Daily Dose Of Deuce

Daily Baby - A surprise!

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie J) — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 17:00:00 +0000

The surprise just might be that I'm back after a long and unintended hiatus. The bigger surprise is that I'm 16 weeks pregnant with baby boy #2. I was as surprised as anybody to see those two little lines pop up on the pregnancy test. That surprise has turned into excitement that we're preparing to welcome another little man into our world.

Those first weeks were rough, to say the least. The constant nausea sitting in the pit of my stomach all day long, kept at bay by shoveling food and hard candies in my face at frequent intervals. My OB/GYN said happily "oh good, you've gained some weight!" While I love him for putting a positive spin on it, I still felt huge very early on. The exhaustion kicked in pretty quickly too - even more so from having to chase Owen around too. It's true that pregnancy is a whole different kind of worn out when you already have a toddler in the house....and then there were the poopy diapers. Husband is my savior for handling all of those between weeks 6 and 13, when the immediate need to hurl finally abated. I think the hardest part about the first trimester is keeping all of this under wraps while you're waiting to feel confident enough to go public.

I'm now considered of "advanced maternal age" having turned the grand old age of 35 this year. The one upside of that being that I got to do one of the fancy new blood tests (MaterniT21) that cover both genetic screening as well as gender. I don't even think that test was available just 2 short years who when I was pregnant with Owen. It was pretty remarkable to know at 11.5 weeks pregnant that I was having a boy. I think our families were a little disappointed as they all had their "think pink" banners waving proudly. I'm actually pretty excited about a mom to boys though - they'll probably try to kill each other (lovingly of course) and we may have to bubble wrap the house, but I'm thrilled to see how they form their brotherly bond.

Meanwhile, Owen, who I don't quite think has caught on to what's happening with mommy, is just the sweetest boy. He's growing up so fast and the milestones he's achieving are much more subtle than in the first 18 months, but amazing all the same. Being able to understand his words and getting a better idea of what he wants is a huge relief. His love for books and puzzles makes me so proud. The stories from daycare of how he gave one of the babies a toy they dropped, or handed them their bottle, make my heart full with love for the wonderful big brother he's going to be. The flip side is that I also get the occasional story about how he sat on one of the babies thinking he could play horsey with them, which make me nervous for the inevitable time when the words "don't sit on your brother's head" will come out of my mouth.

There has been so much going on that I've missed coming here and sharing with you. I am hoping I can get some momentum back despite all the craziness. The next chapter begins!

Daily Ramblings - Shark Tank Swag Box!

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie J) — Fri, 23 May 2014 20:52:00 +0000

Not sure if any of you remember my review of Groovebook from a little while back. They're a company that was funded, and seems to have had some decent success on account of the show Shark Tank. I got a pleasant surprise last week when I was contacted by the folks over at Shark Tank, who read my review. Turns out that the show is now going into syndication on CNBC and they offered to send me a swag box for being an avid viewer. I wasn't going to say no to an opportunity to try out some of the products I've seen on the show!

My box arrived this week and here's what was inside:

- Gobie Water Bottle - This is a cool water bottle with a filter to turn any water into safe drinking water. I'm super excited to have this and can't help thinking it would have been handy while we were at Disney this month to filter the cloudy looking water from the water fountains! This will definitely be something that gets regular use.

- Origaudio Fold N Play Speakers - These are self-powering, folding (thus portable) speakers made from primarily recycled materials. Supposedly they work with our phones, so perhaps that's how I'll test them out. Husband immediately found these interesting, from an audiophile perspective. He's very curious to know how they sound.

- Pork Barrel BBQ Sauce - As it turns out, we needed BBQ sauce anyway, so this was a perfect addition to the pantry. Who doesn't love a good BBQ sauce? This one seems really well reviewed online, so can't wait to give it a try. The company has a variety of different sauces and spice rubs available, working out at about $5 bottle + shipping. Also, there's quite a few recipes available on their website to try, so now it's just a question of deciding what to make.

- Reboot Energy Spray - Admittedly, this is the one item that I doubt I will end up using. I'm not really into energy products in general, so I suspect I'll let the water cooler fairies at work find it a new home.

- Nuts 'n More Chocolate Peanut Butter - We should all be impressed that I didn't just open this up and start eating it the second I opened the box. Instead I showed a modicum of self-restraint so that I could take the picture and do this write up first. I might just go straight back upstairs and dive in with a spoon when I'm done though. I remember the episode where this was featured and I'm very grateful to have this decadent peanut butter in hand!

Thanks for the folks over at Shark Tank for sending the swag. I can't wait for more episodes, and to catch some I may not have seen yet.

Daily Ramblings - Surviving Disney with a toddler

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie J) — Fri, 16 May 2014 17:07:00 +0000

Reading the park map, ready to roll.

Now that Owen is comfortable walking and exploring, Husband and I decided it was time to brave the crowds and take advantage of the So Cal resident deal for Disneyland/California Adventure. I will admit that I was a little nervous leading up to the trip - How was he going to handle waiting in line? Would he last the day without his usual 2-3 hour nap? Would he decide to randomly run off into the crowds? It didn't help that every time we checked the weather leading up to the trip, it got increasingly hotter, seeing as we're in the middle of an unreasonably warm May. I was not relishing the idea of a crowded theme park in 100 degree weather, but off we went!

The good news is that we had a great time. I'm not entirely sure what Owen thought of everything. There were definitely moments when his eyes were bugging out at trying to figure out his surroundings. Other times, he'd let out an "oooh" when something clicked in his head. He had moments where he was analyzing his surrounds, other times when he was being a goofball (like when he decided to blow kisses to all the ladies in line behind us). While we were mentally preparing ourselves for a tired toddler meltdown (and you will definitely see and hear the tired, over-stimulated, screaming toddlers around the park), he made us proud and was a pleasure to travel with.

