A Daily Dose of Davis

Valentine's Day Bingo: Perfect for Preschoolers

2012-01-27T23:43:00.000-06:00

I am having WAY too much fun planning Addie's preschool Valentine's Day party. Between my own ideas, the ones I've been stealing from Pinterest and the ones my Mom and friend Kristi keep sending me...I am on crafting overload! I can't wait to share all this fun stuff with you guys this week.

Today, I spent the better part of nap time putting together one of the games for the party. Addie's preschool teacher said that the kids have been loving "Bingo" lately so I went in search of Valentine Bingo cards online. To my surprise...there weren't many to be found, especially not for preschool age kids. I was hoping to find something with colors, shapes, letters, pictures, etc. but I was only finding blank cards or more traditional bingo cards with all numbers.

So...I sat down with my scrapbooking software and came up with my own card! I am really so happy with how it turned out. I used numbers and letters that the kids have learned so far this year, a few colored shapes and a few cliparts. It's bright and colorful and I think the kids are really going to enjoy playing it :-)

I've created 20 different cards, as well as a matching caller sheet. You can download the whole set here. We are planning to use conversation heart candies as our markers for the party, but I think Hershey Kisses are also cute.

I'm actually going to print out a set to have here at home because I think it would be a great game to play with Addie and Blake on a boring winter's day. It would also be great to have on hand for a playdate :-)

So...is anyone else in charge of a game for their kid's Valentine's Day party? I would love to know what other fun stuff you are planning to do. I also hope this Bingo set comes in handy for someone. I know I'm pretty excited about it :-)

Recharging Batteries

2012-01-26T14:48:00.000-06:00

I have to admit...it is so flattering when I receive emails and/or phone calls from friends checking in on me when I haven't blogged in a day or two. The fact that anyone cares to stop by this silly old blog is beyond me, but I appreciate it so very much :-)

The reason for my 2-day disappearance has a lot to do with needing to recharge my batteries. As you know quite well from my posts the last two weeks, I've had a lot on my mind and all that silly stress blocks my creative juices from flowing. But my glass is totally half full today and I am feeling very grateful to have some things behind me :-)

But I am going to take just one more day to relax and step away from the computer. I teach tonight and then I FINALLY get to spend some time with a group of ladies I haven't seen in a very long while :-) Yay! But I promise to be back tomorrow with something worth reading. Ha!

Happy Thursday everyone!

Tidbit Tuesday

2012-01-24T18:47:00.001-06:00

Here are a just a few tidbits of our Tuesday...

* Addie stayed home from preschool today because she woke up with a stuffy nose and fever last night. It's funny...when I'm sick, all I want to do is lay on the couch. When Addie is sick...all she wants to do is make crafts, play dress-up, play Barbies, play school, paint, color, bake cupcakes and ask about 986 questions in a matter of 20 minutes. To say I'm beat is an understatement. Luckily, her fever is gone and her stuffy nose is clearing up :-)

* The Valentine's cupcakes we made with homemade vanilla frosting were a BIG mistake. Look at em....just sitting there looking all freaking delicious.

* I signed up for the Shamrock Shuffle 8K for March 25th because I felt like if I shelled out the money and committed, it would give me some new motivation. I'm expecting it to kick in anytime now...

* I realized today that it's been almost 9 weeks since my last hair appointment. When I was blonde, I would have to go every 5-6 weeks to keep up the color. Going brunette was the best decision ever. I am hoping to make it 10 weeks, but I miss chatting with my stylist and I could definitely use a trim and some fresh color now. Going every 9-10 weeks vs. 5-6 is going to save a ton of money this year. Me likey :-)

* I have a long awaited meeting tomorrow that should hopefully put to rest a very annoying and stressful situation that I have been dealing with for several months. At this point, the outcome doesn't even matter. Just getting it over with will make me feel like a new woman tomorrow. I hope :-) Sorry for the vague bullet point.

* And finally, I made an awesome menu for the next 5 or 6 nights of dinner mixing various recipes I've found in new cookbooks and on Pinterest. I am going to make them all, take some pics, do some trial and error and hopefully share with you guys next week. Word of caution though...if you are dieting and/or trying to eat healthy...you may not care for my menu. It's all about carbs and cheese :-)

Surviving Winter

2012-01-23T14:08:00.000-06:00

Once upon a time, I really loved winter.

I loved wearing sweaters, staying cozy inside and working on home projects on my days off. I still love all these things, but they are a bit more challenging to accomplish these days. I mean, you could spend an ENTIRE morning reorganizing and cleaning the kid's playroom so that it looks like this...

And then come back 20 minutes later to admire your hard work and find it like this...

It's defeating.

And it makes me hate being trapped inside with kids who, even with a MILLION toys, still get bored and end up trashing rooms for fun.

Now, I will say that there have been two things that have been keeping the kids busy indoors the last few weeks. The first is this AWESOME train table my MIL and FIL got Blake for his birthday.

Both kids have been spending lots of time at it and even though they have been good about not trashing it for the most part, we are VERY close to hot gluing the whole damn set to the table. Now that Blake knows he can remove track pieces, he feels the need to carry them all over the house.

Kids.

Now, the other new "toy" we have been spending a ton of time with is our new chalkboard!!! Ever since I set up the kid's playroom last winter, I've been wanting to do a chalkboard wall. But time passed and I could never decide where I wanted it or how I wanted to paint it. And now that I can see a year or two down the road and envision Blake's bedroom being in this space, I don't know that I want to paint a chalkboard on the wall anymore.

So when the fabulous people at Wayfair.com offered to send me a chalkboard for review, I jumped at the chance!!

This is the board we chose (in 36" x 48") so that it would fill this open space in the playroom...

Pretty perfect, right?!! I couldn't get over how well the frame around the chalkboard matched our shelves.

We've had this chalkboard hung for almost a month now and there are 3 things I absolutely love:

1. The size. I almost went with a size smaller but once I hung it up, I realized the 36x48 was perfect.

2. The fun factor. I love that both kids can play at the board together and I am surprised by how much Blake wants to draw on it!

3. Quality. For the price on Wayfair, you honestly can't beat the quality. The chalkboard is sturdy, wipes perfectly clean (after curing of course) and the wood frame is a classy touch. Some day, I may steal this chalkboard for another room in my house and I love that it is kid friendly and stylish :-)

The one and only thing I wish the board had (at this stage anyway) is a ledge for chalk and an eraser. The kids have a plastic container with all their chalkboard supplies but it would be nice to have a ledge too. Although, with a ledge would probably come a bigger mess so maybe it is a good thing that it is missing.

So friends...if you are looking for a fun activity indoors and don't want to mess with chalkboard paint on your own, I highly recommend checking this one out :-)

***

Now, as much as I HATE the cold, there comes a point when you just need to give up on the indoor activities, bundle up and head outdoors.

Luckily, we got a fresh blanket of snow this Friday...

So we got all bundled up and headed out to enjoy.

This little chick would stay out ALL DAY if we'd let her. She loves the outdoors.

This little guy does too...

But only because he likes to help out this big guy.

He will follow him up and down the driveway and all around the neighborhood, carrying his little shovel.

My two little snow bunnies :-)

I know I've mentioned this before, but we are really blessed with the most fabulous neighbors. I don't know what we would do without Sue and Jack. They are just so much fun!

And speaking of fun...it's really not a day in the snow if you don't make snow angels...

I got snow down my pants doing this...

But it was worth it because this little girl thought it was awesome :-)

After playing, shoveling and making snow angels...this mama was cold and ready to go inside. The kids, of course, wouldn't come in. Turns out the swing set is just as much fun in the winter :-)

So friends...what are you doing to survive winter? Are you organizing your brains out, getting creative with indoor activities or braving the weather for outdoor fun? Or are you doing all of the above like us?

I'll tell ya...I'm really hoping the groundhog comes through for us this year :-)

French Onion Soup for a Snowy Day

2012-01-20T14:51:00.001-06:00

So...who's a big fan of eating soup all winter long?

ME!!!!!!!!!

I love me some soup when it's cold and snowy outside. But I can't always please the hubs with a bowl of vegetable noodle. He likes richer, heartier soups and one of his favorites is French Onion.

I've never really tried to make my own French Onion soup before but I experimented with a recipe from this blog...

{image from Cats and Casseroles}

and it was DELICIOUS!!! I didn't bother posting my own pic because even though I loved the soup, it wasn't as pretty as this one :-)

The recipe was super simple to follow. This is all you need:

FRENCH ONION SOUP

4 tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
2 large red onions, thinly sliced
2 large sweet onions, thinly sliced
3 15oz can chicken broth
1 15oz can beef broth
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 dried bay leaves
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
8oz swiss cheese, shredded
1 baguette, store bought or make your own

1. In a large stock pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add in the onions and salt. Cook the onions, stirring often, for about 30 minutes, or until your onions are caramelized, dark golden brown in color, and syrupy.

2. Pour into the chicken broth and beef broth into the stock pot. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce. Season with a bit of pepper (unless you used a low sodium broth, you probably don't need to add salt). Add in the bay leaves. Scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen up any caramelized bits. Cover the pot and simmer on medium for about 20 minutes.

3. Fish bay leaves from pot and stir in balsamic vinegar. Place a piece of baguette in each soup bowl (you can get 6-10 servings from this recipe). Ladle soup over bread and then top with some of the cheese. Heat bowls under the broiler until the cheese bubbles and browns. Wait a minute or two for bowl to cool down some before serving.

All I can say is YUM!!!!! I did make one small change to the recipe. I used 1, 32oz carton of chicken broth and 1, 32oz carton of beef broth. It seemed to make it a little richer. Either way, it's a perfect winter weekend soup and I seriously can't wait for dinner tonight :-)

We have another laid back weekend ahead of us filled with lots of relaxing, some organizing projects and a smoked beef brisket. Eric used his Christmas gift cards and got himself a smoker!!! We had some delicious ribs last weekend and I am sure we are in for a treat this Sunday. He wants me to take lots of pictures and do a blog post. Maybe I'll even make him write it. Ha!

Happy Weekend everyone! Stay warm!

Because I Needed a Laugh Today

2012-01-19T13:49:00.000-06:00

Tonight is my first night back to the classroom and I am both excited and totally freaking anxious about meeting my new group of students. I just know this is going to be the best semester ever because it has to be. It just has to be.

So...because I needed a good laugh to lighten my mood, I went to my Sillies board on Pinterest and pulled some of my favorite giggle-worthy pins. Some of these you might not get, or even find that funny, but to me...they are awesome.

Oh Ryan, those are words to my ears. And you're hot.

Target retail therapy. Awesome and so true.

Ladies...who's with me??

This song will be stuck in your head all day now. You're welcome.

You gotta love Harry Potter and Mean Girls to get this.

Sorry about the profanity...but I love this and it makes me crack up every time.

Again...sorry for the lack of class on this post. But if you love Anchorman like I do, I think you need one of these cross-stitched pictures in your house.

You want a few more laughs today? Follow me on Pinterest, especially my Sillies Board, and join in on the fun. So addicting :-)

Valentines Day Goodies, Ideas & a FREE Printable

2012-01-18T15:10:00.000-06:00

Last year, Addie and I had a lot of fun making Valentine's treats for all her little ballerina friends. They were just cookie cutter rice crispy treats covered in frosting or chocolate and sprinkles.

We tied them up in cute little plastic treat bags with some valentines day ribbon and they were ready to go!

This year, I am in charge of Addie's preschool Valentine's Day party and I have been searching around Pinterest for some ideas. I saw this one, and thought it was adorable...

I also thought these Valentines Hot Chocolates were precious...

Addie's preschool tries to keep things pretty healthy for the kids at snack time, but they tend to make a little exception when it comes to the parties. And I mean come on...what's valentine's day without some sweets? I just have to figure out what sweets to share. But when I do, I know I want to use these little printables I made this weekend.

These will work great for a bag of candy, a decorated cookie or rice crispy treat in a plastic bag, or even as a cupcake topper! If you want to download my free printable you can do so here. You can customize it to any size you want, but if you want some instructions on how to print multiple on a page, check out my Mac tutorial (sorry PC users, although I am sure your steps are pretty similar :-)

Addie and I also did a little shopping at Michael's this week because I wanted to find a craft for the kids to put together at the party. While we were there, we found these SUPER cute little clothespin animals and we made a few today. Don't they look precious clipped to a red treat bag?

There are SO many great ideas on the internet right now and I am sure this won't be my only Valentine's post. It's just fun to start searching and playing with ideas. If you have any great suggestions for Valentine's Day treats, especially for preschool aged kids, be sure to leave a comment. I would love to have a reason to make some more Valentine's themed printables to share :-)

Runners Block

2012-01-17T15:38:00.000-06:00

I once read somewhere that running is 90% mental.

Well...I am not sure my sore thighs and ass would agree with that percentage break down, but I truly believe that running is more mental than anything else.

In the last year and a half that I've been a runner, I've come to realize 3 very important facts about myself:

1. I run better outside. Period.

2. If I go into a run already doubting my ability to reach a pace or distance goal, I will fail every single time.

3. I must run with headphones or a runny buddy. I don't do silence.

The problem with these three things is that they are ALL challenged in the winter. I hate running on the treadmill and because I hate running on the treadmill, I almost always go into a run with a negative attitude. And because I am on the treadmill, I don't have a running buddy. Sure, I still have headphones but that's about it. This has made for some painful runs this past week.

But then...as soon as I am losing my motivation and doubting my huge running goal this year, I find the inspiration I am looking for.

I received this e-mail today from lululemon.com, as I was laying on the couch with the kids inhaling some Teddy Grahams, and it simply said:

It's like they were speaking directly to ME!!!

The goal really is that simple if you think about it. Get your ass off the couch and start moving.

I just need to keep going and fight through the boredom that is the treadmill. Or better yet, layer up and get outside. I see runners all the time in 40, 30, even 20 degree weather around here. I'm not sure if I'm that hard core, but I do know that if I EVER want to get back into running shape, I can't sit around making excuses. So here's the plan...

1. Run outside whenever I can. It will be in the 40s later this week so I will definitely bundle up and get out there.

2. Get myself some virtual running buddies. The Nike+ app lets you play "Tag" and set up competitions with other friends so my buddy Joe and I are going to start that this week. If anyone else uses Nike+ let me know and we can set up a game!

3. Buy some new running clothes. I mean, I do owe it to lululemon for motivating me today right?

4. Sign up for some races. Get the dates in the calendar so there is no backing out for lack of training.

5. Be positive. Shit that's a hard one :-)

So...is anyone else struggling to get back on track after the holidays? Or better yet, has anyone started running for the first time (or again) as a goal this year? For all of you just coming back to the sport after a break like me, remember something else the lululemon e-mail team said...

