tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27869991901665593452024-03-14T06:42:31.468-05:00Up North PreppyAEOThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968086949710666964noreply@blogger.comBlogger673125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786999190166559345.post-5658277542580811062013-06-13T06:32:00.006-05:002013-06-13T06:32:46.192-05:00Need a pair?<br />
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Fabulous pair of shoes <a href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/ivanka-trump-kayden-pump/3299486?origin=PredictiveSearch-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=2375500&fashionColor=&resultback=4878&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-searchresults-_-undefined_13_C">here</a> for a steal!!! I was looking for a nude pair of close toed shoes for work and found these instead. These would be great for so many fall/winter occasions and perfect for a summer wedding with a fun colored dress! </div>
AEOThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968086949710666964noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786999190166559345.post-28421426805744874162013-05-29T14:33:00.003-05:002013-05-29T14:33:30.503-05:00Summer books (the best kind)!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Like anyone else, my summer reading list only gets longer and longer as the days go by and as friends and bloggers post about their newest/favorite books. I thought I'd post a few of my most recent reads as well as books I'm on the wait list for at the library in hopes that it allows you to find something new for your summer reading list (b/c it's never long enough!!)</div>
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I have read ALL of Jodi's previous novels. I loved most of the originals and then stopped liking them for awhile (10th Circle- uggggggg), and this book brings it all back home for me. I absolutely loved it. It's a book about the Holocaust as well as present time and the characters are great. It was definitely hard to put down once I got in bed for the evening!</div>
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If you love historical fiction and aren't yet reading Ken Follet's books, please do! Pillars of the Earth is one of my favorite books, and the Century Trilogy (above is book 2) is just as good. I love, love, love that his books are crazy long so that you have a long time to get to know the characters and follow them throughout time. This book is set during WWII (1st book of the trilogy during WWI) and follows families throughout America, Russia, and Europe. Yes, they are long and look intimidating and hard to hold on the beach, but they are so worth it!!</div>
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Just finished this 2 nights ago. LOVED. Toad is a wonderful guy and I would have never predicted the ending at all. Conroy's descriptions of Charleston put you right there and you can feel the humidity while sitting in your bed at night. Lovely writing, great book.</div>
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Oh, Jen Lancaster, how I love you. You are truly hysterical and every book of yours makes me laugh out loud. This is her newest, and will be out this month! She just posted about <a href="http://www.jennsylvania.com/jennsylvania/2013/05/early-summer-reading-list.html">these books</a> on her blog, and I've written them all down to request from the library. If she thinks they're wonderful, I know I will too! </div>
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My very favorite author. I love every single Daniel Silva book, hands down. I love spy novels, and his are the best I've read (my father would agree- oohhh great idea for father's day presents- start with The Unlikely Spy (the first book about Gabriel Allon)). I'm smiling just sitting here thinking about starting this and knowing how I will get NOTHING else done the few days after I get this book into my ready hands. If you haven't ever read spy/cia novels, I would recommend these anyway. He's written maybe 15 (??) now and you will just LOVE the characters. They're pretty much the same people book after book and they're wonderful.</div>
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Bound to be the biggest seller of the summer. Hopefully it will live up to the others!</div>
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One of my friends who is in editing/publishing just said that everyone should read this book as "you won't be disappointed". That's enough for me to put it on my list! </div>
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Any other suggestions for me? Are any of you library junkies like me or do you buy your books? I read them so fast that I feel guilty buying them for 2-3 days of pleasure. I will buy them if I know I'll read them again in the future (Daniel Silva) but, for the most part, I put my must reads on my library account and wait anxiously for them to come in! We're at the library regularly for books for Spencer anyway, so it works out well. You could just say that I'm cheap- I like to think of it as resourcefulness and more cute clothes for the boys ;)</div>
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AEOThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968086949710666964noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786999190166559345.post-74808869954989216402013-05-28T14:25:00.002-05:002013-05-28T14:25:44.647-05:00Birthday Party Fun!I am wayyyy behind on posting so many things, but I finally uploaded all our birthday party pics to the computer so I thought I would get this post up!<br />
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We knew we wanted to have a Sesame Street themed birthday party for the boys as Spencer loves Elmo's World, and we often sing C is for Cookie as our brushing teeth song (I've even made up new words with all his friends names in it b/c I got sick of the original version!). Plus, the colors are fun, the ideas are plentiful on Pinterest, and it is easy to find Sesame Street themed things in the stores.<br />
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I took Friday off work to make/organize all the food and do all the last minute shopping that needed to be done. Our menu consisted of the ever popular Ham and Swiss sliders that are all over Pinterest, Pineapple Chicken Salad, fruit kabobs, veggies (some with hummus and some with ranch), goldfish (where would Elmo be without Dorothy??), <a href="http://www.midwestliving.com/recipe/salads/italian-rice-salad/">Italian rice salad</a>, applesauce pouches, chocolate chip cookies, whoopie pies, and 2 kinds of cupcakes. <br />
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The food was all arranged on the kitchen island</div>
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(Please put this recipe on your list of things to try this summer. It is AMAZING!!! We make it all the time for parties and everyone always loves it! It also is wonderful as leftovers for lunch for a few days afterwards!)</div>
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<span style="color: black;">Bar Cart- we had beer, wine, blackberry margaritas, soda, Izze fruit juices, mini waters, and juice boxes for the kids</span></div>
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Desserts were in the dining room on the table and on the buffet</div>
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The boys were dressed in shirts from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/CarlieAnnaBoutique">this darling boutique</a> on Etsy. I wanted them to match but not perfectly and I loved that the colors were similar but they each got their own character. I thought they looked just adorable in them!!</div>
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For Decor, I made letters for the front door, we put up banners (one in the dining room and one in the kitchen) that I bought from Party City, we did favors on the front table, and all our signs for the food and the games were created by B on the computer at work. I bought polkadot ballons and had them filled with helium the morning of the party. We placed them on the deck, on the mailbox, and around the house for the kids to play with.</div>
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One of the activities for the kids was Ernie's Duck Pond. I got a cheap inflatable pool, 12 ducks, and a few fishing nets for kids to fish out the ducks. I think more kids made it in the pool than ducks made it out, but they enjoyed it!</div>
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I ordered the treat bags from Zulily and stuffed them with a coloring book, a sesame street plastic cup, and a maraca from the dollar section at Target. </div>
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We had a bunch of bubbles out on a table for kids to play with. I forgot to get pictures of the other games, but they included Oscar's Trash Toss- a garbage can and crumpled paper for kids to aim for the basket and Cookie Monster's Cookie Throw- Blue solo cups with a Cookie Monster decal stuck to the front and then I made cookie shaped beanbags to toss at the pyramid of solo cups. It was really cute and I'm mad I didn't get a picture!</div>
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Here is a picture of the cups- now picture them in a pretty pyramid with cute cookie beanbags to throw at them!</div>
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Spencer wanted cupcakes instead of a cake, and I was fine with that. I made both <a href="http://www.annies-eats.com/2011/01/07/tuxedo-cake/">chocolate</a> and <a href="http://www.annies-eats.com/2010/12/29/strawberry-cupcakes-2/">strawberry</a> cupcakes both of which got a <a href="http://www.annies-eats.com/2012/07/30/cupcake-basics-whipped-vanilla-buttercream/">fabulous vanilla buttercream frosting</a> that was not at all too cloying or sweet. As necessary for any 1st birthday party, below are some pics of Peter with the cupcake. I was nervous about not having a true smash cake, but honestly, he doesn't need all that sugar and he didn't even eat all the cupcake that he had!</div>
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(don't you just want to eat him up!!!!!)</div>
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Overall, the party was really fun. We were glad that we had so many people who wanted to spend the morning with us celebrating are sweet boys. While we definitely aren't birthday party every year kind of people, this one went off well, and I think I'll be ready in 2 or 3 years for another joint one!!</div>
