$75 Forever 21 Giveaway & Some Awesome Sponsors!

Yes, it's that time again. Time you get to meet some AWESOME new sponsors. Oh...and did I mention they all pooled their moola together and are giving you guys a chance to win $75 to Forever 21!? I mean..come on...do you know how much swwwweeeeet stuff you can buy for $75? A lot. Like 5 shirts, 4 pairs of pants, 2 skirts, 1 pair of shoes, and like oodles of jewelry. Not that I would know from experience or anything! :) 

So, lets show 'em some love, shall we? 

I asked the girls to tell us about their LOVE STORIES...being as it's almost the Month of Looooove! I know I love a good love story, don't you? 

BLOG // TWITTER // INSTAGRAM

Almost three years ago, I graduated college (Go Buckeyes!), broke up with my ex-boyfriend, and moved to Las Vegas. I had accepted the only job that I had been offered and figured that I'd come out west, work a few years and then find a job in a location that I was more interested in. 

Vegas was never in my original plans and I definitely didn't come out here looking for love. There are so many tourists in this town that it's often hard to meet locals and even harder to find a half-decent man to date. Most guys you run into in Vegas are either in the "industry" (bartenders mostly, or worse, nightclub promoters) or aspiring MMA fighters... not really what I was looking for, so I figured that I would be single for awhile. 

It always happens that whenever you stop looking, you end up finding what you were looking for. After being in Vegas for two months, I had already given up on the dating scene. So one night after work, I headed out to Buffalo Wild Wings to watch some football and grab a beer by myself, just to get out of the house.

I'm sitting at the bar, eating my wings and drinking my beer when this really cute guy walks up to me. He's dressed in a flightsuit and there with some friends. He gives me that line, "so, what are you doing here all by yourself?" and pulls up a seat beside me. We talk for the next two hours, even after his friends leave him, and find out that we have a lot in common. He does the same thing that my brother does for the Air Force and before he walks me out of the bar, he asks for my number. 

I give it to him, but I'm skeptical that he'll really ever call.  Five minutes after leaving the restaurant, I get a text message.... "Would you like to go out to dinner tomorrow night?"

We went on our first date August 11th, 2010. I took him to a work party a few days later. We went on a weekend trip to LA a week or so after that. I had moved in with him by the end of that October. He brought me home with him to meet his family both Thanksgiving and Christmas that year. Sometimes it's so effortless and easy and you just know when something is good. We've raised a puppy together (our white lab Roxanne) and made ourselves a home together in Vegas. 

Loving each other is easy, but we've been through a lot that wasn't. We've survived a deployment to Afghanistan and quite a few sets of training sessions that take him away from home for months at a time. Currently he is in training for a new part of his career that will continue to take him away from home even more often, but hopefully for shorter spans of time. 

It's not always easy to be in love with a man in the military, but as far as I'm concerned, it is 100% worth it. I'm a lucky girl :)

BLOG // TWITTER // INSTAGRAM 

I met my husband when I was 19 and working in childcare.  He came to visit his old boss that he kept in contact with.  Earlier in the day my boss had asked me if I wanted lift tickets.  I took them even though I was pretty sure I wouldn't be using them and I told her that too.  When Sean came to visit her, she was showing him around and introduced us.  She even asked if I wouldn't mind giving him the lift tickets.  Of course I didn't and he said something cheesy along the lines of "I will love you forever, thanks".  I was hooked! I told her I thought he was cute and it took him a month to call me!! I forgave him and we are going on 11 years together! 

BLOG // TWITTER // INSTAGRAM

In March 2008, the Lord led me to an amazing body of believers. It was a small community at the time...about 50 people...in the process of planting a church. After attending 1 service, I knew God led me there for a reason and immediately joined forces with this dynamic group of church planters on a mission to make God known in the community. 2 weeks after attending that first service, I met him. My husband. We ended up serving in the same ministry. From the very beginning, there was just something about him. His gentle spirit. His sense of humor. His willingness to serve. His love for the Lord. 

