Still a Work in Progress

I'M BACK!

2011-10-06T21:05:00.000-07:00

A 2.5 year old son and a 5 month old daughter later....and I'm back! I look to blogs for inspiration so it's my turn to give back. Stay tuned :)

Halloween Cemetary Cake!

2011-10-06T20:58:00.000-07:00

I made this a few years ago when I was preggo with #1. This is typically made with pudding but that consistency made me want to vomit....so I just used regular chocolate cake :) In the words of my now 2.5 year old........SO NUMMY! (or should it be SO MUMMY, haaaaa)

A+A Giveaway!

2011-03-23T21:44:00.000-07:00

Aden and Anais are pretty much my favorite blankets in the world. Here is a giveaway for a chance to win a set of 4 awesome Swaddle Wraps. Go for it, I know I am!!!

A+A Giveaway on Mommygaga

JJB Be Set Giveaway!!!

2010-05-05T21:25:00.000-07:00

I am soooo obsessed with giveaways these days and you should be too! JJB is just so super fun and the owners are the best. My fav online boutique Mamas & Munchkins are having yet another giveaway for a Be Set of your choice. Personally, Cherry Lemonade is my FAVORITE...which will you choose if you win? Friend them on FB and enter the giveaway!

Another giveaway opportunity!!!!

2010-04-29T20:50:00.000-07:00

Please go to "From One Mommy to Another" and check out this awesome website! They have giveaways all the time and now there's one for my beloved Ju-Ju-Be!

Check it out and try and win free stuff.....woot woot! I have an MightyBe and LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE it. I really want another one so wish me luck in the giveaway too!

Mamas And Munchkins and Diaper Bag Junkies Oh My!

2010-04-02T19:53:00.000-07:00

I have had the pleasure of coming across a truly great online baby and children's boutique called Mamas And Munchkins

They have the cutest stuff and of course, my favorite diaper bags, Ju-Ju-Be! They have more than just diaper bags so check them out! The owner also carries Zoobies and my son is just in love with them. If you don't know what Zoobies are then google it and go and order one....they are so worth it.

This website has a blog called "Diaper Bag Junkies" and they do weekly giveaways of some really cool stuff. I even won some fun goodies last week and will post when have pics of it!

Sure you can go to a big department store or order off of Amazon....but why do that when, in this economy, you can support the backbone of this great nation and support a small business owner? The owner is a great person and happy shopping!

B.A.B.Y.S.T.E.A.L.S

2010-01-25T20:35:00.000-08:00

Okay, so apparently I'm not the best at this blogging thing. Lately my internet addiction has been focused on Babysteals . Every day at 10am CST they post a new "steal" that is 50% off or more until it's sold out! There are several sites similar to this one but the customer service and items they offer cannot be beat. Yes, they even have a Facebook group where they give hints about what might be offered the next day. I'm a bit of a creeper over there, hee hee.

Here are the things I've gotten from there (pics to come):

Babylicious Hooded Towel
Babylegs
Robeez
Robeez boots
Moms into Fitness DVDs by Lindsay Brin
Aden + Anais Dream Blanket
Innobaby Packin' Smart 3 Tier
Ju-Ju-Be Be Light diaper bag
Teething Bling

I LOVE all of these things and don't know what I'd do without them! Sure money is tight with us right now but their discounts make it affordable! I get asked all the time about some of these products so I'll make sure to make more time to answer those questions on here!

Is this a bad sign....

2009-11-22T20:25:00.000-08:00

...that I feel like I have nothing to write about? On my mind:

1. I don't want to hear Christmas music at the mall before Thanksgiving

2. The idiot who had a cig in one hand and a cell in the other who almost hit me today.

3. Do I really want my blog to be basically about baby products that I love? That seems to be what I want to talk about.

4. My baby has had a very big past week: cut a front toofer, learned how to crawl and has started separation anxiety.

5. I need a new group of students b/c mine are driving me bananas.

6. Unfortunately, this will be the first year in many that I'll actually be awake for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

7. I need a new cell phone. My Sprint Samsung Rant is horrible and drops calls daily. Any ideas?

8. Why can't my husband be a Packer fan so I wouldn't have to watch this horrible excuse for football right now?

9. After 8 months, I'm getting really sick of pumping milk. The boob, no problem....he doesn't moo at me like my Medela Freestyle. My son better appreciate how much time I dedicate to keeping up with Breastfeeding

10. To quote a student of mine: "I'm finna done get my hair did" on Monday. Chopping and coloring to ring in 30.

11. Is it bad I'm still using my white and pastel coach purse in mid-November? I'm sure that's breaking some fashion rule. I used to know them before I became a hot mess.

12. I feel "off" lately. Not sick or anything. Guess I should keep peeing on a stick to make sure a new bun hasn't found it's way into my oven.

13. Where the hell am I going to put this Jumperoo once the real tree gets in here next weekend?

14. I wish my baby didn't cry for like 2 hours after I left him at my parent's for his weekly sleepover :(

15. I hope I get to score some leftover turkey to make sammies next weekend so I don't have to cook.

16. What the heck am I going to wear for Thanksgiving? I'm too stretched out for my winter clothes of 2 years ago....last year I was quite pregnant so I'm too small for those...I don't have $$$ to go shopping so I'll have to get creative.

17. I'm so not looking forward my teaching evaluation prep work and eval next week.

18. I am excited for my brother to see my son for the first time since the 4th of July.

19. Remember when you got excited to go out the night before Thanksgiving? When you get to my age you AVOID bars like the plague b/c of all the 19-21 year old almost naked chicks.