Before we went, I consulted with my close friend and Disney guru (lifetime season pass holder) on the best way to handle the park with toddler in tow and was given some excellent tips and tricks. After my experience, here's ten "Surviving Disney with a toddler" tips.

Waiting in line isn't so bad
when there's so much to look at

1) Get a hotel right around the park. They may not be fancy but, for the main part, they're reasonably priced and comfortable enough. We've stayed at the Camelot Inn and Suites before, and were at the Ramada MainGate this time around. The hotels in the area will provide cribs free of charge, some have Disney themed rooms/suites that you can rent, and being walking distance from the main park entrance is great if you need to duck out for nap time or to grab a bite to eat off property.

2) Travel as light as possible! We took our stroller into the park (although baby wearing is also a great option), stuffed it with diapers, wipes, snacks, change of clothes etc. Strollers at Disney are kind of amazing - they get left all over the place but nobody messes with them. I still wouldn't recommend leaving anything valuable in there though. We had a backpack to carry all essentials that we wanted to keep on us while in line (primarily consisting of the DSLR and some snacks in case Owen got hungry), but our hands were free otherwise.

3) Bring more snacks than you think you'll need. We tried to keep it to things that would survive the heat, with resealable packaging! You can always make "snack packs" with ziploc bags. In our case, we took popcorn, jerky, dehydrated fruit, raisins, and squeezable pouches. You also want to make sure to bring plenty of water. You'll be doing a lot of walking around the park and it is thirsty making. You can ask for a cup of water at the restaurants, and there are also water fountains around the park (although be warned that it may be a little warm and cloudy looking). While snacks and bottled drinks are readily available in the park, you will pay a premium and that can add up quickly. I do recommend the fresh fruit stand by the Jungle Cruise, and anybody that's been will tell you to get some Dole Whip!

4) Bring comfortable shoes. This may seem obvious, but appropriate shoes are going to be important and, if you are going to be going for more than one day, I would recommend bringing more than one pair. I actually changed shoes three times over the course of the two days and was able to escape the park without sore feet. Definitely look for shoes with arch support and break them in beforehand. We threw some band-aids in the backpack just in case.

Paradise Pier

California Screamin', ready to roll!

Astro Orbiter

Fist bumping a Storm Trooper

5) Check height restrictions. While there are plenty of rides that have no height restrictions at all, it is nice to know which rides with height limits are ok for your child. 32" is the lowest height restriction and Owen, at 32.5", was able to go on a whole set of rides seeing as he met that. It wasn't always easy to get him to stand up straight so they can check him, but it was worthwhile. The height restrictions are actually noted for each ride on the park map so you can prepare yourself that way, and hopefully avoid the meltdown that I witnessed from one kid, upset at being the only one in his party too short to ride Indiana Jones.

6) Download an app. There's a whole variety of apps out there that will give you approximate wait times for rides. We used Mousewait. Seeing as our plan was to limit waiting in line to 20 minutes if possible (which we figured was the upper limit on keeping Owen entertained in a confined space), this was a great way to see what rides were relatively free at any given time. The beautiful thing about Disney though is that they do try to keep the lines interesting at least, so there should be various things to look at while you're waiting and you can turn that into a game to keep the little ones entertained.

7) Use FastPass wisely. The rides where you can get a FastPass are clearly marked on the map, but keep in mind that the FastPass distribution isn't always right next to the ride. The great thing about FastPass is that you can go do something else before your scheduled return time, thus avoiding lengthy waits. There are some rides where the FastPass is really in demand (such as Radiator Springs in Cars Land) - FastPasses were sold out within the first hour and the line to even get one was over 25 minutes. We actually decided it wasn't worth our while, so we skipped over it. The FastPass we got for Roger Rabbit ended up being a happy accident because we rode it twice in a row, once by waiting in the regular line, then we immediately hopped back on with our FastPass.

8) Single rider is a great option. Not every ride offers single rider. We used it for California Screamin' and Indiana Jones. You get a ticket from one of the cast members, and they will direct you where to go (which in the case of Indiana Jones is actually through the exit). When you get to the front, you wait until they call for a single rider, then you give them your ticket and go! Both times I used it, I was on the ride straight away. This meant that one of us could stay with Owen and do a toddler friendly ride in the meantime.

Checking out Flik's Flyers

Owen rode the carousel three times while we were
taking advantage of single rider on California Screamin'

Disneywasted!

9) Trade something. You can trade both pins and Vinylmation figures in the park. Pins can be traded with cast members, which I got to witness a couple times and it was very cute. In our case, we had some Vinylmation to trade, which can be done at specific locations in the parks, and Owen had a good time picking his mystery box number, then carried around the figures he received in his trades.

10) Take your time. Gone are the days when Husband and I could go to the park and knock out everything we wanted to do in a morning. You don't need to see and do everything to have a good Disney experience. Pick a few things you'd like to hit and consider everything above that a bonus! Don't forget to get a little down time for relaxation and take cues from your child. Simple things, like watching the horse drawn trolleys go by on Main Street, or spending a little while cooling off in the theater, was time well spent. In our case, sitting and watching the ducks for a while, then a short stroll, is what eventually got Owen to nap. There is so much to do that it's impossible to do it all in a day.

We probably won't be going back again for a little while, and there's no shortage of theme parks in So Cal that we might visit before heading back to the Magic Kingdom, but I left the trip excited to take Owen again. I guess we did something right!

Daily Art - Foto Friday, Meerkat Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie J) — Fri, 09 May 2014 17:28:00 +0000

Why meerkats? Why not. Here's some meerkats I photographed at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. They look like they're having a great time. Hope your Friday is just as fun!

Daily Bargain - Library book score!

