Mom-Esticated

Austin's Room Revealed

2011-05-10T18:07:00.000-07:00

It is done! Weeks and weeks of hard work and preparation and the time has come to reveal it to you!

Well let's start with the road. I had purchased a package of wall decals from Target that had only one sheet of roads. It came to me that I had to create a road or buy spend like $100 on several more packages of the decals just to make a road go around Austin's room. I originally was looking at vinyl and adhesive sprays but that seemed like a ridiculous amount of work. I was about to give up and try another day when while at Joanne's Fabric I walked down the aisle where they keep the Cricut machine and all of the supplies for it. I found a package of adhesive vinyl acrylic that is 12x24 inches long.

I cut the piece in half and stuck them on the wall. Two packages got around most of the wall except for the wall behind his crib. I had a bad experience with decals with Madison so I choose not to make them wrap all of the way around. So the next step was to make the white dashes in the middle of the road and add the cars. Done! Easy peasie right?
Next I put up the art work and whipped up some baby blue valances. All that was left was something to put all of his cars and trucks into.
I was originally going to buy one of those cubicles with the storage bins but this kid loves CARS. I grabbed him the Lighning McQueen storage organizer. Boy oh boy was that a great investment, the smile on his face was priceless when I set it up in his room.
Last thing to show you...Austin had his name written on the wall behind his crib. They were brown to match the monkey scheme that he had before. So I used a technique that I had seen on distressing. I painted over the brown in a white and then painted over both with baby blue. When all was dry I sanded the edges gently. To me it gives a beach look.

Okay so the budget:

2 rolls of adhesive $15 (I had a 50% off coupon for one of them)
3 8x8 square canvases $8 (on sale)
10 bottles of paint $15
car wall decals $12
Country road rug $30( it was given a present for Austin's birthday)
Storage Organizer $30
3 yards of fabric $3
Total $113

It is absolutely amazing what you can accomplish when you put your mind to it! So go ahead and get er' done! And while you're at it check out Andie over at Crayon Freckles. She was inspired by all of the work I had been doing on Austin's room and made her little man a fun room as well!

Detox

2011-05-05T05:30:00.000-07:00

I have spent the last few days detoxing from the craziness of the last week. Last Thursday we drove up to Rhode Island for the Birthday party festivities. We held the party at my in laws. Their house is much bigger than ours and most of our family lives up there. On top of the party preparations there were four small children under the age of four running and crawling around their house. It can be pretty busy when you have 6 adults and four children running around.
We got home and went to a carnival on Sunday, we now have a pet fish! Monday was gymnastics, Tuesday was grocery shopping. Wednesday I wanted to crash! I spent most of the time in my "uniform" of yoga pants and a sweatshirt and did all of the laundry. Today I will spend cleaning my entire house of the dust that covers every surface. While we were gone, the walls of our shower were replaced.
My bathroom looks brand new now. Its amazing how new tile can make a room look so bright. I have become inspired now to repaint it and to change out the decor to a nautical theme. As Austin's room remodel is winding down I am looking for new projects. One of the projects that I found which would be super appropriate for the look of my bathroom was found on A Diamond in the Stuff

I love the Pottery Barn look and I have seen so many other bloggers pull it off on a budget by distressing furniture. I think I will be looking for a baby blue and striped shower curtain and possibly distressing some candle sticks this weekend.
I just wanted to share with you a picture of Madison from the party last weekend. My little sweetie pie is getting so big!

Austin's Dr. Seuss Cat in The Hat Birthday Party

2011-05-03T17:19:00.000-07:00

So Saturday was the big day! A day that my Sister in Law and I have been planning for the past two months. Saturday we celebrated our babies, Austin and Cassidy, turning one!
The theme of the party was Dr. Seuss and everything and anything that we could possibly come up with to make this day fun and memorable for the guests and kids, we did!

Early in the morning the bouncy house came, this made for a very easy morning of preparation. Madison and my nephew Cadence had the bounce house all to themselves for the entire morning.
I had done most of the food preparation the day before. My sister started the decoration process.

As you can see there were paper poms, colorful striped and polka dotted centerpieces and even some green eggs! During Casey Abrahms devastating elimination on American Idol last week I was sticking 500 white stickers on to a red table cloth to create polka dots. We made all of our kids Thing 1 and Thing 2 tshirts and I whipped up a polka dot skirt for Madison.
I had purchased adorable wooden favor boxes off of etsy and filled them with bubbles, play dough, candy and stickers and was fortunate enough to find bright red bags and blue tissue paper to stuff them in.

After everyone feasted on the food that we prepared it was time for cupcakes! I found a picture of a cupcake that had bright frosting on top that had the look of a Things hair. Austin and Cassidy devoured them, as a matter of fact, Austin loved it so much that he made sure to get even every last bit of crumbs and frosting off of the tray of his high chair.

It was an awesome day and everyone was so impressed with the work that we had done to make the ultimate first birthday for our babies! I can't wait to show Austin some day how special I made his first birthday!

Austin's Room cont.

2011-04-26T05:58:00.000-07:00

As you all of you know, I have been working on changing over Austin's room from baby to big boy.
Over the last couple of weeks I have been painting, sewing and gluing like crazy leading up to his first birthday reveal. Austin is turning one on Friday and I am pleased to say that I am nearly there! Last night I finished the art that I had been working on.
A couple of weeks ago I had been on the Rosenberry Rooms website and came across these adorable 8x8 canvas art pictures of different types of automobiles.

If you want to spend $50 per piece, that is great for you! I cannot spend that much money on art work for my son's wall. It's not just that my Husband would think I have gone bananas for even suggesting it...I just think that it's an insane amount of money to spend for a child's room. For example, when Madison went into a twin size bed from a toddler bed we had made her room disney princess and retired the "babyish" Dora. After getting a new bed spread, new wall stickers etc..Madison decided that she didn't like the princesses and wanted Dora back. So for Christmas we asked Santa for Dora twin size bedding, Dora wall stickers etc...
Last week, I went to Joanne's and picked up 3 8x8 blank canvases and the paint that I would need to recreate the art that I had seen.
They aren't perfect but not to far off from what I wanted. Mind you I have never really painted before so I was totally winging it.

So my next project was inspired by this one. I think that the letters hanging in Austin's room to spell his name need to match the theme. I may paint roads and cars on them also!
Happy Tuesday, we are off to gymnastics!

Happy Easter

2011-04-25T07:41:00.000-07:00

Hello all! I hope that everyone had a very happy Easter!
Yesterday I hosted an Easter brunch for my family. It was wonderful to see everyone. I made all kinds of yummy goodness including my shrimp bruschetta which was a big hit!

A big thing amongst both my and my husband's side of the family is the Easter egg hunt, so of course we had to have one for Madison. There were only 10 eggs but my father and Aaron kept it going by re hiding some of the eggs. She had a blast!

