Was a hit! Some topics we covered :
Favorite TV shows
Makeup
Hair Products
Ice cream
Bands
Kids
and more!
Thanks to those who stopped by! If you missed please make sure to join us next Thursday! These will get better and better :)
7/31/2009
Recipe Challenge Friday: Weight Watcher's Potato Soup
Chic Chat is now hosting Recipe Challenge Friday! What this encompasses, you ask? Well, allow me to fill you in!
Every Friday morning, one of the many talanted authors here on Chic Chat will be posting one of her favorite recipes. We may do this via vlog, via pictures with explanations included, or simply by posting a text recipe.
The "challenge" in Recipe Challenge Friday involves you...my sweet, lovey readers. We're posting these recipes on Friday so you'll have a chance to give them a try over the weekend. Then, if you're so inclined, write your review in the comment section. Or, if you prefer, you can record a video response and provide the link to said response in the comment section of these entries.
Now here comes the really fun and exciting part! We're going to feature some of our reader's favorite recipes! Next time you're making a family favorite, grab your camera and start recording. Or, if you're not big on having your face on camera, just take photos of the meal. And, of course, you must provide an actual recipe. :)
The "challenge" in Recipe Challenge Friday involves you...my sweet, lovey readers. We're posting these recipes on Friday so you'll have a chance to give them a try over the weekend. Then, if you're so inclined, write your review in the comment section. Or, if you prefer, you can record a video response and provide the link to said response in the comment section of these entries.
Now here comes the really fun and exciting part! We're going to feature some of our reader's favorite recipes! Next time you're making a family favorite, grab your camera and start recording. Or, if you're not big on having your face on camera, just take photos of the meal. And, of course, you must provide an actual recipe. :)
So, without further ado, let's move on to this week's recipe. As many of you know, I've been a Weight Watcher since January 2008, and have lost 90 pounds.
All the meals I make these days are WW recipes...and I have to say, I've been pleasantly surprised with the quality.
Now, I know you're probably thinking...potato soup in summer, Bridgett? And I have to agree...it usually is a bit heavy for this season. However, because this is a lower fat version, and doesn't contain heavy creams, it's much lighter.
So let's check it out...
WEIGHT WATCHERS POTATO SOUP
Points: 2.5 for 1 heaping cup (Yay!)
Ingredients:
~32 ounces of fat free chicken broth
~3 lbs. potatoes, diced
~1/2 onion, diced
~4 slices bacon (crisply cooked--we use turkey bacon)
~8 ounces reduced fat Velveeta
~1/4 cup fat free sour cream
[We have never used the following ingredients]
~2 tablespoons flour
~3 TBSP water
Instructions:
1. Combine broth and potatoes. Cover and cook 20 minutes, until potatoes are cooked through.
2. As potatoes are cooking, saute onions, then add to cooking potatoes.
3. Add cooked bacon to cooking potatoes.
4. When potatoes are soft, stir in cheese and sour cream, and simmer until cheese is melted.
5. Thicken with the flour and water mix. [we've never done this]
6. Serve with some corn muffins and enjoy! :)
7/30/2009
Hobbies
Product Review
Hello!
I have a few products today that I'm going to review, one positive review, and one negative. I think negative reviews are just as beneficial as positive ones, so I thought I'd share.
First up is one that I'm sure many of you have tried...
Johnson's Bodycare Lotion:
So far I have tried Melt Away Stress, Forever Fresh, and 24 Hour Lotion. I absolutely love the scent of all three, but my favorites so far are the Melt Away Stress, and 24 Hour Lotion.
I am not generally a fan of lotion, since the "greasy" factor often bothers me with many lotions. These absorb almost immediately and yet provide great moisture and scent for hours. Love them!
I'm sure many of you have tried one of these, what did you think? Also, if you have tried them in the past, and didn't like them, maybe give them another shot, as I believe they have been recently updated. Quite affordable for a big bottle, and I love to get the travel size ones for my purse and school bag!
Next up is product I DIDN'T like...
Dove Heat Defense: Heat Activated Protect & Shine Mist:
I tried this a few times before straightening my hair, followed the directions on the bottle, and yet ended up with the same sticky product-y mess each time.
I absolutely hate when my hair feels like I have a "film" on it, or almost a dirty feeling, which this created. I also had a hard time straightening my hair with it.
Ironically, I found the above picture at Marie Claire's Best Products of the Year, so apparently not everyone agrees with my opinion, so you may still want to try it for yourself. Of course, I'm only out 3 bucks, so I wasn't too worried about it. ;)
Have you tried either of these products? What did you think?
I have a few products today that I'm going to review, one positive review, and one negative. I think negative reviews are just as beneficial as positive ones, so I thought I'd share.
First up is one that I'm sure many of you have tried...
