time for a change

as women it's natural for us to have self esteem issues, right?
this is what i'm telling myself anyway.

girls tend to be SO emotional, full of DRAMA, whiney, "does this make me look fat?"
this is why i don't like females in general.
i don't do DRAMA!!
(good thing i have 2 girls of my own right?? heaven help me!)

the past few days i've felt "squishy"
i don't enjoy that feeling.

growing up, i've always been pretty thin.
good genetics are a blessing!!
i've weighed right around the same weight since junior high.
and while i pretty much skipped size zeros,
i've always worn the same size jeans.
except when i'm preggers.
and even then, i'm fortunate enough to only have to go up a couple sizes rather than buy maternity pants.
they never fit right and are never long enough.
and i refuse to pay the price for the brands that would.
32 week with little mookie - photo by Brittany Davis Photography

this post is not meant to brag
i just need to vent a bit on my current squishy-ness

i've given birth to 3 children
most bodies don't completely bounce back from bearing children
mine included

and while i've never been 'big', i've always been 'soft'
no flat tummy for me EVER

having my children was beautiful
and i feel incredibly blessed that i was able to conceive, carry and birth them myself

Miss at 1 year old (above)

Baby Girl at 6 months old (below)

32 weeks with Little Mookie - photo by Brittany davis Photography

my body was very accommodating to carrying a child
and i'm grateful for that

and while the baby weight from Baby Girl fell off on it's own
i had to work to get it off with Miss
and work even harder to get back to pre-baby weight with Mookie

however, i've kind of stopped exercising
and eating right
and i drink a LOT of soda
and no water

some days i don't drink any water at all.
bad, i know.

my girls 1 1/2 & 3 - june 2008 (above)

36 weeks with Mookie (below)

above and below - may 2011
5 1/2, 4 & 11 months

june 2008

so here's what i'm getting at, people.

i'm not happy with my body in it's current state.
and while i may not be big, and while you might think, "you have nothing to worry about"
it's an issue for me
i've always struggled with self esteem and body image
just like so many girls do at some point
i completely envy those that don't go through it!!

quite often i look at my handsome hubs and wonder how in the world i got so lucky
he's in love with me just as much as i am completely in love with him
why did he choose me out of any other girl he could have had?
and trust me, he could have had anyone.
did you see his picture up there??
HOT!!

i look at my children and wonder how i was so blessed to get such wonderful kids
kids that are well behaved
love unconditionally
laugh full belly
are so so SO cute

i am a blessed woman.

and yet i struggle.
trials of life, man.
they're rude.

SO... rather than sit and HOPE that this squishy-ness goes away on it's own
while i sit with a soda in hand watching my kids play, eating oreos by the handful late at night, not exercising in the slightest

i'm going to fix it.
myself.
with the support of others of course. :)
because that's another blessing in my life - amazing family and friends

NO MORE SODA
i told hubs he's not allowed to let me drink one!!
it's a weakness for me. i have 2 or 3 a day. :)

EXERCISE
i'm signed up for a 5k on june 11.
totally not ready, but i'm going to be as prepared as possible between now and then starting today.

DRINK WATER
while i'm not limiting myself to ONLY water, i certainly need to be drinking more of it.

somehow i feel like putting all of this here
makes me more responsible and accountable for my actions related to it

here's to a better outlook on life, body image and level of self esteem!!


what about you??
anything you're struggling with?
any advice for me??

hit me with it! :)

a bag for Ma

hey friends!!
remember when Mother's Day was a while ago?
and i never posted what i did for my own momma?

yeah.
lame.

so here we are!!

my mom is a busy busy woman.
she's almost always doing some kind of work
or church thing
so i made her a bag to hold all of the things she needs (or doesn't need)

i'll admit it ended up being a bit larger than i thought it would, but it worked out perfectly for her. :)

see all this stuff?
and plenty of room to spare!

so i took it all out to show just what exactly (and how much) she fits in there ;)

little mookie business cards of course!
cause she's the BEST like that!
(made by my friend Sheena)

i spy...