20. I have to start going to bed earlier. This insomnia crap has got to stop. I love staying up late and sleeping in....but this whole work and baby thing really throws a wrench in it. I end up getting 4 hours of sleep and then I'm a freaking zombie.

I'll get back to my review of my new latest and greatest baby items: "Britax Marathon", "Aden + Anais Muslin Dream Blanket" (not Muslim), and "Babylegs"....soon....stay tuned.

Class. Class. Class

2009-11-05T21:57:00.000-08:00

What a great website: http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/

I love this thing!

2009-11-03T18:05:00.000-08:00

We just love this "b blanket" from Rain or Shine Kids . I first saw it on Babysteals (my fav website) but it sold out too quickly. As the cold, windy weather came out of nowhere in Chicago, I just couldn't wait for it to come back on Babysteals so I checked out their website. They have $20 samples instead of the full price of $36. Not sure what sample means but I couldn't pass up the price! Look how happy he is :)

It matches my son's stroller perfectly, washes and wears well and really does keep him warm by blocking out the wind. As soon as 4pm hits, he starts to melt down and it's nice to bundle up and go for a walk. Usually he kicks off his darn blankets and then I roll over them so this idea is ingenious!

Here's the best part....sleepy baby :)

If I had known about these before, I definitely would have registered for one. They sell them at Target but for full price.....which is still worth it in my humble opinion.

I've forgotten what it's like....

2009-10-27T17:53:00.000-07:00

....to be drunk. If you would have ever told me that was possible, I would have thought you were crazy. In college I loved to drink. Tuesday-Saturday it was on like Donkey Kong. I'll be turning the big 3-0 in a week and a half and I just can't believe how much my life has changed in the past decade. I mean really, ME, not getting sauced for this long? This has got to stop, haaaa :)

All kidding aside, I had a hell of a reason....I was terrified of something like this happening to my sweet little fetus (poor little girl):

I have to admit I did take a sip of Guiness after I delivered my son on St. Patty's Day! I've been breastfeeding now for almost 7.5 months and love it. I do go by the rule "if you're sober enough to drive, you're sober enough to breastfeed!" I just love me a glass of wine or a frosty Leinies!

The problem is that while drinking is fine, it's the aftermath that I don't want to deal with. My body doesn't recover as fast and I have a baby who still nurses at night. If I get hammered, I have to dump precious milk that I work so hard to keep, and can't be a good mom on the weekend when it's my only real quality time I get. It's amazing how selfless you become once you're a mom.

Halloween is coming up and my alma mater had one of THE biggest and craziest bashes in the entire country. This is just a taste of it:

Now, I'm excited to dress my son up as "Tigger" and go trick-or-treating at 4pm. Talk about a life change. Do I miss the craziness of the bars and parties? Not terribly? Am I extremely overdue for multiple libations to ring in my 30s? Definitely.

NOM NOM.....Apple Crisp

2009-10-22T19:13:00.000-07:00

This was soooo delicious, thanks Betty Crocker. I doubled the crisp ingredients because, let's face it, the crunch is the best part. I also peeled the apples and didn't use nutmeg. We were so anxious to eat it that I forgot to take a picture so here's the one from Betty Crocker:

4 medium tart cooking apples, sliced (4 cups)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
Vanilla Ice Cream

1. Heat oven to 375ºF. Grease bottom and sides of 8-inch square pan with shortening.
2. Spread apples in pan. In medium bowl, stir remaining ingredients except cream until well mixed; sprinkle over apples.
3. Bake about 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and apples are tender when pierced with a fork. Serve warm with cream.

A football fan's dream

2009-10-18T13:13:00.000-07:00

Around 3pm I like to turn my DirecTV NFL Sunday Ticket to the HD Game Mix and watch the show. (providing my beloved Packers are winning)Which games are close? blowout? battle of who cares? It's even more fantastic if you play fantasy football like I do. I tune into it again around 6pmish as well for the later starting games.

Baby Mum-Mums

2009-10-17T10:33:00.000-07:00

Well, a fellow mommy said these things are pretty good so we decided to give them a try this morning. They are made mainly from rice and my son seems to love them....so much in fact that he got mad until I gave him another one. I believe they come in organic as well so I'll get those next time. The Mum Mums get soft and dissolve pretty quickly and are big enough for him to easily hold.

This kid has a fever, a cold and an ear infection but is still in relatively good spirits!

H1N1/swine flu vaccine?

2009-10-14T20:43:00.000-07:00

I'm struggling with what to do on this one. I've gottten the flu shot for the past 8 years and have had no issues. Brett has gotten the regular flu shot along with his other 6 month vaccinations. However, this ugly red-headed stepchild called the pig flu is a bit concerning. There has already been one confirmed case at his daycare in the 4-5yr old room.

Is it safe? Is it necessary? Will it be effective? Will the virus mutate leaving the vaccination totally useless?

As of now, we are leaning towards "no" for the vaccine but we'll see how bad it gets at our high school and at the daycare.

Thank God I'm not in college anymore: Pig Pong: Is a Drinking Game Spreading Swine Flu?

A fresh start with a new blog....

2009-10-11T20:00:00.000-07:00

I am not new to blogging. I used my last blog as an outlet to vent my political frustrations since I could not voice them in most aspects of my former life. I had tens of thousands of hits and received many accolades and even some death threats, haaaa.

Then I married the love of my life, and since great minds think alike, I didn't need cyberspace to keep me from having a daily stroke......so I quit. However, lately, I've been getting the itch again to talk about being a wife, a new mommy, teaching full-time and whatever else floats my boat :)