Boston Strong

Great May cover for Boston Magazine.

Behind Our May Boston Marathon Cover

Ethan and his cousin. They are 11 months apart and they absolutely love spending time together. So cute!

my favorites montessori websites

As I stated in one of my  previous posts I am very interested in montessori education. I go online constantly to look up toddler activities and just to learn more about the montessori methods. I have put together a list of my favorite montessori blogs. I know there are many out there but these websites might be a good place for someone to start.

The counting coconuts website has a lot of activities, printables and information. Love it!
http://countingcoconuts.blogspot.com/

Jens peaceful parents has great montessori ideas. She has a great home tour which can give you a lot of ideas on simple things you can do at home.
http://jen-peacefulparenting.blogspot.com/

Montessori for everyone has a lot of great materials for sale and also some free printables. The blog also has a lot of great info.
http://www.montessoriforeveryone.com/

Living montessori now is another great place for information for parents who are interested in everything montessori.
http://livingmontessorinow.com/

These are just a few websites that I visit on a regular basis. There are a lot of montessori blogs and websites out there and I use them for ideas that I can use at home. I do what works best for us but it is great to see how others are using the montessori methods.

a sense of relief

In the last couple of days we have been glued to our tv's. We couldn't help but feel scared as the police searched for the bombing suspect. Scared for the people in the area, the state and the country. I feel so horrible for all the people that have suffered and I still feel so angry that this has happened. For now we do feel a sense of relief knowing that these two suspects are not out there to hurt more people.

doggy love

yesterday's tragedy

What occurred yesterday is just sad and disturbing. I have not gone to the Boston marathon in recent years but as I child I went every year. I can't imagine what these families are feeling at this moment.  It makes me sad to see what is happening in this world. As a mother I worry all the time but now I have to worry when I send my child to school or when we go to any event. I don't know why someone would want to cause such hurt. 

Let us all take a moment in the day to be thankful for what we have and to say a prayer for all the families involved in this horrific tragedy.

choosing a baby name

My only piece of advice when choosing a name is not to tell people the list of names you are thinking about. I cannot stand when people ask pregnant women or the dads about names and then just flat out say they don't like this name or that name blah blah blah. I made this mistake in the beginning of my pregnancy and after that I just started saying that we had no names.

I knew that I wanted the name Ethan but I also wanted to explore my options. I've liked the name forever because I have an older cousin with the name. So when I was young I always said I would name my son Ethan because I loved it so much.  So fast forward years later I'm pregnant with a boy so how perfect that I have a name that I love. The only negative part was that the Ethan was showing up on all kinds of baby name lists. That was ok but it was near the top of all the lists I read. I'm the type of person that likes names that are not weird but that nobody else really has. I knew nobody except my cousin with the name so I went for it.

Now fast forward to 17 months later and it seems like everybody has named their son Ethan. I just hope another popular name comes along so everyone can forget about the name Ethan. I get a little annoyed because I've had the name picked out since I was a little girl. And nothing against the name Aiden or Aidan or Aden but I don't want the name Ethan to get like that name has become. Please do not take offense I have a 10 year old nephew with the name and I do love it but it just has become too popular for me. Again I'm just not the type to want to name my child Michael, Jonathan, or Ryan even though I do love those names.

So I think as long as you love the name and you know you didn't choose it just to be like everyone else then that's all that matters. I think Ethan is a beautiful name and I wouldn't choose anything else for him.

project organize

So if you've read my previous post about organizing you know that I have quite a list of projects that need to get done. So I went shopping and got some labels, storage bins and some Martha Stewart hanging folders which are great. They are part of her office collection at Staples. They stick to different surfaces and you can remove them and use them again.

I started with an idea to put a shelf above my washer and dryer. I haven't done it yet but I got some storage bins and just temporarily put them on top of the dryer. I reorganized the closet next to the washer and dryer and no longer have a laundry basket in there. I just figured I needed something for Ethan's socks or any dirty laundry that gets left downstairs because it doesn't make sense to have to bring it upstairs. I also got one for dirty kitchen towels, placemats, etc.

For the hanging folders I just put them inside of a cabinet and used one for coupons and one for menus. The picture below is awful but you get the idea.

I'm glad I've started some things here and there. It will take time but it will get done little by little. I will keep you all posted.

Cute labels!

Chalkboard labels

Menus

Coupons

Temporary. I want the shelf to go right above washer and dryer. 

music bin

Ethan loves when we do music time at home or when he does it at his story and music hour at the library. I've read a few montessori articles about having an area for instruments which is great because I already keep all instrument toys in a bin. We have music time some days and I'm trying to teach Ethan to put them away once he is finished before moving on to something else. He's done it but is not consistent yet. He's still young so I like for him to explore and play I'm not trying to force him to do things. As he gets older he will now what to do because I will teach him but I don't like to push things.
I'm still reading quite a bit about the whole montessori approach and I do like it. I'm not a full force montessori type of person. I would love to have everything montessori with all the wooden toys and whatever but we do what we can and it works for us. We do have some wooden toys that I absolutely love but we also have other types of learning toys which is ok with me. Our music toys have come from all different stores and even one homemade. Below are some ideas and where you can get the instruments we have to create your own music area.



Ethan's music bin


Got these at Target for $1 each!

These were my husbands when was young.

