Thursday, September 27, 2012

Oh UPS, you are not my friend.

I have officially become beyond frustrated with UPS. My husband and I had to order a new computer charger for my laptop so that I can have the job as the transcriber that I wrote about before. We payed for expedited shipping to have it at our house by Wednesday (yesterday) and now UPS is trying to tell me I may not get it until Friday (tomorrow) even though they are the ones who's delivery driver did not come down my driveway last night and just decided that my address must not exist. I am beyond mad since I sat in the bedroom, next to the window for hours waiting for them to show up so I could meet them since I know people don't always see the apartment on top of the garage. I'm even more frustrated since UPS has been out here before and dropped my packages off just fine, so I don't know why they would have a problem this time. And to to it all off, they woke up my fussy teething baby to tell me that they needed directions to give to their driver even though my package may not get sent until tomorrow. Yeah, that's not working for me. If they don't call me by 1pm, this momma is going on a rampage and is going to do everything she can to get my freaking package today or get some compensation for their screw up since it may loose me this job. Gah. I'm just so irritated. And it really isn't helping me deal with all the other irritations that keep popping up.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Costumes and birthdays and Christmas, Oh My!

This time of the year is when I do a lot of my crafting, and this year is no exception. I actually have three times the crafting to do! I'm still working on the decorations for Moose's birthday party, have almost finished his Halloween costume, 3/4 of the way done with a football themed hat for him, and have a blanket that I've suspended work on until I can get through the other things. I'm also debating whether to craft some presents for friends and family too. I just seem to be picking up more projects before I get.a chance to finish the rest of my to do list. But you know what? I love it! Keeping myself busy when Moose is napping keeps me sane. Well, more sane. I just hope that I can get everything I want done in a timely fashion!

Do you enjoy doing crafts? Do you ever take on a lot of projects when you know it may take you a long time to finish?

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Joining the Army

Ok, I'm not joining the army. My 20 year old little brother is. I am so proud of him, finding his own way in this crazy world, especially with the cards he was delt in the past. It's always so inspiring to hear about people who overcame a difficult family life and did something with their life besides perpetuating the cycle. I'll admit, him leaving for boot camp in about a month makes me sad since he won't be in California anymore and I worry about him getting sent into a combat zone. But reguardless of any of that, I'm proud of him. It isn't an easy life, but it will help him to escape his toxic surroundings and really become the man he is meant to be.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Mommy on the move (and possibly a stay at home job)!

I am officially a mommy on the move and loving the idea of it! Yes, idea of it. I have yet to actually drive the new-to-me van, although hubby has driven it plenty the last couple of days. I can't wait to get behind the wheel and feel the wind in my hair without the fear that my transmission is going to give out at any moment. It's amazing how relaxing it is to have a vehicle that has no real issues.
And another great thing for our family, I may have a part time, work from home job as a transcriber for a writer with a local newspaper. It would be perfect for right now, a couple of hours a day, a couple of days a week. Perfect! Plenty of time for everything I'm currently doing, but I'll be contributing a bit to our household in a whole new way. The biggest plus is that little man won't have to go to daycare, so there won't be a lot of money going out! Gosh, I'm so excited! I really hope it all works out!!

Have you ever had one of those days where everything was going right? Anything you were ever extremely excited for?

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Wickedly Scented Candle Giveaway!

 

Welcome to The Wickedly Scented Candle Giveaway

About our Fabulous Hosts - Wickedly Scented Candles
Wickedly Scented Candles brings you all natural soy candles, containing the best possible ingredients, with a twist. There's a prize in each candle! Each candle is packed with wicked scent and contains a wicked prize. They have mixed it up a bit too!  Rather than sticking to one particular piece of jewelry in each candle, they offer a variety of prizes including different types of jewelry, codes for FREE Candles, and other amazing prizes.
They offer two different sized candles, a 21oz candle that contains prizes valued up to $6,500 and a 12oz candle that contains prizes valued up to $399.   
More about the codes:   Some codes are for free candles or other prizes valued at $50 or less.  Even if your code is an instant winner, your still going to have a chance at the BIG drawing.  The big drawing is held once all codes are turned in or time has run out.   
What about their Candle of the Month?   Don't forget to check out their candle of the month.  They offer special monthly candles so they can bring more awesome special prizes to you.  After the 300th candle is sold, guess what? They will draw a winner out of the special codes!  Every candle will have a piece of jewelry or a limited code according to the size.  Once all 300 candles have been sold, there will be a BRAND NEW candle of the month.
Jenn from Jenn's Blah Blah Blog was recently lucky enough to review one of these fabulous candles.  You'll have a chance to read the review and earn extra entries into this fabulous giveaway!  

