Two Years Strong

YUMMommy officially turned two years old on January 15th and I couldn't be more excited!  

Source

I feel like I need to pop a bottle of champagne and blow out some candles or something.  Maybe, next year I'll throw a big party in celebration of such a wonderful occasion.  Year two was such a great one.  I finally got the YUMMommy logo in a usable format.

I tried my hand at redesigning my layout, experimented with sending out a weekly newsletter (bringing it back don't worry), and even met some extraordinary people.  By far my great joy of year two has been the friendships that I have bloomed and become stronger than they were in year one.  This blog has afforded me the opportunity to connect with some wonderful and amazing people on such a personal level.

My heart is just so full right now thinking about how much this blog has grown.  I know I don't say it often but thank you to everyone who reads and comments and reaches out in some way.  I greatly appreciate your support more than I will ever be able to put into words!

And an even bigger thank you to those of you who've gone beyond the blog to rock with me on Twitter and Facebook.  It's been a blast getting to see a different side of some of you outside of our blogs.  With year three already started, I'm hoping that we can get to know each other even better.

On a side note, I hope that you all are taking advantage of of the 25% off local deals with promo code charlotte25 over on Plum District Charlotte!  They have some great deal packages going on that would be perfect for Valentine's Day and SuperBowl Sunday.  

Under The Weather

It feels like it's been ages since my last post,  Unfortunately, my lack of posting was partly due to the fact that Moo, JJ and I have all been under the weather.  What started off as a trip to my mom's house the weekend before last turned in to us all getting some kind of bug.  For the life of me, I haven't any clue how we ended up sick.

It started off as runny noses, turned coughs and is now a mass confusion of sore throats, swollen tonsils and ear infections.  Not to mention,  JJ's eczema has flared up and he hived Thursday when my mom got a new puppy for my niece.  Yes, my kids are allergic to cats and dogs.  Needless, to say our trips to visit Grandma will be short and sweet from here on out.

Moo is back on her breathing machine.  That sucks because she's not a big fan of that thing.  But it's a good for her and will keep her healthy.  I had to cancel part 2 of JJ's flu shot since he's sick now.  And of course, Moo is allergic to it.  So, we'll be keeping mini Lysol, germ gel and wipes handy when we're out and about.

I'm just starting to feel somewhat better.  My voice isn't back to normal just yet.  So, I'm not doing very much talking because if I do by the end of the day I'm so hoarse I can barely speak.  I'm hoping that I'll be back in great shape for my birthday which is Sunday!!  The big 2-6 is just a few days away and I am hella excited!!

On top of all this, I have projects I need to complete.  Oh and did I mention that I'm still shopping for the Mr for Christmas.  I want to make sure that I get him things that he will love and appreciate.  We've had some hits and misses over the years and I'm ready to get on track with more hits this year.  

And one last note before I jet off to finish some work, if you purchased the awesome Tablet deal that was on Plum District Charlotte for Black Friday weekend, I'm sorry to report that due to issues with the supplier you will be getting a refund.  Check out all the details and information here.  These things happen but Plum District is still a great place to shop and I have picked up a few of my Christmas gifts from there and still recommend that you do the same.

Christmas Shopping Plum District Style

It's crunch time in terms of finishing up my Christmas shopping.  I still have a few people to cross off my list.  And while the Black Friday madness is behind us, I still don't feel like searching store aisles for presents my family doesn't already have.  We all live pretty much in the same region so our Walmarts, Targerts, and malls carry the same merchandise.

Therefore, nine times out of ten they've already seen the gift that I'm giving them.  Or they've probably purchased that same gift for me.  So, this year I'm Christmas shopping Plum District-Charlotte style.  I've been checking the site out on daily basis to stay up to date on all the new deals that come available and so far I've scored some sweet beauty products from Bloom (stocking stuffers) and a magazine subscription deal that I used for my husband's birthday.

Anyways, JJ's going to be 7 months by the time Christmas gets here and he's already showing quite an interest in toys.  So, I was thinking that the $25 for $50 Worth of Plush Adorable Rockers from Rockabye[.com] would be a great deal to pick for him. 

Source

How cute is that Baseball Glove rocker?!!  I love it.  Since, my mom is always complaining about the lack of pictures she has of the grandkids, I thought that the $39 for 16x20 Chic Canvas Photo ($99 value) would be a great gift and very worth the investment.  Canvas photos are much better than photos we put in picture books because you hang them on the wall and can see them daily without having to hunt down a book.  Nothing mention, they're just an unspoken elegance about canvas photos, especially when they're framed nicely.

And my sisters and I are all into natural beauty products.  Therefore, I'm eyeballing the $15 for $35 Worth of Holistic Lani B Lip Care Products and the $30 for $60 Worth of Brown Bag Botanicals Skin Care Products.  

Source

So, if you're like me and you're looking to get gifts for your family and friends that really truly surprise them and for an amazing price, I HIGHLY recommend that you scoot on over to Plum District-Charlotte and check out the great deals they have going.  Check out their $25 for $50 Deals. There's only 8 more hours to scoop those up before they're gone!

