Thursday, September 17, 2015

Trying To Find Myself

So here I am sitting at the table eating my green salad and typing away. I really love writing, it's just that sometimes I dont know what to write about, I guess you can call that writers block. I guess! I love the feeling of my fingers on the keys and the pitter patter the keys make as I am typing! Sometimes I feel like I have great ideas but then as I'm typing, I find myself second guessing myself and end up deleting everything. I guess I'm a perfectionist! I am also a control freak! Yes I have finally come to terms with my compulsive controlling nature, which makes writing even better because I'm in control!

I have been watching this tv show about a bunch of girls living in California and I feel like I am somewhat living through their eyes. They have such freedom and carelessness about them. I feel like not everybody has that! I felt it myself when I was in California. I think that's what was so amazing about it, everybody is just so free and so confident. I blamed it on the sunlight, like everybody was on this all nature high from the perfect weather!!


 Just thinking about being in California makes me smile! I could probably write all night about my experince in California!! Well hey look at that, maybe thats just what I will do!!! I feel like a lightbulb just went off in my head! I am going to write about California!!! Yay to new projects!!!

Until next time guys!!!

Leave me a comment and tell me what is your California? Where do you feel most free and more you?

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Consolidate Your Bills

Hey guys! I have been going through all my post and realized since I have had a boyfriend I have been giving out a lot of advice! I am in no way an expert in dating, those of you who have read my book know that! 
I am simply just talking about how I feel and my opinion on things that are happening in my life! Take it or leave it guys!! Some advice may be good, some advice may be bad! Some things work in my life but may not work in yours! 

So, moving on......looking at the bills that Cole and I have seperately plus the bills we have together we are paying way too much!! So consolidating seems to be the perfect idea right? If we are going to be together in a relationship and live together as a family we need to cut corners wherever we can, starting with bills. Getting your finnaces in order causing so much less stress in your life and that way you can both be accountable and active in your financial situation. So just a couple of examples that I have......

Cell Phones: Cole has T-Mobile but I have Verizon

I am on a plan with my mom but Cole is by himself. Cole has been paying $110 a month for his cell phone. He has a smart phone and I think unlimited everything! 
My mom and I both have smart phones but my mom also has a tablet that is on our plan. We have unlimited talk and text with 10GB of data per month we pay $175 a month. 
So together we are paying $275 just to have our cell phones!
Looking at our plans and how much data, minutes and text we use, we decided for him to be added on to our plan. So to add his line on our plan it was only $60 extra a month. That is way better than paying $110. So now we are all on the same plan! 
Saving $50 a month!!

Another example is with our car insurance. Now, since we are not married we are not allowd to combine auto insurance policies. Cole and I work opposite shifts, so looking at our schedules we decided to be a one car family. 
Saving us money on our insurance $75 a month!
Plus, his car is way better on gas than mine was, I am not sure if we will be saving gas money but it is definitely a plus.

Now this stuff is nice to do when you have been together with your boy/girlfriend for a while that way you both are committed. If I didnt love Cole and think that we would be together forever I wouldnt be doing this stuff because you never want to find yourself being reliable or dependant on your significant other. So just do what is realistic for your family!!



What kind of ways do you all save on your monthly expenses? What advice do you have for other women on a way to cut corners with their bills?

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Delegating Duties and Dating

I must say it is so strange dating again. Maybe I was just single for so long that I just have to get use to it again. At first when Cole moved in with Alyssa and I, I was the women of the house you know I wanted to make sure that dinner was ready, the house was cleaned and laundry was done. We all want things to be perfect! But as life got busier and time went by faster, I started to feel very overwhelmed by normal house duties. I started feeling like everything was falling on my shoulders and everything was my responsibility. But after breaking down and just telling Cole that I was feeling overwhelmed we were able to come up with a nice plan.

Delegating duties in your relationship is a must ladies!! As much as we want we can not do it all. 
So here it is a little glimpse of what we do to make our lives a little easier.


