Happy New Year!

Hello everyone! I truly never mean for there to be so much time in between blog posts but, life just gets in the way sometimes. Anyway, I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and a great New Year’s Eve! We have much to catch up on…

So, I’ll start off by saying that – IM PREGNANT! Yes, you read that right. I just hit the 5 month mark on Saturday and we are very excited. Next, I will tell you that… we are having a BOY! I am over the moon with excitement because I have already been a boy mom for 7 years now and I just love it so much. My son is so excited to be getting a little brother. 💙

2022 was hard on all of us, I think it’s safe to say. It started off really great for me because I finally got myself back into a dermatologist regarding my psoriasis that had gotten so bad that I was miserable day to day… And they immediately put me on a biologic called Skyrizi. I’m not kidding you when I say that after just the first shot, I noticed a major difference in my skin. I’m not exaggerating when I say that it changed my life!

With Skyrizi, you only get shots once every 3 months. I had started it in January of last year, and unexpectedly got pregnant soon after. Since there isn’t a whole lot of info out there on Skyrizi, I feel it’s safe for me to say that I probably had a miscarriage due to the medication itself. It was a total bummer because, even though we weren’t actively trying to get pregnant, it was such a nice surprise. To be honest, I thought something was wrong with me because in all this time since having our son (7 years ago) I hadn’t gotten pregnant again. My OB told me that she thinks that the reason I got pregnant when I did, was because the Skyrizi cleared up my skin and all of the inflammation, that was most likely causing me to not get pregnant before.

Since miscarrying, I continued on with the shots. I got my first dose in January which was the starter shot, then a second in February, on my best friends birthday actually! Then from there it was every 3 months. When I found out I was pregnant this time around, it was literally two days after my sons 7th birthday in October, and I was scheduled to have my next shot in November. I decided to skip that shot altogether so that it wouldn’t interfere with my pregnancy. And here I am, 5 months later with a little baby boy that we are so excited to meet come June!

I plan to blog more this year, and will share updates along the way and all that fun stuff. But I just felt the need to tell y’all this right now – haha.

Xoxo

Grief & Loss

It is currently 3:28 am as I’m typing this. But, I just feel that I need to get my feelings out there. Within the past month a lot has happened. And I mean a LOT. My sons birthday was at the beginning of October, shortly after we got some really good news and I was doing really good around that time.

But, suddenly and very unexpectedly, I lost of my closest friends.

I have two best friends. My best friend Lindzy and I have been bffs ever since 7th grade, way back in 2003. She currently lives in Guam and I am so proud of everything she has accomplished and continues to accomplish.

My other best friend, Brianna, we had been really close for almost two years. We met through instagram because of our love of Dollar Tree and we instantly connected and became super close. We talked every single day, mostly through voice messages. We had become each others rock. She and I had an understanding of each other’s debilitating anxiety…

Well, without going into details… Let me just say that, she was trying to do a good deed and it ended up costing her her life. She just turned 37 back in august. It was the last thing I ever expected to happen. When I got the call and messages from her mom I had a hard time comprehending what was actually going on. And to be honest, I’m still struggling with it. It doesn’t seem real that she can actually be gone. We lost her on October 27th. To top that off, on that same day, we got news from our vet that my fiance and I’s dog, Chef, most likely had cancer and it would be best to put him down. We decided to wait through the weekend and that following Tuesday we took him in. I’ve never gone through anything like that before and it was utterly heartbreaking.

We rescued Chef from a pound in the winter of 2014. So we got him shortly before finding out we were pregnant with our first born, Alden. He really was the best dog! The pound described him as a Rottweiler mix, but I truly don’t believe that. He had the coloring, but he definitely seems more like a lab mixed with another breed. Over time he did start to go downhill, and towards the end there, he couldn’t even stand up on his own so I knew what we needed to do. I couldn’t stand the thought of our sweet boy being in pain anymore. All of that happening within a week of each other has taken an emotional and mental toll on me. I will share a photo of my beautiful bestie (we ALWAYS called each other bestie) & of my sweet boy Chef.

I guess what I want to leave off with saying is… Dont take life for granted. You truly NEVER know when the last time you will talk to somebody will be. And you never know when your beloved pet will take a turn for the worst. Reach out to those you love. Talk to them as often as you can, and always let them know that you love them. Life is far too short. Yes, I am hurting right now, but at the same time I have so much to be thankful & happy for. 🤍

Huge Dollar Tree Haul!