My father brought with him something very special. When I was very young my grandparents had given me a rocking chair for Christmas one year. My father had been holding on to it to pass down to his grandchildren. I was so happy when he brought it in for my kids to use. It is so special to me and now it can be special to them as well. I am thinking that I might make a cushion to put on the seat of it. My father also brought with him my great grandmother's rocking chair. So amazing to have these special items in my home.

I hope that all of you had a very happy easter! Looking forward to sharing with all of you the items that I have been working on. Also, my big boy is turning one on Friday. The big bash is on Saturday! This Mama has been keeping very busy preparing for that!

I'm a painter!

2011-04-21T07:16:00.000-07:00

I have been in the process of transitioning Austin's baby room into his 1 year old big boy room.
I had this simple pegged shelf laying around for some time now. I was never sure what to do with it. It came to me just last week. I decided to paint it and hang it up in Austins automobile themed room.
My inspiration came from these paintings from Rosenberry Rooms
I actually just recently purchased some canvas at the craft store to paint these myself. I consider myself to be a decent artist. When I saw the price of the art work and took into account that I would need at least two or three, I was determined to just "do it myself." That seems to be the theme of my blog. I see something or I think of something that I want to do and I just do it myself. I think down the line my kids will appreciate the amount of time that I spent making their rooms special and unique.
So anyway here is the completed shelf!

The shelf was originally navy blue. The truck that you see is from Joanne Fabric. It was a pre-painted wooden piece. I just had to paint the roads and the sky and Mod Podge it on.
Easter is just a few days away now. I will be hosting my Parents for brunch this year. The kids baskets are all put together. I will be sure to take some pics!
On the menu is a traditional ham and a roast, some scalloped potatoes, texas style french toast and a cheddar broccoli quiche. I will also be doing a nice salad with a shrimp brushetta appetizer.
Hope all of you have a wonderful Easter!

Stuffed Car Pillow

2011-04-18T06:48:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday everyone!
Hope all of you had a nice weekend. We had a very busy Saturday, we were invited to two first birthday parties. We got home and the kids were so wiped out. Hubby and I had made plans for a date night with friends of ours so it worked out nicely that Madison was already passed out before the sitter got here. Austin is relatively easy to put down but we just so happened to lose his pacifier at some point on Saturday so we are testing the no pacifier waters for the moment. Wish us luck!
As the countdown to Austin's first birthday continues, I have been in the planning process of changing his room over to a big boy room. Last week, I made the cars organizer bin and now this week I made him a stuffed car shaped pillow. I had originally came up with the idea while speaking with my sister in law over the phone and then decided to search the web to see if anyone else had done this before. I was hoping to see how they went about it.
I stumbled upon Noodleheads Her car pillow tutorial is excellent and she even has added a printable pattern to help you out if you aren't a great artist. Hers came out much better than mine, I am still in the learning phases of sewing but I am proud of it.
I basically followed the same steps as Noodleheads by first drawing out the car on a yellow pillow case and then cut a front and back car shaped piece.

Using the leftover fabric of the pillow case I cut out a long strip 3 inches wide. I attached one of the car piece to it and stitched along then entire perimeter. This gives the pillow a three dimensional look. Before attaching the second car piece I cut out two windows and two tires from black and white felt and stitched them in the appropriate areas. I then stitched together the final pieces and stuffed this guy with batting.
Here is the result!

I had Austin test it out, but he wasnt really into taking a nap at the moment lol

Hand & Foot Prints

2011-04-14T12:18:00.000-07:00

It is such a beautiful day today! Unfortunetly teething has gotten the best of my son and we have are having a whiny day. He hasn't exactly been pro nap time either. I really wanted to get the kids outside and well after a few minutes it was kind of a bust. Austin wanted no part of being out there.
I decided to try something that might entertain both of my kids. Painting with their hands and their feet. Austin being my second child hasnt exactly got a baby book filled with information and I never got around to making a clay hand print of him so I figured paint was the next best thing. Madison loves to paint.
This is Austin's, a little messy but you get the idea. He wasn't completely thrilled that he couldn't eat the paint but we made it work!

This is Madison's. Typically Madison does not like to get dirty, even if her cup of juice has a little water on it from being washed she will freak. I was extremely impressed with how much she enjoyed doing this. She then continued to make foot art when we were through.

My big boy!

2011-04-13T10:52:00.000-07:00

As Austin's first birthday is fast approaching there have been several changes in my little man!
In the last month we have practically eliminated bottles. My boy wants nothing to do with them. I found myself wasting so many full bottles of formula because he was not interested in drinking from them. He only wants the sippy cups! Secondly, the pacifier which was once key in keeping my colicky son quiet has pretty much gone by the way side. He lets me know that hes not interested by throwing it out of his crib. I have told you all in the past that he was very colic and suffered from acid reflux. Even now...cheese, yogurt and ice cream cause him to spit up a little.
I decided to try Lactaid milk. It is completely dairy free. I gave him a small sippy cup of it yesterday and he held it down with not a single drop of spit up coming back up!
It is very exciting to know that the formula expense will become a thing of the past, also the feeling of anxiety on a day that my husband has our only vehicle and we are at our last scoops of formula.

I am so pleased with Austin's progress! He is this smiley happy boy, always babbling to himself, dancing and pushing around his cars and trucks. Now if we could get this kid walking! He is so close. My son is so fearless, he is cruising all over the place and standing in place for full minutes before losing his balance and falling to the floor. He does a great job at keeping up with Madison. There are many days that they spend playing together in their rooms. It makes me anxious for the Summer to get here. I can already picturing them digging in the sand together at the beach or splashing each other in the pool. I am really loving everything that is BOY! I love my little guy at this age but I cant wait for him to be a toddler! Cars, trucks, sports! You name it, i'm in!
Gosh' I am so in love with my boy!

Cars Toy Storage Bin

2011-04-07T07:11:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!
We finally came up with a solution to our ongoing virus problem on the laptop. We have always had a desktop computer but we keep it upstairs in our room for Aaron to use when he works from home.
He was able to take our laptop in to be repaired but we decided that since that is the second time this has happened it would be best if we just let him use that for work only and not for personal use. We moved our desktop downstairs and I can finally get back to my blogging!! Whoo Hoo!
It was impossible for me to even consider going upstairs to work on it. Madison no longer takes naps and Austin doesn't nap long enough for me even write a post. Not to mention at some point I do have to clean my house ;o)
So anyway, i'm back! I wanted to share with you one of the many projects that I have been working on. I am in the process of transitioning Austin's room from baby room to toddler room. Austin will be one at the end of the month and I just don't see him as a baby anymore. With everything that he has overcome the monkey theme has this negative aura about it. So I gave a lot of thought to what the next theme would be. Dinosaurs? maybe. Red Sox...eh the green color is to clashy and I am not about to paint again! Ah ha I got it! CARS! My son loves cars of all kinds. When the Disney movie is on, he is glued. Give him anything with wheels and he will push it around the whole house!
My mother in law has a great talent at hand painting wood furniture. It has kind of become her special thing to give as a gift for the kids 1st birthdays. She said that she had an old bookshelf laying around and she wanted to paint it with a theme for Austin's room. Cars!
So now I am on a cars obsessed mission and I decided to make Austin a organizer bin for all of his cars and trucks!

