The Emi Times

Happy Wednesday! It's time for another currently list.


Watching: John and I watched The Age of Adaline and I loved the movie.

Reading: As usual, I'm catching up on some blog posts. I'm hoping to finish reading one book this month.

Listening: I think everyone should listen to Danay Suarez. Her songs are so amazing.

Making: I'm finally working on some greeting cards. I haven't made a lot of greeting cards in a while so it's nice to finally be able to make something new. I may even add some in my shop.

Feeling: Today has been amazing. I woke up today feeling very peaceful. I wasn't tired or energetic, but I felt so good.

Planning: February is going to be a somewhat busy month so I'm already planning for all of the stuff that I have to do. I'm also working on some more blog posts and essays.

Loving: I'm really loving journaling. I find journaling to be very therapeutic and I love that I can journal whatever I want. I'm learning that it's ok if my journal is not exactly "perfect". Sometimes I may just add a couple of words on a page, fill several pages, or just add some art in my journal. I think of my journal as a creative outlet. I love adding quotes, ephemera, photos, and even writing ideas for blog posts, stories, and essays. Do you keep a journal?

What are you currently up to?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

A friend of mine posted something on Facebook that has stuck with me for a few weeks. She wrote that she loves that so many of her friends are at a point in their lives where they have figured out how to balance work, family, and time for themselves while accomplishing their goals. She also mentioned that she hopes to get to that point in her life soon, but was feeling so overwhelmed and asked for advice. After reading the comments on her post, I noticed that so many people agreed with what she posted.

I think everyone has this same thought at one point in their lives. As we get older, we try to figure out what we want to do with our lives and balancing everything that we want to do can sometimes be challenging. I'm not an expert at life, but I did tell her that I think one of the most important things to remember is to not compare yourself to others. Everyone has their own life...their own journey. We all have different things that we want to accomplish. Some of our mutual friends are into music, writing, business, film, etc. Some of our friends are already parents while we still have a few friends who are trying to figure out what they want in a relationship.


Another important thing to remember is that we all need to do what is right for our own life. What may work for one person or family may not work for all of us. It's ok to have to adjust our routines to fit our lives. Life is not a competition. Your time will come. You will eventually find out what works for you.

One of the best things about that post and the comments was how everyone was so open and honest about their feelings. I love how so many of our mutual friends (and even people that we didn't know) could relate and were so supportive of each other. In the end, so many people made new friends and shared their websites, blogs, shops, music, etc. as well as their goals. The support and the encouragement on that post was incredible.

How do you balance work, family, and time for yourself? 

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Photo by Chris Adamus on Unsplash

Happy Friday! Today I'm linking up with Charlotte, Lindsay, and Beth for their weekly happy and grateful list link up.



1. Ghiradelli hot chocolate

2. Scrapbooking/Crafting

3. Jellybeans

4. Awesome appointment

5. Taco Bell's nacho fries

6. Breyer's ice cream cake with chocolate crunches

7. Me time

8. Hershey's Gold Peanuts & Pretzels

9. This bookshelf

10. Free Chick-fil-A chicken biscuits

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...
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Happy Thursday! It's time for another Currently List!


Watching: I've been catching up on the news and immediately remembered why I decided to take a break from watching the news. I have been watching Grey's Anatomy and Lucifer. I can't wait for the next episode of Grey's Anatomy.

Reading: As usual, I've been reading blogs and catching up on emails. I'm a bit disappointed that I may not reach my reading goal for this month, but I'm still going to try.

Listening: Please stop what you are doing and listen to Perfect by Ed Sheeran and Andrea Bocelli. This is such a beautiful song. Bocelli's voice is incredible.

Making: I have finally been able to make some layouts and I've been writing a lot in my journal. It's been so long and I'm hoping to share some more projects soon. I've also been working on a few blog posts.

Feeling: I feel so well rested. I got a lot of stuff done and decided to take a long nap...it was the best decision ever.

Planning: I still have so much stuff that I have to get before my little one arrives. I just found out that my local Babies R Us store is going to close and they will be having some great sales. I'm a bit disappointed that they are closing because we love to shop at Babies R Us for all our baby supplies.

