Mommie Diaries

My Erin Condren [Life Changing] Life Planner

2012-01-27T14:15:00.000-08:00

Now, to say I am planner obsessed is a massive understatement and anyone who knows me knows that this sentence is probably an understatement itself that is how bad it is. My more-than-an-obsession began when I first recognized the organizer my mom used when I was a child. I thought it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen and I could not wait until I was old enough to own my own. Now, I really had no use for a planner until high school, but in Jr. High we were given planners to right down our homework assignments so our parents would know what was going on in school. Of course, the kids who didn’t give a rat’s ass still failed at life because they never utilized, or realized, this beautiful piece of organization they had been given. The need for a planner really began my freshman year of high school. I was ready to pee my pants for thinking I could remember all the work we were given in each class. The “ah-ha!” moment was when I was first handed a syllabus. I could not get over this brilliant idea that we would have exactly what we were going to need for the whole year right there in our hands. This is where it all began.

I have always been an out of sight out of mind person. If it isn’t in front of me there is no way I will remember. It got a lot worse when I had my first child last year and, of course, that’s when remembering things becomes most important. I went on a quest to find my perfect planner and, boy, I am tired from this journey. But I will say I succeeded in every way shape and form.

I could talk for days about how much I love planners; the ones I have used and thrown away, the ones I have tried and failed, but I am writing this post for the planner that I have found that has literally changed me forever. I will, regrettably, admit that I am a planner cheater. Most of you won’t know what that is unless you have the planner sickness like I do. Let me explain, a planner cheater is someone who buys a planner, uses it for about a month, and then find always finds they are looking at other planners in the calendar/planner section at Office Max, or worse, your local grocery store. I have suffered from this for years…until ,in a desperate attempt to find a solution, I came across a colorful planner that caught my eye via Mom Internet (the internet sites only moms use to better their lives; organizing, blogs, recipes..etc.) . I kid you not, I am cured.

I ordered the Erin Condren Life Planner in December 2011(I no longer have the desire to planner cheat thanks to my LP) and it was the best planner decision I have ever made. It came in the most adorable box! The planner itself is as colorful as the box it came in (1 point) and when I opened the box it was wrapped in colorful tissue paper (1 point). Then when I took everything out, a handful of wonderful goodies fell out (100 points)! The LP (Life Planner) is life changing. It is so colorful; perfect for the ADD sufferer’s life me. If it’s colorful it has my attention. The best color part is that each MONTH is a different themed color. It’s genius. The layout is amazing and I never get bored plus there are stickers for every occasion and you also have the option to write your own. There is even a pocket to hold lose papers and a pouch to put notepads! I don’t feel limited like most planners make me feel. The most stupendous part of it all is that you can PERSONALIZE it!! PERSONALIZE YOUR PLANNER!!!!! The masterminds at Erin Condren got it right!!

I personally love pictures so I took tons of pictures for you all:

If you are still seeking your perfect planner I suggest you look into Erin Condren. I got mine half off with doodledeals.com but it's worth every penny.

XOXO ,

Kylie

The Last Week,

2012-01-24T16:55:00.000-08:00

It has been a crazy week for this Davis family. I am working on stuff for February, so for now most of my posts will be pictures of the family. :)

Be patient! More posts will come!

Thanks for all your support.

My boy.

2012-01-24T15:42:00.001-08:00

He decided to sneak into my mom's computer hutch and make himself at home :)

A Baby Life

2012-01-13T16:26:00.001-08:00

Coca cola or bust

2012-01-12T08:29:00.001-08:00

This was about a week ago.
Enjoy my bug!

my.thirtyone.gives.

2012-01-08T23:39:00.000-08:00

Thirty-One has become a huge part of my life and I feel the need to share with you my story and what it means to me. I always struggle with telling people about the company because I feel like it is so much more than just personalized bags… it really is a family. Just coming from the Spring Product Premiere I am ready to go and tell the whole world how amazing my company is.

I signed up with Thirty-One on September 15, 2011. I initially didn’t want to do it at all because I was already with another direct selling company, but my husband thought it was something I could do and saw a ground floor opportunity and gave me his full support. I had to talk to five different people to start my journey with Thirty-One; one of those people was my director Jackie Docken.

As soon as I was done talking with Jackie on the phone I knew I had to sign up right away. I had not seen a single Thirty-One product but I knew I could not pass this up; it was that sweet of a deal. I was so eager about it I was practically bouncing off the walls. Tyler told me that I shouldn’t wait, so I jumped on board and haven’t looked back since.

Within 4 weeks of signing up I had 4 girls under me and by the end of November I had 6. When January finally rolled around I was bumped up to Senior Consultant and now my goal is to qualify as a director this month (yep, senior consultant and director all in one month...I dream big). I have met some awfully wonderful women and I get so energized when I am around them. My down line is amazing and they have such big goals for themselves! I love helping them, seeing them succeed, and then feeding off their contagious enthusiasm.
They will all be achieving their goals!