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AEOThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968086949710666964noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786999190166559345.post-15241309118004067152013-05-15T21:19:00.003-05:002013-05-15T21:19:46.506-05:00Spencer is THREE!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My sweet Spencer,</div>
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Today you are three!! The pictures above and below were taken last summer, and boy have you grown since then! I can't believe how little and sweet you look!</div>
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You are a talker just like your mommy and daddy! You always have something to say. You love to sing, you love to tell us about everything that goes on, and you love to read books. It's amazing how verbal you have become. You can count as high as 60 in English and 16 in Spanish, you know all your letters and most of their sounds. Your current favorite song is "Jesus Christ is risen today" from Easter service. You know all the words to verses 1 & 2. You don't really know what all the words mean though so when you sing it some of the words get smooshed together to create new ones. It's adorable! You know all the nursery rhyme songs (Baa Baa Black Sheep, ABCs, London Bridge, etc, etc). You also LOVE the Laurie Berkner CD and know quite a few of the songs on the greatest hits album by heart.</div>
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Your favorite thing to do is to play sports. You love to golf (it was a sad day for me when you stopped saying "dolf" and started pronouncing it correctly!), you love to play hockey (golf with a helmet), and play catch. You got a basketball hoop and a soccer net for your birthday and you have been using them non-stop since Saturday. You are not really into cars or trucks. You love construction equipment whenever we see it when we are out and about and you love books about them, but you don't "play" cars, trucks, or trains. You love blocks and puzzles. You're getting really good building "tall towers" which Peter now is obsessed with knocking down.</div>
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You are a good eater and sleeper. You sleep from 8ish-6:30ish most days. Probably one night every 1-2 weeks he will end up in our bed from 1-4 am. He climbs in the middle and then one of us will wake up eventually and put him back in his bed. </div>
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You eat most of what we eat every night. You are currently crazy about the Mueller Yogurts that have the layer of chiffon on top. You eat one every morning with a little bit of granola on the top. You eat fruit or veggies for most of your snacks when we are at home. You love all fruit and your favorite veggies are peas and carrots. We still have to soften up the carrots just a touch for you or else it takes you 20 min to eat just one baby carrot. You can be picky at times and, heaven forbid, we put a green bean on your plate. That almost always leads to a full on fuss fest. We do have to encourage you to drink milk. You much prefer water. I can't blame you buddy, but I also know that you need the calcium for your growing bones!</div>
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You adore daycare. You love your teachers (so do we!!) and have great friends in your class. Your best friends are Ethan, McKenzie, and Kelsey. You talk about them all the time. There is a little girl named Rachel who follows you around all the time and just adores you. It makes me smile every time I see it! Miss Kelly says that you tend to hang out with the girls more because you are not as rough and tumble as many of the boys in your class. I would definitely agree with that. You have a tentative personality and are never the one I am going to have to worry about doing wild and crazy things. It's just not who you are at your core. You are sweet and smart and shy until you get to know people. </div>
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One thing we are really working on with you both at home and at school is picking up. You want to jump from activity to activity without any cleaning up in between. You will let other kids in your class pick up for you and not help. You've gotten slightly better over time, but it is still your weak point. We also have to remind you at times to have your own voice as you won't get into trouble on your own, but if someone else is doing something and asks you to do it, you will join them even if you know it is wrong. We have talked about it a few times with you and it does seem to be getting better in the past few months. I feel that finding your own voice now will lead you down a better path throughout the rest of your life, my boy!</div>
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You adore Peter. Sometimes a little too much :) We have to tell you to stop hugging him so tight sometimes!! You are so good to him and try to help him walk or learn how to do other things. It's so sweet. You do occasionally become protective of your toys and you will often tell us that something is yours and not Peter's. We know that sharing will be something we will always have to work on with both of you over time, so we expect this! Overall, though, you are just the sweetest thing to him and he loves you too. I am excited to see your relationship develop even more this year!</div>
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We are so blessed to be your parents, Spencer, and wouldn't wish any day with you away. We know you will continue to learn and grow and develop this year and are excited to see you blossom. You have made us realize that there is nothing like the love we have for our babies. It's truly an amazing process to be a parent and we're so lucky to be yours!!</div>
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Happy Birthday, SYT!!!</div>
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AEOThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968086949710666964noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786999190166559345.post-74968467157691886212013-05-09T09:54:00.000-05:002013-05-09T09:54:09.337-05:00Peter is ONE!!!!!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a3db27b3127ccef358ba9d9af900000030O00IcOHDFq5bsQe3nw0/cC/f=0/ls=00107951088820130507015452947.JPG/ps=50/r=0/rx=550/ry=400/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" mwa="true" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a3db27b3127ccef358ba9d9af900000030O00IcOHDFq5bsQe3nw0/cC/f=0/ls=00107951088820130507015452947.JPG/ps=50/r=0/rx=550/ry=400/" width="320" /></a></div>
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My sweet baby is one today. I'm not sure how this has happened!! This year has just gone by so fast. Gone are the days of snuggling on the cough while breastfeeding, being dairy free, tiny baby cries, swaddling, spit ups (well....that still occasionally happens), middle of the night feeds, and sweet, sweet baby sleepers, gowns, and clothes.</div>
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All of a sudden, I have a big, happy, still sweet as pie, toddler who is "so big" (as evidenced in above picture)!</div>
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(Already beginning with the golf obsession!)</div>
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I never could have imagined that at one year of age two boys could be so different. Peter is so incredibly different both in looks and in personality than Spencer was. </div>
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Peter is a man on the move. He is constantly climbing, getting into cabinets, riding the tricycle, pulling out all the toys, etc. We definitely didn't live through this with Spencer. He (SYT) was (and still is) a much more hesistent child than Peter is. I know that Peter is into more because we have a lot more things to get into now. With SYT we didn't have a lot of toys lying around and now Peter has a whole playroom of stuff to disrupt. He is able to get up and down the steps without any difficulty. It's actually quite scary to see how fast he can do it!! One of his favorite things is to stand on Spencer's scooter and have one of us push him around. He just smiles and laughs while we're pushing him. SO cute!! He takes 5-6 steps regularly and can stand for 10-15 seconds on his own. Definitely not a true "walker" yet, but darn close!!</div>
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Peter is a good sleeper. He usually goes down between 6:45-7:30 and wakes between 5:30 and 6:15. He takes 1-2 naps per day. At daycare he is now sleeping on the cot instead of in the crib (they transition around a year) and is apparently doing well on the cot!! I wish he would sleep a little later in the morning (especially on the weekends!!), but overall, I cannot complain!!</div>
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He is saying momma, dadda, and lots of babababas. He does say baw for ball instead of the other bah sound which is just a noise for everything. I can tell a definite distinction. He waves bye-bye, he claps when we say yea, he does so big, and signs more and milk. I'm pretty sure that his sign for milk means both milk and momma though! He also makes a puh puh sound a lot. He loves to do raspberries and give HUGE open mouth kisses. He is still a pacifier kid. He uses it for naps/nighttime and during fussy spells. I feel like we need to start limiting it now that he is one though I know that is going to be tough to do!! He loves it!</div>
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He is currently wearing 12-18 month clothes and weighed over 22 lbs last month at a sick visit at the pediatrician's office. I would guess he is close to 23 lbs at his visit later this month. He is in size 3 shoes and size 5 diapers. He has always been shorter on the growth curve for his age, so we'll see if that changes at his apt this month. I do know that he grew in length considerably as he outgrew almost all his clothes over a two week period in April. It was quite comical when we went through every pair of pjs in his drawer one night and nothing fit!!</div>
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(Spencer is such a loving big brother! He truly adores his "Petey" (and, no, we do not let him call him that regularly. It's strictly Peter around these parts.))</div>
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PUT is a wonderful eater. He would eat everything in site, all the time, if I let him! He is now on whole milk in a sippy cup during the day though I am still nursing morning and night. B and I were just talking last night about when I planned on dropping those. No plan yet, but I'm sure that will come soon. I feel very blessed to have made it through a year of nursing with both kids and am SO, SO, SO glad to be done pumping. Pumping is a beast, people. And not for the wimpy. I hated every minute of it. </div>