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie J) — Thu, 01 May 2014 22:28:00 +0000

When I was a kid, my parents would drop me off at the local library and I would read books until it was time to walk to my tap dance class. It was a Saturday morning ritual that I enjoyed, being the avid reader that I was. Currently, I'm a member of two local library networks and it's become somewhere to take Owen, who I've been reading to since he was born. He seems to have inherited a healthy enjoyment of books and we share a nice, long story each evening before bed.

This week, the Burbank library annual book sale was happening and I took the opportunity to head over there on a lunch break. All children's books were $0.25 - can't beat that for a bargain. 20 books and $5 later, I hauled 2 gigantic bags of books back out to the car, half expecting for somebody to stop and accuse me of theft! Including the 5 books I bought at a different library branch the week before, Owen's bookcase is definitely a lot more packed this week.

As it turns out, I'm attracted to beautiful illustrations, especially if they involve dragons. One of the books was signed by the author, so a definite collectible, while another was signed by Mickey and Minnie Mouse back in 1998. We're debating taking it back to Disneyland with us when we go in a few weeks and seeing if we can get it signed again! Not only was this a vast assortment of books, they were also in excellent condition. Owen has been carrying around the two Thomas The Tank board books since I got them, even insisting he take them to daycare, where I was informed he shared them with the group.

So, if you have a library near you, I highly recommend looking to see if they have a book sale coming up. It's a great way to expand your book collection without breaking the bank, plus you get to support your local library, which is never a bad thing. I've included the full list of books we purchased below as they are highly rated and we've really enjoyed all the ones we've read so far!

That's All Folks: The Art Of Warner Bros. Animation by Steve Schneider
The Hunchback Of Notre Dame Disney
Ignis by Gina Wilson
Hieronymus Betts And His Unusual Pets by M. P. Robertson
Lucia And The Light by Phyllis Root and Mary GrandPre
Magic & Mischief: Tales From Cornwall by Shirley Climo and Anthony Bacon Venti
Olivia by Ian Falconer
The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams and William Nicholson
Something Special by David M. McPhail
Garfield Stories by Jim Davis
Dancing Dinos At The Beach by Sally Lucas and Margeaux Lucas
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
The Cat In The Hat by Dr. Suess
The Cat In The Hat Comes Back by Dr. Seuss
Stop, Train, Stop! by Rev. W. Awdry
A Crack In The Track by Rev. W. Awdry
The Train Of States by Peter Sis
About Dinosaurs: Little People Big Book by Time-Life Books
Baby's First Library ABC by Yoyo Books
The Enchanted Forest by Ben Marcus
Uncle Lester's Hat by Howie Schneider
Twenty One Elephants And Still Standing by April Jones Prince
Once Upon A Cloud by Rob D. Walker and Matt Mahurin
Paddington's Loose End Book by Michael Bond
The Sea Serpent And Me by Dashka Slater and Catia Chien

Daily Dish - Chicken, asparagus pizza

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie J) — Fri, 25 Apr 2014 01:00:00 +0000

Well, now that the kitchen is done, we're back to being able to cook in it regularly. It's a joy! I'm making a conscious effort to keep the excessive number of appliances we have off the counters as much as possible. I'm also making an effort to use them more!

My little brother is general manager of a very high end restaurant, so qualifies as a mega-foodie. As it turns out, he has been known to sneak around our kitchen, when visiting, to evaluate what appliances we might be missing, and then fills in the blanks for holiday gifts. That is how we ended up with our bread machine. We weren't particularly happy with the pizza dough recipe that came in the instructions booklet, so gave this one a shot, which turned out nicely. I made a double batch so that we could freeze half for later. I definitely enjoyed the convenience of being able to attend to the little one while the machine worked it's dough magic - hands free! Of course, you could make your own pizza using a store bought dough or base as well.

Chicken asparagus pizza

- 1 cooked chicken breast, cut into cubes
- 4oz skinny asparagus (cut into 2" pieces)
- 1/2 medium onion (thinly sliced)
- 1/2 red bell pepper (sliced)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup grated mozarella cheese
- 4 tsp olive tepenade

Pre-heat the oven to 425. If using raw dough, roll out the dough and put onto the pizza pan. Once the oven is at temp, put the prepared dough in the oven for about 5 minutes to crisp the top. This prevents it from becoming soggy once the toppings are added. Remove from oven and add toppings - use the olive tepenade as your base, then top with mozarella cheese, chicken, veggies, and sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. Bake for an additional 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Daily Ramblings - Kitchen Reno Completed aka I'm A Slacker (Part 2)

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie J) — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 21:01:00 +0000

I must apologize for my unexcused absence. I've had photos of our kitchen renovation on my camera for a few weeks now and just never got around to taking them off, or posting about anything at all. So, here we are and I do want to share these, seeing as you got to see the before photos!

The project took a little over 2 weeks total. We kept the existing cabinets and all the appliances, except the dishwasher, which we switched to stainless steel to match the rest. We added new ceramic floor tile, "tan brown" granite, glass mosaic backsplash, stainless steel sink and faucet, cabinet hardware, and under cabinet lighting. We ended up getting a new water heater installed, adding a light above the pantry, refinishing the ceiling, and removing the garbage compactor which served no purpose other than to remind us that the 1980s happened. I can hardly recognize the white/bland kitchen that was there before now it's been replaced with a warm and happy space.

Renovations with a toddler in the house? Not the most fun thing ever, but this was the biggest and most inconvenient one we have planned. Unlike doing a bathroom where you may have other bathrooms to use in the meantime, most houses only have the one kitchen, which makes life hard when you don't have access to it, especially considering we cook a lot in our house.

We still have a bathroom and living room space to work on, but for now, we'll take a break in our (finally) dust free space! Back to regularly scheduled programming...