Johnson's Bodycare Lotion:So far I have tried Melt Away Stress, Forever Fresh, and 24 Hour Lotion. I absolutely love the scent of all three, but my favorites so far are the Melt Away Stress, and 24 Hour Lotion.
I am not generally a fan of lotion, since the "greasy" factor often bothers me with many lotions. These absorb almost immediately and yet provide great moisture and scent for hours. Love them!
I'm sure many of you have tried one of these, what did you think? Also, if you have tried them in the past, and didn't like them, maybe give them another shot, as I believe they have been recently updated. Quite affordable for a big bottle, and I love to get the travel size ones for my purse and school bag!
Next up is product I DIDN'T like...
Dove Heat Defense: Heat Activated Protect & Shine Mist:I tried this a few times before straightening my hair, followed the directions on the bottle, and yet ended up with the same sticky product-y mess each time.
I absolutely hate when my hair feels like I have a "film" on it, or almost a dirty feeling, which this created. I also had a hard time straightening my hair with it.
Ironically, I found the above picture at Marie Claire's Best Products of the Year, so apparently not everyone agrees with my opinion, so you may still want to try it for yourself. Of course, I'm only out 3 bucks, so I wasn't too worried about it. ;)
Have you tried either of these products? What did you think?
7/29/2009
Chit Chat with Chic Chat
Tomorrow (Thursday) at 9pm Eastern/ 6pm Pacific, Chic Chat will be hosting the first ever Chit Chat with Chic Chat live chat. How's that for a tongue twister?! We would love for all of you to be there, to talk live about anything and everything.
The chat will be held on AOL/AIM, in a private chat room. If you do not have a screen name for AOL or AIM, it's very easy to create one. Go to www.aim.com, click on Create a Screen name in the top corner, and follow the instructions.
Our screen names for the chat are:
Stephanie: ChicChatSteph
Bernadette: ChicChatBernie
Chantelle:ChicChatChantell
Bridgett: ChicChatBoo
Cassie: ChicChatCass
Kaileigh: ChicChatKaileigh
Feel free to add us to your buddy list!
At 9, we will all be on instant messenger, and we will create a chat titled Chic Chat. To enter, simply choose "Buddy Chat" on the AIM menu, next to File. Delete the chat name/number that is next to Chat Room, and type Chic Chat. Type your own screen name where it says screen names to invite. Click "Send", and it should take you to the chat.
If you have any questions or problems, please let me know. We look forward to chatting with you!
The chat will be held on AOL/AIM, in a private chat room. If you do not have a screen name for AOL or AIM, it's very easy to create one. Go to www.aim.com, click on Create a Screen name in the top corner, and follow the instructions.
Our screen names for the chat are:
Stephanie: ChicChatSteph
Bernadette: ChicChatBernie
Chantelle:ChicChatChantell
Bridgett: ChicChatBoo
Cassie: ChicChatCass
Kaileigh: ChicChatKaileigh
Feel free to add us to your buddy list!
At 9, we will all be on instant messenger, and we will create a chat titled Chic Chat. To enter, simply choose "Buddy Chat" on the AIM menu, next to File. Delete the chat name/number that is next to Chat Room, and type Chic Chat. Type your own screen name where it says screen names to invite. Click "Send", and it should take you to the chat.
If you have any questions or problems, please let me know. We look forward to chatting with you!
Hair...or Bare?
Hair on our head? A good thing. Anywhere else? Not so much.
Summer is in full swing for most of us, and with that comes bathing suit and tank top season. That also brings the need to remove our body hair more often (eww).
There are many theories that hair does indeed grow faster in the summer. Possibly because our pores are open more, and our skin is not cold, so it isn't as constricted. Either way, it means that most of us are shaving or waxing more often, as if we didn't have enough to do already ;)
Here's a little snippet on different methods of hair removal:
Summer is in full swing for most of us, and with that comes bathing suit and tank top season. That also brings the need to remove our body hair more often (eww).
There are many theories that hair does indeed grow faster in the summer. Possibly because our pores are open more, and our skin is not cold, so it isn't as constricted. Either way, it means that most of us are shaving or waxing more often, as if we didn't have enough to do already ;)
Here's a little snippet on different methods of hair removal:
Shaving:
We know allll about it. It's cheaper than other methods right off the bat, but over a life time it could balance out to be nearly the same cost as other methods of hair removal, such as the laser. It's also time consuming, not to mention having to change the blade often. Then there's razor burn- no friend to any of us, ever. And sometimes just as bad, the accidental nicking of the skin here and there. How does such a small cut hurt so bad anyhow??
