Thursday, April 26, 2012

A Deal too Good to Pass Up

I don't post about deals too often,  but sometimes there is something so good that I just can't pass up sharing. Today while I was going through my daily email's I came across a pretty clever idea at Plum District.


Today they are offering a coupon voucher for Wittlebee. This is an amazing service that sends you a box of 8 items of new clothing for your little one every month. They promise to never send you clothes with crazy patterns or logos and you can always return or replace items that do not fit or that you do not like. The process starts with a survey asking your child's size (they do 0-6 months all the way up to 2-5 years) and delves into more specifics about your child's style and what items are more specifically needed. Their goal is to send you the basics (not necessarily outfits) to refresh your kid's wardrobe every month. 



I don't know about you but I hate trying to drag my stroller through the crowded kids stores where I end up leaving with a headache from calculating all the "deals" they always offer. This is a cool way to avoid some of that! 


Plum District is currently offering a $120 voucher for $69 that would provide you with 3 months of clothing from Wittlebee. That comes out to $2.88 per clothing item, but I also found a 25% off coupon (mom25) that will bring your total down to $51.75 making it $2.16 per item. You really can't beat that! Normally the boxes are $39.99 per month which is about $4.99 per item usually (still not that bad in my opinion) but this deal is fantastic!!!

Click HERE to claim your deal! 


Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Transitions are Hard

This week has been slightly emotional as our big transition is looming heavily over us at this point. Michael has already left for the big move and E and I have been left behind to finish up a few little things before leaving ourselves this coming weekend.


With Michael out of town this week and me being on 24/7 mommy duty, I decided it would be a good idea to stay the night with my mom Monday and then head over to my dad's the next day for dinner and fun. On our way home I burst into tears realizing just how much we were going to miss them. There will be no, just calling them to come over, or quick saves when I get in a pinch. We will really be on our own. And that, scares me.


Also, I'm not fully sure I understand what kind of effects this will have on Ethan just yet. I do expect it to be confusing, but part of me now is realizing that he might be aware enough to actually miss the people we are leaving and that friends, breaks my heart. E woke up last night at some ungodly morning hour and continued screaming for the next two. I could not, for the life of me, get him to go back to sleep. His belly was full, he wasn't teething, I'd changed his diaper twice at this point....mama was all out of ideas. In desperation I called my sleeping husband. 


Turns out E just missed his daddy. 


Within minutes of him singing their nightly songs, E had his head on my shoulder and was relaxing a bit. Every time Michael would stop singing he would whine and Michael would start up again. 


I've been trying very hard not to think about it, but this move is going to be very difficult on us all. I was hoping Ethan would be too young to really notice, but I have definitely underestimated him.  


Friday, April 20, 2012

Super Nanny to the Rescue

Remember about a month ago when I mentioned the big "D" word? 

You know the one. 

DISCIPLINE

Mhmm. That one. The biggest parenting battle of them all.

Ethan is a good kid. He just needs to learn rights and wrongs like any other child out there and I as a parent have to learn the best way to tackle these issues. I bought 4 different parenting books since I last wrote that post. Unfortunately with all the craziness that has been going on lately I've only gotten half-way through one of them. Don't worry, once I've read them all I'm sure I'll share all my thoughts.

I couldn't just put off the whole discipline routine though. I knew things were getting out of hand when I was trying to dodge shoe bombs like President Bush at the Baghdad press conference in 2008 (I was not nearly as quick in my reaction either) and it was clearly time for me to spring into action so I turned to a quick fix...the Super Nanny. I know, I know getting advice from the TV doesn't sound that fantastic, but I watched a little marathon of her shows and I picked up some very valuable information. 

1. She reaffirmed my thoughts on the fact that spanking is not the answer. Now don't get all up in arms. I'm not against spanking completely nor do I think bad of you if you do spank your child. I just think that every child is different and discipline has to be applied accordingly. For Ethan, spanking doesn't work for several reasons. I've tried on a few occasions to spank on the severe things like touching something dangerous or hitting me or the dog, but I either receive zero response or I get hit right back. I think spanking is a way to grab a child's attention and say "Hey! This is SERIOUS.", but it didn't do that for Ethan in fact it actually made him hit MORE. I also feel that when I spank I could tend to take out my frustration and that is definitely not what it is intended to do. 

From what I gathered the Super Nanny believes that it's confusing for a child when you spank them in order to teach them not to hit and I totally get that. It's kinda like one of those "Do as I say, not as I do" situations and I want to parent by example so spanking is out for me and Ethan. I'm not saying it will never happen, but for now at his age, it's out. Again...there's absolutely ZERO judging here if spanking works for you.

