Where did the time go?

I can't believe how quickly life passes you by. I never intended to stop blogging. I just became...well, busy. I want to jump back on the horse again. Josh wants me to as well. He loves that I'm keeping a "journal" of our life. So, I thought now is better than ever to start back again. Now, being the eve of Hadley's first birthday.

Where did the time go...

Five on Friday

{one}

I'm a slacker. I really hate that I haven't been blogging much but it's been so hard to find the time. I'm not going to make any goals for myself as to how often I want to blog. I just want to make sure I keep up with posting about our life--since that is why I blog.


{two}

Hadley turned five months on the 26th! Where has the time gone?! I blogged about it last night. She has quite the personality!

{three}

Last week I updated you with some things going on in our crazy lives. I had a little visit to the surgeon and found out that I will indeed need surgery. Oh joy. Thankfully I can wait until summer, unless the problem gets worse. I pray every day it doesn't because I really cannot take anymore time off from school.


{four}

Like everyone else in the country, we've had some crazy weather. This week we were off two days from school due to the windchill being -20 and below. BRRR!!! I am ready for spring!

{five}

A few months ago I won a copy of the new Pioneer Woman Cookbook. I was beyond ecstatic because she is my cooking idol. I recently received it in the mail and it was autographed. I might have jumped up and down...
                                 

2013: The Best Year Yet!

2013 has by far been the best year of my life. From the first day until the last I have never felt so much joy and love in my life.


We welcomed 2013 with a secret. We were pregnant. We found out just shortly before Christmas and told our families on Christmas day. It was definitely the year of family, like I had hoped.

January started off with a big move for my parents. We said goodbye to my childhood home. They left all of our neighbors who became our family. They moved into the country. Where there are no street lights. No lines on the road. And it's 22 minutes away instead of five. I cried a lot (like up until September). But it's a process and I have grown to love their new home. Not as much as "my home" but in its own way.

On January 10th, we celebrated four years of marriage. We were excited to go into our fourth year with a baby on the way!


I just loved linking up with Rachel in 2013 for Menu Monday. Two of my favorites I shared in February include the Spicy Pasta Sausage and Skinny Enchiladas (which are an overall favorite).

February 14, 2013 was a day that will go down in history for us. It's day day we told all of our friends we were expecting! We were overwhelmed with all of the excitement and joy we were able to finally share with everyone! The blog world was also a baby boom in 2013!

With a new pregnancy comes lots of hormones. I shared about my melt down with Wembley (who is still a sh*t)  and how my hormones were out of control when it came to animals. Glad I'm not as bad about this anymore. I'm pretty sure if I would have started watching Duck Dynasty then, I would have been in trouble. I also started weekly bumpdates in February. I'm so glad I did this because I plan to make my blog into a book. Then Hadley and I can look back and remember all that happened while I was pregnant with her--hormones and all! In February I posted weeks six, seven/eight, nine/ten, eleven/twelve, thirteen and fourteen. The day I told my students about baby G was one of the best days of the year. That class was so special to me (I miss this a lot this year) and I'm so thankful I got to share our joy with them! The end of February ended on a sad note. Our dear sweet George, my cat I grew up with, passed away. We miss him so much. He was such a sweetheart and will always have a special place in our hearts.

March was a fun month! I updated about week fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen. It's so fun to go back and read everything that was happening each week! We shared the gender of our sweet baby on March 18. Before we found out I read a lot of different wives tales trying to figure out what we were having! They were so much fun to read. On the Ramzi test, Josh later on corrected me telling me it was a girl. He knew from the beginning this "test" was going to be correct. We also told our families the gender in cute ways they will (hopefully) never forget. My mom still talks about it to this day! I was so thrilled we were having a girl but a little worried about Josh. I wasn't she he would know what to do with one. His sweet words reassured me everything would be okay. The great month of March ended with sharing Miss Hadley's name to the world!