Cole is in charge of:
Laundry: Washing and Drying
Dishes: Emptying the Dishwasher
Housework: Cleaning his half of the bedroom and helping out with the living room
-Taking the trash out-

I am in charge of:
Laundry: Folding and Putting Away
Dishes: Loading the Dishwasher
Housework: Cleaning my side of the bedroom and helping out with the living room
Vacuum and Mop aka Swiffer  :)
-Taking the trash out-

I even gave Alyssa some duties because I have been told if you start them early it will be normal routine for kids.

Alyssa is in charge of:
Laundry: Putting all her dirty clothes in her hamper and putting her hamper by the stairs
Dishes: Setting the table before dinner and putting her dirty dishes in the kitchen after dinner
Housework: Sweeping the kicthen floor and cleaning up her toys 
-Help take the trash out-

We are trying to make living together as easy as possible and trying to make sure that if we delegate duties then everybody is pulling the same weight and nobody will feel overwhelmed. 

Now, this is still a work in progress but hey its a start!

Dating is hard enough why make it harder by getting upset or fighting about little things like taking the trash out!

How do you delegate your duties at home? Do you share chores with your boyfriend, spouse or children? What advice do you have for people who are still trying to figure it all out?

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

I'm Getting Semi-Comfortable Here In Ohio!

So as you all know that have been following me for a while, I moved back home to Ohio after almost two years in Kentucky! It was a big adjustment! But being able to stay with my aunt and uncle helped out a lot getting some money saved up or not saved up and just being able to do things with my daughter was really great!

But now I am a big girl again!! 

I moved out of my aunt and uncles house in March and have been living on my own! It was nice because I waited until I got my tax return and that helped me buy all the stuff I needed for my apartment. I got a new sofa, pot and pans and thankfully my aunt gave me pretty much everything I needed for my kitchen, even a kitchen table!!

This kitchen table is very special to me because it use to be my families table, my mom got a new table and gave it to my aunt and uncle and then they let me use it as a desk when I lived there. When I moved out they let me take it with me! How cool is that! Every night when we sit down as a family and eat dinner I am eating at the same dining rom table that I use to growing up! 

After a month or two of living by myself and trying to get use to my new found freedom, my boyfriend moved in with me!!! Wow what a big change in life, right?!?

After being single and dating around here and there for four years I finally met somebody and have been dating them for a while now. His name is Cole!!!!

 Cole moved in with Alyssa and I and took on a huge role as a positive male figure in her life! It was so weird at first and honestly I sometimes still cant believe it! But, we are doing so great and I almost forgot how easy it is having somebody there with you, apart from friends and family having that romance and those feelings of security!



Being single was great and it let me focus on Alyssa, so I would suggest if your single live it up, own it completely because once you get back into a relationship it can be hard at first especiallly if you guys are not on the same page.

Cole and I fit perfectly together! Were I lack he gains and were I gain he lacks. I have never felt closer to somebody!! That part is what I missed being single!

But now, we have been living together for a couple months and starting to look at everything as a whole instead of two different parts, that is a big adjustment. It is exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. Combining bills and finances can be a deal breaker. Some couples are great together but fight about bills and money and that can tear people apart real fast. The best thing that that I've found is to be completely open and honest with each other, remember people communication is key!

So your turn........

Are you going through the same thing with your boyfriend? Are you guys new to living together or throwing around the idea of moving in together?

Couples who have been living together for awhile, what was the biggest struggle or adjustment for you and how did you overcome it? 

I need some advice ladies and gents!! 

Help a girl out here, I dont want to scare this one away!  ;)

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Where Did My Body Go?!!

So, a couple months ago I was at work and one of the girls there was talking about how excited she was because she gained five pounds. Then......she brought the scale out!

Ahhhhhhhh!! Noooooo!! 

She thought it would be interesting to get on the scale and see how much she weighed, she then pressured her sister to get on the scale. Honestly, I was a little curious how much her sister weighed because we are about the same build I would say. But, then they pressured me to get on the scale, at the time I was like no I weigh like 10x more than you. After minutes of peer pressure I decided to jump on the scale. OMG!!! I looked at that scale and my eyes got all teary eyed. How embarrassing is that number!!! The worse part is when you are weighing yourself at home you are in private so the number doesn't really matter because only you can see it. But now, everybody I work with including my boss knows how much I weigh. 

