Boogies...take them or I'll eat them

Sometimes....kids are so gross.  The other night, I was laying in Mia's bed with her, reading her a book before bed.  She has had a cold and we usually keep a box of tissues by her bed.  Unfortunately, we had run out.  So, she is lying next to me (apparently picking her nose, though I didn't notice since I was reading).  Then, she says, "here Mommy, I have a treasure".  Side note...we joke when she picks her nose that she is digging for buried treasure.  I promptly said, "Mia, please walk to the bathroom to get some toilet paper since we are out of tissues.  Mia's response, "No, Mommy, take it now or I'll eat it". 
Gross....  Oh My Gosh...  I was so grossed out, I took it.  Guess who got a new box of tissues for their room the next day??? 

This girl!

Gone Girl...

I reviewed this book last summer or fall.  You can read about it here. 

Overall:  Basically, I thought the book was engaging.  I enjoyed reading it; however, it was really disturbing.  I became more interested once I realized that her diary was fake.

Characters:  I found that the characters were really not likeable.  I appreciated that Amy was clever; however, her disregard for the lives of others was a big turnoff for me.  I found Nick to be annoying.  Even from the beginning I thought it was obvious that he was hiding something, although I never believed that he killed Amy.

Ending:  The ending was really disturbing.  I was not really happy that they decided to stay together because she was pregnant.  They are both a little crazy and should definitely not be parents. 

What did you think?

Trendy Tot Accessories...hats, glasses, and bags

My kids love hats.  Exhibit A...the sparkle/glitter hat. 

Paxton prefers helmets.  It makes him feel daring and adventurous

He has loved hats since he was a baby. 

The above 2 are courtesy of my talented friend, Carol at EV Modern Baby.

When in doubt of what hat to wear....go with a Pirate theme...Argh Matey!

Glasses are also a nice touch.  It worked for Clark Kent...

Sunglasses are cool too. 

Even when they are a little too big...

A fun bag is another great accessory... 

What are your kids favorite accessories?

Yoga Nidra

I took a Yoga Nidra class when I went to Miravel Spa last year.  While at the time, I thought it was kind of weird, I'm now thinking I could really benefit from it.  Does anyone have any recommendations for a Yoga Nidra Guided Meditation CD? 

My Favorite Pics

I'm linking up with Kelly at Kelly's Korner today to show you my favorite kid and family pics.  I decided to go with pictures of my own family as I love to look back on pictures of my kids through the years. 

Mia and I (She was 4 weeks old)

Mia and I (4 weeks old)

 Mia 4 weeks old...and clearly unhappy

Mia 4 weeks old

Mia age 1

Mia age 1

Paxton 4 weeks old

Paxton 4 weeks old, Mia age 2

Paxton age 2

Family picture 2011

Valentines 2013

Paxton age 2 1/2

When the balls start falling....

You know that feeling when you are juggling so many balls in the air and one by one they come crashing down?  That's how I feel this week.  It's been a rough one.  Instead of dwelling on the past and feeling sorry for myself, I'm going to do what I do best and try to see the silver lining. 

So, today's post is going to be a list of things that I am happy about and grateful for...

• I'm so thankful that my kids are so affectionate and loving.  Even if that means they want me to hold them the entire time I cook dinner, use the bathroom, and brush my teeth.
• I'm grateful for a hands on husband who loves our family.
• I'm happy that I have a job, even if I feel overwhelmed and stressed out sometimes.
• We have a family that is loving and supportive, even when they drive me crazy. 
• We are relatively healthy (minus the kids who have been sick for 2 weeks now).  It is only a small setback and both are on the mend.
• I'm really happy that winter is almost over and spring is right around the corner.  Bring on the sun and warm weather!
• I'm excited that we have a contract on our house, a settlement date coming up, and a new house to move into.

What do you do when life gets you down?  How do you get out of your funk?

I'm the kinda girl who....

I'm a little late for this link-up, but I love the idea...

I'm the kinda girl who...

prefers to lounge around in pj's rather than dress up and go out.

has a weakness for dark chocolate and coke.

loves the idea of DIY craft projects, but usually messes them up beyond recognition.

Would help anyone...anytime...no questions asked, but hates when people do not help themselves.

Gets frustrated easily when I feel like I'm running late.

Loves my kids more than I ever imagined I could love anyone yet, I do want anymore. 

Is hard to get to know, but once you do, we end up being lifelong friends. 

Would love to have just one weekend to do nothing except lay in bed, sleep, and watch tv.

Has never missed an episode of Grey's Anatomy, The Bachelor, or Guilianna and Bill (I'm sure there are other shows as well).

My Trendy Tots

I love this link-up!  I love dressing my kids in cute clothes (though my daughter is now insisting on picking out her own clothes).  This week, I decided to go with some of my winter favorites....layers, sweaters with elbow patches, and sweater dresses....

First up...Layers...

I love pairing a button down with a cute cable knit sweater.  Perfect for church or running errands.

For a more casual look, I love a printed long sleeve t-shirt with a matching flannel.  Comfy and cute!  His hair isn't too bad either :)

I also LOVE his Gap sweater with the elbow patches.  I'm a little biased (ok, a lot), but he is so cute!