Daily Baby - Owen's First Year

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie J) — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 04:18:00 +0000

We just got the photobook of Owen's first year in the mail. I'm really proud of myself for weeding through the couple thousand photos, keeping it down to only 88 pages, and actually finishing it before he started Kinder. I know I can't bring the book around to share with everybody, as much as I'd like to (although if you're ever at our house, you're more than welcome to peek), so I made a short video from the scrapbook pages that I created. I really hope I captured the essence of the tiny little goofball I'm proud to call my son!

The scrapbook pages were created using My Memories digital scrapbooking software. I ended up ordering the book through Winkflash, who were having a flat page book sale (up to 100 pages for a flat rate, which saved me $66 according to my checkout receipt). I'd say they run that sale a few times a year, so worth looking out for if you have a big book in the works. Winkflash seems to be a lesser known printing company, but they do good work and the only complaint I have about their photobooks is that they don't print the album title on the spine.
Anyway, enjoy! I'll be back soon with those kitchen before and after photos!

Daily Art - Foto Friday, Jellyfish edition

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie J) — Fri, 07 Mar 2014 22:36:00 +0000

Today, I wanted something soothing and pretty to share, as a contrast to the mayhem that's happening in my house. So, here's some pictures of jellyfish that I've taken in the last couple of years. Happy Friday all!

Daily Ramblings - So that's what was under there...kitchen reno (Part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie J) — Thu, 06 Mar 2014 22:49:00 +0000

Welcome to March. So far, the month has been taken up by dust and home improvement, so here's a quick breakdown of what's been going on! (Right now, I'll share everything via Instagram photos, but proper before and after shots to come later...)

Here is the original kitchen. That's a lot of little white tiles, right? In fact, our kitchen table (not pictured) also featured little white tiles on the top, a leftover gift from the previous owners that we never bothered to remove. The problem with little white tiles everywhere is that they are impossible to keep clean....and, without anything on the counters, it's quite apparent how bland this looks! We've upgraded the appliances in the last couple of years, but notice the beautiful trash compactor in the lower left corner? We don't even know where the key for that thing is, so it's mostly been taking up space. We had it removed and I can't say I miss it.

Whomever laid the tile previously never bothered to do the laundry room, or under the dishwasher or stove. The gap between where the tile stopped, and where the dishwasher was placed, was about a half inch collection point for things that had been swept over time. Gross, I know, but I certainly wasn't about to go fishing around in there to get things out. To be honest, when we first moved in, 5.5 years ago, we knew that the kitchen would eventually have to go. I'm surprised it took us this long!

One advantage (if you want to call it that) of the bad tile job, was that it wasn't a complete shock when the tile was pulled up to reveal this beautiful linoleum underneath. The building was built in 1981 I believe, which means that's probably the original. Gorgeous isn't it? I thought about keeping it for....no, I'm kidding. That stuff had to go asap. Three guys spent an entire afternoon scraping it off the sub-floor. I was at home that day, and not at all jealous of what they were doing.

The counter-tops were demolished on day two, after the floor was pulled up. Needless to say there's a lot of eating out/ordering for pick-up going on right now, and I'm grateful for the paper plates and plastic cutlery left over from Owen's birthday. Our fridge is also in the living room, which makes for easy access at least...and we'll just say that's a silver lining.

The cabinets are the one thing that we're keeping, although we will be adding hardware. Our new floor tile is a slate color with brown tones that match the cabinets, which they are starting to lay down today. The granite is going in this weekend along with a new sink and faucet. We're finishing everything up with a pretty glass mosaic back-splash, which will be started next week and is likely to be the most complicated part as it is the most intricate. It might also be the part that I'm most interested to see come together as the granite and flooring are quite dark, so the back-splash (and paint) is where we decided to bring back some lightness.

I stood in the kitchen this morning to take a look at/admire the paint color in daylight. As I was contemplating how much I enjoyed our chosen color (BEHR "Sculptor's Clay, which is essentially a neutral somewhere between brown and grey), I laughed at teenage me who would have undoubtedly thought being excited about such things was lame.

Any kind of remodeling can be stressful, even more so with a toddler in the house. We've had various adventures this week just trying to keep him out of the house as much as possible. When we did our bathroom, there were at least other bathrooms available to use. Not having access to the kitchen, as a household that cooks 5 nights a week, is definitely a unique situation that I'll be glad to be done with. It's a small price to pay for getting to cook in my new, awesome kitchen soon! I'll be back with an update next week...

Daily Craft - A paint swatch color book

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie J) — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 21:50:00 +0000

We have a kitchen remodel coming up that is about to invade our house for the next couple of weeks. This means we've been in and out of home improvement stores the last couple of weekends and, as a reward for his patience while we pick out backsplash and floor tiles, I decided to make Owen something using the paint swatches we'd given him to keep him entertained in the shopping cart (because it seemed safer than handing him power tools).

Using this as inspiration, I set about making Owen his own color book. I picked up a few sets of stickers at Dollar Tree (who carry a pretty decent selection of laser, 3D, and foam stickers) then went about matching the sticker colors to the swatches. Once I'd decided on the color order, I used double-sided tape to stick the swatches to each other back to back. Then I punched holes and bound them together using loose binder rings. Finally, I personalized the front page for him. I'm so happy with how it turned out!

I'm hoping that over time he can even add his own choice of stickers to the ones that I already included in the book. That way it really is even more personal to him, as well as having the advantage of teaching him about his colors in a fun way!

There seem to be tons of paint swatch crafts out there, and I can kind of see why now that I've made this for Owen. Very fun, not complicated. Have you tried any yourself? Please share if you have!

I'll be sharing photos of the kitchen remodel shortly as demolition starts on Monday - yikes! In the meantime, I would also like to give Home Depot props for this sweet shopping cart, complete with steering wheel! Owen loved "driving" like a big boy while I made our tile order.

