Weird & Wonderful Etsy Wednesday

Bloggy Award!

Today is certainly not a Vertigo Day.Even though Phoenix and I slept until almost 9 AM! Days I feel are Vertigo Days are days I sleep to late. Weird how that works huh?

And I was also nominated for my first blog award!!!!

How cool is that huh?

I was nominated by Jael Custom Designs  go check her out!

Now for the rules! 

Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Now my next step is to nominate 15 other blogs. Here are my picks!

1. If Evolution Really Works 
2. High-Heeled Foot in the Door   
3. Theta Mom  
4. Savvy Moxie  
5. The Ohana Mama 
6. Girly Mama 
7. Babies Suck 
8. Sneaky Momma Blog Design
9. 30 Days  
10. Somewhat Simple 
11. The Pretty Policy 
12. Bringing Up Benjamin  
13. Mommy Lite 
14. Peeling an orange with a screwdriver  
15. Suzy Q Homemaker

 

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Vertigo Days

Today has been one of those days that I describe as vertigo days. It may not technically be grammatically correct, but when I have days like this that's the word that comes to mind.

Vertigo days are not necessarily bad or even exhausting days. They just feel like backwards days, like everything is kind of confusing.

On my vertigo days not even the greatest Soap plot can pull me out of it. No matter how clean the house is or how caught up you are on laundry there's just something that feels off.

To help shake this feeling I usually go for a walk or sit on the porch for a bit. It's amazing how sunshine and fresh air can turn things right side up.

Today I suggested a quick trip to Dairy Queen. Delicious indeed and way more calories then necessary. And you know what part really sucks?

I still feel UpSiDe down.

I'm hoping that the delicious smelling pot roast and the marriage class tonight will help pull me out of this!

And if not there's always tomorrow!

Bloggers Block

I've neglected to post for what seems like {to me} a million days!

Maybe you've noticed (and maybe you haven't) that I am way up from 7 followers and zero comments just a few short weeks ago to 60 followers and tons of comments!

Thank you all to my followers and all those who leave comments! I love checking my stat counter and watching the numbers soar!

I think I'll have that book deal in no time! I kid, I kid...

But since I have so many new readers I want to make sure I keep my content interesting ya dig?

I try to give a lot of thought now to my post and topics. 

I mean it's not like I don't have tons to write about! I'm a mom and a wife. A daughter, a sister, and a very soon to be aunt.

I could write about how my 14 month old has entered his terrible twos. I could post about how difficult it is to entertain house guest and cook for a month! You can't walk around without a bra when you have people in your house!

I could post about how much I enjoyed meeting my aforementioned Australian house guests. I could post how I am dying to find out who really killed Stuart Chandler on All My Children or how watching the Maxie and Spinnelli wedding on General Hospital really makes me wish Shawn and I could have had our big dream wedding and I could have worn my absolute to die for dress that still hangs in parents closet.

I could post about how I am planning on building my 14 month old his toddler bed in the next few weeks. I could post about how strange it sometimes feels to be just 22 and be someones wife and mother.

But then I could post about all the topics I could post and just bore the hell out of you!

So for now I'll just leave you with a few glimpses of sweetness.

 

 

 

 

Silent Sunday-Class Clown Edition

Phoenix Tested...Wraps & Slings

I just found out that Monday ends a week long international baby wearing awareness. 

This is interesting to me because since last Sunday I wanted to post about my undying love for The Moby Wrap.

I purchased both a Peanut Sling and a Moby Wrap when Phoenix was an infant.

I only liked the sling when he was tiny, because I felt like he could fall out.

In fact I was pretty much unimpressed by the sling. The only time it really came in handy was Christmas Eve when we went to the movies. 

It wasn't until I purchased The Moby on an impulsive trip to Target that I feel in love with baby wearing.

Admittedly it did take me at least two weeks to figure out how to tie it correctly but once I did that thing was like the greatest invention since DVR!

After Phoenix got to be increasingly more mobile and independent I put the wrap to the side....

Until a month ago when I realized that it was the perfect thing to bring to church service! 

It's getting to the point on Sunday where I think Shawn and I are going to have to switch off on who stays home and who goes.


Phoenix is literally all over the place all morning long.The problem is his nap time is right when service starts.

So what I have learned is  if I keep him up during the worship service then by the time we are ready for announcements and offering he's ready to be strapped in the Moby and he sleeps the entire time!

After he falls asleep my husband unties me and we slip Phoenix down into his stroller.

He is pretty heavy. And his feet basically touch my knees and all my brothers say he's way to big for this. But I don't care because he sleeps. And that is all that matters.

The War

I am declaring WAR today on the friggin ants that seem determined to ruin my life!

