Roo's

I am so happy that I got to have my girly roommate years before entering married life. I lived in a spacious two bedroom apartment in downtown Yorba Linda with two of my favourite people for five years. Not only did we have so much fun but we came out of it better friends than ever, which we had only been warned that living with friends does not always end well.

We were 21, 22, and 23 years old when we decided to step out on our own into the big bad world,  I had already moved countries but was living comfortably with a family and now I was really doing it independently. Finding a sweet little two bedroom in Yorba Linda thanks to friends who lived in the neighboring one bedroom, we began our new lives together. We combined our styles and furnished the place with much thanks to Christine's grandma who had many hidden treasures in her garage, figured out each others schedules so we all could get in the bathroom in the morning, navigated who's food was who's in the fridge, and discovered new bonding activities like watching F.R.I.E.N.D.S., painting our nails, drinking margaritas and our obsession with the Christmas season. You think that living together would mean seeing each other all the time, well we quickly noticed that wasn't true, someone was either at school, at work, on a date, running errands, at homegroup or out with another friend. That's when our tradition of roomie breakfasts started. We would make a huge delicious breakfast with eggs, potatoes, sometimes german pancakes or waffles, fruit, mimosas and of course coffee and catch up on life's dramas and happenings. Now that two of us are married and the other is on her way we try to continue that tradition or get together for a pow wow now and again.

The three of us became so integrated into each others lives being a part of the really awesome highs and the deep painful lows. It was not always easy but we quickly learned how important communication and confrontation was for a healthy friendship and home. Where each of us could have ended up without the crucial advice that was given or the words of encouragement to risk baffles me. If it happened to one of us it basically happened to all of us.

I am really thankful that I get to have all our fun crazy memories of camping trips, all of us squishing in to the bathroom to get ready for church, coming home late after the most wonderful date and telling them about it, borrowing each others clothes, parties and so much more. More importantly I  learned so many life lessons like how to manage my money, what it looked like to adapt to living with someone else, respecting others stuff, how to care for someone in hard times and even learning from their mistakes. You just can't learn that on your own.

I love looking back on photos and reminiscing! The horror of some of our fashion choices, hair styles, the late night donut runs, old cell phone videos of us dancing or singing together, the hours of  crying to sad romantic movies, and so so many more wonderful hilarious memories. I love you girls, I am so thankful for those years, I miss them!!

Roo's for life.

The Wifey Life

Sometime last week while cooking a yummy dinner I blurted out loud "I'm killing it as a wife this week!!". I didn't mean to sound so arrogant. Let me rewind, Carl had caught my cold from the previous week and bless him he had no sick time left so he had to work through it coming home exhausted each night. I made him rest, take essential oils, drink echinacea tea, take vitamin C, drink lots of water and in bed by 9pm (he gets up at 5.30am). We had just gotten back from grocery shopping and I was cooking dinner, I started running through the list of things that needed to be done around the house, errands and social engagements coming up, when I realized I was ahead of the game;

Grocery run - done

Laundry - done

Washing up - done

Housework - done

Monthly budget - done

Meal planning - done

Taken care of sick husband - done

Birthday celebration plans - done

DMV appointment - done

Documents ready for USCIS interview - done

Worked out - done
Bake yummy goods - done

For the recipe click here

That's when I blurted out my big headed statement that I was a self acclaimed rad wife. What is funny is that I don't usually have it this together. I am always trying to get a million little things done at once and without fail end up forgetting to do that one important errand. Lately we have had a very full social calendar of weddings, birthdays, memorials, weekends away, baby showers and so on that is why I am was so proud of myself this week.

The wife life is definitely different than the girlfriend life. It is more house work, cooking and keeping track of social events for the both of us. I genuinely enjoy it, it weirdly makes me feel like more of a woman. Even though he is more than capable of doing all those things on the list above (and he does), he works really hard putting in a lot of hours at work and his job demands that he pays constant attention to small details. I love to serve him and it is so simple of an act to do.

Every women reads Proverbs 31 and woah did it make me feel insecure and inept as a single woman. Now that I have someone other than myself to care for I actually feel like I have a fighting chance to be that woman. I want to empower women to be the woman and wife God intended us to be, to serve God and their husbands in every aspect of their lives. Being a Proverbs 31 woman is not about being “perfect.” A woman who serves her husband and her family will never look perfect or be perfect but we can try our hardest to do whatever we can.

Husbands- don't think this lets you off the hook! We still need help, so be the loving husband we adore and help us when we ask for it or surprise us from time to time.

(Sheinside -  Top / Hume - His Top)

I adore being a wife and I hope you do to!

These are a few of my favourite things

We all have those few favourite products that we can't live without. Personally I am not a big fan of a lot of products in my hair and prefer a more natural make-up look which is why I really only have a few favourites but they are seriously the greatest finds for me.

1. Lucas' Papaw - This is an Australian ointment that my sister turned me on to. While she lived in Sydney she discovered paw paw, I use it as a chap stick but it has many uses burns, nappy rash (diaper rash for the Americans), cuts, and dry skin. Its a miracle in a tube.

2. Wet Brush- If you have hair that gets tangled easily or it's super thick or get knots this is the dream product. The wet brush can get smooth out your hair no problem (without the yanks and shrieks). I have thick hair and immediately brush out my hair after stepping out of the shower, no pain, no fuss and best of all it is so inexpensive.

3. Boots Coconut & Almond oil leave in conditioner spray-  First of all it smells so good! I have used this for years, I know some people are scared it will make your hair oil but it most definitely does not. Every time I would go home to Edinburgh I would stock up and bring home a suitcase full but Target just started carrying some of the boots line and I am hoping this gem will pop up on the shelf soon. It moisturizes leaving you with smooth, soft and tangle free hair.

4. Johnson's baby powder-  We all know this product very well, some actually use it on your babies but I use it in my hair when my roots are starting to get a little greasy. It absorbs the oil and makes my hair look fresh! You can buy this product literally anywhere.

5. Maybelline Fit Me Powder- I never knew that you need to set your foundation with powder, why did no-one tell me? My makeup now lasts longer and looks so much smoother and even toned. I do use the Maybelline Fit Me foundation as well, but this product "fits me perfectly".

6. Bedhead curling wand- I recently cut my hair short into an long aline style and quickly discovered my curling iron was not going be an use. My hairstylist and amazing friend answered my question on what size   would make my hair get a wavy curl in it. I went with the one inch wand and it's perfect. 

7. Aveeno- This is such a good moisturizer for your whole body from top to bottom. It absorbs quickly, , smells good (not overly scented) and keeps my skin hydrated for a couple of days before reapplying. I swear by this stuff.

8. Essie - The nail polishes of nail polishes!! First of all they have the most amusing names (I want that persons job who gets to name colours).They have a wide range of colors and they last for a long time. My favourite colour is 'Butler please'.

See ya!