Shaving gives you maybe a good 2-3 days before you must repeat the torture. Over time this can wear on your skin, inevitably causing razor burn (unless you've been lucky enough to find those miracle shaving creams and razor blades and if so, please share what they are!). Most moms, especially new moms, know that shaving takes a back seat more often than not ;)
Shaving gives you maybe a good 2-3 days before you must repeat the torture. Over time this can wear on your skin, inevitably causing razor burn (unless you've been lucky enough to find those miracle shaving creams and razor blades and if so, please share what they are!). Most moms, especially new moms, know that shaving takes a back seat more often than not ;)
Waxing:
Waxing is the "next step up" from shaving. It's faster, but costs more than shaving when done professionally. There are many benefits including the fact that you can do it at home or have someone else do it for you. The biggest benefit would be that hair tends to stay gone longer, since waxing pulls hair out at the root, instead of just cutting it off at the surface. When you wax, hair can stay gone for up to a couple of weeks or longer, depending on how fast your hair grows. Over time, waxing can actually thin the hair, and so the more trips to the salon, the less waxing you may find that you have to do!
Waxing is a one stop shop. In one day, we can come out with our eyebrows shaped, our arm pits hairless, our bikini line groomed, and our legs smoother than a baby's butt. But those monthly trips to the salon can add up, with small wax jobs starting at $10+ and bigger ones ranging upwards of $50+.
Waxing is a one stop shop. In one day, we can come out with our eyebrows shaped, our arm pits hairless, our bikini line groomed, and our legs smoother than a baby's butt. But those monthly trips to the salon can add up, with small wax jobs starting at $10+ and bigger ones ranging upwards of $50+.
In addition to the traditional bikini wax, we also have the Brazilian Wax. This basically involves removing every bit of hair that you have in your nether regions. Of course some people choose to leave a landing strip, triangle, or some other artistic expression. But if you chose to go bare, then you are bare from the front..to the back. Have you tried it? Would you?
Laser:
Laser hair removal is a longer process than most people think. An initial zap is made, and often requires anywhere from 2-5 follow up treatments before the hair is actually gone, with the whole process taking several months to complete. The dead hair will rise to the surface of the skin, which can cause a rash and intense itching, before the hair falls out and then is gone..hopefully for forever! Laser hair removal is the most expensive of all of the methods, but many offices offer financing or payment plans, along with a warranty of sorts in case the hair does come back. Once the laser removal process is complete, you can say buh-bye to hair for forever!
So tell us here at Chic Chat, what is your preferred method of hair removal? Share your tips and tricks with us for fighting that wretched razor burn! Tell us, do you have hair, or do you go bare?
7/28/2009
Baby Blues: One Mother's Look At Her Life Post-Pregnancy
It's my belief most women suffer, at the very minimum, a mild form of post-partum depression following the birth of their children.
Truly, it would be hard to avoid as our bodies are resetting themselves post-pregnancy...our hormones are raging out of control, there is physical discomfort present--no matter whether our children were birthed vaginally or via Cesarean section, we're severely lacking consistent sleep, and we're having overwhelming feelings of, "Oh my goodness, I can't possibly take care of this tiny infant!"
I still remember the days following the birth of my first child...a son. I was 26 years old, living 3000 miles from my entire family, and I'd met the father of my baby a mere 10 months earlier. To say I was stressed by the entire situation was an enormous understatement.
The adrenaline of meeting my baby boy for the first time [after a 32 hour labor], superseded the weepiness which inevitably follows a pregnancy. I was on an emotional high looking into his beautiful, angelic, chubby little face. Only a few days later, however, I was walking past the second bedroom in our tiny apartment [which only days before had been vacated by my best friend and roomie, Jessica], and I felt my knees go weak. She'd moved out so we could have a room for our son. It hit me like a ton of bricks in the chest.
My life was irreversibly changed from that day forward.
No more staying up late eating nachos and playing X-box; no more karaoke at Trav's [a local tavern], listening to my future husband sing late into the night; no more spontaneous nights on the town; no more drunkenness; no more having friends over and watching movies together until dawn. And while I had no problems at all giving up any of these activities for my beautiful child, it was still a shock to my system nevertheless.
It all came crashing down on me that day in our tiny hallway...and with my back against the wall, I slid to the floor letting out guttural, anguished, heaving sobs. My parents and my then boyfriend [now husband] came running, thinking I'd somehow opened my C-section wound or something equally horrible...but no. It was just me grieving and saying good-bye to the life I once knew.
Had these thoughts occurred only days later, I wouldn't have been nearly as affected. I sincerely believe I was in the midst of post-partum depression and it was manifesting itself in some peculiar ways.
Breastfeeding wasn't going well. My son was born with a tied tongue which meant he sucked incredibly hard. My nipples bled every time he latched himself on. Even without the physical pain caused by breastfeeding, I was feeling a bit like a milk cow. My breasts were enormous, painful lumps hanging on my chest. And it seemed, inevitably, no matter how many breast pads I used in my bra, my shirt would end up wet every time I left the house. Finally, peeps, don't even get me started on the bleeding. Eeek!
The first few weeks following a pregnancy were a real eye-opener for me.
Thankfully, the depression lasted only a short time and I was back to me exuberant, pre-pregnancy self [including my weight], in no time . Unfortunately, that wasn't the case with my second pregnancy.
