Randomness

I don't even know what's been filling my days for the past couple weeks, but I do know that I have barely had time to sit down and catch up on stuff, so now for a catch-all post of what's swirling around my head...

- I finally checked my inbox tonight and had 219 emails...eeks!  Thankfully, it's empty again...

- Holy cow, July will be here in 1 day!  This means that we are getting down to the nitty gritty of our tri-bedroom remodel/switch-a-roo.

- Tonight after the girls' were in bed, Hubs & I sat in the yard on our swing and went through the list of everything that needs sold, built, bought...his poor head was spinning as he kept seeing his to-do list grow.

- The youngest is teething her molars hardcore this = absolutely no fun for me!  Night time sleeping, means that I get awoken to screaming, not fussiness or crying, but screaming.  Naps are the same.  I've resorted back to her newborn days and rock and rock and rock her.

- I can't wait to have some time and write up all of the blog posts running through my head, recipes I talked about last week, ideas for Baby B's nursery, ideas for the older girls' room, ideas for our bedroom, DIY fountain the Hubs whipped together for our garden, fabric picking & sewing baby items,  etc.

- Tantrums are a totally new thing that I'm slowly learning to deal with.

- Miss A is in for a very rude awakening when Baby B arrives, when holding my BFF's little guy tonight, she went nuts crying and what not to sit on my lap and have me all to herself.

- Figuring out a preschool for the oldest for the fall, so glad to have finally found the right place to look in for reasonable priced preschool that's not a daycare!

Friday Confessions

I confess...I was planning on sitting down all day to get this typed, and am now left with only 2 + hours to spare.

I confess...that I was extremely grumpy this morning, when I heard Miss A fussing at 5:30!!!  Seriously, this girl is putting me through the ringer with getting up so early and I'm lucky if her naps last an hour!

I confess...I really hope in a few years she flips her ways and sleeps a lot more.

I confess...It was one of those days where I couldn't even shut myself in the bathroom or in my room for a couple minutes as her whining and crying just continued wherever I went.

I confess...I've started sewing up burp cloths for Baby B and flannel is a curse!!!  The machine and flannel seriously, have a hate relationship, which in turns makes me want to throw away both.

I confess...I have 7 done and 3 1/2 more to finish, once I finally got in my sewing groove I ran out of thread.

I confess...I really wish the weather would pick how it wants to be.  1 week we are in scorching/extreme humid temps which means the air is on and any and all fans that I can find.  The next week temps drop and we have wonderful breezes which means windows can be opened and 1/2 the fans can be run - remember I'm pregnant.  :o)

I confess...I tried 2 new recipes this week and both are winners!  Will be sharing them soon.

I confess...I planned on posting some projects we've been working on around here this week, and somehow every day just got away from me.

I confess...that Emma is obsessed with doing jumping jacks and Avalynn does her own version of them, which just so happens to be the cutest/most adorable/funniest thing to watch.

I confess...frequent bathroom trips have seriously hit an all new meaning!  1/2 of those times I'm literally dashing to the bathroom, it just hits from no where.

Yard Sale Finds

This past Saturday we were heading over to my parents for the day and there happened to be a community yard sale in the neighborhood behind their house so we decided to check out it and see if we can find any goodies.

Here’s the loot:



Here’s what we got, 5 pairs of sleepers & 2 outfits for Brynlee, some cute wall plaques for the nursery and a bank for Brynlee, 2 outfits for Avalynn, 1 outfit for Emma, 3 wreath forms, glass jug, necklace kit, coloring book and a kid’s reading book, and a bamboo frame (anyone else notice how much bamboo is popping up over blogland?). 

All for a Grand Total: $20

Do you love to yard sale?  Find any deals this past weekend?

Happy Father’s Day

Who would have known over 10 years ago when I met you that I’d be lucky to spend the rest of my life with you and that you would be the best Daddy there is for our girls’ & family.

You are always there to hold their hands’ and encourage them when they are afraid or unsure of new experiences.  You help build their confidence and show them that there isn’t anything they can't do, even when it’s difficult.  It’s ok to fail but keep trying and they will succeed.

You find the fun in everyday things and are always coming up with new things to do with the girls’.  You have patience to teach them new skills and sports.  I have no doubt that as our girls’ get older and they continue learning by your side that they will be well rounded and able to do all, plus more, that a man can do around the house – with your shared expertise & knowledge.



