Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

July 31st, 2011

Taunted By Kids… Story of my Life

Picture is worth a thousand words

That is what they say right… A picture is worth a thousand words, and this morning after downloading dozens of pictures we took last night at Blues and the Beach in a neighboring town… I have come to the conclusion this photograph best describes my life to a T.

We had just finished eating, and I was getting text messages from people who were thinking about coming to join us, and my parents who were enjoying the afternoon/evening concert on the beach, when my husband snapped this picture of me, and our three year old.  When I saw it I realized how much this really describes my day to day life.  Taunted by a toddler, although I think it would have been even better if the 2 year old was behind him making faces too.

Overall it was a great time, and the picture made me totally LOL because we all have moments in our life as parents that completely describe, and articulate this picture…

Comment and share yours!

July 28th, 2011

Clutter Clutter Everywhere!

I hate clutter!   Stuff, crap, CLUTTER!  And it is TAKING OVER my house.  Well, it took my house over… shortly after we moved in and I have been battling it since. I have this deep desire to purge almost everything I own right now just because it is in my way, and obstructing what I really want to do with my house, and this weekend is the start of the end.

I am putting together boxes for tag sales, I am getting donation bins ready, and I am going to be stalking Pinterest every step of the way for everything I want to do. I just cannot stand it all anymore, I want my house to be what it has potential to be!

I want to turn my “home office corner” of my living room into this…

Clearly minus the white rug, there is no way I can have anything white in my house with these kids, especially since the other half of my living room is dedicated to being a play room although my husband wants to ban toys, and turn the boys bedroom into their play room.  Thoughts on that?

And speaking of the boys room… I want to do something like a friend of mine did with her boys and put them in a bunk bed type situation like this:

More themed with their stuff, cars, fire trucks, and most of all, freeing up a TON of room in their bedroom. Except There would be a mattress on the bottom level as well. I would really be sad to see my 3 year olds bed go, but it would save so much room.  And 9 times out of 10 I find Ben sleeping on the floor on the fire truck couch they have in their room.

Once we get the bed thing situated… I will be heading to Ikea for this to help get their toys more organized:

And lastly for their room, I will be gutting their closet, and turning it into a little reading nook.  They have TONS of books, and while they can’t read, I am sure they would really enjoy this. It will also give me good shelving options to store things in an area they cannot reach!

We don’t have a ton of room in the bedrooms, in fact my husband and I originally gave the kids the biggest room in the house, until they decided they wanted to sleep in our room. And for the time being we sleep in a blue, and lime green starry night themed bedroom… Can you tell that is totally on my list of projects to do too?

For the kitchen… man my kitchen is a lost cause. I hate my kitchen. There is no cabinet space, no storage room, and no matter where we put our kitchen table it just doesn’t look right. I am thinking we need to bring the round kitchen table back up from the garage, and find a nice fabric table cloth for it.  Because the square one just isn’t working.  But I will be doing this for decoration, and organization this weekend:

Just gotta figure out which wall to put it on.  My dad is already searching for a piece of plywood big enough. But with the way I plan meals, this will probably be a lifesaver to get me into the swing of the way I should  be doing things.  I am also going to start shopping around for a stand up cabinet for the kitchen as well… we need more storage room… whether we use it for food, or our pots and pans. It is a complete necessity.

Anyone else out there with me in this project of purging all the old crap that has accumulated over the years?

July 27th, 2011

Kolcraft Mom Review: Contours Optima Tandem

I think I am slowly becoming a stroller snob. In the past couple months since Addie was born, I have had the chance to try out a ton of different strollers, but the best part about being a Kolcraft Mom was being able to try out the Contours Optima Tandem stroller, and keep it to replace our older, over-used, and bulky double stroller I have secretly loathed for almost two years now.