2. The Super Nanny suggests Time Outs and while we are still in the learning process of this, I believe it will be very effective. She suggests giving them one warning although with hitting, I do put E immediately in time out with zero warnings because I consider it a serious offense. 

You are suppose to get down on their level, ask them to look you in the eyes, and tell them what they did wrong and that since they disobeyed you that they are going into time out. She suggests doing a minute per age although we haven't quite gotten up to that just yet. If they walk out of time out you are just suppose to calmly get them and put them back over and over and OVER again until they willingly stay. With an older child you aren't suppose to say anything so you prevent arguments, but with Ethan I do say "No, you are in Time Out." each time I put him back. 

I won't lie the first time I did this it took 10 minutes of me putting him back until he willfully stayed for 30 seconds, and I realize by this time he probably had forgotten what he had done, but I think once we get this thing down that it will be very effective. I do think I need to get a little mat for him to stand on or something to mark the place because he frequently tests me by trying to stealthily "sneak" out of time out.

After they are done you get back on their level again and tell them again "You don't do X,Y,Z. Will you say your sorry? Then ask for a hug and immediately lead them to a fun activity. I love this part because I think it will also teach forgiveness. I don't want to be one of those parents that brings up past mistakes over and over again. I want to be a good example of TRULY forgiving people and it will start with my children.

3. I think we all know this one, but when they are throwing a tantrum, just walk away. It does work. I think trying to talk to them escalates things at times and I totally agree with her on this one and have heard it recommended from several other sources as well.

This discipline shindig is zero fun for either party, but it is a necessary evil. It is quite a learning process as well so I of course I don't even want to pretend that I have all the answers as we are in fact in the beginning stages of all this. Ethan is a fantastic kid and I just want to be the best parent I can be and teach him right from wrong. Wish me luck!


Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Stop and Smell the Roses V-Log





Today I am joining Mandy from House of Rose for....


Stop and Smell the Roses


I ramble, I discuss a buggy situation and you get to see my cutie pie say some of his favorite words. Click the square looking thing beside the word Vimeo to make larger...there's commentary you'll want to read :)







I might make this a weekly thing. Is there anything you'd like to see me ramble about?

Ask away!!! 




Tuesday, April 17, 2012

These Days...

This month has been an overwhelming whirlwind of a month and it's not even over yet! I feel like I should probably give somewhat of an update on life since my posting has been a tad spotty lately. Once things calm down a tad, I'm sure I'll be back to my regular posting schedule.


- Michael, Ethan and I spent over 15 hours in the car last weekend desperately searching for a temporary home. I will admit that there was a point during the trip that I was sure we were going to be homeless or spending wads of cash living in a hotel over an hour away from my husbands work. We had to find a furnished apartment since Michael's company will only move our stuff one time and because we prefer to try to sell our current home with the furnishings in it. We looked at some pretty craptastic places including a one room "apartment" in the middle of a strip mall. That's where I shut down. And no it wasn't even super cheap. In fact all of the places cost 1.5 times as much as our current mortgage. Fun, fun. We did finally find one acceptable 2 bedroom home. It will be strange living with other peoples stuff but I'm just happy we have a place to land until we find a new home of our own. 


- I've been busy here trying to get our home on the market. It's crazy how much work it takes to get your home "show ready" especially with a toddler. I remember getting our first home ready to sale and even though we had several big projects I wanted to get done there that we don't have here, I still remember it being so much easier. Having showings with Ethan and I still living in our current home is probably one of the things I fear the most. I'd like to say I keep a clean home, but let's be real...there is nutella smeared on my kitchen table, dishes in the sink, milk splatters on the couch and toys scattered about the house at any given moment. Making everything picture perfect AND getting the toddler and a dog out of the house in 30 minutes to an hour just doesn't seem possible in my book.


- I feel amazingly blessed at this moment in life. God has come through on so many prayers including monetary ones. Seriously I feel like money is raining down on us at the moment from some of the most unexpected places. On the other hand, I feel very nervous about how the selling of our home will go, what we will walk away with, how much the next place will cost, how unprepared we were to sell/buy a home, how much simple repairs on our current place costs, how much it costs to rent a temporary home, how long will we be there, how much will we spend driving back and forth in between time....yeah. I'm trying to put my fears aside and just be faithful that everything will work out. God does take care of us.



Sunday, April 15, 2012

Ethan 17 and 18 Month Updates

Considering Ethan is quickly approaching 19 months old, I think it's fairly safe to say that I've fallen a little behind on his monthly updates. I feel like all the sudden I have a true boy. Scraped knees, clumsy accidents and messy incidents are all the rage around here these days. I'm pretty sure this little guy is going to be responsible for a lot of my gray hairs in the future!