We played cat & mouse for about 4 months. I had a feeling he was interested in me. But I did my best to keep my distance. To guard my heart. Because, after all, I wasn't positive that he was interested.

 One day in July, I received a text from him. He wanted to play a little game of 20 questions. ;) The rules were as follows: He got to text the first question. I answer & follow with a question.The first few questions were pretty light. What's your favorite color? Favorite song? Favorite food? Etc. And that continued until 11 that night. The last question (from him): Are you attracted to me? So the cat was finally out of the bag. And our whirlwind courtship began.

Make sure to go visit their blogs & show 'em some love. They're cuties, I tell ya. Now...for the GIVEAWAY!

AAAAND A HUGE THANK YOU to Laura who gave $ to the giveaway...even though she is taking a break from blogging...but STILL decided to keep her $ in this giveaway! I mean...sweetheart or what? Love ya girl!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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BIG BEAUTY BONANZA - Results!

Phew. I'm exhausted. This last weekend I went to ALT in Utah! I mean..it was one of the most fun/crazy/life altering conferences ever. Even though it seriously took ALL of my energy....was it worth it? AbsoLUTELY. But I have just barely gotten back into "normal life. On top trying to get back to my "normal", my computer CRASHED and I have been without a computer for 1 week! Insert Jenna sad face here. I didn't realize how much I used it until I didn't have it (funny how that works, huh?). Yes, I know I'm a blogger & I must need it a lot..but I just didn't THINK about life without it. 

Anyhoo...it should be back to me in the next couple of days (for now, I'm using my Mom's laptop)! Luckily, my bro-in-law is a computer wizkid - and is fixing mine as we speak (or as I write, I guess). I will post about ALT in the next few days, but now...as promised...

THE RESULTS of the BIG BEAUTY BONANZA POLL!! I seriously loved going through all of the results (and thanks to all of the 228 of you who did it!). 

Let me just say...some of you are SUPER opinionated/passionate about what products you love. Glad to know I'm not the only crazy-makeup-obsessed lady out there! Love ya for that! 

I ALSO have to say that you girls have GREAT TASTE in products! I love/use a TON of these winners! (They're Real, Bobbi Brown Concealer, Aquaphor, etc...)

Here we go....I broke it down into the categories you took the polls in. If you are interested in buying/learning more about any of the products, I listed the links to them below their category. 

Benefit They're Real // Maybelline The Falsies // 

Covergirl Lash Blast // Tarte Lights Camera Lashes

Nars // Bare Minerals // Benefit // NYC

 Benefit Bo-Oing // Bobbi Brown Concealer/Corrector Duo // 

Clinique All About Eyes // Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer 

Urban Decay // Stila // Revlon // NYX  

Bare Minerals // Makeup Forever // Bobbi Brown // Revlon 

Urban Decay // MAC // Bobbi Brown // Benefit 

Rosebud Salve // Nars // Revlon // Bare Minerals 

Smashbox // Benefit // Laura Mercier // Loreal 

Nars // Bare Minerals // ELF // Tarte 

Essie // OPI // Butter London // Sally Hansen

I loved that you guys were so in love with Aquaphor - it's one of my go-to's too!!

I left out your "Favorite Skincare Products" because there were just SO MANY different ones. I thought about doing another one of these..but as a "SKINCARE & HAIR PRODUCTS POLL"...what would you guys think of that? Yay? Nay? Lemme know!

Thank y'all SO MUCH for participating in this poll - I hope you had as much fun as I did!

  Oh and the WINNER of the $25 Gift Card to Nordstrom is..... KAITLYN Z.! YAY GIRL! I'll email you today!!!  Pin It

ALT SUMMIT!! It's Happening Tomorrow!

Hey y'all. Just wanted to POP IN really quick to let you know I will be going to ALT SUMMIT (ummm...pretty much I'm dying inside from excitement) 

Wednesday through Saturday!!!!

So, I am taking a little mini-break from blogging (well, not really - I'll be up to my ears in blogging stuff!). I'll be chatting/learning/talking/mingling/laughing/being nervous/dancing/posting waaaaay too many pics all week long with some verrrrrry cool people. You guys. I'm seriously so nervous! If you could see inside my tummy right now, you'd see some crazy butterflies hopped up on Red Bull. Yup. 