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I don't know that Peter has any favorite foods. He doesn't really like ground beef or turkey (must be a texture thing) and has reacted with splotches to homemade spaghetti sauce (we throw the kitchen sink of veggies in ours so we'll have to try some store bought one to see if he reacts to that too). Otherwise, he really likes everything. We don't limit him on what he eats at all anymore. I would say that 75% of his diet is fruits and veggies currently. He loves them and they're the healthiest, so we are big getting both into him for almost all meals and snacks.</div>
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He got his first real haircut and looks so old! His cheeks look bigger now. His hair is not as thick as Spencer's is and is much, much darker. B and I both have really thick hair, so my guess is that it will continue to thicken up over time. I was hoping for curls with him as B's hair is curly, mine is wavy, and my dad's is super curly, but Peter's is pretty darn straight. I do notice a small dimple on his right cheek when he smiles really big but it isn't noticable all the time. I hope as time goes on, it stays and becomes more pronounced!</div>
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(TROUBLE!!!! and NAUGHTY!!!!) (And right after this he looked up at me and just smiled and was so excited to be splashing in the water!!)</div>
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He has been an extremely healthy child this winter. He has only been to the pediatrician one time for a sick visit since birth, and he's only had two days of fever in the first year. That's amazingly better than Spence who struggled so much with ear infections and fevers. He has had zero kidney issues. We will have our next kidney follow up in June with an ultrasound, apt, and blood pressure check, and hopefully all will be well. B and I are thrilled with how well he has been! </div>
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We are truly blessed to be parents to our sweet Peter. He has completely stolen our hearts. It was an awesome first year with our dark haired babe, and we cannot wait to see how his personality and life develop in all the years to come! </div>
AEOThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968086949710666964noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786999190166559345.post-49861449756562535222013-04-16T07:29:00.002-05:002013-04-16T07:29:37.727-05:00How is it possible?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Marathoners are an interesting breed: dedicated, intense, full of mental and physical stamina, slightly crazy, and proud of their accomplishment. They are people who train for <em>months </em>on end, with 4 or 5 runs per week of varying lengths just to accomplish a goal they have laid out for themselves. They do not take 2 weeks off because that will put them behind in training. They do not go out on Friday nights during training season because they have their long runs on Saturdays. They set their alarms crazy early on Wednesday mornings before work because that is their long weekday run and it's easier to get it out of the way in the morning rather than get distracted from it in the evening. They train in all kinds of weather conditions because they never know what the weather will be on the day of the race. They buy weird things like goo, body glide, runderwear, and nipple shields to make their bodies more comfortable during runs. They get runners' highs. They self-talk when they are tired but not done with their runs. They do math in their heads to keep themselves occupied. They are strong in so many ways that I can't even describe.</div>
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This is what the start of a marathon should look like. Crazy crowds, jam packed runners, lots of cameras, lots of support, and an electric atmosphere in the air. Music in different neighborhoods, water stops, tons of funny signs, some dude who decides to run in a monkey costume, all the fun things that make the spirit of a marathon a marathon!</div>
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This is what the end of a marathon should look like. Complete joy, a massive sense of accomplishment, huge hugs, and tons of cheering in the background!!</div>
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This is the antithesis of what a marathon should be: terror, runners who needed to be intubated in an ICU due to smoke inhalation, loss of limbs due to shrapnel, not being able to leave your hotel room after the race for an amazing dinner and a well deserved beer, fear, chaos, and death.</div>
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As a wife of a previous and future marathon runner, this sickens me to my core. The spectators their are family members who have also devoted their last 4-5 months for training. The runners have just put their hearts, soles, and muscles into this run. The volunteers are mostly runners who aren't running this marathon but believe in the central purpose of running a race and dedicating oneself to something. </div>
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The bombs went of 4h and 9min after the start. This is the time when the largest majority of people finish and have families at the end. To think that someone would deliberately try to kill the most civilians as possible makes me so sad. The runners are Republicans, Democrats, Christians, Aethiests, Jews, Moms, Dads, Grandparents, Daughters, Sons. They are just everyday, normal people who were in their last few minutes of accomplishing and sharing something bigger than they were. They are runners who never got to cross their finish lines after months of training. All for what? To prove that someone could kill somebody? To put fear into American's hearts? To take away someones ability to run again? To kill someone's child? </div>
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I do not, and will never, understand why or how anyone could ever think that this was okay to do. I pray that those that were there are able to heal from this both physically and emotionally. I pray for the doctors and nurses at the Boston hospitals that they can treat all the runners and get them home soon. I pray they are able to find the person/people that executed this horrid crime against humanity. I pray that those who are training for current marathons train just a little harder this week. I pray those that love their marathoning family members allow them to continue to run and train and remember that their are mostly good people in the world. I pray for peace and kindness and mouths that spread love instead of fear and hate.</div>
AEOThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968086949710666964noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786999190166559345.post-65757987887542508622013-04-12T13:35:00.003-05:002013-04-12T13:35:45.478-05:00Stealing from MCW<strong>MCW stole this from Blair's Headband and I'm stealing it from her. Enjoy, comment, steal it from me, and have a great weekend!!</strong><br />
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<strong>1. The Basics</strong><br />
Who are you: AEOT<br />
Where do you blog: Up North Preppy<br />
How did you pick your blog’s name: I'm from the great north, and I firmly believe in all things preppy, colorful, and happy.<br />
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<strong>2. Location, location, location</strong><br />
Where did you grow up: The "thumb" of Michigan. Tiny town of about 2000 people. We got our second stoplight when I was in college!<br />
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Where do you live now: Grand Rapids, Michigan<br />
Where would you live anywhere in the world: Petoskey/Harbor Springs, Michigan (which is where we would retire) (Can you tell I love my state?)(I would gladly take the month of March and move to a warm location though!!)<br />
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<strong>3. Let’s talk beauty - what is your favorite or signature:</strong><br />
Lipstick: Moxie by Bare Escentuals<br />
Mascara: L'oreal Telescopic (in the gold tube)<br />
Perfume: Eternity by Calvin Klein. My mom wears the same scent.<br />
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<strong>4. Yummies - what is your favorite:</strong><br />
Cocktail: Vodka soda with two limes or anything fun that contains cucumber. So refreshing!<br />
Dessert: This is impossible to answer. I love so many! Cookies, ice cream, chocolate, brownies- yum. I don't eat store bought desserts much, if at all. Homemade is the way to go!<br />
Pizza Topping(s): Pepperoni, green pepper and onion<br />
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<strong>5. I always have these three things in my refrigerator:</strong><br />
Un: Water in the britta<br />
Deux: Mustard (at least 4 or 5 different kinds)<br />
Trois: Carrots<br />
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<strong>6. Get artsy - what is your favorite:</strong><br />
Movie: The Sound of Music<br />
Book: Time Travelers Wife, Memory Keepers Daughter, The Book Thief, Divergent<br />
TV Show: Amazing Race, Top Chef, Law and Order: SVU<br />
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<strong>7. Kid stuffs - three questions about your youth:</strong><br />
What did you want to be when you grew up? Pediatrician<br />
Who was your favorite teacher and why? Miss Ackerman- high school English. She was a wonderful teacher and really drew you in to the books you read in her class. I swear I can probably still take her tests on Tale of Two Cities and Scarlett Letter- they are completely ingrained in my head.<br />
What was your worst sickness/surgery/hospital visit as a kid? I broke my leg in 6th grade. That's about it!<br />
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<strong>8. The Pretty Things - what is your:</strong><br />
Favorite color: Navy blue <br />
Favorite flower: Tulips <br />
Favorite artist (painter, photographer, etc.): <a href="http://www.hramiechoffman.com/">Hramiec Hoffman</a> <br />
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<strong>9. Shop ‘Til You Drop</strong><br />
What’s one thing you buy the most often: clothes for the boys<br />
Do you prefer to shop online or in-store? For the boys- online, for myself- in the store. I have to try stuff on to know it's going to fit well and I have little time to get to UPS to ship stuff back if it doesn't fit<br />
Imagine you open your own store - A children's clothing boutique that has HALF boy stuff. None of this 75/25 stuff that every store in America gets away with!!<br />
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<strong>10. Be a Hater: what are three things you would like to go away?</strong><br />
