random lessons learned

here are some random lessons learned over my past week...

~ lesson #1 - when wearing these cute sneakers, make sure one straightens out the tongue or the curled material will start to annoy you and frustration will set in because one will not know 'why the heck the top of my foot hurts!'

oh, and meanwhile I just learned that I am so 'last year' because I have the nantucket red jack purcell sneakers and j.crew isn't carrying that color this year! oh well, they are still cute!

~ lesson #2 - when attempting to steam all the veggies needed for the deceptively delicious recipes - DON'T! use the baby food (stage 1 or 2). yep, that took me awhile to figure out.

~ lesson #3 - another abnormal mole was found on my body, which just reminds me of all the lessons learned about skin cancer! schedule your skin scans TODAY!

~ lesson #4 - hail storms scare me! enough said...

for more enlightened lesson learned, you should bounce over to musings of a housewife!

public service announcement

throughout my teenage years and into my early twenties, I would definitely say I was a sun worshipper! my mother is italian, so I have an olive complexion. I never really burned. however, I do remember a couple of time, I would say I looked 'red'! and one time, in my early teens, my skin actually bubbled. never burned, so I never understood why I got sun blisters. looking back and speaking with the dermatologist, I probably had sun poisoning from overexposure to the sun. I rarely used sunscreen and absolutely never gave skin cancer a second thought. not sure why, as my father and grandfather both has basal cell... but when I reached my mid-twenties, I started seeing a dermatologist for skin scans. I had a few moles removed, but nothing came back abnormal. then in december 2007, my mother-in-law was diagnosed with melanoma. first of all, I want to say right off the bat, she is doing really well. and is cancer free. thank the Lord! and we have learned from her experience how important it is to get check out every year. since her diagnosis, I switched doctors and in february 2008 during a routine skin scan, I had three moles removed. one came back abnormal (moderate to severely abnormal). this does not mean I have skin cancer, but I went back and they cut out more until the cells came back normal. then a few week's ago, I went in for my annual scan and again had a mole removed. this mole came back moderately abnormal. tomorrow I will make my follow up appointment to finish the job! during that appointment, they will numb the area and cut out more skin to ensure they remove all abnormal cells.

so here is where I jump on a soapbox! if you go out into the sun, limit your exposure! do not sit out during the suns highest points! wear sunscreen! cover up! get annual skin scans! and make sure you see a doctor that checks you head to toe. and I mean head to toe -- separates your hair and checks in between your toes!!!

to learn more about the different skin cancers, prevention, and treatments -- visit the skin cancer foundation >>

holy hail, batman

we had a really nice day today. well, not weather wise. its been damp and dreary for days. but we went to church and then headed to my in-law's house. okay, so maybe it wasn't that nice, because we were all bummed that louisville lost! but we had a feast and then cake with ice-cream which helped the pain go away. as we were heading home, of course, I am alerted of a work issue. it would be an abnormal sunday if I did not need to log on for something. at any rate, we get home. I run upstairs, log on, assess the work situation and then all the sudden the sky looks wacky and I hear all this noise coming from outside. I look out the window and we have huge pieces of hail falling from the sky. it was so freaky. these pictures do not do the size of the hail justice as we immediately had a down pour and thunderstorm after the hail storm and I did not take these until it was safe to go outside. yes, I turn into a scared puppy dog when storms roll through. me and claire where shaking in our boots :)




p.s. my date night was awesome. our dinner was yummy as we enjoyed some panera treats which included broccoli/cheddar soup (one of the only ways I can get veggies in double l) and a chocolate chip muffin top which we split! we did Easter crafts and made homemade cards for everyone and danced to our favorite songs. then retired to the couch for snuggles and some tigger & pooh. after double l's bath, I wanted some more snuggle time while I read him books, but he just wanted to dive in his crib & go to sleep. so, I curled up on the couch and relaxed with a glass of wine.

date night with another man...

mysterious right post title, right... not exactly!

well, you all were a big help on my last date night, so I am encouraging suggestions for a big date night coming up! this saturday night, I want to make very special. no, I won't be spending it with my husband. I will be spending it with a very handsome red headed 20 month old. who, I call -- double l. my bub is headed to, most definitely, a bar with many flat screen TVs, because if you are unaware we are right in the middle of the MADNESS! march madness, silly. and bub loves him some louisville cardinal and everything college basketball. as you have seen both daddy and double l are ballers. I absolutely love those pictures in that post :)

anyway, I digress as normal...

so, what should me and my special guy do saturday night. dinner out and a movie in :) crafts for easter? he is only 20 months, so keep that in mind...

p.s. stopped rambling after I posted, do not tell me what happened on LOST!, read alittle, passed out, double l slept better but not totally great, but has been sound asleep this evening... thanks for all those encouraging words!

rambling on...

