Kent

Happy birthday to a very special kid in my life, Kent Samuel Lewis.

Words can't describe how much I love this kid. He is kind, fun, loving, energetic, always willing to help with Brody, can remember the most random things, smart and is totally one of my favorite people ever. I love him so much. I hope you have a great birthday Kent and I can't wait to celebrate you! 

Reception

Over the weekend, I got the honor to be able to attend my cousin Taryn and her husband Jimmy's wedding reception. 

See Taryn and Jimmy had a destination wedding in Belize back in May so only her closest family members were able to attend. But she told me that come fall, her and Jimmy had decided to have a reception for those who weren't able to attend. 

You have to know something. Taryn and I aren't blood related cousins. Our parents aren't siblings. But we are cousins in every other aspect of the word. Almost like sisters. I've known Taryn since I was born (she is 3 weeks older). Our parents have been friends since high school. We both have older sisters (who are also 3 weeks apart). The Kesterson's are a huge part of my life and I thank God they are. They are loud, funny and say what's on their minds. 

It was fun getting us all back together. We decided to leave Brody with Debbie since it was an open bar and we knew we would be out late. Kara left Hayden with her Debbie but did bring Landry.

Landry loved being the only one! She got to dance with Pop and Mimi and she also danced with B and I! 

I didn't get to catch up with Taryn as much as I would like (she had a bunch of people to chat with) but she lives here now so we have plans for lunch! 

Congrats Taryn and Jimmy. I hope Jimmy knows what a loud, crazy but fun loving family he has entered. And I hope he knows that when he gets the Kestersons', he gets the Clemens' too! I love that y'all live here now. And I love you both! 

Queen B

Last night was The VMA's and boy was it good! Everyone looked incredible, nothing was over the top and I didn't find myself fast forwarding through any performances.

Favorite outfits of the night...honestly....has to go to Beyonce and Kim K on her makeup. She looked beautiful! So natural (ok...well as natural as she can look) but her makeup was killer.

But y'all...I am having a case of the Monday's, so I am just going to leave a link to Beyonce's performance in case you didn't see it.

Because you all need to see it. You all need to see what talent looks like. 

Click below for video

#QueenB

Five on Friday

one. Jesus loves me this I know

The Emerald Sky girls are back at it again. I love this shirt. Love love love it. It's so soft and so comfy and looks so good on him. He got complimented all day on this shirt. And their fall line is about to drop and I am ecstatic to see all the new pieces. 

two. French's crispy jalapeños

I saw these the other day at Target and almost had a scream fest. Fact: I hate onions. Despise them. But I love French's fried onions. Can't explain it. Anyways......I have put these on chicken tacos, I have added them to my salad and I have just ate them by themselves. They are a little spicy but not to bad. 

three. Pumpkin everything

It has started. The pumpkin spice is back and it's everywhere. Coffee, cereal, Pop-Tarts, creamer, candles, sprays, etc. I love pumpkin so I am so excited it is back. My house is already loaded up with so many different pumpkin things. Bobby just laughs at me. Oh well. 

four. Football

Football has started back. Yes, I know official games don't start for 2 weeks but I don't care. I love football season. I am in search for a new Dallas Cowboy hat this year. I was going to join a fantasy football league but I decided to not this year. I get way to invested and it doesn't end well when I lose. Especially if Bobby has helped me that week, I end up mad at him. So instead I think I might do Draft Kings to help feel the void. 

#GoCowboys

five. National Dog Day

Today is national dog day so I couldn't let this day go by without a picture of my pups. I love these guys so much. They are so sweet and so good with Brody. They are simply the best dogs on the planet! 

SAHM

Dear Diary, 

Change.

Change is a word that most of us don't like. I have found that most people don't like change, especially when it is something we can't control. 

Well, change has happened to me. A change has come into my life and I am dealing. 

Without going into a massive amount of details, last Monday I was let go of my daytime job. A job that I had been at for over 3 years. They are making some cuts and because I was already part-time, they made the choice to let me go. 

Good news is that it wasn't something I had done. 

Bad news is that I am out of a job. 

I have had a job since I was 14 years old! That is over half of my life. So I am new at this "no job"! 

So what am I going to do you ask? 

Well, right now my plan is be a stay at home mom. And beyond that, I don't have any plans right now. 

So to all of you stay at home moms out there, what do you do with your children for fun? What are some fun and maybe free things that I can take my 1 year old too? How do you keep your head on straight and keep your mind sane? Any advice for me? 

