These Days….

There is so.much going on around here (always?!) and 101% of the time, I have no time to really even process all that is happening in our lives. I am going to give a quick rundown and I really, truly (honestly) hope to expand on most, if not all, of these things going forward.

* Gianna started FIRST GRADE last week. We ended up moving her from Catholic to public school after a really long debate. I think we made the choice that made the most sense. The first week went well for her, so that’s exciting for all of us!

* Aleesia is officially 2.5 and she is THE SPUNKIEST ball of energy I have ever met. I’m lucky she is mine, but also, wow – she makes me tired!

* Being a full-time work at home mom for the past 6 months has been so great. And so hard. And so many things. There are a few things I can say for certain though. This wouldn’t be possible without my village – our nanny, my sisters, my parents, cousins, so many people who help out when needed. Being at home has been so fun and the flexibility I have is wonderful. But it is HARD to be “on” all of the time.

* We are going to the beach in a few weeks! We are going to Hilton Head for the first time and really looking forward to it. If you’ve been there – tips, tricks, places not to miss are all greatly appreciated! We are planning on vising Savannah as well while we are there.

* Our new house! Oh my gosh, so much I can say about our new house. We have a pre-drywall meeting this week and we are looking forward to that. I have pictures of the whole process and will hopefully do a few posts related to our building process (which has been really great). Things are moving along and I am ALL OVER the Pinterest boards with updates and ideas for decorating a house that is significantly bigger than our previous home.

* Vivian is such a sweet baby! She finally started to sit up on her own and can go from laying/crawling to sitting. She’s been crawling for at least 2 months so she gets all over the place and flashes her amazing smile at us! She is a bit of a mommy’s girl and she doesn’t love to sleep without touching me. It has been hard to get her in a sleep routine, but we’ll get there. We started to give her some baby food a few weeks ago and she is just now really getting the hang of eating from a spoon.

* I ran a half marathon last weekend, it was a great race and I had a pretty huge PR. I’m looking forward to my next one in September. I also finished my 4th (or 5th?!?) MBA class last week. I’m looking forward to finding some good books to read on vacation – any ideas for me?

Overall, I’m not ready to give up summer yet but also ready for the routine the school year brings. We have fun plans that will get us through the end of September and then our fall plans (and moving!!) start up in October! I don’t feel like I am as organized and on top of life as usual right now which is frustrating but somehow we are all getting through our days!

Some days…

….simply require a bullet pointed list of things that have been going on just to keep it all straight!

• This was a long week – not so good days at work paired with the usual busy and a side of cranky toddler and a broken hot water heater. I’m coping with tums and cookies.
• Thankfully the hot water heater was the easiest fix of all (thanks to my brother in laws) even if it meant replacing it entirely. Also thankful it was still under warranty!
• Gianna started dance this week and is smitten with the fact she is FINALLY in the big kid ballerina class.
• Aleesia has been cranky in the evenings and I just want my smiley toddler back!
• I suspect her crankiness is due to her shortened naps during the day.
• I suspect her shortened naps during the day are because our sitter situation has drastically changed over the past 2 weeks. I’m sure she’ll get used to the new routine soon enough. At least I hope she does. I need her to nap better so I get a happy girl back in the evenings.
• Every time I think we have made progress on one of the 34534 things we need to do to get the house ready for the baby, that progress gets side tracked by two cute girls who think OH! MORE ROOM FOR ACTIVITIES! And mess up the previously clean spaces!
• I miss running a lot lately, I didn’t keep it up past 17 weeks schedule wise and since I am no longer participating in a previously planned relay this month my motivation kind of dwindled. And now I am pretty sure my pelvic bone would give me the middle finger if I tried to pick it up again at almost 26 weeks!
• I finally got Aleesia’s baptism scheduled.
• There have been some really fun giveaways going on and I have really low entries (despite higher than average page views) – I’m not sure how to fix it. But better odds for the people that do enter, right?!
• Speaking of – #cascadeshiningreviews giveaway #1 ends tonight!
• Since it’s been almost a month since our vacation I am putting it on my calendar to do a full review of our trip next week – it was a great one!
• Can I go back on vacation now?!
• It was yucky fall-like weather here today (I’m not done with summer…) and I got a pumpkin chai latte during lunch – so much yum!
• What’s new with YOU?!

Social media isn’t real life

With the end of the year and holiday season approaching at warp speed it also seems like the feelings overwhelmed and underprepared start to get a little out of control. I am sure I am not the only one who feels that way.  No matter how hard I try to be prepared and organized and ahead of the game, I am just not. 

Normally, I would be all OHMYGAWDOVERWHELMED and wine:thirty all the time.

But my Type-A-ness has mellowed out over the past few months.  I don’t know how it happened or why, but it did. And I AM SO GLAD! I still live in a to-do-list and spreadsheet world so that I can attempt to remember all the things (and I still don’t actually remember them all). But I don’t get as bent out of shape if all the things aren’t done by the end of the day.  There are some things that can get under my skin (dishes in the sink at night) but overall, I feel much calmer and less stressed. 

I have noticed and overheard conversations lately about women being so stressed about everything from the right teacher gift to organization of toys to how do you keep your house clean all the time and find time for extensive (expensive) activities with your family.  Look ladies, we can only do so much in one day and we should all remember that whatever you see on social media isn’t real life.

