Meet Lacey of Little Miss Nerd Girl!

If you're anything like me, you probably spent your younger years dreaming about and planning your future. What career you'll have, when you'll get married, where you'll live, and how many kids you'll have, if any. You had your perfect life planned out in your head and had every intention of executing it perfectly.


Fast forward...


Has your life turned out like you imagined or is it completely different? Do you ever look back and wonder, "How did I get here?" 


Today's guest poster talks about this very thing. I am so happy to have my bloggy friend Lacey from Little Miss Nerd Girl here on the blog today sharing her journey of how she became a stay-at-home momma. Not only does Lacey have a cool name *wink*, but she's super sweet and talented as well! If you ever need any help or a new design for your blog, she's your go to girl! So please take a minute to get to know the awesome momma...

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“Do you know what you call those who use towels and never wash them, eat meals and never do the dishes, sit in rooms they never clean, and are entertained till they drop? If you have just answered, ‘A house guest,’ you're wrong because I have just described my kids.” - Erma Bombeck 

Earlier in the week, as I was walking with an armful of toys and water cups, I stopped and stared at what I was holding and wondered to myself, “How in the world did I end up a stay-at-home mom?”

I don’t want you to think I don’t like my “job.” I quite like it, love it even. As long as I have kids at home during the day, I hope that I can be home with them (however, I do wish I received a bit more time off than I do now). But three kids in two and a half years, staying home with them and living in Texas was never in my plans.

When I started high school I was going to go to college, get my degree in graphic design or computer animation, get married in my late twenties and then have kids several years later. 

I had no idea.

No idea that I would soon end up hating school (after loving it my whole life) and ditch the college idea – which meant my awesome job as a designer or animator was ditched too.

No idea that at 18 years old I would meet my future husband and at the age of 20 we’d start dating.

No idea that six weeks after we started dating we’d be engaged.

No idea that I’d be married at the age of 21.

No idea that I’d leave California at the age of 23 to move to Texas - a state where we knew absolutely nobody.

No idea that I’d own my first home shortly after.

And the biggest thing I had no idea about was my future children. That after miscarrying once and not getting pregnant for four years we would be blessed with three children in less than three years.

No idea that I would want to stay home with those three squishy babes.

If you had told the fifteen year old me what was in store, I would have laughed at you. “No way,” I’d have said as I shook my head. “I have a plan. And there is no way I am getting married that young and having three kids.” I would have turned back to my journal and written about this crazy person telling me about my future and drawn a picture of you. I had no idea that my life would have turned out better than I could ever imagined or planned for. And, sometimes, having no idea what the future holds is a good thing.

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I absolutely love Lacey's last sentence, "And, sometimes, having no idea what the future holds is a good thing." Isn't that so true? I would love if you would show Lacey some love by stopping by her blog or fb page to say Hi. She's such a sweetheart and I know you'll love getting to know her! 

Thanks Lacey for sharing your story with us today!

xoxo,

Lacee

Introducing Petticoat Fusion

When I started this blog back in June, I wanted to create a place where I could not only share my ideas and feelings, but a place where other women could share theirs too. A place where we could all relate, inspire and encourage one another.
I wanted it to feel like a community...a sisterhood.


I have come across so many other amazing blogs that do just that, and a little over a month ago I got an email from the lovely Amanda telling me about a new forum she was starting with some friends of hers. I wasn't too familiar with forums and had never actually been apart of one before, but when I checked it out I was very impressed. It was such an amazing place to meet new friends, share ideas, receive and share advice, and feel encouraged and supported. It was everything I felt that I wanted my blog to stand for as well. So today I am so excited to share with you the ladies of
Petticoat Fusion!


I really hope that after reading this post you will head on over and introduce yourself. Amanda and her friends are so sweet and welcoming. There are also so many topics being discussed and it is a great way to meet some new friends.
Oh! and did I mention that these ladies are SO generous and kind that they are doing a giveaway here just for YOU! A $25 Amazon gift card to be exact!
So please read on then check out how to enter below.


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Hello Mommas! First of all we’d like to say a huge thanks to Lacee for featuring us on her fabulous blog! Lacee is such a sweetheart, and we are just thrilled to be here today!
We’re visiting you today, not from a blog, but from somewhere a little different! It’s a cozy little spot we call “Petticoat Fusion”…but, we also like to call it home.
Petticoat Fusion was founded by myself (Amanda), Livia, and Kristan a couple months ago. The 3 of us had “met” online many years ago (almost 5 years now!), and formed an instant bond. In 2008 I had the pleasure of meeting Livia in person for the first time – it felt like we were “old friends” and our connection just got stronger from there. We got together at least once a year from then on, and finally last year we were able to meet Kristan! We spent a girls’ weekend in Boston, indulging in gourmet meals, shopping and spa treatments – it was heaven!
Soon after we launched Petticoat Fusion, we realized the 3 of us had not a “techy” bone in our body, and recruited the wonderful Rhonda to come join our team! Although we have not met Rhonda yet, she became an instant friend, and the 4 of us really complement each other. We hope to meet her very soon!!