I took an old filing box that was in our basement and measured out the amount of fabric I would need to cover it and then basically hot glued the interior fabric inside so that the bottom would be covered. He loves it! He immediately crawled over to it and started pointing to the car pictures that I glued on. I just cut them out from felt.
Something like this would probably cost $50 bucks in One Step Ahead. I made the DIY cheap version!

Sorry Folks!

2011-03-31T08:05:00.000-07:00

Sorry folks!
My primary source of communicating with all of you has got a virus! UGH
Working on a fix but until then I just wanted to say hello! Its been a crazy party planning couple of weeks. Austin had his 1st birthday photos taken on Tuesday and the oh so fun cake smash!
Figured I would share those with you at the least...

Party Planning has begun!

2011-03-24T06:04:00.000-07:00

There is only one month left until my baby boy turns 1!
My sister in law and I have been heavily planning the party for Austin and my niece Cassidy who is younger by just a week.
She has a really good printer so she is in charge of all things paper, the banner, the appliques for the kids tshirts, the invitations...etc.
I am the crafty one so I have been working diligently on Austin's party hat and I have skirts to make for the girls that will hopefully be done by the weekend. We also have centerpieces and paper poms poms to get done as well.
As you may or may not know my sister in law is a photographer, she will be taking Austin's 1st birthday pics next week and I am so excited. Totally letting him do the cake smash.
So I plan to update all of you with what I have been making...1st is the hat.

This was far more easier than I expected. I first cut out the cone shape from a piece of cardboard (I used a shirt gift box) and then I taped it to the high heavens so it would keep its form.
Next I cut the same shape out of a piece of red felt, I cut it slightly larger because I planned to sew the ends together and I wanted to leave an overlap to be tucked inside to keep the edges clean.
I measured out some white stripes and pinned them on. This pic is really blurry but you get the idea

I sewed all of the stripes on and then closed up the ends turning the flat piece of felt into the cone shape.

Next I cut out a number 1 shape and hand stitched it onto the front of the hat. I hot glued the cone onto the carboard, folding the ends under and into the inside. I cut up a couple of wavy 1 inch stripes out of blue felt and hot glued that to make a small ruffle around the edge.
The pom pom on top was made from a piece of square felt that I folded into thirds and push deep into the hole at the top of the hat. I glued it in when it looked how I wanted and then I fringed it with scissors.

As I said, it was super easy and only cost me a couple of bucks.
I still have to put the ribbon on so it stays on Austin's head but you get the idea. Super easy!

Beautiful Weekend, Snowy Monday

2011-03-21T07:29:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,
we had an excellent weekend and a beautiful one! This weather has been amazing, Spring has definetly sprung! My mother came down for a visit and brought my 5 year old niece with her. Madison was so excited that she had someone to play dress up with. My mother also brought my niece's bike down. On Saurday, my husband took the girls on a bike ride to the playground near our house...so cute!

Little did he know he was going to have to carry both of their bikes on the way back!
While my husband was with the girls, my Mother and I took Austin with us to Joanne's to get some supplies to make a spring wreath for my door (I was still rocking my Valentines wreath.) I was also looking for some material to make a Dr. Suess skirt for Madison and I am making a birthday hat for Austin.
I was amazed, they had some great buys and I walked out of there with all of my supplies and an Easter basket for Austin for only $30!
I pulled out the old hot glue gun and put together my very in expensive wreath. I wrapped one of those hay wreaths (2.00) in a transparent pale pink ribbon (3 spools 1.29 each) and then hot glued the flowers (4.99 reg 2.49 50% off) along the bottom. This wreath cost me $6.

I was unsuccessful at finding Dr. Seuss fabric but I did find some adorable red fabric with white polka dots and a pretty turquoise blue for Madison's skirt. I was looking for something to line the bottom at the hem to finish it off and I came cross a pretty red chiffon trimming.
I will post the skirt when I finish. I saw a hat on etsy that I refuse to pay $25 dollars for. I am pretty sure that I can make it myself.
I really like this one made by Sunshine Daydreams Creations. She does a great job and if you want to spend $25 for your child's birthday hat I dont think there is anything wrong with it, my husband would most likely think I was insane if I were to do that.

SO I have a lot of work ahead of me in the next month gettting all of these things done. I will keep you "posted" he he
Have a nice day! We will be indoors today because after a beautiful sunny weekend it is now flurrying outside! Awesome!

♣ Happy St. Patrick's Day ♣

2011-03-17T11:24:00.000-07:00

It's a beautiful sunny Saint Patrick's Day!
I was going to do some crafting but today has to be spent outside!
Here are a few things that I have been up to...
A few years ago for Madison's first birthday my mother in law hand painted an adorable table and chair set. She did such a great job and for awhile Madison would use it for tea parties every single day. Over time two of the legs started to get really wobbly. We tried to repair it but the wood was getting warped so I put it away, afraid that it would break.
I came up with the idea of turning it into a wall mounted desk or even better a vanity!

Austin's first birthday is now just over a month away and I have been quite the busy bee planning the Dr. Seuss themed shin-dig! I came across sneakers that are made by Converse that are all Dr. Seuss themed. My sister was happy to purchase them for my little guy. We got the package yesterday, they are insanely adorable! They have so much detail and they are great walking shoes. Austin is on the move, he is determined to walk! He has been testing himself by letting go for a minute and just standing until he drops.

Lastly, I was laying in bed lastnight watching American Idol and I couldn't help noticing that while all of the contestants were sitting down with Jimmie Iovine that there was a beautiful terrarium inside a huge shell sitting on the coffee table in front of them.
I immediately took a picure of it and now I have made it my mission to find that shell and make that terrarium. It's awesome and beautiful and it needs to be on my coffee table!

So that's whats going on! Have a wonderful St. Patrick's day and enjoy your corned beef and Guiness!

The Most Stylish Blogger Award

2011-03-14T08:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Hubby and I took the kids on a train for the first time! We were headed to the St. Patrick's Parade in New Haven. We had heard stories here and there about how out of hand the college kids get but I have to be honest it wsn't bad at all. There were a lot of kids on the train drinking and partying but once we got to New Haven there were lots of families.
So anyway we had a great time and had a great spot at the parade.
I came home to a comment by Lace over at My Glass House she loved my Green Eggs and Ham post and had awarded me with the Most Stylish Blogger Award

I am so truly honored, it meant so much to me. I am still very new to blogging and to be awarded with such an honor really made my day.
In order to officially earn this award there are a few things that I do need to do.
1.) First I am to link back to the person awarded me (check)
2.) Next list 7 things about me
3.) Award other deserving blogs and contact them letting them know.

