After all the work I put into creating Kate’s colorful tree on the wall, I wasn’t ready to take it down – which also meant I’d be keeping the room’s magenta wall color.  In addition to keeping the tree, I also knew I wanted to work Kate’s activity table into the space.  We originally bought it for our downstairs family room (table seen here), and at the time red chairs looked the best.

I’m no expert on the color wheel, but the way I see it red and magenta aren’t exactly best friends.

With plans to incorporate plenty of other fun colors into the space (orange, purple, lime green, and teal), I had a feeling I could make it all work without having to repaint the chairs…as long as I could find the perfect rug.

Enter Mohawk Flooring.

One look at their gorgeous Mixed Chevrons area rug and I knew I found my winner!  This bright beauty has all the colors I’ll be using in the space and then some!  Best of all – it features red and magenta zig-zagging together in cute and colorful harmony:

Mohawk Home’s Mixed Chevrons Area Rug

Looks are important, but I also need my area rugs to be soft and durable.  We’ve been living with this rug (and playing on it) for almost two months so far and it looks and feels fabulous.  It’s nice and soft under our bare feet, low-pile so Kate’s tiniest toy pieces don’t get lost in it, and it vacuums up beautifully.  The best part?  Mohawk rugs are still made in America!

So far Kate’s new playroom includes our gorgeous new chevron rug, Kate’s activity table, a new IKEA Expedit shelving unit which will soon be filled with toys and crafts, and her play kitchen set (not seen in the picture above).  I still have a loooong way to go in here, but I’m so excited with how it’s starting out!

Interested in snagging a new Mohawk area rug to begin transforming a room in your house?  You’ve come to the right blog!

One lucky All Things G&D reader will win a Mohawk Home rug (up to 5×8 in size and under $150) of their choice!  To enter, simply use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter up to ten times between now and the end of May for your chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received this Mohawk rug to review at no cost to me. All opinions are my own.

Mother’s Day 2013

Happy Mother’s Day everyone!

It’s all thanks to my recent partnership with The Tile Shop!

A few months ago Megan and Brian (two hotties from The Tile Shop’s corporate office) made the trip to Madison for our house’s first photo shoot!  Pictures from the shoot along with a recap of our DIY tile backsplash project were showcased on The Tile Shop’s website during the month of March in their Blogger Spotlight.

On top of that, the pictures are also currently being used in The Tile’s Shop’s nationwide magazine ad campaign!

I still can’t believe it.

A week ago I walked into my favorite little grocery co-op on my city’s east side, opened up Madison Magazine, and saw this:

Seeing my kitchen in The Tile Shop’s ad in Madison Magazine for the first time!

A Tile Shop ad featuring our kitchen, my words, my face, and my blog.

Talk about surreal!

I bought 3 copies (how do you decide what’s a good number for something like this?!) and giddily (albeit nervously!) showed the page to my check-out lady when she inquired, “Why three?”

Then, to add to my thrill, yesterday I received a copy of Cincinnati Magazine – sent to me by my incredibly thoughtful friend Jenna who lives in Ohio, featuring my kitchen in a FULL PAGE Tile Shop magazine ad!

WHA?!

Megan (the hottie from corporate) informed me the ads are running in regional magazines in all of their target markets across the country…which basically means – if you have a Tile Shop in your area, pick up a copy of your city’s magazine and you’ll see it!

The Tile Shop’s largest markets, which will be featuring their full-page magazine ad, are:

• Chicago Magazine
• Chicago Home and Garden
• Washingtonian
• Philadelphia Magazine
• Pittsburgh Magazine
• Cincinnati Magazine
• Atlanta Magazine
• Milwaukee Magazine
• St. Louis Magazine
• Indianapolis Magazine
• Charlotte Magazine

Smaller ads (as seen in the second picture above) can be found in their smaller markets like Madison, Kansas City, Nashville, Long Island, and Buffalo.

It’s such an incredible experience, and I’m so excited to represent The Tile Shop like this!

You can check out other bloggers featured in The Tile Shop’s Blogger Spotlight, including House*Tweaking, Young House Love, and more to come!  Thank you so much, Tile Shop, for showcasing real people and real DIY projects – as a blogger and a consumer it’s such a thrill to see!

Consider making them an Appreciation Jar!

