July 2016 movies

Dear Diary, 

There are 9 movies this month! 9!

July 1

The BFG

Rated PG

117 minutes

Starring: Bill Hader, Ruby Barnhill, Rebecca Hall, Mark Rylance, Jemaine Clement, Penelope Wilton

"A girl named Sophie encounters the Big Friendly Giant who, despite his intimidating appearance, turns out to be a kindhearted soul who is considered an outcast by the other giants because, unlike them, he refuses to eat children."

The Legend of Tarzan

Rated PG-13

109 mintues

Starring: Alexander Skarsgard, Margot Robbie, Samuel L. Jackson, Christoph Waltz, Djimon Hounsou

"Tarzan, having acclimated to life in London, is called back to his former home in the jungle to investigate the activities at a mining encampment."

July 8

The Secret Life of Pets

Rated PG

90 minutes

Starring: Jenny Slate, Ellie Kemper, Lake Bell, Kevin Hart, Albert Brooks, Dana Carvey, Eric Stonestreet, Louis C.K., Hannibal Burgess, Bobby Moynihan

"Taking place in a Manhattan apartment building, Max's life as a favorite pet is turned upside down when his owner brings home a sloppy mongrel named Duke. They have to put their quarrels behind when they find out that an adorable white bunny named Snowball is building an army of lost pets to take revenge."

Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates

Rated R

mintues

Starring: Zac Efron, Anna Kendrick, Adam DeVine, Aubrey Plaza

"Two brothers place an online ad to find dates for a wedding and the ad goes viral."

July 15

Ghostbusters

Rated

108 minutes

Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, Chris Hemsworth, Sigourney Weaver, Bill Murray, Elizabeth Perkins, Annie Potts, Dan Aykroyd, Andy Garcia

"30 years after Ghostbusters took the world by storm, the beloved franchise makes its long-awaited return. Director Paul Feig brings his fresh take to the supernatural comedy, joined by some of the funniest actresses working today."

July 22

Star Trek Beyond

Rated

minutes

Starring: Idris Elba, Zoe Saldana, Chris Pine, Sofia Boutella, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, Zachary Quinto, Anton Yelchin, John Cho, Sofia Boutella

"The USS Enterprise crew explores the furthest reaches of uncharted space, where they encounter a mysterious new enemy who puts them and everything the Federation stands for to the test." 

Ice Age: Collision Course

Rated PG

94 minutes

Starring: John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Ray Romano, Queen Latifah, Jennifer Lopez, Adam DeVine, Simon Pegg, Seann William Scott, Max Greenfield, Josh Peck, Keke Palmer, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Chris Wedge, Wanda Sykes, Michael Strahan, Jessie J

"Scrat's epic pursuit of his elusive acorn catapults him outside of Earth, where he accidentally sets off a series of cosmic events that transform and threaten the planet. To save themselves from peril, Manny, Sid, Diego and the rest of the herd leave their home and embark on a quest full of thrills and spills, highs and lows, laughter and adventure while traveling to exotic new lands and encountering a host of colorful new characters."

July 29

Jason Bourne

Rated PG-13

minutes

Starring: Matt Damon, Julia Stiles, Tommy Lee Jones, Alicia Vikander, Vincent Cassel, Riz Ahmed

"Jason Bourne, now remembering who he truly is, tries to uncover hidden truths about his past."

Bad Moms

Rated R

minutes

Starring: Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn, Christina Applegate, Jada Pinkett Smith, Annie Mumolo

"When three overworked and under-appreciated moms are pushed beyond their limits, they ditch their conventional responsibilities for a jolt of long overdue freedom, fun and comedic self-indulgence."

Love, Me

Source: 
www.imdb.com
www.wikipedia.org
www.youtube.com 

Happy birthday to me

Yay it's my birthday. 

Yay me. 

Yay birthday. 

Yay to being considered in my 30's now. 

My year 30 is done and even though I didn't complete my 30 in 30 (I have 9 to go), I still feel very accomplished and plan on finding 9 more things to do. 

My 30th year has brought more joy than I ever thought possible. It was the year I had my baby boy. It was year I said Yes to things. It was the year I stepped out of my comfort zone and tried stuff. I think this 30th year will go down as my most memorable year for me. 

So happy birthday to me! 

