Products I'm Loving...

Every once in a while I find a product that I love! I feel like when I find something I love that works great, I should share the love.  So here's a short list of some things that every one can get and are relatively inexpensive. 

Products I am OBSESSED with right now:

Moroccan Oil.  One of my best girlfriends Natalie introduced me to it when I was visiting her in February.  I kind of feel like there is no reason why anyone shouldn't be using this by now. I'm not a hair pro but I put a dime amount size of this in my palm, run it through my hair with my fingers and blow dry my hair with my blow dryer and my hair is so soft!!!  A little goes a long way with this stuff.  I've had mine for 3 months and the bottle is almost still full.  You can get some here.

While we're on it, I am in love with my blow dryer.  Another Natalie recommendation.  When I was visiting her she let me use hers and it was isntant love.  I bought mine at the Christmas Tree Shop (in Mass.) for like $32 BUT I found one for you all for $25 here.  It dries my hair in half the time.

Who doesn't love Bumble & Bumble products. When I can afford it, I use their Creme de Coco shampoo and conditioner (top secret, I buy all my B&B on ebay) but I love this stuff (and so does Kim Kardashian for those of you that care) it's Bumble and Bumble Shine.  When I use my flat iron I spray this on afterwards and it makes my hair look less dry.  I guess my can is a little old but I think this is the same stuff.

This is the most exciting of them all for me!  Pssssssst dry shampoo. Literally it's $6 bucks and you can get it at any drugstore. I keep one in my purse and one in my bathroom.  When my hair needs a pick me up, this is my go to.  Adam's too. Whaaaaaaat did I say that?  And how fun is it to say "have you tried Pssssssssssst" to all your friends? I'm easily amused apparently.

Moving on...

During the summer my skin has a tendency to get pretty oily in my T zone (simple terms: forehead, nose, chin) and I spent some time researching (read: putting my skin through some sketchy stuff) some good mud masks to get the impurities out of my skin and to soak up some of that oil.  I needed something that wouldn't make my sensitive skin irritated.  I picked up a small tube of this PURE MINERALS MINERAL MUDD MASK at Ulta (I think) and used it a couple of times and WOAH my skin felt sooo great afterwards.  So I bought the big boy and use it once a week.  Life changer I tell ya.

My mom started me out using Mary Kay years and years ago.  She loves it.  My make up/skin care routine has changed a lot over the years but there are a few Mary Kay products I have stuck with.  I've been using eye cream for a few years now. I just recently switched to the Time Wise Age Fighting Eye Cream  and seriously I saw results in a week.  I feel like the skin around my eyes is tighter the second I apply it. 

So give those things a try if you feel like it.  And then email me and tell me how much you love them!!!!

It's Getting Better

I am almost scared to jinx it by writing this post and with my luck that's exactly what will happen but when I left the house for work this morning, as I climbed over mountains of laundry, a few dishes in the sink and my boys still tucked in my bed, I felt like things were getting a little bit better.  Leaving didn't hurt AS BAD.

I'm worried less about my house being a mess all the time.  Spending time with Aidan after work trumps getting the laundry all done in a day.  Getting in to bed with Adam at the same time at night is far more important than keeping up with the blog (sorry but it is).  I'm trying not to feel like I need to scream because I washed Aidan's sheets two nights ago and haven't put them back on his bed yet, so he's been sleeping on the daybed in the playroom.  I even cooked once already this week.  If your my friend on Facebook, you all know how that turned out! =) Still it was HUGE for me.

I still miss my days at home like crazy but I'm getting used to this work thing.  When I sit and get bent out of shape about all the things I'm NOT doing, I have to stop and remind myself of all the things I AM doing.  I can honestly say being on both sides of the fence, being a working mom is so much harder for me than being a SAHM.  I know it's just an opinion and I am not taking anything away from SAHM ( I was one, loved it and know how much work it is ) but working 40 hours a week and then walking in the door at 5:30 to hit the ground running straight in to Mommy/Wife mode is like having two full time jobs.

 It's TWO full time jobs.  And it's hard.   But it's getting better. 






Tomorrow I'll be back to posting about Aidan's schedule's.  I know it's entertaining!  We are one person away from 100 followers! 