There are two types of bugs that make me lose my natural mind. Flies and ants. Their presence sends me spinning!

When we came to look at the house I saw dead ones in the master bathroom and that was {almost} enough to make me look else where.

But I was won over and I stipulated that I wanted an exterminator to come out...

Well it seems like we got played for dummy's because I am still fighting these demons.

When we had the dog I noticed them a lot but then when we bid her adieu (and yes we changed her name. You can find that post here.) they seemed to go with her.

But not so fast Alex. They just snuck upstairs to the master bathroom ?!?! What would ants want in my bathroom? Drinking water is the answer I seem to be finding online.

But a few weeks ago it seemed that finally I would get a few months of peace because Shawn said it was getting colder and that they would disappear, and they did!

Not so fast Alex! Monday morning I come down to the ant parade in my kitchen!

And again this morning an ant parade in my kitchen! On my counters, in my cupcakes, up the side of the island, EVERYWHERE!

I was screaming, Phoenix was screaming, the phone was ringing, Imagination Movers were singing and the ants were dancing!

Why God?! Why have you forsaken me!

So I did my research online and it gave me some home remedies to try. Because just in case you're wondering, the ant trappers... DO NOT WORK!

I don't love to clean, in fact I don't even like it. But I like living in cleanliness more, so I begrudgingly clean. 

It's not perfect, but it'll suffice and {most} days I wouldn't be to embarrassed when you show up at my house. I don't leave dishes in the sink for more then a few hours in between breakfast and nap time. I don't leave open containers of food.


But the one thing that always gets neglected is the floors. Hardwood floors are &?!#@ to clean. Add in a toddler who walks around with food. A husband who spills cereal when he's trying to sneak it before dinner. And an intermediately  skilled chef who chops and dices without any regards to the flying onions.


And there you have a feast built for the Queen Ant. 


So I dragged myself to the store and bought caulk to close up where they are coming from and a Swiffer Wet Jet (because who doesn't hate the mop and bucket ordeal, right?). Hopefully if I become real anal about the floors and counters the ants might go bother the neighbors (which my sneaky suspension is they are coming from them!)


And top it all off, these sneaky SOB's showed up yesterday too.


Sorry I'm cussing, but I really HATE ants!!!!!

Weird & Wonderful Etsy Wednesday

   

Guilty as charged!

I think I have posted a few times about some fights difference of opinion conversations Shawn and I have had. Ones that ruin perfectly delicious mushroom & swiss turkey burgers.m

If you break down our "differences" and pull away all of the nasty stuff people say in fights and get to the root issue you will see that on my side it's a disagreement about him not being able to set boundaries with work and on his side it's that I act like I'm superior then him.

So I was watching The Today show last Monday and they were discussing a new book about being a superior wife.
I'm sure just by the title of that you can figure out what it's about.

I can honestly say that I am very guilty of that "I can do it better then you" attitude. Just yesterday morning I said to him this was my last week cleaning the house and he needed to hire me a housekeeper. His response was "Well give me some chores." my response "I don't like how you clean" The same goes for the cooking, or the diaper changing, or the dressing, or the laundry, or the scheduling of appointments, paying bills, yeah scratch that. Ha!

I just think that I simply do it all better.And maybe I do. I think even Shawn can admit that I'm a little better at the cleaning, cooking, and other household stuff. But that doesn't mean I can't relinquish some of that control and let him try right? How will he ever learn to do it the way I want or better yet, why can't I embrace his ways?


But on the other side of being a superior wife are husbands who enjoy handing over the "control"to their wives. And I personally think my husband falls into that category. It makes life very easy for him to walk into a room and say "Have you see my w..." and before he even gets the words out I've handed him the missing wallet, keys, and the check to deposit that he accidentally threw in the trash. 
He doesn't need to worry about getting Phoenix ready for church on Sunday and getting dinner on the table while folding laundry.


I'm seriously considering ordering the book because I've tried for the last year and a half to change. We've been living together (married almost a year) for 3 years but it's only recent that I can agree I am a bit anal, controlling, and superior acting.

Are YOU guilty of being a superior wife? 

And the award for the worst toy goes to....

            The First Years 3-in-1 Kickin Coaster

After my post last week about the major toy overload it got me thinking to the worst toy I've bought since becoming a mom.

 This toy seemed like such a great idea when the email from came to me, but in hindsight it was a total waste of almost $80.

I think we used it 10 times, if that! Now it sits all lonely in a corner in his nursery. He uses it now more then when it was appropriate for his age!

If I'm in his room putting clothes away he'll get in it and stand up and start using the little toys as microphones. He does the same thing with the little bee car too.

I have a feeling though until he reaches the age of being able to tell me what he likes and doesn't like that I'll waste money on a lot of toys.