Shirt: Emerald Sky
Shorts: Target

47 weeks

How old? 47 weeks

Likes? Po, his polar bear

Hates? Being put down. We are going through a "hold me" phase. He goes in and out of this phase. It seems to be when his teeth bother him is when he is like this. 

Milestones this week? Taking a few steps on his own. He is so close. When he doesn't think about it, he does it. If he looks down or gets super pissed, he just sits and crawls. 

Sleeping? Ugh...kinda. Nights he is good, stirs a little but puts himself right back out. Naps are hit or miss. One nap he will sleep 3 hours, the next day he will sleep 45 mintues. We leave for Galveston Friday and I am a little concerned about his sleeping. He will be in the room with us and he is a light sleeper. It's going to be interesting. 

Eating? Nothing new this week. 

30 in 30: 21: Indoor skydiving

When I first started thinking about my 30 in 30 list, a lot of people suggested skydiving. But I had this fear of dying from it. Because if anything is going to go wrong, I am sure it would involve me. Plus I made a rule that my 30 in 30 list would not involve me putting myself in a dangerous situation. I have a new baby and he is more important than me jumping out of a plane. 

I knew that there was a way you could get the feeling of skydiving, without plummeting to the ground. Indoor skydiving. So I looked into it. But as time was going by, it kept getting pushed back. That is until my friend Julie said that for her husband's birthday, she wanted to go do it. It was like fate stepped in and took over. 

So here we are: 30 in 30: number 21: Indoor Skydiving

The place was called iFly and it is located in Frisco. It is the coolest experience. I will tell you that the first time I went in, I lost my breathe and had to keep telling myself to breathe. The wind tunnel you go in is incredibly strong and anyone with any kind of injury is advised against it. Even if you have asthma, I would advise against it. They do give you your own private instructor who is with you the whole time, they make you watch a training video and then you suit up and go! 

The only problem we had is that we didn't bring an extra person to take photos. We had to put everything in lockers so I got 3 photos of the whole ordeal. 1 taken with a phone and 2 I bought through them of the experience. 

The experience itself is like none other. We got to go 2 rounds at 1:12 each person, each round. You may say that that doesn't sound like a long time, but trust me it is. Julie purchased the party package for the group so it brought the cost down a lot. We paid $54 a person and there was 10 of us. And then, to go up higher, it was an extra $10. Almost all of us decided we wanted to go higher on our second rounds. Why not? I don't think I've ever screamed as loud as I did when he took me higher. He spun me around so fast, I couldn't walk after I was done. It took me a good 20 seconds to get my bearings but it was so worth it. 

Here is a picture of the group! I love these people so much. 
Don't we look like superheroes? 

Back row: Billy, Bobby & Jared
Middle row: Julie, Kristen, Kristen, Me & Josh
Bottom row: Broc & Olivia

So I bought one more photo that day...by far my favorite and it is of my brother in law Billy. See Billy is a big guy and has a very gnarly beard. And when you put a big guy with a big beard in a 90mph wind tunnel, it tends to make people laugh. Luckily Billy laughs at himself before anyone else so it made for great entertainment. Anyways....back to the beard. Well I could describe what we saw or I could just show you! 

The beard itself flew. I don't think we have laughed so hard looking at this photo. I said he looked like Cornelius from the movie Rudolph and Julie said it perfect when she said "Your beard may say 'stayin' cool', but your eyes say 'WTF'!"

If you have ever thought about doing this, DO IT! But do it with friends/family. It makes the experience so much better. And don't forget to bring someone who wants to watch but doesn't want to do it so you have someone to take your photo. 

Five on Friday

So there's this blog I follow (ok stalk) and she does this thing on Friday's called Five on Friday. It's five things she is loving or has loved or using or eating, etc for that week. It is one of my favorite things to go read. The blog is called PB&J Babes and her name is Amber Massey. Y'all....if you aren't following her blog, you need to. Let alone for this, but because she has 3 of the cutest little girls on the planet and she is always sharing food recipes and where she shops. 

Anyways. I thought I would take a stab at this Five on Friday. 

One. Brody in a life jacket

Swim safety is huge priority for me. When he is in his little swim pool, we don't put him in it. No need. But when he is in the big pool or when we go to the beach, it will be a must when he's near the water. I didn't realize how freaking adorable he would look in one. My mother in law got this photo and Oh Lord, I have looked at it everyday! 