For Mia, we love sweater dresses.  Luckily, she loves them too! 

They are cute and comfy and perfect for any fall/winter day!

You can pair them with boots or dress shoes. 

What are your tots wearing?

Literary Junkies

  Here I go with this month's questions!

1. What are you reading right now? Tell us about it.
  I'm in a book club at work and the book chosen for February was Proof of Heaven by Eben Alexander. 

Amazon's book description reads:

A SCIENTIST’S CASE FOR THE AFTERLIFE

Thousands of people have had near-death experiences, but scientists have argued that they are impossible. Dr. Eben Alexander was one of those scientists. A highly trained neurosurgeon, Alexander knew that NDEs feel real, but are simply fantasies produced by brains under extreme stress. Then, Dr. Alexander’s own brain was attacked by a rare illness. The part of the brain that controls thought and emotion—and in essence makes us human—shut down completely. For seven days he lay in a coma. Then, as his doctors considered stopping treatment, Alexander’s eyes popped open. He had come back. Alexander’s recovery is a medical miracle. But the real miracle of his story lies elsewhere. While his body lay in coma, Alexander journeyed beyond this world and encountered an angelic being who guided him into the deepest realms of super-physical existence. There he met, and spoke with, the Divine source of the universe itself. Alexander’s story is not a fantasy. Before he underwent his journey, he could not reconcile his knowledge of neuroscience with any belief in heaven, God, or the soul. Today Alexander is a doctor who believes that true health can be achieved only when we realize that God and the soul are real and that death is not the end of personal existence but only a transition. This story would be remarkable no matter who it happened to. That it happened to Dr. Alexander makes it revolutionary. No scientist or person of faith will be able to ignore it. Reading it will change your life.
  When a coworker choose this book, I was excited.  I have always been interested in Near Death Experiences and I was anxious to read his account, especially since he was recently interviewed by Oprah! My interested really started when I was 11 years old.  My 16 year old cousin got very sick.  She had a virus in her brain and had a 15% or less chance of survival.  During one of her seizures, on the way to the hospital, she saw our late grandfather.  In this "vision", he told her to "go back, it was not her time".  I didn't really think about it a lot after, though it was always in the back of my mind.  After we lost our son, Parker, I became more interested in what Heaven is really like.  So much so, that I have probably read nearly 50 books on it.  I even made my husband ride 2 hours with me to hear Don Piper, author of 90 Minutes in Heaven, speak.  He was amazing by the way!  Totally worth the 2 hour drive each way.  I am not sure what to think after reading Proof of Heaven.  It was written in a very scientific way--if that makes sense.  It's almost as if he sets out to prove that his experience was real based on scientific evidence.  He talks about what he sees and hears, and talks about how God is love, but something about the book bothers me.  Has anyone else read it?  If so, what do you think?  Do you have any other books like these that you would recommend?

2. Explain the recipe for a great book.   

• Well Developed Characters that are relatable
• Great Plot
• Love story
• Suspense

3. Tell us things you've learned from a book recently. Did you learn anything about history? Did you take away a deep & profound realization about the world around you? Or maybe even a beauty tip?

I read such a wide variety of books.  I learned alot about WWII and strength/endurance from Unbroken and alot about courage from Lone Survivor.  Most of the books that I really learn from tend to be biographies or fiction. 

4. What was your favorite book as a child? 

  The Sweet Smell of Christmas.  I read it year round.  I loved that little bear :).  

Capt. Commando

The adventures of Potty Training....

Well, I'm excited to say that Paxton is officially potty trained (except during nap and overnight).  For a while, he would only go if he was naked.  That's fine if we are home, but we could not go out in the winter in Maryland with a little naked boy. 
I bought him cute Jake and the Neverland Pirates underware, but because they were tight...like a diaper...he got confused.  So, he goes commando (and occassionally wears little man boxers).  This works great!  No accidents and everyone is happy.  Yay to no more poopy diapers! 

DIY Bow Holder

I'm linking up with Kelly of Kelly's Korner this week for organizational tips.  I saw this on ETSY a while ago and decided to make one to hold Mia's bows. 

Sorry, the picture isn't the best, but it's really easy to do.

Materials:
Picture frame
Ribbon
Hot Glue gun (or gorilla glue)

If I can make this....anyone can!  I used 4 different ribbons with the same colors and cut them into stripes.  I then glued the ends of the ribbon to the frame and let it dry.  Voila!   Your done!  It's a cute way to organize and display your little girl's bows.  I also glued a big hot pink flower to the top right corner that matches flowers on her curtains. 

Valentine's Day Swap

I am so lucky I got to meet Shon!  She was not only an amazing partner, but she is so sweet.  She is also super cute and stylish, which you can see immediately by reading her blog.

She is obviously also much more crafty than me. 

My mug came wrapped so cute and tied with an adorable red and white ribbon.  It was filled to the top with dark chocolate dove candy.  YUM!



Inside I found a gift card to Old Navy/Gap and Nail Polish!  That color is one of my favorites!  It's so perfect for spring. 

Thank you so much Shon...you are the best!  You should definitely check out her blog!