 About the Giveaway           
  • There are a total of 10 Winners: 5 First Place Winners and 5 Second Place Winners! 
  •            
  • The 5 Lucky First Place Winners will receive one 21 oz candle
  •            
  • The 5 Lucky Second Place Winners will receive one 12 oz candle
  •            
  • Must be 18 years or older to enter
  •            
  • Open to US residents only
  •            
  • Giveaway ends on October 23, 2012 at 11:59pm EST.
  •            
  • Use the Rafflecopter below to enter, remember to come back and take advantage of daily entries.
Disclaimer: This blog is not responsible for shipping prize to winner, nor did I accept any form of payment to promote this giveaway.  Sponsor is responsible for shipping the prize to the winner.  

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

A new car for the mommy!

I am so excited! I found out last night that I should be getting my new-to-me mini mom van on Friday! I didn't think it was going to happen until Moose's birthday party in a little over 3 weeks. I am seriously so excited to not have to drive around my current car soon. My little, dumpy 94 Ford Tempo has so many problems and is so tight with Moose's car seat that I have been ready to get rid of it since he arrived. I'm so thankful and lucky to have amazing family members who are making this work for hubby and I so our little family can be more comfortable (and they get the perk of a gas friendly car once the Tempo is fixed).
Today is going to be a busy day, with lots to do, so I'm going to cut this post short so I can run to the store and start into my chores. Happy Wednesday all! See you back here tomorrow!

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

The good, the bad, and the creative!

Happy Tuesday everyone!
The good: I just about have everything made for Moose's birthday party next month and have decided that today would be a good day to take a break from a blanket I have been working on for my family and buy the materials to start working on Moose's Halloween costume! I have one month to have it all put together and ready for one of his cousin's second birthday parties! I'm really excited because it will only be Moose's second birthday party (other than his own) and it is going to be a costume party! I think the costume is going to take a while to put together. I have at least a shirt and fur vest to put together, and possibly a pair of pants also. And I have never made clothes before. Needless to say, I'm a bit nervous!
The bad (but still a little good): I found out that I wasn't chosen to host the Kmart Halloween Party with houseparty.com. But, I'm not giving up hope yet! I have applications in to host a few different parties including a Planter's Nut-Peanut Butter Everyday Adventures Party  (http://www.houseparty.com/event/plantersnut-rition), a  Rice Krispies Halloween Party (http://www.houseparty.com/event/ricekrispies), a Marzetti Simply Dressed House Party (http://www.houseparty.com/event/simplydressed), and a Sabra Take a Dip Party (http://www.houseparty.com/event/dipwithsabra)! Hopefully I'll get picked to host one of  those parties!
The creative: Moose has been getting into the under-the-kitchen-sink cabinets where we keep all of the cleaning chemicals and our landlord has informed us that he doesn't want us drilling into the wood cabinets to install baby proofing locks or cabinet handles. It's been a huge struggle to keep Moose out of them. Constant reinforcing, time outs, and even a few swats have become the norm in our house since he has decided that the simple "Moose, no, not for you" that worked last month is not going to work any longer. In a moment of frustration, I posted about my dilemma on my personal Facebook and got a comment that made me think. Use command strips rather than drill holes in the cabinets. Genius! Until I can get to the store to buy all the supplies I need, I needed to come up with a substitute cabinet lock. Enter scotch tape. I took 12 smaller pieces of tape, 6 for each cabinet, and placed them along the door, and onto the cabinet. Then, I took a longer piece of tape that runs the length of the cabinet and holds the edges of the smaller pieces down. I then took another piece that runs between the two doors holding them together. Unfortunately, pictures don't show it very well so I can't post any to give a visual, but so far today it has been working, and has kept him out of the chemicals. I hope that it stands up to his pulling and prodding until the weekend when we can hopefully fix the problem for good!

