One of the highlights of my afternoon – the thing that keeps me sane between nap time ending and Dan coming home – is watching Ellen with my three year old. Right when we might otherwise be having the world’s biggest afternoon meltdown (you know the ones, moms) – instead we turn on Ellen. When life has gotten me down this year between the new baby, Dan getting laid off last year, the move to Wisconsin for his new job, etc. etc. Ellen has been there to take my mind off of all that heavy “where did all our savings go?” blahs with shake weights and Hawaiian chairs and Sexy Santa Musical Chairs.
MM might be just as big of a fan as I am – he loves dancing along with Ellen and the audience and gets super excited when they play some of his favorite games like Know Or Go or Sumove It Move It. He knows all the staff members like Jeannie and Andy Short Shorts by name. It’s kind of my dream that someday we’ll be able to go see the show together in person.
The next best thing? Was seeing this the other day:
This makes him basically a celebrity right? It would, admittedly, be better if she’d shown it live on her show and been all like, “MM from Wisconsin is basically my biggest fan and I want him on my show,” but I was pretty thrilled with this, too.
And thanks to the handy screen capture function and my blog, his celebrity status can now be memorialized in the interweb FOREVER. But Ellen, if you are reading this – his birthday is April 7 and I know he’d love to get tickets to your show. And I’d be happy to chaperon his trip.
I took these pictures of BB last night…
And I immediately had that Déjà vu feeling… I’ve been here before, in another time, with another baby… a baby with a stuffed puppy on his head for no reason in particular…
It didn’t phase him – I don’t think he even knew the dog was there. This kid was very busy.
These biter biscuits are like a rite of passage – I couldn’t wait for her to try them, fully knowing that they would be messy on a massive proportion. But how cute do these kiddos look mowing down on these “first cookies”? And it keeps them busy for like thirty minutes!
For wordless fun that’s actually wordless head to wordless wednesday and 5 minutes for mom…
Today…
If you looked outside my window: it has that “calm before the storm” thing going on. The sky is almost blue and there’s a light dusting of snow on the balcony outside but from what I’ve read online we’ve got a pretty good sized storm coming our way. Last night we parked one of our two cars in the garage at Dan’s office so he’ll only have to shovel out one car to get to work tomorrow and however many other days the storm lasts.
I am reading: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater- I’m about halfway through it and really enjoying it but a bit worried because according to my husband who read it first, the ending was really disappointing. But the book was also recommended to me by fellow book lover Vivienne who writes that the ending was “breathtaking” so I’m hopeful but cautious and my imagination has spent a lot of time trying to predict how it will end.
Last night I: took a walk by myself after a long, hectic day of running errands. There were the smallest little flurries falling and I was dying to get out and take some pictures but the kids were exhausted and cranky. My loving husband told me to go anyway and took them inside. I got several good pictures of the snow and scenery.
I also: started learning how to knit again. Dan has been wanting to teach me for awhile but I keep blowing it off. I gave in this weeekend and it’s been …. slow but steady. I can do one stitch (the garter stitch I think) but I still can’t cast on to save my life.
Today we’re: relaxing. It was a hectic weekend for us, in spite of my efforts to make it low key. We had a few key things we were shopping for (like the new desk chair we finally saved up enough money for – now Dan and I both have real office chairs to sit on!) and not much luck tracking them down early on so it was a lot of “from store to store” and there was a lot of traffic and two kids who were not crazy about any of it. So today is laundry day and staying inside day. I’ve pulled out some playdough for MM and he’s busy creating masterpieces.
In the kitchen:
- Monday: Nachos with black beans and diced tomatoes
- Tuesday: Spaghetti with sauce and Texas Toast
- Wednesday: Tomato and black bean Quesadillas
- Thursday: Grilled Cheese and Soup
- Friday: Parmesan Baked Salmon with Couscous and Carrots
I really want to make: some of these adorable Valentines Crafts I’ve found online, like a valentines crossword puzzle, crazy for you valentines, and puzzling hearts.
This weekend we: had our first “weekly date night” as inspired by this guest post at Make and Takes. Like Tiffany from Simply Modern Mom, we’re planning to do mostly free at home dates, but making it a point to do different, planned things together instead of just sitting at home, watching tv like we do every other night. And this Sunday (Valentines Day!) we’re even planning to get out for a real dinner and a movie together!
Some other links I think you should click:
- I’m kind of coveting this classically elegant swimsuit that I saw on Design Mom – how gorgeous does the model look in this? There aren’t many one pieces that still look trendy and fun but this one fits the bill (a one hundred dollar bill, but still…)
- How do you feel about leaving food on the plate? I have a hard time doing it, being raised like most people with words like, “Finish your dinner!” and “There are starving children in Russia who would love to eat that food!” and the like. I think I agree with the author that I’d prefer to just switch to smaller plates and not waste food, but a very valid point is being made that we should be able to just acknowledge when we are full and stop eating even if there is still food on the plate. Which also leads to the question of how are we raising our children to think about food and feeling full?