Not too many people are posting pictures of their huge piles of unfolded laundry, cluttered kitchen countertops, dirty bathroom sinks and played-in playrooms on facebook, twitter, instagram, etc.  Blue box mac & cheese and ramen noodles are two of my favorite things to eat. Gianna usually ends up eating yogurt or applesauce for dinner every night.  I pay attention to what kind of food I buy but not THAT close of attention – I am not paying $10 for organic oranges, I am just not doing it!  I wouldn’t know how to cook or what to do with quinoa and I really have no idea how to pronounce it. Bedtime has been chaotic lately – sometimes we get it just right but mostly it’s madness.

People don’t usually post statuses or whatever about the 15 minutes they spent negotiating with their four year old to come out from under the table and eat her dinner. Or about their gourmet mac & cheese out of the box that they made for dinner. I could post all kinds of crazy stuff that goes on every single day that isn’t social-media worthy and I am sure you could too.

It used to make feel very, inadequate I guess, when I would browse my favorite social media sites – we have a very small house, I work and have a long commute, there isn’t time for an advent activity calendar as much as I wish there was, I think it is totally awesome that you might have done a “12 days of christmas” teacher gift extravaganza but I am going with a target gift card, because TARGET! (and I don’t have time, energy, or quite honestly the funds to pull such an admittedly cool gift together!) there is no way I could spend two hours at the gym every day even if I want too and you guys – I am constantly drowning in laundry and dishes and toys.

But I don’t feel inadequate anymore at all – because this is my life.  I give myself grace and really, I count it all joy. All of the imperfections are still perfect to me. Whatever I didn’t get done today, will be there tomorrow and whatever went wrong today I get a chance to do over when I wake up. My kids still think I am cool even when I am grumpy or exhausted.  I still think my husband is awesome even when he doesn’t wipe off the kitchen counter.  I stay up too late every night and wake up late for work every morning – it is what it is (I really should work on this one though…)  I am just learning to love life for what it is, not for what I wish it was or wish I had (but I really do wish someone would deep clean the whole house and organize the basement for me).

Social media isn’t always (usually!) real life – because real life isn’t always (usually!) that exciting, but it is always pretty real – good, bad and otherwise.  Try hard not to judge yourself against your facebook friends or twitter feed  and just do things the way you want (need) and it will all be wonderful.

Speedy Firsts {#SwaddlersFirsts campaign}

They always say that any subsequent children after the first one sort of get the short end of the stick when it comes to capturing their “firsts”.

Of course, when I was pregnant with Aleesia I was SURE that wasn’t going to be the case.

And I was of course wrong.

I only remember to update her “first year” calendar once every 6 weeks or so and by then I’m basically making up when things actually happened. First tooth on October 6th, ish. Said “hi” for the first time somewhere in the month of November.  Very precise record keeping.

One thing that I did remember from first baby to second is my love of Pampers diapers (which, you clearly understand by now if you have visited the blog before) but especially Swaddlers.  They are so soft and we never see any skin issues, it’s great.  And Swaddlers come in sizes 4 and 5 now – which is fabulous!

Pampers has come up with some seriously great opportunities to engage mom’s, new and old, including through their “firsts” campaign. 

Being a working mom, I usually miss the ACTUAL first, so I tend to count the first time I see something as “the first”.  (does anyone else do that?) But, Aleesia has been quite accommodating to my schedule and I have been lucky enough to be home for a few pretty big firsts.  The first time she crawled, the first time she pulled up to stand and the first time she took a step.

Wait, what was that? STEPS you say? Check her out:

It’s still hard for me to believe this is happening, and I promise to remember to write this in her calendar soon.  I’m sure it won’t be too much longer before she is walking around the house unassisted with that awesome monster like toddle that I find so adorable.  I remember the day Gianna took her first steps like it was yesterday, these things just come and go so fast it’s unbelievable!

Swaddlers can be there for all the firsts in your baby’s life and to celebrate Swaddlers sizes 4 & 5, Pampers has 30 days of incredible giveaways and a grand price of FREE Swaddlers diapers & wipes for a year. (FREE! A YEAR! yay!) Join the celebration and enter the Pampers’ 30 days of sweeps on the Pampers Facebook page where you can win daily prize bundles, plus the grand prize of free Swaddlers diapers & wipes for one year.

Plusandalso there is a great Pampers #SwaddlersFirsts Twitter Party on December 5th at 9PM EST.  If you joined the last one, you know how great they are. Here are the details:

You should RSVP here: http://twtvite.com/SwaddlersFirsts

Because you don’t want to miss out on any of these amazing prizes, including:

3 celebrating Firsts Gift Packs, ARV ($250), which include:

• Baby’s First Friend Doudou Bear Plush Doll
• Baby’s First Tooth and First Curl Treasure Box
• Baby’s First Words Book
• Baby’s First Steps Plush Toy
• $50 Shutterfly Gift Card to celebrate all “firsts” moments
• Baby’s First Bath Robe
• Pampers Swaddlers

Grand Prize: Canon EOS Rebel T3 DSLR camera worth $450! <woot! how awesome?!>

To participate, follow your hosts @DoubleDutyDivas, @BridgetteLA, @CeceliaMecca @AngieKcom @WhatMommiesNeed @RamblingChick, and our sponsor @Pampers.

And because it’s December and everyone is busy to the max, I don’t want you to feel left out of the Twitter party prize greatness if you are busy capturing some holiday firsts. I am hosting a giveaway for everyone!