Your feet know the way...

You just have to follow them :-)

Just What the Doctor Ordered!

2012-01-15T23:59:00.000-06:00

If you couldn't tell by my scattered, random posts last week...my mind was a little preoccupied. The worry center of my mommy brain was working some serious overtime.

In fact, I think my worry center might be hyperactive. I literally can't seem to shut my brain off these days. Here is an example of what I mean:

Each night I start out by worrying about something small...like...did I leave a wet load of laundry in the washer. This worrying then leads to me worrying about the mold that might be in our clothes if I did leave it...and then mold makes me think about allergies...and then I start worrying about Blakey boy, who has still not grown out of his chronic runny nose...and then I think about him having to be on allergy shots the rest of his life...or if he needs his adenoids out...or if it's something even scarier...

And then I find myself Googling on my phone. Not just about allergies, but about Attention Deficit Disorder, because Addie's teacher mentioned that Addie has trouble focusing during story time. And then thinking about Addie makes me remember to Google the dry skin rash she's had for the past few weeks. Before I know it, it's 1:00 a.m. and my eyes are burning from reading articles on BabyCenter and WebMD (which I've been banned from before).

And if it's not worrying about the kids, it's worrying about Eric, or our parents, or work, or the house, or bills, or budgets, or Pinterest, or craft projects I need to do, etc. It's all too much sometimes! So when I get into panic mode, my mom can sense it. She could sense I was in panic mode last week, worrying about everything that entered my brain. So she sent me a helpful little text:

Wow. That's too much to think about at once. Everything will be fine. So Blake might have allergies, Addie is a normal 4-year-old, everyone has dry skin this time of year, and you had a bitch of a class last semester. Try to relax. You are going to make yourself sick.

Wise words from the second biggest worrier I know :-) But she was right...I REALLY needed to relax. And thanks to the snow and cold around here, that's exactly what we did all weekend.

Relax.

And it was wonderful. But that wasn't even the best part. Apparently my kiddies knew I had a hard week last week too and they were seriously on their best behavior. I have never seen these two play so well together!! First I caught them playing in Blake's crib. Addie was reading him a book and Blake was chowing on some Teddy Grahams (that I still have no idea how he got ahold of). Oh well...this sight was worth the crumbs.

These two played with each other ALL morning. And when it was nap time, Blake went running down the hall to find Addie and this is what I found when I came into her room...

I mean...how could I break up this cute little movie date?!!

These two even convinced me to push back bedtime a bit tonight because they were in the middle of playing in Addie's Barbie house.

Seriously friends...these two have been at each other lately and I feel like I spend a lot of my days just breaking up fights. But this weekend...they were two little angels. I don't know if it's because they both finally feel healthy or if it's because we are finally back on a routine after the holidays...but whatever it is...I appreciated it SO MUCH!!

It's such a domino effect when the kids are healthy and happy. Their happiness makes Eric and I happy and when we are both happy, we have an easier time relaxing and when I can FINALLY relax and take a few deep breaths, I find that my worries start to fade. I don't feel so overwhelmed or out of control and if I could manage to pull myself away from the internet, I might actually be able to sleep! Ha!

This weekend was definitely what Dr. Jan ordered and I just want to thank my awesome kids for giving mommy a much needed break :-)

So...now it's time for some fun posts this week! Free Valentine printables anyone??!!

Only in the Midwest...

2012-01-12T13:44:00.000-06:00

Can you go from a beautiful, sunny, 52-degree day...

To a snowy, blustery, 19-degree day overnight...

I know a lot of people aren't with me on this one, but I'm kinda liking the snow today. After all, it IS January! This beautiful spring-like weather we've had the last two months has been wonderful, but we knew the cold and snow was coming eventually. We have some sleds and kiddie snow shovels in our garage just waiting to be used...so I'm glad the kids will have an opportunity to play with them.

Then of course, once we all have our fun in the snow this week, it can go away until next year :-) I can tell that spring fever is going to come on QUICK this season!

"Yes" is Just Easier Than "No"

2012-01-10T21:18:00.000-06:00

I've never been good at playing the "bad cop". Sure, I'm feisty and opinionated and I speak my mind the minute a thought comes to it...but I almost ALWAYS regret saying or doing anything that causes someone to be upset with me. I can't sleep at night knowing that someone is mad at me or worse yet...just plain doesn't like me.

And because I hate that feeling so much, I tend to overdo it on the "good cop". I have trouble saying no, even when I know I should. This is especially true when it comes to being a mom. I would never say yes to something that would harm my children, but if it comes down to whether or not to give them another cookie, watch one last show before bed, or even wear PJs for 4 days straight...I almost always say yes because "yes" is just easier than "no".

I tend to have this same mentality as a teacher too. I say "yes", bend my own rules, allow crappy i-totally-know-you-are-lying excuses, and make exceptions that often leave me feeling used. Sometimes, I'm glad I am this kind of teacher. When I was student, I always appreciated the instructors that were understanding, compassionate and flexible, so that's what I try to be for my students.

But what I have learned recently is that there is a very fine line between being compassionate and flexible...and being a total push-over. Sadly, that's what I feel I've become lately, especially in the classroom. I just finished a really difficult semester and looking back on it now, I realize that I spent far too much time trying to be the good cop when I should have been spending more time being the bad cop.

But I suck at being the bad cop.

I feel like when I finally decide to be the bad cop, I come in too hot and everyone either thinks it's a joke, or that I'm a total lunatic. Either way, it's not effective. I'm just struggling to find the balance between good cop and bad cop. I want to be flexible but firm with my rules. I want to be able to switch between my happy face and my bitch face seamlessly. I want people (and little people) to know I mean business when I say something, and yet still find me compassionate and approachable.

But is all this even possible? Is everyone just destined to be good at one or the other? I think what it really comes down to is the ability to shut off your feelings when you need to. Let go of emotion and think logically when the time calls for it. Or better yet, turn to Pinterest to explain it for you:

Oh how I wish I could learn to choose!!!!

Is anyone else with me here? Are you a perpetual "good cop"? Do you let your emotions take over too often? Do you stay awake at night worrying about the people who don't like you instead of focusing on all the ones that love you? Do you say "yes" way too often because it is just easier than saying "no"?

Do you ever wonder if you have become a completely BORING blogger that no one wants to read about anymore because all you do is ramble? Ha!

Resolutions and Recovery

2012-01-09T14:28:00.000-06:00

When you are in the middle of the craziness that is December you think, "Ahhh...I can't wait for the quiet of January"

When you and your kids are sick for like 3 weeks straight you think, "Ahhh...I can't wait until everyone is healthy"

So now that it IS January and we are all (knock on wood) healthy...I keep waiting for that sigh of relief. But what I forgot to think about is all the catch-up that needs to happen AFTER December and AFTER a month of sickies. Oh, and lets not forget all those resolutions you need to get started!

So that's what's been keeping me busy, friends. Resolutions and Recovery :-)

I have to admit, it's been really nice getting back into a routine again. Addie had preschool last week and ballet starts up tonight. I think my little peanut needs the structure back in her life because she has been sporting The Three S's:

1. Spoiled

2. Sleep Deprived

3. Sassy

I realize this all comes with recovery. We just had a month of non-stop fun and spoiling. She was spoiled by Christmas and spoiled by the sickies (and totally spoiled by Nana) so why wouldn't she be rebelling? Why wouldn't her sleep be off if you haven't had a good schedule for weeks on end? Why would you want to focus in preschool and follow directions at home when you haven't been told "No" very much lately? I suppose in one sense, I can't blame her.

BUT, it's time to get back on track now. It's time to get back to sleeping like a big girl, listening and behaving like a big girl, and talking like a big girl (minus the "Addietude"). We started a new sticker chart this week and the rewards are BIG! I'm talking Disney Princesses on Ice big! So this little chick better get serious because we have a lot of stickers to earn before February. Plus, Mommy already got the tickets. Ha!

The other person working hard on recovery this week is me. I still can't fully kick the sinus infection I have been fighting and even after 6 days on antibiotics, it still isn't fully gone. I stood in my kitchen last night, holding a glass of wine, asking Eric and our friend Joe WHY these drugs aren't working. They both just looked at my glass and then back up at me.

IDIOT!

Drinking wine while on antibiotics is NOT good. And I knew that, but the stress of my days and the delicious taste of Reisling with my dinner got the best of me. Oh well. At least I have 4 days left on the meds :-)

Even though I am still in recovery mode, that hasn't kept me from working on some of my resolutions this week. For starters, I got my little office nook all set up in my bedroom:

It's nothing special, or fancy. Just an old desk I've had since college and a file cabinet I've been using as a night stand. But hey...until there isn't a need for a playroom anymore, this is my office space. And to be honest, I kind of like my cozy little nook. I have all of my inspiration and reminders on my bulletin board (including my monthly de-clutter calendar which I have made GREAT progress on).

And of course the thing on that desk that has taken the most time this week is that beautiful new desktop that I have waited 2 long years for!! We spent the week organizing and backing up all of our pictures and home movies and that just makes me feel so good!!! It's always been a huge fear of mine to lose all of the memories we have been collecting and now that they are all securely stored, I can sleep better at night.

This little beauty is also going to make all my digital crafting so much more organized and easy to navigate!! I have lots of things to learn on this bad boy though. We haven't had a new computer in 6 years and a LOT has changed. Apple just blows my mind :-)

And speaking of blowing your mind...how's this resolution for you:

I'm going to run a half marathon this year.

AHHHHH!!

Okay, I am going to try to run a half marathon. I want something big to shoot for and now that I have some of my running buddies signed on to do it with me, I've got my motivation team. I have made it out for 2 runs this week (thanks to our fabulous weather) and one thing is for sure.

This girl is out of shape.

I've got some work to do but I am excited about it!

So, is anyone else struggling to catch up a bit after the holidays?

Fun Fact Friday

2012-01-06T21:10:00.001-06:00

Here are some fun facts for you this Friday night...

1. Miracles do happen. It's a fact, and I have proof. Just visit my cousin Diane's blog and read all about this little guy right here. I couldn't possibly be more happy for her and her husband Bill :-)

2. Waiting two long years to finally justify buying a new iMac was totally worth it. It's a fact, I actually hugged the box when I got it.

3. No matter how much you love your new computer, doing a data transfer is about as much fun as sticking a fork in your eye.

4. It was 55 degrees in Chicagoland today. We took advantage of the gorgeous weather by having a fabulous OUTDOOR playdate with my cousin Krissy. It was awesome.

5. I went for my first run of the year yesterday and didn't die. I actually ran a quick 2 miles without having to walk. I'm hurting today though :-)

6. Everyone in my house woke up healthy. I can't guarantee what tomorrow will bring, but I'm grateful for today.

7. We have ZERO plans for tomorrow and I'm stoked.

8. This is a lame blog post. But really, it's all I can manage tonight :-)

I hope you are all having a fabulous start to the weekend! I promise next week will be more fun around here :-)

Out of Service

2012-01-05T18:43:00.000-06:00

Hi friends! I'm afraid A Daily Dose of Davis is out of service tonight.

We are working to update all of our Apple products and doing a GINORMOUS data transfer onto our new desktop :-) I had no idea it would be this much work! I'm hoping to be up and running tomorrow and back on track with my posts :-)

Until then...Happy Thursday!

The Jen Maintenance Plan

2012-01-03T22:46:00.000-06:00

I've always been a big fan of making New Years resolutions. I love making lists and feeling the satisfaction when I can check things off. But I do all that regardless of the new year. Organizing my house and catching up on scrapbooks will ALWAYS be on my list of things to do and so I feel like my New Years resolutions this year should be bigger. They should be more significant than a bunch of tasks. And I finally figured out tonight what that resolution should be.

I want to be a better me.

Or maybe I should say a new me?? Either way...the goal here friends is self-improvement.

It's time for the Jen Maintenance Plan.

You see, I sort of have this problem with obsessing over things I can't control. I could worry my life away thinking about all the things that could happen to me or my family, or I could just appreciate the life I've been given, which is FULL of blessings, and enjoy every moment. So the first item on the Jen Maintenance Plan is to:

ENJOY

I also have this liiiiiittle problem of not being able to relax. I feel like every moment of every day needs to be filled with a task and sometimes I need to remember that relaxing is a task too! I shouldn't have a stack of 20 unread magazines, or a Nook full of unread books, or 5 unused mani/pedi gift certificates. I should take advantage of quiet time when I can and be willing to leave the house for no other reason than to just get my nails done. I know deep down I need this quiet time, and yet I never take it. So the next item on this list is to:

RELAX

Learning to relax is going to be tough, especially with the insanely crazy lives we all lead these days. I think that's where my desire to get organized comes from...I want some control over the craziness and I feel if I could just cut down on clutter and chaos...I'd finally be able to relax. I think the key here my friends is really just to learn to:

SIMPLIFY

I don't need all the things I have. I don't need all the clothes in my closet, or the appliances in my kitchen (I mean who has a rice cooker anymore?), or the toys in the kids playroom, etc. But you know what...someone out there does need those things. Giving food to a needy family this Thanksgiving and giving toys to sick children this Christmas made me feel so good inside...I want to do more. And not just at the holidays. I want to do more for others who are not as fortunate as me. I want to do all I can to:

GIVE BACK

I've been given this life that is so full of blessings, it almost doesn't seem fair at times. I carry a lot of guilt because so many friends and family members close to me are struggling with something. I have friends with husbands who are thousands of miles away. I have friends and family members struggling with infertility. I have friends and family members dealing with the loss of a loved one. I have friends and family members who are unhappy with their job, or home, or spouse, or life in general and it breaks my heart. Eric and I have struggles too, but nothing we should ever complain about. Ever. We need to just remember, every single day, to:

BE THANKFUL

I need to be more appreciative of the life I've been given. I want to be a better mother. A better wife. A better daughter. A better sister. A better friend. A better teacher. And to achieve all this, I really need to work on one thing in particular. I need to:

BE PATIENT

I have to learn patience this year. I am too quick to argue. Too quick to raise my voice. Too quick to judge. Too quick to jump to conclusions. I just need to be more patient with everyone in my life...including myself. This is a tough one, but I NEED to do it. I need to:

BE DISCIPLINED

I swear this is the final item on the Jen Maintenance Plan. One of my favorite bloggers posted the other day that her New Years resolution was to be more disciplined and if you think about it, that applies to just about everything in your life. To eat better, you have to be disciplined. To run a half-marathon, you have to be disciplined. To de-clutter your house, you have to be disciplined. To be a better you, you have to be disciplined. You get the point. It's all about discipline...and motivation :-)

And motivation I have my friends! If I am going to live my life to the fullest this year, there's no room for negativity. Or drama. Or self-doubt. Or regret. It's time to pull up my big girl panties and get this year started!! I want to get back into shape, physically and mentally, which means that you will probably be annoyed with all my motivational posts and updates by February. Ha! But for those of you that stick around, thanks for being my friend :-)

Happy New Year everyone!!!

