a beautiful reminder

Being a full-time stay at home mama is hard. Some days are longer than others, and while I absolutely LOVE my job, it can get the best of me. After all, I'm only human. I recently stopped working at the salon (I had been working two days a week since M was born) so I'm at home full time now. I no longer get that "break" of going into work, chatting with my clients and co-workers, ya know...having adult conversation. Something I used to take advantage of.

Some days I find myself counting down the minutes until naptime, or bedtime. Just to get a moment to myself. Then I remember that M won't be this age forever, sooner than later he is going to grow older and I really need to savor these moments with him now. He will only be this age once, and I need to be in the here and now. I look around and already can't believe how a year and a half has gone by. The rest will follow in the same fashion, I'm guessing.

I found this poem that really hit home with me:



Savor these moments while baby is young
Stop wishing to call time your own
Time has a habit of racing away
And time will soon leave you all alone
Play hide and seek when he wants you to play
Put your old book on the shelf
Give him these moments that belong to his day
Love him that bit more than yourself
Take him up on your knee
And tell him some tales
of Pixies and bunnies at play
For when baby is older
And he thinks of his Mom
He'll surely remember this day
So savor these moments while baby is young
For baby will soon be a man
And these are the years when the best songs are sung
So sing them right now if you can

Kate Monahan
April 1989

Christmas 2011

Our Christmas was pretty swell. The day started out in the best possible way, M slept in until 8! Usually he is up between 5-6 every morning so this was a real treat. Merry Christmas to us!

He was pretty excited about the thomas wrapping paper (this kid is OBSESSED with thomas) and he just kept ohhing and awwing while pointing to the presents. So stinking cute. We opened presents, ate breakfast, and took a nice long nap before heading out to my mom's and then the in laws.

Our families are so so good to us, and we all got spoiled in the best possible way. The day was filled with so much love, and M is a pretty lucky kid to be surrounded by all of it.

Even though at the end of the day I was beyond exhausted, it was definitely the best christmas ever. I have a feeling every year will just keep getting better and better.

That was then, this is now

Just as I suspected, M was not too keen on the big fella this year. I had been hyping up santa to him for weeks, reading lots of books, putting a santa hat on and saying "hohoho" in a slightly creepy way but one which made him burst into hysterical bouts of laughter. He even started saying "whowhowho". I thought we might be okay.

Then I remembered that my kid can be painfully shy most of the time, and sitting in some stranger's lap? Well in the back of my mind I was prepared for a meltdown.

Thankfully there was no line and santa was a pretty okay guy. I liked him better than the one last year, who didn't so much as mutter a word (I know my kid can't talk, but really?) and who also looked high and/or drunk. M was all smiles when I stood up there holding him, but as soon as I placed him on santa's lap and walked away....full meltdown.

Does it make me a horrible parent that I keep looking at this photo and cracking up? This is the kind of photo you pull out years from now to embarrass them in front of their first girlfriend, am I right?

I think it's time...

to give my kid a haircut. I'm so nervous about it that I've been putting it off forever. Eeeeek!

growing belly

 

This was taken a month ago. And this was from last week:

Big Fish

One of my favorite movies.

Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson - Winter Song

I think this is the most lovely song. I remember listening to it a lot in the winter of 2008, right after my grandmom passed. Enjoy!

teeny tiny squishy little M

I came across these pictures that I had forgotten all about. I had enlisted the help of my sister in law to take some pictures of a then squishy little M and myself as part of a photo project for my husband's birthday gift. I think he was almost two months old. These pictures are so special to me. It also gave me the motivation to color my hair back to red, something I've been wanting to do for awhile now but the truth is I work in a hair salon and hate getting my hair done. Maybe one of these days I'll find the time.

pinterest obsessed

The amazingness that is pinterest is no secret. It's such a time sucker! I will have so much to do and then find myself on there pinning everything and before I know it an hour has gone by. There are so many great diy ideas that my head spins. I have a million different projects planned, now if only I could get off there for a minute so I can actually accomplish them.
Here are a few of my favorites lately:

 

 

 

tree skirt DIY

silhouette ornament

DIY magnet board

diy bubblegum machine

Christmas trees

 

 

 

 

paint the inside of vases

it's true what they say...

White people really can't dance. Just kidding. This is crazy M "dancing", or more accurately described as spinning in circles until he gets dizzy. It's his favorite thing to do whenever the song from barney comes on, and just recently he has started to do it anytime this guitar plays beats. 

Tips on staying organized

If you are like me, it seems as though there are never enough hours in the day. I constantly struggle with this. I always have a million things on my to-do list, so many projects floating around in my head, and I often times I feel as though I can't keep up with the housework. It makes me feel defeated, overwhelmed, and just plain stressed. When I find myself like this it's as though I'm living in chaos and that makes me crazy.