Where did my body go? I wasn't skinny before I had my daughter but I surely wasn't whatever this body is.

How is it possible that five years after I give birth I weigh the same that I did 9 months pregnant!! WHAT!!!!


Why is it so hard for women to loose the weight? Why is it that even if we weigh the same our bodies are different?Why is weight such a big deal for us anyway?

I am beautiful and I know that when I look in the mirror and see my face. Whenever I try to find somehting to wear, now thats a whole nother story! Its like I'm a ginormous women and nothing fits right. It may look good in my closet but it definitely doesnt look that good on my body! It takes me double the time to find a good outfit. I just dont like how my body looks!



Working a full time job and being a mom doesnt really leave much room for exercise does it ladies?!?

But, I am confident that I will control my eating and get back to my ME!!!



I feel like I have pretty much kissed my pre-baby b ody goodbye and now jst want to feel comfortable in my own skin and my own clothes thats where my goal is!!!!

How about you ladies is there an issue with your body or weight that you are struggling with? Please talk to me about it, maybe we can go down this journey together and keep each other accountable!! We can beat this ladies!!!

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Happy 200th Post!!

Wow! Look at me go 200 posts and 19,500 page views!!

I am so thankful for everybodies support with this blog and my Etsy Shop (that is now closed) and also my new project, my YoutTube Channel! I love and enjoy blogging and am determined to do it more and more often! So please stick with me people!! 

Today is an interesting post about these kid movies these days! I know it seems kind of odd to talk about, but I just need to get it off my mind! I was talking to my cousin the other day and we were talking about Big Hero 6 and how we both loved it!! But then we both were talking about how sad it was in some parts and how we both cried during the movie. My daghterAlyssa is going to be 5 in July (What!?!) Alyssa also loves that movie but some parts she didn't understand.

Again, Alyssa and I were watching Jack and the Cuckoo Clock Heart and that movie is interesting. It was released in 2013 but is set in Scotland (I believe) in the 19th Century so it adds a foreign kinda older theme and feel to the movie. Any Who, there is a part where Jack is singing to this girl about her glasses???
These are the lyrics...
Girl....."My vision's not quite right But glasses make me look a sight
Enough to give the world a fright Like a sprite...wearing specs"

1. What is a sprite?? Other than a carbonated soda!

Jack....."Ohh fiery little sprite Conflagration in the night
Don't play games with your sight If it leaves you in the dark"

2. Conflagration???? What?!?

I'm skipping her next verse

Here is Jack's reply...
"Ohh my pretty arsonist Let me clasp you close to me
or rip your clothes with my teeth And tag'em into confetti
To scatter as we kiss.....on you and me"

3. Arsonist!! Rip your clothes with my teeth??? 

I just want to say that as he sings to this girl who is pretty much blind I guess, this is the first time they have ever met!!! Who talks like that to a complete stranger?!?

So, thank you to Dictinary.com for clearing some things up for me.....Sprite is defined as a fairy, elf  or goblin. So by wearing glasses I guess she thinks of herself as another creature. Great self esteem there!
Conflagration is defined as a destructive fire. Okay next.
Arson is again related to fire so pretty much calling her an arsonist is saying she started a fire. Probably in his heart HaHa!
But to continue and say rip your clothes with my teeth!!! I was so shocked, I dont think this is a Disney movie but a childrens movie and your talking about this, that is just crazy! Again, Jack you just met this girl how can you talk to her like that!! 

It seems like more and more this "childrens" movies are more for young adults. There were parts in both of these movies that my daughter didnt understand and she is almost 5. At what age can a child actually watch and comprehend some of these movies. It is becoming very frustrating! 

**Spoiler Alert**
If you have not seen either one of these movies do not read any further because the end of the movies are being revealed!

Also, since we are talking about it, in Big Hero 6 at the very end I thought Baymax died while saving the professors daughter but then when Hero was in his room and hurt himself Baymax appears from his toolbox again. How did that happen??