At my office we believe in taking a “strengths-based” approach to our work, recognizing positives in the children and families we work with – and each other – as often as we can.  One way we do this is by beginning our monthly “all staff” meetings with appreciations and acknowledgements any of us have for our coworkers who’ve helped us out over the past month, gone above and beyond in their jobs, and have made the office a positive and supportive place to work.  I’ve noticed through the years that we’re very good at acknowledging efforts of our peers and anyone “below” us (for lack of a better term), but we’re not as apt to recognize our supervisors and managers (those “above” us) for a job well done…which led me to the recent realization that my boss Scott (our Executive Director) is probably the least appreciated person in our office!

I decided it was time to remedy that.

Scott celebrated his 50th birthday recently, and in honor of the occasion our Leadership Team planned a variety of fun ideas to mark the milestone.  My contribution was this Appreciation Jar.  My goal was to gather “50 appreciations in honor of Scott turning 50″ so  I emailed all of our staff and board members asking if anyone had an appreciation for Scott that they’d like to share, and in the end I collected more than 50!  Some were serious, some were funny, and all were incredibly thoughtful and sincere.

I typed up each appreciation and printed it out on cardstock:

(More than) 50 Appreciations from staff in honor of our boss turning 50.

Then I folded them up and put them in a little jar, complete with a label:

I was so pleased this idea worked out and we were able to gift this to Scott on his 50th birthday!  For less than $5, I was able to create a unique, appealing, affirming, and lasting gift for someone who truly deserves it.

Of course the “Appreciation Jar” idea isn’t just for bosses – anyone would love to be on the receiving end of something like this!  Who do you know in your life who deserves to some acknowledgement thrown his or her way?

What are you waiting for?!

Do it!

Ello Syndicate Glass Water Bottle

Last spring I blogged about my favorite new ($10!) glass water bottles from Ello, and then a horrible, awful thing happened.

One broke.

No…not the glass bottle part, as you might’ve thought – it was the cap!

I was so bummed to be short one precious water bottle that I quickly went back to Target to snag myself another one wrapped in its colorful silicone shell.

But they were sold out.

Over the next (notevenkiddinghere) six months, EVERY SINGLE TIME I walked into Target I looked at the empty shelf above the “Ello Glass Water Bottle” barcode, waiting for these damn things to be back in stock.

One day in April, they were!

Only, they’d had a little bit of a makeover. The new Ello glass water bottles (pictured above) now have a fun and convenient flip top lid (instead of a screw top) with a little woven loop for carrying.

Totally worth the wait, Ello – thank you!

The only crack in my Ello review is that they’re selling for $15 now, which is quite the hike from their original price, but still a great deal considering most glass water bottles flirt with a $30 price tag.  I’ve also recently discovered (for anyone else suffering from Cracked Ello Lid Syndrome) that they sell replacement lids on Amazon!  You can get the original lids HERE or the new flip top lids HERE.  (Both lid styles fit either bottle.)

2. This Citrus Squeezer:

OXO Citrus Squeezer

I attended my first freezer meals party last month, and while I’ve yet to taste-test most of the freezer meals I’ve prepared, I have to say one of my favorite take-aways from the night was discovering the citrus juicer tool!  This handy little gadget squeezes the juice from half a lime or half a lemon much faster than you can do in a jar juicer, and much more efficiently than you can do by hand squeezing!  You simply cut your citrus in half, place one half of the lemon or lime in the juicer (cut side facing the holes), squeeze, and you’re done – you’ve just juiced half a lemon or half a lime into your salad, pan, or recipe with one quick squeeze.  I love this thing!

3. My new $5 ear buds!

Panasonic $5 In-Ear Headphones

A couple of years ago I blogged about my frustrations with wearing headphones – the damn things always fall out of my ears when I run!  I thought I’d found the perfect solution with Yurbuds at the time, but I have to say – two years later there’s some love lost.  They’re even starting to fall out of my ears when I run, and supposedly that’s not supposed to happen. Ever.  For $20-30 a pop I’m not exactly keen on the idea of buying another pair.  In all fairness, I think they were starting to fail me after 2 years because I sweat so damn much, but STILL! $20 for a tiny little piece of rubber?!

(You and I both know that kind of markup’s only worth it if it’s bar time and the drugstore’s closed.)

I thought I could do better.