I am tired! I apologize right up front, because I am confident this post will make little sense, misspellings will happen, bad grammar (well that's always), and scattered thoughts for certain!

last night, we went to gigi's. we had a blast. my little angel of a brother turned thirteen. yep, we are 21 years apart and no other siblings. he is my angel (that story is long and for another post and a clear minded mommie). but I love him dearly and can not believe he is a teenage! oh and an uncle :) anyway, we had a great time. double l was, as always, the center of attention & loving life. gigi and aunt peebee, definitely, smothered him with tons of kisses and stole him for a long time while bathing him. he was full of energy, but passed out on our way home. of course the scheduled little man was out of his element and his bad mommie (who is normally a psycho about his schedule) loaded him in the car to finally go home 60 minutes after his normal bedtime. yes, we brought his pj's and taggie, so he was bathe and comfy on the way home. we got home and I was beat as well as bub. we put double l in his crib, crawled into bed and thought we were in for a long night's rest.

um, not so much. from 1AM thru 3:15AM, double l kept waking up! why, why, why? I really don't know. maybe he fed up with his congestion. maybe he was all out of sorts because he went off his schedule and ate lots of ice-cream (which he never has, but gigi spoils him!). or maybe its because our house is so dry and his bad mommie never turned on his humidifier! I am an idiot sometimes. finally, I clued in. put it on high, rocked my love and then he slept until 7AM! ERRRRRR! poor little guy, he has such a clueless mommie.

he, of course, napped early and by early evening was soooo tired and grumpy. I bragged how wonderful he is during his treatments the other day. and he really is, but this evening, he was so frustrated and we had a really hard time with it. no, I don't believe his behavior is a side effect, but it crossed my mind as double l is normally very laid back, such a gentle soul, with a content mood most of the time! but I really think it is all due to lack of sleep!!! and I think my head feeling like a bowling ball and aching is due to lack of sleep. half of me wants to crawl into bed right now!!! tomorrow is an office day, work is crazy and I am so tired. but a quarter of me just can NOT miss LOST! which I technically can see online or next week. and the other quarter of me wants to read my book as I have had no devotional time today at all. the only verses I read were here which completely breaks my heart on all kinds of levels. prayer is requested and He is listening!

I know I have rambled. I know you are probably long gone because of boredom with this post. but I am still publishing it right now :)

daddy's helper

double l helping his daddy tighten the bolts on his highchair, while mommie snapped photos because it was so darn cute!






for more wordless wednesday, check out 5 minutes for mom...

LL:no flash style!

so, here is my first submission... what do you think? jen from our daily big top suggested I enter this photo!

great cakes soapworks giveaway!

and the winner is... carla!!! congrats carla (cpullum)

I am so excited to tell you about mommie blogs' latest giveaway. it's brought to you by great cakes soapworks. remember when I told you amy from great cakes soapworks sent me some of her handmade natural soaps! how sweet is she...

well, I have been using the clarifying facial handmade natural soap for a couple weeks and I love it. I have very sensitive skin, that is oily & dry all at the same time. I know! what a mess! but this soap is great, not only did it NOT irritate my skin, but it is controlling the shine while not drying me out. SCORE! for my occasional breakouts, I don't want to use a bunch of hash, chemically made face washes (prescribed by the doctor), I would much rather use a handmade 100% natural soap. Also, I have been using amy's new facial moisturizer & replenishing creme. its brand new and will be launching soon!

still in my cabinet (on deck to try next) -- the creamy castile soap and samples of the lye soap!

but enough about me... here are the details for the giveaway




Prize: One Clarifying Facial Soap OR One Creamy Castille Soap AND a 2 oz. Facial Moisturizer & Replenishing Creme (Retail value: $22.90)

How to enter:
#1.) please go to Amy's store, great cakes soapworks, and leave me a comment telling me your favorite product! Please leave your email address, so we can contact you if you win!

