Blogs I Adore...And Stalk

Thanks to Trop50 for sponsoring my writing about fabulous bloggers. This year Trop50 is granting 50 Fabulous Wishes. Click here to enter for a chance to win $1,000 to celebrate a friend with a refreshing attitude about looking and feeling fabulous!

I'm going to let you in on a little secret. I read blogs long before I was blogger. I lurked quietly reading about other people's lives, rarely commenting. Then I decided to start my own blog and came out of my blogging shell. I was suddenly participating in blogging communities, commenting on blog posts and coming up with my own content. Over the course of the last 3 years I have encountered many amazing bloggers, but these 5 bloggers take the cake as being the best of the best in my book.

O My Family
AllisonO writes the most heartfelt and sweet posts about her boys OBoy and OBrother and her husband DanO. What I love most about this blog is that her personality seems to just shine through the screen. I'm also in love with the fact that she is a strong Christian woman who uses her blog to spread her grace, faith and love of God. Reading her blog is like having a cup of coffee with your best friend. So go pour yourself a cup and sit down for a chat!

Heir to Blair
I just do not think you can get more real than Blair. She is the most honest blogger who openly talks about such subjects as her struggle with postpartum depression and being a working mom.Her son, Harrison, is the cutest little guy who just melts my heart. Blair's honesty and openness makes her blog a must read for me. 

Enjoying the Small Things
Beautiful. Thoughtful. Inspiring. These are the word that pop in my mind about this truly fabulous blog. If you have not yet visited this blog please do your self a favor and do so immediately (actually wait until you get done with this post then head over there) I promise you will not be disappointed. Kelle has a way of making everyday ordinary events seem extraordinary. She really has made me look at the small things in my life in a whole different way.

Please don't be mad at me for the hours and hours and hours that you will now spend looking through her site. It is so worth it :)

a belle, a bean & a chicago dog
Liz is blogger I look up to. She has crafted her blog into something that is a shining example to other bloggers on how to do it right. Liz has found her blogging "voice" and the high quality of her posts reflect that. In a time where many bloggers come and go, I have a feeling Liz is here to stay as she is a down-to-earth, interesting, and funny blogger that has built a loyal following. Liz's blog is a must add to your reader.

Iowa Girl Eats
Is it weird that I every night I look forward to her post recapping what she ate all day? If it is weird then I'm just... a weirdo, I guess!! Anyways, I love Iowa Girl Eats, not only does she post recaps of what she eats but she provides awesome and easy recipes as well as step-by-step instructions ( with pictures) to make it even easier to follow. I've always wished I was a better and more creative cook so I dream I am by reading her blog. If you love cooking, baking, or just food in general check out this blog.

Now that you know the blogs that I adore, go check them out for yourself! I promise you will find  blogs that make you laugh, cry, smile, reflect, and drool!! Even though I don't "know" these people I do "know" their stories and the happiness they bring me. I have no doubt you will feel the same. Enjoy!

Don't forget to enter the 50 Fabulous Wishes contest for a chance to win $1,000 to celebrate a friend with a refreshing attitude about looking and feeling fabulous. I was selected for this Tropicana Trop50 sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do. I received compensation to use and facilitate my post.

Perfect

The last 7 days ( I took a few days vacation) have been nothing short of perfect. Zoo with friends, pizza, shopping all day with my mom, evening out with friends, coffee and shopping with a friend, driveway beers, staying in pajamas until lunch, science center, curling up with a good book, grilling out with friends, zoo again, dragon pool in the yard, sprinkler and ice cream. Perfect I tell you, perfect.

You know what else is perfect? Last Memorial Day Ben and I took Drake to the zoo just like we did today. I even got a lot of the same pictures of Drake that I got last year. Boy oh boy, has my baby turned into a little boy.

 

I'm off to enjoy the last few hours of vacation buy curling up with my Kindle. "Water for Elephants" here I come!

Like I Need Another Obsession

I love Pinterest. Like, I really, really, really love it.