7 Things about me!
1. I used to be a dancer (not that kind) I started when I was 3 years old and left at the age of 13. I feel like it was a big part of molding me into the person I am today.

2. I met my husband through a mutual friend, after two months of dating I knew that I was going to spend my life with him. He was just that amazing.

3. I have spent 4 days at the Grand Wailea in Maui, Hawaii all expenses paid including a day at the spa. My Husband won a prestigous award through work and that was his gift from the company. Amazing!

4. I lived in Williamsburg, VA for 4 months, during the winter. Long story!

5. Someday my dream is to visit Europe. I want to take a month long vacation and visit Ireland, Engand, France, Greece and Italy.

6. I used to be really into scrapbooking but since having children it has become next to impossible to get back into it. It's a messy craft that is very time consuming. I have about 6 unfinished books in a box and a suitcase full of supplies just sitting in my basement.

7. In high school I was enrolled in a three year study of Travel Tourism. I would attend a vocational school for three periods a day everyday. I worked in a hotel as an internship during my senior year and had to perform every job in te hotel. I once had to clean the hotel room of the band Anthrax when working in the house keeping department.

My Nominees for the Most Stylish Blogger Award
These are my favorite blogs, I look at these blogs every single day!

Mrs. DIY and Tennis Guy I love to check out what Kait is up to every day. She is a Goodwill junkie just like me and she is insanely creative. Her blog is a big inspiration of mine.

Made Dana, of Made is Amazing! I read her blog every single day and I got super inspired to get better at sewing just so that I can make the awesome clothes and fun things that she makes for her kids. She has a ton of followers and this is why. Her site is super fun and entertaining. She has dedicated 30 days of just creating things for boys, so cool!

Cleverly Inspired I have followed Tracy's blog Cleverly Inspired for quite some time now. I love the layout of her blog, her tutorials on youtube and also the beautiful way that she has decorated her home all mostly by crafting and creating. She has even been contacted by tv and magazines for her creativity.

Green Eggs and Ham!

2011-03-10T14:09:00.000-08:00

Austin will be one year old in just a month and a half. My niece Cassidy will also be one just a week later. My Sister in Law and I have begun the preparations for a fantasic Dr. Seuss party for our litle "Things."
I have seen different toy companies make food out of felt and even some other bloggers have made this attempt. I got inspired and decided to make a go at green eggs and ham. It just so happens that I had some white and green felt hanging around. I mostly cut out everything free hand. I wasnt really sure what the out come would be as this was my first attempt but it definately came out well enough to put out as a display on the food table at the party.

I have been reading all of the Dr. Seuss books to Madison and at the same time looking for ideas to throw an amazing party. I know that the babies won't remember it but it is really important to me that when they look back at pictures that they see that their Mommies put a lot of love into their special day. If anyone would like to know how I did this, I will add a tutorial at request.

Abby gets a new look!

2011-03-09T11:55:00.000-08:00

This is Abby, she has been Madison's very best friend since shortly before her 2nd birthday. My father bought Abby for Madison on impulse during a trip to Mystic Marketplace in CT during the Summer.

Abby is very loved! She goes with Madison everywhere, she sleeps with Madison everynight. She sits with Madison during breakfast lunch and dinner and Abby has even made her way into a family photo. What can I say, I guess that she is a member of our family.

As most of you may know, when a child loves a stuffed animal, over time they get pretty shabby. Abby's hair has been fixed and clipped several times, in and out of the wash and hung on the line.
I decided to give Abby a makeover. I first had to ask Madion's permission.
She agreed that Abby's jacket looked ugly

and her dress was falling apart.
I spent a better part of the morning working on her. I had to completely cut of her jacket and there was an iridescent layer of tulee over the skirt of her dress that was tearing off. I then used some turquoise tulle that I had laying around and cut out a bunch of circles. I hand stitched little rosettes all over the neck line and around the upper arms. Then I made a very tiny skirt with jagged edges and slipped it over the skirt that was all ready there. I finished it off with a bow around the waist.
Here she is in all of her glory. I think she looks fantastic. Madison was so happy with the result.

Spring Cleaning

2011-03-07T06:52:00.000-08:00

Is it just me or does it feel like Spring is in the air?
I know it has been raining but could it be that the April showers have come early? Madison and I are so eager to get outside and start planting some flowers. She is at such a great age. I know she will have a blast when the time comes. Our family made our first trip to the playground this weekend.

We had so much fun! We live very close to the beach. It got us all super excited to walk the path and see our favorite spot. We spent literally every single weekend last Summer on the beach. I can already smell the burgers and steaks on the grill. Soon we will be hosting barbecue's as often as possible. Our big thing is our 4th of July party. Over the years more and more people have wanted to come celebrate with the Perry's on the the day of independance!

So with all of those things coming back to me I am now motivated to do my spring cleaning. Today is the day! I have been tackling the kids rooms over the last few days. Going through the toys and books making sure to let the ones that have seen better days make their way to a better place. Next I went into the basement and started sorting through their tubs of clothes. I havent quite pulled out the Summer stuff yet but capris and shorts sleeves have made their way through the laundry and into the drawers.

Last month we were all sick. My husband started it first, the day after we came home from a weekend in New Jersey for the Superbowl, he got the flu. Next was me, luckily I only got a touch of what he had. It wasn't nearly as bad, THANK YOU GOD! I cannot imagine having the flu and also have to tend to the children. Yuck! The kids soon followed. Austin ended up with Bronchulitis and we came home from the doctor with a nebulizer. February is gone and we are all healthy again but this house could sure use one heavy duty cleaning. I do keep my house relatively clean but you know sometimes you look at the details and in your head you are cringing at the things that you know you have been deliberately avoiding.

So that is my plan. I wanted to try to get back in the swing of things and posting regularly. I feel like I dropped the ball last month. I have a million crafts running through my head that I want to do. Those posts will be coming soon.
Thank you all for continuing to follow, it really means so much to me that people are interested!

Quick Weekend Post

2011-03-06T06:46:00.000-08:00

I dont really like to take away from the time spent with my family over the weekend. But this morning I am sitting here alone with my cup of coffee and Austin (he's eating his breakfast!)

Madison and Hubby are sleepyheads today.
Over the past week I was going through the kids rooms thoroughly in a pre Spring cleaning sort of way and I was really bothered that Austin has a ton of books but no bookshelf for them yet. Madison used to have a little bookshelf that I was planning on sanding and repainting for his room but then it hit me! I am going to make a sling bookshelf. Unfortunetly I was without a vehicle on this particular day. I needed to come up with a plan without going to a store to get the supplies.
I found several metal curtain rods and a dark brown curtain panel. Austin's room is chocolate brown and sage green. I was totally winging it but I started out by figuring out where I wanted the shelf and at what height. Currently Austin is pulling himself up on everything. If it was to low than he would probabaly just pull it down. Next I figured out how I would hang the curtain rods for it to make sense and actually be a bookshelf. Finally a did some sewing and playing around the the fabric and came out with the finished product!