For additional entries (keep in mind you need to do #1 first):
~ post about this giveaway and leave your post URL and email address in a separate comment (not original comment),
~ for non bloggers, email three friends about the giveaway (cc me -- my email address is in the sidebar), but leave a comment after sending the email (since that will be your entry)
~ follow mommie blogs, but make sure you leave a comment after following (since that will be your entry)
~ subscribed to mommie blogs, but make sure you leave a comment after subscribing (since that will be your entry)

this giveaway is open to everyone. the giveaway ends Sunday @ 8AM EST. a winner will be chosen at random and will be notified by email.

good luck!

the latest on double l

we started the singulair on saturday and are praying double l's awful cough will start to subside. since we are continuing with the nebulizer, his wheezing has definitely subsided! I made an appointment with a pulmonologist at CHOP (children's hospital of philadelphia). of course, since double l's condition is not life threatening (honestly thank the Lord), we can't get in until june. ERGH!!! and of course, because I am a freak out of a mama, he must go to CHOP. because we are, literally, minutes away from the top children's hospital in the nation, I never want to take double l anywhere else. he has a little cyst in the back of his neck (no big deal), but his doctor suggested seeing a dermatologist. called CHOP immediately. and again, not life threatening, june 15th appointment. oh, btw, made the appointment in november! craziness, I am well aware.

in my defense the pulmonologist came highly recommended as she is treating a child, same age as double l with very similar symptoms (including the RSV as a baby). so we will wait and continue monitoring him on the singulair. our follow up appointment with his doctor is in two weeks, where she will evaluate his breathing and check those little, sweet lungs!!!! watching him hold his nebulizer mask just melts my heart. in one respect, he is such a big guy and I think I can say so responsible:) he is 20 months old and giving himself two 12 minute treatments in a row. granted, he gets his coveted tv time, but still he is such a superman. and in another way, I hate it. I hate that he has such a problem. I hate that he has to have these treatments four times a day. I want to make it all better. and I really HATE that I can't!


on a very happy note -- this weekend was so much! we played, had playdates, celebrated a baptism and just plained relaxed...

enjoy the pictures of my beautiful little man!

comfy cozy

I know its saturday and beautiful here, but double l is resting, my bub is running errands and I have something short and sweet to share...

I have the most comfy outfit on!

***cashmere blend long sweater that I got dirt cheap - layers clothing for $15 and free shipping. bummed because the clearance merchandise is almost all gone and free shipping is only over $50 now! oh well, now I feel like I really got a deal :)

***garnet hill's black leggings that I bought at 20% off

***oh, and my fab tory burch flats

I really did not want to give into to the leggings trend, because I thought my short legs would look ridiculous and maybe they do. but boy are they feeling good. I am a total jean girl, but rocking a pair of leggings is like lounging in sweats all day!

we had a playdate this morning and I could run around in ease and look cute!


plus, my bub brought home several urban dresses while I was prego that I totally wore as shirts since my belly was so big. now they fit like dresses, but since there from urban outfitters, well lets just say, they are a little short. answer to the dilemma --- LEGGINGS! expect the date night dress, which is an appropriate length and oh so cute!! no leggings needed....

okay had to share, now I am getting back to enjoying this beautiful weekend! hope you are too...

party time

how fun is this? a virtual party! thanks to 5 minutes for mom, we are welcome to meet so many other fabulous mama bloggers.

if you are new here, and from the looks of my traffic, I expect you are -- welcome to mommie blogs! sit down, relax and check out the craziness!!!

who am I?

I am a mommie to double l and claire-bear. I am a wife to a hilarious man, who I refer to as bub! I, definitely, am a bit type-a; however admittedly clueless in most areas of parenting. I, so, wish I could tell you I am a domestic diva or excellent runner. but I can't! I can tell you I am working on it. I nest and definitely want to work on my old house.

this is my rookie year in blogging and I am having a blast. I have met so many wonderful blogging friends. and, not to mention, the countless things I have learned about motherhood. like I said, I am admittedly clueless!

if you are local, you should check out my gig at philadelphia moms blog.