April was a busy month for me. We had state testing at school and it was nonstop working! I did get to post weeks nineteen, twenty, twenty-one, and twenty-two. I finally reached the half way mark! I also shared some sweet pictures and updates of Oliver and Wembley.

Hadley's 20 week picture

We have a lot of family birthdays in May. It's also the end of the school year--my favorite time. But even though its busy, there were a lot of things to look forward to! In May I shared updates for weeks twenty-three, twenty-four, twenty-five {when I had my school shower}, and twenty-six. I got my craft on in May and made this adorable spring wreath. I'm not crafty at all, so for me this was a huge deal. I still really like it and excited to put it up again! At the end of the month I was looking forward to ending the school year, even though I was going to miss the crazy things the kids asked me about regarding the baby! I was also excited to celebrate Josh's 30th birthday on the 31st!

June was such a good month. It was the start of summer break and finally a time when I could relax. I was really not looking forward to having a fall baby when I found out I was pregnant. In fact, I cried about it a lot. I was worried about how we would adjust when I went back to work. But having a fall baby has been such a blessing! I loved that I got to spend the last couple months preparing without any stress. I loved being able to sleep whenever I needed to. It was so nice not to worry about dressing my huge baby belly when it was 90* outside. I could just sit in the A/C all day!

I share week twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty, and thirty-one! I went through the dreaded glucose test, which turned out to be much easier than I thought. I also admitted I was a complete drama queen about it. It had also been six months since we found out we were expecting. Crazy how time flies!I continued to meal plan throughout the year and in the summer started freezer meals so we would be prepared for when Hadley made her arrival. These were a huge help and plan to continue freezer meals as much as I can!

My baby shower was planned for July and Tiny Prints really helped inspire the theme of the shower. I also had this great game at my shower which I loved reading and saving for Hadley. Speaking of showers, Jenny, Shannon and I were given a surprise shower by some of our Columbus blog friends. It was a wonderful night full of yummy food and great conversations. I'm so thankful to have these girls as my friends!

I just love July. Independence Day is one of my favorite holidays! In July I shared updates about weeks thirty-two {where we had our 3D ultrasound!}, thirty-three, thirty-four, and thirty-five.  Since we were getting so close to our due date I decided it was time to prepare our pets for baby Hadley's arrival and make up a to-do list when we had one month to go.

I also attended my hometown shower hosted by my mom, sister, aunt, and cousin. It was beautiful and I'm so thankful for all of the time they spent preparing it. My mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and Josh's aunt hosting a lovely shower in Josh's hometown. I loved that it was held outside in his parent's back yard. His mom has the most beautiful flowers and pots in her back yard. She is a wonderful gardener! I'm so thankful to have had two amazing showers!

August was by far my favorite month because it is the birth month of our sweet girl! I share weeks thirty-six, thirty-seven, thirty-eight, and thirty-nine. She was born on week forty! We were preparing for Hadley's arrival, thinking of all of the crazy last minute things we needed to do and picking out her birth announcement! I didn't blog a lot at the end of August because I was learning how to juggle wearing all of my new hats! Definitely worth the short break.

In September I posted Hadley's first pictures on the blog. Looking at this picture makes me miss how tiny she was! I shared her crazy twenty-eight hour birth story and how thankful I was to have J by my side during the delivery and when we got home. He was my rock and I'm still so thankful to have him by my side today. Going through labor and delivery for the first time taught me many things. I'm so glad I went in with an open mind because I sure did need it!

My favorite fall month is definitely October. Not only is it my birthday month but I think the foliage is just beautiful during this time of the year. It's amazing how time just flies. I shared about being a new mom and Hadley turning four weeks and a month old {I also learned the difference between these two}!

November was an enjoyable month. I took extra time off for maternity leave and tried to soak up every minute of my last month home with my baby. I'm a huge fan of meal planning {if you didn't already know} and shared how I started meal planning with a baby. It's a whole new ballpark! I also started Tasty Tuesday, where I share recipes and tips. I started out these weekly updates with how to organize your pinterest boards.I'm not sure if I'm going to continue TT into 2014. I really enjoy it and it keeps me organized but I want to make sure I'm sharing enough about our life--because that is why I blog.