Hey guys! I wish I didn’t take SO long to post new blogs, but time just gets away from me. Especially as a mom to a busy 5 year old, lol. Today I thought I’d share my latest Dollar Tree Haul! (It’s technically three different hauls in one) so let’s dig in, shall we?

I grabbed a TON of stuff for homeschooling Alden. We will be starting kindergarten come fall, and I want to be as prepared as I can be! So I found all kinds of goodies for only $1! Work books, pencils, notebooks, flashcards, large foam dice to help with counting (and to play games), a school planner, maps, reward cards/stickers, a sketch pad for art class… ALL the goodies!

I also grabbed some things for my Fiance for Fathers Day, and of course some things for myself. For Fathers Day I got Jeremy: a tool box, some work gloves, a flash light, some screw drivers, pliers, candy and snacks! We also gave him a photo of him and Alden in a frame from DT and a “soda” or “beer” can to hold change. He seemed to enjoy it. 🙂

For myself I got a bunch… Pop sockets, planner stickers, bandana headbands, hand cream, glasses case, facial wipes, cancer astrology book, mini composition books, legal pads, shaving cream (compared to the EOS shaving cream) Breaking Dawn Part 2 – even though i technically have all of the movies… I couldn’t pass it up for a buck lol, notebooks, deoderant, lipsticks, picture frames, books for Alden, tumbling blocks for crafting purposes, lemon place mats, plates and cups.

This wasn’t as “organized” as I’d have liked, but I’m sure you can see in each picture what it was that I picked up. There is just SO much from this particular haul.

LONG TIME, NO BLOG!

Hello friends!!!!

I know that I have been MIA for quite some time, and for that I am sorry! A LOT has happened this year, and not just because of the virus.

Back in September my mom, who was in Michigan at the time, ended up collapsing while walking the dog and was rushed to the hospital. She was taken into surgery right away and also suffered from a mini stroke while they were operating on her. She is actually here in town right now visiting all of us which I am so thankful for… But she is now in a wheelchair. Because of the stroke she lost the ability to use her right leg. She can move it and feel it, she just can’t walk just yet. I have been doing everything in my power to help her though.

I help her when she’s using her walker to walk, like she is supposed to. I make sure to follow her close behind with her chair in case she needs to sit right away. I help her in and our of the shower… Basically, I help her with any and everything that she needs help with! I pray to God that he gives her her full mobility back. I thank God that he didn’t take her from me though. I lost my dad last year, I honestly could not bear to lose my mom as well. She is so strong and is being such a trooper about all of this. I know she is more anxious than ever now and more depressed, but she still tries her best to be in good spirits. I will be sad when she heads back up to Michigan, but I know I will talk to her everyday!

I hope you all are enjoying this INSANE year that is 2020. As much as you can anyway. I will be back soon. I’d like to fill you in on everything I’ve been up to, and share photos of makeup again, my boxycharm subscription and my many many hauls that I have been doing. Please forgive me for my long absence… There has just been more going on than I could’ve ever guessed.

XOXO – Diana

Quarentine Life

Hey ya’ll! How is everyone holding up during these strange times we’re living in? Me, I’m hanging in there. I am a homebody anyway, so having to stay at home doesn’t bother me, but what DOES bother me is not being able to go to Target, Dollar Tree or QT for my daily Dr. Pepper. Sure, I can buy canned or bottles sodas, but ya’ll don’t understand my love for fountain Dr. Pepper lol. 

I am trying to come up with more video ideas for my YouTube channel which is difficult becuase I can’t necessarily do haul videos right now, and I can only do so many purse videos since I literally just got a new purse. YouTube is such an amazing outlet for me. I truly enjoy it, and in all honesty – it has helped so much with my depression. I’ve been uploading vlogs lately, but I feel like they’re so boring because all I’m doing is chatting about, well, nothing since nothing is going on – LOL. BUUUUUUT, next month, June 22nd is my 30th birthday!!!! SOOOO, I decided to treat myself to some stuff from amazon that I really wanted and I can’t wait to make a video on all of it. I will also post that stuff here of course too. I hope everyone is doing well and staying safe during this time. More fun blogs to come soon from me, but tonight, I’m dead tired and just wanted to check up on you all. 🙂 

 

XOXO

One Year….

On Tuesday, March 3rd… It’ll be the anniversary of my dad’s death. How did one year fly by so quickly? I can’t wrap my head around it. It’s been one year since I’ve talked to him, seen him, hugged him or told him I loved him. It really hurts. I miss him tremendously… You never experience true heart break until you lose a parent… Especially a parent you were close to. Man, what I wouldn’t give to see him again. To just have a conversation with him. He was the best dad in the world and living in this world without him just sucks. 😦

As Daughtry says… “The years go by and time just seems to fly, but the memories remain…” Nothing is more true than that. The years are FLYING by, but the memories of my dad will always be with me. That song gets me every single time. There’s a reason it’s my favorite song!