You can win an awesome Celebrating Firsts gift pack too - the gift pack will include:

· Baby’s First Friend Doudou Bear Plush Doll

· Baby’s First Tooth and First Curl Treasure Box

· Baby’s First Words Book

· Baby’s First Steps Plush Toy

· Pampers Swaddlers

Entry is super easy (and there are 2 bonus entry options!) leave a comment letting me know

1. Tell me your favorite “first” memory – if could be something you remember from your kids or even a “first” in your life!
2. Bonus entry #1: Share this post by tweeting it out on twitter  or sharing the link on facebook
3. Bonus entry #2: Tell me your favorite part about the Twitter party on December 9th

Giveaway is open until Friday December 6th at 11:59 PM EST. Make sure your comment includes a way to reach you when you win!

I can’t wait to hear about your favorite “firsts” memories! I think the first steps are pretty close to the top of my list – nothing like watching that sense of independence on their little faces!

This review was made possible by Double Duty Divas and Pampers. I was provided the featured product free of charge to facilitate my review, but all opinions are 100% mine.

Bubbling to the Surface

I feel like I am starting to bubble to the surface after a CRAZY 6 weeks (maybe.) ((sort of.))

We went on vacation and BAM real life smacked us in the face when we got back.  Plus 2 more weekends out of town for super fun stuff.  And now we have all of Miss G’s activities beginning.  She has soccer 3 days, dance 1 day, and of course preschool 4 days a week! 

I am up to my eyeballs in laundry that needs folded.  Little girl’s closets that need organized for the next season. House projects that need finished and/or started.  Fall cleaning and organizing that desperately needs to take place before All Of The Things overtake our house. 

And, naturally, we have the  next 3 weekends packed FULL of things that we need and/or want to do – including the 1st birthday of my niece(!!).  I mean 2-3 things are on the calendar for each Saturday AND Sunday.  I have no idea why I do this to myself…but as we all know, I clearly enjoy chaos. 

I am officially scheduling the first weekend in October as a “stay home” weekend.  I absolutely cannot let myself make plans so I can get caught up and catch my breath.

I need to do some SERIOUS update posts on each girl – there is so much to say about each of them right now!  And a post about road-tripping with kids.  And about Mike’s birthday surprise weekend.  And a few other things that have been rolling around my head lately (choosing a Kindergarten for G, body image issues, 10k training, to name a few).

But! most importantly, I lost my ENTIRE google reader feed.  I thought I switched it to feedly – but I must have screwed something up.  So! I have to start over. 

What is a good mobile & web-based feed reader? I know I asked this before but I forget the answer.  And!! What is your blog URL so I can add it back and hopefully get back to reading what’s new in your lives (I feel like I am missing a lot of friends!)

Friday Randoms

• Why don't people comment on blog posts? I can see how many page views I get and how little comments I get... I know when I actually take the time to (finally) read I try to comment too.  Hmmmm...
• Speaking of reading - I switched to Feedly and I'm not 100% convinced I love it. Although, I haven't tried the mobile app yet.  Anyone have a new reader they love that you can read online and through a mobile device? Bonus it it lets you get to the content easily so you can leave comments!
• There was a HUGE storm here the other day. And I left my windows down in my car. Because, well, I am a genius obviously.  My car seats are still drying out....
• We are part of a crop share and I LOVE it.  We split it with my sister's family and it is seriously enough food for both of us (and we use everything between the two of us so I don't feel like we are wasting much, if anything). 
• I plan to make some baby food with some of our produce.  Which means I should actually you know, make the food and freeze it for when she's ready for it.
• Related to that - we have tried three times now to start Aleesia on solids because she watches us eat and seems to be interested in the process.  Except when you actually try to feed her - she cries, pushes the spoon away, spits the food out, etc. At first I thought maybe she just doesn't like the cereal, but she was having no part of the bananas we tried last night.  I'm TOTALLY okay with this (feeding a baby is a lot of work!) just surprised! We'll try again after her half birthday in a few weeks.
• How in the WORLD is she going to be 6 months old soon? Sheesh.
• I need to prepare a teaching demo for Tuesday. And I haven't started it yet... I have no idea why I am slacking on this.
• Also slacking on doing anymore research on the PhD program I found.  Have I asked if anyone has experience with Capella University? If you do - can you comment/email me so I can pick your brain?
• Work has been going well and that makes me happy.  Little stress, many opportunities coming up - just the way I like it!
• I have been working out pretty consistently.  I finished the 30 day shred (and saw real results) and am starting the couch 2 5k program (if it ever freaking quits raining here) with some interval workouts on the "off" days.  If I can aim to workout 4 days a week, I think that will fit into my schedule well and won't stress me out too much.  I have a lot more to say on this topic soon! (I hope?!)
• I have been talking to my sister about my niece's first birthday. Again - how in the WORLD can her first birthday be approaching? Nuts!
• What's new with you - anything fun happening?

Sunday Night: catching up

I feel like I just need to catch up. With a lot of things, not the least of which is blogging and reading blogs (I am embarrassed at how long it has been since my google reader has been open)

In the spirit of catching up – bullet points:

• When I was sorting baby clothes before Aleesia was born I donated a LOT of (seriously cute) summer clothes in 0-3m size.  My baby was due the end of January – no way would she be in that size by summer! HA! My four month old is barely 10 pounds.  Ya, we could use those clothes now….
• But! It was a reason to get her some really cute stuff for summer.  Although she could use more.
• Breastfeeding/pumping is still a tricky situation.  We are working through it and supplementing consistently.  Which is okay. 
• I need to not let other people get in my head about what/how much/when she eats.  I get frustrated because I really have no control over things all week since I am at work, but Mike has things under control, I think.  She is obviously unsatisfied at the breast 98% of the time – so that is frustrating, but again, we are working through it as best we can.
• There is more I want to say on this topic, but I find myself really sensitive to what other people say, even when  I don’t want or mean to be.
• I started the 30 day shred this past week.  I NEED to workout because it makes me feel good.  I also took “before” pictures.  I like to torture myself. But I hope to see some change once it’s all over.  I am already planning on attempting to do insanity once it’s over.
• I also NEED to workout because we are going to the beach in 2 months.  I would like to get a handle on this fluff by then.
• That beach vacation can’t come soon enough.  We are going with 2 other families and it is going to be so much fun!
• Gianna had her dance recital last week.  It was freaking adorable. But OMGAH dance is such serious business.  So many extra rehearsals and practices and rules.  But the recital was really nice and Gianna hammed it up big time.  who cares if she didn’t really do her routines?
• She did two routines (one ballet, one tap) and we didn’t get home until  9 from the (closed!) dress rehearsal and after 10 from the recital.  But it was worth it – she hammed it up.  And we brought one of her BFF’s with us to watch her, so it was fun!
• After her dress rehearsal she told me that Jack’s sister was “the most prettiest ballerina ever” because she wore a really pretty pink outfit and she had her hair in a bun.  She hasn’t stopped talking about her ever since.  She has also said many times that she can’t wait to dance like the big kids and that Aleesia can be in the little kids class when she is “growned bigger”.
• I say it all the time, but watching life evolve through her eyes is truly such an amazing thing. 
• It seems I can’t really keep up with life too well these days.  I had to actually put a reminder in my phone to pay bills.  And to put the bills in the mail box (yes, I mail 2 things a month! I live under a rock, obvi).
• In an effort not to look like a dead tired mess lately I have started to try really hard to take better care of my skin and I hope to get a new haircut soon-ish.  I just always get the same style and am pretty lazy in the mornings, which is the biggest dilemma in achieving cute hair.
• Also – I am in that post-partum hair loss phase.  And my hair is suddenly wavy-ish. 
• Do you ever wonder if everyone’s life is as over-scheduled as yours? Or is that just me?
• How long has it been since you’ve been on a date with your husband? Do you go on regular dates? 
• Another crazy week on deck for us – how about you?

Healthy Choices #FrozenFacts #Spon

This whole no dairy/no soy diet, or the jailbird diet as our pediatrician referred to it, is tricky but not totally impossible.  And, thankfully, it is forcing me to eat healthy which is really a pretty great side effect. 

The only thing is, that it cuts out the majority of “convenience” foods (blue box mac & cheese, for one!) but it doesn’t TOTALLY limit my options. ConAgra Foods, makers of Healthy Choice and Marie Callender’s foods, provide GREAT options, as I have come to find out.  I didn’t realize that these brands, specifically, use fresh vegetables and meat in their preparations – I was always under the impression that all frozen foods were highly processed.  Since most of what I eat right now is “clean” it’s great to know that there are still “convenience” options available!

 

(yay top chef!)

In fact, my lunch was ready today in 4 minutes.  How’s that for convenience?

I have also never been a huge fan of prepared/packaged frozen meals because I just assumed they were going to taste terrible.  Not true!  The Healthy Choice meal I had for lunch today was seriously SO GOOD.  I could really taste the freshness and I can’t tell you how happy I was about this.

Also, it was really easy to prepare – the directions were simple – and the packaging was sturdy that I wasn’t worried that my food was going to fall on the floor the minute I took the thing out of the microwave!

I mentioned that eating healthier is something that has happened by default with my “forced” diet change – but something that is really nice about the Healthy Choice meal is that it is one serving.  No worries about portion size or wasting food – and I was truly full when I was finished.  We all know portion control is a huge key to weight loss and healthy eating, so it’s nice that not only are the ingredients fresh, the food is tasty but the portion sizes are perfect.  Healthy Choice and Marie Callender’s have more than 80 meal options under 400 calories!

A little background on the video below from ConAngra:

Healthy Choice and Marie Callender’s created a video that follows two women on the adventures of their daily lives, imagining how new technologies will impact their routines, especially in the grocery store. From apps that store your grocery list to recipe research on Pinterest, the landscape of shopping is quickly changing. With various resources available to consumers, they are now, more than ever, interested in learning where their food is coming from.

And just in time for National Frozen Food Month (March), these brands are helping shoppers to predict the future of shopping for frozen food!

 

I am absolutely going to add Healthy Choice meals in to my work lunch and quick-dinner rotation!

ConAgra Foods frozen meals give families access to real ingredients like crunchy, freshly cut vegetables, homemade pasta and ripe fruit year-round. Just like most people blanch veggies before freezing them – ConAgra Foods does too – to help preserve color, texture and keep them fresh!

Give it a try sometime! Marie Callender’s hearty pot pies are filled with tender meat, freshly cut vegetables and Marie’s authentic golden, flaky crust. And Healthy Choice recipes use chef-inspired ingredients like, apples instead of sugar for tart sweetness and a splash of red wine for a punch of flavor instead of added salt.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of ConAgra Foods.