We took newborn pictures at the beginning of September and I shared the beautiful pictures KariMe Photography took for us. We made her birth announcement and sent them out to family and close friends. Hadley also got to meet her great-grandparents, on her Gigi's side, for the first time. We are so thankful they came to Ohio for her first Thanksgiving!

Hadley turned three months old on November 26, but I was a little behind posting it. Then on December 26th, she turned four months old. Where does the time go? She's getting so big and definitely becoming more of a baby than a newborn. We celebrated her first Christmas at home on Christmas day. It was wonderful to open her couple presents and enjoy the day as a little family. We spent Christmas Eve with my parents and went to visit Josh's family a few days after Christmas. My favorite thing about this year was definitely not feeling rushed or pushed from one house to the next. We decided a long time ago that once we had a family we would not travel on Christmas day. Our families are always welcome to come see us but it was definitely the best decision for us.

2013 will definitely go down in history. I am so thankful that I posted about our new family. It will always be wonderful memories to go back and read. I'm excited to watch Hadley grow over the next year and hit new and fun milestones. This year will definitely be hard to beat, but now we have a whole new adventure in front of us.

Thank you for sharing 2013 with us! Happy New Year!

New: Tasty Tuesdays

I've been thinking for a while that I wanted to start blogging again about our weekly menu. I also want to blog more about how cooking has changed since becoming a mom and then again as a working mom. I want to share how we meal plan and shop on a budget. I want to share this because I'm very proud of both Josh and I.

At the beginning I was completely clueless but I knew there had to be an easier way. We went from coming home at night searching for what were were going to make and not looking at the price of our groceries to meal planning for the week (or more) and sticking to a grocery budget.

I will share with you what works for us, what doesn't work for us, and other bloggers who have inspired us.

Originally I wanted to start these posts today but Hadley had her two month shots yesterday and hasn't been feeling too great, so I decided to wait until next week. Definitely stop back to see my first post on Meal Planning!

Also, I want to put out there that there are certain things that I am terrible at when it comes to cooking and planning and I also know there are many other ways to do things. If you would like to share any of your ways and write a guest post I would love to have you! Email me at [email protected]

Bloglovin'

I never really understood or got in to Google reader, which I guess is a good thing now that everything is switching over. So if you use Google reader (and soon will not) you can find me on Bloglovin. If you have no idea what I'm talking about then don't worry.

I've used Bloglovin for a long time now and love getting emails every morning with all of the blogs I read and follow. It makes it so much easier for me. You can me on Bloglovin by clicking the icon on the right bar or below!

{via}

Baby Boom!

First I want to thank you all for the sweet comments, FB messages, tweets, and emails. We have been so overwhelmed with the amount of love we are receiving from our family and friends. We are so thankful to have such wonderful people in our lives and the blog world has really opened up many doors for me. I've met so many incredible women, who I'm lucky to call my friends. So, thank you all for your support.

And let me be honest for a minute... Blog land has been a boom town recently! I actually started feeling a little guilty when everyone started to announce their pregnancy in the blog world {and many in my RL}.  The more people that announced the more excited I began to get because I would have people to relate to. But I also started feeling bad because I know there are so many women and families out there who are longing for a baby. It will happen.

Every evening I count my blessing. I know how lucky we are to be given this opportunity to be parents. We are so thankful to have this little baby {even though it still doesn't feel real at times} and we try not to take any day for granited.

We've had a lot of questions so I'll try to answer a few. Let me know if I missed yours!

1. When is your due date? My official due date is August 28th. I'm actually hoping to make it to September so I can go to the first week of school or so.

2. Are you going back to work? Yes. This may be a post in itself sometime, but yes I am.

3. How far along are you? I'm 12 weeks right now

4. How have you been feeling? Actually I've been doing really well. I was only sick two times which is amazing. I was really worried about morning sickness, especially because of my job. There were only a small handful of days where I truly was miserable and only about three of those were on a school day. I've been very tired over the last two weeks. I feel like I got a light mixture of both morning sickness and tiredness. But hey, I'll take it!

