How are you reading this?

Do most of you read blogs on your phone or on the computer or ipad? It is bugging me that I can't fix my blog layout. I'm debating switching to a different website. If you all read in mobile and want me to stay at this website I might be persuaded.

Praying

I've wanted to start a couple posts about feeding your kids or weird things to avoid when pregnant but I think I might go in another direction today.

Part of me is bummed that there hasn't been a great response in the comment form on the super mom posts. Giving moms advice is what I'm passionate about. Makes me feel like no one is reading this and maybe I should just get back to writing for myself.

Something that has been on my heart and mind a lot lately is church. Awhile ago I mentioned that I found out two people I adore go to the same church and it is in our town and has services that we could easily attend. One of the friends that goes to the church has a little boy Chase's age. For my mommy heart I wanted to go to church when they went so there was a familiar face for Chase when we left him in daycare. I was really tempted to go one Sunday morning when I knew they were going but Chase slept in until 8 or 8:30 and I knew we weren't going to make it to church by 9.

Then I found out other friends of ours are actually going to be starting a church. This is something I think I would be allowed to get pretty involved with. But I'm hesitating. There have been discussions about this church being 25- 35 mins away. In a few years we plan to move more like 10-20 mins away. 35 minutes doesn't seem like all that far but I want to get involved with MOPS which is usually a morning activity and that would mean Chase would probably fall asleep in the car and he hasn't been transferring well lately. It just seems far. So I'm praying for answers with all this right now.

I have faith. I prayed for 4 years that we would move back to northern california and we are here. I've prayed for my husband and my child and those prayers were answered.

My prayer is that our family gets involved with a church. As I mentioned before I want to be involved with MOPS. We want Chase to go to Sunday school. I would love to find a church with a preschool that Chase could go to. I want Hubby to play softball.

I know God knows my heart and hears my prayers but I also felt like maybe typing it and putting it out into the universe might help.

Super Mom Shannon!

This week I'm so excited for our Super Mom Shannon from Life After I "Dew"! I think I've introduced you all to Shannon a time or two!

Introduce yourself. How many kids do you have? What are their ages? Are you a stay at home mom or working mom? Anything else we should know?

Well hello all you beautiful people! I'm Shannon, a 30{ish} (how did I miss you turning 30? Dying to know how you celebrated that milestone since mine isn't too far away and I've got it on the brain after Hubby's party this weekend) years young mama to one beautiful two year old girl, Kendall. I am married for three years to my best friend, Jimmy. And for you math whizzes out there, that means we got pregnant soon after we tied the knot, like the month after. I am a former working mama turned stay-at-home-mom and although I wouldn't have it any other way, this is the hardest job I've ever taken on. 

1. Do you follow a cleaning schedule? We want to know how often you mop the floors, clean appliances, windows, etc.

I WISH! OMG I have pinned numerous cleaning schedules to follow and even put a cleaning lady on my Christmas list {two years in a row} and somehow neither one of those things have happened. I clean when I feel like things need cleaned. Sometimes I'll be sitting down to catch up on the DVR and catch a glimpse of the wood floors in the sunlight and realize it's been days, weeks, months {yes, months} since they have been steamed and I'll steam them. Other times it's like, "OMG we are having company, better clean the toilets!". I do every day stuff, well, every day. I tidy up, sweep, pick up toys, dust, laundry on a fairly regular basis. But things like appliances, windows, and baseboards/trim? Forgettaboutit! I barely do those things twice a year, if I'm lucky.

2. When do you do the following chores and where are your kids and what are they doing?:

a. Dishes

b. Vacuum

c. Dust and clean appliances (what products do you use?)

When I'm cleaning it's usually throughout the day. A lot of times when Kendall is eating I'm putting away dishes or cleaning up from whatever I just made for her to eat. She is at the age where she likes to "help" and so when I do chores like putting the dishes/laundry away I let her get involved. That usually means letting her put the the Tupperware type stuff in a cupboard she can easily access and/or put the clothes from the washer into the dryer. Vacuuming has become a little harder recently because she so badly wants to help but it's not really something that she can help with just yet (get her a dust buster for Christmas! Chase loves to dust buster! I also give him a turn on the big one some times too.)  Dusting is my easy chore as it doesn't take too long and I can usually do it while she's watching an episode of Veggie Tales or down for a nap. I typically use the easy and convenient dust wipes (need to get some of these!) that are ready to go and are a mom's dream come true. My go to cleaning product is Clorox wipes and Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. Those two products are really all you need to get any job done. That and a good steam mop (it's on my Christmas list!)!

