A change.

So I did a very scary thing on Friday. It was approximately 11:00 am that I walked into the hair salon and cut off..... 9 INCHES OF MY HAIR!!!

Before

After

I have only had short hair ONCE in my lifetime (excluding when I was born!) I sure did rock that Matilda haircut!

I sure am loving how much easier and quicker it is for me to get ready in the mornings especially with a teething 6 month old who needs my undivided attention at all hours of the day! I just felt like I needed a boost of confidence and just do a total change! Everyone in my life knew I was getting my hair done, they just didn't know I was going to chop it all off. This is something I debated on doing for so long and I was afraid they would talk me out of it. I plan on growing my hair out long again and next time do a donation to Locks of Love. Maybe next time I can donate 10 inches!

So what do ya'll think? Do ya'll like long or short hair better? What are the favorite things about your hair? Hope ya'll like my new do! Have a happy Monday!

Much love,

Tuesday Randoms

I knew my life would start getting pretty hectic once I started school, I honestly didn't imagine that I would get busy so early into the semester! Yes I am still around and I read all of the comments, posts, tweets, etc. I figured I should give an update on things going on in my life to still keep my blog active.

School is going fairly well. I am currently on my first round of exams for the semester. I had my economics exam on Friday and I have Accounting and Business and Society tomorrow... Yikes!! So that means the library has become my home away from home at the moment.

I found out that I date Opie from Sons of Anarchy! Justin decided he was going to go all duck dynasty and decided to not shave his beard till Christmas. He's going to do trims here and there but that's it. I guess I could make a monthly update on his beard process on the blog. 

We finally got some rain and cooler weather so Maddie got to wear her panda jacket. Everyone at the grocery store was loving her!!

I signed up for Influenster and already got my first Vox Box! I received the Colgate slimsoft vox box which included the new slim soft toothbrush, mouthwash, and toothpaste! I'm telling you, this is the SOFTEST toothbrush I have ever tried! It was so cool! :)

On Saturday, the weather in Texas here was so nice that I took Maddie Bug to the park and she had a blast! She's doing so good sitting up on her own, so she really enjoyed it!

So those are my random happenings! I hope everyone is having a great week! Hope to be able to post some more once I am done with my tests for the week! Much love,

How to Balance School With a Baby

Good morning readers! As you all may know, another school year has started for me. This school year is different though now that I have Maddie Bug around. Surprisingly, I am doing fairly well in all my classes so far. People are asking me how am I doing it or when do I possibly find the time to study or do my homework? Well I have decided to share some tips that are working out for me to help any other mommies who are in school like me!

Class Schedule Planning

Time management is key to being succesful in college whether you have kids or not. I used to not be so great in this area in my younger years. I was what you called a "planned procrastinator". I figured I would watch as much netflix as I want until the very last minute but you can't do that with kids. So when planning my schedule, I realized I needed to make sure I fit in some homework and studying time. I had to make a set time for me to be at the library away from all the distractions back at home. So my schedule consists of 3 classes on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays and 1 class in the afternoon on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Tuesday and Thursday mornings are my planned study days. I spend all morning in the library taking care of any assignments, typing notes, reading my books, and studying for any upcoming tests. I am focused on these days. I try to never do any homework at home. When I get home from school, my whole evening is dedicated to playing with Maddie, doing chores, and preparing dinner. No homework!

Study Along the Way

Everybody has a different method of studying that works for them. Some people read, rewrite notes, make charts and diagrams, etc. You have to find the study method that works for you! For me, it is flash cards! During class, I write my notes and vocabs on index cards that way I am not writing 3 chapters worth of cards right before a test. I have my study material all ready when they announce that an exam is coming up. I then look at them every chance I can get. In between classes, at study times, and before bed are when I look through them. I also sometimes watch youtube videos about the subject. This especially helped out in college algebra.

Don't Do It All At Once

Don't pracrastinate and don't try to do it all once. I work on my homework in sessions. If I try to do it all at once my brain goes crazy and I end up just rushing through it and making poor grades. I miss the little errors because I was in such a hurry. Take breaks and work on it day by day. I have to do this with my accounting homework. If I try to do it all at once, I get worn out. So just pace yourself.

Have Fun With It

Try to make fun acronyms or sayings with different vocab or important equations and details. Make flow charts and graphs. Make things colorful, bright, and exciting. For some reason I think colors play a part especially with index cards. On a test once, I remembered a vocab definition I was stuck on because of the color of the index card it was on. Weird but it worked. When you make things fun and interesting, it will make sense. Trust me!

Those are my tips for balancing school with babies and/or kids. It is all about Time Management!!!

