I'm addicted

As if I need anything else to distract me from my daily responsibilities - and then I meet Pinterest.  Oh my.  Can we say addicted?  An endless gallery of inspiration that either keeps me daydreaming or puts my motivational drive in high gear.  The latter may not be such a bad thing, but ungluing myself from the computer is the first step in making these brilliant ideas a reality.

I have had an account for two days now and I am embarrassed to admit how much time I have spent browsing other users' boards and surfing the web for something of interest to "pin" to one of my boards.  I think it might be a sickness.  If you haven't yet checked it out, please proceed with caution.  By far, the most genius website EVER!  You can follow me too.

Mattie's Nursery Feature

Mattie's nursery was featured on Apartment Therapy's children's design blog, Ohdeedoh today.  How fitting since she will finally be here tomorrow.  Check out the nursery tour here.

Blog Book

I came across a website this morning where you can turn your blog into a book.  How ingenious is that?  For those of us attempting to keep a life journal of sorts this is a perfect option once you feel you've reached a point to produce a hard copy for your children, family members, etc.  I'm already in the habit of creating a photobook of each passing year, but to be able to have my day-to-day musings nicely organized on glossy pages would be pretty awesome.

My only question would be when is the right time to publish?  I guess it's possible to create a pregnancy journal.  Or maybe a journal pertaining to a baby's first year?  Robert suggests creating a book every 5 years starting with Volume 1 - I think I like this idea.  Whichever way chosen, it's a great option to have in order to pass along your memories.

A Registry of Sorts

With MJ's due date quickly approaching we have had several friends and family members ask about our needs as far as baby gear goes.  Because I saved almost everything for Evan we have most of what we need with a few exceptions.  I don't believe in registries after the first baby, so I thought I would list our few needs here to make it a little easier on those who are interested.

#1 Stroller

#2 Infant Car Seat

#3 Diaper Bag

(Thanks, Jess for the heads up on this bag-very functional.)

#4 Baby Wrap

#5 Swing

I realize these are larger items, but due to the demise of our other stroller and car seat, the fact that we borrowed a swing and had to give it back and my stupidity for never getting a real diaper bag in the first place - well, this is where we're left.  The baby wrap is more of a want because I witnessed how easy my sister-in-law carried around my niece and I told myself that I would have one of those for the next baby.

A Yearbook of Memories

I have over 90 albums in my photo gallery.  They are all organized and labeled making it extremely easy to find specific pictures and to view each album.  While this is all great, I still miss having an accessible album I can just whip out to show a family member or a friend.  So I made the decision last year that I would make a photobook for each passing year highlighting various events and family memories. 

My Publisher is the software I chose to use to design each book.  It is a free download and as user friendly as any program can be.  Because I was not very familiar with the program, my first book I would rate as "ok."  I missed out on using all the different picture configurations they have available so my pages are a bit boring and lacking diversity.  But the second book I think is much better.  I will certainly strive to mix it up each year and do different styles and layouts, but I'm just happy to have a hard copy on hand.  These are hardback books with dust jackets and glossy pages.  Take a look.

Volume I - July 2008 thru July 2009

Volume II - July 2009 thru July 2010

Nursery Design on a Budget

My friend Sarah, the designaholic (although she's certainly not in denial about that fact), took the time to put together various design elements to produce a fabulous nursery for MJ.  As we all know, the more money you're able to spend the more fabulous your designs can be - generally speaking of course.  The good majority of us however live on a budget and have to be somewhat realistic in our design choices.  As much as I would LOVE to just snap my fingers and have all of Sarah's findings make themselves at home in MJ's nursery - well, it just ain't gonna happen - I can quickly hang that one up.  But I have decided to challenge myself by following Sarah's design as closely as possible only finding budget friendly alternatives.  Here are the main components that Sarah chose:

 John Robshaw Textiles - Kochi Kashmir - Blockprinted Linens - Fabric
johnrobshaw.com

IKEA | Bedroom | Chests of drawers
$179 - ikea.com

Walmart.com: Baby Mod - Nursery Storage 4-Piece Bundle, Espresso:…
$356 - walmart.com

