Ask Me Anything

++ totally unrelated photo, I just like it. My baby!!

Two things.

One. I changed my sponsorship criteria. Instead of 30 sponsor spots, I'm only offering 15. The sponsor ad sizes are large, sure to be seen and with only 15 spots available, they won't be lost in the mix of a thousand ads. This blog gets over 6000+ pageviews a day, so you are sure to get exposure. That, and my prices are incredibly low. See here for more sponsor info.

Two. It's been a while since I've vlogged. I'm feeling the itch, So now I ask you...what do you want to know? Ask me anything. And by anything, I mean a.n.y.t.h.i.n.g. I even turned on the anonymous comment option so anything goes. I will answer each and every question. Nothing is too personal, too forward, too embarrassing. I'm also keeping the comments/questions hidden so when I do vlog, everything will be a surprise.

An example of one of my last q&a sessions...

So now...ask me.

anything.

I will answer all.

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Have A Good One

We had date night last night. And someone asked if Rob was in magazines. 

I told him it was because of his new shirt I bought him. 

We get our boat back today. She got some cosmetic work done and will be touching water for the first time this summer this weekend. Then on Monday, the country club opens their pool and we'll take the boys down there for a big ol' pool party. If you want to see pictures of me in a bikini, you can follow my instagram (username ravenasmith). Just kidding, I won't be posting any bikini pics, but I will be keeping it updated with our three day weekend shenanigans. 

Have a good memorial weekend friends. I'll end with one of my favorite videos, the same one minute video I post every year at this time. American Soldiers are my heroes. 

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An I Confess Sesh

+ dress from Free People (thanks Hannah!) and boots from here

I confess: I'm not a stick thin girl. Never have been. Even at my thinnest (see here...my wedding day was the thinnest I have been since high school), I had huge boobs (paid for) and a huge ass (God given). I don't want to be stick thin, I think it's unattractive. My comfort zone is basically being able to walk into any high-end boutique and fit a size 4 comfortably. I mean, what do men grab onto if there is nothing there? Not even a joke question...

I confess: I need a spray tan. If only they didn't stink so bad...

I confess: Yesterday I went to my doctor. I've talked before about having major anxiety,  but lately, the panic attacks have been out of control. They came out of nowhere, and for the past five days, every day, at least a few times a day, I would have these horrible panic attacks were I honestly thought I was dying. If you have a history of panic attacks, you know exactly what I am talking about. My doctor decided to up the dosage on my anxiety meds, and he also had an EKG done one me, which I am so glad he did. Everything came back completely normal, so now I know that when I feel like I'm having a heart attack, it's only my panic disorder, which gives me a smidge amount of comfort and ease. Albeit a teeny, tiny smidge. Anxiety sucks.

I confess: However, I could just be bat shit crazy.

I confess: Sometimes I let my kids eat too many cookies. I mean, does the whining ever just get to you too??

I confess: It's not my fault that I stay up 'til 2 am every night. It's Andy's fault from Bravo. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I confess: Viagra is no joke....I mean...anyone? Bueller? 

I confess: People who make noises at the gym should go straight to hell.

I confess: People who make noises while eating a banana should bypass hell and go straight to Chuck E. Cheese's. On a Saturday.

At noon.

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This Is How We Do It

this is what we call "the pout"

We live in the so-called country.

However it's only a ten minute drive to the mall (and no, we don't have a Nordstrom but we do have a Macy's...side eye) and a seven minute drive to my favorite restaurant on Earth. Red Robin. Make fun if you will, but I have eaten at some of the finest restaurants across the country and Red Robin fries will always be five star to me.

The Tri-Cities is one of the fastest growing areas in the nation. We have it all... the Columbia River seconds away, snowboarding less than two hours and a direct flight to Las Vegas. I mean, what more could you ask for?

I love cities. Take me to Portland, Seattle, San Diego, San Francisco, Nashville, Phoenix, LA...

I can have fun in a big city. But my roots lie in a small town. Or, at least they did, before the place where I call home exploded and has since become one of the fastest growing cities.

The traffic has become a nightmare. Even our little gravel road has seen it's fair share of speeders (I'm watching you!). However, even though I've tried to run away countless times, I always made it back here. To this little (read not-so-little) town.

My kids ride bikes and 4-wheelers without helmets. (ETA: for now, we only ride around our neighborhood. If and when my kids take their bikes to the road, you better believe they will be wearing helmets.)
They pee in the yard.
They hang tight to the back of dad's truck so they don't get thrown off on the way to the neighbors house.
They pick up snakes without hesitation and collect big black beetles because it's "cool."
My boys play outside until it's too dark to see and then they turn on the patio lights and beg us to have a bonfire.
They are covered in mud almost every single day and God knows they have heard every single cuss word known to man. (You can thank my husband for that.)