This is my dad, mom and I when we were spending all of our time with my dad while he was sick. I love this photo. 💖

Life is funny… You literally never know what’s going to happen, or when God’s going to call you home. To me, it still seems so unfair that he chose my dad. Why did he have to get sick? Why did he have to suffer the way he did for so long? Why did I have to lose him? So many unanswered questions. But it hurts. It hurts so bad. I miss him more than words could ever describe. He was the best dad anyone could’ve ever had. I’m so lucky that he was mine.

My dad and I when I was little. We were at my aunt’s house celebrating families birthdays. I actually REMEMBER this. I must’ve been about 3 here, or so.

25 Things About Me

1.) What are ten things you are really good at?

• Procrastinating
• Cooking
• Taking photos
• Being a mom, even though some days it feels like I’m failing
• Crafting
• Binge watching tv shows LOL
• Reading
• Cleaning
• Being encouraging
• Being empathetic 

2.)What are five physical features you love about yourself?

• My green eyes; even though I’m blinder than a bat
• My butt… I mean, my fiance really likes it, so I assume it’s a pretty good one – lol
• My face when I have makeup on
• My belly button ring
• How small my feet are

3.) What are three of your strongest qualities?

• I stay put together even when I feel like breaking down
• I am always there for my family & friends who may need me
• I’m determined to make it on YouTube

4.)Write out your ideal vision for your dream life.

I’m picturing a nice house on some land where we can let our son and dogs run around. There would be a privacy fence for the backyard, a nice big garden so we can grow our own fruits and vegetables, and there would be plenty of things to keep us occupied, and happy. 

5.) What are three goals you want to accomplish before the end of the year?

• I want to stop being so afraid of everything.
• Become a more organized person; get rid of any and everything that I don’t need.
• Read at LEAST 15 books. If not, more.

6.) Write out a gratitude list of things you are thankful for.

• My family.
• Alden. (Even though he is technically family)
• A house to stay in every night.
• Food in my belly.
• Clothes on my back.
• An amazing Fiance.

7.) Five things you would like to do more.

• Go on adventures.
• Take more photos.
• Read more books.
• Film more videos.
• Write more blog posts!

8.) A quote you live by.

“The years go by and time just seems to fly, but the memories remain.”

It’s a quote, or lyric, from Daughtry’s song September. It just reminds me that time really does fly by, but no matter what your memories will always be there. I probably didn’t explain that the best, but that’s still my favorite quote, or lyric, of all time.

9.) Share a vivid dream.

I remember having a dream of being at my mom’s house and Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were there. This was my first ever dream with Lucy in it, so I was stoked. I remember they were getting married… Or I was getting married (I can’t remember) and I came out from the hallway into the kitchen and Lucy just embraced me in the best hug of my life. I woke up so ecstatic that I finally had a dream where I met Lucy. 

10.) Name a few small things that make you happy.

• My little man, Alden. He always makes my days better. 
• Having alone time to read, or just relax.
• Dr. Pepper. (Don’t judge me!)

11.) How have you changed in the past year?

This past year I have learned just how short life truly is. Losing my dad made me realize that. Time is short, and time is precious. So I’m trying to live everyday like it’s my last. I’m trying to make the best of each and everyday, rather than be mad or upset over little petty things. Also, ALWAYS tell the people you love that you love them when you get the chance. ❤

12.) What are some of your favorite movies?

• Titanic
• Step Brothers
• The Other Guys
• P.S. I Love You
• Mean Girls
• Christmas Vacation

13.) Which fictional character would you most like to be?

This is going to sound so stupid…. But….. Bella Swan. Why, you may ask? Well, because Edward Cullen was in love with her and he is so damn perfect. I wish I could be a vampire and look as perfect as he always did. I’d take a sparkling vampire any day of the week.

14.) Write down five weird things you like.

• I love being left alone. I don’t think that’s really “weird”, but I feel like I love being left alone more than anyone else.
• I like to hoard pictures. I just love the memories that come along with all photos.
• I love rainy weather / winter time. Most people don’t. 
• I like metal detecting. 
• I like to make a plate of Doritos, add shredded cheese to it and melt it in the microwave, then add some of the queso sauce from the jar, put it back in the microwave for a few seconds just to heat it up and it makes for some great nachos! – lol

15.) What do you love about yourself?