If you have any other tips or tricks that help you out, comment below! I love reading your comments! Hope everyone has a lovely Sunday! Much love...,

Sunshine Award Acceptance

Hello readers! Well I am so pleased and excited to say that I am nominated for another award! Yay! I am so glad that my blog has started off in a positive direction and I am thankful that ya'll have all decided to tag along and read about my journey! The wonderful Glori from Glori Online nominated me!Her button is also on my sidebar so you know that she is good! :) So here are the rules for this award!

• Acknowledge the nominating blogger
• Share 11 random facts about yourself
• Answer 11 questions the nominating blogger has created for you
• List 11 bloggers that deserve the recognition and love
• Post 11 questions for the nominated bloggers to answer. They cannot nominate the blogger who nominated them

On to the fun stuff!

11 Random Facts

1. Justin and I are high school sweethearts and have been together on and off for 51/2 years

2. Besides having a baby, I also have 2 furry four legged children. We have Sissy (Grand Pyraneese/Bull Mastiff) and Tank (Dachsund/shitzou). Yes we are very aware that the names are oxymoronic considering their breed!

3. I am 100% completely obsessed with Demi Lovato. She is gorgeous and one heck of a singer. She struggles with body image issues and I feel that it is so refreshing to have a famous person be so open about her struggles that most of the population of normal females struggle with also!

4. I am currently working on getting my bachelors degree in Business Administration. I have one more year left if everything goes well!

5. I cannot whistle, snap my fingers, or blow bubbles with gum. It sucks...

6. I can speak a little Spanish. My mom is from Guatemala so I have picked up Spanish for her. I'm the only child that has trouble speaking it though. My brother and sister are both very fluent in it.

7. My one thing on my bucket list is to visit New York! I have always wanted to go and it is the ONE place I have to go visit!

8. I used to show cattle and was really involved in it. It taught me a lot about responsibility and hard work. It's an experience that shaped my younger years. It really was a lot of fun and it's something that I would like for Maddie to participate in.

9. I am a Glee fanatic! I am pretty obsessed with this show! 

10. I am SHORT! A whopping 5'0! Haha

11. I have a pretty amazing little girl! But I'm sure ya'll knew that already! :)

11 Questions

1. What is your favorite Fall TV show?

Glee of course! I'm also a big fan of New Girl and Sons of Anarchy!

2. What is your go to outfit?

I usually put on some skinny jeans, a tank top, and throw a cardigan on with some flats. I'll add a scarf if it is cold! 

3. What are the 5 must have items in your purse right now?

Phone, keys, Mary Kay tinted lip balm, peppermints, and usually I have a trail mix bag to eat when I'm in class

4. Sweet or Salty?

I have my days. Sometimes I'm craving sweet and other times salty!

5. Resume question- what is your biggest weakness?

I let small things get to me at times. For instance, if I have a disagreement with a coworker, it really gets me down.

6. And your greatest strength?

I pick up things quick! 

7. What is one thing on your "bucket list" that you hope to accomplish this year?

Well I kind of don't really have a bucket list but one goal that I hope to accomplish is to have a semester of all A's.

8. Apple or Windows?

Apple

9. How long have you been blogging?

I think it's been 2 months! Not very long!

10. Working mommy or stay at home mommy?

Neither I am a student mommy! 

11. What is your favorite fall food? (share a great recipe if you have one)

I can make a really good homemade apple pie for Thanksgiving! I may share the recipe at Thanksgiving time! The secret to a good apple pie is the type of apples you use :)

11 Bloggers I Nominate!

1. A Beautiful Exchange
2. A Girl Smitten
3. Barefoot and Blue Jean Princess
4. Chosen
5. Dancin With A Dolly
6. Hooah and Hiccups
7. Sunny with a Chance of Sprinkles
8. The Fichera Family
9. In This Wonderful Life
10. Love, Pasta, and a Tool Belt
11. Joyful Life

My 11 Questions

1. What is a goal you wish to accomplish at the end of the year?
2. What is your favorite post on your blog so far?
3. What is one thing you would like to tell your former self?
4. What is your occupation?
5. Describe your blog with 3 words!
6. Where is the one place in the world that you HAVE to travel to?
7. What is your favorite fall activity?
8. What is one feature that you like most about yourself? (Can be physical or a personality trait)
9. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
10. What is your favorite singer or band?
11. What advice do you have for new bloggers?

This post took me a while to put together but I had so much fun doing it! It was nice break in between my school work and playing with Maddie! I can't wait to read the answers of my blog nominees! Much love,

6 Month Update

It feels like just yesterday I was writing Madison's 5 month update post but here we are at 6 months. Another month has passed by so quickly. It's weird to think that 6 months ago I got to meet this precious little girl. Before Madison, 6 months felt like an eternity, but now it seems like it passes in the blink of an eye.

