Life with Dylan

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  • Say It! Saturday – Slow Down

    My good friend Roxanne has started a new blog theme for Saturdays called Say It! Saturday and I absolutely love this idea. (Why didn’t I think of it?) The idea is to say something you’ve been meaning to say, or say something that you always say and want to say again. You can find out all the details on her blog over at On the Rox

    Sometimes it may just be a picture that says it all. Other times it may be a phrase. For my first Say It! Saturday I am going to do both …

    Slow down. Enjoy the simple pleasures in life.


    Sometimes I am so rushed or doing too many things at once that my coffee is just a means of caffeine and waking up. It’s nice to just sit and actually enjoy my cup of coffee every now and then. 
    As with everything in life – Slow down, take it all in, and enjoy.
    Will you join me and Roxanne with her new Say It! Saturday. Link up on her blog and see what others are saying this Saturday. 

  • Why Veterans Day is Special To Me

    Many people think of Veterans Day as just another day that schools and banks are closed. An extra day to sleep in and get some things done around the house … but how many people does this day mean something more to? How many families are affected by this day on a personal level?

    While I was growing inside my mother’s womb, my father was fighting a war in Vietnam.

    This week Dylan has to write a report, A Veteran’s Story, and interview someone he knew that fought for our country. He interviewed his grandpa and learned about life as Sargeant in the United States Marine Corps.

    Explaining what a veteran is to a child can be difficult, depending on the age of the child, and I thought this was the perfect opportunity to teach Dylan more about the men and women who fought and are still fighting for our freedom. Along with his report, we visited the Lyon Air Museum where he got a first hand look at the military history of our country.

    We took this opportunity to share our experience with the readers of The Orange County Register and OC Moms with an article about how you can teach your children about Veterans Day too.

    Do you have a special family member that you honor on Veterans Day?

    If so, take a minute and say Thank You today and let them know how much you appreciate them.

  • I Am Who I Am ..

    Day turns to night and the months pass by. Seasons change and the years seem to go by faster as I get older. I change. I evolve. I am not the person I was 5 years ago, nor am I the writer I was 5 years ago. I have changed.

    However, one thing remains constant in my life. My son. My life has evolved, but for the past 8 years one person has remained by my side giving me the support and love I could not find anyplace else. My son – Dylan.

    Although I am a me, Michelle, and I have a life of my own as a grown woman, my life would not be the same without him. That is why this blog is called Life with Dylan … not because my life has no meaning without him, or because I want to continually talk about my child, but because this is what I choose.

    I am many things …

    I have been a Beach Baby since I was old enough to walk. Therefore, my twitter handle is @bchbby
    I am a makeup artist. Maybe not in the business sense anymore, but I will always be a makeup artist.
    I am a Mom. Some may say I am a Mommy Blogger.
    I am a college graduate who made sacrifices for 2 1/2 years to get my BS in Psychology.
    I am a writer who loves to tell stories.

     … and right beside me through these sacrifices, triumphs, challenges, and life is Dylan.

    We have a bond that cannot be explained. There is no Dad in the picture here. We are together 24/7 with the exception of school and work of course … and I always find time for me because I know that is important for both of us. I am going through a lot of changes in my life right now. My career is changing and who knows, maybe one day I will change the name of this blog … but for now this is one thing that will not change.

  • Wordless Wednesday – Changing Colors

  • Did You See That Tail Fluke?

    What another surfer was almost swallowed by a whale off the California coast?

    Hey, did you see that guy in his kayak that almost got toppled over by the blue whale?

    Oh, and don’t forget about the blue whale that came so close to a boat in Dana Point that passengers got an eye-to-eye view.

    MARK RIGHTMIRE, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

    Yes, it seems that everywhere we turn someone is having a close encounter with these magnificent creatures of the ocean. I recently wrote an article for OC Moms about whale watching and now I want to go on another trip. Read my article and find out where you can go whale watching along with some great tips for taking the family out for the day on a whale watching cruise.