Loving: Oh. My. Goodness. I am loving Kraft Mac & Cheese. I ate an entire box and it was so good! #noregrets #pregnancycravings

What are you currently up to?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Happy Wednesday! It's been a while since I shared a scrapbook layout. This pregnancy has really made me exhausted so I haven't really made any scrapbook layouts or crafty projects. Luckily, I'm starting to get my energy back and I'm so excited to share this layout I made a couple of weeks ago.



I really love the little puffy stickers and I love how the stickers add a pop of dimension to the layout. The colors on the strips of paper are just adorable. Overall, I really like how this layout turned out.

Supplies Used:

• Crate Paper Little You 6x6 Paper Pad
• Shimelle Little By Little Puffy Stickers

Happy Friday! Today I'm linking up with Charlotte, Lindsay, and Beth for their weekly grateful and happy list link up.


1. Snow days

2. Getting more sleep

3. Zaxbys

4. Getting stuff done in time

5. Perfect by Ed Sheeran and Andrea Bocelli

6. New ideas

7. New craft supplies

8. Supernatural is back

9. Grey's Anatomy

10. Awesome deals

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...
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1. Resolutions or No Resolutions? I don't make resolutions, but I do set goals. I think you have a higher chance of accomplishing goals instead of resolutions.

2. Love snow or No snow? I love snow! I just don't like driving in it.

3. Name a new place you want to go this year? I want to visit Savannah or go to the North Georgia mountains.

4. Would you rather have a new hair cut or hair color? Hair cut. Random fact...I've only dyed my hair once and that was for my wedding.

5. Name one special thing you want to do for yourself this year? This is a tough one. I really never do anything special for myself. I want to focus on myself and work on my one little word for the year.

6. Least favorite thing about January? I really dislike the cold weather.

7. Most favorite thing about January? My birthday is in January!

8. When do you take down your holiday decorations? Usually a couple of days after Christmas.

9. Do you diet in January? No, but I do think it's important to try and eat healthy. I think the only thing close to being a food related goal that I set was to drink more water.

10. What area of your home do you want to organize the most? This is a tough one. I'm pretty sure that I'm already nesting and I just want to clean everything! I should probably make a post about this because it's hilarious.

11. Favorite winter comfort food? Crockpot grape jelly and barbecue meatballs. Oh my goodness it is so good!

12. Favorite guilty pleasure? Love and Hip Hop: New York and Love and Hip Hop: Miami. Don't judge me. I don't watch it often, but a few of the episodes are sometimes funny. Love and Hip Hop: Miami just recently premiered and I only decided to watch it because of Amara La Negra. I really think everyone should actually hear or read about her story.

Feel free to answer the questions and leave your link below.

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Happy Tuesday! It's time for another Currently List.


Watching: I've been watching Essie Ruth's journal videos on YouTube. I love her process of journaling.

Reading: I've been catching up on some blog posts and I'm still reading My Friend Fear by Meera Lee Patel.

Listening: Crying in the Club by Camila Cabello is stuck in my head. You can check out the song here. The song reminds me of Genie in a Bottle by Christina Aguilera.

Making: I haven't made anything yet, but I do plan to journal in my Moleskine sketchbook.

Feeling: I am so exhausted and sleepy. I just realized that I have to stop doing too much in one day because I end up getting extremely tired.

Planning: I still have some blog posts that I have to work on so I have to schedule in some time to work on that.

Loving: I'm all about naps. I've noticed that with this pregnancy I have been taking tons of naps. With my two boys, I didn't really take a lot of naps. The doctors were not kidding when they said that every pregnancy is different.

What are you currently up to?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Happy Friday! Today I'm linking up with Charlotte, Lindsay, and Beth for their weekly happy and grateful list link up.


1. Being a contributor for this month's issue of Holl and Lane Magazine 

2. Crafty Ass Female podcast

3. My Friend Fear by Meera Lee Patel

4. Smucker's Uncrustables

5. Perfect by Ed Sheeran

6. 9-1-1 tv show

7. Warm bubble baths

8. Johnny's New York Style Pizza

9. Going to bed early

10. Quiet mornings

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...
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Happy Tuesday! It's time for another Currently List.


