Monday, April 30, 2012
Join Me on an Adventure...
Today I'm guest posting at the awesome blog: Adventure of E about many obstacles in my life and how I overcame them. Please head on over to read my post about my journeys in the past that helped form the person I am today. You will love E too, so stick around her blog and check her out. Happy Monday folks!
Friday, April 27, 2012
More Nursery Ideas and a Little Birthday Planning
Happy Friday everyone! I don't have much today, but I thought I would share some recent ideas for the nursery. Here's the rug I just purchased from Overstock with 15% off and some ideas for artwork:
I have also starting on ideas for Nolan's 2nd birthday since it will be soon after I give birth to this baby boy!
Have a great weekend!
I have also starting on ideas for Nolan's 2nd birthday since it will be soon after I give birth to this baby boy!
Have a great weekend!
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
The Neighbor Drama Saga Continues...
Ok so I want to start this post by stating I do not live in a the ghetto. I live in a nice, older neighborhood about a mile out of the city limits. It's a really nice area. However, after I tell you this story you probably won't think so!
Last Thursday my husband came home from work and asked me if I had heard all the commotion on our street. I said no I had been in the house, Nolan had been napping, and I was trying to get Nolan's things together so my mother-in-law could watch him for a few hours that evening. Apparently, there were a bunch of cops at the beginning of the road. Two houses down from mine, a 20 year old girl had been mowing the lawn when she said someone had attacked her from behind and tried to strangle her with her head phones. They had sent a helicopter out to find the mystery guy which I remember hearing that because I said to Nolan, "Do you hear the plane?"
Anyhow, I do not know these neighbors. But my other neighbors who have lived on this street forever say that the woman (the mom of the 20 year old) that lives there is an alcoholic and the guy (step-father) is a complete jerk and has been reported for domestic abuse. DRAMA-RAMA is what I say! Then the detective drove past my husband and the other neighbors and said they didn't think the story from the girl had much validity to it since she's been known to do things like this in the past. So basically he said she made it up...which could be true since the neighbors who were in and out of there house across the street didn't even see anything and their yards are very close. At least I hope the story isn't true because I sure don't want to worry about getting attacked in my backyard!
Oh and by the way, my neighbors on the other end of the subdivision held a rock concert on Friday night. Yep full stage with lights and everything. We received no notification about this, but I did see a sign on the road saying it was a benefit for someone. At least it was for a good cause, but the bass thumping did keep me up past midnight!
Hope your neighborhood is much quieter than mine folks :)
Last Thursday my husband came home from work and asked me if I had heard all the commotion on our street. I said no I had been in the house, Nolan had been napping, and I was trying to get Nolan's things together so my mother-in-law could watch him for a few hours that evening. Apparently, there were a bunch of cops at the beginning of the road. Two houses down from mine, a 20 year old girl had been mowing the lawn when she said someone had attacked her from behind and tried to strangle her with her head phones. They had sent a helicopter out to find the mystery guy which I remember hearing that because I said to Nolan, "Do you hear the plane?"
Anyhow, I do not know these neighbors. But my other neighbors who have lived on this street forever say that the woman (the mom of the 20 year old) that lives there is an alcoholic and the guy (step-father) is a complete jerk and has been reported for domestic abuse. DRAMA-RAMA is what I say! Then the detective drove past my husband and the other neighbors and said they didn't think the story from the girl had much validity to it since she's been known to do things like this in the past. So basically he said she made it up...which could be true since the neighbors who were in and out of there house across the street didn't even see anything and their yards are very close. At least I hope the story isn't true because I sure don't want to worry about getting attacked in my backyard!
Oh and by the way, my neighbors on the other end of the subdivision held a rock concert on Friday night. Yep full stage with lights and everything. We received no notification about this, but I did see a sign on the road saying it was a benefit for someone. At least it was for a good cause, but the bass thumping did keep me up past midnight!