I searched around Amazon and found these cute little Panasonic In-Ear Headphones for about $5 a pop – at that price I can afford to replace them if they don’t last me forever!  They come in a variety of colors, and each pair comes with 3 sets of soft earpad attachments (small, medium and large) so you can be assured that one of them will fit comfortably – and stay put! – in your ear.  I’ve been running with these for the past couple of weeks, and so far so good!

4. Showtime’s Homeland

Showtime’s Homeland

G and I just started watching this series via Netflix, and we’re HOOKED! Claire Danes is phenomenal, that red-headed guy is seriously eff-ed up (okay, fine, she is too) and we cannot get enough of it. We just completed the first season, and it’s without question our favorite thing to watch right now!

What TV shows are you loving this spring?

5. This parenting infographic from The Child Whisperer (click to enlarge):

How to Raise a Happy, Successful, Cooperative Child, by The Child Whisperer

I have to confess – I know nothing about “The Child Whisperer” but I came across this infographic on Pinterest and it totally struck a chord. I’ve spent my entire life taking care of, and therefore trying to understand, children. My siblings, nieces and nephews, neighborhood kids whose parents needed a night out, full-time babysitting gigs in the summer, etc. When I went to college I devoured courses like Child Developmental Psychology, and after college this Criminal Justice Major spent the first decade (plus, and still going) of her career dedicated to helping children. Now I’m a mom, and I have the benefit of applying everything I’ve learned over 30 years of studying to my daughter.

All behavior has a function, and behavior is communication.

Those are the two biggest lesson I’ve learned so far when it comes to supporting children, and they’ve been proven true to me over and over again.

“What is the function of his or her behavior?”

“What do you think he or she is trying to communicate?”

These are the questions my colleagues and I debated daily during the five years I did direct care with children with significant mental health issues, and viewing child behavior through this lens is now so ingrained in me that I can read my daughter like a book.

This infographic is one of my “Things Loved” this month because in all my years of study and practice I’ve never seen my beliefs regarding child behavior broken down so clearly and succinctly. If you have a little one, I urge to click enough to enlarge this picture or visit the site, think about your child, and consider this process. I can’t guarantee understanding and implementing this will help you ward off all temper tantrums, but I can assure you that when they happen you’ll understand why, and that will help you parent through a lens of understanding and compassion versus coming from a place of frustration and helplessness.

My daughter is a combination of 2 and 4. What’s your child’s nature?

6. This Muse song:

It’s only fitting that this song is called “Madness” because I’m crazy about it!

What are some of your things loved so far this spring?

This post contains affiliate links.

Kate: 34 Months

Kate has really been into running lately! It’s been slowly coming on as she often sees me lacing up my shoes to go for a run, but ever since she was part of the cheering section for mine and Jill’s half marathon, she’s been all about it. She runs circles around the main floor of our house and asks us to cheer her on. Or she’ll say she’s “going for a run” when we’re outside as she runs up and down the block. It’s so much fun to see! If she’s not running, she’s galloping (another favorite of hers) everywhere she goes!

At Kate’s 2 year check-up (nearly a year ago) the doctor told us it was time to transition Kate from her sippy cup to a regular cup. We offered her a regular cup here and there but she just wasn’t interested (remember her “put a lid on it, Grandma” comment? It still cracks us up!). G and I weren’t too concerned about her learning this skill, so we didn’t push it; we knew she’d figure it out eventually. Well, Kate’s “eventually” turned out to be at 34 months old. She finally decided she was interested in drinking from a cup and mastered it in no time. (These are the trainer cups we used if anyone’s interested – they’re still Kate’s favorite.)

Something else we’re working with Kate on starting this month is not interrupting when adults are talking. G and I have recently noticed that Kate doesn’t seem to like it when he and I are talking to each other (when she’s not involved in the conversation). Our knee-jerk reaction is to stop whatever we’re doing or saying the second Kate opens her mouth, and jump to meet her needs, but let’s be honest – nobody likes the kid whose parents did that.