You are very hands on, even styling their hair or painting their nails when the occasion arises.  They are treated like princesses and I know that by your example they will see how they deserve to be treated as they get older. 



You are the ying to my yang when it comes to parenting our girls and I’m ever so blessed to be sharing this wonderful and hard journey that we’ve embarked on and will continue through – for years to come.

Happy Father’s Day to the love of my life and all other Dad’s out there!

Friday Confessions

FRIDAY has come around again and with it comes time for confessing... *Click on the button above to head over to Mamarazzi's blog and check out the link-up of other bloggers confessions*

I confess... I had a check-up with the baby/preg. Dr and he made me feel oh SO wonderful by the time I had left.  I had my 1st gain of the pregnancy ,25 wks along, only a couple lbs and was told how I need to watch it, blah blah blah.  Then my uterus was measuring big.  My BP was OK.  My early glucose tests were OK.  And  then as we are walking out of the room he begins to tell me what creams I can use for my face, um - I have rosacea - so unless I'm on my antibiotic pill nothing helps me, this isn't my 1st rodeo in being pregnant, and I know that I can't take my meds, so therefore I just deal with it.

I confess...he had me schedule at my appts through the end and I gladly avoided being scheduled with him and another Dr in that practice.

I confess...he also told me to schedule out 1 week past my due date.  Which shocked me, they induced me with my oldest on my due date and my youngest a week early.  I have big babies oldest = 8lbs 14ozs and youngest = 9lbs 5.2ozs.  When I asked about being induced with this one he said only if I have gestational diabetes again.

I confess...I'm not going to lie, part of me wishes I have it, b/c I do NOT want to be waiting a week after my due date and be delivering an 11 lb baby!

I confess...I had the best time with the Hubs during his "weekend" this past week.  We got so much stuff done around the house/outside, plus spent tons of quality time as a family.  I love weekends like that.

I confess...the youngest was on a sleep strike yesterday, which made the day no fun for me.  Let's hope today is better.

I confess...One of the best things to watch is the girls' playing together, their friendship grows more and more each week and I love seeing that bond.

I confess...the Hubs grandparents just celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary this past Tuesday and I hope that the Hubs and I get to see that #, living that long I mean.

New *Summer* Wreath

I love hanging wreaths and other such things on our front door.  Sadly, it’s been bare since Valentine’s Day.  I attempted to make something like this, but only got 1/3-1/2 way done.  It’s sitting in the basement right now in a pile of other things to be finished.

Am sure you’ve seen those felt rosettes floating around blog land, I instantly fell in love with the simplicity of them.  I knew I wanted to do something with them, so I rummaged around in the basement, found a straw wreath form, some leftover burlap from several previous projects, and picked white, yellow, and a very pretty bright blue felt.  30 minutes later this is what I ended up with. 

Total Cost: $0

I know it’s the little things, but this seriously just brightened my day now that something is hanging on our door again, plus I made it which just makes me feel good to be doing something crafty again.

I’ll be linking up to Not Just a Housewife, Blue Cricket Design, Someday Crafts, HoH, Somewhat Simple, Fireflies & Jellybeans, Creative Me Monday, Young & Crafty, The Girl Creative, 

25 Weeks–Pregnancy Update

Pregnancy Review:
How far along: 25 wks 1 day

Total weight gain/loss: I have a check-up tomorrow morning, but weighed myself end of last week and am officially up 2 lbs.

Maternity clothes?: Yes please!

Strech marks?: Nothing new.

Sleep: I now am using my wedge almost nightly, crazy dreams, and lots of tossing and turning.

Best moment this week: Emma giving lovings to the belly/aka Brynlee several times through the day. 

Movement: Daily, normally when I’m trying to rest.  Nothing as hard or crazy my last pregnancy with Avalynn, that girl could bring me to a stop in pain.

Food cravings:  To just name a few – chicken of any kind, junior mints, pickled eggs, nuts, bacon

Gender: GIRL

What I miss: Being able to just bend over/stand up from sitting, it’s now the scooch/slide/lift slowly with the legs.

Labor Signs: Nope

Belly Button in or out? No change, still an innie.

What I am looking forward to: Planning the nursery – still haven’t even thought about it.  I really need to get on that.