Tubby Time {Mommy’s Bliss Sweet Slumber line Review}

I am a huge fan of bath time – for myself as well as my kids.  I just really enjoy that time with them in the tub – goofing off and whatnot.  Maybe it’s because when I am working, that is some of the only quality one on one time we get during the week.  Maybe because I like bath toys and goofing off with them.
I also LOVE the post bath fresh baby smell.  I am always looking for new bath products so I happily reviewed the Mommy’s Bliss Sweet Slumber line.  The line includes a 3-in-1 Baby Wash, a nightly Massage Cream and a calming bedroom mist.  Each product contains essential oils that are associated with relaxation and sleep (including English Lavender Oil, German Chamomile Extract and Ylang Ylang flower oil among other botanical ingredients) and anything associated with better sleep gets bonus points in my book.
Once we could give Aleesia a real bath – I tried them out.
The 3-in-1 Baby Wash has a really nice, gentle smell (I’m not a fan of anything with a big fragrant presence), lathered well and I felt like it got her nice and clean. It’s tear free (obviously) and didn’t irritate Aleesia’s skin at all. Gianna even used it as a body wash without an issue.

 (not really sure baths are fun yet)

After her bath, we used the Massage Cream.  Again, the fragrance wasn’t too strong and the lotion appeared to be moisturizing.  Aleesia has the usual dry newborn skin and this worked pretty well for that.

 (was not a fan of the after-bath coldness)

I did spray the bedroom mist near where she sleeps in our room – but I can’t say I was a huge fan of that.  This could have to do with the fact that, especially at night, I am hyper aware of smell!  I would try it again though, it certainly didn’t hurt anything.
As far as the “slumber” part of this product. The first night I used it, Aleesia slept 5 hours in a row for the first time ever.  So, I vote that it really does have a calming effect.  At least it did that night.
We have used the products for a week (and my sister even used them when she gave my niece a bath the other night!) and I still like them and will continue to use them.  They are gentle on the skin, and like I said, the fragrance is pleasant without being overwhelming.  All of the products are hypoallergenic (also gluten, soy, alcohol, sulfate phthalates and paraben free) and the whole line is 100% vegetarian and vegan with  100% recycled packaging. 
All of the products can be found at Walgreens.  The 11.5 fl oz body wash retails for $7.99, 8.25 fl oz massage cream for $6.99, and 3.25 fl oz Slumber Mist for $5.99.

*I was given a sample of the Mommy’s Bliss Sweet Slumber line to review.  All opinions are 100% mine.  All pictures are mine as well.

Saturday Randoms

• I intended to do a little photo dump, but I am having technical difficulties. so randomness it is.
• I take a lot of pictures with my phone. Almost 2,000 since I got my phone last October, in fact. I also like to take pictures of G while she sleeps, apparently.  I can’t resist the innocence of those long eyelashes.

• Do you delete the pictures from your phone once you upload them? I feel like I don’t NEED all of these on here for ever and ever, but can’t bring myself to delete them either. 
• Mike is working all day. My plans changed about 29472x today, so right now we are home and G is playing nicely in her playroom after we had a fun morning hanging out, doing laundry, a little lunch, etc. A perfectly normal way to spend a Saturday yet something that we get to do only once or twice every year.
• That is not an exaggeration.  The last time we had NO plans at all for the whole day, well, I have no idea when that was.
• And it’s a good thing because the house has been neglected and with all the holiday things, and other things, going on the next 20482 weeks, we probably won’t have another one of these days for a very long time.
• Also a good thing to have no real plans today because it was a long week and my big old pregnant self is glad to stay in sweats all day.
• I am 31 weeks and 3 days (I think) pregnant and 2 things are official: 1) this little girl is JUST like her sister in utero –highly active. this only makes me slightly nervous for how things will be on the outside. 2) my maternity clothes are shrinking. Or, I am growing out of them. I am measuring exactly on schedule, yet the belly is huge and the hips are preparing themselves for birth leaving me with exactly 3 pairs of pants I can wear to work and a handful of shirts.  And I am too cheap to buy more. Except I have been debating getting a pair of maternity leggings….
• The cord on my computer charger is on its last leg. which is no good since the actual computer battery doesn’t hold a charge at all. must fix this sometime.
• I find all of the pictures of all of the elves highly annoying.  We have an elf, I do take her picture almost every day (am going to put them together in a little book for G, I think. or at least that’s my plan) but does anyone else really give a shit what is going on with her besides G? I didn’t think so….
• Who else is rocking out the Christmas shopping? I am 99% done with G (I can’t say 100% because her stocking isn’t finished and chances are, I’ll buy her something else she really doesn’t need in the next 24 days), and about 70% done with everyone else on our list.
• I realized that we have gone from the only one of our really close friends to have a baby to having 1 of TEN kids! I found some really fun stuff for the little people in our lives, though so I am excited about that!
• I also may or may not have a Christmas excel spreadsheet. Because listen – I can not remember anything and I know I would forget someone otherwise. (& this reminds me I need to update it….)
• Christmas cards are on this weekends agenda also – we didn’t do any specific pictures (maternity pictures aren’t until next month) and that is making it really hard for me to come up with what to use on our cards.  I realize I am WAY over thinking this. 
• Last weekend I got the playroom and that catch all closet organized and cleaned out. It took me 2 days to recover from all that work! (also, separate project post to come, I finally figured out what to do with all that craft stuff!)
• This weekend, I am attempting to tackle our bedroom and office area. Although, it makes me nervous just looking at it! I made a small dent already but I am probably the only person who can tell!
• and that is enough randomness for today. happy Saturday!

Social Media Etiquette-ish

Is probably  not even something that really exists, but humor me because I am a fanatic about doing things “the right” way. Like, if you send me an invitation to a party the week before the party, I’m probably not going because – ADVANCE NOTICE?  If you invite me to a big event (you know like a bridal shower or something) via facebook – I am for sure not going because – well, just because that feels tacky to me.  I send thank you notes out pretty religiously (except I forgot after G’s birthday, still feeling a little guilty on that one) and well, you get the point. I like etiquette, and order, it makes me feel better.