Instead, G and I talk (after Kate goes to bed, haha) about how to teach Kate that the world doesn’t revolve around her (even though G and I will both confess that our worlds do!). Since Kate is an only child, I think this is an especially important concept to focus on with her. We want her to learn that she is an equal part of our family – she is not in charge of it. So far we’re working on her not interrupting when G and I are talking to each other or to other adults. I’ve taught her to say, “Excuse me, Mommy” if she does choose to interrupt, and then I can either assist or redirect her as needed. We’ve also set the expectation that when we eat together as a family, even when she says she’s “all done,” she still needs to sit at the table until all of us have finished our meals. Those are two of the things we’re currently targeting, but as a whole we’re also being careful to notice if she seems to be getting bossy or ordering people around and we redirect her and/or offer up more appropriate language for her to use to get her needs met (asking vs. telling).

Kate may need some coaching with limits and boundaries at home, but she’s doing great at daycare! We had our very first Parent-Teacher Conference with the two teachers in Kate’s daycare room this month and they had nothing but wonderful things to say about Kate. She even got her first report card, with all high scores!

Of course, the biggest news in Kate’s life this month was our family trip to Seattle (and her first plane ride!) for her Aunt Lesley’s (and now Uncle Ben’s) wedding!

This post contains an affiliate link.

April 2:  I’ve been working on finishing a cabinet to bring some added storage to our house.  I initially painted it gray but that wasn’t working out, so to ivory I turned – can’t go wrong with a classic!

April 5:  I booked my flight to Atlanta, GA for this summer’s 2nd annual Haven Conference!  I’m so excited to make it back this year to connect with all of my favorite home/DIY bloggers!

April 6:  Kate’s second week of swimming lessons and she’s already getting braver and more comfortable – so proud of our girl!

April 7:  A family day at the zoo, and a cute little meerkat perking up to pose with Kate!

April 9:  A much needed happy hour with my friend Katie after work.  Chips, salsa, and margarita – what more can a girl ask for?

April 12:  Meeting with Lisa, manager of our local Tile Shop, to pick out tile and plan our next DIY tile project – our guest bathroom!

April 13:  I spent the weekend in Minneapolis, MN visiting my beautifully pregnant friend Allison for her last weekend in town before she and her husband Vinny move to Idaho.  We had a wonderful weekend of hitting up their favorite local eateries one last time before the move and shopping for baby VAMH!

April 14:  A stop at IKEA before I leave Minneapolis to pick up a new accessories and supplies for our upcoming bathroom makeover.  I’m so excited to see how it turns out!

April 20:  Kate’s stylin’ in the hair chair as she get her hair all trimmed up and shaped before summer.

April 21:  A visit to Kate’s best friend Gwen’s house for a fun-filled play date!

April 25:  After nearly two weeks of feeling like hell, I finally visit the doctor for a little relief.  My game plan of curing myself via fruits, vegetables, fluids, and sleep wasn’t working out so hot for me, but a little thing called a Z Pack thankfully did the trick.

April 26:  The first day of our garage sale!  Really it was G’s garage sale.  He was a total rock star, doing almost all of the set-up and pricing.  Overall the garage sale was a hit – we got rid of a ton of useless crap taking up our valuable storage space, and we made a little extra cash for some upcoming G&D date nights!

April 27:  I ran Crazylegs – an 8K race through the heart of Madison, WI – with my two younger sisters Brittny and Amanda.  Each of us have varying running abilities so my only goal was for the three of us to finish together and for no one to walk it – both of which we accomplished!

April 28:  Kate and I went to her friend Taylor’s 3rd birthday party, hosted by my friend Erica (Taylor’s mom) and her husband Matt.  They had a music teacher come to do a music class with the kids, complete with songs, dancing, instruments and stories – it was so much fun!

April 29:  Kate has been talking a lot about playing baseball lately so on this “Momday” I bought her a bat, ball, and a tee, and we enjoyed a sunny spring afternoon outside with her “practicing” her hitting.  She’s getting pretty good at nailing the ball into our neighbor’s yard!

That’s our April!  What were some of your highlights last month?

Saturday
Lesley & Ben’s wedding day!

After a full day of travel, followed by a day of hitting the tourist sites plus a party, we decided to lay low during our second full day in Seattle in hopes that Kate would make it to (and through) the wedding.

The last time G & I were in Seattle I had the pleasure of meeting “jbhat” – one of my blog readers!  We exchanged phone numbers at the time so I texted her up and we arranged a late morning Seattle play date with our kiddos!