Lightening McQueen Turns 2!!

2012-01-02T23:04:00.000-06:00

Blake's second birthday party, although it was thrown together rather quickly, turned out fantastic!! I've known for a while that I wanted to throw Blake a Disney Cars party because "cars" was like his second word :-)

And putting together a Cars party could not be easier right now because EVERYTHING out there for boys has either Toy Story, Thomas the Train or Lightning McQueen on it. It worked out well.

And even though there were a million different Cars party invites out there to choose from, I still had to create my own. As you know, I am a HUGE fan of using Mixbook.com because you can create your invite from scratch using your own materials, but then you also have access to all of their fonts, clip-arts, embellishments, etc. I also love the beautiful print work they do so this is the one time I don't use My Memories Suite.

Here is the front of his invite (the back is the picture above).

I tried really hard to decorate with his invite in mind. It was fun getting to use the red/white/black combo. It's so boyish :-) I went pretty simple with my decorations...

And made some labels for the treat bags...

And of course, we made homemade cupcakes with homemade toppers. I had two guys helping me with these and I think they did a FABULOUS job :-)

And since I'm all about giving credit where credit is due...I just had to share one of Eric's big contributions to the party. When I suggested getting some gas cans to fill with punch, Eric jumped right on the idea and came up with these adorable labels.

We had "Unleaded" punch for the kids, and "Leaded" coconut rum and pineapple juice for the adults. Pretty cute, huh? Nice work babe!!

The kids, of course, could care less about the decorations. They are just more concerned with looking good...

And having some fun! In fact, I think most of the adults are that way too :-)

Case in point...Uncle Ryan. That's his bootie. Climbing into the bouncie house....

He never misses an opportunity to play with his girl :-)

I swear...this bouncie was the best money ever spent!!

Blake was SO lucky to have so many of his buddies there to celebrate. Of course there's this cutie...

Who was doing some serious flirting with this cutie (my cousin Scott's daughter Natalie)...

And here is one of Blake's potential girlfriends...Miss Cora. Isn't she a doll??!!

And so is her sister, Brynn :-)

Speaking of flirting, this little chick couldn't keep her hands off her BF Connor. Seriously...she couldn't stop touching him.

My cousin Krissy was also able to make it out with her cute kiddies. This is Blake's buddy, Presley.

And Blake's Nanny, a.k.a. my adorable cousin Jill, was there to celebrate too! I call her the "baby whisperer" because the kids are seriously glued to her whenever she is around.

So...you wondering where the birthday boy is yet? Well...he wasn't feeling the best and he was glued to Nana most of the night. He did come out for some gifts...

He's not the biggest fan of opening gifts right now, but he hung on for a while...

But when all the kids started to swarm the gift pile (which tends to happen when there are 17 running around), I could sense Blake getting ready to bolt. See him looking at Jill? He's like "Get me the F*&% out of here!!"

Even Aunt Di saw the panic in his eyes and got a kick out of it :-)

Poor Blake :-) Even though the guests weren't there to see it, Blake went through each of his gifts one by one today and he was VERY appreciative. He is definitely a lucky guy :-)

After presents, we did Blake's next favorite thing...EAT CUPCAKES!!! As you will see, the birthday boy didn't even wait for his special cupcake with the candle. He just ate while we sang...

He did manage to blow out his candle though and that was sweet :-)

I'm not sure what he wished for, but I bet it was another cupcake :-)

You see...all he needed was a cupcake to sweeten him up and then he was passing out kisses left and right.

And he had lots of kisses to give with all the family and friends we had there to celebrate with. Great Grandma and Grandpa Davis were there...

And Great Nannie and Auntie Meagan...

And Great Aunt Sue and Mima...

And Great Great Uncle Chuck!

We are so blessed to have so many wonderful friends and family to celebrate with.

I am so glad everyone could make it out on New Years Day to be with us. I know everyone partied hard all through the holidays and the night before...which is probably why this little birthday boy didn't even make it up from the basement before crashing...

Honestly...I could have fallen asleep on the stairs too. Ha!!

In case I didn't say it enough when everyone was here, THANKS SO MUCH for all the love and generosity you showed Blake this weekend...and every day of the year. It was a fabulous party :-)

So my little Blakester...your second birthday has come and gone. Here's to another year of health and happiness and many, MANY more to come!

Happy New Year!!

2012-01-01T22:18:00.001-06:00

I don't know about you, but the Davis' partied like it was 2011 last night!

And by "party" I mean we played dress-up in our jammies :-)

We actually had a really great, low-key NYE this year. Eric grilled some steaks and made twice baked potatoes, and then Uncle Joe brought over some lava cakes and mint chocolate brownies. YES PLEASE!!!

The kids ran themselves silly and then passed out nice and early. This was great for us because we had some serious work to do.

Today was Blake's birthday party so naturally I waited until last night to not only make 60 cupcakes, but also glue together the cupcake toppers. I knew I couldn't get it done on my own so I convinced the guys to help me. Here's Eric working the hot glue gun...

And Joe making some homemade frosting...

You like my wine glass in the picture? It was the only way I could get through making all those cupcakes!!! But they turned out really yummy and I appreciated the help from the guys :-)

So that's how we spent NYE at our house. Playing with kids, baking some cupcakes and drinking some wine. It was a nice night and I am SUPER impressed that I managed to stay awake!

Although, I was paying the price today for sure. Blake's "small" party ended up being 36 adults and 17 children (16 of which were 4years-old and under). It was a packed house but SO MUCH FUN!! I can't wait to recap for you tomorrow. Too tired tonight :-)

I hope you all had a wonderful New Years! I am going to spend the rest of my night writing out my goals for 2012. Boy...do I have some big ones :-)

Attention Organizing Junkies

2011-12-29T22:45:00.002-06:00

If you or someone you know is addicted to organizing (or the idea of organizing)...this post is for you!!

As an organizing junkie, I get very giddy for the New Year for several reasons:

1. Organizing supplies are usually on sale!

2. Everyone has de-cluttering on the brain, which means that people are busy sharing great tips, tricks and ideas.

3. It's the one time of year I can talk about my love of organizing without people rolling their eyes. Ha!

I think it's kind of funny that I love to organize so much, considering my house (and life) are in total chaos most of the time. I can NEVER find my car keys, there is almost always a basket of laundry on the floor of my bedroom, my SUV looks like someone is living out of it and you literally can't open my tupperware cabinet without everything falling out.

I am not organized, but damn it I WANT TO BE!!!

I really want to have my house and life in such perfect order that I know exactly where something is the minute I need it. I would love to never have to hear, "MOM, where's my...........?" or "JEN, have you seen my........". Although, no matter how organized my house is, I am sure I would still hear both these questions on a regular basis because 90% of the time, the things people are looking for in this house are right in front of them. Just sayin...

But really...I would love to have a place for everything, and everything in its place. But to get to that point, I really need to work on one thing in particular.

Decluttering.

That is my BIGGEST problem. I do have many things organized in my house, but I still have too much stuff. Stuff I know I don't need. But I am still a bit of a hoarder deep down. I have sentimental attachments to way too many things, and I have this problem of always thinking, "What if I can use or wear that again?" I have the perfect example.

I have been holding on to this really pretty red cami/tank top that I bought at Banana Republic when I was in college 10 FREAKING YEARS AGO. I've probably gone through my clothes 600 times since then, but I always keep this cami because it is a pretty color and I am convinced that I will find the perfect sweater to wear it with. So the opportunity finally came up this Christmas. I found this really pretty cream sweater and I thought "YES!!! That little red cami will be perfect!!!" So I tried it on and oh my lord...

It was hideous.

Too tight, too short and the lace around the top of it actually exposed my mom bra. I just started laughing (not because of how disgusting I looked in it) but because I have seriously kept this cami around for 10 years and the whole time it looked like this on me??? I realized then and there that my first mission is to actually try on every single piece of clothing I own. I have a feeling another blog sale may be in the works :-)

So is anyone else struggling with clutter? Do you hold on to things in the hopes of using/wearing it again? Do you keep things because you think your kids may want certain items when they are older? How do you know when to keep and when to toss? This is really what I need help with, so I thought I would share some of the great websites I have found.

My first and FAVORITE organizing website is OrganizedHome.com. I have posted about them before, but really...I love this site. All of their tips, tricks and lists are free and you can download them right to your computer. They always have great articles, like this week's Post Christmas Clean-Up: Clutter Cutting Ideas for Year's End, and the editor has even published a great book called Houseworks. This is also a great website to use when starting a Home Management binder.

Another fun site I stumbled across through Pinterest is Unclutterer.com. In addition to having a lot of great organizing and de-cluttering tips, the author of this blog has a great sense of humor about so many things. Just read the post on Elf on a Shelf. Hilarious :-)

And finally, another great site I found through Pinterest is MySimplerLife.com. She has put together this fabulous 2012 Declutter & Organize Calendar that you can download for free. If you are someone like me who can only work productively with a solid plan...this calendar is for you :-)

So..enough talking about decluttering...it's time to get to work!!

But before I go, I just want to give some decluttering advice of my own...

Start a Home Management binder.

SERIOUSLY friends. This has been such a great thing for me. Organizing important paperwork is something that a lot of people struggle with. I was constantly losing calendars, permission forms, invitations, school papers, etc. and once I put together this binder (and have now used it for a couple of months) I can honestly say that it has made a HUGE difference. Even Eric knows to look in the binder now for certain things and that alone is huge.

In case you missed it a few months back, here is my How-To post on creating a Home Management binder, along with links to a bunch of free printables, including the ones I made :-)

Do yourself a favor friends and start by decluttering your desk or kitchen counter. All that mess looks a lot prettier in a cute binder :-)

Happy Decluttering

It's Good to be the Birthday Boy

2011-12-28T22:41:00.000-06:00

I'm pretty sure that Blake went to bed dreaming of Mickey "Oh Toodles" pancakes last night...

Or maybe he went to bed dreaming of the pie and ice cream that Mima and Papa Steve gave him last night when we celebrated his and Uncle Kevin's birthdays...

Either way...my birthday boy woke up happy...

And hungry!!!

Last year, my Mom and Dad and I took Blake out to breakfast for his birthday and we decided that it should be a new tradition :-)

Addie was so excited to be out, you'd think it was her birthday too.

This little guy hammed it up for the whole restaurant. I thought it was adorable, but the table of old ladies next to us didn't seem too excited about his monster noises. Haha!

After a yummy breakfast, we headed to Barnes and Noble...one of Blake's favorite places. He loves looking at new books...

And playing with their train table...

But the real highlight of our trip today was getting a free birthday cupcake from the cafe!

After scrambled eggs, pancakes and a MASSIVE cupcake...the birthday boy was full of energy when we got home. We ended up giving him one of his birthday gifts (he will get his tricycle on Sunday for his party) and he spent the rest of the morning "grilling out" on this bad boy :-)

Then for supper, I made B one of his favorite meals...mac & cheese with Cheddarwurst. I even tried a delicious new mac & cheese recipe tonight so that I could bake them in my little crocs. Aren't they so cute? And doesn't that mac & cheese look YUMMY?!!!

Afterwards, we brought out Blake's little cake. I was looking for a cookie monster cake, but Oscar the Grouch worked just as well :-)

He was so cute blowing out his own candles! We had to light it 3 more times. Bless his heart :-)

He was so proud of himself...

This picture makes me laugh so hard. You can just tell that he is losing all self control.

MUST. EAT. CAKE. NOOOOOOW.

I realize that I have given my son an obscene amount of sugar today. Please don't judge. I love sugar. He loves sugar. And we can always detox tomorrow :-)

I mean really...could you resist this face?

I think it's safe to say that my little man had a great birthday today. We are having his birthday party on Sunday and I am really excited about it! Although, I have to admit that I feel like I really dropped the ball on this party with all the craziness and sickness of the holidays. I mean have a lot of cute decorations and ideas, but I am running low on time for the execution. Oh well...I know no matter what...Blake is going to have a great time. It's the perfect way to ring in the new year :-)

Thanks for all the sweet birthday wishes everyone!! I'll make sure Blake reads all of them tomorrow :-)

Happy 2nd Birthday Blake!!!

2011-12-28T00:00:00.000-06:00

The Christmas I was pregnant with Blake is still one of the best holidays of my life. It all just went so fast. One minute I was pregnant...

And the next minute I was holding him in my arms...

I swear that boy came out smiling.

He was the easiest, HAPPIEST baby I had ever known.

No matter where he was or what he was doing...that boy was giggling about something.

He was laid back and content and I appreciated that SO much. His sister was enough drama for the both of them.

But one thing I noticed about Blake during his first year is that he is a man who likes to do things on his own time. I didn't think he would ever learn to crawl and then bam...he was up and moving overnight. It's like he wanted to tell me in this picture, "See mom...if you would just chill out a bit...you'd see that I know what I'm doing!"

I also learned that first year that my boy LOVES to be outside. That's where most of his smiles happened.

I never had trouble getting a good picture of my little guy. He was always ready with a grin on his face. I couldn't get enough of him.

I spent so much time bragging about Blake's happy demeanour his first year...I never stopped to think about what he'd be like as a toddler. But then his first birthday arrived and I didn't have to think anymore. He was a toddler...

And boy was he emotional about it!

I'm not a fan of birthdays anymore either, so I understand his frustration. Getting older sucks!

But it wasn't just birthdays. It was haircuts...

And trips to see Santa or the Easter Bunny...

Hell...even lunch time was too much for this guy some days.

And if he wasn't crying, he was just plain annoyed at times.

Where was my happy, easy baby? Who was this boy and what did he do with my Blake?

I still remember taking him to his 15 month check-up. This is a picture of him that day...happy as can be. Of course he was...I was about to ask the doctor why my son was so whiney all the time and he walks in acting like the happiest toddler on the block. He knew what he was doing.

And that's the thing with Blake. He knows EXACTLY what he is doing.

And if you just let Blake be Blake...he is still the happiest boy I know. He just needs to do things on his own time and in his own way.

For example, I've learned that he likes to mow the lawn alone and think...

He likes to run free and make his own fun...

He likes to be a big boy and do things on his OWN...

He likes to observe and take things in...

He likes to get his hands dirty and work on projects...

He loves to be in the kitchen and play with food...

I've also learned that if you just give Blake his space and not pressure him or force him into a situation...he will ALWAYS surprise you. He will make friends with a total stranger...