My daughter was born nearly three years following my son in 2004. The pregnancy itself was harder...I was older [almost 30], and wasn't in nearly as good of physical shape as I was the first time. Thankfully, it was a planned C-section...so at least I didn't have to deal with hour after hour of grueling labor pains.
Because I'd had a complicated pregnancy which was antagonized by chronic bronchitis and the onset of mild asthma, I was forced to leave my job as a registered nurse. The result was massive financial chaos which forced us to move in with my in-laws. As I'm sure any of you who have been in my shoes know, even if your in-laws are the greatest people alive, two families living together rarely works well. It was a stressful situation, to say the least.
My daughter was born very small...only a little over five pounds. Her skin was a dry, red mess because apparently, I'd been leaking amniotic fluid the last few weeks of my pregnancy, despite being reassured by my OB I wasn't. [Grrrrr.] Autumn had to endure several blood cultures to make sure no infection existed in her little body.
To top all this off, my little girl was a colicky mess for the first three months of her life. Pukey, pukey, pukey, she was. She was so tiny and my nipples were so large...she couldn't breastfeed well either. HELLO MASTITIS! Her big brother didn't seem to like her much at all and completley avoided her for almost a month. Plus, I HATED living in a basement, trying to raise my family.
And then, only two months after my daughter entered our world, my world came crashing down. My son was diagnosed with autism.
Although I didn't realize it at the time...I was wallowing in depression while trying to maintain a calm, relaxed exterior for my family. And because I'd been weepy since my little girl was born, I honestly think my post-partum depression manifested into full-blown, hardcore, knock-me-down, depression following my son's autism diagnosis.
I PACKED ON the weight, guys. I devoured everything I shouldn't and refused to move off my barge-sized ass.
Looking at pictures of myself during that time in my life is like looking at a stranger. My eyes reflected nothing but a rather blank sadness. I was a shell of my former shelf. My face was distorted with fat, the features bloated beyond recognition. And yes, I lived like this for nearly three years.
Depression, post-partum or not, is a nasty bitch.
And I'm just here to tell you, I understand.
You're not alone.
If any of this rings true to you, or you have a post-partum depression story of your own, please share in the comments section. I'll try and respond to each and every remark.
Truly, it would be hard to avoid as our bodies are resetting themselves post-pregnancy...our hormones are raging out of control, there is physical discomfort present--no matter whether our children were birthed vaginally or via Cesarean section, we're severely lacking consistent sleep, and we're having overwhelming feelings of, "Oh my goodness, I can't possibly take care of this tiny infant!"
I still remember the days following the birth of my first child...a son. I was 26 years old, living 3000 miles from my entire family, and I'd met the father of my baby a mere 10 months earlier. To say I was stressed by the entire situation was an enormous understatement.
The adrenaline of meeting my baby boy for the first time [after a 32 hour labor], superseded the weepiness which inevitably follows a pregnancy. I was on an emotional high looking into his beautiful, angelic, chubby little face. Only a few days later, however, I was walking past the second bedroom in our tiny apartment [which only days before had been vacated by my best friend and roomie, Jessica], and I felt my knees go weak. She'd moved out so we could have a room for our son. It hit me like a ton of bricks in the chest.
My life was irreversibly changed from that day forward.
No more staying up late eating nachos and playing X-box; no more karaoke at Trav's [a local tavern], listening to my future husband sing late into the night; no more spontaneous nights on the town; no more drunkenness; no more having friends over and watching movies together until dawn. And while I had no problems at all giving up any of these activities for my beautiful child, it was still a shock to my system nevertheless.
It all came crashing down on me that day in our tiny hallway...and with my back against the wall, I slid to the floor letting out guttural, anguished, heaving sobs. My parents and my then boyfriend [now husband] came running, thinking I'd somehow opened my C-section wound or something equally horrible...but no. It was just me grieving and saying good-bye to the life I once knew.
Had these thoughts occurred only days later, I wouldn't have been nearly as affected. I sincerely believe I was in the midst of post-partum depression and it was manifesting itself in some peculiar ways.
Breastfeeding wasn't going well. My son was born with a tied tongue which meant he sucked incredibly hard. My nipples bled every time he latched himself on. Even without the physical pain caused by breastfeeding, I was feeling a bit like a milk cow. My breasts were enormous, painful lumps hanging on my chest. And it seemed, inevitably, no matter how many breast pads I used in my bra, my shirt would end up wet every time I left the house. Finally, peeps, don't even get me started on the bleeding. Eeek!
The first few weeks following a pregnancy were a real eye-opener for me.
Thankfully, the depression lasted only a short time and I was back to me exuberant, pre-pregnancy self [including my weight], in no time . Unfortunately, that wasn't the case with my second pregnancy.
