Crush

You see this handsome little boy here?

He has a crush! 

It started at a young age. Drake was just a couple weeks old when he meet Laila.

 

As they grew older their friendship blossomed.

 

Drake and Laila even went on dates to the zoo.

Of course not every moment was happy.

But this weekend we think Drake developed his first crush.

He tried to hold her hand and loved looking at her pretty dress.

He even went as far as sharing his favorite toys and books, that told Momma and Daddy this is the real thing!

Pretty cute couple don't you think?!?

Our State Fair is the Best State Fair

I'm  no expert on State Fairs, but word on the street is that Iowa might just give any state a run for their money when it comes to fairs. Every year during a 10 day period in August around 1 MILLION people go through the gates to attend the greatest fair in the world. I have probably been to the fair about 25 times in my life and look forward to it every summer. Growing up going to the fair was a family tradition. When I was in college the fair was the place to party.  Oh and the concerts are always sure to impress. I have seen Kenny Chesney, Clay Aiken and Keith Urban all take the stage at the Grandstand. But this year, I got to experience the State Fair through the eyes of child again as Drake experienced his first ever Iowa State Fair.

Probably one of the greatest things about the fair is the food. Food that is fried and on a stick to be specific. I indulged in a corn dog, fried cheese curds and a fresh squeezed lemonade during out trip.

The next best thing to the food is the people. People watching does not get any better than at the fair. Fanny packs, mullets and cut off shirts are in no shortage here.

We even let Drake indulge in a little fair food of his own with a nice big hot dog.

The other thing that is huge at the fair are the endless supply of HUGE animals. Here Drake is posing with the giant bull. Let me just say that this picture does not do the bull justice.

We even got a little trashy for the night and branded our child with a Iowa Hawkeye tattoo. GO HAWKS!

Did you know that there is a college in Iowa named Drake University? (and no, Drake is not named after it)We could not pass up the chance for our Drake to pose with the Drake sign. We also thought that 1 tattoo was not nearly enough and got him a Drake tattoo as well!

This probably seems really weird to anybody who does not live in Iowa but every year they make a cow out of butter. People line up to see it and it is probably the most anticipated attraction at the fair every year.

But you see a cow made out of butter is not good enough for us Iowans. Nope we go one step further and do a different butter theme every year. This year the theme was Dr. Seuss.

Drake had his first experience touching a cow. He kept pointing at it and saying "dog" over and over again. Looks like we need to work on animals!

To say that Drake was terrified of the State Fair Queen would be an understatement. You see, I was not really wanting to be in this picture but Drake took one look at her crown and just lost it. As you can see he still has not gotten over the sharp object sticking out of head.

To end our trip at the fair I had to get a Dole Whip. Have you ever had a Dole Whip? They are the best.thing.ever. Pineapple flavored soft serve ice cream that is just so so good. It is our tradition to eat one as we walk out of the fairgrounds.

 I think I can say proudly that our state fair is the best state fair...at least to me!

Rethinking Blogging

Over the last year I have poured so much of myself, time, energy and talent into this blog. In return the blog has given me great friends, helped me learn so much about being a mom and opened some pretty amazing  doors for me. Sassy Silly Spunky Momma has been a true blessing and joy to me.

That being said, the blog is not going in the direction I want it to go. It has started to take up much of my free time and taken time from other activities I used to enjoy. To make matters worse sometimes I feel like I'm doing a post just do a post instead of really concentrating on the content. Things need to change. I've been thinking a lot about the direction I want to take the blog and I've come up with a few ideas.

Most weeks I have a post everyday except Saturday. I've discovered I can't continue at that pace and still put out good content. I'm going to be cutting back to around 3-4 posts a week. I want to do more "real" writing. I want to tell stories using pictures, really explain my feelings using words and connect with my readers on a different level. All my favorite posts from the past are the posts where I really pour my heart out and am my true authentic self. I am recommitting to that standard  from now on.