d. Grocery store

Kendall accompanies me to the grocery store 98% of the time. It's hard,I hate it. She doesn't like to sit in the cart anymore, instead she prefers to push it. I miss the days when the grocery store used to have the kid sized carts. At this point it's just easier to let her "push" it and honestly she does a pretty decent job and the reaction we get from other shoppers is quite adorable (that's so cute!). It may take longer to get through the entire store but at least we're not fighting.

e. Other errands

Kendall is pretty much with me when I am doing anything. It makes a "quick Target trip" seem like a chore and therefore I often find myself questioning whether it's REALLY necessary because, let's face it, taking a toddler to Target is hardly fun.

f. Exercise

IF I exercise it's when she's alseep, whether it's a nap or after she goes to bed for the night. Exercising while The Toddler is awake is not an option these days. Instead she wants to get on the treadmill with me and thinks she's perfectly capable of lifting 8lb weights. I did try to do a dance video on the Wii with her a few weeks ago and she thought that was super fun and mama was able to burn a few calories (such a good idea! I keep saying I'm going to try to do yoga when Chase is awake because I figure he will either keep playing with his toys or try to do it with me).

g. Blog

h. Relax

Blogging & relaxing are things I have to do when there is no sign of a toddler for a long time aka at night. I have said it a million times before, and it's true, I do not sit down until she goes to bed at night. Until then it's constant playing, cleaning up, filling sippy cups, getting snacks, watching Dora. During nap is when I usually answer emails, catch up on my blog material, and any other online things but to truly RELAX, I have to wait till night time.

3. Is your house always visitor ready? If someone rang the doorbell right now and wanted to take a tour of your house would there be any rooms you were embarrassed about? Take a picture and show us! Good or bad we want to see!

I'd say yes, our house is always visitor ready. There may be a puzzle and the centerpiece on the coffee table may be ready to fall to the ground but I'm happy to say I'd be perfectly comfortable if someone rang my doorbell, right now. The playroom is always a mess, always. I clean, clean it about once a month but as far as putting the toys away, every day, that doesn't happen. I used to pick them up every day during nap and then again at night but now I realize how useless that is. So it's pretty much a mess, always, and that's OK with me. The rest of the house? I'd totally be willing to give a tour of.

 

4. Are you always visitor ready? If someone rang the doorbell right now is your hair perfectly styled, make up and pin worthy outfit on? Take a picture and show us! Good or bad we want to see!

Me? OMG no way! Unless it's Wednesday {we go to Story Time at 10 am} or Thursday {we have a Create & Play group} I'm probably not showered and my hair is greasy enough to fry chicken. I'll probably have yesterdays makeup under my eyes and my husbands sweatpants on. So yeah...

 

5. What time do you wake up? What time do your kids wake up? What time do you go to bed? I don’t want to know what time your kids go to bed because it takes me forever to get mine to go to sleep by 8:30!

Since I put tin foil on Kendall's window she sleeps until 8-9, can I get an "AMEN!"? From the woman who used to pray for a 7 a.m. wake up, this is huge! Depending on if we have something to do early in the morning I wake up when Kendall does. If we have plans to do something in the morning I'll wake up around 7:30 so that I can shower and start getting ready before she gets up but otherwise I wait until I hear her to get up. On those days I will wait to shower during nap time. As for bed time, I used to go to bed between 9-10, religiously. These days it's more like 11-12 and Kendall goes to bed between 8-8:30.

 

6. When do you blog?

I usually blog in advance. I am a huge blog post scheduler and I feel better when I have them scheduled to post at least a day in advance. That doesn't always happen though. I blog when I can. Some days that happens before Kendall wakes up {if I so happen to get up before her and have enough time to chug coffee}. Some times I blog during nap time if I feel so inclined and then most of the time I blog at night, after she's off in dream land. Some days I will write multiple posts and other days I have nothing. Just depends.

 

7. When do you shower?

Again, this depends on the day. If it's Wednesday or Thursday I will shower bright and early around 7:30-8. The other days I don't shower usually until nap time, around 1-2. That is obviously subject to change if we have a play date or need to run to Target. 

 

8. How often do you do laundry? Do you always fold and put away right away?

Laundry, laundry, laundry. I swear if I could hire someone JUST to do laundry it'd be worth every cent. I hate it. I am like Jessica Simpson, I don't mind washing & drying but I hate putting away.   (This is why I love Shannon! Fellow Jessica Simpson fan club member and hater of laundry!) I am notorious for leaving baskets of clean, folded laundry around for days, heck, even weeks. But when I do put away it takes all of 2.5 seconds and then I'm like, "that wasn't so bad!" and wonder why I waited so long in the first place.