5. Are you finding out the gender? Yes. Yes. Yes. It can't come soon enough!

Overall I still am having a hard time getting it all to sink in. Even now that everyone knows, it is very strange. I hope it will all start to seem more real very soon. I also promise not to make this blog all about pregnancy and the baby. I do have Bumpdate posts I want publish for my personal blog journey. I'll probably post the first few on the weekends not to bore you all! But I do have some funny stories to share with you (did you see the one about my Wembley meltdown?).

Thank you again for all of the wonderful comments. We appreciate them so much!

2012: A Year in Review

Our little blog started up again in February 2012. I had currently been blogging for myself on another blog but decided to open it up to family and friends. We had had this blog for a while and really decided to go for it. We shared what our life was like and how we were boring and basically consumed with grad school.

March came along and there were so many things to look forward to including spring break and finishing up grad school for me! J and I were both crazy busy in March and didn't blog much. I promise, you missed nothing. We were quite boring.

Wembley's favorite part about Ikea

In April we took a weekend trip to Cincinnati where we had our first Ikea extravaganza and found a new favorite bar/restaurant Arnolds! I can't wait to go back!! Our blog got this fabulous makeover by Jumping Jax Designs, which we still adore!

May was an exciting month for us because we had so much going on! First, May is melanoma awareness month, which is near and dear to my heart. I can't tell you enough: don't tan, wear sunscreen, and be careful of who you donate your money to. By the time May was half way over, I had officially graduated from grad school, my sister went to prom, and we had so much more to go! At the end of May, I found out that I had gotten the 5th grade position at my school and my sister graduated from high school--both bittersweet. Finally, J had a wonderful 29th birthday!

In June, I said goodbye to teaching 4th grade and hello to 5th grade. I also posted pictures of my sister's graduation party, which turned out beautifully. She had everything from a candy bar to a wishing tree. It was a success! School was over, but there was still a lot to do with moving into a new grade and new curriculum. I had a list of goals that I successfully accomplished during the summer months. We also vacationed to OBX, which I guess I never blogged about--oops!

July was very low key. The Olympics were in full force as we reminisced about the Magnificent Seven at the 1996 Olympics. The 4th of July has always had a special place in my heart because it's when we became a free country. It's amazing to think how our standards have changed since that time. Adoption holds another special place in my heart and Amy wrote an amazing post about the adoption tax credit that would help so many. At the end of August I had a little fun and joined in with some other bloggers blogging about "if you really knew me".  July was a slow month.

August started out rocky in the blog world. I was able to get into my new classroom and I had to unpack everything that was moved. It was a lot of work but wonderful to clean out and throw junk away! I talked about my unhealthy obsession with my Crock-Pot and how I basically can't cook anything unless it's in there! Emily and I went to Chicago and had a wonderful girls weekend. Yes, I slacked again and didn't blog about that either...I blame school starting again.School started at the end of August and it felt like Groundhog day. When you have the same kids two years in a row it's challenging to separate the two years. It just feels like one really long year!

September started on a clean slate. We got new carpet in the family room, a new dishwasher, cleaned out the basement, and my sister headed to college. We felt very accomplished! I found this amazing classroom library book organizer that is seriously the best thing ever! I know exactly which books of mine the kids are reading. It was a lot of work to set up, but totally work it! I also linked up with Kelly for Show Us Your Singles. I put my sweet friend Emily on there! She's still single boys!! School was crazy busy but never too busy for some fall fashion! On September 27th, I started my twenty-eight random acts of kindness in 28 days for my 28th birthday!

