LuLaRoe: Love & Party

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LuLaRoe – if you haven’t heard of it you’ve probably been living under a rock. It’s the Partylite, Pampered Chef and Tupperware of the modern day. Except it’s not pizza stones, giant 3 wick candles or clear containers stuffed away in cabinets, it’s something we all use and need – clothes.

“LuLaRoe is a fashion brand that specializes in women’s skirts, dresses and leggings! www.lularoe.com instagram: @lularoe”

Dresses, shirts, skirts, cardigans and the most coveted – buttery soft leggings. They are for-real super soft. All items come in solid colors or fun patterns. And each style only has 1000 of it’s kind, so it’s rare you will see the same thing twice.

A friend of mine recently started selling it and I graciously offered to host an online party for her. So if you’re a LuLaLove addict, casually browsing or just want to see what all the fuss is about – join us for my online party. Everything is done online over on Facebook from the comfort of your own home. Click the image link below to join the group – grab a glass of wine, kick back and shop!

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Happy 4th!

Wishing you & your loved ones a very Happy Independence Day!

What are your plans / traditions on the Fourth of July? We typically have a family cookout, sometimes go out on the boat and always walk down the to the beach to watch the fireworks over the ocean. No matter what your day includes – I hope its filled with fun festivities and love!

Our chalkboard is now sporting festive art to celebrate as well!

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Would you like me to do a tutorial on how I do my chalkboard art?

28 Things

I turn 28 today, Happy Birthday to Me! I wanted to do something a little different and share some fun, randomness about myself. So here we go, 28 things about me for my 28th birthday!

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  1. My nickname is “Ta-ta”. When my sister was little it was hard for her to say Monica – it came out “Mon-ta-ta” and ended up being shorten to Ta-ta. I even have it tattooed on me.
  2. I dislike naps. [Yes, you read that correctly] They just seem to make me more tired.
  3. I’m afraid of clowns, birds and anyone dressed in a full costume [think Disney World].
  4. I am amazing at improvised singing. My husband says I could win awards. I can make up a new song off cuff about any random thing, or use the tune and words to current songs with a spin for any situation.
  5. I am not a homebody or one to ‘relax and chill’. If I’m relaxing I want to be on a beach with a beer in my hand.
  6. I can quote Moulin Rouge and Ever After from start to finish.
  7. Dessert is my favorite meal of the day and can be consumed at any hour of the day.
  8. I didn’t like coffee until about 4 years ago, now it’s an everyday necessity – and I’m picky about it.
  9. Christmas is my favorite holiday, obsessed doesn’t even describe it.
  10. I hate fish but love shrimp, crab and lobster. My crab picking skills are kinda a big deal.
  11. I almost always go about 2 days before washing my hair again. [curly hair probs]
  12. Favorite childhood movie was Lady and the Tramp.
  13. I went to school 2 years to be a teacher but ended up switching. I now have a degree in Web Development and have been doing web/digital things for over seven years.
  14. I hate cats. Yes, hate. Gimme all the doggies.
  15. I really like to imbibe. Wine and Beer Festivals are my jam.
  16. I disliked my husband on our first date. He had a curly fro and didn’t walk to me my car. [gasp] I blew him off for 2 weeks until I let him drive me to our mutual friends party and he won me over in that hour car ride.
  17. As a teen I drove a lifted truck and would sometimes hunt. While it’s not family friendly my dream car is still a ’86 F250 single cab.
  18. I am horrible at math and history. For-real. I couldn’t tell you when any of the World Wars happened.
  19. I am wedding obsessed. My wedding was amazing. My sister recently got engaged and I’m the Matron of Honor in 2 weddings this year – so stay tuned for wedding themed posts!
  20. I love baking as a hobby. Maybe I will do a post on all the fun cakes I’ve made over the years.
  21. I’m OCD when it comes to even numbers. The volume, temperature, etc. must always be on an even number. I also find extreme peace in symmetry.
  22. It’s rare that you will ever find me without sunglasses. I have too many pairs to count.
  23. I’m lactose intolerant but still find ways to enjoy ice cream and other dairy deliciousness.
  24. I eat cupcakes by breaking the bottom half off and putting in on top of the icing like a cupcake sandwich. Try it – perfect cake:icing ratio in every bite.
  25. I had never seen a single Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, or other typical sci-fi movie until I met my husband.
  26. I support the Indianapolis Colts 100%. Losing a game can ruin my entire day. We need to make a trip back to Indy soon.
  27. DIY projects excite me. My husband and I gutted our house from top to bottom when we bought it and the projects haven’t stopped since.
  28. My babies [fur & human], my husband & all the rest of the people we love mean the world to me. Creating a fun & happy life for our growing family is my number one priority.

27 brought me the greatest gift of all in Gunnar, but also brought a lot of heartache and family loss. Here’s to a happy and positive 28!

