Uncommon Blonde

Trying not to fall off of the face of the earth

2012-01-07T22:43:00.000-05:00

Well, I never mean to go away for such extended periods of time but this whole - 2 kids, working full-time, photography part-time - thing continues to kick my butt. We had a wonderful Christmas and New Year (well, I didn't do much for New Year's Eve this year, sleep was more important). Maybe I'll blog about it all in the coming weeks, maybe I won't. I have no idea what my blogging will be like and if I'll feel like recapping or just going forward. I am working in the new year to be better at keeping in touch. Better at calling, emailing, and texting. Blogging falls into that goal as well because this blog has become a way for me to keep in touch with many friends and loved ones near and far who have mentioned that they have missed my updates. I promise to try! In the meantime, I'll share something I read tonight that made me laugh and cry. It rings SO true to the whole experience of motherhood - especially when you have very young children. I can't recommend reading this enough, no matter what stage of life you may be in. Read HERE

We Wish You A Merry Christmas

2011-12-13T09:20:00.001-05:00

My aunt took a family photo for our Christmas card this year and for that, I am SO thankful! The photo shoot took a total of 15 minutes. Both girls were in a great mood and I've done enough photo shoots to know that when you've got the shot you should quit while you're ahead. No need to push everyone's limits by getting greedy, although when it comes to photos it's VERY hard for me not to want hundreds and hundreds. But we had a group shot, individual shots, and the two of them together - what more could I ask for? I definitely have plans for some enlargements of these!

Baking Extravaganza 2011

2011-12-12T22:43:00.000-05:00

We came, we baked, we conquered!

Practicing with the self timer for our group shot. You see who the hard workers were ...

Adorable aprons courtesy of our fabulous hostess Francesca :)

Favorite Things

2011-12-11T10:41:00.004-05:00

I love nice paper and stationary. I love the smell of rose water. I love Italy. Put it all together and I'd say you have an awesome gift. This week I assisted with a book signing at Saks to benefit the non-profit I work for. The author was incredibly kind and thanked me with a gift from Italy (she summers there). It's from the Santa Maria Novella pharmacy in Florence. The pharmacy is one of the oldest in the world, started in the 16th century and from the packaging, I'd say it's pretty amazing. She gave me a bag of their potpourri and a bottle of rose water. Doesn't sound like much but it is wonderful. The packaging was so pretty and fancy that I waited two days to open it - I enjoyed it so much I didn't want to mess it up. The boxes it came in were made of a fine linen paper - not your average box by any stretch of the imagination. It also came with a "menu" of products the pharmacy sells, also made of the same amazing paper. The products are also equally amazing and luxurious. This gift was a true testament of the fact that with gifts, it's all about presentation ... Now I need to plan another trip to Italy ;)

Baby Jesus Lives in a Gingerbread House

2011-12-10T21:40:00.000-05:00

According to my daughter, baby Jesus lives in a gingerbread house. Towards the end of the week, I started asking Addison if she wanted to make a gingerbread house, to which she would enthusiastically reply "Yes, for baby Jesus!"

While making this today she told me we needed to open the door for Mary. I asked her who Mary was and she replied "Jesus' mommy. Baby Jesus is going to come out of his house and he's going to be so cute!"

She's a clever one and has quite the imagination. Well, baby Jesus has yet to make an appearance in our gingerbread house but I certainly had fun making this while Addison licked all of the candy and put it back :)

My Crazy Little Elf

2011-12-05T20:56:00.000-05:00

I am torn between blogging, my to do list, and just sitting here enjoying the quiet. The babies are asleep, I am finally done with my ridiculous number of photo shoots to edit, the Christmas tree is up, I feel like I am starting to breath again. At the start of last week I was so worried I wasn't going to have time to stop and enjoy this season - much to my relief, I was wrong and this weekend was full of happy memories. Last week, work was insane to the point of me wanting to hide under my desk. We had just returned from our Thanksgiving trek to my parent's house - this road trip was much better than the summer trip, however, it still shocked me how different it is to travel with two little ones. Every time someone asked me how my "vacation" was, I wanted to roll my eyes. I had a great Thanksgiving but it wasn't a vacation. Ava's sleep schedule was waaaay off and both girls got up around 5 am each morning.

The big realization of how different life is now came during our attempt at our annual shopping day. It was somewhat of a failure, at the end of which I wondered who had kidnapped my 2 year old and replaced her with a crazed elf. My mom might tell you the trip was successful because we did purchase a lot of items but this was my version: Go to Banana Republic, Addison tells me she has to go potty. I pick her up and run halfway across the outlet mall to find a public restroom. She doesn't really have to go. Walk back across the mall in my uncomfortable boots (which I thought were comfy until I tried to run carrying a crazed elf in them). Back to the store, trade off kids. Feed Ava. Drive to other mall. Take Addison to ride the train. Go into a store and try to keep Addison from climbing all over the fitting room. Take Addison outside to play. Attempt to get her some lunch as she melts down and trys to hang upside down in my arms. Reposition her so that she can try to pull my earrings out. Give her lunch. Leave the mall and let both girls sleep on the way home (thank the Lord!!!)

And then she goes and acts all angelic while decorating the tree with her Nana. Don't be fooled, there's a crazed little elf in there somewhere and she'll pop out when you least expect it!

Giving thanks for things big and small

2011-11-24T22:06:00.001-05:00

I am definitely thankful for the many amazing blessings in my life - my amazing husband, healthy & happy girls, awesome family, a great job I love, friends who are beyond wonderful, and the list goes on. Tonight I started thinking of some of the other, sillier things, I am also thankful for.

1. Valet parking. What a wonderful thing it is! I was reminded of this when visiting a family member at the hospital a few times last week. It saved me at least 15 minutes from going all the way through the parking garage. We also used valet at Busch Gardens a couple of weeks ago. We paid double the parking fee for it but worth. every. penny. Two littles, a double stroller, and a tram are not a good combo.

2. Seat heaters. Simply awesome.

3. Mini Ugg boots. The cuteness kills me. Again, worth every penny.

4. Hunter wellington boots. And the AWESOME friend who knows me so well that she knew it would be a perfect birthday present. Somebody has been paying attention to Pinterest ;)

5. Photography. I took engagement photos for my sis this week, a family photo for my mom's card, and family/9 month photos for my bro's family - it makes me happy to be able to give the gift of photos to those I love the most. Life goes by in a blink, but hopefully I'm able to capture some moments that will be treasured in years to come.

6. Little girl's clothes that look like grown up girl's clothes. I loved smocked dresses and Lilly frocks as much as anyone, but I also love the little outfits with sassy skirts, converse, and of course, a good sweater dress.

What silly/serious things are you thankful for?

God, Guns & Guts

2011-11-21T10:18:00.000-05:00

As Dorothy would say ... "we're not in Kansas anymore!" No, we're not in Kansas, or SW Florida for that matter. We're spending the week at my parent's house in North Florida, also referred to as "The Panhandle" by a couple of my friends who love to tease me about being from up here (you know who you are). While this part of the state is home to some of the people I love the most in this world, it's also home to some very interesting people. The kind of "interesting" that politely means "crazy redneck."

Don't get me wrong, there are pockets of Southern charm and grace that many only associate with parts of Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee. However, there are pockets of crazy redneck too. Those pockets sometimes overpower the southern charm ;) Just so you get the idea, here's a billboard we saw along the way ...

Truths

2011-11-18T08:23:00.002-05:00

I saw this on Facebook yesterday and had to laugh. (Can't find the original source to credit)

1. Sometimes I'll look at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind-of tired.

10. Bad decisions make good stories.

11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day..

12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.

13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.

14. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

15. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Light than Kay.

16. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

17. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

18. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?

19. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front.

20.Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

21. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time.

22. The first testicular guard, the "Cup," was used in Hockey in 1874 and the first helmet was used in 1974. That means it only took 100 years for men to realize that their brain is also important.

All I Want For Christmas

2011-11-16T23:12:00.000-05:00

Uncommon husband and I had dinner out on Saturday night and afterwards, we took advantage of the fact we had a babysitter and did what all cool couples do on a Saturday night - we went to Target. We wanted to check out the toy section and get some Christmas ideas for Addison (we're not leaving Ava out, but she really doesn't need much at this age). The store was really empty and we ended up finding lots of entertaining items including these awesome pajamas ... Can you believe people actually buy these?!?

Then, we decided to do something crazy. We went to Wal-Mart for our semi-annual visit to the worst store on earth. Except that night, it was actually quite fun. Most of the trips I make to Wal-Mart occur in North Florida and no offense to my loved ones and friends in North Florida, but up there, Wal-Mart is a whole different place. And not in a good way. It's filled with people in camo. Who buy things like this ...

No, your eyes don't deceive you, that's a santa- in camo- holding a rifle. We are not in Sarasota anymore (except this one was!!). I'm not being snobby, my brother in law would think this santa is one of the best gifts you could give him. I know this because he posted a picture of himself on Facebook wearing a camo santa hat a few nights ago. It's not my taste but if it makes you happy, then have at it. But Wal-Mart is usually a place that irritates me to no end so I avoid it like the plague. Saturday night was different though - it was pretty empty and filled with bargains! Who knew you could buy so many quality items for $2-$5!? $85 dollars later, Uncommon Husband made me stop. He dared me to "check in" at Wal-Mart on Facebook but I refused. I may have had fun but I wasn't going to let anyone know it. (which is why I am posting this on my blog for all to read, lol)

Ten on Tuesday

2011-11-15T17:07:00.000-05:00

It is Tuesday, right? My day started a little odd so I'm feeling like I am in a time warp.

1. I have a great post scheduled for tomorrow on Christmas shopping. I could post it today but then what would I blog about tomorrow?

2. I haven't blogged in awhile. I was back, and then I wasn't, and now I am again.

3. Since I've been away, Addison became fully potty trained! It only took a few days. Yes, I am bragging a little bit but I had no idea how stressful those couple of days would be and now I kind of understand why people talk about it so much. That said, I won't be discussing it on here again. Or anywhere else in much detail - not my style.

4. My birthday was last Saturday and can I just say, what did we do before Facebook?! I was feeling the love! Thanks ;)

5. I am leaving for our annual Thanksgiving trek to my parents on Friday night. Please pray that the girls both sleep on that drive. Otherwise, I might not make it. Our 4th of July trip was a doozy, and I haven't forgotten!

6. Did I spell doozy correctly? Or is it doozie? According to my spellcheck, both are wrong.

7. I dropped my camera on the concrete on Sunday. After 2 photo shoots with toddlers. The photos are still on the memory card, the camera appears to be uninjured but I still feel nauseous every time I think about it. First of all, that sucker is like my baby. A very expensive baby. Plus, I worked my butt off for those pics of the toddlers. I was not about to re-shoot those sessions!

8. We took our family Christmas pictures on Sunday afternoon and I LOVE them! So excited to get our cards mailed, then I'll share the finished product on here with all of you.

9. After getting ready for our shoot on Sunday, I have a renewed appreciation for family photo prep. I am always on the other side of the camera and while that is stressful, hot, and insane - getting everyone fed, dressed, happy and out the door on time takes some coordination. I was frantically trying to find bows, shoes, and my own clothes.

10. I love my blog, I don't know why I keep letting it lapse! Busch Gardens pics, Christmas shopping, and Crazy Betty stories coming your way later this week!

Freebies Make Me Happy

2011-11-06T22:07:00.000-05:00

Last month, I wasn't reading or writing much as far as blogs go but I was lucky to catch a a deal that The Mom Creative posted during her 31 days of memory keeping series. She has been a fan of a site called Paper Coterie for awhile and posted many deals. I have always wanted to order one of their Memory Keepers and last month, she posted a code for a free one! Had I been blogging regularly, I would have shared this gem with all of you (sorry), but as it was, I was lucky to get mine created and ordered in time. I had Uncommon Husband create an account and order one as well (because I'm a deal seeker like that and I work the system) - I couldn't leave one of my girls out! They arrived last week and are even better than I had hoped for! They are large, book-like boxes that can be used to store keepsakes, artwork, etc. and they are not only a great size, they are so special and personalized. They will also be easy to store - now if I can just take the time to organize the little hospital bracelets, and other momentos I have been keeping. I have even ordered one for my sister in law for a Christmas present (I hope she doesn't read my blog). Check out how great these are ...

And a few pics from our happy weekend for good measure!

She's baaack! (crazy Bettye that is)

2011-11-02T07:46:00.000-04:00

Ok so not only is my blog back, Crazy Betty is too! (If you're new here, read here first)

So a lot has happened while I was on my blog hiatus, including the fact that my little sister is engaged now. Very exciting stuff and we are all in wedding planning mode. However, wedding planning brings out the crazy in Betty. She was a little over the top with my wedding, very opinionated about the "right way" (read- her way) of doing things, etc. With this wedding, it's even more magnified because she's older and has less of a filter.

So far, she's less concerned about the details being "proper" since those details are months away. She's in full-on worry mode about everything big picture. She called me within days of the engagement and said the following (with no interruption or pause):

"I just don't think I can host the bridesmaids luncheon. I know I did yours but I was younger and it was easier for me to do things like put together those little baskets and the invitations. I just can't do it. But there's no one else to do it! What will we do?! I can pay for it but I can't plan the details. You'll have to take care of the location and any details and I'll just pay the bill. We have to have favors! I just can't do it. Maybe I can. I don't know"

Never mind the fact that at that point, there wasn't even a wedding date or location set. Then, on Sunday, she says to my husband:

"You are just going to have to tell them (my sister and her fiance) that you guys can't be in the wedding. It's just too expensive and you can't afford it. Plus, you'd have to have a baby sitter. You just can't spend that kind of money right now. Where are we all going to stay?! You'll have to pay for your room too. Tell them you can't afford it."

First of all, no one has asked us to be in the wedding, or anyone to be in the wedding yet for that matter. Secondly, we absolutely can afford to go to the wedding and be a part of whatever festivities we need to be. Sure, it will be an expensive weekend but 100% worth every penny we will spend. When I told my sister in-law this story she asked me if I was offended by Betty's comments. The answer - absolutely not. Betty is a worrier to the extreme. When she doesn't have anything to worry about, she makes up something to worry about. If she has something to worry about (the wedding), but not enough details to worry about specifics yet, she just makes up specifics to worry about. And, since Betty is not privy to my bank statements (and you better believe if one were sitting on a table, she would absolutely read it! I caught her checking out an invoice from the pest control company last time she was at my house) she just assumes that we're unable to afford it. And to think, we have a whole year of wedding planning to look forward to with her :) Oh Betty!

An Alternate Version of Me

2011-11-01T08:05:00.000-04:00

I swear that having two children has turned me into an alternate version of myself. This version (which is hopefully temporary) does crazy things that I would never ordinarily do ... a few examples:

"Losing" Addison's Halloween costume - tearing the house apart, only to find it hanging in her closet. I guess I am more organized than I give myself credit for :)
Or feel like I need to apologize to the valet guy for how messy my car is. Why should I care what the valet thinks of my car?!?
Drive around in a car that has the following items in the front seat/floorboard: a feather boa, a scarf, a teething toy, an empty coke bottle, a clipboard, bank receipts and an empty (spare) purse.
Notice that my car is not starting the way it should be but not bother to deal with it until I am about 50 minutes from the start of my friend's wedding. And in that 50 minutes, I need to drive back to my house, feed Ava, get dressed, and drive to the ceremony. Apparently my battery was dying and you're not supposed to ignore those kinds of things. (I made it home and we switched cars)
Start heading to a photo shoot without my camera.

Luckily, these are just fragments of my life. In other fragments, I am able to pull off big projects at work, remember to bring cookies and snacks for Addison's class party, remember birthdays, and a variety of other tasks. But in those other moments, I can't help but wonder -who is this person and would the "real" me please stand up?

We made it! (again)

2011-10-31T08:11:00.004-04:00

October always feels like a marathon for me. Busy season at work, insane season with photography, Junior League picks back up, and trying to maintain a social life. This October was so overwhelming, at times I wanted to crawl under the covers and hide. Actually, I would have if I'd had even an extra moment to stay in bed but there's no waking up slowly in our house. We hit the ground running every day. But ... today is the last day of October and all weekend I felt a huge sense of relief. I still have a couple of photo shoots left on the calendar but much a more manageable schedule. We're attempting to do a potty training boot camp for 4 days at the end of this week but I'm not stressed about it. My birthday is this month and we have a week trip planned to visit my parents. Work is still terribly overwhelming but I have to just do what I can do and leave it there at the end of each day.

We had a wonderful weekend - one of my best friends married the love of her life, I took photos for friends (and the photos are awesome!), we played at the park, and we made ghost cookies tonight. I think it's safe to say we made it. again.

Mompetitors

2011-10-30T21:53:00.000-04:00

We made our rounds on the birthday circuit last weekend (I'm a week later posting this) and in case you don't have young children, let me tell you, it's a whole new world. Saturday's party was a circus-themed party for a sweet friend's 1 year old. We were greeted at the front door by a pupeteer playing the piano with a marionette elephant. Inside there was a buffet table with (catered) hamburgers, corn dogs, fruit kabobs, and chicken. There was a circus themed cake, animal crackers, little containors of popcorn, and cute decor everywhere. Now I thought the party was adorable, although it was a little more than I would have wanted to take on (my sweet friend was so busy being the gracious hostess, I wondered if she was able to stop and enjoy the fruits of her labor). But ... several of the mommies were wearing dresses and heels. To a 1 year old's birthday party. To chase around their toddlers! I must say, I wore one of my favorite new outfits but it consisted of skinny jeans and boots (yay for boot season again!!!) but I was not crazy enough to wear heels. The "mompetitors" (aka- uber competitive mommies) were out in full force and I was glad I had dressed Addison in an adorable new outfit and terribly impractical flats, so as not to look like a sloppy mother. She looked super cute but I must say, I have no interest in mompetitions. Another mommy tried to get into a discussion about her preschool and future elementary plans which I quickly saw going in a "my schools are better than yours" direction. There are moments I find myself being sucked in because I want to be the best mother I can be - but I don't need to get into comparing pre-schools, outfits, or how homemade (or not homemade) my baby food is to be a wonderful mother. The birthday circuit is fun, but you won't catch me near a bounce house in high heels anytime soon ;)

If I seem distracted ...

2011-10-22T22:29:00.000-04:00

If I seem distracted ... it's probably because I am. I can't believe it's been so long since I last blogged. I love blogging but something has had to give lately. It's the middle of photo shoot season. I have 2 very small children. I work full time. The little people in my house have decided 5:30 am is a reasonable time to wake up. You get the picture. (Ok, I apologize for the brief pity party, I'm all done)

I was at a birthday party this afternoon trying to catch up with a friend but found myself having a hard time keeping up with the conversation because I was also trying to keep an eye on Addison. I feel like I am only half "there" more often than not these days. Multi-tasking to the extreme is the name of the game! Life is wonderful, I have just been too busy enjoying it to write much of it down but I am going to try to change that because I just ordered blog books for my 2009 & 2010 posts and I love being able to read back through them.

But for tonight I am already exceeding my allotted bog time (I kept getting sidetracked) and I have to hurry to bed because you never know how long sleep will last around here ;)

Ten on Tuesday

2011-10-04T21:30:00.002-04:00

Let the randomness begin!

1. We bought a new vacuum this past weekend. Husband said ours wasn't working correctly and I was too overwhelmed to go into my usual "control the situation and research the best options" mode. I told him research and pick it, and he did great. It's one of those bagless cyclone thingys and I honestly think the carpet looked better after one cleaning. That was probably waaay to much information about my vacuum :)

2. I went to a presentation last week about media and its effects on children. It was really good. Lots of good info, things to think about, and another blog to follow. I am seriously trying to cut down on my own "screen time" - less time watching tv and on the internet and more time reading, creating and just relaxing.

3. We've had a couple of days of beautiful weather. It has put me in SUCH a good mood.

4. My favorite two year old in the world likes to collect rocks. I keep finding them in my dryer. I keep them because they make me happy.

5. Apparently The Lion King is out of the Disney "vault" - where the heck is the vault anyway? It's a stupid concept that they somehow make MILLIONS with!

6. I have two photo shoots I should be going through but I need a night off. I can't keep my eyes open when I'm at my laptop.

7. Ava has been getting up at 5:30 this week. It's way too early.

8. I dream of the day when I can take a nap again on a Sunday afternoon but I know that when that day comes, I'll miss these days.

9. I need a new pair of sunglasses, I'm thinking Tory Burch. Any thoughts?

10. I had a newborn shoot (re-shoot) this afternoon, the baby would not settle down the first day I was there and today it took forever but she finally slept. And I got some gooood stuff :)

Sweet dreams ...

Full of Awesome

2011-09-25T22:19:00.001-04:00

If you have not read the blog post about being "full of awesome" you must go read it now!

And speaking of awesome, my girls definitely are ...

Tomorrow is Monday and I am going to wake up full of awesome (or at least after I have some caffine I'll be feeling that way)

Sometimes I get a little crazy

2011-09-20T08:36:00.000-04:00

I've blogged before about my irrational fear of missing something. This fear applies to many areas of my life - I try to go to every required meeting for Junior League for fear of missing something, and I get caught up in sales for fear of missing the "big deal" (remember when I bought the shark hand vac?) So it's only normal that I almost got swept away with the rest of the country last week when Missoni fever struck at Target stores nationwide. I happened to be at Target last Tuesday morning when the store opened and the line debuted, however, I was shopping for a baby shower gift and was fairly oblivious to the fact that the clothes across the store would be sold out by lunchtime. I was in the checkout line with some girls who were buying dresses, scarves, and sweaters but I honestly didn't think much of it. I thought they were cute but not my colors. Then I watched the Today Show the next morning and saw the people running into the stores Black Friday style. I instantly regretted not buying a ton of it. I know - ridiculous! All day, I wondered if I should go back and see if they had anything left. Not because I wanted to wear it, but because if everyone else wanted it then I should to ... right? Luckily the rational part of my brain prevailed and I did not go back. I did take a peek when I was there again on Friday and was only slightly tempted to buy Ava a little sweater dress (the baby stuff was all that was left!). I might be a little crazy but at least I know it ;)

Forever in my memory

2011-09-11T14:34:00.000-04:00

10 years ago our country was attaacked by terrorists and we were forever changed - as a country, and as individuals. Many people have been posting on Facebook about where they were and how they found out the World Trade Center had been hit. I was in college at FSU and I spent that morning in front of the television at my sorority house with my sisters - in shock, grief and disbelief. The specifics of my own morning aren't important, but I find it interesting how an event like that can burn itself into our memories so vividly. I can't remember the details of very many hours of my life as well as I can those of that morning. If I'd had a blog back then, I wonder what I would have written? I wonder if I would have written at all. It seemed like someone hit the pause button on life for a few days and we all just watched and waited to see what would happen next. Many people died that day, and many more have died in the years since. Today I remember. I remember those who lost their lives. I remember that freedom isn't free. I remember to give thanks for my family, my country, and my God.

I wonder how we will explain what happened to Addison and Ava as they grow up. How do you even begin to explain such evil? They are so innocent and loving, I wish I could protect that innocence forver. But when the time comes, I will explain. I will also tell them about how our wonderful country pulled together in the days and months following the attacks. Because that part is just as important as the event itself. May we never forget.

I need a Pintervention

2011-09-06T15:31:00.000-04:00

I am loving Pinterest! What a fabulous way to spend time (as if I have so much of it to spare). I do think sometimes I need a "pintervention" because it's quite addictive. I am trying to make my addiction productive and fun by actually attempting some of the projects and recipes I pin. This weekend was my first attempt. I wanted to make s'more cookies for the teachers at Addison & Ava's school and put them in these cute favor bags with "We need s'more teachers like you" tags. The cookies didn't really turn out. Although edible (my co-workers are currently enjoying) they weren't as pretty as I hoped they'd be and the grahams got a little burned on the bottom, the tops browned as well, but the cookies were not done enough in the middle. Still a fun project but I am going to "re-do" this by following the idea shown in the pin below by just assembling s'more ingredients in the bags instead of doing cookies. Are you on Pinterest? Follow me by clicking the link in the top right and if I'm not already following you, leave your link in the comments!

A pic of my attempt (pardon the horrible lighting)

The pin that inspired it all ...

Source: the-girl-who-ate-everything.com via Jessica on Pinterest

This is what I'll be doing next time!

Source: homemade.tipjunkie.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Don't Blink

2011-09-04T20:57:00.001-04:00

Before I forget, I must blog this. This has unexpectedly been one of the best weekends I can remember. I went into it feeling really sad because my parents didn't end up coming, as well as feeling overwhelmed at the prospect of a long weekend with no hubby around (he's working a huge job this weekend and is gone from 8 am-10 pm every day). Instead of the mayhem I expected, we've had an incredibly special weekend together. I actually feel guilty because my husband has missed it. Being solo with the girls forced me to put aside all chores and obligations and just be completely present with them. We have gone swimming, had a playdate, spent time with extended family, watched Cinderella, read books in bed, went to Target to buy Cinderella slippers (what a cash cow that princess stuff is!), and Ava and I actually got a nap together while big sister slept - all cherished moments.

I don't want to blink and you know why, just the thought of them growing up makes my eyes all watery. I'm feeling very sentimental and happy right now and I wanted to blog about it to make sure I remembered this amazing weekend. I haven't had time for pictures but I think it's going to be etched on my heart. I just listened to Addison sing "twinkle twinkle" on the monitor and I thought my heart my burst. And it's not even over yet - tomorrow we'll top it off by making cookies and having another paydate with friends. I am blessed.

On another note, Addison took swimming lessons last week! After only 4 days she's holding her breath and almost fearless when trying to swim underwater. She needs to work on kicking and remembering she's not actually a fish (she kept trying to get away from me and swim into the deep end of the pool) but I am thrilled with her progress. This video isn't the best example of her new skills, she was too wound up to do what she was supposed to but it's still cute. (please disregard me in the bathing suit)

Confessions of a Blogaholic

2011-09-02T22:44:00.001-04:00

I love the internet and I love reading blogs. It borders on an addiction at times. Yet for the past 2 weeks, I have been a bit absent from the blogosphere. It has felt really good. I have certainly missed reading my favorite blogs and I have missed blogging regularly myself - I still think about blog posts often, they just don't make it here. I am one of those people who is always afraid I'm going to miss something but it's been surprisingly easy to be away. I am still on Facebook and Pinterest often, but only when I have time, and it's been in a form of relaxing/wasting time.

A lot of bloggers are doing a "30 days" series in September which I initially thought I wanted to participate in. Obviously, that was not a realistic idea. I am gradually finding balance and order in our new routine. I am getting caught up at work and feeling less stressed at home (I pray it lasts). I think I'm ready to start trying to blog again 3-5 times a week but it's hard to say what will happen. I love this blog because it's a journal of sorts for my life, I really don't want to let that slip. So, all of these words to not really say much of anything except I missed you and I'm back ... I think ;)

The UnCreative Mama

2011-08-31T10:30:00.002-04:00

Although I consider myself creative in some ways, dressing & costumes is not one of my strong points. Before I had kids, I posted about being a Halloween Grinch - I really disliked the holiday. I do not like dressing up in costume or theme at all. I know, some of you are thinking I am no fun but I feel silly and uncreative in this department. Maybe if I were good at putting together a fabulous outfit I'd enjoy it more, but since I never dress up - it's unlikely.

However, now that I have kids I think it's fun to dress them up in adorable costumes and make yummy treats for friends. I have already pinned some ideas on Pinterest of things I'll be making for the teachers at daycare and some of my co-workers but I am totally stuck on a costume idea for Addison. (For now, Ava is getting a hand-me-down ladybug costume from her sister) This is one of those times I desperately wish I could sew. Last year, I bought Addison's adorable bumblebee costume from Gymboree.

It was cute and unlike many store bought costumes, I didn't think it looked tacky. This year, all of the store bought costumes I can find are cheap looking, except for Pottery Barn but those look really hot - in Florida the past 2 Halloweens have been very warm. Plus, she's at an age where she might have an opinion about what she wants to be. I thought Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz would be adorable but I can't make that and she doesn't know who it is. Right now, I am leaning towards Minnie Mouse (they a cute version on ebay that's not tacky looking) - does anyone have any other ideas for this uncreative mama? I realize it's not even September 1, but I have to get on this early so we don't get stuck without a plan!