right on point for staying up that late!

How have you been?

Seriously, leave me a comment and let me know how you are. I want to get back in touch!

Angie

http://www.mysocalledchaos.com

August Goals + The Monthly Goals Linky

August 3, 2016 by Angie 58 Comments

I’m not sure if any of you have looked at a calendar within the last two days but… It’s August. Yes, I’m serious-we’re starting out the eighth month of the year and before we know it’ll be Fall (yesssss) then Winter (nooooo) and we’ll be scrambling to finish out our Christmas to-make, to-buy, and to-do lists… Oh man, I’m so sorry… I just stressed myself out so I can’t imagine what it must have been like for you to read that last little bit… But you know, there are only 143 days to Christmas… Yikes. Let’s not think about that, okay? I’m the queen of procrastination, and let’s face it-before then we have to deal with back to school, Halloween, and Thanksgiving… There’s time right? One thing I know, it’s time (past time, really) for my August goals and The Monthly Goals linky party… Are you joining us this month?

For those of you who are new here, we do this monthly on the first day of the month (I’m late, I know, but I was out of town and then soooo sick-still sick, but back at my desk this morning) and we recap last month’s goals and set goals going forward. There’ll be more information towards the end of this post where the linky is.

July Goals

Home Goals

Get my house cleaned up and help the boyfriend unpack his stuff. FAIL.
Buy a new lawnmower. FAIL.
Set up the fun little pool I bought so we can relax in it. FAIL.

Social Goals

~~Go camping~~. SUCCESS!
~~Spend a night at Ken and Kristina’s.~~ SUCCESS!
~~Throw Ortie an awesome baby shower.~~ SUCCESS! See photos HERE.

Blog Goals

Get my pages and sidebar updated. FAIL.
~~Figure out what to switch to for my blog sponsorship program~~. SUCCESS! (More info coming soon…)
Plan out the next three months of group giveaways. FAIL.
Set up my new Second Saturday Six post to replace the Saturday Spotlights. FAIL.
Edit and update a huge chunk of old posts. FAIL.
Get my book reviews written and posted on Page à Vu as well as updated on Goodreads. FAIL.
Get caught up on my inbox and everything I needed to do last month. FAIL.
Do at least one fashion post. FAIL.
Do at least one recipe or DIY post. FAIL.
Do at least one Better Your Blog post. FAIL.
Get my photos from Savannah edited and posted. FAIL.

Other Goals

Put together a budget and start working to stick to it. FAIL.
Start working on my A+ certification. FAIL.

Well, July was full of fail… To be honest, I should have expected it with all of the big stuff that was going down… My part time job was supposed to be just a good 7-10 hours a week and I’m getting around 25 hours a week… We’ve been short-staffed and working hard to compensate. We also didn’t have a store manager who could do the hiring, so hopefully my schedule will calm down a bit as our new Store Manager starts hiring employees. We also moved offices at my regular job, so I’ve not been able to do as much at work anymore as I used to. Such a bummer!

Oh well, here’s to August’s goals being more accomplish-able! I think I’ll make them much simpler this time, because otherwise (with all the stuff that’s still going on with work and home) I’m just setting myself up to fail…

August Goals

Home Goals

Get my house in some kind of order-it’s not livable at this point.

Blog Goals

Get my pages and sidebar updated.
Finish up my new sponsorship program and get it running right.
Plan out the next three months of group giveaways.
Get caught up on my inbox and everything I needed to do last month.
Get my photos from Savannah edited and posted.

Other Goals

Put together a budget and start working to stick to it.
Save at least $100 in my savings account.
Get caught up on bills and credit card payments.
Not spend everything I make from my second job at my second job. >.<

What are your August Goals?

Join Us for the Monthly Goals

How to Play Along:

Follow your hosts My So-Called Chaos and A Peek at Karen’s World in some way to keep up with these linkies.
Write up a post about your goals for the month.
Include the button (below) or a link back to my post or Karen’s.
Link up in the linky below.
- The linky goes live on the first Thursday of each month and is open all month so link up at any time.
- Only posts talking about your goals (in whatever format you like) can be linked up.
- Posts that don’t link back or contain the button will be removed.
Visit other people in the linky and lave encouragement and support!

Link-Up

An InLinkz Link-up

Angie

http://www.mysocalledchaos.com

July Updates + Currently – Hey Angie, Where’d You Go?

July 20, 2016 by Angie 79 Comments

In the 8 years that I have been blogging here at My So-Called Chaos, I’ve almost never taken much of a “blogging break.” I mean, I’ve missed posts here and there, or skipped a few days while away on vacation, but I’ve never really stepped away from my blog on purpose for any amount of time. Honestly? I’m not about to do it now either… However, I do need to figure out a way to adjust and move my blog along with me and the world that has changed so drastically around me in the last few weeks. I hope to be back to regular posting soon… I’ll explain more here in a moment, as I think I’m due for some July updates… and an explanation of my absence as of late.

