Blake's "New" Room

Even though we still have a crib up in our house, it's clear that my babies are growing up. I can still remember the day we finished Blake's nursery and I posted a bunch of these pictures on my blog. I was so happy with how it turned out.

I spent MANY hours in that rocking chair and changed many diapers on that changing table. I loved the blue on Blake's walls and the little airplanes flying above. It was the perfect nursery to me...bright and cheery.

But my baby boy is growing up. He still loves his cars, trucks, trains and planes, so I decided to keep most of his theme the same when we moved him into his new room. I am still in love with the gas pump bookshelf my Dad made and I still love the transportation pictures that hang all over his room. I wasn't ready to give all that up. But...it was clear we needed to make a few changes.

For one thing...I was over those blue walls. OVER them. Also, I no longer needed a rocking chair for late night feeding sessions so we moved that out and brought in a play table. I went more neutral with the walls, but added some trim and a strip of blue for some color (and by "I" I mean my Dad and Eric :-).

There is just no way to get a good picture of his new room, but you get the idea. This still doesn't feel like a major room change since Blake is still in his crib (and will remain there until he crawls out or can't fit in it anymore). I think the fun pictures will come down the road when we finally graduate to his big boy bed. Nana is already planning to make a quilt :-)

I have to say, now that the room change has been made, I am SO HAPPY I decided to do this. I love having the kids across from each other and I think they like it too. They have been spending lots of time playing in each other's rooms and when Addie got a little jealous about Blake getting a "new" room, I decided to finally get her the new duvet I have been eyeing up at Pottery Barn Kids FORVER!! I think it really makes her room :-)

Tinkerbell and Rapunzel are digging it too :-)

So...now that I have both kiddies situated and happy in their rooms, it's time to start planning MY ROOM! My office/craft room that is. I have too many ideas floating around but I need to start nailing some things down. This is where the real fun begins :-)

Weekends Should be 3 Days Long

Happy Monday Everyone! Eric and the kids and I are doing our best to recover from our weekend of work and play. It was 80 degrees and sunny here ALL weekend, so we were able to accomplish a lot of things on our to-do list and still have lots of outdoor fun.

In keeping up with his part of my 40 Bags/40 Days challenge, Eric cleaned out the garage. Honestly, I would say he cleared about 5 bags of trash alone in there, plus another 2 bags for Goodwill. AWESOME!!!

We also checked off a huge task on our to-do list for the month. We were able to clean up the yard AND put down fertilizer so that when this weather is actually here to stick around...we will be ready to rock.

You know...as much as I have been loving this weather and the fact that we have been wearing shorts and the kids have been playing in the water table, it does freak me out a bit. I mean, I know 80 degree days can happen in the spring, but...

IT'S FREAKING MARCH!!

I honestly can't ever remember there being an 80 degree day in March, let alone almost a week straight of these temps! I am excited and I love it...but it freaks me out. I am scared for all these flowers, bushes and trees that have been tricked into blooming so soon. I know another frost is inevitable and I just hope they all make it.

Now, in addition to all the work we got done this weekend, we were also able to have a little fun. The kids played outside ALL weekend, we went for ice-cream and sat outside to eat it and of course, we managed to celebrate St. Patty's Day...grown-up style :-)

Our friends Jimmy and Jenny invited us out for dinner and drinks and I have to say...it was much needed. We had the best time!

Even Joe had a great time! Take a good look at that smile...you won't see it in a picture often. If ever. But it just goes to show how happy everyone was to be out having some fun. I may have even had a little toooooo much fun...but that's okay. I've recovered. It just becomes more abundantly clear each time we go out how OLD I am. Haha!

So this, my friends, is why we are all so beat today. We needed another day to recover from the weekend. I'm tired and the kids are SUPER DUPER cranky. Like...Blake may need an exorcism this afternoon. That child's tantrum's this morning have been rough. And a little scary. I keep waiting for his head to rotate around his body.

BUT...it's nothing that a good nap on this rainy day can't fix. Hopefully I will get one too :-)

Dropping the Ball on St. Patty's Day

I hate to admit it friends...but I've really dropped the ball on St. Patrick's Day. It's not that I don't find this holiday tons of fun (because I do)...it's just that it crept up on me! One minute it's February and I have TONS of time to come up with a printable...and then all of a sudden it's TOMORROW!! I don't have any cute crafts for the kids, I don't have a special St. Patty's Day breakfast or dinner planned and I certainly don't have a printable ready.

Whoops!!

Eric and I do, however, have plans to go out with friends tomorrow night and I'm pretty sure there's a box of Lucky Charms in my pantry. I guess that will just have to do this year :-)

But don't worry...I have already started working on my My Memories Suite tutorial and it's all about Easter!! I promise I'll be prepared for the next holiday with lots of cute printables for kids, grandparents, teachers and anyone else you want to spoil on Easter :-)

But in the mean time...I hope everyone has a fabulous St. Patty's Day!!