I got these when I went on vacation is San Juan, PR. They are mini so they are perfect for him.

This I made out of a plastic bottle and some pasta. He loves it.

our favorite books

I read to Ethan every single night and he loves it. He now takes books and reads all by himself. As soon as he sees me get the books off of his book shelf he comes over to sit with me. I think reading to your children is very important and every parent should take the time to do it.

Here are a few of our favorites:

Happy 17 months

Today Ethan is 17 months old. I can't believe how big he is already. He's repeating words that I say and I can't even believe it. He's runs around the house chasing the dog, he gives us hugs and lets us know when he wants to eat or when he wants milk. It was just this time last year where we would spend the weekends snuggling on the recliner. I would relax with him, nurse him, rock him to sleep and he would spend the day in my arms. Now we spend our days reading, playing and dancing around the house.

Happy 17 months to my little man.

This was Ethan this morning reading his book. 

My Birthday

Today I turn 29! My last year in my twenties and I can't believe it. When I was younger time was slow I just wanted to be older. Now I'm older and time is flying. I just want time to slow down a little. I am enjoying my life right now and my child but he's just getting so big so fast. I have loved this past year and I hope to have another great year. I want to just spend time with the people I love.

Things I want to do this year:

Family day trips
Plan a trip to visit my parents
Take Ethan to the beach
Plan Ethan's baptism
Spend more time with my friends
Save money!
Date nights with hubby
Organize my entire house

Hopefully I will get at least some of these things done.

Cloth diapers

I started using cloth diapers well after Ethan was born. I figured it wasn't too late to start and we are still learning quite a bit about it. We still don't use cloth 100% of the time but we do for most of the day and all night. We still don't use them when we go out but it's better than not using them at all.

So I started out with 3 different brands and I actually like all 3. We use pocket diapers with the microfiber inserts and bioliners. I'm not one of those people who has gone all the way with cloth diapering. I don't have a diaper sprayer so we use the liners which you just put right in the toilet and then you just throw the diaper in the laundry bag. For those of you who have not tried cloth diapering this is super easy and not bad at all.

Here are the diapers we started out with.

Charlie Bananas - These are a pocket diaper but you also have the option of using a disposable pad instead. They are super soft and fit great. Buttons are not my favorite because I have a super squirmy baby. I now know exactly which buttons work for his size so it goes a little quicker now. These cost me a little less than $20 and I got them at Target.

Bum Genius 4.0 - These are great. They are available in the button closure or Velcro and I of course got the Velcro. These also cost a little less than $20 but the quality is great. These I would say are my favorite. I purchased these online at www.cottonbabies.com with free shipping.

Kawaii - These diapers are the affordable choice and I think they are great. Very similar to the BG diaper.  I purchased the heavy duty 2 and have had no problems. I like the outside material on the BG diaper better but like I said we've had no issues with Kawaii. They have quite a few different kinds but I went with the hd2 and have not had any leaks. I am going to try the other types they have because I'm super curious. The best part about these diapers are that the are $7 - $10! These can be purchased on their website www.theluvyourbaby.com

Another great website for purchasing cloth diapers and other items is www.sweetbottomsbaby.com They also have free shipping which is great if you just want to try a few to get started. I absolutely recommend cloth diapering there are several options out there you just have to find what works best for you.

My pets

Just wanted to share a little something about my pets. I have a cat and a dog and I adore them both. Since Ethan's arrival it has been a lot of work trying to balance everything out but it's all worth it. They both have their issues but at the end of the day their like my kids. My goal at the moment is to just try and spend a little more time with them. Things have been a little hectic around here so they haven't gotten much attention but I will try harder.


This is my gorgeous cat that I've had since high school. She's at least 12 years old and doesn't even act like it.

This is my little dog who I've had since I was 20. Both of my pets are very healthy and act as if they were much younger. I've been feeding them very healthy food and treats for years and I believe that has a lot to do with it. Check below for some of their favorites.

My cat loves Wellness treats and Cat man doo bonito flakes. Her favorite foods are Innova Evo, Wellness, and Solid Gold.
My dog loves Real Meat Treats which are a little expensive but dogs and cats love them. His favorite foods are Wellness, Merricks Cowboy Cookout, and Back to Basics.

Overwhelmed

Lately we have had so much going on and I'm feeling like we need a break to relax.It's just hard to take one because there's just always something to do. My weekends are full because during the week I can't do much since I'm taking care of Ethan and my nephew. Recently we've had a birthday party, Easter and some meetings with friends because I'm going to be a bridesmaid. And when we're not doing anything my inlaws decide to come over which is fine once in a while but they expect to come every week or every other week. I'm not sure I know how to handle that situation without being rude. Any suggestions?

So because of all that is going on my house is just not where I want it to be. I have so many organizing projects that need to get done but no time. I'm hoping to take some time out this weekend to go and buy some storage bins so that I can start. I also hopefully just have one more bridesmaid meeting so that us bridesmaids can figure out a gift for the bridal shower. Then I will just have the bridal shower, rehearsal and wedding this summer. I didn't realize that being a bridesmaid would take up so much of my time.

 So with shopping, bridesmaid stuff, an oil change and taking the dog to the groomer there goes my weekend. Even though life is hectic and I do at times feel overwhelmed believe me I do take the time to remember how blessed I am. I hope that all moms and dads out there can take some time to do the same.