This post does contain a few affiliate links. Affiliate links help me keep the lights on here at My So-Called Chaos, as I may be compensated a small amount (at no extra cost to you) if you purchase something through my link. Thanks so much for the support.

Currently in July

Reading: Right now I’m listening to The Wild Girl by Kate Forsyth, and so far I’m really into it. I’m not getting as much time in the car these days so I think I’ll probably eventually start listening to it at work too. It’s so good so far!

Watching: Boyfriend and I started the show Shades of Blue on Hulu. It’s only one season in so far, but it’s pretty good, and I do like some J-Lo.

Listening to: I haven’t been listening to much music lately, but the latest song I loved enough to download was River by Bishop Briggs. I just love her voice.

Eating: Ever since I renewed my Costco membership, I’ve been super obsessed with these Kirkland Salted Caramel Macadamia Clusters because they’re AMAZING. Seriously, so good. I’m also kind of in love with caffeinated chocolate bars right now… Also, I somehow picked up a Taco Bell obsession? I don’t even know how… It was one of those places I almost never chose to go to before, and now I’m like mmmm… Doritos Locos…

Drinking: Baja Blast. Oh right, there’s now my Taco Bell thing got started… I need to quit the soda again ASAP. I’m also super into coffee (as usual) and since my new office has one of those single serve coffee makers in it, I’m all into drinking more of it throughout the day…

Obsessed with: Kimonos and long necklaces… Yes please.

Excited for: The Panic! at the Disco & Wheezer concert next week with my boo and my besties.

Planning: Our camping trip! Oops, it’s coming up fast… I’d better get on that.

Working on: Finding some balance in my now more hectic life…

July Updates

Man, if I said June was crazy, I had no idea what July would be like… I’ve been going non-stop, and I’ve hit a point where I definitely need a break from the never-ending merry-go-round that is two jobs and not a moment to myself. Seriously… I feel exhausted.

But damn, I’m rocking some fashion lately and it feels good! I’ve really been having fun trying new fashion and makeup lately, and getting bolder and brighter in my efforts. I’m obsessed with my eyebrows, Kimonos, and highlighting. I really do mean obsessed… I’ve purchased so many kimonos in the last couple of weeks that I realized I don’t even have shirts to wear with them! Guess I have to buy some more shirts… 😉 Oh oh oh, and I’m obsessed with this bra and the sexy straps it ads to my outfit… For that reason I’m starting to get into Bralettes more as well.

My Day Job

My main job moved locations this past weekend, and in typical “Angie style” I left everything to the very last minute-a.k.a Friday. I figured I’d get everything backed up Friday morning, then packed up Friday afternoon, but around 9AM on Friday they sent out an email saying that the internet would be shut off at noon so we needed to be packed up by then, and migrate towards home to finish out our work days. I mad rushed to pack, got it all done, and then enjoyed a few hours at home before having to go into my second job.

I was really worried about moving to this building because it means a HUGE adjustment for me. Sure, I was excited that it cuts my daily commute in half… I’ve been driving 45 minutes to work five days a week for the last 6-8 years… However, I was previously seated away from everyone else, and quite used to my solitude and quiet where I was, and one look at the new seating chart informed me that I was to be seated right next to my managers and several of the loudest people in my office. I was not thrilled.

However, I’m pleasantly surprised to find it hasn’t been so bad. The new office is super nice, as it’s brand new and all industrial style with some exposed duct work, concrete floors, and lots of crisp bright lines. The entire outer wall is mostly windows, so we get a lot of natural light and the view from the fourth floor is actually pretty stunning. From the windows on my side of the building, the view looks out over the railroad tracks to the mountains on the east side of the valley. There’s a nice green field, some homes, the highway, and IKEA over in that direction. From the other side of the building you get sweeping views of the entire valley all the way out to the wet side and the Copper mine. Its quite pretty.

It’s still quite an adjustment, as it feels very corporate now and we’ve always been pretty laid back in the past… We have an actual security guard and we have to badge in the doors and also through a gate at security. On the other hand, we also have a cafe that’s fully catered and supposedly subsidized (though it doesn’t really feel less expensive than going out for lunch…), a gym, and eventually they’ll finish the first floor where we’ll have a whole game room full of stuff.

I’m also pleasantly surprised that I don’t hate sitting over here… I do often miss the freedom that came with having no one looking over your shoulder, but it’s been kind of nice to be social again and have a conversation with someone.

Coffee-Maker Crazy

Where I sit in the new building is also right by the little break area where we have this amazing new Tassimo professional coffee maker and I’m obsessed… I had no idea you could make actual latte-style drinks with these single serve coffee makers, and if I had I might have gotten one long ago… I’m loving the one we have, and now I can’t decide if I should get a Tassimo machine or just go the easier and less-expensive route with a Keurig.