We originally bought it before Ben was born, and we only bought it because it was compatible with the infant car seat we had at the time, also made by Graco. I was ecstatic to find out the optima actually was compatible with our new infant car seat we bought for Addie.   That was the first highlight of the stroller. In fact, it is compatible with most infant car seats that are currently on the market.  There is a full list of the car seats that can be used you can view it on the Kolcraft site for the stroller.

So when the Optima came, I couldn’t help but rip it out of the box, and make up some family trip we needed to use it on.  Which just so happened to be the zoo, an awesome place to try it out.  Before we left for the day, I put the stroller together… all on my own!

Which I am not the most technically savvy person,  especially when it comes to building baby gear.  Typically I run right to my husband and tell him he has something to put together.  So this really was a huge accomplishment, and it goes to show how easy assembly is!

When we got to the zoo for the big test drive, I realized how smooth and easy to maneuver it was. I mean, on a day that the zoo was packed I was dodging kids left and right. Not typical for a larger double stroller. Which I was super pleased by!   Making life with more than one child super easy.

Ben in the front seat

Then there is the storage space.  We went from a double stroller we struggled to stuff our diaper bag and accessories in, to a HUGE full sized storage area that I didn’t need to fight to get my diaper bag in and out of.  And we won’t have a giant diaper bag, just a simple SkipHop Duo, and for those of you who are diaper bag snobs like me, you know it is not a large diaper bag!

Another one of my favorite options on the optima is the seating options. There are so many!  You have the both seats fitting forward, facing each other, facing apart, the option for the car seat, etc.   It turns into 6 seating options, and with my kids, sometimes they need to be apart, or NOT facing each other!

Then comes the cup holders.  It may not sound like a huge deal, but to me and my husband it is, because when we are out together, at least with our old stroller we always fought over the cup holder.  Because there was only one… But in this stroller there are four!  Two for the kids… and two for adults, as well as a space for storage on top, which I typically throw my iPhone into, and it fits perfectly.

Addison hanging out in her carseat in the Optima

And there is a great one year warranty on the stroller.  Which is a huge perk for parents. Although two full months into use, we have had no issues or anything break on our stroller, and our kids are pretty rough on it!

Overall, I think it is a great double stroller for parents!

I am a Kolcraft Mom, and the Optima Tandem was provided to me free of charge to review.

July 26th, 2011

Two Free Things Tuesday

Continuing onto week 6 of Two Free Things Tuesday… I am starting to look forward to writing these posts every Monday night now… The feedback I have gotten is awesome!

Starting off with the inside project for the week:

Inside- A sewing project

If you are anything like me, you may lose a finger in a project like this, or not even know where to start, but if you can read, there are tons of simply free patterns online for sewing, or if you are an avid crafter, no need to worry.

Pick out something kid friendly and have your children learn how to sew!   Boys, or girls, it is a great skill for your kids to learn and grow up with.  In fact when I was growing up I saw my father actually sew more than my mother.

Outside- Check out a free outdoor concert!

I know not every town out there is like mine with free outdoor concerts weekly, but there are so many towns who do stuff like this, it is an awesome way to get out of the house with the kids for the night, and have some fun.  Bring a picnic blanket, pack a picnic dinner and have a grand time dancing and being silly.   If your little ones are anything like mine, they love to dance!

And if you don’t have an outdoor concert, why not have your kids work on putting one together in your own yard?  It could make for a fun weekend project for all the kids in the neighborhood!

Check out the previous weeks of Two Free Things Tuesday (and I will see you next week!)

Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5

July 25th, 2011

I Want To Be Like Daddy!

I wasn’t even going to blog today… I was going to wait till my Two Free Things Tuesday post tomorrow, until my 3 year old gave me a small slice of blogger gold.  Gotta love kids right?

I am sitting here, and my 3 year old who potty trained in late May says: “Mommy, I gotta poop”
Ok, so I got him onto the potty, and gave him his privacy which he is very adamant about when it comes to doing #2.