Something I've learned to do lately to feel in control is to write everything in a planner. I start my weeks on Sunday. First and foremost I've been meal planning which saves me money, and leaves the guesswork out of what will be for dinner each night. I'll usually look up recipes online (pinterest, pinterest, pinterest!) and then make a list of what is for dinner each night. From there I do a little inventory of my cupboards to see what I already have, and what I can utilize or even substitute in the recipes I've chosen for this week. Then I make out my grocery list, and write everything down for each day.

I also have taken more of an organized approach to paying bills. Taken from this, which I found on pinterest, I've started writing when bills are due each month on the printed calender, and every Sunday I sit down and write them out. I realize a lot of people probably already do this, I can't really believe I've gone so long without a system like this. I would always have bills scattered all over the table, and even though they have always been paid on time, this is a much better system I think.

The next thing I've been doing is writing out a schdule, per say. I often feel like I'm behind on all of the housework and I feel like I can never catch up. It builds up and I feel stressed and crazy and just not in a good place. I've found that if I stick to getting at least one thing done a day, I can keep on track. So for example, Monday I will focus on cleaning the bathrooms, Tuesday the kitchen, etc. I also write down a list of any projects I need to get done and try to focus on one at at time with those as well. I know this probably makes me crazy OCD, but I feel like it's really helped for me to stay in control.

Do you have any tips or tricks to staying organized? I'd love to hear them!

my whole heart in one picture

This picture is from a few weeks ago. I was taking a bath and came downstairs to this. The most perfect thing my eyes have ever seen. I think this was one of the last time's M had a bottle. Taking that away was harder for me than it was for him I think. He did great with it, he is a pretty easy going kid and adapts quite well to change. But, something about no more bottles...it just makes the fact that he's growing up and is no longer a baby so much more evident. The plan was to take it away shortly after his first birthday...but if I'm going to be honest, I held onto it for as long as I could. I cherished those morning and night bottles, just me and my little guy and lots of snuggles.

last of the fall days

I have been trying to soak up the last of these fall days with my little nugget. I know soon the weather will be much too cold, and this mama will be much too big to get outside to play. 10 more weeks until M's baby brother arrives, and it still seems a little surreal that our family of three will soon be four. If we're being honest here, I'm very nervous about how he's going to take it. Everyone says jealously is normal and he'll be fine but my heart cannot even stand the thought of him feeling jealous, or angry, or hurt, even if for just a fleeting moment. I know I have to get over this and all that we can do is our best to make sure he gets enough attention too but it's going to be hard. I'm still trying to wrap my head around how I'm supposed to give all of my attention to two people now instead of just one. 

some things.

Saw this over on Danielle's blog and thought it looked fun.


Obsessing over: Clothes that don't fit me. I know, this is kind of strange. I'm at the point in this pregnancy where nothing really fits me anymore. I didn't buy a lot of maternity clothes when I was pregnant with M, just a few staples (a few pairs of jeans and a couple of shirts). I refuse to spend a lot of money on something I will only wear for such a short time. M was born in June so I pretty much lived in dresses those last couple of weeks. This time it's more of a challenge and I'm getting pretty bummed that I have to wear the same outfits over and over again.

Working on: Making photo calenders for gifts and some other goodies as well! Oh and I have yet to finish M's scrapbook (I know..the shame!) I'm picking up photos tomorrow and I told myself I must finish it so that I can work on the baby's pregnancy scrapbook, which I haven't even started yet. Funny how different the second time around is! I'm majorly slacking.


Thinking about: What I'm going to eat for a snack. Oh and what time a certain little boy will wake up tomorrow...he was not feeling like himself today, pretty fussy at times and very clingy. Which I didn't mind one bit...but while I was in the shower he fell asleep and that was at 5:30. So I'm wondering what time this mama has to wake up tomorrow....


Anticipating: All of the fun Christmas stuff we have planned over the next few weekends. And getting the tree up! I have this urgent need to decorate.

Listening to: Absolutely nothing! My house is quiet and I'm savoring it.

Drinking: vanilla almond milk. Can't get enough.

Wishing: for a time machine!

We looked like giants

Death cab for cutie will always hold a dear place in my heart. So many memories and feelings attached to this music. Something about the weather lately has made me listen to this album on repeat literally for weeks now. This is one of my favorite songs.

Happy Thanksgiving

It's sad to think that so many of these days pass me by, and I get so caught up in this or that, that I forget to be thankful for this wonderful life. It's so easy to want more, to never really be satisfied with what you have. That is one of my faults and I'm slowly trying to change my mindset. I constantly want more-more clothes, more things for our home, more time, more sleep. This list goes on and on.

