First Day December 2012

The pictures of our day are not in the right order but, when you don't change out of pajamas for more than 3 hours, the day seems to blend anyway. Day in a nut shell: woke up to snow, ate some french toast, bathed the girl with more syrup in her hair than in her belly, played and read, put clothes on long enough to run to BJs and get a tree, ate the most hodgepodge dinner of edamame, alphabet fries and fruit smoothie, then vegged until I passed out.

What was your first day of December like?? Click over to Nicole's to join in!

Princess Birthday Party!

My baby turned 3 last week. After I finished crying about the fact that my BABY was going to be 3, I went to work planning her Princess Party. She had been asking for a castle cake for 7 months, so I assumed she was serious. I wanted it to be fun and whimsical and not too character focused. It came together exactly as I  had hoped!

The dessert table was centered around the gorgeous cake my sister in-law's bakery, Treats on Washington, made. They amaze me every time with their gorgeous, detailed work!

I re-purposed a frame from Goodwill and prettied it up with some spray paint, fabric and added Princess Arielle's initial to it. The best part is, it is now hanging in her room! I covered some cardboard hat boxes from Jo-Ann craft store in scrapbook paper and topped them with a fun dress form jewelry holder.

The wands were part of the girls' party favors and were hand made by me and my good friend Liz. She saved me with some last minute crafting help!

The other part of the favors were the felt crowns. I had so much fun making these. The girls seemed to love them too. Apparently my little one wasn't the only one who went to sleep in theirs that night !

The activities included decorating their own cookies,

picking out and showing off their royal jewels,

getting the tiniest princess press-on nails I have ever seen (which stayed on a total of 6.2 seconds) and coloring princess pictures. All the while, music from Disney princess movies was playing in the background. I admit to singing along and dancing like it was my own royal ball!

As I watched my sweet 3 year old girl blow out her candles, I had to smile and wipe my eyes. She might not be a baby any more, but she will always be MY baby.

 

Quick run down of the who's, what's and where's:
Invitation: Made by me with princess clip art from Pretty Grafik on Etsy
Pom pom garland: Martha Stewart bought from Amazon.com
Dress form, crafting supplies and princess coloring pages: Jo-Ann craft store
AMAZING Cake: Treats on Washington in Boston, MA
Felt wand inspiration: Make things for Kids
Felt Crown inspiration: Curly Birds
Arielle's Princess dress: Amazon
Rock Candy and candy pearls: Sweet Indulgence
Sweet little blue bird: Middleburg Folk Art Studio (it is actually something I bought for her room when she was a baby) 

Unreal Candy

Last week I had the pleasure of hosting an UNREAL Candy party. I work full time and am the co-lead of my site's Parents Club, so I decided to introduce some of the lovely ladies at my work to these yummy treats! 

A little back story of why I was so interested in testing out this candy: My son was having some behavioral issues. We were concerned and decided to have him for possible ADD or ADHD. The appointment was scheduled a month away, but I was not happy just to sit idle and not do something to help him. I researched natural ways to help behavioral issues and stumbled across a lot of information on elimination diets. These diets remove things like processed foods and dyes from their diets and often times behavior improved. It was worth a shot. I emptied our cupboards of any unnatural foods and in a matter of a couple of weeks I could see a difference in him.  The hard thing was finding treats he could have that wouldn't send him into a behavioral frenzy. Enter Unreal Candy. I love the fact that their products have no preservatives, no artificial dyes, no GMO ingredients and no high fructose corn syrup. I was a little hesitant at first that something so "unjunked" could taste as good as their chemical laden competitors, but I was happy to discover that I actually like some of their products better.

We decided to have a pizza party and taste testing of the candy. I cut them up into pieces so we could try them all without getting sweets overload! The consensus was that we all loved the peanut butter cups and thought they tasted better than an unnamed famous brand. :)We liked that the natural peanut butter flavor is center stage. My favorite was the chocolate, peanut, caramel nougat bars. I could eat those every day! At only 200 calories a piece, they rival my favorite granola bars in nutritional value.