If you want to keep up with me & all the other ladies that will be attending ALT this year, make sure and follow me on Instagram and Twitter (@jennathewife) and look up the hashtag #altsummit. It's gonna be amaaaaaze-cakes!! 

Wish me luck!!! 

Also, for those of you who haven't taken the BIG BEAUTY BONANZA POLL, make sure to do it by Friday & spread the word so you can win $25 to Nordstrom!!

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The Day We Became Vegetarians.

I have always been a meat eater. Turkey, chicken, beef, pork (I love me some Cafe Rio Pork Salad). You name it, I've probably eaten it.  I never ever thought I would utter the words: 

"I can't eat meat anymore." 

But that happened this weekend. The Hubby & I watched a documentary called, "VEGUCATED" (click here if you want to watch a bit of it) and it changed the way I view how I eat my food. Granted, it is VERY one-sided. It's all about 3 random people being VEGAN for 6 weeks. Vegan. Not vegetarian like we are trying.         

It was the push I needed. 

If you're not sure of the difference between a Vegetarian and a Vegan:    

The difference between a vegan and a vegetarian is that vegans eliminate all animal products from their diet, including dairy and eggs. Those following a vegan lifestyle generally do not wear leather and avoid products made from animals such as wool, silk and down. Vegans' tremendous compassion for animals is an abiding, overriding conviction in their lives.

Vegetarians do not eat meat, fish or poultry but they tend to consume dairy products and eggs. Lacto-vegetarians consume dairy products but not eggs, ovo-vegetarians eat eggs but not dairy products and lacto-ovo-vegetarians eat eggs as well as dairy products. Vegetarians also do not eat products that contain gelatine or other meat-based products.

After watching the film, the hubby and I sat in silence for about 5 minutes. Taking it all in. It was a LOT to take in, lemme tell ya. Some of it was VERY disturbing. Some of it was very extreeeeeme. Powerful? ABSO-FREAKIN-LUTELY. 

But, these people were VEGAN. I mean, no animal products at ALL. In anything. That is easier said than done (even though they made it look fairly easy in the film). I'm sitting there, watching this documentary, thinking...I could totally do this. I want to do this. I need to do this.  

So, we looked at each other, started talking about it, and decided to try it and see what happens. FOR TWO WEEKS. But just as vegetarians (for now).

YES, THERE IS A LOT OF CONTROVERSY ABOUT VEGANISM/VEGETARIAN in general. If its better for you/if it really helps the environment like they say, etc...

But that's not why I'm doing this. 

The main reason I'm cutting out meat from my diet? PURELY FOR MY HEALTH. (Also...because I feel like..why should a little animal die just so I can have a hamburger? That too. Those images will haunt me forrrrreeevvver.) The more I hear, the more I read, the more I learn...it's all about eating CLEAN. Things that are from the Earth. Things that aren't processed. Things that don't have horrible cancer-causing preservatives in them. Pretty much ALL the things I love to eat (I'm talking to you, Oreos). 

The fact is...when I eat crap, I feel like crap (even though it tastes so good sometimes). When I eat healthy, cut out sugar, don't eat meat, I feel SO MUCH BETTER. It's proof to me that it works. 

For those of you who don't know...my Mom has brain cancer. Her and my Dad have become VERY VERY VERY HEALTH CONSCIOUS. They are pretty much full-on Vegans. Which is fantastic, for them...I just never thought I could do it. But I want to support her & I NEED to eat healthier. Sugar included..not just meat. 

source

I don't think I could ever ever be a full-on Vegan. I like my cheese too much. But I am trying to wean myself off of all animal products. Once you realize HOW MANY ANIMAL PRODUCTS are in our food, it really begins to make you think. 

I've watched other documentaries about being vegetarian, eating cleaner, etc...and those have all really made me wonder WHY I eat meat products in general. When you see how these animals are treated, it seriously makes you nauseous. Well, it made ME nauseous. 

