Friday, January 30, 2015

Friday! Friday!

1// Frozen // oh wait? You don’t get singing performances at your house? I’m sorry.
2// Half Bathroom Update // Wood plank wall is complete!  Whoop Whoop! My dad and Daniel busted it out last Sunday.  I even got to use the nail gun several times to nail some of those bad boys to the wall.  Can’t wait to start on the next step.
3// Husband Time // I’m hoping for a date night this weekend.  I really want to go see American Sniper…or go rock climbing for the first time…or sleep…or do.everything.  Or do NOTHING. Do you have this problem?  Date nights are rare, so when we get one – I want to make the most of it.
4// Brunch with girlfriends // tomorrow I’m having brunch with three of my girlfriends [Sans kids]. Should be a fun time.  We’re trying Helen’s for the first time, so hopefully it’s good!
5// Giveaway // Have you entered the $100 cash giveaway?? If not, you should!

Linking Up with September Farm / The Farmer's Wife / the good life
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Thursday, January 29, 2015

$100 Giveaway!

Who doesn't love money?!  Another added bonus is that you get to check out some pretty cool ladies and their blogs! 

Go ahead…get entered!

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Friday, January 23, 2015

Random Friday Thoughts

1 – Our house has been hit with the flu L No good!  I’m pretty sure Hadleigh brought it from school since 6 of her classmates are out sick – which is crazy.  Hadleigh hasn't had a fever at all, but has had a little bit of a cough.  Then Harper started with a fever, so we decided to take them all to the doctor.  I was sure Hadleigh was going to have strep, but no – tested positive for the flu.  Harper tested positive as well.  Hayden had just started with a fever when we took her, so her flu test was negative at the time – but the doc said she probably had it as well.  We left with prescriptions of Tamiflu.  $165 later – we were at home.  Yesterday was rough.  Hadleigh was thankfully fine – bored out of her mind.  Hayden, poor thing, spiked a fever of 104.2.  We were going to take her to the ER if a bath and some Motrin didn't bring it down, but thankfully it did.  Harper battled with the wheezing and fevers of 102.5.  There is nothing worse than seeing your babies feel so horrible.  By night time, Hayden seemed to be doing a bit better but Harper was still cranky.  I’m hoping they are on the mend though!
2 – Postpartum hair loss is growing back- and it’s in full force.  These little hairs are sticking straight up out of my head and it is insane.
3- Tomorrow I’m heading to Raleigh, NC to see one of my girlfriends and meet her new baby boy that was born at the end of October.  Eeekkk! Annddd less than 24 hours since writing this post - I have chest congestion and a cough. No traveling for me. I'm hoping I don't get it bad, but didn't want to get my friends sick! wahhhh 

4- Daniel has finished mudding the half bath and drilling down the backer board.  We will be working on tile and the wood wall soon!!   I had a nautical theme all thought up in my head, and then Daniel told me he wasn't a fan. So…back to the drawing board.  We are keeping the same colors though, so that won’t change.

5-  We made reservations for a fun family weekend in February to Massanutten Resort.  Hadleigh had mentioned she wanted to play in the snow, so I looked up places for a weekend getaway.  Not only do they have the option to go tubing, there’s a little indoor water park we can all enjoy as well.   I can’t wait to get away and have some fun!!

and a little extra goodie is a picture of myself and some friends from a 4th grade field trip. Fanny packs & sunglasses were apparently super cool!!

Happy Friday y'all!!
Linking up with September Farm & the good life today :)
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Friday, January 16, 2015

Threenagers

I just came across this article. So, I wanted to comment and elaborate a bit more on this.  I'm not entirely sure I would only include three year olds - can we add the age range 2.5-4?! Who's with me?! 