I would love to hear from you, so leave me a comment and you can always shoot me an email (see address in sidebar). if you like what you see, thanks to blue violet, I have a little 'followers' widget. but don't be intimidated by the vast number of followers (I believe 7 in total), it never goes to my head :)

oh and did I mention there are prizes along with this fabulous party. check them out. I have my eye on #5 the core fitness DVD (yes, that would be helpful), #7 ergo baby carrier (yes, it would actually hold superman), #22 $50 GC to Target (enough said...), #58 kitchen aide mixer (yes, this will only help in my pursuit to become a domestic diva), oh and definitely #89 $100 GC to home goods (sweet!).

okay, I am off to party. I am sure I will be running into you somewhere!!!

the decision...

thank you, thank you -- for all who emailed me and left comments. you have no idea how I value and appreciate your insight and experiences. after a long decision and prayer, bub and I have decided to give double l the singulair for the 2 week test. of course, the nervous nelly I am, he will not be starting the new meds until saturday since he is in school today & tomorrow. I hate hearing him cough so much in the morning, but I want to monitor him 24 hours after beginning the new medicine.

I know I am nuts!!!

update on double l

first and foremost -- thank you for all your kind words! I do appreciate it.

I spoke with double l's doctor this afternoon. needless to say, I so wanted to speak with first thing this morning, but tried my hand at patience only calling her once at 8:30.

at any rate -- here is the verdict

RSV - negative
Pneumonia - X-Ray should no signs
Signs of bronchial flare-up due to allergies -- we have a winner. looks like double l is following in his poppy's footsteps in more than the irish way... my father had awful allergies and so do I (not nearly as bad as my dad).

next steps -- we will continue his current nebulizer treatments, and the doctor would like to introduce singulaire into the routine. after getting off the phone with her, I researched the drug use for toddlers and became concerned with the reported side effects. I have a call back into her so we can discuss it further. has anyone had any experience with the drug (especially experience with toddler use of singulaire)?

besides the use of singulaire, we are meeting in 2 weeks to have double l evaluated again. I brought up claire again, but she dismissed it for now. stating double l's, as often as it seems, symptoms come and go & claire is a consistent. regardless, I just vacuumed, swept and mopped the downstairs (upstairs next on the list). claire's hair is everywhere all the time! UGH! I so love her like a daughter (don't judge), but can not stand her hair. anyway the doctor did say she may want to test him at some point, but really does not want to do any "pricking" right now. and to be honest, I do not want him to go through those allergy pricks now, just to have them repeated when he is three!

as for my little superman -- he is fabulous. laughing, chatting, running all day. it is absolutely beautiful outside and we did have some time outdoors this morning. he is napping now, but I may throw a blanket in his stroller and zoom around the neighborhood when he wakes up.

more on the decision to use or pass on the use of singulaire after I speak with the doctor. but of course your opinion is welcomed and encouraged!

double l's adventures @ bryn mawr hospital

how did we end up at bryn mawr hospital? sitting here, we just put double l down and that question keeps repeating through my mind, which I still do not completely understand the answer.

almost two months ago, I discussed with double l's doctor my concerns about his ongoing wheezing and congestion problems. and also, how I felt the treatment he was taking for over a year was not working. since that visit, we started his new medicine and we did see such a difference; however last week -- double l caught a cold. normal right? he is a toddler. a toddler that goes to school twice a week. totally normal for him to catch a cold. but by saturday morning, the cough was very wet, the congestion was heavy and his signature wheeze -- progressively getting worse. my bub took him to the doctor's office. long story short -- oxygen level fine! congestion bad! doc on duty (not LL's doctor) totally contradicts the treatment guidance we previously received. bub gets annoyed and furious. which my bub never gets his feathers in a ruffle! comes home tells me. now, I am frustrated. double l's doctor is not in until today. bub speaks with her. reviews again what was discussed on saturday, our frustration and confusion and most important our little man needs help. she seemed concerned and sent us to the hospital for tests and x-rays. praying we have results, answers, and a healing resolution to my little guy's ongoing battle really soon!

