Today's favorite thing

It is not a secret that I love me a bargain. (I also love me a non-bargain and might have a wee bit of a shopping issue at times, but that's fuel for an entirely different post...) Anyway, I've been thinking that we needed counter canisters to hold sugar and flour so I could free up some much needed room in my still very organized cabinets, but I couldn't find what I was looking for. I wanted something simple, clean and pretty, but not stainless steel. (I'm probably one of the only people on the planet who hates stainless steel. It is not stainless, it is actually just the opposite! It streaks so bad and, as far as I'm concerned, always looks dirty.) Anywaaay, I happened to stumble upon these at Good Will (see bargain shopper). They were $1.99 each. After doing a very thorough cleaning (because eww- Good  Will), I decided to take them to the next level.

Insert Etsy.com. (If you don't know Etsy, you should. Best website ever.) I found these simple stick and peel decals for $5 (shipping included) and was able to pick the color, font, and text. (The set came with 4, but I really only needed the 'flour' and 'sugar'. I got 'coffee' and 'tea' too just in case I decide to make more...)

And, voilà. Customized gorgeousness (ala the ones I saw in the Crate and Barrel catalog for $25 each) that look purty on the counter.

It's the little things that make me happy!

Happy Friday all. Headed out of the office now to reprieve the babysitter and start my weekend to-do list which includes (but is not limited to): train for 5K race coming up in 16 days (whoops, probably should have started that a while ago- counting on 5 year old residual fitness), dismantle and completely re-paint front door, embroider 16 bandanas for personalized kid cowboy hats at the party, create 'photo clothesline' for party decor, clean house, pull out bigger clothes for big girl Violet, and clean Fin's bowl... Nothing like the weekend for relaxin...

I remember when weekends used to mean beer and sleeping late. We do have a friend's birthday lunch tomorrow though, so at least there will still be beer.

CT bound!

Just a quick note to let all my favorite CT folks know that we are planning to be in CT for a week in July. The plan right now is July 3 through July 10. Brad will most likely be around through the weekend, and then Annie, Violet and I will stay another couple days to get all our visiting in!

In contrast to the our last giant debacle trip to CT during the Great Flu Plague of 2013, you folks better stay healthy (no falls, ambulances, contagious diseases...)  and be around to do fun things with! Who's in? What are we doing?

6 months old today!

Look who learned to sit up on her own just in time to celebrate her 1/2 year birthday!

(Update: This big girl had her 6 month doc appointment and is 90% for height, 70% for weight, and just a wee 50% for head. Don't get me wrong, I love my big headed toddler, but it's kinda nice to have a baby who's head size is actually on the growth chart ;)

Things I think. Wednesday edition

• I wish "Muppet Babies" were still on TV. (How many of you are singing the theme song in your head now.) 
• Bikinis on babies are no bueno. They have their entire teen/adult life to walk around, half falling out of a tiny non-supportive bikini, attempting to look happy and nonchalant while sucking in their stomach and refusing to breath in fear of their body resuming its real, not sucked in, shape. (No matter how skinny you are, you know you do this!)  I say no bikinis for these girls until they decide that they are ready to inflict this torture upon themselves. I, myself, may have just decided to rock the Duggar-loved 'modesty suit' from here on out... You know you want one. These particular hotties are from the 'wholesome wear' collection:

• Fin the fish is a good co-worker. However, he swims kinda funny and often looks upside down. Every morning I come up to the office, I am quite certain he is dead. I think he actually does it just to mess with me...
• I am a very bad painter. I will provide more details later when I am less scarred, but let's just say 'project paint front door red' was NOT successful! I think the apple does fall pretty far from the tree when it comes to the painting of it all. Poor Dad tried to teach me...
• I have two weeks worth of work to do in the next two days, and yet I am doing this. I either have serious motivation issues or really just don't care. I'm gonna go with a little bit of both.
• Farm party fiesta is coming along fabulously. I have all sorts of cutey decorations, games and fun food. However, let me go on record as saying, if it rains, we are screwed! I'd prefer not to have a 126 degree day like last year, but I will definitely take that over rain. C'mon Mother Nature- do me a solid.

Yeeee-haw!

Someone's stoked about her upcoming farm party!

To my friend

4 years gone but never forgotten.

..."That was awesome!"

Gardening...

It's good for the soul, as evidenced by this happy lil gardener

Toes.

J&D wedding weekend

Good times had by all. (Although it was freezing- note large 'significant others' jackets worn over pretty summer-y dresses.)

Where did the time go?

Just signed Annie up for 2year-old pre-school in the fall. Where did my baby go? I'm really excited about it though. I think she'll do great and she really needs some additional socialization. Right now she has Amelia, the babysitter's daughter, but Amelia is younger and little, so Annie bullies her. Annie needs to mess with a big kid, who messes with her right back, so she'll learn that it's not cool to be a brute!

Overheard downstairs, just minutes ago:

"Annie, do NOT sit on Amelia."

"Annie, do NOT force Amelia to sit if she does not want to."

"Annie, stop tackling Amelia."

Yep, this kid needs to get out!

Best part of all this: I get to go back-to-school shopping! Been waiting 17 years to do that again! OMG, just thought of my little lady with a backpack on. Who can handle it? Serious cuteness bout to ensue!

