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Sunday, March 31, 2013

Happy Easter!

Hope everyone has a wonderful day. Today we are celebrating Easter and even though Ethan doesn't have a clue about it I'm still so very excited to celebrate with him and the family. We will be going to a family brunch at a nice restaurant which is a tradition that we started last year. I guess it's nice that none of have to worry about cooking and cleaning up so I'm happy about this tradition.

I started working on some baskets for Ethan and my nephew a while back and I'm excited for Ethan to get his as soon as breakfast is over. My nephew is 6 months old so I think I'm excited for his mommy to see the basket.

 Here is a look at the baskets I made for the boys.

In Ethan's basket he got some clothes, stickers, books, wooden puzzle, eggs filled with Annie's bunny snacks and a Melissa and Doug toy that did not fit in the basket.


My nephew got a couple outfits, three books including one on my favorites The night you were born, and some baby food. I didn't have time to get a bow but I'm sure he won't mind.
So sorry for the quality of the pics. All pictures taken on my iPad are horrible but I always have it with me so it works best for me.


Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Ethan's 1st Birthday party

Since Ethan is just about 17 months it got me thinking about his first birthday. Now I just want to say that I am not super crafty but I would love to be and I am learning. I looked around online for quite a while to search for Ethan's birthday stuff. Once I decided on a theme I searched on Pinterest, etsy and    Yahoo images for inspiration. I noticed two things, people really go all out for 1st birthdays and there are some super crafty moms out there. After becoming stressed I just decided that whatever I did Ethan and the family would love it. This day was going to be about celebrating my special little man.

Here are some pics of the big day. I think it turned out perfect. We ordered some of the decorations online and I made a couple of things. We added some balloons and the cakes and it all came together. It was a perfect day and Ethan had a wonderful time. Hope you like.










Project organize

In the past few days I have been organizing like crazy. I have a few organizing projects started and I have a list of quite a few more projects that must get done. First, I went to target and the dollar store for baskets and little containers. I have to say the dollar store is an amazing place. I bought the cutest little containers and baskets that will help me get started with my projects. I also bought some labels because I want to label everything. I know this will all take me a while but I will feel so much better once all projects are complete.

Here is what I would like to do.
  1. Organize my storage closet. 
  2. Find a storage solution for my kitchen. I don't have a lot of cabinet space or a large pantry so I need something to store all my kitchen stuff.
  3. Organize my mail area. 
  4. Clean up my linen closet.
  5. Organize Ethan's closet.
  6. Clean up my garage and shed.
  7. Store all gift wrapping stuff in one area. 
  8. Organize all bathroom drawers.
  9. Organize downstairs office area.
  10. Donate clothes I no longer want.     
So I basically want to do my entire house but I will do it all a little at a time. I just want everything to look clean and neat. Be sure to check back for some before and after pics. 

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

My favorites

I will be on occasion be writing about my favorite things. From favorite products to my favorite mommy moments. Today I would like to share with you my absolute favorite products to have in my home.

 I have been using Honest products since May 2012 and I absolutely love them. There are also a few other natural products that I can't live without. We try and have all natural products around the house. The Honest company has everything from sunblock to floor cleaner which is great for one stop online shopping.

I just want to add that I am not being paid to say any of this and have not been given any free products. These are truly the products I use in my home.

As I mentioned I currently use natural products throughout my household. I still have not switched out my shampoos, conditioners, and beauty products. My goal is to have all chemical free products.

Here is a list of the Honest products that I have used and love.

  • Diapers - They work great and they have really cute designs. For disposable using moms these are a great option and best if all, NO CHEMICALS!
  • Healing Balm - Love!
  • Face and Body Lotion - This lotion is great but the only thing is I would love it if it came in a larger bottle and maybe a pump bottle.
  • Bubble Bath - This is one of my favorites. I use this for Ethan and I absolutely love it. It smells wonderful. If this came in a larger bottle I would definitely get it.
  • Hand Soap - I love the smell of this one too. Actually all of their products I've tried smell wonderful.
  • Multi Surface Cleaner - This one is my husbands favorite. A definite must try.
  • Laundry Detergent - I use this for Ethan's clothes. This is the only product of theirs that I've used that doesn't have a yummy smell. It really doesn't have any smell but again it has no chemicals.
  • Sunscreen - with all the stuff you read about sunscreen causing cancer I'm really glad I came across this one. I honestly researched forever because I didn't want to use crap sunscreen on my baby but I just got tired. So when I came across this sunscreen I was so happy. We all used this all last summer and during our vaca this past January.
All these Honest products listed above are great and they have added quite a few more products that I'm excited to try.


Here are a few more products that I cannot live without.