Not to shabby eh? There is even some room behind the shelf to stick some more books or smaller stuffed animals!
So happy with it, Madison told me yesterday that she wants one too! I am going to put it along her bed. She loves to read books in bed so this way she can keep her favorites right near all of the time!
Happy Sunday folks!

The Queen of Dressup!

2011-03-04T20:22:00.000-08:00

My 3 year old Madison, is the queen of dress up!
She spends most days digging through the drawers of her dresser and taking dresses down from her closet looking for the perfect ensemble for the day. You would think that the trunk full of glittery, sequened, lacey princess, minnie mouse, and dora costumes would be enough but oh no! Not for this girl.

For me, I just dont have the heart to discourage her from being creative and indepenant. Some of the things that she picks out do not match at all but she thinks that she looks pretty! How can I tell her what's pretty and what's not?
Now don't get me wrong, I dont let her leave the house dressed like this but if we are going to be home you betcha i'm gonna let her wear whatever she wants.

I hardly ever have to get her dressed because she no sooner gets out of the bath and she is dressing up in her favorite costume.
This started at a pretty young age. I dont think that she was even two yet and she was asking me to help her put on something sparkly ("spokowee" in the words of Madison.)
Her first piece of "dress up" was a tutu that I got for her at the dollar store. She would put it on and twirl around and "wiggle wiggle wiggle" to Yo Gabba Gabba.
She moved on to the princesses around her second birthday when she got four pairs of high heeled pastic shoes and a Belle dress. That same year for Christmas came more tutus and lots of accessories including some Marilyn Monroe style gloves.

Now when we go clothes shopping for her for the upcoming season she likes to feel like she is control. For example, just the other day we went to Target to kill time and I was looking at the spring clothes in the girls department. I told her that she could pick out one thing. Little miss fashion plate picked out an adorable yellow sweater and a pair of white khakis. Go figure, she just may have picked out the outfit she will be wearing for Easter.
A few weeks ago while we were visiting family in Rhode Island, we made a trip to the mall with Mima. We ended up in Gymboree and in no time she had found exactly what she wanted. A beautiful summer sun hat and a pair of sunglasses.

This girl is too much! She keeps me smiling and entertained. I hope that her love for clothes continue when she is older. I can't wait to have a little shopping partner. Until then I will keep my little free spirit!

Ruffles Ruffles Everywhere!

2011-02-24T11:31:00.000-08:00

I have been seeing ruffles everywhere! I myself have bought a few camisole shirts with ruffles. I have also seen many many other bloggers adding ruffles to their shirts, their kids shirts and even the dog's shirts!
So I decided to join in the ruffle madness and add them to one of Madison's shirts that I absolutely love but it has seen better days. I cannot part with it, so I embellished it!

Here is the shirt, it's just a plain white shirt but I love the way it fits Madison.

I cut it in half and then a folded in the edges and sewed them (hem)
Next I took another plain tshirt and cut it up into strips about an inch thick.

Adjust sewing machine to 2 for length. Sew one straight line down the middle of the strip and when cutting the thread leave about 2 inches hanging off the strip. With hand pull one of the pieces of thread to create a ruffling.
Next a attached the ruffles down the front of each side, I created a flower out of one ruffles strips as well. This is my first attempt at it and I have to say I think that I was pretty successful.

My creative mojo has returned after the brutal sickness that has taken over our lives is nearing its departure. The kids are finally getting their personalities back. It has been so hard to find the time to sit down and write let alone sit down and craft.
As the kids get better it will be easier for me to get back in the swing but in the mean time thank you for following me. Welcome to all of my new followers. I can't believe how many people have started following the last week or so! I will do my best to keep you interested!
Take care until next time!

Easy Behavior Chart

2011-02-22T11:44:00.000-08:00

Even though I have a pretty easy 3 year old, there are times when she becomes little Miss ATTITUDE! I feel like she's 15 already. I do not want her to become a little brat. I was shopping around on OneStepAhead.com and I came across this adorable and sort of pricey chore/behavior chart

I thought to myself "Hey! I could make that!" So that is what I did, to a degree. Our family have all been pretty sick over the past two weeks. Slowly the flu, cold, bronchitis made it's way through our whole house. Madison was the last to get it as Austin was on the upswing. So this isnt as nice as the one on One Step Ahead but it carries the general idea and I was able to have Madison help me as I threw it together early this morning.
I basically just used some of the felt pieces that I had laying around. I drew letters to represent the days of the week and cut them out. I cut out some stars from the yellow felt and then cut out some lines to make dividers. Lastly I made cards out of construction paper and wrote out the chores or activities that Little Miss Attitude would have to perform in order to earn a star. I attached them with clothes pins because over time I want to be able to move them around and possibly at more to the list. Lastly with glue I attached magnets to the back and hung it with love on the fridge. Now we wait and see if this works. I told her that when she fills up the chart for a full week she will get a special prize for being a good girl and listening to Mommy and Daddy without having to be put in timeout to get the job done.

You will notice that there are only six days on the chart. I chose to give Madison one day off a week. Saturday is always kind of a crazy family day for us

2011-02-19T05:51:00.000-08:00

This is Stephen Austin. He is 8 years old and yesterday he was diagnosed with Brainstem Glioma, a very aggressive form of childhood brain cancer.
He is cousins with my niece and nephew in New Jersey. This was a devastating blow to this amazing God loving family. I am posting this to do my part, please do what you can to contribute. Please keep the Maszczak family in your prayers as they go through this very difficult time.

Also during this time my Sister in Law, Alicia Rupprecht, is a photographer in central New Jersey. She will be donating all of the money that she makes from her upcoming sessions to this cause. If you live in the Tri-State area and are interested in booking with her please follow this link to her site.

I ♥ Goodwill

2011-02-17T10:13:00.000-08:00

So I have been reading a whole bunch of DIY blogs. These ladies are so creative and talented. One of my absolute faves is

Tracy has inspired me to branch out of my normal sewing and glue gun crafts and do some some home decor jobs. She just recently made plain old boring cream colored candle sconces into beautiful baby blue Tiffany inspired works of art!
My fellow craft bloggers have mentioned Goodwill quite often for their good prices and some amazing finds. So I decided to check it out for myself. I could have gone crazy in there, I went in looking for a fixer upper chandelier. I have been wanting to change out the one in the breakfast nook but cannot even imagine paying what they are asking for a chanderlier at most stores. I decided that I am going renovate one myself. Tracey made it look so easy to do the sconces so how bad could a chandelier be? Unfortunetly, Goodwill did not have ANY chandeliers but there was a whole lot of other goodies to be purchased :o)

I found these adorable children's plates for .50 each

I also found these beautiful solid maroon vases for 10 bucks each

Lastly, we currently are renting our adorable little house near the water. So there is not a ton of cosmestic work that we can do here without our landlord's permission. One thing I have always hated about our bathroom is the horrible mirror that hung over our sink. I just recently realized that it wasnt mounted in any fancy way. It was just hanging on a nail. So while at Goodwill I also found the perfect size rectangular mirror that is also an exact match to the vanity in our bathroom! It was super cheap and it really made my trip so worth it! The hunt for the chandelier continues. I shall keep you all posted!
Take care!