So, how was Petticoat Fusion born, and what do we stand for?Well, we discussed on many occasions how lucky we are to have formed such wonderful friendships, through a computer, across thousands of miles. It finally occurred to us that this is an opportunity every woman should have. As busy mothers, students, and career women, we don't always have time to get out there and meet new friends. But the reality is that entire communities of women, just like us, are connecting through the world wide web through the click of a button. It doesn't require getting dressed, or leaving the house...just a few quick minutes to log online. And, we hope this will be the place that many women will come to do that.
Really, our name says it all. Petticoat(meaning women) Fusion (United)…we are a diverse group of women, from all over the map, uniting in friendship. We’re sharing in common interests, growing through our differences, and really just learning a lot about each other.
We chat about everything from cooking to fashion, to travel, to crafts and parenting. We also gripe about our bad days, triumph in the good and support each other through all of life’s ups and downs. There is always a shoulder to cry on, someone to make you smile, or a treasured piece of advice to be had.

5 years ago, I would have told someone they were crazy if they suggested I could make “real” friends through the internet. But, if you’re already part of the bloggy world, you probably already know it’s true.
So, we hope you’ll come on over and join our family! We promise you’ll love it!
Oh! And, as a big thanks to Lacee, we’d like to offer her readers a little giveaway! We’ll be gifting a $25 Amazon gift card to one lucky winner! Good luck to you all, and thanks so much for having us here today!


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Thank you so much Amanda, Livia, Kristan and Rhonda!

Guest Post: Summer of Made by Munchies Mama...and she brought presents too!

You know when you meet someone and you can instantly tell that they are amazing and beautiful both inside and out? Well, that's how I feel about my friend Summer who blogs over at 


Made by Munchies Mama

Not only is she gorgeous on the inside, but she has a heart of gold as you'll see from her post below. Summer and I both share a love for dance and our struggles with shyness out of the spotlight is something that has brought us together. I could go on and on about how much I adore this girl, but I'm going to shut up now so you can read on and fall in love with her all on your own :)


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Hey there Mommas Like Me readers!  I am really excited that Lacee asked me to stop by and introduce myself.  I have been blogging for only 2 months now, but I just love it!  One of my favorite things about blogging is getting to know other mommas that I can share stories and tips with and most of all relate to.  Lacee's blog is one that I read on a daily basis and feel connected to. 

Well...I guess I should tell you a little about myself right?!  I am a hard working mama to 2 adorable boys and wifey to my high school sweetheart.  I loooooove to dance, I've been doing it since I was 3 years old.  I was fortunate enough to dance professionally for the LA Clippers and San Diego Chargers...it was an amazing experience, but to say it was a lot of work would be a huge understatement. I spent many nights and weekends away from my hubby, but I have made lifelong friendships and that makes it all worth it.

This picture is for my girl Katie at Punkin Heads and Dooda Loos...she's a Pats fan

With dancing behind me, my daily focus is now on my family.  I was rushing around this evening trying to get 2 kids fed, bathed, and to bed while cooking dinner and cleaning the house.  The thought popped into my head, "Gosh, life has become a marathon at the pace of a sprint."  

Do ever feel like you wake up, hit the ground running {literally}and don't stop till after midnight???  And then get up the next day only to start all over again.  My day usually goes a little something like this:

5:00 am Dylie wakes for a quick feeding then we fall back to sleep

7:00 am both the boys are up for the morning

I have to get myself and the boys ready and 

packed for the day by 8:30 am

I drop them off then get to work by 9:00 am

9:00-5:00 Work Work Work

5:30 pm I get home and make dinner

6:30 pm we do baths and get the boys ready for bed

7:30 pm the boys go to sleep and we start the clean up process

8:30-12:00 am is my quite time to craft and blog

I'm usually in bed by 12 then back up at 5:00 and 

the day starts all over again.

From the second I wake I feel like I'm rushing through my day looking forward to getting everything checked off my to do list and after I put the boys to bed I finally realize that I missed the whole day because I was rushing all day.  

As moms I think we have to go on autopilot sometimes to get through everything on our plate...I am so guilty of that.  I have decided that I am going to try and slow down and enjoy my boys.  I don't want to wake up tomorrow and realize that they are 18 and out of the house and I missed it all because I didn't slow down to take it all in.  Every day is a precious gift that we often take for granted, we are never promised tomorrow so we need to make sure to live today to the fullest.