Ein: The constant rain/lousy weather we've had this spring<br />
Zwei: Floral jeans- really???<br />
Drei: Cystic Fibrosis (it would put me out of a job but I would gladly take that in order to cure all my patients!!)<br />
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<strong>11. The Final Three (x Three)</strong><br />
<strong>I hand you a genie - what are your three wishes? </strong><br />
1. Owning a cottage in Bay View<br />
2. Time to work out 4-5 days a week<br />
3. A 5 day Masters pass for B and I and lots and lots of fabulous outfits to go along with it. OR a weeklong trip away with B to somewhere where I can wear gorgeous sundresses and lie on a beach---ahhhhhh.<br />
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<strong>List 3 things you can see out of your window right now.</strong><br />
1. Rain<br />
2. Cars on the expressway<br />
3. Large porches on the homes in the neighborhood<br />
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<strong>Who are three people, living or dead, you would invite over for dinner?</strong><br />
1. Gail Simmons (of Top Chef and Food & Wine Magazine fame)<br />
2. Jennifer Garner- seriously, I could so be BFFs with her and our kids could play in the playroom while we enjoy a glass of champagne in the kitchen<br />
3. Pretty much any golfer on the PGA tour......Luke, Ian, Rory, Phil (only if he brings Amy), el Tigre, Oosty, Freddy, Adam, Zach, Kuch, or the "Golf Boys" (aka Hunter, Rickie, Bubba (and his darling, darling baby Caleb), and Ben) (have you seen their video?? Go <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PM2NocuEihw">here </a>. I would pretty much be a perfect wife if this ever happened!! <br />
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Play along and let me know that you do so that I can read your story!!<br />
<br />AEOThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968086949710666964noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786999190166559345.post-48123198719914344392013-04-01T14:30:00.002-05:002013-04-01T14:30:23.226-05:00A little of this and a little of that1. Last week B had fevers, chills, body aches, just miserableness. It ended up being strep and he is now on amox for 10 days. He is finally feeling better, thank goodness! It's a huge week for choir at church with services on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday and due to his illness, he only got to sing on Sunday. He was really disappointed! <br />
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2. Our church service was great on Sunday. The choir was good, the sermon was good, the alter was beautiful (I love Easter flowers!!). Unfortunately, both my boys were squirrely and I actually had to give SYT a time out during church. We had to leave and go out to the vestibule. EMBARRASSING! But he needed it, and, as I have learned with toddler, you have to follow through or else they will continue with the bad behavior (he was throwing Peter's toys at me just b/c he was wound up for the egg hunt). He calmed down and did have a ton of fun with the egg hunt afterwards. I was not so happy that a church parishoner (an older lady we are familiar with) tried to "help" me discipline by yelling at Spence. Hello, I'm managing and I don't need your help. He was sitting in time out and she just wanted to get in on it. I'm sure she had good intentions, but it still was not appropriate. <br />
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3. I had my camera at church but there must be something wrong with my battery charger as my camera died after just a few pictures, and I had just charged the battery overnight. So, no cute pics from me. Boo. B got a few on his phone but nothing I can upload right now, so sorry!<br />
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4. West Michigan is dead right now. All the schools around here go on spring break the same week, so everything is empty! The highways are quiet, our office is like a ghost town, and my FB feed is full of sunny, warm weather, down south pictures. I am sooooo ready for sunshine and warm weather, and I am jealous of those who are experiencing it right now!<br />
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5. The next few months are crazy busy here. I'm excited as we have so much fun stuff planned. We either have visitors or are going away every weekend in April, May is the boys' birthday party (combined for both since their bdays are only 6 days apart), and in June we already have at least one weekend of travel planned as well. Then, it's SUMMER which means lots of trips up north, lots of time outside, and lots of yard work. I have a new plan for part of my backyard that will involve pretty hefty planning and lots of work over the next summer or two. B likes the idea but I'm not sure he is fully on board yet. We'll have to see if I can plant enough seeds in his head to latch on to all this.<br />
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6. Tonight I am getting my hair cut and colored. This is my 3rd attempt to keep an apt! Yikes! I'm definitely looking forward to having my hair look decent again. I wouldn't want to meet my first blogger with ugly hair now, would I!<br />
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7. My weekend starts Wednesday night this week! Seeing the bestie on Thursday and then enjoying a weekend with MCW in town. Cannot wait! Hopefully the forecast stays in the 50s!!! I need a little bit of warmth up here! <br />
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Have a wonderful Monday, everyone!!AEOThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968086949710666964noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786999190166559345.post-52343335121231381712013-03-26T11:35:00.005-05:002013-03-26T11:35:48.957-05:00For parents.....Everyone who has a small child really needs to read <a href="http://www.stevewiens.com/2013/03/12/to-parents-of-small-children-let-me-be-the-one-who-says-it-out-loud/">this article</a>. Like, today, right now. Toddlerhood is wonderful and fascinating and surprising and exhausting. It's not easy to discipline. It's not easy to know which limits have to be set every time or which can bend a little bit for a special day. It's not easy to know when to give up the nap and then have everyone miserable during dinner because <strong><em>MELTDOWN MODE</em></strong> is on. It's not easy to practice manners at home and then have your child ignore all those teachings in public. It's not easy to have all the time in the world to play when in the back of your mind you've got to make dinner, do laundry, do yardwork, clean the house, etc. It is amazing to see them learn. It is amazing the hysterical things that come out of their mouths. It is amazing to get hugs and kisses without prompting. It's amazing to hear prayers before bed and to hear them recite their favorite books by heart. It's amazing!!! This article helps us to remember that we are not alone in the process and we are all doing a great job (most of the time, anyway!!)<br />
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<a href="http://momastery.com/blog/2012/01/04/2011-lesson-2-dont-carpe-diem/">This other article</a> is one I've seen around FB and in the blogosphere, but if you haven't read it either, please do. Totally worth the read. Her blog, in general, is SO truely spoken. I love it!<br />
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Have a wonderful Tuesday! And please say hi in the comments! I'd love to hear from you today!<br />
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AEOThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968086949710666964noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786999190166559345.post-35951461849330594252013-03-22T09:43:00.001-05:002013-03-22T09:43:02.927-05:00It's the little things............Today is not my day.<br />
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My son did not want to brush his teeth, he got jelly all over his shirt and then didn't want to change into anything else, he resisted his coat, his shoes, getting into the car, etc, etc, etc. He was up too late last night (we were babysitting 2 boys so they were rowdy and then no one wanted to sleep) and that just projected over to the morning. I yelled b/c I was frustrated and tired, he yelled b/c he was frustrated and tired, and everyone got in the car in a bad mood. <br />
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We sang songs in the car and talked about our route (SYT loves to know which street we are on and which direction we are turning next) and we all were better by the time we got to daycare for dropoff. While at daycare, PUT's teacher let me know I had a massive run and hole in my nylons. Really? It's 20 degrees out, I haven't shaved my legs since Sunday, I didn't put lotion on this a.m. as I was in a hurry, and now I have to go without nylons all day at work? Great day to pick to wear a dress. It would totally make sense to have a spare pair at work, but I've never had this happen before, so it's never even crossed my mind.<br />
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I have a ton of things that I need to get done in the next two weeks and it's just piling up faster and faster. Every weekend of ours is full until Memorial Day (except this one), and they're all super fun and exciting things, but when <em>everysingleminute</em> of <em>everysingleday</em> is planned that far in advance, it makes me a little hyper/anxious about how I will accomplish day to day tasks plus all the extras. <br />
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However, I walked upstairs to clinic to find that one of my coworkers (one of the sweetest ladies I have ever met) brought a jar of homemade strawberry jam for my family to work today as she knows my boys love it and she wanted us to have something special this weekend. She has brought in jams for us in the past and jars of canned peaches as well, and there is just something about her homemade jars (perhaps the love she pours into it?) that makes them so much better than anything storebought. It was the kindest, sweetest thing and really made me so incredibly happy. I knew then that I needed to remember that it is the littlest things that we do for one another that can make somes day/week/life. I'm a baker- it's my love language. I hope that by baking things for family, friends, and coworkers, they will know that I am thinking about them during the entire process. I love to do it, and I love to see how happy it makes others. I often "don't have time" to do other things (like putting away laundry- my most dreaded chore) because I'm in the kitchen making something for someone. Even though I bake a lot, I know there is always someone else I could be doing it for. Do you feel that way? That it's hard to give as much as you would like? Any ideas on how to find more time (ha!)?<br />