Monday, September 17, 2012

Fun and Falls at Apple Hill

Yesterday, Moose and I got together with some very old friends of mine and went up to High Hill Ranch in the beautiful area of Apple Hill located in the golden hills of California. If you have never been, it runs from labor day weekend to about Christmas Eve and is a must see. You can find all of the info you need for Apple Hill here: http://www.applehill.com

We had a ton of fun looking at all of the crafters, playing in the kids play area of Fudge Factory Farm, taking in the clean foothills air, enjoying the beautiful scenery, eating yummy food, and even dealing with Moose's first big boy fall onto a gravel path. Even after the big fall, my big boy kept right on running around and playing hard. He is getting to be such a tough boy. I got a few pictures of Moose playing in the kids' area, and will get more when my family friends post theirs. 


One of the things Moose enjoyed the most in the kid area was a little pink car that he could sit in and power with his feet. He climbed all over the place inside it, exploring and checking it all out!

This shows his face a little while after the fall

Moose had a lot of fun "driving" and climbing all over a cute Lightning McQueen car they had set up.


After finishing with the ranch, we all went on a walk through the apple orchard to get to my car and it was decided to stop and take some more pictures. I got some great pictures of Moose in his birthday shirt and as soon as I have the ability to upload those, I'll add them on as well.

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Saturday, September 15, 2012

Expect the unexpected (a review)

After purchasing amazing earrings from BellaVia Jewelry, I was so excited to find out about Simply Stylish Creations (http://simplystylishcreations.blogspot.com/). Stephanie, owner of Simply Stylish Creations is a stay at home mom's part time online run business specializing in hair bows, tutus, and crocheted items. Being a crafter and avid crocheter, I get really excited about shops that make really cool hats, especially since I don't always have the time to do all of the crocheting that I would like with Moose running around everywhere.
I was even more excited when Stephanie decided to host an auction for her products. I flipped through some very cute hair bows and girl hate, but thought that I wasn't going to find anything to bid on for my son until I came upon a football themed hat. My husband and his family are huge football fans and it seemed perfect. The hat up for auction was for ages 3-5years, but I figured that we could either keep it for down the road or give it to my brother in law for his 3year old son. I bid, and I won. I was so excited for the hat to come in the mail, I checked it every day. I even sent Stephanie a message to discuss possibly ordering a second hat in Moose's size.
The day it came in the mail, I was so excited! I tore into the packaging, pulled out the hat, and instant disappointment. Not only did it not look like the picture of the hat in the auction, but I instantly saw several flaws and things that I could have done better.

(the hat on my kitchen floor)
The first thing I noticed was that the stitching of the whole hat was very loose, and not up to the quality that I expect from something I want to put on my child, or especially something I want to give as a gift.

 


Another issue I found was that the ends of the yarn were not properly weaves into the hat and were sticking out all over the place. I couldn't believe that someone would send out a product that was put together that sloppily. I would have understood if it was not obvious that the ends were not woven in all of the way, or if a tiny piece had popped out after putting the hat on (which would still mean that the hay wasn't great quality since I have never had the yarn ends come loose on hats that I made), but I noticed the ends as soon as I looked at the hat, long before it was tried on.

I decided to try the hat on Moose to get a picture of it not flat, he wasn't a huge fan and it took a good 10 minutes to get a good picture of him wearing it.


I tried on the hat too (since my head is small and the hat looked really big) to give an idea of that it looks like on a larger head.
At first, I thought that maybe the hat was not top quality since it was for an auction and she may have made it in the very short time between my purchase and it being sent, but then I realized that a good shop owner would want to make good quality products no matter what to encourage customers to come back and to pass on a good word to other possible customers. Unfortunately, with the quality of the product I received and what she charges for a hat at regular price, I don't feel that the hat would have been worth it. I definitely won't be purchasing from Simply Stylish Creations again.