Hope your neighborhood is much quieter than mine folks :)
Sunday, April 22, 2012
18 Months and Counting!
I am amazed at how much kids can learn at this age. He can identify almost half of the alphabet and most animals. His favorite words are: Daddy, Momma, ball, bird, up, Disney, "Mo-Mo" for Elmo, more, head, hat, hot, "nana" for banana, "bloon" for balloon, moo, "mote" for remote, milk, duck, bowl, yucky, and book.
He loves running through the house and stacking his toys or putting them in a bag and carrying them. He loves making horse, cow, elephant, cat, and monkey sounds. He is obsessed with trucks and any type of machinery. Which means he is fascinated with the lawn mower and watching Daddy mow :)
It is crazy to think we will be nearing the 2 year old mark soon...the time has flown by, but I've enjoyed every moment of it. I'm excited for all the new experiences ahead of us---we love you so much little boy!
Friday, April 20, 2012
The Bond of Motherhood
Since I have been a member of my local Stroller Strides group I have met a lot of amazing women. Most of them are transplants here due to my city being a college town so many have moved here due to employment or their husband's employment. As I look at these women, I realize wow I am really with some diverse women. In the group, there are women with degrees from Princeton, Stanford, UMASS, Michigan, Harvard, Duke, and Yale just to mention a few. Some of the women were born in different countries like Italy, Puerto Rico, and Spain. Some of the women were or are teachers, oncologists, psychologists, engineers, volleyball and swim coaches. But what do you think we talk about when we get together? It's not about the meaning of life or how to solve the world's problems--it's about what food our kids are eating, what their poop looks like, what kind of diapers we use, how we get them to sleep, where we find deals on toys/clothes, and what *free, fun* activities can we take them to enjoy. This shows me what a strong bond motherhood really is...it doesn't matter your education, your culture, or the size of your bank account. It's about doing the best for your child and trying to raise them best way you know how. It's about leaning on one another when you aren't getting any sleep or your child is throwing tantrums that make you want to pull your hair out. It's about knowing that someone else knows EXACTLY how you feel and validates you.
The bond of motherhood is strong and awesome, and I'm so glad I do get to experience it!
The bond of motherhood is strong and awesome, and I'm so glad I do get to experience it!
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
The Work Clock that Never Stops
After reading Ashley's post last night from the blog Happiness Is..., I really felt the need to write this post. Basically, she talked about how in today's society people are looked down upon for wanting to leave work at a decent hour to spend time OUTSIDE of work. Yes I know it's an unheard of concept in this country---but really we do have lives outside of work. This really hit home with me because before I was a SAHM I worked in a corporate environment that had ZERO respect for personal lives. Whether you have a family or not, I think everyone deserves the right to enjoy and have a life outside of work. In my previous job, my boss and his boss would make me feel guilty for not wanting to work until 7pm or the fact that I might have plans on a Saturday. They seriously thought our #1 priority was work and nothing else. I'm not saying you can't be dedicated to your job, but I think we all have the right to work hard and to thoroughly enjoy our time outside of work. And that's the oxymoron of it all---even if you aren't at work, you worry about it or feel guilty for leaving at a decent hour. It's just very sad that we spend most our lives working for companies that could just replace us with a drop of a hat instead of being able to spend more time with family and friends. I don't see this changing anytime soon, but I think if it did we would find that people would be happier in their lives if our livelihoods didn't revolve around a job.
Ok that's my soapbox on this issue...please read Ashley's post because she really hit the nail on the head with her post!
Ok that's my soapbox on this issue...please read Ashley's post because she really hit the nail on the head with her post!
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Sneak Peek of Nursery Bedding Fabric
Monday, April 16, 2012
The Chronicles of the House Across the Street
My neighborhood is an older one with mostly homeowners. However, about 2 or 3 houses in the neighborhood are owned by some older owners who moved to another location but kept the houses to rent. On my side of the subdivison, we have one house that is rented. It happens to be the one across the street.