In the beginning of October, sad news hit the blog world but many were around to help. I was introduced to Voki, which is a great tool to use in the classroom. Wembley helped me check it out! Two of my favorite bloggers {and friends} Emily and Sam guest posted for me. Be sure to check out their posts if you haven't already. I also completed my twenty-eight random acts of kindness in 28 days on my 28th birthday. It was a success! Finally I shared with you my favorite Halloween costumes, following in Whitney's blog steps.

November started with a great guest post from Pam all about holiday crafts. I talked about how my mother did not prepare me to cook a Thanksgiving feast but thankfully we all survived Thanksgiving dinner this year {thanks to my inlaws}.  I shared some glammor shots of my fur babies because who can get enough of them. I also taught you about the dirty dozen and how to eat cleaner, which has been near and dear to our hearts lately. I also shared with you the most hysterical story that I had heard in a while. It was so funny that I couldn't even tell people because I would start cracking up. Seriously. If you click any link on this recap, click this one.

This was a month I will truly never forget. At the beginning of the month, I showed you my hoarder side with my mountain of tupperware  . I also talked about our holiday traditions which are very special to us and I can not wait to add more. Christmas was bittersweet this year because it was the last year at my parent's house that I grew up in. They are currently moving in to their new home as we speak.

2012 had it's ups and downs. There were a lot of things I didn't blog about that were not so happy but for my own personal memories. There were many stressful times for our family but I hope when everything is done and over not only can I share with you but it will have a wonderful outcome.

I'm so excited to bring in the new year. Odd years always make me nervous for some reason. But my age is an even number so I think it evens out :) I'm sure 2013 is going to be the best year yet. Stay tuned!

Sunday Social: Week 14

It's been a while since I linked up for Sunday Social, but I thought I'd end the day with a little blogging.

1. What is the name of your blog and how did you come up with it?

This blog is called {Not So} Newlyweds. I'm not really sure how I came up with it. I honestly thought about it for a long time! I kept thinking of The Newlyweds, but we've been married almost four years, so really we aren't technically "newlyweds" any more. So I decided to add the "not so" to the front. I'm not sure why I put the "not so" in parentheses, but I like how it looks!

 2. What do you love most about blogging?

I love all the advice, ideas, and friendships I have made. Sometimes the ideas I come up or want to try with after reading other blogs get pretty crazy, but it's good to a lot of ideas from other people. It is wonderful to keep a "diary" of our life so we can go back and read about everything that has happened (when I keep it up). It's also been wonderful to meet new friends!

3. What are your two three favorite posts you've written

If you really knew me 

{great post to know me}

Graduation party pictures 

{I was so proud of the party!}

Full of exciting updates

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

Be yourself. 

I'm boring, have no kids, work like a crazy person, and am obsessed with my pets. But I can still blog. I still have things going on in my life. I may not be the most interesting person, but I'm me and I'm happy to have this journal to remember what has been going on in our life.

5. Biggest blogging learning experience you've had?

Not to much... I guess just getting to know the person for who they really are and also know that people are not always who they seem. But you have that in the real world too.

6. Give us three blogs that we need to be following:

This is so hard! There are so many I love...here are a few (more than 3)

In No Simple Language

Our Oklahoma Nest

Our Happily Ever After

Life in the Green House

Lamberts Lately

The Glamorous Life of a Housewife

Our Love Nest

Brittany's Blessings

Ohio Favorites

Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

Life After "I Dew"

Enamored and Elegant

German Village Mom

Life, Love, and Marathons

Running in Stilettos

Hart to Heart

From Nanny to Family

From Newlywed to Mama

Growing Up Goomba

Heart Like Mine

If I Could Only Find the Words

Karen at Home

Michmash

Playground Duty

The Barkers

The Haney Life

To Columbus and Beyond

The Juice is Worth the Squeeze {always an Ohio girl!}

Education Blog

Enjoy reading Teacher Tuesday? Want to know about more ideas for the classroom?

Check out my education blog...

The Blogger Party

Interested in finding more blogs in your area?

  Submit your blog link and meet others from your city or state!

