five on friday jan 31

Instead of working on grading and report cards, I chose to do a Five on Friday post!  

Thanks Darci, Natasha, April, and Christina for hosting the link up!

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new blog design!!!!
                            

Thanks to Jana Tolman Designs I have this festive new design!  I found her through Laura at Tiny Toes, Little Nose.  Jana was so great to work with.  I wasn't really sure what I wanted it to look like so I gave her a few ideas and she designed away.  I love it!  I just have to work on adding all the info to the navigation bar now!

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beaba utensils 
                             
So many bloggers have raved about these utensils, but I didn't buy them because they were $25 and I thought how great can they really be?   Well last weekend I went to Bed Bath & Beyond and they were 50% and I had an additonal 20% off so I got them for $10.  We have put away all of our other untensils for Carter.  They really are the best!

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#pagmina2014

My little instagram photo-a-day project has been going ok...I've definitely missed some days but I'm not getting upset about it.  I know I'll be glad I did it and I'm sure I'll be better about it when it I have a little more time in the spring and summer!  These are my 2 favorites from January!

Now I need to learn how to make the photo collage of all my January pics.  Any tips?!

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perfume

Before I became a teacher I lived in NYC and worked in the beauty industry.  So although my life has changed dramatically since then, I still brighten my days and nights with a little spritz of my current favorite perfumes.

Prada Candy for night and YSL Parisienne for day! 

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This weekend I'm getting away for a girl's night to celebrate my friend's birthday!  I'm so excited to see my NYC friends and get away for the night!  I'm just a little worried I can't hang past 10pm. ;) And I know I'll be wide awake at 6am, just waiting for everyone to wake up.  The good news is our hotel has a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf!  I'll definitely be sipping on a big vanilla latte while everyone's still sleeping!

Happy Weekend!

A week of snow days & sick days and five on friday

Times were tough this week.  Christian is sick and stressed at work, I'm stressed at school and home, and had a stomach bug which took all of my energy and 7 pounds.  Carter has an ear infection and is going through a tantrum phase.  Sickness, snow days and long commutes to work have taken their toll on us.

Thanks to: my mom, ginger ale, Robitussin, and infant Motrin for helping us survive the week!

But it's the weekend and things can only get better!

Now onto my five!

                                      

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A few of my fave Carter words/phrases this week:

NO WAY!  - Carter says, yells, or screams this repeatedly depending on the situation, whether he doesn't want to put socks on, or you put his smoothie in the blue cup, when he wanted the green cup, or you turn on Chuggington instead of Mickey.  It is kind of cute for a quick minute while he's shaking his finger at you or shaking his hands back and forth, but after the 20th time in one day it loses it's cuteness.

MAMA!  He pretty much says this 9,294 times a day.  For so long he would call me Ama but he finally got the first m!

BAD CAT! He obviously learned this one from me- cat lover and all;)

Green- Go!  He's an expert at street lights...and my husband thinks I'm a backseat driver!

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On Thursday he wasn't really in the mood for a nap so as soon as I put him down, he stood right up and yelled MAMA!  Then he promptly threw a leg over the crib railing and hoisted himself on the side of the crib.  (I, of course saw all of this on the monitor and high-tailed it to his door as he got himself back down.)  Then as I walked back downstairs he did it again.  Thankfully he didn't successfully climb out, but he is so close.  So now what?  He will never take a nap again if we make it a toddler bed.  Are crib nets totally recalled now?  HELP!

I was a responsible mother and ran to get him instead of taking a pic of the monitor, although I really wish I would have gotten a pic.  Instead here's a pic of him still sleeping at 7:35am!  It was a snow day and it was wonderful!

yes my clock radio is circa 1997 

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Mondays are so much better now that The Bachelor is back!  Although the show is drawn out and has way too many commercials, I can't stop watching!  And I totally love reading the recaps on different blogs, like this one and this one!

My husband knows what i'm reading when I'm laughing out loud!

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Shopping for spring and a little florida getaway!
 
Taking advantage of the last season I can shop from the "baby" section of Gap.  And shopping for me too, but his stuff is so much cuter!

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My fortune that came with my pad thai tonight.

Add caption

Ok, I'm waiting.  What could it be?!?!?

Happy Weekend!