My daughter was born nearly three years following my son in 2004. The pregnancy itself was harder...I was older [almost 30], and wasn't in nearly as good of physical shape as I was the first time. Thankfully, it was a planned C-section...so at least I didn't have to deal with hour after hour of grueling labor pains.
Because I'd had a complicated pregnancy which was antagonized by chronic bronchitis and the onset of mild asthma, I was forced to leave my job as a registered nurse. The result was massive financial chaos which forced us to move in with my in-laws. As I'm sure any of you who have been in my shoes know, even if your in-laws are the greatest people alive, two families living together rarely works well. It was a stressful situation, to say the least.
My daughter was born very small...only a little over five pounds. Her skin was a dry, red mess because apparently, I'd been leaking amniotic fluid the last few weeks of my pregnancy, despite being reassured by my OB I wasn't. [Grrrrr.] Autumn had to endure several blood cultures to make sure no infection existed in her little body.
To top all this off, my little girl was a colicky mess for the first three months of her life. Pukey, pukey, pukey, she was. She was so tiny and my nipples were so large...she couldn't breastfeed well either. HELLO MASTITIS! Her big brother didn't seem to like her much at all and completley avoided her for almost a month. Plus, I HATED living in a basement, trying to raise my family.
And then, only two months after my daughter entered our world, my world came crashing down. My son was diagnosed with autism.
Although I didn't realize it at the time...I was wallowing in depression while trying to maintain a calm, relaxed exterior for my family. And because I'd been weepy since my little girl was born, I honestly think my post-partum depression manifested into full-blown, hardcore, knock-me-down, depression following my son's autism diagnosis.
I PACKED ON the weight, guys. I devoured everything I shouldn't and refused to move off my barge-sized ass.
Looking at pictures of myself during that time in my life is like looking at a stranger. My eyes reflected nothing but a rather blank sadness. I was a shell of my former shelf. My face was distorted with fat, the features bloated beyond recognition. And yes, I lived like this for nearly three years.
Depression, post-partum or not, is a nasty bitch.
And I'm just here to tell you, I understand.
You're not alone.
If any of this rings true to you, or you have a post-partum depression story of your own, please share in the comments section. I'll try and respond to each and every remark.
7/27/2009
Greetings!
Good morning Chic Chat ladies! I am sooooo excited to be a part of the Chic Chat team, and I wanted to take a minute to introduce myself to you all :)
My name is Chantelle, and I'm the ripe old age of 27. I have two "babies" who are my world. My daughter is 6 and my son is 2. I was born and raised in West Virginia,but I was never a small town girl. I was just trapped there for 20some years ;)
Last year, we moved to Florida with my husbands job. I love it here, but it's been a big adjustment for us all. I'm coming out on the other side of it though ;)Currently I am a stay at home mom, and loving it. Before we moved here, I graduated nursing school as an LPN. 3 months after that, I had our son, and just felt that continuing to stay home was more important to me. I am back in school online right now, to hopefully one day achieve that RN degree. Right now, I'm a mom who is doubling as the longest ever RN student ;)
I'm still a total girlie-girl at heart. I love chic books, makeup, fashion, purses and all of that good stuff. I love animals, (most) people, driving, traveling, making people laugh and just being at home relaxing (as if that ever happens!). I hate daylight savings time, and I get really annoyed when people walk on my carpet after I vacumm ;)
I won't go on to bore you with all of my personal info. I am really excited to be a part of Chic Chat, and I look forward to the journey with you all! :)
My name is Chantelle, and I'm the ripe old age of 27. I have two "babies" who are my world. My daughter is 6 and my son is 2. I was born and raised in West Virginia,but I was never a small town girl. I was just trapped there for 20some years ;)
Last year, we moved to Florida with my husbands job. I love it here, but it's been a big adjustment for us all. I'm coming out on the other side of it though ;)Currently I am a stay at home mom, and loving it. Before we moved here, I graduated nursing school as an LPN. 3 months after that, I had our son, and just felt that continuing to stay home was more important to me. I am back in school online right now, to hopefully one day achieve that RN degree. Right now, I'm a mom who is doubling as the longest ever RN student ;)
I'm still a total girlie-girl at heart. I love chic books, makeup, fashion, purses and all of that good stuff. I love animals, (most) people, driving, traveling, making people laugh and just being at home relaxing (as if that ever happens!). I hate daylight savings time, and I get really annoyed when people walk on my carpet after I vacumm ;)
I won't go on to bore you with all of my personal info. I am really excited to be a part of Chic Chat, and I look forward to the journey with you all! :)
Allow me to introduce myself...
Hey, Chic Chat readers! I am so happy to say that I am one of the new contributors for this lovely blog.
