Aria's First Time in the Snow!!

Tuesday into Wednesday we got a pretty decent snow storm and when we woke up Wednesday I just wanted to go outside!  I had to go out anyways to shovel off the deck, we could barely open the door, and then shovel a path and a spot in the yard so that the dog could go out to do his business.

Mike told me not to worry about doing out front, that he would do it.  Thank heavens because that snow was good packing snow with ice on top of it and it was heavy!  
I decided that while he went out to shovel I would take Aria out for a little bit.  She has never played in the snow before and I've really been wanting to let her but since we don't have snowpants for her I've never wanted to let her go out.  We still don't have snowpants for her because I have tried finding a cheap pair and can't find any!  I don't want to spend much on a pair when she won't even be able to wear them much and next year she won't fit.  Maybe I'll get a pair when they go on clearance for her to have for next year!

Anyhow, I decided she didn't need snow pants.  I could just put a few layers on her and then the heavy winter coat that has been sitting in her room (aka, our storage room for the time being).  My cousin had given it to me but it's too bulky for her to really wear because winter coats and carseats don't go together! We have mittens for her and a hat of course (Although, she won't wear her own she has to wear daddys!)

I put three layers on her bottom.. a pair of leggings, tucked into her boots.  A pair of sweatpants and then a pair of jeans over top of the other two layers.  I put a thick long sleeve shirt on her and then her big heavy winter coat and out we went to play in the snow.

I wasn't sure how she was going to like it.  At first she just stood there.  The neighbor was out with his snowblower and she was obssesed!  She kept staring, pointing and saying "wow" and "what's that?"  so cute!

Eventually she started walking around and touching the snow, even trying to eat it a few times.

SHE LOVED IT!

When her little nose started to get red I decided it was time to come in but girlfriend wasn't having it and cried.

I of course took picture to document this first time experience.

 "What's that"  & "Wow" over the snow blower.

 tasting the snow.

 playing & watching the neighbor

 watching the neighbor.

 her first snowball, haha.

look at that smile!  she loved it!

I only wish we had a sled that I could have pulled her around on but I guess that'll be an experience for next year!

Playing outside with her just made me so much more excited for spring and summer!  She is going to be an absolute blast this year!  She is at such a fun age.  She will love going to the park and just playing outside!  

Chicken Tacos

Last night we tried something new for dinner and it was delicious.  I think it's a new favorite in this house and it was SO EASY to make!

I'm not much of a cook, thats for sure.  And I'm a really picky eater.  My favorite meat is chicken so when we try new meals it usually is something to do with chicken.  I'm also in love with making crockpot meals so a lot of the new meals we try are made in the crockpot and almost always something we love.

These chicken tacos were so good that we just had them last night and I already can't wait to have them again!!


I wish I would have taken pictures to share, but I didn't.

I'm sharing this recipe for any one who may read this and has never tried these.


Ingredients:
Chicken (place in crockpot)

2c chicken broth
1 packet taco seasoning (we use oretega)
1 packet dry ranch dressing
mix these three ingredients together and pour into crockpot over chicken.

soft taco shells
whatever taco toppings you enjoy.
we used taco cheese and sour cream.

Cook on slow for about 3 hours then rip the chicken up and make your taco!


Chicken Tacos were approved by both the babe and fiance!

HELLO 2014

WHAT!  IT'S 2014!

Another year has arrived!!  For some reason I'm feeling super excited for this year.  I mean, it just started and all so maybe it's some sort of new year high but I honestly don't remember feeling like this in any year previous.

I had an amazing New Year's Eve!  I spent it at my aunts with my family!  Cousins and their SOs, aunt and uncle, brother and of course my amazing fiance and beautiful daughter!  It was honestly so much fun!  I didn't get drunk or even drink, really.  (I mean I had a TINY TINY TINY amount of Boones Farm... like seriously so tiny.)  I think half the time I seemed more drunk than everyone else there!  HA!  Somehow I ripped my pants and honestly have no idea when or how!  I fell and thought I broke my foot and I couldn't talk half the time!  But thats kind of just who I am I guess!  We played lots of different games and it was just seriously amazing and it made me feel amazing to just be having such a great time with people who I love!


With the New Year, Resolutions come for many.  I'm not real big on the whole resolution thing because like many others I have a hard time sticking to them.  However, there are some things I want in this new year.  So I guess I have resolutions and whether or not I stick to them is a whole different story.

Number One
The main thing I want for 2014 is to be more positive and surround myself with positivity.  With that will bring happiness and ya know what?  The world is a much better place when there is happiness!
I'm not saying that everyday will be a bowl full of sunshine.  I mean, lets be real!  There are going to be days that are tough.  There are going to be days where maybe I'm just feeling a little down.  There are going to be days where I'm going to be negative.  It's inevitable.  I'm not saying I want to be the happiest person on the planet.  I just want to be a better me.  A happier, more positive me.  I want to not let others affect me as much.  Instead, I want to affect others!  ;)

Number Two
Another, pretty major, thing I want to accomplish this year is a 5K.  Come Spring I want to start the C25K program and by the end of the year I want to have run a 5K. Not only is this a resolution but it's also something on my BUCKET LIST!  This past year The Color Run was in a city near me and I would have loved to have done it.  This year, I will!  It may not end up being The Color Run but I will run a 5K, I hope!