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Thank you so much, Miss Sylvia. You made my day and you, for sure, will make my kiddos' weekend!AEOThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968086949710666964noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786999190166559345.post-47792952985620034862013-03-18T20:48:00.003-05:002013-03-18T20:48:41.336-05:00Whitewashed fireplace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Here is our before shot of our family room. You can't see our entire fireplace here as I was showing off the rug, but you can get the gist of it. The bricks were in good condition but the color of them made the room darker and with the position of this room in our house it doesn't get a ton of nautural light (though this picture makes it look like it does). We've wanted to whitewash the brick for awhile but were SO nervous to do it. It's not like painting a wall; once the bricks are painted there is no going back. We took an informal facebook poll and I would say that it was pretty evenly split. Quite a few people understood why we wanted to paint the brick. Many others thought we were crazy and would ruin the room.</div>
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After months of debate, we finally decided that it was our house and we knew what would make us happy. So Saturday we washed the brick, mixed up our paint, and got our whitewashing on.</div>
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I used <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/197525133628710680/">this</a> tutorial to figure out the basics, and then we just took off. We ended up with a mix of about 2/3 water to 1/3 paint as our perfect ratio. One of us would paint it on with the other person rubbing it in with a rag to make sure the paint was evenly distrubuted in color everywhere. We ended up going through about 10 rags- they were destroyed to complete shreds. We taped off our crown molding and our mantle. I had originally wanted to leave the two arches with regular brick, not painted, but they didn't have enough contrast, so it all went to whitewashed. </div>
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After we were completely done, I went through and darkened a few bricks here and there. I thought it needed a little more contrast. It's very subtle but it definitely added the visual interest it needed.</div>
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And.......here's the final product!</div>
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<a href="http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/c134.0.403.403/p403x403/487962_10151579305164612_534820171_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/c134.0.403.403/p403x403/487962_10151579305164612_534820171_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We are so happy with it! I definitely think it lightens up the room but still allows the brick to be present in the room. I think a solid paint job would have blended in too much in this room, so the whitewashing was a perfect solution. </div>
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Now, if anyone has any better styling ideas, I'd love to hear them! Decorating mantles is tough!!</div>
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Feel free to ask any questions you have in the comments. I fully understand how nervewracking doing something permanent is!! Hope you like it!</div>
<br />AEOThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968086949710666964noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786999190166559345.post-9475764280296167462013-03-15T15:36:00.003-05:002013-03-15T15:36:57.508-05:00In exactly three weeks.................<a href="http://savingbestforlast.blogspot.com/">The fabulous MCW</a> will be coming to visit me!!!!!!!!! <br />
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When B and I were discussing Christmas presents this year, I mentioned in passing that meeting Molly would be an amazing present. He knows we "talk" via our blogs (he reads hers too) and over email, and he knows that I totally think she is amazing. I did not expect for him to follow through on this as it was just kind of a pipe dream. I actually was hoping for new black boots- and what I got was WAY better!! You should have heard the screaming I did when I opened up a letter from him with her picture in the middle and then the emails communicating back and forth between the two of them prior to Christmas. <br />
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About a month ago, I finally talked to her for the first time on the phone and we booked her plane ticket to come in April! I am SO excited. Like, really, really, really excited. She is flying in Friday morning, and I am sending the boys to daycare for the day so that we can hang out without their naps/behavior dictating our schedule. I adore my boys but I am so excited to have an adult day! Friday night we'll have dinner at home after the boys go down and, I'm sure, go through a bottle or three of wine. Saturday night we have a babysitter booked so that we can all go out together. <br />
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Grand Rapids is certainly not an amazing metropolis, but I am hoping that just meeting and getting to know each other and eating and lots of wine will make for the most amazing weekend!! Cheers to new friends, huh? This is why I love the blogging world!! Seriously, I have a list of at least 5 other bloggers I would love to spend a weekend with. Too bad none of them live anywhere close to Michigan, huh? <br />
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So, tell me, have you already met other bloggers that you didn't previously know? Was it totally weird or was it amazing? Who would you love to meet if you had the opportunity?<br />
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AEOThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968086949710666964noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786999190166559345.post-48930942513713073142013-02-27T10:48:00.003-06:002013-02-27T10:48:33.478-06:00Peter is 9 monthsThis past month has been the month where I have noticed the most changes in Peter in his short little life. He has made some huge developments lately and I am (obviously) loving them!<br />
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In the past week and a half, he has started using consanents. He started with "ba ba ba ba" and has now progressed to "ma ma ma". Love!! Spencer and I are now trying to get him to do "da da da da" too. It hasn't happened yet, but I'm sure it's next! He also loves to shake his head no all the time. He doesn't necessarily mean "no" when he does it but when he does it and I say "no no no" along with it, it just cracks him up. <br />
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He is pulling to stand on everything and is cruising on furniture, letting go of one thing and grabbing onto another. He can crawl up our steps with minimal assistance (though we are right behind him b/c it scares the crap out of me). He will only do it though if Spence is at the top of the stairs as he needs someone to cheer him on from the top. He is starting to walk holding onto our hands and wants to walk to us if he is standing up on something. He doesn't have enough balance to stand on his own yet, but I would guess that he'll be walking before Spencer did (SYT was 13 months).<br />
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We had his 9 month apt last Friday. He weighs 21lbs, 8oz. That's 77% for his age. The unfortunate part is that he is only 17% for height. Yep, he's a total chubster :) He loves to eat but for the most part, all he gets is fruits, veggies, beans, and a little meat (only in the past 2 weeks). It's not like he is getting a bunch of processed food at all. We don't even give him bread yet! His only processed food is cheerios, really. Apparently, I must have really high fat milk. Spence was also a chunk, but he was certainly longer so looked a little more balanced. I'm sure Peter will slim out some once he is walking. Is it terrible that I love his sweet, chubby, kissable thighs? I promise, I won't let him be a 90lb 4 year old (we had one in clinic two weeks ago- horrid. To me that verges on child abuse.), but, for now, I just love his sweet cheeks, belly, thighs and feet!!<br />
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For the most part, he is a great sleeper. He goes down by 7 every night and has zero problems falling asleep. He occasionally wakes up between 2-4 in the morning- I would say maybe 5 times per month? His normal wake up time is between 5:30 and 6:30. <br />
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He did get sick last week for two days. He had a fever, runny nose, really red cheeks, and just looked sick. He slept well throughout the whole illness, thankfully! Often when Spencer would get sick as a baby, he would be up a few times a night fussing and needing tylenol. Peter slept just fine and even napped well. We didn't take him to the doctor as he wasn't acting sick, and I made sure to clear him with the nephrologist to make sure he didn't need to get catheterized to check his urine for a kidney infection. They said since he had an obvious cold that I didn't need to. I'm glad as it was a really short, obviously viral illness that he is completely over now. I took him to work with me on Thursday morning to get some paperwork done, and he was sooo good. Thank God, my team all loves babies and my attending docs weren't mad at all!!<br />
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It's fun to be a mom to both my boys. I seriously thank God every day for them and count my blessings ALL the time.<br />
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<br />AEOThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968086949710666964noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786999190166559345.post-19474324527720881222013-02-11T07:00:00.000-06:002013-02-11T07:00:13.629-06:00Can we talk about Glee for one hot minute?Dear Glee Cast, Writers, and Producers,<br />
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I have a few things I'd like to tell you about this current season. In no particular order.....<br />
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1. I still love Rachel. A lot. And I really love most of the New York scenes. Kate Hudson is fabulous and I have enjoyed their sing-offs. I also still love Kurt. And I really, really, really love that Santana is moving in next week!!!!!!! She has always been a favorite of mine. She's a definite piece of work but she does it well.<br />