Well not even 30 seconds after leaving him in the bathroom, he comes walking into the living room, picks up his Handy Manny laptop and starts his walk back to the bathroom butt naked from the waist down…

“Mommy, I want to be like Daddy and use the craptop in the bathroom when I am pooping”

Like father… Like son…

July 24th, 2011

Take Time To Read… Not Parenting Books Either!

Admit it!  Since you became a parent, you feel your brain slowly becoming mush if you aren’t working on a daily basis.  I know I was slowly becoming a Mommy Zombie before I got offered my work at home jobs last fall.

I realized during this time not only is adult interaction important for parents, but reading is almost relaxing.  And when I say reading, I don’t mean those parenting books either!  I mean something that you might find interesting… whether it is a medieval themed novel involving Henry the 8th and all his wives, or picking up the tell all your favorite celebrity wrote last year… do it!

Pick up a book that interests you, something you are truly going to get something out of, and when you have free time, whether it is once the kids are in bed, or whatever… dive into it!

When I was young, I read every night. Whether it was the Narnia series, or whatever books my Dad brought home, it always kept my mind going. And I find now as an adult, if I don’t take that time… even if it is only 15 minutes before I close my eyes for the night… reading keeps me on my mental toes.

I bought Social Media 101 last year at BlogHer.  At the time I was just starting to get involved in the social media field. I had just started working with Go Mama Go Designs, and eventually took on the job as their social media director until right before Addie was born. I wanted to learn as much as I could, and any book that could help I was diving into.

This was the only book I didn’t get a chance to read, and everyone continues to tell me it is probably the best social media book out there. So in my recent push to not only take time for myself, but advance my career which is blooming, I am promising myself to read at least 5 pages a night.  It may not sound like a lot to someone who would consider themselves an avid reader, but to me it is a goal I know I can meet.

What are you reading?

July 21st, 2011

Its Ok To Celebrate the Differences of Our Children!

If we are being honest with ourselves as parents, we will know that there are things that we like about each of our children.  Maybe one has the dance skills to be on America’s Best Dance Crew, but they aren’t the best at following directions.  Maybe another has the patience of a saint, and is your number one helper, but refuses to go to bed before 2am.

Children aren’t perfect, and neither are we as adults or parents. And going into parenting I think most of us, especially as first time parents have incredibly high expectations of our children, and our skills at parenting in general. I was like that four years ago when I was pregnant with my first child.  The same child who will scream and have a fit if I tell him he needs to go to his room for hitting his brother, sounding a step below the devil himself as he growls and wales on the other side of his bedroom door.   No one is perfect, neither is he, and I know that.  Does he pull that with anyone else but me and his father?  Nope!  He would probably never dream of it… but that is the way he gets it out when he is comfortable in his own home.  Children should have that comfort level.  I don’t love him any less… but I enjoy that his little brother doesn’t need a full exorcism when he gets a time out.

Do I love him more because he handles the discipline better?  No way, I just love that aspect of him. Do I hate when he tries to poke his little sister in the eye?  Or whines when he doesn’t get his way?  Yup!  But it is all part of what makes him his own person.  He wouldn’t be Benjamin without those specific traits, and characteristics.   It is just something that comes with parenting.

I think something that would really benefit our society as a whole would be to let go of these high expectations of parenting, and the snide looks we get across the parking lot when our three year old decides to scream getting into the car, and the automatic judgement that just because a small child is crying they are in fact throwing a fit or acting out.  What about the little boy that scrapes his knee, or accidentally walked into the open car door?   Do the onlookers expect the child not old enough to write their own name to vocalize their pain?

“Mommy, that hurt like a SON OF A…”

Wait a second, so do we want children to really handle their emotions like adults do today?
Of course not, we expect a child to cry, and as parents we comfort them, kiss their boo boo and continue on with our plan of attack for the day. They are little people, with immature mentalities, and social skills that are years away from being fully developed.