Number Three
With Number Two being said...  I want to be more healthy and get into better shape this year!  Yeah, I have a certain weight I'd like to reach but thats not really what I want.  It's not really my "resolution".  I just want to be a healthier more.  A healthier and happier me.
I've been looking into doing the whole Gluten Free thing.  I won't call it a diet because I hate that word.  I'm not going to starve myself or anything but going gluten free is something I'm really interested in.  In the past I've looked into it a bit and I've looked into it even more now and I definitely think it's do-able.  I mean, many others have changed their lives but I just thought for the area I live in and for me it just would be too hard.  After more research, I don't think thats necessarily true.  It will be harder than just going out and buying whatever the hell I want.  Eating whatever the hell I want.  It will also be better for me!  I'm not going to dive head first into it.  I want to do it gradually and in my own pace.  I feel like if I jump too fast and too hard that its something I will give up on in no time at all!  I'm not going to beat myself up if I slip here and there and maybe by the end of the year I won't be completely gluten free but I may be well on my way and hopefully I'll be healthier!

Number Four
This one is a bit different.  I want to grow my hair out.  Go a whole entire year without getting it cut.  I mean, other than a trim here and there.  This may be difficult because I have really had the urge to cut it all off lately!  However, with this being said, a wedding is in the planning!  March 14, 2015 is the date picked and now we just need to plan plan plan!  Yep.  That's sort of another one of my goals for this year!  Kind of odd, I'm sure, but whatever.  So grow my hair out so that I can have pretty hair on my wedding day!

Number Five
Lastly, I cannot wait to see where my photography goes in this next year.  Towards the end of 2013, I believe it was around August, I decided to dive in and take a chance and honestly, I didn't do too bad.  This year I need to get my name out there more and hopefully this year will be even more great than the last when it comes to my photography!  I hope to meet many more people, have more opportunities and continue to learn!

I hope everyone else is as excited for 2014 as I am.  2013 wasn't a bad year at all but I really just cannot wait to see what happens with 2014.

until next time!  xoxo-

GET TO KNOW ME!

It's a new year and I have decided that I'm going to try and blog.  Maybe I'll try to blog everyday in the month of January.  However, I have a 15 month old so that may not be realistic!  I think I should set a more realistic goal.  I'll try to post a new blog twice a week!  I think that sounds fair.

Today's post is going to be ALL ABOUT ME!

It's 2014 now so with that I'll post 14 facts about myself!  Sound good?  Great!

1.  My name is Paige.  I am 23 years old and celebrate my birthday on March 28th!
2.  I have an amazing fiance.  He is my best friend.  This year we will celebrate four years of love.
3.  I mentioned it above.  I have a 15 month old daughter.  Her name is Aria and shes pretty amazing!
4.  I am a stay at home mom.  With a passion for photography.  Which I've started as a little side job.
5.  I have a YouTube channel.  Most of the time I only post one video a month and it's an update on my daughter.  I want to start posting more videos though.  You can find my channel here.
6.  I was raised by my mother and have never really had a relationship with my father.  Regardless of what many may think it has affected me.
7.  I am not a very good cook but I can make a good crockpot meal!
8.  I have always wanted to move away but now that I'm old enough to actually do it I cannot move away from my family.
9.  I've always wanted to have a lot of kids.  When I was younger 8 was the dream number.  Now a days I say 4.  I was raised a single child even though I do have siblings (only one that is a part of my life) and I hated every minute of it and still do.  I am literally JEALOUS of people with siblings.
10.  I had a miscarriage in 2008 at the age of 18.  I suffered major depression from this for years but have come to complete closure with it and even feel like I know why it happened.  Though I am no longer wounded the scars will always remain.
11.  I have terrible anxiety.  I feel like my life is ruled by this.  I wish I could overcome this terrible life destroying disease.
12.  This one I'm completely embarrassed by.  I have hyperhydrosis.  Yes.  I sweat profusely no matter what the weather is like or what I am doing.  I cannot wear cute clothing and be 100% confident because of this!
13.  Car seat safety and breastfeeding are two things I'm VERY passionate about.  I'm still nursing my 15 month old and do not see any signs of weaning in our near future!  I never thought I would be a mother who breastfed but once I decided to (way before I actually had my daughter) it was settled.
14.  Names.  I love names.  I have a list of names I love.  I have names that bug me.  And I'm part of a community where we talk about names!  What I have found is that people either love names or think you are a weirdo for loving names!  HA!

That's 14!  Interesting?  Boring?  Maybe both... but they are REAL!

Until next time!
xoxo

That was a failure

Guess who said that they were going to blog a lot in January and didn't?  Yep.  Me!

Complete failure!

I shall try harder in the month of February. 

Michael and I have set a wedding date for March 14, 2015.  Our 5 year anniversary!  I've already started planning because I'm a HUGE procrastinator and need more time than most people to plan things.  Also I feel with more time we will be able to save up and afford it a lot easier.

It's not going to be a big extravagant wedding.  It's not going to cost a fortune.  Theres not going to be 200 people there.  It's going to be simple because thats the type of person I am.  Really, its the kind of couple that we are! 

I am SO excited.  I've already attended a bridal show last weekend with my mom and my best friend/maid of honor, Aly.  I'm so excited to go dress shopping although it will be a few more months before we do that.  My mom wants to wait until May because she's going to try and train for and run a 5k in April.

So theres a quick update.  I hope to post a lot more about the wedding planning and everything.  I also would love to do some videos on our wedding planning process so if you'd like to see those feel free to subscribe to my youtube channel! 

Until next time- xoxo