Often I'll be in Walmart, or Target or Toys R Us and looking to pick him up my customary "Mommy was out" gift and I'll stand in the toy aisle for like 20 minutes trying to figure out what to get him.

I'm not being biased when I say this, honestly I'm not. But Phoenix is very advanced for his age and so he's kind of in this "in between" stage with toys.

Most skills he's mastered and the ones he hasn't are much to far off.

Plus Phoenix has this "I'm waaaay to cool for toys mom" attitude.

Right now I have figured out two things he would be interested in, a broom and vacuum. He's obsessed with the broom and always wants to sweep and he loves my parents vacuum machine.

And nesting toys. His new thing is to go in the kitchen and get his cup and put the top on. I think it's his signal for juice. And he likes putting things inside other things. Like putting the grocery's back in the bag I just emptied.

So what was the worst toy YOU ever bought and what does YOUR little tot like to play with?

Silent Sunday-Yo Gabba What? Edition

 

Phoenix tested....Snack Trappers

One of my pet peeves is giving Phoenix snacks while he's walking around the house and them spilling out of the bowls and getting all crushed into the carpet and such.

I knew they made special containers for those but whenever I went to Target or Walmart I could never find them.

But while running errands last Friday we went to Babies R Us (same one we lost poor little Georgie at) and found the snack traps I had been looking for.

I thought the opening was too big and stuff would still be spilling out but to my surprise they totally didn't! The hole is big enough for your toddler to take your big bangle bracelet and stick it in the cup and still be able to get his goldfish!


I'll keep one in the house and one in the diaper bag. This also worked really well at church too because then I didn't have to spend 20 minutes gathering up crushed cheerios.




And bonus they are BPA free!

Earlier this week Phoenix was sitting on the counter while I getting his lunch ready (don't worry I was so close to him I could feel his breath on me!) and I looked away and when I turned back he had grabbed an apple out of the basket and was chomping on it!


He looked so cute eating it!


I gave him one yesterday while we watched Noggin and he would bite it, suck on it, and then spit out the skin!


So cute!

New Brand of Diaper

For the second time in less then a month I was changing Phoenix and I accidentally ripped off the tab!

The first time I just sucked it up and threw it out (yeah I know) but this time I was like "This is a perfectly good diaper!"

So I went to the kitchen and grabbed the painter tape we had lying around.

Nice aye? No reason to be wasteful :-) He still has it on 3 hours later so it seems to be working just fine.

 

Ouch! Bitten by the Fall bug

So I need some help. Samster Mommy posted last week that she'd been bitten by the "seasonal decorating" bug since having a baby.

And I have to totally agree with her. After Christmas last year I started dreaming of different ways to decorate for this Christmas. And now since Fall is so in the air I can't wait to put some pumpkins on the front porch, and make a fall wreath (I like the monogrammed one from Nesting Place), burn some fall scented candles bake apple pies and make fall centerpieces.

And today in my Google Reader Centsational Girl has a great fall canvas tutorial. I think I like it and want to do but I'm not 100% positive because I don't really know where I would put it. So I asked Shawn for his advice and he didn't help at all!

So head over to Centsational Girl and let me know what you think of the canvas print!

Top 10 Reasons I'm a bad mommy

My philosophy on blogging has always been to:

Be yourself. Be transparent.

Be random. Be you....regardless

So in that vain I'd like to be honest and make a post of the top 10 reasons that make me a very bad mommy.

10. I let my son sleep with blankets in his crib starting at about 4 or 5 months, completely ignoring the whole "no blankets! no bumpers! no nothing!" that other moms tend to follow. The good thing is. He's still alive and we've never had any problems....Well there was...

9. The time I went to check on him and his swaddle blanket was    wrapped on his head.....So for a bit I did stop that.

8. I let my son drink juice most of the day and always forget to give him water.

7. I just started remembering to brush his teeth daily.

6. I planned an over-the-top first birthday party, kept him up for hours, gave him an entire cake to himself, and completely "over-stimulated" him.

5. I'll probably let him keep his paci until he's 10. It's just a battle I don't want to fight. 

4. I let him play with pens. Yup. That's right. Writing pens. But only if the cap is on and I watch him like a hawk. Whatever it takes to keep him from screaming.


3. When he was a baby, baby, I would shower while he was on my bed. I did this until he was about 3 or 4 months old. He never went anywhere.

2. I let him watch as much TV as he wants.

1. We cuss around him and because of that yesterday he started saying "Bish, Bish"....any ideas what that word is?! Oy vey!

Phew! That feels so much better since I've gotten it off my chest!

::Putting on my shield and armor for the stones....::

What makes YOU bad a mommy?