as for double l -- he is too precious. bub went in with him this time for the x-rays. he, of course, was a trooper. I could hear him babbling and bub said he just stood still. love him so much! but he definitely did not like the tubes up his nose for the tests that followed. who would. totally broke my heart hearing him cry and seeing those tears. I just scooped him up and hugged him. but like the true superman he is as soon as we were outside, walking to the car, he was chatting up a storm. we, of course, got him treats. pizza, juice box (sucked dry in minutes) and a cookie! if you did not hear the wheezing, you would have no clue there was an issue. because my superman is the happiest, sweetest, gentle soul.

praying for the Lord to put His healing hands on LL. hoping to have the results in the AM!

alright, I have to go to bed.

happy st. patrick's day!

so, I am a proud irish american. my father's family are second generation americans with his paternal and maternal grandparents from Ireland. I have never been and neither did my father take the trip! we were going to travel there together, but he was called home before we got the chance. One day, I will make it over the pond and take this little one with me... sometimes I look in double l's eyes and think I see my father looking back at me. he definitely has his poppy mac's eyes!

I thought these two shots would be appropriate today as we celebrate st. patrick's day! those red curls, the milky skin and that cap are just too cute. doesn't he look like a little irish lad :)




happy st. patrick's day!!!!

overdue thanks...

sweet terra gave an award out awhile back and little old me was on her list.

it was so nice and I am so thankful for stumbling upon her blog several months ago. her writing is inspiring, funny and touching. she just started another blog, tales from the nightstand, which is her book review site. she actually has inspired me to start reading again. and when I say "start reading again", I mean actually read a book that has nothing to do with raising a toddler. and I must say, my quiet time with my book (reading 'becoming God's true woman by nancy demoss) and a cup of tea is so relaxing! I did not realize how much I missed this time to myself.

so go say hello to terra, I am sure you will enjoy her blogs

while I am spreading the love, I also want to mention amy from great cakes soapworks. amy sent me some of her fabulous soaps to try out. I have been using the clarifying facial soap for the past several days and I must tell you my skin feel so smooth. I have very sensitive skin and occasionally breakout, so I was more than excited to try amy's specialties. stay tuned for a full post about all the goodies she sent my way and a fabulous giveaway! for now, shake your buns over to amy's and check out her wonderful collection of soaps, lotions, butters and so much more...

you will also see amy's button in my sidebar~


I adore handmade products and want to support all the independent merchants out there that sell and/or make handmade goods, so if your interested in advertising on 'mommie blogs', send me an email (also in sidebar)!

simply nesting in this old house...

this entire week, I have obsessed about buying this new house! and today as I was driving home from work, I had an epiphany of some sorts. we do not have enough money saved to even entertain this craziness. what we prided ourselves on is that we did not originally take on a huge mortgage (remember when they were giving them out like 5 cent candy) and could actually feel (somewhat) financially free. taking on a much larger mortgage at this point would completely contradict how we originally agreed on living.

when we were in boston, we totally went into debit. I "retired" and went back to school. we were living on one salary in a town that is crazy expensive, and somehow went out & about all the time because I would get all 'johnny' if I were in the apartment too long. as much of an experience moving away during our first year of marriage was, we should have thought it through a little more. I definitely think our plan on moving back home was well plan and executed perfectly! and two years later all debt (minus our mortgage) was paid off -- including the kitchen remodel. shew, I was glad when that was over!

after moving back, we stayed with my in-laws as we search for houses. we found a charming, very old, victorian twin about 5 miles from philadelphia. with 5 bedrooms, 2 baths, 2 sets of pocket doors and a wood picket fenced yard. we fell in love instantly! however, we quickly learned that those 5 bedrooms are not big, they had the smallest closets ever and because we live in a victorian we have several floors to run up & down. so we don't even use the third floor, which is a huge waste of space (2 bedrooms and a larger closet) and why I want it remodeled.

I have got to say, though, I love it's charm. there are no new homes I have found that have this woodwork. the molding that frames our doorways into each room, our baseboards, and our windows -- you just don't find anymore and our gorgeous. the exposed brick in the mudroom and bathroom tells a story of what the house once was and has changed throughout the years. the secret staircase that leads no where, but you know at one point it did lead somewhere!!! and the ceilings downstairs are by far my absolute favorite feature. the plaster was curved so there are no straight lines and the walls just curve up across the ceiling. ah, I love it!

so staying here while we sock a few dollars in the bank will not be an awful thing. how I do long for those two walk-in closets and sunken bathtub... but it will happen one day, just not tomorrow or next week. God will provide what we need as He has always done. we will need to move at some point before double l goes to school we would like a better district and we can not afford a good private school. however, that's a couple years off.

we have decided to start a list of what needs to be completed before we attempt to sell our home, which will just help us organize and clean out the clutter.

I will keep you updated, but for now I am putting our gypsy-like tendencies to rest and sitting tight in my little, old home!

at least I have a fabulous kitchen :)

cute way to go green

I am a little quirky about drinking water. my philosophy makes no sense, so please bare with me. I have an aversion to tap water. I can't do it. I can't drink a glass of tab water. mind you, I brush my teeth using it, boil it for tea/pasta/etc but can not just drink it! as for filters -- can't do them either. the thought of a filter not being changed, drives my crazy. so, what have we done? added millions of plastic bottles to our recycling bin. why yes, I have always recycled the bottles, but "come on mommie -- do your part and just STOP with the hundreds of bottles a week!"

okay, I will stop talking to myself. when I decided it was getting ridiculous, I started picking up those huge spring water jugs. meanwhile, I was saying ALOT of money. but I was so annoyed that I did not have the convenience of traveling with my cheap, greener, spring water!

then I found this adorable aluminum water bottle from the pottery barn...




this baby comes everywhere with me and it was only $10 and free to ship!

looks like I am saving cash and cutting down on my plastic waste!

what are some cute ways you are going green?

cabin fever be gone...

remember last week...

this weekend, double l finally played outside and got real dirty!!!!





playdate with big man "a"

for more wordless wednesday, click here...

'moms night in', such a fun time!

so, I am a total slacker and have been meaning to tell you all about the fabulous night I had a couple weeks back. I was invited, by colleen from classy mommy, to role mommy's 'moms night in' event. it was so much fun. there were so many fellow mom bloggers in attendance that it was great to put a face to some of my favorite blogs.

the night was sponsored byslendertone! I went home with their belly and arm toner. and let me tell you, you absolutely can fill this product working. it definitely is not a substitute for working out, but its a good plan b for when the gym is just not in the day's schedule.

from their website and truly is the best description of the product - "Slendertone uses Electronic Muscle Stimulation (EMS) technology to create strong, deep, comfortable contractions in your muscles".

besides the FAB demo of the slendertone products and meeting other local mom blogs. I got a much needed neck & back message. and as a bonus, calista grand was also giving manicures and make-overs. I did not get my make-up done, but I most certainly jumped at the chance to get a manicure!

as the night came to a close, I said my good-byes and was handed some parting gifts...
in the swag bag - free manicure, nail polish and I walked away with two slendertone products!

here is a great video that role mommy's 'moms night in' put together!

video

Role Mommy Presents Mom's Night In...Philadelphia! from Beth Feldman on Vimeo

many thanks to colleen, beth from role mommy, slendertone, and calistic grand

and a few other shout-outs -- it was great meeting, caitlin, who is a local photographer. checkout her website! her photographs are beautiful and I am looking forward to working with her on some family photos in the near future. also, I ran into a familiar face, KC, owner of the diaper bag wrangler (which happens to be a life saver when all you really want to take with you are a diaper and some wipes, not a big diaper bag!).

this blogging thing is turning into a really fun time!!!!

mommie is ready to take on the housing market?

this past weekend -- gorgeous! and I have some cute pics of double l which I will be posting. we had an awesome playdate on saturday with jpf (my girlfriend) and family. but more on that later...

because my bub & I just spent most of the day looking at a new housing development. yes, the more and more I think about it, I am convinced we are insane and gypsies! we are not ready to put our current house up for sale, and especially in this market, but we can't seem to sit still in one place for long. I don't think my bub was gypsy-like until he married me. then, I warped his brain, made him move to boston, convinced him move back, we made each other buy a 110+ year old house, I made him gut and have the kitchen remodeled (b/c I was 8 months prego and clearly could not move) and now we are both seriously ready to move forward with a brand spanking new house. now, to our credit, perhaps we are not complete gypsies, the new house is in the same state!

we toured every model (four in total). we fell in love with one style and I can not get those 2 walk-in closets in the master out of my head. we sat down and had initial numbers drawn up. TOO EXPENSIVE! let the negotiating begin...

since we have gotten home, I have been feverishly cleaning the house. why, I am not sure. its not like I have realtors coming over tomorrow, but felt so psyched about the possibility.

now, we will make our list of what needs to happen before we invite the first realtor over --

1.) clean out the third floor - there are two rooms and a larger closet up on our third floor. the space is, well lets just say, dated! and since we have moved in, it has become our dumping ground.