  • For Ethan we use the Honest Healing Balm but we also love Boudreaux's All Natural Butt Paste.
  • We are also fans of the California Baby products.
  • For cleaning I absolutely love Method Wood for Good Squirt + Mop almond wood floor cleaner. This smells amazing I swear.
  • For our stainless steel appliances we use Method Steel for Real natural stainless steel cleaner. Also love and will not allow my husband to buy anything else.
I know some of these products might be a bit more expensive but please remember they are better for you and your family. 

What are your favorite natural products?

Monday, March 18, 2013

Looking back

Sometimes I look at Ethan and I just can't believe he's here. I know he's 16 months old but I just can't believe he's here and he's mine. I have been thinking about the times when he was this chubby little peanut with a double chin and super chubby legs. I so love the stage that he's is in right now but I love to go back and think about those lovely moments we had.  Perhaps right now it's because I've been organizing all of our pictures or maybe I'm just super emotional at the moment .

I just feel really happy in life right now. I am extremely blessed to be able to stay home with my little man. I understand that this is not possible for a lot of people and I'm just so thankful. I give a lot of credit to those who work and have little ones. I did it full time for almost 4 months and part time for five months. It was very hard and it broke my heart to leave this little guy in someone else's  arms five days a week for over eight hours. I truly feel like I missed a big part of his life. It's an empty feeling you are left with when you leave a three month old to go to work. You go from snuggling in bed and breast feeding to just rushing around all the time. I hope I never have to go through that again.

I'm going to enjoy every moment I have with this little nugget. Even when times are tough and he's cranky or throwing a tantrum. I will remember that those tough times will pass and he will soon look at me with those big gorgeous eyes and smile.



Sunday, March 17, 2013

Planning for baby #2

I came across all Ethan's newborn pictures and I started thinking about planning for a second baby. I really don't want to start trying now because I'm really enjoying my time with him. I want to wait until he is a little older but I just haven't decided if we should start trying when he's two or right when he turns three. I guess we should just let it happen when I feel ready. For now I am enjoying my time with him.

Here are some pics of my little peanut.

 

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Our Saturday

So this morning when I woke up I thought it was going to be a pretty easy day for us. I had a dentist appointment which I was looking forward to. After the dentist I was going to stop at a couple of stores for a birthday present and easter stuff. I only say that I was looking forward to it because I would be on my own and it's just easier to do things on your own.

So when I went to get in the shower there was no hot water. We checked in the basement and the boiler was leaking. We called our oil delivery company and they actually answered. I was just so mad because the boiler is only 4 years old but the person who put it in screwed us. At the time we were fixing up the rest of the house so this guy just did his thing while everyone else helped with the rest of the house. We should have supervised him from the beginning when he purchased the boiler until the end when it was being installed. Anyway, that's a whole story that I don't want to get into.

So while the boiler guy came I had to try and get ready but without showering. I had no time and we still had no hot water. My trip to the dentist was fine but my appointment was pushed back so by the time I was finished I had no time to get my shopping done. We had plans to visit a friend after lunch so I had to go home shower and do lunch so we would get there in time. But while we were having lunch my friend never got back to me which is extremely annoying. This is the second time this has happened. Does she not realize that our weekend time is precious? I don't think I'm going to bother making plans with her anymore.

After we figured out that my friend wasn't going to respond to my texts we decided to just go about our day. We stopped at Target for some storage bins and some other things. I already purchased a toy bin organizer but I needed something for the bigger toys. We ended up getting a laundry basket for like thirteen dollars. I'm also in the middle of reorganizing one of our closets so I got some storage baskets for that. Below are some pics of the new toy organizers. Once the closet is finished I will post some pics of that.
Sorry these pics are a little dark. This is for our downstairs and I like it because I can later maybe add some labels when he's older and keep all toys that are alike together. It's not completely organized yet but you get the idea.



This large storage bin/laundry basket is perfect for his bigger toys. I can really start showing him to put his toys away. He doesn't get it yet but this will be easy for him to help me just toss the toys in.

Another successful Target trip!!! Yay!

Friday, March 15, 2013

library day!

Yesterday was library day for Ethan and I. Once a week we go to the library for stories and music time for toddlers. I really enjoy spending time with him and I absolutely love my darling nephew but it's nice to get out of the house. It's also nice to have that alone time just me and him.

We usually do some shopping after and then go home for a nap. Since the weather is starting to get warmer we will probably spend a lot of time at the park. I also have friend who stays home with her two little ones so maybe we'll get together more often. It's something about the nice weather that just gives me more energy. I also want to make sure that Ethan gets some time out of the house so I will be looking for some outdoor activities for us to do this spring and summer. 