I love how compassionate I am. I love how empathetic I am towards everyone. And I love that I am truly motivated to making the best Youtube videos that I can make. I know they aren’t as good as the bigger Youtubers out there… But I try my best, and I’m always happy with how they turn out. I’m motivated to hopefully slowly grow my channel more and more. 🙂 

16.) Ten places you would like to visit.

• Ireland.
• Jamestown, New York.
• North Carolina.
• California.
• Hawaii.
• Colorado. 
• Alaska.
• The Bahamas.
• Georgia.
• Texas.

17.) Write about something that you are scared of.

I’ve always had this irrational fear of dying. I don’t know why, but I am terrified of death. I am also extremely petrified of snakes. I literally can’t be around them… When I see one I get light headed and feel like I’m going to pass out. I just can’t with snakes… 

18.) My top three priorities.

• Alden. He is my number one priority.
• Jeremy. He is extremely important to me.
• The rest of my family /  Jeremy’s family. 

19.) One thing I will always do.

I will always stay true to myself, and who I am as a person. I won’t stop doing something just because some people don’t believe in it (such as Youtube) there have been some people who have been less than supportive of me having Youtube as an outlet but I don’t let that phase me. It has helped me so much with my depression, it’s crazy. I never knew that making videos could change my life for the better. ❤ 

20.) How do you take care of yourself when you are stressed?

Typically, I will take an anxiety medication to help me relax / relieve stress, and I will either lay and read a book, binge watch a favorite show – or Youtube, OR I’ll make Youtube videos, because while I’m making videos, I’m in the zone and not thinking about the things that are stressing me out and making me depressed or anxious. 

21.) Five things I should do more often.

• Drink more water.
• Apologize when I know I’m wrong.
• Tell everyone that I love, that I love them because life is too short.
• Read.
• Write more. I love blogging, just like Youtube, it’s a great outlet for me. I feel like you guys listen to me and it’s nice to have that audience who seems to understand you.

22.) If you could live inside any tv show, what would it be?

Honestly I would pick Gilmore Girls. Stars Hollow is the perfect little magical town. Everyone is so friendly and quirky. The gazebo is amazing, Doosey’s market, Mrs. Kim’s antiques, the little movie theater… It’s just so great. I want to live there with all those characters so badly. I wish it were real. </3

23.) Make a list of five of your favorite songs right now.

• Dark Horses – Switchfoot
• Sparks – Hilary Duff
• This Means War – Nickelback
• September – Daughtry
• Animal I have Become – Three Days Grace

24.) What sets your soul on fire? What do you feel most passionate about?

Again, this goes back to Youtube and Blogging. I love both so much because they are wonderful outlets for me. But also, and FIRSTLY, being a mother. It is definitely trying most days, and there are some days I want to pull my hair out, but I love my little boy more than anything in this world and I would do anything and everything for him. He IS my world. ❤

25.) What are you most thankful for and why?

My fiance for taking care of both Alden and I. He works so hard to support us and I couldn’t be more thankful and lucky to have a guy like him. He told me he wanted me to stay at home with Alden, so the fact that he doesn’t mind being the sole provider for us is amazing to me. He really is the best man out there. I got really lucky.

Target, Dollar Tree & Amazon Haul!

Hey you guys!! So I recently bought a few things from Target, Dollar Tree AND Amazon, so I figured I’d share them with you. 🙂 I’ll start with Target first:

I got all of this clearanced out for really great prices!! Definitely check your local Target to see if you guys have any clearance makeup as well! First item is a Wet n Wild loose highlight in the shade You Glow Girl; it’s a really pretty pinky toned highlight. I got it for $1.78 instead of $5.99. The other Highlight is from the Makeup Obsession London brand and it’s their Mega Moon highlighter – there’s no shade name, but it is a purple toned highlight. I got it for $1.78 instead of $4.99. The Pixi by Petra Skintreats Glowtion is a really great brightening lotion (especially for dry skin like mine!) and I got it for $7.20 instead of $24! The Covergirl Outlast Active foundation was on sale for $2.83 instead of $8.49. The Covergirl Trunaked Sunset palette was $2.38 instead of $9.99… The Loreal concealer was on sale for $2.38 instead of $7.99 and the last Covergirl Radiance foundation was also $2.38 instead of $8.99. I think I did really good!!! 

