now you know my...

age: 22
bed size: queen
chore you hate: cleaning the bathrooms
dogs: I grew up with a dog named toby, but he died 3 years ago :(
essential start to your day: a shower
favorite color: mint green or light turquoise
gold or silver: I like both but I usually wear more silver jewlery.
height: 5'7"
indulgences: online shopping at forever21, pepsi max, and shopping for kingston.
job title: sales associate 3 days a week
kids: 1, kingston lee allen
live: rochester, minnesota
mother's name: joanne
nicknames: jai, j-bird
overnight hospital stays: I spent 2 nights at the hospital when I gave birth, then 1 more night when kingston had to go in for jaundice at 1 week old.
phobias or fears: I hate insects, snakes, and mice. I also really hate butterflies and dragonflies. YUCK.
quote: "and to see you're really only very small, and life flows on within you and without you."
right or left-handed: right-handed
siblings: 1 brother and 1 sister. my brother, jeremy, is 10 years older than me and my sister, jessica, is 5 years older.
time you wake up: 6am when I have to go to work. otherwise anywhere between 8am-10am - basically whenever kingston wakes up or when I can't sleep in any longer.
underwear: victoria's secret hipsters. with the pants I wear to work I have to wear thongs, and I haaate them. blegh.
vegetable you hate: green beans
what makes you run late: my hair
x-rays: besides the dentist, I've had x-rays of my right wrist. I broke it in 4th grade playing basketball.
your favorite food: raspberries and pizza!
zodiac sign: scorpio


well. that was fun. hopefully you may have learned something interesting about me, but if not that's okay too!

friday favorites

about a year ago I started watching beauty guru videos on youtube. just last night I found a new favorite. she's super funny! she also has a blog about being a wife and mama who loves fashion and beauty.

last week I bought these feather hair accents in sun kissed and boho breeze. I'm in love. they were $25 each which is a great buy because you can put them in and take them out whenever you please. I wore sun kissed to work yesterday and got SO many compliments!

this lady takes amazing photos. if I could take photos like her I would be the happiest girl in the world. she does AWESOME work.

I went a little browse-happy on modcloth this week...

it figures this stinkin' adorable shoulder bag is out of stuck. hmph!

I need to order this scarf before it's sold out. love it!

owl in a row ring. SO cute.

a mustache glasses stand. hilarious.

a pretty, pretty doormat.

an anchor doormat! I'm obsessed with anchors (and owls).

"everything is going to be ok" book. so awesome.

a nacho wallet. bahaha. I feel like I should buy this for one of my friends.


haaappy friday everyone! cheers to the weekend!

lately

wowza, this week kind of flew by. I actually have a few things I want to blog about but until I get the energy to sit down and type it all out, here are a few cell phone pictures from this week!

- we've been going for a lot of walks lately. we even have a "route" that we go and each time we go a few blocks further down. kingston never sits still that long and I'm amazed that he doesn't fuss to get out and walk. too much stuff to look at I guess, which is fine by me because it's actually really relaxing. - a bowl full of mac & cheese that kingston later tossed on the floor. (I guess he's over his love for mac & cheese) - passed the f out. - loves mama & daddy's big bed. - eating lunch and looking like such a BIG BOY.

on tuesday night we went to chuck e cheese! this was kingston's 2nd time at chuck e cheese but the first time he was only 6 months old (we went with my 9 year old nephew) so he actually ENJOYED it this time! as soon as we got there he took off and started screaming "OOOO!" at everything. this was duane's first time at chuck e cheese, so he had a lot of fun spending all of our tokens on all the games. the only downside of going to places like this is that it always smells like feet, kid sweat and pizza, ugh. I'm excited to take kingston when he's older and can play some of the games all by himself!

yesterday me, duane, my boss sonya, sonya's husband ron, and my friend/co-worker lisa started the 17 day diet! this is mine and sonya's second time doing this diet. we started it back in january and made it the full 4 cycles. I'm really excited to post ALL about this diet and how awesome it is (okay, it's not awesome but it WORKS) but I'll have to save that for another day. and, no, it's not just for 17 days people. it's 4 cycles of 17 days and it basically re-teaches you how to eat healthy! I'm the only one working out (30 day shred whoop, whoop), so I'm really hoping to reach my NEW goal weight this time around.