2.) we had all intentions to lay new carpet, build an additional closet, redo some beat up walls and update the electric on the that floor and we have started bringing contractors in. at this point, we will just keep their estimates and discuss a potential return with our realtor. what we do not want to do is a bunch of work for no return.

3.) make a punch list -- re-calk the upstairs bathroom, touch up paint here and there, move out some storage, clean out the basement, etc..

4.) stage for the realtors (not fully stage, just enough for the realtors to get a sense of the house's potential)

5.) review price ranges from the realtors

6.) cry! because I am afraid those price ranges will not be even close to where we need to be.


but before all this, we will continue to pray for answers. is this the journey we should be on right now?

any for you my friends, I need advise, tips, words of wisdom... what could help "mommie" take on the lousy housing market and win?? oh, and stop referring to myself in the third person :)

simply nesting is simply cooking

I know you are shocked, well join my bub's club. because I think he is still in shock. I am proud to say I have been cooking for awhile now (translation over a week). yes, me. now, I am not even close to my domestic diva goal, but I have been making every attempt as of late.

I truly must thank terra, even though I am a total slacker and have not completed all the meal planning tasks, I must say her tips and organizational documents are a huge help. you need to read her posts on meal planning.

for some reason, I have been obsessed over the last week with these yummy organic flour tortillas I picked up at trader joe's, we have had some sort of wrap, at least, three times. and they are just the house brand. obsessed, I tell you. they are so yummy and I keep thinking of new things to put inside them!

next week, I am going to try and ween myself off of them and perhaps say "no" to all the carbs. I am sure my butt will thank me!

I have found the following sites very helpful as well in my pursuit to channel my inner domestic diva...

once a month mom

garden mama - great recipe ideas!

foodie mama

anyone have any yummy veggie and lean meat recipes (nothing heavy with carbs)??

reminders and such...

one more day to enter the real simple/target gift card giveaway, click here to enter!


here is my latest philadelphia moms post about enjoying playtime with double l and completely ignoring those meaningless distractions!

under the table

Here I was about to finish a post regarding my desire to attend the flower show every year, but I never end up going, when suddenly, a little hand reached up and touched me. I looked to my side and there was my little man just wanting to hang out with his mama. I stopped typing immediately and grabbed his hand letting him lead me to where ever he decided he wanted to go. We marched from room to room, chanting "march, march, march". We held hands and sang "ring around the rosy" as we moved in a circle.

I realized at that moment I do not spend enough time playing with him. Sure, we are together almost everyday, all day long. Sure, I feed him, change him, sing to him, rock him, etc... But I do not truly play with him as much as I should. I do not get down on his level and do exactly what he thinks is fun nearly enough. Fun to my little man is marching, singing, wrestling with the dog, and building tall towers only to knock them down, but quickly rebuild them again. I let the laundry, my work, the darn iphone, the dishes, the blog, the dog hair all distract me from playing with him until he wants to stop not until the dryer alarm goes off.

read the rest of the story over at the Philadelphia Moms Blog, including how we ended up under the table and what double l taught me...

cabin fever

after 8 inches of snow was dumped on us and freezing temps for days, double l and claire-bear haven't had much time out of the house. the natives are getting restless, but often sit by the backdoor looking out on our snow covered deck and trees...

you learn something new everyday, right?

well, I certainly do.

we had a rough weekend, but double l is feeling so much better. he is back to his normal, adorable, hilarious self! but honestly, he is like that sick or healthy!

but along the recovery road, I certainly learned some things. this was the first time with the poops and it was the pits!!!

I learned that my little man really is superman! he smiled, laughed, hugged and kissed mommie even when he felt awful and his little buns were so red & raw. my heart broke every time I changed him and we went through a ton of diapers. poor little LL...