But there is no reason for us parents to beat ourselves up over the good things we love about our children.  There is no reason to feel bad about the things we really don’t care for either. Because again, in reality… there will always be something we don’t like about others, as there will be things others don’t like about it.

It is human nature.

Mom’s don’t put other moms down for the little things, help to stop the nonsense mom wars the internet has gotten us all wrapped up into, and embrace our children for who they are, and give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done. Being a parent will be the hardest job you have ever done!

July 20th, 2011

Etsy Store

Since Addison was born, and even before… I have been making all kinds of hair accessories for her. During this time I have gotten a million and two questions from people about where I bought them.  Anywhere from friends and family, to strangers in the mall, or at Captains Cove seaport when we were down there the 4th of July weekend.

I had a ton of ribbon and supplies from what I already made for Addie, so I thought I would start making some more… and now my husband thinks I am completely certifiable.  Hey… why not give it a try?

So I made an Etsy store, got some more supplies, and ordered some more flowers and such for making headbands for little girls. I am excited the flowers are scheduled for delivery on Friday finally!

I am really excited to get started, and set everything up. So for those who want to check it out…  Visit my Etsy Store Addie’s Accessories (Like the name?  LOL)  or become a fan on Facebook… once I am more established, I am going to be running giveaways, and stuff of that nature for the shop. Bare with the pictures, I am still getting the hand of listing things on Etsy…  Oh, and of course a twitter account specifically for this, so I don’t clob up my personal or private account @AddiesOnEtsy

I am also planning on making hand painted onsies for kids eventually too… I absolutely love this one Addie got…

When I was a kid, we used to make these shirts for ourselves at every sleep over party we went to… Shirts, pillow cases, anything… and I love it on her…

Lots of projects coming up!

July 19th, 2011

Two Free Things Tuesday

It is Tuesday, and this week I didn’t forget about two free things Tuesday, or neglect my blog like I did last week!  Surprise!

I really love the response I am still getting back from this series!  So many e-mails thanking me, it really is awesome!

So what do we have on the agenda this week?   Indoor/Outdoor activities to get your imagination working into overtime with your kids!

Free Day at your local Museum

While I know not everyone is going to have this locally, there are a lot of museums across the country that will have a free day over summer vacation for the children who aren’t in school or in some type of summer camp program.  It is neat, free, and above all interesting, even for kids!

There are so many great lessons in history, and sometimes the museums themselves actually even have activities during these free day programs geared towards entertaining your kids even further.

Look up your museums, and see what they have going on for the summer!

Make you own bubbles and blow them!

Not the most exciting activity, but what child doesn’t love blowing bubbles?   Just make sure to keep them away from their eyes!  We had an incident a couple weeks ago with a 2 year old, a bubble wand, and then he used his hands to rub his tired eyes.  Nightmare.  My husband and I didn’t catch it quick enough, I looked like one of those slow motion scenes in a movie as I sprinted across the backyards screaming “Nooooooooooo”

To make your homemade bubbles…

1/4 cup Liquid Dishwashing Detergent (grease-cutters are best.)
3/4 cup Water
1-1/2 tbsp Light Corn Syrup

Or if you want to try something a little more exotic with your kiddos…

2 C. warm water
1/4 C. good quality dish soap (i.e. – Dawn),
A little food coloring or paint/Kool-Aid powder
2 Tbsp. glycerine or corn syrup.

for colored bubbles!

Be sure to check out the previous weeks of Two Free Things Tuesday!

Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4

July 18th, 2011

Updating my 101 in 1001 Project

It has been a while since I have updated my Day Zero Project list, so I thought I would… My original list is here… and I have been going back to cross out those things I have accomplished over the last couple months since I updated in a couple posts here and there…

So since my last update… what else have I been able to accomplish?

Go on a picnic
Memorial Day weekend, my husband, the kids, and I all packed up and we decided to go on a little picnic by one of our local beaches. It was awesome, and the boys had a ton of fun!