Shop Designer Rug Collection | Serena & Lily
serenaandlily.com

Weathered Wood Table Lamp | west elm
$179 - westelm.com

IKEA | PS MASKROS | Pendant lamp
$90 - ikea.com

Shop Beautiful Leather Moroccan Poufs | Serena & Lily
serenaandlily.com

GULLIVER
$100 - ikea.com

Custom Presidio Glider for Baby Nursery or Kids Room | Serena & Lily
$949 - serenaandlily.com

curvee shelf - Storage - House Eclectic
houseeclectic.com

Rubie Green East Village fabric
rubiegreen.com

scalloped mirror
pbteen.com

The grand total of this nursery design is roughly $3500 - and this excludes the extra accessories.  I wouldn't be able to afford to give birth to MJ if I threw down that kind of money for her nursery.  Luckily, we already have the crib and the dresser which Sarah included in her mock up.  I've already acquired a few alternative pieces, but I will reveal the budget friendly nursery in its entirety when I have completed my search.

Let's also keep in mind that Evan's big boy room is currently underway too - so I can't put enough stress on the word budget.  Not to mention the guest bedroom.  The rest of the house is somewhat in order - needs some more accessories here and there, but the major components are there.

OK - it's on.

From Chevron Art to Robots

I'm one of those suckers that will read about projects that appear so easy to accomplish but find out quickly that things aren't as easy as they seem.  Which brings me to this project - DIY Chevron Art

The platform bed in our guest bedroom was screaming for a piece of horizontal art to be hung above the headboard.  I looked into various prints and paintings but just couldn't find something that I really liked and that I felt was affordable.  In my search I did come across a DIY art project on the blog Decor8 that I thought would be perfect.  All it involved was a canvas, a tube of acrylic paint and some painter's tape.  The steps were as easy as marking the chevron stencil onto the canvas, taping the points that you marked and then painting the remainder of the canvas - voila!  It's art.  Here was the final product on the blog...

Being as imperfect as I am, my pattern followed suit.  Marking the pattern and then applying the tape within the marks proved to be a difficult task for me.  After trying again and again and failing I finally decided to just free hand it and be happy with an imperfect piece - that's real art anyway, right?  So without further ado...

There she is in all her wondrous glory!  The imperfections make me smile - they really do.  But with a great sale at Michael's it cost me only $20 to make this bad girl and that is all the perfection I need.

Evan's "big boy" room is also underway.  I will post some pictures of that ongoing project as well.  The design inspiration for his room comes from the Land of Nod's Robo-Bedding.

Cheers to Three Years

It is so unlike me to wait this long to recognize such an important milestone in my marriage, but there was good reason for the delay.  Robert and I celebrated our third anniversary on June 9th.  Because the special day fell on a Wednesday, we decided we would wait until the following Saturday to celebrate.  It's sometimes disappointing to have to do that because it feels like some of the luster is lost once the "real" day has passed.  Robert must have sensed my feelings on that because he made sure to make Saturday as special as one day can possibly be.  I felt like were only dating again -  and I was just as smitten as I was almost 9 years ago.

We have never left Evan with a babysitter before, but in order for us to do anything, finding someone to watch him was the first necessary obstacle to tackle.  Robert planned our evening to be a surprise which means he also took the responsibility of calling and interviewing babysitters.  Knowing that I would be a nervous wreck about having a stranger watch Evan, he was extremely particular about who he chose for the final interview - the final interview being, yours truly, of course.  Mama don't play around! 

Caitlin came to the house prepared to hang out with me for about an hour to make sure I was comfortable leaving my child in her hands.  She was very sweet and seemed intelligent and responsible.  Her resume was quite extensive in childcare and it was a plus that she was in her 20's and not a high school kid just looking for gas money.  Evan seemed equally pleased with our choice so we were out the door for our first real date since his birth!

As  we headed down the road Robert handed me a card addressed very cleverly to My "Sexy" Wife.  I opened the card to find movie tickets to the new Sex in the City film.  I laughed because I knew it took a great deal of soul searching for Robert to not only be seen buying these tickets, but to then be seen walking into the theater.  He was happy to spot several other men in the audience - I'm sure all doing there best to appease their wives.  (A real quick review:  not nearly as good as the first movie, but still got a few good laughs out of it thanks to Samantha.)

After the movie we got back into the car and Robert handed me another card for "Phase II" of our date.  The card implied food and drinks so I knew we were off to a great dinner - and great doesn't sufficiently describe the dinner we had.  Robert chose a Brazilian restaurant called Rioz that was unbelievably delicious.  Not only was the food fantastic, but the whole concept provided a memorable experience.  We ate like royalty, meaning anything you want and however much you want.  I felt like I was carrying triplets when I walked out of there. 