I know God watches over me. I know God has bigger plans for me. I know God has blessed me with an incredible husband and a beautiful baby and I am going to enjoy every moment I can with them. 

Love, Me

Gold, Silver and Bronze

So I told you I would do an update on the Olympic winners and here they are: 

We won 46 gold medals, 37 silver medals and 38 bronze medals for a combined total of 121 medals: 

• Swimming: 33 medals: 16 gold, 8 silver and 9 bronze
• Track and Field: 32 medals: 13 gold, 10 silver and 9 bronze
• Gymnastics: 12 medals: 4 gold, 6 silver and 2 bronze
• Wrestling: 3 medals: 2 gold, 1 bronze
• Basketball: 2 medals: 2 gold
• Boxing: 3 medals: 1 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze
• Tennis: 3 medals: 1 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze
• Judo: 2 medals: 1 gold and 1 silver
• Cycling- BMX: 2 medals: 1 gold and 1 silver
• Rowing: 2 medals: 1 gold and 1 silver
• Shooting: 3 medals: 1 gold and 2 bronze
• Water Polo: 1 medal: 1 gold
• Triathlon: 1 medal: 1 gold
• Cycling- Road: 1 medal: 1 gold
• Fencing: 4 medals: 2 silver and 2 bronze
• Diving: 3 medals: 2 silver and 1 bronze
• Cycling- Track: 2 medals: 2 silver
• Equestrian: 3 medals: 1 silver and 2 bronze
• Archery: 2 medals: 1 silver and 1 bronze
• Volleyball: 2 medals: 2 bronze
• Sailing: 1 medal: 1 bronze
• Taekwondo: 1 medal: 1 bronze
• Golf: 1 medal: 1 bronze
• Weightlifting: 1 medal: 1 bronze
• Beach Volleyball: 1 medal: 1 bronze 

Congratulations to all the winners this year and to all the athletes who participated in the games. You are all so talented! 

1st and 2nd

I know this is a day late but I just want to say good luck to all my school starters. Especially Landry, Colton and Kent. 

Landry is now in 2nd grade and at a new school. I am so excited for her. I can't believe my girl is in the 2nd grade! She is so beautiful, so smart and just has a very kind way about her. I love everything about her! 

Both Colton and Kent are in the 1st grade now and are still at Tyler Street. These 2 are like brothers and I love that they have such a great relationship. And not to mention so incredibly handsome! They too are also very smart and they both care about others. I love seeing that, especially in boys. 

Landry, Colton and Kent: 

I love all 3 of you so very much. You are all going to do something great in this world. You have kind hearts and such a sweetness about you. Never stop being you. Never stop helping others like you already do. Keep learning and keep being excited about school. And don't ever forget how much I love you! Besides your mommas and grandmothers, I AM YOUR BIGGEST FAN! I love love love you all so much! 

-Aunt Dani

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go..." -Dr. Seuss 

Winner

Y'all.....Thank you so much to those who participated in my 500th blog post giveaway! I am excited to announce that Casey Davis has won my giveaway! Congratulations and I will reach out to you on Instagram! 

I can't thank you enough for being on this blog ride with me. It seriously is the best outlet for me and I love talking about things; things in my life, things in the world and everything in between. 

If you have been on this ride with me, if you have read all 500 blog post or have just read 1, I thank you. I really do thank you for it all. 

Here's to 500 more! 

500 and a giveaway

500!

This is my 500th blog post and I am so excited about it.

Today, I am having a giveaway. A HUGE giveaway in honor of it.

Here's the deal: you must be following me on Instagram to participate. But not only do you need to be following me, you must be following Emerald Sky for the entry to count. Oh you know Emerald Sky....the clothing company I consistently rave about and love so very much! 

Aren't on Instagram....then join! It's the best seriously. It is the best way to keep up with family, friends and all those celebrities you love. 

Rules: All you have to do is be following me, following Emerald Sky (I will be checking), like my photo and tag a friend. You can tag as many friends (one per entry) as you would like.

"Ok, we get the rules Dani but what is the giveaway?"- says You

Right!

A "I am a Tex-Mex and Margarita kinda girl" shirt (size medium), a 3D Fiber Lash Mascara and a Lip Bon-Bon in Chocolate Truffle!

