Life After I "Dew"

This week I'm saying SO WHAT if...

Call me crazy but...

So, yeah, I'm weird, maybe.

It's the moment you've all been waiting for, or so I like to tell myself.  The results of the 300/30 Day Ab Challenge are in. Technically the 30 days were up on Tuesday but my poison ivy was still a hot mess so I didn't want to scare anyone.

I still have that little pouch-y-looks-like-I'm-2-months-pregnant belly but it is tighter and firmer.  The other thing I have to keep in mind is that this has just been over 30 days and these are sit-ups, not miracle workers or liposuction.  Hopefully when I come back for a 60 day update it'll be much flatter and far less pouch-y.
Like I said in the halfway update, the first 4 days were the worst.  I was sore, I didn't want to do it, I could barely finish the roll-up, v-ups, but I just kept telling myself, "no pain, no gain".  After day 4 I didn't hurt anymore and the moves got easier.  I can now blow through all the moves in probably 10 minutes and never feel sore the next day {which actually bums me out because I feel like it's not working unless there's pain involved}.
And further proof that this is working?  I took a picture when I got my bathing suit {April 10} thinking, "meh, I don't look too shabby" but now?  It's a whole new ball game.
And on that note, me and Kendall Paige are off to the pool for the first time this summer!

As you may or may not have noticed, I have been kinda blah in the blogging department so I wanted to use today to link up with one of my favorite blog ladies, Jenn, for some Currently Thursday action.

current book(s):

Fifty Shades Freed.

I must say, I'm not as into it as I was with, say, the first book but at this point I have to see the trilogy out, right?  I don't know I feel like it's kinda lost its mojo and I'm more or less skimming past all the sex scenes and if I have to read the word "sex" in reference to vagina one more time I may scream.  Just sayin'.  
current playlist

I'm totes lame in this department.  I have no playlists, at all.  Like the only music on my phone is running music and I don't even run anymore.  I do love me some country music in the summer and pretty much only in the summer.  Right now I'm loving loving loving Zac Brown Band- Keep Me In Mind. Pretty much love everything about ZBB and kick myself for not seeing them when they were in Columbus last year.
current color

Hot pink.  For sure.

As you read and saw on Tuesdays post, I got a pair of hot pink shorts this week and I AM IN LOVE with them.  I thought I was going to be this big dork in hot pink booty shorts and when I put those babies on I felt like a million bucks!  LOVE them!  Get a pair.  NOW!
current food

Love love love me some cookout food.  I think that's one of my favorite things about summer, the food! Probably not so much a good thing for my waistline but damn it's worth it!  I love it all too, corn on the cob, burgers, potato salad, hot dogs, fruit salad, baked beans, you name it.
current favorite show(s)

Well seeing as all the shows are going on summer vaca that really only leaves me with trashy reality TV.

Big Brother is my all time #1 show every summer.  I'm addicted.  Love it, can't wait for it, hope it doesn't disappoint this year.  It never does, really.
current needs

Bedroom Furniture.

This is the set I'm looking to get but it's coming up with the cash money to do so.  So this will be a slow work in progress but is definitely my #1 need.
current triumphs

A hummingbird was caught in our sun room on Tuesday.  It was making me so sad because it was just trying and trying so hard but could not figure out how to get down low enough to fly out the door. My smarts kicked in and I got a broom and somehow managed to have it land on the broom while I very carefully, slowly and steadily lowered it out the door.  VICTORY! Shannon saves the day!  I was so damn proud I wished I had it on video!
current banes of my existence

One word, Dora.

Look I can appreciate the fact that she does teach my child things, the other day she was literally trying her hardest to say "amarillo" this week, but for the love!  Why does she have to SCREAM about everything?  Nothing makes my skin crawl like "WHERE ARE WE GOING?!" a million times over.  For the love!
current celebrity crush

Enough said.

current #1 blessing

I mean, I think it goes without saying that Kendall Paige is, and always will be, my #1 blessing.  This week has been an especially good mommy/daughter week.  She's really learning so much right now and every day she impresses me with something new that she knows! I've been saying, "how do you know that?!" all too much this week. Makes me realize that maybe I do know what I'm doing with this mommy thing.
current indulgence

Mocha Coconut Frappuccino.

Ana has been talking about these since last summer so I finally caved.  Coconut isn't usually my thing, unless it's in a Samoa Girl Scout Cookie, but I figured I'd give it a go.  It was delish, I can't deny, but at a whopping 410 calories I think I'll stick to my skinny caramel macchiato from now on.
current outfit

From Sunday {soon to be sister-in-laws bridal shower} because you don't want to see what I'm currently sporting.

current excitement

This is MAJOR people. I cannot and will not contain my excitement.  This girl {and that handsome fellla} is coming to visit me in 7 weeks.