Buy Something on Etsy
I am officially obsessed with a store on Etsy that makes little girl headbands, hats, and hair accessories. I have been stocking up for Addie every time they have a sale. I also bought an Owl Print, and a couple owl related things for her nursery over the past couple months. As well as a shower gift for a friend who is doing a cupcake theme for her little girl.
I think I am re-newing my Etsy addiction.
On that note, I also opened my own Etsy Shop… I am starting slow but once I get the rest of the supplies I ordered online, I will also be making headbands and more accessories for little girls. Slim pickin’s right now till I get everything up and running!

Dye my hair
After Addie was born, I had my hair dyed and highlighted. I needed it since I had not really done anything with my hair at all in over a year. Literally!  It also was just in time for one of my bestie’s wedding. Although I don’t recommend waiting till the night before the wedding to finally get your hair dyed.

Participate in a Protest
I would like to consider the recent Nurse In a type of protest.  It was a great experience, and I had a great time with the ladies.  It helped send an awesome message to the locals!   Although it did spark a couple nutcases calling a local doula agency I know from the Baby Fair I used to do annually when ICAN of Connecticut was still active. Maybe if stalkers are so concerned with where I previously worked, they should get my name, and the agency I actually worked with right. LOL!   They certainly did a good job not only making an ass out of themselves, but also made them look seriously mentally unstable!
Can’t please everyone right?

Redesign my Blog
For those who have been reading here long enough… you know this is a nice new layout and header!   Thanks to Sarah (@StarryMom) for the layout, and a good friend of mine Laurie who did the graphic design.

Send Christmas Cards
For the first time in a while, I did Christmas cards. I actually won custom made ones on twitter one night unexpectedly during a twitter party, and got more than enough for our family and friends!

Get both boys to sleep in their own bed
Yes!  Something I have been waiting for!   Camden was firmly planted in our bed for a while, and with him growing, and Ben starting to take Camdens lead… it was starting to get a little crowded.  I love it when they all come in to cuddle in the morning, but we all just cant fit in our queen size bed.  Remember, my husband is a big dude! And I was insanely worried they would hurt the baby.  We still have little men getting up in the middle of the night sometimes, but… for the most part, all is well in the bed department!

Stop Drinking Soda for an Entire Month
It wasn’t hard when I was pregnant… I was doing my best to avoid another diagnosis of gestational diabetes!  So out the window soda went!

Campaign for a Politician
If Mayor counts, I sure am!  A friend of our family Chris Jones is running for the Mayor of our town. Two years ago when he ran he almost won, but with a political scandal in our town… I am hoping the citizens finally open their eyes and realize that our current mayor isn’t who we need!  Below is my husband and Chris marching together in the Memorial Day parade this year.

It is nice to really start to cross of things from my list… in the next couple months I hope to complete:

Sleep Under the Stars
Donate Blood
Go Camping (Planned for August)
Lose 25 Pounds (Almost there!!)
Identify 100 things that makes me angry/annoyed  (As part of removing stress from my life)
Try 3 recipes from each cookbook that I own  (Since I am cooking more these days)
Participate in Operation Beautiful (http://operationbeautiful.com)

I am sure I can get all these done!

Do you participate in the Day Zero project?

July 14th, 2011

I’m a Mess

See the middle child over there… That is Benjamin, and he is constantly a mess.  Yesterday I gave the boys bathes, and this was less than 2 hours after the bath, and as you can see from the picture, he has stuff all over him.

I am still trying to figure out what was on him too. One minute he was squeeky clean, the next minute it looked like he had some kind of sticky something on him.

His nick name is pigpen, because no matter how hard my husband and I strive to keep him clean… this is how he ends up. But the best part of all, he HATES being dirty!   Every time he gets something on his hands, he will hold them straight out in front of him, find the closest adult and say “I make a mess” and expects a swift hand wipe, or wash.