First up, the I am a Tex-Mex and Margarita kinda girl shirt. I first fell in love with this shirt when it first came out and bought it. I get so many compliments on it. I mean....who doesn't love Tex-Mex and a margarita? You can dress it up or down. I even wore it to work one day with a cute black high-waisted skirt and a jacket. 

Second up, the 3D Fiber Lash Mascara. If you didn't know, I am a Younique representative and have been for 2 years now. I love everything about this company and I always say I would never talk about or promote something I didn't believe in. This mascara has saved me on some days. Like those days when you feel dead or have no time to put makeup on but if you don't put something on your eyes, your whole face blends together. Yeah...on those days I just wear the mascara and it makes a world of a difference.  

Third up, the Lip Bon-Bon in my favorite color, Chocolate Truffle. It's like Younique combined a lip stick, lip gloss and chap stick into one. The color is somewhat of a coral color. The main reason I love it is because it acts like a chapstick, so your lips are soft and smooth but it adds that pop of color so your lips don't look dead. 

So what are you waiting for? Go go go.

Winner will be announced on my blog Monday! So you have till midnight Sunday night (central time) to participate.

The website for my Younique page if you interested in learning more or purchasing products or want to join my team: https://www.youniqueproducts.com/DaniLynnLewis

If you are interested in shopping Emerald Sky (their fall line is about to drop and my pocketbook is on standby), here is the website for them: http://shopemeraldsky.com/

*This giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by Instagram.
*For US residents only
*Thank you to Emerald Sky for sponsoring the shirt.

Dad

Dear Diary, 

Happy Birthday to my hero, my daddy! 

You are not only a wonderful father, but you are such a fun, loving and wonderful grandfather. Landry, Hayden and Brody are lucky to have you in their corner. I love you so very much and I hope you have a wonderful day. 

Love, Punkins

HELP- new phone

I need your help. It is time for me to upgrade my phone. I have had an iPhone for years. Like years and years. A week and a half ago, Brody decided he didn't like the music I was playing on my phone and decided to throw my phone on the floor, breaking the screen. So I took my phone up to Apple to get it fixed (since I buy Apple care) and to discuss my options with them about an upgrade. 

Well it turns out that you can't do 2 year agreements anymore and you either have to buy the phone outright or do the Next plan along with your data plan. 

Can I just say....SOOO STUPID! Ugh so it pissed me off so I ended up leaving, with my broken phone and took it to a place that just fixes screens. 

So here is my delima: I am due for a new phone and because of the new rules, do I stick to an iPhone or switch to a Samsung? Those are the 2 I am debating on. I want the iPhone Plus because I am sure the new iPhone that comes out in a month is going to be ridiculous in the price. But I also want the Samsung Galaxy Note7 that is about to be released with the pen that has the sim card you can put into it to store photos. 

What I need my phone for: taking pictures, playing games, instagramming, facebook and texting. I don't need a phone thats good for emails. I don't need a phone that I can talk on for hours. Taking memories of my son is the most important thing to me and my games....

"Hi...my name is Dani Lynn Lewis and I am addicting to about 11 games on my phone!"

I seriously don't know what to do. It makes me nervous to move away from the iPhone because it's all I know but if it doesn't matter now with the upgrades and my apple care plan is about to expire and I can't renew it, do I take the plunge and go with the Samsung?

HELP!!!!!!!! 

Let me know what you think. I am sure this it a preference thing but if you have one or the other or have had both, I seriously want your thoughts. Comment below or on Facebook. 

TeePee

When Bobby and I were discussing what to get Brody for his first birthday, a lot of things came to mind. An outdoor play set, a bunch of different building things, clothes, toys, nothing. Then we both thought how cool would it be to put a teepee in his room. And not just any teepee, a really cool one he could grow into. So I started doing my research and found one on Pottery Barn kids. Most of his bedding in his room is Pottery Barn baby so I knew the colors of the teepee would be just right. It was a little more than we wanted to spend but boy is it awesome. And huge. 

They do have 2 different sizes if you are interested. We went with the 81x60x60 (the smaller size is 54x45x45) since he has a big space in his room for it. 

Here is his room before. My mom asked me if it made me sad to have the rocker out of there and I said no, it made me excited for him to have this. 

And now with the teepee. I guess the teepee will have to be his new monthly photo, which is going to be hard to do as I sit here and think about it. 

Here is the {link} to the teepee page for them. 

Olympic Update

So for those of you who have been living under a rock or don't have time to watch the Olympics, I thought I would update you on the medal standings. 