So far Madison knows how to sit up with little support, is still trying to scoot while on her tummy, LAUGHS, loves playtime instead of nap time, sleeps 10-11 hours a night (yes I am aware I am pretty lucky), eats baby food 1-2 times a day, loves being tickeled and kissed on the neck, loves paper, and is the best thing to happen to Justin and I.

It has been a hard but absolutely joyful 6 months. I never truly understood the amount of love you can feel for your child. It is so unreal and something you just have to experience to truly understand the depth of the emotion that comes with motherhood. Madison brings me true happiness. Yes, she has her fussy moments but when she smiles and plays, it is definitely worth the struggle.

I'm keeping this post short and sweet tonight. I have been so busy with school. I have 3 exams coming up this week and I have barely had time to relax. I almost didn't have time to write this post. I hope everyone had a lovely Wednesday. It's time for me to lay in bed and study, study, study! Much love, 

The Law of the Garbage Truck

So it's been a while since I have posted a Motivational Monday post. I figured I would start it back up. I even made a cute little button for it! I think we all need some motivation to start the week and I want my blog to do just that!

The Law of the Garbage Truck

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches!

The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was really friendly. So I asked, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!' This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck'.

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally, just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.

So remember.... don't let the frustrating people get to you and don't continue the cycle to other people throughout your day. I hope everyone has a great Monday! Much love,

My lovely little blog!

Well it's time for one of my favorite link ups! This week's questions let me brag and talk all about my lovely little blog!

1. What is the name of your blog?

Maddie Bug and I. That's my nickname for Madison. She is always with me and all I talk about so it was just fitting to name my blog after her. She is my partner in crime

2. What do you love most about blogging?

Well I'm still only 2 months in. I have to say though that I LOVE the new people I am constantly meeting on a day to day basis. I have been able to find people that I can relate to and read their stories and thoughts on things. I have also learned a lot of advice when it comes to parenting and found out about new products I have never heard of. It's been an all around good experience so far!

3. Why did you start blogging?

Justin and I are very new to the area that we live in. I don't know a lot of other moms around me. When I get frustrated, I feel like I have no one to talk to and relate to. Especially since I was a SAHM at the time that I started. So I was trying to find a way to release my joys and frustrations and also use it as a journal to look back on my experiences. 

4. What is something you'd want to tell someone just starting out in the blog world?

Write about what you truly believe in. Also just be patient on gaining followers. It really does take time to gain a loyal set of followers. And also, just have fun with it!

 5. Biggest blogging learning experience  you've had?

BACKUP YOUR BLOG ALWAYS!

6. What are three blogs you love?

Taylor @ The Fichera Family

Hayley @ The Beautiful Exchange

Laura @ The Tiniest Happily Ever After

Another Week of Happies and Crappies!

Another week has come and gone. It's been a busy one for sure!

Happies

Oh yes yes yes! My beloved Charlie Hunnam is going to be Mr. Christian Grey! Justin makes me watch Sons of Anarchy with him and boy am I glad that he makes me watch it! He really is an amazing actor and I think he will be a good fit for it.

I'm so happy that my post of the letter to my freshman self has gained positive reviews! It's a post that I have been wanting to write for a while and I finally sat down and did it. I am very proud of the post and how many people enjoyed it. It gives me encouragement to continue blogging. You can read that post HERE

And of course this little thing always makes my entire week! Love her chubby cheeks! I can't believe she will be 6 months old on Wednesday. I just might cry!

Crappies

Well I decided to change my blog (Again...) I felt like it was way to cluttered and unorganized. So at the moment it looks like a Plain Jane. I'm hoping to try and design it on my own. If not, I will give in and buy a nice template or have someone customize one for me. So if any of ya'll have any suggestions on blog template designers, just let me know!

And also for some reason my Disqus comments aren't working now. I might have screwed it up when I took my old template off. So I may be spending most of the night figuring that one out because I really do like the Disqus comments.

So yeah my week has just been busy busy busy! Still managing school, time with Maddie, and trying to find time to cook and clean the house. I do like the busy though! It keeps me up and going and I really like that. Hope everyone has had a great week! :) Much love...,

Dear Freshman Zoe..

As the title of becoming a “super senior” starts to sink in, the amount of time I think about my entrance to college increases. Good moments and frustrating moments have occurred. Bumps along the way (literally!) and winding roads have been experienced. Now that I am at this point in time, I really do wish I could confront my younger self and tell her what I know now.

The first thing I would tell her is that…..