On our shopping trip I started to get stuff for Ethan's Easter basket. I have the same basket from last year so I just started buying stuff to fill it up. I just got some books, stickers, a couple of outfits for spring and a Melissa and Doug toy that probably won't fit in the basket. I'm also going to fill up some Easter eggs with some healthy treats for him. I'm not finished with it but below is a picture of what I have so far. I will be sure to post the finished product. 








Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Baked Potato Bar

Just a quick post about one of our favorite go to meals especially during the week. So when I worked full time, my office had a very large cafeteria and they had baked potato bar day. So now we do this at home. Ethan usually has his own version with sweet potatoes and some veggies. Sweet potatoes are his absolute favorite.
  • I usually put a little olive oil and pepper on my potatoes before I wrap them in foil and put them in the oven. 
  • Once they are done just cut them in half and pick out what you like.
  • Some of our favorite foods to put out for the potato bar are: shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream, butter, broccoli, scallions and leftover chili.
  • This is an easy meal that you could easily eat on its own or you could pair it up with a piece of chicken breast which is what we usually do.
Enjoy!

Monday, March 11, 2013

My favorite and not so favorite baby things

After going to a friends baby shower, it got me thinking about the things I never really used the first few months. Also, at the shower a group of us talked about what we couldn't live without. Registering at a baby store can be so overwhelming for a first time mom. But what I always tell my friends that are expecting is, do what works for you. For some parents co sleeping is best for them for others it could be the ferber method. I might say that I really didn't use any shoes in the beginning but that doesn't mean that everyone should do what I did. So with that being said, here are few things that I never used or rarely used and some things I couldn't live without.

Rarely or never used:
  • Shoes - I had quite a few pairs for Ethan but he still rarely uses real big boy shoes. We use shoes with the soft soles and that's it right now.
  • Newborn clothes - We used these for like 2 weeks and that's it.
  • Size 2 diapers - So these we did use but for like a minute. I just recommend not getting a bunch of boxes in this size. Again, every baby is different and I am just telling you what my experience was. Now size 3 you can go ahead and stock up on.
  • Short sleeve graphic onesies - Ok this won't be the case for a lot of people but I did not like these in the beginning. Since my baby was born in the winter all those cute onesies with different sayings and graphics were useless. If I wanted him to to wear them I would have to put a long sleeve onesie underneath which was a pain. Plain ones are fine for under the clothes or pj's. Of course if I had a summer baby he would have lived in those cute onesies.

Can't live without:


  • Wearable blanket - Ethan wore one last winter and also has worn one every night this winter.
  • Snuza go - We used this when he was a few months old until he was a year old. I read about it online and immediately got one. This product is the reason why I actually got some sleep. 
  • Sound and projector machine - Ethan still sleeps with this. His favorite is the rain sound. 
  • Nipple shield - I didn't even know they existed until a lactation consultant brought them to me at the hospital. This is an important one, for me Ethan had a lot of trouble latching on. Who knows I might have stopped trying to breastfeed if I couldn't get him to latch on ever. This was a lifesaver. I cannot tell you the number of people that tell me they didn't breastfeed because their baby didn't latch on or because it hurt. This can be the answer to helping some people out especially in the beginning while mommy and baby adjust and get some practice.
  • Nursing pads - These are a must have for breast feeding moms. I sure went through a lot of these.
  • Boppy - I loved my boppy and still do. Although we no longer need for breast feeding we still use it as a pillow when lounging around.
I will be adding to both lists so please check back soon.




Saturday, March 9, 2013

Our weekend so far

Today we had a morning at home which was nice because we all had breakfast together. Usually on weekends we're up early and out the door because there is lots to do. So I thought we could spend the morning at home and then take Ethan to the indoor playground in the afternoon. He's still a bit young and can't play with everything but I like getting him out of the house.

So when we got there we actually had to wait because it was so busy. I thought that most people would go early and the last couple of hours would not be as busy. But of course I was wrong. Once we made it into the play area, Ethan had fun playing on a little slide and some play houses that they have set up for the little ones. All in all it was a good trip, but I was a little annoyed when I saw quite a few people with shoes on. Shoes are not allowed in the play area which is nice because there are kids crawling all over the place. It just makes me mad when people don't follow the rules, especially when my son is crawling on the floor. I know I may sound annoying right now, but I believe they have that rule in place for a reason. I'm just not sure why they didn't enforce it today. At the end of the day Ethan had a good time and that makes me happy.

The weekend continues tomorrow with a baby shower for me and Ethan will be going to my sisters house. My husband won't be in town so my sister will be watching Ethan for the first since she's had her baby. I'm a little nervous about her being with a 5 month and Ethan because she hasn't done yet. Also, her house is not baby proofed so I have to make sure that she keeps an eye on him at all times. Honestly I'm very nervous about this but I have to trust that everything will be fine. I will have an update on how that goes tomorrow.