Note: The opinions in this post are mine, and mine alone. I was not given a product, nor was I asked to write a review by the company. I purchased the product from the company myself and chose to write a review to inform the public about the quality of the product I purchased. The pictures in this post were taken by me of the product that I purchased. No pictures in this post belong to anyone but me.
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Getting your monies worth! (a review)

I love buying from mom run stores, but I'm always afraid that I won't get something that is the quality I'm expecting for the price I am paying. BellaVia jewelry (http://www.etsy.com/shop/BellaViaJewelry?ref=si_shop) definitely made, and exceeded, my expectations with these gorgeous earrings. BellaVia is run by Heather, a super sweet and very talented lady. She sells amazing jewelry that is great quality, and one of the best thigs about her shop is that if you don't see a color or style you like, you can contact her for a custom piece.
The first time I heard of BellaVia was in an auction hosted by another amazing mom run shop (Eggo in the Oven: http://www.eggointheoven.etsy.com/ or http://www.facebook.com/EggoInTheOven?refid=17) and I was intrigued by a pair on leaf cascade earring in silver and gun smoke. Immediately, I went to her etsy shop to see what all she was offering for sale. I was hooked from there.



I had to put in a bid for the cascade leaf earrings, not only did I love them, but I thought they would make a great birthday present for my mom. I soon entered in a bidding war and eventually chose the buy it now option so I didn't loose them. I'm so glad I did!
Rather than just gun smoke and silver, I chose to add in copper and love the extra pop of color.


When the earrings arrived in the mail, I couldn't wait to see them. Needless to say, I was impressed! They were worth every penny! The leaves almost have a feathery look to them which I love and know my mom will love as well. I was tempted to put them on, but managed to restrain myself and settle for pictures.
I love the look of the earrings so much, I am in the process of picking out some jewelry for myself  and I plan on holiday and birthday shopping from BellaVia in the near future!


Note: All opinions in this post are mine, and mine alone. I was not given a product nor was I asked to write a review. This post was written simply because I purchased an amazing product from a great small business that I felt people should know about. The product mentioned in this review was purchased in full by me. The pictures in this post were taken of the product I purchased, by me and do not belong to anyone else. I have not included and pictures that do not belong to me.
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Friday, September 14, 2012

Awesome Free Blogger Opportunity!

Jenn's Blah Blah Blog and soon to launch Pink Ninja Media, bring you another FREE Blogger Opportunity! The sponsor of this awesome event will be Wickedly Scented Candle Company! Wickedly Scented Candles Company is offer our readers a chance to win a scentsational (see what I did there?) prize! 10 Candles, means 10 Winners! Wickedly Scented Candle Company offers wicked scents with a super prize valued at $10 up to $6,500! Don't you think your reader will love a chance at this fabulous prize! So what's in the candles? I know, you're just waiting to find out more! When you burn their candles you'll find different prizes such as: jewelry, or a special code according to the size of the candle. Monthly special candles will also have an extra prize that you're going to have a chance at winning! Monthly prizes vary according to the size of the candle. They offer different sizes of candles as well! So what's in it for you?
  • Free Facebook and Twitter Links. WITH ANNOUNCEMENT POST! t.
  • Co-host spots!
  • Additional Links are $2 (Paying bloggers will be moved up on Rafflecopter and placed after the hosts and co-hosts.)
What's in it for your readers?
  • 10 Winners!
  • 5 lucky people will win a 21 oz candle (prize in every candle up to $6,500)
  • 5 lucky people will win 12 oz candle (prize in every candle up to $375)
Details about giveaway:
  • Dates Sept 23 until Oct 23.
  • Open to US residents
Join us and help, Jenn's Blah Blah Blog and Pink Ninja Media introduce Wickedly Scented Candle Companyto our readers the right way! With a fabulous giveaway, offering 10 winners and plenty of chances to win. Where do I sign up? What are you waiting for? I hope to see you there!

Thursday, September 13, 2012

What to Expect When You're Expecting

While out for a food run for Moose yesterday, I decided to rent What to Expect When You're Expecting to watch when he went to bed. I am so glad that I did!
It showed emotion in all of the right ways and gave a small insight of just a couple of ways that pregnancy and birth experiences happen, from the lady to hates pregnancy to the fitness freak who never stops to the lady who has an extremely easy pregnancy, and it even shared the experience of the rarely discussed miscarriage. It covered the unmedicated birth, the woman who changes her mind and wants the drugs,  an emergency c-section. And an adoption It was funny in all of the ways that it should have been, had it's moments of drama and sorrow. You felt for each of the characters as they went through their own path towards having, or loosing, a child.
I'll admit, I had a heads up about the emergency c-section, which I was thankful for, but even the heads up couldn't have prepared me for the strong emotions I would feel. The adoption story was very beautiful and showed an entirely different side of growing your family that not many movies have shown. The issues of infertility hit close to home as before Moose, my hubby and I weren't sure if we could have children naturally. He had been sick as a child and was informed that he may never be able to have children. We had already discussed IVF and adoption as possibilities for the future. Lucky for us, our story didn't end in either fertility treatments or adoption, but knowing it could have brought out extra emotion.
I think some of the humor will be lost on people who don't have children/aren't trying to have children, but for those who have gone through one of the many paths to make their family larger, this movie is full of laughs and tears, and definitely worth watching. I know I'll be watching it again!