I have all my reviews/giveaways on the back burner during the month of August to concentrate on Drake gives back. Starting next month I'm going to really limit my giveaways and reviews to no more than 2 a month. In addition, I will only review a product that is something I think I would love and you, my readers, would love. I don't want my blog to become all about giveaways instead of my writing. I have been turning companies down and will continue to do so. If you are a blogger who would be interested in doing reviews /giveaways please e-mail me your contact information and I will pass it along to interested companies.

Finally,  I want you to know that if I'm not commenting as much that I am still reading your blog. I do a lot of blog reading on my phone with Google Reader whenever I have a free second. Unless I'm totally missing something (please tell me if I am) I have no idea how to comment from there.

Basically the whole idea behind cutting back on blogging is cutting back on time in front of the computer and spending that time in other productive ways. I need to declutter my life and that means taking more walks, deep cleaning my house, making healthy dinners, cuddle with my husband, play with my dog, have a few more minutes of quality time with my baby everyday and rediscover old hobbies.

This isn't good-bye, just a "fall cleansing" of sorts. I will see you around and hopefully you will leave here a little more inspired from now on.

So please excuse me. I have a pile of reading calling my name.

Let Me Introduce...

You all remember Baby Drake with the long shaggy hair, right?!?

 Drake has undergone a bit of  makeover and Baby Drake was replaced by Toddler Drake.

It is my pleasure to introduce Toddler Drake with a little edgier haircut!!

We really did it this time! Ben got our his clippers and went to town on our shaggy little dude. As much as I would love Drake to have "surfer" hair it is just way to thick and would weigh him down. So we decided the next best thing is "rocker" hair. 

Drake's hair is about as long now as it was when he was born making it the perfect length for some awesome spikes! I think we did a pretty good job and ended up with a super handsome little boy!

Things on My Mind

Blog
State Fair
WordPress
Small Towns
Time Management
Fall
Football
AMAZING giveaway
Drake Gives Back


Much more on these to come soon!

No Way

There is no way this sweet boy has stared to bite...

              and screams at the top of his lungs at supper when we don't give him what he wants to eat...

                        and throws himself down on the floor in an all out fit when we don't pick him up....

         and looks at something he is not suppose to touch and shakes his head no and touches it anyways...

He would never do anything like that!

No Way

I think the phrase "don't judge a book by the cover" might be the perfect way to  Mr. Drake

Iowa Boy

I don't really think anything says Iowa like corn on the cob.

And nothing says Iowa boy like this...

Our Little Spy

Look what we found in Drake's crib this morning

Seems like somebody thinks the monitors work both ways!

Disclaimer: I have no idea how he was able to get that into his crib. He must have somehow been able to grab the antenna and get in from there. The monitor has now been moved where he would never be able to reach it.

Drake Gives Back-Update #3

I have worked with Tommee Tippee on a review and giveaway in the past and could not be more excited to work with them again! When they heard about Drake Gives Back they wanted to help out and sent a 3 pack of their closer to nature bottles.  Thanks Tommee Tippee!!

You can visit Tommee Tippee:

On Facebook

On Twitter

Website

Thankful

I usually reserve my thankful posts until the Thanksgiving season, but I've decided that today, a Friday in the middle of August, need a thankful post because I'm feeling just that- thankful!

On August 13, 2010 I'm feeling thankful for:

•  The fact that even though it really sucks that our air conditioner went out, I needed a new tire and our garbage disposal broke all in a 3 day time span I'm so thankful that is the worst of our problems. Those are just things and things can be fixed.
• Knowing we pretty much can rest assured that if our basement has not flooded by now with the inches and inches (10 inches in 3 days with more on the way) of rain that  fell this week we should never have water in our basement. Peace of mind is worth everything.
• Taking chances and not being afraid of failure. I have learned over the years that fear of failure only holds you back and does not allow you to succeed.
• Little footprints that paint our driveway after an evening of playing with the hose.