In Jack and the Cuckoo Clock Heart at the very end when he finally gets the girl and they kiss in the cold underneath the tree where his mother passed she is just left there frozen as he drifts off into the sky, what is that?? What happened did he really die? Was it true that his heart could not handle the emotion of love? I am still very confused about that ending, Alyssa turned to me and said what is happening and I honestly replied with I dont know hunny thats very confusing. HaHa! Why are these children movies so complex?!? Make a grown woman feel stupid HaHaHa!!

Get with it people there is no way my child understands these movies!!

Hello, Again

Hey there everybody long time no write! 
I have been going through these spells where I really just don't have anything to talk about and therefore I have not been blogging. But, this time I do have something very nice to share!

I moved out of my aunts house and got my own apartment! I LOVE it!! I moved about a month ago and  have been very busy unpacking and organizing everything. Unfortunately, I was not able to take any time off of work so I had to move after work and on the weekends which made it a little rushed but we pushed through it and got it done! Thankfully, my other aunt let me borrow her mini van so I made numerous trips with that and then a couple more trips with my boyfriends grandpas truck. After two days of moving it was complete! Yippee!! Hooray! Now the fun begins...unpacking and finding everything a home! Ugh! This is the part I hate the most! 

But, after a month I can proudly say that my appartment is finished and is looking pretty darn nice if I say so myself!! I am not sure if you guys follow me on Instagram (AndreaOnInsta) but if you don't you should start! Sometimes when I am not able to blog or upload videos to my YouTube Channel (Lets Taco Bout It) I will still be taking selfies on Instagram. It would be a good way to keep up with me without keeping up with my posts. 

I will also give you an update on my New Years Resolution.....I have been doing GREAT, better than great actually, WONDERFUL!! I feel so amazing just living my life and staying offline and really spending quality time with my friends and family! Now that I look back I can't believe how much time I actually wasted on Facebook!! That is so crazy!! Sometimes I wish that I still had it because I had friends on Facebook that I didn't have in real life and they dont have Instagram or may not follow my blog but when one door shuts another one opens, so Im sure it will be fine! I must say, the longer I go wthout Facebook the better I feel about my resolution! I dont think I will ever have a personal facebook page again! I may have a professional one sometime, but thats even up in the air! I really feel good about this one resolution and know 100% that I'm going to keep it!! Now if I can only workout more and eat less!!! HaHa!

How are you guys doing? Any updates on your New Years Resolutions?? 

Monday, January 26, 2015

My New Years Resolution

Hey Everybody! How are you all doing?

I know most of you were thinking where are you, are you ever going to blog again? 

Well the answer to that is YES!! I am going to blog again! I have been so busy, that sometimes life just takes me away from everything else in my ife. Honestly, I feel like I havent even spoken to my sister in forever, I am completely out of the loop!

Well today I am here to talk about my new years resolution.....and here it is

Simplify My Life

This is a huge one for me because I tend to be a social media junkie! I used to be on facebook more than anything. I sat down and really thought about my life and what I want it to be like and what it was, wasn't at all what I wanted it to do be. I don't want to sit on the couch playing on my phone or ipad while Alyssa is playing by herself, I want to put my electronics down and play with her. I have had it!!

I am not the parent that I want to be so I am changing it!!!!

I deleted my facebook account earlier this month, and I have to say that I feel great about it!!

I have been kinda sad in some situations where I wanted to talk to somebody and didnt have their number and wanted to jump on facebook and message them but I know that if I reactivate it for any reason that I will be hooked again, so I have been restraining. 

Other than those little incidents (which have only happened about 3 times) I feel so much better about everything. I am actually texting or talking on the phone again! I am actualy sitting down and having dinner or drinks with friends face to face! I have actual interaction with the people in my life not just electronically. Most importantly, I am spending quality time with Alyssa!! Wheather we are playing in her room or watching movies, our time together is how its suppose to be! Life just seems so much better!!!

So heres to moving forward to a better life!!!! Talk to ya soon!!!

Please tell me some of your new years resolutions and how are you doing with them.