Talenti Gelato and Sorbetto

Ice cream may be great for hot summer days or for curing a bad day, and as a mom, I have the occasional "bad day that deserves a pint of ice cream. While out shopping for that deserved ice cream the other day, I discovered Talenti gelato and sorbetto, which was on sale. I figured that if ice cream is good at curing those bad day woes, then gelato must be better! And gelato who uses minimal, natural, kosher ingredients must be the best (next to home made gelato of course). Moose and I picked roman raspberry sorbetto for him (vegan, non dairy) and a Mediterranean mint gelato for me and went home. I popped open the raspberry sorbetto first, and YUM! You can taste the true taste of raspberries with out having a million other flavors dampening them out. Exactly what I would want in a great product! Them I tried the mint. Oh my gosh. It was so good, like mint chocolate chip ice cream, only a million times better! I have always loved gelato, but shied away from buying pre packaged grocery store brands. I won't shy away from Talenti gelato and sorbetto, it was truly amazing.



Note: The opinion above is mine and mine alone. I was neither given a product to try nor was I asked to write a review about the above product. I bought the above product with mynown money and the above review was done so at my own will to share my experience with a great product. 

Facebook

I got a Facebook set up for the blog, so feel free to head over and friend request me there!
http://facebook.comLatoasahm

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Rough waters ahead

I skipped posting yesterday as it was a difficult day in my house and I needed to take some time to deal with what was in my head and get to a good place for blogging. It will probably be a rough month for me with a lot of big events happening.
A little background: when I was a small child, my parents divorced and my birth father was not a big part of my life. He picked me up for the required visitations at the request at my step mom, and while I wanted to be close to him, it never happened and we have since stopped talking. I then gained a step father who was good to me until my little sister came along and we had a strained relationship until very recently. Through all of that, I had two constants in my life, one of my mom's brothers and her father. My grandfather and I became very close and he had such a huge influence on my life, my values, and the person I am today. Unfortunately, he passed away suddenly a few years ago. He never got the chance to meet my husband or my son. It kills me that one of the men who helped shape my life is not here for one of the biggest parts. I cry that he never got to hold his great grandson, never got to see him crawl, won't get to see him grow and learn. And will never be able to share his stories. This comes at a big deal this part of the year especially as my grandpa would be turning 88 on September 14, and Moose's birthday coming up in October. I would give the world to have him here with us, but I try to take comfort in the thought that he is Moose's guardian angel, teaching him things that he would be if he were here and watching over him, keeping him safe.
I try not to let the hurt show, but sometimes I become moody and I apologize if the tone of my blog becomes a bit somber. I will try to post about happy events, awesome products, yummy food but since I am here to share my life with you, it will occasionally mean sharing the bad too. Here is to sharing the good times, the bad times, and everything in between.
Have you ever had someone close to you pass away? Does it still affect you?

Monday, September 10, 2012

Eleven down, one to go

Months that it. Moose turned eleven months old on the 8th. With that, comes some sadness and some excitement. Watching him grow, explore and learn is amazing, but he has gone from my little 8lb 13oz newborn to a 21lb toddler in the blink of an eye. From laying around and always wanting to snuggle with mommy to running around the house (literally) and climbing on everything he can. With the last month upon me, the real birthday plans begin. I have the main parts of the decorations and food decided on, but now is the time for lists. Lots and lots of lists. Just to make sure I don't forget anything once things get crazy with last minute preparations. It has been a crazy year so far, with a lot of ups and downs, but my moose has been worth every little bit. He is most definitely my world.

Walgreens to the rescue!

Hey all, sorry I missed a day. I blog from my husband's IPhone right now while our computer is out of commission. With that said, here is my attempt to cath up!