Daily Dish - Let's talk spaghetti squash

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie J) — Tue, 18 Feb 2014 21:16:00 +0000

Growing up in England, I can't say I ever really ate winter squash. It wasn't until recently that I decided to try a spaghetti squash and it has quickly become a favorite in our house. A lot of recipes for spaghetti squash use it as a substitute for noodles, which makes perfect sense given the name right? Nutritionally (courtesy of MyFitnessPal.com), a cup of spaghetti squash has 31 calories (1g fat, 7g carbs, 2g fiber, 1g protein), whereas the comparable amount of regular pasta has 200 calories (1g fat, 42g carbs, 2g fiber, 7g protein). It is certainly a low-calorie, low-carb substitute. If you're looking for an identical texture, you'll be disappointed, but spaghetti squash has proven to be versatile, delicious, and filling.

The trick is to bake the squash at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes. At that point, the shell is easy to pull away and you can either use a fork to pull out the inside as "spaghetti", or fill it with toppings.

Last night's adventure was Pad Thai. We used this recipe, which was enjoyed by everybody in the house, big and small! The recipe was good, although I'd probably add a little more lime juice next time around. The squash was also a little softer than I'd have liked to create the spaghetti strands.

Another really enjoyable recipe was this one, for a Southwest Spaghetti Squash. We added some lean ground turkey to the recipe, which also meant that we had a ton of leftovers. The possibilities are really endless with what you can put inside. Did I mention that there's broiled cheese? Automatically makes it a winner in my book!

Having just bought another couple of squash at Costco, I think we'll be trying this spaghetti squash primavera next. Seriously, so good. Have you tried it?

Daily Art - Feeling the love!

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie J) — Fri, 14 Feb 2014 21:42:00 +0000

It's Valentine's Day. Here's my love, photo edition!

Love is....my heart

Love is....Deuce "Bag", the smug, furry one

Love is....family

Love is....cousins

Love is....creation

Love is....free!

Whether or not you celebrate Valentine's Day with a special somebody, or think it's the worst kind of Hallmark holiday, your love isn't just about a relationship, or just one day. Go out and spread the love!

Daily Review - Groovebook (plus a free one for you!)

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie J) — Wed, 05 Feb 2014 20:19:00 +0000

I suspect that Shark Tank is one of those shows that a lot of people watch but don't usually talk about. I love it, personally. There's always that moment of "that's brilliant, why didn't I think of that", or the eye-rolling at Mr. Wonderful's royalty based deals. Recently, the owners of the Groovebook app were featured. I'd actually heard of Groovebook before they showed on Shark Tank, but their appearance inspired me (and I'm sure many others based on how slow their servers were the weekend after the show aired) to give it a try.

For those of you that haven't seen it, Groovebook is an app for printing pictures off your phone. If you're anything like me, you have hundreds that may or may not get uploaded to Facebook/Instagram but then just sit in your phone memory. For $2.99/month (incl. S+H), as a subscription service, you can upload 100 photos a month to Groovebook, and they send you a printed book with those photos. The photos are 4x6 and perforated so that you can pull some out to give to friends and family, pull out to put in a scrapbook, or frame. I just got my first book and I love it! I just uploaded the photos for my second book (which was quick seeing as I think their servers recovered from the post-Shark Tank rush) and I'm already excited to receive it. On the show, they did make a deal with Mark Cuban and Kevin O'Leary, so I'm curious to see what happens next, but I really hope they hold on to this original model.

The photo paper feels a little thinner than prints you might order from other services, but at $0.03 a print, they're a great value (compared to the $0.10 or $0.12 you might pay elsewhere). I also love that each photo has the time and date stamped right above the perforation. The app itself is pretty easy to use. I like the advanced photo option where you can pick how many of each image you want in the book. There's a little "ticker" at the top of the screen to let you know how many photos you have left. Once you've selected them all, you simply upload to the service and a couple weeks later your book arrives. I also like that you can order additional copies for others, which is great if you're being harassed by family members for new photos of the little ones!

I did notice that there was a coupon code (JACOBS87) for a free Groovebook in the back of mine, so I wanted to share it with you all. Overall, this is definitely one I'd recommend to anybody looking for an easy, and inexpensive, way to get those photos off your phone and into your hands. With a free coupon code, there's no excuse not to try it!

DISCLAIMER: I received no compensation for this review. I just think it's a neat product and wanted to share because I like you guys!

Daily Art - Griffith Park Observatory

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie J) — Fri, 31 Jan 2014 20:06:00 +0000

Today's Foto Friday takes us to the Griffith Observatory here in Los Angeles. I consider myself very lucky to have access to the Observatory. Not only does it have beautiful views all across L.A., including downtown and the Hollywood sign, it's a pretty cool place to go, even without the aspect of being able to learn things about space...for free!

What do you consider to be a local treasure in your area?

Daily Dish - Lemon chicken with roasted cauliflower

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie J) — Wed, 29 Jan 2014 19:17:00 +0000

When you co-worker gives you lemons, make a chicken dish! That's pretty much how this happened, and it was good!

This recipe (from the Barefoot Contessa) for lemon chicken not only highlights the lemon really well, but it also contains a ton of garlic, which is always a winner for me. We used chicken without the skin, although I can imagine that the skin-on version is pretty amazing. The prep time is very quick and then you just pop it in the oven and forget about it for 30-40 minutes, which makes it weekday friendly.

As a side, roasted veggies are one of my favorite things - not only super simple but they taste amazing. I broke a head of cauliflower into florets, then tossed with olive oil, salt, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and parmesan cheese. They went into the oven, with the chicken, for about 25 minutes. That gave me ample time to clean up and be able to eat knowing the kitchen was already clear.

Overall, this was an easy to prepare, healthy, low calorie meal with a nice punch of flavor. Highly recommended!