17 months old

oh man. kingston is 17 months old today, and I can't believe it. he's getting SO BIG and so stinkin' smart. he learns something new everyday, whether it be a new word or a new dance move. it's not all cute, fun and hilarious times though. his 2 year (we think) molars are coming in EARLY so, naturally, he's turned into a complete monster. his monster side likes to come out when his gums are really hurting, when he's told no, or when he can't have something he wants (so basically all the time, haha). we've really been trying to work on helping him with his frustration when he's told no or when he doesn't get what he wants because recently he's turned to hitting and biting. it's pretty freaking ridiculous, and I'm not a fan of it. I've tried a few different methods, and it's getting a little better but eh, I guess that's just one of the joys of raising a toddler. amIright? I sure hope so.

when he isn't being a crazy kiddo, he's the sweetest and funniest little guy I've ever seen. he has a new shoulder dance that he likes to whip out when he's eating, in his carseat, or just walking around the apartment singing to himself. he also has a few new walking "techniques" such as hunching over and walking fast with his hands either behind his back or straight out in front of him. when he really, really wants something he points, sticks his tongue out and pants like a dog. he's completely obsessed with our bed! seriously every few minutes he'll walk into our bedroom and if nobody follows him, he'll come peeking out the door and yell "bed! bed!" to us so that we can throw him on the bed and play with him. he likes to wear my flip flops, crouch down and smell people's feet (bahaha), play with my makeup and makeup brushes, and help me clean by using his vacuum popper and our duster. this is such a fun age and with every new word he learns I get SO EXCITED about him being able to speak in full sentences. he already makes us laugh like crazy so I know it's only going to get better, and I seriously can't wait.

he's kind of amazing.

happy father's day

kingston and I are pretty lucky to have this guy around everyday. last night when duane got home from his "father's day pool tournament" downtown at top shots we had subway, and I let him open his gifts a little early (after a lot of begging went down). he's pretty dang easy to buy for and since I've used up a lot of my clever/crafty ideas the past few years, I just bought him a 24 case of diet mountain dew, a pack of mike & ikes, 2 pairs of shorts, and 2 polos. he rarely buys himself clothes so basically his newer wardrobe for the past 3 years has been bought by me. plus he needs a few new clothes for when we fly to california next month to visit duane's family! this will be kingston's 3rd time on a plane (once to california, once to arkansas), and I'm hoping it goes as well as the last 2 times. anyway, this morning duane and kingston went for a walk while I showered and got ready. then we went to old country buffet for breakfast, which is duane's favorite so there's no way I could say no. duane has to work today from 12-9 so that's kind of a bummer but overall I think he had a pretty awesome father's day. he won 2nd place in the pool tournament yesterday which is $75, won $100 on $20 in pull tabs, got some cool gifts, and had a delicious breakfast! he deserves it all ;)

kingston and I are pretty lucky to have this guy around as well. that's my dad who is pretty much the BEST dad and grandpa a girl and her kiddo could ask for. right now he's serving in afghanistan, he's been there since last september and will be home at the end of august this year! when I was a senior in high school he served a year in iraq so it's a huge bummer that he had to go back, especially now that kingston is here. my dad sees it as an "army adventure" and we're VERY proud of him!

friday favorites: hair products

I love hair products. I really, really do. it's hard for me to go through the hair product aisles and not buy something because there's just SO MUCH STUFF.

I've been blonde my whole life, but I highlight the crap out of my hair thus making it bright blonde, which I prefer. I dyed my hair red 2 years ago, and it was AWESOME. I loved it, but then it faded and it sucked. then I slowly but surely went back to blonde. I thank my lucky stars to have such strong hair because after dying it red and all the blonde I put in my hair, you'd think it would be fried and falling out but nope! props to my hair I guess?

here's a list of hair products I'm currently loving.

shampoo:
I'm sure I'm not the only one that switches up my shampoo constantly, but these are currently in my shower (and have been for a few months)!

clairol shimmer lights - this is my all time favorite purple shampoo! I get mine from sally's and always buy the huge bottle (31.5 fl oz).

herbal essences hello hydration - this is a great moisturizing shampoo plus it smells really good.

suave professionals almond & shea butter - so inexpensive and always leaves my hair SO smooth and silky! when I style the crap out of my hair I always use this shampoo the day after.

conditioner:
suave professionals color protection - I go through conditioner like nobody's business. I always have 2 or 3 bottles stored in the bathroom cupboard. this conditioner is awesome - inexpensive and conditions the heck out of my ends!

aussie moist 3 minute miracle deep conditioner - I don't have to use this conditioner too often but if I ever feel like my ends suck or my hair is getting dry/frizzy from all the STUFF I do to it - I'll use this and BAM! my hair is back to being awesome.

hairspray:
garnier fructis full control anti-humidity hairspray - oh man, I've tried so many hairsprays throughout the years. I'm a hairspray queen and like my hair to be "controlled" but not gross and crusty. this hairspray is AMAZING. it's inexpensive, lasts all day, looks natural, and HI anti-humidity! doesn't get any better than that.