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2. The blond cheerleader you brought in to replace Quinn and Santana? She sucks. She's not cute (at all! Sorry, I know that's not nice but she's not.), she's mean without having any redeeming qualities, and she doesn't have a voice to back anything up. I don't even remember her name as I'm typing this.....that's how bad she is. Get rid of her, please.<br />
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3. The Diva Off show was one of the best of the season. The first song was awesome and reminded me a lot of the Gaga songs they used to do. Tina Chang ROCKED her song, and anytime that Rachel and Kurt "sing off" is awesome!<br />
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4. With that being said, most of the episodes of this year have not been good. B and I used to always watch together and liked the show equally. Now, I can barely get him to sit through an episode. The songs aren't as good, there are too many solos and not enough group songs, there needs to be more accapella numbers, and NONE of the new characters really catch/hold my attention enough. Well, Jake (Puck's brother) is good- he can sing, he's a decent actor, and he's cute. The rest? See above for the cheerleader, Marley can sing but she's not<em> interesting, </em>and the football player is just fine- nothing special. Blaine has a fabulous voice and I loved him last year. This year, he is just okay. They're trying to use him to carry the entire high school part of the show and he just can't do it all alone. I wondered if things would fall apart with people graduating, and it's happening. Boo!</div>
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5. I miss Will Schuester. I get that they were trying to change things up a bit and allow Finn to have a role which isn't completely terrible, but Will is great and they need to bring him back!</div>
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Are you watching this year? Are you struggling to like it too? What do you want them to change or do differently? Please, please pull it together writers and producers................I miss eagerly awaiting your show every week!!!! <em></em></div>
AEOThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968086949710666964noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786999190166559345.post-49887126839392523562013-02-07T13:19:00.001-06:002013-02-07T13:19:18.611-06:00Random thoughtsWell, thanks to the encouragement yesterday and an email from <a href="http://onepreppyday.blogspot.com/">Emily</a>, I decided to go for it. I bought the baby bag and a darling pair of earrings! Yea! I know I'll use them both, and I knew I had the $$ that I've been saving for something fun. Thanks for the help, ladies!<br />
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It's snowing here. We're supposed to get 3-8 inches tonight. Yikes! We've gotten a lot of snow in the past month, and I've really enjoyed it. It makes everything look so pretty, and we really need the precipitation for our lake water levels. I know that by March I'll be DONE with it, but for now, I'm just enjoying the white. <br />
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Spencer has a birthday party on Saturday for a kid in his class at daycare. I actually know the mom as she is Peter's kidney doctor. It's at a local playplace that I know he'll love. I'm not sure how many other kids in his class will be there. Peter is also going though he won't be able to do much. B has a golf show he wants to attend, so it's easier for me just to take both boys. It's one of Spencer's 1st friend birthday parties, so I hope he has a great time!!<br />
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We're going to do our taxes this weekend. Last year we had to pay due to taking too many deductions (and not discussing how many the other person was taking). I'm hoping we don't have to pay this year!!<br />
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Our other weekend plans involve making homemade chicken pot pie, making muffins, getting stuff ready for Spencer's Valentine's day party at school, and cleaning our room. Yep, we live on the wild side ;)<br />
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B's birthday is in just a few weeks.................any thoughts on fun gifts that your husband/bf/significant other has loved lately? He doesn't "need" anything, per se, and I am ALWAYS getting him new golf stuff, so I'm kind of bored with that. I'll take any ideas you have!!<br />
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Happy Thurday!!<br />
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AEOThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968086949710666964noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786999190166559345.post-46519988889884503102013-02-06T12:55:00.001-06:002013-02-06T12:55:54.905-06:00Quick update and convince me, please!Guess who said "ma ma" last night???? Yep, my sweet Peter! He's only been saying consonants for a week or so (ba ba ba ba ba......) and hasn't yet said "da da" which is usually a baby's second hard sound, so to hear ma ma last night was incredible!! B heard it too, so it wasn't just me making it up :) I honestly love him just a little bit more every single day and just want to eat him with a spoon!<br />
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<a href="http://s7d5.scene7.com/is/image/Katespade/PXRU2944_440?op_sharpen=1&req=tmb&wid=124&hei=124" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" jea="true" src="http://s7d5.scene7.com/is/image/Katespade/PXRU2944_440?op_sharpen=1&req=tmb&wid=124&hei=124" /></a></div>
By now I'm sure that most of you have seen a blog post somewhere about the <a href="http://www.katespade.com/sample-sale/sample-sale,default,sc.html?source=pjn&subid=73861">Kate Spade Surpise Sale</a>. I really want a new diaper bag, but I certainly don't "need" one. The black and white stripe one that I was really loving already sold out, but the above one is still available. Obviously, it's adorable with great colors and a bow and, at $149, I can afford it. I'll be using a diaper bag for at least awhile longer to tote along all the stuff that comes with kids. Sooooo......do I splurge on something I don't need but want? I'm not very good at spending on myself when it's a "luxury" item (I, however, have zero problem spending money at Target- anyone else this way?). The sale ends today, so let me know asap if this should come to my house!! I just need a bit of convincing one way or the other. If you hate KS diaper bags (or purses for that matter), let me know that too (and why!)<br />
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AEOThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968086949710666964noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786999190166559345.post-28411606295573379692013-02-05T07:00:00.000-06:002013-02-05T07:00:15.754-06:00Rumor has it<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have read in a few spots that Chrysler will be releasing a 2014 version of the Jeep Grand Wagoneer. My bff's husband who works for Chrysler says that nothing is concrete yet.........</div>
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As soon as I heard the rumor, I started squealing, jumping up and down and googling as fast as possible. B (the <strike>not very fun</strike> practical one) states we need to know about things like gas mileage, seating, ability to hold car seats, and cost. All I really want to know is if there is going to be wood paneling on the sides. If there is, I don't care about anything else, I'm ready to plunk down my down payment!! We are really hoping that my car lasts another 2-3 years (it's already almost 10 years old), and that would be just wonderful timing, wouldn't it?</div>
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Does the picture above make your heart pitter patter? I hope they keep it boxy- I love boxy looking cars!</div>
<br />AEOThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968086949710666964noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786999190166559345.post-11172596198305277942013-02-04T07:00:00.000-06:002013-02-04T07:00:10.464-06:00Instagram?!?!Well, I'm on it......<a href="http://instagram.com/upnorthpreppy/">here</a> is my account. Or you can find me at upnorthpreppy. I haven't done much yet with it. To be honest, I'm not even following very many people yet. It's going to take me a little bit to get the hang of it, remember to check it, remember to post pics, etc. But, I'm trying it out! Does anyone know if there is a way to get comments sent to your email? I hate having to peruse through days of posts to look to see if anyone has commented on my photo. Also, if you are on Instagram, let me know so that I can follow you!!<br />
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Honestly, having an iphone makes everything SO much easier. Prior to December I had a dumb phone. Just text and talk. Now that I can take pics, check FB, get online, check my email, etc, it's a whole different world! I feel like I've finally caught up to everyone else. Still not on twitter though! Should I be there too? Augh........overwhelming! AEOThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968086949710666964noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786999190166559345.post-44902111668482447492013-01-22T07:30:00.000-06:002013-01-22T07:30:00.910-06:00Another pinterest recipe roundupSome good, some bad, all made and rated by me......<br />
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B made <a href="http://ellysaysopa.com/2012/08/01/eggs-with-spicy-beans/">these eggs and spicy beans</a> for dinner last week. Incredibly easy weeknight meal and really, really good. I love the fact that these can be altered for a variety of diets (dairy free, vegetarian) when you have guests who have a more restricted diet. We added a little more red pepper and a little more goat cheese than what was called for. We put in 5 eggs for the three of us. It's pretty much a one skillet meal (besides the cutting board for chopping), so clean up is easy as well. This is definitely going on our weeknight rotation. <br />
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Jessica posted <a href="http://www.theentertaininghouse.com/2012/12/delicious-decadence-eggnog-pound-cake.html"> this</a> recipe a few years ago and when I went to make it this winter, the site was gone (it was her other blog). I freaked out and flew onto facebook to find out if she could email it to me. We were headed to a party and I knew this was "the" dessert I wanted to take. I have pinned the trifle I make with the poundcake. It's beyond rich, is utterly delish, and looks so pretty at a party. Don't you just think that trifles just scream elegance and effort? What's awesome about them is that they aren't hard, they just look that way :) <br />