Blog Star: Hi! I'm {Not So} Newlyweds

Since this blog is rather new, I decided to participate in Blog Star hosted by Mrs. Monologues. I have just recently started to read Mrs. Monologues blog and she is a riot! Blog Star is all about "meeting" new people and showing who you are. If you want to participate, don't forget to link up here!

Hi, I'm Brittany and that (above) is my husband J. 

We are quite the pair.

Our blog was created to share our life events with family and friends, but over time has evolved into so much more!
Living in Columbus, Ohio,  J and I pay homage to the stereotype and are fanatics for anything Ohio State Buckeyes. When not decked out in scarlet and grey (and sometimes when we are!), you can find me in my fourth year of teaching fourth grade (going to 5th next year) and J working on a for a certain huge university in Columbus. We currently do not have any real children but are madly in love with our two furbabies, Oliver (mini goldendoodle) and Wembley (orange cat, who thinks he is a dog).

{our little lovies}

Some quick info bytes about us: I can't cook unless it's in a Crock-Pot. In my previous life, I was a party planner and interior designer. I always strive to become a better teacher. I love to learn. I am addicted to Pinterest and the blogosphere.

J is amazed by the amount of great-tasting dishes a crock-pot can produce even though he is an amazing cook! He hates large parties and would be happy with bare walls as long as there was a computer and an internet connection (and his lovely wife). J is addicted to technology, from calculators to supercomputers, and I'm thankful to have figured out how to blog.

 

Follow us in our adventures as {Not So} Newlyweds!

Social Sunday

This Sunday I'm linking up with Neely over at A Complete Waste of Makeup and Ashley at Ashley's Carnival Ride for Social Sunday!

"What is The Sunday Social you ask?

The Sunday social will be 6 questions every Sunday that all have a similar theme to them. Its a great way to meet new people, gain some followers and find new blogs you can't wait to read! People will slowly get to know you. You can add pictures to the posts, videos, whatever you want."

 

How did you come up with your blog name?

Our blog name is pretty straight forward. We have been married 3.5 years. We are still somewhat newly married, but not really "newlyweds". So that's why this blog is called {Not So} Newlyweds! 

What is your favorite thing about blogging?

Definitely "meeting" new people (both in the blog world and IRL) and learning so much! I've gotten so many great ideas from others that have helped in my home, with gifts, and in my classroom! I also love that we can journal about our lives and share it with our family and friends.

What is one thing you have discovered because of blogging and now cant live without?
Facebook or Twitter? and why?

Definitely love my Twitter! I always thought that it was dumb, but it's a great way to talk to a lot of people. Also another outlet for wonderful ideas!! Oh and Pinterest. What did we do before Pinterest?!

If one celeb read your blog who would you want it to be?

I don't think I could really pick out a certain celebrity. I think that I'd go crazy if just some of the well-known bloggers read my blog regularly, like Kelly, Erin, Whitney, or Ashley. Love them!!

What is something you want people to know about your blog?

It's real. I'm not the most interesting person in the blog world. I'm a teacher. We don't have children and I'm not a fabulous cook. I finally have somewhat of a life after finishing grad school and I'm learning what it's like to relax--for real. I (or J) write to remind ourselves 20 years from now what was going on in our life. It's also a great way for family to keep in touch. The bonus is the great friends we make on the way!

Welcome!

Welcome to Not So Newlyweds blog! We are so happy to start a new and improved chapter on this blog. We started Buckeye Couple a few years ago right after we were married. We thought it would be a great way for family and friends to keep in touch with us since they are spread out all over the United States and even in other countries! We blogged a few times while on our honeymoon, but shortly after we got back and settled in, it fell to the wayside.

Now we are back and better than ever. We hope to catch you up with what has been going on in our lives and continue sharing our journey with you. We are {not so} newlyweds anymore, but we still have a lot to share! Don't forget to "follow" us and grab our button if you have a blog of your own! We have a lot more to add to this blog including some of our favorite sites and recipes.

Thank you for starting this journey with us (again) and this time we promise not to let you down.

xoxo