This house is a rather big brick house with probably about 2800 square feet if I had to guess. So as you might imagine it can house a lot of people. I've seen about 6 different renters throughout my 6 years of living in my house. Let's just say some of these people have made it quite interesting being their neighbors.
*The first renters were my favorite. It was a family with 3 kids, and they were always very nice. Now given the always reversed their car out of their circle drive...yes you read that a right.."a circle drive" but reversed out and almost hit my mailbox EVERY.TIME. The father did end up hitting my friend's car when she was up to visit me. The guy totally owned up to it and his insurance paid for everything. Still don't understand why you reverse out onto the street when you have a circle drive though...
*The next renters had several people living there...and I never quite got the connection between everyone. However, at 3am EVERY MORNING an extremely loud muffler Mustang would come to visit. It would wake me up every time! I would get so tired of it because it never failed the car would be there at about 3am then leave at like 5am bumping music and starting up it's very loud muffler and engine. I was so glad to see those renters go!
*The third set of renters were pretty interesting. I believe it was a couple, maybe one older kid, and a mother to one of the renters. They also reversed out of the circle drive and destroyed my newly planted mums. We went over to show the damage, and they gave us one of their new mums to replace it. These renters also had a repo of a vehicle on a random Sunday. I was out in the yard killing weeds when I heard the woman yelling at the top of her lungs, "Let her get her stuff out of the car!"
*The 4th set of renters were kind of a shady lot. They were always trying to sell us items such as a ladder from their working truck or just things you would never approach someone about selling. They weren't there very long, and one day I noticed it seemed very quiet and no lights on. Then at dark, the people were moving items out of the house. They came and went a few times but came back at around midnight and that's when the drama began. The neighbor next to this house knows the real owners and gave us the scoop. Apparently, the renters hadn't paid any rent and were trying to sneak their stuff out. They even blocked doors so that the actually owners of the house couldn't get it. The owner then came by and parked his truck in front of the U-Haul so the renters couldn't leave. It was crazy!
*The 5th set of renters were very quiet, and I didn't see much of them. Now that's my kind of neighbor! Their cars weren't loud, and they didn't wake me up at odd hours. However, my husband just came in the house from talking to our other neighbors and said that the man renting the house was staying there with his mistress! So the reason they moved out is because he decided to get back with his wife. What reality show am I on? CRAZY!
*The new renters showed up yesterday with TWO MINIVANS of kids. Not sure if everyone will be living there, but the kids ranged from 3 to like 12. I think I counted 7 kids plus two women. Now yes I am a mom and have a child and one on the way, but I still think to myself , "Oh my, what is this going to be like?" The problem with this house is they don't have a backyard so everything always goes on in the front yard. Let's just keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best, shall we?
Stay tuned because I'm sure I'll have more!
This house is a rather big brick house with probably about 2800 square feet if I had to guess. So as you might imagine it can house a lot of people. I've seen about 6 different renters throughout my 6 years of living in my house. Let's just say some of these people have made it quite interesting being their neighbors.
*The first renters were my favorite. It was a family with 3 kids, and they were always very nice. Now given the always reversed their car out of their circle drive...yes you read that a right.."a circle drive" but reversed out and almost hit my mailbox EVERY.TIME. The father did end up hitting my friend's car when she was up to visit me. The guy totally owned up to it and his insurance paid for everything. Still don't understand why you reverse out onto the street when you have a circle drive though...
*The next renters had several people living there...and I never quite got the connection between everyone. However, at 3am EVERY MORNING an extremely loud muffler Mustang would come to visit. It would wake me up every time! I would get so tired of it because it never failed the car would be there at about 3am then leave at like 5am bumping music and starting up it's very loud muffler and engine. I was so glad to see those renters go!
*The third set of renters were pretty interesting. I believe it was a couple, maybe one older kid, and a mother to one of the renters. They also reversed out of the circle drive and destroyed my newly planted mums. We went over to show the damage, and they gave us one of their new mums to replace it. These renters also had a repo of a vehicle on a random Sunday. I was out in the yard killing weeds when I heard the woman yelling at the top of her lungs, "Let her get her stuff out of the car!"