Watching: I don't normally watch The First 48, but it's interesting to see how the detectives work. I'm so glad that The Good Doctor is finally coming back. It's such a great show.

Reading: I'm currently reading My Friend Fear by Meera Lee Patel. This is such a great book and I recommend it. I was able to get the book for free by redeeming some Swagbucks points for an Amazon gift card. I would like to note that I had never purchased anything from Amazon and tried their free trial of Amazon Prime. I don't know why it took me so long to even consider buying from Amazon, but I was pretty impressed.

Listening: I've been listening to The Crafty Ass Female podcast and I'm loving it! Amanda and Kristin are amazing and they really inspire me. You can subscribe to their podcast on iTunes or listen to it on The Crafty Ass Female website.

Making: I'm still working on some blog posts for this week, but I also got a lot of drafts done for this month.

Feeling: I am so excited because Holl & Lane magazine releases on Tuesday! I'm a contributor for this month's issue and it just feels amazing to know that my work is in a magazine!

Planning: I'm still trying to decide what I want to do with Project Life. Last year, I only made layouts when I wanted to make them rather than making a layout every week and I loved it. It was less stress on me and I didn't feel pressure to make something every week. I think I'm going to do the same this year and stick with a small album.

Loving: It's been really cold so I have been loving my warm blankets. I'm really over the cold weather and just can't wait for warmer weather. Luckily it's supposed to warm up by the end of the week.

What are you currently up to?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a great weekend. I thought that I'd do a little recap of my weekend since my birthday was on Friday. I still can't believe that I am 27 years old, but I'm feeling so grateful to have been able to celebrate another year. This year, I decided to celebrate my birthday for the entire weekend...and I'm so glad that I did.


Thursday

I received an early birthday gift from my Mami to go to the hair salon. While the boys were at school and John was at work, I decided to get my hair and eyebrows done. There were a couple of new hair stylists at the salon that were just so kind. I had the funniest conversation with two of the hairstylists. One of the women asked me if I was pregnant and I told her yes. She was so shocked and told me that I look little too young to have a baby. I told her I was turning 27 the next day and both of the hairstylists were so surprised. Apparently, they both thought that I was supposed to be in school. They said that when I walked into the salon, they actually looked around to see if my mother was nearby! I totally took it as a compliment because I have to admit...I was dreading turning 27. After I left the salon, I went to Cinnabon to get my free iced coffee and some Cinnastix. I didn't finish my coffee since I guess being pregnant is making me not like coffee.


Friday

My birthday was actually on Friday. I had a dentist appointment in the morning. Yea I know, I'm crazy for even setting an appointment on my birthday. When I made the appointment, I had completely forgotten about my birthday. Anyways, the appointment went well even though I hate going to the dentist. After the appointment, I went to Hobby Lobby, but didn't get anything. John and I spent some time together and got some lunch at the mall. After lunch, I took a nap before the boys came home from school. Then I went to the boys' school since I had a meeting with Michael's teachers. The meeting went well and I am so excited to share that Michael is doing so well in school. Once I got home, we all relaxed for a bit before going to my Mami's house to celebrate my birthday.


Saturday

A few weeks ago, I registered to go to a Babies R Us registry event. I loved that the event was at 10 AM. I was so excited to check out the new baby gear like travel systems, swings, entertainers, etc. I really wanted to learn more about travel systems and was clueless when it came to picking out the perfect stroller for our lifestyle. I knew that I wanted to get a stroller that I could use for jogging, but also for running errands and going out with my family. One of the registry consultants showed me a couple of strollers and helped me find the perfect stroller. At the event, we all received a baby registry gift bag (so now I have two) and we also received a box of goodies that had products specifically for expecting parents. After the event, we grabbed lunch at Chick-fil-A and then went home to relax. Then we went to see Star Wars: The Last Jedi. We loved the movie and John thinks that it may just be the best movie in the franchise. Later that night, we went to my Mami's house again.


Sunday

I consider Sunday to be my recovery day. After several days of celebrating my birthday, I was a bit exhausted. I got a few loads of laundry done and read some blog posts. I also worked on a couple of blog posts for the week. I also started reading My Friend Fear by Meera Lee Patel and can't wait to share a review of the book soon.