I'm Stephanie, a 22-year-old mom to two of the cutest, sweetest girls in the world. Summer will be 3 next month, and Camryn will be 2 next month. They are almost exactly 11.5 months apart in age. It can get crazy, but it's also so fun! I am married to Joe, a pretty wonderful husband and father. Our life has been a whirlwind. We met when I was 18 and he was almost 20. Within the year, I was pregnant with Summer. Three months after she was born, I discovered I was pregnant with Camryn. When Camryn was 8 weeks old, Joe and I got married. We moved every year until this past March, when we bought our first house. Hopefully we will stay put for awhile!
I am currently a stay-at-home mom. I love it! I enjoy spending so much time with my daughters, playing, teaching them things, and doing craft projects. I do not, however, enjoy cleaning up their spilled Cheerios, or going on a scavenger hunt for missing potatoes. Every day is different, but the good definitely outweighs the bad. I plan on having a career some day, probably once the kids are in school. Until then, I'm content working on my new venture into blog designing.
I hope you all stick around and see what I, and the rest of the Chic Chat ladies, have to say.
I'm Stephanie, a 22-year-old mom to two of the cutest, sweetest girls in the world. Summer will be 3 next month, and Camryn will be 2 next month. They are almost exactly 11.5 months apart in age. It can get crazy, but it's also so fun! I am married to Joe, a pretty wonderful husband and father. Our life has been a whirlwind. We met when I was 18 and he was almost 20. Within the year, I was pregnant with Summer. Three months after she was born, I discovered I was pregnant with Camryn. When Camryn was 8 weeks old, Joe and I got married. We moved every year until this past March, when we bought our first house. Hopefully we will stay put for awhile!
I am currently a stay-at-home mom. I love it! I enjoy spending so much time with my daughters, playing, teaching them things, and doing craft projects. I do not, however, enjoy cleaning up their spilled Cheerios, or going on a scavenger hunt for missing potatoes. Every day is different, but the good definitely outweighs the bad. I plan on having a career some day, probably once the kids are in school. Until then, I'm content working on my new venture into blog designing.
I hope you all stick around and see what I, and the rest of the Chic Chat ladies, have to say.
7/26/2009
Welcome Back!!!
Hello and welcome back to Chic Chat, loyal reader!
We've gone through many changes in the past few months, but we're back now, stronger and better than ever! We have many exciting plans for the direction we're hoping this blog will take...but to do these things, we need your participation and communication, dear reader.
Which leads me to our first big change.
Question of the Week
You can probably see the big banner at the top of the page. That's a permanent fixture from this day forward on Chic Chat. The only thing that will change is the post it links to and the actual question being asked. Each week [i.e. Monday morning], we'll be coming up with a question, posting our own responses if we happen to have one, and then eagerly waiting for you to post yours as well, in the comment section.
Just click on the banner at the top and it will take you directly to that week's 'question' post, where you can add your thoughts and stories.
This week, the question is...."What's your most embarrassing moment?"
Please don't post it here...as this is just an introduction and explanation entry. Instead, do so on the actual question post, pretty please. :)
If there are any questions or if you're having trouble with the link, please let us know. And once again, welcome back, Chatters!
We've gone through many changes in the past few months, but we're back now, stronger and better than ever! We have many exciting plans for the direction we're hoping this blog will take...but to do these things, we need your participation and communication, dear reader.
Which leads me to our first big change.
Question of the Week
You can probably see the big banner at the top of the page. That's a permanent fixture from this day forward on Chic Chat. The only thing that will change is the post it links to and the actual question being asked. Each week [i.e. Monday morning], we'll be coming up with a question, posting our own responses if we happen to have one, and then eagerly waiting for you to post yours as well, in the comment section.
Just click on the banner at the top and it will take you directly to that week's 'question' post, where you can add your thoughts and stories.
This week, the question is...."What's your most embarrassing moment?"
Please don't post it here...as this is just an introduction and explanation entry. Instead, do so on the actual question post, pretty please. :)
If there are any questions or if you're having trouble with the link, please let us know. And once again, welcome back, Chatters!
P.S. I highly recommend everybody subscribe not only to the blog entries, but to the comments as well. Some of our best discussion happens within the comment section. :)
Question of the Week: What is your most embarassing moment?
My most embarrassing moment was one that I think we can all identify with- the unexpected arrival of our least favorite relative, Aunt Flo. Normally she makes her impending presence known, with cramps, bloating, and wretched migraines at least two weeks in advance. Well, not this time.
Did I mention that it was the day of my best friends wedding, and I was in a very light lavendar dress? Yep, totally NOT joking on this one. I marched up the aisle, who knows if I had ruined my dress at that point, but all I know is that by the time I got to the reception, I had to pee really bad. So I went to the restroom and pulled down my dress, only to find that I had bled through the 4 layers of big fluffy dress, and left a lovely bright red stain on my light purple dress. Thank goodness it wasn't a rental!
I have another one too. ;)
If I wanted to go further back to what was my most emabrrassing moment to me, at the time, I was just getting to that ripe age of teenager. I was interested in boys, and just was that all around, giddy, giggly, school girl.