But my boys?

They are good ones. Always the first to share their toys at the park, always the first to introduce themselves and make other kids feel welcome. My boys are becoming exactly what I wanted them to become.

I mean, Gunner already knows how to make me a mean rum and perrier, with just a splash of cranberry and Colt has mastered just the right time to cry when I get pulled over for a speeding ticket.

Good kids I tell ya, good kids...

Country is the best. Am I right or am I right?

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A Night Out In Seattle

When I got invited to an Invisalign event in Seattle, I was excited for two reasons: one, my bug Taylor lives in Seattle and I was just looking for an excuse to cuddle up, and two, I have honestly been interested in learning more about Invisalign since believe it or not, I have a major snaggletooth.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. 

I drove the four hours to Taylor's humble abode, in which she resides with her dad. ** Side note: Taylor's dad is amazing. The backstory is he dated my mom's sister back in the day. They broke up, but he still was considered part of the family. I've been around Taylor since birth which is why we consider ourselves cousins. Taylor went to live with her dad early on and he was and always has been completely dedicated to her. End side note. ** Anyway, we got all gussied up and Mr. Butterfield offered to let us take his shiny new convertible into town. We didn't say no.

Before the event, we stopped at a japanese restaurant where I deviated from my "diet" and had the most delicious sushi of all time. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, I could do sushi. And the bar area wasn't too shabby. 

Back to the Invisalign event. It was held at a cute little italian restaurant with about ten other bloggers. The Invisalign speakers were so awesome, very outgoing and very informative. Like I said earlier, I had heard about Invisalign before and was interested. See, I had braces for two years when I was younger. After, I wore my retainer on and off. Although the majority of my teeth have stayed pretty straight, I have a few front teeth that went back to being crooked. And I would love to get them fixed. Re-straightened. But let me tell you that hell no was I going to get braces again. 

Did you know that Invisalign is practically invisible? (Hence the name, duh.) I mean, just see the example I photographed below...

Gone are the days of "wrap around" metal brackets and big clunky head and neck gears. As technology advances our daily lives, it also continues to advance the science of orthodontics. I mean, they now have Invisalign Teen, clear aligners made of lightweight plastic that can be removed to eat, brush, floss, for teens and pre-teens. I wish they had this option available for me when I was in high school! 

There are so many benefits to using Invisalign, including fewer office visits, shorter appointments and no "emergency" visits for broken wires or brackets. And then there is that little fact that they are virtually invisible. 

You can learn more here about exactly how Invisalign works. 

The event was pretty fun. We had some 80's themed props that we played around with...

the sign I am holding reads "shopping makes me smile." A given.

other bloggers at the event.

You can learn more on the Invisalign website, twitter and facebook. 

What are your thoughts on Invisalign? Do you know anyone who has had them?

Disclosure: this was a sponsored post but all opinions are my own.

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A Few Favorites

++ The above shirt? It was given to me by my new favorite online shop, Style Lately. Their clothing and jewelry are to die for, and their prices are amazing. Nothing over $50. And their t-shirts? Listen, I am a sucker for a fabulous tee. Always on the hunt for the perfect one. I can guarantee I'll be wearing one or more of the below this summer...

++ Some seriously cute stuff. Like them on facebook for amazing weekly deals.

++ If you are anything like me, you want to sustain the quality of your makeup brushes, as them be expensive! I've tried a lot, but my favorite makeup brush cleaner by far is this one from Ulta. Makes my makeup brushes feel soft and fluffy like the day I bought them.

++ Old Navy flipflops, need I say more? I own like 200 pairs.

++ Finally, have you heard about shoedazzle.com? It's the most awesome website that tailors to you. You start by taking a simple quiz. They ask you questions like the ones below...

After you are done with the quiz, they put together a showroom specifically for you, based on your quiz answers. Everything in the showroom is available for purchase, and the prices are AHH-MA-ZING. I'm talking not too expensive at all. They have handbags, clothing, jewelry and of course, fabulous shoes. Also? They have a daily deal on select products, like that yellow shoe below that I must have in my closet...yesterday.

And when you sign up? You get 25% off your first item.

Seriously, this site is amazing. 

It's like your own personal shopper. With major discounts.

Try it for yourself HERE.

And heiren concludes my weekly favorites. Am I missing anything?

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