And hug someone when they least expect it...

He will plop down in your lap and cuddle with you at just the right moment...

And even when he's got his hand up and is about to tell you, "NO NO NO"...

He may just be kidding. He could turn right around and flash you that adorable smile that I love so very much...

And the boy does still love to smile.

And eat...

And eat :-)

He loves to act like a goofball and make you laugh.

He loves his "Robot"...

He loves his tractors...

He loves his big sister...

He loves his Daddy and helping out with "man chores"...

And of course, he looooooves his Mama :-)

Blake may be a handful at times, but he is FULL of love. He is sensitive and funny and I know that as hard as this stage can be at times...I will miss it someday.

I want to do my best to remember him at this age, just the way he is. My little 26 pound, blue-eyed, blond haired, Stage 5 Clinger :-)

I love you with all my heart Blake! No matter how many years go by, you will always be my baby boy :-) Daddy and I are so blessed to have you as our son.

Happy 2nd Birthday Big Boy!! Let's go eat some waffles :-)

Christmas, Christmas, Christmas!

2011-12-26T21:35:00.005-06:00

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house...

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

The peace and quiet of Christmas Eve was something I was looking forward to. I couldn't wait to get home from my parent's house, get the kids to bed and wait for Santa to arrive. And arrive he did my friends :-)

Isn't this such a magical sight, even if you are the one that helped make the magic?

Before Santa arrived that night, the kids helped us get ready for him. Addie and Daddy sprinkled some reindeer food on our lawn...

And then everyone came in and we put out some cookies, milk and carrots...

BUT...a certain little cookie monster I know went in for a snack while his sister wasn't looking.

And he enjoyed every last bite :-)

Luckily, the cookie sherif was in a forgiving mood and said that "Santa would understand". What a cutie pie.

That night I tried my hardest to enjoy the peace and quiet. Seriously...I really tried. But between being excited for the morning, anxious that Addie would wake up at 2:00 and see the tree, and not being able to breathe through my nose from this silly sinus infection...I was up ALL. NIGHT. LONG.

So imagine how happy I was when the kids FINALLY woke up and we were able to run and see if Santa came.

As you can see, Addie got her "Hoolie Hoop"

And instead of diving into the huge pile of presents behind her, she insisted we open our stockings first. I've never seen anyone more excited for a Minnie Mouse fork and spoon set :-)

And Blake could have done with just his stocking stuffers. As soon as he opened his Thomas Trains, he was ready to play.

But after some convincing, the kids were finally ready to tear into some packages.

I mean really...who has to convince their kids to put down the stockings and dive into a pile of presents? Especially when a certain someone has been waiting months for her Lalaloopsy doll!

See that lackluster expression? I couldn't believe it. She was just like, "Wow...my Lalaloopsy doll. I wonder if Santa brought my light-up paint brush." And of course he did :-)

Now THERE is the expression I was looking for! I should have sold the Lalaloopsy on eBay. Haha!

And really...Santa could have just brought trains for Blake :-)

Now Howie...there's a man that LOVED his gift. Because my poor little guy has some bladder issues and is on a special food diet now, we can't buy him treats :-( So when I found this adorable "turkey dinner" of dog toys...I was sold.

And he attacked that corn on the cob like it was his job.

It's kind of funny walking around the house and accidentally kicking a baked potato :-)

Before wrapping up our Santa show-and-tell...Addie just had to dress up in her new Tinkerbell nightgown, tiara and dress-up shoes :-)

And then it was off to Mima and Papa Steve's house for breakfast and MORE presents!!

I didn't realize until today how few pictures I took at their house. I think it was because the kids were too busy opening all their fabulous gifts. Addie and Nia went bonkers over their Barbie Townhouses...

And their Belle dolls :-)

The rest of the unwrapping was a total blur of paper flying and kids shouting for things to be opened immediately. Aunt Dana even set up Nia's townhouse so that the girls could play with it before they left. I have to admit...that thing is pretty awesome. Addie and I played Barbies several times today :-)

As always, Mima and Papa Steve spoiled us rotten!! My mother-in-law also made us the most delicious breakfast, which was shoveled in because of impatient, excited little kiddies. So in case I didn't say it while I was there, thanks for the wonderful breakfast Mima and Papa Steve! We love you!!

We managed a quick stop at home for some R&R before heading to Eric's Aunt's house for dinner!! A few years ago, we decided to hire "Santa" (a.k.a Uncle Joe) to dress up and bring the kiddies little gifts. It has become something that we all look forward to.

Here he is making is grand entrance (notice Addie's face)...

The kids were all jumping up and down screaming!!!

And of course...some were just plain screaming. Ha!

As usual, Addie and Santa were BFF. She posed for pictures...

And totally talked his ear off.

We really, REALLY wanted to get a picture with Santa and all the kids but this is literally the BEST we could get. Typical, isn't it?

Santa's gift to the girls this year was a Cinderella nightgown. Of course they all had to immediately put it on and have a "sleepover" in Aunt Sue's bed :-)

And as if these kids aren't spoiled enough, their Auntie Sarah made them each their own personalized blanket!! Cars for Blakers (who is chowing on Goldfish Crackers in the back) and Cinderella for my princess.

Sarah did such a great job on the blankets and I just think it is so sweet that she took the time to make them :-)

Before the night was over, we made sure to sing Happy Birthday to this little Christmas baby...

And if my calendar is right, it seems another little Christmas cutie is just two days away from his birthday. I wonder who it could be?

Christmas Eve!!

2011-12-24T23:00:00.000-06:00

Christmas Eve at my mom and dad's house is something I look forward to all year long. We get to wear our jammies, eat LOTS of food, open gifts and then sit around and relax until we can't keep our eyes open anymore.

As always, my parents went way overboard on us. Apparently every gift we asked for needed to be wrapped in a Christmas garbage bag. Ha!

That made playing Santa this year pretty easy :-)

Blake was the first to open his garbage bag...and what do you know...a new FIREHOUSE!!!

He was so excited :-)

And then Addie took her turn...

After opening her stuffed chicken from Aunt Di and Uncle Adam and her portable DVD player from Nana and Papa...she was set for the night. She didn't need anything else :-)

And speaking of Aunt Di and Uncle Adam...they totally hooked Blake up with this new John Deere tractor!!!

Sadly, Blakers was pretty overwhelmed by all the Christmas fun and needed to take a few time outs with Nana. I don't think she minded though :-) 2-year-olds...can't live with 'em...can't live without 'em :-)

After the kids were occupied with all their toys, it was time for the grown-ups to open! We got each other lots of great gifts, but the best ones are always the ones that can give you a good laugh :-)

You know...like when you and your mom surprise each other with a book on starting your own Etsy business. Great minds think alike :-) I guess I know what we are doing this year!!!!

And of course, when you tell your sister-in-law that you want a blow dryer like this Twilight one and she gets it for you anyway :-)

Opening gifts is fun, but getting to enjoy all your fun new stuff is even MORE fun! I love when we can all just sit...

And play with our toys :)

Even the grow-ups :-)

We could have stayed at my parent's house all night, but we had work to do!! Santa was on his way and we needed to get two kiddies to bed :-) Stay tuned for his arrival!!

"Nothing Can Stop This Fun Old Fashioned Family Christmas...No NO...We're All In This Together!"

2011-12-24T14:31:00.000-06:00

Can you just imagine Chevy Chase screaming this at the top of his lungs with a deranged look in his eye? That's how we all felt yesterday. For the last few weeks, our entire family has been taking turns with the sickies. In some cases, we've taken several turns. The flu, colds, strep, pink-eye, sinus infections, ear infections, you name it.

But that was NOT going to stop our fun old fashioned family Christmas! We were determined to suck it up and make the best of the holiday. And that we did my friends...

HA! I am going to frame this picture. I love it! From our christmas pajamas to our sterile surgical masks...we were ready to party. And party we did! In case I haven't said it before...my family rocks :-)

I think we can all agree that the kiddies were the life of the party this year. Addie was her usual, playful self...hanging ALL over Uncle Ryan...

And of course performing for everyone with her new trumpet :-)

And showing off all her fun new gifts...

She was also obsessed with another man this year...my Uncle Darrel. Someone told her he was actually Santa Claus and she believed it. She sat on his lap and told him what she wanted him to bring her tomorrow...

And even made him pose for pictures with her. It was too funny :-) I think my uncle got a real kick out of all the attention.

And when this peanut FINALLY started to crash, she asked Aunt Meagan to have a "sleepover" in the family room :-)

And she wasn't the only one with endless energy last night. This little guy right here had PLENTY of energy, running all over the house with his new tractor (and throwing a few tantrums :-)...

But this little guy right here...he was as chill as can be. In fact, I might even say he was the star of the party! After all, it is his FIRST Christmas!! We all took a turn holding him.

I could just squeeze that peanut all night!

It really was another great Christmas with my Mom's side of the family. Every Christmas that we get to spend with my Grandma is a blessing, and we love her boyfriend Richard like he is one of our own :)

And my grandma loves her great grandbabies more than anything in the world...and they love her just the same :-)

I really am so blessed to have such great cousins, like my girl Jilly bean...

And great Aunts and Uncles (we miss you Aunt Lori!!!)...

We are lucky to be able to spend our holidays together, enjoying each others company...

And opening some gifts...

And being a little silly...

We are so lucky to have each other :-)

And the fun isn't over yet! Although Uncle Ryan, Aunt Meagan and Baby Owen are traveling to be with Aunt Meagan's family this year, Pajama Christmas Eve at my parents is still on!!!! We will be heading there soon and I can't wait!!!!! It's one of my favorite nights of the year, followed by one of my favorite days of the year!!!

I wish you all a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS and a holiday filled with love and laughter!! I hope Santa is good to you all tomorrow and I promise to check in after all the fun and give you a recap of our holiday. I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight :-)

Merry Christmas to the WINNER!!

2011-12-23T08:14:00.000-06:00

Happy Christmas Eve Eve everyone!!! Here is the post you have been waiting for...the winner of the Oreck Grab-It & Steam-It has been selected!

I wanted to have my mom video tape me selecting the winner but I have a sinus infection and an eye infection...that's not exactly the appearance I want on my first vlog. Haha! So I decided to do a screen recording of me selecting the winner from Random.org.

A few things to note while watching the video: 1) Addie and Blake's picture is my screen saver so don't be confused by the start of the video, 2) Don't worry about adjusting your volume...the audio never recorded (I am very tech challenged), 3) Don't get impatient...I only scroll through my blog post so that you can see how many entries there were as of this morning and 4) Make sure to use the full screen option for the video so that you can see more clearly.

Merry Christmas to everyone who entered!! I wish Santa had more Grab-It & Steam-Its in his bag :-)

It's All About the Little Things

2011-12-22T08:49:00.000-06:00

Sometimes I think that people forget that this is the season to be jolly...not a jackass. I've witnessed several acts of complete and utter rudeness this holiday season and it makes me sad sometimes! People not holding doors for you, even though they clearly see that both your hands are occupied with children. People yelling at the top of their lungs at a cashier that can't get her register to take an expired coupon. A car full of adult women giving an old man the finger because he pulled into a parking spot that was apparently suppose to be theirs. He could barely see over the steering wheel for crying out loud! I mean...is all this necessary? I know people are stressed this time of year, but that is not an excuse to be rude.

But then there are times when people surprise you with their Christmas spirit. These are the people that make up for all the rude Grinches out there. I've been lucky enough to witness several acts of complete and utter kindness this holiday season as well and it makes me so happy!! People helping others load groceries into their car in the middle of a down pour. People tipping waitresses $100 on a $20 check. People literally taking the coat off their back and dropping it into a coat donation box for the homeless (that was just awesome by the way. I wanted to hug that man). And of course, people who go out of their way to say "thank you" and "happy holidays" for no reason at all. This happened to me yesterday and I thought it was worth sharing.

As you all know, I've been working with the Oreck company on this fabulous giveaway (which ends tonight by the way!!!) and my contact person has been a woman named Chelsea. She has been such a sweetheart to work with. Very professional, very helpful and very personable. Well just yesterday, UPS dropped off a package that I wasn't expecting. It was a card and pretty little wrapped box.

This is what was inside...

Oreck has already given me a Christmas present this year. Two, actually. They gave me my own steam mop to review and they are letting me give away another one so that I can make someone else's Christmas a little brighter. There was no reason for Chelsea to send me this sweet card and gift, but she did it anyway and I just think that is awesome :-)

You see friends...it's all about the little things. Holding a door, buying someone a coffee, sending someone an unexpected Christmas card, or just saying "Thanks for being awesome". It makes me want to do some little things to brighten someone else's day today. Pay it forward...as they say :-)

So, has anyone else been witness to any awesome acts of kindness this holiday? Anything that just brightened your day or made you want to hug a complete stranger? These stories always give me the warm and fuzzies :-)

What Santa is Bringing to Our House This Year...

2011-12-21T14:43:00.001-06:00

I think it is so fun to look back on the things that we ask Santa for each year. I can still remember asking for Cabbage Patch dolls, Barbies, Turtle Tots (remember those?) Color Forms, Light-Brights, etc. I also remember the Christmases where Santa brought things we didn't even think to ask for. My parents didn't always have a lot of extra money when we were growing up but the years that they were able to spend a little extra at Christmas...they never spent it on themselves. They always spoiled us rotten! Christmas has always been my Mom and Dad's favorite holiday and I think it's turning into the same thing for Eric and I.

Because we treated the kids to an EXTRA special vacation in November, we are taking it a little easy on Santa this year. Plus, it's not as if these kids go without, especially with all the spoiling that comes from grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, etc. We agreed that we wouldn't do any "big" gifts for the kids this year...just little stuff. Luckily, Addie's wish list is perfect!

The one toy she seems to talk about more than anything this year is the Lalaloopsy Silly Hair doll.

I had no idea these dolls were in such demand until I started noticing a ton of them up on eBay!! I scored this Silly Hair doll for $20 back in October and I've seen it on eBay as high as $80!! Holy Moly. I won't lie...I kinda thought about selling the one I got for Addie and putting the extra dough in her college fund, but when she looks at me with those big hazel eyes and says,

"I can't WAIT for Santa to bring me a Lalaloopsy Siwwy Hair doll!"

My heart melts and the idea flies out the window. Damn kids and their absolutely adorable faces. Haha! Addie is also talking a lot about this Crayola Color Wonders Magic Light Brush paint set...

This was also pretty hard to find!! I looked at like 4 stores before I finally found it on the internet! If they are going to advertise the crap out of these kids toys, they should really make a little extra stock. Just sayin...