One weekend, my grandma took me ice skating. While I was there, I noticed that there was a really cute (and much older) boy there. I was doing my best skating moves- mind you, only the second time in my life to ice skate- trying to impress him.I noticed that he had stopped on the side of the rink. Not to look at me, but just stopped. So I start to do my little thing, and then in slow motion, I fall. Only I fell hard.
As if that wasn't bad enough, I must have slid about 5 feet across the ice, on my stomach. To add even more insult to injury, my watch came off, slid across the ice and landed where? You guessed it, at the guys feet. He picks it up and skates over to me to give it back. I'm sure that my face was hot enough to melt the ice. ;)
Picture this:
The year is 1987. I'm 11 years old and on my first vacation in beautiful, sunny Florida. Unfortunately, I started my period mere days before we left. Because I was still pretty young, I hadn't started wearing tampons yet...indeed, they scared the crap out of me! There was no way I was sticking that cotton thingy up my puss.
Nuh uh. No way.
So what brilliant decision did I make? I decided to swim with a t-shirt and mesh shorts over my bathing suit, to hide my bulky pad and swollen boobies. And yes...that meant my pad absorbed water like the desert ground. One pad probably increased my body weight by 10 pounds.
After a lovely afternoon on a sand bar searching for sand dollars, and wading in water which was shoulder high...I started the trek back to our condo. About a quarter mile there, my inner thighs were so chafed from my wet shorts and enormous pad, I could hardly walk. So I did what any tween girl would do...I crab-walked down the boardwalk. When people other than my family made an appearance, I'd walk as normally as I could, strutting casually and trying to ignore the demonic pain between my legs.
When we were nearly home and in a more populated part of Marco Island, I did a quick crab-walk to relieve the heat burning on my thighs.....and my pad fell out of my shorts and landed with a wet splat on the wooden walkway.
Not only did the people walking by see my bloody display...so did my dad.
**On a sidenote, during this very same trip my mother's bikini top was washed away in the ocean current, leaving her totally exposed; my twin cousin got a tampon stuck in her vagina because she hadn't yet started her period and had no lubrication, but was insistent she show me tampons aren't, in fact, scary; my aunt walked around the condo with a bloody pad stuck to the rear-end of her white shorts, after sitting on it where I was 'practicing' with the tampons; and finally, my uncle made a leaping jump onto our fold out bed...and was totally rolled up inside it.
Yea, it was a memorable trip on so many levels. :) I guess I should just feel fortunate I didn't start a shark feeding frenzy since I was bleeding in the water all week long.
Here goes mine:
I was a teenager of course, learning to drive. My mom taught me how to drive in her car which was a stick. I felt really cool being the only girl around knowing how to drive a manual. When I turned 16 the car I had chosen was a stick as well. Very fun cars to drive!
One day I drove my car to my friend's male cousins house (the older boys were ALWAYS there). His driveway was a straight hill, but I felt confident getting up there in my car (which I did well). There I was parked and ready to go with all of the boys (even more this time) out on the patio next to the driveway. As I was walking towards them, I heard one of them say, "Whose car?!" Everyone turned around , including myself, to see my car rolling down the hill. Without any thought I ran to my car, got in and hit the breaks, (at this point the car was making loud noises on the gravel) to save my first ride. My leg was half out and as I was screaming, someone yelled "You have to put it in first gear when parked!!" I was mortified because they were all were laughing so hard. To make matters worse, when I came back to leave in my car there was a LARGE rock behind my tire, either a sweet jester or a prank move! I no longer left my car in neutral when I parked.
Hello all, here's mine!
The funny thing is, when I sit down and try and think of a “most embarrassing moment”, my mind ultimately goes blank. I know this certainly isn’t for lack of experiences, but perhaps because I have tried desperately to forget so many embarrassing moments…
Off of the top of my head, I can think of a time recently when a friend and I went to a nearby outlet mall for a little shopping trip. Horribly pre-menstrual (or maybe just I was), we both sought out a little chocolate shop after some heavy duty shopping, because hey shopping is exercise…. Right? Right!
She purchased her usual dark chocolate covered cherries, or some other dark chocolate creation that I simply can’t remember, and since I can’t stand dark chocolate, I searched for something of the lighter variation… though perhaps not lighter calorie-wise.
There in the display sat a row of what they called “chocolate bark”. A little white and black cookies and cream number called my name from inside the case, and I happily responded with a point of my finger and a swipe of my card.
We eagerly dug out our goodies the moment we stepped outside, and pulled off the wax paper. My friend devoured her chocolate, and I attempted to devour mine. The problem was… that cookies and cream “chocolate bark” was truly as hard as bark. I bit down into the chocolate, desperate for a melting bit in my mouth, but truly could not sink my teeth through this chocolate. I had several more tries (hey, I’m not a quitter!!) before finally getting part of the chocolate in my mouth.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t nearly as tasty as I imagined, and when I ran my tongue over my teeth later that day… I discovered that I had chipped one of my teeth in the process. I was so desperate for a bite of that chocolate that I chipped my damn tooth. And to this day, I can’t tell my husband how I really chipped my tooth (I told him it was a price tag that I pulled off with my teeth), I’m just too embarrassed.