Yesterday, I decided that I really wanted to get the decorating big out so I could stop thinking about it, so I decided to give Walmart a second try. Moose was being pretty fussy again, so we left earlier than I had planned. Luckily,  we finished picking up everything that we needed  and the frames with only 15 minutes to 9am and what I thought was the opening of the photo center (their store page on Walrat's website has not been updated in a while, so information on there is useless), only to find out, at 9am, that they don't open until 10am on Sundays (there is no sign or anything telling customers this btw). Yet again, if I wanted my pictures through Walmart, I'd have to deal with their horrible customer service and wait another hour. I walked to the front, bought what I needed to get, and left sans pictures again. This time, not being frustrated with my day and determined to get my pictures, I simply drove across the street to Walgreens. What a difference that made! Their photo computer worked properly, was the complete opposite of Walmart's frustrating computers. I was happy. Then Ethan decided he wanted to run around. Rather than look down on me, the staff laughed and talked to him, then one member brought him over a ball to play with, after asking if it was ok. I was thrilled! Then, rather than make me wait 30 minutes for them to be ready the same employee offered to get them done right away! I was ecstatic! Properly working equipment AND incredible customer service? I was sold. I told the employee that had been so helpful that how I felt about the experience and that from now on, they are my choice for my photo developing needs! I wanted to shout from the roof tops, but instead, I'm settling with a Facebook and blog post. More people will hear it this way. Lol
Have you ever had a store make your day after several bad experiences somewhere else?


*Note: All opinions started in this post are my own. I was not given any free product for or asked to write a review about my experience. I wrote this post on my own, under my own will, under no obligation except my want to get the story to the public.

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Follow me...

On the social networking circuit!
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/moosesmommy11/
Twitter: pilzburyfry
houseparty.com: http://www.houseparty.com/people/view/Moosesmommy

Just one of those days...

Do you ever have "one of those days"? The type of day when it seems like everything that could go wrong will go wrong and you wish that there was a remote to life so you could fast forward the day and just get it over with? Today is one of those days for me.
For some reason after the most sleep I've had in a while, I was still exhausted. Moose decided to get into and touch everything he knows he isn't supposed to and proceeded to scream at me when I made him stop. In an attempt to let my husband sleep longer, I decided to take Moose to go pick up prescriptions, buy new frames and print out some pictures. I realized half way down our street that I forgot both my camera (with SD card) and the disk with our family pictures. We went back, got the stuff and we're on our way. After picking out our frames, Ethan and I headed over to the DIY photo machines only to find out they didn't "open" for 15 minutes. 15 minutes later, we were well on our way... Or so I thought. The touch screen on the computer wasn't working right, 45 minutes after sitting down, a fussy, impatient child, and lots of frustration later, I was ready to print my pictures. We found some new frames that fit out new needs while we waited for the pictures to be prepared and when we got to the printer, an hour after the computers becoming available, it wasn't working. After waiting for the electronics guy to restart it, go let the person in charge of the photo department (who happened to have gone through and turned all of the printing stuff on but apparently difn't care enough to make sure it was working) know it was broke. She finally showed up, looked at the printer and informed me it would take even longer as she had to replace a part. Needless to say, I walked out without my pictures and without the frames.
A few more inconveniences  and annoyances occurred through the day and then I got one of the texts I have been dreading. My mom's little King Charles Spaniel named Reggie passed away. Tears welled in my eyes. I know he was old. I know he was blind, deaf, and had some other problems, but he had survived so much. So much so that we joked that he was part cat (what other dog could survive almost bleeding out, a Rottweiler attack, jumping off a second story balcony, etc, etc and not be part cat?). It was just assumed that he would live forever. Unfortunately, at 1:48pm on September 8, I learned that he wasn't invincible. That he was mortal, and that today he had passed away. I felt immediate sadness and the overwhelming was to hug my mom. Since I couldn't be with my mom, I made do with a text expressing my sorrow, a post to Facebook and text to a friend to get the word out to those who would need it, and I came here, to write out my feelings. 
Today is one of those days where I am particularly happy to have this blog to come to. Even if no person was ever to read this post, I was able to get it off my chest.
Have you ever lost a pet that you were particularly close to? How did you "deal" with the loss?

Friday, September 7, 2012

Product reviews

I would love to have this blog be both a personal blog and a product review blog. I would love to begin to receiving samples of various child friendly, family friendly, and mommy friendly products from companies and in exchange write product reviews for these companies. I am working towards making this a full time blog with daily postings and would love to add your product reviews to my postings! I am very PR friendly and would love to write a review for any interested parties.