Thinking the night was coming to a perfect close, Robert hands me my third and final card.  "Phase III" of the date simply stated It's Showtime.  I opened the card and found a pair of tickets to Cirque du Soleil Adrenaline.  And just when I thought my perma-grin couldn't get any wider Robert managed to pull this number out of his bag of goodies.  I love all areas of the performing arts, but I've wanted to see one of these shows so terribly bad.    All I can say about the performance is ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE.  We walked out of there wondering if the extortionists even had spines - or if the acrobats were really superheroes of some kind.

I'm not gonna lie - I was exhausted by the time "Phase III" came to a close.  That was the most entertainment/stimulation I've had in almost three years.  But it was also one of the happiest times to date.  I felt reconnected to my husband on a more intimate level and finally got a glimpse of that "other" me that I used to know before I became a mother.  I realized that date night is an absolute necessity - not only to appreciate my marriage, but to appreciate being more than just a mom.  I wanted to give our babysitter a big fat kiss on the lips when we got home, but decided I couldn't risk scaring her off this soon.  I just made sure she would be available this summer instead.

Thank you to my very charming and thoughtful husband.  Here's to three wonderful years.  I love you more than you know.

Soarin' and Explorin'

Get a glimpse of Robert's new summer hangout - let's just say it's a far cry from a suit and tie and hours at a computer responding to an overwhelming number of corporate emails.  For the first time Robert may have a better tan than me.

Evan REALLY likes to visit Dada at work now.  In fact, I have to deal with a tantrum every time we say goodbye.

 (By the way, the scab beneath Evan's nose was from one of his rambunctious incidents - never saw it happen and never heard him cry - it's a mystery.)

Wish List

I have a closet full of baby gear that I've been storing for the arrival of baby number two.  It can get very expensive purchasing all the things "they" say you need so I made sure to hang on to everything to prevent any outrageous purchases.  I did find however that the few items we frequently used are either extremely worn or damaged.  Because we used them so much with Evan I know we will again use them for the next baby.  Which brings me to my very short wish list:

When Evan was an infant I kept my sanity by going on daily walks with him in his stroller.  His infant carrier snapped right into the stroller and away we went - sometimes twice a day.  This hasn't changed now that he's a big boy.  We still stroll around the neighborhood quite frequently.  Basically, my stroller has been through the ringer.  The wheels aren't very stable anymore and its maneuvering is much more difficult now.  That is why I am now looking at a double stroller.  This particular one is a sit and stand.  There are several different positions for the seats, which I like a lot.  Evan can ride in the front and I can have an infant carrier in the back.  When the baby is old enough to ride in a regular seat, they can both ride one behind the other or the baby can ride up front and Evan can stand on the back platform.  It's very versatile.

Baby Trend Double Sit N Stand - Green Tea

Our infant carrier also took quite a beating.  Between frequent attempts to soothe crying by driving Evan around and many long trips in the stroller the carrier now appears to have seen better days.  I also attempted to wash and dry the covering and it seems drying was not such a smart choice.  In its now shrunken state, the cover can not fit over the frame.  A new infant seat is a must have.

Baby Trend Columbia Infant Car Seat - Green/ Gray

Please note:  If you're noticing a pattern with the Baby Trend brand it's because I need to be sure the new infant carrier will fit into the bases we already have (our last carrier was Baby Trend) and the Baby Trend carrier will, without question, fit into the Baby Trend stroller - so there ya go.

We also used our pack n play like it was going out of style.  Evan slept in it as an infant the first four months.  We also took it with us everywhere we went just in case he needed a nap.  All the traveling and use really took a toll and one of the support legs finally broke and we aren't able to use it anymore.  One thing we learned too is that we have no need for the fancy schmancy ones.  All those extras ended up in a random closet.  We definitley plan to use a more simplistic version for the second baby.  

Safety 1st Travel Ease Deluxe Play Yard - Alphabet Soup

I'm sure if we find out we're having a girl I'll have other pretty little things dancing around in my head that I'll want to purchase, but at this point I'm trying to be realistic in what we know we'll need.  I also now know that the more expensive brands don't always have the best products - which is why I live at Target. :)