The Not Schedule-Part 2-The Newborn Days

Like I said in my previous post, we did/do what works for us.  I know this would drive a lot of mom's nuts.  It drives my Mom nuts all day, everyday.  I'm organized and love a good play by play day but sometimes that just doesn't work.  

So this is kind of what our lives looked like during Aidan's first year of life....

When Aidan was a newborn we took him everywhere. And by everywhere I mean we spent time at my parents or a friends for dinner and maybe the mall. Don't start thinking we had a baby in a bar. He was nursing so feedings could be done anywhere and he slept like a champ anywhere. There was no real feeding schedule. If he wanted the boob, he got it.  
I was really lucky Adam was home everyday with us because he was working as a chef at the time and worked nights. We would all get up and spend the whole day together. And he really helped. He's an abnormally amazing husband. He does everything because he wants to and loves to without ever being asked. He would leave for work around 4. I would almost always go to my parents for dinner. They live just 7 blocks away. I would pack a bag, Aidan would get his bath in my parents sink {or ours if it was the weekend or Adam had a night off} my Dad took him for a walk every night in his stroller. I was never really invited. That was their time. {They still do it, now they just walk}. We would come home, I would get comfortable, cook something for Adam/heat up leftovers from dinner at my parents for when he got home {Aidan in Bjorn or bouncy seat}, climb in to bed and let Aidan sleep on me or on Adam's side of the bed until Adam came home. Then Adam would snuggle him for a bit, he would maybe eat and then go to his crib for the night. Do it all over again the next day.

The Not Schedule-Part One-Sleep Training

I have friends that are new moms and other people ask/email all the time about what my day looks like with Aidan {when I was home} and how we got on a schedule.  Here's the truth.  We never had a schedule.  Not one that anyone could ever try to mirror anyways.  We did/do what works for us.  I think everyone should.  This week I am posting on sleep training, lack thereof, and the way our days went in the different stages of Aidan little life leading up to now! This could be totally boring but I've never done it before {that my Mommy brain can remember} and this is my blog/scrapbook so BOOYAH! It will be nice to be able to look back and remember what life was like in the early days!

When I was pregnant I was stressed about so many things.  Nothing super important. I was worried about nursery paint colors and where I was going to pick up the next cutest onesie in the world.  I didn't think a breastfeeding schedule or sleep training was anything to worry about.  Honestly, neither of those things ever crossed my mind.  I knew no one with a baby when I was pregnant and I hadn't started blogging.  All the information I have at my fingertips now, was no where to be found then. 

Adam and I were so oblivious to so much that when we brought Aidan home, we literally just took it day by day and figured it out.  We didn't want any help from anyone.  We wanted to figure it all out for ourselves.  And that's exactly what we did.  THIS WILL NOT WORK FOR EVERYONE. There's the disclaimer of the post. 

Sleep trainging went a lot like this:
Aidan slept where he wanted.  His swing, one of our chests, between us (GASP, those were sleepless nights) and anywhere else we could get him to sleep.  I had the mindset that every night we were one night closer to him sleeping through the night. I know this won't happen to us twice, but he slept 8 hours at 6 weeks old and by 6 months he was sleeping in 12-13 hour stretches.  He spent the majority of his nights in his swing with the music on.  The battery operated one.  We had drawers full of D batteries.  We would be in a dead sleep and without knowing it, the swing would start to die, the music would slow down, I would sit straight up and yell "Adam, hurry before it dies".  If we didn't get those bad boys in before the music stopped we were going to be up for awhile. 

On the day Aidan turned 3 months old,  we put him in his crib for the first night.  He cried for 3.5 hours while I laid on his floor.  It was torture.  The next day I called my pediatrician.  She said if he had a full belly, a dry diaper and nothing else was wrong, to let him keep crying it out.  Not exciting to hear.  Night two he cried for only 45 minutes and on the third night he whimpered briefly before dozing off.  Back then we would put him in his crib when we got in bed {10:30ish} and he would sleep 12 hours.   Bliss. Do you hate me yet?

The rest is history.  He LOVED his crib and now he loves his bed.  He goes to bed between 8-9.  Closer to 9 during the summer because we stay outside later.  He sleeps a solid 12-13 hours every night.  We almost always have to wake him up.  Since he has been in his big boy bed once in a blue moon he will crawl out of his bed and in to ours early in the morning. It doesn't bother us at all.  Actually we quite enjoy it.  But if we ever try to get him to actually sleep with us, he asks to go back to his bed.  We got super lucky.  I realize that. 