And, back to the topic at hand.

Is there such a thing as social media etiquette? Because it’s very likely that I am just making up all of this nonsense in my head in an attempt not to feel like a huge attention whore.

For example – I have a really cute Disney post that I want to pin because I think it is that good. But should I? Should you pin you own brilliance? I have done it before but it just felt odd!

Another example – do you tweet/FB promote your posts outside of a networking site (i.e. networkedblogs)? I always feel like I shouldn’t be doing this unless it’s a giveaway or something like that.  Mostly because I don’t want people to be annoyed. Again, I have done it, but mostly when it’s something special that I know some people won’t see otherwise.

do you retweet yourself? is that weird or normal?  I always see tweets from people that are retro-posts, which is kind of cool. But I have no idea how to do that!

Do you comment on every post you read? Or just some of them? I always feel guilty not commenting when I am reading someone's blog so I typically will comment (hence the ridiculousness that is my google reader right now) unless by some chance I have NOTHING to say.  I know there are more than a few people reading over here, but my comments are usually crappy. Say hi people – I like to know who you are.

One thing I can’t get on board with is liking your own facebook posts – because, you posted it so of course you like it – no?

So, I ask you wise internets, is there such a thing as social media etiquette or am I just being paranoid and nobody but me pays that close of attention to what is posted where?

Bullet Points, FTW

• How is it possible to be so exhausted from attending conferences? I don’t know but OMG it IS!
• Also traveling and having crazy early/late flights doesn’t really help the exhausted cause.
• But both things I attended last week were really educational and a little (or a lot!) bit fun.
• It’s pretty crappy to be away from your family for a week but technology rocks. FaceTime is pretty cool, in case you were wondering.
• Also – I am pretttty sure Gianna aged at least 6 months while I was gone – she just seemed so much older to me when I saw her Sunday.
• Work is nutso, it’s busy and has totally turned me off from wanting to even touch my computer in the evenings.  Which can be an issue since I often have OTHER work to do when I get home.
• Which in turn has pretty much taken away all of my blogging, blog reading, picture editing, and all other previously-held desire to look at the internet.
• I’m in major planning mode for my sister’s baby shower – things are coming along well and it’s going to be SO CUTE!
• I’m also heading into major planning mode for our Disney trip – I’m going to make a “countdown to the princesses” calendar with some fun things to do/open/etc. along the way.  Should be pretty fun and hopefully build the excitement for Miss G.
• Speaking of Miss G – she is going camping with my parent’s this weekend and is SO EXCITED! I know they will all have a great time.
• I’m totally addicted to House Hunters, you guys. It’s ridiculous!
• Fill me in on what’s happening – I have the best intentions to fight through my Google reader soon!
• OHH! and a huge shout out to Suzy for the awesome new blog design – I love it a lot! AND 100% of the proceeds from her blog design & Etsy shop (she makes awesome bracelets!) go toward their adoption fund. 

Sunday Random Ramblings

• I haven’t participated in ICLW in awhile, but HI! to my new friends who are visiting from there!
• Check out the about me section for the readers digest version of my life, and ask away if you want to know anything.  You can follow me on Twitter and Facebook too if you just can’t get enough here!
• This weekend I was in Columbus for the Premier Designs rally, this was my 3rd one since becoming a jeweler last year and it was just as great as all the others.  It was made even better because over 1/2 of my “team” of jewelers came with me – we had a really great time and I think they are all inspired to work their businesses to the best of their ability.
• And the new jewelry is pretty fabulous, I can’t wait until mine arrives!
• I’ve had a cold all week/weekend, I am worthless when I’m sick.
• Gianna has been talking since she woke up this morning. I mean that literally, I don’t think she has been silent longer than to take a drink here and there.  It’s awesome to hear her talk and see her imagination at work. But also slightly exhausting.
• I need my eyebrows waxed and my toes done. In a really bad way.
• We signed her up for preschool (for September). Holy shit. How is she old enough for that?
• So I decided to check on my traffic sources stats today – I am a little disturbed.  I got 45 hits from “potty poop 2011” and 9/10 of the keyword searches that landed people here had to do with the potty, pooping or peeing. What the heck? My kid is not even potty trained, this could possibly be a sign that she SHOULD be, but I still find it to be weird that of all the things I talk about on my blog – THIS is what has landed people here…..
• Our appt with the RE and Mike’s SA are both Tuesday. I filled out the paperwork and am officially freaked out about the insurance situation, but I am trying not to worry about that until someone gives me a reason to.
• Stay tuned this week for a pretty hilarious She Said post. Gianna is full of the hilarious lately.
• Happy lazy Sunday!

Friday Night Leftovers: The end of 2011 Edition

• As usual, I am late on the leftovers and thankful Danifred is such a forgiving host.
• It has been a pretty great week to end 2011 – I only worked 2 days, got to see a lot of my favorite friends, celebrated the 1st birthday of one amazing girl, and celebrated the 30th birthday of a great friend.
• I got to spend lots of time with G too, which I so desperately needed.
• And one on one time with my husband, again, desperately needed.
• Mike got a Kinect for christmas, that Just Dance game is NO JOKE! It is pretty fun too.  Gianna thinks it’s awesome, too.  We might just have to buy it!
• I will be celebrating the end of 2011 with my favorite blue eyed cutie while Mike is working – hopefully I stay awake until the ball drops!
• Our house is de-christmas-afied. And I feel so much better. 
• Now to tackle the rest of the clutter. I got the bathroom closet under control so far, baby steps, right?
• Someone asked how you would describe 2011 in one word – for me, it’s rebuilding.  A lot of things were finished/started this year. How about you?
• What is one goal you have for 2012?  I have a few, but the biggest one is to stick to our budget so we can save/pay off a few things faster.  I’m thinking Dave Ramsey style.  What is one goal you have for this year?
• I also want to be better at blogging – I have been sucking at balancing being a wife/mom/full time employee/small business owner/friend etc.  so I guess I hope to get that balance figured out, finally.
• Overall, 2011 hasn’t been as crappy for me as it has been for a lot of my friends, but has had it’s moments, for sure.  Here’s to a 2012 filled with growth, happiness, love and laughs for everyone.