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Summer in March

I'm sure if Addie's preschool teachers would have known that it was going to be 80 degrees in the middle of March, they wouldn't have picked an indoor Children's Museum as the location. They would have picked something more suiting like the zoo.

But really...you just can't make bubbles like these outside :-)

Or play with a water table this freaking cool.

But what you CAN do when it's 80 degrees in the middle of March is ride around on your scooter in your bathing suit.

And eat dinner outside...

And of course, spend the whole day AFTER your field trip at the zoo watching polar bears swim :-)

And when all that fresh spring air wears you out, you can take nice long car naps.

And go to bed super early so mommy and daddy can enjoy some wine on the patio.

Ahh...don't you just love some Summer before it's even Spring? 

Stop & Smell the Roses Vlog: Part 2

WARNING: If you found me obnoxious on my vlog last week...don't bother watching this week. It's just as bad.

This video was done in one take. At 9:00 in the morning. It is random and unedited (if this was an essay for my class, I'd give it a solid "D" for lack of focus.

But I did it for Mandy over at House of Rose because if I didn't...she would HeyTell and Text stalk me all day :-)

So here it is my friends. Vlog #2. Enjoy!

If you want to be adventurous and try your first blog today, make sure to link up over at Stop and the Smell the Roses :-)

Happy Wednesday everyone!!

A Sleepover, A Quilt Show and Another Birthday

Happy Monday everyone!! Eric and I were in bed at 8:15 last night. Well, with the new time it was 9:15 (so not quite as embarrassing) but we had good reason. We have had a marathon of fun and projects for the last 8 days and this weekend wasn't any different.

For starters, we had to go to Addie's dance studio on Friday evening to buy recital tickets and pick-up costumes. We waited in line for almost TWO HOURS to get our tickets. It was like Black Friday...but less fun. Ha! At least I had Dana in line to keep me company :-)

Then on Saturday, we worked like busy little bees on Blake's new bedroom. My Dad is a rockstar so he helped with the patching and painting of the ceiling, I attacked the walls, and Eric hung new trim and put together a ceiling fan that was apparently so complicated, I heard him drop the F-bomb a few times in there. But the room is done and once I can get to shampooing the carpets, Blake will be ready to move in! I promise to show pics of that when it is finished. SO CUTE!

And then on Saturday night, I held a promise to a little sweetie that has been asking for a sleepover for months now. NO...not Addie. She gets plenty of sleepovers. I am talking about my little Nia :-)

She was SO EXCITED to come over and I think Blake was just as excited to have her :-) Well...until the girls came in to wake him up in the morning.

But he got over it and spent the morning on Nia's lap watching Jake and the Neverland Pirates...

While Daddy (A.K.A. Uncle Eric) cooked them a FABULOUS breakfast.

Happy little customers.

I really can't get over how great the kids did, even with the time change. They slept all night without a peep and woke up happy and ready for more fun!

After we took Nia home, we picked up my Grandma and headed over to my Mom's quilt show!

When I was younger, I used to make fun of my mom (just a little) for being a quilter. Okay...I still make fun of her sometimes but it is ONLY because she is such a good sport :-) Quilting is my Mom's passion and she had to give it up for many years because she was too busy working full time, going back to college for her degree and putting 3 kids through college and apprenticeships. So now that she is finally retired and and able to be a part of her Quilt Guild again (as President no less :-), she is the happiest I have ever seen her. My Mom is so talented and you will see that in all the quilts she has made.

This is my favorite...

And this is one of the quilts she made for me with all of my favorite t-shirts from Junior High, High School and College :-)

Her Guild put on a great show and I was so happy Addie and I were able to be there to support her. NICE WORK MAMA!!! Love you!

And then later that afternoon, it was off to our next March birthday party!!

Audrey's theme was "My Little Pony" and Katie did a great job with the party. The weather was GORGEOUS here so the kids got to play outside the whole time. They only came in for the piñata :-)

And of course all the loot that came out of it :-)

I still can't believe all our first babies are turning 4!!!

Time goes too fast :-)

And speaking of time, since I feel like we have been on turbo speed for the last week, I am hoping to slow down a bit today and catch up around the house. Lots to do before our preschool field trip tomorrow!!! 

Happy Monday everyone! Hope you all had a great weekend!

A Great Swimsuit for the Active Mommy

I realize that choosing a swim suit is a pretty personal thing. One suit can look stunning on one person, and completely hideous on another. We all have different bodies to work with and different assets to accentuate (or hide). That is exactly why I didn't use the word "Perfect" in my title...because this suit may only be perfect to me and the criteria I had for choosing one this year.

But if you share some of that criteria, this may be the suit for you too! Here is what I was looking for:

* Two-piece tankini.
One-piece suits don't fit my long body and I am just not down with rocking a bikini.

*Excellent Support
The "girls" aren't what they used to be so I wanted a suit that would keep them contained (no Janet Jackson moments), but also make them look nice...not all smashed like in a sports bra. Overall, I was looking for "Sexy Momma".