I have been gathering all sorts of awesomesauce worthy ideas for Drake's Where the Wild Things Are birthday party.

Check it out!

I'm in love. With only a little over two months to go before his birthday, I'm in full on party planning mode. Pinterest is either going to a huge help or a huge burden (due to the many awesome ideas that will just have to do) during the planning process.

Anyways, I'm off to stalk Pinterest some more while my son naps. Obsession I tell you, obsession.

Being Creative With Fashion

I have a super long torso and that has always made finding camis and tank tops long enough a real challenge.  That is until I became pregnant with Drake and I discovered the awesomeness that is maternity camis. They are long and flattering and fit perfect. I had a Liz Lange for Target cami in white and black and wore one or the other practically everyday!

Here is my little secret- I still wear those camis all the time. Today I replaced my faded and stained black Liz Lange tank from over 2 years ago with a brand new maternity cami. I'm not pregnant and I shop in the maternity section! 

So if you are having trouble finding tanks or camis long enough, head over to the maternity section.

You can thank me later :) Enjoy!

Timeout is Old News

Looks like I'm in need of a different discipline plan.
The good ol' Super Nanny recommend timeout ( using their age as the number of minutes they have to stay there) is just not cutting it any more.

Whenver I tell Drake that he is going to timeout he smiles and runs to put himself in timeout (sitting down facing the pantry door) and then starts to fake cry like I put him there. Then he runs out gives me a big hug says "Sorry Mama" in the sweetest voice and proceeds to be naughty until he puts himself in timeout again.

Needless to say, timeout just isn't cutting it anymore. I'm in desperate need of ideas. What discipline tricks do you have up your sleeve?

Family Date Night at Sesame Street Live

 Last night we had the BEST family date night at Sesame Street Live!

We decided to make a whole night out of it and get a bite to eat first. We headed downtown to Fong's Pizza  and had a great meal. The restaurant is more of a bar style but Ben and I figured if we were going to be spending the rest of the evening with Elmo and friends we deserved a more "adult" style eatery!

After we finished up we headed to Wells Fargo Arena where we saw Sesame Street Live. I'm so disappointed because I forgot my camera at home, my phone was dead and all the pictures I have were taken on my husband's phone who is not home this morning. SOOOO I have no pictures.

Drake LOVED the show. He sat and smiled, and clapped, and danced and laughed the whole time. Ben and I had the best time watching his reaction!

The show lasted about 1 1/2 hours with a 15 minute intermission. PERFECT amount of time for a almost 2 year old. We also did not leave the show empty handed. We picked up the cutest 8-piece Sesame Street  figure playset and a Elmo balloon (when did balloons start costing $10.00?!?!?). We also had to have a snack of popcorn and M&M's to keep everybody (Ben and Drake) happy during the performance

Overall the night was perfect and a memory I will never forget. Thanks Iowa Events Center for asking us to be your guests!

Please note-I was provided with 3 free tickets to Sesame Street Live.

I've Resorted to Spying On My Kid

After the success of night one in the big boy bed I really had my hopes up for night two. Unfortunately the 2 minutes of crying we had on night one turned into 45 minutes of crying on night two. Throw in a bunch of pounding and banging noises coupled with being out of wine ( I KNOW! You should ALWAYS have an extra bottle on hand for nights likes this) and our evening was far from relaxing. I could only imagine what my little trouble maker was up to behind the closed door. As the pounding and screaming got louder I could not help but wish I had a video monitor to spy on the little monkey.
This is where fate ( Or luck. But I like to think it was fate)  takes over. Kids Woot (a daily deal website) had the  Motorola Digital Video Baby Monitor as their deal of the day for $59.00 (it is usually $89.00) so I snatched one up.

Image Credit

I know some of you are probably thinking this is a bit extreme but I happen to have a toddler that can't be trusted. He is sneaky and quick. And he is so darn cute that you forget how sneaky and quick he is!