So there you have it, a little more about me! Now I want to know what we have in common! 🙂

Where’d You Go?

I’ve been absent. 1 month since my last post. I sincerely apologize.

Quick Update: We had a death in the family, I’ve switched jobs, gone out of town on a company retreat, we’ve taken on a few time sucking house DIY projects and most importantly have just spent the beginning of summer enjoying life as a family of 3. Life lately has been a whirlwind but it’s starting to level back out. So I’m back in action and ready to provide more delicious recipes, DIY projects, health updates and as always a peek into this crazy, beautiful life.

Here’s some photos of the happenings in our life lately to hold you over – stay tuned for more posts soon!

May the 4th be with you

May 4th was always just another day, until I met this amazing man…

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Now May 4th is known as “Star Wars Day”.

Before meeting Leep I had never seen a single minute of a Star Wars movie. [gasp] Now, I’ve seen all 7 [there’s currently 7, right?] and Star Wars has become a part of my everyday life. I’ve made Star Wars cakes, hosted Star Wars birthday parties, dressed in Star Wars clothes and even had a glimpse of it at our wedding.

So in honor of today, and my amazing husband Leep, here’s a photoblog of some of our best Star Wars moments.

May the 4th be with you.

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R2D2 cake – homemade


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Storm Trooper Cupcakes


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Lightsaber Wedding Entrance


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Lightsaber Wedding Entrance


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Lightsaber Wedding Exit


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Lightsaber Wedding Exit


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Star Wars themed Christmas ugly sweaters


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Star Wars themed Christmas ugly sweaters


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Storm Trooper onesie


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Leep’s Star Wars birthday


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Leep’s Star Wars birthday


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Leep’s Star Wars birthday

Bee Keeping: Shore Thing Lavender

Last year my family started the adventure of a lavender farm on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, with my mother being the fearless leader, green thumb and brains of the operation. We all have done our fair share of weeding and tending to the plants and are proud to be entering our second year.

This year we’ve added an exciting addition – BEES! The bees will not only pollinate the lavender plants, but provide healthy local honey to customers.

Shore Thing Lavender also has an amazing line of natural, organic products for the body, home and culinary use. Be sure to follow along with our journey and adventures at the site below!

Source: We have bees!

PSA: Cease the Parent Shaming

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I’ve always heard about it, seen friends share articles and in my intensive expecting research I even browsed a few. It wasn’t until I had a smiling cherub of my own that I actually understood the ugly beast it is. While I try my hardest not to be, I’m occasionally guilty of it. Newsflash: So are you! At some point we’ve all judged another mom in passing, on Facebook, or even our friends.

There is no “right-way” to tackle the journey of parenthood. As I first time mom I am clumsily learning that first hand, very quickly. Everyone does things differently, even different pediatricians tell you to do things differently. In the end, we all turned out OK [well most of us] and our children will turn out OK.

While some comments are said as jokes, some as unwarranted advice and some just are downright ugly – they all hurt a little [or a lot] and make you feel like you’re not parenting correctly or maybe a bad parent. You question every decision you’ve made and start to compare yourself – and your baby – to those around you.

STOP. Stop it right now. Breastfeed, great! Formula feed, wonderful! Cloth vs disposable diapers – just change em! Cry it out vs cuddle – you do you. In the end we’re all raising amazing little beings in our own way that’s just right for us and for them. We need to band together. When asked, offer your advice – judgement free. I know I wouldn’t have made it through some of the tough times, and won’t make it through the tough times ahead without asking for the wonderful advice of my mom, other moms and my new mommy friends!

Let’s collectively as a whole try to put an end to parent shaming. Instead of shaming let’s uplift and encourage. Stop and take a moment to tell that person how great of a job they’re doing. After-all, we’re all in this together – let’s stop being annoyed by everything and start lifting each other up.

I recently saw a post on Instagram that speaks volumes:

“To the pregnant women on social media posting constant updates and belly pictures, I am so incredibly happy for you and the fact that you will soon be blessed with the most amazing little bundle of joy, I love seeing how excited you are to become a mommy. To the women posting “selfies”, thanks for letting young girls know it’s okay to love yourself and to feel beautiful! To the mom posting a million pictures of her kids, it makes my heart so happy to see parents so proud and loving their babies! To the married couple constantly posting “sappy love posts” thank you for being a reminder to the next generation that all hope isn’t lost and happy marriages DO exist.” 

Newborn to Four Month Must Haves

As a first time mom I was completely clueless when it came to what you needed and didn’t need for a baby. I searched the interwebs up and down, poking through friends registries and asking my mommy friends for advice. Now that Gunnar is four months old and starting to need new stuff to keep him entertained and learning – I can look back on my must have items for newborn to four months.

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Mickey Mouse – Meme’s work friends gifted this to Gunnar when he was born. It is by far his favorite stuffed animal out of them all. I think it has something to do with the contrast in his face, but Mickey has saved us from many meltdowns. So much so we’ve already planned our first family trip to Disney this year.