You don’t know what you want to do. Even on this very day, you are still somewhat confused. It’s probably because you are scared that you don’t know what’s going to happen in the future. That thought of getting a pre-med degree is going to change. You will switch to Nursing and then on to Psychology. You will be quite content with Psychology for a while but then you are going to change again. You will transform into a Business Administration student. What you should have done is just gone into college Undecided. You really didn’t know who you were. You could have saved a lot of time and money by just going in Undeclared. You should have just dipped your toes in the water before diving into numerous pools before you found the one that fit the temperature you desire.

You think you know who your friends are but trust me, you don’t. The people you went to high school with will fade away in time. It will take some getting used to. You will go through different groups of friends until you find the ones who will stay with you through your troubling times. Here’s a hint… One of your closest friends will be in your orientation group. You won’t make that connection at first but wait a semester. Oh and another will not like you at first because you annoyed her on the duck camp bus. But don’t worry, you will become very close. She will be your first roommate off campus.  (Oh and don’t trust your first roommate on campus!!! You will think you have the most awesome roomie but you don’t)

Justin will always be in your life. He will be absent that first semester of college, but don’t worry he makes his way back in. There is a reason that nothing ever feels right.

GO TO CLASS!! Trust me you will get nap time and you can always watch Gossip Girl later… Oh and by the way Dan is Gossip Girl. There! Now get to that Algebra class that you end up taking 4 times until you finally get a B…

Don’t hate the dorms or the dining hall. You will miss those places as soon as you start living on your own. You never had to pay rent, bills, and food. Everything was always there. The Dining Hall was BUFFET STYLE!!!!! Take advantage of it. But watch your figure! That freshman 15 will hit you!

You will get pregnant… DON’T be scared. Remember how I told you that Justin makes his way back in…? Yeah, there is your baby daddy right there! Please trust me that everything will be fine. I know you will still be scared, that’s natural. You will feel that things are falling apart when in reality; you are on a journey to the best moments of your life. I won’t tell you the gender because you should be surprised still. I will tell you this…. That dream you have will come true. This baby will bring you so much joy, happiness, and motivation. Your child is the happiest thing and thinks the world of you and Justin.

One last thing… Enjoy it! Enjoy everything. Enjoy life! Just live, don’t worry about what is yet to come. All things will work out. Everything happens for a reason. You have some pretty amazing people in your life right now. Don’t worry about the little things along the way. As for the big things, it is a learning experience. Just keep your head up and keep on flashing that smile. Relax and live my darling... xo

Falling into another sunday social

1. What is your favorite fall activity?

I just love walking everywhere in the fall. All the leaves and different colors are so pretty and I absolutely LOVE it. The weather is cooler so it makes it more enjoyable. Maybe I'll start running again when it gets cooler to get back into shape.

2. Do you follow a football team? If so, which one and why?

College wise I am a proud supporter of those Fightin' Texas Aggies (gig em!) and NFL wise, I root for the Minnesota Vikings. Yes I know what your thinking... But Zoe, your from Texas why not the Dallas Cowboys or The Texans?? Just personal preference and my family have always been fans of them.

3. What is something fun about fall in your area?

FOOTBALL!!! We love us some football here in Texas! And the hayrides and State Fair of Texas in Dallas, Texas!

4. What are your favorite fall staple outfits?

I am a firm believer and obsessed with cardigans and scarves! They just scream FALL!!!!

5. What things are you looking forward to most about this coming fall season?

The weather getting cooler! This summer heat needs to go STAT! Shoo!!! Be gone!!!

6. What is your favorite fall holiday? Tradition?

THANKSGIVING! An excuse to eat whatever I please in whatever size portion and not be judged!! I always make my homemade apple pie that is just oh so delish!

Happies and Crappies

I love a good blog hop don't you? Especially ones that give you a set topic to write about so you don't have writers block! Here are my happies and crappies for the week!

Happies :)

1. Vacation was the bomb! It was such a great time and it gave Justin and I a chance to reconnect. Yes we love having Maddie around us but it sure was nice to get a break! We missed her so much and we actually ended up leaving a day early to get back to her!

2. Madison was happy to have us back and how could we not be so anxious to get back to our beautiful girl?? Look at that cuteness!!

3. My financial aid FINALLY came through!! If you are following me on my personal accounts, you have heard me complain about this time and time again! Thank goodness financial aid finally got things together!

Crappies :(

1. I think Madison's teeth are starting to come through. She has been quite cranky and it's frustrating at times, but I am ready to see those first little teeth!

2. My dogs shed EVERYWHERE! And frankly, I am tired of cleaning it all up every day!

3. Accounting class will be the ABSOLUTE death of me.

So those are my happenings of the week! Join in on the link up! :) Much love...,