Two. Starbucks Cold Brew with Vanilla Sweet Cream

I have had one almost everyday for the past 2 weeks. If I venture out of the house, I usually stop. I bought a large see-through cup from them 2 weeks ago as well and that's what I drink it out of. If you haven't tried cold brew yet, try it. Because A) it's awesome, B) it's super hot outside, and C) the vanilla sweet cream just makes it 10x more delicious. I always get a few shots more of the cream to make it super creamy.  

Three. 1st Birthday Party

Planning Brody's first birthday is in full swing. We have the place, what we want to eat, what dessert he will eat, the guestlist. All I need to do is get his 1st birthday pictures taken (doing it on the beach), get an invitation made and ship them. Luckily I have a husband who has an imagination and who doesn't mind planning stuff with me because I think I would have lost my mind already if I had to do this by myself. 

Four. Meal prepping

Ever since I started Swink Sweat, I have been doing my best to eat better. It took some time but I have slowly been able to take out the junk and move in the healthy stuff. On Sunday's, Bobby meal preps for us. He makes me 3 dinners for the nights I do my workout. It is a protein of some kind, a veggie and then either a potato or some sort of starch/carb. It makes dinners easy and healthy. The nights I am home, he cooks fresh dinners for us. 

Five. Orange is the New Black
So yeah.....whole season has been officially watched. Since I am the type to read the back of the book first, I know a lot of you are not so I will not share any details or give anything away. I will just say I love Lolly. I cried on episode 12. The last scene was so intense. I now know how to kill someone and dismember the body (so don't mess with me). I mean it did just come out a week ago, I'm sure most of you are almost done watching it correct? 

Have a great weekend! 

2 years

Dear Diary,



Today my blog hits 2 years old. I started this blog June 23, 2014 and I never imagined all the places it would take me.



2 years y'all!


Facts:
1) As of today (11am) I have had 62,831 views
2) My most viewed blog post was labeled "How did I...?" with 1,017 views.
3) My favorite blog post was either my pregnancy announcement or the story of Brody's birth.
4) I have laughed, cried, been mad, apologized, ranted, been right on most occasion and told you if I was wrong (I dare you to go searching).
5) I have had so many people reach out to me telling me how much they enjoy my blog.
6) Today's blog is number 464 
7) My 30 in 30 blog posts have caused a lot of talk between myself and others. 


When I took this blog on, I never imaged how good it would be for me. It is my out. It is my way of getting all the things built up or bottled up, out. It's where I vent. Where I brag. Where I talk to God sometimes. Where I tell my side of the story on things. 

I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for all the times you have come to read or reached out. It truly means everything to me. When you walk up to me and say "Hey, you're Hold The Gluten Please, aren't you?" you have no idea how big my heart grows knowing that. 

Love, Me

P.S. I have something so awesome for my 500th blog post this August so make sure you stay tuned for more details in the next month about it! You're gonna love it! 

U.P.D.A.T.E.

Most of you have known that I am trying to find 30 things to do in my 30th year of life. And I have been having a grand time doing this. But the reality of me being able to do 10 more things in a week (my bday is next Wednesday) is not going to happen. I do have one thing planned this weekend and I have another in the works, but after that my time will be up. But that is not going to stop me from completing my list. It will just be 30 in 31. I am going to continue on this path to get to my 30. 

I took on this challenge without realizing how much time a baby takes from you and how little mobility you have being 35+ weeks pregnant and then having a c-section. There was about 3 months where I wasn't able to do anything. 3 months is a long time when you are trying to get 30 things accomplished because I would need to do at least 2 things a month, some months would need to be 3. I didn't have 24/7 access to a babysitter and there was apart of me that had a hard time leaving Brody when he was super little. Anxiety hit me hard when I would think about it and then I went through the baby blues and that took some time away from me. Plus I felt tired constantly. 

Please don't think I am trying to find an excuse or anything. If you have ever had a baby, I am sure you understand. And if you haven't.....well then your opinion is your opinion! 