More Cawfee Talk

More fun from Rebecca (and an easy way to get some blogging done!)

1.  How was your week?

Every week for the past too many weeks has been busy. this week I got to have dinner with friends and socialize, so that was really nice.

2.  What was the one thing you wanted to get done this weekend? 

this past weekend?! Not one clue.

3.  Did you get it done?

see above.

4.  What is one popular holiday "tradition" that you will just never understand?

there are so many….but I had never heard of “st nick” day or whatever it is until this year. I was like, why is everyone talking about shoes…

5.  Is there a gift that you bought for someone this Christmas that you're totally nervous about?

nah, not really. there are several I am really excited about though!

6.  Are you going to be able to attend church services this year?

We are not.  I didn’t know church was going to be on friday night, and we have plans already.

7.  What are you wearing right now?  If you house burned down and you had to run outside, do you look acceptable enough to be interviewed by the local news??

cut-off sweat pants, tshirt and a hoodie.  I would be okay, but I would be cold!

and, since I am a slacker – more!

1. What is your favorite holiday television special?

ELF!

1. When you buy new underwear, do you wash it first?

I don’t. gross? Maybe, but whatever.

If you could live anywhere for 6 months, where would it be?

Venice. For sure.

What is your least favorite meal of the day and why?

Dinner because it is ALWAYS a fight with the little ruler of the house. And frustrating. And just generally unenjoyable.

Do you think that people who wear fingerless gloves look homeless?

I wear them. Function over fashion, maybe?

Are you a texter?  Or a talker?

Generally, a texter these days. But sometimes you just need to talk it out.

Have you been naughty?  Or nice

Only time will tell!

*please note, 2 posts in one NIGHT! It’s a christmas miracle!

**please also note: if I kept up on blog reading, I would have put these 2 posts together in one. Am a huge slacker. But am also caught up on blogs, even if I didn’t comment on them all like usual.

Cawfee Talk II– better late than never

I played along the first time Rebecca did Cawfee Talk, and now here I am again.  A month (almost) after the original post, but better late than never.

1.  What word in the English language just drives you nuts?

Moist. And Preggers. And Prego (when not referring to the pasta sauce). And panties. And there are a lot more, but I will stop there.

2.  Tell me about your favorite holiday decoration.

I am not sure I have a favorite, really.  I like them all because they are bright colors!

3.  Snow globes...love them?  Or hate them?

Tell me the point of a snow globe other than a ridiculously priced paper weight. I’m not at all in to tchackies or however you spell that.

4.  How was your Thanksgiving?

It was really good! (and see, told you, very far behind!)

5.  Do you feel that people leave enough time to socialize these days?

NO! I was just thinking about this on my way home from work – working full time really puts a damper on my social life and it is sad.

6.  If you could have one food every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Pasta.

7.  What are the three words you'd use right now to describe your husband?

Stressed. Cute. Loving.

Cawfee Talk

My buddy Rebecca always knows how to make me laugh. And when I am running out of ideas/have ridiculous writers block/am feeling lazy – she has some great ideas for me to blabber on and on about.

Here are the questions:

1.How did you meet your husband?

2.  What is the one thing in this world that calms you down instantly?

3.  What makes you feel more "put together?"  A manicure?  Pedicure?  Great outfit?

4.  If there was one thing you could have for Christmas, what would it be?

5.  Do you wear contacts or glasses?  Would you get Lasik if you could?

6.  If you wake up in the middle of the night, do you lay in your bed trying to go back to sleep?  Or do you get up and try to accomplish something?

7.  What is the most annoying thing in your house that you would totally get rid of if you wouldn't get caught?

And here are my answers:

1.How did you meet your husband? I met him when I was in high school.  My sister was dating (I don’t even know if you can call it that..) his friend. they came over and he threw a pillow at my head. no really, he did. then he came over again and kissed me on my birthday. And here we are, 11 years later.

2.  What is the one thing in this world that calms you down instantly? the beach. But on a regular day? Quiet. Literally sitting on my couch or in my bed with no other sounds. Or standing in the shower so it just SEEMS like it is quiet.

3.  What makes you feel more "put together?"  A manicure?  Pedicure?  Great outfit? Shoes.  The shoes make the outfit people.  Lately though, I have really enjoyed having my nails painted..

4.  If there was one thing you could have for Christmas, what would it be? I don’t want anything that can be bought – bet you can’t guess the one thing that I would do pretty much anything to have. But if someone really wants to drop a huge chunk of cash on me, I want a new camera lens and a 360 flash.

5.  Do you wear contacts or glasses?  Would you get Lasik if you could? I have worn glasses since I was 3. I will never get Lasik because LASER on my EYE does not sound like a risk I want to take.  Besides, I honestly don’t even notice my glasses anymore, Gianna HATES when I don’t wear them! (which, is only when I am sleeping or bathing because I can’t see!)