- We all have difficult days – and we deal with those days the best we can. Sometimes we make good choices and sometimes the choices are less good… the important thing is to think about how we can do better next time. I like these strategies from Simple Mom about dealing with those moments that have you thinking, “Mama said there’d be days like this…“
Because even though I already posted a picture for my 365 challenge today, I could not resist taking a picture of all this cuteness.
I bought that bib and a matching outfit for her recently, along with an assortment of 9 month sized outfits and pajamas. This little girl of mine just keeps growing and growing and learning and learning. She’ll be sixteen before I know it, I’m guessing. But for now I’m just trying to drink in all this little.
I live to make her laugh – the sound of her giggles is musical and you cannot help but smile when you hear it. We make fools of ourselves on a constant basis just to hear one more laugh…
We got the clothes at Burlington Coat Factory because another thing I love is a bargain and they never disappoint. The elephant outfit was the most expensive thing we bought her that day but for reasons I cannot even explain, I have developed an infatuation with elephants, especially with her and elephants. I hope she grows up to love them as much as I do.
Why elephants? I really have no idea but you can’t tell me that outfit isn’t making you crush on them a little bit, too, am I right?
MM is turning four in April and I am already in “party planning” mode. Part of me is all, “Dude, Jen, it’s way too early to be planning.” But I can’t help myself and I’ve got a pretty great party idea – I’m thinking a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Pajama Party!! The kiddos can come over for a late breakfast of pancakes (and some bagels, etc. for the grownups) and be all cute in their pajamas and and and I’m gonna make Mouseketool Party Favors and a Mickey Cake and it’s gonna be awesome!!! I hope.
Anyhow, my Aloha Friday questions for today are…
How soon in advance do you start planning for birthday parties?
What’s your favorite “party theme” that you’ve done or what theme would you really like to do?
Can you do the “Hot Dog” dance?
Kailani @ An Island Life takes it easy on Fridays by posting a simple question for you to answer – and she invites you to do the same. Just post your own question on your blog and leave your link at An Island Life. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!
Mama Dweeb just passed along the Honest Scrap Award to me and that means I get to pass it along to four of you! But according to the rules, first I need to share ten things about myself. I have no idea what I could possibly share that you haven’t heard already, but rules are rules, so without further adieu…
10 things you probably already know about me but might not…
- I am a nerd. I looked up the definition of honesty for the sole purpose of including it in this post somewhere so I could feel all clever about myself. Don’t be fooled.
- My son and I are infatuated with Ellen Degeneres’ talk show. We watch it together nearly every afternoon and he loves to sing along to the theme song and “dance” with Ellen and the rest of the audience at any opportunity. His second favorite part of the show (after the music) is when they play a game – like “Know Or Go” or “Sumove it Move it.”
- I am the only person in the household apparently who dislikes eating peas. And when I say dislike, you know I mean that I detest peas with a force so strong it cannot be shifted. My children and husband? Not so much. I think BB might like peas more than apples. I swear they are really my children.
- If I’m in a bad mood or stressed out or bored or it’s any day that ends in “Y” I like to put on some John Mayer and rock out. I might be his biggest non-crazy obsessive fan. Unless I’m crazy and then I’m just his biggest fan.
- I am having a hard go of potty training. Within 30 minutes of putting on MM’s “Big Kid Underpants” this morning, he not only wet them… he pooped. And it was terrible. I’m still angry. And very thankful that by “Big Kid Underpants” I mean “training pants with a waterproof cover.” (Are you offended by the potty talk? This is the honesty award you know, I’m not holding anything back.)
- I’m cooking up another Pioneer Woman recipe tonight – this time I’m making her potato bundles, a supremely simple recipe that is hopefully supremely delicious, too. She hasn’t let me down yet. She’s turned into the Better Homes and Gardens of my kitchen. I was staring at a big bag of potatoes that have taken a lot longer to cook my way through than I’d guessed, so I pulled up her website and searched for “potatoes” and luckily stumbled across this recipe. Now I’ve only got two potatoes left and I’m hoping that Dan or I can turn them into a baked potato lunch or breakfast potato dish later in the week. Cross your fingers!
- I abandoned a book today. I really hate doing that but it was time. One hundred or so pages into Little Children and I was starting to feel like I’d been hanging around with people I hated all day for no reason. It was clearly becoming an unhealthy relationship and I had to walk away. I’m planning to start reading Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater next.
- We started shopping at Aldi since switching to our “cash only” budget. You can’t use credit cards there (you also have to bring your own bags and use a quarter to get a shopping cart which you get back if you return it) so we hadn’t been going there but now it works out well and I love that it’s smaller with less crowds and oh my god so much less expensive. The really awesome part is that most of the food is just as good as the name brands you’d find at any other store for a fraction of the cost. There is less variety and you won’t find the bells and whistles of a Big Brand Store but I really like it.
- Tomorrow is Bunco night and I am seriously looking forward to getting out for some “me” time again with the little lady who had a really great time last month. Here’s hoping she manages to be as well behaved tomorrow night as she was the last time.