Kate, G and I started at the park below the Kerry Park overlook, which actually wasn’t very toddler friendly, but Kate had fun giving “Pink Otter” (her souvenir from our trip to the Seattle Aquarium yesterday) a spin, and racing her down the big slide:

Kate: 34 months

Once “jbhat” (Jennifer) arrived with her darling kids Stella and Atticus we headed to a different park nearby that was a little more young kid appropriate.  It was so great seeing her again, meeting her lovely children, and having an impromptu Seattle play date!

Kate & G and Jennifer (ATG&D reader “jbhat”) and her daughter Stella enjoying the swings during our Seattle play date!

THANK GOODNESS that Kate actually took a nap once we got back to the rental house!  It was a blessing for sure, because I don’t think she would’ve made it through Ben & Lesley’s evening wedding had she not!

(Neither would her parents.)

Kate was Ben & Lesley’s flower girl – a spot of honor in the wedding, along with Ben’s niece Sarah and his nephew Sam!  When we arrived, Kate wasn’t so sure about joining Sarah and Sam for pictures with the bride and groom.  At first she wanted to keep a little space between herself and them…then she joined the group…and soon she was comfortable enough to showcase her beautiful sweater dress and tights – ta-da!

Kate, gradually warming up to the idea of getting her picture taken for Ben & Lesley’s wedding.

Once Kate got her little flower girl bouquet, she was ALL ABOUT showcasing it, and no longer shy about pictures!

Kate (flower girl) with the lovely bride and groom, making sure the photographer got a picture of her beautiful bouquet.

Kate’s looking an awful lot like her Daddy in this picture! (traitor)

Our happy family: Steve (G’s dad), Pam (G’s mom), Lesley (G’s sister), Kate, Ben (our new brother-in-law), Me, and G.

Kate’s pretty shy around new people and places, so we weren’t so sure she’d be willing to walk down the aisle all on her own.  Our plan was that G would walk his mom down the aisle and take his seat, I’d hang in back with Kate, and then tell her “Go walk to Daddy!” when it was her turn.  To sweeten the deal we decided Daddy would have a lollipop waiting for her:

Kate (Ben & Lesley’s flower girl) walking down the aisle (to claim her lollipop)!

A beautiful bride and a very proud papa walking down the aisle!

Lesley and Ben had the most beautiful nontraditional ceremony.  It was officiated by Lesley’s best friend Melissa and Ben’s brother-in-law Dave – a couple of fun-loving, crazy characters!  Lesely and Ben wrote their vows and most of the ceremony, and it was absolutely perfect.  I’ve never cried as much during a ceremony as I did for this one!  Most of my tears were tears of laughter, and all were tears of joy as we listened to stories of how Ben & Lesley met and made it to their wedding day, followed by Dave and Melissa sharing loving marriage advice for this beautiful couple.  I’ve never witnessed a more personal or more perfect wedding ceremony!

Ben & Lesley – tying the knot!

The newlyweds!

Our little girl didn’t make it much longer once the evening ceremony ended, but we did find time to fit in one little private family dance while the rest of the guests enjoyed cocktail hour in adjacent rooms:

Dancing with our little girl after the wedding while guests enjoyed cocktail hour – a quiet family moment we later discovered was captured by the photographer!

Kate crashed shortly after dinner was served, so G and I took her back to the rental house (and crashed ourselves).  Even though we weren’t able to stay for the entire reception, it was an evening that left us feeling so happy, blessed, and loving.

Sunday was another long travel day home, but once again Kate did great.  Overall, it was a phenomenal first big family vacation and I can’t wait to make the trip back to Seattle again to visit Lesley and Ben – and our little nephew who’s due to arrive this summer!

(For those of you who think I’m on top of things, let this be proof I’m not.)

Last November G, Kate, G’s parents Steve and Pam, and I made the exciting trip from Wisconsin back to Seattle for Ben & Lesley’s wedding!  Here’s a look at our fun-filled jam-packed weekend while we soaked up the Seattle sights and celebrated the happy couple!

Thursday
We left Wisconsin on a very cold Thursday, with a full day of travel ahead of us.  We had been prepping Kate for her first flight by reading her airplane books and explaining the process as best as we could.  When we first walked into the airport she looked around and exclaimed, “Is this a bowling alley?!”

Kate (34 months) chillin’ at the airport check-in with her carry-on and (completely unnecessary) “personal item.”

Kate’s things, going through security.

Since it was our first time traveling with a toddler, we arrived early at the airport to account for anything unexpected.  Once we made it through security there was plenty of time for Kate to play in the children’s play area to burn off a little energy before our fight!

Fun in the airport play room!

Kate running down the Jetway with Grandma,and all buckled in for her very first flight!

Kate was so excited to fly and wasn’t scared one bit when the plane took off!  Once she boarded the plane she kept cheerfully chanting, “I want to fly! I want to fly!”

It was a 4 hour flight to Seattle, and much to our surprise, Kate didn’t nap a wink.  Thank goodness for the iPad and headphones!  She was happy as could be watching a new movie we downloaded for her (Toy Story 2) with Sheepy.

Kate in flight

By the time we arrived in Seattle and made it to our rental house we’d had a full 12 hours of travel, and a very tired little girl.  Kate was in wonderful spirits the whole day until the last 15 minutes of our trip when she cried for about 5 minutes and then finally fell asleep in the car just before we arrived at the house.  We quickly made up her room and put her to bed at 10:30pm our time – 4 hours past her bedtime.

Friday
Kate was awake and ready to greet Seattle by 4:30am local time (6:30am our time)!  She was so excited to see Lesley and Ben and their little dog Morty – and, of course, the Space Needle.

Once we were all awake and ready to start our day, our first stop was Lesley and Ben’s house in the Queen Anne neighborhood.  Kate was thrilled to meet Morty (they’re great friends on Skype) and then the 7 of us (G, Kate, me, Steve, Pam, Lesley, and Ben) ventured down to the overlook at Kerry Park to admire the Space Needle from afar and snag some family pictures:

G&D and Kate at Kerry Park, overlooking Seattle, WA

We were lucky to have a beautiful, sunny Seattle day, and our next stop was the famous Pike Place Market:

Grandma Pam, Greg, Kate (in stroller), Lesley, Grandpa Steve, and Ben in front of Pike Place Market

Of course I couldn’t visit Seattle’s Pike Place Market without taking Kate to the very first Starbucks!  Mama got a latte and she got her favorite KIND bar:

Kate’s first visit to the very first Starbucks!

A mother/daughter side-by-side of pictures from our first trips to the first Starbucks

Exploring the sights and shops at Pike Place Market

Of all the fun things Pike Place Market had to offer, Kate’s favorite was chasing pigeons!

After the market we walked down to the Seattle Aquarium – a place where the lobby was so impressive that Kate didn’t want to leave to go inside!

Kate enjoying the fish and scuba diver in the enormous aquarium in the lobby of the Seattle Aquarium with Aunt Lesly, Grandma Pam and Grandpa Steve.

Splashing in the touch pool with Daddy and Grandpa

Kate and Mommy checking out a tube filled with jellyfish

Everywhere we looked there was sea life to be seen – even in the ceiling!

Kate & Daddy in the underwater dome at the Seattle Aquarium

After all that excitement (and considering she’d be up since 4:30am!) we were certain Kate would take a great nap before Ben & Lesley’s pre-wedding party.  Instead, when we checked on her she proudly handed us the “present” she made for Daddy – her bunny in an empty Kleenex box…and a dresser top covered in tissues:

No nap

Kate is a little girl who’s used to a lot of sleep and sticking to a schedule.  Needless to say, after 12 hours of traveling the day before, a full day of sightseeing on this day, and minimal sleep in between, we knew we were in trouble.  Kate started losing her coping skills around 4pm local time – just as we needed to leave to attend Ben and Lesley’s pre-wedding party.  I figured we’d be putting her down for bedtime as soon as we walked in the door (if she even made it that long) so we skipped the cute little outfit I had planned for her and opted for pajamas.

Once we arrived at Ben and Lesley’s, however, Kate blew us away by getting her second wind!  She had such a great time running around, charming guests, and playing with their little dog Morty.  At one point, after we’d gone upstairs for a potty break, she said, “Hold my hand and let’s walk back to my party.”

Kate (34 months), roping Daddy and Grandpa Steve into playing Ring Around the Rosie with her.

Kate, sneaking treats to Ben & Lesley’s dog Morty!

By 6pm Kate was ready to say goodnight to “her” party and asked to go to bed.  I tucked her in upstairs and she was quickly asleep.  Now it was time for this Mama to get her drink on and celebrate with these two wonderful soon-to-be-newlyweds!

G’s sister Lesley and her soon-to-be husband, Ben!

G, Pam, Steve, and I enjoyed the rest of the evening socializing with friends and family, and then (around 8:30pm local time; 10:30pm our time) us party animals had to call it a night and get back to our rental house with the kiddo.  We had a big day ahead of us – tomorrow was the wedding!

Stay tuned for Part 2 of our Seattle family vacation – coming soon!

Life is full and (mostly) fun, but I’m looking forward to it slowing down at least slightly to give me a chance to document it all!  For starters, here’s a snapshot at our March in pictures:

March 1: My “Fashionably Late” 2013 Oscar Party – a night filled with fabulous food, friends, fashion, and fun!

March 2:  I’m so excited to be the March featured blogger for The Tile Shop!

March 5:  Seriously.  It never fails.  G goes out of town for work and we get so much snow the city shuts down.  Guess who’s left to shovel?  My personal assistant.  Moi.  And yes, I said, “shovel” because even though we live in the snow dumping capitol of the universe (I’m just guessing here) and my husband travels for days to weeks at a time during snow season, we do not have a snow blower.  We have a shovel.  And on this day, with that damn shovel, I created snowbanks along the sides of our driveway nearly as tall as me.

March 6:  Kate paints her first room !  While G was out of town for work I decided to solidify my inability to walk upright when I’m 80 by painting a couple of walls in our house.  Kate was thrilled to get in on the action.  I played her favorite songs on my iPhone and we had a little dance party while we painted.  It was such a fun night!

March 8:  My friend Jill is currently pregnant with her 3rd child, and while there’s not a whole lot I can do to make life easier for this soon-to-be mother of three, one thing I can do is tackle some of her house projects that have been nagging at her for awhile.  To start – we got rid of these red walls in her living room.  Pictured is me – terrified of heights! – sitting up on a ledge to wash her walls at the vaulted ceiling before we get our paint on.  I was so scared I was shaking (and had to get down a few times before I could finish it all) but I just kept reminding myself: better me up there than her!

March 9:  Kate and I visit The Tile Shop showroom to get inspiration for my next DIY tile project – our guest bathroom!

March 10:  I’m back at Jill’s house to help her (finally!) take her kitchen from a shade of chocolate brown that looked baby poop green at certain times of the day, to a richer, darker chocolatey brown that looks lickably delicious.  For those of you keeping score at home, this marks the 4th room I’ve painted in 5 days.

March 13:  Operation Get Shit Done at My Friend Jill’s House Before She Has Her 3rd Baby continues with a trip to IKEA!  Our closest IKEA is 2 1/2 hours away so we were prepared to make a day of it.  In the end, us three girls (me, Jill and our friend Katie) checked out with 5 full carts of goods.  (What budget?)

March 16: G&D date night!  G and I saw The Great and Powerful Oz in 3D and then went out for Guinnesses for an early St. Patrick’s Day celebration.

March 17:  A lovely and quiet St. Patrick’s Day at G’s parent’s house, marked by Kate and G taking a walk on the (still frozen) lake.

March 23:  My sister Brittny and I took Kate to a Kids in the Rotunda show, and she loved the singer/performer so much that our typically shy little girl got up on stage to dance to The Belly Button Song!

March 27:  Back at Jill’s house to accessorize her living room!

March 29:  Savoring the first day of the year that’s warm enough for me to get away with not wearing socks.

March 30:  Kate’s first (real) swim lesson!  We tried starting Kate in swim lessons when she was really young (about 6 months old) but the environment of indoor swimming lessons was overstimulating for her and we quickly realized it wasn’t a good idea.  We decided to give it another try after our mini family vacation at an indoor waterpark in February when Kate saw our friend’s daughter Marit (6 years old) swimming and enjoying the water.  Kate kept saying, “I want to swim like Marit,” so we signed her up for lessons.  She was super nervous for her first class, but tried everything at least once – we were so proud of her!!

March 31:  We celebrated Easter morning with homemade cinnamon rolls and an Easter basket hunt through the house, then it was off to Grandpa and Grandma’s house (G’s parents) for an Easter egg hunt and dinner.  A wonderful end to our March!

I hope you’re all staying healthy and loving life!