I also realize this helps no one with a serious sleep training issue.  But you asked so I gave you the info.
If I had a piece of advice I would say even though it is the world's hardest thing to do to hear your child cry, put them in their crib early on.  The earlier you get this done the better. I could not in a million years imagine still being up all night but I know people that still deal with this.  I promised Adam that we would not be the couple that never had more kids because the one we had was always in our bed. Catch my drift?

Tomorrow (Tuesday) I will be posting about our "schedule" from Aidan's newborn/infant days.  I know your excited!

Belmont Drive In

I struggled with a terrible migraine all weekend but I was determined not to let it ruin my two days out of the whole week I get to spend with my boys.  In the end, that caught up with me and my head was absolutely pounding to the point that I couldn't sleep Sunday night but the time I got to spend with Adam and Aidan was well worth the pain!

So I promised that I had a great summer thing for you to do if you live in the Charlotte area.  Have you ever been to the Belmont Drive In?  We went for the first time this past Sunday and it was such a good time!  It's $4 for everyone over 16.  Under 16 is FREE!  So in other words, we got to see two movies for a total of $8!  They play a double feature!  For $4 a person! That's less than we spend for one person at the theatre!

The "box office" opens at 7 and we were the first ones in line.  We didn't know what to expect and we wanted the best spot.  By recommendation of the young man taking our money, we pulled in the first row right in the center of the HUGE screen.  The movie didn't start until well after 9 but the nice thing is, there are tons of kids and they all convene in the middle of the field in front of the screen and throw the football, kick the soccer ball and just engage in lots of old fashioned, simple, fun.  Lucky for me, I had a Frisbee in my trunk so Adam threw that around with Aidan to get past the shyness he was experiencing at first.  Ten minutes later it was like he didn't even know us.   He was filthy and sweaty by movie time but happy as a clam.

We had seen online that they had food and they encourage people to eat there rather than bring their own because that's how they make their money.   We are all for supporting small/family owned businesses.  Adam came back from the concession stand with cheeseburgers, fried pickles (chips not spears) chicken nuggets for the kid and we enjoyed popcorn and candy during the movie.  The food was at best cheap concession stand quality but who is really there for the food anyways? Let's settle on, it's edible and popcorn is popcorn.  And there's no tax!

This was my first experience at a Drive-In so I really had no idea what to expect as far as watching the actual movie.  I threw a few blankets and pillows in the car prior to pulling out of the driveway and I'm so glad I did.  Although this weekend (yup we're going back) I will go heavier on the blankets so the three of us will be more comfortable in the back of the car.  Did I mention we backed in to our spot and just opened the tail gate to watch? We brought chairs and set them up but this was a much better option.  Aidan really did think laying in the back of the car, outside, watching a movie was the coolest thing that ever happened to him. 

Overall, it was a ton of fun. Something inexpensive and outdoors for us to do!  I would highly recommend it. I'm not really sure what the hours are past the summer and as far as I can tell, they change the movie every week.  But don't hold me to that.  Check them out! Belmont Drive In.  Maybe we'll see you there!

These are terrible Droid photos...Sorry.

We'll call this photo, "Apprehensive Aidan".  He was checking out the scene and fresh off the nap train.

 

Adam finally taking some time to relax and I am sure after seeing this picture of his hair starting to curl, wishing he hadn't cancelled his hair cut this afternoon. Ha ha.

My handsome boy.

 Getting brave.  Headed to join in on some fun.

Frisbee with Dad.  I can't say enough how much I love these two together.  Adam was destined to be a Dad to this child.  They are a match made in father/son heaven. Hopefully their relationship will always be nothing short of exactly how it is now.

Snap shot of movie screen.

More Frisbee.  More movie screen.  More loves of my life.

The boys in the back of the Jeep.

Coming up I'm going to blog about some stuff readers have been emailing me about.   How we got Aidan to sleep through the night and his schedule type of stuff.  Hope everyone is having a great week! xo



Boring Posts

Hey y'all!!! We have been so busy lately!!! I have so much fun stuff to tell you about and just need to take a few minutes to write about them!!! If you live in Charlotte, I have a really fun, inexpensive thing you could take the kids to do and of course some other things to share.   I've been working on so many projects around the house I don't know which end is up!!