This month is Breast Cancer awareness month and in an effort to show my gratitude for the blessings and gifts in my life I wanted to do something to give back. I have created 2 very limited edition necklaces that I will be auctioning off on my Made By Munchie's Mama Facebook page on Friday morning.  The auction will close at 5 p.m. the following Friday.  

All proceeds will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.  Please help me spread the word by sharing this information on your blog, Facebook page or Twitter account.

I also wanted to share a giveaway with you all...is that okay?  I am giving away a pair of these Chrysanthemum bobby pins in the official color of Breast Cancer awareness: Light Pink

Here is how to enter:

Mandatory Entry:

Follow our blogs: Made By Munchie's Mama & Mommas Like Me

Additional Entries:

*Comment below with your favorite item from the MBMM Etsy Shop
*Be a Facebook follower of Made By Munchie's Mama & Mommas Like Me

*Tweet or Facebook about this Giveaway

Make sure to leave a separate comment for each thing you do.

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See, I told you you'd love her to pieces! Such a wonderful woman and momma. Thank you so much Summer for hangin' out on Mommas Like Me today!


Oh and how cute are those bobby pins?! I have them in the hot pink and turquoise colors and just LOVE them! So make sure you enter below to win a pair for yourself! I will be choosing a winner on Wednesday Oct. 12th via random.org.


Have a wonderful day everyone!

xoxo,

Lacee

Guest Post: The Super Sweet Jazmin From The Miller's Is Here! {Tutorial & Giveaway}

**Updated 10-3-11**


And The Winner of the Earring Holder From Jazmin at The Miller's is...
Comment #12

Nicole from Miss Mommy!!

 Nicole @ Miss Mommy said...

Love MLM on Facebook

Congrats Nicole!!
Please email me at mommaslikeme.lacee@gmail.com to claim your prize!


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Oooooh Monday...how you sneak up on us so quickly, stealing away all our weekend awesomeness. It's a good thing that today I have a special little ray of sunshine to share with you all to help brighten up your Monday blues!!

My bloggy friend Jazmin from the blog The Miller's is here to bring some crafty happiness to your day!

Jazmin is just an absolute sweetheart. She always has the nicest most encouraging things to say and her comments never fail to put a smile on my face. She is a wonderful mommy to two beautiful little girls and is also super crafty. She's here today on Mommas Like Me to share with us all an ADORABLE and GENIUS idea that seriously costs pennies to make! Oh and she's also GIVING AWAY one of her crafty creations to one of YOU! 

So let's get to it! Take it away Jazmin!

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Hello lovelies!
I am so very happy to spend the day here with each of you. 
Lacee is just absolutely the sweetest & I am honored to meet her readers.
I am the blogger behind The Miller's.

This is me, Jazmin!
I {heart} clearance racks, crafting, tea, making lists, any recipe with the word easy or crockpot in it, taking pictures, staying organized in a life with two messy toddlers, vacuum lines, rare date nights with my hottie and blogging!

I started my blog to share & capture precious bits of my families little fairy tale.
Which include: silly stories, crafty tutorials, precious milestones, faith adventures and random life perspectives with y'all! 

I welcome you to sit & stay a while. We'd love to have you.

Today I'm going to share the latest crafty thing I've been up to. 

A lovely earring holder.

The best thing about this project was I already had every supply in my craft box.
So it was FREE.
An old 8x10 picture frame, ribbon, acrylic paint, hot glue gun, paint brushes.
You can actually use whatever kind of picture frame you want.
& instead of ribbon you could use string or wire, it's whatever works. :o)

Give the frame a couple coats of paint with whatever paint brushes you have handy.
I also glued on a few rosettes.
Here's a tutorial for those.

Next, I took ribbon & laid it across the back of the frame.
I measured each piece 12" long and tied a knot at each end.
Added a dot of hot glue to knot and pressed it onto the edges of the frame until the glue dried.
This is what the back looks like.

I pretty much leveled each sectioned with my eye.
As far as space in between each ribbon I did about 1/4" between the first two & then 2" between the rest.
If you want to be super precise, by all means, use a ruler. ;)

And you're done! This is such a quick & easy project.
I had a lot of fun putting it together.
Thanks for taking a look.
Let me know if you try it.You'll have a lovely new jewelry storage + pretty room accessory!

AND guess what!?
I actually made 2 of these.
I am giving one away to a lucky Mommas Like Me reader!