Here are some of the crazy things Daniel and I deal with {on the regular}:

  • Putting on socks the wrong way. "Mooommmm! It's tickling me!" (the seam, oh the seam) AND for the record - seamless socks are SO damn expensive!
  • Tags. "Daddy! It's scratching me!" "Take the tag out" Then we are followed into the kitchen, so she makes sure we cut it out.  She's not into the "faking out" thing.
  • Going limp while trying to get her dressed. A whole new level of frustrating.
  • Some days Hayden will cry/whine/refuse to get dressed unless it has a picture of Elsa on it
  • Hayden wanted pizza the other night for dinner.  I made the pizza and then she decided she didn't want it.  She heads to the fridge only to pick out a pizza lunchable --- it's the same thing just not melted cheese! 
  • Wanting a drink, but not picking the right cup(she wanted one with, no without the top)
  • Hadleigh ate turkey lunch meat and pineapples all the time and then overnight (literally) she decided she didn't like these anymore. So for the next 2 weeks, on our way to school, she asked me what was in her lunch to make sure I didn't pack those 2 things.  Some days even checking behind me to make sure.
  • Hadleigh had a friend in class whose parent got them Chick-Fil-A one morning.  The next morning she wanted it and when we told her we would go over the weekend instead - she cried. ..the entire way to school.
  • If you have more than one kid, one of them will want EVERYTHING the other has. EVERYTHING - drinks, underwear, gloves, shoes, shirts, hair clip...everything.

Please share your crazy stories to make this mama feel sane! 

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Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Half Bathroom Update & Inspiration

Remember when I told ya’ll we had gutted our ½ bath? Yeah, it’s been a while – as in almost 6 months since I last posted about it! We are finally going to start on this little space in our house.  It has been sitting for way too long.  Last night we bought new tile and all of the paint, so we are committed!

We are definitely going to add the wood plank wall, paint it gray, then paint it white and scuff it up a bit so the gray shows through.  Here’s an example:
Other walls will be mint green and trim will be white.  We decided on some gray 12x12 square tiles for the floor.
Mark Twain Gray Brick // Ultra Green // Gray Tile

 We still have a few items on our list we need to pick up before we can definitely start:
Wood planks
Wood glue
Grout & tools
New toilet & sink (both will be white)
Mirror
Light fixture
Decorations


Head on over to my Pinterest ½ bath board, so you can take a look at some of my inspirations for this little room!  Stay tuned!
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Monday, January 12, 2015

Hayden 2.5

Oh Hayden, you're TWO and a HALF.  That half means a lot.  Had I sat down to write this post a few weeks ago, I wouldn't have been able to write about how you are showing some terrible two signs. I remember two and a half being slightly difficult with Hadleigh as well, so it must be a thing.

Hayden is so fun, sassy, loving, motherly, stubborn, and strong willed all rolled into one little girl.
Loves: "Let it go" (Frozen) - she is quite obsessed.  Everything is "let it go" and will only wear "Let it go" socks.  It makes for a difficult morning when there are no clean Frozen socks left for her to wear. She still loves baby dolls and has started getting into the doll house we got for Hadleigh a few years back.  She also loves Barbies.  She loves her iPad {as she calls Pie-pad}
Hates: Putting on pajamas - she would much rather just sleep in her clothes, so that's what she does most nights.  She doesn't like her hands to get dirty or Harper's face to be dirty.  She is hating the fact we are taking her bippy away from her during the day.
Eating:  Hayden eats so well when she wants, but when she's not in the mood she just won't eat.  She likes most anything and will pretty much try it first before she decides if she doesn't like it.  She loves any kind of sauce {just like her mama}.  Her favorite is cheese as that's her answer every time you ask her what she wants to eat.  We have to limit it a bit so she doesn't get constipated though. Girlfriend has a sweet tooth too, which I can't blame her! 
Sleeping: She's a pretty good sleeper and has always been a better sleeper than Hadleigh.  If Hayden was tired, regardless if she was watching TV, she would fall asleep.  She's now learning to keep herself awake, so sometimes it's not as easy as it once was.  She still takes naps at school which do not interrupt bedtime, so that's good.  When she's at home, it's hit or miss whether she naps.  Most nights she will still wake up to come into our bed.  So, by morning we have Hayden & Harper in bed with us. Hayden still loves her bippy to go to sleep :)
Potty Training: No, no, and no.  She will go for school every once in a while, so over Christmas break we tried going cold turkey. Failed.  When she wore underwear she just peed and pooped in them & then when I had her go naked, she cried for a diaper.  We took that as a clear sign she wasn't ready.  We are still full into pull-ups only, so I'm thinking maybe in the Spring/Summer?  Crossing my fingers!
School:  Hayden really enjoys school.  She has learned so much since starting the new program over the summer and her speech has picked up tremendously.  Pronunciation is still a bit off, but I think that's partly her age.  She listens to her teachers - sometimes better for them than us!  She will go sit on the potty for them and go without her bippy ALL day - no complaints.  By the beginning of February, she will move into an older class - she's getting so big!
Hadleigh & Harper:  Love her!  Hadleigh and Hayden fight as sisters do, but if they are away from each other they miss one another.  They will both ask where the other is.  They play pretty well most of the time.  Harper loves Hayden even though Hayden holds her hand all of the time.  Hayden makes sure there's no dirt on Harper's face.  Hayden is definitely our little mother hen - she has very endearing qualities around kids that are smaller than her. 
Funny things Hayden has said:
Hayden - "I f*ck"
Me - very shocked, but picked up quickly what she was trying to say, "no, you pooted"
Hayden - "I f*ck"
Me - "You're trying to say you farted aren't you?"
Hayden - shaking her head yes, "i f*ck!"