For those of you not in the know..."ka-ka's" are birds. Think the sound of a seagull perhaps? It comes out more like a word I'd prefer him to not say though (use your imagination) so that's always fun explaining. 


Ethan has exploded into his own little baby gibberish that I swear sounds German. He has little conversations with himself from time to time and is really starting to use new facial expressions. I think it's hilarious. He does say quite a bit these days and he is especially cute when he is trying out a new word. He says it very emphatically with a head nod to reassure you that he really does know exactly what he's trying to say. I need to get this on video!

We recently went to our 18 month checkup. He's currently 33.25 inches long (75th percentile) and 24 pounds and 13 ounces (36th percentile). Long and lean is apparently going to be his stature. Clothing-wise he is wearing 18 month sizes. He has been true age to size since day one. As for the feet, he's currently wearing a 5.5 wide. Boy are those pigs pudgy! 

He is still a fantastic eater as long as he is not distracted or teething. We've cut back on milk so that he is only drinking it with meals now (no extra) and are slowly (slowly) switching from juice to water. He seems to snack all the time, but I guess if I was go, go, go like he is I'd probably be snacky too!

As for naps, he is still doing one a day. He will sleep anywhere from 2 to 4 hours which is fantastic for me! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that these will stick around for a long while. 

Personality wise he is very independent. He's an explorer and loves trying new things. Michael and I recently tried to act like we were going to leave him at the park in order to get him to follow us...let's just say he could of cared less. He waved, said "Ba-Bye" and literally ran in the opposite direction. I'd say it hurt my feelings a little, but I'm happy he is such a confident little guy. Let's just hope common sense kicks in soon for his safety! 

Although these past couple of months have been trying as far as discipline goes, I do have to say they have been the most fun. E's personality is truly starting to take off! He is beginning to love playing by himself and he loves getting out and doing lots of fun things with us too. I'm loving this time in my kids life right now and am excited for what lies ahead!


Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Sometimes Birthdays Aren't So Bad

Yesterday was my 28th birthday. 




Yep, I just revealed my age. Please tell me you thought I was younger.


I am two very short years away from the big 3-0, but let's not think about that right now mmmk? 


I hate birthdays. They normally feel a tad lonely no matter what. It never feels like people recognize them with the zeal that you feel like they should. They aren't a national holiday. In fact, the only person that it is truly, TRULY special to is you. Well you and maybe your mom. 


Yesterday felt different to me. Maybe it's because I was lucky enough to actually be able to spend it with people I cared about for most of the day. Or maybe it's because I actually took the time to spoil myself a bit this year. 


Notice the sneakiness...


Did you know that you can get a bunch of freebies on your birthday? 

Mmhmm. You can.


Sonic - Free limeade or slush if you have a sonic gift card.
Starbucks - Free drink if you have a starbucks gift card.
Ulta - Free eyebrow wax if you have an Ulta club card.
Victoria's Secret - $10 gift card to spend on whatever you like. New bra? Yes please!
Panera - Free pastry or cookie if you have a MyPanera card.

If you missed it on FB yesterday, here is E's brownie face. 


Yes, I was brave enough to share my birthday brownie with him. It didn't take long before he was passed out into a long sugar coma. 

It was nice. 

Very nice.

I'm not really sure where this post was suppose to be going. I just wanted to point out that yesterday was good. Very good indeed. 


Thank you everyone for all the Facebook messages, texts, emails, cards and gifts that truly made me feel so loved! I'm pretty sure 28 is going to be a fabulous year.


Monday, April 9, 2012

Easter in Pictures

I know things have been slow around this little corner of the internet world here lately, but our life has been moving in high speed. Things are quickly gearing up for our move that we have to make in 14 very short days, but it was nice to slow down a tiny (and I do mean tiny) bit and enjoy Easter with all our family this weekend. 


Don't we look fabulous? 

I almost forgot what we all looked like without Nutella or Peanut Butter stains all over our clothes on a daily basis. 


At what age do children start smiling again for pictures? I swear this is a hard stage to get a decent picture. He's either a blur, not looking or looking like I just caught him doing something bad. 


Well...there's a smile. Someone thoroughly enjoyed their Easter basket yesterday morning! 


Our 3rd egg hunt and Easter basket of the Easter season. Looks like he found something good! Pretty sure we will be having another fake egg hunt this afternoon with mommy since all I hear about now are "balls, balls, balls!". Maybe we can at least take the My First Christmas book out of his bedroom. I still randomly hear him say "Ho, ho, ho". I'm guessing the Easter fun might wear off somewhere around his birthday which is crazily just 6 short months away! How is that possible?





I hope you and yours had a fabulous Easter!


