New Mama's Corner

Another mama milestone: Pre-school graduation

2013-05-23T15:26:00.002-04:00

Well, today marks another big milestone for me as a mama. My oldest graduated from pre-school (tear). She clearly didn't recognize the significance of the day as she was shocked I was actually going to attend the graduation....and nearly fell off her chair when I told her I'd be sitting with daddy, and mommom and poppop and grammy and Blake. Not only could I not be prouder of my sweet little

Construction/Work Zone birthday party theme ideas (LOTS of pictures)

2013-05-21T13:27:00.002-04:00

After weeks of prep for my son's 2 year old birthday party, the day has finally arrived...of course, it looks like the rain has too. Whatever...nothing's gonna rain on our construction birthday party because the party must go on. I searched pinterest and came up with some ideas on my own for the decorations, favors, and party activities and I'm so excited with how it all came together. I

Happy Birthday to my little buddy!

2013-05-16T14:49:00.003-04:00

Two years ago today our family welcomed what we can only describe as the most talkative, energetic, loving, compassionate, and destructive little guy in the world. Our world was flipped upside down with the birth of Blake, but we've made it to 2 and I feel like we're finally getting to where things are getting a little -- let me stress a little -- easier. He hasn't given me any gray hairs

Master Bedroom Makeover REVEAL: From drab to fab on a budget

2013-05-14T13:36:00.001-04:00

Well it's been a few weeks...and I'm finally ready to show you our new master bedroom. I am so thrilled with it because I finally feel like it's a relaxing, organized, and beautiful space. Many of the projects I've been documenting with DIY tutorials on our brand new Two It Yourself blog so I won't go through all the details here, but if you are interested you can click the links to jump

5 Punishment threats NO mom should EVER make (because they'll bite you in the A**)

2013-05-13T14:24:00.000-04:00

My four year was seriously just having like a major 4 year old girl meltdown. She was mad I wouldn't let her go down the basement to find some toy that she's never cared about until like two minutes ago. She said she wanted to sleep with it for nap -- pretty sure that's 4 year old code for "talk to it for an hour and a half instead of actually sleep". But that's not why I said no... I said

Dear God pass the booze...and the lysol

2013-05-08T13:28:00.001-04:00

Today is one of those days when I wish, just for maybe an hour or two or okay, maybe a day....okay a day like this makes me crave a week...that I could actually go back to work. Ya know, with like adults! The irony in today is partly what makes it so bad. Blake - just 8 days shy of his two year old birthday - calling from his crib this morning that he had to go potty. I pulled off his

Potty trained toddler showing regression? Try these 5 tips to nip it in the butt

2013-04-29T21:35:00.001-04:00

Potty training on the go It's been almost two months since I successfully potty trained my then 21 month old son after enrolling him in 3 day potty training boot camp. Even though he was potty trained in less than a week, there are days I am still on edge -- nervous he's totally forgotten all that we've worked on. Most days he stays completely dry and tells me when he has to go (it's

Spring art for kids: Paint card flower

2013-04-27T21:11:00.001-04:00

I was quickly walking practically running through Home Depot today in search of a drop cloth to make another DIY drop cloth bed skirt. With both kids in tow, I finally realized it wasn't that the drop cloths had been moved, it was that I had gotten the original one at Lowe's. But...my trip wasn't in vain because an hour or so later this was proudly hanging on the pantry door! Is Behr paint

New DIY Site Launched

2013-04-25T15:20:00.001-04:00

Hi All, Just wanted to let you all know that due to the fact that I'd like to try to keep this blog about mommy-hood, parenting, and worry about things such as poop, lack of veggies, and napless days - I've decided to branch out with another site/blog. My sister and I have created a new website called Two It Yourself where we will be showcasing DIY ideas and projects. We'll have everything

How to make throw pillows: The 5 minute DIY version using standard shams

2013-04-23T22:20:00.001-04:00

Now that the walls are painted a perfect shade of Revere Pewter and the upholstered headboard with nail head trim is done, I'm moving on in my master bedroom makeover with the details that really make a room. My first project is a set of DIY throw pillows. I ordered the $200 Poetical by Barbara Barry king size comforter. (That was the sale price...yikes!) Usually, I wouldn't spend that much,

DIY Upholstered Headboard with Nail Head Trim: The Big Reveal

2013-04-23T14:57:00.002-04:00

It's only been a few weeks and I'm happy to say that our master bedroom makeover is about 75% complete. The biggest project was making the upholstered headboard complete with nail head trim (oh, and finally getting the right paint color.) My sister, Stephanie, agreed to tackle the job with me and today when our new Sleep Number bed came we finally got the finished look. I can't be more

Oh, Clarisonic Mia, where have you been all my life? (Review)

2013-04-22T22:28:00.001-04:00

Every once in a while my husband will do an extra awesome job at work and get rewarded with a booklet in which he can pick a prize. A few months ago he brought one of those babies home and declared there was nothing in there he was interested in -- did I want to pick something? Uh, hello, yes!!! (And way to go, lovey!) I debated between a necklace and the Clarisonic Mia Sonic Skin Cleansing

Constipation relief for kids: Plum juice goes down easier than prune juice

2013-04-20T14:46:00.001-04:00

I pretty much feel like I'm an expert in constipation relief in kids. It's not a title I really ever strived to have, but given my daughter's recent frequent peeing problems, my son's potty trained but won't poop issues, and some ongoing hemorrhoid problems in this house (this blog doesn't have nearly enough room for all I've got to say about being the caretaker for 10 days of bed rest, two