 Be prepared for lots of annoying, exciting, screaming posts about this for a long long time.

current mood

Normal. I don't know. I feel like I do every day.  It's going to be a nice, warm, summer day so that make me happy.  Happy it is.
current favorite quote or verse

Ever since my senior year in high school it has been a quote one of my favorite teachers used to say when we'd leave class, "Go To Your Destiny".
current wishlist item

Besides bedroom furniture?  Hmm...

Because, why not, right?
current favorite product

Glimmersticks, hands down.

I get so many compliments on my eyeliner, how perfect it looks, how it seems to last forever {because it does} and how smooth it is and I owe it all to this stuff.  I have to say I have sold lots and not heard one single complaint on this item. Nothing but love!

Whew!

This week I'm saying SO WHAT if...

Boy are you girls in for a treat today!  

I posted this picture on Instagram this weekend and I think it instantly got more hits than any other picture I've posted.

You girls LOVED these peace tees {and our bright shorts from Target}!
My friend Amy, the other blonde, makes these tees and sells them at a local boutique, Feather Your Nest, in Hometown, Ohio.  She makes loads of other cute things including headwraps, head bands, aprons, skirts, you name it!  Girlfriend is crafty!  But, since it's a small family owned shop and she's a one woman show, it's hard to get your hands on her goodies {ummm...what?} unless you want to come spend the weekend in a little town in Ohio.
Until now!
I got so many "I WANT ONES"  Instagram this weekend that I am happy to announce that we are now taking orders for these peace tees!  You asked for it and I like to keep my readers happy!  You can get your very own by leaving me a comment and orders will be processed on a first come, first serve basis {like I said, she's a one woman show}
{IMPORTANT:  please make sure you do not have a "no-reply" account because I can't get in contact with you if you do.  If so please email me directly at shannon.r.dew{at}gmail{dot}com} .

Some details:

• You may notice that my tee is baggy and makes me look fat while the other two are cute and fitted.  The tees will be the fitted ones, yay!  They are American Apparel tri-blend tees and they run a bit on the large size.  These two models girls are wearing XS tees.
• All tees will be grey and the patterns will vary.  As you can see all of our fabrics are different and all of them are SUPER cute!  I have seen several of the fabric options and there is not one combo I do not love, literally want one of each.  Amy loves coming up with different color combinations and she's good at it, trust.
• The tees are $29 and shipping will be $5.95.  I will send a PayPal invoice and, like I said, they will be processed and shipped on a first come first serve basis.
• Current processing time will be about 2-4 weeks.  The tees are custom made, once the sizes are known the order for tees will be placed. It takes about a week to get the tees in and then they will be sewn and shipped in the order in which they were received.
• Just leave me a comment and let me know your size and I'll follow up with an email to get the shipping  details and PayPal info.

You guys aren't going to believe this but Jimmy and I have actually had The 2nd Baby conversation on more than one occasion lately.  It usually goes a little something like this:

Jimmy: "I mean maybe I want another one?"

Me: "SAY WHAT!?"

Jimmy: "Well I mean look how cute she is!  And if we had another I'd want another girl."

Me:  "You know it doesn't work that way."

End of conversation.

Sometimes it goes like this:

Me: "I mean it would be nice for Kendall to have a sibling."

Jimmy: "Yeah, the best gift you can give a child is a brother or sister."

Me:  "I'm not having another baby JUST so Kendall has a play mate.  But it would be nice when they're like 3 and 5".

End of conversation.

You see, one of us is always on the fence when the other isn't. Always.  We are never both in the same boat at the same time.  He wants one when I don't an vice versa.  So I think it's safe to say while we tread these waters we just abstain.  

Truth be told, this once self-proclaimed "only child mama" does have days where the thought of a squishy new baby just might be what this family needs.  I think, yeah, we could do this, totally!  How cute it'd be to do The Baby #2 Announcement and smell that sweet newborn skin again.  Yeah it does sound amazing, at times.  I think how I always said that IF we had another I'd want to be a SAHM and, well, I am now so...

But then I think about us.  I'm finally at a place where I feel comfortable.  I feel like I have a grasp on this mommy thing, most days anyway.  Kendall is getting so smart and she craves learning, like whoa.  We have a good rhythm going on and I finally feel like I'm getting little bits and pieces of myself back.  I'm making time for me and starting to come into my own where I feel like yes, this is where I am meant to be. Life feels good right now.

Dude the first year of motherhood is brutal.  It's like the highest of highs and lowest of lows all mixed in one giant Kitchen Aid mixer and plopped out on a shit sandwich.  I have never felt so many emotions in one year as I have this past year and now the dust is settling.  Kendall needs me now more than ever and the thought of taking that away from her? Well you may as well rip my right arm off because it's about the same.  