Enfamil Nutramigen – We tried breastfeeding for a while, but for medical reasons had to switch to formula. We went through so many different types with lots of gas, fussiness, constipation and finally ended on Nutramigen. It’s for colicky babies and those with a cow’s milk allergy. It’s expensive and smells horrible but works like a charm! I buy it in bulk from Amazon.

Dr. Brown’s Bottles & Boon Lawn Drying Rack & Twig – Like with the formula we went through tons of options of bottles. [Note to bottle makers – can you sell a single bottle, why do we have to buy 3 of each to try them!] The Dr. Brown’s are by far the best, they help with preventing baby from sucking in air. The Boon Lawn drying rack is a super cute way to display your bottles and parts to air dry without cluttering your counters.

4Moms Mamaroo – Splurge item, but a lifesaver. Gunnar slept in this instead of a pack’n’play or bassinet when he was a newborn and now keeps him entertained so we can eat dinner or do a load of laundry. We also use the heartbeat sound while he sleeps at night.

Honest Diapers – Their diapers and wipes bundle is a great deal! We love that they’re all natural and eco-friendly. Plus they come in the cutest prints and patterns. If you end up having too many of one size they’ll accept returns for the size you need and have amazing customer service.

Fisher-Price Sit-Me-Up Floor Seat – A friend introduced me to this and it’s wonderful when your baby is big enough to practice sitting up but not quiet ready for a bumbo or other seats as it provides support all the way up their back.

Baby K’tan – We’ve used this with Gunnar from the newborn hold to now bear hug and front facing. It’s perfect for when he wants to be held but I also keeps me hands free for when I need to eat or do some chores!

Sophie the Giraffe – Gunnar really loved this [as do most babies] so Sophie gets my vote. You can watch HERE about why everyone loves Sophie so much! 🙂

Finding Nemo Jumper – This is a more recent purchase. Gunnar was unsure at first and would lift his legs up if it would bounce but now he goes crazy and dances and marches away. This one is filled with all sorts of fun characters, noises and things to do!

Rockabye Baby Spotify – My cousin told me about this and it’s been our favorite ever since! Its nursery rhyme versions of Kanye, Nirvana, Taylor Swift, Beatles – you name it. Leep & I also love to test out our karaoke skills to see who knows the songs better.


 

WHEW! Long winded to say the least. I know that I loved reading about baby registries when I was pregnant, so I hope you found this helpful! 🙂 I am not an expert by any means, these are just items that we loved & that worked for us… most of them started out as recommendations from other moms too!

As always, feel free to post your baby must haves in the comments! I love reading about what other moms find most important for a happy & healthy [and stylish] baby! 🙂

How to Deal with Toxic People

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Let’s get personal for a moment…

From the very beginning of our relationship my husbands family has not liked me – yet here we are today happily married with a beautiful son. Originally there was no real reason for the hatred: a mother struggling with losing her first son to another woman, jealousy, nicknames, difference of views and opinions. Lots of small moot excuses but no real outright reason for not liking me as a person.

It’s been a roller coaster of good times and bad, as well as times where mine and Leep’s relationship truly suffered. I am sad to say that as of today they are no longer a part of our lives or our sons life. While that wasn’t an easy decision to come to – mentally, emotionally and wholeheartedly we are happier and healthier for it.

Family, friends – it’s hard to say goodbye to anyone. I struggled for a long time [and maybe still do] with accepting that their opinion towards me would never change, no matter how hard I tried. The point I want to share is: It is not wrong for you to show them the way out of your life.

This post is to let you know, you’re not alone. Monster-in-laws is more than just a bad joke or saying to some. You hear others talk about how they dislike their in-laws and you both cringe inside, your spouse out of embarrassment with how their family acts, and you because they don’t know how truly bad it could be. You feel pangs of jealousy towards those that have great relationships with their in-laws and you band together with those in similar situations as you. If you’re like us, you’re blessed to have one side of the family who loves and supports you and more importantly your spouse, unconditionally. Spend your time with these people, they are the meaning of true love, support and family.

Here is a quick list of thoughts that helped us navigate this difficult situation.  Continue reading

Welcome to the Madness

I’ve always tossed around the idea of starting a blog. My head is a constant spin of crafty projects, foodie love, the stresses of everyday life and new motherhood. This is the perfect place to empty all that greatness in an organized chaos to share with you, whoever you may be.

Monica + Philip Wedding

So who am I? I’m Monica Malmgren (Malmy), wife to Philip (Leep), mama to Gunnar & fur babies Dozer and Darth. I have a love of sweets, themed parties and DIY projects. Learning to navigate life as a new mother while working full time.

Gunnar + Dozer & Darth

Welcome to the madness – join me while I document our journey as new parents, cocktails & curse words included and all of the amazing adventures that come along with it!