And finally, Addie has also asked for a hoola hoop (pink with sparkles of course) and a trumpet. I have NO idea why she got so hooked on this trumpet thing (although she does love playing the princess trumpet that her cousin Gracie has) but my brother Ryan and SIL Meagan asked if they could take care of that gift (being two veteran trumpet players and all :-)

I really love and appreciate that Addie wants such simple things this year. Well...except for the iPad she asked Eric for last night. Keep dreamin girl...even Mommy doesn't have one. Ha!

Blake is probably the easiest to shop for by far because he hasn't asked for anything this year :-) Gotta love this age for that reason. Luckily, he makes it very clear at home what he likes and doesn't like to play with. Some of the things he LOVES to play with right now are trains, cars and...baby dolls. He likes pushing them around in strollers while wearing Addie's dress up shoes. Blake is seriously going to kill me for blogging this when he is older, but it's something so sweet that I want to remember forever :-)

So to make this whole play-time a little more boyish, I decided to get Blake the Lalaloopsy Pirate Doll...

It'll match Addie's and then they can play dolls together :-)

But when he's not playing dolls, I am sure he will be keeping super busy with the Thomas the Train Wooden Railways collection we are starting him, along with the fancy train table that Mima and Papa Steve are getting him for his birthday. He is going to be so excited!

And when the weather gets warm again, he can cruise around with Addie on his very own Disney Cars Scooter...

Like I said, these two do everything together and Blake always wants what Addie has. My mom and dad had this in mind when they got him this awesome KidKraft Fire Station...

Addie's boyfriend Connor has this playset and it is ADORABLE in person. We thought it might be nice for him to have in his room, since Mima and Papa Steve are surprising Addie and Nia with this...

Ahh...the Barbie Dream House. I still remember playing with mine when I was a kid. I would spend HOURS playing with that house and my brothers would even fly Batman and He-Man over to play with my Barbies. The girls are going to freak when they see this.

See why Santa is keeping it simple at our house? It's these Grandparents!!! I haven't even mentioned the portable pink DVD player and matching flower headphones that my parents got Addie. Good Lord...these kids are so spoiled!!! I think next year I might just have Santa fill stockings :)

So...are there any special gifts that you can't wait to give this weekend? I have so many things I can't wait to give...especially the gifts that I actually managed to keep a surprise. And trust me...there aren't many. Haha!

Only 4 more sleeps till Christmas!!!

Grandparents, Doctors & Santa!

2011-12-20T21:47:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone! Sorry for the late post today. We had a special Christmas visit from Great Grandma and Grandpa this morning and then a trip to the doctor this afternoon. BOO! We have really been hit hard with the sickies the last few weeks. I blame myself for bragging in November about how healthy everyone has been this fall. I guess we are just getting all our sickies out at once. Poor Blake got hit the hardest and is now recovering from a cold and his first ear infection. But he's a tropper...and the new garbage truck Great Grandma and Grandpa got him today is helping keep his mind off things :-)

And let's be honest...even the sickies can't put a damper on the fun that is the week before Christmas!!!!! The kids are both SO excited for Santa to arrive (and so are we!!) Santa actually delivered the kid's video messages tonight and I can't wait to show them tomorrow :-) If you want a peak at what Santa had to say, you can watch Addie's video here and Blake's video here :-)

It feels so good to be done with all my wrapping because it means Eric and I can spend our nights watching Christmas movies :-) Oh who am I kidding. Right now Eric is playing "High Noon" on his iPad and I'm reading this cute free book I downloaded from Amazon yesterday...

Yes...I said FREE book! If you have a Kindle or the Kindle app on your iPhone, you can download this book for free! Just click here to get your copy. It has lots of cute Christmas ideas I'll be sure to come back to next year.

So is everyone else SUPER excited about Santa coming this weekend??!!! I can't decide if Christmas is more fun as a kid...or as a parent :-)

Twas the Week Before Christmas...

2011-12-19T12:17:00.000-06:00

And there's not a thing left to do but CELEBRATE!!

Okay...it's not that we have nothing to do. After all, I am hosting Christmas Eve Eve at my house so there will be the usual cleaning and party prep. But other than that, we checked a lot off our Christmas list last week!

During our 5-6 days stuck in the house with the sickies, I managed to finish my Christmas shopping online and now all of my gifts are wrapped and ready to go!! That is such a good feeling :-)

We also did lots of house cleaning/organizing to make room for all the goodies we will be getting this week. Lots of boxes for donation and some for a garage sale this summer. That too is a good feeling.

And speaking of donations and feeling good, I finally took the kids to donate toys for the "Make your Mark Foundation" toy drive!! What turned out to be a simple drop-off with the kids turned into a little volunteer project for me and I was even invited to come back with Addie to see some of the bags put together for all the sick kids at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Isn't this amazing?

And there were about 5 other rooms just like this one. Each child gets a bag full of stuff specific to their age group and needs. It was so incredible to see and Addie just kept asking if she got to take the toys to all the kids at the hospital.

Unfortunately, we were not able to go with to Children's, but they did let me watch a video of their trip up there last year and I cried the whole time. It really makes you want to hug all the healthy kids in your life and thank God every day that they are well. My Mom, my friend Barb and my SIL Dana all donated as well and I have a list of other friends and family that want to join in on the fun next year. It's definitely a cause I want to be a part of for years to come :-)

In addition to our toy drive last week, we also got to see Addie in her preschool Christmas Program!! She was so excited to be healthy and able to participate (and of course, wear her pretty new red dress :)

Blake was pretty excited to get out of the house too.

He was such a little trooper at the show and sat so good in his seat...

Well...at least for the first 10 minutes. Ha!

Addie's show was so adorable!!!

They sang about 6 songs and even did a little sign language Christmas wish. It was so sweet :-)

I might have cried just a little because I can't believe my BABY girl is already so big. I am just so thankful that we were all healthy and able to make it. I wouldn't have wanted her to miss this for anything.

And since we were all on the mend by this weekend, we were also able to have our annual Christmas Breakfast with Uncle Joe!! It's pretty much an opportunity for all of us to get together and take some pictures in our jammies...

Eat some YUMMY food...

And open some gifts!!

Uncle Joe spoiled the kids as usual...

And they spoiled him just a little...

We finally got Uncle Joe the bulletin board he has been asking for since 2006. Haha!

And even though we begged Joe not to get any of us adults anything, he didn't listen. You know...I 'm kinda glad too because I LOVE me some white chocolate Godiva :-)

You wouldn't know from the picture, but we ALL had a great time (including Uncle Joe). This breakfast has become a new tradition that I am loving more and more every year, especially since our kids are old enough to not fall down his stairs anymore. Ha! (inside joke)

In the middle of all this holiday fun, I also managed to get all of my final exams graded, which means I can officially say that the WORST semester of my teaching career is over!!! I just looked at my roster for the Spring and I am feeling great about a fresh new start :-) Here's hoping for the BEST semester of my teaching career!!

************

So friends...is anyone else gearing up to host a party this week? I personally love being in charge of one of our family get togethers because it's nice having everyone over. It makes all the holiday decorating I do worth it. Haha! Now, I'm not sure how many of you are using your Home Management binder but I love this site called Organized Christmas and they have some great check-lists for holiday cleaning and party planning so if you still need to make a list for the week, head on over and check it out!!

Happy Week Before Christmas Everyone! And don't forget to enter my Oreck giveaway!!!

Our 2011 Christmas Cards

2011-12-16T10:55:00.000-06:00

One of my FAVORITE parts of the Christmas season is giving and receiving Christmas cards. I love seeing pictures of how everyone's family has changed and grown over the last year, and I love reading letters from dear friends that I don't get to see very often.

This year, I actually made two different Christmas cards because I couldn't decide which one to get!! Shutterfly just had too many to pick from :-)

Our first card is just of the kiddies. I LOVE this picture so much :-)

I also made a family card, which turned out equally cute. I tried to save these for friends and family members who haven't seen us in a while. My grandma insisted that she get a card with ALL of us :-)

I have seen so many beautiful cards this year, I may have to keep them up year round :-)

So...I am I the only one that made TWO different cards this year?

A Christmas Present for YOU: My Oreck Grab It & Steam It Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

2011-12-15T07:00:00.012-06:00

I'm not a big fan of scrubbing floors. There are just some household tasks that make my cringe and scrubbing the floors is one of them. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that the MINUTE you get done cleaning them...someone spills juice or walks through with muddy paws. Or maybe it has to do with the amount of tile and wood floors that we have in our house. This is just a glimpse of our hallway, entryway and dinning room....

Our kitchen and eating area, as well as our bathrooms, are also ceramic tile so as you can see...I have a TON of floors to keep clean. It can be a pretty labor intensive task when you consider that it really takes two separate steps to clean them (sweeping then mopping).

This is exactly why I put a steam mop on my Christmas list this year. I've had it with the two-step process because more often then not, I'm lucky if I can get the sweeping part done, let alone take the time to mop and disinfect the whole area.

So when the fabulous people at Oreck offered me the opportunity to try their latest product, the Grab-It & Steam-It...

{photo and steam mop courtesy of Oreck}

I was beyond excited!!!!! It's like Santa e-mailed them personally :-)

When I started telling friends and family members that I was getting a steam mop, several of them warmed me that steam mops aren't all they're cracked up to be. A lot of people complained about streaks, about the steamer not getting hot enough, about the steamer being too hot for wood floors, etc. I'll admit...I was getting a little skeptical.

But as soon as I saw that Oreck box on my front step, I was willing to give it a fair shot :-)

The first Pro for this steam mop: Easy assembly!!! You only had to work with 4 pieces (and one of the 4 is just an extra pad).

It took Eric about 30 seconds to snap it together and it was ready to go!!

On a normal day, I would have had plenty of grime and dirt on my floor to use for a demonstration. But because we have been sick around here, I've been cleaning my floors like a crazy person. Go figure.

But thanks to good old Howie, it wasn't long before I had the perfect mess to clean!! This may be the only time I am ever excited about Howie making a mess in my kitchen :-)

So here it is folks...my attempt at a video demo of my new Oreck Grab-It & Steam-It. Don't laugh...I'm a total amateur.

I know that was a rather quick demo, but I hope you were at least able to see how well it works. I can assure you though that I cleaned and steamed my ENTIRE house tonight because I was so excited and everything turned out beautiful.

Here are some of my favorite features of the Grab-It & Steam-It:

* The whole concept of this product is genius. A sweeper AND a steam mop in one? Amazing.

* I was incredibly impressed by the fact that it does not streak, even on my ceramic tile.

* Love the nice long cord. I could clean several rooms without having to switch plugs.

* I'm happy that they give you two cleaning pads, so that there is a back up when the other is in the wash.

* Love that it is light-weight. That is a must for me.

* I love that the maintenance is so simple. Emptying the dirt trap and refilling the water for the steamer takes 2 seconds. It's wonderful.

* I was able to sweep and mop my entire kitchen, hallway and entryway without having to refill the water tank.

* This thing heats up FAST and you have complete control over the temperature of the steam.

At first I had a hard time coming up with any cons for this product, but after cleaning our rather small guest bathroom, I figured out one little problem.

Corners.

Unfortunately, corners are a pain with any tool so I don't want to hold that against the Grab-It & Steam-It too much. But it was something I noticed and since the purpose of using a great tool like this is to cut down your cleaning steps, it would be nice if it attacked corners the way it did the rest of the floor.

But again, I want to focus on the positive because this really is a fantastic household item that EVERYONE should own. It can tackle tile, wood floors and low pile carpet...which is a great feature when your are cleaning in a pinch :-)

So friends...would you like your very own Oreck Grab-It & Steam It (that retails for $179) sitting under your Christmas tree this year?

Well it's your lucky day!! Here's how to enter this amazingly fabulous giveaway:

Mandatory Entry

In order to be entered into this giveaway, you must visit ORECK.COM and tell us one thing you learned about the new Grab-It & Steam It.

You can also earn 6 additional entries after you've completed the mandatory entry by:

* Following @Oreck on Twitter

* Liking Oreck on Facebook

* Tweeting this giveaway including a link to this post

* Facebooking this giveaway including a link to this post

* Blogging about this giveaway including a link to this post

* Following this blog (or commenting that you already follow :-)

Remember...ALL entries must be left as separate comments.

I will announce the winner on Friday, December 23 which means you have until 11:59pm on Thursday, December 22 to enter.

Good Luck Everyone!!!

Important Details and Rules: Giveaway winner must be a resident of the U.S. 48 contiguous states. You must be 18 years and older to enter. No duplicate entries. There will be one winner of the Oreck Grab-It & Steam-It. This giveaway will run from December 15th @ 7:00am to December 22nd @ 11:59pm. Winner will have 72 hours to get in touch with me or a new winner will be selected. Please leave a way for me to notify you. Winner will be determined via a drawing on random.org.

Disclosure: I was given the Grab-It & Steam-It for free to review from Oreck. All opinions stated in this post are entirely my own. Oreck Corporation provided the prize for the sweepstakes but is not the sponsor of the sweepstakes.

What's on MY Christmas List

2011-12-14T14:25:00.001-06:00

This is a pretty selfish post, considering I've already been given everything I've ever wanted. Two beautiful kids, a great husband, a cozy house to call our own, amazing family and friends, and so much more.

But since Santa DID tell me to make a list this year...I didn't want to let him down :-) So, here's what I'm asking for. Hold on to your seat...these gifts are really exciting. Ha!

Cosmetics

I made the biggest mistake of my life when I started using Origins face moisturizer. I have tried to switch to other drugstore brands for the past few years and I just can't do it!!! I love their Perfect World moisturizer in the winter and their Have a Nice Day moisturizer in the summer (because it has SPF). But it isn't cheap, so I ALWAYS ask for it for Christmas so that I know I have my stock built up for the year. Plus, Origins gift wraps for free in the CUTEST boxes that fit perfectly in a stocking :-)

While I was on my cosmetic kick, I also asked for some new make-up from Ulta (Ulta brand make-up is always on sale and they have a great selection). I need a new color palette to go with my darker hair and let's be honest...I just need a new look overall. My make-up routine is tired.

A Craft Cart

Please...as if I could go without asking Santa for something organizational. Now that I have been spending quite a bit of time with my beloved punches and printables, I wanted a new set of plastic drawers (go figure) to organize all of my crafting goodies in. I was looking at all the AMAZING Elfa storage carts at Container Store, but they are a little out of my price range. But then I came across this awesome craft cart and I was sold! I can't wait to fill it :-)

Kitchen Stuff

I have been collecting a ton of recipes lately that call for mini casserole dishes so I made sure to put those on my list. How adorable are these red and white polka dot ones? LOVE!!!

You know me and my polka dots. If Eric wouldn't totally make fun of me, I would consider asking Santa for these pots and pans too...

And speaking of being made fun of...

