Tales of a Library Lady

First Birthday Party Planning!

2012-02-15T19:05:00.002-05:00

The first birthday party planning has begun! I seriously can not even believe that Wes is an entire year old in about 6 weeks. Time just needs to SLOW DOWN!

Although a lot of people beg to differ, I think that the first birthday is sort of a big deal, and I want to share it by celebrating with family and friends. We've rented the same lodge where we had Braydon's 1st birthday party. You can see more about that here. His theme was a John Deere tractor party, but for Weston we've decided on a Very Hungry Caterpillar theme!

If you follow me on Pinterest, then you've seen some of the things I've found. These are just some ideas, but I'm hoping to make something come together!

And here is the invite that my lovely friend Becca over at Jumping Jax Designs made for us!

The next few weeks will be busy!

A Valentine Craft

2012-02-13T18:52:00.000-05:00

From Pinterest...of course!

Shovels courtesy of our "bucket" initiative that fizzled at school! ;)

All I Want Is My Kitchen Back

2012-02-12T19:34:00.001-05:00

Last weekend we redid our kitchen cabinets and this weekend we did our counters. The cabinets were nothing compared to the absolute mess that the counters where. Dustin had to take out my sink to complete the job.

Did you hear that?

TAKE OUT MY SINK!

This meant I had to wash baby bottles in the bathroom sink, and that proved to be too vomit inducing for me, so I packed them up and drug them to my parents to wash them there.

Thankfully, he put the sink back in first thing this morning, so I was able to go back to my regularly scheduled bottle washing.

In other news, I can't put anything on my counters for an entire WEEK. So right now, my microwave, toaster oven, bread box, canisters and other random countertop items are residing on my kitchen table. That in turn, means that all meals for a week, are going to be consumed in the Living Room, most likely with the television on.

Judge me.

I have to say, I would never, ever, recommend someone using Countertop Transformations because it's nothing but a pain in the ace. And in all honestly, although I love the color, I hate the way they look. Dustin nearly broke his arm off trying to sand everything down and it still looks bubbly. I'm hoping that after a week of NOTHING sitting on my counters, they'll settle down and look awesome. I think I would have rather spent a few more dollars and just bought an entire new countertop!

You're looking for before and after....here ya go!

After the top coat:

When we took the tape off, it ripped off the paint. Now we're looking into a backsplash....oy.

So, cabinets...YES, DO IT! Countertops...STEAR CLEAR!

Mommy, Dis My New Bedloom!

2012-02-09T18:59:00.002-05:00

No babies allowed!

WW: Before/After

2012-02-08T13:06:00.000-05:00

Let's Talk About Food

2012-02-07T19:17:00.000-05:00

I thought I would do a little post about the kinds of things that we're eating around here these days. I've got a picky toddler, and husband, to be honest, and a baby who rivals the hoover vacuum. So, let's see what we're all into.

Weston
Wes will pretty much eat anything and everything that you put in front of him. For example, tonight we had chicken on the grill along with rice and fruit. He ate everything without a fuss.

He loves meat! He's had sausage, chicken, hamburger and even steak. He'll gobble it right up. He's also a huge fan of pasta and all fruits and veggies. We buy a lot of fresh bananas, strawberries and grapes so he has one of those pretty much every day. I also buy him the diced pear and peach fruit cups (in water with no added sugar) and he'll dig right into those. Fresh veggies aren't a staple in our house, so I get those frozen Green Giant steamers and he loves broccoli and peas. We're still watching him with dairy so we haven't really tried yogurt or cheeses, but I'm hoping soon! The only thing I've had him turn down so far is blueberries. So funny because his big brother loves those things. Speaking of...

Braydon
B is a different story. I know I can really only get him to clean his plate if he's eating chicken nuggets, pancakes, hot dogs or pizza. Everything else is hit or miss. Just because he'll eat a meal one time, doesn't mean he'll even touch it the next.

Tonight I gave him some chicken and blueberries and then warmed up some leftover lasagna from the weekend. He loved the lasagna, but wouldn't touch the chicken. He ate only a few blueberries, but really loved his peach fruit cup. I never know when we sit down to dinner if he's going to revolt or clean his plate. Tonight was a good night!

Dustin
D is really a steak and potatoes type of guy. He will rarely try anything new, but it's funny once he does, he'll want it all the time. Every time we go out to eat, he'll always order a cheeseburger sub and fries or a steak. And he'll usually get upset because he likes his steak with mayo on it and he feels weird asking for mayo on the side. For lunch he'll eat ham and cheese almost everyday. He's a man of habit, so trying new things in this house is difficult, but I have ways around it! I started buying lean, organic meats and adding seasonings, or slipping in a seven layer salad every now and then. I'm trying to get him healthy!

Tonight he had grilled chicken and a salad. Notice the milk with ice cubes in it....lol!

Karen
I will honestly eat everything you put in front of me. I haven't met a piece of food I didn't like. Because I'm back into a workout routine, I've decided it's time to do something about food. A bunch of friends at work are doing Weight Watchers, but because I'm cheap and don't want to join, I'm just using the free calculators that I find online. I'm allowing myself about 24 points a day. Today, for example, I had cottage cheese with blueberries for breakfast, a banana for snack, leftover lasagna for lunch (7 points, YIKES!), grapes for snack, and grilled chicken with rice for dinner. I did have 3 peanut M&Ms after dinner. I drink water all day, but I do have a cappuccino on the way to work. It's one of those instant jobbers (only 2 points!) I know it's all about portion control so I've been either taking a healthy choice meal for lunch (under 300 calories) or using really small containers to pack leftovers.

I'd love to drop at least 10 by summer, but I'm real and I know that my love sweets will be hard to beat!

Steeler
He eats Purina Healthy Choice Dog food and whatever falls on the floor. :)

Regular dinners that we have every week usually include some sort of pasta and every Friday we call out for either pizza or sandwiches. At least 3-4 times a week I try to cook an actual meal that doesn't come out of a box or from a delivery man. I also indulge on Fridays and have a Frozen Mocha from Sheetz. They are my ultimate weakness, but they make my Fridays that much better! Lasagna, Chicken BBQ and Chicken Corn Pie, Tacos and Chicken Nuggets and French Fries are usually had at least once a month.

I'm always intrigued by what other families are eating. Pinterest has fueled my addiction and made me want to try all sorts of new things, at least ones that my husband will eat. I wish I was a better cook, but we get by in this house!

What Do Your Kids Do When They Can't Go In The Kitchen?

2012-02-06T19:23:00.003-05:00

Make them help!

Or not...

So sewious!

Or, you could just be like the dog and nap.

My Kitchen Is In Disarray

2012-02-05T10:32:00.001-05:00

Since we are going to attempt the sell this house later this year, there are some things that desperately needed done to get it ready for sale. One of those items on a laundry list of things, was to redo our cabinets. We were just going to throw a fresh coat of paint on them, but then my parents suggested Cabinet Transformations.

After talking to some Mennonites at our local hardware store, we were sold. If it's good enough for them, you know it's going to work out.

The only issue is, this isn't a project that was easily finished. In fact, it's not going to be finished by the end of this weekend. The entire process takes 4 steps and each step has different dry times in between. Thankfully my brother and parents have been around to help us out!

Here is what the kitchen looked like before:

This is our workstation in the garage:

This is what it looks like after step 3, glaze:

And this is what my kitchen table looks like:

My counters:

And this is after the glaze has dried. It's now brown!

Right now Dustin is putting on the final coat and tomorrow we'll be able to put the doors back on! Looking at these pictures makes me realize I need to organize! Yikes! We haven't really be able to use our kitchen and that's driving me insane, but it will all be over soon!

We also purchases the countertop transformations so we'll be redoing those soon too! I will post more pictures when the cabinets are completely finished!

What An Evening At Our House Looks Like

2012-02-02T19:50:00.000-05:00

And yes, Braydon is still singing Christmas songs.

Book Review: You Against Me

2012-02-02T13:56:00.001-05:00

Ellie is hiding a secret about her brother.
Mikey is trying to find out what happened to his sister.
Together, Ellie and Mikey want resolution for both of their families.

Ellie's brother Tom, is being accused of assaulting Karyn, Mikey's sister.Ellie knows some key facts about what happened that night, but she is too scared to admit them. All Mikey can think about is getting revenge on whoever hurt his sister. While trying to confront Tom for what he did, Mikey meets Ellie and immediately the two become infatuated with each other. How will their relationship ever work with all of the turmoil between their two families?

This is the second book that I've read by this author. She's British, so the lingo is always something that sort of throws me, but I catch on quick. It's a quick YA read that I loaned onto my Kindle from the Library. I was pulling for Ellie to tell the truth and make things work with Mikey the entire time I was reading, but I couldn't help feeling sorry for Karyn, the actual victim of the story. I would recommend this book and Before I Die, the other novel by Jenny Downham.

Taking Time For Me

2012-01-30T18:45:00.000-05:00

I feel like after you have a baby there is this 6-9 month period of time where you just sort of drop off the face of the Earth. You focus on your kids, your house, your husband's job. Maybe it's shorter or longer for some, but for me I feel like it takes me awhile to get back into a groove of feeling good and remembering to focus on myself.

Sometimes it's just the little things that make me happy.

*Committing to getting back into a workout routine.

*A fresh coat of nail polish.

*A day off where I can shop and clean and just do what I want with no one else around.

*A hair cut and color and a wax of the old hairy caterpillars above my eyes.

*A trip to the grocery store sans kids where I can compare the labels of two similar sauces of spaghetti for 20 minutes if I want.

*Cuddling under a blanket with a good book or the most current episode of RHOBH.

I love my boys and I love planning things for them and for my family. I love cuddling with them every night before bed. I love making dinner and getting them ready for the next day.

But I love me, too. I want to take care of everything in my life and what better way to stay focused on my family, when they've got a happy and healthy Mama, right?

So take an hour or a day and make yourself happy for once. Your family will thank you!

Book Review: The Death Cure

2012-01-26T07:33:00.000-05:00

If you're into zombies who eat your brains and take over the world, then look no further. The Death Cure is the third book in the Maze Runner series. You really have to read the first two books in this series (The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials) to have any understanding what the heck is going on in this crazy book.

Thomas has been through the Maze and the Scorch and now he's got to find a way to defeat WICKED once and for all. The problem is, almost everyone has already gotten the Flare and become Cranks. Thomas finds out he is immune from the man made disease and that makes him one of the most valuable candidates to create a cure. Should he trust WICKED and help find the so-called cure, or will he fight with his friends to look for a better life?

This series wasn't my favorite, but after reading the first two, I absolutely had to find out what happened. The ending disappointed a little, but it had to be wrapped up somehow. If you're a fan of Dystopian YA, check out the series. It was way too far fetched for me, but I still couldn't put it down!

10 Months Old

2012-01-25T19:08:00.000-05:00

1 Day Late

WW: Chubb

2012-01-24T20:19:00.002-05:00

3 Years Old

2012-01-23T19:09:00.001-05:00

Today my sweet boy, Braydon, turned 3 years old. I still can barely believe it. I know it so cliche, but it seems like just yesterday he was born. I remember sitting in the hospital, for what seemed like forever, to finally give birth at 8 PM. We had a waiting room full of people waiting to meet him.

Tonight we celebrated with just our family, and of course cake, Woody and Buzz.

Braydon is really such a happy boy. Although he had a tough time adjusting to baby brother, he now loves to make him laugh and interact with him. He may be a pistol and give me attitude that equals that of a 13 year old, but he makes me laugh every day. He'll tell you he doesn't like you and then cuddle with your 3 seconds later. The bipolarness of a 3 year old is like nothing else. Braydon changed my entire world and there's absolutely nothing I would ever do differently.

I'll leave you with my all-time favorite picture of Braydon. He was around 2 or 3 and already couldn't stand me and my camera.

Happy Birthday Baby Boy.

We Finally Had Snow

2012-01-22T15:05:00.000-05:00

You'd think living in Pennsylvania would offer the benefit of snow once in awhile, but it seems like we rarely have snow anymore. For the most part, I'm totes ok with that, but from time to time, I enjoy a great snowstorm.

It finally dumped a small 4 inches round these parts on Friday night. It was perfect timing because we don't have to make up a missed school day, the hubs was home to shovel, and it's going to be in the 50s next week so it will all melt soon!

Braydon was so excited when he woke up, he immediately wanted to go out. We ate a nice breakfast of pancakes and eggs and then bundled up the troops.

Weston was all, "Meh, I can't move."

And Braydon was all, "Stuff snow in mah pants!"

We realized that our front yard makes a nice sledding hill when you're a toddler.

Can you believe this boy turns 3 tomorrow? WHAT?

Now that we've had some snow and our fun, Spring is welcome to show up any day now!

Wordless Wednesday: Target

2012-01-17T19:16:00.002-05:00

He didn't actually get hit, I placed it there...I promise.

For Nana

2012-01-15T19:27:00.001-05:00

Because she hasn't had her picture taken with Weston since he was born! FO SHAME!

Book Review: Someone's Watching

2012-01-13T16:00:00.000-05:00

Robbie is living in South Beach in an apartment by herself. Her and her boyfriend, Jeremy, are taking a break. Robbie has no family since her mom died a few years ago until her father shows up at her doorstep hoping Robbie can help him find her little sister Kate. Kate came to South Beach for Spring Break and got in more than just a little bit of trouble. Robbie will do whatever it takes to find her sister, even if it means going against a murderer.

I loved this kindle read! I'm normally not much of a murder-mystery type of girl, but this was a fairly fast read and I really wanted to help solve the mystery! At first I thought this might be more of a YA read and I still think it could be, but definitely for a very mature reader. There was a lot of adult content, but nothing extremely graphic.

I'm getting more into my kindle then I thought I would. I've found it's so much easier to carry around and I can pick it up and read it more then I did a regular book. I highly recommend the fire for anyone who is thinking of purchasing an ereader!

5QF

2012-01-12T20:37:00.000-05:00

1. What's the last thing you bought for yourself?
Last weekend I bought myself a brand new purse! I was looking for something over the shoulder, a tad bigger and more compartments. I stopped into Marshalls and picked up this cute bag for $20!

2. What is your favorite meal on a cold winter day?
I love tomato bisque! It's so yummy! Melt a little cheese on top and you've got the best meal evah!

via

3. Have you started looking for swimsuits this year and do you buy a new one every year?
Not yet. I'd like to get my body bathing suit ready before I even begin looking for something. I do not buy a new one every year anymore. I bought a "mom" suit in 2009 after Braydon was born and I haven't gotten one since. I'd like to buy one this year though!

4. If you could be any candy what would you be and why?
A gummy bear so you I could get soaked in vodka!

5. What are you most passionate about?
Anything dealing with my kids. They will always trump all and I will never let anything or anyone bring them down.

BONUS:
What's your favorite thing to PIN on Pinterest?
I love pinning desserts. I think that board probably has the most things on it. Next to that I just like to pin randomly funny things that make me laugh!
Just recently I pinned these:

via

Wordless Wednesday - What I'm Wearing

2012-01-10T19:53:00.000-05:00

Just a few outfits I've worn in the last two weeks. You know you bathroom pictures of me. My last ones were taken @ 38 weeks pregnant!

Book Review: When The Heart Falls

2012-01-10T14:22:00.000-05:00

If I had to describe this book in 1 word it would be CHEESETASTIC. If you're a fan of love stories where the good guy always gets the girl, this is your story!

Misty finds her husband, Brad, is cheating on her with her secretary. Distraught, she takes off to live with her parents whom she hasn't seen for a long time. There she falls for a ranch hand who she soon discovers is only out for one thing. Dylan is waiting patiently in the wings to scoop her up and make her his wife. Will she ever look at Dylan that way?

This was another Kindle freebie and a very fast read. In my opinion it was poorly written, but whatevs, I still finished it. Nothing like a good old fashioned love story to keep you entertained!

Braydon's Top Five Television Shows

2012-01-09T19:58:00.000-05:00

These are in no particular order and I find each and every one as annoying as the next, but here are Braydon's Top Five Favorite Shows!

The Fresh Beat Band

Their beats are sort of fresh and if Braydon wants a show I sort of prefer this one. The band is always in some sort of random scenario where they lose a dog or splash all of the water out a pool and have to fill it up before their big party. They always sing the same songs so you and your child will be singing them in your sleep and surprisingly they're not all that bad.