♥ Happy Valentines Day ♥

2011-02-14T10:51:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines Day everybody!
Hubby and I celebrated our Valentines on Saturday night. Grandma came down for the weekend to spend some much needed time with her grandbabies. We decided to head up to New Haven for a change of scenery. We had dinner at an "up scale" restaurant up there. Dinner out alone was supposed to be a nice chnage for us. Unfortunetly Carmen Anthony of New Haven had other plans. It started with the "mix up" in our reservation time followed by an attitude as if we were some how responsible for that, and then the over two hour wait to eat. While waiting I pictured an episode of Hell's Kitchen running through my head. Ya know when all hell is breaking lose and all of the chefs have to keep refiring food because it's BLOODY RAW! LOL if only we had that entertainment going on while waited for 2 hours. Instead we witnessed both of the tables next to us come in, order, eat, pay and leave twice! I also witnessed a young couple sitting near by break up...
We did however have a blast after dinner. We stopped into Black Bear

Saloon for a little while and then this insanely amazing bar/cub called Wicked Wolf!

In celebration to Valentines I had started to make myself a camisole shirt sort of like the one that I purchased at Target but due to the flu episode last week I never really got around to finishing it.

This is what I have so far on that, will post the tutorial once I get around to finishing it.
I also have started a felt dinosaur onesie for Austin. Back when I found out that I was pregnant with a boy I got an abundance of hand me downs from friends and family. Some times you find a very used onsie amongst the bunch, I always try to find a way to embellish them in some ways. Onesie's are like gold to me. Madison wore a onsie under everything until she started yelling me to unsnap it when she had to use the potty.
So anyway, I had a few solid color onsies and a pile of primary colored felt pieces and decided to start working with what i've got.
Start off tracing an outline of your little guy's favorite dinosaur, cut it out and pin it where you want it

I then threaded a needle with black thread and hand stitched it to the shirt along the edging. I think there is something cute about that messy looking threading rather than the tailored sewing machine look (if that makes any sense.)

So hear is the finished product! I want to make a red trex and a yellow stegasaurus too!

Flu in the house!

2011-02-09T13:37:00.000-08:00

So we have the flu in our house!
I havent been able to post much because I have been one busy lady! I havent sat down and relaxed hardly at all. When I do sit down I don't even want to use my brain.
We spent the Super Bowl weekend at my Sister in Law's house in Jersey, we had so much fun! Also in attendance was my Husband's cousin and his family. In total there were 6 adults and 6 children (ages 3 and under.) This was under the roof of a 3 bedroom, one story, ranch. Very crazy and chaotic but a blast! There was a ton of food! I made scallops wrapped in bacon, potato skins and the very famouse buffalo chicken dip. It's a big hit at all of our parties. Look it up, it is AMAZING!! So after a great time we drove home. My husband fell sick over the course of the two hours it takes us to get home.
Austin is now crawling! I feel strongly that after months of being behind his cousins of the same age in the crawling department, that my Austin is trying to play major catch up. He went from just barely crawling to getting into everything everywhere! I am not complaining by any means. My son is in a way better place than he ever has been. He is such a happy boy! I just am concerened that I may catch the flu and if I do it will be physically impossible for me to chase after him lol

This past Tuesday, Madison started gymnastics. She absolutely loved it! She told me as soon as we got into the car after class that she wanted to go back! I was only able to see her for about a quarter of the class time but from what I could see, she was participating and interacting with the other kids.

I only got to take a couple of pics, unfortunetly they aren't very good and they had to be with my phone. It was weird, none of the other mothers were even watching. No pictures, no OOhs amd Aaahs? So strange, I wanted to cry. I was so proud of her and so happy for her!
So that is whats going on in the Perry house in a nut shell...will post again soon!

Stuck in on ANOTHER snowy day!

2011-02-02T10:02:00.000-08:00

We are stuck in yet another day. Austin was supposed to have his 9 month appointment on Monday but we had to cancel. Madison was supposed to start her first gymnastics class yesterday but that got cancelled and now today it just would have been nice to get the heck out of my house and we can't because of this horrible weather.
I have been working on a shirt for myself. It is in the finishing touches stage so its not quite ready for show yet but I am quite proud of it so far. We will have to see once the the ruffles are added!
Working on tomorrow's post now so check back!

Austin

2011-01-31T12:26:00.000-08:00

There are so many women that I know who are pregnant right now that I got inspired to write my birthing story. I feel like now that Austin is a happy smiley 9 month old I am in a good place to write about my pregnancy, delivery and the first 8 months of his life.
When I found out that I was pregnant, it was on my 25th birthday. I remember that Aaron and I weren't 100% trying but more in a "if it happens, it happens" kind of place. We weren't exactly in the financial position for another child but we knew that if we were going to have another one we should do it before Madison was to old and too used to being the only child. So low and behold I got pregnant without to much effort, just like the first time!
Most of my pregancy was fairly easy, no morning sickness but lots of acid reflux. I had found out pretty early that we were having a boy. I had a vaginal ultrasound when I had thought that I was only 10 weeks but it turned out that I was 12 weeks. Doctors don't like to tell you but they know what you are having that early. My doctor had asked me what we would like to have and I had told her a boy. She gave me the thumbs up!
Since I had no idea what going into labor naturally felt like, at around 35 weeks the constant wondering when labor would occur started making me slightly obsessive, well really obsessive. My mom and sister in law can vouch for that. At 38 week the cramping began. I really didnt know what to make of it but Austin's movement had really slowed down. Oh no, do I have preeclampsia again? I called my ob and told them what was happening, they told me to head to labor and delivery so that they could check things out.
Surprise! Guess what they found? High levels of protein again and my blood pressure was super high. They started the induction, they broke my water, gave me the epidural and so on and so on. I was told to rest through the night. In the early morning the epirdural had worn off and I began to feel all of my contractions and the pitocin that helped to induce the labor was making me get sick. As time went on I grew more sick and in more discomfort. I was getting close to 10cm and was really trying to just handle the pain but getting sick and being told not to push -you've got to be joking? I remember the nurse telling me not to push and then she asked me in the height of my pain if I would like another epidural bolus. Who wouldnt say yes at that point? So I did, and we had to wait for the anesthesiologist. The amazing thing is that we waited so long I could have been holding my son already. He finally got there and they gave me the bolus. I got sick again and then pushed the boy out pretty quickly.
All of a sudden my legs had started to go numb, I felt like I was going to be sick again. Gradually the numbness had consumed my entire body and even leaning up to be sick wasnt happening.
At this point my husband had left with the nurse to bring the baby to the nursery and he was completely unaware of what was happening. All that I wanted to do was sleep. I remember saying that and closed my eyes. Soon there were about 40 people in my room, they were yelling to get the crash cart. They were snapping their fingers at me saying "Amanda, can you hear me?" "Amanda do you know where you are?" It was frightening, I heard them say prep the cart. "NO!" I thought to myself "Im in here" the only thing that I could move were my eyes. I was blinking them so hard. It was frightening, I dont remember to much but I think that they gave me a shot of something. Apparently after the bolus my blood pressure dropped tremendously. It was quite scary.

When we brought Austin home from the hospital, he was an angel. He would sleep all of the time and only wake up to eat. I was in a dream world with my baby boy.
When the 2nd month came everything had changed. My sweet sleepy baby boy had now become so miserable. He would cry incessantly. I soon learned that my son was allergic to my milk and everything that I was eating. We brought him to a specialist and he was put on Similac Alimentum and my days of nursing had come to an end. Months went on and even though the crying had lightened up a little bit he was still pretty miserable. It wasnt because of his dairy allergy and the reflux anymore it was constipation. There was nothing that I could do to make this boy happy. I was at my wits end. My marriage seemed to be suffering as was my relationship with the little girl that I had now felt like I neglected just to have another baby. This went until Austin was 8 months old.
One thing that I never mentioned to my family is this whole thing miraculously came to an end around the same time that my husband and I made that promise on New Years eve. The new year and our faith changed everything.

Austin was even pretty tough at Christmas only the week before. The spitting up has dissapeared, the crying has pretty much stopped. We finally have our happy baby and this perfect happy family.
I now get to spend most days playing with both of my kids. Madison is happy to have more time with her Mommy. I feel like a different person.
I Hope that this story is inspiring to anybody who is going through this. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Stay strong it will get better. Its unfortunate that you dont read more about families who are going through this. It really does make you feel so alone, especially when you look at those around you with these wonderful happy babies.
This one got really long so I will bring it to a close. Enjoy your day!

Shopping by myself!

2011-01-29T20:21:00.000-08:00

Tonight my husband had made plans with a friend so in exchange I got to go to Target all by myself! These occasions don't typically happen for me. It was very exciting! I found some great buys and while I was there I got inspired!! The crafter gets inspired easily :o)
I found a super fun dressy cami for myself for $16.99, planning on wearing it to church tomorrow!

I found an adorable Buzz Lightyear tshirt for Austin on the clearance rack for $3.48

and I found these Valentines socks for just $3.00.

Here is wear the inpiration comes in...
I am going to show you how I made super cute leggings for Madison to wear for Valentines day! I may just even make a pair for Austin too!
I first cut the feet off of the socks just above the heel

pull the socks inside out and then cuff the raw edge down about an inch and then sew it down. Put them right side out and ta da! You have an adorable pair of leg warmers! Madison loves them!

My new button

2011-01-29T11:43:00.001-08:00

Sprucing up an old shirt

2011-01-28T11:59:00.000-08:00

So I had mentioned in yesterday's post that I was working with felt on some craft projects. Well, project one is complete and I am so happy with it. It came out adorable!
Here is how I did it:
Go through your child's dresser and pick out a solid colored shirt that you arent exactly in love with. Is your child a girl? or a boy? If it's a girl you can add flowers. If it's a boy maybe an airplane, a monkey, or his favorite sports ball.

I chose flowers for Madison's shirt, I first purchased three pieces of felt from the craft store (.29 each) one green, you light pink, and one magenta.
I then cut out large circles and small circles and then by free hand cut out pieces of green to look like leaves.

Next I arranged the pieces of felt to look like flowers. I used pink thread and attached them. Super easy!
Here it is, I think its adorable. I am now determined to make a monkey on a onsie for Austin!

The sun is out and the snow is melting! Have a nice day ;o)

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A Storm To Remember!

2011-01-27T08:44:00.000-08:00

How about this snow?
Just read that our 48 inches this month so far was a record for the most snow accumulation in the month of January. The last time that this much snow fell in January was in 1945 and it was a total of 43.5 inches.
Austin woke up at about 4am this morning with a poopy diaper and I just had to look outside. The wind was howling and the house was shaking. I could not believe my eyes, The new accumulation filled our driveway and leveled out to the mounds of snow already piled on each side.
We woke up and it certainly was a winter wonderland. Madison was so eager to get outside. Hubby got all geared up and started shoveling. I felt so bad that I couldnt get right out there with him. The kids required my attenntion in doors.
Half way through his shoveling he decided it was time for some play. I bundled up the kids and out we went! Madison and Daddy made a snow "girl" and I pulled Austin around in his baby sled. He didn't last to long. While we were out there I did try to assist in the shoveling, was able to clear out the car at least. I am really itching to get out of the house today. I am hoping that at some point hubby will either decide to have a family excursion or he will let me go to the craft store without the kids and get some goodies. I have been in a major craft mood and I have limited supplies to do all of the things that are overwhelming my brain!

I started a project that I had seen on a crafting blog somewhere, when I figure out which one I will be sure to give them some credit. But anyway, if you have a child's shirt that is just kind of blah and not interesting you can spruce it up by attaching felt flowers. I started doing this to one of Madisons shirts. It is super cute! I will post the outcome when I finish. In doing this project I thought of another idea using felt. So once I do that project I will have another crafty post. See, the juices are flowin....

Enjoy the wintery white! Hubby just came in from shoveling so I gotta go! Bye ;o)

I'm Back!

2011-01-26T09:09:00.000-08:00

Hey guys!
I know it has been awhile but let me just say that it has been one hell of year! Who am I kidding? It has been one hell of a two years. This past New Years eve my Husband and I sat here alone, our children were sleeping and we made a promise to one another. We promised that 2011 would be a new year! A new way of living, a new way of thinking and a new way to go about our trials. We started attending church on a weekly basis and we are doing FANTASTIC! As a matter of fact we are doing so great that I have started crafting again. It feels so good!

Here are some updates on the kids:

Austin:
Our baby boy, Born April 29th, 2010. We struggled with this little guy for the first 8 months of his life. He suffered so badly with acid reflux/colic. I prayed for the strenth to get through this tough time. I was so worried that the amount of time that I was spending trying to console him wouldn't destroy my relationship with my husband and our little girl. Now Austin has over come the tough times! He is a happy 9 month old who isnt crying anymore, isnt spitting up anymore and sleeps like a champ through the night!

Madison:
My little angel girl. She is such a great little girl. She is always singing and dancing. I think that if anything helping me out with Austin really matured her. I really could have had a tough 3 year old on my hands due to lack of attention but the outcome was just the opposite. She is Mommy's little helper. If Austin gets upset in any way, she is right there to start singing to him (and it usually works!) Madison will be starting gymnastics at the Cheerleading & Gymnastics Academy of CT in Fairfield on February 1st. She is SOOOOO excited!