- I have honestly run out of things to say that seem interesting. I am hungry and should probably finish cooking dinner now, so let’s get on to the awards…
I’d like to pass this award along to four of my favorite bloggers:
- Amber @ Amber Page Writes is always delivering honest, hilarious and poignant posts about motherhood, womanhood and life. Love her.
- I can always count on Krystyn @ Really, Are You Serious? for great, honest product reviews and a peek into the lives of her adorable kids.
- Karen @ Write From Karen might be one of the most honest women I know – she always keeps it real and you’re just gonna have to like it or leave – but if you are anything like me, you’ll love it. Her blog is one of my must reads.
- You know I have to pass this along to my buddy Jean @ Working Momma 247 – she might be my twin, separated at birth and she definitely delivers nothing but the truth about her life in a family chock full of all things boy.
Congrats ladies, you know you all honestly deserve it. I’m sorry if I’ve already given this award to you twice – something else about me you should know? I have a pretty bad memory and a pretty short attention span…
What were we talking about again?
What kind of body wash do you use? Are you a loofah girl or do you prefer to use bar soap?
For the most part, I’ve always been a loofah girl myself. Most of my encounters with bar soap or “hotel soap” since that’s usually where I find myself using it have left me with dry skin and a sort of clammy, filmy feeling. It goes away eventually but it always feels like you’ve used some inferior soap-like thing that you’re hoping actually got your skin clean and now you need some moisturizer in the baddest way.
But one advantage to bar soap that I’ve often thought about is the environmental impact – all those plastic body wash bottles add up, never mind the loofahs we use to wash with (I suppose you could use a washcloth, but in my experience the loofah just does a better job distributing the soap). My point is that I’ve sometimes wished I were a bar soap gal just for the simplicity and what I’m assuming is a more environmentally friendly purchase.
I recently received a pack of “beauty bars” as well as a bottle of body wash from Caress’s Evenly Gorgeous Skinwear Collection. With burnt sugar and karate butter, it claims to help moisturize while gently exfoliating and cleansing your skin, revealing “even-toned, radient and silky skin.” I have used their body wash before so I decided to try the beauty bars to compare and I have to tell you, I was so pleasantly surprised!
The bar is shaped into a sort of curvature which I found helped to keep the bar in my hand while I soaped up. The exfoliating worked really well, I liked the scent a lot and my skin felt so much more soft than any bar soap I’ve ever used has left if feeling. I still think I prefer using the body wash, but I would have a much easier time to converting to bar soap with the Caress Evenly Gorgeous Beauty Bars if I decide to.
My husband tried the beauty bar also as he prefers bar soap for some bizarre reason. He liked the exfoliating bits also and thought it did a good job cleaning – although in the shower he confessed the scent was a bit over powering. But once out of the shower the smell was much milder and didn’t bother him at all. If Caress makes a slightly more masculine scented version of these bars I think he’d love it.
GOOD NEWS: I’m giving away a set of Caress beauty bars at my review blog – be sure to click over for a chance to win!
This post was written for Family Review Network as part of a program for Caress, who supplied the product for review. All opinions expressed in this post are 100% mine.
How open are you and your spouse when it comes to household finances? Do you discuss your money past, present and future openly?
What big expenses are you trying to save up for right now? Do you feel like you are on track or just crossing your fingers and hoping for the best?
I recently had the opportunity to read and review this great book on achieving your financial goals and learning to create an open dialogue about money with your spouse or partner. For anyone who is concerned about their financial well being or hasn’t yet taken the time to open up to their partner about their financial history and goals for the future, I think this book would be a great read. After reading through the book with my husband, I was comforted to find out that I was right in believing that we already had a very open dialogue when it comes to our finances and more importantly I was able to look through all the aspects of our finances and feel more confident in where we are and where we are going.
Here’s a description of the book from GoodReads.com:
“You may think that marital bliss means money doesn’t matter, but in today’s troubled economic times, that’s simply false hope. And with layoffs galore and debt mounting, financial stress is through the roof. Think keeping afloat and affectionate is impossible? Think again.
This inspiring, action-oriented guide helps young women in committed relationships understand and manage their money matters. Complete with charts, graphs, case studies, and tip-based advice, this succinct, straightforward guide speaks to worried women in the same way that made On My Own Two Feet a mega-success.
Accessible and easy to follow, the three-part process presented in this book teaches you how to:
- Accurately interpret your current financial condition
- Become truly involved in the costs of the couple
- Move forward using the “three powers steps to financial success” This expert author team is here to help once more. Clearing up confusion, stating the truth, developing a plan—and now, helping create a happy home.”
I recommend this book to any couple looking to better understand their financial goals, history and / or setbacks and to anyone trying to find an easy way to start a financial discussion with their spouse or loved one. By tackling one small chunk at a time, you will quickly be able to see the whole picture of your finances and plan accordingly. After reading this book I feel like I’ve picked up the reigns of my financial standing instead of letting it happen to me while I sit and wonder how we’re doing.
Have you read this book? I’d love to hear your thoughts about it in the comments section below!