Overall, I had a fantastic weekend and a wonderful birthday. I would like to thank everyone who wished me a happy birthday. I felt so loved and loved reading all of the little messages that I received.

How was your weekend?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Happy Friday! Today I'm linking up with Charlotte, Lindsay, and Beth for their weekly happy and grateful list link up.



1. Today is my birthday!!!

2. Makeba by Jain

3. Scrapbooking

4. Grey's Anatomy rerun

5. Lucifer is finally back!

6. Happy mail

7. Cinnabon Stix

8. Apples

9. My planner

10. Me time

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

The past couple of weeks, I have been sharing the items that I received in my baby registry gift bags. You can check the Babies R Us registry gift bag here and the Target baby registry gift bag here. Today I'm excited to share what I received in my Buy Buy Baby registry gift bag.

• Chicco Natural Fit pacifier (Size 0m+)

• Chicco Natural Fit disposable nursing pads

• MAM pacifier (Newborn size)

• Lansinoh sample (2 disposable nursing pads and 2 breastmilk storage bags)

• 2 samples of Boogie Wipes

• Sample of Aveeno Baby Lotion (1 fl oz)

• Sample of Noodle & Boo hair and body wash

• Sample of Noodle & Boo lotion

• 2 Seventh Generation Free & Clear diapers

• 2 Honest Company diapers (Size 1)

• Honest Company wipes (10 count)

• Baby on Board window sign

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Happy Tuesday! It's time for another Currently List!



Watching: I watched John and the boys play video games for a bit before I decided to run some errands. I also have to catch up on Damnation and the first season of Attack on Titans.

Reading: I'm reading You Don't Have to Like Me by Alida Nugent again. I really like this book and highly recommend it.

Listening: Oh my goodness! This song has been stuck in my head all day. I can't stop dancing to it and my boys think it's hilarious!

Making: I made a scrapbook layout and I journaled a bit. It felt so good to finally work on some scrapbooking and crafting.

Feeling: I'm so ready for 2018! I know it's going to be such a great year.

Planning: I have to finish planning the rest of the month. I have a new planner and have been setting it up for the month and the rest of the year.

Loving: I love that it's a new year. The possibilities are endless and I am loving it.

What are you currently up to?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Happy New Year! I love starting a new year. I absolutely love the idea of a fresh start and making new goals. I always set goals and not resolutions because I think you have a higher chance of actually achieving it. I think the difference between goals and resolutions is that a plan is usually involved when setting goals. When making resolutions, I've noticed that most people just state what they don't want to do without making a plan on how to actually accomplish it.


My one little word for 2018 is GROW.

This word is going to work in so many different areas of my life. There are so many things that I want to do and hope to accomplish in 2018. Some of my goals for the new year are:

Grow as a writer
I have been saying for months now that I want to share more of my personal writings and essays on the blog, but I haven't really had the chance to do that. Well that is going to change this year. I also hope to be a contributor for several different blogs and magazines like Huffington Post and Holl & Lane magazine. In order to grow as a writer, I plan to write more in my Moleskine journal (it's actually a Moleskine sketchbook). I will be setting 15-30 minutes to write everyday in my journal. I plan to use my new planner to schedule blog posts and goals related to writing.

Grow as a creative
I want to get out of my comfort zone and work on projects that normally I wouldn't even try. I want to work on and improve my creative skills. I want my creative business to grow. I want to make new cards, scrapbook layouts, and make my own embellishments. I want to continue to work on art and try new techniques and mediums.

Grow as a person
I want to work on my self care and make sure that I take time for myself. I want to spend more time outdoors and exercise more. I want to start running and plan to continue to go on the Silver Comet Trail. I want to read more and actually reach my reading goal this year. As I stated before, I want to get out of my comfort zone. I can be very picky when it comes to food so I would love to try new recipes and go to a few different restaurants. I want to explore my city and state. I want to learn more about my city's history and culture. Exploring my city and state will help me see things in a different perspective and help me grow as a person.

I can't wait to see the changes and experiences that this word will bring for me in 2018. Honestly, I'm a little afraid, but so excited. Here's to a new year!

What is your one little word for 2018? What do you hope to accomplish this year?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...