• flat wallet
• phone
• 2 Trivani lotions
• sunglasses
• ipod case
• ipod & headphones
• change purse (cone shaped beads thing)
• Excedrin
• make-up roll
• books
• necklace
• pair of earrings
• lipstick case
• 9 other lip products (let's be prepared!)
• mp3 music player
• loose keys
• straw wrappers
• loose change
• floss
• pink polka dot card holder
• little mookie business cards
• watch
• makeup
• pile of receipts
• car keys
• work keys
• hair elastic
• phone cord for computer charging

holy smokes right?
she has it all and is always prepared. :)

i made it with some fake alligator print shiny stuff.
smelled weird at first but a nothing a little Febreze didn't fix when sprayed on the the felty back side of it.
it has 2 interior pockets and an outside one that you can see her car key hanging out of in that last picture.

like i said, kinda big, but it would be perfect for going to the beach, the pool, carrying entertainment items for your kids (or yourself) on a plane, to a parade, to the park, etc.

it also has nice wide straps to lessen shoulder fatigue while carrying around any and everything you can think of. :)

my Ma loves hers and uses it every day!!

love my Ma!!

custom order

i love custom orders.
it's fun making something for someone that's just for them.
and you know no one else is going to have it.

that's what this big bow diaper bag is!!
i almost want to keep it...

flat bottom

two pockets

big bow


i love it!
and even more than that, the lady i made it for
lives in the same city as me!!
might be kinda weird to see someone carrying
something i made! :)


so if you're ever looking for something that you can't find
because you want it a certain way
hit me up here on the blog
email me (ohlittlemookie@gmail.com)
or send me a convo on my etsy
and let's chitty chat about it!

WINNER WINNER! :)

sorry this is late... i really did choose a winner on friday night, but i'm only just getting around to posting the winner.

and since there were only **8** entries (makes it easy for those that entered) i asked my hubs to pick a number between 1 and 8 and he picked 7 which means...

ABBY, you WIN!! :)

the $20 gift card to Blickenstaff's is yours to spend as you like! (good luck with that. there are SOO many awesome things in there!)


this "give away" things is fun!! i need to do more of these... :)

Let's Play Pretend!

my girl Brittany over at Love Stitched is playing pretend today so i thought i'd join her.

i love this game!! :)

i'm pretending i cleaned the bathroom today.
or this week.
(i hate cleaning the bathroom)

pretending i made more than a pb sandwich for Miss for lunch today.
and cleaned up after myself.
(still sitting there, and that's all she asked for)

pretending i don't need to go grocery shopping.
and that i cleaned out the fridge recently.

pretending all my orders are done and ready to ship
(working on those right now!!)
and that all my crafting stuff had some kind of organization to it.
and that i have a room to put it all rather than in the kitchen.
yay for apartment living!! not.

pretending the dishes are all clean and put away.
and that the dishwasher is empty.
and that the iron and ironing board aren't in the kitchen.

pretending that this isn't the daily entertainment for my kiddos.
i hate this one.

pretending this isn't how my kids' room looks EVERY. DAY.
weird how they can't ever find anything and then throw a fit about it??
uh huh.


who else wants to play?
what are YOU pretending today??

can i just brag for a sec?

i have this amazing friend, Abby.

she's nothing short of AMAZING.

UH-MAZ-ING.

i love her.

you should check out her blog. you'll love her too. promise.

so i did her hair a little bit ago and she looks AWESOME!! she's one hot momma!!

check it out here on her blog, Delighted. :)

Blickenstaff's **give away closed**

this is the place where you can take your kids, your parents and your grand parents and find the candy that each of you loved growing up! and possibly find a new favorite! my favorite from back in the day (and let's be honest, still my favorite) ZOTZ!! i love the fizzy stuff in the middle. :)

a whole table covered in vintage candies!

i want to get one of each of these just to try them all.

if you know me, you know how i love a good moustache. :)
something about them just says "handsome" "old timey" and "kind"
like your grandpa. on a horse.
think sam elliot. quigley down under.
i always get made fun of, and it's fine. :)

holy jaw breaker!!
i remember getting these (but in the much smaller size) after i had saved my money and licking it until my tongue bled. and it always did. good times. :)

Caitlin from Cait Create
we were twinners :)
purple cardi, skinnies, and black boots :)
great minds, right?

not only does Blickenstaff's sell candy, but they sell toys too!!
both vintage and current
i want this little Rody Pony for mookie.
you pump them up with more air as your child grows and they bounce around, learning balance and coordination while being adorable and cute at the same time. :)

they even have a photo booth!!

and a huge rocking horse!
(that i almost fell off of the last time we were there)

all the beautiful ladies and Kyle, our host :)

be sure to check out Kyle's blog too!!
Liken 365

Kyle and his friend submitted a video to be on the Amazing Race!! I hope they make it! :)
their video is hilarious!

and now, the give away!!

i was generously given a $20 gift card to Blickenstaff's for one of my readers!!
secretly (maybe not so secretly anymore) i want to keep it for myself... ;)

so here's how to enter!