* Non-Maternity
What I notice about a lot of tankinis now is this swing-top, baby doll style which is very cute (and I do own 2 like it), but I wanted something a little more fitted and curvy this year. I feel like the other style just makes me look like I'm rocking a maternity suit, even though I'm not preggers.

* Mix-And-Match Color Options
It can get quite pricey buying several swim suits (if you are someone who likes options) so I like when suits offer mix-and-match color options so that if I like it, I can get one neutral bottom to go with different tops.

* Good Quality
No offense to Target or Old Navy. I own several suits from both places and although they are very cute and incredibly reasonable in price....they just don't hold up. And that didn't matter to me when I was fluctuating in size because I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a suit I might not wear the next year. But this year I know I am the size I am going to be for a while so I am willing to make the investment. Plus, it's an incentive to stay in shape.

* Classic Style
There are so many adorable trendy suits out there. Lots of ruffles and vintage styles that look SO CUTE on the model. I was tempted to order many of these, but I know that a more classic, simple style is the way to go for me this year. I don't need to draw attention to any part of my body with massive ruffles. Or fringe.

So after trying a few different suits this year, I finally came across one that is PERFECT for me!! It's from Athleta.com and in comparison to some of the other suits I looked at it, it's still pretty reasonable in price (for a nicer quality suit). This is the top I chose, called the Shirrendipity Halter...

And these are the bottoms, called Notsostring...

They actually cover my ENTIRE booty but still look cute...not like grannie panties.

This is probably the first time that I have actually liked a bathing suit since having kids. I feel like I can chase the kids around the beach in this and not have my "Berts and Ernie" hanging out (if you watch Cougar Town...you totally get that). They also have a ton of great colors so you are sure to find a set you like.

Now, even though I am loving my suit, I still need a cute cover-up. I have been eyeing this Splendid Cotton Cover-up up at Garnet Hill and now that I finally have a 20% off coupon...I just might get it :-)

So...has anyone else tried on a swim suit this year? Any luck?

Birthday Success

I am so tired right now I could pass out in mid sentence. It's been a 5-day marathon of Addie Birthday fun and as wonderful as it has been, I am EXHAUSTED!!! And it's my own fault. I'm the one who keeps making a big deal about it. I love making my kid's birthdays special but I tend to go overboard.

Just a little.

 But after several emotional breakdowns this evening (from her and Blake) I knew my baby girl was partied out. She even asked me at bedtime if her birthday was over yet. Ha!

But all emotional breakdowns aside, she had one heck of a birthday.

Eric and I saved our gifts so that she could open them first thing in the morning.

But this guy was the first one up! I couldn't believe. I thought for sure Addie would be jumping in my bed at the crack of dawn.

We actually had to go wake the birthday girl up! She was already getting phone calls and she was still snoozing away. But nothing wakes you up faster than the thought of your brother opening all of YOUR gifts.

Watching Addie open presents is just hilarious. She is FULL of facial expressions. 

Spoiled much?

And speaking of spoiled...not 2 minutes after Addie got done opening gifts...Nana showed up with a little birthday breakfast surprise...

For both of the kiddies.

And for us :-)

And really...what donut is complete without another FREAKING tea party. Sorry. Couldn't help it. We've had 36 tea parties today. No joke.

The frosting around Blake's face was all that was left of the donut. Holy moly...what a piggie.

I made a promise to Addie today that since we were staying home, I would play whatever she wanted to play. No checking my phone (when she was looking) and no getting distracted by projects or cleaning (when she was looking).

And she liked that idea.

And so we played ALL. DAY. LONG. I even put on one of my dresses to play dress-up. But then my friend Barb called and said she would be dropping Addie's cake off and I could NOT let her see my winter white legs sticking out of my dress. Ha!

When Barb offered to make Addie a Minnie Cake, I knew that it was going to be cute. She does amazing work. But seriously..."cute" doesn't even cut it. Just LOOK at this adorable thing!!!

Addie thought it was the coolest cake ever.

She even wanted to pose with her new Minnie doll.

I really can't get over how much work that must have taken, and yet Barb was like, "It was nothing". Gotta love her. Have I ever mentioned how lucky I am to have so many talented friends and family members? And listen...if you live near us...Barb is for hire people :-)

So the rest of my day is a blur. Making Potroast for dinner (Addie's favorite. She calls it "tasty meat"), cleaning the house for our family (who came over to celebrate with Addie tonight), getting together her treats for school tomorrow (she is the special person for her b-day) and of course vlogging :-) And then once I put the kids to bed, I had to grade another 10 essays, which is why I am blogging at almost midnight. I want to take the day off tomorrow (aside from teaching my class of course). I want to wake up and drink my coffee sitting down. Just for tomorrow. And then Friday I can get back to work. I just need to reboot...and so do the kids. It's the day after a birthday party which means it's DETOX TIME!

But not before one last slice of cake :-)

Thanks so much for all the WONDERFUL birthday wishes for Addie and for all your sweet comments about my silly Vlog. It was embarrassing and fun all at the same time. And of course, thanks to our amazing friends and family for making Addie's birthday so darn special. Barb...that cake really made the day. Love you guys!!!