The Tassimo one is SO nice, and I’m in love with it… But the Keurig seems to have a lot more options and be easier to find stuff for… My local grocer has nearly 60 different flavors/brands of K-Cups but not one single Tassimo pod for sale…

My Night & Weekend Job

Things have been kind of crazy at my second job lately… When I started it was just an easy part-time gig working 7-10 hours a week for the discount on the pretty clothes, but with being short handed and down two managers during the busiest time of the year for us, I worked a good 26 hours last week. Safe to say, that working nearly 80 hours between my two jobs took it’s toll on me and come this past Sunday I had a bit of a crash and needed a break… Luckily I have a fantastic coworker who covered my Tuesday shift so I could have a couple of days off in a row, and a very understanding manager.

I really do love working there. It’s so fun to talk to other fantastic curvy girls, and I work with some all-around fabulous people that I’m happy to have made friends with. Plus, the clothes are great-I was even featured as their outfit of the day last week.

If you’re curious about my outfit, I’m totally rocking a pair of skinny jeans, this Arrow Print Tulip-Back Tank Top (seriously loving all things tulip-back) with a turquoise Foxy Cami underneath the sheer chiffon, this black super-soft open-front cardigan, a long triangle chain necklace, and some yellow moccasins I got from Target a few years back.

Ortie & Justin’s Baby Shower

I helped throw my friend Ortie, and her beau Justin, a baby shower earlier this month. She’s such a beautiful momma-to-be and she was so happy to have her friends around her. Plus, her sister drove all the way up from Texas to surprise her for the shower and it was wonderful.

Above, she’s opening gifts from Chris and I. Chris gave them the little monkey, and I put together a bath-themed gift for her. The cute baby bather with frogs was on her wishlist, so I just kind of ran with the bathing theme since I knew one other thing I had to get her was the Sleepytime baby bath products… They weren’t on her registry, but having been a nanny and helped raise my godkids, I knew she HAD to have the lovely lavender scented bath wash and lotion. It’s a must for helping calm little babes before bed.

Of course I also went a little crazy and wanted to buy more baby things… They’re all just so dang cute! I added the most adorable little dragon bath robe with matching dragon hooded baby towels and dragon baby washcloths… So freaking cute. She loved them too, which I’m happy about. My ovaries man, my ovaries…

July Updates: Ortie's Baby Shower Kristina and Angie

July Updates: Ortie's Baby Shower Chris and Angie

Couplehood

Kristina pointed out, after we’d all stood together to pose for a friends photo at the baby shower, that it’s now even pairings. I took another look at the photo and realized that she was right… I wasn’t the fifth wheel as I’d been so many times before, I had my loving and caring boyfriend standing next to me looking all handsome, and that made me very happy.

Boyfriend moved in at the beginning of the month. You’d think that would be scary, but since he’d basically just been living there without his stuff since we became a couple in March, it didn’t change much… Other than I need to now figure out where to fit a whole other person worth of stuff in my tiny and messy house.

Either way, both Bub and I are really enjoying having him around. Since I’m working two jobs, and doing it so much, it’s been such a relief to have someone home with the dog who I know loves him as much as I do. Even better that I don’t have to pay a sitter… (My puppy sitter Aspen is great, but funds have been kind of tight lately. I’ll work on getting her a job with me at my second job instead… haha!) Also, Bub is a traitor and has totally moved to sleeping on Chris’ side of the bed… lol

Plums? Cherries? Cherryplums?

It turns out the pretty red tree in front of my house grows fruit! When it was pointed out to me, I stopped and contemplated it… I’d never seen a fruit tree with such dark red leaves before, and hadn’t expected the tree to produce fruit. Especially when there are two fruit trees in the back that don’t produce anything yet…

These are small like cherries, but they taste more like plums… Yes, I tasted them, and I didn’t die. I’m guessing they’re something called Cherryplums, which is what my plant-identifying app and google seem to believe. Either way, there are a slew of them smushed on my sidewalk that need to be cleaned up… lol

What’s Up for the Rest of July?

Well, there’s actually quite a bit planned for the rest of the month. On Tuesday, Chris and I are going to the Panic! at the Disco & Wheezer concert with Ken and Kristina. Then the following weekend we’re going camping up at my family ranch. I haven’t been in forever and I can’t wait to take my friends up. There’s also a chance we’re going up to Crystal Hot Springs this weekend, and that will also be super fun.

What About Blogging?

I’m going to be back, I promise. There was a lot of stress as I was working too many hours to find time to do much blogging at home these past few weeks, but with all the work changes it was unclear whether I’d be able to do much blogging-wise at work, even on breaks or lunches… To be honest, that’s where I do 90% of my blogging and everything that goes along with it, so figuring out how to change that has proven difficult.

Luckily, there is enough access to still continue a good portion of my blogging at work-I just have to do less of it here. There are some sites I can’t access fully (Instagram and Pinterest-which is killing me. haha) but otherwise I’m getting by and hope to have more posts and content for you soon. 😀

Also, look for information on my new sponsorship program next month!

How are you?

I really want to know. Leave me a comment and let’s catch up!

Angie

http://www.mysocalledchaos.com