 

9. How often do you make dinner? Do you eat together as a family?

Oh this varies. My husband started a new schedule about 2 months ago forcing us to eat dinner at a drastically different time than we were/are used to. That being said, I don't make dinner as much as I used to either. I try to make dinner more nights than I don't make it. I hate to report that due to this new schedule we don't usually eat together either. We typically eat the same thing but we don't eat it together. 

 

10. How often do you have fun with your kids? Park, out of the home activity, in the home activity?

Every week we have at least 2 days where we are guaranteed two activities outside of the home. We go to our local library for story time on Wednesdays and we have friends there that we hang out with for a good half hour {or more] afterward. Thursdays our parks & rec center puts on a a "create & play" class for 2-5 year olds that lasts for an hour and there is a craft, story time, sport, snack, etc included. Randomly we'll do things like go to Chuck-E-Cheese or the park or our kids science museum but that's on a "need" basis. At home I try to do something fun every day. That doesn't always happen. Some times it means we bake cookies, other days we'll get out the Play-Doh, or even attempt some fancy Pinterest idea. I wish I were more crafty and could think of something fun and creative to do every hour of every day but, quite frankly, that's just not possible. 

 

Thanks so much for doing this Shannon!

The League Party

We had a great afternoon/evening celebrating Hubby's 30th! He had no idea the theme was going to be his favorite tv show "The League". When he saw the sign on our front door that said, "The League celebrates Curtis' 30th" he was confused. Everything made sense once he saw all the stuff in our house.

I made a MyFace wall for him. He doesn't have a facebook account so it was perfect to post messages from friends on. I printed instagram pictures from kanvess.com to put on his wall too.Do you see the Naginta on the table by his MyFace wall?

I also printed a picture of a 3 penis wine cup and taped it onto a bottle of wine. I had to make a Shiva.

I made Chase a Chalupa Batman t-shirt from fibers.com

On the bathroom I put a sign that said Tinker Stinker.

On the menu was apples and grapes, chips and salsa and guacamole, and chips and clam dip. We also made bagel bites and chicken taquitos.

We also asked everyone to bring a 6 pack of their favorite microbrew beer or international beer. We did a beer tasting and voted for the beer we liked the best. The winner won a $5 grocery store gift card! Wahoo! Shocktop pumpkin ale won btw. I don't really like pumpkin stuff and it was pretty good! Tasted like October!

Mommy Brain Mixer and Super Mom #2! Jen!

Welcome to week 18 of the Mommy-Brain Mixer, ladies!

Last week we had 70 link-ups! Please help spread the word so the Mixer keeps on growing!

Before we get started, I have some awesome news!

The Mommy-Brain Mixer is taking on two more permanent hosts!

Please welcome Cassie from Live.Laugh.L0ve and Julie from From Awkward to Art! 

If you haven't noticed, one of our favorite things to do is to share stories about motherhood and our littles. One of our favorite things about sharing these stories is your comments with stories of your own children!

Welcome to...

At the Mommy-Brain Mixer, we will be linking up our writings about anything and everything motherhood!

We want to see funny posts, serious posts, sweet & sappy stories, mommy-brain episodes, memories from when your older children were younger, thoughts & lessons learned, and anything related to motherhood or little people. You know that post you wrote yesterday about your teething baby? Or that hilarious post you wrote about your 2nd grader's school play? Those are perfect, so link 'em up! 

The Mommy-Brain Mixer is the perfect place to find some great new blogs to follow, make some wonderful new blog friends, and enjoy some entertaining new reads!

To make things even more fun, our friend Mar, over at Raising Bean, is hosting a sister link-up for you to join, too!

Head on over there after your finished here and link up your recipes, DIY, arts & crafts, and sensory activities!  

Let's get to it, friends!

 

RULES:

1.Follow your hosts 

{the first three in the linky}:

 Cassie from Two In Diapers

Cassie from Live.Laugh.L0ve

Julie from From Awkward To Art

If you are new to the Mixer, please leave us a comment so we know to follow you back! We try to get around to all the posts but, as the Mixer is growing, there are some weeks that we are not able!