Hair Appliances

Okay...so I totally need a new blow dryer and curling iron (although I am asking for a curling wand instead) and while I was on my search for a good, but inexpensive one...I found this blow dryer...

Yes. They make Twilight branded blow dryers. They have a whole collection!!! Can you believe it? It's so silly...or is it? I may have sent my SIL Di the link. You know...just in case she can't find anything else.

Books

I almost always ask for books for Christmas, but now that my Harry Potter, Twilight and Hunger Games sets are complete...I didn't know what to ask for :-) But then today, I was walking around Barnes and Noble and I saw THIS!!!!

The Harry Potter Page to Screen: The Complete Filmmaking Journey. Oh. My. Gosh. This book is amazing. Eric and I said we would only do stocking stuffers for each other this year, but he could make this fit in a stocking...couldn't he?

Steam Mop

I know. A steam mop? How boring! But seriously friends...I NEED this for Christmas. Our house is about 75% ceramic tile or hardwood and I need a better way to clean and disinfect it. I originally asked Santa for a mop but when I was contacted by the fabulous people at Oreck to do a review of their new Grab It & Steam It I literally jumped at the chance!!!!

This beauty just arrived today and I can't wait until the kids get up from their nap so I can give it it's first test run!!!! In fact, I may spend the whole night steaming and mopping my floors so I can give you a fabulous review tomorrow.

What's that you say? A steam mop is on YOUR Christmas list this year?? Well friends...it's your lucky day! Not only will I be reviewing the Oreck Grab It & Steam It tomorrow, I will also be giving you a chance to win one for yourself!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now wouldn't that be a fabulous, unexpected Christmas present? Be sure to check back tomorrow for all the fun!

When You Can't Go To Your Preschool Christmas Party...

2011-12-13T12:32:00.000-06:00

It's pretty awesome to wake up to a surprise like this...

Yes friends...turns out Addie didn't bypass the flu after all, despite our best efforts. While I was observing her in dance last night, she just seemed off. She was looking a little pale and was acting sort of spacey (more than usual :-). I even said to another mom that I thought Addie was getting sick. And then as soon as we walked out of the room and into the hallway to get our coats, Addie puked. EVERYWHERE!! All down her clothes, my clothes and a little in the hallway. I faced her towards me and ran to the bathroom. Luckily, the majority of it got on me and her instead of all over another kid.

But I was still mortified. I was so worried that other moms were looking at me like I was a jerk for bringing my sick kid but I HONESTLY thought the flu was missing her. She had been perfectly fine all day and because she had spent the last few days at my mom and dad's house...I thought we were in the clear. Plus, I didn't want her to miss her special performance :-(

The good news I guess is that she didn't miss her performance AND managed to wait until class was over to let it all out. Poor baby. On the way home she even asked me to pull over so that she could throw up outside and not on her "pretty carseat". Bless her heart.

Her flu lasted about as long as mine and Blake's...about 12 hours. She is already acting like her old self and even managed to enjoy her "sick party" that Toodles the Elf planned for her. We made some Christmas crafts...

And did some coloring...

We also drank a little hot coco and now we are watching Beauty and the Beast's Enchanted Christmas. Eric and Howie are the last two standing and I am praying it misses them. I am on a mission to disinfect my house for the 40th time this week, but I am trying to be grateful for a few things today.

1. I'm lucky my kiddies are getting these sickies out BEFORE Christmas

2. That it's just the flu.

3. That they can be home with me instead of in the hospital. There are so many sweet kids that are not that fortunate this holiday.

This has been a rough week, but on the bright side, I have had a lot of quality time with the kids just staying home in our PJs. Sometimes that's better than all the hustle and bustle, but I am very much looking forward to healthier days!!

Please pray this is the LAST post with the word "sick" in it for a while :-)

The Holiday Sickies Just Plain Suck

2011-12-12T14:17:00.000-06:00

Being sick isn't fun any time of year, but being sick during the holidays just plain SUCKS!! Last week, my sweet little Nia had to miss her preschool Christmas program because she threw up in school that day. She was so sad and it just broke my heart when Dana told me how she cried after her bath because she had to put on PJs and not her sparkly Christmas dress :-(

And then last week, I spent a whole night putting warm wash clothes on Addie's eye. Damn pinkeye is brutal, but we caught it early so it never got really bad. But she was one miserable girl that night and then she had to miss making Christmas trees in preschool the next day :-(

Luckily, Blake really isn't in anything to "miss" right now so when he got the flu on Thursday night, he took it as his opportunity to cuddle on the couch with mommy ALL DAY! And I was fine with that. I felt lucky to be home and able to take care of the little guy.

The whole week, I kept waiting to get sick. Between Nia, Dana, Kevin, my Mother-in-Law, Addie and Blake...I figured something was bound to make it's way to me. But then on Saturday, we all woke up happy and healthy in our house!! I figured it had something to do with the can of Lysol I used throughout the week or my excessive hand-washing...but no matter the reason, I was just happy that we could enjoy our day home together.

So we set out to complete one of our Advent Activities...Christmas cookie baking. Addie has been waiting all month to do this.

Blake was a little too young to bake last year and I honestly thought he wouldn't be too into it this year. But I was wrong...my little chef did fantastic for his first cookie bake!

Like all good chefs, the kids made sure to sample their work.

And here is their finished product!

In addition to cookie baking, we were also able to finish some Christmas wrapping, go through some toys in the playroom, do a little coloring and watch Santa Claus is Comin to Town. Overall, it was a fun, festive and productive Saturday. I really thought we had the sickies behind us.

But then I woke up Sunday with flu. AHHH!!! In all fairness though, I did ask God in my prayers to give me the flu and not Addie so that she could attend all her Christmas activities this week. I guess he was listening :-)

On any other Sunday, I would have handled the flu and not been sad about it. I would have been glad that it was happening on a weekend with Eric's help, rather than on a weekday when I was with the kids by myself. But this Sunday was the Mueller Christmas party and I was SO SO SAD to miss it! We only get together with my Dad's side of the family 2 times a year...Christmas and the 4th of July. Our Christmases are always so much fun and there were so many people I wanted to see!

But Eric was a total trooper and packed both kids up himself to take them to the party. There is just no way we could let this peanut miss Christmas with her cousins :-) She couldn't wait to see Gracie!

One of the reasons I was so excited for the Mueller Christmas this year was to congratulate my cousin Liz on her engagement!! My mom knew how much I wanted to see her ring, so she texted me a picture. Her soon-to-be-hubby did good, didn't he?

And of course, we didn't want the kids to miss the gift exchange since we had two special gifts to give ourselves. Blake's cousin Ali picked him and she got him a Thomas the Train set...his favorite!!! Thank you so much Ali (and cousin Janice)!! And Evie got Addie so she gave her a bunch of fun school supplies, including a wipe-off marker activity book that is going to be on my gift list for kids from now on. It is SO CUTE!! Thanks so much Evie (and cousin Kris)!!

Even though I am still so sad I had to miss the party, I am glad that Eric was able to take the kids and that they were there to have fun and enjoy the holiday :-)

I am happy to report that I am feeling back to my old self today, minus some energy of course. Isn't it crazy how DRAINED you feel after only a day of being sick? Hopefully one more nights sleep will get me back to 100%. We have so much fun ahead of us this week...I don't want to miss a thing! And luckily, because I was feeling better, we were able to keep our Christmas playdate with my sweet friend Marie today!

As usual, Marie spoiled the crap out of me and the kids...

But the best part of our visit was just getting to sit around, chit-chat and cuddle.

Aw...my little nose picker. I should have taken another picture. Ha! My kids just love her to pieces and even though we got her a gift too, I think the cuddle time was her favorite part :-) So glad we got to keep our date Marie! We love you!!

Alright friends...I better run. We have ballet tonight and the parents get to observe for a sneak peak of what they are working on for their recital in the spring! I'm so excited because we haven't had a chance to watch yet this year. Don't worry...I'll be sure to take some video and pictures :-)

Happy Monday Everyone!!

Taking a Sick Day

2011-12-09T12:40:00.000-06:00

Happy Friday everyone! The sun is shining, there is a fresh dusting of snow on the ground and the Disney Channel is showing some great holiday cartoons and movies. It's the perfect day to be housebound with my sick little man.

He looks real sick doesn't he?

I wish I looked that cute and happy after a night of puking. My poor little guy has the flu, but thankfully it seems to have just been a 12 hour thing. I am praying my other little peanut doesn't get it, because she is just getting over pinkeye. Poor kiddies. It's been a rough week around our house.

Luckily, Nana came to the rescue BIG TIME today and took Addie to her house to stay away from germs. It's been nice spending the morning with Blake and being able to cuddle with him on the couch.

And let's be honest...Addie would rather be at Nana's house anyway. It's not like she's spoiled there or anything :-)

But I made my mom a promise that if she took Addie, I would actually use naptime to catch up on sleep myself. So friends...as much as I would love to blog about my Christmas wish list...I am going to take my Momma's orders and hit the couch.

I hope you all have a happy, HEALTHY weekend!

Organizing Toys...BEFORE Santa Comes

2011-12-08T14:21:00.002-06:00

I don't know about you, but I am starting to get into panic mode thinking about all the new toys and things that we...I mean Santa...will be bringing into our house this year. Actually, it's not even Santa that's creating this mess. It's the super generous grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends that these kids have. I already know what our house is going to look like on December 26th and it's not going to be pretty.

So I have started to slowly weed out some of our unused toys for donation and I am trying to make room and re-organize for the things that are coming in. Luckily, my kids are pretty blessed to have great bedrooms and a playroom with lots of wonderful built-in storage (thanks to my amazing Daddy-O and his carpentry skills). These are the storage units in Addie's bedroom...

And the shelving in the playroom...

As you can see from these two pictures, I am a big fan of organizational bins and baskets. Although, you can never beat simple toy boxes. But with smaller toys, I just don't think there is any other way to keep them straight! The baskets in Addie's room are these from Pottery Barn Kids and the blue and metal baskets in the playroom are from Target. The PBK baskets are great and so adorable in person, but they are super pricey if you have to buy more than two. I got my half off on a special once so they were totally worth it, but I decided to stick with Target for the playroom because they were MUCH cheaper and work just as well.

When it comes to organization, especially with kids (who's needs and wants are always changing), I have found that the simplest containers, baskets and bins are the best because you can re-use them for different things. Addie's hot pink PBK totes are cute, but I will never be able to use them for Blake and if she ever decides she is over pink...I'm not sure what I will do with them.

But these beauties...my Container Store simple plastic, stackable shoe boxes will always serve a purpose.

I actually bought a case of 12 of these shoe containers before Eric and I got married. I used them for all my pretty shoes (which don't get worn much these days) and then I've slowly moved them into different rooms in my house to organize my velcro hair rollers, nail polishes, batteries, etc. Now, all 12 of my containers are being used in the kids playroom. They are the perfect size to keep smaller items like action figures, flash cards, doctor play sets, magnet games for the fridge, markers, crayons, stickers, puzzles and the list goes on and on. These are seriously my favorite plastic storage containers EVER and now that I've had them for over 6 years I can honestly say they are worth every penny.

Another great purchase that I recommend to anyone looking for larger toy bins are these I Think I Canvas Hampers from Land of Nod. I use them for the kids hampers, as well as other storage in their room and in our basement play area. I love these because they are collapsible, durable, and only $16.95!

And lets not forget good old plastic drawers.

I think I have at least 5 different plastic drawer sets in my house. Eric would always make fun of me and say that I would make a bedroom set out of plastic drawers if I could. Ha! He may be right because I really do love these. They are cheap, easy ways to organize and no matter what, you can always find something to use them for!

In fact, my SIL Dana started using a set to organize all of Nia's dress-up clothes. It was such a good idea, I took a set of my drawers and put them in Addie's room last week. I LOVE that she can pull her play clothes out and put them away herself. I use the top drawer for tiaras, gloves and bags, the second drawer just for play jewelry (we have a lot) and the bottom two for costumes and clothes. This drawer set fits right in her closet and it is the perfect solution to our dress-up mess.

Another reason I love plastic drawers and other module units is that you can move them around to where ever you need them at the time. That is another reason I have really been digging some of these book and toy organizers that are out right now.

Blake would go crazy for this Cars set from Wayfair.com, and I would strongly consider getting it if he didn't already have a book shelf and toy bin in his room. I think organizers like this are perfect for smaller rooms or shared rooms that don't have space for big book shelves. I know the novelty of it being a "Cars" set can limit you, but at only $24.00, it isn't a piece that you would regret paying the money for later. I also see on Wayfair.com that they have a similar Disney Princess organizer. Oh boy...better not let Addie see that one :-)

I could seriously talk about organizing all day, but maybe I should actually get organizing instead of sitting on the computer talking about it. Ha! But please...if you have any great storage solutions for your house, be sure to share. I know we are all thinking the same thing right now :-)

Delicious, EASY Holiday Snack Mix That's Perfect for Giving

2011-12-07T15:10:00.001-06:00

A lot of people are on the hunt for the perfect, simple, inexpensive gift to give neighbors, mailmen, teachers, friends, family, etc. and I have a recipe for the most delicious and EASY snack mix ever.

You only need a few simple ingredients...

The first step is to mix all ingredients except the chocolate chips. You will need:

2 cups Chex Cereal

2 cups Honey Nut Cheerios

1 cup cocktail peanuts

2 bags M&Ms (choose holiday colors for fun)

1 bag mini pretzels

As you will see, the recipe makes quite a bit so once I mix everything together, I like to separate it into two big bowls.

Step two is to heat 3 tbs. vegetable oil and the 2 bags of white chocolate chips in a small saucepan.

Stir constantly to keep from burning until the chocolate is smooth and creamy.

Then just dump the melted chocolate into your bowls and mix really well until all pieces are coated.

Immediately after stirring, spread the mix out on parchment or wax paper to cool.

Cooling only takes about 10 minutes or so and then you are ready to enjoy! Look how delicious...

You can share this mix a million different ways, but I love how it looks in mason jars. So that's what I bought this year, along with some ribbon and a cute label.

See how easy? That one recipe filled 10 mason jars PLUS a container for us to munch on at home. Those 10 jars only took one spool of ribbon as well (10yrds) and 2 sheets of labels. You can also create your own label, or you can borrow mine by downloading it here.

Obviously, these jars are cute enough by themselves, but I decided to put one in with Addie's teacher gifts. I know I went a little overboard this year with craftiness, but these baskets were so fun to put together!!

I saw lots of ideas on Pinterest for teacher gifts and there are some fun ones out there. But I didn't think any of them were just right for a preschool teacher so I decided to put a bunch of ideas I saw together. I decided to make a basket of treats that represent each of the letters that Addie has learned in school so far (they learn a new one each week). They have only been through 9 letters so far so this was easy. If they had been through the whole alphabet by now, I might have been in trouble. Ha!