Mommy & Me Monday

My friend, Jess took these pictures of Carter & me in July.  I just found them and really love them.  

             

And since it's Monday I'm linking up with Emily and Leah for Mommy & Me!  

20 months after baby...a few thoughts

Just a few thoughts about postpartum life (20 months later) and things I've been learning in my journey through mommyhood.

• In 2004 I was diagnosed with melanoma.  I have gone to the dermatologist religiously since I was 7 years old.  I had moles removed so many times I can't even count.  I had pre-cancerous moles and then when I was 23 I had a melanoma, stage 1, luckily.  This has dramatically changed my life and my thinking. I have seen my dermatologist every 6 months since then for a full body check where she checks and measures every mole on my body and that's a lot.  But what you may not realize is that when you are pregnant and/or nursing your body is producing so much estrogen and that causes crazy things to happen in your body, one of which is that you are more susceptible to getting more and your current ones growing and changing.  When I was 9 months pregnant she added about 15 to my list.  I just had my latest appointment and everything was fine, but if you have moles or any sort of skin condition I would definitely recommend making an appointment to check everything out.  Better safe, than sorry.  

• A little less serious, but true to say the least.  You will never have total pee control again!  There have been countless  a few times that I've been laughing so hard that I had to change my underwear a little pee comes out!  You feel totally ridiculous, but it's true!  

• I know this isn't true for everyone, but for me since having a baby I have lost a lot of weight. I'm currently about 18 pounds less than my pre-pregnancy weight.  I think this has to do with the fact that my son is very high maintenance and from day 1 I haven't sat down.  I've been up and bouncing him or running after him, or carrying him around Costco.  I reached my all time low weight over Christmas when Carter was sick and so high maintenance.  I'm really trying to eat more and enjoying the fact that I can eat pizza and Five Guys burgers and still maintain my lower weight, for the time being, at least!    I'm also sure that if/when I have another baby I'll probably keep 10 pounds of that baby weight!  (Because I've been assured that if I have another baby he/she will be so easy compared to my sweet Carter!)  

This post has many more detailed changes I experienced in the months after Carter's birth.

2014

Welcome 2014!

This was our New Year's attempt.  The other 3 kids sat happily with their new year's gear.  Carter, on the other hand would have none of that (as he wouldn't sit and just screamed, "NO! NO!")  Notice the flying red hat in the front?!  

Here's 2013.

  

Things I'm loving now- five on friday!

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Matching PJ's
I've been a disheveled mom wearing stretched out sweatpants and random stretched out shirts to bed (I just stopped wearing nursing tanks even though I haven't nursed in 4 months!)  BUT for Christmas my mother in law gave me these!!!

                                             
They are so soft and cozy and it's amazing how much better I feel in matching pjs!
Then I went to Old Navy and got a few more pairs so I would have a rotation!
                                

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Anthropologie mugs
How is it that every time I go in there I find more mugs that I need?  And I don't even use mugs!   Can they please make some adorable decorated iced coffee cups?!
     

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Tiny Toms
Obsessed and so is Carter!  If one falls off, he stops everything and points to the fallen shoe and says "Tom".  Playing cannot resume until it's back on!  Love it!

his latest pair that I'm obsessed with!

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Hunter Boots

For months I've been thinking about getting some Hunters.  I ordered a pair from Nordstrom- way too big, got another pair- too small, ordered a different color- not worth $150. (Thank you free shipping/free returns!) I thought it just wasn't meant to be, especially for the $$$.  

But then a few weeks ago I walked into Costco and it's like a choir started singing as I saw the $75 sign hanging above them!  I couldn't get my shoe off fast enough!  I decided the size 7 would be just right and threw them in the cart as an early Christmas present to myself.

I have loved every rainy/ snowy day since!  Never again will I suffer a wet, dragging hem sticking to my leg for hours after being in the rain!

If you don't have a pair then go read this blog.  She will convince you that you NEED them, like yesterday!

                 source                    

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Blog makeover!

I've been thinking about redoing my blog and have been looking at a bunch of websites/designers to help.  I'm in total overload.  So many details and questions and I don't really know what I want!  I want it to be cute and I like gold...you want me to be more specific?!   I definitely don't want to spend too much $$.   I'd love any recommendations...

Thanks to Darci, Natasha, April, and Christina for hosting Five on Friday!