Daily Art - Foto Friday Redux

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie J) — Fri, 24 Jan 2014 19:50:00 +0000

Recently, I joined the Instagram bandwagon and, although a little late to the party, it's definitely got me remembering to snap photos frequently, even if only on my phone. That being said, I'd like to restart the Foto Friday thing that I was doing a couple years ago, each Friday sharing photos I've taken that I love. They may be new photos, they may be old, taken with my DSLR or just on my phone. In the meantime, feel free to follow me on Instagram @dailydoseofdeuce. My photos there are as random as my blog posts - everything from pics of the little one, to food, nail polish, and more. :)

Daily Dish - Oatmeal in a jar

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie J) — Thu, 16 Jan 2014 19:51:00 +0000

Before the holidays, I'd been on a pretty fantastic weight loss curve. Then the holidays happened and I may have over-indulged just a little. Time to get back on track though. I've been looking for some healthy food hacks that are quick, simple, tasty, and don't take much time to prepare. I think it's fair to say that Pinterest will always offer up something I've never heard of before that is just crazy enough to try....and that is how "oatmeal in a jar" happened.

The beauty of this is that they're quick to prepare, easy to make ahead, healthy, inexpensive, and the possibilities are endless! I used an 8oz mason jar and filled it with:
- 1/4 cup uncooked oats
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1/4 cup plain whole fat yogurt (which is what we have in the house for the little one but could obviously be substituted for a low fat or greek yogurt instead)
- a dash of vanilla extract
- half a pear (which is all that would fit into the container when I was done)

Give it a good shake, then leave it in the fridge to "cook". By my calculations, before adding the fruit, this 8oz serving was only 136 calories, but more filling than a granola bar or similar breakfast item that you might grab while heading out the door.

Seeing as these keep for several days, it's easy to make a few days at a time, mix and match what the fillings are, then grab and go in the morning on the way to work. I would even say that these are kid friendly so could easily be made for the whole family to enjoy. Here's a link with some flavor combinations to try. Enjoy!

Daily Craft - A Baptism Bookmark

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie J) — Thu, 02 Jan 2014 21:17:00 +0000

Happy New Year folks! 2014 already? I hope you all had a wonder-filled holiday season and that Santa was good to you.

It's day 2 and being back at work seems like it came entirely too quickly. Nonetheless, I'm feeling good about the upcoming year. At the very least, I hope to spend more time out and about with Owen as he's now old enough to really start appreciating more activities - the zoo, museums etc. I'm also thrilled that he's soon to be prime crafting age - more felt and paint for everyone!!

This project is actually something I did a few weeks back, but I wasn't able to get it to the recipient until yesterday so didn't want to post anything lest I spoil the surprise. Close friends of ours have a baby girl who was recently baptized. I can't say I know much about appropriate gifts for baptisms but I did know I wanted to make something that she would (hopefully) treasure as she got older. My original thought was a necklace, but then I found some simple shepherd's crook bookmarks and decided to go in a new direction. I wire wrapped some glass pearl beads left over from the jewelry I made for her baby shower, then added a small pink cross with Swarovski beads as the feature.

I just love how this turned out and I really hope this is something she'll use for years to come to mark passages in her favorite Bible. In the end, despite the convenience of the Kindle or Nook, reading a book on paper still can't be beaten in my eyes. I bought more bookmarks so hopefully I can execute a few more ideas soon!

Daily Ramblings - Merry Christmas and all that

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie J) — Tue, 24 Dec 2013 17:37:00 +0000

Hard to believe it's Christmas Eve already. This year has been filled with a whirlwind of activity and, even now, with only a few days left, we still have so much left to do. So, in anticipation that I won't get a chance to update this space until 2014, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!

Daily Chuckles - My completely random gift guide: 2013 Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie J) — Wed, 11 Dec 2013 20:03:00 +0000

I can hardly believe that Thanksgiving has passed, Hanukkah went with it, and Xmas is only 2 weeks away. I've been horrifyingly neglectful of my blog, and wanted to return from that brief hiatus with something that was a big hit back in 2011 - my completely random gift guide. There is no rhyme or reason to this...just things I have found on the internet that are worth of being shared. Enjoy!

1) Chainsaw Attack Bookends (courtesy of Knob Creek Metal Art s) - $64.99 (currently $55.24 on sale)
I actually had a really hard time picking just one item to feature from this site. They have a plethora of alien invasions, dinosaurs, swamp beasts, and more. Whether you want bookends, or a zombie on your key rack, there is sure to be something for somebody you know!

2) Muffin Tops Cupcake Molds (courtesy of Perpetual Kid) - $12.99
There are few times when a muffin top is appropriate. This, however, is one of them and there is something about making muffins in a delightful pear of denim cut offs that is strangely appealing.

3) Star Wars™ Vehicles Pancake Molds (courtesy of Williams Sonoma) - $14.99 (currently $6.99 on sale)
Would it be a true nerdy gift guide without something for the Star Wars fan? Perhaps you could eat your X-Wing Fighter with the Chopstick Sabers from my 2011 guide. Seems like a great excuse to play with your food.

4) Medieval Weapons Push Pins (courtesy of Amazon) - $9.99
Feel like stabbing your TPS report with an axe (without getting in trouble with your boss)? This is the answer.

5) Samurai Sword Kitchen Knife Set (courtesy of Think Geek) - $59.99
For those times when you just need to practice your ninja moves on a zucchini... 'Nuff said.

6) Bubble Wrap Calendar (courtesy of Amazon) - $29.99
This is a poster sized calendar, which is sure to delight everybody in the family. The biggest problem I see is that there will need to be some kind of bubble popping chart indicating whose turn it is, or everybody in the family needs a separate calendar, or you have to be stealth (see ninja knives) and sneak away to pop the bubble of the day before anybody else gets to it....and even then, can you really just stop at one bubble?

7) Disappearing Civil Liberties Mug (courtesy of Uncommon Goods) - $12.00
If your Facebook feed is anything like mine, you have a variety of friends who are frequently outraged by this exact subject. Now, every time they drink a coffee, they can be reminded of their outrage. They will thank you.