Talk soon! <3 <3 <3

Fish Tail Braid

I had not sported one since the early 90's.  Now, I can go to bed with wet hair and get up and braid it.  I'm loving it.

 

Fishtail braids are so super easy.  I knew how to do it from years ago but You can You Tube "How To Fishtail Braid" and 100 videos come up!

Letters To Aidan

Baby Boy,

{First. You're four. I don't care what age you are. You will always be my baby boy. I didn't get that until I had you. Now I take back every eye roll I gave to moms calling their sons their baby boys.  Here's looking at you Kathy (my MIL). }

Right now your too young to understand and you probably will never remember this time in your life but that's what this blog is for.  I wanted you to know that I miss you so much during the day. I miss you from the second I open my eyes in the morning and know I have to leave you asleep to go to work until the moment I walk through the front door while you run towards me with open arms.  "Hold me Mommy!"

I miss our breakfasts in bed. I miss our trips to the park. I miss our lunches with Nana.  I miss our lazy afternoons on the sofa.  I even miss our fights. 

I know you don't get it now but all this hard work Daddy and I do is all for you little man.  It's so our lives together will be colorful and adventurous .  It's so we can take you places and show you amazing things.  It's so you can always have everything you want. 

Right now when we head off to work, it seems like the days can't end fast enough.  We count down the minutes until we can get home to you and squeeze you for hours on end.   And we both miss you every minute we are not with you.  

Love, Mommy

New Bedding

I remember my Nana telling me when I was growing up that she loved her bed.  She would lay in it all day if that were acceptable.  Ha!  I never got it until I woke up one day realizing I too LOVE MY BED.  My bed has been dubbed many things.  The list includes the $10,000 bed, the marshmallow bed, the best bed EVER and Adam wakes up almost every morning saying "I love our bed".  The mattress was my parents for a brief time before they switched to a California king.  They bought my bedroom set for me when I was in eighth grade.  It's still beautiful.  Solid cherry and the color is only getting better. My mom really is who I have to thank for this great comfort.  She bought me my first feather bed on sale at Metro on Morehead and my first down comforter from The Company Store and she bought me my favorite Celeste sheet set from Sferra.

When I moved out I took the set with me and although we are now sleeping on the Stratton Bed from Pottery Barn with our DIY custom upholstered headboard our mattress is the same and we are still struggling to get up every morning.  As silly as it may sound, I strive to keep our bed as appealing as possible.  I try to switch out our bedding every six months but when I purchased the Matine Toile bedding from Pottery Barn
two years ago, I fell in love and we have stuck with it.  After a few washes the linen/cotton fabric really softened up and we love the duvet!  Those of you that know me, know that sticking with something for this long is a record for me! It was time for some new bedding! 

I try to stick with what I know is good {and affordable} so after much deliberation, I chose once again, to buy from Pottery Barn {I know, such a snore}.   I try to stay traditional in our bedroom and I couldn't get this pattern out of my head.   PLUS to my delight, everything in bedding was on sale!  This time around I opted to just buy the duvet, a quilt and three euro shams.  Still debating on new sheets but I love these ruffle sheets.

This is the beginning of a little bedroom make over I am working on.  When the stuff comes in, I'll take some pictures and post them!

Afternoons in the Sprinkler

When I get home from work in the evenings I try to find fun stuff for Aidan to do. Makes me feel like I am making up for some of the time I loose during the day.  Aidan has a little hydrant shaped sprinkler he loves.  I hook it up and we run through it.  He loves it. 

Christin's Shower

Our friends Bobby and Christin {and daughter Acia} were in town from Utah the past few weeks and we have loved our time with them.  We were pretty sad to see them go last August.  Almost all of our favorite couples live far away now!  Maybe we should just move! 

 When Christin and Bobby lived here were spent many nights on our sofa, the boys doing boy things {read: playing PS3} and Christin and I daydreaming about having more babies.  We were elated to find out they were expecting back in February! So even though I thought I was retired from baby showers, I just couldn't help myself this weekend.  It was actually really, really nice because Christin's mom came all the way from Utah with them and pretty much did EVERYTHING for the shower. I just had to lend my home and my voice of opinion on where to hang some decorations. 