She was climbing her bookcase in the playroom and I immediately told her to get down.  Hayden turns around, points her finger at me, and says "minute mama!"

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Friday, January 9, 2015

Harper 8 months

Harper Madden is 8 whole months! She is so happy almost all of the time – definitely our most social baby girl. 
Weighs: 20.5 pounds
Loves: Sesame Street, Being held, Being talked to, her bippy (pacifier), baths, doing anything – as long as she’s occupied and doing something, she’s good.
Hates:  Being left alone, the act of putting a shirt on, and waiting to be fed
Milestones:  Harper is crawling!! This past weekend she officially started!  She’s not super fast, but she’s moving.  She’s also started pulling herself up onto things.  I know it won’t be too much longer until she is walking.  I’m betting it’s before her 1st birthday, which is faster than either of her sisters.
Eating:  Girl loves to eat!  She watches your food intently if she’s not eating with you.  She usually gets about 1.5-2 jars/pouches of baby food and then some puffs/yogurt bites to snack on.  She still nurses when I’m around too.  We've given her a bunch of table food since she seems so interested and she has done really well with it.  Anytime we are having something that I know she will be able to eat, we offer it to her.  Harper is picking food up great when it is set in front of her.  I think she’s been doing that for almost 2 months now.
Sleep:  Not sleeping through the night and not sleeping in her crib. Womp. Womp.  She wasn't feeling well, so we had her sleep with us and she’s been sleeping with us ever since.  We’ll put her in her crib to begin with, but she wakes up within 2 hours to come into our bed.  She will also wake up about 2 times to nurse.  Right now, it’s not a huge deal that she’s in our bed so we’ll see how long it goes!
Hadleigh & Hayden: love their little sister SO much!  Sometimes too much!  They always want to kiss her and hold her hand.  A lot of times we are telling them not to touch her because each one of them will hold a hand and then she’s not able to do anything.  They’re very protective over her and make sure she stays safe and is clean from any food on her face J
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Thursday, January 8, 2015

New Year New Goals

This year has already had me thinking a lot. I can’t figure out if it’s because I read a lot of blogs or this year just feels like a good time to start changing some things.  Both maybe?  Who knows. I’ve written down goals in the past, but really haven’t ever been one to really dwell on them throughout the year.  I’m not even sure I will this year, but I’ve been trying.  Here’s my list for this year:

1// be intentional with my time // I really want to enjoy the time spent with everyone. My kids, my husband, my family, my friends.  Playing with my girls, doing fun activities and crafts, and just having fun is on the list this year.  Those are the moments they’re going to cherish growing up.  Daniel and I need date nights, a vacation just the two of us, and some fun.  We work hard both at work and at home and we really need to remember to take time for us.  I need to be better at reaching out to my friends – I get caught up in my own daily routines, that even those phone calls to catch up aren't made enough as they should be.  Spending time with family – laughing, talking, eating, drinking. Time – and being intentional with it.  A side thought to this is less phone time.  Not scrolling through Facebook or Instagram as much. I mentioned the other day maybe even leaving the phones at a charging station somewhere in the house?
2// yell less // honestly, we don’t yell all the time, but it’s still too much. I’m so tired after coming home from work that my frustration level is high and I immediately feel guilty. I don’t want the girls to think we yell all the time – either directly to them or between Daniel and I. I just need to be patient on certain things and letting the girls do things their own way or on their own time (when it’s appropriate of course).  
3//  be more positive and less negative // I’m an anxious person, so I can be pretty negative in some situations.  I really want to focus on being more positive.
4// save money // Cliché, I know. BUT, I’m horrible with saving money.  I really want to try and stick to a budget this year – wish me luck!
5// tackle house renovations // Daniel and I have so many things we want to do in this house!  I mean, the bathroom we gutted back in July (when I was on maternity leave) is STILL sitting there gutted. Yeah, so there’s that.  Here’s the list in full – definitely not going to get to all this year!
-  ½ bath that’s gutted already
-  Refinishing the back deck and adding a sunroom
-  Knock down the wall between our den & formal dining room to make one big den
-  turn our {empty} formal living room into the dining room
-  paint the foyer and add gallery wall up the stairs