If you have a product you would like to be reviewed for FREE, please contact me at moosesmommy11@gmail.com

The count down to the big ONE begins!

There are 31 days until Moose turns one and 36 days until his first birthday party! In anticipation of the festivities, I decided to upload some pictures of the stuff that I have ready for the big day.
The first pictures are of Moose's birthday shirt. Since we are such baseball fans, I thought it would be cute to make it baseball themed. The shirt is a black t-shirt with baseball themed fabric cut to form the words and hand sewn on, and puff paint for our last name. I think I am in love!

The back

The front (with my juice drinking boy)

A better view of the front

I also put together a big "1" phot pro for Moose's birthday pictures. It is made from cardboard boxes, white card stock paper, and hand sketched pictures too look like characters from the Hot To Train Your Dragon Book.



This is Moose's birthday party shirt to continue with the dragon there

And last, but not least, the birthday banner which is currently in progress



To baby wear or not to baby wear...

... That is the question. The answer for our family was to baby wear. But with so many different types and brands to choose from, the real questions began. What type of  carrier to buy? What brand is the best? After endless research before Moose was born and into his early months, we came up with answers.
We chose to buy both an ergonomic f. We decided on an ergonomic carrier as it holds the baby in a position that was more natural, allowed for proper hip and back placemet, and would be easier and more comfortable on both mine and my husband's backs. When determining what the best brand was, I found, really depended on each individual person's opinion. While I had my eye on an Ergobaby, we settled on the Infantino Support (http://www.infantino.com/product.cfm?product_id=1414) after checking them both out in stores and realizing that they were comparable in style and both carried the baby in an ergonomic position. As soon as Moose was able to hold his head up, we were off and running (ok, a brisk walk). He loved it! Not only did it keep him in a position that would support him naturally, but it snuggled him close with whomever was carrying him. The best thing, at almost one year old, we are still using the Infantino Support comfortably for both him and my husband and I.
Moose in his Infantino Support May 2012
Daddy and a sleeping Moose 6 months old



*note: all opinions in this post are mine and mine alone. I was not given any free products for my opinion. My husband and I bought our Infantino Support with our own money. I was not contacted by any companies for my opinion, I wrote this post under my own free will.



Thursday, September 6, 2012

Cloud B Sleep Sheep and Twilight Turtle

Let me start by saying that we  love Cloud B products in our home.
Moose received the Cloud B sleep sheep when he was about 2 months old and refused to sleep anywhere but on top of or next to me. The minute we got it, the package was ripped away, batteries changed, it was set in the pack n play next to him with the sounds playing and he has loved it since. It sat with him in his pack n play before he slept in his crib and now it hangs from his crib. He "talks to it, plays with it, and snuggles with it. He enjoys listening to the soothing sounds of the rain, whale noises, and the ocean with mommy when he falls asleep and it usually helps keep him asleep longer. Definitly a must have in any household with young children!
The Sleep Sheep can be found here at Cloud B's website: Cloud B Sleep Sheep

The Twilight Turtle I fell in love with the minute I saw it in Babies"R"us while pregnant with Moose. My husband and I bought it for Moose a few months before he was born and it entertained us with it's different colored lights since he was a few weeks old and has slept with him in his crib since he was 6 months old. Turnig it on and picking a color has become part of our bedtime routine and if I forget one night, Moose makes sure to remind me. Before Twilight Turtle, Moose would sleep in very short spirts and would wale up screaming often. Since having Twilight Turtle in his bed everynoght, lighting up his room with it's stars, Moose sleeps longer and goes to bed easier. It has made such a difference in his sleep habits and night time routine.
The Twilight Turtle can be found here at Cloud B's website: Cloud B Twilight Turtle


Moose and his Sleep Sheep November 17, 2011

Ethan fast asleep with Twight Turtle set to blue August 2012



*note: All opinions stated on this post are mine, and mine alone. Neither of the products mentioned in this post were given to us by Cloud B or any affiliates, nor was I requested to or required to write a post about either the Sleep Sheep or Twilight Turtle. I have done so on my own as a way to share an opinion that may help other parents.