I do plan on finishing this though. My goal is by the end of September. I have something planned on vacation and maybe I can find a few more things there since I will be in a house full of people and someone can stay with Brody. Bobby and I have a 5 year anniversary trip planned where I am sure I can find things. 

So stay tuned. I might need your help and motivation to keep this going. And if you have any ideas, I am all ears!  

Thanks again for keeping up me with and this. I hope I have motivated some of you to find something you have never done and doing it. 

46 weeks

How old? 46 weeks

Likes? Blueberries. So this is a LOVE for him. 

Hates? Sitting in a high chair (other than the one at home) and not being able to get to one of us. We went out for dinner for Father's Day and I put Brody in between myself and Landry and Bobby sat to my left. Brody wasn't having it. He kept trying to get out to get to Bobby. We realized that he needs to sit between us so he has both of us there. Bobby calls him the boy in the bubble and it makes me laugh because he kind of is right now. 

Milestones this week? Walking with a blanket. Let me explain.....so I saw a few articles about getting your child accustomed to walking by themselves, you take a blanket (strong and sturdy and long) and you place it under their arms and then stand up and allow them to get their feeting and then let them walk/pull you. But they have the comfort of knowing that you are there for them but it helps get them on the right path of taking their own steps (see his picture this week). He loved it. We went all over the house. I love it because it doesn't pull on his arms and it didn't pull on my back. 

Sleeping? Great this week. He has been waking up in the middle of the night some but he has one tooth on top almost in and I think thats it. When this one comes in that will make 8 teeth visible. 

Eating? He tried crescent rolls this week and loved them. He tried hibachi food and loved that. 

Father's Day

I just wanted to say Happy Father's Day to my handsome husband. You are beyond anything I could ever imagine. You are kind, funny and such a great influence for Brody. You don't ask for a lot and give all the time. You cook for us. You meal prep for us. You provide for us. You work your butt off everyday so Brody and I can have a wonderful life. We are both so blessed to have you as a husband and daddy. 
I love you baby! 

And to my own daddy.....I love you so much. You set an example of what men and daddies should be like. God blessed me by making you my dad. You taught me right from wrong. You taught me to never forget God. You taught me to play softball and how to keep my head above water. You always provided for us girls and never asked for anything in return. Happy father's day to you and I love you! 

Fri-yay

Hey everyone,

Today I am taking the time to be with Brody. With everything that is going on in this world right now, I feel like my time needs to be spent loving on him. We never know what tomorrow brings. We never know when God will come calling. The most important thing to me is for Brody to know I love him. 

So I want you to also take the time to love on your spouse, kids, friends, family and pets. Whoever you consider someone important. Let them know they are loved and incredibly special to you. 

Enjoy your Friday and have a wonderful weekend. 
I will see you Monday :-) 

Oh and one of my favorite clothing company {Emerald Sky} just launched their new website and thru Sunday, June 19th, you can get 25% off with the code NEW25! 

What are you waiting for? Go shopping

And Double Oh.....Orange Is The New Black started today so yeah.......if I ignore your call or text during the time Brody is napping it's not because I'm ignoring you, it's because I have headphones on and I didn't hear you. 

And Triple Oh.....Finding Dory came out today. I have plans for next Sunday going to see it with my family and I can't wait! Just Keep Swimming Just Keep Swimming Just Keep Swimming Swimming Swimming

June Kudos

Dear Diary,

The June Kudos for Younique is so awesome! 

I can't say enough about how much I love Mineral Touch Liquid Foundation. You don't need a lot and it covers so well. Because I do work out, I get an occasional pimple. And the Touch Skin Perfecting Concealer is perfect for covering them up. But none of that goes on my face before I apply Glorious Face and Eye Makeup Primer. Not only does that help my makeup go on flawless, it helps keep it on. And on top of that all, you get a FREE Liquid Foundation Brush!  

If you were to buy all 4 of these individually, it would cost you $139 but right now it's only $99! 

You might be saying....that's a great deal Dani but I don't know what color I would be! Well I am here to help. For reference, in the winter I am Velour (when I am at my whitest), in the spring and fall, I am Taffeta (when I have a little color) and in the summer I am Satin (when I am at my darkest and because I have yellow undertones). 