I'm not hating on anyone that eats meat. Heck, I mean..I still can't believe I'm doing this.  Neither can my hubby. He loves him some meat. 

MY GOAL IS SIMPLE: Eat food that is not processed. Eat food that is clean.  Eat local with food whenever I can (farmers markets, etc). 

We are going to try it. See what happens to our health and our waistlines. So far, so good. It's actually really fun figuring out what to eat for dinner! Last night we made Baked Potatoes with BBQ Beans & Salad. Yummy. It's really not that hard once you start. And it helps me THINK about what I'm putting into my body. Am I going to be perfect at this? Probably not..but I'm ok with that. 

Want more info on the benefits of becoming VEGETARIAN and eating CLEAN? Read: {WHY GO VEGETARIAN?} {TOP 10 REASONS} {EATING CLEAN}

What do YOU THINK? Could you ever be a vegetarian? Vegan? Are you already? How did you come to that decision? Are you a "clean eater"? Do you want to be? Do tell....


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THE BIG BEAUTY BONANZA POLL!

Catchy, eh? Really, I just love the word bonanza and any chance I get to use it, I will. :) 

I don't know about you, but I always love to know what other people love. Like, oh you have some awesome socks with fleece in them that I'm gonna love too? Do tell. Oh you love that show Suits? Why? 

I just wanna know. That goes for beauty/makeup products too. If you tried it and hated it, I wanna know why! You have a favorite mascara? Yay - share it with me. I think most girls would rather buy a product that someone else has already bought/tried/loved -- rather than just going out randomly and spending money on it when you have no idea if it's good or not. 

So I had this idea (a lightbulb moment, if you will). I thought to myself, self, let me make a quiz and ask my fellow peeps/bloggers/friends about what products they love. Then, after we get the results, I'll make a HUGE AMAZING FANTASTICAL LIST of all of our favorite products (voted on by you guys)! 

And as a little incentive (because I want ALL of the possible bloggers/friends/people you know) to take this poll (so we can get the best results possible)...I'm going to give one of you.....

$25 to Nordstrom!!!!

JUST for  sharing/talking/tweeting/facebooking about it. Yup. True story!!! So you can start your shopping spree a wee bit early. 

THE MORE GIRLS WE HAVE ANSWER THE POLL..THE BETTER THE RESULTS WILL BE!! 
Win/Win, I say! 

You don't have to answer ALL of the questions if you don't want to...but it would be awesome if you did! I know you girls are busy bees! :)
Ready? Set? POLL!! 



**The poll will close JANUARY 25**  Then, I will tally the results & post about them the following week! Who's excited?!!! 
Now, you can start sharing about the poll!  Enter using  Rafflecopter below and enter to win the  $25 to Nordstrom!!!
Oh...and my blog decided to join the cool club (I'm always late to the party)  and got a Facebook page! So extra points for those of you who like my blog on FB!!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

And the winner of the GUSSY SEWS GIVEAWAY is.....

HANNA from Bouffe E Bambini!!!!! 

Congrats Hanna!! 

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How To Apply Skincare in the Correct Order

I'm over at LOVESTITCHED today talking about the correct order to apply your skincare. Answering all your need-to-know questions about what the heck to do in the morning & at night with that face of yours! :) 
You KNOW you wanna know about that! Head on over there now, girlies!
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Bold Lips & Freezing Hands (for a good cause)

Call me crazy, cause this was what I wore all day today. I think the cold froze my brain or something..cause ohhhh good gravy it was freeze-your-face-off cold!! What would I wear if it was freezing cold outside (like 12 degrees cold)? Definitely not this. I don't know WHAT I was thinking going out of my house like this.

The thing is...I hate wearing coats. I feel constricted and they cover up my outfit. I mean...what's the point of getting dressed cute if you're just going to cover it up with a coat?



I should have worn one today though. Not my smartest moment. Dumb, Jenna.
Oh so dumb.



It was SO COLD today (how cold was it?)...so cold that I had to cover up my purple lips with lipstick. 