Snapshots from the Baby Shower/Weekend

Adam has been buying me flowers every week from the Farmers Market.  Gorgeous huh?

 Christin and Acia. 

My beautiful friend.

 Acia is so good with Aidan.  They always watch movies in our bed. I had to snap this pic of them passed out the other night. 





Laundry Room Bench Cushion-DIY

Remember when I used that Ikea book shelf to make a bench in my laundry room?  Well we've made some more progress on our little make over out there.  We still need blinds and the rug I bought I ended up moving in to the kitchen.   BUT! We got the counter top put in and I made a cushion for the bench.

It's been literally months since I did this project and I have been meaning to post it but never got around to it.  This has to have been the easiest bench cushion project known to man.  I was a bad blogger and didn't take pictures of the process.  It might have taken me 30 minutes to do the entire thing. 

Here's a list of what you need:
-1/4" piece of plywood cut to the size of your bench.
-Fabric of your choice in appropriate yardage.  
-Staple Gun
-Replacement cushions. I bought these at my local fabric store. They were replacement cushions for outdoor furniture.  I bought 4 and lined them up. 

And here's what I did. 
-I laid the cushions in a row on the piece of plywood. 
-Took my fabric, lined the pattern up the way I wanted it to look on top.
-Flipped it over, folded the edges like I would when wrapping a present and stapled to my little heart's content. 

It really was that easy.  Everyone can do this project!

Here is the finished result!

Fabric Close Up

Just a simple change but it really has made all the difference in the world sitting out there.  I added some baskets to conceal all of our shoes. I couldn't stand looking at them!




Linking up with DIY Showoff!  You can also link directly through her button in my sidebar!

Rub a Dub...Aidan in the Tub

{Any excuse to take pictures of my kid...}

Whenever I give Aidan a bath, I sit down on the bath mat in the bathroom and let him play for a little bit. 

I couldn't help taking pictures of him the other night.  I almost had a meltdown during bath time because Aidan informed me he no longer needs me to wash his hair.  He's a big boy and he can do it himself.  Seriously?  Not so fast Mister. I think I will wash your hair for a little while longer.  He's not going to need me at all soon.  Not looking forward to it. 

Love those eyelashes

A Week At The Beach

Head over to It's a Love Thing today!!!! I am guest blogging about Aidan's birth story!  You can also directly link to Amber's blog by clicking her button in my right sidebar!!! Thanks so much Amber!

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My parents treated us to a week at Emerald Isle last week! It was so nice to get out of the city and just veg out.  It was also nice the beach was a short walk away and the pool was outside our door!  We haven't taken a family vacay in a long time so it was nice to get away with the family. My youngest brother Jordan didn't make it down but we wish he had! We missed you, Jordan!  Thanks Mom and Dad for a great week!

I was really bad about taking pictures this trip.  It is a lot of work having a toddler on vacation.  They are totally outside of their element and Aidan was high strung the entire trip.  Adam and I both agree we wouldn't change our life with Aidan for anything but vacations look a lot different than they did 5 years ago.  The sheer amount of stuff it takes to travel with a child is nuts. 

{Some of these are a little "foggy"}

Aidan is absolutely fearless when it comes to water.

His feet were barely in the sand and he was taking off for the ocean.

Sunday night my mom and I were alone on the beach with Aidan and he wanted to swim.  We almost had dueling heart attacks with the strength of the under toe and his determination to ride some waves. 

Thank God my husband loves the water as well and was willing to spend hours in the ocean with him.

We spent even more time in the pool.  Uncle Bobby was so much fun for Aidan to hang out with and Grandpa was too.  My Dad is notorious for egging Aidan on to do things I would never let him get away with.  Examples from this week:  shooting strangers with water toys. 

Uncle Bobby. 

Nana got in some nap time.  My poor Mom had Bronchitis the entire week we were there {and the week prior!}.  She luckily was able to get lots of relaxation time in.

Evening out his tan lines.

The pool wore us out...

So late afternoons were spent lounging around watching movies or taking naps.

The sunsets were beautiful...

and Aidan even got to play his first game of mini golf while we were there!

{Moving toddler=Fuzzy pictures}

It was a great trip! We wish we were still there!

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer vacation!