Weekly Wisdom:
- Believe it when some women say when they sneeze, you’ll pee some.  This happened to me tonight for the first time ever.
- Do not turn too fast in bed when switching sides, you’ll most likely end up frozen in searing pain.
- I love having kids already, so they can lay on their belly’s and clean under the tv console and other low items like that.

Milestones: Almost done with the 2nd trimester!

Now for two pics:

Friday Confessions

It's FRIDAY, that wonderful day where we get to confess and let it all out.  Click on the button above to hop over to Mamarazzi's blog and the link-up everyone's confessions.

I confess...I know I've talked about the website domain stuff a couple times over the past week, and this will be the LAST time!  I realized yesterday that my very original web address using blogspot.com, is now being used by a guy named Ted to talk about Dell stuff, yeah doesn't make sense as it's my actual name I used!  Thank you Ted!   And my .com address that got taken away is now some site about adult chat in Japan, none of it makes sense when you switch it over to translate to English.  Thank you to whoever took that one too.  I feel like I have this sign on websites I've created for strange weird men to take them - pisses me off!

I confess...Clover is the curse of my flower beds.  Last month when the Hubs and I weeded our 4 flower beds, we sprinkled some stuff to help "prevent" weeds - yeah I think instead it must have been made to only grow clover, which there was pretty much none previously.  It's been a real PITA, I finally am left with only about a 4x4 section to finish up in the next day or two.

I confess...I'm I've been part of an on-line group since my oldest was 3 months old, so for 4+ years, there are about 30 of us in total and they are some of the most amazing women.  About 1/2 of them are all meeting in Chicago this weekend, our one mom has actually flown over from Australia for a couple weeks to tour the whole US, too.  I'm sad we aren't able to go because of  DH's work schedule plus $.   I have been lucky enough to meet 3 of them over the years though.  I hope the next time one of these trips are planned we will be able to go.

I confess...I'm very thankful that DH finally got a job and is working.  I really hate that his work weeks are Thurs-Sun.  I'm finding myself a little down on the weekends.  And we are a one vehicle family, so it's not like I can just take the girls around to do stuff, unless our parents pick the 3 of us up, we're stuck at home.  Us only having one vehicle has never bothered me before, I think most of all I'm just missing spending our weekends at his grandparents pool.

I confess...this is the week where I will tell my oldest not to do something and she turns right around and does it.  Talk about frustrating.

I confess...I'm completely addicted to Bravo's Real Housewives shows.  Am so sad the OC one has ended already!

June’s Mission

 

We all have those things we want to learn, hobbies to pick up, habits to start, decorate that space you’ve been wanting to, those last 5lbs you’ve been wanting to lose etc, Kelle, Enjoying the Small Things,  is vowing to lace up her running shoes everday for the month of June and threw out the challenge to her reader’s as well.

I’ve been in a schlump of not crafting, organizing, doing house projects.  And while looking back on 2011 and comparing to all we had done already in 2010 I was feeling myself get down, as it hasn’t been much.  We have tons on our plate the next couple months, with major room re-do’s & switcheroo’s, among other things. 

So, I thought hard about what I wanted to tackle for June and I’m making myself do something extra around the house everyday.  So far, this is what I’ve accomplished, finally packing away the Easter decorations (say what? you don’t keep yours out until after Memorial day?!), gave my shelves and dining room buffets a summery update, have been de-cluttering/organizing the kitchen counters, junk drawers, bedroom closets, basement shelves, dining room buffets, staying on top of weeding the flower beds, coming up with new crafts for the oldest.  Even though it’s just one small thing a day – it feels good to have something accomplished be doing something that makes me feel good.  Can’t wait to see what else I accomplish around here through the rest of June. 

Are you going to tackle something you’ve been wanting to this month? 

Pickled Egg Recipe

This is one of the last recipe’s I got from Gramma, when she was still in the hospital around Easter.  And I’ve honestly, made a small batch of them almost every week since. 

Here’s the ingredients:  Sugar, Vinegar, Eggs, Beets, Red Dye (Optional), Jar



Directions:
- Strain the beet juice from the jar into a pan.
- Fill the jar back up half way and strain into the pan, leave beets in the jar.
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup vinegar
- Drop or two of red dye.