Good thing I love bold lips! Bright lipstick has (and probably always will be) a staple of mine. I'm mildly obsessed with color, as you well should know by now. So any chance I get to P-O-P an outfit with some color, it's usually on my lips.

{Flowered Shirt -- Forever 21} {Blazer -- Nordstrom *older} {Jeans -- Hudson} 

{Pink Necklace -- F21} {Mint Green Belt -- Target}

{Spike Necklace -- ASOS *older} {Goldie Links Chain Bracelet - NEON & NUDE}

and...

my lipstick is from Radiant Cosmetics - in Strawberry Fields.

Kinda in love with it. Ok...I might have worn it every day since I got it.

If you haven't heard of RADIANT COSMETICS, you should get on it and read all about how awesome they are. I love love LOVE what they are doing for women!

This month, they are doing something even awesomer (yup it's totally a word).....

So check 'em out, get your pretty on & help out a GREAT CAUSE. 

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Phrase for the Year & Life Lately

I'm not going to pretend like I have been super busy this week....because I absolutely haven't been. And I loved it. It was slooooooooow and full of fun with my baby toddler. I HAVE been so busy the last two months (in Nov. & Dec.), so it has been nice to just BE. 

I know everyone has been picking "words" for this year. I'm just picking a phrase:

That's my goal. I'm not making tons of resolutions I know I'll never keep. I'm just going to try and ENJOY MY LIFE. I know - it's a crazy concept. Just trying to be HAPPY with what I have & not make a big deal out of something that I DON'T have. I wrote about this same thing a couple months ago, and I have been getting better...but am definitely still consumed with trying to stay busy. It's hard. 

But I'm trying. Trying to not just fill my day with the "have to's" or "need to" be done just because it makes me feel more accomplished. I mean, yes, some things have to get done (curse you folding laundry). But I know for some crazy reason that I just feel better if I am always "busy."  It makes me feel good. I get why - I just don't like it. Then again, it also makes me feel good to do absolutely NOTH-ing sometimes too. 

It's all about finding a good balance. In everything.

So, that's what I've been doing. Enjoying my precious time with this little guy & my family. Enjoying menial things like going to Target (although I do love going to Target). Enjoying the doing nothing moments. Enjoying the awesome little victories I so often take for granted.





{1} - Davis riding around on a scooter at a friends birthday party. I mean...I died. He looked so big...I can't handle it!!
{2} - Me getting WAY too excited about fitting into my pre-pregnancy jeans. Ya. I'm excited! It only took me a year and a half.
{3} - Just cheesin' it up with my little man. 
{4} - D having so much fun (like one WHOLE hour of fun) with the Legos at Barnes & Noble. Am I going to have to break down and buy him some Legos, now? Probably.



{5} - Having fun with bath mohawks. 
{6} - Doing my other goal this year - a "Two-Sentence-A-Day-Journal." So far so good. Some of you asked on Instagram what exactly that meant. I just write one or two sentences about that day. Example: 
"JAN. 3 - Went to the mall with D & rode the train. Ty is in Texas helping Taryn & Clark move." Just simple things I want to remember. I don't have time/patience anymore to sit and write two whole pages like I used to. 
{7} - Trip to IKEA to help me think of some ideas for my family room (my next redecorating project).
{8} - Enjoying the fact that Ty came home & that I was getting over my horrrrrrrible flu. Worst three days I've had in a LONG time. And of course it was the only year I didn't get a flu shot. Dumb dumb dumb. 


Do you have a goal/word this year? Are you super motivated to keep it? Or do you think resolutions/goals are silly? Sound off, people. :)


P.S. Don't forget to enter the GUSSY SEWS giveaway - you still have time!  Pin It

My First Kiss (Went A Little Like This)...

The elementary school bus lets off right in front of my house. I can't help but reminisce a little when I see those crazy and super loud kids running off the bus. They punch each other, pull pranks and laugh uncontrollably....with no care in the world. (P.S. I promise I'm not creepy... D just likes to sit and watch the bus come and go and says, "Bisss Bisss." He loves it.)