6.  If you wake up in the middle of the night, do you lay in your bed trying to go back to sleep?  Or do you get up and try to accomplish something? I lay there thinking I should get up and accomplish something. But I never actually do it.

7.  What is the most annoying thing in your house that you would totally get rid of if you wouldn't get caught? Hmmmmm a ton of toys…. I can’t think of much else – we don’t have a lot of things in our house that I didn’t pick out!

Play along*, Sunday morning is the perfect time for chatting over cawfee, no?

i.e. let me know that you played or just leave a super long comment…or I may never discover your most annoying possession.

Q&A–Are You Listening style

The first attempt at a Q & A brought to you by  my lack of ability to think on most days.

Rebecca wants to know:

do you think you can do the Disney thing once? Or more than once? What is the perfect age for that?

More than once, FOR SURE!  We took Gianna at two and it was beyond magical.  Seriously, Mike and I have been to Disney several times, but seeing it through your kids’ eyes? NOTHING BETTER.

We are already tentatively planning to head back, probably  in 2013 – G will be 4 and I am sure she will still love it just as much – and will be able to ride more rides!

If you are only going to go once, ever, I would have to say somewhere between 4 and 6 would probably be the best time.  They can walk, require less baggage, are more flexible to stay up late and go with the flow of the hustle and bustle of the parks but still young enough to BELIEVE in what they are seeing.  They will see the magic, and so will you as parents. 

My biggest advice though, is take your time – ESPECIALLY if you are only going once ever.  Make it a 7-10 day trip so you can enjoy the parks at your leisure and not feel like you are overwhelmed by all there is to see and do.  And stay on property, that is something we did for the first time and honestly – there was hardly any price difference compared to close, off property hotels and the convenience was priceless.

Farah wants to know:

how do you like the new job

I like it!  It is not ideal, or anything like that, but it is a good place to be right now.  The company is fabulous, the benefit are great, my boss is wonderful, my coworkers are only slightly irritating and there is plenty of room for growth within the company.  My actual job, is boring and not at all challenging, but I am good at it and hope that will help to propel me upwards in the company (they do a lot of internal promotion, which is fab).  The adjustment period is over, for the most part.  Some days are still exceptionally hard to leave the girl behind, Mike is doing a pretty good job being home with her – so I know she is good hands!  It’s pretty cool to come home and find out daddy made crafts! And dinner!

Alison wants to know:

how many states have you visited

• Pennsylvania
• Michigan
• New York
• California
• North Carolina
• South Carolina
• Maryland
• Florida
• Texas
• Illinois

I believe that is all, there is so much more I want to see!!

 

What else do you want to know? Ask away, serious, silly, whatever you want!

IOU

I have so many things that run through mind at, oh say 11pm, that I want to blog about. Or in the car on my way to/from work. Or in the shower. Or any other inopportune time when I have no access to the computer.

And then, when I finally feel like I can sit down at the computer – my brain goes blank and all those AWESOME blog topics? Well. They are out to lunch, apparently.

So here is a list of things I am working on to keep myself on track and for some accountability.

• Some pictures of an itty bitty baby and her big brother
• Fall fashion (ideas, tips, etc)
• A really fun review/giveaway
• Travel tips (as in, I need some)
• Packing HELP! (as in, HELP! Seriously.)
• More “she said” posts – the wee one has been quite hilarious lately
• The schedule battle
• Holy Crap I Am Starting to Think About Christmas
• Big girl room = many more house projects than appears on the surface

There it is. Things I owe you. And, you know, some pictures and stuff to go along with all of that fun!

Picking your brain

I need some advice on a few things from my favorite internet comrades.

First topic: Blog

I mostly blog for myself, but sometimes I feel like I should blog about SOMETHING. With a little bit of myself thrown in there. Thoughts on that? Do you prefer reading about peoples everyday nonsense? Seeing pictures? Knowing that if you read blog ABC it will actually be about a THING in most cases? I can’t decide. 

I know what annoys me when reading blogs (too many pictures, too many MYBABYISSOCUTEANDSMARTERTHANYOUTOO posts, colored fonts, constant reviews of stuff I can’t win etc) and I know what I like (pictures that go with words sometimes, updates & actual thoughts)

But what about you? What is most annoying? What is most enjoyed?

Second topic: Shoes

We are going on a big vacation in October that will involve lots of walking. I need to get new shoes, that are NOT tennis shoes. I have narrowish feet with small bunions. Recommendations? I normally don’t wear socks, so shoes that look cute without socks and can be worn with jeans or skirts/dresses would be STELLAR!

Third topic: 3 row vehicles

One of the blessings that will come along with my new job is the ability to purchase a new (okay, new to us because we are so NOT buying new) car sooner than we expected. I would ideally like a vehicle with 3 rows – and am opening my narrow little mind to the idea of a van (I can’t believe I just typed that). I DESPISE car shopping, know NOTHING on the topic and need LOTS of hand holding and real life recommendations. So give it to me straight.  Also since I am planning WAY ahead with this purchase, if you have a vehicle with only 2 rows that fits more than 2 car seats COMFORTABLY I would love to hear about it. (greater than 25mpg would be a huge bonus!)

and since I am totally needy right now –

Fourth topic: Lunch

I need some good ideas for work lunches. If it doesn’t involve mayonnaise or a salad that is any thing other than lettuce or pasta based, I will probably like it! Also good ideas of breakfast on the go? My commute is about 40 minutes, and while I am not a “breakfast” person, it would be good to be able to eat something on my way.

I know I can count on you, friends – don’t let me down!