Farm party

Since Brad and I like to pretend we live on a sprawling country oasis (instead of a little house in the suburbs), it only seemed appropriate that we do a 'farm' themed birthday party for little Miss Annie this year. And oh my God, I am having so much fun. Granted I just spent 3 hours (of my work day) coming up with cutey ideas, but I think it will totally be worth it. I also bought Annie and Violet the cutest little gingham ensembles. Basically, there's bouts to a hoedown up in here!

Happiness is...

 

Fabulous weekend away 

                      +

returning to a 2 day visit from a great old friend and her two kids (making it 4 kids under 4 cooped up together in the rain) 
                      + 
work catch up and regular house/mom duties 
                      = 
one very very tired lady! All I want for Mother's Day is a nap 
(and a maid, and a nanny, and a yard boy, and a massage...)

As much as they should know...

They don't! 

Unshared expectations will get you every time! I've been mad at Brad because our weekend plans were not shaping up to be what I wanted them to be. BUT, I never actually told him what I wanted, so it's really not fair to be mad.

With that said, doesn't everyone want to spend their first Mother's Day as a (very tired) mom of two working in their mother-in-law's garden? hmm

(no intended offense to the MIL)

“If I had a flower for every time I thought of you...I could walk through my garden forever.”
― Alfred Tennyson

5 month old cuteness

Such a smiley little goofball! (She must get this photogenic thing from her Daddy, cuz it sure as hell doesn't come from me.)

Word to the wise

MAKE YOUR BED.
My advice for today is always make your bed. If you do it as soon as you get out it, you have accomplished something as soon as you wake up. And, when you come back to it, it looks pretty and neat and makes you feel happy. (Or am I the only lame one who finds happiness in a nicely made bed?)
Granted I am home (all day, every.single.day) to see it, but when I walk into my bedroom and my bed is not made, it just makes me feel sad and schlumpy.
Just do it.

C'mon down!

Since the regular readers of this blog are mainly family and friends (and probably a couple weird stalker folk who now know way too much about my life), I figured I'd do a birthday party invite on the blog.

For those of you in CT (or PA or IN or NC...), I know it's a long way to travel for a 2 year old bday, but in my perfect world, you would all be here. I sent out an evite to local folks, but figured I'd post the details here just in case any of you are crazy enough to make the trek down/up/over. (eh um, Aunt Pam and Matt!?)

Join us for a BBQ. Annalise is turning 2! 

Host: Amy & Brad
When: Saturday, June 8 at 4:00 PM
Where: our house

Message From Host:

Good folks, good food, good fun... good times! We'll have lots of delicious food and drink and (of course) birthday cake for little Miss Annie. Feel free to bring a side or tasty beverage to share.

Yard games and games for the kids will be held in the afternoon. Less kid-friendly games to commence post-baby-bedtime.

Can't wait to see you all!

p.s. We've requested a less than 105 degree day this year. Mother Nature owes us one after last year!
p.p.s. No need for presents. As always, your presence is present enough!

These are a few of my favorite things

Oprah has her 'favorite things', and so do I. (Her's probably cost a lot more though.) So, today I thought I'd share a few of my favorite new finds.

1. iPhone wallet case. This may well be the best invention ever. I don't leave the house without my phone, and now all I need to grab is my phone. It holds 4 cards (or 3 cards and cash) and is the real deal protective case too. Plus, it's a bright green/teal color, so- where I used to never be able to find my black phone in its black case- this guy is tough to lose. With that said though, if I do happen to lose my phone- I'm pretty freaking screwed. Phone, license, credits cards, cash- all gone in one fell swoop.* So maybe this is actually the worst invention ever? hmm.

*Note from a dorky word buff: My brain thought to write "one fell swoop" but I had to google it for spelling and meaning. It's something you hear, but really, what the hell does it mean? Apparently, "fell" is an old-world word which the Oxford English Dictionary defines as meaning 'fierce, savage; cruel, ruthless; dreadful, terrible'. So, where we've adapted the phrase to essentially mean suddenness, the original intent of the word was savagery. (Shakespeare used the imagery of a hunting bird's 'fell swoop' to indicate the ruthless and deadly attack by Macbeth's agents.) Now you know.

2. Cabinet sized lazy susans. Umm... where have you been all my life!? I am a dork. Yes. But I am an organized dork. And thanks to Martha Stewart's facebook page suggestion, I am now an even more organized dork. I bought four of these lazy susans. One for the refrigerator and 3 for various cabinets. It's perfect for spices and oils and vinegars that tend to get lost in the cabinet or the back of the fridge. Load these bad boys up, and spin away! Love it.

3. Eyebrow threading. So,this isn't really a 'thing', but it's a service, so it counts. AND, I love it! Why have I not been getting my eyebrows threaded all along!? As some of you may know, I have a weird eyebrow fixation (made even weirder by the fact that my eyebrows are so light they are basically invisible on my face). I am obsessed with waxing, tweezing, dying... you name it, I've done it. But never threading. I was under the (apparently ridiculous) assumption that, because threading is prominent in Indian cultures, you needed to have Indian-esque hair for threading to work. But, au contraire, mon frère! The lady who cut my hair last week (who incidentally was Indian) told me all about it and convinced me to have it done. Practically painless! Red-less! Perfect arch! Fast! And it apparently lasts longer than waxing! Also, where waxing actual takes a layer of skin, threading is just yanking the hair from the root. 
I am a convert. As Elvis is my witness, (he's the only one here right now), I will never wax again!
 

you tube video about threading, in case you've been living in a hole for the past decade or so... skip to about 2:40 to watch the actual process