*The 4th set of renters were kind of a shady lot. They were always trying to sell us items such as a ladder from their working truck or just things you would never approach someone about selling. They weren't there very long, and one day I noticed it seemed very quiet and no lights on. Then at dark, the people were moving items out of the house. They came and went a few times but came back at around midnight and that's when the drama began. The neighbor next to this house knows the real owners and gave us the scoop. Apparently, the renters hadn't paid any rent and were trying to sneak their stuff out. They even blocked doors so that the actually owners of the house couldn't get it. The owner then came by and parked his truck in front of the U-Haul so the renters couldn't leave. It was crazy!
*The 5th set of renters were very quiet, and I didn't see much of them. Now that's my kind of neighbor! Their cars weren't loud, and they didn't wake me up at odd hours. However, my husband just came in the house from talking to our other neighbors and said that the man renting the house was staying there with his mistress! So the reason they moved out is because he decided to get back with his wife. What reality show am I on? CRAZY!
*The new renters showed up yesterday with TWO MINIVANS of kids. Not sure if everyone will be living there, but the kids ranged from 3 to like 12. I think I counted 7 kids plus two women. Now yes I am a mom and have a child and one on the way, but I still think to myself , "Oh my, what is this going to be like?" The problem with this house is they don't have a backyard so everything always goes on in the front yard. Let's just keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best, shall we?
Stay tuned because I'm sure I'll have more!
Saturday, April 14, 2012
I'm Joining the Party!
Last year I joined in the fun right after I started this little blog. So I thought it only appropriate that I get my party on with:
So if you're new around these parts, here's a few things about me:
***I was a workaholic in the financial industry until I gave birth to our first child, Nolan in the fall of 2010. You can read about my natural child birth experience here.
***I am also a cloth diapering momma which is not something I thought I would every say. I really enjoy it, and I have written a few blog post about my experience with cloth diapers.
***I am not the domestic type, so I've had to work on transitioning from a working professional to a SAHM.
***We have two dogs, Molly a Jack Russell Terrier and Teddy, a Cairn Terrier. Couldn't imagine our family without them!
***A few months ago, I share some exciting news that we are expecting our 2nd son this August! I'm very excited about being a boy mom and that my boys will be so close in age. Send prayers this way that somehow I keep my sanity!
***I'm learning to garden and sew, so join me on my not so green thumb/uncrafty journey!
Thanks for stopping by and hope to see you back around!
So if you're new around these parts, here's a few things about me:
***I was a workaholic in the financial industry until I gave birth to our first child, Nolan in the fall of 2010. You can read about my natural child birth experience here.
***I am also a cloth diapering momma which is not something I thought I would every say. I really enjoy it, and I have written a few blog post about my experience with cloth diapers.
***I am not the domestic type, so I've had to work on transitioning from a working professional to a SAHM.
***We have two dogs, Molly a Jack Russell Terrier and Teddy, a Cairn Terrier. Couldn't imagine our family without them!
***A few months ago, I share some exciting news that we are expecting our 2nd son this August! I'm very excited about being a boy mom and that my boys will be so close in age. Send prayers this way that somehow I keep my sanity!
***I'm learning to garden and sew, so join me on my not so green thumb/uncrafty journey!
Thanks for stopping by and hope to see you back around!
Thursday, April 12, 2012
A Primal Blueprint Lifestyle Update
I know it's been awhile since I posted an update about the Primal Blueprint eating lifestyle that my husband and I started back in mid-January. So here's the news:
***My husband has lost about 16 pounds. He wasn't heavy by any means, but he just wanted to eat healthier. With his longer hours at work, he is only working out about once a week but staying pretty active. I can't imagine what he would weigh if had more time available to workout more! However, the great thing about living this way is that it doesn't require a lot of time in the gym or in the grocery store.