DIY Kitchen Art (and how to spray paint straight line letters on canvas)

2013-04-18T21:45:00.001-04:00

I have a huge wall in my kitchen that has remained empty for the two years we've lived here. We've considered buying a piece of art to put on it, but I'm just afraid a year from now I'm not going to like it so I really didn't want to spend a whole lot of money on it. The other day I was in Target and I came across these huge silver utensils -- they're nearly 3' high (click here to see more

Small closet ideas: Organization solutions that work in the master bedroom

2013-04-18T16:09:00.000-04:00

It's been two years since we moved into our 52 year old house and finally I have been able to get my painfully small closet organized and efficient. This house has pretty much all we could ask for -- a finished basement, totally renovated, an outdoor firepit and outdoor fireplace, a large front and backyard, hardwood throughout, large bedrooms, walk-in closets (in 3 of the 4 bedrooms) and

Organizing tips: Home office paperwork organized in 5 easy steps

2013-04-18T15:25:00.002-04:00

When the bottom literally fell out of one of the file cabinet drawers in my home office, due to the weight of all the papers, files, folders, and junk, I knew it was time to seriously get the office paperwork organized. While it seemed like an overwhelming task at first, it actually turned out to be pretty easy -- plus, I got to put my label maker to work. Score! If you're like me and are

Boston Marathon Attacks: Lessons from Mr Rogers and Whitney Houston

2013-04-16T16:14:00.001-04:00

Today, I find myself the same way I found myself after the Sandy Hook school shootings, the same way I found myself in the days after Hurricane Sandy, and the same way I found myself after September 11, 2001. All those days I was left teary eyed and questioning -- a huge lump in my throat. I'm questioning how this world, this great country called the USA, can endure such tragedy -- in three

Yummy roasted brussel sprouts that even picky kids will eat

2013-04-15T21:20:00.002-04:00

Brussel sprouts aren't exactly the most kid-friendly food. I can remember my parents tempting bribing me to eat them with the lure of a quarter. That was big time. A few weeks ago, I decided to give brussel sprouts a try again. I didn't really have a trick up my sleeve for getting my picky 4 year old to try them. In fact, I was pretty much not even planning on even going there, until

How to cook steak in the oven...I swear it works perfectly everytime

2013-04-15T21:05:00.001-04:00

Perfectly cooked steak in the oven I love a good steak. I don't love a perfectly good cut of meat that is overdone, dry, and gray. It needs to be pink and tender and preferably straight off the grill. It used to be that we only had steak when the weather cooperated and we could use the grill. But recently we've been cooking steak in the oven and they've come out perfectly -- if you

I got the wrong Valspar paint color...but there's good news

2013-04-15T15:45:00.002-04:00

Note to self: NEVER take your 23 month old son to pick out paint colors. I think I seriously just grabbed a paint swatch that was remotely in the rainbow of colors I'm considering and went with it. I got two gallons of the stuff worth $75. I got home and tested it on a small area and almost threw up in my mouth. Um...I was looking for something in the gray family for my gray master bedroom

Gray Master Bedroom Makeover Phase 1: Picking colors, a budget, and getting PINspired

2013-04-11T14:45:00.000-04:00

It's happening again...we went to change one thing and it ended up as a big project and a huge room update. The first time this happened we ended up with a $5,100 new kitchen faucet. Well, actually, we got a $100 faucet and decided we may as well put in $5000 granite counter tops, too. Cause ya know, a new faucet requires new counters right? No...but anyway..did I mention we moved 6 months

Cute hairstyles for little girls...not your ordinary ponytail

2013-04-08T21:01:00.005-04:00

My little girl is always looking to change up her hairstyle. While we often resort to a ponytail as we're running out the door, some days I'm up for doing something that's well, a little cuter than a ponytail. Now that we have finally found a brush for tangled hair that cuts through the knots without tears, running, and screaming we are getting a little more adventurous in the hair department

Frequent peeing update: Testing for UTI, constipation, overactive bladder, spasms, growth spurt...

2013-04-08T15:01:00.000-04:00

So it's been more than a week since I first took my 4 year old daughter into the doctor because of her frequent urination and finally we have some answers...although I'm left with more questions. Just to recap quickly (you can read my original post on the frequent peeing problem here) - she was getting up several times at night to pee and on her two worst days peed between 40 and 50 times a

Potty training folo up: One month after potty training boot camp

2013-04-07T21:32:00.001-04:00

It's been about a month since I enlisted my then 21 month old son into potty training boot camp. As I shared in several pee-by-pee posts, I was shocked he picked it up as fast as he did. The 3 day potty training boot camp definitely had him pee trained in less than a week. We had some trouble with poop (perhaps it's his retaliation for me putting him in his sister's panties when I'm behind

Frequent urination: Not a UTI so why's my 4 year old child peeing so much?

2013-04-02T20:16:00.000-04:00

It's well documented here that I've recently potty trained my 22 month old son...of course potty training is never a one and done thing in the first few months. At least for me, I'm still always asking him if he has to go and we're constantly running to the potty. I guess what I'm saying is it's basically a hot topic at our house right now. But over the last 10 days or so I started to