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Crock pot dinner

It's crock pot day at our house. I found the easiest chicken recipe online and we make it all the time, especially when we're having busy days. Here is my pulled chicken in a crock pot recipe.


  • For my husband and I we usually do 3 to 4 chicken breasts. But this will feed another adult and you will definitely have leftovers. I usually hate leftovers but this chicken the next day is fine. 
  • I put the chicken in right from the freezer into the crock pot with about 1/2 a bottle of BBQ sauce. 
  • Around 11am I turn it on and put it on low and that's it. Does not get easier than this.
  • After a few hours I take two forks and pull the chicken apart. We usually eat around 5 and by that time chicken is ready and yummy with all that BBQ sauce.
  • I like mine on a toasted roll with cheese and onions. But we've done it with everything from pasta to mashed potatoes and it's all good. 
Have any favorite crock pot recipes?

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

My next birth plan

I figured I would continue with the same theme as yesterday. Although I do not plan on having another child just yet, I already know what I would like to change for the next time around.
  • I will definitely not pack as much. I was in my hospital nightgown and a robe the entire time. The hospital I delivered at also had everything that I needed. 
  • I will make sure to sit with nurse to make sure we go over a few things like no nursing students, no pitocin, etc. I didn't have either of these but I really did not take a moment to discuss this with my nurse. This way while I'm in pain or trying to rest I'm not being bothered.
  •  I think I will wait a while before calling family members. With Ethan's birth I wanted to rest but couldn't because I had people in my room. I wouldn't mind having my mom, sister and of course my husband but that is enough for me.   
  •  I will do skin to skin right when he/she is born for a longer period of time. I did skin to skin but I wish I did it for longer. I really want to stop and enjoy that very special moment.
  •  I would have the lactation consultant come and help right away. I thought I could do it myself the first time. I didn't have the lactation consultant come to see me until the last day. 

What changes would you make to your birth plan?

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

My Birth Story

My water broke on a Saturday and I was just so happy that it didn't happen at work. It was about 3:30 in the afternoon and I was at friends house. I went home right away to take a shower and pack a few more things. I called my doctor and found out she was not on call that day. I was a little upset because the only male doctor at the practice would be delivering my baby. Nothing against him but I just did not want a man looking at my lady parts. But once the pain started I quickly got over that.

So we got to the hospital around 5ish and it took a little while to check in. Once we got a room our nurse said we would be in that room for a while before going to labor and delivery. They monitored my contractions for 20 minutes and said they were mild and I should eat because it would be a while. My husband went down right away to get us dinner at the hospital cafeteria and while he was gone my contractions all of a sudden got stronger. I just could not believe how quickly they came on. I had my husband go get the nurse and she was hesitant to check me which kind of upset me. She was so shocked to find out that I was 5 cm dilated!

After I was rushed labor and delivery my contractions were really strong and it seemed like forever before the nurse finished with all of her questions. Once she was finished it seemed to take even longer for me to get an epidural. But once I got it I really did get a chance to rest. I just hated not being able to move or sit up and I feel like things would have gone a lot faster without it.

Once I got some rest it was a little after midnight when it was time to push. I was terrified but I just went for it and let me tell you it was not easy. I just pushed and pushed and felt like I got nowhere. After 2 hours of pushing Ethan was born at 2:33am weighing in at 6lbs 13oz. It was the most amazing moment in my life.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Monday, March 4, 2013

A little about me

I am a stay at home mommy to a handsome boy named Ethan. We live in New England but dream of moving somewhere warm one day. I once worked full time but after returning from maternity leave I realized I just could not leave my child for that many hours and it was just too much. There were days where I just cried and I could not handle the stress. So my husband and I decided it would be best for me to stay home. I now stay home with Ethan and also my nephew who is 5 months old.

So because I am so  busy I only have a short amount of time to write. Please be patient with my writing because there will be mistakes. I may just ramble on and sometimes it may not even make any sense. But I do hope that other people can relate to the things I write about because that alone will make me happy.

Here are just a few facts about me and my family.

  • I am in my late 20's
  • My husband is almost 31.
  • We have been together for 6 years.
  • I studied sociology in college and did nothing with it.
  • I would like 3 or 4 children.
  • My son is 18 months old.
  • My favorite movie at the moment is Silver Linings Playbook.
  • I don't have a favorite book but I'm a sucker for a love story.
  • I watch a ton of tv but some of my favorites are Homeland, Nurse Jackie, Chicago Fire, Nashville, and Grey's Anatomy. DVR is my best friend.
  • My absolute favorite thing to do is spend time with my family.