I not only see the change Thirty-One has had on me, I feel it. I have become so much more confident as a woman and have stepped outside of my box in more ways than one. I have watched women that never thought they could, accomplish huge goals and maneuver around their own fears and prove themselves wrong …and then prove themselves right. This company celebrates, encourages, and rewards everyone, especially women. I am so avid about the women of America that I can’t help but get some sense of pride when I see a woman break through her own barriers and reach the top. That’s what Thirty-One does.

We unlock dreams.

I honestly think that anyone has the potential to change the world… but you can’t do that until you start changing yourself.

You have the power to be beautiful.

You have the power to succeed.

You have the power to be powerful.

You have the power to unlock your own dreams.

You have the power to be you.

Whether you are a customer, hostess, consultant, or just a passerby; the key to success is to believe in yourself and then stopping at nothing to get there. You can be the change you want to see. The only thing that is holding you back is you.

I like to say that I have 3 easy steps for you to be the change you want:

1. Walk over to your phone.

2. Pick it up.

3. Call me.

Xoxo

Kylie

new year.

2012-01-05T20:19:00.000-08:00

I have never done New Year resolution but this year I am in the need for some change. I had already been making a list of goals and desires and the New Year just happened to come up. Perfect timing. I definitely wanted to do a word for the year and this is what it is going to be. Inspired. The previous post I had talked about how I have been finding inspiration everywhere and now I really want to utilize that and make it my goal for the year. Here is a list of my “to-do’s” for the year’ J enjoy! (I am sure this will grow as the year goes on and you will be the first to know)

1. Be beautiful (inside and out)
2. Use your phone less
3. Write in inspiration notebook
4. Make dinner at least 5 times a week
5. Maintain the house, better organization
6. Start and maintain a blog
7. Paint more often
8. Do more DIY projects
9. Only use Erin Condren life planner (the whole year)
10. Plan weekly menus
11. Take a self defense class
12. Get into yoga
13. Be more organized
14. Learn to sew
15. Start making your own jewelry
16. Find glamour
17. Learn your style
18. Find yourself
19. Love more
20. Give more
21. Teach myself how to crochet

today.

2012-01-03T23:40:00.000-08:00

Goodness I feel like today was long. It was one of those all day pj days. I didn't get into the shower until Tyler was officially home for the day...which wasn't until about 3ish. I honestly can't remember. I had A LOT of fun with Braxley though which makes it all worth it.

Look at him all cute. he is the most curious little boy.

I love him. This kid brightens up my life so much. Any hardship is worth it for this face.

~xoxo kylie~

stay beautiful.

2012-01-03T14:54:00.000-08:00

In my journey of motherhood I have come across something that makes me sad and fuels my desire for change; the negative attitude towards a mother's body after giving birth. I know that many moms feel that when they first take the "plunge" of mommiehood that there bodies and lives will never be the same again. While this is true, I have now chosen to view this positively. I know for me I was terrified thinking of how different my life was going to be once I held my baby for the first time. But I have to say that a lot of my fear came from the people and influences around me.

Society says, "You will never wear that again..." or "Get use to never doing that again..." or "Once your a mom, kiss that goodbye..." I know sometimes the negativity wasn't intentional and caused from personal experiences and influences surrounding them but for me it just was not okay. For everyone it is different, but once I held my little baby in my arms any negative comment made towards me flew out the window. All I cared about was him.

Now of course, when I came home I looked like crap (I really did...don't try to be nice) and I felt like crap but I was so incredibly happy. The happiness created a beauty that no one could take from me. It was the beauty of motherhood.

My son is now 9 months old and I have realized that so many women forget about themselves once they become a parent. I refuse to be one of those moms. My husband knows when I am feeling insecure or unsure of myself and he practically bites my head off. I have realized that no matter how much people tell me that I look fine it just doesn't cut it until I really believe it myself. Now I do.

Beauty changes when you birth a child. It doesn't go away. It changes. I think a woman becomes more beautiful when they have brought life into this world. It is such a huge gift. My body doesn't look the way it use to, it has scars now...scars of life. Without those scars I wouldn't have the most amazing son in the world. Now I am not saying that I am going to run around in a bikini and say "Check me out" because that's just awkward. I DO know who I am and what my body has been through and it was worth it. I know I am beautiful because I feel beautiful. If you know who you are you are going to radiate confidence. You are beautiful. There will be blah days, of course. No one is perfect but if you have the right people around you, they are going to make those blah days into beautiful days. Now, mommie's around the world... let's lift up our shirts and say THIS IS BEAUTY. I AM BEAUTIFUL.

~XOXO KYLIE~

finding forever.