***At this stage in my pregnancy last time with Nolan, I weighed 18 pounds more than I do now. WHAT? Isn't that crazy? I am definitely more active now with being a SAHM and working out, but I know eating better has been a major factor. Right now I still weigh less with this pregnancy than I did the first time I went to see the doctor about being pregnant with Nolan. I would have to say these are some fascinating results!
***My husband is no longer starving when he gets home from his 10 hour work days. Because he eats more protein and healthy fats, he does not have spikes in his blood sugar that used to make him super hungry when he arrived home from work.
***Preparing meals and going to the grocery store is so much easier! We basically have a meat of some sort and then some type of veggie for a side. I can make dinner more on the fly, and I don't have to make huge ingredient lists for the grocery store. I'm mainly in the no hormone or grass fed meat section and the organic and fresh produce section.
If you have any questions on eating this way, please feel free to ask questions and visit Mark's Daily Apple. This is where we started our healthier journey!
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend---I know it's supposed to be gorgeous weather here--hope it is the same for you :)
***My husband has lost about 16 pounds. He wasn't heavy by any means, but he just wanted to eat healthier. With his longer hours at work, he is only working out about once a week but staying pretty active. I can't imagine what he would weigh if had more time available to workout more! However, the great thing about living this way is that it doesn't require a lot of time in the gym or in the grocery store.
***At this stage in my pregnancy last time with Nolan, I weighed 18 pounds more than I do now. WHAT? Isn't that crazy? I am definitely more active now with being a SAHM and working out, but I know eating better has been a major factor. Right now I still weigh less with this pregnancy than I did the first time I went to see the doctor about being pregnant with Nolan. I would have to say these are some fascinating results!
***My husband is no longer starving when he gets home from his 10 hour work days. Because he eats more protein and healthy fats, he does not have spikes in his blood sugar that used to make him super hungry when he arrived home from work.
***Preparing meals and going to the grocery store is so much easier! We basically have a meat of some sort and then some type of veggie for a side. I can make dinner more on the fly, and I don't have to make huge ingredient lists for the grocery store. I'm mainly in the no hormone or grass fed meat section and the organic and fresh produce section.
If you have any questions on eating this way, please feel free to ask questions and visit Mark's Daily Apple. This is where we started our healthier journey!
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend---I know it's supposed to be gorgeous weather here--hope it is the same for you :)
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
When You're a Boy...
When you're a boy, you've gotta wear a baseball hat...
You've gotta mow the yard with your tractor...
You've gotta get dirty and play with toys...
And most of all you've gotta have fun!
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Enjoying the Last Moments as a Family of Three
Today I'm over at Ashley's wonderful blog, Happiness Is...talking about enjoying my last moments as a family of three. Please go check out my guest post, and I'm sure you'll fall in love with Ashley too if you aren't already following her and her little boy Thatcher.
Happy Tuesday!
Happy Tuesday!
Monday, April 9, 2012
Hoppin' Down the Bunny Trail
I hope everyone had a fantastic Easter weekend. It was absolutely beautiful weather in our neck of the woods. We spent a lot of time outside and in the sun. Here are some photos from the weekend:
Nolan had a lot of fun hunting Easter Eggs. He's a big "gatherer" and loves carrying as much as possible. It's also pretty much impossible to get a decent family shot with this kid!
Hope you were able to share the weekend with loved ones :)
Hope you were able to share the weekend with loved ones :)
Thursday, April 5, 2012
YAY Thursday---And Calling on Guest Posters!
Who's excited it is Thursday? I know I AM! My husband is off tomorrow and Monday, so we've got a long weekend. Probably not a lot of relaxing but working in our new flower beds and trying to get our new back ones formed. And of course Easter---tomorrow Nolan will go to his first Easter Egg Hunt. It's mostly younger kids so it should be a pretty good one for him to have as a starter.