2. Follow your co-hosts

This week's lovely co-hosts {the next 3 on the linky} are:

Meg from Megs 7827

Jennifer from Pushing The Lemons

Ana from Mommy's Bundle

3. Link up your mommy post!

4. Make sure to visit some of the blogs in the link-up and maybe even follow them!

{and comments are always loved} 

5. Tweet about the Mommy-Brain Mixer to help spread the word! 

Tweet  

6. Grab this adorable button and place it somewhere on your blog!

 

 <a href="http://www.two-in-diapers.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i523.photobucket.com/albums/w351/laurenjh04/Gracie%20Marie/mommybrain-mixer200.png" /></a><br/>

7. Don't forget to check back throughout the week, as we gain many new links throughout the week!

If you are interested in co-hosting a Mommy-Brain Mixer, send me an email at twoindiapers@gmail.com!

Like my blog? Don't forget to vote for us! One click on the banner below = one vote for our blog, and you can even vote daily to keep us at the top!

I am again so excited for Super Mom this week! Our 2nd Super Mom is Jen. I think Jen and I met in a facebook mom group. I have to admit that I have been bad about reading her blog. We mostly chat on twitter. So I feel kind of stupid to realize we have so much in common! Also bummed I never got to meet her when we were living in SD or when we visited. Next time!

Hi!  I’m Jen from Leilaland.  I’m a thirty-five year old mother, wife, sister, teacher, daughter, and friend. I grew up in the Midwest and have chosen to live my adult life in sunny San Diego.

My daughter, Leila, turned two at the end of September.  Just weeks before her birthday we found out we were expecting again (surprise!).  This March, Leila’s world will be rocked by the birth of her baby brother.

I was laid off from my teaching job after eleven years in June 2011. (I didn't know that! Stupid California laying off great teachers!) I never planned to be a stay-at-home mom and am slowly finding peace within my new temporary role. Lazy mornings, toddler play-dates, picnics at the park, making new friends, stopping to smell the flowers, and wearing yoga pants never felt so good!

I am far from perfect, and not even close to super.  I am learning to live in the moment,  enjoy the little things, and laugh at myself along the way.

1.      Do you follow a cleaning schedule? We want to know how often you mop the floors, clean appliances, windows, etc.

I use to follow a rigid cleaning schedule, while Leila napped, thinking it would keep me sane.  After keeping up with it for about three months, I ditched it all together and now clean way less often than I should.  I want to bring the schedule back, but at the same time wonder if I should even bother knowing I’ll have a newborn keeping me busy soon.

I try to do the major chores one time a week (bathroom, dust, vacuum, floors) but sometimes I skip the dusting and floors.  Since we are renters, I don’t do windows (neither does anyone else so they are BAD) or clean appliances like the oven.  I don’t let the microwave get dirty and clean the fridge when it’s empty before a big shopping trip.

2.      When do you do the following chores and where are your kids and what are they doing?:

a.      Dishes- I do dishes daily after each meal.  I eat so fast, that most of the dishes are done before Leila and Jeff are even finished eating.  I load the dishwasher and have to run and empty it every other day.  This is a chore I can do while Leila is playing. (so only 6 more months and Chase won't be trying to climb in the dishwasher? or is this a boy thing?)
b.      Vacuum- I vacuum weekly, if not twice a week.  I vacuum while Leila naps and then do her room with her help later in the day. (I can't believe another mom that vacuums when their kid sleeps! Should I dare try it? Nah, I like that he helps me vacuum!)
c.      Dust and clean appliances (what products do you use?)- I hate dusting.  I don’t like moving all our things to dust (maybe I should just get rid of some stuff!)  I use Endust and an old rag to dust.  If I do dust I do it during nap time.
d.      Grocery store- I love saving money so I plan my trips according to the sales.  I go either Thursday afternoon or Friday (for the special deals).  I take Leila with me most of the time.  She loves to play pretend “shopping” and is a good little helper.  Because my list is so exact, it doesn’t take us long in the store.
e.      Other errands- Jeff and I share the Target runs.  I end up making too many impulse buys when I go, so I prefer him to go.  Again, if it’s me doing the shopping, Leila is tagging along,
f.       Exercise- Exercise is a must for me.  (I realized this when I was restricted early in this second pregnancy.)  I run 3 mornings a week, usually pushing the stroller.  I do a strength training DVD during naptime 1x a week and 1x a week I do the same DVD with my sister when she gets home from work.  Leila just hangs out when I workout with my sister and tries to do what we do.  One afternoon I get together with my friend and we just walk, with Leila, to the local Farmers’ Market.  My goal is to workout 6 days a week! 
g.      Blog- I blog at naptime.  I stopped blogging at night in favor of spending more quality time with my husband.  I comment less often than I want to, but do the best I can, when I can.
h.      Relax- Ha!  I do relax while watching television in the evening before bed. I do consider naptime my relaxation time, even though I seem to do 100 things in those three hours!