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We have made <a href="http://espressoandcream.com/2010/11/autumn-chopped-salad.html">this salad</a> twice in the last three weeks. The first time we also threw some chicken on top. Tonight we added apples and celery for added crunch. It's a fabulous recipe and holds up well (even with the dressing on it) for the next day's lunch. Highly recommended. Also, Madison (the blogger) is a real sweetheart, so add her to your blog roll!<br />
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<a href="http://www.miasdomain.com/2011/12/peach-smoothie-cocktail.html">This peach smoothie</a> is just okay. It calls for a teaspoon of nutmeg and that really, really overpowered the taste (and, to be honest, I used less than that). A touch of nutmeg would have been good but what she calls for is just too much.<br />
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With Valentine's Day right around the corner, I have to bring <a href="http://www.annies-eats.com/2010/02/08/red-velvet-whoopie-pies/">these cookies</a> to your attention. They are a little involved with the piping into heart shapes but definitely worth it! I've made them the past three years and they get rave reviews every time. The red velvet is delish and cream cheese frosting is always good, right? Annie is always spot on, so if you are ever looking for something to bake, I would always suggest her site first!<br />
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For Spencer's class this year, I am going to have him help me make these <a href="http://www.bowtiesandbliss.com/2011/03/cake-pops-marshmallow-pops-pie-pops-oh-my/">rice krispie treat pops (scroll down)</a> for his classmates. We're going to make a big, thick pan of rice krispie treats, cut them out with cookie cutters, place them on sticks, and then pipe pink and red frosting on the top around the edge or write words on them like conversation hearts. I still need to pick up the bags and ribbon to go overtop. I'm hoping they'll turn out cute! I'm going to take them to the infant room teachers as well. <br />
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For Thanksgiving, I was in charge of the rolls as well as the apple pie. I used <a href="http://www.howdoesshe.com/delicious-dinner-rolls/">this recipe</a> for the rolls. Honestly, they were, by far, the best rolls I've ever made and probably the best I've ever had. They were puffy and buttery and just melted in your mouth. Yes, they are styled after Pillsbury Crescent rolls, but these are 1,000,000,000 times better. Spencer loved helping to roll them up too! <br />
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What new recipes have you tried? I'm always looking for good recipes for dinner and love to bake pretty much anything!! <br />
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<br />AEOThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968086949710666964noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786999190166559345.post-7212083404694720732013-01-21T15:16:00.004-06:002013-01-21T15:16:45.344-06:00Three movies in 2013??Friends, this could be a miracle. Okay, maybe not a true miracle but definitely something to put into the recordbooks. B and I will probably see THREE movies in 2013. Astonishing, isn't it? You see, we're really not a movie couple. We saw a movie the week before Spencer was born and then didn't see another movie in the theater until the week before Peter was born. That is two whole years that we didn't make it to a movie theater! We can't even say that we rent movies regularly or subscribe to Netflix. I think we may have watched 2-3 videos in that same two years (though besides The King's Speech, I can't tell you which ones). We do go out on dates- it's just almost always just to a good dinner or out to another couple's house.<br />
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This weekend we went out on Saturday night to see Les Mis. I cannot believe how good it was! I've seen it on stage a couple (I think 5?) times and have never really liked it much. The movie, however, was marvelous!!!! Marius was my favorite character- his voice was amazing. I was absolutely amazed by it all. I think the settings were spot on and really made you get into more than a stage production ever could. Love, love, love.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>His freckles are so fabulous and I loved his hair!!</em></span></div>
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While we were there they showed previews for The Great Gatsby. Oh, it is going to be GOOD!! Baz Luhrmann (director of Moulin Rouge) is directly Gatsby and it looks so similar to Moulin Rouge which is one of my favorites. Lots of over the top lighting, singing, colors, flashiness, fashion, etc. It's definitely not going to be a refined version of the book which I think I will like. To me, Gatsby is all about the craziness that led to the destruction and this is going to showcase it well!<br />
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Our third movie of 2013 will be Catching Fire. B hasn't read the books but did think that Hunger Games was entertaining, so we'll definitely be catching installment two at my request. <br />
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Did you see and love or hate Les Mis? Are you excited about either of the other movies? What other movies are you dying to see in 2013? Are you a movie buff or a movie rarity like us?</div>
AEOThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968086949710666964noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786999190166559345.post-87016994102131218512013-01-14T07:00:00.000-06:002013-01-14T07:00:16.157-06:00We relegated to the basement......We're living in the basement from now until Thursday after work. This will be more time than I have ever spent down here in the three years we've lived here :) It's all for a good reason though! On Saturday Blair and a friend from church installed hardwood floors in our family room (goodbye, icky, dirty carpet) and now the refinishing/staining/sealing begins. There was a Groupon this fall for hardwood floor refinishing, so we jumped on it. Our kitchen and entryway floors needed to be done for maintenance and we decided that installing hardwoods in the family room at the same time so that all the floors could be stained the same color would be a good idea. <br />
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Since there is no way in the main floor or upstairs without being on hardwood, we have to walk around our house to the basement sliders to get in. This will be interesting in heels with a carseat since it's uphill to our driveway! Oh, and it's also wintertime! We are going to eat out two nights and do another meal in the crockpot for dinners. Luckily, we are at work all day and the kids are in daycare as I'm not sure what I would do with two kids in the basement all day for 4 days!! <br />
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Our main floor looks incredibly bare except the playroom which is jam packed with EVERYTHING. It's amazing. I cannot wait to see it all put together next weekend. I just ordered a new rug from Overstock and am hoping it arrives at the end of this week. This truly is our "year of the house" as we have this floor project almost completed, another floor project coming up (new tile in the laundry/mud room/1/2 bath), and saving for/making decisions about our 2014 kitchen redo. Yea for getting stuff done!! <br />
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AEOThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968086949710666964noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786999190166559345.post-73668435918558475392013-01-13T20:11:00.000-06:002013-01-13T20:31:33.889-06:00Peter is 8 months old....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My sweet-as-pie baby is 8 months old already!</div>
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Peter's favorite thing to do is eat. Can you tell by those cheeks? His thighs are even better, ladies and gents! He's a great nurser and bottle taker when at daycare. He gets 5 feeds a day all about 5ish oz a piece. He eats baby food/finger foods twice at daycare and once at home. He is not picky in the least and is getting a great variety of foods. We have been doing a little more baby led weaning this time around and giving him a lot of finger foods. He still does get some purrees as I want to make sure he is getting used to lots of flavors. I wouldn't say he has any favorites, but things he is currently eating include: homemade chicken noodle soup (he LOVED everything about this), squash mixed with apples, spinach mixed with pears, baby split pea soup, blueberries, cheerios, peas, sweet potatoes, and cantelope. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>(In my Christmas Bote Tote)</em></span></div>
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He is sleeping through the night much more regularly now. He got his second tooth this weekend, so both nights were kind of rough. He definitely struggles with sleep more than Spencer did and small changes in schedules, environments, or illnesses really upset his sleep habits. In general, he goes down around 7 and gets up anywhere between 5 and 6. He usually takes a morning and afternoon nap at daycare- the length is all over the board.</div>
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He is crawling everywhere and has even gotten himself up the step in between our family room and our kitchen. He is pulling to stand on everything. He constantly blows raspberries (zerberts) but is not really babbling yet. I wonder if that is due to the biscuit (ie- pacifier). He is crazy about his and I wonder if having something in his mouth regularly is preventing him from making more noise. Anyone want to weigh in on this?</div>
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He has one "look" as a lot of our family and friends say and that is just this wide eyed grin. He is a truly happy baby so much of the time. We did have another kidney ultrasound on 12/31 which showed good interval growth of both kidneys and stable hydronephrosis. Essentially, nothing new has reared an ugly head; yet nothing has improved either. We're just stable, and I will take stable anyday. We don't have to go back to the nephrologist for six months- yea! He had bronchiolitis a few weeks ago, but other than that ucky weekend, he has been a healthy, healthy boy! I'm so glad he got his flu shot this year :)</div>