I am always available to answer any questions you might have on colors or products. I always tell people who ask that even if I didn't sell Younique, I would still buy it and wear it. That's why I do sell it. Because I believe in the product and I believe in putting good things on your skin. I know it's not the cheapest and can get pricy but this stuff last! And putting good things on your skin just helps enhance the beauty you already have. 

https://www.youniqueproducts.com/DaniLynnLewis

Love, Me

30 in 30: 20: Klyde Warren Park

Ever since I heard of this place, I have always wanted to go. But I never found the reason to go or the time and once we moved to Mansfield, it completely fell off my radar. Until this past weekend. We had some friends come in town and they had planned on going. So we tagged along because A) I love being with them and B) because I had never been and wanted to. 

So here we are: 30 in 30: number 20: Klyde Warren Park

This place is gorgeous, even in the rain. I know I didn't get to experience the full effect of this place but I got the gist of it. The food trucks were awesome. The place itself was just breathtaking. The kids area was so much fun. If Brody was able to walk, it would have been better because I would have been able to watch him play in the water. 

It was hot and humid and my newly fresh hair was sticking out everywhere but oh well. It was a lot of fun. I would for sure go back, especially when Brody is of a better age and can play. The rain prevented us from really getting the full experience of Klyde Warren Park but that's alright. I can see what everyone loves it so much. Just family and dog friendly. 

Here are some pictures I got while I was there. My pictures don't do justice of this place. You just have to go yourself if you have never been. 

 The kid's area

Michelle and baby Georgia (who I am so in love with btw)

Bobby and his boys. So much fun getting to meet up with everyone. 

 Charlotte and Brody

Food Truck row. I looked at all of them and decided on the pizza truck. AMAZING!

Next time I go, I will go much hungrier and try all the other food trucks. And I will go when Brody can play and when it's not raining and it's not 1000 degrees outside. 

45 weeks

How old? 45 weeks

Likes? Swimming

Hates? Feeling left out. We bought a baby gate this week to put up between our room and the living room (thats where the stairs are) and he hates it when we both go in there and we don't take him. It's not because he wants to be held or anything. He just wants to be included. 

Milestones this week? My sister got him to kick in the water. She has been through so many swim lessons with both Landry and Hayden that she knows what to do so she grabbed him and started teaching him to kick and blow bubbles. Swim safety is a must in my family so we start them young. He also has learned to kiss. Sunday night him and I were sharing some Goldfish and he raised up, looked at me and leaned in to give me a kiss. It was the cutest, most precious thing. Then later that evening, he kept giving both Bobby and I kisses for a good 5 minutes. Just going back and forth. 

Sleeping? A little better this week. There was 2 days in a row where his naps sucked. Wouldn't sleep for anything. But he got over that hump and is better now. His morning nap always seems to be better than his afternoon nap and his afternoon nap is more important I think. 

Eating? Nothing new this week but I love that I have such a great eater. Makes it so easy on us. 

30 in 30: 18 and 19: Gray hair and Ombre

I can't even believe I am blogging this.

But I have never found one before so.....

So here we are: 30 in 30: number 18: I found a gray hair

I wasn't looking for it. I was just telling myself how I needed to get my hair done because it was looking blah and there it was! Like a bright shiny object. Just staring at me. And not just one. There was two! 

Ok first off....I need a tan bad! Second off....I look so miserable. hahahaha
What's life if you can't make fun of yourself :-)

So I plucked them and then I went online and booked an appointment with my girl April Barnes and went and got my hair did! But I just didn't want to get the same ole thing I get done every time. So I went on Pinterest and searched Summer Hair 2016. So many things popped up. I found what I wanted and it was something I had never done before. 

So here we are: 30 in 30: number 19: Ombre 

Kristen was the first person I saw with Ombre many years ago and I have loved it but never been brave enough to go get it done. But because my love for it kept getting bigger and bigger, I decided to go with it. My hair likes to lighten up in the summer and I normally hate that. I usually have April dye it almost black and add a few highlights to make it look alive. So when I told her I was going with something different, she was of course so excited. She kept telling me how ombre will bring out the green in my eyes and how it will look so natural on me. 

Boy was she right. The first thing Bobby said to me was about how my eyes looked so green now and how my coloring was so pretty! 

LOVE IT!!!!!!
The blonde on the bottom isn't as light as I would like but it's only because my hair was so dark that it will take another treatment for it to look exactly how I want. 