 

 From the Dollar Tree I picked up several packs of Planner stickers because Dollar Tree has stepped up their game and has come out with some REALLY cute stickers! I also got some nasal decongestant (even though I normally buy mine from the Walgreens pharmacy because it’s the “real stuff”, but this stuff seemed to get the job done yesterday for me!) I grabbed a couple snacks… A pack of mini Kit Kats and a pack of the cherry pull apart Twizzlers. I picked up a new Wet n Wild “contour brush” which is my go to blush brush – mine has been falling apart for sometime now… lol. I also grabbed two of the Kiss Gel nail polishes, and they look very similar in color but one is more of a darker pink and the other is more magenta. And I decided to grab that L.A. Colors powder compact to give it a try! 

Those two last products are what I got from Amazon. I got the Physicians Formula velvet liquid lip (been buying them on Amazon because my Target doesn’t have many shades to choose from AT ALL) and I also got my beloved Elf eyebrow pencil in the shade Deep Brown because again… My target has only had the shade Taupe stocked up for over two weeks now! I have more stuff coming from Amazon so I will be sure and share it with ya’ll if you’re interested! 😀 

 

Have a lovely day, everyone! XOXO – Diana

WHAT’S IN MY MICHAEL KORS PURSE?!

HEY GUYS! So, I got this Michael Kors purse from Facebook marketplace for a PHENOMENAL deal!!! It still has the card inside of it, proving it’s authenticity. I paid $40 for it!!! And I am OBSESSED with this baby!!!! SO, let’s jump right in and see… What’s in my purse!!!

First and foremost, my adorable sunglasses! (I got them from Shopmissa!) I also carry my medications with me in case I need them. My anxiety meds & also my nausea medication. That little bottle is baby aspirin just in case my son gets hurt and needs it on the go. Next we have my favorite hand cream, the Soap & Glory Hand Food, my favorite body spray from Target in the scent Wild Child by Good Chemistry, and also my favorite hand sanitizer with a pump.

Next up we have my little wallet that I got from Amazon, I just got tired of carrying around a big bulky wallet, so I switched to this little card holder. I also carry an extra phone case with me JUST in case I feel like switching it up – lol! The next thing is my portable phone charging port and YES it’s huge!!! When I ordered it I thought it was going to be the size of my phone… Not double the size – haha. Also a mini cord, obviously for charging purposes. And my keys and two pens. (Server life… Can’t ever be without pens!!!)

Next up ALLLL of my lip products that I keep in my purse, lol! The first thing is a vintage looking compact mirror which I found on Amazon. The pink vile is a travel perfume container (just like the Scentbird things you get when you use their subscription!), my Elf lip plumping gloss in Champaign Glam, Revlon balm stain in Honey, Treat Beauty lip balm in Marshmallow cream, a Hey Honey lip treatment and also a Perfectly Posh lip butter (THAT SMELLS EXACTLY LIKE MAPLE SYRUP. I LOVE IT – lol) Then there’s my ipsy bag which holds all of my to-go makeup! The makeup I carry is a small Tarte loose setting powder, travel size Tarte hydrating primer, black waterproof eyeliner, Smashbox concealer, Physicians Formula eyeshadow quad, Wet n Wild highlight, Physicians Forumla liquid lipstick in Dose of Rose, Thrive Causemetics mascara, AOA studio BB cream, Colourpop blush and some hair ties just in case!!!

I tend to really like making these types of videos, but I figured I’d do a random What’s in my purse blog post because… Why not?! I hope you all enjoy this, if not I’m sorry!! I’m trying to come up with new blog post ideas as we speak. 🙂

I hope you all have a lovely night and upcoming weekend! XOXO – Diana

 

HI BLOGGERS, I’M BACK!

I am so sorry for taking so much time off from my blog. I do still love blogging, I just felt that I needed a break after losing my father. Life has been much harder with out him here, so I felt like disappearing for awhile, and did put more focus into my youtube channel. But I want to come back here full force as well!!! I hope you guys are okay with that. 🙂 I’ve missed my blogging community. I think my first post after this one is going to be a “What’s In My Purse” post. I love doing videos of that stuff, but I also like to post about it as well. I hope you all are ready for it. 🙂

Losing my dad took a huge toll on me physically, mentally and emotionally. I was very very close to my dad. He truly was the best man around. He was so loving and caring, and would do anything for his kids. I miss him tremendously. And it’s blowing my mind that in ONE month, he will be gone for one year already. Life is crazy, man. As Daughtry says in my favorite song, “the years go by and time just seems to fly, but the memories remain.” Okay, my child is biting at the bit for me to play with him, so I’m going to do that and fix him some dinner, but stay tuned for some new upcoming blog posts from me!!!!!

 

-Love you all and thanks for sticking with me during my difficult time. ❤

XOXO, Diana.