1. become a public follower of Little Mookie

2. "like" little mookie on facebook

3. "like" Blickenstaff's on facebook

4. blog, tweet, or facebook about this give away

leave a comment for each thing you do and i'll choose a winner next Friday!
(May 13, 2011)

Called to Surf

Called to Surf - one of my new favorite stores!! (seriously, i have a weakness for Volcom and old, vinatgey lanterns - they have both!)

designed and built to look like a pier (using wood from the great salt lake even!), Called to Surf carries swim wear, clothing, and shoes for men, women and kids! they specialize in modest swim wear for girls - some of it made specifically for Called to Surf only. are you here for school?? be ready to hit the water when you get home by shopping ahead of time!! Called to Surf has everything you need! including rash guards! the real ones! :)

love this lantern!!
and see the shoes in the back ground?
you won't find most of these anywhere else!

i love a good moustache!

Diana of Livy Love catching a wave :)

Provo Beach Resort

have you been down to check this place out?? it's awesome! my family and i will definitely be visiting this summer! when it's really hot outside, we'll be playing INSIDE where they have 15 ac units going! oh yeah!

so just like the other stores we visited, Provo Beach Resort is down in the Shops at the Riverwoods in Provo. they have such an amazing set up! one of the best in the country even! (and that's not just my own humble opinion.)

downstairs on the main level they have load-and-go cards for ticket games (and no more lugging around arm fulls of tickets - they load to your card!!) and a counter FULL of prizes just waiting to be redeemed! they also have food, a carousel, a toddlers only play area, stage for shows, pine wood derby racing (birthday party!!), the spa and the flow rider.

let's stop for a second and talk about those last two because you don't want to miss out on those...

the spa - this is mom's little get away while dad and the kids have fun!! they specialize in 15-30 minute services, perfect for a little break! from massage, to facials, hair services to mani/pedis - treat yourself without feeling guilty for leaving your hubby and the kids at home! and then join in on the fun they're having! find them on facebook for up to date offers and discounts!

flow rider - i don't know why i wasn't taking pictures, because this looks so fun! a constant wave allows you to surf and boogie board over and over all in the comfort of the indoors! even if the crazy utah weather isn't sunny and warm, you can still get your surf on! and if that's not something you're into, there are HUGE windows and benches - have a seat and watch the wipe outs! :)


moving on the the upstairs!!

upstairs you'll find 8 lanes of bowling, the awesome ropes course, golf simulators and mini croquet! how's that for a twist on the regular mini-golf?

Caitlin of Cait Create on the last hole

the ball return - see the yellow ball right above the rock?
it's going up up up!

see it now? in the track?
it winds around the post, jogs over a bit and then right back to the desk where you pick up your ball and mallet!

the Provo Beach Resort is family friendly fun despite the weather. they have birthday party packages as well! be sure to check them out soon!! you won't be disappointed!

Circle Skirts

remember back in march when i did my groopdealz offer? and then remember how i only sold 8 of this denim one?? ok, maybe i didn't tell anyone that, BUT i had gotten a BUNCH of fabric for the ruffles and after the deal was done, i was left with all this yellow and white striped shirting material.

guess what colors we did for easter??? YELLOW AND WHITE STRIPES!! :)

and of course i put it off until the very last moment possible. the morning of easter, i got up and 9a and was sewing until 1p (we have church at 2). in that time, i made circle skirts my girls, bow ties for my mookie and hubs and a brooch for myself. these skirts are SO easy!!

they are perfect for twirling!

my girls are sassy
:)

you can find the tutorial for the skirts HERE.
she has so many tutorials that i'm excited to try this summer!