Example-
We are working on not going into the street when we play outside. Drake knows he can't go in the street by himself but he pushes the limits. He stands with the tip of shoes as the very end of the driveway and looks at me with that testing smile. I say "No" he looks me straight in the eye and says "Yes" and runs into the street.

Sneaky and quick are his weapons of choice and he uses them very well.

So anyways, now with my spy cam I can keep an eye on all his little shenanigans.

Plus think how awesome the video monitor will be when he is a teenager!!

I'm kidding, I'm kidding!!

But really how AWESOME would it be for a teenager ?!?

We are watching you Drake!

{Almost} Wordless Wednesday

Proof that Drake:
A) Looks pretty cute in his new bed
B) Looks ridiculous with a newborn paci

Leaving Babyhood Behind

I knew this night would come but I did not except for it to come so soon.
I did not expect to feel so sad.

I did not expect to feel so proud.

Last night Drake slept in a big boy bed for the first time.

Yesterday morning I had no idea our night would end with a huge transition both for Drake and myself. I thought Drake was perfectly content sleeping in his crib. He never once tried to climb out, but yesterday he had other plans. He climbed out of his pack-n-play at his grandparent's during nap time and then I caught him climbing out of his crib last night.

Climbing out=time for big boy bed.

So after a quick 8:00 pm Target run to pick up a bed railing, we took the side off of his crib and installed the bed railing.

All of the sudden we had ourselves a big boy bed. 

A big boy bed for my baby.

After it was all installed we let him play in it for a little bit all while making a huge deal on what a big boy he was. I kissed him goodnight and shut the door. I braced myself for the worse; crying, screaming, and banging on the door as I sat down outside his room to ride out the storm.

He screamed.

He cried.

He banged on the door.

Then after 2 short minutes I heard him stick his paci in his mouth and climb into bed.

I sat outside his room crying tears of sadness for the little boy who  is no longer a baby and tears of joy for the pride I felt in him figuring it out himself.

He is growing up and I could not be more sad or more proud.

Somehow I have a feeling this will not be last time I feel like this.

Goodbye Babyhood. It was good knowing you.

Hello childhood. I can't wait to see what you have in store.

Camera? What Camera?

Seriously. I feel like this past weekend was a giant weekend of fun and I have not a single photo to show for it. My camera was attached to me for Drake's first year of life and now I feel like I have been slacking BIG time in the photo department. A big part of it is the fact that Drake is pretty much impossible to photograph as he is always running around like a chicken with his head cut off.

So anyways if I had photos of this weekend this is what you would have seen:

My mom, sisters and I enjoying pizza and beer before heading to the Bon Jovie concert. 

Us rocking out at the Bon Jovie concert. I pretty much can sing "Living on a Prayer" like it is my job.

Drake enjoying a morning with his aunt and cousin.

A fun lunch and play date with friends.

An evening catching up with good friends.

A Saturday morning breakfast at our favorite coffee shop.

8 long hours of car shopping.

A new (to us) car.

A night spent enjoying family and friends

A hectic morning preparing for a party.

Surprising my parents with a party for their 30th wedding anniversary.

And I did not take a single photo. Not one. I could just kick myself in the teeth. But you know what? It was also kinda awesome to be living the moments fully present and not behind the camera. But I could still kick myself. So from now on the camera will become like another arm; it will go with me everywhere!

I Think My Kid is Cool (And Other Things)

 And here is the picture to prove it. I'm in love with the cuteness.

Seriously in love.

I'm also in love with my new phone app Vignette (think Instagram for an Android). I used it to take this picture and love how it can make a boring camera photo so interesting.

I'm also in love with Pinterest. Any of you on it? Add me my username is sssmomma. If anybody is not on it and  and wants an invite let me know and I will send you one.

I've had the most productive morning. I worked out, played outside with Drake, cleaned my whole house, baked a cake, did 5 loads of laundry, ate lunch, and played outside again. I'm trying to keep busy today so the day goes fast because I'm SO excited for tonight.  I'm going to see Bon Jovi tonight with my mom and sisters and  I CAN'T WAIT!!! Not to mention the fact that before the show we are trying out a new restaurant that serves crab rangoon pizza. I know, right!?!? YUMMY!