In May, we are going on our 2nd beach vacay with little boy and our last as a family of three. I'm looking for 5 guest posters for that week---any takers? Just comment and let me know!
Last time we went it was definitely a challenging time since all Nolan wanted to do was eat the sand. I think this time will be a lot more fun because 1) He's walking, 2) He's older, 3) He puts less items in his mouth. Oh I'm sure we'll have some sand intake but less than last time.
Any suggestions on having an 18 month old on the beach? It could be from toys to sunscreen---or just any tactics you use. We do have a pop up beach tent that we used last time that came in super handy.
Hope everyone has a great Easter weekend!
In May, we are going on our 2nd beach vacay with little boy and our last as a family of three. I'm looking for 5 guest posters for that week---any takers? Just comment and let me know!
Last time we went it was definitely a challenging time since all Nolan wanted to do was eat the sand. I think this time will be a lot more fun because 1) He's walking, 2) He's older, 3) He puts less items in his mouth. Oh I'm sure we'll have some sand intake but less than last time.
Any suggestions on having an 18 month old on the beach? It could be from toys to sunscreen---or just any tactics you use. We do have a pop up beach tent that we used last time that came in super handy.
Hope everyone has a great Easter weekend!
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
More Than Halfway There!
Tomorrow I will be 23 weeks with baby boy #2. Here's a belly photo from last night:
The belly has definitely "popped," and I officially feel pregnant. We have decided on a name, but we'll keep that underwraps for a little while. I've decided on the colors for the new nursery: orange, turquoise, and brown. It will be a modern under the sea theme. I am actually going to attempt to make the bedding with my mother-in-law. So I'm on the hunt for some bright fabric! We will be moving most items from Nolan's room to the new nursery minus his crib. I am in the market for some table and chairs for his room. Any suggestions? If you follow me on Pinterest, you might have seen some of the room inspirations:
This pregnancy is flying by, so I better get on it. At least most of the major items we have, so mainly I just need to focus on artwork and accessories.
I am feeling good and am sleeping better at night. I have definitely regained my energy. Now lifting 30 lb Nolan? That's another story. The kid weighs as much as some 2 year olds. He's a big boy, and we'll see his official weight and height at his 18 month appointment.
Happy Tuesday friends!
This pregnancy is flying by, so I better get on it. At least most of the major items we have, so mainly I just need to focus on artwork and accessories.
I am feeling good and am sleeping better at night. I have definitely regained my energy. Now lifting 30 lb Nolan? That's another story. The kid weighs as much as some 2 year olds. He's a big boy, and we'll see his official weight and height at his 18 month appointment.
Happy Tuesday friends!
Monday, April 2, 2012
Out with March, and in with April!
March was a very busy month for my household, so I'm very excited that April is here. We still have a few things planned but nothing like March. The last weekend in March was a good one...I attending my friend's and former co-worker's wedding:
Isn't she just beautiful? I loved her dress! The wedding was outside at a country club, and the rain almost *ALMOST* made an appearance. After the wedding, my husband went to see The Hunger Games. It was so good, and I was very happy with how close to the book the movie was. Oh and little guy was at the grandparents, so we were kid free for the night.
Yesterday was spent picking up the boy, and doing some plant buying. I will show some final pictures once we mulch the beds, but our front beds look awesome! I'm so happy with our new sidewalk we had poured and of course of the whole new look of our house with the new siding.
I also am ready to transplant my garden seeds into my square foot box. Everything is growing so well, and I hope they do well this year.
I also changed my blog look over the weekend----what do you think? HAPPY MONDAY! :)
Yesterday was spent picking up the boy, and doing some plant buying. I will show some final pictures once we mulch the beds, but our front beds look awesome! I'm so happy with our new sidewalk we had poured and of course of the whole new look of our house with the new siding.
I also am ready to transplant my garden seeds into my square foot box. Everything is growing so well, and I hope they do well this year.
I also changed my blog look over the weekend----what do you think? HAPPY MONDAY! :)
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