• Watching Drake pretend his hand is a phone as he holds it up to his ear and says "ello" over and over again.
• The anticipation of going to the State Fair next week because  "Our State Fair is the Best State Fair. Don't Miss it Don't Even Be Late" Extra points to the person who can name what musical that song is from!
• Lazy weekends with nothing planned but spending time with my 2 boys and flying by the seat of our pants.

I really have so much to be thankful for and for that I'm really thankful!
What are you thankful for today?

The Dog Has All the Luck

Supper at our house quickly turns from this...

To this....

(Please notice the goldfish cracker on Skinner's back thanks to Drake's generosity)

To this...

The dog really does have all the luck!

The Greatest Love Story Ever Told

There once lived a couple...

They were honest hardworking people.

They bickered every now and then but had such love for each other.

They made a life together and had a son and a daughter and 5 granddaughters.

They grew old.

The woman became ill.

Her husband had battled health problems of his own.

They did not want to go to a nursing home but could no longer live alone.

They went into the nursing home on a Tuesday.

That Saturday the woman went to heaven.

That Monday her husband joined her.

Married 60 years.

They could not live without each other.

A movie or a book could not do their story justice.

Their story is one of a kind .

And there is no better love story.

I'm proud and honored to say that amazing couple was my Grandparents.

But I Just Had a Baby...

This is going to be a confession post of sorts.

About my weight.

Fun topic, huh?

Remember how right after you have a baby you can say "I just had a baby" and use that as an excuse for anything? That phrase justifies  being tired, being fat, being crabby and many other situations.

You know what is really interesting? The other day I stepped on the scale, saw a number I did not like and thought I just had a baby that is why my weight is where it is.  Then 2 seconds later reality came and slapped me in the face. Hard. Because I did not just have a baby. I had a baby over a year ago. A.Year.Ago. 365 days. I can only longer use that excuse.

So after letting the reality of the situation sink in, I decided it was time to take a long look at myself and see what was derailing my weight loss efforts. It did not take long to figure out what was going on

Problem #1 Working Out-I stopped doing P90X. I have no good excuse except that I was lazy. I was too lazy to get my butt out of bed and spend an hour a day  working out.

Fix- STOP BEING LAZY KATIE!!! In all seriousness, I can fix this. I can get up in the morning. Drake sleeps 12 hours I night. I get plenty of sleep. I can get up and workout. I need to make it a priority.

Problem #2 Eating-I discovered when I really looked at eating habits that I am without a doubt an emotional eater. If I am stressed out or upset I tend to make very poor food choices. I eat things I normally would not eat and I eat more than I normally would.

Fix- I have never publicly acknowledged this to anybody besides my mom before. I need to admit to my problem before I can fix it, so I'm admitting. I need to really concentrate on making good food choices when I'm stressed or upset. No need to be stressed and fat, right? I am also going to try to find something like walking, blogging or taking a bath to make me feel better instead of food.  I think this is going to be more challenging then the working out but I'm really committed to this.

So now my weight loss dirty laundry is all out in the open. I have to recommit. I have to do this for my health. I have to do this for me. I have to do this.

Now I'm  now going to do something super scary so everything really is out in the open-

I weigh 174.6 lbs as of this morning

I want to weight 160 lbs by Christmas.

Doable goal don't you think? I will be updating you on my journey periodically.

P.S.-Keep forgetting to tell you but I made a Facebook page! Click below to "like" me!



The Sassy Silly Spunky Momma

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Drake Gives Back- Update #2

So I lied. I do have one more Birthday related thing to talk about in conjunction with Drake Gives Back. Remember how I said I planned on incorporating it somehow into Drake's Birthday? What I did was make up postcards with all the information to hand out with the party favors. I received great feedback from my guests and they plan on passing the information along. Word of mouth is truly the best way to spread the message! 