It's easy to enter just be a follower of both our blogs.
Mommas Like Me Blog | The Millers Blog
For a couple extra entries, you can also 'like' us on facebook.
Mommas Like Me | The Millers

Make sure you leave a comment for each thing you do.

I hope you stop by and visit my blog.
New friends are always welcome.
Meeting new people of blogland is my new favorite thing!

Lacee, you are lovely & again, thank you for having me.

With smiles,

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I told you she was awesome! I just love how simple, inexpensive, and practical this craft is. Thank you so much for sharing this with us Jazmin!

So don't just sit there!

Enter to win one of these darling jewelry holders for yourself! 

{A winner will be chosen on Monday October 3rd via random.org}

xoxo,

Lacee

Blog Swap With The Adorable Em From And Nothing Else Matters {Headband Tutorial}

Good morning all my lovely readers...or afternoon, or evening, guess it depends on where you are! Today I have a very special treat for you all. Don't you just LOVE when you stumble upon a new blog and it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside and you instantly fall in love with it? Well, that is exactly what happened when I came across my new bloggie bestie Em of...

And Nothing Else Matters

 Em is always so sweet and encouraging, not only to me, but also to some of our other momma bloggers too. She recently just wrote a post that really touched my heart and made me love her even more. It addresses those that anonymously leave mean and hurtful comments on other people blogs. Please take a minute and read about it HERE. If you've ever been a victim of a hurtful comment, you will just love her for writing this.

I could go on and on about how awesomely adorable Em is, but why don't you see for yourself! Take it away Em!

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Hi all! I am so thrilled to be here with you all today! I absolutely adore Lacee and I love, love, love her fantastic blog. Its one of my must reads everyday so you can imagine how thrilled I was when she gave me the opportunity to guest post on her awesome blog! 

I have a super fun tutorial to share with you today, but first let me properly introduce myself.

My name is Em and I blog over at And Nothing Else Matters. 

I am a happily married mum of two from Australia. Yep that's right I'm an Aussie. 

The hubby joined the Air Force last year so I am navigating the new world of being a defence wife. I blog about the highs and lows and all the fun in between of juggling marriage and motherhood with distance and demands. The loneliness and hardtimes that came with this whole new lifestyle was one of my main reasons for starting my blog. And I am so glad I did.

I love discovering new blogs and getting to know the awesome people behind them, so please come on over to And Nothing Else Matters and say hi! 


Now onto the fun stuff. See that awesome cute headband I'm wearing in my photo? Yeah, I love it too. So I guess it's a good thing I'm going to show you how to make one of your own. 


Here's what you'll need

Some felt for the backing
3 pieces leather strips, mine were 36 inches in length each
Lace ribbon
Hot glue gun
Brooch pin backing
Small colored button

First things first you need to put the 3 strips together and tie a knot about 6 inches from the end 

Now you need to plait the leather, the easiest way is to hold it with your legs. Looks cool too right?!

Stop plaiting 6 inches from the end of the strips and tie in a knot as you did on the other end. Now you have a super cute plaited leather headband. 

Feel free to wear it as is. It's super cute.

Now onto the lace flower. Cut a circle of felt the size that you want your flower to be.

Now grab your glue gun and lace. Glue down a single row of the lace as close to the edge as possible.

 Turn the lace under, like below. We will glue it down underneath at the end. This ensures the edges of the felt is completely covered by the lace. Trim the lace.

Starting again on the top, glue down the lace close to the edge of the circle. This time continue the glueing in a circle getting closer and closer to the centre of the circle.

Once you reach the centre, trim the lace leaving about and inch length tail. Twist and glue the tail under in the centre

Flip the flower over and glue down the edges of lace that you flipped under earlier

Now take your brooch pin and using the hot glue, attach it the the back of the flower

Turn back over and glue a small button into the centre of the flower. This helps to conceal the end of the lace. Cute huh!

It's looks super cute as a brooch too, which is why I used a brooch pin on the back. Lots more options!

To attach to the leather strap simply pin through the plait

Then tie it on. And rock it!

You can also wrap it around your wrist a few times for a super cute bracelet. It's such a fun project. I hope you love it as much as I do!

Thanks so much for having me! 

Don't forget to stop by my blog and say hi!

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How cute is she and how amazing is that headband?! I know for sure that I am going to be making one soon! Em also has a store on etsy where she has more of these pretty little handmade goodies. You can check it out HERE.

Em was also kind enough to have me write a post for her blog today as well! I'm sharing an AH-MAZING cookie recipe. Here's a sneak peek...

Uh huh! That's a chocolate cookie with a peanut butter center people!

So head on over to And Nothing Else Matters to check out how I made these bad boys!

And while you're there, take some time to show sweet Miss Em some love will ya?

xoxo,

Lacee