Funky weather and weekends

The weather has been really weird this year in Northern California and yesterday was no different. Yesterday morning, Moose and I went for our daily morning outing. When we left, it was partially cloudy out and when we came home an hour later, it started to rain. The rest of the day was pretty dry, but overcast until a sudden storm blew in around 5. Moose and I were surprised with thunder and lighting directly above our house which knocked out our power for a few hours so we scraped our plans and snuggled in Mommy and Daddy's bed, sing to music on Mommy's iPod, and watch the lightning. Poor little Moose was not enjoy this storm like he did the last one we got though. The thunder kept making him jump and made it very difficult to put him to bed.
Lucky for us, daddy's weekend starts today so I have a bit more help with Moose. Also lucky for us, the sudden storm decided to blow out so we have some sun today. I really hope it can dry everything out fairly well so we can have some fun outdoors without getting all wet!

What do you enjoy storms? What do you do when the power goes out?

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

House party

I mentioned in my first post that I would be posting about parties, house parties to be exact. I have joined up with a website called house party (houseparty.com) where you can apply to host fun house parties sponsored by big name companies. I applied to host my first house party today, a pre-Halloween party sponsored by Kmart. I really hope I get picked! Halloween is seriously my favorite holiday. Yes, I even love Halloween more than Christmas. *gasp* I know.
I'm planning on attending my first house party, thrown by Fisher Price, on September 22. I'm excited to see how they work and get the ball rolling! Thought I would share since it is fresh in my mind this morning and I won't get another chance to post again until tomorrow morning.
I hope everyone has a great Wednesday! Do you like to throw parties?

Preparing for October and all of it's fun.

October is a big month for my family with lots of birthdays and Halloween. This one will be one of the biggest so far. This October, we celebrate little Moose's first birthday! I have been preparing for it for a few months now, and am now kicking into gear to get everything done in time.
Moose is have a almost completely DIY How to Train Your Dragon party and So far, I have made everything from 2 different shirts (one for his actual birthday and one for the party) to his one year picture photo props, to all of the decorations. I still have to finish most of the decorations and track down all of my recipes that I lost when I got a new phone. All of the cupcakes will be made and decorated by me the morning of his party, which is super time consuming as Ethan is dairy free (dairy intolerance) so not only do I need to make cupcakes for 20-30 guests, but. Batch of dairy free cupcakes from scratch as well.. So much to do, so little time!
On top of Ethan's party to prepare for, we also have another first birthday for a good friend's daughter the weekend before Moose's party and a 2nd birthday party for one of Moose's cousins who's birthday is the day after. And Halloween!
Oh Halloween! I'm so excited for this year! With Ethan walking and having so much fun being out of the house and interacting with people, it should be the best year yet! Have I mentioned that I'll be putting together his costume too? No? Yeah, on top of everything else, I'll be making  Moose's costume too. It should be fairly easy, he is going at Hiccup Horrendous Haddock, the main character from How to Train Your Dragon (see a theme going on here?).
I can't wait to share pictures of Ethan's birthday, party, and his costume as I get it all finished!

Is there anything you're looking forward to this October? Do you enjoy doing DIY projects?

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Oh the joys of teething...

Moose is teething. He has been working on teeth 7 and 8 for about a month now, and at 10.5 months old, they are finally getting close! The down sides that he isn't his usual happy self. He's been fussy and clingy a lot during the last week, he wants mommy most of the time and doesn't want to give me many breaks, and he has been running a fever on and off. Add on the walking he decided to start 3 weeks ago, and getting into all the cabinets (we aren't allowed to drill holes in the cabinets for locks) and there has been a lot of fun play and temper tantrums in our house. It definitely doesn't leave much room for getting product made and learning to use my sewing machine. At the end of the day, when I look at him sleeping, I'm reminded that it is all worth it and I cling to the last of the baby Moose as he quickly turns into toddler Moose before my eyes.

Introduction to me

Who am I? The short version, my name is Kelly and I am a stay at home mom to an awesome little boy (Moose) who is turning one this October and wife to my awesome hubby, who works hard so I get to stay home with our kiddo.
Why blog? Simple answer: Why not?
My blog is going to tell about my life as a stay at home mom, raising my son, in a small town. The good, the bad, and the ugly. I'll be participating in parties, product reviews, and hopefully starting a business in the next few months and will talk about all of those here as well.
I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing!