He said....she said....

She Said:  Exactly one week from today I will be 30
He Said: Woah
She said:  I know.  And you'll still be 28.  God I'm old.
He Said:  That's right baby...you'll be my cougar

Just call me Demi Moore!
Happy 1 week to my Birthday!

Sunday Morning Scene

Oops!  So I missed yesterday,

but honestly there wasn't much to miss.

It was cloudy and overcast ALL day!

Well this morning the sun is shining and we're getting ready for an afternoon on the boat!

First though, it's time for some breakfast on the deck!

Happy Weekend friends!

Grandmother's Rosary

My wedding bouquet was a mixture of all red flowers...roses and calla lilies.

 I loved it, it was gorgeous!

Hell I even had it dried and framed.

Well that red bouquet was one flower away from being red AND white.

Seems so trivial now, but at the time I was one step away from going Bridezilla on my florist

The day before our wedding my mom and I went to the flower shop to finalize the centerpieces.  When we got there the florist said some of my bouquet flowers had arrived and very excitedly brought out a Gardenia.

It was perfect and smelled amazing...however it was white.  VERY white.

Definitely NOT for my bouquet.

In fact no where in any of our wedding flowers did we have gardenia.

When I questioned her she brought out the order form and said, no look, it says "Gardenia" right here.

I stared at the form for a minute...huh.  She's right. It does, but that can't be right.  So I looked a little harder....it said "Grandmother's rosary"  Which was right....the rosary my grandma brought back from Rome was supposed to be wrapped around the stems.

We all laughed it off (me thanking the lord we had caught it before my bouquet was made) and decided to add the flower to my moms corsage since she loved them.

It all worked out.

We got married.

Life went one.

My mom and I often joked about it every time we saw a Gardenia.

"Hey look mom, it's "grandma's rosary"

Fast forward almost 2 years.

One of my good friends sent me a plant after my mom died.

A Gardenia.

She didn't know this story or the little inside joke we had about this simple little flower, so when I opened it up I smiled at the irony of it.

Well the smile stopped there.

I've watered this plant.

Watched it bud time and time again only to have them drop before a single flower opened.

I thought maybe it was just dormant for the winter.

Or it wasn't getting enough sunlight.

I googled and found out they're very temperamental.

Great.  I have the woman of the plant world.

Figures.

So I went out and bought the special fertilizer it likes.

Moved it to a sunnier spot in the house.

Re-potted it.

Yelled Talked to it.

Tried not to let the dogs tail smack it every.single.time we went outside.

Moved it outdoors now that the weather is nicer cause Mr. Google told me it likes humidity.

I basically became BFF's with a plant.

And I waited.

Until finally....yesterday I went outside and I saw it.

One small, white flower.

I actually screamed out loud.

Finally.

It only took 7 months.

But I actually got my grandmother's rosary to bloom!

And people say I don't have a green thumb!

Favorite Things: Mom Edition, Volume 2

 Hello all!!  Time for another edition of things that we like at our house.

Things no one paid me to talk about.

Just things that make our life with a baby easier!

First up.  Boon Flair Highchair.

It also come with a pretty serious harnass,
 but I took it out to run through the wash
and it never made it back on.

When I was newly pregnant and at the mercy of others, the highchair that was most recommended was the Fisher Price Space Saver.  So that's what we registered for and that's what we got.  It's still sitting in my junk all purpose room in the box.  Never used.  I'm sure it's a great seat.  I'm sure it's space saving potential is fabulous.  However here's our situation.  We have a pretty large dining area, but only four chairs.  So I have plenty of room for a highchair, but don't really have an extra chair to sacrifice so it just wasn't a good fit for us.  I started looking for a traditional highchair around Christmas time.  I liked the look of the wood ones but consensus said they weren't very comfortable and difficult to clean.  I quickly passed over all the babyish ones, just not our style.  That's when I came across the Boon.  Modern.  Good reviews.  Not overly bulky.  Seat raises up a down.  Wheels that lock.  SCORE!  Fast forward a few months and I'm in love.  The entire thing comes apart in about 2.5 seconds using only one hand.  This feature is a must for us because apparently my son is one of the messiest eaters ever.  If I had one of those fabric covered ones I'd be washing it after every meal.  Seriously.  I love that I can practically hose this seat down.  And the tray is small enough to fit in the dishwasher if needed, but since it came with two snap on covers I can usually just toss those in and wipe down the tray.  Several of the complaints on this seat were the small tray, but really, how much room does a kid need?  In my eyes...the bigger the tray the bigger the mess.  This highchair just works for us.  And when I ordered the seat I was able to get an extra seat cushion for free.  I choose brown since it was mentioned the white stains easily.  So far so good!

Next up.  Zippered One Piece PJs.

I'm not partial to one brand, though now that we're past 9 mos sizes I've found only a few places carry the one piece PJs.  I'm not sure who decided once you hit 12 mos sizing you want two pieces because it does not work in our house.  Lil J is ALL over the place and the shirt is practically over his head by morning so one piece is a must.  And zippers are essential.  Either a man or a woman with no children must have invented snap up PJs because they're no bueno.  During the newborn phase, messing with 1,985,883 snaps in the wee hours of the night sucks and now that's he's moving, boy does not sit still long enough to get a diaper on let alone worry about catching all the snaps.  So at our house, it's zippers all the way!  And don't you just love the short summer version I found from Gap??  So cute!

Baby Dreft Stain Remover and Clorox Anywhere Spray.

It's no secret.  Babies are slobs.  Mine perhaps more than most.  I'd heard through the grapevine when I was pregnant that Dreft makes an awesome stain remover so I picked up a small bottle.  Well a few bottles gallons later, it's a staple in my laundry room.  This stuff seriously gets out everything.  I've even started using it on our own laundry.

My other go to cleaning product is Clorox Anywhere spray.  Jamie puts everything in his mouth.  And I mean everything.  He even tried to eat the dog the other day.  Well after the great stomach bug invasion of 2010 I was bound and determined to keep Lil man from getting sick and stumbled across this little gem.  It's safe enough to use on his toys yet kills all the germies.  I spray this stuff on pretty much everything we own...including the dog.  I kid.  But it's tempting.

Hanes Ankle Crew Socks

My kids favorite pastime is taking of his socks.  No joke.  During those early months I just gave up and succumbed to the searing glares from old ladies everywhere.  Whatever.  He wasn't going to keep them on so what was the point.  Well come winter time I really didn't have a choice.  The boy needed something on his feet.  So the great sock search of 2011 began.  I think I've tried EVERY single brand out there until finally I found these at Target.  Not sure what it is, but they stay on 85% of the time....which around here is pretty impressive.  Plus they're cute and kinda look like big boy socks.  They come in gray/white and navy/white so pretty much match everything.  I will say they run a bit small considering Jamie doesn't have huge feet, he's still wearing a size 3 shoe.  The 6-12 mos size was starting to push it, so we've moved up to 12-24.  For all the girl mamas out there, they do make a girly version, but I can't vouch for those so you're on your own.

Fisher Price Musical Microphone

This is currently a favorite toy around our house.  I'm sure it's no better than any other standing toy just happens to be the one we have.  It has two different settings and real working microphone.  I like that it moves up and down on the stand making it work for a sitter AND a stander.  Any toy that grows with the child is a winner in my book!  Plus it has 2 different volume levels.  Also a plus when dealing with any musical toy.  Those sing songs can get annoying real fast!

Cloth Diapers

Wool Soaker by Wild Child Woolies

Groovy Guitars by MamaMade

Didn't think I could have a favorite things post and not mention my most favorite baby item did ya?  Our current stash involves mostly BumGenius 4.0 Pocket Diapers.  The velcro makes them easy for daycare and when stuffed with a JoeyBunz Hemp insert they are super absorbent and trim.  No ghetto booty here!  The awesome thing about hemp is it can hold an amazing amount plus its naturally antimicrobial so there are no stink issues like you can get with synthetic inserts like microfiber.  For at home I've been using more fitted diapers.  The prints are all so cute and paired with a wool soaker overnight it's bulletproof.  No leaks here!  Some of my favorite WAHM (work at home mom) brands are Twinkie Tush and MamaMade for diapers and Wee Little Woolens and Wild Child Woolies for....you guessed it....wool! 

Now you all may be wondering how I can possibly still be saving money with cloth when I'm constantly buying new dipes.  Well here's my secret.  The Cloth Diapering community has a HUGE Buy/Sell/Trade market making it very easy to sell your gently used diapers.   I know what you're thinking.  People buy used diapers?  Is that even sanitary?  Yep!  As long as you're buying from reputable companies and mamas, it's actually a great way to get a deal.  In fact, that's how we got a majority of our newborn stash.  So as Jamie outgrows things or I find styles that don't work for us....I sell them and use the money to buy new ones.  That way I'm not spending anything addional out of pocket and can still feed my fluffy addiction!

Plum Organics Pouches

We are slowly eating less and less "baby" food and more table food but still loving our Plum Pouches!  For awhile there when Jamie first started eating solids these were the only ones that didn't make him choke and gag.  Plus a lot of their Stage 2 foods are fruit/veggie combos which makes it easy to sneak the vegetables past picky eaters.  Their Spinach, Peas and Pear blend is still his favorite!  I also like how easy the pouches are for on the go!  There's even a special spoon attachment you can purchase, but we always did fine just squirting it onto one of the spoons we already had.

So there you have it.  Another round of reviews!  What are some of your faves, I always love getting real mom advice!

WTF Wednesday

At least once week, often times more than that.....I see something that quite frankly makes me stop dead in my tracks and say:

What.....the.....F*ck.

Take the parking lot at my job.

Now I've worked there almost 5 months.....walked by this almost everyday, but never really paid attention. Until last week when the only spot open was next to this.

Really?  If the only thing holding up that building is that makeshift scaffolding, I think I'll take my chances and park on the street.

Seriously?  WTF!



This or that....help me choose!

Well I bit the bullet and ordered the Tie Dye Maxi dress from Target.

It's super cute and I can't wait to wear it in Vegas!

Here's where you all come in.

Most of the pictures show it with these super cute wedges:

Well I tried those on.  And thought I could handle the height.

But they're just too tall for me

Plus I need something more practical as I see this dress being a staple in my summer wardrobe and they just weren't comfortable.

One of the other pictures showed the model wearing turquoise accessories with the dress which I loved!

Plus I already have a fabulous turquoise necklace that will look great with it.

So now I need some sandals.

Here's the top two:

The hubs votes for these.  I will say they're SUPER comfortable but I don't know how I feel about the medallions.  Not sure if they're just too gladiator-esque for my taste.

I vote for these.  Though not quite as comfy they aren't UN-comfortable and might be more the style I'm looking for.

What do you all think?

Saturday Morning Scene

We spent our Saturday Morning at one of my favorite places...

the grocery store!

Of course my favorite helper tagged along.

Boy loves riding in the cart!

And yes our shopping carts have cup holders.

I mean, where else is mommy supposed to put her starbucks!

I needed to pick up a few things to make dessert for a cookout with my favorite bloggers and their husbands.  I'll give you one hint as to what I'm making...it needs lots of these!

Have a great Saturday friends!

We're off to Babies R Us later today to pick up some baby gates because it's official, as of yesterday we have a crawler!!

Friday Phone Photo Dump

 I was flipping through my phone last night and found a few funnies I thought I'd share!

What?  Doesn't every parent let their child nap on a pallet of wine?



Yep.  My son frequently flips me the bird.



Apparently our son drinks coffee now cause this is how I found Jamie's sippy after daddy washed all the bottles

That's all I got peeps!  Happy Friday!



A belated Mother's Day Surprise

The church where my parents go down at the lake has always been special to the hubs and I.

For a brief moment we even considered getting married there, but the logistics of it all was just going to be too much.

The outside grotto where they have mass during the summer is absolutely beautiful, so when it came time to pick a place to baptize our first son it was an obvious choice.

We were a bit disappointed when we weren't able to have it outside since it was already mid-October, but we lucked out with a beautiful day which was perfect for some outdoor pictures.

One of the centerpoints of the outside area is a large fountain with a statue of Mary at the end.

They call it The Mother's Wall of Life.

Along the granite walls you can have your mother's named engraved.

Several years ago we had my mom's name put on the wall along with both my Grandma's.

It was always special to go and see their names carved amongst all the others.

It also happened to be the place where my mom and I took our last picture together.

I remember thinking that day as I stood in front of the wall, now a mother myself, that maybe one day my own name would be up there.

Well thanks to my dad, last weekend my wish came true when he surprised me with my own little piece of history.  He said it had been the plan all along.  That together he and my mom had decided they wanted to to this for me for my first Mother's Day.

I love knowing that even though she may not be here to see it, she still had a part in it. 

If I could live at Target...I probably would

It's no secret I have an unhealthy mild obsession with Target.

In fact I distinctly remember getting several phone calls from my father during my freshman year in college asking me what the heck I could possibly be buying there every single week.

He got my credit card bill....there was no hiding it.

By my junior year I'm pretty sure he called and told me I was banned from ever stepping foot inside Target again.

But I digress.

Have you seen their new St Barth's collection??

I'm in love.

And their swimsuits?

Super cute and not totally momish.

Shoes?

Yes please...love me some summer sandals!

I may or may not spend at least a few minutes everyday adding more items to my cart.

I think I'm up to 12 things.....oops.

I haven't actually purchased anything....chances are I won't ever pull the trigger...you've met me right?  I get buyer's remorse before I even buy anything.  And my husband is convinced I have more fun returning things than I actually do buying them.

Whatever.

Here's what's currently sitting in my cart:



Who says tall girls can't wear heels?





What are you lusting after from Tar-jay?

PS  Wanna join in a super fun Summer Blog swap??  Go HERE and sign up by May 17!

Take a big whiff.....cause I'm the poo

So mom thinks the reason you all come back and read her silly antics time and time again are due to her fantastic writing skills and witty humor.....

But let's be honest,

we all know who the REAL star of this blog is.

ME!

Happy Friday friends!

We're off to the lake for the weekend to help Grandpa blow out his Birthday candles!