Barney

Big purple dino, little annoying friends. Enough said.

Little Einsteins

Now this show I am actually happy to put on for him. I like that it's based on Classical music, it automatically make him a "classy" toddler. These four are always doing something dealing with animals, or ancient Egypt or China. They fly all over in their rocket and do all kinds of fun things. This is one show I can get on board with!

Blue's Clues

Once in awhile he'll still ask for a little Blue's Clues. I like this show because it's interactive and the characters are simple. There's not a lot of noise or music in the background and he can stay easily focused on what's happening. Wes will sort of pay attention when we put this show on too. So it's a win on both ends.

The Wonder Pets

Now, on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the pain of bamboo shots being shoved under my fingernails, this show is a 12. Thankfully, he'll only watch this show when we randomly turn on the TV and it's on. He never asks for it, but still enjoys it. These little animals are always getting phone calls from other animals in trouble and apparently no one else on the planet can save them other then a duck with a lisp, a hamster and a turtle with a hat. What's gonna work? TEAMWORK. I suppose the message is alright, but for crap's sake, stop with the annoying voices!

Braydon has moved into movies so we rarely watch Television shows that often, but if we're watching one, it's one of the above! What does your 3 year old watch?

Getting To Know Me!

2012-01-08T19:40:00.000-05:00

I've kinda been plugging away at this blog for quite some time now, mainly bragging about my super kids and sometimes showing you fun things that my family and I are up to. I've decided since my stats have elevated and that means there are some new readers out there, I would do a sort of "who am I" type of post. I don't have them quite mapped out, but I think I can throw something together for you.

Oh, and a quick shout out to my mom. I apologize for calling Braydon "weird" and a "turd" last week on the blog. So now that that awkiness is out of the way, let's go!

First up, my name is Karen and I'll be 32 this October. WHAT? I have a degree in School Library and Information Technology and also my Masters in Education. We live in the lovely state of PA in farm country and I attended two different state University's. (Not PSU). I've worked in the same school district for the past 10 years and think I'm starting to itch for a change. Not sure what that change is going to be, but I think it's coming!

I met my husband, Dustin, through some mutual friends back in 2006. In 2008 we found out we were expecting and had our first baby boy, Braydon, in January of 2009. That same baby boy is turning three in a 2 weeks! Yikes! We married in September of 2009 and in 2010 we found out we were expecting our second baby boy, Weston, who was born in March of 2011.

Get all that?

We've had a whirlwind of a year and have a pretty busy life. We're starting to prep our current home for sale to put on the market late 2012 or early 2013. Next year we'd like to be in a house with more space for our growing boys. At this point, we're about 98% sure we're finished having babies, and that makes me a little sad, but I really don't want to go back to that newborn stage. I love squishy newborns, but I also love sleep!

Last year we went through some changes. We had our baby, Dustin got a new job, I took on some more responsibilities at my job and I began to form a stronger relationship with God.

Being a Librarian automatically allows me to be a geek. I love all things technology. I love learning how to use my DSLR. I love a good craft. I love reading books and will be doing more book reviews this year. I want to get to know my readers and want to know more about you!

If you're not a follower, become one! Leave me a comment letting me know who you are and tell me about yourself. Leave your blog and I'll follow you back!

Book Review: Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side

2012-01-05T08:50:00.001-05:00

So this was the first book that I read on my Kindle Fire. It was a free book and I have to admit, I was hesitant to actually read it because I'm sort of over the whole Vamp thing, but hey, free is good and I do have this book on my Middle School Library shelves.

Jessica is Vampire royalty, although she has no idea until Lucius, her betrothed Vampire lovah, shows up to wisk her away back to Romanian where she will become his wife and thus end the pact between the fighting fanged clans.

Will she fall in love with Lucius and take her place by his side, or will she be destined to ride horses and date local farmers for the rest of her life?

At first I had a hard time getting into this book but it slowly grew on me. In the end I was fighting for Lucius to win over Jessica and end the pact. Most of the book takes place in Lebanon County, PA so it was interesting to hear the authors take on what is next county over from me. I would recommend this book to more mature readers, I wouldn't want just any child to pick it up. So if you have a Kindle and are looking to pick up a freebee, check it out!