Most everyone in our family, and circle of friends we hang out with know this at this point, and are pretty good about lending a hand for the most part.

So what is my point of this post?   Don’t we all have one of these kids?  LOL!

I turned on Jack’s Big Music Show this morning for some musical entertainment for the boys while we took on the task of breakfast, and the Laurie Berkner song “I’m a Mess” came on and I almost died laughing.

Neither boy knew why it was so hysterical to me, but I thought in that very moment… THEY MADE A SONG FOR BEN!

Only a mom right?

So, after searching all over the internet, this is the best video I found of it, but it still makes me smile!

July 13th, 2011

Two Free Things Tuesday

So, with all my Tuesday excitement, I forgot to publish my 4th two free things Tuesday post, so I hope ya’ll don’t mind it a day late!

Like in previous weeks, I will do one outdoor activity, and one indoor activity for those horrid rainy summer days!

Take a Nature Walk -
I am actually incredibly lucky to have a nature center close to where I live. It is full of awesome paths, and a lake… tons of things to check out with the kids, bugs to catch, and little furry animals to watch. But even if you aren’t lucky enough to have a place like this close by, you can always walk through your own neighborhood or go to a local park for this project.
Put together a couple pieces of paper, crayons or markers, or really whatever your kids like to write with, or draw with.  Have your kids write down, or draw the different things in nature they find.  Flowers, trees, animals, or whatever really floats their boat. It could be as simple as rocks, or as elaborate as a family of deer.   But it gets them out of the house, and using their creative imaginations.

Make Sock Puppets & Put on a Show
You know you have those phantom socks floating around the house, the ones the laundry gnomes ate the match to!  So why not take those socks and put them to good use!  A craft project!     If you don’t want to go fancy, you can simply use a magic marker, or a sharpie to make faces on the socks and turn them into true sock puppets, and then let your kids come up with a storyline for a little living room based play!    You can perform it for the pets, friends, neighbors, or even just Daddy when he comes home from work (or Mommy)

Hope you enjoyed this weeks late addition of Two Free Things Tuesday!

Be sure to check out:

Week 1
Week 2
Week 3

July 11th, 2011

Procrastination? I Think So!

I have a problem with procrastination.

Last July I took a three day childbirth educator training course called Passion for Birth. I graduated the program, and got my certificate giving me the title of a Lamaze Educated Childbirth Educator and when I finally sit for my Lamaze certification exam, I will be certified.

Procrastination is what I have done since completing the course last summer. I think I slightly got burnt out on the idea not just because I was pregnant, but because I was writing about pregnancy and birth daily on Being Pregnant. I absolutely loved contributing there for the 10 months I was there, but I just felt like I didn’t have as much to contribute as I used to.

My blog here started out focused around pregnancy and childbirth, and really morphed into parenting in general over the years, but I am back on track in my personal life to accomplish a ton in the next couple months.  Including finishing my entire class (writing my childbirth education class) by the end of August. I told myself originally I would do it by the end of July, but I didn’t want to rush, I wanted to do it right.

And I will plan to sit for my exam in April like I did this time around, but my due date was just too close to the test day. There was no way I would have been able to concentrate the way I needed to.  Plus, they only hold the test two times a year.   October is too soon, at least knowing our family schedule from now until then, with parades, and my husband taking tests, and classes.  I know I wouldn’t be able to properly prepare myself.  I will instead take the winter time, a more calm time for the family, and clearly more time in the house to prepare and make sure I am ready to rock it when I sit for the test in April.   (April and October are the only two times a year the test is offered)

I certainly feel recharged again, and ready to take the project on. Just like I was last summer after I took the actual course, before Addison sent me into a tizzy of morning sickness, and all those crazy thoughts that go along with a surprise baby.  To say I wouldn’t have been able to concentrate would have been a serious understatement.

I can’t wait to be finished and teaching though!