I'm off to go sit outside in the sun while Drake naps. This skin needs a little golden kiss!

Potty Stories

Background- Drake has started to show some interest in using the potty so we bought him his very own frog potty! He usually only goes when he wakes up in the morning and right before bath.

Scene-Saturday night. I'm home alone getting ready to give Drake a bath.

I put Drake on the potty and turn around to start running the bath water.

I look back to check on Drake and see him trying to catch a stream of pee with his hands.

Gross.

I grab his hands and tell him no.

He finishes up and I take him off the potty and put him in the bathtub.

Drake is happily playing in the tub when I hear a disturbing licking sound.

I turn around to see Skinner drinking the pee out of the potty.

I gag.

I make a mental note to never let Skinner lick another human again.

I curse the stupid frog potty and potty training.

I laugh at what my Saturday nights now consist of.

I smile.

And even in that crazy gross moment feel so much happiness in being a Momma.

Then I enjoy a glass of wine knowing that potty training has now become my husbands job.

He just doesn't know it yet.

The End.

Quick Update

Hi Everybody! I have so MUCH to blog about and will be back at it later this week. Between being out of town for work last week and Mother's Day weekend things have been fun by crazy here!

So until then I have a couple of giveaways for you:

Who doesn't love slippers? Enter to win a pair of Dearfoam slippers (there are 3 winners)

If you live in the Des Moines area you can enter to win a 4 pack of tickets to see Sesame Street Live

Looking forward to getting back to a more normal schedule this week.

Talk to you all soon!!

Sesame Street Live Giveaway

How would you like to win 4 tickets to see Sesame Street Live “1-2-3 Imagine! with Elmo & Friends”?

You could get your chance to attend (you pick the date and time of the show you attend)  in Des Moines, IA at Wells Fargo Arena Friday, May 20 through Sunday, May 22, 2011 by answering the Sesame Street Trivia Question Below.

Please leave a comment with what you think the answer is. I will pick a winner on Friday, May 13 from all of the correct guesses. Good luck!

Which character likes collecting junk, standing in line, arguing and rainy days?

Please note-I was received 3 tickets to Sesame Street Live in exchange for holding this giveaway and providing you this information. Please note all opinions are my own.

Dearfoam Slipper Mother's Day Giveaway {3 Winners!}

Mother's Day is fast approaching and Dearfoam Slippers wants to pamper my readers by holding a giveaway!

Here are the details
Giveaway will end at 7:00 am CST on Saturday, May 14th. At that timeI will randomly select three lucky winners who will each get to choose a pair of slippers from 7 styles of luxury Dearfoam Slippers.


Here is how you enter:
Please leave a separate comment for each item you complete. (You can do one, two, three, or all four of the things listed below.)
1. Follow Dearfoam on Twitter
2. Like Dearfoam on Facebook
3. Go to the Dearfoam website and tell me what slippers you love
4. Follow this blog by either Google Friend Connect or RSS Feed

Please Note-I was provided with 2 pairs of slippers to review in exchange for hosting this giveaway. All opinions are my own.

Sesame Street Live Coming to Des Moines

 

In the last few months Drake has started watching Sesame Street. He loves the music, dancing, and all the counting they do. He especially loves the segments Elmo is in. He has a special place in his heart for the little red furry guy! So you can imagine my excitement when I found out that Sesame Street Live was bringing their stage show to Des Moines! I can't wait to see Drake's face when he sees Elmo!

I thought you all might want  chance to see Elmo and all his friends too, so I will be holding a giveaway on Saturday for a 4 pack of tickets to see Sesame Street Live in Des Moines!