I, also, learned that having your little man sit on a towel while he has poop problems will save the furniture! and also letting double l run around his room in just socks definitely does do a red bottom good. however, we only did that because he has hardwood floors and the poo can be easily wiped up. I know, too much information. I'm done with the potty talk.

but for more learnings from the past week, check out musings of a housewife



p.s. enter the real simple/target gift card giveaway!

"live your life on less", plus a giveaway...

winner: chris from text imps congrats!
random generator:3

okay, I admit that I still have a small spending problem. a few posts to get you caught up -- click here and here and as much as I boast about getting us out of debt, I acknowledged that I need to get a grip on our budget. I am just not really frugal! but I truly want to be...

so, when I received an email from the PR department at real simple stating they thought I might be interested in their march issue highlighting living on less... I, honestly, wasn't surprised as they said they read mommie blogs. thought to myself "yep, they sure do and they have seen first hand how I really need the tips to live on less!"

the article is titled 'live your life on less'. yep, sign me up and thankfully its after my shoe shopping spree. they highlight 71 ways to save by cutting some corners and being smart about the dollars you are actually spending.

here are some of the tips I really feel I can put into action...
1.) dust off your library card - I am notorious for spending way too much $$ every time I walk into a bookstore. also, I am going to go raid my mom's bookshelf. the woman reads tons of books and can act as my own private library. bonus -- most libraries have story time, which will help out with breaking double l away from the tv

2.) enjoy your favorite tv shows and films for $1 or less -- hulu.com is called out and I must say my bub has been talking about this site for awhile now. I think its high time we check it out. they even offer free downloads for hit tv shows and movies!

3.) bring your lunch -- this goes for me and my bub. enough said!

these are just my top three, but real simple does an awesome job at giving you the best coupon sites (if you must shop, ahem...), discount websites (I heart overstock.com already), recipes to spice up, get this, ramen noodles and so much more...

almost forgot to mention, they even list up&coming dates for free or very cheap treats.
4/21 -- ben&jerry's free cone
4/29 -- baskin robbins one scoop for 31 cents
and my favorite and already have it in icalendar -- a free ice-cream treat @ coldstone on 9/24! YUM.

there you have it! with real simple's help, I am a changed woman. I will be cutting out all the wasteful spending (don't I sound like a politician except I am actually going to do it) and socking away more cash!

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real simple gave me a march issue to giveaway as well. plus, the winner will want to keep all these tips organized by using any one of the many real simple office items at target. so, how about a $15 target gift card to go with the real simple march issue...

all you have to do is leave a comment below. please leave your email address, so I can easily contact the winner. this giveaway will be open until 12PM (EST) on saturday, march 7th. sorry, but this giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. the winner will be chosen at random. oh, and I reserve the right to delete duplicate entries :)

belly aches and lots of laundry

crackers, bananas and pedialyte have been double l's diet for the past 20 hours. we have 6 pairs of sweat pants, a few pairs of socks and some t-shirts, three towels, bed linens and a taggie soaking in the washer. little man has the "runs" as my poppy would say. and its his first time! do I even document it as a first? I kid. but my heart breaks for him as I know he is weak and not feeling well at all. he has a low grade fever and not much of an appetite even for the blain choices listed above. this morning, we were able to get him to eat a half of banana, a little oatmeal and some dry "O's". but now we are scared its all going to come out fast and furious. I apologize for the details, but we have been "livin' the life" for the past 20 hours and I must say its the pits. but double l is still his sweet, funny self. he still laughs, chats with us and (of course) is loving that he can watch some "shows". he even got to watch 'open season' with daddy yesterday afternoon, after a little college basketball. ya know we are entering march madness.

when he sits anywhere, we have him on a towel. it's that bad!! and he just leans over to me or my bub, points to his bum and says "poop". and then we know, we need to strip him down, clean him up and put him in some comfy clothes for the next round. his poor little bum is so red that we are going to switch to just soap and water, no more wipes for now!

but as I type this post, I hear pitter patter of his little feet downstairs, most definitely chasing claire... even feeling like poop (don't mind the pun), he still is such a good, happy boy. so I am off to play hide and seek and hopefully sip on some coffee. I smell it, it must be finished brewing...

but I must say though, well lets just say not so fresh smelling air in our house lately, the roses my mommie brought over last weekend are still so beautiful and smelling lovely! thanks again mom...