Tuesday, April 3, 2012

A Girl Can Dream....Right?


In case you didn't know, this is your friendly reminder that my birthday is right around the corner. It's April 10th to be exact. There's nothing too fun about birthdays once you get past the age of 21 so what better way to celebrate than by making a wish list and crossing your fingers that you might get an item or two off of it?

The husband simply asked me what I wanted this year and I think he was a tad stunned that I didn't just say "Oh, well...I just want to go clothes shopping." Nope, this girl has decided that clothes shopping should be in the regular budget anyways and presents should now be the stuff you would never buy yourself on just any regular old day.





1. Clarisonic Mia Sonic Skin Cleansing System - Since I'm nearing 30...and I said nearing...I've decided it's time to take a little bit better care of my skin and this seems like the way to go. At 30....I'm tackling these damn forehead wrinkles and no one can tell me otherwise. *Foot down*

2. Canon EF 35mm f/2 Wide Angle Lens for Canon SLR Cameras - Sometimes my 50mm is just a little too close up to work well for me when I'm taking pictures of Ethan. I always find myself having to back up. I'm hoping the 35mm will give me just a little more room to work with!

3. Anthropologie Pave Button Posts - I've determined that I'm mostly a stud earrings kind of gal and I love these!

4. Michael Kors Jet Set Tote - I'm truly not a purse person, but I do like to have something quality that is not going to fall apart on me in a year or two. Give me a solid brown and a solid black plain leather zip tote and I'll be happy as a clam.

5. Kate Spade New York Sailors Knot Stud Earrings - I could wear these with EVERYTHING! Seriously. I've been looking for a simple gold stud and these are perfect.

6. Canon Speedlite 430EX II Flash - I'm not big on flash photos, but there are times when I desperately need one like for indoor family holidays or really any other night event. Sometimes turning up my ISO just doesn't cut it. I'd love to hear from people who have a flash...is it worth it? Do you love it?

7. Urban Decay Naked Palette - I'm in need of a refresher when it comes to eye make up. I pretty much wear the same look every single day and I think this will help me shake things up. 

8. Banana Republic Classic - This has been my signature scent FOREVER. I love it and am currently out thanks to the hubs accidentally breaking my ENTIRE perfume collection. *sigh*

9. Anthropologie Last Snow Drop Earrings - OK, I know I just said I've determined I prefer studs, but a little dangle never hurt anyone right? I think these are gorgeous. 

I'm pretty sure this wish list has turned into a dream list, but I had a lot of fun with it! There is always Christmas right? Oh, and Mother's Day. Yeah... well, he should at least be thankful I didn't ask for diamonds. They are my birthstone after all. 

If any of you are feeling generous my mailing address is...


Kidding. 


Sort of.


No, really...

Monday, April 2, 2012

The Hunt

Yesterday Ethan had his first Easter Egg hunt. It may sound silly, but I was very excited for this moment. I have very fond memories of egg hunts. They were a pretty big ordeal for my family. We weren't just hunting for candy. No. We were hunting for cold hard cash. Everyone always throughly enjoyed the event from the hunters to the hiders, you could really feel the excitement.


Annual Easter picture on my grandparents front porch. I'd be the little girl on the end on your right in the white dress. This was the original easter egg hunting crew minus a couple of older kids!


I've always looked forward to being on the other side; hiding eggs as the kids anxiously waited inside or sneakily peeked around the corner of the house trying to scout out where the best eggs were hidden. It was a pretty long wait as I was one of the youngest of the bunch, but we finally reproduced enough hunters of own to put on a pretty decent egg hunt this year! 




Ethan was the youngest this year so I made sure we practiced a little bit before we left the house. I "hid" a couple of eggs (or "balls" as Ethan referred to them as) around the living room. I made sure he was aware there were treats inside and he got his first taste of delicious candy (I know, I know...an 18 month old and candy don't mix, but you do what you gotta do to win right?). Unfortunately, I chose to do this right before what was suppose to be nap time, but thankfully he FINALLY passed out on the way. Shew. Melt down averted.




I had a blast hiding the eggs. There's no just scattering them on the ground all willy nilly, we really hide them good! As soon as Ethan came out into the yard he immediately began spotting them calling out "Ball!" "Ball!" "Ball!". I trained him well.




The egg hunt was over much faster than I remember, but I guess that's just how it goes when you are older. Ethan immediately opened all of his eggs and shoved candy in his little mouth faster than I could take it away. He was so proud of his little basket of eggs! 




I cannot wait to do this again next year! I have a feeling I might have to have another little mini egg hunt just for Ethan Easter morning. Why not right? We need to start training for next year when he will be stronger, faster and hopefully not the youngest.


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