As of 11am Monday morning, US has 26 gold medals, 21 silver medals and 23 bronze medals! We are currently in first place with a dominating 70 medals in total. The US is killing it this year. The athletes are on the peak of their season and I get so excited when I watch. 

What make up those 70 medals: 

• Swimming counts for 33- 16 in gold, 8 in silver and 9 in bronze
• Gymnastics counts for 6- 3 in gold, 2 in silver and 1 in bronze
• Track & Field count for 6- 2 in gold, 2 in silver and 3 in bronze
• Tennis counts for 3- 1 in gold, 1 in silver and 1 in bronze
• Judo counts for 2- 1 in gold and 1 in silver
• Rowing counts for 2- 1 in gold and 1 in silver
• Shooting counts for 3- 1 in gold and 2 in bronze
• Cycling- Road counts for 1- 1 in gold
• Fencing counts for 4- 2 in silver and 2 in bronze
• Diving counts for 2- in silver
• Archery counts for 2- 1 in silver and 1 in bronze
• Cycling- Track counts for 1- in silver
• Equestrian counts for 2- in bronze
• Golf counts for 1- in bronze
• Weightlifting counts for 1- in bronze

Best reaction for the gold goes to this girl, Simone Manuel! And then when she was interviewed, she gave all the glory to God. #mynewgirlhero

The Olympic closing ceremony is Sunday, August 21 at 6pm. I can't wait to see what the US can do this week to add to our totals. 

Check back next Tuesday where I will put the results for the whole Olympics. 

Five on Friday

one. Cowboys

In my house, we love the Cowboys and we love football. When my sister asked me what she could get Brody for his birthday, the first thing that came to mind was a Dallas Cowboy's hat and boy she did not disappoint. I screamed when I pulled it out and placed it on his immediately. I want one just like it, I love it that much. Thank you Uncle Tim, Aunt Kara, Landry and Hayden! 

two. Gifts

This kid did not lack in the gift department this year. He even had help from Uncle David who drove over 2 hours to come to his birthday party and hang with him. Uncle David who dressed almost like Bobby. Uncle David who got called Bobby all afternoon and even my grandfather said Bye Bobby to him. He just waved and said Bye. We love Uncle David in his household. 

three. Is that Fabletics?

I got asked a lot yesterday about Fabletics and how I like it. I can not rave enough on how much I love it. The girls in my Swink Sweat class know this. I'm like a walking billboard for them. You buy an outfit a month, which starts at $50 but if you decide that you don't want an outfit that month, you can opt out and you won't be charged. If you by chance miss the cut off date for it, they charge you $50 and it goes towards your account for future purchases. Super easy. For size reference if you are interested, I wear a medium bottom, a medium sports bra and a small top. I am 5'5, a size 6 pant and I am a 34DDD. The first time I bought a sports bra from them, I bought a large but I ended up sending it back because it was too big around my rib cage. I like my girls to stay put when I work out so I like my sports bras tight. I have found their shirts to run a tad big, that's why I get a small. My favorite thing about them...they hold everything in place and are really flattering on every body shape. Feel free to ask me any questions! I could talk for hours on this brand. 

four. Barrymore wine

Over the weekend, B and I went and saw Suicide Squad (which btw you all need to go see). We went to a theater that served alcohol so I of course got myself a glass of wine. At the theater, they had Barrymore Pinot Grigio so I got a glass. Barrymore as in Drew Barrymore. I am telling you right now, one of the best Pinot Grigio's I have ever had! B and I have been looking for it ever since and I finally found a liquor store in Arlington that has it. It ranges from $15.99-$17.99 a bottle. She also has a rose but it is super hard to find and I've only been able to find it online. 

five. Final Five

Love. Love. Love these girls so much. Congrats to them on winning gold for team gymnastics and congrats to Simone for Gold and Aly for Silver in the individual round. You all are inspirations for little girls and any women period. You are what this country needs. If y'all didn't know, this is the last year that the gymnastics team will be made up of 5 girls. Starting in 2020, there will only be 4 girls on the team. 

Don't forget to go follow Amber Massey and her blog PB&J and check out her Five on Friday. 

1 year postpartum

Dear Diary, 

Last Thursday my baby boy turned a year old. So I thought I would share my body, mind, soul to you all about the past year when it comes to me. 