Obviously people do it, every single day.  I have plenty of friends with 2 and 3 kids that prove it can be done and done well.  I see the bonds their kids have and I get a little weepy knowing Kendall won't know that bond, just like I don't.  I even asked Jimmy one day, "what's it like to have a brother?" and he said, "it's the coolest." and for that second in time I thought, "well shit, I've missed out".   But truth be told, I haven't missed out.  

Sure I'll never officially be an aunt, I'll never be the Maid of Honor in my sisters wedding and I didn't have a big brother to stick up for me when I got my heart broken in high school but I never missed out on love.  I was surrounded by love, and still am, every single day.  I had amazing friends and cousins I was close to that were like sisters.  The best part of those kinds of sisters is when you get sick of each other you can just go home!
Lately we've been getting The Baby #2 Question, a lot.  "She needs a brother or sister!" "You HAVE to have one more."  Ummm...says who?
Look I can barely scrape together money to give us a much deserved bedroom makeover and you want me to throw another nursery, formula and diapers into the mix?  Mama wants a bed frame and some bedding that doesn't have puppy paw prints covering it.  I have needs people.

1.  My gorgeous, green-eyed girl.  

2.  My mother-in-law took KP to this field while I got my hair did this week and I think I died from cuteness overload.  This is by far my favorite picture, ever.  It deserves it's own canvas.

3.  "Ciercle, Tyngle, Scare". Recently Kendall's vocabulary and interest in learning has boomed! She wants to learn all day long. She now knows all shapes, colors and now we're working on numbers and letters.

4.  Raspberry wheat Shock Top is delish. Such a refreshing summer beer.

5.  Kendall and her new friend Elli at the park this week.  I told them to say "cheese" and this is what I got. Loves it.

6.  Wednesday morning Jimmy texted me to say "you should sit out in the sunroom and drink your coffee this morning, it's so nice!". And so that's what I did and {for once} he was right.

7.  Every night I check on KP before we go to bed and Wednesday night I found her like this and just immediately yelled for Jimmy to "come look!" and snap a pic. I mean Santa pjs? Legs sticking out?  Arms wide open?  A million baboos {binky}? Everything about this makes me laugh.

8.  Courtney and Hailey had been Instagraming about these new Starbucks Refreshers and this week I got a coupon for a free one and SCORE one for Starbucks!  This stuff is bees knees! 

9.  I got blondified on Wednesday and I love it! Color isn't much different but dang I hadn't been since January!  Surprisingly the roots weren't that bad but it always feels good to get them touched up!

I just had to link up with Mandy again, I just love the idea behind SASTR.  

I'm not kidding about the Mark moisturizer either and I'm not just trying to make a buck. I really really love it and that's the reason I filmed this with just moisturizer on, so you could see.  

If you want to order some click here.  I use the ivory/nude- for reference.  If you are a first time customer you can use code REPFLYER to get free direct delivery on any order! 

This week I'm saying SO WHAT if...

Err...Tidbits, I meant tiDbits, I swear.

So here goes.  A brain dumb of sorts. Why?  Because we love you. Just kidding it's really because I have nothing else to offer and you love pictures right?  Lots of pictures!

• Saturday we had plans to celebrate Jimmy FINALLY finishing school!  HOLLER!  And celebrate we did!  We celebrated more so the fact that my mom kept Kendall overnight, even on Mother's Day weekend!  I love that woman!  Dinner, drinks, new friends, more drinks and it was a great night.  Jimmy may or may not have told all of his friends that I'm "a famous blogger" to which I quickly corrected him and prayed they wouldn't go home and Google my ass.

The best part of Mother's Day was seeing this girl.  The girl who made me a mama {or mommy as she now calls me}.  

Nothing else mattered.  

The gifts were great but not necessary.  The "let me get that for yous" were a nice gesture.  And the getting to do nothing but relax was awesome.

But all I wanted was to hug and squeeze this one and soak in the greatest gift in life, my girl.

Come on, you know you want to.  

Need a little persuasion?

Yeahhhhh...now you're like, "well that's an offer I can't refuse!"  I know, I drive a hard bargain.  Just don't hold me to my end of the deal unless you expect to walk up on a mailbox full of rotten milk.

• L.A.I.D. has 856 followers and growing daily
• If you don't own your own business or have anything to promote consider promoting your own blog.  The more exposure the better!
• I will promote you in anyway I can.  Having a sale?  Interested in a giveaway?  Hosting a link-up?  Let me know and I'll blog/FB/Tweet about it along with doing a monthly post about you!
• L.A.I.D. has an average of 444,000 page views each month- that's a lot of exposure people!
• I take a lot of pride in this little blog of mine.  I post 5 days a week which means that's 5 times a week people could see your ad and go to your site!
• Prices are pretty cheap around here, just $15 gets your a spot for the entire month.