Now time to highlight one of the awesome companies that donated to Drake Gives Back-Playskool!

Playskool so generously donated an Explore 'N Grow Busy Ball Popper and Explore 'N Grow Activity Ball.  The kids at the hospital are going to LOVE these toys. Drake got the Ball Popper from my parents for Christmas and just can't get enough of it. Thanks Playskool for your help in making Drake Gives Back a success!

Photo Credit

Check out the Playskool links below to find out more information about their products.

Playskool:  http://www.hasbro.com/playskool/en_US/
Playskool Twitter: http://twitter.com/playskool

Playskool Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/playdoh#!/playskool

Explore N’ Grow: http://www.hasbro.com/playskool/en_US/shop/browse/Playskool/N-1rZgtZkz/_/N-1rZgtZkz/Ne-2l

Remember that Drake gives back is officially running August 1-September 1. Please let me know if you would like to be involved or make a donation.

Disclaimer-Playskool provided me with the 2 toys listed above for Drake Gives Back. I received no monetary payment or products for myself. I listed their websites because I wanted to, not because they told me to.

A Cluttered Mess

That is what my brain is right now...a cluttered mess. These last few days have turned out to be super busy leaving me with no time to write my blog or read other blogs. I'm seriously going through withdrawal!!

Since I have so much stuff running through my mind I'm just going to spill all sorts of random stuff to you. Aren't you lucky?!? So here goes nothing...

• I made the big mistake by taking Drake with me to renew my license today. I don't know about where you live, but in Iowa there is only one place in each county to do this. So you can imagine how packed the place is!  We waited in line for a half hour to even get into the building and then at least another another half hour for our turn. Drake was bored and all he wanted to do was get down and run around. Being the super mean Momma that I am I would not let him (this place is just gross). This resulted in him screaming. Loud. I mean make your ears ring loud.  People staring loud. Just plain loud! Next time Drake will not be coming. 
• Also related to the new drivers license. You can no longer smile when you have your picture taken for your licence. I will never ever share this picture with you or anybody else. Think of what my mug shot would look like and you've now got a pretty good idea of the little picture treasure my wallet will now protect.
• I've recently discovered the awesomeness that is consignment shops. About time huh? I bought Drake some clothes for fall at one. All the clothes either looked brand new or were brand new with the tags still on it. AWESOME!
• My house is a mess. Not really dirty, but cluttered. I still need to find a place for all of Drake's new toys and I have totes of clothes he has outgrown to sort through. How much of your baby's clothes did you keep? Do you keep it all for you next baby, keep some, or get rid of it all?
• Here is my big secret. I used to design wedding invitations for people. OK. so this is obviously not a huge juicy secret, but nevertheless something you probably did not know about me. Anyways, I really want to get back into designing them again and maybe even expand to birthday invitations, announcements and stationary. I need a new printer and a name for the business before I can start. Any good ideas?

Hopefully next week is just a little bit more organized! Have a great weekend!

When It's Your 1st Birthday

I promise this is the last birthday post!

We had Drake's party on Saturday but Sunday was his actual Birthday. We did all sorts of things Drake loved on his special day!

Here is a recap :

When It's Your 1st Birthday you get some pretty cool presents from Momma and Daddy.

When It's Your 1st Birthday you get a special birthday breakfast of donuts! You did not like it all and spit it out much to our surprise

When It's Your 1st Birthday you would rather push Daddy on your new bike than ride it yourself.

When It's Your 1st Birthday eating fruit snacks on the deck is the highlight of your afternoon.

When It's Your 1st Birthday playing with new toys takes up most of the day.

When It's Your 1st Birthday we let you run all over the park collecting rocks and playing in the fountain.

When It's Your 1st Birthday you had fits of laughter from how high you were flying in the air!

When It's Your 1st Birthday we ate supper at the grocery store just so you could have their special mac and cheese you love so much from the deli.

When It's Your 1st Birthday...we celebrate!!