So that's what's going on. My goal is to keep this going as a daily journal for myself, I feel like it will be good for me to keep positivity in my life. I think if I have something to keep me busy and focus my attention on it will keep this good feeling I have going.

Until next time...Stay warm and drive safe, this snow is rediculous!

Madison

2010-07-28T09:39:00.001-07:00

Madison, Madison, Madison
My little girl has been the biggest light in my life. She is so amazing to watch.
As I sit here typing, I am watching her sort her wooden blocks by color. "Look Mommy! Red, 1..2..3..4.." Everyday there is something new that she is learning or saying. My absolute favorite thing in the world is to watch her dance. It seems as though she started dancing as early as she could hold her head up on her own. She would sit in her exersaucer and bounce to the music of Yo Gabba Gabba. Now that she is older any type of music will keep her entertained, especially Lady Gaga! Oh my goodness does she love Lady Gaga. It doesnt take much for her to entertain me, she is such a happy girl with so much life inside of her.
I remember so vividly the early morning that she was born. It was so scary watching her eratic heartbeat go up and down on the monitor.
I watched as my husband sat with his hands clinched together tightly, his eyes closed and his head bowed in prayer.
I remember the doctor saying say to prep the OR and the nurses rubbing my back in assurance that all would be okay...
After a up and down roller coaster ride for two or three more hours it was decided that I would in fact be able to push. After only 2 pushes I was finally able to meet my beautiful baby girl. The feeling of emotion that took over
was like nothing I had ever experienced in my life. It's amazing, when I was younger I had never had any intentions of having children. This little girl has changed me and I wouldn't trade being a mother for anything else in the world.
There was a time when I had to leave her while I had to work.
It would abolsutely destroy me hearing someone else tell me that she rolled over for the first time, or she is crawling now or hey she walked across the living room today! When it became apparent that I would no longer be working and have the ability to stay home with my little girl I couldnt have been more relieved and excited. Now that I have been home with her all of this time and to know that I am responsible for the new things that she is saying and doing has made me so proud.
Even more amazing is how well she adjusted to being a big sister. She has never given me any reason to not trust her around the baby. She is always willing to lend Mommy a hand with feeding the baby, changing the baby, bathing the baby or anything else that I need trhoughout the crazy day. She loves her baby brother so much and I am confident that she will always look out for him and take care of him.

A day with my Sister

2010-07-23T19:52:00.001-07:00

Today Madison, Austin and I spent the day with my sister and my niece Haley. Haley is going to be 5 and although Madison and Haley don't get to see each other that often it seems as if time never comes in between the fun they have together.
Recently my Sister and I have become close again. When we were children we didnt get along very well. We would always bicker and as teenagers we never saw each other. We always had our own things going on. I was very much into my social life and she had started dating a boy who would end up putting a major wedge in any relationship that we ever had a chance at having.
There was a time when I would let my sister's absense from highlights in my life bother me and leave me emotional and hurt. I had begun to learn over time that the reason for her absense was never to hurt me but because she was forced to say no or shall I saw possessed to say no to just about everything that he would disapprove of. I remember countless times that her phone would ring during her times away from him. She would have to explain every detail of where she was so that he would feel comfortable while he was away from her that nobody was going to try anything funny.
I am so glad that she has grown and detached herself from such a life, I have been watching her become an independant woman and it makes me so happy to know that we are getting to know each other and forming a relationship that has been in the works for the past 23 years.
We are adults now with children of our own and we can now share stories of parenthood. I can do what a big Sister is supposed to do and share my wisdom and knowledge of relationships, marriage and the curve balls of life. She can also guide me through the years to come with Madison due to the girls difference in age.
Even though it was a rainy day and we may have just sat around in doors while the kids played, the day itself meant a lot to me. Just the giant step that my sister took driving all the way up to my in laws house in Lincoln to pick up my circus left such an impression on both my husband and myself.
Megan, I just want to say thank you for the day and I am so happy that we are not only just sisters but friends. Now that your nightmares are behind you I am so glad that you have been able to be strong and stand alone. I'm proud of you and I love you!

Blueberry Picking

2010-07-22T19:43:00.001-07:00

So today Kelly and I attemped to take the kids blueberry picking.
Yes, all four of them.
We met at Jones Family Farm in Shelton, CT. Madison was the first to be unloaded from the car. She was so excited to see her cousin Summer. Madison ran to her immediately as I made my way to gathering Austin. I attached him to me using his sling (the baby bjorn thing, I have one made by Jeep.)
We made our way to the small building where we would each get our baskets for blueberry picking.
We then caught a hay ride called the "Berry Ferry" to the fields where we would be picking.
When we arrived our group was given about five bushes to pick our berries from. During this time I was left with no option but to feed my now screaming child (Austin). I set Madison up with her basket and told her to pick only the blue ones.
She started off doing a great job so I continued to feed Austin with one hand and picking with the other. I soon realized that my little darling was no longer picking her berries but sitting with her basket eating what she had collected.
Laughing I glanced over at Kelly and Summer to see how they were doing and noticed that Summer was doing the exact same thing.
After about twenty minutes I was finally able to get my little man to sleep, I began to pick vigourously to make up for time lost while feeding him and the lack of help from my blue fingered toddler. During this time is when Kelly's son Collin, who was attached to her via Baby Bjorn thing, started to cry and fuss. I think at this time is when it passed through both of our minds what a horrible idea this was. Long story short we both collected about 2 or 3 pounds of blueberries and our children filled themselves up on stolen berries. We were there for only about an hour, I am really glad that we went but at the same time so glad when it was over.
Maybe it will go a little better next year? We shall see...

Rainbow Cupcakes

2010-07-21T12:20:00.000-07:00

This is the coolest thing that I ever seen, I will totally be trying this!
http://www.spearmintbaby.com/2010/07/rainbow-cupcakes.html

2010-07-21T07:21:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my blog!

I am a first timer at this so bare with me, this can be a learning experience for the both of us.

My intentions with this blog is to write about my family life, crafting ideas, and recipes. I will also disscuss recent parenting news and studies.

I am excited to get started in this new adventure in my life. I have always used Facebook status updates to share the ups and downs of my day to day excitment and battles of being a Stay at home Mommy. I sometimes imaginesd that those who do not have children probabaly would hide my posts. Others (like my mom, my mother-in-law, my sister, sister-in-laws etc.) would comment and show enthusiasm to what I had to say. Writing a blog seemed like the most sensible thing to do, that way those who did care to know what was happening could follow me and those who didnt; never had to be bothered by poopy, pee pee, and nose picking disscussions (to name a few!)

So that is my first post, not to bad. I will keep it on the short side for today. I hope that you enjoy what I have to say and feel free to share this with family and friends!