And your teacher basket doesn't have to represent something specific. I just think putting a letter on each treat is cute all by itself. It can make even something as boring as a bag of popcorn look cute. All I used here was a strip of scrapbook paper and a label that said "P is for..." and attached it.

See? Way cuter than a plain old bag :-)

Is it obvious that I am addicted to punching? So...what is everyone else doing for teachers, neighbors, postmen, etc?

Hope you love the snack mix everyone! Happy Hump Day!

I'm Feelin Guilty Today

2011-12-06T12:03:00.000-06:00

It's been exactly one month since I put on my running shoes. My last run was the Hot Chocolate 5K and let's be honest...I only raced for the chocolate :-)

I'm fairly certain that I've made several resolutions on this blog to stick with running through the holidays and yet here I am...starting week 5 of my no-run streak. At first I didn't feel too bad about it. We were on vacation, planning for the holidays, blah blah blah.

But then yesterday I saw one of my "running buddies" (a woman who I always passed on my runs this summer and fall) and she was all bundled up, banging out her 4 mile run. And there I was...driving in my car eating a melted hershey kiss I found at the bottom of purse.

I felt like a lazy piece of crap.

But instead of going immediately home and jumping on the treadmill, I spent the night complaining about how it's been a month since my last run. I think I was also eating a Christmas cookie while I complained.

So I'm done complaining now. I can't say that I don't have time because I do. I can't say I don't have a means to run when the weather is bad because I do. And most importantly, I can't say that I don't enjoy running because I do. I LOVE it. And I miss it.

It't time to get back to work, especially if my crazy ass is going to run a half marathon at some point in 2012.

The question now my friends is do I continue to be a lazy piece of crap the rest of December and start fresh in January with the rest of the new years resolutioners? Or do I quit making excuses and start TODAY? Hmm....

Birthdays, Birthdays, Birthdays

2011-12-05T13:52:00.000-06:00

Even though December is apparently the least popular month to have a birthday (considering how many people have told me they "feel sorry" for Blake), there seem to be a MILLION birthdays this month for us! Today is only December 5th and we've already been to two parties!

If you ask me, I think December is a wonderful month to celebrate a birthday! Everything is so festive and fun...what's not to love? We celebrated the first birthday of the month on Saturday with Uncle Joe. He chose to have his birthday dinner at a Brazilian Steakhouse and OMG...I have never seen so much meat in my life!!! It was a carnivore's paradise and Uncle Joe was very excited. Can you tell?

Well...take my word for it. He was excited. Actually, he was just about as excited as our second birthday boy...Mr. Cole!

Okay...so I guess my camera phone didn't exactly capture the true emotions in the room, but you get the idea :-) It's hard to believe my little Cole (who actually turns 2 on Christmas day) is already such a big boy! And look at my little birthday boy next to him. I could just cry looking at these two! Where has the time gone?

I actually realized the other day that I only have a month until Blake's second birthday party!! AHH!! It's a good thing we've already decided on a Disney's Cars theme. It was either that, or have an Oh TWOddles Mickey party! You like that little play on words? I came up with that after I sent his invitations to the printer so I couldn't switch. Damn it! Oh well...I still have a lot of fun ideas for his Cars party, but I will save those for another post :-)

Happy Monday everyone! Time for this mama to get some work done :-)

Make Your Own Christmas Tags, Cupcake Toppers & More!

2011-12-02T13:04:00.001-06:00

I ran into my SIL's best friend Julee at the store yesterday and she said, "Jen...you are just too damn crafty. I don't know how you find the time to make all those cute labels and tags but I love them. I need to learn how!!"

Well Julee...it's your lucky day girlfriend! Julee isn't the first friend, family member or bloggy reader to ask how I make all the labels, toppers and tags I share on my blog. After spending the better part of a year trying to teach myself different software programs, watching tutorials and going through LOTS of trial and error, I can honestly say that making these labels, toppers and tags is EASY!!! And it can be easy for all of you too if you are willing to invest the time to learn how. Trust me...once you are comfortable with a program, you will be able to whip these printables up in no time!!

Before I even begin this little "tutorial," I have to make it known that I am a total amateur when it comes to this stuff. There are SO MANY smarter blogs and websites (which I will link to) that can teach you the same thing in a more effective way, but I am going to do my best to explain how I make mine.

Step 1: Choosing Software

A few of my friends have told me that they have no desire to learn how to actually design labels, toppers and tags...they just need to know what to do with a printable once they download it. And if that is your case...fear not. Those instructions come later. And in all honestly, there are SO MANY free and inexpensive printable files on the internet, you may have no reason to learn software and design your own. If that is the case...feel free to skip to the next step :-)

Now, if your mission IS to learn how to create and design printables yourself, then the first step is choosing the right software for you. There are some free options that you can choose from if you aren't interested in investing any money yet.

1. Google Picasa and Picnik. I found a really great tutorial on how to make toppers using these programs. Again, they are free so it may be a good place to start.

2. Microsoft Publisher. Since a lot of you may already have this program installed on your computer with your other Microsoft Office suites, it may be the perfect option for you. Here is another great tutorial on making printables in MS Publisher.

I have personally never tried either of these options because I knew I wanted to invest in some software to help with my digital scrapbooking. There are a million videos and tutorials on how to use Adobe Photoshop but I found it a bit too complex for me. Like I said...amateur :-) But if you already own Photoshop and know the basics of how it works, this would be your best bet.

Personally, I needed something a little more user friendly (and inexpensive) so I purchased the My Memories Suite scrapbooking software and now that I know exactly how to use it...I LOVE it!!! It's how I make my blog banners, toppers, tags, labels, invitations, thank you cards, scrapbooking pages, personalized picture projects, etc. It is incredibly user friendly and if any of you decide to buy this software and would like me to put together a printables tutorial...let me know in the comments and I will get working on one!

There are a lot of other scrabooking software products on the market so look around and see if you can try any for free. The key is to find a program that works for YOU! You want the process to be easy so that you can hop on at 11:00pm when you realize you have to bring treats to work the next day and whip up a tag in a few minutes. Of course, if that still isn't enough time for you, you can always find a free printable online...which brings us to Step 2!

Step 2: Downloading & Gathering Supplies

At this point, you have either already created your own printable, or you have downloaded one from the internet. Like I said, there are a ton of great free printables online for any occasion, and you can always find some super cute ones on Etsy (I hope to have my own store there some day :-). Once you have downloaded your file, you need to decide what you are going to do with it! If you are going to use your printable as cupcake toppers, you will want to print on thick card stock. If you are planning to use your printable as a label or gift tag...you want to print it on a full sheet label so that you can punch them yourself. You can find full sheet labels at any office supply store or online here.

Printing tags on full sheet labels is SO much easier than trying to glue them on a gift or treat bag (trust me...I learned the hard way). And if you are using them as a gift tag, there are lots of cute ways to decorate a package...

Now, in addition to getting yourself some full sheet labels, you also want to invest in some punches. My favorite brand of punches is Uchida Clever Lever Punches.

They have a ton of different shapes and sizes, but I think the two I use the most are the 2" scallop circle punch (perfect for cupcake toppers and smaller tags), and the 2.5" scallop circle punch (perfect for treat bags and larger gift tags). You can find all of their punches on sale for 40% off at Joann Fabrics online by clicking here. You can also find these punches at any craft store and sometimes at Wal-Mart or Target in the scrapbook isle.

So...once you have your paper or labels, your punch and you've downloaded a printable like this...

It's time to print!

Now, unfortunately, the next step is going to be most useful for Mac users because I am using iPhoto to show how to customize print size and print your tags. But hopefully, all you PC users will have similar steps in your print programs so you can do the same thing.

Step 3: Printing & Punching

Now that you have everything you need, it's time to print your tag. You will need to open your file in whatever photo program you have on your computer. I have a Mac so I use iPhoto. When I first select "print" for my tag, the default takes over and my file is stretched to the standard 8.5 x 11.

Obviously, this is a little too big for our project. So, we want to look to the bottom of the page where you see a pull down menu for "print size" and choose "custom". This allows you to change the size of the photo or image you are printing. I always size a quarter inch up from whatever punch size I am using. In this case, I want to use my 2" punch so I am going to customize my image to 2.25 x 2.25

This is how your image should look on the page now.

Now, because I want to print a full sheet of these tags and not waste any paper, I want to click on "settings" at the bottom of the page and select "multiple of the same photo per page".

Now I have my full sheet!

I have a rather inexpensive HP printer but my tags always print out nicely, especially when I select "best" quality.

After your tags are printed, break out your punch and hold it upside down so you can make sure your circle is lined up evenly.

And viola!!!

Once you have your punched tag, you can make your toppers or attach it right to your gift :-)

If you like how this gift looks, I got the polka dot paper and green ribbon at Target :-)

So there you go friends!!! It really is so easy to get crafty once you know what you need. Just remember the 4 Ps...Paper, Printable, Punch and Printer!

Remember...if any of you would like a My Memories Suite tutorial or have the links to other great tutorials, be sure to share in the comments.

Happy Weekend everyone! Now get crafting :-)

Toys That Get Played With

2011-12-01T15:05:00.001-06:00

We have too many toys.

There. I said it. We have WAY too many toys for only having two young children. When Addie was just a baby, we had one toy box in our family room. It fit every toy she owned and we were content. But then suddenly, that one toy box has grown into two bedrooms, a playroom and an unfinished basement FULL of toys!!

I almost think I could accept the amount of toys we have IF my kids played with all of them. But they don't. They play with maybe half of them if we're lucky. And honestly, I find that random household items like remote controls, plastic bowls and spoons, empty kleenex boxes and toilet paper roles get more play time than any of the their toys. Empty kleenex boxes are a LOT cheaper then some of the junk we have bought for them :-)

But I don't want to say that all of their toys are a waste because some toys have actually been really big hits with both my kids. Those are the toys that I often give as gifts because I know they will get played with (at least a little bit). And since this is the season of giving gifts, I thought I would share some of these toys with you incase you have a child to buy for this year.

Fisher Price Learning Piggy Bank

I know a lot of the 6-9 month toys seem like a waste (and many of them are) but both of my kids loved playing with this piggy bank when they were babies. Believe it or not, they both still play with this from time to time and they are now almost 2 and 4!! Addie likes counting the coins now and carries them in her "purse". This is a great gift for a baby or early toddler in my opinion, especially when you can find it as cheap as $12 sometimes :-)

Melissa and Doug Chunky Wooden Puzzles

We own almost every Melissa and Doug Chunky Wooden Puzzle they make. Addie got her first one from the Easter bunny when she was a baby and she has been playing with them ever since. Blake is crazy about this truck puzzle and he pushes them around on the floor :-) They are really a fantastic gift and around $7-$10...you can't beat it.

Melissa and Doug Play Food

Okay...I am pretty much in love with all Melissa and Doug toys. They are durable and unique and my kids always grab for them. They love this play food cutting set, as well as the other wooden food sets they make. And speaking of play food, you can't go wrong with this next gift.

Land of Nod Felt Fruit and Veggies

Land of Nod has a bunch of great toys for kids, but one of the first things I bought from their store was this felt veggie set. It was such a big hit with Addie, I ended up getting her the fruit set too. They are seriously so cute in person...you might be tempted to put them in a bowl on your kitchen counter. They love playing "grocery store" with these because they are big and they fill up a real grocery bag :-) And speaking of playing grocery store...

Pottery Barn Kids Shopping Cart

I originally bought this for Addie, but Blake is the one that pushes it every. single. day. That boy LOVES filling this shopping cart and pushing it around the house. It's always a huge hit when other kids come over to play too. I know it is a little pricey at $45, but considering how sturdy it is and how much my kids play with it, I think it's worth every penny. Plus, Addie loves writing on the chalkboard :-)

Fisher Price Learning Vacuum (or any toy vacuum)

I linked to this Fisher Price learning vacuum because it is the first toy vacuum we owned. My brother gave it to Addie for her first Christmas and between her and Blake, I would say this is one of the most played with toys in our house. Now that we have upgraded to the toy Dyson vacuum that Pottery Barn Kids sells...this vacuum doesn't see quite as much action. But that's only because it is a smaller toy and Addie has to bend over to use it now. But...what I can say from owning two toy vacuums is that kids love to pretend clean. I can only hope that love sticks around when they can work a real vacuum :-)

And finally...

A Play Kitchen

I am only linking to the Pottery Barn Kids kitchen set because it is absolutely adorable!! If I would have had an extra $700...I would have probably got this one for my kids. Instead, we have a Step 2 Lifestyle Kitchen that certainly gets the job done. Blake definitely spends more time at the kitchen then Addie these days, but it has been used and abused and it's still a great toy :-)

I know I am forgetting a lot of great toys on this list, but for the most part, these are the things I think are gift worthy and definitely got used in our house. All kids are different and mine are still pretty young so I realize this only spans a small age group. BUT...it seems that buying for babies and toddlers can be pretty overwhelming, especially if you aren't buying for your own kids, so I hope this little list helped! And of course, be sure to share your kids and grandkids favorite toys in the comments. It's always great to read real reviews :-)

Happy 1st Day of December everyone!

25 Days to Christmas: Final Advent Preparation & Meeting Santa

2011-11-30T15:05:00.001-06:00

It's that time my friends!!! December starts tomorrow, which means it's time to break out those Advent Calendars and let the fun begin!!

Today's 101 Days to Christmas Challenge is Final Advent Preparation. We are all set over at our house. We have the fabric Advent Calendar that Nana made us a few years ago. Instead of filling each pocket with a treat (because the kids are still too young to resist the temptation to open all 25 the first day), we are just going to have our Christmas Penguin hop from pocket to pocket each day.

I think the kids will like moving him every morning. Plus, it's not like we are going through advent without a special treat each day. Elf is bringing us a book each night and Great Grandma dropped off this chocolate advent calendar today...

I think these kids are sufficiently spoiled this year :-)

But the advent fun doesn't stop there! I did a post a while back about an Advent Activities Calendar and we finally have ours all filled out and hanging on the fridge!

Obviously, some of these activities may change (do to weather, unexpected events, etc.) but at least we have a game plan of the things we want to do!! If you still want a blank copy of the Advent Activities Calendar I made, you can download it here.

If you noticed, visiting Santa is not on our calendar because we already got to see him this year! Twice, actually. The first time was with Nia and Nolan, after Aunt Dana suggested we beat the Santa rush and head to Bass Pro Shop the day before Thanksgiving.