other:
herbal essences none of your frizziness smoothing leave-in creme - I use this on my frizzy hair days. you all know what I'm talking about. this stuff will help you (and your frizzies) out!

got2b guardian angel heat protector/flat iron balm - I reeeeally love this product. it gives a pretty looking finish to your hair. I use this before I straighten or curl/style my hair. they have one meant for curling your hair but my hair curls pretty well so I just stick with this one all the time. I have naturally straight hair but after I blow dry my hair, some of my layers flip in or out so I quick run through with my straightener.

john frieda go blonder controlled lightening spray - I can't say enough good things about this product. I tried it a few months ago when my roots had grown out but I was too lazy to schedule a hair appointment. this stuff worked the very first time I used it (keep in mind it doesn't need to be used often!) I only use it on my roots but it can be used for highlights or all over color. this product is going to save me from getting my hair done all the time. thanks, john frieda!

oh and, if you love makeup like I do but didn't catch last week's makeup favorites post you should probably check that out because it kinda rocks.

happy friday!

pregnancy survey

okay friends, ready for a little flashback to the myspace quiz/bulletin craze? sorry for the lame-ness, but I think quizzes/surveys are an awesome and easy way to get to know a person a little better. I'll be doing a few of these to link in my "about" and "birth story" sections, so be prepared for more of these bad boys.

if you want to learn more about my pregnancy with kingston then read on, folks!

1. Was your pregnancy planned?
no. my life motto was, "I will never have kids. thanks, but no thanks" - this has since changed :)

2. Were you married at the time?
no, I had been in a relationship with duane for 6 months (yikes).

3. What were your first reactions?
well, I cried. he was speechless. we didn't know what to do, so we went to walmart and bought "what to expect when you're expecting," and I told him I would be choosing the name because it's only fair ;)

4. Was abortion an option for you?
for a minute it crossed my mind. a very, very SHORT minute.

5. How old were you?
20 when I found out, 21 when I had the little peach.

6. How did you find out you were pregnant?
I was a week late, took a test & it was negative. took another test 2 days later & it was positive. went to planned parenthood juuuust to be sure. and sure enough, preggo! :)

7. Who did you tell first?
duaneee

8. Did you want to find out the sex?
oh my god yes!

9. Due date?
february 2, 2010.

10. Did you have morning sickness?
yes indeed, up until the verrrryy end. puking and feeling nauseous became a very normal, everyday thing for me :/

11. What did you crave?
when I was super sick alllll I could eat was plain bean & cheese microwavable burritos. ridiculous. I also craved WATER. I've never drank so much water in my LIFE. I was dead thirsty night & day.

12. What irritated you?
duane, haha. and work.

13. What was your first child's sex?
baby boy :)

14. Did you wish you had the opposite sex of what you were getting?
nope, I didn't care either way. I'm actually really glad we had a boy first. boys are just awesome. I can't wait for him to be "the big brother" someday!

15. How many pounds did you gain throughout the pregnancy?
about 25 lbs.

16. Did you have a baby shower?
yes, I had 2. and they were both fabulous!

17. Was it a surprise or did you know?
I knew about them both.

18. Did you have any complications during your pregnancy?
he came 2 weeks early. I had a feeling he'd be an early bird & mommy was right! I woke up at around 10:45pm 1/18/10 because I thought my water broke or that I was peeing myself, but when I turned on the lights it was blood. soooo, we drove across the street (literally - very convenient) & I gave birth 1/19/10 at 5:09pm :)

19. Where did you give birth?
the hospital right across the street ;)

20. How many hours were you in labor?
18 hours, but I only pushed for about 20-25 minutes.

21. Who drove you to the hospital?
duane

22. Who watched you give birth?
duane and my mom

23. Was it natural or c-section?
naturalllll.

24. Did you take medicine to ease the pain?
ohhh definitely. I have nothing against epidurals or mamas who choose them!

25. How much did your child weigh?
6 lbs 8 oz and 19 1/2 inches long - little peanut!

28. When was your child born?
january 19, 2010. exactly 2 weeks early.

30. What did you name him/her?
kingston lee allen <3

* the pictures are off my facebook and can I just say that facebook has crazy terrible quality? yuuuuck. sorry for the fuzzy photos, guys!

the zoo!

duane had the day off from work yesterday so we decided to take kingston to oxbow park which has a pretty decent zoo, plus it's free! it was a little chilly which is ridiculous because just a few days ago it was 103 degrees. that's minnesota for you I guess. kingston loved it, and I got to practice shooting in manual mode. I'm still new at it, but I'm trying!