So, last week, I watched as a boy and a girl had a little encounter. The boy put his arm around the girl, and you could tell, she immediately got tense. She stopped and removed his arm from her, and started talking to him (or yelling possibly..I couldn't tell). The boy then proceded to KISS HER smack on the mouth. And she stopped again. Looked at him mortified, and then turned and began running towards her house. He just stood there, looking completely devastated. True story. 

That got me thinking about MY first kiss. I was about their age too. At the time it happened, I felt SO OLD. Now, I see those two young kids..and think nooooooo don't do it! Don't kiss and grow up! Stay innocent forever.

Yikes. You know you're gettin' old when you start thinking things like that. 

So..for your reading enjoyment..a little glimpse into MY FIRST KISS (sorry Mom & Dad).

Yup. This is me in 6th grade. Ain't my scrunchie the bomb? :)

We thought we were SUPER DUPER CUTE with our cheerleading outfits on. Ha. That was my best friend, Telisa (sorry T, don't kill me for this pic)...who has 3 kids of her own now..yikes...we are so old! And that other awesome lady was my fave teacher ever, Miss Kennedy. Loved her.

In 6th grade, I had two main concerns. One was obsessing over going to middle school the next year. I'm pretty sure I only did great in school because I knew you had to get through 6th to make it to 7th (where all the cute boys were). 

Oh does that help you figure out what number two is? You guessed it.  BOYS, of course. Boys boys boys. Man alive I was boy-crazy!!

Well, all the "popular kids" had boyfriends/girlfriends. Everyone was "going out" with someone. Not me. I wanted to keep my options open. Ya know, live it up in 6th grade and all that! Hehe. 

That is, until my friend told me that someone (we will call him Austin to protect the poor guy) liked me. Austin was pretty cute, and pretty popular. So, we started "going out." 

What did going out consist of? Pretty much nothing. All of us couples  just hung out at the jungle gym during recess. The boys all talked and punched each other and the girls all giggled and laughed with each other. Occasionally, a more SERIOUS couple, would break off somewhere and go hold hands..or make out. 

Austin & I had done neither. Which was fine by me. I wasn't really looking for anything but to hang out with the cool people (sad...but true), Well, everyone kept pressuring Austin & I to hold hands. So, I did. We held hands (GASP!)!! I didn't like it at all..and my face turned bright red every. single. time.

I thought that was plenty, but nope..the others kept egging more & more. They would call me after school (with Austin on the other line, unbeknownst to me) and say "Why won't you kiss him? He wants to kiss YOU" and "Just kiss him already!!") Things I thought were super convincing at the time. Ha.

So one day, after school, I had had enough. I just wanted to get it OVER WITH. Really romantic, I know. After the bell rang, all the 6th grade kids and some stragglers from younger grades, gathered around a brick wall behind the school. I walked out and saw everyone gathered around Austin. I had to walk through all my friends just to get to him. Then, we just stood there looking at each other. With everyone looking at us, yelling/chanting/screaming at us to "just do it"! Awkward much? 

He was leaning up against the wall, but wouldn't make the move. So I put my big girl panties on, and just went for it. I pretty much lunged at him and started making out with him. Everyone was cheering and clapping like crazy hyenas. I was mortified. I pulled away and before anyone (especially Austin) could say anything to me, I ran. 

I ran to the bus, sat in the very back, and wanted so bad to cry. But I held it in. I was embarrassed, humiliated and most of all..terrified. Terrified that I would never live that moment down. Ever. (And I didn't. My friends constantly brought it up pretty much until I graduated High School. Good times).

That next week, Austin called me on the phone & broke up with me. Two days before V-Day. Yup. It was awesome. He said it was because it was too much pressure with everyone telling us what to do all the time. But I pretty much thought it was because I must have been the worse kisser ever. 

I think I spent the majority of middle school and high school trying to make up for that one kiss. Trying to prove I was awesome at that kissing stuff (again...sad but true). 

It was an experience I will never forget. I'm just glad I got over it (even if my friends never did). Otherwise I could be in a convent somewhere. ;) 





Do you have an embarrassing kissing story? Do share! Tell me I'm not the only one! :)


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