Bye Bye gray hair. Hello Ombre. 

Proud

I have been wanting to write about something for a really long time. Something that happened to someone I love and someone I have loved for a really long time. But it was never my story to tell so I never felt right telling it.

Until today.

But I will not be telling the story. My sister will be. She has so graciously allowed me to copy her {blog} and post her pictures on this matter. I will tell you my thoughts after you read her story.

Ok...so it's not HER story. It's HIS story. And by HIM I mean my brother in law Tim. This is HIS story. In HER words about HIM.

Tim's Transformation

This post has been a long time coming. If you've known Tim for any length of time you have watched him over this past year completely transform himself. I figured it was time to write his story and if in any way we can help others who have questions or are questioning the procedure he had, then that's just a bonus. 

I met Tim officially in junior high but we didn't become friends until high school. Then after about two years of being friends, I fell in love with him. If you've been around him for any length of time you know what I'm talking about when I say he's easy to fall in love with. He's got such an easy going attitude and is always willing to lend a helping hand and has the funniest personality of anyone I know. 

When we graduated and went to college Tim slowly started gaining weight. It wasn't dramatic at first, but after we got married and "real life" set in, it became more apparent. We both worked and then two years after marriage, Landry came along. Tim was always a stress eater. Without playing sports or working out consistently the stress eating and not being active caught up with him. Before he knew it he was 325 pounds. 

He had a stressful job, a wife, two kids and a mortgage. He was happy on the outside but on the inside he was miserable. He hated what he saw when he looked in the mirror. He tried various diets and would loose weight but would always put it back on. I'm a pretty healthy person and I try to eat well and work out pretty consistently. I would try to have him eat like me but it never worked. He would get so frustrated and quit. 

I love Tim. I have since I was 17. His weight was never an issue with me. I think it got to a point where I just looked past it. I knew he was big, but I never said anything. I mean why should I tell him, he knew it! I remember the day he told me he wanted to have surgery. We had taken a photo at Christmas with the four of us and he saw it and hated it. 

We have a close friend who had the surgery three years ago so Tim knew what to expect with this surgery. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but after trying everything else he knew this was the right choice for him. He consulted with one doctor and didn't meet the requirements for the surgery so he met with Dr Fenzel and he really worked with Tim. It turned out Tim had a hiatal hernia. So when they went in to fix that they also did the gastric sleeve surgery. All we had to pay were the hospital fees and doctors fees. That was an answer from God. I had prayed for us to find a way to make this work for us and it did. 

Surgery was set for June 8. He went in early that morning and I got to go back to see him about three hours later. He was really groggy and sore. They make you stay in the hospital until you can swallow 12 medicine cups of water. That's hard! Plus you have to be able to keep them down. 

The week after we got home was hard. He couldn't keep anything down and would dry heave for days. But after a few days of that it got much better. I will say it took a lot of getting used to at first. I was so accustomed to making dinner for the four of us the way I always had. And Tim would take three bites and be done. It was such a change from the old Tim. Plus, there were so many things he couldn't eat on top of that. It took some researching on my part but I knew it was for his own good. 

About one month after surgery is when we started seeing a few changes. About three months after surgery other people started seeing a change and noticing. 

I took pictures of him every few months and once we started looking back at them you could really see how far he had come. 

I want to share his before and afters for those that are wondering how this surgery can work. 

Before-June 7, 2015 (325 pounds)

After- June 7, 2016 (190 pounds)

Tim was asked by his doctor to interview and tell his story for their office and media outlets. I was so proud of him. It was really out of his comfort zone but he really wants to help others. He's had so many people come up to him and ask about the surgery and procedure and he's always willing to give them the story straight up.

I don't know about you, but I couldn't be prouder of him. He took a situation that was hurting him and fixed it. He will be around now for Kara and for Landry and Hayden. He looks amazing. He feels great. He walks into a room and people stare....and they don't stare cause he's the large one of the group anymore. They stare cause he's hot. 

I am allowed to say that....he is my brother in law after all!

Timothy Michael Smith,

I couldn't be more proud of you. You have worked really hard and have set such an example for people now. I know you don't like being the center of attention but get ready for it. Your story is going to help a lot of people. I love you so very much!

~Dani