Most of the women I work with are also moms. We want our kids to enjoy sweet treats without worrying we are pumping them full of chemicals. Everyone was pleasantly surprised with the quality and taste of our candy.

We all got treat bags with all 5 varieties of candy in them. I know, ahem, mine didn't last all that long! So give them a try. I promise, real tastes good!

Disclosure:. I received product for my guests, and was compensated for my participation in this campaign. All opinions, as always, are my own.

Random Photo Challenge: Halloween Edition

For this photo challenge we are supposed to post our favorite Halloween picture. I love this picture of the kids. The poor baby was too chubby for the body suit. She wasn't even a year and she was popping the snaps that ran up the inside of the legs. It was supposed to be an 18-24 month size! The head, however, was gigantic and required modification to not swim on her little melon. I love my little Buzz and alien girl!

Link up your favorite Halloween photo with Liz at Learning to Juggle!

100 Random Things about me

I'm not conceited enough to think you might be hanging on the edge of your seat to know 100 random facts about me, but it's my blog, so here we go...

1. I am blunt. I tend to say the first thing that comes to my mind without filtering it. I have gotten better over the years, but I still cringe sometimes after something has slipped past my lips that I should have kept as just a thought.
2. I might be addicted to those funny ecards. This one is my favorite.



3. I always pictured myself with 2 kids. 1 boy and 1 girl. I'm so happy it worked out that way.
4. My favorite color is green and has been since I was a kid.
5. My first "letter" in high school was for academics (freshman year) but I was too embarrassed to get a Letterman jacket until I lettered in a sport, which I didn't get until I was a junior.
6. I used to pretend I needed glasses when I was younger and now I am very glad I don't actually need them.
7. I am not a pet person. I suppose I would be a pet person if someone else cleaned up after them. I will resist getting a dog until my family finally gangs up on me and I lose the battle.
8. I wanted to be a doctor from the time I was 5 years old...until I actually worked in an ER when I was 18. After that I changed my major.
9. I had never had stitches in my life until I had a suspicious mole removed. It wasn't cancerous and now I have a huge scar.
10. People always think I am taller than I am. I'm 5' 6 1/2"
11. I have been to countless weddings but last Saturday was the first time I was actually in a wedding.
12. It makes me sad that my kids don't have more cousins.
13. My favorite movie of all time is Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. the original...not the creepy Johnny Depp one.
14. People always assume I am a guy (in print) because of my name.
15. I actually got a notice from the government after I turned 18 because I hadn't registered for the draft. Um, I'm a GIRL!!
16. My hubby chose my daughter's name. We had it picked before I found out Nate was a boy. Once we found out we couldn't decide on boy names and Nate was nameless for 2 days after birth.
17. I have run 2 half marathons and now I'm addicted to running in more!
18. I have a master's degree in Microbiology.
19. I was born in Oregon, grew up in California, moved to Las Vegas where I met my hubby and now live in RI. I never imagined myself an East Coast girl.
20. I hate winter.
21. I love fall, spring and summer.
22. I used to be the pickiest eater of all time, but meeting my hubby helped me expand  my tastes by 5,000% (at least).
23. I do not eat eggs...unless they are hard boiled.
24. I don't have a favorite song, but if I had to chose I would pick "From where I am" by Enya. I played it at my mom's funeral and, while it makes me cry every time, I think it is beautiful.
25. My mom passed away when she was 53. She'd had MS since I was 8. I miss her every day.
26. I have never been to Europe. I can't wait until my kids are old enough so we can all go together.
27. I graduated as salutatorian (2nd in my HS class). I would have been valedictorian, but I got a B in PE....for my attitude.
28. One of my favorite memories was driving to church with my mom singing oldies at the top of our lungs.
29. My best friend in HS taught me how to drive a stick shift in the dirt parking lot of our school. I almost hit a fence because I didn't realize the car didn't have power steering.
30. I worked as a server in 7 restaurants between high school and getting my college degree.
31. The only countries I have traveled to besides the US are Mexico and Canada.
32. I got my first passport when I was pregnant with my son.
33. I used to be a huge tomboy and had to have my friend apply makeup on me for the first time when I was 16.
34. I did a FB post announcing the birth of my daughter while they were still cleaning her off.
35. I almost passed out when my hubby told me she weighed 9 pounds 8 ounces.
36. I had both of my kids with no drugs.