    ‘Thar she blows …

  • Is it a Slump or another Mountain to Climb?

    We’ve all been there. The feeling of listlessness, completely unmotivated, sitting on the couch … in a slump.

    Some slumps only last a few hours, others days. My slump has lasted about 4 days and frankly, I’m tired of being in a slump. Mostly because I can’t pinpoint why I’m here. What has caused me to be so tired and unmotivated to do anything?

    I managed to go through some paperwork last night and create some reasonable to-do lists. I feel like this is something I can accomplish this weekend. I have enjoyed relaxing and watching some of my favorite TV shows at night. I’m not feeling stressed out and I’m not getting sick.
    Then it hit me like a book in the head. Just like the stack of books I have cherished for so many years that sit beside my bed.

    My slump is caused by the realization that my life as I have known it for over a decade is ending. My life as a makeup artist is no more.

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  • TGIF – Fill In The Blank Friday

    I Love Fridays with Lauren ~
    1. My favorite thing about this week was… the feeling of contentment and personal satisfaction with my decision to close Shel Cosmetics.
    2. Colder weather makes me… want to stay in bed until I feel like getting up, not when the alarm clock says to get up. Crave coffee more than I usually do and wear big sweaters.
    3. Three things that make me terribly happy as of late are… Starbucks red cups, my new iPhone 4, and writing for OC Moms.
    4. If I could only wear one kind of shoe for the rest of my life, I’d choose… my flip flops. Simple and comfy.
    5. My personality type is… really? I’m a Gemini – I have like 100 different personality types. 
    6. I have a serious problem resisting… my son’s big blue eyes when he wants something. 
    7. My favorite color to wear is… probably black because it goes with everything and instantly shaves off 5 lbs. but I really love wearing ivory and olive green. 
    Share your random thoughts in the comments below 
    or with Lauren over at the little things we do …

  • Wordless Wednesday – The Dark Side Meets The Blue Fairy

    The picture came out a little fuzzy (not sure why) … but it’s still a classic.

  • The Dark Side of Halloween

    This Halloween was one of the best we have had. We started celebrating in early October by decorating the house and getting in the ghostly mood. Then it was time to start making the rounds … visiting the Irvine Railroad Pumpkin Patch, previewing OC Zoo-tacular, attending the ENC Fall Faire, and finally some Brick-or-Treat fun at LEGOLAND California! Whew, I’m exhausted just writing all of the things we did.

    But it didn’t stop there. We still had a pumpkin to carve and some trick-or-treating to do!

    Pumpkin carving has always been something I look forward to doing. It’s another outlet for my creativity – this year, I let Dylan be the creative one. I know, so selfless of me huh?

    He chose a simple design that he thought would be just scary enough for the neighborhood. Evil eyes, no nose, and a monsterish looking mouth filled with sharp teeth.

    The initial cut is always exciting because you never know what you will find inside. Will it be filled with seeds and “guts” that will take major elbow grease to get out, or will it be a hollow pumpkin that only takes a few scrapes to clean out? Dylan’s pumpkin was just about in the middle this year and it didn’t take too long before we started carving away.

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  • Brick-or-Treat Fun at @LEGOLAND_CA

    What could be better than spending a day at LEGOLAND California? Why going dressed in your Halloween costume and walking down Brick-or-Treat Trail of course!

    This is one of our newest Halloween traditions and quickly became our favorite. The park is decked out in all it’s LEGO glory – with a Halloween twist led by the good witch Hubble Bubble.

    From an over-sized LEGO Pumpkin and a Giant Ghost to the Candy Corn Scavenger Hunt and Brick-or-Treat Trails, this annual Halloween event has something for everyone.

    LEGOLAND looks at Halloween from a child’s perspective and brings all the creations of the tiny pieces of plastic to life. Great family fun at an unbeatable price … only $25! Annual pass members are free as long as you are in the park before 5 p.m.

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