while we were at the zoo it was cutting into kingston's normal nap time schedule. schedules are awesome EXCEPT when you have to do stuff outside your schedule, then it gets a little tricky. when we got home, kingston decided that he wanted to completely skip his nap. bad idea, little buddy. he would rub his little red, tired eyes all day and was super crabby. but didn't wanna nap. so, we went to the park next to our apartment, had a late lunch/early dinner from applebees, played inside, took a bath, and FINALLY it was bedtime for our little monster. duane rented gnomeo and juliet for us and brought home blizzards from DQ (mint oreo is my fave)!

be prepared for a crap ton of photos because that's kinda the best part.

duane is back to work today so kingston and I are off to shop and play at the mall. happy sunday, friends!

friday favorites: makeup

want to know what I wear on my face almost every day? I didn't think so, but I'm going to let you all know anyway because I'm pretty much obsessed with makeup. I have a crazy collection (that I hardly ever wear except for my favorites), and I'm always browsing through the makeup section in stores or online to see if there's anything I should try because, you know, you can never have too many eyeshadows or nail polishes. here are my current makeup favorites which are my go-to products on the daily!

foundation:
for years I used bare escentuals bareminerals matte powder foundation. eventually I got tired of paying around $30 for it and really just wanted to try something new.

right now I'm using revlon colorstay foundation for oily/combination skin in natural beige. I want to mention that I use a sigma flat top synthetic kabuki brush to apply it. I love this brush and it works SO WELL with liquid foundation. it's heavier than I'm used to so I try to apply as less of it as possible.

concealer:
hard candy glamoflauge in light. again this stuff is pretty heavy so I apply as little as I can. I've heard people say it's a dupe for kat von d's tattoo concealer.

powder:
I've tried a lot of different powders throughout the years. I'm always on the hunt for something better. right now I'm using maybelline dream matte powder in sand/medium. it's inexpensive and really works with my skin. so for right now, it's a keeper.

another powder I use and have used for years is bare escentuals mineral veil. it's awesome but obviously more expensive than maybelline ;)

bronzer:
my all-time fave bronzer is MAC bronzing powder in bronze, but after kingston dropped/threw it and it crushed into tiny bits, I swung by the drugstore in search of a quick find. and what do you know, I found 2 that I really love.

milani bronzer XL all-over glow in fake tan and milani baked bronzer in soleil. the baked bronzer has a shimmer to it so I only use a tiny bit of this on top of the XL bronzer. it gives a nice, pretty glow.

blush:
I don't wear blush that often but if I do my favorite is NARS blush in orgasm.

eyeshadow:
urban decay eyeshadow primer potion - this is a STAPLE.

urban decay naked palette - if you don't own this already, you should. just sayin'.

wet n wild trio palette in walking on eggshells. I pretty much wear this palette every day!

eyeliner:
maybelline unstoppable eyeliner in onyx. this is the. best. eyeliner. ever. I've been wearing it for years and will probably wear it for years to come. it's inexpensive, VERY black, lasts forever, and is just plain awesome.

mascara:
I have so many mascaras that I really like. my current fave is revlon grow luscious mascara in blackest black. I really love this stuff, especially the wand. I'm so happy I tried this mascara because, to me, it's a dupe for my all-time favorite mascara, dior diorshow mascara, but who the f wants to spend $25 on mascara? not me. so thank you, revlon, for saving me money. I tried the new grow luscious plumping mascara that they came out with but I didn't like it, the wand sucked and the formula was a little too wet for my liking. it separated my lashes and made them longer, so how exactly is that plumping anything? meh.

two of my other mascara faves are covergirl lashblast volume mascara and maybelline volum' express colossal mascara.

lip stuff:
in high school there's no way you would have caught me without lipgloss on but for the past few years lipgloss is my least fave make-up product. I don't like the feeling of it on my lips and I just find it really annoying. BUT every now and then (basically for special occasions) I'll throw on a little something. one day I was at target and the ELF section had a huge sale going on, so I picked up a few $.99 lip stains. they're not amazing or anything, but I actually kind of like them. the clear gloss on the other end of them is also pretty handy! my favorite colors are first date and heartbreaker. the red carpet red is also fun to play around with.

for every other day I'll use carmex. yep. I've used this stuff for years, and I love it.

nail polish:
I don't go too crazy with buying nail polish. I'll buy a new color every now and then if I really like it. right now I'm loving revlon nail polish in craving coral. I put this on my toes because I bite my fingernails like crazy and it's pointless painting them (I can't afford to get my nails done all the time like I used to, shucks). I think it's a perfect coral color for summer. I also really love revlon nail polish in minted!

whew! that was a lot of stuff. I was going to include my hair favorites, but I might as well save that for next friday since that was a crap ton of makeup to check out and lord knows I have just as many hair products.

let me know if you spotted any of your favorites up there and also feel free to recommend any of YOUR favorites because I think we all know that I'll check them out for sure.