Well, that’s just a more recent one… and one that I can remember well. Maybe some worse ones are the time when I was walking home with my friend and a guy we both had a crush on in middle school. I was carrying a pastel drawing, turned towards me, and discovered when I got to her house that the pastels had rubbed off in two perfect circles on my boobs. That was just lovely.
Also, about a year ago, I was sitting down with my family for dinner at my mom’s house when her dogs started fighting over something in the other room. When we went to go check on them, I discovered with horror that one had dragged out my tampon applicator from the trash and were fighting over it (so gross). And of course the whole family was there to see it...
So those are mine, I’m sure more will come to me, but I think some are just too repressed to come out!!
It was really hard for me to think of a most embarrassing moment....not that I don't have plenty, but it was difficult to think back that far. This one is a little painful to tell, but everyone seems to get a good laugh from it.
When I was a kid, I had a thing for playing with my Barbies and My Little Ponies in the bath...but I wasn't supposed to. I also liked climbing up on the sink after my bath and drawing pictures in the steam on the mirror...again, something I wasn't supposed to do.
One evening, when I was 7, I went up to take my bath. I snuck out of the tub and grabbed a My Little Pony and snuck back into the bath. After I'd finished my bath I took the pony and climbed up on the sink. We had a big vanity sink, one with the cabinets under it and squared off edges, it has just enough room for a small child to stand on the edge of the sink. I had the pony doing a little dance routine in front of the mirror when....Bam!, Bam!, Bam!, my dad pounded on the bathroom door!
It scared the crap out of me and I (still wet from the bath) jumped out of my skin and slid backwards off of the sink.....
Catching my 'coochie' on the corner of the sink!
Sheer pain shot right through me and I laid there on the floor with a broken hoo hoo. Of course, my parents rushed me to the emergency room...and after a few stitches and a prescription they sent me home. I remember having to take some kind of salt baths for weeks and of course...the ice packs down my pants!
What could make that worse?! We had a family reunion the next day at my Grandparents house! I was so miserable that they let me ride in the front seat on the way there...and I can even remember the washcloth that the ice pack was wrapped in. When we got there I refused to get out of the car, until Grandma brought me a root beer float.
To this day, my family still laughs about how I lost my virginity to the bathroom sink...and I still blush.
7/12/2009
Exciting Changes
We have selected two new authors. This will probably change the atmosphere in here a little! I will let them introduce themselves when the time is right. We plan on moving forward and will post at will. We are sure that this blog will see more activity during winter months. However, we are here to stay!
Stay tuned :)
Cassie
Changes and is anyone there?
Hello everyone,
With the Summer being upon us we have all been VERY busy. Unable to keep up with our own blogs, let alone Chic Chat. We have also lost our lovely Brittany, who has left blogger and joined a new nook of networking/blogging. She will be missed! I hope she can continue to be around to support us though.
Which leads me to ask, are you all still interested in keeping Chic Chat alive?? Also, if some of us take a summer break will you still be here in the fall?
I would also like to add some authors! If interested please email me @ Calauren09@aol.com. You have read Chic Chat and know what we are about. If you think you'd be interested please email me asap.
Your feedback and emails will really be the future life of this blog.
Brittany has also agreed to do our graphics and layouts for now, we will wait until we start our new path.
Thanks loyal readers,
Cassie
Chic Chat Author
With the Summer being upon us we have all been VERY busy. Unable to keep up with our own blogs, let alone Chic Chat. We have also lost our lovely Brittany, who has left blogger and joined a new nook of networking/blogging. She will be missed! I hope she can continue to be around to support us though.
Which leads me to ask, are you all still interested in keeping Chic Chat alive?? Also, if some of us take a summer break will you still be here in the fall?
I would also like to add some authors! If interested please email me @ Calauren09@aol.com. You have read Chic Chat and know what we are about. If you think you'd be interested please email me asap.
Your feedback and emails will really be the future life of this blog.
Brittany has also agreed to do our graphics and layouts for now, we will wait until we start our new path.
Thanks loyal readers,
Cassie
Chic Chat Author
7/02/2009
Shoes Too Small?
Have you ever bought shoes that were too small, by one size, or the width of them was too skinny? Or have you ever bought a pair that fit once but you gained a little weight and they no longer fit width wise? Or Have you ever bought a pair knowing they were too small but hoped to squeeze your feet into them?
Ok Ladies, here is your solution....
Are woman born this way?
LOL! I swear this is so true, especially for some of us! One of our girls who is a few years older talks non stop too, sometimes we check that she took breaths!
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