Heat ingredients until all are dissolved.  I personally, dump the eggs in first, then the beats and pour the mixture over everything.

I let mine pickle for 2 days before eating them, twice a day I flip the eggs around with a spoon.  Depending on your jar, you might be able to flip it upside down, I can’t with mine. 

*Edited to Add: as the question was asked, yes you keep these in the refrigerator until ready to serve. *

This will be the perfect addition to your summer cookouts this year, Enjoy!

I'm linking up to HoH, Somewhat Simple, Fireflies & Jellybeans, Craft Envy,

Friday Confessions

It’s that time of the week again, you know you want to get it all out there…

I confess…the Hubs is amazing in my eyes.  He ended up having an 18 1/2 hr work day, getting home past 1 am, got less than 4 hrs of sleep and is off to work for the day without so much as a complaint really. 

I confess…I could live off of only these foods lately: any kind of chicken dish and if there is leftover chicken it goes right into chicken salad, pickled eggs, cinnamon applesauce, whole wheat bagels with strawberry cream cheese, mini white powdered donuts, sweet potato fries, and lastly tomato & basil wheat thins, frozen dove dark chocolates, Martin's BBQ popcorn, and nuts - pistachio's/peanuts/sunflower seeds. 

I confess…I feel at a loss lately on how to parent my 4 year old, who honestly acts like she’s 14 (over the weekend I had 2 people say how her moods/emotions are like a teenager)!  We’ve entered a whole new phase of meltdowns over the littlest things.  And a very down attitude about doing things or rather that she’ll never be able to do such and such (things she’s too young for or just hasn’t tried/learned yet).

I confess…the down attitude about doing anything is what concerns me the most.  One thing I want my girls’ to grow up knowing about themselves is that they can do anything they want to, they are beautiful and smart, I want them to have confidence in themselves, their skills, and if they don’t know how to do something, they will set about to learn.  Yes I know their will be failures along they way, but in the end I know that they can succeed in anything they want to.

I confess…I hope Miss A is feeling better, she spiked a temp after nap yesterday and basically just wanted to snuggle all night, even though I must say the snuggle’s were so nice!

I confess…over the long weekend we went to the pool and when getting my new maternity swim suit I hadn’t really thought about where the straps were.  Lesson learned to not buy a suit that doesn’t have straps that go the same as bra straps.  I got burned and needless the say today is the 1st day I’m not in pain.

I confess...I'm afraid I really screwed up my blog, when my domain expired I made a blogspot address until I had the time to sit down and figure everything out and now many of my links are coming up with error's.  Anyone have experience with this or suggestions?  It says it takes up to 3 days, so am hoping all will go back to normal at the end of those 3 days.

Rest of May Re-Cap

 

As mentioned in an earlier post that my sweet Gramma was battling her final days.  May 20th she joined our Lord.  It’s still shocking to me that she was only alive for 3 1/2 weeks, after hearing the diagnosis from her Dr’s that the cancer had spread extensively.  And the last two weeks, she mostly just slept, only rare moments of her opening her eyes.  I’m grateful for those last days I got to spend with her holding her hand.  Remember my last conversation with her over the phone.  Everyday something reminds me of her which makes it feel as though she’s here with us. 

I haven’t had to deal with a death of a family member since I was just a little kid.  It feels pretty much unreal and just sort-of numbing.  Thankfully, I have some pretty amazing people in my life who were/still are there for me! Thank you to each of you!!

We spent lots of great time with family throughout the month of May.  Our Memorial Weekend didn’t officially start until the Hubs was done working Sunday, his weekends are Mon-Wed.  But we had our parents pick up the girls and I for some picnic’ing fun (we’re a one vehicle family) or the oldest for sleepovers.  Here’s the rest of our month in some pictures:

    

    

    

Blog Domain

Well, some of you may have noticed that my domain went bad and takes you to GoDaddy.  With everything going on with my Gramma, I kept pushing that pesky reminder email to the side that I needed to do something with the domain.  And now I can't re-new it, someone else seems to have taken it?  Blah - anyways, please update your sidebars, I can only assume that feeds would still run like normal?,  to www.measuringmylifeinlove.net.  Also, all of the blogs I had listed on my sidebar some how disappeared - am working on that and getting back into the groove of posting.  Will update on the next post.