I did a 6 month postpartum blog back in February and at the time I was 145 pounds, wearing a size 8 pant. I was told to give myself 9 months because it took 9 months to put the weight on. At 9 months is when I started my Swink Sweat class. 9 months was a kick in the butt for me. When I hit 9 months postpartum and realized I was in the same boat as I was at 6 months, it upset me. I had just started my 30 day trial at Swink Sweat and hadn't noticed a difference yet and it depressed me some. I thought getting my body back would be simple. I never realized the physiological effects it can have on you. Just one bad day can turn into 2 bad days really fast. It took about a month for the depressed feeling to go away. By 10 months postpartum, I started feeling like myself again. 

And here we are at 12 months. I am officially 139 pounds and I wear a size 6 pant/ 4 dress/ Small to Medium top depending on who sells it. My arms are slimmer, my tummy is slimmer and my legs are fitter. I am extremely comfortable in my own skin now. I owe about 85% of that to Swink, 10% of that to Bobby for encouraging me and cooking good food for me and the other 5% for myself because it does start with you and pushing yourself forward. 

Thank you to Swink. Thank you to Betsy and Meg for teaching my class and always encouraging me to move forward. To push just a little harder than I think I can. Thank you to the ladies in my class. You all make me laugh and always have such high spirits. Thank you to my husband for putting up with me and telling me on the daily how great I am looking. Thank you to Kristen who cheers me on in class from the other side of the room. Thank you to those who have told me in the past month how great I look. You don't realize how motivating that is or how great it feels, especially when you have felt so unlike yourself for so long. 

Outfit is Fabletics 

I encourage you all, especially those mom's who have just had a baby or about to have a baby....don't put a time frame on it. Don't let someone tell you how much time you have or get it in your head that it needs to happen in 9 months. It doesn't. It needs to happen on your time and your time alone. Your husband didn't put on the baby weight and neither did your best friend. You did and you know your body better than anyone. You know your mind better than anyone. Ask for help, find people who encourage you and if all else fails, come join my Swink Sweat class. I promise you will see results and leave feeling on such a high from the workout. 

Love, Me

First Birthday Party

Can I start this blog by saying throwing a birthday party is super hard. Like Oh.Em.Gee! Bobby and I went to bed at 9:30 Saturday night because we were exhausted. 

Back in June, Bobby and I started talking about Brody's first birthday. We made the guest list, decided we would have it at the house and decided on a pancake party! Brody loves pancakes so we thought it would be super cute to have his first birthday be that. So we got 200 pancakes from iHop (btw: they over delivered for us. They gave us flavored syrup, butter, sprinkles, & whipped cream on top of it all). I had strawberries, blueberries, bananas, chocolate chips plus all the things iHop gave us. We got coffee from Dunkin Donuts and loaded up on bottled water. I even had milk! I had more people come up to me that day and even after the party and tell me what a cute idea this was. I mean....who doesn't love pancakes? The kids had a good time, the adults had a good time and most importantly, my bambino had a good time! 

I got the cake from Sam's (thank you to those who answered on my Facebook question a few weeks ago) and I got Brody his own Sprinkles cupcake for his smash cake. It was only right that I got him that (thank you to Kristen and Laura for actually picking this up for me)! 

About 2 weeks ago, I asked my Uncle Steve if he was bringing his good camera to the party and if so would he mind taking photos for me. He said of course he would and he totally delivered. I can not thank you enough Uncle Steve for getting these for me. I was like a chicken with my head cut off so knowing you were capturing my baby's day just meant the world to me! 

Pancake time

I am so in love with this photo. My only living grandmother and Bobby's only living grandmother/grandparent, laughing at their great grandbaby. I will cherish this photo! 

Cupcake time! 

OK....so I had to shove the first couple of pieces in his mouth so he could see how delicious it was. After that....he didn't need any help! 

OK.....I lied. He got a little help by my dogs. Especially Dash. Brody feeds Dash and doesn't mind when he licks all over him when he's eating. 

My sister and Aunt Karen are beautiful, aren't they! 

 My dogs! hahahaha getting every last crumb they can!

Praise Jesus....this cupcake is the best! #RaiseThemRight #RaiseThemOnSprinklesCupcakes 

Thank you to everyone who came out and helped celebrate Brody Daniel Lewis. I love you all. 

 Brody smashed my phone that morning so I wasn't able to take photos on my phone so those of you who took photos on your phone and sent them to me, I really appreciate it.