37. My first car was a rag top VW Bug. It was powder blue and I loved it, but it was broken down more than I ever drove it.
38. A tradition in my family is sharing a middle name with your grandma. I carried on the tradition even though my Aunt informed me that my mom hated her middle name.
39. If i was rich I'd get massages and my hair blown out every single week.
40. My favorite accessory is earrings.
41. I am not squeamish at all...except with loose teeth. Ick. I will never be able to pull one of my kids' teeth.
42. I love photography. I keep trying to improve, but I don't have the artistic vision that I wish I did.
43. My right foot is a half a size bigger than my left.
44. I experienced several earthquakes (>6.o) growing up in California.
45. I think they are really cool.
46. I actually slept through a 7.2 earthquake. I only woke up because my mom dragged me out of bed and into the hallway.
47. I am afraid of tornadoes....
48. and drowning.
49. I have never owned an American car.
50. If my nail polish chips, I feel compelled to pick all of it off.
51. I bit my nails until I got married. I stopped for 3 weeks prior to the wedding so i could get a french manicure and i broke the habit.
52. Everything I like gets discontinued. Examples: The chilito from Taco Bell and my favorite underwear from Hanes.
53. I went to a Christian school from K-12th grade.
54. When I graduated I went a little nutso and got 2 tattoos and my tongue pierced. I regret all of that.
55. I think all of the time about getting another tattoo to cover up one of them. I just have no idea what to get.
56. I have never watch the Star Wars movies. I have tried 2 times but fell asleep.
57. My favorite veggie is mushrooms.
58. I never drank coffee until I moved to RI.
59. The irony of that is I only drink iced coffee...even in the dead of winter.
60. I worked at a ski resort when I was 18 and held 3 positions there in 1 winter, lift operator, marketing assistant, and snowboard instructor.
61. I taught Jeff Bridges daughter how to snowboard.
62. I waited on a lot of celebrities when I lived in California.
63. My favorites were Heather Locklear (she was sooooo nice) and the cast of Mystery Men (Ben Stiller and Janine Garofalo).
64. I made Ben Stiller laugh. It made my day.
65. My least favorites were Shannon Daugherty and one of the guys from the band The Offspring. Rude people suck, no matter how famous you are.
66. My good friend kept Dr. Dre's fork after he was done eating.
67. I used to collect Pez dispensers.
68. My mom used to buy me porcelain dolls. They creeped me out but I didn't have the heart to tell her.
69. My mom was my best friend.
70. We used to go to a drive thru Mexican restaurant called Los Robertos and sit in the parking lot and eat taquitos.
71. Most people I have met since I moved here don't know what taquitos are.
72. Los Robertos was the last meal I ate with my mom.
73. I wish I was more fashionable.
74. My husband is only 2 inches taller than me.
75. I have a feeling that our son will be taller than us both.
76. My son and I are like the same person. We butt heads a lot because of it.
77. Luckily my hubby can diffuse us both or we'd all be in trouble.
78. Nate's due date was Flag Day, but he was born a day early.
79. I didn't know when flag day was until I started telling people my due date.
80. I was really surprised that I seemed to be the only one who didn't know when flag day was!
81. My daughter's due date was the day my mother passed away.
82. In true fashion my daughter was 5 days late. My mom was late for EVERYTHING.
83. It makes me obsessively early for things....except my kids tend to undermine that desire.
84. I grind my teeth in my sleep, so much so that I have TMJ.
85. I can replicate almost anything if I watch how it's made.
86. I have made my own candles and soap.
87. I can count my closest friends on 1 hand...and feel very lucky to have each of them.
88. I am a NY Jets fan. My hubby is a Pats fan. It makes for fun Sundays.
89. My hubby is convinced that I broke the Red Sox curse.They won the World Series on my birthday.
90. I love celebrating my birthday and I think I will no matter how old I am.
91. I didn't have a lot of birthday parties growing up so I think I over compensate with my own kids' parties.
92. I don't care and will keep doing it!
93. I am superstitious.
94. My favorite number is 6.
95. I have stared letting some RI lingo slip into my vocabulary. I now say wicked and can pronounce the words Mary, Merry and Marry. When I used to say them, they all sounded like "Mery".
96. I had to practice how to say my hubby's name by repeating "Apple, Aaron" so I could stop calling him "Erin".
97. I taught microbiology lab in grad school.
98. I am too much of a perfectionist to teach. The apathy and laziness would drive me nuts.
99. My last meal on earth would be lobster, onion rings dipped in ranch dressing, coffee dark chocolate chip ice cream, and a mojito.
100. I never thought I could list 100 things about myself and I hope you're not bored to death by now!