8) Volume Knob Pacifier (courtesy of Baron Bob) - $9.95
Perfect for those new parents who are bewildered and trying to figure out what day of the week it is. Give them a laugh, while making them simultaneously sad that the knob doesn't actually work. If it did, I'm pretty sure it would cost one hell of a lot more than $9.95.

9) Song Map (courtesy of Dorothy) - £25
As a music lover, who wouldn't want to go to a place where you can go west on the Road To Hell and end up on The Boulevard Of Broken Dreams. This map features 390 song titles and a matching Spotify playlist. A sure fire way to get lost in the music! (You see what I did there?)

10) Hot Mess Spoon and Cutting Board (courtesy of Think Geek) - $9.99-$14.99
If you know somebody who likes to make a mess in the kitchen, you might as well help them along with this spoon rest and cutting board set. Hide existing spills under functional ones.

Now - get shopping!

Daily Craft - This hat is a hoot!

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie J) — Fri, 15 Nov 2013 19:14:00 +0000

I'm participating in another birthday swap with some Ravelry folk in one of the birth boards and was determined to find the time to crochet something fun for the recipient. I seem to have much more free time in the evenings now that Owen has transitioned to regular milk and we got rid of the bottles. Is that a good excuse to spend more time crafting? I hope so!

Almost as soon as I started my search for a cute hat to crochet, I came across this rather fantastic owl hat from Repeat Crafter Me and knew it was the one. She's actually written the pattern in newborn through adult sizes, so nobody needs to feel left out! It was a quick pattern to work up and my only complaint would have been that I misjudged the size of the buttons to use for the eyes (although that's user error and the pattern writer should not be held responsible).

I do hope the recipient loves it. It's just so cute that there may be more owl hats in my future...

Daily Deal - My Memories Scrapbooking Software FREE!! (This week only)

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie J) — Wed, 06 Nov 2013 00:36:00 +0000

Thanks to my sponsor, My Memories, I have a code to download their awesome digital scrapbooking software for FREE (a $40 value). No raffles, no quizzes, no random number generators, no strings attached. (Of course, if you'd like to become a follower of my blog, I'd love that but it's not a requirement!) This is completely free to my readers for this week only. Just go to http://www.mymemories.com/ > Software > Choose the My Memories Suite. Enter the following code at checkout (I recommend you cut and paste). FreeTreatHA109

So, a little bit about the My Memories Suite software. This is my go-to for any kind of scrapbooking stuff. I will admit to being a pretty bad at scrap-booking on paper. I do love making photobooks though, which makes this software the perfect addition to my arsenal as I don't have to rely on the presets offered by whatever site I'm ordering the book from. In addition to the pre-set templates that the software has loaded, there's a TON of beautiful paper and element downloads on the My Memories site - some free, some paid. The beautiful part being that once you've purchased a kit, you can use it as many times as you like, rather than just the once like regular paper. It's so easy to move elements, change picture sizes, add shadows, borders, layer "papers" and so on.

I've been working on Owen's first year book for a little while now. Here's a sampling of pages that I've compiled using the software along with the Sweet Baby Boy kit (a steal at $3.99).

Another great use for the software is for holiday cards, invitations, etc. I used it to do Owen's birth announcement, birthday invitation, baby shower invite for a friend, holiday card for 2012...the list is endless when it comes to possible uses. There's also a neat function to create a "movie" from your scrapbook, which is something I hope to explore should I ever finish Owen's book!

Once again, the code is FreeTreatHA109 and it will only be active through November 11th. What are you waiting for? Go get your download!

Daily Baby - Happy Birthday Owen

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie J) — Mon, 04 Nov 2013 21:35:00 +0000

Hard to believe that my little boy is one. He's an actual PERSON, not just a helpless, tiny, scrunched-up thing. We had his party this weekend and he was surrounded by family and friends, all of whom are very much appreciated for attending! I was having a bit of a decorations meltdown at the park as there was just enough of a breeze that nothing wanted to stay put. I had to take a deep breath, remind myself that it doesn't need to go on Pinterest, and be secure in the knowledge that the people there to celebrate were far more important than the balloons staying upright. Armed with a roll of duct tape, my brother went for the uncle of the year award and fixed it all while I ran home to pick up the birthday boy, who was being dressed by his auntie, who should also get an award for leaving home at 4:30am and driving 5 hours to be there. Little man celebrated his first year with his first slice of pizza, stealing and chowing down on a cake pop from his auntie's hand, and sharing his first cupcake with mommy.

So, after my first year of parenthood, I look back and wonder if I'd do anything differently. To be honest, I don't think I would. We've had our ups and downs. There have been moments of sleeplessness and frustration, far outweighed by joy and laughter. We have a happy, friendly, funny little boy who delights us and those around him on a daily basis. He makes us proud, which makes me think we must have done something right. It's been an adventure, but a grand one. I can't wait to see what the next chapter brings.

Happy Birthday my little love.

Daily Travels - My top tips for flying with baby!

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie J) — Mon, 28 Oct 2013 20:33:00 +0000

Having just returned from our 10 day trip to the UK to visit my parents, Owen now has a stamp in his passport and 20+ hours of flying time under his belt. We were prepared for the worst but hoping for the best. Turns out that he's a pretty good little traveler and handled both flights with relative ease. That being said, I definitely came away from the experience with a few tips and tricks that I figure may be helpful for somebody out there. So, here you go (in no particular order of importance)!

Are we there yet?

1) Call your airline to double check their individual policy, but it should be standard allowance to gate check a stroller for free. Even if the baby's not in it, use it to tote your luggage through the airport. I highly recommending shelling out the $14 for this gate check stroller bag. When we arrived at Heathrow, it was raining (no surprises there) and the bag was soaked from making the trip off the tarmac in the rain, but it kept our stroller dry. It also provides a level of protection against heavy-handed baggage handlers, who would potentially mangle your stroller should it pop open at some point.