2011-12-31T11:38:00.000-08:00

The sun comes up slowly and I can see the rays peeking through the blinds to my window. If you had reached out to touch the rays against the pane you would feel that the sun does not show the true temperature of the outside. It is cold as ice. I feel as though I have been sleeping for days rather than a few hours. My body aches and my eyes hurt. As I roll my face back into my pillow I feel a small hand move against my back, it lifts slowly, and comes down again with a hard slapping sound.

I groan with a slight smile on my face and turn over to see the little four toothed grin of my nine month old son. He is wide awake and ready for the day.

My just turning in his direction brings a giggle to his lips and wakes my husband. His strong arm wraps around his child and the kid laughs with the excitement of the morning. I know in my heart that this is where I was always meant to be.

This is the place my heart has always longed for and I can’t imagine not having it every day for the rest of my life. I don’t know what my life was like before these moments. I can’t even think about how I survived without these two amazing souls next to me. These breaths remind me that so many decisions could have changed my course and I am thankful for everything up until this time. I am no longer left wondering and wandering.

This is my forever fit.

inspiration

2011-12-29T19:36:00.003-08:00

I look around every day and see inspiration.

One of my goals for 2012 is to use inspiration everywhere I can.

I would love to discover more about myself this year. I know that we are always changing and our minds are constantly adapting to our surroundings. We are always learning because the world is one big school system. I feel like I need to take advantage of that. I have always felt that we can all be a better version of ourselves if we learn from our mistakes and try different things. This year is going to be a year of discovery.

Whatever hardship you have, I challenge you to overcome it. No matter what anyone tells you. Right now my husband is on unemployment. It has been like this since we first got married. He has been working on and off trying to make ends me. We have always managed to survive and I can’t complain because we have had a great support system of friends and family. It has been tough but it has definitely made us stronger as a couple. Tyler decided to go back to school to better the lives of his kids and family. I am so proud of him and will support him no matter what but it has got me thinking that maybe I should do something.

I am the type of person that many people describe as a free spirit. It makes it difficult for me to stick to one thing before getting bored or finding something else that catches my attention. I am constantly struggling with putting too much on my plate because of this. I want this year to be different. I want to meet my goals and still get everything done.

I need to be the change I want to see…not wait for something extraordinary to come along and open my eyes. My eyes have slowly been opening for awhile… now I am forcing myself awake.

I am excited for what this new year is going to bring.

it starts.

2011-12-28T19:56:00.000-08:00

My baby boy took his first step today and I think that watching that forced me to realize all over again how fast this is going to go by. I know that this is the process as a parent. You have the child and bring them into the world to later let them go and start their own lives. No one truly understands the concept until they hold their baby for the first time in their arms. Then watching them grow before your eyes is truly a remarkable experience that you never want to miss. It is gone before you can look back over your shoulder.

The reason.

2011-12-28T19:10:00.001-08:00

After seeing that other stay at home moms blog I decided I should give it a shot. I have always loved writing. That’s one of the ways I managed to get through tough days. I have always wanted to have a blog (I have started and failed at many) but found that maintaining one was difficult because of a loss of interest. When I got married and started a family my passion became my family. I love my husband and son so much sometimes I forget I have a life outside of them. But everyone (especially women) need something that is their own. They need a place to run to in their time of need, a community that is willing to help whenever necessary. I know that saying my “place” is a blog is a little ridiculous, extreme, and unrealistic…I am just going to say it’s one of my places. It is a place for me to share my ideas, concerns, DIY projects, and be a creative outlet. If you want to see what is going through my life and mind, come here. I am determined to be as real and honest as I am a person. I have feelings and thoughts that are my own and this blog is a place for me to share them with you. I am so excited to do so!

I love movies. We are a movie family. My life passion has been acting, theatre, film, and anything to do with being something you’re not. It’s a great way to push you outside of your comfort zone. I was fortunate enough to meet, and marry, someone who shares the same passion. My wonderful husband spent his high school career on the stage (the first time I ever saw him…trust me it’s not as romantic as it sounds). We love everything about theatre and hope one day to start our own, but that is a far off dream right now.

Saying that Starbucks is a great place for coffee now a days is an understatement for us. Tyler and I met for the first time at the Starbucks in his town…we met for a second time at a Starbucks in my town…he gave me my promise ring at a Starbucks in a random town…and you would think he would have proposed there and we would have arranged to get married there but we decided to do things differently and elope to the local city hall and get hitched with just immediate family. We never got a chance to have a honeymoon because he lost his job about 2 months after we pledged ourselves to each other. But we had an amazing reception that reminded us that marriage isn’t about the bliss...it’s about a commitment. We have been married for a whopping two and half years and have a beautiful nine month old son who lights up our lives every day. My husband is my better half, my soul mate, and my best friend. Together we make the perfect team and I fall in love with him every day. We fight like every other couple and the best picture to give you to help you understand our relationship is comparing it to The Notebook. We are fighting about ridiculous things one minute and then we end up laughing and making out the next. It’s our bliss. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Telling you that that is the way to be married would be wrong because every relationship is different and works differently for different people and different couples.