Head over to All of Me Now to see the other awesome ladies who linked up with this fun excercise!

Fall in New England

I'm a California girl. Fall never really meant much to me. Nothing really fell. Sure, it got a little cooler and some of the trees would drop their leaves, but I went trick-or-treating in spaghetti straps and tutus. I didn't own a winter coat until I moved out here. Scarfs and mittens, ha!, I didn't know anything about them. We'd go get our apples and pumpkins from the grocery store or "pumpkin patch" which was like a Christmas tree lot, but with pumpkins. I love that my kids get to experience what fall really means.

 

It's cable knit tights and knee high boots, rows of pumpkins that you get from the farm where they grew, apples hand-picked from the tree and turned into warm pie, tractor rides and corn mazes, and so much more. 

I  love this time of year when the leaves change to golden yellow, warm orange, and fiery red as the trees prepare to sleep the winter away.

 

I'm not a fan of winter here, but I truly LOVE the fall!

 

Saturday top 5 laughs

I feel like my kids get funnier each week. Arielle is in that phase where she says things wrong and that is always good for a laugh. Nate is, well, a clown at heart, so he is always cracking us up. Here are the top 5 from this week:

1. While driving home from daycare Arielle started singing The Farmer in the Dell. When she got to the part that should have said, "The cheese stands alone" she paused and then said, "The cheese stands by he's self". To make it even funner she added "The mom runs away" to the song. With both kids sick for 4 days a piece last week I have to admit, I had thought about it once or twice!

2. We took Nate on a date and let him pick the restaurant. He chose BBQ and so we went to Texas Roadhouse. He ordered a salad and I told him he was really growing up and it was breaking my heart. He looked puzzled and asked why it breaks my heart. I told him that he'll eventually grow up and move away. He replied, "I am NEVER moving out!" I mentioned that he will have more chores as he gets older to which he responded, "I'm DEFINITELY moving out then". When I told him that he'd have to do ALL of the chores when he moves out, he went back to his previous statement of never.

3. While we waited for the bill, Nate asked me to take a picture of him. He made sure to make the silliest faces ever and asked to approve of the picture I posted.

4. Nate's hair was getting long (see above) so it was time to get a hair cut. We went to our friend's salon and it is not exactly a kid's place. He sat down in the big chair and the lady next to him asked him why he was there. He told her, "Because I look like a ragamuffin".

5. Arielle likes to say our full names now, but she says it out of order every time. She always says the middle name, last name and then first name. She's so proud and cute that I don't have the heart to correct her.

What are your top 5 laughs from this week?? Link up at The Mommyhood Chronicles!