YUMMommy

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Plum District Charlotte.

Goodies

Look at was delivered to my door this morning!!

A box full of goodies from Bloom.com.  I stumbled onto this site over on Plum District when I purchased a deals package for $40 worth of beauty goodies for only $20!!  And the shipping was FREE!!   The best part is that you can earn rewards or money off your next purchase when you shop at Bloom.com to go towards your next purchase.  You all know how I love savings!!

Anyways, here's a run down of everything I got.

I've heard good things about CoverGirl's Lipslicks. So, I got this one in Cutie.  I liked the name and the subtle color.

Snappy Sorbet

Lively Lilac

Lickety Split

I'm starting over from scratch with my nail polish collection.  These colors really stood out to me.  Moo has already tested them out with her Halloween manicure.  And it really does dry instantly!! Love it because she doesn't have a chance to get any of it on her clothes or on the furniture.

I've been on the hunt for some really good lip balm for a minute and decided to give this one by Badger a try.  It's organic and doesn't have any chemicals or preservatives in it.  And the Mocha Cocoa scent is helping me with my coffee craving.  I dabbed some on early and three hours later it's still on there.

Black Brown, Curved Brush

I like that this is a combination of black and brown because sometimes straight black mascara gives my eyelashes a unnatural look and I don't like that since I don't wear fakes.  So, I'm hoping that this shade will do better.  And I'm looking forward to trying the curved brush for the first time.

And I ordered 2 of the Aveeno Clear Complexion Cleansing Bars because my last pregnancy did a number of my skin.  And now it seems like the least little thing causes my face to breakout.  And with the all the natural ingredients in here, I'm not too worried about it being so harsh on my skin.

If you haven't shopped with Plum District for deal packages, I would suggest you at least sign up so you won't miss out on anything good.  In fact check out this amazing deal they have going on right now.  And certainly give Bloom.com a try too. 

Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this specific post.  However, I did use previous compensation from Plum District to purchase this deal. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

It's My Anniversary Week

My first wedding anniversary is coming up this Friday and I am beyond stoked.  It might have taken us almost 6 years to get hitched but we finally did it.  And we did on our terms.  And I already kicked off my anniversary week right yesterday by choosing happiness. (Read the post.)

I can't put into words the overwhelming sense of pride and accomplishment that I feel to have made it this far.  After all a lot marriages don't survive their first year.  So, this is a huge milestone. 

How are we playing to celebrate you ask?  Dinner, a little shopping, gift exchanging and a movie.  And we're choosing to share this joyous milestone with Moo and JJ.  I know that a lot couples like to be alone on their anniversaries but we feel that it is important for us to show our kids that things like marriage need to be celebrated.  Also, I come from a family where divorce and unhappy marriages is very high.  I want to break that cycle.

There are things you can do to rekindle your marriage other than divorce and finding another spouse.  I can tell you from experience that relationships are hard work and marriage is even harder.  It's not going to be all rainbows and sparks all the time.  And there will be times when you feel like you don't love your spouse anymore but remember love is more of an action than a feeling.  You just have to be willing to follow through and not get caught up in a "The Grass Is Greener Complex."

Anyways, just a little reminder that the first 5 of you to sign up for Plum District using this link will receive $10 in Plum Cash.  Plum District is a daily deals site specifically created for and with moms in mind.  They have some really awesome deals and I'm actually taking advantage of one of them and getting my first ever gel manicure!!  And making this deal sweeter is the fact this week (Mon- Fri) you save an extra 30% off any local or everywhere deal on the site for the Share the Love friends and family promotion.

That's awesome since they already offer amazing daily savings of 50-80% off.  So, don't miss out on this great savings.  Find anything from restaurants and spas, to great deals on activities for kids and families.  Head over and get signed now!!

Thinking back to your first wedding anniversary, how excited were you?

Plum District

Now, everybody knows that I love good deals!  And I'm not just talking about deals on groceries.  I enjoying scoring deals on everything!!  And thanks to Plum District, I can have those deals delivered right to my mailbox.  What is Plum District?  Well, I'm glad you asked.

Plum District is a daily deals site that offers deals specifically targeted towards moms.  So, you know what that means.  More me time!!   And you can do more shopping without breaking the bank.  Plum District offers deals on everything from 

Flowers, and

Jewelry

to Photobooks.

With Christmas coming up, Plum District is the perfect site to go to for gifts for your mom, sisters, aunts and mommy friends. You browse local deals specific for your city or shop their Everywhere deals.  While you're over at Plum District, you can check out there blog and stay up to date on contests, sneak peaks of upcoming deals and much more. 

So scurry on over there and sign up to start saving today.  Don't forget to visit Plum District on Facebook and 'like' their page!  They also have city pages on Facebook too.  Queen City moms be sure to show our Plum District page a little love here.

Happy Shopping!!