Here are some more details about the show-
Sesame Street Live

“1-2-3 Imagine! with Elmo & Friends”
Des Moines, IA; Wells Fargo Arena
Friday, May 20 through Sunday, May 22, 2011

Imagine singing and dancing with Elmo, Abby Cadabby, Big Bird and all your favorite Sesame Street Live friends! It’s as easy as counting “1-2-3 Imagine!” This high-energy musical will transport audiences to far away places as Ernie captains the high seas, Elmo dances to the rhythm of the African rainforest and Bert meets an octopus who has the blues. It’s a story of adventure and fun that teaches children they can be anyone, do anything and go anywhere with the power of imagination.

Sesame Street Live is a larger-than-life, musical touring stage production featuring Big Bird, Elmo, Cookie Monster, Bert and Ernie…and more. Each performance is 90 minutes of singing, dancing and audience participation, including a 15-minute intermission. The perfect length for very young children!

Tickets for all six performances are now on sale. Purchase tickets by calling 866-55-DAHLS, at all Dahl’s Foods locations, dahlstickets.com, or at the Wells Fargo Arena Ticket Office.

Ticket information
Ticket prices: $12, $15, $20, $28 (Gold Circle) & $48 (Sunny Seats).
Opening Night (Friday, May 20, 7:00 PM)—All seats $12.00 (excluding Gold Circle and Sunny Seats).
Kid’s Matinee (Friday, May 20, 11:00 AM)—All seats $8.00 for School/Daycare Groups 10 + (excluding Gold Circle and Sunny Seats).
Additional group discounts available. Groups 10+ call 515-564-8146
Get the ultimate fan experience with Sunny Seats!
The Sunny Seats Package includes a VIP Seat and a pre-show Meet & Greet photo opportunity with two Sesame Street Live friends.
Additional fees/surcharges may apply.

Performance Schedule
Friday May 20 11:00 AM & 7:00 PM
Saturday May 21 10:30 AM & 2:00 PM
Sunday May 22 1:00 PM & 4:30 PM

Come back Saturday for your chance to win!

Please note-I was received 3 tickets to Sesame Street Live in exchange for holding this giveaway and providing you this information. Please note all opinions are my own.

One Year Later

If you have been around here for awhile you know that Drake fought and awful battle with severe reflux the first year of his life. It was exactly 1 year ago today when we took the steps to really find out and see what was going on in his little body by having a scope and Upper GI preformed on him. I wanted to share the post that I wrote that day as a reminder of just how far we've come.  After all the boy who hated bottles and with a passion now eats chocolate bunnies like it is his job! I'm so very proud of this boy!! :)

We are back from the hospital where they preformed Drake's  GI scope and Upper GI x-ray today. Everything on the scope and x-ray looked good, so now we just wait to hear the biopsy results from the pieces of tissue they took from his esophagus.

Right before they took him for the scope

Drake was a trooper through the whole process. He was making friends with all the nurses, exploring all the medical equipment, and talking and smiling even though he had an empty tummy! I got choked up when they carried him away to put him under anesthesia, I did not want him to be scared and just wanted to be there to comfort him.  The nurses told us that he actually only cried when they put the anesthesia mask on him as he wanted nothing to do with it! After the procedure they took us back to recovery, he was still sleeping but woke up the second I picked him up. He  looked around let out a little happy squeal and proceed to try and pull out his IV and climb all over his bed...the kid did not miss a beat.

Big Band-Aid on a little hand

The Upper GI was a very unpleasant experience for Drake as he had to drink this disgusting liquid and lay super still. (babies don't lay still so that meant a nurse, a doctor, Ben and I were all holding him down) The hospital provided us with a child life specialist who really helped distract Drake with some cool toys!!

After we left Drake ate more than I had ever seen him eat in one sitting before!! It had been 16 hours since he last had anything to eat or drink so he had a  mango smoothie, peaches, puffs, a whole bowl of pasta, and piece of cheese!!

Being at the hospital and going through all the tests made me so happy that this is the biggest problem we have to deal with. Too many parents have to spend so much time inside those walls with their really sick kids where their days are filled with poking and prodding and tests. I thanked God right then and  there for letting us be there for reflux and not something more serious. I know I will be hugging my baby just a little bit tighter tonight.