2) If you aren't booking a seat for baby, find out if you can get a bassinet/bulkhead seat. It may cost a little extra, and there may be weight/age restrictions (depending on the airline) but, if you can't buy a seat for baby, the bassinet is a great option. It cost us $50 each way, but having somewhere that we could put him down and he could play was well worth the price. Unfortunately, it meant that he was in front of the screens (not that he was going to let us sit quietly and watch a movie anyway) but on the flip side, the bulkhead gives you a little extra leg room too. They're available on a first come, first serve basis, so I recommend calling as soon as you book. [UPDATE: Since writing this, a reader made a good observation that the bassinet option may only be available on international flights. Something to keep in mind.]

3) Order your meal selection for the baby while you're calling about stroller checks and bassinets. As it turns out, our request for a low sodium meal for Owen didn't make it into the computer. The flight attendant very nicely arrived with some Gerber baby jars on a tray for him, and we had to inform her that there was no way he'd eat it. She was able to procure a meal for us though and he chowed down quite happily on the regular food.

Makes pulling an all-nighter look easy

4) Speaking of, bring some of your own food too. We packed a couple of the Plum Organics pouches - just make sure you declare them at security. They didn't even look at them at LAX, and at Heathrow they just took a quick look to make sure the pouch was sealed. While we didn't on this trip, you can also bring breast milk and formula through security too. Here is what TSA has to say about it.

5) Ask the flight attendant for a bottle of water early on. They were happy to give us a liter bottle so that we could use it for ourselves, the sippy cup etc. Much easier for them than having to bring us water repeatedly throughout the flight. It also made us the envy of our neighboring passenger who asked what the magic trick was to get a bottle, and I informed her that having a baby would do it. The flight attendants also offered to warm up bottles etc. if we needed it, so that's always a good thing to know.

6) Head off to the dollar store and get some "disposable" toys. I spent about $5 on some board books, flash cards, plastic discs, etc. They were new and kept his attention for a few minutes at least. It was also no hardship if they got lost along the way and it wasn't a question of losing a favorite toy.

7) Alternatively, random things on the airplane make great toys. Simple things like plastic spoons and cups are easily wiped off and make great toys. Owen spent quite a bit of time dropping one of his links into a plastic coffee mug over and over. He also spent a good 20 minutes on the flight to Heathrow "sharing" his coffee with Husband and I. It's the simple things.

8) Load up some baby apps. Fisher Price and Baby First both have some nice options. Some are flash card type apps, others are interactive story books. Either way, a little screen time isn't bad given the circumstances. Also, check out the kid's programming for in-flight entertainment as they probably have some kid-friendly options.

9) Bring at least a couple changes of clothes for the baby, plus a change of shirt or two for yourself. I actually recommend having this in the diaper bag for the entirety of the trip. It came in super handy when Owen, who had never previously projectile vomited in his 11 months of existence, decided to get a bit Exorcist all over himself, me, and the floor at Waterloo Station. The horrified look on the face of the teenagers that he almost nailed was classic, and probably did serve as instant birth control. I was, however, super happy to be able to change us both out of the offending puke covered items and back into something less offensive.

Suggestion: Drink beer before giving can to baby

10) Dress the baby in an extra layer. We didn't need any costume changes on the way out, but on the flight back, there was a little more vomiting. Fortunately, I was able to take off the outer layer of clothing (revealing that Owen is indeed Batman) and let him hang out in a onesie until we could get him an appropriate change of clothes. It may be worth having an extra layer for yourself too...in case the vomiting is projectile, or a poop-splosion happens.

11) You probably want a stash of plastic bags on you too...you know, to hold all the gross stuff that I just mentioned in the previous two points. My aunt taught me many years ago how to fold plastic bags into nifty little triangles for space saving. Here's a video - it's a neat trick.

12) Wear the baby. I wore Owen through security both times, and was not required to take him out of the carrier. That freed up the stroller for our carry on luggage. In an airport like Heathrow, where you have to walk a mile to your gate, that can be a great help. Be aware that they won't let you wear the baby for take off and landing though. The airline will provide a lap belt attachment for you to use. Personally, I feel like they'd be more secure in the carrier, but I don't make the rules. There was no way that we were going to get Owen to sleep in the bassinet, especially with the screens right there. We would turn them off and he figured out that if he smacked them, they'd turn on again (the downside of touch screens). I managed to get him to sleep by popping him in the Ergo and taking him to the galley where I could sing/rock him to my heart's content without bothering our fellow passengers. Once he was asleep, I went back to the seat and tried not to move too much.

13) Don't forget to ask for wings to mark the first flight! We were flying Air NZ and they don't have wings, but the flight attendant was nice enough to fetch us a little packet for him to commemorate his first journey.

14) Find out which bathrooms have changing tables as soon as you can. Turns out the Air NZ had changing tables in all of their bathrooms, which was a win because it meant no waiting for a particular bathroom to open up. Granted, there is nothing fun about trying to change a poopy diaper in a confined space like that, but you do what you gotta do. It's also not fun when you find out that your child has figured out how to open the door lock while you are trying to use the facilities, leading to one-armed grappling with baby, pants, and door in an attempt to maintain some kind of modesty.

In the end, it all went much smoother (barfing notwithstanding) than I thought it would and we found everybody to be quite understanding. We are lucky that Owen is generally very friendly so delivered smiles to security agents, immigration, customs, flight attendants, and neighboring passengers. I think that people have such a preconceived notion that any baby on a plane is going to be a problem that they are thrilled to see parents trying to make it a pleasant experience. We never even had to offer up the earplugs that I'd packed in our carry on!

I've probably forgotten some things here, but if this list is helpful to anybody, then I have done my job! Happy travels....