That was just a list within a list. This post is done.


Any goals or lists for your 2015?

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Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Christmas 2014

Christmas was a whirlwind!  We spent a lot of time with family, some time with friends, and most of our time with our little family of 5. It was a holiday break that was both busy and fun.  Both sides of our family are in town, so we are on the go a lot Christmas Eve, Christmas, and the day (or two) after. This year we switched some things up, so we were able to be at home more which was so nice!
We spend Christmas Eve with Daniel’s family.  Early evening is spent with my father in-law’s family and then we head to Daniel’s parents’ house to have Christmas with his immediate family. 



My sister, brother in-law, and nephews came into town that evening, so we were able to see them as soon as we got home that night.  We put all 5 kids to bed and waited for Santa to do his magic J  The five of them must have been realllyyyy good this year!  My parents came over super early Christmas morning to see all the grand kids and so we could have our annual breakfast.  My nephews were up bright and early – I had to go wake my girls up!  It still took Hayden a little while to warm up, but they all loved what Santa got them for Christmas. 
The morning quickly flew by before it was time to leave for our next family gathering!  Christmas Day afternoon is spent at Daniel’s parents’ house with my mother in-laws side of the family.  We even managed to get a group photo!  On the way home Hayden had a bloody nose, which scared the crap outta Daniel and I.  So random and didn't last too long, so we think it was from a dry nose or she hit it on something before we left.  Needless to say, that evening was spent at home relaxing; the girls played with some of their new toys, and I did some laundry to make sure the stains didn't stick to Hayden’s clothes. 

The day after Christmas was low key for the most part.  All 5 cousins played all day while my mom, sister, and I got some things ready for my dad’s side of the family to come over.  We ate too much food, which was a pretty consistent theme!  That evening my mom offered to watch all of the kids, so my sister, brother in-law, Daniel, and I could go out for a little bit of adult time with our cousins Matt & Nikki.  We brought out all the sleeping bags so the older 4 could watch a movie before we left.  We had drinks and dessert at Shyndigz – it was so yummy and the company was great. We laughed a lot.
Saturday rolled through and we had one last family get –together to attend.  Brunch with my mom’s side of the family was fun and the kids had an even better time running around!


This Christmas season was one for the books – I can’t wait until next year to celebrate all over again!
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Sunday, January 4, 2015

Cousin Time!

Back in the beginning of December, we packed up the family and headed to Charleston, SC to visit my sister and her family.  The drive seemed longer than usual because of it getting dark earlier.  The girls actually did fairly well.  
We were all excited to get there and spend some time just hanging out.  We really didn't have plans other than my nephew Erik’s 6th birthday party.  The girls love running around and playing with the boys, so it was nice for them all to be together.
We did eat at this BBQ buffet, which was amazingly good.  Full of southern comfort food.  We had never heard of a BBQ Buffet, but apparently they are everywhere down South.  Who knew?!  I should have taken a picture, but I didn't.  You’ll just have to imagine BBQ, coleslaw, green beans, mac and cheese, pies, cornbread, squash casserole, collard greens….and so much more. You’re welcome.

Uncle Daniel /Daddy played a little game of football with the kids outside :)
Our first night there we walked around the neighborhood checking out all of the Christmas lights.  Cold beverages in hand, family, and Christmas Lights = a good night!
There's nothing better than a baby getting a bath in the kitchen sink!
Saturday was Erik’s birthday party and the kids had a bounce house to keep them busy.  By night time they were definitely tired!  Do you have family you visit out of town? Do you pack in a bunch of activities or just lay low like us?





Do you have family you visit out of town? 
Do you pack in a bunch of activities or just lay low like us?
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