3.      Is your house always visitor ready? If someone rang the doorbell right now and wanted to take a tour of your house would there be any rooms you were embarrassed about? Take a picture and show us! Good or bad we want to see!

It’s visitor ready…enough.  Our apartment is so tiny it looks cluttered no matter how clean it is.  It always looks like a toddler lives here since we have no playroom.  I feel like I am constantly picking up after her (and my husband)!

However, I would not always want the surprise visitor to use the bathroom, and they definitely are not allowed in our bedroom.  It’s the dumping ground for everything that doesn’t have a place.  So embarrassing!  See this corner of our room…craft supplies, Christmas gifts, things to go into the attic, full laundry baskets, and a toddler destroyed the bookshelf.  (I could just hug you for sharing this!)

4.      Are you always visitor ready? If someone rang the doorbell right now is your hair perfectly styled, make up and pin worthy outfit on? Take a picture and show us! Good or bad we want to see!

Me?  Visitor ready?  Depends on the day and time.  If I am wearing a bra then it’s all good.  This is how I typically look…no make-up, ponytail, and wearing basic comfortable clothing.  I change into comfortable clothing and take off my jewelry the minute I get home from an outing. (I can't believe you look like this with no make-up on!)

 

 

5.      What time do you wake up? What time do your kids wake up? What time do you go to bed? I don’t want to know what time your kids go to bed because it takes me forever to get mine to go to sleep by 8:30!

I wake up around 6:45 and Leila gets up between 7:00 and 7:30.  I am in bed before 10 (closer to 9:30) most nights.  I am DONE by the end of the day…just useless.

6.      When do you blog?

I work on my blog at naptime or not at all.  I am okay with posting as few as 2 posts a week if necessary but lately I’ve been posting Monday-Friday.  I like to be ahead of the schedule so sometimes I work on writing posts on the weekends too.

7.      When do you shower?

My showers vary between naptime and after dinner.  Depends on what I have going on the next day and what kind of workout I did earlier.

8.      How often do you do laundry? Do you always fold and put away right away?

Laundry gets done about 3 days a week.  I do one load at a time.  My husband does his own laundry which really helps.  It’s usually folded and put away the same day because there is just no room for it otherwise.

9.      How often do you make dinner? Do you eat together as a family?

I follow a loose meal plan and cook almost every night of the week.  We eat dinner together as a family as long as Jeff gets home at a decent hour.  Otherwise I ditch the meal plan and Leila and I eat something simple for dinner before Jeff gets home.  Those nights Jeff is on his own for dinner.  Luckily he is happy with frozen pot pies or leftovers.

10.   How often do you have fun with your kids? Park, out of the home activity, in the home activity?

We are busy with out-of-the-house activities every morning before nap.  We go to the park, the zoo, the library, a mommy and me preschool, a kid-centered play place, and a play gym.  Sometimes we schedule attend scheduled play-dates or just meet up with one friend for a different type of adventure.  Our afternoons are mostly used for running errands and playing at home. (So jealous of all your fun morning stuff!)

Rotating toys 18 month old

Some of you might remember my original post about rotating toys for Chase. Super mom and blog friend, Jen. Recently discovered the joy of toy rotation. We are both obsessed with the little stories blog and her toy rotation concept! Jen was asking me for advice on twitter which I love btw and it motivated me to reorganize.

I've been home with Chase for 2 weeks so things have gotten unorganized. My dad is watching him tomorrow and rain is predicted so I figured I better rotate the toys so they have "new" fun stuff to do tomorrow.

Things have changed a little from my first post too. In my first post Chase had a play area at every level of our tri level house. Now he pretty much hangs out on the main level. I recently cleared out the cabinet underneath our tv so there would be a place to put all his toys away. We try to make time after dinner and before bath for toy clean up time. Trying to get him in the habit now!

Since I hadn't rotated toys for a couple weeks a lot of the toys had migrated to the main level. So pickings were a little slim. Here's what he will wake up to tomorrow:

The top shelf is books. On the left are the 4 board books we checked out from the library the last time we were there. I always get 4 that way I know how many to search for when it is time to return. I put a couple board books and one regular paged book. I have to make sure my dad knows to watch Chase with the regular book so pages don't get ripped. Boys! Underneath that shelf is the thinking toys. A shape shorter, puzzle and connecting block things. Under that is the moving shelf a turtle that makes noise with balls in it, a basketball and that big thing on the ground is kind of like a keyboard. Bottom shelf is pretending toys a tractor, construction truck ramp, and a bear.

In the picture below you can kind of see where the cabinet is. It is under the tv.

Jen also asked for advice about storing the out of rotation toys. We have cabinets next to our bed and the one on my side of the bed is dedicated to the out of rotation toys. Top shelf is thinking toys (blocks, stacking rings, puzzles). Middle shelf is moving toys (bats, balls, musical toys). It also has some random stuff like my breast pump and a box of kleenex. Bottom shelf is books and pretending toys (stuffed animals, tool box, groceries, hats, a phone).

See, it is next to the bed. Most of his books are in here and I sometimes have that chair in there for me to put things away and Chase will get on it and pick out books to read in bed.

He is alseep right now so I'm not going to go in his room and take a picture of his bookshelf. We have two books from the library a mother goose book and a king arthur book along with two books we own on it. Those are his bedtime books that he gets to pick from to red before bed. Let me know if you have any questions on toy rotation or book rotation!

'Tis the season right?

I know things are craptastic around here. I'm trying to con people into helping me fix this heaping pile for free. I'm getting close to paying for it to be pretty again. Maybe I'll put it on my Christmas list.

Tune in Thursday for another Super Mom!

Today I was reading blogs and my bud Kristen is hosting an auction for my other pal Heather's son Brayden. I think most of the bloggers know Brayden and Heather. If you can donate anything to help raise some money so they can get a van for Brayden that would be awesome! I have to come up with something to donate...

What we've been up to! I'll give you a hint, it isn't folding laundry!

I felt like updating you all on what we have been up to instead of folding laundry today.

 

I took Chase to parent/tot pool time at an indoor pool here in town today. Chase loved watching the other kids swimming. He was a little unsure at first and then went down the slide and we practiced all the things he learned at swimming lessons. We will be going back next month. I'm afraid he will develop a fear of the pool in the cool winter and spring months so I want to take him to the indoor pool every once in awhile.

I painted the, "No one will ever know the strength of my love for you..." quote on the canvas. I need to figure out how to do the ribbon so I can hang it.

Chase is no longer allowed to play on the computer.

 

Chase is still adorable and a big helper!

I'm still kicking butt in our fantasy league!

The toothpaste was missing for 3 days (don't worry we had back ups). Chase pulled it out of my dresser drawer.

Chase is due for another haircut.

Chase has been a little sick and his molars might have been bugging him but he was having a tough time going to bed the other night. Like after an hour I told Hubby it was his turn, bad. Once he was finally asleep I settled down on the couch and checked facebook. My friend from college posted a link to this blog. Immediately I felt bad for losing my patience with Chase. As I kept reading I think I said something out loud and Hubby asked what I was reading so I shared it with him. We both felt so awful for this family. Then as I was reading the blog I recognized a face. I realized that the mother of this sweet boy was a former roommate of my friend from college and I literally just broke down in tears. For some reason when it is someone you have had drinks with that was always very sweet to you, it just hits you a little harder. They have been on my mind and heart and in my prayers since I found out. Jacob went to Heaven last week. He won't ever be forgotten and has changed a lot of lives.

This post is no longer true. TMI? Probably.

We took pics for our Christmas cards and they turned out so cute! I just adore my little family!

First Super Mom! Ashley!

I'm so excited for our first Super Mom, my pal Ashley. My hope with this weekly feature is that we can all join together and support one another. I think we are comparing ourselves to other moms and in our minds they have it all together. Now once a week you can come here and see that most moms don't have it all together. We can also give each other tips on how to get it all done. So cheers to the Super Mom!  
Super Mom Questions  

Introduce yourself. How many kids do you have? What are their ages? Are you a stay at home mom or working mom? Anything else we should know?

 HI Meg's readers!  I am Ashley. I have been married to my Kiwi husband for 5.5 years. (that means he is from New Zealand).  We have one spunky daughter, Anika, and she is 19 months old.  She has been an easy child from the start...symptomless pregnancy, pretty easy natural birth and a happy baby. Before you hate me, I gained a RIDICULOUS amount of weight and it took me a ton of hard work and a year to get it off and Im still over weight.   I only wanted one child, but after her, I'm willing to do it all again (My husband really wants another!)  I work outside of the home in an office 40 hours a week. I don't look it, but I exercise 5 times a week- its my mental medicine.  We live in New Hampshire- pretty rural.

1. Do you follow a cleaning schedule? We want to know how often you mop the floors, clean appliances, windows, etc. 
I do not. The only thing I do daily is dishes and laundry. I will not go to bed if there is laundry to be folded and put away.  We cloth diaper so I wash diapers every other day and then I line  dry them (inside when its cold or rainy).  I have never bought a disposable diaper. We are pretty frugal.  The rest of the house, I just clean as I see things that need to be done or when I have time. Every night after my daughter goes to bed, I do SOME kind of cleaning- vacuuming, bathrooms, etc. I get distracted easily so Its usually just a little bit of this or that. My husband and I share most responsibilities. I do a lot more house chores though, because I NEED a clean house.  He works away during the week so he helps out a lot on weekends when he is around.  The cleanest room in the house is always Anika's. I have her pick up her room every night before she goes to bed. I LOVED that room after we made it a nursery,  while I waited for her arrival -it was so clean and peaceful, so I try to keep it that way, even when other rooms are messy.  I have Anika help me with chores. She helps put her clean laundry away and she puts her dirty clothes in the hamper. She helps hang her wet diapers on the drying rack if she is awake when I do it.

2. When do you do the following chores and where are your kids and what are they doing?:

a. Dishes- whenever we have dishes... Anika is usually in the kitchen with me/us.

b. Vacuum- usually after she goes to bed or on weekends when she is out playing with dad.

c. Dust and clean appliances (what products do you use?)  Eh, I hate dusting. I use a Swiffer duster when I actually do it. I use a water and vinegar mixture I made  for windows and mirrors. We have hard water so we get blue spots on the sinks- vinegar cleans that right up too.  I make an all purpose spray I use on counters. I have a little stainless steel wipe I use on the fridge.

d. Grocery store- I go grocery shopping every weekend. The store is 25 minutes away from where we live.  I ALWAYS bring Anika with me, even when Dad wants her to stay home. Due to the fact I am away from her all week, I like to do everything with her when I am not working. I still really enjoy taking her shopping with me. She is still my little buddy. As the tantrums start, I fear this will end, but I'm staying optimistic!

e. Other errands- Same as above- I love to do errands with her. I usually plop her in my sling when I'm in and out of the car and running into a lot of stores. We cant walk to stores around here.

f. Exercise- Monday and Friday mornings I do spin. Wednesday Mornings I walk/run on treadmill. Tuesday night I do Tabata and Thursday night I do a Tabata/Bootcamp class. (The truth is- I often skip Thursday nights :))  We are generally active on weekends just being outside.

g. Blog- Ugh, Not much anymore. I blog at night after Anika goes to bed, after my cleaning.  I started answering these questions Wednesday night this week and its now Sunday and Anika is out playing with dad as I finish these!

h. Relax- After Anika goes to bed...on week days I work on projects or watch TV on line. ON weekends, hang out with my hubby after she goes to bed.  We do go out to eat at least once a weekend (with Anika). ON weekends, my husband takes Anika to do things outside. This morning they took an hour long walk while I was sleeping. One day of the weekend, he sleeps in and I get up with Anika. The other day of the weekend, he gets up. He slept in yesterday and I took her out grocery shopping and errands. This morning, I slept in and he took her outside and for a walk.

3. Is your house always visitor ready? If someone rang the doorbell right now and wanted to take a tour of your house would there be any rooms you were embarrassed about? Take a picture and show us! Good or bad we want to see!
Right now- yes. Except my bed isnt made! I wish I made my bed daily. I am  trying to get in the habit. I want to set a good example for my daughter. I always had to make my bed growing up. My husband used to make his bed as soon as he got out of it...until he married me. ha.

4. Are you always visitor ready? If someone rang the doorbell right now is your hair perfectly styled, make up and pin worthy outfit on? Take a picture and show us! Good or bad we want to see!

UM, NO.  I barely get myself together for work. 

5. What time do you wake up? What time do your kids wake up? What time do you go to bed? I don’t want to know what time your kids go to bed because it takes me forever to get mine to go to sleep by 8:30!