So...you know what to do! Hit me up!  Comment on this post or shoot me an email shannon.r.dew {at} gmail {dot} com.
I look forward to hearing from you {and you, and you, and you!}.

Courtney tagged me for 25 Things You Don't Know About Me and my first thought was "SHIT! Ya'll know everything about me!!"  I've "known" Courtney for...years...and I just love her honesty, she's a real girl and doesn't hold back, just the way I like em!  So go check her out!

As for me...here goes nothing.

Well,  I can't believe I was able to think of 25 but I'm sure some of you already knew some of these!
And now it's your turn...

1. Pam @ Our Love Nest
2. Jess @ Wrangling Chaos
3. Lindsay @ From Nanny to Family
4. Crystal @ Life as a Seed

This week I'm saying SO WHAT! if...

Today marks day 15 of the 30 day, 300 Ab Challenge. 

I blogged about it a couple Fridays ago.  I was only 3 days into it the last time I updated and I was seeing results that quickly.  Now we {I say "we" because Jimmy is doing it too} are halfway through the challenge and I wanted to give an update.  Actually, I'm still not sure where the whole 30 days thing came in b/c it never says that on the other site, but whatever.

We have been doing it EVERY day for 15 days. Well Jimmy missed one or two days because of school and he dug us a patio {we'll let that be his workout for that day}.  I haven't missed any days though, toot toot!  Even the day we went out on an impromptu date night we got on the ground and did our workout before we left!  It's THAT easy. We have all the moves memorized now so we don't have to spend time looking them up and all that nonsense.  We have it down to about 15 minutes and we usually do it in the evenings when we're catching up on The Voice or Cougar Town, easy peasy.

I took pics last week, after just 7 days and I hesitantly posted them to Instagram.  The feedback I got was so amazing and encouraging that I told myself on day 15 I'd bite the bullet and post the pics on this here blog.   

So here I am after just 7 days.

I can definitely tell the biggest difference in the forward facing photos. My belly button still looks wonky but I just blame that on Kendall.  I can definitely see that the lower portion is less blubbery the pouch is starting to get smaller.  The side view, I kinda sorta think the before looks better/flatter.  But whatever, we'll go with it.

I should also note that these exercises work your thighs too!  The first two days that we did these workouts we.were.dying. from soreness. I felt it in my thighs and back the most but I didn't let that stop me from getting on the ground and doing it again the next day and every day thereafter.

It has gotten easier!  To be a fly on the wall on day 1 would have been comical! We both struggled through the entire thing.  Oh and Roll-Up, V-Ups were the devil.  I actually had to Google a video on them because I was certain I was doing them wrong.  Well, turns out I was doing them right just wasn't strong enough in the core to do them properly or more than one in a row.  Those are still the worst of the bunch but they have gotten better.  Oh and the Kayaks?  I used to be able to do maybe 20 in a row before I needed a break, now I can do all 50 without stopping!  YEAH!

15 Days, halfway there.

Changes are happening people! I didn't think so yesterday but when I woke up this morning I could see it.  That pouch is slowly getting smaller and my belly button is beginning to look someone normal again!  I definitely feel like there are less "ripples" in my lower tummy, you can see them really good in the front view on day one, woof!
I am so pleased with the results I'm seeing so far that I'm thinking instead of just a 30 day challenge we move it to a 60, 90 or hell, just- keep- doing- it- because- it's- obviously- working- challenge!  I have done lots of ab workouts, home videos and machines at the gym and I've never seen results as quickly as I have with this program.  And now that we've got it down to a science we can kick it out in less than 15 minutes.  Sure it's a brutal 15 minutes but it's paying off and that helps push through the pain.
No pain, no gain, right?

  

I'm sure you've seen plenty of pictures, on Pinterest, in magazines, on blogs, of girls stacking bracelets and looking oh so cute.  I know if I had to see one more person on Instagram wearing bright, colorful arm candy I was going to scream.  You see, I'm a little behind on the accessories train and had been donning bare wrists all this time. Until now!

Pretty huh?

You see that pretty gold chain bracelet?  Well it's my favorite.  Thanks to Alexandra Jade it could be your favorite too!

She is offering a L.A.I.D. reader ANY gold chain bracelet from her shop!  If you can't wait, you're in luck!  She's offering all readers a 10% discount with code DEW10!  

Giveaway entries:

Now, what are you waiting for?!  GO!

Good luck, ladies!