If you have a Bass Pro Shop near you...you should really take your kids (or grandkids, nieces and nephews, etc.) because it is a really kid-friendly store. They have these huge fish tanks that my kids just love...

And during the holidays, they have a huge Santa's workshop set up with tons of free crafts, games and activities set up for the kids. Addie and Nolan were crazy about this train...

Although, the train was nothing compared to the shooting game.

Nia and Addie with guns...their Daddies were proud.

I suppose the best part of Santa's Workshop at Bass Pro is the big man himself. We were able to get TWO pictures this year that were both FREE! Sorry mall...no more $20 pictures for us :-)

Plus, this Santa was amazing. So sweet and gentle with the kids. They just loved him. Well...Addie loved him. Blake was only willing to give him a high-five and then I had to hold him for the picture. (I wish I would have pulled his pant legs down. Whoops!). But hey...at least no one was crying this year!!

When we were done with our picture, Addie was still talking Santa's ear off. There was a huge line but Santa didn't rush her. He let her tell him ALL about preschool, wanting a light-up paint brush (that was news to me) and a Disney Princess Aurora Baby. The camera man was sweet enough to snap a second picture of just Addie and Santa. I love this one.

And like I said, this wasn't the only time Addie's seen Santa this year. When we were at the mall getting our ears pierced, there wasn't a line to see Santa so she ran right over and hopped on his lap. I didn't get another picture, but I wish I had because she was so sweet sitting on his lap showing him her new earrings. Kids are so freaking precious at this age. Just seeing how excited she was to talk to Santa (without all the crying and body thrashing) was priceless :-)

So...has anyone else already seen Santa this year? Is everyone excited to get their Advent calendars up and going? I know we are!!

One VERY Special Girl

2011-11-28T14:02:00.001-06:00

So far, this week is starting out to be pretty awesome for Addie. For starters, we went to the mall today and came home with these...

As promised, I took Addie to get her ears pierced for not only filling up her listening chart with stickers, but also for getting a wonderful progress report from her teachers!! I put it off for a little while, thinking she would change her mind and want something else. But when I asked her today what she wanted as a reward, she said she wanted to get her ears pierced. So off to the mall we went!

I still can't get over how calm and sweet she was about the whole thing. She just hopped right up on the seat...

When the girl told me that she would have to do each ear separately, I was worried that Addie would freak after the first one and not want to do the second. When she first pulled the trigger, Addie looked like a deer in headlights. But then when she realized how quick the pain was, she was ready for the second ear.

I still can't believe she didn't so much as flinch during that whole experience!! She was such a little trooper. I think it helped talking about it ahead of time. Nia even told her that it just hurts for a minute, and that's all Addie kept saying, "It just hurwts for a minute".

After we were done, Addie walked all over the mall telling every stranger that walked by that she got her ears pierced. We were even able to tell santa!!! She was also more than willing to pose for pictures with her new "diamonds" :-)

So now my baby girl has her ears pierced. I could almost cry!! She is just growing up way too fast!

***

So as if getting this big treat wasn't special enough today...we came home and finished setting up her very own pink Christmas tree. Her "Pinkalicious" tree as she says :-)

And then tomorrow, Addie gets to be the "Special Person" at school which means she gets to bring a show-and-tell item (which will be her picture and autograph book from Disney) as well as a snack to share with the class. I wanted to do something Christmasy but since we have a peanut allergy classroom, the list of acceptable snacks is kind of strict. So I had to be creative.

I ended up finding some strawberry applesauce at Target (market pantry brand) and I made little sticker labels to put on the top.

I think they turned out pretty cute! So if you happen to be looking for a yummy, inexpensive treat for kids this holiday season, just buy some strawberry applesauce, print out the label I made here, and viola! You have yourself some Christmas Applesauce :-)

Addie is so excited to be the special person...I can't wait to hear how it goes :-) Although, I am pretty sure the Disney autograph book will take a back seat to her new diamonds during show and tell. Ha!

Decking the Halls & Welcoming Elf

2011-11-27T18:48:00.001-06:00

After all the hustle and bustle of Thanksgiving and the week leading up, it was nice to just spend some time at home relaxing this weekend. I am so happy that I managed to deck our halls last week, so that we could just sit back and admire this weekend :-)

Here is our lovely dining room tree (that houses all of our breakable ornaments up top so they are out of reach from tiny hands :)...

Last year I was able to score a bunch of different clearance wreaths that I have hung in all our windows this year. I think they are such a cute and simple touch. All you need is some ribbon.

And here is our cozy little family room tree...the one Santa visits :-)

I have my red and white polka dot Reisenthel out to collect all the Christmas books our little Elf brings each night :-)

Speaking of which...we did have some excitement this weekend. Our Elf on the Shelf arrived!!!

Addie was very excited to see him, but Blake didn't know what the hell was going on.

It only took us a few minutes to break Santa's first rule of NO TOUCHING!!!

So now our Elf hangs out in especially high places :-)

I guess I shouldn't say that Blake doesn't know what's going on, because in all honesty...he was the one that named our Elf this year. His name is "Toodles", short for "Oh Toodles", since that's Blake's favorite thing to say each morning when we watch Mickey :-)

So Toodles the Elf is here to stay!! At least until Christmas Eve. And as long as the kiddies behave, he will bring them a new book each night. That's my favorite part of the whole tradition :-)

So...how was everyone else's Thanksgiving weekend?? Does everyone have their tree(s) up? I am so excited that it is FINALLY Christmas season!!!

The Best Thanksgiving Yet

2011-11-25T14:33:00.000-06:00

Isn't it funny how some of the most uneventful holidays are the most memorable? Many of our Thanksgivings have been overshadowed a bit by weddings and new babies the last few years. The last 5 to be exact :-) So this year, when we all managed to work out our schedules to be together around one table...

I knew it was going to be special. My parent's hosted this year and there is just something so warm and comfortable about being at their house. And maybe that's the magic word here...comfortable. This thanksgiving was comfortable and wonderful in so many ways.

We kept all of our traditions, like forcing Di to make the gravy and having Eric help with the bird...

We gave Addie her responsibilities, like feeding baby Owen his Thanksgiving meal...

We took our girls group picture (although I realize now we should have had mom in it, instead of taking it). Whoops! Redo at Christmas :-)

And then we did some lounging. Here I am with my little turkey, who celebrated his FIRST Thanksgiving!!!

And then it was time to sit around drinking coffee and wine while looking at the sale papers.

The good news is that none of us had to wait in those insane lines (except for my brother who does it for fun). I was able to score so many deals last night and today online that I am just a few presents away from being done with my shopping!!! That feels so good! My goal was to be done by December 1st, but that isn't far away so I better get moving :-)

After browsing the sale ads, my Mom and Dad pulled out some old videos from when my brothers and I were kids. They were so cute and so funny to watch. I can't believe how much my little Addie is a clone of me and how much Owen is a clone of my brother. I really should find a way to share these videos because they are precious. It was a wonderful way to end our holiday.

After we all left, the 4 of us girls were busy sending texts to each other about how great Thanksgiving was this year. And it really was perfect. BOTH of our Thanksgivings were perfect.

If I've said it once, I've said it a million times...I am such a lucky girl :-)

Now...it's time to really CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS!!!

Eat, Pray, Love

2011-11-23T16:18:00.001-06:00

I think that's what everyone should do this Thanksgiving.

Eat...

Pray...

Love...

Because really...isn't that what this day is about? Being thankful for a warm home and a nice meal to celebrate the holiday...

Being thankful for amazing friends and family to spend it with...

And being thankful for the millions of other blessings God has given us. Only HE can grow a family from this...

To this...

And what a truly amazing blessing that is :-)

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving tomorrow!!

Thanksgiving Traditions

2011-11-22T15:00:00.000-06:00

It seems like only yesterday that my brothers and I were passing out on my Grandma's couch after a yummy Thanksgiving meal. It was nice being a kid. You didn't have to cook, plan a meal, clean the house or do the dishes. You showed up...ate...and then sat on the couch.

ACTUALLY...I think that's exactly what all the men in our family still do. HA! Just kidding guys...kinda :-)

Actually, in all fairness, my hubby is quite the turkey man. He has deep fried a turkey and helped me prep the oven turkey for the last four years. He takes great pride in this, and we have the pictures to prove it. Here's a pic from the first year we hosted Thanksgiving at our house.

And our second year...

Ans our third year...

And last year!

Okay...so maybe he didn't take great pride in his deep fried turkey last year, but it was still fun :-)

I realize I'm a pretty lucky girl to have all of my family so close by. No one has to fly anywhere or coordinate big trips to be together...we just get to drive to each other's house. We can make last minute decisions (like deciding to eat at my mom and dad's this year) and it doesn't mess up anyones schedule. That's a rare thing it seems, as I watch so many of my friends plan trips for the Thanksgiving holiday. But when I ask those friends if it's hard having to travel, they just say it's part of the tradition!

And tradition is what it's all about!! In our family, it's tradition to be casual, eat until we can't zip our pants, sit on the floor and look through all the fun sale ads in the paper, drink lots of wine while we do dishes, watch some Charlie Brown with the kids and when there's room...eat some pumpkin pie :-) It's a day to be thankful and celebrate all the blessings we have been given. And let me tell ya friends...I have a ton to be thankful for :-)

So...what are your family's traditions? Do you get all dressed up? Do you host? Do you have something besides turkey for dinner? I always love reading about everyone else's traditions :-)

34 Days to Christmas: Kickin It, Pilgrim Style

2011-11-21T07:21:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving week is finally upon us!! I guess I shouldn't say finally, considering this holiday totally snuck up on me! I do this every year. I get so focused on being ahead of the game for Christmas, I fail to give Thanksgiving the love it deserves.

But all that's going to change!! Even though my house is all decorated for Christmas (and I totally want to post pictures), I am going to focus just on Thanksgiving this week and give thanks for the countless blessings I have been given in my life. Last night, I celebrated a wonderful Thanksgiving with Eric's side and it reminded me once again how truly blessed I am to have married into such a wonderful family. There were lots of great pictures taken last night, although they were not on my camera. I sorta forgot mine so I will recap last night as soon as cousin Sarah sends them my way (hint hint girlfriend :-)

So...on to today's 100 Days to Christmas Challenge!! The challenge today is to start prepping your Thanksgiving table. Eric and I usually host Thanksgiving for my side of the family every year, but this year my mom decided she would like to have it! At first I tried talking her out of it, since I really do enjoy hosting, but considering how busy we've been since we got back from vacation, I'm kind of liking the idea of NOT having to prep a table this week :-)

However, that doesn't mean I can't think of future Thanksgiving tables today! Now that my kids are slowly growing out of high chairs and booster seats (tear...) I've started thinking about planning a cute kids table to set up every year! I'm just in love with all the little kids tables that Pottery Barn Kids puts together every year...

Pinterest is FULL of little Thanksgiving kids crafts too and I love the idea of having something to entertain them at the table until the food is ready.

They could work on something as simple as coloring...

Or you could have them put something together that they can eat after (or before?) dinner. I love these little Turkey pops...

If you have a little helper on your hands like I do, you could even have the kids help you make cute place setting cards with construction paper and stickers.

Ideas for Thanksgiving tables are endless, especially if you browse through Martha Stewart Living or your holiday Pottery Barn catalog, but I think the most important part of any Thanksgiving table is not what you put on it, but rather who sits around it :-)

So...is anyone hosting Thanksgiving this year? Is there anything special you are planning to do with your table?

3 Chicks & a Date With a Vampire

2011-11-18T21:45:00.000-06:00

Today was the day that my girls and I have been waiting for...the release of Breaking Dawn-Part 1!!! The three of us really hate this picture, but since it looks like we are a part of the Cullen clan with our vampire eyes...we thought it was appropriate for the occasion :-)

So yeah...do you see those big ass glasses of wine of in front of us? We were able to sip on those while we watched the movie. And we may have ordered a second...you know...just because we could. I'm pretty sure we will be seeing EVERY movie here from now on :-)

So speaking of the movie...I have to say that overall, I loved it. Yes, there were lots of things missing from the book and I didn't really care for a lot of the werewolf scenes. I thought some of the special effects were a bit corny and it was tough to watch Bella in her gruesome state towards the end.

BUT...after I got done complaining about all that, I realized that I had to look at the movie for what it is. Movies rarely live up to the book and after waiting a year and a half for this movie to come out...I think my expectations were too high. I also had to remember that this movie was PG13 so the honeymoon love scene could not compare to my imagination. Haha! In fact, when it was over, Tara and Linsey and I looked at each other and said, "That was it?"

But on a bright note, the wedding scene was fantastic. I didn't care for Bella's dress, but she looked gorgeous and so did Edward (and Jacob. Ha!) I loved that they used the same song they danced to at the prom in the first movie for their wedding song. I almost got a little teary eyed at that part :-)

Okay...I realize that all of you non-Twilight fans like my hubby are making fun of me now, so I should probably end this post. I will say though that I'm a little sad that we have to wait another YEAR to see the second part. But judging by how fast this year went, the three of us will be in our Twilight shirts before we know it :-)

Being Thankful (Plus a Really Cute Thanksgiving Printable)

2011-11-16T21:42:00.000-06:00

Even though I spent the majority of the day decorating my house for Christmas with the kiddies, I am still excited for Thanksgiving next week! I love a yummy turkey, time with my family and the opportunity to tell others how thankful I am for them.

Two people that I am incredibly thankful for this year are Addie's preschool teachers. They have only been a part of her life for a few months, but they have already changed her in so many wonderful ways. She knows God now and talks to him everyday, even if it's just to thank him for cookies and new markers. She listens more attentively (even if its for only a few seconds). She sings songs, tells stories and genuinely loves going to school. That alone is reason enough to thank these two wonderful women :-)

So I wanted to put together a little "thank you" gift to give them tomorrow at their Thanksgiving Feast. I saw some cute candy jar ideas on Pinterest, but it wasn't quite what I wanted. But while I was walking through the grocery store tonight, I saw some gorgeous little mums. Bingo! Everyone loves getting flowers and these would look cute on their thanksgiving tables next week. So I bought them each a mum, tied the pot with some ribbon, and then created a little note that I glued to a bamboo skewer and stuck in the dirt. I think they came out pretty cute for only a few minutes worth of work.

I know it's nothing special, but I hope it will brighten their day just like they brighten Addie's. I just want them to know how thankful we are :-)

So while I was making these printables for Addie's teachers, I realized that I could make a more generic tag to share with all of you! You know, in case you have some people you would like to thank this week. The tag is simple, but I think it gets the message across :-)

You can download this printable here.

Well that's all I have for today friends! I am still struggling to catch back up after vacation, but since Thanksgiving is already NEXT WEEK...I need to get my bootie in gear. Lots of fun posts to come!