I woke up this morning to a little boy yelling "maaaa!" in the next room over. For that I will forever be grateful. Now that M is in our lives, it just gets sweeter and sweeter. As I sat on the couch watching my perfect boy play with his trucks, my heart felt so full. We are so lucky. Lucky to have this life, for our health, and lucky that it is filled with so much love. There are so many people worse off than us, and I need to always remember that.

We may not have it all. We probably won't be able to give M everything he wants, but I promise we'll always provide him with everything he needs. And that list isn't very long- love, support, encouragement, and laughter. I want to teach him that life isn't about what you have or don't have, it's not about wanting more. It's about taking a step back and realizing that you have it all. Much more than I could ever hope for. Our house may be small, it may be a mess more often than not, but these four walls are full of love. And for that, I'm grateful.

The weather this week has been gray and dreary. Perfect for hunkering down at home and making christmas crafts, and maaaaybe eating my weight in chocolate. This weekend we met our friend's four week old baby girl, and it was weird to hold a baby that tiny. I can't even remember M ever being that small. How does time pass us by so quickly? It's such a strange thought to think we are going to do this all over again very soon. Look how tiny my little bub was...

Vintage Christmas Roundup

With Thanksgiving being only a few days away, I am in full Christmas mode over here. I blame it partly on nesting, but I have this strong desire to get my house decorated right.this.second. I can't get enough of vintage Christmas decor. Something about the colors, and the nostalgia that comes along with it. I'm slowly adding to my collection, and here are some things I found over at Etsy.

Vintage Christmas lights. These would look great in a clear jar or bowl. Found here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Putz Houses. I've become a little obsessed with these lately. They are so whimsical and cute. Found here.

 

 

 

 

Pixie elf mistletoe. Found here.

Lighted ceramic tree. Found here.

Saltshakers. Found here.

Play Coffee House!

This is by far the cutest thing I think I have ever seen. A play coffee house! This little girl is one lucky lady for having such a crafty and thoughtful mama - check it out here.

recent pics from my phone

1. insisted on having his truck book with him while he ate. 2. playing outside. 3. feeding the chickens. 4. petting zoo. 5. checking out the goats. 6. bookworm 7. baby in a plastic container 8. laying down with daddy 9. thomas pj's.

DIY: Chalkboard Table

Chalkboard table's are all over the web right now. I can't remember how I first learned about these nifty little things but I've seen a lot of different versions. I've been wanting to do this for awhile now, it's the perfect addition to M's playroom. Although he is still in that phase where he eats everything. (when does that go away??) So in between doodles you can usually find him eating the chalk.

Here is what you need:

IKEA Lack Side Table- (you can use any table really, though I already had this on hand and compared to some of the other "kid" sized tables, you can't beat the price of this at $10!)

Chalkboard Spray Paint- This stuff is AMAZING. Ever since I got it I have been fighting the urge to make everything a chalkboard! It's so easy!

Spray Paint in your choice of color- I used Rustoleum's "Jade".

First sand the table and wipe everything off. Follow directions on spraypaint can. I (well, my amazing hubby) gave it three good coats (I skipped primer even though it's recommended because I didn't have any on hand and I am pretty impatient when it comes to these things.) I'm pretty confident with three coats nothing should chip.

Also not pictured are the chairs I picked up at IKEA to go with the table. I spraypainted them the same color and VOILA! The easiest project ever.

Holiday Craft Ideas!

I'm already in full gear planning ahead on what I'm going to make this year. Usually I wait until the last minute but am feeling pretty proud of myself for getting started this early! I enjoy making things, especially for other people so crafts are always my go-to for holiday gifts. With so many inspirational crafty blogs out there, and my newest obsession pinterest, I've rounded up a few of my favorites that I will be making this year.

Tea Cup Candles

Silhouette Mason Jars

Peppermint Stick Cocoa Recipe

Vintage felt ordaments

Holiday Wreath

Furniture envy

I am in love with this china hutch makeover I found over at designsponge. I love the endless possibilities that you have when it comes to customizing a piece of furniture. There are so many great pieces out there (at the thrift store or craigslist) and with just a little bit of elbow grease you can transform something blah to amazing and completely unique. Seriously though, how amazing are these colors, the patterned paper, the touch of gold paint?! Swoon.

26 weeks

I'm now into my 26th week of pregnancy. Thank goodness for modern technology and babycenter's app that reminds me how many weeks along I am. I feel a little guilty that most times I can't keep track. Still feeling pretty good, but growing a human makes me tired. I never got that "energy" everyone talks about in the second trimester. I can remember feeling like this with M too so I guess it's just my body. I suppose chasing a toddler around doesn't help with that. Here are the roundup of belly photos so far:

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