My daughter wakes up around 5 AM every morning. She comes to bed with me (or us when My husband is home) and she nurses and I can get her back to sleep until 6:00 ish.  Even if I don't nurse her at 5 when she wakes up, she is still up (Ive tried), so I figure if I can at least keep her in bed with me while I half sleep, that's nice.  We get up at 6/6:30 on work days. ON weekends, my husband and I take turns as I said above.  I go to bed around 11. Should be 10.  I wont say what time she goes to bed, but I get a couple hours between her going to bed and me :)

6. When do you blog? When I can! I wish more!

7. When do you shower? I shower at the gym on mornings I go to gym, but only body showers. I wash my hair twice a week at home.  I shower most nights because that is how I bathe Anika. I shower myself, then turn down the heat of the water and bring her in. She likes practically COLD water! So lame. ha.  Our bathroom is RIGHT next to her bedroom so she plays in her room and then I call her in when I'M ready for her. Our upstairs is safe for her to be left alone while I shower. 
Sometimes we take baths. The last time I put her in the tub and I got in with her, the water went from her waist to her chest and she yelled "WHOA Mummy" and the look on her face basically said "Lay off the wine fat ass" 
Oh and a few weekends ago, I was putting on jeans and she kept saying "Mummy, TIGHT. Mummy, Pants, tight"   I kind of snapped at her and said "Yes, I know they are tight, the dryer shrunk them!" lol.

Nothing like a toddler to tell me I'm fat.

8. How often do you do laundry? Do you always fold and put away right away? - I don't always fold as soon as the dryer stops- but once I actually take it out of the dryer I really try to put it right away. Before I had Anika, I used her room as a walk in closet, haha. I let clothes pile up for A MONTH! It would take me forever to put them all away. I don't want those kind of piles in our room. Also,  Our washer and dryer are upstairs in the hall closet outside our bedrooms. That is why its easy to put clothes away right away. The house came with them there and I hated it! I wanted them in the basement. Now that we have Anika, I cant imagine not having them on our bedroom level.

9. How often do you make dinner? Do you eat together as a family?- When my husband is home, we ALWAYS eat dinner as a family. We have since she was 9 ish weeks old.  She used to sit on bumbo on our table with us (WE WERE RIGHT THERE- she wasn't going to fall- always an arm reach away).   On week nights, I make VERY simple dinners for Anika and I. Sometimes we eat at the table but shhh (Dont tell my husband) I often let her eat on the couch with me when its just her and me :)  When my husband is home, we usually make dinner together and of course we all eat together.  I grew up eating dinner as a family and I think it was really important. I do not make elaborate meals- I keep things simple. My most common dinner is Wild Salmon- Just baked with a few herbs. Fresh steamed veggies and rice or quinoa.  My husband will  make a cheese sauce often for the veggies because he is skinny and he can :)  I get organic veggies from a farm every week, so we eat A TON of veggies. I also juice a lot of veggies.  I make salads to bring to work almost daily.  I also pack Anika's lunches everyday. I also make a LOT of crock pot soups from my garden veggies. I have no issues eating the same thing several days in a row.

10. How often do you have fun with your kids? Park, out of the home activity, in the home activity?
How often do we have fun? Daily, I guess.  I only get a little time with her on week days, so I TRY To make the best of it. She helps me make dinner. I cut and I have her put the chopped stuff fin the crock pot or bowl.  I let her mix ingredients.  She makes a mess, but I TRY very hard to let that go in the moment. I've come a long way with my patience :)  We always do something on weekends- I get cabin fever and must get out of the house daily.  Apple picking, library, social gatherings, park, local town activities, etc.

I think I am finally done!!  I have known Meg since before we were pregnant. Her and Chase hold a very special place in my heart.  He is such a cutie and I love his smile. 
I also want to add that we live 25 minutes from my parents. My mom helps out A LOT! IF I cant get out of work to get Anika to an apt. she will take her. If I have to get into work early, my mom will take her early.   My mom really is the reason I can get all this done while my husband is away for work so much.  

Thanks so much for doing this Ashley! I think you have inspired me to get off my butt and clean and exercise more! You really are a Super Mom! When they gorgeous girl is a hormonal teenager you can always ask me to remind you of that!

If you would like to participate in Super Mom Thursdays email me or leave a comment!

Blank Canvas

I have blank canvas that I'm itching to paint. I think I'm going to paint something for the nursery. I can't decide if I should make it as a permanent nursery painting or as a painting for Chase.

I love this quote and was thinking of doing this for the permanent nursery painting. I'm struggling with what colors to do. The nursery is blue, brown and beige right now. If we have another boy it will be green, brown, and beige. If we have a girl it will be pink, brown and beige. I don't want to put pink on a painting in case we never have a girl. Brown and beige might be boring. Thoughts?

This is a line from the song that reminds me of my pregnancy with Chase. The title is Stuck Like Glue which I have also seen painted on wood in a store and wanted.