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Love you, PUT!! </div>
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Edited to add:</div>
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Spencer at the exact same age the above were taken of Peter. My boys look very little alike. Spencer is so me/my side of the family and Peter is so his daddy!! Funny as their middle names are the opposite: Spencer is after B and Peter is after me.</div>
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/AEOThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968086949710666964noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786999190166559345.post-41182949498570023562013-01-09T19:58:00.000-06:002013-01-09T19:58:01.539-06:00Amazing sale on classic kids clothes<a href="http://www.bellabliss.com/category/Sale50/a">Bella Bliss,</a> a Lexington, KY company, is hosting a huge sale right now on their fall/winter items. Head over there quickly to stock up for next year. I'm thrilled with the items I was able to pick up for the boys today (and I even threw in a skirt for myself!!).<br />
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A few of the darling offerings......<br />
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(for $12 and made of pima cotton- you better believe I bought both for Peter for next Christmas!!)</div>
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<a href="http://www.bellabliss.com/images/uploads/1_46_popup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.bellabliss.com/images/uploads/1_46_popup.jpg" width="278" /></a></div>
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(in numerous colors with contrasting ric rac on the back)</div>
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<a href="http://www.bellabliss.com/images/uploads/82_417_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.bellabliss.com/images/uploads/82_417_large.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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(tons of intarsia sweaters- I already own two and LOVE them. Amazing quality)</div>
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<a href="http://www.bellabliss.com/images/uploads/41_114_popup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="http://www.bellabliss.com/images/uploads/41_114_popup.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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(Darling bow skirt that also comes in an adult woman's size)</div>
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(sweet as pie boy bubble)</div>
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(and matching sister dress!!! I DIE!!!)</div>
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They also have tons of pima cotton basics like peter pan collar shirts, turtlenecks, long sleeved polo shirts and rugbys and adorable cordoroy pants, ruffle overalls and regular overalls. There is cute stuff even for 8-14 year olds. Plus, almost everything is monogrammable!!! I can also attest that the quality is amazing! Also, there is free shipping during the sale on orders over $100. Hope you all find as much as I did!!</div>
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AEOThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968086949710666964noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786999190166559345.post-27471761819508369442013-01-07T20:47:00.003-06:002013-01-07T20:47:42.512-06:00Our Christmas card pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We sent out two different Christmas cards this year (and, if I am being honest, there are still 4 more to address on my kitchen counter). We used the picture above and the picture below. I couldn't decide which I liked better, so I sent both. One Saturday we just put the boys in the outfits, stripped our bed except the bottom sheet, and plugged in a bunch of Christmas lights. Cute enough!</div>
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<a href="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a2cf36b3127ccef1f78088b93100000100O00IcOHDFq5bsQe3nw0/cC/f=0/ps=50/r=0/rx=550/ry=400/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a2cf36b3127ccef1f78088b93100000100O00IcOHDFq5bsQe3nw0/cC/f=0/ps=50/r=0/rx=550/ry=400/" width="320" /></a></div>
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You know how much I love my husband? His first question once I put the boys in their outfits are "wouldn't these look really cute monogrammed?". Yep, he's a keeper!</div>
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I probably should have gotten them monogrammed, but it didn't happen. November and December just flew by this year. Not only was life busy with Christmas baking, presents, parties, etc, work was absolutely nuts which did not help decrease my stress level at all. I just looked and realized I didn't blog ONCE in December. Yowzers. </div>
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Here is my sweet chunky baby boy! He is getting sooo big!</div>
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It's amazing how much more stressful this Christmas was compared to previous. I just felt unorganized, overly busy, and off. We didn't even get to drive around and look at lights. Boo. I was happy that I was able to do lots of baking for 8 of the teachers at daycare and all the couples we attended a Christmas party with. Baking is truly my love language!! I just wish that it was standard to only work 4 day workweeks during December and from Memorial Day to Labor Day. It would really help my social schedule :) Certainly, I was able to get everything done (except those dang Christmas cards....) but we didn't do a lot of extras. Luckily the boys still don't know that we "missed" doing something! Spencer just knew that when we plugged in the lights on the tree when we got home that he was in charge of saying "Ta Da, it's Christmas!". He did that the first time we plugged them in and it immediately became a nighttime ritual. He definitely loved having all the decorations up!</div>
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Looking back, I'm not sure if I could have done much differently in order to eliminate stress or create more time this holiday season. It just is what it is. I think next year may be a bit better as the boys will be better at independent play next year which will help. I also know that two years ago we did a lot of decorations the week prior to Thanksgiving, and I will definitely do that again next year!! </div>
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AEOThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968086949710666964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2786999190166559345.post-58720415250483970042013-01-06T20:31:00.002-06:002013-01-06T20:31:58.609-06:00I'm back!So, I was going to do a Christmas recap and a Peter and a Spencer post tonight.....however, blogger won't let me upload any pictures right now (?????), so I'm just going to type for a bit as I know I have been amazingly absent lately!<br />
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*We are currently prepping our family room for new hardwood floors. We've ripped up most of the staples, moved furniture to the playroom, and are starting to organize stuff to move into the basement for 4 days. B and a guy from church are going to lay the floors next weekend and then we are having a professional company come in to refinish the floors in the kitchen and foyer as well as stain the floors in the family room so that they all match. It's going to be so much nicer to have hardwoods in our most used room!!<br />
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*I'll do a much longer post, but we have a LOT of saving to do this year as we have a major goal of overhauling our kitchen in early 2014. We want to pay for it all in cash if possible. My <a href="http://pinterest.com/aeot/dream-kitchens/">dream kitchens</a> board on pinterest is filled with ideas. Our floors will already be done this year, so that will be an already covered expense. We definitely want to paint our cabinets, we need new countertops and backsplash, we need all new appliances, and we definitely need to reformulate some of our spaces as we don't have a spot for a microwave, we need a wine rack, and our island needs some revamping. It's stressful to think that I have to come up with plans to design something that's going to be ours for 20 more years, and I'm hoping the end product will be exactly what we want and need!<br />
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*While we're stuck in the basement during the refinishing project (literally, we cannot be on our main floor (which also means we can't go upstairs either)), B and I are going to hunker down and watch the first two seasons of Downton Abbey. Yes, we are wayyyyy behind, but we are taping season 3 starting tonight, so it's time to jump on the bandwagon! Even my mom and stepdad are watching this, so I know we're out of the loop!<br />
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*We're going to have a warming trend this week with next weekend reaching 50 degrees! I would definitely appreciate this in March, but I am sad about it right now. All our pretty snow is going to melt and it's just going to be wet and ugly. I'm really hoping we get another big snowstorm soon. I love looking out the window, watching the snow fall, shoveling the snow, starting a fire, and baking bread or a dessert while home. I also love, love, love my boots, so any chance I get to wear them makes me a happy snowgirl!<br />
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*When reading through my mom's Christmas cards, I realized that my mom's really good friend's son is the keyboardist for the band Fun! His name is Andrew and he's just a really normal, really good kid (adult, I suppose). Grew up in small town Michigan, is married, and actually taught himself to play the piano. How cool is that???? Just goes to show that dreams do come true, huh?<br />
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*It was really, really nice to have a bunch of shortened work weeks the past two weeks. I'm not looking forward to the long (read: normal) weeks coming up. I don't have another day off scheduled until the end of February, and that seems like a long time away!! <br />
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*Even though I had to work this weekend (and I was at work a long time both days), I felt like I was still able to get quite a bit completed around the house. Our bedroom is still a disaster, but a lot of our list did get checked off.<br />
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Have a great Monday, everyone!!!<br />
<br />AEOThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968086949710666964noreply@blogger.com2